People's Daily - January 28, 2026

Xi Jinping Meets with Finnish Prime Minister Orpo

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 27th (Reporter Feng Xinran (冯歆然)) On the morning of January 27th, President Xi Jinping (习近平) met with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (奥尔波), who is in China for an official visit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing (北京人民大会堂).

Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that Finland (芬兰) was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. Over the 76 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, no matter how the international situation has changed, Sino-Finnish relations have always developed steadily, adhering to mutual respect, equal treatment, a forward-looking approach, and mutually beneficial cooperation. The Chinese and Finnish people both possess a spirit of perseverance and self-improvement. The two sides should enhance mutual trust, strengthen exchanges, and deepen cooperation to help their respective countries develop and bring more benefits to the people of both countries.

Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that Sino-Finnish friendship and mutual trust have historical roots. This year marks the first year of China's "15th Five-Year Plan." China will continue to promote high-quality development and expand high-level opening up to the outside world. The two sides should deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and create more cooperative achievements in areas such as energy transition, circular economy, agriculture and forestry industries, and scientific and technological innovation. Finnish companies are welcome to "swim" in the "sea" of the Chinese market and enhance their global competitiveness. Finland (芬兰) is a strong country in ice and snow sports, and China (中国) has also become a major country in ice and snow sports. The two sides should strengthen exchanges and cooperation and continue their ice and snow friendship. More Finnish people are welcome to come to China to experience China, which is both ancient and modern.

Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that the world today faces multiple risks and challenges, and the international community needs to work together to address them. Major countries, in particular, should take the lead in emphasizing equality, the rule of law, cooperation, and trustworthiness. China is willing to work with Finland (芬兰) to firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations as its core and the international order based on international law, jointly address global challenges, and promote a multipolar world that is equal and orderly, and economic globalization that is universally beneficial and inclusive. China and Europe are partners, not rivals. Cooperation between the two sides outweighs competition, and consensus outweighs differences. It is hoped that Finland (芬兰) will play a constructive role in promoting the healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations.

Orpo (奥尔波) said that the traditional friendship between Finland (芬兰) and China (中国) is profound, and the relations between the two countries are based on mutual respect and mutual trust, and have achieved long-term and stable development. Last year, the two sides jointly celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Finnish companies have a strong interest in cooperating with China. Finland (芬兰) is willing to work with China (中国) to implement the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, strengthen high-level exchanges, deepen pragmatic cooperation in trade, investment, digital economy, clean energy, agriculture and other fields, and enhance the well-being of the people of the two countries. Finland (芬兰) firmly adheres to the one-China policy. Finland (芬兰) admires China's outstanding achievements in development, appreciates China's important and constructive role in international affairs, and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China (中国) to jointly safeguard world peace and stability. It is very important for EU-China relations to maintain constructive development. Finland (芬兰) advocates European strategic autonomy, supports free trade, and is willing to play an active role in properly resolving trade frictions between Europe and China and promoting the healthy development of relations.

Wang Yi (王毅) attended the meeting.

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Improve the legal system, forge a strong team, and promote the development of the cause.

By: 本报记者

The law is the model of the world and the standard for all things.

Civil servants are the backbone of the Party's governance. Managing this team well according to laws and regulations is of great significance for improving the Party's governing ability and consolidating its ruling position.

On January 1, 2006, the "Civil Servant Law of the People's Republic of China" (中华人民共和国公务员法) came into effect, marking a new stage of scientific, legalized, and standardized development of the civil servant system with Chinese characteristics. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has proposed the standard of "having firm beliefs, serving the people, being diligent and pragmatic, daring to take responsibility, and being honest and upright" for good cadres in the new era, which has pointed out the direction and provided fundamental guidelines for the in-depth implementation of the Civil Servant Law.

Twenty years of hard work and innovation. The civil servant system with Chinese characteristics, with the Civil Servant Law as its mainstay, has been continuously improved and implemented in depth, better integrated into the overall layout of promoting the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan" and the strategic layout of coordinating the "Four Comprehensives," powerfully leading and ensuring that the vast number of civil servants play a backbone role in the great practice of the Party's governance.

Adhering to and Strengthening the Party's Leadership, the Civil Servant Law is Comprehensively Implemented

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "We must adhere to the Party's leadership in promoting the construction of various systems, promoting the development of various undertakings, and strengthening and improving various tasks."

The water of Huaishan (怀山) must have its source. China's civil servant system was gradually established under the leadership of the Party, along with the reform of the economic system and the reform of the cadre and personnel system. The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of China officially proposed the establishment and implementation of the national civil servant system, and the 14th, 15th, and 16th National Congresses of the Communist Party of China all made arrangements for improving the civil servant system. In 1993, the "Provisional Regulations on National Civil Servants" (国家公务员暂行条例) were promulgated. In April 2005, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress deliberated and adopted the Civil Servant Law.

The main thread running through the civil servant system from scratch, from administrative regulations to national law, is to adhere to the Party's leadership and implement the Party's cadre line, principles, and policies. From its inception, the Civil Servant Law has firmly grasped the Party's leadership as the fundamental guarantee and deeply imprinted the distinct characteristics of China.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has always attached great importance to and promoted the revision and implementation of the Civil Servant Law.

In November 2013, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made major deployments such as deepening the classification reform of civil servants and promoting the parallel system of civil servant positions and ranks. In January 2015, the Party Central Committee decided to implement the parallel system of positions and ranks in organs below the county level nationwide. Subsequently, the parallel system of positions and ranks applicable to organs at all levels also began to be studied and solved intensively. In December 2016, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress made a decision authorizing the State Council to temporarily adjust the application of relevant provisions of the Civil Servant Law in some regions and some central organs in Beijing, providing a legal basis for carrying out the pilot program of the parallel system of positions and ranks. In April 2017, with the approval of the Party Central Committee, the revision of the Civil Servant Law was officially launched. On December 29, 2018, the Seventh Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress deliberated and adopted the revised Civil Servant Law.

Holding high the ideological banner and spiritual banner of the Party's innovative theory, taking Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding ideology that the civil servant system must adhere to for a long time; writing the standard for good cadres in the new era and the Party's organizational line in the new era into the Civil Servant Law; improving the relevant provisions on civil servant positions and ranks, and further enriching the requirements for strict management of cadres... The revised Civil Servant Law has realized the adherence to principles and innovation, and keeping pace with the times of the civil servant system with Chinese characteristics.

In the world, it is not difficult to legislate, but it is difficult to ensure that the law is enforced.

Since the new era, civil servant work has been based on the law and governed by the law. A series of major decisions and deployments have been formulated and implemented successively, leading and promoting the implementation of the Civil Servant Law into a new stage.

In February 2018, the Third Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided that the Organization Department of the Central Committee would uniformly manage civil servant work. The civil servant management system has undergone systemic restructuring and overall reshaping, and the Party's centralized and unified leadership over the civil servant team has been comprehensively strengthened.

In June 2019, the General Office of the Central Committee issued opinions on implementing the Civil Servant Law and building a high-quality professional civil servant team. In May 2024, the first national civil servant team construction plan outline was issued, promoting the comprehensive improvement of civil servant law and regulation construction and civil servant team construction.

The central civil servant authorities regularly hold national civil servant work symposiums and national civil servant work promotion meetings, organize special studies on civil servant laws and regulations, and hold civil servant management business training courses covering counties, so as to ensure the effective operation and implementation of laws and regulations with a standardized and orderly work mechanism.

When the law is established above, customs will form below. All regions and departments have increased the study and publicity of the Civil Servant Law and conducted regular research and evaluation... The whole-chain and full-coverage implementation mechanism has been gradually improved, and the atmosphere of respecting the law, studying the law, abiding by the law, and using the law has become increasingly strong.

Deepening the Connection and Integration, the Civil Servant System with Chinese Characteristics is More Complete and Well-Matched

When the outline is upheld, the details fall into place and momentum accumulates. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "We must proceed from reality, refine and quantify policy measures, and formulate relevant supporting measures."

The civil servant system with Chinese characteristics is an organic whole composed of the Civil Servant Law, supporting regulations of the Civil Servant Law, and relevant intra-Party regulations, and is an important part of China's political system. The Civil Servant Law, as the main regulation, can only have solid support if the supporting regulations are sound and complete.

Over the past twenty years, various regulations and systems have been successively introduced and gradually improved. In April 2006, the Party Central Committee and the State Council issued 5 documents, including the provisions on the scope of civil servants and the implementation measures for civil servant registration. Subsequently, the central civil servant authorities successively formulated trial regulations on civil servant assessment, recruitment, training, rewards, transfer, etc., and the various links of civil servant management basically achieved that there are rules to follow and regulations to abide by.

With the 19th Fourth Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China making comprehensive deployments for upholding and improving the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, the construction of supporting regulations for the Civil Servant Law has entered a rapid period and achieved fruitful results.

The revised 19 supporting regulations have emerged as the times require, and more than 10 newly formulated supporting policies, such as the regulations on the parallel system of civil servant positions and ranks, the regulations on civil servant transfer, the recruitment investigation methods, and the initial training methods, have been implemented. Reply opinions involving transfer, recruitment, the parallel system of positions and ranks, and the implementation of the progressive delayed retirement policy have been successively issued... The civil servant system has achieved a new leap from the main framework to rich and complete, and from single-point breakthroughs to overall improvement.

From principles and concepts, core essentials, to policy orientation and specific regulations, civil servant regulations are organically connected with intra-Party regulations such as the regulations on the appointment of cadres, coordinated with national laws such as the Judges Law, the Prosecutors Law, the People's Police Law, and the Supervisors Law, and promoted in a coordinated manner with important reforms such as the personnel system of public institutions, constantly filling institutional loopholes and shortcomings, and forming a mutually reinforcing and unified pattern.

Both doing a good job in top-level design and promoting implementation. All regions and departments adhere to the Civil Servant Law and its supporting regulations as the basis and criterion, strengthen the pertinence and operability of institutional documents, and turn the "authoritative regulations" of the higher authorities into "action regulations" at the grassroots level. The provincial civil servant authorities across the country have formulated and issued more than 600 supporting policy documents.

After twenty years of unremitting exploration, the civil servant system with Chinese characteristics, with "1 law + 1 planning outline + 32 supporting systems" as the main content, has gradually been constructed, fully reflecting the significant advantages and distinct characteristics of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and powerfully demonstrating the truth power and practical great power of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law in civil servant work.

Focusing on Precision and Science, Classification Reform has Achieved Breakthrough Progress

Scientific classification can optimize resource allocation, achieve refined management, and improve governance efficiency.

For a long time, China's civil servants have been managed in a "large block" and "unified" manner, which has brought about problems such as a single management method, limited career development channels, and weak management pertinence. How to solve it? Promoting the classified management of civil servants has become an inevitable choice.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the classification reform of civil servants has started a gradual exploration from conception to practice. In September 2023, the General Office of the Central Committee issued the revised regulations on the management of professional and technical civil servants and the regulations on the management of administrative law enforcement civil servants, marking that the general framework of the classification reform of civil servants has basically been finalized. Comprehensive management categories focus on personnel engaged in planning, decision-making, supervision, etc., professional and technical categories focus on personnel with professional knowledge and skills, and administrative law enforcement categories face grassroots units of public security and comprehensive law enforcement departments.

Classification reform, professionalization is the foundation, and vocationalization is the goal.

Professional and technical civil servants have experienced a transformation from scratch, from point to surface, and from quantity to quality, better serving economic and social development. At present, departments such as taxation, customs, ecology and environment, agriculture, water conservancy, auditing, statistics, and disease control have successively set up professional and technical civil servant positions, entering the "quality improvement and efficiency enhancement" stage from the "breakthrough and opening" stage.

Administrative law enforcement civil servants are connected to the government on one end and the masses on the other. At present, more than 90% of the administrative law enforcement civil servants in the country are in organs below the prefecture-level city, playing a positive role in serving the people and improving grassroots governance efficiency.

Establishing a judicial personnel management system that conforms to the characteristics of the profession is fundamental in deepening the judicial system reform and is the "bull nose" that must be grasped.

Establishing and improving the law enforcement duty and police technology rank sequence of public security organs, broadening career development channels, and enhancing the sense of honor, mission, and belonging of the vast number of police officers in being loyal guards of the Party and the people.

Highlighting the main position of judges and prosecutors in handling cases, establishing separate duty sequences for judges and prosecutors, setting up and improving the rank management of judge assistants, prosecutor assistants, and clerks, and improving the professional level of judicial personnel in each position and fulfilling their respective responsibilities.

Establishing a rank (professional and technical duty level) sequence that conforms to the characteristics of fire and rescue positions to achieve a smooth transition of the national comprehensive fire and rescue team.

Strictly approving public institutions managed by reference to the Civil Servant Law, re-identifying them in a timely manner according to changes in functions, and strengthening the refined management of personnel managed by reference to the Civil Servant Law.

Classification has its ways, and belonging has its differences. With the continuous deepening of classification reform, different categories of civil servants further realize development through different channels, refined management, and professional construction, and the vitality of the team is fully stimulated.

Recruiting Excellent Talents Continuously According to Laws and Regulations

"To comprehensively build a modern socialist country, we must have a cadre team that is politically strong, adapts to the requirements of the new era, and has the ability to lead the construction of modernization," Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out.

Examination and recruitment is the main channel for organs at all levels to recruit people, and it has played an important role in promoting the orderly alternation of new and old members of the civil servant team, the overall balance of entry and exit, and the overall improvement of quality.

Civil servant recruitment always puts political standards first, and takes having good political quality and moral character as the basic conditions for applying for the exam. The exam focuses on testing the ability to guide analysis and solve problems with the Party's innovative theories, and the investigation focuses on understanding political positions, political awareness, and political performance. Some places have listed 24 positive situations and 35 negative situations in the political quality investigation of civil servant recruitment, transforming the "big concept" of political quality into intuitive and specific "micro-indicators" to achieve comparable investigation standards and evaluable investigation results.

Focusing on the center and exerting efforts for the overall situation, wherever the Party's major strategic deployments go, the recruitment work will follow. The recruitment plan is tilted towards the grassroots to provide talent support for poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. Serving the overall situation of opening up to the outside world and foreign affairs, encouraging college graduates who are interested in engaging in diplomatic and foreign affairs work to apply for the exam. Serving the Party and state institutional reforms to carry out special recruitment, and completing the transition and transfer of more than 92,000 employees from branches of the People's Bank of China and the China Securities Regulatory Commission and other units.

Examination and recruitment involves thousands of households, and ensuring fairness and justice is crucial.

Adhering to the principles of openness, equality, competition, and merit-based selection, breaking regional, industry, and identity restrictions, scientifically setting qualification conditions, and continuously improving the quality of question setting; paying attention to maintaining the right of various personnel such as social on-the-job personnel, fresh graduates, and returned overseas students to participate in competition equally; positions, conditions, policies, procedures, and results are made public to the society, and the "competition in the glass house" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people; relaxing the age limit for recruitment has received positive and positive social response.

Coordinating and making good use of various recruitment methods to discover and gather talents in a wider field and on a larger scale.

Transfer is an important institutional channel for outstanding talents from state-owned enterprises and public institutions to enter the civil servant team. Organs at all levels adhere to the orientation of the cause and select people according to the matter, and steadily promote the transfer work.

The appointment system is an important institutional innovation aimed at supplementing high-level and urgently needed professional talents for organs. Some places have introduced a market-oriented professional evaluation mechanism, improved assessment incentives, daily management, and other measures to promote the appointment system civil servants to serve economic and social development.

Recruitment methods such as the resettlement of demobilized military officers, election registration, and institutional reform transfer inject various outstanding talents into a pool of "living water," making the structure of the civil servant team more reasonable.

Continuously Casting the Soul and Empowering, the Quality and Ability of Civil Servants are Continuously Improved

To establish oneself in all walks of life, learning comes first. Education and training is a pioneering, fundamental, and strategic project for building a high-quality civil servant team.

The central civil servant authorities adhere to taking the in-depth study and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the main theme and main line of training, as the main course and compulsory course for all types and levels of classes, and continuously strengthen political training in combination with carrying out centralized education within the Party.

The first national initial training course for newly recruited civil servants was held. From November 17 to 21, 2022, 195,000 people "attended the same class" in 2,600 classrooms in 5 days, achieving full coverage of unified initial training. From central organs to the grassroots front line, a total of 1.094 million people have been trained in the past 4 years, helping newly recruited civil servants take the "first step" in their political career and fasten the "first button."

Regularly hold training courses for directors of departments and bureaus, and section chiefs, etc. From 2024 to 2025, the training of more than 2,000 newly appointed section chiefs of central and state organs will be fully covered, driving the smooth development of training for section chiefs and division chiefs across the country, and helping newly appointed civil servants improve their positions, shoulder heavy responsibilities, and grow their abilities.

Focusing closely on the promotion and implementation of the Party and state's major strategies to carry out special training. Focusing on building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, carry out training on preventing and resolving major risks, targeted poverty alleviation, and pollution prevention; focusing on consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation and effectively connecting with rural revitalization, carry out training on innovation-driven development and rural revitalization; focusing closely on promoting Chinese-style modernization, carry out training on scientific and technological self-reliance, jointly building the "Belt and Road," and developing new quality productive forces...

Practice produces true knowledge, and tempering grows talents.

In recent years, organs at all levels have planned to promote civil servants to positions that serve and guarantee major strategies, major projects, major projects, and key tasks, especially selecting and sending civil servants to participate in aid to Tibet, Xinjiang, and Qinghai, fighting hard battles, shouldering heavy burdens, and overcoming difficulties. Batch after batch of civil servants from old revolutionary areas, ethnic areas, border areas, and old industrial bases have been seconded to developed areas and central organs, growing up in practice, broadening their horizons, increasing their knowledge, and increasing their abilities.

Improving the Management and Supervision Mechanism, the Discipline and Work Style of the Civil Servant Team are More Solid

Strictly governing the Party, the key is to strictly govern officials. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) clearly requires that we focus on improving the enforcement of the system and promote the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party to develop in depth on the track of laws and regulations.

The Civil Servant Law clarifies the 7 basic conditions that civil servants should possess, the 8 important obligations that must be fulfilled, and the 18 detailed rules of discipline that must be observed, and stipulates 6 types of disciplinary actions, weaving a dense institutional cage for strictly managing and supervising civil servants.
The Civil Servant Law clarifies the seven basic conditions that civil servants should possess, the eight important obligations they must fulfill, and the 18 disciplinary rules they must abide by. It stipulates six types of disciplinary actions, weaving a dense institutional cage for strict management and supervision of civil servants.

In response to the risks and hidden dangers such as "regulatory capture" and "option corruption" existing among civil servants who resign from public office, the central civil service authorities have strengthened institutional integration, established a coordination and cooperation mechanism, and guided some central units to establish lists of restrictions on employment behavior, strictly regulating employment behavior after resignation from public office.

Strictly approving resignation applications, setting a "cooling-off period" for job influence, tracking and verifying employment behavior, and severely investigating and punishing illegal employment... A complete set of "combined punches" gradually builds a normalized management mechanism, continuously preventing the "revolving door" between politics and business and "escape-style resignations."

Running water does not become stale, and a frequently turned hinge does not rot.

The regulations on the transfer of civil servants clarify that civil servants holding leading positions in internal organs of government agencies who have worked in the same position for 10 years, and civil servants who do not hold leading positions who have worked in the same position in nine areas such as discipline inspection, bidding and procurement, and administrative licensing for 10 years, should be transferred. Various regions and departments, in light of their actual situations, have increased efforts to transfer personnel within agencies and across regions and departments.

Earnestly implement requirements for recusal from appointment, regional recusal, and official duty recusal, increase efforts to adjust situations involving 17 types of kinship recusal, and strictly prevent unhealthy tendencies such as "incestuous employment" and "favoritism towards relatives and friends";

Strictly carry out various tasks such as civil servant recruitment, assessment, promotion, rewards and punishments, training, and dismissal in accordance with laws, regulations, and discipline, strengthen supervision of ideological and political aspects, work style performance, and compliance with laws and regulations, and improve the management mechanism for civil servants in areas with concentrated power, intensive funds, and abundant resources;

Deeply carry out Party discipline study and education, implement the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation and its implementation details, continuously deepen the construction of civil servant professional ethics, and educate and guide civil servants to know awe, maintain vigilance, and adhere to the bottom line, consciously performing duties and exercising power, working and living in an environment subject to supervision and restraint...

Strict management brings about a new atmosphere. The civil service team is constantly changing its work style and improving its work style through revolutionary forging, winning the trust of the people with a new atmosphere of integrity, and effectively boosting the spirit of doing business and starting a career.

Strengthening incentives and guarantees, the intrinsic motivation for civil servants to take responsibility and act is continuously enhanced.

Mobilizing and stimulating the enthusiasm of the vast number of civil servants to do business and start a career is the original intention of the Civil Servant Law and an important issue that must be faced in its implementation.

In 2019, the parallel system of civil servant positions and ranks was fully implemented, "non-leadership positions" withdrew from the historical stage, "rank" became a new channel for civil servant growth, promotion space was effectively expanded, and the incentive effect continued to play out.

Localities and departments strictly enforce rank promotion conditions, highlight political standards, focus on work performance, prioritize the excellent and promote the advanced first, and avoid giving everyone a share or promoting them when the time comes, guiding the orientation of doing business and starting a career with the correct employment orientation.

Since the implementation of the parallel system, the promotion "single-log bridge" has been transformed into a "dual-channel" for development. A large number of civil servants who have performed outstandingly in rural revitalization, flood prevention and disaster relief, and promoting high-quality development, and civil servants who have silently dedicated themselves and shone in ordinary positions have been promoted in rank.

With standards and quality in assessment, there is motivation and direction in doing things.

Focusing on establishing a system for knowing people and identifying talent through daily assessment, classified assessment, and close-range assessment, highlighting the criteria for good and bad, clarifying the guidelines for rewards and punishments, and continuously releasing a strong signal of valuing practical work, practical results, and taking responsibility. Since the launch of the comprehensive performance evaluation for high-quality development in 2021, the feedback mechanism for assessment results has been gradually improved, and the indicator system has been further adjusted and optimized.

People's satisfaction is the highest praise for public servants.

On August 30, 2022, the National Commendation Conference for "People's Satisfied Civil Servants" and "People's Satisfied Civil Servant Collectives" was grandly held in the Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂), and General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) cordially met with the commended representatives.

This is the first time that the national commendation of "People's Satisfied Civil Servants" and "People's Satisfied Civil Servant Collectives" has been carried out in the name of the Party Central Committee (党中央) and the State Council (国务院).

As the highest honor for civil servant awards, from the provincial and ministerial-level commendations in 1996 to the national-level commendations in 2022, from the initial 5 individuals to the current 400 individuals and 200 collectives, township and section-level and below civil servants account for more than 80% of the total number of commendations, and the commendation level of "People's Satisfied" civil servants has been continuously improved and the scope has been continuously expanded.

Give full play to the "People's Satisfied" brand effect, select "People's Satisfied Civil Servants" to enter the Party School (党校) faculty pool, promote advanced models to enter classrooms and take the stage, produce special films for publicity and education, establish demonstration posts and studios, and guide the vast number of civil servants to admire the advanced and learn from the virtuous, driving "ten thousand horses galloping" with "one horse taking the lead."

Civil servants have the right to obtain wages and remuneration, enjoy welfare and security benefits, and file complaints and accusations, and civil servants' lawful performance of their duties is protected by law.

Always adhere to the centralized and unified leadership of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党) to ensure that the design and implementation of various civil servant management systems implement the Party's propositions; always adhere to the unity of law-based management and Party management of cadres, implement the standards for good cadres in the new era, and fully implement the Party's cadre line, principles, and policies; always adhere to the combination of reform and innovation and steady implementation, and use reform methods to solve development problems; always adhere to the connection between top and bottom and organic connection to promote the implementation of various systems; always adhere to the equal emphasis on system construction and team construction, use system results to guarantee and promote team construction, and use the effectiveness of team construction to test and promote system improvement...

Looking back on the extraordinary journey of the past two decades, the implementation of the Civil Servant Law has withstood the test of history, the test of practice, and the test of the people, and has accumulated valuable experience.

Time passes as usual, and in spring, one should diligently do what one can.

At a new historical starting point, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the vast number of civil servants firmly defend the "Two Establishes" and resolutely achieve the "Two Safeguards," diligently and conscientiously fulfill their responsibilities, continuously implement the Civil Servant Law, and vigorously promote the construction of a civil servant legal system with Chinese characteristics, which will surely make new and greater contributions to promoting the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

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Unswervingly Advance the Building of Party Conduct and Integrity in Government and the Fight Against Corruption, Providing a Strong Guarantee for Achieving the Goals and Tasks of the "15th Five-Year Plan" Period

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 27th (北京) – On January 27th, the State Council (国务院) convened its fourth conference on clean governance. Li Qiang (李强), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council, emphasized at the meeting that it is necessary to adhere to Xi Jinping (习近平) Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the spirit of the Plenary Session, resolutely implement the strategic deployment of promoting comprehensive and strict Party governance with higher standards and more practical measures, unswervingly promote the building of Party conduct and clean governance and the fight against corruption in the government, and provide a strong guarantee for achieving the goals and tasks of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

Ding Xuexiang (丁薛祥), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, presided over the meeting. Vice Premiers of the State Council He Lifeng (何立峰), Zhang Guoqing (张国清), and Liu Guozhong (刘国中), State Councilors Wang Xiaohong (王小洪), Wu Zhenglong (吴政隆), and Chen Yiqin (谌贻琴) attended the meeting.

Li Xi (李希), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Liu Jinguo (刘金国), Secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the National Supervisory Commission, were invited to attend the meeting.

Li Qiang (李强) pointed out that General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection pointed out the direction and provided fundamental guidance for deepening the building of Party conduct and clean governance and the fight against corruption. We must effectively unify our thinking and actions with the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech, deeply understand and grasp the major judgment that the situation in the fight against corruption is still severe and complex, and that the task of eradicating the breeding ground and conditions for corruption is still arduous and heavy, deeply understand and grasp the clear stance that Party management and governance will become stricter as we move forward, and be strict to the end, deeply understand and grasp the mission requirement of providing a strong guarantee for achieving the goals and tasks of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period with comprehensive and strict Party governance, firmly support the "Two Establishments" and resolutely achieve the "Two Safeguards," and implement the strategic policy of comprehensive and strict Party governance in all aspects and throughout the entire process of government work.

Li Qiang (李强) emphasized that it is necessary to more resolutely and effectively implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, establish and practice a correct view of performance, adhere to achieving performance for the people and achieving performance through hard work, consciously act in accordance with the laws, and do a solid job. It is necessary to focus on implementing the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation to promote the normalization and long-term effectiveness of work style construction, deepen the rectification of formalism to reduce the burden on the grassroots, and allow the vast number of cadres to free up more energy to focus on implementation and do practical work. It is necessary to strictly enforce financial and economic discipline, strengthen audit supervision and financial and accounting supervision, and ensure the safe and efficient use of public funds and assets. It is necessary to closely monitor key areas to effectively curb the frequent occurrence of corruption, deepen the rectification of unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems around the masses, increase the integrated efforts to promote the courage not to be corrupt, the inability to be corrupt, and the unwillingness to be corrupt, and strive to achieve greater progress in both addressing the symptoms and root causes.

Li Qiang (李强) emphasized that Party groups of governments at all levels and Party groups (Party committees) of all departments must resolutely implement the political responsibility of comprehensive and strict Party governance, and truly achieve knowing responsibility, assuming responsibility, and fulfilling responsibility. It is necessary to weave a tight and solid institutional cage for preventing corruption and promoting integrity, clarify the boundaries of power exercise, and strengthen the rigid constraints of the system. It is necessary to create a good environment for starting businesses and making achievements, vigorously promote a social atmosphere of integrity, honesty, pragmatism, and hard work, and create better conditions for those who want to do things and are capable of doing things. It is necessary to adhere to both diligence and integrity, solidly promote various tasks, ensure a good start and a good step for the "15th Five-Year Plan," and make new and greater contributions to the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation.

The main responsible comrades of the Ministry of Civil Affairs (民政部), the People's Bank of China (中国人民银行), the Henan Provincial Government (河南省政府), and the Yunnan Provincial Government (云南省政府) spoke at the meeting.

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Zhao Leji Meets with Finnish Prime Minister Orpo

Zhao Leji (赵乐际), Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (全国人大常委会), met with Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (奥尔波) in Beijing (北京) on the morning of January 27, according to Xinhua News Agency (新华社).

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) stated that Finland was one of the first Western countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China (新中国), and the two sides have always maintained friendly relations, mutual respect, and mutual trust. In October 2024, President Xi Jinping (习近平) held talks with President Alexander Stubb (斯图布), reaching important consensus on deepening the future-oriented new type of cooperative partnership between China and Finland. China is willing to work with Finland to uphold the original aspiration of establishing diplomatic relations, enhance political mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, expand cultural exchanges, and promote the steady and long-term development of bilateral relations. The National People's Congress of China (中国全国人大) is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the Finnish Parliament, learn from each other's experience in legislation, supervision, and governance, and provide legal guarantees for practical cooperation in various fields.

Orpo (奥尔波) said that Finnish-Chinese relations have enjoyed long-term stable development. Finland congratulates China on its remarkable achievements in development, adheres to the one-China policy, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in areas such as economy, trade, and innovation, and strengthen exchanges between legislative bodies.

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Central and State Organs Party Work and Discipline Inspection Work Conference Held in Beijing

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 27th (Reporter Geng Lei (耿磊)) The Central and State Organs Party Work and Discipline Inspection Work Conference was held in Beijing (北京) on January 27th. Cai Qi (蔡奇), a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the Work Committee of the Central and State Organs, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. He emphasized the need to adhere to Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Party and the Plenary Sessions of the 20th Central Committee, earnestly implement the arrangements of the Fourth Plenary Session, comprehensively implement General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平)'s important speeches and instructions on Party building in state organs, profoundly understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," strengthen the "Four Confidences," and achieve the "Two Safeguards." Taking the implementation of the responsibility system for Party building in state organs as the lead, and deepening the construction of model organs as the grasp, adhere to the "Four Leads," serve as "Three Examples," take the lead in the first phalanx, promote high-quality development with high-quality Party building, and provide a strong guarantee for achieving a good start to the "15th Five-Year Plan."

The meeting emphasized that this year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党) and the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan." All departments of the Central and State Organs must unswervingly strengthen the construction of political organs, further highlight the attributes of political organs, continue to use Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to strengthen the soul, strictly enforce political discipline and political rules, improve political execution, and more resolutely and forcefully implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee. It is necessary to establish and practice a correct view of political achievements, base ourselves on the duties and missions of departments, adhere to serving the people with political achievements and achieving political achievements through hard work, improve the effective mechanism for preventing and correcting deviations in the view of political achievements, take the effectiveness of stabilizing growth, promoting development, benefiting people's livelihoods, and preventing risks as an important test standard, and strive to create achievements that can withstand the test of practice, the people, and history. We must continue to deepen and solidify the rectification of formalism to reduce the burden on the grassroots, focus on the implementation of key tasks, promote the "Six Corrections," improve the mechanism for regularly discovering and rectifying problems, and carry out joint and integrated rectification from top to bottom. It is necessary to conscientiously study and implement the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, continue to deepen the efforts to rectify conduct, enforce discipline, and combat corruption, consolidate and expand the achievements of in-depth study and education on the spirit of the eight-point regulation of the Central Committee, improve the power operation mechanism in light of the characteristics of departments, give full play to the supervisory role of Party organizations at all levels in the organs, ensure that all cases are investigated and all corruption is punished, deepen the joint investigation and treatment of misconduct and corruption, and unswervingly promote comprehensive and strict Party governance. We must focus on improving the quality of Party building in the units affiliated to the departments, comprehensively strengthen the Party's leadership and Party building in public institutions, and earnestly strengthen the Party building in industry associations and chambers of commerce. Conscientiously implement the responsibility system for ideological work and create a good public opinion environment.

Responsible comrades from the Party committees and discipline inspection committees of the departments of the Central and State Organs attended the meeting, and six departments made exchange speeches.

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Han Zheng Meets with Senegalese National Assembly Speaker Ndiaye

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 27th (Xinhua) -- Vice President Han Zheng (韩正) met with the President of the National Assembly of Senegal, Amadou Mame Diop (恩迪亚耶), in Beijing on the 27th.

Han Zheng (韩正) stated that Senegal is an important cooperative partner of China in Africa. In recent years, President Xi Jinping (习近平) has successively met with President Faye (法耶) and Prime Minister Sonko (松科), who have visited China, leading the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Senegal to continuously achieve new developments. China highly appreciates Senegal's understanding and support on issues related to Taiwan, human rights, and Xinjiang, and is willing to consolidate political mutual trust with Senegal, deepen cooperation that benefits the people, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, enhance mutual understanding and affinity between the people, and strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs, so as to make greater contributions to jointly building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

Amadou Mame Diop (恩迪亚耶) stated that Senegal firmly adheres to the One China principle. Senegal highly appreciates the "Belt and Road" initiative and the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平), and is willing to strengthen practical cooperation with China in areas such as infrastructure and smart transportation, and work together to promote the development of Africa-China relations.

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The 4th Session of the 14th National People's Congress and the 4th Session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Welcome Interviews by Chinese and Foreign Journalists

Beijing, January 27th (Reporter Peng Bo (彭波)) The Fourth Session of the Fourteenth National People's Congress and the Fourth Session of the Fourteenth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference will open in Beijing (北京) on March 5th and March 4th, 2026, respectively. The General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the General Office of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference announced today that Chinese and foreign journalists are welcome to attend the interviews.

The interviews will be conducted mainly in person, combined with a variety of methods. The meetings will continue to uphold the spirit of openness and transparency, and provide services for Chinese and foreign journalists to cover the reports.

Chinese and foreign journalists should apply for interviews with the two sessions according to the procedures. Reporters from central news organizations should apply to the Press Center, reporters accompanying local delegations should apply to the Press Center through their respective delegations, reporters from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (香港特别行政区) should apply to the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (中央人民政府驻香港特别行政区联络办公室), reporters from the Macao Special Administrative Region (澳门特别行政区) should apply to the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region (中央人民政府驻澳门特别行政区联络办公室), reporters from the Taiwan region should apply to the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council (国务院台湾事务办公室), foreign journalists stationed in China should apply to the Press Center, and foreign journalists coming to China temporarily should apply to the Chinese embassies and consulates in their countries or the visa agencies authorized by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (中国外交部). The deadline for journalist registration is February 3rd.

The Press Center for the Fourth Session of the Fourteenth National People's Congress and the Fourth Session of the Fourteenth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference will be located at the Media Center (梅地亚中心), No. 11, Yi, Fuxing Road (复兴路), Beijing (北京市), and will be responsible for receiving and arranging interviews for Chinese and foreign journalists for the two sessions. The Press Center will officially start its work on February 27th.

In order to facilitate journalist interviews, the websites of the Press Centers for the two sessions will release interview information and related information in a timely manner. The website of the Press Center for the Fourth Session of the Fourteenth National People's Congress is: http://www.npc.gov.cn, and the website of the Press Center for the Fourth Session of the Fourteenth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference is: http://www.cppcc.gov.cn.

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China's urban areas added 12.67 million new jobs in 2025

According to a report from the People's Daily Beijing (北京) on January 27th (Reporter Qiu Chao Yi (邱超奕)), the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部) announced that in 2025, the number of new urban jobs nationwide reached 12.67 million, maintaining an overall stable employment situation.

In 2025, efforts to tap into and expand job opportunities in key areas, key industries, urban and rural grassroots levels, and small and micro enterprises continued to advance. Reductions in unemployment insurance rates reduced unemployment insurance contributions by 187.2 billion yuan, and 33.6 billion yuan in stabilization and job retention funds were distributed. Focusing on key groups such as enterprise employees, college graduates, and migrant workers, human resources and social security departments, in conjunction with relevant departments, implemented special training programs in various fields, providing subsidized training to over 11 million people throughout the year. Focusing on migrant workers, especially those lifted out of poverty, a special action for stabilizing employment was implemented, with the scale of employment for those lifted out of poverty remaining above 30 million people at the end of the year.

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In 2025, Chinese athletes won 146 world championships.

According to the State General Administration of Sport (国家体育总局), in 2025, Chinese athletes won 146 world championships in 31 sports, setting 17 world records.

These world champions are in the following sports: speed skating (1), shooting (16), freestyle BMX (1), rowing (2), canoe sprint (1), weightlifting (3), boxing (1), swimming (2), diving (18), artistic swimming (11), gymnastics (3), trampoline (4), rhythmic gymnastics (1), table tennis (6), badminton (3), climbing (1), bowling (1), parachuting (10), naval model (3), aviation model (4), paragliding (3), Go (2), Chinese chess (3), international chess (1), Gomoku (1), Wushu Sanshou (14), Wushu Taolu (8), breaking (1), roller skating (6), dragon boat (11), and bodybuilding (4). Among them, 47 are Olympic world champions.

People's Daily (本报) Beijing (北京), January 27th (reporter Zheng Yi (郑轶), Sun Longfei (孙龙飞))

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Li Qiang Holds Talks with Finnish Prime Minister Orpo

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 27th (Reporter Dong Xue (董雪)) On the afternoon of January 27th, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) held talks with Finnish Prime Minister Orpo (奥尔波), who was in China for an official visit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing (北京人民大会堂).

Li Qiang (李强) stated that last year, China and Finland jointly celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. This morning, President Xi Jinping (习近平) held a meeting with Prime Minister Orpo (奥尔波), deeply summarizing the valuable experience of the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, and providing strategic guidance for further deepening China-Finland relations and cooperation. China is willing to work with Finland to carry forward the friendly tradition between the two countries, adhere to mutual respect and equal treatment, promote the continuous deepening and consolidation of the new type of partnership between China and Finland oriented towards the future, and bring more benefits to the people of both countries.

Li Qiang (李强) pointed out that this year is the first year of China's "15th Five-Year Plan." China is willing to further strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Finland, better leverage the complementary advantages of the economies, fully unleash the potential of bilateral trade, make good use of platforms such as the China-Finland Science and Technology Cooperation Committee and high-tech matchmaking meetings, and deepen cooperation in fields such as communications, clean technology, special ship construction, new urban construction, and life and health, to achieve a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win results. China is willing to import more high-quality products from Finland, encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Finland, and hopes that Finland will continue to provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for enterprises. The two sides should strengthen cooperation in tourism, language and vocational education, local affairs, youth and other fields, and continuously enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. At present, global unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, and the world economy is being impacted. China and Finland should work together to safeguard the open and cooperative international economic and trade order, adhere to multilateralism and free trade, maintain the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization (WTO) as its core, and better share opportunities and achieve win-win results in open cooperation. It is hoped that Finland will play a positive role in promoting the development of China-Europe relations.

Orpo (奥尔波) said that Finland-China relations have enjoyed long-term stable development. In recent years, high-level exchanges between the two countries have continued, and economic and trade cooperation has yielded fruitful results. China has made remarkable achievements in economic and social development and technological innovation, and plays an important role in international affairs. Finland is committed to continuously deepening its relations with China, and is willing to strengthen high-level mutual visits and exchanges at all levels with China, adhere to the principles of equality and mutual benefit, and deepen pragmatic cooperation in trade, investment and other fields, as well as cultural and people-to-people exchanges. The Finnish government welcomes Chinese companies to invest and do business in Finland, and is willing to create a good environment for this. The current international order faces severe challenges. Finland is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China on multilateral affairs such as addressing climate change and sustainable development, and safeguard free trade and the multilateral trading system. A sound development of EU-China relations is important for both sides, and Finland is willing to play a constructive role in promoting the development of EU-China relations.

Before the talks, Li Qiang (李强) held a welcoming ceremony for Orpo (奥尔波) in the North Hall of the Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂北大厅).

After the talks, the two prime ministers jointly witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in the fields of science and technology, housing and construction, customs, culture and tourism, economy and trade, and energy.

Wu Zhenglong (吴政隆) participated in the above activities.

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The Revised Implementation Regulations for the Drug Administration Law of the People's Republic of China are Released

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 27th (Xinhua) -- Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) recently signed a State Council decree, announcing the revised "Regulations for the Implementation of the Drug Administration Law of the People's Republic of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"), which will come into effect on May 15, 2026. The "Regulations" consist of 9 chapters and 89 articles. The main contents of the revision are as follows:

First, improving the drug research and registration system. Support drug research and innovation oriented by clinical value, encourage research and creation of new drugs, and support the clinical promotion and use of new drugs. Clarify the qualification recognition procedures for drug non-clinical safety evaluation research institutions, and refine the management requirements for drug clinical trials. Establish an accelerated drug marketing registration procedure, clarify the drug re-registration procedure, and stipulate the conversion mechanism for prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs. Grant market exclusivity to qualified drugs for children and drugs for the treatment of rare diseases, and provide data protection for drugs containing new chemical ingredients. Refine the responsibilities of drug marketing authorization holders.

Second, strengthening drug production management. Strictly manage entrusted drug production, consolidate the responsibilities of drug marketing authorization holders during entrusted production, and clarify the circumstances under which segmented drug production can be entrusted. Clarify the management requirements for the production and sale of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) decoction pieces and TCM formula granules.

Third, standardizing drug operation and use. Improve the drug online sales management system and consolidate the responsibilities of third-party platform providers for drug online transactions. Strengthen pharmaceutical affairs management in medical institutions to ensure the quality of drugs in the use stage. Clarify the approval process for the preparation of preparations in medical institutions, stipulate the conditions and procedures for the dispensing and use of medical institution preparations, and support the preparation of medical institution preparations for children to meet the medication needs of child patients.

Fourth, strictly supervising drug safety. Clarify drug safety supervision and inspection measures. Refine the drug quality sampling and inspection process, and stipulate that if a party has objections to the inspection results, they can apply for re-inspection. Strict legal responsibilities have been set for illegal acts.

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Zhao Leji Holds Talks with Senegalese National Assembly Speaker Ndiaye

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 27th (Xinhuanet) - Zhao Leji (赵乐际), Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, held talks with the President of the National Assembly of Senegal, Amadou Mame Diop (恩迪亚耶), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing (北京人民大会堂) on the afternoon of the 27th.

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) stated that China and Senegal are sincere partners who support each other, develop together, and cooperate closely. In the past two years, President Xi Jinping (习近平) has met with President Faye (法耶) and Prime Minister Sonko (松科) respectively, charting a blueprint for the development of bilateral relations. China is willing to work with Senegal to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and the various measures of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit, enrich the connotation of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, and make greater contributions to building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) pointed out that Senegal has publicly reaffirmed its unwavering adherence to the one-China principle, for which China highly appreciates. China will, as always, support Senegal in following an independent path of development. The two sides should expand high-quality mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen the strategic alignment of the "15th Five-Year Plan" with the "Senegal 2050 Vision," and explore cooperation potential in areas such as industrialization and agricultural modernization, trade and investment, new energy, and the digital economy. Taking the "China-Africa Year of People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges" as an opportunity, we should deepen exchanges in culture, education, media, youth, medical and health, sports, local and other fields, and strengthen the bonds of friendship between China and Senegal, and between China and Africa. China appreciates Senegal's active support for the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the four global initiatives, and is willing to strengthen cooperation with Senegal in promoting African unity and self-improvement, safeguarding regional peace and security, and defending international fairness and justice.

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) emphasized that the National People's Congress of China is willing to work with the National Assembly of Senegal to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between high-level leaders of legislative bodies, special committees, bilateral friendship groups, NPC deputies and parliamentarians, deepen exchanges on governance and legislative and supervisory experience, and create a good legal environment for practical cooperation between the two countries; strengthen coordination and cooperation in multilateral mechanisms such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and enhance the voice and representation of Global South countries.

Amadou Mame Diop (恩迪亚耶) stated that Senegal firmly adheres to the one-China principle, highly appreciates the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平), and thanks China for its valuable support to Senegal in economic and social development. Senegal is willing to continue to promote the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" with China, strengthen cooperation in various fields, implement the results of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, and jointly safeguard international fairness and justice. Senegal highly appreciates China's practice of whole-process people's democracy. The National Assembly of Senegal is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the National People's Congress of China to play a positive role in promoting the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Senegal and China.

Peng Qinghua (彭清华) participated in the talks.

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Significant progress has been made in legalizing petition-related work.

This reporter learned from the 2026 National Bureau of Letters and Calls Directors Conference on January 27th (reporter Jin Xin (金歆)): In the past year, significant progress has been made in the rule of law regarding work related to letters and calls. The national letters and calls system has adhered to the thinking and methods of the rule of law, fully implemented the "Regulations on Letters and Calls Work," organized 43 ministries and commissions to compile "Guidance Maps" for handling letters and calls matters according to laws and regulations; promoted the access of 83 central and state organs to the National Letters and Calls Information System, rectified the "Four Shoulds and Four Should Nots" problem, actively carried out on-site supervision, and fulfilled the responsibility of putting forward "three suggestions"; promoted the formation of a good situation where "the accepting department is responsible for advancing the procedure, and the handling department is responsible for substantive resolution."

The National Bureau of Letters and Calls Directors Conference was held from January 26th to 27th. The conference thoroughly studied and implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on strengthening and improving the people's letters and calls work, summarized the letters and calls work in 2025, analyzed the current situation of letters and calls, and deployed key tasks for 2026.

Regarding the work of the past year, the conference also pointed out that the national letters and calls system has given full play to the "barometer" role of letters and calls, strengthened the collection of people's suggestions through letters and calls channels; vigorously practiced the "Fengqiao Experience" of the new era, vigorously promoted the typical experiences and practices of various localities in innovating grassroots governance, vigorously promoted the fine tradition of "going down to the grassroots at four levels" (四下基层) (sì xià jī céng - "four go down grassroots," cadres going to the grassroots level to investigate, research, solve problems, and promote work), and leading cadres at the county level and above throughout the country received visits and went down to the grassroots 991,000 times, receiving and handling 1,281,000 letters and calls matters.

Looking ahead to 2026, the conference emphasized that the national letters and calls system should focus on promoting the rule of law in letters and calls work as the main line, solidly promote the construction of political organs in letters and calls departments, the rule of law in letters and calls work, the source governance of letters and calls problems and the resolution of outstanding letters and calls contradictions, the reform of the letters and calls work system and mechanism, and the construction of a contingent of letters and calls cadres, give full play to the role of the joint meeting mechanism for letters and calls work, build a new model and new ecology of the rule of law in letters and calls, and make new contributions to promoting the modernization of social governance and building a higher level of safe China.

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What to Know When Riding in a Quiet Car (In-Depth Reading)

By: 本报记者 李心萍

The 2026 Spring Festival travel season train tickets are now on sale. Upon opening the Railway 12306 application, users will notice a "quiet" (静) label next to many train numbers.

The "quiet" label indicates that the train offers quiet car service, providing passengers with a relatively quiet train travel environment by adjusting audio-visual broadcast volumes and guiding quiet behavior.

How extensive is the coverage of quiet car service? How should passengers comply with quiet agreements and maintain the public environment when riding in a quiet car? Is it still necessary to remain quiet when riding in non-quiet cars? The reporter conducted interviews to address the concerns of the majority of passengers.

Where to Find Quiet Cars?

G-series trains are almost fully covered, usually located at the front or rear.

During the journey, individual behaviors such as playing sounds from mobile phones, making loud phone calls, and noisy children affect the travel experience of others. To this end, the railway department has launched quiet car services to meet the diverse needs of passengers.

The railway department recently announced that it will expand the scope of quiet car services starting from February 1. "More than 8,000 EMU (Electric Multiple Unit) trains will provide services, covering the main lines and major passenger flow channels of the national high-speed rail network," said the relevant person in charge of the Passenger Transport Department of China State Railway Group (国铁集团).

Specifically, G-series trains are almost fully covered. Except for a few trains with special operation routes or temporarily added trains, most G-series trains have quiet cars. D-series trains have covered most distributed-power EMU trains. Except for sleeper EMU trains and centralized-power EMU trains, D-series trains providing quiet car services account for approximately 80%.

As for C-series intercity trains, considering their small station spacing and short journeys, quiet car services have not yet been promoted to suit the actual situation and ensure convenience.

Quiet cars are all second-class seating cars, usually located at the front or rear of the train. EMU trains with 8 or 16 cars have 1 quiet car; long-编组 Fuxing (复兴) EMU trains with 17 cars have 2 quiet cars; and coupled EMU trains have 1 quiet car in the front and rear groups, respectively.

"Quiet cars do not sell tickets without assigned seats," said the relevant person in charge of the Passenger Transport Department of China State Railway Group (国铁集团). Setting quiet cars at both ends of the EMU train can effectively reduce the interference caused by passengers without assigned seats passing through other cars, which is conducive to creating a relatively independent and quiet environment.

According to reports, if passengers are willing to ride in a quiet car, they can independently select train numbers marked with the "quiet" (静) logo when purchasing tickets, and also check the option "Please prioritize allocating me a seat in the 'quiet car'," and the system will prioritize allocating seats in the quiet car.

How to Comply with Quiet Agreements?

Multiple ways to guide passengers, with staff reminders and interventions.

How can quiet cars truly become quiet?

"To optimize the riding experience, the railway department implements all-round quiet guarantees for quiet cars," said Niu Xiaochen (牛晓辰), deputy secretary of the Party branch of the High-speed Railway Team 1 of the Zhengzhou Passenger Transport Section (郑州客运段).

In terms of the car environment, trains with suitable conditions will turn off the broadcast or lower the broadcast volume, and guide passengers to create a quiet atmosphere by posting prominent signs, playing silent reminder videos, and placing promotional cards.

"Taking the Fuxing (复兴) EMU train as an example, the volume of the train's audio-visual broadcast will be adjusted to 30% to 40% of the normal volume, and the in-vehicle video entertainment system will be completely closed," Niu Xiaochen (牛晓辰) introduced.

In terms of car service, it is forbidden to sell and promote goods in quiet cars, and train staff implement quiet service. In addition, the car is equipped with some books and magazines for passengers to read. The railway department usually does not provide free earplugs, and passengers are advised to bring their own. In special circumstances, passengers can ask the crew for help, and the crew will provide corresponding services or emergency assistance depending on the situation.

For passengers, purchasing a ticket for a quiet car means agreeing to the quiet agreement, which includes: First, keep quiet in the quiet car and avoid making noise with gentle movements; second, set mobile phones and other electronic devices to silent or vibrate; third, leave the quiet car when making or answering phone calls or talking to each other; fourth, wear headphones or turn off the sound source when using electronic devices; fifth, passengers traveling with children should take care of their children and avoid noise and crying.

If passengers violate the quiet agreement, train staff will promptly adopt appropriate methods to provide friendly reminders, guidance, and dissuasion. On the evening of January 24, in the quiet car of the G97 train from Beijing West (北京西) to Zhengzhou East (郑州东), a passenger suddenly played sounds from his mobile phone. After the train conductor Liu Dan (刘丹) discovered this, she immediately stepped forward lightly, silently raised a sign, and guided the passenger to view the quiet reminder card. The passenger realized that his behavior was inappropriate, so he stopped playing the sound, and the car immediately returned to silence.

"Train staff will hold up signs printed with the slogan 'Quiet Car, Speak Softly and Walk Gently' to guide passengers to abide by the quiet agreement when inspecting the car and checking tickets," Niu Xiaochen (牛晓辰) said. For behaviors such as making and answering phone calls, staff will guide passengers to move to the connection between the cars to answer; if passengers continue to make noise, staff can assist them in switching to seats in non-quiet cars.

What About Other Cars?

In any car, a civilized and quiet public environment should be maintained.

Does setting up quiet cars mean that other cars do not need to remain quiet?

The relevant person in charge of the Passenger Transport Department of China State Railway Group (国铁集团) stated that the railway department always advocates and calls on all passengers to jointly maintain a civilized and quiet public environment in any car.

"Quiet cars are a demonstration model for strengthening guidance and service. In other cars, passengers will also be reminded to avoid loud noises, avoid playing sounds from electronic devices, and avoid children running and making noise through broadcast publicity and crew inspections," the person in charge said. Compared with quiet cars, other cars do not have quiet agreements and mandatory management measures, but still require the joint efforts of every passenger to create a quiet and comfortable environment.

At the same time, the railway department continues to be committed to improving service levels, ensuring key passenger groups, and better meeting the differentiated needs of passengers. For example, China Railway Nanchang Group (国铁南昌局集团) once used Harmony (和谐) EMU trains with dining cars to convert the dining car space into a "baby-walking cabin" during periods when passengers' dining needs were relatively low, creating a happy station for child passengers.

Walking into the "baby-walking cabin" area of the G1654 long-编组 EMU train operated by the Fuzhou Passenger Transport Section (福州客运段), the "mobile reading corner" is equipped with various books such as picture books and popular science books, and puzzles and building blocks are placed on the table. The crew is accompanying the children to read and gently explaining the content of the story.

"We found during our operations that some parents who take their children out do need such a space," said a train conductor. "Children can read books and play with toys here, and the crew will also accompany them to do some quieter activities." According to reports, the "baby-walking cabin" does not sell tickets separately, and passengers can take their children there when needed.

"Quiet car service is an important measure for the railway department to advocate civilized travel and improve the travel experience. We will closely track and evaluate the actual effect and social response of the current service, and adjust subsequent arrangements accordingly," said the relevant person in charge of the Passenger Transport Department of China State Railway Group (国铁集团). The railway department will strive to create a more harmonious and comfortable public space through precise services.

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The State Council removes Erick Tsang Kwok-wai from his position as Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 27th. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China and based on the recommendation of John Lee (李家超), Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the State Council decided on January 27, 2026: to remove Erick Tsang (曾国卫) from his position as Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs.

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Photo Report

In recent years, Yichang City (宜昌市), Hubei Province, has been developing facility-based fisheries based on local conditions, carrying out large-scale sturgeon farming, and helping to comprehensively revitalize the countryside. At present, the "Qingjiang Sturgeon Valley" (清江鲟鱼谷) in Gaobazhou Town (高坝洲镇), Yidu City (宜都市), Yichang City (宜昌市), has put 320 acres of standardized fish ponds into production, releasing more than 800 tons of sturgeon broodstock. In order to ensure the normal operation of the intelligent water circulation equipment in the fish ponds, the State Grid Yidu City Power Supply Company (国网宜都市供电公司) has strengthened equipment inspections to support industrial development. The picture shows staff inspecting the fish pond.

Photo by Tao Tao (陶桃) (People's Vision)

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Do a good job in providing service guarantees for road and waterway Spring Festival transportation

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 27th (Reporter Han Xin (韩鑫)) On January 26th, the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部) issued the "Notice on Doing a Good Job in the 2026 Road and Waterway Spring Festival Transport Service Guarantee Work," proposing to strictly implement the policy of waiving tolls for small passenger cars with 7 seats or less during the Spring Festival holiday, and to enhance the charging guarantee capacity of particularly busy service areas with a "**一区一策**" (yī qū yī cè - "one zone one policy," tailor policies to suit local conditions) approach.

The notice emphasized the need to coordinate and do a good job in providing service guarantees for concentrated travel of groups such as students leaving and returning to school, and migrant workers returning to their hometowns and workplaces. Strengthen transportation organization and travel services on key routes such as the Zhoushan Islands (舟山群岛) and the Qiongzhou Strait (琼州海峡). Increase the deployment of rental vehicles and provide convenient services such as "deposit-free car rental," "one-way car rental," and "high-speed rail/civil aviation + landing car rental."

The notice proposed guiding passenger transport operators to ensure convenient ticket purchases for passengers by increasing ticket windows, extending ticket sales hours, and expanding online ticket sales. Retain manual ticket windows and manual ticket inspection methods to facilitate groups such as the elderly and foreign personnel.

The notice clarified that during the Spring Festival transport period, it is necessary to do a good job in ensuring the transportation of key materials such as energy, grain, people's livelihood, and medical care. Strengthen the reserve of urban and rural logistics distribution manpower and transportation capacity, formulate emergency distribution guarantee plans, and effectively guarantee urban and rural logistics services during the Spring Festival transport period.

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First Edition Editors: Xu Nuo, Zhao Zheng, Zhang Yujie; Second Edition Editors: Liu Nian, Han Chunyao, Liu Jingwen; Third Edition Editors: Han Xiaoming, Jiang Bo, Li Anqi; Fourth Edition Editors: Lü Li, Zhang Anyu, He Biao

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Fruitful Results Achieved in Sino-Foreign Tropical Agricultural Science and Technology Cooperation

By: 本报记者 曹文轩

Helping Cambodia solve the pepper blight problem, boosting Sri Lanka's tropical fruit production twofold, assisting the United Arab Emirates in reducing the incidence of date palm pests... In recent years, the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (中国热带农业科学院) (hereinafter referred to as "CATAS") has actively carried out tropical agricultural science and technology cooperation with countries jointly building the "Belt and Road," promoting replicable and sustainable technical solutions to help people in many countries reduce poverty and promote the green development of global tropical agriculture.

Cambodia—

"Now our pepper plants are lush and leafy"

Early in the morning, the phone of Li Zhigang (李志刚), a researcher at CATAS, rang. Opening the video, Lai Wencai (赖文才), who is far away at the pepper standardized cultivation demonstration base in Kratie Province, Cambodia, waved with a smile: "Teacher Li (李老师), do you think the pepper at the base is growing well?" As the phone camera zoomed in, Li Zhigang (李志刚) carefully observed the main vine of the pepper.

"More fertilizer should be applied," "Dig down about 30 to 40 centimeters, and then mix the fertilizer with the soil and backfill"... Li Zhigang (李志刚) explained in detail, helping the local technicians find the best fertilization point.

According to statistics, the pepper planting area in Cambodia is nearly 7,000 hectares, but factors such as backward pest and disease control technology and low production standardization restrict the development of the pepper industry. Since 2015, CATAS has jointly developed pepper planting in Kratie (桔井), Sihanoukville (西哈努克), Kampot (贡布), and Kep (白马) provinces and cities with Chinese-funded enterprises in Cambodia, dispatching multiple batches of experts to Cambodia to carry out pepper demonstration base construction and technology demonstration and promotion. Li Zhigang (李志刚) is one of the expert team members. After the successful completion of the technology demonstration and promotion project, the Chinese expert team returned to China from Cambodia. When Lai Wencai (赖文才) and his colleagues encounter difficulties, they still contact Li Zhigang (李志刚) and others as soon as possible for help, and the communication between the two sides has never been interrupted.

"We used to be troubled by pepper blight for many years. The plants turned yellow and withered, and the pepper yield was low. Chinese experts brought advanced agricultural technology and scientific management methods, which are easy to operate and low in cost. Now our pepper plants are lush and leafy, and it takes three people to hold hands to encircle them!" Lai Wencai (赖文才) said with emotion.

"The expert team conducted field visits and research in many places, systematically analyzed climate characteristics, soil conditions, and disease patterns, and formulated targeted plans for rainy season blight prevention and dry season shading and drought resistance, and promoted their application," said Li Zhigang (李志刚). Chinese experts taught hand-in-hand, and local agricultural technicians and growers learned step by step. Through everyone's joint efforts, the incidence of pepper blight in many demonstration bases in Cambodia has been greatly reduced, and the average yield has increased by 22%.

"Chinese experts have brought new hope to my life." Mary (玛丽) was one of the first employees to join the pepper standardized cultivation demonstration base in Kratie Province. After technical training, she went from an ordinary worker to a management position and contracted 1 hectare of land to grow pepper. "The basic salary plus production performance has significantly increased my income level, and my family has also built a new house because of this."

Sri Lanka—

"Further help enhance the value of fruits"

In North Central Province, Sri Lanka, fruit farmer Dissanayake (迪萨纳亚克) walked into the orchard with pesticides, showing a smile as he looked at the carefully pruned mango trees: "After listening to the pruning suggestions of the Chinese experts, my mango orchard has not only increased its yield, but also improved the quality of the mangoes."

Dissanayake (迪萨纳亚克) said that just two years ago, local fruit farmers still held the view that "the larger the crown, the higher the yield." The fruit trees grew arbitrarily, but the yield was not satisfactory.

In 2023, the China-FAO-Sri Lanka South-South Cooperation Project was launched. Sun Dequan (孙德权), associate researcher at CATAS, led an expert team to Sri Lanka to provide full-industry chain technical support for the local banana, mango, and pineapple industries by establishing demonstration farms and providing field guidance. In the process of technology promotion, when faced with the suggestion from Chinese experts to "prune and dwarf the mango trees," Dissanayake (迪萨纳亚克) and other fruit farmers couldn't help but question: "Can this help increase production?" In order to dispel everyone's concerns, the Chinese expert team proposed to designate 6 acres of land in Dissanayake's (迪萨纳亚克) orchard for demonstration cultivation, and the team would compensate for any yield losses.

After systematically applying a whole set of technical solutions such as dwarfing pruning, precise flower forcing, and scientific bagging, the yield of the demonstration farm increased by 50% after one year. "The fruits are fuller, the color is more uniform, and the sweetness is more stable," Dissanayake (迪萨纳亚克) said with delight. Since then, Dissanayake (迪萨纳亚克) began to earnestly ask Chinese experts for cultivation techniques and promoted them to surrounding farmers.

Sun Dequan (孙德权) introduced that in two years, the Chinese expert team demonstrated and promoted 12 technologies to Sri Lanka, including banana tissue culture, fertigation, pest and disease control, and catalysis and bagging, and trained more than 2,200 farmers and scientific and technological personnel, helping the demonstration area to increase pineapple production by 3 times, banana production by 70%, and assisting local farms in obtaining more than 300 Sri Lanka Good Agricultural Practices certifications.

"Chinese technology has not only brought us breakthroughs in production, but also further helped enhance the value of fruits. We look forward to carrying out deeper cooperation with Chinese experts in areas such as product processing," said Giyamani (吉娅玛妮), director of the Makandura Sustainable Agriculture and Development Research Center in Sri Lanka.

Perera (佩雷拉), an expert from the Sri Lanka Fruit Research and Development Institute who worked with Chinese experts for two years, is currently applying for the opportunity to study in China: "The professional quality of Chinese experts is admirable. I hope to have the opportunity to further study in China and bring more advanced technologies back to Sri Lanka."

United Arab Emirates—

"Date palms have found a new home in China"

On a sunny day, the "China-United Arab Emirates Date Palm Friendship Forest" in Wenchang City (文昌市), Hainan Province, is lush and verdant. With the efforts of scientific researchers, these date palms, whose "old home" is far away in the UAE, have gradually adapted to the growing environment in China, witnessing the profound friendship between China and the UAE.

Date palms, known as "desert bread," are an important economic crop originating in West Asia, North Africa, and other places, and are also an important export agricultural product. In 2019, China and the UAE reached a consensus that the UAE would donate date palm seedlings to China to develop and strengthen the date palm industry in both countries and explore cooperation. From 2021 to 2024, the UAE donated a total of 25,000 date palm seedlings to China in two batches. "Date palms are a symbol of resilience and prosperity in the history and culture of the UAE, and now date palms have found a new home in China," said Hussain Al Hammadi (侯赛因·哈马迪), the UAE Ambassador to China. The date palm cooperation project not only helps agricultural innovation but also promotes people-to-people connectivity between China and the UAE.

CATAS and the UAE have been connected by date palms as early as 10 years ago. In 2015, the UAE experienced an outbreak of red palm weevil pests, which caused a huge impact on the date palm industry. "We sent a technical service team to the local area to carry out green prevention and control of red palm weevil and established a regional prevention and control technology system. According to data analysis, the incidence of pests has been reduced from about 1% to about 0.1%," said Hu Wei (胡伟), director of the Coconut Research Institute of CATAS.

In recent years, China and the UAE have carried out a series of cooperation around the date palm industry, such as carrying out collaborative research on key technologies, exchanges and training, and establishing a China-UAE date palm red palm weevil comprehensive prevention and control demonstration base in the UAE. "The mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides will help the development of the date palm industry to a new level," said Hu Wei (胡伟).

"China and Arab countries have broad cooperation space in agricultural technology innovation, especially in water-saving irrigation technology and saline-alkali soil adaptive crop research and development, which will help improve agricultural production efficiency and environmental sustainability in the Arab region," said Ibrahim El Dukheri (易卜拉欣·达赫里), Director-General of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development.

(Mao Yanjing (毛亚晶) participated in the writing)

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Wisdom is like a baobab tree, no one can embrace it alone. (International Forum)

By: 菲克雷耶苏斯·亚玛哈森

In this era filled with division, misunderstanding, and inequality, the practice of Africa and China proves that different civilizations can not only coexist harmoniously but also gather strength through mutual learning and overcome difficulties and challenges on the road ahead together.

There is an old African proverb: "Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one can embrace it alone." It vividly reveals a law: when different civilizations learn from each other, and people of all countries establish bonds of inclusiveness, understanding, and trust, civilization can flourish.

China and Africa, both cradles of human civilization, have always adhered to this spirit of mutual learning. We have both experienced colonial humiliation, external oppression, and developmental backwardness, and have been reborn with indomitable will and firm belief in the people. This similar historical experience has profoundly shaped our development paths in pursuit of modernization.

In recent decades, China has made remarkable achievements, and its economic and social development has shown vigorous vitality. This is an important manifestation of national cohesion and centripetal force. China's development process demonstrates a people-centered development philosophy, gathers the wisdom and strength of all the people, and embodies a firm commitment to reform and innovation. China has historically eliminated absolute poverty and is forging ahead on the path of Chinese-style modernization. This shows that when a country's development goals resonate with the aspirations of the people, positive changes will follow.

In the process of development, China pays attention to openness, inclusiveness, exchange, and mutual learning, inheriting the traditional wisdom of the Chinese nation while widely drawing on the beneficial experiences of other countries. Through continuous reform and innovation, while maintaining its cultural roots and supporting its own development, China actively participates in leading the transformation of global governance and always moves forward hand in hand with other countries in the world. China's successful practice shows that there is not only one path to modernization, the Western model. This development wisdom, which is based on its own national conditions and adapts to the changes of the times, provides valuable inspiration for the vast number of developing countries, including Africa.

China is not only a successful example of development but also an important development partner. The friendship between Africa and China has a long history, from the ancient Maritime Silk Road to today's Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (中非合作论坛) and the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" (一带一路), the breadth and depth of bilateral relations continue to expand. More and more African and Chinese entrepreneurs are working closely together in areas such as renewable energy, e-commerce, and digital technology. Chinese medical teams provide assistance in Africa, and African experts carry out cooperation in China, reflecting a spirit of solidarity that transcends geographical boundaries. Many African students choose to study at Chinese universities, and Confucius Institutes (孔子学院) are widely established on the African continent, consolidating the foundation for future cooperation. From holding film festivals and exhibitions to sharing music, food, and literature, African and Chinese people are enhancing understanding and broadening their horizons through exchanges.

The concept of mutual learning between civilizations inspires us that human wisdom should not be monopolized by any nation. Chinese civilization has distinct characteristics and unique values; the vigorous creativity and youthful vitality displayed by the African continent also contain resilient and diversified wisdom. From classrooms to communities, deepening cultural exchanges are helping Africa and China jointly shape a more open and inclusive world. The media, academia, think tanks, and others from both sides are constantly enhancing mutual understanding through dialogue. Africa and China jointly tell stories of development, innovation, and cooperation, shape a more inclusive international discourse system, amplify the voice of the Global South on the world stage, and allow diverse civilizations to gain respect and recognition. In this era filled with division, misunderstanding, and inequality, the practice of Africa and China proves that different civilizations can not only coexist harmoniously but also gather strength through mutual learning and overcome difficulties and challenges on the road ahead together.

This year is the "China-Africa Year of Cultural Exchange." Looking to the future, Africa and China should continue to strengthen cultural exchanges, focus on scientific research cooperation in areas such as digital transformation, renewable energy, and public health, and improve the cooperation network between universities, think tanks, and cultural institutions. Through these measures, Africa-China cooperation will be more strategic and forward-looking, and it will certainly better benefit the people. May the people of Africa and China work together to move towards a future of peace, prosperity, and mutual understanding.

(The author is a researcher at the Eritrean Center for Strategic Studies)

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China's successful development experience offers inspiration for Indonesia.

By: 本报记者 李培松

"The bilateral trade volume between Indonesia and China has maintained rapid growth for many consecutive years, achieving remarkable results. Political mutual trust is the foundation for the development of relations between the two countries," said Imron (易慕龙), former Indonesian Ambassador to China, in an interview with this reporter.

Imron (易慕龙) took office as the Indonesian Ambassador to China in 2010, witnessing and participating in the crucial stage of upgrading practical cooperation between Indonesia and China. "In 2013, the relationship between Indonesia and China was elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership, which is an important milestone in the history of the development of relations between the two countries. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, bilateral relations have continued to move forward, building a new pattern of 'four-wheel drive' in political, economic, cultural, and maritime cooperation."

In November 2024, during Indonesian President Prabowo's (普拉博沃) visit to China, China and Indonesia agreed to add security cooperation as the fifth major pillar, and the "four-wheel drive" cooperation was upgraded to "five major pillar" cooperation, further improving the all-round strategic cooperation layout and consolidating the strategic foundation of the relations between the two countries. "Today's new situation in the relations between the two countries is a 水到渠成 (shuǐ dào qú chéng - "when water comes, a channel is formed," success comes naturally when conditions are right) result," said Imron (易慕龙).

"The just-passed 2025 is the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and China, and the current relations between the two countries are at their best in history," said Imron (易慕龙). "Looking forward to the future, the relations between Indonesia and China will continue to move forward, better benefit the people of both countries, and make positive contributions to promoting regional peace and stability."

During his time in China, Imron (易慕龙) visited many parts of China and felt the rapid changes in China. "To understand a country in depth, one should go into ordinary communities and communicate more with the local people." He twice rode his bicycle from the Indonesian Embassy in China to the Mutianyu Great Wall (慕田峪长城), visiting several villages along the way. "The Chinese people are friendly, hardworking, and optimistic about the future, which left a deep impression on me," said Imron (易慕龙). "The key to state-to-state relations lies in the affinity between the people. I hope that the two countries will strengthen exchanges and cooperation between universities to help Indonesian youth better understand China and pass on the friendly feelings between the two countries."

Although he has been retired as Ambassador to China for many years, Imron (易慕龙) is still concerned about the development of Indonesia-China relations. "One of the important experiences of China's development is that development must be based on stability, and China's successful development experience has enlightening significance for Indonesia." In his opinion, China is following a path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and whole-process people's democracy is an institutional arrangement that is adapted to China's history and culture.

"The Chinese often say that 远亲不如近邻 (yuǎn qīn bù rú jìn lín - "a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor," a close neighbor is better than a distant relative). China adheres to the concept of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness in its neighborhood diplomacy, which is widely welcomed by neighboring countries. The joint construction of the 'Belt and Road' Initiative has brought development opportunities to countries in the region." Imron (易慕龙) said that Indonesia has benefited from the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road," and infrastructure projects, including the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway (雅万高铁), not only promote regional integration but also inject impetus into Indonesia's development.

Imron (易慕龙) believes that the four major global initiatives proposed by China are not only related to China's future but also to the future of the world. Indonesia and China are both major developing countries, emerging market countries, and major forces in the Global South, and should strengthen cooperation under the framework of the four major global initiatives, jointly practice multilateralism, and promote the construction of a more just and reasonable international order.

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Liu Haixing Meets with National Secretary for Propaganda of the Senegalese Patriots for Work, Ethics and Fraternity (PASTEF) and Speaker of the National Assembly, Amadou Mame Diop

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 27th (Xinhua) - Liu Haixing (刘海星), Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央对外联络部), met with Ndiaye (恩迪亚耶), National Secretary for Propaganda Affairs of the Senegalese Patriots Party and Speaker of the National Assembly, in Beijing on January 27th. They exchanged views on jointly implementing the consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, deepening exchanges between political parties and mutual learning of experience in governing the party and the country, and promoting the development of China-Senegal and China-Africa relations.

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Opening a New Chapter in Guyana's Healthcare Undertakings

By: 本报记者 时元皓

In Guyana, in the north of South America, the coastal area bordering the Atlantic Ocean is the country's main population center. Building new hospitals and improving local health infrastructure is a dream for many residents and part of the Guyana National Health Infrastructure Project. In 2025, the six regional hospitals jointly developed and constructed by China National Complete Engineering Corporation (中工国际工程股份有限公司) and China International Medical and Health Cooperation Co., Ltd. (中国国际医药卫生有限公司) will be completed. With the opening of the Seventy-Fifth Village Regional Hospital, all six regional hospitals are now operational. Guyanese President Irfaan Ali (阿里) said that the full operation of the regional hospitals built by Chinese enterprises will greatly improve Guyana's medical and health conditions and help comprehensively upgrade Guyana's national medical and health system, "**翻开圭亚那医疗保健事业新篇章**" (fān kāi guī yà nà yī liáo bǎo jiàn shì yè xīn piān zhāng - "open a new chapter in Guyana's healthcare," to usher in a new era for healthcare in Guyana).

In Enmore, about 25 kilometers from Georgetown (乔治敦), the capital of Guyana, the Enmore Regional Hospital, one of the six regional hospitals, has become a local landmark. The Enmore Regional Hospital has a construction area of over 6,000 square meters, and the brand-new hospital building is particularly eye-catching. The interior of the hospital is clean and bright, with functional areas such as registration area, inpatient area, emergency area, and cafeteria. According to reports, the hospital has 75 inpatient beds, a 24-hour emergency department, and other specialized departments, equipped with advanced medical facilities from China such as CT scanners, digital X-ray equipment, and mobile emergency equipment, building a full-chain diagnosis and treatment service system covering basic examinations, accurate diagnosis, specialized treatment, and emergency surgery.

"Now, local residents can receive professional care at their doorstep." Tracey Bovell, CEO of Enmore Regional Hospital, said in an interview with this reporter that before the hospital was put into operation, local medical care could only rely on a comprehensive clinic. Once local residents needed emergency or surgical treatment, they had to travel for an hour to Georgetown (乔治敦) for treatment. "Now, we have specialized departments such as surgery and obstetrics and gynecology. In most cases, there is no need for referrals, and residents can enjoy convenient and professional medical services nearby," Bovell said.

"More and more residents are benefiting from this hospital." Sandra Suhu, who lives near the hospital, is a native of Enmore. She said that everyone was delighted to see the hospital being built day by day.

In addition to hardware facilities, Chinese companies have also equipped the Enmore Regional Hospital with practical information systems such as registration queuing, emergency call, and electronic medical records, and will also provide long-term guarantees in terms of equipment maintenance and personnel training. Bovell said that many technologies are being used in Guyana for the first time, which has truly helped the hospital improve its medical and nursing levels. She looks forward to carrying out more cooperation with China in the fields of medical technology, personnel training, and hospital management in the future.

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UK Prime Minister Starmer to Begin Official Visit to China Today

At the invitation of Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强), British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (基尔·斯塔默) will pay an official visit to China from January 28th to 31st.

Keir Starmer (基尔·斯塔默) graduated from the University of Leeds and the University of Oxford with a Bachelor of Laws degree. He worked as a lawyer in the private sector from 1987 and served as the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Crown Prosecution Service from 2008 to 2013. He was elected as a Member of Parliament in 2015. He was elected as the leader of the Labour Party in 2020 and became Prime Minister in July 2024.

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing (北京), January 27th)

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Dong Jun Holds Video Call with Russian Defense Minister

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 27th (Reporter Mei Changwei (梅常伟)) Defense Minister Dong Jun (董军) held a video call with Russian Defense Minister Belousov (别洛乌索夫) on the 27th.

Dong Jun (董军) said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic cooperative partnership and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the "China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation." China is willing to work with Russia to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen strategic coordination, enrich the content of cooperation, improve the exchange mechanism, jointly enhance the ability to cope with various risks and challenges, and work together to inject positive energy into global security and stability.

Belousov (别洛乌索夫) said that Russia is willing to strengthen strategic consultations between the two militaries with China, deepen practical cooperation in areas such as joint operations and personnel training, and promote strategic coordination between the two sides to a higher level.

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Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov to Visit China

Beijing, January 27th (Reporter Chu Jun) Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announced on January 27th: At the invitation of Wang Yi (王毅), Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov of Azerbaijan will pay an official visit to China from January 28th to 29th.

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High-Level Strategic China-Malaysia Community of Shared Future Forum Held in Kuala Lumpur

According to Xinhua News Agency, Kuala Lumpur, January 26th (Reporters Wang Jiawei (王嘉伟) and Cheng Yiheng (程一恒)) On the occasion of the 52nd anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, the High-Level Strategic China-Malaysia Community of Destiny Forum was held on January 26th in Kuala Lumpur (吉隆坡), the capital of Malaysia. Nearly 300 people from all walks of life and experts and scholars from China and Malaysia attended. The forum was hosted by the Malaysia Silk Road Friends Club and the Southeast Asia Social Science Research Center, co-organized by the Malaysia-China Friendship Association, and supported by the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia.

At the forum that day, the participating guests conducted in-depth exchanges on topics such as the prospects of China-Malaysia cooperation, regional development, and common challenges, and expressed their expectation that the two countries would transform the achievements and consensus of exchanges into practical and feasible specific measures to further deepen bilateral cooperation, strengthen policy coordination, and help achieve common development.

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The Advisory Council of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation Holds Video Conference

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 27th (Reporter Li Anqi (李安琪)) On January 27th, the Advisory Council for the Belt and Road Initiative International Cooperation Summit held a video conference and released a research report entitled "Jointly Building the 'Belt and Road' Initiative - High-Quality International Economic Cooperation."

Ma Zhaoxu (马朝旭), convener of the Advisory Council and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressed the meeting, stating that against the backdrop of accelerating changes unseen in a century, the post-war international system and international order facing severe challenges, and the multilateral trading system being severely damaged, countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" are committed to connectivity and common development, carrying out mutually beneficial international cooperation, conveying a positive signal of unity, cooperation, and win-win results, bringing stability and positive energy to the world, and becoming an important force in promoting historical progress. Jointly building the "Belt and Road" is an international public good originating from China and belonging to the world, and a practical platform for building a community with a shared future for mankind. China will continue to deepen partnerships with all parties, making the "Belt and Road" a road to prosperity, a road to cooperation, and a road to opportunity, making greater contributions to the stable growth of the world economy and the sound development of international economic and trade cooperation.

The members of the Advisory Council stated that the "Belt and Road" Initiative has played an important role in promoting world economic growth and promoting sustainable development, and has made significant contributions to enhancing mutual trust among countries and promoting international cooperation under the current international situation. They suggested that the initiative's participants strengthen cooperation in areas such as connectivity, international trade, artificial intelligence, and the digital economy.

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Mauritius Hosts Opening Ceremony of 2026 "China-Africa People-to-People Exchange Year" and "Happy Chinese New Year" Series of Events

According to Xinhua News Agency, Antananarivo, January 25th (Reporter Chen Shaohua (陈绍华)) Port Louis News: The opening ceremony of the Mauritius 2026 "China-Africa People-to-People Exchange Year" and "Happy Chinese New Year" series of activities was held on the 24th at the Mauritius China Cultural Center in Port Louis (路易港), the capital of Mauritius. Huang Shifang (黄世芳), Chinese Ambassador to Mauritius, Véronique Le Gouvender, Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture of Mauritius, and other guests attended the event.

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How to Promote the Ability, Willingness, and Desire to Consume (New Economic Perspectives: Dialogue, Striving for 2026)

By: 本报记者 王昊男 付明丽 王永战

Consumption is an important engine of China's economic growth, and insufficient aggregate demand is a prominent contradiction facing the current economic operation. Among the eight key tasks identified by the Central Economic Work Conference, "adhering to domestic demand as the mainstay and building a strong domestic market" ranks first, and the "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal calls for vigorously boosting consumption.

What challenges exist in boosting consumption? How can we encourage residents to be able to consume, dare to consume, and be willing to consume? This edition invites heads of development and reform commissions and policy research offices from three provinces in the east, central, and west of China to conduct a dialogue, sharing measures tailored to local conditions and based on practical efforts.

—Editor

[Participants]
Yang Xiuling (杨秀玲), Director of the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission (北京市发展和改革委员会)
Ma Wei (马伟), Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanxi Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Policy Research Office, and Executive Deputy Director of the Reform Office (山西省委副秘书长、政研室主任、改革办常务副主任)
Yang Li (杨立), Deputy Secretary-General of the Sichuan Provincial Party Committee, Director of the Policy Research Office, and Executive Deputy Director of the Reform Office (四川省委副秘书长、政研室主任、改革办常务副主任)

Able to Consume with Stable Income—
Promote Stable Income Growth for Residents
Promote High-Quality and Full Employment

Q: The most fundamental way to expand consumption is to promote employment, improve social security, optimize the income distribution structure, expand the middle-income group, and steadily promote common prosperity. With increasing difficulties for the masses in employment and income growth, what challenges do various provinces face in promoting income growth and stabilizing employment?

Yang Xiuling: With fuller "purses," consumption will have vitality. Employment is fuller and of higher quality, and income can increase steadily. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the per capita disposable income of Beijing (北京) residents increased from 69,000 yuan in 2020 to 89,000 yuan, and the surveyed urban unemployment rate remained at a low level.

Ma Wei: During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the per capita disposable income of Shanxi (山西) residents steadily increased, but there is still a need to narrow the gap with the national average. In 2025, Shanxi added 473,000 new urban jobs, exceeding the target. As a province undergoing economic transformation from a resource-based economy, stabilizing employment faces structural contradictions caused by mismatches in human resources supply and demand, and pressure from the contraction of employment in traditional industries such as coal.

Yang Li: In 2025, the actual growth of per capita disposable income of Sichuan (四川) residents was 5.5%, in sync with economic growth. However, the income structure of Sichuan residents is relatively simple, with wage income accounting for more than half, unstable income expectations, and weak risk resistance. The income gap between urban and rural areas is large. For example, last year, the income of urban residents in Chengdu (成都市), the highest, was 1.39 times that of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture (凉山彝族自治州), the lowest. In terms of employment, there are structural contradictions, with the coexistence of "difficulty in recruiting workers" in advanced manufacturing and modern service industries and "difficulty in finding employment" for college graduates and other groups; less than 20% of the 26 million migrant workers have obtained skill level certifications.

Q: The Central Economic Work Conference proposed formulating and implementing income increase plans for urban and rural residents. How will various provinces promote income growth for urban and rural residents and promote high-quality and full employment?

Yang Xiuling: Beijing (北京) will coordinate the promotion of employment, income growth, and stable expectations. It will lead industrial innovation with scientific and technological innovation, build a modern industrial system that conforms to the functional positioning of the capital, continuously optimize the business environment, and add vitality to economic growth; it will fully stabilize investment, strive to achieve fixed asset investment exceeding one trillion yuan, thereby driving employment and income growth. Through actions to stabilize jobs, expand capacity, and improve quality, it will ensure the provision of no less than 100,000 employment positions for college graduates and no less than 280,000 new urban jobs, consolidating the foundation for income growth.

Ma Wei: For Shanxi (山西), the key is to promote transformation and development, and cultivate new momentum for expanding employment capacity and improving quality; improve the human resources supply and demand matching mechanism, and improve the employment support system for key groups. In 2025, the scale of college graduates in Shanxi reached a new high. Universities across the province visited more than 14,000 enterprises, opened 100 "micro-majors" and 200 vocational skills training courses to enhance the employment ability of graduates. In the past, Shanxi had many poverty-stricken counties. Focusing on those who have been lifted out of poverty and low-income rural groups, it has created service-oriented labor brands such as "Luliang Mountain Nursing Workers" (吕梁山护工) to stabilize employment and income growth paths. By the end of 2025, the cumulative employment scale of those lifted out of poverty in the province reached 1,083,700. In 2026, it will make efforts from various parties to expand employment capacity, closely follow key industries such as special and superior agriculture, cultural tourism, commerce and trade, domestic services, and micro-short dramas to develop positions, carry out large-scale special actions to improve vocational skills training in hundreds of industries, and promote income growth for urban and rural residents.

Yang Li: Sichuan (四川) focuses on narrowing the income gap between urban and rural residents, promotes the construction of key industrial circles and strong chains, develops county employment-friendly industries, and increases support for old revolutionary areas, areas lifted out of poverty, ethnic areas, and mountainous areas around the basin, so that people in underdeveloped areas have more employment opportunities. It will broaden the channels for farmers to increase income by strengthening the rural collective economy. For example, Anyue County (安岳县) has built 108 shoe and clothing "satellite factories," absorbing more than 15,000 jobs. Explore specific paths to optimize the income distribution structure, relying on the construction of the Panzhihua (攀枝花) Common Prosperity Pilot Zone, and focus on building a coordinated and supporting institutional mechanism for primary distribution, redistribution, and tertiary distribution.

Dare to Consume Without Worries—
Clean Up Unreasonable Restrictions in the Consumption Field
Adhere to the Close Combination of Benefiting the People and Promoting Consumption

Q: The Central Economic Work Conference emphasized cleaning up unreasonable restrictions in the consumption field. How can we further orderly cancel restrictions and release consumption potential?

Yang Xiuling: Beijing (北京) insists on using reform methods to remove obstacles restricting consumption, such as strengthening inclusive and prudent supervision of regular promotional activities in business districts, and piloting support for business districts to hold non-large-scale activities without declaration. In addition, it optimizes the management of large-scale activities, significantly shortens the approval time limit, and enhances the enthusiasm of organizers of competitions, performances, and exhibitions. In 2025, nearly 2,300 large-scale mass activities such as the China Open (中国网球公开赛) and the "Bird's Nest Starlight Performance Season" (鸟巢星光演出季) were held, an increase of nearly 26% year-on-year, and models such as the "ticket stub economy" extended the consumption chain.

Ma Wei: Shanxi (山西) continues to optimize and upgrade the business environment, and remove market barriers affecting the construction of a unified national market. For example, when carrying out trade-ins of consumer goods, it insists on not restricting the participation of business entities based on sales volume or capital advance capabilities, and supports online and offline, different ownership systems, different registration locations, and different scales of business entities to participate in activities equally. Shanxi will promote a three-year action to optimize the consumption environment, continue to clean up unreasonable restrictions in the consumption field, resolutely crack down on illegal and irregular behaviors, and create a safe and friendly consumption environment.

Yang Li: Sichuan (四川) continues to clean up and optimize restrictive measures, and has introduced measures such as simplifying second-hand car transaction procedures, reducing down payment ratios and mortgage interest rates, and piloting allowing foreign businesses to participate in some health service projects. In response to the "difficulty in taking leave" phenomenon of paid leave, it will increase supervision and law enforcement and rights protection efforts, carry out special law enforcement inspections on paid leave, and unblock complaint and reporting channels. It will also implement a dynamic evaluation of the market access negative list in the consumption field, increase the cleaning up of newly added hidden barriers, and strengthen inclusive and prudent supervision of emerging consumption scenarios.

Q: The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal proposes adhering to the close combination of benefiting the people and promoting consumption, investing in things and investing in people. How can we increase the universality of policies, reduce the burden on families in terms of childbirth, parenting, education, medical care, and elderly care, and allow residents to dare to consume?

Yang Xiuling: During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Beijing's (北京) annual investment in people's livelihoods accounted for more than 80% of general public budget expenditure, with a cumulative total of over 3 trillion yuan; elderly care meal service points covered more than 90% of urban and rural communities. In 2026, Beijing will increase investment in human resources, optimize the supply of public services, improve a multi-level social security system, expand the supply of home and community elderly care services, promote a long-term care insurance system, continue to implement fertility support policies such as childcare subsidies, promote the integrated construction of childcare and early education, and increase the supply of guaranteed housing.

Ma Wei: Shanxi (山西) concentrates financial funds scattered in different departments and at different levels into major projects and key areas with precision. Despite increasing pressure on fiscal revenue and expenditure, provincial financial expenditure on people's livelihoods continued to grow in 2025, accounting for about 80%. It has fully abolished household registration restrictions for insured persons, and achieved provincial-level overall planning for basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents; fully implemented the personal pension system, issued high-age allowances to 860,000 elderly people over 80 years old, and issued childcare subsidies to more than 800,000 infants under 3 years old.

Yang Li: Sichuan (四川) focuses on the continuous deepening of population aging and low birth rates, and has issued relevant implementation plans for "the elderly and the young," proposing 10 measures from improving the marriage and maternity leave system, implementing childcare subsidy policies, and promoting the expansion and quality improvement of elderly care services, in an effort to reduce the burden of elderly care and childcare on families. Combining the expansion of consumption with improving the quality of people's lives, it will fully implement the paid leave system, and many places will pilot "2.5-day flexible leave," encouraging it to be combined with short holidays; pilot the implementation of spring and autumn holidays for primary and secondary schools in 17 cities and states in the province. According to data from relevant platform enterprises, during the autumn holiday in Chengdu (成都) last year, the number of ticket bookings for many scenic spots in Sichuan increased by 3.4 times year-on-year, which significantly boosted consumption.

Willing to Consume with an Optimized Consumption Environment and a Strong Sense of Gain—
Expand the Supply of High-Quality Goods and Services
Release the Potential of Service Consumption

Q: China's residents' consumption rate is still 10 to 20 percentage points lower than that of developed countries, especially the proportion of service consumption is low. How can we release the potential of service consumption?

Yang Xiuling: Service consumption is the general trend. Last year, the proportion of per capita service consumption expenditure of Beijing (北京) residents reached 59.3%, of which education, culture, and entertainment expenditure increased by 6.5% year-on-year. Beijing will strengthen service consumption brand leadership, standard improvement, and new technology application, promote the integrated development of culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions, optimize the international consumption environment, promote the quality and upgrading of inbound tourism, support the holding of high-quality concerts and music festivals, and amplify the positive spillover effects of top international events; increase support for service consumption such as education, health, elderly care, and childcare, encourage social forces to provide richer and more diverse life services, leverage the advantages of platform enterprises to accurately connect supply and demand, actively carry out age-appropriate transformation, and promote the expansion of development space for life service industries.

Ma Wei: Shanxi (山西) has rich cultural resources, and promoting cultural tourism consumption is an important area for promoting service consumption. In 2025, the number of visitors received by key monitored scenic spots in the province was 120 million, an increase of 14.8% year-on-year. Various places have innovated scenarios and optimized services according to local conditions. In 2025, the ancient city of Xinzhou (忻州古城) received more than 18 million tourists and operating income exceeded 516 million yuan. However, Shanxi's cultural tourism still has room for improvement, such as the business format is not new enough, not rich enough, tourists stay for a short time, and secondary consumption is insufficient. In 2026, it will promote the coordinated development of cultural tourism and cultural relics, cultural creation, and literature and art, further enrich product formats, and increase the supply of high-end, customized, and experiential cultural tourism products.

Yang Li: In 2025, the proportion of per capita service consumption expenditure of Sichuan (四川) residents was 45.1%, an increase for three consecutive years, but still lower than developed regions such as Beijing (北京) and Shanghai (上海). From the perspective of structure, there is insufficient high-quality supply of cultural tourism, health and wellness vacations, elderly care, and childcare; from the perspective of regions, it is mainly concentrated in the Chengdu Metropolitan Area (成都都市圈), and there is still great development potential. Sichuan will deeply implement special actions to boost consumption, and take standard upgrades, scenario renewal, and digital empowerment as the starting point to create new consumption hotspots and stimulate new consumption vitality. Accelerate the transformation of pedestrian streets, the upgrading of convenience living circles, and the transformation of traditional supermarkets; promote the integrated development of culture and tourism, and create super IPs such as Sanxingdui (三星堆), Jiuzhaigou (九寨沟), and giant pandas; relying on the National Digital Economy Innovation and Development Pilot Zone, actively develop digital consumption, health consumption, etc., and promote new models such as AR makeup try-on, live store visits, and digital collections in areas such as Chunxi Road (春熙路).

Q: The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal proposes promoting the expansion and upgrading of commodity consumption. What other room is there for improvement in commodity consumption? How can we expand the supply of high-quality goods?

Yang Xiuling: Promoting consumption upgrades requires new scenarios and new carriers. Beijing (北京) will make good use of pilot projects for new consumption formats, new models, and new scenarios, improve the first-release economy service system, and support shopping malls, business districts, cultural venues, museums, etc. to create spaces integrating brand display, first release and first show, and experiential consumption. Leveraging the capital's cultural advantages, it will promote the revitalization of time-honored brands, encourage trendy toy brands to go overseas, and stimulate the vitality of domestic trend consumption; leveraging the advantages of scientific and technological innovation, it will enrich the supply of green and intelligent consumer goods, and encourage enterprises to provide new products such as smart phones, home furnishings, and wearable devices. Create new consumption spaces, and form four new urban vitality areas: the Grand Canal "Waterfront Vitality Coastline," the Jingxi Mountain and Water Vitality Belt, the South Central Axis, and the Olympic Center Area.

Ma Wei: Shanxi (山西) actively promotes the implementation of trade-in policies for consumer goods, achieving sales of 80.191 billion yuan in 2025. In 2026, it will also optimize the implementation of "two new" policies, promote the upgrading of bulk consumption, and allow subsidies to reach efficiently and directly; increase the number of offline business entities in rural areas, ensure that rural residents, especially those in remote areas, participate in subsidy policies; support the development of offline entities, encourage offline stores to create diversified consumption scenarios, and enhance the surrounding consumption driving effect.

Yang Li: In recent years, commodity consumption in Sichuan (四川) has steadily increased, and the growth rate ranks among the top among the major economic provinces in the country. In 2025, more than 33,000 consumer promotion activities were held, and more than 700 million yuan of "Shu Li An Yi" (蜀里安逸) consumer coupons were issued, with commodity retail sales growing by 5.4%. To further enhance commodity consumption in Sichuan, it is necessary to fully activate the consumption potential of counties and townships. Sichuan has more than 33 million permanent rural residents. Restricted by factors such as low income, imperfect consumption service systems, and insufficient matching consumption supply, the per capita consumption expenditure of rural residents in 2025 was 19,818 yuan, equivalent to 76% of the per capita consumption expenditure level of the province's residents. The next step will focus on improving the rural consumption service system, and guide leading enterprises to sink and layout; vigorously develop rural e-commerce, and support returning youth and new farmers to open community stores and live streaming sales points; create characteristic consumption scenarios, organize activities such as "village running," "village super," and "village BA," and promote the consumption model of "market + live streaming" and "cultural tourism + special products" to expand the scale of rural consumption.

This issue is coordinated by: Guo Xueyan (郭雪岩)
Layout design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)

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Efforts to Enhance the Endogenous动力 of Consumption Growth (Expert Commentary)

By: 苏 剑

In 2025, China's total retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 50 trillion yuan for the first time, and the advantages of its super-large-scale market continued to emerge. In 2025, 300 billion yuan was invested in trading in old consumer goods for new ones, and the growth rate of total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 0.2 percentage points compared with the previous year. Going forward, policies need to continue to exert their strength, and efforts should also be made to enhance the endogenous driving force of consumption growth.

The reasons affecting consumption power can be summarized in two aspects. Unstable income expectations. In 2025, the growth rate of per capita disposable income of national residents decreased compared with the previous year. Stable income sources and steady expected growth enable residents to arrange expenditures normally and have the confidence to improve their quality of life and increase consumption. Supply and demand mismatch. In 2025, consumer prices fell by 0.3% year-on-year, reflecting an oversupply of physical consumer goods. In contrast, the demand for high-quality, high-value-added consumption is strong, but the supply is relatively insufficient, such as the popularity of Nezha (哪吒) and the popularity of "emotional value" consumer goods, which requires further promotion of supply-side upgrades.

To promote consumption growth, efforts can be made in three aspects. Improve the security mechanism, and formulate and implement income increase plans for urban and rural residents with a long-term perspective, involving income distribution design, system and mechanism reforms, etc.; in the short term, residents' concerns can be reduced by improving the medical insurance system, etc. Improve laws and regulations, standardize the market, unblock complaint channels, and transparent law enforcement supervision, so that consumers' rights and interests can be protected in the event of disputes, reduce the hidden costs of consumption, and enhance consumption vitality. Continue to clean up unreasonable restrictions in the field of consumption, further implement the paid vacation policy, guide staggered vacations, and further liberalize restrictions on buying houses and cars in some second-tier cities.

(The author is Guo Xueyan (郭雪岩), a professor at the School of Economics of Peking University (北京大学) and director of the National Economic Research Center of Peking University (北京大学国民经济研究中心), interviewed and compiled by a reporter from this newspaper.)

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Symposium on the Publication of "Xi Jinping and Frontline Workers" Held in Beijing

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 27th (Reporter Yi Shuran (易舒冉)) On January 27th, the symposium for the publication of "Xi Jinping (习近平) and Frontline Workers and Friends" was held in Beijing (北京). Wang Dongming (王东明), Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee and Chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, attended the meeting and delivered a speech.

Wang Dongming (王东明) stated that the official publication and distribution of "Xi Jinping (习近平) and Frontline Workers and Friends" fully embodies the great importance attached by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core to the working class and trade union work, as well as its concern, care, and love for the vast number of workers. It is necessary to thoroughly study the book, deeply learn and comprehend the leader's sentiments and ideological connotations contained therein, profoundly understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," resolutely achieve the "Two Safeguards," and with a stronger sense of responsibility and mission, further improve all aspects of trade union work, unite and mobilize hundreds of millions of workers to forge ahead on a new journey and make contributions to a new era.

Xu Liuping (徐留平), Vice Chairman and First Secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, presided over the symposium. Relevant responsible comrades from the Central Propaganda Department (中宣部) and the Central Party History and Literature Research Institute, as well as representatives of model workers, craftsmen, frontline workers, and trade union cadres, exchanged their learning experiences.

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The "10+N" Public Employment Recruitment Campaign Will Run Throughout the Year

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 27th (Reporter Qiu Chaoyi (邱超奕)): Carrying out public employment service activities is an important means of implementing employment policies. At the regular press conference of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部) held on January 27th, Zhang Yutian (张雨田), Deputy Director of the Employment Promotion Department of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部就业促进司), introduced that this year, the "10+N" public employment recruitment activity brand will be built with "three highlights" throughout the year, striving to achieve monthly activities, non-stop recruitment, and continuous job delivery.

The focus is on centralized services during the peak period of migrant workers' (农民工) flow and employment. This year's Employment Assistance Month and Spring Breeze Action have been adjusted. The duration of the employment assistance activity has been adjusted from one month to one quarter, and the start time has been adjusted to coincide with the Spring Breeze Action. The target has been expanded to include registered unemployed persons and flexible employment personnel, and activities such as centralized job delivery, service delivery, policy delivery, and warmth delivery will be carried out.

The focus is on continuous services during the key period for college graduates and other young people seeking jobs. Starting in April, a national urban joint recruitment spring special event and a hundred-day, ten-million-job special action will be launched. During the critical period after unemployed graduates leave school, a national urban joint recruitment and a special action for employment services in the human resources market will be carried out. In addition, special recruitment events for central enterprises (中央企业) targeting Tibet (西藏), Qinghai (青海), and Xinjiang (新疆) will continue to be held to promote employment for college graduates.

The focus is on precise services for employers' recruitment and employment. Combining the employment characteristics of different periods, such as the concentrated start-up period of enterprises after the Spring Festival and the recruitment conversion period during peak and off-seasons of production, intensive activities such as live-streaming job recruitment week, private enterprise service month, and golden autumn recruitment month will be carried out to better promote the efficient matching of people and jobs.

Currently, online recruitment has become an important channel for job seeking and recruitment. Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部), together with relevant departments, issued the "Notice on Regulating the Release of Recruitment Information on Online Platforms."

Sun Xiaoli (孙晓丽), Deputy Director of the Human Resources Flow Management Department, explained that the notice will focus on consolidating relevant responsibilities in response to problems such as unauthorized engagement in online recruitment services without permission and failure to strictly verify the qualifications of employers and the authenticity and legality of recruitment information.

For example, the responsibility for classifying and verifying account authentication will be consolidated. Online platforms should authenticate the real identity information of users applying for registration, classify and verify the qualifications of accounts, set up special labels, and clearly indicate the qualifications and authentication information on the account homepage. Another example is consolidating the responsibility for handling illegal and irregular accounts. Online platforms should take measures such as pop-up reminders and warnings for illegal and irregular behavior, verify accounts associated with case-related and fraud-related phone cards, establish a rapid handling mechanism for complaints and reports, and promptly review and intervene in accounts with concentrated complaints and reports.

"We will improve the collaborative supervision mechanism, increase guidance and supervision of online platforms, and promote the implementation of policies," said Sun Xiaoli (孙晓丽).

As the employment mobility of skilled personnel becomes stronger, the problem of difficulty in mutual recognition of vocational skill certificates held by workers in the same occupation (type of work) when employed across regions and industries is becoming increasingly prominent.

Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部), together with relevant departments, issued the "Notice on Promoting Mutual Recognition of Vocational Skill Certificates." Zhai Tao (翟涛), Deputy Director of the Vocational Capacity Building Department, introduced that the mutual recognition of vocational qualification certificates will be promoted.

For example, for practitioners who have obtained electrician and welder-related vocational qualification certificates issued by any of the housing and construction, emergency, and market supervision departments, when applying for corresponding certificates from the other two departments, unless otherwise specified, they may be exempted from safety operation training or theoretical examinations, and directly participate in the relevant special operation personnel assessment or safety technology practical operation examination.

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Over 50% of China's science and technology-based SMEs receive loans

This newspaper Beijing (北京) January 27th (Reporter Wu Qiuyu (吴秋余)) The latest data released by the People's Bank of China (中国人民银行) shows that as of the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, 275,000 technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) received loan support, with a loan access rate of 50.2%, 2 percentage points higher than at the end of the previous year. The outstanding balance of domestic and foreign currency loans to technology-based SMEs was 3.63 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19.8%, 13.6 percentage points higher than the growth rate of all loans.

During the same period, 265,400 high-tech enterprises received loan support, with a loan access rate of 57.3%, 0.4 percentage points higher than at the end of the previous year. The outstanding balance of domestic and foreign currency loans to high-tech enterprises was 18.61 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.5%, 1.3 percentage points higher than the growth rate of all loans.

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Promoting the Transformation of Pharmacies into "Health Service Stations"

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 27th (Reporter Wang Ke (王珂)) The Ministry of Commerce (商务部) and other 8 departments jointly issued the "Opinions on Promoting High-Quality Development of the Pharmaceutical Retail Industry."

The opinions put forward five key measures. To improve pharmaceutical services, comprehensive measures such as supporting pharmacies to enhance pharmaceutical service capabilities, optimizing the drug purchase experience, participating in centralized drug procurement, and building a payment guarantee system will be taken to promote the transformation of pharmacies from "drug sales terminals" to "health service stations." To innovate health services, the health service functions of retail pharmacies will be expanded, the health service experience will be improved, the retail pharmacy formats will be enriched, the commodity service experience will be optimized, and the upgrading of pharmaceutical products will be assisted to further strengthen the health service function positioning of retail pharmacies and better serve the people's medical and health needs. To strengthen emergency services, the service capacity of retail pharmacies in emergency supply guarantee will be strengthened, and public support for drug emergency supply guarantee will be strengthened to strengthen drug supply and medication guidance in emergencies and build a terminal network for drug supply guarantee. To optimize the industry structure, the purpose of improving industry supply chain efficiency will be achieved by supporting mergers and acquisitions of retail pharmacies, encouraging the integrated development of wholesale and retail, and optimizing the drug marketing system. To standardize industry order, market order will be maintained and the honest operation and healthy development of the industry will be promoted through measures such as developing smart supervision, promoting fair competition in the industry, and strengthening industry self-discipline.

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State Administration for Market Regulation Seeks Public Comments

According to Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 27th (Reporters Zhao Wenjun (赵文君) and Gao Kang (高亢)) - Reporters learned on the 27th from the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局): The State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局) organized the revision of the "Detailed Rules for Production License Review of Vegetable Products (Draft for Solicitation of Comments)" (《蔬菜制品生产许可审查细则（征求意见稿）》), and recently publicly solicited opinions from the public.

According to reports, in order to strengthen the quality and safety supervision of vegetable product production, the draft for soliciting opinions mainly revised four aspects:

First, improve the scope of licensing. Combining the development trends of new vegetable products, new technologies, and new business forms, new product details such as vegetable puree (sauce) have been added, which are more in line with the production needs of vegetable products and the actual development of the industry, and help promote the high-quality development of the vegetable product industry. Second, strengthen hygiene management. While inheriting the traditional characteristics of pickled vegetables, it is required to refine the division of production operation areas, formulate hygiene monitoring systems, and ensure that the hygiene environment is in good condition. Third, strictly control risks. It is required to strengthen the inspection of raw material purchases and not purchase vegetables that abuse food additives; carry out hazard analysis of the entire production process and establish corresponding food safety control measures. Fourth, improve the food safety management system. It is required to establish systems for product formula and food additive use management, transportation and delivery management, which is not only conducive to enterprises to prevent and control risks, but also facilitates improving the efficiency of license review.

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Decoding the Resilience of the Foreign Trade Annual Report (People's Daily Commentary)

By: 罗珊珊

In recent days, the 2025 Chinese economic report card was released, showcasing extraordinary resilience in moving forward against pressure and developing towards new and superior qualities. Starting with this edition, we will launch a series of commentaries to understand the potential of the Chinese economy through data, so as to better grasp the general trend of development and strengthen confidence in development.
——Editor

Resilience, in the open pattern of market diversification and win-win cooperation, in the structural advancement of moving towards new and superior qualities and innovation to improve quality.

As soon as the 2025 China foreign trade annual report was released, it attracted widespread attention both at home and abroad. Expressions such as "strong exports," "diverse markets," and "strong competitiveness" appeared frequently. The Wall Street Journal stated that China has broken the "expectation of tariffs dragging down growth," and the world's second-largest economy remains resilient.

This is the answer sheet handed in under complex external environment: In 2025, the total value of China's import and export of goods trade was 45.47 trillion yuan, continuing to maintain its position as the world's largest country in goods trade, maintaining growth for nine consecutive years, and also the longest continuous growth since joining the World Trade Organization.

Behind the bright data is the vivid story of China and the world moving towards each other.

Recently, a video blogger from Norway was continuously shocked twice by small excavators made in China. A few months ago, while wandering around on a Chinese online shopping platform, he was accidentally attracted by an excavator. He thought it was just a toy model when he saw the price, but after receiving it, he found that the function and quality of the excavator far exceeded expectations. The unboxing video he shot quickly gained more than 4 million views.

Why are Chinese excavators so cost-effective? With the questions of netizens, the blogger traveled across the ocean for the first time to China and went straight to the Huayi Heavy Industry factory in Jining (济宁), Shandong (山东). The modern and automated production line was in order, and the huge and complete supply chain system could quickly respond to the production needs of enterprises... Such a manufacturing scene shocked him again. He released another exploration video, attracting more than 500,000 foreign netizens to watch this Chinese factory.

A transoceanic journey of an excavator reveals the resilience code hidden in the foreign trade annual report.

Resilience, in the open pattern of market diversification and win-win cooperation.

In 2025, China has trade relations with more than 240 countries and regions, and import and export growth with more than 190 countries and regions. Trade is constantly shortening the psychological distance and expanding the development space. An economist at Goldman Sachs said that the resilience of China's exports is related to the rapid growth of exports to emerging market economies. In 2025, the total value of China-Central Asia import and export exceeded 100 billion US dollars for the first time in history, maintaining positive growth for five consecutive years. China jumped to become the largest trading partner of Central Asian countries for the first time, which is a vivid example.

High-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative, construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, negotiation and signing of more regional and bilateral trade and investment agreements... China promotes high-level opening up to the outside world with pragmatic measures. Foreign trade has long broken away from reliance on a single market and built a balanced pattern of "stabilizing traditional markets and expanding emerging markets." The "circle of friends" is getting bigger and bigger, and the ability to resist risks is continuously enhanced.

Resilience, in the structural advancement of moving towards new and superior qualities and innovation to improve quality.

In an environment of frequent tariff barriers and trade disputes, China's foreign trade is moving forward against pressure, relying on an efficient, stable and flexible supply chain system. For example, the engineering machinery industrial belt in Jining (济宁) relies on excellent quality to knock on the door of the global market, which is a microcosm of China's industrial transformation to high-end and intelligent. Another example is industrial robots. In 2025, China became a net exporter of industrial robots. Data shows that China's manufacturing product exports have maintained growth for nine consecutive years. Among them, equipment manufacturing products exported 16.03 trillion yuan in 2025, an increase of 9.2%, accounting for 59.4% of China's total exports.

In the structural advancement, there is not only industrial innovation, but also the transformation of trade models. The two-way empowerment of "cross-border e-commerce + industrial belt" has changed the traditional trade model of bulk commodities. This "Internet of Everything" trade scenario efficiently matches supply and demand on a global scale, broadening the overseas channels for Chinese products.

Every achievement in the foreign trade annual report is a footnote to the resilience of the Chinese economy. At present, global trade is still facing many uncertainties, but China has institutional advantages, market advantages, and industrial advantages as support, and has a firm determination to continue to expand opening up. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) quoted professional commentary that as Chinese goods and services become more deeply rooted in global business, China's success is likely to continue in 2026. Looking forward to the future, China's foreign trade will surely write more win-win stories in resilient growth and inject more certainty into global economic and trade growth.

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From Investment Promotion to Talent Attraction (On-the-Spot Commentary)

By: 罗阳奇

Transforming concepts and optimizing the environment, through the systematic construction of a talent ecosystem, to achieve the leap from "industrial city" to "talent city," so that talent and the city can better coexist and prosper.

A music festival and recruitment seem far apart. However, one music festival attracted more than 20,000 resumes.

Not long ago, Wuhu (芜湖), Anhui (安徽) held the Shenshan Music Festival (神山音乐节) with college students as the main focus. The event featured a college student singer competition, with 120 groups of campus musicians from 55 universities in 25 cities and regions participating. A job fair was held in conjunction with the music festival, bringing together more than 200 local enterprises and institutions in Wuhu, providing nearly 10,000 jobs, and receiving 24,000 resumes.

By holding a "music festival + job fair," more people can learn about Wuhu and choose Wuhu, which is the effort behind creating a talent value-added city.

Talent is the core engine of urban development. In a sense, the competition between cities is a competition for talent. Whoever can attract, cultivate, and retain more first-class talent can seize the first opportunity for development.

From 2020 to 2025, the number of newly introduced and cultivated doctoral talents in Wuhu increased from less than 100 to 362, and the number of newly recruited college students increased from 16,000 to 100,000. By the end of 2025, Wuhu had cumulatively paid 394,700 talent subsidies of various types, totaling 2.367 billion yuan. Behind the changes is a friendly environment that allows talent to achieve all-round value enhancement.

Create an innovative ecosystem and enhance the city's talent carrying capacity. As a non-provincial capital city, Wuhu lacks high-level innovation platforms similar to the University of Science and Technology of China (中国科学技术大学) and also faces the siphon effect of surrounding large cities. Gathering talent through industrial innovation is the path Wuhu insists on taking. Continue to promote the construction of innovation platforms for leading enterprises in the industry such as Chery Automobile (奇瑞汽车) and Conch Cement (海螺水泥), and attract various talents from home and abroad. At the same time, take out superior locations with excellent locations and beautiful scenery to plan and build "Jiuzi Science and Technology Innovation Bay (鸠兹科创湾)," establish a 3 billion yuan science and technology innovation mother fund, and create a highly cohesive innovation ecosystem. Driven by industrial innovation, talent development has a broader world, and a virtuous circle of gathering talents through industries, revitalizing industries through talents, and integrating industries and talents has been formed.

Flexible talent introduction and use, scientific research platforms play an effective role. Turning talent "owned by me" into "used by me" can expand the coverage of talent recruitment. In Efort (Wuhu) Special Robot Co., Ltd. (埃夫特（芜湖）特种机器人有限公司), the author met Zhao Lijun (赵立军), Executive Dean of the Yangtze River Delta Hart Robot Industry Technology Research Institute (长三角哈特机器人产业技术研究院), who speaks with a strong Northeast accent. Harbin Institute of Technology (哈尔滨工业大学) and Wuhu jointly established a research institute. As a teacher at Harbin Institute of Technology, Zhao Lijun regards Wuhu, which is 2,000 kilometers away from his home, as his second hometown. Xi'an University of Electronic Science and Technology (西安电子科技大学), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (上海交通大学) and other universities have established scientific research platforms in Wuhu. Linking resources from all parties and gathering high-end talents through platforms reflects an open vision for attracting and cultivating talents, and also demonstrates an open mindset for promoting high-quality development.

Focus on investing in people and build a talent value-added city. The "Sanhu (三湖)" area of Wuhu Economic Development Zone (芜湖经开区) was originally a traditional manufacturing park with old and scattered factories and a dirty and messy living environment. Today, traditional manufacturing enterprises have been relocated, inefficient land has been cleared, and the space vacated has been occupied by schools, hospitals, hotels, and neighborhood centers, attracting more than 50 science and technology innovation enterprises to set up R&D headquarters or regional R&D centers, with an investment of 23.5 billion yuan, and adding more than 20,000 college students to study and work. At present, the development logic pays more attention to the combination of investment promotion and investment in things and talent attraction and investment in people. With the further improvement of service guarantees and the continuous improvement of the living environment, the sense of happiness and belonging of talents will continue to increase. Talents in various fields who have a sense of belonging, emotional support, and something to do will continue to empower industrial upgrading and urban development, and better achieve the synergistic progress of people, industry, and city.

Wuhu named its talent program "Ziyunying (紫云英)." What does it mean? Local cadres said that this flower can be used as nutrient, can improve soil structure, and planting a season of Ziyunying and then planting rice will increase rice production. "Doing talent work is like planting Ziyunying, we must create an environment and improve the soil." Transforming concepts and optimizing the environment, through the systematic construction of a talent ecosystem, to achieve the leap from "industrial city" to "talent city," so that talent and the city can better coexist and prosper.

(The author is a reporter from the Anhui Branch of this newspaper)

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Turning "everyone sweeps their own doorstep" into "managing the household together" (Micro View)

By: 梁文翰

Combining governance with service, and management with construction, along with more practical ingenuity, can continuously improve the happiness index of community residents.

Recently, the "Shanghai Municipality Residential Community Public Revenue Management Measures" (《上海市住宅小区公共收益管理办法》) were issued, clarifying the establishment of a public revenue supervision account system, adhering to the principles of dedicated accounts, separate accounting, and openness and transparency. This isn't just happening in Shanghai (上海). For some time, Fujian (福建), Jiangxi (江西), Changsha (长沙) in Hunan (湖南), Zhengzhou (郑州) in Henan (河南), and other places have also successively introduced public revenue management measures. The concentrated efforts across various regions point to the same goal: to make community public revenue open and transparent, exposed to the sunlight.

Within a community, how much public revenue is generated from elevator advertisements, public parking spaces, site rentals, etc.? Who does it belong to? And how should it be used? Many owners are perplexed by these questions. When consulting property management, the response is often "balanced income and expenditure" or "used for operation and maintenance," with vague details about the specific amounts. How can community public revenue become a "clear account"? What grassroots governance experience lies behind it that is worth exploring?

The Civil Code stipulates that the income generated by construction units, property service enterprises, or other managers using the common parts of the owners belongs to the owners after deducting reasonable costs. Owner commonality means that owners have the right to know about community public revenue. However, due to various reasons, some communities have never publicized revenue details, some publicity columns display old accounts from years ago, and some property companies even muddy the waters, arbitrarily dispose of, or privately misappropriate public revenue.

**众人拾柴** (zhòng rén shí chái - "many people gather firewood," collective effort yields great results), and precise policies are needed to improve governance effectiveness. The exploration of Wantai Sunshine City Community (万泰阳光城小区) in Urumqi (乌鲁木齐), Xinjiang (新疆) is quite enlightening. The owners' committee, representing all owners, took over the public revenue account, realizing "dedicated account management"; each income and expenditure is regularly publicized, subject to the supervision of the street, community, and owners; bidding for public projects is jointly participated in by property management, the street, the community, the owners' committee, and owner representatives. Relying on this mechanism, the community not only completed facility renovation projects such as road repairs and monitoring system upgrades, but also recently returned 2.3 million yuan in public revenue dividends to 6,500 owners. Joint consultation, joint governance, and bold innovation have solved the problems of supervision and distribution of community public revenue.

Looking at various regions, from establishing dedicated accounts to building smart publicity platforms and introducing third-party audits, the management of community public revenue is becoming more legalized, standardized, and transparent. Residents are transforming from passive participants to active masters, becoming an epitome of promoting urban grassroots governance innovation through joint consultation and joint governance.

Although communities are small, they are connected to thousands of households and are important carriers for providing basic public services and improving people's quality of life. Allowing community residents to enjoy high-quality and inclusive public services at their doorsteps is both a key small matter and a major livelihood matter. Combining governance with service, and management with construction, along with more practical ingenuity, can continuously improve the happiness index of community residents.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" (“十五五”规划) proposal puts forward the idea of "improving the social governance system of joint construction, joint governance, and shared benefits." In reality, many places are continuously exploring new ways for residents to deeply participate in community affairs. Shanghai (上海) promotes the "Three Meetings" ("三会") community consultation system, through pre-event hearings, mid-event coordination meetings, and post-event evaluation meetings, to widely solicit opinions and gather wisdom in community planning and construction of projects benefiting the people. Yubei Community (渝北社区) in Jiangbei District (江北区), Chongqing (重庆) introduces diverse entities to serve as "community partners" to promote the implementation of livelihood projects such as community elderly care, childcare, and meal assistance. When everyone discusses and contributes to matters concerning everyone, the community can become a happy harbor for residents.

Cities make life better. When communities transform from "managed objects" to "governance units," and when residents change from "**各扫门前雪**" (gè sǎo mén qián xuě - "each sweeps the snow from his own doorstep," minding one's own business) to "jointly managing family affairs," trust between neighbors increases, community cohesion strengthens, and our urban life will inevitably become more harmonious and warmer.

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Photo Story

In 2025, China's total social electricity consumption exceeded 10 trillion kilowatt-hours for the first time, a first among individual countries globally. This is equivalent to more than twice the annual electricity consumption of the United States, and exceeds the total annual electricity consumption of the European Union, Russia, India, and Japan combined. This demonstrates the resilience and vitality of a super-large economy, reflecting the new logic of industrial structure upgrading and green transformation development.

This is precisely:

Production lines are busy like a rainbow,
Smart life is full of fun.
Where does the driving force for development arise?
Every kilowatt-hour shows its magic.

Yang Yu (杨羽) wrote.

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Crisscrossing

Legal Aid's Value Lies in Reach
Liu Liang (刘亮)

Not long ago, the Ministry of Justice (司法部), the Ministry of Education (教育部), and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League (共青团中央) issued a notice to organize "Legal Aid Volunteer Action" activities, striving to universally carry out legal aid volunteer services throughout society. To carry out this volunteer service with high quality, the focus is on improving the reach rate.

Wherever groups in urgent need of legal aid are, the service tentacles should extend there. "The elderly and the young," new employment groups, and people with disabilities should be priority service targets. Various regions can create distinctive service brands such as labor dispute resolution, protection of the rights and interests of minors, and welfare guarantees for people with disabilities, based on their own realities, to improve the professional level of services. Legal aid institutions can also develop legal professional teachers and students, social workers with legal knowledge, and retired judicial personnel as legal aid volunteers.

To ensure the long-term development of legal aid volunteer services, it is also necessary to explore scientific incentive mechanisms. For example, incorporating legal professional students' participation in volunteer services into the social practice credit system; giving priority to qualified legal aid service providers to be hired as "legal明白人" ("legal understanders") and "resident village lawyers" (驻村律师), expanding their service space for legal business, and forming a virtuous cycle of volunteer service and career growth.

When all sectors of society form a joint force to popularize legal knowledge and spread volunteer culture, legal aid volunteer services will surely better solve people's worries and warm people's hearts.

(Excerpted and compiled from the *Economic Daily*, original title: "The Focus of 'Legal Aid Volunteer Action' is on Reach Rate")

Pseudo-Psychological Counseling Should Be Strictly Investigated
Chen Weihua (陈卫华)

"You think it's normal, but it's actually a sign of anxiety," "A small test to see if you're depressed"... Seeing prompts like these in short videos, some people will click on them, only to find that they are "psychologically abnormal," and then are recommended to find a "miracle doctor" to solve the problem.

Recently, the Zhengzhou (郑州) Municipal Health Supervision Office (卫生监督所) in Henan (河南) Province seized a pseudo-psychology institution that was swindling and deceiving on online platforms during a law enforcement inspection. The so-called counselors who provide online consultations at this institution are people who have been trained with fixed scripts and have no medical or psychological background. They first sell anxiety and then charge accurately. Using pseudo-psychology to do traffic business, this type of problem is worth vigilance.

Experts say that the diagnosis of mental illness is a complex process that requires collecting a large amount of data and long-term dynamic observation of the person's performance. Even so, real psychologists will be very cautious in drawing conclusions. In addition to defrauding money, pseudo-psychological short videos may also delay the formal treatment of real patients, causing endless harm.

In response, the platform should shoulder its responsibilities, limit traffic where it should be limited, and remove content where it should be removed. Regulatory authorities should take decisive action to resolutely investigate and deal with those who charge for consultations without qualifications and deceive people. Experts in related fields may wish to do more popular and interesting science content to allow more people to gain professional knowledge.

(Excerpted and compiled from the *Anhui Daily*, original title: "Beware of 'Cure' Turning into 'Depression'")

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A Casual Discussion on Morphemes (New Knowledge)

By: 王云杉

[Phenomenon] The wave of artificial intelligence (AI) is sweeping the globe, and large AI models are becoming important assistants in people's work and lives. In this wave, a concept has gained high exposure – Token, commonly referred to as a word piece, which is the smallest data unit for processing text. The National Data Bureau (国家数据局) disclosed a set of data: At the beginning of 2024, China's daily consumption of word pieces was 100 billion, and by the end of September 2025, this number had exceeded 40 trillion, an increase of more than 400 times in just over a year. This exponential growth witnesses the rapid development of China's AI industry and the rapid expansion of its application scale.

[Commentary]
How should we understand word pieces? Simply put, a word piece is the "smallest information carrier" after data is split by large AI models in order to efficiently process data, and can be understood as "characters/word fragments/symbols," etc. For example, "我爱中国！" (I love China!) can be split into 4 word pieces: "我" (I), "爱" (love), "中国" (China), and "！" (!).

If the core metric of information transmission in the Internet era was "traffic," then in the AI era, this key indicator is becoming word pieces – every word entered by the user, every paragraph generated by the model, and every image recognized is consuming word pieces.

Seemingly abstract, in reality, each word piece consumption corresponds to a real-world interaction – it may be a loan consultation made by a bank's intelligent customer service, a voice command processed by an automobile's intelligent cockpit, or several lines of complex code output by a programming assistant. The explosive growth in word piece consumption means that more and more AI applications are being implemented, and more and more individual users and corporate customers are using intelligent tools to solve problems and improve efficiency. The characteristic of word piece consumption growth being strongly tied to application implementation makes it an important barometer for measuring the prosperity of the AI industry.

From a long-term perspective, with the continuous release of innovative vitality in China's AI industry, the growth in word piece consumption not only has short-term explosive power but also long-term sustainability.

At the policy level, the "Opinions on Deeply Implementing the 'AI+' Action" issued last year emphasized "promoting the widespread and deep integration of AI with various industries and fields of the economy and society." For example, AI provides the education industry with "long text knowledge organization" and the e-commerce industry with "multi-round intelligent shopping guide services." These will provide richer and more complex scenarios for word piece calling and consumption.

At the technical level, accelerating "from 0 to 1" innovation breakthroughs and "from 1 to N" technology implementation, and the accelerated emergence of more intelligent AI agents, can not only expand development space but also help reshape human production and lifestyle paradigms and promote a revolutionary leap in productivity.

Exploring at a deeper level, the growth in word piece consumption is inseparable from China's solid investment in technology, data supply, and other aspects, which powerfully confirms that "innovation is the primary driving force."

Many people remember that more than 10 years ago, traffic was expensive and the network speed was slow. "Speeding up and reducing fees" not only allowed the masses to enjoy tangible livelihood benefits but also laid the foundation for the development of the Internet and the prosperity of the digital economy. From the previous "精打细算" (jīng dǎ xì suàn - "careful calculation and strict budgeting," meticulous planning and careful accounting) of dozens of word pieces per round of dialogue to the current "从容调度" (cóng róng diào dù - "calm and unhurried dispatch," to handle something with ease and composure) of hundreds of millions of word pieces per round of enterprise-level applications, thanks to the cost reduction brought about by technological progress, companies can apply AI on a large scale to more complex and energy-intensive scenarios, continuously breaking through the growth bottleneck of word piece consumption.

Increasing technological innovation, promoting technological inclusiveness and sharing of results, allowing more new technologies to go from bookshelves to shelves and from "luxury goods" to "daily necessities," and better driving the high-quality development of the real economy and adding color to daily life, this is the inherent meaning of technology for good.

High-quality data supply is the "energy source" for the explosive growth of word piece consumption. Without high-quality data, word pieces become "无源之水" (wú yuán zhī shuǐ - "water without a source," something that cannot last long without a source), and model training and reasoning will output incorrect results due to data distortion and incompleteness, which is an important reason for the generation of AI hallucinations. This also inspires us that to promote the innovative application of AI technology, on the one hand, we must "固本培元" (gù běn péi yuán - "strengthen the foundation and cultivate the source," to consolidate the fundamentals and nurture the origin), continuously cultivate key technologies and accelerate popularization and promotion, and on the other hand, we must "正本清源" (zhèng běn qīng yuán - "rectify the root and clear the source," to get to the root of the matter and solve it thoroughly), tighten the "safety valve" for the development of new technologies, strengthen the supply capacity of key elements, and build a solid security foundation.

When the foundation is solid, the branches flourish; when the source is clear, the stream is pure. From the smallest data unit, we can appreciate the importance of original innovation, understand the wide application of technology, and see the mighty momentum of new technologies and new business forms growing rapidly and advancing by leaps and bounds.

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Editor in Charge for This Edition: Li Bin, Li Hongxing, He Juan

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

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"The people think of us and find us whenever they have difficulties" (Guardian)

By: 本报记者 杨文明

In Manbing Village (曼兵村), Menglong Town (勐龙镇), Jinghong City (景洪市), Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (西双版纳傣族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省), police officer Yan Jiao (岩叫) is a celebrity. The community police office here is named after him.

Going back to January 6, 2024, a brand-new sign was hung on the office building next to the Manbing Village (曼兵村) village committee—"Manbing Village Yan Jiao Community Police Office (曼兵村岩叫社区警务室)," with white characters on a blue background, and Yan Jiao's (岩叫) name written on the sign.

Initially, Yan Jiao (岩叫) felt uneasy seeing his name on the sign. The Menglong Border Police Station (勐龙边境派出所) of the Xishuangbanna Border Management Detachment (西双版纳边境管理支队) in Yunnan Province (云南省) reported that Manbing Village (曼兵村) was important and densely populated, so a police office could be set up. Since the people approved, the police office was named "Yan Jiao (岩叫)!"

"In fact, the station had another consideration. Most of the villagers in Manbing Village (曼兵村) are Dai (傣族), and Yan Jiao (岩叫) happens to be Dai (傣族) as well, which makes it easier to carry out work in the village," said Luo Zujiang (罗祖江), instructor of the Menglong Border Police Station (勐龙边境派出所).

The villagers' love for Yan Jiao (岩叫) stems from his previous work with a work team to carry out a concentrated rectification of public security chaos in Manbing Village (曼兵村). In nearly 4 months, thanks to Yan Jiao's (岩叫) efforts, the number of cases and police incidents in the village has decreased significantly. The villagers were reluctant to let Yan Jiao (岩叫) leave and hoped that he could stay in the village forever.

At the beginning of his stay in the village, Yan Jiao (岩叫) had his own considerations on how to carry out his work: the concentrated rectification mainly focused on handling cases, but the village police work also had to prevent and resolve risks; to prevent risks, he had to first be familiar with public opinion. Yan Jiao (岩叫) thought that he had to visit households as soon as possible, because "only by walking through the homes of the masses can you walk into the hearts of the masses."

It is easier said than done to walk through the homes of the masses. Most of the villagers in Manbing Village (曼兵村) make a living by rubber tapping, going out during the day and returning home after tapping and collecting rubber. After figuring out the situation, Yan Jiao (岩叫) started visiting households at eight or nine o'clock in the evening, often not returning to his residence until eleven or twelve o'clock. Spending two or thirty minutes per household, he could only visit about ten households a night.

After more than 4 months, Yan Jiao (岩叫) finally visited all 1,088 households in the village, added more than 1,000 friends on WeChat, and had a village situation map in hand. Family matters, urgent needs, and anxieties, Yan Jiao (岩叫) understood the village situation thoroughly. Yan Jiao (岩叫), who "speaks Dai (傣语) and is reliable," gradually became known as a "good police officer" among the villagers.

Last year during the rainy season, villagers Yan Wen (岩温) and Yu Wang (玉旺) had an irreconcilable conflict over the boundary of their rubber forest. The two sides picked up hoes in the field and almost started fighting. After learning about the situation, Yan Jiao (岩叫) took the photocopies of the land deeds of the two families and rushed to the scene: "Put down your tools first! We must clarify this matter today!" Speaking in Dai (傣语), Yan Jiao (岩叫) led the villagers to find the dividing line according to the vague land deeds, and "sorted out" the disputed rubber trees of the two families one by one.

"I noticed during the previous mediation that the two families lacked an opportunity to completely solve the problem," said Yan Jiao (岩叫). After this mediation, Yan Wen (岩温) and Yu Wang (玉旺) clarified their respective boundaries, and also resolved the knots in their hearts. Since then, they have never blushed over the boundaries again, and sometimes they even help each other collect rubber. The villagers saw it in their eyes and admired Yan Jiao (岩叫) from the bottom of their hearts—"Find Yan Jiao (岩叫) if you have a problem" became the consensus of the villagers.

"The masses can think of us and find us when they have difficulties!" said Yan Jiao (岩叫). During daily visits and patrols, Yan Jiao (岩叫) always carries police-civilian contact cards; to prevent the masses from throwing them away, Yan Jiao (岩叫) simply customized "peripheral products": lighters, disposable paper cups, and tote bags. In addition to printing his contact information on them, he also printed legal publicity slogans. Nowadays, many villagers' homes have "legal publicity peripheral products" given by Yan Jiao (岩叫).

One mediation after another, one visit after another, the seeds of trust broke ground and grew into towering trees.

Learning that Yan Jiao's (岩叫) child was about to be born, the villagers got together and made two sets of Dai (傣族) clothes for the child; earlier this year, Yan Jiao (岩叫) posted a photo of a brocade banner in his WeChat Moments, and in less than two hours, the number of likes and comments exceeded 400.

During the interview, Yan Jiao (岩叫) was interrupted by villagers' phone calls from time to time, most of which were asking about specific policies. From the "new face" when he first arrived to the "one of us" now, Yan Jiao (岩叫) has integrated into the daily life of Manbing Village (曼兵村).

(Zeng Yuxiang (曾玉祥) and Liu Tengxinyue (刘腾馨玥) participated in the writing)

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"A Hundred Flowers Welcome Spring" - 2026 Spring Festival Gala of China's Literary and Art Circles Held in Beijing

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 27th (Reporter Wang Jue (王珏)) On January 27th, the "Hundred Flowers Welcoming Spring—China Federation of Literary and Art Circles 2026 Spring Festival Gala" was held in Beijing (北京). This grand gathering was themed "Thousands of Horses Galloping, Hundred Flowers Welcoming Spring" (万马奔腾 百花迎春), bringing together artists of all ages and showcasing outstanding works from various artistic fields.

The grand gathering was divided into chapters such as "Hundred Flowers Welcoming Spring, Returning Home Together," "Spring Unabated on Hundred Flower Branches," "Hundred Flowers Rooted in Strengthening the Foundation," and "Hundred Flowers New Journey Facing the Sun." The performances closely followed the times, integrated diverse elements, and used roundtable interactions as a connecting thread, highlighting quality, internationalization, technological sense, immersion, and interactivity.

In this grand gathering, opera, songs, instrumental music, folk art, dance, acrobatics, recitation, storytelling, as well as folk New Year greetings, melodious village songs celebrating the New Year, film and television suites, era scene shows, and situational audio-visual programs were all wonderful and diverse, demonstrating the literary and art circles' inheritance of the "spirit of the dragon and horse" and the innovative spirit of 快马加鞭 (kuài mǎ jiā biān - "fast horse add whip," to spur the horse on; to make even greater efforts). In the roundtable interactive segments such as "Hundred Flowers Welcoming Spring, Returning Home Together," "My Artistic Youth," "Literature and Art for the People," and "The New Era in Scenarios," representatives of artists of all ages sent New Year blessings to everyone and talked about their aspirations to continue their struggles.

"Hundred Flowers Welcoming Spring—China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Spring Festival Gala" is an important brand activity of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (中国文联). This grand gathering was hosted by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (中国文联), co-organized by various national literary and art associations and the China Literature and Art Foundation (中国文学艺术基金会), and undertaken by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Volunteer Service Center (中国文联文艺志愿服务中心).

It is reported that this gala performance will be broadcast on satellite TV channels and online platforms during the Spring Festival.

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Melodious music and elegant sounds bloom anew (Craftsman's Masterpiece)

By: 本报记者 刘晓宇

Highlight of Expertise:

Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬), Director of the Quanzhou Nanyin Heritage Center of Fujian Province (泉州市南音传承中心主任) (Head of the Quanzhou Nanyin Opera Troupe (泉州南音乐团团长)), a provincial-level representative inheritor of Nanyin intangible cultural heritage, performs traditional pieces such as "Seven Strings Resound in the Courtyard" (《庭院七弦响》), forming her own unique style in the range of musical intervals in her performances. She is also dedicated to recording Nanyin pieces, allowing more people to understand Nanyin.

"Seven strings resound in the courtyard, like, oh, the gurgling of mountain streams. Quanzhou (泉州) reaches the zither, like, oh, the deep understanding and affection of kindred spirits." With the sound of the pipa, a melodious and graceful Nanyin piece, "Seven Strings Resound in the Courtyard" (《庭院七弦响》), is slowly sung by Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬). Beside her, several young people play the qin and xiao in ensemble, the ethereal sounds immersing the audience in the elegance of a thousand years.

"This piece has been performed at home and abroad and has received much praise," said Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬). Nanyin, also known as "Nanqu" (南曲) or "Xianguan" (弦管), is one of the oldest existing musical genres in China and was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.

Born into a musical family, Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) was exposed to Nanyin from a young age. In 1993, at the age of 12, Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) applied to the Nanyin program at the Quanzhou Art School (泉州艺术学校). "As soon as I entered art school, I encountered two major difficulties: learning the musical notation and correcting my pronunciation," said Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬). In the first lesson, the teacher taught the traditional piece "Scholars First" (《秀才先行》) using the traditional "oral instruction" method, employing the ancient Gongche notation (工乂谱). "The Gongche notation is arranged from top to bottom and from right to left, which is very similar to ancient books." For Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) as a child, learning the notation was like reading a book from heaven, and she often only found the next sentence after her classmates had finished singing the entire section.

Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬), who lives in the south-central part of Quangang District (泉港区) in Quanzhou City (泉州市), has a slight difference in accent from the old urban area of Quanzhou (泉州城区). "Although both are Minnan dialect, the subtle differences in intonation can lead to significant differences in artistic presentation," said Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬). "I often cried and called my family at that time, and I even wanted to give up."

However, in the eyes of Huang Shuying (黄淑英), Zhuang Lifen's (庄丽芬) mentor and a national-level representative inheritor of Nanyin intangible cultural heritage, Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) "has a tenacity in her." She helped Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) invite a singing teacher to provide guidance. Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) recorded the teacher's pronunciation suggestions and listened to them repeatedly in the dormitory, correcting them word by word. "For more than half a year, I didn't dare to go home, for fear that the pronunciation I had practiced would be 'deviated' by my local dialect," said Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬).

With the encouragement of her teachers and family, Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) persevered and gradually found her strengths: "I can do more with the range of musical intervals." After graduating, Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) came to work at the Quanzhou Nanyin Opera Troupe (泉州南音乐团). Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) said that in the Nanyin world, "Goose Feather Snow Fills the Sky" (《鹅毛雪满空飞》), especially the "Falling Dust" (《落尘》) excerpt, is a very difficult traditional masterpiece, "This piece has a large range of musical intervals and large fluctuations, which suits my characteristics." Later, Zhuang Lifen's (庄丽芬) wonderful performance won first prize in the Fujian Provincial Drama Narcissus Competition (福建省戏剧水仙花比赛) and other honors; especially at the 2014 Peony Awards (牡丹奖) evaluation site, Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) not only completed a large range of pitch crossings and strong emotional transitions, but also demonstrated the performance of wine cups and pipa and other instruments, and won the Peony Award (牡丹奖) for Best Newcomer.

In recent years, in addition to diligently studying on her own, Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) has also invited Su Shiyong (苏诗咏), a national-level representative inheritor of Nanyin intangible cultural heritage, to guide young actors in learning the fingering, scores, and songs of Nanyin, and has recorded and preserved Nanyin pieces that are rarely sung offline. She has also completed the musical accompaniment audio and video for the "Quanzhou Nanyin Basic Tutorial" (《泉州南音基础教程》), and recorded demonstration singing and playing of 20 Nanyin teaching materials for local primary and secondary schools, allowing children to further understand Nanyin.

"Rooted in tradition, bold innovation." Zhuang Lifen (庄丽芬) encourages actors to use their creativity to combine Nanyin with other art forms and create a batch of new Nanyin works with the characteristics of the times. "The drama industry needs young people to take over and inherit it. We must strengthen talent training and team building, expand the channels and influence of Nanyin art dissemination, and let the elegant music of a thousand years bloom with new brilliance."

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Improve the legal framework, forge a strong team, and promote the development of the cause.

By: 本报记者

The law is the model of the world and the standard for all things.

Civil servants are the backbone of the Party's governance. Managing this team well in accordance with laws and regulations is of great significance for improving the Party's governing capacity and consolidating its ruling position.

On January 1, 2006, the "Civil Servant Law of the People's Republic of China" came into effect, marking a new stage of scientific, legalized, and standardized development of the civil servant system with Chinese characteristics. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has proposed the standard for good cadres in the new era: "firm belief, serving the people, diligence and pragmatism, daring to take responsibility, and integrity," which has pointed out the direction and provided fundamental guidance for the in-depth implementation of the Civil Servant Law.

Twenty years of hard work and innovation. The civil servant system with Chinese characteristics, with the Civil Servant Law as its mainstay, has been continuously improved and implemented in depth, better integrated into the overall layout of promoting the "five-in-one" (economic, political, cultural, social, and ecological) and the strategic layout of coordinating the "four comprehensives" (comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, comprehensively deepening reform, comprehensively governing the nation according to law, and comprehensively strengthening Party discipline), powerfully leading and ensuring that the vast number of civil servants play a backbone role in the great practice of the Party's governance.

Adhering to and Strengthening the Party's Leadership, the Civil Servant Law is Comprehensively Implemented

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "We must adhere to the Party's leadership in promoting the construction of various systems, promoting the development of various undertakings, and strengthening and improving various tasks."

The water of Huai Mountain must have its source. China's civil servant system was gradually established under the leadership of the Party, along with the reform of the economic system and the reform of the cadre and personnel system. The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of China officially proposed the establishment and implementation of the national civil servant system, and the 14th, 15th, and 16th National Congresses of the Communist Party of China all made arrangements for improving the civil servant system. In 1993, the "Provisional Regulations on National Civil Servants" were promulgated. In April 2005, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress deliberated and approved the Civil Servant Law.

The main thread running through the civil servant system from scratch, from administrative regulations to national law, is to adhere to the Party's leadership and implement the Party's cadre line, principles, and policies. As soon as the Civil Servant Law was born, it firmly grasped the Party's leadership as the fundamental guarantee and deeply imprinted the distinctive Chinese characteristics.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has always attached great importance to and promoted the revision and implementation of the Civil Servant Law.

In November 2013, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made major deployments such as deepening the classification reform of civil servants and promoting the parallel system of civil servant positions and ranks. In January 2015, the Party Central Committee decided to implement the parallel system of positions and ranks in organs below the county level nationwide. Subsequently, the parallel system of positions and ranks applicable to organs at all levels also began to be studied and solved intensively. In December 2016, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress made a decision authorizing the State Council to temporarily adjust the application of relevant provisions of the Civil Servant Law in some regions and some central organs in Beijing, providing a legal basis for carrying out pilot projects of the parallel system of positions and ranks. In April 2017, with the approval of the Party Central Committee, the revision of the Civil Servant Law was officially launched. On December 29, 2018, the Seventh Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress deliberated and approved the revised Civil Servant Law.

Holding high the ideological banner and spiritual banner of the Party's innovative theory, taking Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guiding ideology that the civil servant system must adhere to for a long time; writing the standards for good cadres in the new era and the Party's organizational line in the new era into the Civil Servant Law; improving the relevant provisions on civil servant positions and ranks, and further enriching the requirements for strict management of cadres... The revised Civil Servant Law has realized the adherence to the right path and innovation, and keeping pace with the times of the civil servant system with Chinese characteristics.

In the world, it is not difficult to legislate, but it is difficult to ensure that the law is enforced.

Since the new era, civil servant work has been based on the law and governed by the law. A series of major decisions and deployments have been formulated and implemented successively, leading and promoting the implementation of the Civil Servant Law into a new stage.

In February 2018, the Third Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided that the Organization Department of the Central Committee should uniformly manage civil servant work. The civil servant management system has undergone systemic restructuring and overall reshaping, and the Party's centralized and unified leadership over the civil servant team has been comprehensively strengthened.

In June 2019, the General Office of the Central Committee issued opinions on implementing the Civil Servant Law and building a high-quality and professional civil servant team. In May 2024, the first national plan outline for the construction of the civil servant team was issued, promoting the comprehensive improvement of civil servant regulations and the construction of the civil servant team.

The central civil servant authorities regularly hold national civil servant work symposiums and national civil servant work promotion meetings, organize special studies on civil servant laws and regulations, and hold civil servant management business training courses covering the county level, so as to ensure the effective operation and implementation of laws and regulations with a standardized and orderly working mechanism.

If the law is established at the top, customs will be formed at the bottom. All regions and departments have increased the study and publicity of the Civil Servant Law and conducted regular research and evaluation... The whole-chain and full-coverage implementation mechanism has been gradually improved, and the atmosphere of respecting the law, studying the law, abiding by the law, and using the law has become increasingly strong.

Deepening Connection and Integration, the Civil Servant System with Chinese Characteristics is More Complete and Well-Matched

If the outline is lifted, the mesh opens; accumulation leads to momentum. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "We must proceed from reality, refine and quantify policy measures, and formulate relevant supporting measures."

The civil servant system with Chinese characteristics is an organic whole composed of the Civil Servant Law, supporting regulations of the Civil Servant Law, and relevant Party regulations, and is an important part of China's political system. The Civil Servant Law, as the main regulation, can only have solid support if the supporting regulations are sound and complete.

Over the past 20 years, various regulations and systems have been issued and gradually improved. In April 2006, the Party Central Committee and the State Council issued five documents, including the provisions on the scope of civil servants and the implementation measures for civil servant registration. Subsequently, the central civil servant authorities successively formulated trial regulations on civil servant assessment, recruitment, training, rewards, transfer, etc., and the various links of civil servant management basically achieved that there are rules to follow and chapters to follow.

With the 19th Fourth Plenary Session of the Communist Party of China making comprehensive arrangements for adhering to and improving the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and promoting the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, the construction of supporting regulations for the Civil Servant Law has entered a rapid period and achieved fruitful results.

The revised 19 supporting regulations have emerged as the times require, and more than 10 newly formulated supporting policies, such as the regulations on the parallel system of civil servant positions and ranks, the regulations on civil servant transfer, the recruitment investigation methods, and the initial training methods, have been implemented. Reply opinions involving transfer, recruitment, the parallel system of positions and ranks, and the implementation of the progressive delayed retirement policy have been issued successively... The civil servant system has achieved a new leap from the main framework to enrichment and completeness, and from single-point breakthroughs to overall improvement.

From principles and concepts, core essentials, to policy orientation and specific regulations, civil servant regulations are organically connected with Party regulations such as the regulations on the appointment of cadres, coordinated with national laws such as the Judges Law, the Prosecutors Law, the People's Police Law, and the Supervisors Law, and promoted in a coordinated manner with important reforms such as the personnel system of public institutions, and constantly make up for institutional loopholes and shortcomings, forming a mutually complementary and unified pattern.

Not only do we do a good job in top-level design, but we also promote implementation and effectiveness. All regions and departments adhere to the Civil Servant Law and its supporting regulations as the basis and criterion, strengthen the pertinence and operability of institutional documents, and turn the "authoritative regulations" of the higher authorities into "action regulations" at the grassroots level. Provincial civil servant authorities across the country have formulated and issued more than 600 supporting policy documents.

After 20 years of unremitting exploration, the civil servant system with Chinese characteristics, with "1 law + 1 planning outline + 32 supporting systems" as the main content, has gradually been constructed, fully reflecting the significant advantages and distinctive characteristics of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and powerfully demonstrating the truth power and practical great power of Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on the Rule of Law in civil servant work.

Focusing on Precision and Science, Classification Reform has Made Breakthrough Progress

Scientific classification can optimize resource allocation, achieve refined management, and improve governance efficiency.

For a long time, China's civil servants have been managed in a "large block" and "unified" manner, which has brought about problems such as a single management method, limited career development channels, and weak management pertinence. How to solve it? Promoting the classified management of civil servants has become an inevitable choice.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the classification reform of civil servants has started a gradual exploration from conception to practice. In September 2023, the General Office of the Central Committee issued the revised regulations on the management of professional and technical civil servants and the regulations on the management of administrative law enforcement civil servants, marking that the general framework of the classification reform of civil servants has basically been finalized. Comprehensive management categories focus on personnel engaged in planning, decision-making, supervision, etc., professional and technical categories focus on personnel with professional knowledge and skills, and administrative law enforcement categories face grassroots units of public security and comprehensive law enforcement departments.

Classification reform, professionalization is the foundation, and vocationalization is the goal.

Professional and technical civil servants have experienced a transformation from scratch, from point to surface, and from quantity to quality, better serving economic and social development. At present, departments such as taxation, customs, ecological environment, agriculture, water conservancy, auditing, statistics, and disease control have successively set up professional and technical civil servant positions, entering the "quality improvement and efficiency enhancement" stage from the "breaking the topic and starting the chapter" stage.

Administrative law enforcement civil servants are connected to the government on one end and the masses on the other. At present, more than 90% of the administrative law enforcement civil servants in the country are in organs below the prefecture-level city, playing an active role in serving the people and improving grassroots governance efficiency.

Establishing a judicial personnel management system that meets the characteristics of the profession is fundamental in deepening the judicial system reform and is the "bull nose" that must be grasped.

Establishing and improving the rank sequence of law enforcement duty and police technology in public security organs, broadening career development channels, and enhancing the sense of honor, mission, and belonging of the vast number of police officers as loyal guards of the Party and the people.

Highlighting the main position of judges and prosecutors in handling cases, establishing a separate position sequence for judges and prosecutors, setting up and improving the rank management of judge assistants, prosecutor assistants, and clerks, and improving the professional level of judicial personnel in their respective positions and responsibilities.

Establishing a rank (professional and technical position level) sequence that meets the characteristics of fire and rescue positions to achieve a smooth transition of the national comprehensive fire and rescue team.

Strictly approving public institutions managed by reference to the Civil Servant Law, re-identifying them in a timely manner according to changes in functions, and strengthening the refined management of personnel managed by reference to the Civil Servant Law.

Classification has its way, and belonging has its difference. With the continuous deepening of classification reform, different categories of civil servants further realize development through different channels, refined management, and professional construction, and the vitality of the team is fully stimulated.

Recruiting Excellent Talents Continuously in Accordance with Laws and Regulations

"To comprehensively build a modern socialist country, we must have a cadre team that is politically strong, adapts to the requirements of the new era, and has the ability to lead modernization." Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out.

Examination and recruitment is the main channel for organs at all levels to recruit people, and it has played an important role in promoting the orderly alternation of new and old civil servants, the overall balance of entry and exit, and the overall improvement of quality.

Civil servant recruitment always puts political standards first, and takes having good political quality and moral character as the basic conditions for application. The examination focuses on measuring the ability to guide analysis and solve problems with the Party's innovative theory, and the investigation focuses on understanding political positions, political awareness, and political performance. Some places have listed 24 positive situations and 35 negative situations in the political quality investigation of civil servant recruitment, transforming the "big concept" of political quality into intuitive and specific "micro-indicators" to achieve comparable investigation standards and evaluable investigation results.

Focusing on the center and exerting efforts for the overall situation, the national major strategic deployment goes to where, and the recruitment work follows to where. The recruitment plan is tilted towards the grassroots, providing talent support for poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. Serving the overall situation of opening up to the outside world and foreign affairs, encouraging college graduates who are interested in engaging in diplomatic and foreign affairs work to apply for the examination. Serving the Party and state institutional reform, special recruitment was carried out to complete the transition and transfer of more than 92,000 staff members from branches of the People's Bank of China and the China Securities Regulatory Commission and other units.

Examination and recruitment involves thousands of households, and ensuring fairness and justice is crucial.

Adhering to the principles of openness, equality, competition, and merit-based selection, breaking regional, industry, and identity restrictions, scientifically setting qualification conditions, and continuously improving the quality of questions; paying attention to safeguarding the rights of social employees, fresh graduates, students returning from overseas studies, and other types of personnel to participate in competition equally; positions, conditions, policies, procedures, and results are made public to the society, and the "competition in the glass house" is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people; relaxing the age limit for recruitment has received positive and positive social response.

Coordinating and making good use of various recruitment methods to discover and gather talents in a wider field and a larger scope.

Transfer is an important institutional channel for outstanding talents from state-owned enterprises and public institutions to enter the civil servant team. Organs at all levels adhere to the orientation of the cause and select people according to the matter, and steadily promote the transfer work.

The appointment system is an important institutional innovation aimed at supplementing high-level and urgently needed professional talents for organs. Some places have introduced a market-oriented professional evaluation mechanism and improved assessment incentives and daily management measures to promote the service of appointed civil servants to economic and social development.

Recruitment methods such as the placement of demobilized military officers, election registration, and institutional reform transfer bring various outstanding talents into a pool of "living water," making the structure of the civil servant team more reasonable.

Continuously Casting the Soul and Empowering, the Quality and Ability of Civil Servants are Constantly Improved

Learning is the priority in all walks of life. Education and training is a leading, basic, and strategic project for building a high-quality civil servant team.

The central civil servant authorities adhere to taking the in-depth study and implementation of Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the main theme and main line of training, as the main course and compulsory course of various classes at all levels, and continuously strengthen political training in combination with carrying out centralized Party education.

The first national initial training class for newly recruited civil servants was held. From November 17 to 21, 2022, 195,000 people "attended the same class" in 2,600 classrooms for 5 days, realizing full coverage of unified initial training. From central organs to the grassroots front line, a total of 1.094 million people have been trained in the past 4 years, helping newly recruited civil servants take the "first step" in their political career and fasten the "first button."

Regular training courses for directors-general and directors are held. From 2024 to 2025, full coverage of training for more than 2,000 newly appointed directors in central and state organs will be achieved, driving the smooth development of training for directors and section chiefs across the country, and helping newly appointed civil servants improve their positions, shoulder heavy responsibilities, and grow their abilities.

Focusing closely on the promotion and implementation of the Party and state's major strategies to carry out special training. Focusing on comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society, carrying out training on preventing and resolving major risks, targeted poverty alleviation, and pollution prevention; focusing on consolidating and expanding the achievements of poverty alleviation and effectively connecting with rural revitalization, carrying out training on innovation-driven development and rural revitalization; focusing closely on promoting Chinese-style modernization, carrying out training on scientific and technological self-reliance, jointly building the "Belt and Road," and developing new quality productive forces...

Practice produces true knowledge, and tempering grows talents.

In recent years, organs at all levels have planned to promote civil servants to positions that serve and guarantee major strategies, major projects, major projects, and key tasks, especially selecting and sending civil servants to participate in aid to Tibet, Xinjiang, and Qinghai, fighting hard battles, shouldering heavy responsibilities, and overcoming difficulties. Batch after batch of civil servants from old revolutionary areas, ethnic areas, border areas, and old industrial bases have been seconded to developed areas and central organs, growing up in practice, broadening their horizons, increasing their knowledge, and enhancing their abilities.

Improving the Management and Supervision Mechanism, the Discipline and Work Style of the Civil Servant Team are More Solid

Strictly governing the Party requires strictly governing officials. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) clearly requires that we focus on improving the enforcement of the system and promote the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party to develop in depth on the track of laws and regulations.

The Civil Servant Law clarifies the seven basic conditions that civil servants should possess, the eight important obligations that must be performed, and the 18 disciplinary rules that must be observed, and stipulates six types of disciplinary actions, weaving a tight institutional cage for strictly managing and supervising civil servants.
In response to the risks and hidden dangers such as "regulatory capture" and "option corruption" existing among civil servants who resign from public office, the central civil service authorities have strengthened institutional integration, established a coordination and cooperation mechanism, and guided some central units to establish lists of restrictions on employment behavior, strictly regulating employment behavior after resignation from public office.

Strictly approving resignation applications, setting a "cooling-off period" for job influence, tracking and verifying employment behavior, and severely investigating and dealing with illegal employment... A complete set of "combined punches" is gradually building a normalized management mechanism, continuously preventing the "revolving door" between politics and business and "escape-style resignations."

Running water does not become stagnant, and a frequently turned door hinge does not rot. 流水不腐，户枢不蠹 (liú shuǐ bù fǔ, hù shū bù dù - "running water doesn't stink, a turning hinge doesn't rot," constant activity prevents decay; highlights the importance of movement and change).

The regulations on the transfer of civil servants clarify that civil servants holding leadership positions in internal organs of agencies who have worked in the same position for 10 years, and civil servants who do not hold leadership positions who have worked in the same position in nine positions such as discipline inspection, bidding and procurement, and administrative licensing for 10 years, should be transferred. Various regions and departments, in conjunction with their actual situations, have increased the efforts of internal agency and cross-regional and cross-departmental transfer work.

Earnestly implement requirements for avoidance of appointment, regional avoidance, and official avoidance, and increase adjustments for 17 types of kinship avoidance situations in 4 categories, strictly preventing unhealthy tendencies such as "incestuous breeding" and "favoritism towards relatives and friends";

Strictly carry out various tasks such as civil servant recruitment, assessment, promotion, rewards and punishments, training, and dismissal in accordance with regulations, disciplines, and laws, strengthen supervision in terms of ideological and political aspects, work style performance, and compliance with laws and regulations, and improve the management mechanism for civil servants in areas with concentrated power, intensive funds, and abundant resources;

Deeply carry out Party discipline learning and education, implement the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation and its implementation details, continuously deepen the construction of civil servant professional ethics, and educate and guide civil servants to know reverence, maintain vigilance, and adhere to the bottom line, and consciously perform their duties and exercise their powers and live and work in an environment of supervision and restraint...

Strict management leads to a new atmosphere. The civil servant team is constantly changing its work style and improving its work style in revolutionary forging, winning the trust of the people with a new atmosphere of integrity, and effectively boosting the spirit of doing business and starting a business.

Strengthening incentives and guarantees, the intrinsic motivation of civil servants to take responsibility and act is continuously enhanced.

Mobilizing and stimulating the enthusiasm of the majority of civil servants to do business and start a business is the original intention of the Civil Servant Law and an important issue that must be faced in its implementation.

In 2019, the parallel system of civil servant positions and ranks was fully implemented, "non-leadership positions" withdrew from the historical stage, "ranks" became a new channel for civil servant growth, promotion space was effectively expanded, and the incentive effect continued to play.

Localities and departments strictly enforce rank promotion conditions, highlight political standards, pay attention to work performance, give priority to outstanding individuals and advanced individuals, and do not engage in everyone getting a share or mandatory promotion at a certain point, so as to guide the orientation of doing business and starting a business with the correct employment orientation.

Since the implementation of the parallel system, the promotion "single-log bridge" has been transformed into a "dual-channel" for development. A large number of civil servants who have performed outstandingly in rural revitalization, flood prevention and disaster relief, and promoting high-quality development, and civil servants who have silently dedicated themselves and shined in ordinary positions have been promoted to higher ranks.

With standards and quality in assessment, there is motivation and direction in work.

Focusing on establishing a system for knowing people and identifying people through daily assessment, classified assessment, and close-range assessment, highlighting the standards for good and bad, clarifying the criteria for rewards and punishments, and continuously releasing a strong signal of valuing practical work, practical results, and taking responsibility. Since the launch of the comprehensive performance evaluation for high-quality development in 2021, the feedback mechanism for assessment results has been gradually improved, and the indicator system has been further adjusted and optimized.

People's satisfaction is the highest praise for public servants.

On August 30, 2022, the National Commendation Conference for "People's Satisfied Civil Servants" and "People's Satisfied Civil Servant Collectives" was grandly held in the Great Hall of the People (人民大会堂). General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) cordially met with the commended representatives.

This is the first time that the national commendation of "People's Satisfied Civil Servants" and "People's Satisfied Civil Servant Collectives" has been carried out in the name of the Party Central Committee (党中央) and the State Council (国务院).

As the highest honor for civil servant rewards, from the provincial and ministerial-level commendations in 1996 to the national-level commendations in 2022, from the initial 5 individuals to the current 400 individuals and 200 collectives, township and section-level and below civil servants account for more than 80% of the total number of commendations. The commendation level of "People's Satisfied" civil servants has been continuously improved, and the scope has continued to expand.

Give full play to the "People's Satisfied" brand effect, select "People's Satisfied Civil Servants" to enter the Party School (党校) faculty pool, promote advanced models to enter classrooms and take the stage, produce special films for publicity and education, establish demonstration posts and studios, and guide the majority of civil servants to admire advanced individuals and learn from the virtuous, and drive "thousands of horses galloping" with "one horse taking the lead." 一马当先 (yī mǎ dāng xiān - "one horse takes the lead," to take the lead; to be at the forefront).

Civil servants have the right to receive wages, enjoy welfare benefits, and file appeals and complaints. Civil servants' actions in performing their duties according to law are protected by law.

Always adhere to the centralized and unified leadership of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党) to ensure that the design and implementation of various civil servant management systems implement the Party's propositions; always adhere to the unity of legal management and Party management of cadres, implement the standards for good cadres in the new era, and fully implement the Party's cadre line and policies; always adhere to the combination of reform and innovation and steady implementation, and use reform methods to solve development problems; always adhere to the combination of top-down and organic connection to promote the implementation of various systems; always adhere to the equal emphasis on system construction and team construction, use system results to guarantee and promote team construction, and use team construction results to test and promote system improvement...

Looking back on the extraordinary journey of the past two decades, the implementation of the Civil Servant Law has withstood the test of history, the test of practice, and the test of the people, and has accumulated valuable experience.

Time passes by as usual, and when spring comes, one must work diligently according to one's ability.

At a new historical starting point, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想), the majority of civil servants will firmly defend the "Two Establishes" (两个确立) and resolutely achieve the "Two Safeguards" (两个维护), diligently and responsibly, and continue to implement the Civil Servant Law well, vigorously promote the construction of a civil servant legal system with Chinese characteristics, and will surely make new and greater contributions to promoting the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

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Editors of this page: Kang Yan, Song Yu, Zhang Zhiqi

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Adding color to the lives of more young people (Visit)

By: 本报记者 李凯旋

Core Reading

In recent years, the "Youth Night School Fever" has emerged in various regions. Making coffee, learning Shu embroidery, practicing boxing... The diverse and enriching courses allow young people to gain knowledge and enjoy themselves in the evenings. Turning night schools into "people's heart projects" that benefit young people in the long term tests the ability to provide public services. How should courses be set up? How should teachers be selected and hired? How can operations be sustained? A reporter visited several youth night schools in Sichuan Province to investigate.

"Let's go, it's time for night school!" When off-work hours arrive, Wang Ailin (王艾琳), a young person working in Chengdu (成都市), Sichuan Province (四川省), calls up friends to go to the youth night school together and participate in interest courses.

Young people leave work, night school starts. In recent years, a "Youth Night School Fever" has emerged in Sichuan. Taking the needs of young people as the guiding principle for curriculum design, recruiting a young teaching staff, and introducing diverse forces to participate in operations, the youth night school exudes charm and vitality. As of now, the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League (共青团四川省委) has publicly released 88 youth night schools to the public, serving approximately 200,000 young people.

Young People Have Needs
"Seeking Knowledge is the Main Theme of Youth"

At night, the Eastern Suburb Memory Art District (东郊记忆艺术区) in Chenghua District (成华区), Chengdu (成都市) is brightly lit. In a coffee shop, students sit on either side of a long table, and the teacher grinds beans and brews coffee. In the rich aroma, the youth night school begins.

Wang Ailin (王艾琳) is one of the students. Because she loves coffee, she had the idea of learning how to make coffee, but the cost of buying equipment for self-study is not small. Is there a more cost-effective way to learn? The youth night school came into her view.

Wang Ailin (王艾琳) is both familiar and unfamiliar with night school. She had heard from her elders that when they were young, they often used their evenings to study cultural courses and production techniques, and night school promoted the growth of several generations. What do night schools teach now? Wang Ailin (王艾琳) clicked on the course schedule, which included Pilates, pop music singing, mobile phone photography, and even drama therapy, which she had never heard of before. "The courses are rich and colorful, suitable for expanding interests and hobbies, and the prices are not expensive." Wang Ailin (王艾琳) was pleasantly surprised. She signed up for an introductory coffee course, which has a total of 8 sessions, with a tuition fee of 500 yuan.

Like Wang Ailin (王艾琳), many young people hope to cultivate a hobby or learn a skill in their spare time. Li Haolin (李昊霖), Minister of the Grassroots Construction Department of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League (共青团四川省委基层建设部部长), introduced that various places have widely carried out research on the needs of young people and have successively opened more than 60 courses that are highly demanded by young people. "We have announced the first batch of 88 youth night schools to the public, from central cities to ordinary counties." said Li Haolin (李昊霖).

In the coffee class, Wang Ailin (王艾琳) experienced many interesting things: students drank each other's immature coffee creations, and despite being "bitter," they would encourage each other; they identified the types of coffee beans by taste alone, and she found that the words everyone used to describe the taste were surprisingly rich.

Making friends with similar interests in the classroom, one cup of coffee after another gave her the courage to communicate and express herself. "Now I often invite customers to taste the coffee I make, and the distance is immediately shortened." She felt that night school brought positive changes to her life. After the coffee course, Wang Ailin (王艾琳) mobilized her colleagues to experience boxing classes together.

In Sichuan (四川), it is easy to learn about night schools. Open your mobile phone, and the "Tianfu Youth Cloud" (天府青年云) platform has an electronic map of youth night schools, with the addresses and contact information of night schools all over Sichuan (四川) at a glance. Wang Ailin (王艾琳) began to understand why her elders loved to go to night school: "The content of learning is changing, but seeking knowledge is the main theme of youth."

Teaching Has Warmth
"Making Friends is More Important Than Being a Teacher"

When Gong Xue (龚雪), a Shu embroidery teacher in Mianzhu City (绵竹市), stood on the night school podium for the first time, she was a little nervous. Shu embroidery techniques are complex, and the introductory experience requires settling down and sitting still. "Now young people have a fast pace of life, and I'm worried that everyone will not have the patience to learn." said Gong Xue (龚雪).

In order to teach Shu embroidery skills well, Gong Xue (龚雪) put in a lot of effort. Embroidery frames, embroidery stools, needles, threads, scissors... She carefully prepared the utensils and polished the details of the course again and again. "Hands-on practice is the main line, and the history of Shu embroidery must also be interspersed." When preparing the lesson, Gong Xue (龚雪) recalled her own learning experience, trying to make Shu embroidery teaching easy to understand.

The response from the young people exceeded Gong Xue's (龚雪) expectations. They were attentive in class, and everyone often exchanged skills in the WeChat group after class. At the end of the course, most of the students embroidered their favorite works and urged Gong Xue (龚雪) to open an "advanced class." Today, courses such as Shu embroidery and tea art have attracted hundreds of people to learn, and intangible cultural heritage is very popular in youth night schools.

The level of teachers is related to the quality of teaching. The Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Youth League (共青团四川省委) issued a call for the collection of a youth night school teacher database throughout the province, selecting and hiring young "confidants" with excellent political literacy and professional level. Experts and scholars and skilled masters in various fields actively participated. Currently, there are 267 teachers registered in youth night schools, with an average age of 34. The teaching content is mainly divided into four categories: culture and art, career development, social integration, and current affairs and policies.

Many middle-aged and elderly people are also active in the night school teaching team. Cui Guo (崔国), a 57-year-old cadre of the Chengdu Municipal Taxation Bureau (成都市税务局), is one of them. "The teaching methods must be innovative. If you hold a textbook and instill knowledge, young people won't listen." Cui Guo (崔国), who has been giving lectures on tax knowledge for many years, put aside his commonly used lecture notes and repeatedly pondered how to make the class lively and thorough based on the student information form. "There are practitioners of new occupations, employees of state-owned enterprises, and young entrepreneurs. What tax knowledge do they need?"

A flash of inspiration, Cui Guo (崔国) set the theme of the class as "You Ask, I Answer." From company structure to tax preferential policies, he explained in detail and offered advice to entrepreneurs; enterprise employees often missed personal income tax reduction items, and he helped students sort them out item by item on the mobile APP; everyone paid attention to the rumors about taxation on the Internet, and he dispelled the rumors with vivid cases, and there was often applause in the classroom.

"One Q&A session may help young people establish correct business concepts and open a window to understanding tax law." Listening, communicating, and helping, Cui Guo (崔国) listed these as his key words for teaching. "When dealing with young people, making friends is more important than being a teacher."

Multiple Parties Cooperate
"Use Cost Performance to Attract Young People"

In Dazhou City (达州市) in eastern Sichuan (四川), the nights in Xuanhan (宣汉), a small city, are not boring. At the entrance of the Wuyu Comprehensive Sports Center (武育综合运动中心), the youth night school logo is eye-catching. In the boxing class, the coach's commands are loud, and the students swing their legs and punch in unison.

County resources are limited. In order to run the youth night school well, Xiang Weilai (向未来), Secretary of the Xuanhan County Committee of the Communist Youth League (共青团宣汉县委书记), went into gyms, yoga studios, and other places where young people gather to explore ideas through research.

Can we recruit "youth-friendly merchants" to cooperate in running night schools? This idea was responded to by the Wuyu Comprehensive Sports Center (武育综合运动中心). The Communist Youth League organization plans the content of the night school and recommends it to young people; merchants design high-quality courses to catch the "traffic." Now, the "10-minute night school learning and development circle" for young people in Xuanhan County (宣汉县) has taken shape.

In Chengdu (成都), the Wuhou District Youth Palace (武侯区青少年宫) is also more lively because of the youth night school. The Youth Palace provides venues, and social organizations are introduced to be responsible for designing courses, recruiting teachers and students, and opening more than 20 courses such as beauty, photography, Baduanjin, and dance. The fees are reasonable and very popular. Currently, it has provided more than 5,000 high-quality courses for young people in the surrounding area.

"We benchmark the market to operate night schools, use cost performance to attract young people, and provide them with meaningful courses and interesting social platforms." said Guo Lanjiao (郭娈娇), director of the Chengdu Shancheng Social Work Service Center (成都善成社会工作服务中心理事长), which is responsible for the operation of the night school. The night school income is divided among the participating parties, which can not only cover the operating costs of the Youth Palace, but also support the expansion of the night school scale. "Now the teaching team is close to 30 people, and there is spare capacity to bring the night school into the community." said Guo Lanjiao (郭娈娇).

If youth night schools want to develop in the long term, their own blood-making ability is the key. Li Haolin (李昊霖) introduced that Sichuan (四川) insists on building in a hierarchical and classified manner, with the participation of diverse forces. A group of co-operated youth night schools with sufficient development momentum are growing.

In the "Next Door · Future Community Life Center" (隔壁子·未来社区生活中心) built by Chengdu Rail Group (成都轨道集团), the number of places for public welfare night school courses is tight. The transportation here is convenient, and the business is dense, so young people come here admiringly.

"Based on the company's endowment to run night schools, the accessible rail network is our advantage." Mo Xushuang (莫修双), Deputy Secretary of the Communist Youth League Committee of Chengdu Rail Group (成都轨道集团团委副书记), introduced that the opening location of the rail youth night school has expanded from the activity base for employees to the community, and the service scope has expanded from employees to young people around the community. "We will also incorporate new vocational courses such as tidying and storage masters and pet communicators into the night school to help young people find employment and settle down." said Mo Xushuang (莫修双).

How can youth night schools be turned into "people's heart projects" that benefit young people in the long term? Li Haolin (李昊霖) said that in the future, efforts will be made to improve curriculum design, enrich the teaching staff, and establish a standardized management mechanism to continue to upgrade the quality of night schools and attract more young people to participate.

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Meeting Diverse and Personalized Learning Needs (Editor's Note)

By: 张伟昊

From publicizing advanced ideas during the revolutionary war years, to eliminating illiteracy and teaching production techniques after the founding of New China, and then to improving academic qualifications after the reform and opening up... Night schools, as a kind of public welfare cultural service, provide a learning method that is close to needs, flexible in time, and cost-effective. In various historical periods, they have played different educational roles.

Nowadays, more and more young people are walking into night schools to expand their hobbies, learn knowledge courses, and make like-minded friends. Here, there are not only diverse course designs, but also rich experiences that meet individual needs. This "internal and external cultivation" choice reflects people's attempt to balance work and life, and also reflects the diversified and personalized trend of young people's spiritual and cultural needs.

How can we better adapt to this change and trend, so that more young people can draw spiritual nourishment and gain growth opportunities from night schools? Relevant departments can conduct in-depth research, consider what young people need and want, and configure courses that meet their needs and are rich and colorful for night schools.

In addition, we can explore the establishment of mutual aid groups participated by multiple entities such as the Communist Youth League organizations, universities, and market-oriented training institutions, give full play to the resource advantages of various entities in different fields, create an industry community of "venue sharing, teacher sharing, and course sharing," improve resource allocation efficiency, and enable night schools to better respond to the lifelong learning needs and enthusiasm of different groups, so that lifelong learning becomes the choice of more people.

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Chinese delegation for Milan Winter Olympics established

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 27th (Liu Shuoyang (刘硕阳), Wang Liang (王亮), Yang Lei (杨磊)) On the morning of January 27th, the Chinese sports delegation for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics was established in Beijing (北京). Gao Zhidan (高志丹), Director of the State General Administration of Sport (国家体育总局) and head of the delegation, stated that the delegation should take achieving a double harvest of sporting achievements and spiritual civilization as its fundamental goal and go all out to complete the Milan Winter Olympics participation mission.

The Chinese sports delegation for the Milan Winter Olympics consists of 286 people, including 126 athletes (58 male athletes and 68 female athletes). The average age of the athletes is about 25 years old. The oldest is Xu Xiaoming (徐晓明), a 41-year-old male curler, and the youngest is Ren Zhongshuo (任重硕), a 17-year-old male snowboarder. At this Winter Olympics, the Chinese delegation will participate in 91 events across 15 sub-categories within 7 major categories, making it the Winter Olympics with the most overseas events and the largest number of athletes in China's history.

The 126 athletes include 9 champions from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics (北京冬奥会), and 67 athletes will be stepping onto the Winter Olympics stage for the first time. Xu Mengtao (徐梦桃), Qi Guangpu (齐广璞), Cai Xuetong (蔡雪桐), and Liu Jiayu (刘佳宇) will be competing in the Winter Olympics for the fifth time. Among the participating athletes, 16 are ethnic minority athletes from the Manchu, Tibetan, Kazakh, Uyghur, Hui, Mongolian, and Korean ethnic groups. Among the 128 team staff members, 32 are foreign staff members from 21 countries, including the United States, Finland, the Netherlands, and Canada.

Wang Lei (王磊), Secretary-General of the delegation, introduced that the Milan Winter Olympics, which will be held from February 6th to 22nd local time, will have a total of 116 events. The Chinese delegation's participation rate in the events reaches 78.4%, a significant increase compared to the 52% at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, the previous overseas participation. This fully reflects the significant progress made in China's talent pool for ice and snow sports. "Currently, all teams are in good preparation and strive to show the brilliance of Chinese ice and snow to the people of the whole country during the Spring Festival," Wang Lei (王磊) said.

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Domestic "industrial gold" achieves breakthrough

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 27th (Reporter Ding Yiting (丁怡婷)) - It was learned from China National Petroleum Corporation (中国石油) that POE (polyolefin elastomer), known as "industrial gold," has achieved industrial-scale production and large-scale supply through the gas-phase method at Dushanzi Petrochemical Company (独山子石化公司) in Xinjiang (新疆). Nearly 60,000 tons were produced in 2025, which will effectively alleviate the dependence of emerging industries such as photovoltaics and new energy vehicles on imported products in China.

POE combines the processability of plastics with the high elasticity of rubber and is widely used in photovoltaic modules, lightweight automotive parts, high-end packaging, and other fields. In high-end photovoltaic modules, photovoltaic films made of POE are key packaging materials. Due to difficulties such as high production technology barriers and strict process control, China's POE has long relied on imports, and product prices have remained high.

Dushanzi Petrochemical Company (独山子石化公司) has filled the technological gap in related fields by adopting a self-developed gas-phase process. Its main product's light transmittance has reached the international advanced level, and its quality stability ranks among the top domestic POEs. The photovoltaic film made from it has excellent weather resistance, moisture barrier properties, and a long service life. Compared with the international mainstream solution method, the gas-phase method is more environmentally friendly, with energy consumption about 60% of the solution method, and no solvent emissions during the production process. The product has low volatile matter content and little odor.

As other POE projects of China National Petroleum Corporation (中国石油) are completed one after another, it is expected that the total production capacity will exceed 300,000 tons by the end of 2026, providing security for the supply chain of emerging industries such as new energy.

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Wherever the postal vehicle goes, services are available. (On the Road to Dreams)

By: 本报记者 曾亦辰

In Chenghao Town (城壕镇), Huachi County (华池县), Qingyang City (庆阳市), Gansu Province (甘肃省), at 6 a.m. on a winter morning, the cold is biting. Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) placed a green postal package weighing more than 40 kilograms into the trunk of the postal vehicle and closed the door neatly.

"It's snowing today, and the car can only drive to the mountainside at most. The rest of the road has to be walked, so we have to leave early," Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) said, starting the car. As the town's postman, Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) travels almost every day between the gullies and the undulating mountain ridges. He has been walking these familiar postal routes for more than 20 years. He knows exactly which sections of the road are difficult to travel, and which households are at home all year round in the more than 10 administrative villages and hundreds of natural villages.

The car moved slowly along the winding mountain road. Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) said that being a postman was his dream since he was a child, "Back then, the postmen rode bicycles to deliver letters, which was so dashing. I thought the green uniform was very impressive."

After starting this job, Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) slowly discovered that postmen deliver not only letters, but also the concerns between the mountains and the outside world. In the second year of his work, when sorting mail, he noticed a letter from Liaoning (辽宁). The receiving address was the old administrative division, and the recipient was only written as "Zhang Sanwa (张三娃)." According to the procedure, such a letter could be returned, but he always felt that this letter might contain the writer's deep expectations.

During that time, Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) would take out the letter and ask elderly people he met while delivering. Until one day, in a natural village deep in the Ziwu Mountains (子午岭), an old man took the envelope and looked at it for a long time, his eyes reddening: "This is my uncle's letter! We lost contact after he joined the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, and I never thought I would receive news from him again."

That day, Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) felt a great sense of accomplishment and began to understand that the postal package carried a heavy responsibility. Over the years, he has delivered more than 1 million pieces of mail. The dirt road has become an asphalt road, the bicycle has been replaced by a motorcycle and then by a car, but the dedication and responsibility have remained unchanged.

During delivery, Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) often stops at the entrance of the village or in front of the courtyard to chat for a few words after delivering the mail. He hears about who bought fertilizer at a high price and whose harvest is unstable when he delivers letters. After learning that the post office has a service for selling agricultural materials on commission, Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) took the initiative to undertake the work of selling on commission. "I don't charge freight. Anyway, the car has to run every day. It doesn't take much effort to bring more things." He built a direct supply channel to deliver reliable agricultural materials to the villagers' doorsteps, and has delivered more than 3,000 tons of agricultural materials with free shipping over the years.

The car stopped in front of villager Wang Jianguo's (王建国) house. After receiving the package, Wang Jianguo (王建国) pointed to a few bags of fertilizer that had not yet been opened next to the wall and said to Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞): "The fertilizer you recommended last year was great. The corn cobs were big and the kernels were full. When spring comes, I'll still trouble you to deliver it along the way."

It was getting late, and Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) embarked on the return journey, with walnuts entrusted by the villagers in the trunk, ready to help send them to other places. "Now rural specialties are very popular. Last year, more than 2,000 items were sent out from here every day," Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) said. "Through the hands of me and my colleagues, more agricultural products have gone out of the mountains, and everyone's lives are getting better and better."

Sending a suddenly comatose old man to the hospital, helping villagers purchase items from the county seat, and delivering rice, flour, and oil to families in need... "Zhao Yuanrui's (赵元瑞) postal vehicle can do anything!" This is the voice of many villagers in Chenghao Town (城壕镇). Over the years, Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) has been successively awarded "Good Person of Gansu (甘肃好人)" and "Good Person of China (中国好人)."

"Wherever the postal vehicle goes, things get done, it's all just along the way," Zhao Yuanrui (赵元瑞) said, hoping to promote more good things from his hometown in the future, "**只要乡亲们需要** (zhǐ yào xiāng qīn men xū yào - "as long as the villagers need," indicating a willingness to help and support the villagers whenever they require assistance)," I am willing to keep running on the rural postal roads."

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Photo Story

In 2025, the Subei Canal achieved a cargo volume of 340 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 5.2%. Among them, the container throughput reached 752,000 TEUs, hitting a record high. As an important waterway in the national inland high-grade waterway network, the shipping support role of the Subei Canal (苏北运河) in regional economic and social development has continued to consolidate. The picture shows the endless stream of ships in the Huaian (淮安) urban section of the Subei Canal (苏北运河).

Han Xin (韩鑫) and Zhu Dehui (朱德辉) photographed and reported.

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New Customs Policies Pilot Program Launched for Multimodal Transport

Beijing, January 27th (Reporter Ouyang Jie (欧阳洁)) On January 27th, the first batch of import and export goods in the country adopting the new customs supervision model of sea-rail intermodal transport and water-water intermodal transport completed customs multimodal transport supervision procedures at ports or stations in Shanghai (上海), Jiangsu (江苏), Zhejiang (浙江), Fujian (福建), and other places, realizing the two-way connection of the new sea-rail intermodal transport and water-water intermodal transport models.

The General Administration of Customs (海关总署) recently issued an announcement to launch a pilot program for the supervision model of import and export goods' sea-rail intermodal transport and water-water intermodal transport based on the original pilot program for export rail-road intermodal transport, with Shanghai Customs (上海海关), Nanjing Customs (南京海关), and other customs offices taking the lead.

According to the person in charge of the Port Supervision Department of the General Administration of Customs (海关总署口岸监管司), the customs will integrate the "single bill system" and "single container system" into the new multimodal transport supervision model, opening up logistics channels between coastal ports, border ports, and inland hinterlands, realizing the coordinated development of "port + railway + inland river," allowing inland areas to share the opening advantages of ports and ports of entry, and promoting the formation of a new pattern of coordinated opening between coastal and inland areas. Under this model, enterprises only need to transmit a multimodal transport application form to the customs through the international trade "single window" to achieve "one declaration, one bill throughout," simplifying the declaration content and supporting enterprises' flexible transshipment operations and other logistics needs. It has the characteristics of simpler declaration data, more convenient customs clearance procedures, and more flexible logistics operations.

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Guangxi FTZ Launches 40 Institutional Innovation Achievements

This newspaper's Nanning (南宁) January 27th dispatch (Reporter Zhang Yunhe (张云河)) The reporter learned from the Department of Commerce of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区商务厅): Since 2025, the China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone (中国（广西）自由贸易试验区) has carried out characteristic and differentiated explorations in areas such as cross-border (territory) mutual recognition of driver's licenses, cross-border medical cooperation, and inland automobile exports, innovatively launching 40 autonomous region-level institutional innovation achievements to enhance trade facilitation with ASEAN.

Unblocking the bottlenecks in cross-border (territory) mutual recognition mechanisms is one of the highlights of this innovation achievement. The Guangxi Free Trade Zone (广西自贸试验区) has innovatively created the China-Malaysia "License Connect" cross-border digital service, achieving a digital breakthrough in the mutual recognition of driver's licenses between the two countries, shortening the original two-week foreign driver's license certification process to 10 minutes. In terms of cross-border medical cooperation, relevant units and hospitals within the Guangxi Free Trade Zone (广西自贸试验区), together with multiple medical institutions in Cambodia, jointly released group standards for medical caregiver service operation specifications.

In order to improve the customs clearance efficiency of fresh products such as fruits, vegetables, and aquatic products from ASEAN, the Guangxi Free Trade Zone (广西自贸试验区) has established an online verification mechanism for official certificates of animal and plant products with relevant departments in Vietnam and Thailand, building an official inspection and quarantine certificate database covering major ASEAN trading partners.

The "one-fee system" reform for international ports implemented by the Guangxi Free Trade Zone (广西自贸试验区) also benefits many enterprises. In 2025, by promoting the unification of port fees and service standards between China and Vietnam and eliminating duplicate charges, the Guangxi Free Trade Zone (广西自贸试验区) reduced relevant fees for enterprises by more than 10 million yuan.

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This edition's editors: Ji Yalin, Zhai Qinqi, Xian Gan

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China's Vibrant Economy Seen Through World's Largest Postal and Delivery Network (Reading Numbers: In-depth Analysis of Annual Data)

By: 韩 鑫

Taking the "Cherry Express," a full cargo plane loaded with hundreds of tons of fresh fruit can fly from Chile to Hubei Ezhou Huahu International Airport (湖北鄂州花湖国际机场) in just 25 hours, and then quickly reach all parts of the country with the help of public, rail, and air transportation. At the beginning of this year, many netizens exclaimed: "New Year's goods have achieved Chinese speed!"

This is just one facet of the new speed of Chinese logistics. Behind the new speed is the world's largest and most beneficial postal network: In 2025, China's express delivery volume will be nearly 200 billion pieces, a year-on-year increase of 13.6%, ranking first in the world for 12 consecutive years. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the breadth and depth of postal access in rural and border areas have been significantly improved, the number of business outlets has increased by nearly 1.5 times compared with 5 years ago, and all natural villages on the national border have achieved postal access.

Small express delivery, connecting online and offline, linking production and consumption, is a "barometer" reflecting economic vitality. Exploring where this "world's largest" comes from can better understand a prosperous China.

Historically, this "world's largest" confirms the tremendous power of reform.

In 1993, the earliest batch of private express delivery companies emerged and developed steadily. In 2009, with the revision and adoption of the Postal Law, the legal status of private express delivery companies was clarified. Major express delivery companies accelerated their network expansion, seized the opportunity, and gained momentum, promoting China's express delivery volume to achieve a leap from "annual tens of billions of pieces" to "monthly tens of billions of pieces."

After more than 30 years, the volume of express delivery has continued to reach new levels. Coming all the way from reform, the constantly growing postal network has become a vivid example of a vibrant China.

Realistically, this "world's largest" reflects China's super-large market advantage.

Ordering on a mobile phone and having express delivery delivered to your door, the consumption behavior that people are accustomed to today is backed by a two-way empowerment of e-commerce and express delivery. At present, more than 80% of express delivery volume comes from e-commerce transactions; in 2025, the online retail sales of physical goods supported by express delivery will exceed 14 trillion yuan.

E-commerce and express delivery grow together, effectively stimulating the potential of the consumer market. In recent years, "e-commerce westward" is opening up the "last mile" of consumption, the free shipping area continues to expand, and the advantages of a super-large market continue to appear. Taking Xinjiang (新疆) as an example, since the launch of "free shipping" services, the average daily increase in inbound express deliveries has been nearly one million pieces, effectively supporting the rapid growth of Xinjiang's physical online retail sales.

Looking to the future, this "world's largest" is surging with new quality productive forces.

A monthly average of 10 billion pieces means processing approximately 6,000 packages per second. The smooth flow of such a huge logistics volume in the postal network relies on the strong support of advanced technology.

In smart warehouses, handling robots shuttle flexibly along the track, and flying ladder robots are busy up and down; on sorting lines, artificial intelligence vision systems accurately identify and quickly allocate; next to terminal outlets, unmanned delivery vehicles and couriers cooperate tacitly to achieve efficient delivery... New-generation information technology is exerting its power in all links of receiving, transferring, transporting, and dispatching, making the postal network denser and "running" smarter.

The vigorous growth of the postal network is also a vivid microcosm of the upgrading of national infrastructure. Looking at the land of China, the world's largest and most advanced high-speed rail network connects the north and south of the country, the world's largest highway network serves hundreds of millions of people, and the world's largest 5G network covers vast urban and rural areas... Tangible networks and intangible networks are intertwined, making the flowing China more vibrant.

The road ahead is long, stride forward. With the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation, and the in-depth advancement of the construction of a unified national market, this world's largest postal network will be more intelligent and more accessible, connecting to a broader and better vision.

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Skis and snowboards can now be shipped via express delivery, making things much more convenient.

By: 本报记者 尚嵘峥

Xinjiang Altay General Mountain International Ski Resort (新疆阿勒泰将军山国际滑雪度假区), Ms. Gu (谷女士) from Sichuan (四川), a snow sports enthusiast, arrived at the express delivery outlet at the foot of the ski resort, ready to pick up her snowboard sent from home. After verifying the information, the outlet staff took the snowboard from the shelf filled with ski equipment express packages and handed it to Ms. Gu (谷女士).

"In the past, coming to Altay (阿勒泰) to ski, transporting large luggage such as snowboards and ski boots was a considerable hassle," Ms. Gu (谷女士) said, "A complete set of ski equipment weighs as much as 10 to 20 kilograms, plus a suitcase, which is a heavy burden on the road."

"Snowboards are long and heavy, and ski boots are as heavy as iron blocks. Carrying them to the airport is already exhausting, and you have to be careful everywhere on the way, for fear of scratching others." A snow sports enthusiast from Beijing (北京) said, "If the baggage allowance on the plane is exceeded, the excess baggage fee is another expense. It wasn't until I discovered that ski equipment could also be sent by express delivery that it became much more convenient."

As of the end of 2025, Xinjiang (新疆) has more than 100 ski resorts, ranking first in the country. In the 2024-2025 snow season, Xinjiang's (新疆) S-level ski resorts received a cumulative total of 3,572,800 tourists, an increase of 10.22% year-on-year. As many tourists flock to ice and snow tourism, some pain points are gradually emerging, and the inconvenience of carrying ski equipment across provinces is one of them.

In recent years, Xinjiang (新疆) cultural tourism, postal and other departments have strengthened communication and cooperation with express delivery companies and ski resorts to promote the implementation of ski equipment delivery services, help tourists travel smoothly, and enhance the tourism experience.

"Now, before I even arrive at the ski resort, my equipment has already arrived, 'running' faster than me!" After picking up her snowboard, Ms. Gu (谷女士) immediately changed her equipment, got on the "magic carpet," and went to enjoy the joy of easy skiing.

Jikepulin International Ski Resort (吉克普林国际滑雪度假区) is located in the Altay Mountains (阿尔泰山), which is a ski resort far from Altay City (阿勒泰市). It takes more than 4 hours to drive from Altay Snow Capital Airport (阿勒泰雪都机场). The weather in the mountains changes quickly in winter, which adds considerable difficulty to driving on the road. In 2024, SF Express (顺丰) opened a business outlet here with an area of more than 100 square meters, and currently has 9 staff members stationed there, responsible for ski equipment delivery services.

"Tourists usually drive or take shuttle buses to Jikepulin International Ski Resort (吉克普林国际滑雪度假区). Before the outlet was opened, as long as there were a few more people in a car, it would be easy for the ski equipment brought by tourists to not fit. Now, before tourists come to Xinjiang (新疆), they can place an order through their mobile phones and send their ski equipment to the ski resort," said Gao Jun (高军), business manager of Altay City Branch (阿勒泰市分公司) of Xinjiang SF Express Co., Ltd. (新疆顺丰速运有限公司).

"Since officially launching the ski equipment delivery service in November 2023, we have provided customized thickened shock-proof packaging, 72-hour nationwide delivery, door-to-door pick-up and delivery, and ski resort distribution and other one-stop services for the characteristics of professional equipment such as snowboards and ski boots," said Zhang Dongyu (张冬禹), head of Altay City Branch (阿勒泰市分公司) of Xinjiang SF Express Co., Ltd. (新疆顺丰速运有限公司). He introduced that in the Altay (阿勒泰) area alone, this snow season, SF Express's (顺丰) ski equipment delivery volume is usually 600 to 700 pieces per day, and the peak during holidays can reach more than 1,000 pieces per day.

According to tourist feedback, combined with nearly two years of ski equipment delivery experience, SF Express's (顺丰) customized thickened shock-proof packaging has expanded from the initial 2 types to 6 types. "The initial packaging size was not very suitable. The snowboard would be loose after being put in. Now the packaging size has been refined to the point where the snowboard can just fit in, and then it is filled with foam cotton, pearl cotton and other materials, which can achieve a good supporting effect," said Gao Jun (高军).

During this year's New Year's Day holiday, the number of tourists received by Keketouhai International Ski Resort (可可托海国际滑雪度假区) increased significantly. "At that time, we were often busy from 10 am to the early hours of the next day, packaging the ski equipment sent by tourists," said Chang Youchen (常有臣), a courier from Debon Express (德邦快递).

"Tourists who come to ski are very tight on time. Only by delivering the ski equipment before they arrive can we ensure that they can ski as soon as possible," Chang Youchen (常有臣) introduced that since the beginning of the snow season, ski equipment has accounted for nearly 90% of the express delivery received and sent by his outlet.

The relevant负责人 of Altay Prefecture Postal Administration (阿勒泰地区邮政管理局) introduced that since the beginning of the new snow season, the postal department has continued to urge express delivery companies to optimize service processes, upgrade packaging protection, promote the opening of special lines for ski equipment delivery, and continuously improve winter tourism supporting services and enhance the tourist experience, so that "traveling light and ski equipment first" becomes a normal state.

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China's industrial economy continues to improve in quality and efficiency.

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 27th (Reporter Liu Zhiqiang (刘志强)) The National Bureau of Statistics (国家统计局) released data on the 27th showing that in 2025, the profits of national industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 0.6% compared to the previous year, reversing the downward trend of the past three consecutive years. Among them, new driving forces such as equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing played a significant supporting role, the profit structure of traditional industries continued to optimize, and the quality and efficiency of industrial economic development continued to improve.

The profits of industrial enterprises achieved growth. From the perspective of the three major categories, manufacturing increased by 5.0%, a significant rebound of 8.9 percentage points compared to 2024; the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water increased by 9.4%; and mining decreased by 26.2%. In December, the monthly profits of industrial enterprises above designated size turned from a decrease of 13.1% in November to an increase of 5.3%, a rebound of 18.4 percentage points.

Equipment manufacturing provides solid support for the upgrading of industry. In 2025, the profits of equipment manufacturing above designated size increased by 7.7% compared to the previous year, driving the profits of all industrial enterprises above designated size to increase by 2.8 percentage points, making it the sector with the strongest driving effect on the profit growth of industrial enterprises above designated size. The proportion of profits from equipment manufacturing above designated size accounted for 39.8% of the profits of all industrial enterprises, an increase of 2.6 percentage points compared to the previous year, further optimizing the profit structure of industrial enterprises. From the perspective of industries, 7 out of the 8 major categories of equipment manufacturing saw profit increases compared to the previous year.

High-tech manufacturing injects strong impetus into the high-quality development of industry. In 2025, the profits of high-tech manufacturing above designated size increased by 13.3% compared to the previous year, 12.7 percentage points higher than all industrial enterprises above designated size. Smart electronic products create new consumption trends, driving the profits of the smart consumer equipment manufacturing industry to increase by 48.0% compared to the previous year, among which the profits of smart unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturing and smart vehicle-mounted equipment manufacturing industries increased by 102.0% and 88.8% respectively.

The quality and upgrading of traditional industries continues to expand new industrial driving forces. In 2025, the development achievements of new quality productivity in traditional industries continued to manifest, with profits significantly higher than the industry average. In the chemical industry, the profits of biochemical pesticide and microbial pesticide manufacturing, and cultural information chemical manufacturing industries increased by 20.7% and 15.2% respectively compared to the previous year, 28.0 and 22.5 percentage points higher than the average level of the chemical industry; in the chemical fiber and power industries, the profits of bio-based chemical fiber manufacturing and biomass energy power generation industries increased by 88.6% and 47.9% respectively, 93.1 and 34.0 percentage points higher than the average level of their respective major categories.

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China's green loans saw rapid growth last year.

This newspaper Beijing (北京) January 27th (Reporter Wu Qiuyu (吴秋余)) The data released by the People's Bank of China (中国人民银行) shows that at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, China's (我国) outstanding domestic and foreign currency green loans amounted to 44.77 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.2%, with an annual increase of 7.72 trillion yuan.

By use, outstanding loans for green upgrading of infrastructure, green and low-carbon transformation of energy, and ecological protection, restoration and utilization were 19.94 trillion yuan, 8.48 trillion yuan, and 5.03 trillion yuan respectively, with annual increases of 3.3 trillion yuan, 817.3 billion yuan, and 646.1 billion yuan respectively. By industry, the outstanding balance of green loans in the power, heat, gas and water production and supply industries was 8.98 trillion yuan, with an annual increase of 990.9 billion yuan; the outstanding balance of green loans in the transportation, warehousing and postal industries was 8.26 trillion yuan, with an annual increase of 1.25 trillion yuan.

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Key Progress Achieved in Construction of Longest Tunnel on the Lanzhou-Hezuo Railway

Lanzhou, January 27th (Reported by Yin Yan (银燕)) After more than 1500 days of hard work, the Xigu Tunnel, a key control project of the Lanhe Railway (Lanzhou (兰州) City, Gansu Province to Hezuo (合作) City, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (甘南藏族自治州)), has achieved a major breakthrough in construction. On January 27th, the entire working face from the entrance of the Xigu Tunnel to the No. 4 inclined shaft, which was undertaken by China Railway Seventh Group (中铁七局), was opened, marking a key progress in the construction of the project.

The Xigu Tunnel is the longest Class I high-risk tunnel on the entire Lanhe Railway. The tunnel spans Lanzhou (兰州) City and Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture (临夏回族自治州), adopting a double-hole single-line tunnel design. The tunnel as a whole traverses the transition zone between the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and some sections pass under expressways. The geological conditions are complex, the safety risk of construction operations is high, and the technical difficulty is great. The opening of the No. 4 inclined shaft of the Xigu Tunnel has solved the construction problems of the Lanhe Railway and laid a solid foundation for the smooth advancement of the subsequent full-line project.

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Beijing Rocket Street's Six Commonality Platforms Officially Launched

According to a report from our newspaper in Beijing on January 27th (Reporter Wang Haonan (王昊男)), at the recent Third Beijing Commercial Aerospace Industry High-Quality Development Promotion Conference, the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area officially launched six common service platforms: the Commercial Aerospace Measurement, Control, and Operation Center, the Common Experiment Platform, the Commercial Aerospace Public Service Platform, the One-Stop Service Platform for Commercial Aerospace Components and Their Application Support, the Spatiotemporal Information Service Platform, and the Space Situational Awareness Service Cooperation Platform. This further improves the industrial leading support functions and scientific research and production service system of Beijing Rocket Street.

The Beijing Rocket Street Exhibition and Operation Control Center, as the spatial carrier of the Commercial Aerospace Measurement, Control, and Operation Center and the Commercial Aerospace Public Service Platform, will provide enterprises with satellite operation and control services and an exchange and promotion platform. The Common Experiment Platform will build more than 10 sets of large-scale experimental facilities to provide experimental services. The One-Stop Service Platform for Commercial Aerospace Components and Their Application Support will integrate component databases, digital model libraries, etc., to form a comprehensive "quality barrier" covering the entire life cycle and various management elements of components. The Spatiotemporal Information Service Platform will integrate the full spectrum of remote sensing data resources from dozens of satellites to build a resource closed loop of "data supply - industrial demand." The Space Situational Awareness Service Cooperation Platform can provide commercial aerospace enterprises with space situational awareness and traffic management services. With Beijing Rocket Street as the core, several key projects in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area are accelerating construction.

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Tiny Job's Tears, Grown into a Big Industry (High-Quality Development on the Front Line: Treasures of a Small City)

By: 本报记者 陈隽逸

"This is the Job's tears powder we produce, and sales are good." In the Yiyouge Xingren Agricultural Famous and Special Products Exhibition Hall in Xingren City, Qianxinan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province (贵州省黔西南布依族苗族自治州兴仁市), Wang Qihao (王麒皓), the person in charge of the exhibition hall, introduced the products on the shelves to the visiting merchants.

Wang Qihao (王麒皓), who has been engaged in the Job's tears industry for 14 years, said: "When I first started processing Job's tears, the profit per ton of rice was only two to three hundred yuan. Since 2020, by promoting intensive processing, the net profit per ton of Job's tears has jumped to about 20,000 yuan, which has better driven the surrounding villagers to become rich and increase their income."

Xingren City (兴仁市) is known as the "Hometown of Chinese Job's Tears". At present, the local Job's tears planting area is stable at 212,000 mu, with an annual output of about 60,000 tons, and the comprehensive annual output value has exceeded 3 billion yuan. Xingren Job's tears transaction volume has accounted for 70% of the global market share.

How can small Job's tears grow into a big industry?

Xingren (兴仁) has a long history of planting Job's tears. Located at 25 degrees north latitude, the local soil is mainly siliceous ferruginous yellow soil, rich in minerals, and the Job's tears produced have a high amylopectin content and are rich in nutrients. More importantly, it does not pick land, and can grow on the edges of fields and all over the mountains. This adaptability allows Job's tears to take root widely on hilly slopes, becoming a characteristic crop that does not compete with other staple foods for good farmland. In 2009, Xingren City (兴仁市) took active measures to gradually build the Job's tears industry into a leading industry in the agricultural field.

For a long time, the variety planted by the local people was Xingren Xiaobaike (兴仁小白壳), because of its excellent quality, especially the high content of the medicinal component glyceryl trioleate, it is favored by pharmaceutical factories. "But there is a vast market outside the pharmaceutical factory. The traditional varieties have low yields, and we need varieties with higher yields and strong disease resistance." Wang Xianggui (王显贵), director of the Job's Tears Industry Service Center of the Xingren Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (兴仁市农业农村局), introduced that through cooperation with scientific research institutions such as the Subtropical Crop Research Institute of the Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences (贵州省农科院亚热带作物研究所) and the Qianxinan Prefecture Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (黔西南州农业林业科学院), the local area has strengthened the promotion and application of new Job's tears varieties, with a maximum increase of 60 kilograms per mu.

Song Youxiang (宋友祥), a large planting household in Xiashan Town (下山镇), Xingren City (兴仁市), has been planting Job's tears with his parents since he was a child. "I went out to work in the early years, and later saw the development opportunities in my hometown, and decided to return to my hometown to plant Job's tears, and now it has gradually become a scale." Last year, Song Youxiang (宋友祥) planted more than 370 mu of Job's tears, of which more than 20 mu were planted with the new variety "Guinong Yi No. 7" (贵农薏7号). Under the guidance of agricultural technicians, each mu of land harvested more than 400 kilograms of Job's tears. This year, Song Youxiang (宋友祥) expanded the planting scale of Job's tears to 800 mu, and plans to use 500 mu to plant new varieties.

The output value of Xingren Job's tears (兴仁薏仁米) is mainly concentrated in the rough processing and intensive processing links. "A grain of Job's tears valley needs to go through more than 10 links and more than 60 processes such as color selection, polishing, and grading to become high-quality white rice." Wang Xianggui (王显贵) introduced that the waterless dry polishing technology is the most critical. Compared with the traditional water soaking method, this technology can not only remove bran, but also retain the natural fragrance and nutrients to the greatest extent, and is not easy to mold.

At present, there are 118 enterprises in Xingren (兴仁) engaged in the Job's tears industry, with an annual processing capacity of 400,000 tons. Every year, more than 200,000 tons of Job's tears from Vietnam, Laos and other places are transported here for processing and then sold to the world.

Xingren Job's tears (兴仁薏仁米) is a national geographical indication product. A large amount of foreign Job's tears are processed every year, and they are also called "Xingren Job's tears" to the outside world. What should be done? In order to maintain product quality and brand value, the local government has made it clear that only Job's tears planted within the 8 counties and cities of Qianxinan Prefecture (黔西南州) that meet the standards can use the special logo. "At present, we are establishing a traceability system to distinguish 'Xingren Job's tears' from Job's tears in other places and enhance brand value," said Wang Xianggui (王显贵).

At present, there are 44,000 farmers in Xingren (兴仁) planting Job's tears. In order to protect the income of farmers, local enterprises adopt a price guarantee acquisition model. Taking Wang Qihao's (王麒皓) company as an example, it purchases Job's tears from forty to fifty farmers every year, and prices them according to the annual market conditions and the quality of the rice, so that farmers can plant with confidence and sell with peace of mind. In addition, Xingren (兴仁) will develop 51,400 mu of Job's tears order planting in 2025, and the income of the masses in the planting link will reach 101 million yuan. Nowadays, the local government is encouraging and supporting more enterprises to expand deep-processed products and extend the industrial chain, so that the masses can obtain income from more links in the industrial chain.

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Yunnan's imports and exports to ASEAN reached 132.08 billion yuan last year

Kunming, January 27th (People's Daily reporter Ye Chuanzeng (叶传增)) – According to Kunming Customs (昆明海关), Yunnan's (云南) imports and exports to ASEAN in 2025 reached 132.08 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.8%, reaching a record high.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Yunnan's (云南) imports and exports reached 1.39 trillion yuan, an increase of 40.8% compared to the "13th Five-Year Plan" period. Currently, Yunnan (云南) trades with 193 countries and regions, with imports and exports to 146 of them achieving growth.

In 2025, Yunnan's (云南) imports and exports of goods reached 273.74 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.2%, 6.4 percentage points faster than the national overall growth rate. Among them, imports and exports to countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" reached 235.86 billion yuan, an increase of 16.1%; imports and exports to the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa increased by 3.7%, 51.1%, and 75.6% respectively, accounting for 33.4% of Yunnan's (云南) total imports and exports. In 2025, Yunnan's (云南) agricultural product exports reached 19.79 billion yuan, accounting for 21% of total exports, ranking first in the central and western regions in terms of export scale. Among them, the export scale of fresh-cut flowers and coffee ranked first in the country, and the export scale of vegetables and fruits ranked among the top in the country. Exports of "new three" products such as photovoltaic products and lithium batteries reached 3.35 billion yuan, an increase of 1.4 times.

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This edition's editors: Lü Zhongzheng, Wu Kai, Huang Jinyu

Layout Design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)

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Promote the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas and continuously achieve substantial progress and periodic results (In-depth study and implementation of Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

By: 叶兴庆

Agricultural and rural modernization is related to the overall situation and quality of Chinese-style modernization. Doing a good job in "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" (三农) is essential to consolidate the foundation of Chinese-style modernization. Xi Jinping (习近平), General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, recently made important instructions on doing a good job in "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers," pointing out that "2026 is the beginning year of the 'Fifteenth Five-Year Plan,' and doing a good job in 'agriculture, rural areas, and farmers' is extremely important," requiring to "anchor agricultural and rural modernization, steadily promote the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside, and promote the integrated development of urban and rural areas." The Central Rural Work Conference held at the end of last year analyzed the situation and challenges facing "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" work, and deployed the "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" work for 2026, providing us with scientific guidance for doing a good job in "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers." The "Suggestions" of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposed "adhering to solving the 'agriculture, rural areas, and farmers' problem as the top priority of the Party's work" and made important deployments on "accelerating agricultural and rural modernization and steadily promoting the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside." To implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) as the core, it is necessary to steadily promote the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside and better promote the construction of Chinese-style modernization by accelerating agricultural and rural modernization.

Under the guidance of the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics, the achievements in poverty alleviation have been continuously consolidated, laying a solid foundation for promoting the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside.

Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Based on our national conditions and grasping the laws of poverty reduction, we have introduced a series of extraordinary policies and measures, constructed a complete set of effective policy systems, work systems, and institutional systems, embarked on a poverty reduction path with Chinese characteristics, and formed an anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics." As an important part of Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics is the theoretical crystallization of China's poverty alleviation and enriches and develops Marxist anti-poverty theory. Continuously consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty alleviation and resolutely guarding the bottom line of preventing large-scale return to poverty are the inherent requirements of the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics and also the bottom-line task of promoting the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside.

The Party Central Committee has established a 5-year transition period, maintaining the overall stability of assistance policies. On the basis of adhering to the strategy of targeted poverty alleviation, it requires supporting and assisting poverty-stricken areas and populations, ensuring that responsibility, policies, assistance, and supervision are not removed after poverty alleviation. Since the transition period, more than 7 million monitored individuals across the country have been identified and assisted to steadily eliminate the risk of returning to poverty, and the scale of employment of the labor force that has been lifted out of poverty has been maintained at more than 30 million people every year, making the foundation of poverty alleviation more solid and the results more sustainable. This great achievement fully proves the scientific nature of the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics, indicating that poverty can not only be overcome, but also be blocked and prevented from recurring under the premise of establishing a reliable and effective follow-up assistance mechanism; it fully demonstrates the world significance of the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics, contributing Chinese wisdom to the global poverty reduction cause and injecting strong ideological power into the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda; it further enriches and develops the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics, continuously enriching the framework of the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics, continuously optimizing methods and paths, and revealing that through full-chain follow-up assistance, it is possible to promote poverty-stricken areas from "passive blood transfusion" to "active blood creation" on the basis of effectively blocking poverty regeneration, and move towards the ultimate realization of common prosperity.

Many aspects of the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics are also applicable to promoting the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside. For example, in terms of value orientation, the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics adheres to the people's position, puts the people's interests first, and respects the people's principal position and pioneering spirit. To promote the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside in the new era and on the new journey, only by always adhering to the principle of putting the people first, conforming to the aspirations of hundreds of millions of farmers for a better life, gathering resources and forces from all aspects, and accelerating the efforts to make up for the shortcomings in modern living conditions in rural areas and accelerate the pace of rural development can we realize, safeguard, and develop the fundamental interests of the broad masses of farmers. For another example, in terms of concepts and strategies, the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics creatively proposed and implemented the strategy of targeted poverty alleviation, promoting poverty alleviation and development into a new stage of "drip irrigation," enhancing the target relevance of poverty alleviation and improving the overall effectiveness of poverty alleviation. To promote the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside in the new era and on the new journey, it is beneficial to ensure that large-scale return to poverty does not occur by running the precise thinking, precise methods, and precise measures throughout the entire process, unifying norms, accurately identifying, and dynamically adjusting. For yet another example, in terms of methods and approaches, the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics adheres to the policy of development-oriented poverty alleviation, improving development conditions, and enhancing development capabilities. To promote the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside in the new era and on the new journey, strengthening the endogenous development momentum of poverty-stricken areas and populations with more powerful and effective development-oriented assistance, cultivating and strengthening rural characteristic industries, and accelerating the construction of a modern agricultural industrial system will further promote the stable income increase of farmers.

The Central Rural Work Conference held at the end of last year proposed: "Promote new progress in the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside and bring agricultural and rural modernization to a new level." The "Comprehensive Rural Revitalization Plan (2024-2027)" proposed in the overall requirements section that, with ensuring national food security and ensuring that the rural population does not experience large-scale return to poverty as the bottom line, consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty alleviation, and focusing on improving the level of rural industrial development, improving the level of rural construction, and improving the level of rural governance, strengthening the dual-wheel drive of science and technology and reform, strengthening measures to increase farmers' income, further demonstrating the spirit of unity and struggle of the Chinese Communists. On the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, continuing to use the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics to guide the narrowing of the gap between urban and rural areas, and making efforts in "two guarantees," "three improvements," and "two strengthenings" can promote more obvious substantive progress in the common prosperity of all the people and promote new and greater achievements in building a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Do a good job in "two guarantees" and guard the bottom line of promoting the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside.

Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "The rice bowl of the Chinese people must be firmly held in their own hands at all times" and "We must continue to consolidate and expand the achievements in poverty alleviation, incorporate regular assistance into the overall implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, and firmly guard the bottom line of preventing large-scale return to poverty." Ensuring national food security and preventing large-scale return to poverty are the two bottom lines for promoting the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside. To promote the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside, we must first guard the bottom line, and the basic situation cannot go wrong.

Ensure national food security. Food security is a "major issue of the country" (国之大者). China has a population of more than 1.4 billion, and food security must be guaranteed by ourselves. In recent years, China has had bumper harvests year after year, injecting a strong stability into promoting high-quality economic and social development. In the long run, with the development of China's economy and society and the improvement of people's living standards, the demand for the quality of staple foods such as rice and wheat will become higher and higher, and the demand for products such as meat, eggs, milk, fruits, vegetables, and fish will also gradually expand. Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "We must grasp grain production without relaxation, promote the integrated efficiency of good fields, good seeds, good machines, and good methods, and improve the comprehensive production capacity and quality benefits of agriculture." To this end, it is necessary to exert efforts on both the supply and demand sides, focusing on stabilizing acreage, increasing yield per unit area, and optimizing structure on the supply side, grasping the two key points of arable land and seeds, and mobilizing the two initiatives of farmers and local governments; focusing on reducing substitution, diverting consumption, and stopping waste on the demand side, and alleviating the pressure on total food demand. Specifically, it is necessary to improve the "three-in-one" protection system of the quantity, quality, and ecology of arable land, reform and improve the arable land occupation-compensation balance system, support the construction of high-standard farmland and water conservancy infrastructure, and implement the arable land and permanent basic farmland protection tasks clarified in the new round of territorial spatial planning; accelerate the implementation of the seed industry revitalization action, coordinate the establishment of a horizontal inter-provincial interest compensation mechanism for grain production and sales areas, improve the agricultural socialization service system, improve the income guarantee mechanism for grain farmers, and ensure the stable supply of grain and important agricultural products; practice the concept of large agriculture and large food, improve feed formulas and feeding techniques, and expand food sources in all directions and through multiple channels; strengthen the popularization of healthy diet knowledge, advocate saving food, and oppose food waste.

Ensure that large-scale return to poverty does not occur. The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period is a new stage of transition from the end of the transition period to regular assistance. In the foreseeable future, some farmers will still encounter difficulties such as diseases, accidents, and disasters. Improving the regular assistance policy system is the only way to guard the bottom line of preventing large-scale return to poverty. To this end, it is necessary to adhere to the principle of establishing before abolishing, being stable and orderly, maintaining the overall stability of the existing assistance policy system and work system and appropriately optimizing and adjusting them according to the actual economic and social development, and at the same time, determine the identification standards for monitoring objects to prevent return to poverty according to local conditions, and coordinate the establishment of a regular mechanism to prevent return to poverty. Specifically, it is necessary to further improve the effectiveness of monitoring and assistance to prevent return to poverty, use new technologies to weave a dense monitoring network, conduct comprehensive research and judgment on the original registered poor population, and achieve early detection, early intervention, and early assistance; carry out multi-channel, multi-level, and multi-form vocational skills training and entrepreneurship training to promote the stable employment of the population lifted out of poverty and enhance the competitiveness of the population lifted out of poverty in the job market; support the development of characteristic industries, concentrate efforts to amplify the characteristic advantages of the county, and promote high-quality development of the county economy and comprehensive revitalization of the countryside.

Coordinate "three improvements" to accelerate the construction of a livable, workable, and beautiful countryside.

Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "We must improve the level of rural industrial development, the level of rural construction, and the level of rural governance, strengthen measures to increase farmers' income, and promote the continuous achievement of substantive progress and phased results in the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside" and "We must learn and apply the experience of the 'Thousand Villages Demonstration, Ten Thousand Villages Renovation' Project (千万工程), promote the construction of a livable, workable, and beautiful countryside according to local conditions, and improve the level of rural governance and the construction of civilized rural customs." It is necessary to recognize that the level of rural industrial development, the level of rural construction, and the level of rural governance are interrelated, mutually supportive, and mutually reinforcing. We must firmly grasp the methodology of adapting to local conditions, plan as a whole, promote in an integrated manner, and take multiple measures to promote farmers' employment and income increase, and accelerate the construction of a livable, workable, and beautiful countryside.

Improve the level of rural industrial development. Developing rural industries is an important channel for increasing farmers' income. Adapting to the consumption needs of urban and rural residents, conforming to the laws of industrial development, and based on local characteristic resources, promoting the development and growth of rural industries can consolidate and expand the results of farmers' income increase and promote the stable growth of farmers' total income. The Central Rural Work Conference held at the end of last year proposed: "Cultivate and strengthen county-level industries that enrich the people, expand the channels and methods for farmers to participate in industrial development, and improve the mechanism for linking farmers and benefiting farmers." To this end, we must focus on the two links of selecting and using well, both accurately grasping market demand and local resources, promoting the vigorous development of advantageous industries, and based on extending the chain to increase value and division of labor and cooperation, optimizing the layout of rural industries. Specifically, major agricultural product production areas can focus on building agriculture into a modern large industry, promoting the coordinated development of agricultural product production and primary processing, and intensive processing; areas rich in characteristic resources should give play to comparative advantages, identify functional positioning, and clarify development directions, taking a characteristic development path, and especially pay attention to developing multiple functions of agriculture and exploring the multiple values of the countryside; moderately expand the market capacity of rural leisure tourism, homestays, and other industries, and prevent rushing into action. At the same time, promote the deep integration of rural primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, continuously extend the industrial chain, increase added value, create an industrial chain system with distinct regional characteristics and rich business types, focus on improving the market competitiveness of industries, and expand the development space of rural industries.

Improve the level of rural construction. To comprehensively build a modern socialist country, it is necessary to build not only prosperous cities, but also prosperous rural areas. Organizing and implementing rural construction actions with the goal of "rural areas basically possessing modern living conditions," promoting the continuous improvement of the completeness of rural infrastructure, the convenience of public services, and the comfort of the living environment will promote the continuous achievement of new progress in rural construction and enable farmers to live a modern and civilized life locally. In recent years, with the in-depth implementation of rural construction actions, rural infrastructure and basic public services have been improved, and the appearance of rural areas has been renewed. The Central Rural Work Conference held at the end of last year proposed "improving the implementation mechanism of rural construction according to local conditions, coordinating and optimizing the layout of rural territorial space, accelerating the efforts to make up for the shortcomings in modern living conditions in rural areas, and creating high-quality living space in rural areas," etc. It should be seen that the concentration of the rural population in towns and cities is a general trend. We must adapt to the trend of changes in the urban and rural population and promote the optimization of the layout of rural infrastructure and public services; at the same time, improve the efficiency of fund use, promote the balanced allocation of public resources and the free flow of production factors between urban and rural areas, make up for the shortcomings in rural infrastructure, and enhance the vitality of rural development. Rural infrastructure construction is built for farmers. We must strengthen organization and implementation, give play to the planning, coordination, and promotion role of the government and rural grassroots organizations, and at the same time pay attention to giving play to the principal role of farmers and listen to farmers' opinions.

Improve the level of rural governance. Rural governance is an important part of national governance. Taking guaranteeing and improving rural people's livelihood as the priority direction, focusing on enabling farmers to obtain better organizational leadership, social services, and democratic participation, improving the rural governance system led by Party organizations and improving the level of rural governance is a necessary requirement for promoting the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside, consolidating the Party's ruling foundation in rural areas, and meeting the needs of the people for a better life. The Central Rural Work Conference held at the end of last year proposed "doing a good job in the election of rural grassroots organizations, improving the effectiveness of Party building leading rural governance" and "deeply implementing the construction project of civilized rural customs and continuously promoting the transformation of customs and habits in rural areas," etc. To this end, under the leadership of rural grassroots Party organizations, we must adapt to the new changes in the reduction of the rural resident population and the deepening of the degree of aging, as well as ideological concepts, adhere to and develop the "Fengqiao Experience" (枫桥经验) of the new era, and continuously improve governance concepts and innovate governance methods. Accelerate the construction of a modern rural governance system, strengthen the leading core role of grassroots Party organizations, adhere to the combination of self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue, and give play to the complementary roles of self-governance strengthening the foundation, rule of law guaranteeing, and rule of virtue educating. At the same time, pay attention to using nostalgia, local feelings, and local accents to enhance the sense of identity and cohesion of villages, vigorously promote the revitalization of rural culture, promote the transformation of customs and habits, promote the normalization of the fight against organized crime and evil, and create a positive and healthy social ecology.

Promote "two strengthenings" to increase momentum and vitality for the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside.

Strengthening the dual-wheel drive of science and technology and reform and strengthening measures to increase farmers' income can increase momentum and vitality for agricultural and rural modernization, and it is also a necessary requirement for improving farmers' sense of gain and happiness. To do a good job in "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" work, we must obtain the source of strength from scientific and technological and institutional innovation, and demonstrate the original aspiration and mission in the improvement of farmers' income and living standards.

Strengthen the dual-wheel drive of science and technology and reform. Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "To build a strong agricultural country, the sharp weapon is science and technology, and the key depends on reform." The Central Rural Work Conference held at the end of last year proposed "strengthening the tackling of key core technologies in agriculture and the efficient transformation and application of scientific and technological achievements, developing new quality productive forces in agriculture according to local conditions" and "further deepening rural reform, fully carrying out the pilot project of extending land contracts for another thirty years after the expiration of the second round of land contracts in the whole province, regulating and orderly doing a good job in revitalizing and utilizing various rural resources, innovating the investment and financing mechanism for rural revitalization, and continuously adding momentum and vitality to rural development," etc. To this end, we must focus on the fields of chassis technology, core seed sources, and key agricultural machinery and equipment, optimize the strategic layout of agricultural science and technology innovation, improve the efficiency of innovation resource allocation and the overall effectiveness of the innovation system; reform the evaluation methods of scientific research achievements, improve the incentive mechanism for scientific researchers, stimulate the innovation potential of agricultural scientists; give play to the innovation subject role of enterprises, and make efforts to integrate and improve the efficiency of good fields, good seeds, good machines, and good methods, so that various technologies can be put to use as soon as possible and transformed into real productive forces. At the same time, adhere to the problem orientation, and strive to create an environment conducive to the growth of high-quality farmers through various ways such as promoting the flow and convergence of resource factors, and encourage various talents to go to the countryside to serve and start businesses and employment. Taking the proper handling of the relationship between farmers and land as the main line, deepen major reforms such as the "separation of three rights" of rural contracted land, the collective property rights system, and the homestead system, and consolidate the foundation for the development of modern agriculture. Improve the diversified investment mechanism for rural revitalization, standardize the use of policy tools such as special local government bonds and government investment funds, and encourage social capital to invest in agriculture and rural areas.
Strengthen measures to increase farmers' income. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "An important measure of the effectiveness of rural work is to see whether farmers' wallets are bulging." Adhering to increasing farmers' income as the central task of "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" and making every effort to broaden the channels for increasing farmers' income is conducive to promoting common prosperity for farmers and rural areas. The Central Rural Work Conference held at the end of last year proposed: "We must make every effort to promote the stable increase of farmers' income and improve the income guarantee mechanism for grain farmers." To this end, on the one hand, we must focus on efficiency and improve the income-increasing ability of different types of farmers. For farmers whose main source of income is agriculture, support them to gradually expand the scale of agricultural operations and improve labor productivity, so that they can share more of the added value of the industry; for farmers whose main source of income is non-agricultural industries, support them to obtain higher wage income by improving their professional skills. At the same time, vigorously develop the county economy and promote farmers' employment locally and nearby. Orderly promote the reform of rural collective commercial construction land entering the market, and encourage the revitalization and utilization of rural resources and assets through leasing, cooperative development, and shareholding operations to increase farmers' property income. On the other hand, we must focus on fairness, so that farmers can benefit from redistribution in a larger proportion. Improve the effectiveness of policies to strengthen agriculture, benefit agriculture, and enrich agriculture, optimize the agricultural subsidy policy system, improve the minimum purchase price policy for grain, and fully stimulate the vitality of agricultural and rural development.

(The author is a researcher at the Rural Economy Research Department of the Development Research Center of the State Council (国务院发展研究中心).)

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Official Document Writing Must Be "Heartfelt" (Ideological Perspectives)

By: 姜 浩

Recently, many regions have focused on carrying out special rectification of the problem of plagiarism in official documents, so that phenomena such as "material relocation," "data patchwork," and "old drafts refurbished" have nowhere to hide. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "We must extend from solving the 'Four Winds' problem, and strive to improve ideological style, work style, leadership style, and the lifestyle of cadres, and strive to improve academic style, writing style, and meeting style." Official documents directly reflect writing style and work style, and embody the image of the Party and the government. The writing of official documents must be "heartfelt" and cannot tolerate any perfunctory attitude.

Our Party has always attached importance to the issue of writing style, and regards improving writing style as an important part of Party building. Comrade Mao Zedong (毛泽东) pointed out in "Rectifying the Party's Style of Work": "Academic style and writing style are also the Party's style of work, and are all part of the Party's style." Comrade Deng Xiaoping (邓小平) always emphasized pragmatism, vigorously advocated and took the lead in practicing holding short meetings, speaking briefly, telling the truth, and speaking new words. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has attached great importance to the issue of writing style, emphasizing "We must focus on solving the problem of unrealistic work, and educate and guide Party members and cadres to improve academic style, writing style, meeting style, and improve work style."

"Official document plagiarism" manifests as a problem of writing style that involves copying and being the same, reflecting a problem of work style. Those who engage in "official document plagiarism" are mostly "scissors hands" who are good at piecing things together. The official documents they put together by imitating blindly have form and body but no soul. At first glance, the writing is smooth and the antithesis is neat, but upon closer inspection, the content is empty and meaningless, and some even involve 张冠李戴 (zhāng guān lǐ dài - "Zhang's hat on Li's head," to misattribute; to put something on the wrong person or thing) and forced application. Such perfunctory official documents are "not heartfelt" and even "unreliable." They have neither the guiding nature to solve problems nor the feasibility to promote implementation. Referring to such official documents to carry out work and implement policies will only lead to mistakes and bad things.

Official documents are an important carrier and tool for promoting the implementation of policies and work deployments, and provide a policy basis for analyzing problems, grasping the situation, and guiding practice. Different regions, different times, and different levels face different problems, and the manifestations of the problems are diverse. This determines that the content of official documents must not be the same. Official documents that are only pieced together by cutting and copying may be able to deceive superiors and fool subordinates in a short period of time, but what cannot be concealed or covered up are the actual existing problem bottlenecks and risk challenges. If the spirit of the superiors is not fully understood, and the actual situation of the region and department is not known, the official documents written will naturally lack problem targeting and practical guidance. Writing, printing, and circulating such "empty" official documents will only waste administrative resources, and it is better not to issue them than to issue them.

Official document plagiarism is not only a problem at the textual level, but it also damages the image of the Party and the government, and delays opportunities for reform and development. Some official document plagiarism stems from mediocre and lazy governance. Individual Party members and cadres do not seek thorough understanding of the spirit of their superiors, and generalize the actual situation of the region, only thinking about simply coping with the task; some stem from insufficient ability. Individual Party members and cadres' understanding of the spirit of their superiors is superficial and formalistic, and their understanding and grasp of the actual situation of the region is not deep or thorough. When they start writing, their minds are empty and they feel flustered, worrying that speaking too much will be out of line, and speaking off will be wrong, so they think it is safer to speak and copy as is. In addition, some official document plagiarism problems stem from excessive retention of traces and layer-by-layer escalation. Individual localities and departments issue documents for everything, big and small, and things that can be explained in one document must be issued multiple times, which makes grassroots cadres exhausted and have no choice but to mechanically copy.

To rectify the problem of official document plagiarism, we must treat both the symptoms and the root causes. We must not only remove the weeds of patterned and "Shanzhai version" bad writing styles, but also eradicate the bad work styles of formalism and bureaucracy. On the one hand, we must educate and guide Party members and cadres to deeply understand that official documents should have clear pertinence, guidance, and rigor, and cannot tolerate any content adulteration, quality fraud, or floating writing style. On the other hand, we must effectively improve the political judgment, political understanding, and political execution of Party members and cadres. When learning and understanding the decision-making and deployment of superiors, we must put in enough effort to refine, internalize, and transform them, and combine them with the actual situation of the region to have a clear understanding and adapt to local conditions. Before writing, we must first think clearly about who the official document is written for, who it is written for, what policies need to be implemented, and what problems need to be solved, to ensure that it is meaningful and accurate. In addition, we must also make efforts to reduce the burden on the grassroots, improve the quality of documents by strictly controlling the number of documents, actively create a clean and upright, pragmatic and efficient working atmosphere, and give full play to the actual effectiveness of official documents.

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Promoting the High-Quality Development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (In-Depth Thinking)

By: 田雪梅 於玉丹

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Vigorously promote the construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region, promote the development and opening up of areas along the route, and deeply integrate into the joint construction of the 'Belt and Road Initiative'." "All relevant parties should work together to build and operate this landmark project well, and drive the high-level opening up of the western and inland regions." The "Suggestions" of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China regard accelerating the construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region as an important task for the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road Initiative." Currently, facing drastic fluctuations in the external economic and trade environment and increased security risks in industrial and supply chains, the strategic value of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region in enhancing regional economic vitality and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation with neighboring countries is even more prominent. We must thoroughly study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech and the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, promote the construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region from incremental expansion to a stage of high-quality development that emphasizes quality, consolidate the foundation with superior conditions, improve efficiency with refined management, drive change with digitalization, and release potential by promoting coordination, and build the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region into a modern international logistics and trade corridor to help accelerate the formation of a new pattern of high-level opening up to the outside world.

Optimize basic conditions and consolidate the foundation for development. A scientific transportation layout, strong policy promotion, and a stable institutional environment are the basic conditions for the smooth operation of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region. This is not only the foundation for ensuring the carrying capacity and operational reliability of the corridor, but also the prerequisite for enhancing the resilience of the corridor and winning market trust. To promote the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region into a reliable logistics network on the "Belt and Road Initiative" with solid infrastructure, stable operating expectations, and mutual recognition of rules and standards, it is necessary to further optimize and upgrade relevant basic conditions. It is necessary to improve the intermodal transport network system, focus on promoting the capacity expansion of bottleneck sections and the reinforcement of key hubs, improve the efficiency of "rail, road, water, and air" connection and transshipment, and optimize the organizational quality and efficiency of multimodal transport. Coordinate the layout of transportation hubs, collection and distribution systems, and supporting parks, strengthen port functions, improve overseas warehousing and logistics networks, and enhance the corridor's cross-border performance capabilities and service stability. Improve the coordination and guarantee mechanism, rely on high-level cross-regional and cross-departmental overall planning and a normalized consultation mechanism, promote the timely implementation of key projects and cooperation matters through list-based clarification of responsibilities, project-based promotion, and time node assessment, strengthen the stability and continuity of financial security and policy supply, and enhance the confidence of domestic and foreign business entities in long-term participation in the construction and operation of the corridor.

Strengthen refined management and improve service efficiency. Refined operation and management are the inherent requirements for the high-quality development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region. The so-called refinement is to focus on the refined management and service innovation of the entire process and all elements of corridor operation, ensure timely, reliable, cost-controllable, and high-quality service standards, and promote the transformation and upgrading of the corridor from "physical connectivity" to "optimal efficiency." Thoroughly implement the "Overall Plan for the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the Western Region" regarding promoting customs clearance facilitation, improving the efficiency and quality of multimodal transport, and actively developing characteristic logistics, promote refined operation and management, and take the integration of single document circulation as a starting point to achieve "one-time submission, departmental sharing, and full-process traceability." Deepen joint cross-departmental inspection and information mutual recognition, optimize inspection processes and the connection of station operations, reduce duplicate declarations and ineffective waiting, and improve port customs clearance efficiency. Coordinate the layout of overseas warehouses and the destination port distribution system, strengthen customs clearance, warehousing and distribution coordination, and end-to-end performance capabilities in destination countries, and create standardized overseas service products. Cultivate key business entities such as multimodal transport operators, supply chain integrated service providers, and cross-border e-commerce logistics companies, and consolidate talent incubation and organizational capabilities that match refined operation.

Build digital logistics and drive intelligent upgrades. Through the integrated circulation of data elements and the deepened application of intelligent technologies, it is possible to break the information silos of traditional logistics, achieve full-process visibility and intelligent scheduling, which is conducive to improving the organizational efficiency and operational stability of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region, and creating a new paradigm of smart corridors. For example, the Qinzhou Port (钦州港) terminal and railway freight yard in Guangxi (广西) were once separated by fences. With the advancement of the integrated reform of railway-sea intermodal transport, the local customs, railway, and port established a joint dispatch center for the integration of railway-sea intermodal transport, which promptly exchanged railway yard storage data and train departure data to improve service efficiency. In the future, data basic rules can be improved in terms of data caliber, coding and exchange protocols in key links, and interface of port and platform systems, and data security control and compliant sharing processes for cross-provincial and cross-border scenarios can be constructed to achieve full-link data interconnection. Improve operational quality, promote standardization of core links, realize full-process electronization, automation and traceable management, and improve digital operation capabilities. Improve intelligent scheduling, risk early warning and abnormal handling mechanisms, strengthen cross-border data governance, and release the value of data elements under the premise of security and compliance, empowering new scenarios and models such as digital logistics and digital services.

Promote multi-party coordination and release development momentum. Transforming the logistics advantages of the corridor into the development increment of industries, trade and people's livelihood along the route is related to the cooperation prospects of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region. This requires strengthening the mutual coordination of different business entities in related industries along the corridor, establishing a virtuous cycle mechanism of logistics first, trade follow-up, industrial collaboration, and joint construction along the route, so that the "logistics channel" moves towards the "economic corridor," and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in the western region becomes an important carrier for realizing infrastructure "hard connectivity," rules and standards "soft connectivity," and people's "heart connectivity" along the route. It is necessary to systematically promote the coupling layout of the industrial chain and corridor nodes around the advantageous industries and foreign trade clusters along the corridor, and improve the integrated efficiency of trunk transportation and node services. Strengthen distribution warehousing and processing services to promote the nearby sedimentation of cargo flow value. Deepen regional development coordination and linkage, promote policy coordination for cross-regional and cross-basin corridor construction and operation, and improve the effectiveness of overall planning and implementation. In addition, it is also necessary to further expand pragmatic cooperation with countries jointly building the "Belt and Road Initiative," promote the deepening of cooperation from channel connectivity to production and trade linkage, and jointly cultivate higher-level cooperation forms such as cross-border supply chains.

(Author's affiliation: School of Marxism, Southwest Jiaotong University (西南交通大学))

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Solidly Promote High-Efficiency Governance and Promote the Virtuous Cycle of High-Quality Development and High-Level Security

By: 刘 宁

In May 2025, during his inspection in Henan Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) requested Henan to "strive to write a new chapter of Chinese-style modernization in the Central Plains with high-quality development and highly efficient governance," and systematically elaborated on and provided precise guidance on strengthening social governance in a down-to-earth manner, emphasizing the need to focus on strengthening the grassroots, consolidating the foundation, and strengthening the fundamentals. We have deeply studied and implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech during his inspection in Henan, adhered to promoting the benign interaction between high-quality development and high-level security with highly efficient governance, and strived to write a new chapter of Chinese-style modernization in the Central Plains.

Deepen ideological understanding and accurately grasp the rich connotation and great significance of highly efficient governance.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has made a series of important expositions on highly efficient governance. In May 2020, when participating in the deliberation of the Inner Mongolia delegation to the Third Session of the 13th National People's Congress, he creatively proposed the major proposition of "highly efficient governance," emphasizing the need to "deploy major plans, major reforms, and major policies that are leading to high-quality development and highly efficient governance in a targeted manner, and seize the initiative in responding to crises and fight well in the initiative of development." In April 2025, when presiding over a symposium on economic and social development in some provinces and cities during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, he emphasized "promoting the benign interaction between high-quality development and high-level security with highly efficient governance." Highly efficient governance is an important symbol of the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities. Among them, the leadership of the Party is the fundamental guarantee, and it is necessary to strengthen the Party's comprehensive leadership throughout the entire process and all aspects of governance, and constantly enhance the Party's political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social appeal; putting the people first is the fundamental position, and it is necessary to take serving the masses and benefiting the masses as the starting point and foothold, and improve the working mechanism for uniting and serving the masses; joint construction, joint governance, and shared benefits are inherent requirements, and it is necessary to improve the system and mechanism, promote the benign interaction between government governance and social regulation and residents' self-governance, and build a social governance community where everyone is responsible, everyone fulfills their responsibilities, and everyone enjoys the benefits; the concept of system is an important method, and it is necessary to adhere to systematic governance, governance according to law, comprehensive governance, and source governance, promote the integration of self-governance, moral governance, rule of law, and intelligent governance, and enhance the systematicness, integrity, and coordination of governance.

To promote Chinese-style modernization, high-quality development is the primary task, high-level security is an important guarantee, and highly efficient governance is the key to coordinating development and security. From the perspective of high-quality development, whether it is fully stimulating the vitality of various business entities or promoting the efficient allocation of various factors and resources, whether it is accelerating high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement and developing new quality productive forces, or building a strong domestic market and accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, it is necessary to coordinate the relationship between an effective market and a promising government, and continuously improve the effectiveness of economic governance. From the perspective of high-level security, at present and for a period of time to come, China's economic and social development is in a period of deep transformation, and changes in the external environment, social structure, and social psychology have brought new challenges to governance in many fields. Some areas have many risk contact points, low ignition points, high correlation, and rapid transmission, especially the Internet is increasingly becoming the source, transmitter, and amplifier of various risks, and it is urgent to improve governance effectiveness with advanced concepts, advanced technologies, and advanced methods to better maintain political security, social stability, and people's tranquility.

Focus on strengthening the grassroots, consolidating the foundation, and strengthening the fundamentals, and deeply promote Party building to lead highly efficient governance at the grassroots level.

**欲筑室者，先治其基** (yù zhù shì zhě, xiān zhì qí jī - "If you want to build a house, first lay its foundation," meaning that a solid foundation is essential for success). The grassroots level is the foundation of the Party's governance and the source of its strength, and grassroots governance is the "last mile" to achieve highly efficient governance. We have deeply studied and implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech during his inspection in Henan, placed the promotion of Party building to lead highly efficient governance at the grassroots level in a prominent position, established a leading group for Party building to lead highly efficient governance at the grassroots level of the Provincial Party Committee, formulated implementation opinions and a list of work tasks, and held a provincial work conference on Party building to lead highly efficient governance at the grassroots level, a leading group meeting, and two on-site meetings to deploy and promote the work. The Ministry of Social Work of the Central Committee held a promotion meeting on deepening Party building to lead the work of responding to demands and solving problems in Zhengzhou (郑州) and organized the participating representatives to conduct on-site inspections, constantly deepening the application of the "Party building + grid + big data" governance model, carrying out 16 special action offensives, focusing on strengthening the construction of grassroots Party organizations, grassroots governance teams, grassroots governance mechanisms, grassroots governance grids, and grassroots governance platforms, and improving the socialization, legalization, intelligentization, and professionalization of grassroots governance. Last year, the number of production safety accidents and the number of deaths in the province decreased by 18% and 18.7% respectively, the number of public security and criminal cases filed decreased by 13% and 18.1% respectively, and the number of letters and visits registered by the State Bureau of Letters and Visits in Henan decreased by 9.6%.

Grasp the fundamental role of Party building leadership. Improve the coordination mechanism of Party building leading grassroots governance, formulate and issue the "Henan Province Social Governance Regulations" (《河南省社会治理条例》), and accelerate the formation of a work pattern in which all levels and all aspects work together to manage. Grasp the two "basic disks" of grassroots Party organizations in rural areas and street communities, select and equip a team of Party branch secretaries, and resolutely replace those who are not politically strong, not capable, and not recognized by the masses. Last year, more than 1,600 village Party branch secretaries were removed and replaced; 2,856 weak and lax village Party organizations were rectified with "one village, one policy," and 33,000 first secretaries and work team members were newly dispatched to villages, and 5,100 village-level coordinators for rural revitalization were recruited; and 5,272 property service enterprises and 10,300 professional property service communities were promoted to achieve Party organization coverage and work coverage. Promote the work of village (community) "two committees" election in a high-standard and high-quality manner, focus on the goal of "four goods," make careful arrangements and deployments, tighten the chain of responsibility, and do all the work in a solid and in place manner. Carry out a concentrated offensive on "two coverages" in emerging fields, and the Party organization coverage rate of "three have" non-public enterprises and provincial-level social organizations in the province has been significantly improved. Improve the mechanism for Party members to play their roles on and off the job, online and offline, and in normal and emergency situations, carry out activities such as deepening "I do practical things for the masses," and promote practices such as Party member points management and community registration of employed Party members to guide Party members to be pioneers in promoting highly efficient governance.

Strengthen the support of grid construction. Optimize the setting of rural grids, community grids, exclusive grids, and micro-grids, and achieve "one grid for multiple uses" in 339,000 grids in the province. Systematically integrate grassroots governance resources, promote the downward shift of the center of gravity, the downward sinking of forces, and the downward release of resources of line departments, and guide more than 3.4 million community volunteers to go deep into the grids to serve the masses. Improve the working mechanism of grid visits and inspections, source discovery, triage and transfer, coordinated disposal, result feedback, and effect evaluation to ensure that public opinion is grasped in the grid, contradictions are resolved in the grid, hidden dangers are investigated in the grid, problems are solved in the grid, and services are carried out in the grid. Focus on key areas such as production safety and stability maintenance through letters and visits to enhance the grid's monitoring and early warning, rapid disposal, and effective response capabilities. Establish a list of grid matters and a list of grid member responsibilities by category to prevent turning "grasping the grassroots" into "overwhelming the grassroots."

Make good use of the means of digital intelligence empowerment. Focus on building an integrated information system and comprehensive intelligent platform that connects up and down, horizontally connects, and combines strips and blocks to promote "good governance" with "digital governance." Enhance the connectivity of information data, complete the connection of provincial and municipal government big data, government services, and "Internet + supervision" platforms, establish a government data sharing and exchange platform system that runs through the national, provincial, and municipal levels, and promote cross-level, cross-regional, cross-system, and cross-departmental data sharing and business collaboration. Enhance the convenience of government services, improve the province's integrated government service platform, promote the transformation of "efficiently handling one thing" from "can be handled" to "easy to handle and easy to handle," and cumulatively launch 45 "one thing," with a comprehensive reduction rate of 81.5% in handling links and time. Enhance the effectiveness of demand response, improve the "one number" and "one-line response" mechanism of the 12345 government service convenience hotline, extend the tentacles of online and offline governance services, and form a closed loop of work with rapid response, efficient handling, timely feedback, post-event evaluation, and proactive governance. The province's hotline receives more than 30,000 cases per day, with a service satisfaction rate of more than 90%.

Deeply implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party and promote highly efficient governance to continuously go deeper and more solid.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal reviewed and approved by the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party takes the in-depth promotion of the modernization of the national governance system and governance capabilities and the further consolidation of the national security barrier as the main goals of economic and social development in the next five years, and puts forward a series of major measures to improve the level of governance in various fields, which has pointed out the direction for promoting highly efficient governance. Henan will deeply study and implement the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party and General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech during his inspection in Henan, adhere to scientific governance, governance according to law, collaborative governance, and digital intelligent governance, accelerate the construction of a complete, scientific, standardized, and effective system, coordinate the promotion of governance in various fields such as economy, politics, culture, society, and ecology, and promote the modernization of the governance system and governance capabilities to provide a strong guarantee for promoting high-quality development and achieving high-level security.

Create a convenient and efficient business environment. Adhere to the direction of marketization, legalization, and internationalization, deeply implement the action to optimize and improve the business environment, continue to promote reforms in optimizing enterprise-related services, improving investment efficiency, eliminating market barriers, and reducing institutional costs, and strive to make Henan a magnet for factor agglomeration, a highland for investment and business, and a hotbed for innovation and creation. Optimize government services, accelerate the construction of a digital government, improve the normalized promotion mechanism of "efficiently handling one thing," deeply promote government services "one network for all matters," "one network for all management," and "one network for all sharing," and achieve "unfeeling" approval and efficient handling. Continue to build a clean and pro-business relationship, improve the normalized communication and exchange mechanism and problem-solving mechanism, and improve the enterprise demand rights protection mechanism, the enterprise-related dispute linkage resolution mechanism, and the long-term supervision mechanism for enterprise-related fees.

Create a fair and just legal environment. Deeply implement Xi Jinping's (习近平) thought on the rule of law, promote the construction of a rule of law Henan, a rule of law government, and a rule of law society in an integrated manner, pay more attention to the coordination of the rule of law with reform, development, and stability, and pay more attention to ensuring and promoting social fairness and justice. Strengthen legislation in key areas and emerging areas, and strengthen the implementation, supplementation, and exploratory functions of local legislation. Deepen the reform of the administrative law enforcement system, strictly implement the administrative law enforcement responsibility system and accountability system, and promote the substantive resolution of administrative disputes. Implement and improve the judicial responsibility system, strengthen the construction of the enforcement linkage mechanism, and effectively solve the "difficulty in enforcement." Strengthen legal publicity and education, and promote the formation of a good atmosphere of handling affairs according to law, seeking law in case of trouble, solving problems by law, and resolving contradictions by law.

Create an honest and trustworthy credit environment. Accelerate the construction of the credit system, strengthen the governance of outstanding credit problems in key areas, and improve and implement the joint incentive mechanism for keeping promises and the joint punishment mechanism for breaking promises. Improve the institutional system for building an honest government, improve the accountability mechanism for government dishonesty, strengthen the inspection and audit supervision of government contract performance, and increase efforts to solve the problem of arrears in enterprise payments. Deepen the construction of enterprise integrity, guide enterprises to strengthen their awareness of the rule of law, contract spirit, and concept of abiding by contracts, and investigate and deal with malicious arrears of payments and wages in accordance with laws and regulations. Deepen the construction of social integrity, promote the culture of integrity, and create a good atmosphere of honoring those who keep their promises, shaming those who break their promises, and worrying those who have no credibility.

Create a clear and healthy network environment. Enhance the governance capacity of the cultural field under informatization conditions, unswervingly use Xi Jinping's (习近平) new era of socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics to unite people's hearts and minds, strictly implement the responsibility system for ideological work, and improve the long-term mechanism for network ecological governance. Improve the overall pattern of network governance, strengthen the political responsibility and leadership responsibility of network management and governance, and crack down on network chaos in accordance with the law. Adhere to shaping the network space with positive voices, mainstream values, and the new atmosphere of the times, deepen the online publicity of the Party's innovative theories, promote the digital intelligence empowerment and informatization transformation of cultural construction, and prosper the new mass literature and art under the conditions of the Internet.

Create a stable and orderly social environment. Improve the social governance system and mechanism under the leadership of the Party, and systematically build a social governance pattern with Party leadership, government responsibility, social collaboration, public participation, rule of law guarantee, and technological support. Improve the working mechanism for uniting and serving the masses, and improve the coordination mechanism for the interests of the masses. Adhere to and develop the "Fengqiao Experience" (枫桥经验) in the new era, strengthen the territorial management, source prevention, and diversified resolution of contradictions and disputes, and promote the legalization of letters and visits. Improve the public safety system, deepen the fundamental offensive on production safety, promote the transformation of the public safety governance model to pre-event prevention, and improve the ability to prevent and reduce disasters and provide security for the disposal of major emergencies. Deepen the overall prevention and control system and capacity building of social security, severely crack down on all kinds of illegal and criminal activities, and promote the normalization of the fight against organized crime and evil. Make good use of national policies to effectively prevent and resolve risks and hidden dangers in areas such as local government debt, small and medium-sized financial institutions, and real estate.

Create a harmonious and symbiotic ecological environment. Deeply practice the concept that green waters and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains, and take carbon peaking and carbon neutrality as the traction to coordinate the promotion of carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth. Adhere to accurate, scientific, and law-based pollution control, pay attention to source governance, highlight both short-term and long-term solutions, and fight a good battle to defend the blue sky, clear waters, and pure land with firm determination, iron fists, and strong measures to promote the overall improvement, accelerated improvement, and continuous improvement of ecological environment quality. Coordinate the promotion of "five water co-governance," strengthen the ecological protection and governance of key river basins, and build an ecological environment governance system that connects the upper and lower reaches. Accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation, continuously optimize the industrial structure, energy structure, and transportation structure, promote green and low-carbon lifestyles, and enhance the momentum of green development.

(The author is the Secretary of the Henan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China)

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Starting with addressing tourists' need to "take a good photo" (On-the-ground observation)

By: 周 欢

Listening more to the voices of the people, asking about their feelings, observing the situation on the ground, and considering the real conflicts are all necessary to ensure that measures are in sync with needs.

On a winter night, the Bayi Square (八一广场) in Nanchang (南昌), Jiangxi Province (江西省), is brightly lit, with many tourists taking photos to commemorate their visit. Bearing the city's red memory and landmark significance, Bayi Square is a "must-choose" destination for tourists visiting Nanchang, with a daily flow of nearly 100,000 people, of which over 70% of tourists will specifically look for the "best photo spot" in the square to capture the unique memory of their trip.

The "best photo spot" in everyone's mouth is located between Exits 2 and 3 of the Bayi Square Station (八一广场站) of Nanchang Metro (南昌地铁). Standing here, you can use the square's greenery and streetlights as the foreground to capture the full view of the Jiangxi Provincial Art Museum (江西省美术馆). However, for some time, this area has often been occupied by some commercial photographers, and the tripods, fill lights, and other photographic equipment they set up have taken up a lot of space, often causing conflicts due to competition for positions. "Commercial photographers occupy the 'C position' for a long time, and ordinary tourists can't find a good position at all," "Some tourists change clothes, touch up makeup, and pick photos, and don't leave for half a day"... On the Internet, there are quite a few such opinions.

After learning about the situation, the Nanchang Municipal Bureau of Urban Management and Comprehensive Law Enforcement (南昌市城市管理和综合执法局) immediately organized a special team to conduct on-site research and consultation, and came up with a solution and implemented it as quickly as possible—delineating a temporary control area 10 meters long and 4 meters wide, enclosing it with isolation barriers, and defining it as a "tourist-exclusive photography area"; tourists enter in batches in queues, 20 people per batch, and a countdown display screen is set up, limiting the photography time to 5 minutes; commercial photographers wait aside, and tourists purchase photography services as needed.

"It's really easy to take good photos here! Without people squeezing around, you can change angles and directions to take pictures. The staff also gave us tips on how to take better photos, which is so considerate!" Ms. Liu (刘女士), a tourist from Wuhan (武汉), Hubei Province (湖北省), and her friend just came out of the "tourist-exclusive photography area" and immediately flipped through their phone albums, very satisfied with the photos they took.

Online topics such as "Nanchang Bayi Square has set up a tourist-exclusive check-in area" and "Nanchang culture and tourism gets high scores" continue to rise in popularity, and in the comment section, messages such as "details show sincerity" and "this is really convenient for the people" are flooding the screen. Nanchang's convenient services for tourists are not limited to this—taking tourists' needs as the guide, the Tengwang Pavilion Scenic Area (滕王阁景区) has added free storage lockers, and the Wanshou Palace Historical and Cultural Block (万寿宫历史文化街区) has set up convenient drinking water stations...

Starting from solving the needs of tourists to "take a good photo," benefiting the people does not necessarily require doing big things or pursuing scale, but rather lies in "precision." Doing things at the pain points and difficulties is the real way to do good things and produce practical results. In serving the people, cadres should break away from the thinking of "taking on everything" and "emphasizing scale and neglecting effectiveness," and accurately understand the needs of the people. Listening more to the voices of the people, asking about their feelings, observing the situation on the ground, and considering the real conflicts are all necessary to ensure that measures are in sync with needs. In this way, even the smallest practical things can demonstrate the warmth of people's livelihood.

(The author is a reporter from the Jiangxi Branch of this newspaper)

Column submission email: rmrbbzzb@peopledaily.cn

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Market Supervision Departments Investigate and Handle 1,169 Illegal Cases Related to Power Banks

Beijing, January 27th (Reported by Lin Lili) On January 27th, a reporter learned from the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局)'s press conference on the ten major cases of the 2025 comprehensive rectification of "involution-style" competition that, in response to the frequent occurrence of safety incidents involving power banks, which threatened the lives and property of the people and social public safety, the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局), under the strong guidance of the Safety Committee of the State Council (国务院安委办), deployed and carried out a centralized rectification action on the quality and safety of power banks. Market supervision departments across the country investigated and dealt with 1,169 cases of illegal activities related to power banks, firmly guarding the bottom line of product quality and safety.

Among them, the problems of Shenzhen Romoss Technology Co., Ltd. (深圳罗马仕科技有限公司) violating mandatory certification regulations and false advertising were relatively prominent. Shenzhen Romoss Technology Co., Ltd. (深圳罗马仕科技有限公司) independently entrusted the production and sale of power bank products without obtaining the mandatory certification certificates for the relevant models of power banks. At the same time, knowing that the capacity of some power bank cells had decayed and the actual battery capacity had not reached 10,000 mAh, it still falsely marked the capacity in a prominent position on the product. The local market supervision department imposed administrative penalties on the company in accordance with the law, which strongly warned and deterred relevant business entities in the industry, and also demonstrated the clear attitude and firm determination of the market supervision department to comprehensively manage "involution-style" competition and maintain a good market competition order. At the meeting, other major cases of the 2025 comprehensive rectification of "involution-style" competition were also released.

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Express delivery to the island becomes more convenient.

The sea area of Ningde City (宁德市), Fujian Province (福建省) is vast, with islands of all sizes scattered like stars. In recent years, the city has integrated transportation, logistics and other resources to launch maritime "passenger, cargo, and postal integration routes," promoting the construction of an island passenger, cargo, and postal circulation system that is "covering villages, connecting households, efficient transportation, and cost-effective." This not only brings convenience to the people but also provides a guarantee for industrial revitalization.

The photo shows a passenger, cargo, and postal integration liner preparing to dock at the Xiyang Island (西洋岛) wharf in Haidao Township (海岛乡), Xiapu County (霞浦县), Ningde City (宁德市) on January 26.

Xinhua News Agency (新华社) reporter Lin Shanchuan (林善传) photographed.

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Shanghai Public Security Bureau Entry-Exit Administration Department Launches 7 Convenient Measures

This newspaper reported from Shanghai on January 27th (Reporter Ju Yunpeng (巨云鹏)) Recently, the Shanghai Public Security Entry-Exit Administration Department, focusing on the needs of enterprises and the public, has introduced seven innovative service measures to benefit businesses and the public. These include expanding the scope of talent endorsement applications for travel to and from Hong Kong and Macao, expanding the scope of "city-wide handling" of services, opening special evening sessions for Chinese citizens to apply for documents, opening a "fully online" 12367 service hotline, facilitating invitations for visitors by foreign staff in Shanghai, opening port visa windows in the Oriental Hub International Business Cooperation Zone, and launching a Yangtze River Delta foreign national port visa transfer service.

In 2025, the Shanghai Public Security Entry-Exit Administration Department handled more than 5.3 million certificates for Chinese citizens entering and exiting the country, fully meeting the needs of citizens and enterprise employees for document processing. It also processed 7,139,000 temporary accommodation registrations for foreigners, an increase of 49.6% year-on-year, with the number of foreigners arriving in Shanghai reaching a record high. At the same time, the number of visas and certificates issued to foreigners exceeded 200,000 for the second consecutive year, with the proportion of long-term certificates such as residence permits increasing by 10 percentage points, indicating a continuous increase in the willingness of foreigners to stay in Shanghai for long-term development and a sustained enhancement of the city's international attractiveness.

Since the National Immigration Administration launched the new version of the "Five-Star Card" for foreigners' permanent residence ID cards on December 1, 2023, Shanghai has cumulatively processed over 10,000 "Five-Star Cards." Shanghai has deepened and expanded the integration of cultural and tourism application scenarios such as sports events and concert ticket purchases, as well as daily life application scenarios such as dog registration, driving school registration, and traffic regulation exams, further realizing 64 convenient applications of permanent residence permits in key areas of people's livelihood, attracting more qualified foreign talents to apply.

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Strive to transform public calls into high-quality proposals

By: 本报记者 施 芳

"This time I focused on the professional development of workers in new forms of employment. Last time I answered the hotline, some employees raised similar issues." On January 25, Zhao Jiangang (赵建刚), member of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and vice chairman of the Donghu Street Federation of Trade Unions in Chaoyang District (朝阳区东湖街道总工会), said at a group meeting of the Fourth Session of the 14th Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC (北京市政协十四届四次会议).

Answering the 12351 employee service hotline and collecting demands and suggestions has become a "mandatory procedure" for members of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC from the trade union sector before attending the meeting. The members fully deliberate and conduct in-depth research on the reflected problems, transforming the urgent needs and expectations of the masses into high-quality proposals, building a closed loop of "listening to demands—research and sorting—proposal transformation—consultative promotion."

Before the opening of the Fourth Session of the 14th Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC, more than 10 members of the trade union sector of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC came to the 12351 hotline hall of the Beijing Municipal Federation of Trade Unions (北京市总工会) , wearing headsets and listening attentively to incoming calls, carefully recording problems. "Answering the hotline allows us to directly listen to the voices of employees, so as to better perform our duties," said Song Wei (宋玮), member of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC, director of the Market Access Platform of Bayer Healthcare Co., Ltd. (拜耳医药保健有限公司), and chairman of the trade union, with deep feelings. This year is the eighth time he has answered the hotline. Previously, his proposals on labor protection for different types of work and dynamic adjustment of medical insurance drug catalogs came from problems reflected in the hotline.

"Over the past 20 years, members of the trade union sector have answered the phone 5,057 times, and the demands cover various issues closely related to the interests of employees, such as wages, medical care, and labor protection," said Zhao Lijun (赵丽君), member of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC and first-level inspector of the Beijing Municipal Federation of Trade Unions.

In 2026, the members brought hot topics such as improving the salary incentive system for skilled personnel, strengthening traffic safety supervision in the express delivery and food delivery industries, strengthening health management for workers in new forms of employment, and strengthening employee fertility security, which were collected through hotlines and other channels, to the meeting for discussion, and submitted them to relevant departments at the Beijing municipal level in the form of sector proposals or member proposals to jointly promote the solution of the urgent needs and expectations of employees.

"The Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC trade union sector answers service hotlines and carries out the 'Bringing the Voices of Employees to the Two Sessions' activity, which reflects the members' sense of responsibility and their feelings for the people. We will continue to improve relevant systems and mechanisms, and strive to transform the reasonable demands of employees into high-quality proposals, and help introduce more policies that benefit the people," said the relevant person in charge of the Social and Legal Affairs Committee of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPPCC (北京市政协社会和法制委员会).

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Editors of this page: Ji Jianming, Zhao Xiaoxi, Li Peiyang

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Visiting Northwestern United University: Recalling the Glorious Years (School History)

By: 本报记者 张 铁 张丹华

Walking into the Northwest University (西北大学) History Museum, the school motto "Public, Honest, Diligent, Simple" (公诚勤朴) inherited from the Northwest Associated University (西北联合大学) comes into view. "United brilliance and combined glory, culture opens up Qin and Long..." (联辉合耀，文化开秦陇……) On the side wall, the Northwest Associated University (西北联合大学) school song written by Li Jinxi (黎锦熙) and Xu Shouchang (许寿裳) is inscribed. One in the north and one in the south, it echoes the Southwest Associated University (西南联合大学) school song written by Luo Yong (罗庸) and Feng Youlan (冯友兰), witnessing the uninterrupted singing during the Anti-Japanese War.

After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the main body of the successor schools of the Northwest Associated University (西北联合大学) continued to take root in the Northwest, laying the foundation for the higher education system of literature, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and normal education in the Northwest region. In 2020, the State Council (国务院) announced the third batch of national-level memorial facilities and sites of the Anti-Japanese War, and the former site of the National Northwest Associated University (国立西北联合大学) was among them.

Coming east due to national crisis and staying west for national prosperity. Recently, reporters walked into the history museums of Northwest University (西北大学), Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学), and the Medical College of Xi'an Jiaotong University (西安交通大学医学院), recalling this glorious period.

Establishing Schools Through Relocation

Thousands of miles of migration, saving the country through education

After the Lugouqiao Incident (卢沟桥事变) broke out in 1937, Peiping (北平) and Tianjin (天津) fell one after another. In September, Peking University (北平大学), Peking Normal University (北平师范大学), Beiyang Institute of Technology (北洋工学院) and other institutions merged and moved west to form Xi'an Temporary University (西安临时大学). The following year, they moved to Hanzhong (汉中), Shaanxi (陕西) and were renamed Northwest Associated University (西北联合大学). "The Northwest Associated University's (西北联合大学) parallel sequence of schools and its roots in the Northwest, echoing the Southwest Associated University (西南联合大学) in the north and south, jointly ensured that the flame of education would not be extinguished and the cultural heritage would continue," said Yao Yuan (姚远), Secretary-General of the Northwest Associated University Alliance (西北联大联盟) and Dean of the Northwest Associated University and University Culture Research Institute of Northwest University (西北大学西北联大与大学文化研究院).

In 2007, Yao Yuan (姚远) attended an academic conference related to the Southwest Associated University (西南联合大学) in Kunming (昆明), Yunnan (云南), and was inspired, developing a strong interest in the history of the Northwest Associated University (西北联合大学). Afterwards, he immersed himself in archives, searched for alumni, and sorted out the historical context, hoping to compile a panoramic view of the history of the Northwest Associated University (西北联合大学).

As the affiliated unit of the Secretariat of the Northwest Associated University Alliance (西北联大联盟秘书处), Northwest University (西北大学) has successively launched monographs such as "National School Relocation: A General History of the Northwest Associated University" (《国黉播迁：西北联大通史》), "Western Sequence String Song: A Brief History of the Northwest Associated University" (《西序弦歌：西北联大简史》), "Integrating East and West: Educational Thought of the Northwest Associated University" (《融汇西东：西北联大教育思想》), and "Selected Archival Materials of the National Northwest Associated University" (《国立西北联合大学档案史料选编》) in recent years.

After more than ten years of research, the patriotic feelings of teachers and students often move Yao Yuan (姚远). "Professor Wang Kunren (汪堃仁) had the longest application process for a teacher," Yao Yuan (姚远) said. When he received the appointment from Xi'an Temporary University (西安临时大学), Wang Kunren (汪堃仁) was still at Peking Union Medical College (北平协和医学院). He then took his wife and children, spent 4 months, traveled more than 10,000 miles, and crossed layers of blockades to finally arrive in Hanzhong (汉中), Shaanxi (陕西). As a pioneer of histochemistry and cell biology in China, Wang Kunren (汪堃仁) later became an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院院士).

Among the several major migrations, the longest distance was traveled by Beiyang Institute of Technology (北洋工学院), a total of more than 5,400 kilometers. The largest migration was the entire school of Xi'an Temporary University (西安临时大学), with more than 1,400 teachers and students, a thousand-mile migration that lasted more than a month. "Before they set off from Xi'an (西安) to cross the Qinling Mountains (秦岭) to Hanzhong (汉中), they purchased 317 bags of guokui (锅盔) weighing 8,676 jin (市斤), and more than 3,000 jin (市斤) of pickled vegetables," Yao Yuan (姚远) said. "They measured the country with their feet and interpreted the original intention of 'saving the country through education' with their perseverance."

The Northwest Associated University (西北联大) and its five successor schools, since establishing themselves in the Northwest from 1937 to 1949, had a total of 505 professors and more than 1,500 faculty members, and cultivated 9,257 students, writing a colorful chapter in the history of Chinese higher education.

Serving the Country Through Learning

Studying hard in difficult environments

Gulu Dam (古路坝), a small village in Chenggu County (城固县), Hanzhong City (汉中市), Shaanxi Province (陕西省), was a "university town" during the Anti-Japanese War. In front of the former site of the National Northwest Institute of Technology (国立西北工学院), a monument stands quietly.

After the Northwest Associated University (西北联大) arrived in Hanzhong (汉中), it established 6 teaching locations, and Gulu Dam (古路坝) was one of them. During the Anti-Japanese War, there was a saying about the relocated universities: "Three Dams" - Chengdu Huaxi Dam (成都华西坝), Chongqing Shapingba (重庆沙坪坝), and Hanzhong Gulu Dam (汉中古路坝). Soon after, the Northwest Associated University (西北联大) was successively divided into National Northwest University (国立西北大学), National Northwest Institute of Technology (国立西北工学院), National Northwest Agricultural College (国立西北农学院), National Northwest Medical College (国立西北医学院), and National Northwest Normal College (国立西北师范学院). The five schools were separated and cooperated in running schools.

In the history museum of Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学), an exhibition board tells the story of Shi Changxu (师昌绪), a famous materials scientist and winner of the National Top Science and Technology Award (国家最高科学技术奖). After entering the National Northwest Institute of Technology (国立西北工学院) in 1941, "I lived in the same dormitory with Gao Jingde (高景德), who had served as the president of Tsinghua University (清华大学). Gao Jingde (高景德) went to the classroom to read and study every day after dinner, and did not return to the dormitory until midnight. I got up at two or three o'clock and studied in the classroom until breakfast. Although the two lived in the same room, they did not see each other for several weeks."

Surrounded by mountains, Gulu Dam (古路坝) still has its beautiful scenery, and students often come here to trace their roots. "Since entering school, the story of 'Gulu Dam Lights' (古路坝灯火) has been lingering in my ears. Standing in front of the rugged mountain paths and mottled ruins, I truly realized how the predecessors found such a temporary peaceful place to study in a difficult environment," said Cui Wenrui (崔文瑞), a student from the School of Automation at Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学). "In a trance, I seemed to see the oil lamps and candles in the classroom, and the figures of the predecessors studying hard and working all night."

Under difficult conditions, the National Northwest Institute of Technology (国立西北工学院) insisted on high-quality education and implemented a management system of "strict entry, strict management, and strict exit." The elimination rate from the first grade to the second grade of students reached 15%. In the 8 years of Gulu Dam (古路坝), the school trained more than 1,400 graduates, including many top scientific and technological talents, including more than 10 academicians: Ye Peida (叶培大), the pioneer of microwave communication and optical fiber communication in China, Wu Ziliang (吴自良), the winner of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite Achievement Medal" (两弹一星功勋奖章), and Zhang Peilin (张沛霖), the main founder of China's nuclear fuel industry...

In order to pass on the red spirit, Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学) filmed the school history movie "Gulu Dam Lights" (《古路坝灯火》); the drama "Looking for Shi Changxu" (《寻找师昌绪》), based on the prototype of Academician Shi Changxu (师昌绪), was selected into the "Spine of the Republic - Publicity Project of Science Masters and Famous Schools" of the China Association for Science and Technology (中国科协); the "Beacon Fire Memory - Northwest Polytechnical University Anti-Japanese War History Theme Exhibition" is currently on display on campus.

In 2022, on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the founding of Northwest University (西北大学), the university organized teachers and students to "retrace the road of southward migration," re-erected the monument "Record of the National Northwest University's Residence in Chenggu" (《国立西北大学侨寓城固记》) at the old site of running the school in Chenggu (城固), and established cultural landscapes such as the National Northwest Associated University (国立西北联合大学) screen wall on campus. Through these methods, the understanding and recognition of the Northwest Associated University (西北联大) by teachers and students are enhanced, the culture is continued, and the fire is passed on.

"The Oral History of the Northwest Associated University: Personal Experiences" (《西北联大亲历者口述史》), compiled by Wu Xiaodong (伍小东), Associate Professor of the School of Marxism at Northwest University (西北大学马克思主义学院), is about to be completed. The book selects 47 campus stories, "to help more people feel the perseverance and faith in the difficult years with a visible and tangible sense of intimacy," Wu Xiaodong (伍小东) said.

Building the Northwest

Continuing the fire of education and serving local development

In the Medical Department of Xi'an Jiaotong University (西安交通大学医学部), on the ground of the Anti-Japanese War Relocation Memorial Square, a school history map interwoven with time and space is clearly drawn: in 1937, some teachers and students of the Medical College of Peking University (北平大学医学院) moved west to create the Medical College of Northwest Associated University (西北联大医学院), which went through changes such as National Northwest Medical College (国立西北医学院) and Xi'an Medical University (西安医科大学), and finally merged into Xi'an Jiaotong University (西安交通大学).

"This team preserved the fire of higher medical education in China and laid the foundation for higher medical education and medical science in the Northwest," said Chen Chen (陈晨), Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Medical Department of Xi'an Jiaotong University (西安交通大学医学部党委副书记).

Huo Bingwei (霍炳蔚), a graduate in 1939, Li Baolin (李宝麟), a graduate in 1951, Wei Linyan (魏林岩), a graduate in 2017... On the graduation certificates, young faces span time and space and gather on a wall in the history museum of the Medical Department of Xi'an Jiaotong University (西安交通大学医学部校史馆). "Since the first batch of medical students graduated in 1939, the school has trained more than 100,000 medical professionals for the country. Northwest medical education has formed a multi-professional and multi-level coordinated development talent training system," Chen Chen (陈晨) said.

Like the National Northwest Medical College (国立西北医学院), after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the other 4 successor schools of the Northwest Associated University (西北联大) also continued to "take root in the Northwest and build the Northwest" (扎根西北、建设西北), and their main bodies respectively developed into today's Northwest University (西北大学), Northwestern Polytechnical University (西北工业大学), Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University (西北农林科技大学), and Northwest Normal University (西北师范大学).

The Northwest Associated University (西北联大) and its successor schools have made remarkable achievements in higher education. Huang Wenbi (黄文弼) spent many years in archaeological fieldwork in the Northwest, and his four Xinjiang (新疆) expeditions totaled 38,000 kilometers; Zhang Bosheng (张伯声) founded the theory of wavy mosaic structure of the earth's crust; Wu Ziliang (吴自良) led the team to develop key components for uranium production; Zhao Hongzhang (赵洪璋) took root in Northwest Agricultural College (Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University) (西北农学院（现西北农林科技大学）), promoted wheat breeding, and cultivated "Bima No. 1" (碧蚂1号)...

"Taking root in the Northwest and building the Northwest is the greatest commonality of the Northwest Associated University (西北联大) and its successor schools," Yao Yuan (姚远) said.

Today, a copper bell used by the Gulu Dam (古路坝) teaching site is quietly displayed in the history museum of Northwest University (西北大学校史馆). Tourists often stop here, as if hearing the echo of the Northwest Associated University's (西北联大) anti-Japanese war and serving the country, which lasts for a long time.

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Guarding the "Poetic Wheat Fields," Embracing the Everyday (Running for Dreams)

By: 本报记者 黄 娴

"Chopsticks turn tofu, scorched marks spread, like unspoken words growing spots..." Recently, a short video account named "Zhu Xinyan (祝薪雁)" has become popular online. The pictures have no filters, the copywriting is simple, and netizens affectionately call her "Poetic Niangniang (诗意孃孃)."

Who is "Zhu Xinyan (祝薪雁)"? In a hair care shop in Kaili City (凯里市), Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州), Guizhou Province (贵州省), a Niangniang (孃孃) wearing a bright green coat replied with a smile: "I am just an ordinary person, casually recording some daily life." When asked about her real name, she quickly waved her hand: "Don't mention it, don't mention it, just live my own simple life."

"Zhu Xinyan (祝薪雁)" is the online name she gave herself—it has the meaning of "passing on the family tradition" and the hope of "spreading wings and flying high." On her video account homepage, there is a line: "Having lived half my life, now I most look forward to two things: one is to cherish those who treat me sincerely and make the days full of stability; the other is to hug the little girl who was once flustered and not well taken care of, and make up for her a belated tenderness."

Talking about the words that became popular online, "Zhu Xinyan (祝薪雁)" was a little embarrassed, "Everyone can write, it's just that they are usually busy and don't have time to pay attention." Her initial creative inspiration is hidden in the firewood, rice, oil, and salt of the first half of her life.

Born in the depths of the Miao Mountains (苗岭) in Guizhou (贵州), "Zhu Xinyan (祝薪雁)" had 6 children in her family, and she was the fifth. "When there was a shortage of food, my mother always filled our bowls first." She recalled her childhood life, "Clothes, schoolbags, and shoes started with the eldest sister, and when it was my turn, the buttons were all gone."

The year she graduated from high school, she eagerly walked out of the mountains and headed to Guangdong (广东). "I worked in shoe factories and ceramic factories. My first month's salary was 230 yuan, I kept 30 yuan, and sent all 200 yuan home." Taking out a yellowed old photo taken in front of a shopping mall in Guangzhou (广州) from the drawer, "Zhu Xinyan (祝薪雁)" still remembers, "The shopping mall was too big, I walked around but didn't buy anything."

After returning to her hometown, "Zhu Xinyan (祝薪雁)" relied on the skills she learned outside to open a small shop and gained some old customers. "These years, the business has been stable, and the children have gone out to college." She said, "The days are becoming more and more stable and down-to-earth." With space in her life, she suddenly wanted to pick up a pen and write her own story.

Late at night, she put on her glasses, picked up a pen, and wrote neat handwriting like she did when she was a child: her childhood was left in the article "Memories of Qian Mountain (黔山的回忆)," and the story of going south to make a living and meeting love became "Xin Memories of Going South (南行馨忆)..." Her son, who came home on vacation, became her first reader in the online world. With her son's help, "Zhu Xinyan's (祝薪雁)" short video creation became more and more handy.

Following netizens' suggestions, she also changed to a mobile phone with higher pixels. While going out to buy groceries, she carefully savored the everyday life of the streets and alleys. Sour soup fish in the kitchen, sanitation workers cleaning the streets, and big geese going to the market with their owners... what she saw, thought, and felt were all sources of inspiration for her creation.

On the evening after finishing work, she wrote: "The sickle shines with warm light, it only hopes that the wheat waves will be golden before it is harvested, and never lets sorrow delay the season. ...Busy growing, busy creating, the future will have sweeter harvests." The words that flew out of the mountains with the video attracted netizens to leave comments: "Niangniang's (孃孃) words are like a warm stove in winter," "It turns out that ordinary days can be so beautiful." Regular customers also exclaimed: "Sister Zhu (祝姐) not only has good skills, but also writes the days so poetically!"

Not missing the season, not rushing or slowing down, her story is ushering in a golden harvest on her own "poetic wheat field." Today, "Zhu Xinyan (祝薪雁)" has more than 560,000 fans, and the content released by the account has received tens of millions of likes.

On an ordinary winter night, "Zhu Xinyan (祝薪雁)" shared her heartfelt words with netizens: "In the future, I will still guard my little life, buy groceries in the morning, write under the lamp, live up to every kindness, and live up to every one of you who is willing to read my words."

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China's First Interstellar Navigation Academy Established

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 27th (Reporter Huang Chao (黄超)) The unveiling ceremony of the Interstellar Navigation Academy of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院大学) was held on the morning of the 27th at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) and the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" Memorial Hall (两弹一星纪念馆), marking the official establishment of China's (中国) first Interstellar Navigation Academy. Zhu Junqiang (朱俊强), Academician and Director of the Bureau of Strategic High-Tech Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院战略高技术研究局), serves as the Dean of the Interstellar Navigation Academy.

The next 10 to 20 years will be a critical window for the 跨越式发展 (kuà yuè shì fā zhǎn - "leapfrog development," rapid and significant advancement) of China's (中国) interstellar navigation field. Original innovative basic research and technological breakthroughs will reshape the landscape of deep space exploration and profoundly affect national competitiveness. The Interstellar Navigation Academy of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院大学) will build a curriculum system covering 14 first-level disciplines/professional categories, including aerospace science and technology, and planetary science. Based on 97 existing courses, 22 new core courses will be added, covering cutting-edge directions such as interstellar dynamics and propulsion principles, interstellar navigation environment perception and utilization, planetary dynamics and habitability, and interstellar sociology and governance, to achieve deep integration of science, technology, and application.

More than 60 years ago, at the suggestion of scientists such as Qian Xuesen (钱学森), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) held an interstellar navigation symposium and established the Interstellar Navigation Committee, laying the foundation for China's (中国) space exploration. Wang Chi (王赤), Academician and Director of the National Space Science Center (国家空间科学中心) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院), said that the interstellar navigation project is an upgrade of the talent cultivation undertaking of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院大学) based on the new era, and also a continuation of the interstellar dreams and national sentiments of the older generation of scientists.

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Chongqing Federation of Trade Unions: Digital Empowerment of Cultural and Sports Activities, Ingenuity in Writing a New Chapter of Service

In recent years, the Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会) has taken digital reform as its engine and serving the needs of employees' better lives as its guide. It has systematically planned and innovatively promoted the high-quality development of employee cultural and sports activities, constructing a new pattern of employee cultural and sports services that is "integrated online and offline, widely and diversely covered, with prominent brand effects, and significant national influence." This has contributed the strength of the trade union to strengthening the ideological and political guidance of employees, improving the quality of employees' lives, and helping to build a digital Chongqing (重庆).

Technology Bridges, Building a Digital Cultural and Sports Platform with Full Coverage

For a long time, grassroots trade union organizations have faced difficulties in organizing cultural and sports activities, such as difficulty in meeting diverse needs, time and space constraints, and high organizational costs. In response, the Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会) has promoted the integration of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions' "Employee Home" APP and the digital Chongqing "Yu Gong Niang Jia Ren" (渝工娘家人) application to create a special zone for Chongqing (重庆) employee digital cultural and sports activities. This breaks through the limitations of time and space through digital transformation, allowing employee cultural and sports activities to move from "offline single points" to "online full coverage," extending the reach of cultural and sports services to employees.

Over the past three years, the digital cultural and sports activity zone has attracted more than 11,000 units and more than 580,000 employees to actively participate. Trade unions at all levels in the city have launched more than 600 demonstration cultural and sports activities, weaving a digital employee service network that extends horizontally to the edge and vertically to the bottom.

The Chongqing (重庆) employee digital cultural and sports activity zone does not simply move offline activities online, but rather achieves a systematic reshaping of organizational models and service effectiveness through digital means. For employees, they can use fragmented time such as spare time and commuting gaps to participate in cultural and sports activities through the special zone. For grassroots trade union cadres, they can initiate activities with one click and track progress in real time through the special zone, achieving a dual improvement in service efficiency and accuracy.

In addition, in order to further promote technology to empower employee cultural and sports activities, the Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会) has followed the trend of digital transformation and launched a full range of explorations in the field of employee cultural and sports activities. In the 11th National Employee Photography Exhibition "Chinese Dream, Labor Beauty" activity, the Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会) broke through the time and space limitations of traditional offline exhibitions, adopting a "full-process digital, strong immersive interaction" model to build a 3D virtual exhibition hall, introducing AI intelligent navigation and interactive experience, transforming the one-way visual viewing into a two-way interaction that employees can participate in and co-create.

Content Innovation, Creating a Distinctive Cultural and Sports Brand Matrix

If the digital platform is the "hard support" for carrying services, then distinctive content is the "soft power" for uniting people's hearts. On the basis of building a solid digital platform, the Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会), based on the local cultural heritage, deeply integrates cultural and sports activities with regional characteristics, red genes, and cultural tourism development, and organizes the theme activity of "Walking into the New Chongqing (重庆), Appreciating the New Scenery." It has set up three characteristic theme scenes: "8D Dream City, Immersing in the Wonderful Scenery of the Mountain City," "Hot and Spicy Food Area, Perceiving the Yu Flavor," and "Red Rock Spirit Journey, Exploring the Red Rock Footprints." Employees can unlock the beautiful scenery and food map of Chongqing (重庆) online through fitness exercises, and enjoy an "immersive" mountain city exploration journey across the screen. The launch of the activity has widely promoted Chongqing's (重庆) beautiful scenery and food, effectively promoted Chongqing's (重庆) cultural tourism consumption, and helped the Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会) build a distinctive cultural and sports brand matrix.

Driven by the dual wheels of digital platform and content innovation, digital fitness has become a new fashion in employees' lives. From 2023 to 2025, sports-related online activities attracted more than 5.12 million participants.

In terms of literary and artistic activities, the Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会) systematically planned activities such as employee poetry competitions and calligraphy and photography competitions to enrich the spiritual and cultural lives of the majority of employees. At the same time, the Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会) integrated elements related to the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing (成渝) dual-city economic circle into the competition activities, carefully organized six cross-regional cultural and sports activities, effectively serving regional coordinated development, and injecting a distinct "worker" characteristic connotation into accelerating the city's cultural prosperity and development.

Service Upgrade, Depicting a New Picture of the Trade Union Organization's Responsibility and Commitment

Whether it is the construction of a digital platform or the creation of distinctive brands, the ultimate focus is on "employees as the center." In recent years, the Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会) has always put the needs of employees first, making cultural and sports activities warmer and more effective through service upgrades.

In order to ensure the long-term development of cultural and sports activities, the Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会) has built a working mechanism of "multi-level linkage, dedicated personnel responsible, and full-process guarantee," from activity planning to technical support, from logistical support to incentive feedback, doing a solid job in all aspects of serving employees, forming a sustainable development model with organization, management, guidance, service, and incentives.

At the same time, in terms of improving service quality and efficiency, the Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会) continues to explore and innovate, opening up all aspects of online participation and offline consumption, linking up with the "Million Employees Tour Bashu" activity, stimulating employees' enthusiasm for participating in online and offline sports check-ins, further boosting Chongqing's (重庆) cultural tourism consumption, and embarking on a distinctive path of "cultural and sports empowerment of cultural tourism, service-driven development."

Data source: Chongqing Municipal Trade Union Federation (重庆市总工会)

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Editor in Charge for This Edition: Zhi Chunli, Cao Yiqing, Dong Yingxue

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Returning from the Stars, Embarking on a New Journey

No matter how far, there are always people waiting for you to come home for dinner.

At the beginning of 2026, Yili "Elite Gathering" invited outstanding employees and their families to return to the company headquarters to share a "family banquet."

Yili (伊利) people will also use the warmth of "making products for family members" to care for the nutrition and health of hundreds of millions of consumers.

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Labor brokers, bridging the gap between villagers and businesses (Frontline of People's Livelihood)

By: 本报记者 沈靖然

Core Reading

Helping villagers find jobs and enterprises recruit employees, in Zhongxian County (忠县), Chongqing (重庆), a team of labor brokers is active in villages and enterprises, accurately identifying labor resources, organizing skills training, and connecting with enterprise employment needs, effectively opening up the "last mile" of employment services. This team not only helps people lifted out of poverty, returning migrants, and others achieve employment, but also provides all-round support such as policy interpretation and psychological counseling, forming a virtuous interaction mechanism of "villagers - brokers - enterprises."

Where do villagers go to find jobs?
Where do enterprises go to recruit workers?
In Zhongxian County (忠县), Chongqing (重庆), the answer lies in the efforts of more than 400 labor brokers.
Connecting villagers on one end and enterprises on the other, resolving the difficulties of recruitment and employment.

"Sister Ran (冉姐), I have two months of vacation, are there any short-term part-time jobs you can recommend?" Having returned from working on a ship at sea, Xiao Yafei (肖亚菲), a villager in Bashan Town (拔山镇), Zhongxian County (忠县), contacted Ran Xiaoxia (冉晓霞), the labor broker in the town, at the first opportunity.

This trust stems from Ran Xiaoxia's (冉晓霞) recommendation three years ago - at that time, she helped Xiao Yafei (肖亚菲), who had failed in entrepreneurship, sign up for chef training. After completing the training, Xiao Yafei (肖亚菲) worked as a ship's cook in a shipping company.

In Zhongxian County (忠县), there is at least one labor broker like Ran Xiaoxia (冉晓霞) in each village and community, mainly providing employment assistance to key groups such as people lifted out of poverty and returning migrants, helping to open up the "last mile" of employment services.

Zhongxian County (忠县) is a major county for labor export in Chongqing (重庆), with more than 300,000 people working outside the county every year.

More than 20 years ago, Huang Shuping (黄淑萍) helped people find jobs at the Bashan Town (拔山镇) Social Security Office in Zhongxian County (忠县).

"At that time, there was no such term as labor broker. I started running around in the villages, helping people find jobs and enterprises find people." She remembers clearly, "It's like helping two families to find a match - the villagers are not afraid of hardship, and the requirement is that they can work for a long time and get paid on time; the enterprises want to find reliable workers who have skills and can work for a long time - if both sides 'see eye to eye,' the matter is settled."

In 2017, Zhongxian County (忠县) established a three-level labor broker team of "county - township (street) - village (community)." The positioning of this team is clear: it belongs to the County Public Service Center and mainly provides public welfare services, providing free employment-related assistance to villagers and enterprises.

"Labor brokers are the liaison officers between villagers and enterprises." Chen Xiang (陈向), director of the Zhongxian County (忠县) Employment and Talent Center, said, "What we want to do is to build a bridge, connecting villagers on one end and enterprises on the other, and resolve the problems of recruitment and employment together."

How to build a team of labor brokers? "Combine full-time and part-time, and allocate according to villages." Jiang Xiaoqin (江晓琴), head of the Migrant Worker Employment Service Section of the Zhongxian County (忠县) Employment and Talent Center, said.

"Some are concurrently held by village cadres, who are more familiar with the situation of each family, and it is easier to get started." Jiang Xiaoqin (江晓琴) introduced that another part of full-time brokers are recommended by the villages, and then uniformly assessed by the townships. Only after passing the assessment can they officially take up their posts. Each employed labor broker and part-time village cadre has their own exclusive certificate and system number.

A professional team can handle affairs reliably.

Whether full-time or part-time, all labor brokers must receive a week-long training in the county every year. The latest policies related to professional norms, employment, entrepreneurship, and social security must be learned one by one and tested one by one. After the training, experience exchange meetings will also be organized, inviting outstanding labor brokers to share their experiences, and evaluating and setting benchmarks in the team.

Today, the service network of labor brokers is becoming increasingly dense: the county coordinates, the towns and streets implement, and the villages and communities reach out. More than 400 labor brokers are active on the front line, organically connecting policies with the masses and jobs with labor, and the team construction is becoming increasingly standardized and professional.

Clarifying "human resources," organizing skills training, and releasing employment needs.

"Folks, how many people are there in your family? Do you need to find a job? Do you have any skills? ... Don't worry, I will definitely help you find a suitable job." Such inquiries are the daily work of Lan Yaling (兰亚玲), a labor broker in Chahua Village (插花村), Bashan Town (拔山镇), Zhongxian County (忠县).

In 2022, Lan Yaling (兰亚玲) returned to her hometown and began working as a labor broker. The first task was to clarify the "human resources" in the village.

At first, she used the "old method" - calling door-to-door, and if she couldn't reach them by phone, she would visit them in person, leaving no household behind.

"It's not enough to just ask, you must establish a ledger to register. The situation of each family is different, and the job needs of each person are also different." Lan Yaling (兰亚玲) said.

In order to promote the professionalization of labor broker work, the Chongqing (重庆) Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau has built a special online platform for labor brokers. In addition to basic information such as name, age, and family structure, the employment status of personnel, including income, working hours, and channels for labor rights protection, are clearly recorded in the system. "The information in the system is required to be updated every six months." Lan Yaling (兰亚玲) said.

In their work practice, labor brokers have found that a lack of skills is an obstacle on the road to employment for many villagers.

"If you don't know, learn, and get a job after you learn!" Huang Shuping (黄淑萍) said. In the past two years, rural skills training has changed from "sending people out to learn" to "opening classes at the doorstep." "The training content includes housekeeping, electricians, chefs, and even new media. As long as there is a need, we will organize training." Huang Shuping (黄淑萍) said, "Our town has already held five rolling training courses in 2025, training a total of more than 250 people."

Wan Xiaofang (万小芳), a villager in Chahua Village (插花村), learned skills through training and became her own boss by opening a shop. Three years ago, in order to take care of her family, she decided to return to her hometown for employment. Due to poor information, she was unable to find a job, and after a while, she found Lan Yaling (兰亚玲).

"Your child is still young, and it is not convenient to go out to work. You cook good dishes yourself, why not participate in the chef training organized by the county to learn how to make pasta? After you learn, how about opening a restaurant in the town? If you need financial support, I can also help you apply for an entrepreneurial loan." Lan Yaling (兰亚玲) said.

"Chongqing (重庆) noodles with home-style stir-fry, I think this business will work!" The shop has been open for 3 years, and Wan Xiaofang (万小芳) relies on the skills she learned from training to run a noodle restaurant in Dongjiachang Town (董家场镇), next to Bashan Town (拔山镇). "Now the income is good, and I have to thank Sister Lan (兰姐) for her help." Wan Xiaofang (万小芳) said.

The "bridge" facing the villagers is stable, and the port facing the enterprises must also keep up.

How does the employment information of enterprises come, how complete is it, and how fast is it? The labor brokers in Zhongxian County (忠县) have also summarized a set of methods.

"There is an industrial park in the town with many local enterprises. We actively establish employment WeChat groups with enterprises. Currently, there are more than 20 enterprises in the group. As long as they have employment needs, they can send them to the group, and we can pass the information to the villagers as soon as possible." Ran Xiaoxia (冉晓霞) said that the Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau will also regularly sort out employment positions in various places and other provinces and cities and push them to the County Human Resources and Social Security Bureau; the county regularly updates employment information through the "Just in Zhongzhou (就在忠州)" WeChat public account and synchronizes it to various towns, and we then screen suitable employment information and forward it to the groups or individuals we are responsible for.

"I have been working for more than 3 years, and I have helped more than 100 villagers nearby find jobs. Every time they come to tell me the good news, I am happy from the bottom of my heart." Lan Yaling (兰亚玲) said.

In addition to finding jobs, they also popularize social security policies and provide psychological counseling.

After the information is "alive," accurate matching of people and jobs is also a technical job.

"I used to be a returning migrant worker. At that time, the biggest difficulty was that I couldn't take care of both my children and my work." Nie Chunhua (聂春华), a labor broker in Jiangjun Village (将军村), Wuyang Street (乌杨街道), has a deep understanding of this. Now, in the face of returning migrants with the same concerns, she always puts herself in their shoes, understands the real needs of the service objects, and gives priority to recommending flexible jobs such as fruit washing factories and electronics factories.

Digging out the personal characteristics of job seekers is also the basic skill of labor brokers. After Li Qiuju (李秋菊), a 38-year-old villager, returned to her hometown, Huang Shuping (黄淑萍) took a fancy to her expertise in familiarizing herself with office software and strong communication skills, and recommended her to Zhongxian Meijianda Food Co., Ltd. (忠县美健达食品有限公司), a large local processing enterprise, as a clerk, engaged in statistics and sales.

"Not only did she help me find a job, but Sister Huang (黄姐) also worked hard for my inter-provincial social security." Li Qiuju (李秋菊) said, "I am not familiar with social security policies, she carefully calculated my age, when I will retire, and how many years of social security I should pay, and explained the policies to me clearly."

Labor brokers also provide many similar follow-up services, such as popularizing flexible employment social security subsidies, introducing entrepreneurial subsidy and other policy support, and even if villagers encounter unhappy things at work, they will promptly solve their problems.

"The latest time, I received a call at more than 2 a.m." Nie Chunhua (聂春华) recalled. In 2024, she introduced villager Chen Xianglan (陈香兰) to work in the distribution center of a shopping mall. Because she was not familiar with the work, Chen Xianglan (陈香兰) made mistakes at the beginning and called her in the middle of the night to confide in her. Nie Chunhua (聂春华) encouraged her despite her sleepiness: "It's normal to make mistakes when you first start working. As long as you ask your colleagues for advice and ask questions actively, you will definitely succeed!"

The efforts of labor brokers have also won the trust of enterprises and formed a virtuous interaction. "Whenever we are short of workers, we look for labor brokers. The people they recommend are not only stable, but also particularly capable." Xie Yan (谢燕), a manager of Zhongxian Meijianda Food Co., Ltd. (忠县美健达食品有限公司), said.

In 2025 alone, the labor brokers in Zhongxian County (忠县) successfully promoted the transfer of 13,193 rural laborers to employment throughout the county, of which more than 60% achieved stable employment. Chongqing (重庆) Municipality has cultivated more than 1,100 full-time labor brokers according to the standard of "at least one person per town and street" and more than 22,000 part-time labor brokers according to the standard of "at least one person per village and community," and the professional rural labor service team is growing stronger.

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Fresh Produce Lights That "Beautify" Meat Still "Shining"

By: 人民网记者 康梦琦

On December 1, 2023, the newly revised "Measures for the Supervision and Administration of the Quality and Safety of Market Sales of Edible Agricultural Products" (hereinafter referred to as the "Measures") of the State Administration for Market Regulation (国家市场监督管理总局) officially came into effect. It clearly stipulates that "when selling fresh edible agricultural products, it is not allowed to use lighting and other facilities that significantly change the true color and other sensory characteristics of the edible agricultural products to mislead consumers' sensory perception of the goods."

The new regulations have been in effect for more than two years. However, after a recent investigation, reporters found that "beautifying" fresh food lights have not withdrawn from the market, but continue to "shine" in some corners.

Not only misleading consumers, but also easily becoming a "cover-up" for deteriorated ingredients.

Since November 2025, People's Daily reporters have visited many farmers' markets, shopping malls, supermarkets, fresh food stores, and street shops in residential areas in Hangzhou (杭州), Zhejiang Province (浙江省). Many street shops and meat shops around residential areas are still using fresh food lights that are explicitly prohibited by the "Measures." Most of them have red lampshades and emit obvious red or purple light, making the fresh food look exceptionally bright.

Some behaviors are even more concealed: some so-called "new national standard" fresh food lights use gimmicks such as "invisible red" and still emit purple-red light; some lamps can adjust the color and brightness, turning to normal full white when inspections come, and turning back to red when inspections leave; some put white "coats" on red lampshades, appearing qualified on the surface, but hiding illegal lamps inside...

After People's Daily exposed the above situation, netizens in Guangdong (广东), Fujian (福建), Jiangxi (江西), Guizhou (贵州), Sichuan (四川), Jiangsu (江苏) and other places left messages saying that there are similar chaotic situations around them.

Why is it difficult to "extinguish" "beautifying" lights?

Reporters found that "beautifying" fresh food lights can be bought online and offline for only a few dozen yuan. Some merchants bluntly say: "The color is good, and more people will buy it." Some e-commerce platforms also use words such as "Whether the business is good or not, the appearance is very important" to promote it.

"According to the store building lighting standard value in the newly revised national standard 'Standard for Lighting Design of Buildings', a Ra (general color rendering index) of ≥80 for lamps is considered compliant, but fresh food lights that meet this standard can still emit colored light sources and affect the color of food." A staff member of the Zhejiang Provincial Market Supervision Administration (浙江省市场监督管理局) admitted frankly that the inspection cycle is long and the cost is high, and it is impossible to take all the lights on the market for testing, so the determination of whether it is illegal "is mainly based on visual identification," but different people have different subjective feelings about "significant changes" in color.

For obvious violations, the "Measures" clearly state that a warning should be given; if the violation is not corrected, a fine of between 5,000 yuan and 30,000 yuan shall be imposed. However, reporters found that there are disputes between violators and law enforcers about "minor offenses and heavy penalties." Many people believe that "beautification" does not affect the quality of food. Therefore, in actual supervision, orders for rectification are more common, and cases for punishment are rare, which is not enough to deter illegal behavior.

In addition, the cross-regional sales characteristics of e-commerce platforms make it more difficult to manage the source of problematic fresh food lights, forming a regulatory gap of "offline inspection, online sales."

It is recommended to introduce a special color rendering index to plug regulatory loopholes.

"The 'Measures' do not make mandatory requirements for R9 (special color rendering index), but we have tested that if fresh food lights can simultaneously meet the two indicators of Ra≥80 and R9≥0, the color difference will be very small to the naked eye." Therefore, Li Xianlin (李先林), a lighting and electrical appliance testing engineer at Zhejiang Fangyuan Testing Group Co., Ltd. (浙江省方圆检测集团股份有限公司), suggested introducing the standard of "R9≥0" in the production and testing of fresh food lights. "From a technical point of view, it is not complicated. Many products in the field of household lighting such as table lamps, downlights, and kitchen and bathroom lights have introduced R9. The testing equipment, testing methods, and evaluation ideas are relatively mature."

"We explored the introduction of the R9≥0 standard in 2022, which can significantly reduce the red light of fresh food lights." Jiang Wenquan (江文泉), director of the Food Circulation Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Market Supervision Administration (浙江省市场监督管理局食品流通处), suggested incorporating the management of fresh food lights into the market credit supervision system, and establishing a digital long-term supervision mechanism by implementing credit deductions for violating merchants and accumulating records of minor violations to enhance regulatory constraints; setting up a meat "standard white light comparison area" in farmers' markets and other places, where consumers can directly compare and observe the color of the fresh food they purchase under standard lighting to determine whether it has been "beautified."

Zhang Yun (张云), legal counsel of the State Administration for Market Regulation (国家市场监督管理总局) and professor at the School of Law of China Jiliang University (中国计量大学法学院), suggested that market supervision departments can further increase their efforts to implement key and routine supervision of illegal activities in street shops and stores around residential areas; unblock complaint and reporting channels such as "12345" and "12315," encourage consumers and the media to supervise and report illegal activities, establish a reporting feedback mechanism, and achieve social co-governance; organize relevant departments to enter communities, shopping malls, and rural areas to explain the new regulations to the public, popularize the purpose and significance of the rectification of illegal fresh food lights, and improve the public's ability to identify them.

In addition, since manufacturers of fresh food lights will help illegal users evade supervision by adjusting the color of the lights and other designs, Zhang Yun (张云) also suggested that relevant departments should supervise from the source of production and strengthen coordinated supervision with e-commerce platforms, urging platforms to fulfill their main responsibilities and remove illegal fresh food light products from the shelves.

(Ai Yutao (艾宇韬), Ye Binde (叶宾得), and Sun Peng (孙鹏) participated in the writing)

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Children's Homes: Hopping and Skipping

At the "Children's Companion Home" in Xianong Community, Wenlin Subdistrict, Renshou County, Meishan City, Sichuan Province (四川省眉山市仁寿县文林街道先农社区), volunteers are playing games with children.

During the winter vacation, the Renshou County Committee of the Communist Youth League (团仁寿县委) and the Renshou County Federation of Trade Unions (仁寿县总工会) are conducting public welfare托管 services, providing free tutoring, fun games, handicrafts, and other public welfare services for the children of employees and new employment form workers, enriching the children's holiday life.

Photo by Pan Shuai (潘帅) (Image China (影像中国)).

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Guangzhou, Guangdong Issues First "Greater Bay Area Certified" Elderly Care Service Certificate

This newspaper reported from Guangzhou on January 27th (Luo Aihua (罗艾桦), Liao Jingwen (廖靖文)) Recently, the first "Greater Bay Area Certification" certificate for elderly care services in Guangzhou (广州市), Guangdong Province (广东省) was issued at the Guangzhou Luhu Parent-Child Center Branch of Guangdong Yishou Medical and Elderly Care Co., Ltd. (广东颐寿医疗养老有限公司广州麓湖家长荟分院).

"Greater Bay Area Certification" refers to the rules and standards jointly researched and formulated by certification bodies in Guangdong (粤), Hong Kong (港), and Macao (澳) under the guidance of the State Administration for Market Regulation (国家市场监督管理总局) and relevant government departments of the three regions, and the voluntary certification activities jointly organized and implemented by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Certification Alliance. The "Greater Bay Area Certification" introduces three systems: quality information disclosure, commitment to compensation, and the primary responsibility of the seller, thereby meeting the public's pursuit of high quality through the implementation of rigorous and scientific quality certification methods.

In recent years, Yuexiu District (越秀区) in Guangzhou (广州市), where the certificate was issued, has continuously strengthened its elderly care service network, promoted the standardization and quality of elderly care services, and encouraged elderly care service institutions to actively integrate into the development layout of the Greater Bay Area, participating in the drafting and implementation of the "Elderly Care Service Greater Bay Area Certification Technical Specification" and the "Elderly Care Service Greater Bay Area Certification Implementation Rules," two Greater Bay Area certification standards.

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No Nipah virus disease cases have been found in China so far.

This newspaper reported from Beijing on January 27th (Reporter Shen Shaotie (申少铁)). Recently, the Nipah virus disease outbreak in India has attracted global attention. The National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (国家疾控局) has comprehensively assessed that the impact of this Nipah virus disease outbreak on China is relatively small. Currently, no cases of Nipah virus disease have been found in China, but there is still a certain risk of importation from abroad, and prevention and control need to be strengthened.

The Nipah virus disease was first discovered and confirmed abroad in 1998. Since then, Nipah virus disease outbreaks have occurred in several countries. China's disease control agencies have been closely monitoring the dynamics of Nipah virus disease outbreaks abroad and continuously carrying out monitoring and prevention work. In 2021, the "Technical Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Nipah Virus Disease" was formulated and issued, which standardized epidemic monitoring, reporting, testing, diagnosis, investigation and disposal, personal protection, disinfection, and other epidemic prevention and control measures. China has now established a nucleic acid detection method for the Nipah virus and has completed the preparation and storage of a Nipah virus emergency nucleic acid detection kit with independent intellectual property rights. At present, disease control centers in various provinces have the laboratory testing capabilities for the Nipah virus and can detect and confirm the Nipah virus in a timely manner.

Research shows that the Nipah virus mainly exists in fruit bats in nature. Humans can be infected by directly contacting animals infected with the virus or by eating food contaminated by the body fluids and excrement of these animals. In addition, close contact with patients infected with the virus or their body fluids can also cause transmission. After humans are infected with the Nipah virus, it mainly causes respiratory or nervous system symptoms, such as acute respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, or neurological symptoms such as headache, dizziness, altered consciousness, and epilepsy, and may even lead to death, with a case fatality rate of approximately 40% to 75%. Currently, there are no specific drugs or vaccines for this disease, and clinical treatment is mainly symptomatic.

How should the public prevent Nipah virus infection? The National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (国家疾控局) suggests that people traveling to countries with Nipah virus disease outbreaks recently should enhance their awareness of disease prevention, maintain good personal hygiene habits, pay attention to food hygiene and safety, avoid contact with animals such as bats and livestock, avoid contact with secretions and excrement of patients or infected animals, avoid eating fruits, vegetables, and products of unknown origin, and strictly prohibit eating raw or drinking untreated fresh food and drinks. If symptoms such as fever and headache occur after living in an epidemic area or having a suspicious contact history, seek medical attention immediately and inform the doctor of your travel history and suspicious contact history for timely diagnosis and treatment.

The National Disease Control and Prevention Administration (国家疾控局) stated that disease control departments will take timely action to closely track the dynamics of overseas epidemics and conduct timely risk assessments. At the same time, further training will be carried out for medical institutions and disease control institutions' professional personnel, monitoring and testing will be strengthened, especially the response and disposal capabilities in border areas will be strengthened to prevent possible risks.

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Editor in Charge for This Edition: Cheng Chen, Qin Ruijie, Liu Zihe

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Barely Visible Pollution, Xiamen's Approach to Governance (Beautiful China: Focus on Local Ecological Governance)

By: 本报记者 施 钰

Core Reading

The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposal suggests deepening the governance of new pollutants.

New pollutants of widespread concern both domestically and internationally mainly include persistent organic pollutants controlled by international conventions, endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, microplastics, etc. In recent years, Xiamen City (厦门市), Fujian (福建) Province, has strengthened the coordinated governance of new pollutants, promoting the formation of green production and lifestyles.

At 8 a.m., Huang Chunyi (黄淳怡), a resident of Lianqian Street (莲前街道), Siming District (思明区), Xiamen City (厦门市), Fujian (福建) Province, prepared to go to work, taking three bags of garbage from her home to the garbage disposal point in the community. "One bag of kitchen waste, one bag of other waste, and a cardboard box containing recyclables, including cardboard, plastic bottles, and plastic bags," said Huang Chunyi (黄淳怡).

"Recycled plastics can become resources for recycling, while discarded plastics may become new pollutants such as microplastics." Having heard a lot of popular science about garbage sorting, Huang Chunyi (黄淳怡) pays special attention to environmental protection.

In addition to microplastics, what other new pollutants are there? How should we manage new pollutants? What can we do in our lives to manage new pollutants? In recent years, Xiamen City (厦门市) has strengthened the coordinated governance of new pollutants, exploring the environmental risk management of new pollutants throughout their entire life cycle.

What are new pollutants?

They mainly include persistent organic pollutants, endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, microplastics, etc.

Fast food boxes, plastic bags, express packaging bags, milk tea cups... Inside the Xiamen (厦门) low-value recyclable sorting center, crisscrossing conveyor belts run quickly, and the intelligent sorting system is accurately identifying low-value recyclables with complex components, sorting them into corresponding material bins.

Every day, the recyclables that Huang Chunyi (黄淳怡) throws away are transported here. Various paper products, plastic products, etc., are sorted into 16 subdivided categories and then recycled into recycled materials.

"More than 60% of the low-value recyclables we process are plastics. If they are not collected and processed in time, they may cause pollution and even form new pollutants such as microplastics with a particle size of less than 5 millimeters," said Xie Yibin (谢奕斌), the operations manager of the sorting center and deputy general manager of Xiamen Luhai Environmental Protection Co., Ltd. (厦门陆海环保股份有限公司).

New pollutants of widespread concern both domestically and internationally mainly include persistent organic pollutants controlled by international conventions, endocrine disruptors, antibiotics, microplastics, etc. Luo Zhuanxi (罗专溪), a professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at the College of Chemical Engineering of Huaqiao University (华侨大学化工学院), introduced that new pollutants refer to toxic and harmful chemical substances with characteristics such as biological toxicity, environmental persistence, and bioaccumulation, which pose a significant risk to the ecological environment or human health.

"I didn't expect new pollutants to be so close to us." Zhang Ruixing (张瑞星), an engineering director at an electronics product design and manufacturing company, introduced that after the "List of Key Controlled New Pollutants (2023 Edition)" was released, under the guidance of the ecological environment department, the company immediately investigated all raw materials. "After soldering electronic components onto the circuit board, it is necessary to use a cleaning solvent to clean the organic matter in the solder. The solder cleaning solvent we used before contained dichloromethane, a new pollutant listed on the list, which is a volatile organic compound. For environmental safety, we decided to replace this raw material as soon as possible."

In daily life, traces of many new pollutants can actually be seen. "Coatings, leather, etc., may contain persistent organic pollutants, some daily chemical products and industrial waste may contain endocrine disruptors, and antibiotics are widely used in the medical field. Microplastics are more common, and tire wear particles and fibers released from chemical fiber textiles are all microplastics," said Luo Zhuanxi (罗专溪).

How are new pollutants managed?

Improve detection and management levels, and conduct full life cycle management

"To manage new pollutants, source substitution is a green management method, but it is not easy to achieve." Feng Weiguo (冯卫国), head of the Soil Environment and Solid Waste Management Division of the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment (厦门市生态环境局土壤环境与固体废物管理处), introduced that all stages from production and use to disposal may lead to the leakage of new pollutants, which puts higher demands on detection and supervision, requiring multiple parties to work together to strengthen the full life cycle management of the production stage and end disposal.

"We produce about 5 million various products every month, and any changes in processes or materials must be rigorously verified." Zhang Ruixing (张瑞星) said that through preliminary screening, the company conducts component testing by third-party institutions, laboratory effect verification, and compares multiple factors such as composition, price, and cleaning effect to select suitable raw materials for small-batch verification and production. "It took half a year, and now we have completely achieved raw material substitution."

"Focusing on key industries, we promote technological upgrades for enterprises and enhance their environmental image and brand value by formulating industry technical specifications and establishing chemical substance list management measures, thereby enhancing market competitiveness." Feng Weiguo (冯卫国) introduced that in 2025, the New Energy Battery Industry New Pollutant Environmental Risk Management Pilot Project in Xiamen City (厦门市), Fujian (福建) Province, was selected into the third batch of new pollutant management pilot project lists of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (生态环境部).

"However, our understanding of new pollutants is just the tip of the iceberg." Luo Zhuanxi (罗专溪) said that currently, the harm mechanisms and long-term effects of many new pollutants have not been fully clarified, and researchers are still continuously conducting relevant research.

In the central laboratory of the Xiamen Environmental Monitoring Station (厦门市环境监测站), staff are placing samples into the automatic sampler of the testing instrument to analyze and generate data results. "This high-precision testing instrument can detect the content of some perfluorinated compounds in the sample within 30 minutes, but before that, 12 hours of pre-processing work is required, and we must keep an eye on it." Huang Feiyang (黄飞扬), director of the central laboratory of the Xiamen Environmental Monitoring Station (厦门市环境监测站), introduced that the concentration of new pollutants in the environment is usually extremely low, requiring the use of high-precision testing equipment, the establishment of standard testing methods, and the determination of standard substances for comparison.

"We are equipped with pre-processing and analysis instruments and equipment required for new pollutant detection and have the detection capabilities for 19 items in 11 categories of new pollutants," said Huang Feiyang (黄飞扬).

Feng Weiguo (冯卫国) introduced that Xiamen (厦门) has issued relevant regulations and technical guidelines, conducted scientific assessments in advance during the project introduction stage, integrated the management of toxic and harmful chemical substances with environmental impact assessment and pollutant discharge permits, and clarified risk prevention and control measures involving toxic and harmful chemical substances, guiding the improvement of the enterprise's full-process environmental risk management mechanism.

What can we do for new pollutant management?

Reduce the use of products containing potential new pollutants and actively participate in garbage sorting and recycling

"Usually, I try to classify according to the garbage sorting guidance catalog." In addition to garbage disposal, Huang Chunyi (黄淳怡) also pays attention to and purchases clothes and shoes made of recycled materials such as waste plastics and textiles when making daily purchases. "Protecting the environment is something that everyone should care about."

Practicing a green lifestyle, what can we do for new pollutant management?

"We can reduce the use of products containing potential new pollutants, such as reducing the use of plastic products, giving priority to degradable alternatives, and actively participating in garbage sorting to effectively recycle plastic products." Luo Zhuanxi (罗专溪) also suggested checking the ingredient list when purchasing goods, giving priority to environmentally friendly products, and using and disposing of antibiotics rationally.

"The rational recycling and reuse of plastic products can reduce the total amount of plastic waste in the environment, thereby reducing the production of microplastics." Xie Yibin (谢奕斌) introduced, "The sorted low-value waste plastics are compressed, packaged, and then sorted, crushed, cleaned, and melt-granulated into recycled plastic particles, which can replace virgin plastic particles extracted from petroleum."

With the improvement of garbage end-of-life treatment capacity, when the "Xiamen City (厦门市) Domestic Waste Sorting Guidance Catalog" was revised in 2023, paper-plastic-aluminum composite packaging, foam plastics, etc., were adjusted from other waste to recyclable categories, guiding the public to actively participate and promoting the full separation of low-value recyclables from the source.

"Everyone can also pay attention to the new pollutant management information released by the government, supervise the implementation of policies, actively understand and popularize new pollutant management knowledge to family and friends, and jointly promote the formation of a good atmosphere of joint governance by the whole society," said Feng Weiguo (冯卫国).

"We will continue to explore the formation of a full-process environmental risk management model of source prohibition and restriction, process emission reduction, and end-of-life treatment, and strengthen cross-departmental coordinated supervision, information sharing, and joint law enforcement," said the relevant person in charge of the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment (厦门市生态环境局).

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China's Bamboo Industry Exceeds 520 Billion Yuan in Annual Output Value

This newspaper reported from Beijing (北京) on January 27th (reporter Gu Zhongyang (顾仲阳)): The reporter learned from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (国家林草局) that in recent years, the scale of China's bamboo industry has continued to grow, initially forming a complete, diverse, and distinctive bamboo industry system, with major bamboo products achieving a double improvement in production efficiency and added value. To date, the number of bamboo product types has exceeded 15,000, the annual output value of the bamboo industry exceeds 520 billion yuan, and the "bamboo-for-plastic" industrial system has been initially established.

Since the implementation of the three-year action plan to accelerate "bamboo-for-plastic" development, China has continued to promote the clustered development of bamboo industries and continuously optimize the industrial ecology through the implementation of a series of safeguard measures and seven key actions. Over the past three years, relevant departments such as the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) and the Ministry of Finance (财政部) have strengthened policy support in terms of project funding, government procurement, and green finance, arranging more than 900 million yuan in relevant project funding in the past two years, providing strong support for the entire chain development of "bamboo-for-plastic." The forestry and grassland departments have released a special standard system for "bamboo-for-plastic," covering 9 major categories and 140 items, and a number of international standards for bamboo products have been successively established and released. Various industry associations, innovation alliances, and research institutions have built exchange platforms to help accurately connect industry, academia, government, and enterprises, injecting strong impetus into the high-quality development of the bamboo industry.

Scientific and technological investment has continued to increase, with the establishment of the "14th Five-Year Plan" national key research and development program "reveal the list and take command" project, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (国家自然科学基金) major projects, etc., successfully overcoming a number of key core technologies such as the graded utilization of bamboo fiber and the design and manufacture of heterogeneous lightweight composite materials, and releasing 37 key scientific and technological achievements of "bamboo-for-plastic." Actively develop bamboo products that meet market demand, promote the multi-scene and diversified application of bamboo products, release a list of major "bamboo-for-plastic" products, encourage key areas to replace plastic products with bamboo products, and continuously improve the technical content and market competitiveness of the bamboo industry. Extend the industrial chain in accordance with local conditions, cultivate a number of leading enterprises with complete industrial chains and strong driving capabilities, and form a full bamboo efficient utilization model of “一根竹子吃干榨净” (yī gēn zhú zi chī gān zhà jìng - "eat and squeeze a bamboo dry," to fully utilize every part of the bamboo). At present, there are more than 10,000 bamboo processing enterprises in China, the entire industrial chain absorbs more than 29 million employees, and the annual output value of the bamboo industry in nearly 10 counties and cities across the country exceeds 10 billion yuan.

China has nearly 8 million hectares of bamboo forests, with an average annual production of 150 million tons of bamboo. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, China will further improve the policy guarantee system, increase support for the circular economy development of the bamboo industry, strengthen the construction of the entire chain standard system for "bamboo-for-plastic" product technology, and promote the integration of relevant systems with international standards. At the same time, we will strengthen the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, open up the entire industrial chain of "raw materials-processing-products-marketing," create a competitive bamboo industry cluster, and lead the comprehensive transformation and upgrading of "bamboo-for-plastic."

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Beijing Completes Over 400 Kilometers of Waterfront Slow-Traffic System

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on January 27th (Reporter: Pan Junqiang (潘俊强)) - This reporter learned from the Beijing Municipal Water Authority (北京市水务局): In recent years, Beijing's (北京) water authorities have continuously promoted the construction of high-quality waterfront spaces. As of now, they have cumulatively built over 400 kilometers of waterfront slow-traffic lanes along the Yongding River (永定河) and other rivers, opened up the second phase of the Songzhuang Flood Detention Area (宋庄蓄滞洪区) and other water conservancy project spaces to the public, and achieved over 100 kilometers of navigable river and lake mileage. The waterfront spaces of Liangma River (亮马河), Ba River (坝河), and Liangshui River (凉水河) have become well-known destinations.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Beijing's (北京) water authorities have taken the construction of high-quality waterfront spaces as an important means to promote urban renewal and serve the high-quality development of the capital. Waterfront spaces are being renovated and upgraded, new areas are being developed, and convenient facilities are being updated, becoming venues for diverse activities such as sports, commerce, and tourism.

In the past, closed water conservancy projects were always shrouded in a mysterious "veil." Today, the waterfront spaces of Beijing's (北京) water conservancy projects are gradually being opened to the public. While these facilities undertake functions such as flood control and water resource allocation, they also integrate into urban public spaces on the basis of ensuring the safety of engineering facilities, flood control, and water source security, providing citizens with more ecologically beautiful, open, diverse, and water-city integrated composite spaces, allowing citizens to get closer to natural waters. While ensuring river ecology and flood discharge safety, Beijing (北京) has also built more than 700 river and lake fishing platforms, equipped with facilities such as lifebuoys and trash cans in the fishing areas, providing convenience for fishing enthusiasts.

Next, Beijing's (北京) water authorities will fully consider the travel needs of citizens and create more slow-traffic lanes along both sides of the river, making it common for citizens to cycle, return home, and commute "along the river." It is planned that by 2035, Beijing's (北京) waterfront slow-traffic system will exceed 1,000 kilometers.

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Yellow River Wetland: Swans Soaring

Currently, it is the peak period for the number of swans in the Yellow River Wetland. Tourists from all over the country come to the Yellow River Wetland to watch the swans and experience a unique winter scenery.

Yuncheng (运城), Shanxi Province, and Sanmenxia (三门峡), Henan Province, located on both sides of the Yellow River, have become key stopovers on the "East Asia-Australasia" migratory bird route in recent years. The two places insist on taking the protection of the Yellow River basin's ecology as the baseline for promoting high-quality development. The number of swans on both sides of the Yellow River has seen a leapfrog increase in recent years. The number of overwintering whooper swans in the Sanwan Yellow River Wetland (三湾黄河湿地) in Pinglu (平陆) has steadily increased from 2,000 more than 20 years ago to more than 10,000 today. In Sanmenxia (三门峡), the number of whooper swans has exceeded 16,000.

(According to Xinhua News Agency (新华社))

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China Zihuan's Used Mobile Phone Recycling Platform Expands Service Network to 63 Cities

This reporter Jin Bo (靳博) reported from Tianjin (天津) on January 27th: This reporter learned from China Resources Recycling Group (中国资源循环集团) that the "Xin Sui Wu You (芯碎无忧)" platform of China Resources Recycling Group (中国资源循环集团) for the safe recycling and disposal of waste mobile phones has expanded its service network from the four pilot cities of Beijing (北京), Tianjin (天津), Shanghai (上海), and Shenzhen (深圳) in Guangdong (广东) to 63 cities in the year since its launch.

According to calculations, the "Xin Sui Wu You (芯碎无忧)" project will achieve a carbon emission reduction of approximately 320 tons and harmless treatment of approximately 39 tons of electronic waste in 2025, avoiding environmental pollution from harmful substances such as lead and mercury; it is estimated that approximately 2.4 kilograms of gold, approximately 13 kilograms of silver, and approximately 1.8 tons of copper can be extracted.

In the future, "Xin Sui Wu You (芯碎无忧)" will continue to expand its service scope and explore expanding recycling services to more electronic and electrical product categories, and explore the construction of a national, comprehensive electronic and electrical safety recycling and reuse platform.

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"Growing Up Alongside the Daqing Mountains" (Guardians of Lush Mountains and Clear Waters)

By: 本报记者 李祉瑶

Snow covers the mountains and rivers, and the mountain streams gurgle.

In the winter, at the Baisitougou Management Station of the Daqingshan National Nature Reserve (大青山国家级自然保护区) in Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), several sika deer tread through the snow, creating ripples as they drink.

"Not only sika deer, but also roe deer, Chinese gorals, etc. We often encounter them coming here to drink in winter. Now the ecology of Daqingshan (大青山) is good, and many wild animals are willing to settle here." Ma Haibo (马海波) observed while operating a drone, his tone full of gratification.

Ma Haibo (马海波) has been a forest ranger in Daqingshan (大青山) for 20 years. When Ma Haibo (马海波) first arrived in Daqingshan (大青山) in 2006, the mountains and forests here seemed somewhat "desolate." Sand and dust weather occurred frequently in the spring, and there were also individual cases of illegal logging and overgrazing. "At that time, the daily work was fire prevention patrol, such as checking for hidden dangers and dissuading illegal mountain entry personnel," Ma Haibo (马海波) recalled. "The roads were difficult to walk, and patrolling the mountains relied entirely on two legs."

In 2008, the Daqingshan Nature Reserve (大青山自然保护区) was officially approved as a national nature reserve, and ecological protection work entered a new stage – projects such as natural forest protection and returning farmland to forest were implemented successively, and a "human defense + technical defense" protection network was gradually constructed. Ma Haibo (马海波) witnessed the changes with his own eyes: the mountain slopes were covered in green, the streams were clear, and wild animals such as black storks, golden eagles, and leopard cats returned. Daqingshan (大青山) changed from desolate to lush.

With the mountains and forests covered in green, Ma Haibo's (马海波) work also ushered in new changes.

The winter snow layer has not yet melted. At 9 a.m., Ma Haibo (马海波) began to投放精饲料 and alfalfa hay in the management area, preparing to feed the former "guests from afar" – the Père David's deer.

In 2021, 27 Père David's deer from Beijing (北京) and Jiangsu (江苏) settled in Daqingshan (大青山). In order to help the Père David's deer adapt to the unfamiliar climate and terrain, Ma Haibo (马海波) took on the responsibility of protecting the Père David's deer. From feeding management to health monitoring, from behavioral observation to emergency response, he plunged into relevant knowledge learning, actively participated in training in various places, and consulted experts.

In addition to knowledge reserves, there is also technical support. By opening the mobile phone application software, the location of the Père David's deer wearing Beidou (北斗) satellite positioning collars is clearly visible. "In addition to satellite positioning, we also have infrared cameras. Some images can be transmitted back in real time, and some need to be checked regularly. We also need to operate drones for巡航, covering areas that are difficult for humans to reach..." Speaking of these technologies, Ma Haibo (马海波) knows them like the back of his hand, "These are all to better grasp the activity status of the Père David's deer, so as to discover and deal with emergencies in a timely manner."

Under the careful care of Ma Haibo (马海波) and his colleagues, the Père David's deer adapted to the environment of Daqingshan (大青山) and grew up healthily. In 2022, China (中国) successfully established a wild Père David's deer population for the first time in the transition zone between the North China (华北) region and the Inner Mongolia (蒙新区) region on the southern edge of the Mongolian Plateau (蒙古高原). As of now, the population of Père David's deer in Daqingshan (大青山) has increased to more than 60, and the excellent ecological environment has become an ideal home for the breeding of rare species.

In 2025, the Inner Mongolia Daqingshan National Nature Reserve (内蒙古大青山国家级自然保护区) was approved to become a member of the "World Biosphere Reserve Network," becoming another window to showcase China's (中国) ecological governance wisdom and solutions to the world. Today, Ma Haibo (马海波) has also grown from a forest ranger who initially patrolled the mountains and prevented fires with tools to a "versatile" person who is proficient in using various monitoring technologies and familiar with the conservation of Père David's deer. His growth has long been deeply integrated into the ecological changes of Daqingshan (大青山).

"Seeing the ecological environment getting better and better, all the years of guarding have been worth it." Ma Haibo (马海波) said that he is just one of the many forest rangers in Daqingshan (大青山), "I grow together with Daqingshan (大青山)."

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Hainan Achieves 100% Green Building Ratio in New Constructions

According to reports from the Hainan Province Housing and Urban-Rural Development Work Conference, as of now, green buildings account for 100% of new buildings in Hainan Province, and prefabricated buildings account for more than 80% of new buildings.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the Hainan housing and construction system focused on high-quality development, promoting housing conditions to steadily move from "having a place to live" to "having a good place to live." In terms of gathering momentum for green development, the Boao Zero-Carbon Demonstration Zone has achieved zero-carbon operation, and the Hainan Province Green and Low-Carbon Development Research Institute has been officially established.

In 2026, Hainan will vigorously promote intelligent construction and issue relevant implementation opinions; steadily promote the "Cool City" pilot projects in Haikou (海口), Sanya (三亚), and Danzhou (儋州), carry out the selection of "Most Beautiful Tree-lined Roads," promote rooftop greening and vertical greening, and continue to build more "pocket parks."

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Editor in Charge for This Edition: Zhang Ye, Yang Xiaoyu, Zhang Yifu

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<b style="color:red">[Generation Error]</b>

By: 本报记者 刘文璋

On January 26, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗) claimed during a television program that if a crisis were to occur in Taiwan, Japan and the United States would jointly rescue citizens of both countries. She also stated that in such a situation, Japan would never abandon its long-term ally, the United States. In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo JiaKun (郭嘉昆) stated on the 27th that the Japanese side's remarks once again exposed the ambition of Japanese right-wing forces to provoke confrontation, create incidents, and take the opportunity to promote "re-militarization" and challenge the post-war international order. This has already posed a serious threat to regional peace and stability and the political foundation of Sino-Japanese relations, and the international community must be highly vigilant and resolutely resist it.

Takaichi Sanae's (高市早苗) erroneous remarks regarding Taiwan and Japan's recent series of "re-militarization" actions have aroused vigilance and opposition from neighboring countries, and have triggered mass protests by Japanese domestic citizens and political figures. Many people believe that the Takaichi (高市) government's reckless actions have isolated Japanese diplomacy and impacted its economy, and that it must retract the relevant erroneous remarks. The latest poll results from Japan's *Mainichi Shimbun* (《每日新闻》) show that the current support rate for the Takaichi (高市) cabinet is 57%, a decrease of 10% compared to the previous poll results; the disapproval rate has increased by 7% to 29%.

"Takaichi's (高市) erroneous remarks are contrary to the Japanese Constitution. The Taiwan issue is China's internal affair, and it is unacceptable for the Prime Minister, as a national representative, to make such irresponsible remarks. She should retract the relevant remarks as soon as possible," Tokyo (东京) citizen Otani (大谷) told reporters at a protest held in front of the Japanese House of Representatives. "I hope that the Japanese economic, financial, and business communities will no longer be deceived by the Takaichi (高市) government and will take the initiative to speak out to promote the improvement of Sino-Japanese relations."

"Takaichi (高市) completely does not understand history and completely ignores China's core interests. Her erroneous words and actions regarding Taiwan highlight her disregard and recklessness towards Sino-Japanese relations," said Hisashi Inoue (井上久士), Chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Association. He added that Takaichi's (高市) erroneous remarks have seriously crossed the line and she refuses to retract them, becoming the core issue that is worsening the relationship between the two countries. "Takaichi (高市) and the right-wing forces have consistently lacked a correct understanding of China's countermeasures, and their ignorance and recklessness have directly pushed Sino-Japanese relations into a tense situation."

Ken Takada (高田健), an operating committee member of the Japanese "Citizens' Federation" (日本“市民联合”), said: "Takaichi's (高市) erroneous remarks regarding Taiwan can easily trigger conflict. No previous prime minister has made such statements. She completely does not understand the dangers involved."

Koji Sugihara (杉原浩司), a member of the Japanese Green Party, expressed deep concern about the movements of some Japanese politicians and right-wingers who openly undermine peace and attempt to destroy the foundation of the Japanese Constitution. "We oppose large-scale expansion of military power. Especially when politicians shout slogans of 'active fiscal policy' and 'revitalizing the economy,' but cannot come up with any concrete measures to address the plight of the people, their further increase in the defense budget is even more intolerable."

"Strongly oppose the Liberal Democratic Party's (自民党) amendment to the Constitution. This will allow Japan to be actively involved in war," Tokyo (东京) citizen Watarase (渡良濑) told reporters at a recent protest. "There is a large amount of opposition to the Takaichi (高市) government in Japan."

Lassalle Ishii (拉沙尔石井), a member of the House of Councillors of the Social Democratic Party (社民党), stated that on the one hand, the Takaichi (高市) government is accelerating arms exports and promoting dangerous moves to expand military equipment, and on the other hand, the Takaichi (高市) government has consistently failed to introduce effective measures to improve people's livelihoods, but has instead introduced policies that increase the burden on the people and run counter to the wishes of the people.

In a recent discussion program on Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK) (日本广播协会电视台), Mizuho Fukushima (福岛瑞穗), the leader of the Social Democratic Party (社民党), stated that Japan's increase in the defense budget has severely squeezed spending on education and medical care, and ordinary people are having a very difficult time.

According to data recently released by the Japan Tourism Agency (日本观光厅), the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan in December 2025 decreased by approximately 45% year-on-year, and the number of Chinese tourists visiting department stores nationwide and the sales of tax-free goods both decreased by approximately 40% year-on-year. Kanji Nakai (中井贯二), president of Japan's Chibo Holdings Co., Ltd. (日本千房控股有限公司), said: "The stores in Osaka's (大阪) Minami district (南区) have been affected since the end of November last year, and the flow of customers in December has declined." An employee at a fresh fish store in Osaka's (大阪) Kuromon Market (黑门市场) said: "The groups of Chinese tourists who used to come in droves have decreased, and the sales of every store in Kuromon Market (黑门市场) have been affected."

Takahiro Tanaka (田中嵩大), a scholar at Mitsubishi Research Institute (三菱综合研究所), said: "If Japan and China cannot move towards each other at the political level, the negative impact of Takaichi's (高市) erroneous remarks may continue for a long time. During the Spring Festival this year, many industries will inevitably face shocks, especially the retail industry such as department stores will be directly affected."

"The Japanese manufacturing industry is actually suffering a heavy blow." Hiroshi Onishi (大西广), professor emeritus at Keio University (庆应义塾大学), expressed deep concern about China's decision to strengthen export controls on dual-use items to Japan. "Stabilizing relations between countries is the responsibility of the Prime Minister, but Takaichi's (高市) actions are contrary to this."

"Japan unilaterally regards China as an enemy, and ignorance and recklessness will lead Japan into isolation," said Toru Tamagawa (玉川彻), a Japanese current affairs commentator. Akira Koike (小池晃), Secretary-General of the Japanese Communist Party (日本共产党), believes that the Takaichi (高市) government has reached a deadlock in both economic and diplomatic terms.

(Reported from Tokyo (东京) on January 27 by this newspaper)

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Chinese Representative Urges Japan to Reflect and Correct Course at UN Security Council

Xinhua News Agency, United Nations, January 26th. Fu Cong (傅聪), China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, spoke at the Security Council's open debate on the rule of law on January 26th, urging Japan to reflect on and correct the erroneous remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗) regarding Taiwan.

Fu Cong (傅聪) said that the victory of World War II defended the bottom line of human civilization and gave rise to the current international legal system. Eighty years ago, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East tried Japanese war criminals, severely punished a group of arch-criminals whose hands were stained with the blood of the people of victimized countries, upheld international justice, safeguarded human dignity, and issued a strong warning against any attempt to restore militarism and carry out aggression and expansion again. However, recently, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (高市早苗) has gone against the historical trend, openly associating China's Taiwan with Japan's "existential crisis," sending the wrong signal that it may intervene militarily in the Taiwan issue, and refusing to withdraw its own erroneous remarks.

Fu Cong (傅聪) stated that the return of Taiwan to China is a victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and an important part of the post-World War II international order. This ironclad fact has been firmly locked in historically, politically, and legally. Takaichi's (高市) fallacies grossly interfere in China's internal affairs, betray Japan's international obligations as a defeated country, openly challenge the international order based on international law, and seriously violate the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. China urges Japan to face up to history, reflect on and correct its mistakes, and give the international community a responsible explanation with practical actions.

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Heavy Snow Hits Hokkaido, Japan; Over 2,000 Passengers Stranded at Airport

Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo (东京), January 27 (Reporters Li Ziyue (李子越) and Chen Ze'an (陈泽安)) -- Due to the impact of heavy snowfall, transportation in the Hokkaido (北海道) region of Japan (日本) has been disrupted. From the evening of the 26th to the morning of the 27th, more than 2,000 passengers were stranded at the New Chitose Airport (新千岁机场) and were forced to spend the night there.

According to local media reports, heavy snowfall caused more than 90 flights to be canceled at New Chitose Airport (新千岁机场) on the 26th. The airport opened some areas of the terminal building on the evening of the 26th for stranded passengers to use. In addition, the local railway operating company announced on the 27th that more than 170 trains would be suspended that day, and some trains heading to Hakodate (函馆) and Asahikawa (旭川) may not return to normal in the short term.

Data from the Japan Meteorological Agency (日本气象厅) shows that Hokkaido (北海道) has been experiencing continuous heavy snowfall in recent days. As of 22:00 on the 26th, the amount of snowfall in the Chuo Ward (中央区) of Sapporo (札幌市) in the past 48 hours reached 65 centimeters, setting a record high since statistics began in 1999.

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India and EU reach free trade agreement

Islamabad, January 27th (Reported by Zhao Yipu (赵益普)) New Delhi News: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (莫迪) announced at the 16th India-EU Summit held on the 27th that India and the EU signed the India-EU Free Trade Agreement on the 26th.

The conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement comes at a time when the United States is imposing high tariffs on economies such as India and the EU. This free trade agreement aims to improve market access, reduce trade barriers, and provide companies on both sides with more stable long-term planning and rules. Within the framework of the agreement, the two sides will cooperate in areas such as trade, security, and clean energy transition.

Data shows that the EU is India's largest trading partner, with bilateral trade in goods reaching 120 billion euros in 2024, accounting for 11.5% of India's total trade.

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South Korea: U.S. Intent to Raise Tariffs on South Korea Requires Careful Study and Prudent Response

According to Xinhua News Agency, Seoul, January 27th (Reporter Huang Yingying (黄莹莹)) - South Korean Presidential Spokesperson Kang Youzhen (姜由桢) stated on the 27th, regarding U.S. President Trump's claim that he would raise tariffs on South Korean products exported to the U.S., that the South Korean government will carefully study the background and true intentions of the U.S. move and respond cautiously.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Presidential Office Cheong Wa Dae (青瓦台) held a meeting on the current state of trade with the U.S. that morning. Kang Youzhen (姜由桢) stated in a written briefing at the meeting that the U.S. tariff increase needs to complete a series of administrative procedures before it can take effect, and Trump's remarks on social media will not immediately lead to tariff changes. The South Korean side believes that the U.S.'s so-called "South Korean National Assembly has not yet approved the U.S.-Korea trade agreement" actually refers to the delay in the National Assembly's review of the "Special Act on Investment in the United States." To this end, the meeting reviewed the progress of the bill as a follow-up measure to tariff negotiations.

According to Cheong Wa Dae (青瓦台) sources, South Korean Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan (金正官), who is currently visiting Canada, will travel to the United States after completing his trip to consult with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. In addition, Yeo Han-koo (吕翰九), Head of the Office of Trade Negotiation at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, will also visit the United States as soon as possible to consult with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

Trump announced on social media on the 26th that he would raise the tax rate on South Korean exports to the U.S. of automobiles, timber, pharmaceuticals, and other so-called "reciprocal tariffs" from 15% to 25%, citing the fact that the South Korean National Assembly has not yet approved the U.S.-Korea trade agreement.

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U.S. Intensifies Troop Deployment in the Middle East; Iran on "Highest Alert"

By: 本报记者 张志文

The U.S. Central Command confirmed on January 26 that the U.S. aircraft carrier strike group "Abraham Lincoln" had entered the Central Command's area of responsibility, which covers the Middle East. Currently, Iran has stated that it is in a state of "highest military readiness." In response to the escalating tensions surrounding Iran, regional countries and the international community have clearly expressed their opposition to interfering in other countries' internal affairs, calling for de-escalation and resolution of differences through dialogue.
Some reports say that the U.S. aircraft carrier strike group includes three guided-missile destroyers and F-35C stealth fighters, F/A-18E/F fighters, EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft, and other carrier-based aircraft. The U.S. military has also deployed additional F-15E fighters, refueling aircraft, and missile defense systems to the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump (特朗普) said in an interview with U.S. media on January 26: "We have a huge fleet on the edge of Iran, bigger than in Venezuela." He also stated that diplomacy is still an option and that the Iranian side "wants to make a deal."
Faced with U.S. military pressure, Iran has taken a tough stance, saying that the U.S. aircraft carrier "will not shake Iran's determination to defend the country." Iran has explicitly warned the United States that if it is attacked by the U.S. military, it will target U.S. military bases in the Middle East as retaliation targets. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Baghaei (巴加埃) said on January 26 that Iran is "sincere and serious" in diplomacy and negotiations, and at the same time "serious and firm" in self-defense; the Iranian armed forces will fully respond to any infringement and make a response that the infringer will "regret," "You must truly and fully defend the fundamental and continued existence of the country." Currently, the Iranian government is working to stabilize the domestic situation, promising to improve people's livelihoods, maintain unity, and face the outside world with one voice. Mohammad Reza Moradi (穆罕默德·礼萨·莫拉迪), director of the international department of Iran's Mehr News Agency (迈赫尔通讯社), told this reporter that in recent days, social order in Tehran (德黑兰) and other places has basically returned to stability, and the domestic security situation is currently under control. At the same time, Iran is actively seeking international support. The Iranian Foreign Minister recently spoke with senior officials from many countries by telephone, emphasizing the importance of maintaining regional peace and stability, and reiterating Iran's commitment to resolving differences through dialogue and negotiation.
According to a report by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (以色列公共广播公司), Israel (以色列) has been on "highest alert" for several days due to concerns that the United States may take military action against Iran. Rafi Milo (拉菲·米洛), commander of the Northern Command of the Israel Defense Forces (以色列国防军北方司令部), said that the Israeli military is preparing for the chain reaction that may be triggered by the U.S. military's possible military action against Iran and has entered a state of high alert.
According to a Bloomberg News (彭博社) report, Ali Bahreini (阿里·巴赫雷尼), Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations Office at Geneva (联合国日内瓦办事处), said that there has indeed been contact between Iran and the United States, but "there is currently no fixed channel of communication," and added that "this hardly counts as negotiation." Against the backdrop of escalating tensions, several countries have offered to mediate between Iran and the United States, but no further details have been disclosed.
The tensions in Iran have aroused great concern from many parties in the region. According to reports, Hezbollah (真主党) leader Naim Qassem (纳伊姆·卡西姆) of Lebanon (黎巴嫩) said on January 26 that Hezbollah will not stand idly by in the face of any military action against Iran and warned that such actions could trigger a wider regional conflict. The Yemeni Houthi (也门胡塞武装) forces, which are supported by Iran, also stated that they are ready to resume attacks on shipping in the Red Sea (红海). Previously, the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades (伊拉克真主党旅), which has long been supported by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队), issued a direct warning against any attacks on Iran, saying that this would trigger a "full-scale war" that would sweep across the entire region.
Many parties in the international community have clearly expressed their opposition to interfering in other countries' internal affairs, calling for promoting de-escalation of the regional situation and resolving differences through dialogue. Saudi Arabia (沙特), Qatar (卡塔尔), and Oman (阿曼) are all committed to diplomatic mediation, and Turkey (土耳其), Egypt (埃及), and other countries have called on the United States to exercise restraint. The UAE (阿联酋) Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on January 26, reiterating that the country will not allow its territory, airspace, or waters to be used for any military operations against Iran, nor will it provide any logistical support in such operations. The statement said that the UAE has always believed that dialogue, de-escalation, compliance with international law, and respect for national sovereignty are the most effective basis for dealing with the current crisis and resolving regional issues. The UAE has always advocated resolving differences through diplomatic means and is committed to maintaining regional security and stability. According to a report in Iran's Tehran Times (《德黑兰时报》) on January 26, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also stated through private channels that they will not allow the United States to use military bases or airspace on the territory of the above-mentioned countries to launch strikes against Iran. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov (佩斯科夫) said on January 26 that if the United States launches an attack on Iran, it will seriously undermine the stability of the region, and Russia hopes that all parties will exercise restraint.

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UN-Water report calls for strengthening drinking water and sanitation systems

According to Xinhua News Agency, Nairobi, January 27th (Reporter Chen Chen (陈晨)) Dakar News: The United Nations Water Mechanism released a report in Senegal on the 26th stating that countries around the world urgently need to strengthen the construction of drinking water, environmental sanitation, and personal hygiene systems. Otherwise, it will be difficult to achieve the related United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, and it will exacerbate public health pressures against the backdrop of increased climate-related risks and repeated disease outbreaks.

The report reveals the constraints on the development of global drinking water, environmental sanitation, and personal hygiene service systems. The relevant analysis is based on data from more than 100 countries and regions, as well as 21 development partners, including United Nations agencies, multilateral financing institutions, and international non-governmental organizations. The report states that estimates from the WHO (World Health Organization) and UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) Joint Monitoring Program show that 2.1 billion people worldwide still lack safe and reliable drinking water, 3.4 billion people lack safe and reliable sanitation facilities, and 1.7 billion people lack basic hygiene services.

The report points out that although many countries have formulated relevant policies and goals, they are constrained by factors such as funding and manpower shortages, as well as poor departmental coordination, resulting in insufficient capacity to promote relevant policies and goals. Data shows that less than 13% of countries believe they have sufficient funding and human resources to implement relevant plans; 64% of countries reflect inefficient institutions and uncoordinated actions.

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UK Accelerates Electric Vehicle Adoption

By: 本报记者 许立群

According to data recently released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the UK's pure electric vehicle registrations in 2025 exceeded 473,000, an increase of nearly 25% year-on-year, accounting for approximately 23% of total new car registrations. The UK Department for Transport (英国交通部) stated that it will accelerate the popularization of electric vehicles through measures such as extending the distribution time of electric vehicle subsidies and helping the construction of public charging piles.

In July 2025, the UK government launched an electric vehicle subsidy totaling £650 million. In December of the same year, the government announced an additional £1.3 billion to further expand the scale of subsidy funds, and invested £200 million to accelerate the construction of charging piles nationwide, in order to achieve the vision of stopping the sale of traditional gasoline and diesel vehicles by 2030. The subsidy is divided into two tiers, with the first tier of vehicles with higher environmental scores receiving a maximum subsidy of £3,750, and the second tier of vehicles receiving a subsidy of £1,500. According to regulations, only new electric vehicles priced below £37,000 are eligible for subsidies. Electric vehicle manufacturers must also meet a series of strict environmental requirements in order for their models to be included in the subsidy list, including a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality in their UK operations by 2030 and disclosure of carbon emission data from the battery supply chain. Currently, the subsidy policy has helped approximately 35,000 UK car owners replace their vehicles with electric cars.

The UK government will also invest £200 million in the nationwide installation of charging piles. According to statistics, there are approximately 87,000 charging points in the UK. The new investment will be used to build thousands of new charging piles and strengthen existing street charging facilities, especially to provide convenience for consumers without private parking spaces and reduce their charging costs. In July last year, the UK also launched a £63 million investment plan, focusing on supporting home charging for families without parking spaces, promoting the electrification of the National Health Service (NHS) fleet, and deploying commercial vehicle charging facilities.

UK Transport Secretary Alexander (亚历山大) said that subsidizing electric vehicle sales is an investment in the future of the country, which can drive the increase of high-quality manufacturing jobs. Driven by policies, electric vehicle sales in the UK continue to increase. However, some people are cautious about the government's electric vehicle subsidy policy, believing that problems such as insufficient charging infrastructure and "range anxiety" continue to exist, consumers' lack of awareness and trust in electric vehicles, and concerns about battery life and maintenance costs will affect future decisions.

(Reported by London (伦敦))

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French National Assembly Passes Ban on Social Media for Under-15s

According to Xinhua News Agency, Paris, January 27th, the French National Assembly passed a bill in a meeting held from January 26th to 27th to ban minors under the age of 15 from using social media. The bill was strongly promoted by French President Emmanuel Macron (马克龙) and aims to protect children from the harm of excessive use of electronic products.

The bill will next be submitted to the Senate for review. French authorities hope that the measure will take effect for newly registered accounts when the new school year begins in September 2026. If it ultimately takes effect, France may become the second country after Australia to adopt such a ban on social media for adolescents.

Macron (马克龙) posted on social media platforms that this is an "important step" in protecting French children and adolescents. According to reports, the new bill also includes provisions banning mobile phones in high schools.

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Heatwave Hits Australia, Temperatures Approach 50 Degrees Celsius

According to Xinhua News Agency, Melbourne, January 27 (Reporter Xu Haijing (徐海静)) The Australian Bureau of Meteorology issued a warning on the 27th, stating that the country's southeast is experiencing the most severe heatwave since 2009. The temperature in Renmark (伦马克镇), South Australia, reached 49.6 degrees Celsius on the same day, and the temperatures in Walpeup (沃尔皮阿普) and Hopetoun (霍普顿镇) in northwestern Victoria (维多利亚州) both reached 48.9 degrees Celsius on the same day. These have all set local temperature records since records began in 1901.

The Victorian Country Fire Authority said on the 27th that a bushfire 160 kilometers southwest of Melbourne (墨尔本) was out of control, and three houses were destroyed. Earlier this month, southeastern Australia (澳大利亚) had already experienced a heatwave, and five fire spots caused by the high temperatures were still burning.

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This edition's editors: Zou Zhipeng, Zhang Huizhong, Chu Jun

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Dadukou District, Chongqing: Solid strides in building a prosperous industry, city, district, and people.

Chongqing Dadukou District strictly follows the work requirements of the Chongqing Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government, closely focusing on the construction of "Six Areas and One Highland" (六区一高地), highlighting the work orientation of stabilizing progress and increasing efficiency, reform and innovation, eliminating risks and consolidating security, and strengthening enterprises and enriching the people. It is restarting with renewed vigor, concentrating its efforts on development, focusing on industry and employment, concentrating on innovation and entrepreneurship, and making every effort to attract investment, projects, factors, and services. The economic and social development is rapidly gaining momentum, the foundation for safety and stability is continuously consolidated, and the spirit of cadres and the masses is comprehensively boosted. The construction of "Prospering Industry and City, Strengthening the District and Enriching the People" has taken solid steps, demonstrating Dadukou's new achievements in striving to write a Chongqing chapter of Chinese-style modernization.

Industrial Development Accumulates Momentum and Energy, Project Support is Solid and Powerful
Based on its own industrial foundation, Dadukou District actively integrates into the city's "33618" modern manufacturing cluster system. Around chain-leading enterprises such as Hikvision (海康威视), International Composites (国际复材), Sanfeng Environment (三峰环境), and Zhongyuan Huiji (中元汇吉), it vigorously constructs a "3216" modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone—focusing on the three leading industries of new-generation electronic information manufacturing, intelligent medical equipment, and high-end motorcycles, deeply cultivating the two characteristic industries of food and agricultural product processing, and energy-saving and environmental protection equipment, laying out a number of "rising star" industries such as the low-altitude economy and embodied intelligent robots, and creating six major modern producer services to promote high-quality development and present a good trend.
Expand development space and create new industrial carriers. Dadukou District has launched the development of the 7-square-kilometer Jianqiao Riverside Smart Valley (建桥滨江智谷), started the construction of key projects such as the Jianqiao Park Innovation Center (建桥园区创新中心) and the Dadukou Jianqiao Smart Railway Logistics Center (大渡口建桥智慧铁路物流中心), and renovated and revitalized 264,000 square meters of factory buildings. The 200,000-square-meter intelligent manufacturing standard factory building is basically completed. Accelerate the upgrading of the Jiugongmiao "Double Hundred Billion" (九宫庙“双百亿”) business district, speed up the construction of the Wandon Commercial Tourism (万吨商旅) and Longwen Steel (龙文钢材) expansion projects, and build a solid carrier support for regional industrial upgrading and high-quality economic development.
Focus on investment promotion and cultivate new driving forces. In 2025, Dadukou District will implement a three-year action plan for investment promotion, with a cumulative signing of 169 projects and 17 billion yuan in place. The signing amount of the Smart China Expo (智博会) and the Western China International Fair for Investment and Trade (西洽会) ranked first and second in the city, respectively. Well-known enterprises such as Qianjiang Motorcycle (钱江摩托), Tiannong Food (天农食品), Suwen Electric (苏文电能), and Yushu Technology (宇树科技) have successively settled in, and listed companies Yaowang Technology (遥望科技) and Yiatong (怡亚通) have moved in. The Tmall Chongqing Headquarters (天猫重庆总部) has been put into operation.
Grasp project construction and build a new foundation for development. Dadukou District is committed to promoting the quality and efficiency of project construction. 33 projects such as Fluorite Manufacturing (萤石制造) and Qiulong Technology (虬龙科技) have been completed and put into operation, and 33 projects such as Zhongyuan Huiji Science and Technology Park (中元汇吉科技园) and Hong Jiujiu (红九九) have been basically completed. The investment completion rate of major projects in the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle (成渝地区双城经济圈) ranks first in the central urban area. At the same time, Dadukou District continues to strengthen the planning and reserve of major projects, and coordinate the "one library and three pools" of the project library and the capital pool, resource pool, and asset pool.

Reform and Innovation Achieve Breakthroughs, Urban Governance is Efficiently Promoted
Behind the industrial upgrading is the strong support of reform, innovation, and governance upgrading. Dadukou District adheres to increasing momentum through reform, expanding space through opening up, and shaping advantages through innovation. It efficiently promotes the modernization of mega-city governance, adheres to the "dual-wheel drive" of digital empowerment and comprehensive integration, promotes new breakthroughs in the modernization of the governance system and governance capabilities, and continuously releases new development potential and new momentum.
Deepen reform and opening up to enhance the source of development power. In 2025, Dadukou District added 9 new national-level reform pilots and 49 municipal-level reform pilots, and successfully selected 31 typical cases at the national and municipal levels. "Minimum Disposal Unit" (最小处置单元) and "Medical Insurance Digital Intelligence Supervision" (医保数智监管) were rated as typical grassroots reform cases in the city. Actively integrate into the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (西部陆海新通道), and received the first Southeast Asia-Cambodia inbound tourist group. The Yumin Group International Aviation Logistics Settlement Center (渝缅集团国际航空物流结算中心) project settled in, and organized enterprises to participate in more than 60 exhibitions such as "Yumaoyi Global" (渝贸全球), with a year-on-year increase of 18.1% in the total value of foreign trade imports and exports.
Optimize the innovation ecosystem and expand new quality productivity. In 2025, Dadukou District added 20 new "specialized, refined, and new" enterprises, and the number of newly registered technology-based enterprises increased by 27.4% year-on-year. Jiuzhou Xingyi (九州星熠) and Akita Gear (秋田齿轮) were rated as "gazelle enterprises," 9 enterprises won the Chongqing Science and Technology Progress Award, and the number of invention patents per 10,000 people was 32.4. The intensity of R&D investment in the whole society and the comprehensive innovation index remained among the top in the city. "Leading the construction of a national industrial transformation and upgrading demonstration zone with technological innovation" was selected as a typical case of deepening the reform of the science and technology system by the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Strengthen digital intelligence empowerment to achieve efficient governance. Dadukou District empowers the modernization of mega-city governance with digital intelligence. The intelligent management of construction projects was selected as a comprehensive "AI+" scenario in Digital Chongqing (数字重庆), and 3 application scenarios were selected for the city's "leader" list. The administrative law enforcement reform is at the forefront, with the establishment of the city's first legal review center. The comprehensive rate of administrative law enforcement matters, the implementation rate of the "credit + law enforcement" comprehensive scenario, and the coverage rate of standardized law enforcement construction in towns and streets all rank first in the city. Implement the "three links and four visits" and improve the "three services" working mechanism, deepen the "three grids" practice of Party building leading grassroots governance, and the "digital intelligence grid" governance mechanism was selected as a selected case of landmark achievements in the construction of Digital Chongqing.

Urban-Rural Integration Achieves Practical Results, People's Livelihood Guarantee is Tangible and Accessible
Dadukou District deeply practices the concept of a people's city, accelerates the creation of a charming city with industry-city integration, urban-rural integration, and livability and business, and continuously enhances the people's sense of gain and happiness.
Promote urban-rural integration and build a livable new city. Dadukou District continues to accelerate urban organic renewal, speeds up the development of the 6,500-mu "Yidu New City" (义渡新城) in the Wuyi Mutual Aid area (五一互助片区), completes 60,000 square meters of urban renewal and 850,000 square meters of old community renovation, and builds 3.66 kilometers of pedestrian paths around the business district. The beautiful countryside has been renewed and upgraded, and the "Free Original Township" Bashu Beautiful Courtyard Demonstration Area (巴蜀美丽庭院示范片) has been built. "Jin'ao Pastoral" (金鳌田园) was rated as "2024 Discover Chongqing's Most Consumer-Attractive New Scene," and the proportion of villages with collective operating income of more than 1 million yuan exceeds 50%. Infrastructure continues to improve, and 4 new and rebuilt exit channels have been built, and the "eight vertical and eight horizontal" backbone road network has basically taken shape.
Strengthen livelihood security and create a quality life. In 2025, Dadukou District will continue to deepen the service brand of "Yidu Employment Train" (义渡就业列车), adding 12,000 new jobs in urban areas, and 6,616 young people will come to the district for employment and entrepreneurship. The per capita disposable income of all residents increased by 4.5%. In terms of optimizing the quality of public services, Dadukou District is promoting the construction of a "15-minute high-quality life service circle" in the whole region, signed a deep cooperation agreement with Chongqing Bashu Middle School (重庆巴蜀中学校), promoted the completion and commissioning of the Southwest University Affiliated Middle School (Dadukou Campus) (西南大学附属中学（大渡口校区）), the new construction project of the District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital was completed and put into use, and the University for the Elderly is accelerating construction, continuously improving the quality of life of residents.
Enhance urban charm and shape civilized style. Dadukou District closely focuses on "gathering momentum through festivals and attracting traffic through competitions," and continues to create a series of brand activities such as the Hot Pot Food Culture Festival, the Chongqing Small Noodle Culture Festival, and the Dadukou Half Marathon, promoting the continuous improvement of the city's popularity and reputation. Comprehensively launch the creation of a National Civilized City (全国文明城区), and take multiple measures to enhance the city's civilized style, including the Chongqing Procuratorate's juvenile protection work team, including one person from the Dadukou District Procuratorate, was awarded the title of "Role Model of the Times" (时代楷模), 2 literary and artistic works were awarded the 20th "Qunxing Award" (群星奖), and Dadukou District successfully created the "National Model City of Double Support" (全国双拥模范城).

Data source: Publicity Department of the CPC Chongqing Dadukou District Committee (中共重庆市大渡口区委宣传部)

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From "The Foreigner Who Raises Fish" to "The Fishing Boss of Our Town" (My Story and China)

By: 安德烈亚斯·托吕德

Highlights:

Norwegian salmon has found a home on China's East Sea coast. The fish didn't swim over; instead, they were brought by a Norwegian named Andreas Trollebø. His journey to China began with crashing a "Cultural Night" party, continued with studying at Tsinghua University, where he closely followed China's changes, and finally led him to Zhejiang with his business partners to plan Asia's first land-based recirculating aquaculture system for salmon. From appreciating Fan Li's "following the seasons" and finding ideological resonance, to marveling at the local pragmatism and efficiency, and recognizing the Chinese people's "sincerity," he has not only successfully obtained technical, market, and policy support but also forged an indissoluble bond with China. He now has a Chinese name, Tong Anrui (童安睿), and a nickname, "the fishing boss of our town." On the hot land of development in the Yangtze River Delta, he has found the direction of his career and a sense of belonging.
——Reporter Liu Junguo (刘军国) from this newspaper

A "Cultural Night" planted the seeds of a Chinese connection:
From Distant Observer to Cultural Decoder

I am from Norway. In 2002, I studied as an exchange student at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

One ordinary evening, I accidentally "crashed" a "Cultural Night" party held by Chinese students. On stage, a girl was focused on playing the guzheng. I couldn't name the piece, but the melody, like the tinkling of a spring, instantly attracted me—it was the first time I had experienced the charm of Chinese classical culture up close. Just as I was immersed in it, a wisp of violin sound gently rose, and then more instruments joined this ensemble. Eastern and Western cultures blended naturally on the stage.

After the performance, I couldn't wait to go backstage. Meeting several performers, I chatted with them with great interest, and the topic naturally shifted from the harmony of the instruments to each other's distant hometowns. A boy next to me picked up a guitar, strummed it gently, and sang Chinese songs one after another. Seeing that I was listening intently, he shared the stories behind these songs with me: the changes in Beijing's hutongs (北京胡同), the lights of the Bund (外滩) in Shanghai (上海)... They told me that this is what China looks like today—ancient yet modern, attracting more people to approach and understand her.

Perhaps the connection was planted at that time. The Chinese students' words were full of love and pride for their motherland and hometown, which made me truly feel for the first time that China is not only historically rich and culturally profound but also full of development vitality and modern atmosphere. I yearned for China—I wanted to figure out what kind of magical land it was.

A few months later, I first set foot on Chinese soil and began a month-long trip. At that time, China was preparing for the Beijing Olympics (北京奥运会), and everywhere was filled with vigor and vitality. The subway network was rapidly expanding, pedestrians walked briskly through the streets and alleys, and the night markets were filled with the aroma of various special foods. What touched me most was the friendliness and openness of the Chinese people: when there was a language barrier, people always patiently gestured to give me directions; the elderly people practicing Tai Chi in the park carefully taught me the basic movements; fashionable young people took cool photos with me... At the end of the trip, an idea became extremely clear in my mind: I want to study in China, not only to learn the language and culture but also to understand the internal logic of its development and become a participant in this process, rather than just a distant observer.

The idea quickly became a reality, and Tsinghua University (清华大学) gave me the opportunity to study in China. For me, learning Chinese was not easy, but I enjoyed it and regarded it as an interesting cultural decoding. After finishing my studies at Tsinghua University, I returned to the Norwegian Seafood Council to work, responsible for the market promotion and industrial cooperation of salmon in the Asia-Pacific region. At that time, the traditional consumer market for Norwegian salmon was still concentrated in Europe and the United States, but orders from Asia were increasing year by year. Although I had left China, my attention to China and its market never diminished. I noticed that with the improvement of living standards, the demand for high-quality salmon among the Chinese people was growing rapidly. With confidence and expectation for the Chinese market, I returned to China.

An "Ancient Classic of Fish Farming" feels the Oriental character:
A Dialogue in Time and Space Unfolds Between Different Civilizations

Compared with wild salmon, farmed salmon is more controllable in quality and more suitable for raw consumption. It is estimated that about half of the world's farmed salmon comes from Norway. At that time, most of the salmon in the Chinese market relied on imports, which were not only expensive but also not very fresh. I began to think about whether it was possible to introduce Norwegian salmon farming technology to China and achieve local supply?

This idea coincided with that of Norwegian entrepreneur Ove Løland. Many years ago, he keenly perceived the huge potential of the Chinese market and began planning to build Asia's first large-scale land-based recirculating aquaculture system for salmon here.

The base was eventually located in Xiangshan County (象山县), Ningbo City (宁波市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省). Here, facing the East Sea (东海), the sea currents are active, and the water quality is excellent, making it an ideal place to develop modern aquaculture. Different from traditional marine cage culture, the recirculating aquaculture system can not only kill various pathogens breeding in the water but also simulate the growth environment of fish to ensure that the salmon meat is fresh, delicious, and healthy. More importantly, this system realizes the efficient recycling of water resources, and most of the aquaculture water can be purified and recycled within the system, eliminating the pollution that traditional farming methods may cause to the offshore area from the source.

When Løland invited me to participate in this project, he had a deep conversation with me. I still remember that he handed me an English translation of *The Classic of Fish Farming* and said solemnly: "You should read this. More than 2,000 years ago, Fan Li (范蠡), known as the 'Sage of Business,' put forward the concept of 'following the seasons' (顺天时). This is not only about fish farming technology but also a philosophy of pursuing sustainable development." At that moment, I suddenly thought of the "Cultural Night" many years ago, and I also understood Løland's reason for choosing China, and I had a deeper understanding of "ancient yet modern"—here, there is not only rich historical experience but also the continuation of thought and inheritance.

Soon, I officially joined the project team. After coming here, I learned that Fan Li's place of retirement and fishing after his success was near Dongqian Lake (东钱湖畔) in Ningbo (宁波). This historical and geographical echo made me even more enlightened—perhaps what we are doing is far more than just a commercial project, but also a dialogue in time and space between different civilizations around the concept of sustainable development, and a joint effort to pursue common ideals.

**万事开头难** (wàn shì kāi tóu nán - "everything is difficult at the beginning," the beginning is always the hardest). However, thanks to the pragmatism and efficiency of the local government, many problems in the early stages of project construction were solved: when we were struggling with the import process of the first batch of recirculating aquaculture systems, the Xiangshan County (象山县) government implemented the service concept of "at most one visit" and assisted us in completing various approval procedures in a timely manner; in the early stage of the base's operation, due to our lack of experience in power planning, the transformer capacity could not meet the full load production demand, and the staff of the local power supply station often came to the door to actively assist in solving the problem.

Once, we were debugging equipment late into the night, and the voltage fluctuated abnormally. I tried to call the Hepu Power Supply Station (鹤浦供电所) of the State Grid Xiangshan County Power Supply Company (国网象山县供电有限公司), and 20 minutes later, the director Li Yongjun (李永军) arrived at the scene with technicians. He said: "These fish are delicate, and the electricity cannot wait." This spirit of dedication contained in simple words touched me very much. Later, with the expansion of the production scale, the power supply station's power supply service was also continuously upgraded, which not only met the power demand of the current and second-phase production but also saved us nearly 3 million yuan in electricity costs every year through professional energy-saving suggestions and technical support.

From project approval to the various stages of construction, what I felt was not cold official seals and procedural documents, but sincere faces, pragmatic plans, and a common belief that "since we are here, we must get things done." This warmth is the same as the kindness I felt when I traveled in China more than 20 years ago—no matter how times change, the Chinese people's character of "treating people with sincerity" (以诚待人) remains the same.

At the end of April 2024, when the first batch of high-quality salmon bred in China and meeting the standards for raw consumption was placed in front of consumers, the pride in my heart was indescribable.

A "Chinese nickname" finds emotional belonging:
Openness and Inclusiveness Bring More Peace of Mind and Confidence

More than 20 years ago, salmon was still quite unfamiliar to most Chinese families; today, it has become one of the common food choices on the tables of many Chinese people. This transformation is not only the release of the potential of the Chinese market but also the improvement of the quality of life of the Chinese people. Over the years, my team and I have also been constantly exploring how to "maximize the freshness" of this Nordic delicacy.

Fishing, processing, packaging, shipping... Now, the salmon processed through standardized procedures can reach the tables of residents in the Yangtze River Delta (长三角) in as little as 5 hours, and can be delivered to most cities in China within 24 hours.

Support from technology, the market, and policies has paved the way for us to a broader stage. Through the China International Import Expo (中国国际进口博览会), an important window, we showcased the innovative practice of Asia's first recirculating aquaculture system base to the world. More valuable is that through this platform, we directly contacted distributors and consumers from all over China. Their enthusiastic and real feedback gave us a more three-dimensional and vivid understanding of the Chinese market. It is this valuable interaction and resonance that strengthens our determination to continue to participate in the exhibition in the future. Let the salmon originating from the Norwegian deep sea and raised in the East China Sea swim to a broader table, and let the world see the openness and vitality of the Chinese market.

More orders are driving us to make more efforts. With the completion of the first phase of the base and its full operation, the annual production capacity can reach 4,000 tons, and an average of more than 70 tons of high-quality salmon can be supplied every week, which can meet the consumption needs of the Yangtze River Delta and even major cities in China. The subsequent second and third phase projects are also under rapid construction, and the total annual production capacity is expected to reach 20,000 tons after completion.

Today, our aquaculture base has become a benchmark project for Norwegian-Chinese commercial and technological cooperation. As a landmark achievement of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, this project leads the forefront of the industry with hard data indicators: the mortality rate of fish is less than 2%, and the premium product rate is as high as 99%. These clear and verifiable figures reflect the confidence that technological support brings us.

Over the years, a quiet change has also made me particularly cherish: the local people's name for me has gradually changed from the initial "that foreigner who raises salmon" to "the fishing boss of our town" (我们镇的渔老大). This acceptance and recognition is warmer and more powerful than any commercial data.

With the commissioning of the second phase project and the promotion of the third phase plan, the company has gradually transformed from a wholly foreign-owned enterprise to a Sino-foreign joint venture. This is not just an adjustment of the commercial structure but also our inevitable choice to integrate into the Chinese market. From convenient customs clearance policies to inclusive cooperation platforms, from efficient social services to a high-quality business environment, China has always embraced the world with an open attitude, which also makes foreign businessmen who cultivate here more and more at ease and more and more confident in the future.

My story is not just a story about helping salmon cross mountains and seas, but also a story about trust, integration, and common growth—on this hot land that constantly creates miracles and is full of warmth, a Norwegian has found the direction of his career and a sense of belonging.

(The author is the general manager of Nordic Seafood (Ningbo) Co., Ltd. (诺帝克水产（宁波）有限公司), interviewed and compiled by Liu Junguo (刘军国), reporter of this newspaper)

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A People-Centered and Vibrant Nation of Technological Innovation: China in My Eyes

By: 桑德·科尔

Not long ago, I traveled to Germany to attend the 2025 Munich International Auto Show. At the venue, technologically advanced scenes such as intelligent driving, panoramic prism cockpits, and human-computer interaction attracted the attention of many visitors. Holding my filming equipment, I saw long queues in front of the Chinese new energy vehicle booths, with a constant stream of visitors test driving, so I recorded this lively scene. Later, I learned that the number of Chinese exhibitors at this auto show had reached a new high, ranking first among international exhibitors.

Visiting auto shows is an important window for me to observe the forefront of Chinese innovation. In recent years, China's new energy vehicles have accelerated their lead globally. Wherever they appear at international auto shows, they almost always become the focus of attention. I am also attracted to the booths of Chinese independent automobile brands: these self-developed new cars have eye-catching designs, showcasing fashionable technological aesthetics; sitting inside the car, the accurate voice interaction and smooth operating experience, every hardcore technology demonstration impresses me deeply.

In my opinion, the key to why Chinese technological innovation, represented by the new energy vehicle sector, can "run fast" lies in having a solid foundation of independent research and development – systematic breakthroughs in technology over the past 20 years, including global leadership in battery technology, a closed-loop ecosystem from materials to complete vehicles, and advantages in R&D investment and patents; at the same time, a strong full industrial chain, from power batteries and intelligent operating systems to vehicle-mounted chips and innovative materials, escorts technology iteration and application to be more efficient and of higher quality.

In addition to the dazzling technological displays at auto shows, many innovative details in the actual experience are also very touching. Once, a Chinese ride-hailing driver told me that new energy vehicles can not only be charged, but also have their batteries directly replaced with fully charged batteries at battery swap stations. I felt very novel, realizing that charging does not necessarily mean a long wait, but can also achieve "instant swap and go" by replacing batteries. For car owners, this approach provides more diverse options, saving time and effort, and is extremely convenient. At that moment, I realized that Chinese technological innovation not only pursues technological breakthroughs, but also optimizes services and applications around the actual needs of ordinary people, truly improving people's daily lives, and fully practicing the concept of technology empowering a better life.

Beyond new energy vehicles, the rapid development of drones is also hard to ignore. At last year's drone light show celebrating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone (深圳经济特区), I watched it with my Dutch artist friend Joseph Klibansky (约瑟夫·克利班斯基), and the shock in my heart lingered for a long time: 12,000 drones transformed their formations in the night sky, forming dreamy three-dimensional paintings. Klibansky's carefully designed art installations were also perfectly displayed by the drones. He was so excited that he shed tears on the spot. He said: "This is a highly futuristic artistic feast. In China, we did it!" At that moment, I truly felt that technology is not cold metal and silent programs, it can meet with art, dialogue with emotions, and become a new language for telling everyone's story.

Why is Chinese technological innovation so fascinating? I think the answer lies not only in its perfect policy support, huge investment scale, and complete industrial chain, but also because it is always closely linked to actual social needs and the daily lives of ordinary people.

An open, confident, people-oriented, and constantly innovating China has deeply inspired many foreign youths, including myself, and has won increasing understanding and recognition from the international community. In my eyes, the future of Chinese technology will definitely continue to light up the lives of more people and contribute new wisdom and solutions to human development.

(The author is a Dutch self-media blogger, interviewed and compiled by Niu Ruifei (牛瑞飞), reporter of this newspaper)

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I'm "Xiaomi," a "Changsha Maiden" from Africa (Foreigners Feel at Home)

By: 米拉娜·安妮赛特

My name is Mirana Aniset (米拉娜·安妮赛特), and I come from faraway Madagascar. My Chinese friends affectionately call me "Xiao Mi (小米)."

Many people may know me from livestreaming, but being a livestreaming host is not actually my "old profession." I came to China in 2011 to study, and in 2022, I obtained a Ph.D. in International Trade from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (中南财经政法大学). When I graduated, I heard that the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (中非经贸博览会) was being held in Changsha (长沙), Hunan (湖南), and I also saw the huge potential for the development of non-Chinese economic and trade cooperation. So I chose to come to Changsha and became a "Changsha Meituo (长沙妹陀)" from Africa.

When I first arrived in Xingcheng (星城), where should I start? I used my professional knowledge to start foreign trade in the Changsha Area (长沙片区) of the China (Hunan) Pilot Free Trade Zone (中国（湖南）自由贸易试验区). Perhaps it's because I have the unique enthusiasm and cheerfulness of an African girl, I get along very well and happily with my customers. Later, a livestreaming company sent me an invitation, and "Anchor Xiao Mi (主播小米)," who promotes products to African consumers, officially went online.

At first, I had no livestreaming experience, and there were not many customers watching and placing orders. How to break the situation? Our team analyzed the preferences of African consumers together, flexibly adjusted the products in the livestreaming room, and launched products with Chinese ethnic minority characteristics such as handbags, comfortable shoes, and beautiful and practical power banks, which were very popular. Once, we introduced bamboo products from Yuanjiang (沅江), Hunan (湖南) into the livestreaming room, and achieved very good results. Among them, bamboo cutting boards are environmentally friendly and durable, antibacterial and mildew-proof, and suitable for tropical climates, which are favored by African consumers. Gradually, the number of fans in the livestreaming room increased, business became better and better, and monthly sales once reached 100,000 US dollars. Facing the livestreaming camera, I am calm and comfortable, not nervous at all, but can feel happiness and satisfaction from interacting with customers. For me, this is not just a business - I hope that more and more African consumers can use good Chinese products and improve their quality of life.

For more than 10 years, China has long become my "second hometown." There are broad platforms, kind partners, unlimited development opportunities, and a strong atmosphere of non-Chinese cooperation. My two children can now speak fluent Changsha dialect. I like the warm and friendly Chinese friends, Changsha's special cuisine and history and culture. Although livestreaming e-commerce has been doing very well 风生水起 (fēng shēng shuǐ qǐ - "wind rises, water rises," to develop rapidly and vigorously), I still hope to do more for the development of non-Chinese economic and trade. In 2024, in order to promote the high-quality development of non-Chinese cooperation, Hunan University (湖南大学) established the African Research Institute (非洲研究院), and I was fortunate to enter the Research Institute to carry out postdoctoral research. My goal is to "invite in" more African companies and also help more Chinese companies "go out."

(The author is a postdoctoral fellow at the African Research Institute (非洲研究院) of Hunan University (湖南大学), and this report was compiled by Yang Xun (杨迅), a reporter from this newspaper)

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Editor in Charge for This Section: Bai Yang, Qiang Wei, Chen Xirui

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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New energy vehicle sales exceed 50%: Is oil still important? (Xiao Jing Talks Oil)

By: 丁怡婷

Recently, the "two 50%" of new energy vehicles has attracted much attention: in 2025, the proportion of domestic new car sales of new energy vehicles will exceed 50%; the electricity consumption of the charging and battery swapping service industry will increase by nearly 50% year-on-year.

Some people ask, with the increasing popularity of new energy vehicles, will charging replace refueling, and will oil still be important?

New energy vehicles have indeed changed the dominant trend of oil in the field of transportation energy. Related reports predict that by 2030, the proportion of transportation fuel in China's oil consumption will drop from about 48% in 2025 to about 40%, and China's consumption of refined oil with "fuel" attributes has peaked. However, it should also be noted that the current proportion of new energy vehicles in China is only about 12%, and there is still a huge stock market for fuel vehicles, which still has a high demand for oil.

However, oil is not just fuel. It can be converted into various chemical products through complex processing, and its "raw material" attribute is continuously strengthening. By 2030, the proportion of chemical raw materials in oil consumption is expected to increase from about 26% in 2025 to about 36%, and will exceed 50% in the future.

A drop of oil is undergoing "seventy-two changes" and is subtly changing our production and life. First, let's talk about new energy vehicles. Although they do not use oil as fuel, the battery shell, diaphragm, interior of the car body, lubricating oil used in motors and gears, and even resins and solvents in tires and car paint are inseparable from petrochemicals. From another perspective, the popularity of new energy vehicles is also creating new demand for oil.

Not only that, a drop of oil also protects the "freshness" of daily life. One of the secrets to preventing imported cherries from rotting across the ocean lies in the packaging materials. The new barrier application material developed by China Petrochemical (中国石化) can effectively isolate oxygen, allowing people to achieve freedom of fresh fruit. From "breathable" functional fabrics to waterproof and long-lasting lipsticks and lightweight and beautiful furniture, petrochemicals weave a better life.

A drop of oil supports the "high-precision" of major national instruments. In the field of high-end manufacturing related to national competitiveness, oil is also indispensable. Whether it is the lightweight and strong carbon fiber on large aircraft, the polyethylene fiber that lifts prefabricated components of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (港珠澳大桥), or the raw materials for the carbon rods of the nuclear reactor "brake valve", there is oil behind them.

In the process of achieving the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, the total consumption of oil will enter a downward stage, but its strategic energy status and role will remain.

On the one hand, the raw material attribute of oil as a modern industry continues to strengthen and is difficult to replace in a short period of time; on the other hand, the current global energy security problem is becoming more intense, and oil and gas prices are fluctuating sharply. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, international oil prices once exceeded $130 per barrel, a new high since 2008. In January of this year, affected by international situation and other factors, Brent oil prices rose by about 10% in a week, and the International Energy Agency (国际能源署) raised its forecast for oil demand growth in 2026.

Although China's oil and gas supply capacity continues to increase, with crude oil production from industrial enterprises above designated size reaching 216 million tons in 2025, a record high, and remaining stable at more than 200 million tons for four consecutive years, the external dependence still reaches about 70%, and the cumulative crude oil imports in 2025 increased by 4.4% year-on-year. Solving the core demand for oil and gas is an important task we face, and it is an inevitable choice to firmly hold the energy rice bowl.

What is worth looking forward to is that through technological innovation, the petrochemical industry and new energy are deeply integrated. For example, using CCUS (carbon capture, utilization and storage) technology for oil displacement to increase oilfield recovery, the "green content" of oil is increasing, bringing more possibilities for higher quality utilization in the future.

The National Energy Administration (国家能源局) stated that it will enhance oil and gas production and supply capacity in 2026. Continue to implement the medium- and long-term strategic action plan for increasing oil and gas reserves and production, and accelerate the construction of the Sichuan-Chongqing (川渝) natural gas 100 billion cubic meter base. Steadily promote the construction of five major oil and gas cooperation zones and promote the stable operation of cross-border oil and gas import channels.

Therefore, the popularity of new energy vehicles does not mean that oil is leaving the market. In the future, with the "reducing oil and increasing chemicals" and green transformation of oil, it will still play an important role in consolidating the foundation of energy security and promoting national economic development.

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A Chronicle of Aerospace "Intelligent Manufacturing" Upgrades (Industrial Economy Perspective)

By: 本报记者 刘温馨 《中国经济周刊》记者 孙 冰 谢 玮

The most "powerful" Chinese factory officially unveiled.

Recently, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) released the first batch of 15 "2025 Leading Smart Factory Cultivation List" enterprises, and Shanghai Aerospace Equipment Manufacturing General Plant Co., Ltd. (上海航天设备制造总厂有限公司) (hereinafter referred to as "Shanghai Aerospace Equipment Manufacturing General Plant" (上海航天设备制造总厂)) was successfully selected.

Leading factories are regarded as representing the highest level of intelligent manufacturing in China and even the world. Cultivating leading factories is a strategic measure for China to seize the opportunity of industrial intelligent development and build future manufacturing competitive advantages.

What does a leading factory for aerospace equipment look like? What changes have taken place in the production of national heavy equipment? Recently, reporters conducted on-site visits and interviews.

Every screw has an "ID card."
Digitalization and networking are the foundation of intelligence.

A launch vehicle has "hundreds of thousands" of parts and components. In the traditional model, in order to complete the summary of a complete machine quality document, quality engineers and process engineers have to "move" back and forth between the vast paper documents and scattered systems, taking an average of about 7 days.

In the smart factory of Shanghai Aerospace Equipment Manufacturing General Plant (上海航天设备制造总厂), this time has been compressed to 5 minutes.

Staff can open the system and trace all data back to the source in a few minutes - from raw material inspection, parts processing, component assembly to complete machine testing.

This speed does not come from working overtime, but from the restructuring of production methods.

Here, every product, from the entire rocket to a small screw, has a unique "digital ID card" throughout its life cycle. From the component analysis of raw materials, the temperature curve of the heat treatment process, to the real-time tightening data of each torque wrench during assembly, and even all the test records experienced by the section, are automatically collected and dynamically associated to form a "full life cycle quality data package" that accompanies the product throughout its life.

"We must deliver a complete data package at the same time as we deliver the product." Cheng Hui (程辉), a researcher at Shanghai Aerospace Equipment Manufacturing General Plant (上海航天设备制造总厂), told reporters that if the material of the same batch of screws fluctuates, through the integration of quality traceability maps and AI technology, the system can directly locate the specific affected parts from thousands of parts, and determine which warehouse, which product in production, or which rocket it has been equipped on, "from relying on paper archives and 大海捞针 (dà hǎi lāo zhēn - "fishing for a needle in the sea," to find a needle in a haystack) in the past to achieving second-level response now."

The full life cycle digitalization is extending from the factory to the supply chain.

Currently, the demand for aerospace missions is undergoing profound changes. On the one hand, the requirements for high-density launches and high reliability of national aerospace missions are constantly increasing; on the other hand, commercial aerospace is booming, posing unprecedented challenges to the sensitivity of cost control and the response speed of the supply chain.

"It's useless to be fast on your own; the supply chain must keep up." Cheng Hui (程辉) said frankly that to maintain competitiveness in the era of commercial aerospace, it cannot be just a closed loop within the factory, but must achieve "full-process chain movement."

"Full-process chain movement" refers to establishing a rapidly iterative research and development system and an open supply chain system. "Full-process" means covering research and development experiments, product production, final assembly and testing, factory transportation, and launch services related to launch vehicles. "Chain movement" means using the aerospace-specific organization and production model as input to drive the business association flow of enterprises on the entire industrial chain, supporting the high-quality and high-density research and development of aerospace products.

Looking at the 15 leading factories, digital transformation and networked collaboration are the foundation.

Weichai Power (潍柴动力) has built a multi-level digital twin system to create nearly 100 digital virtual test benches, promoting a 20% reduction in the engine development cycle and breaking the world record for diesel engine thermal efficiency four times in a row.

Nanjing Iron and Steel (南京钢铁), relying on the industrial Internet, can enable customers to submit production drawings and parameter requirements on the network. After the system receives the order, it designs the specifications, dimensions, and opening diameters of the components online, and then uses robots on the production line to produce the components.

The average AI application penetration rate has exceeded 70%.
Moving from "automation" to "autonomy."

In the launch vehicle final assembly area of the factory, two rocket sub-stages weighing tens of tons are being docked. There is no traditional heavy industry site noise here, but a slight hum of motors.

A set of "one-stop" flexible automatic docking system integrates large-size spatial pose measurement technology. The equipment is like having "eyes and hands," which can automatically capture position, sense the state of force, and automatically adjust posture, piecing together sections weighing several tons seamlessly, completely bidding farewell to the traditional docking method of "relying on people shouting, relying on eyes to see, and relying on hands to shake."

This "effortless" is due to the factory moving the complex "system engineering" into the digital world.

In this smart factory, key and complex processes are first simulated and verified in a virtual environment, and then issued to the equipment end for execution, reducing rework and repeated trial and error on the cycle.

Taking the duct manufacturing of the launch vehicle power system as an example, its model has undergone a leap from "on-arrow sampling + manual bending" to "sample tube sampling + CNC bending" to "digital sampling + CNC bending."

Today, by obtaining actual assembly space data through 3D scanning and intelligently comparing and repairing it with the design model, the system directly generates CNC bending instructions, eliminating the lengthy process of repeated trial production of physical sample tubes.

This change has increased the efficiency of duct digital sampling by 120%, the efficiency of digital process preparation by 400%, and the efficiency of CNC bending by 50%.

Using accumulated image data, carrying out application research on automatic detection algorithms based on artificial neural networks, and developing a production process defect recognition system can automatically identify assembly quality problems such as rockets and solar wings; introducing VR technology into the assembly process to realize three-dimensional splicing of local photos and layered assembly photos, solving the problems that local photos cannot reflect the correct installation path of ducts, product installation sequence, etc... At Shanghai Aerospace Equipment Manufacturing General Plant (上海航天设备制造总厂), the application of artificial intelligence is gradually deepening.

Ao Li (敖立), Vice President of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (中国信息通信研究院), introduced that the application of artificial intelligence technology was a very prominent requirement in the selection of the first batch of leading factories.

According to statistics, the average AI application penetration rate of the first batch of 15 selected leading factories has exceeded 70%, the number of artificial intelligence models applied has reached more than 6,000, and more than 1,700 key intelligent manufacturing equipment and industrial software have been broken through and applied.

"The deep integration and innovation of artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing technology not only covers typical scenarios such as production scheduling and online testing, but also extends to high-value chain links such as research and development design and operation and maintenance services, initially spawning a batch of industrial intelligent bodies with perception, decision-making and execution capabilities, and promoting intelligent manufacturing to accelerate from 'automation' to 'autonomy'," said Ao Li (敖立).

Leading the intelligent transformation of the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain.
"Leading" should be more "leading."

To build a leading factory, Shanghai Aerospace Equipment Manufacturing General Plant (上海航天设备制造总厂) is promoting the "intelligent" gene to the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain.

For example, aerospace manufacturing involves a large number of extreme manufacturing and extreme environment service requirements. Shanghai Aerospace Equipment Manufacturing General Plant (上海航天设备制造总厂) has transformed process requirements into equipment parameters through "accompanying" research and development with domestic equipment suppliers, and jointly tackled a batch of key equipment such as friction stir welding, automated flexible final assembly, and high-precision mirror milling.

Taking the manufacture of rocket storage tanks as an example, the thinnest wall thickness of its tank bottom is only 0.8 mm, and the diameter is nearly 4 meters, making it extremely difficult to process. High-precision mirror milling integrates multiple sensors such as distance, wall thickness, and line laser, and measures, feeds back, and adjusts the tool position in real time during the milling process, realizing "measuring while adding" and controlling the machining tolerance within plus or minus 0.1 mm. The deep integration of process and equipment has overcome the problem of weak rigid thin-walled structure processing that has plagued the industry for a long time.

Through the construction of a smart factory, the localization rate of intelligent manufacturing equipment in Shanghai Aerospace Equipment Manufacturing General Plant (上海航天设备制造总厂) has reached more than 80%, and production efficiency has increased by 40%.

"Leading factories not only need to be 'leading' themselves, but also need to undertake the 'leading' mission. It is necessary to condense the excellent capabilities and successful experiences of leading factories into replicable and scalable technical guidelines, standards and specifications, and solutions, and radiate and output them to the entire industry to amplify their benchmark demonstration effect," emphasized Wang Ruihua (王瑞华), a member of the National Intelligent Manufacturing Expert Committee (国家智能制造专家委).

Data shows that the first batch of 15 leading factory cultivation objects has cumulatively driven more than 1,300 factories to achieve digital and intelligent transformation and upgrading. For example, Weichai Power (潍柴动力) has replicated and promoted the digital and intelligent lean management model within the group and to more than 260 enterprises in the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain and supply chain, and Changfei Optical Fiber (长飞光纤) has carried out intelligent manufacturing capability and model output in 8 production bases around the world.

Since 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部), the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委), the Ministry of Finance (财政部), the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (国务院国资委), the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局), and the National Data Bureau (国家数据局) and other 6 departments have jointly launched a gradient cultivation action for smart factories, building a four-level cultivation system of basic level, advanced level, excellent level, and leading level. As the highest level of the four-level system, leading factories are regarded as representing the highest level of intelligent manufacturing in China and even the world.

As of now, the country has cumulatively built 35,000 basic-level, more than 8,200 advanced-level, and more than 500 excellent-level smart factories, and has selected 15 leading-level smart factory cultivation objects.

"This profound technological change is directly transformed into tangible benefits and advantages. Taking product research and development as an example, the average research and development cycles of excellent-level and leading-level factories are shortened by 29% and 38% respectively, fully demonstrating the huge value of intelligent manufacturing," said the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部).

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The Landscape of Shanxi and the Spirit of Jin Merchants (Economic Geography Musings)

By: 赵晓春

Shanxi's tradition of valuing commerce is deeply rooted in its landscape.

"Traversing nine thousand miles across Eurasia, dominating the business world for five hundred years," this widely known praise carries many labels. There's the Ancient Tea Horse Road pioneered by Shanxi merchants, the financial precedent set by the Piaohao (票号 - early form of Chinese bank), and the core spirit of "honesty and trustworthiness, pioneering and enterprising, harmonious cooperation, pragmatic management, and benefiting the world and the people."

There used to be a folk saying, "Wherever there are sparrows, there are Shanxi merchants." The footprints of Shanxi merchants spanned the entire Eurasian continent, their glory lasting for hundreds of years, yet their starting point was inextricably linked to Shanxi's unique geographical environment.

Mountains as a screen, the Yellow River as a belt.

Looking outward, Shanxi is adjacent to Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), connects to Henan (河南) in the south, and is bordered by Shaanxi (陕西) and Hebei (河北), located in the connecting area between agricultural and nomadic civilizations.

The unique geographical location of connecting east and west, and running through north and south, makes Shanxi a natural hub for economic exchanges between northern grassland nomads and the Central Plains: grassland nomads urgently need tea, cloth, and other materials from the Central Plains, while the Central Plains crave cattle, horses, and other special products from the grasslands. Shanxi itself is rich in coal, iron, salt, silk, cotton, and other materials, which provides a material basis for merchants' trade activities.

Looking inward, on the land of Shanxi, "pointing to the Taihang Mountains (太行山) with the left hand, and pointing to the Lüliang Mountains (吕梁山) with the right hand," the internal Loess Plateau is further cut off by the Taiyue (太岳) and Zhongtiao Mountains (中条山). In the central part, the Fen River (汾河) runs from north to south, stringing together a series of basins, which is beneficial to the circulation of goods mainly transported by livestock at that time. The settlements on both sides of the river are relatively concentrated, providing indispensable water and resting places for people and animals.

The unique geographical location provided a stage for the birth of Shanxi merchants, but they truly became "big businessmen" starting in the early Ming Dynasty. At that time, the northern border troubles were not yet settled, and the huge military system of the "Nine Border Towns" needed a large amount of grain and grass support. The Ming Dynasty introduced the "Kai Zhong Fa" (开中法) system. Simply put, it was to hand over the "salt introduction" (盐引 - salt monopoly rights), which was originally a state monopoly, to merchants. In exchange, merchants had to transport grain and other military supplies to the northern frontier. Shanxi is adjacent to the northern border, and the Hedong Salt Pond (河东盐池) in southern Shanxi is close at hand. The dual geographical advantages allowed Shanxi merchants to keenly capture business opportunities, take the lead in entering the game, and become a large business group that combines grain and salt transportation and sales, thus laying the foundation for the rise of Shanxi merchants.

In the middle and late Qing Dynasty, the pressure of insufficient arable land became increasingly heavy, and "Walking West" (走西口) became the norm for Shanxi people to make a living. "Hequ Baode Prefecture (河曲保德州), nine out of ten years are bad harvests, men go outside the pass, women dig wild vegetables," a folk saying tells the hardships of the time. The history of the Qiao family's (乔家) fortune is quite typical: Qiao Zhiyong's (乔致庸) grandfather, Qiao Guifa (乔贵发), earned the Qiao family's first pot of gold by pulling camels, working as a clerk, and selling tofu in Baotou (包头), relying on hard work and endurance.

The tide of "Walking West" further activated the commercial talents of Shanxi people. With the advancement of "tea-horse trade" between agricultural and pastoral areas, coupled with the popularity of tea in Eurasia at that time, Shanxi, which does not produce tea, relied on the courage of "resources outside, market outside" to blaze a trail from Wuyi Mountain (武夷山) in Fujian (福建) in the south to Kyakhta (恰克图), a commercial port on the border between China and Russia at that time, a tea road of thousands of miles.

Business all over the world brought new challenges: long distances, inconvenient transportation, and the safety of funds and goods became core problems. In order to solve this problem, Shanxi merchants created a remittance system similar to modern banks, using innovation to solve the remittance dilemma. Among them, the most well-known is China's first Piaohao (票号) - "Rishengchang" (日昇昌). This small Piaohao not only solved the problem of remote transactions, but also allowed Shanxi merchants to be promoted from operators of goods to controllers of finance. They used small abacuses to dial the pulse of China's economic history.

As time goes by, although the camel bells of Shanxi merchants have gone far away, the commercial spirit shaped by the geographical environment is still nourishing Shanxi's economic development.

The pioneering and enterprising spirit is driving Shanxi's industrial transformation. As a resource-based province, Shanxi is striving to break through and innovate in the fields of new energy, new materials, and high-end manufacturing, transforming from "coal dependence" to "diversified support," inheriting the courage and魄力 of pioneering business roads in those years.

Geography and culture coexist, tradition and modernity blend. Today's Shanxi business spirit always contains the genes of openness and integrity. In the new era, how Shanxi's economy can further expand its opening up and seek innovation in change is more worthy of consideration.

(The author is the director of the Shanxi Provincial Radio and Television Bureau (山西省广播电视局), and this report was compiled by Zheng Yangyang (郑洋洋), a reporter from this newspaper)

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Editor in charge of this edition: Ge Mengchao

Layout Design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)

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Looking forward to more wonderful stories of "film +".

By: 王东辉

The total output value of the entire industry chain exceeded 810 billion yuan, and the box office pull coefficient was approximately 1:15.77. This is the economic performance of Chinese films in 2025, with both indicators ranking among the top in the world. "Film+" is like a lever, leveraging a vast space for cultural consumption and becoming a window to observe China's super-large market.

A movie ticket connects screen narratives with the myriad aspects of life. The booming trend of integrated development of "Film+" means that the film industry is moving from a single box office economy to a new stage of diversified and integrated consumption patterns.

From the cumulative sales of derivatives of *Ne Zha* (《哪吒之魔童闹海》) reaching hundreds of billions of yuan, to the XR experience project *Wolf Mountain Little Monsters* (《浪浪山小妖怪》) being stationed in more than 60 commercial complexes across the country, "Film + Cultural Creation" has upgraded impromptu consumption into an immersive experience; from *Langlang Life* (《浪浪人生》) making Quanzhou Shishi (泉州石狮), Fujian (福建) and other filming locations the preferred destinations for tourists to "explore the taste of Southern Fujian," to the Guangdong (广东) cuisine such as rice noodle rolls in *The Legend of Hei 2* (《罗小黑战记2》) sparking a wave of post-viewing taste bud pursuits, "Film + Tourism" directs the audience's vision from the screen to real mountains, rivers, and dining tables; from film-themed markets lighting up the city's night economy, to film IP-branded tea drinks triggering a frenzy on social media platforms, the tentacles of "Film + Consumption" extend to life.

With the continuous expansion of application scenarios, "Film+" has become an important engine for driving consumption and promoting industrial upgrading. When screen stories are transformed into life memories that can be participated in, shared, and treasured, what audiences consume is not only the film itself, but also its extended emotional resonance and immersive experience. This subtle but real change is a vivid footnote to the current transformation of consumption towards quality and experience.

The wonderful blossoming of "Film+" is rooted in the fertile soil of China's super-large market. A sufficiently large market capacity and diverse demand structure can nurture and support such a rich integrated business format.

In 2025, *Ne Zha* (《哪吒之魔童闹海》) topped the global single market and annual global box office charts with a mainland box office of 15.446 billion yuan, demonstrating the immense potential of the Chinese film market; *Zootopia 2*'s "fox and rabbit duo" reunited with Chinese audiences with zero time difference, and *Avatar 3* achieved simultaneous release in mainland China and North America. Behind the precise scheduling is the international film industry's high recognition of the Chinese market. Today, China's super-large market has become a "box office magnet" for the global film industry, providing a solid foundation for the growth of various integrated business formats.

The booming rise of "Film+" further illustrates that culture has been deeply integrated into the fabric of economic development, becoming an important force in activating development momentum. The improvement and expansion of the film industry reflects the vigorous development of the cultural industry. When a city becomes popular because of a movie, an ancient street is revitalized because of a lens, and a piece of history becomes vivid because of a plot, the living water of culture flows into the people's clothing, food, housing, transportation, and daily life through consumption channels.

Behind economic phenomena, there is always the support of cultural origins. The popularity of "Film+" is not only a successful practice of the transformation and upgrading of the cultural industry, but also a market response to cultural exchange, and a vivid expression of cultural confidence rooted in everyday life. With the bridge of "Film+", outstanding Chinese traditional culture has achieved a descent from macro narratives to micro-life in a softer and more modern way, allowing more people to feel the charm of culture and enhance cultural identity in the consumption experience.

The end of the movie is not the end. The subsequent stories written by "Film+" are more worthy of expectation. In the exploration of breaking boundaries and innovative integration, the "+" sign contains new growth points for future consumption vitality, demonstrating the strong vitality of the cultural industry and the profound potential of the super-large market.

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Ancient Silk Embraces Modern Trends (Transforming Chinese Treasures)

By: 本报记者 王伟健

At 7 PM, Gusu District (姑苏区), Suzhou (苏州), Jiangsu (江苏) Province, is already brightly lit. Inside the Da Shi Tailor Shop (大施裁缝铺) on Shiquan Street (十全街), Shi Yi (施意), the post-90s "shopkeeper," is meticulously organizing new products: exquisite fortune bucket bags, delicate butterfly brooches, elegant new Chinese-style qipaos... each piece exuding the agility of Jiangnan (江南) silk.

Outside, Ms. Chen (陈女士), who works for a foreign company in Suzhou Industrial Park (苏州工业园区), pauses and gazes. Her eyes are deeply attracted by a pearl-lustered silk qipao in the window. The trendy style and lifelike plum blossom patterns instantly strike her aesthetic. "In the past, I only thought of silk as exclusive to elders. I didn't expect it to be so stunning, so 'young'."

This gaze reflects the quiet transformation of thousand-year-old silk: from a treasured item in gift boxes and splendid attire in palaces to being woven into the fabric of daily life. From consumption scenarios to production and weaving, and then to cultural life, a silk thread is weaving a modern trend revolution. Recently, a reporter walked into the shores of Taihu Lake (太湖) to listen to the story of this "silk transformation."

The Transformation of Fashion Trends—

Youthful Design Makes Thousand-Year-Old Silk Charm "Trendy"

Approaching the New Year, Shi Yi is extremely busy. More than 10 "Spring Festival" new products are launched centrally. She has to be busy promoting on major platforms and coordinating the factory's production schedule to ensure that all products can be delivered to customers on time. "Basically, they are all here to pre-order new products," Shi Yi explained with a smile.

Recently, the most popular new product in Da Shi Tailor Shop is the newly launched "Old Stories of the South City" series of loose-fitting qipao products. On the shelves of the store, this product looks no different from ordinary qipaos at first glance; but upon closer inspection, it is found that the internal design of this qipao is ingenious.

A few months ago, a customer approached Shi Yi: Could she customize a qipao suitable for wearing in the cold winter? This question touched Shi Yi's keen market sense. She conducted in-depth market research and found that winter qipaos were very scarce. "This is worth a try!" The keen Shi Yi immediately decided: to improve the traditional qipao, fill the market gap, and design a winter qipao that can not only highlight the elegant charm of oriental women, but also provide practical warmth.

How to balance slim fit and warmth? This problem was placed in front of Shi Yi. She boldly broke through inherent thinking and cleverly embedded a thin layer of down "lining" inside the qipao, while retaining the external charm and lines of the qipao. At the same time, she adjusted the overall pattern to make it more suitable for inner wear, ensuring both wearing comfort and charm. After repeated polishing, Shi Yi finally created a winter qipao that combines beauty and practicality. Its warmth performance has been tested and is sufficient to cope with low-temperature environments of minus 5 degrees Celsius.

As soon as the "Old Stories of the South City" series of qipaos were launched, they attracted the attention of Chen Siyi (陈思伊), a post-90s girl in Ningbo (宁波), Zhejiang (浙江). She immediately called Shi Yi to pre-order a whole set, a total of more than a dozen styles. Chen Siyi frankly said that in the past, she had stereotypical impressions of silk clothing, such as "old-fashioned" and "not matching the aesthetics of young people," and once kept away from it.

By chance, she saw a new Chinese-style silk vest designed by Shi Yi that incorporated modern elements, and its unique design sense instantly moved her. Soon, she became a loyal fan of Da Shi Tailor Shop. Whenever new products are launched, she will pay attention to them as soon as possible, and buy them if she likes them. "It completely subverted the past imagination, with both traditional heritage and fashion," Chen Siyi said.

Shi Yi's "breaking the wall" is far more than just a winter qipao.

Since 2023, the Suzhou Silk Museum (苏州丝绸博物馆) has begun to promote the "digitalization" of patterns. Through collection, deconstruction, and extraction, the museum's collection of silk patterns has been transformed from static cultural relic specimens into circulating, innovative, and cross-border data elements and cultural assets. The ancient silk patterns have therefore become popular.

Seizing this opportunity, Shi Yi carefully selected classic silk patterns such as cloud patterns, twining branch patterns, and flower and bird patterns from the "digital pattern library" and transformed them into fashionable patterns, cleverly "activating" them in daily life: Song brocade (宋锦) handbags combine retro and commuting styles, silk pillows inject elegant atmosphere into the home, and silk notebook covers flow with cultural texture. She even combined silk with simple new Chinese-style furniture to design "Song Brocade Coffee Tables" and "Song Brocade Screens"... exquisite silk derivative products continue to broaden the application scenarios of this ancient craft.

The boundaries of the industry are broadened in innovation. Shi Yi's tailor shop has also transformed into a silk brand with annual sales of nearly 5 million yuan. Not long ago, the "Ladies Playing Polo" series of silk brooches she designed traveled across the ocean to Paris (巴黎), France (法国), and harvested a group of "foreign fans" who were obsessed with oriental aesthetics on the banks of the Seine (塞纳河).

The Transformation of Production and Weaving—

Technology as Shuttle, Ancient Materials Have a New "Toughness"

Leaving Gusu District (姑苏区), Suzhou (苏州), the reporter drove to Shengze Town (盛泽镇), Wujiang District (吴江区), Suzhou (苏州), known as the "Silk Capital." Here, the rebirth of silk stems from the deep empowerment of technology.

Walking into the modern production workshop of Huajia Silk (华佳丝绸), there are busy scenes everywhere. The brand-new looms that have been intelligently transformed are running at high speed, the sound of the machines is powerful, and pieces of shimmering silk are smoothly offline like flowing water.

Once upon a time, "silk was delicate and difficult to serve," and being easily soiled and difficult to care for were pain points that plagued the development of the industry. Wang Yongyu (王永瑜), deputy general manager of Huajia Silk (华佳丝绸), picked up a piece of fabric and sprinkled red wine on it. Surprisingly, with just a wipe of a rag, the stain disappeared without a trace, and the fabric was as clean as ever.

"The secret lies in the fact that we have put a technological 'armor' on silk," Wang Yongyu said in one word. By innovatively constructing a nano-level protective structure on the surface of the fabric, the pain point of silk being difficult to clean is fundamentally overcome, so that this natural softness can also calmly cope with the fast pace of modern life.

Moving to the Huajia Silk (华佳丝绸) exhibition hall, the dazzling array of innovative silk products subverts traditional impressions. Being easy to wrinkle and deform are also inherent "weaknesses" of silk. But in Huajia (华佳), the power of technology is giving ancient materials a new "toughness."

In order to overcome industry problems, the Huajia (华佳) R&D team repeatedly conducted experiments and finally found a solution: through precise proportioning and special processes, silk and spandex are perfectly "married." This key innovation not only completely retains the unique natural luster, skin-friendly and breathable properties of silk, but also gives it excellent elastic recovery ability and wrinkle resistance. Wang Yongyu (王永瑜) picked up a piece of elastic silk fabric and showed it: "Look, it can also be 'stiff and stylish, not easy to deform'."

Huajia's (华佳) hardcore innovation is far more than that. Wang Yongyu (王永瑜) introduced that the company invests 5% of its operating income in research and development every year, and has accumulated more than 180 patents. A series of technological innovations have not only improved product quality, but also made Huajia Silk (华佳丝绸) sell well around the world and become a fixed supplier for several international brands.

In Suzhou (苏州), the innovative pulse of the silk industry can be felt everywhere. A few kilometers away at Dingsheng Silk (鼎盛丝绸), a deep transformation with "digital" as the warp and weft is allowing Song brocade (宋锦), which was once used by the royal family, to "fly into the homes of ordinary people."

Inside the company's workshop, brand-new jacquard machines roared, and colorful warp and weft threads were interwoven back and forth, and Song brocade (宋锦) fabrics with gorgeous colors and exquisite patterns were gradually offline. Song brocade (宋锦) is famous for its gorgeous elegance and complex and exquisite patterns. Its traditional hand-picked flower craftsmanship is complex and precise. Craftsmen need to simultaneously control complex organizational structures and thousands of patterns. One person can only weave 5 centimeters a day, and the small output makes it long-term "high and low."

More than ten years ago, Wu Jianhua (吴建华), chairman of Dingsheng Silk (鼎盛丝绸), led the team to successfully develop the Song brocade (宋锦) electronic jacquard machine, which opened the door to the large-scale production of Song brocade (宋锦) for the first time. Now his team has installed a "digital brain" on these jacquard machines. Designers only need to input the conceived exquisite patterns into the computer system, and the algorithm will accurately convert them into a "language" that the machine can recognize. With an order, the jacquard machine moves on command, and the brocade gradually becomes between the flying silk threads.

At the same time, the precision sensors all over the body of the machine, like sensitive nerve endings, read key production data such as warp and weft tension and operating status in real time. Once an abnormality is detected, the "digital brain" immediately warns to ensure that the quality is accurate.

This series of innovations has not only improved product quality, but also increased the production efficiency of Song brocade (宋锦) by hundreds of times, allowing Song brocade (宋锦), which was once "out of reach" for ordinary people, to enter ordinary people's homes at affordable prices and blossom in clothing, home furnishings and other fields.

The Transformation of Cultural Life—

In the Depths of Sericulture, Weaving a Modern "Poetic Dwelling"

Next to the vast fields of Longquan Zui Village (龙泉嘴村) in Shengze Town (盛泽镇), the headquarters of the "Longquan Xili (龙泉禧里)" silk brand stands quietly. Although far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, visitors are constantly flowing, and there is a constant stream of cars in front of the door.

Stepping into it, there is a different world: elegantly designed new Chinese-style silk clothing hangs lightly, and non-heritage pan-button ornaments that condense ingenuity and a wide variety of silk fashion cultural and creative products are dotted in the simple space. This is not an unattainable luxury exhibition hall, but a "silk culture station" that exudes the aesthetics of oriental life.

Huang Qiuting (黄秋停), born in the 1980s, is the "dream weaver" behind this world. The silk in his hands not only blooms brilliantly in China, but also sets sail overseas and spreads far and wide. A series of "Internet celebrity" red scarves that appeared on the Spring Festival Gala of the General Station have aroused national pursuit. In Europe, exquisite and ingenious non-heritage pan-buttons have won the favor of local consumers. In North America, pieces of shimmering and innovative silk clothing have become new favorites in the market, showing the charm of Chinese manufacturing...

When the company's development was in full swing and its products were heading to the international market, Huang Qiuting (黄秋停) made a bold decision - to move the company's R&D headquarters to the countryside. Here, he shuttles between the ancient silkworm houses and silk reeling workshops in the village, sets up a camera in the fields where rice waves are surging, and records and tells the story of silk in short videos. Through the international communication platform, Huang Qiuting (黄秋停) has spread the "magical journey of a cocoon" and "the millennial wisdom of a silk thread" around the world, allowing the "soft power" of silk culture to quietly integrate into consumption scenarios around the world. "We hope that in the world, more people will understand silk and fall in love with silk culture," Huang Qiuting (黄秋停) said.

Today, the beauty of silk has long surpassed the single definition of gorgeous clothing, and like spring rain, it quietly sublimates into a poetic lifestyle that permeates daily life and nourishes the soul.

In Qidu Town (七都镇), not far from Shengze Town (盛泽镇), an ecological park complex of "Landscape Mulberry Field" covering an area of 500 acres is also fascinating. Here, the ponds are like mirrors, reflecting the swaying mulberry branches; on the Jiangcun Bridge (江村桥), the irrigation waterwheel turns leisurely. The ancient wisdom of mulberry dike and fish pond is vividly reproduced here: planting mulberry on the dike, feeding silkworms with mulberry leaves, raising fish with silkworm droppings, fertilizing the pond with fish manure, and embanking mulberry with pond mud, interlocking and forming an ecology. Water, fields, and mulberry trees complement each other, and the scenery changes with each step, not only maintaining the ecological balance, but also silently telling the rich code of the land of fish and rice. Here, six functional areas, including large and small silkworm houses and silk workshops, are orderly distributed, and the industry-university-research base jointly built with Suzhou University (苏州大学) and other universities allows traditional skills to be revitalized in innovation.

Liu Ying (刘瑛), the founder of "Landscape Mulberry Field," is 63 years old this year and has been associated with silk all her life. Her Shanshui Silk (山水丝绸) company mainly produces silk products such as clothing, scarves, and silk quilts. The products are sold to more than 30 countries and have an annual output value of over 100 million yuan. In Liu Ying's (刘瑛) view, the essence of the career has quietly sublimated. "In the past few decades, we have focused on how to weave every inch of silk and make every piece of clothing well. Now, we hope to convey a 'silk lifestyle' rooted in sericulture culture and returning to the natural essence," Liu Ying (刘瑛) said.

In order to make the beauty of silk within reach, her team has painstakingly developed derivative products such as dried mulberries, mulberry leaf tea, and mulberry wine around a mulberry leaf and a silkworm cocoon. Here, the charm of silk is no longer limited to wearing, but permeates between the lips and teeth and permeates every bit of life.

Xu Shasha (徐莎莎), a white-collar worker living in the old urban area of Wujiang (吴江), is a regular visitor to "Landscape Mulberry Field." On holidays, she will bring her family to "check in": drink a cup of fragrant mulberry tea, taste a few sweet mulberries, and enjoy silk-themed creative delicacies in the rice field restaurant; stop at the silkworm house and watch the wonderful life process of silkworms spinning silk and cocoons; participate in non-heritage experience courses such as silk weaving.

When she is in high spirits, she will also put on elegant silkworm clothing and immerse herself in the life of raising silkworms and planting mulberry trees for a day. "Here, the hustle and bustle of the city is isolated, time seems to slow down, and the heart also calms down," Xu Shasha (徐莎莎) said, stroking the silk. In 2025, "Landscape Mulberry Field" attracted tens of thousands of tourists, effectively driving the sales of surrounding homestays and agricultural products.

When silk is integrated into tea drinks, homestays, study tours... it has evolved from a single product into a philosophy of life. In Suzhou (苏州), the ancient wisdom of sericulture is no longer a dusty heritage, but a daily economy that is rising with the atmosphere of fireworks and is full of new vitality. In the strong market atmosphere on the banks of Taihu Lake (太湖), a vibrant modern version of the "farming and weaving map" is slowly unfolding.

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Life Wisdom Hidden in the Caravan's Baggage (Trendy Life in Cultural Relics)

By: 本报记者 李茂颖

As dawn breaks, brisk footsteps echo on the blue flagstone road. Young people, carrying hiking backpacks and clad in outdoor gear, set off in small groups from Nakeli (那柯里), Ning'er Hani and Yi Autonomous County (宁洱哈尼族彝族自治县), Pu'er City (普洱市), Yunnan Province (云南省), embarking on this well-preserved section of the Ancient Tea Horse Road. The fresh breeze in the mountains and forests, carrying the fragrance of plants and trees, becomes the natural backdrop for them to unlock trendy outdoor lifestyles.

Tracing the roots and engaging in a dialogue between the past and present, the enthusiasm of today's youth for the mountains and their pursuit of practical equipment resonate with the logistical considerations of the mule caravans of a century ago.

The Ancient Tea Horse Road originated from the ancient tea-horse trade in the southwestern region, flourished in the Tang (唐) and Song (宋) dynasties, and reached its peak in the Ming (明) and Qing (清) dynasties. For thousands of years, amidst towering mountains, the sound of bells echoed as countless mule caravans relied on perseverance to forge a long trail. The hardships of that era are not only etched in the winding hoof prints on the cliffs but also preserved in the various cultural relics that remain to this day.

Li Jin (李晋), director of the Collection Department of the Yunnan Nationalities Museum (云南民族博物馆), introduces that the museum houses hundreds of items of mule caravan equipment and living tools. From saddles carrying heavy loads to gongs and copper kettles for cooking, to backpacks for storing miscellaneous items, each artifact vividly recreates the travel scenes of the mule caravans. These objects, spanning over a century, are not only the crystallization of the survival wisdom of the mule caravans in coping with extreme environments but also form a wonderful echo with the current hiking culture across time and space.

The "copper gong pot" can be called the "mobile kitchen core" in the mule caravan's luggage. This utensil, forged from high-quality local copper ore in Yunnan, has a moderate diameter and a heavy texture. The flat-bottomed pot lid, when inverted, becomes a practical wok, proficient in stewing rice, stir-frying dishes, and simmering soup. Yunnan has always been rich in copper resources. After the Ming and Qing dynasties, Tonghai (通海), Heqing (鹤庆) and other places gradually formed a considerable copperware industry. The mule caravans used copper pots made from local materials, relying on their durable, heat-resistant, and evenly heated characteristics, perfectly adapted to the nomadic outdoor cooking needs on the ancient road. In today's hiking and camping scenarios, portable cookware has been iterated into titanium alloy and stainless steel materials, which are lighter and easier to store, but the core function remains unchanged—to bring a hot meal to hikers in the mountains.

The mule caravan's storage equipment also contains ingenuity. A leather waist bag can be worn close to the body, specifically for storing small personal items such as tobacco pipes, tobacco, and coins. The hands-free design is perfectly adapted to the needs of traveling on the ancient road. Today's hiking waist bags not only continue the core design concept of "carrying close to the body and easy access" but are also upgraded to a multi-layer partition structure, which can accurately store modern personal items such as mobile phones, power banks, and tissues. The material has also been upgraded to lightweight and breathable functional fabrics, taking into account both practicality and comfort.

The monotony and fatigue of long journeys also require spiritual comfort. A small Bai (白族) sanxian (三弦), newly collected by the Yunnan Nationalities Museum (云南民族博物馆) last year, is only twenty to thirty centimeters long, making it easy for the mule caravans to carry with them. "Whenever the mule team rested, someone would take out the sanxian and play it. The melodious sound of the instrument echoed in the valley, dispelling the fatigue and loneliness of the journey. This coincides with the habit of young people today carrying small guitars and ukuleles when hiking," said Li Jin (李晋).

In recent years, China's outdoor sports industry has continued to grow rapidly. Mountain hiking and stream tracing outdoor sports projects have high participation rates, and emerging business formats such as night hiking and stargazing camping have led the consumption trend, becoming a lifestyle sought after by young people. Experts say that in the past, mule caravans were the commercial link on the ancient roads of the southwest, connecting the flow of materials with their footsteps and hooves. Now, hiking is a leisure activity for people to get close to nature, carrying the yearning for freedom and the love for life. When the figures of modern hikers shuttle on the ancient mountain roads, that desire to explore nature, that life wisdom that combines practicality and romance, has been flowing in the cultural blood of the Chinese people, constantly inheriting and revitalizing in thousands of years.

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Editor in Charge for This Section: Qi Zhiming

Layout Design: Wang Zheping (汪哲平)

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Editor's Note

We are in an era of rapid change and rapid development. Keeping pace with "fast" seems to be the norm. Some people "seek slowness in speed," while others "use slowness as speed." Small victories accumulate into big victories. "Slow" and "fast" together, in the long term and eternally, contain the ingenuity and wisdom of life, and also contain the objective laws of the development of things. Today, we present six works to our readers around the theme of "fast and slow," to explore the fun in it together.
-- Editor

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Find your rhythm.

By: 张之路

Once, I participated in an activity meeting with high school students. At the end, the students asked me to write some encouraging words on their T-shirts or notebooks. Whenever this happens, my brain "short-circuits" - I can't think of anything inspiring to say. So I said, "You tell me, and I'll write it."

A female student said, "A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier!"

I thought that this sentence has been said too many times and is a bit cliché. After writing this sentence, I suggested, "How about adding another sentence for you?" The female student widened her eyes and asked, "Add what?" I said, "A soldier who wants to be a general is not necessarily a good soldier." The female student repeatedly said no and hurriedly took back her notebook.

Coincidentally, another male student said, "Please write for me, 'Walk your own path and let others talk'." I also thought that this sentence was not new. Having learned from the previous "lesson," I said with a smile, "How about adding another sentence?" "Add what?" the boy asked very cautiously. I said, "Listen to both sides and you will be enlightened; listen to only one side and you will be benighted?" The boy hurriedly shook his head.

At that moment, I understood why they didn't accept my suggestions. One reason was that my connections were a bit far-fetched, but the main reason was that they are now full of vigor, have great ambitions, and have an actively enterprising heart. They are the "soldiers" who "walk their own path and let others talk" and are determined to be "generals." For a moment, I was a little envious of them.

Envy aside, I still wanted to add something.

How should the growth of youth proceed? Young people always look forward to growing up quickly and succeeding early. When our fingertips are rapidly tapping on the keyboard, when our pens are rapidly moving on the test papers, when our footsteps are constantly running between various tutoring classes, we are always pushed forward by the tide of "fast." However, in this era where everything pursues efficiency, fast has its value, and slow also has its profound meaning. They are interdependent, and only by finding a balance between fast and slow can we walk confidently and walk out of our own calm pace.

In the era of information explosion, we hope to learn quickly and achieve results quickly. In the classroom, we need to quickly capture the key points taught by the teacher and absorb as much knowledge as possible in a limited time; in the examination room, we need to quickly mobilize the accumulated knowledge and complete the answers within the specified time; in the arena, we need to react quickly and sprint hard, going all out towards the goal. This "fast" is undoubtedly the source of motivation on the road to growth.

But we cannot blindly believe in "fast," let alone be kidnapped by "fast" and lose our direction. Growth is never a race to be achieved quickly. Many times, "slow" is the key to self-precipitation. In learning, those who swallow knowledge whole and rush for quick success often only leave superficial memories and find it difficult to truly internalize them into their own abilities. On the contrary, those who are willing to slow down and delve into research can truly grasp the essence of knowledge. Throughout history, countless accomplished people have known the wisdom of "slow." Cao Xueqin (曹雪芹) "read for ten years and revised five times" to create the masterpiece *Dream of the Red Chamber* (《红楼梦》), and Li Shizhen (李时珍) spent twenty-seven years traveling all over the country to complete the medical classic *Compendium of Materia Medica* (《本草纲目》).

This "slow" is not procrastination, but a pursuit of excellence.

In the journey of youth, "fast" and "slow" are not opposed to each other, but are complementary and dialectically unified. We need the efficiency of "fast" and the depth of "slow"; we need the sprint of "fast" and the accumulation of "slow." Using leisure time to read a good book, learn a new skill, and have in-depth communication with parents, these "slow times" not only enrich life but also nourish the soul.

However, in reality, many young people fall into the anxiety of "fast." They are kidnapped by the mentality of "others are making progress, I can't fall behind," blindly pursuing learning speed, and participating in various crash courses, but ignoring their own growth rhythm. The result is often that they seem busy, but in fact, they gain little, and even develop a dislike for learning due to overdrawing. In fact, everyone's growth has its own rules, just like flowers have different flowering periods, some bloom early, and some need a long wait.

Young people do not have to rush to compare with others, but should find a rhythm that suits them, go all out when they should be fast, and accumulate when they should be slow. Like bamboo, it only grows a few centimeters in the first few years, but then it can grow rapidly at a rate of dozens of centimeters per day. Behind this is the accumulation of years of deep rooting in the soil. The growth of youth is also like this. Those seemingly "slow" times are accumulating strength for the "fast" in the future.

As young people in the new era, living in a rapidly developing era, we must not only have the "fast ability" to adapt to the era, but also have the "slow wisdom" to precipitate ourselves. We must learn to stay sober in the fast-paced life and not be affected by the impetuous atmosphere; learn to enjoy the process of growth while pursuing efficiency. In learning, we must not only pursue speed but also pay attention to quality, and consolidate the foundation of knowledge through slow thinking and slow research; in life, we must not only cherish time and do things efficiently but also leave time to feel the beauty of life.

Youth is a journey full of infinite possibilities, and "fast" and "slow" are indispensable scenery. There is no need to blindly seek fast, nor is there a need to deliberately slow down. The key is to grasp the rhythm and make every step solid and calm. May we all find our own pace between fast and slow, maintain our original intention in rapid growth, and be full of hope in precipitation and accumulation.

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"Hurry Up" as a Catchphrase (Jin Tai Musings)

By: 周云龙

"Hurry up! Hurry up!!" If there were a catchphrase popularity chart, "hurry up" would definitely be at the top. It is parents urging their children, Party A pressing Party B, and users' expectations of delivery drivers.

Real life is filled with too many shouts of "hurry up," rising and falling, weaving together into the background noise of the "fast era." Is "fast" an inevitable trend? Is "fast" the best feeling? How fast do we really need to be? Besides "fast" and "faster," do we have other options?

In the clamor of "Hurry up! Hurry up!!", several stories I have seen or heard come to mind, several "slow" motion shots—

Scene 1: Rush hour, traffic like weaving fabric. A professor chose to walk to a meeting. A friend found it strange, but she smiled calmly: "Ride-hailing takes time to wait, buses have schedules, driving in traffic is even more frustrating, and finding parking is also troublesome. This distance is not far, and if I walk, I can control my own time."

In an era when ride-hailing apps can accurately calculate travel time, she chose the most primitive mode of transportation, rejecting the possibility of being controlled by external schedules, and regaining control of the rhythm of life in her own hands. The time loss that modern people take for granted is resolved by her in the most simple way.

We often regard speed as efficiency. But true efficiency, just like the professor's choice to walk, lies not in the superficial speed, but in whether it can accurately reach the goal and control the rhythm throughout the process—true speed begins with holding the remote control of time in your own hands.

Scene 2: On the weekend, a colleague took her child back to her hometown and happened to encounter an unmanned delivery vehicle slowly driving on a rural road. The child was very excited: "Mom, drive faster! Drive faster! Hurry up and pass it!" The mother stepped on the gas, and the child cheered: "Yay! We are faster than the robot!"

The child was proud, but the colleague suddenly realized: why should an unmanned delivery vehicle compete with people for speed? Its "slow" is a program setting based on safety, and its "fast" is continuous operation 24 hours a day, without fatigue or distraction. On a longer dimension, it achieves transportation efficiency that is difficult for humans to achieve.

We are too easily deceived by appearances: the figure of a driver speeding in a car seems faster, but the constant rhythm of an unmanned vehicle is another kind of efficiency; the overtime work of employees seems diligent, but the continuous output brought by safe production and regular work and rest is the real productivity—advanced speed is often hidden in a steady rhythm.

Scene 3: A high school classmate, returning from a business trip from another place in his early years, had his bus stall in the suburbs. The driver spent half an hour repairing it without success, and some passengers became impatient. The classmate suggested getting off the bus and walking. Who knew that halfway there, the repaired bus whizzed past them.

The frustration of 起个大早，赶个晚集 (qǐ gè dà zǎo, gǎn gè wǎn jí - "get up early, arrive late at the market," to start early but arrive late; to work hard but achieve little) became a life lesson that he often reflected on many years later. In this era of pursuing instant feedback, people are increasingly unable to tolerate uncertain waiting. Anxiety over a 5-minute late delivery, suspicion over an unreturned message... Anxiety drives us to often make choices that seem proactive but are actually inefficient.

Farmers all know to give crops time to grow and will not dig up the soil every day to check the progress after sowing. Sometimes, the wisest progress is to calm down and stop at the necessary moment—learning to wait, patience is sometimes the best accelerator for moving forward.

Three scenes, three mirrors.

Fast may be the tide of the times; slow may be an individual's boat. Mountain streams never sing of rapid progress, but eventually flow into rivers and seas; mountain torrents that destroy everything come and go quickly, leaving only dry riverbeds. Many things in life are like long-distance running. Those who know how to conserve their strength and adjust their breathing often have the last laugh. When the whole world is shouting "Hurry up! Hurry up!!", true clarity is often hearing the voice within yourself, knowing when to rush, when to overtake, when to run, and when to wait, and regardless of speed, adhering to long-termism.

At this moment, in which scene are you? And what kind of self do you see?

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The Devil is in the Details.

By: 柯 军

The beauty of Kunqu Opera lies in the balance of its fast and slow tempos. This rhythm is etched into the very essence of Kunqu Opera, and it is where we, as performers and appreciators, can best savor its flavor.

The nuances of this fast and slow pacing are evident everywhere on stage, most clearly seen in the performances of different roles.

The *wusheng* (武生, male martial role) embodies a fast tempo, revealing an irrepressible fortitude and fiery spirit, manifested in clean, crisp, and seamless movements. Like Lin Chong (林冲) in "Night Flight" (《夜奔》), fleeing to Liangshan (梁山) on a snowy night, the demanding physical dance is intertwined with intense emotion. The "walking the perimeter" movements on stage – "hurried stealth," "snow-glare path selection," "looking ahead and behind," "using ears as eyes," "hurriedly packing and fleeing" – twisting, straddling, and flying kicks, all fuse the fallen hero's integrity and anxiety into this fast rhythm. Then there's Gao Chong (高宠) in "Picking the Chariot" (《挑滑车》), whose pennants swirl like lightning, spear flowers dance like flashing starlight, and movements surge like thunder, fast with courage, fast with exhilaration, fast with resounding force. The martial prowess and heroic spirit of the warrior are instantly established on stage.

The *guimendan* (闺门旦, unmarried female role) embodies a slow tempo, with a voice full of twists and turns, and gestures and expressions brimming with charm. A sigh with each step, a gaze with each glance, sleeves gently unfurling and slowly rolling up, vocal melodies weaving a tapestry of emotions. Du Liniang (杜丽娘) in "The Peony Pavilion: Dream Interrupted" (《牡丹亭·寻梦》), lost in thoughts of the dream encounter, slowly cherishing it, blending the lingering longing, the gentle sweetness of the dreamscape, and the faint melancholy of reality, slowly infuses the girlish shyness of a young woman in love and her obsession with the dream into every movement. Yang Guifei (杨贵妃) in "The Palace of Eternal Life: Secret Oath" (《长生殿·密誓》), speaks softly and moves gracefully, her unique tenderness and charm unfolding completely in this slow rhythm.

One fast, one slow, one strong, one gentle, vividly showcasing the tension between different roles and different personalities.

This fast and slow pacing is also integrated into the music and singing of Kunqu Opera. Kunqu Opera is divided into Southern and Northern styles, each with its own charm, perfectly illustrating the concept of fast and slow. Northern tunes typically have more words and fewer melodies, with a faster rhythm and a high-pitched, impassioned tone, sung crisply and powerfully, carrying a heroic spirit. Southern tunes, on the other hand, have fewer words and more melodies, with a slow rhythm, sung with drawn-out sighs, and a winding, lingering melody, concealing endless subtleties.

Like "Night Flight" (《夜奔》) from "The Sword Story" (《宝剑记》), the entire set of Northern tunes – "Dian Jiang Chun" (《点绛唇》), "Xin Shui Ling" (《新水令》), "Zhe Gui Ling" (《折桂令》), "Yan Er Luo" (《雁儿落》), "De Sheng Ling" (《得胜令》), "Gu Mei Jiu" (《沽美酒》), "Shou Jiang Nan" (《收江南》)... – sung with vigor and sorrow, resonates deeply, conveying Lin Chong's grief, unwillingness, and the anxiety of an uncertain future, all within this fast-paced melody, directly touching the heart.

In "The Peony Pavilion: Dream Interrupted" (《牡丹亭·寻梦》), a set of Southern tunes such as "Lan Hua Mei" (《懒画眉》), "Te Te Ling" (《忒忒令》), "Jia Qing Zi" (《嘉庆子》), "Dou Ye Huang" (《豆叶黄》), "Jiang Er Shui" (《江儿水》), with their long, drawn-out melodies and lingering emotions, allow Du Liniang's longing and melancholy to gradually wind their way into the audience's hearts along with the winding tune. The tempo of the musical pieces follows the character's state of mind and the plot of the story, singing not only the music but also the human heart.

Even more interesting is that the fast and slow pacing of Kunqu Opera ultimately revolves around an ultimate balance – it is an art filled with rich emotions, yet it is also an art that values restraint and subtlety. In Kunqu Opera, the momentary pauses, like the freezing of time, precisely demonstrate the Chinese aesthetic of leaving blank space. The unspoken silence, 欲说还休 (yù shuō hái xiū - "want to speak but stop," hesitant to speak out), is both thought-provoking and captivating. The fullness of emotional release in Kunqu Opera is never an ostentatious display across the stage. The Kunqu Opera stage consists of only one table and two chairs, with neither mountains nor water, neither pavilions nor terraces, relying entirely on the actors' fast and slow, tense and relaxed movements, and the ups and downs of the melodious singing, to stir the audience's imagination. A step faster is like traversing vast landscapes; a word slower contains a thousand emotions. Thus, on the small stage with one table and two chairs, the joys and sorrows of human life are fully performed in this fast and slow pacing, revealing the mysteries of the universe on stage, and allowing the beauty of Kunqu Opera to move hearts even after hundreds of years.

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Photo Report

Chinese painting "Great Rivers and Great Rivers," by Wang Qiang (王强) and Wang Liang (王亮).

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All things grow.

By: 周华诚

After the Great Cold, the fields are filled with tranquility. It rarely snows in the southern winter; only the grass and trees wither, and birds hop among the leaves. After the rice harvest, some farmers will plant a small patch of rapeseed or wheat, but most of the fields are left to vast silence. Before the next rice planting season arrives, everything here is quiet. Farmers know how to let the land rest and recuperate. Everything follows ancient laws; this is the order of nature. After winter, the warm spring arrives, the fields are lush with fragrant grass, and the farmers, amidst the singing of cuckoos, wearing straw hats and braving the fine spring rain, begin a new year of labor.

Farmers value the agricultural seasons most. For example, my father, who has planted rice all his life, knows which solar term to sprout seeds, which solar term to sow, and on which day to "open the seedling gate." He knows when to sow pumpkins and loofahs, when to transplant them, and when is the best time to propagate sweet potatoes. The agricultural season waits for no one; planting and harvesting must be done quickly, not a second can be wasted. But these farming tasks are all imprinted in my father's mind, corresponding to the order of the seasons, and are carried out in an orderly manner.

He also seems to know that the land will not fail every hardworking farmer. As long as you complete the farming tasks that should be done according to the season, the land will give you the rewards you deserve.

Dr. Shen (沈博士), a rice breeding expert, once came to our family's fields to plant rice seedlings. He brought his son, and the father and son bent over together, inserting the seedlings into the soil. Every year, dozens of adults and children come back to this field with me to plant rice or harvest rice, which has almost become our classic project. Not to mention, when your feet step into the mud of the field, your heart will feel stable and happy, and your spirit will relax. A person, working attentively in the field, feels very fulfilled. This experience is also a kind of fruit harvested by the laborer.

Dr. Shen (沈博士) travels through the rice fields all year round, doing research. His experimental field bases are in Fuyang (富阳), Hangzhou (杭州), Lingshui (陵水), Hainan (海南), and also some on Java (爪哇岛), Indonesia (印尼). He flies around like a migratory bird all year round, flying to this experimental field and then to that experimental field. Thirty years of field work have made his skin very dark, but he has also cultivated many new rice varieties. This is also a 水到渠成 (shuǐ dào qú chéng - "when water comes, a channel is formed," success comes naturally; when conditions are right, success will follow). Because scientific research itself requires repeated exploration, and breeding even more so. Spring sowing and autumn harvest, the work of breeding requires repeated sowing and repeated harvesting. For rice breeding scientists, perhaps decades of repeated labor are needed to screen out their most satisfactory varieties from endless materials. Similarly, if nothing is gained in 10 years, it is also completely normal; this is the scientific law of breeding work.

Many years have passed, Dr. Shen's (沈博士) son has gone to college, majoring in biology. He has a new understanding of his father's research work and has also begun to understand the joy of science. The children who used to plant rice with us have now grown up. Thinking about it, I also worked in this field when I was a child, following my parents and planting rice and harvesting rice while sweating like rain, it seems like it was not long ago.

People's lives, like nature, go through spring and autumn, cycle after cycle. When we return to the fields, work in nature, hear the birds singing in the fields, see the blue sky and white clouds reflected in the water, and feel the wind blowing and the water flowing, everything is growing.

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Time creates the flavor (Duoweizhai)

By: 盛 慧

When it comes to food, many people talk about ingredients and seasonings. In fact, time is also a key factor affecting the taste. The *Lüshi Chunqiu* states: "The changes in the cauldron are exquisite and subtle." Different dishes require different cooking times.

Some dishes emphasize "tender but not raw, just cooked enough," requiring quick and intense heat, completed in one go. For example, stir-fried beef noodles. First, the beef is quickly oiled until it is 70% cooked, then removed and set aside. Add bean sprouts and rice noodles to the wok, stir-fry quickly over high heat, add the beef before serving, and finally sprinkle with garlic chives and scallions. The whole process can be described as 争分夺秒 (zhēng fēn duó miǎo - "contending for every minute and second," racing against time) and thrilling.

Steamed fish with oil and salt is a classic Shunde (顺德) delicacy that requires extremely precise control of heat. Marinate the fish for a few minutes, prepare the salted water, boil it, and let it cool. Steam the fish in the steamer for 5 minutes, and remove it immediately when the time is up. Pour away 1/3 of the water from the steamed fish plate, drizzle with the prepared salted water, and then drizzle with peanut oil. A chef friend once made a 5-jin Heshun (和顺) fish using this method, and the fish was more tender than tofu, with a fresh and sweet taste, extremely delicious.

Some dishes are even served before they are fully cooked. For example, the raw *sheng shi* in a sizzling pot is only cooked to 80% in the kitchen. During the serving process, the hot clay pot continues to cook the food. The moment the guest opens the lid, the food is just cooked, and the taste is at its best.

Not all dishes require quick and intense heat. Some dishes require slow simmering over low heat. If the heat is insufficient, the flavor will not be mellow enough. For example, preserved mustard greens with braised pork belly. In order to allow the fat of the pork to melt into the preserved mustard greens, and the aroma of the preserved mustard greens to permeate the meat, it generally needs to be steamed for about 2 hours. Only in this way can it be fatty but not greasy, soft, glutinous, fragrant, and sweet, melting in your mouth, making every bite satisfying.

Guangdong (广东) people like to drink old fire soup, which is also slowly simmered, generally for four or five hours. The soup ingredients are not fixed but change according to the seasons. Moreover, clever and virtuous housewives will also make different soups according to the health conditions of their families.

Dried abalone is as hard as a brick, and its preparation takes even longer. Soaking alone takes a week. One of the steps requires adding oyster sauce, rock sugar, old hen, chicken legs, pork tenderloin, etc., and simmering together for 48 consecutive hours to make the abalone chewy.

As the saying goes: "Food has no fixed taste, what suits the palate is precious." The cooking time for congee is different in Shunde (顺德) and the Chaoshan (潮汕) area. Shunde (顺德) people like *wu mi* congee, where you can only see the congee but not the rice, with a delicate and smooth taste. When Chaoshan (潮汕) people cook congee, they turn off the heat as soon as they see the rice grains blooming. This kind of congee has a very fresh taste.

Even in the same region, for the same ingredient, the time used varies slightly in different seasons. Taking the famous Shunde (顺德) sauna fish as an example, in order to obtain the best taste, the cooking time must be accurate to the second. For example, the time used in winter is 5 seconds longer than in summer.

I have lived in Guangdong (广东) for more than 20 years and found that everyone here loves food. They often say: "辛苦揾嚟自在食 (xīn kǔ wěn lí zì zài shí - "work hard to earn, eat freely," work hard to make money, and enjoy eating). The general meaning of this sentence is to work hard when working and enjoy yourself when eating. They believe that life itself is an art with both fast and slow paces, and a balance between tension and relaxation.

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Running

By: 山 哈

Loving marathons stems half from a love of the motherland's mountains and rivers, and half from a love of life. The motherland is simply too vast. Even running from south to north, from east to west, from spring to winter, the length of my remaining life wouldn't be enough to run all the marathons on the land of the motherland. Marathons give me a reason to see the scenery of foreign lands, and even more so, give me a self-affirmation of life.

In March 2005, an unexpected traffic accident put me on the operating table. After the surgery, the doctor repeatedly told me: try not to leave Hangzhou (杭州) as much as possible in your future life and work, and even more so, avoid strenuous exercise. But I thought: I am a veteran, and I shouldn't belong to this white world. I was helped out of the ward, and looked up at the warm and dazzling morning sun, and for the first time, I seriously looked at this familiar and unfamiliar spring... 50 meters, 100 meters, 500 meters, 1000 meters... It took me a whole half year to go from walking to running.

I love this new life so much.

Gradually, I was no longer satisfied with night runs along the West Lake "Rose" (Xihu "Meigui" 西湖“玫瑰”) (the running route looks like a rose), nor was I satisfied with running along the Grand Canal to "get lucky" (dayunhe pao "zouyun" 大运河跑“走运”). The marathon whistle in the distance hooked my soul. So I planned to run 100 full marathons in my remaining life, and use my feet to measure 100 cities in the motherland. Thus, there were one marathon after another.

Unlike others, I quietly gave each marathon a running theme. For example, running the Guiyang "Gui Ma" (Guiyang "Gui Ma" 贵阳“贵马”), Guizhou (贵州) is a province with many ethnic minorities in the southwest. As a She ethnic person, I put on my ethnic costume and integrated the She ethnic culture into the southwest land's track. Another example is Suzhou (苏州), which is my second hometown when I was a soldier. When I ran the "Su Ma" (Su Ma 苏马), I wore the military cap I wore when I was 18 years old, and ran on the streets of Suzhou again, remembering the days when I ran every morning on Huqiu Road (虎丘路) and Hanshan Road (寒山路) when I was 18 years old, remembering the platoon leader's whistle... And that time, running the Quzhou "Qu Ma" (Quzhou "Qu Ma" 衢州“衢马”), the event was in December, which was the coldest marathon I had ever run. Many people chose to abandon the race, but I didn't. I had to run a "Qu Ma" to commemorate another past event in my life: Quzhou is where I joined the police, witnessing my "debut" as I moved from the army to the workplace.

Running is also a person's self-cultivation. In the beginning, I was always competitive, but an accident gave me more to think about. That year, I ran the "Hang Ma" (Hang Ma 杭马) at my doorstep, thinking about creating a personal best, so as soon as the starting gun fired, I ran wildly all the way. I ran too hard. Just after crossing the Qiantang River (钱塘江), my legs cramped and my knees ached. The last 3 kilometers were actually completed step by step. As a result, not only did I not get a "personal best", but I was also half an hour slower than usual. Alas, it's really **欲速则不达** (yù sù zé bù dá - "more haste, less speed," haste makes waste)!

The beauty of a marathon lies in perseverance. As the years increase and the mileage accumulates, I gradually begin to pay more attention to my inner feelings. "Letting the horse run freely" (xinma youjiang) has gradually become my running philosophy: I want speed, but also health; I want the finish line, but also the scenery along the way. During the marathon, the wind whispers in my ears, the past flows in my mind, and my mind becomes clear and bright. I even completed the conception of many novel details on the track. Those fictional characters accompanied me running on the track. This also reminds me of some small things in life and work. For example, the recent novel, I wrote it in a hurry, and when the emotions came, I forgot the time and stayed up all night until dawn, but in the next few days, I was like a frost-beaten eggplant, my spirits were gone, and my thoughts were gone - it seems that in any "run", the harvest is not single.

Ten years of running, my temples are gradually frosted. I tell everyone I meet that I am a lucky person. Many days in my life have been spent running in the scenery: when I lived by the West Lake, I ran by the West Lake; later I moved to the Grand Canal, and I ran by the Grand Canal; now, I live by the Liangzhu Ancient City (Liangzhu Gucheng 良渚古城), and I run in five thousand years of time. Every time I finish a race, I can't help but sigh: life, if there is no running, how boring it would be.

As the Year of the Horse approaches, I think this is destined to be another good year to run with the motherland.

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This edition's editor: Ma Yong

This edition's email: dadi@peopledaily.cn
Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)
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