People's Daily - January 14, 2026

Only purity remains to fill the universe.

By: 本报记者 张 贺 郑海鸥 何思琦

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Party Central Committee has started by formulating and implementing the Eight-Point Regulation, establishing ironclad rules and strong constraints to promote a new look in Party conduct and government integrity." General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on January 12.

When the Party conduct is upright, the people's customs are pure, the people's hearts are aligned, and the cause is thriving—this is the conclusion of history and also the revelation of the future.

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), standing at the strategic height of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, has drawn a blueprint for the construction of good social conduct in the new era. He has delivered a series of important discourses on promoting a good social atmosphere of advocating integrity and rejecting corruption, establishing good moral conduct, creating a new fashion of family civilization, and further forming an upward and benevolent social atmosphere. He has also taken the lead, leading the entire Party and society to work together to build a new social atmosphere of the times.

Under the strong traction of excellent Party conduct and government integrity, social conduct and folk customs are moving upward and becoming more virtuous, the flowers of civilization are blooming in competition, and the new atmosphere of righteousness is gathering tremendous strength, presenting a myriad of new images of Chinese-style modernization.

"Actively publicize the concept of integrity and models of integrity, and create a good social atmosphere of advocating integrity and rejecting corruption."

Culture has the characteristics of the times. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "We must strengthen the construction of a culture of integrity in the new era" and "use the culture of integrity to nourish the body and mind."

"Hemp grows straight in hemp fields, without being propped up." Culture nourishes things silently, but it has the power of water dripping through stone. Taking culture as a means to cultivate morality and integrity, the construction of a culture of integrity in the new era promotes the good social atmosphere of advocating integrity and rejecting corruption to take root in people's hearts.

Jia Chunhong (贾春红) is the catering manager of an economy hotel in Fuping County (阜平县), Hebei Province (河北省). She is still deeply impressed by a menu.

The "hot dishes" column on the menu reads: Braised Chicken with Brown Sauce, Fuping Stew, Stir-fried Pork Belly with Garlic Sprouts, Mashed Garlic Garland Chrysanthemum, and Winter Melon Meatball Soup. The date of the postscript is December 29, 2012.

That day, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) came to Fuping (阜平) for inspection and had dinner at the economy hotel where Jia Chunhong (贾春红) worked.

"At that time, the staff specifically told us not to serve alcohol, and these four dishes and one soup were all local home-cooked dishes. Ten people sat at a table and ate very cleanly," said Jia Chunhong (贾春红).

The camera pulls back to December 4, 2012, when the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee reviewed and approved the Eight-Point Regulation of the Central Political Bureau on improving work style and maintaining close ties with the masses.

"The formulation and implementation of the Eight-Point Regulation is an act of establishing credibility in the new era by our Party. We must grasp it constantly and make persistent efforts. If ten years are not enough, then twenty years; if twenty years are not enough, then thirty years, until it truly becomes a custom and leads social conduct and folk customs with excellent Party conduct." On January 9, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) spoke firmly at the Second Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

On January 8, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, "Actively publicize the concept of integrity and models of integrity, and create a good social atmosphere of advocating integrity and rejecting corruption."

Integrity is a traditional virtue and a distinct value orientation of the Chinese nation, and the culture of integrity is an important part of the outstanding traditional Chinese culture.

In the Party's century-long struggle, integrity and public service have always been engraved in the annals of history. Jiao Yulu (焦裕禄) drafted the "Ten Prohibitions for Cadres," stipulating that cadres should not engage in any form of special privileges at any time; Yang Shanzhou (杨善洲) practiced the promise of "as long as life does not end, serving the people will not stop" throughout his life; "If you can be on the scene, don't be in the meeting place," Liao Junbo (廖俊波) did his best and led local cadres and the masses to devote themselves to hard work...

Since the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has placed the strengthening of the construction of a culture of integrity in the new era in a prominent position in governing the country, based on the "inner learning" cultivation of Chinese Communists, using revolutionary culture to temper the noble character of selflessness and selfless dedication, using advanced socialist culture to cultivate the cultural soil of honest governance and impartial use of power, and using outstanding traditional Chinese culture to cultivate the spiritual realm of self-discipline and integrity.

The constantly improving top-level design and the constantly enriching system supply enable the construction of a culture of integrity in the new era to have rules to follow and laws to abide by. The General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued the "Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of a Culture of Integrity in the New Era," the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee included "Strengthening the Construction of a Culture of Integrity in the New Era" into important reform measures, and the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection proposed "Formulating a Three-Year Action Plan for the Construction of a Culture of Integrity in the New Era (2025-2027)," promoting the culture of integrity to enter all walks of life and thousands of households.

In 2025, the exhibition "Qingfeng Wanli - Ancient Chinese Culture of Integrity" at the National Museum of China attracted many visitors. Liuchixiang (六尺巷) in Tongcheng (桐城), Anhui (安徽), San Su Ci (三苏祠) in Meishan (眉山), Sichuan (四川), and Baogong Temple (包公祠) in Kaifeng (开封), Henan (河南)... string together a long scroll of the culture of integrity inherited by the Chinese nation for thousands of years.

"A letter comes only for the wall, why not let him three feet?" The "Let the Wall Poem" of Liuchixiang (六尺巷) in Tongcheng (桐城), Anhui (安徽), has become a vivid material for the construction of a culture of integrity in the new era.

On October 17, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) came to Liuchixiang (六尺巷) and cordially instructed, "Liuchixiang (六尺巷) embodies the historical wisdom of our ancestors in resolving conflicts. It should be used as an educational place to promote the outstanding traditional Chinese culture, give play to the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation of emphasizing courtesy and valuing harmony, and create a harmonious social environment for people to live and work in peace and contentment."

In a large country with such a large population as ours, how can we solve problems at the grassroots level and resolve them in the bud?

The "Fengqiao Experience (枫桥经验)" in the new era inspires us that Party members and cadres must work creatively—internal contradictions among the people should be resolved through mediation.

The "Liuchixiang (六尺巷) Work Method" in the new era has embarked on a grassroots governance path of source governance, multi-party co-governance, and harmonious sharing, and the culture of harmony permeates people's hearts.

The construction of a culture of integrity in the new era is being steadily promoted, cultivating a new atmosphere of the times of seeking truth, being pragmatic, uniting and struggling, and the righteousness of taking integrity as honor and corruption as shame fills the entire society.

Oppose the "Four Winds" and establish a new atmosphere. Formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance are strongly reflected and deeply hated by the masses. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has carried forward the spirit of nailing nails, persistently corrected the "Four Winds," curbed some unhealthy trends that were previously considered impossible to curb, and corrected some stubborn diseases that had not been eliminated for many years, bringing a new look to Party conduct, government integrity, and social atmosphere.

The disappearance of "sky-high price mooncakes" and the return of "the original flavor of mooncakes" reflect the great changes in work style. All localities and departments have deeply corrected "waste on the tip of the tongue," "unhealthy clubhouse trends," and "corruption on wheels," and strengthened the simultaneous investigation and treatment of wind and corruption. From determining the "Year of Reducing Burdens at the Grassroots Level" to issuing the "Several Provisions on Rectifying Formalism to Reduce Burdens at the Grassroots Level," the Party Central Committee has continued to deeply rectify formalism to reduce burdens at the grassroots level. Party members and cadres advocate integrity and honesty, and the people see tangible results and changes.

Practice has proved that when a good social atmosphere of seeking truth, being pragmatic, advocating integrity, and rejecting corruption is established, unhealthy trends and evil practices will have no market.

In Chongqing (重庆), the application of the "One Form Pass" intelligent reporting system has integrated and streamlined various historical reports at the grassroots level, and grassroots cadres have applauded: "The burden is lighter, and the motivation is stronger"; in Anhui (安徽), cadres said, "Scientists only need to focus on tackling key problems, and we will handle the implementation," and hardcore technologies are moving from the laboratory to the production line faster...

"The further unhealthy trends are away from us, the closer the masses will be to us," General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out profoundly.

Looking across the country, the practice of "going down to the grassroots level in four aspects" has become a trend, and "handling one thing efficiently" is being steadily promoted. The masses exclaimed: "The Party's good work style is back!"

"Guide the broad masses of the people to consciously practice the core socialist values and establish good moral conduct."

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has delivered a series of important discourses on the construction of spiritual civilization, incorporating the cultivation of good moral conduct into the construction of the national governance system and governance capacity modernization, pointing out the direction and providing fundamental guidelines for promoting and practicing the core socialist values in the new era.

"Morality" is one of the important concepts of outstanding traditional Chinese culture. Core values are not only personal morality, but also a great morality, which is the morality of the country and the morality of society.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out, "We must deeply implement the project of civic moral construction, deepen mass spiritual civilization creation activities, guide the broad masses of the people to consciously practice the core socialist values, establish good moral conduct, and strive to be demonstrators of socialist morality and maintainers of good social atmosphere."

Small virtues flow, and great virtues are cultivated. Why has the Chinese nation been able to thrive for thousands of years? An important reason is that we have a national spirit with patriotism as the core and a consistent value pursuit.

On September 3, 2025, a grand military parade on Tiananmen Square (天安门广场) stirred up the patriotic feelings and aspirations of hundreds of millions of people to serve the country.

"Proud of the great motherland!" "Revitalize China, we should be self-reliant!"... Chinese sons and daughters left hot messages, inspiring the ambition to unite and forge ahead.

"Loving the motherland and loving the hometown is not only manifested in the inseparable attachment to her rivers and mountains, nation, history, and culture, but also in the heartfelt concern for the fate and future of the motherland and hometown, and the willingness to shed blood and dedicate oneself to the cause of liberation and construction of the motherland and hometown." During his work in Zhengding (正定), Hebei (河北), Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) once expressed his patriotic feelings in this way.

A promising nation cannot be without heroes, and a promising country cannot be without pioneers.

These moments were recorded by the camera—

Smiling and bending down, he tightly held the hands of six veteran soldiers and comrades who fought in the War of Resistance Against Japan; bending down and awarding the certificate of national poverty alleviation model to Xia Sen (夏森) in a wheelchair; bypassing the seat and holding the hands of Huang Xuhua (黄旭华) and Huang Dafa (黄大发), two gray-haired moral model representatives, and inviting them to sit next to him...

Respecting the elderly, respecting the old, and praising heroes, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) is an advocate and practitioner of establishing good moral conduct in the whole society.

In 2014, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed a decision to designate September 30 as Martyrs' Memorial Day. Since then, on this day every year, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has come to the Monument to the People's Heroes to lay a flower basket to the People's Heroes.

Looking back on the past, the solemn bows in front of the monument, the deep gazes in the memorial hall, and the emotional stories of heroes told again and again, the General Secretary leads the whole society to admire heroes, strive to be heroes, and produce heroes in large numbers.

Ordinary people create greatness, and heroes come from the people.

On August 13, 2022, Li Peisheng (李培生) and Hu Xiaochun (胡晓春), "Good People of China" and staff members of Huangshan Scenic Area (黄山风景区) in Anhui (安徽), received a special reply letter with the signature "Xi Jinping (习近平)."

They read it over and over again: "I hope you will continue to play a good exemplary role, actively spread truth, goodness, and beauty, transmit positive energy, and encourage more people around you to move upward and be kind, and promote the core socialist values."

Since the new era, "Role Models of the Times," moral models, "Good People of China," and "Most Beautiful People" have continued to emerge. The whole society learns from them and strives to be good citizens of society, good employees of the unit, and good members of the family.

Among the 24 characters of the core socialist values, the two characters "rule of law" have a heavy weight.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out, "We must not only talk about the rule of law but also talk about the rule of virtue" and "We must adhere to the combination of governing the country according to law and governing the country with virtue."

It is glorious to have virtue, and it is shameful to lose virtue. The formulation and implementation of the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs to safeguard the dignity and image of heroes and martyrs, and the joint punishment of "Laolai (老赖)" (debt dodgers) to create a credible society... The rule of law and the rule of virtue transmit the correct value orientation through cases, and more people see the virtuous and think about Qi.

Without the nourishment of morality, the culture of the rule of law lacks a source of living water, and the implementation of the law lacks a solid social foundation. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "In the process of promoting the rule of law, we must vigorously promote the core socialist values, promote the traditional Chinese virtues, cultivate social morality, professional ethics, family virtues, and personal morality, and improve the ideological and moral level of the entire nation, so as to create a good cultural environment for governing the country according to law."

The spirit of the rule of law is integrated into the blood of the national spirit. Since the new era, people's legal beliefs, concepts of the rule of law, and awareness of rules have continued to increase, and the awareness of handling affairs according to law, seeking law in case of trouble, solving problems by law, and resolving conflicts by law has been continuously consolidated.

"As long as the Chinese nation pursues a beautiful and noble moral realm from generation to generation, our nation will always be full of hope," said General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) meaningfully.

"Promote the formation of a new socialist family civilization fashion of loving the country and loving the family, loving each other, moving upward and being kind, and building and sharing together."

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Family style is an important part of the social atmosphere."

"One family of father and son are three poets, and four masters of ancient articles." This couplet in San Su Ci (三苏祠) in Meishan (眉山), Sichuan (四川), is thought-provoking. What kind of family style has created a generation of talents in the Su family?

On June 8, 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) came to San Su Ci (三苏祠). "We must promote the whole society to pay attention to family education and family style construction, encourage future generations to enhance their feelings for the country and strive to grow into talents who are useful to the country and society."

"Without the happiness and well-being of thousands of families, there would be no national prosperity and development." General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) is always concerned about the construction of family education and family style.

In Yinchuan (银川), Ningxia (宁夏), he sat with Zhao Shoucheng's (赵守成) family in the community and told everyone to "make the family better and make life more prosperous."

In Xianning (咸宁), Hubei (湖北), he walked into the home of villager Xiong Chenglong (熊成龙) and hoped that "the family will continue to work hard to make production and life better and cultivate the children well."

"No matter how much the times change, no matter how much the pattern of life changes, we must pay attention to family construction, pay attention to family, pay attention to family education, and pay attention to family style."

Respecting the old and loving the young, passing on farming and reading, and being diligent and thrifty in managing the family... Cultivating a good family style cannot be separated from drawing moral nourishment from the outstanding traditional Chinese culture.

"When I was a child, I read the comic book "The Biography of Yue Fei (岳飞传)" that my mother bought for me. There were more than a dozen books, one of which was about "Mother Yue Tattooing Characters (岳母刺字)," and the impression of serving the country loyally was deeply imprinted in my mind." General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has repeatedly mentioned the story of serving the country loyally.

Today, the stories of Mencius' mother moving three times, Tao Mu rejecting fish, and painting reeds to teach children are still being spread, and family precepts and family letters such as "Yan Family Instructions" and "Zhu Zi Family Instructions" are still valuable sources of ideological culture for cultivating moral character.

Diligence and thrift are not only traditional virtues but also a new fashion of the times.

Although a grain of rice is light, it reflects civilized cultivation; although saving is a small matter, it can gather strength for social harmony and national prosperity.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out, "Now, our living conditions have improved, but the spirit of hard struggle must not be reduced at all. We must adhere to self-cultivation through thrift, promote industry through thrift, and adhere to practicing economy and running everything diligently."

Cultivating oneself with virtue, establishing prestige with virtue, and convincing people with virtue. The family style of leading cadres is not only related to their own families but also to the Party's conduct and government integrity.

"We must focus on learning and carrying forward Jiao Yulu's (焦裕禄) public servant feelings, pragmatic style, fighting spirit, and moral character." In March 2014, when General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) revisited Lankao (兰考), he met with Jiao Yulu's (焦裕禄) five children. The second daughter, Jiao Shouyun (焦守云), said to the General Secretary: "We must inherit the spirit of our father and maintain the family education and family style."

Jiao Yulu (焦裕禄) educated his children not to "watch free operas," Gu Wenchang (谷文昌) warned his family "not to touch a bit of public oil," and Yang Shanzhou (杨善洲) did not allow his family to take "free rides"... When the family style is upright, the Party's conduct is upright, and when the family style is pure, the government integrity is pure.

"Leading cadres should strive to become moral models for the whole society, take the lead in practicing the core socialist values, talk about Party spirit, pay attention to character, set an example, take the lead in paying attention to family, family education, and family style, maintain the noble character and integrity of Communists, and take practical actions to drive the whole society to advocate morality and kindness, respect the law, and abide by the law." The General Secretary's words are earnest and sincere.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal clearly states "strengthening family education and family style construction and promoting the transformation of customs"; the Civil Code stipulates that "families should establish a good family style, promote family virtues, and attach importance to family civilization construction"; the "Implementation Outline for Civic Moral Construction in the New Era" clearly proposes "using good family education and family style to cultivate moral character"... Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the laws and policies for family education and family style construction in our country have been continuously established and improved.
The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal clearly states "strengthening the construction of family, family education, and family traditions, and promoting the transformation of social customs"; the Civil Code stipulates that "families should establish good family traditions, promote family virtues, and attach importance to family civilization construction"; the "Implementation Outline for the Construction of Civic Morality in the New Era" clearly proposes "using good family education and family traditions to cultivate moral character"... Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the laws and regulations on family, family education, and family tradition construction in our country have been continuously established and improved.

"Promoting the formation of a new socialist family civilization trend of loving the country and family, loving each other, being upward and virtuous, and building and sharing together," thousands of families cultivate good family traditions, converging into a mighty trend of the times.

In recent years, various departments have actively organized family civilization construction activities, with 16.48 million "Most Beautiful Families" emerging, and more than 500,000 family education and family tradition lecture and performance activities organized, covering 250 million people, effectively promoting the improvement of social civilization.

The new trend of family civilization permeates the land of China, and a happy picture of family harmony leading to prosperity in all endeavors and family unity leading to national peace and stability is being drawn.

"Further Forming an Upward and Virtuous Social Trend"

"We nourish the spiritual home with culture. The enthusiasm for museums and cultural heritage continues to rise, new members are added to the list of World Heritage sites, Sun Wukong (悟空) and Nezha (哪吒) are popular around the world, and ancient Chinese styles have become the 'top aesthetic' in the eyes of young people..." President Xi Jinping (习近平) described such a vibrant cultural picture in his New Year's message in 2026, pointing out that "tradition and modernity blend together, and Chinese culture shines even more brilliantly."

To cultivate people with culture and nurture them with civilization.

On November 30, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized at the opening ceremony of the Tenth National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Ninth National Congress of the Chinese Writers Association that he hoped everyone would adhere to artistic ideals and use noble art to guide social trends.

Since the new era, the vast number of literary and art workers have gone deep into life, taken root among the people, devoted themselves wholeheartedly, and created with their hearts, producing outstanding literary and artistic works and a large number of talented people, spreading truth, goodness, and beauty, and凝聚奋进豪情 (níng jù fèn jìn háo qíng - "condensing the passion for progress," to gather and inspire strong emotions for advancement). The movies "Chang'an San Wan Li" (长安三万里) and "Ne Zha" (哪吒之魔童闹海) promote outstanding traditional Chinese culture, the dance drama "The Eternal Wave" (永不消逝的电波) continues the red bloodline, the TV series "Shan Hai Qing" (山海情) and "A Lifelong Journey" (人世间) reflect the spirit of the times, and literary works "Snow Mountain and Earth" (雪山大地) and "Baoshui" (宝水) write about the tremendous changes in the mountains and villages of the motherland...

Literature and art are the clarion call of the times, the best representation of the spirit of an era, and the best guide to the atmosphere of an era. The trend of learning and reading enlightens wisdom and illuminates the future; the "Guochao trend" (国潮风), "Intangible Cultural Heritage craze" (非遗热), and "Traditional Culture craze" (传统文化热) increase feelings for the country and family and cultural confidence. On the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia, the Ulan Muqi (乌兰牧骑) team braves wind, snow, and heat to bring joy and civilization to the vast number of farmers and herdsmen; in the fields of hope, lively "village galas" (村晚) and "village songs" (村歌) are changing the face of the countryside; on the Internet, new mass literature and art are created by the people and shared with the people, recording the times and warming people's hearts...

Nourished by literature and art, cultivating sentiments, enlightening the mind, and leading the trend, the ambition, integrity, and confidence of the Chinese people have been unprecedentedly enhanced, and the edifice of the Chinese national spirit stands tall.

"Further forming an upward and virtuous social trend." In May 2025, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) made important instructions on the work of spiritual civilization construction, emphasizing.

A better life must be created through labor, and happiness comes from hard work. On October 23, 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized at the First Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, "Promoting the formation of a social trend in which a happy life is created through hard work, and common prosperity is created through diligence and wisdom."

In 2014, representatives of the group of graduates from Hebei Baoding University (河北保定学院) who volunteered to teach in the west wrote a letter to General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), expressing their willingness to be like "red willows and gentian flowers," taking root in the west, being tenacious and unyielding, willing to endure hardship, and being down-to-earth, bringing endless vitality to the vast land.

The General Secretary's reply was sincere and earnest: "Good children are ambitious in all directions, and those with aspirations will have no regrets in their struggle."

Without a three-inch ridge, how can there be a ten-thousand-foot depth?

"Hold the heart of loving the country, establish the ambition of serving the country, enhance the ability of the country, closely link personal struggle with the destiny of the country, run the relay race of history well, and绽放绚丽的青春光彩 (zhàn fàng xuàn lì de qīng chūn guāng cǎi - "bloom with splendid youthful brilliance," to radiate vibrant and beautiful youthfulness) on the broad stage of promoting Chinese-style modernization."

With deep entrustment and sincere hope, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed the way forward for those who strive.

In August 2024, when meeting with the 33rd Olympic Games Chinese sports delegation, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) praised them for "letting the world see the profound accumulation of outstanding traditional Chinese culture, see China's open, inclusive, and enterprising spirit of the times, and see the ambition, vigor, and confidence of the Chinese people."

On the National Games arena, the younger generation is breaking records one after another; in factory workshops, young workers are making Chinese manufacturing go global; in the streets and alleys, couriers and food delivery riders are delivering happiness and warmth to thousands of households...

Aiming high, being down-to-earth, working hard and practically have become people's conscious pursuit.

"Our company and ourselves are both native to China." On February 17, 2025, Wang Xingxing (王兴兴), the founder of Yu Shu Technology (宇树科技), reported at the symposium for private enterprises.

The General Secretary encouraged him, "You are the youngest here. National innovation requires the contribution of the younger generation."

The transformation from technological innovation to real productivity cannot be separated from a good social atmosphere of "respecting labor, respecting knowledge, respecting talent, and respecting creation."

"Focusing on promoting high-quality development, mobilizing and inspiring the vast number of workers and working people to make contributions and innovate." General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) earnest entrustment is inspiring people to forge ahead on a new journey.

A clear breeze moistens people's hearts, and righteousness fills the universe.

Good customs and habits凝聚亿万人民的价值共识 (níng jù yì wàn rén mín de jià zhí gòng shí - "condense the value consensus of hundreds of millions of people," to gather and solidify shared values among the populace), and under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, the grand vision of Chinese-style modernization is gradually becoming a beautiful reality.

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Put power in the cage of the system in a more scientific and effective way.

By: 本报评论员

"The Party's self-revolution focuses on governing power. Putting power in the cage of the system is an important task of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the new era." At the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) focused on providing a strong guarantee for achieving the goals and tasks of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, and required "putting power in the cage of the system more scientifically and effectively."

The system is the foundation for governing the country and stabilizing the country, and it is also the foundation for managing the party and governing the party. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to the construction of laws and regulations, and the number of formulations and revisions has been unprecedented, and the achievements have been obvious to all. Adhering to governing the Party according to regulations and strengthening the construction of a self-revolution system have become the unique password of the governance of the Communist Party of China in the new era.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "To put power in the cage of the system, we must not only constantly improve the system regulations, so that the system is dense but not complicated, effective and useful, but also focus on improving the enforcement of the system and enhancing rigid constraints."

Preventing "the cow pen from closing the cat" and "the paper cage from banning the tiger," the key lies in "scientific effectiveness."

On the one hand, in response to the problems that some laws and regulations are too principled and general, and the pertinence and operability are not strong enough, it is necessary to strengthen the supply of systems according to the actual needs of managing the party and governing the party, and weave the cage tightly; on the other hand, we must adhere to the principle that everyone is equal before laws and regulations, there are no privileges to abide by laws and regulations, and there are no exceptions to the enforcement of laws and regulations, and severely investigate and deal with those who "run red lights" and "turn over fences" to ensure that system regulations truly become high-voltage lines with electricity.

From the tangible changes around the cadres and the masses, we can better understand the strengthening of the construction of the Party's internal regulations and systems, which is a "long-term strategy and fundamental strategy for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party."

How to solve the problem of "tigers eating the sky without knowing where to start"?

After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee started with the formulation and implementation of the eight-point regulations of the Central Committee. Starting with the issues that the masses reflect the most strongly, establishing iron rules and strengthening hard constraints, it has curbed many unhealthy trends that were previously considered impossible to curb, eliminated some stubborn diseases that have been difficult to eliminate for many years, ended the chaos of "hundreds of documents can not control a mouth," and promoted a new atmosphere in the Party and government. "The Eight-Point Regulation Changes China (八项规定改变中国)," this is the reputation of the people, and it has also set a benchmark for the construction of the system for the whole Party.

How to solve the problem that the phenomenon of extravagance and waste in individual party and government organs has been repeatedly prohibited?

In 2025, the newly revised "Regulations on Practicing Economy and Opposing Waste in Party and Government Organs" pointed to unhealthy trends. Further tighten the institutional bolts for party and government organs to take the lead in living a tight life and build a strong institutional dam against waste, and promote thrift from "requirements" to "habits." A grass-roots cadre sighed: "Now everyone's concept has changed, eating well and full without waste is the real 'decent'."

From the formulation of the "Several Provisions on Rectifying Formalism and Reducing the Burden on the Grassroots Level," to promote the reduction of burdens on the grassroots level to go deeper and more solid and achieve practical results; to the revision of the "Regulations on the Honest Performance of Duties by Rural Grassroots Cadres," to help cadres let go of their hands and feet and start lightly while performing their duties honestly; and then to the promulgation of the "Regulations on the Ideological and Political Work of the Communist Party of China," to provide basic guidelines for doing a good job in ideological and political work in the new era... The system is more complete, and the management of the party and the governance of the party is more powerful.

International figures commented that political parties in many countries can draw inspiration from the experience of the Communist Party of China - by strengthening political discipline, improving system implementation, and paying attention to moral leadership, to enhance the credibility and governance capabilities of political parties.

The vitality of the system lies in execution, the key lies in grasping it, and it depends on strict management.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) stressed: "'The top leader' must take the lead in implementing the system," "strengthen the publicity and education of laws and regulations," and "further improve the transparency of Party affairs and government affairs." Whether a region or a department implements the system well depends on the "top leader." Members of leading bodies at all levels, especially the "top leader," should take the lead in implementing it, and relevant supervision should also be in place. The vast number of Party members and cadres should understand the law and discipline, understand the rules, and know awe, and realize that laws and regulations are not only "tight hoops" but also "amulets." Letting power operate in the sun and improving the enforcement of clear rules can make unspoken rules lose the market and internalize Party discipline and state law into ideological consciousness and action consciousness.

To turn the grand blueprint into a beautiful reality, the vast number of Party members and cadres have missions on their shoulders and responsibilities on their shoulders. Adhering to governing the Party by the system and governing the Party according to regulations, and putting power in the cage of the system more scientifically and effectively, will surely lead and guarantee the steady and long-term development of Chinese-style modernization with new achievements in comprehensively and strictly governing the Party.

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Unswervingly advance the Party's self-revolution further.

By: 本报记者 赵 成

On January 12, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) delivered an important speech at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, fully affirming the remarkable achievements made in comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the past year. Focusing on the crucial period of basically realizing socialist modernization, he made strategic deployments to promote comprehensive and strict Party governance with higher standards and more practical measures, providing a strong guarantee for achieving the goals and tasks of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

The comrades attending the meeting expressed that they would thoroughly study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech, profoundly understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," strengthen the "Four Confidences," achieve the "Two Safeguards," conscientiously fulfill the political responsibility of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, and unswervingly advance the Party's self-revolution in depth with perseverance and dedication on the road forever.

More resolutely and effectively implement the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Implementing the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee is the fundamental requirement for safeguarding the authority and centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, and it is also an important historical experience for the continuous development and progress of the cause of the Party and the people."

"To implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech, we must focus on making efforts to promote the concretization, precision, and normalization of political supervision, based on the specific to promote task decomposition, grasp the precision to promote the implementation of measures, and form a normal state to promote coordination and cooperation." Bian Xuewen (边学文), member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Secretary of the Heilongjiang Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Director of the Supervisory Commission, said that he would closely focus on the goals and tasks of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, focus on Heilongjiang's (黑龙江) important mission in safeguarding national "Five Major Securities," and the major task of building and strengthening the "Three Bases, One Barrier, and One Highland," supervise and urge the combination of articles, determine ideas and measures in accordance with local conditions, and strictly prevent short-sighted behaviors that only care about the local and damage the overall situation, and only care about the present and sacrifice the long-term.

Turning the blueprint drawn by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party into reality requires further strengthening political supervision and promoting the whole Party to think in one direction and work together.

"General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has put forward higher requirements for deepening and solidifying political supervision, and we must unswervingly grasp the implementation." Shi Yubao (时玉宝), Secretary of the Jiangxi Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Acting Director of the Supervisory Commission, said that he would strengthen the sense of mission and the will to struggle, profoundly grasp the strategic tasks of economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, accurately find the entry point and focus point for centering on the center and serving the overall situation, focus on implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speeches, important instructions and approvals, and the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee to strengthen political supervision, and severely investigate and deal with problems of making choices, engaging in flexibility, and discounting, to ensure that the Party Central Committee's orders are unimpeded and prohibitions are enforced.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Localities will begin to change this year, and good cadres who are truly loyal, reliable, consistent in word and deed, and responsible should be used." Liu Meipin (刘美频), member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Secretary of the Qinghai Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Director of the Supervisory Commission, said that it is necessary to be particularly strict in enforcing discipline during the election, strictly control the political, moral, ability, style, and integrity aspects, prevent "promotion with illness" and "employment with illness," resolutely investigate and deal with unhealthy trends and corruption problems in the selection and appointment of personnel, conscientiously implement the rectification and supervision responsibilities for the problems fed back by the central inspection, central ecological environmental protection supervision, and central audit, promote true and practical changes, and strive for practical results, urge leaders at all levels to establish and practice correct views on political achievements, and ensure that the Party Central Committee's major decisions and deployments are implemented and effective, and ensure that they are connected from top to bottom and effectively implemented.

More scientifically and effectively confine power in the cage of the system

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "The Party's self-revolution focuses on governing power, and confining power in the cage of the system is an important task of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the new era."

After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee took the lead in formulating and implementing the eight-point regulation, establishing iron rules and strengthening hard constraints, and promoting a new atmosphere in Party conduct and government style. The comrades attending the meeting said: "The eight-point regulation of the Central Committee has set a benchmark for the construction of the system for the whole Party. The problem of 'four winds' has stubbornness and repeatability. It is easy to repeat if it is not grasped frequently, and it is difficult to form consciousness if it is not grasped for a long time. We must persevere and grasp it constantly, consolidate and expand the results of in-depth implementation of the spirit of the eight-point regulation of the Central Committee, and effectively create a strict atmosphere and establish a correct style."

"General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized 'focusing on improving the enforcement of the system and enhancing rigid constraints,' which requires us to strictly supervise and enforce discipline, accurately and standardize accountability, and truly allow power to operate in the sun. We will adhere to the principle that everyone is equal before laws and regulations, there are no privileges in complying with laws and regulations, and there are no exceptions in enforcing laws and regulations. We will severely investigate and deal with those who 'run red lights' and 'turn over fences,' resolutely pursue those who bear leadership responsibilities, and ensure that system regulations truly become high-voltage lines with electricity," said Liu Meipin (刘美频).

"General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that 'the 'top leader' should take the lead in implementing the system.'" Wang Chengwen (王承文), member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and leader of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission stationed in the Ministry of Education, said that strengthening the supervision of the "top leader" and the leadership team requires both adhering to the strict tone and taking real action in "investigation," and also standardizing the operation of power and seeing real results in "governance." It is necessary to fill the "gaps" in the system by tightening the cage, clarify the boundaries of power around the links of authorization, use of power, and restriction of power, clarify the list of powers, and pay attention to finding loopholes and making up for shortcomings from typical cases; at the same time, it is also necessary to prevent "black box operations" through openness and transparency, and maintain the rigidity of the system through strict enforcement.

More soberly and firmly advance the anti-corruption struggle

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, our Party has successfully embarked on a path of comprehensively addressing both the symptoms and root causes and integrating the efforts to prevent corruption, deter corruption, and ensure that officials do not want to be corrupt under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. We must firmly follow this path."

"General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) reiterated the major judgment of 'two still' in the anti-corruption struggle at the plenary session, made systematic deployments for deepening the integrated advancement of 'three no corruption,' and pointed out the methods and paths for enhancing the comprehensive effectiveness of governing corruption." Shi Yubao (时玉宝) said that to implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech, he would thoroughly rectify corruption in key areas, increase the punishment of corruption problems of "top leaders" and young cadres, deepen the joint investigation and governance of wind and corruption, deepen the centralized rectification of unhealthy trends and corruption problems around the masses, and thoroughly investigate new types of corruption and hidden corruption.

"We must maintain a high-pressure posture without wavering," "continuously improve the penetration of anti-corruption," "we must make greater efforts in integrated advancement"... General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) put forward a series of important requirements for deepening the anti-corruption struggle.

"Deeply studying and implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech, maintaining a high-pressure posture without wavering, we will closely focus on the 'key few' and key areas, continue to strictly investigate corruption cases in areas such as enrollment and recruitment, infrastructure construction, etc., focus on system construction, consolidate and deepen the systematic rectification of outstanding problems in key areas of universities." Wang Chengwen (王承文) said that at the same time, he would attack the decisive battle against the centralized rectification of unhealthy trends and corruption problems around the masses in the education field, consolidate the rectification results of "campus meals" in primary and secondary schools, continue to deepen the rectification of teaching aids and school uniforms, and continue to deepen the promotion of reform and governance through cases around key areas, promote the improvement of the system, strengthen supervision, and focus on implementation, to achieve normal and long-term effectiveness.

"To make greater efforts in integrated advancement, we must strengthen the concept of the system, establish overall thinking, and grasp it strictly, accurately, effectively, and integrally." Bian Xuewen (边学文) said that he would pay more attention to connecting and integrating, pay more attention to coordinating and linking, and pay more attention to technological empowerment, to enhance the comprehensive effectiveness of governing corruption.

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Photo Report

In recent years, many regions have actively inherited and promoted outstanding traditional Chinese culture, promoted the integration of intangible cultural heritage protection and inheritance with mass cultural activities, integrated intangible cultural heritage, folk customs and other elements into "village-named" activities, and delivered more high-quality cultural products and services to the people. The picture shows recently in Shuangquan Village (双泉村), Huayin City (华阴市), Shaanxi Province (陕西省), Huayin Laoqiang (华阴老腔) inheritors and teams performing classic songs.

Photo by Cui Zhengbo (崔正博) (Image China)

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How to Cultivate New Advantages in Attracting Foreign Investment (Policy Q&A: Addressing Concerns)

By: 本报记者 罗珊珊

Reader Concerns

I work in a foreign-funded enterprise. In recent years, the company's revenue has been good, and it is preparing to further increase investment and expand its business. I would like to know what policies and measures China will have in the future to attract foreign investment?

Foreign-funded enterprises are important participants in Chinese-style modernization, important participants in China's reform, opening up, and innovation, and important participants in China's connection to the world and integration into economic globalization.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China completed the 700 billion U.S. dollar foreign investment target proposed in the commercial development plan six months ahead of schedule. Foreign-funded enterprises contributed 1/3 of the country's total imports and exports, 1/4 of the industrial added value, and 1/7 of the tax revenue, creating more than 30 million jobs.

The Central Economic Work Conference (中央经济工作会议) deployed eight key tasks for this year's economic work, proposing to deepen the reform of the foreign investment promotion system and mechanism. At the end of December 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) and the Ministry of Commerce (商务部) publicly released the "Catalogue of Industries Encouraging Foreign Investment (2025 Edition)" (《鼓励外商投资产业目录（2025年版）》). According to the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Commerce (商务部), the 2025 edition of the catalogue has a total of 1,679 items, a net increase of 205 items and 303 revisions compared with the 2022 edition; it guides more foreign investment into advanced manufacturing, modern service industries, high technology, energy conservation and environmental protection, and other fields, and into the central, western and northeastern regions of China.

The Ministry of Commerce (商务部) will work with relevant departments and local authorities to implement the "Implementation Plan for Creating the 'Invest in China' Brand (2025)" (《打造“投资中国”品牌实施方案（2025）》) to hold a series of investment promotion activities at home and abroad and actively promote China's investment opportunities.

The National Commerce Work Conference (全国商务工作会议) held in January this year proposed to focus on shaping new advantages in attracting foreign investment and polishing the "Invest in China" brand.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (党的二十届四中全会) made arrangements to expand high-level opening up to the outside world, releasing a strong signal that China adheres to open cooperation and mutual benefit and win-win results. The Ministry of Commerce (商务部) will focus on the following three aspects to accelerate the shaping of new advantages in attracting foreign investment.

First, expand market access for foreign investment. Focus on the service industry to expand market access and opening-up areas, and further expand the opening-up pilot projects in telecommunications, medical care, and other fields. Implement the "access and operation" requirements for foreign investment in already open fields, and help foreign-funded enterprises solve specific problems encountered in market access.

Second, further improve the service level of foreign investment. We will deepen the reform of the foreign investment promotion system and mechanism, give full play to the role of multilateral and bilateral investment promotion working mechanisms, strengthen the investment attraction functions of open platforms such as free trade pilot zones, national-level economic development zones, and national comprehensive pilot demonstration zones for expanding opening up in the service industry, and create favorable conditions for foreign-funded enterprises to invest in China.

Third, continuously optimize the foreign investment environment. We will hold foreign-funded enterprise roundtable meetings and turn the enterprise "demand list" into a government "service list." Focusing on the key concerns of foreign-funded enterprises in terms of factor acquisition, qualification licensing, standard setting, and government procurement, we will continuously improve the foreign investment service guarantee system, fully implement national treatment, and continuously create a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized.

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China's Commercial Performance Box Office Revenue Exceeded 61.6 Billion Yuan in 2025

This Beijing (北京) Dispatch (Reporter Zheng Haiou (郑海鸥)): A reporter learned on the 13th from the China Association of Performing Arts (中国演出行业协会) that the national performance market in 2025 is showing a vigorous upward trend. According to monitoring and research estimates from the association's ticketing information collection platform, there were 640,400 commercial performances (excluding performances in entertainment venues) nationwide in 2025, an increase of 6.58% compared to 2024 on a comparable basis; box office revenue was 61.655 billion yuan, an increase of 6.39%; and the number of audience members was 194 million, an increase of 4.22%.

Data shows that in 2025, the national box office revenue for large-scale commercial performances with more than 5,000 people was 32.448 billion yuan, an increase of 9.49%. Concerts, music festivals, and other large-scale performances have become a powerful engine for local cultural and tourism consumption. According to reports, there were 198,700 large and medium-sized tourism performance projects nationwide in 2025, an increase of 4.95%; box office revenue was 17.442 billion yuan, an increase of 6.43%.

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Introduction

Theory

Unite Hearts and Minds and Work Pragmatically with Excellent Conduct

Ninth Edition

Adhere to Safeguarding the Bottom Line and Actively and Steadily Resolve Risks in Key Areas

——Strive to Promote the Eight Key Tasks of the Year's Economic Work

Fifth Edition

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The fifth session of the series of reports on the current situation and policies was held in Beijing.

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 13th. The fifth report in the series of reports on the situation and policies, jointly organized by the Central Propaganda Department (中宣部), the Work Committee of the Central and State Organs (中央和国家机关工委), the Ministry of Education (教育部), the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission (中央军委政治工作部), and the Beijing Municipal Party Committee (北京市委), was held in Beijing (北京) on January 13th. Ma Zhaoxu (马朝旭), member of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部) and Vice Minister in charge of the Ministry’s daily foreign affairs operations, delivered a special report entitled "In-depth Study and Implementation of the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, Striving to Create a New Situation in Foreign Affairs Work During the '15th Five-Year Plan' Period."

In his report, Ma Zhaoxu (马朝旭) pointed out that the "14th Five-Year Plan" period was an extremely unusual and extraordinary period in China's development history. Under the personal planning of General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), and under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has been comprehensively expanded, the all-round, multi-level, wide-ranging, and three-dimensional diplomatic layout has been continuously improved, China's "circle of friends" has continued to grow, the "partnership network" has become closer, exchanges and integration with the world have continued to deepen, and international influence, innovation leadership, and moral appeal have been significantly enhanced. The concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind has received responses and support from an increasing number of countries, expanding from a Chinese initiative to an international consensus, from a beautiful vision to rich practice, and from a conceptual proposition to a scientific system, increasingly demonstrating the ideological power to lead the times, and pointing out the direction for a world intertwined with change and turmoil.

Ma Zhaoxu (马朝旭) believes that China's development environment during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period will face profound and complex changes. Major-country relations affect the international situation, and the evolution of the international situation profoundly affects domestic development. China's development is in a period where strategic opportunities and risks and challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. We must maintain strategic focus, enhance our confidence in victory, actively understand, respond to, and seek change, dare to struggle and be good at struggling, and be brave in the face of major tests with high winds and rough seas, and even stormy waves, and use the historical initiative to overcome difficulties, fight risks, and meet challenges, and effectively prevent and resolve various risks and challenges in the external environment.

Ma Zhaoxu (马朝旭) stated that it is necessary to unswervingly adhere to the Party's centralized and unified leadership over foreign affairs work, adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, deeply study and implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, hold high the banner of a community with a shared future for mankind, expand the global partnership network, promote the construction of a new type of international relations, deepen the integration of surrounding development, maintain the overall stability of major-country relations, deepen solidarity and cooperation with developing countries, practice the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, defend international fairness and justice, and guide the international order to develop in a more just and reasonable direction, so as to create a more favorable international environment and provide a more solid strategic support for comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization.

The report was presided over by the main responsible comrade of the Propaganda Department of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee (北京市委宣传部). Approximately 730 people, including cadres from Party, government, and military organs in Beijing (北京), cadres and employees from central enterprises, teachers and students from universities in the capital, and representatives from all walks of life in the capital, attended the report meeting.

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Strengthening Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Across the Entire Chain (Authoritative Release)

By: 本报记者 王云杉

Recently, the "Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Action Plan" was released. On January 13, the State Council Information Office (国务院新闻办公室) held a routine policy briefing to introduce the relevant situation of the action plan.

Comprehensive Management of the Entire Chain, Focusing on Major Waste-Generating Areas

Strengthening comprehensive solid waste management is an important measure to promote the construction of a beautiful China and accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. Focusing on major waste-generating areas such as industry, urban areas, and agriculture and forestry, the action plan clarifies the management tasks for each link. Following the idea of comprehensive management of the entire chain, it promotes source control and reduction, standardizes collection, transportation, and storage, improves the level of resource utilization, and enhances the capacity for harmless treatment.

Zhou Haibing (周海兵), Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委), introduced that the action plan deploys five special rectifications targeting key areas closely related to people's lives and work safety, with prominent environmental risks and hidden dangers: illegal dumping and disposal of solid waste, environmental pollution hazards in domestic waste landfills, construction waste, historical solid waste storage sites, and phosphogypsum.

To ensure implementation, Zhou Haibing (周海兵) stated that the focus will be on five aspects:

Solidifying the responsibilities of all parties. Clarify the division of responsibilities between various departments and local governments, while also clarifying the boundaries of responsibilities between the government and enterprises, adhering to the principle of "whoever pollutes, governs," and preventing situations where enterprises make money but leave pollution, leaving the government and the public to pay the bill.

Improving supporting systems. Promote the codification of the Environmental Protection Law, and revise regulations and rules on the recycling and disposal of waste electrical and electronic products, hazardous waste business licenses, and construction waste management. Issue management measures for the comprehensive utilization of power batteries for new energy vehicles. Revise the Guidance Catalog for Industrial Structure Adjustment, and increase restrictions and elimination of outdated processes and equipment.

Strengthening supervision and inspection. Make good use of information-based supervision methods to strengthen the entire chain of supervision from production to disposal. Establish and improve joint supervision and law enforcement mechanisms across departments and regions, and increase the crackdown on illegal dumping of solid waste across provinces.

Strengthening publicity and guidance. Incorporate circular economy knowledge and the "zero waste" concept into relevant education and training systems. Combine activities such as National Ecology Day and National Energy Conservation Publicity Week to carry out diverse forms of publicity and education.

Deepening international cooperation. Participate in the formulation of international rules in areas such as circular economy and comprehensive solid waste management with a more proactive stance, and promote the construction of a fair, reasonable, and mutually beneficial global environment and climate governance system.

Resolutely Curbing the Growth Trend and Comprehensively Utilizing Industrial Solid Waste

China produces more than 4 billion tons of industrial solid waste every year, and the hidden dangers of environmental pollution continue to rise. The action plan proposes to resolutely curb the growth trend of solid waste.

Li Gao (李高), Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (生态环境部), said that efforts will be made simultaneously in controlling incremental increases and managing existing stock.

In terms of controlling incremental increases, the revised and released "Pollution Control Standard for Storage and Landfill of General Industrial Solid Waste" clarifies that general industrial solid waste that meets the requirements is allowed to be used for filling activities such as supporting surrounding rock, and for backfilling activities such as subsidence area and pit treatment. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (生态环境部) will continue to guide relevant provinces to carry out pilot projects for the use of bulk industrial solid waste for the restoration and backfilling of open-pit mines, and actively explore and promote large-scale consumption and utilization models.

In terms of managing existing stock, last year, an investigation was organized on typical bulk industrial solid waste storage sites, and a related database was established. The investigation and treatment of pollution hazards in tailings ponds during the flood season will continue, and the investigation and rectification of environmental risk hazards in phosphogypsum ponds will be implemented.

Comprehensive utilization of industrial solid waste is an important part of comprehensive solid waste management. Wang Peng (王鹏), Director of the Energy Conservation and Comprehensive Utilization Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部), said that efforts should be made to promote "one reduction and one increase" and focus on the comprehensive utilization of industrial solid waste.

"One reduction" refers to reducing the generation intensity of industrial solid waste. Promote green design at the front end of production, and promote green manufacturing in the production process to reduce the generation of industrial solid waste from the source.

"One increase" refers to improving the comprehensive utilization level of industrial solid waste and renewable resources. Strengthen the comprehensive utilization of bulk industrial solid waste, focusing on typical categories such as smelting slag, phosphogypsum, and red mud, actively promote the research and industrialization of advanced comprehensive utilization process technologies, strengthen supply and demand docking, and promote the application of advanced process technologies.

Promote the Transformation of Agricultural Waste from "Treatment" to "Utilization" and Improve the Level of Construction Waste Management

The solid waste generated in the process of agricultural production has a large volume and wide area, with strong seasonality and regionality. In addition, the planting stubble is tight, the cost of collection, storage, and transportation is high, and the benefits are low, making the task of comprehensive management and recycling difficult.

After the action plan is issued, how will the agricultural waste management work be promoted? Yang Ru (杨如), head of the Department of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (农业农村部), said that it is necessary to promote the transformation from "treatment" to "utilization" and accelerate the green development of agriculture. In terms of work implementation, we will strengthen guidance on the scientific use of mulch film, vigorously promote thickened high-strength mulch film and fully biodegradable mulch film, strengthen the recycling of pesticide packaging waste according to local conditions, continue to carry out the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manure, scientifically promote straw returning to the field, promote high-quality straw feed, create planting and breeding cycle and agricultural and animal husbandry combination models, and develop ecological cycle agriculture; in terms of scientific and technological support, we will accelerate breakthroughs in key technological bottlenecks such as the simplified and scientific return of livestock and poultry manure to the field, rapid decomposition and ripening of straw returning to the field under low-temperature environments, and new mulch film material technology.

With the continuous advancement of urbanization and the accelerated implementation of urban renewal, a large amount of construction waste is generated.

Hu Zijian (胡子健), Director of the Urban Construction Department of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (住房城乡建设部), said that it will guide various regions to comprehensively improve the level of construction waste management. Strengthen source management, promote green construction, incorporate the costs of construction waste reduction, transportation, utilization, and disposal into the project cost, implement classified treatment of construction waste, and promote source reduction and classified management of construction waste. Strengthen transportation supervision, improve the installation of Beidou satellite positioning systems on construction waste transportation vehicles and ships, as well as technical requirements such as safety configuration. Standardize terminal disposal and accelerate the construction of construction waste resource utilization facilities.

Reporter's Notes

Turn Waste into Treasure and Turn Harm into Benefit

Tailings and waste rock can replace natural sand and gravel resources to produce building materials, phosphogypsum can be used to produce sulfuric acid and co-produce cement clinker, and domestic waste can be recycled into renewable resources such as waste metal, waste plastic, and waste paper through refined sorting... Solid waste is not useless waste, but a valuable resource placed in the wrong position. Managing and utilizing various solid wastes well and promoting the development of a circular economy can not only effectively improve resource utilization efficiency but also strengthen the security of resource supply.

The action plan puts forward specific requirements for the entire life cycle management of solid waste. In terms of resource utilization, it deploys three specific tasks: strengthening the comprehensive utilization of bulk solid waste, improving the level of renewable resource recycling, and strengthening the application and promotion of recycled materials... The entire chain of system management, problem-oriented, and filling institutional gaps in key links will inject new impetus into promoting the development of a circular economy.

Turn waste into treasure and turn harm into benefit. By focusing on implementing the various measures proposed in the action plan, more resources will be given value.

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Chinese-made TBMs to work together on Chongtai Yangtze River Tunnel

By: 本报记者 李心萍

On January 13th, China's independently developed "Qiming (启明) No." (启明号), the world's largest diameter vertical shaft tunneling machine, officially started operation and was put into the construction of Shaft No. 2 of the Chongtai Yangtze River Tunnel. Shaft No. 2 is located in Fuqiao Town (浮桥镇), Taicang (太仓), Jiangsu (江苏) Province, only 200 meters away from the south bank levee of the Yangtze River. At the same time, at the bottom of the Yangtze River, the "Leading (领航) No." (领航号) tunnel boring machine has excavated more than 10,000 meters, and the Chongtai Yangtze River Tunnel is expected to be fully connected by the end of this year.

What are the benefits of having two tunnel boring machines working together, one horizontal and one vertical?

The Chongtai Yangtze River Tunnel is 14.25 kilometers long, of which the tunnel boring machine section is 13.25 kilometers. The conventional main bearing of a tunnel boring machine is designed to last for 10,000 hours, which can support excavation of about 10 kilometers. Facing the severe test of single-ended excavation of more than 13 kilometers, in addition to extending the service life of the tunnel boring machine by improving daily use and maintenance levels, it is also necessary to excavate a vertical shaft so that engineers can directly reach the top of the "Leading (领航) No." main unit to overhaul, maintain, and upgrade it, and build a solid guarantee for the continuous and stable operation of the equipment. Therefore, the project team boldly innovated and used the underwater fully automatic mechanical vertical shaft tunneling machine "Qiming (启明) No." (启明号) for the first time.

After the tunnel is completed, it will greatly shorten the spatial and temporal distance between Shanghai (上海) and Jiangsu (江苏), realize high-speed rail crossing the river without deceleration for the first time, and end the history of China's third largest island (Chongming Island (崇明岛)) not having high-speed rail.

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Unswervingly advance the Party's self-revolution further.

By: 本报记者 赵 成

On January 12, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) delivered an important speech at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, fully affirming the remarkable achievements made in comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the past year. Focusing on the crucial period of basically realizing socialist modernization, he made strategic deployments to promote comprehensive and strict Party governance with higher standards and more practical measures, providing a strong guarantee for achieving the goals and tasks of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

The comrades attending the meeting stated that they would thoroughly study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech, profoundly understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishes," strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," strengthen the "Four Confidences," achieve the "Two Safeguards," earnestly fulfill the political responsibility of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, and unswervingly advance the Party's self-revolution in depth with the perseverance and dedication of always being on the road.

More resolutely and effectively implement the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Implementing the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee is the fundamental requirement for safeguarding the authority and centralized unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, and it is also an important historical experience for the continuous development and progress of the Party and the people's cause."

"To implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech, we must focus on exerting efforts in promoting the concretization, precision, and normalization of political supervision, basing ourselves on specifics to promote task decomposition, grasping precision to promote the implementation of measures, and forming a normal state to promote coordination and cooperation." Bian Xuewen (边学文), member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Secretary of the Heilongjiang (黑龙江) Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Director of the Supervisory Commission, said that he would closely focus on the goals and tasks of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, focus on Heilongjiang's (黑龙江) important mission in safeguarding national "Five Major Securities," and the major task of building a strong "Three Bases, One Barrier, and One Highland," supervise and urge the integration of articles, determine ideas and measures in accordance with local conditions, and strictly prevent short-sighted behaviors that only care about the part and damage the whole, or only care about the present and sacrifice the long-term.

Turning the blueprint drawn by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party into reality requires further strengthening political supervision and promoting the entire Party to think in one direction and work together.

"General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has put forward higher requirements for deepening and solidifying political supervision, and we must unswervingly grasp its implementation." Shi Yubao (时玉宝), Secretary of the Jiangxi (江西) Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Acting Director of the Supervisory Commission, said that he would strengthen the sense of mission and the will to struggle, profoundly grasp the strategic tasks of economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, accurately find the entry point and focus point for centering on the center and serving the overall situation, focus on implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speeches, important instructions and approvals, and the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee to strengthen political supervision, and severely investigate and deal with problems of making choices, engaging in flexibility, and discounting, to ensure that the Party Central Committee's orders are unimpeded and prohibitions are strictly enforced.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Localities will begin to change this year, and good cadres who are truly loyal, reliable, consistent in words and deeds, and responsible should be used." Liu Meipin (刘美频), member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Secretary of the Qinghai (青海) Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Director of the Supervisory Commission, said that it is necessary to be particularly strict in enforcing discipline during the change, strictly control the political, moral, ability, style, and integrity aspects, prevent "promotion with illness" and "employment with illness," resolutely investigate and deal with unhealthy trends and corruption problems in the selection and appointment of personnel, conscientiously implement the rectification and supervision responsibilities for the problems fed back by the central inspection, central ecological environmental protection supervision, and central audit, promote genuine rectification and practical rectification, strive for practical results, urge leaders at all levels to establish and practice correct views on political achievements, ensure that the Party Central Committee's major decisions and deployments are implemented and effective, and ensure that they are connected from top to bottom and effectively implemented.

More scientifically and effectively confine power in the cage of the system

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "The Party's self-revolution focuses on governing power, and confining power in the cage of the system is an important task of comprehensively and strictly governing the Party in the new era."

After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee took the lead in formulating and implementing the eight central regulations, establishing iron rules and strengthening hard constraints, and promoting a new atmosphere in Party conduct and government style. The comrades attending the meeting said: "The eight central regulations have set a benchmark for the construction of the system for the entire Party. The problems of 'four winds' are stubborn and repetitive. It is easy to repeat if they are not grasped frequently, and it is difficult to form consciousness if they are not grasped for a long time. We must persevere and grasp them constantly, consolidate and expand the results of in-depth implementation of the spirit of the eight central regulations, and effectively create a strict atmosphere and establish a correct atmosphere."

"General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized 'focusing on improving the enforcement of the system and enhancing rigid constraints,' which requires us to strictly supervise and enforce discipline, accurately standardize accountability, and truly allow power to operate in the sun. We will adhere to the principle that everyone is equal before laws and regulations, there are no privileges in complying with laws and regulations, and there are no exceptions in enforcing laws and regulations. We will severely investigate and deal with those who 'run red lights' and 'climb fences,' and resolutely hold those who have leadership responsibilities accountable, to ensure that the system regulations truly become a high-voltage line with electricity." Liu Meipin (刘美频) said.

"General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that 'the 'top leader' should take the lead in implementing the system.'" Wang Chengwen (王承文), member of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and leader of the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Group of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervisory Commission stationed in the Ministry of Education, said that strengthening supervision over the "top leader" and the leadership team requires both adhering to the strict tone and taking real action in "investigation," and also standardizing the operation of power and seeing real results in "governance." It is necessary to fill the "gaps" in the system by tightening the cage, delineate the boundaries of power around the links of authorization, use of power, and restriction of power, clarify the list of powers, and pay attention to finding loopholes and making up for shortcomings from typical cases; at the same time, it is also necessary to prevent "black box operations" through openness and transparency, and maintain the rigidity of the system through strict enforcement.

More soberly and firmly advance the anti-corruption struggle

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, our Party has successfully embarked on a path of treating both the symptoms and root causes, and promoting the integrated approach of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, and we must firmly continue on this path."

"General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) reiterated the major judgment of 'two still' in the anti-corruption struggle at the plenary session, and made systematic deployments for deepening the integrated promotion of 'three no corruption,' pointing out the method and path for enhancing the comprehensive effectiveness of governing corruption." Shi Yubao (时玉宝) said that to implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech, he will thoroughly rectify corruption in key areas, increase the punishment of corruption problems of "top leaders" and young cadres, deepen the simultaneous investigation and treatment of style and corruption, deepen the centralized rectification of unhealthy trends and corruption problems around the masses, and deeply investigate and thoroughly investigate new types of corruption and hidden corruption.

"We must maintain a high-pressure posture without wavering," "continuously improve the penetration of anti-corruption," "we must make greater efforts in integrated advancement"... General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) put forward a series of important requirements for deepening the anti-corruption struggle.

"Deeply studying and implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech, and maintaining a high-pressure posture without wavering, we will closely focus on the 'key few' and key areas, continue to strictly investigate corruption cases in areas such as enrollment and recruitment, and infrastructure projects, focus on system construction, and consolidate and deepen the systematic rectification of outstanding problems in key areas of universities." Wang Chengwen (王承文) said that at the same time, he will fight a decisive battle to concentrate on rectifying unhealthy trends and corruption problems around the masses in the education field, consolidate the rectification results of "campus meals" in primary and secondary schools, continue to deepen the rectification of teaching aids and school uniforms, and continue to deepen the promotion of reform and governance through cases around key areas, promote the improvement of the system, strengthen supervision, and focus on implementation, to achieve a normal and long-term effect.

"To make greater efforts in integrated advancement, we must strengthen the concept of the system, establish overall thinking, and grasp strictly, accurately, effectively, and integrally." Bian Xuewen (边学文) said that he will pay more attention to connecting and integrating, pay more attention to coordinating and linking, and pay more attention to empowering technology to enhance the comprehensive effectiveness of governing corruption.

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Weather Forecasts Increasingly Becoming "Health Assistants" (Policy Interpretation)

By: 本报记者 李红梅 蒋雪鸿

In early January, weather forecasts indicated that Tianjin (天津市) would experience two consecutive weak cold air processes. Simultaneously, the Tianjin Municipal Environmental Meteorology Center and Tianjin Children's Hospital (Tianjin University Children's Hospital) (天津市儿童医院（天津大学儿童医院）) jointly released a forecast: the influenza meteorological risk level for children in Tianjin (天津市) was level 3, a medium risk, and announced recommendations for protective measures.

From cold wave alerts prompting influenza prevention to spring and autumn pollen season warnings about allergies, from going to forest areas to "breathe oxygen" to spending the winter on islands, meteorological services not only forecast weather and climate but also monitor and predict the impacts of weather and climate, providing advice and guidance for people's lives, and are becoming "health assistants" to meet people's health and wellness needs.

Recently, the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), the Ministry of Civil Affairs (民政部), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (文化和旅游部), and five other departments jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Strengthening Collaborative Linkage to Promote High-Quality Development of Health and Wellness Meteorological Services." What are the contents of the guiding opinions? What impact can health and wellness meteorological services have on people's lives? A reporter interviewed relevant departments and experts.

Meteorological Services Will Deeply Intervene in Health Risk Management

What are health and wellness meteorological services? Why develop health and wellness meteorological services?

Health and wellness meteorological services take meteorological resources as the core, deeply study the impact mechanism of meteorological conditions on human health and health and wellness activities, and provide meteorological services that accurately meet health needs for the public, the medical and health industry, and the health and wellness industry through monitoring, prediction, and evaluation, ensuring the healthy life of the public and the high-quality development of related industries.

"Now everyone is paying more and more attention to health preservation. They no longer see a doctor only when they are sick, but actively pay attention to how to stay healthy," said Wang Xiurong (王秀荣), chief meteorological expert of the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局).

Currently, global warming is causing frequent extreme weather events, bringing health risks: heat waves lead to an increased risk of heatstroke, while extreme low temperatures in winter exacerbate the impact of respiratory and joint diseases... Health and wellness meteorological services turn these meteorological risks and impacts into visible health guidance.

For ordinary people, the most direct change brought about by the guiding opinions is the upgrade of weather forecasts to meteorological "health assistants."

In the past, people paid attention to meteorology to add or remove clothing and facilitate travel; in the future, meteorological services will not only forecast the weather but also jointly issue risk warnings and prevention recommendations with relevant departments, deeply intervening in health risk management. The guiding opinions clearly state that population health meteorological services should be strengthened to provide refined services for different groups. Refined risk warning services should be carried out for the general public, medical institutions, and elderly care institutions in different regions, seasons, and populations; a joint response system for population meteorological health risk warning departments should be established; prevention and control of allergenic pollen should be promoted in coordination, standards and norms should be jointly formulated, and observation equipment should be coordinated and integrated; and meteorological services for elderly health and wellness should be improved.

For example, in response to pollen allergies affected by meteorological conditions, meteorological departments in Beijing (北京), Tianjin (天津) and other places have jointly carried out pollen monitoring and forecasting with medical institutions in recent years, releasing monitoring information every day to help people with pollen allergies cope better. The Health Meteorology Team of the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences (中国气象科学研究院) has also cooperated with medical institutions to carry out relevant research to provide scientific support for the prevention and treatment of pollen allergies.

Drawing a "Single Map" of National Climate Health and Wellness Resources

Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County (保亭黎族苗族自治县) in Hainan Province (海南省), located on the southern foothills of Wuzhi Mountain (五指山), has an average annual temperature of just over 20 degrees Celsius, and the proportion of days with excellent air quality throughout the year exceeds 99%, making it a health and wellness destination for many people; the average summer temperature in the Yichun (伊春) forest area of Heilongjiang Province (黑龙江省) is only 22 degrees Celsius, and the average concentration of negative oxygen ions is as high as 20,000 per cubic centimeter, attracting a large number of tourists to escape the summer heat...

China's climate health and wellness resources are richly endowed. From mountains, rivers, plains to wetland oases, from humid coastal areas to cool plateaus, diverse geographical features and rich climate types give climate health and wellness development unique advantages.

The guiding opinions clearly state that a general survey and evaluation of climate health and wellness resources should be carried out to ascertain the "family assets" of China's climate health and wellness resources and draw a "single map" of national climate health and wellness resources.

Wang Xiurong (王秀荣) suggested that all regions can use the "single map" of national climate health and wellness resources to accurately locate their own advantages and form a "one place, one characteristic" development pattern to avoid homogeneous competition. For example, the Northwest region can create dry summer resorts and special recuperation therapies, and the Southwest region can develop forest health and wellness, chronic disease management and other characteristic directions, allowing people to experience differentiated high-quality health and wellness services in various places.

In terms of integrating into the development of the health and wellness industry, the guiding opinions clearly state that meteorological services for medical security should be carried out, meteorological insurance products should be developed, and meteorological condition indicators such as high temperature, low temperature, allergenic pollen, influenza, and climate comfort should be integrated into health insurance products.

Service scenarios will also be further enriched. The guiding opinions propose to enrich the "meteorology + culture and tourism" service scenarios, create a "meteorology + traditional Chinese medicine" health and wellness demonstration, develop climate-suitable living services, and transform climate resources into health and wellness advantages.

Wang Yawei (王亚伟), Director of the Disaster Reduction and Service Department of the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), said that the issuance of the guiding opinions will clarify the development framework of the climate health and wellness industry, promote the establishment of unified service standards and evaluation systems, and better guide the high-quality development of the industry.

Continuously Strengthen Health Meteorology Science and Technology Research

Scientific and technological innovation is an important driving force for promoting the integrated development of health and wellness meteorology.

Various departments and localities continue to strengthen health meteorology science and technology research. The high-temperature health risk warning and impact forecast products and model algorithms jointly established by the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局) and the National Disease Control Bureau (国家疾控局) are becoming increasingly mature, and the national refined high-temperature health meteorological risk warning grid products have achieved cross-departmental information sharing. Fengxian District (奉贤区) in Shanghai (上海) has embedded a health meteorology management module in the intelligent meteorology refined management system, which presents real-time information such as the cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk level of each street and town, the distribution of key populations, and risk prevention guidance.

The guiding opinions further clarify that cross-departmental and interdisciplinary innovation teams should be formed to address key scientific issues, the construction of health meteorology science and technology innovation platforms should be promoted, and enterprises and social forces should be encouraged to participate in the establishment of industrial research and development platforms.

By 2027, a health and wellness meteorology science and technology innovation and service pattern with departmental coordination and vertical linkage will be basically established nationwide; by 2030, a relatively complete health and wellness meteorology science and technology innovation and service business system will be formed, and the efficiency of coordinated development of meteorology and health and wellness in the entire chain and multiple fields will be significantly improved.

It is foreseeable that, under the guidance of policies and the empowerment of science and technology, a good climate will accelerate the transformation into productivity. In the future, in-depth cross-border cooperation between meteorology and medicine, health and wellness, tourism and other fields will promote more accurate, personalized, and intelligent health and wellness meteorological services to better integrate into people's lives and empower economic and social development.

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Weather services are becoming more considerate (Editor's Note)

By: 夏 言

As radar satellites gaze at cloud movements with hundred-meter resolution, as artificial intelligence captures pollen trajectories in complex data, as meteorological large models "translate" wind and sunshine into everyday language, technological innovation is driving meteorological services to precisely integrate into people's lives.

Warning forecasts are more precise. The world's largest land, sea, and air weather observation system allows China's weather forecast accuracy to continuously improve, transforming 天有不测风云 (tiān yǒu bù cè fēng yún - "the sky has unpredictable clouds," unexpected events can occur) into "hourly forecasts." In the agricultural field, it guides irrigation for drought prevention and provides alerts for pests and diseases; when typhoons arrive, it warns of risk impacts and promotes disaster prevention and mitigation, ensuring all aspects of production and life.

Professional services are more precise. "Meteorological chips," and large models such as "Fengqing" and "Fenghe," make meteorology not only about sunny or cloudy weather and temperature, but also able to provide refined and diversified services: energy companies receive customized wind energy and solar energy forecast products; the public can view meteorological guides such as joint pain index and car wash index as needed, and the need for a high-quality life is constantly being met.

With the help of technological means, people's observation of the sky and clouds has changed from the naked eye to "sky eyes." More than that, technological innovation is transforming "observing the sky" into "using the sky." Continuously improving forecasting hard technology, better providing service soft care, and strengthening cross-field collaboration, meteorological services are moving closer to people, becoming more and more considerate.

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Strictly Prohibited to Illegally Funnel Traffic Under the Guise of Recruitment Information

The Beijing (北京) Dispatch of this newspaper, January 13th (Reporters Qiu Chaoyi (邱超奕) and Shen Tongrui (沈童睿)) - The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部) and four other departments recently jointly issued the "Notice on Regulating the Release of Recruitment Information on Online Platforms." Aiming at problems such as engaging in online recruitment services without permission and failing to strictly verify the qualifications of employers and recruitment information, the notice further standardizes the online recruitment order.

The notice requires strengthening the supervision of online recruitment service licenses. For-profit human resources service institutions that release recruitment information or online platforms that provide online recruitment services such as releasing recruitment information for employers should obtain a Human Resources Service License in accordance with the law. Online platforms must fulfill their primary responsibilities and strengthen account registration management.

The notice clarifies that online platforms should standardize the format standards for recruitment information. The release of recruitment information should be truthful and legal, and it is strictly forbidden to illegally divert traffic in the name of recruitment information. It is necessary to strengthen the standardization of online behavior of recruitment service accounts, strengthen dynamic monitoring of recruitment information release, and promptly detect and deal with illegal and irregular behaviors.

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"China is my 'second home'" (My China Story)

By: 本报记者 任 彦 崔 琦 沈小晓

Editor's Note: The key to sound relations between countries lies in the amity between their peoples. People-to-people friendship is the foundation for the steady and long-term development of international relations and an inexhaustible driving force for promoting world peace and development. Over the years, a large number of international friends have traveled thousands of miles to China to study, work, and live, gaining an in-depth understanding of the real China, witnessing and promoting the common development and progress of China and other countries in the world, and making important contributions to promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries.

Starting today, this newspaper will launch a special column, "An Affinity Begins in China," focusing on several foreign friends who have studied or worked and lived in China for a long time. We invite them to tell their own stories of China and their indissoluble bond with China.

"I will always remember my study time in China. China is my 'second hometown.'" Former Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome (穆拉图·特肖梅) said in an exclusive interview with our reporter a few days ago, "Whenever I come to China, I feel like I'm back home. Relaxed and comfortable, I feel very kind and warm."

In 1976, after graduating from high school, Mulatu came to China as a government-sponsored student to study Chinese at the Beijing Language Institute (北京语言学院) (now Beijing Language and Culture University (北京语言大学)). "It was not easy to get this opportunity at that time. Thousands of Ethiopian students signed up, but only 5 were selected," Mulatu recalled.

That was Mulatu's first time abroad and his first time on Chinese soil. Everything in front of him was new to him. Mulatu studied hard and was an excellent student in the eyes of his teachers. In addition to studying hard, he chatted and went shopping with his newly acquainted Chinese friends, gradually becoming familiar with many streets and alleys in Beijing (北京).

China became the place where Mulatu's dreams began and also changed the course of his life. After studying Chinese for a year, Mulatu transferred to the Department of Philosophy at Peking University (北京大学) and received a bachelor's degree in 1982. After graduation, Mulatu returned to Ethiopia with his dreams. At that time, the domestic political situation in Ethiopia changed, which made him feel that his future was uncertain.

In 1984, Mulatu returned to Peking University (北京大学) to prepare for a master's degree in philosophy. The teachers at Peking University (北京大学) believed that international politics was more suitable for his interests and aspirations, so they suggested that he change his major to international politics. In 1991, Mulatu obtained a doctorate in international politics from Peking University (北京大学). After finishing his studies in China, Mulatu returned to Ethiopia and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He served as the Ethiopian ambassador to Japan, Australia, China and other countries.

Mulatu believes that the time he spent studying in China was a critical period of growth in his life. He not only helped each other with Chinese teachers and classmates in life and study and forged a deep friendship, but also achieved an all-round improvement in his thinking, laying a solid foundation for his future life path.

"The environment shapes people. At that time, my thinking was very active and I could accept new things. Fortunately, I was in China at that time. Peking University (北京大学) gave me a good learning environment and valuable opportunities to broaden my horizons, and also witnessed my growth, which had a significant and far-reaching impact on me. In my studies, I began to think about how to do something useful for my country and better serve Ethiopian society and its people in the future," Mulatu said.

"Peking University (北京大学) occupies an important position in my academic career. I am proud to have studied at one of the best institutions of higher learning in the world. As a Peking University (北京大学) student and as a witness to China's rapid economic and social development, I feel extremely honored," Mulatu said with emotion.

In October 2013, Mulatu was elected President of Ethiopia. In July 2014, Mulatu made China the first country he visited after taking office as president. "The reason why I made China the first country to visit is because I have a deep affection for China. I hope to strengthen the friendly cooperation between Ethiopia and China," Mulatu said.

Many years of studying, working and living in China, as well as several visits to China, have left Mulatu deeply impressed by China's development and changes in various fields. "Every time I come to China, I can feel the tremendous changes that have taken place in China, which makes me feel sincerely admired," he said with deep feeling. "Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党), China has implemented reform and opening up and continuously improved its level of economic development, greatly liberating productivity and fully releasing the vitality of economic and social development. Today, China has developed into the second largest economy in the world."

Mulatu said that in the process of reform and opening up, China has focused on leveraging the advantages of a market economy and encouraging foreign investment to enter the Chinese market, which has had an important and positive impact on economic development. "When the economy continues to grow, the people benefit first. China continues to open up to the international market and international investment, sharing Chinese market opportunities with countries around the world, and the living standards of the people have also improved significantly." At present, China continues to strengthen urban and rural construction, promote industrial development and technological innovation, and is already at the world's leading level in emerging fields such as information technology and electric vehicles. "Reform and opening up have made China a powerful and influential international political and economic player," Mulatu said.

"China has independently explored a path of modernization that suits its own reality, which provides successful experiences that can be learned from by the vast number of developing countries, including African countries," Mulatu said. Although African countries implement different policies, seeking peaceful, stable, and secure economic development and bringing prosperity to the country are the common demands of African countries. "For example, Ethiopia attaches great importance to agricultural, technological, and industrial modernization, and is learning from China's development experience to help more people get rid of poverty."

In June 2025, the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (中非合作论坛) Outcomes was held in Changsha (长沙), Hunan (湖南). President Xi Jinping (习近平) sent a congratulatory letter to the meeting, announcing that he would implement a zero-tariff measure on 100% of tariff items for 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China, providing more convenience for exports from the least developed African countries to China. "China's policy towards Africa is committed to common progress and is a policy that truly adheres to solidarity, cooperation, dialogue and win-win results," Mulatu said. China and Africa working together to achieve common human development will surely make new and greater contributions to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

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The world does not need a "new Monroe Doctrine"

The essence of the "New Monroe Doctrine" is to seek hegemony and reject justice, to pursue "spheres of influence" and disregard sovereign equality, and to demand absolute dominance while rejecting mutual respect. The world does not need a "New Monroe Doctrine," and history will inevitably discard it.

Recently, the United States' series of actions against Venezuela—from implementing military strikes and forcibly controlling Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife, to openly declaring that it will "manage" Venezuela and control Venezuela's oil resources—have nakedly demonstrated to the world the hegemonic logic and power-based essence of the so-called "New Monroe Doctrine." This series of actions is not only a brutal violation of a sovereign country but also a wanton trampling and blatant challenge to international law and the basic norms of international relations centered on the purposes and principles of the "Charter of the United Nations."

(I)

The "New Monroe Doctrine" is not a new concept but a continuation and dangerous escalation of the United States' traditional hegemonic policy in the contemporary era. "By intervening in Venezuela, Washington is reviving the Monroe Doctrine of the 19th century," the Spanish newspaper *El País* website pointed out, adding that the United States' various actions toward Venezuela in recent months indicate that this is actually "gunboat diplomacy 2.0."

At the end of 2025, the United States publicly released a new version of its National Security Strategy report, which prominently stated: "After years of neglect, the United States will reaffirm and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American dominance in the Western Hemisphere, maintain homeland security, and ensure America's ability to access key geographic locations in the region." The military actions against Venezuela, as well as the recent threats from the United States against Latin American countries such as Cuba, and the increasingly undisguised territorial ambitions toward Greenland, Denmark, have given the international community a more concrete understanding of the direction of U.S. policy and generated deeper concerns about the impact that the "New Monroe Doctrine" will have on the region and the world.

What does the "New Monroe Doctrine" refer to? The United States' own words and actions provide the answer.

From the perspective of its purpose, it is to ensure that the Western Hemisphere becomes what U.S. politicians call "our hemisphere," using the territory, resources, waterways, etc., of countries in the region for the United States' own purposes, and allowing the internal affairs and diplomacy of countries in the region to be controlled by the United States' will. From the perspective of means, it is abandoning all pretense and undisguisedly relying on barbaric methods such as military strikes, coercion, economic blackmail, and regime subversion. The United States, which adheres to "strength above all else" and "America First," can use any means and do whatever it wants to achieve its own selfish goals.

What will the "New Monroe Doctrine" bring to the region? History provides a clear mirror.

U.S. politicians recently declared: "Back in 1823, James Monroe established the Monroe Doctrine. Today, you are also part of it, part of this legacy." This is tantamount to openly admitting that today's United States inherits and continues the tradition of intervention and plunder that has brought profound suffering to the people of Latin America in history. Seizing more than half of Mexico's territory in 1848, sending troops to occupy Haiti in 1915, and successively invading the Dominican Republic, Grenada, and Panama during the Cold War... The British newspaper *The Guardian* pointed out that "almost every country in Latin America has experienced some form of American intervention, whether overt or covert." Historically, the United States implemented the "Monroe Doctrine," making the Latin American region a "strategic backyard," "raw material supply base," "commodity dumping ground," and "cultural colony" of the United States for a long time. The development process of Latin American countries has been repeatedly interrupted, and the people have suffered tremendous hardships as a result. As Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano revealed in his book *Open Veins of Latin America*, this is still the repeatedly staged script of "exogenous development": the underground wealth of other countries must become the fuel for maintaining American hegemony.

(II)

"Venezuela has become a springboard for the 'Monroe Doctrine' in the 21st century," an American scholar made such an interpretation of the current situation in Venezuela.

As the United States once again regards the Western Hemisphere as a "priority zone" for its hegemonic policy, the peace, stability, and development of Latin America and the Caribbean may suffer an all-round impact, and the strategic autonomy space of countries in the region will be severely squeezed. From launching large-scale attacks in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific in the name of combating "drug terrorism" to directly using force against the sovereign state of Venezuela this time, the security crisis created by the United States is becoming a major threat to the Latin American people's pursuit of a peaceful life. The United States' increased intervention in the internal affairs of countries in the region, creating political divisions, will bring risks to the political stability of these countries. The United States, through openly plundering and abusing tariffs, is transferring the development resources of the entire region to the north, which will deprive countries in the region of their right to independent development and severely impact the local economy and people's livelihoods. The United States' instigation of camp confrontation between "pro-American" and "autonomous" countries in Latin America will be detrimental to the unity and self-improvement of countries in the region and hinder the regional integration process.

The harm of the "New Monroe Doctrine" will not be limited to the Latin American region. After the United States used force against Venezuela, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres (古特雷斯) bluntly stated that this matter set a "dangerous precedent." In essence, the essence of the "New Monroe Doctrine" is to seek hegemony and reject justice, to pursue "spheres of influence" and disregard sovereign equality, and to demand absolute dominance while rejecting mutual respect. This completely deviates from the current international law and the basic norms of international relations, seriously violates the purposes and principles of the "Charter of the United Nations," and stands on the opposite side of international fairness and justice. The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on the United States' military action against Venezuela, but U.S. politicians responded by saying that they "don't care what the United Nations says," bluntly stating the United States' contempt for the United Nations, multilateralism, and the international order.

Damaging international rules and order is harming the interests of every member of the international community. Hegemony never automatically restrains itself, and openly overriding justice with power creates insecurity and instability for the entire world. In fact, the expansionist ambitions and predatory mentality currently exposed by the United States present a full "era错乱" (shídài cuòluàn - "time warp," anachronistic) color, shocking and unsettling the world. Some analysts point out that the "New Monroe Doctrine" is not a simple replication of the traditional "Monroe Doctrine" but a "dangerous upgrade." The American newspaper *The Washington Post* published an article arguing that if this barbaric behavior is normalized, the consequences will be unimaginable, and "might makes right" will become the only rule.

(III)

The world does not need a "New Monroe Doctrine," and history will inevitably discard it.

The "Charter of the United Nations" clearly states: "The Organization and its Members, in pursuit of the Purposes stated in Article 1, shall act in accordance with the following Principles: The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members"; "All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations." In today's international relations, sovereign equality is the primary prerequisite, building the foundation for peaceful coexistence; the rule of international law is the fundamental guarantee, maintaining the framework of fairness and justice. These most fundamental principles concern the foundation of long-term peace and stability in the world and need to be jointly defended by the world.

Currently, in response to the United States' use of force against Venezuela and the increasingly rampant "New Monroe Doctrine," the strongest voice and broadest consensus of the international community is to defend international law and the basic norms of international relations, and to uphold the purposes and principles of the "Charter of the United Nations." "The United States, in order to achieve its own goals, does not hesitate to violate the basic principles of international law established over centuries"; "poses a serious threat to the international order established after World War II"; "completely obliterates the existence of international law"... The "New Monroe Doctrine" and the global condemnation it has triggered are like a mirror, reflecting the limited strength of hegemonic countries' global expansion and the barbaric willfulness of their local attacks, and also reflecting the unchanging trend of world multipolarity and the democratization of international relations, as well as the tortuous development of this process.

一时强弱在于力，千秋胜负在于理 (yīshí qiángruò zàiyú lì, qiānqiū shèngfù zàiyú lǐ - "temporary strength lies in force, lasting victory lies in reason," temporary power depends on might, but ultimate success depends on justice and principles). History will eventually develop, and justice will surely prevail over power. In the face of hegemonic threats, the international community should firmly stand on the right side of history, jointly defend international fairness and justice, and let the world be filled with righteousness and clarity.

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China's Actions Are of Great Significance to Promoting World Peace and Development

By: 本报记者 谢佳宁

In September 2025, the Nicaraguan government issued a statement announcing Nicaragua's support for the Global Governance Initiative. The National Assembly of Nicaragua passed a declaration supporting the Nicaraguan government's decision. Laureano (劳雷亚诺), Advisor to the President of Nicaragua for Investment, Trade and International Cooperation, said in a recent interview with this reporter that this reflects the Nicaraguan government and people's high recognition of China's leading role in promoting world peace and development, and their firm belief in deepening the strategic partnership between Nicaragua and China, "We look forward to the Global Governance Initiative providing more assistance for uniting the people of all countries to jointly address challenges and achieve common development."

In its statement, the Nicaraguan government stated that the Global Governance Initiative aims to address the common challenges facing all mankind, narrow the North-South gap, and better safeguard the common interests of all countries. The declaration passed by the National Assembly of Nicaragua stated that the Global Governance Initiative reaffirms the principles of international law and makes outstanding contributions to addressing the challenges facing humanity within the framework of multilateralism, peace, justice, and respect for the sovereignty of all countries. Laureano (劳雷亚诺) said that after China proposed the Global Governance Initiative, Nicaragua announced its support for the initiative at the first time, and Nicaraguan leaders have repeatedly emphasized the importance and value of this global initiative.

"The Global Governance Initiative was proposed against the backdrop of a turbulent world situation," Laureano (劳雷亚诺) said, adding that the hegemonic practices of some countries are the root cause of the current escalation of regional conflicts. In this context, the importance of the Global Governance Initiative lies in defending the principle of sovereign equality, emphasizing that all countries, regardless of size, strength, wealth, or poverty, should participate equally in the global governance process. "The Global Governance Initiative adheres to the concept of peace, is committed to defending the common interests of all countries, and points the way forward for addressing the common challenges facing humanity. Nicaragua actively supports the Global Governance Initiative and is willing to work with China to promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system."

Laureano (劳雷亚诺) strongly agrees with the five core concepts of the Global Governance Initiative: adhering to sovereign equality, abiding by the rule of international law, practicing multilateralism, advocating a people-centered approach, and focusing on action-oriented approaches. He believes that countries should strengthen cooperation to promote the implementation of these concepts into concrete actions, especially to promote the United Nations and other international organizations to play their due role and safeguard multilateralism and sovereign equality. "The vast number of developing countries play a vital role in implementing the Global Governance Initiative." Laureano (劳雷亚诺) emphasized that developing countries have huge growth potential and innovation space, and should strengthen cooperation within the framework of the Global Governance Initiative to contribute more to promoting world progress.

Laureano (劳雷亚诺) highly appreciates China's important contributions to promoting the reform of the global governance system. "China is not only an important pillar for maintaining world peace and stability, but also a staunch force for defending sovereignty and equality. What China is promoting is a global cooperation project aimed at enhancing people's well-being and promoting national progress, without attaching any political conditions, without coercion, and without aggression. China's actions are of great significance for promoting world peace and development." Laureano (劳雷亚诺) said that whether it is food security, public health, or climate change, these major issues related to human survival need to be resolved through international cooperation, and China has demonstrated its attention to these issues through actions. "Nicaragua and China have carried out cooperation in areas such as emergency disaster relief, public health, and agricultural development. I firmly believe that the Global Governance Initiative will inject more impetus into relevant cooperation," said Laureano (劳雷亚诺).

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Drawing Wisdom from History, Expanding Consensus through Cooperation (Ambassador's Essay)

By: 王 镝

In October 2025, during President Xi Jinping's (习近平) attendance at the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, he met with Canadian Prime Minister Carney (卡尼). The two sides reached important consensus and provided strategic guidance on the direction of improving and developing China-Canada relations, marking the entry of China-Canada relations into the correct track of development after experiencing seven years of twists and turns. At the invitation of the Chinese side, Prime Minister Carney paid an official visit to China from January 14 to 17. This is the first visit to China by a Canadian Prime Minister in eight years. The Chinese side hopes to deepen mutual trust and cooperation with the Canadian side through this visit, jointly promote the China-Canada strategic partnership, and benefit the people of both countries.

China and Canada have a long history of exchanges, and both sides should inherit and promote the fine traditions accumulated in the development of bilateral relations.

First, sincerity. The people of the two countries have established a simple and profound friendship through sincere treatment. More than 100 years ago, more than 10,000 Chinese laborers went to Canada and made historical contributions to the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. During the Anti-Japanese War, Dr. Bethune (白求恩) traveled thousands of miles to China to fight alongside the Chinese people, dedicating his precious life and leaving the Chinese people with the great spiritual wealth of "being selfless and dedicated to serving others," becoming a well-known symbol of China-Canada friendship. To this day, several Canadian medical and volunteer organizations named after Bethune continue to carry out free clinics and medical exchanges in China, continuing to promote the "Bethune Spirit."

Second, independence and autonomy. China-Canada relations are established and developed on the basis of independence and autonomy. In the early 1960s, the Canadian government withstood pressure to export wheat to China, opening the prelude to China-Canada economic and trade cooperation. In 1970, the Canadian government independently made the important decision to establish diplomatic relations with China under complex international circumstances, and was one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. China-Canada relations were once at the forefront of China's relations with Western countries for a long time. Since Carney (卡尼) took office as Prime Minister of Canada in 2025, the new Canadian government has proposed promoting the Canada-China strategic partnership and promoting greater achievements in Canada-China relations in a pragmatic and constructive manner. The two sides are actively resuming and restarting exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

Third, mutual benefit and win-win. China and Canada have highly complementary resource endowments and economic structures, and China has long been Canada's second largest trading partner. The two sides have broad prospects for cooperation in trade, energy, agriculture, forestry, finance, climate change, green technology, tourism and other fields. In the first 11 months of 2025, bilateral trade in goods reached US$82.15 billion. 125 Canadian companies participated in the 8th China International Import Expo, a record high. The energy sector has become a new highlight of economic and trade cooperation between the two sides. Not long ago, China decided to resume travel agencies' operations of group tours for Chinese citizens to Canada, and the first group has successfully traveled to Canada. Direct flights between the two countries have increased significantly, which is widely welcomed by the people of both sides.

Fourth, similar concepts. China and Canada are both defenders of multilateralism and free trade, and the two sides have common positions on many international affairs. The "Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework" reflects China and Canada's responsibility to jointly lead global ecological governance. The two sides strengthen cooperation within the multilateral framework of the United Nations and other organizations, jointly address global challenges, and jointly advocate an equal and orderly world multi-polarization and inclusive economic globalization, which is beneficial to both sides and benefits the world.

Learn from history to understand the present, and learn from the past to know the future. History tells us that as long as both sides adhere to the correct mutual understanding, adhere to the spirit of mutual respect, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and win-win cooperation, China-Canada relations will move steadily and far. At present, the relations between the two countries stand at a new historical starting point. The two sides should regard each other as friends, partners and opportunities for mutual achievement, and further develop the strategic partnership between the two countries. The two sides should respect each other's core interests and major concerns, and the Canadian side should adhere to the one-China principle. The two sides should seek common ground while reserving differences and view each other's differences objectively. The two sides should adhere to win-win cooperation, strengthen the alignment of the development strategies of the two countries, and better benefit the people of both countries.

Prime Minister Carney's (卡尼) visit to China will inject new impetus into the development of the China-Canada strategic partnership. The Chinese side looks forward to working with the Canadian side to implement the consensus of the leaders of the two countries, draw wisdom from history, expand consensus in cooperation, promote the healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-Canada relations, and jointly create a better future for China-Canada relations.

(The author is the Chinese Ambassador to Canada)

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Xi Jinping's Special Envoy Visits Laos

Xinhua News Agency, Vientiane, January 13th (Reporters Zhao Xu (赵旭) and Ma Huaizhao (马淮钊)) On January 13th, Xi Jinping (习近平)'s special envoy, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee Liu Haixing (刘海星), visited Laos to congratulate the successful convening of the 12th National Congress of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the election of Thongloun Sisoulith (通伦) as General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party.

Liu Haixing (刘海星) handed over Xi Jinping (习近平)'s congratulatory letter and conveyed his message to Thongloun (通伦), expressing China's willingness to work with Laos to follow the important consensus of the top leaders of the two parties and countries, and promote the continuous development of the China-Laos community with a shared future.

Thongloun (通伦) conveyed his heartfelt thanks and cordial greetings to Xi Jinping (习近平), saying that the new central leadership of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is willing to work with China to continuously push the relations between the two parties and countries to a higher level.

Liu Haixing (刘海星) also held talks with Bunleua Phandanouvong (本勒), Minister of the International Department of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee.

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Canadian Prime Minister Carney to Begin Official Visit to China Today

At the invitation of Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强), Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (马克·卡尼) will pay an official visit to China from January 14th to 17th.

Mark Carney (马克·卡尼) was born in 1965 in Smiths Falls, Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard University, and a Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in Economics from Oxford University. He has served as Governor of the Bank of Canada, Chairman of the Financial Stability Board, Governor of the Bank of England, Vice Chairman of Brookfield Corporation, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bloomberg, and United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance. In March 2025, he was elected leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and served as Prime Minister. After the Canadian general election in April, he served as the Prime Minister of the new government.

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京), January 13th)

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Han Wenxiu Leads CPC Delegation to Turkey and Egypt to Promote the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee

Xinhua News Agency, Cairo, January 13th. From January 8th to 13th, Han Wenxiu (韩文秀), Deputy Director of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission (中央财办) in charge of daily work and Director of the Central Agricultural Work Leading Group Office (中央农办), led a CPC delegation to visit Turkey and Egypt. They met with Efkan Ala (埃拉), First Deputy Chairman of the Turkish Justice and Development Party (土正义与发展党), Zafer Sırakaya (瑟拉卡亚), Deputy Chairman in charge of foreign affairs, Doğu Perinçek (佩林切克), Chairman of the Turkish Patriotic Party (土爱国党), and Tarek Abas (阿巴斯), Chairman of the Egyptian Homeland Protectors Party (埃及祖国保护者党), among others. They also held special publicity events to promote the spirit of the 20th Fourth Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee to various sectors in both countries, including political parties, governments, parliaments, think tanks, business communities, and the media.

People from both countries highly praised the important significance of the 20th Fourth Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee to China and the world, and expressed their willingness to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with China, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and 携手推进 (xié shǒu tuī jìn - "join hands and advance," to work together to promote) modernization construction.

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China Journalists Association Holds Tea Party, Focusing on the Once-in-a-Century Changes and Current Chinese Diplomacy

Beijing, January 13th (People's Daily reporter Zhang Xiaodong (张晓东) and Wei He (魏贺)) The All-China Journalists Association (中国记协) held a press tea party in Beijing (北京) on the 13th, inviting Professor Cui Shoujun (崔守军) from the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China (中国人民大学) to exchange views with domestic and foreign journalists on the theme of "The Great Changes Unseen in a Century and China's Diplomacy."

Cui Shoujun (崔守军) stated that against the backdrop of the accelerated evolution of great changes unseen in a century in the world, China adheres to embracing the world, proposing the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, firmly safeguarding the post-war international order and upholding international fairness and justice, working with the international community to jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, and injecting valuable stability and certainty into today's world.

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"China-Africa Year of People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges" Opening Celebration Held in South Africa

This newspaper reported from Pretoria, South Africa, on January 13th (Zou Song (邹松), Dong Jiayi (董嘉怡)) To celebrate the opening of the "China-Africa Year of People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges," the Chinese Embassy in South Africa held a celebration in Pretoria (比勒陀利亚), the administrative capital of South Africa, on the 12th. South African Communist Party International Relations Secretary Martins (马丁斯) and other South African political figures, as well as representatives from Chinese and South African media and cultural circles, totaling nearly 100 people, attended.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. Wu Peng (吴鹏), the Chinese Ambassador to South Africa, said in his speech that over the past 70 years, China-Africa cultural exchanges have been colorful and fruitful. The world today is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, and China and Africa need to uphold fairness and justice, strengthen solidarity and mutual assistance, and enhance exchanges and cooperation more than ever before. This year, the Chinese Embassy in South Africa plans to hold nearly 20 events, hoping to use this as an opportunity to consolidate the foundation of cooperation and accelerate the building of a new era China-Africa community with a shared future.

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Chinese company participates in the construction of Africa's largest airport, which has commenced.

(People's Daily Nairobi, January 13th) (Huang Weixin (黄炜鑫), Huang Jun (黄俊)) Addis Ababa News: The construction of the Bishoftu International Airport in Ethiopia commenced on the 10th. Upon completion, it will become the largest aviation hub in Africa. China Communications Construction Company (中国交建), China Road and Bridge Corporation (中国路桥), Beijing Urban Construction Group (北京城建) and other Chinese enterprises are participating in the construction.

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A Popular Street Gets a New Look (Venturing into the "15th Five-Year Plan" - First-hand Observations)

By: 本报记者 尚嵘峥

Strengthen rural governance and improve community governance.

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

Stepping into Hetian Second Street (和田二街) in Saybagh District (沙依巴克区), Ürümqi (乌鲁木齐市), Xinjiang (新疆), the street-side shops are bustling with activity. The aroma of roasted buns, meat naan, and pilaf fills the air, attracting a constant stream of tourists from all over.

Previously, Hetian Second Street (和田二街) was just an inconspicuous little street frequented by locals. In the past two years, tourists have discovered that they can eat all kinds of Xinjiang (新疆) cuisine here, which is delicious and affordable. As a result, this small street, which is more than 600 meters long and 9 meters wide, has gradually become a popular spot for internet celebrities.

Merchants have seized the "huge traffic," but community residents were once overwhelmed. "There are too many tourists, and people and vehicles are not separated, all mixed together, blocking the road." Liu Xiaohua (刘小花), a resident living in a building along the street, said, "When I open the window, the smell of oily smoke from the barbecue restaurant downstairs is pungent, and the music is very noisy."

"There are too many restaurants on the street, and the road surface is always dark and sticky." An Jie (安杰), deputy director of the Saybagh District (沙依巴克区) Business Service Center, said that he was happy for the popularity of this small street, but also troubled by the problems it caused.

During that time, residents' complaints continued. "At most, there were forty or fifty complaints a day." Liu Yang (刘扬), secretary of the Party Committee of Dongerjie Community (东二街社区), Hetian Street (和田街) Subdistrict, said that there are 3 communities and 17 residential areas along Hetian Second Street (和田二街), with more than 3,700 residents and more than 160 merchants. Dongerjie Community (东二街社区) has the largest management area, so it has become a disaster area for complaints.

How to strike a balance between wanting the internet celebrity street to be popular for a long time and wanting residents to be comfortable? Ma Tian (马天), deputy director of the Hetian Street (和田街) Subdistrict Office, introduced that the subdistrict has sorted out four issues that residents complain about most frequently: traffic congestion, noise disturbance, oily smoke pollution, and unsanitary conditions. The subdistrict and community can solve the problems locally, and if they cannot solve them on their own, the subdistrict will come forward to coordinate with relevant departments.

The biggest reason for traffic congestion is the mixing of people and vehicles. With the coordination of urban management, traffic police and other departments, more than 1-meter-high guardrails have been installed on the street to clearly divide the sidewalk and the driveway. At the same time, measures such as prohibiting U-turns and prohibiting parking for passengers are implemented at the street entrance to alleviate traffic pressure.

In response to the noise disturbance problem, community cadres visited merchants door-to-door, patiently persuaded them, and advocated that merchants turn down the volume after 8 pm every day and stop playing music after 10 pm. This has now become a consensus among merchants.

"This oil fume purifier works very well. The pollution is reduced, and customers say that the store is not choking." At the suggestion of community cadres, Yasheng Wupuer (牙生·吾普尔), who runs a restaurant, installed an oil fume purifier at his own expense. "This money is worth spending for us. It can create a better living and playing experience for everyone." At present, all catering merchants on Hetian Second Street (和田二街) have installed oil fume purifiers.

Simultaneous with the installation of oil fume purifiers is the signing of garbage collection contracts. After closing at night, Yasheng Wupuer (牙生·吾普尔) cleans up the kitchen waste and waits for the sanitation and transportation team to come and collect it uniformly. "The subdistrict coordinates the sanitation and transportation team to uniformly collect kitchen waste, the property company cleans up domestic waste, the merchants are responsible for maintaining the hygiene in front of their doors, and the subdistrict and community are responsible for public health," said Liu Yang (刘扬).

As problems are solved one by one, residents and merchants become familiar with each other. Seeing the practical actions of community cadres and merchants, Liu Xiaohua (刘小花) can better understand the other party, "It is not easy for merchants to do business. Everyone is a neighbor. If there are any problems in the future, we can discuss them and solve them."

With the conflicts between residents and merchants resolved, how to optimize the tourist experience has become the next thing An Jie (安杰) and his colleagues face. Increasing the number of stalls, expanding outdoor dining space, introducing cultural and creative, intangible cultural heritage and other formats, and holding themed cultural tourism activities... According to statistics, the average daily tourist volume of Hetian Second Street (和田二街) during the peak tourist season has increased from 40,000 to 50,000 in 2024 to 60,000 to 80,000 in 2025.

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Co-governance and Co-sharing: Turning "Traffic" into "Retention" (Editor's Notes)

By: 韩春瑶

The popularity of Hetian Second Street (和田二街) due to online traffic was originally a development opportunity, but issues such as traffic, noise, and fumes have intensified the conflict between residents and businesses. Faced with complaints, the street and community did not simply "ban it outright," but instead provided precise guidance, leading all parties from confrontation to dialogue.

Installing guardrails to manage traffic, installing fume purification equipment, improving garbage collection methods... these meticulous measures demonstrate the "embroidered craftsmanship" of community governance. On this basis, residents and businesses understand each other, allowing the district to introduce new business formats, create new experiences, and move towards sustainable development, turning "traffic" into "retention" that benefits all parties.

A food street full of lively atmosphere and a clean and livable community environment are not mutually exclusive. By building the greatest common denominator through co-governance and co-sharing, we can create a healthy, harmonious, and orderly community ecology, helping to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results for all parties. 一禁了之 (yī jìn liǎo zhī - "ban it and be done with it," to simply ban something as a solution).

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To win in the long run, avoid being overly eager for immediate victory (People's Forum)

By: 李林淼

During a leisurely weekend, my family played Go. My nephew, eager to win, was anxious to seize edges and corners, and capture stones, but was repeatedly outmaneuvered by his grandfather who seized upon his flaws. After the game, the grandfather advised, "The most important thing to avoid in Go is greed for victory. Only by not being greedy for momentary gains or fixated on local advantages can one plan for overall victory."

Development is like playing Go, each move is a strategic placement. When uncertain and unpredictable factors increase, those eager for quick success tend to **只见树木、不见森林** (zhǐ jiàn shù mù, bù jiàn sēn lín - "see only trees, not the forest," to be shortsighted; to focus on details and lose sight of the big picture). Those who do not crave immediate victory are not necessarily not competing, but rather using foresight to plan for the future and steadfastness to walk a steady path, finding the right direction and accumulating momentum through making choices.

People often say that Go is the art of sacrifice. Local development also often faces tests of choice.

Seeing others engaged in chip manufacturing and the "new three items," should we chase the trend? Large projects worth tens of billions of yuan can bring employment, tax revenue, and GDP growth in the short term, but require paying an ecological price. Should we "pick them up into the basket"? Choices are difficult, but must be made. We must resolutely say "no" to anything that deviates from industrial guidance, does not conform to local realities, or affects the ecological environment.

Another kind of sacrifice is the transformation of thinking and the elevation of vision, observing the overall situation to find new opportunities, so as to turn dead stones into living pieces.

From the perspective of the new development concept, resources are not limited to underground mineral veins, but can be beautiful natural ecology, abundant scenic energy, unique regional culture, and a good business environment. When thinking breaks through the limitations of being **一叶障目** (yī yè zhàng mù - "a leaf blocking the eye," being blinded by a leaf; unable to see the bigger picture due to being obstructed by trivialities), it is often possible to discover that there is vitality where there is amputation, and a new situation is hidden in the predicament.

Xuzhou (徐州), Jiangsu (江苏) built the Pan'an Lake Wetland Park (潘安湖湿地公园) in a coal mining subsidence area, turning the scars of development into a green heart of the city, driving cultural tourism development; Zibo (淄博), Zichuan (淄川) in Shandong (山东) relied on abandoned mine pits to build pumped storage projects, carried out comprehensive utilization of abandoned mine heat sources, providing cooling and heating for intelligent greenhouses, and developing facility agriculture.

Facts have proven that those seemingly burdensome subsidence areas and abandoned mine pits can be transformed into new growth momentum once the development concept is transformed. Just like the Go tactic of "sacrificing pieces to gain initiative," sacrificing a few pieces in front of you in exchange for overall initiative.

The way of Go lies in responding; isolated pieces are difficult to establish, and a formed position is difficult to break. Industrial layout is similar; complementary advantages and coordinated progress can strengthen the resilience of the industrial chain.

Hong Kong (香港) is strong in basic scientific research and international resources, Shenzhen (深圳) excels in technology transformation and advanced manufacturing, and Guangzhou (广州) leverages its hub functions and talent incubation advantages. The complementary functions and coordinated efforts of the three places have allowed "Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou" to top the world's top 100 innovative clusters.

A C919 domestic large aircraft is assembled in Shanghai (上海), with about 10% of the parts, 50% of the aluminum, and 50% of the composite material structural parts coming from Jiangsu (江苏), and the cabin doors and engine insulation materials coming from Zhejiang (浙江)... A glimpse through a tube reveals the full effect of the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta (长三角).

Pieces are connected to each other, and their energy is longer. Promoting collaborative industrial innovation, interconnected infrastructure, joint environmental governance, and interconnected systems and mechanisms will make the momentum of coordinated regional development more abundant.

The fun of Go is not just about winning or losing, but more about personal cultivation; the prosperity of industry is not just about the growth of output value, but more about the cultivation of people. This is a process that requires patience and focus.

From the sudden emergence of DeepSeek to the humanoid robot showing off its "kung fu mode," the world is asking, why is China's AI "running" so fast?

There has never been any **一蹴而就** (yī cù ér jiù - "one kick and it's done," to accomplish something in one step; to achieve success quickly), it is the result of long-term accumulation. In addition to strategic forward-looking layout, rich computing power data, complete industrial chain, and large market size, the most important thing is the significant effect of AI talent cultivation. The "2023 Artificial Intelligence Index Report" released by Stanford University shows that Chinese experts account for as much as 47% of the world's top AI researchers. It is the emergence of talents that has promoted China to become the world's largest owner of artificial intelligence patents, accounting for 60%.

Hard power and soft power ultimately depend on talent strength. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, promoting the close combination of investment in things and investment in people, and stimulating people's creativity, can open up new paths in uncharted areas and hear thunder in silence.

Only by opening up a "far-reaching" realm with a heart of "non-greed" can we seek victory and achieve victory.

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Brewing wine from rice

January 11th, in Zhongshan Natural Village of Tu Liang Village, Mazhai Town, Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province (浙江省), the brewing masters are scooping rice. It is now the "Sanjiu" period, and people everywhere are busy preparing for the New Year, their lives full of vitality and warmth.

Photo by Hu Yanghui (胡扬辉) (Xinhua News Agency (新华社) issued)

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Only purity remains to fill the universe.

By: 本报记者 张 贺 郑海鸥 何思琦

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the Party Central Committee has started by formulating and implementing the Eight-Point Regulation, establishing ironclad rules and strong constraints to promote a new look in Party conduct and government integrity." General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on January 12.

When the Party conduct is upright, the people's customs are pure, the people's hearts are aligned, and the cause is thriving—this is the conclusion of history and also the revelation of the future.

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), standing at the strategic height of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, has drawn a blueprint for the construction of good social conduct in the new era. He has delivered a series of important discourses on promoting a good social ethos of advocating integrity and rejecting corruption, establishing a good moral ethos, creating a new ethos of family civilization, and further forming an upward and benevolent social ethos. He has also taken the lead, setting an example and working hard to promote and lead the entire Party and society to work together to build a new ethos of the times.

Under the strong traction of excellent Party conduct and government integrity, social conduct and folk customs are moving upward and becoming more benevolent, the flowers of civilization are blooming in competition, and the new atmosphere of integrity is gathering tremendous strength, presenting a myriad of new appearances of Chinese-style modernization.

"Actively publicize the concept of integrity and models of integrity to create a good social ethos of advocating integrity and rejecting corruption."

Culture has the characteristics of the times. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "We must strengthen the construction of a culture of integrity in the new era" and "nurture the body and mind with a culture of integrity."

"Like hemp growing among weeds, it stands upright without being propped." Culture moistens things silently, but it has the power of dripping water to penetrate stone. Taking culture to nourish morality and integrity, the construction of a culture of integrity in the new era promotes a good social ethos of advocating integrity and rejecting corruption that is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

Jia Chunhong (贾春红) is the catering manager of an economy hotel in Fuping County (阜平县), Hebei Province (河北省). She is still deeply impressed by a menu.

The "hot dishes" column on the menu read: Braised Chicken with Brown Sauce, Fuping Stew, Stir-fried Pork Belly with Garlic Sprouts, Mashed Garlic Garland Chrysanthemum, and Winter Melon Meatball Soup. The date of the postscript was December 29, 2012.

That day, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) came to Fuping (阜平) for inspection and had dinner at the economy hotel where Jia Chunhong (贾春红) worked.

"At that time, the staff specifically instructed not to serve alcohol, and these four dishes and one soup were all local home-cooked dishes. Ten people sat at a table and ate very cleanly," said Jia Chunhong (贾春红).

The camera pulls back to December 4, 2012, when the Political Bureau of the 18th CPC Central Committee reviewed and approved the Eight-Point Regulation of the Central Political Bureau on improving work style and maintaining close ties with the masses.

"The formulation and implementation of the Eight-Point Regulation is an act of establishing credibility in the new era by our Party. We must grasp it constantly and achieve success over time. If ten years are not enough, then twenty years, and if twenty years are not enough, then thirty years, until it truly becomes a custom and leads social conduct and folk customs with excellent Party conduct." On January 9, 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) spoke firmly at the Second Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

On January 8, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out at the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, "Actively publicize the concept of integrity and models of integrity to create a good social ethos of advocating integrity and rejecting corruption."

Integrity is a traditional virtue and a distinct value orientation of the Chinese nation, and a culture of integrity is an important part of the outstanding traditional Chinese culture.

In the Party's century-long struggle, it has always engraved integrity and public service for the people in the annals of history. Jiao Yulu (焦裕禄) drafted the "Ten Prohibitions for Cadres," stipulating that cadres must not engage in any form of special treatment at any time; Yang Shanzhou (杨善洲) practiced the promise of "as long as life does not end, serving the people will not stop" throughout his life; "If you can be on the scene, don't be in the meeting place," Liao Junbo (廖俊波) did his best and led local cadres and the masses to devote themselves to hard work and practical work...

Since the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has placed the strengthening of the construction of a culture of integrity in the new era in a prominent position in governing the country, based on the "inner learning" cultivation of Chinese Communists, using revolutionary culture to temper the noble character of selflessness and dedication, using advanced socialist culture to cultivate the cultural soil of honest governance and impartial use of power, and using outstanding traditional Chinese culture to cultivate the spiritual realm of self-discipline and integrity.

The continuously improving top-level design and the continuously enriched system supply enable the construction of a culture of integrity in the new era to have rules to follow and laws to abide by. The General Office of the CPC Central Committee issued the "Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of a Culture of Integrity in the New Era," the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee included "Strengthening the Construction of a Culture of Integrity in the New Era" into important reform measures, and the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection proposed "Formulating a Three-Year Action Plan for the Construction of a Culture of Integrity in the New Era (2025-2027)," promoting the culture of integrity to enter all walks of life and thousands of households.

In 2025, the exhibition "Qingfeng Wanli—Ancient Chinese Culture of Integrity" at the National Museum of China attracted many visitors. Liuchichi Alley (六尺巷) in Tongcheng (桐城), Anhui (安徽), San Su Ci (三苏祠) in Meishan (眉山), Sichuan (四川), Baogong Temple (包公祠) in Kaifeng (开封), Henan (河南)... string together a long scroll of the culture of integrity inherited by the Chinese nation for thousands of years.

"A letter comes only for the wall, why not let him three feet?" The "Let the Wall Poem" of Liuchichi Alley (六尺巷) in Tongcheng (桐城), Anhui (安徽), has become a vivid material for the construction of a culture of integrity in the new era.

On October 17, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) came to Liuchichi Alley (六尺巷) and cordially instructed, "Liuchichi Alley (六尺巷) embodies the historical wisdom of our ancestors in resolving conflicts. It should be used as an educational place to promote the outstanding traditional Chinese culture, give play to the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation of emphasizing courtesy and valuing harmony, and create a harmonious social environment where people live and work in peace and contentment."

In a large country with such a large population as ours, how can we solve problems at the grassroots level and resolve them in the bud?

The "Fengqiao Experience" (枫桥经验) in the new era inspires us that Party members and cadres must work creatively—contradictions among the people should be resolved through mediation.

The "Liuchichi Alley (六尺巷) Work Method" in the new era has embarked on a grassroots governance path of source governance, diversified co-governance, and harmonious sharing, and the culture of harmony permeates people's hearts.

The construction of a culture of integrity in the new era is being steadily advanced, nurturing a new era ethos of seeking truth, being pragmatic, uniting and striving, and the integrity of being proud of integrity and ashamed of corruption fills the entire society.

Oppose the "Four Winds" and establish a new ethos. Formalism, bureaucracy, hedonism, and extravagance are strongly reflected and deeply hated by the masses. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has carried forward the spirit of nailing nails, persistently correcting the "Four Winds," curbing some unhealthy trends that were previously considered impossible to curb, correcting some stubborn diseases that had not been eliminated for many years, and the Party conduct, government integrity, and social atmosphere have been renewed.

The disappearance of "sky-high price mooncakes" and the return of "mooncake flavor" reflect a major change in work style. All localities and departments have deeply corrected "waste on the tip of the tongue," "clubhouse malpractices," and "corruption on wheels," and strengthened the simultaneous investigation and treatment of style and corruption. From determining the "Grassroots Burden Reduction Year" to issuing the "Several Provisions on Rectifying Formalism to Reduce Burdens for the Grassroots," the Party Central Committee has continued to deeply rectify formalism to reduce burdens for the grassroots. Party members and cadres advocate integrity and honesty, and the people see tangible results and changes.

Practice has proved that when a good social ethos of seeking truth, being pragmatic, advocating integrity, and rejecting corruption is established, unhealthy trends and evil practices will have no market.

In Chongqing (重庆), the application of the "One-Table Pass" intelligent reporting system integrates and streamlines various historical reports at the grassroots level, and grassroots cadres applaud: "The burden is lighter and the enthusiasm is greater"; in Anhui (安徽), cadres say "Scientists only need to tackle key problems, and we will handle the implementation," and hardcore technology is moving from the laboratory to the production line faster...

"The further unhealthy trends are away from us, the closer the masses will be to us," General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out profoundly.

Looking at the whole country, the "Four Down to the Grassroots" (四下基层) has become a common practice, and "Handling One Thing Efficiently" is being steadily promoted. The masses exclaimed: "The Party's good work style is back!"

"Guide the broad masses of the people to consciously practice the core socialist values and establish a good moral ethos"

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has delivered a series of important discourses on the construction of spiritual civilization, incorporating the cultivation of a good moral ethos into the construction of the national governance system and governance capacity modernization, pointing out the direction and providing fundamental guidelines for promoting and practicing the core socialist values in the new era.

"Morality" is one of the important concepts of outstanding traditional Chinese culture. Core values are not only personal morality, but also a great morality, which is the morality of the country and the morality of society.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out, "We must deeply implement the project of civic moral construction, deepen mass spiritual civilization creation activities, guide the broad masses of the people to consciously practice the core socialist values, establish a good moral ethos, and strive to be demonstrators of socialist morality and maintainers of good social conduct."

Small virtues flow, and great virtues are emphasized. Why has the Chinese nation been able to thrive for thousands of years? An important reason is that we have a national spirit with patriotism as its core and a consistent pursuit of values.

On September 3, 2025, a grand military parade on Tiananmen Square (天安门广场) stirred up the patriotic feelings and aspirations of hundreds of millions of people to serve the country.

"Proud of the great motherland!" "Revitalize China, we should be self-reliant!"... Chinese sons and daughters left hot messages, inspiring the ambition to unite and forge ahead.

"Loving the motherland and loving the hometown is not only expressed as an inseparable attachment to her rivers and mountains, nation, history, and culture, but also as a heartfelt concern for the fate and future of the motherland and hometown, and a willingness to dedicate oneself to the cause of liberation and construction of the motherland and hometown." During his work in Zhengding (正定), Hebei (河北), Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) once expressed his patriotic feelings in this way.

A promising nation cannot be without heroes, and a promising country cannot be without pioneers.

These moments were recorded by the camera—

Smiling and bending down, he tightly shook hands with the hands of six veteran soldiers and comrades of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression; bending down and awarding the certificate of national poverty alleviation model to Xia Sen (夏森) in a wheelchair; bypassing the seat and holding the hands of Huang Xuhua (黄旭华) and Huang Dafa (黄大发), two gray-haired moral model representatives, and inviting them to sit next to him...

Respecting the elderly, respecting heroes, and praising heroes, establishing a good moral ethos in the whole society, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) is an advocate and, even more, a practitioner.

In 2014, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress passed a decision to designate September 30 as Martyrs' Memorial Day. Since then, on this day every year, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has come to the Monument to the People's Heroes to present flower baskets to the People's Heroes.

Looking back on the past, solemn bows in front of the monument, deep gazes in the memorial hall, and emotional stories of heroes, the General Secretary leads the whole society to admire heroes, strive to be heroes, and produce heroes in large numbers.

Ordinary people create greatness, and heroes come from the people.

On August 13, 2022, Li Peisheng (李培生) and Hu Xiaochun (胡晓春), "Good People of China" and staff members of Huangshan Scenic Area (黄山风景区) in Anhui (安徽), received a special reply letter with the signature "Xi Jinping (习近平)."

They read it over and over again: "I hope you will continue to play a good exemplary role, actively spread truth, goodness, and beauty, transmit positive energy, and lead more people around you to be upward and benevolent, and promote the core socialist values."

Since the new era, "Role Models of the Times," moral models, "Good People of China," and "Most Beautiful People" have continued to emerge. The whole society learns from them and strives to be good citizens of society, good employees of the unit, and good members of the family.

Among the 24 characters of the core socialist values, the two characters "Rule of Law" have a heavy weight.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out, "We must not only emphasize the rule of law but also emphasize the rule of virtue" and "We must adhere to the combination of governing the country according to law and governing the country with virtue."

It is glorious to have virtue, and it is shameful to lose virtue. The formulation and implementation of the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs to safeguard the dignity and image of heroes and martyrs, and the joint punishment of "Laolai" (老赖, debtors who refuse to pay) to create a credible society... The rule of law and the rule of virtue transmit correct values through cases, and more people see the virtuous and think about Qi.

Without the nourishment of morality, the culture of the rule of law lacks a source of living water, and the implementation of the law lacks a solid social foundation. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "In the process of promoting the rule of law, we must vigorously promote the core socialist values, promote the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation, cultivate social morality, professional ethics, family virtues, and personal morality, and improve the ideological and moral level of the entire nation, so as to create a good cultural environment for governing the country according to law."

The spirit of the rule of law is integrated into the blood of the national spirit. Since the new era, people's legal beliefs, concepts of the rule of law, and awareness of rules have continued to increase, and the awareness of handling affairs according to law, seeking law in case of trouble, using law to solve problems, and relying on law to resolve conflicts has been continuously consolidated.

"As long as the Chinese nation pursues a beautiful and lofty moral realm from generation to generation, our nation will always be full of hope," said General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) meaningfully.

"Promote the formation of a new socialist family civilization ethos of loving the country and loving the family, loving each other, being upward and benevolent, and building and sharing together"

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Family style is an important part of social conduct."

"One family, father and son, three poets, eternal articles, four masters." This couplet in San Su Ci (三苏祠) in Meishan (眉山), Sichuan (四川), is thought-provoking. What kind of family style has created a generation of talents in the Su family?

On June 8, 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) came to San Su Ci (三苏祠). "We must promote the whole society to pay attention to family education and family style construction, encourage future generations to enhance their feelings for the country and strive to grow into talents who are useful to the country and society."

"Without the happiness and well-being of thousands of families, there would be no national prosperity and development." General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) is always concerned about family education and family style construction.

In Yinchuan (银川), Ningxia (宁夏), he sat with Zhao Shoucheng (赵守成), a resident of the community, and his family, and told everyone to "make the family better and make life more prosperous."

In Xianning (咸宁), Hubei (湖北), he walked into the home of villager Xiong Chenglong (熊成龙), hoping that "the family will continue to work hard to make production and life better and cultivate the children well."

"No matter how much the times change, no matter how much the pattern of life changes, we must attach importance to family construction, pay attention to family, pay attention to family education, and pay attention to family style."

Respecting the old and loving the young, passing on farming and reading, and being diligent and thrifty in managing the family... Nurturing a good family style cannot be separated from drawing moral nourishment from the outstanding traditional Chinese culture.

"When I was a child, I read the comic book "The Biography of Yue Fei" that my mother bought for me. There were more than a dozen books, one of which was about "Mother Yue Tattooing," and the impression of serving the country with loyalty was deeply imprinted in my mind." General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has repeatedly mentioned the story of serving the country with loyalty.

Today, the stories of Mencius' mother moving three times, Tao Mu refusing fish, and painting reeds to teach children are still being circulated, and family precepts and family letters such as "Yan's Family Instructions" and "Zhu Zi's Family Instructions" are still valuable sources of ideological and cultural nourishment for moral character.

Thrift and frugality are not only traditional virtues but also a new ethos of the times.

Although a grain of rice is light, it reflects civilized cultivation; although saving is a small matter, it can gather strength for social harmony and national prosperity.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out, "Now, our living conditions have improved, but the spirit of hard struggle must not be reduced at all. We must adhere to self-cultivation with thrift, promote industry with thrift, and adhere to practicing economy and running everything thriftily."

Cultivating oneself with virtue, establishing prestige with virtue, and convincing people with virtue. The family style of leading cadres is not only related to their own families but also related to the Party conduct and government integrity.

"We must focus on learning and carrying forward Jiao Yulu's (焦裕禄) public servant feelings, pragmatic style, fighting spirit, and moral integrity." In March 2014, when General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) revisited Lankao (兰考), he met with Jiao Yulu's (焦裕禄) five children. The second daughter, Jiao Shouyun (焦守云), said to the General Secretary: "We must inherit the spirit of our father and maintain family education and family style."

Jiao Yulu (焦裕禄) educated his children not to "watch free shows," Gu Wenchang (谷文昌) warned his family "not to touch a bit of public oil," Yang Shanzhou (杨善洲) did not allow his family to take a "free ride"... When the family style is upright, the Party conduct is upright, and when the family style is pure, the government integrity is pure.

"Leading cadres should strive to become moral models for the whole society, take the lead in practicing the core socialist values, emphasize Party spirit, pay attention to character, and set an example, take the lead in paying attention to family, family education, and family style, maintain the noble character and integrity of Communists, and take practical actions to drive the whole society to admire virtue, be benevolent, respect the law, and abide by the law," said the General Secretary earnestly.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal clearly states "strengthening family education and family style construction and promoting changing customs and habits"; the Civil Code stipulates that "families should establish a good family style, promote family virtues, and attach importance to family civilization construction"; the "Implementation Outline for Civic Moral Construction in the New Era" clearly proposes "using good family education and family style to cultivate moral character"... Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the laws and policies on family education and family style construction in our country have been continuously established and improved.
The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" proposal clearly states "strengthening family, family education, and family traditions construction, and promoting changing customs and habits"; the Civil Code stipulates that "families should establish good family traditions, promote family virtues, and attach importance to family civilization construction"; the "Implementation Outline for the Construction of Civic Morality in the New Era" clearly proposes "using good family education and family traditions to cultivate moral character"... Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, laws and regulations on family, family education, and family traditions construction in China have been continuously established and improved.

"Promoting the formation of a new socialist family civilization trend of loving the country and family, loving each other, being upward and virtuous, and building and sharing together," thousands of families cultivate good family traditions, converging into a mighty trend of the times.

In recent years, various departments have actively organized family civilization construction activities, with 16.48 million "Most Beautiful Families" emerging, and more than 500,000 family education and family tradition tour exhibitions organized, covering 250 million people, effectively promoting the improvement of social civilization.

The new trend of family civilization permeates the land of China, and a happy picture of family harmony leading to prosperity and family unity leading to national stability is being drawn.

"Further Forming an Upward and Virtuous Social Trend"

"We nourish the spiritual homeland with culture. The enthusiasm for museums and cultural relics and intangible cultural heritage continues to rise, new members are added to the World Heritage List, Wukong and Nezha are popular all over the world, and ancient charm and national style have become the 'top aesthetic' in the eyes of young people..." President Xi Jinping (习近平) described such a vibrant cultural picture in his New Year's message in 2026, pointing out that "tradition and modernity blend together, and Chinese culture shines even more brilliantly."

To cultivate people with culture and nurture the foundation with culture.

On November 30, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized at the opening ceremony of the Tenth National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Ninth National Congress of the Chinese Writers Association that he hoped everyone would adhere to artistic ideals and use noble art to lead social trends.

Since the new era, the vast number of literary and art workers have gone deep into life, taken root among the people, devoted themselves wholeheartedly, and created with their hearts, producing outstanding literary and artistic works and a large number of talents, spreading truth, goodness, and beauty, and gathering the heroic spirit of striving forward. The films "Chang'an Three Thousand Miles" (长安三万里) and "Ne Zha" (哪吒之魔童闹海) promote outstanding traditional Chinese culture, the dance drama "The Eternal Radio Wave" (永不消逝的电波) continues the red bloodline, the TV series "Shan Hai Qing" (山海情) and "A Lifelong Journey" (人世间) reflect the atmosphere of the times, and literary works "Snow Mountain and Earth" (雪山大地) and "Baoshui" (宝水) write about the tremendous changes in the mountains and villages of the motherland...

Literature and art are the bugle of the times, the most representative of the style of an era, and the most capable of leading the atmosphere of an era. The trend of learning and reading enlightens wisdom and illuminates the future; the "national tide style," "intangible cultural heritage craze," and "traditional culture craze" increase patriotism and cultural confidence. On the vast grasslands of Inner Mongolia, the Ulan Muqi (乌兰牧骑) team members brave wind and snow, and heat and cold, to bring joy and civilization to the vast number of farmers and herdsmen; in the fields of hope, "village evenings" and "village songs" are in full swing, changing the face of the countryside; on the Internet, new mass literature and art are created by the people and shared with the people, recording the times and warming people's hearts...

Literature and art nourish, cultivate sentiments, enlighten the mind, and lead the trend, and the ambition, integrity, and confidence of the Chinese people have been unprecedentedly enhanced, and the mansion of the Chinese national spirit stands tall.

"Further form an upward and virtuous social trend." In May 2025, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) made important instructions on the work of spiritual civilization construction.

A better life must be created through labor, and happiness is achieved through struggle. On October 23, 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized at the First Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, "Promote the formation of a social trend in which a happy life is achieved through struggle, and common prosperity is created through hard work and wisdom."

In 2014, representatives of the western teaching graduates group of Baoding University (保定学院) in Hebei (河北) wrote a letter to General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), expressing their willingness to be like "red willows and gentian flowers," taking root in the west, being tenacious and unyielding, willing to endure hardship, and being down-to-earth, bringing endless vitality to the vast land.

The General Secretary's reply was sincere: "Good children are ambitious in all directions, and those with ambition have no regrets in their struggle."

Without a three-inch mound, how can there be a ten-thousand-foot depth?

"Hold the heart of loving the country, establish the ambition of serving the country, enhance the ability to build the country, closely link personal struggle with the destiny of the country, run the relay race of history well, and bloom with brilliant youthful brilliance on the broad stage of promoting Chinese-style modernization."

With deep entrustment and sincere hope, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed the way forward for those who struggle.

In August 2024, when meeting with the 33rd Olympic Games Chinese sports delegation, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) praised them for "allowing the world to see the profound accumulation of outstanding traditional Chinese culture, the open and inclusive, and high-spirited and enterprising era of China, and the ambition, vigor, and confidence of the Chinese people."

On the National Games arena, the younger generation broke records one after another; in factory workshops, young workers are making Chinese manufacturing go global; in streets and alleys, couriers and takeaway riders deliver happiness and warmth to thousands of households...

Aiming high, being down-to-earth, working hard and practically have become people's conscious pursuit.

"Our company and ourselves are both native to China." On February 17, 2025, Wang Xingxing (王兴兴), the founder of YuShu Technology (宇树科技), reported at a symposium for private enterprises.

The General Secretary encouraged him, "You are the youngest here. National innovation requires the contribution of the younger generation."

The transformation from technological innovation to real productivity cannot be separated from a good social atmosphere of "respecting labor, respecting knowledge, respecting talent, and respecting creation."

"Focusing on promoting high-quality development, mobilize and encourage the vast number of workers and working people to make contributions and innovate." General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) earnest entrustment is encouraging people to forge ahead on a new journey.

A clear breeze nourishes people's hearts, and righteousness fills the universe.

Good customs and habits unite the value consensus of hundreds of millions of people, and under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, the grand vision of Chinese-style modernization is gradually becoming a beautiful reality.

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First Edition Editors: Hu Anqi, Zhang Shuaizhen, Luan Xinyi; Second Edition Editors: Yin Xinyu, Guo Xueyan, Cui Bin; Third Edition Editors: Han Xiaoming, Jiang Bo, Li Anqi; Fourth Edition Editors: Yuan Zhenxi, Zhang Xueyan, Yu Xuan

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Firmly Adhere to the Bottom Line and Actively and Steadily Defuse Risks in Key Areas (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 屈信明 王欣悦

Safety is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee for safety. The Central Economic Work Conference proposed to "better coordinate development and security" and "focus on safeguarding the bottom line of safety and steadily resolve risks in key areas."

Implementing policies tailored to each city and precisely implementing policies to consolidate the momentum of the real estate market in stopping the decline and stabilizing; a package of debt resolution measures has been implemented as scheduled and continues to be effective... Various regions and departments have actively introduced relevant policies and measures to actively and steadily resolve risks in key areas and promote a virtuous cycle of high-quality development and high-level security.

Invigorating housing stock by implementing policies tailored to each city, acquiring idle commercial housing, and optimizing the supply of affordable housing.

The Central Economic Work Conference proposed to focus on stabilizing the real estate market, controlling incremental increases, destocking, and optimizing supply by implementing policies tailored to each city, and encouraging the acquisition of existing commercial housing for affordable housing. Many places are actively revitalizing existing housing resources and optimizing housing supply.

With the support of relending for affordable housing, the Chongqing Banan Branch of Bank of Communications issued a group housing rental loan of 152 million yuan to Chongqing Xingnan Tengfeng Urban Life Service Group Co., Ltd. for the acquisition of two existing commercial housing projects for use as guaranteed rental housing. The local area established a special working team with the participation of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (重庆市住房和城乡建设委员会) and the Chongqing Branch of the People's Bank of China (中国人民银行重庆市分行) to calculate the "people's livelihood account" and the "economic account" for the existing housing acquisition project.

"From housing selection, price evaluation to financing docking, multi-departmental collaboration and full-process guidance are provided." Tang Yanbing (汤雁冰), director of the Market Department of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (重庆市住房和城乡建设委员会), said that the local area focuses on selecting entire buildings and units of existing commercial housing around rail transit stations, commercial business districts, and industrial parks, and introduces third-party institutions for evaluation, and determines the acquisition target through public bidding and other methods to ensure the sound operation of the project.

In addition, the Chongqing Branch of the People's Bank of China (中国人民银行重庆市分行) has increased its support for relending for affordable housing to promote the reduction of project operating costs. At present, it has guided banking institutions to provide credit of 1.935 billion yuan to local existing housing acquisition entities, supporting the acquisition of 4,938 sets of existing commercial housing.

"Coordinating short-term relief and long-term development, acquiring existing housing in a market-oriented manner, and increasing the supply of affordable housing is not only conducive to guaranteeing and improving people's livelihoods, but also an important measure to revitalize assets, promote industry transformation and urban renewal," said Deng Jing (邓靖), director of the Institute of Urban and Regional Economics of the Chongqing Academy of Social Sciences (重庆社会科学院).

Destocking, optimizing structure, stabilizing the market, and benefiting people's livelihoods, various regions are actively innovating methods to optimize the supply of affordable housing. Luohe City (漯河市), Henan Province (河南省) explored optimizing capital management and housing pricing mechanisms to effectively prevent risks...

Driven by policies, a supply pattern with clear positioning and complementary functions between the guarantee and market systems is accelerating. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the country has cumulatively built and raised more than 11 million sets (rooms) of various types of affordable housing and resettlement housing for urban villages and urban dilapidated housing renovation, benefiting more than 30 million people.

At the same time, controlling incremental increases is a key link in stabilizing the real estate market and promoting supply and demand balance. In 2025, the planned supply of residential land nationwide will decrease by 20% year-on-year, and the newly started construction area of houses will shrink accordingly, decreasing by about 20% year-on-year from January to August 2025. The area of housing for sale is showing a downward trend, and the effect of strictly controlling incremental increases is significant.

Improving the supply system, repairing supply and demand relationships, and helping real estate companies out of difficulties have enhanced market confidence. Since 2025, the total transaction volume of new and second-hand houses in China has been basically stable, and the decline in housing prices has continued to narrow. In November 2025, the month-on-month decline in sales prices of newly built commercial housing in second- and third-tier cities narrowed by 0.1 percentage points.

"There is still considerable room for high-quality development of China's real estate." The relevant person in charge of the Central Finance Office (中央财办) said that stabilizing the market from both the supply and demand sides, accelerating the digestion of inventory, and at the same time orderly promoting the construction of "good houses" will fully release residents' rigid and improved demand. Actively promote the transformation and development of real estate enterprises, and support real estate enterprises to accelerate the transformation to holding more properties and providing high-quality and diversified residential services.

Improve basic systems such as development, financing, and sales, and accelerate the construction of a new model for real estate development.

"Delivery in June 2025, now busy with decoration." Li Mingzhe (李明哲), the owner of the Impression Ecological Park in Cidu County (德化县), Quanzhou City (泉州市), Fujian Province (福建省), is in a good mood when checking the progress of the new house decoration on site.

The Impression Ecological Park project started in 2021. Affected by business fluctuations, the project fell into financial difficulties and was once suspended. In April 2024, under the promotion of the local urban real estate financing coordination mechanism, the project was included in the "whitelist," and the government, banks, and enterprises jointly promoted the resumption of work on the project.

"Under the guidance of relevant departments, as the lead bank, we accelerated the docking and approval process." The relevant person in charge of the Quanzhou Branch of the Agricultural Bank of China (中国农业银行泉州分行) said that on key issues such as project credit conditions, financial supervision, housing construction and other departments, as well as banks and enterprises, communicated and negotiated many times to solve the credit blockage and optimize the credit granting plan, and finally completed a cumulative loan of 60 million yuan to ensure the resumption of work and completion of the project.

"Promoting the transformation of real estate development financing from relying on the credit of the main body to being based on the project situation is conducive to providing accurate financial support for compliant projects under construction." Mao Dachun (毛大春), Secretary of the Party Committee and Director of the Quanzhou Financial Supervision Bureau (泉州金融监管分局), said.

As an important innovative measure for real estate financing, the "whitelist" system plays a positive role in meeting the reasonable financing needs of projects and ensuring the safe use of funds, and effectively protects the legitimate rights and interests of home buyers. Data shows that as of now, commercial banks have approved more than 7 trillion yuan of "whitelist" project loans, supporting the construction and delivery of nearly 20 million sets of housing, and helping to build a new model for real estate development.

Whether the real estate market can develop steadily and healthily fundamentally depends on the allocation effect of the four types of elements and resources: "people, housing, land, and money."

The Central Economic Work Conference (中央经济工作会议) made it clear that it will accelerate the construction of a new model for real estate development. Various regions have introduced relevant policies and measures in light of their actual conditions: many places are stepping up the preparation of the "15th Five-Year Plan" for housing development and annual plans to guide land supply to reasonably match housing demand in terms of total amount, structure, space, and timing; Guangdong (广东) proposed to increase the supply of improved housing by implementing policies tailored to each city, and support the independent renovation and original demolition and reconstruction of old housing; Zhengzhou (郑州), Henan (河南) will gradually increase the proportion of existing housing sales during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period...

"Accelerate the improvement of the housing supply system, explore the establishment and improvement of systems such as the construction and renovation of 'good houses' and 'good communities,' and the full-cycle safety management of houses, so as to meet and stimulate new demands with new supply, and further improve the housing conditions of the masses," said Yu Xiaofen (虞晓芬), Dean of the China Housing and Real Estate Research Institute of Zhejiang University of Technology (浙江工业大学).

"In terms of financing, through syndicated loans, M&A loans and other methods, support high-quality operating entities to acquire problem projects; at the same time, provide medium- and long-term financing tools with matching terms for guaranteed rental housing, long-term rental apartments, etc., to promote a virtuous cycle of real estate and finance," said Zeng Gang (曾刚), chief expert and director of the Shanghai Finance and Development Laboratory (上海金融与发展实验室).

"'During the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, we will base ourselves on the connotative development of cities and the grand scene of urban renewal, implement the tasks of building a new model for real estate development, and promote the formation of a new pattern of real estate development with a sound supply system, reasonable allocation of elements, standardized regulatory system, and stable industry operation," said Dong Jianguo (董建国), Vice Minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (住房城乡建设部).

Accelerate the improvement of the government debt management mechanism, resolve debt in development, and develop in debt resolution.

Preventing and resolving the risk of local government debt has attracted attention from all sectors of society and is also a key task promoted by relevant departments and localities. The Central Economic Work Conference (中央经济工作会议) proposed to actively and orderly resolve the risk of local government debt, urge all localities to actively resolve debt, and not to illegally add new implicit debt. Optimize debt restructuring and replacement methods, and take multiple measures to resolve the risk of operating debt of local government financing platforms.

A package of debt resolution measures has been implemented and is showing effectiveness. In 2024, a one-time increase of 6 trillion yuan in debt limits was arranged over three years to support localities in replacing existing implicit debt, helping to reduce the debt interest costs of various localities. In 2025, 800 billion yuan will be arranged from the newly added local government special bonds to supplement the financial resources of government funds, specifically to support local debt resolution.

"A series of measures have promoted the gradual convergence of local government debt risks." Minister of Finance Lan Fo'an (蓝佛安) said that as of the end of 2024, the total amount of China's government debt in the full caliber was 92.6 trillion yuan, including 47.5 trillion yuan of local government statutory debt and 10.5 trillion yuan of implicit debt, and the government debt ratio was 68.7%. According to the report released by the International Monetary Fund in April 2025, the average government debt ratio of G20 countries was 118.2%. "Overall, China's government debt ratio is in a reasonable range, and the risk is safe and controllable," said Lan Fo'an (蓝佛安).

Debt resolution is a means, and development is the goal. Debt resolution promotes localities to free up more financial resources and policy space for solving bottlenecks and difficulties in economic development. The asset quality of financial institutions has been improved, and the willingness and ability to provide credit to the real economy have been significantly enhanced.

How can we further resolve the risk of local government debt? "Work hard on 'active and orderly'." Cai Chang (蔡昌), director of the Tax and Law Research Center of the Central University of Finance and Economics (中央财经大学), said that localities should actively implement specific debt resolution plans, consolidate the main responsibility; implement policies according to the type of debt, the nature of the main body, and the degree of risk, and promote them step by step to ensure that the bottom line of "three guarantees" is not shaken and avoid causing impact on employment and people's livelihood; while resolving the stock, prevent various forms of illegal and disguised new debt.

Luo Zhiheng (罗志恒), chief economist of Yuekai Securities, believes that we should accelerate the promotion of institutional and mechanism reforms, improve asset conversion efficiency by improving the quality of project reserves, accelerating the efficiency of fund allocation, and strengthening mid-term supervision and ex-post performance evaluation.

"Strictly manage local government debt limits to ensure that it is used well, can be repaid, and is sustainable; scientifically arrange the scale and structure of bonds, reasonably grasp the timing and rhythm of issuance, ensure the financial needs of major projects and key areas, and improve the performance of bond funds," said Lan Fo'an (蓝佛安). "During the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, we will continue to coordinate development and security, accelerate the establishment and improvement of a government debt management mechanism adapted to high-quality development, resolve debt in development, and develop in debt resolution, to provide strong support for the steady and long-term development of the economy."

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Prevent and resolve risks with a sense of responsibility of being constantly concerned (Editor's Notes)

By: 徐雷鹏

Currently, facing risks and challenges in key areas such as real estate and local government debt, adhering to bottom-line thinking, enhancing awareness of potential dangers, and actively and prudently resolving risks in key areas are not only the top priorities of economic work, but also the inevitable requirements for achieving a virtuous cycle of high-quality development and high-level security.

Stabilizing expectations and preventing risks in the real estate market are related to the well-being of the people and the overall development situation. The real estate industry has a long chain and involves a wide range of areas, and its stable and healthy development is crucial to consolidating and expanding the positive momentum of economic stability. At present, there is still considerable room for the release of rigid demand and improved demand, the construction of "good houses" is just in time, and the high-quality development of real estate still has considerable prospects. It is necessary to stabilize the market from both the supply and demand sides, actively promote the transformation and development of real estate enterprises, and accelerate the construction of a new model for real estate development.

Adhering to resolving debt in development and developing in resolving debt, continuously making efforts to prevent and resolve local government debt risks, and accelerating the construction of a long-term government debt management mechanism adapted to high-quality development. Further implement the package of debt resolution plans and do a good job in replacing the existing implicit debt of local governments. Taking not adding new implicit debt as an "iron discipline," promote the establishment of a unified long-term regulatory system for local government debt, seriously investigate and hold accountable violations of regulations on debt raising and false debt resolution, and prevent previous clearing and subsequent arrears.

Preventing and resolving major risks is a systematic project and cannot be viewed in isolation. Real estate risks, local debt risks, and risks of small and medium-sized financial institutions are interrelated and require adherence to a systematic concept and strengthening overall coordination. We must always maintain a clear mind, with a sense of responsibility of 时时放心不下 (shí shí fàng xīn bù xià - "cannot be at ease at any time," always concerned and vigilant), earnestly and meticulously implement various risk monitoring, early warning, and disposal mechanisms, unswervingly adhere to the bottom line of preventing systemic risks, steadily resolve risks and hidden dangers in key areas, and firmly grasp the initiative in development.

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Control increases, optimize supply, stabilize the real estate market.

By: 本报记者 祝佳祺

"Newly married couples, families with multiple children, recent college graduates, those participating in 'trade-in' programs, and commercial property buyers all have corresponding subsidy policies, with a maximum subsidy of 60,000 yuan." At 10 a.m., at a one-stop housing supermarket in Nanning (南宁市), Guangxi (广西), staff members were answering questions for citizens who came to inquire.

An electronic screen nearby centrally displays information on nearly 200 projects in the six main urban areas and three development zones, covering all housing types such as new homes for sale, second-hand homes, foreclosed properties, allocation-based affordable housing, and rental housing across the city.

In early 2025, the Nanning (南宁市) Housing Supermarket opened to the public as the first completed housing supermarket in Guangxi (广西). As of now, it has received over 5,000 citizens.

In the future, Nanning (南宁) will precisely focus on controlling the increase and optimizing supply.

Controlling the increase involves managing supply and demand at the source. Following the principle of "city-specific policies" (因城施策 (yīn chéng shī cè - "tailor policies to local conditions," to implement policies that are appropriate for the specific circumstances of each city)), Nanning (南宁) focuses on key areas and areas with concentrated public services, prioritizing land demand for essential and improved housing projects, and guiding the rational layout of the real estate market with high-quality land supply.

Optimizing supply involves promoting transformation through quality upgrades. Nanning (南宁) will vigorously promote the construction of "good houses" and improve supporting systems and policies. According to relevant officials from the Nanning Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau (南宁市住房和城乡建设局), Nanning (南宁) will strengthen standard leadership, revise relevant technical specifications, and guide real estate companies to upgrade in terms of unit design, building material selection, construction technology, and smart facilities to meet the diverse needs of the public for comfortable living and healthy lifestyles.

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Safeguarding the bottom line, advancing steadily: building comfortable and quality housing.

By: 本报记者 方 敏

On the banks of the Jialu River (贾鲁河) in Zhengzhou (郑州), Henan (河南), the construction site of the China Railway Construction Investment Urban Development · Huaqi Yue (铁建投城发·花栖樾) project is bustling with tower cranes and workers. The main structure of all residential buildings has been capped, and the secondary structure construction is in full swing.

Previously, due to a shortage of funds, the project was shelved for many years. "The masses repeatedly looked at the weedy plots, hoping to live in good houses but feeling that it was out of reach," said the person in charge of the Huaqi Yue (花栖樾) project, describing the past difficulties.

The key to revitalizing "idle land" and "unfinished buildings" lies in "guarding the bottom line, resolving risks, and steadily advancing." In 2022, under the coordination of various parties, Henan Railway Construction Investment Urban Development Group (河南铁建投城发集团) decided to take on the "hard bone." "We take the bottom line as the foundation, not only to resolve risks, but also to build comfortable and livable good houses," said Xu Huizhan (许会战), Party Secretary and Chairman of Henan Railway Construction Investment Urban Development Group (河南铁建投城发集团).

Henan Railway Construction Investment Urban Development Group (河南铁建投城发集团) coordinated resources and fully guaranteed construction funds, eliminating the risk of capital chain rupture from the source. Driven by the "scientific management system + smart construction site system," more than 400 builders are racing against time to ensure quality. In November 2025, the project was finally capped.

"Superior living" is what the people expect. Henan (河南) is anchoring the construction goal of "good houses" and focusing on five aspects: "good standards, good design, good materials, good construction, and good operation and maintenance." The Henan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (河南省住建厅) took the lead in formulating the "Henan Provincial Green Building Regulations" (《河南省绿色建筑条例》), which clearly stipulates that "residential projects of more than 100,000 square meters must meet the one-star green building standard"; it continues to optimize local standards for engineering construction, so that "good houses" have rules to follow.

"From the construction of affordable housing in Zhengzhou (郑州), to the creation of a green home furnishing industry chain in Xinyang (信阳), to the 'six haves' good house model in Nanyang (南阳), various places in Henan (河南) are adapting to local conditions, precisely focusing their efforts, continuously increasing policy supply, and building a closed-loop supervision and service mechanism throughout the entire process," said Ji Yuanyuan (姬媛媛), Director of the Science and Technology and Standards Division of the Henan Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (河南省住建厅科技与标准处). Henan (河南) is actively and steadily resolving risks in key areas, accelerating the construction of "good houses," and steadily advancing from "having a place to live" to "having a superior place to live."

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Resolve debt, prevent risks, and stimulate economic vitality

By: 本报记者 郑智文

In a world of ice and snow, the sound of voices rises to a 人声鼎沸 (rén shēng dǐng fèi - "people's voices boil up," a hubbub of voices; a great uproar). On the weekend, at the Tianlu Mountain Ski Resort (天陆山滑雪场) in Liaoyuan (辽源), Jilin (吉林) province, teenagers in colorful ski suits glide down the beginner slopes, experiencing the fun of winter sports.

"We have newly built a hotel near the ski resort, and the guest rooms can achieve 'opening the window to see the ski slopes'," Gao Zhiguo (高志国), the financial general manager of Tianlu Mountain Ski Resort (天陆山滑雪场), said frankly that the company's investment confidence is improving, which is closely related to the return of Liaoyuan City's (辽源市) debt resolution funds to the enterprise.

"Liaoyuan (辽源) resolutely implements policy requirements, strictly controls new additions, steadily reduces existing debt, and strictly prevents risks in the debt field, taking the resolution of existing debt as the focus of its work." Wang Yitong (王艺潼), chief of the Debt and Finance Section of the Liaoyuan Municipal Finance Bureau (辽源市财政局), introduced that Liaoyuan City (辽源市) deeply recognizes the urgency and importance of preventing and resolving government debt risks, gives full play to the multiplier effect of national support policies, and through the joint efforts of the city, many debt indicators have achieved positive changes, and the debt risk level remains in the low-risk city sequence.

In recent years, Liaoyuan (辽源) has scientifically prepared a package of debt resolution plans, designing debt resolution paths for each debt item and asset, systematically sorting out chain debts and triangular debts, revitalizing idle assets, and effectively driving reinvestment by private enterprises. Private enterprises such as Jilin Construction Group (吉林建设集团) have used government debt repayment funds to form a new round of investment boom of more than 2 billion yuan in Liaoyuan City (辽源市). Black Gold Town (黑金小镇), Letu Paradise (乐兔乐园) and other attractions have been successively "launched," and are favored by tourists. "With the in-depth advancement of the project, it is expected to complete the treatment, restoration and development and utilization of nearly 421 hectares of coal mining subsidence areas," said Wang Yitong (王艺潼).

At present, Wang Yitong (王艺潼) and her colleagues are preparing the next stage of the debt resolution plan. "Resolving debt and preventing risks go hand in hand. On the basis of keeping the bottom line, we will continue to stimulate economic vitality." Wang Yitong (王艺潼) said that in the future, debt management will be further standardized, risk monitoring and early warning will be strengthened, and new implicit debt in violation of regulations will be resolutely curbed.

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This edition's editors: Zhao Xiaoxi, Li Peiyang, Chi Jiarui

This issue coordinated by: Su Xianlong (苏显龙), Ji Jianming (季健明)
Layout design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)

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Safeguarding Peace and Security, Rain or Shine

By: 本报记者 张天培

Recently, the Central Propaganda Department (中宣部) and the Ministry of Public Security (公安部) released the "Most Beautiful Grassroots Police Officers" for 2025 to the whole society. Zhang Lei (张雷), Lian Jie (连捷), Ren Fei (任飞), and 17 other comrades were honorably selected.

They are loyal to the Party, serve the people, enforce the law fairly, and are disciplined. Some fight on the front lines of combating illegal and criminal activities, being brave and fearless, and not afraid of sacrifice; some are determined to solve problems with technology, empowering police combat with digital technology; some serve the people in streets and communities, solving the "urgent, difficult, and worrying problems" of the masses with heart and affection... They have fulfilled the solemn promise of "the people's public security for the people" with practical actions, and concentratedly demonstrated the good image of the people's police being self-disciplined and selfless.

Building an Indestructible Fortress with Selfless Sacrifice

On January 7, 2025, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in Dingri County (定日县), Shigatse City (日喀则市), Tibet. Disaster is the order. Zhao Yang (赵阳), deputy captain of the Special Operations Brigade of the Special Police Detachment of the Shigatse City Public Security Bureau (日喀则市公安局), Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治区), acted upon the order and rushed to Gurong Village (古荣村) and other areas that were most severely affected by the disaster, taking the initiative to undertake the most dangerous and difficult tasks.

Gurong Village (古荣村) is about 4,200 meters above sea level. Zhao Yang (赵阳) continued to work at high intensity, occasionally emitting violent coughs and wheezes. In such a harsh environment and physical condition, Zhao Yang (赵阳) fought continuously for 20 days, always charging ahead, and successfully rescued 4 people and evacuated more than 30 people in the golden time.

Whether charging on the front line of rescue and disaster relief or rooted among the masses, Zhao Yang (赵阳) always does not hesitate. Facing the pain of training and the hardship of duty, he has never regretted his choice. He often asks himself: "Why be a special police officer?" "Every time I see the happy smiles on the faces of the masses, I have the answer," Zhao Yang (赵阳) said.

During the Mekong River patrol, Tan Jianhua (谭建华), captain of the First Brigade of the Vessel Detachment of the Yunnan Provincial Public Security Department's Water Patrol Corps (云南省公安厅水上巡逻总队), always stood as straight as a pine tree on the bridge. "I must always be vigilant, so that I can react immediately in case of an emergency!" Tan Jianhua (谭建华) stared intently at the changes on the water surface.

In March 2023, a thrilling rescue was staged in the Ban Xiang Guo (班相果) waters. A Lao merchant ship loaded with goods unfortunately ran aground, and the hull was severely tilted, trapping 8 crew members, their lives hanging by a thread. At that time, Tan Jianhua (谭建华) was performing the 127th joint patrol and law enforcement mission. After receiving the rescue order, he immediately drove the law enforcement boat to the scene at full speed. Under the command and coordination of Tan Jianhua (谭建华), all 8 crew members were safely transferred.

In his 14 years as a police officer, Tan Jianhua (谭建华) and his comrades have successfully carried out more than 200 such life-and-death rescues, recovering more than 200 million yuan in various economic losses.

On July 23, 2022, someone in a residential area in Lanshan District (兰山区), Linyi City (临沂市), Shandong Province (山东省) held a gun and resisted arrest. Facing the arresting police, the suspect locked the iron door and stubbornly resisted. Song Qinggang (宋清罡), captain of the Assault and Tackling Brigade of the Special Police Detachment of the Linyi City Public Security Bureau (临沂市公安局), successfully opened the door in just 14 seconds and rushed into the room to control the suspect. At that moment, the suspect's homemade shotgun, which had already been loaded, was less than one meter away from Song Qinggang (宋清罡).

Similar scenes have occurred many times in Song Qinggang's (宋清罡) career. He knows the responsibility on his shoulders and cannot retreat. Every time, he uses calm judgment and decisive action to protect the safety of the people.

Cave diving rescue is daunting and is known as the "hell" level of rescue field. Yan Ming (闫明), a police officer from the Water Service and Aviation Police Brigade of the Public Security Detachment of the Public Security Bureau of Baise City (百色市), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区), has repeatedly created rescue miracles.

On February 5, 2025, the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, Yan Ming (闫明) and his teammates received an emergency rescue mission: two researchers dived into the karst cave at the source of the Huowang River (活旺河) in Na'e Village (那峨村), Dongjing Town (洞靖镇), Tianyang District (田阳区), Baise City (百色市), for underwater scientific investigation, but had not surfaced for more than 4 hours.

The karst cave is hypoxic, dark, and has complex folds and faults, with no positioning signal, making the rescue environment extremely harsh. In this "restricted area of life," Yan Ming (闫明), as the leader of the rescue commando team, carried 60 kilograms of equipment and led his team to dive into the dark underwater cave to search for the missing researchers. Finally, after 69 hours, the two researchers were successfully rescued from the water one after another.

"I don't know when the next rescue will come, or what kind of challenge it will be, but no matter when or where, I am ready to give everything," Yan Ming (闫明) said firmly.

Composing a Touching Song of Police-People Harmony

In Luntai County (轮台县), on the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert (塔克拉玛干沙漠) in Xinjiang (新疆), poplar trees stand tall in the wind and sand, and their gnarled branches write the tenacity of life. On this land full of Gobi Desert and sand, Jumai Abulizi (居麦·阿卜力孜), the instructor of the Tarlak Township Police Station (塔尔拉克乡派出所) of the Luntai County Public Security Bureau (轮台县公安局), has been rooted for seventeen years like a poplar tree, writing the oath of "the people's public security for the people" into every police dispatch, every mediation, and every guard. He often says: "If you calm your heart, take root, and integrate your feelings, the masses will treat you as family."

When Jumai Abulizi (居麦·阿卜力孜) was first transferred to the Tarlak Township Police Station (塔尔拉克乡派出所) as an instructor, in order to quickly understand the situation in the jurisdiction, he designed a police-people contact card, printed his name, phone number, and job responsibilities on it, and posted it on the doors of the villagers' homes one by one. During the day, when the masses went out to graze and work, he visited them at night; when the road was far away, he took naan and water with him, eating while walking, and recorded the difficulties mentioned by the villagers on paper. Every time he solved a problem, he drew a check mark next to it. "If the people's affairs are not resolved, I can't sleep soundly at night," Jumai Abulizi (居麦·阿卜力孜) said.

In Guixi (贵溪), Jiangxi (江西), the name of an ordinary police officer is well known to thousands of households. He is Weng Honghua (翁红华) of the Huayuan Police Station (花园派出所) of the Guixi City Public Security Bureau (贵溪市公安局). In 2023, Weng Honghua (翁红华) actively responded to the reform requirements of "city and county main battle, police station main defense," and took the initiative to join the front line of community policing, becoming an ordinary community police officer.

On his first day in office, Weng Honghua (翁红华) made a military order: "I will walk through every corner of the community within 1 month, and become familiar with the situation of every household within 3 months." In just one and a half years, he not only fulfilled his promise at the time, but also established detailed resident files, especially implementing "one file per person" precise service for 117 elderly people. The "One Pot of Tea" mediation room he created has a 100% success rate in resolving disputes and a 100% satisfaction rate for return visits. "Although community work is trivial, it is directly related to the happiness of the people, and I can't relax for a moment," Weng Honghua (翁红华) said.

Wearing a police uniform makes the responsibilities on one's shoulders even heavier. Danzhi Daojie (旦知刀杰), the director of the Niba Police Station (尼巴派出所) of the Zhuoni County Public Security Bureau (卓尼县公安局) in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (甘南藏族自治州), Gansu Province (甘肃省), is committed to being a qualified people's police officer, guarding his hometown, and protecting the lives and property of the people, and uses actions to practice serving the people.

In order to facilitate the masses, Danzhi Daojie (旦知刀杰) promoted "door-to-door service." For herders in the jurisdiction who have difficulty traveling, Danzhi Daojie (旦知刀杰) carries equipment on his back and travels over mountains and ridges to solve various demands.

"He has handled and issued certificates for more than a thousand people who have difficulty moving and people who cannot come to the station to apply for certificates during grazing," said a colleague of Danzhi Daojie (旦知刀杰). As long as it is something that the masses need, Danzhi Daojie (旦知刀杰) will do his best.

Let Technology Have a Heartwarming "Safe Temperature"

"My mission is to turn technology into a shield to protect safety, so that the masses can feel fairness and justice in every case." From the forensic laboratory to the earthquake relief site, from the anti-fraud battlefield to the anti-crime front line, Chen Shaojun (陈少峻), the captain of the Intelligence Synthesis Brigade of the Intelligence Command Center of the Haidong City Public Security Bureau (海东市公安局) in Qinghai Province (青海省), strives to interpret the "technological responsibility" of the new era of public security police with actions. He often says: "Technology is cold, but technology for the people is warm."

In recent years, telecommunications network fraud cases are still frequent and high. When handling related cases, Chen Shaojun (陈少峻) gradually realized that "anti-fraud cannot only rely on 'chasing', but also on 'prevention'," and it is necessary to cut off the fraud chain from a technical level. During that time, he spent all day immersed in data, analyzing capital flows, tracking IP addresses, independently developing anti-fraud applications, and proposed a three-in-one work method of "intelligent early warning - precise dissuasion - source crackdown," helping the masses to avoid economic losses to the greatest extent.

In a symposium, Liao Tianhong (廖天红), deputy section chief of the Information and Communication Technology Section of the Huizhou City Public Security Bureau (惠州市公安局) in Guangdong Province (广东省), learned that some recipients in rescue stations and welfare stations could not clearly state their identity information for various reasons. In order to help them find their way home, Liao Tianhong (廖天红) was determined to build a technical platform to help recipients find their true identity and contact their relatives. Liao Tianhong (廖天红) took the initiative to contact civil affairs, urban management and other departments to jointly build the "Let Love Go Home" family search platform. The platform analyzes the true identity of recipients through big data comparison and helps them find their families.

"The reason for building the 'Let Love Go Home' platform is to let the cold technology in everyone's eyes have a heartwarming 'safe temperature'," Liao Tianhong (廖天红) strives to apply technology to more people's livelihood fields, so that love can go home and love can be passed on.

In the office of Feng Jing (冯晶), deputy captain of the Cybersecurity Protection Brigade of the Suizhong County Public Security Bureau (绥中县公安局) in Huludao City (葫芦岛市), Liaoning Province (辽宁省), the sound of keyboards can always be heard. In this small screen, she uses digital intelligence as a spear and responsibility as a shield to protect the cyberspace.

One winter night in 2022, the head of a company in Suizhong (绥中) encountered a problem - a large number of enterprise-related rumors suddenly appeared on the Internet, causing the company's order volume to plummet. "**老百姓的事，不能等**" (lǎo bǎi xìng de shì, bù néng děng - "the people's affairs cannot wait," meaning that the needs of the people are urgent and cannot be delayed). After receiving the alarm, Feng Jing (冯晶), who was already preparing to leave work, immediately summoned her colleagues and sat back in front of the computer.

For the next 3 days, Feng Jing (冯晶) and her comrades barely closed their eyes. They combed through the source of the rumors from the massive number of posts and comments, and finally locked in the rumor-monger on the third day. The rumors quickly subsided, and the company's orders slowly recovered. When the head of the company shook her hand to express his gratitude, Feng Jing (冯晶) deeply felt that the clarity of cyberspace was never an abstract slogan, but could truly bring a sense of security to the people.

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"Wanting to Leave Red Mangroves for Future Generations" (Guardian)

By: 本报记者 孙海天

The air is slightly cool, and in the Hainan Dongzhai Port National Nature Reserve (海南东寨港国家级自然保护区), located in Meilan District, Haikou City (海口市), Hainan Province (海南省), the salty and humid sea breeze rustles through the trees.

In a corner of the germplasm resource nursery, 70-year-old Wang Shijun (王式军) (pictured, photo by Sun Haitian (孙海天), reporter of this newspaper) is concentrating on his work in the ankle-deep mud. He bends down, carefully holds up a tender green seedling of Red Mangrove, and observes it closely.

Mangroves are unique woody plant communities in the intertidal zones of tropical and subtropical coasts, playing an important role in preventing wind and dissipating waves, purifying seawater, and maintaining biodiversity. The Red Mangrove, with its fiery red flowers, is one of the most ornamental varieties of mangrove plants and is known as the "panda of mangroves." However, this beautiful plant once had only 14 remaining plants in China and had lost its natural reproductive capacity, teetering on the brink of extinction.

Today, in Dongzhai Port (东寨港) alone, more than 2,800 artificially cultivated Red Mangroves exist, and the number of Red Mangroves in Hainan Province (海南省) has reached more than 16,000.

From 14 plants to more than 16,000, this is inextricably linked to the more than 10 years of protection of an endangered plant by an ordinary forest ranger. Before retiring, Wang Shijun (王式军) was an employee of the Hainan Dongzhai Port National Nature Reserve Administration (海南东寨港国家级自然保护区管理局). After more than ten years of exploration, he overcame breeding problems and saved the endangered Red Mangrove.

A Promise: To Achieve Artificial Cultivation of Red Mangrove

In 1980, Wang Shijun (王式军), 24, was assigned to the newly established Dongzhai Port Mangrove Protection Station (东寨港红树林保护站) after retiring from the army, becoming one of the earliest employees. "At first, I was a layman. There were so many mangrove varieties, and I followed the technicians to recognize and learn them all the way."

During an island-wide mangrove survey in 1981, Wang Shijun (王式军) saw the Red Mangrove with its bright red flowers for the first time in Dadun Village (大墩村), Lingshui (陵水). That touch of red has been imprinted in his heart ever since.

However, due to the impact of human activities such as land reclamation from the sea and pond aquaculture in the 1970s and 1980s, coupled with the Red Mangrove's own inherently incomplete seed development and extremely poor reproductive capacity, the species was on the verge of extinction after more than 30 years. "I often think of the red color of the Red Mangrove." So, Wang Shijun (王式军) applied to the Nature Reserve Administration, promising to achieve artificial cultivation of the Red Mangrove.

This sounded like a joke at the time. Many scientific research institutions had failed in the artificial cultivation of Red Mangrove. Could an ordinary worker do it?

Wang Shijun's (王式军) answer was simple and stubborn: "Experts have been working on it for more than 20 years without success. What is there to laugh at even if I fail? I want to leave the Red Mangrove for future generations."

With the initial funding of 6,000 yuan from the unit, Wang Shijun (王式军) and three young colleagues formed a team. They planted the first batch of seeds collected from the Sanya (三亚) tidal flats like treasures on their own balconies, and brought back soil and seawater to simulate the native environment, hoping to successfully breed them.

A Lot of Hard Work: Solving Breeding Problems with Local Methods

The challenge was even more severe than imagined.

The first batch of seeds took half a year to germinate, and in the end, 15 of the 16 seedlings died. Wang Shijun (王式军) burned his boats and planted the only seedling directly in the mud of the nursery in the protected area. Unexpectedly, a miracle happened - the seedling survived tenaciously.

Why did it die when planted in a flowerpot, but survive when planted in a nursery?

"Later, I repeatedly pondered and realized that we brought back the soil and water, but we couldn't bring back the tides of the sea," Wang Shijun (王式军) said. High tide brings nutrients, and low tide takes away waste; the ebb and flow of the tide allows the silt of the tidal flats to "breathe." Having figured this out, Wang Shijun (王式军) decided to seek advice from the villagers. "I worked with them in the fields and was inspired by their experience in planting rice and chives." He abandoned the refined cultivation ideas of the laboratory and explored a set of local methods: after the seeds are collected, they are first soaked in water of a suitable temperature to soften the outer skin; after the outer skin falls off, they are scalded at a high temperature to kill germs; and finally, they are dried in the sun.

With the method in place, the actual operation was not as easy as imagined. Wang Shijun (王式军) and several young people went to Sanya (三亚) again to collect the second batch of seeds and planted seedlings in the nursery. In July 2014, a typhoon struck, and more than 200 seedlings were instantly covered with sludge.

"The seedlings were less than 2 centimeters high and too tender to be flushed with water," Wang Shijun (王式军) was anxious. The only way was to wash them in the most primitive and gentle way. "I squatted on the ground, dipped cotton balls in water, and brushed off the sludge little by little." In the knee-deep mud, Wang Shijun (王式军) squatted for more than half a month.

From an initial survival rate of less than 1% to a stable rate of more than 15% later, and then to the shortening of the germination time of the fourth generation of seedlings from 54 days to 16 days, Wang Shijun (王式军) used local methods to overcome the problems that experts failed to solve in the laboratory.

In 2016, Wang Shijun (王式军) turned 60 and officially retired. It was also in this year that the Red Mangrove in Dongzhai Port (东寨港) finally bloomed again with its long-lost, bright red flowers.

A Line of Inheritance: Taking Over the Relay Baton of Cultivation and Protection

A miracle was born, but the guardian's long run has just begun. With Wang Shijun's (王式军) retirement, the young people in the team had their own jobs, and gradually, Wang Shijun (王式军) was the only one left in the nursery.

"Some people ask me what I'm doing it for," Wang Shijun (王式军) said, "These Red Mangroves are like my children, how can I ignore them?" Now, this persistence is being passed on. His daughter, Wang Xia (王夏), has become a staff member of the Dongzhai Port Nature Reserve Administration (东寨港保护区管理局). "My father devoted himself to the cultivation of Red Mangrove, and now it's my turn to protect it." In the nursery, you can often see the father and daughter working together. Patrolling, monitoring, popular science explanations... Wang Xia (王夏) is taking over the baton from her father in the way of the younger generation.

Today, a 20-mu wild planting area has been opened up in the protected area. The seedlings cultivated by Wang Shijun (王式军) have not only taken root here, but have also been sent to universities and scientific research institutions at home and abroad, providing important samples for mangrove species research.

As the tide rises and falls, the mangrove area of Dongzhai Port (东寨港) has expanded from 23,670 mu in 2013 to 27,047 mu now, and the Red Mangrove on the tidal flats has changed from a few scattered plants to a vibrant scene. Wang Shijun (王式军) still rides his old electric car to and from the nursery every day...

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Technology empowers, helping enterprises increase efficiency.

By: 本报记者 王明峰

In Suining High-tech Zone (遂宁高新区), Sichuan (四川), Xiao Chen (小陈), an employee of a technology company, is applying for a technology upgrade subsidy. Previously, he needed to browse many government department websites and study policy clauses, a time-consuming and laborious process. Now, Xiao Chen (小陈) only needs to log in to the "Suiqi Cloud" (遂企云) platform to accurately match various policy services and declare with one click according to the material list. "It can save a lot of time and allow me to put more energy into research and development," said Xiao Chen (小陈).

Providing convenient services for enterprises stems from Suining's (遂宁) digital transformation. In recent years, Suining (遂宁) has carried out the construction of a "City Brain" (城市大脑), integrating systems scattered across various departments into the cloud to achieve intensive scheduling of computing and storage resources. By establishing relevant systems and standards, data such as population, legal entities, and geographic information are aggregated and integrated to form a high-quality basic database, supporting cross-departmental business collaboration; building an "Intelligent Hub," constructing a service platform including unified identity authentication, electronic seals, and AI algorithms to promote the orderly circulation of data elements; focusing on "user orientation," creating 19 integrated application scenarios, launching the "Suining Tong" (遂宁通) APP, formulating 639 intelligent service guides, integrating 353 "handheld" services, and compressing processing steps and time limits; building the "Suiqi Cloud" (遂企云) platform, collecting 3,940 enterprise-benefiting policies from 31 departments, promoting the entry of more than 300 services, and achieving accurate matching of policy needs.

"We want to enable enterprises and the public to handle affairs through a single entry point, and to transform data from sleeping archives into a source of fresh water that activates new momentum for urban governance and services, helping to promote high-quality economic and social development," said Huang Haiguo (黄海果), Director of the Suining Municipal Bureau of Data (遂宁市数据局).

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Photo Report

On January 12th, in Shayuan North Village, Shayuan Town, Xinye County, Nanyang City, Henan Province (河南省南阳市新野县沙堰镇沙堰北村), farmers are harvesting scallions. In recent years, Xinye County (新野县) has promoted the upgrading of vegetable brands, constructing a complete industrial chain of "variety research and development + vegetable base + clean vegetable processing + central kitchen + logistics and transportation + leisure tourism," helping to increase agricultural production and farmers' income.

Wang Xiaojun (王小军) photo (Image China).

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Crafting Shadows: The Art of Leather Silhouette Puppetry (Artisan Skills)

By: 本报记者 高 炳

Highlights:

The most important technique in making Huaxian shadow puppets is "pushing the leather and moving the knife" (推皮走刀), that is, "the leather moves and the knife does not," resulting in delicate and smooth lines with fine textures. Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) has devoted herself to the study of Huaxian shadow puppets for more than 30 years, mastering various carving techniques and exploring shadow puppet production methods such as the "beveling method" and the "splicing method," promoting the inheritance and innovation of shadow puppet carving techniques.

Walking into Shuyuanmen (书院门) in Xi'an (西安), Shaanxi (陕西) Province, and passing through the stairs deep in the alley, you arrive at Wang's Shadow Puppet Studio. Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) (pictured, photo by Gao Bing (高炳), reporter from this newspaper), a 48-year-old Shaanxi Provincial Arts and Crafts Master, is working on the shadow puppet piece "Dan Jiao Feng Guan" (旦角凤冠) at her desk. On the wall behind her are a batch of shadow puppet works such as "Romance of the West Chamber" (《西厢记》), "Farewell My Concubine" (《霸王别姬》), and "The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove" (《竹林七贤》), all exquisitely crafted. "Having been dealing with shadow puppets for more than 30 years, I increasingly appreciate the flavor of it," Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) said.

As she spoke, Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) picked up a knife with her right hand and pierced the cowhide, with the tip of the knife stuck on the engraving board as a fulcrum. Her left index finger pulled back, and her middle and ring fingers pushed the leather forward. The three fingers pulled and pushed, completing the change in the direction of the cowhide, with the angle and strength just right.

Upon closer inspection, the shadow puppet is about the size of a palm. The Dan (旦) role wears a phoenix coronet and looks radiant, with exquisite shapes of hair buns and floral ornaments, and needle-like shapes of bangs and peony stamens. "'Pushing the leather and moving the knife' particularly tests the strength of the hand," Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) said. "If the strength is too small, the cowhide will stutter when it rotates, and the texture of the shadow puppet will not be smooth; if the strength is too great, it is easy to break, and the entire work will be ruined."

The solid basic skills all rely on years of practice. Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) was born into a shadow puppet family. Her father is Wang Tianwen (汪天稳), a representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project shadow puppetry (Huaxian Shadow Puppetry) (皮影戏（华县皮影戏）). Having been influenced since childhood, Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) put a lot of effort into carving - hanging two bricks on her wrist to prevent shaking and to allow the fingertips to exert force.

Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) remembers that when she first started learning to carve, her hands were often cut by the knife. To this day, there is still a long scar on her left hand. After more than 30 years of accumulation, Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) is already 游刃有余 (yóu rèn yǒu yú - "skillful and easily," to handle a task with ease and skill).

In the toolbox on the table, there are 12 commonly used carving knives, with different blade shapes; there are 15 chisels, of different sizes; if making large shadow puppet works, more than 30 kinds of knives are used. "Different tools are used to carve different patterns," Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) said. "Like 'Dan Jiao Feng Guan' (旦角凤冠), it requires about 4,000 hand-carved strokes, taking about 2 days."

Shadow puppet making, carving is only one of the links. After completing 24 processes such as leather making, drawing, carving, coloring, and ironing, the cowhide, as thin as a cicada's wing but extremely tough, will be transformed into exquisite works of art. In addition, Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) has also explored the "beveling method," that is, using a knife to polish the edges of the shadow puppet to make it smoother; and the "splicing method," that is, splicing according to the pattern layout and knife lines of the shadow puppet to make it more natural...

How is the shadow puppet technique inherited? In recent years, Wang Haiyan (汪海燕) has participated in "Intangible Cultural Heritage Enters the Campus" activities many times, and also opened experience classes in the studio to teach children how to carve shadow puppets. At the same time, she has worked hard to explore cross-border integration, and cooperated with international fashion brands and local specialty products to allow shadow puppet art to bloom in fashion shows, shop windows, and animations, and enter the lives of young people. In Wang Haiyan's (汪海燕) view, the inheritance of shadow puppet art should embrace the public more widely, "especially young people, they will make shadow puppets shine with new brilliance."

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This edition's editors: Zhang Yanchun, Liu Juanxi, Wang Bo

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Why Over 10,000 Foreign-Invested Businesses Choose to Locate in Yiwu (Big Data Observation: Investing in China)

By: 本报记者 刘军国

At night, Chengbei Road in Yiwu City (义乌市), Jinhua (金华), Zhejiang (浙江) is bustling with activity. A row of restaurants with exotic flavors along the street is filled with Chinese and foreign guests. At the Nisar Restaurant (铌萨迩餐厅), Bisha (毕萨) from Nepal (尼泊尔) and his wife are busy attending to tables of customers.

"This New Year's Day, the restaurant was packed from morning till night," Bisha (毕萨) said in fluent Chinese while handing menus to the guests. He and his wife have been working hard in Yiwu (义乌) for over 10 years and have seen many New Years, but the current booming scene still allows them to truly feel the warmth and vitality of this city.

A medical doctoral student from Pakistan (巴基斯坦) has crossed over to start a consulting company; a Turkish investor who founded three companies in 10 years is expanding his foreign trade business; a trader from Syria (叙利亚) has opened two specialty restaurants... These wonderful investment stories are all happening in Yiwu (义乌)—a county-level city with over 80,000 shops, known as the "World Supermarket."

Since the first foreign-funded business entity settled in the late 1980s, Yiwu (义乌), which has been continuously deepening reform and opening up, has attracted global elements to gather with its market-oriented, rule-of-law, and international business environment. Today, Yiwu (义乌) is home to over 10,000 foreign-funded business entities from more than 160 countries and regions, covering 14 industry fields such as commercial and trade services and modern logistics. Their arrival has made Yiwu (义乌) more dynamic.

Seizing Opportunities, Medical Students Cross Over to Business
"The openness and vitality of this city deeply attract me"

"I didn't expect to get the business license so quickly. It's so convenient to do business in Yiwu (义乌)," said Ali Kamran (阿里卡姆兰), who received his new company's business license in July last year, becoming the 10,000th foreign-funded business entity in Yiwu (义乌).

Ali Kamran (阿里卡姆兰) was born in Pakistan (巴基斯坦). He came to China in 2007 to study and has lived in China ever since. In July 2023, Ali Kamran (阿里卡姆兰) came to Yiwu (义乌) to pursue a medical doctorate at the "Belt and Road" International Medical College of Zhejiang University (浙江大学), and his relationship with Yiwu (义乌) has deepened ever since.

"The openness and vitality of this city deeply attract me," said Ali Kamran (阿里卡姆兰). Every time he walks into the Yiwu International Trade City (义乌国际商贸城), he is infected by the strong commercial atmosphere, and gradually he also developed the idea of starting a business.

"Since my friends knew I was in Yiwu (义乌), my phone has become a consultation hotline," said Ali Kamran (阿里卡姆兰). People often ask him how to do business in Yiwu (义乌). Which market has the most complete supply of goods, how to do cross-border e-commerce, how to find a reliable logistics company... One question after another made him realize that this is a business opportunity.

So, Ali Kamran (阿里卡姆兰) founded Yiwu Ava Business Information Consulting Co., Ltd. (义乌市阿瓦商务信息咨询有限公司). As a commercial and trade service platform rooted in Yiwu (义乌) and connecting China and Pakistan (巴基斯坦), the company provides "one-stop Yiwu (义乌) procurement solutions" for purchasers from the Middle East and Africa, and also provides support for Yiwu (义乌) merchants to develop overseas markets. "Yiwu (义乌) is an open and inclusive international entrepreneurial city, and I am very happy to do business here," said Ali Kamran (阿里卡姆兰).

Ali Kamran (阿里卡姆兰) often brings his family to Yiwu (义乌). In his opinion, Yiwu (义乌) is not only an ideal business place, but also a livable living circle. A "Foreign Business Friend Card" embeds various service functions such as food, clothing, housing, and transportation, which facilitates foreign business operators to do business and live; the "Foreign Mediator" mediation room innovates the mediation model to help resolve foreign-related disputes; issues foreign talent professional ability certificates to unblock employment channels; government service windows provide multilingual services to make life more convenient... These measures allow foreign businessmen to live and work in peace and contentment in Yiwu (义乌).

"I often hear a saying: If you have a dream, come to Yiwu (义乌). This city provides us with opportunities and a stage to pursue our dreams," said Ali Kamran (阿里卡姆兰).

Policy Convenience, Foreign Trade Business is Getting Better and Better
"Reform measures have greatly improved the efficiency of foreign trade exports"

In the production workshop of Yiwu Jintai Trading Co., Ltd. (义乌市珒泰贸易有限公司) in Futang Town (佛堂镇), Annas (安纳斯) from Turkey (土耳其) is carefully checking whether the weight and width of a batch of fabrics meet the standards. In his office, the hangers are full of various women's dresses. "In Yiwu (义乌), our company connects with customers from different countries, so this display is convenient for customers to see samples and find goods at any time," said Annas (安纳斯).

In 2023, Annas (安纳斯) and Xu Hangfei (徐航飞), a local businessman from Yiwu (义乌), jointly established this company that mainly engages in cross-border trade of clothing. This is also the third company that Annas (安纳斯) has founded in Yiwu (义乌). Now, Xu Hangfei (徐航飞) is mainly responsible for production management, and Annas (安纳斯) focuses on market sales. The two have a clear division of labor and cooperate tacitly.

In 2015, Annas (安纳斯) founded his first trading company in Yiwu (义乌). In the past 10 years, Annas (安纳斯) has accumulated a large number of stable customers from Middle Eastern countries, and his business has become better and better. He has also truly experienced the convenience brought by innovative measures.

"In the past, because there were many types of small commodities exported and the quantity was limited, a container usually had more than a dozen kinds of goods, and it was complicated to declare them all clearly," said Annas (安纳斯). Thanks to the market procurement trade method being implemented in Yiwu (义乌), enterprises can choose simplified declaration if the types of goods declared exceed 5, which enables a single container to consolidate various goods and meet the small-batch, multi-batch, and multi-variety foreign trade needs of small and medium-sized enterprises.

"This method is like opening a 'fast channel' specifically for small and medium-sized foreign trade export enterprises," said Annas (安纳斯). "Reform measures have greatly improved the efficiency of foreign trade exports, making the development of enterprises smoother."

"The new round of Yiwu (义乌) International Trade Comprehensive Reform has launched a number of service measures, which are constantly empowering foreign-funded business entities," said Hu Xiaoyang (胡晓阳), head of the Information and Publicity Section of the Comprehensive Service Center of the Yiwu International Trade Comprehensive Reform Pilot Zone (义乌国际贸易综合改革试验区管委会综合服务中心). In the process of promoting reform, in addition to providing convenience for cargo customs clearance, Yiwu (义乌) has also innovatively established a comprehensive evaluation system for foreign commercial and trade talents; established an international trade foreign-related labor dispute arbitration tribunal, integrated various forces, and relied on a professional mediation team and a bilingual mediation environment to solve the problems existing in the handling of foreign-related labor disputes, so that foreign investors can truly feel the "Yiwu (义乌) temperature."

Efficient Service, Continuously Expanding Business Areas
"Rooted in Yiwu (义乌), I am more confident in the future"

"Please taste our newly launched desserts." In the Binwang (宾王) business district of Yiwu (义乌), Xiao An (小安), the head of the Outan Restaurant (欧坦餐厅), enthusiastically served special desserts to entertain customers.

Living in Yiwu (义乌) for 17 years, Xiao An (小安) from Syria (叙利亚) can speak fluent Mandarin. "Now many of my Syrian (叙利亚) fellow villagers are doing business in Yiwu (义乌), and we often contact each other." Talking about the changes in recent years, Xiao An's (小安) biggest feeling is that more and more foreigners are coming to Yiwu (义乌) to develop.

In addition to being a restaurant operator, Xiao An (小安) is also the founder of Yiwu Pafa Trading Firm (义乌帕法贸易商行). He founded this company in 2013, mainly engaged in the trade of cosmetics, and its products are sold to Africa, Europe, South America, and other places.

With global merchants gathering and settling in Yiwu (义乌), the average annual growth of foreign-funded catering entities in Yiwu (义乌) has been 20% in the past three years, which has made Xiao An (小安) see new business opportunities. Therefore, Xiao An (小安) opened the Outan Restaurant (欧坦餐厅) in Yiwu (义乌) in 2024, expanding his business areas and allowing more foreigners who come here to work hard to taste the flavors of their hometown.

"Doing business in Yiwu (义乌) is not only spacious, but also more and more convenient," said Xiao An (小安). When applying for restaurant registration procedures, he submitted the application in the morning and received the business license in the afternoon. Efficient service has improved the convenience of starting a business.

Since the restaurant opened, the flow of customers has been very large. During holidays, it can receive more than 2,000 customers every day. "I opened a second store in Yiwu (义乌) in February 2025." Seeing that his restaurant is so popular, Xiao An (小安) plans to extend from Yiwu (义乌) to open more restaurants in various places, "Rooted in Yiwu (义乌), I am more confident in the future."

Simplifying some foreign-language materials for foreign investors, foreign natural persons can handle registration with their foreigner's permanent residence ID card; promoting the entire online handling of foreign investment registration, the completion time limit for foreign-funded enterprise registration has been reduced from 15 working days to 1 day... "Since the first foreign-funded business entity settled in Yiwu (义乌), Yiwu (义乌) has scientifically controlled the access of foreign investment, deeply cultivated the experimental field of business system reform, actively done a good job in the cultivation of foreign-funded business entities, and attracted foreign businessmen to invest and start businesses here," said Chen Qunyang (陈群阳), head of the Administrative Approval Section of the Yiwu Municipal Market Supervision Bureau (义乌市市场监管局行政审批科).

From being famous for small commodity trade to becoming a "world supermarket" where more than 10,000 foreign-funded business entities have settled, Yiwu (义乌) continues to embrace the international market with an open attitude and attract global investors to take root.

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The Games' Mascot Continues to Win Fans (On-the-Spot Report: First-Line Stories)

By: 刘平云

Although the 15th National Games of China and the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th Special Olympic Games of China have concluded, the mascots "Xi Yangyang (喜洋洋)" and "Le Rongrong (乐融融)" continue to gain popularity, and related theme parks, city landmark spots, and public welfare cooperation projects are also being planned. As the head of the emblem and mascot design team, my heart remains deeply moved.

"Xi Yangyang (喜洋洋)" and "Le Rongrong (乐融融)" have become popular with their lively and adorable images, driving the development of related cultural and creative industries. Currently, the total sales of cultural and creative products are nearly 1 billion yuan.

The design process of "Xi Yangyang (喜洋洋)" and "Le Rongrong (乐融融)" lasted 5 months, which was a shorter timeframe and a heavier task compared to the nearly one year spent designing "Bing Dwen Dwen (冰墩墩)" back then. How to find a symbol that has both the characteristics of the Greater Bay Area and can carry a sense of the future? After repeated discussions, we chose the Chinese white dolphin as the prototype—they appear near the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (港珠澳大桥), are a reflection of marine civilization, and also symbolize return and home. At the same time, their gregarious habits are in line with the spirit of unity and hard work in sports.

Determining the elements is the first step, but making the mascot an image that everyone likes and is willing to actively spread is a bigger challenge. In the design, we pre-embedded some topic threads. For example, the three small water droplets on the top of the mascot's head symbolize the confluence of three rivers and also leave room for interaction. Another example is adding hands and feet to the white dolphin, which highlights the sports styling and makes it more anthropomorphic. These ingenious ideas, coupled with everyone's humor and wisdom, gave rise to the creative transformation of the "white dolphin," injecting new vitality into this IP. In social media discussions and feedback from offline consumers, the mascots have gained the love of many people. I think this is precisely because their unique image and the cultural connotations behind them have touched everyone's emotions, aroused resonance, and formed a distinctive cultural symbol.

In the transformation of cultural and creative works, if we want to give full play to the industrial engine role of the mascot, product quality control is very important. We insist on highlighting the "three water droplets" symbol, which is clearly presented on both plush toys and blind box packaging. In terms of materials, we use a combination of plush and transparent parts to enhance the dual experience of touch and vision.

The popularity of "Xi Yangyang (喜洋洋)" and "Le Rongrong (乐融融)" is also inseparable from the support of the local government. Guangzhou (广州) has deeply integrated the games with cultural, commercial, and tourism scenarios to build a "sports + culture + tourism + business" whole industry chain ecosystem, helping to improve the quality and upgrade urban consumption and enhance international influence. Promoting diversified product development, supporting enterprises to speed up production, promoting the creation and dissemination of cultural and tourism IPs... With support measures being implemented, the cultural and economic effects of the mascots are accelerating their release.

The popularity of "Xi Yangyang (喜洋洋)" and "Le Rongrong (乐融融)" is the result of the combined effect of design, emotion, policy, and public enthusiasm. From sports mascots to cultural and tourism IPs, I believe they will continue to be revitalized by creativity and innovation in the future.

(The author is the head of the emblem and mascot design team for the 15th National Games and the National Games for Persons with Disabilities, and the Dean of the School of Visual Art and Design of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (广州美术学院). This article was compiled and edited by Jiang Xiaodan (姜晓丹), a reporter from this newspaper.)

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Activating the Vitality of Cultural and Tourism IPs (Further Reading)

By: 张 伟

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's cultural industry has steadily moved towards high-quality development, with the creative transformation and innovative development of cultural and tourism IPs becoming a key engine. This serves as a bridge between cultural resources and market consumption, and through the in-depth excavation and modern interpretation of cultural values, it activates cultural creativity, digital content, brand authorization and other industrial chains, injecting lasting vitality into industrial development.

Systematization, digitalization, and integration are new trends. Various regions are deeply cultivating regional culture to create IP systems with distinctiveness and emotional connection. Chongqing's "Magical Mountain City" (魔幻山城) and Xi'an's "Prosperous Tang Dynasty Vibe" (盛唐气象) and other city IPs have become popular, relying on landscape and historical narratives to form experiential appeal; the Palace Museum (故宫), Dunhuang (敦煌) and other super IPs continue to be renewed, with cultural creations, digital exhibitions, and cross-border cooperation making outstanding traditional culture "trendy."

Technological empowerment and business integration have become new highlights. The widespread application of new technologies has promoted the expansion of IPs from physical to digital spaces, with digital collections, online immersive performances, and metaverse projects emerging, creating new consumption scenarios. Through story co-creation, image authorization, and scene embedding, the linkage between cultural and tourism IPs and film, animation, games, etc. has been continuously strengthened.

Looking forward to the "15th Five-Year Plan," cultural and tourism IPs will drive the cultural industry to move forward, requiring a foothold in the fertile cultural soil and boldly embracing change, while continuing to exert efforts in areas such as deep excavation of connotation, technological leadership, cross-border expansion, and international expression. Building a complete ecosystem covering creativity, products, operations, and marketing, shaping a cultural and tourism consumption paradigm of deep immersion, interaction, and personalized experience, promoting Chinese-characteristic cultural and tourism IPs to "go global," and promoting industrial prosperity with a more vibrant IP matrix.

(The author is the Director of the Cultural Industry Management Department of the School of Culture and Tourism, Guangdong University of Finance and Economics (广东财经大学), interviewed and compiled by Jiang Xiaodan (姜晓丹), reporter of this newspaper.)

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Smooth flow of goods

On January 12th, Dongying (东营), Shandong (山东), the "Source of the East China Sea" (东海之源) vessel departed the dock after completing container loading operations.

The "Source of the East China Sea" (东海之源) vessel berthed at a breakwater container terminal in the Dongying Port Area (东营港区) of Shandong Port Bohai Bay Port (山东港口渤海湾港) and completed loading and unloading operations, marking the official opening of the Bohai Bay Port's (渤海湾港) "Dongying (东营) - Yangpu (洋浦)" domestic and foreign trade co-loading shipping route. This route innovatively adopts a domestic and foreign trade co-loading transportation model, building an efficient logistics bridge.

Photo by Zhou Guangxue (周广学) (Image China (影像中国))

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Ten cities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region promote "city-like" social security services

This newspaper's Shijiazhuang (石家庄) dispatch on January 13th (Reporter Shao Yuzi (邵玉姿)) - This reporter learned from the Hebei Province (河北省) Department of Human Resources and Social Security: Tongzhou District (通州区), Daxing District (大兴区), and Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (北京经济技术开发区) in Beijing (北京市); Wuqing District (武清区), Baodi District (宝坻区), and Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (天津经济技术开发区) in Tianjin (天津市); and Sanhe City (三河市), Xianghe County (香河县), Dachang Hui Autonomous County (大厂回族自治县), and Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区) in Hebei Province (河北省)—a total of 10 regions—will take the lead in launching inter-provincial social security handling services. Insured people in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (京津冀) area can apply for a variety of social security services at any handling outlet in these 10 regions, promoting the "same city" status of social security services.

The Beijing (北京) inter-provincial social security service items include 13 items such as personal basic information changes, registration for urban and rural residents' pension insurance, and registration for flexible employment personnel's insurance. The Tianjin (天津) inter-provincial social security service items include 7 items such as registration of non-sensitive information changes for enterprises and institutions, and qualification certification for retirees receiving pension benefits. The Hebei (河北) inter-provincial social security service items include 13 items such as pension insurance registration for flexible employment personnel and application for unemployment insurance benefits.

The relevant person in charge of the Hebei Province (河北省) Department of Human Resources and Social Security stated that, going forward, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (京津冀) will gradually expand the coverage area and service items of "inter-provincial handling," continuously improve the effectiveness of services that benefit the people and make things convenient for the people, and allow more people to share the fruits of regional coordinated development.

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Giving old neighborhoods both substance and style.

By: 本报记者 龚相娟

Red brick houses, stained glass, and spiral staircases – stepping into the Tianmei Art District (天美艺术街区) in Hebei District (河北区), Tianjin (天津), one is immediately enveloped in an artistic atmosphere. Citizens and tourists alike enter the buildings to admire art exhibitions, stroll through the streets and alleys, and take photos with artistic sculptures. In the half-year since its opening, the district has become a new popular spot in Tianjin (津城).

Located in the Haihe Cultural Tourism Belt (海河文化旅游带), this district was originally an old urban area with complex property rights and scattered distribution. It was renovated and opened in July 2025. The transformation of "dormant resources" into a "dynamic landmark" relies on urban renewal ideas tailored to local conditions.

Hebei District (河北区), relying on its unique historical resources and leveraging the talent and creative advantages of the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts (天津美术学院) within the region, promotes the renewal of the district with "art +" as the main theme, aiming to build it into an art education center and an art industry-university-research base in Tianjin (天津市), and striving to create an urban living environment that integrates production, life, and ecology.

How to "integrate fragments into a whole" is the first problem that needs to be solved.

In the southeast corner of Hongshunli Street (鸿顺里街道) in Hebei District (河北区), the renewal area is shaped like a long boot. Among them are vacant spaces left after the relocation of hospitals and factories, as well as many plots with intricate property rights.

"We have integrated the existing assets with the surrounding supporting resources for unified utilization and planning," said Luo Yun (罗云), director of the Hebei District Housing and Construction Committee (河北区住建委). Following the idea of ​​"preserving, renovating, demolishing, and merging," the district has planned and adjusted, exchanged land, and revitalized resources for the vacant and scattered plots within the project scope, forming four regular plots that can be developed and utilized, adding approximately 68,700 square meters of industrial space carriers.

Urban renewal requires not only updating the physical form but also reshaping spatial functions.

When renovating the five old buildings with strong industrial characteristics in the renewed district, the space was reconstructed through modern design language, while preserving the original appearance of the buildings as much as possible. The industrial texture dialogues with contemporary aesthetics, and the old buildings are upgraded to new cultural landmarks.

In this renewal, the teaching spaces of the Mural Painting Department, Sculpture Department, and Plaster Museum of the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts (天津美术学院) have been renovated, breaking the boundaries of traditional art education and extending the classroom to the red brick alleys. Citizens and tourists can enter this art campus without walls at any time, listen to art courses, and appreciate students' "in-situ art creation" using the district as a canvas.

As of December 2025, the Tianmei Art District (天美艺术街区) has organized nearly 120 activities and exhibitions. Watching performances, viewing art exhibitions, experiencing pottery throwing in the aesthetic education workshop, and finding a handicraft at the art market... Feeling the charm of art and participating in artistic creation are gradually integrated into daily life.

The warmth of urban renewal is also reflected in the details of people's lives.

Before the formulation of the Tianmei Art District (天美艺术街区) renewal plan, relevant departments conducted research visits to understand the situation of the five old residential areas around the district. On this basis, some old residential areas were given key improvements, with a renovation project totaling 74,000 square meters, benefiting 1,086 households. During the renewal, professional teams were hired to comprehensively investigate pipeline network problems and tailor renovation plans to focus on solving the blockage problems of the drainage pipeline networks in the surrounding residential areas.

Implementing intelligent parking management and building new energy vehicle charging piles; configuring age-appropriate leisure and entertainment facilities and children's entertainment facilities... One measure of urban renewal has been transformed into a tangible sense of gain for the people. "The community now has both appearance and substance, it is good to live in and fun to play in, and we feel very comfortable," said Zhao Chengjin (赵成金), a resident of Building 5, Dongjiandao (东箭道).

Creating a linkage mechanism with the district as the vein, the community as the foundation, the scenic spot as the base, and the campus as the soul, exploring historical and cultural value, innovating industrial operation methods, and improving urban supporting service functions, the Tianmei Art District (天美艺术街区) has achieved self-sufficiency and sound development.

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How to Cultivate New Advantages in Attracting Foreign Investment (Policy Q&A: Addressing Concerns)

By: 本报记者 罗珊珊

Reader Concerns

I work in a foreign-funded enterprise. In recent years, the company's revenue has been good, and it is preparing to further increase investment and expand its business. I would like to know what policies and measures China will have in the future to attract foreign investment?

Foreign-funded enterprises are important participants in Chinese-style modernization, important participants in China's reform, opening up, and innovation, and important participants in China's connection to the world and integration into economic globalization.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China completed the 700 billion U.S. dollar foreign investment target proposed in the commercial development plan six months ahead of schedule. Foreign-funded enterprises contributed 1/3 of the country's total imports and exports, 1/4 of the industrial added value, and 1/7 of the tax revenue, creating more than 30 million jobs.

The Central Economic Work Conference (中央经济工作会议) deployed eight key tasks for this year's economic work, and proposed deepening the reform of the foreign investment promotion system and mechanism. At the end of December 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) and the Ministry of Commerce (商务部) publicly released the "Catalogue of Industries Encouraging Foreign Investment (2025 Edition)" (《鼓励外商投资产业目录（2025年版）》). According to the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Commerce (商务部), the 2025 edition of the catalogue has a total of 1,679 items, a net increase of 205 items and 303 revisions compared with the 2022 edition; it guides more foreign investment to advanced manufacturing, modern service industries, high technology, energy conservation and environmental protection, and other fields, and to the central and western regions and the northeast region of China.

The Ministry of Commerce (商务部), together with relevant departments and local governments, has thoroughly implemented the "Implementation Plan for Building the 'Invest in China' Brand (2025)" (《打造“投资中国”品牌实施方案（2025）》), held a series of investment promotion activities at home and abroad, and actively promoted China's investment opportunities.

The National Commerce Work Conference (全国商务工作会议) held in January this year proposed to focus on shaping new advantages in attracting foreign investment and polishing the "Invest in China" brand.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (党的二十届四中全会) made arrangements for expanding high-level opening to the outside world, releasing a strong signal that China adheres to opening up and cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win results. The Ministry of Commerce (商务部) will focus on the following three aspects to accelerate the shaping of new advantages in attracting foreign investment.

First, expand market access for foreign investment. Focus on the service industry to expand market access and opening fields, and further expand the opening pilot projects in telecommunications, medical care, and other fields. Implement the "access and operation" requirements for the fields that have been opened to foreign investment, and help foreign-funded enterprises solve the specific problems encountered in market access.

Second, further improve the service level of foreign investment. We will deepen the reform of the foreign investment promotion system and mechanism, give play to the role of multilateral and bilateral investment promotion working mechanisms, strengthen the investment attraction functions of open platforms such as free trade pilot zones, national-level economic development zones, and national comprehensive pilot demonstration zones for expanding opening up of the service industry, and create favorable conditions for foreign-funded enterprises to invest in China.

Third, continuously optimize the foreign investment environment. We will hold foreign-funded enterprise roundtable meetings and turn the enterprise "demand list" into a government "service list." Focusing on the key concerns of foreign-funded enterprises, such as access to factors, qualification licenses, standard setting, and government procurement, we will continuously improve the foreign investment service guarantee system, fully implement national treatment, and continuously create a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized.

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This edition's editors: Guan Xuanyue, Zhai Qinqi, Gao Shang

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Happiness is Higher with Finer Granularity (People's Daily Commentary)

By: 李 拯

In his New Year message for 2026, President Xi Jinping (习近平) reviewed 2025, "We jointly created and shared a better life," and expressed his heartfelt wishes: "Daily necessities and the changing seasons, each 'small family' is full of vitality, and China, this 'big family,' will thrive." Starting today, this section will launch a series of commentaries, summarizing the new achievements, characteristics, and trends in improving people's livelihoods in recent years with our readers.
　　--Editor

　　Integrating the value of people's livelihood into the entire process and all aspects of economic and social development, demonstrating concern for people's livelihood in all aspects of national governance and development.

　　"There is no small matter concerning people's livelihood; every twig and leaf is always related to emotions." Improving people's livelihood requires handling every "small matter" well. The care and affection in those details bring a different kind of warmth.

　　In life, people often encounter such small troubles when sending express deliveries: How should the "fractional part" of the billing weight be calculated? In the past, "rounding up" for shipments was the norm. For example, 2.1 kilograms would be "rounded up" to 3 kilograms, and the express fee would increase accordingly. How should "rounding up," which causes ordinary people to pay more for express delivery, be regulated?

　　In response to this situation, the State Post Bureau (国家邮政局) quickly conducted verification, optimized and improved the weight calculation rules, and the billing weight is in kilograms, retaining at least one decimal place, and the problem of "rounding up" was solved. Striving for every fraction to protect the rights and interests of the people, and not being tired of the details, it is precisely the effort of "fighting to the death" on the details that allows the people to truly feel the sincerity and warmth of improving people's livelihood.

　　In his New Year message for 2026, President Xi Jinping (习近平) summarized: "In the past year, the rights and interests of new employment groups have been further guaranteed, age-appropriate renovations have brought convenience to the elderly, and families with children have received an additional 300 yuan per month in subsidies." The lives of every ordinary family are closely related to the development of the country, and the people-oriented feelings of the people's leader warm people's hearts, and the values of the world's largest ruling party shine brightly.

　　Daily necessities and the changing seasons fully express the daily life and the long years. In recent years, we have been unswervingly safeguarding and improving people's livelihood, not advocating empty talk or engaging in impractical work. On the basis of basic security, we pay more attention to the personalized and differentiated demands of people's livelihood, making the "granularity" of improving people's livelihood finer, and continuously improving happiness with refinement.

　　For example, how to improve the quality of home-based elderly care under the premise of tight institutional beds? Guanshanhu District (观山湖区), Guiyang (贵阳), Guizhou (贵州) Province, explores the "institution + community + home" model, providing a variety of elderly care services such as long-term care, short-term care, and day care nearby.

　　For example, how to solve the dilemma faced by migrant workers between working outside and taking care of their families? Many places promote employment nearby in various forms. Zhenxiong County (镇雄县), Yunnan (云南) Province, promotes employment for the masses "at their doorstep" through the construction of "workshops at the doorstep" and the construction of "park + workshop + studio" platforms.

　　Finer "granularity" can better focus on the pain points and difficulties of people's livelihood, solve problems in a targeted manner, and do people's livelihood work to the hearts of the people. At the same time, with the increasing refinement of the social division of labor, finer "granularity" also means accurately grasping the different characteristics of different groups and better meeting the needs of segmented groups.

　　In Shanghai (上海), the "New Era Urban Builders and Managers Home" is for front-line workers, with affordable prices and complete facilities. "Warm beds" support "dreams of a settled life."

　　In Hangzhou (杭州), Qinghe驿站 provides free accommodation for up to 7 days (6 nights) for young people participating in job interviews. This housing service network with "full coverage, multi-point distribution, and move-in ready" truly alleviates the anxiety of job-seeking young people who have difficulty finding a place to stay.

　　Finer "granularity" also contains a kind of governance wisdom, which is not only reflected in putting enough effort into "embroidery" and making governance more precise and effective, but also means integrating the value of people's livelihood into the entire process and all aspects of economic and social development, demonstrating concern for people's livelihood in all aspects of national governance and development.

　　Chongqing (重庆) Rail Transit has a special "basket line" that transports vegetable farmers from rural areas to the central urban area every morning, full of the fragrance of fruits and vegetables and full of hopes for people's livelihood; Guangdong (广东) took the lead in launching the "Mommy Post" employment model, with relatively flexible working hours and management models, to help women with children achieve a balance between "taking care of children" and employment; Beijing (北京) "squeezed" out hundreds of pocket parks, allowing citizens to see greenery when they open their doors and encounter beauty around the corner, bringing precious beauty to the mega-city...

　　Continuously refining "granularity" and enhancing pertinence is to make relevant system design and implementation more in line with the needs of the people, and to let the warm current of policies nourish more subdivided needs. Increasing efforts in the subtle aspects of people's livelihood and continuing to work hard in daily life not only reflects the great achievements of China's improvement of people's livelihood, but also demonstrates the value pursuit and source of strength of a large party and a large country.

　　Family affairs, national affairs, and world affairs, making people live a happy life is the top priority. The happy lights of countless ordinary families jointly illuminate China's brilliant starry sky. A China "for the people" will continue to bring more benefits to more than 1.4 billion people; a China "relying on the people" will stimulate the vitality of thousands of horses galloping and obtain a continuous source of development momentum.

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Why the Free Trade Port is in "Full Throttle" (On-the-Spot Commentary)

By: 孙海天

When a good business environment and sound legal safeguards go hand in hand, consumers push their shopping carts more steadily, and business entities have more confidence.

At the beginning of 2026, tourists flocked to the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港), turning up the "heat."

Stepping into the Haikou International Duty-Free City (海口国际免税城), the rising atmosphere of bustling activity hits you in the face. Long queues form in front of the cash registers, with tourists speaking various dialects and dragging suitcases, as well as many local citizens showing their ID cards and skillfully verifying their information. At Sanya Phoenix International Airport (三亚凤凰国际机场), international flights take off and land frequently, and inbound tourists can clear customs and enter the country seamlessly in as little as one minute.

The data is a direct confirmation: During the three-day New Year holiday, Haikou Customs (海口海关) supervised duty-free shopping amounting to 712 million yuan, an increase of 128.9% year-on-year. The "successful start" of the first short holiday after the full island closure operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港) reflects the vigorous vitality of the consumer market.

The return of consumption relies not only on the "attraction" of price discounts, but also on the "tension" of institutional innovation. In the past, some people always "bought, bought, bought" when traveling abroad. Now, Hainan (海南) has become a popular choice. What does it rely on?

The closed-off operation makes dividends more inclusive. With the implementation of the "first-line liberalization, second-line control" system, the reengineering of customs supervision procedures, and the "centralized + automatic" intelligent review mechanism, the customs clearance efficiency of imported goods has been greatly improved, and the launch of new international brands has even achieved "zero time difference." At the same time, the "zero tariff" commodity list has been greatly expanded, covering categories from luxury goods to household appliances and health products, and the price competitiveness has been significantly enhanced, allowing consumers to truly put benefits into their shopping carts.

Policy optimization adds vitality to consumption. With the continuous adjustment of the offshore duty-free policy, island residents can purchase "buy and take away" goods an unlimited number of times throughout the year as long as they have offshore records within a natural year. The "tourist exclusive" has become "island resident sharing," and "shopping at duty-free shops is as convenient as shopping at shopping malls" has become a reality, allowing local consumption potential to be deeply released.

The consumption boom is an affirmation of the open environment. With the continuous release of policy dividends such as visa-free entry for people from 86 countries and the opening of the "seventh freedom of the air," Hainan's (海南) international "circle of friends" is growing. AI multilingual translation machines equipped in shopping malls and exclusive discounts launched for departing tourists have stimulated the enthusiasm of tourists at home and abroad to "buy, buy, buy." Improving the level of openness helps to optimize the soft environment of the free trade port and expand new space for consumption growth.

Of course, to turn traffic into retention and passers-by into regulars, it is not only necessary to "buy value," but also to have a "good experience." A single shopping experience is difficult to form a lasting attraction. Today's consumers are more willing to pay for diverse services and unique experiences. Sanya's (三亚) electronic music festival is roaring, the fireworks show on Ocean Flower Island (海花岛) lights up the night sky, and major duty-free cities have launched "sunset markets"... On the eve of the New Year holiday, Hainan (海南) introduced 16 fiscal support measures to promote tourism consumption, and took out real money to support high-level events and performances. One ticket can be played for 3 days, and one performance can boost a city. Taking culture as the soul of tourism and tourism as the carrier of culture, when duty-free shopping is seamlessly connected with music festivals, sports events, and special performances, "going to Hainan (海南)" has become the choice of more people.

Optimizing the consumption environment inevitably requires improving governance effectiveness. Facing the surge in personnel and logistics after the closure, how to achieve both "opening up" and "managing well" tests governance capabilities. Hainan's (海南) answer is: empowering convenience with smart supervision. From the customs' pilot project of implementing credit rating supervision of duty-free enterprises to the commerce department's acceleration of the formulation of management measures for "zero-tariff" imported goods; from coordinated operations that break down departmental barriers to the establishment of a rapid response consumer rights protection mechanism... A series of institutional integrated innovations have built a "worry-free purchase" guardrail for consumers, which not only allows consumers to buy cheaply, but also buy with confidence and comfort. When a good business environment and sound legal safeguards go hand in hand, consumers push their shopping carts more steadily, and business entities have more confidence.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五规划) proposal puts forward: "Implement the free trade pilot zone upgrade strategy and build the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自由贸易港) to a high standard." The full island closure operation is not the end, but a new beginning. How to make policy dividends more sustainable, service systems more refined, and the consumption environment more friendly requires continuous exploration in practice.

Sunshine, beaches, and duty-free goods are Hainan's (海南) calling cards; openness, inclusiveness, and institutional innovation are Hainan's (海南) foundation. The more open, the more prosperous. This warm wind from the South China Sea (南海) is blowing towards a broader future.

(The author is a reporter from this newspaper's Hainan Branch (海南分社))

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Vocational colleges going grassroots: the key lies in precise empowerment

By: 吴晶晶

Currently, the development of vocational education in China is showing a trend of resources flowing downwards and empowering counties. The "Outline for Building a Powerful Education Nation (2024-2035)" clearly states: "Promote qualified regions to sink higher vocational education resources to cities and counties."

For counties, through the integration of industry and education, allowing young people to receive high-quality vocational education nearby and possess a skill, helps cultivate more high-quality skilled talents suitable for local industries, and better assists the high-quality development of the county economy. Retaining young people means retaining the confidence, vitality, and future of development.

The extension of higher vocational education to counties is not focused on scale expansion, but on precise empowerment. Localities should focus on the suitability and integration of education and industry, and effectively enhance the effectiveness of vocational education in serving county development.

Precise empowerment is premised on adapting to local conditions. There is no standard template for the downward flow of higher vocational education; the emphasis is on seeking truth from facts and scientific research. Taking Wuyi (武义) in Zhejiang (浙江) as an example, the local electric tool, hot spring health, and other industries are quite large. Jinhua Polytechnic College (金华职业技术大学) established Wuyi College (武义学院), setting up majors such as mechanical manufacturing and automation, and rehabilitation therapy technology that are closely linked to the industrial layout, providing talent support for the county's characteristic industries. Higher vocational education itself is closely connected with industry and the real economy. In the process of sinking, it must be guided by the actual needs of county development and adhere to adapting to local conditions in order to effectively make up for the shortcomings in industrial development, strengthen local characteristics and advantages, and help the county economy flourish.

The key to precise empowerment lies in deep cultivation. It is necessary to avoid the formalism of simply signing agreements and hanging up plaques, and promote the deep integration of key educational elements such as majors, courses, and teachers with county industries, and continuously improve quality and efficiency. The classroom of Hengshui Vocational and Technical College (衡水职业技术学院) in Hebei (河北) was "moved" into the enterprise workshop, where students not only learn theoretical courses such as "intelligent welding technology," but also practice on the production lines of well-known enterprises. The vitality of talents is fully stimulated, helping Anping (安平) silk screen industry grow into Hebei's first 100 billion-level county industrial cluster. Deeply cultivating and integrating education into the industrial fabric can provide strong support for the transformation and upgrading of county industries.

Precise empowerment is inseparable from coordination and cooperation. The downward flow of higher vocational education is not a solo performance. Only through the coordinated linkage of government, colleges, and enterprises can various problems be resolved and the integration of industry and education be stabilized and solidified. In Ruoqiang County (若羌县), Xinjiang (新疆), the characteristic industry is developing rapidly, but there is a shortage of skilled talents. How to break the situation? Bayingolin Vocational and Technical College (新疆巴音郭楞职业技术学院) in Xinjiang, 450 kilometers away, is looking for a potential county to carry it. The two hit it off, one providing high-quality educational resources, and the other providing educational and teaching venues and equipment. The industry-education integration community with deep participation of enterprises has revitalized resources, driven industries, and formed a win-win situation. By working together and forming a joint force, the sweet dew of higher vocational education and the living water of talent resources can better nourish the county economy.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal puts forward: "Improve the school-running ability of vocational schools and build distinctive higher vocational colleges." Fully leveraging the important role of higher vocational colleges in cultivating talents, revitalizing industries, and strengthening the foundation, and steadily doing a good job in various tasks will surely better stimulate the vitality of economic and social development and release the momentum of innovation and creation.

(Author's Unit: School of Education, Renmin University of China (中国人民大学))

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Photo Report

Automated production lines operate efficiently, unmanned transport vehicles shuttle back and forth, and workers are busy debugging equipment... At the beginning of 2026, enterprises across the country have started at full capacity to seize production and rush to make orders, striving to achieve a "good start" in the new year. The surging crowds, rising fireworks, and busy production lines outline a vivid picture of China's economic vitality and strong momentum.

This is precisely:

The rising sun shines with rosy clouds,
The sound of looms rings out.
Striving to be the first at the beginning of the year,
A new atmosphere in Shenzhou (神州).

By Xu Zhiwen (徐之文)

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Make good use of both explicit and implicit advantages.

By: 海 潮

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized during his inspection in Guangxi (广西): "We must base ourselves on resource endowments and industrial foundations, focus on advantageous industries, concentrate superior resources, and create a number of pillar industries that reflect Guangxi's characteristics and advantages and have a large scale and strong driving force." How can we make good use of advantages and give full play to them?

Policy advantages, resource advantages, ecological advantages, and location advantages are "explicit advantages" that must be fully utilized. To make good use of these advantages, we should base ourselves on our own characteristics, vigorously grasp implementation, and strive for success.

Making good use of advantages means that work should be more innovative, with more forward-looking vision of "working for one year, thinking for three years, and looking at ten years." We must see that some places and industries hold advantages but have not made full use of them. It is a pity to be 捧着金碗讨饭吃 (pěng zhe jīn wǎn tǎo fàn chī - "holding a golden bowl begging for food," to possess great advantages but fail to utilize them, ending up in a poor situation). For "late-developing" regions to "catch up and surpass," the key lies in finding the right direction. Finding the right entry point, strengthening innovation, and bringing the advantages we have into play will enable us to continuously open up new horizons and reach new heights.

Jeans are popular all over the world. The people of Yulin (玉林) are striving to accelerate, and through continuous improvement of clothing processing capabilities, the "late-developing" Yulin (玉林) has formed unique advantages and eventually become an important jeans production center.

Under the dual impact of chemical fibers and mechanical weaving, China's silkworm industry once faced considerable challenges. However, Hechi (河池) based itself on ecological advantages, seized opportunities such as "Eastern mulberry moving west" (东桑西移) and "Eastern silk moving west" (东绸西移), vigorously developed the silkworm industry, and grew into one of the core areas of the national and even global silkworm cocoon silk industry.

Making good use of advantages often allows an industry or a region to be ahead of time and at the forefront of development. Planning for the future and strengthening development, making good use of advantages is the mark of a master. Don't say that there are no advantages for local development, but be afraid of being unaware of the advantages, or even unconscious of them.

Fully utilize "explicit advantages" such as location conditions and ecological environment. Grasp the key and decisive factors, consolidate and expand advantages, open up new areas of development, and form new comparative advantages, and we will surely achieve high-quality and sustainable development. Fully release "implicit advantages" such as late-developing technology. Based on the foundation and conditions of industry, location, logistics, resources, and policies, strengthen guidance according to circumstances and promote strengths and avoid weaknesses, and it will not be difficult to find the route and focus of innovation and breakthrough.

Continuously making good use of advantages, new business forms and models originate from here and gain momentum here.

(Excerpted and compiled from "Guangxi Daily" (《广西日报》), original title "Making Good Use of Advantages is the Mark of a Master")

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Serious literature still has a broad stage (Jin Tai Random Notes)

By: 崔 妍

When serious literature is no longer confined to the ivory tower, but transformed into perceptible light and shadow, tangible scenes, and stories that can be savored and understood, it will gain a broader stage.

The period narrative of the TV series "Northward" ("北上") has sparked heated discussions among fans of the original novel of the same name; the final line of "The Long Season" ("漫长的季节"), adapted from "Blade of Winter" ("凛冬之刃"), "Look forward, don't look back," brought tears to many eyes... According to statistics, 34 out of the 53 winning works of the Mao Dun Literature Prize (茅盾文学奖) have been adapted into film and television works, accounting for nearly 2/3. More and more serious literature is lining up to enter the "drama series sequence."

Has serious literature faded from the mainstream view? Obviously not. The "adaptation craze" of serious literature is a powerful proof. Its charm is mainly reflected in the "intersection."

The intersection of sensibility and rationality. "Blossoms Shanghai" ("繁花") uses a "dual-line parallel" approach to depict the ups and downs of the business and love fields, supplemented by retro and dreamy sentiments. In the harmony of narrative and picture, it ripples with the intermingling of the atmosphere and spiritual temperament of the times; "The Metamorphosis of Everything" ("生万物") interprets the "co-breathing" feelings of farmers and land in the rhythm of the narrative, leading people to realize the philosophy of simplicity and calmness in the face of change. People will not refuse to appreciate works that are emotionally full, informative, and logical. Abandoning superficial carving and letting form and interpretation merge, serious literature promotes the expansion of meaning and the sublimation of emotion with its sensible temperature and rational depth.

The intersection of imagination and reality. Art is like a mirror, reflecting reality and triggering resonance between the audience and the characters. "My Altay" ("我的阿勒泰") is like a pure and transparent window, reflecting the towering snow mountains and vast wilderness, bringing both spiritual baptism and comforting people that "there is indeed a land of the soul in the world." No matter how wild the imagination, it cannot do without a solid step on the soil of reality; no matter how magnificent the dream, it originates from the bed of life. Responding to the thoughts of the masses and giving sincere comfort, this is the ignition point of the "adaptation craze" and the fulcrum of the "literature craze."

The intersection of art and the market. The sustained popularity of serious literature adaptation is not accidental, but an inevitable choice for the film and television industry to seek diversified development. Although idol dramas and sweet pet dramas can soothe emotions with "sweetness," they can also become "tiresome" if they flood the market. Serious literature often has its own ideological uniqueness and practical relevance, with diverse themes and different aesthetics, which can become a unique identifier in film and television transformation, which not only promotes the development of the film and television industry, but also inspires the creation of other types of art. In the two-way empowerment of art and the market, serious literature enters the public's life in diverse forms such as film and television, live broadcasts, and cross-border linkage, allowing the masses to enjoy a cultural feast of higher quality.

The intersection of seriousness and entertainment. Some people believe that we are already in an era of pan-entertainment, and superficial and flash-like interpretations seem to have become a habit of thinking. Recent artistic practices have given different responses. "People in a hurry have no seasons," but some people condense the fragments of life in the traffic and fields into poetry; literary magazines such as "People's Literature" ("人民文学") enter the live broadcast room and take the initiative to "touch the Internet," keeping pace with the times; in the Pukou Railway Station (浦口火车站) block in Nanjing (南京), several orange-yellow oranges "sit" side by side with Zhu Ziqing's (朱自清) statue, and tourists' thoughts fly to decades ago... People's ability to appreciate serious works has not been obscured by flashing digital codes, but has been integrated into the pulse of digitalization, irrigating a clear and soft spiritual homeland.

The times are moving forward, and art is moving towards innovation. No matter how trends change or how artistic forms evolve, serious literature has a shining stage, and classic texts will not wither in new media. The transformation from literature to film and television, and the expansion from offline to online, have opened up more diverse communication paths for serious literature in the contemporary cultural context, allowing more readers and audiences to better understand the connotation and charm of serious literature in emotional resonance. When serious literature is no longer confined to the ivory tower, but transformed into perceptible light and shadow, tangible scenes, and stories that can be savored and understood, it will gain a broader stage.

The vitality of serious literature does not come from the temporary popularity of the waxing and waning moon, but from the call of the times to expand spiritual life. What is the driving force for forging ahead? It is the increasing accumulation of the audience's spiritual depth and the increasing cultural needs. For literary creators and artists, adhering to cultural self-confidence, rooting in the fertile soil of life, and striving to create more excellent works that praise the spirit of the times and express the voice of the people will surely contribute more to consolidating the cultural foundation for building a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation.

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This edition's editors: Liu Tianliang, Sheng Yulei, Cui Yan

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

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Forge Ahead With Unity and Solid Work With an Excellent Style (In-depth Study and Implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

By: 王云松 葛亮亮 曹 平

Good conduct is a distinct embodiment of our Party's powerful character and an important foundation for our Party to unite the people and promote the development of our cause. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "We must use good conduct to unite our hearts and minds, work hard and practically, and constantly create new prospects for the development of our cause." At the end of last year, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a democratic life meeting, emphasizing the need to unremittingly implement the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation, and to use good conduct to unite our hearts and minds and work hard and practically.

On January 12 this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection: "After the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee took the lead in formulating and implementing the Central Eight-Point Regulation, establishing iron rules and strong constraints, and promoting a new look in Party conduct and government administration."

The year 2026 is the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." The first year should have the momentum of the first year, and the beginning should be a time for striving. On the new journey of building a socialist modern country in an all-round way, we must deeply study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on good conduct, always adhere to and vigorously promote good conduct, unite our efforts to forge ahead with the transformation of conduct, promote high-quality development with practical work, and ensure a good start and a good start for the "15th Five-Year Plan," and continue to write a new chapter in the Chinese miracle.

General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on good conduct have distinct characteristics of the times, theoretical characteristics, and practical orientations.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Our Party has united and led the people to achieve great achievements in revolution, construction, and reform. An important aspect is that our Party has cultivated and adhered to a whole set of glorious traditions and good conduct in its long-term practice." From the "Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention" to the "Two Musts" and "Six Provisions," from "effectively improving our Party's conduct" to "we must carry forward the Party's good conduct"... Our Party has always regarded adhering to good conduct as a consistent political consciousness, using good conduct to invigorate the spirit, inspire fighting spirit, establish an image, and win the hearts of the people, providing a strong guarantee for the victory of revolution, construction, and reform.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has put forward a series of new ideas, new viewpoints, and new judgments around adhering to good conduct, profoundly answering the major questions of what is good conduct, why should we adhere to good conduct, and how to adhere to good conduct under the new situation, pointing out the direction and providing fundamental guidance for the vast number of Party members and cadres in the new era to adhere to good conduct.

Profoundly expounding the rich connotation of good conduct. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Good conduct is the style of integrating theory with practice, maintaining close ties with the masses, criticism and self-criticism, hard work, and seeking truth from facts that our Party has always adhered to," "We must extend from solving the 'four winds' problem and strive to improve ideological conduct, work conduct, leadership conduct, and the lifestyle of cadres, and strive to improve academic conduct, writing style, and meeting style," "Our Party has a glorious tradition and good conduct, that is, whatever the Party asks us to do, we will do it, and wherever the Party asks us to go, we will go," and so on. These important expositions profoundly reveal the core meaning and rich connotation of the Party's good conduct in the new era, and further expand and deepen the cognitive dimension and depth of adhering to the Party's good conduct in the new era.

Profoundly expounding the great significance and value of good conduct. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "As a Marxist ruling party, our Party must not only have a strong force of truth, but also a strong force of personality. The force of truth is concentrated in our Party's correct theory, and the force of personality is concentrated in our Party's good conduct," "The Party's conduct is the Party's image, which is related to the hearts of the people and the life and death of the Party," "No matter in the past, present, or future, the Party's glorious traditions and good conduct are a valuable spiritual wealth that inspires us to be fearless of difficulties and move forward bravely," "These glorious traditions and good conduct are a concentrated embodiment of our Party's nature and purpose, and a distinct symbol that distinguishes our Party from other political parties," and so on. These important expositions profoundly expound the great significance and valuable value of adhering to the Party's good conduct in the new era, and are a scientific answer to the major theoretical and practical question of why our Party should adhere to good conduct in the new era.

Profoundly expounding the key focus of adhering to good conduct. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Formalism and bureaucracy are incompatible with our Party's nature, purpose, and good conduct, and are the great enemies of our Party and the people," "We must use iron discipline to rectify all kinds of violations of discipline on the surface, and deal with as many as there are," "We must use clear institutional guidance to free cadres' hands and feet for doing things and starting businesses from the shackles and 'routines' of formalism and bureaucracy, and form a new atmosphere of seeking truth from facts, being honest and upright," and so on. These important expositions fully embody the working method of grasping the main contradictions and the main aspects of contradictions, and clarify the main grasp and key focus of strengthening the Party's conduct construction and adhering to good conduct in the new era.

Profoundly expounding the practical path of adhering to good conduct. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "To grasp the construction of conduct, we must return to simplicity and consolidate the foundation, focusing on strengthening ideals and beliefs, practicing the fundamental purpose, and strengthening moral cultivation," "We must carry forward the Party's good conduct, unswervingly implement the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation, and work hard on constancy, strictness, depth, and detail," "Comrades of the Central Political Bureau must take the lead in inheriting and carrying forward the Party's good conduct," "We must strengthen the study of the history of revolutionary base areas, summarize historical experience, and better carry forward the revolutionary spirit and good conduct," and so on. These important expositions deepen and expand the ideas and measures for adhering to good conduct, and provide direction guidance for continuously achieving new results in conduct construction.

Profoundly expounding the important methods of adhering to good conduct. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "To improve conduct, we must draw inferences about other cases from one instance, look at Party spirit through conduct, and solve the problem of Party spirit on the basis of solving the problem of conduct," "Make the process of improving conduct a process of implementing the Party's theory and line, principles and policies, and a process of promoting reform and opening up and socialist modernization," "We must be good at integrating conduct construction into the Party's ideological construction, organizational construction, anti-corruption and clean government construction, and institutional construction, so that conduct construction deepens simultaneously with the advancement of various tasks of Party construction," "To promote economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction, and ecological civilization construction, we must implement the specific requirements of conduct construction, and form a virtuous cycle of grasping conduct to promote work and grasping work to strengthen conduct," "The problem of conduct must be grasped for a long time, persistently, and unremittingly. We must further solve the problem from the level of systems and mechanisms, and form a long-term guarantee for conduct construction," and so on. These important expositions enrich and deepen the ideological methods and working methods for promoting the Party's self-revolution and maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity, and achieve a systematic breakthrough in the methodology of adhering to the Party's good conduct in the new era.

General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on good conduct have distinct characteristics of the times, and are major judgments made based on the development and changes of the world situation, national conditions, and Party conditions, and are scientific answers made to cope with the "four major tests," overcome the "four major dangers," and adapt to the new historical orientation of China's development; have profound theoretical connotations, and are the inheritance, enrichment, and development of our Party's theory of conduct construction, shining with the ideological brilliance of dialectical materialism and historical materialism; have scientific practical orientations, adhere to both symptoms and root causes, both establishing and abolishing, grasping both ideological guidance and behavioral norms; both planning the overall situation and proposing specific ideas, providing scientific thinking, innovative ideas, and important methods for adhering to the Party's good conduct in the new era.

The change of conduct in the new era, which clears away the turbid and promotes the clear, has greatly boosted the spirit of Party members and cadres to start businesses.

"The way to seek governance is to first rectify customs." Since the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has placed conduct construction in a prominent position in promoting comprehensive and strict Party governance from a strategic height concerning the Party's rise and fall, consolidating the Party's ruling position, and realizing the Party's ruling mission, starting with the formulation and implementation of the Central Eight-Point Regulation, focusing on the outstanding problems that the masses deeply hate and strongly reflect, severely curbing unhealthy trends, correcting stubborn diseases, sweeping away the accumulated malpractices of conduct, the determination, governance, and duration of which are unprecedented, and the Party's conduct, government administration, and social atmosphere have been renewed, and the Party's heart, military heart, and people's heart have been highly condensed.

Adhering to both establishing and abolishing, unhealthy trends have been effectively curbed. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Conduct construction is a process of both establishing and abolishing, supporting the right and eliminating evil." On December 4, 2012, less than a month after the closing of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee reviewed and approved the "Eight Provisions of the Political Bureau of the 18th Central Committee on Improving Work Style and Maintaining Close Ties with the Masses," which is the first important Party regulation formulated in the new era to solve the problem of "where to start" in governing the Party, opening the "first action" to reshape the Party's image and face in the new era, and becoming the "golden business card" of governing the Party in the new era. "Extravagance in mooncakes," "corruption on the tip of the tongue," and "waste on the table" have been effectively rectified, and bad habits such as ostentation and extravagance, as well as irrational and uncivilized consumption habits, have disappeared; excessive office space, public funds for eating and drinking, public funds for tourism, "naked officials," and "small treasuries" have been somewhat restrained; privilege issues such as "crony corruption" and "princeling corruption" have been seriously investigated and dealt with... Whether it is explicit problems or violations of regulations, whether it is material enjoyment and extravagance or spiritual passivity and slackness, our Party corrects one problem after another, adheres to one node after another, and does not give an inch. The Party's mass line education and practice activities, the "Three Stricts and Three Earnests" special education, the "Two Studies, One Doing" learning education, the "Don't Forget the Original Intention, Keep the Mission in Mind" theme education, the Party history learning education, the study and implementation of Xi Jinping's (习近平) thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era theme education, the Party discipline learning education, and the in-depth implementation of the Central Eight-Point Regulation spirit learning education, throughout the successive centralized learning education within the Party since the new era, an important requirement running through it is to improve conduct, educate and guide Party members and cadres to promote responsibility and action with good conduct. By strengthening conduct construction, some unhealthy trends that have not been curbed for a long time have been curbed, some stubborn diseases that have not been eliminated for many years have been corrected, the once existing lax discipline and floating conduct have been significantly changed, and some erroneous understandings such as "small things and small sections theory," "affecting development theory," and "industry special theory" that once existed among some Party members and cadres have also been corrected, and the transformation of conduct has gradually changed from external constraints to the ideological consciousness and value identity of Party members and cadres.

Adhering to the people first, the flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the people have been further strengthened. The people's position is the fundamental political position of a Marxist political party. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "The people's heart is the biggest politics," "The core of the problem of conduct is the relationship between the Party and the people." Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we have focused on the urgent and difficult problems of the masses, and shown our swords to the "four winds" problem with zero tolerance, deeply governed the corruption problems in the fields of education, medical care, social security, ecological environmental protection, etc., resolutely corrected the inaction of shirking responsibility and perfunctory in the implementation of people-benefiting policies, the slow action of discounting and making changes, and the outstanding problems of abusing power and deviating from reality, and concentrated on rectifying the unhealthy trends and corruption problems that occur around the masses and damage their vital interests. From further guaranteeing the rights and interests of new employment groups, to promoting aging-friendly transformation, to directly distributing "real money" to childcare families... No matter what work we promote, our Party always does practical things and good things with the good conduct of being for the people, pragmatic, honest, and clean, solving the masses' worries about "firewood, rice, oil, and salt," the needs of "clothing, food, housing, and transportation," and the demands of "bitter, sweet, and spicy," and constantly enhancing the masses' sense of gain, happiness, and security. The new achievements in conduct construction have enabled our Party to continuously win the trust and support of the people, the ties between the Party and the masses and cadres have become closer, and the Party's ruling foundation has become more consolidated.

Adhering to both symptoms and root causes, a new atmosphere of integrity fills the whole Party and the whole society. Our Party has deeply grasped the laws of conduct construction, focused on eradicating the soil for the breeding of unhealthy trends, promoted the normalization and long-term effectiveness of conduct construction, and strived to solve the problem of conduct governance of "turning better when grasped and rebounding when relaxed." Formulate and revise the norms of political life within the Party under the new situation, the norms of clean self-discipline, the regulations on disciplinary sanctions, the regulations on accountability, and other Party regulations; issue corresponding supporting system regulations around regulating the business activities of spouses, children, and their spouses of leading cadres, regulating official reception, office space, etc., tightening the cage of the system, and constantly compressing the space for conduct alienation and power abuse. Constantly strengthen supervision and discipline with zero tolerance, focusing on key nodes and "key minorities," discovering one case, investigating one case, and reporting one case to ensure that the system "grows teeth." Adhere to investigating and treating both wind and corruption at the same time. Both grasp early and small, prevent micro and gradual, use the "four forms" of supervision and discipline well, and cut off the evolution chain from wind to corruption; and deeply dig out the unhealthy trends behind corruption problems, alert Party members and cadres to build a conduct defense line, and investigate and severely punish the problems of wind and corruption intertwined, and eliminate the common roots of wind and corruption with the same treatment. The change of conduct has washed away the vulgar and decadent political culture such as the "unspoken rules" that were once prevalent, the political culture within the Party has been cleared, driving the social atmosphere and people's customs to be upward and good, and the effectiveness of changing customs and customs has been significant, and a new atmosphere of integrity has been continuously filled.

Adhering to serving the overall situation, we have gathered a mighty force for promoting Chinese-style modernization. Good Party conduct is an important source of the Party's creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness. To realize the grand goal of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, we must ultimately rely on Party organizations at all levels and Party members and cadres to unite and lead the people to implement the Party's scientific strategic deployment in a down-to-earth manner and turn it into a real scene. To adhere to good conduct, we must adhere to starting from reality and focusing on increasing effectiveness, promote Party members and cadres to optimize their way of thinking, innovate their working methods, and enhance their mental state, and use strong creativity, combat effectiveness, and leadership to gather people's hearts and inject surging power into high-quality economic and social development. For example, our Party has run conduct construction through the entire process of poverty alleviation, united from top to bottom, and made every effort to fight. The vast number of Party members and cadres have carried forward the Party's good conduct, worked hard and practically, overcome the most difficult and solved the most difficult, and won the largest poverty alleviation battle in human history, realizing the millennium dream of the Chinese nation of a well-off society. For another example, during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, we have adhered to the good conduct of advocating practical work and grasping implementation, adhering to the principle that "if we do not innovate, we will lag behind, and if we innovate slowly, we will also lag behind," and through "revealing the list and taking command," we have formed Party commando teams, aimed at key core technologies, and tackled the "bottleneck" problems. China's scientific and technological innovation has continued to achieve new breakthroughs, and the ability to drive development through innovation has continued to improve. Practice has fully proved that strengthening conduct construction and creating a political ecology of doing things and starting businesses with integrity can fully mobilize the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the vast number of cadres and the masses, and continuously create a new situation in the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation.

We must use good conduct to unite our efforts to forge ahead and promote practical responsibility, and ensure a good start and a good start for the "15th Five-Year Plan."

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "To basically realize modernization, we must rely on hard work, and to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, we must rely on hard work." Working hard and practically is the secret of our Party's success in traversing more than a hundred years of wind and rain and creating brilliant achievements, and it is also the only way to start a new journey of the "15th Five-Year Plan" and realize the dream of national rejuvenation. We must promote conduct construction with the tenacity and perseverance of "always on the road" and for a long time, promote the vast number of Party members and cadres to bravely shoulder the responsibility of reform and be good at planning innovative measures under the premise of strictly abiding by discipline and rules, promote practical responsibility with the transformation of conduct, and promote the beautiful blueprint of building a strong socialist modern country in an all-round way into reality step by step with solid and effective work.
General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Achieving basic modernization requires hard work, and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires hard work." Earnest and practical work is the successful code for our Party to traverse over a hundred years of trials and tribulations and create brilliant achievements. It is also the only way to embark on the new journey of the "15th Five-Year Plan" and realize the dream of national rejuvenation. We must, with the perseverance and dedication of being "always on the road," persistently promote the construction of work style, promote the vast number of party members and cadres to bravely shoulder the responsibility of reform and skillfully plan innovative measures under the premise of strictly abiding by discipline and rules, promote practical work with the transformation of work style, and promote the beautiful blueprint of building a strong socialist modern country in an all-round way into reality step by step with solid and effective work.

Strengthen theoretical arming and consolidate the ideological foundation for earnest and practical work. "We have created a glorious past through hard work, and we must also rely on hard work to create a better future." "Communists are materialists, and pragmatism is an essential quality. We must seek truth from facts, be pragmatic and realistic, and work hard." Since the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has repeatedly emphasized the fine style of earnest and practical work and pragmatic action, and made a series of important expositions, which have become an important part of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. "Practical work" has become one of the most distinctive symbols of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core in governing the country. To promote earnest and practical work with a good work style, the primary task is to deeply study and thoroughly understand Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, adhere to and apply the positions, viewpoints, and methods that run through it, deeply understand the principles, theories, and philosophies of earnest and practical work, grasp the Marxist view of practice of "changing the world" and "transforming pears," and enhance the ideological consciousness of earnest and practical work; deeply understand the historical mission and responsibility of earnest and practical work, and enhance the high sense of responsibility and initiative of earnest and practical work in the comprehensive grasp of the domestic and international situations; deeply understand the scientific methods of earnest and practical work, adhere to strategic thinking, historical thinking, dialectical thinking, systematic thinking, innovative thinking, rule-of-law thinking, and bottom-line thinking, and constantly enhance the ability and skills of earnest and practical work, and further transform the Party's innovative theories into a powerful ideological weapon for transforming the subjective world and the objective world.

Highlight problem orientation and temper a pragmatic and realistic work style. Marx pointed out: "Problems are the slogans of the times, and the most practical call for it to express its spiritual state." Whether problems can be solved and what problems have been solved are important criteria for testing the quality of work style construction. Earnest and practical work is by no means blind and reckless, but rather to take problems as the target and effectiveness as the guidance, and temper a pragmatic and realistic work style in directly facing and solving problems. We must adhere to adapting to local conditions and seeking truth from facts, keep our feet on the ground, practice the basic skills of investigation and research, go deep into the grassroots and among the masses, find out the truth, put forward accurate countermeasures, and find the right methods, and use the spirit of nailing nails to do one thing after another and one year after another, and achieve results in solving deep-seated contradictions and problems. Uphold the original aspiration of serving the people, always regard the "key small matters" of the masses as "top priorities," not only introduce more livelihood measures that the people can feel and reach, respond well to the urgent needs and expectations of the masses in employment, education, social security, housing, medical care, elderly care, and childcare, but also base ourselves on the long term, do more good and practical things that lay the foundation, increase momentum, and benefit the long term, so that the "small family" is full of warmth and the "big family" is thriving.

Adhere to leading by example and form a "head goose effect" of one level leading another. "If people do not lead, they will not follow; if they do not act first, they will not be trusted." An important experience of our Party in promoting work style construction in the new era is to adhere to top-down and lead by example. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "It is not as effective to ask people from above and push people from behind as it is to lead people from the front." To promote earnest and practical work with a good work style, we must highlight the "key minority" of leading cadres, use the "head goose effect" to drive the "flock of geese to fly together," and form a vivid situation in which one level does it for another and one level leads another. Leading cadres must not only be good "commanders" but also good "fighters." Consciously shoulder the responsibility of demonstration and leadership, take the lead in doing, taking the lead in working, and taking the lead in grasping, and lead everyone to set the plate, clarify the path, and open the right prescription, so as to accurately plan the direction of development and grasp the work measures. Adhere to personally deploying important tasks, personally checking key links, and personally supervising the implementation, and resolutely abandon the floating style of being high above and detached from reality. Especially when risks, challenges, and emergencies come, resolutely stand up and stand up to them, and lead the vast number of cadres and the masses to overcome difficulties and work hard with the real effort of grasping, the daring of grasping, the skill of grasping, and the perseverance of grasping, so that all work can take root, blossom, and bear fruit.

Strengthen institutional guarantees and prevent mutation and break stubborn diseases with a normalized mechanism. Work style construction has only a starting point and no end point; it is not only a tough battle but also a protracted war. Only by working hard on the words "constant" and "long-term" and building a normalized and long-term mechanism can we prevent the rebound of work style problems and ensure that a good work style maintains its vitality. We must always adhere to the central eight-point regulation as an iron rule and a hard constraint, systematically and deeply summarize and apply the successful experience of work style construction since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, transform practical results into effective institutional mechanisms, so that work style construction has rules to follow and rules to rely on. Promote the deep integration of work style construction with economic construction, political construction, cultural construction, social construction, and ecological civilization construction in various fields and aspects, and form a virtuous circle of grasping work style to promote work and grasping work to strengthen work style. Weave a tight institutional protection network, accurately judge the new trends and new manifestations of work style problems that are invisible and mutated, dig out universal laws from individual problems, draw innovative experience from grassroots practice, and constantly improve the institutional system. Persist in the strict tone, strict measures, and strict atmosphere for a long time, strengthen the implementation of the system, so that "doing real work is different from doing fake work, doing more work is different from doing less work, and doing good work is different from doing bad work" becomes a clear orientation, support and encourage cadres who dare to take responsibility and are good at doing things, and hold accountable cadres who do nothing or act recklessly, and truly establish the orientation of seeking truth from facts and strictly enforce the rules of earnest and practical work.

The glory of history comes from hard work, and the glory of the future depends on perseverance. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, our feet must be on a road full of hope and vigor, but also a journey of climbing slopes, crossing hurdles, and overcoming difficulties. We must deeply study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on good work style, and continue to promote the Party's work style construction with the tenacity of "**咬定青山不放松**" (yǎo dìng qīng shān bù fàng sōng - "bite the green hills and not relax," remain steadfast in one's goals), so as to promote the vast number of party members and cadres to be good at being firm actionists and pragmatists with the spirit of "daring," the energy of "innovation," and the style of "doing," and use a good work style to gather the surging spiritual strength and practical power hidden in the people, anchor the goals of struggle, forge ahead, and write a more magnificent chapter of Chinese-style modernization.

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High-Quality Construction of National Ecological Civilization Pilot Zone

By: 唐 韬

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Continue to focus on addressing prominent environmental problems and build national ecological civilization pilot zones with high quality." Building national ecological civilization pilot zones is a major strategic deployment made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core. The "Suggestions of the CPC Central Committee on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development," adopted by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, proposed: "Continue to build national ecological civilization pilot zones, build pioneer zones for a beautiful China, and create highlands for green development." Building national ecological civilization pilot zones carries the important mission of adhering to and expanding the path of modernization featuring harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. It serves as a "reform experimental field" for resolving deep-seated contradictions in ecological civilization construction and a "pioneer demonstration window" for building a beautiful China, holding significant theoretical value and practical significance for achieving high-quality development.

Green development is a distinct feature of Chinese-style modernization, and building national ecological civilization pilot zones is an important manifestation of practicing the concept of green development. Adhering to green development requires breaking free from the constraints of traditional development concepts, completely changing the extensive development model characterized by high consumption, high emissions, and high pollution, and consciously restricting economic activities and human behavior within the limits that natural resources and the ecological environment can bear, thus achieving a fundamental transformation of the development concept. Building national ecological civilization pilot zones, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's (习近平) ecological civilization thought, combines the theory and practice of ecological civilization construction, focuses on carrying out comprehensive pilot projects for ecological civilization system reform, and takes promoting the modernization of the ecological environment governance system and governance capacity as the traction. It strives to eliminate institutional and mechanism barriers and deeply integrates the concept of green development into the entire process and all aspects of economic and social development, injecting lasting ecological momentum into high-quality development. The practical exploration of building national ecological civilization pilot zones concerns the overall development situation and is a complex systematic project. It is necessary to adhere to a systematic perspective, problem orientation, and innovation-driven approach, continuously deepen the understanding of the laws of ecological civilization construction in practice, and build national ecological civilization pilot zones with high quality.

Taking institutional innovation as the starting point, we must coordinate protection and development. Correctly handling the relationship between ecological protection and economic development is a realistic issue that must be faced in the process of Chinese-style modernization. Erroneous concepts such as "pollute first, treat later" and "emphasize development and neglect protection" formed under the traditional development model have led to increasingly prominent contradictions between ecological protection and economic development. The national ecological civilization pilot zone is a national-level comprehensive pilot platform for ecological civilization system reform. In its practical exploration, it always takes institutional innovation as the starting point. Through a series of reform measures, such as constructing a target evaluation system for ecological civilization construction, improving a systematic and complete performance evaluation, assessment, and accountability system for ecological civilization, and improving the natural resource property rights system, it strives to eliminate the path dependence on the traditional development model and promote the formation of a virtuous cycle of "high-level protection—high-quality development—benefit for the whole society," finding the convergence point between ecological protection and economic development. For example, Fujian (福建), as the first national ecological civilization pilot zone, canceled the GDP assessment rankings of 34 key ecological function zone counties (cities) in the province and focused the assessment on ecological protection and increasing the income of urban and rural residents. This type of institutional innovation promotes changes in the development model and powerfully proves that ecological protection and economic development are not mutually exclusive but can promote each other and complement each other. To build national ecological civilization pilot zones with high quality, it is necessary to further explore and construct an ecological civilization system with clear guidance, scientific decision-making, effective execution, and effective incentives, and create more replicable and scalable institutional achievements through pilot projects.

Taking green technology as support, we must promote green transformation. High-quality development is a development in which green development becomes a universal form, which is conducive to realizing the organic unity of development quality, development benefits, and ecological sustainability. Green and low-carbon development are the inherent requirements of high-quality development. To build national ecological civilization pilot zones with high quality, it is necessary to accelerate the cultivation of new drivers for green development, promote changes in production methods and consumption patterns, and better transform ecological advantages into development advantages. To build national ecological civilization pilot zones with high quality, we must vigorously develop green productivity, accelerate green technological innovation and the promotion and application of advanced green technologies, improve resource utilization efficiency, reduce the resource and environmental costs of development, and promote the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. For example, Guizhou (贵州) continues to promote the construction of national ecological civilization pilot zones, relying on national science and technology plans to support eligible ecological civilization technological innovations, promote breakthroughs in key common core technologies in key areas and demonstration of application of achievements, and promote the establishment of a technological support system for the integration of green technological innovation, production, education, and research, and the industrialization of technological innovation achievements, giving ecological civilization construction the "wings" of green technology. Focusing on key areas such as ecological environment protection, energy and resource conservation and intensive utilization, and the promotion of green and low-carbon lifestyles, we will continue to increase investment in green technology research and development, better leverage the role of information technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence in ecological environment governance, support breakthroughs in key core technologies and the transformation of achievements, and make green technology a powerful support for green transformation.

Taking people's well-being as the pursuit, we must demonstrate ecological benefits for the people. Adhering to a people-centered approach is the fundamental position for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. A good ecological environment is the most inclusive benefit for the people. To build national ecological civilization pilot zones with high quality, we must always adhere to the people-centered development thought, take green transformation as the direction, take improving people's livelihoods as the goal, focus on solving prominent environmental problems of concern to the people, continue to deepen the fight against pollution and the optimization of ecosystems, build livable and workable production and living environments, and allow the people to gain a tangible sense of well-being from the improvement of the ecological environment. For example, Hainan (海南) is striving to build a national ecological civilization pilot zone. By formulating and implementing a pilot program for the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park system, establishing a unified management agency for the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, and implementing human settlement environment improvement projects in national park communities and villages within the park, it has not only improved the effectiveness of ecological environment governance but also better activated the ecological value of the tropical rainforest and increased people's well-being. This type of reform measure allows the people to obtain tangible ecological dividends from seeing greenery when they open their windows and living and resting in peace, vividly interpreting the adherence to the people-centered development thought. To ensure the steady and long-term development of national ecological civilization pilot zones with high quality, we must base ourselves on regional resource endowments and development realities, coordinate the systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, and grasslands, and deeply fight the battles to defend blue skies, clear waters, and pure land, continuously improve the quality of the ecological environment, enrich the supply of ecological products, and allow the achievements of ecological civilization construction to benefit all the people more and more equitably.

(The author is a researcher at the Xi Jinping (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Institute of Peking University (北京大学).)

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How Improved Service Consumption Can Spark Vitality (China's Consumption Moves Towards the New: Expanding the Supply of High-Quality Services)

To revitalize vacant venues and increase sports consumption locations; to improve approval efficiency and expand the supply of cultural performance markets; to open urban parks and encourage new business formats such as RV camping... Around sports, cultural entertainment, tourism and other fields, various regions are constantly innovating ways to promote the growth of service consumption. Recently, reporters walked into many places to record new explorations to stimulate the vitality of improved service consumption.
--Editor

Fujian Fuzhou (福建福州) Increases Sports Consumption Space
Idle Land Skillfully Revitalized, New Basketball Hall Established in Residential Area
By Our Reporter Shi Yu (施钰)
"Good shot!" Squatting, jumping, and shooting into the basket, accompanied by the sound of the basketball landing, another 2 points were scored. In the Dingzhi Wanboye Stadium (鼎制万泊烨球馆) in Guxi Street (鼓西街道), Gulou District (鼓楼区), Fuzhou (福州), Fujian (福建), 21-year-old college student Qiu Xinghao (邱星皓) is playing basketball with his friends.
"It's only a few hundred meters walk from home, I didn't expect it to be so convenient to play basketball in the old residential area!" Previously, the nearest basketball court to Qiu Xinghao's (邱星皓) home was a 20-minute electric bike ride away. "That was still an outdoor court, and you couldn't play when it rained." Since learning that a new stadium had opened near his community, he has become a regular. "30 yuan per person each time, no time limit, it's a good deal!" During the holidays, Qiu Xinghao (邱星皓) comes to the stadium 4 times a week.
"This was originally a government commercial land reserve plot that was not transferred. When we found it, it had been idle for more than a year, and the ground was overgrown with weeds." Lan Dexing (兰德兴), the operations director of Fuzhou Vanlead Exhibition Development Co., Ltd. (福州万象会发展有限公司), which is responsible for the construction of the Dingzhi Wanboye Stadium (鼎制万泊烨球馆), introduced that after learning about the ownership of the land, the company leased the idle land and built a steel-structured mobile indoor stadium.
At the beginning of the stadium's design, in addition to considering the subsequent transfer of the land and using a mobile steel structure, it also fully investigated the needs of the surrounding residents. Lan Dexing (兰德兴) introduced that the stadium covers an area of about 3,000 square meters, has 2 standard basketball courts, 1 half basketball court, and is equipped with 114 three-dimensional parking spaces. In addition to venue consumption, the stadium also offers youth sports training courses and undertakes competitions for surrounding community enterprises, receiving an average of about 200 people per day, and the annual passenger flow can reach 60,000 people.
"In order to rationally develop sports consumption space, Fuzhou (福州) actively revitalizes vacant venues and facilities, and guides social forces to use idle land, old factories, warehouses, old commercial facilities, etc. for construction and renovation in accordance with laws and regulations to increase sports consumption locations," introduced Lin Ying (林英), director of the Career Department of the Fuzhou (福州) Sports Bureau (福州市体育局).
In addition to creating small and medium-sized sports venues for the convenience of the people, Fuzhou (福州), in view of the characteristics of strong consumption capacity and strong comprehensive consumption demand of urban residents, also actively promotes the construction of urban sports complexes integrating sports and leisure, sports goods sales, catering, and shopping in the main urban area. Basketball, badminton, football, table tennis, taekwondo, swimming... With policy support, Fujian Tianxiang Sports Development Co., Ltd. (福建天翔体育发展有限公司) transformed an old factory in Cangshan District (仓山区) that produced sports shoes into a sports and cultural innovation park. "In the cultural and creative park, citizens can realize the integrated consumption of sports project experience, leisure, and catering," introduced Chairman Zheng Jianqiang (郑剑强).
"Introducing social capital to build sports service complexes is conducive to creating a business district that integrates sports with culture, commerce, tourism and other formats, and further promotes the growth of sports and fitness consumption," introduced Lin Ying (林英). Fuzhou (福州) actively supports the creation of large-scale sports consumption complexes such as Jinshan Tianxiang Yuedong City (金山天翔悦动城) and Minjiang North CBD Blue Valley Sports Center (闽江北CBD蓝谷体育中心) through innovative models such as the socialization of sports land transfers.

Hubei Wuhan (湖北武汉) Improves Approval Efficiency
Concerts Gather Popularity, Ticket Stubs String Together Consumption Chain
By Our Reporter Fan Haotian (范昊天)
"In the future, even if there are thousands of songs, they will float on my way; in the future, even if there are thousands of evening stars, they will be brighter than tonight's moon"... On the evening of January 10, at the Optics Valley International Tennis Center (光谷国际网球中心) in Wuhan (武汉), Hubei Province (湖北省), singer Priscilla Chan's (陈慧娴) concert was being held. Accompanied by the familiar classic melody, nearly 10,000 spectators waved glow sticks and sang in unison.
"From the stage design to the interaction, every detail is full of ingenuity. In some locations in the stands that are easily blocked, inflatable cushions are also thoughtfully placed on the chairs." Li Yi (李易), an audience member who came all the way from Guangzhou (广州), Guangdong (广东), said, "The 'four-sided stage' design makes the viewing and listening experience great."
In recent years, Wuhan's (武汉) performance market has continued to be hot, with large-scale concerts taking turns, attracting fans from all over the world. Concerts that frequently appear on "hot searches" have driven the consumption chain of tourism, accommodation, and transportation.
"Wuhan (武汉) is a thoroughfare to nine provinces, accessible in all directions, and gathers many college students, full of vitality." Hu Xin (胡昕), general manager of Wuhan Huayao Guangfeng Culture Development Co., Ltd. (武汉华耀广丰文化发展有限公司), said that as long as the venue schedule is met, large-scale concerts cannot avoid Wuhan (武汉).
According to estimates, during the period of concerts held in Wuhan (武汉), the length of stay of foreign tourists can reach 36-48 hours, increasing the tourism popularity of East Lake (东湖), Hubei Provincial Museum (湖北省博物馆), Huangpi Mulan Flower Township (黄陂木兰花乡) and other places.
Taking advantage of the opportunity to watch the concert, Li Yi (李易) and her friends played in Wuhan (武汉) for three consecutive days on the weekend. She specially took the suspended monorail line located in East Lake High-tech Zone (东湖高新区) - Optics Valley Sky Train (光谷空轨), climbed the Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼), and took a Yangtze River cruise. To her surprise, she enjoyed an 88% discount on the purchase of Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼) tickets and a 60% discount on the purchase of "Captain No. 9" tickets with her concert ticket stub. "Many fans from other places are asking for local travel guides in WeChat groups, wanting to deeply experience Wuhan's (武汉) customs, cuisine and scenery," said Li Yi (李易).
The landing of wonderful performances is inseparable from efficient approval. "We innovatively provide consultation and preliminary review services for large-scale commercial performance approvals, set up a green approval channel, and include activities that meet safety conditions and have good market effects and the organizers decide to temporarily increase the number of performances into the fast approval channel to achieve immediate acceptance and handling. At the same time, we have established a key performance project declaration service mechanism to provide full support for popular domestic and foreign performance projects and premiere dramas, such as policy interpretation and fast-track approval," introduced the relevant负责人 of the Administrative Approval Department of the Wuhan (武汉) Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism (武汉市文化和旅游局). Last year, Wuhan (武汉) approved more than 40,000 commercial performances, including more than 30,000 domestic commercial performances, an increase of 18.92% and 18.45% respectively year-on-year.
Since last year, Wuhan (武汉) has released policies such as a three-year action plan to promote the high-quality development of the performing arts economy. The performance market is prosperous and orderly, and a virtuous ecology of "concerts attracting traffic, new formats expanding scenarios, and the entire chain promoting consumption" has been initially constructed.

Chongqing (重庆) Opens Urban Parks
Go Camping in an RV and Enjoy Relaxation in the Mountains and Rivers
By Our Reporter Wang Xinyue (王欣悦)
"Instead of being stuck on the highway, it's better to live in the scenery." On the weekend, Ms. Chen (陈女士), a citizen of Chongqing (重庆), and her husband decided to unlock a new way of traveling - RV self-driving. The post-90s couple took their children and drove for 40 minutes from Liangjiang New Area (两江新区) to start a two-day RV experience. In the evening, Ms. Chen's (陈女士) party successfully arrived at Xiuhu RV Camping Park (秀湖汽车露营公园).
"We chose here, first because of the convenient transportation, it only takes 40 minutes from the city, which greatly reduces the fatigue of traveling with children; second, the environment is beautiful, the camp is in the national wetland park; the most important thing is that the facilities are complete, easy and convenient." Ms. Chen (陈女士) listed the advantages of the camp.
As Chongqing's (重庆) first five-star RV self-driving sports camp, Xiuhu RV Camping Park (秀湖汽车露营公园) covers an area of more than 200 acres and has more than 800 parking spaces, 33 RV campsites and 80 tent campsites. Shuai Wenjing (帅文静), the person in charge of the camp's operation, introduced: "There are 18 courtyards equipped with RVs in the park, which are in short supply on weekends."
In the camp, tourists of different ages enjoy themselves. A couple in their 70s set up a sauerkraut hot pot, and the aroma attracted many car friends. Not far away, Ms. Zhang (张女士), a post-90s, and her friends set up camping chairs, played movies with a projector, and placed take-out food that had just been delivered on the folding table. "The camp is in the city, and it is very convenient to order take-out, which is especially suitable for 'lazy people' like me who just want to lie down on weekends," said Ms. Zhang (张女士).
The popularity of RV travel is inseparable from the progress of RV manufacturing and the improvement of camp services.
At the Jinguan Automobile RV Manufacturing Base (金冠汽车房车制造基地), a 10-minute drive from Xiuhu Camp (秀湖营地), staff member Xie Xin (谢欣) was demonstrating the latest RV manufacturing technology, "This car is equipped with a 10-degree lithium iron phosphate battery, which can meet the basic living electricity needs of 3-4 people for about 2 days." Xie Xin (谢欣) pointed to a double-expansion RV in front of him and said. The water problem has also been significantly improved. Xie Xin (谢欣) opened the clean water tank of an RV and introduced: "The 200-liter water tank capacity can meet the water needs of a family of three for a week." The internal facilities of the RV have also been fully upgraded - cooking table, sofa seats, networked LCD TV, luggage compartment, pull-out diesel stove, starry sky top...
Camp services are also being upgraded in the direction of "diversification and in-depth experience". In addition to improving the homestay training system and adding parent-child interactive facilities, Xiuhu RV Camping Park (秀湖汽车露营公园) is actively introducing natural research courses and cooperating with local educational institutions to carry out theme activities such as plant observation, starry sky lectures, and outdoor survival skills.
The "2025 Chongqing (重庆) Urban Park Green Space Open Sharing Map" shows that the city has sorted out 235 urban parks and 356 open sharing points to provide space for increasing park supply and boosting consumption vitality.

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Embracing the Power of "Pleasing Self," Expanding New Horizons (Editor's Notes)

By: 吴 歌

Rushing to the theater for a "romantic rendezvous," feeling the charm of ice and snow while galloping on the ski slopes, and traveling through beautiful landscapes on a special train for seniors... the space for improved service consumption continues to expand. Data shows that in the first three quarters of 2025, domestic residents' travel spending was 4.85 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 11.5%; residents' per capita expenditure on education, culture, and entertainment was 2,531 yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.3%.

What is improved service consumption? It refers to consumption by residents to improve their quality of life and enrich their spiritual and cultural lives after meeting their basic needs, covering fields such as culture and entertainment, tourism, sports, education and training, and residential services. Nowadays, emotional consumption and "value for emotion" have become "must-haves" rather than "options" for many consumers. Using consumption to "add a little sweetness" to oneself contains the vigorous vitality of continuous expansion and quality improvement of the consumption space.

Turning a wasteland into a sports venue, allowing a concert to meet fans faster and better, and allowing a motorhome camping park to develop in a diversified manner are all responses to the booming demand for improved service consumption from the masses. Embracing the power of "pleasing oneself" and wholeheartedly creating more products and services that can touch emotions and enrich experiences will surely exert a multiplier effect and inject surging vitality into the consumer market.

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Why Expectation Management Matters (Economic Commentary)

By: 韩春瑶

From individual consumption choices to corporate investment layouts, and then to macroeconomic governance, expectations profoundly affect the trajectory of economic and social operations.

The Central Economic Work Conference proposed improving the expectation management mechanism and boosting social confidence. In recent years, the central government has repeatedly emphasized "expectation management." Many people will ask: "Why do we value expectation management?"

In economics, expectation refers to the estimation and judgment made by economic actors on the future economic situation and its changes before engaging in economic activities. Stabilizing expectations and strengthening confidence are important aspects of doing economic work well under the new situation and achieving high-quality development.

In real-world practice, from individual consumption choices to corporate investment layouts, and then to macroeconomic governance, expectations profoundly affect the trajectory of economic and social operations.

For individuals, expectation management is a "compass" that influences consumption choices.

When people are optimistic about future income growth, their willingness to consume naturally increases; when they are confident about employment prospects, their life plans become more long-term. If expectations weaken, even if income does not change temporarily, people will tighten their purse strings and reduce daily consumption, which will directly inhibit market demand. A stable policy environment and a clear market prospect also give individuals the confidence to plan for the future. Positive expectation management can help people form rational judgments, enhance personal development and consumption confidence, and thus consolidate the foundation of domestic demand as a "stable anchor" for driving economic growth.

For enterprises, expectation management is a "navigation device" that determines investment layout.

The market economy is largely an expectation economy, and the long-term development of enterprises cannot be separated from entrepreneurs grasping expectations and finding the right direction. When policy signals are clear and consistent, enterprises dare to expand production and increase R&D investment; when the direction of reform is clear and firm, enterprises are willing to make long-term investment layouts. If policies are wavering and enterprises are unclear about the industry's prospects, they may tend to short-sighted operations or even fall into disorderly competition. The promulgation and implementation of the Law on Promoting the Development of the Private Economy last year once again gave private enterprises a "reassurance pill," which is conducive to private enterprise leaders focusing more on enterprise operation and development, which is an important manifestation of the rule of law business environment boosting enterprise expectations.

For the country, expectation management is a good handle for macroeconomic governance.

At present, there are still many old problems and new challenges in China's economic development, and the impact of external environmental changes has deepened. The superposition of various factors inevitably causes disturbances to social expectations. "Confidence is more important than gold." Under such a background, it is particularly necessary to support social confidence with expectation management. Improving the release and interpretation mechanism to fully explain the policies issued; responding to the concerns of the masses and timely understanding the expectations of micro-subjects; listening to the voices of the market and creating a first-class market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment... Strengthening the concept of system, playing a "combination punch," and making various measures work in the same direction and form a joint force will continuously consolidate the positive expectations of high-quality development.

With stable expectations and sufficient confidence; with sufficient confidence, the economy is active. Without fear of interference and difficulties, and concentrating on doing our own things well, unlimited economic potential will be transformed into surging development momentum.
Central Economic Work Conference (中央经济工作会议)
Law on Promoting the Development of the Private Economy (民营经济促进法)
**组合拳** (zǔ hé quán - "combination punch," a series of coordinated actions or policies)

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Industrial Internet Platform Application Penetration Rate to Exceed 55% by 2028

According to a report from our newspaper in Beijing on January 13th (Reporter Liu Wenxin (刘温馨)), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) recently issued the "Action Plan for Promoting High-Quality Development of Industrial Internet Platforms (2026-2028)," proposing that by 2028, there will be more than 450 platforms with a certain degree of influence, the number of connected industrial equipment will exceed 120 million units (sets), the platform application penetration rate will reach more than 55%, and a new generation of industrial Internet platform ecosystem with ubiquitous interconnection, digital-intelligent integration, deep collaboration, and open source will be basically built.

In recent years, with the collaborative advancement of government, industry, academia, research, and application, China's industrial Internet platform construction and promotion have achieved positive results. The platform system has continued to grow, innovation capabilities have been continuously enhanced, and the application ecosystem has been accelerated. There are more than 340 platforms with a certain degree of influence, and the number of connected devices on key platforms exceeds 100 million units (sets).

The action plan has deployed four major actions: platform cultivation and optimization, gathering "data" to enhance "intelligence," scaled application, and ecological support, to continuously expand the multi-level industrial Internet platform system, improve the level of platform industrial intelligent applications, expand the breadth and depth of platform applications, and shape a good ecosystem for platform development.

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Growing Watermelons in Greenhouses

January 11, Xinhua Street (新华街道), Yingdong District (颍东区), Fuyang City (阜阳市), Anhui Province (安徽省), villagers build greenhouses to prepare for planting watermelons. Local farmers seize the sunny weather and actively carry out agricultural activities such as wheat field management, vegetable harvesting, and greenhouse seedling planting. The fields are a busy scene.

Su Fei (宿飞) Photo (Image China (影像中国))

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160 National Standard Reference Materials Released

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 13th (Reporter Lin Lili (林丽鹂)) The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) (市场监管总局) (National Standardization Administration (国家标准委)) recently released 160 national standard samples, covering industries, agriculture, and service industries. Focusing on the urgent needs of national strategies and industrial development, these samples play an important technical leading role in improving product quality, promoting scientific and technological progress, ensuring people's livelihood and safety, and promoting green development. The standard samples released this time present four major highlights:

Consolidating the industrial foundation, focusing on basic and key strategic materials in the national economy such as steel, non-ferrous metals, and building materials, the newly added standard samples for component analysis will greatly improve the independent research and development, precise smelting, and quality control level of related materials, injecting new momentum into enhancing the core competitiveness of China's manufacturing industry.

Empowering Beautiful China, relying on standard samples of key pollutants such as persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds in the field of ecological environment, it provides long-term and reliable technical support for the continuous and accurate monitoring and management of the atmosphere, water, and soil environment, providing "standard answers" for scientific pollution control and precise pollution control, and helping to thoroughly fight the battle against pollution prevention and control.

Forward-looking layout of biotechnology, the newly added qualitative standard samples of Vibrio and viruses will effectively improve detection efficiency, provide key basis for biotechnology research and development, disease prevention and control, and actively serve the construction of national biosafety and global public health system.

Promoting the improvement of quality and efficiency in agriculture, the sensory grading and physical characteristic standard samples released for important agricultural products such as tea and cotton provide physical basis for establishing a unified and standardized agricultural product quality evaluation system, which helps to promote the standardized development of agriculture, enhance the recognition and competitiveness of agricultural products in domestic and foreign markets, and further consolidate the foundation for high-quality agricultural development.

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Large Models Make Blast Furnaces "Smarter"

By: 本报记者 谷业凯

As a core process of steel production, blast furnaces account for about 70% of the total production cost, and their long-term stable operation is directly related to the company's profitability. Fluctuations in the composition of raw materials entering the furnace, the distribution of airflow inside the furnace, and slight changes in temperature can all trigger chain reactions. For every 10 degrees Celsius reduction in temperature fluctuation inside the furnace, the consumption of coke can be reduced by 1 kilogram per ton of molten iron, and the cost can be reduced by 3 yuan.

"Previously, we often faced problems such as not being able to see the state inside the furnace clearly, not being able to keep up with operational feedback, not being able to control chain reactions, and not being able to pass on experience," said Wang Shibin (王士彬), chief engineer of big data applications at Baosteel Co., Ltd. (宝钢股份) Ironmaking Plant.

Faced with these difficulties, Baosteel Co., Ltd. (宝钢股份) cooperated with Huawei (华为), following the approach of "digital-real integration, answering the same question together," selecting application scenarios and outputting industry knowledge based on its own business needs, and using cutting-edge technologies in the fields of AI, big data, and cloud computing to build solutions.

Since 2024, Baosteel Co., Ltd. (宝钢股份) has introduced AI technology to build large models, gradually solving the problem of accurately predicting furnace temperature, and providing a Baosteel (宝钢) solution of "transforming experience into data, transforming ambiguity into precision" for the intelligent transformation of the steel industry.

The "key leap" in the tackling process is the construction of a blast furnace AI large model. "This is like installing a 'brain' for the blast furnace, transforming expert experience into data code, and then transforming the invisible reactions inside the furnace into predictable parameters, ultimately achieving accurate furnace temperature prediction and automatic regulation," Wang Shibin (王士彬) introduced.

The tackling team, based on the Huawei Pangu (华为盘古) large model, first absorbed general knowledge to build a solid foundation, and then customized it for the characteristics of blast furnace ironmaking. "AI has not only learned from Baosteel's (宝钢) massive operational data, but also learned from the physical and chemical general laws of other industrial fields, drawing on the strengths of many," said Shi Mao (石矛), president of Huawei's (华为) Steel and Nonferrous Metals Corps.

After tackling the problem, Baosteel Co., Ltd.'s (宝钢股份) blast furnace AI large model achieved a prediction accuracy of 90% for key indicators such as furnace temperature, realizing high-precision and high-timeliness perception of the internal state. Currently, the blast furnace large model has been running stably for more than 10 months. After applying the model to a single blast furnace, fuel consumption is reduced, molten iron quality is stabilized, and furnace condition abnormalities are reduced. It is estimated that it can create more than 10 million yuan in benefits annually.

Baosteel Co., Ltd. (宝钢股份) has dozens of blast furnaces, each with different furnace structures and process configurations. In order to effectively shorten the model development cycle, Baosteel Co., Ltd. (宝钢股份), relying on Huawei Cloud (华为云), innovatively adopted the "pre-training base + downstream task fine-tuning" model, that is, fine-tuning the basic model for the individual characteristics of different blast furnaces, greatly shortening the product launch cycle.

"Through 'incremental training - prediction reasoning - closed-loop control,' we have also created a closed-loop system for continuous learning and self-optimization, where newly generated data is constantly fed back to the model for retraining and re-iteration, realizing learning while using," said Wang Shibin (王士彬).

Not only blast furnaces, but Baosteel Co., Ltd.'s (宝钢股份) parent company, China Baowu Group (中国宝武集团), is planning to build a steel large model capability map, extending AI capabilities such as prediction large models, visual large models, and scientific computing large models to processes such as raw materials, ironmaking, steelmaking, rolling, and new material research and development in steel production, covering hundreds of application scenarios such as root cause analysis of continuous casting quality, prediction of hot-rolled plate shape, and surface quality inspection of steel.

Today, intelligent scenarios are being implemented in various production links of Baosteel Co., Ltd. (宝钢股份): the accuracy of the hot-rolled product surface defect recognition model has increased to 96% within half a year, and it has been quickly replicated to multi-base production lines; the hot-rolled natural expansion prediction model has completed online deployment and participates in real-time production control; the cold-rolled "AI master operator" is online, significantly improving the stability of unit production...

By 2025, Baosteel Co., Ltd. (宝钢股份) has launched nearly 300 AI application scenarios, created 5 AI benchmark production lines, and is constantly deepening the combination of metallurgical mechanisms, expert experience, and large model technology to form an effective practice for the construction of intelligent steel applications.

In recent years, digital intelligence empowerment has become the key for Baosteel Co., Ltd. (宝钢股份) to navigate cycles and grow against the trend. This deep collision between traditional manufacturing and artificial intelligence provides a new path for cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the steel industry.

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This edition's editors: Wu Yan, Lin Ziye, Han Wenrong

Layout Design: Wang Zhepeng (汪哲平)

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What Does the "Future Tense" of Higher Education Look Like?

By: 本报记者 黄 超

Core Reading

In 2025, the Ministry of Education (教育部) and eight other departments clearly stated in the "Opinions on Accelerating the Promotion of Digitalization of Education" that they would explore the construction of cloud schools, intelligent manufacturing spaces, and future learning centers. Today, future learning centers are rapidly being established in some universities, accompanied by the reshaping of learning spaces and teaching methods. Teachers and students collaborate and interact with intelligent entities, integrating resources for school-wide sharing. Amidst diverse exploration paths, some problems still need to be faced and resolved. Future education also needs to pay attention to human care in the evolution of technology, using future learning centers to serve human growth.

Have you ever imagined that one day a classroom would look like this: walking into the classroom, there are no traditional blackboards or podiums; what comes into view are surround-style smart screens and freely combined round tables; students do not bring paper, pens, or textbooks, only a terminal, which can summon artificial intelligence (AI) teaching assistants for discussions, or complete an immersive experiment in a virtual simulation scenario.

This is not an imagination of the future, but a real scene at the Future Learning Center of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (北京邮电大学).

In 2021, the Ministry of Education (教育部) proposed the construction of future learning centers, and in 2023, it included promoting pilot projects in the work priorities of the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education (教育部高等教育司). In 2025, the Ministry of Education (教育部) and eight other departments clearly stated in the "Opinions on Accelerating the Promotion of Digitalization of Education" that they would explore the construction of cloud schools, intelligent manufacturing spaces, and future learning centers to "promote the transformation of learning methods." Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng (怀进鹏) proposed at the 2025 World Digital Education Conference that it is necessary to cultivate future teachers, build future classrooms, plan future schools, create future learning centers, and explore new paradigms of future science, education, and integration.

Today, future learning centers are rapidly being established in many universities such as Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (北京邮电大学), East China Normal University (华东师范大学), and Shandong University (山东大学), quietly setting off a wave of reshaping learning spaces and teaching methods.

From Classroom to Learning Center
What are the Changes in Teaching Forms?

In the fall semester of 2025, the Future Learning Building of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (北京邮电大学) was put into use. The new building was transformed from a high-rise teaching building, distributed with a batch of smart classrooms and professional laboratories.

The changes are not only in hardware, but also in the reshaping of teaching forms. "In intelligent discussion-based classrooms, teachers and students and machines can collaborate and interact at any time," said Gu Rentao (顾仁涛), Director of the Cultivation and Coordination Department of the Academic Affairs Department of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (北京邮电大学教务部培养协同处), giving an example, "In the 'Introduction to Engineering' class, students discuss in groups around the development of low-altitude economic weather stations, and can invite AI virtual experts to participate at any time, realizing complete training from problem discovery to solution design through multi-agent collaboration."

"In the past, there were few experimental equipment, and several people surrounded one instrument in the experimental class, and each person had a short time to operate," said Zhou Di (周迪), a doctoral student at the School of Information and Communication Engineering of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (北京邮电大学信息与通信工程学院). Now, with "one person one network," they can log in to their own experimental platform at any time to design and operate.

In 2024, East China Normal University (华东师范大学) established a physical Future Learning Development Center. "We use this to integrate the scattered resources of various colleges and build a new metaverse learning space to achieve school-wide teacher and student sharing," said Wu Ruijun (吴瑞君), Director of the Library and Director of the Future Learning Development Center of East China Normal University (华东师范大学图书馆馆长、未来学习发展中心主任).

East China Normal University (华东师范大学) also transformed the traditional electronic reading room into an active learning space that facilitates group discussions, and concentrated the characteristic laboratories of 23 departments together, opening them for reservation to all teachers and students. After the opening of the Artificial Intelligence Aesthetics Education Laboratory of the School of Fine Arts, not only students from this school use it, but also students from the School of Music are attracted to hold "AI+Music Workshops" here.

Peking University (北京大学) chose another way—directly "placing" the exploration of the future learning center in 6 colleges and institutes, including the School of Education, the School of Engineering, and the Institute of Population Research.

This semester, the Future Learning Center renovation plan of the School of Education of Peking University (北京大学教育学院) solicited design proposals from students, and master student Xiao Linfei (肖琳霏) participated in it. "Students know best what they need," she said.

"Students propose, students design, and students operate, so that the actual needs of 'users' become the starting point of the design," introduced Fan Yizhou (范逸洲), a researcher at the School of Education of Peking University (北京大学教育学院). The next step is to sort out student proposals, form an operable plan, and complete the renovation of the future learning center.

Fudan University (复旦大学) launched the "AI-BEST" curriculum system and the "X+AI" double degree program, initiating a cultivation upgrade covering all students; Shandong University (山东大学) strengthened the "student center" and created a resource hub to support personalized exploration; Wuhan University of Technology (武汉理工大学) relied on its engineering advantages to build a "vehicle-road-cloud integration" industry-education integration center, allowing students to "touch" the forefront of the industry in digital twin mines and ports. For some time, diverse path explorations have been carried out in an orderly manner in universities across the country.

From "Building" to "Using Well"
What Problems Need to be Solved?

What cannot be ignored is that there is always a distance from one-time "building" to continuous "using well." In the process of exploration, are there situations of "not easy to use," "unwilling to use," and "unable to use"?

Wu Ruijun (吴瑞君) introduced that currently, the resources in the metaverse learning space of East China Normal University (华东师范大学) that are suitable for college students need to be further enriched, and the virtual space has the potential to simulate various scenarios from psychological healing to medical surgery, "but the development cost of high-quality, interactive teaching resources is relatively high, resulting in some advanced equipment not being fully utilized."

How can teachers and students be encouraged to actively embrace new spaces?

"The task facing teachers lies in role reshaping," Gu Rentao (顾仁涛) believes that teachers not only need to master new technologies, but also need to redesign the teaching process. In the process of职称评定 (zhíchēng píndìng - "professional title evaluation," evaluation for professional titles), the task of designing interactive seminar classes should be included in the assessment.

When students demonstrate qualities such as critical thinking and complex problem-solving abilities in interdisciplinary projects, how can they be recognized in the traditional GPA system?

"The existing evaluation system of some schools is still difficult to fully measure the teaching investment and educational growth facing the future," said Wang Chunchun (王春春), Deputy Director of the Institute of Higher Education of the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences (中国教育科学研究院高等教育研究所). The realization of the future learning center concept "requires schools to accelerate the reform and innovation of education evaluation." This means that the updating of training programs and the reform of evaluation systems should be promoted together, and more attention should be paid to teachers' teaching innovation and students' ability cultivation.

The introduction of technology itself also brings new confusion. With artificial intelligence placed in the key link of the learning process, how to avoid its potential erosion of thinking ability? How to guide students to "use" technology?

When teaching, Fan Yizhou (范逸洲) repeatedly emphasized the boundaries to students: "Outsourcing a lot of work to artificial intelligence comes at the cost of reducing one's own thinking ability." Xiao Linfei (肖琳霏) also found that many students' use of artificial intelligence tools remains on the surface, "and they do not understand the internal operating principles."

The interviewed teachers said that future learning, accompanied by the popularization of technical tools, requires a more systematic and in-depth framework, which is precisely the deficiency of many existing training programs. At this stage, the construction of future learning centers is rarely limited to technology itself, but more to the supporting curriculum system, evaluation system, and digital literacy. "To give teachers and students a real sense of gain, we must focus on the specific and subtle but crucial needs in daily teaching and learning, and continue to solve them in a targeted manner," said Wu Ruijun (吴瑞君).

From "Imparting" to "Empowering"
What Expectations Does Future Education Meet?

The exploration of future learning centers points to what future education will look like?

"In the era of artificial intelligence, one of the irreplaceable values of higher education lies in the cultivation of human subjectivity," said Wang Chunchun (王春春). This reminds us that no matter how technology evolves, education should be based on human care—shaping correct values, cultivating humanistic spirit, and enhancing social and emotional abilities.

The construction attempts of future learning centers mostly serve this goal.

Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications (北京邮电大学) transforms "large-scale imparting" into "personalized empowerment," exploring the use of digital intelligence technology to solve the contradiction between large-scale education and personalized cultivation; East China Normal University (华东师范大学) is committed to building a collaborative and symbiotic learning ecosystem, allowing interdisciplinary thinking to merge in collision; at Peking University (北京大学), answering "what kind of people should universities cultivate in the era of artificial intelligence" and helping students become "trendsetters standing at the forefront of the times and technology" is a common expectation of many teachers and students participating in the program design.

What is gratifying is that when we turn our attention to the young people in the future learning center, a new learning culture is budding—learner-centered, encouraging inquiry, collaboration, trial and error, and sharing.

"This is not only an advanced equipment, but also a community that promotes in-depth exchanges," Zhou Di's (周迪) vision for the future learning center is that "students can share their design plans and experimental results on the platform, and others can reproduce and improve them accordingly, forming an open research atmosphere."

In Xiao Linfei's (肖琳霏) mind, the future learning center is a "bridge" for communication, which can help summarize viewpoints, inspire more inspiration, and use dialogue to generate more collective wisdom.

More vivid practices also occur in specific projects. In the Future Learning Development Center of East China Normal University (华东师范大学未来学习发展中心), students not only read literature, but also actively use special collection resources to develop intelligent entities that can interact and experience situations, making traditional resources come alive in the digital age.

"The construction of future learning centers is not just about the size of the screen or the strength of computing power, but more about whether this space and platform can stimulate people's initiative, creativity, and collaborative spirit," said Fan Yizhou (范逸洲). The "future" explored by the future learning center is not only the form of technology, but also the growth of people.

In many university campuses, although there is no dedicated future learning center, the construction serving future learning has been embedded in various scenarios such as teaching and life—there are physical spaces, virtual resources, interdisciplinary projects designed by teachers, and student-initiated workshops. Education for the future will be precipitated as the background color of the campus: technology is just a stage, and students of different majors inspire and support each other on the "stage," rushing to every exploration initiated by curiosity.

(Xue Siyuan (薛思远) participated in the writing)

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"Three Transformations" to Explore the Digital and Intelligent Education Ecosystem (New Discourse)

By: 谭铁牛

Currently, as an important driving force of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, artificial intelligence is profoundly affecting global economic and social development and the progress of human civilization. As an important meeting point for education, science and technology, and talent, universities should actively integrate artificial intelligence into all elements and processes of education and teaching, fully release the potential of artificial intelligence to transform education, promote the shift of the education model from knowledge imparting to ability cultivation, realize the "three transformations" of teaching activities, and explore a people-oriented, human-machine collaborative digital and intelligent education ecosystem.

We must focus on the shift from "large-scale cultivation" to "personalized customization" to create inclusive education tailored to individual needs. Faced with the contradiction between scale and personalization that is difficult to reconcile under the traditional class teaching system, universities should base themselves on the intelligent analysis of learning behavior, use the scientific evaluation of multi-dimensional abilities as a yardstick, and use the personalized guidance of teachers' teaching as the soul, transform teaching students in accordance with their aptitude from an ideal vision into an operable teaching practice, hand over repetitive teaching tasks to intelligent bodies for efficient execution, and allow teachers to pay more attention to students' individual needs, thinking shaping, and value leadership. In recent years, Nanjing University (南京大学) has created a three-level artificial intelligence general education curriculum system of "1+X+Y" for undergraduates, and implemented the "Postgraduate AI + Innovation Ability Improvement Action Plan"; actively explored the teaching model of "collective teaching + small class seminar + internship practice + AI assistant + innovation and entrepreneurship" to promote the formation of a new style of human-computer interaction in the classroom. At the same time, intelligent teaching assistants are connected to all students to reduce communication costs in teacher-student interaction.

We must focus on the shift from "repetitive teaching" to "high-level empowerment" to expand the creative space of educational subjects. At present, the teaching model is shifting from the traditional "teacher-student" structure to the "teacher-machine-student" ternary structure, and gradually forming a new type of teaching organization relationship led by teachers, coordinated by machines, and driven by students. Universities should make good use of the characteristics of intelligent teaching tools that are fast, high-quality, and highly adaptable to help teachers expand the space for displaying educational wisdom. Nanjing University (南京大学) systematically carries out application training for intelligent teaching tools, focusing on improving teachers' ability to control the new model of "human-machine collaboration" teaching; actively promotes the construction of an intelligent teaching resource system covering curriculum design, case generation, and experimental simulation to support teachers to call high-quality materials based on subject characteristics and learning conditions to better guide students' growth.

We must focus on the shift from "single classroom" to "full-field immersion" to cultivate new quality talents for the future. New quality talents not only need to lay a solid professional foundation, but also should have the ability to coexist, co-think, and co-create with intelligent technology. To this end, universities urgently need to build a two-way connected cultivation path of "knowledge supply" and "scene immersion" to incorporate more real and diverse practical situations into the teaching field. Nanjing University (南京大学) has opened up the scene boundaries of innovation competitions, scientific research training, and industrial applications, and built a diversified, multi-level, and full-chain practical teaching field to realize that artificial intelligence can be learned by everyone, everywhere, and at all times. Relying on the "Artificial Intelligence +" cutting-edge application bases inside and outside the school, we provide students with full-process practical opportunities from simulation to reality, from data acquisition to deep learning, and from school to industry.

Exploring the artificial intelligence-driven digital and intelligent education ecosystem is a topic of the times that concerns the construction of a strong education country and the future global education cause. Universities should actively adapt to the changes of the times, respond to technological challenges, fully integrate intelligent technology into teaching activities, cultivate outstanding talents who shoulder the mission of the times, have a global vision, promote scientific and technological innovation, and lead social development, and contribute to comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with Chinese-style modernization.

(The author is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Party Secretary of Nanjing University (南京大学党委书记))

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"Daily Painting Reading" 100th Issue Forum Held in Beijing

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 13th (Reporter Wu Yanli (吴艳丽)) To implement the spirit of the National Propaganda Ministers Conference, further strengthen and improve the People's Daily (人民日报) literary and artistic publicity reports, and promote the systematic transformation of mainstream media, the "Daily Painting Reading" 100th Issue Symposium was held at the People's Daily (人民日报社) on January 13th. The participating experts fully affirmed the achievements made in the 100-issue exploration of "Daily Painting Reading," believing that it leads with thought, is based on academics, driven by technology, and integrated into life, realizing the transformation of niche content to mass communication and the transformation of professional resources to national experience. It is a vivid practice of deeply studying and implementing Xi Jinping's (习近平) cultural thought and provides a high-quality model for the creative transformation and innovative development of outstanding Chinese traditional culture.

The People's Daily (人民日报社) literary and artistic publicity coordination mechanism's key fine arts integrated media project, "Daily Painting Reading," has incubated more than 10 AI studios and launched 100 micro-videos and 100 nightly reading essays since it was launched on October 6, 2025, and has developed the "Daily Painting Reading" mini-program. After reading the project products and watching the 100th issue promotional video on-site, the participating experts focused on conducting in-depth discussions on how to further improve the quality and effectiveness of integrated media products, and unanimously agreed that: it is necessary to dedicate to content innovation and create "Tang Poetry and Song Lyrics of the video era"; dedicate to mechanism innovation, transforming from "project-based" to "platform-based"; dedicate to communication innovation, do a good job in online communication, and also serve offline, seeking progress while maintaining stability.

Experts and scholars from the Central Cyberspace Administration of China (中央网信办), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (文化和旅游部), the China Artists Association (中国美术家协会), the National Art Museum of China (中国美术馆), the Communication University of China (中国传媒大学), Kuaishou Technology (快手科技), ByteDance Group (字节跳动集团) and other units, as well as representatives from the People's Daily (人民日报社) Literary and Art Department, People's Daily Online (人民网), China Academy of Art (中国美术学院) and other main creative units, a total of more than 60 people attended the meeting.

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New stories of cultural and tourism integration

By: 本报记者 孙海天

As night falls, Hongqi Road in Tongshi Town (通什镇), Wuzhishan City (五指山市), Hainan Province (海南省), transforms from the bustling Tongshi Farmers Market (通什农贸市场) during the day.

Neon lights light up one after another, dynamic melodies emanate from old-fashioned tape recorders, and the air is filled with the aroma of popcorn and Wuzhishan black tea. On the street, young people in traditional Li ethnic costumes meet dancers in bell-bottoms; "Er Ba Da Gang" bicycles ring their crisp bells as they pass through the crowd; tourists hold sugar paintings, shuttling through replicas of supply and marketing cooperatives and photo studios...

This is the "Tongshi 1988" panoramic immersive performance block. Tongshi (通什) was once the capital of the former Hainan Li and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (海南黎族苗族自治州). Now, it is revitalizing urban memories through new practices of cultural and tourism integration.

"Tongshi (通什) carries the youth of a generation. To rejuvenate the old city, we chose micro-renovation," introduced Cao Yinqiao (曹银桥), General Manager of Wuzhishan Tourism Investment Group (五指山旅投集团). The project relies on the original Tongshi Farmers Market (通什农贸市场) and the surrounding well-preserved state government building complex to achieve "a market during the day and a performance block at night." Every afternoon, stallholders pack up their fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables and wash the ground clean; at night, the lights come on, and the stalls transform into nostalgic stages.

Why is it named "Tongshi 1988"? In 1988, Hainan (海南) became a province and established a special economic zone, and Tongshi (通什) also began a new chapter. For many people, "1988" represents a spirit of vigor.

Gao Zeqiang (高泽强), in his 60s, is an "old Tongshi (通什) person" who has worked here since graduating from university in 1984. Strolling through the block, his thoughts drift back to that era: "At that time, Li (黎族) and Miao (苗族) youths danced social dances on the streets for the first time, interacting with 'Chuang Hai Ren' (闯海人) from all over the country." In Gao Zeqiang's (高泽强) view, "Tongshi 1988" is not only about nostalgia but also about allowing everyone to feel the spirit of daring to venture and try through scene restoration.

This spirit has a new continuation in today's young people.

In a corner of the block, the Wuzhishan (五指山) local "Kunsai Combination" is playing and singing with guitars. "Kunsai" means "Li brothers and sisters" in the Li language. This band, composed of young people from the Li (黎族), Zhuang (壮族), and other ethnic minorities, has rooted its stage in the crowd.

"When I was a child, I listened to my elders sing folk songs and thought they were very beautiful. I wondered if I could integrate pop music elements?" Huang Zhilong (黄志龙), a member of the group and a post-90s Li youth, tried to reinterpret Li folk songs. "We sing mountain songs, but also today's vitality," said Huang Zhilong (黄志龙). When they sing their adapted Li folk songs, local elders and "Generation Z" tourists who come to check in stop to appreciate them.

Young people make the "old state capital" more fashionable. Sometimes it is a routine situational drama, sometimes a large-scale themed performance. The block has no walls and does not charge admission fees, and the actors perform next to the tourists. "In the past, people had nowhere to go for entertainment at night. Now that we have this block, tourists and locals alike love to come," said Wang Huaxu (王华旭), Director of the Wuzhishan City (五指山市) History and Records Center.

The gathering of popularity has also brought tangible economic benefits. During the 2026 New Year's Day holiday, Wuzhishan City (五指山市) received 36.01% more tourists year-on-year, and tourism revenue increased by 42.66% year-on-year. The popularity of the block has also driven the sales of surrounding catering, accommodation, and agricultural products. During the day, farmers sell Wuzhishan (五指山) wild vegetables in the market; at night, tourists taste long table banquets under the neon lights and experience Li brocade intangible cultural heritage skills.

"We adapt to local conditions and let culture grow in the atmosphere of daily life," said Cao Yinqiao (曹银桥). In the future, the old state capital area will be connected into a line to create a new pattern of integrated scenic city and all-area tourism.

The night is getting deeper, and the music in the block drifts into the distance, singing a new story of cultural and tourism integration.

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Guangxi Launches Three-Year Action Plan to Build Satellite Remote Sensing Application Capabilities

This newspaper reported from Nanning (南宁) on January 13th (Reporter Zhang Yunhe (张云河)) - The Department of Natural Resources of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区自然资源厅) recently issued the "Three-Year Action Plan Implementation Plan for Natural Resources Satellite Remote Sensing Application Capacity Building (2025-2027)", deploying 14 key tasks in 6 aspects to comprehensively enhance the supporting effectiveness of satellite remote sensing in natural resource governance.

The "Plan" proposes focusing on improving the data security capabilities of satellite remote sensing, strengthening the supplementary capabilities of aerial remote sensing data, and ensuring that data services are synchronized with natural resource business needs; focusing on the standardization and integrated database construction of geographic information data and the intelligent level of satellite remote sensing interpretation, and focusing on promoting the construction of a unified geographic base map of natural resources "one map" and accelerating the construction of a satellite remote sensing application support database; focusing on the difficulties of data independence and control and localization applications, focusing on carrying out application-ready satellite remote sensing big data construction, multi-payload collaborative application, natural resource remote sensing large model research and development, and quantitative inversion analysis and other key technology research, so as to drive the transformation of remote sensing application management mode with technological breakthroughs.

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Gansu Province Focuses on Promoting AI Education in Primary and Secondary Schools

According to a report from our newspaper in Lanzhou on January 13th (Reporter: Zeng Yichen (曾亦辰)), the Gansu Provincial Department of Education recently issued the "Implementation Plan for Artificial Intelligence Empowering Gansu Basic Education (2025-2030)". The plan proposes to accelerate the deep integration of artificial intelligence with primary and secondary school education and teaching, comprehensively improve the artificial intelligence literacy of teachers and students, cultivate students' innovative thinking and practical abilities, and build a new ecology of artificial intelligence education in primary and secondary schools.

The "Plan" clarifies that Gansu will focus on seven aspects: constructing a systematic curriculum system, building an artificial intelligence teacher team, carrying out artificial intelligence-empowered education practices, conducting normalized teaching and research and evaluation, and standardizing artificial intelligence safety ethics. It will strive to build a layered and progressive general artificial intelligence education system for primary and secondary schools that spirals upwards.

According to the "Plan", Gansu will strictly implement the national curriculum plan and curriculum standards, and implement artificial intelligence education in an integrated manner in information technology, technology, science, comprehensive practical activities, labor and other courses. Strengthen the integration of artificial intelligence education with various disciplines, and implement teaching models such as interdisciplinary learning, large unit teaching, and subject practice. Cultivate 30 provincial-level artificial intelligence education bases, and combine with smart campus construction and other work to create a number of innovative practical cases for artificial intelligence education applications.

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Chang'e-6 Basalt Provides Key Clues for Revealing the Moon's Geological Evolution History

This reporter learned from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院地质与地球物理研究所): The research team of the institute, through high-precision potassium isotope analysis of the lunar far side samples collected by Chang'e-6 (嫦娥六号), revealed for the first time that the South Pole-Aitken Basin impact event led to the loss of moderately volatile elements in the lunar mantle, providing an important basis for understanding the impact of large-scale impacts on lunar evolution and revealing the origin of lunar dichotomy. The relevant research results were published online in the international academic journal *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*.

The Chang'e-6 (嫦娥六号) mission collected samples from the largest impact basin on the Moon, the South Pole-Aitken Basin, providing key samples for studying the South Pole-Aitken large-scale impact event and its effects. High-precision isotope analysis can accurately capture the information left by impact events by measuring tiny changes in isotope ratios. Among them, the isotope systems of moderately volatile elements (such as potassium, zinc, gallium, etc.) have special research value—these elements are prone to volatilization and fractionation under the high-temperature conditions generated by the impact, and their isotopic composition can sensitively record the temperature, energy, and material source information during the impact process. They are key "isotopic fingerprints" for revealing the scale of the impact, thermal history, and its modification of lunar crust and mantle materials.

The research team conducted high-precision potassium isotope analysis on milligram-level Chang'e-6 (嫦娥六号) basalt single particles. The results showed that, compared with Apollo samples from the near side of the Moon, Chang'e-6 (嫦娥六号) basalt has a higher potassium-41 to potassium-39 ratio. In order to trace the origin of this abnormal signal, the research team examined various possible factors such as cosmic ray irradiation and magmatic processes, and confirmed that the impact event changed the potassium isotopic composition of the lunar mantle, causing potassium depletion and isotope elevation. In the instantaneous high-temperature and high-pressure process generated by the impact, lighter isotopes (such as potassium-39) tend to escape preferentially, resulting in an increase in the isotope ratio in the residual material. The loss of volatiles may have inhibited the later volcanic activity on the far side of the Moon, thereby providing a key clue for understanding the asymmetric geological evolution history of the near and far sides of the Moon.

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

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Civilized Practices Nourish Luanping, New Customs Warm Hearts

Since 2025, Luanping County (滦平县), Chengde City (承德市), Hebei Province (河北省), has been focusing on the goal of the new era of civilization practice: "uniting the masses, guiding the masses, influencing people with culture, and transforming customs." It takes the upgrading of positions as the foundation, brand creation as the engine, precise service as the guidance, and multi-party linkage as the support. It deeply integrates high-quality resources from Beijing (北京) and Tianjin (天津), the professional strength of universities, and local people's livelihood needs, promoting the leap of civilization practice from "tangible coverage" to "effective coverage." This allows the new trend of advocating morality and goodness to permeate the urban and rural fabric, injecting strong cultural impetus into the county's high-quality development.

Weaving a dense service network to make civilization practice tangible and accessible.

Luanping County (滦平县) regards position construction as the "ballast stone" of civilization practice, continuously optimizing the four-level network layout of centers, institutes, stations, and bases. All 213 civilization practice stations in the county have fully completed functional upgrades, creating cultural positions that integrate theoretical publicity, skills training, cultural activities, and convenient services. Innovating the "online + offline" dual-position model, the online "Luanping Convergence Media" (滦平融媒) client civilization practice zone has opened special content such as policy interpretation, skills classrooms, and children's radio, with a cumulative online interaction volume exceeding one million person-times. Offline, relying on the Luanping County (滦平县) branch of the Chengde City New Era Civilization Practice Training Institute (承德市新时代文明实践培训学院), a collaborative training system between universities and local areas has been built. Twenty-five special trainings have been carried out around theoretical publicity, mental health, culture and art, and other fields, training more than 300 grassroots backbones, making each position a civilized window that can serve and is good at serving.

Innovate practical carriers and promote the new trend of civilized practice.

As night falls, the "Never-ending Sound" civilization practice street corner concert is held as scheduled in the New Era Civilization Practice Square of Luanping County (滦平县). Local singers and the masses perform on the same stage, with nostalgic golden songs and red melodies being staged in turn. Anti-fraud knowledge and civilized rural customs are effectively transmitted in interactive Q&A.

Based on the actual situation of the county, Luanping County (滦平县) has cultivated a number of down-to-earth and warm civilization practice brands. The "Literary Flowers Blooming All Over the Mountain City" civilization practice volunteer service project has absorbed more than 500 retired teachers, intangible cultural heritage inheritors, and folk artists to form a literary and artistic volunteer service team. In a form that the masses love to see and hear, more than 50 performances of "I Contribute to the Double Striving, Cultivating New Customs" have been carried out, and original works such as "Changing Customs and Habits to Establish New Customs" and "Abandoning Bad Habits and Advocating New Customs" have aroused widespread resonance. The "Dream Open Class" public welfare project invites role models to enter campuses and use their personal experiences to tell teachers and students stories of struggle and responsibility, with a total of 10 activities benefiting more than 8,000 teachers and students. The "Our Festival" series of activities are wonderful, with intangible cultural heritage making spring celebrations lively and Qingming (清明) sweeping tombs, making traditional festivals an important carrier for promoting new civilized customs. In addition, mass activities such as the National Square Dance Competition and the Neighborhood Chess Competition are carried out regularly, allowing the masses to change from civilized onlookers to civilized practitioners.

Focus on people's livelihood needs and let civilization practice convey warmth.

In response to the difficulty of selling agricultural products, Luanping County (滦平县) carried out the "Party Building Leads to Aggregate Strength, Love Helps Farmers to Promote Revitalization" activity, expanding sales channels for fruit farmers through the "pear coupon exchange + on-site purchase" model.

Luanping County (滦平县) implements a closed-loop mechanism of "masses ordering, center dispatching, volunteers accepting orders, and masses evaluating orders," allowing services to accurately connect with the pain points of people's livelihoods. In response to special groups such as left-behind children and empty-nest elderly, 20 teams for changing customs and habits have been formed to carry out warm-hearted services such as health consultations, literary and artistic teaching, and hand-knitting training, conveying the warmth of civilization practice with companionship and care. Innovating the civilization points exchange mechanism, the masses can accumulate points for participating in volunteer services and civilization practice activities, and exchange them for daily necessities and service coupons, effectively stimulating the enthusiasm of the whole people to participate. In 2025, the county has carried out more than 800 volunteer service activities, with more than 10,000 volunteers participating, serving more than 70,000 people, and the volunteer service concept of dedication, love, mutual assistance, and progress has become a common practice.

Gather multi-party efforts to write a new chapter in civilization practice.

The in-depth and solid development of civilization practice cannot be separated from the broad participation of social forces. Luanping County (滦平县) actively integrates into the overall situation of coordinated development of Beijing (北京), Tianjin (天津), and Hebei (河北), carrying out the "Capital's Love Gathering in Luanping, I Act in Civilization Practice" activity, and deeply linking with the Second Joint Party Committee of the Beijing Poverty Alleviation and Relief Field Foundation (北京市扶贫济困领域基金会第二联合党委) and a number of public welfare organizations such as the Beijing Bethune Public Welfare Foundation (北京白求恩公益基金会), the Beijing Lenovo Public Welfare Foundation (北京联想公益基金会), and the Beijing Shell Public Welfare Foundation (北京贝壳公益基金会), accurately importing urban public welfare resources into the grassroots front line. At the same time, relying on the discipline and faculty advantages of Hebei Normal University for Nationalities (河北民族师范学院), several teaching service teams have been formed to promote civilization practice training directly to the grassroots front line. Luanping County (滦平县) has launched a linkage model of "social organizations bringing projects, civilization practice building platforms, and universities empowering to improve quality and efficiency," promoting civilization practice to form a virtuous circle of multi-party participation, co-construction, and sharing, allowing social resources to accurately connect with grassroots needs, and injecting continuous, stable, and replicable professional strength into civilization practice.

Today's Luanping County (滦平县), civilization practice is gradually integrated into street corners, campus classrooms, and fields. From position upgrading to brand innovation, from precise service to multi-party linkage, Luanping County (滦平县) is using solid and effective practical measures to let the civilized customs of advocating morality and goodness permeate people's hearts, and write a new chapter in the county's development of new era civilization practice on the land of Yanzhao (燕赵).

Data source: Propaganda Department of the Luanping County Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共滦平县委宣传部)

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Skills Training Boosts Income for Formerly Impoverished Lao Li (Caring for the Production and Livelihood of People in Need)

By: 本报记者 程 焕

Previously, I could only earn one or two hundred yuan a day, and I was still worried about taking on "private jobs"; now I earn 400 yuan a day, working more than 20 days a month, and my income is stable and considerable. How was this change achieved?

Li Yong (黎勇), who lives in Tuanjie Community (团结社区), Anhua Subdistrict (安化街道), Dejiang County (德江县), Tongren City (铜仁市), Guizhou Province (贵州省), went to Zhejiang (浙江) to work at the age of 20. More than 30 years have passed, and suffering from a lack of skills, the 50-year-old can only support his family by doing odd jobs, and his life is tight.

In the past six months, Lao Li's (老黎) life has quietly changed: his income has more than doubled, people are constantly looking for him to work, and his family's life is getting better day by day.

What exactly happened that brought this middle-aged man a turning point in his life? The answer lies in a skills training that precisely meets the needs.

A certificate blocks the dream of a career.

Having done odd jobs for half his life, Lao Li (老黎) has always harbored a dream: to become a real welder.

When he was young, he worked hard on construction sites, and he learned a lot of welding skills from experienced masters, and he could even independently complete some simple welding operations. Lao Li (老黎) thought he would soon be able to make a living with "technical skills," but reality poured cold water on him: "Now safety management is getting stricter and stricter, and you can't get a job without a certificate." A special operation certificate has become a high wall in front of him.

Lao Li (老黎) once had the idea of taking the exam. After inquiring around, he found an enrollment advertisement from a training institution in another province. But if he really went, in addition to the thousands of yuan in training fees, transportation and accommodation would also be a considerable expense. Three children are in school, and his elderly mother takes medicine all year round. The family relies on him alone. Stop working to participate in training? Lao Li (老黎) didn't even dare to think about it.

Helpless, he gritted his teeth and bought some welding equipment, and secretly took on some "private jobs" to subsidize his family when there was no work on the construction site. "It is said to be 'doing a side business', but it is actually playing on the edge." Earning one or two hundred yuan a day, Lao Li (老黎) was worried, fearing that he would be caught one day.

Sure enough, the thing he was worried about still came. Once, when welding a steel frame shed for someone, Lao Li (老黎) was caught by law enforcement officers, and the equipment was confiscated on the spot. At that moment, his heart was half cold. Since then, Lao Li (老黎) has almost given up hope of "working with a certificate."

It was not until March last year that a skills training notice forwarded by An Renfang (安仁芳), secretary of the Tuanjie Community (团结社区) Party Branch, gave him an opportunity.

"There are welding courses, free training, free certification, and poor households can also receive living allowances!" Staring at the phone screen, Lao Li (老黎) repeatedly confirmed it several times, "Is such a good thing a scam?"

"Put your heart in your stomach!" An Renfang (安仁芳) smiled and persuaded him, "This is a project jointly released by the municipal and county human resources and social security departments, and it is very formal. It's just that you didn't pay attention to it before."

With the patient explanation of the community cadres, Lao Li (老黎) finally plucked up the courage to sign up. The next day, he received a notice that the welding class would start, and the location was at a vocational skills school not far from his home.

Experts teach and learn real skills

Walking into the training classroom, Lao Li (老黎) found that there were 38 students in the class, most of whom were like him - experienced, lacking qualifications, and eager to "become regular" through training.

For the 30-day course, everyone initially had the mentality of just going through the motions, but after a few theoretical lessons, many people began to sit up straight.

"It turns out that welding rods are divided into so many models, and different materials require different welding rods." Lao Li (老黎) realized for the first time that he used to use "universal welding rods," and the weld quality and stability were obviously insufficient.

What benefited him even more was the study of fire safety knowledge. "In the past, when welding sparks ignited building materials, my first reaction was to pour water on them, but the fire got bigger and bigger." Lao Li (老黎) realized that welding fires should be extinguished with dry powder fire extinguishers, and water would only aggravate the fire.

What really opened Lao Li's (老黎) eyes was the practical training. He thought that the teachers would only talk about theory, but he didn't expect that they were all practical experts. Some had participated in major project construction, and some had won awards in various skill competitions. They taught hand-in-hand, from basic postures to complex welds, and imparted skills without reservation.

"These teachers are people who really know what they are doing." Lao Li (老黎) studied eagerly, recording each teacher's housekeeping skills in his notebook, and seizing every opportunity to practice and repeatedly hone his skills.

Lao Li (老黎) did not know that behind this training, there was a deep intention of Tongren City (铜仁市) to help employment.

In recent years, Tongren City (铜仁市) has focused on key groups such as people who have been lifted out of poverty and people who have been relocated from other places, and has promoted "order-based" and "fixed-post" skills training to truly achieve "teaching what is needed and supplementing what is lacking."

Especially for jobs with access thresholds such as welders and electricians, the city has innovatively launched a "vocational skill level certificate + special operation certificate" dual-certificate training model to ensure that students can obtain certificates and be employed stably after graduation.

"We have widely investigated returnees to accurately grasp their employment intentions and technical shortcomings." Yang Lin (杨林), deputy director of the Tongren City (铜仁市) Employment Bureau, introduced, "Training is not a 'big pot meal', but a 'customized meal'."

At the end of the course, Lao Li (老黎) participated in two rounds of assessment and finally obtained the special operation certificate and the fifth-level welder vocational qualification certificate he had dreamed of.

At that moment, he felt that his waist was straightened.

Working with a certificate, taking jobs openly and honestly

With the certificate, Lao Li (老黎) re-purchased a complete set of welding equipment and started taking jobs openly and honestly.

From the repair of iron gates and the installation of anti-theft windows in the neighborhood to the welding of steel structures in house renovations, he gradually made a name for himself in the surrounding villages with his solid technology and reliable reputation.

"Skilled workers are different. 400 yuan a day is equivalent to two or three days of odd jobs in the past!" Now, Lao Li (老黎) works more than 20 days a month, and his income is stable and considerable. He simply decided not to go out to work and stay in his hometown to develop.

As the work increased, surprises followed. A dental hospital in the county planned to build a sun room. After many inspections, the hospital finally chose Lao Li (老黎), who was qualified for construction.

"Take on unit projects? I didn't even dare to think about it before." Recalling the scene at that time, Lao Li (老黎) still couldn't hide his excitement, "Without a certificate, I wouldn't even have the qualifications to sign up."

Lao Li (老黎) immediately called two buddies who were trained at the same time. The three formed a construction team and worked together for 10 days. The project successfully passed the acceptance. Excluding the cost of materials, this business made a net profit of more than 20,000 yuan, far exceeding the income from scattered jobs in the past.

Since then, more units and enterprises have taken the initiative to come to him. Lao Li's (老黎) team has gradually stabilized, and the small engineering projects he undertakes are increasing. In the process of coordination, communication and on-site management, his overall planning ability and expression ability have been continuously improved, and he has become more confident and calm in his gestures.

Now, the children have graduated and started working one after another, and the family burden has been reduced. Lao Li (老黎) has also begun to plan for the future. "There is an old warehouse at home, and I want to transform it into a welding workshop and get a business license." He said, "With this foothold, I can be considered to have the ability to settle down and make a living."

In Tongren (铜仁), there are many people like Li Yong (黎勇) who have increased their income through skills assistance. In the past three years, Tongren City (铜仁市) has carried out more than 10,000 "dual-certificate training" sessions. More and more workers are improving their employment competitiveness and expanding their channels for stabilizing employment and increasing income by virtue of their skills.

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Skills linked to jobs, jobs guarantee increased income (Editor's Note)

By: 闵方正

A special operation certificate and a level-five welder qualification certificate allowed Lao Li, who used to play "guerrilla warfare" with law enforcement officers, to stand tall. Tongren City (铜仁市), Guizhou Province (贵州省), is conducting "order-based" and "position-based" skills training for key groups, enhancing the employment competitiveness and broadening the income-increasing channels for more and more experienced but unqualified workers like Lao Li.

The training is not just a formality, but a "customized meal" based on understanding the employment intentions and technical shortcomings of the personnel. Seasoned experts who have been deeply involved in the front line for many years personally teach, not only making up for the technical shortcomings of working through "unorthodox methods," but also deeply imprinting fire safety awareness and knowledge in the minds of workers.

Lao Li's experience tells us that with solid qualifications and skills, people in need can confidently enter the job market, which also helps to eliminate the concerns of employers regarding compliance. New job opportunities are actively coming to them, and people in need have a stable impetus for continuous income growth, helping them establish hope for the future.

It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him fish. Acquiring a skill and corresponding qualification not only gives a person the confidence to 安身立命 (ān shēn lì mìng - "settle down and get on with one's life," to secure a foothold and make a living), but also the confidence to re-realize oneself and win social respect, and even a long-term guarantee that is difficult to replace with material assistance alone.

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Joint Efforts to Solve the Problem of Excessive Online Game Spending by Minors

By: 本报记者 齐志明

An 11-year-old boy in Henan (河南) used his mother's WeChat (微信) account to recharge more than 20,000 yuan to a game account registered in her name over a period of six months. The boy's mother believed that the recharge behavior should be invalid because the minor did not obtain prior consent or subsequent ratification from the guardian. The money charged by the game platform should be refunded. Therefore, she filed a civil lawsuit with the Songjiang District People's Court (上海市松江区人民法院) in Shanghai (上海). The court finally determined that the boy's behavior was not approved or ratified by his mother, and the behavior should be deemed invalid. However, the mother had problems with inadequate supervision, so the court ordered the game platform to return half of the recharge amount.
This is a typical case of a consumer dispute caused by online game recharge by a minor.
With the accelerated expansion of the online game market, the China Consumers Association (中国消费者协会) has recently received consumer complaints, reflecting that a game operated by a company in Shanghai (上海) has a problem of minors recharging large amounts without parental consent. Most of these minors obtain their parents’ payment passwords through peeking, secretly filming, and other methods, and use their parents’ mobile phones or idle mobile phones at home to continuously recharge. From the statistics of complaints received from August 1, 2025 to December 10, 2025, the average recharge amount per case reached 2,551.57 yuan. After the parents discovered this, they all requested the company's customer service to return the money, but many were not properly handled, and the game customer service phone was also difficult to get through.
In order to protect the legitimate rights and interests of minors and consumers, guide the healthy development of the online game industry, and promote family harmony, the China Consumers Association (中国消费者协会) and the China Market Supervision and Management Society (中国市场监督管理学会) jointly issued the following tips:
——View refund disputes rationally and safeguard rights in accordance with the law and regulations.
According to Article 19 of the Civil Code, a minor over the age of eight is a person with limited civil capacity, and civil legal acts are carried out by his legal representative or with the consent and ratification of his legal representative; however, he may independently carry out civil legal acts that are purely beneficial or civil legal acts that are appropriate to his age and intelligence.
The relevant person in charge of the China Consumers Association (中国消费者协会) analyzed that, in the above-mentioned case of online game recharge by a minor in Henan (河南), the minor recharged more than 20,000 yuan in just half a year, which is obviously not commensurate with his age and intelligence. In the absence of evidence proving that his legal representative had prior consent or subsequent ratification, the act should be deemed invalid, and the property obtained by the defendant through the invalid act should be returned in accordance with the law. However, as a guardian, the boy's mother also had problems with inadequate supervision. Therefore, the court made a judgment that both parties should share the responsibility.
——The platform should actively fulfill its social responsibilities and build a solid risk control defense line.
The relevant person in charge of the China Consumers Association (中国消费者协会) believes that in order to promote the healthy and orderly development of the online game market and reduce relevant consumer disputes, online game platforms should actively fulfill their social responsibilities and weave a tight consumer rights protection network from the following three aspects.
First, online game platforms should actively and properly handle complaints. Online game platforms should attach great importance to refund requests from parents for minors’ recharges, improve the complaint handling mechanism, optimize the refund service process, improve the level of customer service, and respond to consumer demands in a timely manner. For large recharges that have sufficient evidence to prove that they were made by minors without the consent of their guardians and beyond their cognitive and payment capabilities, online game platforms should actively process refunds in accordance with laws and regulations and must not shirk or delay.
Second, on the basis of strictly implementing game real-name authentication and national anti-addiction policy requirements, online game platforms should further strengthen technical protection measures, accurately identify the identities of minors, and prevent minors from impersonating, renting, or borrowing adult accounts to play games and recharge.
Third, online game platforms should strengthen recharge consumption management. For accounts suspected of being operated by minors, more clear and effective reminder and verification mechanisms should be set up in the recharge payment process, the recharge amount should be reasonably limited, and convenient function options such as "small amount password-free payment" should be provided with caution.
——Strengthen guardianship education and establish correct consumption concepts.
Parents should restrict and guide the time and content of minors' use of the Internet. Cultivate children's healthy hobbies and consumption concepts, and help them establish correct Internet usage habits and rational consumption awareness.
In daily life, parents should properly keep their mobile phones, bank cards and various payment passwords, and should not easily tell minors their passwords; turn off or use the "small amount password-free payment" function in electronic payment with caution; regularly check account transaction records and promptly detect abnormal situations.
If a minor has already made a large recharge without consent, parents should pay attention to collecting and preserving relevant evidence, including recharge records, payment vouchers, game account information, and relevant chat records or videos that can prove that the recharge behavior was performed by the minor, so as to protect their rights in accordance with the law. Contact the official customer service of the game operating company in a timely manner, clearly express your demands, and communicate rationally. If negotiation fails, you can complain to the consumer association through the National Consumers Association's Smart 315 Complaint Platform, or you can report directly to the relevant administrative department.

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Photo Report

January 13th, highway workers in Altay Prefecture (阿勒泰地区), Xinjiang (新疆), carried out snow removal operations. The area began experiencing snowfall and strong winds from the night of the 12th, and various departments quickly took emergency measures to ensure the normal production and life of the people.
　　Photo by Mao Linbieke Huermaitihan (毛林别克·胡尔买提汗) (Xinhua News Agency (新华社) issued)

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Female police officer in Henan disarms assailant with bare hands to save a person (Help)

By: 本报记者 朱佩娴

One evening not long ago, Wang Miaoli (王妙丽), a police officer from Henan (河南), was on vacation in Luohe (漯河) with her young son when she noticed two men arguing fiercely by the roadside. Suddenly, one of them pulled out a sharp blade from a tricycle next to him. Seeing this, she quickly pushed her child to safety and rushed forward to try to stop the conflict.

The man holding the blade had lost his mind. Not only did he not stop, but he swung the knife and stabbed at Wang Miaoli (王妙丽). Wang Miaoli (王妙丽) completely disregarded her own safety and tried to disarm him with her bare hands. Seizing the opportunity, she kicked out with a flying kick, accurately knocking the weapon out of the man's hand. Seeing this, the man tried to escape in his tricycle. Wang Miaoli (王妙丽), enduring the severe pain, held onto his tricycle tightly. Finally, with the help of enthusiastic onlookers, the man was subdued and successfully apprehended by public security police officers who quickly arrived at the scene.

Afterward, Wang Miaoli (王妙丽) was rushed to the hospital for treatment. Her left cheek, ear, lips, and other parts of her face were cut by the blade, requiring more than 30 stitches. One deep cut was less than a centimeter away from an artery. She is now out of danger.

Wang Miaoli's (王妙丽) 10-year-old son, Lele (乐乐), recalled the scene with pride in his voice: "My mom kicked the knife out of that person's hand with one kick. She was very brave!" That night, Wang Miaoli (王妙丽) also received a message from her 18-year-old son: "Mom, you are a good police officer for the people, and a good role model for me and my brother, and a great hero of our family! But Mom, I feel so sorry for you..."

Seeing her injuries, everyone felt lingering fear. Wang Miaoli (王妙丽), a first-level police chief of the Education Section of the Second Compulsory Isolation Drug Rehabilitation Center in Henan Province (河南省第二强制隔离戒毒所), said: "I don't regret it. If this kind of thing happens again, even if I'm injured, I will still rush forward!"

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Beijing and Yan'an Launch First High-Speed Train Service

According to China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. (中国国家铁路集团有限公司), starting from 00:00 on January 26, the national railway will implement a new train operation schedule.

After the adjustment, the national railway will arrange 12,130 scheduled passenger trains, an increase of 243 compared to the current schedule, and operate 23,748 freight trains, an increase of 177 compared to the current schedule. The national railway's passenger and freight transportation capacity and efficiency will be further improved, and the supply of transportation products will be continuously optimized, which will better serve the high-quality development of the economy and society.

Make good use of the capacity of new high-speed rail lines and optimize the train operation schedule.

In the western region, taking advantage of the newly opened Baotou-Yinchuan High-Speed Railway, 2 pairs of Yinchuan-Beijing North benchmark EMU trains will be arranged, with the fastest travel time between the two places being 6 hours and 22 minutes, a reduction of 1 hour and 14 minutes compared to the current schedule. Taking advantage of the newly opened Xi'an-Yan'an High-Speed Railway, 22 pairs of EMU trains will be arranged from Yan'an to Beijing West, Shanghai Hongqiao, Guangzhou, Chengdu East, and other destinations. For the first time, high-speed EMU trains will operate between Beijing and Yan'an, with the fastest travel time from Yan'an to Beijing West being 5 hours and 42 minutes, a reduction of 4 hours and 37 minutes compared to the current schedule.

In the central region, taking advantage of the newly opened Wuhan-Yichang section of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu along the Yangtze River High-Speed Railway, 2 pairs of high-speed rail loop trains will be arranged from Xiangyang East to Xiangyang East and from Yichang East to Yichang East, further promoting external exchanges in western Hubei Province.

In the eastern region, taking advantage of the newly opened Guangzhou-Zhanjiang High-Speed Railway and the Shantou-Shantou South section of the Ningbo-Guangzhou High-Speed Railway, 100, 10, and 10 pairs of EMU trains will be arranged from Zhanjiang North to Guangzhou Baiyun, Shenzhen, and Shantou respectively, and 6 and 12 pairs of EMU trains will be operated from Shantou to Hong Kong West Kowloon and from Fuzhou South to Guangzhou East (Xintang) respectively. The fastest travel time from Shantou to Guangzhou Xintang will be 1 hour and 26 minutes, and the fastest travel time from Zhanjiang North to Guangzhou Baiyun will be 1 hour and 32 minutes, further strengthening the connection between eastern and western Guangdong and Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

It is worth noting that the railway department has also optimized the operation arrangement of cross-border trains to and from Hong Kong. Two additional high-speed sleeper trains will be added between Hong Kong West Kowloon and Shanghai Hongqiao every Tuesday to Thursday, realizing the operation of overnight high-speed sleeper trains between Shanghai and Hong Kong every day. Two additional EMU trains will be added between Hong Kong West Kowloon and Shanghai Hongqiao, stopping at Nanjing South, Hefei South and other stations. The number of stations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (香港特区) that connect to the mainland has exceeded 100, further promoting personnel exchanges and economic and trade exchanges between Hong Kong (香港) and the mainland.

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This edition's editors: Shang Yang, Bai Zhenzhi, Min Fangzheng

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Discussing Systemic Reform Strategies, Jointly Painting a New Chapter in Media Convergence Development

Let More People Feel the Power and Charm of Literature and Art

Chen Zhenlian (陈振濂), Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Consultant of the China Calligraphers Association

Currently, we are in an era of rapidly advancing technological waves. The new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation represented by artificial intelligence is in full swing, reshaping the media landscape and public opinion ecology. This is not only a profound change in the field of media, but also brings new opportunities and challenges to literary and artistic work.

In recent years, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles has actively used technologies such as artificial intelligence to empower literary and artistic creation and promote the innovation of cultural communication methods.

Make good use of intelligent tools to transform the path of literary and artistic communication. New technologies such as artificial intelligence are promoting the upgrading and transformation of literary and artistic work from production methods to communication forms. The artists of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles will actively adapt to the development of the times, unite and guide the vast number of literary and artistic workers, take the initiative to learn and use new media and new technologies, expand new paths for literary and artistic communication, explore new methods of literary and artistic creation, and contribute to promoting the prosperity and development of socialist literature and art and building a strong socialist cultural country.

Adhere to content as king and create excellent literary and artistic works for the people. We must be rooted in the people and life, make good use of intelligent means, create more excellent works that meet the people's cultural needs and enhance the people's spiritual strength, and provide strong value guidance, cultural cohesion, and spiritual impetus for achieving the second centenary goal and realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Deepen cooperation and mutual learning to enhance international communication capabilities. The program "Our Literature and Art Has Power" jointly produced by the Network Literature and Art Communication Center of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and People's Video is a cross-border integration that allows more people to feel the power and charm of literature and art through in-depth dialogue; it uses micro-recording to record the entire process of literary and artistic workers from daily life to creation. In the development of intelligent media, it is necessary to create more excellent works that demonstrate Chinese aesthetic taste, spread contemporary Chinese values, and reflect the common value pursuit of all mankind.

(Reported by Sheng Yulei (盛玉雷), reporter of this newspaper)

Navigating Artificial Intelligence with Mainstream Values

Tang Weihong (唐维红), Member of the Party Committee and Dean of the Research Institute of People's Daily Online

As a new tool for knowledge enhancement and a new entry point for network traffic, large models have the ability to guide public opinion and shape cognition, but they are also accompanied by risks such as value deviation and information fabrication.

People's Daily Online takes "wisdom leading intelligence, AI governing AI" as the path, coordinates the development and security of artificial intelligence, and builds a high-quality mainstream value corpus, covering basic, graphic, question and answer, factual, and risk control materials to ensure comprehensiveness, professionalism, and value alignment. At present, the work of warehousing more than 32 million basic materials, 320,000 pairs of question and answer materials, and 5 million pairs of graphic materials has been completed. Among them, the question and answer materials focus on the weak links of large models and adopt a mechanism of manual question setting, three reviews, and three proofs to strengthen quality. The corpus has been connected to more than 10 mainstream large models, effectively playing a corrective role, and has been selected as a "typical case of high-quality data sets" by the National Data Bureau.

Based on the corpus, People's Daily Online has developed the People's Intelligent Media Large Model, which takes value alignment and content credibility as the key, integrates search, knowledge base, and intelligent agent three engines, and consolidates the application advantages in the fields of media, party and government, education, and cultural tourism. For example, the "Xie Yi (写易)" intelligent creation engine has served many central ministries and local governments; the "Zi Zai (自在)" psychological large model was selected into the first batch of AI applications by the Ministry of Education and launched on the National Smart Education Platform; the "AI Guilin (AI桂林)" cultural tourism large model helps local industrial upgrading.

In order to promote the fair and inclusive development of artificial intelligence, People's Daily Online actively responds to the United Nations "Inclusive Plan for Artificial Intelligence Capacity Building" and supports Southern countries in building local language corpora to protect the diversity of civilizations. Relying on domestic practice, People's Daily Online, together with Guangxi (广西), Ningxia (宁夏) and other places, has launched a fruit large model for ASEAN and a China-Arab economic, trade, and cultural tourism intelligent agent for Arab countries to promote regional cooperation and sustainable development.

(Reported by Song Fei (宋飞), reporter of this newspaper)

"Art-Reason Integration" Explores a New Pattern of Education and Communication

Fu Qiaoling (傅巧玲), Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the China Academy of Art

In the wave of intelligent media, the China Academy of Art adheres to its cultural roots, embraces digital transformation, and explores a new pattern of education and communication with the unique path of "art-reason integration."

Layout of a global communication matrix. The China Academy of Art has formed a "one body, two wings" integrated media communication pattern: one is the precise reach of overseas social media matrix, and the other is the in-depth cultivation of domestic integrated media platforms. Our overseas social media matrix has been among the top ten in the overseas communication power of mainland Chinese universities for many years.

Break the circle of "Generation Z" with Chinese stories. We transform rich traditional cultural resources into digital cultural IPs with global appeal. Through contemporary visual design transformation, traditional festivals and solar terms are "brought to life." Hold multiple phenomenal exhibitions to promote global attention to major academic activities.

Lead mass aesthetics with in-depth reading. In 2023, the magazine "Du Hua (读画)" was founded to "read classic paintings and promote visual Sinology." In 2025, the integrated media brand column "Mei Ri Du Hua (每日读画)" jointly created by the Literature and Art Department of People's Daily, People's Daily Online, and the China Academy of Art was officially launched, becoming a communication model with academic depth, cultural identification, and social recognition.

Since 2023, the China Academy of Art has been entrusted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to hold the "Art Exchange Silk Road" foreign artists' visit to China for sketching and creation activities and exhibitions every year. At the same time, it has established the "Art Exchange Silk Road Friends" mechanism secretariat to bring the creative achievements of Chinese and foreign artists to the world for display. To date, more than 100 artists from more than 100 countries have participated in it, building a sustainable art exchange and communication network.

(Reported by Rong Yi (荣翌) and Lu Zehua (卢泽华), reporters of this newspaper)

Jointly Create a New Situation in the Development of Digital and Intelligent Media

Song Haitao (宋海涛), Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the China Association of Science and Technology Journalists

In October 2025, the AIGC and Digital and Intelligent Communication Professional Committee of the China Association of Science and Technology Journalists was officially established to jointly explore the path and model of AI empowering the systematic transformation of mainstream media and discuss the new models and new directions of digital and intelligent media development.

The technical support for the development of digital and intelligent media has changed: the human-machine collaborative content production model has changed from "human-led creation, technology-assisted" to "human-machine collaboration, AI-native"; the "super personalized" precision communication model has changed from "one size fits all" group communication to "a thousand people, a thousand faces" algorithm recommendation, and then to "one person, a thousand faces" deep personalization; media organizations have changed from traditional content producers to open capability providers, realizing the intensive use of resources and the reorganization and optimization of production relations by building a unified technology platform.

From "information dissemination" to "knowledge service and decision support," digital and intelligent media not only provide information services, but also provide structured knowledge and solutions; from "watching" to "dialogue and co-creation" interactive forms, conversational AI and intelligent agents will become new forms of interaction between digital and intelligent media and users and information service models; from "tool application" to "ecological construction," the development of digital and intelligent media is shifting from the application of single-point tools to the construction of a new intelligent media ecology characterized by "data-driven, human-machine collaboration, and value co-creation"; from "technology empowerment" to "value leadership," the media industry is increasingly aware of the importance of value leadership.

With the development of digital and intelligent media, we need to work together to contribute to building a new mainstream media landscape with strong influence and competitiveness.

(Reported by Xiong Jie (熊捷), reporter of this newspaper)

The Transformation of Industry Media Injects New Momentum into Efficient Social Governance

Li Fang (栗方), Deputy Director of the Yellow River Newspaper of the News and Publicity Publishing Center of the Yellow River Conservancy Commission

In the context of the information age, industry media is undergoing a profound transformation from "voice provider" to "empowerer," injecting new momentum into efficient social governance through value reconstruction and synergistic resonance.

First, value reconstruction, from information transmission to value empowerment. Deepen cognitive value and be a good "translator" and "decoder." Carry out popular interpretations of major river-related policies and break down industry barriers. Deepen cultural value and let Yellow River culture "live." Focusing on the "Three Thousand Miles of Long Dike, Five Thousand Years of Chinese Civilization" water culture brand, systematically promote the protection, inheritance, and promotion of Yellow River culture. Enhance prevention value, shifting from post-event reporting to risk warning. Build guidance value and establish a "monitoring-research and judgment-guidance" mechanism. Pay attention to public opinion, promptly push relevant publicity reports, actively respond to social concerns, and create a good public opinion atmosphere.

Second, synergistic resonance, establishing a "news + government affairs + service" integrated ecology. Work with media colleagues to create a communication "community." Realize resource sharing and channel interconnection through platform entry. Deepen the linkage with media in the basin provinces (regions) to expand the circle of friends. Be of one heart with the people and build a service "bridge of hearts." The Yellow River website has been comprehensively revised and upgraded to provide more convenient functions such as handling affairs, communication, and services, changing from "I speak, you listen" to "You have needs, I respond." Stand shoulder to shoulder with science and technology, focusing on the "achievement exhibition" of innovation. Taking advantage of the Yellow River water and sediment regulation and other opportunities, and through international academic conferences and other platforms, showcase the new quality productivity of the water conservancy industry such as the construction of the digital twin Yellow River.

(Organized by Yang Zhiran (杨知然) of People's Daily Media Technology Co., Ltd.)

Building a Continuously Optimized Intelligent Communication Ecology

Zhou Yang (周扬), Technical Director of the People's Daily National Party Media Information Public Platform

The People's Daily National Party Media Information Public Platform actively explores the use of media digital and intelligent technology to empower social governance needs. Focusing on the integrated attributes of "news + government affairs + services," it has formed a series of intelligent product systems driven by algorithms and data resources through continuous technological innovation and productization.

The platform regards "smart operation" and "high-efficiency governance" as important directions for the expansion of media technology applications.

On the one hand, it uses AI to improve its own operational efficiency, relies on platform data resources to train models, and develops major products such as "intelligent operation assistant," "intelligent search," and "multi-intelligent agent collaborative excellent draft recommendation system"; on the other hand, it serves social governance through intelligent means, jointly initiates the construction of the "High-Efficiency Governance Research Center" with institutions, empowers grassroots governance with media industry technology and operational experience, and promotes the effective combination of information dissemination, social governance, and public services. The platform has carried out case implementation cooperation with many places across the country, focusing on urban management, people's livelihood services, policy publicity, and other fields, and exploring "breaking the circle" samples of media technology assisting local governance.

Today, the functional boundaries of mainstream media have shown a trend of extension. As a new type of communication platform for central media, the People's Daily National Party Media Information Public Platform is striving to realize the transformation from "information dissemination hub" to "cross-border resource hub." The platform will continue to use digital and intelligent technology as the engine to build a continuously optimized intelligent communication ecology and strive to become an important force in promoting efficient social governance.

(Organized by Yang Zhiran (杨知然) of People's Daily Media Technology Co., Ltd.)

Promote the Integration of High-Quality Corpus Across Industries, Fields, and Regions

Yuan Lei (袁雷), Director of the Research and Development Department of People's Daily Online

More and more companies are externally attaching their long-term accumulated and carefully polished corporate knowledge bases and personal experience knowledge bases to intelligent agents. These high-quality corpora help companies achieve a leap from "delivering tools" to "delivering results" in various scenarios through AI, greatly improving corporate production and operational efficiency.

Relying on the National Key Laboratory of Cognition of Communication Content, People's Daily Online has built an artificial intelligence large model content security evaluation system. Based on the authoritative and high-quality content and important documents and resources of the Party and the state formed by the long-term construction and development of Party newspapers and Party websites, it has built a mainstream value corpus containing more than 32 million basic materials, 320,000 pairs of question and answer materials, and 5 million pairs of graphic materials through scientific sampling, collection, labeling, and customization.

On this basis, People's Daily Online, adhering to the concept of "open collaboration and co-construction of ecology," officially launched the People's Daily Online Corpus Community. The community has both the dual characteristics of "kitchen" and "supermarket": it is not only a co-creation corpus production platform, but also a shared corpus ecological service platform, realizing the co-creation and sharing, open source collaboration, and safe circulation of the corpus.

People's Daily Online will open up some basic corpora, covering mainstream values, mainstream culture, and news facts, and open the "showroom" of the corpus production platform for free, and support customized development and corpus review services to help governments, academic institutions, universities, and enterprises build safe and intelligent corpus infrastructure and create exclusive high-quality AI data sets. Connect data demanders and suppliers, lead AI with mainstream values, and promote the integration of high-quality corpus across industries, fields, and regions.

(Organized by Liu Ruoxuan (刘若轩), reporter of this newspaper)

Build a Full-Domain and Comprehensive Public Service Platform for Digital Assets

Wang Xiaoxin (王晓欣), General Manager of People's Audiovisual Technology Co., Ltd.

Improve the basic system of data elements, build an open, shared, and secure national integrated data market, and deepen the development and utilization of data resources. Relying on its own rich content resources, People's Daily Online links high-quality digital assets of media, party and government institutions, and industry platforms to aggregate digital copyright resources, serve digital asset transactions, and build a full-domain and comprehensive public service platform for digital assets.

The People's Daily Online Digital Asset Service Platform covers copyright resources such as videos and graphics, and builds a full-chain platform for digital asset library construction, review, confirmation of rights, and transactions. The platform provides one-stop data asset management services, which can be connected with its own material library, support one-click transfer of video content, batch setting of authorization scope, and obtain income through platform transactions.

Relying on the National Key Laboratory of Cognition of Communication Content, the platform builds a full-process compliance evaluation system and a mainstream value corpus to achieve accurate control over the compliance and security of data. Currently, the People's Daily Online Digital Asset Service Platform has officially launched a strategic partner recruitment plan. It aims to enrich the quantity and categories of digital assets on the platform through multi-level cooperation, realize resource aggregation; introduce professional forces in different fields, improve the industrial service chain, and realize ecological diversification; link partners in multiple regions to expand the platform's influence and coverage, and realize market scaling, creating brand and commercial value for partners.

We uphold open collaboration and co-construction and win-win, and unite all parties to jointly build a new digital asset industry ecology with wide coverage, rich resources, standardized transactions, and healthy order.

(Organized by Zhang Yukun (张钰坤) of People's Daily Digital Communication Co., Ltd.)

Warm Stories Gather Strength to Help Build a Harmonious and Beautiful Countryside

Meng Jianmei (蒙剑媚), Deputy Director of the Comprehensive Broadcasting of Guangxi Radio and Television Station

The integrated media report "Da Guo Xiao Cun (大国小村)" (Big Country, Small Village) links multiple mainstream media to present a three-dimensional picture of the practice of comprehensive rural revitalization, conveying the power of people's livelihood with warm narratives.

The "Da Guo Xiao Cun (大国小村)" report went deep into 42 villages, deeply digging into the stories of new farmers, villagers, and other groups, and outlining a vivid picture of comprehensive rural revitalization with the "small stories" of ordinary people, allowing the audience to truly perceive the people's livelihood response to the implementation of policies.

In the interview reports, mainstream media have realized the role upgrade from "recorder" to "participant" and "promoter." Through the development experience of small villages, combined with expert interpretation to extract referable solutions, it not only allows the audience to understand the logic of rural development, but also attracts talent and technical resources for the countryside, and promotes the long-term solution of people's livelihood demands.

Mainstream media use reports to build a bridge of communication for public opinion, expand social attention through multi-platform dissemination, and promote rapid response from departments; play the role of public opinion supervision and positive guidance through typical cases, and drive experience replication with the power of role models; empower the grassroots to activate endogenous power, let villagers see their own value, and actively participate in village affairs and industrial development. The report also provides accurate reference for government decision-making, puts forward "classified policy implementation" suggestions based on the differentiated demands of villages, summarizes and promotes governance models such as "Party building leadership + grid service," and builds a "media supervision-government response-mass feedback" mechanism to provide reference for the construction of a harmonious and beautiful countryside.

(Organized by Yang Zhiran (杨知然) of People's Daily Media Technology Co., Ltd.)

Community Alliance Platform Empowers the Grassroots
Yu Bo (于波), Deputy Director of Qingdao Daily (青岛日报) Newspaper Group Guanhai News (观海新闻) Planning, Collection, Editing, and Distribution Center, Head of Qingdao Community Alliance Platform (青岛社区联盟平台)

In April 2025, Qingdao Daily (青岛日报) Newspaper Group initiated the establishment of the Community Alliance Platform (社区联盟平台), planning to connect 1,000 communities in three years. To date, the Qingdao Community Alliance Platform (青岛社区联盟平台) has successively investigated typical cases and governance pain points of "village-to-community transformation"; created the first "Village Beer + Village Super League," making Liujia Village (刘家村) in Jiaozhou (胶州), Shandong (山东) a new local cultural tourism landmark; and told the stories of small shops in the streets and alleys and transformed them into traffic.

Based on these practical results, the Qingdao Community Alliance Platform (青岛社区联盟平台) empowers the grassroots through three dimensions. First, it realizes the role transformation from "reporter" to "co-builder." The Community Alliance Platform (社区联盟平台) uses the Internet thinking of "platform + ecology" to provide communities with three major service systems: "integrated media +", "platform +", and "think tank +", realizing the "two-way rush" between media and communities. Second, it completes the relationship reconstruction from "you and me" to "us." The Qingdao Community Alliance Platform (青岛社区联盟平台) participates in the operation and construction of community party-mass service centers represented by Laoshan District (崂山区), integrating various resources to empower community activities, volunteer services, etc. Third, it strengthens the value link of "synergistic resonance." The intervention of the Qingdao Community Alliance Platform (青岛社区联盟平台) allows the trivial "information flow" in the community to be sublimated into "value flow," contributing "intelligent media power" to solving community governance problems.

In the future, the Qingdao Community Alliance Platform (青岛社区联盟平台) will continue to play the role of a "bond," jointly writing a new chapter in the beautiful life of the city with the community, and exploring new paths and accumulating experience for the systematic transformation of mainstream media.

(Organized by Yang Zhiran (杨知然) of People's Daily Media Technology Co., Ltd. (人民日报媒体技术股份有限公司))

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Editor in Charge for This Edition: Zhang Ye, Yang Xiaoyu, Zhang Yifu

Layout Design: Wang Zhepeng (汪哲平)

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Greenlanders Don't Want to Become Americans (International Perspective)

By: 本报记者 郭梓云 刘仲华 李志伟

Recently, after the United States launched military operations against Venezuela (委内瑞拉), it has repeatedly threatened to seize Greenland (格陵兰岛), an autonomous territory of Denmark (丹麦), and "reserve all options" for this purpose. These remarks have triggered strong opposition and concern from European countries such as Denmark (丹麦). The Greenland (格陵兰岛) Self-Government issued a statement on January 12 stating that the Greenland (格陵兰岛) Self-Government cannot accept the United States taking over Greenland (格陵兰岛) under any circumstances. Leaders of various political parties in Greenland (格陵兰岛) recently issued a joint statement stating that "Greenlanders (格陵兰人) do not want to be Americans."

The reporter once interviewed in Greenland (格陵兰岛). Whether it was an elderly person over sixty who only spoke Inuit or a teenager who mastered multiple languages, Greenlanders (格陵兰人) have a strong sense of identity and national pride in their culture and this land. Now, the U.S. has repeatedly threatened to seize Greenland (格陵兰岛). The security policies and interests behind this expose naked hegemonic thinking. If the United States insists on bypassing international law and using all means to seize Greenland (格陵兰岛), it will inevitably cause substantial damage to the transatlantic partnership and trigger further tensions in the international situation.

The U.S. government's threat to Greenland (格陵兰岛) rises to a "new height."

On January 11, U.S. President Trump (特朗普) said on the presidential plane "Air Force One" (空军一号) that the United States "must get Greenland (格陵兰岛) in any way." It is not enough for the United States to have military bases in Greenland (格陵兰岛); it also needs "ownership," like "property rights" in the real estate industry. Trump (特朗普) also said that Denmark (丹麦) and Europe's protection of Greenland (格陵兰岛) is "basically two dog sleds." When asked if this would damage the relationship between the United States and its European allies in NATO (北约), Trump (特朗普) bluntly said: "If it affects NATO (北约), then it affects it."

On January 9, when answering questions from reporters about Greenland (格陵兰岛), Trump (特朗普) said, "I hope to reach an agreement in a simple way, but if not, we can only take the 'difficult' path." Trump (特朗普) had previously stated that Venezuela (委内瑞拉) may not be the last country the United States intervenes in, and said, "We absolutely need Greenland (格陵兰岛)."

U.S. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller (斯蒂芬·米勒) said that Greenland (格陵兰岛) "should belong to the United States" and that "no one will militarily confront the United States for the future of Greenland (格陵兰岛)." U.S. White House Press Secretary Leavitt (莱维特) said that Trump (特朗普) and his team are discussing "a series of options" to obtain Greenland (格陵兰岛), including "buying" and "using the U.S. military."

Greenland (格陵兰岛) is located in northeastern North America (北美洲) and is the world's largest island, belonging to the autonomous territory of Denmark (丹麦). Greenland (格陵兰岛) has a high degree of autonomy, and defense and foreign affairs are managed by the Danish (丹麦) government. The United States currently has a military base in Greenland (格陵兰岛). Since Trump (特朗普) returned to the White House in 2025, he has repeatedly stated that he wants to obtain Greenland (格陵兰岛). In March 2025, U.S. Vice President Vance (万斯) led a delegation to visit Greenland (格陵兰岛) "uninvited" and inspected the U.S. military base on the island. In December 2025, Trump (特朗普) appointed Louisiana (路易斯安那州) Governor Jeff Landry (杰夫·兰德里) as the U.S. Special Envoy to Greenland (格陵兰岛), saying that he would promote relevant U.S. interests and emphasizing the importance of Greenland (格陵兰岛) to U.S. national security. It is reported that U.S. Secretary of State Rubio (鲁比奥) will meet with Danish (丹麦) officials in the near future to conduct "dialogue" on the Greenland (格陵兰岛) issue. An Associated Press article commented: "The White House's threat to Greenland (格陵兰岛) has risen to a new height."

The relevant actions and statements of the Trump (特朗普) administration have triggered strong opposition from Denmark (丹麦) and Greenland (格陵兰岛). Danish (丹麦) Prime Minister Frederiksen (弗雷泽里克森) called Trump's (特朗普) remarks "completely and fundamentally unacceptable," demanded that the U.S. stop threatening Denmark (丹麦) and the people of Greenland (格陵兰), and warned that if Greenland (格陵兰岛) is forcibly seized, NATO (北约) will come to an end. The Greenland (格陵兰岛) Self-Government issued a statement on January 12 stating that Greenland (格陵兰岛) is part of the Kingdom of Denmark (丹麦王国) and also part of NATO (北约), and the defense of Greenland (格陵兰岛) should be achieved through NATO (北约). Greenland (格陵兰岛) Self-Government Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen (延斯—弗雷德里克·尼尔森) responded, "Greenland (格陵兰) is our home, our territory, and this will never change." Greenland (格陵兰岛) politician Aaja Chemnitz (阿雅·切姆尼茨), who represents Greenland (格陵兰岛) in the Danish (丹麦) Parliament, said: "We must prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

According to several media reports, European countries such as the United Kingdom (英国) and Germany (德国) are discussing stationing joint NATO (北约) forces in Greenland (格陵兰岛). On January 12, Kubilius (库比柳斯), a senior EU official responsible for defense, told the media at a security policy conference in Sälen (赛伦), Sweden (瑞典), that if Denmark (丹麦) requests, the EU can provide security support for Greenland (格陵兰岛) and warned that if the United States seizes Greenland (格陵兰岛) by military means, it will mean that NATO (北约) is "coming to an end." On January 6, Denmark (丹麦), France (法国), Germany (德国), Italy (意大利), Poland (波兰), Spain (西班牙), and the United Kingdom (英国) issued a joint statement emphasizing that Greenland (格陵兰岛) belongs to its people and only Denmark (丹麦) and Greenland (格陵兰岛) have the right to decide on matters involving themselves, and sovereignty, territorial integrity, and borders are inviolable. On the same day, the foreign ministers of the five Nordic countries of Denmark (丹麦), Finland (芬兰), Iceland (冰岛), Norway (挪威), and Sweden (瑞典) issued a joint statement emphasizing that matters involving Denmark (丹麦) and Greenland (格陵兰岛) should be decided entirely by Denmark (丹麦) and Greenland (格陵兰岛) themselves.

The local area hopes that the United States will stop its "contempt" for Greenland (格陵兰岛).

The United States has long coveted Greenland (格陵兰岛). Greenland (格陵兰岛) connects the Arctic (北极), the Northwest Passage (加拿大西北航道), and the North Atlantic Route (北大西洋航道), and is located on the shortest air route from North America (北美) to Europe (欧洲) and Russia (俄罗斯). The island is rich in rare earths, graphite, copper, nickel, and other resources needed for energy transition and chip manufacturing. In 1917, the United States purchased today's U.S. Virgin Islands (美属维尔京群岛) from Denmark (丹麦) for $25 million. Shortly after World War II, the United States proposed to buy Greenland (格陵兰岛), but after being rejected, it obtained a higher degree of military access to the island.

Greenland (格陵兰岛) has a total population of 57,000, 85% of whom are indigenous Inuit (因纽特人), who have made a living by fishing and hunting for generations. A few years ago, the reporter went to Greenland (格陵兰岛) for an interview, taking a Greenland Airlines (格陵兰航空公司) flight from Copenhagen (哥本哈根), the capital of Denmark (丹麦), across the Atlantic (大西洋) to the northwest, and arriving in Nuuk (努克), the capital of Greenland (格陵兰岛), after nearly 5 hours of flight. From the air, the exposed rock, grayish-white ice sheet, and deep blue fjords spread out in the field of vision, with almost no conspicuous roads or continuous town belts.

Stepping out of the airport, the polar cold wind hit our faces. Nuuk (努克) is not only the administrative center of Greenland (格陵兰岛) but also its most modern city. Cars pass by from time to time on the streets, and occasionally you can see locals driving dog sleds. Supermarkets display various vegetables and non-staple foods produced in Europe (欧洲), and markets sell fish and meat caught by local fishermen. In clothing stores, there are both modern ready-to-wear clothes and traditional Inuit (因纽特) fur clothing. In formal occasions such as parliamentary meetings and opening ceremonies, wearing Inuit (因纽特) clothing is regarded as orthodox and solemn etiquette. Greenland (格陵兰岛) is considered one of the regions with the most complete preservation and highest degree of institutionalization of Inuit (因纽特) culture today, and the unique cultural ties tighten Greenland's (格陵兰) social cohesion.

The United States' repeated statements that it wants to seize Greenland (格陵兰岛) have angered the local people, who resolutely oppose and strongly protest the U.S.'s hegemonic actions. A poll released last year showed that 85% of Greenlanders (格陵兰) oppose becoming part of the United States. "They actually think they can occupy our land at will, which is too domineering!" Greenland (格陵兰岛) resident Mia Schmidt (米娅·施密特) said indignantly. "This is a clear signal from the United States that they insist on controlling Greenland (格陵兰岛). Why does the United States always illegally infringe on the interests of other countries?" Greenland (格陵兰岛) resident Jesper Muller (杰斯珀·穆勒) said worriedly. Rosin (罗辛), a member of the Greenland (格陵兰岛) Autonomous Parliament, said: "Greenland (格陵兰岛) is not a commodity and should be respected."

The joint statement issued by the leaders of various political parties in Greenland (格陵兰岛) on January 9 also reiterated that the future of Greenland (格陵兰岛) should be decided by the people of Greenland (格陵兰) themselves, hoping that the United States will stop its "contempt" for Greenland (格陵兰岛), emphasizing that relevant dialogues must be based on diplomacy and international principles, which is "the way forward that should be followed."

This event will become a "new variable" affecting Sino-European relations.

Analysts believe that in the new version of the U.S. National Security Strategy Report, the Trump (特朗普) administration regards Europe (欧洲) as an ideological and geopolitical opponent, reflecting the deepening cracks in U.S.-Europe (美欧) relations. The U.S. is increasingly inclined to disregard the position of European allies and directly control strategic locations and key resources.

Ursstagen (厄斯塔根), a senior researcher at the U.S. think tank Arctic Institute (北极研究所), believes that the Trump (特朗普) administration's motives for its actions against Greenland (格陵兰岛) are clearly to win special transaction channels and cooperation opportunities for its own companies in order to obtain economic benefits, "**恃强凌弱**" (shì qiáng líng ruò - "bully the weak," to use one's power to oppress others). The authoritative German (德国) journal *International Politics and Society* published an article arguing that Trump's (特朗普) actions are entirely driven by power politics, aimed at satisfying his territorial ambitions and seizing prestige, and are essentially an act of imperialist hegemony.

The German (德国) newspaper *Der Tagesspiegel* believes that this is the most serious diplomatic crisis between Denmark (丹麦) and the United States since the end of World War II. Denmark (丹麦) has to face a situation in which its once closest ally is trying to annex part of Danish (丹麦) territory through intimidation, blatant provocation, and threats of force.

The U.S. magazine *The Atlantic* published an article stating that Trump's (特朗普) attempt to control Greenland (格陵兰岛) may trigger a chain reaction. When a core member of NATO (北约) openly covets the sovereign territory of another member state, the military alliance will face paralysis. The recent series of actions by the United States has made Denmark (丹麦) feel the urgency of the situation again. The U.S. raid on Venezuela (委内瑞拉) seems to confirm that Trump (特朗普) is willing to use military action as a backing to make demands on other countries, which can be described as "gunboat diplomacy in the 21st century."

Faced with the increasingly aggressive attitude of the United States, Europe (欧洲) is facing a dilemma between security cooperation and the bottom line of sovereignty. Viesland (维斯兰德), director of the Nordic Office of the U.S. Atlantic Council (大西洋理事会), said that entering 2026, NATO (北约) is facing the most severe survival crisis since its establishment. The EU think tank European Policy Studies Center (欧洲政策研究中心) recently published an article stating that the U.S. government's high-profile statement on the Greenland (格陵兰岛) issue is widely regarded as another typical case of bypassing allies and exerting pressure on the sovereignty of other countries in the name of "national security," "which is exacerbating the collective unease within the EU about the direction of transatlantic relations and is becoming a new variable affecting Sino-European relations."

(Reported by *this newspaper* from Berlin (柏林) and Washington (华盛顿) on January 13)

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Undermining the International Order: A Self-Inflicted Wound (Commentary)

By: 漆海霞

The U.S. government's attempt to seize Greenland has aroused strong opposition from the international community. Seeking to seize the territory of other countries severely undermines current international norms and the principle of sovereignty, and is a typical hegemonic mindset.

At a time when the United States' national strength is declining and its diplomacy requires strategic contraction, how can the United States be made "great again"? Faced with more thorny issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Middle East conflicts, the United States is trying to use countries such as Venezuela and Denmark as diplomatic "breakthroughs" in the hope of achieving territorial expansion and expanding its strategic advantages. The attempt to seize Greenland is, on the one hand, to control important waterways and sea lanes in the Western Hemisphere, completely control the North American Arctic Circle, and compete for key minerals; on the other hand, it is an attempt to maintain a tough stance externally and demonstrate diplomatic achievements to cater to some politicians and people in the United States, stabilize the populist base, increase approval ratings, and increase the chances of winning the midterm elections.

However, calculations regarding Greenland will seriously damage the transatlantic partnership and further deepen European countries' distrust and resentment of the United States. As The New York Times commented, "The United States is tearing down the international order it built with its own hands." As one of the founders of the post-war international order and system, the United States no longer maintains norms and order, but instead relies on power and military force, leading to the degradation of international norms and the deterioration of the world order, which will ultimately undermine its own foundation and seriously weaken its own position.

(The author is the Deputy Dean of the Institute of International Relations of Tsinghua University (清华大学) and a professor at the School of Social Sciences.)

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French Economy Gradually Recovering

By: 本报记者 于超凡

According to the latest report released by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, France's economic growth is projected to be 0.9% in 2025 and 1% in 2026. The report shows that in the third quarter of 2025, France's gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.5% quarter-on-quarter, a significant acceleration compared to the second quarter, indicating enhanced economic momentum. French Prime Minister Lecornu (勒科尔尼) recently stated that France's main indicators such as economic growth, inflation, and employment are generally better than previously expected.

The gradual recovery of the French economy is the result of multiple factors, including the rebound in economic momentum in the second half of 2025, the stabilization of investment, and the better-than-expected recovery of industry. In specific areas, the easing of supply constraints in the French aerospace sector has led to a 1.3% quarter-on-quarter increase in manufacturing output, a 4.8% quarter-on-quarter increase in manufacturing exports, a 0.8% quarter-on-quarter increase in corporate investment, and continued resilience in public consumption. The price situation in France also provides some support for economic recovery. Data from the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies show that in November 2025, France's inflation rate rose by 0.9% year-on-year, which is at a low level in the Eurozone. Relatively moderate inflation helps to stabilize residents' expectations of actual purchasing power and also provides companies with a relatively predictable environment in terms of cost control and business decision-making.

The survey results from the corporate side are somewhat consistent with the macro data. The monthly business survey released by the Bank of France (法国央行) not long ago showed that economic activity continued to improve in November 2025, with industry performing particularly well. Relevant indicators have been above the long-term average for the sixth consecutive month, and the actual operating conditions are better than previously expected. The survey pointed out that the accelerated development of industries such as computers, electronics, and optical products is an important driving factor for the recent industrial improvement, and traditional industries such as agriculture and automobiles have also shown signs of recovery. Approximately 8,500 companies participating in the survey believe that the easing of supply, price, and employment pressures has created relatively stable external conditions for economic recovery. Currently, industrial sales prices are generally stable, and service prices are rising slightly. 8% of industrial enterprises believe that there are obvious supply difficulties; the proportion of enterprises reflecting recruitment difficulties is about 16%, which is lower than before.

Improved growth prospects do not mean that risks have disappeared. The French economy is still facing some structural pressures. Data from the Bank of France (法国央行) show that although the uncertainty index of the French economy has fallen, it is still at a relatively high level. Data released by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies show that as of the end of the third quarter of 2025, France's total public debt reached 3,482.2 billion euros, accounting for 117.4% of GDP. The European Commission (欧盟委员会) previously predicted that France's fiscal deficit in 2025 will account for 5.5% of GDP, significantly higher than the 3% ceiling set by the EU, and at a high level among member states. The French newspaper *Le Monde* (《世界报》) reported that the growth rate of French public debt has been higher than the growth rate of the domestic economy in recent years. Although the overall inflation level has begun to fall, it is mainly due to the decline in energy prices. Prices of food, housing, and other items are still growing rapidly, and it is expected that the growth rate of residents' purchasing power will still be lower than the level of economic activity.

Currently, the French Parliament (法国议会) has not yet formally approved the 2026 fiscal budget. The French government has therefore passed a "special law" draft, allowing the government to continue to collect taxes and borrow money in the absence of the 2026 fiscal budget to ensure the normal operation of national institutions. The OECD (经合组织) assessed that the market is highly sensitive to the French government's budget arrangements and debt policies. The sooner the budget is clarified and the clearer the policy path, the more conducive it is to alleviating market sentiment and boosting confidence in all aspects of economic operation. French Minister of Economy, Finance, Industry, Energy and Digital Sovereignty Lescure (莱斯屈尔) stated that the government's judgment on economic growth prospects is becoming cautiously optimistic.

(Reported by this newspaper, Paris (巴黎), January 13)

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Panama Initiates Administrative Procedures for Restoration of Chinese Arrival Monument

Xinhua News Agency, Panama City, January 12th (Reporter Xu Yongzheng (许咏政)) Panama's Minister of Culture, Maruja Herrera (马鲁哈·埃雷拉), announced on the 12th that, following President Mulino's (穆利诺) instructions, she has officially launched the administrative work related to the restoration of the monument commemorating the arrival of Chinese in Panama.

On the same day, Herrera (埃雷拉) represented the Panamanian government in visiting the former site of the monument commemorating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Chinese in Panama, located at the Mirador of the Bridge of the Americas on the west side of the Panama Canal (巴拿马运河). Herrera (埃雷拉) said at the site that the Panamanian government has begun coordinating with various parties, including the Chinese community, and the Ministry of Culture has reached a preliminary consensus with the architectural team and the relevant working group of the Chinese community. The next step will be to screen architectural design proposals and complete the restoration at the original site.

Herrera (埃雷拉) said: "This place was unfortunately damaged before, and we are ready to restore it and re-endow it with value. This is a space that belongs to all Panamanians, especially the Chinese community."

From the night of December 27th to the early morning of December 28th, 2025, the monument commemorating the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Chinese in Panama was forcibly demolished by the Arraiján (阿赖汉) Municipal Government. After the incident, the Presidential Palace (总统府) issued an announcement on the 28th, explicitly opposing the demolition of the monument, ordering its immediate restoration at the original site, and requiring coordination with the Panamanian Chinese community and the Panamanian Ministry of Culture (巴文化部) to advance related work.

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Iranian Foreign Minister: Iran is ready for all possibilities

Xinhua News Agency, Cairo, January 12th. Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi said in an interview with Al Jazeera on the 12th that Iran is ready to deal with all possible scenarios and hopes the United States will make a "wise choice." If the United States chooses military means, Iran is also ready.

Araghchi said that compared with Israel's surprise attack on Iran last June, which triggered the "12-day war," Iran is now "militarily well-prepared and has a wide range." He pointed out that the United States and Israel intend to create chaos to achieve goals that were not achieved through war. Iran will never allow "terrorist organizations" supported by external forces, especially Israel, to continue their activities.

Regarding the possibility of bilateral meetings between Iran and the United States, Araghchi said that relevant proposals are "under study."

According to Al Jazeera, Iranian Defense Minister Nasirzadeh said on the 12th that once Iran's "national interests" are attacked, Iran will attack enemy facilities anywhere, and any country that provides support and bases for enemy attacks will be regarded as an enemy.

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Air pollution plagues many parts of India

By: 本报记者 赵益普

According to the latest research results released by the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air in India, nearly 44% of India's towns and cities suffer from "long-term air pollution," with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels in these areas exceeding national standards for most of the time. A recent report released by the Indian National Congress stated that India's poor air quality is a "nationwide structural crisis," urging the Indian government to shift the focus of air pollution control to major emission sources – solid fuel combustion, vehicle emissions, and industrial emissions.

Air pollution is becoming a severe challenge in many parts of India. A report from the Central Pollution Control Board of India showed that the average air quality index in New Delhi (新德里) in November 2025 was at the "very poor" level, with no "good," "satisfactory," or "moderate" air quality days recorded throughout the month, and the air quality index reaching "severe" and "extremely severe" levels on several days. From December 2025 to early January 2026, New Delhi's air quality index remained at "unhealthy" levels for an extended period. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) stated that air pollution levels in New Delhi and many parts of northern India have "exceeded the World Health Organization's safe limits by nearly 35 times," requiring action from all sectors of society to alleviate air pollution.

Since the end of October 2025, many parts of northern India have been continuously shrouded in smog after entering winter, with the average PM2.5 concentration in New Delhi once exceeding 20 times the World Health Organization's recommended daily maximum value. According to reports, India's air pollution problem is mainly affected by industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, and straw burning. Coupled with reduced air convection after entering winter, pollutants are difficult to disperse, leading to a more severe pollution situation. Data from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology shows that from November 1 to 22, 2025, motor vehicle emissions accounted for 14% to 20% of air pollutants in New Delhi, making them one of the main sources of pollution. The Indian government has repeatedly attempted artificial rainfall, but with little success due to insufficient meteorological conditions. The New Delhi government has also launched pollution prevention measures to implement the "Graded Response Action Plan," including restricting construction site work, advising residents to reduce outdoor activities, and requiring all institutions and enterprises to have at least 50% of their employees work from home.

*India Today* reported that New Delhi has long been plagued by air pollution. In 2023, one in seven deaths in New Delhi was related to air pollution. A report from the Swiss air quality monitoring platform IQAir showed that New Delhi has been considered the world's most polluted capital for seven consecutive years from 2018 to 2024. Affected by this, sales of air purifiers on major e-commerce platforms in India have surged, and the number of people buying air purifiers in many shopping malls in New Delhi has also increased significantly. A report from the Indian research company "Markets & Data" predicts that the Indian air purifier market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 12.33% between fiscal years 2026 and 2033, from $150 million to $380 million.

To address the severe air pollution challenges, the Indian government launched the *National Clean Air Programme* and established the Commission for Air Quality Management through parliamentary legislation to promote cross-regional and cross-sectoral collaboration. Addressing the issue of excessive emissions from old motor vehicles, the Indian government is strengthening the inspection of non-compliant motor vehicles in various cities and actively promoting the construction of charging piles and increasing purchase subsidies to promote the use of new energy vehicles. According to *The Indian Express*, the penetration rate of new energy vehicles in New Delhi is relatively low. In the first 10 months of 2025, the number of new energy vehicles registered in New Delhi was less than 1/10 of the number of fuel vehicles. The Supreme Court of India recently suggested to the Indian government that it should first stop selling traditional fuel vehicles and hybrid vehicles in the high-end car model sector and achieve full electrification of automobiles in this field as soon as possible.

The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (印度理工学院新德里分校) recently released a research report stating that the Indian government should also promote the use of clean fuels, improve waste management, and strictly regulate emissions to control pollution sources to truly alleviate air pollution problems. Chandra Bhushan (乔杜里), Executive Director of the Centre for Science and Environment, believes that promoting energy transition is the key to India alleviating air pollution problems, including the electrification of industrial production and the promotion of pure electric vehicles, "so that all walks of life can have access to sufficient clean energy."

Atul Bagai (皮苏帕蒂), the UNEP Country Head for India, stated that air pollution control cannot be completed by government departments alone, and Indian citizens and social organizations should also consciously assume responsibility, actively participate in energy conservation and emission reduction, and promote changes in lifestyles. It is understood that with the support of UNEP, India has established the "Air Quality Action Forum," bringing together large enterprises, civil society, academia, and medical and health groups to jointly participate in air governance. UNEP is also working with the Indian Ministry of Environment to promote the "Behaviour Change Programme," hoping to reduce individual carbon footprints through education and community action.

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Record High Number of Japanese Corporate Bankruptcies in 2025

According to Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo (东京) January 13th (Reporters Li Shimeng (李诗萌) and Liu Chunyan (刘春燕)) - Tokyo Shoko Research (东京商工调查公司) released a report on January 13th stating that the number of bankruptcies among Japanese companies in 2025 reached a new high since 2013.

The data shows that in 2025, there were 10,300 cases of bankruptcies among Japanese companies with total liabilities of 10 million yen (approximately 439,000 yuan) or more, an increase of 2.9% compared to the previous year, marking the fourth consecutive year of increase since 2022. Approximately 90% of the bankrupt companies were small and medium-sized enterprises. Companies with liabilities of less than 100 million yen (approximately 4.39 million yuan) accounted for 77%, the highest in the past 30 years.

The data also shows that bankruptcies caused by labor shortages increased by 36% year-on-year to 397 cases, a record high; bankruptcies caused by high prices reached 767 cases, increasing for the third consecutive year. In terms of industry, the number of corporate bankruptcies in 7 of the 10 industries included in the statistics was higher than the previous year, with the service industry and construction industry ranking at the top.

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This section edited by: Zou Zhipeng, Zhang Huizhong, Chu Jun

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Decoding the American Hegemonic Logic of the "New Monroe Doctrine" (In-Depth Focus)

By: 孙岩峰

"After years of neglect, the United States will reaffirm and promote the 'Monroe Doctrine' to reshape its dominance in the Western Hemisphere," as stated in the U.S. National Security Strategy report released in December 2025. For Latin American countries also located in the Western Hemisphere, what they feel from the U.S. "New Monroe Doctrine" is not peace and goodwill, but hegemony and destruction.

On January 3, after more than four months of military threats, the United States brazenly used force against Venezuela, forcibly taking control of Venezuelan President Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife, shocking the international community. This act of blatant trampling on the *Charter of the United Nations* is an adventurous attempt to revive the "Monroe Doctrine" against the backdrop of a major adjustment in U.S. foreign strategy. It seriously violates international law and the basic norms of international relations, becoming a "watershed" in Western Hemisphere geopolitics.

Unilateral sanctions block economic lifelines, interference in internal affairs undermines peace and stability, hegemonic rhetoric distorts fairness and justice... In recent years, the United States' maximum pressure on Venezuela has never stopped. Behind this series of operations is the spread of the "Monroe Doctrine" shadow in Latin America. The United States, which forcefully promotes the "Monroe Doctrine," regards the Western Hemisphere as its "sphere of influence." Its hegemonic logic towards the Latin American region has not only never changed, but has continued to escalate.

Strategic Ambitions and Barbaric Acts

At the beginning of the new U.S. government in January 2025, the "Monroe Doctrine" was prominently returned to the core of U.S. foreign policy, and a series of hegemonic expansionist acts were staged in Latin America one after another. The new version of the U.S. National Security Strategy report emphasizes that the United States must occupy a dominant position in the Western Hemisphere, "This advantage enables us to confidently demonstrate our strength at any time and in any place needed in the region." This U.S. military invasion of Venezuela shows that its strategic ambition to dominate the Western Hemisphere has moved from conception to action.

The "New Monroe Doctrine" has the following new characteristics:

Treating internal illnesses externally, shifting domestic contradictions to Latin America. Faced with thorny problems such as drug abuse, illegal immigration, and organized crime, the U.S. government has not focused on strengthening domestic social security control. Instead, it has pointed the finger at Latin America, viewing regional countries as the root cause of the chronic diseases of U.S. social governance.

Coveting strategic resources, predatory harvesting of economic dividends. After forcibly taking control of Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife, the U.S. side openly stated that if U.S. companies could re-enter the Venezuelan oil industry, the United States would control more than half of the world's oil production. U.S. Energy Secretary Wright openly stated that the U.S. government would control Venezuelan oil sales "indefinitely." The U.S. excuse of "combating drug terrorism" cannot conceal its ambition to seize regional strategic resources.

Squeezing out extraterritorial cooperation, consolidating the "strategic backyard." The new version of the U.S. National Security Strategy report declares that the core interest in the Western Hemisphere is to "eliminate the presence of extraterritorial hostile forces." In order to maintain its hegemonic position in Latin America, the United States has taken a series of measures to force regional countries to "stay away" from extraterritorial partners. After taking military action against Venezuela, the United States unreasonably demanded that the Venezuelan government interrupt normal cooperation with other countries and only conduct related business with U.S. companies.

Interfering in other countries' internal affairs, supporting pro-American forces. The United States uses security threats, diplomatic sanctions, financial manipulation, and public opinion pressure as means to blatantly interfere in elections in many Latin American countries. For countries such as Brazil (巴西), Cuba (古巴), Venezuela (委内瑞拉), and Colombia (哥伦比亚) that adhere to independence and self-reliance, the United States directly uses unilateral hegemonic means such as tariff pressure, military coercion, and energy blockade. These expose its strategic attempt to establish a "pro-American clique" in Latin America.

The Core of Hegemony Has Never Changed

In 1823, in order to compete with European powers for spheres of influence, then-U.S. President James Monroe (詹姆斯·门罗) issued the "Monroe Doctrine," the core content of which was summarized as "America is for Americans." This proposition, on the surface, was to defend the sovereignty of newly independent countries in the Western Hemisphere and resist the invasion of European "suzerain states," but in reality, from the very beginning, it took territorial expansion and exclusive possession of the Western Hemisphere as its core strategic goals.

Soon after the "Monroe Doctrine" was proposed, the United States could not wait to start the expansion process. From launching the Mexican-American War to seize large tracts of land, to gradually penetrating Central America by supporting agents and controlling economic lifelines, from seizing control of countries such as Cuba (古巴) by military means, to subverting the regimes of regional countries through various means, the United States has forcefully promoted hegemony in Latin America, leaving behind a trail of misdeeds. The hypocritical veil of the "Monroe Doctrine" of "defending sovereignty" has long been completely torn apart.

After the end of the Cold War, the U.S. strategic focus shifted to the Middle East, and Latin American countries gained rare development opportunities. Unity, self-improvement, and seeking independent development became the consensus of regional countries. Latin American countries have continued to strengthen cooperation with Asia-Pacific and African countries, continuously improve the level of economic and trade cooperation, and actively participate in global governance, becoming an important force in the Global South.

As the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century and the collective rise of the Global South is accelerating, the international landscape is undergoing profound changes. The United States, which adheres to Cold War thinking and insists on "America First," feels deeply anxious and uneasy about the changes in the international order and the instability of its own hegemonic position. Against the backdrop of frequent setbacks in its foreign strategy, the United States is adjusting its global strategy, trying to regain control and exclusive possession of the Western Hemisphere.

It is under this strategic design that the United States has begun to fully implement a new Western Hemisphere strategy, and the "Monroe Doctrine" has made a comeback. No matter how it is packaged, the essence of the old and new "Monroe Doctrine" is to dominate the Western Hemisphere, to seize actual interests as the guide, and to use military threats or even direct invasion as the means. The underlying color of "America First" and "unilateral power" has never changed. If there is any difference between the "New Monroe Doctrine" and the "Monroe Doctrine," it is that its hegemonic undertones are not only stronger, but its actions and purposes are also more naked, and the harm it causes to the region and even the international order is far greater than before.

Impacting the International Order and Regional Stability

"Today it is Venezuela (委内瑞拉), tomorrow it could be any country." The words of Chilean President Boric (博里奇) express the deep concern of Latin American countries about U.S. hegemonic interference.

The U.S. military invasion of Venezuela (委内瑞拉) has exposed the destructiveness and harm of the "New Monroe Doctrine." From a legal perspective, the U.S. side's series of actions has constituted a comprehensive trampling on international law and the basic norms of international relations.

Invading sovereign countries violates the core principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs in the *Charter of the United Nations*; using military force to attack other countries violates the provisions of the *Charter of the United Nations* that all countries shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state; repeatedly detaining oil tankers of other countries violates the strict limitations of the *United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea* on law enforcement on the high seas; forcibly taking control of Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife blatantly tramples on the basic principle of international law of "immunity" for heads of state to perform their duties... "Power has replaced law, preference has replaced principle, and force has been packaged as virtue. This is a blatant contempt for the international order," said Ziad Motala, a law professor at Howard University (霍华德大学).

After the military operation, the United States could not wait to launch a naked resource plunder plan, announcing that it would designate a U.S. trusteeship team to fully take over the Venezuelan oil industry; Venezuelan oil, from exploration and approval to export, must be approved by the United States; Venezuelan oil export revenue is controlled by the U.S. Treasury Department, giving priority to compensating U.S. oil companies affected by relevant policies, and the remaining part is "shared" by the U.S. government and U.S.-operated oil companies, leaving only a small amount to the Venezuelan government for people's livelihood. This model of plunder is simpler and more brutal than colonialism hundreds of years ago, completely tearing off the hypocritical mask of the United States as a "beacon of democracy" and a "guardian of human rights."

These acts of contempt for international law seriously impact the international order formed after World War II based on the principles of sovereign equality of states and non-interference in internal affairs, making many Latin American countries feel deeply uneasy. If the international community does not jointly stop this hegemonic act, the "law of the jungle" of the weak being preyed upon by the strong will make a comeback, and the world will face the crisis of falling into turmoil and conflict.

Inviting Universal Opposition from the International Community

The pursuit of independence and self-reliance by Latin American countries has long been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. The United States' attempt to control Latin American countries through military threats and economic plunder is a misjudgment of the regional situation and the trend of the times. History and reality have repeatedly proven that the more the United States interferes in and oppresses Latin American countries, the deeper the resentment and hatred of Latin American countries become. The advancement of the Latin American integration process is a vivid manifestation of Latin American countries resisting external interference and seeking independent development. The hegemonic acts of the United States will only make Latin American countries more united and jointly resist hegemonic threats.

Colombia (哥伦比亚), Brazil (巴西), Chile (智利), Mexico (墨西哥), Uruguay (乌拉圭), and Spain (西班牙) jointly issued a statement on January 4, clearly pointing out that the unilateral military action taken by the United States against Venezuela (委内瑞拉) "violates international law and the basic principles of the *Charter of the United Nations*, and sets an 'extremely dangerous precedent' for regional peace and security."

There is also much opposition and condemnation of this hegemonic act within the United States. U.S. Federal Representative Gregory Meeks (格雷戈里·米克斯) condemned the U.S. military action against Venezuela (委内瑞拉) as "violating international law and damaging the U.S. global position." Former U.S. Vice President Harris (哈里斯) stated that the United States has repeatedly launched wars for the purpose of "regime change" or "oil," and these wars are often packaged as "displays of strength," but eventually evolve into chaotic situations, making ordinary American families pay the price.

United Nations Secretary-General Guterres (古特雷斯) directly pointed out that "the U.S. action constitutes a dangerous precedent and violates international law," emphasizing that the core principles of the *Charter of the United Nations* must be respected, the territorial integrity and political independence of sovereign states must not be violated, and no country has the right to carry out military invasion under the pretext of "domestic law enforcement." Although the United States tried to obstruct the advancement of relevant resolutions, the majority of members of the United Nations Security Council clearly opposed the U.S. action, believing that the U.S. move seriously impacted the international order and brought great risks to global security and stability.

"We want to maintain America's unparalleled soft power," the new version of the U.S. National Security Strategy report writes. However, the behavior of being unable to restrain hegemonic impulses and using force at every turn is constantly eroding the United States' declining national credibility and depleting its own soft power. The report summarizes the United States' goals in the Western Hemisphere as "uniting and expanding," claiming to unite existing allies in the Western Hemisphere to control immigration, block drug trafficking, and strengthen maritime and land stability and security, while cultivating and consolidating new partners and enhancing the attractiveness of the United States as the region's preferred economic and security partner. But which country is willing to unite with a United States that adheres to hegemonism? And which country is willing to regard it as a "preferred economic and security partner"?

The universal opposition of the international community clearly shows that the trend of world multipolarity and democratization of international relations is irreversible. Any attempt to control other countries and monopolize interests through hegemonic means will inevitably be rejected. The hegemonic countercurrent of the "New Monroe Doctrine" will ultimately not be able to stop the trend of the times of peaceful development and win-win cooperation. Only by firmly upholding the international system with the United Nations as the core and the international order based on international law can the international community effectively resist the hegemonic countercurrent and safeguard the future of global peace and development.

(The author is the Director of the Institute of Latin American Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (中国现代国际关系研究院))

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The U.S. Is Accelerating Its Transformation Into a "Rule Breaker" (Echo)

The United States' forceful military control of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (马杜罗) and his wife is a concentrated manifestation of the U.S. re-promoting the "Monroe Doctrine" against the backdrop of profound adjustments in the international balance of power, and maintaining hegemony through military force. The fundamental purpose of the United States is to control key strategic resources, compress the development space of emerging forces, and reshape its dominance and influence in the Western Hemisphere.

Global South countries should maintain high vigilance, firmly uphold the principles of sovereign equality and non-interference in internal affairs, and oppose any form of hegemonic behavior through strengthening solidarity, cooperation, and multilateral coordination, jointly safeguarding the authority of international law and the multilateral order.
—David Gómez Rodríguez (戴维·戈麦斯·罗德里格斯), Venezuelan political commentator and international affairs researcher

The U.S. military action against Venezuela marks its accelerated transformation into a "rule breaker." The U.S. no longer attempts to cloak its behavior in a veneer of "legitimacy," but instead uses domestic law to override international law, replaces negotiation with force, and directly challenges the basic bottom line of international relations.

This change reflects the inherent anxiety of American hegemony. With the collective rise of the Global South and the increasingly diverse power structure of global governance, the U.S.'s control is constantly declining. Against this backdrop, maintaining military advantage is seen as the last tool to delay the decline of hegemony, and the Latin American region is once again regarded by the U.S. as a strategic space that must be firmly controlled.

The international order should not be written by force, but should be confirmed by rules. A world where coercion is the norm will bring deeper instability.
—Evandro Carvalho (埃万德罗·卡瓦略), Professor at the Fluminense Federal University of Brazil and expert on international issues

The U.S. intervention in the Latin American region has entered a public phase, no longer achieved through election manipulation or behind-the-scenes pressure, but through military means to reshape the power structure of Latin American countries, which is essentially a systematic deprivation of other countries' sovereignty. The U.S.'s so-called "management" of Venezuela until the implementation of a "safe" transition is essentially setting a long-term control framework based on its own interests. Once this model of forced intervention is seen as a "success story," it may be replicated to change the regional political landscape.

This incident clearly reveals the return of the "Monroe Doctrine" and the U.S.'s strategic intention to reshape the order of the Western Hemisphere by controlling key resources and geopolitical nodes.
—Lina Beltrán (莉娜·贝尔特兰), Professor of International Relations at Universidad Externado de Colombia

The U.S.'s military operations in Venezuela violate a fundamental principle of international law—that all countries shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

This is a clear violation of international law, and that is very clear. The U.S.'s actions in Venezuela send a dangerous signal that powerful countries can do whatever they want. That is why we call on all countries to stand up with one voice to defend the UN Charter and international law.
—Ravina Shamdasani (拉维娜·沙姆达萨尼), Spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

The UN Charter stipulates that countries have the right to self-defense, allowing them to use force in self-defense when subjected to armed attack, but (the right to self-defense) has never been used against behaviors such as drug trafficking. Therefore, the U.S. military's strikes against so-called "drug trafficking ships" in the past few months, although justified by "self-defense," do not comply with international law.

If people are moving from a world that solves problems peacefully to a world that solves problems with military force, it will be disastrous.
—Oona Hathaway (乌娜·哈撒韦), President-elect of the American Society of International Law and Professor at Yale Law School

The U.S. launched a military operation to forcibly control Venezuelan President Maduro, staging a "Hollywood-style" farce. The message Washington is sending is very clear: it can disregard legal or ethical standards to eliminate opponents, act unscrupulously, only to achieve hegemony, conquer people, and seize wealth.

In fact, this U.S. action continues its "old recipe" for global intervention. We are witnessing a reckless political and military "gamble." An invasion motivated by the plunder of resources will eventually rebound on the United States itself.
—Ismail Sharif (伊斯梅尔·谢里夫), Columnist for the Jordanian newspaper Al-Dustour

The United States has long pursued the "Monroe Doctrine" and has a history of egregious military intervention and subversion of regimes in Latin America and the Caribbean. This incident is the first direct attack on Latin America and the Caribbean after the U.S. issued a controversial new version of the National Security Strategy Report, and it is also its first direct military strike against a South American country since its invasion of Panama in 1989. Although the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) declared the region a zone of peace in 2014, the region's development path is still full of uncertainty, and regional countries need to cope with neocolonialism and hegemonism.
—Isaura Diez (伊莎乌拉·迪耶斯), Chief Correspondent of Prensa Latina's China Bureau

(Comprehensive report by reporters Chen Yiming (陈一鸣) and Qu Pei (屈佩) of this newspaper, and Xinhua News Agency reporter)

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This edition's editors: Hou Lulu, Han Shuo, Wang Xiaobo

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Full Steam Ahead on "Boosting the Economy" in the New Year! (Weekly Economic Review)

By: 吴秋余

The year 2026 is the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." 锐始者必图其终，成功者先计于始 (ruì shǐ zhě bì tú qí zhōng, chéng gōng zhě xiān jì yú shǐ - "Those who start sharply must plan for the end; those who succeed must first plan at the beginning," emphasizing the importance of planning and foresight from the outset).

Entering 2026, China's economy is striving for a "good start" amidst the busy efforts of people and the rising atmosphere of prosperity.

With optimized supply and demand structure, released policy dividends, and a vibrant consumer market, industries such as ice and snow tourism, performing arts appreciation, and shopping district activities are showing vigorous growth. During the New Year's Day holiday, there were 142 million domestic tourist trips nationwide, with a total domestic tourism expenditure of 84.789 billion yuan. The combination of duty-free policy benefits and holiday effects resulted in a 93.8% year-on-year increase in offshore duty-free sales in Hainan (海南) on New Year's Day.

Seizing the time window, proactively exerting efforts, and with policy enthusiasm continuing to rise, "two new initiatives" are taking the lead, with the first batch of 62.5 billion yuan in "national subsidies" already allocated; "two major projects" are continuing to exert efforts, with the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) organizing the issuance of the 2026 advance batch of "two major projects" construction project list and central budget investment plan; the National Venture Capital Guidance Fund (国家创业投资引导基金) has set sail, the "Buy in China" and New Year's consumption season has been launched, and 114 new drugs have been included in the National Medical Insurance Drug Catalog... With greater efforts to promote consumption, stabilize investment, and benefit people's livelihoods, we will strive to achieve a good start in the first quarter, laying the foundation for "continuously consolidating and expanding the positive momentum of economic stability and improvement."

"The Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee added me on WeChat!" Recently, Bao Liangqing (包良清), Chairman of Dandong Oriental Measurement and Control Group (丹东东方测控集团), often tells people around him, "Now, the cadres in Liaoning (辽宁) truly treat the affairs of enterprises as their own!"

At the beginning of the new year, the "top leaders" of various provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities are very busy. According to public reports, in just over a week since the beginning of 2026, the Party Secretaries of the 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities have conducted approximately 150 political activities through meetings, investigations, and meetings, among which "economic development" is one of the key focuses deployed by the "top leaders."

The opening year should have the momentum of an opening, and the beginning should have key actions. For the opening of the "15th Five-Year Plan," from the very beginning, it is necessary to grasp the overall situation, clarify the direction, and anchor the goals, closely align with the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, seek truth from facts, work hard, and implement them without compromise, resolutely and swiftly, realistically and pragmatically, and daringly and skillfully.

In the second week of the new year, "Zhong Caiping (钟才平)" made his debut in the People's Daily (人民日报) and published six important articles in a row, which attracted widespread attention. The first article, "Doing Economic Work According to Local Conditions," clearly tells us that adapting to local conditions is the correct view of performance, a scientific methodology, and a key move and important guideline for all localities and departments to implement the spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference (中央经济工作会议) in light of their actual conditions.

To do a good job in economic work and promote high-quality and sustainable development, it is necessary to deeply understand and master the important method of adapting to local conditions. China has a vast territory, and the problem of unbalanced development between regions and between urban and rural areas is still prominent. There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution for promoting high-quality development. Adapting to local conditions requires us to proceed from reality in everything. On the basis of "the whole country as one chessboard," all localities should pay more attention to their own resource endowments, achieve functional complementarity in different regions, and coordinate policy coordination, factor flow, and industrial division of labor to avoid homogeneous competition and repetitive construction, and gather high-quality development synergy in differentiated development.

Closely aligning with the spirit of the Central Committee and combining with local realities, the "first meeting of the new year" in various places has presented a series of steaming "hard dishes," which not only reflect the sprinting speed of seizing opportunities, but also demonstrate the solid style of being down-to-earth, and highlight the people-oriented temperature of caring for the people's well-being.

Adhering to open empowerment, coastal areas continue to amplify the advantages of an export-oriented economy. In the first year after the closure and operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港), Hainan held a meeting to promote the high-standard construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, requiring it to be based on the new starting point of the island's closure and operation, and to optimize the "three consumption articles" of high-end shopping, medical care, and education; Shanghai (上海) is anchored to accelerate the creation of a world-class business environment, and the "Version 9.0" action plan to optimize the business environment covers 26 measures covering the four major environmental constructions of government services, market competition, industrial ecology, and social co-governance...

Activating endogenous driving forces, inland areas promote industrial upgrading and regional coordinated development. Hubei (湖北), based on its greatest advantage and gold-lettered signboard of scientific and technological innovation, has proposed to improve the collaborative innovation system, achievement transformation system, industrial cultivation system, and science and technology financial system; Chongqing (重庆) focuses on enhancing the development level of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle (成渝地区双城经济圈), and deployed to accelerate the construction of a new pattern of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle with a polar core leading and full-domain integration; Henan (河南) firmly grasps project construction as the "key link," requiring the organic combination of strengthening infrastructure projects and optimizing industrial projects, and the organic combination of strengthening scientific and technological innovation and promoting industrial innovation...

Achieve breadth and depth. In the new beginning, transforming the "blueprint" into a detailed "construction plan" and turning the "construction plan" into a beautiful "real scene" requires not only the drive to seize the day but also the perseverance to achieve long-term success. In the new year, we will go all out to "boost the economy," benefit the people with practical results that are good at doing and achieving, and add color to the "15th Five-Year Plan" with a brand-new answer sheet of reform and development.

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Toy Trends Spur a "Bag Charm Economy" (72 Transformations of Quality Chinese Products)

By: 本报记者 林丽鹂 洪秋婷 齐志明

Various plush vinyl toy figures, museum cultural and creative products with rich connotations, and distinctive scenic spot souvenirs... Walking down the street, many young people have various accessories hanging on their backpacks.

The toy trend is quietly changing, from plush toys that were "held to play" and figurines that were "displayed to watch" in the past, to bag charms that are getting smaller and smaller and can be "hung on the back." Bag charms with mobility and portability are becoming increasingly popular among consumers. The ever-changing bag charms, from the explosion of popularity on the consumer side to the cluster support on the industrial side, and then to the collaborative empowerment in the "going overseas" link, have formed a "bag charm economy." What consumer secrets are hidden in the "bag charm economy"? The reporter went deep into shopping malls and production enterprises for interviews.

Capturing Changes in Demand—

Bag Charms are "Emotional Partners" and Social Symbols

Hopson One in Chaoyang District, Beijing (北京朝阳区), is one of the well-known "trendy toy business districts" in Beijing.

The reporter saw in stores such as CoolPlay, Sanrio, and Qimeng Island (奇梦岛) that bag charm products were placed in the most conspicuous positions.

"Look at how cute this Wakuku (哇库库) is, please take a photo of me with it." A consumer picked up a bag charm doll in the Qimeng Island store and took a photo with a friend, and then posted the photo on WeChat Moments.

Wakuku, with its unibrow and small tiger teeth, is called "Little Savage" by fans. The reporter saw three sizes of Wakuku on the display stand, from large to small, and asked the clerk which one sold best.

"The first, second, and third-generation products are getting smaller and smaller, from 15 cm and 12 cm to 10 cm. The third-generation 'Let's Get Lucky' series products are only palm-sized, making them easy to use as bag charms, and they sell the best," said Jiang Huan (江焕), director of the first national brand image store of Qimeng Island.

"The core characteristics of small size, low threshold, and strong emotional value accurately meet the current life and psychological needs of young people." Hong Yong (洪勇), deputy researcher at the Academy of the Ministry of Commerce, believes that emotional consumption is on the rise, and young people no longer only look at the use value when shopping, but value emotional value, and are more willing to pay for products that can bring pleasure, belonging, and personalized expression.

Bag charms are "emotional partners" and social symbols.

Approaching the Spring Festival, Wu Wenjing (吴文婧), a citizen of Nanjing (南京), Jiangsu (江苏), not only bought new clothes for her parents and herself, but also bought new doll clothes for her bag charm Labubu (拉布布).

"This 'Soymilk Plus' is white all over, and can adapt to ever-changing shapes. Changing doll clothes not only gives it a sense of freshness, but also 'prevents it from getting cold' when taking it out in winter." Wu Wenjing takes care of her bag charm doll like a pet. "When you are very busy and take a break occasionally, you can see it at any time. It will also stare at you blankly, its eyes seem to be talking to you, and your mood will be healed."

Bag charms are more like a "visualized expression of emotions." Wu Wenjing often changes different bag charms according to her mood and clothing. "Sometimes bag charms are like emotional codes, and people who understand them can chat more easily."

"Consumers can more easily identify groups with similar values through these items with emotional expression functions, thereby forming new social circles and social models," said Pan Helin (盘和林), a member of the Expert Committee on Information and Communication Economics of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Bag charms are a declaration of personality and a souvenir of memories.

"This crocheted ginseng bag charm is so cute, and the smiling face is so adorable." Tourist Zhou Yang (周洋) went to Changbai Mountain (长白山) with friends during the New Year's holiday and fell in love with a bag charm in a street shop.

The reporter found that Zhou Yang already had two bag charms on her bag, and asked where she bought them. "This orange hairy crab pendant was bought on Nanchang Street (南长街) in Wuxi (无锡), Jiangsu (江苏). The local Taihu drunken crab is delicious. This white 'Wu Yue Hegemony' garlic bird is a cultural and creative product of the Hubei Provincial Museum (湖北省博物馆), which has a sense of humor. The bag charms I choose are all related to 'eating' and have strong local characteristics," said Zhou Yang.

Liang Mei (梁梅), president of the China Toy and Juvenile Products Association, pointed out that bag charms are no longer just toys for young children. They satisfy the "small happiness" in young people's daily lives with a relatively relaxed consumption model; through emotional connection, they form interest circles with a sense of identity; and with the help of well-known IP linkage and user participation in co-creation, they continue to stimulate market vitality. This emerging consumption pattern is becoming an important carrier for releasing the consumption potential of young people.

Spurring Industrial Changes—

Achieving Flexible Production and High-Frequency Iteration

Dongguan (东莞), Guangdong (广东), known as the "Capital of Trendy Toys in China," is the core base of the global trendy toy industry.

The reporter's visit found that it has become a bag charm manufacturing hub—gathering more than 4,000 toy production enterprises and nearly 1,500 supporting enterprises, forming a complete industrial chain from design and production to IP authorization and sales.

At the headquarters of Wanle Tonghua Group (玩乐童话集团) in Chashan Town (茶山镇), Dongguan, a team of 10 designers is discussing the design drawings of a "Baku" series of bag charms.

"This Chinese-style bag charm integrates traditional Chinese classical colors and auspicious symbols into modern design. With the help of the 'Baku' in mythology, which has the ability to devour nightmares and create beautiful dreams, it implies that all good dreams will come true in the new year." Wu Qiaomei (吴巧媚), brand marketing director of Guochao Shanhaijing Cultural Industry (Guangdong) Co., Ltd. (国潮山海经文化产业（广东）有限公司), introduced that it takes about 15 days from determining the creative idea to researching and polishing the details to produce the design draft, and the sample workshop needs another 3-5 days to produce the first version of the plush pendant.

Bag charm styles are diverse, and market hotspots change frequently. After the reporter's visit, it was found that what supports the "bag charm craze" on the consumer side is the profound change from mass production to flexible customization on the supply side, and the strong manufacturing capabilities of the toy industry are the basis for the rapid response of bag charm production.

"We have our own factory, which can coordinate production, flexibly schedule, and has a large space. From design confirmation to mass shipment, it can be controlled in about 30 days." Wu Qiaomei said, "The 'Baku' series requires more delicate embroidery accessories. Through the standardized production and flexible supply chain of our own factory, we can better ensure the quality of the bag charms."

Many toy factories in the Pearl River Delta region used to mainly do export trade. Taking plastic toys as an example, they first had to open molds, which could cost as much as tens of thousands of yuan, and then mass-produce tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of pieces to spread the cost. Now, with the development of intelligent manufacturing and the popularization of digital workshops, "50 pieces can be ordered" and "100 pieces can be produced" are no longer difficult. Even if only one toy is made, it can be realized through 3D printing.

Hong Yong analyzed that relying on the strong supply chain of the toy industry, bag charms can achieve "small orders and quick response," quickly adjust designs according to market feedback, place small batch orders, flexibly produce, and iterate frequently to meet the psychology of consumers who seek novelty and change.

Promoting Changes in Going Overseas—

Chinese Culture and Oriental Aesthetics are Going to the World

Labubu leads the trendy toy craze around the world, attracting many domestic and foreign celebrities to "show off their dolls"; the domestic animated film "Wolfwalkers" became a hit, making related cartoon character bag charms explode overnight and sell out several times; the "Ben 'Chao' Gangmu" Chinese medicine series bag charms such as wolfberry, red dates, and danshen quickly became popular with their novel creativity and strong oriental charm, and were enthusiastically sought after by overseas consumers.

The start of China's toy manufacturing industry can be traced back to the early days of reform and opening up. With its cost advantages and complete industrial supporting system, the Pearl River Delta region quickly became the global toy manufacturing center.

"Trendy toys gradually emerged in China around 2015." Liang Mei said that the value of trendy toys mainly comes from IP creativity, emotional resonance, and cultural identity, rather than simple manufacturing costs and brand value. At the same time, the sales model of online social platform communication and offline experience stores promoting each other also promotes deeper interaction between trendy toys and consumers. These innovations have significantly increased the added value of the entire industry and injected new vitality into the market.

Today, Chinese trendy toys are going to the world with a new attitude. Time magazine pointed out that today, China's new generation of trendy toys is refreshing the international image of "Made in China" by telling local IP stories and exporting unique aesthetics.

"Our earliest popular product was the Fendou (奋斗) rabbit doll with raised eyebrows and rolled-up sleeves, working hard. Later, the joint IP product of the movie 'Wolfwalkers' was even more popular in the market. Ancient Chinese style has become the 'top aesthetic' in the eyes of young people." Shen Ze (沈泽), the person in charge of the Wentongzi (问童子) brand, introduced that the brand has been designing products based on Chinese culture for 15 years since its establishment. "Everyone's cultural confidence and national pride are getting stronger and stronger, and the market's acceptance of Chinese culture and oriental aesthetics is also getting higher and higher."

"We developed and created the 'Ben "Chao" Gangmu' Chinese medicine series bag charms. The original intention of the creativity was to integrate the profound Chinese medicine culture with trendy dolls." Huang Mei (黄媚), R&D director and marketing director of Guangdong Hayidai Toys Co., Ltd. (广东哈一代玩具股份有限公司), introduced that the series of bag charms is very popular among overseas fans, especially in Southeast Asia.

Overseas markets have become a new blue ocean for "Made in China" to vigorously develop. At present, Qimeng Island products have entered nearly 20 countries in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East through distribution networks. Offline, the company has launched multiple pop-up stores in the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Thailand, and other places, which initially confirms that its IP has cross-cultural resonance and global consumption potential. Li Peng (李鹏), chairman of Qimeng Island, believes: "Breaking cultural barriers through localization creation and establishing emotional connections with global consumers is the key for Chinese brands to achieve a leap from manufacturing to brand value."

In the first half of 2025, Pop Mart achieved triple-digit growth in Southeast Asia, Europe, the Americas, and other regions, with the Americas growing by more than 10 times. As of now, the company has more than 570 stores worldwide. A relevant person in charge of Pop Mart believes that the export of Chinese bag charm products needs to be adapted to culture. One idea is to create cultural products with Chinese characteristics to attract overseas consumer groups who love Chinese culture; another idea is to create products that are adapted to local culture, such as Labubu launching products with different cultural design details for different markets.

In 2025, Dongguan issued the "Several Measures of Dongguan City to Accelerate the Development of Trendy Toys and Animation Industry," striving to gather trendy toy design elites from all over the country, capture international trends, and transform many well-known IPs into bag charms and trendy toy products that meet market demand.

Hong Yong said: "The overseas journey of Chinese trendy toys and bag charms is an epitome of the upgrading of Chinese manufacturing, the rise of cultural creativity, and the globalization strategy of brands. In the future, as more star products and brand enterprises go to the world, these small pendants carrying Chinese creativity and emotions will tell more wonderful Chinese stories in the global market. This is not only the output of products, but also the embodiment of Chinese culture and Chinese brand confidence."

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Gathering Around the Hearth to Brew Tea: Traditional Life Takes on a New Look (Trendy Living in Cultural Relics)

By: 本报记者 窦 皓

It's winter, and brewing tea around a stove has become a favorite way for friends to gather. In ancient times, on cold days, inviting a few close friends to sit around a small red clay stove, watching the snow fall outside the window, and savoring the rhythm of tea soup was also a way to relax in winter.

Experts say that brewing tea around a stove originated from ancient Chinese tea ceremony. It is a lifestyle of putting tea leaves, fruits, dried fruits, etc. into a special tea stove, heating them with charcoal fire, and drinking while brewing.

As a national museum with the theme of "tea and tea culture," the China National Tea Museum (中国茶叶博物馆), located in Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang (浙江), has collected thousands of exhibits, vividly displaying the long-standing and colorful Chinese tea culture.

The tea kettle, also known as the tea fu (茶鍑), is a wide-mouthed pot specially used for boiling tea. Its shape originates from bronze ware, with ears on it for easy movement. The lidless design allows tea drinkers to observe the boiling state of the tea soup at any time.

The original porcelain stove first appeared in the Shang Dynasty (商代) and became more mature in the Eastern Han Dynasty (东汉). The museum's collection of original porcelain stoves from the Eastern Han Dynasty is eye-catching. This collection is 11.7 cm high and 15.0 cm long. It is a funerary object used for burial, consisting of a fire chamber, a chimney, and a stove body. The stove body supports a double-eared kettle and a constricted-mouth kettle. It is a true reflection of the stove in the Eastern Han Dynasty, reflecting the popular tea-brewing customs of the Eastern Han Dynasty. According to historical records, drinking tea was already popular among scholars in the southern Sichuan (四川) area during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Brewing tea in a kettle should have been one of the ways of drinking tea at that time, called "Ming porridge" (茗粥).

Tea drinking flourished during the Song Dynasty (宋代). In the China National Tea Museum (中国茶叶博物馆), there is also a Qionglai Kiln (邛崃窑) sauce-glazed tea fu and wind stove from the Song Dynasty. It has a diameter of 3.0 cm and a height of 24.2 cm. The long cylindrical furnace body is brick red, integrating the wind stove and the tea fu, which cannot be separated. The furnace door is opened in the abdomen, and the furnace door is in the shape of a kun door. Semi-duck bodies are carved on both sides of the furnace door, with natural, lively and lovely shapes. The tea fu mouth rim has two ring-shaped ears.

Nowadays, more and more young people are also participating in and experiencing the fun of "brewing tea around the stove" - preparing a baking stove, putting a heat-resistant teapot on it to brew tea, and tea drinkers can not only drink tea, but also put sweet potatoes, red dates, nuts and other snacks on the baking stove. Friends sit around the stove, roasting fire and chatting, which is very pleasant. Entering winter, brewing tea around the stove is loved by many people as a life experience. Meituan (美团) data shows that since December 2025, the search volume for "outdoor brewing tea around the stove" has increased by more than 10 times year-on-year, the search volume for "tea houses with brewing tea around the stove" on Dianping (大众点评) has increased by more than 240% year-on-year, and the overall search volume for "tea set with brewing tea around the stove" has increased by more than 100% year-on-year. Chengdu (成都), Chongqing (重庆), Hangzhou (杭州), Xi'an (西安), Shanghai (上海), Changsha (长沙), Suzhou (苏州), Beijing (北京), Shenzhen (深圳), and Guangzhou (广州) are the top ten cities in the country in terms of search volume. Young people are more enthusiastic about experiencing "brewing tea around the stove." From the perspective of the search population, people aged 20 to 30 account for nearly 38%.

It can be seen that brewing tea around the stove is a traditional lifestyle with cultural connotation and leisure value. The China National Tea Museum (中国茶叶博物馆), located in the landscape tea garden, sets up tea seats in the Chinese Culture Exhibition Hall every Saturday to allow tourists to experience the fun of brewing tea around the stove.

Some young people choose to get close to nature. In the mountain tea gardens of Longwu Tea Town (龙坞茶镇) in Xihu District (西湖区), Hangzhou (杭州), there are also many mountain homestays. Standing on the terrace of the homestay, you can have a panoramic view of the tea garden, which is suitable for one person to quietly taste tea.

In Hangzhou (杭州), during the New Year's Day holiday, homestays and campsites throughout the city launched special New Year's Eve packages. Bonfires, brewing tea around the stove and other personalized scenes were very popular among tourists. The average occupancy rate of 369 graded homestays in the city was 75.76%. Data shows that Hangzhou (杭州) received a total of 3.998 million tourists from other places during the New Year's Day holiday, an increase of 15.9% year-on-year.

On the other side, the tea farmers use iron pots for frying tea in the ancient method to burn warm stoves, take some Jiǔqū Hóngméi (九曲红梅) that has just been fried, light a stove of charcoal fire, and bake rice cakes and persimmons. In the quiet mountain village, the tea garden outside the window is surrounded by thin mist. While tasting tea, listening to the old tea farmers tell tea stories is exactly the way to open the slow life in Hangzhou (杭州).

Relevant负责人 of the China Tea Marketing Association (中国茶叶流通协会) said that the tea used for brewing tea around the stove is mostly dark tea, old white tea, etc. These teas have been stored for a long time and have a high degree of fermentation. The tea soup brewed has a richer and mellower taste. Based on this, people can appreciate the breadth and depth of tea culture, and can also find a peaceful place in their busy lives and enjoy the good time of gathering with relatives and friends.

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Editor in charge of this edition: Qi Zhiming

Layout design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰), Wang Zheping (汪哲平)

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Nurturing People with Culture, Marching Towards a Financial Powerhouse

By: 晓 超

The merchant groups such as Huizhou merchants, Zhejiang merchants, and Shanxi merchants took profit with righteousness, the prudent principles such as "being prepared for danger in times of peace, preparedness comes from thinking," and the innovative spirit such as "if one day is new, make it new every day, and again new" 苟日新，日日新，又日日新 (gǒu rì xīn, rì rì xīn, yòu rì rì xīn - "If truly one day new, make it new day by day, ever new," refers to constant self-renewal and improvement)... Over thousands of years, the Chinese nation has condensed credit concepts, wealth concepts, righteousness and profit concepts, risk concepts, innovation concepts, and rule-of-law concepts in economic activities, providing cultural soil and spiritual nourishment for high-quality financial development.

The strength of a country and a nation must be supported by the prosperity of its culture. Culture can provide impetus and element support for financial development. At present, the competition in the financial field among countries in the world includes not only the "hard power" competition of financial institutions, financial markets, and financial infrastructure, but also the "soft power" competition of concepts, values, and codes of conduct. Actively cultivating a financial culture with Chinese characteristics is an inevitable requirement for effectively preventing financial risks and enhancing international competitiveness, and it is also an inevitable requirement for promoting China's transition from a large financial country to a strong financial country.

Specifically, the "five dos and five don'ts" are the basic essentials and practical requirements of a financial culture with Chinese characteristics. These five aspects are interconnected, interlinked, and mutually reinforcing, forming an inseparable organic whole. Honesty and trustworthiness, and not crossing the bottom line, are the basis and premise of financial activities. If this bottom line cannot be held, there may be major chaos in the financial industry. Taking profit with righteousness, and not being solely profit-oriented, is the basic value in the field of financial culture, emphasizing that financial profitability should be subordinate to the exertion of functionality. Being stable and prudent, and not seeking quick success and instant benefits, points out the general tone of financial work. The financial industry must strive to avoid quick success and instant benefits, and strive for steady and long-term development. Upholding integrity and innovation, and not deviating from the real economy to the virtual, explains the source and driving force of financial development. "Upholding integrity" means upholding the foundation of the real economy, and "innovation" must be carried out around the needs of economic and social development, and must not deviate from the real economy to the virtual and self-circulate. Acting in accordance with laws and regulations, and not acting recklessly, is the principle of sound financial operation, requiring financial activities to be carried out under the norms of laws and regulations. The financial industry must always adhere to operating in accordance with the law and complying with regulations.

Cultural cultivation is a systematic project, including the levels of concepts and values. The cultivation of a financial culture with Chinese characteristics must be continuously strengthened and sustained over time on the basis of respecting the laws of financial development. For regulatory departments, it is necessary to play a leading and supervisory role, integrating the cultivation of a financial culture with Chinese characteristics into various tasks of preventing risks, strengthening supervision, and promoting high-quality development. For financial institutions, it is necessary to design institutional processes and improve assessment mechanisms, and embody the "five dos and five don'ts" requirements in management concepts, business operations, internal control compliance, and other aspects. At present, in many parts of the country, the practice of cultivating and practicing a financial culture with Chinese characteristics in the financial system has shown effectiveness.

Cultivating and practicing a financial culture with Chinese characteristics will consolidate the cultural foundation for following the path of financial development with Chinese characteristics and promoting high-quality financial development. On the new journey, it is necessary to strengthen financial cultural awareness and self-confidence, promote high-quality financial development with the prosperity of a financial culture with Chinese characteristics, unswervingly follow the path of financial development with Chinese characteristics, and provide strong support 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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Actively Foster a Financial Culture with Chinese Characteristics

On January 16, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out at the opening ceremony of the seminar for leading cadres at the provincial and ministerial level on promoting the high-quality development of finance, "To promote the high-quality development of finance and build a strong financial country, we must adhere to the combination of the rule of law and moral governance, and actively cultivate a financial culture with Chinese characteristics."

The financial culture with Chinese characteristics not only absorbs the essence of outstanding traditional Chinese culture, but also highlights modern financial elements, financial concepts, and financial spirit. It is a vivid embodiment of the "two combinations," especially the "second combination," in the financial field. Over the past two years, the financial system has actively cultivated and practiced the financial culture with Chinese characteristics, making it an important support for the high-quality development of finance. This edition invites practitioners and experts in the financial industry to discuss how to better cultivate and practice the financial culture with Chinese characteristics, and continuously create a new situation in financial work in the new era.
--Editor

Xue Kaixu (薛凯旭), Business Clerk of China Construction Bank Yulin Branch (建设银行陕西榆林分行) in Shaanxi (陕西):
Honest and trustworthy, without crossing the bottom line

Inside the business hall, an old man took out several neatly folded but yellowed and fragile pieces of paper - those were "China People's Construction Bank Savings Deposit Slips" from the 1980s.

"Young man, can...can this still be found?" I took the paper full of entrustment and immediately began to inquire with my colleagues. After two hours of verification, we successfully confirmed the record of the deposit slip. The initial deposit amount was 700 yuan, and the final maturity redemption amount was calculated to be 2376.42 yuan. When I solemnly handed the accurate inquiry result and the new redemption deposit slip to the old man, he stroked the smooth surface of the new deposit slip again and again, "Construction Bank is honest, not deceiving us villagers!" At that moment, we were even more convinced of the power of integrity.

To cultivate and practice the financial culture with Chinese characteristics, Construction Bank guides cadres and employees to establish correct business, performance, and risk views, and promotes the "five requirements and five no's" to penetrate the nerve endings of business management. In business development, strictly conduct pre-loan investigation and post-loan management, and seek truth from facts to strictly control asset quality; in customer service, truthfully and accurately disclose product returns and potential risks and other information, and strengthen consumer rights protection; in operation, strengthen compliance inspection and supervision, and let the system become a "firewall" to protect integrity; in the maintenance of the social credit environment, popularize credit knowledge to the public, enhance credit awareness, protect credit rights, and maintain a good credit environment of "rewarding trustworthiness and punishing untrustworthiness."

Honesty and trustworthiness are the foundation of the financial industry. In the future, we will continue to carry forward the fine tradition of Construction Bank's "iron abacus, iron ledger, and iron rules," adhere to the spirit of contract, abide by market rules and professional ethics, safeguard financial reputation, interpret the value of integrity, always practice the original intention of serving the people through finance, and let the outstanding traditional Chinese culture shine with new vitality in the construction of the modern financial system.
(Reported and compiled by Wu Qiuyu (吴秋余), reporter of this newspaper)

Hong Mei (洪梅), General Manager of Strategic Planning Department of China Life Insurance Company Limited (中国人寿保险股份有限公司):
Taking profit with righteousness, not being driven solely by profit

Little Xingxing (小星星) (pseudonym) in Zhuhai (珠海), Guangdong (广东), touched me deeply. Little Xingxing suffered from congenital retinal dysplasia and was unfortunately diagnosed with uremia. The cumulative medical expenses of about 800,000 yuan put the family in trouble. Under the multi-level medical security cooperation of basic medical insurance, serious illness insurance, and the Zhuhai inclusive supplementary medical insurance "Great Love Without Borders" project, the actual expenses borne by Little Xingxing's family were about 100,000 yuan. Little Xingxing's father said that insuring inclusive medical insurance, using 190 yuan of premium to increase medical security for his child, better alleviate the economic burden, and make the family feel very relieved.

Inclusive insurance is a powerful tool for the insurance industry to practice the concept of "taking profit with righteousness, not being driven solely by profit" in the financial culture with Chinese characteristics. In terms of service coverage, relying on the full-channel sales layout and 18,000 branches across the country, the company has built a five-level network of "province, city, county, township, and village" to extend inclusive insurance services to remote areas. In terms of product supply, it has created a product system with "complete categories, excellent features, and high recognition" to accurately meet the protection needs of key groups.

We will further deepen the practice of "taking profit with righteousness." Adhere to innovation-driven expansion, strengthen scenario-based and refined product design, and enrich the supply of products such as long-term care and disability income protection. Adhere to service upgrade and quality improvement, and deepen the construction of a service network of "one-click online access and offline proximity." Adhere to digital empowerment for sustainable development, relying on data-driven and intelligent leadership, and strengthen the precise pricing, efficient operation, and dynamic risk monitoring of inclusive products.

"Righteousness" is the foundation for steady and long-term development, and "profit" is the support for service continuation. China Life will continue to adhere to its original mission, so that the financial culture with Chinese characteristics of "taking profit with righteousness" will shine in serving the real economy and enhancing people's well-being.
(Reported and compiled by Qu Xinming (屈信明), reporter of this newspaper)

Jin Wei (金巍), Deputy Director of the Culture and Finance Research Center of the National Institution for Finance & Development (国家金融与发展实验室):
Steady and prudent, not eager for quick success and instant benefits

Outstanding traditional Chinese culture emphasizes "**欲速则不达，见小利则大事不成**" (yù sù zé bù dá, jiàn xiǎo lì zé dà shì bù chéng - "Haste makes waste, focusing on small gains prevents great achievements," don't be impatient for success, and don't be shortsighted). Some financial institutions can become century-old shops and have a long-lasting foundation. The most important secret is to be steady and prudent.

In recent years, China's financial system has practiced the general tone of seeking progress while maintaining stability, improved the macro-prudential management system, and adhered to a steady and prudent business philosophy. China's financial risks are generally controllable, and the financial system is operating steadily.

"Steady and prudent, not eager for quick success and instant benefits" contains the pursuit of value goals such as goodness, righteousness, and fairness. Outstanding traditional Chinese culture regards "steady and prudent" as the character of a gentleman and the way to success. This is the business wisdom and survival rule accumulated in long-term practice. To recognize and understand the value significance of the concept of steady prudence, we must adhere to the "two combinations" and inherit the cultural tradition of steady prudence in outstanding traditional Chinese culture.

To adhere to steady prudence, we should implement and execute it in our work with systematic thinking. First of all, we must adhere to the principle of "stability" in top-level design. The financial system should practically reflect the overall concept of financial development in strategic planning, adhere to the general tone of seeking progress while maintaining stability, adhere to taking risk prevention and control as the eternal theme of financial work, and adhere to coordinating financial opening up and security. Secondly, the word "prudence" should run through the operation of institutions. Financial regulatory authorities should strengthen micro-prudential supervision, improve market access and exit supervision, promote classified and graded supervision, strictly rectify illegal and non-compliant behaviors, and promote financial institutions to practically practice the concept of steady prudence. Financial institutions should consciously establish a steady and prudent business philosophy and always maintain a sense of awe for risks.
(Reported and compiled by Zhao Zhanhui (赵展慧), reporter of this newspaper)

Zeng Tao (曾涛), Secretary of the Party Committee and President of the Shandong Branch of the People's Bank of China (中国人民银行山东省分行):
Upholding integrity and innovating, not deviating from the real economy to pursue the virtual

In the construction of a strong financial country, "upholding integrity" is the foundation. We must adhere to the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over financial work, the people-centered value orientation, and adhere to the fundamental purpose of serving the real economy; "innovation" is the driving force. We must carry out mechanism, product, and service innovation under the premise of risk prevention and control, improve resource allocation efficiency, and increase the coverage of serving the real economy; "not deviating from the real economy to pursue the virtual" is the bottom line. Financial activities and financial innovation must be carried out around the needs of the real economy, and resolutely prevent the self-circulation of funds.

In recent years, the Shandong Branch of the People's Bank of China (中国人民银行) has deeply explored the financial wisdom in Confucian culture and combined it with the construction of a financial culture with Chinese characteristics, guiding financial resources to accurately flow to the real economy, and has achieved remarkable results.

The real economy is the foundation of finance, and finance is the bloodline of the real economy. The two are interdependent and prosper together. Shandong (山东) has a solid industrial foundation. In terms of financial support for manufacturing, we organized the "Bank President Entering Chamber of Commerce and Visiting Enterprise" campaign to push more than 1,500 key projects to financial institutions to meet the needs of enterprises. In response to the pain points of technology-based enterprises such as large R&D investment and long accounts receivable cycles, we have stepped up efforts to promote the implementation of the re-lending policy for technological innovation and technological transformation, and created product matrices such as Lu Ke Loan, Lu Ke Guarantee, and Lu Ke Insurance in different scenarios. As of the end of 2025, the balance of manufacturing loans in the province was 2.11 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.1%.

Promoting the high-quality development of finance is inseparable from the nourishment of the financial culture with Chinese characteristics. We must systematically grasp the core of the concept of "upholding integrity and innovating, not deviating from the real economy to pursue the virtual" and integrate it into the specific practice of financial work. We must strengthen policy transmission, innovate the dual-wheel drive mode of "policy tools + financial culture," and guide more financial resources to flow to key areas and weak links of the real economy.
(Reported and compiled by Ge Mengchao (葛孟超), reporter of this newspaper)

Fan Yunpeng (范云朋), Associate Researcher of the Institute of Finance of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院):
Law-abiding and compliant, not acting recklessly

Chinese traditional culture has always had the governance concept of "understanding the law and carefully examining orders." Guanzi (管子) said: "Law is the program of the world and the instrument of all things." It is intended to explain that the law must be established first and the boundaries must be clarified first, so that powers and responsibilities are based on evidence and behavior is disciplined.

To build a strong financial country, we must take improving the financial rule of law as an important support. The key to promoting the high-quality development of finance lies in comprehensively incorporating financial activities into the track of the rule of law, using legal rules to clarify business boundaries, power and responsibility relationships, and disposal procedures, and forming a unified, stable, and predictable institutional environment. "Law-abiding and compliant" is the bottom line requirement for financial operation. By increasing the cost of violations, improving market exit and accountability mechanisms, we can maintain financial market order. Only by adhering to continuous progress on the track of the rule of law can we organically unify financial development, stability, and security, and provide long-term institutional guarantees for the construction of a strong financial country.

"Law-abiding and compliant, not acting recklessly" is the basic requirement for financial institutions and practitioners, emphasizing adhering to the bottom line, preventing overstepping boundaries, and avoiding shifting the costs that should be borne to society. Only when the rules are established and the execution is followed up can operating in accordance with the law and acting in accordance with regulations become the norm in the industry. The financial rule of law also complements moral governance. By vigorously promoting outstanding traditional Chinese culture, actively cultivating a financial culture with Chinese characteristics, and continuously improving the legal awareness, risk awareness, and professional quality of financial practitioners, we can further consolidate the foundation for protecting the financial rights and interests of the broad masses of people.

Cultivating a financial culture with Chinese characteristics is related to the long-term development of finance and the improvement of national governance capabilities. Financial security relies on systems, vitality lies in the market, and order relies on the rule of law. Only by adhering to "law-abiding and compliant, not acting recklessly" can the financial order be solid and stable, the financial vitality can be continuously released, and the financial culture with Chinese characteristics can be continuously consolidated and deepened in practice.
(Reported and compiled by Ge Mengchao (葛孟超), reporter of this newspaper)

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A Casual Discussion on Financial Culture in Chinese History (Learning Economics Through History)

By: 董 昀

In the long history of Chinese civilization, our ancestors engaged in rich and diverse financial practices. How to view finance? How to conduct finance? People's understanding of these issues has deepened continuously, forming a precious traditional financial culture.

Since ancient times, China has had a cultural tradition of honesty as the foundation and trustworthiness as the priority. In monetary and financial activities, people regard honoring commitments as a virtue and betraying trust as a disgrace. We might as well take Jiaozi, which appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty, as an example to see how China's ancient culture of integrity nurtured financial innovation.

Jiaozi was the world's earliest paper currency, leaving a strong mark in the history of world currency. At that time, Sichuan (四川) was a purely iron money area, and it was inconvenient for people to do business with bags of heavy iron money. As a result, a group of Jiaozi shops appeared in Chengdu (成都) to keep cash for people. Depositors handed over the iron money to the Jiaozi shops, and the Jiaozi shops issued mulberry paper notes filled with the corresponding amount. Sichuan (四川) has a deep accumulation of credit culture, and the contractual spirit of the Jiaozi issuers made more and more people believe in the value of Jiaozi. As a result, everyone began to use Jiaozi directly for payment, giving Jiaozi the characteristics of credit money. After several twists and turns, the imperial court set up the Yizhou Jiaozi Office (益州交子务) to exclusively issue official Jiaozi, and Jiaozi became legal tender.

The fate of Jiaozi can be described as full of twists and turns. When the Northern Song Dynasty (北宋) government wanted to make up for the fiscal deficit by issuing paper money, it opened "Pandora's box": the imperial court issued a large number of Jiaozi to increase the money supply, which led people to have great doubts about the stability of the value of Jiaozi, and the credit of Jiaozi was almost completely lost, and it gradually withdrew from the stage of history. Cherishing government credit and maintaining the stability of the currency value are to protect the "money bags" of the people and prevent the money in the hands of the people from becoming "worthless."

Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. 不以规矩，不能成方圆 (bù yǐ guī ju, bù néng chéng fāng yuán - "without compass and square, nothing can be accomplished," without standards and rules, nothing can be done properly). Compliance culture is another important component of traditional financial culture. Through a combination of rigid legal constraints and industry self-regulatory rules, the financial industry has formed a strong compliance culture. In the economic development history since the Ming (明) and Qing (清) dynasties, Shanxi merchants (晋商) wrote a strong stroke, and the Piaohao (票号) (Shanxi private banks) connected the world. One of the magic weapons was compliance.

Shanxi Piaohao (山西票号) established an apprentice system that emphasized both character and skills, focusing on integrating the awareness of rules into daily training, and imposing strict constraints and assessments on apprentices. Only those who abide by the rules and have both ability and integrity can stay. In addition, Piaohao (票号) also has a set of strict internal management systems, requiring employees to strictly self-discipline and pay attention to morality. The "Ten Prohibitions" are popular in the Piaohao (票号) industry, from not being allowed to participate in gambling to not being allowed to privately lend, including both personal conduct and work discipline. Once someone violates it, whether it is the manager or the clerk, they must pack up and leave, and never be rehired.

Compliance culture effectively ensures the stable operation of Shanxi Piaohao (山西票号). The healthy growth of financial institutions and the good ecological environment of the financial market are inseparable from the construction of compliance culture. We must establish a compliance culture of "legal compliance, no reckless behavior" through reasonable institutional arrangements, so that compliance is internalized in the heart, externalized in action, and solidified in the system, and firmly hold the bottom line of risk.

(The author is a researcher at the Xi Jinping (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院))

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Editor in Charge for This Section: Ge Mengchao

Layout design: Wang Zhepeng (汪哲平)

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Living a Century, Focused on One Thing (Talking About Life)

By: 方汉奇

I am 100 years old this year. Fortunately, my life has been less about 过五关斩六将 (guò wǔ guān zhǎn liù jiàng - "overcome five passes and slay six generals," overcome numerous obstacles; display extraordinary skill) and more about one lucky break after another. I've served beyond my expiration date.

I was born in the Chaozhou Guild Hall in Xiangxiang Hutong, Beijing (北京丞相胡同的潮州会馆), and my ancestral home is Puning, Guangdong (广东普宁). My family has deep roots in education. My great-grandfather, Lin Qi (林启), was transferred to Hangzhou (杭州) as a prefect after the Sino-Japanese War, during which he founded the Qiushi Academy (求是书院) (the predecessor of today's Zhejiang University (浙江大学)), the Sericulture School (蚕学馆) (the predecessor of today's Zhejiang Sci-Tech University (浙江理工大学)), and the Yangzheng Academy (养正书塾) (the predecessor of today's Hangzhou High School (杭州高级中学), etc.). My maternal grandfather, Lin Songjian (林松坚) (also known as Lusheng (鲁生)), studied in Japan and worked with Lu Xun (鲁迅) in the Ministry of Education of the Beiyang Government (北洋政府教育部). Lu Xun's diary records their interactions several times. I later kept a diary, following Lu Xun's diary style. My family environment had a great influence on me. My maternal grandfather taught me classics such as "Zuo Zhuan" (《左传》), so I learned the "outwardly flexible but inwardly principled" attitude towards life; my mother often taught me to recite poems by Bai Juyi (白居易) and others, and to practice the piano, so I still love poetry and music.

As a child, I grew up in a turbulent era, and my path to education was very tortuous. I attended seven primary schools. Due to changes in my father's job and the changing situation, I successively attended Peide Primary School in Xi'an (西安培德小学), the Affiliated Primary School of Xi'an Women's Normal School (西安女师附小), Xizhimen Primary School in Beijing (北京西直门小学), and then studied for three years at the Second Affiliated Primary School of National Beiping Normal University (国立北平师范大学附属第二小学) (now Beijing No. 2 Experimental Primary School (北京第二实验小学)). This was also my mother's alma mater, which not only had a strong teaching staff and high teaching standards, but also had rich extracurricular activities and focused on patriotic education. The teachers always said "Don't forget national humiliation" and taught patriotic songs such as "Graduation Song." At school, I often participated in drama and other artistic activities, which is closely related to why I later became a theater fan. In 1937, the all-out War of Resistance Against Japan broke out, and I was forced to flee from Beijing (北京) to Hong Kong (香港) with my family, where I attended three more primary schools, and then attended junior high school at Kowloon Cultural Middle School (九龙文化中学). Due to the war, I kept changing schools. I spent eight years in middle school, changing eight schools in Hong Kong (香港), Shanghai (上海), Chongqing (重庆), Shaoguan (韶关), Meixian (梅县), Shantou (汕头), and other places.

When I was in middle school, I set my ideal: to be a reporter like Zou Taofen (邹韬奋), Fan Changjiang (范长江), and Xiao Qian (萧乾), "with a camera hanging on my body and footprints all over the world." When it came time to apply to university, I did not apply to schools with high tuition fees, because my family had six younger siblings to support; and I did not apply to schools without journalism departments, because I wanted to be a journalist. In 1946, I got my wish and was admitted to the Journalism Department of National Social Education College (国立社会教育学院) in Suzhou (苏州). There were many famous teachers there, and the school offered more than 10 compulsory courses, as well as rich courses in literature, history, philosophy, and art. The director of the Journalism Department was the famous journalist Yu Songhua (俞颂华). Famous figures such as Ma Yinliang (马荫良), Jin Zhonghua (金仲华), Ye Shengtao (叶圣陶), Gu Jiegang (顾颉刚), Wang Yunsheng (王芸生), Fei Yimin (费彝民), and Cao Juren (曹聚仁) all taught or mentored us. Among them, Professor Ma Yinliang (马荫良) had a great influence on me. After the liberation of Shanghai (上海), he served as the director of the Shanghai News Library (上海新闻图书馆). Knowing that I had good grades, he invited me to work as a research librarian at the library.

The Shanghai News Library (上海新闻图书馆) was founded by the Liberation Daily (解放日报社) and housed veteran reporters and editors who had retired due to the closure of "Shen Bao" (《申报》) and "Xinwen Bao" (《新闻报》). When I reported there, I was the only young person among the librarians. At that time, there were 57 public and private libraries in Shanghai (上海). I suggested investigating the newspaper collections of various libraries and finding out the collection of journalism books. In 1951, "Survey of Newspaper Collections in Shanghai Libraries (with a Catalog of Journalism Books)" (《上海各图书馆藏报调查录（附新闻学图书目录）》) was compiled and printed, which included the collection of books and newspapers in 31 libraries. During my three years at the Shanghai News Library (上海新闻图书馆), I read more than 27,000 copies of "Shen Bao" (《申报》) spanning 78 years, and extracted more than 20,000 cards, which laid a solid historical foundation for my later research on the history of journalism. When I was still in school, I developed the habit of extracting information and making cards. Over a lifetime, I accumulated hundreds of thousands of cards, which provided great help for my research work.

During this period, I was also invited to teach a special course on the history of journalism at the Department of Journalism of St. John's University in Shanghai (上海圣约翰大学报学系), which can be said to have foreshadowed my long-term engagement in the teaching of the history of journalism. I officially became a teacher starting in August 1953. I came to Peking University (北京大学) to report and officially became a teaching assistant in the journalism major of the Chinese Department. From that time until the graduation of the last doctoral student I supervised in 2023, it has been a full 70 years, which can be considered a "veteran gardener."

During these 70 years, I worked in the journalism major of the Chinese Department of Peking University (北京大学) twice. The first time was from 1953 to 1958, which was a period of teaching and learning from each other. In order to prepare for and teach the "History of Chinese Journalism" course well, I read a large number of old newspapers and periodicals, read no less than 2,000 books, and went to libraries and archives in Beijing (京) and Shanghai (沪) during the winter and summer vacations to consult and collect newspaper and periodical materials, and visited veteran journalists to conduct research on the history of journalism. The second time was from 1972 to 1978. At that time, there was a serious shortage of teachers in the journalism major of the Chinese Department of Peking University (北京大学). Most of the teachers in the Journalism Department of Renmin University (人大) and I had previously been sent to the May Seventh Cadre School in Yujiang, Jiangxi (江西余江五七干校), so we were transferred to Peking University (北京大学) as a whole.

In July 1978, Renmin University of China (中国人民大学) was re-established, and all teachers and students of the journalism major of the Chinese Department of Peking University (北京大学), except for the undergraduates of the class of 1977, were transferred to the Journalism Department of Renmin University (人大). I followed them back to Renmin University (人大). In this way, counting the more than ten years I worked at Renmin University (人大) in the 1950s and 1970s, I worked at the Journalism Department (School) of Renmin University of China (中国人民大学) for 60 years.

After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (党的十一届三中全会), I devoted myself to the teaching and research of the history of Chinese journalism, published related books and textbooks, and published papers, some of which caused a great response. In 1979, "Anecdotes of Newspaper History" (《报刊史话》) was published. This was a book I wrote in 1964 at the invitation of Wu Han (吴晗) for his Chinese History Small Series, but it was not published at the time. In 1981, "History of Modern Chinese Newspapers and Periodicals" (《中国近代报刊史》) was published, with a total of 570,000 words, involving more than 1,160 kinds of newspapers and periodicals, introducing more than 1,500 journalists, and correcting more than 200 errors in previous works. It can be regarded as the crystallization of my 30 years of teaching and research.

Research on the history of journalism advocates "digging deep wells." It is necessary to pay attention to the in-depth study of individual cases, focusing on a specific historical period or region, or specific issues such as news phenomena, events, and figures, and conduct vertical in-depth excavation, rather than talking in general terms. It is necessary to concentrate on penetrating the superficial historical materials, continuously excavating downward in a specific field, and revealing the internal logic and evolution law of the development of the news industry through systematic sorting of first-hand documents such as original archives, oral materials, and original newspapers and periodicals. The history of journalism is closely related to political history, cultural history, and social history. It can reveal its development law from multiple dimensions such as economic foundation, political pattern, and ideological trend, and finally form research results with academic penetration and extensibility, and form a dialogue with other humanities and social sciences.

The paper "On the 'Report of the Jìnzòuyuàn' of the Tang Guiyi Army in the Collection of the British Library" (《从不列颠图书馆藏唐归义军“进奏院状”看中国古代的报纸》) published in 1983, was based on my request to a Xinhua News Agency (新华社) reporter stationed in the UK to photograph and record the "Report of the Jìnzòuyuàn" unearthed in Dunhuang (敦煌). After examining its 60 lines of text word by word, I confirmed that it was a Tang Dynasty (唐朝) Dibao (邸报) issued in 887 AD, which is not only the earliest existing newspaper in China, but also the earliest existing newspaper in the world. This discovery solved the long-standing controversy about the origin of ancient Chinese newspapers.

In that same year, I published the textbook "A Brief History of Chinese Journalism" (《中国新闻事业简史》). Since then, I have successively published "Newspaper History and Journalists" (《报史与报人》), "History of Contemporary Chinese Journalism" (《中国当代新闻事业史》), "A General History of Chinese Journalism" (《中国新闻事业通史》), "The Passion and Splendor of News History" (《新闻史的奇情壮彩》), "A Chronology of Chinese Journalism" (《中国新闻事业编年史》) and other works. In 1999, the 3-volume edition of "A General History of Chinese Journalism" (《中国新闻事业通史》) was completed. This was completed by me and Ning Shufan (宁树藩), Chen Yeshao (陈业劭) and other news history experts, who organized 50 scholars from more than 20 news academic units across the country to write it together, with a total of 2.6 million words, reaching the "highest level of research on Chinese news history" at that time. In 2013, "A General History of Chinese Journalism" (《中国新闻事业通史》) was published in a 10-volume English edition in Singapore (新加坡), becoming "the first foreign language translation of a New China journalism work."

As a teacher, in addition to teaching and research, I have always been concerned about the construction of journalism as a discipline and the training of talents. In 1984, I, Wang Zhong (王中) of Fudan University (复旦) and Gan Xifen (甘惜分) of Renmin University (人大) became the first doctoral supervisors of journalism in China, and began to recruit doctoral students in the direction of news history. With the vigorous development of journalism education, by the end of December 2023, I had supervised a total of 52 doctoral students and 6 master's students. In 1998, I wrote a short article "The Cradle of Chinese Journalism and Journalism Education - Written on the Occasion of the 100th Anniversary of Peking University" (《中国新闻学和新闻教育的摇篮——写在北京大学100周年校庆之际》), which aroused the attention of Peking University (北大) leaders to news and communication education. Peking University (北大) and Tsinghua University (清华) successively established Schools of Journalism and Communication in 2001 and 2002. Several doctoral students I supervised also participated in the construction, which I am happy to see. In order to promote the research of news history, in 1989, I initiated the establishment of the Chinese Society for the History of Journalism (中国新闻史学会). After generations of efforts, it has now grown into the only first-level academic organization in the field of news communication in China that aims to study the history and current situation of Chinese and foreign news communication and promote the development of news communication. I am very happy that today, with the joint efforts of old, middle-aged and young researchers, the research of Chinese news history is already a garden with a riot of color.

Now, although I have entered my centenary, I firmly believe that one is never too old to learn. From learning to use a computer in my 70s in the 1990s, to learning to surf the Internet later, to using WeChat and opening Weibo now, I have always kept up with the development of the times. From current political news to books on literature, history, philosophy, I still study every day and dare not slack off. The discipline of journalism is closely related to politics. Without learning, one does not know the direction. "One cannot be without direction in every step, and one cannot be without purpose in every theory" (Yan Fu's words (严复语)). Liang Qichao (梁启超) wrote millions of words in his life, all of which were political talks. The discipline of journalism also requires a broad knowledge base. Zhang Taiyan (章太炎) read "Thirteen Classics" (《十三经》), "Shuowen" (《说文》) and the works of various philosophers. Liang Qichao (梁启超) read more than 100 books during the period when he wrote for "Qingyi Bao" (《清议报》). Yang Zhenning (杨振宁) said that the "antenna" should be lengthened. The reason why Mei Lanfang (梅兰芳) achieved such high achievements is because he learned from many famous schools and combined the strengths of each school. At the same time, we should pay attention to handling the relationship between "broad" and "narrow." In addition to literature, history, social sciences, we should also read some good novels. Novels are a mirror of social life, and can more vividly understand social history, exotic customs, etc.

Learning and research should have inheritance. First, take over the knowledge of the predecessors and start from the shoulders of others; there should be a good style of study, be realistic and seek truth from facts, and combine theory with practice; there should be courage, real insights, and not only follow the superiors and books. Research should avoid being a reed on the wall, following the trend, watching the situation, and feeling the climate. We must be pioneering and innovative, "boldly hypothesize and carefully verify."

板凳甘坐十年冷 (bǎn dèng gān zuò shí nián lěng - "willing to sit on a cold bench for ten years," to be willing to endure loneliness and hardship in pursuit of academic achievement). Research on the history of journalism is the cornerstone of journalism, and there is no room for sloppiness. Every conclusion must be supported by solid historical materials. Doing scholarship is like building a house. Historical materials are bricks and tiles. Without solid bricks and tiles, even the most magnificent blueprint is just a castle in the air. We should fully occupy the materials so that we can accumulate a lot of knowledge and make a big leap. "Textual research is like an old official judging a case" (考据如老吏断狱), and we must also learn to "distinguish the true from the false, determine right and wrong, and make judgments" (辨真伪、定是非、断取舍) about historical materials. In those years, when I wrote the research on the history of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (太平天国), I only wrote a 3,000-word article, but I read 4 months of information about the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (太平天国).

I once said: "I have only done one thing in my life, and that is to study the history of journalism and teach the history of journalism." Looking back on my centenary life, I have done it.

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Bao Wenqing's "Pure Integrity" (Notes from Jintai)

By: 俞 胜

Speaking of *The Scholars*, many people first think of Fan Jin's madness after passing the imperial examination and Yan Jiansheng's stinginess before his death. Both vividly demonstrate how fame and fortune in feudal society distorted and alienated human nature, setting a sharp and profound satirical tone for the work. However, Wu Jingzi also wrote about the warmth and brightness of some lower-class characters, especially the actor Bao Wenqing (鲍文卿), who stands in stark contrast to figures like Fan Jin (范进) and Yan Jiansheng (严监生) who are swept up in fame and fortune.

Bao Wenqing (鲍文卿) first appears in the twenty-fourth chapter, "Niu Pulang Involved in Many Lawsuits, Bao Wenqing Reorganizes His Old Career." Xiang Ding (向鼎), the magistrate of Andong County, was about to be impeached by Inspector Cui (崔大人) due to Niu Pulang's (牛浦郎) lawsuit. Bao Wenqing (鲍文卿), disregarding his lowly status, knelt down and pleaded with Inspector Cui (崔大人), stating directly that Xiang Ding (向鼎) had real talent and was not a corrupt official. After Xiang Ding (向鼎) was able to keep his position, he offered 500 taels of silver in thanks, but Bao Wenqing (鲍文卿) firmly refused.

The twenty-fifth chapter, "Bao Wenqing Meets Old Friends in Nanjing, Ni Tingxi Seeks a Bride in Anqing," writes about how, more than 10 years later, Xiang Ding (向鼎) was promoted to the prefect of Anqing and treated Bao Wenqing (鲍文卿) as an "old friend" after reuniting with him. Although Bao Wenqing (鲍文卿) became a favorite of the prefect, he always adhered to his principles. Facing a request from the Anqing clerk to intercede on his behalf with 500 taels of silver, he sternly refused. The original text reads: Bao Wenqing (鲍文卿) smiled and said, "Only money earned from the bones can become flesh... In my opinion, not only dare I not interfere, but even you two old gentlemen should not interfere. As the saying goes: ‘**公门里好修行** (gōng mén lǐ hǎo xiū xíng - "In public service, one can cultivate virtue," it is possible to do good even while working in the government).’ You serve the Tai-laoye (太老爷, term for magistrate), and you must not ruin the Tai-laoye's (太老爷) reputation in everything, and you must also protect your own lives." These few words made the two clerks tremble with fear.

Bao Wenqing's (鲍文卿) words and deeds brought the word "gentleman" from the study of the literati to the square inch of the stage in the marketplace, and even set up a personal benchmark of "**近权不贪权、得势不越界** (jìn quán bù tān quán, dé shì bù yuè jiè - "be close to power but not greedy for it, gain influence but not overstep boundaries")" for later generations who are around power.

Bao Wenqing's (鲍文卿) act of helping others without seeking reward is still very enlightening even today. In real life, there are indeed a few leading cadres who regard "serving the people" as "political capital," calculating returns before doing things, forgetting that power is given by the people. Bao Wenqing (鲍文卿), being in the lower class, was still able to purely consider others, and leading cadres should return to the heart of a public servant, focus on the "urgent difficulties and anxieties" of the masses, and do practical things without seeking reward.

Bao Wenqing's (鲍文卿) sobriety of "maintaining the bottom line when in power and distinguishing boundaries" is of great educational significance to those around leaders. In reality, some people take the opportunity of being close to leaders to act like a bully and seek personal gain, ultimately harming themselves and others. Bao Wenqing (鲍文卿), on the other hand, always recognized his own position, did not cling, did not overstep his authority, and did not seek personal gain. This sobriety is precisely the quality that people around leaders need to cultivate and the duty they need to uphold.

His obsession with "money earned from the bones can become flesh" is not only a rejection of ill-gotten wealth and a clarification of the boundaries of his own responsibilities, but also a sobering agent for the impetuous mentality of public officials. Leading cadres need to abandon the opportunistic view of political achievements and do practical things in a down-to-earth manner; people around them should abandon the侥幸 (jiǎo xìng - "lucky," a fluke) of "profiting from power" and understand that only by relying on their own abilities to obtain rewards can they feel at ease.

In addition, Bao Wenqing's (鲍文卿) concept of "**公门里好修行** (gōng mén lǐ hǎo xiū xíng - "In public service, one can cultivate virtue," it is possible to do good even while working in the government)" also provides enlightenment for leading cadres in handling the relationship between "emotion and law" and "private and public." Facing the clerk's efforts to curry favor, he not only refused to intercede and condone wrongdoing, but also gave a warning through admonition, finding a balance between rules and human feelings. This is also enlightening for leading cadres, who should not only adhere to principles and not break through the bottom line, but also be good at empathizing, so that public power has both strength and warmth.

Bao Wenqing's (鲍文卿) attitude of not belittling himself while being in the lower class and being neither humble nor arrogant when close to power also responds to the current "identity anxiety." Some leading cadres are complacent and inflated in high positions, and those around them are arrogant, all because they are limited by "identity anxiety," lose their self-awareness, and forget that character is the real foundation of life.

Bao Wenqing's (鲍文卿) "clear bones" are hidden in the simple principles of "benefiting others without seeking reward" and "守界不逾矩 (shǒu jiè bù yú jǔ - "guarding boundaries and not overstepping the rules," adhering to one's proper role and not exceeding one's authority)". In the current situation where the operation of public power is becoming more and more standardized, this "clear bone" is of far-reaching significance for leading cadres to cultivate their original intentions and for those around them to uphold their duties. Upholding this simplicity means upholding the basic color and the warmth of the human heart of public power.

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Sweet Wine Aroma (Duoweizhai)

By: 方欣来

On a winter afternoon, walking through the old bluestone streets of Changle Town (长乐镇), the warm sunlight shines down, and the air is filled with the fragrance of sweet wine. Every time I come to Changle (长乐), I have to taste the sweet wine here. Holding the sweet wine, sitting on a warm rattan chair, and taking a spoonful into my mouth, the aroma of rice and the sweetness of wine permeate the tip of my tongue, like a soft and gentle time.

Changle (长乐) sweet wine has always used ancient techniques. In the alley in front of the ancient workshop, I saw the brewing process of sweet wine painted on the wall, a total of nine steps: selecting rice, soaking rice, washing rice, steaming, cooling, mixing with yeast, placing in jars and cellaring, fermenting in a warm box, and packaging.

Entering the workshop, Xiong Die (熊爹), the inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, began to demonstrate the process of making sweet wine. Xiong Die (熊爹) is over seventy years old, his hair is all white, but every move is crisp and neat. Xiong Die (熊爹) first pours the washed rice into a wooden steamer, the firewood in the stove roars, sparks crackle, and soon the wooden steamer emits steaming heat. After 30 minutes, Xiong Die (熊爹) places two pieces of wood on a wooden basin, picks up the wooden steamer and places it on top, and begins to cool the rice. He pours a bucket of water into the steamed glutinous rice in the wooden steamer, the water rushes down, and the room is immediately filled with water vapor. After pouring one bucket, he pours another. Then, he pours the steamed glutinous rice into a wooden basin, spreads the rice, sprinkles in the distiller's yeast, mixes it evenly, then puts it into the prepared porcelain jars, presses it slightly, and finally waits for fermentation.

The process does not seem complicated, and there is not much difference from ordinary farmers making sweet wine, but why is the taste of Changle (长乐) sweet wine so unique? Xiong Die (熊爹) said that the process of Changle (长乐) sweet wine is different from other places in several ways. First of all, the ingredients must be the local "Sanli Cun" (三粒寸) osmanthus glutinous rice. This kind of rice has plump grains and a bright color, like pearls. Moreover, any impurities, mold, or insect damage cannot be used. The water is taken from a local 100-meter deep well, which contains rich minerals. Then there is the distiller's yeast, which is the soul of sweet wine. The distiller's yeast used in Changle (长乐) sweet wine is made by plant fermentation and does not contain any chemical additives.

In terms of craftsmanship, cooling and fermentation are particularly important. Cooling requires mixing boiling water with cold water, and the ratio must be appropriate, so that it can cool down quickly. Cooling should be thorough, washing two to three times with water, while pouring water and mixing the rice evenly, until each grain is clear and refreshing. The amount of distiller's yeast must be just right. If there is too little, the fermentation will not be sufficient, and it will not taste like wine. If there is too much, the sweet wine will become bitter. Fermentation must be done at the right temperature and time. If the temperature is too low, the sweet wine will not ferment. If the temperature is too high, the wine will be "burnt." The same is true for time. If it is too short, no wine will be brewed. If it is too long, the wine will become sour and have a pungent smell.

One more thing, Xiong Die (熊爹) emphasized again and again, the wine-making utensils must be clean. If there is even a little bit of uncleanliness, even if it is stained with oil, salt, soy sauce, or the like, the wine will become moldy and sour.

It looks crystal clear and tastes fragrant. In addition to being eaten directly, it can also be used to make sweet wine dumplings, sweet wine poached eggs, and various fancy desserts. Changle (长乐) sweet wine is not only good-looking and delicious, but also rich in nutrition.

Originating in the Song Dynasty, Changle (长乐) sweet wine is now a well-known brand in the local area. Sweet wine ancient workshops, sweet wine culture halls, and sweet wine industrial parks, Changle Town (长乐镇) has turned sweet wine into a brand. This small town by the Miluo River (汨罗江) has become a well-known "sweet wine town."

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Passing Shenjiagou

By: 陈年喜

The weather is really cold.
　　The car entered Shenjiagou (申家沟), climbing uphill all the way. The Danluan Road (丹峦路) branched off from National Highway 312 (312国道), and for the 60 *li* to Yuanling Peak (元岭顶), it was all uphill like this. For the first thirty or forty *li*, it was a slow incline, with occasional flat sections, but the closer you got to the top of the ridge, the more curves there were, and the steeper the slope became, winding and turning, like a discarded steel spring, both brand new and mottled, both hard and soft. The motorcycle's gears had to be reduced from fifth to second, and the air was the same, decreasing little by little as the altitude increased. At the top of the ridge, there was a thin layer of snow, a vast expanse of white.
　　I discovered a phenomenon: as the air temperature decreases, motorcycle tires gradually become harder, lose their elasticity, and their grip weakens. Therefore, the safety factor of riding in winter is reduced, and you must be extra careful.
　　For many years, I have traveled back and forth on this road every month, and I am familiar with every bend and every tree along the road. This is a branch of the Qinling Mountains (秦岭). Like the countless branches and streams here, Shenjiagou (申家沟) is unremarkable. If there is one thing that makes people remember it, it might be persimmons.
　　It is said that there are dozens or even hundreds of varieties of persimmons in China. Different regions and climates produce different varieties. Even within the same variety, differences in environment, climate, and soil conditions can lead to variations in quality and appearance. The persimmons of Shenjiagou (申家沟) are called Huojing (火晶), and Mr. Chen Zhongshi (陈忠实) wrote an essay called "Huojing Persimmons (火晶柿子)" about the same species. Lintong (临潼) and Shenjiagou (申家沟) are more than 500 *li* apart, one on the north side of the Qinling Mountains (秦岭), and the other on the south side. I have never tasted the Huojing persimmons (火晶柿子) of Lintong (临潼), although I have passed by Lintong Plain (临潼原) many times. The Huojing persimmons (火晶柿子) of Shenjiagou (申家沟), in addition to the many characteristics mentioned in that article, also emphasize a sweetness, a different kind of sweetness. Huojing persimmons (火晶柿子) are as beloved as their name suggests, small and exquisite, crystal clear, and the red color is hard to describe. Fiery red is not quite right, nor is crimson accurate. There are countless shades of red in the fruit world, but none are similar to it. I once saw a sunset being swallowed by the mountains somewhere in the Qilian Mountains (祁连山), and that last half-circle of fiery red was occasionally similar to it, but fleeting. Seeing such a sunset requires opportunity and luck. Ripe Huojing persimmons (火晶柿子) seem like they would break if you blew on them, but in fact, they are incredibly durable, and no matter how the wind and rain shake the branches, you can't blow them down.
　　Huojing persimmons (火晶柿子) have no seeds or pulp. Peeling off the extremely thin skin, they immediately collapse and lose their shape. That thin skin is full of toughness, and the wind carries it to distant branches and grass tips, where it gets caught, like a red flower blooming. Therefore, when eating them, you have to peel half the skin, eat half, and then peel and eat again. If you peel it all off at once, you can only hold it in your hands.
　　The sweetness of Huojing persimmons (火晶柿子) is divided into several layers: one at the entrance, one in the throat, and another in the empty mouth, the lingering aftertaste. The most indescribable thing is its lingering aftertaste. Good wine clings to the glass, and the sweetness of Huojing persimmons (火晶柿子) is the same. It is rich at the entrance, intense in the throat, and the aftertaste is particularly long, with a sweet return, and your breath is as fragrant as orchids. I often pick a few persimmons and eat them, then get back on the road. The aftertaste stays in my mouth all the way. Finding a mountain spring, the spring water at the first sip also becomes sweet and moist because of that aftertaste, and it gradually dilutes and fades after drinking a few more mouthfuls.
　　In the youth of my father and the men of his age in the village, there was no road to the township. They had a task, which was to carry the mountain products of the township supply and marketing cooperative to the county town's general cooperative every few days, and then carry the oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea from the town back to the village. The locals called it *tiao jiao* (挑脚), which was a mandatory job. From Xiahe (峡河) to Danfeng County (丹凤县) is 130 *li*, requiring crossing mountains and ridges. My father and his peers carried loads of more than 100 *jin*, plus 10 *jin* of dry food, one day to go, one day to return, earning two and a half work points. Originally, one person only had one work point per day, and the extra half was considered a reward for the hard work. My father said he liked *tiao jiao* in winter the most, because it wasn't cold along the way, and he could also eat the Huojing persimmons (火晶柿子) of Shenjiagou (申家沟).
　　When my father was young, he described to me the scene of fried noodles mixed with persimmons. Fried noodles are made from ground roasted soybeans, corn, and millet. When going out, you only need to bring a small bag of fried noodles and a bowl, and no other dry food is needed. Pour the fried noodles into the bottom of the bowl, peel the persimmons, and stir them repeatedly with the fried noodles, finally mixing them into a ball, which is sweet, glutinous, and particularly filling. If you want the fried noodle ball to be softer, mix in more persimmons; if you want it to be harder, add fewer. After eating the fried noodles, take a few more persimmons on the road, which are both filling and thirst-quenching. My father said that the best thing to eat is to pour a layer of persimmon juice on the fried noodle ball, which is especially sweet and fragrant, but most people wouldn't think of such a delicious way to eat it.
　　Entering from Baiyisi (白衣寺) at the entrance of Shenjiagou (申家沟), opposite the 15-kilometer boundary marker, there is a stone figure, more than a *zhang* tall, with a head and face, lifelike. My father once said that it was the place where they rested and mixed fried noodles. Every time I ride past, I stop to take a look at it. My father has been gone from this world for 10 years, and his life of carrying loads on his shoulders and back is even more distant, but every time I vaguely see them mixing fried noodles and resting under the stone figure.

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Photo Report

Chinese painting "Moonlight Sonata," by Xue Liang (薛亮).

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Warm Oven (Encounter)

By: 熊红久

A light snow caused the night in Ürümqi (乌鲁木齐) to plummet to -10 degrees Celsius. The melted snow from the day turned to ice as soon as it got dark. Past midnight, there weren't many vehicles, and they all moved cautiously. I had worked overtime all day and didn't even have time for lunch. As soon as I sat in the taxi, my stomach felt empty, as if a hand was tightly gripping my stomach.

The street restaurants, usually flashing with neon lights, were all dark. Suddenly, I thought of the barbecue stall under the overpass, and I silently hoped it hadn't closed.

One day not long ago, I was walking home at dusk when I smelled a familiar charcoal aroma before even reaching the bridge. It was the unique Xinjiang (新疆) scent of cumin, chili powder, and mutton. The aroma made my stomach rumble with anticipation. Several stalls under the bridge had roaring fires, and the barbecue skewers sizzled, with heat and aroma rising together. The stall owners all shouted loudly, praising the quality of their own food. Only the older brother wearing a floral hat (花帽) at the innermost stall remained silent, smiling at every customer. Next to the grill was a tricycle with a small glass cabinet displaying various ingredients neatly arranged. The meat was grilled perfectly, with just the right amount of salt, tenderness, and a delicate fragrance. The stools next to the stall were full, and some people stood while eating. Since then, several times when I worked late, I would come to the floral hat brother's stall, and a few skewers of barbecue and half a baked naan were enough to appreciate the finest flavors of the world.

This day I arrived late, staring at the bridge from afar, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was still lit, feeling a surge of warmth in my heart. Only the floral hat brother's stall remained. Seeing me, he smiled kindly as always, pointing to the plastic shed behind him and saying, "It's very cold, sit in the greenhouse." The so-called greenhouse was a space of seven or eight square meters enclosed by a layer of plastic sheeting supported by four iron poles. The teapot on the iron stove was steaming, the incandescent light overhead was bright, and the greenhouse was warm and well-lit. A man was sitting at the long table, leaning against a crutch. Seeing me, the man smiled and gestured for me to sit down. The floral hat brother poured a cup of hot tea and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, there's only one baked naan left." I said, "Aren't there more than a dozen skewers of barbecue in the glass cabinet?" The floral hat brother pointed to the man and said, "He ordered them all for his wife." I said that I was tired all day and just wanted to have a few skewers of barbecue with the baked naan for a hearty meal. This was the only stall nearby, and there was nowhere else to go. The floral hat brother looked at the man with embarrassment. The man thought for a moment and said, "Okay, Aishanjiang (艾山江) brother, give this brother five skewers of barbecue. You can start grilling now, my wife will be here soon."

In less than 10 minutes, a factory shuttle bus stopped by the roadside. The man quickly went out with his crutch. Soon he led a woman in. The man shouted outside, "Aishanjiang (艾山江) brother, bring the barbecue."

A steaming baked naan was brought up, with a row of fragrant barbecue skewers laid on top. The floral hat brother placed the plate in front of the woman, then patted the man's shoulder and said, "Little Zhao (小赵) brother, today is your wife's birthday, enjoy your meal." With that, he turned and went out to clean up the grill.

The man picked up a skewer of barbecue, wiped the charcoal ash off the iron skewer with a tissue, and handed it to his wife. The woman ate quickly, and seeing that the man wasn't eating, she handed him a skewer and said, "You eat too!" The man smiled and took it, wiped the tip of the skewer again, and handed it back to the woman. The woman brought the barbecue to the man's mouth, insisting that he take a bite. Then she broke off a piece of naan and stuffed it into his mouth. They chewed without speaking, smiling softly.

After packing up the remaining half of the baked naan, the woman took the arm of the man with the crutch and walked out of the plastic shed. The man rode his electric tricycle, pulling the woman home. The red taillights bounced up and down, as if waving goodbye.

The floral hat brother told me that a car accident a few years ago left the man disabled. He also had a stall under the bridge, making a living by repairing shoes, and his wife worked in a factory. Today was his wife's birthday, but she had to work the night shift. The man had ordered the barbecue early and was waiting here. Winter nights come early, and there are fewer customers, so the floral hat brother usually closes his stall at 10 pm. Today, to ensure that the woman could eat hot barbecue, he waited until midnight.

"You stayed up half the night just so his wife could eat hot barbecue?" I asked.

The floral hat brother nodded earnestly, "Yes! The amount of money is another matter, making friends happy is the most important thing."

The floral hat brother cleared the table and turned off the lights, and the entire area under the bridge was plunged into darkness. Only the unburnt charcoal in the grill emitted a dim red glow, enveloping the cold night in warmth.

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This edition's editor: Zhou Shuyi

This edition's email: dadi@peopledaily.cn

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