People's Daily - April 15, 2026

People's Daily - April 15, 2026

Article Index

Page 01版:要闻

Page 02版:要闻

Page 03版:要闻

Page 04版:要闻

Page 05版:评论

Page 06版:要闻

Page 07版:要闻

Page 08版:广告

Page 09版:理论

Page 10版:经济

Page 11版:政治

Page 12版:文化

Page 13版:社会

Page 14版:生态

Page 15版:国际

Page 16版:广告

Page 17版:国际

Page 18版:产经

Page 19版:消费

Page 20版:副刊

Page 01版:要闻

Xi Jinping Meets with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez

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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 14 (Reporter Wen Xin) On the morning of April 14, President Xi Jinping (习近平) met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing (北京人民大会堂), who is in China for an official visit.

Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that despite the turbulent and intertwined international situation, the relationship between China and Spain has always developed steadily, creating a China-Spain relationship with strategic stability. An important experience is making correct decisions based on common interests. Facts have proven that deepening cooperation is in the interests of the two peoples, conforms to the general trend of the times, and enhances each other's strength and confidence in following an independent path. The two sides should always place the development of China-Spain relations in an important position in their respective foreign policies and support each other in defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity. China unites long-term strategic goals with phased goals, and continues to formulate and implement five-year plans with the historical patience of doing one thing after another. We have the firm determination to promote Chinese-style modernization, and also have the mind to share development opportunities with the world through high-level opening up, and will inject confidence and impetus into global economic growth with our own development. The two sides should seize opportunities, jointly seek innovative development, strengthen cooperation in trade, new energy, the intelligent economy and other fields, encourage cultural, educational, scientific research, and sports exchanges, promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to achieve more results, and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that the world today is full of chaos and faces a contest between justice and power. How to treat international law and the international order reflects a country's worldview, order view, values, and sense of responsibility. China and Spain are both countries with principles and morality, and should strengthen communication, consolidate mutual trust, and cooperate closely to oppose the world regressing to the law of the jungle, jointly defend true multilateralism, maintain the international system with the United Nations as the core and the international order based on international law, promote the realization of an equal and orderly multipolar world, and inclusive economic globalization, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Sánchez said that his four visits to China in four years demonstrate the high importance both sides attach to Spain-China relations. Chinese companies' investment and cooperation in Spain have strongly promoted Spain's economic development. Spain firmly adheres to the one-China principle and attaches great importance to China's status as a major country. Spain is firmly committed to developing a Spain-China partnership with strategic stability, and hopes to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, new energy and other fields, and promote cultural exchanges. Faced with the complex and severe international situation and frequent conflicts and disputes, only by adhering to multilateralism and promoting the construction of a multipolar world can we bring lasting peace to mankind. Spain actively supports the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平), and is willing to maintain close communication and cooperation with China to jointly address challenges in international geopolitics, trade protectionism, and climate change, and safeguard international law and multilateralism. Spain opposes a "new Cold War" and opposes "decoupling," and supports Europe and China in enhancing communication and understanding and strengthening cooperation. The healthy development of EU-China relations is in the common interests of both sides and is also conducive to world peace and stability.

Wang Yi (王毅) attended the meeting.

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Xi Jinping Meets with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the UAE

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On the morning of April 14th, President Xi Jinping (习近平) of the People's Republic of China met with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi (阿布扎比王储哈立德) of the United Arab Emirates, who was visiting China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing (北京人民大会堂).

Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that the United Arab Emirates (阿联酋) is China's comprehensive strategic partner, and China has always attached great importance to developing relations with the UAE. With the joint efforts of both sides, China-UAE relations have maintained healthy and stable development, political mutual trust has continued to deepen, pragmatic cooperation has steadily advanced, and cultural exchanges have been rich and colorful. Consolidating and upgrading China-UAE relations is a firm consensus of both sides and meets the expectations of the two peoples. China is willing to work with the UAE to build a more solid, resilient, and dynamic China-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership. The two sides should continue to support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns, maintain high-level exchanges, and consolidate strategic mutual trust. Strengthen the alignment of development strategies, tap potential in energy, investment, trade, science and technology, and other fields, and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. Promote greater progress in education, civil aviation, tourism, and other cooperation, strengthen cultural exchanges, and consolidate the foundation of public opinion. Enhance coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations (联合国) and BRICS (金砖国家), respond to the uncertainty of the international and regional situation with the stability of China-UAE relations, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

The two sides exchanged views on the current situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region. Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized China's principled position of promoting peace through dialogue and reiterated that China will continue to play a constructive role in this regard.

Xi Jinping (习近平) put forward four proposals on maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East: First, adhere to the principle of peaceful coexistence. The Middle East and Gulf countries are as closely linked as lips and teeth, and are neighbors that cannot be moved away. It is necessary to support the Middle East and Gulf countries in improving relations, promote the building of a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security architecture in the Middle East and the Gulf region, and consolidate the foundation of peaceful coexistence. Second, adhere to the principle of national sovereignty. Sovereignty is the foundation for all countries, especially the vast number of developing countries, to establish themselves, and it must not be violated. The sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of the Middle East and Gulf countries should be effectively respected, and the safety of personnel, facilities, and institutions of all countries should be effectively safeguarded. Third, adhere to the principle of international rule of law. The authority of international rule of law must be maintained, and it cannot be used when it suits one's interests and discarded when it does not, and the world cannot be allowed to revert to the law of the jungle. It is necessary to firmly safeguard the international system with the United Nations (联合国) as its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations (联合国宪章). Fourth, adhere to the overall planning of development and security. Security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee of security. All parties should create a good environment and inject positive energy for the development of the Middle East and Gulf countries. China is willing to share the opportunities of Chinese-style modernization with the Middle East and Gulf countries and cultivate the soil for regional development and security.

Sheikh Khaled (哈立德) said that the relations between the UAE and China have a long history and a deep foundation. The two countries have always respected and trusted each other and have broad common interests. The UAE attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen cooperation in various fields, open up broader prospects for bilateral relations, and benefit the two peoples. The UAE appreciates China's responsible and constructive role in international affairs and its active efforts to politically resolve the current Middle East crisis. The UAE is committed to maintaining close communication and coordination with China to promote a ceasefire among relevant parties, restore regional peace and stability as soon as possible, maintain international shipping safety, and prevent greater impact on the global economy and energy security. The UAE will effectively protect the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions in the UAE.

Wang Yi (王毅) attended the meeting.

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Li Qiang Holds Talks with Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez

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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 14th (Reporter Dong Xue) On the afternoon of April 14th, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) held talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, 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 currently, the "changes" and "disorder" in the international situation are becoming more prominent, and unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise. However, at the same time, the forces seeking cooperation and promoting development are also constantly growing. As major world economies, China and Spain jointly safeguard multilateralism and free trade, and firmly promote open cooperation, adding momentum to the development of both countries and even the world. The more the situation is intertwined with change and disorder, the more China and Spain must strengthen practical cooperation and empower and achieve each other. This morning, President Xi Jinping (习近平) held a meeting with the Prime Minister and drew a blueprint for deepening bilateral relations. China is willing to further align development strategies with Spain, promote the continuous deepening and solidifying of all-round cooperation between the two sides, and achieve a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win results.

Li Qiang (李强) pointed out that China is willing to work with Spain to better leverage their complementary economic advantages, tap into cooperation potential, and promote the expansion, improvement, and balanced development of trade between the two countries. China is willing to import more high-quality products from Spain and encourage more capable Chinese-funded enterprises to invest in Spain. China is willing to strengthen cooperation with Spain in areas such as new energy vehicles and energy storage to create more highlights in green cooperation. The two sides should make good use of platforms such as the Science and Technology Cooperation Joint Committee to support universities, research institutions, and enterprises in both countries to strengthen joint research and development, and the transformation of results, jointly enhance technological innovation capabilities, and work together to seize future development opportunities. China is willing to work with Spain to improve the level of transportation cooperation, promote the high-quality development of China-Europe freight trains, and jointly build an international green shipping corridor. It is hoped that Spain will continue to play an important role within the European Union and promote the healthy development of China-EU economic and trade relations.

Sánchez stated that the relationship between Spain and China has a long history and has become an important partnership. I have reached important consensus with President Xi Jinping (习近平) on the development of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries. Spain is willing to work with China to strengthen high-level political dialogue, strengthen strategic communication, enhance mutual understanding, expand cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, science and technology, renewable energy, education, and culture, expand tourism and people-to-people exchanges, and continuously enhance the stability and sustainability of bilateral relations to better serve the well-being of the people of both countries. Spain welcomes more Chinese-funded enterprises to invest and develop in Spain. Spain is willing to strengthen multilateral communication and coordination with China and firmly support the United Nations and multilateralism. Spain supports the EU and China in strengthening dialogue and communication, properly handling economic and trade differences, and promoting trade and investment cooperation, and is willing to play an active role in this regard.

Before the talks, Li Qiang (李强) held a welcome ceremony for Sánchez 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 a number of cooperation documents in the fields of economy and trade, education, science and technology, agriculture and food.

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

During the visit, the foreign ministers of the two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on the establishment of a diplomatic strategic dialogue mechanism.

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Zhao Leji Meets with Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez

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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 14th (Xinhua) - Zhao Leji (赵乐际), Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (桑切斯) in Beijing (北京) on the afternoon of April 14th.

Zhao Leji (赵乐际) stated that this morning, President Xi Jinping (习近平) held a meeting with the Prime Minister and reached important consensus, providing guidance and leadership for the development of bilateral relations in the next stage. China is willing to work with Spain to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, consolidate political mutual trust, promote all-round mutually beneficial cooperation, and work together to build a China-Spain comprehensive strategic partnership that is more strategically focused, more dynamically developed, and has greater international influence. The National People's Congress of China is willing to work with the Spanish Parliament to strengthen exchanges between legislative bodies, strengthen exchanges of experience in legislation, supervision, and governance, and create a good legal environment for practical cooperation between the two countries.

Sánchez (桑切斯) stated that Spain firmly adheres to the one-China principle. He hopes to strengthen cooperation in various fields such as economy, trade, investment, culture, education, and tourism, promote exchanges between legislative bodies, safeguard multilateralism, and promote the healthy and stable development of Spain-China and Europe-China relations.

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Wang Huning Meets Separately with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of Vietnam To Lam, and Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament Gerry Brownlee

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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 14th. Wang Huning (王沪宁), member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (全国政协), met with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (越共) and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam To Lam (苏林) in Beijing on the 14th.

Wang Huning (王沪宁) welcomed To Lam (苏林)'s visit to China at the invitation of General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President Xi Jinping (习近平), and stated that in recent years, the top leaders of the two parties and countries have maintained close strategic communication, providing fundamental guidance and strategic direction for the development of China-Vietnam relations. China is willing to work with Vietnam to resolutely implement the important consensus reached by the General Secretaries of the two parties, conduct in-depth exchanges and mutual learning on theories and experiences in governing the party and the country, deepen the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future, and promote the steady and long-term development of bilateral relations. The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (全国政协) of China is willing to make positive contributions to this end.

To Lam (苏林) stated that Vietnam has always paid attention to and sincerely congratulated China on its theoretical explorations and practical achievements in the process of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, and is willing to deepen political mutual trust, strengthen strategic alignment, consolidate traditional friendship, and help both sides achieve new development goals in the new era.

Wang Yong (王勇), Xian Hui (咸辉), Wang Dongfeng (王东峰), and others attended the meeting.

On the same day, Wang Huning (王沪宁) met with New Zealand Speaker of the House Adrian Rurawhe (布朗利) in Beijing.

Wang Huning (王沪宁) stated that in June last year, President Xi Jinping (习近平) had in-depth communication with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins (拉克森), who was visiting China, providing new strategic guidance for the development of China-New Zealand relations. China is willing to work with New Zealand to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations, maintain the correct direction of win-win cooperation, jointly practice true multilateralism, and promote the continuous development of the China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership. The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (全国政协) of China is willing to play a positive role in this regard.

Adrian Rurawhe (布朗利) stated that the friendship between New Zealand and China has a long history, and the two countries have mutual trust and win-win cooperation. China's rapid development and changes are impressive. New Zealand adheres to the one-China policy and is willing to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in trade, technology, environment, climate change, tourism, education, and other fields. The new parliament is willing to deepen exchanges with China, enhance understanding of China, strengthen people-to-people bonds between the two countries, and promote the development of New Zealand-China relations.

Wang Dongfeng (王东峰) and others attended the meeting.

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China's foreign trade in goods up 15% year-on-year

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According to a report from Beijing on April 14th in this newspaper (Reporter Ouyang Jie (欧阳洁)), China's foreign trade has shown a strong momentum and a good start since the beginning of this year. According to customs statistics, in the first quarter, China's total import and export of goods trade was 11.84 trillion yuan, an increase of 15% year-on-year. Among them, exports were 6.85 trillion yuan, an increase of 11.9%, and imports were 4.99 trillion yuan, an increase of 19.6%. The total import and export in the first quarter exceeded 11 trillion yuan, which is the first time in the same period in history, and the quarterly growth rate is also the highest in nearly 5 years.

All types of business entities have achieved comprehensive growth. In the first quarter, the import and export of private enterprises in China was 6.78 trillion yuan, an increase of 16.2%, accounting for 57.3% of the total import and export value. During the same period, the import and export of foreign-invested enterprises was 3.47 trillion yuan, and the import and export of state-owned enterprises was 1.56 trillion yuan, an increase of 16.1% and 8% respectively.

Market diversification has been further consolidated and expanded. In the first quarter, China's import and export to countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" was 6.06 trillion yuan, an increase of 14.2%, accounting for 51.2% of the total import and export value. Imports and exports to ASEAN and Latin America increased by 15.4%, imports and exports to Africa increased by 23.7%, imports and exports to the European Union and the United Kingdom increased by 14.6% and 13.1% respectively, and imports and exports to other APEC economies increased by 13.4%.

New momentum for export continues to exert its strength. In the first quarter, China's exports of mechanical and electrical products were 4.34 trillion yuan, an increase of 18.3%, accounting for 63.4% of the total export value, an increase of 3.5 percentage points compared with the same period last year. Among them, exports of green products such as electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and wind turbine generator sets and their parts increased by 77.5%, 50.4% and 45.2% respectively.

Expanding domestic demand drives import growth. In the first quarter, China imported 291 million tons and 405 million tons of energy products and metal ores respectively, an increase of 4.4% and 13.2% respectively. During the same period, imports of mechanical and electrical products were 1.97 trillion yuan, an increase of 21.7%, and imports of consumer goods were 418.92 billion yuan, an increase of 5.4%.

(Related reports can be found on the second page)

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Building a Solid People's Defense, Writing a New Chapter of Development (Today's Talk)

By: 沈道民

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This year marks the beginning of the "15th Five-Year Plan." As the eleventh National Security Education Day approaches, various regions and departments are holding diverse themed activities, with the aim of strengthening the people's defense line and writing a new chapter of development.

Having experienced an extremely unusual and extraordinary "14th Five-Year Plan" period, we have a deeper understanding that ensuring national security is a matter of 头等大事 (tóu děng dà shì - "top priority," the most important thing). From securing our own food and energy "two rice bowls," to building dikes for cybersecurity, biosafety, and more, and then to polishing the shining name card of a safe China, resolutely implementing the holistic national security concept is the key to our country's ability to take the initiative in development amidst turbulent waves.

The more the economy and society develop, the more we must consolidate security in development and seek development in security. Taking the low-altitude economy as an example, the market size has reached 1.5 trillion yuan, but the potential risks cannot be ignored. "Cargo before people, isolation before integration, suburbs before urban areas," only with a solid safety baseline can the low-altitude economy fly steadily.

National security benefits everyone, and everyone is responsible. If everyone firmly establishes a sense of national security and becomes a conscious maintainer and firm defender of national security, we will surely gather a powerful force to maintain and shape national security.

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Introduction

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Warm Photo Album

Taking the Huinong Bus Special Line to Sell Vegetables

Thirteenth Edition

From Transportation Tools to Diverse Scenarios

The Crossover Transformation of Containers

Nineteenth Edition

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Page 02版:要闻

In-depth Study and Implementation of the Spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee: Upholding, Improving, and Effectively Operating the People's Congress System

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Beijing, April 14th (Reported by Peng Bo) Li Hongzhong (李鸿忠), member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (全国人大常委会), attended the opening ceremony of the study session for leading officials of local people's congresses and delivered a special report in Beijing (北京) on the 14th. He emphasized the need to adhere to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance, deeply understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishes," resolutely achieve the "Two Safeguards," establish and practice a correct view of political achievements, closely focus on the overall situation of the Party and the country to perform duties and take responsibility in accordance with the law, adhere to, improve, and operate the system of people's congresses well, seek progress while maintaining stability to promote the high-quality development of the work of the people's congresses, and demonstrate new achievements in serving the economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

Li Hongzhong (李鸿忠) pointed out that it is necessary to deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's economic thought, especially the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on development strategies and planning, deeply understand that the formulation and implementation of the Five-Year Plan is an important political advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, deeply understand the significant political advantages of the system of people's congresses, and improve the ideological stance and political consciousness of implementing the "15th Five-Year Plan" outline. It is necessary to conscientiously implement the deployment of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, implement the deployment requirements of comprehensively governing the country according to law, anchor the "15th Five-Year" goals and tasks, strengthen the implementation and supervision of the Constitution, guarantee and serve reform and development with high-quality legislation, give full play to the important role of the supervision of the people's congress in the Party and state supervision system, better play the role of representatives, and do a good job in the election of people's congresses at the national county and township levels.

The responsible comrade of the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (全国人大常委会) presided over the opening ceremony. 217 leading officials of local people's congresses participated in the study.

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Import and Export Growth Hits Five-Year High (Official Release)

By: 本报记者 欧阳洁

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On April 14th, the State Council Information Office (国务院新闻办) held a press conference to introduce the import and export situation in the first quarter. In the first quarter, China's (我国) total import and export of goods trade was 11.84 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15%. Among them, exports were 6.85 trillion yuan, an increase of 11.9%, and imports were 4.99 trillion yuan, an increase of 19.6%.

"Since the beginning of this year, the external situation has become more complex and volatile, and China's (我国) foreign trade has started strongly and had a good start." Wang Jun (王军), Deputy Director of the General Administration of Customs (海关总署), said that the import and export volume in the first quarter exceeded 11 trillion yuan, the first time in the same period in history, and the quarterly growth rate was also the highest in nearly 5 years.

The total value of imports and exports has remained above 10 trillion yuan for 12 consecutive quarters.

The key to achieving rapid growth in China's (我国) imports and exports in the first quarter lies in the fact that China's (我国) foreign trade has a solid foundation, sufficient vitality, and strong momentum.

The foundation is stable, the overall situation is stable and improving, and the market is diversified and stable. By the first quarter of this year, China's (我国) total import and export value has remained above 10 trillion yuan for 12 consecutive quarters, and the growth rate has returned to double-digit growth since the fourth quarter of 2022. In the first quarter, China's (我国) imports and exports to developed economies such as the European Union (欧盟) maintained overall growth, and the growth rates of imports and exports to regions such as ASEAN (东盟), Latin America (拉美), and Africa (非洲) were all in double digits. The diversified market pattern has made China's (我国) foreign trade foundation solid and stable.

There is sufficient vitality, business entities are full of vitality, and regional development shows their strengths. In the first quarter, there were 618,000 enterprises in China (我国) with import and export records, of which more than 540,000 were private enterprises. In the first quarter, China's (我国) private enterprises' imports and exports increased by 16.2%, of which exports and imports increased by 12.7% and 23.5% respectively, both of which were higher than the national average. Foreign-invested enterprises are deeply rooted in China (中国) and serve the world. In the first quarter, foreign-invested enterprises' imports and exports reached 3.47 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.1%, achieving growth for eight consecutive quarters, with exports and imports increasing by 10.8% and 23% respectively. State-owned enterprises (国有企业) continue to play a role in stabilizing the supply chain, with imports increasing by 7.5%, accounting for 20.9% of total imports. During the same period, eastern, central and western, and northeastern China (我国东部、中西部、东北地区) gave full play to their respective regional characteristics and industrial advantages, with imports and exports increasing by 14.3%, 20.2% and 4% respectively in the first quarter.

The momentum is strong, the export structure is new and optimized, and the import momentum is significantly stronger. In the first quarter, the total exports of storage components, central processing components, etc. increased by 39.1%, and the total exports of power-related products such as power generation equipment, power transmission and transformation equipment, and energy storage equipment also achieved double-digit growth. Domestic demand is steadily expanding, driving the synchronous growth of import scale and continuous optimization of structure. In the first quarter, imports of high-tech products increased by 25.1%, and imports of bulk commodities and consumer goods also maintained good growth rates. Stabilizing exports and expanding imports are simultaneously exerting efforts, continuously injecting growth momentum into foreign trade.

"The rapid growth of imports and exports in the first quarter has laid a solid foundation for the stable growth of foreign trade throughout the year." Wang Jun (王军) said that it is also necessary to see that there are still many uncertain and unstable factors externally, and the impact of international geopolitical conflicts on the global industrial chain and supply chain is still evolving in a complex manner. Facing the complex and severe external environment, the supporting conditions and basic trends of China's (我国) long-term economic improvement have not changed, and the advantages and potential of foreign trade continue to be demonstrated. We have the confidence and ability to continue to promote the stability of foreign trade in scale and the optimization of structure.

Growth in imports from more than 150 countries and regions has been achieved.

"The main reason why China's (我国) exports maintained double-digit growth in the first quarter is that there is external demand, and we have high-quality, affordable, stable and reliable supply." Wang Jun (王军) said.

On the one hand, external demand has rebounded, and the global artificial intelligence and green and low-carbon industries have developed rapidly, driving a significant increase in demand for intelligent products and green products. On the other hand, relying on a complete industrial supporting system, China (我国) continues to provide stable and reliable production supply for the industrial development of various countries, and provides a rich and diverse range of consumer choices for the lives of local residents. In the first quarter, China's (我国) exports of equipment manufacturing products were 4.25 trillion yuan, an increase of 19.2%, accounting for more than 60% of the total export value. At the same time, through the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation, more and more innovative products are put into the market, stimulating new demand.

"China's (我国) export growth is a comprehensive reflection of many factors such as the recovery of external demand, the complete domestic industrial supporting system, and the release of innovative momentum of business entities. 'Made in China (中国制造)' continues to improve in terms of quality, efficiency, and service, and will continue to meet the production and consumption needs of different fields and levels around the world." Wang Jun (王军) said.

In terms of imports, we will proactively open up a super-large-scale market, actively expand imports, and strengthen mutually beneficial industrial cooperation, so as to better share "China's (中国) opportunities" with countries around the world. The "Government Work Report (政府工作报告)" proposed to "actively expand imports and promote balanced trade development." Data shows that China's (我国) imports in the first quarter increased by nearly 20%, 7.7 percentage points higher than exports, and the import scale hit a record high for the same period in history.

From the perspective of origin, in the first quarter, China (我国) achieved growth in imports from more than 150 countries and regions, and there were 51 countries and regions with import scales exceeding 10 billion yuan, an increase of 3 compared with the same period last year. ASEAN (东盟) and the European Union (欧盟) and other major sources accounted for 14.8% and 9.1% of total imports respectively. The growth rate of imports from Central Asia (中亚) and Latin America (拉美) was higher than the overall level.

From the perspective of products, industrial production continues to accelerate, driving the growth of raw material imports. In the first quarter, the import value of textile raw materials, computer parts, and electronic components increased by 39.3%, 45.3% and 37.9% respectively. The effect of promoting consumption policies continues to appear, and consumer goods imports have rebounded. In the first quarter, consumer goods imports increased by 5.4%, and imports of clothing, shoes and hats, food, tobacco and alcohol, and cosmetics increased by 8.7%, 8% and 4.9% respectively.

New foreign trade formats and models such as cross-border e-commerce are developing healthily and in a standardized manner. According to preliminary estimates, in the first quarter, China's (我国) cross-border e-commerce imports and exports were 618.46 billion yuan, of which exports were 473.55 billion yuan and imports were 144.91 billion yuan.

The hot Chinese (中国) tour has driven the rapid burst of vitality in the inbound consumption market. In the first quarter, customs across the country handled more than 230,000 departure tax refund verification businesses, a year-on-year increase of more than 5 times.

Comprehensive implementation of zero-tariff measures for 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China (我国).

The Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港) has been closed for more than 100 days, and its overall operation is stable and orderly, achieving a good start. Lu Daliang (吕大良), spokesperson of the General Administration of Customs (海关总署) and Director of the Department of Statistics and Analysis, introduced that after the closure operation, the "zero tariff" policy has been transformed from "positive list" management to "negative list" management, and the number of tariff items has been expanded from 1,900 to more than 6,600, accounting for more than 70% of all tariff items, realizing a greater degree of trade liberalization. In the first quarter, the free trade port imported 1.6 billion yuan of "zero-tariff" goods. The policy of exempting tariffs on processed value-added domestic sales has also been implemented in the same direction, and all business scenarios such as the value of Hainan (海南) self-produced goods being included in the value-added part and the cumulative processing value-added have been implemented.

After the closure and operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港), the level of openness has been comprehensively improved, the vitality of openness has been effectively stimulated, and the entry and exit of goods, means of transport and personnel have steadily increased. In the first quarter, Hainan (海南) added 4,119 new foreign trade enterprises, with a total number of 104,000 registered enterprises. The total import and export of goods trade on the island was 84.53 billion yuan, an increase of 38.5%, and the growth rate has exceeded 20% for four consecutive months. Customs supervised the actual entry and exit of 6,801 ships and aircraft, an increase of 26%. Offshore duty-free shopping in Hainan (海南) also continued to be active, with customs supervising shopping amounts of 14.21 billion yuan, an increase of 25.7%, and the number of shoppers was 1.816 million, an increase of 18%.

Lu Daliang (吕大良) introduced that the next step will be to continue to optimize regulatory service measures, further improve the efficiency of port customs clearance, and strive to build the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港) into a special customs supervision area with international influence and competitiveness.

From May 1st this year, China (我国) will comprehensively implement zero-tariff measures for 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China (我国), and will also further expand access to African products exported to China (中国) by upgrading green channels. Lu Daliang (吕大良) introduced that China's (我国) imports and exports to Africa (非洲) increased from 87.38 billion yuan in 2000 to 2.49 trillion yuan in 2025, an increase of 27.5 times, with an average annual increase of 14.3%.

Data shows that in the first quarter, China's (我国) imports and exports to Africa (非洲) were 646.56 billion yuan, an increase of 23.7%. From the perspective of exports, China's (我国) export commodities meet the needs of Africa (非洲), forming a precise and effective supply and demand connection. In the first quarter, China's (我国) exports of intermediate goods, capital goods and consumer goods to Africa (非洲) increased by 23.3%, 43.5% and 25% respectively. From the perspective of imports, China (我国) gives full play to its super-large-scale market advantages and actively expands imports of products from Africa (非洲). In the first quarter, China's (我国) imports from Africa (非洲) increased by 14.6%.

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A Data-Driven Look at the "World's Factory" and the "World's Market" (Quick Commentary)

By: 欧阳洁

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In the first quarter of the "15th Five-Year Plan," China's foreign trade achieved rapid growth, laying a solid foundation for stable growth throughout the year and injecting stability and certainty into a world intertwined with turmoil.

In sub-Saharan Africa, distributed and microgrid projects built by Chinese enterprises provide a stable power supply for the local area. In the South American market, Chinese electric motorcycles adapt to the complex local road conditions, with strong power and long endurance. "Made in China" quickly responds to market demands, and Chinese enterprises use innovative development to hedge against the uncertainty of the external environment, and trade partners are becoming increasingly diverse.

China not only undertakes the responsibility of the "world's factory" but also plays the role of the "world's market." The Government Work Report clearly proposes to "actively expand imports and promote balanced trade development." China's ultra-large-scale market provides broad space for import growth: textile raw materials, computer components, and electronic components meet the needs of industrial development; clothing, shoes, hats, food, cosmetics, and other consumer goods imports decorate people's beautiful lives.

Comprehensively promote the cross-customs region return model for cross-border e-commerce retail exports, deepen innovation in customs clearance supervision models, and fully implement zero-tariff measures for 53 African countries that have diplomatic relations with China. Stabilizing exports and expanding imports are simultaneously exerting efforts, and a series of proactive and promising policies and measures are helping to improve the quality and efficiency of foreign trade.

The start is related to the overall situation, and the start determines the trend. China's foreign trade has a solid foundation, vigorous vitality of business entities, an export structure that is new and optimized, and a significantly stronger import momentum. The advantages and potential of foreign trade will continue to manifest.

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A window connects inside and outside; a grand gathering embraces the world.

By: 本报记者 曹文轩 于 洋 韩文榕 王东辉

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Friends from all over the world gather, and global quality goods are assembled. The 6th China International Consumer Products Expo is being held in Hainan.
In the past 5 years, the Expo has seen a cumulative participation of over 3,800 enterprises and more than 12,000 brands from 92 countries and regions. This year's Expo attracts over 3,400 brands from more than 60 countries and regions, with international exhibits accounting for 65%, an increase of 20 percentage points compared to the previous session. From a dazzling array of global quality products to the continuously released policy dividends of the Hainan Free Trade Port construction, from pragmatic economic and trade exchanges to the firm layout of multinational corporations deeply cultivating the Chinese market, as a national-level consumer product exhibition, the Expo has become an important window for observing China's continuous expansion of high-level opening up to the outside world.

Window of Opening Up
"Touching the strong pulse of the Chinese market"
"It's so pleasant to have a full body massage when I get home from work!" In the technology consumer exhibition area of Hall 1 of the Expo, the booth of the Singaporean brand OSIM (傲胜) was crowded with people. Wu Xian (吴宪), an exhibitor from Hebei (河北), lay on the AI5 Sense Wellness Chair, his eyes slightly closed, sharing his feelings with reporters.
From the first to the sixth Expo, as an out-and-out "full attendance student" of the Expo, the "tech feel" of the products has become more and more sufficient year by year. Looking at the endless stream of people experiencing the products, Wen Jian (文坚), Deputy General Manager of OSIM (傲胜) (China) South China Shenzhen (深圳) Jurisdiction, said with emotion: "In the past few years, many of our products have been launched at the Expo, realizing the rapid transformation from appearing as 'exhibits' to becoming best-selling 'commodities'. The Expo has not only polished our brand, but also allowed us to touch the strong pulse of the Chinese market."
From the classic massage chair of the first Expo to the new generation AI5 Sense Wellness Chair, the "first launch and first show" effect of the Expo is constantly being transformed into tangible market dividends - not long after the first Expo concluded, OSIM (傲胜) opened its first directly-operated store in Haikou (海口), Hainan (海南); this year, just over an hour after the opening, this flagship product signed multiple orders in succession.
Such stories are everywhere in the various pavilions of the Expo. The Thai Chia Tai Group (泰国正大集团) has been attending for 6 consecutive years, relying on the spillover effect of the exhibition to lay out a full coffee industry chain project in Wanning (万宁), Hainan (海南), leveraging the "zero tariff" advantage of the Free Trade Port to embark on an upgraded path of "global procurement, Hainan processing, and global sales"; after participating in the first exhibition, the Canadian Ainars Group (加拿大艾纳诗集团) decisively settled in Haikou High-tech Zone (海口高新区), and has now built a complete industry chain integrating R&D, production, and experience in Hainan (海南)...
"The Expo is not a simple buying and selling platform, it is a bridge connecting China (中国) and the world; it is a window showcasing China's (中国) determination and sincerity in opening up," said Cheng Yan (程岩), Marketing Director of Swiss skincare brand Valmont (瑞士瑞妍), adding that after the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港) is closed for operation, customs clearance will be more convenient, taxes will be more preferential, and the market will be broader, giving the brand confidence in China's (中国) future.

Tide of Consumption
"Not just exhibits, but a way of life"
"I've already figured out how to use these products. Exercise early in the morning, wear a ring to monitor heart rate, and manage health data. When meeting foreign friends, wear AI (artificial intelligence) glasses to achieve barrier-free communication." While visiting the exhibition, Wu Yao (吴垚), a citizen of Haikou (海口), described to reporters with great interest.
At this year's Expo, more than 200 new products were launched, doubling from last year, with intelligent robots, lightweight wearable devices, and full-scene intelligent interactive products all making their debut, demonstrating new consumption trends.
"Wearing glasses breaks national boundaries, it's really technology empowering a better life," said a consumer after trying on AI glasses at the iFlytek (科大讯飞) booth.
Zhan Wenyu (战文宇), Vice President of iFlytek (科大讯飞), introduced: "This AI glasses is not only a 'translator', but also an 'AI assistant in front of you'." He said that iFlytek (科大讯飞) AI glasses will also deploy the "Lobster" intelligent agent into the product, and consumers can use voice to call different functions, and even connect to ecological services to complete actual tasks, "This is not just an exhibit, but a way of life."
Digital consumption illuminates a better life. Staff at the Tmall Taobao Group (淘天集团) booth introduced that smart wearable devices, including smart glasses, have jumped from the "geek toys" of the past into ordinary people's homes. Tmall (天猫) platform data shows that smart glasses, smart robots, and AI computers have jumped to the top three hot categories of 3C digital products.
As an international boutique exhibition, the Expo leads new consumption trends. In addition to digital consumption, green consumption and domestic trend consumption are also attracting much attention.
In Hall 2, the booth of LOQI, an eco-friendly fashion brand from Germany, has a unique design. Shopping bags made from recycled waste textiles are lightweight and durable, attracting consumers to pick and buy on the spot; in the newly added Guochao Going Overseas Pavilion (国潮出海馆) this year, porcelain, silk, traditional Chinese medicine, cultural and creative products and other exhibits are gathered to showcase the charm of domestic trendy products.

Bridge of Cooperation
"Couldn't wait, signed the contract standing up"
"Turned around, isn't this the Zao Po Vinegar (糟粕醋) I've been thinking about! After chatting for more than ten minutes, I couldn't wait and signed the contract standing up." Ye Zhihu (叶志虎) shook Yang Yicheng's (杨翊诚) hand, laughing heartily. The former is the person in charge of Hubei Yangzijiang Smart Fisheries Technology Co., Ltd. (湖北扬子江智慧渔业科技有限公司), and the latter is the general manager of Hainan Huishi Food Co., Ltd. (海南惠施食品有限公司).
How did the two companies join hands in cooperation in just over ten minutes?
The answer lies in the supply and demand docking platform carefully built by this year's Expo. The exhibition has specially set up a buyer service center and a supply and demand docking area, and held a number of production and marketing docking activities. On the afternoon of April 13, at the Hainan Consumer Famous Products (Special Food) Production and Marketing Docking Conference, the two met with their respective expectations: Ye Zhihu (叶志虎), as a member of the Hubei (湖北) exhibition group, was wholeheartedly looking for special good things suitable for the Jingchu (荆楚) market; Yang Yicheng (杨翊诚) was carrying Zao Po Vinegar (糟粕醋) products, hoping to go out of the island and go to the whole country.
"As soon as the speech ended, I turned my head, and the bottle of Zao Po Vinegar (糟粕醋) on the table immediately caught my eye." Ye Zhihu (叶志虎) said with a smile that he could not forget the sour and refreshing taste, especially thinking that it was a must with seafood and river fresh.
The two chatted more and more speculatively, and hit it off. One party holds more than 700 supermarket channel resources in Hubei (湖北), and the other is a leading Zao Po Vinegar (糟粕醋) producer in Hainan (海南), and signed a purchase order of 20 million yuan on the spot.
"I will go to the factory tomorrow to conduct on-the-spot inspections and communicate the details of the production process and technology." Ye Zhihu (叶志虎) said quickly, "Within 3 months, let the authentic Hainan (海南) Zao Po Vinegar (糟粕醋) be put on the shelves in Hubei (湖北) supermarkets, and at the same time promote catering channel cooperation, so that Hubei (湖北) consumers can have an authentic Hainan (海南) flavor hot pot at their doorstep."
One signing after another, one cooperation after another, witnessing the accelerated manifestation of the "bridge effect" of the Expo, and every handshake has become the starting point for a two-way rush.

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Test train reaches a speed of 385 km/h

By: 本报记者 李心萍

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On April 14th, the DJ602 high-speed comprehensive inspection train slowly departed from the Wuxi Yard of Xi'an East Station (西安东站), heading towards Yunxi Station (郧西站) through the Qinling Mountains (秦岭山脉), marking the official start of the speed increase test for the Xi'an-Shiyan High-Speed Railway (西十高铁) at the highest test speed level. On the same day, the test train successfully reached the target test speed of 385 kilometers per hour.

Why does a high-speed railway line with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour need to run at 385 kilometers per hour during testing? According to reports, generally speaking, the graded speed increase test is carried out in 20 levels from 140 kilometers per hour to 385 kilometers per hour. The high-speed comprehensive inspection train gradually increases its speed until it reaches 110% of the designed speed of the line, comprehensively verifying the safety, stability, and compatibility of the line equipment at high speed.

The Xi'an-Shiyan High-Speed Railway passes through the three cities of Xi'an (西安), Shangluo (商洛), and Shiyan (十堰), connecting to the completed Wuhan-Shiyan High-Speed Railway (武汉至十堰高铁), with a newly built main line length of 256.938 kilometers. After the opening of the Xi'an-Shiyan High-Speed Railway, it will take about 1 hour to reach Shiyan (十堰) from Xi'an (西安), an estimated 2 hours to reach Xiangyang (襄阳) from Xi'an (西安), and 3 hours to reach Wuhan (武汉) from Xi'an (西安), which will shorten the distance between Shaanxi (陕西) and the Yangtze River Delta (长三角), Pearl River Delta (珠三角) and other regions.

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"Strengthened My Resolve to Continue Singing for Brazil-China Friendship" (The Path of Great Harmony)

By: 本报记者 陈一鸣

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Inside the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro (里约热内卢市立剧院) in Brazil, the lights were dazzling and the seats were filled. On the center of the stage, Brazilian soprano Marília Vargas (玛丽利娅·瓦加斯), dressed in a long red dress, sang Chinese classic songs such as "My Motherland" and "I Love You, China" with deep emotion. The affectionate singing echoed in the theater and aroused resonance in the hearts of the audience that transcended mountains and seas.

"Now, every time I sing these Chinese songs, I can't help but think of President Xi Jinping's (习近平) gentle but firm gaze," Vargas said in a recent interview with this reporter.

In November 2024, President Xi Jinping (习近平) paid a state visit to Brazil. On the morning of the 20th local time, the lawn of the Alvorada Palace (黎明宫), the presidential residence in Brasília (巴西利亚), was lush and green. President Lula (卢拉) held a grand welcoming ceremony for President Xi Jinping (习近平) here. "A broad river with rolling waves, the fragrance of rice flowers wafts along both banks..." At the welcoming ceremony, Vargas was invited to sing "My Motherland" in Chinese.

"I am very honored to be a witness to the diplomacy between the two heads of state and the friendship between the two peoples." Recalling that day, Vargas is still excited. "This special arrangement itself contains profound meaning. It is a beautiful response from the Brazilian side to the Chinese side playing the Brazilian song 'New Era' when welcoming President Lula's (卢拉) visit to China in 2023." Every detail of the welcoming ceremony made Vargas deeply feel a sincere and natural atmosphere of cultural exchange. "That was heartfelt mutual respect and sincere treatment. The composure and kindness shown by President Xi Jinping (习近平) left an extremely deep impression on me. This also strengthened my determination to continue singing for the friendship between Brazil and China," Vargas said.

"President Xi Jinping (习近平) respects civilization, respects art, and respects the people. From then on, whenever I stand on the stage to sing Chinese songs, I will think of that moment. For me, this will surely become a lasting memory." Vargas said that music can promote understanding and trust between people.

Vargas's connection with China began in 2004. That year, she visited China for the first time and was attracted by Chinese culture. Since then, she has visited China almost every year to perform, exchange ideas, or participate in related teaching work. "In China, I participated in many colorful cultural activities," Vargas said. "Every moment in China can enhance my understanding of 'homeland' in Chinese songs, which also allows me to express my emotions more richly when singing."

In May 2025, President Xi Jinping (习近平) proposed the "Five Major Projects" of unity, development, civilization, peace, and people-to-people bonds in his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Fourth Ministerial Forum of the China-CELAC Forum. Vargas mentioned this many times in the interview. In her opinion, it is precisely under the personal care and promotion of President Xi Jinping (习近平) that the cultural exchanges between Latin America and China have entered a new stage of sustained and stable development.

"President Xi Jinping (习近平) once used an ancient Chinese poem to describe the relationship between China and Latin American and Caribbean countries - 相知无远近,万里尚为邻 (xiāng zhī wú yuǎn jìn, wàn lǐ shàng wèi lín - "knowing each other knows no distance, even ten thousand miles is like next door," true friendship transcends geographical distance)." Vargas said, "As a literary and artistic worker living in Latin America, I truly feel that this sentence is becoming a reality." Vargas said that she has seen more and more young Latin Americans studying in China, and has also seen the growing "Chinese fever" in Brazil. "The China-Latin America Cultural Exchange Year and the 'Bridge of the Future' China-Latin America Youth Leaders Training and Exchange Camp and other projects have made cultural exchanges not just stay on paper, but have truly entered the lives of the younger generation, and continue to consolidate the foundation for people-to-people connectivity between Latin America and China," Vargas said.

In recent years, Vargas has continued to learn and sing more Chinese songs. "I Love You, China," "Red Bean Poem," and "Burial Flower Song" have become important pieces in her concerts. She believes that the emotional expression contained in Chinese music has a deep resonance with the singing of homeland, land, and emotions in Brazilian music. 2026 is the China-Brazil Culture Year, and Vargas looks forward to seeing more music, art, and youth exchange projects being implemented, allowing more people from the two countries to get closer to each other and understand each other. Currently, she is preparing new works for the China-Brazil Culture Year, "That will be a very important opportunity for cultural exchange."

In Vargas's view, the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平) has pointed out the direction for promoting exchanges, mutual learning, and mutual understanding among different civilizations. "This is not an abstract concept, but is reflected in cultural exchange activities, and is a reality that can be heard, seen, and felt," she said. "I sing Chinese songs in Chinese, and the audience responds with applause. This is the best proof of cultural exchange."

"President Xi Jinping (习近平) said that culture can connect hearts and art can communicate the world. I am willing to use my voice to convey my understanding of China and the warmth of the Chinese people to more Brazilian friends." Looking to the future, Vargas hopes to continue to deeply explore the artistic treasures of Chinese music and promote cultural exchanges between Brazil and China and Latin America and China on more stages. "This is my active practice as an artist of President Xi Jinping's (习近平) advocacy of the concept of civilization exchange and mutual learning," Vargas said. "The world is big, but civilization exchange and mutual learning can bring us closer to each other. I am willing to continue to use singing to witness and participate in this process."

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Two Meetings Highlight China's Stability Injection into a Turbulent World (Harmony Voice)

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How a country treats international law and the international order reflects its worldview, order concept, values, and sense of responsibility. In a turbulent world, China's diplomatic philosophy is gaining increasingly broad support.

On April 14, two major diplomatic events held in Beijing (北京) attracted high attention from the international community. That morning, President Xi Jinping (习近平) met with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates, who were visiting China. International media believe that against the backdrop of an increasingly turbulent international situation, the willingness of all parties to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with China has further increased, reflecting recognition of China's development resilience, strategic focus, and great power responsibility, as well as expectations for China's ideas and solutions.

One meeting was with a major European country, and the other was with a Middle Eastern country. The two meetings demonstrated many common ideas, guided the development of bilateral relations, and provided inspiration for solving the prominent problems facing the world.

Planning bilateral relations emphasizes the word "stability." Developing Sino-Spanish relations requires "strategic focus." President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that despite the intertwined changes and chaos in the international situation, China and Spain have always maintained steady development in their relations, creating a Sino-Spanish relationship with strategic focus. An important experience is making correct decisions based on common interests. Developing Sino-UAE relations requires a "firm consensus." President Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that consolidating and upgrading Sino-UAE relations is a firm consensus between the two sides, which meets the expectations of the two peoples. China is willing to work with the UAE to build a more solid, resilient, and dynamic comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the UAE.

China, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates are all comprehensive strategic partners. Prime Minister Sánchez's four visits to China in four years highlight the high level of Sino-Spanish relations. "China is forging brilliance and is destined to play a key role in the future of the world." Prime Minister Sánchez described his view of China in this way during his visit to Tsinghua University (清华大学). In recent years, China and the UAE have continuously deepened political mutual trust, steadily promoted pragmatic cooperation, and enriched cultural exchanges, benefiting the people of both countries.

The world is full of chaos, and "cooperation" is even more necessary. At present, China is steadily advancing Chinese-style modernization and sharing development opportunities with all countries through high-level opening up to the outside world. Deepening Sino-Spanish cooperation is in the interests of the two peoples, conforms to the general trend of the times, and enhances each other's strength and confidence in following an independent path. The two sides should seize opportunities and jointly seek innovative development, which will not only benefit the two peoples but also inject more impetus into the healthy development of Sino-European relations. China and the UAE will strengthen the alignment of development strategies, tap the potential for cooperation in energy, investment, trade, science, and technology, and enhance coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations and BRICS, "responding to the uncertainty of the international and regional situation with the stability of Sino-UAE relations." A China that insists on establishing itself and benefiting others has greater cooperative leadership in this turbulent era.

Faced with the contest between justice and power, we must oppose the "law of the jungle." As countries with principles and morality, China and Spain should oppose the world's regression to the law of the jungle, jointly defend true multilateralism, and safeguard the international system with the United Nations as the core and the international order based on international law. Prime Minister Sánchez clearly stated that Spain actively supports the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平) and is willing to maintain close communication and cooperation with China to jointly address challenges in international geopolitics, trade protectionism, and climate change, and safeguard international law and multilateralism. Promoting the early return of the Middle East situation to peace and tranquility is the common aspiration of the international community. President Xi Jinping (习近平) put forward four proposals for maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East: adhering to the principle of peaceful coexistence, adhering to the principle of national sovereignty, adhering to the principle of international rule of law, and adhering to the overall planning of development and security, providing Chinese wisdom and solutions for the political resolution of the current Middle East crisis. Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled said that the UAE appreciates China's responsible and constructive role in international affairs and is committed to maintaining close communication and coordination with China to promote a ceasefire among relevant parties.

How a country treats international law and the international order reflects its worldview, order concept, values, and sense of responsibility. In a turbulent world, China's diplomatic philosophy is gaining increasingly broad support. China is willing to work with all parties to firmly stand on the right side of history and on the side of human civilization and progress, jointly address the problems of the times, and inject more stability and positive energy into the world.

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Carrying Forward the Red Gene and Continuing the Traditional Friendship

By: 本报记者 魏 贺 刘 刚

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In April, Beijing (北京) is filled with blooming crabapple flowers and vibrant spring.

On the morning of the 14th, the China-Vietnam Youth Speech Conference themed "Inheriting the Red Gene" was held at the Central Communist Youth League School. Nearly 300 youth representatives from China and Vietnam gathered to jointly review the glorious years when the revolutionary predecessors of the two parties and countries fought side by side, and to exchange vivid practices of inheriting the red gene and deepening youth friendship in the new era.

At the former site of the "Viet Minh" (越盟) Office in Jingxi (靖西), Guangxi (广西), they learned about President Ho Chi Minh's (胡志明) revolutionary activities in China; at the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center (上海城市规划展示馆) and the Chongqing Changan Digital Factory (重庆长安数智工厂), they felt the vigorous vitality of Chinese-style modernization... At the event site, a series of photos of Vietnamese youth participating in the "Red Study Tour" attracted the attention of the participating youth representatives. This speech conference is an important part of the "Never Forget the Original Intention" study camp of the Vietnamese youth's "Red Study Tour" in China.

On April 15, 2025, the leaders of the two parties and countries of China and Vietnam jointly launched the "Red Study Tour" project for Vietnamese youth in China. Over the past year, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China (共青团中央) has successfully held nine themed study camps, with a total of more than 1,200 Vietnamese teenagers participating.

Six youth representatives from China and Vietnam and two Young Pioneer (红领巾) narrators took the stage to tell their stories of inheriting the red gene from different perspectives.

Qin Qi (秦琦), a youth narrator from the former site of the "Viet Minh" (越盟) Office in Jingxi (靖西), Guangxi (广西), wearing traditional ethnic costumes, affectionately told the story of Chinese and Vietnamese youth sharing life and death when President Ho Chi Minh (胡志明) and others carried out revolutionary activities in Jingxi (靖西) in the 1940s. "Chinese and Vietnamese youth sat around a kerosene lamp, communicating with gestures when they didn't understand the language, and being able to rely on each other when their ideas were in sync. This is the most vivid interpretation of 'The friendship between Vietnam and China is deep, comrades plus brothers.'" The Vietnamese youth in the audience listened attentively, many with tears in their eyes, and applause followed.

How to revitalize the red gene in the new era and let digital technology empower cultural communication is a common topic for the youth of the two countries. Fei Ling (费玲), a host from Vietnam National Television, introduced the practice of Vietnamese young people integrating traditional cultural elements into modern music and variety shows. "Traditional cultural elements are becoming the key to the success of artistic works. China has many experiences worth learning in how to transform culture into a driving force for economic development. We look forward to strengthening cooperation between Vietnam and China in digital technology, cultural industries, and other fields," said Fei Ling (费玲).

"Inheriting the red gene should be implemented in the daily learning and worldview shaping of the youth of the two countries." Nguyen Thanh Tri (阮成智), operations director of Vietnam ZeTe Media Company, has led the production of many high-rated mainstream content works in recent years. In his speech, he said that to let the red gene continue to flow in the blood of contemporary youth, it is necessary to approach them with appropriate language and moving ways. "I look forward to exchanging ideas with Chinese young friends in the future and jointly developing more media products that can be enjoyed by young people in both countries and enhance friendship," he said.

Youth are the future and hope of the cause. Vu Thi Thuong (武氏商), a Young Pioneer (少先队) instructor from Lang Son (谅山) Province, Vietnam, introduced the specific practices of how the Vietnamese Young Pioneers (越南少先队) transform the red gene into the code of conduct for young people. "Inheriting the red gene should not only stay at the cognitive level, but should be implemented in concrete actions." She said that Vietnam and China have similar revolutionary historical backgrounds and Young Pioneer (少先队) organizational systems, and the inheritance and promotion of the red gene have more favorable conditions. "We hope that the Young Pioneer (少先队) organizations of the two countries will further strengthen pragmatic cooperation and share experiences through pairing mechanisms and regular online exchanges."

At the end of the event, the youth of China and Vietnam waved the flags of the two countries, and the whole audience sang "Vietnam-China" together.

Listening and face-to-face exchanges on the spot made the youth of the two countries with a common red gene more aware of the preciousness of the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam. Duan Yunheng (段云珩) and Le Phuong Bao Ngoc (黎芳宝玉), Young Pioneers (少先队员) from China and Vietnam, took a group photo. The bright red of the national flags of the two countries was reflected on their cheeks. "I am very happy to meet Vietnamese friends. We have become good friends from strangers," Duan Yunheng (段云珩) told reporters. Le Phuong Bao Ngoc (黎芳宝玉) said: "After I return to China, I will share this wonderful memory with my classmates, so that the friendship between Vietnam and China will be passed on to our younger generation."

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Wang Yi Holds Talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov

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People's Daily, Beijing, April 14th (Reporter Wang Xuchen (王旭琛)) Wang Yi (王毅), member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Beijing (北京) on the 14th.

Wang Yi (王毅) stated that, facing a complex and volatile external environment, under the personal attention and strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping (习近平) and President Putin, China-Russia relations "**不畏浮云遮望眼**" (bù wèi fú yún zhē wàng yǎn - "not afraid of floating clouds blocking the view," not to be misled by superficial phenomena) and cooperation in various fields "**千磨万击还坚劲**" (qiān mó wàn jī hái jiān jìng - "subjected to a thousand grindings and blows, it remains firm and strong," to remain steadfast despite all setbacks). Both sides should promote the development of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields to a higher level.

Lavrov stated that Russia is willing to continue close high-level exchanges with China, deepen pragmatic cooperation, maintain coordination and cooperation on multilateral platforms, safeguard their respective national interests, and jointly maintain the security and stability of the international system.

The two sides communicated and aligned on preparations for a meeting between the two heads of state later this year, and exchanged in-depth views on the US-Iran conflict, the Asia-Pacific situation, and the Ukraine crisis.

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Xi Jinping's Special Envoy Shao Hong to Attend Inauguration Ceremony of Republic of the Congo President

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Beijing, April 14th (Reporter Han Xiaoming (韩晓明)) The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announced on April 14th: At the invitation of the President of the Republic of the Congo, Sassou Nguesso, the Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping (习近平), Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Shao Hong (邵鸿), will attend the inauguration ceremony of President Sassou in Brazzaville, the capital of Congo (Brazzaville) (刚果(布)首都布拉柴维尔), on April 16th.

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Mozambique's President Nyusi to visit China

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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 14th. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announced on April 14th: At the invitation of President Xi Jinping (习近平), President of the Republic of Mozambique, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi (丹尼尔·弗朗西斯科·查波), will pay a state visit to China from April 16th to 22nd.

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Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Announces Mozambican President Nyusi's Upcoming Visit to China

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(People's Daily, Beijing, April 14) (Reporter Han Xiaoming (韩晓明)) At the invitation of President Xi Jinping (习近平), President of the Republic of Mozambique, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, will pay a state visit to China from April 16 to 22. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jia Kun (郭嘉昆) introduced the arrangements for the visit and China's expectations at a regular press conference on the 14th.

"This visit is President Nyusi's first visit to China since taking office," Guo Jia Kun (郭嘉昆) said. During the visit, President Xi Jinping (习近平) will hold a welcome ceremony and welcome banquet for President Nyusi, and the two heads of state will hold talks. Premier Li Qiang (李强) and Chairman Zhao Leji (赵乐际) will meet with President Nyusi respectively. President Nyusi will also visit Hunan Province (湖南省) and Qinghai Province (青海省).

Guo Jia Kun (郭嘉昆) said that the friendship between China and Mozambique has a long history. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations more than half a century ago, the friendship between the two countries has withstood the test of international vicissitudes and become more 历久弥坚 (lì jiǔ mí jiān - "the longer it lasts, the more firm it becomes," enduring; becoming stronger with time). At present, the political mutual trust between the two countries continues to deepen, the cooperation in various fields has yielded fruitful results, and the cooperation on international and regional issues is close.

"I believe that this visit will promote the in-depth development of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Mozambique, and contribute to building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era and promoting the unity and cooperation of the Global South," he said.

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Writing a New Chapter in China-Mozambique Relations Together (Ambassador's Notes)

By: 郑 璇

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At the invitation of President Xi Jinping (习近平), President Filipe Nyusi (查波) of the Republic of Mozambique will pay a state visit to China. This is the first state visit to China by a Mozambican head of state in the past 10 years, and also President Nyusi's first visit to China since taking office. The visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa and the 10th anniversary of the establishment of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Mozambique. It will surely be an important visit in the relations between the two countries, injecting new impetus into promoting cooperation between China and Mozambique in various fields and building a closer China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era.

Looking back over the past half-century, the political mutual trust between China and Mozambique has been continuously consolidated and has become increasingly strong. As early as in the Mozambican people's struggle against colonialism and for national independence, the Chinese people stood with the Mozambican people and forged an unbreakable revolutionary friendship. On the day of Mozambique's independence in 1975, China and Mozambique established diplomatic relations. Over the past half-century, the two sides have always adhered to mutual respect, equal treatment, mutual benefit and win-win results, and mutual assistance, and have firmly supported each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. The Mozambican side adheres to the one-China principle and has given strong support to the Chinese side on issues related to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet. The Chinese side firmly supports Mozambique's independent choice of development path, the realization of domestic political reconciliation, the fight against terrorism, and the maintenance of national security and stability.

The pragmatic cooperation between China and Mozambique has yielded fruitful results and has broad prospects. Under the framework of jointly building the "Belt and Road" with high quality and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the two sides have always based themselves on common needs, complemented each other's advantages, and gradually deepened and solidified cooperation in various fields, truly benefiting the people of both countries. China is an important trading partner, investment source, and engineering contractor for Mozambique. In 2025, bilateral trade reached US$5.4 billion, an increase of 3.6% year-on-year. The trade structure between the two sides is becoming more optimized. High-quality Chinese products such as electrical machinery, building materials, and general merchandise are helping Mozambique's economic and social development and improving people's livelihoods; Mozambique's cashew nuts, minerals, timber and other characteristic resources have seen stable growth in exports to China, providing Chinese consumers with more diversified choices. Since December 1, 2024, China has granted zero-tariff treatment to 100% of tariff items from the least developed countries that have diplomatic relations with China, including Mozambique. Currently, China and Mozambique are promoting the continued implementation of the zero-tariff policy in Mozambique to accelerate the release of cooperation potential.

The traditional friendship between China and Mozambique is profound and long-lasting, and it is passed down from generation to generation. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the dispatch of the Chinese medical team to Mozambique. For decades, the Chinese medical team to Mozambique has been rooted in the grassroots, healing the wounded and rescuing the dying, and using benevolence and medical skills to protect the health of the Mozambican people. Over the past half-century, batches of Mozambican youths and experts have gone to China to study and returned home after completing their studies, becoming the backbone of promoting cooperation between the two countries. After the Wenchuan earthquake, the Mozambican people offered help in time of need. The Confucius Institute at Eduardo Mondlane University (蒙德拉内大学) is filled with the sound of reading, and the enthusiasm for learning Chinese continues to rise in Mozambique... This profound friendship of sharing weal and woe and knowing each other well has long been deeply engraved in the hearts of the people of the two countries. 2026 is the China-Africa Year of People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges. It is believed that the traditional friendship between China and Mozambique will inject new vitality into China-Africa people-to-people and cultural exchanges and promote mutual learning between civilizations.

China and Mozambique have the same voice and seek the same goals in international cooperation. China and Mozambique are both developing countries in the Global South and share the common mission of promoting development, improving people's livelihoods, and safeguarding international fairness and justice. In the face of unilateralism, protectionism, and bullying practices, the two countries have always firmly safeguarded the international system with the United Nations as the core, jointly supported the promotion of building and maintaining a fair, just, open, inclusive, and mutually beneficial international economic order, and effectively safeguarded the common interests of developing countries. From coordination of United Nations affairs to linkage of global governance issues, China and Mozambique have always stood on the right side of history and on the side of fairness and justice, practicing true multilateralism with practical actions and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

"When friendship is guided by righteousness, a thousand miles are as close as neighbors, as firm as glue and lacquer, and as strong as metal and stone." Under the leadership of the heads of state of the two countries, China and Mozambique will continue to deepen their traditional friendship, deepen strategic alignment, expand pragmatic cooperation, and strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, jointly writing a new chapter in the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Mozambique, and allowing the friendship that transcends mountains and seas to move steadily and far in the new era.

(The author is the Chinese Ambassador to Mozambique)

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The 3rd High-Level Meeting of the Global Action for Shared Development Forum to be Held in Beijing

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This newspaper reported from Beijing on April 14th (Reporter Ren Yan (任彦), Chen Shangwen (陈尚文)) It was learned from the briefing session for Chinese and foreign media held by the China International Development Cooperation Agency (国家国际发展合作署) in Beijing on April 14th that the 3rd High-Level Meeting of the Global Action for Shared Development Forum will be held in Beijing (北京) from April 21st to 22nd.

Zhao Fengtao (赵峰涛), Vice-President of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (国家国际发展合作署), stated that China will take this High-Level Meeting as an opportunity to work with all countries to jointly promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system and inject a continuous stream of Chinese strength into the global development cause. China will adhere to a people-centered approach, focus on underdeveloped countries and regions, continue to carry out "small but beautiful" livelihood projects in developing countries, and jointly carry out more livelihood cooperation projects with relevant countries and international organizations. China will adhere to development as a priority, continue to increase resource investment in global development, and actively promote the green transformation of global development. China will also carry out marine development cooperation projects to help build a clean, beautiful, and sustainable world, and jointly protect the Earth's home.

According to reports, this High-Level Meeting will be themed "Adhering to Action-Oriented Approach and Promoting the Building of a Global Community of Shared Future for Development" and will be divided into three parts: an opening ceremony, a closing ceremony, and sub-forums. The sub-forums will focus on "Digital Empowerment for High-Quality Development in the Global South," "Integrating Global Wisdom and Jointly Building a Climate-Resilient Future," and "From Commitment to Action: Leading Capital with Multilateral Cooperation to Jointly Create a Sustainable and Beautiful Future," etc., further consolidating consensus among all parties around multiple important cooperation areas of the Global Development Initiative, and jointly exploring solutions and pragmatic paths to promote the building of a global community of shared future for development.

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UN Chinese Language Day 2026 Held in Nairobi

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This newspaper's Nairobi (内罗毕) April 14th dispatch (Reporter Huang Weixin (黄炜鑫)) To celebrate the 17th United Nations Chinese Language Day, a Chinese Language Day and cultural experience activity themed "Characters Record a Thousand Autumns, Literary Heritage Shines Together" was held on the 13th at the United Nations Office at Nairobi (联合国内罗毕办事处). Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan (郭海燕), Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi Bangura (班古拉), as well as foreign envoys to Kenya, United Nations staff, and faculty and students from the University of Nairobi (内罗毕大学) and Kenyatta University (肯雅塔大学), totaling over a hundred people, attended.

Guo Haiyan (郭海燕) said in her speech that Chinese calligraphy has a long history and is the most representative art form of the Chinese language, containing the value of "harmony but difference," demonstrating the view of civilization of "equality and mutual learning," and indicating the world view of "harmonious coexistence." Guo Haiyan (郭海燕) said that 2026 is the year of China-Africa people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and mutual learning between civilizations is of great significance for promoting the modernization of China and Africa. Chinese is becoming a "golden key" to opening the window of opportunity in Africa and in Kenya (肯尼亚). In the Confucius Institutes (孔子学院) and Luban Workshops (鲁班工坊) in Nairobi (内罗毕), more and more African youths are not only learning to use Chinese to communicate technology, but also learning to use calligraphy to express emotions.

Bangura (班古拉) said that Chinese carries a rich cultural and intellectual heritage, reflecting values such as harmony, mutual respect, and shared responsibility, which are highly consistent with the mission of the United Nations. Linguistic diversity helps promote dialogue, enhance understanding, and provide strong support for addressing global challenges.

Chinese is one of the six official languages of the United Nations and one of the most widely used languages in the world. In 2010, the United Nations designated "Grain Rain," one of the twenty-four solar terms in the Chinese tradition, as the United Nations Chinese Language Day.

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China-Africa Arab States Academic Symposium Focuses on Mutual Learning Among Civilizations

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This newspaper Algiers, April 14th (Reporter Hao Ruimin (郝瑞敏)) The first China-Africa-Arab Countries Civilization Exchange and Mutual Learning International Academic Symposium was held on the 14th in Algiers (阿尔及尔), the capital of Algeria (阿尔及利亚). More than 60 experts and scholars from universities and research institutions in 13 countries, including China (中国), Algeria (阿尔及利亚), and Egypt (埃及), held discussions on topics such as civilization exchange, cultural exchange, and economic and trade cooperation.

Dong Guangli (董广利), the Chinese Ambassador to Algeria (阿尔及利亚), said in his speech that the civilizations of China (中国) and the African Arab countries have all shone brightly in the long river of human history. The friendship between China and Arab countries, and between China and Africa, has endured for thousands of years, characterized by mutual respect, equal treatment, and openness and inclusiveness. In 2026, China and Africa will jointly host the "China-Africa People-to-People and Cultural Exchange Year," and the second China-Arab Summit will be held in China (中国). It is hoped that this symposium will serve as an opportunity to build academic consensus for the summit and inject intellectual impetus into cooperation.

The symposium was co-organized by Northwestern University (西北大学) of China (中国), Algiers III University (阿尔及尔第三大学) of Algeria (阿尔及利亚), the Chinese Embassy in Algeria (中国驻阿尔及利亚大使馆), the Western Europe and Africa Communication Center of China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration (中国外文局西欧与非洲传播中心), and Fudan University (复旦大学) of China (中国).

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Senegalese Government Awards Medals to the 20th Chinese Medical Team to Senegal

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According to Xinhua News Agency, Dakar, April 13th (Reporter Chen Chen (陈晨)) The Senegalese government held a medal-awarding ceremony in the capital Dakar (达喀尔) on the 13th, awarding all members of the 20th Chinese medical team to Senegal the "Knight Medal of the National Order of the Lion" and issuing honorary certificates, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the development of the country's medical and health undertakings.

The 20th Chinese medical team to Senegal, consisting of 14 members, arrived in Senegal in April 2024 to carry out foreign medical assistance work. Over the past two years, the medical team has treated more than 20,000 outpatients at the Jamniadio Children's Hospital (贾姆尼亚贾儿童医院), the hospital where they are stationed, and has conducted a total of 29 public welfare free clinics in many places, providing medical services to more than 10,000 local people.

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Issuing "Opinions on Improving the Drug Price Formation Mechanism"

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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 14th (北京). Recently, the General Office of the State Council (国务院办公厅) issued the "Several Opinions on Improving the Drug Price Formation Mechanism" (《关于健全药品价格形成机制的若干意见》, hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions" 《意见》), emphasizing the full play of the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, giving better play to the role of the government, effectively serving the construction of a unified national market in the pharmaceutical field, improving the market-led drug price formation mechanism, supporting the high-quality development of the pharmaceutical industry, and ensuring that the people obtain high-quality and affordable medicines.

According to the different stages after the drug is launched, the "Opinions" 《意见》 proposes to optimize the first-release price mechanism for newly launched drugs such as innovative drugs, give play to the guiding role of medical insurance payment standards in drug price formation, improve the drug centralized volume procurement price formation mechanism, and improve drug online price management and other measures to improve drug price policies in key links.

According to the different channels of drug circulation, the "Opinions" 《意见》 clarifies measures such as giving play to the professional role of medical institutions, guiding pharmacies to reasonably formulate drug retail prices, and making good use of the price discovery function of online pharmacies, and encourages various entities to participate in price formation.

According to different fields of drugs, the "Opinions" 《意见》 emphasizes promoting diversified payment and reasonable price formation of innovative drugs, strengthening the supply and price stability of shortage drugs, strengthening the price management of anesthetic drugs and psychotropic drugs, and standardizing the price behavior of drug raw and auxiliary materials, and guiding the price of drugs in key areas to maintain a reasonable level.

The "Opinions" 《意见》 requires strengthening drug price governance, and proposes targeted measures such as implementing drug price risk early warning, improving the drug price risk disposal system, preventing the impact of irrational bidding on supply, severely punishing illegal and irregular behaviors such as forcing price increases due to shortages in the production and operation of drugs and raw and auxiliary materials, strengthening the whole-chain transparent audit and supervision in the medical field, and establishing a drug medical insurance value evaluation system to guide drug prices to operate in a reasonable range.

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Answering Questions from Reporters on the "Opinions on Promoting the Deepening of Reform of Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce"

By: 本报记者 孟祥夫

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In recent days, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共中央办公厅) and the General Office of the State Council (国务院办公厅) issued the "Opinions on Promoting the Deepening of Reform of Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce" (关于推动行业协会商会深化改革的意见) (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"). On the occasion of the public release of the "Opinions," the person in charge of the Central Social Work Department (中央社会工作部) answered questions from reporters on the formulation and implementation of the "Opinions" and other related matters.

Q: Please introduce the background and significance of the issuance of the "Opinions."

A: Industry associations and chambers of commerce are an important force in China's economic construction and social development. 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 reform and development of industry associations and chambers of commerce, and has made a series of major decisions and deployments. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee emphasized the need to achieve the separation of industry associations and chambers of commerce from administrative organs within a time limit. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China emphasized streamlining the management system for Party building work in industry associations, academic societies, and chambers of commerce. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee emphasized deepening the reform of industry associations and chambers of commerce. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee emphasized promoting the reform and development of industry associations and chambers of commerce. These major decisions and deployments have promoted new achievements and a new level of reform and development of industry associations and chambers of commerce in China, and the functional role of industry associations and chambers of commerce in serving economic and social development has become increasingly prominent. At the same time, China's industry associations and chambers of commerce are still in a period of transformation and adjustment after the decoupling reform. Facing new development situations and tasks, there are still many old problems and new challenges in Party building leadership, comprehensive supervision, internal governance, structural layout, and role play, which urgently need to be resolved in further deepening reform.

The "Opinions" make comprehensive plans and systematic designs for promoting the deepening of reform of industry associations and chambers of commerce under the new situation, fully reflecting the Party Central Committee's high attention to the reform and development of industry associations and chambers of commerce, which is of great significance for adhering to and strengthening the Party's overall leadership, stimulating and enhancing social vitality, and promoting the modernization of social governance.

Q: Please introduce the main framework and content of the "Opinions."

A: The "Opinions" have 7 parts and 18 measures. The first part is the overall requirements, clarifying the guiding ideology and overall goals for promoting the deepening of reform of industry associations and chambers of commerce. The second to sixth parts are the main content, focusing on adhering to and strengthening the Party's overall leadership, improving management systems and operating mechanisms, adjusting and optimizing the structural layout, actively playing functional roles, and optimizing the development environment, respectively, clarifying the key tasks and specific measures for promoting the deepening of reform of industry associations and chambers of commerce. The seventh part puts forward requirements from the perspective of strengthening organizational implementation.

Q: In terms of adhering to and strengthening the Party's overall leadership, what deployments have been made in the "Opinions"?

A: The Party's leadership is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and it is also the fundamental principle that must be followed in deepening the reform of industry associations and chambers of commerce. The "Opinions" make 4 deployments in adhering to and strengthening the Party's overall leadership and strengthening Party building leadership. First, focusing on streamlining the management system for Party building work, it is required to accelerate the construction of a Party building work pattern that combines blocks and strips, links up and down, and is effectively coordinated, establish and improve the working mechanism of "managing the industry also requires managing Party building," implement the working responsibilities of all departments to grasp and manage together, further streamline the affiliation of Party organizations in industry associations and chambers of commerce, and establish and improve a comprehensive and smoothly operating Party organization system. Second, focusing on enhancing the political and organizational functions of Party organizations, it is required to improve the quality of Party organization and Party work coverage, promote the standardization and normalization of Party branch construction, improve the mechanism for Party organizations to play a role, promote Party organizations in industry associations and chambers of commerce to effectively participate in decision-making on major matters such as important personnel arrangements, and strengthen the political responsibility for leading development. Third, focusing on strengthening the standardization of elections and the construction of the team of leaders, it is required to establish and improve the nomination, review, publicity, supervision, and exit of leaders of industry associations and chambers of commerce, as well as the system of regular reporting of duties and accountability of main leaders, do a good job in reviewing candidates for leaders, strengthen the supervision and management of leaders, strengthen the rectification of chaos in elections, and strictly regulate the setting of honorary positions for leaders. Fourth, focusing on increasing the intensity of supervision and discipline enforcement, it is required to improve the disciplinary inspection work mechanism, strengthen the standardization, legalization, and regularization of disciplinary inspection work, establish and improve the problem clue disposal system, improve the anti-corruption and integrity system of industry associations and chambers of commerce, deepen the rectification of unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems, and promote the integrated advancement of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt.

Q: What requirements does the "Opinions" put forward for consolidating and expanding the achievements of the decoupling reform of industry associations and chambers of commerce?

A: The "Opinions" adhere to the direction of the "de-administration" reform of industry associations and chambers of commerce, and put forward 3 requirements for consolidating and expanding the achievements of the decoupling reform. First, establish and improve a management system under the unified leadership of the Party committee, the overall coordination of the Party committee's social work department, and the respective responsibilities and coordinated cooperation of the registration management organs, industry management departments, business supervisory units, and relevant functional departments, and comprehensive supervision. Second, strengthen the comprehensive supervision of the assets of industry associations and chambers of commerce, and improve the asset management model with clear property rights, standardized order, openness and transparency, and strict supervision. Third, gradually promote the separation of institutions, functions, financial independence, and personnel autonomy of industry associations and chambers of commerce with business supervisory units, strengthen daily guidance and management supervision, and achieve legal, autonomous, standardized operation and healthy and orderly development.

Q: In terms of improving the management system and operating mechanism of industry associations and chambers of commerce, what deployments have been made in the "Opinions"?

A: The comprehensive supervision system established during the decoupling reform has been in operation for nearly 10 years, and it is urgent to improve it in light of the new situation and new tasks. The "Opinions" focus on improving the comprehensive governance system of industry associations and chambers of commerce, and make 3 deployments. First, strengthen government supervision, clarify the industry management departments of directly registered and decoupled industry associations and chambers of commerce, and require them to implement responsibilities such as business guidance, industry supervision, and Party building work according to their functions; deploy all regions and relevant departments to sort out the management service matters involving industry associations and chambers of commerce, focus on investigating the problems that have arisen after decoupling, and study and propose improvement measures; explore the establishment of a classified management system, establish and improve the reporting system for major matters, strengthen the supervision of key matters; deepen the reform of the registration system, study and formulate measures for the direct registration of industry associations and chambers of commerce, explore simplified cancellation procedures for industry associations and chambers of commerce, and improve the exit system. Second, establish and improve the social supervision mechanism, formulate an information disclosure system for industry associations and chambers of commerce, encourage and support news media, the people, and members to supervise industry associations and chambers of commerce, unblock complaint and reporting channels, and explore the establishment of a professional and socialized third-party supervision mechanism. Third, enhance the ability of industry associations and chambers of commerce to govern themselves according to law, strengthen the construction of joint and comprehensive industry associations and chambers of commerce, establish and improve the internal management system of industry associations and chambers of commerce, standardize the establishment and strict management of offices, branches (representative) offices, standardize fee-charging behavior and foreign exchanges and cooperation, comprehensively strengthen asset and financial management, and strictly manage the establishment of enterprises.

Q: In terms of adjusting and optimizing the structural layout of industry associations and chambers of commerce, what deployments have been made in the "Opinions"?

A: Compared with the needs of economic and social development, the structural layout of China's industry associations and chambers of commerce still has problems such as being unreasonable and unbalanced. The "Opinions" make 3 deployments around adjusting and optimizing the structural layout. First, clarify 4 reform paths: optimize and integrate industry associations and chambers of commerce with overlapping business, small institutional scale, excessively detailed division of fields, and weak functional roles; accelerate the exit of industry associations and chambers of commerce that are malfunctioning, disrupting order, shrinking industries, and whose purpose and tasks have been completed; focus on cultivating and giving priority to the development of industry associations and chambers of commerce that meet the country's major strategies and regional development positioning, adapt to the needs of industrial transformation and upgrading, and serve the development of new quality productive forces; actively support the establishment of industry associations and chambers of commerce in strategic emerging industries, future industries, and green and low-carbon industries in accordance with the law. Second, reasonably regulate the scale, increase the integration efforts for national industry associations and chambers of commerce; for local industry associations and chambers of commerce, strengthen macro-control and guidance according to the economic and social development and industrial structure changes in various regions; for municipal and county-level industry associations and chambers of commerce, simplify exit procedures in accordance with the law, and control the overall scale through orderly competition. Third, do not engage in **一刀切** (yī dāo qiē - "one knife cut," apply a single policy to all situations regardless of specific circumstances) in the work, abandon impetuosity and rashness, and follow the principle of pilot first and steady advancement, carry out pilot projects in areas where national industry associations and chambers of commerce are relatively concentrated and in some local areas, and steadily promote them after accumulating experience.

Q: What requirements does the "Opinions" put forward for playing the functional role of industry associations and chambers of commerce?

A: Giving full play to the positive role of industry associations and chambers of commerce in serving economic and social development is the ultimate goal of deepening reform. The "Opinions" clarify the functional positioning and focus of industry associations and chambers of commerce from 3 aspects. First, standardize industry development. Industry associations and chambers of commerce should establish and improve industry self-discipline management systems and self-discipline constraint mechanisms, formulate and implement industry professional ethics codes, carry out industry credit evaluation work in accordance with the law, consciously resist "involutionary" competition, punish members who violate self-discipline rules, play a role in resolving petition contradictions, and better maintain industry development order. Second, expand service functions. Industry associations and chambers of commerce should promote the implementation of the Party's theories and guidelines and policies, as well as national development strategies and related industry special plans, provide services and reflect demands in accordance with the law, carry out investigations and research and industry statistics, promote the construction of advanced industry standard systems, promote the application of new technologies and new products, help the development of advanced industrial clusters, and actively participate in rural comprehensive revitalization, social governance, volunteer services, public welfare and charity, food safety, emergency rescue and other work. Third, participate in international exchanges and cooperation. Industry associations and chambers of commerce, especially national industry associations and chambers of commerce, should actively participate in the formulation of international standards and international rules, participate in or promote the establishment of international economic and trade dialogue mechanisms, serve to build international supply and procurement docking platforms, and guide and promote industry enterprises to actively participate in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and global industrial division of labor and cooperation.

Q: What deployments does the "Opinions" make for optimizing the development environment of industry associations and chambers of commerce?

A: A good development environment is an important guarantee for promoting the standardized and healthy development of industry associations and chambers of commerce. The "Opinions" make 3 deployments for strengthening cultivation and support and optimizing the development environment. First, strengthen policy support. Encourage all regions and relevant departments to formulate and implement policies and measures to support the transformation and development of industry associations and chambers of commerce in light of actual conditions, transfer or entrust functions and matters suitable for industry associations and chambers of commerce to undertake to qualified industry associations and chambers of commerce in accordance with procedures, and implement policy measures such as tax incentives and financial support. Second, strengthen talent support. Increase the efforts to cultivate and train talents in industry associations and chambers of commerce, establish and improve the training and evaluation system for employees, and unblock career development channels. Third, unblock contact and communication. Establish a systemized channel for soliciting people's suggestions from industry associations and chambers of commerce, and share relevant information data with qualified industry associations and chambers of commerce in accordance with the law.

Q: What are the requirements for promoting the implementation of the "Opinions"?

A: The vitality of a system lies in its execution. To implement the "Opinions" well, the joint efforts of all regions and relevant departments are needed. According to the requirements of the "Opinions," Party committees and governments at all levels should strengthen organizational leadership and promptly study and solve major problems. Party committees' social work departments at all levels should strengthen overall coordination, supervision, and implementation, and promote the implementation of relevant policies and measures. It is necessary to strengthen publicity and guidance and create a good atmosphere for supporting the development of industry associations and chambers of commerce.

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Enhancing China's legal capacity to respond to external risks and challenges

By: 本报记者 张 璁

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On April 7, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang (李强) signed a State Council decree, promulgating the "Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Countering Improper Extraterritorial Application of Foreign Laws" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"), which shall come into effect from the date of promulgation. Recently, the person in charge of the Ministry of Justice (司法部) answered questions from reporters regarding the relevant issues of the "Regulations."

Resolutely Declare Our Principled Position of Not Accepting Improper Extraterritorial Jurisdiction of Foreign Countries in the Form of Legislation

In recent years, some countries have provoked incidents in many fields and frequently implemented improper extraterritorial jurisdiction over our citizens and organizations through domestic legislation, law enforcement, and judicial means, seriously interfering in China's internal affairs, endangering China's national and people's interests, seriously undermining the international rule of law, and eroding the multilateral international order with the United Nations as the core.

"In order to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and organizations, and maintain the international order based on international law, it is necessary to resolutely declare our principled position of not accepting improper extraterritorial jurisdiction of foreign countries in the form of legislation." The person in charge of the Ministry of Justice (司法部) said that the State Council's issuance of the "Regulations" is an urgent need to counter the hegemonism and power politics of some Western countries, an urgent need to safeguard the interests of the country and the people, and an urgent need to effectively enhance China's legal capacity to cope with external risks and challenges, which has important practical and far-reaching significance.

According to reports, countering through legislation is essentially different from the abuse of "long-arm jurisdiction" by some Western countries and is a defensive measure to respond to and counter foreign countries' implementation of improper extraterritorial jurisdiction in violation of international law and the basic norms of international relations. In view of this, the "Regulations" reiterate that the People's Republic of China adheres to an independent and peaceful foreign policy, opposes hegemonism and power politics, and opposes any country interfering in China's internal affairs under any pretext or in any way. At the same time, it clearly stipulates that the work of countering improper extraterritorial jurisdiction of foreign countries shall implement the overall national security concept, coordinate development and security, coordinate domestic and international affairs, safeguard the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and promote the construction of a more just and reasonable global governance system.

Identifying and Blocking Improper Extraterritorial Jurisdiction of Foreign Countries

The "Regulations" mainly target situations where foreign countries violate international law and the basic norms of international relations, implement improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures, endanger China's national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and damage the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and organizations, providing institutional support for the Chinese government to take corresponding measures.

The person in charge of the Ministry of Justice (司法部) introduced that the "Regulations" make relevant provisions in identifying and blocking improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures of foreign countries.

First, it clarifies that the legal affairs department of the State Council (国务院) shall, together with other relevant agencies, carry out the identification of improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures of foreign countries, and may conduct investigations and external consultations. Relevant organizations and individuals may propose suggestions to the legal affairs department of the State Council (国务院) to carry out identification work.

Second, it stipulates the factors that should be comprehensively considered when carrying out the identification of improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures of foreign countries, including whether they violate international law and the basic norms of international relations, whether the connection between the behavior subject to extraterritorial jurisdiction by the foreign country and that country is appropriate, whether it endangers China's national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and damages the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and organizations.

Third, it stipulates blocking measures. If, after identification, the relevant measures constitute improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures of a foreign country, the legal affairs department of the State Council (国务院) may announce it. It is clarified that no organization or individual may implement or assist in the implementation of improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures of foreign countries.

Fourth, it clarifies the relevant exemption system. If Chinese citizens or organizations really need to implement or assist in the implementation of improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures of foreign countries due to special circumstances, they shall apply to the legal affairs department of the State Council (国务院) and provide corresponding facts and reasons, the scope of implementation or assistance in implementation, etc., and may implement or assist in the implementation of relevant measures within a specific scope after being approved by the decision-making procedures of the working mechanism.

Clarifying Countermeasures and Establishing a System of Injunctions for Precise Application

What countermeasures does the "Regulations" stipulate against improper extraterritorial jurisdiction of foreign countries? The person in charge of the Ministry of Justice (司法部) introduced this.

First, it clarifies countermeasures at the national level. The "Regulations" stipulate that the Chinese government may assess the behavior of relevant countries in implementing improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures, determine the risk level, and take countermeasures and restrictive measures in diplomatic and foreign affairs, entry and exit, trade, investment, international cooperation, foreign aid, etc. in accordance with the law, providing a clearer legal authorization for relevant parties to take measures.

Second, it establishes a malicious entity list system. The "Regulations" stipulate that the relevant departments of the State Council (国务院) may, in accordance with the decision-making procedures of the working mechanism, include foreign organizations and individuals that promote or participate in the implementation of improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures of foreign countries in the malicious entity list and take countermeasures and restrictive measures, and at the same time clarify relevant procedures and exemption systems.

"Many countries and regions have blocked and countered foreign 'long-arm jurisdiction' by establishing systems such as injunctions." The person in charge of the Ministry of Justice (司法部) said that the "Regulations" draw on relevant foreign practices and, combined with practical needs, have established a system of injunctions for precise application, clarifying that the legal affairs department of the State Council (国务院) may, in accordance with the decision-making procedures of the working mechanism, make a decision to prohibit organizations and individuals that implement or assist in the implementation of improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures of foreign countries from implementing improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures of foreign countries, that is, an injunction, and set legal responsibilities for violations of the injunction, providing a more powerful institutional support for blocking improper extraterritorial jurisdiction measures of foreign countries.

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Photo Report

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On April 14th, in the peony planting base in Guozhuang Village, Cangtou Town, Xin'an County, Luoyang City, Henan Province (河南省洛阳市新安县仓头镇郭庄村), flower farmers are busy picking peony flowers.

It is now the harvest season for edible peonies in the area, and white peonies are blooming one after another all over the mountains and fields. The edible peonies planted in the town are mainly used for deep processing of characteristic edible products such as peony tea and peony cakes, which has broadened the channels for local people to increase their income and become wealthy.

Photo by Xiao Shehui (肖社会) (People's Vision (人民视觉))

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The State Council Appoints and Removes National Personnel

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Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 14th. The State Council has appointed and removed national personnel.

Zhao Wenfang (赵文芳) has been appointed as Deputy Director of the National Railway Administration.

Sun Weidong (孙卫东) is removed from the post of Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; An Lusheng (安路生) is removed from the post of Deputy Director of the National Railway Administration.

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Releasing the "First Batch of Healthcare Security Field Scenario List for 2026"

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This newspaper reported from Beijing on April 14th (Reporter Sun Xiuyan (孙秀艳)): In order to implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council on accelerating the cultivation and opening of scenarios, and promoting the large-scale application of new scenarios, and in accordance with the "Notice of the National Healthcare Security Administration on Accelerating the Cultivation and Opening of Scenarios in the Medical Insurance Field to Support the Large-scale Application of New Scenarios," the National Healthcare Security Administration (国家医保局) recently formulated and released the "First Batch of Medical Insurance Field Scenario List for 2026."

The list released this time closely focuses on the needs of the people and the needs of medical insurance reform, covering 13 application scenarios in three aspects: deepening the application of medical insurance data, improving the level of medical insurance services, and leveraging the effectiveness of the long-term care system. Among them, in terms of deepening the application of medical insurance data, it includes a number of scenarios involving medical insurance work and services such as personal medical insurance cloud, medium and long-term actuarial of medical insurance funds, application of drug traceability information, and convenient medical insurance information services, aiming to promote the solution of a number of urgent and difficult problems for the masses in the medical insurance field, and further optimize and improve the level of medical insurance services.

Taking the personal medical insurance cloud as an example, the new scenario will rely on the nationally unified medical insurance information platform to gradually integrate diverse data such as imaging, pathology, wearable devices, and health checkups on the basis of integrating individual diagnosis and treatment and medical insurance settlement data to build a personal medical insurance health database covering the entire life cycle; provide full-process medical insurance health services, and provide insured persons with accurate full-process services covering pre-diagnosis, during diagnosis, post-diagnosis, and daily life. The personal medical insurance cloud will also serve the diversified development of the health economy, providing individual data support for pharmaceutical research and development.

According to the requirements of the notice, the National Healthcare Security Administration (国家医保局) is establishing a scenario discovery and list release mechanism, and regularly carrying out scenario collection and preferentially releasing the list of scenarios in the medical insurance field. We will take the lead in releasing scenario lists with a good foundation and urgent needs, form a batch of replicable and scalable benchmark cases, serve the digital and intelligent development of medical insurance, and serve economic and social development by using points to promote the whole 以点促面 (yǐ diǎn cù miàn - "use a point to promote the whole," to use a specific example to promote overall progress).

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First Edition Editors: Hu Anqi, Zhang Shuaizhen, Luan Xinyi; Second Edition Editors: Yin Xinyu, Qi Jiarun, He Biao; Third Edition Editors: Wu Gang, Jiang Bo, Wang Xuchen; Fourth Edition Editors: Yuan Zhenxi, Liu Jingwen, Zhang Xueyan

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Page 05版:评论

How to Forge "Scenario Competitiveness" (Commentator's Observation)

By: 李洪兴

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Scenarios are the carrier of technology implementation, the stage for consumption upgrades, the grasp for improving governance efficiency, and, more importantly, the concentrated presentation of development vitality and potential.

Technical innovation helps extend scenarios, and scenario applications in turn promote technical innovation. Such a positive "double helix" makes the innovation ecosystem more vibrant.

What kind of freshness can be tasted from a piece of biscuit?

A friend shared a type of biscuit called "Lucky Stick." Each small portion of biscuit has a message, such as "Stars in your eyes, warm sunshine in your heart" and "White and chubby, full of hope." Seeing these words, one can't help but feel a warmth in their heart and a knowing smile.

New tricks, new experiences. My friend said with great feeling that the manufacturer is not making snacks, but "scenarios" that can be brought to the table and send blessings when relatives and friends gather. Scenarios are everywhere in life. Observing development is also the same.

Some scholars say that to understand China and know China, one must return to "China's scenarios." From artificial intelligence empowering thousands of industries, to immersive cultural tourism experiences dominating social media, to precise matching of government services with people's needs... In the practice of high-quality development, scenarios are the carrier of technology implementation, the stage for consumption upgrades, the grasp for improving governance efficiency, and, more importantly, the concentrated presentation of development vitality and potential.

In today's deep integration of the digital economy and the real economy, how can China forge "scenario competitiveness"?

Promoting scenario innovation requires institutional support as the key. For example, new infrastructure such as 5G is included in the national plan, providing underlying support for scenarios such as autonomous driving and remote medical care; the "Eastern Data and Western Computing (东数西算)" project promotes the high-quality development of western regions in computing power application scenarios through the layout of data centers.

The strategic planning of top-level design and the strong guidance of macro policies have enhanced policy-driven capabilities. When companies in some countries are anxious about electricity security, China's power grid, energy structure, and ultra-high voltage projects release development dividends, demonstrating the advantage of concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks. The overall planning of the system and the preemptive actions have made application scenarios an important field of development.

China has a huge market, and there are differences and complementarities between urban and rural areas, regions, and industries. This means that technological innovation can always find suitable scenarios, and individual needs will also give rise to completely new scenarios. The "demand matrix" of the unified national market presents the characteristics of gradient diversification, hierarchical richness, and dynamic upgrading. For example, consumers in first- and second-tier cities prefer smart home appliances and unmanned delivery, while live-streaming to promote agriculture in lower-tier markets drives the circulation of agricultural products through scenario reconstruction.

Compared with some mature economies, the "demand elasticity" of the Chinese market is particularly significant. For example, with changes in the population structure, China's youth and elderly have simultaneously become the main consumer groups. The "silver economy" and "Generation Z consumption" permeate and blend with each other, giving rise to a batch of composite consumption scenarios. From the quality life of cities to the inclusive livelihood of rural areas, from the aging-friendly transformation of the silver economy to the trendy cultural tourism of young people, the breadth and depth of demand are creating unlimited possibilities for scenarios.

Technology is the engine of scenario innovation. 5G technology not only serves the communications industry, but also verifies its actual effectiveness through scenarios such as port automation, remote medical care, and autonomous driving, further promoting technological upgrades; drones have changed from initial consumer-grade products to good helpers in fields such as agricultural plant protection and power inspection, and the low-altitude economy is constantly extending and strengthening its chain. Today, technical innovation helps extend scenarios, and scenario applications in turn promote technical innovation. Such a positive "double helix" makes the innovation ecosystem more vibrant.

The two-way empowerment of technology and scenarios stems from the integrity and stability of the industrial chain and supply chain. From product design to terminal manufacturing, from cloud computing to the Internet of Things, the complete industrial system and manufacturing capabilities enable technological iteration and scenario adaptation to be promoted simultaneously. The more scenario innovation can be implemented and promoted, the more it can provide hardcore support for accumulating development advantages.

Looking further, the current inclusiveness and participation of the entire society in new technologies injects "full power" into scenario innovation. The popularity of shared bicycles, the rise of community group buying, the open source of artificial intelligence large models... Ordinary people are users of scenarios and co-builders. It is precisely based on the cultural atmosphere of "social co-creation" that micro-innovations are gradually converging into major changes. Adhering to the bottom line of safety and encouraging more people to participate in new fields and new business forms will be more conducive to forming a situation where "scenarios enter life and innovation becomes the norm."

The shaping of "scenario competitiveness" depends on the synergistic resonance of institutional advantages, market potential, technological ecology, and social vitality. It should also be noted that new scenarios should not be limited to the "application layer," but should also broaden the stage for basic research. This is the "source of living water" for achieving high-quality and sustainable development. We must believe that the new scenarios carefully crafted today will become new tracks that define tomorrow and breed vigorously growing new forces.

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Securing Stability and Inspiring Confidence (People's Daily Commentary)

By: 代志新

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"Extending the contract for 30 years" extends not only the 30-year contract period, but also the confidence of hundreds of millions of farmers in a better life and the effectiveness of high-quality agricultural and rural development.

Spring returns to the earth, and agricultural activities are in full swing. Not long ago, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council issued opinions on doing a good job in the pilot work of extending the second round of land contracts for another 30 years after they expire. The weight of this document is like a "timely rain" during the spring plowing season, which is highly anticipated and deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.

From 2024 to 2025, the land contracts of nearly 30 million farm households across the country will expire; during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, this number will increase to approximately 160 million households. Land is the foundation of agriculture. What happens when the contract expires? "Extending the contract on a household basis to ensure that the vast majority of farmers' original contracted land remains stable, without overturning and re-dividing, and without taking the opportunity to illegally adjust or recover farmers' contracted land." This is not only a continuation of the system, but also a key measure to enhance confidence in agriculture, rural areas, and farmers and stabilize the basic agricultural sector.

Stabilizing the contractual relationship stabilizes the people's hearts.

Land is not only the source of livelihood for farmers, but also the "confidence" for production and operation, which is related to the money bags and grain bags of every household. The policy core of "extending the contract for 30 years" lies in "stability," adhering to the collective ownership system, adhering to the household contract management of farmers, and adhering to "major stability and minor adjustments." This "stability" can be transformed into tangible practicality at the grassroots level.

In Xinxi Kou Township (新溪口乡), She County (歙县), Anhui Province (安徽省), villagers sighed after completing the formalities through online mobile signing: "These 30 years of land contract rights are legally guaranteed, and we are more confident in growing tea and developing industries in the future." Such voices reflect the expected effect of the policy in gaining farmers' confidence. When the land contract relationship becomes a "stable contract," farmers dare to plan for long-term development, and the foundation for the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside will be more solid.

What is extended is the contract, but also a new way to stabilize production.

Stable property rights expectations make land transfer more worry-free and large-scale operation more efficient, providing a guarantee for stable agricultural production. In Nongdi Area (弄底片区), Bapen Community (岜盆社区), Bapen Township (岜盆乡), Fusui County (扶绥县), Guangxi (广西), taking the opportunity of land contract extension, 500 mu of fragmented and abandoned marginal land has been transformed into a "high-yield and high-sugar sugarcane planting demonstration area" through moderate scale transfer, paving a new way to increase income for 182 farm households. The coordinated efforts of modern agricultural technology in the fields and the three-dimensional exploration of the "sugarcane +" composite planting model have achieved cost reduction and efficiency increase, and multiple harvests in one field. When the land contract relationship is stable, expectations will be clear; when expectations are clear, capital will dare to invest and technology will be willing to enter, and the virtuous cycle of stable agricultural production and income increase will be smoother.

Implement precise policies to resolve the knot of the human-land contradiction.

To stabilize expectations, we must face up to the problems. Nearly 30 years have passed since the second round of contracting, and the contradiction between people and land has been caused by population increase and decrease, farmland damage, and other reasons. In response, the extension of the contract relationship again not only adheres to the established principles, but also gives the grassroots room for adjustment: for special circumstances that do require land adjustment, it is allowed to make "minor adjustments" in accordance with laws and regulations under the premise of "major stability."

In Heping Village (和平村), Yizhi Township (益智乡), Jinggu Dai and Yi Autonomous County (景谷傣族彝族自治县), Yunnan (云南), the working group focused on sorting out historical legacy issues such as land transfer and boundary disputes, and clarified the land rights protection of women and farmers entering cities. In Menghai Town (蒙海镇), Hangjin Houqi (杭锦后旗), Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), the local government adopted differentiated resettlement for different types of land-deficient farmers, using newly added cultivated land and mobile land to solve the planting needs of farmers who had not been allocated land, and the land of households that had been completely eliminated was legally recovered by the collective for unified operation after full discussion. These grassroots explorations prove that only with the determination of a sea-stabilizing needle and the delicacy of embroidery can we safeguard the vital well-being of farmers and ensure that policy dividends are fairly distributed to everyone.

Handling the relationship between people and land has always been the main line of China's "agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" reform, and the new policy is another steady step on the main line. "Extending the contract for 30 years" extends not only the 30-year contract period, but also the confidence of hundreds of millions of farmers in a better life and the effectiveness of high-quality agricultural and rural development. Looking forward, firmly grasping this main line and not wavering, the fields of hope will depict a more magnificent and splendid picture.

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"Three Trillion" Speaks of Potential

By: 邓剑洋

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Since the beginning of this year, the "three trillion" topics in urban development have attracted attention. In 2025, Beijing (北京)'s total economic output will exceed the 5 trillion yuan mark for the first time. Wenzhou (温州) in Zhejiang (浙江) and Dalian (大连) in Liaoning (辽宁) will join the ranks of cities with a regional GDP of "trillion yuan." Nanshan District (南山区) in Shenzhen (深圳), Guangdong (广东) will become the first district-level administrative region in the country with a total economic output exceeding one trillion yuan.

"Trillion-yuan capital," "trillion-yuan city," and "trillion-yuan district" – from the leap in urban capacity, we can see the coordinated pattern of regional development, and also gain insight into the resilient growth of China's economy in a complex environment. Cities that are making a "vigorous leap" are becoming powerful engines for China's high-quality economic development.

More cities reaching new levels of capacity also prompt reflection: now that economic volume has reached a high level, how should we continue to "seek progress"? Where is the potential?

For cities that have reached a high level, creating a "second growth curve" is a key proposition. On the basis of leveraging advantages, it is necessary to forge new strengths. For example, Shenzhen (深圳) started its low-altitude industry early and has a dense concentration of enterprises, and is fully competing for the new track of the low-altitude economy. In 2025, the added value of Shenzhen's (深圳) low-altitude economy and aerospace industry cluster was 35.061 billion yuan, an increase of 31% year-on-year. Xi'an (西安) in Shaanxi (陕西) has a good foundation in the new materials industry, so the local government seized the "key link" of industrial chain collaboration, using the "homologous chain" model to allow the new materials industry to drive the common development of multiple industrial clusters. Based on unique advantages, developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions, and cultivating new industries and new drivers of development, can promote urban development to a new level.

The larger the economic volume, the more important it is to have a global perspective and broaden development space through regional coordination. Large economic volume and rapid development speed inevitably produce a siphon effect on surrounding cities, and coordinated regional development is the way to break the situation. Controllers developed in Shanghai (上海), servo motors in Zhejiang (浙江), reducers in Jiangsu (江苏), and housings in Anhui (安徽)... In the Yangtze River Delta (长三角), a robot "4-hour industrial circle" is accelerating its formation. The three provinces and one city each display their strengths, develop collaboratively, and 握指成拳 (wò zhǐ chéng quán - "clench fingers into a fist," to unite and work together), allowing robots to achieve 100% localization of core components, an overall domestic production rate of 94%, and a 40% reduction in costs. Making the "cake" of economic development bigger and achieving a win-win situation for all parties means that no one will lose out.

The ultimate goal of economic development is to improve people's well-being and achieve people's all-round development. From daily necessities to clothing, food, housing, and transportation, the constantly increasing economic volume must ultimately be reflected in the increasingly better lives of the masses. The renovation of old residential areas is linked to the happiness of thousands of households, and doesn't it contain huge investment space? From "providing for the elderly" to "enjoying old age," making "the elderly are provided for, the elderly have something to do, and the elderly have something to enjoy" increasingly a reality, doesn't it create a broad consumer market? Grasping development is for the benefit of the people, and improving people's livelihoods will continue to release domestic demand potential, injecting strong impetus into urban development. Constantly weaving a dense social security network in the fields of employment, housing, education, medical care, and elderly care, and doing a good job in the "key small things" that the masses care about, will surely fill the city with tangible warmth and realize the resonance between the leap in urban capacity and the people's expectations for happiness.

The "three trillion" demonstrate the huge potential of the Chinese economy and reflect the myriad phenomena of Chinese-style modernization. As the "15th Five-Year Plan" begins, we look forward to more cities climbing to higher levels and moving towards new directions, jointly heading towards a bright future of high-quality development.

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Photo Report

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The new "Study Tour Contract (Model Text)" has been added, the prohibition of ambiguous expressions such as "quasi-star rating" has been clarified, the tiered standards for contract termination and refunds have been refined, and the protection of personal information has been strengthened. Not long ago, the 2026 edition of the group tour contract (model text) was officially implemented. This is the first systematic revision of the model text in 12 years, and it will help consumers to enjoy peace of mind and have a basis for safeguarding their rights in cultural and tourism consumption.

This is precisely:

Taking a trip with companions in high spirits,
A gentle breeze protects the sailing boat.
If peace of mind is maintained,
There will be less worry on the journey.

Jin Yuanwen (金圆文)

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A Rejection Letter That Warms the Heart (Heartwarming News & Hot Takes)

By: 海 平

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[Keywords] Refusing to dismantle the bird's nest

[Event] Not long ago, a senior high school student in Shenzhen (深圳市), Guangdong (广东) Province, wrote to the school requesting the removal of a bird's nest because the calls of the Asian koel were interfering with their studies. The principal did not simply comply or directly refuse, but responded with an open letter. The letter stated, "I understand your urgency, but I cannot agree to your request. It's not because I don't understand your hard work, but because I hope you can understand: the ultimate goal of education is not to make the world adapt to us, but to teach us to get along with the world."

[Commentary]

Why can an ordinary little thing on campus touch the hearts of millions of netizens?

Because it demonstrates an equal dialogue posture. In traditional concepts, the relationship between principals and students is not only one of teachers and students, but also one of management and being managed. In response to the students' demands, the principal responded with a sincere open letter, putting down his "status" and confiding in the students, vividly interpreting that the campus manager can also be a "big friend" who is willing to listen and empathize. The students' thoughts are taken seriously, which in itself is very educational.

From the reply letter, we can also read the quiet changes in the concept of education. Faced with entrance examinations, people inevitably have some utilitarian mentality. "The primary task of students is to study," "All other professions are inferior, only studying is noble"... almost everyone has heard similar exhortations in their student days. "The spring is beautiful, all things are growing, and the birds are just celebrating the feast of life in their own way." The principal did not deny the importance of preparing for the exam, nor did he let the bird's nest become a sacrifice. This balance is a reconciliation of the utilitarian mentality.

A bird is allowed to sing on campus, which is a gentle reminder to the students: not everything needs to give way to the exam. In addition to the tense academic work, all living things also have their meaning, and everyone needs to learn to deal with the larger world - whether it is getting along with the surrounding environment or drawing a "private plot" in their hearts.

At a deeper level, this letter points to a "meta-proposition": What is the ultimate purpose of education? Is it the accumulation of knowledge, the improvement of scores, or the cultivation of the underlying color of life value?

In recent years, topics such as "empty-hearted people" and "meritocracy" have repeatedly triggered heated discussions. People are increasingly aware that taking grades as the only indicator of ability may lead to the lack of a spiritual core. Some children lose themselves in the pressure of exams and even regard life itself as a long "problem-solving" exercise. Drilling into such a "hutong" is hardly beneficial to the all-round development of people. Therefore, society is increasingly calling on educators to encourage children to see and embrace real life with full humanistic care and to cultivate a healthier spiritual reserve for life.

Of course, for senior high school students, preparing for the exam is undoubtedly a major event that needs to be well guaranteed, but this is not contradictory to refusing to dismantle the bird's nest. A media reporter's follow-up visit found that a series of measures taken by the school, from providing noise-canceling earplugs to building artificial nests to attract Asian koels away, have achieved positive results. This also inspires educators and managers to have clever methods to turn dilemmas into win-win situations in order to make good ideas take root. Only in this way will the sincere original intention not be reduced to correct but empty preaching.

The Second Primary School of Xinzhou Town (新州镇) in Huangping County (黄平县), Guizhou (贵州) Province, overcomes hardware difficulties and insists on doing a good job in sports; two primary schools in Fengxian District (奉贤区), Shanghai (上海) either build aerial passages for squirrels or set up climbing pet observation corners, allowing children to feel life in observation and companionship... In recent years, we have seen that more and more schools and educators have jumped out of the 唯成绩论 (wéi chéng jì lùn - "achievement only theory," the idea that academic performance is the only important thing) and embraced more scientific educational concepts. A little progress reflects a more open social mentality and supports the future of a nation and a country.

An educator once said: "Education is not preparation for life, education itself is life." No matter how important academic work is, it can never exist in isolation from life. In a person's life, being inwardly rich and able to face the unknown and unfinished aspects of life calmly may be more important than the ability to solve exercises. I believe that in an ever-improving educational environment, every child can receive warmer and more caring guidance.

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AI industry should focus on benefiting people, not creating superficial spectacles (Perspective)

By: 张 磊

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Developing the artificial intelligence (AI) industry is a strategic choice to seize the high ground in future competition. However, whether a locality should launch AI projects, what kind of AI projects to launch, and how to launch them, tests not only industrial judgment but also the concept of political achievements.

In reality, some local practices are worrying: some disregard the industrial base, only seeking the "new" as the top priority, blindly building data centers and launching intelligent applications to grab the limelight; some are keen on building "smart screens" for visitors, with glamorous data dashboards unrelated to front-line business; some do not hesitate to invest heavily in introducing AI projects that are out of touch with local needs, only to find after the projects are implemented that the locality lacks both a suitable industrial base and professional talents to support operations, ultimately becoming a "vanity project" that requires annual subsidies for maintenance. Behind these phenomena is actually a distorted concept of political achievements at work—treating new technologies as "bonsai" to decorate the facade, emphasizing immediate results over long-term gains, emphasizing input over output, and emphasizing construction over application.

Of course, this is not to say that localities should not develop the AI industry, but rather that they must think carefully about why they are developing the AI industry. This is like raising fish, you must first figure out what kind of fish the water quality of the pond is suitable for, rather than blindly introducing the most popular varieties. If decision-makers only focus on short-term sensational effects but ignore the local reality, the result is often not only resource misallocation, but also the amplification of the pain of technological transformation.

Technological progress should benefit the people, making medical treatment more convenient, education more universal, and the environment more beautiful. In reality, some localities, in order to rapidly develop the AI industry, provide high subsidies as long as enterprises are related to AI. Under the stimulus of inappropriate subsidies, some enterprises smell the space for "policy arbitrage" and do not hesitate to prematurely eliminate equipment on the production line that could continue to be used, blindly using expensive AI machines to replace front-line workers. This kind of AI development "for the sake of replacement" not only cannot calculate the economic account, but also cannot calculate the people's livelihood account.

AI is an important engine for developing new quality productive forces. The methodology behind it has already been pointed out by General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平): "We cannot only stare at the 'new three things,' we cannot have a 大呼隆 (dà hū lōng - "a big roar," describing a chaotic and superficial approach) , 一哄而起 (yī hōng ér qǐ - "swarm up," to rise up in a hubbub) and 一哄而散 (yī hōng ér sàn - "scatter in a hubbub," to disperse in a disorderly manner), we must adapt to local conditions and have our own characteristics." This "locality" is not only a geographical difference, but also a difference in industrial base, resource endowment, and actual needs. To develop the AI industry, we must start from real needs, fully consider the issue of adaptability, and promote the implementation of technology in a pragmatic and localized manner. This is a respect for the laws of development and a responsibility to the interests of the people.

Currently, the study and education of establishing and practicing the correct concept of political achievements is being carried out throughout the Party. For leading cadres, developing the AI industry is not a show but a real task, not creating scenery but creating benefits. To measure the effectiveness of AI development, do not look at how many on-site meetings have been held or how many exhibition halls have been built, but at whether the technology has empowered the real economy, whether it has enhanced the well-being of the people, and whether it has promoted social equity. Developing the AI industry is a mirror, reflecting whether the concept of political achievements of leading cadres is correct. Only by adhering to the starting point of solving practical problems and the foothold of enhancing the well-being of the people can AI truly become a powerful driving force for promoting high-quality development.

(Excerpted and compiled from *Xinjiang Daily (新疆日报)*, originally titled "The Question of the Concept of Political Achievements Behind the AI Industry Boom")

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Editor in charge of this edition: Li Bin, Zhang Fan, Yin Shuanghong

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

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Page 06版:要闻

Reverse Thinking for Innovation: Making Dam Concrete More Durable (Promoting the Spirit of Scientists)

By: 《环球人物》记者 许 晔

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Li Wenwei, born in 1965 in Xiangxiang (湘乡), Hunan (湖南) Province, is a senior engineer who formerly served as the director of the Experiment Center of China Three Gorges Corporation (中国长江三峡集团有限公司). He is currently the director of the Hubei (湖北) Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Materials and Application Technology. He was selected for the National Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Talents Project and received the title of "Young and Middle-aged Expert with Outstanding Contributions." He has long been committed to the research of key technologies such as dam concrete durability and temperature control and crack prevention, and has participated in the construction of hydropower stations such as the Three Gorges (三峡), Xiangjiaba (向家坝), Xiluodu (溪洛渡), Baihetan (白鹤滩), and Wudongde (乌东德). He has won one second prize of the National Technology Invention Award, published 9 monographs, and compiled 26 national and industry standards. In 2025, his project results won the Gold Award for Innovation from the International Commission on Large Dams.

The Baihetan Hydropower Station, as the world's second-largest hydropower station, has been operating stably for more than 3 years and is a major national project for implementing the "West-East Electricity Transmission" (西电东送)... Speaking of the Baihetan Hydropower Station, Li Wenwei (李文伟), the person in charge of concrete technology for the project, is very proud.

Li Wenwei (李文伟) has been dealing with dam concrete for decades. The five giant hydropower stations built on the main stream of the Yangtze River (长江) – Three Gorges (三峡), Xiangjiaba (向家坝), Xiluodu (溪洛渡), Baihetan (白鹤滩), and Wudongde (乌东德) – all have his participation and contribution behind them. His research results have also been promoted to about 100 hydropower stations at home and abroad.

"The most unforgettable thing is of course the two most important leaps: one is represented by the Three Gorges Project (三峡工程), which realized the transformation of dams from strength-led to durability-led; the other is represented by the Baihetan (白鹤滩) and Wudongde (乌东德) hydropower stations, which broke the curse of concrete cracking," Li Wenwei (李文伟) said to the reporter with a smile.

Bearing the pressure to do experiments, realizing the transformation of concrete from high strength to high durability.

Li Wenwei's (李文伟) fate with dam concrete started with a poem by Chairman Mao Zedong (毛泽东).

"'More towering stone walls will stand upstream in the west, to cut off Wushan (巫山) Mountains' clouds and rain, and a smooth lake will rise in the gorges.' Chairman Mao (毛主席) proposed the idea of building the Three Gorges Project (三峡工程) in this poem, and I could recite it when I was a child," Li Wenwei (李文伟) said. His hometown is in Xiangxiang (湘乡), Hunan (湖南), not far from Shaoshan (韶山). At that time, he often heard local people praise the Shaoshan (韶山) Irrigation Area. "At that time, I felt that doing water conservancy projects was very remarkable. Later, when I took the college entrance examination, I chose Wuhan Institute of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering (武汉水利电力学院) (now the School of Water Resources and Hydropower Engineering of Wuhan University (武汉大学水利水电学院) – editor's note), and I studied river sediment and river management engineering."

In 1986, the preparatory office of the Three Gorges Development Corporation (三峡开发总公司), the predecessor of the Three Gorges Group (三峡集团), came to Wuhan Institute of Hydraulic and Electric Engineering (武汉水利电力学院) to recruit, and Li Wenwei (李文伟), who was about to graduate, immediately signed up and successfully joined the company.

"To build a good dam, concrete is the main building material, which is directly related to the 'life' of the dam," Li Wenwei (李文伟) introduced.

After research, the technical team proposed the design concept of durability-led. "In the past, dam construction emphasized strength more, the higher the strength, the better. However, the Three Gorges Dam (三峡大坝) is not only a matter of strength, but also durability, impermeability and other issues, which need to be considered comprehensively, so we proposed to shift from high strength to high durability," Li Wenwei (李文伟) said.

The change in design concept means that the technical route of concrete preparation and the selection of raw materials must change. From the perspective of materials, the key is cement. One of the components of cement is magnesium oxide. According to traditional technology and thinking, magnesium oxide is a "harmful substance" to cement, and the lower the content, the better. Can it be "turning harm into benefit"? Li Wenwei (李文伟) and his team members thought in reverse and proposed that the magnesium oxide content could be appropriately increased to make the concrete more crack-resistant.

Due to the inconsistency with the traditional technical route, this view attracted a lot of questions. The team withstood the pressure and built a laboratory at the construction site of the Three Gorges Project (三峡工程) to carry out material testing, simulation experiments, and application research, and also jointly carried out verification experiments with other scientific research teams simultaneously. After years of exploration, Li Wenwei (李文伟) led the team to finally determine that when the magnesium oxide content is precisely controlled within the range of 3.5% to 5.0%, the crack resistance of concrete is the best.

In 1997, nearly 3 years after the start of the Three Gorges Project (三峡工程), at a conference on concrete, Li Wenwei (李文伟) presented the relevant test results of concrete. Finally, the experts unanimously agreed to use the high-durability concrete developed by Li Wenwei's (李文伟) team to pour the Three Gorges Dam (三峡大坝).

Research and development and promotion of low-heat cement, filling the domestic gap.

On April 12, 2023, the Baihetan Dam (白鹤滩大坝) ushered in its sixth coring.

Coring inspections at different parts of the dam can intuitively understand the internal quality of the dam concrete. If the interlayer bonding is not good, the core sample will break quickly; the longer the core sample, the higher the quality of the concrete.

The core sample of the Baihetan Dam (白鹤滩大坝) was slowly taken out, and the test result was seen: 36.74 meters! There was a cheer at the scene: This length broke the record!

This is not the only highlight moment of the Baihetan Dam (白鹤滩大坝). Previously, it had attracted much attention for breaking the curse of concrete cracking.

"Cement hydration will release heat, which will increase the temperature of the concrete. When the temperature drops, thermal expansion and contraction will occur, and tensile force will be generated in the middle of the concrete. Once the tensile force is greater than the maximum tensile strength it can withstand, the concrete of the dam will crack," Li Wenwei (李文伟) said. A more popular analogy is to imagine the dam as a giant cake. When the cake is just out of the oven, the crust cools first and the inside is still hot, and it will crack when it shrinks and expands.

How to break this dilemma? Li Wenwei (李文伟) thought hard and believed that it should be solved from the source by developing a cement with lower heat generation. In 6 years, the team overcame the preparation technology of "high-performance low-heat Portland cement" by optimizing the cement mineral composition, reconstructing the mineral crystal structure, and changing the hydration reaction rate, filling the domestic gap.

However, the promotion of low-heat cement was not smooth. "At that time, the medium-heat cement concrete scheme was relatively mature, and the acceptance at home and abroad was relatively high. Our low-heat cement was brand new and encountered a lot of questions," Li Wenwei (李文伟) recalled.

When low-heat cement was labeled with the "three no's" of "no production, no application, and no experience," Li Wenwei (李文伟) did not give up. He repeatedly strived for the opportunity to apply it locally in the project, and then continued to optimize the scheme for the problems that arose. Later, the Xiangjiaba (向家坝) and Xiluodu (溪洛渡) hydropower stations partially applied low-heat cement, and the effect was good.

However, when developing and building the Wudongde (乌东德) and Baihetan (白鹤滩) hydropower stations, there was still a lot of controversy about whether to apply low-heat cement to the entire dam.

"The Wudongde (乌东德) and Baihetan (白鹤滩) dams are located in dry-hot valleys with harsh local climates, large temperature differences between day and night, and frequent windy weather, making the environmental conditions more complicated; moreover, these two dams belong to the extra-high category, and the arch dam is nearly 300 meters high, which is not only nearly 100 meters higher than the Three Gorges Dam (三峡大坝), but also about 1/3 narrower. Some people worry about the risks of using new materials and new technologies on such a dam type," Li Wenwei (李文伟) knew that there were many problems and great challenges, but he could not give up. Some colleagues commented that when he broke industry conventions and engaged in innovation, his "temper was 'harder' than concrete."

"I believe in my technical route. But in the face of doubts, we can only do research more cautiously and more comprehensively, and use solid experimental data to convince the other party," Li Wenwei's (李文伟) efforts were not in vain, and finally low-heat cement was applied to the entire Wudongde (乌东德) and Baihetan (白鹤滩) dams.

Continuous research and innovation to provide a scientific basis for the full life cycle management of dams.

In the past year, Li Wenwei (李文伟) has won many honors: in May 2025, he won the Gold Award for Innovation from the International Commission on Large Dams, which is the first time since the establishment of the award in 2018 that a Chinese research team has won the award; in September 2025, he won the 6th Outstanding Engineer Award, which is the first award in China's history named after "engineer." But for Li Wenwei (李文伟), the most important and special award is still the one that does not have his name on it – the "Three Gorges (三峡) Hub Project" won the special prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award in 2019. "This is a collective award, without individual names, but it is of great significance to me."

Li Wenwei's (李文伟) patriotism is deeply influenced by his father. "My father joined the army at the age of fifteen or sixteen and participated in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (抗美援朝). Later, he served as a military doctor. He taught me to have responsibility and responsibility, so I always think about doing my job well and making more contributions to the country."

At work, Li Wenwei (李文伟) likes to "**把一件事钻透**" (bǎ yī jiàn shì zuān tòu - "drill through one thing," to study one thing thoroughly). During the construction of the Three Gorges Dam (三峡大坝), he lived on the construction site, running around on the site during the day and staying up late in the laboratory at night, pondering the technological innovation of concrete. Li Wenwei (李文伟) lives a relatively simple life, and does not pay attention to food, clothing, housing and transportation. "When you delve deeply into your business, you pay less attention to other aspects."

Now, Li Wenwei's (李文伟) team is planning to implement the "Centennial Concrete Engineering Plan" – continuously tracking and studying the performance evolution of dam concrete, and installing sensors in the completed dams to monitor the temperature, humidity, stress and other parameters of the concrete in real time, providing a scientific basis for the full life cycle management of dams.

"Concrete also has life, with a process of gestation and growth. We must cultivate and maintain it like we treat children, so that it can 'strengthen its body'; when it gets old, it needs to be strengthened," Li Wenwei (李文伟) said with hope when talking about the future of concrete, "Now technology is developing very fast, and we can use artificial intelligence and other technologies for intelligent design of concrete mix ratios and intelligent prediction of performance in the future. Technological empowerment will definitely further enhance the function of concrete, and even have self-repair and other functions, making concrete smart and 'alive'."

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A Dialogue Across a Thousand Years with Ancient Artisans (Master Craftsmanship: National Master Craftsmen of Cultural Relics)

By: 本报记者 高 炳

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Skill-based talents are an important part of the cultural relics talent pool. Not long ago, the National Cultural Heritage Administration (国家文物局) released the first batch of 10 "National Master Craftsmen of Cultural Relics." They promoted the spirit of craftsmanship characterized by dedication, meticulousness, rigorousness, and the pursuit of excellence, making positive contributions to promoting the high-quality development of the cultural relics cause. Recently, this reporter interviewed several of these "National Master Craftsmen of Cultural Relics" to experience firsthand their stories of being rooted in the front line of cultural relics protection and restoration, integrating modern technology into traditional restoration techniques.
  ——Editor

  Highlight of Expertise
  Ma Yu (马宇), a cultural relics restorer at the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Museum (秦始皇帝陵博物院), was named a "National Master Craftsman of Cultural Relics" in 2025. Over more than 30 years of practice, Ma Yu has restored more than 700 cultural relics, 45 of which are national first-class cultural relics. The protection and restoration of stone armor from the burial pits of the Qin Mausoleum, which he led, was awarded the "National Excellent Cultural Relics Collection Restoration Project." He led the development of 5 utility model patents, transforming years of accumulated restoration experience into practical technology.

  "Look, this muscle contour, how beautiful the lines are!"
  Arriving in Lintong District (临潼区), Xi'an City (西安市), Shaanxi Province (陕西), and entering the Cultural Relics Protection Research and Restoration Center of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Museum (秦始皇帝陵博物院文物保护研究与修复中心), a set of 3D scans are lined up on the wall. Cultural relics restorer Ma Yu (马宇) pointed to the acrobatic figurine in the picture and couldn't help but admire it.
  Looking closely at the front end, the pottery figurine's head is slightly tilted forward, and the muscles on the back are prominent with distinct lines.
  "In those days, the Qin (秦) craftsmen observed this detail and expressed it through craftsmanship," Ma Yu (马宇) said. "What's even more valuable is that this 'craftsmanship' can be seen by people today after more than 2,000 years."
  A table, a knife, and a figurine—the cultural relics restorer feels the "craftsmanship" in the cultural relics in this world and "smooths" the traces of time on the cultural relics. In Ma Yu's (马宇) view, his job is to have a "dialogue across time" with the craftsmen of thousands of years ago.
  On the side, several fragments of pottery figurine heads are placed on the restoration table, the surface of which is broken and mottled. Ma Yu (马宇) put on gloves, held the knife, and began a busy day with the rustling sound of the knife scraping the figurine fragments.
  "Cultural relics restoration is like traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment, which emphasizes syndrome differentiation and treatment," Ma Yu (马宇) told reporters. The surface calcium structure, salt content, and soil on the cultural relics unearthed from the same tomb may be different, and the preservation of the painted colors also varies. "The treatment methods are also different depending on the degree of damage and preservation of the cultural relics."
  Generally, cultural relics restoration includes more than 30 processes, including testing and analysis, drawing, cleaning, matching, bonding, filling, sealing, and archiving, among which "cleaning" is the most important.
  A few years ago, Ma Yu (马宇) received a task: to protect and restore a 1-square-meter relic from the mausoleum west burial area of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum (秦始皇帝陵陵西墓葬).
  During the process, Ma Yu (马宇) found an object about the size of a fist, covered with thick attachments and rust. "It was almost unrecognizable from the outside, but experience told me it was very important." Ma Yu (马宇) performed an X-ray test on it and found that it contained two objects.
  Scalpels, dental drills, cotton swabs, alcohol... all kinds of tools were used. Ma Yu (马宇) cleaned the surface rust and charcoal marks little by little. Gradually, a silver camel and a copper flat pot emerged. The two were stuck together due to rust and had been buried in the depths of the loess for thousands of years. After careful treatment, the two objects were separated.
  "The silver camel is hollow and less than 2 millimeters thick. In addition, it has been buried for too long and the environment is humid, making it fragile all over. If handled improperly, the surface will be scratched lightly, or it will be directly damaged severely." Ma Yu (马宇) took out a scalpel and used a magnifying glass and microscope to peel off the rust little by little.
  "The mastery of strength depends entirely on the 'feel' trained over many years." Ma Yu (马宇) was especially careful when dealing with the camel's eyes. "The expression of the eyes is related to the charm of the entire cultural relic and must not be missed."
  When processing the copper flat pot, Ma Yu (马宇) found a layer of gilding under the rust through a magnifying glass. In addition, the pot was decorated with colored glaze, which was glued to the surface of the pot by Qin (秦) craftsmen using adhesive. "The gilding cannot be scratched; the colored glaze cannot fall off." Speaking of the tricks and essentials of cleaning, Ma Yu (马宇) was concise: "Experience is the foundation, and be cautious."
  After careful restoration, the two cultural relics "traveled" for more than 2,000 years and regained their glory.
  The "rebirth" of national treasures is not an isolated case: since entering the industry in 1992, Ma Yu (马宇) has restored more than 700 cultural relics, 45 of which are national first-class cultural relics. The protection and restoration of stone armor from the burial pits of the Qin Mausoleum, which he led, was awarded the "National Excellent Cultural Relics Collection Restoration Project." The acrobatic figurine protection and restoration project he presided over rejuvenated the broken Qin (秦) figurines...
  How can a cultural relic be considered well restored? Ma Yu (马宇) believes that "three major principles" are essential: minimal intervention, reversibility, and identifiability. "In the past, we believed that cultural relics should be restored 'seamlessly.' Now, we pursue the goal of 'consistent from a distance, different from a close view,'" Ma Yu (马宇) said.
  In Ma Yu's (马宇) view, the most difficult thing in restoration is the grasp of the "degree"—for example, cleaning the gilded layer is not better the brighter and cleaner it is. After all, it has experienced more than 2,000 years and should retain some sense of vicissitudes. When cleaning the painted colors, the intensity of the colors may affect the beauty of the entire object, so it should be handled with caution...
  "The grasp of 'degree' is not a quantifiable indicator, but comes from the restorer's own cognition, accumulation of experience, and feeling of the wisdom of the ancients," Ma Yu (马宇) said. "When restoring cultural relics, we must not cover up the 'beauty' in them, but comprehensively consider their overall effect and artistic, aesthetic, and historical value."
  For more than 30 years in the industry, in addition to accumulation, there has also been innovation. Ma Yu (马宇) led the development of 5 utility model patents, such as a cultural relics protection and restoration turntable and a cultural relics three-dimensional size measuring instrument, transforming years of accumulated restoration experience into practical technology. Ma Yu (马宇), who is dedicated to one thing and pursues excellence 精益求精 (jīng yì qiú jīng - "refined, still refining," constantly improving), was named a "National Master Craftsman of Cultural Relics" in 2025.
  Both "researching skills" and "passing on and leading." Over the years, Ma Yu (马宇) has trained a total of 41 team members. "When young people enter the industry, the first thing they must clarify is their love and respect for this profession." Ma Yu (马宇) often tells team members, "Cultural relics are non-renewable and cannot be tested by trial and error. To protect the precious heritage left by our ancestors, we need 'craftsmanship' and 'conscience.'"
  In front of the restoration table, the rustling sound of the blade lightly scraping the object sounded again. Ma Yu (马宇) and his team members calmed down and started another "dialogue across time" spanning thousands of years.

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China's Largest Scientific AI Computing Cluster Put into Use

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According to a report from our newspaper in Beijing on April 14th (Reporter Gu Yekai (谷业凯)), China's largest scientific intelligent computing cluster was put into use on the 14th at the core node of the National Supercomputing Internet in Zhengzhou (郑州), Henan (河南) Province. This marks a key breakthrough in China's scientific intelligent computing infrastructure field, providing a guarantee for the large-scale implementation of "Artificial Intelligence + Science and Technology."

Currently, artificial intelligence-driven scientific research is developing rapidly, giving rise to demands for large-scale parallel computing, trillion-parameter large model training, and high-throughput reasoning. The cluster achieves a 60,000-card cluster deployment and relies on China's independent and controllable core chips to support full-precision computing, efficiently processing high-dimensional functions and complex scientific problems. In addition, the cluster also fully meets users' needs for high bandwidth and low-latency networks through high-speed interconnection and storage-computing collaboration technologies, with concurrent job scheduling efficiency exceeding 10,000 times per second. Relying on intelligent operation and maintenance, digital twin systems, and immersion phase-change liquid cooling technology, the cluster system achieves 99.99% availability, ensuring long-term stable operation.

In terms of applications, the cluster has completed large-scale parallel computing tests in multiple fields such as biology and materials, and has achieved a number of outstanding results. Among them, the 30,000-card scale protein folding simulation is accelerated by 1000 times compared to traditional algorithms; the 45,000-card scale achieves trillion-atom liquid water molecular dynamics simulation, breaking the world simulation scale record while improving efficiency by more than three orders of magnitude; and it helps expand the scale of direct turbulence simulation to 100 trillion grids, greatly improving scientific research efficiency.

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Photo Story

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Since the beginning of this year, the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Tongdao Dong Autonomous County (通道侗族自治县) in Hunan Province has focused on the gap in home-based elderly care services in rural areas. They have been conducting order-based skills training for rural migrant workers, accurately connecting with the urban and rural elderly care service market demands, and continuously strengthening the foundation of grassroots elderly care services. The picture shows students learning elderly care skills at a vocational skills training school on April 14.

Photo by Li Shangyin (李尚引) (Image China)

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A Journey on the China-Laos Railway documentary premieres

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This newspaper's Kunming (昆明) April 14th dispatch (Reporters Li Xinping (李心萍) and Liu Wenxin (刘温馨)) On the morning of the 14th, the premiere ceremony of the documentary "Journey on the China-Laos Railway" for China and Laos was held at Kunming South Railway Station (昆明南站) in Yunnan (云南).

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Laos and the "China-Laos Friendship Year," as well as the fifth year of operation of the China-Laos Railway. The documentary "Journey on the China-Laos Railway" is divided into three episodes, vividly showcasing the fruitful achievements of the construction and operation of the China-Laos Railway by telling a series of down-to-earth stories along the railway line. The film was selected for the "Recording China" communication project of the Central Propaganda Department (中宣部) and the "Recording the New Era" documentary quality project of the State Administration of Radio and Television (国家广电总局).

The film will be broadcast on CCTV Documentary Channel (CCTV-9) from April 14th to 16th at 19:30 during prime time, simultaneously broadcast on Lao National Television, and will be successively broadcast on some video platforms and provincial satellite TV stations. Since December of last year, the English version of the documentary has been broadcast in more than 100 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, and the Americas, ranking among the top in viewership in India, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other countries. The next step is to translate and broadcast it in Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" ("一带一路").

At the premiere, the documentary's main creative team and representatives of the people featured in the film shared their creative experiences and behind-the-scenes stories.

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Series of Cultural Exchange Activities for People with Disabilities in Northwest China Launched

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This newspaper's Urumqi (乌鲁木齐) dispatch on April 14th (Reporter Shang Rongzheng (尚嵘峥)) Recently, the "Northwest Region Disabled Persons' Cultural Exchange Activities, Publicity Activities and Xinjiang (新疆) Disabled Persons' Culture Week, National Reading Day Series Activities" were launched at the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar (新疆国际大巴扎), and will continue until the end of April.

The event, themed "Culture Nourishes Tianshan (天山)·Silk Road Opens a New Chapter," aims to promote the construction of a book-filled society and strengthen the sense of community of the Chinese nation. It aims to build a cultural exchange platform for disabled people in the five northwestern provinces and regions, promote the coordinated development of cultural communication, reading promotion, intangible cultural heritage inheritance and assistance services for disabled people, and comprehensively demonstrate the spirit of self-respect, self-confidence, self-improvement and self-reliance of disabled people in the new era.

On the day of the event's launch, a thematic publicity report meeting was held simultaneously. Grassroots disabled people's workers shared their struggle stories with sincere and moving narratives. The Disabled Intangible Cultural Heritage Handicraft Exhibition and the Barrier-Free Culture Exhibition were launched simultaneously, exhibiting more than 300 intangible cultural heritage handicraft masterpieces such as Xinjiang (新疆) embroidery and wood carving, Shaanxi (陕西) paper-cut shadow puppets, Gansu (甘肃) Dunhuang (敦煌) clay sculptures, Qinghai (青海) Thangka Tibetan embroidery, and Ningxia (宁夏) Hui pottery, as well as more than 100 barrier-free equipment products such as intelligent assistive devices, Braille reading materials, and barrier-free transformation achievements, allowing the public to experience the charm of intangible cultural heritage and the achievements of barrier-free construction at close range.

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

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Map by: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Page 07版:要闻

The New Taste of Spring Tea (Visit)

By: 本报记者 田先进 刘军国 苏 滨

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Spring mountains are adorned with green, and the aroma of tea fills the paths.

Currently, major tea-producing areas across the country are successively entering their peak harvesting season, and the spring tea industry is ushering in a golden period of development. Various regions are basing themselves on their resource endowments, utilizing new technologies, expanding new scenarios, creating new business forms, and promoting the transformation of the tea economy from "single production" to "diversified integration."

Data shows that the scale of China's tea industry chain exceeded 1 trillion yuan in 2025. In February of this year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) and five other departments issued the "Guiding Opinions on Improving the Quality and Upgrading of the Tea Industry (2026-2030)" 《茶产业提质升级指导意见(2026—2030年)》. A small tea leaf inherits an ancient cultural heritage, continuously innovates and upgrades, and demonstrates the vitality and potential of the tea industry's development.

Tea Gardens Become Smarter
Technological management and maintenance, automated production, personalized customization

In the early morning, in Pingli Town (平里镇), Qimen County (祁门县), Huangshan City (黄山市), Anhui Province (安徽省), the tea gardens are still shrouded in a thin mist. Administrator Huang Yonggang (黄永刚) has already started his day of management and maintenance work with a bamboo basket on his back.

The soil moisture sensor under his feet records moisture data in real time, the intelligent camera above his head monitors insect conditions throughout the process, and the mobile phone screen displays various indicators such as temperature, humidity, light intensity, and soil pH of the tea garden in real time. In this smart tea garden of more than 200 acres, five cameras and two sets of sensors work together to provide technological support for tea garden management and maintenance.

"In the past, tea planting relied on experience, but now tea planting relies on data." Huang Yonggang bent down and carefully checked the tender buds of the Zhuye variety tea trees (槠叶种茶树). Technology has enabled tea garden management and maintenance to shift from "experience-based" to "precision-based."

At 9 a.m., fresh tea leaves were sent to Anhui Qimen Black Tea Industry Group Co., Ltd. (安徽省祁门红茶产业集团有限公司). Inside the production workshop, the group's independently developed 5G intelligent integrated production line is operating efficiently. From fresh leaves to finished tea, processes such as withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying are completed in one go, with full automation and standardization. "For example, in the fermentation stage, it is precisely controlled by sensors, and the temperature and humidity are adjusted through variable temperature cycle fermentation to ensure that each batch of tea leaves is fermented evenly and stably." Dai Kui (戴逵), the person in charge of the production workshop, introduced that the workshop has a daily processing capacity of more than 20,000 pounds of fresh leaves, which greatly improves production efficiency compared with traditional methods, and the quality of tea is more controllable.

In the experimental field, more than 100 "space tea seedlings" have now been cultivated from the Qimen Zhuye variety tea seeds that embarked on a space journey on a satellite in 2024, and they are growing gratifyingly; the "Qihong Health Tea Formula Large Model" jointly developed with universities can generate customized tea drinking plans through intelligent tea drinking equipment, bringing a personalized experience; each tea is equipped with an exclusive "digital ID card," relying on the traceability system built by the Internet of Things and QR code technology, consumers can scan the code to view the entire process information of tea planting, picking, and processing... In 2025, the comprehensive output value of Qimen County's tea industry exceeded 7.5 billion yuan. From a fresh leaf to a good cup of tea, the traditional tea industry has been revitalized under the promotion of new quality productivity and is favored by more and more consumers.

Tea Tourism Becomes More Integrated
Appreciating tea and tasting tea, picking tea and making tea, immersive experience

During the Qingming Festival (清明节), the mountains are green and the rain is moist.

In the continuous green mountains of Daicun Town (戴村镇), Xiaoshan District (萧山区), Hangzhou City (杭州市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), the 3,500-acre tea garden ushered in the best picking season, with fresh and tender tea buds hanging all over the branches, a vibrant scene.

On the top of Tongpan Mountain (同盘山), clouds and mist lightly surround it. Xia Ye Space (遐也空间) is built on the mountain and is integrated with the green mountains, sea of clouds, and tea gardens, making it a well-known check-in place. Tourists either sit by the window, savor a cup of Sanqing tea (三清茶), and watch the clouds and shadows flow and the mountains rise and fall; or stroll on the viewing platform, breathe the fresh air in the mountains, and enjoy the beauty of the mountains. "Coming here from the city, a cup of tea and a mountain make my heart quiet all of a sudden. This immersive tea tourism experience has both scenery and charm," exclaimed Ms. Wang (王女士), a tourist.

Around Xia Ye Space, rows of tea trees are planted along the slopes. Tea farmers are busy picking fresh tea buds, which will be sent to Hangzhou Xiaoshan Jiuqing Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. (杭州萧山九清农业开发有限公司), 7 kilometers away. The company is located in Sanqingyuan (三清园). The outdoor sports park and paragliding base in the park are combined with the immersive tea space at the entrance to make tea culture feelable, touchable, and approachable.

In the tea-making workshop, the tea-frying master skillfully flips and flies, killing green, rolling, and drying. The traditional tea-making skills show ingenuity, and the rich tea aroma comes to the face; in the exhibition area, old tea utensils and old crafts tell the historical inheritance of Sanqing tea; in the experience area, tourists can make tea and brew tea by themselves and feel the unique charm of tea culture. "Bringing children to experience tea picking and tea making not only allows them to drink good tea, but also learn more about tea culture, and they can also play go-karts and fly paragliding. This kind of rural tourism is very good," said Mr. Cai (蔡先生), a tourist who came to experience with his family.

From guarding a tea garden to deeply cultivating tea tourism integration, Chen Qiaohong (陈巧红), the person in charge of Jiuqing Agricultural Company, has witnessed the new vitality of the old tea area. "We adhere to green and ecological planting management, improve tea-making technology, and expand the industrial chain to make new quality of old tea leaves and revitalize the traditional tea area," said Chen Qiaohong.

From the leisure tea tasting in Xia Ye Space on the top of the mountain, to the tea picking experience in the tea garden in the mountains, and then to the cultural research and study in the tea enterprise workshop, Daicun Town has now connected points into lines and lines into pieces, building a full-chain tea tourism business format of "appreciating tea scenery, picking tea greens, making tea fragrance, tasting tea drinks, purchasing tea gifts, and understanding tea ceremony." "We are building the Sanqing Tea regional public brand, actively building platforms, integrating resources, and promoting the deep linkage between tea enterprises and cultural tourism scenarios to create research and study bases and hold tea culture activities, so that the tea industry can extend from single production to leisure experience, cultural communication, and brand promotion." Chen Hongdan (陈红丹), Secretary of the Party Committee of Daicun Town, said that the integration of tea tourism not only makes the Sanqing Tea brand more famous and the sales channels wider, but also drives the increase in income of villagers and the beauty of the countryside, realizing "ecological beauty, industrial prosperity, and people's wealth."

Tea Fragrance Becomes More Trendy
New products, expanded business formats, unlocked new fashion

Set the weighing table parameters, put on the container, and pour in ice cubes and matcha powder in turn, then crush and load into a cup, cover with a circle of cream, and sprinkle with a layer of matcha powder, and a matcha drink with both beauty and taste is made.

At 4 p.m., there are many customers in Wuchabai Guicha Trendy Drink Baking Concept Store (吾茶白·贵茶潮饮烘焙概念店) in Guiyang City (贵阳市), Guizhou Province (贵州省). Tourist Ren Tongtong (任彤彤) looked at the rich drink menu and ordered a new matcha drink under the recommendation of store manager Wu Yangyu (吴洋毓), taking pictures and tasting it. "The color of spring, the taste of summer, it's really good, I finally came to Guizhou to check in matcha." After drinking the drink, Ren Tongtong was attracted by the dazzling array of matcha foods in the store, "Buy two bags of matcha snowflake cakes and a box of Banmo raw chocolate to share with my family."

This trendy drink baking concept store is a matcha direct store of Guicha Group (贵茶集团). It has been operating for 8 years and its sales reached nearly 6 million yuan last year, setting a new record. "The main consumers in the store are groups aged 20 to 35, and more and more young people are close to tea culture." Wu Yangyu said while busy adjusting the types of drinks. In order to meet market demand, the store has developed and launched new matcha drinks, and also expanded to more than 30 kinds of matcha foods such as matcha biscuits, matcha cakes, and matcha ice cream, which are very popular among consumers, and sales are doubled during the peak tourist season.

In recent years, new tea drinks, new tea snacks, tea spaces, etc. have become popular choices for many young people to unlock the fashion of drinking tea. Boiling tea around the stove, exchanging and sharing; walking into the tea garden, learning tea-making skills; camping around and tasting new tea drinks... Various places innovate business formats to let the ancient tea rhyme exude a "trendy" taste.

Strong demand drives vigorous development. Walking into the production workshop of Guicha Group in Jiangkou County (江口县), Tongren City (铜仁市), Guizhou Province, the automated matcha production line is running at high speed. "Relying on the natural conditions of Fanjing Mountain (梵净山) with high altitude, low latitude, cloudy and foggy, and low sunshine, our matcha has successfully passed more than 500 pesticide residue tests and is sold to 54 countries and regions, becoming a key product to open the international market." Zhang Tinghong (张廷宏), director of the production department of Guicha Group, introduced that in order to meet the high-standard and fast-paced supply demand of matcha products, 5 production lines are being built simultaneously, covering matcha pure powder, roasted tea powder, solid beverages and other categories, and will be put into operation within the year.

At the end of March this year, Guizhou issued a three-year work plan for the high-quality development of the matcha industry, clarifying that by 2028, more than 200,000 acres of matcha bases, more than 10 matcha production lines, and more than 300 tencha production lines will be built, achieving a matcha output of more than 8,000 tons and a comprehensive output value of about 8 billion yuan. "We also accelerate product innovation and actively lay out in the fields of food, baking, beverages, ice products and dairy products, and have reached cooperation with more than 300 leading new tea drink companies and food industry giants to accelerate the formation of a matcha enterprise cluster." Zhang Tinghong said. At present, the core planting base in Jiangkou County has been expanded to 85,000 acres, and the development potential of the tea industry is full.

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Two Departments Issue Document to Strengthen Import and Export Credit Support

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This newspaper's Beijing (北京) April 14th dispatch (Reporter Luo Shanshan (罗珊珊)) Recently, the Ministry of Commerce (商务部) and the Export-Import Bank of China (中国进出口银行) jointly issued the "Notice on Strengthening Export-Import Credit Support and Serving the Good Start of High-Quality Business Development during the '15th Five-Year Plan'," guiding local commercial authorities and branches of the Export-Import Bank to strengthen collaboration and linkage, increase export-import credit support, and accelerate the promotion of high-quality business development.

Focusing on further leveraging the role of policy-based financial institutions, the notice proposes specific measures in three aspects: promoting innovative trade development, expanding two-way investment and cooperation space, and promoting the high-quality development of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative.

Promoting innovative trade development. Focusing on exploring diversified markets, cultivating new drivers of foreign trade, and promoting balanced import and export development, the notice calls for making full and good use of export-import credit instruments, enriching and improving product services adapted to new business forms and models, and providing comprehensive import service guarantees throughout the entire chain. Expanding two-way investment and cooperation space. The notice puts forward detailed measures from three aspects: attracting and utilizing foreign investment with greater efforts, promoting international cooperation in industrial and supply chains, and supporting the construction of high-level opening-up platforms, to support the Export-Import Bank in deeply integrating into and serving the expansion of high-level opening up to the outside world, and providing comprehensive financial services. Promoting the high-quality development of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative. The notice supports the Export-Import Bank in focusing on key areas of multilateral and bilateral economic and trade cooperation in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative, coordinating financial services for major landmark projects and "small but beautiful" livelihood projects, promoting the cross-border use of Renminbi, and strengthening investment and financing service guarantees.

The notice emphasizes that local commercial authorities and branches of the Export-Import Bank should strengthen policy coordination, work connection, and information sharing, and, on the premise of complying with WTO rules, explore strengthening the synergistic effects of fiscal finance and commerce, focusing on foreign trade and economic entities, import and export links, and international cooperation in production and supply chains, to provide more precise, efficient, and powerful financial services.

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China Development Bank Issues Over 150 Billion Yuan in Green Loans in the First Quarter

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This newspaper Beijing (北京), April 14th (Reporter Zhao Zhanhui (赵展慧)) The reporter learned from the China Development Bank (国家开发银行) on the 14th: In the first quarter of this year, the China Development Bank (国家开发银行) issued more than 150 billion yuan in green loans, and the proportion of the bank's green loans in total credit assets further increased.

Since the beginning of this year, the China Development Bank (国家开发银行) has increased its support for infrastructure green upgrades and the green and low-carbon development of urban and rural construction, helping the green operation and upgrading of infrastructure such as green transportation, green buildings, and urban and rural environments, and promoting the organic unity of economic, social, and ecological benefits. At the same time, it makes good use of special loan products to support the development of clean and renewable energy, the clean and efficient use of energy, and technological innovation in new energy storage, helping to optimize the energy structure and ensure national energy security.

The China Development Bank (国家开发银行) also continues to enrich its green financial toolbox and continuously improve the quality and efficiency of financial services. In January of this year, the China Development Bank (国家开发银行) issued an offshore RMB sustainable development-linked loan of 490 million yuan to China Everbright Environment (Group) Co., Ltd. (中国光大环境(集团)有限公司). The interest rate of this loan is linked to the company's low-carbon transformation goals, and "carbon emission intensity, sewage treatment volume, and employee average training hours" are used as key indicators. If the company achieves its predetermined goals and passes the evaluation and certification of a third-party professional institution, the China Development Bank (国家开发银行) will provide preferential treatment on the loan interest rate.

The relevant business负责人 (fù zé rén - "person in charge," individual responsible for the business) of the China Development Bank (国家开发银行) stated that the China Development Bank (国家开发银行) will continue to increase medium and long-term financing support for infrastructure green and low-carbon development, green and low-carbon technological innovation, green and low-carbon transformation of key industries, and ecological environmental protection and restoration, and use higher-quality financial services to help accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and the construction of a beautiful China.

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The 135th Canton Fair Increases Emerging Industry Zones to 18

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The 139th China Import and Export Fair opened in Guangzhou (广州), Guangdong (广东), on April 15, according to a report in this newspaper on April 14 (Reporter Li Gang (李刚)). This year's Canton Fair continues to optimize the layout of the exhibition area, closely following the global industrial development trends of "new, green, and intelligent." Building upon the popular themes of service robots, smart living, industrial automation, and new energy vehicles established in previous sessions, it has added nine new zones, including smart wearables, display technology, consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), and integrated housing and courtyard facilities. At the same time, the scale of exhibition areas for electronic consumer goods, new materials, and industrial automation has been expanded to better showcase China's high-quality foreign trade development achievements and continuously cultivate new growth points in foreign trade. To date, the total number of emerging industry zones focusing on future industries and high-end manufacturing at the Canton Fair has increased to 18, providing a high-level trade docking platform for Chinese and foreign merchants with a more complete industrial ecosystem and a more cutting-edge lineup of exhibits.

The nine newly added zones include intelligent product themes such as drones and smart wearables, as well as green and low-carbon themes such as bamboo and wood tableware and functional and technological fabrics, as well as emerging themes such as integrated housing and fashion accessories. The establishment of these zones is to meet the urgent needs of relevant enterprises to expand diversified markets and strengthen brand cultivation by using the Canton Fair platform in multiple dimensions, accurately anchor emerging pillar industries and future industry directions, cover key areas such as intelligent equipment, smart people's livelihood, green energy, and modern agriculture, further complement the advanced manufacturing industry chain, and transform new quality productive forces into perceptible, negotiable, and implementable trade results.

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Beijing to Recruit 467 College Graduates to Work in Rural Areas

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This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on April 14th (Reporter Pan Junqiang (潘俊强)) - The Beijing (北京) Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau (北京市人力资源和社会保障局) released the "Beijing (北京) 2026 College Graduate Recruitment Announcement for Agricultural Support Work in Rural Areas" on the 14th, launching the 2026 Rural Revitalization Coordinator recruitment. This year, Beijing (北京) will recruit 467 college graduates to serve as Rural Revitalization Coordinators, engaging in agricultural support work in rural areas. The service period for Rural Revitalization Coordinators is 5 years. Upon completion of the contract, Beijing (北京) will implement comprehensive measures such as targeted recruitment of civil servants, special recruitment by public institutions, support for continued study, and encouragement of innovation and entrepreneurship to promote high-quality mobility and development for Rural Revitalization Coordinators upon contract completion.

Since 2019, Beijing (北京) has continuously selected and recruited Rural Revitalization Coordinators from college graduates for 8 years, establishing a team of 2,000 Rural Revitalization Coordinators, distributed in more than 1,700 villages throughout the city to engage in agricultural support work. Currently, 93% of Rural Revitalization Coordinators who have completed their contracts have achieved mobility, development, and re-employment, with more than half choosing to continue to take root at the grassroots level and serve rural development.

This recruitment is open to Beijing (北京) students under the age of 30 whose graduation certificate is dated within the last two years (2025, 2026), as well as Beijing (北京) students who left school in 2024 and are unemployed (have not signed a labor contract with any unit and have no social insurance payment records).

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Across mountains and seas, helping seedlings grow.

By: 本报记者 宋朝军

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"Selecting materials about the characteristics of Chinese civilization, proposing a topic and elaborating on it. This major question fully demonstrates the characteristics of the newly revised 2025 'General High School History Curriculum Standards'." At the No. 1 Middle School of Zhouqu County (舟曲县), Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (甘南藏族自治州), Gansu Province (甘肃省), Feng Xianwei (冯宪伟), a teacher from Tianjin (天津), is analyzing the first mock exam for the Gansu (甘肃) college entrance examination with local teacher Zhang Bin (张斌).

Feng Xianwei (冯宪伟) has been providing assistance in Zhouqu County (舟曲县) for two years. At the school, he and Zhang Bin (张斌) are "paired up" to participate in the school's "Cultivating Seedlings Project." The "cultivation" targets local young teachers. From listening to and evaluating classes, demonstrating teaching methods, to applying for research projects and organizing teaching and research activities, the assisting teachers discuss and impart experience with local teachers to help them develop.

Like Feng Xianwei (冯宪伟), there are hundreds of other out-of-town teachers providing assistance in key rural revitalization counties in Gansu (甘肃). Since 2022, Gansu (甘肃) has focused on the shortcomings in educational development in 23 key national rural revitalization assistance counties, constructing a "Tianjin (天津) + Shandong (山东) + Provincial" three-party collaborative assistance system to promote "group-based" assistance for educational talents. Tianjin (天津) and Shandong (山东) have jointly selected and dispatched 233 educational talents to Gansu (甘肃) to provide assistance, covering 39 recipient schools, benefiting more than 229,000 teachers and students in Gansu (甘肃). The coverage rate of digital equipment in recipient schools throughout the province has increased from 40% to 85%.

Exchanging experiences also builds platforms to help local teachers go out to study in groups and grow better.

Thanks to the support of the assistance team sent by Qingdao (青岛) City, Shandong Province (山东省), Lixian (礼县) Vocational Secondary Professional School in Longnan (陇南) City has established several master teacher studios. "The studio has built a bridge, and we can have more opportunities for external exchanges to understand newer learning and competition situations," said Wang Caiying (王彩英), a teacher at the school. Last semester, more than 100 teachers from Lixian (礼县) Vocational Secondary Professional School went out to study, and some also relied on master teacher studios and other platforms to lead students to participate in training or competitions on-site. In the past three years, Lixian (礼县) Vocational Secondary Professional School has achieved excellent results in provincial and municipal secondary vocational student skills competitions, with a cumulative total of 926 students winning awards.

Dangchang (宕昌) County No. 2 Middle School in Longnan (陇南) City was established nearly three years ago, merged from several township middle schools, and the children all come from mountainous areas. "We cross mountains and seas, wanting to contribute to the growth of the 'seedlings' here. Only when children have a sense of belonging and identity can they study with peace of mind," said Principal Xiao Yajun (肖亚军), who came from Qingdao (青岛) to provide assistance. After investigation, he decided to enhance the children's sense of participation. Since the beginning of last semester, the school has held more than 40 "Meet the Principal" exchange meetings, inviting students from different classes to participate in discussions each time, listening to their ideas face-to-face - can school be dismissed earlier on Fridays to facilitate mountain children taking the bus home? Can the cafeteria menu be more diverse? Can dormitory management be more scientific? In more than half a year, the exchange meetings received more than 400 suggestions, which were consolidated and implemented one by one.

Zhang Guozhen (张国珍), Director of the Gansu Provincial Department of Education (甘肃省教育厅), said: "Gansu (甘肃) will continue to concentrate assistance resources on the most urgently needed and critical areas, achieving a multiplier effect of assistance quality and efficiency from 'one-person assistance' to 'whole-school assistance,' and then extend it to other schools in the county in stages, realizing the overall improvement of education and teaching quality in the county."

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More than 100 original Haihun bamboo slips make a concentrated appearance.

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Nanchang, April 14th (People's Daily reporter Yang Yanfei (杨颜菲) and Zhou Huan (周欢)) On the 14th, over a hundred newly restored Haihun bamboo slips were exhibited to the public for the first time at the Nanchang Han Dynasty Haihun Marquis State Site Museum (南昌汉代海昏侯国遗址博物馆) in Jiangxi Province (江西省). These slips encompass four major categories: bamboo slips, wooden tablets, wooden labels, and seals, covering a wide range of content including the Six Arts, various philosophical schools, poetry, mathematics, and medical techniques. Among them are representative bamboo slips such as the Qi version of the *Analects - Zhi Dao* (《论语·智道》) which has been lost for over 1800 years, and a complete *Classic of Poetry* (《诗经》) general catalog slip from the Qin and Han Dynasties. This exhibition marks the first large-scale, concentrated display of original bamboo slip artifacts since the archaeological excavation of the Haihun Marquis tomb.

The Haihun Marquis tomb yielded over 500 *Analects* slips, each 25.8 centimeters long and 0.9 centimeters wide, with three binding cords. A complete slip contains approximately 24 characters. The entire transcription is meticulously and rigorously copied, without the use of repeated character or combined character symbols, and no punctuation marks or pause symbols are visible. The currently decipherable textual content of these bamboo slips accounts for approximately 1/3 of the transmitted version of the *Analects*, including chapters such as *Yong Ye*, *Gongye Chang*, *Xian Jin*, *Zi Lu*, *Xian Wen*, and *Zhi Dao*, each forming an independent scroll. The title of each chapter is visible on the back of some of the first slips of each chapter.

The discovery of the Qi version of the *Analects* from the Haihun Marquis tomb is of great significance for a comprehensive understanding of the evolution of Confucianism and the study of the intellectual history of the Western Han Dynasty.

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Editors of this section: Guan Xuanyue, Zhang Weihao, Zhai Qinqi

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Page 08版:广告

Odes to Landscape, Shared Green Living: The 15th China International Garden Expo

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The verdant and fragrant fourth month is precisely the best scenery in Jiangnan.

The 15th China International Garden Expo will open on April 15th in Wenzhou (温州市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省). This Garden Expo sincerely invites guests from all directions to embark on a journey to the mountains and seas, sharing a green lifestyle journey immersed in poetry and vitality.

As the most representative and internationally influential comprehensive exhibition in China's landscaping field, the China International Garden Expo is blooming in Zhejiang (浙江) and settling in Wenzhou (温州) for the first time. This is not only a full affirmation of Wenzhou's (温州) ecological endowment and mountain and sea landscape, but also a high recognition of the green development of this thousand-year-old commercial port and happy city.

Adhering to the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," this Garden Expo takes "Poetic Landscape and Shared Green Life" as its theme, focusing on creating five major features: "People's Garden Expo, International Garden Expo, Pioneer Garden Expo, Cultural Garden Expo, and City-wide Garden Expo." It innovatively constructs a "1 main venue + 13 sub-venues + 49 expo points" one-garden-multiple-points city-wide Garden Expo system, allowing garden landscapes to deeply integrate into the urban fabric and get close to people's lives. Wenzhou (温州) will focus on cultivating the green meaning of the Garden Expo, extending it to streets and alleys, and nourishing ordinary households, creating an evergreen Garden Expo spectacle with the people's well-being of "seeing green when opening the door and entering the park when stepping out."

As the main carrier of this Garden Expo, Wenzhou Garden Expo Park (温州园博园) covers a total area of approximately 230 hectares. It is ingeniously laid out following the natural landscape context and is divided into two major areas: the North Garden and the South Garden. The North Garden embraces the spiritual beauty of lakes and mountains, taking cultural exposition as its core, and fully demonstrates the unique aesthetics of oriental landscape gardens. The South Garden integrates the charm of city and mountains, focusing on natural experience, and depicts a green living picture of livability and travel. The park brings together 1 themed garden that condenses the classics of Chinese gardens, 34 urban exhibition gardens with different styles from home and abroad, and 6 characteristic theme exhibition areas. It ingeniously creates the landmark landscape of "One Pavilion, Two Halls, and Twelve Scenes." It can be said that every step is a beautiful scene, and every garden shows great intentions, truly realizing that by staying in Wenzhou (温州), one can enjoy the beauty of gardens from all over the world. After the expo, Wenzhou Garden Expo Park (温州园博园) will gradually be transformed into a botanical garden and a characteristic park, creating a green living aesthetic space shared by the people.

Data source: Publicity Department of the CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee (中共温州市委宣传部)

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Page 09版:理论

Promoting the Digital Empowerment and Information Transformation of Cultural Development (People's Tribune)

By: 范 周

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Xi Jinping (习近平) General Secretary emphasized: "It is necessary to explore effective mechanisms for the integration of culture and technology, improve the cultural creation and production process with Internet thinking and information technology, promote the comprehensive upgrading of 'hardware' and 'software', realize the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction, and transform the advantages of cultural resources into the advantages of cultural development." The "15th Five-Year Plan" outline proposes to "promote the integration of culture and technology, and promote the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction." To stimulate cultural innovation and creativity with technology is the inevitable choice and key path to promote the high-quality development of culture. We must seize the historical opportunity of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, promote the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction, build new advantages for cultural development, and provide solid support for building a strong cultural country.

Promoting the deep integration of culture and technology, systematically enhancing new momentum for cultural development.

Cultural prosperity is an important symbol of Chinese-style modernization. Promoting the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction can systematically enhance new momentum for cultural development, meet the new expectations of the people for spiritual and cultural life, enhance the communication power and influence of Chinese civilization, and inject strong power into the prosperity of socialist culture.

Stimulating cultural innovation and creativity, and transforming the advantages of cultural resources into development advantages. Digital intelligence technology is fully penetrating all aspects of cultural creation, production, dissemination, and consumption, transforming static cultural resources into data assets that can be deeply developed, and becoming an important factor in the transformation of cultural development momentum. The application of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, digital twins and other technologies not only enriches the expression and presentation methods of culture, greatly improves the effectiveness of the cultural industry, but also spawns new formats such as digital cultural expo, online audio-visual, and interactive film and games. These formats follow the internal logic of the digital space, generate new aesthetic expressions, consumption patterns, and industrial ecology, showing strong economic potential, becoming a key force in driving the development of related industries, and laying a modern industrial foundation for the construction of a strong cultural country.

Practicing the concept of culture for the people, and meeting the people's growing spiritual and cultural needs. Socialist culture is essentially the culture of the masses, adhering to the principle that cultural development is for the people and relies on the people. With the deepening of the degree of intelligent society, the spiritual and cultural needs of the people show new characteristics of high quality, personalization, and convenience. The application of digital platforms and intelligent technologies effectively breaks through the barriers of time and space and resource barriers, realizes the decentralization of creative subjects, and makes the people an important force in cultural innovation and creation. Promoting the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction helps to build platforms and provide conditions for the people to participate in cultural creation, continuously cultivate the people's cultural original ability, and at the same time improve the overall supply level of cultural products and services, and promote the results of cultural development to benefit all the people more fairly, more widely, and more conveniently.

Improving the effectiveness of cultural communication, and enhancing the communication power and influence of Chinese civilization. In the era background of the in-depth development of economic globalization and the accelerated evolution of digital civilization, the application of digital intelligence technology provides important support for enhancing the communication power and influence of Chinese civilization. Digital intelligence technology creates new scenarios for the dissemination of Chinese culture by building an immersive, participatory, and social communication environment. At the same time, through systematic decoding and creative translation, the philosophical thoughts, humanistic spirit, and values contained in outstanding traditional Chinese culture are transformed into perceptible, interactive, and dialogical digital forms, transformed into soft power resources for participating in global civilization dialogues, enhancing the pertinence and acceptance of international communication of Chinese culture, reshaping the narrative logic and acceptance context of international communication, and opening up new space for showing a credible, lovely, and respectable image of China.

Improving the effectiveness of governance in the cultural field, and building a solid defense line for ideology and cultural security. Governance in the cultural field is an important part of national governance and an important part of promoting the construction of a strong cultural country. The digital wave has brought unprecedented challenges to the traditional governance model, which requires that the improvement of governance capabilities must be synchronized with technological progress, give full play to the role of digital technology in empowering governance in the cultural field, and build a comprehensive governance system. Promoting the deep integration of digital technology and governance in the cultural field is an important starting point for innovating governance ideas and optimizing governance methods, helping to realize the transformation of governance in the cultural field from passive response to active intervention, from extensive management to precise policy implementation, effectively preventing and resolving ideological risks, maintaining cultural data security, and ensuring the healthy and orderly development of culture.

Basic requirements for digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction.

Xi Jinping (习近平) General Secretary pointed out: "We must adhere to putting social benefits first, firmly grasp the correct orientation, adhere to integrity and innovation, vigorously promote and cultivate socialist core values, strive to achieve the organic unity of social benefits and economic benefits, and ensure the continuous and healthy development of the cultural industry." Xi Jinping's (习近平) important exposition pointed out the direction of the integration of culture and technology, and provided fundamental guidance for promoting the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction.

Adhere to the unity of value leadership and technological empowerment. Xi Jinping (习近平) General Secretary emphasized: "Shape the cultural concept of technology for good, so that technology can better enhance human well-being." Technological innovation must adhere to the correct value orientation, and embed value judgments in the entire chain of technology research and development and application. The training data and recommendation logic of the algorithm model should actively integrate the upward and good value orientation, and guide the healthy development of the content ecology from the source. We should encourage and support the use of digital intelligence technology to create excellent works that promote the main theme and spread positive energy, so that technology can become a powerful assistant in telling Chinese stories and demonstrating the spirit of the times. Network platforms should put social benefits first, optimize algorithm mechanisms, actively expand the reach of high-quality content, and make the digital cultural space a strong position for nourishing people's hearts, building consensus, and consolidating and expanding mainstream ideological public opinion.

Adhere to the synergy of innovative development and safety and controllability. Xi Jinping (习近平) General Secretary pointed out: "In the face of the emergence of new technologies such as generative artificial intelligence, we must coordinate development and security." Cultural construction must not only constantly explore new formats, new scenarios, and new models, but also be vigilant against new risks such as data leakage, deep forgery, and algorithm manipulation. We must build a security governance framework that matches development, and continuously release innovation vitality in effectively preventing and resolving risks. Improve the laws, regulations and standards system adapted to the process of cultural digitization, and provide legal compliance for data element circulation, new format supervision, and cross-border cultural content management. Develop active and embedded security technologies to enhance the risk perception, early warning and disposal capabilities of cultural data assets. Consolidate the safety management responsibilities of cultural digital content production and dissemination platforms, and promote them to embed safety requirements in the entire business process.

Adhere to the unity of systematic planning and key breakthroughs. The digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction involves multiple dimensions such as infrastructure, data resources, and industrial applications, and has systematic and holistic characteristics. We must strengthen forward-looking thinking and overall planning, and coordinate technical routes, standard norms, resource allocation, and development rhythm. Strengthen top-level design, clarify overall goals, main paths, and major projects, and concentrate superior resources to achieve breakthroughs first, so as to drive the overall level of improvement. Focus on key breakthroughs in key core technologies and benchmark projects in cultural digitization, and form mature models that can be replicated and promoted. With points driving areas and points and areas combined, steadily promote the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction to develop in depth.

Adhere to the combination of an effective market and a promising government. Giving full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation and giving better play to the role of the government is the inherent requirement of building a high-level socialist market economic system, and it is also the principle that must be adhered to in promoting the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction. We must stimulate market vitality, create a fair, transparent, and predictable market environment, and ensure that all types of business entities participate in competition on an equal footing; encourage technology companies and cultural companies to increase investment in research and development and explore sustainable business models. Give better play to the government's role as a strategic guide, basic guarantor, and order maintainer, formulate good strategic plans and industrial policies; strengthen in-process and ex-post supervision, maintain fair competition order, and protect consumer rights; and ensure the supply of basic public cultural services through government procurement of services and provision of inclusive digital cultural products.

Identify the focus of promoting the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction.

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, we should closely focus on the national cultural digitization strategy deployment, focus on key links and continue to exert efforts, and effectively transform the potential energy of technological innovation into a strong driving force and lasting advantage for cultural prosperity and development, so as to lay a solid foundation for continuing to promote cultural prosperity and building a strong cultural country.

Build a solid digital base and consolidate the cultural data resource system. The construction of a cultural digital base is the technical prerequisite for promoting the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction, and aims to realize the transformation of cultural resources from physical form to digital form through technology empowerment, and then form calculable, associable, and value-added cultural data assets. We should accelerate the layout of computing power networks, serve the storage, transmission, transaction, and distribution of cultural data, and build an underlying architecture that supports the efficient aggregation, circulation, and application of cultural resources. Focus on promoting the digitization, standardization, and interconnection of existing resources of cultural institutions, and carry out systematic digital collection, professional labeling, and structured storage of existing cultural resources of institutions such as museums, libraries, and archives, so as to lay the foundation for the digital preservation and dissemination of cultural resources.

Focus on content innovation and create digital cultural masterpieces. Xi Jinping (习近平) General Secretary pointed out: "The most important thing to measure the quality and level of cultural industry development is not to look at economic benefits, but to see whether it can provide more cultural products that can both meet the people's cultural needs and enhance the people's spiritual strength." To promote the digital empowerment and informational transformation of cultural construction, we must adhere to using Internet thinking and information technology to improve the cultural creation and production process and enhance cultural original ability. Encourage cultural institutions and technology companies to collaborate in innovation and deep integration, and use virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence generated content, 8K ultra-high definition, digital twins and other cutting-edge technologies to break through the time and space boundaries and media restrictions of traditional cultural and artistic expressions, and continue to create digital cultural masterpieces with profound thoughts, exquisite art, and excellent production.

Expand integration scenarios and cultivate new cultural formats. Xi Jinping (习近平) General Secretary pointed out: "Accelerate the development of new cultural formats and form more new cultural industry growth points." New cultural formats are an important engine for the high-quality development of the cultural industry. In 2025, the contribution rate of the new cultural format industry to the operating income growth of cultural enterprises above designated size was 81.6%, driving the operating income growth of cultural enterprises above designated size by 6.0 percentage points, showing a high degree of activity and growth. The "15th Five-Year Plan" outline proposes: "Develop new cultural formats such as digital animation, immersive performances, online broadcasts, short videos, and micro-dramas." We must actively expand the innovative application of digital intelligence technology in the cultural field, cultivate and strengthen new cultural formats, and spawn new cultural scenarios, new consumption, and new subjects. Expand the application boundaries of digital intelligence technology in tourism, public cultural services and other fields, create a virtual-real integrated cultural new experience, innovate the realization form of cultural industry digitization, and continuously expand the supply of high-quality cultural products.

Improve the system and mechanism and optimize the development ecology of the cultural industry. Technology empowerment of cultural construction requires strong and effective institutional guarantees. We must break down institutional and mechanism barriers and create an institutional environment conducive to technological innovation and cultural prosperity. Improve cultural digitization laws and regulations, issue supporting regulations on cultural data property rights definition, circulation and transaction, and security governance, and clarify the property rights attribution, usage rights, and income distribution rules of digital cultural products. Improve the cultural market governance system, build a smart supervision platform covering content review, market monitoring, copyright protection, and risk early warning, and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of cultural governance. Optimize industrial support policies, improve financial and tax support policies, and reduce the cost of digital transformation for small and medium-sized cultural enterprises. Accelerate the formulation of national standards and industry standards for cultural data collection, storage, transmission, exchange, and security, and promote the compatibility and interoperability of cultural equipment, software systems, and data formats. Build a "government-industry-academia-research-use" collaborative innovation mechanism to form a diversified investment pattern of government guidance, market dominance, and social participation.

Cultivate compound talents and strengthen the intellectual support for cultural development. Talent is the first resource, and it is necessary to build a multi-level, interdisciplinary, and full-chain talent training system to provide solid intellectual support for cultural digital development. Promote universities to optimize the layout of disciplines and majors, establish interdisciplinary disciplines such as digital humanities, and cultivate cultural technology compound talents. Relying on major cultural digitization projects and projects, establish industry-university-research collaborative education bases, and train and cultivate talents in practice. Establish and improve the cultural technology talent flow mechanism, encourage talent exchanges between scientific research institutes, universities and cultural enterprises, and promote in-depth dialogue and knowledge sharing between talents in the cultural field and the technology field through academic seminars, project cooperation, and mutual employment of talents.

(The author is a professor at Communication University of China (中国传媒大学))

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Achieving Real Results and Genuine Achievements Requires a Scientific Approach to Implementation (Ideological Perspectives)

By: 罗志强

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To truly grasp and implement, is an important part of the overall requirements for establishing and practicing a correct view of performance, profoundly pointing out the practical orientation of advocating practical work and vigorously implementing it. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Whether you want to implement, dare to implement, or know how to implement, tests our actions and our abilities." As the saying goes, of all the thousands of rules, not implementing them renders them useless. Implementing well is not an optional question, but a duty and responsibility of party members and cadres. Work depends on being grounded, and careers depend on hard work. Only by personally implementing, doing everything possible to promote implementation, and focusing energy on how to do practical work and how to achieve results, can we truly produce achievements, and produce real achievements.

Implementing is an important sign of whether a party member or cadre's view of performance is correct. What kind of view of performance is established will promote what kind of development practice, and then produce what kind of development results. In the process of implementing, different views of performance have different methods and different results. If the implementation is beneficial to the country and the people; and it is in line with the current interests of the country and the people, as well as the long-term interests of the country and the people, then it has made the achievements needed by the Party and the people. Conversely, if the starting point and foothold of implementation are placed on pursuing personal or small group interests, paving the way for one's own promotion, and the focus of implementation is placed on pursuing superficial achievements, engaging in flashy and wasteful "image projects," then it will corrupt the Party's pragmatic work style, damage the Party's image in the hearts of the people, not only will it not accomplish anything, but it is destined to ruin things and delay major events.

Implementing is to better promote the implementation of the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments. To implement the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments in practice, at the grassroots level, and among the masses, it is by no means arbitrary and reckless action, nor is it just superficial work. The Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments are the fundamental basis for implementation. When Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) worked in Zhejiang (浙江), he once reminded local cadres: "If you have not earnestly implemented the central government's major policies and guidelines, and you are absent-minded about the provincial party committee's decisions and resolutions, and then say that I have been busy with many things, this is called 'opening the pot that should not be opened,' or even going in the opposite direction." Implementing the Party's line, principles, and policies, and the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments, is an important standard for measuring the performance of party members and cadres. In reality, some party members and cadres violate the requirements of the new development concept, blindly and recklessly act; some engage in "packaged" and "labeled" implementation, superficially implementing the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments, but actually continuing the original practices, and being satisfied with "water passing over the skin of the earth" (水过地皮湿 - shuǐ guò dì pí shī - "water over the skin of the earth," superficial; not thorough). Such implementation cannot truly produce achievements, or produce real achievements. The prerequisite for implementation is to fully, deeply, and accurately understand and grasp the spirit of the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments, to figure out "what can be done" and "what cannot be done," and to understand "how should it be done" and "how to implement it in a practical way." Only on the right direction and track, can we grasp the work tightly and practically, so that we do not deviate or distort, and create real achievements that benefit the people.

Implementing must be realistic and adapt to local conditions. The process of implementing is the process of combining the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments with the specific realities of various places, and solving the actual problems of various places. The situations in various places vary greatly, and how the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments are implemented tests the ability and quality of party members and cadres. In June 1988, Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) served as the Secretary of the Ningde (宁德) Prefectural Party Committee. At that time, many people in Ningde (宁德) hoped to embrace a "golden baby" (抱个“金娃娃”) all at once. In response, Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) proposed to carry forward the spirit of "dripping water penetrates stone" (滴水穿石 - dī shuǐ chuān shí - "dripping water pierces stone," perseverance can accomplish anything), telling everyone that what we need is practical work based on reality and with long-term goals in mind. He spent more than a month traveling to all 9 counties in Mindong (闽东), and proposed the guiding ideology of "adapting to local conditions, classifying guidance, acting according to one's ability, doing one's best, and paying attention to benefits," grasping large-scale agriculture, reciting the "Mountain and Sea Sutra" (念“山海经”), grasping the processing and utilization of local resources, and requiring all counties and townships to scientifically select leading industries, and plan the development path for Mindong (闽东) from the actual situation, so that the economy of Mindong (闽东) could accelerate its development. The pragmatic method contained in this development path is a scientific working method for implementing well and achieving results. The Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments have directionality, principles, and guidelines. Only by closely combining them with reality, anchoring on solving the main contradictions facing oneself, and formulating specific measures that are in line with reality, can they be implemented, take root, and blossom.

During this year's National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference ("Two Sessions") when going down to the delegations, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "It is also necessary to promote implementation after making plans. Good planning and execution, these two must be combined." Execution is the ability to implement. The "15th Five-Year Plan" outlines the major strategic tasks for China's economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, and the key lies in implementation. We must correct the "aiming star" (准星) for implementation from the depths of our thinking, put implementation in a prominent position, and promote the implementation of various decisions and deployments from "paper" to "ground," and transform blueprints into reality.

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Continuously Deepen the Green Transformation of Traditional Industries (In-depth Thinking)

By: 焦 豪

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General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized during his participation in the deliberation of the Jiangsu delegation at the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress: "We must create a new situation in optimizing and upgrading traditional industries, cultivating and strengthening emerging industries, and proactively planning for future industries." The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposes: "Adhere to the direction of intelligence, greening, and integration" and "Construct a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone," and makes a special chapter deployment around "Building a modern industrial system and consolidating and strengthening the foundation of the real economy" for "optimizing and upgrading traditional industries." Traditional industries are the cornerstone of a modern industrial system and the "basic plate" of China's manufacturing development, providing fundamental support for high-quality economic development. At the same time, traditional industries often have the characteristics of high energy consumption and high emissions, which makes the contradiction between resource supply and environmental carrying capacity increasingly acute, and the green transformation of traditional industries is imminent. To thoroughly study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech and implement the "15th Five-Year Plan," we must take greening as a key direction for optimizing and upgrading traditional industries and promote the continuous deepening of the green transformation of traditional industries.

Enhance technological empowerment. Greening is an important starting point and foothold for optimizing and upgrading traditional industries. At present, digital and intelligent technologies characterized by artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing are profoundly reshaping the underlying logic of the green transformation of traditional industries. Through precise perception, intelligent control, and optimization algorithms, digital and intelligent green technologies can effectively empower resource conservation and environmental friendliness, providing strong technical support for the green transformation of traditional industries. We must follow the trend of modern technological development, strengthen the empowerment of digital and intelligent green technologies, promote the green transformation of production methods, the optimization and upgrading of industrial structures, and the iterative innovation of business models, change the past extensive development model of "mass production, mass consumption, and mass emissions," develop intelligent manufacturing, green manufacturing, and service-oriented manufacturing, and continuously consolidate and enhance China's position and competitiveness in the global division of labor. This is not only an inherent requirement for focusing on the real economy in economic development, but also an important measure for China to win strategic initiative in the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation.

Optimize the industrial ecology. Promoting the green transformation of the entire industrial chain and creating a green industrial ecology that connects upstream and downstream enterprises is crucial to optimizing and upgrading traditional industries. We must give play to the leading role of chain owner enterprises, promote the coordinated green transformation of manufacturing links and R&D design, logistics and distribution, after-sales service and other links, form a joint force for the overall transformation of the industrial chain, promote the green collaborative development of the industrial chain, and continuously extend to the high end of the value chain. For example, using the industrial Internet and cloud platforms as hubs, jointly carry out data sharing, collaborative design, and integrated manufacturing with upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain to improve the level of intelligent and green collaboration and resilience of the industrial chain, and help accelerate the transformation of industrial models and enterprise organizational forms. Establish a green supply chain that meets the requirements of the green transformation of traditional industries, promote the coordinated energy conservation and carbon reduction and cleaner production of the industrial chain and supply chain, form a green industrial ecology with complementary advantages, and promote the green transformation of traditional industries in cluster development, so as to better promote the resolution of structural contradictions in key industries and accelerate the upgrading to the middle and high end.

Enrich application scenarios. Creating innovative and demonstrative green application scenarios is a key starting point for optimizing and upgrading traditional industries, which can not only drive technological transformation and industrial change with scenario needs, but also form replicable and scalable specific application solutions through scenario demonstrations. We must continuously enrich green application scenarios, strengthen the support capabilities of common technology R&D, and create integrated production scenarios of "digital + green," intelligent governance scenarios of "digital + ecology," and resource utilization scenarios of "digital + circulation." For example, the establishment of a digital management system not only realizes the digital management and control of the entire process from raw materials to finished products, ensuring the stability of product quality, but also improves the accuracy of environmental governance by real-time monitoring of energy consumption and pollution emissions, and enhances the effectiveness of energy conservation, consumption reduction and pollution reduction; using big data technology to optimize the process of solid waste classification and resource recycling, helping to build a waste recycling system, and accelerate the formation of a circular economic development model for the resource utilization of construction waste, the recycling of renewable resources, and the comprehensive utilization of bulk industrial solid waste; and so on.

Improve support and guarantees. Optimizing and upgrading traditional industries is inseparable from a series of supports from "hardware" to "software." We must build new infrastructure well and promote the intensive and efficient utilization of new infrastructure. At the same time, we will build a standard system and evaluation mechanism to guide the green transformation of traditional industries, strengthen the leading role of national standards, promote the updating and upgrading of standards, and strictly manage safety, environmental protection, energy efficiency, quality and other norms to provide a basis for measuring the effectiveness of the green transformation of traditional industries. Introduce precise and adapted support policies, increase medium- and long-term loans and credit loans to support manufacturing technology innovation, digital and intelligent transformation, and green development, and use diversified policy tools to stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of business entities. Improve the closed-loop feedback mechanism for problem discovery, effect evaluation, and policy adjustment to ensure that traditional industries are optimized and upgraded along the direction of greening. Improve the cross-departmental collaborative work mechanism, promote the linkage of development and reform, industry and information technology, science and technology, ecological environment and other departments, break down departmental barriers, form a joint working force, and ensure that policies are implemented effectively.

(The author is a professor at the School of Economics and Business Administration, Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学))

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Improving the Public Service System for National Fitness (In-depth Thinking)

By: 郑家鲲

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National fitness is the foundational project for building a strong physique, an important force for promoting people's all-round development, enriching spiritual and cultural life, and driving economic and social development. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "We must continue to vigorously develop a sports cause centered on the people, promote the deep integration of national fitness and national health, and continuously move towards the goal of building a strong sports nation and a healthy China." The "15th Five-Year Plan"纲要 proposes to "actively develop mass sports and widely carry out national fitness activities" and "improve the public service system for national fitness." We must thoroughly study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech, implement the deployment of the "15th Five-Year Plan"纲要, improve the public service system for national fitness, and help build a strong sports nation and a healthy China.

In recent years, China's national fitness cause has developed steadily. By the end of 2025, there were 5,003,700 sports venues nationwide, covering an area of 4.372 billion square meters, and the "15-minute fitness circle" in communities has been basically realized. At the same time, facing the people's ever-growing needs for a better life, the problem of unbalanced and insufficient development of public services for national fitness still exists. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, we should further innovate service methods, expand service scenarios, strengthen technological empowerment, and improve collaborative mechanisms to comprehensively improve the effectiveness of public services for national fitness.

Adhere to demand orientation and build a new model of service supply. At present, the demand for high-quality, personalized, and diversified fitness services is showing a growing trend. Only by focusing on the new needs of the people and building a precise and efficient public service supply system for national fitness can we improve the quality of public services for national fitness. We must promote the sinking of high-quality sports resources to the grassroots level, improve the grassroots national fitness organization network, and build a public service system for national fitness that integrates urban and rural areas and is universally beneficial and equal. Improve the accuracy of grasping the dynamic changes in people's sports needs, improve the supply mechanism for dynamic adaptation of supply and demand, and establish a "demand list" and "service menu" docking model. Focus on the fitness needs of groups such as the elderly and children, new employment form workers, and farmers, create diversified service supply models, and provide more convenient, accessible, high-quality, and efficient national fitness services and products.

Deepen integration and innovation to cultivate new scenarios for national fitness. Promote all-round, multi-level, and wide-ranging integrated development, and build a three-dimensional service ecosystem through industry crossover, spatial compounding, and functional superposition, and continuously cultivate new scenarios for national fitness. Promote the deep integration of national fitness with culture, tourism, education, health, and other industries, and actively cultivate integrated formats of "national fitness +" and "+ national fitness." Increase the supply of national fitness venues and facilities, promote the transformation of large-scale sports venues into urban sports service complexes, and activate the endogenous power of venue operation. Build places such as people's fitness rooms, shared fitness warehouses, and community fitness stations, tap into existing urban spaces, integrate "golden corners and silver edges" to build fitness venues and facilities, open up the "last mile" of national fitness services, and meet residents' fragmented and convenient fitness needs.

Strengthen technological empowerment and stimulate new momentum for national fitness. The "15th Five-Year Plan"纲要 proposes to "give full play to the role of digital intelligence technology and data elements in enriching people's lives and improving people's well-being." Digital intelligence technology promotes the accelerated transformation of national fitness towards intelligence and scenarization, effectively improves the accessibility of public services for national fitness, and opens up diverse paths for national fitness activities to break through the barriers of time and space and optimize the service ecosystem. We must strengthen the application of cutting-edge technologies, continue to promote the intelligent upgrading of public sports venues and facilities, and actively develop emerging sports such as intelligent fitness, cloud competitions, and virtual sports. Consolidate the digital foundation of national fitness and build digital service platforms for national fitness according to local conditions. For example, the "Community Sportsman" intelligent sports community in Jiaxing (嘉兴), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), relies on the Jiaxing (嘉兴) Sports Bureau's (嘉兴市体育局) "Sportsman" intelligent sports platform to provide residents with sports venues, sports facilities, sports training guidance, and other service functions, enhancing the public's fitness experience.

Improve the collaborative mechanism and form a new pattern of multi-party governance. Cross-departmental and cross-field collaboration helps to accelerate the realization of equalization, precision, and sustainable development of public services for national fitness. At present, a "large group" work pattern of government leadership, multi-departmental collaboration, full social participation, and shared construction and sharing has been initially formed, but there are also problems such as insufficient cohesion, insufficient departmental collaboration, weak grassroots forces, and low social participation. We must focus on breaking down institutional barriers and promote the organic connection and mutual support of policies, regulations, standards, and supply models between multiple levels and departments. Build an efficient operating mechanism for cross-departmental collaboration, give full play to the pivotal role of sports departments in the national fitness cause, and establish a normalized collaborative working mechanism for major matters involving multiple fields. Increase the social openness of national fitness resources, guide social forces to participate in the supply of national fitness services according to market principles, and encourage various business entities to carry out innovation in venue operation, event organization, and fitness guidance.

(The author is a professor at the School of Economics and Management, Shanghai University of Sport (上海体育大学).)

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Quality life scenarios are constantly being updated (Exploring the Consumer Products Expo)

By: 本报记者 孙海天

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What does a high-quality life mean? The fashion and trend exhibition area in Hall 2 of the 6th China International Consumer Products Expo (消博会) offers one interpretation: breaking existing boundaries and continuously expanding the radius and possibilities of life.

At the Tongcheng Travel (同程旅行) booth, a 1:1 restoration of rainforest vegetation is lush and green. Nearby, a screen attracts visitors to stop and watch – an "AI (Artificial Intelligence) face-to-face translation screen."

"What is the name of this parrot?" the reporter asked in Mandarin. English translations popped up on the screen almost simultaneously. Switching to a dialect to try again, the results appeared in seconds as well.

"150 languages, 27 dialects," introduced Zhang Chong (张充), product manager of Tongcheng Travel's AI translation screen, while demonstrating. "Previously, in scenic spots, communication relied on handheld devices when languages were different. Now, the screen stands on the counter, with each party looking at one side, freeing up their hands."

0.5-second response, dual-screen interaction, no need to pass devices. Technology empowers cultural tourism, turning cross-border exchanges into relaxed chats.

Walking forward, a gust of coolness hits the face. At the Huafa Group (华发集团) booth, a mini ice and snow world can be seen – inside a glass cover, a snow machine hums; reaching out, water vapor condenses into ice crystals that fall into the palm, a trace of coolness penetrating the skin.

"This is the 'avatar' of Shenzhen Qianhai Ice and Snow World (深圳前海冰雪世界)," introduced Yi Meiling (易玫伶), curator of Hall 2 from the Hainan International Economic Development Bureau (海南国际经济发展局). "Recently, 'skiing is also possible in Shenzhen' became a trending topic, so the exhibitors simply brought the snow to Hainan (海南)." In the year-round summer coconut breeze and sea charm, this handful of snow brings a new consumption experience that breaks through seasonal restrictions.

The APP booth of the Golden Eagle Group (金光集团) is full of greenery. In the center of the booth, there are no complicated sound, light, and electricity displays, but several green eucalyptus seedlings can be seen. A staff member picked up a box of tissues and introduced: "This is the APP zero-carbon tissue box, and you can scan the code to trace carbon emission information." From a seedling to a piece of virgin wood pulp paper, the "integrated forestry, pulp, and paper" circular chain is clearly visible.

A screen removes the barrier of language barriers, an artificial snowfield crosses the temperature difference between north and south, and a piece of paper condenses the concept of green environmental protection. Strolling through Hall 2, quality life scenarios are constantly being updated.

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Mudflats of the Yellow Sea Become a "Rich Mine" for Cultural Tourism (Economic Focus: Focusing on the Marine Economy)

By: 本报记者 姚雪青

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In Jiangsu (江苏), there is a hidden "paradise for migratory birds." Every year, millions of migratory birds from around the world come here to rest, molt, and overwinter, and about 1 million tourists follow in their footsteps.

This is the Tiaozini Wetland (条子泥湿地) located in the Dongtai (东台) Coastal Economic Zone (沿海经济区) of Yancheng (盐城), Jiangsu (江苏). The Dongtai (东台) Yellow Sea (黄海) wetland is one of the largest intertidal wetlands in the world. As an important part of it, the Tiaozini Wetland (条子泥湿地) covers an area of 1.29 million mu and is a key node on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. In recent years, the local government has taken measures such as coastline restoration, ecological management, and the creation of high-tide habitats for migratory birds, continuously expanding the birds' "circle of friends." In 2022, the Tiaozini (条子泥) coastal section was selected as one of the first batch of excellent cases of beautiful bays in the country. The harmonious environment between people and the sea has boosted the bird-watching economy, driving the annual revenue of the ecological and cultural tourism industry in the Tiaozini Wetland (条子泥湿地) to exceed 10 million yuan, and the local area has embarked on a high-quality development path of "ecological protection - cultural tourism development - enriching the people and increasing income."

What kind of wetlands do waterbirds prefer?

Micro-topography transformation and environmental remediation have increased the number of recorded bird species to 420.

In April, the Tiaozini Wetland (条子泥湿地) kicked off the spring migration of migratory birds. As the tide rises, tens of thousands of waterbirds form bird waves and fly back from the beach, standing in groups on the "720 Highland" inside the seawall to rest.

Wetland manager Zhang Hailong (张海龙) is checking the migration and breeding status of birds on the large screen of the monitoring center. "In recent years, the wetland has been using an information system. '720 Highland' has installed 13 panoramic probes with bird intelligent recognition functions, which continuously track the movement of birds 24 hours a day," Zhang Hailong (张海龙) introduced.

What is "720 Highland"? "During the two high tides every day, the mudflats are submerged by the ocean, and the birds that originally foraged on the mudflats have to find a place to rest," said Du Hua (杜骅), director of the Dongtai (东台) Coastal Economic Zone (沿海经济区) Management Committee. Starting in 2020, the local government transformed a 720-mu fish pond in the Tiaozini Wetland (条子泥湿地) according to the principle of "ecological natural restoration as the main focus, supplemented by appropriate artificial intervention," carrying out micro-topography transformation, wetland restoration, and environmental remediation to create a "bird landing pad," that is, a fixed high-tide habitat for migratory birds. In the autumn of that year, a maximum of 58,000 waterbirds were attracted to "dock" on a single day.

What kind of "landing pad" do waterbirds like? There are many scientific research teams from universities and research institutes that have been rooted in the Tiaozini Wetland (条子泥湿地) for many years to carry out biodiversity protection and research. This is precisely the subject of the School of Life Sciences of Nanjing Forestry University (南京林业大学). By conducting field surveys of the species and number of birds and comparing them with satellite images of the habitat, they found that plovers and sandpipers prefer shallow water areas, while geese and ducks prefer deep water areas.

Starting in 2022, the local government carried out returning fishing ponds to wetlands and ecological restoration in Chuanshui Bay (川水湾) in the northern part of Tiaozini (条子泥) to create an "expanded version of 720 Highland." This area is larger and has deep water areas, shallow water areas, and seasonal grass beaches set up according to local conditions. In addition to a large number of waterbirds moving in, it has also attracted wild animals such as elk and hares.

As of December 2025, the number of recorded bird species in the Tiaozini (条子泥) area has increased to 420, including 23 species of national first-level key protected wild animals and 74 species of national second-level protected wild animals. The spoon-billed sandpiper, known as the "giant panda of birds," can be observed up to 200 at most; the highest number of a single survey of the Nordmann's greenshank was 2,694, which is the highest number recorded globally so far. The number of 29 species exceeds 1% of the number of their flyway, ranking among the top in the entire flyway.

How does the Yellow Sea (黄海) mudflat generate income?

Bird watching, sea catching, cultural and sports events, and cultural tourism industry revenue exceeds 10 million yuan.

The sightseeing car drives along Tourism Highway No. 1 into the depths of the Tiaozini Wetland (条子泥湿地) and stops next to a "lake." Following the interspersed bird calls, a large group of waterbirds can be seen foraging and pacing - this is the "10,000-mu bird gathering area," and 20 families have come here for bird-watching study tours.

"The one with a mouth that looks like a pipa and a black face is the black-faced spoonbill; the one with a slender, upturned mouth, black and white feathers, and an elegant posture is the 'upturned-mouth lady' avocet; the one with an orange-red mouth like a carrot is the ruddy turnstone, nicknamed 'carrot mouth'..." Standing in front of a high-powered telescope, "bird guide" Ding Jianming (丁剑明) knows them like the back of his hand.

In the science exhibition hall next to the seawall, tourists watch videos, identify bird specimens, understand the changes in the coastline and the formation of radiation sand ridges, and then work in groups to "recreate" a "720 Highland" on the sand table, and put different birds in the appropriate positions, such as herons staying by the water and flamingos standing in the center of the water...

Walking out of the exhibition hall, it is low tide, and a large number of birds team up to fly from "720 Highland" to the mudflats outside the dike to forage, which is very spectacular. Tourists raised their heads and took pictures with their mobile phones. "It's so beautiful!" said Pan Jing (潘静), a tourist from Nanjing (南京). She discovered this "treasure tourism destination" last autumn and specially brought her whole family to check in this spring.

The seawall on the east side of "720 Highland" is the starting point for many cultural and sports events held in Tiaozini (条子泥). "The Yellow Sea (黄海) mudflats can also become a 'rich mine' for the ecological and cultural tourism industry." Chang Wei (常维), deputy director of the Dongtai (东台) Coastal Economic Zone (沿海经济区) Management Committee, introduced that the local government innovates product supply based on ecology. On the one hand, it establishes a professional bird-watching system, plans multiple high-quality bird-watching routes, and provides high-powered telescopes, ecological commentators, and professional "bird guides" to create virtual reality and 3D immersive experience projects; on the other hand, it continuously enriches the ecological experience format, develops bird-watching competitions, sketching trips, and other special products, and holds poetry festivals, youth football invitationals, wetland cycling, triathlons, half marathons, and other activities to deeply integrate ecological tourism with sports and culture, shifting from single sightseeing to composite experience.

Watching birds in spring, catching the sea in summer, participating in photography training camps in autumn, and looking for flamingos in winter... The Tiaozini (条子泥) scenic spot attracts 1 million tourists every year, driving the revenue of the cultural tourism industry to exceed 10 million yuan.

How do coastal residents increase their income?

From relying on the sea for a living to relying on the sea for recreation, supporting industries develop simultaneously.

On April 2, coinciding with the spring break for primary and secondary schools in many parts of Jiangsu (江苏) and connected to the Qingming (清明) holiday, Badou Village (巴斗村) in Jianggang Town (弶港镇), which is close to the north of Tiaozini (条子泥), welcomed tourists from all over the world. In the village surrounded by green trees, tulips and scarlet sage are in full bloom, and the aroma of food wafts from the homestays and fishing villages.

"The newly arrived seafood is here!" At the entrance of "Old Fisherman Homestay," Kong Xiangjin (孔祥金), the person in charge, unloaded boxes of seafood with oxygen pumps from the car - small white shrimp and swimming crabs, all just caught from his own pond. All nine rooms in the homestay were fully booked a few days ago, and tourists who came specifically to eat seafood crowded the restaurant.

Kong Xiangjin (孔祥金), 64 years old this year, has ancestors who were fishermen who relied on the sea for a living. In 2000, in order to protect the marine ecological environment, the local government encouraged some fishermen to go ashore for development. Offshore fishing is hard and dangerous, and seeing that Badou Village (巴斗村) had reclaimed 2,400 mu of mudflats and introduced seawater to develop shrimp and crab polyculture, Kong Xiangjin (孔祥金) felt it was a good opportunity, so he contracted 100 mu of ponds and started aquaculture.

With the rise of bird-watching tourism, villagers spontaneously opened homestays and fishing villages. In 2021, Lao Kong (老孔) also renovated his idle houses, and "Old Fisherman Homestay" opened to welcome guests, providing a "one-stop" service from the pond to the table.

In recent years, Badou Village (巴斗村) has established a tourism company, attracting 9 college students to return to their hometown to work. In addition to live streaming and selling goods, the local government has also launched souvenir gift boxes such as drunken shrimp and raw pickled crabs, and recently developed wetland cultural creations: clam wings and canvas bags, mud snail power banks and small table lamps, spoon-billed sandpiper cultural shirts and postcards...

"From relying on the sea for a living to relying on the sea for recreation, relying on ecological and cultural tourism, coastal towns have embarked on a new path to increase income and enrich the people." Liu Jun (刘军), secretary of the Jianggang Town (弶港镇) Party Committee, introduced that Jianggang Town (弶港镇) takes the homestay industry as a starting point to drive the simultaneous development of supporting industries such as fishing catering, cultural and creative sales, and characteristic agricultural products. The town has more than 1,500 tourism employees. In 2025, the town will receive more than 100,000 tourists, driving villagers' income to increase by more than 5 million yuan. Taking Badou Village (巴斗村), a "national key village for rural tourism," as an example, the per capita disposable income of villagers will reach 56,000 yuan in 2025.

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Ecological protection is not a "cost item" for the marine economy (expert opinion)

By: 吴福象

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As a major province in marine economy, Jiangsu's gross marine product in 2025 increased by 6.7% year-on-year, with the growth rate being 1.4 and 1.2 percentage points higher than the province's gross regional product and the national gross marine product, respectively. Behind the data, what deserves attention is not only the scale but also its growth path: Jiangsu has transformed "harmony between man and the sea" from a concept into a tangible competitive advantage, and has embarked on a high-quality development path of ecological priority, industrial empowerment, and symbiosis between man and the sea.

Ecological protection is not a "cost item" for the marine economy, but a major strategic opportunity for Jiangsu. Most of Jiangsu's coastline is composed of silty mudflats, making it difficult to form a traditional coastal economic system focusing on natural deep-water ports. However, it is precisely this "disadvantage" that has forced Jiangsu to embark on a new path of stimulating new momentum for blue development through ecological protection and restoration. Jiangsu uses rigid indicators such as a natural coastline retention rate of 37.1% and an ecological restoration coastline of 17.6 kilometers to illustrate that: guarding the ecological bottom line is guarding the upper limit of future industries.

The practice of Tiaozini (条子泥) in Dongtai (东台) confirms that ecological protection and industrial development are not a single choice. Looking at Jiangsu, the diverse explorations of coastal cities fully interpret the new connotation of "harmony between man and the sea" that is constantly enriched from the dimensions of technological support, spatial integration, and ecological background. For example, Nantong (南通) builds a solid technological foundation with precise environmental monitoring, and supports scientific research and industrial planning through the construction of an intelligent monitoring network covering the entire "coastline-sea-wetland" area; Lianyungang (连云港) enhances comprehensive value through the construction of beautiful bays, and coordinates ecological restoration, coastline renovation, cultural tourism development, and port-adjacent industries; Yancheng (盐城) consolidates the ecological foundation with wetland heritage, and realizes the green transformation of industrial support through ecological protection achievements through returning fishing to wetlands, tidal ditch restoration, and comprehensive wetland management.

The core experience of Jiangsu's "harmony between man and the sea" lies in: taking the initiative to shape industrial advantages with ecological advantages, and using industrial development to give back to ecological protection, giving a "want, want, and also want" answer between ecological protection and economic development, and providing a new model for the harmonious coexistence of man and the sea.

(The author is the director of the Department of Industrial Economics, School of Economics, Nanjing University (南京大学), and this report was compiled by Yao Xueqing (姚雪青), a reporter from this newspaper.)

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Green and intelligent ships to have a new technical specification system

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This newspaper's Beijing (北京) dispatch on April 14th (Reporter Han Xin (韩鑫)) - The Maritime Safety Administration (海事局) of the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部) has issued the "Action Plan for Accelerating the Construction of a Green and Intelligent Ship Technical Standard System (2026-2030)," proposing to improve the technical specifications for green and intelligent ships in stages over the next 5 years. By 2027, the technical standard system for green ships will be relatively complete, and the technical standard system for intelligent ships will be initially formed. By 2030, a complete technical standard system for green ships and a basically complete technical standard system for intelligent ships will be established, providing a solid technical standard guarantee for the green and intelligent development of China's (中国) shipping industry.

Focusing on the two major areas of green and intelligent ships, the action plan systematically deploys key tasks for the construction of a green and intelligent ship technical standard system in the next 5 years.

In the green field, according to five categories: general, ship power, supply facilities, marine products, and green technology, a green ship technology classification system will be established to form technical rules for battery, methanol, liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), ammonia, hydrogen, dimethyl ether and other major new energy clean energy powered ships and bunkering ships, as well as supporting marine product rules. Requirements will be formulated for the application of wind power, solar energy, air lubrication, thermal energy recovery, carbon capture, and lightweight material technologies on ships.

The action plan also clearly proposes 40 specific formulation and revision tasks for ship technical standards, including 21 items on the green ship technical standard list and 19 items on the intelligent ship technical standard list.

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Inclusive finance precisely irrigates counties and townships.

By: 本报记者 郁静娴

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In Meichuan Village (梅川村), Minxian County (岷县), Dingxi City (定西市), Gansu Province (甘肃省), in the courtyard of Feifan Beiqi Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (飞凡北芪药业有限公司), medicinal materials such as Chinese angelica (当归) are neatly stacked, and more than 20 villagers are busy sorting and processing them.

"We are most afraid of lacking funds when preparing goods, but now we are relieved," said Tan Xiaofei (谈小飞), the person in charge of the company. At the end of last year, with the help of the Agricultural Bank of China (农行) Minxian County (岷县) branch in Gansu (甘肃), he applied for a small and micro loan of 1.61 million yuan. Tan Xiaofei (谈小飞) is also planning to open an e-commerce live broadcast room to drive income growth for more farmers.

Covering small and micro entities, extending to the end of villages and underdeveloped areas, and finding a focus in helping the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside, is a daily microcosm of the inclusive financial services of the Agricultural Bank of China (中国农业银行). As of the end of March this year, the balance of inclusive small and micro enterprise loans of the Agricultural Bank of China (农业银行) was 4.4 trillion yuan, and more than 50% of inclusive loans directly reached the county level, and the accuracy and coverage of financial services for "agriculture, rural areas and farmers" have been greatly improved.

The innovation of service models has solved the problems of "difficult, expensive and slow financing." In Beiji Village (北极村), Mohe City (漠河市), Heilongjiang Province (黑龙江省), the tourism boom of "appreciating the aurora" continues to heat up, and villager Wang Peng (王鹏) has always planned to renovate and upgrade his homestay. The Agricultural Bank of China (农行) Mohe City (漠河市) branch in Heilongjiang (黑龙江) recommended him an exclusive service plan of "Huinong e-loan · Rural Tourism Loan" (惠农e贷·乡旅贷), with one-stop approval for investigation, acceptance, credit granting and credit use, and funds were quickly in place within 5 days.

The realization of convenient financing benefits from the precise portrait of big data. The relevant person in charge of the Agricultural Bank of China (农行) Mohe City (漠河市) branch in Heilongjiang (黑龙江) introduced that the homestay business place is a self-built house on collective land, lacking the real estate collateral required for traditional loans. The service plan of the Agricultural Bank of China (农行) Mohe City (漠河市) branch in Heilongjiang (黑龙江) broke the traditional credit granting model, and transformed the homestay occupancy rate, online platform score, and tourist reputation into quantifiable credit indicators, and also designed a flexible repayment mechanism based on the seasonal operating characteristics of the homestay industry.

From the "Fumin Loan" (富民贷) that helps farmers increase income, to the "Feishou Loan" (飞手贷) that serves scientific and technological grain planting, to the "Huinong Cloud Platform" (惠农云平台) that provides a package of digital management tools... As of the end of March this year, the balance of related products of the Agricultural Bank of China's (农业银行) "Huinong e-loan" (惠农e贷) reached 2.08 trillion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of nearly 40% in the past 5 years.

Agriculture has large investment and a long cycle. How to incorporate more "small, scattered and weak" entities into industrial development? In Shaanxi Shiyang Agricultural Group Co., Ltd. (陕西石羊农业集团股份有限公司), the Agricultural Bank of China (农行) Weinan Branch (渭南分行) in Shaanxi (陕西) tailored a special product of "Shiyang Nongke · Order Loan" (石羊农科·订单贷) for the enterprise to support the turnover and operation of upstream and downstream small and micro entities such as pig and laying hen farmers. As of the end of March 2026, the bank has cumulatively handled 37.69 million yuan of "Shiyang Nongke · Order Loan" (石羊农科·订单贷) for the enterprise, supporting an annual pig breeding scale of 54,000 heads and an annual laying hen breeding scale of 460,000, which has enhanced the stability of the supply chain.

"We focus on 8 key agricultural industry chains in the province and actively promote the 'one customer, one solution' and 'one industry, one solution' model," said Niu Guanghui (牛光辉), deputy general manager of the Rural Revitalization Finance Department of the Agricultural Bank of China (农行) Shaanxi Branch (陕西分行). In recent years, the bank has successively innovated and launched the "Jin Sui Shaan Guo Loan" (金穗陕果贷), "Shaan Tea Loan" (陕茶贷), "Sanqin Cuisine Loan" (三秦美食贷) and "Chain Leader + Bank Leader" (链长+行长) service model, which effectively meets the financing needs of planting, breeding, distribution and processing in all links of the industrial chain.

Onlineization is not all of inclusive finance. In Shuanghu County (双湖县), Nagqu City (那曲市), Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治区), with an average altitude of more than 5,000 meters, the Agricultural Bank of China (农行) Shuanghu Branch (双湖支行) in Tibet (西藏) is the only financial institution in the county. 17 employees provide financial services to 13,000 herdsmen in 116,700 square kilometers all year round. In 2025, they traveled more than 190,000 kilometers and carried out more than 130 mobile services, bringing basic financial services such as social security card activation, cash deposit and withdrawal, and mobile banking to the masses. The Agricultural Bank of China (农行) Tibet Branch's (西藏分行) farmer loans have covered more than 90% of farmers and herdsmen in Tibet (西藏).

The Agricultural Bank of China's (农业银行) newly relocated outlets continue to be tilted towards counties, urban-rural fringe areas and towns, and the proportion of county outlets has increased to 56.6%. "Rural construction is in full swing, and diversified business formats are booming, providing new opportunities, new scenarios and new growth points for financial services in counties and villages," said the relevant person in charge of the Agricultural Bank of China (农业银行). It will continue to deeply cultivate the county and rural market, attract more development factors to gather through innovative product service models and extending the construction of county and rural financial service channels, and continuously inject new impetus into the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside.

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Guangxi Strengthens Water Conservancy Infrastructure Construction to Ensure Spring Plowing

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This newspaper reported from Nanning (南宁) on April 14th (Reporter Pang Ge Ping (庞革平)): This reporter learned from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区) Department of Finance and Department of Water Resources that in the first quarter of this year, Guangxi (广西) proactively provided front-line services, seized the golden period of winter and spring, increased efforts to raise funds, strengthened winter water conservancy construction, and ensured the smooth development of spring plowing and spring irrigation.

Guangxi (广西) financial departments, together with water resources and other departments, worked together to actively promote the modernization of large and medium-sized irrigation areas and their renovation, strengthen the connection between high-standard farmland canal systems and the backbone projects of irrigation areas, and focus on promoting the construction of water conservancy facilities. Guangxi (广西) has raised 180 million yuan to support the water-saving renovation of medium-sized irrigation areas, strengthen the maintenance and upkeep of irrigation areas, and earnestly promote the tackling of key problems in the construction, management, and protection of small-scale agricultural water conservancy facilities.

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Shanghai Port's foreign trade container throughput hits record high for the same period in the first quarter

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According to Shanghai Customs statistics, Shanghai (上海) reported on April 14th: In the first quarter of this year, the cumulative foreign trade container throughput of Shanghai Port (上海港) reached 8.494 million TEUs, and the number of international voyages of inbound and outbound ships reached 11,000, representing year-on-year increases of 8% and 0.5% respectively, both reaching record highs for the same period in history. At present, Shanghai Port (上海港) has opened more than 350 international routes.

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This section edited by: Lü Zhongzheng, Lin Ziye, Huang Jinyu

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Page 11版:政治

Comprehensively Implement the Holistic National Security Concept and Step Forward to Shoulder Responsibility in Safeguarding the Nation's "Five Major Securities"

By: 许 勤

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National security is the foundation of national rejuvenation. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has visited Heilongjiang (黑龙江) four times, entrusting it with the significant missions of safeguarding national defense security, food security, ecological security, energy security, and industrial security, pointing out the direction for us to serve and safeguard the overall national security situation. Heilongjiang (黑龙江) keeps in mind the important entrustment of General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), resolutely shoulders the political responsibility of safeguarding the country's "five major securities," and builds and strengthens the national important commodity grain production base, heavy equipment manufacturing base, important energy and raw material base, northern ecological security barrier, and a new high ground for opening to the north, with the political loyalty of "being in the northernmost part and having our hearts toward the Party Central Committee," guarding the "North Gate" of the motherland.

We will conscientiously study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important exposition on coordinating development and security, firmly establish the concept of safe development, and take practical actions to firmly support the "Two Establishments" and resolutely achieve the "Two Safeguards."

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has coordinated the overall strategic situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the major changes unseen in a century in the world, made strategic plans for national security with foresight, creatively put forward the overall national security concept, opened up a new realm of national security theory and practice with Chinese characteristics, pointed out the direction and provided fundamental guidelines for safeguarding national security in the new era, and contributed Chinese wisdom to improving global security governance, with great historical, epochal, and global significance.

The concept of safe development guides the steady and long-term progress of Chinese-style modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee for security. Deeply practicing the concept of safe development and better coordinating development and security is a strategic choice for building a socialist modern country in an all-round way. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, our country has resolutely safeguarded national sovereignty, security, and development interests, carried out a great struggle with many new historical characteristics, withstood risks and tests from various aspects at home and abroad, embarked on a national security path with Chinese characteristics, and successfully continued the new chapter of the "two major miracles" of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. At present, global geopolitical conflicts are intensifying, economic globalization is encountering headwinds, traditional and non-traditional security issues are intertwined, and the task of safeguarding national security is even more arduous. We must firmly establish the concept that development is the absolute principle, and security is also an absolute principle, consolidate security in development, seek development in security, and consolidate the material foundation and provide security guarantees for Chinese-style modernization.

The concept of safe development embodies the fundamental position of putting the people first. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) always puts the people in the highest position in his heart, emphasizing that "the people's security is the purpose of national security" and "national security work ultimately guarantees the interests of the people," fully demonstrating the people's leader's deep feelings for the people and a strong sense of mission and responsibility. The broadest and deepest foundation of national security is the people. Putting the people's security throughout national security work embodies that everything is for the people and everything relies on the people. The "15th Five-Year Plan" outline requires effectively safeguarding the safety of people's lives and property, and makes systematic arrangements for guaranteeing people's safety. We must deeply understand and implement this, carry out solid education on establishing and practicing correct views on performance, always take the people's safety as the fundamental purpose of safeguarding national security, make every effort to prevent security risks involving the vital interests of the people, improve the working mechanism for gathering and serving the masses, carry out national security publicity and education activities on a regular basis, and effectively build a people's defense line.

The concept of safe development demonstrates the responsibility of a major country in global governance. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires not only a stable and united domestic environment, but also a peaceful and stable international environment. Facing the accelerated evolution of major changes unseen in a century in the world, and the continuous extension of changes in the world and the times in breadth and depth, safeguarding security and stability through struggle, and promoting peace and development through cooperation, is the correct path to address global security challenges and achieve lasting security. With the grand spirit and foresight of a leader of a major party and a major country, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) creatively proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, advocated a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept, wrote the "world chapter" of the overall national security concept, and contributed Chinese solutions to building a world of lasting peace and universal security. To fully implement the concept of safe development, we must deeply understand the complex changes in the international landscape, recognize the current national security situation from the long-term trend, handle major relationships such as development and security, opening up and independence, and cooperation and competition, and strive to embark on a path of mutually beneficial and win-win safe development.

The concept of safe development runs through the Party's comprehensive leadership. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that adhering to the Party's leadership over national security work is the fundamental principle for doing a good job in national security work. History and reality have repeatedly proved that it is precisely because of adhering to the Party's absolute leadership that we can overcome a series of major risks and challenges, achieve national security, social stability, and people's tranquility, and promote the Party and the country's cause to achieve great achievements that have attracted worldwide attention. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has established the Central National Security Commission, comprehensively deepened the reform of the national security system and mechanism, formed a national security legal system, strategic system, policy system, and risk prevention and control system, and established the four beams and eight pillars of the modernization of the national security system and capabilities. The Heilongjiang (黑龙江) Provincial Party Committee resolutely implements the chairman responsibility system of the Central National Security Commission, strictly implements the "Regulations on the Party Leadership on National Security Work," conscientiously implements the "Regulations on the Work of Local Committees of the Communist Party of China," resolutely safeguards the authority and centralized and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, establishes national security agencies of the Party committees at the provincial, municipal, and county levels, the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and the special meetings of the Provincial Party Secretary study national security work, promote the implementation of the Party Central Committee's strategic deployment on safeguarding national security, and guarantee the new development pattern with a new security pattern.

We will resolutely shoulder the major political responsibility and mission of safeguarding the country's "five major securities," safeguard national security with a strong political responsibility, and contribute Heilongjiang's (黑龙江) strength to the long-term stability of the Party and the country.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that we must "actively perform our duties and responsibilities in safeguarding national defense security, food security, ecological security, energy security, and industrial security." The 13th Heilongjiang (黑龙江) Provincial Party Congress and the previous plenary sessions of the Provincial Party Committee have made deployments for safeguarding the country's "five major securities," and have respectively formulated and implemented opinions on safeguarding national defense security, food security, ecological security, energy security, and industrial security, with the "four systems" working mechanism of leadership responsibility, work promotion, supervision and inspection, and assessment and evaluation, to ensure that the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speeches and instructions are implemented in Heilongjiang (黑龙江) without any discount.

We will resolutely safeguard national defense security, and promote stability, consolidation, prosperity, and enrichment of the border areas. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that safeguarding national defense security is the primary task in safeguarding the country's "five major securities." Heilongjiang (黑龙江) is located in the heart of Northeast Asia, is the northernmost and easternmost border province of the motherland, and is at the forefront of opening up and cooperation with Russia, bearing a major responsibility in safeguarding the overall national security situation. The Provincial Party Committee regards safeguarding national defense security as a major political task, improves the "five-in-one" strong border defense mechanism of the Party, government, military, police, and people, deeply implements the action of consolidating the border, enriching the border, and benefiting the people, accelerates the construction of border infrastructure, the Heihe (黑河) Highway Bridge and the Tongjiang (同江) Railway Bridge between China and Russia are open to traffic and operation, Mohe (漠河) College of Culture and Tourism and other 5 border colleges enroll students and run schools, carry out "group-style assistance to the border areas" for cadres and talents, strive for policy support, and promote the concentration of industries and population to the border areas. Serving and integrating into the new development pattern, building a new high ground for opening to the north in our country, actively participating in the development and utilization of the Arctic航道, the Heilongjiang (黑龙江)-Okhotsk Sea river-sea combined transportation trial voyage, the Sino-Russian joint protection and development plan for Heixiazi Island (黑瞎子岛) was officially signed, and the total import and export volume during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period doubled, with an average annual export growth of more than 20%. In 2025, exports to countries jointly building the "Belt and Road," Africa, and Europe will increase by 11.6%, 28.4%, and 10.5% respectively.

We will resolutely safeguard national food security and build a more stable, reliable, and secure "granary." General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "We must always put ensuring national food security in the first place" and "ensure that we can produce enough and supply enough in normal times, and that we can cope with and rely on in extreme cases." Heilongjiang (黑龙江) keeps in mind its entrustment, insists on taking growing more grain and growing good grain as its primary responsibility, formulates and implements a plan to increase grain production by 10 million tons, coordinates and promotes technological agriculture, green agriculture, quality agriculture, and brand agriculture, has built 125 million mu of high-standard farmland, the total grain output has exceeded 160 billion jin for two consecutive years, reaching 164.006 billion jin in 2025, and the total output, commodity volume, transfer volume, and reserve volume all rank first in the country. The soybean output has exceeded 18 billion jin for four consecutive years, and the area and output account for more than 40% of the country. In 2026, the province's comprehensive grain production capacity will reach 180 billion jin, and strive to reach 200 billion jin by 2030, acting as a "ballast stone" for safeguarding national food security.

We will resolutely safeguard national ecological security and promote the comprehensive green transformation of the economy and society. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that ecological civilization construction is a fundamental plan related to the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. A good ecological environment is Heilongjiang's (黑龙江) valuable resource and significant advantage. Guarding the green is guarding wealth and guarding the future. We must never sacrifice the environment in exchange for temporary economic growth. Heilongjiang (黑龙江) faithfully practices the important concept that "green waters and green mountains are golden mountains and silver mountains, and ice and snow are also golden mountains and silver mountains," and builds key projects such as the ecological protection and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, fields, lakes, and grasses in the Xiaoxing'anling (小兴安岭)-Sanjiang Plain (三江平原). During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the province has completed a cumulative afforestation of 6.0691 million mu, the forest area has reached 207,700 square kilometers, the coverage rate has increased to 45.9%, the comprehensive vegetation coverage of grassland has reached 70.7%, major water conservancy projects have been implemented, ecological water replenishment and grain production have been promoted, and the effectiveness assessment of the pollution prevention and control campaign has been rated as excellent by the state for six consecutive years. The 9th Harbin (哈尔滨) Asian Winter Games will be held, and ice and snow tourism has achieved a booming "breakout" and sustainable development, becoming a pioneering area for a beautiful China province.

We will resolutely safeguard national energy security and fully guarantee the safe and stable supply of energy. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that energy security and security are matters of national economy and people's livelihood, and are "major national affairs" that cannot be ignored for a moment. Based on the national energy strategic needs, Heilongjiang (黑龙江) implements the action of building a national important energy and raw material base, the annual crude oil output of Daqing Oilfield (大庆油田) is stable at about 30 million tons, and the annual natural gas output has reached a new level of 6 billion cubic meters. The newly proven reserves in the Gulong (古龙) continental shale oil national-level demonstration zone are 158 million tons, and the annual output has exceeded 1 million tons. The annual input capacity of Sino-Russian oil and gas pipelines has reached 30 million tons and 38 billion cubic meters respectively, and the installed capacity of new energy and renewable energy accounts for 59.2% of the total power installed capacity, effectively guaranteeing the energy supply in Northeast, North, and East China.

We will resolutely safeguard national industrial security and enhance the resilience and security level of the industrial chain and supply chain. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out during his inspection of China First Heavy Industries (中国一重) in Qiqihar (齐齐哈尔): "We must adhere to the path of self-reliance. China's development ultimately depends on itself." Safeguarding the security of the industrial chain and supply chain is an important support for high-quality development. Heilongjiang (黑龙江) adheres to leading the development of new quality productive forces with technological innovation, coordinates and improves the technological innovation system and the modern industrial system, strengthens the construction of the national heavy equipment manufacturing base, and the national manned spaceflight, "Tianwen" Mars exploration, and "Jiaolong" deep-sea submersible all have Heilongjiang's (黑龙江) original technology support. The headquarters base for the research and development of HIT satellites has been built and put into operation, the ton-class unmanned helicopter has successfully made its maiden flight, the C919 large passenger aircraft supply chain capacity improvement project is accelerating construction, and aviation and bio-manufacturing have been included in the national advanced manufacturing industry clusters. In 2025, the added value of the equipment industry above designated size will increase by 8.4%, and investment in high-tech manufacturing will increase by 11.5%.

We will unswervingly implement the overall national security concept, focus on promoting the modernization of the national security system and capabilities, and promote the virtuous interaction between high-quality development and high-level security.

The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee made deployments for promoting the modernization of the national security system and capabilities, providing scientific guidance for forging practical and useful national security capabilities and strengthening public safety and social governance. Heilongjiang (黑龙江) enhances the strategic initiative to safeguard national security, strengthens overall planning, improves systems and mechanisms, and builds a higher level of safe Heilongjiang (黑龙江).

We will strengthen the construction of national security capabilities in key areas. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that national security is an important cornerstone for governing the country and ensuring its stability. Heilongjiang (黑龙江) puts safeguarding political security in the first place, improves the national security risk monitoring and early warning system, establishes a coordination mechanism for national security work in 20 key areas, improves local laws and regulations for safeguarding national security, and revising the "Heilongjiang (黑龙江) Anti-Espionage Security Prevention Regulations" is included in this year's legislative work plan. We will promote the construction of the "Northern Xinjiang National Unity and Progress Model Corridor," systematically promote the Sinicization of religion, enhance the ability to safeguard the security of emerging fields such as the network, space, deep sea, and polar regions, prevent and resolve risks and hidden dangers in key areas such as finance and real estate, and guard the bottom line of not causing systemic risks.

We will strengthen the construction of public safety governance capabilities. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that ensuring public safety is related to the safety of people's lives and property, and is related to the overall situation of reform, development, and stability. Heilongjiang (黑龙江) strengthens bottom-line thinking and risk awareness, deepens the construction of the social security prevention and control system, establishes a joint dispatch emergency command mechanism at the provincial, municipal, and county levels, undertakes the "Emergency Mission·2025" national-level emergency exercise, and has built the National Northeast Regional Emergency Rescue Center, effectively responding to the largest recorded floods in the Ussuri River and Mudanjiang River basins, and has been rated as "excellent" in the evaluation of the construction of a safe China for three consecutive years.

We will strengthen the construction of social governance capabilities. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that we must "improve the social governance system of co-construction, co-governance, and sharing, and improve the effectiveness of social governance." Heilongjiang (黑龙江) adheres to systematic governance, governance according to law, comprehensive governance, and source governance, deepens the Longjiang (龙江) practice of the "Fengqiao Experience" in the new era, guides new economic organizations, new social organizations, and new employment groups to participate in governance in an orderly manner, strengthens the technological governance of artificial intelligence, data algorithms, etc., and all 125 county-level comprehensive management centers have achieved the "five haves" goal, deepening the special governance of "resolving conflicts and risks and maintaining social stability," and the resolution rate of conflicts and disputes has reached 98%.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" period is a critical period for laying the foundation and fully exerting efforts to basically realize socialist modernization. Heilongjiang (黑龙江) conscientiously studies and implements the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speeches and instructions and the spirit of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, fully implements the overall national security concept, resolutely shoulders the major political responsibility and mission of safeguarding the country's "five major securities" and building and strengthening the "three bases, one barrier, and one high ground," better coordinates development and security, improves the national security protection system, improves the level of public safety governance, enhances the effectiveness of social governance, and accelerates the construction of a higher level of safe Heilongjiang (黑龙江), providing a strong guarantee for achieving decisive progress in basically realizing socialist modernization.

(The author is the Secretary of the Heilongjiang (黑龙江) Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Standing Committee of the Provincial People's Congress)

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Maintaining National Security: Pay Attention to These Details (Building a Higher Level of Safe China)

By: 本报记者 亓玉昆

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April 15th of this year marks the eleventh National Security Education Day. In recent years, an increasing number of people have promptly reported suspicious situations endangering national security to national security agencies through various means, providing strong support for national security agencies to discover, prevent, stop, and punish espionage activities in accordance with the law. Many details in life are closely related to national security. The national security agencies have announced four cases of ordinary people using practical actions to build a people's defense line for national security, calling on everyone to jointly fulfill their civic responsibility to safeguard national security.

Resist Temptation, Avoid Cooperation Traps

Xiao Jie, a college student, usually likes to share his travel experiences on social media platforms. One day, a travel blogger who called herself "Xiao Ye" privately messaged Xiao Jie, saying that she was preparing to shoot a travel video in a certain area of Tibet (西藏), and invited Xiao Jie to create it together. Xiao Jie added the other party's WeChat and interacted frequently. After becoming familiar, "Xiao Ye" proposed to make a video with the theme of "little-known niche attractions" and sent more than 10 geographical location coordinates, hoping that Xiao Jie would first shoot some material. In return, she promised to give Xiao Jie "labor fees." However, "appreciation" and "opportunity" did not overwhelm Xiao Jie. Xiao Jie immediately entered the geographical locations provided by "Xiao Ye" into the map one by one for viewing, and found that many places were close to military management areas. Xiao Jie did not hesitate and immediately dialed 12339, providing the entire process of communication, the other party's account information, and all chat records completely and clearly to the national security agency.

Based on the accurate clues provided by Xiao Jie, the national security agency successfully identified the overseas spy intelligence agency personnel disguised as "Xiao Ye" and the organization behind it, and found that this "beautiful blogger" used the same routine to induce and subvert more than 100 people in our country to carry out activities endangering national security.

Discern Suspicion with Keen Eyes, Safeguard Military Secrets

One day, a guest checked into a seaside homestay through an online platform for several consecutive days, but contrary to normal behavior, he set up a professional camera in front of a floor-to-ceiling window in the room facing the military pier, and took pictures of sensitive scenes such as the dynamics of warships in the military pier for a long time. Xiao Zhao, the owner of the homestay, keenly noticed this abnormal behavior and promptly reported this suspicious situation to the national security agency. The national security agency subsequently successfully detected this case of overseas spies observing and collecting information targeting military targets.

The national security agency reminds that military secrets are related to national security, and any organization or individual is prohibited from carrying out illegal surveying, filming, spying, and other activities that endanger national security in and around military management areas without approval. It is necessary to be vigilant about the double-edged sword of geographical convenience, block the observation posts facing the field of vision, weave a dense protection network for early warning and discovery, tighten the chain of responsibility of "consciousness in the heart, discerning suspicion with keen eyes, and timely reporting," and stimulate the public's sense of ownership in safeguarding national security.

Job Recruitment, Beware of Stealing Secrets

During his postgraduate studies, Jin (金) found a recruitment advertisement posted by the embassy of a certain country in China (驻华使馆) on the school forum because he needed internship experience. After sending his resume to the designated email address, Jia (甲), posing as a diplomat from the embassy of a certain country in China, interviewed Jin (金). Jin (金) passed smoothly and successfully "joined the job." According to Jia's (甲) requirements, Jin (金) searched for publicly available economic data on the Internet and wrote research reports, collecting cash remuneration on a per-time basis. After graduating and working, Jin (金) continued to maintain "cooperation" with Jia (甲) to earn "extra money." Later, Jia (甲) asked Jin (金) to sign a consulting agreement, which not only stipulated monthly salary payments but also focused on shifting the direction of cooperation to political, energy, and other fields. Jin (金) gradually became suspicious of Jia's (甲) identity and felt that there was a risk of cooperation, so he took the initiative to distance himself and stop cooperating.

The national security agency also noticed Jia's (甲) behavior and learned of his identity as a member of an overseas spy intelligence agency. In view of the fact that Jin (金) worked for him without knowing that the other party was a member of an overseas spy intelligence agency, and that Jin (金) took the initiative to stop the illegal behavior and did not cause serious harm to national security and interests, the national security agency criticized and educated Jin (金) and confiscated his illegal income.

Aerial Surveying and Mapping, Strictly Abide by Regulations

The national security agency received a report from the public that someone was using drones to carry out surveying and mapping work around a sensitive location. After investigation, it was found that after a surveying and mapping company undertook a mountain surveying and mapping project, it illegally subcontracted the project to another surveying and mapping company. After Zhou (周), a surveyor, received the task from the company, he did not take the initiative to understand the surrounding situation of the project site, nor did he go through the approval and reporting procedures before directly carrying the drone to the site to carry out surveying and mapping work. During the surveying and mapping process, the drone flew to sensitive targets around the project site and took a large number of sensitive information.

The investigation found that Zhou (周) had taken hundreds of high-definition photos of sensitive parts of the terrain, roads, traffic, and fence protection, and that his laptop storing the photos contained a large number of viruses, posing a risk of data leakage. After identification, these photos involved classified and secret military secrets. Once obtained by overseas spy intelligence agencies, they could analyze and judge a large amount of sensitive information, which would bring major hidden dangers to our military security.

Under the warning education of the national security agency officers, Zhou (周) deeply realized the seriousness of the problem and immediately and completely deleted the stored classified photos. After review by professional departments, the batch of photos had not been leaked. Afterwards, the national security agency, together with relevant departments, carried out a special campaign to rectify illegal subcontracting of surveying and mapping businesses in the surveying and mapping field, using the case as a warning to further standardize industry order and build a national security barrier.

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Supreme People's Court Releases Key Judicial Adjudication Data

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This newspaper reported from Beijing on April 14th (Reporter Wei Zhezhe (魏哲哲)): The main data of judicial trial work in the first quarter of 2026, released by the Supreme People's Court (最高法) on the 14th, shows that in the first quarter of this year, people's courts accepted 10,607,900 cases of various types, a slight year-on-year decrease. Among them, the number of criminal and civil and commercial cases accepted decreased year-on-year, while the number of administrative and enforcement cases accepted increased year-on-year.

Most key indicators reflecting the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of trials continued to improve year-on-year, with the appeal rate and the rate of applying for retrial both decreasing by 0.08 percentage points year-on-year. As of the end of March this year, the number of unresolved litigation cases in courts nationwide for more than two years decreased by 8.87% year-on-year, and the work of clearing long-term unresolved litigation cases has achieved significant results.

In the first quarter of this year, 3,482,900 cases were mediated in advance, with 1,193,600 cases successfully mediated, an increase of 205.11% year-on-year. The national court case filing satisfaction rate reached 86.56%, an increase of 7 percentage points compared with the same period last year, and the people's sense of gain is more substantial and more guaranteed.

In terms of civil and commercial case trials, 294,700 first-instance cases of property service contract disputes were accepted, an increase of 37.28% year-on-year. 123,700 first-instance civil intellectual property cases were accepted, a decrease of 24.16% year-on-year. 2,553 cases of application review for personal safety protection orders were accepted, an increase of 25.26% year-on-year, of which cases involving minors increased by 105.08% year-on-year.

In terms of administrative case trials, 13,100 first-instance cases of labor and social security administrative management were accepted, an increase of 6.85% year-on-year, increasing judicial protection for the rights and interests of new employment forms of laborers such as takeaway riders, reviewing administrative actions such as social insurance payment and work-related injury determination in accordance with the law, and accurately responding to people's livelihood concerns. 1,042 first-instance administrative licensing cases were accepted, a decrease of 5.53% year-on-year, properly handling administrative cases involving market access, supporting administrative organs in performing their duties in accordance with the law, and escorting the construction of a legal business environment.

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National Security Education is All Around Us

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Today is the eleventh National Security Education Day. In recent days, various regions have carried out diverse publicity activities to enhance the public's understanding of the holistic view of national security and jointly build a national security defense line.

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Cyberspace Administration of China Strengthens Regulation of Online Live Streaming Tipping

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Beijing, April 14th (Reported by Jin Xin (金歆)) A reporter learned from the Cyberspace Administration of China (中央网信办) that in order to further strengthen the management of online live streaming tipping, regulate online live streaming profit-making behavior, promote the compliant and healthy operation of websites and platforms, and effectively safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of netizens, the General Office of the Cyberspace Administration of China (中央网信办秘书局) recently issued the "Notice on Strengthening the Standardized Management of Online Live Streaming Tipping."

The notice focuses on consolidating the main responsibility of websites and platforms, and makes clear provisions on the formulation of tipping rules, function settings, permission activation, account management, and complaint acceptance for live streaming tipping. First, it requires the formulation and clear indication of tipping rules. Second, it clarifies the conditions that need to be met for online live streaming accounts to apply for opening tipping and profit-making permissions. Third, it requires providing users with tipping limit and tipping reminder functions. Fourth, it regulates tipping amount rankings and tipping interactions. Fifth, it improves the protection mechanism for minors. Sixth, it establishes a negative list of tipping and profit-making behaviors, strengthens the identification of abnormal tipping, improves the complaint and reporting acceptance mechanism, and increases the handling and exposure of tipping violations.

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Editors of this page: Ji Jianming, Xu Leipeng, Li Peiyang

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Page 12版:文化

Taiwanese opera: Flourishing and enriching rural areas with art

By: 本报记者 施 钰

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In one county, dozens of amateur opera troupes are active; a rural opera troupe performs more than 300 shows a year and has over 2 million followers on video platforms—this is the "growth trend" of Zhangpu Gezai Opera in Zhangzhou (漳州) City, Fujian (福建) Province.

Gezai Opera, also known as Xiang Opera (芗剧), is a traditional opera in southern Fujian, and is one of the five major local opera genres in Fujian, along with Min Opera (闽剧), Liyuan Opera (梨园戏), Gaojia Opera (高甲戏), and Puxian Opera (莆仙戏). It has been included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.

How popular is Gezai Opera in the rural areas of Zhangpu (漳浦)?

"Practice opera tonight!" After dinner, while the sky was still bright, Zhao Ahua (赵阿花), a 62-year-old villager from Chengnai Village (城内村), Huxi She Ethnic Township (湖西畲族乡), Zhangpu County (漳浦县), called out to her sisters in the village to go to the village's Happiness Square. "We love to listen to opera, we run to wherever there is opera, and we also love to sing opera, so we formed our own opera troupe," said Zhao Ahua (赵阿花). In the rural areas of Zhangpu (漳浦), almost every village has a stage, and during festivals and family celebrations, they love to invite Gezai Opera troupes to perform a few shows.

In recent years, Gezai Opera has been sung out of the countryside and has also made a name for itself.

In Yi'an Fort (诒安堡), an ancient southern Fujian residential castle from the Qing Dynasty, Cai Dongmei (蔡冬梅), a folk artist of string puppet shows and a self-media anchor from the Fenggui Culture Xiang Opera Troupe (丰归文化芗剧团), hosts her own "Village Gala." Behind her, the ancient southern Fujian houses are unique; in her hands, the string puppets jump and tumble; in her mouth, the Gezai Opera is melodious and graceful... One live broadcast attracted 1.69 million viewers, and also made Chengnai Village (城内村), hidden in the countryside, known to more people.

"In the past two years, many ancient architecture and folk custom enthusiasts have spontaneously come to visit." Seeing the village's popularity gradually increasing, Huang Hongwei (黄洪伟), a villager from Chengnai Village (城内村), opened a travel photography shop in August last year and also managed a video account full of "village" flavor.

In February of this year, Chengnai Village (城内村) held a farmers' cultural activity evening, and the opera troupes organized by Cai Dongmei (蔡冬梅) and Zhao Ahua (赵阿花) were both invited to perform on stage, with thousands of spectators on site. "Everyone watches good opera together." Wang Lichao (王立超), Propaganda Committee Member of the Huxi She Ethnic Township (湖西畲族乡) Party Committee, introduced that local "Village Galas" are held every year during traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival and Double Ninth Festival, which enriches the cultural life of the villagers and drives the popularity of cultural tourism.

A succession of good shows means that folk artists have more stages.

"We perform in various towns almost every day, and the performance schedule for some festivals has already been arranged until 2028." Through Gezai Opera, Cai Dongmei's (蔡冬梅) performance opportunities are increasing, and the number of performers in the 3 troupes she organizes and participates in has reached more than 100.

"A phoenix flies from the inner palace, and suddenly I feel that my heart is full of halls..." On April 11, not far from Chengnai Village (城内村), Yang Wangtai (杨旺太) was leading his troupe to perform the classic Gezai Opera repertoire "The Sequel of Meng Lijun." "We perform more than 100 shows a year, which can support more than 20 performers in the troupe, more than 10 of whom I brought out from my own village." Yang Wangtai (杨旺太) is from Dabaishi Village (大白石村), Fotan Town (佛昙镇), Zhangpu County (漳浦县), and founded the troupe in 2014, cultivating many Gezai Opera actors in his village. Yang Chengliang (杨成良), a member of the Dabaishi Village (大白石村) Party Branch Committee, introduced that Dabaishi Village (大白石村) has successively established 4 amateur Gezai Opera troupes, directly driving about 40 villagers to be employed in the troupes.

In order to encourage amateur opera troupes to improve their performance level, Zhangpu County (漳浦县) actively supports amateur opera troupes in creating high-quality repertoires by purchasing public welfare performances and other means. Lin Qun (林群), head of the Social Culture and Art Section of the Zhangpu County Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (漳浦县文化体育和旅游局), said: "We also organize 'Top Ten Folk Art Groups' opera competitions, festival 'Village Galas' and other activities to give amateur opera troupes ample opportunities to appear and expand their markets."

With the sound of gongs and drums and melodious tunes, on the rural opera stage, Gezai Opera, which has been polished by the years, has an increasingly rich southern Fujian flavor.

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Opera: A Customary Spectacle in Southern Fujian Villages (Local Voice)

By: 吴慧颖

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I grew up in Zhangzhou (漳州) and in my childhood memories, I was always accompanied by the melodies of opera. During festivals and spring and autumn harvest celebrations, performing and watching opera is a cultural tradition in southern Fujian (闽南) and constitutes a unique custom and landscape in the countryside.

Whenever there is a "big day" in the village, opera troupes take the stage and villagers gather to watch the opera, chat, and celebrate the festival together. Opera has become a bond that maintains neighborhood relationships and strengthens the cohesion of the village. Opera strengthens the ritual function of cultural aggregation, transcends simple entertainment activities, and becomes a carrier of spiritual resonance among villagers, containing unique customs and etiquette of folk society. At the same time, the values of upward mobility and kindness promoted by opera are also deeply rooted in people's hearts in the form of a lively and festive folk landscape, nurturing the minds of villagers and cultivating rural civilization in edutainment.

Traditional folk customs and folk opera are closely intertwined, providing fertile ground for the development of folk professional theater troupes. Last year, in a village in Xiang'an District (翔安区), Xiamen (厦门), I watched a Gezai Opera (歌仔戏) performance by a folk troupe from Zhangpu County (漳浦县), and the lively atmosphere is still unforgettable: the audience at the scene was huge, and the actors on stage also used multiple mobile phones to broadcast live, showing vigorous development vitality amidst the noise.

In recent years, having visited many villages, I was pleasantly surprised to find that folk professional theater troupes are no longer limited to traditional performances, but are actively seeking change: using live streaming to attract traffic, allowing opera to reach more young people; integrating local historical stories, allowing opera to become a carrier for telling rural stories and inheriting culture; linking rural cultural tourism to create opera-tourism integration scenarios, realizing a virtuous cycle of "revitalizing the countryside through opera and revitalizing opera through the countryside."

In Fujian (福建), some local governments provide support to folk professional theater troupes by purchasing public welfare performances; relevant departments recommended actors from folk professional theater troupes to the stage of the provincial Lantern Festival Opera Gala; the China Theatre Association (中国戏剧家协会) launched the "One Yuan Gold Seed Program (壹元金种子计划)," transferring the performance rights of high-quality scripts to private professional troupes in the form of symbolically charging a 1 yuan copyright fee; the Central Propaganda Department (中宣部) and other 5 departments jointly issued the "Three-Year Action Plan for the Revitalization of Drama (2026-2028) (戏剧振兴三年行动计划(2026—2028年))"... With a series of policy support from the local to the central level, folk professional theater troupes are ushering in a spring of development.

The countryside provides the soil for literature and art to take root, and literature and art inject cultural power into rural development. We look forward to the blooming of more splendid literary and artistic flowers in the countryside.

(The author is the vice chairman of the Xiamen Literary and Art Critics Association (厦门市文艺评论家协会), and this article was compiled by Shi Yu (施钰), a reporter from this newspaper)

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Minnan Culture Ecological Protection Area Construction Empowers Cultural Tourism Development (Extended Reading)

By: 本报记者 施 钰

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Following the actors' movements and changing scenery, strolling through the ancient Minnan houses; admiring the Gezai Opera up close, and then savoring a cup of Baiya Qilan tea; embarking on a Fuchuan ship to "set sail and go to sea"... At the Qiaoxiang Theater (侨芗剧场) in the ancient city of Zhangzhou (漳州), Fujian (福建), the immersive performance project "Return to Southern Fujian" (《再回闽南》) is being staged, allowing the audience to experience the journey of the Minnan people going to Southeast Asia, venturing into the world, and returning to their homeland. Meng Fanyuan (孟凡远), the person in charge of the "Return to Southern Fujian" performance, introduced that the performance has been continuously popular since its premiere, with almost every show being sold out.

From scenery to scenes, from seeing to feeling, the iterative innovation of cultural tourism consumption products is also a vivid reflection of Zhangzhou's promotion of the construction of the Minnan Cultural Ecological Protection Zone.

In 2019, the Minnan Cultural Ecological Protection Zone was selected as one of the first batch of national-level cultural ecological protection zones. Zhangzhou is one of the key cities in it. Adhering to the principle of holistic protection of cultural ecology, Zhangzhou protects intangible cultural heritage projects, representative inheritors, and the integrity of the cultural ecosystem through hierarchical and classified protection, to achieve the protection goal of "seeing people, seeing objects, and seeing life."

Inside the puppet art performance hall in the ancient city of Zhangzhou, the classic puppet show "Daming Prefecture" (《大名府》) is being staged. Using the palm as the body and controlling the glove puppet with ten fingers, Zhang Zhao (张钊), an actor at the Zhangzhou Glove Puppet Inheritance and Protection Center (漳州布袋木偶传承保护中心), makes the glove puppet perform fine movements such as wielding a stick, shooting arrows, and pouring wine. "We perform glove puppet shows in the hall every weekend and invite the audience to interact on stage," Zhang Zhao said. He performs nearly 20 shows a month, with an attendance rate of over 80% for each show.

Before the puppet art performance hall was built, glove puppet show actors mostly had to go to scenic spots and theaters in other places to perform. "Now that we have a fixed performance venue, there are more performance opportunities, and the interaction with the audience is also closer," Zhang Zhao said.

"Relying on the unique Minnan cultural ecological resources, we actively plan tourism activities in the form of cultural sightseeing tours, cultural experience tours, and cultural leisure tours to further enhance the normalization and localization of Minnan cultural tourism," said the relevant person in charge of the Zhangzhou Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism (漳州市文化和旅游局). Relying on the construction of intangible cultural heritage characteristic blocks in the ancient city of Zhangzhou, 10 fixed performance spots have been set up. Through regular street art performances such as Gezai Opera and glove puppet shows, and the incubation of Minnan cultural characteristic brand activities such as the "Puppet Carnival," the annual number of tourists received by the puppet art performance hall, intangible cultural heritage exhibition hall, and other venues in the ancient city continues to increase, driving the growth of surrounding cultural tourism consumption by about 30%.

Culture becomes more vivid and lively in its active utilization, and also radiates new brilliance in exchange and mutual learning.

Last year, the first "Minnan Drama Week" and the national-level Minnan Culture (Zhangzhou) Ecological Protection Zone exhibition and performance activities were held, with more than 800 drama actors, international students, and drama enthusiasts from 17 countries and regions participating together, building a bridge for cultural exchange. Since last year, Fujian has accelerated the construction of the World Minnan Culture Exchange Center, formulated the Fujian Province World Minnan Culture Exchange Center Construction Plan, and proposed 20 measures in six major projects, including the research and interpretation, protection and inheritance of Minnan culture. At the same time, it promotes the strengthening of the Minnan Culture Research Association, and holds platforms such as the Minnan Culture Festival, the Minnan Culture Forum, and the Minnan Drama Week to continuously expand the influence of Minnan culture.

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Chinese Research Team Overcomes Thermal Runaway Problem in Sodium-Ion Batteries

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Beijing, April 14th (Reported by Wu Yuehui (吴月辉) from this newspaper) Recently, the research team of Researcher Hu Yongsheng (胡勇胜) from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院物理研究所), has successfully developed a polymerizable non-flammable electrolyte with self-protection function, and for the first time blocked the thermal runaway phenomenon in amp-hour sodium-ion batteries, providing a new technical solution for solving the safety bottleneck of new energy batteries. The related research results have been published in the international academic journal *Nature Energy*.

Battery safety has always been a difficult problem restricting the large-scale development of the new energy industry. Although traditional carbonate organic electrolytes have excellent electrochemical performance, their flammable characteristics are a hidden danger that can trigger thermal runaway. For a long time, the industry has generally regarded "non-flammable electrolyte" as a safety standard, but the team's research has for the first time confirmed that flame retardancy does not equal absolute safety, and that even if flame-retardant phosphate electrolytes are used, batteries may still experience serious thermal runaway. The team innovatively broke through the limitations of traditional non-flammable electrolytes that only focus on non-flammable performance, and developed a polymerizable non-flammable electrolyte to build a "thermal stability - interface stability - physical isolation" three-in-one safety protection system, realizing a technical leap from "passive flame retardancy" to "active blocking of thermal runaway."

At present, the sodium-ion battery equipped with this new type of electrolyte has successfully passed the acupuncture test and the 300-degree Celsius hot box test, and has a wide temperature adaptation capability from minus 40 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius and high voltage stability, taking into account both high safety and high energy density. The raw materials used in this electrolyte system are all industrialized conventional products, the cost is controllable, it is easy to scale up production, and it has broad prospects for industrial application.

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Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Technology Community Initiative Released

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Beijing, April 14th (Reporter Yu Sinan (喻思南)) It has been learned that the China Association for Science and Technology (中国科协) organized the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence (中国人工智能学会) and 15 other science and technology associations to jointly release the "Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Science and Technology Association Initiative" on the 13th.

The "Initiative" mainly includes five aspects: "Ensure Beneficial, Empower People's Livelihood," "Adhere to Safety, Prevent Risks," "Uphold Fairness, Promote Balance," "Exchange and Mutual Learning, Cooperate Hand in Hand," and "Disseminate Kindness, Build Consensus," etc., aiming to promote the establishment of an open, fair, inclusive, and effective global artificial intelligence governance system. Currently, artificial intelligence technology is developing rapidly, which brings significant opportunities for economic and social development, but also brings a series of new global governance challenges. The "Initiative" proposes that as an important force in artificial intelligence research and innovation, concept dissemination, and practice promotion, science and technology associations shoulder the important mission of building governance consensus, consolidating the foundation of governance, and empowering governance practices. The "Initiative" emphasizes that science and technology associations should adhere to academic missions and professional ethics, strengthen responsibility, take coordinated actions, strengthen international academic exchange and cooperation with an open and inclusive attitude, and promote intelligent kindness with pragmatic and effective measures to promote artificial intelligence technology to benefit all mankind.

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"Underwater Chemical Element Map" Created for Eastern Sea Area

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The systematic investigation of sediment geochemistry in the eastern sea areas of China, undertaken by the Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, China Geological Survey, Ministry of Natural Resources (自然资源部), has been fully completed, and the "Atlas of Sediment Geochemistry in the Eastern Sea Areas of China" has been officially published. This atlas systematically organizes and integrates marine geological survey data from the past 20 years, achieving, for the first time, a complete depiction of the distribution patterns of sediment elements in the eastern sea areas such as the Bohai Sea (渤海), Yellow Sea (黄海), and East China Sea (东海) in three dimensions: coverage, data accuracy, and scientific understanding. It provides key scientific basis for the study of global marginal sea material cycles, land-sea interactions, and resource environment effects.

This work integrates data from special projects such as marine regional geological surveys, coastal zone comprehensive geological surveys, and multi-objective geochemical surveys, forming a basic database covering 10,492 surface sediment stations in the eastern sea areas of China. It is the most extensive, comprehensive, and high-quality geochemical dataset in the eastern sea areas of China to date, significantly improving the autonomous guarantee capability of scientific data in this field. At the same time, the research team introduced machine learning technology to solve the problem of simulation accuracy in data blank areas, significantly improving the scientificity and refinement of mapping.

On this basis, the research team systematically clarified the source and migration patterns of sediments in the eastern sea areas. By comparing the sediment characteristics of the Yellow River (黄河), Yangtze River (长江), and rivers entering the sea in Zhejiang (浙闽) and Taiwan (台湾) regions, it was found that the degree of chemical weathering in the basin gradually increased from north to south. The marine area revealed that the distribution of sediment elements is controlled by the "grain size control law," with significant differences in the element enrichment characteristics between fine-grained muddy areas and coarse-grained sandy areas. Three spatial distribution patterns jointly controlled by hydrodynamic sorting, climatic latitude differences, and local hydrothermal activity were identified. It is understood that the completion of this work marks an important breakthrough in China's marine sediment geochemistry research field, and will provide accurate basic data support for marine geological surveys, resource exploration, ecological environmental protection, and coastal zone spatial planning. It is of great significance for enhancing China's academic discourse power in related research fields and serving the construction of a maritime power.

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The First Phase of the Red Culture Exhibition Project in the Guangxi Section of the Long March National Cultural Park Completed

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This newspaper's Nanning (南宁) April 14th dispatch (Reporter Zhu Jiaqi (祝佳祺)) The reporter learned from the Guilin Red Army Long March Xiangjiang Battle Culture Protection and Inheritance Center: Under the guidance of the Propaganda Department of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区党委宣传部) Party Committee, led by the Guilin (桂林) Municipal Party Committee Propaganda Department (桂林市委宣传部), and specifically implemented by the Guilin Red Army Long March Xiangjiang Battle Culture Protection and Inheritance Center, the Red Culture Display Project (Phase I) of the Guangxi (广西) Section of the Long March National Cultural Park has been fully completed, providing hardware support for red study tours and "Great Ideological and Political Course" practical teaching.

The project selected 7 locations in Guilin (桂林) City, including the Daping Ferry Site of the Xiangjiang Battle in Quanzhou (全州) County, the Red Army Long March Historical Trail in Lushui (鲁水) Village, and the Xiangjiang Battle Jieshou (界首) River Crossing Site Park (East Bank) in Xing'an (兴安) County, to create a red culture display system. Among them, the Daping Ferry Site in Quanzhou (全州) County focuses on the "Red Army Long March Xiangjiang Battle Theme Film and Television Exhibition Center," integrating red history and film and television resources to build a cultural tourism platform integrating red education and film and television study tours. The Lushui (鲁水) Village Red Army Long March Historical Trail site features special exhibitions along the Xiang-Gui Ancient Road (湘桂古道), showcasing the Red Army's Long March route through Guangxi (广西), and creating a high-quality red study tour. The Xiangjiang Battle Jieshou (界首) River Crossing Site Park (East Bank) in Xing'an (兴安) County is positioned as the "Red Army Long March Xiangjiang Battle Art Exhibition Center," hosting diverse art exhibitions. The Qianjia Temple (千家寺) Red Army Slogan Building focuses on the "Red Army Long March Through Guangxi (广西) Slogan Exhibition Center," emphasizing the exploration of the active utilization of cultural relics. The former site of the Hengzhou Guild Hall (衡州会馆) focuses on the "Red Army Long March Over Laoshanjie (老山界) Theme Serial Comic Exhibition Center," balancing cultural inheritance and study tour experience. The area surrounding the Red Army Long March Over Laoshanjie (老山界) Exhibition Hall in Ziyuan (资源) County revolves around the theme of "The First High Mountain the Red Army Long March Over," creating a red tourism demonstration village. The Red Army Rock in Sishui (泗水) Township, Longsheng (龙胜) Autonomous County, connects the Long March Post Station, the Red Army Rock Site, and the Baimian Yao (白面瑶) Village to construct an immersive teaching area.

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This edition's editors: Zhi Chunli, Chen Shihan, Zhao Shuaijie

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Layout Design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)

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Page 13版:社会

Taking the Special Agri-Benefit Bus Line to Sell Vegetables (Warm Album)

By: 本报记者 苏 滨 陈隽逸

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At 6 a.m., just as dawn breaks, the bus stop in Dingba Village (定扒村), Shuitian Town (水田镇), Wudang District (乌当区), Guiyang City (贵阳市), Guizhou Province (贵州省) is bustling with activity. Baskets, carrying poles, and small carts filled with wild onions, garland chrysanthemum, and Chinese white cabbage, villagers are waiting to board the benefit-the-farmers bus line to go to the city to sell vegetables.

In less than 10 minutes, bus No. 252 slowly pulls into the station. After 75-year-old Yuan Huazhen (袁华珍) boards the bus, her son carries a basket of garland chrysanthemum, a bag of cherry tomatoes, and a bag of melon tips onto the bus, neatly stacking them on the luggage rack, and then turns around and goes home with peace of mind.

"Now the bus goes directly to the urban farmers' market, he just needs to help me carry the vegetables on, and I can sell them myself!" Yuan Huazhen (袁华珍) has been growing vegetables her whole life. For varieties with large yields, wholesalers come to collect them, and for varieties with small yields, she takes them to the city to sell herself. The Dayingpo (大营坡) farmers' market, with its dense crowds, has become a new choice for Yuan Huazhen (袁华珍) to sell vegetables.

Route 252 used to be a regular commuter line, covering the main transportation nodes of Yunyan District (云岩区) and Wudang District (乌当区). Vegetable farmers from Xiaba Town (下坝镇), Shuitian Town (水田镇), and Baiyi Town (百宜镇) in Wudang District (乌当区) prefer this bus to sell vegetables in the main urban area. In the past, from Songjiaba Station (宋家坝站) in Wudang District (乌当区) to Dayingpo Station (大营坡站) in Yunyan District (云岩区), the 35 stops would "sway" for more than an hour. The places to sell vegetables were mainly concentrated at Dayingpo Station (大营坡站), and going to Xintianzhai (新添寨), located in the middle of the route, was considered entering the city. The bus was filled with bamboo baskets and vegetable baskets, and commuting office workers often couldn't squeeze onto the bus.

The vegetable farmers also had difficulties: if they didn't take the bus, they could only share a ride, which cost 30 yuan per person for the round trip, including both people and goods. In March 2024, Zhang Guilin (张贵林), the driver of Route 252, reported the observed problems and the demands of the people to the bus company, and received a response that month.

This end is connected to the travel of office workers, and the other end is tied to the livelihood of vegetable farmers. The Guiyang Bus Company went straight to the grassroots with a plan - why not open a benefit-the-farmers bus line? This way, both sides' problems can be solved.

"The bus is not only a tool for public services, but also a carrier for the two-way flow of urban and rural elements. If the people have demands, we will respond." Liao Sha (廖莎), the market-oriented captain of the third and fourth teams of the Central Operation Branch of Guiyang Public Transport Co., Ltd. (贵阳市公共交通有限公司), introduced that the Guiyang Municipal Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau (贵阳市综合行政执法局) took the lead in conducting research, and the bus company followed up in a timely manner, and immediately joined the townships to conduct research visits to 3 townships and 6 villages along the route, and held courtyard meetings with village representatives to collect opinions and suggestions.

"The departure time can't be too late, otherwise we won't be able to catch the good business of the morning market!"

"There can't be too many stops, vegetables are delicate, and if they are delayed, they won't sell for a good price."

…………

Between April and May 2024, in the courtyard of the Dingba Village (定扒村) Village Committee, the bus company and the villagers held a total of 6 courtyard meetings. Everyone spoke actively, and the staff recorded them one by one.

In the end, the plan was finalized: two additional benefit-the-farmers bus lines would be added every day, with departure times advanced to 6:10 and 6:30. According to the suggestions of the people, the 35 stops along the way were reduced to 5: Songjiaba Station (宋家坝站), Dingba Station (定扒站), Wanjiang Electromechanical Station (万江机电站), Xintianzhai Station (新添寨站), and Dayingpo Station (大营坡站). It takes 40 minutes to reach the terminal station from the first station. The fare was even set at a standard that everyone recognized after repeated discussions: 2 yuan for a one-way ticket, free for people over 70 with an elderly card; vegetable farmers have to bring baskets, which cost 3 yuan for one, 5 yuan for two, and a maximum of 7 yuan.

On June 1, 2024, Guiyang City's (贵阳市) first benefit-the-farmers bus line - Route 252 benefit-the-farmers bus line was officially opened. But then problems also emerged: the bus was full of baskets, and people were so crowded that there was nowhere to put their feet.

"We改造车厢, 在座位上方装上置物架 (gǎi zào chē xiāng, zài zuò wèi shàng fāng zhuāng shàng zhì wù jià - "remodel the carriages, install luggage racks above the seats," modify the bus interior to better accommodate the needs of the vegetable farmers)." Liao Sha (廖莎) said that around the Spring Festival this year, some vegetable farmers reported that there were many people and good business at the entrance of Zhongda International (中大国际) in the city, but it was not on the route. "After research, the bus company adjusted and optimized the route to allow the people to sell more vegetables."

The benefit-the-farmers bus line reduces stops and advances the departure time, allowing vegetable farmers to catch the "golden time" for selling vegetables.

"I used to take other buses, and the departure time caught up with the morning rush hour. Sometimes I felt bad about getting on the bus with baskets." Yuan Huazhen (袁华珍) said. Sometimes she took the initiative to stagger the commuting peak and then rushed to the city, but this made it easy to miss the time to sell vegetables, and the vegetables were often not sold out, and sometimes she couldn't go home until dark.

Before the benefit-the-farmers bus line was opened, vegetable farmers either set up stalls on the roadside in front of the village, but the vegetables were not sold at a good price, like fresh Chinese white cabbage, which cost at most 1 yuan per catty; or they rented a car with others and rushed to the farmers' market near the city, where Chinese white cabbage could be sold for 1.5 yuan per catty. After the benefit-the-farmers bus line was opened, vegetable farmers could go directly to the farmers' market in the city, where Chinese white cabbage could be sold for 3 yuan per catty, and the round-trip fare was also much cheaper.

One end is connected to the countryside, and the other end is connected to the city. The benefit-the-farmers bus line is related to the "wallets" of farmers and also to the "vegetable baskets" of citizens, reflecting the warmth of a city.

"The benefit-the-farmers bus line has a WeChat work group. Village cadres count the number of people traveling one day in advance, and if there are more than 10 people, they will allocate transportation capacity. These methods are all discussed with the people." Liao Sha (廖莎) introduced that by establishing a four-level contact mechanism of "vegetable farmers - village - town - bus company", the precise matching of supply and demand is realized, and the problems of vegetable farmers spending a long time and high costs to sell vegetables in the city are solved.

As of now, focusing on the needs of agricultural product transportation, daily travel, going to market, and seasonal rural tourism, Guiyang City (贵阳市) has opened a total of 40 benefit-the-farmers and benefit-the-people bus lines, transporting 300,000 vegetable farmers and more than 1,400 tons of agricultural products.

"We also work with comprehensive administrative law enforcement, traffic police, and market supervision departments to set up temporary vegetable selling points near urban stations that are free of charge, fines, and evictions, so that fresh vegetables can be sold and sold comfortably!" Liao Sha (廖莎) said that in accordance with the principle of "**成熟一条、开通一条** (chéng shú yī tiáo, kāi tōng yī tiáo - "mature one, open one," to implement policies or projects one at a time as they are ready)," the bus company will continue to focus on this livelihood project and further promote the integrated development of urban and rural areas.

Layout design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)

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Healthy Lifestyle Can Prevent Tumors (Service Window)

By: 本报记者 申少铁

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Do not eat moldy food, avoid prolonged and frequent chewing of betel nut and its products, do not eat food that is too hot, and do not drink beverages that are too hot.
Avoid excessive intake of pickled, smoked, and deep-fried foods, eat less sweets, and do not drink or limit sugary drinks.
Maintain a healthy weight, avoid being overweight or obese; adhere to scientific exercise and reduce sedentary behavior.
Do not share personal cleaning items such as toothbrushes and razors with others, and use serving chopsticks and spoons when dining together.
Appropriate age groups (especially adolescents) should get vaccinated against HPV as early as possible to build a solid immune defense.

April 15th to 21st this year is the 32nd National Tumor Prevention and Control Publicity Week. The theme is "Early Prevention, Early Screening, Early Treatment, Working Together to Fight Cancer." The National Health Commission (国家卫生健康委) has released the "China Cancer Prevention Healthy Lifestyle Guidelines" (《中国防癌健康生活方式守则》), which include 15 cancer prevention guidelines covering healthy eating, good living habits, occupational protection, and vaccination. Why can these guidelines effectively reduce the risk of cancer? How can we practice a healthy lifestyle?
Lou Yanni (娄彦妮), Director of the Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Oncology Department of China-Japan Friendship Hospital (中日友好医院), suggests that in terms of diet, do not eat moldy food. Aflatoxin is very easily produced in moldy peanuts and grains, which is an important factor in causing liver cancer. Avoid prolonged and frequent chewing of betel nut and its products. Long-term chewing of betel nut not only damages the oral mucosa but is also closely related to the occurrence of oral cancer. Do not eat food that is too hot, and do not drink beverages that are too hot. Frequent swallowing of food that is too hot can burn the esophageal mucosa, causing abnormal cell proliferation, which in turn leads to esophageal cancer. Avoid excessive intake of pickled, smoked, and deep-fried foods, and eat less processed meat products. Pickled, smoked foods, and processed meat products may produce nitrosamines or benzopyrene during the production process, increasing the risk of colorectal cancer and gastric cancer. Eat less sweets, and do not drink or limit sugary drinks. Excessive intake of sugary drinks and sweets can lead to excessive calorie intake and weight gain, and obesity is associated with the development of various cancers.
Eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, which are rich in fiber, can provide the body with adequate nutrition and help reduce the overall risk of cancer.
Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption. Smoking is not only a direct factor in causing lung cancer but is also highly related to oral cancer, laryngeal cancer, pancreatic cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, and kidney cancer. Exposure to secondhand smoke also increases the risk of lung cancer in non-smokers. Alcohol is associated with the development of breast cancer, esophageal cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, and liver cancer. The greater the amount of alcohol consumed and the longer the duration, the higher the risk of cancer.
Maintain good living habits. Maintain a healthy weight, avoid being overweight or obese; adhere to scientific exercise and reduce sedentary behavior; in terms of hygiene habits, do not share personal cleaning items such as toothbrushes and razors with others, and use serving chopsticks and spoons when dining together; avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight when traveling.
Lou Yanni (娄彦妮) explained that being overweight, obese, and having a sedentary habit with a long-term lack of physical activity can not only lead to endocrine disorders and metabolic disorders but also induce systemic chronic low-grade inflammation, providing a breeding ground for tumor development. Sharing personal items such as razors can easily lead to the spread of hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses, increasing the risk of liver cancer. Using serving chopsticks during meals can effectively cut off the transmission route of Helicobacter pylori (幽门螺杆菌) (yōu mén luó gǎn jūn - "Helicobacter pylori," a high-risk factor for causing gastric cancer). Strong sunlight and ultraviolet exposure are common causes of skin cancer.
Special occupational groups should do a good job in occupational protection to avoid exposure to carcinogens. People who have been engaged in coal, iron ore, petroleum, chemical, and other occupations for a long time, or who have a history of occupational exposure to asbestos, coal smoke, and coal smoke dust (especially for more than 1 year), should do a good job in occupational protection, such as wearing dust-proof or anti-toxic masks and wearing protective clothing, which can block carcinogenic chemicals and dust from entering the human body through the respiratory tract or skin from the exposure route, reducing the risk of lung cancer.
Get vaccinated as early as possible. "Vaccines are the most effective primary prevention method to prevent certain specific viral infections and prevent related cancers," said Lou Yanni (娄彦妮). Studies have shown that people infected with hepatitis B virus are 200 times more likely to develop liver cancer than normal people. Vaccination against hepatitis B can effectively block the spread of the virus and greatly reduce the risk of liver cancer. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is not only the culprit for cervical cancer but may also cause vulvar cancer, vaginal cancer, penile cancer, anal cancer, and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. It is recommended that appropriate age groups (especially adolescents) get vaccinated against HPV as early as possible to build a solid immune defense.

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Jilin Rectifies Illegal Overloading and Oversized Vehicle Issues in Highway Freight Transportation

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This newspaper Changchun (长春) April 14th (Reporter Men Jiewei (门杰伟)) The Jilin Province (吉林省) Transportation Law Enforcement Bureau and the Provincial Public Security Department Traffic Management Corps recently jointly issued the "2026 Provincial Special Action Implementation Plan for Governing Overloaded and Overweight Highway Freight Vehicles," which will carry out two special actions in Jilin Province (吉林省) in the spring and autumn to govern overloaded and overweight highway freight vehicles. The "one over four penalties" will be implemented for "hundred-ton king" vehicles that are investigated and dealt with, and the vehicle drivers, affiliated transportation companies, freight source units, and related responsible persons will be punished according to law, to effectively protect the safety of highway transportation infrastructure and the safety of people's lives and property.

The plan requires the construction of a "hundred-ton king" full-chain governance mechanism, the establishment of traffic ledgers in key areas, and increased inspection efforts. A hierarchical and classified supervision system for freight companies will be improved. Taking cities (prefectures) as units, the "four types of enterprises" and "four types of stations" within the jurisdiction will be investigated and sorted out, and "one enterprise, one file" management will be implemented. Joint law enforcement by multiple departments will be deepened, and transportation and public security departments will implement normalized joint law enforcement at stations, mobile joint law enforcement, and joint law enforcement at expressway entrances and exits. Publicity and guidance and case exposure will be strengthened, relevant policies on "hundred-ton king" governance and enterprise supervision will be interpreted in depth, typical cases will be released regularly, and social supervision will be accepted.

The spring special action will last until May 31, focusing on carrying out special rectification of "hundred-ton kings" and supervision of freight companies' resumption of work and production in the spring, and focusing on rectifying overloaded and overweight violations during the transportation of spring farming materials.

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Wei Shifu Finds Stability, Neighbors Gain Convenience (Stable Employment, Heartwarming Stories)

By: 本报记者 周 欢

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The afternoon sun was just right. In Changxiang Village (长巷村), Xianshi Lake Management Office (贤士湖管理处), Donghu District (东湖区), Nanchang (南昌), Jiangxi (江西), tailor Wei Zhenglian (魏正莲) sat in front of her sewing machine, threading the needle, stitching, sewing... a series of movements flowing smoothly.

"Master Wei (魏师傅), these pants my son bought online are a bit long. Could you shorten the legs for me?" Chen Ying (陈英), a nearby resident, carrying vegetables in her left hand and pants in her right, her cheerful voice arriving before she even stepped through the door. In Changxiang Village (长巷村), everyone loves to go to Master Wei (魏师傅) for clothing alterations.

"Master Wei's (魏师傅) craftsmanship is impeccable; after the clothes are mended, you can hardly see any signs of repair. And the prices are reasonable; he only charges 5 yuan to shorten a pair of pants," said Chen Ying (陈英). "The key thing is that Master Wei (魏师傅) now has a fixed stall, making it easy to find him. Before, I had to call him specifically to ask if he was there and where he was."

Small repairs and alterations are connected to the needs of the people and the livelihoods of artisans.

Since the end of 2023, Donghu District (东湖区) has been working to promote the orderly development of the "small repairs and alterations" business model, successively setting up nearly a hundred small repair and alteration stalls throughout the district and equipping them with facilities such as water and electricity, charging stallholders only basic fees such as water and electricity.

"In our row, there are five stalls: sewing and mending, repairing small appliances, repairing electric vehicles... a one-stop service, making it convenient for the neighborhood," said Master Wei (魏师傅). After moving into the new stall at the end of 2023, having a fixed place to store tools and clothing directly increased business hours. "I come here every day at 7:30 in the morning. When the neighbors go out to work and buy groceries early in the morning, they bring the clothes they want to mend, and I can catch a big wave of business," said Master Wei (魏师傅).

Shortening pants for 5 yuan, replacing zippers for 5 yuan, sewing buttons for 1 yuan... "We insist on low-price service! The government has given us such a good place and doesn't charge rent, solving our practical difficulties. We must serve the residents better," said Master Wei (魏师傅).

With a fixed business location, Master Wei's (魏师傅) years of "ambition" have also had room to be displayed.

First, equipment upgrades - Master Wei (魏师傅) finally replaced the electric sewing machine he had been thinking about, with many benefits: "No need to step on it, it will automatically thread the needle, and there is a small light on the head of the machine, so you can work overtime at night."

"The sewing speed has also increased, and the efficiency has improved a lot. Before, when I was busy, I couldn't finish it at all, and some customers were in a hurry, so it was inevitable to delay things. Now, customers are very satisfied with my delivery speed!" said Master Wei (魏师傅).

Next, technology iteration - With a bigger reputation, more people are coming, with all kinds of clothes and various needs, forcing Master Wei (魏师傅) to constantly learn new sewing techniques, "First study new styles, new processes, and new fabrics to lay a good technical foundation. Then pursue aesthetics, not only to sew well, but also to sew beautifully, preferably so that customers can't see the traces of mending."

Finally, service expansion - "Not only can I mend clothes, but I can also make clothes. In addition, ironing clothes, glazing leather clothes, sewing curtains, repairing schoolbags and backpacks... as long as it's related to sewing and mending, I can do almost anything!" said Master Wei (魏师傅).

Good craftsmanship, wide range of business, good business. "At most, I can take five or sixty orders a day, and it's no problem to earn three or four thousand yuan a month." Master Wei (魏师傅) specially moved small chairs and stools from home to the stall, and customers sat and chatted while waiting. Everyone talked and laughed, which was very lively.

The orderly operation of the stalls cannot be separated from refined management. "We register information such as the operating items of the stalls, issue stall permits, and manage them according to the principle of 'unified marking, unified stall setting, unified operating hours, and unified garbage removal'," said Hu Jie (胡杰), deputy captain of the Urban Management and Law Enforcement Brigade (城管执法大队) of Donghu District (东湖区), Nanchang (南昌).

In the evening, the setting sun shines through the camphor trees on the side of the road, casting mottled shadows. Master Wei (魏师傅) handed the last knitted shirt he had mended that day to the customer, pulled down the rolling shutter door, and set off home, smiling all the way...

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Equipping pharmacy operation and management with a "brain"

By: 本报记者 马 晨

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In a store of Qinbang Pharmaceutical Chain Co., Ltd. (秦邦医药连锁有限公司) in Haigang District (海港区), Qinhuangdao (秦皇岛) City, Hebei Province (河北省), medicines are neatly arranged in separate sections, and store clerk Ma Hongmei (马红梅) is reminding customers of the precautions for medication.

"In the past, I would get nervous when customers asked detailed questions, fearing that I would say something wrong. Now, I can open the mini-program on my phone to learn about the instructions for various medicines, and I feel much more confident when explaining," said Ma Hongmei. The "mini-program" she mentioned is a module in a complete set of digital systems for pharmacy operation and management. This system, developed by Hunan Yikuai Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. (湖南一块医药科技有限公司), is quietly changing the way many pharmacies operate.

In the pharmaceutical retail industry in Qinhuangdao, Qinbang Pharmaceutical was one of the first to "**吃螃蟹**" (chī páng xiè - "eat crab," to be the first to try something new, often involving risk). This company once fell into the "troubles of growth": as the number of stores expanded, the number of business systems increased, but the data of each system was not interconnected, which brought many problems to daily operations. For example, inventory turnover was slow, some medicines were overstocked for a long time, and some medicines were often out of stock; some store clerks lacked professional knowledge and felt unsure when customers asked questions; managers faced various reports and could not keep up with the changes in decision-making.

"At that time, replenishment and transfer of goods were basically based on experience and feeling. Sometimes we ordered too much and couldn't sell it, and sometimes we ordered too little and customers complained that they couldn't buy it," said Li Xiwu (李希文), chairman of Qinbang Pharmaceutical. After introducing this set of digital systems for pharmacy operation and management, the situation began to change. The PHDS (Pharmacy Health Diagnosis System) integrated all the original data of commodities, inventory, and sales, combined with historical sales data, seasons, and other factors, to optimize the inventory structure and category combination in real time, and accurately recommend dispensing plans.

"Now the system calculates what medicines to order and how much to order, which is clear at a glance and very accurate," said Li Xiwu. Data shows that after using the system for a cycle, the average inventory turnover days of Qinbang Pharmaceutical decreased from more than 120 days to about 100 days, releasing a large amount of occupied cash flow and reducing the loss of expired goods.

The value of the digital system is not only reflected in inventory management. For front-line store clerks, the most direct feeling is that they are "more confident." The system provides store clerks with a drug knowledge base and medicine-taking training through the "Gecko P4" mini-program. "You can learn anytime, anywhere. If you encounter uncertain medication problems, you can find out by checking, just like a teacher teaching you hand-by-hand," said Ma Hongmei while demonstrating the operation process. The system not only improves the training efficiency of pharmacies for store clerks, but also improves the professionalism of store clerk services.

"Our PHDS can do business monitoring and analysis for managers, which is the 'brain' of pharmacy operation; and the 'Gecko P4' mini-program is the 'master' of pharmacy talent training. Each module cooperates with each other to help pharmacies increase sales revenue and gross profit margin, and also improve the customer experience," said Zeng Zhidong (曾志东), product director of Hunan Yikuai Pharmaceutical Technology Center (湖南一块医药科技中心). Since its establishment in 2019, Hunan Yikuai Pharmaceutical has focused on serving small and medium-sized chain pharmacies with digital means. It has now connected more than 500 suppliers, serving more than 100,000 terminal pharmacies across the country, and reaching more than 300 million county consumers.

From 1 pharmacy to 100,000 pharmacies, digitalization is reshaping all aspects of pharmaceutical retail. Customers can conveniently and quickly buy the medicines they need in nearby pharmacies; store clerks confidently explain the precautions for medication; chain pharmacies are no longer anxious about inventory backlog... These small changes in the pharmaceutical retail scene converge into the temperature of people's livelihood, enhancing the public's sense of health gain.

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Xinjiang Strengthens Construction of Rural Medical and Health Service System

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This newspaper's Urumqi (乌鲁木齐) April 14th dispatch (Reporter Shang Rongzheng (尚嵘峥)): In order to further safeguard the health and well-being of rural people and strengthen the construction of the rural medical and health service system, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (新疆维吾尔自治区) Health Commission and 16 other departments recently jointly issued the "Several Measures on Further Improving Rural Medical and Health Institutions," proposing the implementation of a medical and health strengthening project, the implementation of continuous health management, the strengthening of the grassroots health talent team, and other 5 aspects with a total of 21 tasks, as well as strengthening 6 guarantee measures such as finance, professional titles, and compensation.

In terms of implementing the medical and health strengthening project, implement the quality improvement action of medical equipment in township health centers, and upgrade imaging and medical laboratory equipment in key central township health centers (county medical and health sub-centers).

In response to the implementation of continuous health management, it is required to establish a county referral consultation service center, coordinate with corresponding medical institutions, and provide convenient services such as appointment registration, examination and testing for patients who are assessed and truly in need.

Strengthen the protection of township doctors' professional titles and compensation, requiring an increase in the proportion of intermediate and senior professional titles in township health centers, and including practicing (assistant) physicians in village health clinics in the scope of professional title evaluation and employment; allocate 60%-80% of the balance of medical service revenue and expenditure for performance salary distribution, and use no less than 70% of the family doctor contracted service fee for the salaries of family doctor team members.

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This section edited by: Tang Tianyi, Liu Mengdan, Min Fangzheng

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Page 14版:生态

Abandoned Mines Bloom with Chinese Viburnum macrocephalum (Beautiful China: Following the Blooming Season to See Ecological Improvement)

By: 本报记者 周 欢

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Editor's Note: The spring breeze brings warmth, plants sprout and flourish, and flowers bloom in abundance. Across the land of China, flowers bloom in succession, not only creating a beautiful spring landscape but also writing a moving chapter of ecological improvement with their unique value.

Starting today, this section launches the "Beautiful China: Following the Blooming Season to See Ecological Improvement" series, leading readers to follow the message of blooming flowers, from greening barren mountains to turning flower seas into gold mines, exploring the vivid stories of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

The spring scenery is just right. In the Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata (中华木绣球) Expo Park in Xintang Natural Village (新塘自然村), Gucun Village (古村村), Danan Town (大南镇), Guangfeng District (广丰区), Shangrao City (上饶市), Jiangxi Province (江西省), the Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata blooms snow-white on both sides of the winding road. Red camellias and waterfall-like wisteria are interspersed among them, attracting tourists to stop and take pictures.

More than 10 years ago, this place was still a barren abandoned mine. From almost no tourists to a daily traffic of more than 20,000 people, the changes in Xintang Village (新塘村) are about to begin with this Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata flower.

The results of planting pomelos were not ideal, but after planting Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata, the soil became loose.

In the past, Xintang Village (新塘村) was once bustling with phosphate mining, coal mining, and limestone mining. However, the depletion of resources left behind a scene of devastation. "On sunny days, dust filled the air, and on rainy days, black water flowed. At that time, many families in the village moved away, and it gradually became deserted," said Chen Chao (陈超), the person in charge of the Expo Park and a villager in Xintang Village (新塘村).

To make the village "lively" again, the first thing to do was to "heal" the mountains on which the villagers depended for their survival. The local area launched ecological restoration—filling in the mine pits, "dressing" the exposed ground with a layer of soil, and then planting trees and forests. However, if you want to attract villagers back and retain talents, you must not only "green" the mountains, but also make the mountains "generate gold."

Since 2009, Guangfeng District (广丰区) has vigorously promoted the development of the local Majia pomelo (马家柚) industry. Chen Chao (陈超) was already enthusiastic about seedling planting and tried to plant more than 200 acres of Majia pomelo (马家柚). However, due to the thin soil layer and poor water retention, the results were not ideal.

"We can't be blind. We must adapt to local conditions and select suitable seedlings according to natural conditions." Chen Chao (陈超) thought to himself, "Trees are tall and have deep roots, and have high requirements for the soil environment. Flowers are small, so is it feasible to plant flowers?"

A turning point came in the spring of 2013. Chen Chao (陈超) came to Baijia Town (柏加镇), Liuyang City (浏阳市), Hunan Province (湖南省). A tree with branches full of white, snow-like spherical flowers attracted his attention. After inquiring, he learned that the flower tree was called "Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata (中华木绣球)," which is resistant to barrenness and suitable for shallow soil planting.

"This is exactly the flower seedling I have been searching for, and it is highly compatible with the environment of our abandoned mine!" Chen Chao (陈超) was so happy that he slapped his thigh.

Chen Chao (陈超) immediately bought more than 200 saplings and brought them back to the village for trial planting. Under careful care, the branches and leaves grew luxuriantly, but no flowers were seen in the following spring. After asking the seller, he learned that the variety was wrong. "There are many varieties of Hydrangea Paniculata, and the seller took the wrong seedlings, which are not suitable for growing on our mountains." Chen Chao (陈超) once again realized the importance of adapting to local conditions.

That year, Chen Chao (陈超) also asked friends to buy more than 600 Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata (中华木绣球) seedlings from various places. The following year, Chen Chao (陈超) finally saw the tree full of flower buds, with tender white petal tips emerging from the top. In mid-March, snow-white flower balls began to bloom. Chen Chao (陈超) paced back and forth in the garden, unable to suppress his joy.

Gradually, Chen Chao (陈超) found that the soil where the Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata was planted had become loose. After consulting with experts, he learned that the roots of the Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata can secrete organic acids, which can improve the soil. "The suitable one is the best!" Chen Chao (陈超) said.

Breeding technology is constantly improving, and Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata blooms all over the mountains.

It is not easy to select varieties, and it is even more difficult to expand.

"The difficulty lies in the lack of seedlings!" At that time, due to the immaturity of large-scale breeding technology, there were few Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata seedlings on the market and the prices were high. However, for Chen Chao (陈超), this was a difficulty and an opportunity.

Chen Chao (陈超) started by learning the most basic seedling breeding technology. He gradually learned that cutting is more suitable for Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata breeding, but it is difficult, and the survival rate was very low at that time.

Step by step, Chen Chao (陈超) clarified the problems and directions, and sought cooperation—visiting Zhejiang (浙江), Shandong (山东), Hunan (湖南) and other places, and finally found Master Lin (林师傅) in Zhangping City (漳平市), Fujian (福建), who is good at seedling cutting. The two were not afraid of failure and continued to explore, setting up multiple sets of control experiments according to variables such as cutting time, cutting parts, number of leaves retained, and soil composition. Through repeated experiments, comparisons, and summaries, Chen Chao (陈超) and Master Lin (林师傅) developed increasingly improved Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata seedling cutting and breeding technology, and the survival rate was greatly improved.

After mastering the technology, starting in 2018, with the support of relevant local departments and villagers, Chen Chao (陈超) successively transferred more than 1,300 acres of barren mountains in the village to plant Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata (中华木绣球). Every spring, the Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata blooms all over the mountains, with huge flower balls hanging all over the branches, looking like clouds and waterfalls from a distance, and clusters of flowers up close. "There are many flowers, and a single plant can bloom hundreds of flowers! The three colors gradually change, from lime green when it first blooms, to pure white during the full bloom period, and then to light pink in the later stage, which is very charming!" said Master Lin (林师傅). Later, Chen Chao (陈超) also replanted camellias and wisteria that bloom in spring. At the beginning of spring, the sea of flowers has colorful decorations, which is breathtakingly beautiful.

A flower leverages an industrial chain, and the lives of villagers are getting better and better.

In April 2023, the Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata (中华木绣球) Expo Park opened, attracting a large number of tourists. Guangfeng District (广丰区) systematically rectified and upgraded the surrounding environment of the scenic spot, and provided financial support. The Expo Park built a large parking lot, built multiple new viewing platforms, and set up check-in points; opened up the inner and outer loops of the sea of flowers...

In order to leverage an industrial chain with "a flower" and create diversified business formats to meet the different needs of different age groups, the Expo Park introduced children's amusement, travel photography, coffee and other business formats, and carefully arranged characteristic homestays and farmhouses.

Outside the Expo Park, dozens of mountain off-road vehicles are lined up in a row, and staff are busy explaining the precautions to tourists who are about to experience them. Last year, the Expo Park introduced a mountain off-road vehicle project, designed off-road routes, and integrated various terrains such as mountains, jungles, and waters, with diversified and interesting obstacles such as large seesaws and wave roads along the way. "When tourists come, they can not only stroll and enjoy the flowers leisurely, but also have amusement projects to play, which is full of experience!" said Guan Hui (管辉), the person in charge of the project.

Not only is the business format diverse, but the time period is also extended. During the day, you can enjoy flowers and play, and at night, there are bonfire parties, light shows, and rural music bars, allowing tourists to upgrade their experience from "take a look" to "play for a day" and "stay overnight."

"In recent years, I have returned to the village to open a farmhouse, and life is getting better and better," said Deng Yongping (邓咏平), a villager. During the flowering period, Deng Yongping's (邓咏平) average daily income exceeded 1,000 yuan, and his annual income exceeded 100,000 yuan. At present, there are 6 farmhouses, 3 homestays, and more than 80 local villagers in the village who have achieved stable employment in the Expo Park.

"The scenery is beautiful, people stay, and their pockets are bulging." Looking at the "sea of flowers," Chen Chao (陈超) was filled with emotion.

On March 11 this year, Guangfeng District (广丰区) and Henan Agricultural University (河南农业大学) signed an agreement to jointly build the Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata (中华木绣球) Research Institute. "We will optimize varieties through scientific and technological means, solve the problem of the single flower color of Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata, and strive to extend the flowering period, so that Chinese Hydrangea Paniculata will bloom more beautifully, longer, and more valuable," said Chen Chao (陈超).

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How Much Do You Know About the Survival Wisdom of Orchids? (Telling You About Nature)

By: 张石宝

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To adapt to complex and diverse living environments, orchids have evolved amazing adaptive structures and survival wisdom.

The third orchid exhibition at the Kunming Botanical Garden (昆明植物园) of the Kunming Institute of Botany (昆明植物研究所), Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院) has arrived as scheduled. Orchids, with their varied forms and lingering fragrance, have been loved by people since ancient times. Did you know that the seemingly slender and delicate orchid is actually a "large family" in the plant kingdom? To adapt to complex and diverse living environments, orchids have evolved amazing adaptive structures and survival wisdom.

Orchid is the collective name for plants of the Orchidaceae family, with approximately 736 genera and more than 28,000 species. Structurally, in orchid petals, not only can one petal be specialized into a labellum, but the stamen and pistil are also fused into a column, and pollen grains are usually aggregated into pollinia through mucus. Orchid petals cleverly "turn over" to build a resting platform for pollinating insects. The pollinia and column structure can reduce pollen waste, and the pollinia can be connected to a sticky disc, which is easily attached to the body of specific insects, achieving precise pollen transfer and improving pollination efficiency.

Most orchids are animal-pollinated plants, and some even form specific pollination relationships, meaning that a certain orchid can only be pollinated by a certain specific insect. Scientific researchers have observed that orchids have many "tricks" to better achieve pollination.

Among orchids, about 1/3 of the species achieve pollination by "deceiving" pollinators. For example, the labellum of the bee orchid cleverly simulates the image of a female wasp, and also secretes a scent similar to that of a female wasp, causing male wasps to mistakenly recognize it as a female wasp, inducing the male wasp to help pollinate. Another example is the black protrusions on the labellum of *Paphiopedilum dianthum*, which are very similar to aphids. Aphids are food for the larvae of hoverflies, and this mimicry makes female hoverflies mistakenly believe that there is food here, making it a suitable place to lay eggs. When the hoverfly tries to lay eggs on the petals, it may fall into the specialized labellum pouch, get pollen attached, and help pollinate.

In terms of nurturing seeds, orchids have also found "helpers" for themselves. An orchid pod contains tens of thousands of seeds, but the seeds are usually less than 1 mm in size, without endosperm, and the embryo is incompletely developed. The seeds basically cannot complete germination on their own. However, orchids can use the carbon, nitrogen, and other nutrients provided by symbiotic fungi to complete seed germination. Currently, people can artificially add carbon sources, nitrogen sources, and other substances in the laboratory to achieve orchid seed germination and propagate seedlings.

Orchids are not only well-known ornamental flowers, but some species also have important medicinal value. The highly specific relationship between orchids and pollinators and fungi makes them highly sensitive to habitat destruction and climate change. Once pollinators are threatened or habitats change, the survival of orchids will be threatened. Fortunately, people's awareness and measures to protect orchids are gradually increasing, and artificial propagation and cultivation techniques for many orchid species have also been established. Artificially propagated seedlings can be used to rebuild destroyed populations, and large-scale production and cultivation can meet people's ornamental and medicinal needs. Under the two-way effort of protection and sustainable utilization, orchids in nature will be 生生不息 (shēng shēng bù xī - "unceasingly growing," to continue to flourish and thrive) and continue to radiate their unique charm and beauty.

(The author is a researcher at the Kunming Institute of Botany (昆明植物研究所), Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院). Interview and compilation by Zhang Chi (张驰), reporter of this newspaper.)

Email for topic clues: rmrbsbtb@peopledaily.cn

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Beijing carbon market cumulative trading volume exceeds 64 million tons

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According to a press conference on climate change response work in Beijing (北京) on April 14th, during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Beijing (北京) achieved remarkable results in the green and low-carbon transformation of key areas. The total carbon emissions decreased steadily, successfully completing the "14th Five-Year Plan" target for reducing carbon emission intensity. The carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP remained at the leading level in the country. The cumulative trading volume of the Beijing (北京) carbon market exceeded 64 million tons, with a turnover of 3.7 billion yuan.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Beijing (北京) continuously promoted the construction of the carbon market. More than 1,300 units in the city have been included in the carbon market management, with carbon emissions accounting for more than 60% of the city's total carbon emissions, which is an important means to promote enterprises to do a good job in carbon emission management. The National Greenhouse Gas Voluntary Emission Reduction (CCER) trading market was established in Beijing (北京). By the end of 2025, it had completed account opening for more than 3,000 units, with a cumulative trading volume of over 9.2 million tons and a turnover of 650 million yuan. The Beijing (北京) carbon market has been operating stably for 12 years. The average online transaction price of allowances has increased from 50 yuan/ton in 2013 to 106 yuan/ton in 2025. Through market prices, it has released a clear signal, forming a social consensus of "carbon emissions have costs, and carbon reduction has benefits."

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Beijing (北京) innovatively implemented a paid allocation system for carbon emission allowances and launched innovative products such as carbon asset pledge and agreed repurchase to stimulate market vitality. The carbon market linked to green electricity trading, which strongly promoted the consumption of green electricity. The carbon emission allowances for high-pollution and high-emission industries were gradually tightened, which strongly promoted the green and low-carbon transformation of enterprises and achieved synergistic effects of pollution reduction and carbon reduction. Green travel has become a part of the lives of more and more citizens. Since 2020, Beijing (北京) has carried out carbon inclusion work, forming carbon assets by quantifying the low-carbon behaviors of individuals, families, communities, and small and micro enterprises (institutions), and establishing a market-oriented incentive mechanism, conveying the positive concept that "low-carbon behavior has value."

Waste heat recovery and utilization of flue gas from gas units, low-carbon transformation of old factories into "zero-carbon parks," and community low-carbon practices going to the stage of the United Nations Climate Conference... During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Beijing (北京) carried out activities to solicit and evaluate advanced low-carbon technology projects, low-carbon leaders, and climate-friendly regions, creating a number of replicable and scalable demonstration models for green and low-carbon development. Among them, in terms of advanced low-carbon technology projects, focusing on advanced energy, low-carbon transportation, intelligent management, circular economy and other fields, 60 low-carbon technology projects were selected, with a cumulative annual reduction of 1.3 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, and promoted and applied in the city and even the whole country, solving the difficulties of high costs and difficulties in large-scale implementation, and achieving good environmental, economic and social benefits.

Pan Junqiang (潘俊强) reported from Beijing (北京).

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Photo Story

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Recently, the spring plowing season at the Shandan Horse Ranch (山丹马场) in Gansu (甘肃) has fully commenced. To ensure the smooth progress of agricultural production, herdsmen are systematically organizing the horse herds to withdraw from the crop stubble fields, guiding the herds to return to the natural grasslands in batches. The picture shows herdsmen organizing the horse herd to move to another pasture.

Photo by Wang Chao (王超) (China Photo)

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"Integrated Sky-Ground Monitoring System for Ecological Environment Established in Qinghai Section of Yellow River Basin"

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This newspaper's Xining (西宁) April 14th (Reporter Jiang Meng (江萌)) The reporter learned from the Qinghai Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment (青海省生态环境厅) that the Qinghai (青海) section of the Yellow River Basin (黄河流域) has established an "integrated sky-ground" ecological environment monitoring system. Ecological observation technology has shifted from "single-point observation" to "full network coverage," achieving multi-factor dynamic monitoring of the upper reaches of the Yellow River (黄河), providing solid scientific and technological support for protecting the "Water Tower of China" and ensuring the Yellow River's tranquility.

In terms of the ecological environment monitoring network, 25 automatic water quality monitoring stations have been built, 64 surface water manual monitoring sections have been set up, and monitoring points have been established for county-level and above, and township "thousand-ton ten-thousand-person" drinking water sources, achieving full coverage of water quality monitoring in major river sections and drinking water sources. Relying on the "Qinghai Ecological Window" remote network video observation system, 116 observation points have been built, covering key areas at the source of the Yellow River (黄河源头), realizing real-time visual observation.

In terms of ecological environment supervision, remote sensing surveys are regularly carried out in natural protected areas and other places to strengthen the supervision of the impact of human activities on the ecological environment of the basin. Focusing on water resources, water environment, and water ecology, we are carrying out the construction of basic databases and comprehensive management capabilities in the Sanjiangyuan (三江源) and Yellow River Basin (黄河流域), and striving to improve regulatory capabilities.

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Rainfall in Jiangnan and South China to Intensify

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This newspaper Beijing (北京), April 14th (Reporter Jiang Xuehong (蒋雪鸿)) Meteorological monitoring shows that on the 14th during the day, heavy rain occurred in some areas of Hunan (湖南), Jiangxi (江西), and Chongqing (重庆).

The Central Meteorological Observatory (中央气象台) predicts that rainfall in Jiangnan (江南), South China (华南), and other places will increase. Specifically, on the night of the 14th, there will be relatively strong scattered rainfall in the central and southern parts of Jiangnan (江南), and the northern parts of South China (华南). From the 15th, rainfall in the central and southern parts of Jiangnan (江南), the northern parts of South China (华南), and the eastern parts of Southwest China (西南地区) will increase. Among them, some areas in southeastern Guizhou (贵州), central and southern Hunan (湖南), central and southern Jiangxi (江西), northwestern Fujian (福建), southwestern Zhejiang (浙江), western and central-northern Guangxi (广西), and northwestern Guangdong (广东) will experience heavy to torrential rain, with localized heavy torrential rain, accompanied by short-term heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, strong winds, or hail and other severe convective weather; the main impact period is from the night of the 15th to the day of the 16th.

Meteorological experts remind that since April, there have been frequent rainfall processes in the south. It is recommended that the public continue to pay attention to the latest forecast and early warning information released by local meteorological departments, and pay attention to preventing the hazards of thunderstorms, strong winds, hail, and other severe convective weather.

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Editor in Charge for This Section: Zhang Ye, He Yuche, Zhang Yifu

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Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Page 15版:国际

Escalating Middle East Conflict Adds to Global Energy and Development Pressures (International Perspective)

By: 本报记者 张朋辉

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For more than a month since the outbreak of the Middle East war, international oil prices have remained high. On April 12, negotiations between the United States and Iran in Islamabad (伊斯兰堡), Pakistan, ended without result, and the shipping difficulties in the Strait of Hormuz (霍尔木兹海峡) were not alleviated. The U.S. "Wall Street Journal" (《华尔街日报》) quoted a senior U.S. official on the 13th as saying that since the U.S. military began blockading maritime traffic in and out of Iranian ports that day, more than 15 U.S. warships have been deployed to support the operation. Fatih Birol (法提赫·比罗尔), Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (国际能源署), said on the 13th that the Middle East war has caused the most serious global energy supply disruption in history, with more than 80 oil and gas facilities in the Middle East region having been damaged so far. The International Energy Agency is assessing the situation and preparing to take action to further release oil reserves if necessary. Faced with this situation, many countries have introduced countermeasures, calling for a ceasefire and an end to the war as soon as possible, promoting the restoration of peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East regions, and jointly safeguarding global energy security.
  Global daily oil flow reduced by about 13%, liquefied natural gas flow reduced by 20%
  For more than a month, the U.S.-Israeli-Iranian war has continued to drag on repeatedly, and the Middle East energy supply system has been severely damaged. Compared with the London Brent crude oil futures price of about $70 per barrel at the end of February, international oil prices are currently fluctuating at a high level.
  On the one hand, the obstruction of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has not been fundamentally changed, and the outward transport of oil from the Gulf region has almost stagnated. The Strait of Hormuz is a global strategic hub connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and a key maritime passage for international oil tankers. The crude oil exports of major oil-producing countries such as Saudi Arabia (沙特阿拉伯), Iraq (伊拉克), Iran (伊朗), Qatar (卡塔尔) and the United Arab Emirates (阿联酋) need to be transported through this route. Giovanni Staunovo (乔凡尼·斯汤诺沃), an oil analyst at UBS Group (瑞银集团), pointed out that the obstruction of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has already caused a loss of about 10 million barrels per day in global crude oil production. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) assessment shows that, affected by the conflict, global daily oil flow has decreased by about 13% and liquefied natural gas flow has decreased by 20%, and the energy supply gap continues to widen.
  On the other hand, oil infrastructure in Gulf countries has been affected by the war, and production capacity has been severely damaged. The Gulf region is the region with the most concentrated oil reserves and the highest output in the world, with oil reserves accounting for nearly 60% of global total reserves and natural gas reserves accounting for 40%, which is an important support for global energy supply. In the U.S.-Israeli-Iranian conflict, regional oil and gas production facilities have been frequently attacked. Some petrochemical facilities in South Pars (南帕尔斯) and Asaluyeh (阿萨卢耶) in Bushehr Province (布什尔省) in southern Iran were attacked by U.S.-Israeli air strikes. Iran then took countermeasures, attacking oil facilities related to the United States in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other countries; the U.S. also stated that it did not rule out occupying Kharg Island (哈尔克岛), Iran's oil export hub, and this statement further exacerbated panic in the international market.
  Birol said that if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed throughout April, the shortage of crude oil and refined oil products will be twice that of March, and the global energy market will face severe challenges. The British "Financial Times" (《金融时报》) analysis believes that during the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, about 10% of global crude oil production was forced to stop, and it will be difficult to quickly recover in the short term. UBS Group predicts that even in an optimistic scenario, the repair and production recovery of damaged energy infrastructure will take weeks or even months, and energy prices will be difficult to fall back to pre-conflict levels in the short term.
  High energy prices and supply shortages push up costs across the entire industrial chain
  Currently, the surge in crude oil prices has been fully transmitted along the industrial chain, which not only pushes up global production costs, but also exacerbates inflationary pressures, and has many impacts on global economic development.
  Data from the American Automobile Association (美国汽车协会) shows that U.S. gasoline prices have continued to climb since March, with the average price in mid-March reaching $3.58 per gallon (1 U.S. gallon is approximately 3.785 liters), the highest level in more than 21 months. On April 14, the average gasoline price across the United States rose to $4.12 per gallon. Europe's energy supply is highly dependent on imports. At the beginning of April, the European Union's natural gas prices rose by 70% compared to the previous increase, and oil prices rose by more than 50%. Energy expenditure has become a significant burden for European families and businesses. Many Southeast Asian countries are also highly dependent on Middle East energy imports, and high energy prices are putting pressure on regional economic growth. Malayan Investment Bank (马来亚投资银行) recently lowered its overall economic growth forecast for six major ASEAN economies, including Indonesia (印度尼西亚), Malaysia (马来西亚), the Philippines (菲律宾), Singapore (新加坡), Vietnam (越南) and Thailand (泰国), from 4.8% to 4.5% in 2026.
  Rising energy prices have also spread to aviation, agriculture and other fields. Recently, global aviation fuel benchmark prices have soared from the $85 to $90 per barrel range to the $150 to $200 per barrel range. Coupled with the impact of the war on aviation hubs in the Gulf region, many airlines have alleviated the pressure of rising costs by increasing ticket prices and adding fuel surcharges. A report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (联合国粮食及农业组织) shows that the international food price index has risen for the second consecutive month. Gulf countries are major exporters of nitrogen fertilizers such as urea. Affected by the war, fertilizer factories in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other countries have reduced or even stopped production. According to statistics, Gulf countries account for 30% to 35% of global urea exports and 20% to 30% of ammonia exports. Currently, nearly one million tons of fertilizer are stranded in the Persian Gulf region waiting for delivery. Unlike oil, the fertilizer industry does not have international strategic reserves that can be coordinated, and the supply gap is more difficult to deal with.
  IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva (格奥尔基耶娃) said that the impact of the Middle East war is a typical negative supply shock. Rising energy prices and supply chain disruptions have affected almost all countries, among which sub-Saharan African countries and small island countries are particularly vulnerable. High energy prices and supply shortages not only push up inflation, but also depress demand, and will also disrupt the financial environment and exacerbate the risk of stagflation. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (安瓦尔) believes that compared with the oil crisis in the 1970s, "the risks are now more complex, (the global) economy is highly integrated and digitalized, and the dependence on supply chain stability is stronger."
  Many parties call for a ceasefire and an end to the war as soon as possible to resolve the intertwined multiple crises
  Faced with the current energy crisis, the international community and countries have taken measures. As an important institution for global energy coordination, the 32 member countries of the International Energy Agency reached an agreement in March to release 400 million barrels of strategic oil reserves to alleviate the tight global oil supply situation. This is the largest coordinated release of oil reserves since the establishment of the International Energy Agency. Samantha Gross (萨曼莎·格罗斯), an energy expert at the Brookings Institution (布鲁金斯学会) in the United States, analyzed that the International Energy Agency's strategic oil reserves will be released evenly within two months, which is only equivalent to 7% of global demand, while the obstruction of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz actually affects 15% to 17% of global demand.
  European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (冯德莱恩) said on April 13 that since the start of the Middle East conflict, the EU's cost of importing fossil fuels has increased by 22 billion euros. The European Commission will announce a proposal for energy price response measures on the 22nd of this month. European countries have also intensively introduced supporting measures, such as reducing energy taxes and fees, providing subsidies to severely affected industries, promoting energy-saving technologies, and accelerating the development of renewable energy, in an effort to alleviate the energy shock.
  Many countries are also actively seeking diversification of energy imports, or accelerating domestic energy transition and reducing structural dependence on fossil energy. The Thai government used the fuel fund to stabilize domestic fuel prices, strictly investigated hoarding and reluctance to sell oil, and introduced fuel tax and fee reduction policies. South Korea has implemented odd-even license plate restrictions on motor vehicles of public departments and institutions since April 8, and reduced energy consumption through energy-saving measures. Birol believes that this energy crisis will trigger a new round of policy adjustments by governments around the world. The transition to renewable energy will gain new momentum, nuclear power will be valued again, and the electric vehicle industry will be promoted.
  The United Nations published an article on its official website calling on all parties to cease fire and end the war as soon as possible, implement ceasefire commitments, fundamentally alleviate the tight energy supply situation, and resolve the current intertwined multiple crises.

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Resuming Navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is Fundamental to Stabilizing Global Market Confidence (Commentary)

By: 董秀成

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Since the outbreak of the conflict between the United States and Iran, the shipping crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has evolved into a historic global energy supply disruption. This is far from a simple fluctuation in oil prices; it continuously erodes the foundation of global economic growth through multiple transmission channels such as the industrial chain, inflation expectations, and financial conditions.

Energy is the lifeblood of modern industry, and its price surge will trigger a "chain reaction" in related links of the industrial and supply chains, leading to higher prices for products in industries such as oil and gas chemicals, transportation, fertilizers, and electronics. For example, the Gulf region, as a global hub for fertilizer production, will see its production capacity and logistics hindered, which will affect global food security. Helium, a key raw material for semiconductor manufacturing, has doubled in price due to damage to facilities in Qatar, adding further uncertainty to the global electronics industry chain.

The sharp rise in oil and gas prices has pushed up global inflation levels. Central banks in some countries have postponed interest rate cuts to curb inflation, and a few countries have even begun to restart the pace of interest rate hikes, and expectations of monetary easing are receding. However, inflation caused by supply shocks is cost-driven. Suppressing demand through interest rate hikes may bring stagflation risks. Especially for emerging markets and developing economies that are highly dependent on energy imports, the combined risks of currency depreciation, capital outflow, and debt are further increasing.

The global energy landscape will also undergo profound adjustments. The globalized energy supply system, which was previously centered on "efficiency" and "cost," is accelerating towards a regionalized and diversified system oriented towards "security" and "resilience." Countries will accelerate the improvement of strategic energy reserves and implement a diversified strategy for oil and gas sources. Energy transportation routes and trade structures will become more regionalized and nearshore to avoid geopolitical risks. The pace of global energy transition will accelerate, and countries will increase investment in the development of non-fossil energy, promote energy substitution and the application of modern coal chemical technologies to reduce excessive dependence on oil and gas.

Faced with the crisis, the urgent task is to promote a ceasefire through diplomatic means and restore normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible, which is fundamental to stabilizing global market confidence. At the same time, the international community needs to strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination and strive to maintain the stability of the global industrial and supply chains, seeking a path of certainty in uncertainty.

(The author is the Executive Dean of the China Institute for Carbon Neutrality at the University of International Business and Economics (对外经济贸易大学))

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Urging all parties to adhere to the ceasefire arrangements and take concrete actions to ease regional tensions.

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This newspaper reported from Beijing on April 14th (Reporter Han Xiaoming (韩晓明)) Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jia Kun (郭嘉昆) stated on April 14th, while answering questions from reporters regarding the Middle East situation, that the US's escalation of military deployments and adoption of targeted blockade actions, under the circumstances where relevant parties have already reached a temporary ceasefire arrangement, is a dangerous and irresponsible behavior. China urges all parties to abide by the ceasefire arrangement and take practical actions to promote the de-escalation of the regional situation.

During the regular press conference that day, a reporter asked: According to reports, the US Central Command announced that, starting from 10 PM Beijing time on April 13th, it would blockade all ships arriving at and departing from Iranian ports and coastal areas. Iranian Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf emphasized that Iran would not yield to any threats, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned military vessels not to approach the Strait of Hormuz. According to tracking data from relevant monitoring agencies, commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has been suspended since the evening of April 13th. What is China's comment on this?

Guo Jia Kun (郭嘉昆) said that, under the circumstances where relevant parties have already reached a temporary ceasefire arrangement, the US's escalation of military deployments and adoption of targeted blockade actions will only intensify conflicts, exacerbate tensions, undermine the already fragile ceasefire situation, and further impact the safety of passage through the Strait. This is a dangerous and irresponsible behavior.

"China believes that only the realization of a comprehensive ceasefire and cessation of hostilities can fundamentally create conditions for easing the situation in the Strait. China urges all parties to abide by the ceasefire arrangement, focus on the general direction of dialogue and negotiation, take practical actions to promote the de-escalation of the regional situation, and restore normal passage through the Strait as soon as possible," he said.

Another reporter asked: Recently, some media reported that China is providing military support to Iran, and US President Trump stated that if China is found to be providing weapons to Iran, the US will impose an additional 50% tariff on China. What is China's comment on this?

Guo Jia Kun (郭嘉昆) pointed out that China has always adopted a prudent and responsible attitude towards the export of military products, and implements strict controls in accordance with its own export control laws and regulations and the international obligations it undertakes. The relevant reports are purely fabricated. If the US insists on using this as an excuse to impose additional tariffs on China, China will certainly resolutely retaliate.

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Global Scan

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The IMF (国际货币基金组织) lowered its world economic growth forecast, and the impact of the Middle East war has increased uncertainty.

Xinhua News Agency, New York (纽约), April 14 (Reporters Liu Yanan (刘亚南) and Xu Jing (徐静)) The International Monetary Fund (IMF (国际货币基金组织)) released its latest "World Economic Outlook Report" on the 14th, lowering its forecast for world economic growth this year by 0.2 percentage points to 3.1%. The IMF (国际货币基金组织) pointed out that the downward revision of the world economic growth forecast mainly reflects the impact of the Middle East war, but some of the negative impact has been offset by recent strong data and tariff reductions.

The report pointed out that if the impact of the Middle East war subsides in the middle of this year, the world economy is expected to grow by 3.1% this year, a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the January forecast, and the global inflation rate will rise to 4.4%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points from 2025. If the war and high oil prices continue for a longer period, the world economic growth rate this year will drop to 2.5%, and the global inflation rate will climb to 5.4%. In extreme cases, the world economic growth rate this year may drop to 2%.

The report lowered the economic growth forecasts for the United States and the Eurozone by 0.1 and 0.2 percentage points, respectively, to 2.3% and 1.1%. The economic growth forecast for emerging markets and developing economies this year was lowered by 0.3 percentage points to 3.9%. The Middle East war zone and energy net importing countries in emerging markets and developing economies will be more significantly affected. The economic growth forecast for the Middle East and Central Asia this year has been significantly lowered by 2 percentage points to 1.9%.

The report believes that if medium and long-term inflation expectations continue to rise, restoring price stability must take precedence over short-term economic growth, which requires rapid tightening of monetary policy.

The report pointed out that although the world economy may become more multipolar, the trend of fragmentation should be avoided. While countries take measures separately, global cooperation should continue to be strengthened, including quickly stopping hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz (霍尔木兹海峡). Only by formulating correct policies can the economic damage caused by the war be reduced.

The International Energy Agency (国际能源署) lowers global oil demand forecast

Xinhua News Agency, Paris (巴黎), April 14 (Reporter Cui Kexin (崔可欣)) The International Energy Agency (IEA (国际能源署)) released its latest monthly oil market report on the 14th, lowering its forecast for global oil demand in 2026, and expects a daily reduction of 80,000 barrels. Among them, global demand in the second quarter will fall by an average of 1.5 million barrels per day, the largest quarterly decline since the COVID-19 pandemic.

From a structural point of view, the decline in oil use demand is mainly concentrated in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, mainly involving products such as naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas, and aviation kerosene. The report pointed out that due to tightening supply and high oil prices, the weakening demand trend may further expand.

On the supply side, global oil supply in March fell sharply by about 10.1 million barrels per day, to 97 million barrels per day. The report stated that continued attacks on energy infrastructure in the Middle East and restricted navigation in the Strait of Hormuz (霍尔木兹海峡) have severely hindered global oil supply.

In addition, global oil inventories decreased by approximately 85 million barrels in March. Among them, inventories outside the Gulf region fell sharply by 205 million barrels, mainly reflecting the impact of transportation disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz (霍尔木兹海峡).

Under this round of supply shock, international oil prices recorded their largest monthly increase in history in March. Due to the increasingly tight global oil supply, major oil importing countries are vying to seek alternative supplies, and spot crude oil prices once rose to nearly $150 per barrel in April, significantly higher than futures prices.

The report pointed out that restoring shipping in the Strait of Hormuz (霍尔木兹海峡) is a key factor in alleviating the current tight energy supply, curbing oil price increases, and reducing global economic pressure. The prospect of achieving a lasting resolution of the conflict through negotiations is still unclear. If the war is prolonged, the risks to energy production and trade in the Middle East will remain high.

Iran says war reparations are on the agenda for Iran-U.S. negotiations

Xinhua News Agency, Tehran (德黑兰), April 14 According to a report by the Islamic Republic News Agency (伊朗伊斯兰共和国通讯社) on the 14th, Iranian government spokesman Mohajerani (穆哈杰拉尼) said that the issue of war reparations is one of the topics in the negotiations between Iran and the United States and the relevant consultations held in Islamabad (伊斯兰堡), and the preliminary estimate of Iran's losses is 270 billion US dollars.

Mohajerani (穆哈杰拉尼) said that the current preliminary and rough estimate shows that the scale of related losses has reached 270 billion US dollars. The Iranian government's economic departments will conduct a more precise measurement of the relevant losses through a multi-stage assessment process. The assessment work will first focus on the damage to buildings, and secondly, it will analyze the loss of fiscal revenue and the impact of industrial shutdowns.

Japanese police re-arrest Murata Akihito (村田晃大) on suspicion of violating the Gun and Sword Law

Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo (东京), April 14 (Reporters Chen Zean (陈泽安) and Li Ziyue (李子越)) According to a report by Kyodo News (日本共同社) on the 14th, Japanese police re-arrested Murata Akihito (村田晃大), a third-class sergeant of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (日本陆上自卫队), on the same day on suspicion of violating the Gun and Sword Law for forcibly breaking into the Chinese Embassy in Japan (中国驻日本大使馆).

The report said that the reason for the arrest this time is that at around 8:55 am local time on March 24 (7:55 am Beijing time on March 24), Murata (村田) was suspected of carrying a knife into the Chinese Embassy (中国大使馆) grounds without a legitimate reason. According to Japanese police, Murata (村田) is believed to have entered the embassy by climbing over the wall from a neighboring building.

On March 24, Murata Akihito (村田晃大), a third-class sergeant of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (日本陆上自卫队), forcibly broke into the Chinese Embassy in Japan (中国驻日本大使馆) with a knife by climbing over the wall. The embassy intrusion incident was shocking, and its nature and impact were extremely bad. Japanese police had previously arrested him on suspicion of illegally entering a building.

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Stanford University Report: China Leads in Multiple AI Metrics

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Xinhua News Agency, Los Angeles, April 13th (Reporter Tan Jingjing (谭晶晶)) - The "2026 AI Index Report" released by Stanford University on the 13th shows that although the United States still leads in the number of top artificial intelligence (AI) model outputs and high-impact patents, China has taken the lead in several indicators such as the number of published papers, the frequency of citations, the total output of patents, and the number of industrial robot installations.

The report was released by the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. The report summarizes the ten latest trends in AI development: First, AI capabilities continue to improve and rapidly spread; second, the performance gap between Chinese and American AI models has narrowed significantly; third, the United States leads in the scale of AI data centers; fourth, the capabilities of AI models in different fields show a "参差不齐 (cēn cī bù qí - "uneven and irregular," describes something that is not uniform or consistent)" characteristic; fifth, the development of "responsible AI" is lagging behind, and related risk events have increased; sixth, the United States leads in AI investment, but its attractiveness to global talent has declined; seventh, AI applications are rapidly spreading and creating significant economic value; eighth, AI-related education development is relatively lagging; ninth, "AI sovereignty" has become the policy focus of various countries, but the AI capabilities of various countries vary significantly; tenth, there are significant differences in the perceptions of experts and the public regarding the future impact of AI, and the degree of trust in AI regulation varies from country to country.

The report shows that some cutting-edge models launched in 2025 have reached or exceeded human levels in areas such as doctoral-level scientific problems, multimodal reasoning, and mathematics competitions. The adoption rate of AI in various organizations has reached 88%.

The report emphasizes that while AI has made breakthroughs in scientific research and complex reasoning, it is also accompanied by high energy consumption and environmental costs. In addition, related evaluation systems and governance capabilities are relatively lagging, and issues such as security, regulation, and social impact are becoming increasingly prominent.

Stanford University's AI Index Report has been published annually since 2017, systematically tracking global AI technology progress, scientific research output, industrial development, and social impact, aiming to present the current status and trends of AI development through data and empirical analysis, and provide a reference for policy making and social awareness.

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Photo Report

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Every year from April 13th to 15th is the traditional Thai New Year, Songkran Festival. The picture shows people and elephants "splashing water" on each other in Ayutthaya (大城府), Thailand, to welcome the Songkran Festival.

Photo by La Heng (拉亨) (Xinhua News Agency) (新华社发)

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Cambodia Implements Multiple Measures to Promote Water Pollution Control

By: 本报记者 白元琪

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In recent years, while Cambodia's economy has grown steadily, the pressure to control pollution in public water bodies has also increased. Cambodia's Ministry of Environment (柬埔寨环境部) recently released the latest data showing that since 2025, the country has cumulatively intercepted more than 26 million cubic meters of industrial liquid waste from being discharged into public waters, of which 6.3935 million cubic meters of industrial waste liquid were successfully prevented from being directly discharged in the first quarter of this year. As of the end of March this year, 57 key enterprises and factories across the country have completed the installation of online monitoring equipment for liquid waste and connected to the central regulatory system. Digital and intelligent "water protection" has become an important measure for Cambodia's environmental governance, and the water environment supervision capacity has been significantly improved.

Since 2023, Cambodia has successively introduced the "Law on Environmental Protection and Natural Resources" ("环境与自然资源法") and the "Environmental Circular Strategy 2023-2028" ("2023—2028环境循环战略"), clarifying the three major reform directions of "clean emissions, digital drive, and corporate responsibility." This year, Cambodia further upgraded its governance measures and introduced the "Climate Resilience and Integrated Water Resources Management Action Plan 2026-2030" ("2026—2030气候韧性与综合水资源管理行动计划"), incorporating the construction of intelligent monitoring networks and pollution prevention and control in key river basins into key tasks, and promoting the transformation of water environment governance from "passive response" to "active prevention and control" and from "decentralized supervision" to "full coverage." The Cambodian Ministry of Environment (柬埔寨环境部) has clearly required that all potentially polluting enterprises must install automatic monitoring equipment within a limited time to achieve real-time feedback and dynamic early warning of core indicators such as waste liquid discharge and pollutant concentration, and severely investigate and deal with illegal discharge behaviors in accordance with the law.

Under the guidance of policies, the Cambodian Ministry of Environment (柬埔寨环境部) and the Environmental Protection Industry Association have jointly promoted the implementation of online monitoring systems for liquid waste in key areas for pollution prevention and control such as industrial parks and special economic zones. It is reported that the system can accurately collect key indicators such as waste liquid discharge, chemical oxygen demand, and heavy metal content, and automatically upload them to the central database through a digital platform, realizing remote monitoring by regulatory authorities and immediate early warning of abnormal situations, which greatly improves the accuracy and efficiency of environmental law enforcement. "The gradual improvement of the intelligent monitoring system has enabled us to achieve the governance goal of 'no dead corners in point monitoring and full coverage in surface prevention and control,' building a technical barrier for Cambodia's water environment safety," said Kai Viyatia (凯威亚提雅), spokesperson for the Cambodian Ministry of Environment (柬埔寨环境部).

As a famous tourism and aquaculture province in Cambodia, Siem Reap Province (暹粒省) is making every effort to promote river remediation, sewage pipe network upgrades, and pumping station construction, and has completed the restoration of 4.4 kilometers of drainage systems, reducing the direct discharge of domestic sewage and aquaculture wastewater into rivers. Long Salay (隆·萨雷), the person in charge of the downstream fishing ground of the local Sangke River (桑柯河), told reporters that with the continuous improvement of water quality, the quality of fish and shrimp in the river has been significantly improved. "I hope that intelligent monitoring will cover more river basins as soon as possible, so that ecological dividends can truly benefit every citizen."

China and Cambodia are actively cooperating in intelligent "water protection." In 2018, the Mekong River (湄公河) water quality online monitoring station, built by China's Lihe Technology (中国力合科技), was put into operation at the confluence of the Mekong River (湄公河) and the Tonle Sap River (洞里萨河) in Phnom Penh (金边), which can accurately monitor seven water quality indicators such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity. As of April 2026, the monitoring station has provided nearly 100,000 accurate monitoring data to the Cambodian Ministry of Environment (柬埔寨环境部), providing key data support for the country's basin management, pollution prevention and control, and scientific research. In March of this year, the Cambodian Ministry of Environment (柬埔寨环境部) and Guangxi Land Resources Planning and Design Group of China (中国广西国土资源规划设计集团) signed a memorandum of understanding on modern technology cooperation in the environmental field, and the two sides will cooperate in the introduction of intelligent monitoring technology, environmental protection personnel training, and optimization of pollution control programs.

Currently, Cambodia's water environment governance is gradually forming a pattern of "government leadership, corporate responsibility, and social participation." The Cambodian Ministry of Environment (柬埔寨环境部) regularly releases water quality monitoring data through official channels and actively accepts social supervision. On social media platforms, civil activities such as "river and lake scoring" and "water quality supervision" are continuously carried out. So Peak (索佩克), an environmental expert at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (金边皇家大学) in Cambodia, said that the promotion and application of intelligent monitoring technology not only improves the efficiency of Cambodia's water environment governance, but also promotes the transformation of the governance model from post-event accountability to pre-event prevention, effectively safeguarding ecological security. "With the continuous improvement of global green supply chain standards, a sound intelligent 'water protection' system will become an important advantage for Cambodia to enhance its industrial competitiveness and achieve sustainable economic and social development, and will also make positive contributions to regional ecological and environmental protection."

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Editor in Charge for This Section: Zhang Mengxu, Yue Linwei, Liu Gang

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Page 16版:广告

Bingwu Year Yellow Emperor Ancestor Worship Ceremony

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Page 17版:国际

The continuation of historical friendship, an inevitable outcome of realistic development (authoritative forum)

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2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. Over the past 70 years, China has always been a good comrade and partner in the cause of national liberation and development and revitalization in Africa. Chinese and African friends have respected and supported each other, walked through glorious years hand in hand, and jointly embarked on a new journey of modernization. As important members of the Global South, China and Africa are strengthening solidarity and cooperation, which will not only accelerate the modernization of both sides but also lead the modernization process of the Global South. This issue invites four Chinese and African dignitaries, experts, and scholars to jointly explore the historical origins, positive achievements, and global impact of China and Africa working together to pursue the dream of modernization.

Ye Hailin (叶海林), President of the Chinese Academy of African Studies (中国非洲研究院院长)
Mwencha (姆温查), Former Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission (非洲联盟委员会前副主席)
Joseph Tegbe (约瑟夫·特格贝), Director-General of the Nigeria-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (尼日利亚尼中全面战略伙伴关系总干事)
Emmanuel Matambo (伊曼纽尔·马坦博), Research Director of the Africa-China Research Centre at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa (南非约翰内斯堡大学非洲—中国研究中心研究主任)

(I)
The 70 Years of China-Africa Relations
Are 70 Years of Joint Exploration of Modernization
Ye Hailin: The development course of China-Africa relations over the past 70 years is also a joint history of struggle for both sides to explore the path of modernization hand in hand. From China's firm support for African countries in their anti-imperialist and anti-colonial struggles and their striving for national liberation, to African countries' active support for China's restoration of its legitimate seat in the United Nations, mutual support at critical moments has laid a solid foundation of political mutual trust between China and Africa. China and Africa have highly complementary economic structures and huge cooperation potential. Practical cooperation between the two sides in the fields of economy and trade, infrastructure, agriculture, and education has been continuously deepened.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, established in 2000, has become an important platform for collective dialogue between China and Africa and an effective mechanism for jointly discussing the development of China-Africa relations. Since the new era, China has always adhered to the concept of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith and the correct approach to justice and shared interests in carrying out cooperation with Africa, which has not only enriched the conceptual connotation of China-Africa cooperation but also promoted the expansion of cooperation between the two sides to a higher level and a wider field. In 2024, at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, President Xi Jinping (习近平) solemnly proposed the "six modernizations" of China and Africa working together to promote justice and rationality, openness and win-win results, people-centeredness, diversity and inclusiveness, ecological friendliness, and peace and security, which pointed out the direction for the future of China-Africa relations. The overall positioning of China-Africa relations has been upgraded to a new era of all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future, providing a solid and reliable political guarantee for both sides to jointly promote the modernization process. This all-weather political mutual trust has become a strategic "ballast stone" for coping with today's world of turbulence, change, and rising uncertainty.
Mwencha: In 1955, Asian and African countries jointly issued a strong voice of the times for unity, friendship, and cooperation at the Bandung Conference. With China successively establishing diplomatic relations with many African countries, the two sides embarked on a modernization process of working together and supporting each other.

China and Africa working together to promote modernization is not only a continuation of historical friendship but also an inevitable choice for realistic development. Starting from poverty and weakness, both Africa and China have an urgent desire to achieve development and revitalization. China's adherence to development as the center has successfully lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty, which has exemplary significance for African countries with lagging industrialization, great pressure to reduce poverty, and urgent need to improve people's livelihoods. China's leapfrog progress in infrastructure construction, education popularization, and digital economy development also provides practical and feasible experience for Africa to solve development problems.

I highly appreciate China's policy concept of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith towards Africa. The Chinese Foreign Minister's first visit to Africa at the beginning of the year for 36 consecutive years fully reflects the cherishing of the traditional friendship between China and Africa and demonstrates the unity and mutual trust between countries in the Global South. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa and is also the "China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges." A series of people-to-people exchanges and practical cooperation projects between the two sides are booming. The development of China-Africa relations is mutually beneficial and win-win, benefiting the vast number of people, which not only injects strong impetus into Africa's realization of independent and sustainable development but also is China's firm action to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Joseph Tegbe: The choice of a country's path to modernization depends on its historical traditions, cultural accumulation, and national development priorities. Africa and China both have a long and profound civilization heritage and have developed mature civilization forms, relatively complete governance systems, and profound philosophical thoughts and values before the formation of modern countries. China's Confucianism and Africa's "I am because we are" Ubuntu philosophy echo each other. Both Africa and China advocate peace, respect others, value communities, and pay attention to people's livelihoods. This resonance constitutes the spiritual foundation for Africa and China to work together on the road to modernization.

Emmanuel Matambo: Looking back at the 70 years of China-Africa relations, an undeniable background is that the two sides have carried out interaction and cooperation in the international order that has been dominated by Western countries for a long time. This order is often accompanied by unequal economic exchanges and unilateral rule-making, and even compresses the development space of the vast number of developing countries. Faced with this structural constraint, based on similar historical experiences and realistic development demands, Africa and China have gradually explored a joint path of self-reliance in which they promote development together through mutual support and work together to move towards modernization.

The concepts of sincerity, real results, amity, and good faith, the correct approach to justice and shared interests, and the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation have been successively put forward and deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, becoming important value guidelines for leading the development of China-Africa relations. China and Africa working together to build a new era of all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future can rely on institutional platforms such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to transform the modernization visions of various countries into specific and feasible cooperation plans and achieve strategic alignment with the African Union's "Agenda 2063," creating a continuous stream of development momentum and tangible benefits for the people's livelihood.

(II)
The "Six Modernizations"
Highly Fit the Realistic Needs of African Countries
Mwencha: The "six modernizations" constitute an organically unified whole, reflecting the synergy of development goals, development methods, and development guarantees. This framework emphasizes promoting development through mutual benefit and win-win results, responding to challenges through global collaboration, and achieving sustainable growth through green transformation, so that development results can more fairly benefit the people of all countries.

This modernization path is not only highly consistent with the realistic needs of African countries in poverty reduction, employment, industrial development, environmental protection, and other aspects, but also coordinated with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and other global development agendas. Comprehensively promoting modernization that takes into account economic growth, social equity, and ecological friendliness provides a systematic plan for African countries to explore development paths that suit their own national conditions.

Ye Hailin: China and Africa working together to promote modernization is a systematic plan with a complete structure, strict logic, and mutual support, in which justice and rationality are the basic prerequisites, openness and win-win results are the necessary paths, people-centeredness is the essential requirement, diversity and inclusiveness are the lofty pursuit, ecological friendliness is the distinct symbol, and peace and security are the fundamental guarantees.

Chinese-style modernization is a modernization with a huge population size, common prosperity for all people, coordination between material and spiritual civilization, harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and a peaceful development path. It adheres to independence and self-reliance and adapts to local conditions, breaking the myth that "modernization = Westernization." The African modernization path has drawn lessons from the experience that copying the Western modernization path will lead to "acclimatization," based on the national conditions, history, and resource endowments of African countries, adhering to the independent exploration of diverse paths, and committed to promoting regional economic integration, prioritizing infrastructure construction, accelerating the industrialization process, and pursuing sustainable development and green growth.

The vision of China and Africa jointly building modernization is highly consistent, and cooperation has great potential. At the strategic level, China and Africa promote the deep alignment of the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" initiative with the African Union's "Agenda 2063," the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the development strategies of African countries, providing institutional and mechanistic guarantees for cooperation; at the cultural level, China's creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture inspires African countries to tap modernization momentum from their local traditional culture; at the practical level, China's development experience in poverty reduction, infrastructure construction, and science and technology has important reference value for African countries.

Emmanuel Matambo: African modernization takes the African Union's "Agenda 2063" as a blueprint, highlighting autonomy and inclusiveness. Today, Africa is developing rapidly in emerging fields such as mobile payment, digital finance, and e-commerce, showing strong digital vitality, but the lag in infrastructure still restricts the extension of digital dividends to wider fields, and problems such as capital shortage, technical bottlenecks, and insufficient governance capacity are still prominent, showing an unbalanced pattern of "digital innovation first, weak physical support."

Chinese-style modernization provides solutions for Africa's transformation in the digital age. China's experience shows that digital transformation should be built on solid infrastructure guarantees, human resource accumulation, and industrial foundations. Africa can learn from China's large-scale vocational education and skills training practices to transform the rich demographic dividend into a high-quality labor force, providing talent support for the development of the local digital economy. Chinese companies have undertaken the construction of a large number of digital infrastructures such as optical fiber networks, data centers, and smart parks in Africa, and have helped Africa build digital capabilities through technology transfer and localized operations. This cooperation model of "hard infrastructure" and "soft power" promoting synergy injects strong impetus into Africa's digital transformation.

Joseph Tegbe: China's modernization process focuses on long-term strategic planning, always puts people at the center, and takes into account development, stability, and ecology. These concepts and practices provide useful inspiration for African countries. The vitality of China-Africa modernization cooperation stems from both sides accurately responding to each other's development needs, showing a high degree of flexibility and inclusiveness.

Taking Nigeria as an example, after the elevation of Nigeria-China relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, a systemized cooperation mechanism was established, and practical cooperation was continuously promoted in infrastructure, agriculture, digital, and public administration fields. A large number of Nigerian officials, professionals, and young people participated in training and exchange programs organized by China, learning from each other and stimulating local innovation potential.

Africa is the youngest continent, and young people are not only the beneficiaries of development but also the builders of the future. This year is the "China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges." Strengthening the interaction and joint innovation of African and Chinese youth in education, culture, science, and technology fields will help consolidate the foundation of people-to-people connectivity.

(III)
China-Africa Modernization Cooperation
Shapes a New Pattern of Human Modernization Development
Emmanuel Matambo: China and Africa working together to promote the "Ten Partnership Plans for Modernization" provides a cooperation framework with clear principles, focused priorities, and accessible resources for more than 50 African countries with different national conditions. This framework does not presuppose a single development path, but focuses on enhancing the endogenous development momentum and resilience to cope with challenges on the premise of respecting the independent choices of various countries. For example, under the framework of the Green Development Partnership Action, South Africa and China are deepening cooperation around the realistic needs of energy structure optimization and transformation. The De Aar Wind Power Project and the Redstone Concentrated Solar Power Plant invested and constructed by China have significantly improved the stability of the South African power system and effectively alleviated the pressure of peak electricity consumption. China's production capacity and technology are helping African countries solve development problems. The systematic development experience and cutting-edge technology accumulated by China, coupled with Africa's young, digitally receptive, and innovative potential population dividend, will produce mutually beneficial and win-win synergistic effects.

The significance of China-Africa cooperation transcends the traditional scope and provides a stable force for the international situation intertwined with changes and chaos. China-Africa cooperation practices show that both sides can continue to generate new growth momentum through complementary advantages and inject continuous vitality into the world economic development.

Mwencha: China has launched a series of measures to improve global governance and promote open cooperation, directly responding to the concerns of African countries. China supports the African Union to become a member of the G20, helping Africa play a greater role on the international stage; China continues to expand market opening to Africa, providing broad opportunities for African commodities; China and Africa continue to expand cooperation in emerging fields such as green energy, promoting African industrial upgrading.

At present, the international landscape is in a critical stage of profound adjustment. Africa and China shoulder the important task of deepening South-South cooperation and promoting the modernization process of the Global South. China-Africa cooperation is serving this task to ensure that the fruits of modernization benefit more countries and people.

Joseph Tegbe: As an important force in South-South cooperation and a key engine of global growth, China and Africa have carried out in-depth cooperation in various fields, exploring a diversified, inclusive, people-oriented, and nationally-based modernization path, providing a new paradigm of development beyond the traditional model for countries in the Global South. China-Africa cooperation breaks the single modernization narrative and promotes the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa, both sides should strengthen exchanges in various fields, deepen civilization dialogue, consolidate South-South cooperation, and promote China-Africa relations to be more resilient and sustainable.

Ye Hailin: In the context of China and Africa building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future, significant progress has been made in African modernization construction: infrastructure conditions have continued to improve, and the level of regional interconnection has been significantly improved; the African Continental Free Trade Area has been fully launched, regional economic cooperation has been continuously deepened, and industrial chain collaboration has been accelerated; relying on the construction of economic special zones and industrial parks, African industrialization has taken substantial steps, and industries such as textiles, electronic assembly, and food processing have formed preliminary clusters; through projects such as "Luban Workshops" (鲁班工坊) and the "Future Africa - China-Africa Vocational Education Cooperation Plan," the technical skills and management capabilities of young people have been systematically improved, injecting strong momentum into African sustainable development. The total population of China and Africa accounts for about 1/3 of the world's population. China and Africa working together to promote modernization provides an important demonstration for the modernization of the Global South and will also shape a new pattern of human modernization development in a wider range.

(Interview and compilation by Qu Pei (屈佩), Huang Weixin (黄炜鑫), Jiang Xuan (姜宣), and Zheng Xiang (郑翔), reporters of this newspaper)

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Editor in Charge for This Edition: Wang Yuan, Qu Pei, Bai Ziwei

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Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Page 18版:产经

New "mosts" are constantly emerging, demonstrating the vigorous vitality of innovative China (Weekly Economic Review)

By: 刘志强

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Successful maiden flight! On April 4th, the engine developed by Aero Engine Corporation of China (中国航发) and equipped on a 7.5-ton unmanned transport aircraft made its maiden flight in Zhuzhou (株洲), Hunan (湖南). This is the world's first test flight of a megawatt-class hydrogen fuel aviation turboprop engine.

Highest altitude! On April 6th, the world's highest altitude trough solar thermal power station – CGN Tibet Umatang (中广核西藏乌玛塘) 50 MW solar thermal project – commenced construction in Lhasa (拉萨).

Deepest water! On April 7th, China's deepest water offshore wind power project – China Huaneng Shandong Peninsula North L Site (华能山东半岛北L场址) offshore wind power project – was fully connected to the grid for power generation.

Maiden flight, highest, deepest... In just a few days, in the fields of industry, science and technology, and engineering, many projects have reached the "world's best" and "China's best," demonstrating the innovative China's vibrant vitality that is changing with each passing day.

The continuous emergence of new "bests" is backed by the systematic improvement of "hard power." For example, the world's highest altitude trough solar thermal power station has achieved the world's first commercial application of 8.6-meter large-aperture trough collectors, and China has complete independent intellectual property rights for this collector. Another example is China's deepest water offshore wind power project, which, through the innovative application of four-pile jacket foundation structure and "drone + artificial magnetic field" collaborative technology, has ensured that the wind turbines are "firmly rooted" and the submarine cables are "skillfully laid." It is the fertile soil of the world's largest and most complete industrial system that nurtures innovation breakthroughs in various fields, supporting one inspiring summit after another.

The continuous emergence of new "bests" benefits from the demand-driven "big stage." China has a vast territory, and new industrialization and new urbanization are being steadily advanced, giving innovative technologies and advanced equipment 大有用武之地 (dà yǒu yòng wǔ zhī dì - "ample scope for displaying abilities," having a vast field for one's talents). From chasing dreams in the sky, exploring the deep sea, and building roads and bridges, to urban renewal, rural revitalization, and green transformation, and then to unmanned mines and smart terminals, massive application scenarios are provided for new technologies, new products, and new applications. Solidly advancing the 109 major projects of the "15th Five-Year Plan" and promoting the construction of "two major" and "two new" projects will bring unlimited possibilities for more innovative achievements to "reach the summit."

The continuous emergence of new "bests" is even more inseparable from the unremitting struggle of the climbers. Winning the joy of reaching the summit and harvesting the fruits of struggle are backed by years of cultivation and dedication. Today, a group of entrepreneurs, strivers, and climbers who are working hard are active in all walks of life in China. From repairing, modifying, and manufacturing cars to Chinese motorcycle brands winning championships in the world's top competitions, Zhang Xue (张雪), who is obsessed with motorcycles, has created miracles by relying on more than 20 years of persistent struggle. The "new three" of electric vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products are also inseparable from the intensive cultivation, research, and practical work of practitioners in the new energy industry. Not long ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook (蒂姆·库克) exclaimed at the China Development Forum 2026: "China's talented developer community is challenging the limits of innovation every day."

Looking at today's China, isn't it striving to climb every day? Just look at these few weeks, there are "major moves" to optimize the industrial structure and release development potential – the National Service Industry Conference was held to make systematic arrangements around better promoting the high-quality and efficient development of the service industry; there are "big gift packages" to solve problems and reduce burdens for business entities – the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) and other departments launched the "Together Benefit Enterprises" SME service action in 2026; there is also a "speed race" to develop new quality productive forces – brain-computer interface medical devices are listed, 5G radio frequency front-end chips pass vehicle-grade certification, and the first "Zhenwu" (真武) 10,000-card intelligent computing cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (粤港澳大湾区) is launched... From various regions and departments to the vast number of enterprises, working hard, small streams converge into a surging river, allowing the Chinese economy, which has started strongly since the beginning of the year, to continue to surge with vitality and vigor.

Cheer for innovation and applaud climbing. Let us start from the spring of the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan" and always maintain the state of climbing, taking one step at a time and moving forward firmly!

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Thousand-Island City: Green Electricity from the Sea (Industrial Perspective: Promoting High-Quality Development of the Marine Economy)

By: 本报记者 谷业凯 窦瀚洋

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Known as the "City of Thousand Islands," Zhoushan City (舟山市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), boasts diverse marine geographical conditions. Under the influence of strong tides and island convergence, many waterways or sea areas have high flow velocities, making them ideal for tidal energy resource development and giving them unique advantages in developing marine energy.

The LHD Tidal Energy Power Station is a tidal energy power generation project independently developed in China. In July 2016, the first-generation unit of the project was successfully put into operation in Zhoushan (舟山). After iterative optimization, in February 2022, the project's fourth-generation 1.6-megawatt "Fenjin (奋进) " unit was put into operation, becoming China's first megawatt-level tidal energy generator unit and the tidal energy generator unit with the largest single-unit capacity in the world; in April of the same year, the unit was officially connected to the grid.

Currently, the unit modules put into operation at the LHD Tidal Energy Power Station comprehensively cover the mainstream models of international tidal energy generators, and the installed capacity and technological level have reached the international leading level. As of April 6 this year, the project has been running continuously for more than 105 months, breaking the world record; the cumulative power generation has exceeded 10.11 million kilowatt-hours, and the generated electricity has been fully absorbed through the power grid, which is equivalent to saving 2,881 tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 5,303 tons, with significant environmental benefits. The Economic and Information Technology Department of Zhejiang Province (浙江省经济和信息化厅) organized experts to conduct acceptance and evaluation of the megawatt-level modular tidal energy power generation equipment, and concluded that the overall unit has reached the international leading level. Recently, reporters came to the coast of the East China Sea (东海之滨) to explore the green electricity energy hidden in this blue ocean.

Tides generate green electricity; "underwater windmills" are a new track for green and clean energy.

Boarding a boat from the southeast corner of Xiushan Island (秀山岛), it takes less than 3 minutes by speedboat to see an offshore platform. Seen from the air, the oversized platform, nearly 200 meters long, 35 meters wide, and 30 meters high on average, resembles a "violin," penetrating into the "trumpet mouth" of the southeast sea area of Xiushan Island (秀山岛). This is the world's first tidal energy power station—the LHD Tidal Energy Power Station.

Upon boarding the platform, one can see that each "room" is loaded with different modules, and underfoot is the rapid current. At high and low tides, the tidal velocity in the waterways or bay mouths between the shore, straits, and islands is very high, and the coastal convergence effect makes the tides even richer, making it an ideal place to build tidal energy power stations.

Tidal energy power generation is a new technology that uses the kinetic energy of rising and falling tides to generate electricity, and it is also a new track for green and clean energy. Similar to the principle of wind power generation, tidal energy also uses flowing energy to drive generators, but the density of seawater is higher, and the energy generated at the same flow rate is far greater than that of air, so it is often figuratively called an "underwater windmill."

Standing on the general assembly platform, Lin Dong (林东), director of the Large-scale Marine Tidal Energy Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Research Center (大型海洋潮流能浙江省工程研究中心) and chairman and chief engineer of Hangzhou Lin Dong New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (杭州林东新能源科技股份有限公司), introduced the conversion process from tidal energy to electrical energy: "The bottom of the platform is nailed into rock-embedded piles, firmly fixed on the seabed. The underwater tidal generator is placed in the sea, and the turbine rotates with the tide, which drives the gears to rotate, and then drives the generator to operate."

In February 2025, the Ministry of Natural Resources (自然资源部), the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委), and other departments jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Scaled Utilization of Marine Energy," which clearly proposed to "explore cutting-edge technologies for the development and utilization of tidal energy and wave energy," "support megawatt-level tidal energy power generation," and "implement hundred-megawatt-level tidal energy key projects."

Lin Dong (林东) saw the potential of tidal energy very early on. In 2009, while still in the food processing industry, he made an unconventional decision—to cross over into the field of marine tidal energy power generation. He found two partners to set up a laboratory, using factory buildings to apply for mortgage loans and replacing personal equity to raise funds. "The worst result is that the money on the books is less. But if it succeeds, this is a disruptive innovation." Lin Dong (林东) said.

From design and development to construction and installation, the team insisted on independent innovation and overcame a series of key core technologies.

At that time, marine tidal energy power generation was a world-class problem, and there was not much experience to learn from in China. Lin Dong's (林东) project was questioned a lot and was considered an "impossible task."

At that time, the mainstream technical route internationally was the "bottom-sitting" design, but under the complex sea conditions of strong corrosion and high flow velocity, if large generator units were all located on the seabed, it would bring problems such as difficult operation and maintenance, high costs, and difficulty in long-term stable operation. Lin Dong (林东) innovatively proposed the concept of "all equipment that needs maintenance must be accessible to people," and the team decided to adopt a "platform-based + modular" design to solve key problems such as offshore installation and operation and maintenance, and power transmission.

The "platform-based + modular" design is to set the core part of the generator unit on the general assembly platform that is exposed to the sea surface, just like building a stable "workbench" on the sea. The complex power generation system is disassembled into multiple independent functional modules, like building blocks on the sea.

"When a module needs to be repaired or upgraded, there is no need to lift the entire huge unit from the seabed, just replace it on the platform, which greatly reduces the difficulty and cost of operation and maintenance." Chen Li (陈历), vice president and deputy director of the R&D Center of Hangzhou Lin Dong New Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (杭州林东新能源科技股份有限公司), introduced that they also designed a sealed structure similar to a space docking module to achieve a safe connection between the inner hub and the boat cabin, so that personnel can enter the unit without diving for internal maintenance.

In Qiandao Lake (千岛湖), the world's largest LHD simulated marine flow large laboratory has a flow velocity simulation capability of 0.5 meters/second to 6 meters/second. The team explored bit by bit, polishing and optimizing each core component. "The marine environment is extremely complex, with different sediment content, salinity, water temperature, and topography. Only by establishing our own airfoil library can we match different sea conditions." Chen Li (陈历) said that although the team members are professionally dispersed, their goals are very consistent, which is to develop marine tidal energy.

Collaborative operations and joint efforts to solve problems. In response to the strong corrosive characteristics of seawater, the team developed a special marine environment anti-corrosion program, and the equipment can work stably for a long time in high-speed sea currents and salt spray environments; floating debris such as fishing nets in the ocean is the "natural enemy" of the unit, and a multi-layer filtration and protection device was developed to effectively prevent debris from hitting or wrapping around the blades...

Installation is even more difficult. The installation of tidal energy units in China is still the first time, and there is no mature experience to refer to. From marine ship experts to front-line practitioners such as "boat bosses," anyone who is familiar with tides and sea conditions is a "teacher" of the team. Chen Li (陈历) recalled that the team spent a year and a half repeatedly demonstrating, combined with the actual tidal law to develop an exclusive construction plan to ensure the stable hoisting of the unit and the lowering of the platform.

Challenges followed one after another. In 2016, the first unit of the LHD Tidal Energy Power Station was installed at sea. When the unit was lowered to 3/4 of the predetermined depth, it was suddenly stuck, unable to go down or be lifted up. The atmosphere at the scene instantly solidified. If the equipment could not be installed, it would mean that the investment of tens of millions of yuan might be in vain, and the entire project would face the risk of failure.

Lin Dong (林东), who had not slept all night, repeatedly "replayed" the installation process in his mind. After calmly analyzing, he deduced that the tidal change caused the water flow to become rapid, and the strong thrust caused the unit to shift slightly, just stuck in the groove of the bracket, so he decisively ordered to adjust the lowering time of the second unit, 1 hour in advance, to avoid the rapid flow period. The next day, when the unit successfully entered the water, there was warm applause at the scene.

Technology is becoming more mature, costs are constantly decreasing, and more island residents are benefiting.

After the first-generation unit was successfully put into operation, the team did not stop. They stepped up research and development to promote the continuous maturation of marine tidal energy power generation technology.

"The first generation is a vertical axis gravity type with high torque design; the second generation is a low torque vertical axis unit; the third generation of 300-kilowatt horizontal axis unit uses a self-developed commutation system to automatically turn according to the direction of the incoming flow to achieve two-way power generation; the fourth generation launched a 1.6-megawatt high-power horizontal axis unit, using the world's unique variable pitch system, which can dynamically adjust the blade angle according to the incoming flow energy density to achieve optimal efficiency two-way power generation." Lin Dong (林东) introduced.

Accompanying this is a significant decrease in power generation costs. Lin Dong (林东) introduced that the cost of electricity for the first-generation unit was 106 yuan; by the second and third generations, the cost of electricity was reduced to 8.45 yuan after combined accounting; the fourth-generation "Fenjin (奋进)" unit runs alone, and its cost of electricity is 4.2 yuan; in the future, with technological progress and scale expansion, the cost is expected to be greatly reduced.

In addition, through full-power variable frequency technology, the LHD Tidal Energy Power Station has achieved smooth access to electricity, and through a high-precision prediction system, the power generation curve is included in the power grid's daily plan, and is directly sent to Xiushan Island (秀山岛) through a 10-kilovolt line, forming an efficient closed loop of "local power generation and local consumption."

For the LHD Tidal Energy Power Station, the most important technological breakthrough at present is the fifth-generation unit under development, which is expected to break through the key technology of large-power tidal energy turbine blades and plans to adopt different pile foundation processes to greatly reduce costs. "The ultimate goal is to reduce the cost of electricity to 0.25 yuan through continuous research and development and iteration. By then, the power generation cost of tidal energy, a clean energy source, will be lower than that of thermal power." Lin Dong (林东) looked forward to.

Today, more than 8,000 residents of Xiushan Island (秀山岛) have used green electricity from the LHD Tidal Energy Power Station. Xu Ping (徐萍), 58 years old, is a native of Xiushan (秀山). What she remembers most about the past is the power outages during peak electricity consumption on the island. "Air conditioners, washing machines, and high-power kitchen appliances were not dared to be turned on together at all." She said that now it is completely different, and her family has also used a dishwasher.

Hao Yuanjie (郝元杰), who has been running a homestay on Xiushan Island (秀山岛) for 8 years, feels even more deeply. In the past, there would be power outages during peak seasons, and customers complained constantly. Now the power supply is stable, the customer experience is better, and repeat customers naturally increase. "Maybe in the future, the tidal energy power station can become a new check-in point and a new highlight of tourism on Xiushan Island (秀山岛)." He joked.

Lin Dong (林东) is also planning a broader tidal energy application scenario: "Through artificial intelligence, we can more accurately understand tidal energy resources, such as the unidirectional high-speed flowing 'Kuroshio Current (黑潮),' which is a veritable 'rich mine' in terms of flow, velocity, and full-load hours. In the future, in deep-sea areas, we can also deploy and build underwater computing centers, use tidal energy to directly supply electricity, and use seawater for natural cooling."

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Broadening Horizons in Hubei to Craft a Grand "Article" on Rivers and Lakes (Economic Geography Musings)

By: 秦尊文

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The great rivers and seas are the foundation upon which humanity depends for survival, nourishing the development of commercial civilization.

The mighty Yangtze River (长江), vast and surging, meets the Han River (汉江) in its middle reaches, creating the "most prosperous place in the Chu region" – historically, merchant guilds stood in great numbers, and merchant groups gathered.

A century ago, Sun Yat-sen (孙中山) described it this way: "Wuhan (武汉) refers to the three cities of Wuchang (武昌), Hanyang (汉阳), and Hankou (汉口). This point is the watershed of our plan to connect with the ocean, the center of China's mainland railway system, and the most important commercial center in China."

Rising because of water and blessed with a unique "central" location, Wuhan (武汉) and even Hubei (湖北) are naturally endowed with the attributes of a river basin economy, transforming geographical advantages into developmental strengths, with commercial veins stretching endlessly.

Consider a "Jianghan Scenic View" – in Wuhan (武汉), the Shanxi-Shaanxi Guild (山陕会馆) mainly dealt in drafts, tea, tobacco, and medicinal materials; the Jiangxi Guild (江西会馆) mainly dealt in timber, grain, porcelain, and shipping; the Huizhou Guild (徽州会馆) mainly dealt in salt, pawn-broking, rice, and tea; the Ningbo Guild (宁波会馆) mainly dealt in shipping, finance, and construction... During the Ming (明) and Qing (清) dynasties, relying on the benefits of boats and ships, Chu merchants and merchant groups from various provinces united sincerely, and the saying "goods arrive in Hankou (汉口) and thrive" once enjoyed a reputation at home and abroad.

The river basin pattern where the Yangtze River (长江) and Han River (汉江) converge not only nurtured the material wealth of "Huguang (湖广) is ripe, the whole country is satisfied," but also gave birth to a regional culture represented by the big wharf culture, becoming an important source of the Chu merchants' spirit.

The river basin environment of interconnected rivers and access to the sea has painted the spiritual background of Chu merchants as open, inclusive, and receptive to all.

From the commercial exchanges in the ancient Chu (楚) period to the modern development of industries and the establishment of foreign affairs, Chu merchants have always maintained an open attitude, not confined to one corner. Today, the Yangtze River (长江) mid-stream shipping center has become a key piece in the development strategy of the Yangtze River Economic Belt (长江经济带), the China-Europe Railway Express (中欧班列) Central China regional assembly center has opened up a new channel for Asia-Europe land-sea intermodal transport, and the Ezhou Huahu International Airport (鄂州花湖国际机场) has transformed into an inland "air gateway to the sea"... Taking advantage of the river basin, gathering goods from all over the world, stemming from the broad vision brought by the great rivers and seas, Chu merchants have jumped out of the "one-man show" of one region, integrated resources with an inclusive mind, expanded business opportunities with a win-win concept, and continuously stepped out of Hubei (湖北), laid out across the country, and moved towards the world.

The surging and fearless river basin posture has nurtured the innovative character of Chu merchants who keep pace with the times and forge ahead.

Where rivers converge, they often lead the way in new trends. The State of Chu (楚国) originated in Jianghan (江汉), opening up territory with a spirit of 筚路蓝缕 (bì lù lán lǚ - "driving a cart with a bamboo pole and wearing tattered clothes," starting an undertaking in pioneering spirit). Today, the new generation of Chu merchants promotes Jingchu (荆楚) culture, rooted in the fertile soil of the Yangtze River (长江) mid-stream basin, inheriting the spirit of daring to be the first, and by fully leveraging the talent resource endowment of Wuhan's (武汉) numerous universities, they have explored an innovative model of "alumni research and development, Chu merchant transformation," to accelerate the construction of a "science and technology innovation center with national influence," strongly supporting the high-quality development of the Yangtze River (长江) basin.

The water veins are long, and the commercial veins stretch endlessly. Looking back at history, while the river basin economy nurtured the growth of Chu merchants, the spirit of Chu merchants also empowered the development of the river basin economy. Looking at the present, the "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五规划纲要) proposes to expand river basin economy and other models in accordance with local conditions. Relying on the vast Yangtze River (长江) basin, doing a good job in the "grand article" of rivers, opening up space with openness, and winning the future with innovation, Chu merchants who have come from the depths of history will continue to write the contemporary narrative of "goods arrive in Hankou (汉口) and thrive," becoming a bright spot in the development landscape of China's river basin economy in the new era.

(The author is a researcher at the Hubei Provincial Academy of Social Sciences (湖北省社会科学院), and this article was compiled by Han Xin (韩鑫), a reporter from this newspaper)

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Page 19版:消费

Letting "Old Business Formats" of Service Grow into "New Ecosystems" (Business Tide Observation)

By: 林丽鹂

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In recent years, tourists traveling by car have noticed new changes in many highway service areas:

In the past, their function was limited to parking, refueling, simple meals, and restrooms. Nowadays, many highway service areas have been upgraded, subverting people's stereotypes. For example, the Tonglu Service Area (桐庐服务区) in Zhejiang (浙江) has created a three-dimensional "garden shopping mall" integrating landscape check-in, special performances, and markets; the Qufu Service Area (曲阜服务区) in Shandong (山东) has created a cultural tourism experience space, transforming into a "micro-scenic spot."

These service areas have diversified services, upgrading from "roadside stations" to service complexes integrating catering, shopping, cultural tourism, leisure, and new energy replenishment, transforming passing passenger flow into consumption flow, which not only enhances the travel experience of consumers, but also taps into the huge potential of travel consumption.

Practice has proven that traditional business formats such as highway service areas, shopping malls, and supermarkets are new consumption carriers with huge potential. More and more traditional business formats are actively embracing change, allowing the "old business formats" of service to grow "new ecosystems." For example, more and more traditional shopping malls are breaking the mold of "**千店一面**" (qiān diàn yī miàn - "thousand stores one face," all stores looking the same) and jumping out of the mindset of "selling goods," turning to "creating scenes and providing experiences," breaking the barriers between retail, catering, and entertainment formats, and creating immersive theme spaces, parent-child interactive parks, cultural and creative art blocks, night consumption markets, and other diverse scenes, deeply integrating shopping with social interaction, leisure, and cultural experiences.

Not long ago, the National Service Industry Conference (全国服务业大会) was held in Beijing (北京), systematically deploying the promotion of high-quality and efficient development of the service industry, and pointing out the direction for creating a new situation in the high-quality development of the service industry. Focusing on key areas of production and life, how can we continuously cultivate new growth points in the service industry? We might as well explore by analyzing the service "new ecosystem."

The "old business formats" grow "new ecosystems," promoting the high-quality, diversified, and convenient development of lifestyle service industries. The core lies in highlighting demand traction and reconstructing service scenarios. With changes in population structure and upgrades in consumption structure, the preferences of consumer groups have changed. Consumers no longer only pursue the goods themselves, but pay more attention to the sense of experience, atmosphere, and emotional value in the consumption process. Merchants should focus on residents' pursuit of a high-quality life, expand the supply of upgraded services; focus on residents' diversified consumption needs, refine personalized services; dare to break through traditional thinking, innovate scenarios, optimize services, and integrate business formats based on consumption needs, and achieve a transformation from "functional" to "experiential, composite, and ecological."

Productive service industries should also extend to specialization and the high end of the value chain through innovation-driven means. "Old business formats" such as logistics, warehousing, and industrial operation and maintenance are growing "new ecosystems" using digital technology. Taking traditional logistics as an example, in the past, it only undertook transportation and warehousing functions. Now, through big data, artificial intelligence, and Internet of Things technologies, it analyzes real trade data and logistics trajectories, and integrates resources across the entire chain of trade, processing, and finance to form a closed-loop ecosystem of industrial supply chain finance. For another example, the traditional industrial equipment service industry is transforming into an intelligent operation and maintenance ecosystem, shifting from passive after-sales maintenance to remote monitoring, predictive maintenance, and full lifecycle management. In the future, we should pay more attention to innovation-driven development, vigorously develop technology services, strengthen digital intelligence services, promote the integrated development of manufacturing and service industries, and spawn more "new business formats" in productive service industries.

The service industry is the largest industry in China's national economy and occupies an important position in the overall economic and social development. Last year, China's service industry achieved remarkable results: the added value exceeded 80 trillion yuan for the first time, accounting for 57.7% of GDP, and the contribution rate to national economic growth reached 61.4%. This year, the "Government Work Report" lists "expanding and improving the quality of the service industry" as one of the key tasks for the year. The "Work Plan for Accelerating the Cultivation of New Growth Points in Service Consumption" issued by the General Office of the State Council (国务院办公厅) in January puts forward 12 specific measures from three aspects: stimulating the vitality of development in key areas, cultivating the development momentum in potential areas, and strengthening support and guarantees. A series of policy support measures have been further enhanced in terms of targeting and effectiveness, creating a favorable environment for the development of the service industry. We look forward to more and more service "old business formats" growing "new ecosystems" and continuing to write a new chapter in the high-quality development of the service industry.

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The Crossover Metamorphosis of Shipping Containers (Witnessing the 72 Transformations of Quality Chinese Products)

By: 本报记者 王伟健 程远州 窦 皓

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From standardized transportation carriers on ocean-going freighters to creative modules in urban spaces and core equipment in the new energy sector, Chinese containers are breaking boundaries with a "seventy-two transformations" (七十二变). Behind this transformation are iterative breakthroughs in materials technology, diversified extensions of functional scenarios, and, more importantly, the vivid practice of China's manufacturing industry transforming from scale expansion to high-quality development.

Data shows that in 2024, China's total container production exceeded 8.1 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 268.2%, setting a new historical record. The production and sales of containers account for 96% of the world's total, with production capacity mainly distributed in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions. As the core force of the global container industry, China is leveraging "small boxes" to drive large industries, writing a new chapter in the transformation and upgrading of the real economy.

The Change of Materials
From "Steel Boxes" to "Super Modules"

On the morning of April 8, Qidong (启东), Jiangsu Province (江苏省), on the north bank of the Yangtze River estuary, was sunny and breezy. In the factory area of ​​CIMC Orient International Containers (Qidong) Co., Ltd. (寰宇东方国际集装箱(启东)有限公司), more than 50 newly produced containers were neatly lined up. A few hours later, this batch of containers will go to Shanghai Yangshan Port (上海洋山港) and be delivered to European customers who have been waiting for a long time.

Walking into the energy storage container production workshop of CIMC Orient International (寰宇东方国际), white containers come into view. At first glance, they are no different from ordinary shipping containers, but opening the box door reveals a different scene: battery components are arranged neatly, and the supporting safety, thermal management, power distribution, communication, and environmental control systems are all available, like a mobile "large power bank."

"Now, making containers is no longer a simple matter of 'welding iron boxes.' The materials used inside and out are very particular. From the box frame to a small box panel, everything is different from the past." Zhai Jianxing (翟建兴), the company's technology department manager who has been deeply involved in the container industry for many years, said in a word, revealing a material transformation spanning more than 10 years.

"In recent years, the new energy industry has developed rapidly, and the demand for energy storage containers has surged. The threshold for this new track is not low." Zhai Jianxing (翟建兴) calculated a "technical account": the warranty period for ordinary shipping containers is generally 2 years, but energy storage containers are required to last for more than 20 years, and the standards for explosion-proof, fire-proof, corrosion-proof, and protection are stricter than each other. What is more complicated is that this standard system must also "adapt to local conditions." If an energy storage container wants to sell all over the world, the technical documents stacked up are higher than the box itself.

How to tackle this "hard bone"? "Material is the first hurdle." Zhai Jianxing (翟建兴) said that taking corrosion protection as an example, most of the materials used to make containers in the past were weather-resistant low-alloy structural steel, which relied on spraying three layers of paint for corrosion protection. In order to find suitable new materials, the company team constantly tested and iterated, and finally settled on zinc-aluminum-magnesium coated low-alloy structural steel. This steel itself has super corrosion resistance and self-healing ability, and can withstand harsh environments with high salt spray and extreme temperature differences along the coast, effectively solving the service life problem of containers.

There are many other such changes. The former "iron box" has changed into "new clothes" from head to toe: in order to prevent fire, the container is covered with ceramic wool "armor"; in order to be more environmentally friendly, traditional oil-based paint has been completely replaced by environmentally friendly water-based paint; in order to reduce the consumption of forest resources, the container wood floor has been replaced with bamboo flooring...

At present, the company team is fully tackling bio-based material technology to make containers with corn stalks. "Does it sound incredible?" Zhai Jianxing (翟建兴) explained that after the corn stalks are crushed, they are made into bio-based polymer materials through bio-extraction, polymerization and other processes, and fused with fibers, and then laminated and molded into continuous fiber bio-based composite panels. The density of the finished bio-based composite panel is less than 1/4 of that of steel, but its tensile performance is two to three times that of metal.

One "material change" after another has turned the "iron box" that was simply welded and assembled in the past into a technological product integrating a variety of innovative materials. Material innovation not only allows traditional shipping containers to achieve quality leaps, but also realizes their application in scenarios such as new energy power generation, energy storage, computing power centers, and modular buildings.

The Change of Function
From "Logistics Unit" to "Scenario Solutions"

In the industrial park of Cixi City (慈溪市), Ningbo City (宁波市), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), containers that are usually used for warehousing and freight have been transformed into a mobile, fully functional integrated energy station.

At the beginning of this year, the supporting project of the "Key Technology of Compact Renewable Energy Electric-Thermal-Hydrogen Combined Production System Module" of the State Grid (国家电网) was put into operation in Cixi (慈溪) - a white container integrates a complete electric-thermal-hydrogen combined production system, and the floor space is reduced from the original 12,000 square meters to 14 square meters.

"Industrial parks have a large demand for green energy, but land resources are limited. We have 'slimmed down' the hydrogen production device and transformed the fuel cell to put green hydrogen manufacturing technology into containers, providing users with electricity, hydrogen, heat and other energy sources." Peng Jiaying (彭佳鹰), a technician from the Science and Technology Digitalization Department of State Grid Zhejiang Cixi Power Supply Company (国网浙江慈溪市供电公司), said that the "plug and play" characteristics of containers allow users to select the amount as needed, quickly expand capacity, and deploy flexibly.

In addition to applications in the industrial field, turning the vision to Huanghu Town (黄湖镇), Yuhang District (余杭区), Hangzhou City (杭州市), two containers are stacked on the open space of the Pukuang Smart Agricultural Park (普旷智慧农业园区).

Lettuce grows on iron racks inside the container, and tomatoes grow rapidly under the lights in the box... This mobile digital plant factory is eye-opening.

"We customize light formulas, nutrient solution formulas, and temperature and humidity environments for plants through a precise environmental control system." Lei Lina (雷俐娜), head of the plant factory and senior partner of Pukuang Agricultural Technology (普旷农业科技), introduced, "This small-space, high-tech model transforms industrial containers into a characteristic miniature plant factory that integrates 'agricultural economy + industrial economy + digital economy'." She pointed out that container-type plant factories, as a convenient cultivation carrier, can be spliced and transported at will like building blocks, providing great convenience for realizing the nearby picking and distribution of fresh vegetables and fruits.

What if there is not enough community leisure space? In daily life, containers have more possibilities.

At about 8 p.m., in Kaiyuan Square (开元广场), Zhuangshi Street (庄市街道), Zhenhai District (镇海区), Ningbo City (宁波市), many citizens gathered in front of a renovated used container, keeping time with the singers performing on stage. Taking a closer look, this is a stage converted from a container.

The stage space is only 27 square meters, but it is fully equipped with projectors, speakers, microphones, lights and other equipment. There is also a small dressing room behind the container, where some actors are putting on makeup. This intelligent shared stage is an exploration by the Zhenhai District Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau (镇海区文广旅游体育局). Shared spaces like this, which integrate multiple functions such as performances, salons, and lectures, have been set up in 5 public spaces in Zhenhai District (镇海区).

"This kind of stage not only gives more people the opportunity to stand in the spotlight, but also allows more people to feel the charm of art up close." said the relevant person in charge of the Zhenhai District Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau (镇海区文广旅游体育局).

During the Qingming holiday this year, the Su Xiaohua Post (苏小花驿站) on the shore of East Taihu Lake (东太湖) in Wujiang District (吴江区), Suzhou City (苏州市), Jiangsu Province (江苏省) was very lively. Many citizens and tourists came here to drink coffee and enjoy the spring scenery. This post, which combines beauty and practicality, is assembled from 4 special containers.

"The reason why containers can be used to build comfortable leisure stations is the constantly upgraded good materials." Qian Xiaohui (钱晓惠), head of Suzhou Zhongnan Steel Structure Co., Ltd. (苏州中南钢结构股份有限公司), said that in order to adapt to the needs of civilian use scenarios, the box body uses a technology sound-absorbing board, which can effectively isolate outdoor noise; the floor uses a fireproof glass magnesium board, which is full of safety performance; even the supporting structure uses only 6 mm thick high-strength steel, which not only ensures the load-bearing capacity, but also maximizes the release of indoor space.

Today, containers are integrated into urban construction, energy security, and people's livelihood services through functional reconstruction, becoming a cross-border integrated "versatile carrier", adding luster to people's better life and providing strong support for industrial innovation.

The Change of Industry
From "Manufacturing Single Products" to "Ecosystem Builders"

Containers, the steel boxes that connect the global logistics system, have been transformed in the innovation wave of Chinese intelligent manufacturing, building a diversified ecosystem of "manufacturing + industry + service".

Digital empowerment enables intelligent production lines to achieve efficiency leaps.

At 7 a.m., in the intelligent factory of Ningbo CIMC Logistics Equipment Co., Ltd. (宁波中集物流装备有限公司) (hereinafter referred to as "Ningbo CIMC" (宁波中集)), more than 500 robots stretched their arms and completed welding, assembly, spraying and other processes with millimeter-level precision. Steel plates "grow" into standard dry cargo containers on the assembly line.

"Relying on 5G+, artificial intelligence, digital twin and other digital technologies to realize the automation and intelligence of container production, the average efficiency per person on a single production line has increased by more than 30%, and the capacity utilization rate has jumped to 95%." said Zhang Kechao (张克超), general manager of Ningbo CIMC (宁波中集).

In CIMC Qingdao Refrigeration Industry Base (中集青岛冷藏产业基地) (hereinafter referred to as "CIMC Qingleng Base" (中集青冷基地)), artificial intelligence (AI) control is realized through industrial models, and a high-end refrigerated container can be manufactured in an average of 220 seconds; in Guangdong Xinhui CIMC Container Co., Ltd. (广东新会中集集装箱有限公司), on the fully automatic powder spraying mass production line, more than 300 automatic spray guns realize spraying without dead angles...

The industrial chain is upgraded to form a full-chain collaborative model of "R&D - manufacturing - application".

In the morning, in the vineyard of the Impression Dazeshan Rural Revitalization Area (印象大泽乡村振兴片区) in Dazeshan Town (大泽山镇), Pingdu City (平度市), Qingdao City (青岛市), Shandong Province (山东省), fruit farmer Xu Wenxue (徐文学) picked freshly ripe grapes and carefully packed them into fresh-keeping boxes. Within two hours, this batch of grapes will be pre-cooled at the CIMC Qingleng Base (中集青冷基地) to reduce the core temperature of the fruit to 5 degrees Celsius, and then loaded into customized refrigerated boxes and sent to major supermarkets.

CIMC Qingleng Base (中集青冷基地) not only produces the world's leading refrigerated containers, but also deeply integrates cold chain technology with agriculture, giving agricultural products "fresh-keeping wings". Dazeshan grapes (大泽山葡萄), Laoshan cherries (崂山樱桃), Majiagou celery (马家沟芹菜)... characteristic agricultural products go out of Shandong (山东) and to the whole country along the cold chain logistics.

From technological innovation at the R&D end to lean production at the manufacturing end, and then to scenario expansion at the application end, containers empower thousands of industries and build a full-chain collaborative model of "R&D - manufacturing - application", and the industrial ecosystem is constantly expanding.

Mai Boliang (麦伯良), chairman of CIMC Group (中集集团), said that in the container industry chain, modular data centers, energy storage and cold chain are three new businesses with huge development potential. At present, it also provides technology and manufacturing delivery services for prefabricated data centers for more than 300 megawatts of artificial intelligence and cloud computing customers, and deploys large-scale capacity expansion.

From the "green revolution" of materials to the "scenario breakthrough" of functions, and then to the "collaborative upgrade" of the ecosystem, the "seventy-two transformations" (七十二变) of Chinese containers is essentially the process of new quality productive forces integrating into traditional industries. In the future, with the deep integration of AI, Internet of Things and other technologies, this "good Chinese product" will continue to break through the boundaries of imagination, create connections in change, reshape value in connection, and play a greater value in global trade, energy transition, and urban development, becoming a clear footnote to the high-quality development of China's manufacturing industry.

(Su Yongxiao (苏咏潇) participated in the writing)

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A Millennium of Snail Shells, A City of Rice Noodle Fragrance (Glimpses of Modern Life in Cultural Relics)

By: 本报记者 张云河

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In the past two years, online and offline, Liuzhou River Snail Rice Noodles from Guangxi have become incredibly popular. It has a unique flavor, a bold aroma, and a satisfying taste.

"You would never imagine that the connection between the people of Liuzhou (柳州) and river snails began more than 20,000 years ago." Walking into the Bailiandong Cave Science Museum (柳州白莲洞洞穴科学博物馆) in Liuzhou, a batch of snail shell fossils lie quietly in a glass display case. They are larger than the snails we eat now, with clear patterns and a matte texture that reveals the accumulation of time.

The Bailiandong Site (白莲洞遗址) on the southern slope of Baimian Mountain (白面山) in the suburbs of Liuzhou unearthed the oldest snail shell fossils in the area. "Scattered snail shells appeared in the cultural accumulation layer more than 20,000 years ago. The higher the layer, the greater the number of snail shells." Chen Jian (陈坚), deputy curator of the museum, said with a smile, "This 'earth history book' proves that our ancestors were definitely senior 'foodies'."

The diet of the Bailiandong people was quite rich. After identification, the unearthed snail shells include many types such as Bellamya aeruginosa, Rivularia leei, and bird snails. Interestingly, the tails of the snail shells often have neat敲痕 (qiāo hén - "knocking marks," marks indicating the shells were broken open). "The hammering tools unearthed at the site at the same time as the snail shells have hammering ends that are either conical or ridge-shaped. We speculate that the hammering tools may have been used to hammer the tails of the snail shells," said Chen Jian. "The bone needles in the late Neolithic strata have tips as thin as hair. If these ancient people used the 'bone needle picking method', it has some of the flavor of today's 'holding a skewer to pick snails, chatting over drinks at night'."

Speaking of snail cooking, one has to mention the invention of pottery. Chen Jian speculates that the appearance of pottery shards and fire pits in the ruins may be related to a large number of cooked snails and other things.

Coming from ancient caves, this "snail-eating complex" engraved in the genes of Liuzhou remains fresh after ten thousand years.

At noon, in the Wenchang store (文昌店) of Liuzhou's "Wangwei River Snail Rice Noodles · Fried River Snail Rice Noodles" (王味螺螺蛳粉·炒螺蛳粉), the nearly 90-square-meter store is fully occupied. A bowl of river snail rice noodles is served, with red oil floating on the surface and a mountain of ingredients piled on top. Huang Junwen (黄俊文), 42, lowers his head to drink the soup, and the freshness of the snails immediately spreads in his mouth. The noodles depend entirely on this soup, which is made with stone snails that have been tailed and washed, flavored with pork bones, and slowly simmered with more than a dozen spices for six or seven hours.

"Fresh, sour, fragrant, spicy, hot, and smooth," river snail rice noodles have long been a well-known specialty snack in Liuzhou. With its authentic flavor, it has become a hit product.

More than 200 river snail rice noodle brands, 200,000 mu of core raw material planting and breeding scale, driving 300,000 people to employment... From the upstream production of raw materials such as river snails, to midstream food processing, and then to downstream supermarkets, logistics, and cultural tourism, Liuzhou uses industrial concepts, industrial chain thinking, and Internet marketing to make river snail rice noodles fragrant throughout the country and the world.

"Currently, there are nearly 50,000 physical chain stores of river snail rice noodles nationwide," said Lu Shichang (卢世昌), director of the Liuzhou River Snail Rice Noodle Industry Development Center (柳州市螺蛳粉产业发展中心). "In 2025, the sales revenue of the entire industrial chain of Liuzhou river snail rice noodles will reach 81.31 billion yuan."

Small river snails create a big market. The Liuzhou River Snail Rice Noodle Inspection and Testing Center (柳州螺蛳粉检验检测中心) and other institutions have been approved for establishment, possessing the full inspection capabilities for pre-packaged products; the expansion of the international trademark registration scope helps river snail rice noodles sell well in more than 30 countries and regions around the world.

"You haven't been to Liuzhou if you haven't tasted river snail rice noodles." "Freshly cooked and eaten in the store" has become "bagged fast food." Every serving of river snail rice noodles sent out and delivered by express delivery through the Internet is both "homesickness that can be delivered by express" and "a city business card that can be eaten." Today, the annual delivery volume of Liuzhou river snail rice noodle products exceeds 100 million pieces, with an export value of over 90 million yuan.

From the snail-eating remains of the Bailiandong ancestors to the nearly 100 billion yuan river snail rice noodle industry today, a vein of snail fragrance spans ten thousand years. A bowl of river snail rice noodles has created a unique era legend for Liuzhou.

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Affairs of State, the Nation, and the World; Serving the Country in the Military (Talking About Life)

By: 钱七虎

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On January 8, 2019, I received the State Top Science and Technology Award, and President Xi Jinping (习近平) personally presented me with the medal and certificate. This honor and commendation does not belong to me personally; it is due to the Party and the country's warm concern for scientific and technological personnel, and to the full respect of all sectors of society for scientific and technological innovation. Looking back on the path I have traveled, I always believe that only when a person closely links his personal ideals with the future and destiny of the country and the nation can he achieve something, realize his life value, and reap a successful career and a happy life.

In 1937, I was born into an ordinary family in Kunshan (昆山), Jiangsu (江苏) Province. My eldest brother and sister's formal names were Shixiong (世雄) and Shiying (世英) respectively, both meaning to become outstanding talents. When I was five years old and about to go to school, my father was seriously ill with tuberculosis and had no time to give me a formal name. My nickname "Qi Hu (七虎)" has been used throughout my life.

My childhood was spent under the iron heel of the Japanese invaders. According to my sister, after the Battle of Shanghai (淞沪会战) in 1937, Japanese soldiers invaded and advanced westward. My father, who was originally an employee in the district office in his hometown of Kunshan (昆山), fled with his family to his uncle's house in the French Concession in Shanghai (上海法租界) to avoid the war. I was born on a small boat during the escape. At the time of my birth, my father was afraid that the crying would attract Japanese soldiers, so he had my mother cover my mouth tightly, almost suffocating me to death.

When I was seven years old, my father returned to his hometown of Kunshan (昆山) due to severe tuberculosis. Before his death, he called me to his bedside and left a will saying, "Grow up and make a career." Only later did I learn that my family's ancestral hall was called "Min Shen Tang (敏慎堂)," and there was a Qian (钱) family motto: "Do not seek profit for oneself, but seek profit for the world."

When I was in the fourth grade of elementary school, I ranked first in the class and was praised by relatives and friends, which also gave me the motivation to study hard. In order to have a better learning environment, my mother sent me to school in Shanghai (上海) and lived with my uncle's family. At that time, my brother was also studying in middle school in Shanghai (上海). Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, he participated in underground student movements and brought back the underground student union publication "Wen Cui (文萃)" for me to read, which made me aware of the Shen Chong Incident (沈崇事件) and the Zang Dayaozi Incident (臧大咬子事件), and the slogans "anti-hunger, anti-civil war."

In my memory, China in the early 1950s was full of revolutionary and construction passion. In Shanghai High School (上海中学), the Party and the Communist Youth League were active, and political and ideological education was in-depth. I have a particularly deep impression of the report given by Ms. Qiu Huiying (裘慧英), the wife of martyr Li Bai (李白) (the prototype of Li Xia (李侠), the protagonist of the movie "The Eternal Radio Wave (永不消逝的电波)"), at our middle school, recalling the life of the martyr, as well as the reports on the heroic deeds of the Soviet heroine Zoya (卓娅) and her brother Shura's (舒拉) mother. The education of these heroic martyrs who dedicated themselves to the country and the people laid the foundation for my outlook on life. At that time, I also read a large number of revolutionary books such as "Mao Zedong's (毛泽东) Youth," "How the Steel Was Tempered," and "Dedicate Everything to the Party." In particular, a famous quote from Paul Kochakin (保尔·柯察金), the protagonist of "How the Steel Was Tempered": "A person's life should be spent like this: when looking back on the past, he will not regret wasting his years, nor be ashamed of his mediocrity; in this way, when he is dying, he can say: 'My whole life has been dedicated to the most magnificent cause in the world - the struggle for the liberation of mankind.'" These deeply moving words still fill me with strength when I read them today.

In 1954, when I graduated from high school, I faced the first major choice in my life. At first, the secretary of the school's Communist Youth League Committee talked to me and informed me that the school would send me to study in the Soviet Union. However, soon after, the secretary of the school's Communist Youth League Committee talked to me again, saying that the newly established Harbin Military Engineering Institute (哈尔滨军事工程学院) (Harbin Military Industry (哈军工)) was recruiting outstanding graduates from middle schools, and the organization wanted to recommend me to study at Harbin Military Industry (哈军工) because China urgently needed to train military engineering talents.

After entering Harbin Military Industry (哈军工), I had to fill out my application. Because the Engineering Corps Engineering Department dealt with loess and shovels, not many people applied for this department at that time. In order to respond to the needs of the Party and the country, I, as the class leader, took the lead in choosing the Engineering Corps Engineering Department, and from then on, I became connected with protection engineering.

The Songhua River (松花江) in Harbin (哈尔滨) is very beautiful, especially the snow scene in winter. But I never went to see it once, and devoted almost all my time and energy to studying. Because of my active performance, I was developed into a member of the Communist Party of China (中共党员) in my freshman year at the age of 18. During my five years as an undergraduate, I was rated as an excellent student and an activist in socialist construction every year, and I also became the only all-A graduate in the entire grade.

After graduating from university, I was selected by the organization to continue my studies at the Moscow Kuibyshev Military Engineering Academy (莫斯科古比雪夫军事工程学院). Before going abroad to study, the old Red Army soldier and director of the Political Department of the Engineering Corps told me that some Chinese farmers still don't have enough to eat, how many gold bars do you students need? I knew that my growth depended entirely on the cultivation of the Party and the country, and without the Party, I would not be able to study abroad. During my four years of studying abroad, I didn't go anywhere except Moscow (莫斯科), and all the remaining allowances were used to buy professional books! Finally, I obtained a Ph.D. in Engineering.

In the middle of my studies in the Soviet Union, Tang Kai (唐凯), an old Red Army soldier and the former director of the Engineering Corps Engineering Department of Harbin Military Industry (哈军工), introduced me to a partner. When I returned to China, my partner also graduated from university and was assigned to work in Beijing (北京), while I was assigned to the Beijing Engineering Corps Research and Design Institute (北京工程兵科研设计院). However, after I returned to Beijing (北京) on vacation, the Cadre Department of the Engineering Corps talked to me again, saying that the Harbin Military Industry (哈军工) branch was established, and the Engineering Corps Engineering Department was used as the basis to establish the Engineering Corps Engineering College (工程兵工程学院) in Xi'an (西安). The newly established college urgently needed talents, and they hoped that I would work in Xi'an (西安).

If I went to Xi'an (西安), I would face the dilemma of living apart from my newly married wife. At that time, our marriage introducer Tang Kai (唐凯) had been transferred to the deputy commander of the Engineering Corps. It was possible to ask him for help to stay in Beijing (北京), but neither my wife nor I thought of doing so, because we knew that we were Party members and must listen to the Party and follow the Party, and resolutely obey the arrangements of the country. So I went to Xi'an (西安) to report without saying a word. More than a month later, I took the opportunity to attend the National Protection Engineering Academic Conference in Beijing (北京) to publish a paper and hurriedly completed the wedding. From then on, my wife and I lived apart for 16 years.

As a military science and technology worker, it is my bounden mission and responsibility to serve the war and strengthen the army and serve the country. In the 1960s and 1970s, China faced a severe nuclear threat. The strategic policy of our army is active defense and no first use of nuclear weapons. For our second counterattack, we must preserve our own living forces and strategic weapons and equipment. What do we rely on? Rely on protection engineering. From then on, building an indestructible "underground steel Great Wall" for the motherland became my lifelong pursuit.

I was ordered to design a certain aircraft cave door. In order to obtain accurate experimental data, I rushed to the nuclear explosion test site to conduct on-site investigation and research and collect data. It was found at the scene that although the steel structure protection door of the aircraft cave after the nuclear explosion was not destroyed and the aircraft was not damaged, the protection door was severely deformed, making it impossible to open. If the door cannot be opened and the aircraft cannot come out, it will not be able to counterattack the enemy. The reason is that the design of the aircraft cave door adopts a simple manual calculation method, and the calculation accuracy is poor. In order to improve the calculation accuracy, I took the lead in learning and introducing the finite element calculation theory that was just emerging in the world, learning computer programming languages, and analyzing and calculating on large electronic computers, and designed the hangar door with the largest span, the highest resistance, and the ability to resist nuclear explosion shock waves at that time.

Since the 1980s, the world's major military powers have begun to develop earth-penetrating bombs and earth-penetrating nuclear bombs. The greatly increased earth-penetrating depth and destructive power have posed severe challenges to protection engineering! To this end, I led the team to work hard and tackle key problems, put forward the overall concept of building deep underground ultra-high resistance protection engineering, and overcame a series of key technical problems, providing a theoretical basis for the site selection, safe burial depth, establishment of the index system, and design of explosion-resistant structures for protection engineering against earth-penetrating conventional weapons and earth-penetrating nuclear weapons, realizing the leap-forward development of protection engineering.

All things in the world are mutually reinforcing and mutually restraining. Where there is a spear, there must be a shield. If offensive missiles and shells are sharp "spears" in military struggle, then protection engineering is a solid "shield." The "spear" and "shield" are always constantly colliding with new "sparks" in the process of offensive and defensive confrontation. My team and I are constantly tracking the development of new offensive weapons. As long as the "spear" of offensive weapons develops one step, we will ponder and study how to make our "shield" stronger. From nuclear airburst to nuclear ground burst to nuclear earth burst, from ordinary explosive bombs to earth-penetrating bombs, after decades of research, we have overcome one difficulty after another and broken through a series of technical problems, installing a "golden bell cover" for China's strategic projects.

The competition between major powers is not only reflected in military strength, but also in comprehensive national strength. As one of the first academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (中国工程院院士), we must not only pay attention to how to enhance national defense strength and safeguard national security, but also care about how to enhance comprehensive national strength and seek the happiness of the people. In early 1992, when the Zhuhai (珠海) Special Economic Zone was building an airport, it was necessary to blast a mountain, with a total blasting volume of 10.85 million cubic meters. It was required to be blasted successfully in one go, with half of the earth and stone falling into the sea in a directional manner, and to ensure the safety of two villages within 1,000 meters. I led the team to Zhuhai (珠海) six times to study the plan and construction links with everyone. The blasting was successfully implemented in December of that year, creating a new record in the history of world blasting.

In recent years, I have also contributed my knowledge and talents to the Yangtze River Tunnel (长江隧道), the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (南水北调工程), the West-East Gas Pipeline Project (西气东输工程), the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (港珠澳大桥) underwater tunnel, the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Channel (深中通道), underground energy storage, and deep geological disposal of nuclear waste. In my heart, this is the mission of a Communist Party member and the happiness of a science and technology worker.

After receiving the State Top Science and Technology Award, the Party and the country gave me a bonus of 8 million yuan, which I donated all of, mainly to help poor students in western China. Later, Jiangsu (江苏) Province also matched a reward of 8 million yuan. I donated 1 million to establish the "Qian Qihu (钱七虎) Scholarship" to reward young researchers, and donated 500,000 to my alma mater, Shanghai High School (上海中学). The remaining 6.5 million was all donated to Wuhan (武汉) to fight against the new crown epidemic.

The reason for doing this is because I feel that our current happy life was exchanged for by the blood and sacrifice of revolutionary martyrs. They dedicated their lives to the Party and the country. What else can't I contribute? The value of life lies in dedication. It is a meaningful and happy thing to do my best, follow the Party, share the Party's worries, and solve problems for the people.

Dedication to the country and the people, of course, also includes people around me who are in difficulty and need help, so I established the "Jinhui (瑾晖)" Fund in my hometown early on. The words "Jin (瑾)" and "Hui (晖)" are taken from the names of my mother and wife respectively. Although my mother was not highly educated, she was hardworking and kind, and always helped others as much as she could. She often taught me that "people can't just think about themselves." Naming the fund "Jinhui (瑾晖)" is both to commemorate my mother and to thank my wife for her full support and silent dedication.

Now, many of the students who have been funded have grown up and become successful in their careers. They often write to me and come to see me, and I feel very gratified. I also often see my mother in my dreams. Whenever I think that my mother would be proud and proud of me for achieving some achievements, doing some meaningful things, and helping some people in need, my heart feels extremely happy.

**家国天下事,社稷一戎衣** (jiā guó tiān xià shì, shè jì yī róng yī - "family, country, world affairs, the state depends on military strength," expressing a deep concern for the nation and its security). I am already 89 years old. Although I have retired, I am a scientist with nearly 70 years of Party membership. I always follow the teaching of "live and learn, and make revolution until old," and I also feel that I still have many things to do, want to do, and can do. Along the way, the strong contrast between the old and new societies has made me deeply realize that without the Communist Party of China (中国共产党), there would be no liberation of the Chinese people, nor would there be a happy life for the Chinese people. I always remember what I wrote in my application to join the Party on March 2, 1956: "Dedicate my life to the cause of national defense construction" and "Demand myself more strictly politically and dedicate greater strength to the cause of communism." In my remaining years, I will continue to devote myself to research in the field of protection engineering, take good care of students, cultivate talents, care about team building, and build a strong steel shield for the country.

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The Literary Value of "Childhood" (Thoughts)

By: 吴翔宇

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There is something that writers use throughout their lives, yet they may not be able to explain where it comes from. It's not language, not skill, not even so-called talent, but a set of initial ways of perceiving the world. What details are worth dwelling on, what kind of atmosphere is unsettling, what kind of loss is hard to let go of... If you ask where it comes from, the answer is often the same: childhood.
  To think that writers write about childhood simply by retrieving people and events from memory is an oversimplified understanding. What childhood leaves to writers is something more fundamental than material: a set of initial ways of perceiving the world. Language learners know that a mother tongue is not just a tool; it is the deepest structure of a person's thinking. Even if they later master multiple languages, the grammar of the mother tongue still secretly participates in all expressions. Childhood is to a writer as a mother tongue is to a person.
  Marcel Proust opened the door to childhood with a madeleine cake. This detail is often used to talk about memory, but few people notice its deeper meaning. What triggers memory is not a major event, but a small cake. Its taste, its texture, its connection to the atmosphere of a winter afternoon, all become visible and tangible presences in the literary forest. The part of perception that is truly shaped by childhood is often small, sensory, and not even rationally summarized. It is this part that later becomes the lifeblood of literature.
  Xiao Hong (萧红) lost her mother at a young age, and her father was indifferent. The warmth of her childhood came from her grandfather. Her grandfather taught her to recite poetry and took her to play in the garden. This experience left a clear mark in "Hulan River Chronicle" (呼兰河传). But more important than those specific plots is a perceptual tendency formed as a result: an extraordinary sensitivity to weak lives, a habitual gaze at impermanence and passing, and a trace of pre-emptive sorrow in warm things. This tendency runs through all of her writing, making her words reveal melancholy in bright places, and implying the tone of an elegy when narrating daily life. That is the way of perception that childhood left in her body, and writing is just its natural expression.
  Another example is Shen Congwen (沈从文), who wrote in "From Wen's Autobiography" (从文自传) about his childhood days of skipping school and wandering in the mountains and rivers of western Hunan, with a light touch and a kind of carefree wildness. Those childhood years spent in the mountains and fields later turned into the figure of Cuicui guarding the ferry in "Border Town" (边城), into white pagodas, yellow dogs, and into a river called Tuojiang (沱江) that flows eternally in words. The childhood of western Hunan not only gave him material, but also gave him a fundamental way of looking at the relationship between people and nature.
  Of course, the grammar of childhood is not always a gentle gift. It can also be heavy pressure, a shadow that is difficult to escape. Kafka's relationship with his father is one of the most talked-about psychological archetypes in literary studies. That huge, powerful, and suffocating father cast a long shadow on Kafka's growing years, and also left an equally long echo in his writing. The castle is impossible to reach, the trial comes for no reason, and the transformation happens quietly. Behind these images is a set of ways of perceiving the world that a child learns in the face of pressure.
  Childhood is not always a panacea for literature. Childhood in literature requires writers to have a dual perspective. One eye is a child's, maintaining curiosity and emotion; the other eye is an adult's, capable of reflection and discernment. Only when these two eyes are opened at the same time can you write something truly weighty. The relationship between childhood and literature is far more complex than the word "material" can encompass. It affects where the writer's eyes linger and where the sentences turn. A writer can deliberately change his subject matter, style, and position, but it is difficult to truly change the initial way of perceiving things. Childhood is to a writer as a mine is to a mirror. It is buried deep in the words, sometimes appearing in the form of a detail. A certain ray of light, a certain sound, a certain fleeting expression, is not always warm, but it must be real.
  The resonance that readers feel when reading sometimes does not come from the similarity of plot or situation, but from a deeper recognition. Recognizing the way others perceive the world has a secret echo with some unspoken experience in their own childhood. It is a kind of fit that cannot be fully explained in words. Good literature often allows readers to rediscover their own childhood in the lines.

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Li Cuili's Poetic Lines: An Encounter (or Meeting)

By: 李长顺

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Perhaps, Li Cuili (李翠利) is a poet at heart, longing for faraway places. In 2005, she opened a small shop in the village. In 2008, she began writing down the verses that welled up inside her, managing to write over a hundred poems in her spare time. However, a performance by outsiders in the village in the autumn of 2008 suddenly made her realize that the children, like green wheat seedlings, were her verses, and her faraway place was right in front of her.

That performance pierced Li Cuili's (李翠利) heart like a steel needle. Seeing the vulgar performance being imitated by children who knew no better, she was shocked like never before, and she left the performance with her own children midway through.

"Children are like wheat seedlings that urgently need watering, fertilizing, and pest control. They can't just be allowed to grow however they want, and we can't just watch them being eaten by insects and gnawed by rats without doing anything." After sleepless nights, Li Cuili (李翠利) thought of reading, using the spring of knowledge to irrigate the "wheat seedlings" to increase their resistance. But where would the books come from? She searched through all the books in her house, a total of more than 200. Then she put the bookshelf full of books in the most conspicuous place in her small shop, with the words written on it: "Weiguang Shuyuan (微光书苑) (Micro-light Library) - Free Borrowing".

She had books, but no children came to read them. Some people in the village suspected that Li Cuili (李翠利) had a problem with her brain, giving up the profitable liquor shelf for a bookshelf. Li Cuili (李翠利) did have a "problem"; the problem she was thinking about was, why weren't the children coming? Finally, she came up with the "sweet reward reading method": children who came to Weiguang Shuyuan (微光书苑) to read got candy, and those who read well got small prizes such as pencils and notebooks. The children came, initially for the candy, but as they read, they fell in love with reading. The children read themselves and also brought their parents to borrow books. Li Cuili (李翠利) was as happy as seeing willow buds sprouting and wheat seedlings turning green.

More and more children came, but there were not enough suitable reading materials. Li Cuili (李翠利) went to waste recycling stations to buy books, to book stalls to buy cheap books, and rode her small shop's tricycle through the streets and alleys to buy used books. She also posted online to solicit books, contacted cultural figures and cultural units to donate books, and of course, she also spent her own money to buy many books that the children liked, investing more than 100,000 yuan in this.

As long as you use your brain, there is always a way. Relying on Weiguang Shuyuan (微光书苑), and paving the way with small prizes, Li Cuili (李翠利) started "women's classes" to attract female compatriots in the village, and held various activities such as small speakers, small science experiments, old object transformation, and mutual assistance between the elderly and young, making the villagers and children more and more interested in reading. The micro-light of the library not only planted seeds in the hearts of children but also illuminated the hearts of adults.

I came to Lishi Village (李石村), Mashang Township (马上乡), Neihuang County (内黄县), Henan (河南) in the spring of Bingwu. Outside Li Cuili's (李翠利) small shop window, a four-story newspaper rack held more than 20 kinds of new newspapers and magazines, with a notice saying "Can be taken away and does not need to be returned". Passing through the dazzling array of shelves, I entered a room of more than 10 square meters, with more than 10 chairs around a long table, and stacked stools, which could seat thirty or forty people at most. On the four large bookshelves against the wall, there were thousands of books. This is the current Weiguang Shuyuan (微光书苑).

Flipping through a stack of notebooks, childish handwriting recorded the experiences of the children's reading sharing session on Sunday. "March 29th, Li Mian (李勉): Today, I chose a book called 'Detective Afanti (阿凡提)'. Although I only read one chapter, I think it is very good and very interesting. He handles cases in great detail, and I like his style very much. I think I can keep reading it because I like adventure and case-solving books..." "March 29th, Li Kuo (李阔): I chose a history book, the name is 'Biography of Emperor Kangxi (康熙皇帝传)'. I am interested in history..."

"Weiguang Shuyuan (微光书苑) has been around for 18 years. The children who came here to read the earliest must have grown up, right?"

"They have all gone out to make a living. They returned to the village on New Year's Eve and left again on the fifth day of the new year. We specially organized an event to let the children who went out have a reading sharing session with the current children. The children who watched the foreign performance back then were also there, such as Li Tengteng (李腾腾), who graduated from Henan Normal University (河师大) and works in Shenzhen (深圳), and my sons and daughters who are in their third and first years of university..." Li Cuili (李翠利) answered briskly.

Now, Li Cuili (李翠利) is already one of the "Top Ten Reading Promoters for Rural Revitalization". Last month, she returned from the National People's Congress (全国人大) in Beijing (北京). As a National People's Congress representative, she suggested strengthening talent cultivation in the cultural construction of rural revitalization. She also brought a painting of her own to Beijing (北京), which depicted the Weiguang Shuyuan (微光书苑) in the village. I think that the busy Li Cuili (李翠利) may no longer have time to write poetry, but the Weiguang Shuyuan (微光书苑) in the painting is not a moving poem she has written over the years for rural cultural construction with painstaking effort? The batches of children reading here are the golden verses like heavy wheat ears that she has cultivated with her heart and soul. Li Cuili (李翠利) must be looking forward to the rolling wheat waves surging into the distance.

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Photo Story

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Watercolor on paper, "Green Robe, Rosy Cheeks, Lovely Spring," by Huang Tianshan (黄铁山), collection of the National Art Museum of China (中国美术馆).

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Night

By: 李 岩

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The grand sound of the forest's waves fades away.

Night. The forest is tranquil.

The little squirrel is dozing.

From the embrace of the trees,

the souls of insects leap down.

Those yellow and purple auras

return again, each to its own nest...

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Red Bean Tree Blossoms

By: 祁云枝

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The spring breeze has just brought warmth, and Wenwen sent a message: "The red bean tree is blooming."

My heart suddenly flew back to the winter days in Ningshan (宁陕) – by the street garden, under an ancient red bean tree, she and I looked up for a long time.

There was no sunlight that day, and the tree was bound with iron rings and iron mesh. The branches were like iron, thin and hard, piercing the sky, without a single leaf to prove its vitality, but I just couldn't take my eyes off it. Looking closer, the cracked bark was crisscrossed with ravines, as if time had climbed up the tree and personally written its chronicle.

"How old is this red bean tree?"

"278 years old."

I reached out and touched the bark, and coolness seeped in from the palm of my hand, rough, hard, like touching a piece of iron that had been tempered by wind and rain for three centuries. But under this iron-like shell, how many springs of budding, summers of lushness, autumns of desolation, and winters of silence are hidden?

That day, before setting off, when Wenwen said she would take me to see an ancient red bean tree, I wondered in my heart: Is it a yew or a red bean tree?

When I stood under the tree, I realized it was the "love tree" in Wang Wei's (王维) poem – the Hubei red bean tree, a legume with papilionaceous flowers, and seeds as red as blood and as hard as jade. The yew is a gymnosperm, and its red fruits are actually fleshy false seed coats that break when touched, with juice overflowing. How can such fruits be entrusted with longing? I'm afraid they would rot into a pool of red mud before they could be delivered to an old friend. A difference of one word separates them by thousands of miles in botany.

This southern tree species, which should have grown in the warm and humid land south of the Yangtze River, is rooted in Ningshan County (宁陕县), in the hinterland of the Qinling Mountains (秦岭). It is said that it happened during the Qianlong (乾隆) period. At that time, there was a Guandi Temple (关帝庙) here, with a theater stage built in front of the temple. A wandering Taoist priest returned from Laohekou (老河口), Hubei (湖北), with two red bean saplings in his arms, planting one on the left and one on the right in front of the theater stage. Later, the theater stage was torn down, and when a stadium was built, the one on the left was cut down, and the one on the right was spared because of its lush foliage. Later, the stadium was demolished, and a supermarket was built. Amidst the hustle and bustle of people and vehicles, it stood there, motionless.

This tree has seen the curling incense of the Guandi Temple, heard the clanging gongs and drums on the theater stage, and even witnessed the dusk of December 5, 1949 – the People's Liberation Army (解放军) entered the city from the east gate, and Ningshan was declared liberated. It stood beside it, silently watching the red flag fluttering. Standing and standing, it became a part of the mountain city, standing in people's memories.

However, it has not always been so well. Twenty years ago, on a stormy night, it almost came to an end. At that time, nearly half of the base of its thick trunk had rotted into a hollow, teetering in the wind and rain. People from the County Forestry Bureau (县林业局) rushed to the scene, treating it like a sick elder, reinforcing and supporting it, surrounding it with guardrails, and using steel wire mesh to firmly protect every endangered branch. Next to it, a sign was erected, earnestly requesting passers-by to take care of it together. Under the careful care of the people, the tree actually recovered. 枯木逢春 (kū mù féng chūn - "withered tree meets spring," to revive or recover; a dead tree comes to life in spring), sprouting new branches every year and watching over the mountain city year after year. Presumably, in the hearts of the people of Ningshan, it is no longer just a tree, but a respected elder in the small city.

"This tree has a strange feature," Wenwen said, "It's rare to see flowers in ten years, and rare to see fruit in a hundred years. If it doesn't bloom, it doesn't bloom, but when it does, it's a tree full of flowers." Wenwen flipped out the photos saved on her phone. Those white papilionaceous flowers, small and plain, were densely dotted on the branches, one next to the other. The new leaves had just grown out, tender green, setting off the white flowers, so clean that it softened one's heart. I remembered the red bean trees I had seen in Yunnan (云南) and Sichuan (四川), and I had also bought bracelets made of red bean strings under the trees. Those seeds were so beautiful, bright red, hard and shiny, and they wouldn't spoil even after many years. The ancients used them to express longing, probably not only because of that touch of bright red, but also because they could stand the test of time. A red bean, passed from this hand to that hand, from this letter to that letter, walking and walking, becomes a message that can be transmitted for a long time.

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This edition's editor: Cheng Hong

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This edition's email: dadi@peopledaily.cn

We welcome submissions from our readers. Submissions must be original and not submitted to multiple publications (**一稿多投** (yī gǎo duō tóu - "one manuscript many submissions," submitting the same manuscript to multiple publications)).

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