People's Daily - July 29, 2026

Xi Jinping Holds Talks with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini

Beijing, July 28 (Reporter Yang Qiaochu (杨翘楚)) On the morning of July 28, President Xi Jinping held talks with Slovak President Pellegrini, who was in China on a state visit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Xi Jinping pointed out that Slovakia is one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with New China, and the tree of China-Slovakia friendship is root-deep and leaf-lush (gēn shēn yè mào - "roots deep, leaves luxuriant," deep-rooted and flourishing). In 2024, the bilateral relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership. With the joint efforts of both sides, the mutual trust between the two countries has continued to deepen, cooperation results have kept emerging, and traditional friendship has taken deep root in the hearts of the people. China is willing to work with Slovakia to build a China-Slovakia strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and trust, equality and mutual benefit, and stability and resilience, so as to better benefit the peoples of both countries.

Xi Jinping emphasized that the two sides can focus on four aspects of work in the next stage. First, consolidate strategic mutual trust and firmly support each other. Although China and Slovakia have different political systems, both sides are able to respect the development paths each has chosen and adhere to the main theme of friendly and cooperative bilateral relations, which is the foundation for the sound and rapid development of China-Slovakia relations. China appreciates Slovakia’s adherence to the One-China principle and is willing to continue to fully accommodate each other’s core interests and major concerns with Slovakia. Second, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and promote common development. Slovakia has actively participated in the joint building of the Belt and Road and China-CEEC cooperation, achieving fruitful results. The two sides should further make good use of mechanisms such as the intergovernmental cooperation committee to provide policy support for deepening bilateral cooperation, tap the cooperation potential in emerging industries and frontier fields such as clean energy, digital economy, robot manufacturing, and artificial intelligence, and create more new highlights of cooperation. Third, enhance people-to-people bonds and carry forward traditional friendship. Expand cooperation in culture, sports, tourism, youth, local affairs, and other fields, facilitate personnel exchanges, continue to encourage exchanges between the youth of the two countries, and enhance understanding and gain friendship through mutual learning. Fourth, safeguard international fairness and justice and reform and improve global governance. Strengthen multilateral coordination, firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, jointly advance an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the world’s once-in-a-century changes are accelerating, and China-Europe relations face both new important opportunities and many challenges. Whether challenges can be turned into opportunities depends on equal-footed consultation and seeking common ground while resolving differences (jù tóng huà yì - "gather commonalities, dissolve differences"). China has always regarded the EU as a partner and develops relations with Europe with sincerity and goodwill. It is hoped that Slovakia will play a constructive role in encouraging the EU to focus on China-EU common ground and properly handle contradictions and differences, and in promoting the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations.

Pellegrini said that Slovakia highly commends China’s remarkable development achievements under the leadership of President Xi Jinping. China’s ability to formulate and successively implement five-year plans and to advance the construction of Chinese-style modernization steadily and solidly is admirable and worth learning from. Slovakia cherishes the bilateral strategic partnership, firmly adheres to the One-China principle, and looks forward to enhancing mutual trust, strengthening cooperation, deepening friendship, and expanding new areas of cooperation with China, achieving more cooperation results in economy and trade, artificial intelligence, digital economy, robotics, new energy, and other fields, so as to better benefit the peoples of both countries. Welcome Chinese enterprises to invest and cooperate in Slovakia. As an EU member state, Slovakia is willing to actively promote EU-China cooperation and properly resolve differences through dialogue and consultation. Slovakia highly values and appreciates China’s international status and influence, and is willing to adhere to multilateralism with China, uphold the purposes of the UN Charter and international law, and promote regional and world peace and stability. Slovakia fully endorses the concepts and initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, and is willing to closely coordinate with China to strengthen global governance of artificial intelligence so that it truly benefits all humanity.

Before the talks, Xi Jinping held a welcoming ceremony for Pellegrini in the North Hall of the Great Hall of the People.

When Pellegrini arrived, honor guards lined up to pay tribute. The two heads of state ascended the reviewing stand, the military band played the national anthems of China and Slovakia, and a 21-gun salute was fired at Tiananmen Square. Accompanied by Xi Jinping, Pellegrini reviewed the guard of honor of the People's Liberation Army and watched the march-past.

At noon that day, Xi Jinping held a welcome banquet for Pellegrini in the Golden Hall of the Great Hall of the People.

Wang Yi attended the above activities.

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Better unite the hearts and strengths of overseas Chinese to promote the solidarity and struggle of Chinese people at home and abroad

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the overseas Chinese affairs front has earnestly implemented the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, uniting and mobilizing the vast numbers of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their family members, making positive contributions in promoting national economic and social development, inheriting and carrying forward Chinese culture, and enhancing exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries.

On the new journey, it is necessary to be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, comprehensively implement the Party's policies on overseas Chinese affairs, closely focus on the overall work of the Party and the state, better gather the hearts and strengths of overseas Chinese, guide the vast numbers of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their family members to uphold fine traditions, deeply cultivate feelings for the country and the family, give full play to their unique advantages and demonstrate greater achievements, actively serve the great cause of the motherland's reunification, promote the united struggle of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, and gather a mighty force to comprehensively advance the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.

Beijing, July 28 (Xinhua) — Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, recently issued an important instruction on overseas Chinese affairs, pointing out that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the overseas Chinese affairs front has earnestly implemented the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, uniting and mobilizing the vast numbers of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their family members, making positive contributions in promoting national economic and social development, inheriting and carrying forward Chinese culture, and enhancing exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries.

Xi Jinping emphasized that on the new journey, it is necessary to be guided by the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, comprehensively implement the Party's policies on overseas Chinese affairs, closely focus on the overall work of the Party and the state, better gather the hearts and strengths of overseas Chinese, guide the vast numbers of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their family members to uphold fine traditions, deeply cultivate feelings for the country and the family, give full play to their unique advantages and demonstrate greater achievements, actively serve the great cause of the motherland's reunification, promote the united struggle of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, and gather a mighty force to comprehensively advance the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.

The National Conference on Overseas Chinese Affairs was held in Beijing from July 27 to 28. Xi Jinping's important instruction was conveyed at the meeting. Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended the meeting and delivered a speech.

In his speech, Wang Huning said that General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to overseas Chinese affairs and recently issued an important instruction specifically, highly evaluating the positive contributions made by the vast numbers of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their family members in promoting national economic and social development, inheriting and carrying forward Chinese culture, and enhancing exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries, putting forward tasks and requirements for gathering the hearts and strengths of overseas Chinese and promoting the united struggle of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, and pointing the direction and providing important guidance for doing a good job in overseas Chinese affairs on the new journey of the new era. We must earnestly study and comprehend it, and grasp its implementation.

Wang Huning said that overseas Chinese affairs are a long-term and strategic work of the Party and the state. Since the new era, overseas Chinese affairs have been comprehensively strengthened and achieved remarkable results, effectively serving the development of the Party's and the state's cause. On the new journey, it is necessary to be guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement Xi Jinping's important thoughts on doing a good job in the United Front Work of the Party in the new era and his important discourses on overseas Chinese affairs, implement the decisions and deployments of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the third and fourth plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee on strengthening and improving overseas Chinese affairs, adhere to the theme of uniting hearts and minds together to pursue and share the Chinese Dream, adhere to the unity of serving the overall situation and serving overseas Chinese, coordinate domestic and foreign overseas Chinese affairs, coordinate the cultivation of resources and the exertion of functions, and promote the high-quality development of overseas Chinese affairs in the new era. It is necessary to better closely unite the vast numbers of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their family members, guide and encourage them to play a greater role in supporting and participating in the motherland's modernization construction, carrying forward Chinese culture, promoting the motherland's reunification, and strengthening exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries.

Li Ganjie, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, said in his concluding speech that it is necessary to deeply understand and grasp the great significance, contemporary value, core essence, and practical requirements of Xi Jinping's important discourses and instructions on overseas Chinese affairs, adhere to the Party's overall leadership, especially the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, fully and faithfully implement the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments on overseas Chinese affairs, further consolidate the foundation for unity and struggle, and protect the rights and interests of overseas Chinese in accordance with the law. It is necessary to firmly establish and practice a correct view of performance, unite hearts and minds, continue striving, widely gather forces from all sides, and work together with one heart and concerted effort to do a good job in overseas Chinese affairs in the new era.

Responsible comrades from Zhejiang Province, Fujian Province, Guangdong Province, Yunnan Province, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (国务院国资委), and the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (中国侨联) delivered exchange speeches.

Losang Jamcan, Wu Zhenglong, and Xian Hui attended the meeting.

Responsible comrades from all provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, relevant departments of central Party and state organs and relevant people's organizations, some financial institutions and enterprises under central management, some universities, and some Chinese embassies and consulates abroad attended the meeting.

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Promote United Endeavor, Gather Mighty Strength

By: 本报评论员

Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the joint efforts of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, and doing a good job in work related to overseas Chinese affairs is of vital importance.

"Fully implement the Party's policies on overseas Chinese affairs, closely focus on the overall work of the Party and the state, better unite the hearts and pool the strengths of overseas Chinese," "actively serve the great cause of national reunification, and promote the united struggle of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad." General Secretary Xi Jinping recently issued important instructions on work related to overseas Chinese affairs, pointing the direction and providing important guidance for doing this work well on the new journey of the new era.

From July 27 to 28, the National Conference on Overseas Chinese Affairs was held in Beijing, making specific deployments for China's work in this field.

Work related to overseas Chinese affairs is a long-term and strategic task for the Party and the state. The more we strive forward toward the goal of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation, the more we must closely unite and pool the strengths of the vast number of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has coordinated the domestic and international situations, made new deployments and put forward new requirements for doing a good job in overseas Chinese affairs and uniting the hearts and strengths of overseas Chinese to jointly realize the Chinese Dream, opened up a new situation in work related to overseas Chinese affairs, effectively promoted the great unity of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, and made positive contributions to Chinese-style modernization.

Observing the promotion of national economic and social development: from establishing the Guangdong Shantou Overseas Chinese Economic and Cultural Cooperation Pilot Zone, to promulgating the Foreign Investment Law and its implementing regulations, and then to guiding overseas Chinese to actively participate in high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road (一带一路 - yī dài yī lù, "One Belt, One Road," the Belt and Road Initiative)... a series of practical measures effectively stimulated the enthusiasm of the vast number of overseas Chinese to participate in Chinese-style modernization construction, and helped China and co-building countries achieve political mutual trust, economic integration, and people-to-people connectivity.

Observing the inheritance and promotion of Chinese culture: exciting cultural brand activities such as "Peace to All Four Seas" and "Nostalgic China" have traveled to all parts of the world, bringing the flavor of the New Year and hometown feelings to millions of overseas Chinese; cultural experience activities such as "Chinese Roots Quest" have been continuously carried out, allowing batches of young Chinese descendants to touch the context of Chinese civilization and experience Chinese culture first-hand. Guarding the "common root," inheriting the "common soul," and achieving the "common dream" — Chinese people, Chinese culture, Chinese spirit, and the Chinese heart have become the deep-seated identity of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad.

Observing the enhancement of exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries: using "festivals" as a medium, overseas Chinese organizations have carried out diverse forms of people-to-people and cultural exchange activities, making traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival a cultural feast shared by Chinese and foreign people. Online and offline cultural exchanges are flourishing everywhere, the foundation for the overseas dissemination of Chinese culture has been continuously consolidated, and overseas Chinese have become folk envoys for the exchange of Chinese and foreign civilizations, showing the world a credible, lovely, and respectable image of China.

……

More than 60 million overseas Chinese scattered all over the world are an important component of the Chinese nation and important members of the Chinese family connected by blood. Precisely because we have always made uniting the hearts of overseas Chinese a top priority and made good use of the unique ties of geography, kinship, and culture, maintaining close contact and interaction, the centripetal force and cohesion of overseas Chinese have been continuously enhanced, effectively promoting the country's economic and social development.

Today, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is an irresistible trend; this is the result of the joint struggle of all Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad. Building our country into a great modern socialist country embodies the long-cherished wish and expectation of the Chinese nation and is inseparable from the concerted struggle of every overseas Chinese son. The vast number of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives actively respond to the call, uphold fine traditions, and cultivate deep feelings for the country and family; they will surely be able to exert their unique advantages and show greater achievements on the new journey.

The "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" outline proposes: "Fully implement the Party's policies on overseas Chinese affairs, better unite the hearts and pool the strengths of overseas Chinese, and leverage the bonding roles of clan and kinship ties, as well as ancestral culture." To implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, we must adhere to the theme of uniting hearts and pooling strengths to jointly realize the Chinese Dream, adhere to the unity of serving the overall situation and serving overseas Chinese, the coordination of domestic and foreign overseas Chinese affairs work, and the overall planning of cultivating resources and playing a role, in order to maximize the gathering and unleashing of the enormous energy contained in the vast number of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives. Overseas Chinese affairs workers at all levels must always keep in mind the instructions, act as considerate friends of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives, and become doers in the work of overseas Chinese affairs.

The tide rises, the sea and sky stretch wide; with one heart we stride toward rejuvenation. On the new journey, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implementing the Party's policies on overseas Chinese affairs, closely focusing on the overall work of the Party and the state, promoting high-quality development of work related to overseas Chinese affairs in the new era, better uniting the hearts and pooling the strengths of overseas Chinese, and promoting the united struggle of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, will surely gather a mighty force for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.

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Continuously Enhance Disaster Prevention, Mitigation, and Relief Capabilities to Effectively Protect People's Lives and Property

Xinhua News Agency, Shijiazhuang, July 28 (Reporter Zou Wei (邹伟)) — Entrusted by General Secretary Xi Jinping, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Tangshan’s earthquake relief and the construction of New Tangshan, Li Qiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council, went to Tangshan City, Hebei Province, on July 28 for investigation and condolence visits. He emphasized that we must thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on doing a good job in disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief work and on promoting the great spirit of earthquake relief, adhere to putting the people first and life first, firmly establish bottom-line thinking and extreme thinking, continuously improve mechanisms such as monitoring and early warning, emergency response, rescue and relief, and post-disaster reconstruction, continuously enhance the capacity for disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief, and effectively protect the safety of people’s lives and property.

Li Qiang first arrived at the Tangshan Earthquake Ruins Memorial Park, and on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council presented a flower basket to the compatriots who perished in the Great Tangshan Earthquake and the heroes who sacrificed their lives in earthquake relief, and bowed three times to the memorial wall. Li Qiang said, “The disaster 50 years ago is unforgettable. The 可歌可泣 (kě gē kě qì - “worthy of songs and tears,” inspiring and tragic) scenes of earthquake relief at that time are deeply moving. Over the past half century, the people of Tangshan have rebuilt a modern and emerging city on a pile of ruins. This is a vivid example of our Party leading the people to overcome various difficulties and challenges. Embarking on a new journey, we must bear in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s earnest instructions during his inspection in Tangshan, inherit and promote the powerful spiritual strength gathered in fighting disasters and rebuilding homes, focus on the development goals and tasks of the ‘15th Five-Year Plan’ period, seize the opportunities of the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, give full play to distinctive advantages, deepen reform and opening up, adhere to innovation-driven development, and solidly carry out various tasks such as economic development and livelihood security, to build this heroic city even more beautiful.”

At the Tangshan Paraplegic Convalescent Home, Li Qiang listened to a report on the home’s development in recent years, visited and consoled earthquake paraplegic casualties, and had a cordial conversation with them. He said, “General Secretary Xi Jinping is very concerned about all of you, always thinking about your physical condition and living situation. This time he specifically entrusted me to come and see you. Today I see that you are all in good shape, and I feel very comforted. The 坚强不屈 (jiān qiáng bù qū - “firm and unyielding,” indomitable) spirit and positive, optimistic attitude toward life that you show are even more worthy of admiration. I wish you health, happiness, and ever-improving conditions!” Li Qiang urged the relevant parties to continuously improve medical rehabilitation, daily care, and other services, strengthen the application of scientific and technological innovation, and constantly raise the level of support for the disabled. Li Qiang thanked the medical staff for their hard work and encouraged them to practice medical benevolence and bring more warmth to the disabled through professional and meticulous services.

Li Qiang went to the relevant rescue base of the First Engineering Bureau Tangshan Branch of the Aneng Group (安能集团), to learn about the rescue tasks undertaken by the base, future development plans, etc., inspect various types of equipment, and communicate with rescue personnel. Li Qiang pointed out that disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief work concerns the safety of the people and national security. We must always keep emergency rescue on a tight string, regularly carry out practical training and joint drills, and comprehensively enhance the professional capabilities of rapid response, scientific rescue, and efficient disposal. We must strengthen equipment and technical support in the emergency field, empower with science and technology to improve rescue precision and safety. We must vigorously carry out science popularization and publicity, and enhance the public’s awareness and ability of disaster prevention and risk avoidance. Li Qiang stressed that the current period is the critical flood prevention period of “the latter part of July and the first part of August” (七下八上). It is necessary to comprehensively consolidate responsibilities, strengthen monitoring and early warning, stockpile sufficient materials and equipment, and respond at the first moment when disasters come, in a scientific and orderly manner.

Wu Zhenglong (吴政隆) accompanied.

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CPPCC Holds Special Consultation on Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization

Beijing, July 28 (reporter Jiang Jie) — The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held a special consultation meeting titled “Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization” in Beijing on the 28th. Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, attended and delivered a speech.

Wang Huning stated that since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has steadfastly made solving the issues concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers (三农) a top priority in the work of the entire Party, adhered to the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, won the battle against poverty, implemented the rural revitalization strategy, and made major deployments to accelerate agricultural and rural modernization, leading historic achievements in work concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers in the new era, taking solid steps in building a strong agricultural country, and achieving major progress in comprehensive rural revitalization. The CPPCC must thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on agricultural and rural modernization, implement the decisions and deployments of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee on accelerating agricultural and rural modernization and the relevant tasks of the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, deeply grasp that agricultural and rural modernization relates to the overall situation and quality of Chinese-style modernization, deeply grasp that food security is a “matter of great importance to the country” (国之大者), focus on key issues such as enhancing comprehensive agricultural production capacity and quality efficiency, promoting the building of livable, workable, and beautiful villages, and improving the effectiveness of policies to strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers, and enrich farmers, and do solid work in research, consultation, and democratic supervision, contributing to high-quality agricultural and rural development with practical and constructive suggestions. Experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs among the CPPCC members should, based on their own positions and professional strengths, play a greater role in accelerating agricultural and rural modernization.

Nearly 100 members of the CPPCC National Committee attended the meeting. The responsible comrade of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the CPPCC National Committee introduced the findings of the special research, and 25 CPPCC members and experts delivered speeches, offering consultations and suggestions on such topics as revitalizing the seed industry, increasing grain production capacity, strengthening the construction of the agricultural product quality and safety system, improving the level of agricultural science and technology innovation and the promotion of achievement transformation, boosting comprehensive rural revitalization in formerly impoverished areas, raising the level of basic public service provision in rural areas, advancing agricultural and rural modernization in border and ethnic minority regions, and promoting stable income growth for farmers.

Liu Guozhong, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. He said that since the 14th Five-Year Plan period, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and with the joint efforts of the entire Party and whole society, the bottom lines of ensuring national food security and preventing large-scale relapse into poverty have been firmly held, new solid steps have been taken in agricultural and rural modernization, providing strong support for high-quality economic and social development. We must comprehensively implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on work concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, adhere to the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, adhere to integrated urban-rural development, anchor the goal of building a strong agricultural country, enhance comprehensive agricultural production capacity and quality efficiency, solidly advance normalized targeted assistance, promote the building of livable, workable, and beautiful villages in accordance with local conditions, improve the effectiveness of policies to strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers, and enrich farmers, and drive major progress toward basically achieving agricultural modernization and equipping rural areas with modern living conditions.

Shi Taifeng, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over the morning session. CPPCC National Committee Vice Chairmen Hu Chunhua, Shen Yueyue, Mu Hong, Xian Hui, Wang Dongfeng, Jiang Zuojun, Qin Boyong, and Zhu Yongxin attended the meeting. Responsible comrades from relevant departments and units of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council attended the meeting to listen to opinions and suggestions and engage in consultation and exchange with CPPCC members.

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Shackled in body, soaring in spirit.

By: 本报记者 赵婀娜 金正波

The first meeting with Wang Ji (王戟) was arranged at the school library's "Highland Library" (高地文库).
In the quiet of that room, the 57-year-old gently pushed his wheelchair, approached with a smile, and showed no sign of fatigue. Even though it was already 8 p.m., even though he had just undergone surgery in Shanghai three days earlier.
"Highland Library" holds special significance for the National University of Defense Technology (国防科技大学) — it houses the works of many of the school's academicians and senior scholars. Qian Xuesen, Ci Yungui (慈云桂), Chen Huowang (陈火旺) … rows upon rows of books silently recount the striving course of generations of scholars who kept the nation's needs at heart and toiled at the frontiers of scholarship.
During the interview, Wang Ji was surrounded by towering shelves of books. Every time he looked up, it seemed he was having a conversation across time with his predecessors. At that moment, he was both a seeker of light and a bearer of the torch.
Wang Ji in his wheelchair, wearing his military uniform, trouser legs folded up, his lower body empty — it was hard to look at for long. But his face always carried a smile, warm and deep like spring water.
That smile made the image of Wang Ji I had imagined become vivid and three-dimensional, yet it also intensified the question in my mind:
A "diligent prodigy" who entered university before the age of 14, was made a professor at 33, and received the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars at 38; a man who, at the age when the country and his family needed him most, suddenly faced catastrophe, and after high-level amputation still charged ahead at the forefront of science and technology — a main pioneer in China's field of high-confidence software technology …
Facing such a dramatic "life script," what hardships did he go through, what strength did he accumulate, that he could confront it with calm composure and resolute progress?
Wang Ji, a researcher at the College of Computer Science of the National University of Defense Technology, a National Model of Self-Improvement (全国自强模范), a revolutionary soldier of the new era forging ahead under the guidance of Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the military, using his wheelchair as a war chariot, answers with his actions — body constrained, but heart set on lofty ambitions; driving his wheels to explore the path, embracing "Ji" (戟 - halberd) to serve the nation.

Choice
"It turns out that the path I chose connects to the pulse of the nation"

This was an unexpected encounter.
On May 20, Pan Xin (潘馨), a student at the National University of Defense Technology who had just finished a presentation, still felt warmth in her heart. On the stage just now, she had described, word by word, Wang Ji's unwavering dedication — pursuing light in his wheelchair, serving the nation for half a lifetime. Beneath the stage, pairs of clear eyes were full of respect. After the presentation, the children crowded around and handed her a bouquet of flowers.
When she returned to campus by bus, in front of the Yinhe Building (银河楼), she looked up and saw a figure. "Look, that's Professor Wang!" The unexpected encounter jolted Pan Xin. Without hesitation, she ran off the bus, hurried forward, and thrust the flowers into Professor Wang's hands. Wang Ji was startled for a moment, then straightened his posture slightly and raised his hand in a military salute. Pan Xin stood tall and returned the salute solemnly.
Recalling that moment, Pan Xin said, "The bouquet is a tribute to the brave! And the military salute is the highest ritual between soldiers!"
A bouquet of flowers, a military salute — on the road of pursuing dreams, there are always people tirelessly pressing forward.
The road in front of the Yinhe Building, Wang Ji has walked countless times. This road has witnessed the growth of generations of students at the National University of Defense Technology, and also witnessed Wang Ji's prime years.
A precocious child, Wang Ji finished only two years of primary school and entered middle school, and was admitted to the Computer Science Department of the National University of Defense Technology before the age of 14 with excellent scores.
From the moment he enrolled, Wang Ji was in the Yinhe Building. This is the key research site of the College of Computer Science, where one astonishing scientific achievement after another was born, and also the place where Wang Ji's dream of "using computers to strengthen national defense" began.
One day in December 1983, a thrilling sound came over the radio: The "Yinhe-I" (银河—Ⅰ) supercomputer had been successfully developed at the National University of Defense Technology! China became the third country capable of independently designing and manufacturing supercomputers.
The entire campus erupted! That day, Wang Ji, who had just entered school, was in class — small in stature, sitting in the front row. Although he did not yet fully grasp the profound significance, for the first time he truly felt the weight of scientific research, and felt a certain drive in the countless "Yinhe people" around him — "Mission means the needs of the Party and the nation."
At the time, computers were still a novelty. Back then, Wang Ji was just a teenager fascinated by mathematical calculations and curious about computers. His understanding of computers was limited to: "A person's brain capacity is limited. With a computer, it's like installing countless brains — very interesting."
The successful development of the "Yinhe-I" ignited that vague interest into a blazing flame. A thought took root deep in Wang Ji's heart: "So computers can have such immense power. So the path I chose connects to the pulse of the nation."
If the success of "Yinhe-I" planted the seed in Wang Ji's heart, then his graduate advisor, Chen Huowang, through his guidance and teaching, matured Wang Ji's fervor into a clear academic vision.
As the overall head of the "Yinhe-I" software system, Chen Huowang led a software development team of over 100 people, spending five years successfully developing two million lines of system software for the giant machine.
His mentor's influence lay both in being down-to-earth (脚踏实地, jiǎo tà shí dì - "stand on solid ground," practical and steady) and in looking up at the stars (仰望星空, yǎng wàng xīng kōng - "look up at the starry sky," aiming high). Chen Huowang once, during a lecture, passionately elaborated on the nation's urgent need for information technology, encouraging young students to dare to chew "hard bones" and strive to advance toward high technology. Even now, that scene is still etched in Wang Ji's memory.
The currents of the times always push those with the nation in their hearts onto broader stages.
In 1989, the National University of Defense Technology was incorporated into the military academy system. In April 1990, Wang Ji, then a doctoral candidate, finally put on the military uniform he had longed for. After donning uniform, the word "defense" took on greater weight in his heart. Wang Ji also further anchored his research direction to the urgent needs of the nation and the military.
From the vague interest of youth, to the scientific ambition inherited from his mentor, to the soldier's mission after wearing the uniform, the root of faith grew deeper and deeper in Wang Ji's heart.
In November 1991, at the age of 22, Wang Ji wrote in his Party membership application: "Only by linking one's life to the Party's cause, to the nation's future, and to the people's interests can one make one's life more substantial and meaningful."
This was the call of mission, and also his answer to marching toward mountains and seas.

Anchor
"Only by doing frontier research can one more easily discover the frontier"

Those familiar with computers know that software is the "soul" of a computer system, determining whether hardware can work and its functional boundaries.
What happens if software is not secure?
At the end of the last century, a foreign rocket deviated from its preset flight trajectory shortly after launch, then disintegrated and exploded violently.
The root cause of that launch failure was a critical software defect in the guidance system, causing problems in the system's processing of speed data.
This deeply affected Wang Ji, who had just completed his doctorate and stayed on as a teacher — key software code for major national projects or important weapons systems cannot afford errors.
At the time, some people had already realized the importance of this issue. But how to conduct systematic research, to give software a "physical exam" to check whether system software is secure and reliable, few people had actually set out to do.
"This is basic research; it requires strong mathematical foundations and also the psychological readiness to sit on a cold bench." Wang Ji knew well that it was not easy to make a name in this direction. Even if you did, you would often be an "unsung hero."
But Wang Ji did not care about that. In his view, new paths always need someone to blaze them, and someone must do the work that explores the unknown and benefits the long term.
In 1999, the fledgling Wang Ji was invited to participate in a reliability assessment task for the software of a major project. He took his team members and worked day and night (夜以继日, yè yǐ jì rì - "night following day," around the clock) to tackle the problem.
One time, they found a discrepancy between the principle of the data distribution model and the actual results. "A miss is as good as a mile" (差之毫厘，谬以千里, chā zhī háo lí, miù yǐ qiān lǐ - "an error of a hair's breadth leads to a divergence of a thousand li"). Wang Ji led the team in repeated deduction, and after countless trials and errors, they finally succeeded in producing a measurement tool for verifying software reliability.
That small success clarified Wang Ji's thinking and strengthened his resolve to continue in the direction of software reliability.
"The nation's and the military's demand for software, especially complex information systems, will only increase, and their security and reliability will become ever more important." Wang Ji realized that as the military rapidly transforms from mechanization to informatization, information systems will inevitably "fall ill." Without a "diagnosis" tool, military security and even national security would be threatened.
What to do in the future? What to do in the new century? Wang Ji was very firm in his heart — research on high-confidence software technology.
So-called "high-confidence software technology" uses mathematical methods to verify the correctness of software code from underlying principles.
Wang Ji made an analogy: "High-confidence software is like a 'software doctor,' giving a full-body scan and precise diagnosis to the software systems of major national strategic equipment, finding deeply hidden vulnerabilities and risks."
Initially, people defined this kind of research as "reliability." But Wang Ji felt it was not enough to just say "reliable"; calling it "trustworthy" seemed more appropriate. On further thought, it should be called "high-confidence." From "reliability" to "trustworthy" and finally to "high-confidence" was a continuous process of thinking and exploration, and also a process of the team's self-breakthrough and self-challenge under Wang Ji's leadership.
In 2003, Wang Ji, together with Academician Chen Huowang, co-published the paper "High-Confidence Software Engineering Technology," which became the earliest systematic paper in this field in China. Subsequently, he opened the "High-Confidence Software Technology" course for the first time in China, introducing this cutting-edge theory into graduate classrooms.
In fact, given Wang Ji's abilities, if he had wanted to work on major national computer engineering projects, he would have had many opportunities to shine. But Wang Ji did not; he preferred to focus on the future, on places few had been.
"Only by doing frontier research can one more easily discover the frontier." Wang Ji often used this sentence to encourage himself, and also to encourage his team and students.
Many units encountering difficult software testing problems would come to their team. Moreover, those seeking their "medical help" were often cases that other teams could not solve, or even tough problems with no ready-made solutions internationally. "A special detachment that only chews hard bones" — that was the label the industry gave Wang Ji's team.
Around 2012, a "hard bone" came knocking.
A certain type of system software had intermittent interruptions and numerical-related defects mixed together, causing many challenges for a major national engineering project.
At that time, given domestic technical capabilities, effective methods were lacking. This was a very棘手 (thorny) problem. To do it or not? Wang Ji accepted the task without hesitation: "They trust us enough to come to us; no matter how hard, we have to charge ahead." That was his consistent style — the harder it got, the more he advanced.
Today, the "weapon arsenal" of this special detachment has more and more "weapons," safeguarding many major national projects.
From entering the National University of Defense Technology with a dream, to staying on as a researcher after graduation, from serving as executive deputy director of a key national defense laboratory and as head of a department, to becoming a recipient of the second-class National Science and Technology Progress Award … his identity may have changed, but what never changed was Wang Ji's requirement for himself and his team: stand at the frontier of science and technology, walk paths no one else has walked.

Restart
"As long as my mind works well and my hands are still usable, I will not stop"

Shi Tiesheng (史铁生) said, so-called fate means that this "human drama" needs all kinds of roles; you can only be one of them, and you cannot switch at will.
This seems to reflect Wang Ji's life.
In January 2025, exciting news came: The results incubated from a national defense "973" project won the first-class prize of the Military Science and Technology Progress Award!
The first-class prize — its weight and difficulty need no elaboration. The technical chief expert of this project was none other than Wang Ji. It spanned ten years, from its inception in 2015. What few people know is that during those ten years of hard work, Wang Ji commanded the battle from his wheelchair.
That year, the storm of fate struck without warning.
In the early hours of January 23, 2013, due to severe pain in his back and waist, Wang Ji was rushed to the hospital. The diagnosis: sudden aortic dissection, an extremely dangerous cardiovascular emergency with a high fatality rate.
The surgery lasted a full 13 hours. Wang Ji's life was saved.
His life was preserved, but bad news followed.
Because a large amount of toxins had been produced in his body during the onset, under the continuous erosion of the toxins, the muscles of Wang Ji's legs kept necrotizing. Wang Ji was pushed into the operating room again — high-level amputation of the left thigh, and disarticulation of the right hip.
To this day, flipping through the surgical records, page after page filled with words like "massive hemorrhage," "heart failure," and "critical condition" is still startling.
Wang Ji spent 147 days in the intensive care unit.
At the most vigorous time of his life, at the age when the nation and his family needed him most, to abruptly encounter the impermanence of life — what about the future? What about this family? What about the ongoing research projects? Beyond the shock, many people were anxious for Wang Ji.
More than ten days later, Wang Ji woke from his coma. When he learned that he had not only undergone a major heart surgery but also lost his legs, Wang Ji said nothing, but the desolation in his eyes could not hide from anyone.
How to walk the road ahead? Wang Ji was thinking, his family was thinking, everyone who cared about him was thinking.
His mother, Liu Guizhi (刘桂枝), said: "If you cannot face it, people will say what a pity for this child; if you can face it, everyone will help you, everyone will give you a push!"
Wang Ji took it in. He took in every word.
Looking back now on that period, Wang Ji has become calm: "People suffer because of choices. Once there is no choice, it doesn't hurt as much."
Once he made up his mind, he stopped asking "what if" and stopped reviewing the suffering. Having crossed the line between life and death, what Wang Ji thought about most was how to make good use of his second life.
Like a computer that had been down for a long time, "restarting" was no easy feat. It was a reshaping of physical strength, and even more a tempering of will.
During the recovery phase, lying in bed, he tried again and again to sit up, and fell back again and again. Even when drenched in sweat from the pain, Wang Ji gritted his teeth and persisted.
When a laptop was allowed into the ward, Wang Ji's "restart" process accelerated. He annotated and revised papers sent by students word by word (逐字逐句, zhú zì zhú jù - "word by word, sentence by sentence"). When the team encountered technical bottlenecks, he would dismantle them over the phone. When students came to visit and saw his empty trouser leg, they did not know what to say. Instead, Wang Ji smiled and reassured them: "My mind can still think, my hands can still move — no problem."
True armor is not on the body, but in the heart.
After the Spring Festival in 2015, at the Tianhe Building (天河楼), Wang Ji returned with a smile on his face. Everyone who met him could hardly conceal their joy and admiration. But for those close friends who knew him well, it was expected — because this was Wang Ji, this was the real Wang Ji!
Rolling his wheelchair, re-entering the Tianhe Building, everything was unchanged, yet everything had changed. For him, thirty years had passed, and every step he took from now on was new.
At that time, the high-confidence software technology research he had been yearning for was also at a critical climbing stage. Facing the field of national information security, how to conduct systematic research and solve more problems? After returning from his serious illness, Wang Ji and his team decided to play a "big game" — apply for a national defense "973" project!
"973 Project" is a major basic research plan aimed at national strategic needs. Getting approved was no easy task, especially for a patient sitting in a wheelchair.
Wang Ji led the team in writing project reports, conducting topic justifications, and defending the project. He personally participated in every important step.
He worked like an able-bodied person, sitting for half a day at a time. His colleagues felt for him and urged him to do less. He said, "It's okay. I also want to test myself — whether I can still handle it. If I can hold out, then I won't be afraid in the future."
And then? Then, he withstood the test! The project was approved, and Wang Ji became the technical chief expert.
From then on, Wang Ji became busier. Except for going to the hospital, he went to work normally every day, moving between the laboratory and research consultation frontline. Sometimes, to attend justifications or review meetings, he even had to travel … Returning to his post, Wang Ji turned his wheelchair into a war chariot.
In the traditional sense of warfare, Wang Ji could hardly participate anymore. But on the battlefield of technological self-reliance, he was still that soldier forging shields with code and charging without cease. As Wang Ji often says, "As long as my mind works well and my hands are still usable, I will not stop."

Passing the Torch
"Be a conqueror of bottlenecks, not a profit-seeker chasing hotspots"

In the academic career of Liu Wanwei (刘万伟), a professor at the National University of Defense Technology, one paper holds a special place.
"Without Professor Wang's guidance, this paper might have remained just a vague idea forever." In the autumn of 2005, Liu Wanwei, just starting his PhD, approached Wang Ji with an unformed idea — he wanted to try improving a classic algorithm.
Wang Ji listened, was silent for a long time, then said earnestly: "This is a hard bone to chew. If you are determined to do it, I will accompany you."
That accompaniment lasted four years.
The most difficult step, Liu Wanwei and Wang Ji racked their brains over for eight or nine months. Every time they felt they were close to the answer, they were pushed back to square one. When frustrated, Wang Ji never rushed them, but worked through it with Liu Wanwei again and again.
After four years of dedicated effort, the paper was completed. It was only four pages long, but the algorithm it proposed reduced the complexity by an exponential factor compared to the then global optimum.
Four pages, very thin. The trust and companionship contained within, very heavy.
In 1995, Wang Ji graduated and stayed on as a teacher. Now, over 31 years have passed.
As a teacher, Wang Ji knows well that talent growth requires environment, platform, and someone to "give a push."
Back then, he was strongly recommended to make his debut at an international academic symposium at the age of 23; recommended to study at a world-famous software research institute … Wang Ji was always pushed onto bigger stages by Academician Chen Huowang.
As his mentor treated him, so Wang Ji treats his students.
Early students trained by Wang Ji, such as Chen Liqian (陈立前) and Liu Wanwei, have become key members of the research team. Several recent PhD graduates, like Li Minglong (李明龙) and Zhou Jingwen (周竞文), have also made rapid progress. They were all pushed to the forefront by Wang Ji.
As a teacher, Wang Ji knows well that doing research, especially basic research, sometimes requires struggling against human nature.
High-confidence software technology research belongs to basic research. It requires not only a broad theoretical foundation but also the composure to sit on a cold bench. Students just starting research often cannot bear the patience or dive deep.
One time, a student gathered his courage and went to Wang Ji, expressing a desire to change direction — to switch to a "hotter" track. It turned out that seeing his classmates publishing papers in popular directions one after another while he had no results yet, he could not sit still.
After listening, Wang Ji was silent for a moment, then said: "Sitting on a cold bench is not easy. But the country needs a group of people to sit on those cold benches and solve the fundamental problems. Students of the National University of Defense Technology must be conquerors of bottlenecks, not profit-seekers chasing hotspots."
Wang Ji's voice was not loud, but every word was like a nail, driven deep into the heart.
Later, that student settled down earnestly on the cold bench. Later, his research results were published in top international journals and conferences — outstanding from the start.
"A high ground for cultivating high-quality new-type military personnel and for independent innovation in national defense science and technology" — this is President Xi Jinping's earnest expectation for the National University of Defense Technology.
An unusual positioning, an unusual mission.
"Since it is a high ground, on the march toward strengthening the military through science and technology and through talent, we should be at the very forefront." Wang Ji often tells his students: "Scientific research is not a sprint to chase hotspots, but a marathon that resonates with the nation's needs."
Even though he is in a wheelchair, in Wang Ji's view, since he is a teacher, he must stand on the podium. In the second semester of 2019, Wang Ji began teaching the course "Formal Methods."
When they saw him wheeling his chair onto the platform with a warm smile on his face, even though they had told themselves not to cry in front of the teacher, many students still could not hold back their tears.
Wang Ji is not only a teacher to his own students, but also a teacher to many others. Because, although focused on high-confidence research, Wang Ji's academic vision is very broad. In the view of many faculty members, "His understanding of many cutting-edge topics is deep; he has studied them through!"
So, after returning to work, the door to Wang Ji's office is always open. Students and team members come to him when they are stuck on problems; teachers from other research groups also come to him when they encounter difficulties.
One student described Wang Ji in his heart this way: "Perhaps he is the shortest person on the podium, but he is the tallest person standing on the high ground of scientific research."
One team member described Wang Ji in his heart this way: "As long as he is here, our hearts are very steady."

Mirror
"I am just an ordinary member of the National University of Defense Technology; the wheelchair magnifies my halo"

Recently, facing the sudden surge of attention, Wang Ji feels a bit uncomfortable. He always says, "In this compound, there are many moving people and stories. I am just an ordinary member of the National University of Defense Technology; the wheelchair magnifies my halo."
Wang Ji is being modest, but he also speaks a deeper truth. Wang Ji's story originates from a fertile soil, a kind of spirit, a culture. Or rather, in him, one can see the shadows of many people.
Among them are his parents —
Both of Wang Ji's parents were intellectuals. In that fervent era of "prepare for war, prepare for famine, serve the people," the elderly couple moved from Shanghai to Changde, Hunan (湖南常德) to support the Third Front construction. After retirement, they became among the earliest volunteers in Changsha, participating in public welfare activities. Knowledgeable, warm-hearted, not prone to troubling others — the neighbors all knew their goodness.
Among them is his wife, Huang Chun (黄春) —
In the History Museum of the College of Computer Science at the National University of Defense Technology, there is a "Heroes' Wall." Photos of Wang Ji and his wife Huang Chun are both there. Wang Ji is a National Model of Self-Improvement, and Huang Chun is a National March 8th Red-Banner Holder (全国三八红旗手), a key contributor to the "Tianhe" team.
For Huang Chun, Wang Ji is both a lover and a confidant. In the first half of 2021, the Tianhe system entered its final integrated debugging and testing phase. As the chief designer of the compilation system, Huang Chun needed to go to Tianjin for two months of concentrated work.
Just at that moment, Wang Ji's body faced another crisis — uremia, requiring treatment in Nanjing.
On one side her husband needed her, on the other Tianhe was in its critical phase; Huang Chun's dilemma was clear to Wang Ji. Wang Ji said calmly, "I can take care of myself; don't worry."
So, with concern in her heart, Huang Chun went to the frontline in Tianjin, also bringing along their elementary-school-age daughter who had no one to care for at home. As a wife, mother, and team leader, Huang Chun tried her best to balance everything.
To outsiders, this couple both have great wisdom and broad-mindedness. Their hearts contain wilderness and sky. Many things ordinary people do not understand, but they understand each other.
Among them are comrades and partners —
When Wang Ji first returned to work after his serious illness, his colleague Wang Ting (王挺) voluntarily took on the task of driving Wang Ji to and from work. Through spring, summer, autumn, winter, rain or shine. That lasted for eight years.
Many people did not understand, but Wang Ting said, "On the way driving him every day, chatting about research, about life — those were such happy moments. How was I helping Wang Ji …"
The warmth of "you give the world kindness, and the world returns you light" is also reflected in the neighbor, Sister Liang Yan (梁妍).
When Wang Ji fell ill, his father was also bedridden with paralysis, his wife was busy with work, and his daughter was under three years old. Neighbor Liang Yan took the child into her own home and cared for her for nearly a year without compensation. When asked about the motivation for this sacrifice, Sister Liang said, "I couldn't bear to see such an outstanding family collapse …"
Among them are also generations of Yinhe people —
Today, in the History Museum of the College of Computer Science at the National University of Defense Technology, the "Yinhe-I" cabinet is still on display, silently telling the youth and passion of the Yinhe people from those days.
Standing in front of that cabinet, looking at the more than 20,000 crisscrossing wires, the scene of their arduous research back then becomes incredibly vivid, and the spirit of "cherishing the motherland in mind, uniting and cooperating, aiming for the summit, and fighting bravely" becomes incredibly vivid.
From Yinhe-I to Yinhe-III, from Yinhe to Tianhe, from following to leading … generations of Yinhe people have advanced wave upon wave. It is not hard to imagine how many stories worthy of song and tears, how many lovable and admirable people there are. No wonder Wang Ji and Huang Chun, whenever asked by others whether it was hard, always smile and answer: "That's not so difficult …"
Wang Ji said he once watched a documentary: A horse fell into a swamp and could not be pulled out no matter what. The herdsman brought a herd of horses to run around it. The trapped horse, stirred by the vibration of its companions running, struggled, climbed, and finally escaped.
Wang Ji is like that horse that was once trapped.
Today, Wang Ji's work remains compact and busy — mentoring students, leading the team, and pressing forward with major projects.
The team has never treated him as someone needing special care. He is still the backbone of the team, the stabilizer before difficulties. They discuss as usual, debate as usual.
And Wang Ji's body? Can he bear it?
From Wang Ji's current attending physician, Li Ge (李戈), we learn that now, Wang Ji's dialysis has increased from twice a week to three times a week, half a day each time. The vascular access on his arm for dialysis has become very fragile, requiring multiple surgeries to soften and dilate. His trip to Shanghai this time was for that.
…………
Wang Ji, who is fully aware of his own condition, still chooses, on non-dialysis days, to appear in his office before 8 a.m. Even on dialysis days, after the session ends, he will come.
Why? What for?
The answer is simple: Wang Ji is racing against time!
As a father, Wang Ji says he will take care of himself as best he can, because he wants to see his daughter grow up and get married happily.
As a teacher, Wang Ji says he still has so many students to guide — not one can be left behind.
As a researcher, Wang Ji says the problem of credible requirements for weapons and equipment cannot be solved at one go; software research is always on the road, never finished.
As a soldier, Wang Ji says President Xi's instructions are engraved in his heart. Act upon orders; mission must be accomplished!
On Tianhe North Road (天河北路) at the National University of Defense Technology, a tree-lined path, with portraits of many academicians standing on one side. The road is not long, but the roots are deep. Sunlight filters through the leaves, gently shining down.
Holding the ideal planted by that diligent young student by the Xiang River, holding the responsibility and spirit of generations of Yinhe people, Wang Ji gently drives his wheelchair, moving forward without stopping …
(Zhang Shixuan (张世悬), Lin Yuan (林渊), Diao Wei (刁潍), Yu Xingxin (余星馨), Qin Jingya (秦镜雅), Ma Ke (马可) participated in the writing.)

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Deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, continuously break new ground in Party building work in government organs

This newspaper, Beijing, July 28 (Reporter Zhang Yang (张洋)) — The experience exchange symposium on party building work in government organs was held in Beijing on the 28th. Shi Taifeng, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the meeting and delivered a speech, emphasizing the need to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech delivered on July 1 and Xi Jinping’s thought on party building, to study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important expositions on party building in government organs, to firmly grasp the correct direction of party building in government organs, to persist in centering on the core tasks, building the ranks, and serving the masses, to promote the implementation and landing of all tasks of party building in government organs, and to promote high-quality development with high-quality party building.

Shi Taifeng stated that in forging ahead on the new journey and making contributions in the new era, party building in government organs must have a new atmosphere and new achievements. Party political construction must be placed first; unremittingly use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to solidify the soul and unite the mind, guiding Party members and cadres to deeply understand the decisive significance of the two establishments (两个确立 - "two establishments," referring to the establishment of Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and the establishment of the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era) and resolutely achieve the two upholds (两个维护 - "two upholds," referring to upholding General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and upholding the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee). We must keep in mind the great affairs of the nation (国之大者 - "the great affairs of the nation") and the great plans of the Party, promote deep integration of party building and business, and fully exert the political leadership and organizational guarantee role of party building in government organs. We must persistently strengthen the grassroots and lay the foundation, deepen the building of "four-strengths" Party branches (四强党支部 - "four-strengths" Party branches, referring to branches strong in politics, organization, capability, and service), and enhance the political function and organizational function of Party organizations. We must vigorously strengthen the building of the ranks of Party members and cadres in government organs, thoroughly implement the spirit of the Central Committee’s eight-point regulation (中央八项规定 - "eight-point regulation" of the Central Committee) and its detailed implementation rules, and unremittingly correct the "four winds" (四风 - "four winds," referring to formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance) and foster new practices. We must see the work of establishing and practicing a correct view on political achievement through to the end in study and education, establish and improve long-term mechanisms, and persist in producing political achievements for the people and through practical work. We must strengthen leadership over party building work in government organs, comprehensively implement the responsibility for party building work in government organs, and promote the formation of a work pattern in which each level grasps the work and each level implements it.

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He Lifeng Attends and Addresses Opening Ceremony of 2026 APEC Ministerial Meeting on Forestry

Xinhua News Agency, Shenzhen, July 28 - He Lifeng, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, attended the opening ceremony of the 2026 APEC Ministerial Meeting on Forestry in Shenzhen on the 28th and delivered a speech.

He Lifeng pointed out that since entering the new era, under the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization (习近平生态文明思想), China's ecological civilization construction has undergone historic, transformative, and overall changes from cognition to practice. While creating the two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability, it has blazed a path of Chinese-style modernization featuring harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Forestry is the main carrier of ecological civilization construction. China has always placed forestry development in a prominent position, made comprehensive plans and systematic deployments, and coordinated the advancement of high-level protection and high-quality development, achieving a series of major accomplishments.

He Lifeng emphasized that the Asia-Pacific is one of the regions with the richest forest resources and the most diverse ecosystem types in the world, with forest area accounting for more than half of the global total. China has always been committed to maintaining global ecological security, spreading ecological culture and green concepts, and contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the construction of ecological civilization in the Asia-Pacific region and the world. With the joint efforts of all parties, the Asia-Pacific region has become a main force in reversing the declining trend of global forest resources.

He Lifeng pointed out that in the face of the current ecological situation in the Asia-Pacific region, China will continue to handle its own affairs well, deeply implement Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, and accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. China is willing to work hand in hand with all parties for win-win cooperation, jointly promote the high-quality development of forestry in the Asia-Pacific region, and jointly write a new chapter in the development of a green Asia-Pacific.

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Tax Big Data Outlines Positive Economic Picture (Authoritative Release · Starting Strong in the 15th Five-Year Plan Period)

By: 本报记者 王 观

“From tax data, in January–June the activity level of business entities in our country further improved. The number of active business entities nationwide that have handled tax-related matters and are operating normally increased by 20.2% year-on-year, and the number of tax-paying registrants increased by 10% year-on-year. The high-end orientation of the industrial structure further improved; sales revenue of high-tech industries and core industries of the digital economy increased by 15% and 8.7% year-on-year respectively, and their shares of total enterprise sales revenue increased by 1.7 and 1.1 percentage points respectively.” On July 28, the State Council Information Office held a series of press conferences under the theme “Getting Off to a Good Start in the 15th Five-Year Plan (十五五).” Hu Jinglin (胡静林), Director of the State Administration of Taxation, introduced the relevant situation of tax reform and development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Benefiting people’s livelihoods and promoting development, economic operation is moving toward the real, the new, the excellent, and the green.

Tax big data shows that since the beginning of this year, the economic operation of our country has been in good shape, with four prominent characteristics: moving toward the real, the new, the excellent, and the green.

First, moving toward the real. As the foundation of the real economy, industry, especially manufacturing, has steadily increased its share. In the first half of the year, sales revenue of industrial enterprises increased by 7.1% year-on-year, of which sales revenue of manufacturing enterprises increased by 7.3% year-on-year; the share of industrial enterprises’ sales revenue in total enterprise sales revenue reached 36%, up 2.2 percentage points from the same period last year; total equipment investment of industrial enterprises increased by 9.8% year-on-year.

Second, moving toward the new. In the first half of the year, the sales revenue of only three industries closely related to new quality productive forces—namely, equipment manufacturing; information transmission, software and information technology services; and scientific and technological services—accounted for 23.5% of total enterprise sales revenue, up 2.2 percentage points from the same period last year, and has been rising rapidly year by year.

Third, moving toward the excellent. Some value-volume indicators reflecting efficiency have improved and optimized. Apart from tax revenue, indicators such as enterprise profits have achieved relatively good growth. In the first half of the year, the declared profits of 1 million key tax-source enterprises nationwide increased by 12.8% year-on-year, reflecting continuous improvement in enterprise efficiency.

Fourth, moving toward the green. In the first half of the year, sales revenue of the ecological protection and environmental management industry increased by 6.9% year-on-year; sales revenue from clean energy power generation represented by wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear increased by 17.1% year-on-year, accounting for 38.8% of total electricity production and sales revenue, an increase of 3.8 percentage points from the same period last year.

In the first half of the year, tax reduction and exemption preferential policies implemented by the state in the areas of elderly care, medical care, education, and employment achieved a year-on-year increase of 11.8% in tax reductions; 126 million people enjoyed special additional deductions for personal income tax in areas such as elderly care, medical care, and education, with a tax reduction amount exceeding 320 billion yuan. Tax departments, in coordination with human resources and social security departments, actively promoted the pilot project for occupational injury protection of personnel in new forms of employment. From July 1 this year, the pilot scope has been expanded to the whole country, cumulatively benefiting 29.1 million people.

In the first half of the year, the current main policies supporting scientific and technological innovation and manufacturing development achieved tax reductions, fee reductions, and tax rebates totaling 1.91 trillion yuan. Among them: policies such as additional deduction of R&D expenses to support enterprise innovation investment and technology transfer achieved tax and fee reductions of 659.6 billion yuan; policies such as reducing the corporate income tax rate to 15% for high-tech enterprises to support the cultivation and development of high-tech enterprises and emerging industries achieved tax reductions of approximately 252 billion yuan; policies such as additional deduction of value-added tax for advanced manufacturing enterprises to advance the resolution of “bottleneck” (卡脖子) issues and support high-end development achieved tax and fee reductions of nearly 1 trillion yuan.

Govern involution, squeeze out “water,” and achieve phased results in correcting the “open-invoice economy” (开票经济).

“Since the beginning of this year, tax departments have further leveraged their vertical management advantages, stepped up efforts to rectify ‘involution-style competition’ (内卷式竞争); further strengthened unified management of tax policy application, stepped up efforts to prevent and control policy depressions; further implemented the requirements for standardized and fair tax enforcement, stepped up efforts to eliminate regional disparities, and achieved positive results,” said Wang Daoshu (王道树), Deputy Director of the State Administration of Taxation.

In strengthening the management of tax preferential policy application, the focus has been on preferential policies with large tax reduction amounts and high tax-related risks, formulating positive and negative lists for compliant enjoyment and fraudulent enjoyment, ensuring that policy dividends accurately reach compliant business entities.

This year, tax departments have further included tax-related issues of the “open-invoice economy” in the rectification scope, issuing positive and negative lists for taxpayers’ compliant invoicing. Among them, the positive list contains 16 items, defining a “standard line” for compliant invoicing; the negative list contains 28 items, defining a “warning line” for illegal invoicing, stepping up efforts to correct the “involution-style competition” problems brought about by the “open-invoice economy.” At the same time, in response to the practice of some localities using disguised methods to engage in illegal investment attraction, risk monitoring indicators are dynamically updated and improved, continuous efforts are made to scan and verify suspicious points, and verified problems are urged to be corrected in a timely manner by all localities.

In the first half of the year, on the basis of the previous two years, tax departments in various localities pushed for the abolition or modification of 833 documents or agreement clauses related to illegal investment attraction involving tax matters across provinces, strictly preventing the illegal implementation of tax rebates in various names that undermine market fairness and unity.

Over the past half year, phased results have been achieved in correcting the “open-invoice economy,” promoting the effective squeezing out of “water” from invoicing, accelerating the exit of “shell” enterprises, effectively correcting false trade, and preventing related risks in advance. In the first half of the year, enterprises identified as having “open-invoice economy” problems saw their invoice amounts decrease by 37.7% year-on-year. Along with the squeezing out of this invoicing “water,” the “tax content per hundred yuan of invoices” nationwide increased by 13.7% compared with 2025, and the quality of economic taxation has improved.

Uphold fairness, protect compliance, and balance continuous optimization of services with standardized supervision.

From January 1 this year, the Value-Added Tax Law and its implementing regulations came into effect. Wang Daoshu stated that the implementation of the new law has better enhanced the certainty of the tax system, more clearly demonstrated the fairness of the rule of law, better smoothed the industrial chain cycle, and better improved tax handling convenience. In the first half of the year, tax departments collected 3.87 trillion yuan in value-added tax revenue, an increase of 6% year-on-year; nationwide, 1.09 million new general VAT taxpayers were registered, an increase of 25.2% year-on-year, further enhancing the fairness of the tax system.

On June 30, the seventh annual settlement of individual income tax comprehensive income was successfully completed. Wang Shiyu (王世宇), Chief Auditor of the State Administration of Taxation, introduced that in this individual income tax settlement, more than 200 million taxpayers nationwide handled the settlement declaration, a year-on-year increase of 4.38%; more than 100 million taxpayers declared tax refunds, with a total refund amount exceeding 150 billion yuan. For groups with an annual income below 120,000 yuan, after deducting the basic deduction of 60,000 yuan, special deductions for “three insurances and one housing fund,” and special additional deductions, they basically do not need to pay tax or only need to pay a small amount; more than 70% of the population do not need to pay tax after settlement; among those who do pay tax, more than 60% apply the 3% tax rate, and the effect of individual income tax in adjusting high incomes and benefiting low incomes has further emerged.

This year, tax departments continued for the 13th consecutive year the “Convenient Tax Services Spring Breeze Campaign,” innovatively launching a series of new measures to better benefit enterprises and the people. “The coverage of smart tax handling items has been raised to 85%, and the average tax handling time has been shortened by 20%. In livelihood areas such as parking lots, supermarkets and retail, and catering and accommodation, a pilot program of ‘pay-and-get-invoice’ (支付即开票) has been implemented, improving consumers’ efficiency and experience in using invoices; the ‘buy-and-claim-refund’ (即买即退) service for departure tax refunds has been continuously optimized. In the first half of the year, the number of overseas travelers handling departure tax refunds increased by 366% year-on-year, and the sales amount of refundable goods and the refund amount increased by 69% year-on-year,” said Rong Hailou (荣海楼), Spokesperson and Chief Economist of the State Administration of Taxation.

The “Regulations on the Submission of Tax-Related Information by Internet Platform Enterprises” has been implemented for one year. Nearly 9,700 domestic and foreign platforms have actively fulfilled their obligations to submit tax-related information. The quality and efficiency of data submission by platform enterprises have continuously improved, tax compliance of merchants on platforms has continuously strengthened, and the order of platform economic operation has become more standardized. In the first quarter, the amount of invoices obtained by small-scale taxpayers on platforms from upstream enterprises increased by 48% year-on-year, an increase of 20 percentage points quarter-on-quarter, more than double that of the first submission last year; the number of merchants on platforms that declared and paid taxes increased by 37% compared with before the implementation of the regulations, up 5 percentage points from the previous submission, further narrowing the difference in tax burden between online and offline.

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Policy interpretation: Helping Chinese enterprises go global more steadily

By: 本报记者 罗珊珊

On July 1, the "Regulations of the State Council on Foreign Investment" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") officially came into effect, containing 34 articles, specifying institutional measures from three aspects: service, management, and protection, effectively protecting the legitimate rights and interests of investors and their foreign investments, and promoting high-quality development of foreign investment on the track of rule of law. Why were the Regulations enacted? What new measures and arrangements do the Regulations have? What aspects do enterprises need to pay attention to when "going global"? A reporter interviewed experts and scholars.

The enactment of the Regulations is a practical need for enterprises to "go global"

Kong Qingjiang (孔庆江), an arbitrator of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (中国国际经济贸易仲裁委员会) and a professor at China University of Political Science and Law, introduced that over more than 40 years of reform and opening up, China has gradually shifted from mainly "bringing in" to placing equal emphasis on "bringing in" and "going global," achieving leapfrog development in foreign investment. Especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China's foreign investment cooperation has continued to deepen, forming a comprehensive, multi-level, and wide-ranging pattern of foreign investment. In terms of investment scale, China has been among the top three in global foreign direct investment flows for many consecutive years, and its foreign investment stock firmly ranks among the top in the world.

"For a long time, foreign investment management has been mainly implemented based on departmental regulations and normative documents, with a low legislative level and an incomplete system, which has become difficult to meet practical needs. At the same time, the world's century-long changes are accelerating, geopolitical risks are rising, international competition is increasingly fierce, some countries continue to strengthen foreign investment reviews, set up investment barriers, and intervene in normal market behavior with discriminatory measures, and the uncertainty faced by China's foreign investment has increased significantly," said Wang Xuekun (王雪坤), president of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (商务部国际贸易经济合作研究院) under the Ministry of Commerce.

Xu Qianqian (徐芊芊), senior senior manager of the Legal Affairs Department of China State Construction Engineering Corporation Ltd. (中国建筑股份有限公司), believes that the positioning of the Regulations as an administrative regulation has systematically sorted out, integrated, and upgraded China's previously scattered foreign investment regulatory laws, regulations, and policy systems, building a more standardized, comprehensive, and rigorous foreign investment regulatory system.

Wang Xuekun stated that, as China's first administrative regulation specifically targeting foreign investment, the Regulations elevate long-standing effective measures into a legal system, and are an important measure to implement the central authorities' decision-making and deployment on improving the foreign investment management service system and effectively implementing foreign investment management, marking a milestone in the development history of China's foreign investment.

Systematically constructing an institutional framework, clarifying the rights and obligations of all parties

Kong Qingjiang said that the Regulations systematically construct a foreign investment institutional framework integrating service, management, and protection, which not only regulates the behavior of investors but also clarifies the government's service and protection responsibilities, providing a relatively complete institutional compliance for China's foreign investment protection.

Wang Xuekun introduced that the Regulations respond to practical needs in various aspects: improving the comprehensive overseas service system, clarifying the responsibilities of the government and relevant departments, professional service institutions, industry associations and chambers of commerce, trade promotion organizations, and other parties, providing multi-level and all-round services for investors to participate in international cooperation and competition, thereby making up for the shortcomings of insufficient overseas service guarantees. Realizing standardized management of the entire investment process, strengthening the principal responsibility of investors, improving the overseas investment security review system, forming institutional constraints and deterrence against foreign investment behaviors that disrupt market competition order and endanger national security. Strengthening the protection of foreign investment rights and interests, effectively safeguarding the security and legitimate rights and interests of investors and their foreign investments.

Kong Qingjiang added that the Regulations comprehensively use political, diplomatic, legal, economic, and other means to form a multi-level, multi-dimensional protection system. There are both diplomatic means such as bilateral cooperation and multilateral coordination, and administrative means such as consular protection and emergency response; there are both economic means such as investment insurance and financial support, and legal means such as dispute resolution and countermeasures. The countermeasure clause of the Regulations is an important legal weapon for the Chinese government to respond to external suppression and protect foreign investment interests, and also provides a backing and support for Chinese enterprises, enhancing their confidence and assurance in safeguarding their own rights.

Article 5 of the Regulations clearly states that investors enjoy the right of autonomy in foreign investment according to law, making independent decisions, bearing their own risks, and assuming sole responsibility for their profits and losses. Bi Liyan (毕丽艳), head of the Legal Department of China Metallurgical Group Corporation (中国中冶), commented that this move is intended to establish a market-oriented orientation, not to relax legal constraints. From the perspective of enterprise practice, the grant of rights and the assumption of responsibilities are 互为表里 (hù wéi biǎo lǐ - "mutually serve as exterior and interior," two sides of the same coin). In the past, enterprises going overseas relied on speed, scale, and first-mover advantages. The core elements of current and future competition have shifted to the completeness of compliance systems, the accuracy of risk identification, and the foresight of dispute resolution. Enterprises that transform compliance from a "cost burden" into a "credit asset" can take the initiative in international negotiations.

Strengthen compliance awareness and fulfill principal responsibility

Kong Qingjiang stated that the Regulations are both based on China's actual conditions and draw on international common practices, forming a foreign investment protection system model with Chinese characteristics. With the implementation of the Regulations, China's foreign investment protection has entered a new stage of rule of law, institutionalization, and systematization.

For investors, Wang Xuekun suggested to strengthen compliance awareness, fulfill principal responsibility, and assume principal responsibility in investment decision-making, compliant operation, risk prevention and control, etc., ensuring that investment activities comply with laws and regulatory requirements. They should make good use of the service system to obtain professional support. Actively utilize public services provided by the state and localities, professional services provided by institutions such as consulting and evaluation, legal services, accounting and auditing, finance and insurance, as well as services such as information consultation, market expansion, and rights protection provided by industry associations, chambers of commerce, and trade promotion organizations, to enhance their ability to participate in international cooperation and competition.

Xu Qianqian, taking the example of construction enterprises "going global," stated that in the context of group-level overseas expansion, construction enterprises that "go global" can be divided into two modes: leading type and following type. Leading enterprises are mostly large central state-owned construction enterprises and local state-owned enterprises, with the ability to independently explore overseas markets, independently invest and layout overseas projects, and lead the full-process operation of projects. Such enterprises should rely on the requirements of the new regulations, fully recognize their leading role in the industrial chain, in the spirit of being responsible to all project participants, improve the overseas investment decision-making mechanism, strengthen pre-project feasibility studies, risk assessment, and post-operational supervision, build an overseas investment risk control system suitable for the full cycle and full chain of the project, and guide all project participants to do a good job in compliance and risk management.

As an arbitrator of the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission, Bi Liyan noted changes in the role and function of arbitration. She believes that the dispute resolution strategies faced by enterprises going overseas can no longer take "post-event initiation" as the default logic. The selection of the arbitration seat, the application of arbitration rules, and the appointment of arbitrators have risen from pure legal technical issues to strategic topics before investment decisions. She suggested that enterprises should keep up with the rule iteration and service upgrade of Chinese arbitration institutions in the field of investment arbitration — the institutional environment has changed, and countermeasure tools must be updated synchronously.

Xu Qianqian said that the current international economic, trade, and investment environment is complex and volatile, and enterprises operating overseas simultaneously face multiple regulatory systems such as host country regulatory constraints, international economic and trade rules constraints, and China's compliance management requirements, leading to overlapping cross-border compliance risks and making it difficult to control the scale. With the implementation of the Regulations, enterprises going overseas need to adhere to the principle of balancing domestic and foreign compliance, and must not apply foreign country rules unilaterally. When domestic and foreign laws conflict, they should reasonably use China's legal weapons, including countermeasure rules, to protect the safety of overseas assets.

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Last year, China provided financial aid to nearly 160 million students.

Beijing, July 28 (Reporter Wu Yue (吴月)): The reporter learned from a press conference of the Ministry of Education that in 2025, the nation cumulatively aided nearly 160 million student-person-times, an increase of more than 5% compared to 2024.

Among them, at the compulsory education stage, 18.77 million students from families with financial difficulties received living subsidies, and 27.58 million students received the Nutrition Improvement Plan (营养改善计划). In secondary vocational education, 20,000 students received National Scholarships, 12.79 million students received tuition exemption, and 4.07 million students received National Grants. In regular senior high school education, 4.65 million students received National Grants, and 1.99 million students received exemption from tuition and miscellaneous fees. At the higher education stage, 210,000 students received National Scholarships, 1.22 million students received National Endeavor Scholarships, 2.64 million students received Graduate Academic Scholarships, 12.71 million students received National Grants, and 8.52 million students obtained National Student Loans.

At the same time, investment in financial aid funds grew steadily. In 2025, national investment in student financial aid funds exceeded 390 billion yuan, an increase of more than 14% over the previous year. Among them, fiscal investment was approximately 240 billion yuan, accounting for 60% of total financial aid funds, and is the main source of financial aid funds.

Liu Yuguang (刘玉光), Director of the Department of Financial Affairs of the Ministry of Education, stated that at the current stage, our country's student financial aid has formed a student financial aid system with Chinese characteristics that, in terms of investment, takes government aid as the mainstay and school and social aid as supplementary; in terms of methods, takes non-repayable aid as the mainstay and repayable aid as supplementary; in terms of targets, takes poverty alleviation as the mainstay and merit-based rewards as supplementary; and combines multiple policies, institutionally ensuring that no student drops out of school due to family financial difficulties.

National Student Loans are an important component of higher education student financial aid. Recently, college enrollment and admission work is being carried out intensively, and National Student Loans have entered a centralized processing period. Chen Shumei (陈淑梅), Director of the National Student Financial Aid Administration Center (全国学生资助管理中心), introduced that since the implementation of the National Student Loan policy, as of the end of 2025, a cumulative total of 695.8 billion yuan has been disbursed, benefiting over 30 million students.

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Photo Report

On July 28, in the production workshop of an enterprise in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, technical personnel were inspecting a patrol-sweeping robot about to come off the production line. The patrol-sweeping robot was jointly developed by the enterprise and a robotics technology company, with both sides collaborating to tackle industrialization challenges and advance mass production. Photo by Chen Ye (陈业) (China Images (影像中国)).

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Continuously enhance disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief capabilities to effectively protect the safety of people's lives and property.

SHIJIAZHUANG, July 28 (Xinhua) — (Reporter Zou Wei (邹伟)) At the entrustment of General Secretary Xi Jinping, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Tangshan earthquake relief and the construction of the new Tangshan, Li Qiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council, visited Tangshan City, Hebei Province on July 28 for investigation and expression of sympathy. He emphasized that it is necessary to thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on doing a good job in disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief work and on carrying forward the great earthquake relief spirit, adhere to putting the people first and life first, firmly establish bottom-line thinking and extreme thinking, continuously improve mechanisms for monitoring and early warning, emergency response, rescue and relief, and post-disaster reconstruction, steadily enhance the capacity for disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief, and effectively protect the safety of people’s lives and property.

Li Qiang first came to the Tangshan Earthquake Ruins Memorial Park. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, he presented a floral basket to the victims of the Great Tangshan Earthquake and the heroes who sacrificed their lives in the earthquake relief efforts, and made three bows before the memorial wall. Li Qiang said, the disaster 50 years ago is unforgettable; the moving and tragic scenes of earthquake relief from that time are deeply touching. Over the past half century, the people of Tangshan have rebuilt a modern new city on a stretch of ruins — this is a vivid model of how our Party has led the people to overcome various difficulties and challenges. Embarking on a new journey, we must keep in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s earnest entrustment during his inspection of Tangshan, inherit and carry forward the powerful spiritual strength that was forged in fighting the disaster and rebuilding the homeland, focus on the development goals and tasks of the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, seize the opportunities of the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, fully leverage characteristic advantages, deepen reform and opening up, adhere to innovation-driven development, and solidly carry out all work related to economic development, people’s livelihood security, and other aspects, so as to build this heroic city even more beautifully.

At the Tangshan City Paraplegic Convalescent Home, Li Qiang listened to a report on the home’s development in recent years, visited and expressed sympathy to earthquake survivors with paraplegic injuries, and had a cordial conversation with them. He said, General Secretary Xi Jinping is extremely concerned about you all, always thinking of your health and living conditions. This time he specially entrusted me to come and see you. Today, seeing that everyone is in very good condition, I feel very gratified. The indomitable spirit and positive and optimistic attitude toward life you have shown are even more worthy of respect. I wish you all health, happiness, and ever-improving well-being! Li Qiang urged relevant parties to continuously improve services such as medical rehabilitation and daily care, strengthen the application of technological innovation, and constantly raise the level of disability assistance. Li Qiang thanked the medical and nursing staff for their hard work and encouraged them to practice the benevolence of doctors and bring more warmth to the disabled and injured through professional and meticulous services.

Li Qiang visited a rescue base affiliated with the Aneng Group First Engineering Bureau Tangshan Branch, where he learned about the base’s rescue missions, future development plans, etc., inspected various types of equipment, and exchanged views with rescue personnel. Li Qiang pointed out that disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief work concerns the safety of the people and national security. It is necessary to always keep the string of emergency rescue taut, carry out practical training and joint exercises on a regular basis, and comprehensively enhance professional capabilities in rapid response, scientific rescue, and efficient handling. It is necessary to strengthen technical support in the field of emergency equipment, using science and technology to empower and improve the precision and safety of rescue operations. It is necessary to vigorously carry out science popularization and publicity to enhance the public’s awareness and ability to prevent and avoid disasters. Li Qiang stressed that we are currently in the critical flood prevention period of the “seven-lower eight-upper” (July 16 to August 15, the peak flood season in northern China). Responsibilities must be fully consolidated, monitoring and early warning strengthened, materials and equipment stockpiled sufficiently, so that when disasters strike, the response is immediate and scientific and orderly.

Wu Zhenglong accompanied the visit.

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CPPCC Holds Special Consultation on Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization

Beijing, July 28 (Reporter Jiang Jie) — The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) held a special consultative conference on "Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization" in Beijing on the 28th. Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, attended and delivered a speech.

Wang Huning stated that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has insisted on making the resolution of issues relating to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers (三农) a top priority in the Party's work, insisted on prioritizing agricultural and rural development, won the battle against poverty, implemented the rural revitalization strategy, made major deployments to accelerate agricultural and rural modernization, and led the work concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers in the new era to achieve historic accomplishments. The construction of a strong agricultural country has taken solid steps, and comprehensive rural revitalization has made significant progress. The CPPCC must thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on agricultural and rural modernization, implement the decisions and deployments of the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee on accelerating agricultural and rural modernization and the relevant tasks of the 15th Five-Year Plan (十五五) outline, deeply grasp that agricultural and rural modernization concerns the overall situation and quality of Chinese-style modernization, deeply grasp that food security is a "great matter of the state" (国之大者), focus on key issues such as enhancing comprehensive agricultural production capacity and quality efficiency, advancing the construction of livable, workable, and beautiful villages, and improving the effectiveness of policies to strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers, and enrich farmers, and do solid work in investigation and research, consultation and deliberation, and democratic supervision, using practical advice and proposals to help achieve high-quality development in agriculture and rural areas. Among the CPPCC members, experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs must, based on their own duties and professional strengths, play a greater role in accelerating agricultural and rural modernization.

Nearly 100 members of the CPPCC National Committee attended the meeting. The responsible comrade of the CPPCC National Committee's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Affairs introduced the special investigation and research situation. Twenty-five CPPCC members and experts made speeches, offering suggestions and advice on topics such as revitalizing the seed industry, increasing grain production capacity, strengthening the construction of the agricultural product quality and safety system, enhancing agricultural science and technology innovation capacity and the level of transformation and promotion of achievements, boosting comprehensive rural revitalization in formerly impoverished areas, raising the level of basic public service supply in rural areas, advancing agricultural and rural modernization in border and ethnic minority areas, and promoting stable increases in farmers' income.

Liu Guozhong, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, attended the meeting and delivered a speech. He stated that since the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core and through the joint efforts of the entire Party and society, the bottom line of ensuring national food security and preventing large-scale reversion to poverty or new poverty has been firmly held, new solid steps have been taken in agricultural and rural modernization, and strong support has been provided for high-quality economic and social development. It is necessary to comprehensively implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on the work concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, adhere to prioritizing agricultural and rural development, adhere to integrated urban-rural development, anchor the goal of building a strong agricultural country, enhance comprehensive agricultural production capacity and quality efficiency, solidly advance normalized and precise assistance, promote the construction of livable, workable, and beautiful villages according to local conditions, improve the effectiveness of policies to strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers, and enrich farmers, and promote the achievement of major progress in basically realizing agricultural modernization and basically equipping rural areas with modern living conditions.

Shi Taifeng, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over the morning session. CPPCC National Committee vice chairmen Hu Chunhua, Shen Yueyue, Mu Hong, Xian Hui, Wang Dongfeng, Jiang Zuojun, Qin Boyong, and Zhu Yongxin attended the meeting. Responsible comrades from relevant departments and units of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council attended the meeting to listen to opinions and suggestions and engage in consultation and exchange with CPPCC members.

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Building a Sustainable and Better Future

By: 本报记者 李欣怡 关皓宇 王旭琛

On July 28, the high-level meeting of the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative (全球发展倡议), themed "The Global Development Initiative Sets Off Again at Five: Building a Beautiful Future of Sustainable Development," was held in Beijing. Senior UN officials, diplomatic envoys to China from member states of the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative (全球发展倡议之友小组), representatives of UN development agencies in China, and renowned experts and scholars gathered together to conduct in-depth exchanges on the effectiveness of the Global Development Initiative's implementation, cooperation priorities, and its contribution to the world.

Participating guests believed that the Global Development Initiative has contributed Chinese wisdom to helping developing countries break through their own development difficulties and jointly advance modernization. Looking ahead, all parties are willing to take the implementation of the Global Development Initiative as an opportunity to consolidate the foundation for development, adhere to peaceful development, accelerate the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and ensure that development gains benefit more people.

"Injecting New Momentum into Deepening International Cooperation and Practicing Multilateralism"

Five years ago, facing the question of the era of 何去何从 (hé qù hé cóng - "where to go, where to follow," indicating uncertain direction) for the global development cause, President Xi Jinping solemnly proposed the Global Development Initiative at the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, providing a Chinese solution and making Chinese contributions to revitalizing the global development cause. Currently, more than 130 countries and international organizations support the Global Development Initiative and participate in cooperation, and the initiative's achievements have brought tangible well-being to the people of over 120 countries. Participating guests believed that the concept-leading effect of the Global Development Initiative continues to be unleashed, cooperation mechanisms in various fields are continuously improved, practical cooperation results are being implemented one after another, and the consensus on prioritizing development has taken deep root in people's hearts, effectively supporting the development of countries and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

"China plays an important role in promoting the building of a more just and reasonable global governance system and in ensuring that development gains benefit more countries and people," said Danbazao, Nigerian ambassador to China. The Global Development Initiative has brought tangible assistance to Nigeria in education, food security, medical and health services, and other aspects.

Driven by the United Nations Peace and Development Fund, the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, etc., the Global Development Initiative has mobilized over US$23 billion in funds, implemented more than 1,800 "small yet beautiful" and people-warming cooperation projects, and relevant capacity-building projects have trained over 200,000 talents of various types. From fungus grass (菌草) aiding global poverty reduction to sustainable development satellites sharing data simultaneously, to the intelligent meteorological early warning program "Mazu (妈祖)," the Global Development Initiative is deepening and advancing, driving sustainable development from conceptual vision into tangible and accessible real results.

"China plays an important role in promoting sustainable development of countries and regions by expanding financing, promoting technology cooperation and developing strategic partnerships," said Rattray, UN Under-Secretary-General and Chef de Cabinet. The Global Development Initiative is deeply rooted in China's own development practice. The valuable experience accumulated by China in the process of promoting economic transformation and upgrading provides important reference for other countries facing development challenges.

"The Global Development Initiative meets the development needs of the current international situation, closely aligns with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and injects new momentum into deepening international cooperation and practicing multilateralism," said Woneika, Ugandan ambassador to China. Under the framework of the initiative, Ugandan-Chinese practical cooperation has effectively promoted the construction of infrastructure projects such as roads and airports in Uganda, and promoted Uganda's green and low-carbon transition.

Jamaica's ambassador to China, W illiams, said that the Global Development Initiative has shaped a future-oriented cooperation model, and the "small yet beautiful" projects implemented under its framework are sustainable. J amaica expects to carry out more cooperation under this initiative.

"Precisely Aligning International Cooperation with Countries' Development Priorities"

Currently, the international situation is in turmoil and intertwined, progress on the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has fallen far behind, the development gap between North and South continues to widen, and the global development cause faces severe challenges. Against this backdrop, the epochal significance of the Global Development Initiative has become more prominent. Participating guests believed that China holds high the banner of development, further implements the Global Development Initiative with all parties, revitalizes the global development cause, and injects valuable stability and certainty into a turbulent and changing world.

Pakistan's ambassador to China, Hashmi, said that the Global Development Initiative brings hope and help to billions of people worldwide, injects much-needed development confidence into all parties, and fully demonstrates China's leadership and long-term international vision. "The initiative places development issues at the core of the global agenda, aligns with the purposes of the United Nations Charter, and carries the common vision of all parties to jointly implement the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."

Currently, the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative has expanded to 88 countries, becoming an important force in advancing the global development cause.

"The Global Development Initiative precisely aligns international cooperation with countries' development priorities," said Ni Hua (倪华), representative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development in China, giving an example. Under the framework of the Global Development Initiative, the satellite data-empowered agricultural production project implemented in Tanzania effectively linked the initiative, international financial institution investment, and local development planning and climate strategy, concretely improving the lives of local farmers, bringing sustainable and long-term impacts on food security and poverty reduction, and providing valuable experience for global poverty reduction and development.

Sang Ailing (桑爱玲), representative of the United Nations Children's Fund in China, said that the current global development imbalance is prominent. Against this backdrop, it is crucial for countries to deepen partnerships, promote peaceful development, resolve development differences, and bridge various conflicts. Sang Ailing believes that the Global Development Initiative precisely aligns with the real needs of developing countries, not only providing financial support and enabling technology, but also building a practical platform for experience sharing and capacity co-building, offering valuable opportunities for Global South countries to shore up weaknesses in people's livelihoods and achieve sustainable development.

Norfarina Mohd Azmi, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Malaysian Embassy in China, said that facing the challenges of sluggish global economic recovery and imbalanced North-South development, implementing the Global Development Initiative provides an important learning and exchange platform for all countries, especially Global South countries.

"Earnestly Fulfill the Responsibility of a Responsible Major Country"

China's development cannot be separated from the world, and the world's development cannot be separated from China. Participating guests stated that China continues to advance the Global Development Initiative to go deeper and more solid, firmly act as a promoter and contributor of common development, demonstrating the due responsibility of a responsible major country. It is expected that China will continue to share development opportunities with other countries and promote global common prosperity through concrete actions.

"The Global Development Initiative has become one of the most important international development cooperation platforms at present," said Bete, Kenyan ambassador to China. The Global Development Initiative places development at the center of the international agenda, attaches importance to inclusive development, and complements the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in a beneficial way. As one of the founding member states of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, Kenya is willing to jointly seize opportunities with China in the fields of digitalization and intelligent technology to further promote the upward and good development of artificial intelligence.

"China, through various types of development cooperation practices, earnestly fulfills the responsibility of a responsible major country," said Jesse Heng (杰思衡), UN Development System Resident Coordinator in China. China is in a global leading position in frontier fields such as artificial intelligence and embodied intelligence, bringing huge development opportunities to all countries. "Five years is an important milestone; we expect all parties to summarize practices that have achieved good results, and rely on mature experience to continuously optimize and expand cooperation paths."

Enbalo, ambassador of Guinea-Bissau to China, believes that the Global Development Initiative promotes countries to share development dividends, deepen practical cooperation, help achieve common development and prosperity, and aligns with the common interests of the international community.

"China upholds the concept of win-win cooperation, emphasizes solid work and seeks practical results, demonstrating the true character of equal and mutually beneficial South-South cooperation," said Woneika. China's 15th Five-Year Plan brings more development opportunities to Global South countries. Uganda is willing to further deepen cooperation with China under the framework of the Global Development Initiative to help narrow the development gap and promote balanced and sustainable global development.

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Viewing the Issue of Production Capacity Requires a Comprehensive, Objective, and Fair Attitude (Authoritative Release)

By: 本报记者 王 珂

The State Council Information Office held a press conference on July 28 to introduce the Chinese position on the so-called "overcapacity" issue. Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong (鄢东) stated at the press conference that China believes the issue of production capacity should be viewed with a comprehensive, objective, and fair attitude, and it is even more unacceptable to use this as a pretext to engage in protectionism.

China's industry as a whole has a basically balanced supply and demand and a stable operating situation.

Lin Weilong (林卫龙), Director of the Policy Research Office of the Ministry of Commerce, said that the international community has always had disputes over the concept of "overcapacity" (产能过剩) and related issues, and no broad consensus has been formed. This issue can be understood more comprehensively, objectively, and systematically from three dimensions.

The first is the theoretical dimension: "overcapacity" is a complex concept that needs to be understood in conjunction with economic scenarios. "Overcapacity" is a dynamic phenomenon in a market economy, related both to changes in supply and demand and influenced by the industrial life cycle. It is always in a dynamic cycle of "balance—imbalance—rebalance," where balance is relative and imbalance is universal. The second is the historical dimension: the global center of production capacity has undergone multiple major historical shifts along with industrial transfer. China becoming the "world's factory" is the result of its active integration into economic globalization and participation in the international division of labor, and it is also an important part of the global production and manufacturing network. The third is the practical dimension: the capacity utilization indicator needs to be viewed separately based on the actual conditions of different countries and different industries. The international community commonly uses the capacity utilization rate indicator to measure the "overcapacity" situation. This indicator refers to the ratio of actual output to potential output. The reasonable range also differs for different economies, and there is no globally applicable judgment standard.

Lin Weilong said that, based on China's actual development, the industrial capacity utilization rate is generally within a reasonable range. In 2025, the capacity utilization rate of industries above the designated size was 74.4%. The capacity utilization of high-tech manufacturing, high-end equipment manufacturing, and strategic emerging industries was more adequate. The periodically low capacity utilization rates in some traditional raw material industries are mainly adaptive adjustments brought about by structural adjustment and green transformation, which are normal phenomena in the process of industrial quality improvement and upgrading. China's industry as a whole has a basically balanced supply and demand and a stable operating situation.

There is no necessary connection between industrial subsidies and overcapacity.

Han Yong (韩勇), Director General of the Department of WTO Affairs of the Ministry of Commerce, said that currently, many countries formulate targeted industrial policies based on their own national conditions and industrial development needs, such as providing R&D subsidies for emerging industries and risk subsidies for agriculture. These are compliant industrial policy and trade policy tools for WTO members.

"Industrial subsidies themselves are not the problem, and there is no necessary connection between industrial subsidies and overcapacity," Han Yong said. Reasonable and compliant industrial subsidy policies help correct market failures, promote technological innovation, protect the ecological environment, reduce poverty, and promote balanced development, and will not cause so-called "overcapacity."

Han Yong said that China has always strictly abided by WTO rules and is committed to establishing and improving a fiscal subsidy system that conforms to international practices. Over the years, China has taken multiple measures to continuously enhance the compliance, scientific nature, and transparency of subsidies, constantly standardize and improve relevant policies, clean up and standardize some improper subsidies by local governments, and research the establishment of a unified negative list management mechanism for local fiscal subsidies. China has timely and comprehensively fulfilled its WTO transparency obligations, and the subsidy policy notifications it has submitted cover the entire country. China's subsidies are mainly directed at links such as scientific and technological R&D, industrial technology commercialization, and market consumption, and more market-oriented and guiding means such as public services, technical standards, and skills training are adopted, with a focus on supporting technological R&D and innovation, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, and green energy conservation and other fields. China's subsidies apply equally to all types of market entities, treating them equally, and foreign-invested enterprises actively participate and benefit equally.

China will continue to actively promote the balanced development of imports and exports.

He Shaojun (贺少军), an official of the Department of Foreign Trade of the Ministry of Commerce, said that from the perspective of the overall balance of payments, although China has a large surplus in goods trade, there are deficits in services trade, and the capital and financial accounts. The current account surplus accounts for about 3.7% of GDP, which is within the internationally recognized reasonable range.

"Chinese products meet the production and living needs of various countries. Consumer goods produced in China, such as computers, mobile phones, furniture, clothing, and toys, provide consumers in various countries with more choices, reduce consumption costs, and buffer the risk of inflation," He Shaojun said. Foreign-invested enterprises contribute 16% of China's surplus and also obtain substantial investment returns from it. These are vivid illustrations of the saying 'the surplus is in China, but the benefits are for all parties.'

"China has never deliberately pursued a trade surplus. We will continue to actively promote the balanced development of imports and exports, persistently open our market to the world, and unswervingly expand imports," He Shaojun said. In the first half of this year, China's goods trade import growth rate was 22.1%, significantly faster than exports. China remains the world's second largest import market, and its super-large market demand provides strong development momentum for its trading partners.

He Shaojun said that China will take more pragmatic measures to expand imports and share the new opportunities of China's big market with countries around the world. First, continue to expand the brand influence of "Export China" (出口中国). By holding a series of matchmaking activities, using methods such as exhibition linkage and targeted procurement, we will increase import efforts. Second, continuously increase policy support. Enhance the level of import trade facilitation, optimize the source and structure of imported goods, and meet the needs of industrial development and the people's aspiration for a better life. Third, fully leverage the role of various promotion platforms. Continue to run important exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the China International Consumer Products Expo, regularly hold the CIIE Premium Products Trade Fair, better play the role of the National Import Trade Promotion and Innovation Demonstration Zone, and actively drive the import of high-quality global goods and services.

China is not only a major manufacturing country but also a major consumer country.

Lin Weilong said that some people believe "insufficient domestic demand in China leads to overcapacity," a view that does not conform to the facts. China is not only a major manufacturing country but also a major consumer country. Domestic demand has always been the main engine of China's economy. From 2013 to 2024, the average contribution rate of domestic demand to China's economic growth was 93%.

"Looking at the long-term trend, China's consumption space is still enormous, with ample potential and vitality, and the main engine role will become more prominent," Lin Weilong indicated. China is accelerating the shift from being dominated by the consumption of goods to giving equal weight to goods and services. Service consumption is developing rapidly, and it is expected that by 2030, the proportion of service consumption will exceed half. China's "15th Five-Year Plan" outline has made a special chapter arrangement for domestic demand work, proposing to adhere to the strategic baseline of expanding domestic demand, closely integrate improving people's livelihood with promoting consumption and investing in things with investing in people, use new demand to lead new supply, use new supply to create new demand, promote the benign interaction between consumption and investment, and between supply and demand, and achieve a higher-level dynamic balance of supply and demand.

China's industrial development brings opportunities and empowerment to the world.

Yan Dong said that some countries have put forward the so-called "China Shock 2.0" (中国冲击2.0) argument, slandering China's industrial development as threatening the monopoly position of Western countries and squeezing the development space of Southern countries. This argument does not conform to the facts and is untenable.

Yan Dong stated that over the past decade or more, China has been an important engine of world economic growth, with its contribution rate remaining around 30%. Through leveraging its market advantages, industrial development, and scientific and technological progress, China has provided more and more "market dividends," "development dividends," and "innovation dividends" to the world. These dividends, intertwined and superimposed, bring more development opportunities and greater development space to the world, which is the "China Opportunity 2.0" (中国机遇2.0) mentioned by more rational and objective voices in the international community.

"China's industrial development is the ballast stone for the stability of global production and supply chains, a new engine for global innovation cooperation, a power source for global green transformation, and a booster for improving the welfare of people in all countries," Yan Dong said. What China's industrial development brings to the world is not shock but opportunity, not threat but empowerment. It helps developing countries achieve modernization and paves the way and builds bridges for them.

Yan Dong said that currently, the international situation is turbulent, protectionism prevails, and maintaining the stability and smooth flow of global production and supply chains is not only in the interests of all parties but also an urgent expectation of the international community. China is willing to work with all parties to uphold the global free trade system, uphold an open and cooperative international environment, and jointly promote the construction of an open and inclusive global production and supply chain cooperation pattern.

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China's Scientific and Technological Innovation Upholds Openness, Inclusiveness, and Mutual Benefit (International Forum)

By: 斯尔詹·克里姆

Scientific and technological innovation is an important pillar driving economic growth in the digital age. R&D produces cutting-edge scientific and technological knowledge; innovation transforms knowledge into products, services, and process flows with market value; and high technology comprehensively reshapes the forms of production, consumption, and global trade. The three form a positive cycle, continuously improving production efficiency, industrial competitiveness, and long-term growth momentum. Entering the 21st century, China, based on its own development realities, has persistently unblocked the entire chain from basic research, to achievement transformation, to industrial implementation, pushing scientific and technological innovation to achieve leapfrog development, making the transition from "Made in China" to "Created in China." Its development practice has provided useful reference for global scientific and technological innovation and shared prosperity.

In recent years, China's scientific and technological innovation has achieved comprehensive, pioneering accomplishments. The digital economy has flourished, building the world's largest-scale digital market, with digital payments, e-commerce, and smart applications widely popularized, and a group of leading enterprises with global competitiveness has emerged. The world's largest high-speed railway network and world-class port clusters have been built; the breadth of 5G network coverage and the scale of data centers continue to expand, solidifying the hardware foundation for innovative development. Artificial intelligence has been elevated as a national strategic priority, with sustained increases in investment in machine learning, computer vision, industrial automation and other fields, and the overall development level ranks among the top in the world. Green and low-carbon technology advantages are prominent; China has built the world's largest and most complete new energy industry chain, is the world's largest electric vehicle market, and its power battery technology advantages inject strong momentum into the global energy transition. The aerospace industry has achieved landmark breakthroughs, independently building and operating a space station, steadily advancing lunar and deep-space exploration, and joining the ranks of major spacefaring nations.

The rapid development of China's scientific and technological innovation stems from multiple uniquely distinctive comparative advantages: the ultra-large-scale domestic market provides rich application scenarios for technological innovation, significantly shortening the commercialization cycle of innovation achievements; the scale of engineers and science-engineering professionals China trains each year ranks among the top in the world, continuously supplying professional strength for scientific and technological innovation; the complete manufacturing industry cluster forms an efficient synergy effect, enabling rapid transformation from laboratory R&D to industrial-scale production; the modern transportation and logistics system and digital networks effectively reduce transaction costs in the innovation field and accelerate the diffusion and application of technological achievements. At the same time, relying on the overall coordination capability guided by long-term strategic planning, it is possible to concentrate resources on national key science and technology fields, forming a strong joint force to promote innovative development.

China's scientific and technological innovation has always upheld the principle of openness, inclusiveness, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation, following a development path of openness and integration. China continuously expands the breadth and depth of science and technology cooperation, with cooperation content covering multiple fields such as digital connectivity, joint scientific research, technology transfer and transformation, green development collaboration, talent exchange, and joint innovation projects, building close science and technology innovation cooperation networks with countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and Europe. For countries around the world, deepening science and technology cooperation with China contains broad opportunities. Taking Europe as an example, its climate governance goals are highly complementary with China's advanced manufacturing capabilities; joint efforts by both sides in fields such as new energy, biomedicine, and artificial intelligence can not only accelerate breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies but also help promote the construction of a more balanced international economic order and reduce the development risks brought about by technological fragmentation. This cooperation is built on the basis of reciprocity, transparency, and mutual benefit and win-win cooperation; it is a strategic alignment of mutual empowerment, not one-sided dependency.

China's scientific and technological innovation continuously expands the depth and breadth of South-South cooperation, pushing the global innovation landscape toward a more diverse and balanced direction. In the long term, global innovation resources will gradually manifest a multi-center distribution pattern; addressing global challenges such as climate change, public health, and food security increasingly depends on cross-border science and technology cooperation, and the development potential of each country will increasingly depend on its capacity to integrate into the global knowledge network. History and practice have repeatedly proven that protectionism can hardly sustain long-term prosperity; short-term protective policies may support emerging domestic industries, but the foundation of a country's long-term development has always been openness to the outside world, fair competition, and deep integration into the global market. Protectionism will only push up production costs, weaken industrial competitiveness, delay technological diffusion, and even trigger a chain of negative effects such as supply chain fragmentation and slowing productivity growth.

Looking ahead, the opportunities for development will never belong to closed and exclusionary small economic circles. Scientific and technological innovation is not only an important engine for a country's economic growth but also a solid foundation for global sustainable development and shared prosperity in the 21st century. Only by adhering to openness, integration, mutual benefit, and win-win cooperation can we firmly grasp the epochal opportunities of scientific and technological innovation and jointly address the common challenges facing global development.

(The author is the President of the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, former foreign minister of North Macedonia)

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Wang Yi Attends High-Level Meeting Marking 5th Anniversary of Global Development Initiative

Beijing, July 28 (Reporters Li Xinyi (李欣怡), Guan Haoyu (关皓宇), Wang Xuchen (王旭琛)) — Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended and delivered a speech at the High-Level Meeting on the Fifth Anniversary of the Global Development Initiative in Beijing on the 28th.

Wang Yi stated that five years ago, faced with the question of the times as to where the global development cause 何去何从 (hé qù hé cóng - "where to go, what to follow," meaning which path to take), President Xi Jinping solemnly proposed the Global Development Initiative (全球发展倡议), providing a Chinese approach and making Chinese contributions to revitalizing the global development cause. Over the past five years, the guiding effect of the initiative's vision has been continuously released, cooperation mechanisms in various fields have been steadily improved, and practical cooperation results have been achieved one after another. Currently, the international situation is chaotic and intertwined, making the epochal significance of the Global Development Initiative even more prominent. We must continue to hold high the banner of development and firmly promote the alignment of the Global Development Initiative with the UN development agenda. First, strengthen solidarity and cooperation to create a peaceful development environment; second, gather joint action efforts to accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda; third, advance openness and mutual learning to strengthen the engine of innovative development; fourth, practice multilateralism to improve the global governance system.

Wang Yi emphasized that no matter how the international situation changes, China will continue to play the role of a responsible major country, closely linking its own development with the common development of all countries, acting as a promoter and contributor to global development, continuously advancing the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, sharing development opportunities with countries around the world, and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind (人类命运共同体).

Attending the meeting were UN Under-Secretary-General and Chef de Cabinet of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General Rattray, diplomatic envoys of member states of the "Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative (全球发展倡议之友小组)" in China, and representatives of UN development agencies in China. All parties highly appraised the fruitful achievements made by the Global Development Initiative over the past five years, commended China's leading role in advancing international development cooperation, and expressed willingness to continuously deepen development cooperation with China.

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Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah meets with Dong Jun

Bandar Seri Begawan, July 28 (Xinhua) -- (Reporters Li Meng (李萌), Chen Zeguo (陈泽国)) On July 28, Brunei's Sultan Hassanal met with visiting Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun (董军) in Bandar Seri Begawan.

Hassanal said that the relationship between Brunei and China is deep, and the two sides are jointly working to build a community with a shared future. Brunei firmly adheres to the One-China policy, appreciates China's support for ASEAN centrality, sincerely thanks China for supporting Brunei in promoting the realization of the "2035 Vision," and hopes that the two countries will strengthen cooperation on regional issues of common concern. Defense cooperation is an important pillar of the strategic partnership between the two countries. In recent years, the militaries of the two sides have achieved fruitful cooperation in areas such as institutionalized dialogues, personnel exchanges, and education and training. Brunei is pleased to see the deepening of exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries and welcomes more visits by Chinese naval vessels.

Dong Jun said that this year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Brunei and China. Under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of the two countries, political mutual trust, economic mutual benefit, people-to-people exchanges, and multilateral mutual assistance between the two sides have developed in depth, setting a model of equal treatment and mutual benefit between countries large and small. At present, the development of military cooperation between Brunei and China faces important opportunities. The two sides should seize the momentum to comprehensively raise the level of cooperation in all fields and, with more practical results, make greater contributions to building the Brunei-China community with a shared future and opening up new prospects for bilateral relations. Peace in the South China Sea concerns the common interests of regional countries. China is willing to strengthen practical cooperation with Brunei in maritime security and other areas to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

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Foreign Ministry: More foreign friends welcome to experience the charm of summer China up close

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 28 (Reporters Wu Mengtong (吴梦桐) and Ma Zhuoyan (马卓言)) — Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian (林剑) said on the 28th that more and more foreign friends are choosing to measure China with their footsteps and experience the lives of Chinese people in the Chinese way. China welcomes more foreign friends to experience up close the fiery charm of summer China.

At a regular press conference that day, a reporter asked: We have noted that data recently released by China’s competent authorities show that among foreigners entering China in the first half of the year, as many as 77.7 percent of foreign tourists enjoyed the convenience of visa-free entry. Many European tourists are flooding into China in summer to experience a “Chinese-style coolness.” The British magazine The Economist pointed out that overseas netizens’ interest in Chinese culture, products, and travel experiences is turning into action to consume and travel in China. What is the spokesperson’s comment on this?

Lin Jian said that more and more foreign friends are choosing to measure China with their footsteps and experience the lives of Chinese people in the Chinese way. New forms of business such as new-energy vehicle showrooms, China-chic pop-up stores, and science and technology innovation parks are becoming new check-in destinations together with landscapes and historical sites. The “reverse haitao (反向海淘)” fever continues to heat up, also allowing the world to share the texture and creativity of “Chinese design” and “Chinese manufacturing.”

“Behind foreign friends’ fondness for ‘traveling in China’ and ‘shopping in China’ is China’s commitment to empowering the world with high-quality development and connecting the world with high-standard opening up,” Lin Jian said. “I have noted that in recent times the media has reported many opinion polls; China, which is committed to peaceful development and is full of innovation vitality and cultural charm, is winning increasing trust and recognition. We welcome more foreign friends to experience up close the fiery charm of summer China.”

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Slovak President Pellegrini lays wreath at Monument to the People's Heroes

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 28 (Xinhua) — On the afternoon of July 28, Slovak President Pellegrini went to Tiananmen Square to lay a wreath at the Monument to the People’s Heroes.

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Promote United Endeavor, Gather Mighty Strength

By: 本报评论员

Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the joint efforts of Chinese people at home and abroad, and doing overseas Chinese affairs work well is of paramount importance.

"Comprehensively implement the Party's policy on overseas Chinese affairs, closely focus on the overall work of the Party and the state, better unite the hearts and gather the strength of overseas Chinese," and "actively serve the great cause of national reunification, promote the united struggle of Chinese people at home and abroad." General Secretary Xi Jinping recently issued important instructions on overseas Chinese affairs, pointing the direction and providing important guidance for doing overseas Chinese affairs work well on the new journey of the new era.

From July 27 to 28, the National Conference on Overseas Chinese Affairs (全国侨务工作会议) was held in Beijing, making specific arrangements for China's overseas Chinese affairs work.

Overseas Chinese affairs work is a long-term and strategic undertaking of the Party and the state. The more we 砥砺前行 (dǐ lì qián xíng - "sharpen and forge ahead," to forge ahead despite hardships) toward the goal of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation, the more we must closely unite and gather the strength of the vast number of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, coordinating the domestic and international overall situations, has made new deployments and put forward new requirements for doing overseas Chinese affairs work well, uniting the hearts and gathering the strength of overseas Chinese to jointly realize the Chinese Dream, opened up new prospects for overseas Chinese affairs work, effectively promoted the great unity of Chinese people at home and abroad, and made positive contributions to Chinese-style modernization.

Look at promoting the country's economic and social development. From establishing the Guangdong Shantou Overseas Chinese Economic and Cultural Cooperation Experimental Zone, to promulgating the Foreign Investment Law and its implementing regulations, to guiding overseas Chinese to actively participate in the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative (一带一路)... A series of practical measures have effectively stimulated the enthusiasm of the vast number of overseas Chinese to participate in Chinese-style modernization, helping China and the co-building countries achieve political mutual trust, economic integration, and people-to-people connectivity.

Look at inheriting and promoting Chinese culture. Splendid cultural brand activities such as "Peace to All Four Seas" (四海同春) and "Family Ties with China" (亲情中华) have spread to all parts of the world, bringing the flavor of the New Year and nostalgia to millions of overseas Chinese; cultural experience activities such as the "Root-Seeking Journey in China" (中国寻根之旅) continue to be carried out, allowing batches of young overseas Chinese to physically touch the pulse of Chinese civilization and experience Chinese culture. Guarding the "common root," inheriting the "common soul," and achieving the "common dream" — Chinese people, Chinese culture, Chinese spirit, and the Chinese heart have become the deep-seated identity of Chinese people at home and abroad.

Look at enhancing exchanges and cooperation between China and foreign countries. Using "festivals" as a medium, overseas Chinese organizations carry out diverse forms of people-to-people and cultural exchange activities, making traditional festivals such as the Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival a cultural feast shared by Chinese and foreign people. Online and offline cultural exchanges blossom everywhere, the foundation for the overseas dissemination of Chinese culture continues to be consolidated, and overseas Chinese have become folk envoys for exchanges between Chinese and foreign civilizations, presenting to the world a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China.

... ...

The more than 60 million overseas Chinese scattered around the world are an important part of the Chinese nation and important members 血脉相连 (xuè mài xiāng lián - "blood vessels connect," closely linked by blood) with the Chinese family. Precisely because we have always regarded uniting the hearts of overseas Chinese as a top priority, making good use of the unique bonds of geography, kinship, and culture, and maintaining close contacts and exchanges, the centripetal force and cohesion of overseas Chinese have continuously strengthened, effectively promoting the country's economic and social development.

Today, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is 势不可挡 (shì bù kě dǎng - "the momentum cannot be blocked," an irresistible trend). This is the result of the joint struggle of all Chinese people at home and abroad. Building China into a great modern socialist country embodies the long-cherished wishes and expectations of the Chinese nation and cannot be achieved without the united struggle of every overseas son and daughter. The vast number of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives actively respond to the call, uphold fine traditions, and deeply cultivate the feelings of family and country. They will surely be able to leverage their unique advantages and show greater achievements on the new journey.

The outline of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" (十五五规划) proposes: "Comprehensively implement the Party's policy on overseas Chinese affairs, better unite the hearts and gather the strength of overseas Chinese, and give play to the bonding role of clan kinship, ancestral culture, etc." To implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, we must adhere to the theme of uniting hearts and gathering strength to jointly realize the Chinese Dream, adhere to the unity of serving the overall situation and serving overseas Chinese, coordinate domestic and foreign overseas Chinese affairs work, and balance the cultivation of resources and the exertion of roles, so as to maximize the gathering and unleashing of the immense energy contained in overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives. Overseas Chinese affairs workers at all levels must always bear in mind the entrustment, become close confidants of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives, and become doers in overseas Chinese affairs work.

The tide rises and the sea and sky broaden; with one heart we march toward rejuvenation. On the new journey, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, comprehensively implementing the Party's policy on overseas Chinese affairs, closely focusing on the overall work of the Party and the state, promoting the high-quality development of overseas Chinese affairs work in the new era, better uniting the hearts and gathering the strength of overseas Chinese, and promoting the united struggle of Chinese people at home and abroad, we will surely gather a mighty force for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.

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Shackled in body, soaring in spirit

By: 本报记者 赵婀娜 金正波

The first meeting with Wang Ji (王戟) was arranged at the school library's "Highland Library" (高地文库).
In the quiet solitude of the room, the 57-year-old gently pushed his wheelchair, approached with a smile, and showed no sign of fatigue. Even though it was already 8 p.m., and even though he had just undergone surgery in Shanghai three days earlier.
"Highland Library" holds special significance for the National University of Defense Technology (国防科技大学) — it houses the works of many academicians and senior scholars of the university. Qian Xuesen, Ci Yungui, Chen Huowang (陈火旺) ... book after book, row after row, quietly tell the story of generations of scholars who have dedicated themselves to the needs of the nation and labored at the forefront of academia.
During the interview, Wang Ji was surrounded by towering bookshelves. Every time he looked up, it seemed he was having a cross-temporal dialogue with his predecessors. At that moment, he was a seeker of light, and also a bearer of the torch.
Wang Ji in his wheelchair, wearing a military uniform, with his trouser legs rolled up, his lower body empty, made it hard to look at him for too long. But his face always carried a smile, warm and deep, like spring water.
That smile made the previous image I had of Wang Ji in my mind become real and vivid, but also intensified the question in my heart:
A "diligent talent" who entered university before the age of 14, became a professor at 33, and received the National Outstanding Youth Science Fund at 38; a person who, at the age when the nation and his family needed him most, suddenly encountered disaster, and after high-level amputation, still charged ahead at the front lines of science and technology, a main pioneer in the field of high-confidence software technology in our country...
Facing such a dramatic "life script," what hardships did he endure, what strength did he accumulate, to be able to calmly smile and resolutely move forward?
Wang Ji, researcher at the College of Computer Science and Technology of the National University of Defense Technology, national self-strengthening model, a revolutionary soldier of the new era striving under the guidance of Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the military, using his wheelchair as a chariot, answering with actions — body constrained, heart soaring like a swan; driving wheels to explore the path, embracing "ji" (halberd) to serve the country.

Selection
"So, the path I chose is connected to the pulse of the nation"
This was an unexpected encounter.
On May 20, Pan Xin (潘馨), a student at NUDT who had just finished a lecture, still felt warmth in her heart. On the podium just now, she had narrated, word by word, Wang Ji's perseverance in chasing light in his wheelchair and serving the country for half his life. Beneath the stage, pairs of clear eyes were full of respect. After the lecture, children crowded around and handed a bouquet of flowers to her.
When she returned to campus by bus, in front of the Yinhe (Galaxy) Building, as she looked up, a figure came into view. "Look, that's Professor Wang!" The sudden encounter made Pan Xin's heart tremble. Without hesitation, she ran off the bus, hurried forward, and thrust the flowers into Professor Wang's hands. Wang Ji was startled for a moment, then straightened his posture slightly and raised his hand in a military salute. Pan Xin stood tall and solemnly returned the salute.
Recalling the scene, Pan Xin said: "The bouquet was a tribute to a brave man! And the military salute is the highest etiquette between soldiers!"
A bouquet of flowers, a military salute. On the road of pursuing dreams, there are always people making unremitting efforts.
The road in front of the Yinhe Building, Wang Ji has walked countless times. This road has witnessed the growth of generations of NUDT students, and also witnessed Wang Ji's prime years.
Wang Ji, intelligent since childhood, only studied two years in elementary school before entering middle school, and was admitted to the computer science department of NUDT with excellent grades before the age of 14.
From the moment he entered the university, Wang Ji was at the Yinhe Building. This is the key research site of the College of Computer Science and Technology, where world-astonishing scientific achievements were born, and also where Wang Ji's dream of "using computers to assist national defense" began.
One day in December 1983, an exciting voice came over the radio: The "Galaxy-I" (银河-I) supercomputer was successfully developed at NUDT! China became the third country capable of independently designing and manufacturing supercomputers.
The entire campus erupted! That day, Wang Ji, who had just enrolled, was in class, small in stature, sitting in the front row. Although he did not fully understand the profound significance, he felt for the first time the weight of scientific research, and the drive of countless "Galaxy people" around him — "Mission is the need of the Party and the country."
At that time, computers were still a novelty. Wang Ji was just a teenager fascinated by mathematical calculations and curious about computers. His understanding of computers was limited to: "One person's brain capacity is limited; with a computer, it's like having countless brains, very interesting."
The successful development of "Galaxy-I" ignited this vague interest into a blazing flame. A thought quietly took root in Wang Ji's heart: "So, computers can have such tremendous power. So, the path I chose is connected to the pulse of the nation."
If the success of "Galaxy-I" planted a seed in Wang Ji's heart, then Chen Huowang, Wang Ji's graduate advisor, through his guidance and teaching, matured Wang Ji's passion into a clear academic vision.
As the overall head of the "Galaxy-I" software system, Chen Huowang led a software development team of over 100 people and successfully developed 2 million lines of system software over five years.
The mentor's influence lay both in being down-to-earth and in looking up at the stars. Chen Huowang once gave a lecture deeply expounding the country's urgent need for information technology, encouraging young students to dare to chew "hard bones" and strive to advance to high technology. Even now, the scene is still firmly imprinted in Wang Ji's heart.
The tide of the times always pushes those with the country and family in heart to a broader stage.
In 1989, NUDT was incorporated into the military academy establishment. In April 1990, while a doctoral candidate, Wang Ji finally put on the military uniform he had long desired. After donning the uniform, the word "national defense" became heavier in his heart. Wang Ji further anchored his research direction to the urgent needs of the country and the military.
From the vague interest of his youth, to the scientific research ambition passed down from his mentor, to the military mission after wearing the uniform, the roots of faith grew deeper in Wang Ji's heart.
In November 1991, at the age of 22, Wang Ji wrote in his Party membership application: "Only by linking one's life with the Party's cause, the nation's future, and the people's interests can one make one's life more fulfilling and meaningful."
This was the call of mission, and it was his answer to rushing towards mountains and seas.

Anchor
"Only by doing frontier research can one more easily discover the frontier"
Those familiar with computers know that software is the "soul" of a computer system, determining whether hardware can work and its functional boundaries.
What happens if software is unsafe?
At the end of the last century, a foreign rocket soon after launch deviated from its preset flight trajectory, then disintegrated and caused a violent explosion.
The root cause of this launch failure was a critical software defect in the guidance system, which caused a problem in the system's processing of velocity data.
That deeply affected Wang Ji, who had just completed his doctorate and stayed on as a teacher — major national projects or important weapon systems cannot afford errors in key software code.
At the time, some people already realized this was an important issue. But how to systematically research and conduct "physical examinations" on software to detect whether system software is safe and reliable — few people had actually done it.
"This is basic research, requiring a strong mathematical foundation, and also the psychological preparation to sit on a cold bench." Wang Ji knew well that making a name in this direction was not easy. Even if one achieved something, one would often be an "unsung hero."
But Wang Ji didn't care about that. In his view, someone had to blaze new trails, to do work that explores the unknown and benefits the long term.
In 1999, the young Wang Ji was invited to participate in a reliability evaluation task for software related to a major project. He led his team members to work day and night.
Once, they found a discrepancy between the principle of a data distribution model and actual results. 差之毫厘，谬以千里 (chà zhī háo lí, miù yǐ qiān lǐ - "an error the breadth of a single hair can lead you a thousand li astray," a small mistake can have huge consequences). Wang Ji led the team in repeated deduction, through countless trials and errors, and finally succeeded in creating a measurement tool for software reliability.
That small test gave Wang Ji a clearer direction and strengthened his determination to continue in software reliability.
"The nation's and the military's demand for software, especially complex information systems, will only increase, and their safety and reliability will become increasingly important." Wang Ji realized that as the military rapidly transitions from mechanization to informatization, information systems will inevitably "get sick." Without tools to "see a doctor," it would threaten military security and even national security.
What to do in the future? What to do in the new century? Wang Ji was very firm in his heart — research on high-confidence software technology.
So-called "high-confidence software technology" uses mathematical methods to verify the correctness of software code from the underlying principles.
Wang Ji made an analogy: "High-confidence software is like a 'software doctor,' giving a full-body scan and precise diagnosis to the software systems of major national equipment, finding deeply hidden vulnerabilities and hazards."
Initially, such research was defined as "reliability." But Wang Ji felt that "reliability" was not enough; "dependability" seemed more appropriate. Upon further thought, it should be called "high dependability." From "reliability" to "dependability" and finally to "high dependability" was a process of continuous thinking and exploration, and also a process of self-breakthrough and self-challenge for Wang Ji and his team.
In 2003, Wang Ji, under the guidance of Academician Chen Huowang, co-published the paper "High-Confidence Software Engineering Technology," which became the earliest systematic paper in this field in China. Subsequently, he pioneered the course "High-Confidence Software Technology" in China, introducing this frontier theory into graduate classrooms.
In fact, with Wang Ji's abilities, if he had wanted to work on major national computer engineering projects, there would have been many opportunities to shine. But Wang Ji did not. He preferred to focus his gaze on the future, on places few had ventured.
"Only by doing frontier research can one more easily discover the frontier." Wang Ji often used this sentence to encourage himself, and also to encourage his team and students.
Many units encountering software testing difficulties came to their team. Moreover, those who came to them for "medical treatment" were often thorny problems that other teams couldn't solve, or even had no ready-made solutions internationally. "The special force that only chews hard bones" — that was the label the industry gave Wang Ji's team.
Around 2012, a "hard bone" came to them.
A certain type of system software had occasional interruption and numerical value related defects. The two problems intertwined, causing many challenges for a major national project.
At the time, in terms of domestic technical capability, effective methods were lacking. This was a very difficult problem. To take it or not? Wang Ji didn't hesitate to accept the task: "They trust us and came to us; no matter how difficult, we must charge forward." That was his consistent style — the more difficult, the more he advances.
Today, this special force's "weapons arsenal" has more and more "weapons," escorting many major national projects.
From entering NUDT with dreams, to staying on as a researcher, to becoming the standing deputy director of a national defense key laboratory and head of a department, to receiving the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award... his identity may change, but what never changes is Wang Ji's requirement for himself and his team: stand at the frontier of science and technology, walk paths others have not taken.

Restart
"As long as my brain works well and my hands can still be used, I will not stop"
Shi Tiesheng said, so-called fate means that this "human drama" needs various roles, and you can only be one of them, not interchangeable.
This seems to reflect Wang Ji's life.
In January 2025, exciting news came: The results of a national defense "973" project won the first prize of the Military Science and Technology Progress Award!
The weight and difficulty of a first prize need no explanation. The technical chief expert of this project was none other than Wang Ji. It started in 2015 and took ten years. Many do not know that over the ten years of research, Wang Ji commanded the battle from his wheelchair.
That year, the storm of fate came without warning.
In the early morning of January 23, 2013, due to severe back and waist pain, Wang Ji was rushed to the hospital. The diagnosis was sudden aortic dissection, an extremely dangerous cardiovascular emergency, often life-threatening.
The surgery lasted 13 hours, and Wang Ji survived.
His life was saved. But bad news followed.
Due to a large amount of toxins produced in his body during the onset, Wang Ji's legs, under continuous erosion by the toxins, experienced constant muscle necrosis. Wang Ji was once again pushed into the operating room — high-level amputation of the left thigh, and right hip disarticulation.
To this day, when flipping through the surgical records, pages filled with terms like "massive hemorrhage," "heart failure," and "critical condition" are still shocking.
Wang Ji stayed in the ICU for 147 days.
At the most vigorous time of his life, at the age when the country and his family needed him most, suddenly encountering the impermanence of life — what about the future? What about this family? What about the ongoing projects? Besides shock, many were worried for Wang Ji.
More than ten days later, Wang Ji woke up from a coma. When he learned that he had not only undergone a major heart surgery but also lost his legs, Wang Ji said nothing, but the desolation in his eyes could not hide.
How to walk the future path — Wang Ji was thinking, his family was thinking, all who cared about him were thinking.
His mother, Liu Guizhi (刘桂枝), said: "If you can't face it, others will say this child is a pity; if you can face it, everyone will help you, everyone will give you a push!"
Wang Ji listened. He listened to every word.
Looking back at that period now, Wang Ji seems calm: "People suffer because of choices; once there is no choice, it's not so painful."
Once decided, he no longer asked "what if" or revisited the suffering. Having crossed the line between life and death, Wang Ji thought most about how to make good use of his second life.
Like a computer that has been down for a long time, restarting is no easy task. It is a reshaping of physical strength, and a tempering of will.
During recovery, lying in bed, he tried again and again to sit up, but fell back again and again. Even when drenched in sweat from pain, Wang Ji gritted his teeth and persisted.
When a laptop was allowed into the ward, Wang Ji's "restart" process accelerated. He annotated and modified student papers word by word; when the team encountered technical bottlenecks, he broke them down meticulously over the phone. When students came to visit and saw his empty pants legs, they didn't know how to speak. Wang Ji instead smiled and comforted them: "My brain can still think, my hands can still move, no problem."
True armor is not on the body but in the heart.
After the Spring Festival in 2015, at the Tianhe Building, Wang Ji returned with a smile on his face. Everyone who met him could not hide their joy and admiration. But for those familiar friends, it was expected, because that is Wang Ji, this is Wang Ji!
Wheeling his wheelchair, stepping again into the Tianhe Building, nothing had changed, yet everything had changed. For him, 30 years had passed; every step forward from now on was new.
At that time, the high-confidence software technology research he had been longing for was also at a critical climbing stage. For the national information security field, how to conduct systematic research and solve more problems? Wang Ji, returning from serious illness, and his team decided to play a "big game" — apply for a national defense "973" project!
The "973 Program" is a major basic research program oriented to national strategic needs. Getting it approved was no easy task. Especially for a patient in a wheelchair.
Wang Ji led the team in writing project reports, doing topic demonstrations, and project defenses. He personally participated in every important step.
He worked like an able-bodied person, sitting for half a day at a time. Colleagues felt for him and urged him to do less. He said, "It's okay. I also want to test myself, to see if I can still do it. If I withstand this, I won't be afraid in the future."
And later? Later, he passed the test! The project was approved, and Wang Ji became the technical chief expert.
From then on, Wang Ji became busier. Except for going to the hospital, he went to work normally every day, moving between the lab and research consultation fronts. Sometimes he even traveled to attend demonstrations or review meetings... Wang Ji, back at his post, turned his wheelchair into a chariot.
In traditional warfare, Wang Ji could hardly participate. But on the battlefield of technological self-reliance, he was still a soldier forging shields with code and charging forward. As Wang Ji often said, "As long as my brain works well and my hands can still be used, I will not stop."

Passing the Torch
"Be conquerors of 'bottleneck' problems, not profit-seekers chasing hot topics"
In the academic career of Liu Wanwei (刘万伟), a professor at NUDT, one paper holds a special place.
"Without Professor Wang's guidance, this paper might have remained just a vague idea." In the autumn of 2005, Liu Wanwei, just starting his PhD, approached Wang Ji with an unformed thought — he wanted to try to improve a classic algorithm.
Wang Ji listened, was silent for a long time, then said seriously: "This is a hard bone to chew. If you decide to do it, I'll accompany you."
That accompaniment lasted four years.
One of the most difficult steps, Liu Wanwei and Wang Ji mulled over for eight or nine months. Every time they thought they were close to the answer, they were pushed back to the starting point. When frustrated, Wang Ji never urged, but repeatedly deliberated with Liu Wanwei.
After four years of dedicated work, the paper was completed. It was only four pages long, but the algorithm it proposed reduced the complexity by an exponential factor compared to the best global algorithm at that time.
Four pages, very thin. The trust and companionship contained within, very heavy.
In 1995, Wang Ji graduated and stayed on as a teacher. Now more than 31 years have passed.
As a teacher, Wang Ji clearly knows that talent growth requires environment, platform, and someone to "push" them.
Back then, he was pushed to present at an international academic symposium at the age of 23; recommended to study at a world-renowned software research institute... Wang Ji was always pushed to a bigger stage by Academician Chen Huowang.
As his teacher treated him, so Wang Ji treats his students.
Early students like Chen Liqian (陈立前) and Liu Wanwei, whom Wang Ji trained, have become key members of the research team. Several newly graduated PhDs, like Li Minglong (李明龙) and Zhou Jingwen (周竞文), are also making rapid progress. They have all been pushed to the front by Wang Ji.
As a teacher, Wang Ji knows well that doing research, especially basic research, sometimes requires a struggle with human nature.
High-confidence software technology research is basic research. It requires not only a broad theoretical foundation but also the perseverance to sit on a cold bench. Students new to research often cannot endure or dive deep.
Once, a student mustered the courage to approach Wang Ji and expressed a desire to switch directions — to a more "hot" track. It turned out that seeing classmates publishing papers in hot areas while he had no results, he couldn't sit still.
Wang Ji listened, paused for a moment, and said: "Sitting on a cold bench is not easy. But the country needs a group of people to sit on these cold benches, to solve those fundamental problems. Students from NUDT should be conquerors of 'bottleneck' problems, not profit-seekers chasing hot topics."
Wang Ji's voice was not loud, but every word was like a nail, piercing into the heart.
Later, that student settled down and sat on the cold bench. Later, his research results were published in top international journals and conferences, and his debut was extraordinary.
"Cultivation of high-quality new-type military personnel and independent innovation highland of national defense science and technology" — this is President Xi Jinping's earnest expectation for NUDT.
Unusual positioning, unusual mission.
"Since it is a highland, on the journey of strengthening the military through science and technology and talent, we should be at the forefront." Wang Ji often tells students: "Scientific research is not a sprint to chase hot topics, but a marathon resonating with the needs of the country."
Although in a wheelchair, Wang Ji believes that since he is a teacher, he must stand on the podium. In the second semester of 2019, Wang Ji began teaching the course "Formal Methods."
When they saw him wheeling onto the podium with a warm smile on his face, many students couldn't hold back their tears, even though they had reminded themselves not to cry in front of the teacher.
Wang Ji is not only the teacher of his own students, but also the teacher of many. Because, although focused on high-confidence directions, Wang Ji's academic vision is very broad. In the eyes of many teachers, "His understanding of many cutting-edge topics is profound; he has studied them thoroughly!"
Therefore, after returning to work, Wang Ji's office door was always open. Students and team members would come to him when solving difficult problems, and teachers from other research groups would also come when they encountered difficulties.
A student described Wang Ji in their heart: "Perhaps he is the shortest person on the podium, but the tallest person standing on the research highland."
A team member described Wang Ji in their heart: "As long as he is here, our hearts are very steady."

Mirror
"I am just an ordinary member of NUDT; it is the wheelchair that amplifies my halo"
Recently, facing the sudden attention, Wang Ji is a bit uncomfortable. He always says, "In this compound, there are many touching people and things. I am just an ordinary member of NUDT; it is the wheelchair that amplifies my halo."
Wang Ji is being modest, but he also speaks a deep truth. Wang Ji's story originates from a fertile soil, a spirit, and a culture. Or rather, from him, one can see the shadows of many people.
Among them are his parents —
Both of Wang Ji's parents were intellectuals. In that fiery era of "prepare for war, prepare for famine, for the people," the old couple came from Shanghai to Changde, Hunan, to support the third-front construction. After retirement, they became among the earliest volunteers in Changsha, participating in public welfare activities. Knowledgeable, warm-hearted, not easily troubling others — the neighbors all knew their goodness.
Among them is his wife, Huang Chun (黄春) —
In the College of Computer Science and Technology's history museum, there is a "Hero Wall." Both Wang Ji and his wife Huang Chun have their photos there. Wang Ji is a national self-strengthening model; Huang Chun is a National March 8th Red-Banner Holder, a key contributor to the "Tianhe" team.
For Huang Chun, Wang Ji is both a lover and a soulmate. In the first half of 2021, the Tianhe system entered its final joint debugging and testing phase. As the chief designer of the compilation system, Huang Chun needed to go to Tianjin for two months of concentrated work.
Just then, Wang Ji's body faced another crisis — uremia, requiring treatment in Nanjing.
On one side, her husband needed her; on the other, Tianhe entered a critical period. Huang Chun's dilemma was seen by Wang Ji. Wang Ji said calmly: "I can take care of myself; don't worry."
So, with worry, Huang Chun went to the Tianjin site, also bringing their young daughter who had no one to care for at home. As a wife, mother, and team leader, Huang Chun tried her best to balance everything.
In others' eyes, this couple both have great wisdom and broad-mindedness. Their hearts have wilderness and sky. Many things, ordinary people don't understand, but they understand each other.
Among them are comrades and partners —
When Wang Ji first returned to work after his serious illness, his colleague Wang Ting (王挺) voluntarily took on the task of driving him to and from work. Through all seasons, rain or shine. This lasted for eight years.
Many didn't understand, but Wang Ting said: "On the way to pick him up every day, talking about research and life, that was a very happy moment. How was I helping Wang Ji..."
The warmth of "you give the world kindness, and the world gives you light" was also reflected in the neighbor Sister Liang Yan (梁妍).
When Wang Ji fell ill, his father was also bedridden, his wife was busy with work, and his daughter was under three years old. Neighbor Liang Yan took the child into her home and cared for her for nearly a year without compensation. Speaking of the original intention of this giving, Sister Liang said: "I couldn't bear to see such an excellent family collapse..."
Among them are generations of Galaxy people —
Today, the "Galaxy-I" cabinet still displayed in the college's history museum silently tells the story of the Galaxy people's youth and passion.
Standing before the cabinet, looking at the more than 20,000 crisscrossing lines, the scenes of fierce research in those days become vividly real, and the spirit of "cherishing the motherland in mind, uniting and cooperating, aiming for the summit, fighting bravely" becomes vividly real.
From Galaxy-I to Galaxy-III, from Galaxy to Tianhe, from following to leading... generations of Galaxy people have succeeded one another. It is not hard to imagine how many epic and admirable stories there are. No wonder Wang Ji and Huang Chun, whenever asked by others about hardship, always smile and answer: "This is not difficult..."
Wang Ji said he once watched a documentary: a horse fell into a swamp and couldn't be pulled out. A herdsman led a group of horses to run around; the trapped horse, stirred by the vibration of the companions' running, struggled, climbed, and eventually escaped.
Wang Ji is like that once-trapped horse.
Now, Wang Ji's work is still compact and busy — guiding students, leading the team, tackling major projects.
The team has never treated him as someone requiring special care. He is still the backbone of the team, the steadying force before difficult problems. They continue to discuss and argue as usual.
What about Wang Ji's body? Can he bear it?
From Wang Ji's current attending doctor Li Ge (李戈), it is learned that now Wang Ji's dialysis has increased from twice a week to three times a week, half a day each time. The vascular pathway on his arm for dialysis has become very fragile, requiring multiple surgeries to soften and expand. This trip to Shanghai was for that.
...
Wang Ji, fully aware of his condition, still chooses to appear in his office on non-dialysis days before 8 a.m. Even on dialysis days, after finishing, he will come.
Why? What for?
The answer is singular: Wang Ji is racing against time!
As a father, Wang Ji says he will take care of himself as much as possible, because he wants to see his daughter grow up and get married happily.
As a teacher, Wang Ji says he still has so many students to guide, not one can be left behind.
As a researcher, Wang Ji says the problem of trustworthiness requirements in weapons and equipment cannot be solved all at once; software research is always on the road, never finished.
As a soldier, Wang Ji says President Xi's instructions are engraved in his heart. Act on orders, and the mission must be accomplished!
On Tianhe North Road at NUDT, a tree-lined path, portraits of many academicians stand on one side. The road is not long, but the roots are deep and broad. Sunlight penetrates the leaves, gently sprinkling down.
Holding the ideal planted by the studious youth by the Xiang River, holding the responsibility and spirit of generations of Galaxy people, Wang Ji gently wheels his wheelchair, moving forward without stopping...

( Zhang Shixuan, Lin Yuan, Diao Wei, Yu Xingxin, Qin Jingya, Ma Ke participated in the writing )

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Wang Ji, the Problem Solver (Reporter's Notes)

By: 赵婀娜 金正波

A person's life always encounters some difficult problems, either of this kind or that kind.
So, what determines what kind of final chapter is written for this "life script" that "cannot be arbitrarily swapped"?
Character, wisdom, vision? Or something else?
On the outbound trip of the interview, from Beijing to Changsha, over 5 hours by high-speed rail, a journey of about 1500 kilometers, flipping through his achievement materials along the way, getting to know Wang Ji (王戟) for the first time from the text, these words all flashed through our minds.
On the return trip of the interview, from Changsha to Beijing, we were actually silent the whole way. Because we discovered that after nearly a week of interviews, having truly approached Wang Ji, understood Wang Ji, tried to comprehend Wang Ji, none of these words could be precisely applied.
On Wang Ji's person, there is a conflicting tension, or perhaps charm, that attracts people to approach and explore.
One kind is the conflict between the utmost pain of life and the utmost breadth of mind.
Wang Ji has a kind of calm power, so calm that it seems inconsistent with his "suffering." Having experienced physical and mental dual pain that ordinary people cannot imagine, Wang Ji did not complain, did not vent, did not even shed tears, did not hypothesize "if...". He merely used the sentence "Pain comes from choice; I have no choice, so I am not in pain," to lightly brush past the topic of illness.
Undoubtedly, this calmness originates from the support of the organization and the backing of his family. But indispensable is its origin in his inner understanding of life, and his self-awareness as a long-time "leader." Discipline leader, chief expert of major projects, pioneer in the field of high-confidence software (高可信软件)... various identities have made him always, as a problem-solver, lead the team charging forward. Solving software operation difficulties, solving technical breakthrough difficulties, solving discipline development difficulties, solving talent cultivation difficulties... Problem-solver Wang Ji has long been too accustomed to stepping up when everyone is confused or in difficulty, to taking the lead and giving direction, to providing certainty amidst uncertainty. Just as a team member said: With him here, hearts are very settled.
Therefore, when encountering difficulties, even the pain of a broken wing in the eyes of outsiders, how could Wang Ji easily stop or look back? He merely solves problems for himself just as he usually solves difficulties in work. After solving, he continues onward.
There is another pair of conflicts, between treating others with utmost generosity and disciplining oneself with utmost strictness.
Wang Ji has a kind of pure and broad power; his face always bears a warm smile, for colleagues, for students, for everyone. He believes in goodness, believes in sincerity, believes in all the goodwill in the world. Moreover, he listens to many people's advice — his mother's, colleagues', students', driver's... Like a broad and deep river, he is good at accepting, understanding, and tolerating. In contrast, he is extremely harsh on himself. To be able to work normally, he persists in exercising; to avoid troubling others, he makes "I'll do it myself" his catchphrase, propelling his wheelchair himself, getting in and out of the car himself, traveling long distances on business by himself; to have more time for work, he does nothing but treatment and work; to keep up with the forefront of scientific research in time, he treats reading literature and browsing papers as rest.
Why this contrast? Upon careful thought, it still stems from the problem-solver's self-awareness. In his heart, there is too heavy a sense of responsibility — "Guard the lifeline of the great power's heavy equipment (大国重器)." In his heart, there is too lofty a goal — "In high-confidence software research, foreign countries have a bottleneck (卡脖子) on us. We dare not slack off." And he, who orients his scientific research goals toward serving the nation's needs and serving military construction, understands too well that large projects require unity and cooperation, require mutual reliance, require trust and mutual trust!
Therefore, understanding these two sets of contrasts means understanding this person Wang Ji, understanding the many military personnel, teachers, and scientific researchers who are like Wang Ji.
Solving the difficult problems of high-confidence software research, solving the topic of lifting up the great power's heavy equipment, solving the proposition of life's unpredictability... Problem-solver Wang Ji, shackles on his body, heart toward the swan. The road ahead is still long; he drives the wheels without rest.

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Refining Progress Along the "0.01" Threshold (Commentator's Observation)

By: 常 晋

There must be both boundary-expanding innovation and refining innovation. With the former, one can seize the initiative and lead trends. With the latter, it helps to walk steadily and go far.

A couple of days ago, I rode a shared bicycle and noticed many changes. A phone card slot has been added in the middle of the handlebars, the seat cushion has been noticeably thickened, and the front fork is now equipped with shock-absorbing springs. Riding over bumpy stretches, it even felt as 如履平地 (rú lǚ píng dì - "like walking on level ground," smooth and effortless).

As an important tool for solving the "last kilometer" problem of travel, shared bicycles in the early years blindly competed on scale and price, appearing to 你追我赶 (nǐ zhuī wǒ gǎn - "you chase, I rush," fiercely competitive), yet the quality of service 原地踏步 (yuán dì tà bù - "marking time in place," made no progress). Now, this "turn" has been taken. Enterprises have shifted their focus to "competing on experience and service," advancing micro-innovations of "0.01," and have entered the right path where "users get benefits and the industry gets development."

When discussing innovation and development, people often think of the disruptive, leapfrogging creative breakthroughs "from 0 to 1." This kind of innovation opens up new domains and leads trends, significantly advancing social progress. In addition, building on the existing "1" and further refining by "0.01" — such effort in the smallest details — also deserves attention.

From the dimension of innovation, it is only by refining and re-refining along the "0.01" that the closed loop of innovation can be completed. "From 0 to 1" solves the question of "whether it exists or not"; "from 1 to 1.01" solves the question of "whether it is good or not." There must be both boundary-expanding innovation and refining innovation. With the former, one can seize the initiative and lead trends. With the latter, it helps to walk steadily and go far.

By focusing efforts on users' pain points, a narrow path can become a wide road, and an intangible moat can be built. An office chair company refines ergonomics to optimize support for long sitting; a slipper manufacturer upgrades anti-slip tread patterns to protect home safety; a range hood firm designs noise-reducing structures to lower noise pollution... By going one step further in sensing demand and refining by one more increment in experience optimization, one opens up space for differentiated development and helps escape the quagmire of "price competition."

From the dimension of career, the path of refinement is also the path of success through 积微成著 (jī wēi chéng zhù - "accumulate the minute to make it conspicuous," small accumulations lead to notable achievements). A set of calculations leaves a deep impression: 0.99 to the 365th power is less than 0.03; 1.01 to the 365th power is approximately 37.8. A tiny difference, when amplified by time, becomes the 云泥之别 (yún ní zhī bié - "difference between clouds and mud," a vast difference). Consistently doing every "small thing" well can achieve a remarkable "big thing."

Ma Shanxiang (马善祥), recipient of the "July 1 Medal" (七一勋章), has delved deep into the front line of mediation, handling everyday trivial matters. Rooted at the grassroots for 38 years, he has written 283 notebooks totaling over 9 million characters and served more than 20,000 people. He always "prefers to make things harder for himself a bit more," turning unremarkable small work into a great cause. His summarized "Lao Ma Work Method" (老马工作法) has been promoted nationwide, and Chongqing has cultivated over 80,000 "little Mas" (小马). Day by day, accumulating efforts to serve the people may seem ordinary and repetitive, but it is in fact a grand feat of putting the people first into practice.

From the dimension of development, applying the refining effort of "0.01" contains the practical wisdom of using points to drive the whole.

The refinement of "0.01" is connected to the process of quantitative change leading to qualitative change; sometimes even a tiny increment can activate a large stock. Refinement is not repetition. Only by finding one's positioning through cognitive upgrading can small improvements 切中肯綮 (qiè zhòng kěn qìng - "cut precisely into the joint," hit the nail on the head) and achieve the effect of 四两拨千斤 (sì liǎng bō qiān jīn - "four ounces deflect a thousand catties," a small force can move a great weight).

Take Yiwu, Zhejiang as an example: neither bordering a border nor relying on the sea, how did it grow into a global trade hub? By focusing on the national and even world market to plan "promoting commerce to build the city," gripping small commodities — this "1" — without wavering, and through 日积月累 (rì jī yuè lěi - "daily accumulate, monthly amass," accumulate over time) and continuous iteration in industry, channels, branding, and other aspects, it has better activated its commercial endowment and developed into a renowned "World Supermarket." To leverage potential, use resources, and strengthen strengths relies precisely on refinements in every detail, step by step, gradual progress.

"'致广大而尽精微' (zhì guǎng dà ér jìn jīng wēi - 'reach the broad and vast and exhaust the fine and subtle,') is the way to accomplish things." By focusing on fine improvements, responding to specific needs, and solving small difficulties, the "0.01" refinement contains the code to success. From the chip sequences in the laboratory to the tens of thousands of acres of fertile fields in the wilderness, by applying embroidery-like efforts and using precision, we are sure to seize the initiative at critical points and open up new situations amid changing circumstances.

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Three Capabilities of "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" (People's Commentary)

By: 张博令

While elsewhere the discussion is still about "whether it can be made," China's proposition is already "how fast can it be delivered." This ability to rapidly transform sudden demand into products and then quickly deliver those products makes China a unique "stabilizer" in the global industrial chain.

Not long ago, the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association released data: In May this year, five Chinese automakers sold 138,400 vehicles in 31 European countries, with market share surpassing that of Japanese automakers for the first time. This is a significant leap for China's new energy vehicles on the global value chain.

Viewing the overall foreign trade situation from the overseas expansion of new energy vehicles, in the first half of this year, mechanical and electrical products accounted for nearly 60% of exports, with high-tech products becoming the main drivers of export growth. "Several hundred million shirts for one airplane" is a thing of the past; Chinese intelligent manufacturing (中国智造), as a new shining business card, demonstrates the comprehensive competitive advantages and vigorous innovation vitality of the Chinese economy.

Running fast on new tracks reflects forward-looking innovation capability. The fact that Chinese cars have overtaken Japanese cars in market share in Europe is not achieved by relying on low prices and volume. On the new energy vehicle track, China has the most complete power battery industrial chain, rapidly iterating technology and products, and a rich accumulation of application scenarios. Overtaking is the result of 厚积薄发 (hòu jī bó fā - "thick accumulation, thin release," to achieve a breakthrough after long preparation) and, even more, the reward of forward-looking layout. Similar stories are continuously unfolding in emerging fields such as innovative drugs and industrial robots. From "usable" to "good to use," from "breakthrough at a single point" to "through-connection of the entire chain," China has achieved a transition from following to leading on more and more new tracks.

Being able to step up at critical moments reflects rapid response capability. Not long ago, a heatwave struck Europe, where only about 20% of households have air conditioning. Chinese-produced split-type air conditioners, which require no drilling, no external unit, and are plug-and-play, precisely met the needs of European consumers. From providing disaster relief materials to countries suffering severe disasters, to helping people survive the winter with electric blankets and hot water bottles during the European energy crisis, "Chinese intelligent manufacturing" always responds promptly to sudden demands, supported by a complete industrial system. While elsewhere the discussion is still about "whether it can be made," China's proposition is already "how fast can it be delivered." This ability to rapidly transform sudden demand into products and then quickly deliver those products makes China a unique "stabilizer" in the global industrial chain, providing the world with rare and valuable certainty.

Being able to capture niche demands reflects precision reach capability. Before the World Cup whistle had even blown, Chinese-produced flags, horns, and other goods had already crossed the oceans and filled the shelves around the stadiums. From tapes that cater to the preferences of "scrapbooking" enthusiasts, to creative kitchenware that addresses small annoyances in daily life, "Chinese intelligent manufacturing," empowered by digital technology, captures the diverse "micro-demands" of global consumers and converts them into marketable products.

This capability comes from countless small and medium-sized enterprises, developed new infrastructure, and increasingly efficient flexible production capacity. Cross-border e-commerce platforms make distant demand signals visible, industrial clusters efficiently integrate scattered orders, and smart logistics enable individual packages to cross oceans and be delivered on time. The precise capture and efficient fulfillment of global market demand have allowed "Chinese intelligent manufacturing" to integrate into the daily lives of people from different cultures and countries, becoming a supply of substance.

Rooting downward, growing upward, and extending outward, "Chinese intelligent manufacturing" continues to release surging new momentum, accelerating the formation of new quality productive forces (新质生产力). From new energy vehicles driving onto European streets, to plug-and-play air conditioners; from packages shipped worldwide to humanoid robots being iterated in laboratories — these seemingly unrelated scenes are all telling the same story: "Chinese intelligent manufacturing" is continuously iterating and upgrading, benefiting the world in a more three-dimensional, deeper, and warmer way.

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Life Has No Limits, the Future Is in Your Own Hands (Micro Perspective)

By: 孟繁哲

"You don't need to have heard of it; you just need to learn from it." Not long ago, at the graduation ceremony of Jiangxi Normal University (江西师范大学), an alumnus, Huang Chun (黄春), principal of Beijing No.4 High School Xiong'an Campus (北京四中雄安校区), sparked heated discussion with his speech. In the speech, he recounted a past incident: a freshman, curious about which university he had graduated from, said "never heard of it" upon hearing "Jiangxi Normal University." He did not argue, only lightly replied with that sentence.

Why did this sentence strike a chord in so many people's hearts? Perhaps because many have shared the experience. When submitting a resume, when introducing oneself, even during a blind date, the other party glances at your school, hometown, or resume and forms a stereotype based solely on a set of labels.

Label-based thinking hinders deep understanding between people. "First academic credential" has become a hidden threshold in recruitment; "circle stratification" has become a classification standard in social interaction; "small-town test-taker" (小镇做题家) has become a category in the public opinion arena... These labels narrow the connotation of talent and even form a kind of "identity discrimination."

What is more worthy of vigilance is that once label-based thinking is internalized, it becomes self-imposed limitation. If one dares not strive because of an ordinary background, gives up early because of a low starting point, or even resigns oneself to "lying flat," it only compresses the possibility of growth.

A good education never gives people only a diploma or a stepping-stone; it gives them a way to view the world, a tenacity that never admits defeat, the courage to break through oneself, and the ambition to keep striving. The halo of a prestigious school is certainly important, but this kind of "identity label" represents only a certain stage; struggle is an ever-renewing driving force. Knowledge will be updated, skills will iterate, but education endows us with the courage and ability to keep setting out. Through lifelong learning and continuous struggle, everyone can write their own brilliant life script.

Looking at the present, those who have truly made it all prove that through struggle one can break through "identity labels" and create one's own possibilities. Zhang Xue (张雪), a car mechanic with only a junior high school education, spent 20 years battling with engine technology, "forging" an independent motorcycle brand and standing out on the international stage; the obscure director Lan Hongchun (蓝鸿春), leading a group of amateur actors, produced "Love Letter to Grandma" (给阿嬷的情书) on a budget of 14 million yuan, which grossed approximately 2.08 billion yuan globally. According to the usual logic of labels, they would hardly be seen as promising. It was precisely the belief that unremitting effort can always climb higher, and the persistence that continuous accumulation can always achieve qualitative change, that brought them to their moment of glory.

In today's China, the paths for talent growth are diverse and broad. The complete industrial system provides deep soil for technological innovation, the diverse market demands open up vast space for deep cultivation in various fields, and the increasingly improved institutional environment gives everyone the opportunity to stand on their own ability and shine through their strength.

At the same time, a series of reform measures to loosen constraints and remove obstacles for growth and success have gathered a powerful synergy driving the development of the times. In the identification of rural talent, academic qualifications restrictions are broken, highlighting the evaluation orientation of "replacing papers with actual results, replacing degrees with ability, and replacing awards with contributions"; in scientific and technological research, the "open competition for leadership" (揭榜挂帅) and "horse racing" (赛马) mechanisms are implemented, breaking the traditional allocation methods for research projects, allowing young talent to dare to try and stand out; in talent evaluation, the "break the four-onlys" (破四唯) approach is adopted, where college students can obtain degrees based on practical achievements... Continuously breaking down thresholds, barriers, and obstacles provides a larger stage and more opportunities for people to realize their ambitions and grow upward. Everyone can change their destiny and realize their dreams through struggle.

"Happiness is achieved through struggle." Not relying on titles to stand, but speaking with real capability—this is the most composed answer of the striver; not judging people by labels, but letting doers rise to prominence—this is the firmest confidence that the new era gives to every striver.

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Photo Report

Not long ago, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) convened a symposium with key automobile production enterprises, clearly requiring that automakers must inspect their own production consistency issues as well as those of key component suppliers, strengthen safety assessment of combined driving assistance and autonomous driving functions, and resolutely resist irrational competition. For enterprises, this means that compliance requirements have already extended from product qualification to system reliability.
This is precisely:
People enjoy their travel, goods flow smoothly,
Quality must come first, do not lose guard.
Check the pass and trace the source in every meticulous detail,
Join hands with one heart and plan far-reachingly.
By Zhai Qinqi (翟钦奇)

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Supply Across the Wall, Bloom on the Chain

By: 谷 朋

Moving, inspecting, and teaching lessons — a variety of robots with different forms are undergoing training before they "take up their posts"… A Tianjin-based technology enterprise that once focused primarily on software services is now making a 风生水起 (fēng shēng shuǐ qǐ - "wind rises, water swells," to flourish and thrive) in the robotics industry. In just a few short years, the company’s business has extended to hardware manufacturing, platform construction, and more, gradually forming a full industrial-chain layout.
Why has the transformation been so rapid?
One indicator is crucial: the local supporting rate. Relying on the abundant industrial resources of the Tianjin Binhai High-Tech Zone Huayuan Science Park, more than 50% of the industrial-chain supporting can be achieved in the vicinity of the project. Core components, complete machine manufacturing, algorithm training, and everything else 应有尽有 (yīng yǒu jìn yǒu - "should have, all have," to have everything that is needed) are all available, forming a relatively complete industrial ecosystem. Industrial partners can be linked "just across the wall," achieving "blooming on the chain" amid 环环相扣 (huán huán xiāng kòu - "rings interlocking," closely linked steps or links). This kind of industrial linkage releases strong development vitality.
Local supporting, on the surface, is a geographical proximity; looking deeper, it is even more an aggregation of technology, services, and scenarios. As soon as a demand is raised, neighboring enterprises can respond in a timely manner; as soon as a difficulty emerges, surrounding partners can collaborate to tackle it; as soon as a product is made, local scenarios can verify it in succession… Such linkage turns spatial "closeness" into responsiveness "speed," allowing dispersed industrial resources to merge with each other, gather chains, and form momentum.
With local supporting keeping pace, industrial breakthroughs have more confidence. Take the embodied intelligence industry as an example: it is not a track that a single enterprise can run through by fighting alone. Algorithms, computing power, precision electromechanics, testing and training, application scenarios, etc., are all 缺一不可 (quē yī bù kě - "missing one, not acceptable," none can be absent). Complete local supporting can reduce the costs of enterprises searching for resources and coordinating collaboration, enabling them to better seize the first opportunity. By weaving the supporting network densely nearby, the links of the industrial chain are more tightly connected and collaboration smoother, thus helping enterprises accelerate product iteration and gain competitive advantage.
With local supporting stable, industrial development is more resilient. The close agglomeration of supporting enterprises can, under normal circumstances, reduce logistics costs and increase production efficiency; when faced with urgent orders, order transfers, or fluctuations in raw material supply, they can quickly dispatch and fill in for each other. When the market is good, enterprises can rapidly expand production capacity and take orders; when the order structure changes, upstream and downstream can also flexibly adjust and respond in coordination. A tightly connected supporting network allows each industrial cluster to react quickly and turn around calmly when facing market changes.
From the convenience of being "just across the wall" to the combined force of interlocking links, the denser the local supporting network is woven, the deeper the industrial foundation is planted. When enterprises on the chain support each other, new branches of development will grow upward and bloom in succession.
(Excerpted and compiled from Tianjin Daily)

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Let "People in a Hurry" Run at Ease (Warm News, Hot Commentary)

By: 段伟利

【Keywords】Waiting at red lights does not deduct time
【Event】Not long ago, Suzhou, Jiangsu, announced a pilot program to count the time spent waiting at red lights into the “estimated delivery time” for food delivery riders, by exchanging and interconnecting traffic control road condition data and violation warning data with the operational data of various delivery platforms, automatically excluding invalid timing such as waiting at red lights and postponing the delivery deadline. At the same time, the locality also introduced a safety points management system, where points can be exchanged for benefits such as cash rewards, free medical checkups, points-based household registration, and housing benefits.
【Commentary】
Food delivery riders are not unaware of the danger of running red lights; they are more worried about the records of overtime that turn red in the order system. In the final analysis, this is a complex trade-off, behind which lies a kind of “anxiety” transmitted through a complete set of assessment mechanisms dominated by algorithms — time passes, road conditions are unknown, and the only option is to minimize the risk of overtime at every link.
Some previous measures, such as setting tolerant and flexible delivery times based on the Negative List of Algorithms for Life Service Platforms (Trial)《生活服务类平台算法负面清单（试行）》and basically canceling deductions for overtime, mostly focused on the platform side and the algorithm side, with the starting point being to enhance algorithm transparency, fairness, and rationality, but they could not fully cover the uncertainty of road conditions. Therefore, many riders still habitually choose to “take a risk” and “race to rush.”
This exploration in Suzhou, on the one hand, pays more attention to the riders’ subjective perception, using explicit “exemptions” of time duration to give riders more certainty and a sense of security, thereby influencing their traffic decisions; on the other hand, it also helps to achieve a shift in traffic governance from ex-post investigation to ex-ante prevention, effectively improving governance efficiency and law enforcement effectiveness. In the long run, supplemented with tangible positive incentives, it can further strengthen the awareness of safety first and compliance with laws and regulations.
To lift a garment, grasp its collar; to lead an ox, take its rope. Identifying the crux of the problem and effectively addressing it through resource integration and institutional innovation has enlightening significance for many similar scenarios. To solve complex difficulties, one cannot 扬汤止沸 (yáng tāng zhǐ fèi - “stir the soup to stop it from boiling,” to take ineffective measures) and spin around at the level of phenomena. Opening up one’s vision and finding solutions from the underlying logic and key bottlenecks helps to resolve deeper problems.
“Each period has its own problems, each group has its own difficulties — we must take them seriously and continuously resolve them.” Take the 84 million workers in new forms of employment (新就业形态劳动者): there are many urgent, difficult, worrying, and longed-for issues (急难愁盼) that need to be solved, such as how to ensure occupational safety, how to determine labor relations, where children go to school, how to settle elderly parents, whether there are opportunities and prospects, and so on. Livelihood issues have many “thread ends”; it is necessary not only to 穿针引线 (chuān zhēn yǐn xiàn - “thread the needle,” to act as a go-between or handle delicate matters) within the existing framework but also to explore incremental policies and innovative mechanisms based on solution-oriented thinking (有解思维).
Beijing has comprehensively implemented “small injury fast compensation” (小伤快赔) for occupational injuries targeting workers in new forms of employment, from compressing required materials to increasing the frequency of medical benefit payments, making the process more streamlined and protection more efficient; some platforms have introduced a “pay first, then subsidize” (先缴后补) model for part-time riders who have no fixed contracts and whose labor relations are hard to determine, subsidizing 50% of the insurance contribution based on the lower limit of the social insurance contribution base in the place of insurance, making it no longer difficult for them to obtain social insurance… By breaking down barriers at the root, many thorny problems can be 迎刃而解 (yíng rèn ér jiě - “the bamboo splits as it meets the knife’s edge,” problems solve themselves once the key is found).
“People in a hurry have no seasons / only one stop and the next.” The verses written by Suzhou’s “delivery poet” Wang Jibing (王计兵) in his spare time between deliveries have struck a chord with countless people. On the second day after Suzhou announced the pilot policy, Wang Jibing won the ninth Lu Xun Literary Award for his poetry collection Flying Low (低处飞行).
This is a moving intertextuality. “The essence of modernization is the modernization of people.” (现代化的本质是人的现代化) On a deeper level, letting “people in a hurry” run with ease is also a vivid embodiment of the people-oriented value orientation.
People are the goal of development. Livelihood is important; safety on the road, as well as the pursuit of hobbies and the search for life’s value, are equally important. Let every striver receive more ample care — such development has a richer texture, and such a modernization story is all the more precious.

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Liu Tianliang, Peng Fei, Cui Yan

Email for this edition: rmrbpl@peopledaily.cn (When submitting manuscripts, please indicate the column name.)

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By the Yi River, safeguarding the millennium-old Longmen statues (Continuing the Historical Legacy)

By: 本报记者 朱佩娴

Gusty winds and sudden rain, showers in quick succession.
"Come on, let's go to the grottoes and take a look – see if there are any water seepage or leakage spots!" Ma Chaolong (马朝龙) could not sit still in his office. "Weather like this is perfect for testing our restoration and protection work, and it is also a good opportunity to find problems, so we can identify breakthroughs for the next phase of restoration and protection." In no time, two young people arrived at his office with rain gear, and the three then set out for the Longmen Grottoes.

Ma Chaolong is the head of the Grotto Protection Research and Heritage Monitoring Team of the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute in Luoyang City, Henan Province; the two young people, Liu Yi (刘轶) and Zhang Guofeng (张国锋), are members of the team.

The Grotto Protection Research and Heritage Monitoring Team of the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute undertakes tasks such as the protection and restoration of the Longmen Grottoes, technical research, heritage monitoring, and digital protection. It currently has 52 members, of whom 37 are youth under the age of 35, accounting for 71%. This year, they were awarded the 2026 China Youth May Fourth Medal Collective.

Carry out restoration and protection, following the principles of reversibility and integration

"Look! We added a cave-eave to the cave, just like adding an eave to a house – the rain cannot get in now." Arriving at the southern area of the Lotus Flower Cave (莲花洞), Ma Chaolong pointed to a cave on the cliff face. Inside the cave are Buddha statues and inscribed steles; beyond the cave, the entire mountain is covered with cliff-side carvings. "Without the cave-eave, these cliff-side carvings, after years of wind, sun, and rain, would be hard to see in their true form," Ma Chaolong said.

Ma Chaolong explained that structural instability, water damage, and weathering are the major diseases of the Longmen Grottoes. There are over a thousand small-scale cave niches inside and outside the Longmen Grottoes, suffering from varying degrees of disease. For example, rockfalls cause cave-eaves to fall off, resulting in the direct erosion of the artifacts inside the caves by rainwater. The rock of the Western Mountain (西山) is limestone; when it meets rainwater containing carbonic acid, it repeatedly dissolves and precipitates, leading to the formation of disease on the surface of the statues. "Some leave white or yellow water stains on the statues; some water damage causes moss to thrive inside the caves, posing a serious threat to the long-term preservation of the grottoes," Ma Chaolong said.

"We referred to the remains of historical cave-eaves, combined with the waterproofing effect of existing cave-eaves, and finally determined the restoration plan for the cave-eaves," Ma Chaolong said. The Longmen Grottoes today still retain the only remaining Tang Dynasty cave-eave remains; although some caves have lost their cave-eaves, one can see the grooves where the cave-eaves were inset, providing a reference for restoration and protection work.

In the process of restoring cave-eaves, the team follows the principles of reversibility and integration. Reversibility means adopting reversible measures during restoration and protection so that the original state can be returned to, and not using materials that cannot be removed; integration means 修旧如旧 (xiū jiù rú jiù - "repair the old to resemble the old," to restore in a way that preserves the original appearance), without destroying the overall style and aesthetic.

"Guess whether this cave-eave is original or added later?" Ma Chaolong pointed to another cave of the Lotus Flower Cave and asked with a smile. The reporter looked carefully: the cave-eave blended into the entire rock face, neither obtrusive nor showing any color difference. Ma Chaolong said: "This is made using fiber-reinforced composite material, produced with 3D printing technology. It is both corrosion-resistant and lightweight, and does not put pressure on the mountain body."

"The water seepage points inside the caves cannot be blocked; they can only be channeled away," Ma Chaolong said. After observing the direction of water flow, the craftsmen used hydraulic lime to make small V-shaped drainage systems at suitable positions around the statues, guiding the water to the lowest point before it drips off.

These innovative applications of drainage design and 3D printing repair technology have achieved precise reinforcement while preserving the authentic appearance.

Build an early-warning monitoring system, detect disease risk points early

Ma Chaolong has been engaged in grotto restoration and protection work for nearly 30 years. His work status is observed by Liu Yi. "Teacher Ma's passion for the grottoes also infects us young people. We deeply feel the great responsibility," Liu Yi said. "Such a precious world heritage – we have no reason not to protect it well."

"Every disease risk point is worth recording. The earlier it is discovered, the simpler the restoration work, and the less damage to the statues," Liu Yi said. Apart from business trips, Liu Yi almost every day sits in front of the large screen of the World Heritage Monitoring Center (世界遗产监测中心) of the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute for over an hour, examining various data monitoring the grottoes. As a pilot unit for world heritage monitoring under the National Cultural Heritage Administration (国家文物局), the Longmen Grottoes completed the construction of a world cultural heritage intelligent early-warning monitoring system in four phases between 2013 and 2016, using modern technological means to conduct quantitative or qualitative monitoring of the regional environment and artifact diseases of the Longmen Grottoes. The monitoring content includes the heritage body itself, the heritage value environment, and human activity factors, providing data support and decision-making basis for the protection and management of the Longmen Grottoes.

In July 2021, Luoyang experienced heavy rain. "During that period, we stared at the screen day and night and made observations at any time," Liu Yi said. Through the early-warning monitoring system, they found abnormal data from the crack displacement meter in the Leigutai South Cave (擂鼓台南洞). "This indicated that after being scoured by the heavy rain, the Leigutai South Cave had developed structural instability. If not repaired in time, there was a risk of collapse." Subsequently, the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute organized and implemented the Leigutai area reinforcement and water damage treatment project, carrying out water damage treatment, unstable rock mass treatment, and the treatment of the brick arched roof and bulging wall instability in the Leigutai South Cave, suppressing the deformation and instability trend of the brick arch and eliminating the bulging and cracking of the external wall.

"This is like a doctor regularly measuring a patient's blood pressure and blood sugar and lipids. Previously, we had to go to the site and it took two weeks to complete an inspection; now, sitting in front of the computer, we can clearly see the real-time monitoring data," Liu Yi said. Key points at the Longmen Grottoes are installed with inscribed-stele weathering monitoring instruments, water seepage monitoring instruments, Longmen Grottoes meteorological environment and vibration monitoring equipment, rock mass stability monitoring instruments, cave water volume monitors, etc., achieving real-time monitoring.

Adopt digital means, innovatively present craftsmanship and artistry

By the Yi River, the Vairocana Buddha has sat silently for a thousand years. A digital upgrade is quietly taking place here; cutting-edge technologies such as high-precision 3D scanning and virtual restoration are opening a new path for the permanent preservation and inheritance of the thousand-year-old treasure.

"Starting in 2021, we initiated the construction of a three-dimensional digital resource library, mainly focusing on high-precision data collection of representative caves of the Longmen Grottoes, with the goal of achieving comprehensive digital documentation of the caves," introduced Zhang Guofeng, Deputy Section Chief of the Exhibition and Digital Section of the Artifact Preservation, Display and Document Center of the Longmen Grottoes Research Institute.

The Longmen Grottoes contain a large number of exquisite shallow reliefs and micro-reliefs, but these are precisely the most vulnerable to moisture erosion and weathering. In response to this challenge, the team, together with universities and research institutes such as Wuhan University, carried out a special technical breakthrough and achieved success. "Some shallow reliefs have very shallow surface carvings. Over time, the fine statues and decorative carvings of these shallow reliefs become increasingly difficult to identify; conventional scanning methods cannot effectively recognize them, and there is an urgent need to find a technical path that combines both precision and efficiency," Zhang Guofeng said. The team uses millimeter-level precision 3D laser scanning and multi-view image reconstruction technology to accurately record the shape of the caves, every statue, every decorative pattern, and even traces of weathering; they also use large models to perform fully automatic information aggregation, intelligent understanding, and retrieval of the Longmen Grottoes shallow relief pattern database, providing support for pattern database building, atlas construction, and secondary creation and dissemination based on patterns.

For artifacts from the Longmen Grottoes that have been lost or damaged over history due to various reasons, digital technology provides an innovative solution of 复位合璧 (fù wèi hé bì - "restore position and join the jade disc," to restore and reintegrate).

"For example, outside the Ten Thousand Buddhas Cave (万佛洞) there was once an exquisite Guanyin statue that was destroyed in the 1920s. We found a precious old photograph taken before its destruction. Using that old photograph, combined with 3D modeling technology, we performed a virtual restoration in digital space, filling in the destroyed parts, allowing future generations to see its complete appearance," Zhang Guofeng said.

For artifacts lost abroad, digital means have built a bridge of "digital repatriation." Through cooperation with institutions such as the Palace Museum and the Shanghai Museum, three-dimensional data collection of the Longmen Grottoes' lost artifacts held in their collections is carried out, then digitally merged with the remaining parts of the grotto body. Going a step further, using 3D printing technology, these digital models can be materialized. "Starting from early 2023, we hold a touring exhibition of digital achievements every year, allowing more people to see the 'complete' Longmen Grottoes art," Zhang Guofeng said.

"We must continuously forge ahead and uphold orthodoxy while innovating (守正创新, shǒu zhèng chuàng xīn - "uphold the orthodox and innovate," to maintain core principles while innovating), so that the historical context can be revitalized in the torrent of the times," Zhang Guofeng said.

Extended Reading

The Longmen Grottoes integrate architecture, sculpture, murals, calligraphy, and other arts, showcasing the large-scale superb plastic arts of China from the late Northern Wei Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, reflecting the high level of Chinese stone carving art, and are inscribed on the World Heritage List. The grottoes currently preserve 2,345 numbered cave niches of various sizes, nearly 110,000 statues of various kinds, and over 2,800 inscribed steles and records, making them the world's largest stone carving art treasure trove in terms of the number of niche statues and scale.

In recent years, the cultural relic protection work of the Longmen Grottoes has achieved leapfrog development: projects on microbial weathering restoration and new anti-weathering material research have been smoothly advanced, a high-standard Cultural Relic Science and Technology Protection Center has been built, a full-chain integrated protection model of "testing—analysis—assessment—restoration" has been established, the world cultural heritage intelligent early-warning monitoring system has been upgraded, and several key protection projects such as the rock mass reinforcement at the Pearl Spring (珍珠泉) on the Western Mountain have been implemented.

(Compiled by our reporter Zhu Peixian (朱佩娴))

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All-China Federation of Trade Unions holds 5th session of 18th Executive Committee and 11th Presidium meeting in Beijing

This newspaper, Beijing, July 28 (Reporter Yi Shuran) The Fifth Executive Committee Meeting of the Eighteenth Central Committee of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) and the Eleventh Presidium Meeting were held in Beijing on July 28. Wang Dongming (王东明), Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and Chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, presided over the meeting and delivered a speech.

Wang Dongming pointed out that the ACFTU and trade unions at all levels should, in accordance with the unified部署 of the Party Central Committee, earnestly grasp the study, publicity, and implementation of the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech on July 1 and Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, make efforts in comprehensive study, comprehensive understanding, and comprehensive implementation, and strive to achieve the integration of learning, thinking, and application, and the unity of knowledge, belief, and action. This must be closely integrated with the study and implementation of the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the ceremony celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and the National Commendation Conference for Model Workers and Advanced Workers. Taking the General Secretary's important speech as the guide, and combining it with the implementation of the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Chinese Workers' Movement and Trade Union Work," we must solidly and earnestly implement all key tasks and strive to promote high-quality development of trade union work.

Lu Zhiyuan (陆治原), Secretary of the Party Leadership Group, Vice Chairman, and First Secretary of the Secretariat of the ACFTU, delivered a work report.

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Lu Zhiyuan elected Vice Chairman of All-China Federation of Trade Unions and First Secretary of the Secretariat

Beijing, July 28 (People's Daily) (Reporter Yi Shuran (易舒冉)) On July 28, Lu Zhiyuan (陆治原), Secretary of the Leading Party Group of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, was elected Vice-Chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions and First Secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

According to the provisions of the Constitution of Chinese Trade Unions, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th Executive Committee of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, held in Beijing on the 28th, elected Lu Zhiyuan as Vice-Chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions; the 11th Plenary Session of the Presidium of the 18th Executive Committee of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions elected Lu Zhiyuan as First Secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

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New Guidelines for Myopia Prevention and Strabismus and Amblyopia Diagnosis and Treatment Released

Beijing, July 28 (People's Daily) — (Reporter Shen Shaotie (申少铁)) The General Office of the National Health Commission (国家卫生健康委办公厅) recently issued the 2026 edition of the Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Myopia and the Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Strabismus and Amblyopia, to further improve the standardization level of myopia prevention and control and the diagnosis and treatment of strabismus and amblyopia.

In recent years, the prevalence of myopia in China has remained high, and it has become a major public health problem affecting the eye health of the nation, especially children and adolescents. Epidemiological surveys have found that pathological myopia-related fundus lesions have become one of the main causes of irreversible blinding eye diseases in China.

The new edition of the Guidelines for Prevention and Treatment of Myopia proposes that from the neonatal period, children should receive child eye health services at the prescribed frequency, and age-appropriate visual acuity assessment methods should be used. Starting at 24 months of age, refraction screening should be performed to early detect common eye diseases in children, poor vision, and insufficient hyperopic reserve. Starting from the kindergarten stage, visual acuity, refractive diopter, axial length, and corneal curvature should be regularly examined, and fundus structure should be monitored, combined with age to assess hyperopic reserve. For children with a family history of high myopia, regular follow-up should be strengthened, and key prevention and control should be carried out.

Strabismus is a common eye disease that causes visual development disorders in children. Early treatment of strabismus can effectively correct eye position, restore appearance, and promote visual development and the establishment of binocular visual function.

The new edition of the Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Strabismus proposes that the diagnosis of strabismus should comprehensively consider medical history, eye position, eye movements, refractive status, visual acuity, binocular visual function, and whether there are ocular or systemic diseases. Before treatment, refractive errors should be corrected and amblyopia should be treated as a priority. The timing of surgery needs to be carefully decided by comprehensively considering the type of strabismus, stability of the strabismus angle, age, binocular visual status, diplopia symptoms, and systemic conditions.

Amblyopia is a disease related to visual development, which can cause low best corrected visual acuity in one or both eyes and affect the establishment and development of binocular visual function.

The new edition of the Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Amblyopia clarifies that the success rate of amblyopia treatment usually decreases with increasing age. The formulation of the treatment plan should comprehensively consider the child's age, type and degree of amblyopia, visual acuity level, previous treatment history, treatment compliance, as well as family support, psychological status, social environment, and other factors.

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A Bowl of "Peach Blossom Noodles" Warms an Entire Street (Keeping Watch)

By: 本报记者 郑洋洋

Just before noon, Xu Yunfeng's "Taohua Noodle House" (桃花面馆) bustled with activity. What does this small noodle shop, which has provided free noodles to sanitation workers for over a decade, look like? Driven by curiosity, a reporter walked into the shop.

The small noodle shop is located in an inconspicuous alley in Xinfu Village (新付村), Guojiabu Township (郭家堡乡), Yuci District, Jinzhong City, Shanxi Province. "Yongkang Taohua Noodle House" (永康桃花面馆) has a red-background, white-character sign, with no more than seven or eight tables, and only boss Xu Yunfeng, his wife, and one employee busy at work.

On the glass door of the noodle shop was a notice: "Sanitation workers can eat noodles for free upon entering." On the walls around the main hall were hung full of silk banners. "Years of hot meals warm the cold winter, sanitation workers gratefully remember in their hearts," "More than ten years like one day of loving dedication, Yongkang Taohua Noodles send true warmth" ... Looking at the signatures, they all came from sanitation companies and frontline workers.

"Noodles are here!" With a shout and light steps, Xu Yunfeng carried a tray into the private room. Several bowls of noodles were placed on the table, the air filled with the aroma of braised meat. In the private room, five or six sanitation workers in orange vests sat around, chatting cheerfully. On the table were several dishes such as pig head meat, steamed crispy pork, and stir-fried oat noodles.

"Troubling you again!" Sanitation worker Yang Qiaohua quickly expressed thanks. "Hard work for you to prepare so many dishes for us!" Sanitation worker Zhao Yonggang also said gratefully. The reporter looked at the noodle bowls on the table – they were heaped with braised pork, meatballs, vermicelli, shredded kelp, and cilantro. "This is Taohua noodles (桃花面)!" Xu Yunfeng introduced. Taohua noodles are a characteristic noodle dish from Yuci, Shanxi, with a history of over a hundred years.

How much does this noodle cost? "I sell it cheap, 8 yuan a bowl. For sanitation workers, it's free!" Xu Yunfeng said. How many years have you been offering free? "I've kept at it for 11 years!" Over the past 11 years, Xu Yunfeng's noodle shop has moved several times, but the practice of letting sanitation workers eat noodles for free has never been interrupted.

Why do this, and persist for so long?

In 2014, Xu Yunfeng was still running his noodle shop in nearby Wanghu Village (王湖村). Getting up early every morning to buy supplies, he would always see sanitation workers over sixty years old working in the bitter cold. "They are about the same age as our parents, work so hard, and don't earn much. My wife and I felt distressed seeing them." Xu Yunfeng's words were plain. "So we came up with the idea of giving free noodles to sanitation workers."

With the full support of his wife, Guo Jianmei, a notice was posted at the noodle shop's entrance.

At first, the sanitation workers were 将信将疑 (jiāng xìn jiāng yí - "half believing, half doubting," skeptical), and some were too embarrassed to come in. It was not until a few days later that someone hesitantly came to eat noodles. When they found that the shop's promise was kept, more and more "orange figures" appeared in the noodle shop.

This promise was kept for 11 years. Every day at 5 a.m., Xu Yunfeng and his wife began their day's preparations. "The ingredients have to be prepared in advance," Xu Yunfeng explained. Fresh pork must be simmered over low heat for more than three hours until it is tender and flavorful; the noodles are kneaded by hand, emphasizing chewy smoothness; the side dishes are washed, cut, and arranged neatly...

On ordinary days, the shop not only serves steaming hot noodles but also provides hot dishes. Yang Qiaohua told the reporter: "When there are many people, the boss will stir-fry a few hot dishes for us. When it gets cold, he also offers lamb soup." On holidays, there are extra surprises – sweet zongzi for the Dragon Boat Festival, soft and sticky mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival, heartwarming tangyuan for the Lantern Festival...

In 2015, Xu Yunfeng joined the Jinzhong City Volunteer Association (晋中市义工协会). "Meeting like-minded people gave me more confidence and more drive to do public welfare." He followed the team to support financially disadvantaged students in remote areas, regularly visited and consoled elderly people living alone in the community, and distributed noodles and boxed meals to sanitation workers on the streets. "During one public benefit activity, I was responsible for cooking for 200 people, but I didn't feel tired at all – I was in great spirits!" Xu Yunfeng said.

A rough estimate shows that over more than ten years, Xu Yunfeng has spent 200,000 yuan on his charitable endeavors. Some people ask Xu Yunfeng, do you feel you've lost out? "You can't calculate it that way. Being able to help others gives me a great sense of achievement!" Xu Yunfeng said.

Now, his son, who is still in school, sometimes comes to the shop at noon to help out, silently supporting his father's charitable work, and on weekends he joins his father in volunteer activities. "My parents always told me to do more good deeds. Now, I myself want to set an example for my child," Xu Yunfeng said.

Not long ago, Xu Yunfeng was selected for the "China Good Person List" (中国好人榜). Seeing the medal, Xu Yunfeng sometimes marvels that he has actually persisted for so many years. But whenever he thinks of the heartfelt smiles on the sanitation workers' faces, he feels: it's all worth it!

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Photo Report

Recently, the Zhimao Highway (芝茅公路) in Zigui County (秭归县), Yichang City, Hubei Province, winds through Huaishuping Village (槐树坪村). In recent years, Zigui County has strengthened road construction, effectively promoting rural tourism development and assisting comprehensive rural revitalization. Photo by Zheng Kun (郑坤) of Image China (影像中国).

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Anhui solidifies grassroots governance innovation with the "Six-Foot Lane Working Method"

Hefei, July 28 (Reporter Li Junjie (李俊杰)) Recently, the 25th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th Anhui Provincial People's Congress voted to pass the "Decision of the Standing Committee of the Anhui Provincial People's Congress on Making Good Use of the 'Six-Foot Lane Work Method (六尺巷工作法)' to Enhance the Effectiveness of Grassroots Social Governance," which will take effect on October 17.

The decision codifies innovative grassroots governance experiences in a legal manner, clarifying the basic connotation of the "Six-Foot Lane Work Method," defining it as a grassroots social governance method that inherits the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation emphasizing courtesy and yielding, and valuing harmony, learns from the historical wisdom of ancestors in resolving contradictions, focuses on using mediation methods to resolve contradictions among the people, takes leading affairs through party building, mediating affairs through courtesy and yielding, discussing affairs by the masses, resolving affairs through multiple channels, managing affairs through grids, and preventing affairs through collective efforts as the basic content, and takes ensuring that contradictions are not passed upward, safety is not compromised, and services are not lacking as the basic objectives.

The decision adheres to the people-centered principle, and improves the urban and rural grassroots governance system that combines self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue under the leadership of party organizations. In terms of self-governance, it leverages the principal role of the masses, enriches the forms of achieving grassroots democratic consultation, and supports and guides the masses to participate in social governance in an orderly manner. In terms of rule of law, it promotes the rule of law in grassroots governance in a coordinated manner, strengthens the standardized construction of comprehensive grassroots governance centers, and establishes and improves a closed-loop working mechanism for collaborative resolution of conflicts and disputes. In terms of rule of virtue, it practices the core socialist values, and integrates courtesy and yielding, harmony, mutual assistance, and service into grassroots social governance.

The core of the "Six-Foot Lane Work Method" lies in using mediation methods to resolve contradictions among the people. The decision emphasizes giving full play to the role of mediation, advocating mutual understanding and mutual concession, implementing listening, persuading, yielding, and harmonizing throughout the entire mediation process, insisting on the unity of law, reason, and emotion, and promoting the organic connection of people's mediation, administrative mediation, and judicial mediation.

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Heilongjiang releases implementation plan for AI application in healthcare

Our newspaper, Harbin, July 28 (Reporter Fang Yuan (方圆)). Recently, the Heilongjiang Provincial Health Commission (黑龙江省卫生健康委), together with the Provincial Development and Reform Commission (省发展改革委), the Department of Industry and Information Technology (工信厅), the Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (中医药局), and the Bureau of Disease Control and Prevention (疾控局), jointly issued the Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Medical and Health Field in Heilongjiang Province (黑龙江省加快推进医疗卫生领域人工智能应用工作实施方案). Based on actual conditions, it refines and quantifies development indicators, systematically deploys a number of key tasks, and supports and improves full-chain safeguard measures.

It is reported that the plan, following a development path of layered progression and stepwise implementation, proposes development indicators in two stages: by 2027, create more than 20 replicable and scalable typical AI implementation scenarios in medical and health care, build five provincial-level AI demonstration hospitals, promote each city (prefecture) to implement at least one municipal-level demonstration hospital, achieve full coverage of intelligent diagnosis and treatment and smart convenience service systems in all public hospitals at level two and above across the province, and achieve full implementation of grassroots intelligent assisted diagnosis and treatment within county-level medical communities (县域医共体); by 2030, continuously consolidate the capacity for universal grassroots AI diagnosis and treatment services, construct a standard and specification system for medical intelligent applications adapted to the medical characteristics of the northern region, and form a batch of digital-intelligent healthcare (数智医疗) practice models with regional features that can be referenced and promoted nationwide.

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本版责编：康岩 刘涓溪 王博

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Building a New-Type Power System with a "Quantum Solution" (Big Data Observation: New Momentum in the "Six Networks")

By: 本报记者 徐 靖

Using diamond quantum materials to precisely perceive changes in grid current; based on the quantum tunneling principle, accurately measure power pole inclination and equipment attitude; relying on quantum dot gas-sensitive materials, provide extremely early warning of cable fire hazards and partial discharge faults inside switchgear cabinets... At Hefei Houdian 220 kV Quantum Application Demonstration Substation (合肥候店220千伏量子应用示范变电站) in Hefei City, Anhui Province, there is a technological flavor of "quantum" everywhere.

Hefei Houdian Quantum Application Demonstration Substation was officially put into operation in November 2024, and is the first quantum application demonstration substation in China. The station has deployed 18 categories and 85 sets of self-developed power quantum technology achievements, covering the three major directions of quantum measurement, quantum communication, and quantum computing. It is a landmark achievement of deep integration between new-type power grids and cutting-edge quantum technology, pioneering the systematic application of quantum technology in power grid engineering, and providing a "quantum solution" for solving the development difficulties of traditional power grids and building new-type power systems.

"Over a year of operation has proven that quantum technology is not a 'showpiece' but a 'hard support' for ensuring power supply and promoting development," said Tian Teng (田腾), young chief engineer of the Digitalization Institute of the Electric Power Research Institute of State Grid Anhui Electric Power Co., Ltd. (国网安徽省电力有限公司).

Exploring the secrets: Quantum technology helps upgrade software and hardware quality.

Walking into the Hefei Houdian Quantum Application Demonstration Substation, one does not see outdoor electrical equipment standing in rows, nor does one see duty personnel.

"This is a new generation of unattended intelligent substation," said Tian Teng. "We use a large number of quantum precision measurement devices to replace manual inspections, allowing us to more quickly detect and diagnose equipment hidden dangers and faults, reducing the inspection and operation costs of the power system."

In the high-voltage switch room of the substation, rows of power supply equipment operate stably. Tian Teng stopped in front of a decommissioned switchgear cabinet, pointed to a "small box" on the side of the cabinet and said: "This is a quantum dot multi-parameter sensor, which can monitor the state of the internal environment of the cabinet and the characteristic signals of partial discharge, judging the internal health status of the switchgear cabinet." He then pointed to another "small box" installed on the cable at the bottom and said: "This is a distribution network current sensor, which can grasp the line load status in real time and quickly and accurately locate line fault points."

The empowerment of quantum technology is not only reflected in a few "small boxes." The quantum lidar on the roof can monitor information such as atmospheric particulate matter and cloud layers within a 15-kilometer range, providing early warning of meteorological disaster risks; the quantum attitude sensor on transmission towers can precisely perceive the weak magnetic field of one ten-thousandth of the Earth's magnetic force, accurately judging the tower's attitude; power quantum encryption equipment provides fiber-optic quantum secure communication and "5G+quantum" encrypted communication, greatly improving communication security. In addition, there are integrated quantum DC electric energy meters that can be used for energy metering in high-power DC charging piles, quantum nondestructive flaw detectors that can perform high-precision positioning of surface cracks in ferromagnetic materials, quantum dot fire sensors that can provide early warning of cable fire hazards... Throughout the substation, the application of quantum technology can be seen everywhere.

There is not only hardware but also software. The substation uses a power grid power flow calculation method based on quantum computing, and has completed the calculation and verification of real power grid topology networks on the domestically produced quantum computer "Origin Wukong" (本源悟空). "This breakthrough provides a completely new technical route for large-scale power grid simulation calculations, and is expected to further improve the real-time analysis and computing capabilities of the power system," said Tian Teng.

Construction: Overcoming difficulties to clear the "last mile" of deployment.

Why build such a "quantum substation"?

"When dealing with high-proportion renewable energy and high-proportion power electronic equipment integration, traditional power grids have gradually exposed three major pain points: insufficient accuracy in equipment status monitoring and lagging response; shortcomings in the security protection of data transmission and control commands; and the difficulty of traditional computer computing power bottlenecks in supporting the rapid decision-making needs of massive control objects," said Tian Teng. "Quantum technology is an important direction in the national strategic layout. Anhui has advantages in the quantum field, and it is imperative to develop new-type power grids relying on quantum technology."

For a "behemoth" like an electric power project, forming a connection with mysterious quantum is not easy.

Inside the GIS (gas-insulated switchgear) room, the "rings" wrapped around the periphery of the cables attract attention.

"This is our self-developed quantum current transformer, which has the functions of monitoring, metering, and protecting the main grid current, avoiding problems such as magnetic saturation and insufficient accuracy at small currents of traditional transformers, and has the advantages of high measurement accuracy, small temperature drift, strong anti-interference capability, and simple insulation," introduced Zhao Long (赵龙), head of the Electric Power Quantum Sensing Laboratory of State Grid Anhui Electric Power Research Institute (国网安徽电科院).

At the beginning of the equipment development, there were three layers of difficulties: no precedent in China, no standards, no mature solutions. "The biggest problem we encountered at that time was that the supply of high-quality diamond sensing materials was cut off by foreign countries, and the project almost came to a standstill," said Zhao Long. "Later, we tried to customize from relevant material research and development teams, but at that time, research on high-purity diamond was almost a blank in China. Everything started from scratch. After repeated experiments and tests, we finally achieved a breakthrough."

However, problems such as on-site anti-interference and engineering adaptation 接踵而至 (jiē zhǒng ér zhì - "follow one after another," came one after another). Quantum signals are extremely weak, and the strong electromagnetic environment on site can easily cause signal distortion; principle prototypes feasible in the laboratory frequently 水土不服 (shuǐ tǔ bù fú - "not acclimatized to local water and soil," not suitable for local conditions) once they arrive at the substation site; high-precision requirements and industrial-grade stability are difficult to balance...

"For several consecutive months, we spent days at the substation site collecting data and debugging parameters, and nights in the laboratory optimizing algorithms, improving packaging structures and shielding schemes, and conducted hundreds of tests under extreme environments such as high and low temperatures and strong vibrations," said Zhao Long. "When the current data of the quantum current transformer displayed correctly on the on-site screen, the whole team cheered — we had cleared the 'last mile' from the laboratory to the engineering deployment of quantum measurement technology."

According to calculations, after applying quantum technology, the Hefei Houdian Quantum Application Demonstration Substation can reduce power metering errors by more than 500,000 kWh per year, greatly improving the reliability and economy of grid operation. At present, several quantum products have been deployed and applied in Ma'anshan, Xuancheng, Huaibei, Huangshan, and other places, and are gradually spreading across the country.

Future: "Quantum + Power Grid" innovation continues to advance.

In the Electric Power Quantum Sensing Laboratory of State Grid Anhui Electric Power Research Institute, researchers are busy, and there are several new quantum devices under development on the workbench.

"We continue to explore and experiment with new quantum technologies and products. Currently, multiple products such as quantum transformers, integrated quantum electric energy meters, and quantum dot multi-parameter sensors have been iterated, with monitoring accuracy leaping from one thousandth to one hundred thousandth," said Zhao Long. "We are working on quantum gas sensing technology research, using quantum precision measurement to reach a monitoring limit of one billionth, helping to detect electrical equipment defects at an extremely early stage. This is expected to bring significant assistance to the status assessment and fault diagnosis of electrical equipment."

On April 23 this year, State Grid Anhui Electric Power Co., Ltd. took the lead in establishing the first electric power quantum standardization technical committee in China. "The establishment of the committee marks a substantial step from top-level design to standard development in electric power quantum standardization, which has positive significance for the development of quantum technology in the electric power field," said Zhao Long.

"The Hefei Houdian Quantum Application Demonstration Substation is a typical case of combining new-type power grids and quantum technology. We will take this as a starting point to further promote quantum technology to all aspects of the power system. Currently, we have already planned to carry out new demonstration projects at higher-level substations," said Tian Teng.

"In the future, we will focus on the frontier of electric power quantum industrialization. Our goal is to build Anhui electric power quantum secure communication network, a quantum precision measurement product functional testing and performance verification platform, and a dedicated quantum computer system for power system simulation calculation, creating a model for the combination of quantum technology and new-type power system construction," introduced Luo Chao (罗超), director of the Scientific Research Department of State Grid Anhui Electric Power Co., Ltd.

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Empowering the Development of a New Energy System with Quantum Technology (Expert Commentary)

By: 马铭遥

Quantum information technology has become a key direction for major countries worldwide in the frontier science and technology domain, and also a strategic high ground in great-power technological competition. Facing the strategic needs of national energy security, the large-scale integration of quantum technology into energy systems will provide transformative technological support for building a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new energy system, and is also a strategic choice for China to seize the high ground in the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation.

Against the backdrop of large-scale integration of a high proportion of renewable energy and a high proportion of power electronic equipment, the traditional power grid operation mode faces challenges such as insufficient sensing capability, hidden data security risks, and insufficient computing power support. The practice of the Hefei Houdian Quantum Application Demonstration Substation (合肥候店量子应用示范变电站) provides an important reference for understanding the technological evolution of new-type power systems and frontier interdisciplinary research directions, and also offers an explorable technological path for breaking through the bottlenecks of the traditional power grid and promoting intelligent upgrading of the power grid. From the perspective of industry and disciplinary development, the Hefei Houdian Quantum Application Demonstration Substation is not only a major breakthrough in the industrial application of quantum technology in the power sector, but also an important marker for China's energy industry to seize the strategic opportunity of quantum technology and accelerate the cultivation of 新质生产力 (xīn zhì shēngchǎn lì - "new quality productive forces," new productive forces).

The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (十五五) proposes accelerating the construction of a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new-type energy system. Quantum technology, as an important pillar of the future information industry, is moving from the laboratory to thousands of industries, and will drive traditional industries from efficiency optimization to paradigm renewal, giving rise to entirely new industrial forms in the energy field. Currently, quantum technology has entered a critical period of accelerated integration and breakthrough in science, technology, and industry. As a frontier interdisciplinary domain, the large-scale application of quantum technology will drive systemic technological innovation in the energy and power sector, providing important support for safeguarding national energy security and achieving the goals of carbon peak and carbon neutrality (碳达峰碳中和).

(The author is the Vice Dean of the School of Electrical Engineering, Hefei University of Technology (合肥工业大学). The article is compiled from an interview by our reporter Xu Jing (徐靖).)

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APEC Forestry Ministers' Meeting Adopts Joint Statement

People's Daily, Shenzhen, July 28 (Reporters Gu Zhongyang (顾仲阳) and Lü Shaogang (吕绍刚)) From July 27 to 28, the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forestry Ministerial Meeting was held in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. During the meeting, high-level representatives, experts, and scholars from 21 APEC economies and 7 international organizations conducted a series of dialogues and consultations around core issues such as advancing global forest goals and promoting the integration of technological innovation and green industries, and reached broad consensus, adopting the 2026 APEC Forestry Ministerial Meeting Joint Statement.

The Asia-Pacific region accounts for more than half of the world's forest area, contributes approximately 60% of global forest product production and 40% of forest product trade, is the most concentrated region for global terrestrial and coastal ecosystems, and possesses nearly half of the world's mangrove resources. Asia-Pacific forestry plays an irreplaceable role in building ecological security barriers, enriching people's well-being, and promoting regional green development.

As an important member of the Asia-Pacific community, China has actively promoted forestry development and achieved significant accomplishments, contributing 25% of the world's newly added green area and achieving its 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution forest stock target ahead of schedule. It has continuously strengthened scientific protection, built a nature reserve system with national parks as the main body, incorporated 18% of its land area into strict protection under nature reserves, and officially established the first batch of five national parks. It has built a national botanical garden system, forming a scientific and systematic ex-situ conservation network. It has placed greater emphasis on systematic governance, coordinating the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, continuously implementing major projects for the protection and restoration of important ecosystems, and promoting the recuperation and restoration of grasslands, forests, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. It has fully launched the hard-fought battle of the "Three-North" Project (三北工程). It has continuously promoted rational utilization, deepening the reform of collective forest tenure, the reform of state-owned forest areas and forest farms, and the reform of grassland protection, with results benefiting more than 100 million forest farmers and 12 million herdsmen. It has continuously expanded the forest and grass industry, with total output value reaching 11 trillion yuan in 2025, driving employment and income growth for more than 60 million people.

At the same time, China also attaches great importance to strengthening Asia-Pacific forestry cooperation and promoting the building of a more fair and reasonable global ecological governance system. It has proposed the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Forest Restoration and Sustainable Management Network (亚太森林恢复与可持续管理网络) and initiated the creation of high-level policy dialogue platforms such as the Greater Central Asia Forestry Ministerial Conference and the Pu'er Asia-Pacific Forestry Forum (普洱亚太林业论坛). It has supported more than 20 economies in implementing over 50 forestry demonstration projects, investing more than 45 million US dollars, and restoring over 1,300 hectares of degraded land. It has extensively disseminated the concept of ecological civilization, actively shared technical experience, and contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese strength to promoting forestry development in the Asia-Pacific region and building a global ecological civilization.

The Joint Statement points out that the economies are expected to promote biodiversity conservation, strengthen law enforcement work against illegal trade in forest products, and incorporate forest governance and sustainable forest management into economic development plans, policy frameworks, and recommendations. In line with the specific circumstances and development priorities of each economy, increase investment and financing opportunities for forestry development and legal forest product trade. Support the transformation, upgrading, and value chain enhancement of forest product processing. Strengthen Asia-Pacific regional cooperation in urban forestry and water resource management, relying on technological innovation and sustainable forest management to restore ecosystems and alleviate habitat fragmentation. In accordance with the principles of sustainable forest management, encourage the development of emerging forest industries, products, and services.

This meeting is one of the important series of activities of the APEC "China Year" and also the first ecological-sector professional meeting held by APEC in China in 15 years. The meeting was guided by the Ministry of Natural Resources (自然资源部) and jointly hosted by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (国家林业和草原局), the People's Government of Guangdong Province, and the People's Government of Shenzhen Municipality. Its theme is "Enhancing Asia-Pacific Forest Resilience, Sharing Ecological Well-being for All."

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China's photovoltaic power generation up over 40% year on year in H1

Beijing, July 28 (Reporter Wang Yunshan (王云杉)) — A reporter learned from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (中国光伏行业协会) that, as of the end of June this year, the nation’s photovoltaic installed capacity had reached 1.27 billion kilowatts, and it is expected to surpass the installed capacity of coal power within the year, becoming the largest power source in the country. In the first half of the year, the national photovoltaic power generation increased by more than 40% year-on-year, and since the onset of summer, photovoltaic output during the midday peak period has reached one-third.

At present, China's photovoltaic industry is in a phase of deep adjustment. To promote anti-involution (fǎn nèijuǎn - "anti-involution," countering excessive competition within the industry) in the photovoltaic industry and guide orderly competition in the industry with a unified yardstick, the group standard General Rules for Cost Accounting Model of Photovoltaic Industry (guāngfú hángyè chéngběn hé suàn móxíng tōngzé) compiled under the leadership of the China Photovoltaic Industry Association was recently officially released. A responsible person from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association stated that the issuance of this standard provides a recognized yardstick for the cost of photovoltaic products, offers a methodological reference for lawfully investigating sales below cost, and will better guide enterprises to shift from price-driven to value-driven approaches, channeling more resources into technology research and development, quality improvement, and brand building.

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10,000-Ton Heavy-Haul Trains Roar Along Tangbao Line (On-Site Report)

By: 本报记者 张 枨

“Woo—” a deep, long whistle resounded across the sky. Hohhot South Station issued the command: “Train 71396, depart from track 10!” Cao Bo (曹博), a driver at the Hohhot Locomotive Depot (呼和浩特机务段) of China Railway Hohhot Group Co., Ltd., answered loudly: “Driver understood!” He then drove the ten-thousand-ton heavy-load train slowly out of the station, heading east along the Tangbao Railway (唐包铁路).

Since the beginning of summer, electricity demand across the country has continued to increase. To ensure the supply of coal for power generation, the Tangbao Railway, which connects Baotou in Inner Mongolia with Tangshan Port in Hebei, has activated an around-the-clock supply-guarantee mode. Columns of ten-thousand-ton heavy-load trains, fully loaded with “black gold” (coal), shuttle day and night without interruption, continuously transporting coal from central and western Inner Mongolia to 29 provinces, providing energy support for power supply during the critical period of meeting peak summer demand.

At high noon in midsummer, the blazing sun is like fire. Inside the driver’s cab, Cao Bo keeps his eyes fixed on the track line ahead and the speed curve on the screen, operating precisely, not daring to slacken for a moment.

The seemingly smooth journey hides many tests. The Tangbao Railway climbs from Hohhot South Station at an altitude of over 1,000 meters to Shibatai Station (十八台站) in Zhuozi County (卓县), Ulanqab, at about 1,600 meters, then descends to Luanping East Station (滦平东站) in Hebei at an altitude of less than 400 meters. The entire line connects 174 bridges and 84 tunnels, including multiple stretches with gradients exceeding 12‰.

“The terrain along this route is undulating, making train operation extremely difficult to control. In several sections, braking must be applied throughout to control speed. Even with continuous braking, due to the effect of gravity on the descent, the speed still tends to rise against the gradient. Every operation must be precise and accurate,” said Cao Bo, his hand on the master controller, his movements skilled.

During the journey, another driver, Ren Jitao (任吉涛), frequently checks the instrument data, assists Cao Bo in observing the line conditions and whether the catenary is abnormal, and regularly inspects whether the display status of various instruments inside the locomotive is normal. The two work in close coordination.

Descending a slope with a ten-thousand-ton heavy-load train is a test. “When the gradient is steepest, the maximum vertical difference between the front of the locomotive and the rear of the train is nearly 20 meters, about the height of a six-story building. Even a slight deviation can affect running safety,” said Ren Jitao.

To ensure the safe operation of ten-thousand-ton heavy-load trains, the Hohhot Locomotive Depot established a special task force to conduct a carpet-style inspection of every slope and tunnel on the Tangbao Railway, recording point by point the braking locations, reduction values, and release timing, repeatedly verifying the optimal operating parameters under different vehicle conditions, loads, and weather conditions, summarizing them into standardized operating procedures, and producing job reminder cards to precisely guide on-site operations.

“Since the start of the summer travel season, we have adopted a management approach of ‘expanding shifts according to the schedule + supplying shifts as needed + emergency standby shifts,’ maximizing the supply of locomotive crew to ensure the operation of an average of 38 pairs of coal trains per day on the Tangbao Railway,” introduced Zhao Qifa (肇启发), director of the Huanan Operations Workshop (呼南运用车间) of the Hohhot Locomotive Depot.

During this year’s summer travel season, Inner Mongolia will transport 13.7 million tons of coal via the Tangbao Railway to ensure the energy needs of more than 80 power plants in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, East China, South China, and other areas.

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Photo Report

On July 28, in Shanxi Province, the Yuncheng Salt Lake embankment reinforcement and ecological restoration project is accelerating construction. Construction machinery shuttles among the salt lakes, carrying out embankment trimming and reinforcement work, building a solid safety barrier for this ancient salt pond, and safeguarding the unique ecological resources of the salt lake.

Photo by Yang Jianfeng (杨建峰) (Image China (影像中国))

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List of Replicable Practices from First Batch of Complete Community Construction Released

According to Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 28 (Reporter Wang Youling) — The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (住房城乡建设部) on the 28th released the first batch of replicable experience and practice lists for the construction of complete communities (完整社区), summarizing typical experiences and practices from various localities in areas such as improving working mechanisms and systems, perfecting community facilities and services, and exploring investment, financing, and sustainable operation models.

The list shows that many localities have effectively solved the problem of "who builds and how to build" complete communities by improving working mechanisms and systems. Shanghai released an implementation plan for the construction of complete communities, deploying that by the end of 2027 the coverage rate of complete communities in the main urban area and the five new towns will reach 60%. Jiangxi Province coordinates the community residents' "demand list" with the "resource list" of various departments to form a "project list," constructing a closed-loop chain for the integrated advancement of complete community construction that links "demand, resources, and renewal."

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本版责编：纪雅林 卢 涛 张伟昊

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China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Power Grid Company Battles Summer Peak Heat, Goes All Out to Ensure Power Supply

As midsummer arrives, temperatures across Guangdong continue to rise, and the demand for air conditioning electricity surges. The more intense the heat, the more essential it is to hold firm the bottom line of people's livelihoods. China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Power Grid Co., Ltd. (南方电网广东电网公司) (referred to as "Guangdong Power Grid") has always adhered to the work orientation of meeting the electricity needs of the people, concentrating its efforts to raise the level of universalization, quality, refinement, intelligence, and greenness of electric power services, safeguarding the coolness of ten thousand households with concrete actions and responsibility.

In the first half of this year, Guangdong Power Grid comprehensively advanced the consolidation and upgrading of rural power grids, completing investment of 3.51 billion yuan, putting into operation 11 substations of 35 kV and above; the average distribution transformer capacity per rural household reached 3.52 kVA, and the average outage time per rural household sharply decreased from 1.41 hours to 0.72 hours. It coordinated and advanced work such as optimization of urban and rural distribution networks, expansion of distribution transformer areas, and low-voltage transparency, completing the installation and retrofitting of intelligent terminals in 105,000 transformer areas, with the medium-voltage transferable power supply rate and distribution network self-healing rate approaching 100%.

Groups of data and projects vividly illustrate Guangdong Power Grid's steadfast adherence to the tenet of "people's electric power for the people" (人民电业为人民) and its responsibility and commitment to doing its utmost to ensure electricity supply.

Science and Technology Innovation: Solving Electricity Difficulties in High-Density Village Residences

Tuhua Village (土华村), Haizhu District, Guangzhou, is located within the "Ring of Haizhu Wetland Value Circle". The village is densely populated, with 4,682 low-voltage users, yet the transformers are mainly distributed on the periphery of the residential area, leading to prominent issues such as insufficient regional power supply capacity and low voltage at the end. Relying on a four-level grid, China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Guangzhou Haizhu Power Supply Bureau (南方电网广东广州海珠供电局) formed a talent echelon comprising community managers, engineers, and customer managers, applying innovative technologies to solve the urgent and difficult issues of residents, thereby forming the "Haizhu Work Model" (海珠工作模式) for ensuring power supply.

In response to the low voltage at the end caused by long-distance power supply, China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Guangzhou Haizhu Power Supply Bureau applied low-voltage flexible direct current technology in Qingshanwei (青山围); on Huajun Front Street (华骏前街), it used a "planning, construction, operation" three-person team model to collaboratively advance land acquisition and construction in urban villages, promoting a 61.53% increase in regional power supply capacity. Earlier this year, through data analysis, it predicted the trend of load shifting eastward from the Kanglu area (康鹭片区), and deployed new transformers in Tuhua Village in advance. Through collaborative measures such as promoting land acquisition and construction, upgrading and retrofitting power supply equipment, and promoting green energy technologies, the power transformation in Tuhua Village has benefited over 1,000 users, with significant improvement in heavy overload and low voltage issues.

As the peak summer period begins, the effectiveness of the "Haizhu Work Model" is evident: as of June this year, low-voltage trips and low-voltage alarms decreased by approximately 10% and 31% respectively. Today, this model is being rapidly promoted to various urban villages in Haizhu District, and new technologies such as low-voltage flexible direct current are also being implemented and applied in the power supply bureaus of various districts in Guangzhou.

The same "spatial dilemma" had a different solution in Shanwei City. In Yuezhouwei Village (月洲围村), Lufeng City, there are many houses and narrow alleys, leaving no place for the conventional single-box substation expansion plan. Facing practical challenges, China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Shanwei Lufeng Donghai Power Supply Station (南方电网广东汕尾陆丰东海供电所) put into operation Shanwei's first double-layer dual-public-transformer box-type substation. The transformer adopts a double-layer three-dimensional integrated design, enabling two 800 kVA transformers to operate simultaneously at a single point, with a total capacity of 1600 kVA, like "piling up" (叠罗汉) to complete quality improvement and capacity expansion on a very small footprint. After the transformation, the reliability of power supply in the transformer area increased by 19.8%, effectively solving the problems of low voltage and overload tripping in summer.

From the systematic governance of Guangzhou's "Haizhu Work Model" to the precise problem-solving of Shanwei's "piling up" transformer, Guangdong Power Grid uses differentiated measures to solve common problems such as tight land use in urban villages and tidal fluctuations in load, achieving a leap in the quality of power supply in old villages and urban-rural fringes, and making every effort to ensure that the people steadily move from "having access to electricity" (用上电) to "having good electricity service" (用好电).

Fine Service: The "Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division" (加减乘除) Work Method Ensures Electricity Safety in Special Scenarios

As the basic quality of power supply improves, refined services for special scenarios must also keep pace. In Zhongshan City, a major manufacturing hub in the Pearl River Delta, the huge housing rental market has long faced electricity safety and service difficulties—incomplete property certificates leading to difficulty in applying for power connection, blurred responsibility boundaries leading to regulatory blind spots, and unauthorized wiring burying safety hazards. China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Zhongshan Power Supply Bureau (南方电网广东中山供电局) innovatively applied the "Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division" work method, taking Xiaolan Town (小榄镇) as a pilot, to systematically build a mechanism for ensuring electricity supply for urban and rural livelihoods.

Facing the pain point of house renters "running their legs off to apply for electricity connection", China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Zhongshan Power Supply Bureau first performed "subtraction"—cutting redundant certificates, simplifying the service process, pushing the local government to issue the "Xiaolan Town Rental Housing Registration and Filing Work Procedures", clarifying that the rental housing filing certificate can replace the property ownership certificate, implementing the policy of "filing receipt means immediate electricity connection", thereby reducing unauthorized wiring at the source.

At the same time, using "addition" to solve the problem of "fighting alone with blurred responsibilities"—China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Zhongshan Power Supply Bureau integrated multiple forces, superimposed regulatory effectiveness, jointly established with fire protection, housing construction and other departments a patrol and rectification mechanism, clarified management boundaries, integrated information on 33,000 rental houses across the region, regularly carried out special hazard inspections, achieved closed-loop rectification, promoted the concrete implementation of safety management responsibilities, and comprehensively eliminated regulatory blind spots.

Using "multiplication" to drive technology upgrades and achieve multiplied efficiency, China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Zhongshan Power Supply Bureau installed intelligent measurement terminals on the low-voltage transparency management system, achieving full-chain dynamic perception of the operating status of low-voltage equipment, proactively identifying anomalies such as overload and faults in transformer areas and low-voltage main switches, quickly locating and eliminating hazards, thus building a more solid technical defense line for electricity safety in rental housing areas.

Using "division" to effectively promote community co-governance, China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Zhongshan Power Supply Bureau established a collaborative service mechanism of "electric power customer manager + government grid worker", through daily actions such as regular on-site visits, electricity tariff policy promotion, and hazard inspections, precisely meeting the electricity needs of the people, promptly eliminating power safety hazards, and building a healthy power supply and consumption environment.

Groups of data confirm the effectiveness of the "Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division" work method: as of June this year, power connection application complaints in Xiaolan Town decreased by 40% year-on-year, and the number of power failure incidents decreased by 50%.

Empowering Development: Government-Enterprise Collaboration Innovates the "Zero-Certificate Power Application" (零证办电) Model

In the production workshop of Guangdong Honghua Glass Technology Co., Ltd. (广东弘华玻璃科技有限公司), located in Nanhai District, Foshan City, the various processes of cutting, edging, and tempering are operating at full capacity and stably. Thanks to the innovative government-enterprise collaborative "zero-certificate power application" model by China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Foshan Power Supply Bureau (南方电网广东佛山供电局), enterprises find it more convenient to apply for power connection and have guaranteed electricity supply, achieving development at an "accelerated speed".

Previously, facing the continuously growing market demand for high-end tempered glass, Honghua Glass planned to expand its production scale, but due to the lack of complete property rights documents, the expansion plan had to be shelved. According to requirements, users applying for electricity capacity increase business need to provide property rights proof of the electricity address, but some projects, affected by historical factors or in the preliminary preparation stage, have incomplete property rights documents, making it difficult to apply for power connection.

To break through this bottleneck, China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Foshan Nanhai Power Supply Bureau (南方电网广东佛山南海供电局) proactively contacted the local government to promote the issuance of the "Work Plan on Promoting the 'Zero-Certificate Power Application' Model for Major Projects". For project application materials, through "information sharing", they are directly provided by government departments, exempting enterprises from repeated submissions; for property rights documents, the traditional ownership proof is replaced by a power supply certificate issued by the government, achieving "data runs more, enterprises run less". Subsequently, China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Foshan Nanhai Power Supply Bureau opened a green channel for key enterprises for power application, implemented "one-on-one" dedicated customer manager full-process service, proactively coordinated with the town economic development office, government service center, and local village and resident committees to verify the authenticity of the enterprise's production and operation, tailored a supporting power supply plan for the enterprise, and tracked and promoted the implementation of each link from approval circulation, construction power transmission, to acceptance and commissioning.

Currently, Guangdong Power Grid's "zero-certificate power application" service has cumulatively provided convenient power application services for 20,829 low-voltage users and 353 medium- and high-voltage users, reducing the power application time for benefiting users by over 30%.

Borderless Power Application: Upgrading Service from "Point-to-Point" to "Networked"

Vivid cases string together the solid footprints of Guangdong Power Grid's service for the people; eye-catching data mark the clear scale of optimization of Guangdong's electricity business environment. In the second half of this year, Guangdong Power Grid will solidly carry out demonstration of first-class mountain distribution networks and governance of low-voltage problems, optimize the layout of rural charging and swapping networks, create a batch of "modern electric power village" models, and achieve full coverage of "three-line" rectification in the third batch of typical towns. At the same time, it will continue to advance the creation of "three batches" (三个一批) benchmark demonstrations for the modern electricity business environment, build a "1+N" borderless power application collaboration ecosystem, promote and apply the "zero-certificate power application" service model for major projects, and ensure third-party customer satisfaction exceeds 90 points.

To better achieve various tasks, Guangdong Power Grid will take "borderless power application" as a key focus, promoting the upgrade of service from "point-to-point" to "networked", using areas where power application cooperation relationships have been established as nodes, continuously expanding the "circle of friends", and ultimately achieving "mutual agency and mutual recognition of results" between areas, so that users, no matter where they are, can enjoy the same convenient and efficient power application service.

"People's electric power for the people" — the value lies in serving the people, the emphasis is on practical results. From the stable voltage in urban villages of Guangzhou and Shanwei, to the safe electricity use in rental houses of Zhongshan, to the rapid power application in enterprises of Foshan, Guangdong Power Grid is using precise breakthroughs at the "point" to aggregate into systematic improvements at the "surface", implementing the responsibility and mission of "people's electric power for the people" in every corner of the land of Guangdong. When current flows smoothly into thousands of households and into production lines and workshops, what flows is not only happiness and productivity, but also the responsibility and warmth of a central state-owned power enterprise serving people's livelihoods and empowering development.

Data source: China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Power Grid Co., Ltd. (南方电网广东电网公司)

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Deeply Understand and Grasp the Theoretical Value and Practical Requirements of New Quality Productive Forces (Study and Implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in Depth)

By: 冯继康

New quality productive forces are a crucial focus area for high-quality development. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed: "High-quality development requires a new productive forces theory to guide it, and new quality productive forces have already taken shape in practice and demonstrated a powerful driving force and supporting capacity for high-quality development, requiring us to theoretically summarize and conceptualize them in order to guide new development practices." Facing the accelerated evolution of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, adhering to the theme of high-quality development necessitates a profound understanding and grasp of the theoretical value and practical requirements of new quality productive forces, promoting a qualitative leap in productive forces on a broader scale, and laying a solid foundation for building a strong country and advancing the great cause of national rejuvenation.

A state of advanced productive forces that conforms to the new development philosophy

Marx pointed out: "Productive forces, that is, the development of productive capacity and its elements." General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that new quality productive forces are "a state of advanced productive forces that conforms to the new development philosophy." This provides us with the fundamental guidance for deeply grasping the scientific connotation of new quality productive forces.

Generally speaking, a "state" (质态) refers to the essential manifestation and existential condition of a thing under certain environments and conditions. In this sense, the state of productive forces is primarily the essential attributes and external manifestations of productive forces at a specific stage of development. Changes in the state of productive forces are mainly influenced by the dual impact of productive capacity and the system of production factors. Among them, productive capacity is the material force formed by humans in the course of production practice that transforms and influences nature to make it suitable for the needs of social development; the system of production factors is composed of laborers, means of labor, and objects of labor, and constitutes the basic support for the formation and development of productive forces. The organic combination of the two influences the leap in the state of productive forces. Historical materialism holds that the evolution of the state of productive forces is an iterative upgrading process from low to high, from extensive to intensive, and from traditional to modern, specifically manifested in the continuous replacement of traditional productive forces by emerging productive forces. Traditional productive forces emerged in the era of agricultural economy, driven by natural forces, traditional skills, and simple tools, with relatively slow development; after the Industrial Revolution, driven by technological progress and deepening division of labor, emerging productive forces gradually arose, with relatively faster development.

New quality productive forces emerged against the backdrop of the accelerated evolution of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation since the 21st century, breaking through the constraints of existing development models, surpassing both traditional and emerging productive forces, and constituting advanced productive forces adapted to the development requirements of the era. "New quality" (新质) generally refers to the whole formed by the combination of different components of a thing, exhibiting characteristics and properties that the individual components do not have when existing alone. From the perspective of the state of productive forces, new quality productive forces exhibit new essential attributes and external characteristics, that is, they form an advanced state of productive forces characterized by high technology, high efficiency, and high quality. Specifically, high technology is reflected in revolutionary breakthroughs in technology that form new production factors and lead the system of production factors to achieve an advanced leap; high efficiency is reflected in the deep reorganization of production factors, shifting from past dispersion and insufficient coordination to innovative allocation and multi-factor synergy, achieving optimization of the system structure and comprehensive improvement of development efficiency; high quality is reflected in shedding excessive dependence on resources and energy, achieving an organic unity of effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth amid a substantial increase in total factor productivity.

New quality productive forces are essentially advanced productive forces, but advanced productive forces cannot simply be equated with new quality productive forces. Taking the new development philosophy as the guideline and compass is the inherent requirement and important manifestation of why new quality productive forces are advanced. This is because the new development philosophy profoundly answers the major questions of what kind of development China should achieve in the new era and how to achieve it, and clarifies major political issues concerning our Party's stance on development, value orientation, development model, and development path.

Specifically, new quality productive forces conform to the concept of innovative development, taking technological innovation as the core engine and data as a key production factor, capable of promoting a shift in economic development toward intensive, efficient, endogenous growth; conform to the concept of coordinated development, internally capable of breaking down barriers hindering the flow of factors, promoting the reasonable matching and efficient combination of various production factors, and externally capable of effectively coordinating urban-rural, regional, and industrial development, solving practical problems such as development imbalances, supply-demand mismatches, and resource fragmentation; conform to the concept of green development, adhering to ecological priority, resource conservation and intensive use, green and low-carbon development, and striving to build a green, low-carbon circular economic system, capable of promoting the green transformation of production methods and achieving coordinated progress between economic and social development and ecological environmental protection; conform to the concept of open development, both by relying on high-level opening up to broadly gather global innovation resources and high-end factors, empowering technological breakthroughs and concentrating industrial upgrading, and by steadily advancing institutional opening up to absorb and learn from global advanced technological achievements and quality development experiences, continuously broadening development space and accumulating growth momentum, capable of promoting deep integration into the global development landscape and achieving quality improvement and efficiency enhancement through internal and external linkage; conform to the concept of shared development, through the qualitative leap in the state of productive forces creating richer high-quality products, higher-quality employment positions, and fairer development opportunities, capable of promoting more tangible and substantive progress in common prosperity for all the people.

Innovatively developing the Marxist theory of productive forces

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "High-quality development requires a new productive forces theory to guide it." This important thesis, grounded in the development practice of the new era, has enriched and innovatively developed the Marxist theory of productive forces.

It has enriched the theoretical connotation of the value orientation of productive forces. Marxism holds that productive forces are the fundamental driving force for social development, and their development is always associated with specific social relations and value goals, being "the productivity of useful, concrete labor." The new development philosophy clearly embodies our Party's people-centered development thinking. New quality productive forces take the fundamental purpose of the new development philosophy as their own value orientation for development, so that the development of productive forces is not only reflected in the increase in production efficiency, but also in the optimization of development quality, improvement of ecological benefits, promotion of social fairness, and enhancement of the well-being of all the people. It is a productive force capable of promoting the comprehensive development of individuals and the overall progress of society. For example, the cultivation and development of new quality productive forces have shed the past development mode of high input, high consumption, high pollution, and low efficiency, seeking human development under the premise of following the laws of natural development, reflecting development for the people; taking innovation as the guide, fully leveraging the important role of laborers in innovation, reflecting development relying on the people; aiming to better meet the people's growing needs for a better life, pursuing the realization of human value and common prosperity for all the people, especially exploring inclusive development amid the trends of digitalization and intelligence, continuously enhancing the balance, coordination, and inclusiveness of development, reflecting that development achievements are shared by the people. This deepens and enriches the theoretical connotation of the value orientation of productive forces, ensuring that the development of productive forces always moves along the correct value track.

It has deepened the era-specific understanding of the constituent elements of advanced productive forces. Marxism holds that laborers, means of labor, and objects of labor are the basic elements of productive forces. With the development of the times, production factors have continuously been enriched and the factor structure has become increasingly complex. Based on inheriting the traditional three-element theory of productive forces, new quality productive forces, grounded in the development reality of the new era, have systematically expanded the constituent elements of advanced productive forces. On the one hand, it takes technological innovation as the core element, explicitly requiring the strengthening of technological innovation, especially original and disruptive technological innovation, accelerating the achievement of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, further deepening the understanding that "science is also included in the productive forces"; on the other hand, it leverages the role of new production factors such as data, information, and knowledge in the development of productive forces, enriching the factor system. At the same time, it breaks the limitations of simple superposition of traditional factors, emphasizes the optimal allocation and synergistic combination of production factors, reveals that factor structure upgrading is an important driving force for achieving a leap in the state of productive forces, and completes the era-specific deepening and theoretical innovation in the understanding of the constituent elements of advanced productive forces.

It has developed important criteria for judging the advanced nature of productive forces. Historical materialism holds that each era has production factors that suit its own development needs and manifest the development characteristics of that era. Technological innovation in each era brings about the optimization of the production factor structure and an increase in total factor productivity, thereby creating advanced productive forces that lead economic and social development. Therefore, past understanding and judgment of advanced productive forces mostly focused on the level of technology and production efficiency. New quality productive forces are a state of advanced productive forces that deeply fit the new development philosophy. Whether new production factors have iteratively upgraded and whether the state of productive forces has achieved a leap is no longer judged solely by technological innovation. Only by making innovation the primary driving force, coordination an endogenous feature, green a universal form, openness a necessary path, and sharing the fundamental purpose can we effectively promote the systemic restructuring of production factors and the enhancement of total factor productivity. This expands the scope of judgment regarding the advanced nature of productive forces and enriches and develops the criteria for evaluating advanced productive forces.

Promoting a qualitative leap in productive forces on a broader scale

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The most important thing for promoting high-quality development is to accelerate high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, actively develop new quality productive forces, and achieve substantive and breakthrough progress in promoting technological innovation, accelerating the cultivation of new growth drivers, and promoting economic structural optimization and upgrading." The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan makes specific arrangements for "accelerating high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening to lead the development of new quality productive forces." To implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, we must adhere to taking technological innovation as the core engine, institutional innovation as an important safeguard, industrial upgrading as a key lever, and talent cultivation as a fundamental support, comprehensively activating development momentum and injecting strong impetus into the construction of Chinese-style modernization.

Enhancing core driving force through technological innovation. To promote a leap in the state of productive forces, we must place technological innovation at the core position, continuously produce original and disruptive scientific and technological achievements, accelerate the achievement of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, and inject inexhaustible momentum into the transformation of productive forces. To this end, we must both focus on frontier technology fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum information, and biomanufacturing, strengthen basic research and original innovation, intensify the tackling of key core technologies, strive to crack the "bottleneck" problems, achieve more original breakthroughs, and seize the commanding heights of future development; and promote the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation, accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements into actual productive forces, and continuously improve total factor productivity.

Creating a favorable environment through institutional and mechanism innovation. Institutional and mechanism innovation brings about adaptive changes in production relations, is an important safeguard for liberating and developing productive forces, and enables the smooth flow of various advanced, high-quality production factors toward the development of new quality productive forces. To this end, we must improve the intellectual property protection system, ensuring that the legitimate rights and interests of innovators are fully safeguarded, and stimulate the enthusiasm and initiative of the whole society for innovation and creation; improve the market access system, build a fairer and more vibrant market environment, allowing various factors to achieve optimal allocation through fair competition; improve the factor participation distribution mechanism, stimulate the vitality of production factors such as labor, knowledge, technology, management, capital, and data, and better reflect the market value of knowledge, technology, and talent.

Consolidating the practical foundation through building a modern industrial system. The modern industrial system is the material carrier for the qualitative leap in the state of productive forces. We must empower and optimize traditional industries with digital intelligence, accelerating their transformation toward high-end, intelligent, and green development. Cultivate and expand emerging industries, focusing on fields such as new energy, artificial intelligence, biomanufacturing, and green low-carbon, build a number of internationally competitive emerging industry clusters, and activate new growth engines. Seize the track of future industries through forward-looking layout, targeting frontier directions such as quantum technology, 6G, and brain-computer interfaces, cultivate growth points for new quality productive forces in advance, and grasp the initiative in industrial transformation.

Activating the main force through high-quality talent support. High-quality talent is an important force driving the qualitative leap in the state of productive forces. We must closely focus on national strategic needs and the development direction of new quality productive forces, strive to cultivate a large number of high-level composite talents who are both proficient in professional knowledge and possess broad vision, able to overcome technical difficulties and adept at handling complex situations; focus on key areas such as advanced manufacturing and modern service industries, increase vocational training efforts, and provide solid human resource guarantees for industrial transformation and upgrading and the development of the real economy; smooth the channels for talent flow between urban and rural areas, regions, and industries, accelerate the construction of a first-class talent service system, provide full-cycle, all-round, one-stop services for talents, create an environment that identifies, cherishes, respects, and uses talent, so that the creative vitality of all types of talents bursts forth and their wisdom and ability are fully unleashed.

(Author: Researcher at Shandong Provincial Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (山东省习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想研究中心))

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Prioritize Strategic Positioning for Developing New Quality Productive Forces Tailored to Local Conditions

By: 魏 楚

Developing new quality productive forces is an inherent requirement for high-quality development, and 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - "according to local conditions," adapting measures to local conditions) is an important working method repeatedly emphasized by General Secretary Xi Jinping. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must firmly grasp the primary task of high-quality development and develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions." This year marks the start of the "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五) period, and 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) have successively released their "15th Five-Year Plan" outlines; the cultivation of new quality productive forces has made a good start with strong momentum. Accurately grasping the rich connotation of adapting measures to local conditions, combined with the objective laws of the development of new quality productive forces, scientific planning and scientific decision-making are important guidelines and inevitable requirements for each region to develop new quality productive forces in light of its actual conditions and to promote high-quality development.

Deeply Understand the Rich Connotation of Adapting Measures to Local Conditions

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must closely integrate with reality, adapt measures to local conditions, take the initiative, identify the main contradictions and the principal aspect of the contradictions facing ourselves, formulate concrete reform measures that fit the actual situation, and prevent copying mechanically and applying the same approach across the board regardless of local conditions." Adapting measures to local conditions embodies the Marxist worldview and methodology, reflects the essence and soul of Marxism, and has rich connotations.

The essence of adapting measures to local conditions is 实事求是 (shí shì qiú shì - "seek truth from facts"). From the perspective of dialectical materialism, seeking truth from facts and adapting measures to local conditions complement each other and are mutually reinforcing. Seeking truth from facts is a concentrated summary of the Party's ideological line and a fundamental method of thinking, working, and leading for the Party. Seeking truth from facts requires starting from objective "facts" that exist and are universally interconnected, through the method of investigation and research and exploration of "seeking," to extract common characteristics from special contradictions and reveal the universal law of the development of things, which is "truth." Adapting measures to local conditions reflects the process of transforming universal laws into concrete practice. After people have grasped objective laws, they need to return to concrete, diverse real-world situations. Only by considering the individual differences of "local conditions" and grasping the stages of development of things "in light of the times" can they formulate appropriate measures or strategies according to different conditions and truly achieve "appropriate measures." Seeking truth from facts provides a scientific basis and directional guidance for adapting measures to local conditions; adapting measures to local conditions provides practical scenarios and testing standards for seeking truth from facts. Together, the two constitute the dialectical cycle of "practice—knowledge—again practice—again knowledge," achieving the organic unity of the universality and particularity of contradictions under specific historical conditions. To develop new quality productive forces, this philosophical thinking must be carried through the entire process. Divorcing from seeking truth from facts and blindly pursuing "high, precision, and advanced" technologies while ignoring differences in industrial foundations will inevitably lead to decisions that go 南辕北辙 (nán yuán běi zhé - "south chariot, north rut," to act in a direction opposite to the goal); divorcing from adapting measures to local conditions and mechanically copying the experience of advanced regions while ignoring differences in local resource endowments can easily lead to low-level redundant construction. Only through the dialectical unity of the two can we ensure that the development of new quality productive forces both follows scientific laws and possesses local vitality.

Adapting measures to local conditions manifests scientific methodology. Viewed from the dimension of scientific methodology, adapting measures to local conditions reflects the principle that the world is unified in matter and matter determines consciousness, requiring adherence to starting from objective reality in formulating policies and advancing work. Looking back at history, adapting measures to local conditions is an important element of the excellent traditional Chinese governance wisdom. For example, during the Warring States period, Li Bing and his son followed the trend and adapted to the terrain and hydrological conditions of the Min River to build the Dujiangyan Irrigation Project, turning flood hazards into water benefits; during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties period, the Essential Techniques for the Peasantry (《齐民要术》) proposed "follow the heavens' timing, assess the land's advantages, then with little effort you will achieve much success," guiding land reclamation and agricultural development. After reform and opening up, China adhered to adapting measures to local conditions, from establishing special economic zones such as Shenzhen, developing and opening up Pudong, promoting the opening up of coastal, border, riverine, and inland central cities and along major transportation routes to joining the World Trade Organization, from "bringing in" to "going global," fully utilizing both domestic and international markets and resources, creating the "two miracles" of rapid economic development and long-term social stability. These practices fully prove that only by being based on local reality and conforming to the general trend of the times can we solve development problems and stimulate endogenous impetus. Entering the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized adapting measures to local conditions and elevated it to an important method of national governance, applying it scientifically to major strategic deployments such as winning the fight against poverty, promoting comprehensive rural revitalization, strengthening ecological governance, and promoting coordinated regional development. The methodology of adapting measures to local conditions profoundly reveals the dialectical relationship between grasping objective laws and exerting subjective initiative, providing an action guide for promoting the development of new quality productive forces.

Adapting measures to local conditions is inevitable for the development of the times. Currently, the once-in-a-century changes unseen in a hundred years are accelerating, and the technological revolution and major-power rivalry are intertwined. China is in a critical period of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Adhering to adapting measures to local conditions is a requirement of the times to advance and expand Chinese-style modernization and to continuously achieve new results in high-quality development. Externally, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is pushing humanity into the "uncharted territory" of exploration, with frontier areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and biomanufacturing accelerating breakthroughs, and the iteration of new technologies, new products, and new business forms accelerating. While profoundly changing the global political and economic landscape and human production and lifestyles, it also brings a series of new contradictions and new problems; the world is intertwined with changes and turmoil, and turmoil is intensifying, with geopolitical conflicts prone to frequent outbreaks, insufficient momentum for world economic growth, and accumulating risks. Internally, Chinese-style modernization is an unprecedented pioneering undertaking, with no precedent to follow and no ready-made template to copy; at the same time, China is vast in territory with a complex national condition, and there are differences in resource endowments, industrial foundations, and development stages among regions. Facing significantly enhanced uncertainty and instability, any extensive model that relies on a "single trick" or pursues "one-step success" is unsustainable. Only by adhering to the principle of 全国一盘棋 (quán guó yī pán qí - "one chessboard for the whole country," coordinated national planning) and thereby adapting measures to local conditions, encouraging differentiated exploration, can we seize the commanding heights of development through original and leading breakthroughs and blaze a new path of high-quality development that conforms to national conditions, follows the laws, and has strong resilience.

Adapting Measures to Local Conditions Is an Inherent Requirement for Developing New Quality Productive Forces

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that new quality productive forces are "catalyzed by revolutionary breakthroughs in technology, innovative allocation of production factors, and deep transformation and upgrading of industries." This provides us with an important guideline for adhering to the principle of adapting measures to local conditions in the process of cultivating and developing new quality productive forces.

Adapting measures to local conditions is an inherent requirement for following the laws of technological innovation. Technological innovation is the core element of developing new quality productive forces, but the development and evolution of frontier technologies are not linear; rather, they exhibit characteristics of stages, transitions, and complexity. The main contradictions and resource constraints faced in different stages of technological innovation are significantly different. In the basic research stage of "from 0 to 1," the core is to achieve "from principle to sample," and the problem of uncertainty in the technological path must be solved. The realistic constraint is that the public goods nature of basic research leads to insufficient spontaneous market supply; in the engineering stage of "from 1 to 10," the core is to achieve "from sample to product," and the uncertainty of industrial investment returns must be resolved. The realistic constraint is that information asymmetry leads to poor transformation of results; in the marketization stage of "from 10 to N," the core is to achieve "from product to commodity," and the uncertainty caused by imperfect industrial ecology must be addressed. The realistic constraint is lagging standards and imperfect regulatory frameworks. China's regional differences in scientific research conditions, talent density, and innovation platform capabilities objectively exist, determining that developing new quality productive forces must follow the law of technology life cycles. Regions with top-tier scientific research facilities and a high concentration of high-level talents should play a "source-driven" role, focusing on basic research and original innovation, striving for breakthroughs in "bottleneck" (卡脖子) fields; regions with a strong manufacturing base and complete industrial chain supporting facilities should strengthen applied research and pilot-scale verification, accelerating the transformation of scientific and technological achievements into actual productive forces; regions with vast market space and rich application scenarios should focus on ecological construction and demand-pull, promoting the deep penetration of frontier technologies in vertical fields. Only by respecting the laws of technology life cycles and dividing labor according to the level of regional scientific research capacity can we avoid misallocation of innovation resources and efficiently promote innovation breakthroughs and technological progress.

Adapting measures to local conditions is an inherent requirement for improving the efficiency of the allocation of production factors. New quality productive forces are marked by a significant increase in total factor productivity. Innovative allocation of production factors is the core driving force of new quality productive forces. Through the deep integration and structural reorganization of new production factors such as data and technology with traditional factors such as land, labor, and capital, new quality productive forces break through the constraint of the law of diminishing marginal returns caused by the simple superposition of traditional factors and achieve an increase in total factor productivity. China's regions are uneven in terms of factor types, scale, structure, and spatial distribution; at the same time, there are complex relationships of substitution, complementarity, or empowerment among factors, and the combination modes of factors are also diverse, resulting in distinctive factor allocation methods. For example, Delingha City (德令哈市), Qinghai Province, was once a barren Gobi desert. The local area broke away from traditional factor development thinking, leveraged its high sunshine and salt lake resources, and converted the blazing sunlight into a continuous supply of clean electricity, becoming a vivid scene of the thriving solar thermal industry. Other regions have explored mechanisms for realizing the value of ecological products, effectively transforming lucid waters and lush mountains into mountains of gold and silver. The objective differences in factor endowments and the diversity of combination models determine that regions cannot "削足适履 (xuē zú shì lǚ - 'cut feet to fit shoes,' to apply a rigid standard without adjustment)" but should, on the basis of respecting laws and leveraging their own advantages, promote the efficient flow and optimal combination of factors to stimulate endogenous impetus.

Adapting measures to local conditions is an inherent requirement for building a modern industrial system. The modern industrial system is an important carrier of new quality productive forces. It is not a static collection but a dynamic evolutionary system composed of traditional industries, strategic emerging industries, and future industries. These three different industrial forms evolve progressively and support each other; today's future industries may become tomorrow's strategic emerging industries and the day after tomorrow's pillar industries. China has a complete range of industrial categories, but there are gradient differences in industrial structure and development levels among regions, which determines the need to implement a hierarchical, tiered development strategy that adapts to local conditions. Regions with a deep industrial foundation should not simply regard traditional industries as "low-end and backward" and blindly withdraw from them. Instead, they should focus on high-end, intelligent, and green development to promote their transformation and upgrading; regions in the stage of industrial relocation and structural optimization should avoid blindly copying mature regional models, focus on cultivating clusters of strategic emerging industries with growth potential, and by strengthening, supplementing, and extending industrial chains, make up for structural shortcomings in the industrial chain; innovation highlands with dense scientific and technological resources should strengthen forward-looking deployment and seize the global competitive commanding heights in future industries such as quantum information and biomanufacturing. Adhering to gradient development and staggered layout can not only prevent blind expansion and duplicative construction of industries but also enhance the resilience and coordination efficiency of China's modern industrial system.

Accurately Grasp the Practical Requirements for Developing New Quality Productive Forces According to Local Conditions

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "During the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, we must place the development of new quality productive forces according to local conditions in a more prominent strategic position." Developing new quality productive forces is a long-term and systematic project. It is necessary to deeply grasp the important arrangements of the Party Central Committee regarding the development of new quality productive forces according to local conditions, put an end to the impetuous mentality of wanting to go big and go fast and seeking quick success, break the inertial thinking that only cares about projects and quantity, and establish a historical sense of responsibility that "achievement does not necessarily have to be in my term, but achievement must have me in it."

Strengthen investigation and research. Investigation and research are the foundation of planning and the way to achieve success. Developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions requires Party members and cadres to "understand science and technology," through regular learning and on-site research, to comprehend and grasp the development characteristics and evolutionary trends of frontier technologies, both to avoid missing development opportunities due to insufficient understanding and to avoid decision-making deviations due to blind follow-the-crowd; "know the industries," by going deep into the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain and the end market, comprehensively sorting out the local industrial base, resource endowments, bottleneck constraints, and demand scenarios. By taking stock of the family assets and accurately grasping the pulse, we can truly identify the point of integration between "what society needs" and "what the locality excels at," providing a basis for scientific decision-making.

Respect objective laws. The core of adapting measures to local conditions lies in respecting laws. It is necessary to give full play to advantages, foster strengths and circumvent weaknesses, take technologies with leading advantages, abundant factor endowments, and characteristic industrial clusters as the main direction, concentrate forces to strengthen strengths and make up for weaknesses. At the same time, based on one's own development stage, do one's best and act within one's capabilities; neither engage in "forward-looking deployment" that forcibly crosses technological thresholds and one's own industrial capacity level in pursuit of one-step success, nor engage in blind copying of "universal templates."

Adhere to a systemic perspective. Developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions cannot be separated from adhering to the systemic thinking of "one chessboard for the whole country" (全国一盘棋). It requires both thinking of the "whole situation" and coordinating efforts, striving to eliminate various forms of market barriers and local protection, and promoting the free flow and efficient allocation of factors such as technology, talent, capital, and data in a unified large market; it also requires "one region" to make a difference, exerting comparative advantages, identifying positioning and deepening division of labor in the industrial chain, innovation chain, and value chain. To this end, cross-regional co-construction of innovation platforms and industrial clusters should be encouraged to achieve complementary advantages in healthy competition; high-level opening up should be promoted, and both domestic and international markets and resources should be utilized in a coordinated manner to improve resource allocation efficiency and industrial competitiveness over a larger scope.

Implement classified policy implementation. The ultimate foothold of adapting measures to local conditions is in "appropriate measures." It is necessary to combine national strategic orientation with local comparative advantages to scientifically plan the key areas and target paths of development; for different types and fields, classify them, prescribe medicine according to the disease, 对症下药 (duì zhèng xià yào - "suit the medicine to the disease," to take targeted measures), and implement precise policies, formulating targeted, implementable, and operable policy measures. At the same time, through a differentiated classified assessment and evaluation system, guide various regions to focus their efforts on advantageous tracks, turning strategic blueprints into development achievements.

(The author is the Dean of the School of Applied Economics, Renmin University of China.)

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China's Position on the So-Called "Overcapacity" Issue

By: 中华人民共和国商务部

Contents

Preface

I. Comprehensively and Objectively View Global Production Capacity and So-Called “Overcapacity”

(1) The global production capacity landscape has continuously evolved; this is the result of international industrial division of labor and cooperation.

(2) Objectively understand the phenomenon of “overcapacity” in global economic development.

(3) The “overcapacity” situation in different economies and industries should be measured according to different development stages and levels.

II. Views and Positions on Four Pairs of Relationships Related to “Overcapacity”

(1) The relationship between industrial subsidies and overcapacity

(2) The relationship between trade surplus and overcapacity

(3) The relationship between economic imbalance and overcapacity

(4) The relationship between market competition and overcapacity

III. China Adheres to Building a Modern Industrial System through Opening Up and Cooperation

(1) China’s rapid modernization of industry relies on innovation-driven development.

(2) China’s industrial operations have always been stable and healthy thanks to continuous deepening of reform.

(3) China’s modern industrial development is not a “China Shock 2.0” for the world, but a “China Opportunity 2.0.”

IV. Jointly Promote the Building of an Open and Inclusive Global Industrial and Supply Chain Cooperation Pattern

(1) Promote mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and advance common development.

(2) Respect market laws and advance economic globalization.

(3) Strengthen industrial policy coordination and maintain a sound cooperation environment.

(4) Expand market opening and create cooperation opportunities.

(5) Uphold multilateralism and build a more just and equitable international economic order.

Conclusion

Preface

Economic globalization has provided a strong impetus for world economic growth, promoted the flow of goods and capital, the progress of science, technology, and civilization, and the exchanges among peoples of all countries. It is an irreversible historical trend. Industrial cooperation is an important part of economic globalization and an important path for promoting sustained global economic recovery and the common development of all countries.

In recent years, the international economic and trade landscape has undergone profound changes, competition among major powers has intensified, and global industrial and supply chains have accelerated their reshaping. Relevant countries and economies have increased their concerns about their own industrial competitiveness and market positions, politicized economic and trade issues, hyped the so-called China “overcapacity” (产能过剩) issue, accused China’s production capacity of impacting the world market, and used this as a pretext to continuously increase restrictive measures against China, with protectionism escalating.

China has always believed that the issue of production capacity must be viewed comprehensively, objectively, and fairly, both historically and dialectically, and that differences and disagreements should be resolved together through openness, cooperation, mutual benefit, and win-win outcomes. Resorting to protectionism will only disrupt the global economic and trade order, be detrimental to the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains and the healthy and orderly development of industrial cooperation, and bring long-term risks to world economic growth.

To clarify the relevant facts and elucidate China’s policy stance on issues related to so-called “overcapacity,” this document is hereby issued.

I. Comprehensively and Objectively View Global Production Capacity and So-Called “Overcapacity”

(1) The global production capacity landscape has continuously evolved; this is the result of international industrial division of labor and cooperation.

The historical evolution of the global production capacity landscape. Since the First Industrial Revolution, as productive forces have continuously developed and economic globalization has deepened, various factors of production have accelerated their flow around the world. The global centers of output and demand have not been fixed in any particular country or region. The distribution of industrial production capacity among different countries and regions has constantly changed, and the global share of industrial output of major economies has also changed accordingly. In 1880, the UK’s global share of industrial output reached a high of 22.9%. Around the time of World War I, the United States succeeded the UK as the world’s industrial center, with its global share of industrial output reaching as high as 44.7% in 1953.

After World War II, the global industrial landscape gradually moved from a single center to multiple centers. With the rapid development of economic globalization and the continuous deepening of the international division of labor, the world has undergone multiple rounds of industrial transfer: from the US to Europe, from Europe and the US to Japan, then to East Asia and China, and currently from some of China’s industries to Southeast Asia and other regions. This has formed three major regional production and manufacturing centers in North America, Europe, and East Asia, with their respective shares of global manufacturing value added standing at 17%, 17%, and 38%. China’s becoming the “world’s factory” is the result of actively integrating into economic globalization and participating in the international division of labor, and it is also an important component of the global production and manufacturing network.

(2) Objectively understand the phenomenon of “overcapacity” in global economic development.

“Overcapacity” is a dynamic phenomenon in a market economy. Under a market economy, the supply and demand of production capacity is always in a dynamic cycle of “balance—imbalance—rebalance,” and there is no permanent equilibrium state of production capacity. Whether production capacity is excessive depends on the relationship between supply and demand, and it is dynamically adjusted over the industrial life cycle. Balance between supply and demand is relative, while imbalance is universal. In the era of globalization, changes in international production capacity and global supply and demand are also interrelated. In the process of technological change, emerging production capacity creates new supply, while old production capacity becomes redundant, leading to periodic and structural imbalances between supply and demand. Through the adjustment of market mechanisms, the supply and demand pattern converges towards a new equilibrium state.

There are different understandings of the concept of “overcapacity,” and no broad consensus has yet been reached globally. There has always been controversy over the issue of “overcapacity” from all walks of life, and major international organizations have not made an official definition. The World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements do not define “overcapacity” nor have any provisions specifically targeting it. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes that “overcapacity” is a complex concept that needs to be understood in the context of macroeconomic scenarios. Economists often describe “overcapacity” from macro and micro dimensions: from the macro level, it is used to describe a phenomenon where the production capacity of an entire industry significantly exceeds the total effective market demand; from the micro level, it is a state resulting from monopolistic competition in the market where the actual output of an enterprise falls short of the optimal output. In the economic practices of various countries, due to economic cycle fluctuations, the state where product production capacity exceeds effective demand in the market is widespread. Different countries and different industries have very different criteria and perspectives for judging whether an economic phenomenon of overcapacity exists. Some economies, for specific purposes such as geopolitics and trade protection, have concocted various new standards, defining so-called “overcapacity” simply, mechanically, or in an overly broad manner, attempting to impose them on others. These so-called conceptual standards neither conform to the laws of development nor reflect the actual conditions of each country, and are untenable.

(3) The “overcapacity” situation in different economies and industries should be measured according to different development stages and levels.

The capacity utilization rate indicator is often used to measure the situation of “overcapacity,” but it needs to be viewed differently in conjunction with the actual conditions of each country. In economics, the capacity utilization rate refers to the ratio of actual output to potential output. The reasonable range of capacity utilization rates varies across different economies, and there is no globally applicable judgment standard. Data from relevant institutions show that the median capacity utilization rate in developed and rapidly growing economies is mostly in the 75%–80% range, while that in less developed countries is generally between 50% and 64%. This is because less developed countries are constrained by multiple factors such as infrastructure and capital, which prevent full release of production capacity.

Capacity utilization rates vary greatly across different industries. According to the latest data from 725 industries published by the 27 EU member states, 169 industries have rates below 70%. The capacity utilization rates of some traditional industries are significantly lower than the average. For example, in some countries, the capacity utilization rates of industries such as beverages and furniture are around 65%, while those of rubber, chemicals, and plastics are only 40%–50%. The latest data from the US Federal Reserve shows that the capacity utilization rate of the US manufacturing sector is 75.7%, but there are large differences by industry: computers and peripheral equipment reach 83.2%, while textile and leather manufacturing, motor vehicles and parts, primary metals, furniture and related products, and communications equipment all have capacity utilization rates below 70%. From the economic practices of various countries, the capacity utilization rate has a certain objectivity when used to measure the state of capacity utilization, but it cannot be used in an absolute manner to judge whether overcapacity exists in different economies and industries.

II. Views and Positions on Four Pairs of Relationships Related to “Overcapacity”

(1) The relationship between industrial subsidies and overcapacity.

There is no necessary connection between industrial subsidies and overcapacity. Reasonable industrial subsidy policies can help correct market failures, promote technological innovation, environmental protection, poverty reduction, and balanced development, and do not cause so-called “overcapacity.” Many countries adopt industrial policies with different emphases in line with their national conditions and industrial development needs, such as providing R&D subsidies for emerging industries and risk subsidies for agriculture. These are also legitimate industrial policy and trade policy tools for WTO members. Multiple reports by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) point out that the number of global industrial policies has grown rapidly in the past five years, and providing R&D subsidies, tax incentives, and low-interest loans for emerging industries has become an international common practice.

WTO members generally pursue fair, inclusive, and transparent subsidies. Major countries should set an example in subsidy compliance. Subsidies themselves are not a problem, but they should be used reasonably under the principles of openness, fairness, and compliance within the WTO framework. Major countries are the leaders of global industrial development, and their industrial policies also have strong spillover and demonstration effects. They should take the lead in opposing the abuse of subsidies and opposing the adoption of discriminatory subsidy policies. The US Inflation Reduction Act plans to provide $750 billion in various subsidies from 2022 to 2031, of which electric vehicles receiving subsidies must meet conditions such as domestic or North American production and sales, excluding other WTO members. US industrial subsidies for the artificial intelligence field far exceed those of all other countries combined. According to incomplete statistics, the European Commission will provide over €1.44 trillion in various subsidies from 2021 to 2030. The EU’s Industrial Accelerator Act, through its “EU origin” requirement, directly links local content with financial support. All countries should focus on making the global development pie bigger, reasonably and compliantly introducing industrial policies including subsidies, rather than using them as tools to restrict the development of others. China is willing to discuss subsidy policies with all parties within the WTO framework and jointly regulate relevant practices.

China has always strictly observed WTO rules and is committed to establishing and improving a subsidy system conforming to international practices. Over the years, China has continuously standardized and improved relevant policies in terms of subsidy compliance, scientificity, and transparency, specifically cleaned up and regulated some irregular local practices, and established a unified negative list management mechanism for local fiscal subsidies. The Chinese government has practically and comprehensively fulfilled its transparency obligations. The latest round of notification on China’s central and local subsidy policies for 2023–2024, submitted in June 2025, achieved nationwide coverage. China’s subsidies apply equally to all types of market entities. They are mainly directed at scientific research, technological industrialization breakthroughs, and market consumption. More market-oriented and guiding indirect means such as public services, technical standards, and skills training are adopted, with a focus on supporting technological R&D and innovation, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, and green energy conservation. For example, in the consumer goods trade-in program, the principle of equal treatment for domestic and foreign products is adhered to. Subsidy policies for the trade-in of automobiles and home appliances and the purchase of new digital and smart products are applied equally, with foreign-invested enterprises actively participating and benefiting equally.

(2) The relationship between trade surplus and overcapacity.

High exports and a large surplus do not equal overcapacity. The surplus mainly reflects the difference between a country’s total savings and total investment, mainly including the surplus in goods and services trade. Looking at the history of global economic development, manufacturing powers such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and Germany have all maintained surpluses for long periods. It is also common for Germany and Japan to have current account surpluses exceeding 6% of GDP. Emerging markets have seen rapid export growth, with Indonesia, Mexico and others also becoming surplus countries; Brazil, Vietnam etc. have achieved trade surpluses for ten consecutive years. By industry and product, 80% of US chips are exported; about two-thirds of Boeing’s delivered commercial airliners are sold to customers outside North America. In 2025, the EU’s surpluses in automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics were 92.2 billion, 214.6 billion, and 11.6 billion USD respectively. If the logic that a large surplus necessarily means overcapacity were followed, would these industries and products with high exports and large surpluses also need to be regarded as “overcapacity”? A trade surplus is the result of the combined effect of the global division of labor and the supply-demand structure; it does not imply overcapacity.

China has never deliberately pursued a trade surplus. China’s export growth stems not only from the improvement of economies of scale and innovation capacity but also from the demand of countries for green transformation and industrialization development. For example, China’s export growth to Europe is mainly concentrated in products like photovoltaics, new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and chemical products, reflecting more the demand for energy products driven by green transformation, as well as the rise in production costs in European chemical and other industries due to the energy crisis. China has never deliberately sought a higher share of labor-intensive product exports; the share of such products in exports decreased from 20.7% in 2012 to 15.1% in 2025. From the perspective of the distribution of trade benefits, “the surplus is in China, but the benefits are shared by all parties.” In 2025, foreign-invested enterprises accounted for 27% of China’s exports and 16% of the surplus, with both the surplus and profit growth rates faster than those of domestic enterprises. Looking at the entire balance of payments, although China has a large surplus in goods trade, it has deficits in service trade and investment income. Overall, the current account surplus accounts for about 3.7% of GDP, which is within the internationally recognized reasonable range.

China actively promotes the balanced development of imports and exports. China’s import scale has ranked second in the world for 17 consecutive years, becoming the main export destination for nearly 80 countries. It has implemented zero-tariff policies for 63 countries and is the first major economy to achieve full coverage of zero-tariff treatment for all African countries with which it has diplomatic relations and all least developed countries with diplomatic ties. It is the only country to host an international import expo, having successfully held 8 sessions with a cumulative intended transaction volume exceeding 580 billion USD. China is carrying out a series of “Export to China” activities, continuously increasing efforts to “buy globally,” supporting more global quality products and services to enter China. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, China’s cumulative import scale exceeded 90 trillion yuan, fully demonstrating that China is not only the “world’s factory” but also the “world’s market.”

Currently, unilateralism and protectionism are rising. Various trade protectionist measures suppress global economic growth, seriously disrupt normal trade exchanges and order, and undermine the reasonable flow and layout of global production capacity. All parties, especially major trading nations, need to work in the same direction, uphold free trade, do more to smooth and facilitate things, and do less to build walls and set up barriers, so as to promote the balanced and sustainable development of global trade and ensure the stability and smoothness of global industrial and supply chains.

(3) The relationship between economic imbalance and overcapacity.

Global economic imbalance is a historical norm with complex roots. Under the international division of labor system and economic and financial order formed after World War II, the global economy has entered a cycle of accumulation and release of imbalance risks about every 10 years, sometimes even triggering global economic and financial crises. In analyzing the causes of global economic imbalance, the focus of international discussion has also been constantly shifting, including both market factors such as the savings-investment structure and the division of labor in industrial and supply chains, and institutional factors such as the international financial system and macro-policy resonance. In recent years, global imbalance has shown new characteristics. Institutions such as the International Monetary Fund believe that the macro policies of various countries, especially fiscal policies, play a key role in causing global imbalance; the United States has accumulated huge debt imbalances and needs to improve its fiscal situation; Europe has insufficient investment and needs to increase productivity; China needs to expand domestic demand. These views also reflect the systematic and complex nature of global imbalance. Some views that link global imbalance with “overcapacity” and make simple attributions intentionally confuse concepts, contain logical fallacies, and even have ulterior motives.

“China’s insufficient domestic demand leading to overcapacity” does not conform to the facts. China is not only a manufacturing powerhouse but also a major consumer. Domestic demand has always been the main engine of China’s economy. From 2013 to 2024, the average contribution rate of domestic demand to China’s economic growth was 93%. Among them, the average contribution rates of consumption and investment were 55% and 38% respectively. China’s total retail sales of consumer goods increased from 23.8 trillion yuan in 2013 to 50.1 trillion yuan in 2025, doubling in scale. Converted according to the World Bank’s purchasing power parity, in 2025 China’s total retail sales of consumer goods were 1.7 times that of the United States, making it effectively the world’s largest commodity consumer market. Currently, China’s volume of physical consumption ranks first globally, and the per capita annual consumption of some industrial products has approached the level of developed countries. In recent years, the growth rate of China’s total retail sales of consumer goods has slowed, which is consistent with China’s economy shifting from high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development. It also reflects the trend of upgrading China’s consumption structure, with commodity consumption remaining relatively stable and service consumption developing rapidly. Over the past five years, per capita expenditure on service consumption has grown at an average annual rate of 8.5%. Viewing the slowdown in China’s total retail sales growth as insufficient domestic demand is neither objective nor comprehensive. The argument that “China’s insufficient domestic demand leads to overcapacity” is even more of a conceptual sleight of hand, applying a micro-market phenomenon to a macro-structural level.

China continues to expand domestic demand and is committed to a higher level of balance between supply and demand. A strong domestic market is the strategic foundation for Chinese-style modernization. Domestic demand includes both investment demand and consumption demand. China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” outline has made a dedicated chapter on building a strong domestic market, emphasizing the need to adhere to the strategic basis of expanding domestic demand, expand effective investment, deeply implement the special action to boost consumption, promote the expansion and upgrading of commodity consumption, release the potential of service consumption, solidify the foundation of residents’ consumption, continuously improve the consumption environment, use new demand to lead new supply, use new supply to create new demand, and promote a positive interaction between consumption and investment, and between supply and demand. In the next decade or so, the middle-income group will exceed 800 million people, and per capita GDP will reach the level of moderately developed countries. The space for consumption is huge, with ample potential and vitality. It will remain the main engine of China’s economic development and will also continue to inject strong momentum into world economic growth.

(4) The relationship between market competition and overcapacity.

Competition is an important guarantee for promoting the optimal adjustment of production capacity and the healthy development of industries. Each industrial and technological revolution is accompanied by a process of capacity increase or even “overcapacity,” and market competition drives technological upgrading and industrial iteration. Enterprises invest to expand production in pursuit of profits and market share, and then through market regulation, enterprises are prompted to reduce costs and increase efficiency, leading to technological progress and efficiency improvement. Market competition itself is the most effective mechanism to prevent the disorderly expansion of production capacity; otherwise, there would be unsold goods, losses, and elimination by the market. The role of the government should be to maintain the order of competition and a fair environment, allowing the market to play its role more fully, so that outdated capacity naturally exits through competition.

All parties should uphold fair competition and reduce undue interference in the global division of labor and cooperation in production capacity. The principle of fair competition and related rules of the WTO are the most widely accepted code of conduct globally. In recent years, some economies have placed their own interests above international rules, violated the principle of fair competition, and even used fair competition as a pretext to practice protectionism, employing a large number of unfair means. The United States has implemented illegal tariff measures, adopted targeted investment restrictions, and abused export controls and sanctions, seriously undermining fair competition. The European Union has adopted a series of economic and trade legislation and measures, such as the Industrial Accelerator Act, which imposes restrictive requirements on foreign investment in four emerging strategic industries—battery s, electric vehicles, photovoltaics, and critical raw materials—constituting a serious investment barrier. Accusing China of “unfair competition” and “non-market policy practices” is a typical “double standard” and is truly unfair. China firmly upholds the fundamental principles of the WTO, firmly promotes fair competition, and promotes mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. China has announced that in current and future WTO negotiations, it will not seek new special and differential treatment. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala pointed out that China’s decision demonstrates its commitment to a more balanced and fairer global trading system.

China actively creates a first-class business environment for fair competition. The number of market entities in China has exceeded 200 million, ranking first in the world. A vast number of market entities create an environment of full competition. Enterprises face challenges and compete on strength here, honing their products and optimizing services through survival of the fittest. McKinsey says that China is “the world’s toughest gym,” tempering highly competitive enterprises, and now it is impossible to find “another China” in the world. China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” outline clearly states that the construction of a unified national market should be deepened in depth, barriers in factor acquisition, qualification recognition, tendering and bidding, and government procurement should be eliminated, national treatment for foreign-invested enterprises should be fully implemented, “involution-type” competition should be comprehensively rectified, a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized first-class business environment should be created, and the order of fair competition in the market should be maintained. The US-China Business Council’s “2026 China Business Environment Survey” report shows that 92% of surveyed US companies achieved profitability in their China operations in 2025. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China’s “2026 Business Confidence Survey” shows that 75% of companies believe their production efficiency in China is higher than in other regions of the world.

III. China Adheres to Building a Modern Industrial System through Opening Up and Cooperation

(1) China’s rapid modernization of industry relies on innovation-driven development.

China adheres to innovation-driven development and has blazed an effective path of using technological innovation to lead industrial innovation and using industrial upgrading to promote technological iteration. Innovation-driven development is a major national strategy of China and a key code for China’s economy to maintain long-term growth and stability. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, total R&D spending across society grew at an average annual rate of 10%, ranking second in the world in scale. In 2025, the share of basic research funding exceeded 7%, a record high. Many industries have achieved technological breakthroughs and leadership through long-cycle, high-investment R&D, overcoming difficulties through hard work. This is the key to the competitiveness of Chinese products, not government subsidies. In recent years, industries such as China’s new energy and intelligent connected vehicles have flourished, driven precisely by technological breakthroughs in new materials, power batteries, and communications. Chinese new energy vehicle companies began sustained R&D investment and industrial layout more than 20 years ago, forming unique technological advantages. The energy density of power batteries has increased by more than 50% compared to 2018, and production costs have dropped by more than 60%. A Morgan Stanley report indicates that the focus of China’s electric vehicle industry has shifted from price advantages to technological advantages. Artificial intelligence applications such as smart driving systems further consolidate its industrial advantages.

China adheres to innovation empowerment, and its traditional industries have significantly increased their “green content” and “smart content.” China supports enterprises in using digital and smart technologies and green technologies to lead industrial optimization and upgrading, promoting high-end, intelligent, and green development. In recent years, the green content of industries has continuously improved. More than 8,000 national-level green factories and over 600 green industrial parks have been cultivated, and half of the electricity used by 246 national green data centers is green electricity. The proportion of industrial enterprises above designated size that have carried out digital transformation reached 89.6%, and the penetration rate of digital equipment reached 57.7%. China has 109 lighthouse factories, accounting for nearly half of the global total.

China strengthens innovation application and continuously creates a massive “training ground” for new industries and new tracks. China has a complete industrial system, so any valuable technological achievement, supported by Chinese manufacturing, can be quickly transformed into an actual product. From the one-hour innovation circle for electronic information in the Yangtze River Delta, to the half-hour supporting circle in Shenzhen’s Robot Valley, to the highly developed new energy industry circle, an electric vehicle assembly plant can solve the supply of required supporting parts and components within a 4-hour drive. China has a super-large market of more than 1.4 billion people. New business forms, new models, and new scenarios continue to emerge, providing the best testing ground for various new products and new services from “0 to1” verification and “1 to N” scaling. The rise of the “new three” for export (new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic products) and the “new three” for information consumption (intelligent connected new energy vehicles, smart phones and computers, and intelligent robots) is closely related to the vast number of application scenarios.

(2) China’s industrial operations have always been stable and healthy thanks to continuous deepening of reform.

China continues to advance supply-side structural reform, keeping the industrial capacity utilization rate within a reasonable range. In recent years, through measures such as eliminating outdated production capacity in supply-side structural reform, China has continuously improved the utilization of industrial capacity, with overall supply and demand basically balanced and operations stable. In 2025, the capacity utilization rate of industries above designated size in China was 74.4%. High-tech manufacturing, high-end equipment manufacturing, and strategic emerging industries had more full capacity utilization. Looking in detail, over the past three years, the average capacity utilization rate of general equipment manufacturing reached 78.9%, electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing 74.8%, automobile manufacturing 73.3%, and computer, communication and other electronic equipment manufacturing 76.9%. The temporarily low capacity utilization rates of some traditional raw material industries are mainly adaptive adjustments brought about by structural adjustment and green transformation, which are normal phenomena in the process of industrial quality upgrading and improvement.

China continuously improves the system and mechanism for market-based allocation of factors of production and creates a sound ecosystem for industrial development. Over the years, China has continuously increased the guarantee of resources and factors, built a diversified investment system with enterprises as the mainstay, government guidance, and social participation, and built a batch of major scientific research facilities and infrastructure. Each year, about 7 million university graduates in science, engineering, agriculture and medicine are trained. China has deeply promoted reform of systems and mechanisms, introducing a series of new policies and new measures in areas such as intellectual property protection, risk sharing, and innovation incentives. China continuously optimizes the system and mechanism for ensuring factors in new business forms and new fields, accelerates the construction of new infrastructure such as new-type power grids, computing power networks, and new-generation communication networks, effectively removes barriers and obstacles that hinder the optimal allocation of resources, further improves total factor productivity, accelerates the replacement of old growth drivers with new ones, and promotes the healthy and sustainable development of industries.

(3) China’s modern industrial development is not a “China Shock 2.0” for the world, but a “China Opportunity 2.0.”

The United States and other Western countries falsely claim that the development of China’s industries threatens the monopoly position of Western countries and squeezes the development space of Southern countries, putting forward the so-called “China Shock 2.0” argument. This does not conform to the facts and is untenable. Over the past decade and more, China’s contribution to global economic growth has remained at around 30%, making it an important engine of world economic growth. In the past, China mainly provided the world with “market dividends” through its own large-scale market and low-cost factors. Now, while providing even larger “market dividends,” China, through industrial development, has played the role of a stabilizer and important hub for global industrial cooperation, creating “development dividends.” It also provides more and more “innovation dividends” to the world through technological progress. These dividends, intertwined and overlapping, bring to the world more development opportunities and greater development space, which is what the international community increasingly refers to as “China Opportunity 2.0.” This is specifically reflected in four aspects:

Promoting global innovation cooperation and technological progress. China adheres to open-door innovation. Many innovations, such as large AI models, take an open-soure route, allowing more countries, especially developing countries, to use and afford new technologies and enhance their development capacity. The global cumulative downloads of China’s open-soure large AI models have exceeded 10 billion times. Large scientific facilities such as controllable nuclear fusion and quantum technology are open to the world. Rapidly growing Chinese innovative enterprises also bring investors from around the world returns of several times or even dozens of times. Enterprises from various countries can quickly find full-process partners from R&D, trial production to mass production in China, making innovation more efficient. They not only succeed in the Chinese market but also enhance their competitiveness in the global market. Facts have strongly proved that what China’s technologies and products in emerging fields bring to the world is not shock but opportunity, not threat but empowerment.

Accelerating the global green and low-carbon transformation. Climate change is a global challenge. Achieving a green and low-carbon transformation is the common aspiration and development need of all countries. China’s high-quality new energy products enrich global supply, promote the process of green and low-carbon, and contribute to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. A report by the International Renewble Energy Agency (IRENA) states that over the past 10 years, the average levelized cost of electricity for global wind and solar PV projects has cumulatively decreased by more than 60% and over 80% respectively, with a large part attributed to Chinese innovation, Chinese manufacturing, and Chinese production capacity. The American journal Science ranked “China leading the rapid global development of renewble energy” as the first of the top 10 scientific breakthroughs in the world in 2025. Against the backdrop of global energy tension and rising electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence, green transformation is becoming an important direction of international cooperation. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that by 2030, the electricity consumption of global data centers will approach 1 trillion kWh, of which 40% of new electricity will rely on renewble energy. China has significant scale and technological advantages in the fields of solar energy, energy storage and electrifiction, and is capable of providing green energy equipment and solutions.

Further improving the well-being of people in all countries. In recent years, the global economy has fallen into a predicament of sluggish growth and high inflation. High-quality, high-efficiency, high-cost-performance Chinese products have enriched global supply, lowered living costs, and alleviated global inflationary pressure. Chinese exports of textile and home products, daily consumer goods, smart terminals, home appliances, medical supplies and other products cover more than 200 countries and regions around the world, providing global consumers with stable, reliable, and diverse product choices. Australian media report that the phenomenon of Chinese goods curbing inflation has expanded from daily necessities to high-tech equipment such as solar panels, and consumers in the United States and Europe have enjoyed huge benefits. A report from the European Central Bank estimates that if EU imports from China increase by 10% in 2026, the overall import price of the EU will fall by 1.6%. Brazilian media report that against the background of continuously rising global costs, China has maintained relatively moderate inflation thanks to its manufacturing system advantages, helping emerging markets including Brazil alleviate inflationary pressure.

Helping the industrialization of developing countries. China’s exports have lowered the entry barrier to manufacturing for developing countries, providing high-quality and affordable production equipment and parts, from sewing machines and textile machinery to industrial machine tools. From 2012 to 2024, China exported more than 30 billion USD of textile machinery to developing countries, helping Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh and others become important textile producers and exporters. China’s imports have also created opportunities for the export of products from developing countries. From 2010 to 2025, China’s imports of labor-intensive products from developing countries and least developed countries increased by 3.5 times and 16 times respectively. China’s investment has improved the industrial production capacity of developing countries. China has established more than 50,000 enterprises abroad, with an investment stock of over 3 trillion USD, nearly 90% of which is distributed in developing economies. This has driven the implementation of a large number of projects in light industry, textile, home appliances and other fields, promoted the development of new fields such as digital and green, and helped many developing countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and other regions rise from the edge of the supply chain to become important nodes in the global manufacturing network.

IV. Jointly Promote the Building of an Open and Inclusive Global Industrial and Supply Chain Cooperation Pattern

(1) Promote mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and advance common development.

Against the background of globalization, the economies of various countries are deeply interwoven and industries are integrated with each other. Making the global development “pie” bigger through mutually beneficial and pragmatic industrial and supply chain cooperation is in the common interest of all countries.

Use industrial iteration to create new demand. All parties should jointly grasp the opportunity of the new round of industrial revolution and technological change, enhance international cooperation in areas such as green low-carbon, artificial intelligence, and biomanufacturing, fully leverage the advantages of frontier and emerging industries, such as fast growth and great potential, break growth bottlenecks through sharing technological dividends, and provide new momentum and inject new vitality for sustained global economic recovery.

Promote balanced development to expand new space. All parties should pay more attention to the “real imbalance” between developed and developing economies, strengthen cooperation in industry, trade and investment, promote more developing countries and regions to integrate into the international division of labor system, accelerate the process of industrialization and modernization, promote economic development and expansion of market size, and provide a “new blue ocean” for global industrial cooperation. When the pie of the world economy is bigger, the contradictions in the distribution of benefits become smaller.

(2) Respect market laws and advance economic globalization.

Global industrial and supply chains are the result of the combined effect of market laws, enterprise development, technological progress, etc. They were not formed overnight. Forceful and arbitrary intervention will only be counterproductive.

Adhere to opening up and connectivity to promote factor flows. All parties should promote the virtuous global circulation of industrial and supply chains, advance trade and investment facilitation and liberalization, improve the efficiency of factor resource allocation, and prevent market fragmentation, investment restrictions, and barrier building from causing blockages in industrial and supply chains. Adhere to complementary advantages, equality and mutual benefit, jointly create and maintain a global open innovation ecosystem, and let international industrial cooperation achieve greater benefits.

Oppose politicizing economic issues and over-securitizing them. It is a normal aspiration for countries to enhance their own industrial influence and resilience through competition and cooperation. However, this should not be artificially politically interfered with, distorting the underlying market logic of the rational flow of global resources and factors. “De-risk ing” and “over-dependence reduction” when amplified and politicized will only cause more development opportunities to be missed. All parties should respect the autonomy of business entities in investment decisions and commercial layout, build a fair, stable and predictable business environment, let enterprises return to the nature of the market, and act according to economic laws.

(3) Strengthen industrial policy coordination and maintain a sound cooperation environment.

Major economies have deep participation and great influence in global industrial and supply chain cooperation. Their industrial policies have spillover effects. They should strengthen communication and coordination, enhance mutual trust, and play an exemplary role.

Jointly promote the stability and smooth flow of global industrial and supply chains. Major economies should adhere to equal consultation, properly manage differences, abandon unilateralism and protectionism, oppose discriminatory and exclusive practices, avoid closed-door restrictions and a race to the bottom, which create more obstacles and destabilizing factors for global industrial cooperation. The economic and trade restrictive measures imposed by Europe and the United States on China have seriously damaged mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides, also seriously damaged the interests of Europe and the United States themselves, and brought adverse effects on global economic development and industrial cooperation.

Strengthen multi-lateral and bi-lateral industrial policy dialogue. All parties should, relying on multi-lateral and bi-lateral platforms, improve the normalization communication mechanism for industrial policies, adhere to openness and transparency, clarify policy objectives, use constructive dialogue to dissipate misunderstandings and respond to concerns, strengthen exchanges on subsidy transparency within the WTO framework, properly handle differences through equal consultation, submit subsidy notifications on time and proactively respond to members’ concerns, and jointly create a stable and predictable institutional environment.

(4) Expand market opening and create cooperation opportunities.

Opening brings progress, while closure inevitably leads to backwardness. All parties should dismantle barriers, expand opening, continuously tap market potential, and provide greater space for industrial cooperation.

Reduce barriers to trade. The larger the scale of trade, the more difficult it is to avoid disagreements and frictions. Focusing only on “building walls” only increases contradictions and does not help solve problems. All parties should adhere to opening and cooperation, promote the facilitation of cross-border flows of domestic and foreign factors, promote full market competition, stimulate the vitality of enterprises, continuously enrich new supply and create new demand. The result of closure can only be a market without living water and innovation development being severely hindered.

Reduce obstacles to investment cooperation. Investment cooperation is an important way to make the pie bigger, strengthen ties, and enhance mutual benefit. It not only meets local needs but also drives the development of the host country. All parties should relax access restrictions in investment fields, simplify procedures, eliminate barriers, provide a fair, transparent and predictable environment for foreign investors, and better protect the legitimate rights and interests of investors. Oppose saying one thing and doing another, or being picky while welcoming in words. In particular, do not use foreign investment review regulations and foreign subsidy regulations as weapons to conduct discriminatory investigations against enterprises and impose mandatory requirements.

(5) Uphold multilaralism and build a more just and equitable international economic order.

Multilaralism is a valuable asset that human society has gained from the bitter lessons of the two world wars. It needs to be cherished more by the international community.

Uphold the fundamental principles and rules of the WTO. The WTO rule system, based on the basic principles of fairness, transparency, non-discrimination, and openness, has been the cornerstone for maintaining stable global economic and trade development over many years. The concept of multilaral trade is deeply rooted in people’s hearts. No one wants to return to the 弱肉强食 (ruò ròu qiáng shí - “the weak are prey to the strong,” the law of the jungle) era. All parties should advance the reform of the WTO with the times, revive the authority of the WTO, promote the updating of WTO rules, rebuild trust among WTO members, adhere to the most-favored-nation treatment principle, and work together to stabilize global trade within the multilaral framework, under rules commonly accepted by all parties, and ensure to the greatest extent the legitimate rights and interests of different economies in international economic and trade exchanges.

Promote the global governance system to be more just and equitable. In economic and trade exchanges, all parties should adhere to equality and mutual benefit, respect each other’s development stage and national conditions, jointly oppose the big bullying the small and the strong bullying the weak, and in particular not seek collusion with the powerful at the expense of the interests of third countries. All parties should uphold true fair competition, strive to run faster themselves, rather than trip others; they should not say one thing and do another, nor allow only themselves to act while preventing others from doing so. Better play the role of multilaral and regional cooperation mechanisms such as the G20, BRICS, and APEC, jointly guard fairness and justice, and improve the global economic governance system.

Conclusion

The issue of production capacity is a normal phenomenon accompanying industrial iteration, market fluctuations, and the evolution of the division of labor in the course of world economic development. Countries should adhere to a market perspective and a global vision, proceeding from economic laws, objectively and dialectically view the so-called “controversy” over production capacity, discuss cooperation more rather than create confrontation, and jointly work to unblock global supply and demand bottlenecks, optimize global resource allocation, and promote the healthy and sustainable development of global industries.

When the economies of all countries are connected, they advance together; when they are separated, each regresses. China’s development cannot be separated from the world, and the world’s prosperity also needs China. China is willing to work with all parties to safeguard the global free trade system, ensure the stability and smooth flow of global industrial and supply chains, maintain an open and cooperative international environment, promote the global economy to develop in a more sustainable and inclusive direction, advance common prosperity in the world, and let the fruits of development benefit the people of all countries.

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 28)

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European Countries Accelerate Green Energy System Construction (International Perspective)

By: 本报记者 颜 欢

Recently, the European Union officially launched a cross-Mediterranean renewable energy and clean technology cooperation plan. This plan will focus on promoting cooperation in areas such as renewable energy, hydrogen energy, clean technology manufacturing, and modern power grids, accelerating the construction of a more integrated and interconnected Mediterranean energy market. In recent years, the EU has further improved its unified electricity market and advanced the construction of cross-border transmission networks. North Sea coastal countries have strengthened collaborative development of offshore wind power, while Mediterranean coastal countries have increased their deployment of cooperation in clean energy such as solar and hydrogen energy. European countries hope to promote the construction of a more resilient green energy system by strengthening resource complementarity, facility interconnection, and market linkage.

The installed capacity of new energy continues to set new records. Affected by the summer heatwave, the electricity load in most European countries has increased significantly, with the weekly average electricity price in major electricity markets exceeding €115 per megawatt-hour. In countries rich in solar resources such as Spain, France, and Germany, the accelerated development of new energy industries such as photovoltaic power has alleviated the situation in some areas during peak electricity consumption, with electricity prices in some places remaining at a low level in Europe.

In recent years, the EU has further adjusted its energy structure and significantly raised its renewable energy development targets. Europe's installed capacity of new energy has continuously set new records, and green energy has gradually grown from a "supplementary force" in energy transition to an important pillar ensuring electricity supply. In 2025, Europe added over 120 GW of new renewable energy capacity, with solar photovoltaics accounting for the main share. A report released by the energy think tank Ember shows that in 2025, wind and solar power generation in the EU accounted for 30% of total electricity generation, surpassing fossil fuel power generation for the first time.

In the North Sea, the core area for European offshore wind power development, a number of cross-border projects have made new progress. For example, Germany's largest offshore wind power project, He Dreiht, is being implemented and advanced, and upon completion its installed capacity will reach 960 MW. The UK's Hornsea 3 offshore wind power project has entered the main construction phase, with a total installed capacity of approximately 2.9 GW, and upon completion it will become one of the world's largest offshore wind farms. In the solar energy sector, Spain continues to leverage its resource advantages, accelerating the construction of large-scale photovoltaic bases in Andalusia and Extremadura. France, meanwhile, continues to promote demonstration projects such as floating photovoltaics and agrivoltaics, further expanding new energy application scenarios.

The "2026 Summer Outlook" report released by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) analyzes that, as the share of renewable energy generation continues to rise, the overall risk to Europe's electricity supply this summer is generally controllable. In the next step, the operation of Europe's electricity system will rely more heavily on well-developed energy storage facilities, cross-border grid interconnections, and flexible regulation capabilities.

In recent years, the construction of modern power grids in Europe has been accelerating. Regions have continuously strengthened cross-border transmission network construction, utilizing digital technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data to optimize new energy forecasting, grid dispatch, and demand response, thereby improving the operational efficiency of the entire energy system. The latest report from ENTSO-E shows that Europe's battery energy storage installed capacity has grown to approximately 29 GW, doubling from last summer, providing stronger support for ensuring the safe operation of the power grid.

In recent years, countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain have accelerated the construction of large-scale battery energy storage projects, with a number of large-scale storage projects being planned, constructed, or put into operation successively; pumped storage hydroelectricity has regained attention, and new technologies such as hydrogen energy storage, long-duration energy storage, and vehicle-to-grid integration are also being continuously explored and innovated. Experts believe that as volatility in the European electricity market increases, the "hybrid configuration" of battery storage and photovoltaics will become an important way to improve the efficiency of new energy utilization.

Strengthening cross-border interconnection, improving regional energy markets, and promoting industrial chain synergy are becoming new directions for European energy strategy development. As the installed capacity of new energy sources such as wind and solar continues to expand, Europe's energy transition is gradually shifting toward building a modern energy system that places greater emphasis on system coordination and overall resilience. Currently, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and other countries are accelerating the construction of major infrastructure projects such as North Sea energy islands and cross-border transmission networks, promoting centralized development, cross-border transmission, and regional sharing of offshore wind power, so as to effectively enhance the allocation efficiency of green electricity in Europe. The EU's cross-Mediterranean renewable energy and clean technology cooperation plan incorporates renewable energy, green hydrogen, modern power grids, and clean technology manufacturing into key cooperation areas, further expanding the space for regional green energy cooperation. These projects not only focus on expanding the scale of new energy development but also place greater emphasis on industrial chain synergy, infrastructure interconnection, and regional energy market integration.

At present, the European region still faces practical challenges such as insufficient grid absorption capacity, relatively lagging energy storage construction, and the need to improve cross-border energy infrastructure. How to coordinate energy security, green transition, and industrial competitiveness has become an important issue for European energy policy. Bernard Gustin, CEO of the Belgian transmission system operator Elia Group, recently stated that in recent years, the development speed of renewable energy in Europe has exceeded the speed of grid construction, and the queue for grid connection in some countries is becoming increasingly prominent. In the future, it is necessary to further strengthen collaboration, promote the upgrading of transmission networks, improve the efficiency of grid resource allocation, and advance the energy transition.

Cooperation between China and Europe on production and supply chains continues to extend. As Europe accelerates its deployment of green industries such as energy storage, smart grids, and green hydrogen, China-Europe green energy cooperation is extending from single-product trade to technology research and development, industrial synergy, and standards construction.

In recent years, China has formed a complete industrial chain in areas such as photovoltaic manufacturing, lithium batteries, energy storage system integration, power electronics equipment, and smart grids, with obvious advantages in large-scale application, technological innovation, and cost control. Europe, on the other hand, has accumulated rich experience in offshore wind power development, power grid operation management, energy market mechanisms, and green finance. Many European energy institutions believe that the two sides, Europe and China, should fully leverage their respective industrial and technological advantages and continuously broaden the space for cooperation in the green energy field, which will help enhance the resilience of Europe's energy system and also accelerate the global green and low-carbon energy transition.

In April this year, during Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez's visit to China, Chinese enterprise Hithium Energy Storage (海辰储能) formally signed an investment agreement with the Government of the Autonomous Community of Navarre, Spain, planning to invest approximately €400 million to build its first energy storage system and battery cell manufacturing base in Europe in the Autonomous Community of Navarre, providing localized products and services for the European energy storage industry chain and energy transition. The President of the Government of Navarre, María Chivite, stated that she will strongly support the project's construction and encourage more local enterprises to participate in industrial supporting facilities, jointly creating an internationally competitive new energy industry ecosystem.

In June, China's Sungrow Power Supply Co., Ltd. (阳光电源) signed a 1.32 GWh energy storage framework agreement with Wide Horizon Infrastructure Investment (宽远基础设施投资), deploying large-scale energy storage systems in multiple European renewable energy projects in Italy and elsewhere, and providing long-term operation and maintenance services. This is one of the larger cooperation agreements in the European energy storage field in recent years. At the same time, China's Sungrow and Bulgarian company Sunotec have jointly completed the construction of a 150 MW/600 MWh large-scale energy storage project, which is invested and operated by the Central and Eastern European independent power producer Enery. It is one of the largest battery energy storage projects in Southeast Europe and will support the grid connection of new energy and the stable operation of the local power grid.

Markus Elsässer, head of the organizer of the European International Solar Energy Exhibition (Intersolar Europe), stated that the focus of Europe's new energy development is shifting from increasing installed capacity to building systems. The further development of the integration of photovoltaics and storage will play a greater role in reducing Europe's energy costs and reducing external dependence, making close international cooperation necessary.

Industry insiders believe that as Europe advances the improvement of its green energy system, the potential for cooperation between China and Europe in areas such as new energy manufacturing, energy storage, grid construction, and green hydrogen will be further unleashed. Strengthening cooperation in green technology innovation, industrial chain synergy, and infrastructure will not only help raise the level of energy transition on both sides but also inject stronger momentum into maintaining the stability of the global energy supply chain and promoting green and low-carbon development.

(Our Madrid bureau, July 28)

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Foreign Ministry Responds to Prosecution of Murata Kota for Forcibly Entering Chinese Embassy

Beijing, July 28 (Reporter Chu Jun) — According to reports, the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office has completed a psychiatric evaluation of an active-duty Self-Defense Forces officer who broke into the Chinese embassy in Japan with a knife, determined that he possesses criminal responsibility capacity, and has filed a public prosecution against him. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, when responding to a question on the 28th, stated that China again urges Japan to thoroughly investigate and rectify, reflect and correct mistakes, dig deep into the underlying causes, and make a responsible account to China and the international community.

“It has been four months since the case of active-duty Self-Defense Forces officer Murata Kōdai illegally breaking into the Chinese embassy in Japan with a knife. The Japanese side, disregarding China’s multiple serious representations, has repeatedly delayed investigation and handling under various pretexts such as the so-called ‘psychiatric evaluation’ and has not timely severely punished the perpetrator. China expresses strong dissatisfaction with this,” Lin Jian said.

He pointed out that for some time, malicious incidents threatening the security of Chinese diplomatic missions in Japan have still occurred from time to time. Many discerning people in Japan and the international community have pointed out that this series of dangerous trends reflects many deep-seated problems in Japan, including the rampant right-wing forces in Japan, the suppression of rational voices, a serious lack of correct historical education, the transformation of security policy in an offensive and expansionist direction, and the loss of management and education within the Self-Defense Forces.

“Any attempt by the Japanese side to 避重就轻 (bì zhòng jiù qīng - “avoid the heavy and take the light,” to evade serious issues) or downplay the handling is to condone and encourage such unhealthy tendencies, and will ultimately cause great harm to Japan itself and the region. The international community must be highly vigilant. We again urge Japan to thoroughly investigate and rectify, reflect and correct mistakes, dig deep into the underlying causes, and make a responsible account to China and the international community,” Lin Jian said.

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Global Scan

Takai says “does not know” reasons for approval rating decline, criticized for disregarding public opinion
Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, July 28 (reporters Li Ziyue (李子越), Chen Ze’an (陈泽安)) — Japanese Prime Minister Takai Sanae (高市早苗), when questioned on the 27th at the House of Representatives Budget Committee, was asked about recent multiple opinion polls showing a sharp decline in cabinet approval ratings, and said she “does not know the reasons,” which sparked criticism from Japanese public opinion accusing her of “disregarding public opinion” and “lacking introspection.”
During that day’s questioning, Secretary-General of the “Centrist Reform United (中道改革联合),” Kai Takeshi (阶猛), asked Takai: “Why does Takai claim to work hard every day, but the cabinet approval rating is still declining?” Takai responded: “For the results of each opinion poll, I personally find it difficult to analyze the reasons for the decline in approval ratings. As for the specific reasons, I do not know.”
Later that day, at a press conference, when asked what aspects of the ruling party’s performance in the current Diet required introspection, Takai claimed, “There is nothing particularly that needs introspection.”
The above remarks sparked strong discontent in Japanese public opinion. Policy Committee Chair of the Japanese Communist Party, Yamazoe Taku (山添拓), criticized: “Takai deviates from the Constitution, ignores public opinion, and uses her seat advantage to force through controversial bills. On one hand, she repeatedly emphasizes her own busy work schedule, while on the other hand, she is unwilling to face governance issues — how dishonest is this!”
Professor of Hosei University, Shiratori Hiroshi (白鸟浩), stated bluntly that Takai could not have been unaware that the decline in approval ratings is precisely because the government has not seriously addressed the concerns of the people, and while the public suffers from rising prices, it still places its own preferred policies above the lives of the people. Taka needs to rethink exactly what expectations the people originally had of her.
Japanese economist Kadokura Takashi (门仓贵史) pointed out that Takai’s claim of not knowing the reasons for the decline in approval ratings precisely reflects that the policy-making departments have not fully appreciated the reality that rising prices are making the lives of the people increasingly difficult.
Analysts believe that the recent amendments to the “Imperial Household Law” and the “Deputy Capital Bill” pushed by the Takai cabinet, as well as a series of security policies that break post-war constraints, have become the “trigger” for the decline in her approval ratings. In addition, Takai has responded with a negative attitude to the scandal involving her team’s alleged defamation of competitors during the election. Affected by the above factors, opinion polls from multiple Japanese research agencies have recently shown that the approval rating of the Takai cabinet continues to decline. In some polls, the disapproval rating has exceeded the approval rating for the first time.

US President: Has enough patience to reach new agreement with Iran
According to Xinhua News Agency, Washington, July 27 (reporters Huang Qiang (黄强), Xu Jianmei (徐剑梅)) — US President Trump said on the 27th that he has enough patience and time to reach an agreement with Iran, but if a new ceasefire agreement is not reached, the United States will resume military strikes against Iran.
According to US media reports, Trump said on the same day while traveling on Air Force One to Michigan for an event, that the US-Iran negotiations are “going well,” “I think something is likely to happen. If it happens, that’s good; if it doesn’t happen, we return to the state of two days ago.” He also said that the US military currently has sufficient ammunition stockpiles, with a large amount of different types of ammunition.
When talking about the upcoming meeting on the 28th with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Trump said that the two have “some differences, but overall are very close” in their positions on the Iran issue.
According to reports, the relevant negotiations are currently mainly conducted between Iran and Oman, with representatives from Qatar, Pakistan, Egypt, as well as Trump’s son-in-law Kushner and US President’s Special Envy Witkoff also participating. The focus of the negotiations is to reach a new agreement aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restarting negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear agreement.

Russian Foreign Ministry issues warning over Japanese Defense Minister’s remarks involving nuclear weapons
Xinhua News Agency, Moscow, July 28 — Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zakharova said on the 27th that if Japan introduces nuclear weapons in the process of its accelerated “re-militarization,” it will not only bring threats and challenges to Russia’s national security but also harm the stability of the entire region.
In response to Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro (小泉进次郎) recent claim that “Japan should discuss policies related to nuclear weapons without any taboo,” Zakharova said at a regular press conference on the 27th that Japan is a “nuclear threshold” country, and once it makes a decision, Japan can develop nuclear warheads in a relatively short period of time. Kojzumi’s remarks cannot be justified by “defense” as a reason, because no country threatens Japan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. On the contrary, Japanese militarist thinking is 死灰复燃 (sǐ huī fù rán - “dead ashes rekindle,” resurgence of something thought to be extinguished).
Zakharova stated that the Russian side once again calls on the Japanese side to remember the historical lessons of World War II and return to the path of peaceful development.

Strong earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, confirms several dead; property losses severe
According to Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, July 28 (reporters Li Ziyue, Chen Ze’an) — A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan on the 28th. According to Japanese media reports, the earthquake has caused a large number of injuries in the area, with several deaths confirmed, many houses collapsed, facilities damaged, and traffic severely obstructed. After the earthquake, aftershocks have been continuous in the area. According to data from the Japan Meteorological Agency, as of 23:00 local time on the 28th, tens of aftershocks have occurred in the affected area, and as of press time, the aftershocks have not stopped.
In terms of casualties, one person was found in a collapsed house in Yatsushiro City (八代市), Kumamoto Prefecture, and was confirmed dead after being taken to hospital. In Kashima Town (嘉島町), Kumamoto Prefecture, inside a shopping mall that collapsed and exploded due to the earthquake, 20 to 30 employees are missing, and later police confirmed several deaths. Kyodo News on the evening of the 28th, citing Kumamoto Prefectural Police, said that due to the risk of secondary disasters, police and firefighters are currently unable to penetrate deep inside the buildings for search and rescue and have been forced to withdraw, thus suspending search and rescue operations, but possibly many people remain trapped.

Sudan announces that about 75% of medical institutions nationwide have resumed operations
According to Xinhua News Agency, Cairo (reporter Zhang Meng (张猛)) — Khartoum news: Sudanese Minister of Health Haitham Ibrahim recently announced that after continuous efforts, progress has been made in rebuilding the Sudanese healthcare system, which was severely damaged by armed conflict, and about 75% of medical institutions nationwide have resumed operations.
Ibrahim said at a press conference held in the Sudanese capital Khartoum that the Sudanese Ministry of Health is currently implementing a comprehensive plan covering epidemic prevention and control, emergency response, drug supply, reduction of maternal mortality, and other aspects, and is striving to restore operations of all hospitals in the capital as soon as possible. The Sudanese Ministry of Health plans to launch the “Hope Strategy” on the 29th of this month with the support of the World Health Organization, aiming to promote health for all and improve the level of basic and specialized medical services nationwide.
On April 15, 2023, armed conflict broke out between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum, and the fighting subsequently spread to other areas. The continuous conflict has seriously affected the Sudanese health system. Ibrahim once stated that more than half of the hospitals in Sudan had stopped operating.

Danube River Budapest section water level hits historic low
According to Xinhua News Agency, Budapest, July 28 (reporter Chen Hao (陈浩)) — Data released by the Hungarian General Directorate of Water Management on the 28th shows that the water level of the Danube River in the Budapest section has dropped to 31 centimeters, setting a new historic low for that river section. Due to the drop in water level, ammunition and shipwrecks from the World War II period have been discovered in many places along the Danube.
The data measured by the water management department that day broke the lowest record of 33 centimeters set on October 25, 2018, for that river section. Meteorological and water management experts predict that the water level of the Danube may continue to drop in the coming days.
In view of the rare high temperature and drought that have broken the water level record, in recent days, some World War II-era ammunition has been cleared from the waters near Margaret Island on the Danube. In addition, according to local media reports, some shipwreck remains have been discovered in many places along the Danube in succession recently.

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China's Position on the So-Called "Overcapacity" Issue

By: 中华人民共和国商务部

Table of Contents

Preface

1. Comprehensively and Objectively View Global Production Capacity and So-Called “Overcapacity”

(1) The Global Production Capacity Pattern Continuously Evolves and Develops as a Result of International Industrial Division and Cooperation

(2) Objectively Understand the Phenomenon of “Overcapacity” in Global Economic Development

(3) The “Overcapacity” Situation of Different Economies and Different Industries Should Be Measured According to Different Development Stages and Development Levels

2. Views and Positions on the Four Pairs of Relationships Related to “Overcapacity”

(1) The Relationship Between Industrial Subsidies and Overcapacity

(2) The Relationship Between Trade Surplus and Overcapacity

(3) The Relationship Between Economic Imbalance and Overcapacity

(4) The Relationship Between Market Competition and Overcapacity

3. China Insists on Building a Modern Industrial System Amidst Opening-Up and Cooperation

(1) China’s Rapid Modern Industrial Development Depends on Innovation-Driven Growth

(2) China’s Steady and Healthy Industrial Operations Depend on Continuously Deepening Reform

(3) China’s Modern Industrial Development Is Not a “China Shock 2.0” for the World, but a “China Opportunity 2.0”

4. Jointly Promote the Construction of an Open and Inclusive Global Production and Supply Chain Cooperation Framework

(1) Promote Mutually Beneficial Win-Win Cooperation and Common Development

(2) Respect Market Laws and Advance Economic Globalization

(3) Strengthen Coordination of Industrial Policies and Maintain a Good Cooperation Environment

(4) Expand Market Opening and Create Cooperation Opportunities

(5) Uphold Multilateralism and Build a More Just and Reasonable International Economic Order

Conclusion

Preface

Economic globalization has provided a strong impetus for world economic growth, promoted the flow of goods and capital, advances in science and technology and civilization, and exchanges among the peoples of all countries; it is an irreversible historical trend. Industrial cooperation is an important component of economic globalization and an important path for promoting the sustained global economic recovery and the common development of all countries.

In recent years, the international economic and trade landscape has undergone profound changes, competition among major powers has intensified, and the global industrial and supply chains have accelerated their reshaping. Relevant countries and economies have increased their concerns about their own industrial competitiveness and market positions, politicized economic and trade issues, hyped the so-called Chinese “overcapacity” issue, accused China’s production capacity of impacting the world market, and used this as a pretext to continuously escalate restrictive measures against China, with protectionism heating up.

The Chinese side has always held that, when viewing the issue of production capacity, one must adhere to a comprehensive, objective, and fair attitude, look at it both historically and dialectically, uphold openness, cooperation, mutual benefit, and win-win outcomes, and jointly resolve contradictions and differences. Engaging in protectionism will only disrupt the global economic and trade order, is not conducive to the security and stability of global production and supply chains and the healthy and orderly development of industrial cooperation, and will bring long-term risks to world economic growth.

To clarify the relevant facts and elucidate China’s policy stance on issues related to so-called “overcapacity,” this document is hereby issued.

1. Comprehensively and Objectively View Global Production Capacity and So-Called “Overcapacity”

(1) The global production capacity pattern continuously evolves and develops as a result of international industrial division and cooperation.

Historical evolution of the global production capacity pattern. Since the First Industrial Revolution, with the continuous development of productive forces and the deepening of economic globalization, various factors of production have accelerated their flow across the world. The centers of global output and demand are not fixed in any one country or region. The distribution of industrial production capacity among different countries and regions has been constantly changing, and the global share of industrial output of major economies has also changed accordingly. In 1880, the United Kingdom’s global share of industrial output reached a high of 22.9%. Around the time of World War I, the United States succeeded the United Kingdom as the world’s industrial center, and in 1953 its global share of industrial output was as high as 44.7%.

After World War II, the global industrial pattern gradually moved from a single center to multiple centers. With the rapid development of economic globalization and the continuous deepening of international division of labor, the world has experienced multiple rounds of industrial transfers: from the United States to Europe, from Europe and the United States to Japan, then to East Asia and China, and currently from some of China’s industries to Southeast Asia and other regions. This has formed three major regional manufacturing centers: North America, Europe, and East Asia, whose respective global shares of manufacturing value added are 17%, 17%, and 38%. China becoming the “world’s factory” is the result of actively integrating into economic globalization and participating in the international division of labor, and it is also an important part of the global manufacturing network.

(2) Objectively understand the phenomenon of “overcapacity” in global economic development.

“Overcapacity” is a dynamic phenomenon in a market economy. Under a market economy, the supply and demand of production capacity are always in a dynamic cycle of “balance – imbalance – rebalance”; there is no permanent equilibrium state of production capacity. Whether capacity is excessive depends on the relationship between supply and demand and is dynamically adjusted within the industry life cycle. Balance between supply and demand is relative, while imbalance is universal. In the era of globalization, changes in international production capacity and global supply and demand are also interrelated. During the process of technological change, emerging production capacity creates new supply, while old capacity becomes redundant, resulting in periodic and structural imbalances between supply and demand. Through adjustment by market mechanisms, the supply-demand pattern converges toward a new equilibrium state.

The concept of “overcapacity” is understood differently, and there is no broad global consensus. There has long been controversy among various circles over the issue of “overcapacity,” and major international organizations have not made official definitions. The World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements neither define “overcapacity” nor contain provisions specifically addressing “overcapacity.” The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes that “overcapacity” is a complex concept that needs to be understood in conjunction with the macroeconomic context. Economists mostly describe “overcapacity” from macro and micro dimensions: from the macro level, it is used to describe a phenomenon where the production capacity of an entire industry significantly exceeds the total effective market demand; from the micro level, it is a state where a firm’s actual output is below optimal output due to monopolistic competition. In the economic practice of various countries, due to cyclical economic fluctuations, it is common for production capacity of products in the market to exceed effective demand. Different countries and different industries have very different criteria and perspectives for judging whether capacity is excessive as an economic phenomenon. Some economies, for specific purposes such as geopolitics or trade protection, fabricate various new standards, simply, mechanically, or broadly defining so-called “overcapacity” in an attempt to impose them on others. These so-called conceptual standards neither conform to the laws of development nor accord with the actual conditions of various countries; they are untenable.

(3) The “overcapacity” situation of different economies and different industries should be measured according to different development stages and development levels.

The capacity utilization indicator is often used to measure the “overcapacity” situation, but it needs to be viewed differently in conjunction with the actual conditions of each country. In economics, capacity utilization refers to the ratio of actual output to potential output. The reasonable range of capacity utilization differs across economies, and there is no globally applicable standard for judgment. Data from relevant institutions indicate that the median capacity utilization of developed and rapidly growing economies mostly lies within the 75%–80% range, while that of less developed countries is generally between 50% and 64%. This is because less developed countries are constrained by infrastructure, capital, and other factors, preventing their production capacity from being fully released.

Capacity utilization varies considerably across industries. According to the latest data on 725 industries published by the 27 EU member states, 169 have capacity utilization below 70%. Some traditional industries have capacity utilization significantly below the average. For example, the capacity utilization of industries such as beverages and furniture in some countries is around 65%, while rubber, chemicals, and plastics are only 40%–50%. The latest data from the U.S. Federal Reserve shows that the capacity utilization rate of the U.S. manufacturing sector is 75.7%, but it varies greatly by industry: computers and peripheral equipment reaches 83.2%, while textiles and leather manufacturing, motor vehicles and parts, primary metals, furniture and related products, and communications equipment all have capacity utilization below 70%. Judging from the economic practice of various countries, the capacity utilization rate has a certain objectivity in measuring the use of production capacity, but it cannot be used as an absolute criterion to determine whether there is overcapacity in different economies or different industries.

2. Views and Positions on the Four Pairs of Relationships Related to “Overcapacity”

(1) The relationship between industrial subsidies and overcapacity.

There is no inevitable connection between industrial subsidies and overcapacity. Reasonable industrial subsidy policies help correct market failures, promote technological innovation, environmental protection, reduce poverty, and facilitate balanced development; they do not cause so-called “overcapacity.” Many countries, based on their own national conditions and industrial development needs, adopt industrial policies with different emphases, such as providing R&D subsidies for emerging industries or risk subsidies for agriculture. These are also legitimate tools of industrial and trade policy for WTO members. Many reports by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) point out that the number of industrial policies globally has grown rapidly over the past five years, and providing R&D subsidies, tax incentives, and low-interest loans for emerging industries has become an international common practice.

WTO members generally pursue fair, inclusive, and transparent subsidies. Major countries should set an example in subsidy compliance. Subsidies themselves are not the problem, but they should be used reasonably under WTO principles such as openness, fairness, and compliance. Major countries are the leaders in global industrial development, and their industrial policies also have strong spillover and demonstration effects. They should take the lead in opposing the abuse of subsidies and opposing the adoption of discriminatory subsidy policies. The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act plans to provide $750 billion in various subsidies from 2022 to 2031. Among them, eligible electric vehicles must meet conditions such as domestic or North American production and sale, excluding other WTO members. The U.S. industrial subsidies for the artificial intelligence field far exceed those of all other countries combined. According to incomplete statistics, the European Commission will provide more than 1.44 trillion euros in various subsidies between 2021 and 2030. The EU’s Industrial Accelerator Act, through its “EU origin” requirement, directly links local content to financial support. All countries should focus on making the global development pie bigger and introducing industrial policies, including subsidies, in a reasonable and compliant manner, rather than using them as tools to restrict others’ development. China is willing to discuss subsidy policies with all parties within the WTO framework and jointly regulate relevant practices.

China has always strictly abided by WTO rules and is committed to establishing and improving a subsidy system that conforms to international practices. Over the years, China has continuously standardized and improved relevant policies in terms of subsidy compliance, scientific basis, and transparency. It has specifically cleaned up and standardized some irregular local practices and established a unified negative list management mechanism for local fiscal subsidies. The Chinese government has earnestly and comprehensively fulfilled its transparency obligations. The latest notification submitted in June 2025 covering China’s central and local subsidy policies for 2023–2024 achieved nationwide coverage. Chinese subsidies apply equally to all types of market entities, mainly targeting areas such as scientific and technological R&D, key technology industrialization, and market consumption. Greater use is made of market-oriented and guiding indirect means such as public services, technical standards, and skills training, with a focus on supporting technological R&D and innovation, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, and green energy conservation. For example, in the consumer goods trade-in program, the principle of equal treatment for domestic and foreign products is adhered to; subsidies for trade-ins of automobiles and home appliances, and subsidies for the purchase of new digital and smart products, are all applied 一视同仁 (yī shì tóng rén - “treat all equally without discrimination”), and foreign-invested enterprises actively participate and benefit equally.

(2) The relationship between trade surplus and overcapacity.

A large number of exports and a large surplus do not equal overcapacity. The surplus mainly reflects the difference between a country’s total domestic savings and total investment, and primarily includes surpluses in goods and services trade. Looking at the history of global economic development, manufacturing powers such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and Germany have all maintained surpluses for long periods. It has also been common for Germany and Japan to have current account surpluses exceeding 6% of GDP. For emerging markets with rapid export growth, Indonesia and Mexico have also become surplus countries, while Brazil and Vietnam have achieved trade surpluses for ten consecutive years. Looking at industry products, 80% of U.S. chips are exported, and approximately two-thirds of Boeing’s delivered commercial aircraft are sold to customers outside North America. In 2025, the surpluses of the EU in automobiles, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics were 92.2 billion euros, 214.6 billion euros, and 11.6 billion euros respectively. If the logic that a large surplus necessarily means overcapacity were followed, should these industries and products with high exports and large surpluses also be regarded as having “overcapacity”? A trade surplus is the result of the combined effect of the global division of labor and the supply-demand structure, and it does not imply overcapacity.

China has never deliberately pursued a trade surplus. China’s export growth stems not only from the improvement of economies of scale and innovation capacity but also from the demand driven by the green transformation and industrialization of various countries. For example, China’s export growth to Europe is mainly concentrated in photovoltaics, new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, and chemical products, reflecting more the demand for energy products driven by the green transformation and the rise in production costs in European chemical and other industries due to the energy crisis. China also does not deliberately pursue a high share of labor-intensive product exports; the share of such exports fell from 20.7% in 2012 to 15.1% in 2025. From the perspective of trade benefit distribution, “the surplus is in China, but the benefits are for all parties.” In 2025, foreign-invested enterprises accounted for 27% of China’s exports and 16% of its trade surplus, with the growth rates of both surplus and profits faster than those of domestic enterprises. Looking at the overall balance of payments, although China has a large surplus in goods trade, there are deficits in services trade and investment income. Overall, the current account surplus accounts for about 3.7% of GDP, which is within the internationally recognized reasonable range.

China actively promotes the balanced development of imports and exports. China’s import scale has ranked second in the world for 17 consecutive years, making it the main export destination for nearly 80 countries. It has implemented zero-tariff policies for 63 countries and is the first major economy to achieve full coverage of zero-tariff treatment for all African countries with which it has diplomatic relations and all least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations. It is also the only country to host an international import expo, having successfully held 8 editions with a cumulative intended transaction volume exceeding US$580 billion. China is carrying out a series of “Export China” activities, continuously increasing its efforts to “Buy Globally,” and supporting the entry of more global high-quality products and services into China. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China’s cumulative imports exceeded 90 trillion yuan, fully demonstrating that China is not only the “world’s factory” but also the “world’s market.”

Currently, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise. Various trade protectionist measures curb global economic growth, seriously disrupt normal trade exchanges and order, and undermine the reasonable flow and layout of global production capacity. All parties, especially major trading nations, need to move in the same direction, uphold free trade, do more to smooth and facilitate trade, and do less to build walls and barriers, in order to promote the balanced and sustainable development of global trade and ensure the stable and smooth flow of global production and supply chains.

(3) The relationship between economic imbalance and overcapacity.

Global economic imbalance is a historical norm with complex roots. Under the international division of labor system and the economic and financial order formed after World War II, the global economy enters a cycle of accumulation and release of imbalance risks approximately every ten years, sometimes even triggering global economic or financial crises. In analyzing the causes of global economic imbalance, the focus of discussion in the international community has also been constantly changing, involving both market factors such as savings-investment structure and the division of labor in production and supply chains, and institutional factors such as the international financial system and macroeconomic policy resonance. In recent years, global imbalances have shown new characteristics. Institutions such as the International Monetary Fund believe that countries’ macroeconomic policies, especially fiscal policies, play a key role in causing global imbalances: the United States has accumulated huge debt imbalances and needs to improve its fiscal situation; Europe has insufficient investment and needs to boost productivity; and China needs to expand domestic demand. These views also reflect the systemic and complex nature of global imbalances. Some views that link global imbalances to “overcapacity” and make simplistic attributions deliberately confuse concepts, contain logical fallacies, and even have ulterior motives.

The assertion that “insufficient domestic demand in China leads to overcapacity” does not conform to the facts. China is not only a major manufacturing country but also a major consumer country. Domestic demand has always been the main engine of China’s economy. From 2013 to 2024, domestic demand contributed an average of 93% to China’s economic growth. Among this, the average contribution rates of consumption and investment were 55% and 38% respectively. China’s total retail sales of consumer goods grew from 23.8 trillion yuan in 2013 to 50.1 trillion yuan in 2025, doubling in scale. Converted using the World Bank’s purchasing power parity, China’s total retail sales in 2025 were equivalent to 1.7 times those of the United States, making it de facto the world’s largest commodity consumer market. Currently, China’s physical consumption ranks first globally, and the per capita annual consumption of some industrial products has approached the level of developed countries. In recent years, the growth rate of China’s total retail sales has slowed, which is consistent with China’s shift from high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development and also reflects the upgrading trend in China’s consumption structure: commodity consumption is relatively stable, while service consumption is growing rapidly. Over the past five years, per capita service consumption expenditure has grown at an average annual rate of 8.5%. To view the slowdown in China’s total retail sales growth as insufficient domestic demand is neither objective nor comprehensive. The assertion that “insufficient domestic demand in China leads to overcapacity” is even more of a 偷换概念 (tōu huàn gài niàn - “stealthily substitute concepts,” equivocation), applying a micro market phenomenon to the macro structural level.

China continues to expand domestic demand and is committed to achieving a higher level of supply-demand balance. A strong domestic market is the strategic foundation for Chinese-style modernization. Domestic demand includes both investment demand and consumption demand. The outline of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan makes a dedicated chapter on building a strong domestic market, emphasizing the need to adhere to the strategic basis of expanding domestic demand, expand effective investment, deeply implement special actions to boost consumption, promote the expansion and upgrading of commodity consumption, unleash the potential of service consumption, consolidate the foundation of residents’ consumption, continuously improve the consumption environment, guide new supply with new demand, create new demand with new supply, and promote positive interaction between consumption and investment, and between supply and demand. In the next decade or so, the middle-income group will exceed 800 million people, and per capita GDP will reach the level of moderately developed countries. Consumption space is vast, potential and vitality are abundant; it will remain the main engine of China’s economic development and will continue to inject strong momentum into world economic growth.

(4) The relationship between market competition and overcapacity.

Competition is an important guarantee for promoting the optimization and adjustment of production capacity and the healthy development of industries. Every industrial and technological revolution is accompanied by a process of capacity increase, even “overcapacity,” market competition driving technological upgrading and industrial iteration. To pursue profits and market share, enterprises invest and expand production, and then through market adjustment, they are prompted to reduce costs and increase efficiency, leading to technological progress and efficiency improvement. Market competition itself is the most effective mechanism to prevent the disorderly expansion of production capacity; otherwise, it will lead to unsold goods, losses, and being eliminated by the market. The role of the government should be to maintain the order of competition and a fair environment, allowing the market to play its role more fully, so that outdated capacity naturally exits through competition.

All parties should uphold fair competition and reduce inappropriate interference with the global division of labor and cooperation in production capacity. The WTO’s principle of fair competition and related rules are the most widely accepted code of conduct globally. In recent years, some economies have placed their own interests above international rules, violated the principle of fair competition, and even used the name of fair competition to practice protectionism, extensively employing unfair means. The United States has imposed illegal tariff measures, adopted targeted investment restrictions, abused export controls and sanctions, seriously undermining fair competition. The EU has adopted a series of economic and trade legislation and measures, such as the Industrial Accelerator Act, which imposes restrictive requirements on foreign investment in four emerging strategic industries—batteries, electric vehicles, photovoltaics, and critical raw materials—constituting serious investment barriers. Accusing China of “unfair competition” and “non-market policy practices” is a typical case of “double standards” and is the real unfairness. China firmly upholds the basic principles of the WTO, steadfastly promotes fair competition, and fosters mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. China has announced that in current and future WTO negotiations, it will not seek new special and differential treatment. WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala pointed out that China’s decision reflects its commitment to a more balanced and fairer global trading system.

China actively creates a first-class business environment of fair competition. The number of market entities in China has exceeded 200 million, ranking first in the world. The vast number of market entities creates a fully competitive environment where enterprises face challenges head-on and compete on strength, refining their products and optimizing their services through 优胜劣汰 (yōu shèng liè tài - “the superior triumph, the inferior are eliminated,” survival of the fittest). McKinsey has stated that China is “the world’s toughest gym,” tempering highly competitive enterprises; today, there is no “another China” anywhere in the world. The outline of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly proposes to deepen the construction of a unified national market, eliminate barriers in factor access, qualification recognition, bidding, and government procurement, fully implement national treatment for foreign-invested enterprises, comprehensively rectify “involution-style” competition, create a first-class market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment, and maintain the order of fair competition in the market. The US-China Business Council’s 2026 China Business Environment Survey report shows that 92% of surveyed US companies achieved profitability in their Chinese operations in 2025. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China’s 2026 Business Confidence Survey shows that 75% of surveyed companies believe their production efficiency in China is higher than in other regions globally.

3. China Insists on Building a Modern Industrial System Amidst Opening-Up and Cooperation

(1) China’s rapid modern industrial development depends on innovation-driven growth.

China adheres to innovation-driven development and has found an effective path of leading industrial innovation with scientific and technological innovation and promoting technological iteration through industrial upgrading. Innovation-driven development is a major national strategy for China and a key code for its long-term positive and stable economic growth. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, total R&D expenditure increased by an average of 10% per year, ranking second in the world in scale. In 2025, the proportion of basic research expenditure exceeded 7%, a historic high. Many industries have achieved technological breakthroughs and taken the lead through long-cycle, high-investment R&D, overcoming difficulties through hard work. This is the key to the competitiveness of Chinese products, not government subsidies. In recent years, China’s new energy, intelligent connected vehicles, and other industries have flourished, driven by breakthroughs in new materials, power batteries, communications, and other technologies. Chinese new energy vehicle enterprises began continuous R&D investment and industrial layout more than 20 years ago, forming unique technological advantages. The energy density of power batteries has increased by more than 50% compared to 2018, and production costs have dropped by more than 60%. A Morgan Stanley report shows that the focus of China’s electric vehicle industry has shifted from price advantage to technological advantage, with applications such as intelligent driving systems further consolidating its industrial edge.

China insists on innovation empowerment, significantly increasing the green and smart content of traditional industries. China supports enterprises in using digital intelligence and green technologies to lead industrial optimization and upgrading, promoting high-end, intelligent, and green development. In recent years, the green content of industries has continued to rise: China has cumulatively cultivated more than 8,000 national-level green factories and over 600 green industrial parks, and half of the electricity used by 246 national-level green data centers comes from green power. The proportion of industrial enterprises above designated size that have carried out digital transformation reached 89.6%, and the penetration rate of digital equipment reached 57.7%. China has 109 lighthouse factories, accounting for nearly half of the global total.

China strengthens innovation application and continuously builds a vast “training ground” for new industries and new tracks. China has a complete industrial system, so any valuable scientific and technological achievement can be quickly transformed into actual products with the support of Chinese manufacturing. From the one-hour innovation circle for electronic information in the Yangtze River Delta to the half-hour supporting circle in Shenzhen’s robot valley, and to the highly developed new energy industry circle, an electric vehicle assembly plant can obtain the required supporting parts and components within a four-hour drive. China has a super-large market of more than 1.4 billion people, where new business forms, new models, and new scenarios are constantly emerging, providing the best testing ground for various new products and services, from “0 to 1” verification and “1 to N” scaling. The rise of the “new three” exports (new energy vehicles, lithium batteries, photovoltaic products) and the “new three” of information consumption (intelligent connected new energy vehicles, smart phones and computers, intelligent robots) is closely related to the vast range of application scenarios.

(2) China’s steady and healthy industrial operations depend on continuously deepening reform.

China continues to advance supply-side structural reform, keeping industrial capacity utilization within a reasonable range. In recent years, through measures such as eliminating outdated capacity in supply-side structural reform, China has continuously improved the utilization of industrial production capacity, achieving a basic balance between overall supply and demand and a stable operational situation. In 2025, the capacity utilization rate of industries above designated size was 74.4%, with higher utilization in high-tech manufacturing, high-end equipment manufacturing, and strategic emerging industries. Looking at sub-sectors, over the past three years, the average capacity utilization rate of general equipment manufacturing was 78.9%, electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing 74.8%, automobile manufacturing 73.3%, and computer, communication, and other electronic equipment manufacturing 76.9%. The relatively low capacity utilization in some traditional raw material industries is mainly an adaptive adjustment brought about by structural transformation and green transition, a normal phenomenon in the process of industrial quality improvement and upgrading.

China continuously improves the mechanism for market-oriented allocation of production factors, creating a good ecosystem for industrial development. Over the years, China has continuously increased the guarantee of resource factors, built a diversified investment system led by enterprises, guided by the government, and participated in by society, and constructed a number of major scientific research facilities and infrastructure. Approximately 7 million university graduates in science, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are cultivated each year. China has deepened institutional and mechanism reforms, introducing a series of new policies and measures in areas such as intellectual property protection, risk sharing, and innovation incentives. China continuously optimizes the mechanism for guaranteeing factors in new business forms and new fields, accelerates the construction of new types of infrastructure such as new power grids, computing power networks, and new-generation communication networks, effectively removes barriers and obstacles that hinder the optimal allocation of resources, further improves total factor productivity, speeds up the conversion of old and new growth drivers, and promotes healthy and sustainable industrial development.

(3) China’s modern industrial development is not a “China Shock 2.0” for the world, but a “China Opportunity 2.0.”

The United States and other Western countries have fallaciously claimed that China’s industrial development threatens the monopoly position of Western countries and squeezes the development space of Southern countries, putting forward the so-called “China Shock 2.0” argument. This does not conform to the facts and is untenable. Over the past decade or more, China’s contribution to global economic growth has remained at around 30%, making it an important engine for world economic growth. In the past, China mainly provided the world with “market dividends” through its own large-scale market and low-cost factors. Now, while providing even greater “market dividends,” China has also created “development dividends” by playing the role of a stabilizer and important hub for global industrial cooperation through industrial development. It has also provided the world with increasing “innovation dividends” through scientific and technological progress. These dividends, interwoven and overlapping, bring more development opportunities and greater development space to the world — that is, the “China Opportunity 2.0” increasingly mentioned by the international community. This is specifically reflected in four aspects:

Promoting global innovation cooperation and scientific and technological progress. China insists on opening up to innovation; many innovations, such as large AI models, follow an open-source path, allowing more countries, especially developing countries, to use and afford new technologies and enhance their development capabilities. The total global downloads of China’s open-source AI large models have exceeded 10 billion times. Large scientific facilities such as controlled nuclear fusion and quantum technology are open to the world. Rapidly growing Chinese innovative enterprises also bring returns of several times or even dozens of times to investors from various countries. Enterprises from various countries can quickly find full-process partners in China, from R&D and trial production to mass production, making innovation more efficient, not only achieving success in the Chinese market but also enhancing their competitiveness in the global market. Facts have clearly proven that the technologies and products from China’s emerging fields bring not shocks but opportunities to the world, not threats but empowerment.

Accelerating the global green and low-carbon transition. Climate change is a global challenge, and achieving a green and low-carbon transition is a common aspiration and development need of all countries. China’s high-quality new energy products enrich global supply, promote the green and low-carbon process, and help achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. A report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) states that over the past ten years, the average levelized cost of global wind power and photovoltaic projects has cumulatively fallen by more than 60% and over 80%, respectively, with a large part attributable to Chinese innovation, Chinese manufacturing, and Chinese production capacity. The American journal Science rated “China leads the world’s rapid surge in renewable energy” as the top of the 2025 top ten scientific breakthroughs. Against the background of global energy shortages and rising electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence, green transformation is becoming an important direction of international cooperation. The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that by 2030, global data center electricity consumption will approach 1 trillion kilowatt-hours, of which 40% of the new electricity will rely on renewable energy. China possesses significant scale and technological advantages in solar energy, energy storage, and electrification, and is capable of providing green energy equipment and solutions.

Further improving the well-being of people in all countries. In recent years, the global economy has fallen into a predicament of sluggish growth and high inflation. High-quality, high-efficiency, and cost-effective Chinese products have enriched global supply, lowered living costs, and alleviated global inflationary pressures. Chinese exports of textiles, home furnishings, daily consumer goods, smart terminals, home appliances, medical supplies, and other products cover more than 200 countries and regions worldwide, providing global consumers with stable, reliable, and diverse product choices. Australian media reported that the phenomenon of Chinese goods curbing inflation has expanded from daily necessities to high-tech equipment such as solar panels, and consumers in the United States and Europe have enjoyed huge benefits. A report by the European Central Bank estimates that if EU imports from China increase by 10% in 2026, the overall import prices of the EU will fall by 1.6%. Brazilian media reported that against the backdrop of continuously rising global costs, China has maintained relatively moderate inflation by relying on the advantages of its manufacturing system, helping emerging markets, including Brazil, to ease inflationary pressures.

Assisting the industrialization of developing countries. China’s exports have lowered the entry threshold for manufacturing in developing countries, providing high-quality and affordable production equipment and components from sewing machines and textile machinery to industrial machine tools. From 2012 to 2024, China exported over US$30 billion worth of textile machinery to developing countries, helping Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and others become important textile producers and exporters. China’s imports have also created opportunities for the export of products from developing countries. From 2010 to 2025, China’s imports of labor-intensive products from developing countries and least developed countries increased by 3.5 times and 16 times, respectively. Chinese investment has enhanced the industrial production capacity of developing countries. China has established more than 50,000 enterprises overseas, with an investment stock exceeding US$3 trillion, nearly 90% of which is distributed in developing economies. This has driven a large number of projects in light industry, textiles, home appliances, and other fields, promoted the development of new fields such as digital and green, and helped many developing countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and other regions rise from the edge of the supply chain to become important nodes in the global manufacturing network.

4. Jointly Promote the Construction of an Open and Inclusive Global Production and Supply Chain Cooperation Framework

(1) Promote mutually beneficial win-win cooperation and common development.

Against the backdrop of globalization, the economies of various countries are deeply interwoven and industries are integrated. Making the global development “pie” bigger through mutually beneficial and pragmatic production and supply chain cooperation is in the common interests of all countries.

Creating new demand through industrial iteration. All parties should jointly seize the opportunities of the new round of industrial revolution and technological change, strengthen international cooperation in fields such as green and low-carbon, artificial intelligence, and biomanufacturing, give full play to the advantages of frontier and emerging industries such as rapid growth and great potential, break through growth bottlenecks by sharing technological dividends, and provide new momentum and inject new vitality for the sustained global economic recovery.

Promoting balanced development to expand new space. All parties should pay more attention to the “real imbalances” between developed and developing economies, strengthen industrial, trade, and investment cooperation, promote the integration of more developing countries and regions into the international division of labor system, accelerate their industrialization and modernization processes, promote economic development and market expansion, and provide a “new blue ocean” for global industrial cooperation. When the world economic pie is bigger, the contradiction over interest distribution becomes smaller.

(2) Respect market laws and advance economic globalization.

Global production and supply chains are the result of the combined effect of market laws, enterprise development, and scientific and technological progress. They were not formed overnight. Forcible human intervention will only be counterproductive.

Adhere to openness and integration to promote factor flows. All parties should promote the virtuous global cycle of production and supply chains, advance trade and investment facilitation and liberalization, enhance the efficiency of factor resource allocation, and prevent market segmentation, investment restrictions, and the building of barriers that cause bottlenecks in production and supply chains. Adhere to complementary advantages, equality, and mutual benefit, jointly create and maintain a global open innovation ecosystem, and enable international industrial cooperation to achieve greater benefits.

Oppose the politicization of economic issues and the securitization of everything. It is a normal aspiration for countries to enhance their own industrial influence and resilience through competition and cooperation. There should be no artificial political intervention that distorts the underlying market logic of the rational flow of global resources and factors. Expanding and politicizing “dependency reduction” and “de-risking” will only lead to missing more development opportunities. All parties should respect the autonomy of business entities in investment decisions and business layout, build a fair, stable, and predictable business environment, allow enterprises to return to the essence of the market, and act in accordance with economic laws.

(3) Strengthen coordination of industrial policies and maintain a good cooperation environment.

Major economies are deeply involved and have great influence in global production and supply chain cooperation. Their industrial policies have spillover effects. They should strengthen communication and coordination, enhance mutual trust, and play an exemplary role.

Jointly promote the stability and smooth flow of global production and supply chains. Major economies should adhere to equal consultation, properly manage differences, abandon unilateralism and protectionism, oppose discriminatory and exclusionary practices, and avoid closing doors, setting limits, and engaging in a 逐底竞争 (zhú dǐ jìngzhēng - “race to the bottom”) that creates more obstacles and instability factors for global industrial cooperation. The economic and trade restrictive measures of Europe and the United States against China seriously damage mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides, also seriously harm the interests of Europe and the United States themselves, and have an adverse impact on global economic development and industrial cooperation.

Strengthen multilateral and bilateral industrial policy dialogue. All parties should use multilateral and bilateral platforms to improve the mechanism for regular communication on industrial policies, adhere to openness and transparency, clarify policy objectives, and use constructive dialogue to dispel misunderstandings and address concerns. Strengthen exchanges on subsidy transparency within the WTO framework, properly handle differences through equal consultation, submit subsidy notifications on time and proactively respond to members’ concerns, and jointly create a stable and predictable institutional environment.

(4) Expand market opening and create cooperation opportunities.

Opening brings progress, while closing inevitably leads to backwardness. All parties should dismantle barriers, expand opening, continuously tap market potential, and provide greater space for industrial cooperation.

Reduce barriers to trade exchanges. The larger the scale of trade, the harder it is to avoid differences and frictions. Focusing only on “building walls” will only increase contradictions and will not help solve problems. All parties should adhere to opening and cooperation, promote the cross-border flow of domestic and foreign factors, promote full market competition, stimulate enterprise vitality, and continuously enrich new supply and create new demand. The result of closure can only be a market without a source of vitality and greater stagnation in innovation and development.

Reduce obstacles to investment cooperation. Investment cooperation is an important way to make the pie bigger, tighten bonds, and enhance mutual benefit. It not only meets local demand but also drives the development of the host country. All parties should relax restrictions on access to investment fields, simplify procedures, eliminate barriers, provide a fair, transparent, and predictable environment for foreign investors, and better protect the legitimate rights and interests of investors. Oppose welcoming in words while being picky in actions, and even more so, oppose using foreign investment review regulations and foreign subsidy regulations as weapons to conduct discriminatory investigations against enterprises and impose mandatory requirements.

(5) Uphold multilateralism and build a more just and reasonable international economic order.

Multilateralism is a precious treasure gained by human society from the painful lessons of two world wars, and it needs to be cherished by the international community.

Uphold the basic principles and rules of the WTO. The WTO rules system, based on the basic principles of fairness, transparency, non-discrimination, and openness, is the cornerstone for maintaining the stable development of the global economy and trade over the years. The concept of multilateral trade is deeply rooted in people’s minds, and no one wants to return to the era of the jungle where the 弱肉强食 (ruò ròu qiáng shí - “the weak are prey to the strong,” law of the jungle). All parties should advance the reform of the WTO in keeping with the times, revitalize its authority, push for the updating of WTO rules, rebuild trust among WTO members, uphold the most-favored-nation treatment principle, and work together to stabilize global trade under the multilateral framework and under rules acceptable to all parties, so as to maximize the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of different economies in international economic and trade exchanges.

Promote a more just and reasonable global governance system. All parties should adhere to equality and mutual benefit in economic and trade exchanges, respect each other’s development stages and national conditions, and jointly resist the practice of the big bullying the small and the strong tyrannizing the weak, especially not exchanging collusion with power at the expense of the interests of third countries. All parties should adhere to true fair competition, strive to run faster themselves rather than trip others up; they should not say one thing and do another, nor allow only themselves to do something while forbidding others from doing it. Better utilize the roles of multilateral and regional cooperation mechanisms such as the G20, BRICS, and APEC, jointly safeguard fairness and justice, and improve the global economic governance system.

Conclusion

The issue of production capacity is a normal phenomenon that accompanies industrial iteration, market fluctuations, and the evolution of the division of labor during the process of world economic development. All countries should adhere to a market perspective and a global vision, proceed from economic laws, and objectively and dialectically view the so-called “controversy” over production capacity. They should discuss cooperation more rather than create confrontation, and work together to unblock global supply and demand bottlenecks, optimize the allocation of global resources, and promote the healthy and sustainable development of global industries.

For the economies of all countries, openness leads to mutual progress, while isolation leads to mutual regression. China’s development cannot be separated from the world, and the prosperity of the world also needs China. China is willing to work with all parties to safeguard the global free trade system, maintain the stability and smooth flow of global industrial and supply chains, uphold an open and cooperative international environment, promote the development of the global economy in a more sustainable and inclusive direction, advance the common prosperity of the world, and enable the fruits of development to benefit the people of all countries.

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 28)

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Zou Zhipeng, Zhang Huizhong, Chu Jun

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Domestic Animation Awaits You in the Summer Season (New Observations on the Cultural Market)

By: 刘 阳 马泽祥

This summer box office season, animated films have performed brilliantly. Data from the Maoyan Professional Edition (猫眼专业版) show that, as of July 28, total national box-office revenue (including pre-sales) for the summer season has surpassed 6 billion yuan, already exceeding the same period last year. The domestic animated film The Eight Immortals! (八仙！) has taken the daily box-office championship for many consecutive days, with a Douban score exceeding 8 points, achieving a double harvest of box office and word-of-mouth. Beyond box office, the film has further driven cultural tourism consumption.

Touching cultural genes, evoking emotional resonance

The Eight Immortals of commoner origin, a simple-minded little monster, a free-spirited Li Bai… In recent years, a batch of animated characters drawn from fine traditional Chinese culture have successively appeared on the summer big screen, both quenching the audience's thirst and leaving beautiful memories for the summer. Domestic animated films are constantly innovating in expression, and are becoming an important vehicle for inheriting and developing fine traditional Chinese culture.

Fine traditional Chinese culture carries the cultural genes of the Chinese people and contains rich philosophical thought and humanistic spirit; it is a precious mineral deposit for the creation of domestic animated films.

"Although the Eight Immortals are very well known, when it comes to specific stories, people feel both familiar and unfamiliar. This leaves more room for creation," said Mou Zhengyang (牟正洋), director of The Eight Immortals!. "We hope through the film to renew the story of the Eight Immortals and reflect the texture of this era."

What exactly is the "Penglai Fairyland" of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea? The film's creative team pored over historical materials and found the answer in Han dynasty murals. In addition, the film interprets the mythological description of "being listed among the immortals" as modern-day "going to work." "We cleverly grafted it in the film based on historical records; this will make the audience feel that the world of the Eight Immortals is wonderful and avant-garde," said Mou.

Industry insiders believe that using everyday life to "open up" mythological stories and expressing contemporary societal demands is the code for The Eight Immortals! entering the audience's hearts and evoking emotional resonance.

In terms of character creation, take the figure Zhongli Quan as an example: the film breaks the popular impression of a "fat uncle" wearing two buns, restoring him to his appearance before he became an immortal. By consulting ancient texts, the creative team rediscovered this role, which is resourceful and full of humor. "He can be unrestrained, unconventional, and penetratingly clear," said Mou.

Ying Xujun (应旭珺), president of Oriental DreamWorks and chief producer of The Eight Immortals!, believes that during their mortal period, each of the Eight Immortals had their own background, occupation, and even "shortcomings"; their worries and pursuits are similar to those of people today. Such expression, close to the audience's life, can more deeply enter people's hearts. "The audience can see friendship, trust, and mutual support at critical moments. Some people can understand the good and evil, honor and disgrace of the world, and the gains, losses, rights and wrongs of life," explained Ying.

Chen Zhongguo (陈中国), Party branch secretary of the Animation School at Beijing Film Academy, believes that judging from recent creations, domestic animation has continuously improved its ability to empathize with the audience, with creations more closely fitting the audience's real life and inner needs, "paying more attention to the image-shaping of characters, with virtual roles also fitting contemporary people's emotions and demands. Therefore, domestic animated films are increasingly popular with audiences."

Improving the industrial chain, releasing IP potential

Data from the Maoyan Professional Edition show that, as of now, among the top five films in box office during this year's summer season, three are animated films, fully reflecting the audience's fondness for animated films.

Industry insiders analyze that Generation Z is currently the mainstream group watching movies in theaters. They have been exposed to animated films more since childhood, and their acceptance and fondness for animated films are higher than those of the post-70s and post-80s generations.

From The Return of the Great Sage (西游记之大圣归来) to Chang'an (长安三万里), from the Nezha (哪吒) series to The Eight Immortals!, behind these excellent animated works is the continuous upgrade of China's film industry technology and the optimization and improvement of the industrial chain.

The Tianfu Changdao Digital Cultural and Creative Park (天府长岛数字文创园) in Chengdu High-tech Zone, Sichuan, is exactly where The Eight Immortals! was born. Ying Xujun said: "Without leaving the park, we can have face-to-face exchanges with peers and upstream/downstream links of the industry chain. This model brings a very good atmosphere and higher efficiency."

At present, the Chengdu High-tech Zone has gathered over 6,000 digital cultural and creative enterprises, with over 120,000 employees, building a full industrial chain covering content originality, technology R&D, post-production, promotion and distribution operations, derivative development, international communication, etc., forming a digital cultural and creative industry cluster.

Chen Zhongguo introduced that besides Chengdu, places like Beijing and Wuxi, Jiangsu have also formed animation industry clusters. Discussing how domestic animation can develop better, Chen believes: "First, a cluster effect is needed, able to solve pre-production planning, mid-production production, and post-production extension on one industrial chain. Second, we must truly have a full-chain IP development mindset, not relying solely on box-office revenue, but also needing products and services such as cultural tourism and cultural creative goods."

Yantai, Shandong, relying on the popularity of The Eight Immortals!, has innovated a "film+" integration model, launching cross-sector cultural tourism benefit activities. Tourists holding movie ticket stubs can enjoy benefits such as ticket reductions or waivers, experience upgrades, and consumer discounts at multiple cultural tourism venues, immersing themselves in the "Penglai Fairyland" experience beyond the film.

Peng Kan (彭侃), member of the Theoretical Commentary Committee of the China Film Association, said: "Animated films are easy to turn into IP and release spillover effects." The development of animation IP helps enhance the film's popularity and influence, bringing higher box office and peripheral revenue to the film, while increasing user stickiness and expanding consumption scenarios.

Welcoming the AI wave, broad development space

This summer season, domestic animated films and imported animated films together light up the screen, providing audiences with diversified choices.

Over 1 billion moviegoers annually, over 90,000 cinema screens… Data confirm that China's super-large market has the capacity to absorb excellent overseas films.

Industry insiders point out that the emotional value and cultural enjoyment contained in moviegoing consumption are closely related to consumption habits, and are important reasons for the vitality of China's film market. Both domestic and overseas animated films can shine brightly on China's over 90,000 cinema screens, fully demonstrating the resilience and vitality of China's film market—

Looking at box office: Data from the Maoyan Professional Edition show that, as of July 28, summer season animated film box office has exceeded 1.5 billion yuan. Among this, the box-office share of domestic animated films exceeds 62%. Traditional cultural theme stories touch the "cultural DNA" and are deeply favored by audiences. At the same time, several overseas films have achieved good results, and audiences equally welcome international expression.

Looking at spillover: In recent years, the market scale of the "guzi economy" (谷子经济) has continuously expanded, along with multi-field linkage of animation film IP, derivative licensing, offline pop-ups, etc. Vividly distinct animated characters have integrated into young groups, becoming part of young people's cultural life.

Looking at cultural tourism: One animated film, The Eight Immortals!, has driven the cultural tourism industry in places like Chengdu, Sichuan; Penglai, Shandong; and Yuncheng, Shanxi. The fusion of local culture and film stories has driven a continuous increase in tourism orders, with the number of tourists received exceeding that of the same period in previous years.

Chen Zhongguo believes that Chinese animated films still have broader development space, requiring support from multiple parties including government, industry, and academia, and increased funding support for the early-stage development of animated films.

With the arrival of the AI wave, the industry's demand for intensive production manpower has decreased, while the demand for creative talent has greatly increased. Therefore, in terms of talent cultivation, relevant schools and majors need to restructure the animation talent cultivation system based on the characteristics of AIGC (AI-generated content), focusing on the cultivation of screenwriters, directors, planners, AIGC architects, etc. "Creators especially need to strengthen their study of humanities and social sciences, enhance their aesthetic ability and original creativity, and avoid homogenization," said Chen.

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How to Build the World’s Largest Open-Source Model by Parameter Count

By: 本报记者 谷业凯

On July 27, the Chinese technology company Moonshot AI (月之暗面) released the model weights and technical report for Kimi K3, officially open-sourcing Kimi K3, which anyone can download. Kimi K3 is an AI (artificial intelligence) large model developed by Moonshot AI, released on July 17, and is the open-source model with the largest number of parameters globally. The model has a total of 2.8 trillion parameters, natively supports visual understanding, has a context window of 1 million tokens, and is mainly aimed at scenarios such as long-range programming, knowledge work, and complex reasoning.

In the large model coding evaluation system Frontend Code Arena leaderboard, Kimi K3 ranks first with a score of 1679, surpassing closed-source models such as Claude Fable 5 and GPT-5.6 Sol. This is also the first time that an open-source model has surpassed closed-source models and topped this leaderboard.

In large model research and development, parameter scale is a key variable. Parameters are like neural connections in the human brain; they determine how much knowledge the model can hold. The larger the parameters, the higher the upper limit of capability, and thus the model can provide smarter performance. 2.8 trillion parameters mean that the model can pack more knowledge and rules into its "brain", understanding more, thinking deeper, and answering more accurately.

The attention mechanism is equally important. Since the introduction of the Transformer architecture in 2017, the attention mechanism has become one of the technological cornerstones of mainstream large models globally. The attention mechanism determines whether the model "can grasp the key points", whether it can quickly find the key, establish connections, and form answers from massive amounts of information. The traditional full attention mechanism, when processing long texts, has computational complexity that grows nearly quadratically with text length—when the content the model "reads" doubles, the computational demand increases roughly fourfold. This is the key reason why ultra-long texts are difficult to implement.

The breakthrough of Kimi K3 is not just its large parameters and ability to "hold more", but also its more efficient way of processing information. First, it applies an innovative linear attention module proposed by Moonshot AI—the KDA hybrid linear attention mechanism, which, through a hybrid linear design, reduces computational complexity to nearly linear growth. This means that under the same computational power conditions, the model can "read" longer, process more information, and complete more complex tasks.

On the other hand, the larger the model and the more layers it has, the longer the "path" for information transmission, making signals prone to attenuation and distortion, and training more likely to fail. This is a common engineering challenge faced by large model development globally. The attention residual technique developed by Moonshot AI improves the transmission and reuse of information between different network layers, effectively adding a "stabilizer" to the giant model, allowing the 2.8 trillion parameters to be used stably and efficiently.

In the process of training the new generation of foundational large models, Moonshot AI used a self-developed underlying model architecture and accumulated a complete set of scientific model training methods. If the KDA hybrid linear attention mechanism answers "how to compute ultra-long texts more efficiently", then the attention residual technique answers "how to train ultra-large models more stably". Together, these two technologies show that the competitiveness of Chinese large model enterprises is extending from expanding parameter scale to the level of basic architecture and original algorithms.

Strong performance and low cost make Chinese large models an important choice for developers globally.

According to data from the global AI model aggregation platform OpenRouter, from July 20 to 26, the weekly call volume of Chinese large models reached 33 trillion tokens, ranking first globally for 13 consecutive weeks. Goldman Sachs believes that the intelligence level of China's open-source and open-weight models is approaching a critical tipping point for global diffusion; it is expected that in the second half of 2026, China may see more large models with total parameters reaching 2 to 5 trillion.

In the view of Moonshot AI founder and CEO Yang Zhilin (杨植麟), from topping global large model leaderboards in some performances, to the rise of multimodal model capabilities, to the derivation of agent clusters from a single agent, the growth and expansion of Chinese large models are reflected not only in quantity but also in quality, depth of application, and global influence, among other aspects.

Liu Tieyan (刘铁岩), dean of the Beijing Zhongguancun Academy (北京中关村学院), believes that a group of Chinese open-source large models have moved from "single-point appearances" to "group breakthroughs", providing new solutions and new paths for the development of world artificial intelligence, and will accelerate the promotion of AI technology toward upward and good development.

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Music Can Also Be 'Seen' (Running for Dreams)

By: 本报记者 琼达卓嘎

In the Shannan Special Education School (山南市特殊教育学校) of the Tibet Autonomous Region, during a dance class, teacher Gu Sangquzhen (古桑曲珍) held a student's hand and repeated a dance movement. The student practiced it seven or eight times but still could not do it correctly. Gu Sangquzhen did not get anxious; she took his hand and went through it again. This time he got it right! The student smiled, and Gu Sangquzhen smiled too; she patted his head and gave a thumbs-up.

In 2004, Gu Sangquzhen graduated from university and became an English teacher at a middle school in Shannan. In 2010, Shannan Special Education School was being planned and urgently needed teachers. Gu Sangquzhen was tempted: "The challenge is not small, but maybe I can do it." Many people advised her: "Children in special education schools are not easy to teach." But Gu Sangquzhen resolutely applied for a job transfer, took the examination, and thought, "These different children deserve even more dedicated teaching."

And so it was that Gu Sangquzhen went to the Changsha Special Education School (长沙市特殊教育学校) in Hunan to receive a one-year pre-job training. In the first week of training, she found herself in difficulty: she did not know sign language or Braille, and was completely ignorant of special education methods. But Gu Sangquzhen did not retreat. During the day she attended training classes; at night she studied sign language on her own, practicing again and again in front of a mirror. One year later, she could communicate with basically no barriers.

After returning from training, because in her job transfer application Gu Sangquzhen had written that she liked singing and dancing, the school assigned her to teach dance. On the first dance class, Gu Sangquzhen turned the speaker volume to maximum, but the children had no reaction at all — they could not hear. In that moment, her heart ached so much she could not speak, and she silently resolved: "I will make them 'see' the music."

Once, Gu Sangquzhen discovered that a child standing next to the speaker was startled by the strong vibration. It suddenly occurred to her that hearing-impaired children could clearly perceive the vibration of the beat. So she pressed the speaker tightly against the wooden floor and had the children stand barefoot on it, using the soles of their feet to catch every vibration. Gu Sangquzhen also used the flashing frequency of her phone's flashlight to indicate rhythm, and clapped her hands hard and slapped the floor to produce vibrations. Every dance movement she broke down into basic steps. Gu Sangquzhen pulled the children's arms and adjusted the angles bit by bit; sometimes a simple eight-count would take an entire day to teach.

Love and sweat finally watered a miracle. Gu Sangquzhen and her children won first place in the dance category for two consecutive years at the Western Regional Division of the National Art Performance for Persons with Disabilities. The children performed on gala stages and also traveled to Beijing, Anhui, Chongqing, and other places to put on shows… All of the hearing-impaired children Gu Sangquzhen had taught over the years graduated successfully, and some even went on to pursue undergraduate degrees in dance, continuing to chase their dreams.

On Gu Sangquzhen's desk, two things have always been placed: a copy of Chinese Sign Language whose pages are curled from being turned so often, and a group photo of the entire class. In the photo, the children are tightly clustered around her, their smiles bright.

Year after year, Gu Sangquzhen welcomes batch after batch of new students. A simple movement she teaches hand-in-hand dozens of times. But Gu Sangquzhen does not get anxious; instead she takes the child's hand, again and again.

"This is a path I will keep walking to the end," Gu Sangquzhen said firmly.

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Beijing Central Axis Revitalization Action Plan Released

Beijing, July 28 (People's Daily) — (reporter Pan Junqiang (潘俊强)) To solidly do the work of the "second half of the article" on the protection and inscription of the Beijing Central Axis as a World Heritage site, on the 27th, Beijing's Dongcheng District and Xicheng District jointly released the "'On the Central Axis' (中轴线上) — Beijing Central Axis Renewal and Blossom Action Plan (2026–2028)."

This action plan closely aligns with the overall situation of building a national cultural center, follows the Beijing Central Axis World Cultural Heritage Protection Regulations and other documents, systematically plans the four major directions of heritage protection, value interpretation, revitalization and utilization, and integrated development, comprehensively constructs eight systems including cultural relic protection, cultural dissemination, tourism products, national trend cultural creative products, performing arts ecology, intangible cultural heritage inheritance, digital cultural tourism, and brand activities, clearly defines three-step goals, and fully promotes the leap of the Beijing Central Axis from "urban axis" and "cultural axis" to "vitality axis" and "development axis," creating a model for world cultural heritage protection and utilization and a benchmark for the rejuvenation of the old city.

Since the successful inscription, the two districts have adhered to protection priority and systematic advancement. Key progress has been made in the creation of the National Cultural Heritage Protection and Utilization Demonstration Zone (国家文物保护利用示范区). The Zhengyang Bridge site archaeological shelter has been opened to the public. The renovation of landmark cultural relics such as Yandun (燕墩), Yongdingmen Gate, and Bell and Drum Towers, along with environmental improvement projects, have been implemented one after another. The "Four Haves" (四有) archives and monitoring system for cultural relics have been increasingly perfected, and a holistic and systematic protection framework has initially taken shape.

Based on a new starting point, the two districts will focus on holistic and systematic protection, combine with the Fourth National Cultural Relics Survey (第四次全国文物普查), comprehensively carry out the renovation, scientific monitoring, and preventive protection of important cultural relics along the Central Axis and its surroundings, improve the "Four Haves" (四有) archives for cultural relics, and accelerate the creation of the Beijing Central Axis National Cultural Heritage Protection and Utilization Demonstration Zone. At the same time, relying on digital technology to empower protection, using digital measurement, digital twins, intelligent monitoring and other means, they will construct a full-cycle cultural relic protection management system, allowing historical buildings to gain new life under scientific guardianship, providing solid support for the long-term preservation of the Central Axis cultural heritage.

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Summer Exhibition Viewing

The "National Young and Middle-Aged Innovative Art Exhibition" (全国中青年创新艺术展) is currently on display at the National Art Museum of China.

Structured around four chapters — "Tradition and Translation," "Crossover and Integration," "Ideas and Themes," and "Language and Materials" — the exhibition brings together more than 150 works of art, including recent acquisitions by the National Art Museum of China, works recommended by specially invited curators, and works collected from across the country.

In the photo, visitors are viewing the exhibition at the National Art Museum of China.

Photo by Fan Jiashan (樊甲山) for Image China (影像中国).

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First Intelligent Robot Application Skills Exhibition Launched

Beijing, July 28 (Reporter Liu Yang) - On the 28th, the first Intelligent Robot Application Skills Exhibition of China Media Group was launched in Beijing, showcasing new skills, meeting new demands, expanding new scenarios, promoting the application of intelligent robots in more fields, and injecting new momentum into economic and social development.

The "Wisdom Competing for the Future - First Intelligent Robot Application Skills Exhibition" focuses on key scenarios such as production and manufacturing, maintenance, catering and retail, medical care and health, emergency rescue, etc., allowing intelligent robots to be tested and improve their skills in real environments, achieving an upgrade from "can show off skills" to "can take up posts." At the release event, multiple intelligent robots in industrial, service, and special fields, such as the flood prevention and typhoon prevention embodied intelligent robot "AI Flood Prevention Warrior" and the traffic management robot squad member "Hangjing Zhixing," made successive appearances.

This Intelligent Robot Application Skills Exhibition will also build a platform for production-demand connection through real-scene demonstrations, data releases, case sharing, and innovation competitions, driving more innovative achievements to land and be applied, allowing more embodied intelligent robots to enter real scenarios, serving industries and serving audiences. At the event site, landmark application scenarios for real-scene training of humanoid robots and embodied intelligence were also released.

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Editor: Zhi Chunli, Chen Yuanyuan, Dong Yingxue

Layout design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)

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How to Protect Gut Health (Service Window)

By: 本报记者 陆凡冰

Intestinal health is very important to human health. Intestinal diseases such as colorectal cancer lack typical symptoms in the early stage but can lead to serious consequences, requiring attention. Why is colorectal cancer easily overlooked? Which people should undergo early screening? What should be noted in screening? How should it be prevented?

Why is colorectal cancer easily overlooked?

It often lacks typical symptoms in the early stage, and the development process takes several years.

Gao Wei (高巍), attending physician in the Emergency Department of Peking University First Hospital Miyun Hospital (北京大学第一医院密云医院), introduced that bowel cancer can occur in the rectum, left colon, or right colon. Many colorectal cancers go through a development process of "adenoma — intraepithelial neoplasia — invasive carcinoma," which often takes several years. This also means that timely detection and treatment of adenomatous polyps can provide an opportunity to block their further progression.

Why is colorectal cancer easily overlooked? Because it often lacks typical symptoms in the early stage. "Colorectal cancer is a typical silent cancer; early polyps and micro-cancers do not produce symptoms such as abdominal pain, blood in the stool, or diarrhea," said Chen Ning (陈宁), director and chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology at Peking University People's Hospital (北京大学人民医院). He introduced that the most important significance of screening is not to detect already symptomatic diseases, but to identify asymptomatic hidden dangers. By the time the body experiences discomfort, the optimal intervention window may have already passed.

"Clinical data show that over 70% of colorectal cancers gradually develop from intestinal polyps undergoing malignant transformation," Chen Ning said. Most ordinary inflammatory polyps and micro-polyps are benign, do not rapidly become cancerous, and do not require excessive anxiety. Although adenomatous polyps carry a risk of malignant transformation, they progress to malignant tumors relatively slowly and can be removed promptly. However, villous polyps (especially high-grade neoplasia) are high-risk polyps with a high probability of malignant transformation and rapid progression; once discovered, they must be removed within a short time. Furthermore, polyp removal does not mean one is done for good. The recurrence rate of polyps is relatively high, making follow-up复查 and monitoring indispensable.

What symptoms require intestinal screening?

Unexplained blood in the stool or a sudden change in bowel habits should prompt an immediate visit to a doctor.

Different lesion sites produce different manifestations. Gao Wei introduced: Rectal cancer manifests as blood in the stool, thinning of the stool, anal distension and bearing-down sensation, dull lower abdominal pain, and changes in bowel habits such as frequent urge to defecate and a feeling of incomplete evacuation; left colon cancer manifests as alternating constipation and diarrhea, mucoid bloody purulent stool, and a higher risk of intestinal obstruction; right colon cancer manifests as unexplained fatigue, anemia, pale complexion, persistent dull pain, a palpable mass in the right abdomen, recurrent dyspepsia and bloating, occult bleeding invisible to the naked eye (fecal occult blood positive).

If there is blood in the stool, can the color distinguish between hemorrhoids and bowel cancer? Chen Ning introduced: The vast majority of missed diagnoses of bowel cancer in daily life occur because patients mistake bloody stool from bowel cancer for hemorrhoidal bleeding, thereby wasting the optimal treatment opportunity. In fact, the difference between the two types of bloody stool is very obvious, and ordinary people can quickly self-check and distinguish. Hemorrhoidal bleeding is bright red in color, only coats the surface of the stool, or is simple dripping after defecation, accompanied by anal distension, bearing-down sensation, and pain; bleeding stops immediately after defecation ends. Bloody stool from bowel cancer is dark and blackish in color, is completely mixed with the stool, and is often accompanied by thinning of the stool, a feeling of incomplete evacuation, alternating diarrhea and constipation, and no significant pain throughout the process.

As long as there is unexplained blood in the stool or a sudden change in bowel habits, regardless of age or the presence of pain, one must promptly visit a doctor for intestinal screening and must not self-diagnose or delay the illness.

Which people should undergo early screening? How to choose screening methods?

Four categories of high-risk groups require special attention; relying only on blood tests for a physical examination easily misses early lesions.

After age 40, one should proactively assess; high-risk groups should do so even earlier. Chen Ning said that the general population should initiate their first colonoscopy screening at age 40–45; high-risk groups should advance screening to age 40 and shorten the follow-up interval; all individuals with a positive non-invasive primary screening result must undergo colonoscopy for definitive diagnosis and排查.

In accordance with the latest national screening guidelines, the following four categories of people belong to the high-risk group for bowel cancer: those with a family history of hereditary conditions; those with underlying intestinal diseases—such as a previous diagnosis of intestinal polyps or adenomas, or long-term ulcerative colitis; those with unhealthy lifestyle habits—such as prolonged sedentary behavior, staying up late and excessive alcohol consumption, or a preference for processed meats; and those in the high-risk age group—aged 40 and above.

The fecal occult blood test is non-invasive, convenient, and affordable; it is suitable for all people to undergo as a baseline screening annually, and it can accurately capture occult微量 bleeding in the intestine. It should be noted that this is only a preliminary screening method; once the result is positive, further refined screening via colonoscopy must be undertaken, and it must absolutely not be ignored.

Chen Ning introduced that colonoscopy can accurately detect millimeter-sized polyps and microscopic lesions, and at the same time, the lesions can be directly removed. The now widely available painless colonoscopy is safe, painless throughout the procedure, and the examination can be completed as if sleeping. If no abnormalities are found on colonoscopy in healthy individuals, repeat screening is not needed for 5–10 years.

Chen Ning cautioned that tumor markers such as carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) tested in routine blood draws for physical examinations have extremely low sensitivity for early-stage bowel cancer. For the vast majority of patients with early polyps or micro-bowel cancers, the blood test indicators are completely normal; relying solely on blood tests in a physical examination easily leads to missed diagnosis of early lesions.

What should be noted before colonoscopy? How to prevent colorectal cancer?

Before the examination, follow the requirements of a low-residue diet or a clear liquid diet; in daily life, eat more vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, and limit intake of high-sugar foods, alcohol, and moldy foods.

Chen Ning introduced that adequate bowel preparation before colonoscopy is crucial. However, clinical data show that up to 25% of patients have inadequate bowel preparation, which significantly affects the quality and accuracy of the examination.

Chen Ning suggested: Strictly follow the doctor's bowel preparation plan before the examination, take the bowel-cleansing medication on time and adjust the diet, adhere to the requirements of a low-residue diet or a clear liquid diet, and avoid foods rich in fiber. If there is constipation or use of special medications, inform the doctor in advance to ensure a suitable bowel-cleansing plan is formulated.

Preventing colorectal cancer also requires starting with daily life. Gao Wei recommended: Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and other foods rich in dietary fiber, as well as high-quality fish, soy products, etc.; eat less red meat, processed meat products, fried foods, barbecue, etc.; limit intake of high-sugar foods, alcohol, and moldy foods. In addition, persist in exercise and avoid prolonged sitting; control body weight to avoid abdominal obesity; maintain regular bowel habits and do not suppress the urge to defecate for long periods.

May everyone step out of their health blind spots, attach importance to intestinal screening, cultivate good daily routines, and proactively guard their own health.

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Youth's 'Self-Definition' Holds Infinite Vitality (People's Livelihood Perspective)

By: 闵方正

There is no fixed template for young people’s happiness; their “self-customization” contains boundless vitality.

Open a box of wedding candies, and inside there may not be all candy — there could be spicy strips, beef jerky, braised quail eggs, drip-bag coffee, or even a “Good Luck” scratch-off ticket… Do not be surprised — this is the current trendy wedding-candy combination among young people.

It is not just wedding candies that are changing; wedding cars are also undergoing transformation. Some newlyweds use tractors to form a wedding motorcade, starting a new chapter of life amid the roar of engines; other newlyweds pick up the bride by bicycle, put together a wedding motorcade with shared e-bikes, or use a small sightseeing train to carry relatives and friends toward happiness… Young people’s weddings are full of ingenious ideas.

What changes in weddings is the mode of expression; what does not change is festivity and blessings. This generation of young people highlights their individuality while expressing festive joy.

Innovation in modes of expression stems from the profound changes of the times. In the era when goods were supplied by ration coupons, sugar was a sweetness that could not ordinarily be tasted, and sedans were even rarer. But today, life has improved — materials are extremely abundant, and choices are very broad. Milk tea and desserts have long made everyday life “sweetness overload,” and private cars have entered tens of millions of households. Young people have begun to pursue a more individualized self-realization. Rather than saying young people are “rectifying” weddings, it is more accurate to say they are reinterpreting the act of sharing joy in a way that better fits current life.

Young people are full of vigor; they are the most energetic and most creative group in the whole society. The “creative antics” of young people are precisely their longing for, pursuit of, contribution to, and expression of a better life. They long to break free from past definitions of “good” and make their own life choices — a music graduate is willing to play the role of the immortal poet Li Bai at a scenic spot, improvising poetry exchanges with tourists, using talent to infuse an ordinary post with poetry; they pursue the injection of novelty into the world through creativity — post-2000 college students hold tablet computers to complete irrigation and fertilization, turning “face to the soil, back to the sky” into the past; they contribute — using knowledge to empower social development, applying AI technology to empower traditional industries… New kinds of occupations develop because of their choices, new kinds of value are discovered because of their efforts. Every unconventional choice is a young person telling, in their own way, a steaming-hot, splendid story that belongs to this era.

There is no fixed template for young people’s happiness; their “self-customization” contains boundless vitality. Material abundance gives them the confidence to “tinker and explore”; their vigor in turn infuses society with vitality. The river of time flows without cease; each generation of youth has its own encounters and opportunities. Generation after generation of young people displays extraordinary vitality and innovative spirit in every field — it is precisely this vitality that drives our society ever forward.

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100-Day Campaign to Create Tens of Millions of Jobs to Release Over 230,000 Recruitment Demands

This newspaper, Beijing, July 28 (Reporter Qiu Chaoyi (邱超奕)). The reporter learned from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security that from July 27 to August 2, the "Hundred-Day, Ten-Thousand Recruitment Special Action" (百日千万招聘专项行动) will launch four online recruitment special sessions for the automotive, internet, modern service, and e-commerce industries. Organized by relevant human resources service institutions, a total of over 13,000 employing units will participate, with recruitment demand reaching 231,000 person-times.

The automotive industry special session organizes 148 employing units, providing positions such as electrical engineer, maintenance engineer, measurement and inspection technician, and asset administrator, with a recruitment demand of 812 person-times.

The internet industry special session organizes over 2,500 employing units, providing positions such as big data development engineer, AI engineer, software architect, and algorithm engineer, with a recruitment demand of 17,000 person-times.

The modern service industry special session organizes over 10,000 employing units, providing positions such as insurance claims adjuster, financial advisor, travel sales consultant, and nursing specialist, with a recruitment demand of 212,000 person-times.

The e-commerce industry special session organizes 156 employing units, providing positions such as new media operator, e-commerce designer, graphic designer, and copy editor, with a recruitment demand of 1,350 person-times.

At 19:00 on July 30, the "Employment Online" (就业在线) platform will conduct a "Human Resources and Social Security (Employment) Directors Enter the Livestream Room" (人社（就业）局长进直播间) job-bringing livestream activity. Officials responsible for employment work from the Department of Human Resources and Social Security (厅/局) of Shanghai Municipality, Zhejiang Province, and Jiangsu Province will be guests in the livestream room. The activity organizes employing units from industries such as manufacturing, leasing and business services, health and social work, providing positions such as process engineer, research and development engineer, doctor, and elderly care nurse.

Employing units and job seekers may enter the industry recruitment special sessions directly via the main venue pages of the China Public Recruitment Network (中国公共招聘网), China National Talents Network (中国国家人才网), and the Employment Online Special Action, or click the logos of participating institutions below the main venue page to enter sub-venues and participate.

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Jingjiang, Jiangsu: Deepening Manufacturing to Strengthen County Economy

Jingjiang (靖江市), a riverside port city in Taizhou (泰州市), Jiangsu Province, with a population of 660,000, has 14 major industrial categories and over 6,500 manufacturing enterprises, with prominent advantageous leading industries such as high-tech ships, auto parts, and mechanical equipment. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, its gross regional product (GDP) successively crossed four 10-billion-yuan thresholds.

Jingjiang regards strengthening manufacturing as the foundation of building the city and the key to strengthening the city. Currently, it is seizing the opportunities of integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, deeply integrating into the construction of the Yangtze River Delta’s modern industrial system, and through “integration of industry and innovation, gathering of industry and talent” (产创融合、产才汇聚), building a “smart manufacturing” highland in the Yangtze River Delta region and strengthening county-level economy.

Gathering chains into momentum: building a world-class equipment manufacturing cluster

On May 13, two LNG (liquefied natural gas) dual-fuel oil tankers built by Jingjiang shipbuilding enterprises conducted formation sea trials; the formation was 2 kilometers long, like a mighty dragon sailing out of the river.

Jingjiang has 52.3 kilometers of Yangtze River shoreline, the longest county-level city along the Yangtze River in Jiangsu Province; the entire line has been approved as a national first-class open port. In 1997, it pioneered the construction of 10,000-ton ships by local shipyards nationwide; now Jingjiang has developed into the country’s largest private shipbuilding base and a national-level ship export base, and is an important part of the “Nantong, Taizhou, Yangzhou marine engineering equipment and high-tech ship cluster” announced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部).

Jingjiang’s shipbuilding industry focuses on high-end, intelligent, and green development, accelerating its move toward the mid-to-high end of the value chain. Xinshidai Shipbuilding (新时代造船) integrates R&D, manufacturing, and actual ship application of LNG fuel tanks; Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (扬子江船业) is the first private shipbuilding enterprise to successfully build a 175,000 cubic meter LNG carrier, and has built the world’s largest capacity very large ethane carrier and the world’s first wind-assisted propulsion LNG dual-fuel oil tanker. In 2025, Jingjiang’s three major indicators—shipbuilding completion volume, new order volume, and order book volume—accounted for 8.5%, 6.1%, and 10.9% of the global total respectively.

Jingjiang also has over 200 ship supporting enterprises, covering ship anchor chains, power systems, navigation systems and other fields, with a localization supporting rate exceeding 65%. Yaxing Anchor Chain (亚星锚链) holds over 60% of the global market share for marine anchor chains, firmly remaining in the leading position.

Represented by the shipbuilding industry, Jingjiang’s equipment manufacturing industry is flourishing. Now, among Jingjiang’s over 6,500 manufacturing enterprises, there are more than 300 high-tech enterprises, covering high-tech ships, auto parts, high-end equipment manufacturing, new metal materials and other fields, and new internationally competitive industrial clusters are taking shape.

Intelligent transformation and digital reform: traditional advantageous industries competing on new tracks

Huada Automotive Technology (华达汽车科技) is a Jingjiang-based auto parts manufacturing enterprise. In recent years, the company has actively laid out new tracks in drones and humanoid robots, completing a “triple jump” in layout from supporting fuel vehicles to the new energy vehicle field, and then to the emerging industry field.

“Old maps cannot reach new continents, old thinking cannot find new ways out.” This phrase has become a consensus among Jingjiang enterprises.

The auto parts industry is deeply embedded in the supply chains of mainstream new energy vehicle enterprises; leading integrated circuit enterprises such as Xianfeng Precision Technology (先锋精科) and Jiasheng Vacuum (佳晟真空) actively participate in tackling key core technologies to promote domestic substitution; in collaborations such as “Sanjiang Electric (三江电器) + Bosch (Germany)” and “Guangmang New Energy (光芒新能源) + Sunamp (UK)”, Jingjiang enterprises provide key component support for “wind, solar, hydro, thermal, and storage” equipment, opening a second growth curve through “frontier technology + Jingjiang manufacturing + global market”; Jiangsu Zhongli Forklift’s (江苏中力叉车) automated guided vehicles shuttle freely in the factory, and Shunda Mould’s (顺达模具) laser weeding robots operate precisely in the fields… The seeds of “smart manufacturing” have taken root and sprouted in Jingjiang, and “science fiction scenes” are rapidly becoming reality in Jingjiang.

Based on a deep manufacturing foundation, Jingjiang develops new quality productive forces (新质生产力) according to local conditions, deepens the “AI+” empowerment of thousands of industries, and has forged an upgrade path of “old enterprises + new tracks + golden partners”.

Attracting intelligence and gathering talent: building a smart manufacturing ecosystem

At Jiangsu Hengyi Industry (江苏恒义工业), a project led by a doctoral team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University received national key R&D program project approval; Xi’an Jiaotong University doctoral graduates came to Jingjiang to establish Xi’in Technology (西印科技), where medical 3D printing implant equipment has been implemented and commercialized…

In recent years, Jingjiang has continuously deepened exchanges and cooperation with well-known universities and research institutes, signed strategic cooperation agreements with the Yangtze River Delta National Technology Innovation Center (长三角国家技术创新中心) and the Jiangsu Provincial Industrial Technology Research Institute (江苏省产业技术研究院), jointly planning the prospects for high-quality industrial development; it has focused on connecting with high-quality science and innovation resources in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an and other places, building joint training bases and technology collaborative innovation centers; it selects enterprise technical challenges requiring breakthroughs, releases “open competition to select the best candidates” (揭榜挂帅) lists, deeply integrating technological innovation with industrial innovation.

Respecting talent and treating talent with courtesy. In Jingjiang, talents have “online ride-hailing buses” in the urban area and “cross-river dedicated high-speed rail lines” for travel, “talent housing vouchers” (人才房票) for housing, and a youth talent park built around the Jingjiang Yangtze River Cultural Center for socializing… Jingjiang vigorously promotes the implementation of the “Double Ten Policies” (双十条) on integration of industry and innovation and gathering of industry and talent, implements a full-chain “one-stop” service for talents coming to and staying in Jingjiang, builds a city of attraction that everyone yearns for, and creates a happy homeland where “once you come, you are a Jingjiang person” (来了都是靖江人).

University scientific research achievements find soil to land, enterprises’ technical difficulties obtain solutions, talents get a stage to display, achieving a triple win through gathering talent with industry and promoting industry with talent. In the next step, Jingjiang will continue to optimize the innovation ecosystem, driving the integration of industry and innovation and the gathering of industry and talent to continuously run at “accelerated speed”.

Data source: Publicity Department of the Jingjiang Municipal Committee of the CPC (中共靖江市委宣传部), Jingjiang Converged Media Center (靖江市融媒体中心).

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本版责编：程晨 付明丽 闵方正

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Green Peafowl Protection Takes a New Step (Comprehensively Advancing the Construction of a Beautiful China)

By: 本报记者 杨文明

Headline Highlights

The green peafowl is a nationally protected Class I wild animal. In recent years, the artificial breeding technology for green peafowl has gradually matured, with the artificially bred population exceeding one hundred individuals, marking new progress in Yunnan in preserving the germplasm resources of endangered wild animals and protecting biodiversity.

The green peafowl, China's native indigenous peafowl, has a very small wild population, once numbering fewer than 500 individuals. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, it was listed as one of 48 extremely endangered wild animals under rescue protection by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration. Starting in 2020, China began exploring the establishment of an artificially bred population of green peafowl. In the last three years, the hatching rate has reached about 70%, the artificially bred population has surpassed 100 individuals, and the first filial generation has begun participating in artificial breeding, indicating that green peafowl artificial breeding technology is gradually maturing.

From searching for breeding stock to successful breeding, how was the precious artificially bred population of green peafowl established? Our reporter recently visited the Yunnan Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Center (云南省野生动植物救护繁育中心) to investigate.

Purebred green peafowl are rare and hard to find

Finding purebred green peafowl that can be used to breed offspring is no easy task.

Look in zoos? Over the years, with the continuous introduction of the exotic blue peafowl, the peafowl people see in domestic zoos are either blue peafowl or hybrid peafowl. There are clear differences between blue and green peafowl in crest shape, cheek color, and feather color; in particular, the crest of the green peafowl is tuft-shaped, while that of the blue peafowl is fan-shaped. The research team received feedback from several zoos — that some captive peafowl had tuft-shaped crests. But after careful identification by the expert team, the vast majority appeared to be hybrids from their outward appearance. Even occasional individuals that looked no different from green peafowl were dampened by genomic identification: they carried blue peafowl genes and could not serve as breeding stock for an artificially bred green peafowl population.

Obtain them from the wild? That is very difficult. The wild green peafowl population is extremely small, and it is not easy to safely capture a pair of breeding birds. Moreover, if captured rashly, there is a risk of disrupting the reproduction and survival of the wild population.

Just when the research team was 一筹莫展 (yī chóu mò zhǎn - "unable to make a single move," at a complete loss), news arrived: in 2020, the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (国家林草局) transferred five rescued green peafowl to the Yunnan Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Center. After sampling, testing, and comparison... through genomic identification, these five green peafowl were not only all purebred individuals, but based on kinship could be divided into one male and one female and one male and two females as two groups of parent birds for breeding.

The researchers 如获至宝 (rú huò zhì bǎo - "as if obtaining a precious treasure," overjoyed at acquiring something valuable), but the pressure did not diminish in the slightest. Lu Lin (陆琳), head of the Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Section at the Yunnan Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Center, said that a beam of strong light or a loud noise could affect the health of the green peafowl. To raise the green peafowl well, the enclosures were shielded around to avoid strong light; the interior of the enclosures was designed to mimic the natural environment, with hidden shrubs planted, high perches set up for the peafowl to rest, and a sand bath pit specially dug. That year, with the first batch of green peafowl successfully surviving the winter, the research team finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Hatching rate increased from 15% to over 70%

In the spring of 2021, the green peafowl breeding season arrived, and the research team had "light in their eyes" — three females laid a total of over 50 eggs.

To find the optimal incubation method, the team tried every possible approach, taking shifts around the clock, recording temperature, adjusting humidity, and calibrating the turning parameters of the incubator. After about 28 days, the first batch of five artificially incubated chicks hatched one after another.

The team was greatly encouraged. "Although it wasn't a large number, the success in the first year proved that artificial breeding of green peafowl is feasible," Lu Lin said. However, in the 2022 breeding season, all incubations failed, and the team was 垂头丧气 (chuí tóu sàng qì - "drooping head and dejected spirit," despondent). In 2023, five chicks hatched, and hope was rekindled. But one number was also particularly glaring: the hatching rate was only 15%.

Where exactly was the problem? The team began to reflect: perhaps the parent birds had insufficient nutrition in the early stage, the interval between egg laying and incubation was too long, and the temperature, humidity, and egg-turning timing during incubation were not precise enough...

The researchers were not discouraged. To improve the quality of breeding eggs, they had the parent birds eat a "nutrition meal" in advance, increasing their intake of protein and minerals; to avoid long waiting times and reduced embryo vitality, the team added incubation equipment, enabling eggs to be "incubated as soon as they are laid." At the same time, high-precision incubators gradually replaced old equipment, technicians regularly calibrated the temperature, and the brooding room maintained a relatively stable environment during the incubation period. To prevent oxygen deficiency in the later stages of incubation, they even specially purchased oxygen cylinders to supplement oxygen...

In 2024, in the incubation room of the green peafowl breeding base at the Yunnan Wildlife Rescue and Breeding Center, 48 chicks hatched in succession, raising the hatching rate from 15% to 73.85%. With more precise control over every aspect of breeding, a harvest finally arrived.

Transition from "emphasizing quantity" to "emphasizing quality"

Today, the main incubation process for the artificially bred green peafowl population has achieved standardized management: first, incubation in the incubator; in the last three days, transfer to the hatching tray to await hatching; after hatching, the chicks are moved to a brooder box to absorb the yolk; healthy green peafowl then enter an indoor brooding room; once they grow larger, they are transferred to outdoor rearing cages for group feeding. After about three years, the females reach sexual maturity first, then the males develop reproductive ability, after which they are paired for breeding based on their genetic background.

In 2025, two additional green peafowl rescued from the wild were successfully paired. Good news came: that year, 102 breeding eggs were collected, 68 hatched, the hatching rate stabilized at around 70%, and the survival rate reached 81.25%. This also means that China's artificially bred green peafowl population has surpassed 100 individuals.

However, one number has always lingered in the research team's mind: among the successfully hatched green peafowl, about 30% had deformed toes. To avoid affecting the health of the artificially bred population, these deformed green peafowl could no longer be used as parent birds.

"This breeding season, we have achieved a transition from 'emphasizing quantity' to 'emphasizing quality,'" Lu Lin explained. In the previous two years, because the green peafowl population and breeding egg resources were scarce, the team's priority was to preserve the population and expand the group, first accumulating population numbers to lay a solid breeding foundation. As of now, 54 green peafowl have been successfully hatched this year, and the base's work focus has fully shifted to improving chick health quality, with emphasis on increasing the survival rate and reducing the deformity rate. By optimizing brooding facilities, replacing traditional bedding with specialized sheet bedding, adding supplementary lighting, and simulating the wild natural growth environment, the problem of chick skeletal development has been effectively improved.

A breakthrough has been made in the population size of artificially bred green peafowl, but difficult problems remain.

"We have now achieved a breakthrough in the population size of artificially bred green peafowl, but we still need to rise from the 'practical level' to the 'scientific level.' It is not only about accumulating experience but also analyzing the main factors affecting artificial breeding. For example, does the artificially created simulated ecological environment conform to the ecological habits of green peafowl? Can the feed nutritional standards meet the daily needs of green peafowl? What is the optimal number of eggs to collect?" Lu Lin said. With more and more data, the research team looks forward to solving more problems.

Establishing an artificially bred population of green peafowl is intended to preserve the germplasm resources of green peafowl and make preparations for wild release and reintroduction, and successful natural incubation is an indispensable part of the restoration of the wild green peafowl population. Now, the research team is using green peafowl undergoing rewilding training to begin exploring natural incubation; and six green peafowl have already been fitted with locators on a trial basis, accumulating data for selecting equipment for the next step of rewilding and release.

"We hope that in the future, in more and more zoos, visitors will be able to see our native green peafowl," Lu Lin said with expectation.

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China's green loans see steady growth in first half of year

Our correspondent in Beijing, July 28 (Reporter Wu Qiuyu (吴秋余)) — The latest data released by the People's Bank of China show that in the first half of this year, China's green loans grew steadily. By the end of the second quarter, the outstanding balance of domestic and foreign currency green loans in China stood at 48.63 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 14.5%, and the balance increased by 3.82 trillion yuan in the first half.

By purpose, the outstanding balances of green upgrade loans for infrastructure, green and low-carbon energy transition loans, and ecological protection, restoration, and utilization loans were 21.74 trillion yuan, 8.73 trillion yuan, and 5.42 trillion yuan, respectively. By sector, the green loan balance for the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water was 9.17 trillion yuan, with an increase of 220.7 billion yuan in the first half; the green loan balance for transportation, storage, and postal services was 9.10 trillion yuan, with an increase of 797.3 billion yuan in the first half.

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Accelerate coalbed methane exploration and development in the eastern Ordos Basin

Beijing, July 28 (People's Daily) — (Reporter Wang Yunshan) To accelerate the exploration and development of coalbed methane in the eastern region of the Ordos Basin, the National Energy Administration recently issued the Action Plan for Increasing Reserves and Production of Coalbed Methane in the Eastern Region of the Ordos Basin (2026–2030).

The action plan specifies that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the coalbed methane base in the eastern Ordos region will comprehensively improve quality and efficiency, with capacity and production significantly increased, breakthroughs achieved in key core technologies, and development coordination mechanisms further perfected. By 2030, the proven geological reserves of coalbed methane in the eastern Ordos region will increase by more than 600 billion cubic meters compared to the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan, with coalbed methane production reaching 18 billion cubic meters, of which deep coalbed methane production will be more than 16 billion cubic meters.

The action plan proposes to leverage the main force role of continuously expanded production blocks in increasing output. Adhere to overall planning and step-by-step implementation, expand the production construction scale of blocks such as Daning-Jixian (大宁—吉县), northern Mizhi (米脂北), and Shenfu (神府) year by year, systematically summarize rolling development experience, scientifically arrange well types for extraction, iteratively improve the development technology system, and strengthen the application and transformation of innovation achievements.

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Heilongjiang advances 'zero-waste city' construction

Our newspaper Harbin, July 28 (correspondent Fang Yuan (方圆)). The Department of Ecology and Environment of Heilongjiang Province (黑龙江省生态环境厅) and 21 other units recently studied and formulated the "Heilongjiang Province In-depth Promotion of 'Waste-Free City' Construction Work Plan (2026–2030)" (《黑龙江省深入推进“无废城市”建设工作方案（2026—2030年）》), proposing that by 2030, all cities (prefectures) in Heilongjiang must complete the construction of 50 'waste-free city cells' (无废城市细胞), and build a batch of practical models of 'waste-free city' (无废城市) with Heilongjiang characteristics.

The plan proposes 22 measures from 10 aspects. In the aspect of deeply promoting the construction of 'waste-free cities', it proposes advancing in a differentiated manner by zone and category; in the aspect of strengthening the whole-chain management of agricultural solid waste, it proposes strengthening the comprehensive utilization of straw, strengthening the recovery and utilization of packaging waste from agricultural production inputs; in the aspect of enhancing the comprehensive utilization capacity of industrial solid waste, it proposes promoting the source reduction of industrial solid waste, strengthening the comprehensive utilization of industrial solid waste, strengthening the harmless treatment of bulk industrial solid waste, and promoting standardized environmental management of industrial solid waste, etc.

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From "Coal Sea Heavy Town" to "Zero-Carbon Green Valley": Ejin Horo Banner Forges a New Path of Transformation Through Industrial Iteration

Located in the hinterland of the Ordos Plateau, Ejin Horo Banner (伊金霍洛旗), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is a nationally important coal production base, with an annual coal output of approximately 220 million tons. At present, Ejin Horo Banner takes industrial upgrading as its main lever, coordinates the quality improvement of traditional energy and the cultivation of new energy, bases itself on the comprehensive management of coal mining subsidence areas, and promotes the coordinated advancement of ecological restoration and new energy development. The Ejin Horo Banner Tianjiao Green Energy 500,000-kilowatt Coal Mining Subsidence Area Ecological Governance Photovoltaic Power Generation Demonstration Project (伊金霍洛旗天骄绿能50万千瓦采煤沉陷区生态治理光伏发电示范项目) has built a complete "wind-solar hydrogen production" closed loop, with green hydrogen providing clean power for hydrogen fuel-cell heavy trucks in the mining area, achieving near-zero carbon emissions in the transport link.

This is not only an iterative upgrade of the energy structure, but also a systematic reshaping of the development mode. Ejin Horo Banner persists in promoting transformation and development with dialectical thinking, using coal as an "anchor" to stabilize the basic economic development plate, and using green as a "wing" to open up new tracks for industrial growth, forming a benign development pattern in which old and new driving forces empower each other and synergistically improve.

"Black Gold" Quality Improvement: Traditional Industries Consolidate the Foundation for Transformation

Promoting the transformation of resource-based regions requires achieving iterative leaps based on existing foundations. Ejin Horo Banner has always taken the coal industry as a solid support for transformation and development. In 2025, the banner's raw coal output reached 220 million tons, laying a solid foundation and reserving space for industrial restructuring.

Major energy projects are steadily advancing. The Xinjie Energy Taigemiao Mining Area (新街能源台格庙矿区) officially started construction in March 2025, with resource reserves of 14.4 billion tons and a planned annual capacity of 56 million tons. The entire project is permeated with an intelligent design concept. As of March 2026, the construction of the first shaft inner wall of Xinjie No. 1 Mine was completed 115 days ahead of the planned schedule, and Xinjie No. 2 Mine commenced construction smoothly.

Intelligent construction of coal mines has achieved full coverage. Ejin Horo Banner has deeply promoted the digital transformation of the coal industry. In 2020, Zhuanlongwan Mine (转龙湾) and Mataihao Mine (马泰壕) were selected for the first national list of intelligent demonstration coal mines. The China Energy Investment Corporation Shendong Shangwan Mine (国家能源集团神东上湾煤矿) built the country's first intelligent gas inspection system. As of the end of 2025, the banner had built a total of 39 intelligent coal mines. Wotugou Mine (窝兔沟煤矿) relies on a 5G network to set up a "one cloud, one network" smart control platform, achieving remote operation of underground operations, intelligent inspection of equipment, and routine operation of unmanned mining trucks, saving over 6 million yuan in annual operating costs, with a capacity increase of 1.2 million tons and an annual benefit increase of 360 million yuan.

The coal chemical industry extends toward the high end. In the Shengyuan Coal Chemical Industrial Park (圣圆煤化工产业园), the coal-based aerospace kerosene independently developed by China Energy Investment Corporation Ordos Coal-to-Liquids Branch (国家能源集团鄂尔多斯煤制油分公司) was successfully applied in the launch of the Long March 12 carrier rocket, driving the leap of coal products from fuel to high-end special materials. At present, the banner has formed a production capacity scale of 1.08 million tons of coal-to-liquids and 1.6 billion cubic meters of coal-to-gas, and the modern coal chemical industry system is continuously improving.

The coal logistics hub function is continuously strengthened. The Ejin Horo Logistics Park has a coal shipping capacity of 150 million tons and has been successfully rated as a national production-service-type logistics hub, promoting the efficient sale of "Ejin Horo coal" to all parts of the country. Through whole-chain technological transformation and value upgrading, the traditional coal industry of Ejin Horo Banner has achieved clean, intelligent, and high-end development.

Zero-Carbon Energy Clustering: Industrial Clusters Build a New Development Situation

The digital and high-end transformation of the traditional coal industry has consolidated the basic plate for Ejin Horo Banner's transformation. Ejin Horo Banner has also simultaneously deployed the new energy manufacturing track, centering on the Ordos Zero-Carbon Industrial Park (鄂尔多斯零碳产业园) located in the Mengsu Economic Development Zone (蒙苏经济开发区), to build a new energy manufacturing cluster and open up a new development track. Using the Ordos Mengsu Economic Development Zone (鄂尔多斯蒙苏经济开发区) as a carrier, Ejin Horo Banner is accelerating the construction of an integrated "wind-solar-storage-hydrogen" green industry system, promoting the clustering and large-scale development of the new energy industry.

Since the Ordos Zero-Carbon Industrial Park was approved for construction in March 2022, it has gathered a number of leading industry enterprises, forming a complete new energy manufacturing industry chain. The capacity release rate of the LONGi Green Energy photovoltaic industry manufacturing base reaches 70%, forming a full industry chain layout of silicon rods, silicon wafers, cells, and modules. At present, the park has formed a production capacity scale of 50 GW of silicon rods and slices, 30 GW of photovoltaic cells, 5 GW of high-efficiency modules, and 10.5 GWh of energy storage batteries. A thousand-billion-yuan-level new energy industry cluster has begun to take shape on the grassland and sandy land.

Ejin Horo Banner adopts multiple measures to promote the implementation and effectiveness of the zero-carbon concept: on the energy supply side, it innovates a "government + enterprise" model to form a power distribution and sales entity, relying on a 408,000-kilowatt new energy project to achieve direct green power supply, with the proportion of green power used by enterprises in the park reaching 68%; on the standard guidance side, the Mengsu Economic Development Zone was successfully selected for the first batch of national-level zero-carbon park construction lists and the national standardization pilot project "Carbon Emission Field" list; on the pollution control side, it built the country's first "zero-discharge project" in the field of photovoltaic wastewater treatment, treating 100,000 tons of wastewater per day, achieving water resource recycling through four processes: pretreatment, biochemical treatment, deep treatment, and salt separation crystallization. Since its commissioning in October 2024, the project's water reuse rate has reached 95%, and the concentrated water produces about 165 tons of sodium chloride and 7 tons of sodium sulfate per day through crystallization, achieving full resource utilization of wastewater.

Zero-carbon application scenarios are expanded across the board, and zero-carbon practices extend from the industrial park to various urban fields: Ordos Ejin Horo International Airport applies photovoltaic power generation and carbon dioxide cold-heat integration technology, reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions by 13,000 tons, building the world's first zero-carbon airport; the Airport Logistics Park distribution center promotes a BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic) system, with an annual power generation of nearly 1.69 million kWh, achieving self-generation and self-use of building energy.

From deep cultivation of traditional energy to cultivation of zero-carbon industries, Ejin Horo Banner stabilizes the foundation through stock upgrading and opens up new situations through incremental breakthroughs, exploring a feasible path for the transformation of resource-based regions.

Data source: Publicity Department of the CPC Ejin Horo Banner Committee (中共伊金霍洛旗委员会宣传部)

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Zhang Ye, Yang Xiaoyu, Zhang Yifu

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From "Going It Alone" to "United Development" (New Observations on Cadre Mindset: Fostering a Culture of Willingness, Courage, and Skill in Taking Responsibility)

By: 本报记者 肖家鑫 王 者

Shandong has 48,800 administrative villages, but most are small in scale and low in population. Especially in those clustered small villages that are geographically adjacent, individual villages have fewer people, scattered land, and dispersed resources that cannot be aggregated. This makes it difficult to accommodate large projects or establish industrial chains, often tying up the hands of development.

To solve this problem, in recent years, Shandong has carried out "cross-village joint building" (跨村联建) of village party organizations. Different village party organizations fully consider factors such as natural conditions, geographical location, resource endowment, and focus on conditions such as geographical adjacency, industrial linkage, and complementary advantages. On the basis of fully soliciting and respecting the will of villagers, they carry out joint building and co-construction work, using industry as a link to drive cross-village resource integration. Through the methods of "small villages becoming larger villages" and "nearby villages forming clusters," they promote rural revitalization by area. As of now, Shandong has a total of 11,000 villages carrying out party organization "cross-village joint building," promoting 90% of provincial-level rural revitalization areas to cultivate leading industries exceeding 10 million yuan.

What drives industrial change? Jointly make plans, develop industries, carry out projects, negotiate prices as a group, and venture into the market together.

When a village is small in scale, the first thing to suffer is industry.

Guozhuang Village (郭庄村), Xiyujia Village (西于架村), and Dongyujia Village (东于架村) in Bianlin Town (边临镇), Lingcheng District (陵城区), Dezhou City (德州市), have adjacent boundaries. In the past, each village focused on traditional planting, but with limited land resources, industry never developed.

Now, walking into the Dexuan Area (德轩片区) for rural revitalization formed by the three villages in Bianlin Town, rows of standardized vegetable greenhouses stand 鳞次栉比 (lín cì zhì bǐ - "like scales and comb teeth," in close orderly rows), forming contiguous stretches. The villages have undergone gratifying changes. Jiang Hongtao (姜洪涛), convener of the Area's joint party building meeting, walks among the field ridges, his mind filled with a bunch of jars and cans. In the past, it was a bitter jar: the village collective had no income, wanting to do things but finding no way; now it is a honey jar: villagers' moneybags are bulging, and the village environment is beautiful.

What caused the change? "Major issues are consulted together, difficult issues are discussed together; the three villages are twisted into a single rope." Jiang Hongtao revealed the reason.

Jiang Hongtao, now 64 years old, began serving as party branch secretary of Guozhuang Village in 1994. In 2017, the district organized village party branch secretaries to go to Shouguang to learn about greenhouse planting. Jiang Hongtao decided to lead the villagers to give it a try and develop the vegetable planting industry. Although the idea was good, whether it could actually succeed, the villagers each had their own abacus. "If we don't take the lead in doing it, how can the industry develop?" Jiang Hongtao built a greenhouse himself and planted chili peppers. Seeing the village cadres take the lead, everyone gained confidence, and soon another eight greenhouses were built in the village.

Seeing that Guozhuang Village had made money from developing the planting industry, the neighboring Xiyujia Village and Dongyujia Village also successively built vegetable greenhouses to plant chili peppers.

But all three villages planted chili peppers, with similar varieties and similar market timing; they competed for customers and undercut each other's prices, and no one gained an advantage.

Fighting alone was not the solution. Jiang Hongtao called together the village cadres, party members, and villager representatives of the three villages to sit together. The more they talked, the clearer it became: forming a cluster is the only way to go far.

In April 2020, the three villages formed the Dexuan Area for rural revitalization. With guidance and support from the town party committee, a joint building work mechanism was established, with Jiang Hongtao serving as convener. The three villages jointly made plans, developed industries, and undertook projects, collectively developing diverse business forms such as planting and picking, and specialty processing.

From each finding their own customers to negotiating prices uniformly, from undercutting each other to venturing into the market as a group, the three villages gained stronger bargaining power, and the income of vegetable farmers was more secure. As of now, the Dexuan Area has built over 300 vegetable greenhouses, and last year the total collective income of the three villages exceeded 3 million yuan.

How to solve the talent predicament?

Reduce spatial and site constraints, jointly cultivate agricultural technicians.

To upgrade industry, talent is key, but small villages often face the predicament of being unable to attract or retain talent. Nie Yang (聂阳), a "new farmer" born in the 1990s, feels this deeply.

Six years ago, Nie Yang graduated from Shandong Agricultural University. Together with two schoolmates, he went to Xiwanghei Village (西王黑村), Wenzu Street (文祖街道), Zhangqiu District (章丘区), Jinan City, to develop the mushroom cultivation industry.

Upon arriving at the village, Nie Yang faced a development problem: the technology was mature, but few people knew how to cultivate it. "At root, it's still a lack of talent."

Build a nest to attract phoenixes, attract talent. In 2024, eight villages including Xiwanghei Village in Zhangqiu District, under the guidance of the street party working committee, carried out "cross-village joint building" of village party organizations, established a joint party building meeting, and jointly built the "Qilu Ancient Road·Landscape New Chapter" Spring Charm Rural Settlement Area (齐鲁古道·山水新章泉韵乡居片区), working together to build a platform for talent entrepreneurship and project incubation.

After the joint building, the several villages jointly surveyed their assets and sorted out accounts, uniformly consolidating idle land and revitalizing it in contiguous pieces, building a development platform for outside talent.

Nie Yang strengthened cooperation with universities such as Shandong Agricultural University, established a research and development team, and introduced two college graduates as technical instructors. At the same time, he also set up mushroom cultivation courses, teaching villagers mushroom cultivation techniques for free. Nie Yang said: "3 jin of straw becomes 1 jin of mushrooms. Villagers understand at a glance, learn at once, and succeed with one try." As of now, the villages have jointly trained 26 mushroom cultivation technicians, and the total scale of mushroom cultivation has reached over 300 mu.

In recent years, automated spawn production lines, constant-temperature cultivation rooms, etc., have been built one after another. The villages also extensively integrated resources to support talent entrepreneurship, freeing Nie Yang from spatial and site constraints, and providing a broader platform for his professional skills.

Now, the mushrooms produced by several villages are sold to Beijing, Shanghai, and other places, with a promotion area of 30,000 mu, driving employment for over 3,000 people. "Compared with funds and projects, the return of talent is a long-term advantage. Talents from different fields complement and collaborate, cluster and coexist, and realign and exert force in the same direction during joint building." said Wu Chunfeng (吴春峰), member of the Standing Committee of the Zhangqiu District Party Committee, Director of the Organization Department, and Director of the United Front Work Department. As of now, the "Qilu Ancient Road·Landscape New Chapter" Spring Charm Rural Settlement Area has introduced 15 highly educated talents, cultivated over 80 local talents, and the per capita disposable income of villagers has risen to over 36,000 yuan.

What about governance difficulties?

Small matters handled within the village, major matters discussed at joint meetings, putting problems out in the open.

Villages are small in scale and close in distance, which means many overlapping points in public affairs. In the past, each village "swept only its own doorstep," making conflicts hard to reconcile.

Suoqianpo Village (所前泊村), Xinyi Village (信义村), Lingjiao Bay Village (菱角湾村), and Qiaotou Village (桥头村) in Qiaotou Town (桥头镇), Huancui District (环翠区), Weihai City (威海市), have interwoven boundaries. In the past, the four villages each focused on their own development. Whenever there was a conflict, each had its own reasoning, and failure to reach an agreement was the norm.

Suoqianpo Village wanted to widen the road for its study tour project, but had to give up because it occupied the boundary of Lingjiao Bay Village; Xinyi Village built a parking lot for a scenic area, but due to occupying the boundary of Qiaotou Village, it could not open for a long time.

Solving the governance dilemma requires leadership by party building. Since 2024, the four villages have formed the Lingjiao Bay Area (菱角湾片区), established a joint meeting system, with small matters handled within the village and major matters discussed at joint meetings. The four village party organization secretaries put governance difficulties on the table for clear discussion.

At the first joint meeting, the four village party organization secretaries plus the responsible persons from the town's relevant departments sat around a table, putting two issues out together. Lingjiao Bay Village gave up the land needed for widening the roadbed, and Suoqianpo Village promised that study tour buses would bypass the main road of Lingjiao Bay Village to reduce disturbance; Qiaotou Village agreed to provide open space, and Xinyi Village was responsible for hardening the parking lot pavement. Each side gave way a step, got what they needed, and achieved mutual benefit and win-win.

With the joint mediation of conflicts initiated, the villages then jointly sorted out issues that villagers had concentratedly reported—information was blocked, and many villagers lacked employment information. At a joint meeting, they calculated together: the "Area Monthly" opened a recruitment column, with enterprise labor needs and treatment 一目了然 (yī mù liǎo rán - "at a glance, clearly visible"), and each issue was distributed to every household.

The "cross-village joint building" of village party organizations changed villagers from "standing and watching" to "taking the initiative to do." The four villages jointly opened a "Credit Bank" (诚信银行), mobilizing over 300 villagers to join volunteer services. In addition, credit points also opened up a participation channel for scenic area visitors: keeping one's word and abiding by rules could be exchanged for free parking tickets and homestay coupons, turning visitors from "passers-by" of the scenic area into participants. Over the course of a year, the number of conflicts and disputes in the Lingjiao Bay Area decreased by 41% year-on-year.

"Village party organization 'cross-village joint building' crosses village boundaries, links people's hearts, builds a happy life, 聚沙成塔 (jù shā chéng tǎ - "gather sand into a tower," taking small amounts to build something big), 握指成拳 (wò zhǐ chéng quán - "clench fingers into a fist," unite strength to form a force), maximizes the effectiveness of party building, and allows regional co-construction, co-governance, and sharing to benefit more party members and the masses." said a relevant responsible person from the Organization Department of the Shandong Provincial Party Committee (山东省委组织部).

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Can "Stockpiling Online Shopping" Disputes Warrant Triple Damages? (News Analysis)

By: 本报记者 赵帅杰

A large-scale online purchase of toys for the purpose of resale at physical stalls, when a dispute arises and a return is requested, is it reasonable to claim the punitive damages of "refund one and compensate three" (退一赔三) stipulated by the Consumer Rights Protection Law? The Macun District People's Court of Jiaozuo City, Henan Province, concluded a dispute case over an online purchase toy contract.

In 2025, Fan (范某), a resident of Macun District, saw a flying toy being sold on a livestream platform and wanted to buy it to sell at a stall by the park entrance, so he contacted the livestream vendor. The vendor sent Fan a business license, along with videos and pictures of the flying toy. Afterwards, Fan paid a deposit of 200 yuan to the vendor and ordered toys worth 1,388 yuan. After the goods were shipped, Fan paid another 488 yuan for the goods and agreed with the vendor that the remaining balance of 700 yuan would be collected by the courier upon delivery.

Three days later, the courier delivered the goods to Fan's door. Fan inspected the box on the spot and found that "the goods did not match the sample" (货不对板 - huò bù duì bǎn, "goods not matching the sample," the goods received do not correspond to what was shown) — "There were only 99 electric flying toys; the remaining nearly one thousand items were all plastic toys and bamboo products." Fan chose to reject the goods and contacted the vendor to demand a refund. The vendor claimed that the goods had been shipped according to the list and that there was no fraud, and that part of the returned goods had been damaged, so it did not agree to the refund. The two parties argued, and Fan sued the vendor in court on the grounds that "the goods did not match the sample" constituted fraud, demanding a refund of the purchase price and triple compensation.

"This case has two points of contention," said Chen Ting (陈婷), a judge of the Macun District People's Court. First, whether the plaintiff qualifies as a consumer protected under the Consumer Rights Protection Law; second, whether the vendor constituted consumer fraud.

Chen Ting explained that Article 2 of the Consumer Rights Protection Law clearly states that the law protects a natural person who "purchases, uses goods or accepts services for the needs of daily consumption." In this case, the plaintiff's bulk purchase for resale at a stall constitutes business procurement, not consumption for daily life, and the punitive damages rules of the Consumer Rights Protection Law do not apply. Moreover, upon verification, the vendor had fully disclosed in advance the detailed list of items in the toy package, and the goods shipped were consistent with the list.

After trial, the court held that Fan's purchase of the goods in question was not for his own consumption, and his purchase conduct clearly exceeded the reasonable limits of normal daily consumption needs. Therefore, he did not fall within the category of protected consumers under the Consumer Rights Protection Law, and his claim for triple damages against the vendor lacked factual and legal basis and was not supported by law. Given that Fan had paid 688 yuan to the vendor, rejected the goods and returned them to the vendor, and the vendor did not submit valid evidence to prove that the returned goods were damaged, the court supported Fan's claim for a refund of 688 yuan.

"This case is a rather representative 'procurement-style online shopping' (进货式网购) dispute in the current context of livestream shopping," said Chen Ting. Purchasers who buy goods in bulk for resale and stall operation should pay attention to distinguishing between 'consumption for daily life' and 'business procurement.' Bulk purchases for resale do not fall within the scope of the Consumer Rights Protection Law and cannot claim the punitive damages of 'refund one and compensate three.' The basis for rights protection is the rules on refund, exchange of goods, and assumption of liability for breach of contract under the Civil Code.

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First half of year: civil affairs departments at all levels handled 702 illegal social organizations.

Beijing, July 28 (Our newspaper reporter Wu Chuqi (吴储岐)) — Reporter learned from the Ministry of Civil Affairs on July 28 that in the first half of 2026, civil affairs departments at all levels nationwide handled a total of 702 illegal social organizations. Among them, 163 were placed on the list of suspected illegal social organizations or on a co-investigation notice, 63 were legally banned, 399 were ordered to dissolve, and 77 were guided to register.

In the first half of this year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, taking into account the current characteristics of illegal social organization activities, made the focus of its crackdown and rectification on illegal social organizations that fraudulently use official backgrounds, arbitrarily use such characters as "China" (中国), "Zhonghua" (中华), and "National" (全国) to mislead the public and conduct illegal activities, and deployed local authorities to legally ban a number of illegal social organizations such as "China Education Research Association" (中国教育研究学会), "National Industry-Education Integration Work Steering Committee" (全国产教融合工作指导委员会), "China New Era Cultural Strategy Research Institute" (中国新时代文化战略研究院), etc.

At the same time, to strengthen monitoring and early warning and expand sources of leads, the Ministry of Civil Affairs issued a notice on matters related to reporting illegal social organizations and other "mountain-stronghold organizations" (山寨社团), specifying multiple reporting methods to enhance the convenience of complaints and reports; civil affairs departments at all levels strengthened communication and coordination with public security, market supervision, cyberspace administration, and other relevant departments, improved mechanisms for information sharing, lead transfer, and joint law enforcement, broke down departmental barriers, and consolidated the combined force of rectification.

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Photo Report

In recent years, the Dao County Party Committee Social Work Department (县委社会工作部) of Hunan has continuously increased its care efforts for outdoor workers, relying on service venues such as community Party and mass service centers (社区党群服务中心), trade union service stations (工会驿站), and red service stations (红色驿站) to regularly carry out activities benefiting the people. The picture shows that on July 28, at the Outdoor Workers' Harbor on Binhe Road, Xizhou Subdistrict (西洲街道), Dao County (道县), outdoor workers are cooling off and enjoying the shade here. Photo by Jiang Keqing (蒋克青) (China Images (影像中国)).

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Xinjiang to Perform Cataract Surgery for 200 Veterans and Eligible Recipients

Our newspaper, Urumqi, July 28 (Reporter Shang Rongzheng (尚嵘峥)). The reporter learned from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Department of Veterans Affairs (新疆维吾尔自治区退役军人事务厅) that on July 27, the third "Love Brightness Journey, Warm Hearts of Veterans" (第三届“爱心光明行 情暖老兵心”) public welfare activity was launched in Kashgar, Xinjiang. It plans to perform cataract surgery for 200 veterans and their immediate family members, family members of martyrs, family members of soldiers who died in the line of duty, and family members of soldiers who died of illness.

On the day of the event, the Kashgar City People's Hospital simultaneously set up a public welfare free clinic area, providing free eye examinations, health science popularization, and other services for the attending veterans and entitled groups.

Xinjiang is an area with high incidence of cataract disease. Since 2024, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Department of Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with multiple units, has held the "Love Brightness Journey, Warm Hearts of Veterans" public welfare activity, using social forces to assist the service and support work for veterans. Caring enterprises have raised more than 1 million yuan in special public welfare funds, and have cumulatively carried out free eye screenings for over a thousand veterans and entitled groups, completing more than 500 cataract surgeries.

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Guangzhou launches 10 civility practice activities

Guangzhou, July 28 (People's Daily) — (Reporter Luo Aihua (罗艾桦)) The theme-based practice activity for civilized city construction in Guangzhou, titled "Civilized Guangzhou, Built by You and Me" (文明广州 你我共建) and hosted by the Guangzhou Office for the Advancement of Spiritual Civilization (广州市精神文明建设办公室), was recently launched, with more than 150 representatives from civilized units, model good citizens, civilized merchants, courier and food delivery riders, volunteers, grassroots workers, and community masses attending the launch ceremony. This civilized practice activity includes ten sub-activities: "Civilized Travel, Together with You and Me" (文明出行·你我同行), "Work Together to Beautify the Flower City" (齐动手·靓花城) — cityscape enhancement, "Civilized Snapshots" (文明随手拍), "Virtue Nourishes the Sheep City" (德润羊城) — model leadership, and others. A responsible person from the Guangzhou Office for the Advancement of Spiritual Civilization introduced that this year, focusing on three key tasks — civilized travel, the "three responsibilities in front of the door" (门前三包), and the substantive operation of the New Era Civilization Practice Center (新时代文明实践中心) — Guangzhou will continuously optimize road traffic order, improve the city's appearance, and perfect the construction of civilized practice positions.

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Let residents participate deeply and gain more tangible benefits.

By: 本报记者 王崟欣

Chen Zhize (陈志泽), aged over 70, has finally moved into his new home. "80 square meters, two bedrooms and a living room! And it's the 10th floor — 十全十美 (shí quán shí měi - "ten complete, ten beautiful," perfect in every way)!" Chen Zhize's smile cannot be hidden.

In the Tahui (塔汇) area of Shihudang Town (石湖荡镇), Songjiang District, Shanghai (上海市松江区), located upstream of the Huangpu River, Chen Zhize and his wife lived here all their lives. Peeling walls, leaking roofs, fire hazards… these old houses built in the 1980s and 1990s plagued the local residents.

When the house became uninhabitable, Chen Zhize did not want to trouble his children and rented houses here and there with his wife. There were over 1,000 households like them. Shihudang Town made up its mind to renovate this "urban village."

The project ran into difficulties before it even started. The Tahui area is a secondary water source protection area, and according to regulations, no construction projects that discharge pollutants could be newly built, renovated, or expanded here.

What could be done because the residents hoped for improvement? Weng Leijun (翁雷均), Party secretary of Shihudang Town, led his staff to repeatedly report to the municipal and district-level bureaus of ecology and environment, and invited relevant persons in charge, relevant departments, and experts for on-site assessment and work.

"It's not commercial housing being built; it's resettlement housing to settle the people." "The population will not increase — whatever the original population was, it remains the same now. No increase in pollution — is that acceptable?"

After repeated assessment and multiple rounds of communication, a plan for "on-site balancing" was proposed. The Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment (上海市生态环境局) approved — allowing Shihudang Town to build relocation resettlement housing for the people, provided no pollution sources are added. In July 2025, Shanghai adjusted the scope of the secondary water source protection area, and the resettlement housing site was zoned into the buffer zone. "Now we feel even more reassured," said Weng Leijun.

"On the day the plan was approved, we were very happy!" said Chen Zhize. "It's on the original site — we are going to live in an apartment building."

The resettlement housing had to be built well, yet not expensive. Shihudang Town is where the Shanghai–Suzhou–Huzhou high-speed railway passes through. The town Party committee brought in China Railway No.2 Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (中铁二局集团有限公司) for cooperative development, exploring a "government-led + market-operated" model. A main person in charge of the town government explained that the town set the land price at the lowest level; CR2G has funds and construction experience; and the collective economic organization took a 10% equity stake. This way, the fiscal pressure of "government bailout" was reduced, and enterprises and residents could both share the dividends. "Construction went very smoothly, with delivery six months ahead of schedule, saving nearly 50 million yuan just in residents' transition costs," said Weng Leijun.

Having been used to bungalows, how should the apartment buildings be designed? Hearing sessions led by residents were convened one after another. Chen Zhize was also invited to attend. "Used to a big stove, the kitchen must be large." "The electric scooter needs to be chargeable." "Better if there is a place to wash the car." … Suggestions were written down one by one. Needs were integrated into the design bit by bit.

On December 31, 2025, 1,104 relocated households received the keys to their new homes. Some moved in directly. Chen Zhize and his wife were busy for several months: laying tiles, buying appliances, airing out the smell, and then they 迫不及待 (pò bù jí dài - "urgent cannot wait," impatiently) moved into the new home.

In the new home, his wife is busy in the kitchen. The kitchen is bright and spacious; the long countertop has operating areas on three sides. In the neighborhood, car-washing spots and charging areas are 一应俱全 (yī yīng jù quán - "all responding complete," everything needed is available). "Greenery covers over 30% — it's like a park," Chen Zhize said with a smile.

Now that the houses are built, how will community governance keep up? The community residents' committee is being established. The community is named "Jinxiang" — a name determined after 32 people made suggestions and 97 residents participated in the selection.

"Let residents participate deeply and gain more tangible benefits; their satisfaction is the direction of our efforts," said Weng Leijun.

"Moving into a new home, life is brighter." Chen Zhize looks outside the window. The Huangpu River flows quietly not far away. Here, it is already home.

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本版责编：季健明 徐雷鹏 李佩阳

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Old Fu's Mountain City Story: My Story with China

By: 本报记者 沈靖然

Highlights

Professor Fu Lanke from the United States came to Chongqing about seven years ago and has taken root there. He introduced an interdisciplinary education model to Southwest University, and also brought his classroom deep into the mountains, visiting nearly a hundred schools to give public-benefit lectures. When a mountain fire broke out in Chongqing, he leveraged his expertise in assembling chainsaws to assist rescue efforts. From a foreign scholar to the "magic professor" in students' mouths, and then to a "Chongqing brother" in the eyes of locals, Fu Lanke has integrated into this land with sincere and simple actions.

When Old Fu teaches, he cannot "stay put." In a 45-minute class, he walks back and forth in the classroom, covering at least a thousand steps. He jokes that he does not want to just stand behind the podium and click a mouse to show slides — "That's chanting sutras, not teaching."

Old Fu's Chinese name is Fu Lanke (福兰课). He is from the United States and is a foreign professor in the Faculty of Education at Southwest University (西南大学). He now lives in Chongqing. When a reporter followed him to Wenxing Primary School (文星小学) in Beibei District (北碚区), Chongqing, he was about to give a 3D modeling class to the children. On the podium, Old Fu used a mouse to "build a house" in 3D modeling software — dragging out a rectangular solid for walls, digging a few holes for doors and windows, and pulling out a triangular surface for a roof. "See? Isn't it like playing with building blocks?" He would sometimes lean down to look at one child's screen, sometimes move closer to ask another student's opinion. Even if a student gave a wrong answer, he would not rush to negate it, but instead followed their line of thinking, guiding them little by little toward the correct direction.

In the nearly seven years since he came to China, Old Fu has almost every month paid out of his own pocket to go into rural schools. Having traveled from across the ocean to settle in the mountain city, he has long regarded China as his second home.

Imparting knowledge in plain language — becoming the "magic professor" in China

In 2008, Old Fu followed his advisor, American educator Dr. Dwight Allen, to China for the first time for academic exchange. Dr. Allen was a "China hand" and told him before departure: "You will surely fall in love with China." As Dr. Allen had predicted, "The trip was too short; I really hated to leave," Old Fu recalled. "The people I met here and the things I experienced were all more wonderful than I could imagine." It was that trip to China that led him to meet Ms. Liang (梁女士), also a scholar, in Chengdu, who later became his wife.

After the visit concluded, Old Fu returned to the United States, but his connection with China never ended. While teaching at a university, he became acquainted with several scholars from Southwest University who were on exchange in the U.S., and they later became close friends. "Old Fu, come to Chongqing! Southwest University has a research platform that would suit you well," his friends repeatedly invited him. Old Fu primarily researched interdisciplinary education, and Southwest University at that time also hoped to bring in experts in this field.

So in the autumn of 2019, Old Fu moved to Chongqing and formally joined Southwest University. Upon arrival, he immediately took on a tough challenge: starting from scratch to explore and build a STEAM teaching system suited to China's local conditions. STEAM is an interdisciplinary education model integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics, focusing on cultivating students' ability to solve practical problems across disciplines. This educational practice had already developed relatively maturely overseas, but at that time, not many Chinese universities were systematically carrying out related construction.

"In the STEAM field, Southwest University got a very early start," Old Fu said with great excitement. He plunged into research, consulting materials day and night, and independently developed courses covering kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, and university, forming a complete curriculum outline. His special knack was explaining complex scientific concepts in a way that was easy to understand.

"Only what can be explained clearly in plain language can truly enter students' hearts," Old Fu said as he demonstrated. "For example, when teaching lower-grade students about physical knowledge like X-rays, you absolutely cannot force-feed concepts." He first guides students to connect with daily life: "When you take the light rail, you've seen that big black box used for security checks, right? When you break a bone or have a toothache, you've been to the hospital to get a film taken, right?" After the students suddenly understand, he pulls out black card stock and white cotton swabs, and has everyone do a hands-on activity, arranging the cotton swabs on the card stock to form the shape of finger bones. "Look, this is an X-ray film!" After one class, abstract physics knowledge becomes concrete and perceptible, and stays in the students' minds.

Old Fu also has an ironclad rule — all models and handmade works produced with the 3D printer in class can be taken away by students. "Students need to personally touch their own creations; that is the moment when scientific dreams sprout," he said. Considering that some primary and secondary schools have limited teaching budgets, he pre-screens free modeling websites and low-cost teaching materials so frontline teachers can use them directly.

Not only in the field of 3D printing, Old Fu's course content also covers computer programming, robot assembly, and other directions. Because he "knows everything and can do everything," he is called the "magic professor" by his students. Now, Old Fu is building a 3D printing training laboratory on campus. In his view, China's 3D printing industry has already taken the global lead, and this cutting-edge technology holds enormous potential in education, capable of stimulating students' creativity through practice. "Bringing cutting-edge technology into the campus, so that every student can personally experience and create — this is precisely the value of education," he said.

When disaster struck, he stepped up without hesitation — assembling chainsaws and instantly becoming a "fire-fighting brother"

In Chongqing, many people's impression of Old Fu originated from a mountain fire on Jinyun Mountain (缙云山) in Beibei District in 2022. At that time, the fire was heartbreaking. Old Fu recalled that looking up from campus, helicopters were flying back and forth, sirens were wailing, and the air itself seemed hot.

The entire city had mobilized. Many Chongqing citizens, braving temperatures close to 40 degrees Celsius, rode motorcycles and carried baskets on their backs, doing everything they could to transport supplies up the mountain. At that time, Old Fu saw a request for help from the frontline: the rescue site had received a large number of chainsaws donated by the public, used for clearing obstacles and opening firebreaks, but most were disassembled in boxes, and there was an urgent shortage of volunteers to assemble them.

This work, he knew all too well. Old Fu grew up in the mountains of Missouri, USA. As a child, his family used a wood stove for heating, and he often went into the mountains to cut firewood with his father. Assembling and operating a chainsaw was a basic skill he had practiced since childhood. "I can help!" He found an interpreter to assist with communication, packed dry rations, drinking water, and necessary clothing, stuffing his backpack full, ready to stay up two nights on the mountain.

Driving to the material distribution point, he saw piles of loose parts on the ground like a mountain. Old Fu got out of the car without a word and started working. His two Chinese volunteer partners were a bartender and an airline employee. The three of them did not know each other, came from different backgrounds, and had limited language communication. But when they worked, they cooperated like old friends who had known each other for years, assembling and debugging four chainsaws in a short time. Old Fu also personally taught the assembly tips to other volunteers on site.

To get the chainsaws up the mountain, Old Fu and the interpreter hailed a taxi and drove straight to the foot of the mountain. However, the mountain road was steep and impassable for cars. They happened to meet a motorcycle team that had spontaneously organized to go up the mountain for rescue. Old Fu shouldered his big bag and straddled the back seat of a motorcycle. Amidst smoke and fumes all the way, he gritted his teeth and rushed toward the core fire zone. When he got close to the core firebreak, duty personnel stopped him. The staff member looked at his short-sleeved shirt and shook his head: "Brother, you're not wearing protective gear. It's too dangerous inside. Better go down the mountain; leave the scene to us." Old Fu was a bit anxious, explaining that he had brought other clothes in his bag. But the site staff, out of safety considerations, still did not agree. He stopped arguing, gave a proper salute, and handed over all the well-tuned chainsaws, flashlights, and other supplies to the staff members preparing to go up the mountain. "There were thousands of people on site; management was already difficult. I came to help, I absolutely could not add to their burden, let alone make them divert attention to take care of me," he said, his tone very calm.

After the mountain fire was put out, a photo of Old Fu holding a chainsaw at the periphery of the fireground, his face covered in ash, quietly spread online. Netizens commented: "This guy is solid," "Heroes know no borders," and so on. Locals also called him "Chongqing brother." He chuckled when he heard that: "That name is great. In my heart, I am a part of this place. When family is in danger, how could you not lend a hand?"

That fire made Old Fu feel the genuine sincerity in the bones of the people on this land. "In the face of disaster, what people think about is not 'what help can I get,' but 'what can I do to help others,'" he said. It is these subtle and steadfast actions that made him feel the sentiment of mutual care between people.

Public-benefit teaching never stops — both going into the mountains to teach and helping students go out of the mountains for internships

"When I do public-benefit work, I don't deliberately keep accounts and don't seek returns; it is purely voluntary." Old Fu repeated this sentence. "Doing public-benefit work has always been my life habit, and it has become part of my life in China."

The experience that left the deepest impression on Old Fu was going into a rural primary school deep in the mountains. The entire school had only 75 students and 3 teachers, and students of all grades were squeezed into one classroom. It was also the first time these mountain children encountered an interdisciplinary hands-on practical class. The enthusiasm and concentration the children showed in class surprised Old Fu immensely. The older students took the initiative to take care of the younger ones, and children of different ages spontaneously formed cooperative groups, sitting around simple desks and discussing design drawings with great excitement. "These students have a great team spirit; they take care of everyone in the team, and everyone contributes to the team in their own way," he said.

They used popsicle sticks to build stable bridge models, and used colored clay and wire to make the orbits of the planets in the solar system. The most exciting part was on the playground, where the children used discarded plastic bottles, air nozzles, and bicycle pumps to make homemade water-powered "little rockets." With a "bang," water splashed, and the rocket shot into the sky, with the children's cheers echoing through the valley. "Children love this novel and fun kind of class. Seeing them engaged in learning and enjoying themselves, I feel especially gratified," Old Fu said.

Over the years, Old Fu has never stopped his public-benefit teaching. His footprints have covered nearly a hundred schools at all levels in the area, from kindergarteners to high school students preparing for the college entrance exam, all have attended his classes. When Old Fu goes to the countryside to teach, he also likes to bring his doctoral students along. Vivian, a doctoral student in education from Nigeria, said: "Following Professor Fu into classrooms deep in the mountains, I truly got close to China's grassroots education and learned a lot from it." Over the years, he has also continuously connected social resources to create opportunities for rural students to go out of the mountains, taking them to visit the Southwest University campus, as well as natural museums and science and technology museums...

Outside teaching, Old Fu has not been idle either. He has served as a volunteer judge in museum competitions, participated in public-benefit activities for building child-friendly cities, and helped organize international youth research and study activities... In his view, the magic of education is that learning does not only happen on campus.

As the interview drew to a close, the reporter asked him: If time could turn back and his late advisor Dr. Allen were sitting in front of him, what would he most want to say? Old Fu was silent for a moment. "In 2008, he told me that China would become a hot land that global talent aspires to. At that time, I thought, maybe," Old Fu said candidly. "Now, his prediction has come true! More and more international scholars and young talents are coming to China to study and live, and I am fortunate to be one of them, taking root here, and striving to pass on what I have learned to more children." Old Fu smiled and said, "When he sees what I have done over these years, he will surely be proud of me."

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The concepts and execution driving China's urban development (China in my eyes)

By: 迈穆娜·穆赫德·谢里夫

30 years ago, when I was still engaged in urban planning work in Malaysia, I began to follow China’s urban development. Later, during my tenure as Executive Director of UN-Habitat, China’s urban development became one of the key cases in our research. As a result, I also visited many places in China and gained a deeper understanding of the concepts and practices of China’s urban development.

Urban development cannot be separated from scientific planning. China’s urban development has achieved world-renowned accomplishments; in 2025 the urbanization rate of the permanent resident population reached 67.89%. Behind this, the continuous formulation and implementation of five-year plans (规划/计划) have played a key role in steadily advancing new-type urbanization. China’s 15th Five-Year Plan outline proposes to “promote the transformation of urban development modes and build modern people’s cities that are innovative, livable, beautiful, resilient, civilized, and smart.” This vision is based on a long-term perspective and points the direction for promoting high-quality urban development. In my view, its core lies in adhering to a people-centered approach and placing greater emphasis on improving the quality of life of the people and promoting the well-rounded development of individuals. For many developing countries undergoing rapid urbanization, China’s useful explorations provide important reference for advancing urban development transformation.

Innovation provides momentum for high-quality development in China’s cities. With the accelerated application of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, China is continuously empowering urban construction and governance with technology, stimulating the vitality of urban development. In 2024, I saw in Shanghai that the local traffic management system had introduced intelligent digital technologies, and new-energy vehicles and charging facilities had become a common sight on the streets. What impressed me most was Shanghai’s active exploration of the resource utilization of waste: artificial intelligence is used for waste sorting recognition, the processes of waste collection, transport, and treatment are digitally monitored, and non-recyclable waste can be used for power generation after incineration. These changes made me feel that China’s scientific and technological innovation is constantly being integrated into the urban fabric, providing strong support for improving the efficiency of urban governance.

Green and low-carbon development has become an important direction for China’s urban transformation and development. I pay particular attention to the construction of “park city” in Chengdu, Sichuan. Now, Chengdu has more than 1,500 parks, and “see green within 300 meters, see a park within 500 meters” (300米见绿、500米见园) has become a reality. Here, green spaces are not just urban landscapes; they have been integrated into the daily lives of residents and become an organic component of the city. This practice is highly consistent with nature-based solutions and also fully demonstrates that a mega-city with a population of over ten million, through overall coordination, can contribute to addressing climate change while enhancing its livability.

History and culture give a city its unique charm. In China, I see more and more cities paying attention to the protection and inheritance of history and culture in the course of modernization. In 2023, Fuzhou, Fujian, won the inaugural Global Sustainable Development City Award (Shanghai Award). The jury believed that one of Fuzhou’s innovations was protecting historic buildings while transforming them into cultural and tourism spaces, thereby revitalizing historical heritage. I had a similar feeling when visiting Yongqing Fang in Guangzhou, Guangdong: historic buildings were repaired and revitalized, intangible cultural heritage such as traditional crafts were passed on and developed, and the city retained a distinct cultural foundation.

Looking back at the course of China’s urban development, it is not difficult to find that what truly drives urban progress is not only development concepts and policies that 与时俱进 (yǔ shí jù jìn - “advance with the times”), but also the execution that turns blueprints into reality step by step. China has always adhered to implementing long-term plans into urban construction and the improvement of people’s livelihoods, and this also inspires more cities around the world to 脚踏实地 (jiǎo tà shí dì - “step on solid ground,” down-to-earth, pragmatic) in advancing sustainable development.

I have always believed that international cooperation has long-term significance for building inclusive, livable, and resilient cities. During my tenure as Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur maintained close exchanges with Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Fuzhou. In the future, Malaysia and China can further strengthen cooperation and mutual learning in infrastructure construction such as coastal protection, high-speed railways, as well as smart city construction. In 2026, I received the Chinese Government Friendship Award (中国政府友谊奖). I hope to continue sharing China’s useful experiences in urban construction with countries around the world. I also look forward to China continuing to rely on mechanisms such as World Cities Day, the Shanghai Award, and the World Urban Forum to deepen global urban exchanges and cooperation, jointly building a more sustainable future.

(The author is a former UN Under-Secretary-General and former Executive Director of UN-Habitat. This article was recorded and compiled by Chen Xirui (陈熙芮), reporter of this newspaper.)

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Driving an Old Car, Retracing the Ancient Silk Road (Foreigners No Longer Outsiders)

By: 本报记者 尚凯元

Not long ago, the Futuroscope theme park in Poitiers, France, welcomed more than 80 vintage car enthusiasts, who started from there on a journey along the ancient Silk Road covering approximately 15,000 kilometers, expected to arrive in Beijing in August of this year.

On the day of departure, an arch was set up on the square in front of the park, lion dancers led the way, and tourists waved to cheer the participants on. This self-driving event themed "Paris—Beijing Crossing" has now seen its fourth "departure" since it was first held in 2015. Thirty-three vintage cars of different models, eras, and colors, flying colorful banners bearing the words "Hello! China," drove forward in the wind, forming a unique convoy.

Unlike previous editions, which went south from Siberia in Russia, entered China via Mongolia, this year's convoy, after departing from France, will follow ancient Silk Road cities such as Istanbul in Turkey and Samarkand in Uzbekistan, enter China via Kashgar in Xinjiang, then head east, successively arriving in Aksu, Turpan, Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Xi'an, and other locations, covering approximately 5,700 kilometers within Chinese territory. "Driving from Europe to China is in itself a dream journey, reminiscent of those legendary expeditions across the Eurasian continent. Now, we are tracing the historical footsteps of the ancient Silk Road and also experiencing China in our own way," said Bruno Ricodo, head of the French ATYPIC Vintage Car Association.

The earliest registered "Car No. 01" crew consisted of two longtime friends. Francis Chaveau, who had visited China many times before retirement, said, "In the past, flying to China, I could only look down from above the clouds. This time, driving through it, we can feel China's vastness up close." His partner, Martin Joubert, had previously traveled between China and the African continent many times, mostly entering China from the eastern coastal areas. "This is not only an adventure but also lets me understand a more real China, especially the western regions I have explored less before." In the 1980s, Martin Joubert once rented a bicycle to tour Xi'an, and his unique mode of travel attracted the attention of many locals. This time, returning to Xi'an with the convoy, it may coincide with his 70th birthday. "For me, this trip also holds the meaning of reunion!"

A couple from Luxembourg, both over 70 years old, had long looked forward to a trip to China. Friends who had been to China to purchase new energy vehicles were full of praise for China's development in recent years, which made the couple even more eager to see this amazing country with their own eyes. After deciding to sign up, the husband and wife began preparing for this eastern journey. "Since then, our online shopping at home has never stopped. The car is now fully stocked, literally a 'mobile logistics station,'" the wife, Christina, said with a smile. Besides the rally's official logos, the car body also bears brand logos of a real estate company, a car dealership, a café, and others — these came from special "entrustments" from friends. "When they heard we were going to China, everyone was very excited and hoped to participate in this way. They also look forward to seeing their shop names appear on Chinese soil along with us," said the husband, Vanni.

"Our trip will be full of charm — it carries the spirit of exploration and also brings sincere and beautiful encounters between people. We very much look forward to meeting the Chinese people. Although we don't speak Chinese, as long as people are willing to communicate, we will stop and share," said Bruno Ricodo. "Hello! China, see you in Beijing."

(本报普瓦捷电) — (This newspaper, Poitiers dispatch)

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Layout Editor: Bai Yang, Chen Xirui

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Strengthen Security Foundation, Promote Low-Carbon Transition

By: 胡森林

Recently, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration officially issued the "15th Five-Year" Plan for Building a New Energy System (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), proposing to initially establish a clean, low-carbon, safe, and efficient new energy system by 2030. This marks that China's energy development has entered a critical stage of systemic restructuring. For the oil and gas industry, the Plan both reaffirms the safety baseline and delineates the direction of transformation. Grasping this dual significance is the key to understanding the general trend of the industry's development in the next five years.

The "newness" of the new energy system lies at its core in the major transformation of the energy structure and the overall restructuring of the energy system, reflecting the strategic leap of China's energy transition from "scaling up scale" to "strengthening the system." The Plan sets hard targets such as peaking coal and oil consumption, and increasing the share of non-fossil energy consumption to 25%. The "dual 50" goals—installed capacity of wind and solar power exceeding 50%, and the share of non-fossil energy electricity generation reaching 50%—mean that non-fossil energy will become both the "capacity mainstay" and the "electricity generation mainstay" of the power system. However, China's energy resource endowment determines that fossil energy will remain irreplaceable for a considerable period. The new energy system is not about de-fossilizing energy, but about achieving the repositioning and coordinated optimization of various energy types through systemic restructuring.

The Plan raises the comprehensive energy production capacity to 5.8 billion tons of standard coal and sets it as a binding target, while also making special arrangements for energy security assurance under extreme circumstances. During the "15th Five-Year" period, the fundamental role of fossil energy as a safety cornerstone remains unshakable, and oil and gas will continue to shoulder the important mission of ensuring supply. Especially against the backdrop of rising global geopolitical uncertainty, stable domestic oil and gas production and output growth serve as the "ballast stone" (yā chuāng shí - "ballast stone," a stabilizing force) against external shocks. Therefore, the focus of work on vigorously promoting oil and gas exploration and development must be firmly grasped, centering on the four major areas of deep earth, deep sea, unconventional resources, and mature oil and gas fields to promote "stabilizing oil and increasing gas" (wěn yóu zēng qì - "stabilize oil, increase gas"). This aims to stabilize annual crude oil output at around 200 million tons, with offshore and unconventional areas becoming the main force for stable crude oil production. At the same time, a petroleum reserve system that organically integrates government reserves and enterprise social responsibility reserves will be built, and the "single national network" (quán guó yī zhāng wǎng - "one national grid") for oil and gas will be continuously improved. Reserves and pipeline networks work in tandem, both enhancing systemic resilience to cope with emergency situations and improving the efficiency of cross-regional optimal allocation of resources.

Judging from the Plan's deployment, another focus of oil and gas industry development is to achieve transformation and upgrading along the clean and low-carbon direction through structural adjustment, integrated development, and digital-intelligent empowerment. On the one hand, in terms of functional positioning, oil and gas will gradually shift from "fuel" to "feedstock." This requires the refining and chemical industry to make greater efforts in technological innovation and product structure optimization to meet the demand from China's industrial upgrading for specialty oils, high-end new materials, and other products. On the other hand, in terms of development mode, oil and gas development must more prominently highlight integration and coordination with new energy. Through measures such as integrated development of onshore oil and gas fields with new energy, and coordinated development of offshore oil and gas fields with offshore wind power, oil and gas fields will be transformed from single fossil energy producers into multi-energy complementary comprehensive energy bases, using intensive use of sea space to solve offshore development challenges. At the same time, the electrification rate of production will be raised, carbon emissions over the full life cycle will be reduced, and a fundamental change in the energy consumption structure will be achieved. Coupling development between oil and gas and industries such as nuclear power and hydrogen energy will be promoted, and new models of cross-energy category, cross-industry synergy and integration will be explored. In the construction of the new energy system, the oil and gas industry is not a passive respondent, but an actively embedded, value-reshaping "transformation subject" (zhuǎn xíng zhǔ tǐ - "subject of transformation"). In this process, the transformation of traditional energy enterprises into comprehensive energy production and service providers will give rise to more new scenarios and new business forms.

The two focuses—one anchored in "security" and the other oriented toward "low-carbon"—are not separate; they are two sides of the same coin in the restructuring of the energy system. The oil and gas industry unifies these two in industrial practice: by increasing reserves and boosting production to consolidate a new foundation for strategic security, and by integrating and coordinating to open up new paths for green development. Only then can it find its own irreplaceable position in the new energy system and play an indispensable and important role.

(The author is Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Energy Economic Research Institute of China National Offshore Oil Corporation)

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Racing to Boost R&D, China's Auto Industry Accelerates (Industrial & Economic Perspectives · Strengthening, Optimizing, and Expanding the Real Economy)

By: 本报记者 王 政

On May 10 local time, at the Misano World Circuit in Italy, during the final lap of the second race of the first round of the 2026 FIA TCR World Tour, Chinese driver Ma Qinghua (马青骅) driving a blue Geely Xingrui (吉利星瑞) TCR racing car crossed the finish line first with a 1-second advantage, and the Geely "China Star" (中国星) team won the first round. Next, in the second TCR round concluded on June 14, the "China Star" team even swept all three race victories.

Following the Lynk & Co brand under the Geely Auto Group winning the honor of "seven years, nine championships" in the TCR World Tour, Chinese racing has once again written a new legend on the world's top touring car stage. From a technological "quenching furnace" (淬火炉) to a brand "catalyst" (催化剂), and then to a service "new engine" (新引擎), Chinese motorsport is transforming hardcore technology from the track into strong momentum for industrial upgrading, driving brand elevation, opening up a new blue ocean in the automotive aftermarket, and assisting high-quality industrial development.

Using racing to promote research, using technology to nourish production, building a core technology "quenching furnace"

Walking into the HORSE Powertrain R&D Center (浩思动力研发中心) in Hangzhou Bay, Ningbo, Zhejiang, two V6 engines are undergoing tests on an engine test bench. "This is the HORSE W30 six-cylinder engine exhibited at this year's Beijing Auto Show, with a power range of 350 kW to 400 kW and a weight of only 160 kg. It is the lightest fuel engine of its kind globally." Zhao Fucheng (赵福成), Chief Technology Officer of HORSE Powertrain and CEO of Aurora Bay Technology (极光湾科技), told reporters that this V6 engine successfully fired up on July 22 and is currently undergoing calibration tests on the bench for nearly four months. Next will be the "two winters and one summer" (两冬一夏) full-vehicle calibration, with mass production scheduled for the second half of next year.

To achieve a balance between high performance and miniaturization and lightweight, the R&D team absorbed experience accumulated from TCR competitions, adopted AI (artificial intelligence) big data to optimize the combustion model through a独创 (proprietary) high-flow and high-tumble in-cylinder airflow design, achieving efficient combustion under all operating conditions while also meeting the ultimate performance requirements and China 7 and Euro 7 emission regulations.

The breakthrough of the Geely-affiliated HORSE Powertrain V6 engine is just the latest example of "using the track to verify technology, using technology to nourish production" (以赛验技，以技哺产) for core technologies.

Wang Pengwu (王鹏伍), head of the Performance Sport Product Line R&D at Geely Auto Group, still has a vivid memory of the R&D process for the Lynk & Co 03+Racing high-performance sedan back then. "The R&D team initially thought that for high performance, sufficient durability was enough. They never expected that civilian design could not withstand the prolonged high-load, high-rpm 'hell-level' track test," Wang Pengwu said. Once on the track, all problems emerged: oil temperature too high, insufficient transmission cooling, brake overheating...

"We took improvement plans and went to the Hangzhou Bay track every two weeks for testing and verification. In the end, racing-grade cooling systems, independent transmission oil pumps... one after another, the achievements fed back from the track were incorporated into this civilian high-performance sedan," Wang Pengwu said. Thus, the Lynk & Co 03+Racing became the first performance "hot hatch" (性能钢炮) of a Chinese brand.

Lynk & Co's technological advancement has never stopped. In December 2025, Lynk & Co released the first mass-produced TCR racing car of a Chinese brand—the Lynk & Co 03+TCR—and completed the first batch of vehicle deliveries in April of this year. This marks the breaking of Europe's century-long technical monopoly in the field of top-level racing car manufacturing by Chinese automobiles.

"Victory on the track is a powerful demonstration of a company's entire vehicle R&D, manufacturing, and tuning system capability. At the same time, the massive amount of real-world data accumulated from racing fully verifies the reliability and power stability of the engine models, providing solid support for subsequent technical iteration and performance upgrades of civilian models," said a relevant person in charge of Lynk & Co. The "using racing to promote research" (以赛促研) model has broadened the "moat" (护城河) of Lynk & Co's core technologies, and has also brought the handling, stability, and safety of mass-produced cars up to world-class standards.

Reshaping cognition through speed, injecting a brand-elevation "catalyst"

Cumulative sales exceeding 580,000 units, all four product categories ranking first in their respective market segments, and achieving positive year-on-year growth against the backdrop of a 31.9% decline in domestic fuel passenger car sales during the same period... "In the first half of this year, the 'China Star' series was able to grow against the trend thanks in large part to the i-HEV intelligent hybrid technology launched by Geely in March. The team's excellent results of topping the podium in two TCR rounds became a catalyst for brand elevation," said Wang Bo (王博), Deputy General Manager of Geely Automobile Sales Co., Ltd.

The driving effect of winning championships on brand elevation has been particularly evident for the Lynk & Co brand. Statistics show that in 2019, when the Lynk & Co 03 team first won the TCR championship, the average price of the mass-produced Lynk & Co 03 was about 130,000 RMB, while the Honda Civic averaged 145,000 RMB and the Audi A3 averaged 170,000-180,000 RMB. In 2025, after multiple rounds of price wars in the auto market, the average price of the Lynk & Co 03 was 120,000 RMB, while the Civic fell below 100,000 RMB and the Audi A3 dropped to less than 140,000 RMB.

"Consumers are more willing to choose a 'world champion car,' not because it has higher specifications, but because it is a model that can represent China and sit on an equal footing (平起平坐) with the world's top performance cars," said a relevant person in charge of Geely Auto Group. Young consumers buy the Lynk & Co 03 not as a means of transportation, but to buy a sense of Chinese pride. This emotional premium brought about by automotive racing cannot be replaced by any advertising or marketing.

Automotive racing is an inevitable path for brand premiumization. Looking at the 140-year history of world automobile development, whether it is Mercedes-Benz, BMW, or Audi, they have all long competed on the racing track. Relying on advantages in technology, efficiency, and cost, Chinese-brand cars are in a period of rapid development in overseas markets, and establishing a high-end brand image has become an urgent task (当务之急, dāng wù zhī jí - "the urgent matter at hand").

"Building brand advantages and enhancing brand premium capacity overseas—automotive racing is a difficult but correct path," said Cheng Guang (程广), General Manager of Shanghai Lisheng Sports Culture Communication Co., Ltd. and CEO of CTCC China Touring Car Championship (中国汽车场地职业联赛). Chinese brands going overseas cannot just sell products; they must also export culture. In the global automotive market, participating in classic events like the TCR World Tour and the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race and achieving good results not only allows the world to see the performance strength of Chinese brands but also wins respect from overseas consumers through the races.

From "competing for champions" to "cultivating champions," opening up a "new blue ocean" in automotive services

The sun blazed in Chengdu in July. On the weekend Tianfu Circuit, Lotus sports cars roared past. On the fourth floor of the Chengdu Lynk & Co Automobile Sports Experience Center (成都领克汽车运动体验中心), Luo Peng (罗鹏) and Zhang Hao (张浩) were intensely sparring on racing simulators. In the modification and repair workshop on the first floor, Xiao Yang (肖阳), president of the Chengdu branch of the Lynk & Co car club, was asking a technician to give his "racing car" a check-up.

"We all signed up for the Lynk & Co Track Day (领克赛道日) and are here today to prepare," Luo Peng told reporters. He and Zhang Hao are both programmers who have loved cars since childhood. Four years ago, he joined the Chengdu branch of the Lynk & Co car club. From initial track experience, to hands-on coaching from instructors, to changing the car's brakes and suspension, to winning the championship in the 2024 Peak Driver Challenge (巅峰车手挑战赛), and finally obtaining a racing license. "Along the way, watching my lap times improve day by day, I feel a great sense of achievement," Luo Peng said.

From an ordinary car owner growing into a "semi-professional" driver, Luo Peng is just one of many performance car enthusiasts who have benefited from Lynk & Co's "Champion Cultivation Program" (冠军培养计划).

"Competing for champions—Lynk & Co has already proven itself on the TCR track. Cultivating champions—Lynk & Co's goal is to gradually popularize the once 高不可攀 (gāo bù kě pān - "too high to reach") motorsport," said the relevant person in charge of the Chengdu Lynk & Co Automobile Sports Experience Center. Lynk & Co has built China's first complete automobile sports culture ecosystem, ranging from professional drivers to professional players and then to enthusiasts. Especially for performance car enthusiasts, Lynk & Co has launched activities such as driving training, track days, the Peak Driver Challenge, and racing license training, establishing a complete mechanism for advancing from players to drivers.

According to the relevant person in charge of Lynk & Co motorsport, since Lynk & Co Automobile Sports launched national B-level racing license training in 2022, it has trained over 800 racers, issued 3,256 professional driving training certificates, and attracted more than 37,000 motorsport enthusiasts. On July 23, Lynk & Co announced that it would participate in the CRC Rally Championship in August of this year and established the Lynk & Co Rally Academy.

On June 24, the Chongqing Dazu Longshui Lake International Automobile Off-Road Racing Venue (重庆大足龙水湖国际汽车越野赛车场), with a total investment of approximately 60 million RMB, officially began construction. As of 2025, the number of FIA-certified circuits completed in China has reached 21, ranking among the top three in the world. Several racing venues built to international racing standards in Hainan, Pingtan, Foshan, and other places are under accelerated construction.

According to data from the China Automobile and Motorcycle Sports Federation (中国汽车摩托车运动联合会) and related industries, as of 2025, the total number of registered racing clubs nationwide reached 650, with 480 registered teams. There are more than 200 professional racing driving training institutions nationwide, and in 2023 they trained over 100,000 students.

Automotive racing has directly driven the development of the car modification industry. Statistics show that in 2025, the size of China's car modification market is approximately between 160 billion and 200 billion RMB, but the market penetration rate is less than 5%, indicating huge growth potential.

Recently, nine departments including the Ministry of Commerce jointly issued the "Notice on Several Measures to Cultivate and Expand Automotive Aftermarket Consumption" (关于培育壮大汽车后市场消费若干措施的通知). With policy support, from vehicle modification, RV camping, maintenance and repair to racing events, rental services, finance and insurance, the entire industry chain spawned around automobile usage is becoming a "new blue ocean" for benefiting people's livelihoods and expanding consumption.

"Automakers operating automobile sports clubs and investing in automotive races represent a major shift from selling cars to mining the full lifecycle value of users," said Cheng Guang. As more and more automakers invest in automotive racing, this broad track is injecting new growth momentum into the automotive consumer market.

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Scholarship and Integrity Emerge from Jiangxi Merchants (Economic Geography Miscellany)

By: 张少峰

The land of Gan and Poyang (赣鄱大地) borders the Yangtze River to the north, faces the Five Ridges to the south, embraces the Wuyi Mountains to the east, and holds the Luoxiao Mountains to the west. The thousand-li Gan River runs from south to north through the entire territory and joins the Yangtze via Poyang Lake. Jiangxi’s geographical configuration has both been internalized into a cultural habit of 崇文重教 (chóng wén zhòng jiào – "revering culture and esteeming education") and become the fundamental driving force for the large-scale outward migration and trading activities of the Jiangyou Merchant Association. The merchants who left their native soil possessed a credit language that transcended regions and could be universally recognized — the distinctions between righteousness and profit and the way of sincerity and respect that had been repeatedly taught over thousands of years in Jiangxi’s academies.

Jiangxi has long been called “书院甲天下” (shū yuàn jiǎ tiān xià – "academies are the finest under heaven"). Since the time of the Lushan National Academy (庐山国学) of the Southern Tang, successive dynasties established nearly 2,000 academies, advocating “经世致用” (jīng shì zhì yòng – "statecraft and practical application," applying knowledge to practical governance), emphasizing that knowledge serves society rather than engaging in empty discussion of principles. This spirit moved from the study to the marketplace, from the official career path into the merchant’s way, infusing Jiangxi merchants with a unique cultural gene.

The rise of the Jiangyou Merchant Association (江右商帮) began in the Tang and Song dynasties and flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties. In the Tang dynasty, Jiangxi’s tea output already ranked first in the country; during the two Song dynasties, Jiangxi merchants already took on the embryonic form of a merchant association; in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Jiangyou Merchant Association created a commercial pattern of “无赣不成市” (wú Gàn bù chéng shì – "without Jiangxi, no market is complete"). What distinguishes Jiangxi merchants from other merchant associations is not their scale of operations or capital volume, but a value system centered on “贾德” (jiǎ dé – "merchant virtue"). Jiangxi merchants were mostly steeped in Confucian learning, and the ethical orientations in their management philosophy, such as “义以为上” (yì yǐ wéi shàng – "righteousness is paramount") and “见利思义” (jiàn lì sī yì – "when seeing profit, think of righteousness"), originated from the moral norms internalized through the academy education system. Jingdezhen porcelain merchants adhered to the quality standard of “白如玉、明如镜” (bái rú yù, míng rú jìng – "as white as jade, as bright as a mirror"); the Zhangshu medicine guild upheld the professional creed of “修合无人见，存心有天知” (xiū hé wú rén jiàn, cún xīn yǒu tiān zhī – "compounding may be unseen by men, but the heart’s intent is known by Heaven"). These seemingly simple business principles have as their deep logic the natural extension of the Confucian “诚意正心” (chéng yì zhèng xīn – "making the will sincere and rectifying the mind") into the merchant’s way.

The cultural gene of the Jiangyou Merchant Association has been continuous and unbroken; its core values are condensed into the Jiangxi merchant spirit of “厚德实干、义利天下” (hòu dé shí gàn, yì lì tiān xià – "abundant virtue and solid work; righteousness and profit for the world"). “厚德” inherits the ethical orientation of “贾德如玉” (jiǎ dé rú yù – "merchant virtue is like jade"); “实干” continues the pragmatic tradition of long-distance transport; and “义利天下” elevates individual integrity into a collective social responsibility. It is precisely the actualization of this cultural gene that has given rise to the era-spanning expansion of the Jiangxi merchant domain. More than 6 million Jiangxi merchants worldwide have founded over 200,000 enterprises, with business forms expanding from tea, porcelain, timber, and salt into emerging tracks such as the digital economy and intelligent manufacturing. In 2025, Jiangxi’s gross regional product exceeded 3.6 trillion yuan; revenue from large-scale industrial enterprises entered the national top ten for the first time; two industries — electronic information and non-ferrous metals — joined the trillion-yuan cluster, and another twelve hundred-billion-yuan industries are accelerating their rise. In the first half of this year, the import and export volume of private enterprises grew by 18.2 percent year-on-year, accounting for 70.3 percent of the province’s total; private investment accounted for 54 percent of total fixed-asset investment. From “一个包袱一把伞” (yī gè bāofu yī bǎ sǎn – "one bundle and one umbrella," referring to the simple itinerant trader’s start) to competing on emerging global tracks, Jiangxi manufacturing is leaping from traditional production to intelligent creation.

Supporting this leap is Jiangxi’s deep cultural lineage as “文章节义之邦” (wén zhāng jié yì zhī bāng – "a state of literary articles, integrity, and righteousness"). Today, this mechanism is undergoing a subtle and profound innovative transformation. On the industrial track, Jiangxi merchants’ gaze has moved beyond traditional fields to make deep-layout advances in frontiers such as artificial intelligence and new energy — making the density of technological innovation a new yardstick for the business map. In regional patterns, models such as “科创飞地” (kē chuàng fēi dì – "science and technology innovation enclave") have opened up resource channels between the “老区” (lǎo qū – "old revolutionary base areas") and the “湾区” (wān qū – "Greater Bay Area"); the two-way empowerment of R&D on the coast and transformation in the hinterland is increasingly becoming the norm. The form of the commercial network is likewise being reshaped — the historical IP of the Jiangyou Merchant Association is being infused with a digital core; digital chambers of commerce and cross-border platforms weave an invisible net, extending Jiangxi merchants’ footprints from the millennia-old waterways to global nodes. And the deepest transformation is happening in people: the new generation of Jiangxi merchants, while adhering to the gene of “贾德” , infuse time-honored brands with a new soul through a broader modern vision. The relay and reshaping between generations are continuing to write a new chapter of development that spans time and space. Cultural genes, with innovation as their wings, are being steadily transformed into real productive forces. Mountains and waters have their limits, but the cultural lineage is unbroken; the merchant’s way endures through millennia, and “贾德” remains as it was at the beginning.

(The author is a researcher at the Decision Consulting Department of the Party School of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (Anhui Administration College). This article was compiled from an interview by our reporter Qi Zhiming (齐志明).)

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Layout Editor: Liu Wenxin

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Three Sets of Foreign Trade Data Reveal "China Opportunity 2.0" (Business Tide Watch)

By: 罗珊珊

Foreign trade: the weather vane that gauges the degree of openness, and the barometer that reflects economic vitality.
Through the semi-annual foreign trade report, we see the structural optimization and momentum shift in China’s foreign trade, and we also see the upgrading and transformation of China’s opportunities. What is the deep meaning of “China Opportunity 2.0”? Let us look at three sets of data.

The first set: import growth rate is higher than export growth rate, releasing the opportunity of a super-large market through balanced trade development.
In the first half of the year, China’s goods trade imports reached 10.74 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 22.1%, with the growth rate 8.7 percentage points higher than that of exports, and the contribution to foreign trade growth also greater than that of exports.
The acceleration of imports is the most vivid illustration of China’s high-level opening up. Over the years, China has consistently upheld the concept of mutual benefit and win-win, continuously and proactively opening its market to the world. As the world’s second-largest consumer market, China has orderly expanded autonomous opening and unilateral opening, implemented zero-tariff policies for 63 countries, and hosted international exhibitions such as the China International Import Expo, the China International Consumer Products Expo, and the China International Supply Chain Expo, providing a “window” for global quality goods to enter the Chinese market. Since the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Commerce (商务部) has held “Export to China” (出口中国) special events in countries including Belarus, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Thailand.
At present, China has been the world’s second-largest import market for 17 consecutive years, with its share of global imports rising from 7.9% to about 10%. In the first half of the year, China’s imports from more than 150 countries and regions achieved growth.
From large imports and large exports to superior imports and superior exports, from focusing on export-driven growth to improving quality in both imports and exports in both directions, the change in trade structure reflects the change in development philosophy. The continuously expanding Chinese market and the continuously upgrading pattern of opening up break the outdated thinking of zero-sum games, allowing the dividends of China’s development to benefit all countries of the world more widely and more equitably, and turning the big Chinese market into a great stage of opportunities shared globally.

The second set: China’s smart manufacturing exports are robust, empowering global industrial upgrading in all dimensions through innovation momentum.
In the first half of the year, the export value of China’s integrated circuits, electronic components, and wind turbine generator sets increased by 88.7%, 62.6%, and 35.6% year-on-year respectively.
A set of soaring growth data unlocks the important core of “China Opportunity 2.0” — the 源源不断 (yuán yuán bù duàn - “continuous like a flowing stream,” unceasing) spillover dividends of innovation. At present, the global technological revolution and green transformation are deeply intertwined, the industrial landscape is being reshaped at an accelerated pace, the iteration of old and new drivers is speeding up, and new market demands, industrial tracks, and development spaces are continuously emerging. Relying on the world’s most complete and best-supported industrial system, “Made in China” precisely meets the global transformation demands for digitalization, greening, and smartness, providing optimal solutions for different countries and regions and for different application scenarios.
More critically, China insists on pursuing innovation with an open door, and many innovations take an open-source route, which enables more countries, especially developing countries, to access and afford new technologies and new products, thereby both enhancing their development capacity and helping to solve many global development challenges. Today, China has seen the emergence of a number of global unicorn enterprises in fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and new energy, and has actively contributed “Chinese solutions” (中国方案) in areas such as international standard development and industrial governance.
Facts strongly prove that the technologies and products from China’s emerging fields bring to the world not shocks but opportunities, not threats but empowerment.

The third set: growth in energy supply categories such as chemicals and electricity, ensuring global production stability through the resilience of production and supply chains.
In the first half of the year, China’s exports of basic organic chemicals and primary-form plastics increased by 25.1% and 35% respectively, and exports of electricity to ASEAN increased by 42.9% year-on-year.
At present, the global geopolitical situation is complex and volatile, with tight supply of energy and chemical raw materials. Stable production capacity supply and reliable factor guarantees have become the most scarce strategic resources globally. China’s production and supply chain system combines the ability to 登高望远 (dēng gāo wàng yuǎn - “ascend a height and gaze into the distance,” to have foresight) in innovation with the ability to 脚踏实地 (jiǎo tà shí dì - “feet planted firmly on the ground,” down-to-earth practicality) in ensuring supply. It can both cultivate new momentum for future industries and hold the foundation of basic industry, underpinning global supply gaps.
This year, under the supervision of Xishuangbanna Customs (西双版纳海关), the China-Laos 500 kV interconnection project (中国—老挝500千伏联网工程) realized cross-border electricity import and export, injecting new momentum into driving the synergistic development of green industries between the two sides and helping improve people’s livelihoods along the route.
Clearly, saying goodbye to the traditional dividends that relied on factor costs and scale expansion, “China Opportunity 2.0” is a systemic dividend based on the opening of a super-large market, driven by industrial innovation breakthroughs, and supported by the stable supply of the entire chain. It injects ample certainty into a world economy that is weak in recovery and increasing in variables.
China will 坚定不移 (jiān dìng bù yí - “firm and unswerving,” unshakable) in promoting high-level opening up, continuously consolidate the resilience of production and supply chains, broaden the space for mutually beneficial cooperation, and with its own stable growth, strong innovation, and promotion of opening up, continuously inject Chinese strength into the long-term development of the world economy.

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Walking the Path of 'Reverse Aging' Renewal (Time-Honored Brand Revival)

By: 本报记者 李 蕊

In the bronze pot, the gluey liquid gurgles and roils. Jia Shanjian (贾善俭) holds the spatula and probes into the pot; his wrist sinks slightly, he flicks it gently, and the thick, moist glue drips down the spatula’s edge, coagulating without falling, translucent as amber, spreading into a smooth, outstretched banner.

At Shandong Liaocheng Dong’e Ejiao Co., Ltd. (东阿阿胶股份有限公司) (hereinafter referred to as “Dong’e Ejiao”), this procedure called “hanging the banner” (挂旗 - guà qí, “hang the flag”) is the measure for judging the heat and quality of ejiao decoction. Having stood before the decoction pot for 32 years, this motion has long been etched into the muscle memory of the veteran master Jia Shanjian.

In the same workshop, sensors are collecting multiple physical and chemical properties of the gluey liquid in real time; the data are analyzed autonomously and simultaneously transmitted back to the central control large screen. Whether the heat is sufficient, whether the quality is good — the data provide a judgment in sync. The experience passed down from master to master across generations and the precise monitoring of modern digital technology coexist and resonate in the same space.

As a time-honored Chinese brand, Dong’e Ejiao preserves the orthodox to keep its roots and breaks new ground through innovation, carving out a path of “reverse aging” renewal during a journey of transformation spanning millennia-old ancient methods and modern technology.

Preserving the root vein: The “unchanged” and the steadfastness of millennia-old ancient methods

First stop on the visit: the donkey breeding base.

“Controlling quality from the source is the first checkpoint for the geo-authenticity of ejiao,” said Yu Shasha (于沙沙), Director of Quality Assurance for the company’s Quality Management Department. In these standardized pens, every Dong’e black donkey has its own exclusive “ID card,” with full traceability from birth to slaughter.

At the acceptance checkpoint, the scrutiny is even tighter. Dong’e Ejiao has passed down the iron rule of “five do-not-accept” from generation to generation — do not accept foal skin, do not accept any skin lacking identifying features, do not accept moldy, rotten, or insect-infested skin, do accept adulterated or counterfeit skin, do not accept chemically contaminated skin. Every hide accepted into storage must be whole; identifying features such as ears and tail are indispensable.

“Treating a hide as if it were a medicine,” said Xu Yunpeng (徐云鹏), Deputy General Manager of the company’s Process Technology Department. “For batches that are questionable, no matter how low the price or how large the quantity, we resolutely reject them. 宁缺毋滥 (níng quē wù làn - “rather go without than have something shoddy,” preferring quality over quantity) — this is the precept handed down by our predecessors, and it is also the dignity of a time-honored brand.”

The guarding of the source involves not only a hide, but also a local water.

The geographical character of ejiao is formed by water. The Commentary on the Water Classic by Li Daoyuan (郦道元) of the Northern Wei records: On the islet west of the north gate of the Great City there is a great well, as huge as a wheel, six or seven zhang deep; each year the populace boils glue there to offer to the imperial court. “The local water nurtures good glue. To this day, the water we still use for decoction is the groundwater of Dong’e,” said Xu Yunpeng.

One must preserve not only the root of raw materials, but also the soul of the craft —

Proceeding along the production line: hide washing, hide dissolving, glue refining… The 12 main procedures and 99 sub-procedures are interlinked in a chain. “Some say that in the industrial age, efficiency is paramount — the faster the better. But at Dong’e Ejiao, some tempos have never been allowed to speed up; some principles have never been allowed to change,” said Zhu Jianguo (朱建国), Director of the Ejiao Production Line. “挂旗 (hanging the banner), 吊猴 (hanging the monkey), 挂珠 (hanging the beads)… these core unique skills are inherited and still require the experienced masters to complete them by hand with their wealth of experience.”

Turning into the refining workshop, the glue pots are lined up in a row, steam spreading. The masters hold foam scoops, gently skimming along the surface of the liquid, carefully removing the floating foam, their movements unhurried.

“If the foam is not thoroughly removed, the glue will not be translucent, and the taste will not be right,” said Zhu Jianguo. “Although we now use foam-removing machines, at the key points of quality evaluation, we still have to pass the masters’ 火眼金睛 (huǒ yǎn jīn jīng - “fiery eyes and golden pupils,” keen discernment). They have to look and judge spoonful by spoonful. A 毫厘之差 (háo lí zhī chā - “a hair’s breadth difference”) in heat and color can lead to a 差之千里 (chà zhī qiān lǐ - “a discrepancy of a thousand li,” a small error leads to a huge divergence) in quality.”

The commitment to quality is also embodied in strict internal control standards.

Yu Shasha calculated a ledger for the reporter: “The Chinese Pharmacopoeia stipulates that in 1 gram of ejiao, the total weight of impurities not soluble in hot water shall be ≤0.02 grams. Dong’e Ejiao’s internal control standard average over the full year is stably maintained at 1.05%, which means that per kilogram of ejiao, impurities are reduced by about 10 grams, so the medicinal effect is better, and it is a tangible benefit for consumers.”

The ancient method is not easily changed; the craftsmanship heart has not altered.

Jia Shanjian remembers that when he first entered the trade in 1994, masters taught apprentices entirely by oral instruction and inner transmission: the master would lift one spatula of glue, and the apprentice would stare at the color and flow; the master would adjust the flame once, and the apprentice would observe the movement and smell the aroma. “Decocting glue tempers one’s temperament; what you guard is your conscience.” His master’s words from that year have stayed with him for over 30 years, and now he repeats them exactly to his own apprentices.

Now, as a representative inheritor of the Dong’e Ejiao production technique, a Shandong Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage, Jia Shanjian still keeps the old rules when taking on disciples. Over more than 30 years, he has trained a new generation of production backbone, passing on not just the decoction technique, but also the original intention of slow work yielding fine results and uncompromising quality.

“To understand the transformation of ejiao, you must first read its unchanging root,” said Xu Yunpeng. “Geo-authentic raw materials, rigorous craftsmanship, and steadfast artisan spirit — these things carved into the genes are the most essential foundation of a piece of ejiao. This calm, patient steadfastness is precisely the most solid foundation for all its subsequent innovative transformations.”

Renovation and upgrading: digital intelligence empowerment brings quality improvement and efficiency gains

While preserving the root vein, one must also adapt to change.

Moving to the rubbing section, the automatic rubbing machine operates with a steady rhythm, rubbing back and forth, fine-polishing — the whole set of motions is 行云流水 (xíng yún liú shuǐ - “moving clouds and flowing water,” natural and effortless). Thick blocks of glue turn steadily on the assembly line, with neat edges and corners, translucent all over.

“In the past, this work was all done by hand. In 90-degree-Celsius hot water, we rubbed back and forth with coarse cloth. A new young woman would have blisters all over her hands in the first month, and it hurt so much she’d wipe away tears,” recalled Wang Xingyang (王兴洋), General Manager of the company’s Equipment Management Department. “So we wondered: could we use machines to replace human labor?”

A few years ago, Wang Xingyang led his team to concentrate on research and independently developed an automatic rubbing machine. The robotic arm replicated the manual force and rubbing trajectory of the master craftsman, completing the entire sequence of cleaning, polishing, and buffing the glue blocks in one go, improving work efficiency by 60%.

In addition, a batch of self-developed equipment such as automatic printers, automatic block-placing systems, and intelligent temperature-humidity online monitoring systems were successively put into use and went online. The upgrade of the intelligent production line not only freed up manpower but also stabilized product quality.

On the Fufang Ejiao Jiang (compound ejiao liquid) production line, glass bottles emerge in a continuous stream. Unlike a traditional Chinese medicine workshop, this place looks more like a precisely operating automated factory — filling, capping, sterilizing, packaging… 一气呵成 (yī qì hē chéng - “accomplished in one breath,” done smoothly without interruption), smooth and orderly.

“In the past, visual inspection relied on the naked eye and lamps; masters had to check each bottle under strong light, looking for breakage and impurities, which allowed for artificial error,” said Liu Qingqing (刘青青), Director of the Fufang Ejiao Jiang production line, pointing at the line. “Now, big data precisely controls each procedure, and AI (artificial intelligence) visual inspection identifies subtle defects in milliseconds, enabling standardization.”

For the quality innovation brought about by digital intelligence, Wang Xingyang has deep feelings: “Today, whether the decoction is done right is precisely determined by data; the glue-refining process is more standardized and stable.”

Scientific data replacing subjective experience is becoming a standard that can be promoted and replicated within the industry.

At the Dong’e Ejiao R&D Innovation Center in Jinan, the reporter witnessed the entire process of donkey-skin characteristic peptide detection. On the laboratory bench, a coin-sized sample solution of donkey skin was injected into the detector. Half an hour later, a set of spectrograms appeared on the computer screen, with characteristic peaks clearly discernible. “It’s donkey skin, no mistake,” said a researcher, pointing at the peaks on the spectrogram.

“In the past, one major pain point in the ejiao industry was the difficulty in distinguishing genuine from fake raw materials and the uneven quality. Previously, masters had to examine each hide one by one, relying on visual acuity and experience,” said Duan Xiaobo (段小波), Dean of the company’s Jiao-type Drug Research Institute. “Now, we have donkey-skin DNA identification and characteristic peptide detection technology, which ‘verify the true identity’ at the molecular level. These two technologies have been respectively incorporated into the donkey-skin medicinal material standard and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia standard for ejiao, drawing a clear quality red line for the entire industry.”

In 2025, Dong’e Ejiao was selected by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as one of the first batch of “Excellent-level Intelligent Factories.” “Promoting the digital intelligence transformation of the entire ejiao production process — turning experience into data, solidifying skills into standards, and stabilizing quality into a system — can both preserve the original intention of a time-honored brand and set an example for the entire industry,” said Ding Fengli (丁丰俐), the company’s Chief Information Officer.

R&D innovation: bringing ejiao into the daily lives of young people

Entering the R&D Innovation Center, in the laboratories along the corridor, researchers are bent over their workstations, absorbed in experiments — here, the “life story” of ejiao will be uncovered.

“The ancestors said ejiao enriches the blood, but why does it enrich? Which component is at work? Through what pathway does it take effect?” said Duan Xiaobo. “It is precisely through R&D that we can precisely define the active medicinal components, the targets of action, and the mechanism pathways, moving from ‘knowing what it does’ to ‘knowing why it does it.’”

Previously, Fufang Ejiao Jiang had long been used as a medicine for regulating qi and blood, but it had always been difficult to break through the clinical boundaries.

In 2018, research related to Fufang Ejiao Jiang was included in the National Key R&D Program, and clinical trials were conducted in cooperation with 29 hospitals nationwide. In 2024, the National Medical Products Administration formally issued a “Drug Clinical Trial Approval Notice,” which means that Fufang Ejiao Jiang has officially moved from the category of “tonic and regulating medicine” into the ranks of “therapeutic drugs.”

The deep cultivation does not stop. In 2025, Dong’e Ejiao invested 337 million yuan in R&D, a year-on-year increase of over 60%. Ding Fengli explained, “We continue to increase digital research; in the future, we will rely on large AI models to empower traditional Chinese medicine R&D, mechanism mining, and formula iteration, continuously using digital technology to solve the industry pain points of complex TCM mechanisms and long R&D cycles.”

Research roots itself inward; the market grows outward —

Leaving the R&D center, we arrive at the product exhibition hall. On the display shelves, ejiao is no longer confined to the familiar red box. Gold-bar instant powder, Peach Blossom Beauty Ejiao Cake, Ejiao Milk Tea… in various forms, the packaging designs also exude a youthful vibe.

Stepping into a small shop, Song-dynasty aesthetics blend with the relaxed feel of a coffee shop. On the menu, ejiao is mixed and matched with various drinks familiar to young people: Ejiao Milk Tea, Ejiao Latte, Ejiao Milk Tea with dairy…

“In the past, I thought ejiao was for my mother’s generation, but now I love it too,” said a young female customer. “It’s pretty cool to tell friends I’m going out for an ‘Ejiao Latte.’”

“In the past, ejiao’s consumption label was fixed and its audience narrow, mainly concentrated among middle-aged and elderly women. Now, relying on a digital user insight system, the company precisely captures the health needs of young groups and segmented populations, develops various new products, and enables the time-honored brand to adapt to the lifestyle of the new era,” said Guo Kaiteng (郭锴腾), Product Director of the company’s Market and Brand Department.

How can a time-honored brand remain evergreen? Cheng Jie (程杰), Chairman of Dong’e Ejiao, believes that true inheritance is about preserving the root vein of artisan spirit, embracing the changes of the times, forging quality with ancient methods, breaking barriers with scientific research, and expanding boundaries with ecology — only then can a thousand-year-old ejiao be 历久弥新 (lì jiǔ mí xīn - “more enduring and newer over time,” refreshed with age).

In 2025, Dong’e Ejiao’s operating revenue was 6.7 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 13.17%; ejiao blocks accounted for about 70% of the market share, with terminal sales scale increasing by about 14% year-on-year.

Inside the refining workshop, the glue liquid still roils; the veteran master raises his hand to hang the banner, his control precise and unflustered, using his artisan heart to preserve the foundation of quality. Inside the small shop, another batch of young people has walked in; amid laughter and chatter, they scan QR codes and place orders. A piece of ejiao is in a new posture integrating into the earthly life and continuing to be reborn.

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What Are the Benefits of Developing Whole Grain Foods (Consumer Insights)

By: 王东辉 张函嫣

On e-commerce platforms, whole-grain products such as pure rolled oats, multigrain pastes, and multigrain rice present a 琳琅满目 (lín láng mǎn mù - "a dazzling array of fine jade," a wide variety of beautiful and attractive things), with some merchants selling over ten thousand orders per month; in bread and cake shops, whole-grain products represented by whole-wheat, oatmeal, and rye bread are gradually becoming popular, showing good growth momentum.

As China’s grain consumption shifts from "eating enough" to "eating well" and "eating healthily," people are paying increasing attention to how grains can be consumed more scientifically and healthily. Currently, China’s grain consumption is in a transitional phase from "refined rice and white flour" toward a healthy diet that includes whole grains, and whole-grain consumption is 方兴未艾 (fāng xīng wèi ài - "just rising and not yet ended," flourishing and still developing).

What are whole grains? A complete grain mainly consists of four parts: the outer husk, the bran (seed coat), the endosperm, and the germ. Whole grains remove only inedible parts such as the outer husk, retaining all components of the bran, endosperm, and germ. Whole-grain foods are foods made with whole grains as the main ingredient, with the whole-grain content reaching a certain proportion.

Why should whole-grain foods be consumed? Tan Bengang, president of the Academy of Science of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (国家粮食和物资储备局科学研究院), stated that implementing a national whole-grain action plan has dual strategic value in both grain saving and loss reduction and nutrition and health, and developing whole grains has been elevated to a national strategy.

First, developing whole grains is conducive to grain saving and loss reduction and to ensuring food security. "Refined processing leads to lower yield rates and nutrient loss; whole grains can maximize the edible utilization rate of grain," Tan Bengang said. This is equivalent to developing "invisible grain fields," which has strategic significance for ensuring food security.

Second, developing whole grains is conducive to meeting the people’s new expectations for a healthy diet. Whole grains are hailed as "natural nutrient packets." Compared with refined grains, whole grains have a complete composition, complete nutrition, and complete functions, retaining natural nutrients and active substances to the greatest extent, and are rich in dietary fiber, B vitamins, mineral elements, and bioactive substances. Research shows that appropriately increasing whole-grain consumption in the diet helps control body weight and reduces the risk of chronic metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases and diabetes.

However, whole-grain consumption in China is still in its infancy, with residents’ whole-grain consumption accounting for less than 1%, while in some developed countries, whole-grain consumption can account for 20% to 35% of total grain consumption. This partly reflects differences in dietary habits, but also shows that China has great potential and room for growth in whole-grain consumption.

Tan Bin, chief scientist of the Academy of Science of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, explained that refined grains have better taste and are easier to store than whole grains. Chinese residents have formed a consumption habit of "refined rice and white flour," which is difficult to change in a short period. In contrast, brown rice and germinated rice have poor taste and strong satiety, and are difficult to cook thoroughly without pre-soaking, so consumers have low willingness to purchase.

The lack of public awareness and market norms also constrains the growth of whole-grain consumption. The China Consumer Whole Grain Awareness Status Report (2021) (《中国消费者全谷物认知状况报告（2021）》) shows that only 24.6% of consumers can accurately identify whole grains, and 95% of consumers have an incomplete understanding of the nutritional value of whole grains. Moreover, some products on the market carry the banner of "whole wheat" or "multigrain," but their actual whole-grain content does not meet standards, making it difficult for consumers to accurately judge by appearance or labels. The promotion of whole-grain consumption faces practical bottlenecks.

In recent years, the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee (中共中央办公厅) and the General Office of the State Council (国务院办公厅) have successively issued the Grain Conservation Action Plan and the Action Plan for Grain Conservation and Anti-Food Waste, making arrangements for developing the whole-grain industry; in December 2024, the National Whole Grain Action Plan (2024–2035) (《国家全谷物行动计划（2024—2035年）》) initiated implementation of four major actions: publicity and guidance, standards leadership, technological innovation, and industrial upgrading; the 2025 No. 1 Central Document called for promoting diets such as reducing oil, salt, and sugar and whole grains; the outline of the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan explicitly proposed implementing a whole-grain action plan. In addition, national standards such as those for germinated brown rice, industry standards such as whole-grain classification and labeling requirements, and group standards such as general principles for whole-grain foods have been successively formulated and released. From top-level design to industry standards, the institutional framework and standard system for the development of the whole-grain industry are gradually being improved.

Tan Bengang introduced that since the introduction of the national whole-grain action plan, new breakthroughs have been made in whole-grain processing technology, the palatability and convenience of whole-grain foods have been continuously improved, product categories have been enriched, and supply capacity has been strengthened. In the next stage, efforts will continue to strengthen public science popularization of whole grains, improve the standard system, and intensify technological breakthroughs, so that whole grains become "better tasting, more convenient, cheaper, and more popular."

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Liu Shiyao, Wang Donghui

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Echoing Between Taihang and the Yuan River (A Family Letter Reflects the Original Aspiration)

By: 马秀峰

The tombstone of Martyr Chen Hui (陈辉) stands quietly in the Hebei Zhuozhou (涿州市) Martyrs Cemetery. On the gray granite are engraved the last poem he wrote while alive:

“Heroes are not without tears, but they do not shed them before the enemy. A man’s seven-foot body is willing to be sacrificed for the motherland.”

This was his final writing, and also his epitaph. Handed down together with this 金石之声 (jīn shí zhī shēng – “sound of metal and stone,” firm and resolute words) is also a family letter steeped in the smoke of war, which never had the chance to be sent.

On June 3, 1939, in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region. A lamp flickered like a bean, and Chen Hui, aged 19, took up his brush, pouring all his thoughts into a letter to his mother far away in Changde, Hunan. Since leaving home for Yan’an in 1938, he, like a migratory bird flying against the wind, had traveled through Changsha, Hankou, Xi’an, and finally perched on the front line of resistance deep in the Taihang Mountains. More than a year of separation from flesh and blood, his concern for his mother, like the vines along the Yuan River, twined around this young soldier’s heart. “Mother: Since leaving you, I have been wandering like a vagrant for over a year. Sometimes you may think of your son who lived by your side for seventeen years, suddenly sprouting wings and flying away to where? Mom, who is to blame for this? Only the Japanese imperialists!”

This is not only a son pouring out his longing to his mother, but also an awakened person narrating the suffering of the nation. He deeply understood that his personal wandering and separation from family had its root in the nation being in a time of crisis and survival. This clarity of consciously integrating one’s personal destiny into the national destiny is precisely the most moving spiritual quality of that generation of passionate youth.

The family letter then writes: “It made me leave my hometown, made me go to distant places to study, and now has brought me to these Taihang Mountains. What makes me feel the 切肤之痛 (qiè fū zhī tòng – “pain like cutting the skin,” deep personal pain) is that it has cut off our news!” This “pain of cutting the skin” pains not only one’s own inability to fulfill filial piety at one’s parents’ knees, but also the thousands upon thousands of mothers and sons whose news has been severed by the invader’s artillery fire.

Chen Hui’s original name was Wu Shenghui (吴盛辉). From childhood, he was fond of reading poetry and books. If he had been born in peaceful times, he might have become a teacher or a brilliant poet. In 1935, the December 9th Movement (一二·九运动) broke out, and Chen Hui, at age 15, threw himself into the torrent of resistance against Japan and national salvation. He wrote in his diary: “Marxism-Leninism saved me; it told me that the present world is a bloody world of man-eating… At fifteen, I was already a socialist who dedicated himself to struggle.” A fifteen-year-old youth had already “dedicated himself to struggle,” nailing his life to the coordinate of seeking liberation for the toiling masses.

After the July 7th Incident (七七事变), Chen Hui, not yet 17, published a new poem for the first time under a pen name on a wall newspaper. From that moment on, the name “Chen Hui” became one with his life. In 1938, he joined the Communist Party of China, and in May of the same year, he went to Yan’an to study at the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University (抗日军政大学). Before departing from his hometown, he wrote his youthful vow: “For the independence of the nation and the liberation of the masses, I am willing to pay any price, even this young head. Go! Fly forward bravely like a storm petrel in the tempest!”

After graduating from “Kangda,” Chen Hui came to the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Anti-Japanese Base Area (晋察冀抗日根据地) and served as a journalist for a news agency. In his family letter, he reported his current situation to his mother: “Your son is living well, living forcefully!” “My current work: being a news journalist at the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei News Agency (晋察冀通讯社); this suits me very well. I walk around all day in the Taihang Mountain range, and my task is to reflect the reality of the border region, to reflect the bloody battles behind enemy lines!” What is truly admirable is Chen Hui’s attitude toward life. He wrote in the letter: “Life, compared to when at home, is naturally a bit harder, but who should not be hard! Yet nothing is lacking! Three yuan a month. There is nothing to use it on. There is food, there is clothing, there is sacred work!” The three “there is” characters express a revolutionary’s simplicity and loyalty to faith 淋漓尽致 (lín lí jìn zhì – “drenched and thorough,” incisively and vividly).

Chen Hui was not without concerns. He had extremely deep thoughts of his mother. “I am like a fish that has left home, guessing at the news of my hometown. Are the relatives and friends in that half-remote, half-not-remote ancient city well? If I could know this news, this heart hanging in the sea of clouds could be retrieved.” Then turning his brush, he continues, “Carrying a heart for fighting for the nation, a passion for striving for the motherland’s survival, I came out.” We can clearly see that the home-loving youth has stepped aside, and a revolutionary warrior who merges the “small self” into the “great self” has bravely stepped forward. This is precisely the most shocking part of this family letter: it buries love for the small family deep in the heart, transforming it into a greater responsibility for the family-nation. “When will I go home? I rarely think of it, nor can I imagine it; going home is of no use either. The entire nation has fallen, who can be happy!” This is the common portrait of that generation of Communists: hiding the softest emotions, using the hardest armor to face the cruelest world.

In his poem “Singing for the Motherland,” Chen Hui wrote: “Oh motherland / because / I belong to you / a big-handed big-footed / son of the working people / I deeply / deeply / love you… perhaps tomorrow / I will fall… Oh motherland / under the enemy’s butcher knife / I will not shed a single tear.” The poem and the family letter together construct an image of a Communist Party member full of tenderness and firm in faith.

Chen Hui was a born poet, and even more a revolutionary warrior 视死如归 (shì sǐ rú guī – “look upon death as returning home,” facing death fearlessly). In 1940, he voluntarily applied to work in Pingxi (平西), where the struggle against the enemy was most brutal, serving as director of the Youth Anti-Japanese Salvation Society (青年抗日救国会) of the Fangshan-Laiyuan-Zhuozhou Joint County (房涞涿联合县). He held a pen in one hand and a gun in the other. By day he went deep into villages to organize anti-Japanese groups; by night he conducted military training. In over two months, he established Youth Anti-Japanese National Salvation Vanguard teams in more than 60 villages, training over 200 core cadres. At the same time, he wrote a large number of poems, published in newspapers and periodicals such as the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Daily (晋察冀日报), Mass Culture (群众文化), and Poetry Construction (诗建设). He also wrote verses for “street poetry” and “poetry leaflets,” pasted on stone walls and willow trees in enemy-occupied areas, and even spread to enemy strongholds. With his own bravery and fearlessness, he wrote the legend of the “divine Eighth Route Army soldier” that the common people spoke of: “able to shoot a gun with both hands, able to write plum-blossom seal script with both hands.”

In one of his poems, Chen Hui wrote: “Oh my Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei / your simple fields… it is / more beautiful than / the Garden of Eden in heaven… life – revolution / the people – God / the people are God / and my song ah / it will be / the guns of the guards at the gate of Eden.” The people are God! This was Chen Hui’s most fundamental belief, and he carried this belief to the end of his life. On February 8, 1945, Chen Hui was surrounded by over a hundred Japanese and puppet soldiers in Han Village (韩村), Zhuozhou. After firing his last bullet, he pulled the pin on the hand grenade in his bosom and 同归于尽 (tóng guī yú jìn – “perish together,” die together) with the enemies who rushed into the courtyard. When he died, he was only 25 years old.

People will not forget the hero. In 2016, citizens of Zhuozhou spontaneously raised funds to sculpt a white marble statue of Chen Hui, sending the hero back to his long-departed hometown. The hometown of Changde named “Chen Hui Park” after the hero, welcoming her son back. The Daqiao Village (大桥村) Primary School, where Chen Hui once studied, built an exhibition room on Chen Hui’s deeds, and listening to the hero’s story has become a compulsory course for every year’s new students.

That family letter of Chen Hui’s that never had the chance to be sent has been read by thousands of later generations. Those steadfast vows, just like the verses engraved on the stone tablet, become clearer as they weather the wind and rain.

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Xiao Fuxing and His Writing: A Bond Among "Huangyou" (Reflections)

By: 梁晓声

The writing resembles the man; in Xiao Fuxing’s case, this is very concrete.

Xiao Fuxing and I were educated youth (知青) comrades-in-arms in Beidahuang (北大荒). We met in 1982. But before that, I already knew his name. In those days, the Corps (兵团) held yearly literary-creation study classes, and the literary youth of Beijing always talked about Xiao Fuxing. At the time he was probably a teacher in the Corps, and his name had already spread.

After we met in 1982, my impression of Xiao Fuxing was very deep. He was an “old senior three” (老高三, a senior high school graduate before the Cultural Revolution), and I was a “junior three” (初三, junior high school graduate); I respected him.

One year, the Beidahuang educated youth organized a return visit. There was a day and a half of free time; you could go back to your own company to visit old neighbors, and you had to return to the guesthouse before two o’clock the next afternoon. But by two o’clock the next day, only the two of us had come back.

That evening, the old neighbors sent two baskets of watermelons. It was not the season, the melons were not ripe, but the old neighbors were warm-hearted. When we cut them open they were white-fleshed. The back window of the guesthouse was open, so we tossed them out the window. The next morning when we looked, there was a pile on the ground outside the back window. Not to mention it looked unsightly, it was also a kind of injury to the others’ feelings. The two of us, without prior agreement, took baskets and went to pick them up, planning to feed them to the pigs.

From then on, we have kept in touch, and often saw each other at literary events.

Xiao Fuxing as a person is first of all kind-hearted, second he has a sense of justice, and third he has a capacity for introspection.

Speaking of his introspection: he once wrote a book, and in the book he wrote about a matter. Back when he was a compiler-writer for the propaganda team (宣传队), there was an old worker in the company who liked to take petty advantage of public property. He used this detail in a small skit. After all these years, he felt he should apologize to that person. When he went back to Beidahuang, he specifically looked for that old worker, but the other person had long since forgotten.

In Xiao Fuxing’s new work Old Street (《老街》), one can also see such people and such matters.

The book writes about an old lady Ding (丁老太太), who for years on end took care of her paralyzed daughter-in-law. Encountering such a person in life, she is a speck of dust in the long river of time; in the wrinkles of time, if you do not write about her, no one else will ever put her into a book. He recorded this old lady, saying “I deeply respect her” — she was able to do this not for a day or two, but for over ten years. The book also quotes Chairman Mao Zedong’s words: “It is not hard for a person to do a bit of good; the hard part is to do good all one’s life.”

Today we often hear people say that as soon as they hear “kind-hearted,” they think of being simple-minded. But in this book, kindness has its rewards.

On the day Xiao Fuxing’s younger brother left for Qinghai, so many classmates rode their bicycles to see him off, and the girl his brother most wanted to appear also came. It was the brother leaving, not Xiao Fuxing himself, yet so many people saw him off. His parents were driven from their original house into a smaller, damper place to live. On New Year’s Eve, three classmates brought flour, meat filling, and vegetables to accompany the old folks for the New Year, and together they made dumplings. These are all rewards of kindness.

Old Street is a book with warmth. When Xiao Fuxing first returned to Beijing he had no job, and in a garment factory he pedaled a flatbed cart to deliver goods. After some days, the principal of the elementary school where he had once studied came — the principal remembered this student. It was not middle school, not high school, but elementary school. The principal said: I can hire him as a teacher in my school. This piece of information is two-sided; it is a kind of warm reward in life. If you are truly a warm person, this warmth has a response.

People over fifty should read this book. We often feel that life has many regrets — which opportunities we missed, which matters we did not handle well, if it had not been like that, what would I be like today, and so on. People who have such thoughts, after reading this book, should figure some things out.

Parents and children should also read it. When Xiao Fuxing was a child, he would read books with two older sisters in the courtyard, discussing their views of this book and that book, and became a regular customer of the picture-book stall (小人书铺) — he was only in the second grade of elementary school then, at most up to the fifth grade, and what he read were all adult stories. Without that foundation, the Xiao Fuxing of today could not have written this book. Extracurricular reading is important.

Young people, especially boys, should also read it. This is a book about emotional education. In the book there are several instances of adolescent romantic stirrings. The writer distinguishes them very clearly — which ones come from sympathy, which are about helping, which are genuine heart-throbs. Toward the girl at the village restaurant, he was genuinely smitten.

After finishing this book, I had a feeling: The times have progressed, and when our young people read this book, they will feel fortunate to have been born in a good era. For that difficult and complicated era of the past, Xiao Fuxing has used writing to set up a photographic record.

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Mountain Retreat, Rustic Charm

By: 盛 慧

In the Chinese language, there are many words that are extremely beautiful. For example, the word "mountain house" (shān fáng) has a rather moving artistic conception; with a gentle utterance, one immediately feels a refreshing mountain breeze blowing from the silent forest.

A friend built a house in the mountains, and I was fortunate enough to stay there for a period of time.

The day I entered the mountains happened to be in summer. The entire mountain was lush and verdant, as if dreaming a deep green dream. Opening the car window felt like diving into the depths of the dream. The deeper into the mountains, the richer the fragrance of the trees, and the calmer my heart grew. The birds' calls were crisp and clear, sounding without cease, like a stream flowing cheerfully at the treetops.

The house was situated halfway up the mountain, embraced by vines. The mountain air was humid, and at the base of the walls rolled dark-green borders of moss. The furnishings inside were extremely sparse; the walls were empty, like a blank sheet of xuan paper. The windows were wide, allowing the wind and sunlight to swagger in and out freely.

Life in the mountains was exceedingly simple. Every morning, I woke up to the birds' calls and went to the nearby stream to fetch water. The path was soft, and the forest was filled with gauze-like thin mist. That mist was gently stirred by the wind, now running ahead of you, now behind you. A small squirrel was staring blankly on a branch; upon seeing a person, it immediately 逃之夭夭 (táo zhī yāo yāo - "flee far away from it," to escape hastily), and I remember the playful glint on its front teeth.

Upon returning to the dwelling, the first thing was to boil water and brew tea. The tea was wild mountain tea, a bit astringent, and its fragrance was not strong, but it was very thirst-quenching; after two sips, I felt comfortable throughout my body. It no longer felt like I was drinking tea, but rather the mountain's entire verdure, birdsong, and clear breeze.

Time in the mountains was slow, stretching freely like clouds.

Mornings were time for writing. I opened all the windows, letting the cool green light flow into the room. My fingers danced quickly over the keyboard, paragraphs of text surging forth one after another, like wild fruits covering the branches. When tired from writing, I sat on the terrace at the doorway, drinking tea while watching the mountains. The valley was filled with joyful wind, and the sunlight warmed it, making it soft and fluffy. At the bottom of the valley, there was a ribbon-like river, sparkling in the sunlight.

Lunch was very simple: fry a few small fish freshly caught from the stream, slice some cured meat to stir-fry with cucumber, or stir-fry two eggs with wild chives. After finishing lunch, the fragrance of firewood and the aroma of rice still lingered in the room, lingering for a long time.

At the time when lamps were lit, it often rained; the sky suddenly darkened, and dark clouds rolled. The sound of rain was like a mother cooking in the kitchen: light rain was a slow simmer on low heat; heavy rain was a fierce stir-fry on high heat. The mountain rain was capricious, coming quickly and leaving just as quickly. When the rain stopped, water droplets still slid lazily from the eaves. The air was sweet and fresh; the mountain mist drifted with the wind, obscuring the opposite peak. Greedily breathing in the damp greenery, it felt as if patches of moss were sprouting in my heart.

A month later, the wonderful mountain-dwelling life came to an end, and I returned to the steaming, bustling city. My heart felt as if it had been washed, clear and bright. In the quiet of the night, I often recall the tranquil time in the mountains, the enchanting fragrance of grass and trees, the moonlight filling the room… As I think and think, a serene joy wells up like a clear spring, gurgling forth.

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Watermelon Dictionary

By: 陈 昱

Watermelon is a summer dictionary

Rind, flesh, black seeds, juice

are the living components of this dictionary

One bite, and coolness blossoms on the tip of the tongue

The clear sweet juice is the coolness that arrives first

The round, rolling contour is the spine of the dictionary when closed

The black seeds after cutting, each embedded in the flesh

are like punctuation marks scattered among the characters

The translucent red color is the dictionary's gentle, moist body-text layout

The flesh is fine and dense, the texture sandy and soft

like those words that carry their own warmth

The refreshing sweetness that rushes to the face is the crisp aftertaste of reading

Every strand of refreshing sweetness is a note written item by item

The moment of biting is exactly like leafing through the whole dictionary

All the definitions of summer

are hidden completely inside this watermelon dictionary

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Bird Protector

By: 王富祥

Hundreds upon thousands of migratory birds, condensed within
the two observation holes
of the telescope,
freely descending and taking off.
Too many birds to clearly discern
their count, let alone distinguish
their age, sex, or generation.

Humanity, beyond the isolation zone,
marks out a safe distance for the migratory birds.
The bird protector's duty
is to guard them, day and night.

The seasons are drawn near or pushed far by the lens.
The route of the migratory birds' passage
becomes a green corridor
exclusively for freely soaring wings...

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Photo Report

Chinese painting Willow Shade (《柳荫》), by Chen Shizeng (陈师曾), collection of the National Art Museum of China (中国美术馆).

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The Taste of Baked Buns (Duoweizhai)

By: 丁祖荣

Ten years have passed in a flash, and I once again came to Hotan, Xinjiang. Meeting old friends felt especially warm. He took me to Yurungkash Town (玉龙喀什镇). By the roadside, eateries stood in rows. One naan pit, one pit of baked buns, the fragrance surged out from the mouth of the pit.

I like Hotan's scenery and customs, and I like the vibrant atmosphere of Yurungkash Town. Over a decade ago, because I participated in the paired-up assistance work for Hotan by the three provinces and municipalities of Beijing, Tianjin, and Anhui, I came to this borderland. For me, it was assistance, but even more so it was learning and experiencing. In the spare time after busy work, I would go to the banks of the Yurungkash River, watching the Yurungkash River flow north to merge into the Tarim River, and a feeling of gratitude would arise in my heart, and I would also cheer for the town's development. From time to time, I would approach the naan pit and eat two or three baked buns, and the taste of happiness and peace rippled in my heart.

After the assistance project ended, I still missed the flavors of Hotan, and baked buns were the taste among tastes. I recall that on Yinhu Road in Wuhu (芜湖银湖路) there was a shop selling baked buns; I ate there a few times, but because "the scene was not right," the taste always felt inferior to the flavor on the banks of the Yurungkash River.

Returning from my thoughts to the present. Seeing how greedy I was, my old friend ordered in one go meat naan, lamb skewers, pulled noodles, and of course baked buns. The small ones were 5 yuan each, and the large ones, significantly bigger, were 10 yuan. With a shout from the master chef, four large and plump baked buns were presented before our eyes. My old friend skillfully used an iron brush to brush off the bottom layer of earthy salt and old skin, then tore them apart — a nest of lamb, with alternating fat and lean, rich meat juice, emitting an aromatic scent. Not caring about the heat, I took a large bite and smiled with satisfaction, and my old friend also smiled.

The master chef of baked buns worked skillfully, occasionally letting out a rhythmic shout. My old friend said, this is a ritual, meaning "the baked buns are ready, everyone come and eat." Legend has it that Ibrahim Aliksilam (依布拉音·艾利克斯拉木) was a famous culinary craftsman in the ancient Western Regions, revered by the people as a sage and saint in charge of fine food. The baked buns and thin-skinned buns he made were a perfect combination of meat and dough. When the baked buns came out of the oven, the master chef would draw out the tone and shout the name of Ibrahim Aliksilam.

After tasting all kinds of delicacies, we still had an unsatisfied appetite, and at the end, we had a bowl of the shop's homemade yogurt.

Baked buns are a longing of mine, a memory of a period of time.

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A palm-leaf fan

By: 赵 畅

A few days ago, when I returned to my parents' home, I discovered that they are still using palm-leaf fans. I know that my parents seldom turn on electric fans or air conditioners, not only to save a bit on electricity bills, but also because they are accustomed to using palm-leaf fans. In my mother's words, the wind from a palm-leaf fan is neither as harsh as that from an electric fan nor as overbearing as that from an air conditioner; its breeze is gentle and soothing, more suitable for them.

The material used to make palm-leaf fans is the fan palm from the south. A large, palm‑shaped leaf, with the edges trimmed and bound with a kind of grass braid, becomes a palm-leaf fan. A small palm-leaf fan, infused with the fresh fragrance of grass and trees, enters ordinary households, and through gentle, slow waving, makes the sweltering summer cool and comfortable.

I was fostered as a child at my grandparents' home in a small mountain village at the foot of the Siming Mountains in eastern Zhejiang. Although the woman of every household there could weave wheat-straw fans, my grandmother seemed to prefer using palm-leaf fans. She said that wheat-straw fans belonged to young people, and that palm-leaf fans were the true favorite of us elders. A single palm-leaf fan, my grandmother used again and again, until the handle had a warm, glossy patina. In summer, besides stirring up wind to cool, the palm-leaf fan could also drive away mosquitoes and flies, and shield against sun and rain. No wonder my grandmother always kept a fan in her hand.

In summer, dinner and the evening cooling-off at my grandparents' home were arranged in the middle of the courtyard, where the ground had been sprinkled with well water and a smoke‑pile for repelling mosquitoes had been lit. At dinner, my grandmother would surely sit beside me and fan me. The gentle breeze, unhurried, brushed across my face, drove away the ground's steam, dispelled the heat from the air, and also filtered the hot steam from the food. Once dinner was over, the cooling‑off mode formally began. I would lie on a bamboo mat that my grandfather had set up on two long benches. In the depths of the night, when wisps of cool breeze began to blow through the alley, my grandmother never stopped the rhythm of waving the palm-leaf fan.

After returning to city life, I discovered that city people also like palm-leaf fans. The outer edges of the several palm-leaf fans at home had been hemmed by my mother with patterned cloth strips. The hemmed fans were both attractive and not scratchy. To prevent mixing them up, my mother also embroidered one character from each of our names in the lower right corner of every fan.

In the deep hours of the night, my mother would always wake up on time, take a palm-leaf fan, and softly tiptoe to my room to drive away the mosquitoes that had slipped inside the mosquito net. In deep sleep, I would often accidentally push the net open. Mother said that if I was bitten awake by mosquitoes in the middle of the night and could not sleep well, it would affect my studies. And so, with her palm-leaf fan, my mother accompanied me through countless summer nights.

One summer, when Director Xie Jin was scouting locations elsewhere and passed through his hometown Shangyu, I went to pay him a visit. No sooner had I sat down than he handed a brand‑new palm-leaf fan to me: "Do you know the story of the palm-leaf fan and Xie An of Dongshan?" At that time, I really could not answer. "Then today, let me, the fifty‑third generation descendant of Xie An, give you a supplementary lesson." With a face full of pride, Director Xie spoke unhurriedly and in detail. It turned out that as early as the Eastern Jin dynasty, palm-leaf fans were already being mass‑produced. Once, when a fellow townsman of Xie An came to visit him, he brought along 50,000 palm-leaf fans but had no idea how to sell them. Xie An came up with a clever plan: he took one for his own use first and deliberately displayed it in front of others. Soon, everyone vied to imitate him, and the fans sold out completely. This sales effect sparked by a "celebrity endorsement" is not outdated even by today's standards! After this introduction by Director Xie, I gained a new level of respect for palm-leaf fans. Just as I was fondling this new fan with delight and couldn't bear to put it down, Director Xie said, "If you like it, I'll give you this fan as a souvenir." Seeing the object makes one think of the person; whenever I wave this palm-leaf fan, I am reminded of Director Xie and his story, and through this fan I can feel his sincere and simple heart.

Although palm-leaf fans are gradually exiting people's daily lives, the affection contained within a palm-leaf fan is unforgettable.

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Zhou Shuyi

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