People's Daily - April 20, 2026

Rule of Law Safeguards, Shared Enjoyment of Reading

By: 本报记者 何思琦

Spring is the perfect time for reading.

This year marks the first year of implementation of the "Regulations on Promoting National Reading" (《全民阅读促进条例》) (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") and also the first year after the State Council approved the establishment of "National Reading Activity Week."

From April 20th to 22nd, the 5th National Reading Conference was held in Nanchang City (南昌市), Jiangxi Province, and the "National Reading Activity Week" was launched simultaneously.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) attaches great importance to promoting national reading and building a book-filled society, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of reading:

"We must advocate reading more books, build a book-filled society, and continuously enhance the people's ideological realm and strengthen the people's spiritual power, so that the spiritual world of the Chinese nation can become more profound and rich."

"Communists must regard reading Marxist classics and understanding Marxist principles as a way of life and a spiritual pursuit, using classics to cultivate righteousness, temper thoughts, sublimate the realm, and guide practice."

"Even squeezing out half an hour a day, even if only reading a few pages, as long as you persevere, you will surely accumulate little by little, 积沙成塔 (jī shā chéng tǎ - "accumulate sand to form a tower," constant effort makes perfect), and accumulate small steps to reach a thousand miles."

...

General Secretary Xi Jinping's earnest exhortations have been transformed into the vivid practice of national reading. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture, national reading is being promoted in depth, and the land of China is bathed in the fragrance of books.

National Reading is More Convenient

In Changchun City (长春市), Jilin Province, the "This Has Books" cultural space is filled with the fragrance of books.

On February 1st, the day the "Regulations" came into effect, a reading sharing session with the theme of "My Story with Books" was held here. Writers, publishers, and readers talked about the years spent with books. Ma Ruofan (马若梵) and his wife, the owners of a used bookstore, spoke about their original intention of protecting books, "so that every intention of reading is taken seriously."

The former library has been transformed into a city cultural landmark; the sharing of reading illuminates the spiritual world of citizens. Through "This Has Books," the vigorous atmosphere of national reading unfolds before our eyes.

What is the meaning of reading? General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out profoundly: "Reading is an important way for human beings to acquire knowledge, enlighten wisdom, cultivate morality, and can inspire people's thoughts, establish lofty ideals, and cultivate a sense of righteousness."

Promoting the construction of a book-filled society is something that General Secretary Xi Jinping keeps in mind, and it is also a common cause for the entire society.

From "carrying out national reading activities" being written into the report of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, to "national reading" being written into the "Government Work Report" for 13 consecutive years since 2014; from the issuance of the first national-level national reading plan, the "13th Five-Year Development Plan for National Reading" in 2016, to the "15th Five-Year Plan" clearly stating "deepening national reading activities and promoting the construction of a book-filled society"... The fragrance of books permeates the land, providing strong spiritual motivation and cultural support for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The official implementation of the "Regulations" consolidates the foundation for national reading with the power of the rule of law, promoting national reading from policy guidance to a new stage of legal guarantee.

Reading is available everywhere, and the coverage of national reading facilities is more extensive.

Early in the morning, on the streets of Nanchang (南昌), readers have been seated one after another in a "Ruzi Bookstore." To create a "15-minute city reading circle," Nanchang has built 111 free-to-open "Ruzi Bookstores," focusing on meeting the reading needs of the masses at their doorsteps.

Systematically setting up national reading facilities that cover urban and rural areas, are practical and convenient, and provide efficient services is an important measure to promote the construction of a book-filled society.

In Changjia Village (常家村), Panjin City (盘锦市), Liaoning Province, villagers' opinions were solicited for the renovation of the farmers' bookstore. While the hardware was improved, the collection of books also became more popular among the villagers. Now, villagers often come to the bookstore for a look; in Xiamen City (厦门市), Fujian Province, bookstores have opened in hospitals, and the message "May a book and a page accompany you through the anxiety of waiting" comforts many patients... The seeds of reading grow both in the study rooms of towns and cities and are deeply rooted in the soil of the countryside.

China publishes more than 200,000 new books every year, and the total number of digital reading works exceeds 63 million, with extremely rich reading resources. More than 100,000 physical bookstores, more than 580,000 farmers' bookstores, and 177,000 employee bookstores are spread throughout urban and rural areas, and new types of reading spaces such as city study rooms, community study rooms, and shared bookshelves are constantly emerging. As of the end of 2025, there were 3,253 public libraries nationwide, with a total circulation of 1,469.83 million people, and a dense reading network firmly supports the foundation of national reading.

Everyone can read, and "no one can be left behind" in national reading.

"The state encourages the provision of publications in accessible formats such as audio, large print, Braille, and electronic formats for people with reading disabilities" "Provide age-appropriate reading content, optimize age-appropriate service standards, and provide reading convenience for the elderly"... The "Regulations" promote national reading through legislation, promoting everyone's equal right to read.

In Xiji County (西吉县), Ningxia, Ma Jun (马骏), a post-95 disabled writer, expanded the boundaries of his life through reading, and won the National Ethnic Minority Literature Creation Award with "Qingbaishi Steps," which he "carved" out word by word on his mobile phone. "In literary works, I began to try to reconcile with myself and with this world." Controlling his electric wheelchair to "walk" out of his home, the Xiji County Library became Ma Jun's "spiritual hospital." Shi Tiesheng's (史铁生) "Me and the Temple of Earth" lit the lamp of literature for him.

Data shows that in 2025, the national per capita ownership of books was 7.71 copies (sheets). The Marrakesh Treaty came into effect, providing strong guarantees for people with disabilities to share cultural achievements; reading promoters devoted themselves to public welfare teaching, promoting parent-child reading; creating "enjoying old age" reading scenarios and launching age-appropriate services, paying more attention to the spiritual and cultural needs of the elderly... The light of reading shines farther and benefits more people.

Reading is available at all times, and digital technology continues to enhance the reading experience.

In Longbei Community (龙北社区), Huangshan District (黄山区), Huangshan City (黄山市), Anhui Province, a "digital reading bookshelf" in the "Honeycomb Post" was officially launched. A deliveryman who was scanning the code to experience it praised it: "In the past, I used to pass the time by watching short videos while waiting for orders, but now I can scan the code to read and listen to books."

"The e-book wall covers more than 50,000 e-books and more than 100,000 episodes of audio resources, which can meet the 'recharging' needs of new employment groups such as deliverymen, and also take into account leisure and relaxation," said the head of the Huangshan District Library.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Digital reading should be combined with traditional reading to maintain our core and literacy."

From "a book in hand" to "ten thousand volumes on a screen," artificial intelligence and other new technologies are empowering digital reading and reshaping people's reading habits. The 22nd National Reading Survey released in April 2025 showed that listening to books, watching video lectures, and reading on mobile phones or tablets have become a part of more and more people's lives. At the same time, the reading volume of paper books and e-books among adult citizens has shown a double increase, and digital reading and traditional reading complement each other.

Now, "promoting the supply of high-quality digital reading content and improving the convenience and satisfaction of digital reading" has been written into the "Regulations," further promoting the high-quality development of digital reading in the form of legislation.

The National Reading Promotion System is More Sound

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must build a learning society and a learning power where everyone learns for life, so that everyone can learn, learn everywhere, and learn at all times" "Promote the all-round development of people."

At the end of March, the star city of Changsha (长沙) was filled with the fragrance of books. Hunan's two "golden signboards" for national reading activities, the Yuelu Book Fair (岳麓书会) and the Changsha Book Fair, were held together for the first time, and more than 500 publishing and distribution units from all over the country gathered to display nearly 100,000 kinds of high-quality books.

Book exhibitions, digital intelligence experiences, diverse activities, and reading markets, with the whole province linked and the whole people participating, Hunan is exploring a new path of deep integration between publishing industry exhibitions and national reading promotion through "brand integration." "Find good books for readers and promote national reading; find readers for good books and promote industry development," said Xiao Jianqiang (肖坚强), president of the Changsha Publishing and Distribution Industry Association.

One city, one characteristic, one place, one brand. In recent years, various localities have innovated and carried out reading promotion activities in accordance with local conditions.

In Beijing (北京), the "Book Fragrance China·Beijing Reading Season" has been held for 15 sessions, creating a strong reading atmosphere; Jiangsu has used the popular "Su Chao" to set off a new wave of reading in the province, relying on the Jiangsu Book Fair; Zhejiang's "National Reading Caravan" combines literary performances and book donations to promote high-quality cultural services directly to the fields, mountains, and islands... According to statistics, hundreds of millions of people in China participate in various reading promotion activities every year.

The Chinese nation has advocated reading since ancient times, emphasizing investigation of things to extend knowledge, sincerity of intention, and rectification of the heart, inheriting the continuous spirit of the Chinese nation, and shaping the confident and self-reliant character of the Chinese people. This respect and adherence to reading still radiates vigorous vitality in contemporary China.

Eighteen years ago, Li Cuili (李翠利), a villager in Lishi Village (李石村), Mashang Township (马上乡), Neihuang County (内黄县), Anyang City (安阳市), Henan Province, cleared the shelves of her small supermarket that sold the best-selling liquor and other goods, purchased hundreds of books, and founded the "Weiguang Bookstore" with zero-threshold borrowing. Today, the cumulative number of borrowers has exceeded 400,000, and the children who grew up reading in the bookstore have also become volunteers to contribute to rural cultural construction.

I only wish the fragrance of books in the fields is fragrant. "Dedicate my meager strength to pass on the micro-light of reading and reading to more people." At this year's National People's Congress, Li Cuili, as a representative of the National People's Congress, shared the latest data on a public welfare reading promotion model: more than 400 "1-square-meter bookshelves" based on the "Weiguang Bookstore" model have been set up across the country.

"I hope that the whole society will participate in reading and form a strong atmosphere of loving reading, reading good books, and being good at reading." Under the personal care and advocacy of General Secretary Xi Jinping, national reading has accumulated momentum and become a trend.

In Tacheng Prefecture (塔城地区), Xinjiang, the "Lilac Bookstore" attracts many book lovers from all ethnic groups. The founder, Li Chaoxia (李朝霞), said, "We hope that we can achieve one person driving ten people, ten people leading a hundred people, and groups influencing ten thousand people."

In Gucheng County (谷城县), Hubei Province, Ye Huacheng (叶华程), a retired cadre, has built three "Quanjue Libraries" over the past 10 years, with a collection of nearly 25,000 books, and has received nearly 40,000 readers free of charge. "The introduction of the 'Regulations' is a major event that reading promoters have been looking forward to for a long time. The 'Quanjue Library' should organize more high-level reading activities to recommend good books to everyone and lead everyone to read good books," Ye Huacheng said confidently.

From the silent dedication of countless reading promoters to the active exploration of various localities based on their actual conditions, reading spaces all over the country are truly delivering high-quality books to the countryside, to minors, and to special groups. National reading is opening up the "last mile," covering more people, and lighting up the light of reading.

At more than 9 a.m., deep in the Daliang Mountains (大凉山) in Sichuan, train No. 5633 slowly pulled into the Xide Station (喜德站) platform. Students from Xide Waer School (喜德瓦尔学校) boarded the train together and went straight to Car No. 3.

This is a learning carriage. Two bookshelves are placed on both sides of the aisle. A Yi student skillfully picked up a copy of "How Far Are the Stars from Us" and read it at the reading desk.

Wherever the readers are, the books will be there. The Sichuan Provincial Library and the Chengdu Passenger Transport Section of the China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd. jointly created a new reading space, "Yi Township Love·Slow Train," using the two pairs of public welfare "slow trains" on the Chengdu-Kunming Railway, 5619/5620 and 5633/5634, as carriers, and have cumulatively put in about 8,800 books and teaching materials.

"Letting reading get on the train and run is the original concept of this mobile bookstore," said Wang Long (王龙), director of the Sichuan Provincial Library. In the past, people looked for books, but now books look for people, and the coverage is wider and the flexibility is stronger.

Breaking spatial restrictions and actively approaching the masses, innovative practices such as mobile bookstores on trains are vivid microcosms of national reading promotion in the new era. From optimizing service supply to expanding reading scenarios, various localities are constantly exploring new models and new carriers to make the fragrance of books feelable and accessible.

This year's "Government Work Report" proposed to improve the national reading promotion service system.

The roots of reading are deeper and more solid, and a new picture of national reading full of the fragrance of books is slowly unfolding.

The Reading Atmosphere in the Whole Society is Stronger

At the 2025 National People's Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke of building a book-filled campus and a book-filled society, full of expectations: "The fragrance of books is an atmosphere."

In the afternoon, sunlight poured through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the Beijing City Library, covering the desks. Some readers walked towards the forest bookstore, ascending along the "Spring Paper Path," "Summer Ink Path," "Autumn Hair Path," and "Winter Stone Path," savoring the fragrance of books. "The atmosphere here is very good, which can make people calm down and read." When not busy, reader Lin Xiao (林晓) would sit by the window and spend a period of "immersive" reading time.

Integrating traditional and modern elements, the architectural language of the Beijing City Library vividly interprets the cultural connotation of "there is a path to the mountain of books, diligence is the path," creating a unique reading atmosphere. Since its opening more than two years ago, it has attracted more than 6 million readers to roam the sea of books and befriend books.

The fragrance of books can lead to a long way. Passing on the fragrance of books and inheriting civilization in national reading is related to personal cultivation and national quality. How to cultivate a stronger reading atmosphere in the whole society? It is inseparable from role models leading the fashion.

General Secretary Xi Jinping encouraged young cadres to carry forward the spirit of "squeezing" and "drilling," "read more books, read good books, and draw wisdom and nutrition from books. They must not feel good about themselves and disdain learning, they must not relax learning on the pretext of being too busy with work, and they must not study for the sake of appearances and cope with learning."

On March 19, the final of the 4th Book Reading Competition of Wenzhou City (温州市) organs in Zhejiang Province kicked off. 17 contestants read works such as "Xi Jinping in Zhejiang" and "Zhejiang New Words" based on their actual positions, and told the wisdom and strength contained in the books.

"Perceive General Secretary Xi Jinping's feelings for the people and pragmatic style, cast the soul with learning, increase wisdom with learning, correct the style with learning, and promote work with learning, forge ahead into the '15th Five-Year Plan,' and show the responsibility of youth with practical actions," said Zhang Zixiao (张子笑), a participating cadre from the Wenzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station.

The fragrance of books nourishes the original intention, and hard work produces political achievements. For party members and cadres, being willing to read, reading more, and reading good books, and combining reading "books with words" and reading "books without words" can enable them to learn the skills of housekeeping, the skills of revitalizing the party, and the skills of strengthening the country.

The power of reading lies in self-cultivation and moral character, in doing things and starting businesses, and more in cultivating the roots and casting the soul, and educating people and revitalizing the country.

General Secretary Xi Jinping cares about the reading and learning of young people, encourages the younger generation to "cherish their youth, devote themselves to reading, and be quick to seek knowledge," and hopes that children will "develop reading habits, read happily, and grow up healthily."

Walking into Dongjiao School (东郊学校) in Lanzhou City (兰州市), Gansu Province, a strong fragrance of books comes to the face. The school library has a dynamic update of more than 48,000 books; book corners all over the teaching buildings and classrooms allow children to find their favorite books anytime and anywhere.

"Adhering to the concept of 'making every child's childhood full of the fragrance of books,' we constantly introduce new and good books and systematically set up reading courses," said Cao Lin (曹林), director of the school's reading committee. Building a "book-filled campus" for a long time lays the foundation for children's lifelong learning and spiritual enrichment.

The fragrance of books fills the campus, and the guidance and promotion at the national level are also needed. In 2025, the General Office of the Ministry of Education and the General Office of the Central Propaganda Department jointly issued the "Notice on Deeply Implementing the National Reading Action for Teenagers and Students," to consolidate the national cultural foundation of teenagers and students, enhance the comprehensive quality and innovation ability of teenagers and students, and provide strong support for building a strong country through reading.

Reading is the most basic cultural construction. Cultural prosperity, national strength, and national rejuvenation are inseparable from the cultural accumulation and spiritual power brought by reading.

Building a book-filled society can not only cultivate personal character, but also cultivate cultural self-confidence in the entire nation and promote the enhancement of national cultural soft power.

The long river of civilization is surging endlessly, and the cultural atmosphere is changing with each passing day. Standing at the intersection of history and the future, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture, national reading will surely accumulate deep and lasting strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

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Get to the Root of Problems, Rectify to the Satisfaction of the People (Establishing and Practicing a Correct View of Performance)

By: 本报记者

Currently, the study and education on establishing and practicing a correct view of performance are being carried out in a solid and orderly manner. In recent days, various regions, departments, and units have deepened their ideological understanding, conscientiously identified problems, and earnestly implemented rectification and remediation, effectively transforming the results of their studies into practical actions to guide practice and promote work.

Aligning with Benchmarks, Conducting In-depth Self-examination

Various regions, departments, and units have educated and guided party members and cadres to deeply examine existing problems in their view of performance, seeking shortcomings, tracing roots, and strengthening self-cultivation from the perspective of Party spirit.

Shijiazhuang City (石家庄市), Hebei Province (河北省), closely integrates the deployment of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" outline with annual tasks, focusing on development bottlenecks, people's livelihood pain points, and work difficulties. It comprehensively sorts out and accurately examines issues through self-examination and self-correction, suggestions from the masses, guidance from superiors, and mutual assistance, promoting accurate problem identification and deep root cause analysis.

The leadership team of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (北京航空航天大学) took the lead in identifying problems, forming a list of 8 problems and 25 specific manifestations, driving Party members and cadres to conduct in-depth self-examination. At the same time, it combined practical situations to sort out typical positive and negative cases, strengthening demonstration leadership and warning education, educating and guiding Party members and cadres to improve their Party spirit awareness, and creating a pragmatic and down-to-earth atmosphere for entrepreneurship.

Chaoyang District (朝阳区) in Beijing (北京市) adheres to the integrated promotion of learning, examination, and rectification, focusing on the "Fifteenth Five-Year" economic and social development goals and tasks, annual key reform tasks, and the "monthly topic" special governance of immediate response to complaints. It comprehensively and deeply explores and identifies bottlenecks and difficulties restricting development, systematically sorts out problem lists, and clarifies the root causes of problems one by one, laying a solid foundation for subsequent classified rectification, closed-loop implementation, and long-term governance.

The Party Group of China North Industries Group Corporation (兵器工业集团) deeply studied General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on establishing and practicing a correct view of performance, compared them with the main problem list of deviations in the view of performance, and compared them with the problems reflected by discipline inspection and supervision, inspection and supervision, audit supervision, financial and accounting supervision, and statistical supervision. Combined with the annual key tasks, it deeply explored the deviations in the view of performance existing in key areas such as equipment production, industrial development, technological innovation, quality and safety, and cadre talent, and accurately portrayed the manifestations of the problems.

The Party Group of China Petrochemical Group (中国石化集团) organized Party members and cadres to deeply study "Excerpts of Xi Jinping's (习近平) Discourses on Establishing and Practicing a Correct View of Performance," and conducted special discussions in conjunction with the "Regulations on the Integrity of Leading Cadres of State-Owned Enterprises" and the "Implementation Measures for Accountability for Irregular Business Investment of Central Enterprises," educating and guiding Party members and cadres to put themselves in, put their work in, and put their responsibilities in, and calibrate the coordinates of performance.

Taking Real Action, Genuinely Investigating and Rectifying

In recent days, various regions, departments, and units have adhered to turning the blade inward, rectifying problems with deviations in the view of performance while investigating, immediately rectifying them, carrying out centralized remediation of prominent problems, and continuously promoting the implementation of rectification.

Zhaohua District (昭化区) in Guangyuan City (广元市), Sichuan Province (四川省), has launched a special action of "front-line correction" for deviations in the view of performance, forming special groups to conduct on-site investigations in key areas such as project construction, industrial development, ecological environment, and people's livelihood, establishing a centralized remediation ledger, with special groups tracking the entire process, verifying item by item, closing the loop, and simultaneously responding to public concerns about rectification through online platforms such as government affairs disclosure.

Liangping District (梁平区) in Chongqing (重庆市) focuses on key areas such as project engineering, financial risks, audit rectification, and data fraud, implements special class promotion, and constructs a closed-loop management mechanism of "rectification and remediation - rectification write-off - establishment of rules and regulations," focusing on promoting the implementation of rectification work.

Yuxi City (玉溪市) in Yunnan Province (云南省) educates and guides Party members and cadres to establish and practice a correct view of performance, taking the resolution of historical legacy issues as an important starting point. Party committees (Party groups) at all levels of the city, counties, and districts focus on the "historical debts" in key areas such as project construction, people's livelihood pain points, and the business environment, select problems as key tasks, and implement "one problem, one ledger, one area, one special class" management to ensure clear bottom lines, clear root causes, and solid responsibilities.

Yingtan City (鹰潭市) in Jiangxi Province (江西省) adheres to the integrated promotion of learning, examination, and rectification, combining the problems collected from platforms such as "Inquiring Politics in Yingtan" to establish a problem ledger. For the problems identified, those that can be corrected immediately will be corrected without delay, immediately, and as soon as they are known; for the loopholes and weak links existing in the work, a normalized and long-term institutional mechanism will be improved.

The Party Committee of China Railway Construction Corporation (中国铁建) adheres to rectifying while investigating and immediately rectifying, correcting short-term problems as soon as they are known, and clarifying the rectification roadmap and timetable for long-term problems. Various grassroots units focus on shortcomings such as insufficient penetration of refined management, reliance on traditional industrial paths, and blind spots in risk prevention and control, establishing three lists of "problems, responsibilities, and rectification" to ensure that rectification is implemented.

Promoting Work Through Learning, Creating Benefits for the People

Various regions, departments, and units adhere to going deep into the grassroots and deep into the masses, educating and guiding Party members and cadres to adhere to the people-centered approach, establish and practice a correct view of performance, promote the resolution of a number of practical issues related to people's livelihood, and respond to the people's expectations with practical actions and effectiveness.

The Huangpu District (黄浦区) Committee of Shanghai (上海市) took the lead in leading the "real action" project, promoting the transformation of the problem list into a list of people's satisfaction. In response to the historical legacy problem of the transfer of resettlement housing, Party members and cadres conducted a special review of resettlement housing under the same relocation project in the same historical period, and at the same time took the lead in connecting with courts, banks, and related enterprises to discuss countermeasures, overcoming difficulties such as the long history, data disconnection, enterprise changes, and debt transfer, and solving the problem of "frozen" property rights that had been accumulated for many years.

Motuo County (墨脱县) in Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治区) relies on the "Motuo Affairs Immediate Handling · People's Opinions Quick Handling" online platform to construct a closed-loop mechanism of "masses proposing topics + collection and research + tracking and implementation"; adheres to creating performance for the people and creating performance with practical work, establishes a list of practical things to do for the people, introduces a number of measures to promote the increase of income for farmers and herdsmen, and the county and township levels actively sink down and provide front-line services, promoting more effective solutions to the demands of the masses.

Binhai County (滨海县) in Jiangsu Province (江苏省) organizes Party members and cadres to deeply practice the "Four Down to the Grassroots" system, focusing on key areas such as "efficiently completing one thing," services involving enterprises, and people's livelihood services, organizes relevant department heads to experience the handling of matters in the entire process, sorts out and identifies problems one by one, and promotes the on-site handling of problems such as cumbersome materials and unsmooth systems.

"Moving here, I can give everyone a haircut with peace of mind again." On Lequn Road's "Convenience Hairdressing Street" (便民理发一条街) in Liuzhou City (柳州市), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区), the barber Huang said with a smile. Liuzhou (柳州) is closely watching the "key small things" around the masses, resolutely correcting the "one-size-fits-all" thinking in urban governance, organizing urban management and street Party members and cadres to go deep into the field to investigate and listen to demands, and earnestly solve the urgent and difficult problems of the people.

(Reporters from this newspaper: Li Linwei (李林蔚), Wu Dan (吴丹), Ding Yiting (丁怡婷), Li Xinping (李心萍), Wang Haonan (王昊男), Wang Mingfeng (王明峰), Cao Lingjuan (曹玲娟), Shao Yuzi (邵玉姿), Zhu Jiaqi (祝佳祺), Ye Chuanzeng (叶传增), Zhou Huan (周欢), Xu Yuyao (徐驭尧), Bai Guangdi (白光迪), Shen Jingran (沈靖然))

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How Can the Advantage of a Super-Sized Market Become a Development Advantage? (Reader's Suggestion · Common Concern)

By: 本报记者 王东辉

What should I understand about the often-heard saying, "the advantage of a super-large-scale market"? I saw that in the first quarter of this year, domestic demand contributed 84.7% to economic growth. How can we turn the advantage of a super-large-scale market into our country's development advantage?
　　——People's Daily Online Netizen

　　The netizen's question hits the key point, which is not only a question about economic buzzwords but also a concern for future development.
　　When mentioning a super-large-scale market, we cannot avoid discussing "quantity." In fact, "large size" itself is an advantage.
　　China has a population of more than 1.4 billion and the world's largest middle-income group. Any demand multiplied by more than 1.4 billion is an extremely large volume. On the one hand, with the steady increase in residents' income, people's demand for goods and services is accelerating from "whether or not" to "how good." On the other hand, the needs of more than 1.4 billion people contain broad space for closely integrating investment in things and investment in people.
　　From the demand side alone, the huge and diverse demands of the super-large-scale market can steadily support China's economic operation.
　　So, how can the advantage of a super-large-scale market become a development advantage?
　　The carrying potential of the super-large-scale market allows consumption to become the "ballast stone" of economic growth.
　　The fresh and trendy products that young people love allow us to see the market momentum provided by emotional value; the silver-haired train travels to all parts of the country, behind which is a comprehensive upgrade of the needs of the elderly; immersive check-ins are popular on social platforms, constantly expanding new scenarios for the experience economy... From clothing, food, housing, and transportation to education, medical care, culture, tourism, and leisure, from material satisfaction to spiritual pleasure, from single consumption to scene integration, new business forms and new models continue to emerge, outlining a vibrant picture of consumption.
　　Last year, final consumption expenditure contributed 52% to China's economic growth. In the first quarter of this year, final consumption expenditure drove GDP growth by 2.4 percentage points. The role of the consumption "main engine" is constantly strengthening, making the strong domestic market a "stabilizer" for coping with risks and challenges and stabilizing the overall development situation.
　　The innovation power of the super-large-scale market provides strong momentum for industrial upgrading.
　　The super-large-scale market not only gives rise to a complete industrial system and supporting capabilities but also makes technological innovation a "touchstone" and "incubator." Facing the upgrading of diversified and high-quality demands, enterprises have more motivation for innovation and more stable development expectations, and the powerful scale effect can dilute R&D costs, thereby encouraging enterprises to dare to invest in R&D and bravely break new ground. From "using the market to exchange for technology" to "using the market to create technology," the super-large-scale market helps consolidate the foundation of a manufacturing powerhouse.
　　Different clothes need to be washed separately? "Four-tub" washing machines have become market stars; elderly people living alone are afraid of accidents? Smart watches have added a fall alarm function; there are needs for attending meetings? Artificial intelligence glasses help people give speeches without scripts and provide real-time translation... China's super-large-scale market can quickly mass-produce and customize individually. Various innovative achievements have diversified and refined application scenarios. Whether it is "small and beautiful" consumer technology products or high-precision and cutting-edge precision manufacturing equipment, they can quickly achieve industrialization, landing, iteration, and upgrading here.
　　The open vitality of the super-large-scale market makes the Chinese market always a fertile ground for various enterprises to invest and develop.
　　From the recent two exhibitions, we can see the development opportunities brought by China's super-large-scale market—the 6th China International Consumer Products Expo (消博会) attracted more than 3,400 brands from more than 60 countries and regions, with international exhibits accounting for 65%, an increase of 20 percentage points compared with last year; the 139th Canton Fair (广交会) attracted more than 210,000 overseas buyers to register for the exhibition. Against the background of global geopolitical turbulence and weak economic recovery, China's door to opening up is opening wider and wider. This openness and inclusiveness make the Chinese market the "preferred option" for companies from all countries.
　　"Walking with China is walking with opportunities" and "Investing in China is investing in the future" have become the consensus of more and more foreign-funded enterprises. Swire Coca-Cola's (太古可口可乐) Kunshan (昆山) factory, with a total investment of 2 billion yuan, is about to be officially put into operation; Schneider Electric (施耐德电气) announced the construction of two new factories in Xiamen (厦门) and Wuxi (无锡) and the upgrading of its Beijing (北京) R&D center; AstraZeneca (阿斯利康) plans to invest more than 100 billion yuan in China before 2030...
　　In the first quarter, China's import and export of goods increased by 15% year-on-year, and the quarterly growth rate hit a new high in nearly 5 years. Foreign-funded enterprises continue to increase their investment in China, casting a vote of confidence with real money, and the Chinese market is rewarding this trust and cooperation with its huge capacity and potential. Internal and external linkage and two-way empowerment not only rely on the domestic market to stabilize the foundation of development but also expand the space for growth through opening up and cooperation, firmly grasping the initiative of development in a complex international environment.
　　Striving forward in the "15th Five-Year Plan," from consumption upgrading to people's livelihood improvement, from industrial innovation to opening up and cooperation, the advantage of a super-large-scale market is continuously being transformed into a development advantage. This is not only a sufficient foundation for the country to move forward but also a happy background for people's lives, providing solid support for the Chinese economic ship to ride the wind and waves and move forward steadily.

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This year, 606.5 billion yuan has been allocated for "two major" construction projects.

This newspaper Beijing (北京), April 19th (Reporter Liu Zhiqiang (刘志强)) - Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委), together with relevant departments, organized and issued the second batch of "Two Major" construction project list for 2026, arranging a total of 216.8 billion yuan of ultra-long-term special treasury bond funds to support 336 major projects, involving key areas such as artificial intelligence, urban underground pipeline construction and renovation, transportation infrastructure in the Yangtze River Economic Belt (长江经济带), high-standard farmland, quality improvement and upgrading of higher education, and the "Three-North" Shelterbelt Project ("三北”工程).

Adding to the previously issued 389.7 billion yuan, the cumulative arrangement of "Two Major" construction funds this year is 606.5 billion yuan, accounting for 76% of the annual 800 billion yuan, and the issuance progress is significantly faster than last year. At the same time, further improve and optimize investment and financing mechanisms, accelerate the implementation of "soft construction" measures, strengthen the supervision of central investment funds, and form more physical workload as soon as possible.

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Photo Story

On April 18th, China's independently researched and constructed offshore mobile multi-functional action platform "Zengchan Yihao (增产一号)" was officially delivered in the West Coast New Area of Qingdao (青岛), Shandong (山东) Province.

The "Zengchan Yihao (增产一号)" is 62.4 meters long, 43.2 meters wide, has a deck area of 1400 square meters, a designed operating water depth of 5 to 40 meters, and a total weight of more than 7300 tons. After being put into use, it is expected to shorten the single-well production increase operation cycle by 40% and reduce the comprehensive operating cost by 30%, effectively meeting the needs of Bohai Oilfield (渤海油田) for efficient development, increased reserves, and increased production.

The picture shows "Zengchan Yihao (增产一号)".

Photo by Hou Linliang (侯琳良), Chen Hai (陈海) (People's Vision)

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Digital and smart products become a focal point for trade-ins of consumer goods.

This newspaper reported from Beijing on April 19th (Reporter Wang Ke (王珂)): The reporter learned from the Ministry of Commerce (商务部): According to the data from the Ministry of Commerce's (商务部) National Trade-in for Home Appliances and Purchase of New Digital and Smart Products Information System, as of April 16, the purchase of new digital and smart products reached 42.433 million units, an increase of 31.7% year-on-year; sales reached 126.153 billion yuan, an increase of 36.4% year-on-year. Among them, mobile phone sales accounted for more than 80%, showing a trend of "mid-to-high-end expansion and optimization of consumption structure."

Since the beginning of this year, the subsidy for purchasing new digital products such as mobile phones has been upgraded and expanded to a subsidy for purchasing new digital and smart products, and smart glasses have been included in the subsidy scope for the first time, driving the retail sales of communication equipment commodities to maintain rapid growth. As of mid-April, 16 domestic smart glasses brands participated in the purchase subsidy policy, driving the sales volume and sales of key enterprises to increase by 42.4% and 46.8% year-on-year, respectively.

Driven by the trade-in for home appliances and the subsidy policy for purchasing new digital and smart products, in the first three months of this year, the retail sales of communication equipment commodities of units above the designated size reached 284 billion yuan, an increase of 20.8% year-on-year, which was 18.4 percentage points higher than the growth rate of the total retail sales of social consumer goods during the same period, ranking first among 16 categories of commodities.

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Introduction

Theory

"15th Five-Year Plan" period: China's (中国) enterprise development ushers in important opportunities.
Page 9

National Reading Special Report

Artificial Intelligence Era: How to Build Our Reading "Large Model"
Page 8

International Perspective

Pursuing Lost Cultural Relics: Upholding Historical Justice
Page 15

Financial Depth

How a Small Button Links to a Large Market
Page 18

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Choosing Xiong'an, Choosing the Future (Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Private Economy)

By: 本报记者 刘志强 邱超奕 谷业凯

"Now that we have the business license, we need to roll up our sleeves and work hard." At the Xiongan New Area (雄安新区) Government Service Center, the reporter met Xia Jiansong (夏建松), the operations director of Chuangxiangjia Incubator Co., Ltd. (创享家孵化器有限公司), who came to handle enterprise registration procedures.

"The incubator has an area of 13,500 square meters and 260 rooms. Many entrepreneurial teams have expressed their intention to move in. Next year, some universities from the capital will come to Xiongan (雄安), and we can provide comprehensive entrepreneurial services for college student innovators." Xia Jiansong (夏建松) has been developing in Beijing (北京) for many years, and he is full of anticipation for his new career in Xiongan (雄安).

Settling down, starting a business, growing. Since the establishment of Xiongan New Area (雄安新区), more than 4,000 enterprises from Beijing (北京) have settled here, including many private enterprises with a keen sense of the market.

Why choose Xiongan (雄安)? Recently, the reporter visited three private enterprises and found the answer in their enthusiasm, drive, and anticipation.

"This innovative hot spot is becoming more and more popular"

A few kilometers away from Xiongan High-speed Railway Station (雄安高铁站) is the pilot test base of Xiongan Science and Innovation Center (雄安科创中心).

"Business is good, and the space is running out." In Beijing Pulong Technology Co., Ltd. (北京普龙科技有限公司), located in the base, the production line for power inspection robots is busy. Sales Director Yang Jiangang (杨建刚)'s words reveal pride, "We are also renovating and building new production lines upstairs, and expanding the R&D team at the same time. The number of employees may double."

In 2019, Pulong Technology (普龙科技), which originally operated in Beijing (北京), made the decision to go to Xiongan (雄安) after comprehensively analyzing the market situation.

"We used to mainly do power intelligent engineering, and the competition was fierce." Yang Zhenyu (杨振宇), the company's R&D director, recalled that in 2019, the company decided to transform and develop power inspection robots. "We learned that Xiongan (雄安) is actively building an innovation highland, so the company decided to move here. Central enterprises, universities, and future industries are gathering here, and the innovative policies and resource advantages are very attractive to us."

After technical research, Pulong Technology (普龙科技) successfully developed a rail-mounted power inspection robot, which can realize unmanned inspection of power distribution rooms and greatly improve efficiency. It has now been put into use in Xiongan (雄安).

The market space is also getting bigger and bigger. Relying on the matchmaking of relevant departments in Xiongan New Area (雄安新区), Pulong Technology (普龙科技) has been able to obtain more orders. Not long ago, it participated in a supply and demand docking meeting. It happened that a large energy company needed to inspect dozens of power distribution rooms, and the intention of cooperation was finalized on the spot. Such docking activities are held on average every two months, and many surrounding companies have become customers of Pulong Technology (普龙科技).

"Working and living in Xiongan (雄安) is a new day every day. This innovative hot spot is becoming more and more popular." Yang Jiangang (杨建刚)'s words express the common feelings of many interviewees.

"Three years ago, when we wanted to recruit R&D engineers from Beijing (北京), some people were still hesitant about whether to come to Xiongan (雄安). Since the second half of 2025, we have clearly felt that there are more and more company signs in the pilot test base. During peak hours, the parking spaces are full." Yang Jiangang (杨建刚) said that transportation to and from Beijing (北京) is convenient here, the atmosphere of scientific and technological innovation is strong, and relevant talents can also enjoy housing, education and other guarantees. It has become a preferred place for science and technology innovation enterprises. "The city of the future is getting better and better."

"The industrial plan is ahead of the development of enterprises"

Also in the pilot test base of Xiongan Science and Innovation Center (雄安科创中心), the satellite assembly, integration and testing plant of Hebei Xiongan Future Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. (河北雄安未来宇航科技有限公司) has taken shape and is expected to be put into operation in July this year.

"Coming to Xiongan (雄安) is a two-way rush. As long as you see the innovation enthusiasm here, you will naturally be deeply moved." Future Aerospace (未来宇航) is a commercial aerospace enterprise whose business covers satellite overall design, satellite launch, satellite measurement, control and operation, etc. For Xiongan (雄安), the company's founder Niu Min (牛旼) experienced a process from unfamiliar to familiar to liking.

In 2017, Niu Min (牛旼) came to Xiongan (雄安) for the first time. "Xiongan New Area (雄安新区) is laying out the aerospace information industry. But I didn't know how to develop the industry and where the business would come from." With the idea of ​​giving it a try, Niu Min (牛旼) first registered a subsidiary in Xiongan New Area (雄安新区).

In 2022, Niu Min (牛旼) came to Xiongan (雄安) for the second time to participate in an investment promotion meeting. At that time, the company was developing a space vehicle similar to a "space ferry". The local investment promotion personnel quickly understood its technical value and proposed to help improve supporting facilities and strengthen support. Future Aerospace (未来宇航) immediately signed a cooperation agreement and decided to build a factory in Xiongan New Area (雄安新区) for production.

The height of the plant must exceed 13 meters, the energy supply must have a special line, and most areas must meet the 100,000-level clean workshop standard... The requirements for the plant for developing aerospace equipment are very harsh. What moved Niu Min (牛旼) was that the local relevant departments coordinated and met these personalized needs one by one. "It only took 4 months from the start of construction to the completion of the main structure."

There are many more thoughtful services. Future Aerospace (未来宇航) needs to carry out the final assembly and testing of space vehicles, which is inseparable from large-scale experimental equipment. A vibration table alone costs tens of millions of yuan. If the company purchases it itself, the pressure will be great. "It just so happens that Xiongan Science Park (雄安科学园) is building a satellite sharing test center, which has experimental equipment such as vibration tables, and all units can apply to use it." Niu Min (牛旼) sighed, "The local industrial plan is ahead of the development of enterprises."

At present, Xiongan New Area (雄安新区) has gathered more than 60 aerospace information enterprises, covering satellite integration and assembly, transportation services, satellite payloads, etc., and an emerging pillar industry cluster is gradually taking shape.

At present, the plant is about to be completed, and Future Aerospace (未来宇航) is full of energy - the company has taken the lead in forming an innovation consortium in Xiongan New Area (雄安新区), and the first space vehicle is expected to be launched in the second half of this year. Niu Min (牛旼) is full of expectations: "In the future, the annual output of space vehicles from the Xiongan (雄安) factory will reach about 60, which can provide full-cycle services for more satellites. Our 'space 4S store' is about to open."

"The innovation 'laboratory' has infinite possibilities"

Xiongan New Area Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park (雄安新区中关村科技园) has a geometric building complex scattered in a well-organized manner. Walking into a building or a company at random, there are endless entrepreneurial stories to listen to.

Like Huazhu Technology Company (华铸科技公司), which mainly focuses on smart city construction, Chairman Ding Guohui (丁国辉) originally had a stable job in Beijing (北京). After the establishment of the new district in 2017, he participated in the smart city design work in Xiongan (雄安) with his original company. Seeing the bustling construction scene, Ding Guohui (丁国辉) had the idea - to start a business, to start a business in Xiongan (雄安).

"Building Xiongan New Area (雄安新区) to a high standard, the smart city business must have a future." In 2021, starting with a team of 6 people, Ding Guohui (丁国辉) founded the company in a folk house. The other 5 people include former colleagues and new employees. They have different backgrounds and different expertise, but their ideas are highly consistent: "Xiongan (雄安) has great potential, and we can also make a difference."

With the team's technical accumulation and confidence in the construction of Xiongan (雄安), Huazhu Technology (华铸科技) gradually opened up the market. In 2022, the company established an innovation center to increase R&D efforts. "Xiongan's (雄安) underground, above-ground, and cloud 'three cities' grow together. This is a great opportunity. We must truly enter the smart city track!" Ding Guohui (丁国辉) made up his mind to develop hardware equipment, develop software platforms, and upgrade communication technology. The "intelligent space management system" proposed by the company has gradually transformed from concepts and drawings into products and solutions.

In just a few years, Huazhu Technology (华铸科技) has landed more than 100 cases in Xiongan (雄安), serving a total project area of ​​more than 9 million square meters, and its revenue in 2025 will exceed 60 million yuan. The China Sinochem Phase II project (中国中化二期项目), Xiongan Free Trade Building (雄安自贸大厦) and other landmark projects all feature Huazhu Technology (华铸科技) products.

"Xiongan (雄安) not only has landing scenarios, but also an innovation ecosystem like a 'tropical rainforest'." Ding Guohui (丁国辉) pointed to one side, "That is also an information technology company from Beijing (北京). If they need a building information model, they can provide it; if it involves digital twins, we will cooperate." In Xiongan New Area Zhongguancun Science and Technology Park (雄安新区中关村科技园), more than 260 technology-based enterprises in the fields of artificial intelligence, digital technology, and biotechnology are located next to each other, and the cluster effect is increasing day by day.

From "non-standard" projects to standardized products, from doing traditional solutions to giving new solutions, Huazhu Technology's (华铸科技) development in Xiongan (雄安) is getting better and better. Ding Guohui (丁国辉) said that in the future, the company will grow together with "Smart Xiongan" (智慧雄安), "This huge innovation 'laboratory' has infinite possibilities."

Dreams take root, and the city grows. Xiongan (雄安), this hot spot for innovation and entrepreneurship, is attracting more and more private enterprises and technology innovation enterprises to settle in, accumulating the vigorous power to move towards the future.

(Our reporter Zhang Tengyang (张腾扬) participated in the writing)

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Meteorological data integrated into all aspects of agricultural production (New quality productive forces in spring plowing)

By: 本报记者 李红梅

In the crucial period of spring plowing, major grain growers in Hua County (滑县), Henan (河南) no longer need to patrol farmland on foot. With a simple tap on their phones, satellite remote sensing images clearly display field boundaries, soil moisture distribution, and crop growth.

The shift from relying solely on experience to using data as a "helper" is thanks to China's (中国) construction of the world's largest agricultural meteorological observation network. How does this vast network covering "sky, earth, and space" operate? How does it play a role in ensuring food security and driving the development of smart agriculture?

Precise Monitoring

Meteorological Data Changes the "Relying on Weather" Farming Production Method

Currently, more than 60 million mu of winter wheat in Shandong (山东) are entering a critical period of spring field management. The Shandong Provincial Climate Center innovatively uses 10-meter-level remote sensing monitoring technology, combining satellite remote sensing, drone observation, and ground-based field surveys to create a provincial, municipal, and county-level "one map" for monitoring winter wheat seedling conditions, providing a basis for classified policy implementation and promoting the transformation of weak seedlings into strong ones.

In Jiangsu (江苏), the smart agricultural meteorological service system releases real-time forecasts of suitable levels for aerial spraying, helping growers accurately plan operation times and improve field management efficiency. Zhang Zhaojun (张兆军), a grower in Jiannan Village (涧南村), Suicheng District (宿城区), Suqian (宿迁), calculated the benefits: "Drone aerial spraying can complete hundreds of mu of spraying operations per day, shortening the pest and disease control cycle by more than 30%, and saving about 50,000 yuan in pesticide costs each year."

China (中国) has built a modern agricultural meteorological observation system including 642 manual observation stations, 738 automatic observation stations, 15 specialized service centers, and 91 experimental stations, weaving a dense integrated national food security meteorological monitoring network of space-based satellite remote sensing, air-based drone and radar detection, and ground-based multi-point networking.

Precisely monitored meteorological data is integrated into all aspects of agricultural production, providing reminders of agricultural seasons, early warnings of disaster risks, and agricultural advice. According to the relevant person in charge of the Comprehensive Observation Department of the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), cross-departmental data interconnection and sharing of the agricultural meteorological observation network is being promoted, focusing on major grain-producing areas, concentrated areas of facility agriculture, and advantageous areas of characteristic agriculture across the country, optimizing and improving observation stations, and densifying the observation network.

Cloud-Based Watch

Meteorological Satellites Become "Real-Time Monitors" of Crop Growth

Hundreds of kilometers above the main winter wheat producing areas of North China (华北) and the Huanghuai (黄淮) region, Fengyun (风云) meteorological satellites operate day and night, sending "agricultural intelligence telegrams" for spring agricultural production.

On the business platform of the National Satellite Meteorological Center (国家卫星气象中心), various agricultural information such as where winter wheat is planted, how it is growing, and whether the ground temperature is sufficient is clear at a glance. Behind this is a set of satellite remote sensing monitoring and evaluation business systems for major crops.

"The most important thing for spring sowing is to look at the ground temperature, which is related to the choice of the appropriate sowing period," said Zhang Mingwei (张明伟), a researcher at the National Satellite Meteorological Center (国家卫星气象中心). Fengyun (风云) meteorological satellites mainly observe through a network of three satellites in the morning, noon, and afternoon, obtaining field environment monitoring information every 6 hours, reflecting temperature changes, and providing farmers with accurate sowing advice.

Meteorological satellites can not only find out "when to plant" but also see "how it grows."

The key technology of remote sensing monitoring of early crop distribution in the growing season, led by the National Satellite Meteorological Center (国家卫星气象中心), has completed the accurate monitoring and mapping of the spatial distribution of winter wheat planting in the main producing provinces of North China (华北) and the Huanghuai (黄淮) region, allowing agricultural meteorological services to develop from a "surface" grasp to "point" precision.

Fengyun (风云) satellites can obtain spectral information reflected by leaves through high-precision sensors. After in-depth analysis and processing, they can sensitively determine whether crops have problems such as nutrient deficiencies, insufficient soil moisture, and early onset of diseases. On this basis, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) dataset for cultivated land is constructed and updated in real time nationwide, making it convenient for farmers to quickly obtain crop growth information. The "fast scanning observation" mode of Fengyun-4B (风云四号B星) can capture cloud system dynamics at a frequency of once per minute, giving agricultural condition monitoring "satellite speed."

Intelligent Observation

The Only Country in the World with a Complete Set of Automatic Observation Data for Crop Development Stages

If satellites are the "eyes," then ground-based intelligent observation stations are the sensitive "nerves" of agricultural production.

In Henan (河南), 48 sets of phenological observation systems are deeply integrated with Fengyun (风云) satellite and drone monitoring data. Tian Hongwei (田宏伟), a senior engineer at the Henan Meteorological Science Research Institute (河南省气象科学研究所), said: "We integrate multi-source data to provide wheat growth monitoring products, so that every jointing and every inch of soil moisture of winter wheat in the province can be 'seen, distinguished, and judged accurately.'"

In Hunan (湖南), high-standard farmland meteorological observation stations play the role of "sentinels." By real-time monitoring the temperature and humidity in the seedling raising sheds, the observation stations automatically send alerts for risks such as high-temperature seedling burning, helping to reduce the rate of early rice seedling rot by 20% and seedling raising costs by more than 10% in the local area in the past three years.

"The biggest feature of this agricultural meteorological observation network is the combination of 'intelligence and accuracy'," said Wu Dongli (吴东丽), deputy director of the System Office of the Meteorological Detection Center of the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局气象探测中心). Supported by technologies such as artificial intelligence, laser, and remote sensing, China's (中国) agricultural meteorological observation system is globally leading and is the only country with a complete set of automatic observation data for crop development stages.

The combination of "intelligence and accuracy" is being transformed into the ability to defend against natural disasters. For example, in terms of pest and disease control, China (中国) has built the world's largest weather radar monitoring network. Weather radar can detect insect group echoes hundreds of kilometers away, real-time monitoring the trajectory of migratory pests such as locusts, providing decision support for agricultural and rural departments, and realizing the transformation from "net-style prevention and control" to "precision strike."

From "relying on the heavens for food" to "knowing the heavens and working accordingly," the world's largest agricultural meteorological observation network is rooting cloud technology in the fields, making the foundation of the great power's granary more solid.

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Get to the Root of Problems, Rectify to the Satisfaction of the People (Establishing and Practicing a Correct View of Performance)

By: 本报记者

Currently, the study and education on establishing and practicing a correct view of performance are being carried out in a solid and orderly manner. In recent days, various regions, departments, and units have deepened their ideological understanding, conscientiously identified problems, and earnestly implemented rectification and remediation, effectively transforming the results of their studies into practical actions to guide practice and promote work.

**Benchmarking and In-depth Inspection**

Various regions, departments, and units are educating and guiding Party members and cadres to deeply investigate existing problems in their view of performance, seeking gaps, tracing roots, and strengthening self-cultivation from the perspective of Party spirit.

Shijiazhuang City (石家庄市), Hebei Province (河北省), closely integrates the deployment of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" outline with annual tasks, focusing on development bottlenecks, people's livelihood pain points, and work difficulties. Through self-examination and self-correction, mass suggestions, superior guidance, and mutual assistance, it comprehensively sorts out and accurately inspects, promoting accurate problem identification and deep root tracing.

The leadership team of Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (北京航空航天大学) took the lead in identifying problems, forming a list of 8 problems and 25 specific manifestations, driving Party members and cadres to conduct in-depth investigations. At the same time, combined with actual conditions, they sorted out typical positive and negative cases, strengthened demonstration leadership and warning education, educated and guided Party members and cadres to improve their Party spirit awareness, and created a pragmatic and down-to-earth atmosphere for entrepreneurship.

Chaoyang District (朝阳区) in Beijing (北京市) adheres to the integrated promotion of learning, inspection, and rectification, focusing on the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" economic and social development goals, annual key reform tasks, and the "monthly issue" special governance of immediate response to complaints. It comprehensively and deeply explores and identifies bottlenecks and difficulties restricting development, systematically sorts out problem lists, and clarifies the root causes of problems one by one, laying a solid foundation for subsequent classified rectification, closed-loop implementation, and long-term governance.

The Party Group of China North Industries Group Corporation (兵器工业集团) deeply studied General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important expositions on establishing and practicing a correct view of performance, compared them with the main problem list of deviations in the view of performance, and compared them with the problems reflected by discipline inspection and supervision, inspection and supervision, audit supervision, financial and accounting supervision, and statistical supervision. Combined with annual key tasks, it deeply explored the deviations in the view of performance existing in key areas such as equipment production, industrial development, technological innovation, quality and safety, and cadre talent, and accurately portrayed the manifestations of the problems.

The Party Group of China Petrochemical Group (中国石化集团) organized Party members and cadres to deeply study "Excerpts of Xi Jinping's (习近平) Expositions on Establishing and Practicing a Correct View of Performance," and conducted special discussions in conjunction with the "Regulations on the Integrity of Leading Cadres of State-Owned Enterprises" and the "Implementation Measures for Accountability for Irregular Business Investment of Central Enterprises," educating and guiding Party members and cadres to put themselves in, put their work in, and put their responsibilities in, and calibrate the coordinates of performance.

**Taking Real Action and Making Genuine Rectifications**

In recent days, various regions, departments, and units have adhered to turning the blade inward, rectifying problems with deviations in the view of performance while investigating, and immediately rectifying them. They have carried out centralized remediation of prominent problems and continued to promote the implementation of rectification.

Zhaohua District (昭化区) in Guangyuan City (广元市), Sichuan Province (四川省), has launched a special action to "correct deviations in the view of performance on the front line," forming special teams to conduct on-site investigations in key areas such as project construction, industrial development, ecological environment, and people's livelihood, establishing a centralized remediation ledger, with special teams tracking the entire process, verifying item by item, and closing the loop. At the same time, through online platforms such as government affairs disclosure, it proactively responds to the rectification of issues of social concern.

Liangping District (梁平区) in Chongqing (重庆市) focuses on key areas such as project engineering, financial risks, audit rectification, and data fraud, implementing special teams to promote special projects, and constructing a closed-loop management mechanism of "rectification and remediation - rectification and cancellation - establishment of rules and regulations," focusing on promoting the implementation of rectification work.

Yuxi City (玉溪市) in Yunnan Province (云南省) educates and guides Party members and cadres to establish and practice a correct view of performance, taking the resolution of historical legacy issues as an important starting point. Party committees (Party groups) at all levels in cities, counties, and districts focus on "historical debts" in key areas such as project construction, people's livelihood pain points, and the business environment, selecting problems as key tasks, and implementing "one problem, one ledger, one area, one special team" management to ensure clear baselines, clear root causes, and clear responsibilities.

Yingtan City (鹰潭市) in Jiangxi Province (江西省) adheres to the integrated promotion of learning, inspection, and rectification, combining the problems collected from platforms such as "Questioning Politics in Yingtan" to establish a problem ledger. For the problems identified, those that can be rectified immediately are rectified without delay, immediately, and as soon as they are known; for the loopholes and weak links existing in the work, a normalized and long-term institutional mechanism is improved.

The Party Committee of China Railway Construction Corporation (中国铁建) adheres to rectifying while investigating and immediately rectifying, rectifying short-term problems as soon as they are known, and clarifying the roadmap and timetable for rectifying long-term problems. Various grassroots units focus on shortcomings such as insufficient penetration of refined management, reliance on traditional industrial paths, and blind spots in risk prevention, establishing three lists of "problems, responsibilities, and rectifications" to ensure that rectification is implemented.

**Promoting Work Through Learning and Benefiting the People**

Various regions, departments, and units adhere to going deep into the grassroots and deep into the masses, educating and guiding Party members and cadres to adhere to the people-centered approach, establish and practice a correct view of performance, promote the resolution of a number of practical issues concerning people's livelihood, and respond to the expectations of the masses with practical actions and results.

The Huangpu District (黄浦区) Committee in Shanghai (上海市) took the lead in leading "real action" projects, promoting the transformation of problem lists into mass satisfaction lists. In response to the historical legacy issues of resettlement housing transaction transfers, Party members and cadres conducted special sorting of resettlement housing under the same relocation project in the same historical period, and at the same time took the lead in connecting with courts, banks, and related enterprises to discuss countermeasures, overcoming difficulties such as the long history, data discontinuity, enterprise changes, and debt transfer, and solving the problem of "frozen" property rights that had been accumulating for many years.

Motuo County (墨脱县) in Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治区) relies on the "Motuo Affairs Immediate Handling · Public Opinion Quick Handling" online platform to construct a closed-loop mechanism of "mass topic selection + collection and research + tracking and implementation"; adheres to achieving performance for the people and achieving performance through practical work, establishes a list of practical things to do for the people, introduces a number of measures to promote the increase of income for farmers and herdsmen, and the county and township levels of power actively sink and provide front-line services, promoting more mass demands to be effectively resolved.

Binhai County (滨海县) in Jiangsu Province (江苏省) organizes Party members and cadres to deeply practice the "Four Down to the Grassroots" system, focusing on key areas such as "efficiently completing one thing," enterprise-related services, and people's livelihood services, organizing relevant department heads to experience the handling of matters throughout the entire process, sorting out and investigating problems one by one, and promoting the on-site handling of problems such as cumbersome materials and system malfunctions.

"Moving here, I can safely give everyone haircuts again." On Lequn Road's "Convenience Hairdressing Street" (乐群路的“便民理发一条街”) in Liuzhou City (柳州市), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区), hairdresser Huang (黄) said with a smile. Liuzhou (柳州) closely focuses on the "key small things" around the masses, resolutely corrects the "one-size-fits-all" thinking in urban governance, organizes urban management and street Party members and cadres to go deep into the field to visit and investigate, listen to demands, and earnestly solve the urgent and difficult problems of the people.

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Photo Report

On April 18, at the construction site of the pavement engineering of the G5 Beijing-Kunming Expressway (G5京昆高速) Guangyuan (广元) to Mianyang (绵阳) section expansion project within Mianyang City (绵阳市), Sichuan Province (四川省), a safety officer monitored the operation status of unmanned road rollers through a road unmanned system. The construction party adopted technical means such as pile-free intelligent paver autonomous operation and unmanned rolling cluster collaborative advancement to further improve construction efficiency.

Xinhua News Agency (新华社) reporter Wang Xi (王曦) photographed.

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Medical Testing "Air Corridor" Built in Mountainous Area (New Scenarios, New Momentum)

By: 本报记者 曹文轩

"So, does this mean I have to make another trip to the county hospital?" Holding the medical record, Cheng Chuanhe (程传合), a villager from Sihe Village, Zhongping Town, Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County (琼中黎族苗族自治县), Hainan (海南), frowned.

Cheng Chuanhe's legs had been cramping inexplicably many times before. He didn't take it seriously at first, but this time the pain was so severe that he broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly went to the town health center. The doctor initially suspected hypocalcemic tetany, but the town health center did not have the capability for relevant blood tests. As usual, he would have to travel more than 60 kilometers back and forth to the county hospital for a blood test.

"No need to go through all that trouble. After the blood is drawn, a drone will deliver it for you." Chen Zhao (陈照), a doctor in the laboratory department of Zhongping Town Health Center, surprised and delighted Cheng Chuanhe with his words. Once the message was sent, an "aerial relay" across the mountains was immediately launched.

At the base station next to Qiongzhong County People's Hospital (琼中县人民医院), the operator quickly replaced the battery and took photos according to the regulations to send back. Hundreds of kilometers away in Haikou (海口), Lin Shuyu (林书遇), a staff member of the operations department of Shikong Jiedi Aviation Service Co., Ltd., confirmed that the weather and route were normal, and lightly tapped the screen with his fingertip. With a "whoosh," the drone took off, flying smoothly along the preset route, with information such as attitude, speed, and position being transmitted back in real time.

In less than half an hour, accompanied by a buzzing sound, the drone landed steadily on the apron next to Zhongping Town Health Center. Chen Zhao stepped forward to change the battery, load the blood sample, and synchronize the information to the work group. The drone then took off again, briefly landing at Lingtou Hospital (岭头医院) to change the battery and pick up samples along the way, all in one go.

More than 40 minutes later, Wen Shu (文书), director of the laboratory department of Qiongzhong County People's Hospital, received several test samples from the two township health centers. About 2 hours later, Cheng Chuanhe's test results were transmitted back through the provincial government service platform "Haizhengtong (海政通)."

"According to the test results, it was not caused by hypocalcemia. Pay attention to rest more and observe further..." After listening to the doctor's phone call, Cheng Chuanhe breathed a sigh of relief.

An invisible "aerial corridor" shuttles between the mountains, delivering test samples, emergency medicines, and medical equipment to the places where they are most needed, and connecting the county and township-level hospitals more closely.

In 2022, the construction of the Qiongzhong county medical community was launched. County-level experts went down to provide consultations, and township medical staff went to the county town for further studies. The two-way flow has greatly improved the primary care capacity, and more and more villagers are seeing and curing their illnesses at their doorsteps.

With the system unblocked, spatial "bottlenecks" still remain. Qiongzhong is located in the central ecological core area of Hainan, with mountains and hills accounting for 80%. When people in townships see a doctor, if complex tests are involved, either the patient has to travel more, or the doctor has to deliver the samples in person, which is time-consuming, laborious, and costly. When the weather conditions are poor, there are also safety risks.

"In the past, we had to rely on 'rides' to send samples. Whoever went to the county would take them along. In case of emergency, we had to run the trip ourselves," Chen Zhao admitted frankly. The road conditions in Zhongping Town are still considered good. In remote townships such as Diaoluoshan (吊罗山) and Shiyun (什运), the mountains are high and the roads are steep, with many bends and steep slopes. A trip takes up most of the day.

How to break the situation?

Riding on the east wind of the development of the low-altitude economy, Hainan Shikong Jiedi Aviation Service Co., Ltd. was established in April 2025. After research, the company set its sights on the field of medical logistics, determined to blaze a new path for the low-altitude economy in the mountainous areas. In May of the same year, Qiongzhong KenDi Integration Resource Development Company (琼中垦地融合资源开发公司) and Shikong Jiedi hit it off after contact. One month later, Hainan's first county-wide medical low-altitude logistics full-coverage project completed its maiden flight.

How is this "aerial corridor" built in the mountains?

Li Baoming (李宝明), head of the company's operations department, introduced that the project takes Qiongzhong County People's Hospital and County Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital (县中医院) as dual hubs, deploys 2 drones, plans 4 intelligent logistics routes, connects 15 township health centers in the county, with a total mileage of 205 kilometers, and realizes full coverage of the county medical community's low-altitude logistics "one network."

"Considering the cost, load capacity, range, and mountainous environment, the drones we use have a one-way range of about 30 kilometers, a maximum load of 9 kilograms, are simple to operate, and can be started by inserting a battery. No special maintenance is required. Before the launch, we have conducted multiple rounds of practical training for primary medical staff. The entire flight is remotely controlled and intelligently dispatched by the Haikou headquarters." Li Baoming said that in order to cover a wider area and achieve higher efficiency, the drones use "frog-jumping" relay flights, like an aerial bus, stopping, changing batteries, and loading along the way, delivering test samples to the county hospital on time.

As of the end of March this year, the Qiongzhong medical low-altitude logistics network has safely flown 225 sorties, with a total mileage of over 2276 kilometers, including 130 sorties for transporting routine medical samples, 80 sorties for emergency infectious disease detection, 2 sorties for emergency medicines, and 13 sorties for medical consumables, reducing the overall delivery time by 50%.

Qiongzhong's exploration has attracted peers from Chengmai (澄迈), Ding'an (定安) and other places in Hainan to come and learn. Li Baoming and his team are also working hard to promote the "aerial corridor" to more cities and counties.

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New Scenarios Should Target and Promote Public Wellbeing Needs (Editor's Notes)

By: 何 彪

For a long time, some areas with inconvenient transportation have faced situations where emergency medicines and medical devices "cannot get down" and test samples "cannot get up," affecting the efficiency of medical services. The exploration in Qiongzhong (琼中), Hainan (海南) shows that in special geographical units such as mountainous areas and islands, low-altitude logistics can play an important complementary role, crossing physical barriers and accelerating service processes with lower investment.

New technologies and new scenarios should aim at the application and promotion of people's livelihood needs. The shortcomings of testing in township hospitals, the urgent need for the timeliness of emergency medicines, and the practical pain points of the masses repeatedly running around have jointly promoted the rapid implementation of new technologies and new scenarios. When a drone carrying blood samples, medicines, and the expectations of the masses flies in, the low-altitude economy is no longer an abstract concept, but becomes vivid and perceptible.

The goals of county medical community construction and low-altitude economic development form a meeting point in Qiongzhong (琼中). Technology empowering the grassroots is not only about how advanced the equipment is, but also about whether it can be accurately embedded in the existing service system. We expect more places to start from the urgent needs and expectations of the masses, create conditions, and accelerate the promotion and application of new technologies and new scenarios.

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CIE: Showcasing the Dynamic Vitality of the Chinese Market to the World

By: 本报记者 周 輖 褚 君

Coconut breeze and ocean charm, full of vitality. From April 13th to 18th, the 6th China International Consumer Products Expo (hereinafter referred to as "CICPE"), themed "Openness Leading Global Consumption, Innovation Driving a Better Life," was held in Haikou (海口), Hainan (海南). As the "first exhibition" of major exhibitions in China in the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan" and the "debut" after the full island closure operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港), this year's CICPE not only set new records in exhibition area and the number of participating countries and regional exhibition groups, but also demonstrated the strong resilience and global attractiveness of the Chinese market.

"CICPE is a 'sensor' for capturing Chinese consumer demand up close."

This year's CICPE focuses on new types of consumption such as green, healthy, digital, and intelligent, bringing together high-quality consumer products and building a platform for Chinese and foreign docking cooperation.

Strolling through the science and technology consumption exhibition area is like traveling through time and space. XPeng Huitian's (小鹏汇天) modular flying car outlines a three-dimensional travel picture; Lingban Technology's (灵伴科技) AI (artificial intelligence) glasses achieve real-time mutual translation of 89 languages; Yu Shu's (宇树) humanoid robot flexibly shakes hands with the audience... Cutting-edge technologies are densely displayed, making people feel that "the future has arrived." Zambian buyer Fred, who has participated in the CICPE for many years, exclaimed that China is no longer a simple "world factory" and has global leading competitiveness in intelligent equipment and high-tech fields. "Related products are not only technically excellent, but also more in line with actual life needs, and are at the top level globally."

This year's CICPE has more than 200 new product launches, doubling from last year. OSIM (傲胜), a Singaporean massage chair brand and a "full attendance student" of the CICPE, globally launched its annual flagship new product - "AI 5-Sense Healthcare Chair," which won the "Global Good Gift" International Award for the integration of technology and creativity. "CICPE is a 'sensor' for capturing Chinese consumer demand up close." Cai Yiping (蔡怡平), head of OSIM's brand management department, said that six years of participation in the exhibition have allowed the brand to clearly perceive Chinese consumers' pursuit of more scientific and personalized health experiences, and has also strengthened the company's determination to continue to cultivate the Chinese market and increase investment in research and development.

The "15th Five-Year Plan"纲要 clearly proposes to "accelerate the construction of a healthy China." "Participating in the CICPE allows us to collect feedback from Chinese consumers, which is of positive significance for us to further explore the Chinese market." Wolf-Dieter Feyd, founder of the German pharmaceutical and healthcare company HCP, is 82 years old and insisted on coming to the site to introduce the company's products to consumers. "With the rapid development of the Chinese economy, Chinese consumers' health consumption concepts have undergone positive changes. I believe that there is broad cooperation space between Germany and China in the pharmaceutical field in the future."

Stefano, an Italian exhibitor participating in the CICPE for the first time, said that in recent years, the scale of China's health consumption market has grown rapidly and the business model has been continuously innovating. "Chinese consumers are paying more and more attention to healthy eating. I believe that our high-quality olive oil, which is participating in the exhibition for the first time, can meet the needs of Chinese consumers."

"We are optimistic about the development of China's consumer market during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period and look forward to sharing new opportunities for China's high-quality development."

New Zealand alpaca quilts, South African red wine, Malaysian bird's nests... High-quality products from various countries "meet" in the global specialty consumer exhibition area. This year's CICPE attracted more than 3,400 brands from more than 60 countries and regions, of which international exhibits accounted for 65%, an increase of 20 percentage points compared with the previous session. The increasing "international concentration" outlines a vivid picture of global consumption.

As the guest country of honor at this year's CICPE, Canada brought its largest ever exhibition lineup. The 400-square-meter Canadian National Pavilion is particularly eye-catching with its "maple leaf" as a visual identifier. "I hope to use the CICPE to promote our apple-brewed beer to the Chinese market." Greg Zeschuk, head of a Canadian beer brewing company, said, "The Chinese consumer market has huge potential, and we look forward to carrying out further cooperation and exchanges with Chinese friends." Bei Jiade (贝加德), Consul General of the Consulate General of Canada in Guangzhou (加拿大驻广州总领事馆), said that since the first CICPE was held in 2021, Canada has actively participated every year, and the scale of the exhibition has continued to expand. "I hope to promote more high-quality Canadian products to enter the Chinese market."

In the Namibian National Pavilion, the Marula oil series of daily chemical products exudes a faint fragrance. Ella, a staff member of the Hilco brand, used fluent Chinese to introduce the characteristics of the products to the audience who stopped to watch. She told reporters: "In recent years, with the strong promotion of China's tariff reduction and trade facilitation policies, Chinese companies have continued to increase their imports of natural raw materials from Africa. This has not only broadened the export channels for African raw materials, but also driven the coordinated development of Africa in multiple related industries such as planting, collection, processing, logistics, and trade, and improved the lives of local people."

"Platforms such as the CICPE allow Chinese consumers to experience high-quality products from Bulgaria." Tian Shihong (田世虹), Secretary-General of the China-Bulgaria Friendship Association (中国保加利亚友好协会), introduced that Bulgarian brands have participated in the CICPE five times, and this year is the first time to set up a national pavilion. Bulgarian skincare brand Refan (柏芙诗) "tested the waters" in the Chinese market through relevant exhibitions and received positive feedback, driving other Bulgarian products to enter the Chinese market. "Many Bulgarian products enter the Chinese market through cross-border e-commerce, and the closure operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port further simplifies the relevant processes."

"Chinese consumers are happy to be exposed to new things." Sabrina, a staff member of the Uruguayan National Meat Institute, said, "China is one of Uruguay's most important beef export markets, and trade with China has strongly promoted Uruguay's economic development. We are optimistic about the development of China's consumer market during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period and look forward to sharing new opportunities for China's high-quality development."

"The Chinese consumer market is full of potential, and we hope to deeply cultivate the market and invest in China."

Through the CICPE, the world has seen the surging vitality of the Chinese market, the determination of China to expand high-level opening to the outside world, and strengthened its confidence in walking with China.

"Please invite the representatives of the companies that have reached cooperation agreements to come to the stage to sign the contract." Inside the buyer service center, the atmosphere of supply and demand docking meetings was hot, and company representatives signed contracts from time to time. This year's CICPE established an offline buyer service center for the first time, providing participating companies and buyers with full-process, all-round supply and procurement docking services, which was well received by domestic and foreign merchants.

"This is the first time I have participated in the CICPE, and I didn't expect so many opportunities. I will come again next year!" Cheng Xiang (程翔), founder and CEO of Canadian Acon Biotech (加拿大爱康生生物科技), said that the company has reached preliminary intentions with some companies at the supply and demand meeting. "We just entered China through cross-border e-commerce channels last year. The CICPE provides us with a stage to showcase our products and let more merchants and consumers understand our products. The Chinese consumer market is full of potential, and we hope to deeply cultivate the market and invest in China."

On December 18 last year, the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自贸港) launched the full island closure operation. "In the past 100 days, we have had three batches of goods enjoy the tariff exemption policy for processing and value-added domestic sales, saving 8% in taxes." Ye Jian (叶剑), general manager of CP (Hainan) Xinglong Coffee Industry Development Co., Ltd. (正大（海南）兴隆咖啡产业开发有限公司), said that on the day of the closure, the coffee beans processed by the company successfully completed the first order of tariff exemption for processing and value-added domestic sales. Xue Zengyi (薛增一), senior vice chairman of CP Group (正大集团) Agribusiness and Food Enterprise China, said: "The policy system of 'zero tariff, low tax rate, and simple tax system' allows enterprises to enjoy tangible dividends, and also allows us to see new trade and investment opportunities."

"We established an office in China more than 10 years ago and have a deep understanding of the vigorous vitality and huge potential of the Chinese economy." Ni Shiyun (倪诗筠), director of the Irish Food Board's representative office in China, said, "China's '15th Five-Year Plan'纲要 further strengthened our confidence in the Chinese economy. The Chinese consumer market is very important for Irish food companies, and it has been so in the past and will be so in the future. Our commitment to investing in China will not change."

Xu Xinxiong (许馨雄), CEO of Thailand Tiansi Group (泰国天丝集团), said that the policy dividends of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are deeply superimposed, bringing new opportunities for enterprises to facilitate trade and efficiently link global resources, and further strengthened the group's strategic determination to deeply cultivate Hainan and deepen its overall layout in China. "We will take the CICPE as an opportunity to seize the development opportunities of the Hainan Free Trade Port, continue to deepen investment and innovation in China, and grow together with Hainan and China."

(Reporters Yu Yang (于洋) and Sun Haitian (孙海天) participated in writing)

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Four-Point Proposal Injects Positive Energy into Peace and Stability in the Middle East (Harmony Voice)

China will continue to stand on the side of peace and dialogue, on the side of historical correctness, and on the side of the progress of human civilization, working hand in hand with like-minded countries to promote lasting peace and security in the Middle East through unremitting efforts, and contribute Chinese strength and demonstrate the responsibility of a major country to regional peace, stability, prosperity, and development.

When President Xi Jinping (习近平) met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (哈立德) of the United Arab Emirates (阿联酋) recently, he put forward four proposals on maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, emphasizing adherence to the principles of peaceful coexistence, national sovereignty, international rule of law, and integrated development and security. The four proposals fully embody China's consistent position and active efforts to promote peace and stop war and advocate dialogue to resolve differences, providing a Chinese solution for the Middle East and the Gulf region to emerge from the shadow of conflict and achieve lasting peace and security. The international community believes that the four proposals put forward by China are based on the fundamental interests of the people in the Middle East region, are pragmatic and fair, and inject positive energy into regional and even world peace and stability.

If the Middle East is unstable, the world will be uneasy. The current situation in the Middle East is experiencing renewed turbulence, and the spillover effects of the conflict continue to emerge. Relevant reports from the United Nations (联合国) and the International Monetary Fund (国际货币基金组织) show that the current Middle East war may lead to a global economic recession, drag down economic growth in 2026, cause nearly 200 billion U.S. dollars in economic losses to countries in the region, and plunge more than 32 million people worldwide into poverty. Curbing the war, consolidating the ceasefire, and adhering to political solutions are the urgent priorities for resolving the crisis and the common expectations of the international community.

Adhering to peaceful coexistence is an important foundation for breaking the Middle East dilemma and achieving lasting peace and security in the region. The Middle Eastern Gulf countries are as closely linked as lips and teeth and are neighbors that cannot be moved away. The more tense the situation, the more the countries in the region must cherish peace. From promoting the historic reconciliation between Saudi Arabia (沙特) and Iran (伊朗), to promoting reconciliation talks among 14 Palestinian (巴勒斯坦) factions and signing the "Beijing Declaration (北京宣言)," to jointly issuing a five-point initiative with Pakistan (巴基斯坦) on restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East regions, China has always adhered to promoting peace and promoting talks, playing a constructive role in bridging differences, building consensus, and enhancing mutual trust among Middle Eastern Gulf countries. China supports Middle Eastern Gulf countries in improving relations and promoting the construction of a common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security architecture for the Middle East and Gulf region, consolidating the foundation for peaceful coexistence among countries in the region.

Upholding national sovereignty is the core prerequisite for maintaining peace and stability in the Middle East and safeguarding the development rights and interests of countries in the region. Sovereignty is the foundation for all countries, especially the vast number of developing countries, to establish themselves and is inviolable. The people of the Middle East are the true masters of this region, and Middle Eastern affairs should be decided independently by the countries in the region. No external force should overstep its bounds, let alone resort to force, interfere in other countries' internal affairs, or trample on other countries' sovereignty. The sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Middle Eastern Gulf countries should be effectively respected, and the safety of personnel, facilities, and institutions of all countries should be effectively safeguarded. China supports Middle Eastern Gulf countries in defending their sovereign security, territorial integrity, and national dignity, and safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests.

Maintaining the international rule of law is a solid guarantee for curbing the spread of war in the Middle East and building a solid barrier to regional peace. An important reason for the continued escalation and prolongation of the Middle East war is that individual countries disregard international rules, frequently implement maximum pressure and unilateral sanctions, place their own interests above the common interests of the international community, and undermine the foundation of multilateralism and the international rule of law. Maintaining the authority of the international rule of law cannot be a case of "use it if it suits you, discard it if it doesn't," and cannot allow the world to revert to the law of the jungle. We must 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 United Nations Charter (联合国宪章).

Coordinating development and security is a long-term solution for achieving peace and stability in the Middle East and promoting development and prosperity. Security is the prerequisite for development, and development is the guarantee for security. From carrying out clean energy cooperation to help green transformation, to sharing agricultural technology to make melons and fruits fragrant in the desert, China actively shares development experience with Middle Eastern Gulf countries. Since the outbreak of the war in Iran (伊朗), China has provided emergency humanitarian assistance to Iran, Jordan (约旦), Lebanon (黎巴嫩), and Iraq (伊拉克) at the first time, sending urgently needed material support to people suffering from war. All parties should create a good environment for the development of Middle Eastern Gulf countries. China is willing to share the opportunities of Chinese-style modernization with Middle Eastern Gulf countries and cultivate the soil for regional development and security.

The four proposals are a beacon illuminating the road to peace in the Middle East. At present, the situation in the Middle East is at a critical stage of transition between war and peace. The more such a moment, the more all parties need to show the greatest sincerity and promote the steady progress of the Middle East situation towards a political solution. China will continue to stand on the side of peace and dialogue, on the side of historical correctness, and on the side of the progress of human civilization, working hand in hand with like-minded countries to promote lasting peace and security in the Middle East through unremitting efforts, and contribute Chinese strength and demonstrate the responsibility of a major country to regional peace, stability, prosperity, and development.

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"The 15th Five-Year Plan Outline Will Bring Us Historic Opportunities"

By: 本报记者 李 强

"This year marks the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, which aims to set goals for China's economic development, technological innovation, people's livelihood improvement, green transformation, and social security from 2026 to 2030," said Serik Korzhumbayev, editor-in-chief of the Kazakhstan Business Newspaper, in an exclusive interview with our reporter. "China's National People's Congress (全国人民代表大会) is not only about China's development, but also about all of us."

"For Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, the resolutions passed by China's National People's Congress (全国人民代表大会) are of great significance because China is one of our key partners," said Korzhumbayev. "The Government Work Report (政府工作报告) mentioned that the main expected development goals for this year are: economic growth of 4.5%-5%, and striving for better results in actual work. This goal is scientific and reasonable, and I believe China can achieve it."

Korzhumbayev recently published an article in the Kazakhstan Business Newspaper, arguing that in the economic field, China's development focus is shifting from high-speed growth to high-quality, sustainable growth. China is building a good technological innovation ecosystem. For Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, this opens a window of opportunity, meaning the expansion of technical cooperation opportunities with China in various fields such as industry, science, and education.

"In 2025, China's economy achieved 5% growth, demonstrating strong resilience," Korzhumbayev said, adding that China's development is moving towards new and better directions, demonstrating vigorous vitality. New quality productive forces are developing steadily, and technological innovation has yielded fruitful results. Research and application of artificial intelligence, biomedicine, robotics, quantum technology, etc., are at the forefront of the world. China adheres to promoting high-quality development and expanding high-level opening up to the outside world, which not only develops itself but also benefits the world.

Korzhumbayev has long been concerned about cooperation between China and Central Asian countries. "China's '15th Five-Year Plan' (十五五规划) will inject strong impetus into the economic development and technological transformation of the Eurasian continent," he said. China is not only focusing on promoting the quality and upgrading of domestic economic development, but also committed to expanding in-depth cooperation with neighboring countries. China has now become one of the important economic partners in Central Asia, and the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" (一带一路) has opened up new space for bilateral economic and trade exchanges, connectivity, and cultural exchange cooperation.

"'The 15th Five-Year Plan' (十五五规划) will bring us historic opportunities," Korzhumbayev said, adding that Kazakhstan-China cooperation will help Kazakhstan achieve economic structural transformation and upgrading, shifting from a resource-dependent economy to a technology-driven, service-led economy. "'The 15th Five-Year Plan' (十五五规划) focuses on food security issues, which is of great significance to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan has abundant land and suitable climatic conditions, and can grow grain and oil crops on a large scale, raise livestock and poultry, and produce feed; China has a huge consumer market and advanced agricultural production technology. In the next 5 years, Kazakhstan's agricultural development will shift to the export of high-quality, deeply processed products. Kazakhstan has the ability to provide a stable and safe agricultural product supply chain and is expected to become China's food security partner," Korzhumbayev said.

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2026 China-Vietnam Border Residents' Grand Gathering Series Held in Guangxi

Xinhua News Agency, Nanning, April 18th (Reporter Wang Churan (王楚然)) From April 17th to 18th, the 2026 China-Vietnam Border Residents' Grand Joint Celebration series of events was successfully held in Guangxi. General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of Vietnam, To Lam (苏林), attended the launching ceremony held in Nanning (南宁) and delivered a speech. Nearly 2,000 people from all walks of life, including heads of relevant ministries and local governments of China and Vietnam, border residents' representatives, and youth representatives, attended.

During the Grand Joint Celebration, activities such as a border residents' friendly dialogue and a gala evening were also held in Daxin County (大新县), Chongzuo City (崇左市). Representatives of border residents from the two countries conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as the construction of China-Vietnam ports, the application of artificial intelligence, cross-border tourism cooperation, and cultural exchanges and mutual learning. At the gala evening, artists from China and Vietnam jointly performed artistic programs with the characteristics of both countries. Border residents from the two countries gathered together, singing and dancing, to jointly experience folk culture and celebrate the "March 3rd" traditional festival in Guangxi. The event concluded successfully with a thousand people singing "Vietnam-China" together.

This Grand Joint Celebration was co-sponsored by the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (广西壮族自治区人民政府), the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (中国人民对外友好协会), and the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (越南友好组织联合会).

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Building a Bridge of Language, Paving the Way for Civilizational Coexistence (Ambassador's Essay)

By: 杨新育

During the Grain Rain season, when rain nurtures the hundred grains, the 17th United Nations Chinese Language Day and the 2026 "International Chinese Language Day" arrive as scheduled. In an era of increasingly close ties between countries around the world, different civilizations meet, collide, and even merge in the same time and space. As a public cultural resource that can be understood and shared, Chinese bears the mission of showcasing the glorious achievements of 5,000 years of Chinese civilization to the world. From oracle bone inscriptions to the fragrance of paper and ink, from poetry and songs to literary classics, Chinese is not only a carrier of language, but also contains the wisdom and philosophy of the Chinese people in understanding the world, comprehending all things, and harmonizing the relationship between humans and nature.

The United Nations announced the establishment of Language Days in 2010 to promote the equal use of its six official languages and to establish a more balanced and inclusive platform for communication in a multilingual world. At China's initiative, the United Nations designated Chinese Language Day during the Grain Rain season, both to commemorate the contribution of Cangjie (仓颉), the "ancestor of Chinese characters," and to express the Chinese people's good wishes for the world to be "full of growth and prosperity" 蒸蒸日上 (zhēng zhēng rì shàng - "thriving day by day," describes something flourishing and continuously improving). Chinese Language Day not only allows the world to see Chinese characters, but also provides a stage for the display of traditional Chinese culture, allowing people from all over the world to experience the breadth and depth of Chinese civilization. There is more than one way to narrate the world, and the diversity of languages and cultures should be respected, allowing different languages to have equal rights to be heard.

On the international platform of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Chinese serves both the writing of various conference documents and provides support for diplomatic envoys to conduct intellectual exchanges. It can not only accurately convey information, but also contains unique thinking logic and profound cultural heritage. When traditional Chinese concepts such as "harmony but not uniformity" and "beauty in each and beauty together" are presented in international settings, Chinese wisdom is deeply integrated into the context of diverse civilizations, vividly interpreting the core values of the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind: recognizing the differences in development and the diversity of civilizations among countries, respecting each country's independent choice of development paths and values, and exploring paths of peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation among countries on the basis of inclusiveness and mutual learning.

Over the years, the Permanent Delegation of the People's Republic of China to UNESCO has relied on important occasions such as the United Nations Chinese Language Day, the "International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations," and the "International Mother Language Day" to carry out diverse cultural activities such as academic seminars, calligraphy and painting exhibitions, tea art performances, and children's book workshops. Through these activities, envoys from various countries can experience outstanding traditional Chinese culture up close at UNESCO headquarters: appreciating the unique charm of brush and ink lines, and listening to the melodious recitation of classic poetry. The artistic charm of brush and ink complements the rhythm of poetry, fully demonstrating the unique heritage of Eastern civilization and China's demeanor as a major country in the details.

The international dissemination of Chinese is not only an expansion of the boundaries of knowledge, but also an extension of the Chinese people's understanding of how the world works, promoting mutual exchange and learning between different civilizations. Mastering a language often means a deeper understanding of the thinking patterns and cultural traditions behind it, which creates conditions for seeking common ground while reserving differences. As a communication tool, Chinese allows Chinese civilization and other civilizations to engage in dialogue and enhance understanding on a more equal footing. In this sense, cultural exchange and mutual learning have gained important support at the language level.

Language is never a cold symbol, but a warm bridge connecting human knowledge and emotions, and a precious common heritage of mankind. With its lasting influence, Chinese is gradually becoming a soft power connecting the world, making more people willing to listen to each other and understand each other. What Chinese Language Day illuminates is not only a dream about language, but also a beautiful vision of how the world can live together peacefully and create a shared future for mankind.

(The author is the Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the People's Republic of China to UNESCO)

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A Dialogue of Civilizations Across Time and Space

By: 本报记者 尚凯元

In Coutances, Manche department, Normandy region of northwestern France—a small city with a population of less than 10,000—a nearly 3-week Sino-French cultural exchange event was held. Starting in late March this year, centered on this small city, the 2026 Normandy Sino-French Cultural Festival was held successively in many places in the Manche department, with art exhibitions, traditional Chinese medicine lectures, equestrian performances and other activities taking place in turn.

Normandy is well-known to the Chinese public for its Impressionist paintings, World War II historical sites, and coastal scenery. "Horses" are also a cultural calling card of this land. The local horse breeding tradition is profound, and the equestrian culture is rich. This year is the Lunar Year of the Horse. In the center of Coutances, Chinese and French artists jointly exhibited paintings, photographs, sculptures and other works around the theme of "horse", unfolding a dialogue between civilizations spanning time and space.

Local artist Stéphanie Pericaud was inspired by the legend of "King Mu's Eight Steeds" (穆王八骏) and created a painting of a steed using dry pastel techniques. "This is the first time I have created something incorporating a Chinese theme, like a journey through time and into the depths of history," Pericaud told reporters. She carefully consulted literature and studied the shape of the horse, striving to be close to the traditional Chinese horse-painting techniques. "I have always liked to establish connections with different cultures, and this creative exchange has brought me a lot of inspiration."

In Agon-Coutainville, a coastal town in the Manche department, a unique Mazu (妈祖) parade attracted many citizens and tourists to stop and watch. Mazu carries the spiritual tradition of protecting the sea and the people, and of compassion and love. The "Mazu belief" has been included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Jean-Pierre Gérmain, the mayor of Agon-Coutainville, said that local residents have lived with the ocean for generations, and this reception of the Mazu parade is a "dialogue across regions" between different marine civilizations.

Artist Laurence de Mariaffon had just participated in an art exhibition in Chengdu (成都), Sichuan (四川), China. She and two friends who had also finished their trip to China participated in the cultural festival. "The trip to China left us with very good memories. It's a pleasant surprise to be able to meet Chinese culture again in Normandy," she told reporters.

During the cultural festival, the Sino-French co-produced documentary "Kangxi and Louis XIV" (康熙与路易十四) was specially screened. In the open-air cinema by the beach, the audience had a lively exchange with the French director Gilles Thompson. "This film reflects the very deep, long-standing, and multi-layered historical connection between France and China, as well as historical mutual appreciation, exchange, and inspiration," said audience member Christina.

"We hope to bring Chinese culture to the people of Normandy and let more people directly understand China," said Xiao Xia (萧遐), president of the Normandy France-China Friendship Association, one of the organizers of the cultural festival. The association was founded in 2018, and the vast majority of its members and volunteers are French. With the support of them, their relatives and friends, and a number of Franco-Chinese community organizations, the Normandy Sino-French Cultural Festival has been successfully held locally for four sessions. Dominique, who used to teach in Caen (卡昂), France, and has lived in Paris (巴黎) for a long time, is a member of the French Boyan Hanzhang Traditional Research Association and made a special trip to Coutances to help with the last few days of activities. "Many members have a heartfelt love for Chinese culture," he said.

Alain Laba, chairman of the French-Chinese Friendship Association Federation, who came from Lyon (里昂) to participate in the cultural festival, said: "I am very happy to be able to appreciate such a rich and diverse Chinese culture. I sincerely hope that this 'Chinese wind blowing to Normandy' can blow further and wider, and also blow to more beautiful regions."

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Guangdong: A millennium of commercial heritage continues with an open mind.

By: 本报记者 吴齐强 姜晓丹

The Canton Fair is rising like the tide, with merchants gathering like clouds. As the 139th Canton Fair grandly opens, the world's attention is once again focused on Guangzhou (广州), this ancient commercial capital, where business opportunities surge and confidence merges.

On the other side, at the Guangdong Provincial Museum (广东省博物馆) on the banks of the Pearl River, the special exhibition "Mutual Benefit to the World: A Thousand Years of Guangdong Foreign Trade," hosted by the Publicity Department of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共广东省委宣传部), has continued to be popular for half a year since its opening last October. This is not only a cultural feast but also a "grand ideological and political lesson" carefully crafted by Guangdong for society.

One end is connected to the current economic and trade practices, and the other end is connected to the commercial and cultural veins that have stretched for thousands of years. As a pioneer of reform and opening up and a frontier position for opening up to the outside world, Guangdong is transforming its profound historical confidence into strategic determination to overcome difficulties and gathering a powerful force of unity and cooperation through this dialogue between ancient and modern times.

Relics as Evidence
Foreign Trade Special Exhibition Becomes a Three-Dimensional Textbook

Walking into the exhibition hall, you can see the warm light spreading down. Yuan blue-and-white jade pot spring bottles, porcelain salvaged from the "Nanhai No. 1" shipwreck, and Guangzhou painted export porcelain are displayed in turn. The cultural relics strung together are not only trade routes but also an open and struggling history of the Chinese nation with a "long-term perspective."

These precious remains that have traveled through time are vivid teaching materials for carrying out historical confidence education. In-depth study along this line will reveal that Guangdong has maintained its resilience of "being born to the sea" from ancient times to the present. This enduring vitality stems from the courage of institutional innovation and, more importantly, from the open and inclusive mind.

This high-standard special exhibition transcends the simple display of cultural relics and becomes a three-dimensional textbook. The vigorous strokes on the "birth certificate" of the 1957 Canton Fair fixed the firm belief of China's initiative to embrace the world. The cultural relics silently declare that openness is a gene engraved in the bones of the people on this land; mutual benefit is the code for us to work together and win the future.

Educating People Through Culture
Creating a Borderless Immersive Classroom

"Why is Guangdong's foreign trade recorded in history?" "Why can Guangdong goods 'travel the world'?"

In the special classroom of the Guangdong Provincial Museum (粤博), these questions are no longer academic discussions in the study but realistic inquiries about the current development confidence. An Dongqiang (安东强), director of the Department of History at Sun Yat-sen University (中山大学), Luo Yixing (罗一星), an expert in Ming and Qing economic history, and other scholars gave lectures to the public, telling the legend of Foshan (佛山) manufacturing and the evolution of the foreign trade system.

This is a vivid practice of Guangdong's efforts to promote the "grand ideological and political" work pattern - combining the small ideological and political classroom with the large social classroom. The exhibition breaks the boundaries of traditional education and turns the exhibition hall into a borderless, immersive learning place. Hundreds of themed activities enter government agencies, schools, and enterprises, allowing party members and cadres to strengthen their responsibilities in reviewing history and allowing the younger generation to strengthen their ideals in ideological and political education.

Academic lectures decode the genes of Guangdong goods, veteran Canton Fair people tell the story of their glorious years, and the Pearl River study tour witnesses the new look of the ancient port. Here, history is no longer rigid data but a scene that illuminates the future. Through experiential workshops, online live broadcasts, barrier-free special events, and other diverse carriers, Guangdong is building a lifelong learning society ecology of "everyone can learn, everywhere can learn, and anytime can learn." This subtle education truly transforms the spirit of openness, the character of innovation, and the feelings of home and country into the common will to open up and strengthen the country.

Merchants Gather Like Clouds
Continuing to Write a New Chapter of High-Level Opening Up in Historical Confidence

At the 139th Canton Fair, new products such as new energy equipment, intelligent manufacturing, and green and low-carbon products are concentratedly displayed, echoing the porcelain and tea in the millennium foreign trade exhibition.

From the ocean-going merchant ships sailing from the ancient port to the economic and trade platform connecting the world today, Guangdong, as the frontier of opening up to the outside world, has experienced many trials. Today, the mission is even more arduous: it must not only be a hub of trade but also a connector and leader of rules.

Thousands of years ago, porcelain and tea carried civilization across the oceans; today, the Canton Fair has become a window for China to show the world its institutional confidence and industrial vitality. From traditional Guangdong goods to "China's intelligent manufacturing," what has changed is the form of the goods, and what remains unchanged is the spirit of "daring to be the first and being open and inclusive." This affectionate gaze across time clearly shows that no matter how turbulent the external environment is, as long as we adhere to high-level opening up to the outside world and adhere to the original intention of mutual benefit and win-win results, we can better meet new opportunities and write new glories.

One exhibition spans a thousand years, and ancient and modern times jointly draw a new blueprint. This special exhibition, which has been open for half a year, has brought a profound ideological tempering and spiritual baptism. It builds the soul with history and educates people with culture, allowing the gene of openness to be deeply rooted in people's hearts. This Canton Fair is also transforming this confidence from the depths of history into a vivid practice of promoting high-quality development with a high-spirited attitude. In the future, Guangdong will deepen cooperation with more pragmatic measures and embrace the world with a more open attitude.

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The 139th Canton Fair Phase 1 Concludes

This Guangzhou (广州) report on April 19th (Reporter Li Gang (李刚) and Hong Qiuting (洪秋婷)) reported that the first phase of the 139th China Import and Export Fair officially closed on April 19th. The reporter learned from the China Foreign Trade Center (中国对外贸易中心) that as of 17:00 on April 19th, this session of the Canton Fair (广交会) had 167,000 overseas buyers from 216 countries and regions, an increase of 5.9% compared with the same period of the previous session.

The first phase of the 139th Canton Fair (广交会) was held from April 15th to 19th, with the theme of "Advanced Manufacturing," with a total exhibition area of 520,000 square meters, more than 25,000 booths, and more than 12,000 exhibitors. The exhibition includes five major sections and 19 exhibition areas, including electronic home appliances, industrial manufacturing, lighting and electrical appliances, hardware and tools, vehicles and two-wheeled vehicles, bringing together more than 5,900 high-quality enterprises. During the exhibition, a total of 123 overseas business institutions participated in groups, an increase of 4.2% compared with the same period of the previous session.

The exhibition themes closely follow the development trend of "new, green, and intelligent," anchoring emerging pillar industries and future industries, and accurately connecting with new global procurement needs. On the basis of popular themes such as service robots, smart living, industrial automation, and new energy vehicles, four new special zones have been added: drones (consumer-grade), smart wearables, display technology, and agricultural drones.

At the Canton Fair (广交会), a group of innovative works deeply integrated with artificial intelligence gathered: intelligent interactive displays equipped with AI (artificial intelligence) large models, achieving pixel-level self-illumination and microsecond response; industry-level quadruped robot dogs equipped with a 360-degree super-sensing system, modeling all terrains without blind spots, and calmly coping with extreme cold and deserts; agricultural plant protection drones realize intelligent obstacle avoidance and terrain-following flight, adapting to complex farmland... New quality productive forces are transformed into perceptible, connectable, and implementable industry achievements, demonstrating the strength and potential of Chinese manufacturing in all directions, and bringing more opportunities and value to global merchants.

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Cultivating a "Closed-Loop Awareness" (People's Forum)

By: 王明刚

Installing elevators in old residential areas, managing parking in streets and alleys, and ensuring government services are delivered with "only one trip" required... Observing the resolution of many grassroots challenges in recent years, a common closed-loop logic becomes increasingly clear: identify problems, respond quickly, coordinate disposal, and provide feedback and evaluation, link by link. This is not only the cornerstone of enhancing mutual trust between the Party and the people but also contains the governance methodology of 致广大而尽精微 (zhì guǎng dà ér jìn jīng wēi - "achieving breadth and depth," to manage vast affairs with meticulous attention to detail).

Starting from problems and being responsible for results is a vivid annotation of "the people have needs, and we respond."

In the past, the reason why some chronic governance problems lingered for a long time often stemmed from buck-passing under departmental barriers or the mechanical response of "treating the head when the head aches and treating the foot when the foot hurts." The core of the closed-loop mechanism is to transform the people's "problem list" into the department's "responsibility list" and "action list," ensuring that everything has a response and every matter is settled. Party members and cadres with a closed-loop awareness never look for excuses, only for methods.

When a "dead-end road" that has disturbed the people for many years is opened up, when an approval process spanning multiple departments is optimized, what the people experience is not only the improvement of efficiency but also the sense of gain that their demands are being taken seriously. Standing from the perspective of the people, taking problems as the starting point, taking goals as the direction of action, and taking results as the foothold for testing the effectiveness of work, the unity of the three can make the work reach the hearts of the people.

The effective operation of the closed loop is a vivid practice of using systematic thinking, demonstrating the governance wisdom of linking up and down and collaborating with each other.

From the mechanism innovation of "immediate handling of complaints" to the cross-domain data integration of the "City Brain"; from a grid member linking multiple departments to solve community safety hazards to a law enforcement team improving the effectiveness of comprehensive social security management, closed-loop thinking is driving the governance structure to evolve from vertical hierarchy to flat collaboration, and from solo combat to system combat.

This requires grassroots Party members and cadres to unify the global vision with precise landing points. It is necessary to have insight into the systemic connections behind the problems, to coordinate and take into account the overall situation; and to focus on solving specific blockages with "embroidered skills," continuously optimizing processes and consolidating results. Every successful closed-loop practice is a strengthening of the coordination and resilience of the governance system.

A true closed loop is not only about completing tasks but also about iterative upgrades and, more importantly, about tempering a pragmatic and determined work style and character.

The closed loop has a built-in mechanism for tracking, supervising, handling, feedback, and evaluation, which makes work deployment must be implemented and effective, and can also breed the possibility of "reaching a higher level" in the review. For example, some places not only respond quickly to individual cases but also analyze data to accurately locate common problems and institutional shortcomings, promoting the upgrade from "solving one thing" to "handling a category of things."

This mechanism can effectively compress the living space of formalism and bureaucracy. Party members and cadres, in promoting closed-loop practice, are growing in the courage to face contradictions, the tenacity to grasp to the end, and the ability to overcome difficulties. When "closed loop" becomes a work habit, seeking truth from facts and daring to take responsibility will become a common practice.

The "small closed loop" of grassroots governance may not have earth-shattering momentum, but like interlocking gears, under the traction of the original intention and mission, they jointly promote the giant ship of Chinese-style modernization to sail steadily and far.

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Xiaolangdi Reservoir Area Opens North-South Tourist Routes

On April 18th, the inaugural voyage ceremony for the Xiaolangdi Reservoir's north-south tourist routes was held at the Xiaolangdi Central Wharf (小浪底中心码头) in Luoyang (洛阳) City, Henan (河南) Province. Multiple tourist ships from Luoyang (洛阳) and Jiyuan (济源) carried the first group of tourists as they set sail. The geographical advantages of Luoyang (洛阳) City and Jiyuan (济源) City, which are "connected by a strip of water and geographically adjacent," are rapidly transforming into developmental advantages of shared cultural tourism and co-prosperity of industries. The photo shows tourists boarding a ship from the Xiaolangdi Central Wharf (小浪底中心码头) in Luoyang (洛阳) City to the Yellow River Three Gorges (黄河三峡景区) scenic area in Jiyuan (济源) City on the day of the inaugural voyage.

Photo by Zhang Yixi (张怡熙) (China Photo)

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"Spring Moistening" Weather Modification Campaign Increases Precipitation by Approximately 106 Million Tons

This newspaper reported from Beijing on April 19th (Reporter Li Hongmei (李红梅)) From April 14th to 18th, seizing the favorable weather conditions, meteorological departments focused on key livelihood needs such as drought resistance and moisture preservation, spring plowing and sowing, reducing forest and grassland fire risk levels, and ecological restoration, and orderly carried out the "Spring Moistening" action of artificial weather modification, organizing aircraft and ground-based artificial rain (snow) enhancement operations. As of the 18th, the operation affected an area of approximately 574,000 square kilometers, increasing precipitation by approximately 106 million tons.

From April 14th to 16th, the Artificial Weather Modification Center of the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局) took the lead in organizing joint consultations for the "Spring Moistening" action targeting this weather process, and coordinated and scheduled progressive cross-regional joint artificial rain (snow) enhancement operations. The operation area covered 10 provinces, including Beijing (北京), Tianjin (天津), Hebei (河北), Shanxi (山西), Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), Shaanxi (陕西), Gansu (甘肃), Qinghai (青海), Ningxia (宁夏), and Xinjiang (新疆), bringing timely rain to farmland and vegetation that are in the critical period of spring plowing and sowing and forest and grassland fire prevention.

The "Spring Moistening" action will continue until April 30th. Meteorological departments will continue to closely monitor changes in drought conditions and actual precipitation, and continue to carry out normalized joint artificial weather modification operations covering all seasons and serving multiple scenarios.

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Collection of Chinese Bronzes Overseas Published

According to Xinhua News Agency, Shanghai, April 19th (Reporters Sun Liping (孙丽萍) and Tong Fang (童芳)) On April 19th, the "Collection of Chinese Bronzes Overseas" (all 60 volumes), which comprehensively "documents" and "registers" Chinese bronzes overseas, was first published by Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House.

The "Collection of Chinese Bronzes Overseas" is an important academic achievement that systematically investigates and sorts out Chinese bronze artifacts held overseas for the first time. It will provide support for tracing the origin and studying the history of circulation, and help the return of Chinese cultural relics lost overseas.

The editorial team stated that, based on the survey, the proportion of Chinese bronzes held overseas that are clearly recorded as legal trade, government diplomacy, formal exports, or legal sales is low. The majority were unearthed through non-archaeological excavations and then lost overseas through various means.

The compilation of the "Collection of Chinese Bronzes Overseas" began in 2012. Peking University (北京大学) was commissioned by the National Cultural Heritage Administration (国家文物局) to ascertain the number of Chinese bronzes that have been lost. Over the next 14 years, the editorial team visited more than 10 countries around the world, investigating more than 260 institutions. Team members overcame numerous difficulties, such as scattered and unsystematic data, incomplete lists of collecting institutions, and a lack of circulation information for a large number of objects, achieving a major academic breakthrough in this field.

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Market Supervision Department Destroys Major Network Manufacturing and Selling Counterfeit Liquor

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) April 19th dispatch (Reporter Lin Lili (林丽鹂)) Recently, under the unified coordination of the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局), the market regulation and public security departments of Shanxi (山西) and Sichuan (四川) provinces jointly launched an operation to successfully destroy a major criminal network engaged in the illegal production and sale of trademark infringing and counterfeit liquor.

The operation uncovered 7 locations in the areas of Lüliang (吕梁) and Taiyuan (太原), Shanxi Province (山西省), related to the production, concealment, packaging, trademark printing, and mailing of illegal products, as well as 1 online live-streaming sales point, seizing nearly 20,000 boxes of suspected infringing and counterfeit liquor. As of now, the amount involved in the case has been determined to be 260 million yuan. The public security organs have summoned 22 people and taken compulsory measures against 11 people, including transferring 2 people for review and prosecution. An investigation revealed that Zhao Moumou (赵某某) and his wife, the actual operators of Shanxi Wenzhong E-commerce Co., Ltd. (山西文忠电子商务有限公司), were engaged in the sale of liquor on internet platforms. In order to obtain higher profits, they found Pei Mou (裴某), the legal representative of Shanxi Fenxiang Brewing Co., Ltd. (山西省吕梁市汾香酿酒有限公司), and asked him to produce infringing and counterfeit Jiannanchun (剑南春), Wuliangye (五粮液) and other famous and high-quality liquors for online sales. Pei Mou (裴某) entrusted the head of Shanxi Wu Houxiang Winery Co., Ltd. (山西省吕梁市武后乡酒业有限公司), which has no production qualifications, to use blended liquor made from edible alcohol and food additives to impersonate liquor.

Since 2024, the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局) has further increased its enforcement efforts in the field of trademark infringement. From 2024 to 2025, market regulatory departments across the country investigated and handled more than 30 trademark infringement cases with illegal business amounts exceeding 10 million yuan, and 11 cases exceeding 100 million yuan.

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Rule of Law Safeguards, Shared Enjoyment of Reading

By: 本报记者 何思琦

Spring is the perfect time for reading.

This year marks the first year of implementation of the "Regulations on Promoting National Reading" (《全民阅读促进条例》) (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") and also the first year after the State Council approved the establishment of "National Reading Activity Week."

From April 20th to 22nd, the 5th National Reading Conference was held in Nanchang City (南昌市), Jiangxi Province, and the "National Reading Activity Week" was launched simultaneously.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) attaches great importance to promoting national reading and building a book-filled society, repeatedly emphasizing the importance of reading:

"We must advocate reading more, build a book-filled society, and continuously improve the people's ideological realm and enhance their spiritual strength, so that the spiritual world of the Chinese nation can become even more profound and rich."

"Communists should regard reading Marxist classics and understanding Marxist principles as a way of life and a spiritual pursuit, using the classics to cultivate integrity, temper thoughts, sublimate the realm, and guide practice."

"Even if you squeeze out half an hour a day, even if you read a few pages, as long as you persevere, you will surely accumulate little by little, 积沙成塔 (jī shā chéng tǎ - "accumulate sand to form a tower," constant effort makes a pile); 积跬步以至千里 (jī kuǐ bù yǐ zhì qiān lǐ - "accumulate half-steps to reach a thousand miles," great achievements come from accumulating small steps)."

...

General Secretary Xi Jinping's earnest exhortations have been transformed into the vivid practice of national reading. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture, national reading is being promoted in depth, and the land of China is bathed in the fragrance of books.

National Reading Becomes More Convenient

In Changchun City (长春市), Jilin Province, the "This Has Books" cultural space is filled with the fragrance of books.

On February 1st, the day the "Regulations" came into effect, a reading sharing session themed "My Story with Books" was held here. Writers, publishers, and readers shared their years of companionship with books. Ma Ruofan (马若梵) and his wife, the owners of a used bookstore, talked about their original intention of safeguarding books, "Let every intention of reading be treated seriously."

The former book warehouse has been transformed into a city cultural landmark; the sharing of reading illuminates the spiritual world of citizens. Through "This Has Books," the vigorous atmosphere of national reading unfolds before our eyes.

What is the significance of reading? General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Reading is an important way for human beings to acquire knowledge, enlighten wisdom, cultivate morality, and can inspire people's thoughts, establish lofty ideals, and cultivate a sense of righteousness."

Promoting the construction of a book-filled society is something that General Secretary Xi Jinping keeps in mind, and it is also a common cause for the entire society.

From "carrying out national reading activities" being written into the report of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, to "national reading" being written into the "Government Work Report" for 13 consecutive years since 2014; from the issuance of the first national-level national reading plan, the "13th Five-Year Development Plan for National Reading" in 2016, to the "15th Five-Year Plan" clearly stating "deepen national reading activities and promote the construction of a book-filled society"... The fragrance of books permeates the land, providing strong spiritual motivation and cultural support for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The official implementation of the "Regulations" consolidates the foundation for national reading with the power of the rule of law, promoting national reading from policy guidance to a new stage of legal protection.

Reading is available everywhere, and the coverage of national reading facilities is more extensive.

In the early morning, on the streets of Nanchang (南昌), readers have been seated in a "Ruzi Bookstore" (孺子书房). To create a "15-minute city reading circle," Nanchang has built 111 free "Ruzi Bookstores," focusing on meeting the reading needs of the masses at their doorsteps.

Systematically setting up national reading facilities covering urban and rural areas, practical and convenient, and efficient in service, is an important measure to promote the construction of a book-filled society.

In Changjia Village (常家村), Panjin City (盘锦市), Liaoning Province, the renovation of the farmers' bookstore sought the opinions of the villagers. While the hardware was improved, the collection of books was also more popular with the villagers. Now, the villagers often come to the bookstore for a stroll; in Xiamen City (厦门市), Fujian Province, bookstores have opened in hospitals, and the message "May a book and a page accompany you through the anxiety of waiting" comforts many patients... The seeds of reading grow both in the study rooms of towns and cities and are deeply rooted in the soil of the countryside.

China publishes more than 200,000 new books annually, and the total number of digital reading works exceeds 63 million, with extremely rich reading resources. More than 100,000 physical bookstores, more than 580,000 farmers' bookstores, and 177,000 employee bookstores are scattered throughout urban and rural areas, and new types of reading spaces such as city study rooms, community study rooms, and shared bookshelves are constantly emerging. As of the end of 2025, there were 3,253 public libraries nationwide, with a total circulation of 1,469.83 million people, and a dense reading network firmly supports the foundation of national reading.

Everyone can read, and "no one can be left behind" in national reading.

"The state encourages providing publications in accessible formats such as audio, large print, Braille, and electronic versions for people with reading disabilities," "Providing age-appropriate reading content, optimizing age-appropriate service standards, and providing reading convenience for the elderly"... The "Regulations" promote national reading through legislation, promoting everyone's right to equal reading.

In Xiji County (西吉县), Ningxia, Ma Jun (马骏), a post-95 disabled writer, expanded the boundaries of his life through reading. With "Green and White Stone Steps" (青白石阶), which he "carved" out word by word on his mobile phone, he won the National骏马 Award for ethnic minority literature creation. "In literary works, I began to try to reconcile with myself and with this world." Controlling his electric wheelchair to "walk" out of his home, the Xiji County Library became Ma Jun's "spiritual hospital." Shi Tiesheng's (史铁生) "Me and the Temple of Earth" lit the lamp of literature for him.

Data shows that in 2025, the national per capita ownership of books was 7.71 copies (sheets). The Marrakesh Treaty came into effect, providing strong guarantees for people with disabilities to share cultural achievements; reading promoters devoted themselves to public welfare teaching, promoting parent-child reading; creating "enjoying old age" reading scenarios and launching age-appropriate services, paying more attention to the spiritual and cultural needs of the elderly... The light of reading shines farther and benefits more people.

Reading is available at all times, and digital technology continues to enhance the reading experience.

In Longbei Community (龙北社区), Huangshan District (黄山区), Huangshan City (黄山市), Anhui Province, a "digital reading book wall" in the "Honeycomb Station" was officially launched. A deliveryman who was scanning the code to experience it praised it: "In the past, I used to pass the time waiting for orders by watching short videos, but now I can scan the code to read and listen to books."

"The electronic book wall covers more than 50,000 electronic books and more than 100,000 episodes of audio resources, which can meet the 'charging' needs of new employment groups such as deliverymen, and also take into account leisure and relaxation," said the person in charge of the Huangshan District Library.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Digital reading should be combined with traditional reading to preserve our core and literacy."

From "a book in hand" to "ten thousand volumes on a screen," artificial intelligence and other new technologies are empowering digital reading and reshaping people's reading habits. The 22nd National Reading Survey released in April 2025 showed that listening to books, video lectures, and reading on mobile phones or tablets have become part of more and more people's lives. At the same time, the reading volume of paper books and e-books among adult citizens has shown a double increase, and digital reading and traditional reading complement each other.

Now, "promoting the supply of high-quality digital reading content and improving the convenience and satisfaction of digital reading" has been written into the "Regulations," further promoting the high-quality development of digital reading in the form of legislation.

The National Reading Promotion System is More Sound

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must build a learning society and a learning power where everyone learns for life, where everyone can learn, and where everyone can learn at all times" "Promote the all-round development of people."

At the end of March, the star city of Changsha (长沙) was filled with the fragrance of books. Hunan's two "golden signs" for national reading activities, the Yuelu Book Fair (岳麓书会) and the Changsha Book Fair, were held together for the first time, and more than 500 publishing and distribution units from all over the country concentrated on displaying nearly 100,000 kinds of fine books.

Book exhibitions, digital intelligence experiences, diverse activities, and reading markets, with the province linked and the whole people participating, Hunan explored a new path of deep integration between publishing industry exhibitions and national reading promotion through "brand integration." "Find good books for readers and promote national reading; find readers for good books and promote industry development," said Xiao Jianqiang (肖坚强), president of the Changsha Publishing Industry Association.

One city, one characteristic, one place, one brand. In recent years, various places have innovated and carried out reading promotion activities in accordance with local conditions.

In Beijing (北京), the "Book Fragrance China·Beijing Reading Season" has been held for 15 sessions, creating a strong reading atmosphere; Jiangsu has used the popular "Su Chao" to launch a new upsurge of reading throughout the province, relying on the Jiangsu Book Fair; Zhejiang's "National Reading Caravan" combines literary performances and book donations to promote high-quality cultural services directly to the fields, mountains, and islands... According to statistics, hundreds of millions of people participate in various reading promotion activities in China every year.

The Chinese nation has advocated reading since ancient times, emphasizing investigation of things to extend knowledge, sincerity of intention, and rectification of the heart, inheriting the endless spirit of the Chinese nation, and shaping the confident and self-reliant character of the Chinese people. This respect and adherence to reading still radiates vigorous vitality in contemporary China.

Eighteen years ago, Li Cuili (李翠利), a villager in Lishi Village (李石村), Mashang Township (马上乡), Neihuang County (内黄县), Anyang City (安阳市), Henan Province, cleared the shelves of her small supermarket that sold the best-selling liquor and other goods, purchased hundreds of books, and founded the "Weiguang Bookstore" (微光书苑) with zero threshold for borrowing. Today, the cumulative number of borrowers has exceeded 400,000, and the children who grew up reading in the bookstore have also become volunteers to contribute to rural cultural construction.

I only wish the fragrance of books in the fields is fragrant. "Dedicate my meager strength to pass on the micro-light of reading and reading books to more people." At this year's National People's Congress, Li Cuili, as a deputy to the National People's Congress, shared the latest data on a public welfare reading promotion model: more than 400 "1-square-meter bookshelves" based on the "Weiguang Bookstore" model have been launched across the country.

"I hope that the whole society will participate in reading and form a strong atmosphere of loving to read, reading good books, and being good at reading." Under the personal care and advocacy of General Secretary Xi Jinping, national reading has accumulated momentum and become a trend.

In Tacheng Prefecture (塔城地区), Xinjiang, the "Lilac Bookstore" (丁香书社) has attracted many book friends from all ethnic groups. The founder, Li Chaoxia (李朝霞), said, "We hope to achieve one person driving ten people, ten people leading a hundred people, and a group influencing ten thousand people."

In Gucheng County (谷城县), Hubei Province, Ye Huacheng (叶华程), a retired cadre, has built three "Quanjiao Libraries" (劝学图书馆) over the past 10 years, with a collection of nearly 25,000 books, and has received nearly 40,000 readers free of charge. "The promulgation of the 'Regulations' is a major event that reading promoters have been looking forward to for a long time. The 'Quanjiao Library' should organize more high-level reading activities, recommend good books to everyone, and lead everyone to read good books." Ye Huacheng is full of confidence.

From the silent dedication of countless reading promoters to the active exploration of various places based on their actual conditions, reading spaces all over the country are truly delivering high-quality books to the countryside, to minors, and to special groups. National reading is opening up the "last mile," covering more people, and lighting up the light of reading.

At more than 9 a.m., deep in the Daliang Mountains (大凉山) in Sichuan, train No. 5633 slowly entered the platform of Xide Station (喜德站). Students from Xide Wa'er School (喜德瓦尔学校) boarded the train together and went straight to carriage No. 3.

This is a learning carriage. Two bookshelves are placed on both sides of the aisle. An Yi (彝) student skillfully picked up a copy of "How Far Are the Stars From Us" and read it at the reading desk.

Wherever the readers are, the books will be there. The Sichuan Provincial Library, the Chengdu Passenger Transport Section of the China Railway Chengdu Bureau Group Co., Ltd., and others jointly created a new reading space of "Yi Township Love·Slow Train" (彝乡情·慢火车), taking the two pairs of public welfare "slow trains" on the Chengdu-Kunming Railway, 5619/5620 and 5633/5634, as the carrier, and put in a total of about 8,800 books and teaching materials.

"Letting reading get on the train and run is the original concept of this mobile bookstore." Wang Long (王龙), director of the Sichuan Provincial Library, said that in the past, people looked for books, but now books look for people, and the coverage is wider and the flexibility is stronger.

Breaking spatial restrictions and actively approaching the masses, innovative practices such as mobile bookstores on trains are vivid portrayals of national reading promotion in the new era. From optimizing service supply to expanding reading scenarios, various places are constantly exploring new models and new carriers to make the fragrance of books feelable and accessible.

This year's "Government Work Report" proposed to improve the national reading promotion service system.

The roots of reading are deeper and more solid, and a new picture of national reading full of the fragrance of books is slowly unfolding.

The Reading Atmosphere in the Whole Society is Stronger

At the 2025 National People's Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke of the book-filled families of the past and the current advocacy of building book-filled campuses and book-filled societies, full of expectations: "The fragrance of books is an atmosphere."

In the afternoon, the sunlight shines through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the Beijing City Library (北京城市图书馆) and fills the desks. Some readers walked to the forest bookstore, climbing along the "Spring Paper Path" (春楮径), "Summer Ink Path" (夏墨径), "Autumn Hair Path" (秋毫径), and "Winter Stone Path" (冬石径), savoring the fragrance of books. "The atmosphere here is very good, which can make people calm down and read." When not busy, reader Lin Xiao (林晓) would sit by the window and spend a period of "immersive" reading time.

Integrating traditional and modern elements, the architectural language of the Beijing City Library vividly interprets the cultural connotation of "there is a path to the mountain of books, diligence is the path," creating a unique reading atmosphere. Since its opening more than two years ago, it has attracted more than 6 million readers to wander in the sea of books and be friends with books.

The fragrance of books can lead to far-reaching achievements. Passing on the fragrance of books and inheriting civilization in national reading is related to personal cultivation and national quality. How to cultivate a stronger reading atmosphere in the whole society? It is inseparable from role models leading the fashion.

General Secretary Xi Jinping encouraged young cadres to carry forward the spirit of "squeezing" and "drilling," "read more books, read good books, and draw wisdom and nutrition from books. They cannot feel good about themselves and disdain learning, they cannot use the excuse of being too busy with work and relax learning, and they cannot study for the sake of window dressing and perfunctory."

On March 19, the final of the 4th Book Speaking Competition of Wenzhou City (温州市) organs in Zhejiang Province kicked off. 17 contestants read works such as "Xi Jinping in Zhejiang" (《习近平在浙江》) and "Zhejiang New Words" (《之江新语》) based on their actual positions, and told the wisdom and strength contained in the books.

"Realize General Secretary Xi Jinping's feelings for the people and pragmatic style, cast the soul with learning, increase wisdom with learning, correct the style with learning, and promote work with learning, forge ahead into the '15th Five-Year Plan,' and show the responsibility of young people with practical actions," said Zhang Zixiao (张子笑), a participating cadre from the Wenzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station.

The fragrance of books nourishes the original intention, and hard work produces political achievements. For party members and cadres, being willing to read, reading more, and reading good books, and combining reading "written books" with reading "unwritten books," can they learn the skills to protect their families, revitalize the party, and strengthen the country.

The power of reading lies in self-cultivation and moral character, in starting a business, and even more in cultivating the roots and casting the soul, and educating people and revitalizing the country.

General Secretary Xi Jinping cares about the reading and learning of young people, encourages the younger generation to "cherish their youth, concentrate on reading, and be quick to seek knowledge," and hopes that children "develop reading habits, read happily, and grow up healthily."

Walking into Dongjiao School (东郊学校) in Lanzhou City (兰州市), Gansu Province, a strong fragrance of books comes to the face. The school library dynamically updates more than 48,000 books; the book corners all over the teaching buildings and classrooms allow children to find their favorite books anytime and anywhere.

"Adhering to the concept of 'letting every child's childhood be filled with the fragrance of books,' we constantly introduce new and good books and systematically set up reading courses." Cao Lin (曹林), director of the school's reading committee, said that building a "book-filled campus" for a long time is to build a foundation for children's lifelong learning and spiritual enrichment.

The fragrance of books fills the campus, and it also needs the leadership and promotion at the national level. In 2025, the General Office of the Ministry of Education and the General Office of the Central Propaganda Department jointly issued the "Notice on Deeply Implementing the National Reading Action for Young Students," consolidating the national cultural foundation of young people, improving the comprehensive quality and innovation ability of young people through reading, and providing strong support for the construction of a strong country.

Reading is the most basic cultural construction. Cultural prosperity, national strength, and national rejuvenation are inseparable from the cultural accumulation and spiritual strength brought by reading.

Building a book-filled society can not only cultivate personal character, but also cultivate cultural self-confidence in the whole nation and promote the improvement of national cultural soft power.

The long river of civilization is surging endlessly, and the cultural atmosphere is changing with each passing day. Standing at the intersection of history and the future, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture, national reading will surely accumulate deep and lasting strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

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Page 1 Editors: Hu Anqi, Luan Xinyi, Zhang Yujie; Page 2 Editors: Yin Xinyu, Qi Jiarun, Guo Xueyan; Page 3 Editors: Han Xiaoming, Jiang Bo, Guan Haoyu; Page 4 Editors: Liu Nian, Chen Zhen, Zhang Xueyan

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Unlocking New Dimensions of Development Through Effective Investment (Commentator's Observation)

By: 李 拯

China's new investment growth points are expanding from traditional fields to new tracks, with new infrastructure, human resources, and technological innovation becoming important growth poles.

What we need is not low-level, repetitive, and ineffective investment, but valuable and efficient effective investment.

Investment is current demand and future supply. In the first quarter of this year, the national fixed asset investment (excluding rural households) was 10,270.8 billion yuan, an increase of 1.7% year-on-year, compared with a decrease of 3.8% for the whole of last year. The turnaround of fixed asset investment growth from negative to positive has inspired people's confidence in stabilizing investment and growth. How should we view China's investment potential and advantages? Recently, the high-speed railway along the Yangtze River has sparked heated discussions, providing a perspective for observation.

From Shanghai (上海) via Nanjing (南京) in Jiangsu (江苏), Hefei (合肥) in Anhui (安徽), and Wuhan (武汉) in Hubei (湖北), all the way to Chongqing (重庆) and Chengdu (成都) in Sichuan (四川), the high-speed railway along the Yangtze River connects the Yangtze River Delta, the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, and the Chengdu-Chongqing three major urban agglomerations, and is known as the strongest "East-West artery." After it is completed by 2030, it will only take more than 5 hours from Shanghai (上海) to Chongqing (重庆), which will facilitate the flow of factors by compressing time and space, and will better promote the coordinated development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. As an important part of the "eight vertical and eight horizontal" high-speed rail network, the high-speed rail along the Yangtze River not only drives infrastructure investment, but also leverages comprehensive economic and social benefits, helping to promote a good start to the "15th Five-Year Plan," demonstrating China's huge investment potential.

Is there still room for traditional infrastructure investment? Through major projects such as the high-speed railway along the Yangtze River, we can answer this question that is of general concern to society: there is still a large incremental space for traditional infrastructure investment.

Objectively speaking, in some places, traditional infrastructure such as railways and highways is approaching saturation, and the rate of return on investment has declined, resulting in a weakening of the momentum of infrastructure investment. However, China's per capita capital stock level is still relatively low, and there are still many shortcomings in water conservancy, energy, municipal and other fields, and the potential for investment growth is still huge.

Filling the gaps in weak areas is incremental space. "The western region has too much blank space, and a few strokes will have to be added in the future." More than 30,000 bridges have turned Guizhou (贵州) into a "high-speed plain," and the 2,712-kilometer-long desert railway loop line has ended the history of no train access to many counties and towns around the Taklamakan Desert... Weaving warp and weft for the "blank space" carries the expectations of many people.

Infrastructure renewal is also incremental space. The construction of the "six networks" that was hotly discussed at the National People's Congress (全国人民代表大会) this year, including water networks, power grids, and urban underground pipe networks, all involve updating and improvement, which can not only drive "visible" physical investment, but also is closely related to people's lives.

More importantly, China's new investment growth points are expanding from traditional fields to new tracks, with new infrastructure, human resources, and technological innovation becoming important growth poles, opening up new dimensions of growth space. The widespread application of artificial intelligence requires a huge computing power network to match it; if the low-altitude economy is to truly "take off," it cannot be separated from the support of low-altitude infrastructure... How much room is there for the development of emerging industries, and how much investment demand is there for new infrastructure.

"Investing in people" also brings new investment growth points. The silver economy is expected to exceed 30 trillion yuan by 2035, and the number of infants and young children under 3 years old is close to 30 million. There is huge investment space in education, medical care, housing, basic public services and other aspects related to a better life... Investment in human resources will bring long-term benefits.

What kind of investment do we need to promote high-quality development today? Equipment renewal, green and low-carbon transformation, and scientific and technological innovation development cannot be separated from investment to form new quality productive forces. However, what we need is not low-level, repetitive, and ineffective investment, but valuable and efficient effective investment. This is because the value of effective investment involves multiple benefits such as economy, innovation, ecology, society, and security. In particular, the current new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is evolving in depth, and it is necessary to maintain the necessary investment intensity to expand effective investment to support high-quality development.

To expand effective investment, we must optimize the investment structure and improve investment efficiency, which can be achieved by grasping three pairs of relationships. Grasp the relationship between "new" and "old," explore increments in traditional fields, and open up new blue oceans in new fields such as technological innovation, manufacturing upgrading, and future industries, and ignite the innovation engine of tomorrow with today's investment; grasp the relationship between "people" and "things," increase the proportion of investment in people's livelihood, promote the all-round development of people, optimize human resources on the supply side, and cultivate consumption potential on the demand side; grasp the relationship between government investment and private investment, give play to the guiding and driving role of government investment, stimulate the vitality of private investment, increase the proportion of private investment, and form investment synergy with market vitality.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "Enhance the basic role of consumption in economic development and the key role of investment in optimizing the supply structure." To expand effective investment, we must not only base ourselves on expanding domestic demand at the present time, but also focus on accumulating momentum for the long term, and promote the organic combination of supply-side structural reform and expanding effective demand. Starting from this spring, let us invest together for the future, grow together with China's development, and jointly win the future and win the long term.

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Shanghai Customization: A Glimpse into China's "Charm Potential" (On-site Commentary)

By: 吴 焰

Sustained consolidation of the economic foundation, release of institutional effectiveness, and enhancement of cultural resonance: the "charm and potential" of China's development is a consensus, and even more so a win-win situation.

An international travel review website launched a "Must-Play List for Shanghai," and the South Bund Fabric Market (南外滩轻纺面料市场), with a 20-year history, has become a "new favorite on the list."

This "small shop distribution center" hidden in the Dongjiadu (董家渡) alleyways, hanging with various fabric samples, and tailor shops next to each other, is being "pulled" into the travel lists of more and more foreign tourists. Many people have written reviews in English, Japanese, Spanish, and other languages, expressing the same meaning: it's worth it to come to Shanghai (上海) and have a custom-made suit made.

What's it worth? Extreme cost-effectiveness, in-depth participation, and accessible cultural experience. A handmade custom suit costs less than 1/3 of the price of similar products overseas, the delivery cycle is short, and the convenient offshore tax refund policy makes the advantages even more prominent. Consumers can choose from thousands of fabrics and decide on the collar type, buttons, and lining according to their personal preferences, or "customize from drawings." As a result, a piece of clothing is stamped with "my" mark, and the commodity becomes a "work of art."

A piece of clothing contains travel memories and Chinese craftsmanship. From "China Tour" to "China Buy," Shanghai (上海) is full of unique temperament. This can't help but make people think: why Shanghai (上海)?

The urban texture is compatible. The Bund (外滩), the heavy silhouette of the architecture of various countries, and the shimmering neon lights of the Lujiazui (陆家嘴) glass curtain wall are in the "same frame"; Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street (南京路步行街), "time-honored brands" launch new products, and "the Bund in Shanghai" welcomes tourists from all over the world... It has both locality and diversity, both tradition and trend, and attractiveness grows in the atmosphere of daily life.

Digital infrastructure provides support. The English version of "Suishenxing" (随申行) is connected to "Entry-Exit Easy Go," providing one-stop travel services for foreigners; banks use "cash bottom + digital empowerment + full-dimensional guarantee" financial services to create a smooth and worry-free consumption experience for foreign customers. Digital services do not show off skills, but only solve problems. Traveling conveniently and having fun comfortably, many people become "repeat customers."

Institutional innovation promotes opening up. Shanghai (上海) not only relies on traffic dividends, but also relies on institutional supply to win global consumers. Issuing the first electronic port visa in the country, optimizing the entry visa-free inspection process for cruise tourism groups, and strengthening the 144-hour transit visa-free customs clearance guarantee... Innovation in institutional measures provides a strong support for worry-free travel and happy shopping.

The charm of Shanghai (上海) is far from limited to this. Red culture, Shanghai culture, and Jiangnan culture are integrated to create a cultural atmosphere that can be experienced and perceived; large-scale events, cultural performances, tourist traffic, and commercial consumption are linked, and new business formats such as cruise tourism, industrial tourism, and night economy continue to exert their strength to create a full-scene, high-quality consumption system... A variety of business formats constitute the "reason" for people to deeply experience a city.

It's more than just Shanghai (上海). Many foreigners travel around China by high-speed rail, experiencing the unique scenery of Guizhou's (贵州) bridges, Chongqing's (重庆) "cyberpunk," Henan's (河南) ancient charm, and Hunan's (湖南) landscape. From this, some people see the new face of the city, some people see the new form of life, some people see the new form of industry, and some people see the new expression of culture... As a result, the image of "Cool China" is more three-dimensional and full.

The reason for "cool" is that China (中国) has always maintained its "charm and potential" in the process of high-quality development.

From scale expansion to quality upgrade, build a "hard-core attraction." As the industrial system transforms to high-tech, high value-added, green and low-carbon, consumption upgrades and scene innovation go hand in hand, some foreign merchants have repeatedly praised Chinese-made goods. The composite supply capacity of China's intelligent manufacturing and Chinese services makes foreign companies bluntly say that they are "more sticky to China."

From policy-driven to institutional opening-up, create a "predictable charm." In recent years, cross-border facilitation has been accelerating, and digital governance is also making efforts. The opening up and innovation in regulations, management, standards, etc., not only reduces the comprehensive cost for foreign companies to participate in the Chinese market, but also makes everyone feel the warmth of a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, rule-of-law, and internationalized.

From symbol presentation to value resonance, stimulate "emotional cohesion." Feeling the tradition and modernity in "China Tour," the wave of "cultural going overseas" is followed by another, and the concept of "people's city" allows foreign tourists to share a better life... A more authentic development narrative and a warmer civilization narrative allow friends from all over the world to form emotional connections in a soft environment.

Development is moving forward, the attraction is not reduced, and the continuous consolidation of the economic foundation, the release of institutional effectiveness, and the enhancement of cultural resonance, the "charm and potential" of China's development is a consensus, and even more so a win-win situation.

(The author is a reporter from this newspaper's Shanghai Branch (上海分社))

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Sprouting and Growing in the Spring Sunshine (Jin Tai Essay)

By: 杨翘楚

"As for the gentle breeze and bright sunshine, the waves are calm, the sky above and the water below are the same color, a vast expanse of green." Every spring, this sentence from *Yueyang Tower (岳阳楼)* is always mentioned.

Why this resonance? Nearby, all things sprout; in the distance, the sky is clear and the clouds are high. People go out to enjoy the spring and bite into spring vegetables. Spring colors are everywhere, and in today's popular parlance, "Spring is just too comprehensive!"

What is the meaning of spring's "comprehensiveness"?

From "green willows and blue river" to "all kinds of reds and purples compete in fragrance," and then to "swallows fly to the small eaves every day," the warm and bright spring inspects our "green assets," a vivid embodiment of the harmonious coexistence and shared destiny of man and nature.

Cutting spring chives in the fields, picking toon buds from the treetops, simmering spring bamboo shoots on the stove, and brewing spring tea in the cup, spring integrates into the "vegetable basket," "rice bag," and "fruit plate." More green, diverse, and safe food sources satisfy people's taste buds, and also fill us with the confidence and assurance to hold our rice bowl firmly.

Enjoying flowers, boating, flying kites... after the equinox and as the days grow longer, we travel light and stroll through the green hills, embarking on impromptu trips. Spring becomes a consumption scenario for relaxation, leisure, and family outings, and a vibrant economic vitality rushes towards us.

Why is a "comprehensive" spring so anticipated?

The whole year depends on a good start in spring, and we always look forward to spring playing the prelude to our endeavors. Nine years ago, on April 1st, the news of the establishment of the Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区) in Hebei (河北) Province was announced to the public. Now, this "spring appointment" has grown from a blueprint into a new city. This spring, the National People's Congress (全国人民代表大会) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (中国人民政治协商会议) were successfully convened, and the "14th Five-Year Plan (十四五规划)" was reviewed and approved. We set off together with spring, laying a solid foundation and making all-round efforts to basically realize socialist modernization.

Spring draws blueprints, writing footnotes for struggle. Spring witnesses the "start" and cheers for the "long run." The fruits of long-termism are brewing here, step by step anchoring the direction of development.

One flower blooming alone does not make a spring. A cluster of flowers and lush trees are the signs of spring. The cause of Chinese-style modernization is a magnificent journey of concerted efforts and joint creation, shared by everyone, beautiful and harmonious, opening up a new form of human civilization.

Every spring, from the central government to local governments, from cadres to the masses, "planting greenery" is a common theme. The National Voluntary Tree Planting Campaign, which has been carried out for 45 years, has long become a social custom. Today, China's forest and grassland coverage rate exceeds 56%, contributing 1/4 of the world's new green area, directly driving more than 60 million people to employment and income. The land greening that promotes industry and benefits the people not only adds splendor to the mountains and rivers, but also makes this bright background color the most inclusive people's livelihood and well-being.

Drawing a blueprint to the end, working generation after generation. Spring is full of striving spirit, nourishes the hot land of hard work, moistens the smiling faces of thousands of families, and precipitates the thickness of happiness.

What philosophical thoughts does spring inspire?

"Those who start sharply must plan for the end, and those who succeed must first plan at the beginning." Planning and doing one's own thing rhythmically is the basis for moving towards success. Spring is the time to shovel the first soil of the year.

"It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred years to cultivate people." Just like the capital's voluntary tree planting activities, planting trees of "good timber" also cultivates "new seedlings" of youth. Youth meets a prosperous age, and struggle is the right time. Spring reminds us not to waste time.

When spring comes, only by diligent sowing and steady rooting can we usher in the harvest of golden autumn. Growing in the spring light is the best way to cherish youth.

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Photo Story

Not long ago, the 2026 Jiangsu Provincial City Football League kicked off. The new season's "Su Super" League has optimized and adjusted the competition system design, technical regulations, etc., with a longer season and more games. This year, "Su Super" will also continue to innovate in the integration of culture, commerce, sports, and tourism. It plans to hold 600 food markets throughout the year, continuously creating a "second scene" for Su Super that integrates watching games, shopping, food, interaction, and entertainment.

This is precisely:

Short passes and long crosses compete for the championship,
All eyes are on the crowd like waves.
The excitement is not limited to the green field,
Integrated development is steadily increasing.

Shen Qiuwen (沈丘文)

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Crackdown on Livestreaming Code Words (Perspective)

By: 苏 畅

In recent years, the live streaming economy has deeply embedded itself in people's lives, becoming an indispensable consumption model. Investigations have found that some lawbreakers sell fireworks, cigarettes, and other goods strictly prohibited from online trading, as well as counterfeit and shoddy goods such as fake alcohol, and prohibited items such as "toy guns" that can cause injury or disability, through live streaming. They try every possible means to evade supervision and legal risks through coded language and "guerrilla tactics."

Coded language has infiltrated live streaming e-commerce in new forms. A large number of non-compliant sales and prohibited items are quietly launched and transacted under the guise of various coded languages, wearing a "compliant coat" in the torrent of traffic, and evading platform review and law enforcement supervision. This phenomenon deserves high vigilance.

Traditional manual review and keyword filtering are difficult to cope with the endless stream of coded language variants. Today, AI (Artificial Intelligence) semantic recognition and behavior graph modeling technologies are becoming increasingly mature, providing reliable technical support for rectifying coded language in live streaming.

The urgent task is to transform technical capabilities into governance effectiveness. On the one hand, it is possible to break down data barriers between platforms, regulatory departments, and AI enterprises to build a cross-platform coded language behavior graph library. On the other hand, it is possible to promote the identification model from "word-level matching" to "intention recognition," and enhance the active governance capabilities from passive response to autonomous judgment and accurate early warning. At the same time, it is also necessary to deeply integrate technology applications with real-world law enforcement, so that algorithms can help law enforcers and regulators not only understand various coded languages, but also decipher the hidden transaction intentions, logistics paths, and capital flows behind them, so as to provide support for the entire chain of cracking down on illegal live streaming transactions.

The internet live streaming is not a lawless place. Using the light of technology to break the fog of coded language, and using the shield of the rule of law to protect a clear and bright space, those illegal transactions hidden in live streaming will eventually have nowhere to hide under the double whammy of algorithmic penetration and legal strikes.

(Excerpted and compiled from *Guangxi Daily (广西日报)*, original title: "Heavy Blows Must Be Taken Against the 'Coded Language World' in Live Streaming Rooms")

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Protecting "You in Your Youth" with the "Arm of the Rule of Law" (People's Daily Commentary)

By: 魏哲哲

Incorporate the principle of "best interests of the minor" into relevant judicial measures, enabling minors to better escape confusion, resist risks, and pursue their dreams.

A set of data provides a direct window for observing the effectiveness of work safeguarding minors: In 2025, the number of prosecutions by procuratorial organs for crimes against minors and the number of cases accepted for review and prosecution of crimes by minors decreased by 2.2% and 9.8% year-on-year, respectively, marking the first "double decrease" in nearly five years.

The first "double decrease" represents a decrease in the number of crimes and an increase in the intensity of protection. This change not only demonstrates the firm stance of judicial organs of zero tolerance for crimes against minors, but also reflects a tolerant but not indulgent attitude towards "problem seedlings," providing warm protection through education, persuasion, and rehabilitation.

Looking deeper, the "double decrease" reflects the comprehensive effect of extending juvenile work from end-stage disposal to front-end prevention under the guidance of a balanced criminal policy combining leniency and severity.

Currently, the needs and extent of minors' participation in social life are increasing day by day. Taking civil cases involving minors as an example, they cover many causes of action such as marriage and family, inheritance, tort, and contract, covering all aspects of family, school, society, and online life. Although the cases are small, they often affect a child's life trajectory; although the demands vary, they all point to the vital well-being of minors. How should the judiciary accurately exert its efforts, solve problems, and protect the healthy growth of "you as a teenager"? This is not only a legal proposition, but also a social test.

We might as well look at the connotation and value of judicial protection from the handling of a case of school bullying.

Wang (王) and eight other minor students subjected their classmate Li (李) to bullying behaviors such as verbal insults and beatings, causing physical and mental harm to Li. While protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the victimized minor, the trial court delved into the guardianship deficiencies of the nine families and carried out targeted family education guidance work; social workers were organized to provide professional family education guidance to promote the correction of deviant behavior by the bullies. With punishment and education going hand in hand, the judicial organs transformed the court hearing into a legal classroom, providing dual guidance to minors and families, and leading social values to be upward and virtuous.

In the handling of this case, the trial court also stepped out of the mindset of "handling the case as it is" and moved the prevention checkpoint forward, promoting school rectification through the issuance of judicial recommendations and other forms, and providing guidance and publicity on strengthening ideological and moral construction and preventing student bullying. Discovering patterns from individual cases, capturing risks from the outset, and building a defense line from the source, the judiciary is never a cold accumulation of articles, but a value watch with warmth.

Let's look at a document to see the attitude and intensity of judicial protection.

Not long ago, the Supreme People's Court (最高人民法院) issued a judicial document specifically for civil trial work involving minors for the first time, clarifying that the "principle of the best interests of the minor" is the core principle of case handling, and requiring that the legitimate rights and interests of minors be the primary consideration throughout the entire process of case trial.

Reasonably arranging the court to reduce the adversarial nature of the trial and increase affinity; clarifying that the opinions of minors under the age of 8 should be listened to in combination with their age and intellectual status in the determination of custody rights, and fully respecting their true wishes... These work guidelines incorporate the principle of "best interests of the minor" into relevant judicial measures, enabling minors to better escape confusion, resist risks, and pursue their dreams.

Systematic action is easy to succeed, and continuous relay can win the future. The protection of minors requires the participation of the whole society. The judicial organs are not only an important force in protecting minors, but also a hub for promoting collaborative protection. From solving individual case problems through judicial adjudication involving minors, to extending the prevention and governance of a class of problems, and then to building a defense line for healthy growth with judicial rules, the judicial organs need to connect all links and forces of family, school, society, network, and government with professional performance. Under the clear sky of the rule of law, every sapling can grow strong.

The more attention and care, the greater the power of cohesion. The "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五规划) clearly proposes to "strengthen the prevention and governance of illegal and criminal activities by minors." Closely following the new situation, new tasks, and new requirements of the work of protecting minors, and weaving a tight and solid protection network for minors with heart and affection, will surely help "you as a teenager" grow into the future of the motherland and the hope of the nation.

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Editor in charge of this edition: Li Bin, Li Hongxing, Cui Yan

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

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Guarding the Lights in the "No Man's Land of Life"

By: 本报记者 龚仕建 江 萌

Tanggula Pass (唐古拉山口) is swept by snow-laden winds, and transmission towers stand silently. Wheels roll over frozen earth, and the altitude climbs to 5,283 meters. Getting out of the car, opening the trunk, Ying Hong (应洪) and Li Xizhong (李希忠), bundled up tightly, brave the biting wind, pick up two toolboxes, and prepare to start drone inspections. "This tower, numbered 1389, is located at the highest altitude point on the entire 'Power Sky Road', 5283.6 meters," Ying Hong (应洪) introduces.

The "Power Sky Road" in Ying Hong's (应洪) words is the Qinghai-Tibet DC Interconnection Project (青藏直流联网工程), which runs 1,038 kilometers from Golmud (格尔木), Qinghai (青海) to Lhasa (拉萨), Tibet (西藏). The Qinghai (青海) section is 608.6 kilometers long, crossing ecologically sensitive areas such as the Hoh Xil (可可西里) no-man's-land, the Tuotuo River (沱沱河) wetlands, and the Tanggula Pass (唐古拉山口). In the 14 years since it was put into operation, it has cumulatively transmitted 15.3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to the Tibetan (西藏) power grid. Ying Hong (应洪) and Li Xizhong (李希忠) belong to the "Tanggula Eagles" (唐古拉之鹰) Power Sky Road Operation and Maintenance Team of the Golmud (格尔木) Operation and Maintenance Branch of the State Grid Qinghai Ultra-High Voltage Company (国网青海超高压公司格尔木运维分部), and they have been stationed year-round in the "no-go zone" with an average altitude of 4,650 meters, maintaining this transmission line that is related to the lights of thousands of homes.

"Every detail must be repeatedly confirmed, and no minor safety hazard can be overlooked."

The "Tanggula Eagles" (唐古拉之鹰) Power Sky Road Operation and Maintenance Team, with an average age of 28, currently has 7 members. Each month, they need to inspect more than 600 kilometers of transmission lines and 1,394 towers, and each quarter, they carry out frozen soil monitoring, hidden danger investigation, and basic data analysis.

"Snow in June, ice in July, mountains closed in August, winter in September, strong winds all year round..." The harsh climate of the plateau in the folk song is the norm on the team members' inspection route.

"When encountering extreme weather, the car can only be driven to the foot of the mountain, the snow is over the knees, and the rest of the road can only be done with hands and feet," Ying Hong (应洪) said, "The weather is very good today, there is no snow, and the car can be closer to the tower." On that day, the temperature at Tanggula Pass (唐古拉山口) was minus 20 degrees Celsius, and the wind speed was 15 meters per second.

Carrying the toolbox up the hillside, Li Xizhong (李希忠) stopped after less than 10 meters and took a breath of oxygen. "The oxygen content here is only 40% of sea level. The tower looks close at hand, but it takes a lot of effort to get there." Arriving at the bottom of the tower, the two took out the inspection drone from the toolbox, and then took out two batteries from their pockets. "In extremely cold weather, the battery drains quickly, and putting it in your pocket can keep it warm."

The drone constantly adjusted its posture in the gale and flew towards the top of the tower. The camera transmitted the picture in real time, and the two stared at the screen to check the line conditions, tower head, insulators, connecting hardware, and wires. "Every detail must be repeatedly confirmed, and no minor safety hazard can be overlooked, so as not to become a major hazard under harsh conditions," Ying Hong (应洪) said.

After changing the battery twice and checking 20 towers, they successfully completed the day's work before 3 pm. Having traveled this route for many years, Ying Hong (应洪) knows the weather here like the back of his hand. "Every day after 2 pm, the wind gets stronger and stronger, and after a while, the drone will not be able to fly."

Back in the car, Ying Hong (应洪) and Li Xizhong (李希忠) took out the frozen hard pancakes as lunch. Because the inspection route is far away and the climate is harsh, it is difficult for the team members to eat a hot meal on time. "When encountering altitude sickness, you can't eat a bite, and many colleagues in the operation and maintenance team don't eat lunch."

On the way back, Ying Hong (应洪) told reporters: "It's much better now. The drone can inspect a tower in 10 minutes. In the past, in minus twenty or thirty degrees Celsius, with the cold wind biting, we had to wear cold-proof clothing and climb up with a dozen kilograms of tools on our backs. The tower was covered with ice shells, and it took more than two hours to climb the tower."

Back at the Tuotuo River (沱沱河) Operation and Maintenance Station, Ying Hong (应洪) and Li Xizhong (李希忠) did not rest, and immediately began to sort out the materials of the day. "The data must be uploaded to the system as soon as possible, so that problems can be dealt with in time to ensure the safety of the line."

The car lights cut through the night, and the team members from other lines also returned one after another. The Sanjiangyuan (三江源) land was silent, and the Tuotuo River (沱沱河) Operation and Maintenance Station was brightly lit...

"Both power grid patrolmen and ecological patrolmen"

In 2011, the Qinghai-Tibet DC Interconnection Project (青藏直流联网工程) was put into operation. In less than a year, more than 100 bird nests "grew" on the towers. It turned out that trees are scarce in the Sanjiangyuan (三江源) area, and many birds of prey choose to "settle" on the transmission towers. "Nest debris causes short circuits, and bird droppings corrode equipment, which are all operational and maintenance problems," said Wang Hui (王辉), the former safety officer of the "Tanggula Eagles" (唐古拉之鹰) Power Sky Road Operation and Maintenance Team. "We have tried both bird-repelling and nest-moving methods, which not only hurt the birds, but also do not work. The birds will come back soon after."

"This is their home in the first place, so we simply built houses for the birds on the towers." The team members brainstormed ideas, but the results were not satisfactory: steel nests did not attract birds, and bamboo basket nests were easily torn apart by the wind. After continuous attempts, the artificial bird nests were continuously improved. Finally, they used rattan to weave a nest basket with a diameter of 1 meter, lined with a thick coconut palm pad, and then firmly fixed it to the safe area of the tower with iron wire. "It's like building a warm house for the eagles!" Ning Xiaxin (宁夏新), a member of the operation and maintenance team, gestured with a smile.

In 2016, the upgraded version of the artificial bird nest was officially put on the tower, and large birds such as eagles and falcons successively moved into their "new homes." Soon, the heartwarming measures of the "Tanggula Eagles" (唐古拉之鹰) operation and maintenance team were promoted. At present, 5,619 artificial bird nests have been installed in the Sanjiangyuan (三江源) area, and more than 2,900 nests have been successfully attracted, with an "occupancy rate" of over 50%.

"We also pay special attention to these bird nests when we patrol the lines. In winter, while the birds are migrating south, we will repair the damaged bird nests and also do a maintenance check on their homes," said Tian Long (田龙), the leader of the "Tanggula Eagles" (唐古拉之鹰) Power Sky Road Operation and Maintenance Team. "We also installed house numbers on the bird nests and installed high-altitude warning lights to prevent birds from accidentally hitting the lines while flying at night. When they come back, they will find that their 'new home' is even more beautiful."

The area responsible for by the "Tanggula Eagles" (唐古拉之鹰) Power Sky Road Operation and Maintenance Team is an ecologically fragile area on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (青藏高原). "When the team members see garbage during line patrols, they will pick it up and take it away. The domestic waste generated at the Tuotuo River (沱沱河) Operation and Maintenance Station will also be taken back to Golmud (格尔木) when going down the mountain, so as not to increase the burden on the ecology here," Tian Long (田龙) said. "It can be said that we are both power grid patrolmen and ecological patrolmen!"

"Teaching the 'unique skills' to young colleagues hand-in-hand and helping everyone hone their skills"

Altitude sickness is the first problem that every new team member has to overcome. "When I first came in September 2023, I couldn't sleep all night and kept vomiting," Li Xizhong (李希忠), who has been in the operation and maintenance team for the shortest time, recalled with a frown.

"Relying on oxygen and medicine can only temporarily relieve altitude sickness, and the body's active adaptation can last for a long time." Dong Chengzheng (东成正), who has been in the operation and maintenance team for almost 6 years, teaches team members plateau breathing techniques to help them overcome altitude sickness. Dong Chengzheng (东成正) is also a drone expert, and once set a record of completing detailed inspections of 57 towers in one day in a section with an altitude of 4,500 meters.

"How to hover in the wind and how to plan complex terrain paths, Dong Chengzheng (东成正) always teaches the 'unique skills' to young colleagues hand-in-hand and helps everyone hone their skills," Li Xizhong (李希忠) said. After a few months, with the help of the old team members, he gradually adapted to the plateau environment. He used to be able to inspect only 5 towers a day, but now he can inspect 40 towers.

In the summer of 2024, in the Tuotuo River (沱沱河) section, Li Xizhong (李希忠) and Ning Xiaxin (宁夏新), two new recruits, independently patrolled the line for the first time. A strong wind suddenly rose, and the drone lost its signal. "The drone contains important inspection data, we have to find it!" While searching, it suddenly started to hail. The two hugged each other halfway up the mountain and acted as "meat shields" for half an hour. Finally, they found the drone, and the two young men wiped away their tears: "We can be considered capable of standing alone now!"

Now, the baton has been passed to the post-00s. "Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山), Wudaoliang (五道梁), Fenghuoshan (风火山), Tuotuo River (沱沱河), Yanshiping (雁石坪), Tanggula Pass (唐古拉山口), we can take down even the most difficult sections," Li Xizhong (李希忠) said confidently.

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"China's Youth Reading Literacy Framework" Education Industry Standard Released

According to reports from Beijing on April 19th (Reporter Wu Yue (吴月)), the reporter learned from the Ministry of Education (教育部): Recently, the Ministry of Education (教育部) released the educational industry standard "China Youth Reading Literacy Framework."

It is understood that the standard is based on the actual development of youth reading literacy in China, creating a three-dimensional reading literacy model of "knowledge-ability-value," and building a "four-stage twelve-level" literacy development framework. It scientifically divides reading literacy into four stages: foundation, expansion, deepening, and integration, and refines them into 12 levels, covering 3 first-level indicators, 8 second-level indicators, and 19 third-level indicators, providing a clear growth path for young people of different school levels and different reading levels, and helping to enhance the continuity, advancement, and adaptability of reading literacy development.

The standard was jointly developed by Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学) and related units, and approved by the National Education Equipment Standardization Technical Committee.

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2026 Chinese Classical Poetry Forum Held in Zhengzhou, Henan

This newspaper Zhengzhou April 19th (Reporter Fang Min (方敏)) The 2026 Chinese Classical Poetry Forum opened on the 19th in Zhengzhou (郑州市), Henan Province. More than a hundred experts, scholars, and literary and artistic workers from all over the country launched in-depth exchanges around the theme of "Continuing the Classics of Poetry and Inheriting Chinese Civilization," and jointly discussed the contemporary significance and innovative communication paths of Chinese classical poetry. An Wei (安伟), member of the Standing Committee of the Henan Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Zhengzhou Municipal Party Committee, and Xu Lijing (徐立京), Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the People's Daily, attended the forum and delivered speeches. Li Jingze (李敬泽), Vice Chairman of the Chinese Writers Association, Su Yinao (苏义脑), Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and other experts delivered keynote speeches.

This event was co-sponsored by the People's Daily's "National Humanities History" magazine, the Chinese Poetry Society, the Henan Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and the Zhengzhou Municipal Propaganda Department. Since the first session landed in Zhengzhou (郑州市) in 2023, it has built a bridge for the coordinated development of academic research, literary and artistic creation, and cultural tourism industries, and made positive contributions to promoting the new vitality of Chinese classical poetry in the new era.

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The 2nd Beijing Grand Vision "Chasing Light Program" International Micro-Drama Competition Launches

This newspaper reported from Beijing on April 19th (Reporter Shi Fang (施芳))：Recently, the 13th China Online Audio-Visual Conference Micro-Drama High-Quality Development Forum was held. At the meeting, the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau (北京市广电局) officially launched the second Beijing Grand Audio-Visual "Chasing Light Program" International Micro-Drama Competition. Through theme tracks such as "The Real China: All Walks of Life," "Chinese Tradition: Cultural Heritage and Intangible Cultural Heritage," "Intelligent Creation of the Future: Technological Narrative," "The Charm of Beijing: Ancient Capital and New Scenery," and "Magnificent Rivers and Mountains: Cultural Tourism Trends," it opens up new spaces for diverse creation and builds a new ecosystem for the creation of high-quality micro-dramas.

In order to ensure that good works are implemented and good talents take root, the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau (北京市广电局) will further increase support, giving priority to recommending award-winning works to participate in the Beijing Radio and Television Network Audio-Visual Development Fund, the Beijing Special Fund for Improving the International Communication Power of Radio and Television and Network Audio-Visual Industries, the Beijing Action Plan for Promoting the High-Quality Development of the "Artificial Intelligence + Audio-Visual" Industry, and the State Administration of Radio and Television (国家广播电视总局)'s excellent project evaluation activities. Last year, the Beijing Radio and Television Network Audio-Visual Development Fund supported 37 excellent projects, with a support fund of 22.16 million yuan. The scale of support will be further expanded in 2026.

The competition has established a city-district linkage mechanism to promote the efficient connection of high-quality projects with various districts in Beijing (北京), accurately connecting with policies such as the "Ten Cultural Industry Policies" of Xicheng District (西城区), providing a maximum of 500,000 yuan in financial rewards for winning projects, and providing supporting support in a certain proportion for works that receive support from municipal special funds such as the Beijing Radio and Television Network Audio-Visual Development Fund.

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"Good Daughter" to Elderly Living Alone (Guardian)

By: 本报记者 杨 迅

In the warm spring, in Wangjiahucun Village (王家湖村), Heba Town (河坝镇), Datong Lake District (大通湖区), Yiyang (益阳), Hunan (湖南), the warm sun shines on the ridges. Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) carries an insulated bucket and hurries to the home of villager Wang Hanhua (王汉华). Inside the bucket is the meat soup she just stewed, the meat stewed until it is soft and tender, just right for Wang Hanhua (王汉华), who has difficulty swallowing due to sequelae from a cerebral infarction surgery. She has persisted in providing such door-to-door care for seven or eight years. She has been on this path of love for more than forty years.

In 1984, Chen Yue'e (陈月娥), who had just turned 23 and had been married for only a month, moved with her husband from Huarong County (华容县), Yueyang (岳阳), Hunan (湖南) to Datong Lake Farm (大通湖农场). When she first arrived, she lived a life of 捉襟见肘 (zhuō jīn jiàn zhǒu - "pull lapel expose elbow," to be in dire straits; unable to make ends meet). When her own father passed away, she couldn't even scrape together the travel expenses to go home for the funeral. In this awkward situation of being unfamiliar with the place and people, it was the elderly people in the village who gave her care and help. Some took the initiative to visit and chat, and some lent a hand during the busy farming season. The one she remembers most vividly is the hunchbacked old man Xu Guanbao (徐观保).

She still remembers that year, when the farming season was pressing and waited for no one. Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) saw that a family in the village couldn't even gather enough manpower to go to the fields. Remembering the help she had received in the past, she gritted her teeth and pulled her husband to help them with the harvesting and planting first. By the time they finished and rushed back, their own harvested rice had been piled in the field for two days, and it was about to be rained on and mold, threatening the family's entire year's supply of food.

Just as she was anxiously running around in circles, she saw a hunched figure in the distance on the drying ground. It was Xu Guanbao (徐观保). He braved the scorching midday sun, his back bent almost at a right angle, slowly spreading out and turning over the piled rice. The old man's movements were slow, but he was not sloppy at all. Sweat streamed down his wrinkled cheeks, soaking more than half of his coarse cloth jacket. That busy, bowing figure took root in her heart—"These old people have helped me, and I must do my best to treat them well."

Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) has put this promise into practice with decades of action, selflessly taking care of the lonely elderly people around her, and the elderly people also treat her as their own "daughter." Xu Guanbao (徐观保), who had no children and lived alone without support, was once sent to the town's nursing home, but he became depressed because he couldn't adapt to the environment. After Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) learned about it, she took the old man back to her own home.

There are also nearly 10 other elderly people, including Deng Xuemei (邓雪梅) and Li Qingming (李清明), who have been taken care of by Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) voluntarily. One winter, Deng Xuemei (邓雪梅) accidentally broke her leg while riding a bicycle. Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) took the old woman home and took care of her for three or four months. Chen Yue'e's (陈月娥) husband helped apply herbal medicine and ran errands to take her to the doctor. Before her death, Deng Xuemei (邓雪梅) specifically called Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) to her side, unable to speak, but just held her hand and wept. Li Qingming (李清明) suffered from epilepsy and would suddenly fall to the ground when he had an attack, making it impossible for him to take care of himself. Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) was always there when called, helping with laundry, cooking, and cleaning the house on weekdays, managing the old man's life in an orderly manner.

For more than 20 years, Xu Guanbao (徐观保), Deng Xuemei (邓雪梅), and Li Qingming (李清明) have spent the Spring Festival at Chen Yue'e's (陈月娥) home every year. The small home was crowded with seven people, four in her own family plus three elderly people, a lively reunion dinner. From a young age, the children treated these elderly people as their own grandfathers and grandmothers. Every year before New Year's Eve, they would always surround her and ask, "Mom, why haven't Grandpa and Grandma come yet?" When they grew up, the children also took over and continued Chen Yue'e's (陈月娥) acts of love, taking the initiative to bring the elderly people to spend the New Year. At the end of 2024, Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) was named a "Good Person of Hunan (湖南)" in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Now, Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) is over 60 years old and sometimes feels overwhelmed. When she is unwell or has a lot of family affairs, her family is always her strongest support. Accompanying the elderly to get injections for more than 10 miles back and forth, taking injured elderly people to the doctor, and helping households in difficulty with farm work, her husband has never complained in decades. Now, Chen Yue'e's (陈月娥) son has formed a public welfare team, taking his children to the countryside to donate rice and oil to left-behind children. Her daughter-in-law often says, "I want to learn from Mom." The inheritance of love is quietly taking root in the hearts of the next generation.

Some people don't understand and ask her why she cares so much about other people's affairs. Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) doesn't explain, just smiles and says, "Come and do it with me." Her actions have motivated more and more people. Villager Zhang Zhigao (张志高) and his wife Wang Aizhen (王爱珍) insist on delivering meals to bedridden elderly people. Villager Cheng Jianqiang (成建强) often helps elderly people living alone with laundry and housework. Employees of China Communications Construction First Harbor Engineering Co., Ltd. (中交一航局) heard about her deeds and also made a special trip to the village to comfort the elderly and help repair aging lines.

Some people ask Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) what she is trying to gain by helping the elderly so wholeheartedly for so many years. She always says that everyone has a time when they get old, and it is only natural to lend a hand while you still have the strength. Chen Yue'e (陈月娥) has never calculated how much money she has spent on helping the elderly over the years, nor has she kept track of how many good deeds she has done. For her, helping the elderly is the most practical and reassuring thing. What she hopes most is to pass on this love that grows from the soil.

(Gan Guo (甘果) participated in the writing)

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Photo Story

On April 19th, the Jingmen City Museum (荆门市博物馆) in Hubei Province held a themed event, using technological means such as 3D digitization, interactive projection, and digital interpretation to vividly present the original text, translation, and historical background of the Guodian Chu Slips (郭店楚简), attracting many citizens and tourists to immerse themselves in the charm of ancient classics. The picture shows citizens stopping in front of an interactive touch screen, lightly tapping the screen to view the translation of the bamboo slips.

Zhao Ping (赵平) photographed (Image China (影像中国)).

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Gansu Introduces Measures for Determining Work-Related Injury Leave with Pay

This newspaper's Lanzhou (兰州) April 19th (Reported by Zeng Yichen (曾亦辰)) Recently, the Gansu Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security (甘肃省人力资源和社会保障厅) issued the "Gansu Province Measures for Confirming the Work Stoppage and Salary Retention Period for Employees Injured at Work." The "Measures," comprising 20 articles, further improves the work-related injury insurance system, strengthens and standardizes the confirmation of the work stoppage and salary retention period for employees injured at work, and safeguards the legitimate rights and interests of employees injured at work.

The "Measures" stipulate that the work stoppage and salary retention period shall be confirmed by the employer in accordance with the classification catalog uniformly issued by Gansu Province (甘肃省), based on the diagnosis certificate of the work-related injury insurance agreement medical institution, and generally shall not exceed 12 months. When the 12-month work stoppage and salary retention period confirmed by the employer expires, if there is a serious injury or special circumstances requiring an extension, the employee injured at work may apply to the labor capacity appraisal committee at the prefecture-level city (设区的市级劳动能力鉴定委员会) before the expiration and provide relevant supporting materials. The "Measures" clarify that the original salary and benefits of employees injured at work during the work stoppage and salary retention period shall remain unchanged and shall be paid by the employer on a monthly basis. Employees injured at work who are unable to take care of themselves shall be cared for by the employer during the work stoppage and salary retention period. If there is a disability or impact on work capacity after the expiration of the work stoppage and salary retention period, a labor capacity assessment shall be conducted, and disability benefits shall be enjoyed in accordance with regulations.

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Yizheng City, Jiangsu Province, effectively handles "the first thing at the door" to benefit the people.

This newspaper's Nanjing (南京) April 19th dispatch (Reporter Wang Weijian (王伟健)) "Previously, this road was full of potholes, and it was full of water after a rain, making travel particularly inconvenient. Now that it has been repaired, it is much more convenient to get in and out." Xu Jiakou (许家扣), a villager in Tian'an Village (天安村), Xiji Town (新集镇), Yizheng City (仪征市), Jiangsu Province (江苏省), introduced that the through-group road of Mazhuang Group (马庄组) in Tian'an Village (天安村) had cracks, potholes, and settlement problems due to disrepair, which seriously affected traffic safety. "The village's 'two committees' team listed the construction of new through-group roads as the first practical thing, using solid work to let the masses see our attitude and determination," said Peng Wei (彭巍), secretary of the general party branch of Tian'an Village (天安村).

Yizheng City (仪征市) implemented the "Do a Practical Thing at the Beginning" campaign. The "two committees" team members and village group leaders of 195 villages (communities) in the city conducted full-coverage in-depth research, collected more than 1,530 opinions and suggestions from party members and the masses, listed them one by one, and implemented classified management. At the same time, the Organization Department of the Municipal Party Committee (市委组织部) provided timely follow-up guidance, so that the masses could see changes and receive benefits with practical results. Since the launch of the campaign, it has helped the masses solve more than 1,130 problems and completed more than 1,210 practical matters related to people's livelihoods. "We use this as a starting point to promote the village (community) 'two committees' to continue to work hard to improve services and quality, and strive to enhance the people's sense of gain," said the relevant person in charge of the Organization Department of the Yizheng Municipal Party Committee (仪征市委组织部).

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This edition's editors: Zhang Yanchun, Wang Bo, Zhang Zhiqi

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Poor Road System Planning Leads to Headaches (Jin Tai Perspective)

By: 本报记者 沈童睿 人民网记者 杨启红 甘海琼

Road construction is inherently a project that benefits the people. However, recently, many readers and internet users have written to reflect that, during the road construction process, due to inadequate consideration and poor coordination in planning, construction, and completion stages, various inconveniences have been caused to the production and lives of residents living nearby, and some outstanding issues need to be resolved. In response, reporters conducted investigations and interviews.

Road Construction Damages Water Conservancy Facilities, Affecting Sowing and Irrigation

Every year around the Spring Festival, Xunhua Salar Autonomous County (循化撒拉族自治县) in the eastern part of Haidong City (海东市), Qinghai (青海) Province, begins spring plowing. However, this year, until March 23, more than 200 mu of farmland belonging to 83 households in Zhuantang Village (专堂村), Qingshui Township (清水乡), Xunhua County (循化县), still had no water for irrigation.

On March 24, the reporter saw at the scene that, except for a piece of farmland less than 20 mu near the Yellow River (黄河) that had been cultivated, the remaining farmland had been plowed but had not been watered or sown.

Villagers reported that the construction of the Daqing Expressway (大清高速公路) (see picture, photo by Gan Haiqiong (甘海琼), People's Daily Online) damaged the original canals and other water conservancy facilities in the village. Qingshui Township (清水乡) is located on the south bank of the Yellow River (黄河) in the eastern part of Xunhua County (循化县) and is an important production area for Xunhua chili peppers. In mid-July 2025, during the flowering stage of the chili peppers, the irrigation facilities were damaged, resulting in varying degrees of yield reduction that year.

At that time, relevant departments negotiated with the Daqing Expressway (大清高速公路) project office to use emergency equipment to pump water for irrigation during the growing season of the chili peppers, which solved the immediate problem. However, as the emergency equipment malfunctioned and winter approached, irrigation could not be carried out on time in the winter of 2025 and this spring.

The agricultural season for sowing spring wheat this year has passed. If water cannot be supplied again, the agricultural season for chili peppers will also be missed, and the villagers are very anxious. Villager Cai Rang (才让) (pseudonym) said that his family has seven or eight mu of land, originally planning to plant half with chili peppers and half with corn. The chili peppers would be sold for money, and the corn would be used to feed more than 100 goats. However, without water for irrigation, "the land cannot be planted. Not to mention income, even the feed for the goats has to be bought with money."

The reporter learned from interviews that, according to the design plan of the Daqing Expressway (大清高速公路), damage to irrigation facilities during the construction of the project was unavoidable, and the construction unit had taken remedial measures in advance.

The person in charge of the Daqing Expressway (大清高速公路) project office stated that, in order to ensure the normal operation of drinking water and farmland irrigation channels in the Xunhua (循化) section of the project, after full research by the local water conservancy department, a third party was commissioned to design the construction drawings. On March 19, 2024, Qinghai Provincial Transportation Construction Management Co., Ltd. (青海省交通建设管理有限公司) signed an agreement with the Xunhua County Water Conservancy Bureau (循化县水利局) to relocate the relevant water conservancy facilities. The relocation work was implemented by the property rights unit, the Xunhua County Water Conservancy Bureau (循化县水利局), and the compensation was paid in a timely manner. The relocation project should have been completed before June 30, 2024.

The relocation project involves five villages, including Tiangai Village (田盖村), Qingshui Township (清水乡), Xunhua County (循化县). Except for Zhuantang Village (专堂村), the water conservancy facilities in the other four villages were relocated and completed in 2024. The Xunhua County (循化县) water conservancy department stated that the main construction progress of the Daqing Expressway (大清高速) was delayed, which led to the delay of the relocation project of the pumping station. In addition, the person in charge of the Daqing Expressway (大清高速) project department temporarily proposed adding construction work outside the contract, which resulted in the failure to complete the water conservancy facilities in Zhuantang Village (专堂村) on time.

The reporter learned before publication that local authorities have taken measures to help villagers solve the problem. Relevant负责人 of the Qingshui Township Government (清水乡政府) and the county water conservancy department introduced that Xunhua County (循化县) organized relevant departments to hold a meeting on March 10. On the one hand, they accelerated the construction of the pumping station relocation, planning to complete the trial water supply in June this year; on the other hand, they increased temporary pumping facilities to ensure spring irrigation. On the evening of March 24, the Xunhua County Water Conservancy Bureau (循化县水利局) and the construction team worked overnight. On the evening of March 27, temporary water supply equipment began to operate. On April 10, Zhuantang Village (专堂村) completed spring planting, one month later than in previous years. Villagers are still worried about whether the temporary irrigation system can guarantee subsequent irrigation before the formal completion of the irrigation project.

Construction Planning "Losing Sight of the Other," Troubling Residents Along the Route

The situation in Zhuantang Village (专堂村) is not an isolated case. Some readers' letters and messages reflect that local road construction has provided transportation convenience for residents, but some have also brought them troubles.

Some are problems that arise during the construction process, such as damage to other roads during road construction. Guangxi (广西) reader Yang Wu (杨武) (pseudonym) said that in the past two years, due to the construction of the expressway, large vehicles transporting construction materials rolled back and forth, and a section of the county road in front of the village showed road surface cracks, potholes, looseness, and corner fractures, making vehicle traffic very bumpy. Now that the expressway has been completed, this section of the road is still full of potholes. "The purpose of road construction is to facilitate transportation, but it has created new inconveniences," Yang Wu (杨武) said.

Some are problems that arise during the planning and design stage, such as road construction cutting off villagers' daily traffic routes. Hubei (湖北) Yingshan County (英山县) Shitouzu Town (石头咀镇) Tangjiawan Village (汤家湾村) reader Yang Xing (杨兴) (pseudonym) wrote that an east-west, four-lane asphalt road divides the village into two parts, north and south. Most of the villagers live on the north side, and the farmland is concentrated on the south side. After the road was built, guardrails were installed, blocking the villagers' access to the farmland. "There are rivers to the east and west of the village, so there is no way to detour from both sides, and the road to the south is blocked by railings," Yang Xing (杨兴) said. "Cultivation and transportation of agricultural materials are very inconvenient, and villagers have to climb over the guardrails, which is very dangerous."

Some are road construction blocking drainage ditches. Some readers reported that there was originally a drainage ditch near their farmland, and rainwater could be discharged into the river from there. Later, a new road was built, crossing the drainage ditch and blocking it, which greatly reduced the drainage capacity of the surrounding area, and the farmland was often flooded. In addition, some roads are equipped with drainage facilities, but the design is unreasonable. Guangdong (广东省) reader Liu Desheng (刘德胜) reflected that in 2021, due to road construction, a drainage outlet was opened on the mountain behind his house. When the rainfall is heavy, the discharged water will flood into his house. After repeated reflections, the drainage outlet was blocked.

Some are road construction causing changes in regional terrain. The most frequently reflected in readers' letters is the road surface being raised, causing waterlogging. Lin Huahai (林化海), a villager from Group 2 of Dongmeng Village (东蒙村), Dongmeng Town (东蒙镇), Feixian County (费县), Shandong (山东) Province, operates a seedling planting base. In 2018, the road on the north side of the base was hardened, and the roadbed was raised, but no drainage ditch was reserved. In recent years, rainwater has often backflowed into the base, which has greatly affected the harvest. "Roads are projects that benefit the people. I hope that the impact on the surrounding people can be fully considered when building roads," Lin Huahai (林化海) said.

Liaoning (辽宁) Dandong City (丹东市) reader Mr. Li (李先生) said that a section of road in front of his house was severely damaged. In June 2025, it was repaired and leveled, and the neighbors were very happy. Unexpectedly, the roadbed was raised, and the water flooded his yard as soon as it rained. After learning about this, the local relevant departments coordinated with the construction party to raise the ground in the yard with paving materials, which solved the problem.

Some road construction projects have become unfinished, and short-term construction has become a long-term closed construction site, bringing inconvenience to nearby residents. Feng Jun (冯军) (pseudonym), a reader from Xi'an City (西安市), Shaanxi (陕西) Province, operates a shop on the northern section of Jianyuan 1st Road (建元一路) in Caotan Street (草滩街道), Weiyang District (未央区). Since 2023, a section of road more than 100 meters long in front of the door has been surrounded by enclosures and closed for construction, but it has not been completed yet. He said that this was originally an open space, but after the enclosure, the passage in front of the store became narrower, and the view was also blocked. "Customers can't easily see our signs, and it is not convenient for cars to pass, so the flow of customers is greatly affected," Feng Jun (冯军) said. "We support road construction, but it should be completed as soon as possible according to the construction period. Even if the project is unfinished, can the enclosure be removed or the scope reduced to reduce the impact on our surrounding residents?"

It is recommended to strengthen the systematic planning of projects and listen to the opinions of the masses

"In a limited space, simultaneously implementing multiple tasks such as traffic organization, pipeline relocation, and road surface construction will objectively cause some interference to the surrounding environment. This is difficult to completely avoid," said Fu Hongcai (付宏才), a cadre from the housing and construction system. He said that the key is to strive to achieve "three no's" in construction: no impact on the daily travel and safety of the people along the route, no reduction in operating income and quality of life, and no external infringements such as noise, dust, and congestion.

Experts believe that road construction is a systematic project. Only by adhering to systematic thinking and fully considering the various impacts of road construction can the adverse effects be minimized.

"In the planning stage, the road construction should be coordinated with the surrounding land use functions, public service facilities, and community renewal to avoid implementing the road project as a single isolated project," Guo Liang (郭亮), a professor at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (华中科技大学), suggested that a special assessment of the impact on people's livelihoods should be carried out during the preparation stage of the road design plan to avoid high-density residential areas, schools, hospitals, and core commercial areas as much as possible, or to reduce the interference to the lives of surrounding people from the spatial layout and construction technology.

Zuo Ting (左停), vice president of the National Rural Revitalization Research Institute of China Agricultural University (中国农业大学), believes that road construction needs to adhere to planning first, especially to fully consider the social impact of the project. He said that large-scale project construction needs to conduct environmental impact assessments and social impact assessments. In practice, environmental impact assessments are strictly implemented, such as reserving passages for wild animals and strengthening noise management, but the social impact assessment part is relatively weak, lacking mandatory norms, and is prone to formality in implementation.

To avoid the outstanding problems of road construction, the key is to combine the opinions and wisdom of the masses and strengthen the coordination and supervision of relevant departments. An Hong (安虹), a reader from Xinxiang City (新乡市), Henan (河南) Province, said that in many cases, the construction plan is not publicized to the public, and the public is unaware and unprepared. It is hoped that major construction plans will be publicized in advance through channels such as government websites, village (neighborhood) committee announcements, and new media platforms, and that channels for feedback will be unblocked.

"Whether it is convenient for the people or disturbs the people, the masses have the most say," Fu Hongcai (付宏才) believes that the opinions of the masses should be carefully listened to before the start of road construction, not only to seek understanding and support, but also to negotiate with the masses to adjust the construction plan to minimize the impact on the people; the higher-level departments should not only grasp the construction supervision, but also coordinate to solve difficulties, and multiple departments such as water supply, gas supply, and power supply should strengthen coordination to prevent the project from being "built but not completed" and affecting the production and life of the people for a long time.

Guo Liang (郭亮) suggested that, during the road construction process, digital technology should be used to create a regulatory platform, build a real-time construction monitoring system, and the public can view the construction progress, dust and noise data, and detour plans through mobile terminals to improve project transparency; a "road-enterprise-community" tripartite co-governance liaison system should be established, with a joint coordination mechanism composed of government departments, construction units, and community representatives, and on-site meetings should be held regularly to promptly deal with problems such as construction disturbances and traffic obstructions.

In response to the problems that may occur after the completion of road construction, such as drainage ditch blockage and waterlogging caused by terrain changes, Guo Liang (郭亮) believes that a mass feedback and rectification mechanism should be improved, regular visits should be made to communities along the route to collect opinions and suggestions, and the outstanding problems reflected by the masses should be rectified and managed in a closed loop on a regular basis to solve the urgent problems of the masses. Roads usually cross multiple regions. The problems found after completion are often not solved by the townships and streets where the masses are located. The key is to break administrative boundaries, establish a cross-regional and cross-departmental linkage mechanism, clarify the boundaries of powers and responsibilities and financial guarantees, incorporate project construction into full-cycle management, and achieve that roads are managed by someone, problems are answered by someone, and rectification is effective, so as to truly turn people's livelihood projects into projects that win the hearts of the people.

(Xu Yi (徐一) participated in writing)

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Water pump repaired, irrigation assured for spring plowing (Feedback)

The "Letters to the Editor" section on March 30 published "Incidents Around Us," titled "Pump Station Wires Aging, Safety Hazards Exist," reflecting the problems of severely aged and exposed wires and damaged water pumps at the Wangba Pump Station in Mingshan Village, Xincang Town, Taihu County, Anqing City, Anhui Province. After the article was published, relevant departments in Taihu County (太湖县) and Xincang Town (新仓镇) arrived at the scene as soon as possible and organized professional personnel to repair the exposed wires with pipe sleeves. The water pumps were also repaired, ensuring irrigation water for more than 1,000 acres of farmland for spring plowing.

Villagers of Mingshan Village (鸣山村)

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Main Road Without Streetlights for 4 Years, Exposed Screws Pose Safety Hazard (Local News)

I am a resident of the Shengda Gongguan residential area, Yintan Road Subdistrict, Anning District, Lanzhou (兰州) City, Gansu (甘肃) Province. I have lived in the residential area for 4 years. Anda Street (安达街), the main road in front of the entrance, and the branch road connecting to Tongda Street (通达街) to the west, have 27 reserved street lamp installation points, but not a single street lamp has been installed to this day, only exposed, rusty screws (see picture). We can only travel in the dark at night, and these exposed screws also pose a safety risk. In recent years, we have reported this problem to relevant departments many times, but it has not been installed yet. I hope that the relevant departments will solve this problem as soon as possible so that residents of the residential area can travel more safely at night.

Ms. Zhang (张女士) from Lanzhou (兰州) City, Gansu (甘肃) Province.

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Suggestion.

Perfecting AED Electronic Map Navigation

In the "golden 4 minutes" for rescuing sudden cardiac arrest, automated external defibrillators (AEDs) can significantly improve the success rate of rescue. However, in reality, some public places with high traffic and high risk still have problems such as AEDs being difficult to find, unreasonable layouts, and personnel being unfamiliar with operations.

For AEDs to function, the primary prerequisite is "easy to find." According to relevant configuration guidelines, densely populated places should prioritize the configuration of AEDs and set up conspicuous signs. It is necessary to scientifically plan the layout, prioritize supplementing equipment in key places such as stations, shopping malls, and communities, and use Internet technology to mark AED locations on commonly used maps. Currently, some AED-equipped locations can be displayed on maps, but it is not comprehensive, mainly focusing on schools. It is recommended to comprehensively mark all AED-equipped government agencies, enterprises, institutions, shopping malls, stations, etc., and establish a complete AED electronic map.

In addition to "easy to find," "easy to access" is key. Some places lock AEDs or require scanning codes to access them to prevent equipment damage, which delays valuable rescue time. The original intention of equipment configuration is for emergency response, and the principle of "convenient and fast" should be followed. Unnecessary access restrictions should be cancelled, and convenient opening outer boxes should be equipped. At the same time, specific personnel should be designated to be responsible for daily inspections to ensure that the equipment has sufficient power and functions normally, avoiding becoming a "display."

Statistics show that very few people in China have received AED training, and many people dare not provide assistance because they do not understand the operation or are concerned about being held responsible. In fact, AED equipment has full voice guidance, is easy to operate, and laws and regulations clearly exempt benevolent assistance from liability. Relevant departments should increase publicity and training efforts to break down the public's psychological barriers of "dare not use, cannot use."

Xing Chengmu (邢承木), Zibo City (淄博市), Shandong Province (山东省)

Beware of QR Codes Leading to Traffic in Health Programs

Recently, many elderly people have reported that QR codes frequently appear in the lower right corner of the screen when watching TV health programs. After scanning the code, they are pulled into various WeChat groups to learn so-called health courses. On the surface, they are health lectures, but in reality, they are promoting medicines, health foods, and medical devices, and the content of the publicity is exaggerated, suspected of false advertising. In fact, these QR codes are mostly private domain live streaming to attract elderly people.

TV health programs rely on mainstream media platforms and have strong credibility. Elderly people often deeply believe in their content. The "experts" in the programs often wear white coats, and the scene layout is similar to a clinic, which further strengthens the "sense of authority." However, the content review of the programs mostly focuses on the broadcast part. Where the QR code on the screen leads, who is the subject behind it, and whether the pushed information is true are usually not paid attention to.

It is recommended that relevant departments and platforms include QR codes in the review scope during the program review process, require broadcasting organizations to report the purpose of the QR code, the associated subject, and subsequent service content in advance, and those that cannot be explained or involve commercial promotion should not be displayed in the program. For on-screen personnel in the program who claim to be "experts," their qualifications should be verified. Those without medical qualifications should not appear as medical personnel to avoid misleading the audience. At the same time, it is recommended to establish an information sharing mechanism between the radio and television and market supervision departments to promptly transfer and investigate suspected illegal QR codes found in the program, and cut off the gray chain of "TV traffic + private domain promotion."

Zhang Kuiwen (张癸雯), Hefeng County (鹤峰县), Hubei Province (湖北省)

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Beware of "Hidden Fees" in Online Loans (Public Concerns)

By: 本报记者 赵 兵

"Low interest rates," "instant transfers," "no collateral required," "no credit check required"... Opening the pages of online lending platforms, the advertising slogans about loans are very tempting for consumers who urgently need money. At present, the convenience of some online loans does indeed solve the urgent needs of many people. However, risks and pitfalls also follow. Some consumers have encountered problems such as "high handling fees," "rhetorical inducement," and "unequal contract terms" in online loans. After their rights and interests are damaged, they also face difficulties in safeguarding their rights.

A reader was charged high service fees and guarantee fees without understanding why. Mr. Dai from Nantong (南通), Jiangsu (江苏) Province, reflected in the "People's Complaint" section of People's Daily Online (人民网) that he learned about an online financial service company online last year. After submitting basic financial information in its APP, he could inquire about which financial institutions could provide corresponding loans and loan conditions by entering the loan purpose, amount, and term. Attracted by its professionalism and convenience, Mr. Dai borrowed 13,000 yuan from an online financial platform recommended by it. The platform automatically set up 12 installments for repayment, with a monthly repayment of 1,207 yuan, totaling 14,484 yuan.

However, in addition to the amount to be repaid, the online lending platform also charged Mr. Dai a service fee of 1,325 yuan and a guarantee fee of 2,340 yuan. Mr. Dai did not carefully read the agreement when applying for the loan and was unaware of this. After discovering the extra fees, Mr. Dai re-examined the agreement at that time and found the "service fee agreement" and other content nested in the "loan agreement."

In addition to the "trickery" hidden in the loan agreement, some online lending platforms also use a "countdown" method to play tricks. In February 2025, Mr. Niu from Xi'an (西安), Shaanxi (陕西) Province, needed to turn over his business funds and borrowed money from an online platform, but was redirected to another online platform. Mr. Niu recalled, "At that time, the screen showed a loan countdown, requiring me to choose whether to borrow or not within the specified time. I didn't have time to think too much and chose to borrow. Then I immediately received the loan." Mr. Niu said that the pop-up window of the online lending platform did not show the repayment details and installment fees. After a period of time, he found that the loan of 43,200 yuan was automatically divided into 12 installments, with an interest of 21 yuan per installment, but the guarantee fee was as high as 600 yuan.

Mr. Qiu from Nanchang (南昌), Jiangxi (江西) Province, borrowed a sum of money from an online lending platform recommended by a friend. When repaying the money, he found that there was a guarantee fee, but the corresponding fee was not specified in the contract. "I reported it to the platform, but the other party said, 'If you sign the contract and take out the loan, you should know that there is a guarantee fee.' I negotiated with the platform to refund the fee, but the other party refused."

A banking practitioner, Manager Zhao (赵经理), interviewed by the reporter, said: "Many of these online lending companies cooperate with small banks. In the final analysis, they are intermediary institutions that lend money out at higher prices. The guarantee fees, service fees, etc., they charge are the profits they earn from it."

Are service fees and guarantee fees legal and compliant? "Many consumers are charged service fees and guarantee fees without knowing it. I think it is essentially a way to circumvent supervision and raise interest rates in disguise," said Zhang Yang (张阳), associate professor at the School of Law of Wuhan University (武汉大学). "The conclusion of a fee agreement without consultation with the borrower is a typical standard clause. The Civil Code stipulates that if the party providing the standard clause fails to fulfill the obligation of prompting or explaining, causing the other party not to notice or understand the terms that have a significant interest relationship with it, the other party may claim that the clause does not become part of the contract."

However, facing the infringement of rights and interests by online loans, many consumers said that it is difficult to safeguard their rights. As a result, a gray industrial chain has emerged online to help people recover interest, guarantee fees, and other fees.

The reporter randomly consulted an online loan interest refund intermediary as a "customer." The other party said that to refund interest and fees, only the loan disbursement information needs to be provided, but the standards of different platforms are different. A "List of Online Loan Interest and Fee Refunds" was also sent together. The chart stated that "all interest refund standards are subject to the actual amount received. There is no charge for failure, and the fee after success is 50% of the refund." When the reporter asked what method was used to recover the interest fees, the other party refused to answer. However, the other party reminded the reporter that for escape behaviors such as not paying the fees after the interest refund is successful, "legal means will be taken to recover the fees, and those involving large amounts will be transferred to the public security organs for handling."

Experts said that the reason why commercial behavior of helping people recover online loan fees has emerged is that, on the one hand, it is difficult for consumers to safeguard their rights, and on the other hand, it reflects the difficulties in supervision.

"Traditionally, lending is done by banks or microfinance companies, but now there are many Internet loan assistance companies, which is equivalent to adding an intermediate link. This raises a problem: the lender does not charge fees, and the fee collector does not lend, making it difficult for supervision to lock in the specific responsible party," said Zhang Yang (张阳). "At the same time, the fee items such as interest, service fees, guarantee fees, and annual fees are complex, making consumers confused. In addition, online loans have no geographical restrictions, but regulatory departments and responsibilities have territorial jurisdiction, which will also bring challenges to supervision."

In this regard, the policies and regulations issued by relevant departments are focusing on solving the relevant problems in the current online lending field. On March 15, the National Financial Regulatory Administration (国家金融监督管理总局) and the People's Bank of China (中国人民银行) jointly issued the "Provisions on Explicitly Stating the Comprehensive Financing Cost of Personal Loans," promoting the "Personal Loan Comprehensive Financing Cost Statement," requiring all financial institutions engaged in personal loan business to clearly and completely list all interest and fees to borrowers before the loan, and clearly prompt that "no other interest and fees will be charged except for the explicitly stated cost items."

Experts said that according to this regulation, interest, handling fees, guarantee fees, membership fees, etc. must be included in the comprehensive financing cost, with no exceptions. "If consumers find that some interest and fee items of online loans are not included, or are not explicitly stated, they can refuse to pay," said Zhang Yang (张阳). "At the same time, this new regulation has achieved full coverage of supervision over various lending institutions such as auto finance companies, consumer finance companies, enterprise group finance companies, trust companies, and microfinance companies. Next, we look forward to better implementing the relevant regulations at the implementation level and promoting the transformation of the online lending industry towards compliance and specialization."

Zhang Yang (张阳) suggested establishing cross-departmental regulatory coordination and sharing data among market supervision departments, public security departments, and courts; licensed institutions such as banks must strictly regulate cooperative behavior, implement whitelist management for cooperative institutions such as Internet loan assistance platforms and diversion parties, and strictly prohibit cooperation with unqualified and non-compliant platforms.

Some readers also suggested that publicity on the protection of the rights and interests of financial consumers should be strengthened to enhance the public's ability to identify financial risks. For example, for key groups such as small and micro business owners, low-income groups, college students, and the elderly, popularize online lending compliance knowledge, comprehensive financing cost identification, fee clause interpretation, and other content, guide consumers to understand contracts, check fees, retain evidence, and enhance self-protection awareness and rights protection capabilities.

(Li Lingyi (李令仪) participated in writing)

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Seeking Submissions

The People's Daily "Letters from Readers" page and the People's Net "Leaders' Message Board" are jointly conducting a collection of urgent and difficult problems that concern the masses. Readers are welcome to provide clues and suggestions on the issue of "personal information leakage."

Email: rmrbdzlx@126.com
Mobile: People's Daily Client "Exposure Platform"
People's Net "Leaders' Message Board" Client

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How to Build Our Reading "Large Model" in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (Special Report on National Reading)

Xi Jinping (习近平), General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, pointed out: "Reading is an important way for human beings to acquire knowledge, develop intelligence, and cultivate morality." The prosperity of culture cannot be separated from the spiritual nourishment brought by reading.

A love of books is an atmosphere. "National Reading" has been written into the *Government Work Report* for 13 consecutive years, "Promoting the construction of a society of book-lovers" has been written into the "15th Five-Year Plan" outline, and the *Regulations on the Promotion of National Reading* officially came into effect on February 1 this year. We ushered in the first national "National Reading Activity Week."

In the digital age, with the fast pace of society, it is not easy to calm down and patiently sit down to read a book. Today, AI (Artificial Intelligence), with its instant, massive, and interactive characteristics, has greatly broadened the breadth of people's access to information. From "a book in hand" to "ten thousand volumes on a screen," what new changes have taken place in reading in the age of artificial intelligence? In order to safeguard our core and literacy, how can we better combine digital reading and traditional reading? In this special report, we invite teachers, writers, scholars, bloggers, etc., to jointly explore "In the age of artificial intelligence, how to build our reading 'large model'," and look forward to the whole society participating in reading to form a strong atmosphere of loving to read, reading good books, and being good at reading.
--Editor

No matter what era it is, reading can establish one's heart and settle one's life.
Zhang Guimei (张桂梅)

I have always felt that reading is a daily trivial matter, but also a major event in life.

In the early morning, the sound of reading awakens the valley; late at night, the lights illuminate the pages of books. This is the daily life of the children of the Huaping Girls' High School (华坪女高). Through the window of reading, children can "see": see the waves of history, the brilliance of culture, see the light of hope, and see the thousands of possibilities in life.

Some people say that now that the Internet is so developed, you can find any information online. Do we still need to read?

In fact, there are no ready-made answers in life. The Internet can quickly provide answers, but it cannot teach children to be self-reliant and self-strengthening, it cannot give them the tenacity in their bones, nor can it provide them with the power to fight against fate. The answers to life must be accumulated slowly through reading, thinking, and action.

After teaching for so many years, I feel more and more that what many children lack at the beginning is not just book knowledge, but also opportunities, vision, and a belief: believing that they can go out and change their own and their family's destiny.

Reading can "establish one's heart." With one's heart established, one can move forward fearlessly in the face of the unknown. Every page of a book read today is accumulating strength for tomorrow. This strength is not ostentatious, but a calm power that allows you to have the confidence of "I am originally a high mountain" and understand why you are learning and where you are going.

Reading can also "settle one's life." Facing suffering without bowing one's head or giving up, learning to stand on one's own feet in society. Even if one is in a trough for a while, there is a starry sky in one's heart that one can quietly look up to. The books one has read will not immediately turn into scores or wealth, but will settle in one's eyes, speech, and the courage to make choices.

I know that there are still many children in the mountains waiting for a book that can ignite their hope, perhaps a *Three Hundred Tang Poems* (唐诗三百首), or perhaps a *One Hundred Thousand Whys* (十万个为什么). The mountains may temporarily block the children's footsteps to travel far, but the fragrance of books can cross mountains and ridges.

In recent years, I have seen many more reading spaces in rural areas. For children in the mountains, every opportunity to meet a good book is not 锦上添花 (jǐn shàng tiān huā - "adding flowers to brocade," to make something that is already good even better), but 雪中送炭 (xuě zhōng sòng tàn - "sending charcoal in snowy weather," to provide help in someone's time of need).

A book crosses the mountains and may change a child's destiny; a bookstore rooted in the countryside may illuminate the spiritual home of several generations. When more eyes are cast into the depths of the mountains, and when more good books pass through winding mountain roads, between the turning of pages, the vision is opened, and children can jump out of their own living radius and meet a wider world.

"A love of books is an atmosphere." This is not shouted out, but accumulated little by little by books, bookstores, and people who are willing to read with children. May that full volume of books take the children in the mountains to the distance. May every child have mountains and rivers in their heart and light in their eyes.

(The author is the winner of the "July 1st Medal" and the principal of Yunnan Lijiang Huaping Girls' High School (云南丽江华坪女子高级中学). This article was compiled by Yang Wenming (杨文明), a reporter from this newspaper.)

We need "screen-free deep reading."
Mai Jia (麦家)

I remember something. During the Spring Festival of 1975, when I was 11 years old, I went to visit relatives and found a book in the firewood pile in the kitchen. The back cover and the last dozen pages had been torn off: needless to say, they were burned as kindling. Although the book was incomplete, I immediately got into it, fascinated, and even read it while eating. My relatives saw that I liked it so much and generously gave it to me. Later I learned that this was a novel called *Tracks in the Snowy Forest* (林海雪原). This was also the only extracurricular book I owned before high school. I had read it repeatedly many times, as if I was looking at a new world that was shining brightly, and I couldn't get enough of it. To be honest, before reading this book, I thought our village was the world, and everyone lived like us. I would be like my parents, working at sunrise and resting at sunset, the same way, for a lifetime. It was precisely after reading this book that I discovered that I had an "inner self," which was fortunately and happily illuminated and broadened by this book, and I had dreams and distant places.

The ancients said that opening a book is beneficial. However, with the rapid development of television, the Internet, AI, and other generations of technological artifacts, the presence of reading in our lives seems to be getting weaker and weaker.

So, I remembered another thing. In 1885, the German Karl Benz (卡尔•本茨) created the first single-cylinder gasoline engine car "Benz No. 1" (奔驰一号), which is recognized as the birth of the modern car. Then, year after year, car tracks expanded and spread across the earth like lichen and fungi, and roads led to the ends of the earth. This is a great gift from technological industry to people. The earth has become extremely small, and everyone has become a "flying leg" and "Hercules." Today, we fully feel the progress of technology, and using cars instead of walking and labor has become the daily life of many people. Without verification, I can still be sure that some runners who appear around us today run not because there are no wheels at home to run for them, but because the wheels run too much for them, running out of a body of illness. This may be something that humans did not expect when they invented the car. There are so many people running today because there are so many cars. Humans run not to compete with cars for speed, but to find the healthy "steering wheel."

I think today's AI may be just like yesterday's car. "Spoon-feeding" information output may lead to "spiritual hollowness." One day, we may have to 亡羊补牢 (wáng yáng bǔ láo - "mend the fold after a sheep is lost," to take action when it is almost too late), like a large number of runners who abandon their cars today, deliberately abandoning the screen and cutting off the power, and picking up paper books in the sun and in the deep mountains to chew and read deeply. Perhaps, there is a teenager who, like me half a century ago, inadvertently discovered his deeply sleeping heart in a certain book and had a dream. Therefore, I advocate that everyone set a "screen-free deep reading" time for themselves to ensure that we always maintain the ability to taste words, understand emotions, think deeply, and be highly sophisticated. Advocating and building "screen-free deep reading" is not to reject technology, but to better control technology; it is not to return to the past, but to move towards the future more clearly and actively.

(The author is the vice chairman of the Chinese Writers Association (中国作家协会) and a writer.)

"Acquiring information" is not equal to "understanding the world."
Guo Yingjian (郭英剑)

In today's rapidly developing AI, human beings' ability to acquire information has reached an unprecedented height. But a more critical question arises: when "knowing" becomes so easy, do we truly "understand" the world?

The premise of answering this question is to clearly distinguish between the two abilities that reading has—information acquisition and understanding construction. The former relies on technology and can be continuously accelerated, and its goal is to obtain answers; the latter relies on the person himself and must be completed through thinking and repeated deliberation. The former solves "what is," and the latter responds to "why" and "what does it mean."

In an environment of highly abundant information, people are increasingly likely to mistakenly regard "acquiring information" as "completing understanding" and "mastering conclusions" as "mastering problems." This cognitive misalignment gradually shifts reading from a process of generating meaning to a process of receiving results. On the surface, human beings are mastering more and more information, but at a deeper level, the ability to understand is being weakened day by day. It can be said that the reading problem in the AI era is no longer "how much to read," but "how deeply to understand."

For this reason, the task of reading has also changed accordingly: it is no longer simply acquiring knowledge, but constructing understanding and judgment.

In the AI era, how should we read? We can start from two levels: "fast variables" and "slow variables."

The so-called "fast variable" refers to using AI tools to acquire information. Whether it is intelligent Q&A, knowledge summary, or multi-modal content presentation, AI can help readers enter an unfamiliar field in a short time and quickly grasp the basic framework. This method greatly expands the boundaries of cognition, enabling people to cross disciplines and quickly connect different fields of knowledge.

But "fast variables" can only provide an "entrance" and cannot replace "in-depth." What truly determines the depth of understanding is "slow variable" reading. This includes close reading of classic texts, patient tracking of lengthy arguments, and continuous thinking about complex issues. Unlike "fast variable" information, "slow variable" reading does not pursue speed, but emphasizes the process: repeated reading and continuous correction. In this process, readers not only receive information, but also form their own understanding framework in interaction with the text.

Effective reading in the AI era is not about choosing between fast and slow, but about forming a chimeric relationship between them: using "fast variables" to open up horizons and using "slow variables" to complete understanding.

In the long run, reading ability will also show a new trend of differentiation in the AI era. People who can efficiently acquire information will no longer be scarce; but people who can form in-depth understanding in complex information will become more important. In other words, the difference in the future is not who "knows more," but who "understands more deeply."

This also means that the value of reading will undergo a profound shift: from the accumulation of knowledge to the training of thinking; from the possession of information to the generation of meaning. Technology can continuously lower the threshold for acquiring knowledge, but it cannot replace human understanding of the world.

In the face of increasingly complex realities, only through structured reading can we maintain our clear judgment in the flood of information. Therefore, in the AI era, we need to reaffirm this seemingly simple but increasingly important fact—"acquiring information" is not equal to "understanding the world," and reading is the only way to understanding.

(The author is the Dean of the National Reading Education Research Institute of Renmin University of China (中国人民大学).)

AI can be my reading partner.
Chen Lei (陈磊)

Many people will comment after reading *Half-Hour Comic History of China* (半小时漫画中国史): "It turns out that history can be so interesting." Behind the three words "interesting" is a stack of historical monographs that I have chewed through.

Before telling the story of each dynasty, I first read general histories to lay the foundation. *General History of China* (中国通史), *Outline of National History* (国史大纲), etc. are the skeleton, and then I consult a large number of historical books to fill in the flesh and blood, and finally I constantly review to ensure that there are no knowledge loopholes.

For content creators, can the long process of knowledge accumulation in the early stage be completed with the help of AI?

It must be admitted that in the past two years, I have used AI tools to assist in reading more and more frequently. In the past, when reading an economics monograph, if I encountered a concept that I didn't understand, I had to spend half a day looking up information and flipping through annotations. Now, relying on AI, I can quickly build a knowledge framework and clear cognitive blind spots.

Today, with the acceleration of the pace of work and life, digital reading, fragmented reading, AI-assisted reading, etc. are becoming more and more common. Many people will have questions: Since AI can quickly provide answers, is reading still useful? Some people rely solely on AI to obtain information and gradually lose the patience for in-depth reading.

For reading in the AI era, I always hold this principle: AI is my reading partner, but it is just a crutch, not a leg. Efficient reading tools can quickly filter information, but cannot achieve true understanding. Because understanding requires deep thinking and putting knowledge into your own words, and this process still requires you to read and establish a connection between us and the words. AI gives answers, while reading gives a way of thinking. One answer can only solve one problem, and one way of thinking can solve hundreds or thousands of problems.

At the beginning, I used comics to tell everyone about history and economics, and some people always questioned: Comic popular science greatly reduces the threshold for acquiring knowledge. Will readers stop reading the original works after reading the comics?

The opposite is true. Many readers told me that they wanted to read *Records of the Grand Historian* (史记) after reading *Half-Hour Comic History of China*. This shows that comics are an entrance, not an end. It ignites curiosity and leads people to deep reading. The same is true for a person who uses AI to quickly look up information. If he is truly attracted by a problem, he will read books and look for a more magnificent world behind the problem.

How should we deal with the challenges brought by AI in reading? I think adjusting the reading structure and broadening the reading horizon may be the key to solving the problem.

AI is good at specialization and verticalization, while the most valuable thing about people is cross-border insight. The more you read, the more three-dimensional the world is, and the stronger the cross-border insight. Knowledge is always interconnected, and the wider the range of knowledge, the greater the possibility of 触类旁通 (chù lèi páng tōng - "understand by analogy," to draw inferences from similar cases).

Perhaps, we don't have to regard AI as a simple reading tool or a potential threat, but try to establish a good interactive relationship with AI and create a new reading experience. On the one hand, use AI to solve reading pain points and improve efficiency, and on the other hand, stick to the original intention of deep reading, exercise thinking and accumulate knowledge in reading, and achieve a two-way rush between efficient reading and personal growth, so that every reading brings the power to nourish the soul and improve oneself.

(The author is the best-selling author and blogger "Hunzi Ge" (混子哥).)

How the brain, which is born illiterate, is trained to read.
Wang Pianran (王翩然)

We always think that reading is the most natural thing, as if the brain is born with the ability to read. In fact, the brain that can read is the product of acquired training.

When you read the above paragraph, a region deep in the brain is busy identifying words. This area is located deep in the occipitotemporal lobe of the left hemisphere of the brain. Scientists call it the visual word form area, which is responsible for quickly identifying combinations of strokes as words and then transmitting them to the adjacent temporal lobe language area, mapping them to speech.

That's right, even though you are silently reading this text, there is a voice in your brain. You may still remember your experience of learning to read, when you needed to point to the words and read them aloud. That is a technique that is very helpful for our reading training. Even if you have become a mature reader, the brain still retains the skill of extracting pronunciation information from the beginning.

This is because the appearance of writing is still too short for the evolution of our human brain. Humans have created writing for only a few thousand years, and genes have not had time to specifically evolve a set of identification and understanding devices for this purpose. The brain then adopted a neuron reuse strategy, borrowing the original visual circuit and training a set of reading skills.

As the amount of reading increases, the brain's cognitive ability increases, and thinking becomes efficient. Skilled readers have a highly automated processing mode running inside the brain. The stronger the reading ability, the stronger the activation of the visual word form area on the left side of the brain. Researchers tested children of different ages and found that the activity level of this area is more closely related to reading ability, far exceeding the natural maturity brought about by age growth. Comparative studies of literate and illiterate people also show that educated brains clearly occupy more resources in the left hemisphere. These evidences point to the same conclusion: reading is not a skill that comes naturally with growing up, but requires special training.
As reading volume increases, cognitive abilities are enhanced, and thinking becomes more efficient. Skilled readers have a highly automated processing model running within their brains. The stronger the reading ability, the more intensely the visual word form area on the left side of the brain is activated. Researchers testing children of different age groups found that the activity level of this area is more closely related to reading ability than the natural maturation brought about by age growth. Comparative studies of literate and illiterate people also show that educated brains clearly occupy more resources in the left hemisphere. This evidence points to the same conclusion: reading is not a skill that comes naturally with age, but requires specialized training.

Today, AI is permeating life at an unprecedented speed, and algorithms are summarizing texts and extracting information for us. In the future, will people be able to rely on AI to "painlessly" possess mature reading skills without long-term accumulation?

Brain science research tells us that the brain's neuroplasticity follows the law of "use it or lose it." AI can indeed help us quickly extract information, but can the brain still receive the same intensity of training to complete these tasks on its own? Although there is currently a lack of direct brain science evidence for AI-assisted reading, a controlled experiment at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (麻省理工学院) with 54 subjects over a period of 4 months found that the group that relied on generative artificial intelligence to complete writing tasks had significantly weakened neural connection strength in the brain region, significantly lower than the two control groups that thought independently and used traditional search engines, and had difficulty retelling what they had just written. Although this finding originates from a writing scenario, it also warns us that the shortcuts brought about by over-reliance on AI may weaken the brain's ability to process text.

The future has arrived, but the essence of reading has not changed. When we hold intelligent tools, we must 守住思维的所有权 (shǒu zhù - "guard, hold on to," retain ownership of one's thinking). Because true reading always happens deep within one's own brain.

(The author is an assistant professor and researcher in the Department of Information Management at Peking University (北京大学). This article is a phased achievement of the National Social Science Fund General Project "Research on the Holistic Construction of Information Literacy and Library Cultivation Mechanism for Children Aged 3-12 in the Era of Digital Intelligence.")

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Editor in charge of this edition: Xiao Yao, Dong Yingxue, Zhao Shuaijie

This issue coordinated by Zhi Chunli (智春丽) and Cao Yiqing (曹怡晴).
Layout design by Shen Yiling (沈亦伶).

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China's Enterprise Development to Usher in Important Opportunities During the 15th Five-Year Plan Period (In-depth Study and Implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

By: 武汉大学国家发展与“十五五”战略研究课题组

Enterprises are an important force in promoting national development. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "We must seize the strategic opportunities brought about by the new round of world technological revolution, give play to the main role of enterprises, support and guide innovation factors to gather in enterprises, and continuously enhance enterprises' innovation power, innovation vitality, and innovation strength." The "15th Five-Year Plan" outlines the main goals and major tasks of national development for the next five years. With the gradual implementation of the plan, Chinese enterprises are ushering in important opportunities for high-quality economic and social development.

Building a Modern Industrial System and Opening Up New Tracks for Digital and Intelligent Transformation

The "15th Five-Year Plan" places "Building a Modern Industrial System and Consolidating the Foundation of the Real Economy" as the first of all strategic tasks. At present, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, which has had a great impact on the world's economic development and the way people produce and live. Digital intelligence is a significant feature and core trend of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which not only brings technological breakthroughs and industrial upgrades, but also is a key force for realizing systematic reshaping of innovation logic and organizational paradigms. To adapt to this trend, we must accelerate high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, and accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system. This brings important opportunities for enterprise development.

A modern industrial system is the material and technological foundation of a modern country. To accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system, we must simultaneously focus on the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries and the cluster development and vigorous cultivation of strategic emerging industries and future industries. Through intelligent transformation and digital transformation, we can realize the automation, flexibility, and precision of production processes, and promote the "quality improvement and renewal" of traditional industries, the "accelerated growth" of emerging industries, and the "accelerated incubation" of future industries. The "15th Five-Year Plan" has made arrangements for cultivating and strengthening emerging industries and future industries, and clarified the key development areas, the implementation of which will bring significant opportunities for enterprise development.

Technological innovation is the core driving force for building a modern industrial system. Transforming the "national will" of innovation-driven development into "corporate behavior" is a key starting point for promoting the transformation of scientific and technological innovation achievements, taking root, and bearing fruit. Only when enterprises firmly grasp key core technologies in their own hands, strengthen basic research, increase the supply of high-quality technology, and create an open innovation ecosystem can they shape new advantages for future development. To this end, it is necessary to cultivate a cadre team that knows technology, understands industry, and is good at decision-making, promote the spirit of entrepreneurship, and create an excellent entrepreneur team; support the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises, form a pattern of coordinated development of large, medium, and small enterprises, and stimulate the vigorous vitality of various business entities competing for innovation and promoting each other; accelerate the integrated development of the digital economy and the real economy, accelerate the digital transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, and promote the digital development of small and medium-sized enterprises. This brings broad development space for enterprises as the main body for promoting technological breakthroughs and industrial innovation.

Accelerating the Green Transformation of Development Methods and Cultivating New Green Competitive Advantages

Green development is a distinctive feature of Chinese-style modernization. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, China will achieve its carbon peak target. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that we must accelerate the green transformation of development methods and focus on promoting innovation in development methods. The "15th Five-Year Plan" makes important arrangements for "accelerating the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development and building a beautiful China." As the world's largest energy producer and consumer, the world's largest clean energy market, and the world's largest manufacturing country, China will synergistically promote carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth, and enhance the driving force for green development; at the same time, it will actively expand multilateral and bilateral dialogue and cooperation channels, and strengthen international cooperation in green technology, investment and trade, standards and conformity assessment. This brings new opportunities for enterprise development, specifically reflected in the following aspects. First, accelerate the intelligent, green, high-end, and integrated transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, support enterprises to promote the application of digital intelligence technology and green technology, promote the green and low-carbon transformation of traditional industries, and bring opportunities for many enterprises in key industries such as steel, petrochemicals, chemicals, non-ferrous metals, and building materials to achieve energy conservation, carbon reduction, and green transformation. Second, focusing on the development of green productivity, focusing on many new fields and industries such as new energy, electric vehicles, green environmental protection, and new energy storage, use disruptive technologies and cutting-edge technologies to spawn new industries, new models, and new driving forces, and open up new broad space for enterprise innovation and development. Third, firmly grasp the green and low-carbon transformation of energy, which is the key to achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, lead the construction of a new energy industry system, especially promote the gradual coverage of new clean energy power generation to the new electricity demand of the entire society, which will generate huge investment markets and industrial development opportunities, and further expand the development space of enterprises.

It is necessary to encourage and guide enterprises to accelerate the breakthrough of green technology innovation and the widespread penetration of advanced green technologies, and inject more "green content" and "gold content" into high-quality development; improve the green technology talent introduction and cultivation mechanism, encourage and guide scientific researchers to closely focus on the development needs of green productivity to carry out scientific research, and help promote the two-way strengthening of green technology innovation and green industrial innovation. Green technology innovation usually involves large investment amounts, long payback periods, and faces high market risks and technical risks, requiring patient capital and venture capital and other technological financial support. It is necessary to vigorously develop technological finance, green finance, etc., to support green technology innovation and the transformation of traditional carbon-intensive industries and enterprises towards green and low-carbon directions; optimize the incentive and restraint mechanism for green transformation, improve the coverage of the carbon market, encourage business entities to participate in the comprehensive green and low-carbon transformation process, and accelerate the formation of green production methods.

Expanding the Middle-Income Group to Expand Domestic Demand and Releasing New Market Expansion Dividends

Domestic demand is the basic driving force of economic development. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "Expanding domestic demand is related to economic stability and economic security. It is not an expedient measure, but a strategic move." The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposes "adhering to expanding domestic demand as a strategic base point," which makes the construction of China's super-large-scale market a sustainable historical process, providing important support for maintaining long-term, sustained, and healthy economic development.

One focus of expanding domestic demand is to expand the size of the middle-income group, thereby driving the expansion and upgrading of residents' consumption. On the one hand, expanding the size of the middle-income group can increase market capacity and expand space for enterprise development. This is mainly because the middle-income group has relatively stable income and a higher marginal propensity to consume. Expanding the size of the middle-income group can effectively promote the expansion of residents' consumption demand and release consumption potential. On the other hand, expanding the middle-income group can promote the improvement and upgrading of residents' consumption demand, forcing enterprises to explore innovation and improve quality and efficiency. From international experience, as per capita GDP exceeds US$10,000 and the size of the middle-income group continues to expand, residents' consumption structure will be more inclined to service-oriented and development-oriented consumption. In this process, enterprises can realize product iteration innovation and quality improvement and efficiency enhancement in the process of grasping new trends in consumption changes and meeting new needs of residents' consumption, and ultimately achieve their own high-quality development.

At present, China's per capita GDP exceeds US$13,000, and the advantages and potential of the super-large-scale market have been further expanded. At the same time, compared with developed countries, China's residents' consumption rate is low, especially the proportion of service consumption is low. The "15th Five-Year Plan" has made specific arrangements for "steadily expanding the size of the middle-income group." To this end, it is necessary to coordinate the making of the "cake" bigger and the distribution of the "cake" well, improve the income distribution system, broaden the channels for residents to increase income, strengthen the redistribution adjustment of taxation, social security, and transfer payments, enhance the sustainability of the social insurance system, run education that satisfies the people, implement a health-first development strategy, and improve a population service system covering the entire population and the entire life cycle. This is not only conducive to promoting the realization of the goal proposed by President Xi Jinping (习近平) at the APEC Business Leaders Summit in 2022 to "make the middle-income group exceed 800 million in the next 15 years," but also conducive to providing a larger stage and more opportunities for enterprise innovation and development.

Promoting Coordinated Regional Development and Broadening New Space for Regional Layout

Coordinated regional development is an inevitable requirement for achieving common prosperity. The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposes "optimizing the regional economic layout and promoting coordinated regional development" and makes important arrangements, requiring "strengthening the integration of urban agglomerations and the coordinated linkage of key urban agglomerations, and promoting efficient collaboration of regional innovation chains and industrial chains," etc. This will further optimize China's regional economic layout and create huge space for enterprise development and growth.

Urban agglomerations are important carriers for promoting coordinated regional development and new urbanization. The "15th Five-Year Plan" proposes: supporting the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (京津冀), Yangtze River Delta (长三角), and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (粤港澳大湾区) to build world-class urban agglomerations. Enhance the development level of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle (成渝地区双城经济圈) and create an important growth pole for high-quality development. Promote the accelerated development of the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. These are the main engines and new highlands for national future economic growth, technological innovation, and wealth creation. In the coordinated linkage of urban agglomerations, enterprises can allocate resource elements on a larger scale. Industrial transfer and upgrading, and further restructuring of the industrial chain value chain, can promote cross-regional industrial collaborative development and help enterprises open up new market space. To this end, it is necessary to strengthen the implementation of the main functional area strategy, concentrate the layout of new quality productive forces industrial clusters in urban agglomerations, develop characteristic industries in agricultural product main producing areas in accordance with local conditions, enhance the supply capacity of ecological products in key ecological functional areas, and promote the extension of the industrial chain in resource-rich areas, forming a development pattern of complementary advantages and efficient linkage.

Promoting coordinated regional development, an important aspect is to deeply promote people-oriented new urbanization, promote the connotative development of cities, promote the comprehensive integration of agricultural transfer population into cities, and optimize the urban scale structure. Enterprises can develop themselves in the process of participating in urban renewal and promoting county economic development. To this end, it is necessary to cultivate characteristic industries, optimize the industrial structure, etc., strengthen the county economy, and promote the integrated development of industry and city; promote the deep integration of agriculture and the secondary and tertiary industries, and develop various functions of agriculture; accelerate the development of new formats such as leisure agriculture and smart agriculture, enhance the comprehensive production capacity and quality benefits of agriculture, strengthen people's livelihood construction, and improve people's quality of life.

Coordinating Development and Security, Security Needs Drive Huge New Supply

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, China's development environment faces profound and complex changes. The "15th Five-Year Plan" lists "adhering to coordinating development and security" as an important principle that must be followed in promoting economic and social development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period. Ensuring a new development pattern with a new security pattern will open up a "big security" market that meets security needs. Enterprises can obtain huge development by serving economic security, ecological security, energy and resource security, and food security.

For example, energy security and food security are the bottom line for maintaining survival and development, and ensuring energy security and food security injects strong impetus into the development of related industries and enterprises. On the one hand, China is the world's largest energy investment country. China's clean energy investment accounts for 1/3 of the world's total, and such huge energy investment demand provides a broad stage for enterprise transformation and development. On the other hand, China has a large population, and solving the problem of food has always been the top priority of governing the country. Although China's grain production has had bumper harvests for years, it is still in a state of tight balance. This requires us to firmly grasp the initiative in food security and strive to achieve basic self-sufficiency in grains and absolute security in rations. Agricultural enterprises can achieve their own transformation, development, and high-quality development by vigorously developing new agricultural formats such as smart agriculture, bio-agriculture, and modern facility agriculture.

For another example, strategic mineral resources are related to the development of emerging industries and are the top priority of resource security. Enterprises can further enhance China's independent and controllable capabilities of key mineral resources and expand their own development space by investing in domestic mineral resource exploration, development, and transportation industries, and deepening overseas mineral resource development cooperation. At the same time, with the intensification of great power game, the acceleration of social development, technological progress, and environmental changes, the capacity building in new security fields such as environmental and ecological security, biosafety, and network data security also spawns new industrial opportunities. To seize the commanding heights of future industrial development, it is necessary to plan ahead and build infrastructure construction and protection capabilities in the fields of network security, low-altitude economy, space, and deep-sea polar regions, which brings huge market space for enterprises with independent research and development capabilities.

For another example, maintaining population security is the basic condition for ensuring national security. Ensuring population security provides broad development opportunities for "investing in people."

Expanding High-Level Opening Up and Expanding New Territory for International Cooperation

Opening up is a distinctive symbol of Chinese-style modernization. The "15th Five-Year Plan" makes important arrangements for "expanding high-level opening up and creating a new situation of cooperation and win-win results," requiring adherence to open cooperation, mutual benefit, and win-win results, advocating an equal and orderly world multipolarization and inclusive economic globalization, and sharing opportunities and common development with all countries in the world. This provides broad space for enterprises to "go global."

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the international balance of power will continue to undergo profound adjustments. On the one hand, the collective rise of the Global South brings new opportunities for South-South cooperation. On the other hand, challenges such as the rise of anti-globalization trends and frequent geopolitical risks are emerging. The more turbulent the situation, the more necessary it is to expand high-level opening up with unwavering confidence and determination, establish a more favorable development position in the global economy, and Chinese enterprises "going global" will also face new opportunities.

Facing the future, to effectively grasp new opportunities and respond to new challenges, efforts should be made in the following aspects to create a good atmosphere for enterprises to "go global." Encourage and promote domestic enterprises to deepen practical cooperation with overseas partners in fields such as artificial intelligence, green energy, digital economy, and agriculture, and expand the depth and breadth of going overseas; build internationalized and market-oriented intermediary service agencies and intermediate organizations to provide services for going overseas enterprises; establish a risk early warning mechanism and improve bilateral and multilateral investment protection mechanisms; make good use of the huge overseas Chinese network to help Chinese enterprises better integrate into the local market, overcome cultural barriers, and reduce operating risks. Expanding two-way investment cooperation space helps to create a new map of the "Chinese economy," cultivate international brands, and will help more enterprises become global leaders.

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Using Performance Assessment as a Guide (Ideological Perspectives)

By: 许振江

Cadre assessment is the "baton" guiding entrepreneurship and the "measuring tool" for evaluating political achievements. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out: "We must improve the differentiated assessment and evaluation system, improve the pertinence and scientific nature of assessments, and make the assessment baton truly effective." To guide the vast number of party members and cadres to establish and practice a correct view of political achievements and create achievements that benefit the people and are recognized by the masses, we must make good use of the political achievement assessment baton.

The key to governing lies first in obtaining talent; knowing people and recognizing talent lies in assessment. The political achievement assessment baton is an important tool for guiding the orientation of political achievements. What kind of assessment criteria there are will give rise to what kind of political achievement behaviors; what kind of evaluation system there is will shape what kind of political mentality in politics. Calibrating assessment criteria and clarifying the orientation of practical work are conducive to effectively eliminating erroneous understandings such as "valuing visible achievements over potential achievements" and "valuing the present over the long term," so that political achievements truly benefit the people. Excellent traditional Chinese culture has always advocated the concept of political achievements of "governing with virtue" and "people-oriented," advocating that governing should focus on securing and enriching the people, and taking the people's peaceful and prosperous lives and local stability and order as important criteria for judging officials' performance. "**有官必有课，有课必有赏罚**" (yǒu guān bì yǒu kè, yǒu kè bì yǒu shǎng fá - "every official must have assessment, every assessment must have reward and punishment," officials must be assessed and rewarded or punished accordingly) has become a well-tested governance maxim.

Looking back at the Party's century-long history of struggle, the orientation of cadre assessment has always revolved around the central tasks of a certain historical period, forming evaluation criteria and value orientations adapted to the central tasks in different historical stages. This not only reflects our Party's scientific grasp of the laws of governance and the laws of cadre growth, but also demonstrates a rational understanding of the correct view of political achievements. In 1945, Comrade Mao Zedong (毛泽东) pointed out in his speech at the Yan'an Cadre Conference: "The people want liberation, so they entrust power to those who can represent them and can faithfully serve them, and that is our Communists." In the dictionary of Chinese Communists, political achievements are never blind comparisons divorced from reality, nor are they flashy "image projects" or "face-saving projects," but rather adhering to seeking truth from facts, doing practical work, and daring to take responsibility, so as to be responsible to history and the people.

Making good use of the political achievement assessment baton focuses on judging heroes based on actual achievements, using cadres based on actual achievements, and determining rewards and punishments based on actual achievements, which also reflects the inherent requirements of establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievements. At present, the majority of party members and cadres are able to establish and practice a correct view of political achievements, perform their duties in a down-to-earth manner, and fulfill their responsibilities with practical work. At the same time, there are also individual places and departments where the cadre assessment and evaluation mechanism is unreasonable and unsound, the assessment criteria are single, and the evaluation is perfunctory. This leads to "achievements" and "experiences" filled in the forms and written in the reports, but the actual achievements that are implemented and that the masses approve of are empty. Affected by this assessment and evaluation mechanism, the political achievement views of individual leading cadres deviate, and their political behavior is out of line. They are always playing their own small calculations on "digital political achievements" and "bonsai projects," racking their brains to make political achievements visible to superiors, but not asking whether the masses can see, touch, or benefit from them. If these problems are not corrected in time, they will foster a utilitarian and formalistic atmosphere and damage the image of the Party and the government.

Improving the political achievement assessment baton, adjusting parameters and optimizing processes can only treat the symptoms, while reforming the governance concept and correcting the value orientation can cure the root cause. Only by running knowing people and recognizing talent, and doing practical work and starting businesses through the entire process of assessment and evaluation, and figuring out "who to assess for" and "what to assess," can we clarify "how to assess" and "how to assess well," to ensure that the assessment and evaluation closely follow the Party Central Committee's deployment requirements, always stand firmly on the people's position, assess both visible and tangible achievements, and focus on potential achievements that lay the foundation and benefit the long term, resolutely abandon erroneous tendencies such as valuing traces over actual achievements and valuing materials over actual effects, organically unify improving the quality of development with improving people's livelihood and well-being, so that the assessment and evaluation fully reflects the essential requirements of establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievements, and promotes the formation of a clear orientation of those who are capable are promoted, those who are excellent are rewarded, those who are mediocre are demoted, and those who are inferior are eliminated.

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Cultivating "New Farmers" to Activate New Momentum for Comprehensive Rural Revitalization (New Knowledge and New Awareness)

By: 王志刚 郭 莹

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Rural revitalization depends on people and on hard work." This important assertion profoundly elucidates the vital role of talent in "San Nong" (三农 - agriculture, rural areas, and farmers) work. Currently, China's agriculture is undergoing a modernization transformation, entering a new stage led by a broad agricultural perspective, multifunctional expansion, and full-chain quality improvement. Actively engaging in the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, "new farmers" with new concepts, new knowledge, new technologies, and good management skills have become an important force in promoting the realization of Chinese-style agricultural modernization.

Developed Western countries have used industrialization to transform traditional agriculture. While significantly improving agricultural production efficiency, they have continuously squeezed out traditional small-scale agricultural employment, leading to a continuous flow of rural youth to cities. To solve the "impossible triangle" problem of high agricultural efficiency, high rural employment, and sustainable development in the process of industrialization, it is necessary to be guided by new development concepts, based on the core meaning of comprehensive rural revitalization, and re-examine the historical mission and realistic value of "new farmers."

Comprehensive rural revitalization is not simply about pursuing population return, nor is it about returning to traditional farming methods. Instead, it requires agriculture to consolidate the foundation of national food security, effectively support industrial development and the stable operation of the national economy, and provide a solid guarantee for Chinese-style modernization. "New farmers" empower technology and refine management, giving rise to new quality productive forces, and promoting the overall improvement of production efficiency, resource utilization efficiency, and total factor productivity. Through industrial restructuring and business innovation, they expand the diverse functions of agriculture such as ecology, culture and tourism, health and wellness, and e-commerce, promoting agriculture from a single production to the entire chain of production, processing, circulation, and services, continuously creating new employment opportunities, and achieving the coordinated unity of high agricultural efficiency and high rural employment. By driving the inflow of resources such as talent, capital, technology, and information into rural areas, continuously optimizing the rural talent structure and capacity quality, and building a new cycle of benign interaction between urban and rural elements, it helps to embark on a path of comprehensive rural revitalization that conforms to China's national conditions and demonstrates the characteristics of the times.

Attracting and cultivating "new farmers" is a systematic project that requires basing itself on the overall situation of agricultural and rural modernization, building a full-chain work system of precise talent introduction, systematic talent cultivation, scientific talent utilization, and heart-warming talent retention, and providing support for "new farmers" to make contributions.

Gathering agricultural talents extensively and unblocking the introduction channels for "new farmers." Deeply explore the potential of local talents, focusing on attracting groups such as returning migrant workers, college students, and capable local people to devote themselves to rural construction, establish talent liaison stations and resource pools, and accurately match supply and demand. Broaden external talent introduction paths, promote flexible talent introduction mechanisms, and through models such as "migratory bird experts," "weekend engineers," and "science and technology commissioners," target the introduction of urgently needed talents in fields such as agricultural technology, e-commerce operation, and cultural tourism development. Give "new farmers" policy inclinations in terms of entrepreneurial subsidies and tax reductions, open up a "green channel" for talents to go to the countryside, and attract all kinds of talents to take root in the countryside and serve the countryside.

Cultivate in a hierarchical and classified manner to improve the ability and quality of "new farmers." Focusing on core capabilities such as digital agriculture and brand operation, promote practical models such as field classrooms, mentor assistance, and case teaching to make training practical and effective. Deepen the integration of industry and education, support agricultural colleges, research institutes, leading enterprises, and farmer cooperatives to jointly build science and technology courtyards, training bases, etc., to achieve accurate matching of talent training and industrial needs. Strengthen digital empowerment, build a cloud-intelligent education platform, and create a digital cultivation system for lifelong learning that can be learned anytime.

Build a development platform to release the innovative vitality of "new farmers." Support "new farmers" to serve as members of village "two committees" (村两委) and industry leaders to enhance their participation and voice in rural development. Build modern agricultural industrial parks, e-commerce incubation bases, agricultural, cultural, and tourism integration demonstration zones, etc., to provide "new farmers" with one-stop services for project incubation, technical support, and production and sales docking. Improve the evaluation and incentive system, and optimize the professional title evaluation and skill level certification system for "new farmers." Strengthen typical publicity and public opinion guidance to create a strong atmosphere of respecting, supporting, and striving to be "new farmers."

Optimize the development environment and eliminate the worries of "new farmers." Improve the full-chain support policies to solve the problems of "new farmers" such as difficulty in starting a business, expensive financing, and tight land use. Supplement the shortcomings of public services and provide guarantees for "new farmers" in education, medical care, elderly care, and social security. Improve service efficiency, protect the legitimate rights and interests of "new farmers" in accordance with the law, proactively deliver policies, solve problems, optimize services, and improve dispute resolution and legal aid mechanisms to create a stable, transparent, and reassuring development environment for "new farmers" to innovate and start businesses.

(The authors' units are the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development of Renmin University of China (中国人民大学) and the Institute of Agricultural Environment and Sustainable Development of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (中国农业科学院), respectively)

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Empowering College Aesthetic Education with Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture (In-depth Thinking)

By: 倪宇婷

College aesthetic education, as a crucial component of the national aesthetic education system, directly impacts the cultivation and shaping of the aesthetic literacy and humanistic sentiments of the younger generation. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "To do a good job in aesthetic education, we must adhere to fostering virtue through education, be rooted in the life of the times, follow the characteristics of aesthetic education, promote the spirit of Chinese aesthetic education, and enable the younger generation of the motherland to grow up healthily in body and mind." The outstanding traditional Chinese culture has a long history and is profound, containing rich aesthetic concepts, artistic forms, and humanistic spirit, constructing the spiritual foundation and spiritual identity of Chinese civilization, and nurturing a rich aesthetic education spirit. Empowering college aesthetic education with outstanding traditional Chinese culture can enable young students to further improve their personality shaping, cultivate humanistic qualities, consolidate cultural confidence, and strengthen the foundation of national spirit in the aesthetic edification of outstanding traditional Chinese culture, and continuously enhance national pride and cultural identity.

Construct a multi-layered, progressively advancing, and organically connected aesthetic education curriculum system. Aesthetic education courses are not merely the transmission of artistic skills; they undertake the mission of cultivating young students' aesthetic appreciation abilities and are the foundation for consolidating the entire chain of aesthetic education. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "Integrate artistic creativity with the values of Chinese culture, and combine the spirit of Chinese aesthetics with contemporary aesthetic pursuits." This requires the aesthetic education curriculum system to adhere to cultural roots and keep pace with the times, allowing the unique charm of Chinese aesthetics to blend and complement the contemporary aesthetic characteristics. Currently, some college aesthetic education courses still have certain problems: on the one hand, the curriculum content does not sufficiently explore local aesthetic education resources such as traditional calligraphy and painting, opera, and intangible cultural heritage; on the other hand, the curriculum setting is out of touch with the needs of the times and is not sufficiently adapted to students' expectations. To comprehensively strengthen and improve college aesthetic education, it is necessary to construct a multi-layered, progressively advancing, and organically connected curriculum system that fully demonstrates the spirit of Chinese aesthetics and contemporary aesthetic pursuits. For example, at the basic level, offer general courses such as "Introduction to Classics of Chinese Aesthetics" and "Overview of Traditional Arts" to create high-quality courses that everyone can understand, systematically explaining the cultural connotations of traditional art. For students with extra capacity, the curriculum design can fully absorb content from other disciplines, guiding students to interpret traditional culture with modern disciplinary tools; set up practical innovation courses such as "Intangible Cultural Heritage Skills and Cultural and Creative Development" and "Revitalization Design of Classic Artworks" to guide students to innovatively transform traditional cultural elements with a contemporary aesthetic perspective.

Create in-depth interactive aesthetic education practice scenarios. Aesthetic education work cannot be separated from the support of practical scenarios. Enhancing immersive experiences with reform and innovation thinking and modern technology, allowing students to participate in creation through in-depth interaction, can demonstrate the effectiveness of aesthetic education work. Currently, the forms of aesthetic education practice in some colleges and universities are solidified, the teaching scenarios are limited to physical spaces, and most aesthetic education courses are mainly theoretical lectures, making it difficult for students to intervene in the aesthetic creation process. It is necessary to break through the limitations of thinking, rely on digital technology, actively explore and innovate teaching methods and means, and promote the scenarization of traditional aesthetic education resources. In terms of online channel expansion, build a "Chinese Excellent Traditional Culture Aesthetic Education Cloud Platform" to integrate virtual reality exhibition halls, digital resource libraries, artificial intelligence explanation systems, etc., allowing students to feel the charm of traditional aesthetics immersively; in terms of online space creation, develop lightweight digital mini-programs to realize online retrieval, interactive appreciation, and creation simulation of classic artworks of past dynasties; in terms of offline activity organization, build traditional art experience halls, set up practical areas for calligraphy creation, opera experience, traditional musical instrument performance, etc., and innovatively carry out digital art exhibitions, art markets, and other activities. By creating new scenarios for aesthetic education practice, we can promote aesthetic education to resonate with the development of the times, deeply integrate with cultural inheritance, and accurately adapt to the growth of young people.

Improve a quality-oriented aesthetic education evaluation system. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized: "It is necessary to comprehensively strengthen and improve school aesthetic education, adhere to cultivating people with aesthetics and culture, and improve students' aesthetic and humanistic qualities." In addition to enabling students to understand aesthetic education knowledge and master artistic skills, aesthetic education should also shape a beautiful mind and stimulate innovative vitality. This requires aesthetic education evaluation to focus on mind shaping and quality improvement. Currently, some colleges and universities use quantitative indicators such as the number of activities participated in, the degree of completion of works, and course scores as the main basis for aesthetic education evaluation, lacking a qualitative assessment of students' cultural aesthetic qualities, leading aesthetic education into the misunderstanding of "activities for the sake of activities" and "learning for the sake of credits." Outstanding traditional Chinese culture is an important foundation for college aesthetic education to cultivate morality and cast the soul. Excellent traditional culture should be integrated into aesthetic education evaluation to promote the transformation of evaluation from skill-oriented to quality-oriented, from result-oriented to process-oriented, and from single assessment to multiple evaluation. More attention should be paid to process evaluation, examining students' understanding of the connotation of Chinese traditional aesthetics through course notes, practical reports, classroom interaction, etc. Absorb off-campus experts, representatives of cultural institutions, parents, etc. to participate in the evaluation to form a comprehensive evaluation result. By improving the evaluation system, we can further improve the quality of aesthetic education work, promote aesthetic education from simple skill transmission to cultural immersion, and better implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education.

(Author's affiliation: School of Arts, Xiamen University (厦门大学))

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Building Broad Consensus and Strong Synergy to Accelerate the Construction of a Cyber Superpower

On April 19, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) chaired a symposium on cybersecurity and informatization work and delivered an important speech, which triggered enthusiastic responses throughout society, pointing out the direction and providing important guidelines for doing a good job in cybersecurity and informatization work.

In order to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower, and to continuously deepen the study and implementation of the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech at the symposium on cybersecurity and informatization work, the Cyberspace Administration of China (中央网信办) convened an in-depth theoretical seminar on studying and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower on April 16. The seminar exchanged learning experiences, deepened theoretical discussions, and further consolidated the broad consensus and strong synergy to accelerate the construction of a cyber superpower. Excerpts of some of the speeches at the seminar are published below.

-- Editor

Holding High the Banner of Thought and Moving Towards a Cyber Superpower

Zhuang Rongwen (庄荣文), Deputy Minister of the Central Propaganda Department (中宣部), Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China (中央网信办), and Director of the State Internet Information Office (国家网信办)

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has profoundly grasped the trends of the information revolution and closely combined them with China's internet development and governance practices. He has put forward a series of original new ideas, new viewpoints, and new judgments on cybersecurity and informatization work, forming General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower, providing a powerful ideological weapon and scientific action guide for advancing the construction of a cyber superpower.

General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower is profound in thought, rich in content, complete in system, and broad and profound. This important thought accurately analyzes the times and trends, dialectically grasps crises and opportunities, scientifically coordinates internal and external affairs, clearly puts forward the mission and tasks of cybersecurity and informatization work, and systematically expounds the great significance, strategic goals, principles, requirements, main tasks, scientific methods, and fundamental guarantees of building a cyber superpower using "five clarifications" and "ten adherences." It profoundly answers major theoretical and practical questions such as why build a cyber superpower, what kind of cyber superpower to build, and how to build a cyber superpower. In recent years, the entire Party and society have kept their entrustment in mind and forged ahead. The grand blueprint of a cyber superpower personally drawn by General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) is being transformed step by step into a vibrant and developing practice, and the cybersecurity and informatization cause has achieved historic achievements. The fundamental reason for the achievement of these major achievements lies in the leadership and command of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core, and in the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, which fully demonstrates the powerful truth power of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower. We must deeply understand the decisive significance of the "two establishments," resolutely achieve the "two safeguards," and promote the construction of a cyber superpower to move steadily and far, and stride forward.

General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower contains firm ideals and beliefs, a clear political orientation, profound strategic thinking, a strong sense of mission, sincere people's feelings, and scientific ideological methods. This important thought has a broad view of the overall situation and leads the times, providing a powerful ideological weapon for firmly grasping the historical initiative of the information revolution. This important thought guides practice and leads change. It is a scientific summary of our Party's practical experience in managing and governing the internet, providing a scientific action guide for the high-quality development of the cybersecurity and informatization cause in the new era. This important thought grasps the laws and adheres to integrity and innovation, insisting on using the "arrow" of Marxism to shoot the "target" of building a cyber superpower in the new era, making a major original contribution to promoting the adaptation of Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times in the information age. This important thought adheres to the original aspiration and demonstrates its purpose, taking enhancing the people's well-being as the starting point and foothold for the development of the cybersecurity and informatization cause, injecting a deep people-centered background into the construction of a cyber superpower. This important thought has the world in mind and benefits the world, creatively proposing the concept of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace, contributing a systematic Chinese solution to the global internet development and governance.

Building a cyber superpower is a major strategy for advancing Chinese-style modernization, carrying the glorious dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, inspiring the ambition of Chinese Communists to build a strong socialist modern country, and entrusting the beautiful expectation of hundreds of millions of people to share a digital, networked, and intelligent life. We must place in-depth study and implementation of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower in a more prominent position, adhere to studying it thoroughly, deeply publicizing and interpreting it, deeply learning and applying it, and gathering strong synergy to promote the "15th Five-Year Plan" for the cybersecurity and informatization cause to achieve a good start, and stride towards a cyber superpower.

A Powerful Ideological Weapon for Building a Cyber Superpower

Qu Qingshan (曲青山), President of the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee (中央党史和文献研究院)

General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower was produced under the historical conditions and background of the historical convergence of the strategic overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the major changes in the world unseen in a century, and the trend of the information revolution. It was formed in the practice of driving modernization with informatization and assisting the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the nation with the construction of a cyber superpower.

This important thought profoundly answers a series of directional, fundamental, overall, and strategic major issues concerning the development of the cybersecurity and informatization cause, writes the "internet chapter" of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and elevates our Party's understanding of the laws of cybersecurity and informatization work to a new height.

From the perspective of the conditions faced by the Communist Party in governing, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) clearly put forward important conclusions such as "If we cannot pass the internet test, we cannot pass the test of long-term governance," deepening the understanding of the laws of the Communist Party's governance; from the perspective of the environment faced by socialist modernization, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) clearly put forward important conclusions such as "Without cybersecurity, there is no national security; without informatization, there is no modernization," deepening the understanding of the laws of socialist construction; from the perspective of the problems faced by human social development, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) clearly put forward important conclusions such as "Jointly building a community with a shared future in cyberspace," deepening the understanding of the laws of human social development.

General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower is a complete scientific system. The "five clarifications," namely, clarifying the important position of cybersecurity and informatization work in the overall situation of the Party and the country, clarifying the strategic goals of building a cyber superpower, clarifying the principles and requirements of building a cyber superpower, clarifying the international propositions of internet development and governance, and clarifying the basic methods of doing a good job in cybersecurity and informatization work, are the "body" of this important thought, concentrating the core viewpoints of this important thought. The "ten adherences," including adhering to the Party's management of the internet and other ten aspects, cover a series of strategic deployments and are the "use" of this important thought, making the goal orientation of building a cyber superpower clearer and the strategic measures more rigorous.

The purpose of learning lies entirely in application. On the new journey, we must deeply practice General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower, take adhering to the Party's management of the internet as the fundamental guarantee, take adhering to cybersecurity and informatization for the people as the value orientation, take adhering to the path of governing the internet with Chinese characteristics as the development path, take adhering to coordinating development and security as the major principle, take adhering to positive energy as the general requirement, being able to manage it as the hard truth, and being able to use it well as the true ability as the inherent requirements, take adhering to building a national cybersecurity barrier as the strategic task, take adhering to giving play to the driving and leading role of informatization as the development driving force, take adhering to managing the internet according to law, running the internet according to law, and using the internet according to law as the effective means, take adhering to promoting the construction of a community with a shared future in cyberspace as the Chinese solution, and take adhering to building a loyal, clean, and responsible cybersecurity and informatization work team as the organizational guarantee, overcoming difficulties, forging ahead, and constantly creating a new situation in the construction of a cyber superpower.

The Fundamental Guidelines and Action Guide for Cybersecurity and Informatization Work

Wu Hequan (邬贺铨), Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (中国工程院)

General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower demonstrates powerful theoretical penetration, practical guidance, and global appeal. Practice has fully proven that this important thought is the fundamental guideline and action guide for leading the development of China's cybersecurity and informatization cause from its start, development, to its growth.

General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) forward-looking and scientific arguments guide the construction of a cyber superpower. In recent years, the emergence of information technology, especially the emergence of artificial intelligence large models and the explosion of intelligent body applications, fully proves General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) forward-looking prediction that "the internet is a technology-intensive industry and also one of the fastest-changing fields in technology." General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) dialectical thinking that "many technologies are 'double-edged swords'" has been fully proven in the era of artificial intelligence. The important instruction of "Mastering the initiative in China's internet development" has become the motto of China's cybersecurity and informatization industry, leading China to the forefront of the world in fields such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and quantum information. The "four principles" and "five proposals" demonstrate the responsibility of a major country, contribute a Chinese solution to global internet development and governance, and the concept of building a community with a shared future in cyberspace is moving from vision to reality. The "ten adherences" guide China's cybersecurity and informatization cause to move steadily and far, empowering and benefiting economic and social development, and providing security.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" outlines important deployments for the construction of a cyber superpower, demonstrating the pioneering, fundamental, and strategic role of cybersecurity and informatization work. Faced with the complex and volatile international situation, faced with the strategic task of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the construction of a cyber superpower faces valuable opportunities, severe challenges, and important missions. As a scientific research worker in the field of cybersecurity and informatization, we must closely focus on the overall situation of the Party and the country's cause development, firmly establish the confidence and determination to build a cyber superpower on the new journey, and make unremitting efforts to safeguard the core technology of the internet, the biggest "lifeline," and promote the cybersecurity and informatization cause to a higher level.

Adhering to the Original Intention of Serving the People and Building a Solid Foundation for a Strong Country

Shi Jianzhong (时建中), Professor of China University of Political Science and Law (中国政法大学)

Looking back on the extraordinary journey since the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower, with its profound thoughtfulness and distinct practicality, has led China's cybersecurity and informatization cause to achieve historic achievements.

This important thought, with its far-sighted strategic judgment, has established the pioneering position of the cybersecurity and informatization cause. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) pointed out that "the cybersecurity and informatization cause represents new productive forces and new development directions, and should and can take the lead in practicing the new development concept," and that "without cybersecurity, there is no national security; without informatization, there is no modernization," elevating cybersecurity and informatization work from the technical category to the height of national strategy. This is not only a profound reflection on China's repeated misses of opportunities for technological revolutions since modern times, but also an active grasp of the "corner overtaking" opportunity of the information revolution. In recent years, it is precisely based on this strategic positioning that China has accelerated its layout in fields such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and quantum information, and the cybersecurity and informatization cause has become a strong engine leading high-quality development. This important thought, with its distinct people's position, has marked the value pursuit of the cybersecurity and informatization cause. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that "the development of the cybersecurity and informatization cause must implement the people-centered development thought," and that the governance of the network ecology "concerns national development and security, and concerns the vital interests of the people." These important arguments are not only a vivid embodiment of the Party's fundamental purpose, but also an innovative development of the mass line under internet conditions. In recent years, we have focused on bridging the "digital divide," deepening "Internet + government services," and solidly carrying out the "Qinglang" (清朗) series of special actions, injecting a deep mass base and inexhaustible development momentum into the cybersecurity and informatization cause. This important thought, with its dialectical systematic thinking, has drawn a scientific path for the construction of a cyber superpower. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) profoundly clarified the dialectical unity of security and development, independence and openness, and innovation and governance, containing scientific positions, viewpoints, and methods, providing an ideological weapon for the construction of a cyber superpower, and will continue to lead the construction of a cyber superpower to achieve new achievements.

Running the "People's Daily Online" Well and Strengthening the Mainstream Ideological Public Opinion in the New Era

Fan Zhengwei (范正伟), Secretary of the Party Committee and President of People's Daily Online (人民网)

As the "People's Daily Online (人民网)," People's Daily Online (人民网) insists on deeply studying and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower, especially the important requirements for mainstream media and news websites, to contribute to strengthening the mainstream ideological public opinion in the new era and creating a clear and upright network space.

Complete the primary political task with heart and soul, and play an exemplary leading role. Always keep in mind the political positioning of the Party media and Party website, give full play to the exemplary leading role of high-quality network content supply, be a firm disseminator and vivid interpreter of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and deeply cultivate columns such as "Shi Xi Zhi," recording the pulse of the times with in-depth and warm works.

"People-centered" to build consensus and build a concentric circle online and offline. Keep in mind "connecting the Party's heart with the people's heart," adhere to taking the online mass line well, do a good job in the "Leadership Message Board" and "People's Suggestions" of People's Daily Online (人民网), and constantly improve the ability to use the network to understand public opinion and carry out public opinion guidance. The total readership of the "I Offer a Plan for the '15th Five-Year Plan'" column reached 600 million times.

Use mainstream value orientation to control algorithms and build a network content security defense line. Focus on building a new type of infrastructure and public service products for the content industry under the trend of intelligence, launch a series of intelligent technology applications such as the People's Intelligent Media Large Model and the "Chu Xin" Intelligent Body Platform, strengthen the security governance of artificial intelligence, and promote intelligent goodness.

People's Daily Online (人民网) will comprehensively deepen systematic reforms, forge the ability to produce high-quality network content, strengthen the technical capabilities of network content security, and make new contributions to the construction of a cyber superpower.

Adhere to Deep Study and Earnest Practice and Strive to Be a Pioneer in the Construction of a Cyber Superpower

Fan Xiaowei (范小伟), Director of the Shanghai Municipal Cyberspace Administration (上海市委网信办)

Shanghai (上海) is the forefront of China's reform and opening up, and also an important town for internet development and governance. The Shanghai (上海) cybersecurity and informatization front will deeply study and thoroughly understand General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower, deeply implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important speech on inspecting Shanghai (上海), and more consciously shoulder the mission and tasks of building a cyber superpower.

Deep study and earnest practice of the far-sighted strategic blueprint demonstrated by this important thought. More consciously improve the political position, adhere to the "four placements," be responsible for the country, strive to be a pioneer, anchor the strategic goal of a cyber superpower, and in accordance with the major deployments of the "15th Five-Year Plan" for cybersecurity and informatization work, fully promote the high-quality development of Shanghai's (上海) cybersecurity and informatization cause.

Deep study and earnest practice of the sincere people's feelings contained in this important thought. Focus on deepening cybersecurity and informatization to benefit the people, support the creation of high-quality internet content, continue to carry out the "Qinglang Pujiang" (清朗浦江) action, build and use the network legislation liaison point well, take the online mass line well, focus on rectifying problems such as illegal collection of personal information, and continue to create a clear and upright network space.

Deep study and earnest practice of the rich dialectical thinking contained in this important thought. Focus on strengthening the construction of coordination mechanisms in the field of cybersecurity and informatization, coordinate the "establishment" of consolidating and expanding mainstream online public opinion and the "destruction" of rectifying illegal and bad content online, focus on improving the ability of constructive supervision and professional service levels, deepen cybersecurity governance in key areas, and optimize the business network environment.

Deep study and earnest practice of the distinct practical character embodied in this important thought. Accelerate the construction of an artificial intelligence "Shanghai (上海) Highland," actively promote the expansion, improvement, and release of the aviation and trade digital platform, steadily promote the construction of the national blockchain network East China (华东) hub, effectively and orderly improve data flow efficiency and service capacity, and further improve the highly efficient governance system and mechanism in cyberspace, and strive to show greater responsibility and action.

Understanding the Light of Truth in Tracing the Source

Zhao Lei (赵磊), Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee and Director of the Cyberspace Administration of Zhejiang Province (浙江省委宣传部副部长、网信办主任)

More than 20 years ago, Xi Jinping (习近平), then Secretary of the Zhejiang (浙江) Provincial Party Committee, took Digital Zhejiang (数字浙江) as one of the breakthroughs of the "Eight-Eight Strategy" (八八战略), leading Zhejiang (浙江) to keenly seize the first opportunity of the information revolution. Ten years ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) chaired a symposium on cybersecurity and informatization work and delivered an important speech, providing important guidelines for the construction of a cyber superpower in the new era. From one province and one region to the overall situation, General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important thought on building a cyber superpower has integrated content, consistent logic, and consistent requirements. It is a valuable asset that the cybersecurity and informatization front most needs to trace the source, and carefully and passionately excavate, protect, and inherit.

Adhere to scientific truth and firm strategic direction in tracing the source. From planning and solving the problem of Digital Zhejiang (数字浙江) during his work in Zhejiang (浙江) to opening up the layout of a cyber superpower since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) systematically thought about and planned the path of governing the internet with Chinese characteristics with scientific thinking methods, demonstrating outstanding political wisdom and a strong political responsibility.
In tracing the origins and sources, we must adhere to scientific truth and firmly establish strategic direction. From planning and initiating the Digital Zhejiang (数字浙江) project during his time in Zhejiang (浙江), to comprehensively laying out the groundwork for a cyber superpower since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has systematically contemplated and holistically planned the Chinese approach to internet governance with scientific thinking methods, demonstrating outstanding political wisdom and a strong sense of political responsibility.

In tracing the origins and sources, we must adhere to the Party's leadership and strengthen the foundation. From pioneering the establishment of specialized institutions to strengthen internet management during his time in Zhejiang (浙江), to improving the work system and mechanisms for cyberspace affairs since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has taken the Party's management of the internet as the guiding principle, stimulating the deepest and most enduring intrinsic motivation for the development of cyberspace affairs.

In tracing the origins and sources, we must adhere to the people's position and practice the mass line. From proposing requirements for understanding public sentiment through the internet during his time in Zhejiang (浙江), to issuing important instructions on adhering to serving the people through cyberspace since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) "people-centered" view of people's livelihood has remained consistent, painting a profound background of serving the people through cyberspace.

In tracing the origins and sources, we must adhere to the bottom-line thinking and take the initiative in the struggle. From proposing requirements for building the internet into a new front, new channel, and new carrier for propaganda and ideological work during his time in Zhejiang (浙江), to making the major judgment that "the internet is increasingly becoming the main front, main battlefield, and forefront of ideological struggle" since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has always emphasized the spirit of struggle and bottom-line thinking, providing important guidance for winning the ideological struggle in cyberspace.

Standing at a new starting point, Zhejiang (浙江) will continue to trace the origins and sources, be grateful and forge ahead, and focus on building a strong cyber province, adding brilliance to the overall situation with the progress of one region.

Riding the Wind of the Times, Taking the Road of Innovation
Wang Xingxing (王兴兴), CEO of Unitree Robotics (宇树科技)

In 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) delivered an important speech at the Symposium on Cybersecurity and Informatization Work, emphasizing "achieving breakthroughs in core technologies as soon as possible" and "encouraging and supporting enterprises to become the main body of research and development, the main body of innovation, and the main body of industry, encouraging and supporting enterprises to lay out cutting-edge technologies, and promoting independent innovation of core technologies."

These important requirements have pointed out the direction for technological innovation and are also an important guiding path for us to do business, engage in research and development, and seek development. Unitree Robotics (宇树科技) was founded in 2016. After nearly 10 years of effort, we have become the company with the largest shipment volume of quadruped and humanoid robots in the world.

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that to achieve breakthroughs in core technologies, we must have determination, perseverance, and focus. These three points are not only requirements but also methods, and they are a true reflection of our journey. From the beginning of its establishment, Unitree Robotics (宇树科技) has firmly taken the path of independent research and development, not following trends, not being impetuous, and not engaging in simple integration, but settling down to lay a solid foundation. Over the years, we have always focused on core technologies and invested our main energy and resources in the most critical and core links of robots. It is precisely by adhering to independent control that we have formed unique advantages in robot motion control, dynamic balance, multi-machine collaboration, and complex environment adaptation, and gradually realized a complete closed loop from core components to complete machine products, from laboratory verification to industrialization.

The development of enterprises is always closely connected with the general trend of the times. Adhering to the real economy, deeply cultivating technology, focusing on hard-core technology, and serving society are the most practical responsibilities of technology companies. Unitree Robotics (宇树科技) will follow the important requirements of General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平), continue to keep its mission in mind, maintain its focus, strive for excellence, and work diligently, wholeheartedly doing a good job in technology and products, wholeheartedly running the enterprise well, and shouldering responsibilities and demonstrating its commitment with concrete actions and results.

Spreading Positive Energy Through the Internet
Zhang Yiwu (张颐武), Professor of Peking University (北京大学)

General Secretary Xi Jinping's (习近平) important conclusion that "positive energy is the general requirement, being able to manage is the hard truth, and being able to use it well is the real skill" has pointed out the practical direction for us to do a good job in spreading positive energy on the internet.

Currently, we are in a critical period of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The tasks of reform, development, and stability are arduous and heavy. Various ideological and cultural exchanges, interactions, and clashes are taking place. Doing a good job in spreading positive energy on the internet is by no means a trivial matter, but a major event concerning gathering people's hearts, consolidating consensus, and maintaining security. It is an inevitable requirement for building a cyber superpower and promoting Chinese-style modernization.

The key to spreading positive energy on the internet is to let mainstream values take root and penetrate people's hearts; the key lies in innovating methods and improving effectiveness, adapting to the profound changes in the communication landscape; it requires synergistic efforts and sustained efforts to build a good ecosystem of co-construction, co-governance, and sharing.

We, who use the internet for communication, are not only participants but also builders. The keyboards, cameras, and microphones in our hands are all tools for transmitting positive energy; every click, every retweet, and every creation has the effect of shaping the temperament and character of cyberspace. We must be good disseminators of positive energy, spreading the vivid practice of Chinese-style modernization more powerfully; be good practitioners of internet civilization, being strict with ourselves, being cautious in our words and deeds, and refusing to seek eyeballs for traffic or lose the bottom line for popularity; be good guardians of a clear cyberspace, daring to show our swords in the face of internet rumors, and daring to speak out in the face of unhealthy trends.

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Continuously Enhance the Nation's Economic Security Guarantee Capability; Safeguard the New Development Pattern with a New Security Landscape

By: 郑栅洁

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) has creatively proposed the holistic approach to national security from the strategic height of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and made a series of important expositions, emphasizing "coordinating development and security" and "accelerating the modernization of the national security system and capabilities to safeguard the new development pattern with a new security pattern." This provides fundamental guidance for us to promote the construction of economic security guarantee capabilities. According to the deployment of the Party Central Committee, the "15th Five-Year Plan" will adhere to the overall planning of development and security as a major principle that must be followed in promoting economic and social development, and make major deployments for strengthening the national security system and capacity building and ensuring national economic security. Facing a more complex and severe external environment and more arduous and heavy domestic reform, development, and stability tasks, we must deeply practice the holistic national security concept, coordinate the "primary task" of development with the "top priority" of security, comprehensively enhance the national economic security guarantee capability, and safeguard the new development pattern with a new security pattern.
In the past five years, China's economic security guarantee capacity building has achieved remarkable results.
Since the "14th Five-Year Plan," the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping (习近平) at its core has united and led the entire party and people of all ethnic groups across the country to focus on promoting high-quality economic and social development. The total economic volume has reached a new level of 140 trillion yuan, new quality productive forces have steadily developed, and the economy has continued to maintain a new and better development trend, continuously consolidating the strength foundation of national security with substantial development achievements. At the same time, we have continued to promote the modernization of the national security system and capabilities, supported the construction of security capabilities in key areas, accelerated the construction of a major country reserve system, and effectively responded to a series of major risks and challenges, creating a favorable security environment for economic and social development.
First, adhering to "storing grain in the land and storing grain in technology," the foundation of food security has become more solid. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that the rice bowl of the Chinese people must be firmly held in their own hands at all times. We have deeply implemented the national food security strategy of "self-sufficiency, domestic-based, ensuring capacity, moderate imports, and technological support," and continuously improved the comprehensive grain production capacity. China's grain production has steadily developed, the market supply is sufficient, the operation is stable, and the circulation is smooth. Through the "two major" constructions, we have planned and implemented the modernization of tens of millions of acres of extra-large irrigation areas such as Dujiangyan (都江堰) in Sichuan (四川) and Hetao (河套) in Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), and accelerated the construction of concentrated and contiguous grain production bases. We have firmly held the 1.8 billion mu red line of cultivated land, and cumulatively built more than 1 billion mu of high-standard farmland. The national cultivated land irrigation area exceeds 1.09 billion mu, and the contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress, the coverage rate of improved crop varieties, and the comprehensive mechanization rate of crop cultivation, planting, and harvesting exceed 64%, 96%, and 76% respectively. China's total grain output has stabilized at 1.4 trillion jin for two consecutive years, and the per capita grain possession has reached more than 500 kilograms, which is higher than the internationally recognized 400 kilograms of food security line, achieving basic self-sufficiency in grains and absolute security in rations.
Second, promoting the coordination and connection of exploration, production, supply, storage, and sales, the security guarantee of energy and resources has been continuously strengthened. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that it is necessary to adhere to the overall planning of development and security and enhance the security guarantee capabilities in key areas such as energy and resources. We have firmly implemented the new energy security strategy of "four revolutions and one cooperation," improved the overall planning and connection system of strategic mineral resource exploration, production, supply, storage, and sales, and effectively guaranteed energy and resource security. The total primary energy production exceeded 5 billion tons of standard coal, the energy self-sufficiency rate remained above 80%, the quality of coal supply continued to improve, the crude oil production stabilized at 200 million tons, and natural gas production increased by more than 10 billion cubic meters for nine consecutive years. We have built the world's largest clean and low-carbon energy system, with renewable energy power generation installed capacity accounting for more than 60%. The installed capacity of hydropower, wind power, and solar power generation ranks first in the world, and the proportion of non-fossil energy consumption has reached 21.7%. New breakthroughs have been made in increasing reserves and production of strategic mineral resources, and the construction of a number of landmark mine projects has been steadily promoted. The national reserve system has been continuously improved, and the overall strength of reserves has been continuously enhanced. High-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has continuously deepened energy and resource cooperation.
Third, focusing on stabilizing the chain, strengthening the chain, supplementing the chain, and extending the chain, the resilience and security level of the industrial chain and supply chain have been steadily improved. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that the industrial chain and supply chain cannot be dropped at critical moments, which is an important feature that a major country's economy must possess. We have promoted the construction of a modern industrial system, strengthened the tackling of key core technologies, and maintained the stable operation of key industries and key areas. China's manufacturing system is complete and has significant supporting advantages. The scale of manufacturing added value has remained the world's first for 16 consecutive years. We have built the world's largest high-speed railway network and expressway network, and made major achievements in the construction of infrastructure such as airports, ports, water conservancy, energy, and information. New breakthroughs have been made in the independent research and development of chips, and the research and application of bio-manufacturing and robots are at the forefront of the world. The industrial ecology of the low-altitude economy is constantly improving, and the large-scale application of Beidou (北斗) has been fully expanded. The proportion of the added value of the core industries of the digital economy in the domestic gross product has increased to more than 10.5%, and the data security governance system has been continuously improved. We have implemented the "Artificial Intelligence+" action to promote the extensive and deep integration of artificial intelligence with various industries and fields of the economy and society.
Fourth, implementing various measures to ensure safety and protect stability, risks in key areas have been effectively and effectively prevented and controlled. General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized that it is necessary to adhere to the bottom-line thinking and focus on preventing and resolving major risks. We have fully practiced the concept of people's safety as the purpose, effectively protected the interests of the people, and resolutely held the bottom line of risk. The per capita disposable income of residents has increased by an average of 5.4% per year, the cumulative number of new urban jobs has exceeded 60 million, and the income ratio between urban and rural residents has narrowed to 2.31. We have built the world's largest education system, social security system, and medical and health system. We have solidly done a good job in consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty alleviation and effectively connecting with rural revitalization. We have formulated and implemented a package of debt resolution plans, orderly replaced the implicit debts of local governments, steadily disposed of the risks of real estate companies, and steadily promoted the work of ensuring delivery, protecting people's livelihood, and maintaining stability. The reform and risk resolution of small and medium-sized financial institutions have achieved remarkable results.
During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the internal and external environment facing China's economic security will become more complex and severe.
At present, the relations between major powers affect the international situation, and the evolution of the international situation profoundly affects domestic development and security. China's development has entered a period in which strategic opportunities and risks and challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing. We must accurately grasp the historical orientation of China's development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period in accordance with the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and deeply understand the challenges and opportunities facing national economic security.
From an international perspective, there are more unstable and uncertain factors in the external environment. The world's century-old changes are accelerating, the global political and economic landscape is undergoing profound adjustments, changes and turmoil are intertwined, geopolitical conflicts are frequent and easy to occur, and the momentum of world economic growth is insufficient. Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, hegemonism and power politics are threatening, individual countries are abusing tariff measures, "building walls and setting up barriers" and "decoupling and breaking chains" are increasing, economic globalization is encountering headwinds, and international economic and trade rules and order are facing severe challenges. Resource countries' mining policies tend to tighten, competition for energy and key minerals is becoming more intense, and the recent obstruction of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz (霍尔木兹海峡) further highlights the fragility of the global industrial chain, supply chain, and transportation channels. A new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating breakthroughs, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, quantum information, and biotechnology are developing rapidly, profoundly changing production methods, organizational structures, and the international division of labor.
From a domestic perspective, coordinating development and security faces challenges. Cyclical, structural, and institutional problems are intertwined, the task of converting new and old kinetic energy is arduous, effective demand is insufficient, the contradiction between strong supply and weak demand is prominent, and there are bottlenecks and blockages in the domestic cycle. There are still some weak links in the guarantee of primary products such as grain and energy resources. The external procurement rate of some varieties is relatively high, which is easily affected by the tension of the global supply chain. Access to technology in some key areas is restricted, and there are still "chokehold" risks in important links such as core components, key basic materials, and high-end equipment. The safety supervision of new technologies and new business forms such as artificial intelligence still needs to be improved, and safety risks such as data leakage, deep forgery, and cyber attacks cannot be ignored. There is greater pressure on employment and residents' income growth, and the task of preventing and resolving risks such as real estate, local government debt, and small and medium-sized financial institutions is arduous.
At the same time, it should also be noted that there are many favorable conditions for consolidating security in development and seeking development in security. The international balance of power is undergoing profound adjustments, the trend of world multipolarization and economic globalization is irreversible, and China's international influence, appeal, and shaping power are constantly improving, which will provide space and opportunities for me to further expand high-level opening up and smooth the domestic and international double cycles. China has the advantages of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, the advantages of a super-large-scale market, the advantages of a complete industrial system, and the advantages of abundant talent resources. The economic foundation is stable, there are many advantages, the resilience is strong, and the potential is great. The supporting conditions and basic trends for long-term improvement have not changed. China's national security system and capacity modernization construction process is accelerating, establishing a centralized, unified, efficient, and authoritative national security leadership system and working mechanism, initially forming a national security legal system, strategic system, and policy system, and a risk monitoring and early warning system and a large security emergency framework covering all fields and operating at multiple levels have taken initial shape. The "two major" constructions have promoted the continuous strengthening of security capabilities in key areas such as the economy, which will provide a solid guarantee for building a socialist modern country in an all-round way.
Key tasks for comprehensively promoting economic security guarantee capacity building.
We must deeply study and understand Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping (习近平)'s Economic Thought, comprehensively implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平)'s series of important expositions, follow the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, deeply practice the holistic national security concept, comprehensively implement the Party Committee (Party Group)'s national security responsibility system, and promote the construction of the national economic security system and capacity with a strong sense of responsibility, both promoting high-level security with high-quality development and ensuring high-quality development with high-level security, and promoting the modernization of the national security system and capacity.
First, based on national economic security, we must do our own things in a solid manner. Focusing on economic construction as the central task and high-quality development as the primary task, we must implement the new development concept throughout the entire process and various fields of economic and social development, use reform methods to unblock the bottlenecks and blockages in the economic cycle, continuously stimulate and release the endogenous power of economic growth, and continuously improve the quality and efficiency of development. We must adhere to seeking progress while maintaining stability, improving quality and increasing efficiency, implement more active and effective macro policies, enhance the foresight, pertinence, and coordination of policies, increase the intensity of counter-cyclical and cross-cyclical adjustments, and continue to stabilize growth, stabilize employment, and stabilize expectations. We must enhance the consistency and effectiveness of macroeconomic policy orientation, strengthen macroeconomic policy coordination, continue to amplify the "combination punch" effect, improve the expectation management mechanism, do a good job in publicizing and interpreting the economic situation and policies, and effectively improve the effectiveness of macroeconomic governance.
Second, enhance economic security resilience and resistance to shocks. We must further strengthen the guarantee of primary products such as grain and energy resources, increase the implementation of a new round of action to increase grain production capacity by 100 billion jin and a new round of strategic action to find mineral breakthroughs, promote the increase of oil and gas reserves and production, strengthen the role of coal and coal power as a bottom-line guarantee, accelerate the construction of a major country reserve system, continuously enrich the reserve base, continuously expand Sino-Russian oil and gas cooperation, and ensure the safety of important industrial chains and supply chains, major infrastructure, and important strategic channels. We must accelerate high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, strengthen original innovation and key core technology breakthroughs, and promote decisive breakthroughs in key core technologies in key areas such as integrated circuits, industrial mother machines, high-end instruments, basic software, advanced materials, and bio-manufacturing throughout the entire chain. We must improve the ability to prevent and resolve risks in key areas, coordinate the orderly resolution of risks such as real estate, local government debt, and small and medium-sized financial institutions, and promote the healthy development of the platform economy. We must implement the employment-first policy, ensure the stability of employment for key groups, promote the continuous increase of residents' income, narrow the income distribution gap, improve the hierarchical and classified social assistance system, and weave a tight and solid social security network.
Third, improve the economic security risk prevention and control system. We must establish bottom-line thinking and risk awareness, be prepared for danger in times of peace, plan ahead, scientifically foresee the development trend of the situation and the hidden risks and challenges, and fight a good overall war and proactive war to safeguard national economic security. We must strengthen macroeconomic monitoring, forecasting, and early warning, enhance the ability and level of dynamic monitoring and real-time early warning, and promptly study and deal with emerging, directional, and potential problems. We must improve the mechanisms for countering sanctions, countering interference, and countering "long-arm jurisdiction," and prevent and counter external extreme containment and suppression against me. We must strengthen trade risk prevention and control, improve export control and security review mechanisms, and protect the rights and interests of foreign investment in accordance with the law. We must adhere to the principle of "**危地不往、乱地不去、危业不投**" (wēi dì bù wǎng, luàn dì bù qù, wēi yè bù tóu - "do not go to dangerous places, do not go to chaotic places, do not invest in dangerous industries," a principle emphasizing caution and risk avoidance in international activities), continuously strengthen the protection and risk prevention and control of overseas interests, establish and improve the coordination mechanism for surrounding security work, improve the security guarantee system for jointly building the "Belt and Road," and effectively safeguard the safety and legitimate rights and interests of our overseas citizens, organizations, and institutions.
Fourth, strengthen security governance in emerging areas. We must improve the cybersecurity strategy, deepen the comprehensive governance of cyberspace, and protect critical information infrastructure from attacks, intrusions, interference, and damage. We must strengthen the classified and graded protection of data and promote and regulate the cross-border flow of data. We must promote the safe and healthy development of the low-altitude economy in accordance with local conditions and strengthen the management and control of unmanned aerial vehicles. We must improve the biosafety risk prevention and control system and strengthen the safety management of biotechnology research, development, and application activities. We must improve the relevant laws, regulations, policies, systems, application norms, and ethical guidelines for artificial intelligence, comprehensively address the impact of new technology development on employment and social governance, promote the construction of security capabilities such as model algorithms, data resources, infrastructure, and application systems, deepen international cooperation in artificial intelligence, and effectively safeguard national security interests in opening up to the outside world.
(The author is the Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委))

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Can a "elder care" agreement guarantee inheritance? (News Perspective)

By: 本报记者 王 洲

A bequest and support agreement is a civil agreement signed between a testator and a supporter, stipulating that the supporter, who is not an heir, undertakes the obligations of supporting the testator in life and handling funeral arrangements after death, and the testator bequeaths their personal legal property to the supporter after their death. This system aims to protect the basic living rights and interests of elderly people living alone, those without legal support obligations, or those lacking actual support, as well as those without independent living abilities. It provides the elderly with more options for old-age security and also provides a legal basis for non-statutory heirs to participate in elderly care and receive corresponding returns. However, the sound operation of this system depends on the good faith performance and responsibility of both parties. The Beijing Second Intermediate People's Court recently concluded a case involving a dispute over a bequest and support agreement, clarifying that the fulfillment of support obligations is the core prerequisite for enjoying the right to a bequest.
Li (李), an elderly man, had three children with his ex-wife, Zhang (张). The two divorced in 2008. At the end of 2019, Li (李) hired Shi (石) as a nanny. In June 2021, Li (李) and Shi (石) signed a bequest and support agreement, stipulating that Li (李) voluntarily bequeathed the house under his name to the supporter, Shi (石), who promised to continue to take care of Li (李) meticulously, bear all expenses for Li's (李) clothing, food, housing, transportation, medical care, etc. before his death, and be responsible for his funeral arrangements after his death. In December 2021, Li (李) passed away, and Shi (石) handled the funeral arrangements for him. Later, Shi (石) sued Li's (李) three children, demanding to inherit the house in question in accordance with the bequest and support agreement. Li's (李) three children claimed that the bequest and support agreement was invalid, and the house should be handled according to statutory inheritance.
The court held that the focus of the dispute in this case was whether Shi (石) had fully performed the support obligations as agreed in the bequest and support agreement. According to the provisions of the Civil Code, a natural person may sign a bequest and support agreement with an organization or individual other than an heir, whereby the supporter undertakes the obligations of supporting the person in life and handling funeral arrangements after death, and thus enjoys the right to receive a bequest.
"From the perspective of Li's (李) elderly care and medical expenses, the evidence provided by Shi (石) is not sufficient," said Gao Chunhui (高春晖), the judge in charge of the case. The bank statements retrieved by the court showed that the expenses for Li's (李) medical treatment and purchase of daily necessities were all paid through Li's (李) own bank card, and Li's (李) children also transferred money to him many times, which was obviously inconsistent with the agreement that "Shi (石) bears all expenses," indicating that Shi (石) did not fully fulfill the support obligations at the economic level.
"Although Li (李) was taken care of by Shi (石) alone before his death, Shi (石) failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove that she took Li (李) to see a doctor on time and fulfilled her obligation to take care of him properly. Combining Li's (李) chat records and multiple police reports stating that he did not want the nanny to continue taking care of him, we determined that Shi (石) also failed to fulfill the obligations agreed upon by both parties in terms of daily care. In the end, we determined that Shi (石) did not effectively fulfill the bequest and support agreement, and she could not inherit Li's (李) property based on the agreement," said Gao Chunhui (高春晖). In the end, the court ruled that the house under Li's (李) name should be inherited by his three children according to statutory inheritance.
Following the principle of good faith and fully fulfilling obligations are the key considerations in judicial trials. Fan Yu (范钰), a senior lawyer at Beijing Qinglv Law Firm (北京清律律师事务所), introduced: "Support is a prerequisite for a bequest. If the supporter fails to fully fulfill the support obligations in order to obtain the inheritance as soon as possible, it will be determined that they have not completed the agreed obligations and cannot obtain the inheritance." Fan Yu (范钰) said that when fulfilling support obligations, supporters should pay attention to preserving evidence of fulfilling support obligations so that they can effectively prove that they have fulfilled the agreed obligations in the event of a dispute.

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China Railway 12306 Continues to Curb Malicious Ticket Scalping

This newspaper's Beijing (北京) April 19th dispatch (Reporter Li Xinping (李心萍)): A reporter learned from the China Railway 12306 Technology Center (中国铁路12306技术中心) that Railway 12306 continues to identify and curb malicious ticket grabbing behavior, and strives to create a fair and just ticket purchasing environment. Since the sale of train tickets for the "May Day" holiday began, Railway 12306 has used big data analysis and risk control technology to accurately identify abnormal behavior of Railway 12306 registered accounts that frequently and in large quantities purchase tickets for non-themselves, and payment accounts that frequently and in large quantities pay for orders for non-themselves. It continues to adopt relevant technical restrictions, placing Railway 12306 registered accounts with abnormal behavior into a slow queue, and rejecting ticket issuance for payment accounts with abnormal behavior. These Railway 12306 registered accounts will display "waiting" when purchasing tickets, and payment accounts will display "purchase failure" when paying.

In the three days from 0:00 on April 16 to 24:00 on April 18, Railway 12306 has cumulatively placed 5.64 million transactions into the slow queue, rejected ticket issuance for 704,000 transactions, and rejected ticket issuance for a total of 1.056 million tickets, effectively curbing malicious ticket grabbing behavior.

The railway department suggests that you must use the 12306 official platform to purchase tickets. Purchasing tickets through "ticket grabbing software" will not only not increase the success rate, but will instead be slower or result in purchase failure.

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Loyally Guarding the National Border, Serving Businesses and Benefiting the People

By: 银 燕 王曙峥

At 5:00 AM, the international departure hall of Terminal 3 (T3) at Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport (兰州中川国际机场) in Gansu (甘肃) was bustling with people. Chen Jianwei (陈建伟), a police officer on duty at the Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站), began his day's work. Comparing people and documents, inspecting entry and exit permits... "Passengers can complete customs clearance in as little as 18 seconds," said Chen Jianwei (陈建伟).

With the help of a new generation of biometric identification systems and dynamic light compensation technology, the accuracy rate of facial recognition reaches 99%, and the average customs clearance time is compressed to 45 seconds... The border inspection hall of Terminal 3 (T3) has achieved intelligent upgrades through technological empowerment. "In the past, there were 16 border inspection channels and only 1 boarding gate in Terminal 1 (T1), while now there are 23 border inspection channels and 11 boarding gates in Terminal 3 (T3)," said Jia Yongzheng (贾永正), captain of the Third Detachment of the Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站). The port has also installed more than 20 passenger self-service devices to provide inbound and outbound passengers with personalized services ranging from "being able to do" to "doing well and quickly."

While improving customs clearance speed, the Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站) also focuses on the needs of special groups, adding dedicated inspection channels to provide convenient customs clearance services for official and business travelers, and precisely formulating special flight security plans. "Special channels" are set up for elderly passengers, children, and people with mobility difficulties, providing full guidance and enthusiastic service to allow passengers to "run less, wait less, and feel more comfortable."

In the year since Terminal 3 (T3) was put into use, passenger customs clearance efficiency has increased by 30%. This data is a portrayal of greater convenience for passengers entering and leaving the country, and also an epitome of the optimization of the business environment. "Lanzhou New Area (兰州新区) has significant location advantages. How to contribute more border inspection strength to the high-quality economic and social development of the resident area has become a major event for us this year," said Yang Junfeng (杨峻峰), director of the Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站). The Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站) continues to deepen the reform of the border inspection administrative examination and approval system, innovate and optimize port inspection and quarantine models, improve the level of port customs clearance facilitation, and fully guarantee efficient customs clearance.

The efficiency of cargo customs clearance is very important for cross-border economic cooperation. The Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站) has optimized seven measures to facilitate customs clearance for cargo flights, helping the economic and social development of the resident area.

"We have comprehensively optimized border inspection service processes, continued to promote the implementation of systems such as the 'Eight Measures to Optimize Entry and Customs Clearance for Foreigners' and the 'Three Initiatives and Three Advances' work measures to optimize customs clearance for business jets, actively promoted the acceptance and issuance of temporary entry permits for transit and the one-time completion of entry border inspection procedures, continuously improved port customs clearance efficiency, and dynamically implemented new measures to benefit the people and enterprises," said Yang Junfeng (杨峻峰).

Safeguarding national gate security and protecting port stability are the primary responsibilities of border inspection agencies. The Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站) refines inspection and quarantine procedures, enhances work efficiency with technology-enhanced policing, focuses on port inspection and control, and strengthens emergency response and combat capabilities.

At the beginning of this year, an international flight made an emergency landing at Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport (兰州中川国际机场) due to aircraft failure. After receiving the notification, the Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站) quickly launched an emergency plan, promptly learned about the arrival of the flight and the situation of the personnel carried, carried out data screening of crew and passenger documents, and implemented inspection and quarantine measures focusing on work organization, police force deployment, and passenger and crew clearance, efficiently handling entry procedures and personnel supervision.

At the same time, the Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站), combined with the actual situation of the port, regularly analyzes the entry and exit situation and innovates inspection and control ideas. "This fake passport in my hand seems to have all the anti-counterfeiting technologies such as paper material and fluorescent identification, but look carefully here..." In the studio, police officers from the Certificate Research Team of the Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站) are discussing enthusiastically. This is a scene of the Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站) routinely carrying out the "Border Inspection Lecture Hall." "Such exchanges and discussions are conducive to everyone improving their professional skills in order to be competent for inspection and quarantine tasks," said Ma Yuhan (马玉涵), a business backbone of the Lanzhou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station (兰州出入境边防检查站).

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People's Livelihood: Let's Discuss Together

On April 19th, Diàn Hú Village (垫湖村), Shangtang Town (上塘镇), Sihong County (泗洪县), Suqian City (宿迁市), Jiangsu Province (江苏省) organized village representatives to vote on 10 of the 15 proposed livelihood projects for the village this year for implementation. This year, all 18 villages (communities) in the town conducted voting on proposed livelihood projects, truly ensuring that projects that meet people's needs, respond to public opinion, and benefit people's livelihoods are given priority and implemented effectively.

The above pictures are all taken by Xu Changliang (许昌亮) (Xinhua News Agency (新华社) issued).

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Guangzhou Focuses on Emerging Industries and People's Livelihood to Strengthen Legislation

This newspaper's Guangzhou (广州) April 19th dispatch (Reporter Luo Aihua (罗艾桦)): The Standing Committee of the Guangzhou Municipal People's Congress (广州市人大常委会) in Guangdong Province (广东省) recently convened a legislative work conference, determining that this year's legislative work plan will arrange a total of 38 items, including 12 in emerging fields, 15 in people's livelihood fields, 9 in urban and rural construction management fields, and 2 in cultural fields.

Focusing on emerging industries, institutional innovation supports the development of new quality productive forces. Continue to deliberate on the Regulations on Promoting Talent Development in Nansha (南沙人才发展促进条例), the Regulations on Promoting Cross-border E-commerce (跨境电子商务促进条例), and the Regulations on Green Finance (绿色金融条例); initially deliberate on the Regulations on Promoting the Development of Artificial Intelligence (人工智能发展促进条例), the Regulations on Promoting the Yacht Industry in Nansha (南沙游艇产业促进条例), the Regulations on the Development of the Cell and Gene Industry (细胞和基因产业发展条例), the Regulations on Promoting the Tourism Industry in the High-Quality Development Leading Area of Huan Nankunshan-Luofu Mountain (环南昆山—罗浮山高质量发展引领区旅游业促进条例), and the Regulations on the Development of the Convention and Exhibition Industry (会展业发展条例).

Responding to social concerns and public concerns, legislation for people's livelihood continues to be strengthened. The Regulations on the Inheritance and Protection of Morning Tea (早茶传承保护规定) have been voted and passed in January of this year. Continue to deliberate on the Regulations on Extracurricular Practical Education in Primary and Secondary Schools (中小学校外实践教育条例) and the Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Noise Pollution (噪声污染防治规定); initially deliberate on regulations such as Urban Housing Renewal, Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Property Management, and Funeral Management.

Urban-rural construction and historical and cultural protection are simultaneously strengthened. Initially deliberate on the Regulations on the Construction and Management of Sponge Cities (海绵城市建设管理条例), the Regulations on Dog Management (养犬管理条例), the Provisions on the Management of Non-motor Vehicles and Motorcycles (非机动车和摩托车管理规定), and the Regulations on Safe Construction (平安建设条例); include the Regulations on the Inheritance and Protection of Red Resources (红色资源传承保护条例) in the annual proposal projects, and the Regulations on the Protection of Cultural Relics (文物保护规定) as a reserve project, to safeguard the city's roots and enhance governance effectiveness through the rule of law.

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Editor in Charge for This Edition: Su Xianlong, Zhao Xiaoxi, Chi Jiarui

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Why a Cake Led to a 3.597 Billion Yuan Fine (Economic Focus)

By: 本报记者 林丽鹂 潘俊强 姚雪青

On April 17, the State Administration for Market Regulation imposed administrative penalties on seven e-commerce platforms, including Pinduoduo (拼多多), Meituan (美团), JD.com (京东), Ele.me (饿了么), Douyin (抖音), Taobao (淘宝), and Tmall (天猫), for the "ghost takeaway" series of cases, with fines and confiscations totaling 3.597 billion yuan.

Why did the regulatory authorities issue the largest fine since the implementation of the Food Safety Law to seven e-commerce platforms? This stems from a cake from a shop with no physical store.

Clue

For a cake that cost 252.4 yuan, the takeaway platform and the "ghost shop" took 172.4 yuan.

In July 2025, Mr. Liu, a resident of Haidian District (海淀区), Beijing (北京), purchased a cake from a cake shop called "Sweet Words of Love" (甜颜情书) on a takeaway platform. After receiving it, he found that the merchant had directly inserted inedible flowers on the cake and subsequently complained.

The Beitaipingzhuang Street Market Supervision Office (北太平庄街道市场监管所) in Haidian District responded quickly. "When I conducted an on-site inspection of the registered address of the sued entity, I could not find the cake shop. After verifying the certificates uploaded by the shop, I determined that they were fake," said Ma Haolin (马浩林), a fourth-level chief staff member of the office responsible for the on-site inspection.

"Making and selling cakes and desserts is a high-risk food business activity, mainly facing microbial contamination," said Zhong Kai (钟凯), director of the Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center. "The processing and production of cream cakes should be carried out in a special room, and merchants should obtain relevant food business licenses," said Zhang Yaqing (张亚清), director of the Food Safety Testing Center of the Jiangyin (江阴) Municipal Market Supervision and Administration Bureau in Jiangsu (江苏).

The Haidian District Market Supervision Bureau found that the food business licenses of 378 chain stores under the name "Sweet Words of Love" were all forged, and there were no physical stores. So, where were the cakes actually made?

In order to find out this fact, law enforcement officers placed orders for multiple cakes for tracking. "During the investigation, we found a platform called 'Transfer Order Treasure' (转单宝). When we placed an order on the takeaway platform, the order immediately appeared on the 'Transfer Order Treasure' platform," said Li Xiaokui (李晓奎), a fourth-level organizer of the Comprehensive Law Enforcement Brigade of the Haidian District Market Supervision Bureau.

A 6-inch high-end cream cake purchased by law enforcement officers on the takeaway platform actually cost 252.4 yuan. The "ghost shop" posted the order on "Transfer Order Treasure," and three receiving shops bid separately. Finally, the merchant with the lowest bid won. The "ghost shop" charged 122 yuan, the takeaway platform charged a service fee of 50.4 yuan, and the shop that actually made the cake received a total of 76.8 yuan, including the express fee, after paying a service fee of 3.2 yuan to "Transfer Order Treasure."

The "Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Food Safety of Online Catering Services" clearly stipulates that online catering service providers shall not entrust other food business operators to process and produce orders. "The 'transfer order' type of 'ghost takeaway' is a more hidden and harmful new phenomenon, which is a violation of food safety," said Sun Juanjuan (孙娟娟), a researcher at the Collaborative Innovation Center for Food Safety Governance of Renmin University of China.

Netting

More than 3.6 million transferred cake orders were found, and 67,604 "ghost shops" were verified.

"In August 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation received an emergency report from the Beijing Municipal Market Supervision Bureau. After grasping the operating model of 'ghost takeaway,' the task force immediately deployed a surprise investigation of the 'Transfer Order Treasure' platform and the Anhui Xunmeng (安徽寻梦) platform, and found that seven leading e-commerce platforms were involved," said Han Bing (韩冰), director of the Fourth Inspection Division of the Enforcement and Inspection Bureau of the State Administration for Market Regulation.

"More than 3.6 million transferred cake orders were found on the transfer order platform," said Lou Sihan (娄思涵), a cadre of the Fourth Inspection Division of the Inspection Bureau of the State Administration for Market Regulation. After mastering the core evidence of the transfer order platform, the State Administration for Market Regulation organized seven task forces to conduct in-depth investigations of seven e-commerce platforms, and verified a total of 67,604 "ghost shops."

After the case was launched, the State Administration for Market Regulation immediately ordered the e-commerce platforms to rectify immediately. The seven e-commerce platforms have all removed the relevant "ghost shops" that have not been reviewed and stopped the catering transfer order cooperation with the relevant transfer order platforms.

"During the investigation, the e-commerce platforms refused to provide data on the grounds of 'system upgrade' or 'no data authorization,' or delayed cooperation on the grounds of 'commercial secrets' or 'insufficient network speed,'" said Ying Jiande (应建德), deputy captain of the Law Enforcement Team of the Law Enforcement and Inspection Division of the Taizhou (台州) Municipal Market Supervision Bureau in Zhejiang (浙江).

"The biggest challenges are 'large amount of data, difficulty in obtaining evidence, difficulty in fixing evidence, and difficulty in verification,'" said Zhang Yuhao (张毓昊), a first-level administrative law enforcement officer of the Zhumadian (驻马店) Municipal Market Supervision Bureau in Henan (河南). "We repeatedly studied and finally achieved accurate extraction of key electronic data," said Ma Zhenduo (马振铎), a first-level staff member of the Tianjin (天津) Municipal Market Supervision Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Corps.

Individual platforms even resorted to violent resistance to law enforcement. Guo Hui (郭晖), a fourth-level organizer of the Jiangbei New District Market Supervision Bureau (江北新区市场监管局) in Nanjing (南京), Jiangsu (江苏), suffered a fracture of his left index finger and soft tissue contusion of his right ankle during the handling of the case because the platform company employees deliberately closed the door.

"During the investigation of the case, my biggest feeling was that I didn't expect the platform to be so lax," said Wang Yan (王燕), captain of the Food Law Enforcement Team of the Cangzhou (沧州) Municipal Market Supervision Bureau in Hebei (河北).

Online trading platforms should review the qualifications of online food business operators, such as food business licenses. The platform claims to have multiple reviews such as organic review, human review, and offline verification. "Some fake certificates are ridiculously fake. For example, a merchant in Haidian District, Beijing, has the official seal of 'Nanchong City (南充市)' affixed," said Hu Chao (胡超), a first-level chief staff member of the Nanjing Municipal Market Supervision Bureau in Jiangsu.

Due to the platform's lax review, fake certificate gangs have emerged. "They are like a factory assembly line," said Wang Fang (王芳), head of the Electronic Data Forensics and Analysis Section of the Administrative Law Enforcement Team of the Longwan District Market Supervision Bureau (龙湾区市场监管局) in Wenzhou (温州), Zhejiang, "The people upstream specialize in getting 'materials,' that is, the certificate materials used by others to open online stores; there is a group of people in the middle who are familiar with the platform rules and are responsible for 'processing materials'; there are also errand runners downstream who specialize in doing 'pass the review' business."

"The investigation found that the seven e-commerce platforms all signed cooperation agreements with the transfer order platform, knowing or should have known that the transfer order behavior infringed on the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, but did not take necessary measures," said Yang Xiaohui (杨晓辉), former first-level investigator of the Nanjing Municipal Market Supervision Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Supervision Bureau.

Shi Jianzhong (时建中), dean of the Data Rule of Law Research Institute of China University of Political Science and Law, said: "'Transfer order' itself is a neutral business model, but if you can transfer the order and no longer bear any responsibility, then the transfer order will become a channel and way to evade supervision and circumvent responsibility."

Punishment

"One store, one penalty" for e-commerce platforms is a landmark governance measure.

In 2024, when the Beijing Municipal Market Supervision Bureau investigated and handled the "Wangjing Barbecue (望京烧烤)" "ghost takeaway" case, it gave the two involved takeaway platforms administrative penalties of confiscating illegal income and imposing a fine of 200,000 yuan respectively. This time, the State Administration for Market Regulation imposed fines and confiscations totaling 3.597 billion yuan on seven e-commerce platforms.

In the past, the penalties for e-commerce platforms were all identified as one illegal act, and the maximum penalty under the Food Safety Law was 200,000 yuan. The cost of violation is low, and "ghost takeaway" has been repeatedly prohibited. "This time, the e-commerce platforms are subject to 'one store, one penalty,' that is, the platform's failure to fulfill its review obligations is identified as multiple illegal acts, which is a landmark governance measure," said Han Bing.

Xue Jun (薛军), director of the E-commerce Law Research Center of Peking University (北京大学), said: "The application of law is not mechanical. What kind of punishment is more conducive to achieving the purpose of law enforcement, more conducive to urging the platform to complete the needs of compliant development, and more conducive to ensuring that the bottom line of food safety is not broken, these factors must be considered in the application of law."

Yang Dong (杨东), dean of the Law School of Renmin University of China (中国人民大学), said that this "ghost takeaway" series of cases is a representative case of platforms competing for traffic. Attention should be paid to potential traffic competition and traffic monopoly issues, and platforms, operators, workers, and consumers should be promoted to share the dividends of platform traffic, and guide the platform economy to take a fair and sustainable development path.

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Platforms must act as "gatekeepers" and safeguard the "lifeline" of food safety (economic commentary)

By: 叶 鸣

The State Administration for Market Regulation's (市场监管总局) "one store, one penalty" approach to the "Ghost Kitchen" series of cases involving seven e-commerce platforms is not only a powerful deterrent to illegal and irregular behavior, but also a stern warning against the lack of responsibility of platform enterprises. It clearly sends a signal: platforms are no longer just distributors of traffic, but should also be maintainers of order. As a key hub connecting merchants and consumers, they must earnestly fulfill their main responsibility as "gatekeepers."

As "gatekeepers," platforms must strictly control the "entry pass" and prevent "sick entries." Driven by profit, some platforms "emphasize traffic over supervision" and "emphasize scale over compliance," leading to frequent occurrences of "borrowed license operation," "false license operation," and even "unlicensed operation," resulting in the 劣币驱逐良币 (liè bì qū zhú liáng bì - "bad money drives out good," inferior replaces the superior). Platforms must realize that qualification review is not a perfunctory "paper exercise," but a "life-and-death defense line" related to food safety. Platforms must strengthen their main responsibility, not only looking at the "certificate" but also verifying the "reality," establishing an integrated online and offline verification mechanism to ensure that every takeaway order is backed by a visible, tangible, and trustworthy physical store, keeping "ghost kitchens" out.

As "gatekeepers," platforms must strictly control the "process pass" and cut off the "black chain of order transfer" in catering. Platforms should establish and improve a dynamic monitoring mechanism, using big data to analyze order flow, meal preparation time, delivery trajectory, and other data to intelligently warn against catering order transfers. At the same time, they should strengthen the inspection of merchants' actual business operations, and resolutely eliminate "shell stores" that only accept orders but do not produce meals, or whose actual business locations do not match their registered locations. Controlling the process can better plug loopholes and completely cut off the profit chain of "ghost kitchens." The governance of online catering has officially bid farewell to the sole focus on traffic and has begun to fully shift to compliance-driven.

As "gatekeepers," platforms must also pass the "governance pass" and seek long-term development. To eradicate the stubborn problem of "ghost kitchens," platforms cannot stop at passively "rectifying and removing listings," but should actively build a long-term governance system. This is not only a technological competition, but also a reshaping of values. Only those enterprises that make the right choices between profit and safety can gain a firm foothold in the future digital wave. Platforms should seek efficiency from technology, using artificial intelligence technology to assist in license verification, using blockchain technology to trace food sources, and using big data models to establish a merchant credit evaluation system. Platforms should seek standardization from systems, establishing strict access review standards, regular spot check monitoring systems, and rapid complaint response mechanisms. Internal employees who violate regulations and allow "ghost stores" to operate for the sake of performance must be held accountable. At the same time, platforms should actively share data with regulatory authorities, break down information silos, and form a regulatory synergy of "online monitoring + offline law enforcement," building a food safety governance pattern of government supervision, platform responsibility, merchant self-discipline, and social co-governance.

Starting with a cake, accurately identifying the deep-seated chaos in the industry, demonstrating the regulatory surgical intervention logic, urging and warning enterprises to conduct comprehensive rectification from point to surface, reflecting the regulatory concept that "punishment is not the purpose, punishment is to remind enterprises to do better."

The investigation and handling of "ghost kitchens" this time showed that the regulatory authorities overcame numerous difficulties and fought a tough battle to safeguard people's well-being, writing solid achievements in the hearts of the people, which is a vivid reflection of establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievements. The regulatory authorities should continue to implement the "Four Strictest" requirements, supervise the platform to be a good "gatekeeper," and let the people eat safely and with peace of mind.

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Service consumption potential steadily released (Readings: First quarter of the "15th Five-Year Plan")

By: 王 珂

Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (国家统计局) shows that in the first quarter, with the continued implementation and effectiveness of policies and measures to promote the development of service consumption, the optimization and quality improvement of service supply, and the stable release of service consumption potential, relatively rapid growth was achieved. In the first quarter, retail sales of services increased by 5.5% year-on-year, 3.3 percentage points higher than the growth rate of retail sales of goods in the same period, demonstrating a good development trend in service consumption.

Looking at different fields, service consumption in the first quarter had many highlights. Holiday consumption continued to rise, and consumption demand related to tourism, culture, sports, and transportation accelerated, with faster growth in consumption related to tourism and cultural travel. In the first quarter, the growth rate of retail sales in tourism consulting and leasing services, cultural and sports leisure services, and transportation travel services all accelerated compared to January-February. At the same time, the deep integration of digital technology and life services, the vigorous development of new types of consumption such as remote medical care, and the rapid growth of information consumption. In the first quarter, the growth rate of retail sales in communication and information services exceeded 10%, injecting new vitality into service consumption.

The rapid growth of new business formats further activates the growth momentum of service consumption. With the continuous enrichment of market supply and the continuous improvement of a multi-level logistics system, online consumption maintains a good development trend. In the first quarter, online retail sales of goods and services increased by 8.0% year-on-year. Among them, online service retail sales increased by 8.8%, 1.5 percentage points faster than in January-February, and 3.3 percentage points higher than service retail sales, highlighting the continued role of new business formats in driving service consumption potential.

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. At present, residents' consumption demand has shifted from "whether or not" to "how good." The consumption willingness of the elderly group continues to increase, and the silver economy is booming; the youth group represented by "Generation Z" pays more attention to hobbies and emotional value, and the demand for self-pleasing consumption continues to be released. At the same time, catering and accommodation, domestic services, business travel, culture, sports, and health and other fields play a positive role in expanding employment and increasing residents' income. Expanding service consumption is not only conducive to meeting people's higher-level and more diversified needs, but also conducive to continuously expanding employment channels, increasing workers' income, and truly improving people's well-being.

Expanding service consumption must be closely integrated with benefiting the people, and taking meeting the needs of the masses and improving the quality of people's lives as the starting point and foothold. Focusing on the specific problems that the people are most concerned about, most direct, and most realistic, focusing on catering services, residential services, family services, medical services, and other fields closely related to the lives of the masses, conforming to the upgrading trend of residents' consumption structure, expanding the supply of diversified services, enhancing the adaptability and balance between supply and demand, and promoting the high-quality, diversified, and convenient development of life service industries to better meet the consumption needs of the people.

To promote the improvement of quality and efficiency of the life service industry, we must adhere to innovation-driven development and continuously promote technological empowerment. Technological development has improved economic efficiency, spawned new industries, new models, and new driving forces, providing a broad world for the development of the service industry and service consumption. We must conform to the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, keep up with the trends of digitalization, intelligence, and greening, accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, promote the accelerated application of technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data, and virtual reality in the consumption field, promote the development of "artificial intelligence + consumption," and continuously create new business formats and new scenarios, promote cross-border integration, multi-format aggregation, and multi-scenario integration, and stimulate the endogenous power of service consumption with innovation to better meet the personalized and differentiated needs of different groups.

Service consumption is connected to the economy on one end and the people's livelihood on the other, and has the characteristics of high consumption frequency, strong multiplier effect, and sustainable growth. We must continuously deepen our understanding of the laws of service industry development, focus on key areas and key groups, implement a combination of policies, continue to support the expansion of service consumption, continuously release consumption potential, and inject strong impetus into the sustained, stable, and healthy development of the economy.

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Imports and Exports of 9 Mainland Cities in the Greater Bay Area Increase by 19.7%

According to statistics from the Guangdong Branch of the General Administration of Customs (海关总署广东分署): In the first quarter of this year, the total import and export value of the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area (大湾区内地9市) reached 2.45 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19.7%, hitting a record high for the same period in history. Among them, exports amounted to 1.48 trillion yuan, an increase of 14.4%; imports amounted to 976.27 billion yuan, an increase of 28.7%. The import and export value of the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area (大湾区内地9市) accounted for 20.7% of the country's total foreign trade value, an increase of 0.8 percentage points compared with the same period last year, contributing 26.1% to the country's foreign trade growth.

Private enterprises play a leading role. In the first quarter, the import and export value of private enterprises in the nine mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area (大湾区内地9市) reached 1.64 trillion yuan, an increase of 25.7%, accounting for 66.8%, contributing 83.2% to the overall import and export growth of the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area (大湾区内地9市) during the same period.

Cooperation with Hong Kong (中国香港) is even closer. In the first quarter, Hong Kong (中国香港) surpassed ASEAN to become the largest trading partner of the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area (大湾区内地9市), with imports and exports reaching 377.22 billion yuan, a rapid increase of 44.4%, and the proportion increased by 2.7 percentage points to 15.4%. During the same period, imports and exports to ASEAN and the European Union were 375.89 billion yuan and 272.75 billion yuan respectively, an increase of 12% and 14%, accounting for 15.3% and 11.1% respectively. In addition, imports and exports to countries jointly building the "Belt and Road" (一带一路) reached 906.63 billion yuan, an increase of 14.4%, accounting for 36.9%.

New momentum in the export of high-tech and green, low-carbon commodities is showing brightly. In the first quarter, the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area (大湾区内地9市) exported 1.05 trillion yuan of mechanical and electrical products, an increase of 18.5%, accounting for 71.1% of their total export value. Among them, major export commodities such as electronic components, electrical equipment, computers and their parts increased by 37.2%, 36%, and 9.2% respectively; exports of high-tech and green, low-carbon commodities such as 3D printers, digital cameras, drones, and the "new three" achieved faster growth, increasing by 136.9%, 60.3%, 51.1%, and 46.7% respectively.

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"With this environment, I truly want to settle down here."

By: 本报记者 方 敏

From April 17th to 19th, the 2026 Henan Business Conference was held in Zhengzhou (郑州), Henan (河南) for three days. More than 400 Henan businessmen discussed exchanges and cooperation, with many highlights.

"Technological innovation" has become the new protagonist of returning investment, and the participating entrepreneurs talked about new tracks in every other sentence.

Li Rui (李瑞), founder of Shanghai Weitai Technology Co., Ltd. (上海纬钛科技有限公司), focuses on robot tactile and hand-eye coordination. This time he came back, wanting to land key technologies in Henan; Xi Jingyu (习敬钰), general manager of Guangdong Mingyu Technology Co., Ltd. (广东铭钰科技股份有限公司), has been deeply involved in lasers and automation. He repeatedly said: "The wave of digitalization and artificial intelligence is coming, and we must actively embrace it." Huang Wei (黄伟), founder of Yunzhish声 Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (云知声智能科技股份有限公司), has cooperated with many hospitals in Henan. "A large amount of real data plus a large model, I believe we can develop a globally leading vertical large model in the medical field." Huang Wei is very confident about the future, "Continue to sow seeds here, and it will definitely grow into towering trees."

The entrepreneurs' ideas coincide with Henan Province's plans. The 2026 Henan Provincial Government Work Report proposed: to strengthen the advanced manufacturing system, the digital intelligence enabling system, and the technological support system, to deepen and expand the "Artificial Intelligence +" action, and to implement 100 provincial-level major science and technology projects and key research and development projects in key areas such as advanced materials, high-end equipment, and a new generation of information technology.

As a major manufacturing province, Henan has more technological innovation support, and industrial upgrading has new momentum, which will continue to rejuvenate its youthful vitality.

"National unified market construction" has become one of the high-frequency words at the conference. At the opening ceremony, Henan's measures to integrate into the national unified market brightened the eyes of many entrepreneurs.

Yang Mingchao (杨明超), chairman of Guoquan Food Hui (锅圈食汇), told his story - a few years ago, Luyi County (鹿邑县), Zhoukou (周口), Henan, wanted to invite him back to his hometown, but Yang Mingchao hesitated: "If the supporting facilities can't keep up, the investment will be a waste of money."

Unifying market infrastructure and establishing cold chain logistics; unifying factor resource markets and promoting comprehensive liberalization of settlement... Zhoukou buried its head in breaking down "local barriers" and promoting the flow of factor resources. Yang Mingchao saw that it was serious and his confidence was boosted. He built the Chengming Food Industrial Park (澄明食品产业园) in Luyi, gathering 22 factories, and the park's revenue is expected to exceed 6 billion yuan in 2025.

The meeting also introduced that in 2025, Henan Province has cleaned up and abolished more than 160 documents that hinder the construction of a national unified market, and more than 1 million credit repair "exempt from review and immediate handling" cases. On March 1 this year, the "Henan Province Regulations on Optimizing the Business Environment" came into effect, aiming to create a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, rule-of-law, and internationalized.

"Pragmatism" has become the common language of the government and enterprises. How is the local government doing?

Gao Peng (高鹏), general manager of Shandong Xinghai Holding Group Co., Ltd. (山东星海控股集团有限公司), told reporters about his experience, "Once, the company made an operational error, which led to the return of imported barley. Zhengzhou International Land Port (郑州国际陆港) took the initiative to step forward and coordinate with various parties to efficiently handle the matter, saving the company a lot of money." "The government treats the urgent matters of enterprises as its own. In this environment, we are sincerely willing to take root." he said.

"Responsive to requests, undisturbed when there is nothing to do," "High-speed rail direct access, expanding water transportation," "There was no investment fund before, but now there is"... When entrepreneurs talked about the changes in Henan, they all said four words: 真抓实干 (zhēn zhuā shí gàn - "really grasp solid work," to work diligently and practically).

The government is truly grasping, and the enterprises are also truly working. Zhong Baoshen (钟宝申), chairman of Longi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (隆基绿能科技股份有限公司), introduced that they had promoted high-efficiency battery projects with China Pingmei Shenma Group (中国平煤神马集团) in Xuchang (许昌), Henan, with a cumulative investment of nearly 10 billion yuan. At this Henan Business Conference, Zhao Tongyang (赵同阳), founder of Shenzhen Zhongqing Robot Technology Co., Ltd. (深圳市众擎机器人科技有限公司), said that he plans to build a production line with an annual output of 10,000 robots in Henan.

Looking at Henan from this conference, the pragmatic discussions and practical scenes are inspiring. Looking at the whole country from Henan, it is also a microcosm of the current vigorous development of China's economy. With the government and enterprises working together and focusing on goals and working diligently and practically, a new situation of high-quality development is constantly being created.

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Beijing-Xiong'an High-Speed Railway Enters Joint Debugging and Testing Phase

This newspaper, Xiong'an (雄安), April 19th (Reporter Shao Yuzi (邵玉姿)) The reporter learned from China Xiong'an Group Xiongshang Company (中国雄安集团雄商公司): Currently, the Beijing-Xiong'an Express Line has entered the joint commissioning and testing phase, and is expected to be ready for through operation with the Beijing Daxing Airport Line (北京大兴机场线) within the year.

The Beijing-Xiong'an Express Line project starts from the urban terminal in the starting area of Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区), and is a key "one vertical" in the "four vertical and two horizontal" regional rail transit network of Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区). The line is approximately 86 kilometers long, with 8 stations, and is a rail express line with a design speed of 200 kilometers per hour and adopts a public transportation operation mode. The line is connected to the Beijing Daxing Airport Line (北京大兴机场线) for through operation and connected to the Beijing subway network, realizing "one ticket purchase, one code access, and one-stop access", building a collaborative system of "unified planning, unified standards, unified operation, and unified service" across provincial administrative regions. After completion, it will realize a half-hour direct access from Xiong'an New Area (雄安新区) to Beijing Daxing International Airport (北京大兴国际机场), and a one-hour access to Beijing Lize Business District (北京丽泽商务区), which is of great significance for comprehensively promoting the integration of Beijing and Xiong'an.

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First cross-city commuter bus route between Beijing and Tianjin to open on April 20

According to reports from our newspaper on April 19th in Beijing (北京) (Reporters Wang Haonan (王昊男) and Jin Bo (靳博)), the Beijing (北京) Municipal Transportation Commission and the Tianjin (天津) Municipal Transportation Commission announced that on April 20th, the first cross-city commuter bus route between Beijing (北京) and Tianjin (天津), "Wuqing Special Line 1 (武清专1路)," will be officially launched.

The route starts from Xingguang Zhicheng (新光之城) in Wuqing District (武清区), Tianjin (天津), and ends at Ci渠 (Ciqu) Subway Station in Tongzhou District (通州区), Beijing (北京), with 16 stops along the way. It operates all day on weekdays, weekends, and holidays. Among them, there are 30 round-trip trips on weekdays and 18 round-trip trips on weekends and holidays, with a one-way operating time of approximately 60 minutes.

In order to effectively serve residents in the Wuqing (武清) area of Tianjin (天津) for rapid commuting to Beijing (北京), the Beijing (北京) Municipal Transportation Commission, based on the operational experience of the commuter bus routes to Beijing (北京) from Dachang (大厂) and Gu'an (固安) in Hebei (河北), promoted the opening of the first cross-city bus route between Beijing (北京) and Tianjin (天津). This commuter bus and the existing customized commuter express bus form an effective complement, building a multi-level and diversified travel service system for cross-regional commuters.

In addition, to facilitate passengers' real-time access to vehicle operation information, the operator has launched the "Wuqing Tongtu (武清通途)" official account. Passengers can use the official account to inquire about route information and learn about route schedule details and real-time vehicle location.

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Editor in charge of this edition: Lü Zhongzheng, Wu Kai, Huang Jinyu

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Mountains of Waste Rock Transformed into Blooming Wild Peach Orchards (Beautiful China: Following the Blooming Season to Witness Ecological Improvement)

By: 本报记者 宋朝军

Headline Highlights

In order to restore the waste rock mountains stretching several kilometers, Jinchang (金昌), Gansu (甘肃) has adapted to local conditions, selected tree species such as wild peach trees, carefully managed and protected them, and improved supporting facilities. The blooming wild peach blossoms not only add greenery and color to the hillsides but also expand new spaces for the integration of culture and tourism in the area.

"Our Jinchang's spring is indispensable to the brilliance of this peach blossom!" said Li Hongqi (李洪启), a 91-year-old citizen, as he walked through the pink-interspersed mountain forest, gently stroking a wild peach blossom.

Li Hongqi has lived in Jinchang City (金昌市), Gansu (甘肃) for more than 60 years. Every spring, the peach blossoms on the trees are large and bright, covering the hillsides, layer upon layer, as bright as clouds. This continuous sea of flowers has bloomed 16 times, and Li Hongqi has seen it 16 times. What impresses him is not only the beautiful scenery of pink clouds covering the slopes but also the ecological governance process of "turning waste into treasure" of the waste rock mountains stretching several kilometers under the peach forest.

More than 70 million cubic meters of waste rock mountains urgently need ecological restoration.

The blooming wild peach trees grow quietly on the northern slope of the Longshoushan (龙首山) Mountains in the southwest of Jinchang City (金昌市), Jinchuan District (金川区). Located in the northwest Gobi Desert, from the once flat Gobi beach to the artificially piled waste rock mountains, and then from the waste rock mountains to the ecological park, the changes that have taken place on this land include not only the development chapter of Jinchang's rise due to "nickel" over the past few decades but also the ecological story of transforming industrial heritage into ecological assets and promoting the restoration and management of waste rock mountains in recent years.

In 1958, a piece of green malachite was discovered on this Gobi beach. After testing, its copper and nickel content was high, and the giant sulfide nickel-copper deposit buried under the Gobi beach was unveiled. From the 1960s, the Jinchuan (金川) open-pit nickel mine began nearly 30 years of mining, making important contributions to the country's industrial development. In 1990, the open-pit mine was closed and switched to underground mining, entering a new stage of development, while the hundreds of millions of tons of waste rock produced by the open-pit mine had a volume of more than 70 million cubic meters. They were piled up in the surrounding area of nearly 2 million square meters year after year, forming waste rock mountains stretching several kilometers.

When he was young, Li Hongqi came to Jinchang (金昌) to take root in response to the country's call to support the construction of the northwest. He participated in and felt the changes around him throughout the entire process. "Unconsciously, this gray-black waste rock mountain is like a city's 'scabby head,' which is both dazzling and annoying."

How to deal with the waste rock mountains? "Can we plant trees and afforest, and make the trees survive on the waste rock mountains?" Li Hongqi said that he and many old partners had considered this issue, and the Jinchang Municipal Government (金昌市政府) and Jinchuan Group (金川集团) were also thinking about and proposing ideas.

The turning point came in 2009. After fully listening to the suggestions of residents and employees, the Jinchang Municipal Government (金昌市政府) and Jinchuan Group (金川集团) decided to implement comprehensive and systematic remediation of the waste rock mountains and their surroundings, focusing on exploring a transformation path of "ecological restoration - functional reconstruction - urban renewal," planting trees and building parks.

Wild peach trees are drought-resistant and barren-resistant, and can also decorate the hillside with color.

With trees, there are flowers. How were wild peach trees selected?

"Choosing the right tree species is the key. Wild peach trees, Chinese locust trees and other drought-resistant and barren-resistant trees are more suitable for the local environment. Wild peach trees bloom and can also decorate the hillside with color." Cheng Binrang (程斌让), a farming and forestry expert from Jinchang Jujia Ecological Agriculture Co., Ltd. (金昌居佳生态农业有限公司), who is responsible for park management and protection, introduced that the ecological restoration design adopts a combination of strips and blocks, and a combination of trees and shrubs, with trees and shrubs spaced 2.5 meters apart to form a mixed forest. In order to plant these saplings on the hillside, local cadres and the masses put in a lot of effort.

It is not easy to plant trees on waste rock mountains. Why not move these rocks away and then plant trees?

"First, the amount of waste rock is too large, and it is unlikely that all of it can be transported to other places. Second, if it is transported to other places, it may damage the ecological environment of other places." Cheng Binrang said that these waste rocks are large in volume and loose in structure, resulting in extremely poor standing conditions for the saplings. After repeated experiments, plastic film was laid in severely leaking areas, holes were punched near the trunk, and loess was sprinkled at the water outlet. The loess was allowed to deposit in the leaking area through the water flow... Through this method, a "micro-seedbed" was built for each tree, giving the wild peach trees the basic conditions for rooting.

In the beginning, only a few bulldozers were working; later, several technicians from Jinchang Jujia Ecological Agriculture Co., Ltd. (金昌居佳生态农业有限公司) marked and released lines to create a stepped planting platform; later, Jinchuan Group (金川集团) organized 40,000 employees to excavate planting ditches and tree pits. Over the years, the local area has successively completed land leveling and shaping, laying 300,000 meters of planting ditches, building 8 main roads, 3 water landscape pools, and 9 mountain climbing steps, with a cumulative participation of 200,000 people.

Recalling the tree-planting boom of that year, Li Hongqi is still very emotional: "At that time, there were people everywhere on the mountain. Everyone brought their own dry food and worked for a whole day, just thinking about making this waste rock mountain green and the flowers bloom as soon as possible."

In June 2013, the park was basically completed and gradually improved. To date, on the waste rock mountain where no grass grew in the past, 740,000 seedlings and a total of 116 species of plants are growing vigorously, with a green area of nearly 2.7 million square meters, and more than 200 species of wild animals such as birds and insects have been recorded.

Peach blossom elements have become a highlight of cultural and tourism integration.

In order to make wild peach trees and other seedlings grow vigorously, starting in 2023, the local area will renovate the park's irrigation pipe network system. The water supply pipe network has been laid to all parts of the hillside, and the water distribution pipes, solenoid valves, and intelligent control system will precisely schedule irrigation water to each forest belt.

"Jinchang (金昌) is dry and has little rain. Shallow buried drip irrigation can not only save water efficiently but also supply water in a slow and infiltrating manner. The water, fertilizer, gas, and heat inside the soil maintain a good state suitable for plant growth, especially suitable for land environments such as waste rock mountains with fragile substrates and poor water retention capacity," said Cheng Binrang.

In recent years, the local area has upgraded the 2,580-meter sandy road in the park to an asphalt pavement, routinely carried out work such as repairing sunken roads, maintaining lighting, and installing monitoring systems, and built supporting facilities such as Labor Park. Now, it has been built into a composite urban public space, attracting more than 100,000 tourists every year.

Wild peach blossoms have become a "eye-catching" highlight of Jinchang's (金昌) culture and tourism. Starting in 2024, except for the severe cold season in winter, the local area will regularly open the "Nickel Capital Light" series of performances, and wild peach blossom elements have appeared many times in the screens and lyrics of the light show performances. Behind each performance is the vivid practice of the local area moving from ecological restoration to cultural and tourism integration.

Walking out of the park and looking into the distance, the wild peach trees are tall and straight, not only connected to the northern shelterbelt to form a green barrier for this small northwest city, but also tell the moving story of this waste rock mountain turning into a sea of flowers with the agility of fluttering petals.

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"Mingqian Tea" and "Yuqian Tea": Why are they classified by solar terms? (Telling you about nature)

By: 苏祝成

Affected by climatic conditions such as temperature, precipitation, and light, the internal substances of tea leaves change between different solar terms.

April 20th is the last solar term of spring – Grain Rain (谷雨). For some time, people's enthusiasm for picking spring tea, buying spring tea, and tasting spring tea has not diminished. What are the differences between "Mingqian Tea" (明前茶) and "Yuqian Tea" (雨前茶)? Why are they named and divided by solar terms?

Generally speaking, Mingqian Tea refers to tea leaves picked and produced before the Qingming (清明) Festival. There are certain differences in the harvesting time of tea leaves of different latitudes, altitudes, and varieties. Yuqian Tea refers to tea leaves picked and produced between the Qingming Festival and the Grain Rain solar term. Behind spring tea lies the secret of natural rhythms. The difference is essentially affected by climatic conditions such as temperature, precipitation, and light. The internal substances of tea leaves change between different solar terms.

Before Qingming, the temperature is low and the light is weak. The buds and leaves of tea trees grow slowly, and the metabolism of tea trees mainly accumulates amino acids, and the synthesis of tea polyphenols is relatively slow. Mingqian Tea has a small amount of budding and low yield, mostly single buds or one bud and one leaf, showing a delicate and small appearance and emerald green color. After Qingming and before Grain Rain, the temperature in spring tea producing areas has risen significantly, the light conditions are good, and the rainfall is abundant. The tea buds grow quickly, the buds and leaves are more stretched and thicker, and the yield increases significantly. The content of tea polyphenols and caffeine in the buds and leaves has increased to a certain extent compared with before Qingming.

To know the taste of spring tea, we must first start with the quality chemistry in the tea soup. The ratio of polyphenols to amino acids in tea soup is a key indicator. When the amino acid content is high and the polyphenol content is low, the tea soup is fresh and the taste is slightly light; otherwise, it is bitter. When both contents are high, the taste presents the characteristics of mellow and sweet aftertaste. Therefore, Mingqian Tea has a sweet taste at the entrance and is almost not bitter. It is suitable for small sips and slow drinking to feel the freshness of spring. The content of polyphenols in Yuqian Tea buds and leaves is increased, but it still retains a certain fresh taste, and the taste of the tea soup is more mellow and more resistant to brewing.

After Grain Rain, due to the further increase in temperature, the buds and leaves of tea trees have grown relatively mature. Compared with Yuqian Tea, the tea leaves picked after Grain Rain have a deeper color, and the content of tea polyphenols and caffeine is significantly increased. The taste is more full-bodied, and the freshness is weakened.

In short, the taste of tea leaves in different solar terms reflects the changes in the internal substances of tea leaves, especially the dynamic changes in the ratio of polyphenols and amino acids. From Qingming to Grain Rain, the wonderful differences in taste experience contain the natural wisdom in the wind, dew, grass and trees. In the curling tea fragrance, taste the long years.

(The author is a professor at the Tea Science and Tea Culture Institute of Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University (浙江农林大学), interviewed and compiled by Liu Junguo (刘军国), a reporter from this newspaper)

Email for topic clues: rmrbsbt@peopledaily.cn

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The South-to-North Water Diversion East Route Phase I Extension Emergency Water Supply Project Starts Supplying Water to Tianjin in 2025-2026

This newspaper reported from Beijing on April 19th (Reporter Deng Jianyang (邓剑洋)) - This reporter learned from China South-to-North Water Diversion Group Co., Ltd. (中国南水北调集团有限公司): At 10:00 AM on April 17th, as the Jiuxuan Sluice (九宣闸) in Jinghai District (静海区), Tianjin (天津) slowly opened, the emergency water supply project for the Northward Extension of the First Phase of the East Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (南水北调东线一期工程北延应急供水工程) (hereinafter referred to as the "Northward Extension Project") commenced its 2025-2026 water supply operation to Tianjin (天津).

According to the annual water volume scheduling plan of the Ministry of Water Resources (水利部), the Northward Extension Project will supply 10 million cubic meters of water to Tianjin (天津) in April, mainly to replenish agricultural irrigation water in the over-extracted groundwater areas along the Nanyun River (南运河) and Machangjian River (马厂减河) in Tianjin (天津), while also taking into account the replenishment of water for the full connectivity of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (京杭大运河) and the improvement of the ecological environment of rivers and lakes.

The Northward Extension Project is an important water source for the comprehensive management of groundwater over-extraction in North China and the replenishment of water for the full connectivity of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (京杭大运河). Since the start of the 2025-2026 water transfer operation of the Northward Extension Project on October 27, 2025, it has cumulatively supplied 321 million cubic meters of water to Hebei (河北), providing sufficient water supply guarantee for spring irrigation in Hengshui (衡水), Cangzhou (沧州), and other places, forming a good replacement and pressure mining effect.

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A Wide-Ranging Sandstorm Sweeps Across Northern China

This reporter learned from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (国家林草局): From April 17th to 19th, affected by the Mongolian cyclone, a large-scale sandstorm weather process occurred in northern China.

According to a comprehensive assessment of satellite imagery and ground monitoring, the sand and dust mainly originated in southern Mongolia and southern Xinjiang (新疆), and western Inner Mongolia (内蒙古). Since the night of the 17th, most of the Northwest, North China, and Northeast regions have successively experienced dusty and floating dust weather. Among them, sandstorms occurred in Turpan (吐鲁番), Xinjiang (新疆), and Guaizihu (拐子湖), Inner Mongolia (内蒙古), with visibility less than 1 kilometer. Strong sandstorms occurred in Shhezi (石河子), Qiemo (且末), and Bayannur (巴彦诺日公) areas, with visibility less than 0.5 kilometers. As of 16:00 on the 19th, this sand and dust weather process mainly affected 602 counties (cities, districts, banners) in 12 provinces, including Xinjiang (新疆) and Inner Mongolia (内蒙古).

Forestry, grassland, and meteorological experts jointly analyzed that the main reasons for the formation of this sand and dust weather are: First, in terms of climatic conditions, affected by the Mongolian cyclone, cold air is active and the wind is strong, which provides favorable conditions for the occurrence of sand and dust weather; second, in terms of ground conditions, precipitation in the main sand source areas was low in the early stage, the temperature was high, the soil moisture content was poor, and the vegetation has not yet turned green, and the surface is bare, which is generally not conducive to inhibiting the occurrence and development of sand and dust weather.

Lu Qi (卢琦), chief scientist of the Chinese Academy of Forestry (中国林业科学研究院), said that sand and dust weather is a natural phenomenon, and March to May every year is a period of frequent sand and dust weather in northern China. In spring, cold air activities are frequent, and there are more windy days, coupled with local turbulence, which can easily trigger local and large-scale sand and dust weather. Among the elements of sandstorm formation, the weather system cannot be controlled, but land desertification can be prevented and controlled. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China has cumulatively treated 152 million mu of desertified land, and the area of desertification and sandification has continued to "double decrease." Carrying out afforestation and grass planting and promoting ecological engineering construction in sand source areas and transmission path areas can increase surface vegetation coverage, curb land desertification, and reduce sand source areas, which has a positive effect on reducing the frequency and intensity of sandstorms and reducing disaster losses.

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Swans Accompany Spring Plowing

Currently, spring plowing is in full swing across various regions. In a paddy field in Tongjiang City (同江市), Heilongjiang Province (黑龙江省), the agricultural machinery at work and the swans taking flight are framed together, forming a vivid spring scene.

Photo by Liu Wanping (刘万平) (Xinhua News Agency (新华社) issued)

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Liaoning Tackles Soil and Water Loss Across 12,278.61 Square Kilometers

This newspaper reported from Shenyang (沈阳) on April 19th (reporter Liu Jiahua (刘佳华)): This reporter learned from the Department of Water Resources of Liaoning Province (辽宁省水利厅) that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the soil erosion situation in Liaoning (辽宁) continued to improve, with a reduction of 4320.31 square kilometers in soil erosion area, and a cumulative treatment of 12278.61 square kilometers of soil erosion area. Liaoning (辽宁) has cumulatively arranged 3.063 billion yuan in investment for soil erosion control, and has cumulatively approved 9308 soil and water conservation plans for production and construction projects.

The recently released "Liaoning Province (辽宁省) Soil and Water Conservation Bulletin (2025)" shows that in 2025, the total area of soil erosion in Liaoning (辽宁) decreased by 990.80 square kilometers compared with 2024, the soil and water conservation rate reached 78.67%, and the newly added area of soil erosion control was 2037.10 square kilometers.

Liaoning (辽宁) has strengthened the supervision of man-made soil erosion. In 2025, Liaoning (辽宁) approved 1529 soil and water conservation plans for production and construction projects and completed 1022 independent acceptance filings for soil and water conservation facilities. Based on the remote sensing supervision of the Ministry of Water Resources (水利部), the Department of Water Resources of Liaoning Province (辽宁省水利厅) intensified the provincial remote sensing supervision work, investigated and dealt with 364 illegal and irregular projects, forming a closed-loop supervision pattern for the entire process.

In addition, Liaoning (辽宁) explored the establishment of a circular mechanism for soil and water conservation investment, implemented integrated promotion of soil and water conservation project construction, promoted the transformation and transaction of soil and water conservation ecological products, and explored the transaction of newly added cultivated land indicators for gully erosion control. In 2025, 8 transactions of soil and water conservation ecological product value transformation were realized, with an amount of 28.632 million yuan.

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Editor(s) for this section: Zhang Ye, Yang Xiaoyu, Dong Wenxin

Layout Design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)

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It's Not Just Robots Running Faster (Sports Tech Style: The Athlete Among Robots)

By: 本报记者 王昊男

Robots are gradually entering our lives, taking to the marathon track, stepping onto the football field, and breaking into breakdancing... Their sports stories are becoming increasingly rich.

Starting today, this edition launches a series of reports, "Athletes Among Robots," focusing on hot topics in the tide of the times, reflecting on the difficulties in development, presenting the cutting-edge landscape of the integration of technology and sports, and looking forward to more possibilities for sports in the intelligent era.

— Editor

On April 19th, the 2026 Beijing (北京) Yizhuang (亦庄) Humanoid Robot Half Marathon attracted people's attention. The Glory Robot "Lightning" from the Qitian Dasheng Team (齐天大圣队) crossed the finish line to win the championship, with the Thunder Lightning Team (雷霆闪电队) and the Spark Fire Team (星火燎原队) winning second and third place respectively.

From stumbling and only over 20 teams participating last year, to breaking the human half marathon record and over a hundred teams competing on the same stage this year, the 2026 Beijing (北京) Yizhuang (亦庄) Humanoid Robot Half Marathon allowed us to hear the cheers of victory and, even more, to see the rapid upgrading and iteration of technology.

"Nearly 40% of the participating teams this year are using autonomous navigation," said Liang Liang (梁靓), Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese Institute of Electronics (中国电子学会). Model, algorithm, body structure, and hardware have all achieved technological breakthroughs. "The purpose of holding a humanoid robot marathon is to promote technological progress and industrial development."

From stumbling to as fast as "Lightning," what is the secret?

Only a short year has passed since the first competition was held in 2025, and the performance of the robot half marathon has improved significantly, from over two hours to within one hour. Many teams believe that the significant optimization of core indicators such as material durability, overall machine reliability, and joint heat resistance has supported long-distance continuous operation capabilities.

Tiangong Ultra (天工Ultra) has steady steps, smooth arm swings, and can run fully autonomously without a navigator. "In a simulated environment, a total of 10,000 virtual robots ran for 27,300 hours and underwent 100,000 iterations," said Xu Zhiyuan (徐志远), head of the Operation and Control Department of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (北京人形机器人创新中心). When a robot runs at a speed close to that of a human professional athlete, the time window left for perception and decision-making is extremely short. "The computing power, algorithms, and system response speed have all been upgraded."

Promoting research through competition, this forcing effect is deeply felt by the Taishan Team (泰山队) from Shandong (山东). At the World Humanoid Robot Games held last August, "Xingzhe Taishan" (行者泰山), who is 138 centimeters tall, left a deep impression on the audience by running with a broken arm. "Starting in March this year, the team entered the marathon rhythm, and the robot had to run a half marathon every day," said Liu Dayu (刘大宇), head of the New Technology Department of Shandong Ubote Intelligent Robot Co., Ltd. (山东优宝特智能机器人有限公司). In order to solve the problems of heat generation and mechanical fatigue, the team specially designed a liquid-cooled heat dissipation system and enhanced the materials.

Extreme battery swapping, comparable to changing tires in a race car?

This year's participating robots have visibly become stronger. Swapping batteries for the robots is a major highlight of this competition, with extreme operations within 10 seconds, like changing tires in a Formula One race.

"Previously, running a half marathon required changing the battery 5-6 times, which took three to four minutes each time, and the system needed to be restarted. This year, the battery can be swapped in 10 seconds, and the robot does not need to be restarted," said Xing Boyang (邢伯阳), Technical Director of Humanoid Robot (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (人形机器人（上海）有限公司). The team upgraded the heat dissipation system by combining water cooling and air cooling, reducing the temperature of the robot's main joints from 70-80 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius.

Marathon events severely test the endurance of the participants, and the battery is the key for robots to demonstrate endurance. In this competition, many teams upgraded their battery technology, providing strong support for the participating robots to gain shorter net usage time. Xing Boyang (邢伯阳) said with emotion: "The competition has promoted innovation in batteries and other aspects. This is a hard skill that cannot be developed in the laboratory."

This is not only a special competitive contest, but also an extreme test to promote industrial development. The valuable data accumulated by the participating teams will promote the accelerated breakthrough of key technologies such as embodied intelligence and motion control.

With the same body, why are the results different?

The number of participating teams has increased fivefold this year, and five international teams have made their debut, making the competitive landscape more diverse.

Observing the competition, among the hundred or so teams, there are quite a few using the same "body" (the same robot model). Similar appearances, but the performance on the track varies greatly. These "secondary developers" come from enterprises, universities, and research institutes, and some are individual enthusiasts.

"The body is a 'blank canvas,' and we are responsible for outputting whimsical ideas," said Dou Yuhan (窦钰涵), a doctoral student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (华中科技大学), who led his team to develop algorithms on the "Tiangong 3.0" body. In his opinion, the development of humanoid robots cannot be separated from the participation of more people. It is worth noting that all five international teams participating in this competition chose Chinese local robots, and "Chinese machine, global brain" is becoming a new trend.

There is only one champion, but all those who can stand on the track are winners. Just like the slogan of the competition: "Participation is heroism, completion is victory." Sports and technology empower each other, and it is not just robots that are accelerating.

This issue is coordinated by: Shi Zhe (史哲)
Layout design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)

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I am "Lightning," born to run.

This is a moment worth remembering: 50 minutes and 26 seconds! A humanoid robot broke the human half-marathon record. The one who created this feat is me—Honor Robot "Lightning" (see photo, Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Chenlin (张晨霖) photo).

After winning the championship, many people asked me: "You are less than 1 year old, why can you run so fast?"

April 19, 2026 Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (北京亦庄) Humanoid Robot Half Marathon was my first official competition. As soon as I appeared, many people praised my red mecha as very handsome. My "outfit" is not only good-looking, but also takes into account aerodynamics and visual impact. I also have "long legs"—a height of 169 cm and a leg length of 95 cm, which were designed by engineers with reference to the body proportions of top human athletes. To run fast, you must have strength. The Honor's self-developed integrated joint module has a peak torque of 400 Nm for the motor. The engine torque of an ordinary household car is about 200 Nm, which shows how strong my leg strength is.

The half-marathon course is about 21 kilometers long, and heat generation is always a major problem. Humans sweat after running for a long time, and our "iron bodies" also get hot after running for a long time. During the competition, some robots had to slow down due to overheating, and even collapsed from "heatstroke." I have countermeasures. Did you see the cool "backpack" on my back? That is my "cooling tower," which contains high-precision liquid cooling technology.

Because I have to run the entire course by myself, what I was most worried about before the race was falling. Slopes, curves, narrow sections... Facing various terrains, I must complete force feedback calculations and posture adjustments in milliseconds. In addition to the high-dynamic motion control system on my body, Honor has used all its skills in structural simulation and drop testing. It was not enough to practice in real-world scenarios, so the engineers made me "fall" hundreds of thousands of times in the computer, which resulted in stability on the track like Mount Tai.

Robots run fast thanks to human intelligence. The team that developed me has hundreds of people. For more than 300 days and nights, they endured loneliness and devoted themselves to tackling key problems. At the moment of crossing the finish line, I saw their excited faces, and some even had tears in their eyes. This scene is the moving part of technological innovation.

Many people do not understand why we robots are allowed to "run marathons"? In fact, the finish line of the marathon sprint is also a new starting point for industrial development. In the future, robots will also become intelligent partners and capability extensions of humans.

(Our reporter Wang Haonan (王昊男) interviewed and compiled)

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What Makes Chinese Robot Break Human Half-Marathon Record? (Sports Talk)

By: 杨丽娟

On April 19th, at the 2026 Beijing (北京) Yizhuang (亦庄) Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, the "Lightning" autonomous navigation robot from the Monkey King (齐天大圣) team won the championship with a time of 50 minutes and 26 seconds. This result surpasses the human men's half marathon world record.

What is the reason for the good results achieved by domestic humanoid robots?

It's not luck, but the inherent strength of domestic robots. It is still remembered that in the first Humanoid Robot Half Marathon last year, there were few participating teams, and most of the participating robots were remotely controlled, with many problems along the way. The best finishing time was 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 42 seconds. In just one year, humanoid robots have achieved accelerated "evolution." There are more autonomous navigation robots, and the best results have even broken human limits. Behind this is the continuous effort of innovative entities to compete with themselves, with technical challenges being overcome one by one, and shortcomings being made up for. The impressive results are the most direct demonstration of technological iteration.

It's not about fighting alone, but about a competitive and cooperative ecosystem where everyone chases each other. Observing this Humanoid Robot Half Marathon, from the test race to the qualifying race to the official showdown, the results have been changing, and there is no sure-win champion team. If you make a breakthrough in algorithms, I will optimize the joint technology; if you extend the battery life by a few minutes, I will take a step further in stability. It is this kind of "horse racing on the same field" that makes the entire industry dare not rest or slow down. True progress comes not only from self-improvement in the comfort zone but also from the pursuit of each other between competitors.

What's more, it relies on the system support of China's Intelligent Manufacturing (中国智造). This Humanoid Robot Half Marathon attracted more than 100 teams from more than 10 provinces to participate, covering leading companies such as the Beijing (北京) Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (北京人形机器人创新中心), Honor (荣耀), Unitree (宇树), and Agile Dynamics (松延动力), as well as diverse entities such as Tsinghua University (清华大学), Peking University (北京大学), and the University of Science and Technology of China (中国科大), and expanded to 5 international teams. The proportion of participating robots with autonomous navigation is nearly 40%. The number of participants, the scope of participation, and the types of technology are all higher than in the first session. This year, the competition system particularly encourages "running the marathon by oneself." The results of the remote control group need to be multiplied by a coefficient of 1.2, while the autonomous navigation group does not. Behind this change is the improvement of robot manufacturing capabilities, the empowerment of artificial intelligence large models, and the support of policies and platforms. Winning the competition is not just the victory of one robot, but the full industrial chain of China's Intelligent Manufacturing (中国智造) is exerting its strength.

Promoting research through competition, promoting production through competition, and promoting application through competition, a track shows a profound industrial transformation. As humanoid robots run past the finish line of the marathon, the pace of innovation will reach a more distant future. China's Intelligent Manufacturing (中国智造) is worth looking forward to.

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Zhao Xintong Gets Off to a Flying Start

By: 本报记者 李 硕

Local time April 18th, the 2026 Snooker World Championship main event kicked off at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield (谢菲尔德), England. Eleven Chinese players have qualified for the main event, setting a new historical record. Chinese player Zhao Xintong (赵心童), ranked fourth in the world, competed as the defending champion and defeated English player Heafield (海菲尔德) 10-7 in the first round, achieving a good start.

During the qualifying stage of this World Championship, Chinese players performed well. Zhou Yuelong (周跃龙), Pang Junxu (庞俊旭), Zhang Anda (张安达), Fan Zhengyi (范争一), Lei Peifan (雷佩凡), and He Guoqiang (贺国强) six players broke through from the qualifying rounds. Zhao Xintong (赵心童), Xiao Guodong (肖国栋), Wu Yize (吴宜泽), Si Jiahui (斯佳辉), and Ding Junhui (丁俊晖) five players directly qualified based on their world rankings. A total of 11 Chinese players appeared at the Crucible Theatre (克鲁斯堡剧院), writing a new chapter in Chinese snooker. There will be two "Chinese derbies" in the first round of the main event, namely Xiao Guodong (肖国栋) vs. Zhou Yuelong (周跃龙), and Wu Yize (吴宜泽) vs. Lei Peifan (雷佩凡).

Zhao Xintong (赵心童) faced Heafield (海菲尔德), ranked ninety-second in the world, in the first round and was slow to get into the game. Zhao Xintong (赵心童) led 5-4 in the first stage, and after the first half of the second stage, he extended his lead to 8-5, eventually securing the victory with 10-7 and advancing to the top 16. Zhao Xintong (赵心童) scored 3 century breaks in the entire match.

After the match, Zhao Xintong (赵心童) said that the identity of the defending champion brought a completely different kind of pressure. "I didn't play ideally, and my condition wasn't adjusted to its best." Zhao Xintong (赵心童) said, "I'm really happy to win this game, and I hope I can play better in the next round."

Zhao Xintong (赵心童) specifically mentioned that the eleventh game was the turning point of the match. He reversed the situation when he was behind in the single-game score and took a 6-5 lead. "This gave me confidence and made me believe that I could win." In the last game, he blasted a 112-point break, winning the game with one shot. "I observed at the time, and there was no particularly good defensive line, so I thought about taking a chance. That shot was difficult, and I believed that if I made it, I could win the game, and I did it!" Zhao Xintong (赵心童) said.

Looking back on the moment when he reached the top of the Crucible (克鲁斯堡) a year ago, Zhao Xintong (赵心童) admitted that his mentality has changed. "When I was a child, I would regard the World Championship title as the ultimate goal. Last year, I really reached the top of the mountain, but I found that there were more goals to pursue, and I can become better." This season, Zhao Xintong (赵心童) has won 4 championships and became the first player in history to win 3 championships in the Player Series in a single season.

Zhao Xintong (赵心童) will face the winner between Ding Junhui (丁俊晖) and English player Gilbert (吉尔伯特) in the second round. This year is Ding Junhui's (丁俊晖) twentieth consecutive year in the World Championship main event. He said that he hopes to have the qualification to participate every year, "and I also hope to improve my ranking."

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Asian Beach Games Main Media Centre starts operation

This newspaper Sanya (三亚) April 19th (Reporters Dong Zeyang (董泽扬) and Tao Xiang'an (陶相安)) The sixth Asian Beach Games (hereinafter referred to as "Sanya Asian Beach Games (三亚亚沙会)") is about to open. On the 18th, the Main Media Center located in the Jinghai International Holiday Hotel (京海国际假日酒店) in Sanya (三亚) officially started operation.

The Sanya Asian Beach Games (三亚亚沙会) Main Media Center adopts a three-in-one model of Main Press Center, International Broadcasting Center, and official media hotel, integrating reporting, broadcasting, and accommodation, providing a one-stop service for more than a thousand domestic and foreign media reporters. The Main Media Center is functionally divided according to the media workflow. The Main Press Center and the International Broadcasting Center are relatively independent and closely linked. In between, there are media work areas, press conference halls, studio production rooms, signal master control areas, interview rooms, and reception areas. Reporters can enjoy information consultation, multilingual services, technical support, and image material acquisition services.

The Athletes' Village, located in the Sanya Bay Mangrove Resort World (三亚湾红树林度假世界), opened on the same day, and athletes from 45 countries and regions moved in successively. The opening ceremony of this Asian Beach Games will be held on April 22, and the closing ceremony will be held on April 30.

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Bringing Fitness Services to the People

By: 本报记者 季 芳

"Pay attention to keeping your knees from buckling inward, relax your arms naturally, and stretch slowly with the rhythm..." On April 17th, the Wanda Plaza (万达广场) in Hong'an County (红安县), Huanggang City (黄冈市), Hubei Province (湖北省) was bustling with activity. Accompanied by the crisp commands of the social sports instructors, the 2026 Hubei Province Social Sports Instructor Public Welfare Tour (Hong'an Station) and the Hubei, Henan, and Anhui Social Sports Instructor National Fitness Volunteer Service Exchange and Interaction Event officially kicked off. More than 1,000 social sports instructor representatives and fitness enthusiasts from Anhui (安徽), Henan (河南), and Hubei (湖北) gathered to share a fitness feast at their doorsteps.

Taijiquan flowed smoothly, and square dancing was full of energy... Social sports instructor representatives showcased their skills on the same stage, winning rounds of applause and cheers. The atmosphere was warm and enthusiastic. "Before, when I danced square dance, I could never find the point of exertion, and my movements were not standard. Today, the teacher taught me hand-in-hand, and explained the rhythm of breathing clearly. I feel refreshed after dancing!" Wu Meng (吴梦), a citizen, wiped her sweat with a smile on her face. "This kind of public welfare activity is very practical. I hope the experts will come and guide us more often!"

As an important part of the event, social practice services were carried out simultaneously. "We want to bring professional fitness guidance services to the people, so that people of different ages and groups can learn fitness methods that are suitable for them." Shi Bo (史播), a aerobics instructor, said that as a social sports instructor, being able to use his strengths to help everyone develop healthy living habits is both a responsibility and an honor. Seeing everyone learning seriously and practicing happily is very fulfilling.

This Hong'an station event is the first event of the 2026 Hubei Province Social Sports Instructor Public Welfare Tour, and also a wonderful opening for the year's 17 events. The event is sponsored by the Hubei Provincial Sports Bureau (湖北省体育局), co-organized by multiple departments, and supported by the three provinces. With the theme of "Popularizing National Fitness and Empowering a Better Life," it creates a one-stop national fitness public welfare service of "learning, practicing, appreciating, and sharing," allowing the public to directly participate in teaching and interactive exchanges while watching the performances.

Since its launch in 2022, the Hubei Province Social Sports Instructor Public Welfare Tour has directly involved more than 10,000 people and driven 100,000 people to participate. "We hope that through the public welfare tour, social sports instructors can become 'personal trainers' for the people, and bring exercise prescriptions to the doorsteps of the people." Yan Hanhua (严汉华), director of the Hubei Provincial Social Sports Center (湖北省社体中心), said that in the next step, Hubei (湖北) will continue to promote the three major brand activities of the Public Welfare Tour, National Fitness Grand Lecture Hall, and National Fitness Market, going deep into 17 cities and prefectures and 103 counties and districts, so that more people can enjoy high-quality and convenient national fitness services, and lay a solid foundation for building a higher-level national fitness public service system.

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Taishan Urban Construction Team narrowly defeats Qingdao Youth Team

Jinan (济南), April 19th (Reported by Wang Zhe (王者)) The 2026 Shandong Qilu Football Super League (hereinafter referred to as "Lu Chao" (鲁超)) opened on the evening of the 18th at the Taishan Stadium (泰山体育场) in the Tai'an (泰安) Sports Center (体育中心), Shandong Province (山东省). With the theme of "Qilu Qing Weile, Mountain and Sea Share Glory," this year's "Lu Chao" has a total of 16 teams and 628 players participating, with an average player age of 23.7 years. Players under the age of 19 account for 31%, and more than 50% of the players have professional league experience. The competition adopts a home-and-away single round-robin regular season and a two-round knockout system. The entire season will consist of 21 rounds and a total of 134 matches, with the event concluding in October.

The opening match was between the defending champion Tai'an Taishan Chengjian Team (泰安泰山城建队) and the Qingdao Qingchun Team (青岛青春队), which was participating for the first time (see photo, Chen Yang (陈阳) ). After a fierce competition, the Taishan Chengjian Team (泰山城建队) narrowly defeated their opponent with a score of 2-1.

This year's event adheres to the concept of "mass participation, socialization, and high level." To allow more citizens to enter the stadium, the organizing committee has introduced preferential measures: ticket prices for the opening match are set at two levels, 10 yuan and 20 yuan, and all 20,000 seats in the stadium are open. Fans who purchase tickets will also receive coupons for the U17 National Women's Football Team teaching match, achieving "one ticket, double enjoyment."

In addition, the "Lu Chao" (鲁超) event deeply integrates local characteristic culture, and the teams are transformed into city calling cards. "’Lu Chao’ (鲁超) promotes the deep integration of culture, sports, and tourism, turning the game into a city carnival, converting event traffic into development increment, and injecting new vitality into the city's economy," said a relevant person in charge of the Shandong Provincial Sports Bureau (山东省体育局).

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Over the past weekend, the "City Super" competitions across the country were in full swing.

The "Chuan Chao" (川超) launched its sixth round of competition, with 8 teams firing on all cylinders, scoring a total of 19 goals. In the focus match, the previously undefeated Chengdu Jincheng Team (成都锦城队) visited Xichang (西昌) to challenge the Liangshan Haoyisheng Team (凉山好医生队). In the end, the Liangshan Haoyisheng Team (凉山好医生队) won 3-2. In the standings, the Chengdu Jincheng Team (成都锦城队) continues to lead with a 2-point advantage.

On April 18, the second round of the "Su Chao" (苏超) regular season kicked off simultaneously in 3 cities. In the end, the Xuzhou Team (徐州队) defeated the defending champion Taizhou Team (泰州队) 3-0, the Suqian Team (宿迁队) defeated the Nanjing Team (南京队) 2-0, and the Huai'an Team (淮安队) tied with the Yangzhou Team (扬州队) 1-1.

On the same day, in the first round of the "Chu Chao" (楚超) competition, the Tianmen Team (天门队) played against the Ezhou Linkong Team (鄂州临空队) at home. Only 5 minutes into the game, the Ezhou Team (鄂州队) took the lead in scoring, and ultimately won the game 2-0, achieving a good start. In another match, the Huanggang Team (黄冈队) defeated the Shennongjia Team (神农架队) 6-0, creating the largest score difference since the start of the "Chu Chao" (楚超).

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Editor in Charge for This Edition: Gong Yuhua, Shi Zhe, Gao Ji

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Chasing Lost Cultural Relics, Upholding Historical Justice (International Perspective)

By: 本报记者 白元琪 陈一鸣 戴楷然

Due to war looting, smuggling, and other reasons, cultural relics from many developing countries have been lost overseas. The repatriation of lost cultural relics involves not only complex legal problems but also national sentiments and international relations. The return of lost cultural relics is a respect for cultural sovereignty and a commitment to historical justice for all mankind. Currently, the international community is forming an increasingly strong moral consensus and joint action in correcting historical injustices and returning looted cultural relics. Some countries have adopted some feasible policies and measures to successfully bring cultural relics "home."

Cambodia's Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts—

The return of cultural relics reflects the country's firm stance on protecting cultural heritage and embodies the joint efforts of all parties to promote historical justice.

At the end of February this year, the National Museum of Cambodia held a grand ceremony to welcome 74 Khmer cultural relics lost overseas "home." This batch of cultural relics was previously held by the late British collector Douglas Latchford and was finally returned through various efforts. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many (洪玛尼) said at the ceremony: "The return of cultural relics enhances national cohesion and is of great significance for reconstructing the national historical memory."

These 74 cultural relics span a wide range of ages and types, from the pre-Angkor period to the heyday of the Angkor Empire, covering sandstone sculptures, bronze statues, and religious ritual objects. Among them, two sandstone statues dating back to the early 9th century AD are particularly precious and are regarded as representative works of the formation period of the Angkor monarchy. At present, the relevant cultural relics have been handed over and officially collected by the National Museum of Cambodia. Chang Vithspong (常威索), the curator of the museum, said that these cultural relics contain rich archaeological information, and their carving techniques and shape patterns provide important physical evidence for the study of early Khmer religious art, ancient etiquette, and social evolution.

Affected by the domestic turmoil in the 1970s and 1990s, a large number of temple sites in Cambodia were looted, and many cultural relics flowed into the international market through illegal channels. Douglas Latchford was once considered an important participant in the illegal trade of related cultural relics. According to the agreement reached between the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the Latchford family in 2020, Cambodia has recovered lost cultural relics from the family many times since 2021.

In recent years, Cambodia's work in recovering lost cultural relics has made substantial progress. In 2024, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the United States returned 14 cultural relics to Cambodia. In 2025, Cambodia reached an agreement with Hungarian collector István Zelnik, prompting the overall return of his collection of Khmer cultural relics, including 183 silk fabrics originally collected by the National Museum of Cambodia, as well as a batch of prehistoric artifacts and pre-Angkor and Angkor period cultural relics lost overseas during the war.

The Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts pointed out in a statement: "The return of cultural relics reflects the country's firm stance on protecting cultural heritage and embodies the joint efforts of all parties to promote historical justice." "As more lost cultural relics are successively returned and incorporated into the public cultural system, the historical memory belonging to Khmer civilization is constantly being restored and reconstructed." Phi Visna (菲·维斯纳), a researcher at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said that these cultural treasures that have experienced vicissitudes of life have been revitalized in contemporary society and have become an important link to deepen civilization exchanges and mutual learning and enhance national cohesion.

Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History—

The return of cultural relics can stimulate widespread emotional resonance and enhance cultural and identity recognition.

In February this year, Portugal returned three pre-Columbian cultural relics to Mexico for the first time. This is the latest achievement of Mexico's recent efforts to strengthen the recovery of lost cultural relics.

Mexico's pre-Columbian cultural heritage has long suffered from large-scale illegal excavation and cross-border smuggling, and a large number of cultural relics have fallen into the hands of European and American private collectors or flowed into the auction market. In 1972, Mexico promulgated the Federal Law on Archaeological, Artistic and Historical Monuments and Sites, which clearly stipulates that all pre-colonial cultural relics are non-transferable property of the state and implements strict export bans on related cultural relics. In 2018, the Mexican government elevated the fight against illegal trafficking of cultural relics and the recovery of lost overseas heritage to a core national policy. In 2022, Mexico officially joined the Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, further strengthening the legal tools for cross-border recovery.

Since the launch of a special operation in 2018, Mexico has recovered more than 16,000 cultural relics from the United States, Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and other countries. For example, in May 2023, a monument of the Olmec civilization dating back about 2,500 years returned from the United States. In March 2025, Mexico recovered 915 cultural relics from the United States in one go, spanning 3,000 years of history.

At present, Mexico is gradually forming a cross-departmental coordinated cultural relic recovery system, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the procuratorial organs, and the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico jointly participating, comprehensively using judicial intervention, auction intervention, and institutional negotiations to promote the recovery work. Mexican embassies and consulates abroad also generally have cultural heritage affairs liaisons.

The Mexican cultural department also launched the "My Heritage is Not for Sale" social media campaign in 2018 to raise international awareness of the illegal trade in cultural relics and gradually form three core strategies: voluntary return, legal recovery, and stopping auctions. Under the promotion of this action, in 2022, a family in Barcelona, Spain, voluntarily returned 2,522 cultural relics, becoming the largest single private voluntary return case in Mexican history. In 2023, a Belgian citizen took the initiative to hand over 20 cultural relics preserved by his family for more than 70 years to the Mexican Embassy in Belgium.

The relevant负责人 (fù zé rén - "person in charge," official) of the National Institute of Anthropology and History of Mexico said: "The return of cultural relics can stimulate widespread emotional resonance and enhance cultural and identity recognition." The Mexican government said that it will continue to regard the recovery of cultural heritage as an important priority for cultural and diplomatic policies in the future, strengthen cross-departmental coordination and international cooperation, and combat the excavation and illegal export of cultural relics from the source. The recovered cultural relics will be opened to the public through permanent exhibitions and international巡展 (xún zhǎn - "touring exhibition," exhibition that travels to multiple locations), further promoting the recognition, inheritance, and rational utilization of national cultural heritage by the whole society.

Côte d'Ivoire's Ministry of Culture and Francophone Affairs—

We must firmly support the return of illegally lost cultural relics to their countries of origin and preserve cultural roots.

In March this year, the national treasure-level cultural relic looted from Côte d'Ivoire during the colonial period—the "talking drum"—was officially returned. This wooden drum, about 3.3 meters long and weighing about 430 kilograms, was an important tool for the Ebrié people of Côte d'Ivoire to transmit information and mobilize the public. It was looted by the French colonial authorities in 1916 and transported to Paris for preservation.

It is understood that the "talking drum" is the first cultural relic returned by France to Côte d'Ivoire. "This is a historically significant day, a moment of justice and commemoration." Françoise Remarck (弗朗索瓦丝·雷马克), Minister of Culture and Francophone Affairs of Côte d'Ivoire, said bluntly, "We must firmly support the return of illegally lost cultural relics to their countries of origin and preserve cultural roots." At the return ceremony, local traditional tribal chiefs were dressed in盛装 (shèng zhuāng - "full dress," formal attire), and the people sang and danced. Gervais Tché Germain (热尔韦·乔曼), the Ebrié chief wearing a traditional loincloth, said: "The return of cultural relics has stimulated national pride and helped to establish cultural and identity recognition."

From the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, colonial troops大规模 (dà guī mó - "large scale," extensive) looted cultural relics from African countries such as Côte d'Ivoire. These cultural relics were subsequently entered museums in many European countries through auctions, donations, and other means. According to the Sarr-Savoy report published in 2018 commissioned by the French government, about 90% of Africa's cultural heritage has been lost to museums and private collectors in European countries. In recent years, African countries have continued to increase their efforts to recover cultural relics through diplomacy, law, and cultural cooperation. However, many African cultural relics are collected in national museums in European countries, and these cultural relics are often listed as "national property" and are difficult to transfer by law. Countries such as France need to pass special legislation to return individual cultural relics, which makes the return process generally slow.

Senegal is one of the first countries to achieve a breakthrough. In 2021, the French government returned cultural relics to Senegal based on special laws, including the war sword and scabbard of Omar Saidou Tall (奥马尔·赛义杜·塔勒). The Senegalese government established a cultural relic承接 (chéng jiē - "undertaking," receiving) system through the Museum of Black Civilizations in Dakar, the capital, and continued to promote the return of more cultural relics through diplomatic channels. In 2025, the Dutch government returned 119 Benin bronzes from the Kingdom of Benin to Nigeria. Currently, the government of Côte d'Ivoire is seeking the return of nearly 150 other cultural relics from the French government.

UNESCO published an article stating that France's return of the first cultural relic to Côte d'Ivoire marks an important step in the restoration of cultural heritage looted by colonial powers in Africa, setting a new example for global cultural relic repatriation actions. The relevant负责人 (fù zé rén - "person in charge," official) of the cultural relic department of Côte d'Ivoire said that the promotion of the work of recovering cultural relics is an important progress made by the international community in facing up to and resolving historical injustices.

(Intern Hou Tianze (侯天泽) participated in writing)

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The probability of a global climate shift to El Niño is increasing.

By: 本报记者 许海林

The European Union's climate monitoring agency, the Copernicus Climate Change Service, recently released a bulletin stating that in March of this year, the global average sea surface temperature reached the second-highest level on record for the same period. This indicates that climate patterns may be shifting towards El Niño, and climate anomalies in some regions may further intensify. Climate centers in many countries predict that in the second half of this year, the global climate may shift from a neutral state to an El Niño state. The possibility of a strong El Niño phenomenon occurring in the next two years is increasing, and global temperatures may rise to new highs.

The El Niño phenomenon refers to an abnormal increase in sea water temperature in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, which affects atmospheric circulation. It usually occurs every few years. It often leads to global temperature increases and causes climate anomalies in many regions around the Pacific Ocean, with some regions experiencing frequent heavy rains and floods, while others experience high temperatures and little rain, leading to severe droughts. Currently, the latest international monitoring data and predictions from multiple climate models show that sea temperatures in the tropical central and eastern Pacific will continue to rise, and may enter an El Niño state in late spring and early summer. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service bulletin, in March of this year, the average sea surface temperature between 60 degrees north and south latitude was 20.97 degrees Celsius, only lower than during the last El Niño phenomenon. The global average surface temperature for the month was 13.94 degrees Celsius, the fourth warmest March on record. Sea ice monitoring data shows that in March, the average area of Arctic sea ice was 5.7% smaller than the average for the same period, the smallest area on record for March, and the Antarctic sea ice area was 10% lower than the average for the same period. The bulletin stated that if a "super El Niño" phenomenon occurs, the likelihood of hurricane formation in the Atlantic will decrease, but the risk of tropical cyclone formation in the Pacific will further increase.

The last time the world experienced an El Niño phenomenon was between May 2023 and March 2024, and 2024 became the hottest year on record. At that time, the sea surface temperature rose above the threshold of 2 degrees Celsius, but the duration was short, approaching but failing to be identified as a "super El Niño" phenomenon. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts believes that due to excessively high greenhouse gas concentrations, the climate system cannot release all the heat generated by El Niño in a timely manner. If heat release is not completed before the next climate event occurs, the global baseline temperature will rise, which will increase the possibility of natural disasters. Many experts say that against the backdrop of an overall increase in the global temperature baseline, global temperatures are likely to remain at a "relatively warm high level" in 2026, and El Niño will also push up temperatures.

Although climate predictions have uncertainties, meteorologists in many countries have issued warnings about this. Carlo Buontempo, Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, said that the data for March of this year once again sounds the climate alarm, "Together, they paint a picture of a climate system under sustained and increasing pressure." Zeke Hausfather, a climate scientist at the American environmental technology organization "Berkeley Earth" (伯克利地球), analyzed that if El Niño occurs, 2027 may break the historical highest temperature. The World Meteorological Organization's latest report, "The State of the Global Climate 2025," believes that extreme weather under climate change has caused great damage to various places, with economic losses amounting to tens of billions of dollars.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres (古特雷斯) has repeatedly called on countries to accelerate the process of green energy transition and strive to achieve climate security, energy security, and national security. He said that the global climate is in a state of emergency, and the Earth is being pushed to its limits. "All key climate indicators are flashing red. Humanity has just experienced the hottest 11 years on record. When history repeats itself 11 times in a row, it is no longer a coincidence, but a warning that action must be taken."

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Japan's "Spring of Price Hikes" Worsens Burden on People's Livelihoods

By: 本报记者 刘文璋

In recent times, prices of Japanese food, electricity, gas, and daily necessities have risen simultaneously, leading many Japanese media outlets to call it a "spring of price hikes." Data recently released by the Japanese research company Teikoku Databank (帝国数据银行) shows that due to the continued rise in raw materials, packaging materials, and labor costs, 195 major Japanese food and beverage manufacturers plan to raise product prices, involving as many as 2,798 kinds of goods. This is the first time since 2026 that the number of products with price increases in a single month has exceeded 2,000. At the same time, the government subsidies for electricity and gas bills in Japan have expired, and 10 major electric power companies and 4 city gas companies have comprehensively raised their fees. The monthly electricity bill for an average Japanese household is expected to increase by 393 to 463 yen (approximately 23 yuan RMB), and the gas bill will increase by 148 to 195 yen.

This round of price increases is driven by a comprehensive rise in costs. The prolonged war in the Middle East has impacted the global supply chain, leading to increased production costs for Japanese companies in terms of raw materials, energy, logistics, packaging, and labor. Companies are passing on these increased costs to consumers, forming a cost-push inflation. Daisuke Iijima (飯島大介) of the Information Coordination Department of the Tokyo Branch of Teikoku Databank (帝国数据银行东京支社信息统筹部) believes that if companies' production costs remain high, Japan may face more than one round of price increases this year.

Soaring prices continue to increase the burden on people's livelihoods. Teikoku Databank (帝国数据银行) analysis shows that spring is typically a time when prices are concentratedly raised in Japan. Coupled with rising electricity and gas prices, an average Japanese family of four will have tens of thousands of yen in additional expenses this year. A survey by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (日本总务省) shows that in 2025, the Engel's coefficient (the proportion of food expenditure to consumption expenditure) for Japanese households with two or more people reached 28.6%, a new high since 1981, highlighting the increased burden on their income and expenditure. The latest household income and expenditure survey released by the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (日本总务省) shows that the average monthly consumption expenditure for households with two or more people is 289,400 yen. After excluding the impact of price changes, the actual expenditure decreased by 1.8% year-on-year, showing negative growth for three consecutive months. Some media outlets estimate that rising food and energy prices will further suppress residents' willingness to consume.

Although Japanese supermarkets are trying to reduce the negative impact of price increases through promotions and the introduction of private-label products, consumers still feel the pressure. For example, AEON Group (永旺集团), one of Japan's largest retail groups, has pledged to implement price reductions on some products and promote a 10% year-on-year increase in sales of its private-label products. However, data shows that the overall trend of price increases continues, and consumers report that "private-label brands are also becoming more expensive" and "prices after promotions are still higher than last year," indicating that the actual effect of these measures is limited.

On Japanese social media, comments such as "many things are ridiculously expensive" and "I am already numb to price increases" are constantly emerging. Many consumers are choosing to stockpile goods in advance, purchase cheaper alternatives, and even adjust their dietary structure to reduce expenses. Kaneko (金子), a housewife living in Meguro Ward (目黑区), Tokyo (东京都), told reporters that the price of convenience store bento boxes has increased, and the portion has shrunk year by year, with the appearance seemingly unchanged, but the lunch boxes are getting shallower and shallower. Konno (今野), a housewife, told reporters: "My children are at an age where they are growing and eating a lot, but food prices are getting higher and higher, which is really worrying." Another Tokyo (东京) resident told reporters that in order to make a living, he only has 1,000 yen for lunch every day, and the number of affordable fast food restaurants he can choose from is decreasing.

Japanese media generally expect the trend of rising prices to continue. The momentum of price increases in the first half of 2026 will be relatively mild, but if the yen continues to depreciate or energy prices rise again in the second half of the year, food prices may accelerate. Multiple factors such as energy, logistics, and exchange rates continue to test the cost control capabilities of Japanese companies, and the situation of tightening household spending for Japanese residents will continue for a long time.

(Reported from Tokyo (东京) on April 19 by this newspaper)

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Photo Report

Recently, at a specialized handicraft exhibition held in Tunisia, more than 250 local handicraft practitioners participated, showcasing new products in about 60 handicraft categories, including ethnic costumes, jewelry, handmade fabrics, traditional furniture, and herbal essential oils, highlighting the country's commitment to promoting the innovative development of the handicraft industry.

People's Daily reporter Zhang Zhiwen (张志文) reported with photographs.

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Global Scan

Yemeni Houthi Armed Forces Warn of Escalation Potentially Leading to Closure of Bab el-Mandeb Strait

According to Xinhua News Agency, Kuwait City, April 19 (Reporter Yin Ke (尹炣)) – Sana'a (萨那) news: Yemen's Houthi armed forces warned on the 18th that the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait may be closed if efforts aimed at achieving peace continue to be obstructed.

Hussein Al-Ezzi (侯赛因·伊齐), a senior Houthi official, urged US President Donald Trump (唐纳德·特朗普) and his allies on social media on the 18th to "end all actions and policies that hinder peace" and respect the legitimate rights of the Yemeni people. He also stated that if the decision is made to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, "no force will be able to reopen it."

The Houthi's warning closely follows Iran's decision on the 18th to re-block the Strait of Hormuz. The public relations department of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队) Navy issued a statement on the 18th, stating that due to the United States violating ceasefire commitments and failing to lift the maritime blockade on Iranian ports and ships, the Strait of Hormuz would be blocked from the evening of that day.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and is a vital passage connecting the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Indian Ocean. The strait is within the control of the Yemeni Houthi armed forces. US Energy Information Administration data shows that before the outbreak of the US-Israeli-Iranian conflict, approximately 12% of global oil transport passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Since the end of March, the Houthi armed forces have launched missiles and drones at Israel (以色列) to support its allies in the "arc of resistance" in the region.

Spain, Brazil, and Mexico Call for Action to Alleviate the Situation in Cuba

According to Xinhua News Agency, Madrid, April 18 (Reporter Meng Dingbo (孟鼎博)) – The governments of Spain (西班牙), Brazil (巴西), and Mexico (墨西哥) issued a joint statement on the 18th, expressing deep concern about the suffering the Cuban people are experiencing and calling for necessary measures to alleviate the current situation.

The statement said that Spain, Brazil, and Mexico call for avoiding any actions that further worsen the living conditions of the people or violate international law, and pledge to increase humanitarian assistance in a coordinated manner to alleviate the suffering of the Cuban people. The statement emphasized that international law and the principles established in the UN Charter, such as territorial integrity, sovereign equality, and peaceful resolution of disputes, must always be respected.

In the statement, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico also called for dialogue based on international law and the principles of the UN Charter, with a view to finding lasting solutions to the current situation.

Hungary Announces Final Results of Parliamentary Elections; Tisza Party Wins 141 of 199 Seats

According to Xinhua News Agency, Budapest (布达佩斯), April 18 (Reporters Liu Yiwei (刘艺炜) and Chen Hao (陈浩)) – The final vote count announced by the Hungarian National Election Office (匈牙利国家选举办公室) on the 18th showed that the Hungarian Tisza Party (匈牙利蒂萨党) won a two-thirds majority in the parliamentary elections held on the 12th of this month.

According to the final vote count, the Tisza Party led by Péter Magyar (毛焦尔·彼得) received 53.18% of the vote, winning 141 of the 199 seats in parliament; the ruling coalition (Fidesz (青民盟) and KDNP (基民党)) led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (欧尔班) received 38.61% of the vote, winning 52 seats; and the far-right party "Our Homeland Movement" (我们的祖国) received 5.63% of the vote, winning 6 seats.

The final turnout for the Hungarian parliamentary elections was 79.56%, a record high. The election results mean that Orbán's 16-year continuous rule since 2010 will come to an end. Orbán previously served as Prime Minister of Hungary from 1998 to 2002 and returned to power in 2010, ruling until now.

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South Korean household debt hits record high

This newspaper's Seoul (首尔) April 19th dispatch (Reporter Mang Jiuchen (莽九晨)): The latest data from the Bank of Korea (韩国银行), the central bank of South Korea (韩国): At the end of 2025, the average loan balance of the loan population in South Korea (韩国) reached 91.52 million won (approximately 215 won per 1 yuan RMB), an increase of 2.81 million won year-on-year, hitting a new high. Among them, the average loan balance of the 30-39 age group was approximately 102 million won, an increase of 3.82 million won year-on-year, exceeding 100 million won for the first time; the average loan balance of the 40-49 age group reached 117 million won, a continuous increase for three years.

The "2026 Household Debt Management Plan" recently released by the Financial Services Commission (韩国金融委员会) of South Korea (韩国) pointed out that the ratio of South Korean (韩国) household debt to GDP has been continuously declining since 2021, with a household debt ratio of 88.6% in 2025, but it is still at a high level among major economies. The plan proposes to strictly control the total growth rate of household loans within 1.5% in 2026, with a long-term goal of reducing the household debt ratio to within 80% by 2030. The government will also severely crack down on various market speculation activities, and loan applications that do not meet the standards will not be approved. At the same time, stricter restrictions will be imposed on loans from Internet financial platforms.

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This edition's editors: Zou Zhipeng, Zhang Huizhong, Chu Jun

Layout Design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)

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Prosperous Industries, Wealthy People, Beautiful and Harmonious Villages (China Focus)

The comprehensive revitalization of rural areas is an important foundation for Chinese-style modernization. In recent years, China's vast rural areas have continued to exert efforts in areas such as industrial upgrading, improvement of people's livelihoods, ecological protection, and cultural inheritance, radiating vigorous vitality and becoming a vivid window to showcase China's development achievements. From the Northeast granary to the Southwest villages, from the fertile fields along the coast to the borderlands... More and more foreign friends are using their lenses to record the vivid picture of industrial prosperity, ecologically livable environment, and increasingly affluent lives of farmers on this land.

(This edition's text was compiled and edited by reporters Han Shuo (韩硕), Guo Xiaolong (郭晓龙), Song Haoxin (宋豪新), Yang Wenming (杨文明), Yang Yanfei (杨颜菲), Liu Junguo (刘军国), Shi Yu (施钰), Huang Xian (黄娴), and Zhang Yunhe (张云河) from this newspaper.)

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This section editor: Hou Lulu, Han Shuo

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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A 100 Billion Yuan Policy Tool: Making Good Use of This Innovative Design (Economic View)

By: 杨远帆

General Secretary Xi Jinping (习近平) emphasized, "Implement more proactive and effective macro policies, promote the effective improvement of the quality and the reasonable growth of the quantity of the economy, maintain social harmony and stability, and strive to achieve a good start for the '15th Five-Year Plan'."

In the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," how can fiscal and financial policies work together to promote domestic demand?

This year's "Government Work Report" lists "focusing on building a strong domestic market" as the top government work task for 2026. The "15th Five-Year Plan" outline clearly requires "coordinating efforts to promote employment, increase income, stabilize expectations, and accelerate the formation of a long-term mechanism for expanding residents' consumption." In order to solve the contradiction of "strong supply and weak demand" and stimulate residents' consumption and private investment vitality, the central government has specially arranged 100 billion yuan this year to innovatively establish a fiscal and financial collaborative policy tool to promote domestic demand, and launched a package of 6 policies to promote domestic demand, including 4 to support private investment and 2 to support residents' consumption.

How should we understand this innovative design? How can we accurately and effectively use this 100 billion yuan of special funds?

First, let's look at the two major areas: residents' consumption and private investment. The newly launched special guarantee plan for private investment and the risk-sharing mechanism for supporting private enterprise bonds will optimize the interest subsidy policies for service industry business entities' loans and individual consumer loans. Looking closely at a series of policy tools, some are a continuation of existing policies, while others are targeted policy innovations.

Good policies require more implementation. Anhui (安徽), Shandong (山东) and other places have accelerated the implementation of special guarantee plans for private investment. Many enterprises planning to expand their business scale said that shortly after the policy was released, they took advantage of the "east wind" to apply for medium and long-term loans. "Exemption from application and immediate enjoyment" allows consumers to feel the warmth of the policy - the implementation period of consumer loan interest subsidies has been extended, and many consumer loan borrowers who are still repaying their loans are pleasantly surprised to find that they do not need to re-sign the agreement and automatically apply the latest policy. Car owners who newly purchase new energy vehicles apply for consumer loans through mobile banking, and the system automatically identifies car purchase consumption records, and the financial interest subsidy is directly deducted during interest calculation, saving money and "trouble."

Let's look at the two major functions: fiscal guidance and bottom-line guarantee, and financial expansion and quality improvement. By strengthening policy coordination, finance establishes mechanisms and provides funds, finance provides liquidity, and departments such as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工信部) propose project lists, jointly forming a transmission chain of fiscal guidance, financial amplification, and market operation. Shanxi's (山西) practice is quite representative: taking a catering enterprise in Taiyuan (太原) as an example, a loan of 10 million yuan is used for store upgrades, and it can enjoy an interest subsidy of 100,000 yuan throughout the year, reducing financing costs, and achieving "exemption from application and immediate enjoyment." Enterprises do not need to run errands, and the interest subsidy is automatically deducted. Gansu (甘肃) has newly established a special guarantee plan for private investment, focusing on supporting medium and long-term loans for private investment by small and medium-sized enterprises, which are used for production and operation activities such as scenario expansion and upgrading and transformation, which not only meets the financing needs of enterprises, but also transmits a clear signal of stabilizing expectations and strengthening confidence to the market.

Obviously, accurately serving the real economy and effectively expanding domestic demand are the focus of a series of policies. The 100 billion yuan of special funds directly addresses the blockages and pain points of expanding domestic demand, accurately identifies the channels for fiscal funds to intervene, and opens up the "last mile" from capital supply to the transformation of investment and consumption behavior. Good tool design is the first step. To continue to exert policy effectiveness, it is also necessary to continuously strengthen monitoring and rely on digital technology to deeply bind interest subsidy funds with designated industrial fields and specific consumption scenarios to better achieve accurate and effective use.

Judging from the implementation of policies in the first few months of this year, the 100 billion yuan of special funds, through the deep coordination of finance and finance, has leveraged more resources to flow to consumption and the real economy, injecting strong impetus into a good start for the "15th Five-Year Plan." Using the right direction and using the mechanism well to ensure that every penny is spent where it is needed is the key to the policy tool moving from "innovative design" to "implementation and effectiveness."

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How a Small Button Connects to a Big Market: An Export Business Story from a Hidden Gem City (In-depth Finance)

By: 本报记者 窦瀚洋 王东辉

In Qiaotou Town (桥头镇), Yongjia County (永嘉县), Wenzhou (温州), Zhejiang Province (浙江省), a giant button-shaped sculpture stands tall. Buttons are the shining calling card of Qiaotou Town (桥头镇) – it is the renowned "China Button Capital" (中国纽扣之都) at home and abroad.

Since its inception, how has the local button industry transformed, upgraded, and innovated in the face of a constantly changing market environment? A reporter visited Yongjia (永嘉) to explore the market pulse within these small buttons.

Starting from Qiaotou (桥头) Street Stalls, Selling Across the Oceans to the World

In March, the Qiaotou Button Market (桥头纽扣市场) was a busy scene, with button packages piled up in front of each store, ready to be sent to all parts of the world.

Wang Suinai (王碎奶), 79 years old this year, is in good spirits and often pulls familiar merchants aside to advise: "Only by ensuring quality and reasonable prices can we retain customers." She is one of the earliest pioneers of the button business in Qiaotou Town (桥头镇) and a firsthand participant and witness to the more than 40-year development of the local button industry.

In the late 1970s, people in Qiaotou (桥头) barely made a living by farming. By chance, Wang Suinai (王碎奶) learned that several Hunan (湖南) manufacturers had a batch of overstocked buttons with excellent color and quality. "People can't live without clothes, and clothes can't do without buttons, so there must be a market." She said that she plucked up the courage to take these buttons and set up a small stall on the stone bridge in front of her house. As expected, they were quickly snapped up. "In less than a week, the money earned was equivalent to the entire family's income for a year."

Having tasted the sweetness, Wang Suinai (王碎奶) decided to continue the button business. After scraping together 500 yuan in capital, she and her family traveled to Jiangsu (江苏), Shanghai (上海) and other places to purchase dozens of kilograms of buttons from manufacturers. As a village cadre, she also took the initiative to encourage women with difficult lives to carry and sell goods. Soon, the number of button stalls in Qiaotou Town (桥头镇) grew from the initial 2 to more than 40, and the stone bridge and surrounding streets gradually formed a "button street," becoming a well-known button distribution center.

In 1983, Qiaotou Town (桥头镇) saw the birth of China's first rural specialized small commodity market – the Qiaotou Button Market (桥头纽扣市场). The 42 families who set up stalls on the stone bridge received the first batch of business licenses.

"When business was booming, thousands of people came to us to purchase every day," Wang Suinai (王碎奶) recalled. The local government built a simple market with nearly 300 stalls, and the "Qiaotou Button Market" (桥头纽扣市场) was officially born. In the decades that followed, the Qiaotou (桥头) button industry flourished, once accounting for 90% of the national market share, and the industrial radiation range continued to expand, extending from Qiaotou (桥头) to the entire Yongjia County (永嘉县) and surrounding counties and cities.

Foreign trade also began. In the late 1980s, a Southeast Asian businessman happened to come to Qiaotou (桥头) and was attracted by the wide variety of buttons on the market, and immediately ordered a batch of goods. This foreign trade order made the people of Qiaotou (桥头) see the potential of overseas markets. Since then, more and more Qiaotou (桥头) merchants have taken the initiative to connect with foreign trade merchants, and later even formed groups to go to the Canton Fair (广交会) and foreign exhibitions to promote their products.

"At first, we relied on fellow villagers who were working hard in other places to get orders for us," Zou Lixiao (邹利晓), general manager of Wenzhou Fangyuan Metal Button Co., Ltd. (温州市方圆金属钮扣有限公司), recalled the first foreign trade order. Subsequently, the company took the initiative to participate in the Canton Fair (广交会), where it met foreign customers from India (印度), South America (南美) and other places in a 9-square-meter exhibition hall. In the following 20 years, it has established stable cooperation with foreign merchants through domestic and foreign exhibitions and other platforms, relying on the complete domestic garment accessories industry.

In this way, small buttons started from Qiaotou (桥头) and were sold to overseas markets across the oceans.

In 2025, the industrial output value of garment accessories represented by buttons in Yongjia County (永嘉县) exceeded 1.2 billion yuan, with 23 enterprises above designated size, more than 300 button production, processing and sales enterprises, and nearly 20,000 employees. In Qiaotou Town (桥头镇), enterprises produce approximately 100 billion buttons annually.

Industrial Chain Clusters Make Production More Convenient, Costs More Controllable, and Products More Competitive

In Yongjia (永嘉), the foreign trade journey of buttons has experienced a period of growing "pains."

As a leading local button enterprise, Zhejiang Xincheng Button Ornament Co., Ltd. (浙江新城钮扣饰品有限公司) (hereinafter referred to as "Xincheng Button" (新城钮扣)) has been deeply involved in the industry for more than 40 years. General Manager Chen Haihua (陈海华) has deep feelings: "After going through the street stall economy and extensive development, the button industry once fell into a bottleneck – production technology could not be improved, the process model was simple, and it could only be trapped in the market for low-end and cheap products."

Today, entering the production factory of Xincheng Button (新城钮扣), the high-speed AI (artificial intelligence) industrial vision inspection machine is quite eye-catching. In less than 30 minutes, a batch of 30,000 buttons completes product quality inspection.

"The visual inspection equipment was purchased a few years ago, but it was not used for a while," Chen Haihua (陈海华) admitted. There are thousands of button styles, and in the past, parameters had to be constantly adjusted, and the efficiency of visual inspection could not be improved.

"In October last year, the equipment was upgraded and six more cameras were added," Chen Haihua (陈海华) said. AI needs to undergo a lot of training, and the factory's hundreds of millions of button products happen to have a "use." After repeated training, the detection efficiency has increased by at least 50%.

Some enterprises are "trying out" 3D printing technology. In the production workshop of Wenzhou Pengbo Knitting Button Co., Ltd. (温州市蓬勃针织钮扣有限公司), 3D-printed molds of various shapes and fine textures have become the "weapon" for enterprises to open up new markets.

Lin Pengbo (林蓬勃), general manager of the company, said that in the past, it cost at least 400 yuan to open a mold for a button, and it took at least a few days or even a week from design to proofing. "Some small-batch, multi-style orders were thankless and we didn't dare to take them at all." Now, relying on 3D printing technology, the cost of the same mold is only 50 yuan, the proofing time is greatly shortened, and the style modification is more flexible.

Today, 3D printing has become a standard tool for Yongjia County (永嘉县) button enterprises in research and development, proofing, and production. "The new technology greatly reduces research and development costs, and can directly form three-dimensional textures on the surface of buttons, making the design more creative and textured," Lin Pengbo (林蓬勃) said.

The increasingly perfect industrial chain cluster has become an important advantage for Yongjia (永嘉) buttons to participate in global competition. From raw material supply to design and development, production and processing, and then to testing and inspection, logistics and distribution, the complete industrial chain enables enterprises to achieve a highly efficient transaction model of "on-site sample viewing, on-the-spot ordering, and immediate delivery" in Yongjia (永嘉).

"Enterprises have a clear division of labor and each performs its own duties. Some focus on raw material supply, some focus on production and processing, and some focus on productive service industries such as testing and logistics, forming an industrial ecology with efficient upstream and downstream linkage and complete supporting facilities," said Jin Enyi (金恩义), executive vice president of the Qiaotou Button Chamber of Commerce (桥头钮扣商会). The Yongjia (永嘉) button industrial chain cluster makes production more convenient, costs more controllable, and products more competitive.

Today, to produce a button, from core raw materials such as resin to supporting accessories such as electroplating and printing and dyeing, all can be collected in Qiaotou Town (桥头镇) within half a day, and the allocation of all categories of raw materials can be completed in as little as 2 to 3 hours.

Technological Improvement and Creative Upgrading Significantly Increase the Added Value of Buttons

How can seemingly ordinary buttons develop into a large industry with an output value of hundreds of millions of yuan? The answer from Yongjia (永嘉) people is that in addition to relying on technological progress to reduce costs, they must also work hard to increase the added value of buttons.

In Xincheng Button (新城钮扣), a "rainbow button" aroused everyone's curiosity. As sunlight shines on it, the originally unremarkable white button gradually turns into various colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. When the button is taken back indoors, it gradually turns white again.

"This is a new product we developed last year, inspired by anti-ultraviolet light-changing sunglasses," Chen Haihua (陈海华) introduced. Thanks to continuous investment in technology, this button took only 3 months from the initial inspiration to production.

What is the market prospect?

"Many foreign clothing brands have expressed their intention to cooperate, mainly children's clothing brands," Chen Haihua (陈海华) said. "Now, consumers care more about emotional value. Such a color-changing button can add a lot of wearing experience."

In recent years, the new Chinese style, the national trend, and the Hanfu craze have continued to "break the circle," and batches of personalized and customized buttons have become popular.

In the exhibition hall of Wenzhou Hengmeihe Garment Co., Ltd. (温州恒美合服饰有限公司), several Chinese knot buttons look like works of art. A red horse with ingots hanging on its body, matched with red tassels, exudes Chinese elegance, implying "immediate wealth"; a magpie holding plum blossoms in its mouth stands on a treetop, with a framed scene behind it, implying "happiness is on the brow"...

"Isn't it hard to imagine that these are also buttons?" Xu Sunqiu (徐孙球), general manager of the company, said that since the company settled in Yongjia County (永嘉县) in 2017, it has focused on the segmented track, focusing on Chinese-style and other styles of Chinese knot buttons, adhering to traditional hand-made production, and an artistic button can sell for 120 to 200 yuan, with a stable customer base of more than 50,000 people online and offline, at home and abroad.

Services are also being upgraded. Today, the Yongjia County (永嘉县) button industry has advanced from selling products to selling services, and the integration and transformation of upstream and downstream industries is accelerating. In Zhejiang Mailida Group Co., Ltd. (浙江迈利达集团有限公司), General Manager Zou Qingqing (邹青青) is leading the team to study the systematic development of accessories and provide customers with customized services.

"The company's business not only includes traditional button design and production, but also provides a complete set of design solutions including zippers and decorative logos," she said. This not only realizes the interaction of upstream and downstream related industries, but also enhances the competitiveness of enterprises.

The higher the added value of products, the more urgent the need for patent protection. In 2025, the national-level Wenzhou Intellectual Property Protection Center Yongjia Branch Center (国家级温州市知识产权保护中心永嘉分中心) was officially established, exploring the acceptance of rapid pre-examination and trademark acceptance services, which can generally be completed in 7 working days.

Zhang Zhirong (章志容), director of the Yongjia County Intellectual Property Service Center (永嘉县知识产权服务中心), introduced that the Yongjia County Intellectual Property Service Center (永嘉县知识产权服务中心) has been officially put into operation. In 2025, the button zipper industry added 156 new design patents, of which 72 were quickly authorized through the rapid pre-examination channel, shortening the authorization time by 90% compared with the conventional process.

"Next, we will focus on key links such as design and development, brand cultivation, and intelligent manufacturing, promote the upgrading of traditional buttons to fashion, functionality, and digitalization, and make the golden signboard of 'China Button Capital' (中国纽扣之都) even brighter," said Ye Manman (叶蔓蔓), member of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Yongjia County Bureau of Economy and Information Technology (永嘉县经信局).

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Financial inclusion through the lens of ancient lending (Learning economics through history)

By: 辛 星

The important function of inclusive finance is to provide appropriate and effective financial services to small and micro enterprises, farmers, and low-income urban populations. In recent years, the development of inclusive finance has received increasing attention from society. The "15th Five-Year Plan" clearly proposes to "improve the quality and efficiency of financial services for the real economy, and vigorously develop science and technology finance, green finance, inclusive finance, pension finance, and digital finance."

Historically, there were also private and official lending activities in ancient China. Analyzing the continuous evolution of ancient private lending activities and the continuous expansion of official disaster relief loan models will help us better understand today's inclusive finance model.

Private lending activities can be traced back to the pre-Qin period. After the Han Dynasty, private lending activities became increasingly active. During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, religion was prevalent, and donations from believers and the government allowed temples to accumulate lending capital. Poor people could use movable properties such as clothing as collateral in exchange for money and food, forming folk financial institutions called "Zhi Ku." During the Tang and Song Dynasties, social wealth accumulation accelerated, and wealthy merchants, bureaucrats, and nobles all opened "Zhi Ku," seeking profits by issuing mortgage loans. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, pawnshops replaced various "Zhi Ku" and became one of the most important folk financial institutions. The essence of the business model was to issue mortgage loans to ordinary people and small households.

Overall, the advantage of private lending lies in its rapid response to financial needs. However, due to the lack of systematic understanding of the borrower's credit status and repayment ability, it can only offset potential default risks by increasing interest rates. Therefore, in the long history, private financial interest rates have been generally high.

Coexisting with private lending activities is the official disaster relief loan model. The history of the official disaster relief loan model is also very long. After King Wu of Zhou (周武王) defeated King Zhou of Shang (商纣) in the Battle of Muye (牧野之战), in order to appease the world and stabilize the situation, he distributed wealth and grain, and abandoned debts. The so-called "abandoning debts" refers to the cancellation of debts owed by the people to the government, which shows that in the Shang Dynasty, there was already government lending to the people.

Over a long historical period, official lending mainly focused on necessities such as grain. For example, the Changping Granary (常平仓) in the Han Dynasty and the Yicang Granary (义仓) in the Sui Dynasty were both used to collect grain and store it in good years, and to provide disaster relief and help the poor in famine years. By the Northern Song Dynasty, national credit appeared in the form of currency for the first time. In 1069, under the promotion of Wang Anshi (王安石), the government used the national treasury money as credit capital to provide agricultural loans. This was an important part of the "Green Sprouts Act" (青苗法), which aimed to "reduce the interest rate for officials and help the people in need," so that people could avoid exploitation by usurers through relatively low-interest loans.

Later, with the failure of the reform and the dismissal of Wang Anshi (王安石), the "Green Sprouts Act" (青苗法) was eventually abolished. It was not until the Qing Dynasty that in 1723, the Qing government created the "interest-bearing silver" policy, lending silver from the internal treasury to merchants and bannermen, and collecting interest to enrich the treasury. The annual interest rate was strictly controlled below 18%, which greatly promoted the monetization transformation of state-run lending.

Compared with private lending activities, the official model has certain advantages. In long-term administrative management, the government has accumulated a large amount of information on households, land, occupations, and clans, and has a better understanding of the borrower's background, and risk identification is more accurate. At the same time, the government has stronger control over collateral, more adequate risk mitigation measures, and lower interest rates.

However, the shortcomings of the official model are also obvious. Since the government uniformly formulates rules, the types of loans are single and it is difficult to accurately match diversified credit needs. At the same time, under the reality of grassroots governance in the feudal era where "imperial power does not extend to the county," most of the dividends of official policies were intercepted by the gentry and it was difficult to reach the poor people in need.

Today, the empowerment of technology and the improvement of social governance effectiveness are promoting new development trends in inclusive finance. The data accumulation capabilities of financial institutions have undergone qualitative changes, the cost of obtaining user credit profiles has decreased, and overall credit interest rates have decreased. Financial innovation is accelerating, product portfolios are becoming more abundant, and services are becoming more diversified. Financial infrastructure is further improved, physical institutions have dense networks of outlets, and mobile banking is efficient and convenient. The capillaries of inclusive finance have truly reached towns and villages, fields and land.

(The author is the General Business Manager and Senior Economist of China Construction Bank (中国建设银行). This article was compiled and organized by Ge Mengchao (葛孟超), a reporter from this newspaper.)

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Editor in charge of this page: Qu Xinming

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Don't Let the Central Control Screen Become a "Blind Spot" for Safe Driving (Prism)

By: 陆凡冰

Technological innovation should help and empower safety, not create hidden dangers. Only when car companies adhere to the bottom line, regulators draw clear red lines, and drivers build solid defenses, can the increasingly large central control screen truly play its due role.

In recent years, large-sized central control screens have become almost standard equipment for new cars. It integrates navigation, entertainment, and social functions. Users can swipe their fingertips to achieve operations such as watching dramas and playing games. However, behind the convenience, the potential safety problems cannot be ignored: the driving entertainment restriction function that comes with some vehicles is a mere formality, and it can be easily lifted in just 10 seconds; what's more, some drivers stare at the central control screen to "binge-watch dramas" while driving, putting driving safety behind them. When the gaze behind the steering wheel is attracted by the "exciting content" on the screen, what smart technology gives is no longer just simple convenience and fun, but more likely a hidden danger of driving safety risks and governance problems.

Behind this phenomenon is a reflection of the deep-seated problems of car companies' safety checks being perfunctory, the breeding of gray modification chaos, and the relative lag of the regulatory system. At present, the automotive industry is becoming increasingly competitive. In order to seize the market and highlight product selling points, some car companies design the driving entertainment restriction function of the central control screen as a "soft option" that users can turn off at will. This seemingly "humanized" design is actually a betrayal of technical ethics and a disregard for driving safety; and for models that cannot be restricted by software, gray services that install hardware modules and bypass safety restrictions have quietly appeared on the market, further amplifying safety risks. In addition, the current traffic laws and regulations lack a clear and definite definition of behaviors such as operating the central control screen to watch videos while driving, forming a regulatory vacuum.

The evolution of automobiles from simple transportation tools to leisure and entertainment living spaces is a general trend in the industry, but it must be clear that safety is always the first priority. The original intention of intelligence is to make driving safer and more convenient, not to put the cart before the horse. If the central control screen is allowed to become a "black hole" that distracts drivers, it will not only directly threaten the lives of drivers, passengers, and other road users, but also consume public trust in smart car technology and hinder the healthy development of the smart car industry. Adhering to the safety red line is the only way for automotive intelligence to truly move steadily and far.

Car companies must take the initiative to implement "hard constraints" at the source. The focus of technological innovation should not only stay on enriching entertainment functions, but also focus on the essence of safety and strengthen safety design. National mandatory standards need to be followed up and improved in a timely manner. Consideration can be given to setting the driving entertainment restriction function as the default mandatory activation mode, and using other technical means to prevent users from cracking it; at the same time, actively introduce intelligent technologies such as eye tracking and fatigue monitoring, and when the driver is identified as distracted, issue timely warnings or even take necessary intervention measures, using insurmountable "hard constraints" to avoid safety risks from the source.

Regulatory authorities need to take the initiative to "show their swords" and cut off the gray modification chain. Relevant departments should strengthen cross-departmental linkage, accurately trace the source, and severely crack down on merchants that provide cracking services and sell illegal hardware; short video and social platforms must effectively consolidate their main responsibilities, strictly review content, and strictly prohibit the dissemination of related cracking and modification tutorials, and curb the spread of illegal behavior from the communication end; laws and regulations should clearly include behaviors such as operating the central control screen to watch videos while driving into the category of behaviors that hinder safe driving, refine the standards of punishment, and provide a clear and powerful legal basis for law enforcement.

Driving civilization and safety awareness need to be synchronized with technological progress. Traffic management departments, driving schools, and other institutions should strengthen the publicity and education of the risks of using smart cars, and clearly inform drivers that the current assisted driving technology is by no means autonomous driving, and the core function of the central control screen is a driving information terminal, not a "mobile TV" for entertainment. Through continuous guidance, "no playing with the screen while driving" should be as deeply rooted in people's hearts and form a consensus as "no driving after drinking," and become the code of conduct for every driver in the era of smart cars.

Technological innovation should help and empower safety, not create hidden dangers. Only when car companies adhere to the bottom line, regulators draw clear red lines, and drivers build solid defenses, can the increasingly large central control screen truly play its due role.

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Shining a Light on Every Stage of Growth (The Nation and the Family: Focusing on Left-Behind Children)

By: 本报记者 李茂颖

Wancang Village (湾岗村), Changning County (昌宁县), Baoshan City (保山市), Yunnan Province (云南省), is nestled among mountains. Because most parents work away from home, for a long time, the daily lives of left-behind children in the village were mostly filled with monotony and mobile phones. Grandparents could ensure basic needs were met, but they had little energy to tutor them or respond to the children's curiosity about the world.

All the changes began with the appearance of "Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations)."

Starting in 2024, the "Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations)" project, jointly sponsored by the Ministry of Finance (财政部) and the All-China Women's Federation (全国妇联) and specifically undertaken by the China Children and Teenagers' Fund (中国儿童少年基金会), was launched nationwide. With the support of women's federations at all levels, Changning County (昌宁县) has built 10 stations. As of now, the stations have cumulatively carried out more than 320 themed activities, serving over 8,400 children.

A Growth Menu

One warm afternoon, Xiao Yi (小宜) and other children had just stepped into the Wancang Village (湾岗村) Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) when they were attracted by a sweet aroma. The originally empty room had turned into a bustling handicraft workshop. Volunteer Pu Jiamei (普加美) and village officials had prepared rice and fancy molds.

The children's eyes lit up. "Teacher, how are the Erkuai (饵块) and Nian糕 (年糕) sold on the street made?" Xiao Yi (小宜) asked casually. She didn't expect that this question would not only receive a serious response but also turn into a heartwarming "activity order."

She excitedly rolled up her sleeves, struggling with the sticky dough while kneading, and pressing her whole small body onto the mold while shaping it. In one afternoon, lovely-shaped Nian糕 (年糕) and various forms of Erkuai (饵块) filled the work surface. The children's cheers filled the room. When leaving, Xiao Yi (小宜) carefully took away the Nian糕 (年糕) she had made, saying she wanted to bring it to her grandparents to taste.

At the Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations), Xiao Yi (小宜) experienced many "firsts" in her life. The mountains are never short of plants. The first time she did plant rubbing, she squatted on the station's grounds, carefully selecting her favorite leaves. Watching the blue and yellow plant colors slowly permeate the originally plain fabric, she exclaimed, "The colors of nature are so beautiful!"

The Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) does not have a fixed curriculum. Pu Jiamei (普加美) said that it adopts an "activity menu + demand order" model. The outdoor activity area is over a thousand square meters, and the indoor reading area, learning area, activity area, and sports area are clearly divided. Bookshelves, toys, learning supplies, and sports equipment can meet the diverse needs of children for reading, learning, and playing.

What makes Xiao Yi (小宜) feel even more at home is that they were invited to participate in the entire design of the station's venue. From the placement of bookshelves to the decoration and matching, every detail contains the children's ingenuity. Looking at the exclusive space she had personally decorated, Xiao Yi (小宜) felt a sense of belonging.

"The children spend less time playing on their phones, and there are more smiles on their faces!" Grandpa Liu (刘爷爷), a villager in Wancang Village (湾岗村), expressed the feelings of many grandparents of left-behind children. His granddaughter, Xiao Yuan (小媛), is in the third grade of elementary school, and her parents work away from home. As long as the Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) has activities, he makes a special trip to bring his granddaughter to participate, "The child's changes are too great!"

In Changning County (昌宁县), all 10 Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) sites have launched "activity menus" covering moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic, and labor education, and dynamically adjust their offerings based on feedback from children and parents. A "menu" gathers nutrients for growth, and an "order" responds to children's expectations.

Secrets in the Archives

The first time Xiao Ying (小颖) walked into the Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations), she was so nervous that she didn't know what to do. Seeing other children happily reading picture books and playing with toys, she felt both envious and afraid. Pu Jiamei (普加美) did not rush to force her to integrate into the group but quietly stayed by her side. When she stared blankly at the handicraft activities, she silently handed her materials, using silent companionship to break the ice.

Gradually, Xiao Ying (小颖) lowered her guard. After one activity, her family hadn't come to pick her up yet, and she mustered up the courage to ask, "Teacher, can I read another picture book?" This tender request received a positive response, lighting up the light of confidence in her heart.

Later, Xiao Ying (小颖) not only brought the little sister from her neighbor's house to read picture books together but also took the initiative to help the teacher organize toys, becoming a small administrator of the station. She said seriously, "I want to help Teacher Pu (普老师) tidy up the station."

These changes were carefully recorded by Pu Jiamei (普加美) in the activity archives. From "a little shy and introverted" to "more smiles and more talkative," the simple words are full of comfort and expectations.

Opening the archives of left-behind children and children in difficult circumstances at the Wancang Village (湾岗村) Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations), there are many records like Xiao Ying's (小颖). Behind each child's name, their growth trajectory is densely recorded. Behind these archives are Pu Jiamei's (普加美) countless observations during activities, as well as the results of door-to-door surveys and follow-up records. Every step the children take from inferiority to self-confidence is carefully recorded, becoming an exclusive "growth secret diary."

Wancang Village (湾岗村) has a total of 38 left-behind children and 18 children in difficult circumstances. They either lack the daily companionship of their parents or face special problems in their growth. The Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) establishes exclusive archives for each child and conducts home visits at least once a quarter to understand their family situation, learning progress, and life difficulties.

These archives record the joy of growth and are also full of assistance in times of difficulty.

The world of 15-year-old Xiao Lian (小连) once collapsed due to her mother's serious illness. Eight years ago, her father passed away due to illness, and the burden of the family fell entirely on her mother's shoulders. Her grandparents were over seventy years old and suffered from chronic illnesses. The family's livelihood was very difficult.

After learning about Xiao Lian's (小连) family's difficulties during a home visit, Pu Jiamei (普加美) took action immediately, contacting the Women's Federation (妇联), the Civil Affairs Department (民政部门), and mobilizing social forces such as relatives, friends, neighbors, and charitable organizations to raise funds. The funds raised ultimately ensured more than a month of ICU (Intensive Care Unit) treatment for Xiao Lian's (小连) mother.

Unfortunately, Xiao Lian's (小连) mother eventually passed away. Grief and helplessness once again enveloped the family. Pu Jiamei (普加美) did not stop her efforts to help. She continued to connect with the county Women's Federation (县妇联) resources, fully assisted in applying for orphan relief, and step by step helped Xiao Lian (小连) and her siblings stabilize their lives and studies, ensuring that Xiao Lian (小连) could return to school smoothly.

Pu Anxian (普安宪), Party Secretary and Chairman of the Changning County Women's Federation (昌宁县妇女联合会), introduced that the station, in conjunction with the community and schools, conducts a comprehensive survey of left-behind children and children in difficult circumstances in the辖区 (xiá qū - "jurisdiction," administrative region), and establishes a dynamic management ledger of "one file per person." For children who need special attention, each station has gradually established a case service mechanism. Full-time volunteers initially identify children who need case follow-up and establish information files through home visits and daily observations. For children with deeper problems such as psychological, behavioral, academic, or family difficulties, further strengthen the intervention of professional social workers, psychological counselors, or relevant departments to form a closed-loop service of "identification-filing-assistance-follow-up," so that every child in need can receive precise care.

A Bridge Built with Love

During the summer vacation in Wancang Village (湾岗村), the joyful laughter of children always echoes. The arrival of college student volunteers is what children like Xiao Yi (小宜) and Xiao Ying (小颖) look forward to the most. The building blocks that they had only seen on TV before turned into colorful creative shapes with the company of their older brothers and sisters. Fun science experiments and creative interactive games fill the station with the joy of exploration. The youth stories from universities plant seeds of yearning in the hearts of the children. "My dream is to be a doctor!" "I want to be a policeman when I grow up!" The children carefully wrote their aspirations on wish cards.

Since its operation, the Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) has been like a magical connector, closely linking rural children with the distant world. Here, there is not only the youthful light from universities but also the warm support from the village collective, as well as the concerted efforts of the Women's Federation (妇联), social workers, the Communist Youth League (团委), schools, and other parties, jointly weaving a solid network of care for the children.

Last year, boxes of red apples from the Lai Su Village (拉依苏村) of Yuquan Town (玉泉镇), 225th Regiment (二二五团), 14th Division (第十四师), Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (新疆生产建设兵团), were sent across mountains and seas to the children of Wancang Village (湾岗村). "These apples are so sweet!" "Where is Lai Su Village (拉依苏村)?" The children asked Pu Jiamei (普加美) while tasting the apples. Pu Jiamei (普加美) played a video for everyone, allowing the children to appreciate the customs and culture of Xinjiang in amazement. Then they picked up their paintbrushes and turned this sweetness and curiosity into adorable apple paintings.

The vitality of the Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) is hidden in the details and even more so in the thoughtful considerations of all parties. The farthest villagers' group in Wancang Village (湾岗村) is nearly 20 kilometers away from the village committee. There are a relatively large number of left-behind children and children in difficult circumstances there, and the problems of the elderly being unable to tutor their children and the inconvenience of picking them up during the holidays are prominent.

Li Zhigang (李志刚), Party Secretary of the Wancang Village (湾岗村) General Party Branch (党总支), said that the village integrated the original resources of the farmers' bookstore and cleaned up the original warehouse to provide it to the station as a venue. "If parents can't make it to pick up their children on time, we will also arrange for the children to eat together, and the village will bear the food expenses."

The warmth of the Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) not only nourishes the children but also凝聚 (níng jù - "coagulate," to gather together) the warmth of the countryside. Villagers actively donate stationery to the station and help manage the venue. Neighbors who were not very familiar with each other gather at the station because of their children, chatting about interesting things and talking about their families, and the human touch in the countryside becomes stronger. More and more enterprises and social organizations are joining the ranks of caring, jointly supporting the future of the children.

In Changning County (昌宁县), each Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) is constantly gathering the strength of all parties to explore a unique model of care.

Shi Jianying (时建英), a volunteer at the Longdong Village (龙洞村) Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations), contacted relevant educational services for a sick and impoverished girl, providing academic assistance and emotional comfort through "positive companionship," helping the girl's condition gradually improve.

The Xincheng Village (新城村) Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) linked with Southwest University (西南大学) resources to build a long-term care mechanism of "university-community." College student volunteer teams regularly conduct tutoring, interest groups, and other activities.

The Limushan Village (立木山村) Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) focuses on the personalized needs of left-behind children. Volunteers used the drawing method to provide one-on-one tutoring for Xiao Xiang (小翔), who was weak in mathematics, helping him improve his math score by 15 points in just one holiday.

…………

"Every Sunshine驿站 (Sunshine Post Stations) is a bridge built with love," said Pu Anxian (普安宪). "Starting from the actual needs of the children, we use diversified services to solve the growth problems of left-behind children, and we work together to凝聚 (níng jù - "coagulate," to gather together) the strength of care, so that every child can grow up healthily in the sunshine."

Today, in the villages of Changning County (昌宁县), stations are scattered like warm sunshine. They are the after-school paradise and holiday haven for rural children, and even more so, a warm space for listening to their hearts and guarding their dreams. Sincerity and love are also watering every growth: the patient companionship of volunteers, the sincere feedback of parents, a piece of candy or a handmade work given by the children... Everyone is healing and warming each other with love, welcoming the light that shines into their hearts.

(Xiao Yi (小宜), Xiao Yuan (小媛), Xiao Ying (小颖), Xiao Lian (小连), and Xiao Xiang (小翔) in the article are all pseudonyms)

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Making it more "convenient" for passengers (Caring for the smallest things)

By: 本报记者 程远州

"This restroom made my favorable impression of Shenzhen rise rapidly!" At the Huangmugang Comprehensive Transportation Hub (黄木岗综合交通枢纽) on the B2 level platform of the Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) in Guangdong (广东), Zhang Ruyan (张汝艳) from Changsha (长沙), Hunan (湖南), who was traveling in Shenzhen (深圳) with her child, walked out of the public restroom and breathed a sigh of relief.

On Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) Line 14, Zhang Ruyan (张汝艳) discovered that her 8-month-old child had wet his pants. At a loss, a nearby passenger reminded her to scan the "Restroom Information" QR code posted in the carriage to find a restroom at a nearby station.

"For families with babies, the biggest fear when going out is finding a restroom." To Zhang Ruyan's (张汝艳) surprise, some restrooms were equipped with baby care rooms, with baby care tables, dryers, bottle sterilizers, paper towels, and other equipment and supplies readily available and free to use.

To make it easier for passengers to find public restrooms more quickly, in April 2025, Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) posted "Restroom Information" QR codes on all trains across the network. By scanning the code with a mobile phone, passengers can obtain the specific locations of restrooms at each station, which also specifically indicates whether the restroom is located inside or outside the fare gates.

"Currently, Shenzhen Metro Group (深圳市地铁集团) manages a total of 441 public restrooms in metro stations and transportation hubs, including 441 men's restrooms, 441 women's restrooms, and 162 baby care rooms, which can better meet the needs of passengers," said Liu Zhirong (刘志荣), Deputy Minister of the Quality Management Department of Shenzhen Metro Group Urban Service Co., Ltd. (深圳市地铁集团城市服务有限公司品质管理部).

In previous years, the public restroom situation on the Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) was deeply criticized by citizens. "Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) Lines 1, 2, 3, and 5 were opened relatively early, and not only were there few restrooms, but the sanitary conditions were also indescribable. Whenever I needed to take a long ride, I had to use the restroom first," said Zhu Jiahao (朱嘉豪), a Shenzhen (深圳) citizen. "Shenzhen (深圳) netizens joked that you don't need to look for metro restrooms, just follow the smell."

Starting in 2017, Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) responded to the "Toilet Revolution" initiative and was determined to improve the passenger restroom experience. "Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) opened in December 2004 and has been operating for more than 20 years. The passenger flow in the station restrooms now far exceeds the original maximum design load. There are problems such as an insufficient number of restrooms, some stations not designed with restrooms, and some restrooms being small, poorly ventilated, and having outdated facilities," Liu Zhirong (刘志荣) introduced. According to the "Shenzhen Rail Transit New Line Station Restroom and Baby Care Room Design Guidelines" issued and implemented in 2018 and the "Shenzhen Metro Restroom Design and Management Standards" upgraded and issued in 2022, Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) clarified the design requirements for restroom site selection, construction, renovation, and expansion, and detailed regulations for cleaning and maintenance requirements to comprehensively ensure the environmental quality of public restrooms.

"In accordance with relevant standards, we independently funded the comprehensive renovation and upgrading of 82 restrooms in the older line stations that had been operating for a long time, optimizing the spatial layout, updating environmentally friendly materials, and adding intelligent equipment to maximize the standardization of restrooms in new and old line stations," said Liu Zhirong (刘志荣).

In December 2024, Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) organized the compilation of Shenzhen (深圳) local standard "Metro Restroom Design and Management Specifications," which is the first local standard for metro restroom management in the domestic rail transit industry and officially implemented on January 1, 2025.

Walking into the public restroom at the East Exit of the Luohu Comprehensive Transportation Hub (罗湖综合交通枢纽) of Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁), in addition to providing free paper towels, professional disinfectant for toilet seat cushions, hand sanitizer, and other sanitary products, the restroom is also equipped with sensor faucets, dryers, fragrance machines, and other equipment, giving the old public restroom a new look. "In order to meet passengers' requirements for the comfort and cleanliness of the restroom space, staff will set the fragrance frequency of the fragrance machine according to the train arrival schedule to keep the room fragrant and delight passengers," said Jiang Yan (江燕), station manager of the Luohu (罗湖) station area of Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁).

In the public restroom at Chegongmiao Station (车公庙站) of Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁), the ratio of men's and women's toilet stalls was optimized after the renovation, effectively alleviating the queuing problem in women's restrooms during peak hours.

To solve the waste problem caused by toilet paper being easily taken away in large quantities, Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) uses new paper towel dispensers, changing "roll-out" to "point-out," saving about 30% of the paper towel cost throughout the year; to prevent embarrassment caused by running out of paper, a double roll paper dispenser is used to ensure an uninterrupted supply of paper towels.

"Our goal is to make it more convenient and comfortable for passengers to use the restroom," said Liu Zhirong (刘志荣).

Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) has an average daily passenger volume of over 8 million, ranking first in the country in terms of passenger flow intensity. Under heavy load, how to maintain a good public restroom hygiene environment for a long time?

Liu Zhirong (刘志荣) introduced that Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) has more than 4,000 cleaners on duty every day, each public restroom is equipped with a dedicated cleaner, who performs hourly cleaning and disinfection during opening hours, and performs in-depth cleaning and disinfection during closing hours, while implementing a "scheduled cleaning + unscheduled inspection" cleaning process to achieve "one cleaning per passenger." Currently, Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) has invested in fully automatic floor scrubbers, high-pressure cleaning machines, and other intelligent cleaning equipment to ensure a good public restroom environment cleaning effect.

At the end of last year, the public restrooms at Gangxia North (岗厦北) and Huangmugang Comprehensive Transportation Hubs (黄木岗综合交通枢纽) of Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) were awarded the title of "2025 Shenzhen Beautiful Public Restrooms," and netizens praised them.

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Editor in charge of this page: Jiang Xuehong

Layout Design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)

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Hometown

By: 徐则臣

My son was raised by his grandmothers. The grandmothers took turns coming to Beijing (北京), and they were also here for the New Year and other holidays, so we rarely went back to our hometown. When he entered junior high school, my son could ride his bicycle to and from school by himself, so the grandmothers ended their mission of taking care of him, coming over occasionally, and spending most of their time in their hometown enjoying their later years. In that year, I also discovered that my son knew nothing about his hometown, had no feeling for it at all, and, to use a fashionable term, had no sense of identity. For him, his hometown was just a "place of origin," an abstract place name filled in on various forms.

Of course, the hometown is important for a child who is from a rural area by registration but born in the city. I'm not so pedantic as to make a big deal out of this, but for a growing child, the hometown is indeed an important part of the "origins," looking forward requires considering the past. I hope he can experience the depth of life in a timely manner. Compared to the city, compared to his current living environment, the hometown as a rural area is a different world, and this difference can complete his complete understanding of a world. So, from the time my son entered junior high school, I decided to take him back to his hometown every Spring Festival.

He was also happy to go back. Stealing half a day of leisure, he could do less homework and see some new scenery. What fascinated him the most was being able to set off firecrackers. It's a boy's nature. When I was a child, there was a saying in my hometown that during the New Year, girls wanted flowers and boys wanted firecrackers. Flowers were for wearing during the New Year. My second grandfather used to make flowers, making them by hand for more than half a year, and then going to the New Year markets to sell them before the Spring Festival. The girls and daughters-in-law bought flowers and wore them on their heads or pinned them on their clothes, a scene of brightness and festivity. Firecrackers are firecrackers, and boys can't get through the New Year without some noise. When I was a child, my family didn't have much spare money, so I saved five cents or ten cents myself, and then clutched the few New Year's money I had, and went to buy firecrackers before and after the New Year. I couldn't afford expensive ones, and I couldn't bear to buy fireworks or two-stage rockets, so I bought those small firecrackers in plates and strings. I also couldn't bear to set them all off at once, so I broke them up and set off each small firecracker individually. I buried them in the soil to set them off, and stuffed them in the forks of trees to explode, "bang" once, "bang" again, listening to a few sounds every day, which could extend the joy of the New Year to the entire winter vacation.

The temptation of firecrackers for my son must be the same. The unfamiliar environment of his hometown, with no classmates or friends, and the cold, damp winter without heating, were not a problem for him. Before he even left Beijing (北京), he began to plan which fireworks and firecrackers to set off.

The New Year in the countryside is not as lively as it used to be. Many young people have moved to the city, immigrated to other places, and some are staying at their jobs even on New Year's Eve, so there are fewer children wandering and frolicking in the streets and alleys. When I was a child, every New Year, the children were in groups, blowing like a strong wind from this alley to that alley, shouting and screaming all the way. The adults disliked it, saying we were a "**狼群狗党**" (láng qún gǒu dǎng - "wolf pack dog gang," a derogatory term for a group of unruly people), and were annoyed to death. Now, you can't see a "wolf" or a "dog" for half a day, and only the cold wind of the end of the year is running in the alleys.

After getting out of the car at the entrance of the house, my son asked his grandparents for firecrackers, and set off fireworks outside the gate of the courtyard before even entering the main room. It was obvious that he was not skilled, setting off fireworks in broad daylight, the effect was greatly reduced. But my son didn't care, "whoosh" a skyrocket went up into the sky, "whoosh" another skyrocket went up into the sky. Just as the third one went up into the sky, a fair-skinned boy ran out from the neighbor's house across the road, looking a year or two younger than my son, and rushed straight to my son. But when he got there, he didn't say anything, and stood aside watching. My son was fiddling with a two-stage rocket, not knowing which end should be on the ground, gesturing back and forth. I was chatting with my mother, and I was too lazy to care about him. The boy couldn't hold back and said, it should be like this. He took the two-stage rocket and demonstrated. The two of them cooperated and set off a huge firecracker.

Whose child is this?

My mother pointed to next door, your second brother's grandson.

I haven't seen him before. Of course, I'm familiar with his grandfather, the 70-year-old second brother, a neighbor for decades. I also know his father, who is more than 10 years younger than me. Before, when I came back, he would call me uncle when he met me. I haven't seen this child. I come back less often, and when I get home, I often leave before my seat is even warm. And I always arrive home at night and leave early the next morning, visiting relatives and friends, and taking the opportunity to do some interviews, so I don't even have time to meet the neighbors. Generations of children in my hometown have grown up in this rush. The Tang Dynasty poet He Zhizhang (贺知章) has a poem "Returning Home by Chance": "I left home young and return old, my accent unchanged, my hair thinned. The children see me and do not know me, smiling, they ask, 'Where do you come from?'" I didn't leave home young and return old, but being away for many years, the children I meet are indeed all strangers.

So I said to that boy, you have to call me grandpa.

In my hometown, I have a high seniority. When my grandfather was alive, he had the highest seniority in the whole village. If clansmen had endless lawsuits or inextricable disputes, they would all ask my grandfather to judge.

The boy was very obedient and said, Grandpa.

My son was very surprised by my sudden promotion. In Beijing (北京), his classmates and friends all call me uncle. My son asked, then what does he have to call me?

My mother said, call you uncle.

My son was very happy and said to the boy, I am your—uncle?

The boy said, Uncle.

My son had never seen such a big nephew. His nephew, in a village with complex clan relations, must have seen many uncles as young as my son, but he still smiled with my son. After laughing, the two little heads got together and began to figure out how to set off firecrackers.

I underestimated this connecting ceremony.

In order to let my son immerse himself in the experience of his hometown as his "place of origin," I tried not to go out, and after dinner, I took him to wander around the streets, alleys, and fields, telling him the story of every house we passed, telling him about the past of every neighbor we met, and reminding him to look up information about every kind of crop, vegetable, and plant. In the winter fields, there were only poplars with bare leaves reaching into the sky and weak wheat seedlings tightly hugging the earth. I told my son that they needed a heavy snow, and when the ice melted and the snow melted, all the wheat seedlings would straighten their strong waists like acrobats. Note that they are wheat seedlings, not chives. Chives do not grow in the vegetable gardens of my hometown in winter, and the bleak greenery you can see comes from garlic sprouts and spinach. This spinach is local spinach, much better than the bushy spinach we eat in Beijing (北京), I don't know how many times better.

This is also the time I can see my son besides eating and sleeping. At other times, he slips out of the yard without me noticing. On the morning of New Year's Eve, I washed up and called my son downstairs for breakfast. My mother said, he's gone out.

Where did he go so early?

The neighbor came to find him. My mother said, the neighbor boy was wandering outside our yard early in the morning, and when I opened the door, he asked, "Where's uncle? Can he come out to play?" My mother said, "He hasn't gotten up yet." The boy rubbed his red ears and said, "Then I'll wait a little longer."

I was a little annoyed. According to the plan I made before returning to my hometown, my son had to read English for half an hour every morning. My mother said, "New Year, new rules, let them play for a while. That child is also pitiful, wandering around alone all day, unable to find a playmate."

There are indeed fewer children in the village. The village has undergone many changes in recent years. The houses have become taller and bigger, and small buildings have been built high and low. Looking from my doorstep to the east and west alleys, every house has a car parked outside. I think there are more cars than people in the village.

The sound of firecrackers came from outside the door, continuous explosions. My son doesn't have this skill. Sure enough, after another series of explosions, there were excited screams from the two children.

The next day, I went to the village supermarket to buy things, and the owner said that she had seen my son, quite tall. I was stunned, and the owner said that he came with his nephew, running to the store eight times a day, and they bought half of the firecrackers in the store. In the next two days, as long as I met acquaintances, they would tell me that they saw my son digging in the dirt, skating by the river, eating barbecue, and watching people play mahjong. If they asked who that was, the neighbor boy would shyly say, "This is my uncle"; my son would say carelessly and proudly, "He is my nephew."

On the morning of the day we returned to Beijing (北京), after packing our luggage and opening the gate, the neighbor boy came again. He stood coldly under our persimmon tree, with a pile of debris from the fireworks and firecrackers they had set off last night at his feet.

Are you really leaving, uncle? The boy said, how will I find you in the future?

My son reached into his pocket to take out his mobile phone, but I held it down. He's been playing wild these days, and he needs to get back to his studies when he gets back. I said to the boy, we'll be back next Spring Festival.

My son rolled his eyes at me and repeated my words: We'll be back next Spring Festival. He threw down his suitcase, got in the car, and closed the door. On the way to the high-speed rail station, he lay back, covered his face with the hood of his down jacket, and didn't say a word. I also felt that I shouldn't have stopped him, so while my son was in the bathroom while waiting for the train, I called my mother and asked her to give my son's mobile phone number to the neighbor boy.

We got up too early, and we fell asleep soon after the high-speed train started. The mobile phone suddenly rang loudly, startling me awake. My son also groped for his mobile phone in a daze, squinted his eyes, and pressed the answer button. Uncle. My son's eyes immediately opened wide. I heard the neighbor boy say on the phone:

Uncle, wait a minute, I'll set off a firecracker for you, a loud one.

My son looked at me, his eyes complex. I helped him press the speakerphone button. We waited.

Bang—

The sound was so loud that even the speeding high-speed train shook.

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It's Okay to Be a "Jack-of-all-Trades" in Reading (Thoughts)

By: 安武林

Good reading habits should be cultivated from a young age and can benefit a person for life. From this perspective, reading is crucial for elementary school students. But undoubtedly, to develop a good reading habit, one must first start with reading interest. If a person has no interest in reading, what meaning does even a classic work have for them?

I pay close attention to reading lists for elementary school students, or rather, recommended reading lists for elementary school students during winter and summer vacations, including recommended lists from various reading institutions and media. I personally believe that various recommended reading lists are like specially prepared spiritual nutritional meals for elementary school students, which have the same goal as the food nutritional meals they eat at school. Whether it is nutritious, fresh, or delicious, all aspects need to be considered. Reasonable matching and scientific modulation are crucial for spiritual nutritional meals.

In terms of literary works, whether facing elementary school students or adults, the most common reading suggestion is: read the classics. Classics are frequently recommended in various recommended reading lists. However, there is a question that is very worthy of our consideration: what is a classic? Although the word "classic" is used frequently or even too frequently, it is difficult for anyone to give a convincing answer to the question of "what is a classic." T.S. Eliot, Italo Calvino, and Jorge Luis Borges have all made unique interpretations of "classic." Looking at the present, I think our use of the word "classic" is closer to Borges's view, "A classic is a book which a nation or nations over a long period of time have determined to read."

In Taiyuan (太原), in Guangzhou (广州), and in many other places, I have encountered an embarrassing and tricky problem. Many elementary school students confided in me their troubles: some books (classics), I don't like, I don't want to read, what should I do? If it is an adult, it is very easy, if you don't like it, don't read it, just change to another one. Elementary school students can't, this is homework, it is a recommended reading list, it must be completed. I can only patiently guide them, and teach them how to read the specific books they have raised, and how to turn the boring into interesting. My feeling is: classics suitable for elementary school students should be recommended. These classics should be delicious, interesting, easy to read, and flavorful. For example, if you don't like Hans Christian Andersen, you can read Astrid Lindgren. For another example, if you recommend the Four Great Classical Novels to elementary school students, *Journey to the West* is more suitable than *Dream of the Red Chamber*.

As far as classics are concerned, reading requires a threshold. Some classics are profound, some are obscure, some contain many religious cultures, and some require profound life and social experiences to truly understand. All of these may not be entirely suitable for children to read, especially works with gloomy and decadent tones. Most classic works are old, which brings corresponding difficulties in reading, especially obstacles in understanding. In elementary school and high school, when giving lectures, I asked the same question: Have you read Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales? Have you all read *The Ugly Duckling*? Do you understand it? The elementary school students answered enthusiastically and happily: I have read it, I understand it. High school students were collectively silent on the question of "understanding." My next question: How did the ugly duckling become a swan? Some students couldn't answer. I remember that Leo Tolstoy once lamented to Maxim Gorky that he did not understand Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales when he first read them, and only understood them after rereading them - if a literary giant is like this, let alone elementary school students?

In various reading lists, the recommendation of classic literary works should choose those suitable for elementary school students to read. Interesting, flavorful, and able to mobilize their reading interest. I think that in the elementary school stage, cultivating children's reading interest is crucial, it is like the first step in life. If at this stage, children experience a "sense of frustration" in reading, then they will hate and reject reading for the rest of their lives. And we may not be able to detect this psychological rebound. After all, reading is a happy thing, don't treat reading as homework assigned to children.

Therefore, in addition to classics, there should be something else. The recommended reading list for elementary school students should be scientifically modulated and reasonably matched. Such a list is not only nutritious, but also has a wider perspective. For example, the literary styles should be complete, novels, essays, poems, fairy tales, prose poems, each literary style gives young readers a different aesthetic experience. For another example, the proportion of Chinese and foreign books, and the proportion of ancient and modern works, should all be considered, and special attention should be paid to the recommendation of new books. Someone once said that people eat all kinds of grains, and the more varied they eat, the richer the nutrition. This also applies to recommended reading lists for children.

Looking at the various reading lists today, some are superficially bright and bookish, but behind them there are often undercurrents, which may be the result of various forces and interests competing. Driven by the market economy, it is sometimes unavoidable. However, as a spiritual nutritional meal for children, the phenomenon of 劣币驱逐良币 (liè bì qū zhú liáng bì - "bad money drives out good," Gresham's Law; the bad drives out the good) should not occur in the reading list.

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The Taste of Memory (Duoweizhai)

By: 曹旭东

The market was bustling with people, and I watched expectantly as my grandfather brought over an oil drum. He had dug a hole about the size of a basketball in the bottom of the drum, stuffed it with dry firewood, and lit it. After the flames rose, my grandfather placed a large pot on top of the oil drum and poured half a pot of oil into it. The clear rapeseed oil gradually rippled with fine waves. When the surface of the oil began to smoke, my grandfather used a round iron cup to scoop up the snow-white rice batter, and then spread shredded sweet potatoes and radish strips on top of the batter, the red bright, the white crisp, which was very beautiful. He dipped the iron cup into the hot oil pan, and a "sizzling" sound rang out. A large string of golden bubbles, large and small, suddenly popped out of the pot, like a group of naughty little goldfish.

While my grandfather was busy, I stood by the oil drum, watching and swallowing my saliva. This kind of fried food is called "Youbazi" (油巴子) in our area. My grandfather always gave me the first one that was fried. I carefully bit off the edge, and with a "crunch," the crispy crust shattered between my teeth. The soft rice fragrance, the sweet and glutinous sweet potato, and the refreshing radish melted on my tongue, oily but not greasy, crispy but not burnt. That taste slid from my tongue all the way to my heart, scalding me so much that I kept panting, but I couldn't bear to stop. Many years later, I still savor that crispness, which was a luxurious feast in a poor time.

Later, I went to the city to study and work. One weekend, my grandfather was coming to the city where I was. I went to the bus station to pick him up and saw him in the distance, leaning on a tea tree stick, struggling to get off the bus. His back was bent even more severely, like a bow bent by the years. He was wearing that faded blue shirt, and the cuffs were frayed. My heart ached, and I hurried forward to help him. Walking down the street, I asked my grandfather what he wanted to eat. I said that I had started working and had money, so he could choose whatever he wanted. My grandfather looked at me with a smile, patted my arm with his rough palm, and said he just wanted a bowl of noodles.

I took my grandfather into a nice-looking noodle restaurant by the roadside and ordered the most expensive Sanxian noodles. The noodles were snow-white and chewy, lying in a soy-colored broth, topped with a layer of fresh mushrooms, shrimp, chicken, and fish, etc., with emerald green scallions, and a golden fried egg, with a fragrant aroma.

My grandfather sat there, carefully leaning the tea tree stick against the table leg, and with a sense of ceremony, picked up the bowl, first took a sip of the soup, and then picked up a few noodles, slowly putting them into his mouth, chewing very slowly, as if he was tasting some delicacy. Fine beads of sweat gradually seeped out of his forehead, flowing down the grooves of his wrinkles. I asked, "Is it delicious?" My grandfather put down his chopsticks, smacked his lips, and a little tear appeared in his cloudy eyes: "This is the best noodles I've ever eaten in my life!"

Many years have passed in a flash. My grandfather is gone, and the oil drum and iron cup have long become scrap iron, and even the market has been demolished. Many things have been forgotten, only the Youbazi and the bowl of noodles still remain in my mind, flashing out unexpectedly in the middle of a late-night overtime shift, at the moment when I smell the aroma of fried food. Only then did I realize that some tastes take a lifetime to digest.

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Photo Report

The Chinese painting "Pear Blossom and Parrot," by Ren Bonian (任伯年), is in the collection of the National Art Museum of China (中国美术馆).

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The Qinhuai River: My City, My River

By: 王 忆

The leaves outside the window rustle and sway, and the small grass on the ground breaks through the soil and sprouts tender buds. Spring in Jiangnan has arrived so quietly.

Having lived by the Qinhuai River (秦淮河) in Nanjing (南京) for many years, the crescent-shaped small bridges and winding river water can never take away the fleeting years that have settled in time. Facing the warm afternoon sun, I drive my "ride" - an electric wheelchair - out the door, and the spring breeze caresses my face. I stretch and suck in the sweet air. This city embraced by mountains, rivers, city, and forests is dyed into different shades of green overnight.

The Qinhuai River (秦淮河) in front of me is gently flowing. On the ancient city wall steps, moss is condensing dew, old people are leaning against the base of the wall basking in the sun, and the magnolia fragrance from the flower stall at the entrance of the alley is very strong. My wheelchair stops under a huge camphor tree, and overhead are crisscrossing branches, and small pieces of sunlight leak through the gaps, weaving a mottled net on the ground.

I remember last year when I went to Ditan Park (地坛公园) in Beijing (北京) to see the famous gray brick wall. Oblique light passed through the branches and leaves, cutting the mottled wall into a shimmering, rippling light. I quickly picked up my phone and took a picture - this is the "sea of Ditan" that people are looking for. In the photo, a long chair lies quietly on the "shore", like a boat moored on the shore. Shi Tiesheng's (史铁生) sentence about his mother "holding her glasses as if looking for a boat at sea" suddenly came alive in this light and shadow.

At this moment, there is also such a gray city wall in front of me. But I tried several times, but I couldn't take a picture of the "sea" with that kind of artistic conception. Turning my head, I caught a glimpse of the swallows fluttering on the treetops, their graceful figures enviable. This Dongshuiguan (东水关) on the bank of the Qinhuai River (秦淮河) is a place I must visit every day, and I can never get enough of it on sunny days. Under the Jiulong Bridge (九龙桥), the green waves flow slowly. The "Qinhuai Scenic Spot" (秦淮胜境) archway stands quietly, as if hiding half of the romantic love of the Dream of the Red Chamber. A little yellow dog ran over from nowhere, leisurely following behind my wheelchair. The wheels rolled over the bluestone path, making a soft creaking sound.

It has been a long time since I returned to Nanjing (南京) from Beijing (北京), and I don't know why, but I always think of Shi Tiesheng (史铁生) from time to time, and the Temple of Earth (地坛) in his writing.

The hustle and bustle is left behind. I swipe through the short videos on my phone, and the AI-restored old days of Dongshuiguan (东水关) flow on the screen. Suddenly looking up, rows of green trees in the sun cast their shadows on the brick wall, and in a trance, it seems like I am standing in front of the vermilion gate of the Temple of Earth (地坛). The warm spring breeze, wrapped in the calmness of Shi Tiesheng's (史铁生) writing, blows over the grass, over the ancient cypress trees, and finally falls on the gray brick wall in front of me. As the wind passes, the shadows of the trees rise and fall, and the "sea" has a tidal rhythm.

Standing on the edge of the crowd, quietly watching the light slowly flood over the brick seams. The sun is the gentlest pen, depicting the shadows of the branches and leaves into shimmering waves. This is my sea - without the surging of the tide, only the tranquility of light and shadow slowly flowing between the brick seams.

I suddenly realized, isn't this the sea of Nanjing (南京)? It is the sea unique to Qinhuai (秦淮), the sea that belongs only to me!

The long chair is like a boat, moored on the "shore". Sit down, watch the wind move the shadows, and watch the light slowly flood over the shoes. Suddenly I understood. I have gained peace in this silent sea. Dongshuiguan (东水关) is not a static garden, it is alive, accompanying me with walls, trees, and sunlight.

The wind is rising, blowing the corners of the clothes, and also blowing the leaves...

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Visiting the Apricot Blossoms in Tangwangchuan

By: 马步升

The Tao River runs through the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (青藏高原) and the Loess Plateau (黄土高原), surging all the way. After the two plateaus exchanged greetings, they simultaneously stopped their forward expansion, leaving a passage for the Tao River to smoothly merge into the Yellow River. Where the Tao River and Yellow River meet, one is green and the other yellow, distinctly two colors, yet seamlessly integrated.

At this moment, the two rivers agreed to move eastward together under the name of the Yellow River. In the final leg of the Tao River's journey into the embrace of the Yellow River, the river water seemed like a traveler nearing home, slowing its pace and spreading out into continuous plains on both banks of the Tao River. Tangwangchuan (唐汪川) is one of them.

The riverside plains sandwiched between the two major plateaus have always been rare arable lands. The people of Tangwangchuan (唐汪川) have lived by farming since ancient times, and all good life has always required a dual blessing of material and spirit. In addition to planting crops, the people of Tangwangchuan (唐汪川) also plant apricot trees around their houses, fields, and wild lands. Previously, planting apricot trees was mainly to enrich life, using apricot blossoms to decorate the hard and monotonous farm life in spring, and adding some flavor to the children's mouths in summer. Entering the new era, in some villages, apricot trees have been upgraded to a major industry, with apricot fruit cultivation and apricot blossom viewing both becoming industries.

Heaven has its seasons, earth has its spirit, water has its intentions, and people have their feelings. Around the time of the Qingming Festival (清明节) each year, coinciding with city dwellers' vacations, the apricot blossoms of Tangwangchuan (唐汪川) also bloom in season. Upon entering the valley, one glance reveals a clear stream winding, apricot trees scattered across the land. Walking deeper along the road, the road is beside the apricot blossoms, and people are in the apricot blossoms. Looking into the distance, looking upwards, under the warm spring sun, the apricot blossoms are pink and plump, the white clouds are misty white, and the red mist is faintly red. Looking up close, looking down, the apricot blossoms are like a tree of pink butterflies, white in substance and red in meaning. In the spring breeze, white wings flutter, and red blushes stir. Day and earth, all are apricot blossoms conveying feelings, all are apricot blossoms expressing intentions.

A stretch of flat land, wide and narrow, extends between two mountains and a river. Suddenly, a high mound protrudes abruptly in front of you, with a rural road gradually winding upwards among scattered apricot trees nearby. Reaching the highest point, it is not a mountain, but a large area of flat land. This is the exclusive territory of apricot trees. The apricot blossoms at the high places are in full bloom, and the apricot blossoms at the low places are in full bloom. The lowest branches of the apricot trees at the high places and the highest branches of the apricot trees at the low places intertwine, embrace, and hold each other, like an apricot tree pavilion. The apricot trees are like this, and the apricot blossoms also uphold the true nature that all apricot blossoms are one family, with you in me and me in you, together brewing a pink and white world.

Passing through the apricot forest under the profusion of apricot blossoms, suddenly the blue sky is clear and the white clouds are leisurely, and a refreshing air rises from underfoot. Looking down, a knife-cut cliff lies in front of you, with the Tao River flowing close to the cliff wall, and a clear breeze surging upwards from below. On the opposite bank of the river is also a stretch of flat land, where farmers are doing the farm work of planting melons and beans with the river water drawn from the Tao River.

Apricot trees are extremely characteristic of the land, just like traditional farmers, who must always have fields and soil under their feet. Once they leave the soil and settle in exquisite courtyards, they have an uneasy feeling of being suspended in the air and having their hearts hollowed out. And apricot blossoms are like pure girls who have been bathed in the blue sky and green mountains since childhood, brilliant but not enchanting, affectionate but not pretentious, healthy rather than bold, simple and natural, with their own inherent radiance.

When climbing the high mound just now, I had already seen a special apricot tree in the flat land at the foot of the mountain. Returning to the flat land again, a gust of wind blew, and the apricot tree branches swayed in the wind, with trembling flowers and hazy floral meaning everywhere.

Pushing aside the flower branches and approaching this special apricot tree, each step closer feels like a step closer to ancient history. The trunk is scarred, the bark is cracked, and dozens of branches start from various side branches, all extending towards the blue sky. Each branch is twisted and knotted, looping upwards, and each branch is crowded with clusters of flowers. Each branch reaches its highest point, and then recoils, enclosing a crown of flourishing flowers that is overall centripetal.

This is an old apricot tree, said to be 130 years old. It spreads its branches and leaves, and lives together as a family, like an ancient, orderly family. All around are newly planted apricot trees, with stretched branches and fresh clusters of flowers, like spirited teenagers. The entire apricot forest is like a self-consistent community with blood ties as the bond, with old leading the new, new respecting the old, friendly coexistence, and deep affection.

I am particularly fond of the old apricot tree in front of me, and also fond of all the old trees I have seen, because: it has lived, they have lived. I said to my friend, I have been to countless villages in the southeast, northwest, and in every strange village, as long as I see an old tree standing at the entrance of the village, I will naturally feel a sense of security and warmth of returning home. In my opinion, an old tree is the history of a village, the moral foundation of a village, and a symbol of the village's eternal prosperity.

Yes, a village that can accommodate an old tree can open its heart full of kindness to a person from afar.

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Editor in charge of this edition: Ma Yong

This edition's email: dadi@peopledaily.cn

We welcome submissions from our readers. Submissions must be original and unpublished, 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 simultaneously).

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