People's Daily - July 31, 2026

Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee to Be Convened; Current Economic Situation and Work Analyzed and Studied

■ Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party has achieved great accomplishments, opened up a new realm for the century-old party's self-reform, propelled historic achievements and historic transformations in the undertakings of the Party and the state, and the Party and the people have won the historical initiative to strengthen the Party and the state. At the same time, as the world situation, national conditions, and Party circumstances undergo profound changes, comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party also faces many new situations and new problems. The entire Party must, from the strategic height of consolidating the Party's ruling position and fulfilling the Party's mission and tasks, deeply understand the great significance of persistently advancing comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party, strengthen confidence, maintain resolve, and with higher standards and more concrete measures, uphold and apply well the valuable experience of comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party in the new era, rectify and solve well the prominent problems facing Party building, and consolidate and develop well the favorable political situation formed by managing and governing the Party.

■ Persistently advancing comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party must adhere to Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, comprehensively implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's Thought on Party Building, implement the general requirements for Party building in the new era, take the Party Constitution as the foundation, uphold and strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, focus on improving the Party's long-term governance capacity, maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity, and maintaining the Party's flesh-and-blood ties with the people, adhere to the tone of strictness without wavering, improve the system for comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party, take the Party's political construction as the guide, comprehensively advance all aspects of Party building, fully stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the entire Party, continuously realize the Party's self-purification, self-improvement, self-innovation, and self-enhancement, ensure that the Party always remains a Marxist ruling party that marches at the forefront of the times, enjoys the heartfelt support of the people, can withstand the test of various winds and waves, and is full of vitality, and always remains the strong leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

■ Since the beginning of this year, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups in the country to forge ahead with determination and strive tenaciously, adhere to coordinating both domestic and international situations, coordinate development and security, effectively respond to various external shocks and internal difficulties, and our country's economy has shown a development trend of momentum shifting toward the new and structure shifting toward the superior. At the same time, we must attach great importance to the difficulties and challenges in economic operation, strengthen confidence, face difficulties head-on, make good use of various opportunities and advantages, and promote high-quality development steadily and far.

■ To do a good job in economic work in the second half of the year, we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, better coordinate both domestic and international situations, coordinate development and security, adhere to deepening reform and opening up, accelerate the promotion of the conversion of old and new driving forces, implement a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy, give full play to the effectiveness of various existing policies, timely plan and introduce pragmatic and effective incremental policies, increase counter-cyclical adjustment, intensify efforts to expand domestic demand, optimize supply, effectively ensure and improve people's livelihood, enhance development momentum, stimulate social vitality, promote the continuous development of the economy toward the new, the superior, and the good, and strive to achieve a good start for the '15th Five-Year Plan'.

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 30 – The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting on July 30, deciding to convene the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in Beijing this October. The main agenda is for the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee to report work to the Central Committee and to study several major issues concerning persistently advancing comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party. The meeting analyzed and studied the current economic situation and deployed economic work for the second half of the year. General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping presided over the meeting.

The meeting pointed out that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party has achieved great accomplishments, opened up a new realm for the century-old party's self-reform, propelled historic achievements and historic transformations in the undertakings of the Party and the state, and the Party and the people have won the historical initiative to strengthen the Party and the state. At the same time, as the world situation, national conditions, and Party circumstances undergo profound changes, comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party also faces many new situations and new problems. The entire Party must, from the strategic height of consolidating the Party's ruling position and fulfilling the Party's mission and tasks, deeply understand the great significance of persistently advancing comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party, strengthen confidence, maintain resolve, and with higher standards and more concrete measures, uphold and apply well the valuable experience of comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party in the new era, rectify and solve well the prominent problems facing Party building, and consolidate and develop well the favorable political situation formed by managing and governing the Party.

The meeting stressed that persistently advancing comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party must adhere to Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, comprehensively implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's Thought on Party Building, implement the general requirements for Party building in the new era, take the Party Constitution as the foundation, uphold and strengthen the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, focus on improving the Party's long-term governance capacity, maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity, and maintaining the Party's flesh-and-blood ties with the people, adhere to the tone of strictness without wavering, improve the system for comprehensive and rigorous governance of the Party, take the Party's political construction as the guide, comprehensively advance all aspects of Party building, fully stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the entire Party, continuously realize the Party's self-purification, self-improvement, self-innovation, and self-enhancement, ensure that the Party always remains a Marxist ruling party that marches at the forefront of the times, enjoys the heartfelt support of the people, can withstand the test of various winds and waves, and is full of vitality, and always remains the strong leading core of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The meeting held that since the beginning of this year, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has united and led the entire Party and the people of all ethnic groups in the country to forge ahead with determination and strive tenaciously, adhere to coordinating both domestic and international situations, coordinate development and security, effectively respond to various external shocks and internal difficulties, and our country's economy has shown a development trend of momentum shifting toward the new and structure shifting toward the superior. At the same time, we must attach great importance to the difficulties and challenges in economic operation, strengthen confidence, face difficulties head-on, make good use of various opportunities and advantages, and promote high-quality development steadily and far.

The meeting stressed that to do a good job in economic work in the second half of the year, we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, better coordinate both domestic and international situations, coordinate development and security, adhere to deepening reform and opening up, accelerate the promotion of the conversion of old and new driving forces, implement a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy, give full play to the effectiveness of various existing policies, timely plan and introduce pragmatic and effective incremental policies, increase counter-cyclical adjustment, intensify efforts to expand domestic demand, optimize supply, effectively ensure and improve people's livelihood, enhance development momentum, stimulate social vitality, promote the continuous development of the economy toward the new, the superior, and the good, and strive to achieve a good start for the '15th Five-Year Plan'.

The meeting pointed out that macro policies must exert force and improve efficiency, accelerate the progress of fiscal expenditure and bond fund utilization, and vigorously advance the 'twofold' construction (两重建设) and the 'two new' work (两新工作). Secure the bottom line of the 'three guarantees' (三保) at the grassroots level. Comprehensively use and timely adjust monetary policy tools, and optimize the implementation of fiscal and financial coordination policies to promote domestic demand.

The meeting stressed that we must effectively expand domestic demand, adapt to the consumption needs of different groups to expand high-quality supply, and tap the potential of service consumption. Solidly advance the planning and construction of the 'six networks' (六张网). Accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system, strengthen long-term and stable support for basic research, deeply implement the 'artificial intelligence+' action, develop new forms of intelligent economy, and improve the AI governance system. Actively promote breakthroughs in frontier technologies and the development of future industries, strive to build emerging pillar industries, and continuously promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries.

The meeting stressed that we must create a fair and orderly market competition environment, formulate and implement regulations for the construction of a unified national market, continue to comprehensively rectify 'involution-style' competition (内卷式竞争), and regularly solve the problem of overdue payments to enterprises. Deepen the reform of state-owned assets and state-owned enterprises, optimize the development environment for the private economy, and promote the regulated and healthy development of the platform economy.

The meeting pointed out that we must expand the space for mutually beneficial international economic and trade cooperation, vigorously develop service trade, and promote balanced development of trade. Improve the management system for outbound investment and the comprehensive overseas service system, and actively attract and utilize foreign capital.

The meeting stressed that we must not relax in doing a good job in 'agriculture, rural areas, and farmers' (三农) work, continue to consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation, establish and improve mechanisms for the construction, operation, and management of high-standard farmland, stabilize the production and prices of live pigs and other agricultural and livestock products, and promote stable income increases for farmers. Do a good job in ensuring supply and stabilizing prices of agricultural materials, pay close attention to agricultural production, and achieve a good harvest of autumn grain and the year's grain.

The meeting pointed out that we must adopt multiple measures to strengthen livelihood guarantees, increase support for employment of key groups, and do a good job in protecting the rights and interests of flexible employment personnel and new employment forms personnel. Focus on service guarantees for 'the elderly and the young' (一老一小), and improve the stratified and classified social assistance system. Strengthen ecological and environmental protection, fight the battle of the 'Three-North' project (三北工程), and actively and steadily promote carbon peak and carbon neutrality.

The meeting stressed that we must effectively build a solid security barrier. Stabilize the real estate market, implement a package of debt resolution plans, and solidly advance the reform and risk resolution of local small and medium-sized financial institutions, reducing quantity and improving quality. Deepen comprehensive reforms in investment and financing of the capital market, and enhance the resilience and confidence of the capital market. Thoroughly investigate and rectify various risk hazards, and resolutely curb the occurrence of major and serious accidents. Strengthen the investigation and management of hidden dangers in dangerous reservoirs, river embankments, mountain torrents and geological disaster risk areas, urban low-lying waterlogging-prone points, etc., solidly carry out all work on flood prevention, emergency rescue, and disaster relief, and make every effort to protect the safety of people's lives and property.

The meeting pointed out that we must consolidate and expand the achievements of learning and education on establishing and practicing a correct view of performance, and promote leading cadres at all levels to continuously create new achievements in high-quality development with a more uplifted and enterprising spirit.

The meeting also studied other matters.

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CPC Central Committee Holds Symposium with Non-Party Personages

To effectively carry out economic work in the second half of the year, we must adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, better coordinate both domestic and international imperatives, balance development and security, persist in deepening reform and opening up, accelerate the transition of old and new growth drivers, implement a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy, fully leverage the effectiveness of various existing policies, promptly plan and introduce pragmatic and effective incremental policies, increase the intensity of counter-cyclical adjustment, step up efforts to expand domestic demand and optimize supply, effectively safeguard and improve people's livelihoods, enhance development momentum and stimulate social vitality, promote sustained economic transformation toward innovation, quality, and improvement, and strive for a good start to the “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan.”

In the first half of this year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, all regions and departments have taken proactive measures and acted with initiative, effectively responding to domestic and external risks and challenges. Our economy has moved forward under pressure, transitioning toward innovation and quality, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality.

At present, China's economic operation also faces some difficulties and challenges. We must strengthen confidence, overcome difficulties, and promote high-quality development steadily and sustainably. In the second half of the year, we should enhance the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies, focusing on tapping the potential of domestic demand, promoting deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, comprehensively deepening reform, expanding high-standard opening up, effectively safeguarding and improving people's livelihoods, and continuously mitigating risks in key areas.

Three hopes are put forward for the democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliation. First, unify thinking and action with the CPC Central Committee's analysis and judgment of the current economic situation and its decisions and deployments on economic work, strengthen confidence in development, and jointly promote the realization of the year's economic and social development goals and tasks. Second, actively perform duties and responsibilities, put forward targeted suggestions based on in-depth research, and contribute wisdom and strength to promoting a stable and improving economy. Third, continuously strengthen the ideological and political guidance for the broad membership and the masses they connect with, guide everyone to study and understand the Party's innovative theories, continuously enhance political identification, ideological identification, theoretical identification, and emotional identification with the leadership of the Communist Party of China and socialism with Chinese characteristics, and create a favorable atmosphere for promoting high-quality development.

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 30 (Xinhua) — On July 24, the CPC Central Committee held a symposium with non-CPC personages at Zhongnanhai to hear opinions and suggestions from responsible persons of the central committees of the democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and representatives of personages without party affiliation on the current economic situation and economic work in the second half of the year. CPC Central Committee General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over the symposium and delivered an important speech, emphasizing that to effectively carry out economic work in the second half of the year, we must adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, better coordinate both domestic and international imperatives, balance development and security, persist in deepening reform and opening up, accelerate the transition of old and new growth drivers, implement a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately loose monetary policy, fully leverage the effectiveness of various existing policies, promptly plan and introduce pragmatic and effective incremental policies, increase the intensity of counter-cyclical adjustment, step up efforts to expand domestic demand and optimize supply, effectively safeguard and improve people's livelihoods, enhance development momentum and stimulate social vitality, promote sustained economic transformation toward innovation, quality, and improvement, and strive for a good start to the “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan.”

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, and Ding Xuexiang attended the symposium. Commissioned by the CPC Central Committee, Li Qiang briefed the symposium on the relevant situation of economic work in the first half of the year and introduced considerations concerning economic work in the second half of the year.

At the symposium, Zheng Jianbang, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang; Ding Zhongli, Chairman of the Central Committee of the China Democratic League; Hao Mingjin, Chairman of the Central Committee of the China National Democratic Construction Association; Cai Dafeng, Chairman of the Central Committee of the China Association for Promoting Democracy; He Wei, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party; Jiang Zuojun, Chairman of the Central Committee of the China Zhi Gong Party; Wu Weihua, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Jiusan Society; Su Hui, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League; Gao Yunlong, Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce; and Shao Feng, a representative of personages without party affiliation, delivered speeches in succession. Everyone fully concurred with the CPC Central Committee's analysis and judgment of the current economic situation and its considerations for the second half of the year's economic work, and put forward opinions and suggestions on such topics as cultivating and strengthening new growth drivers, promoting the integrated development of innovation chains and industrial chains, improving the application standard system for the smart economy industry, coordinating the combined forces of economic, social, and cultural construction, stabilizing employment for key groups, strengthening basic research, precisely implementing consumption expansion plans, further expanding effective investment, continuously promoting high-standard opening up, and increasing the intensity of counter-cyclical policies.

After listening carefully to the speeches, Xi Jinping delivered an important speech. He pointed out that in the first half of this year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, all regions and departments have taken proactive measures and acted with initiative, effectively responding to domestic and external risks and challenges. Our economy has moved forward under pressure, transitioning toward innovation and quality, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality.

Xi Jinping emphasized that at present, China's economic operation also faces some difficulties and challenges. We must strengthen confidence, overcome difficulties, and promote high-quality development steadily and sustainably. In the second half of the year, we should enhance the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies, focusing on tapping the potential of domestic demand, promoting deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, comprehensively deepening reform, expanding high-standard opening up, effectively safeguarding and improving people's livelihoods, and continuously mitigating risks in key areas.

Xi Jinping pointed out that in the first half of the year, the central committees of the democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliation resolutely implemented the decisions and deployments of the CPC Central Committee, actively served the national overall strategy, focused on some key issues in economic and social development to offer suggestions and advice, and provided important references for the scientific decision-making of the Party and the government. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, he expressed heartfelt thanks to everyone.

Xi Jinping put forward three hopes for the democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliation. First, unify thinking and action with the CPC Central Committee's analysis and judgment of the current economic situation and its decisions and deployments on economic work, strengthen confidence in development, and jointly promote the realization of the year's economic and social development goals and tasks. Second, actively perform duties and responsibilities, put forward targeted suggestions based on in-depth research, and contribute wisdom and strength to promoting a stable and improving economy. Third, continuously strengthen the ideological and political guidance for the broad membership and the masses they connect with, guide everyone to study and understand the Party's innovative theories, continuously enhance political identification, ideological identification, theoretical identification, and emotional identification with the leadership of the Communist Party of China and socialism with Chinese characteristics, and create a favorable atmosphere for promoting high-quality development.

Liu Guozhong, Li Ganjie, He Lifeng, Zhang Guoqing, and Wu Zhenglong, as well as responsible persons from relevant departments of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, attended the symposium.

Other non-CPC personages who attended the symposium included Shao Hong, He Baoxiang, Wang Guangqian, Qin Boyong, Zhu Yongxin, Yang Zhen, and Zhang Endi, Fang Guanghua, Zhang Bin, among others.

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Striding Toward the Centenary Goal of Building a Strong Military

By: 本报记者 金正波 新华社记者 梅常伟 解放军报记者 费士廷

In the midsummer of the bingwu year, the people’s army, having traversed an extraordinary journey of 99 years, once again welcomes its own festival—August 1, Army Day.

In Nanchang, Jiangxi, the August 1 Nanchang Uprising Memorial Tower stands tall and majestic; on its pedestal are inscribed the characters “1927.8.1.” Atop the tower, a granite sculpture of a “Hanyang-made” rifle and the “August 1” military flag fluttering in the wind radiate in mutual splendor, commemorating the magnificent journey of a heroic army.

Time is the most faithful recorder and the greatest writer. Over the past 99 years, the people’s army, setting out from this city of heroes, holding high the Party’s banner, has passed through the smoke and fire of war, cut through thorns and brambles all the way, made tremendous sacrifices, won one glorious victory after another, and performed great historical feats for the Party and the people. It is now striding with an irresistible pace toward a great moment—the centenary of the army’s founding.

Building a solid national defense and a strong military is a goal our Party has tirelessly pursued. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, focusing on realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and centering on achieving the Party’s goal of strengthening the military in the new era, has drawn up the grand undertaking of military strengthening, steered the journey of military strengthening, and led the national defense and military construction to historic achievements and historic transformations.

This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and is also a key year for fighting the tough battle to achieve the goal of building the military by its centenary.

On July 1, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, President Xi Jinping emphasized at the celebration of the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China: “We must fully implement the Party’s thinking on strengthening the military in the new era, implement the military strategic guidelines for the new era, uphold the Party’s absolute leadership over the people’s army, unswervingly follow the path of military strengthening with Chinese characteristics, comprehensively advance political building of the military, reform to strengthen the military, science and technology to strengthen the military, talent to strengthen the military, and law-based management of the military, promote the modernization of national defense and the military with high quality, achieve the goal of building the military by its centenary as scheduled, and accelerate the building of the people’s army into a world-class military.”

The Party flag leads the military flag forward; the strong military strides on a new journey. Standing at the historical node of the 99th anniversary of the army’s founding, the people’s army led by the Party, with a posture of striving and a new appearance, is making concerted efforts to tackle difficulties, striving to be the first, and writing new glory on the magnificent picture of strengthening the military and rejuvenating the armed forces.

(I) Forging the military soul, rectification and training bring forth a new atmosphere

“To strengthen the military, the first priority is to be strong politically; being strong politically is the most fundamental kind of strength.”

In the capital Beijing, east of the northern extension of the central axis. The Exhibition Hall of the History of the Communist Party of China welcomed a group of visitors in military uniforms—students of the PLA Senior Cadres Training Course.

Tracing the roots to find the source, tempering and forging. Historical photographs, revolutionary relics, lifelike scenes—all inspired the senior military cadres participating in the training to think deeply: Why join the Party? Why become a soldier? Why serve as a commander?

Senior cadres are the backbone of the cause of strengthening the military; on their shoulders rest heavy burdens, and behind them are thousands upon thousands of troops. At the historical juncture of the strategic transition of the new “three-step” approach to the modernization of national defense and the military, President Xi personally decided to hold the PLA Senior Cadres Training Course. This is a strategic measure to consolidate and deepen the results of political rectification and to forge the backbone of the cause of strengthening the military.

On the morning of April 8, President Xi attended the opening ceremony and delivered an important speech, emphasizing the need to carry out ideological rectification, deepen political rectification, strengthen the revolutionary forging of our military’s cadre corps, always maintain the purity and glory of the people’s army, and greet the centenary of the army’s founding with a new political appearance.

Senior cadres are the first to receive education, and the “key minority” truly receives education. Studying original texts, special lectures, visits and study, seminars and exchanges… the students of the training course experienced a profound spiritual baptism deep in their souls.

On the day the first training course concluded, 16 student representatives exchanged speeches, speaking of the weight of their mission and the responsibility of practical work. Outside the window, a sculpture of the Red Army’s Long March stood quietly, illuminating the path taken and pointing to the distance. Having been tempered and forged here and setting off anew, the students returned to their respective posts and embarked on a new journey.

Looking back at the glorious journey of the people’s army, from the Sanwan Reorganization to the Gutian Congress, from the Yan’an Rectification Movement to the new-style military reorganization during the War of Liberation, from the rectification of work style and the Party in the early days of the founding of New China to the comprehensive rectification of the Party after reform and opening up, the people’s army has become stronger, purer, and more combat-effective through each rectification and training.

“To strengthen the military, the first priority is to be strong politically; being strong politically is the most fundamental kind of strength.” Since entering the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, standing at the strategic height of winning the historical initiative of strengthening the military and rejuvenating the armed forces, with tremendous political courage and a strong sense of historical responsibility, has led and advanced political building of the military and political rectification, firmly defended the political nature of the people’s army, and opened a new journey of reshaping the people’s army through political rectification.

From Gutian to Yan’an, from the whole-army political work conference to the Central Military Commission political work conference, consistently grasping the rectification of thinking, personnel use, organization, work style, and discipline, the Party’s leadership over our military, which had once been weakened, has been strengthened; the center of gravity of work, which had once deviated, has been corrected; misconduct and corruption that were once thought unstoppable have been curbed; the political ecosystem, which had once deteriorated, has been reversed. The people’s army has been reborn and renewed through revolutionary forging, laying a more solid ideological foundation and providing a stronger political guarantee for achieving the goal of building the military by its centenary.

—Consciously using the Party’s innovative theories to transform thinking, consolidate the foundation, and cultivate the essence.

Yongxin, Jiangxi. The Sanwan Reorganization Monument, engraving history and enlightening the future. During an inspection of a unit, President Xi affectionately recounted the story that took place here: “‘Red First Company,’ a famous company of the 54th Group Army. In September 1927, during the ‘Sanwan Reorganization,’ Comrade Mao Zedong personally established a Party branch in this company and developed six new Party members, creating the precedent of ‘building the Party branch on the company level’ in our military.”

Having red roots, one must also have a red soul. In recent years, “Red First Company” has adopted methods such as group study, institutional promotion of study, leading study by Party members, study assistance by backbone personnel, and situational study assistance, integrating the study of the Party’s innovative theories into daily life, stimulating the intrinsic motivation of officers and soldiers to train for combat and strive to tackle difficulties, and successfully completing many major training and exercise tasks.

All units consistently prioritize building and controlling the military from an ideological and political perspective, unremittingly using the Party’s innovative theories to forge souls and educate people. On the western border, multiple propaganda teams from an Air Force unit went up to the plateau, entered positions, and reached combat posts, profoundly interpreting the Party’s innovative theories. On the vast South China Sea, a Navy submarine crew’s “Loyal Blue Whale Grand Stage” gave lectures in the deep sea, guiding officers and soldiers to learn, think, and practice Xi Jinping’s thinking on strengthening the military in light of actual mission tasks. On the training and exercise front line, a Rocket Force brigade, in view of the mobile and dispersed characteristics of the troops, flexibly carried out mass discussion activities such as “Everyone Talks About the Thinking on Strengthening the Military”… continuously building a solid foundation of faith, replenishing the spiritual calcium, and steadying the ideological helm.

—Consciously carrying forward the spirit of thorough self-reform.

In May this year, the Central Military Commission issued the “Several Measures on Strengthening the Education, Management, and Supervision of Senior Military Cadres,” aiming to tighten discipline and warn the mind and spur action, strictly manage the principal officials to set an example from above, strictly clarify responsibilities to ensure real implementation and real implementation, and effectively establish iron rules of strict education, strict management, and strict supervision.

“Our Party is a Marxist political party that always represents the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people; it has no special interests of its own, and any thoughts and actions of seeking private gain and corruption are utterly incompatible with the Party’s nature and purpose.” Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and President Xi, the whole army has adhered to full and rigorous Party governance and full and rigorous military governance, deeply advanced political rectification, rectified work style, enforced discipline, and fought corruption, persisted in deep investigation and thorough exposure, eliminating all evil, resolutely investigated and punished corrupt elements at the high levels of the military, effectively removed major political hidden dangers, and consolidated the purity and glory of the people’s army.

Identifying manifestations of pernicious influence, setting up problem targets, deeply inspecting and rectifying from the bottom; opposing the thinking and phenomena of privilege, rectifying the “four forms of decadence” with the spirit of hammering nails; resolutely investigating new types of corruption and hidden corruption; deepening the simultaneous investigation and governance of corruption and misconduct, persisting over time and treating the system, integrating the promotion of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt; focusing on key industries and fields to strictly investigate and strictly govern, driving the breaking of hidden rules and long-standing malpractices in all fields… a clean and upright atmosphere fills every military camp.

—Consciously establishing and practicing a correct view of performance.

For whom is performance established? What kind of performance should be established? What should be relied upon to establish performance? Throughout the army at all levels, we insist on combining the study and education on establishing and practicing a correct view of performance with promoting work such as training for combat, planning and construction, and grassroots construction, ensuring quality in learning, strength in examination, and effectiveness in rectification, allowing “proceeding from reality and acting according to laws” to enter thinking concepts and work guidance, and promoting high-quality development through down-to-earth work.

An Army brigade adopted a learning path of “topic-based research, immersive study, and scenario-based discussion,” closely focusing on ideological rectification to deeply study and deeply understand, correcting deviations in the view of performance from the ideological root. A college of the National Defense University insisted on using typical cases as “living teaching materials” and warning education as “sobering agents,” making Party members and cadres understand laws and discipline, clarify rules, and know reverence. A unit of the Cyberspace Force, in conjunction with the progress of rectification and remediation, compared and sorted out problems, collected opinions and suggestions from troops both online and offline, and dynamically updated the problem list. A unit of the Aerospace Force coordinated the promotion of problem rectification with the rectification and governance of key industries and fields, rectifying one and writing off one. Each theater command, in light of problems found in inspections, surveys, exercises, and training, refined the deviation in view of performance regarding preparation for war and combat, taking whether it is conducive to improving combat effectiveness as the hard criterion for measuring all work, promoting the establishment of the combat effectiveness standard.

After undergoing rectification and training, the fundamental principle and system of the Party’s absolute leadership over the military have become stronger, ideals and convictions, original aspirations and nature, traditions and work style have strongly returned, and the military’s morale, mental outlook, and political ecosystem have undergone major and profound changes. The conviction of all officers and soldiers of the whole army to listen to the Party and follow the Party is extremely firm, gathering the will and strength to strive for a strong military under the Party’s banner.

(II) Transformation and Reshaping, Reform and Innovation Advance in Depth

“We must maintain the determination and confidence to reform with keenness, maintain the courage to overcome difficulties, maintain the vigor of leaving a mark when grasping iron and imprinting when stepping on stone, and win a comprehensive victory in deepening national defense and military reform.”

Midsummer, scorching sun, battlefield fierce.

New-type combat vehicles dash across the battlefield, each charge and each track drawing a new picture on the long scroll of military strengthening. The vehicles are manned by officers and soldiers of “Red Fourth Company of Strong Military and Fine Martial Arts,” a Red Army company with a rich history and outstanding achievements.

On the eve of Army Day in 2014, President Xi visited this company and earnestly encouraged the officers and soldiers to “carry forward the glorious tradition, be good red successors, train hard in combat skills, strive to be fine martial arts pacesetters, be pioneers and spearheads in completing major tasks, and make new and greater contributions to achieving the goal of strengthening the military.”

At that time, the great tide of the era of reform to strengthen the military was surging. In November 2013, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to incorporate deepening national defense and military reform into the overall plan of comprehensively deepening reform, elevating it to the will of the Party and an act of the state. In February 2014, the Central Military Commission decided to establish the Central Military Commission Leading Group for Deepening National Defense and Military Reform, with President Xi personally serving as the group leader.

In the following years, the unit to which this company belonged was reorganized into a combined arms brigade. The company’s officers and soldiers devoted themselves to the reform, transforming from motorized infantry to armored infantry, riding informationized combat vehicles and excellently completing a series of major tasks.

In July 2024, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made systematic arrangements for further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-style modernization, clearly stating “continuously deepen national defense and military reform.” Soon after, President Xi replied to all officers and soldiers of the Fourth Company, affirming that they “have smoothly achieved transformation and development and excellently completed the tasks assigned,” and encouraging them to “make new achievements and render new service on the new journey of the new era.”

Reform is the only path to strengthening the military and rejuvenating the armed forces, and it is also the key move that determines the future of the military.

The world’s new military revolution is developing rapidly, the form of warfare is accelerating its evolution, and major countries are adjusting their military strategies, transforming the organizational forms of their armed forces, and competing for strategic initiative. “Not reforming will not do, and reforming too slowly will also not do.” President Xi profoundly pointed out that deepening national defense and military reform “is a big test we cannot avoid.”

Advancing the “three major campaigns” of reform in succession, forming a new pattern of the Central Military Commission managing the overall, the theater commands focusing on combat, and the services focusing on building, constructing a modern military force system with Chinese characteristics, constructing a socialist military policy and system with Chinese characteristics… Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and President Xi, with unprecedented determination and force, have fully implemented the strategy of reform to strengthen the military, and the people’s army has achieved an overall and revolutionary reshaping.

This historic transformation has been called “the most extensive and profound national defense and military reform since the founding of New China.”

President Xi emphasized: “We must maintain the determination and confidence to reform with keenness, maintain the courage to overcome difficulties, maintain the vigor of leaving a mark when grasping iron and imprinting when stepping on stone, and win a comprehensive victory in deepening national defense and military reform.”

The people’s army must have the courage to reform and be good at innovation, never becoming rigid or stagnant at any time or under any circumstances. The whole army insists on keeping the direction unchanged, the path not deviated, and the intensity not reduced, accelerating transformation and reshaping, unswervingly carrying the reform through to the end.

Follow up on transforming thinking concepts—

Dark as ink night. A mobile unit of an Air Force radar brigade concealed its tracks, raced to a predetermined area, quickly set up antennas, debugged parameters, searched! Captured! Before they could catch their breath, they received an order to move to another location, preparing for the next operation. One mission moving through multiple locations has now become the norm.

Once upon a time, officers and soldiers of this brigade, accustomed to training in fixed radar station mode, set up camp in a routine manner during a cross-region exercise and were wiped out by the opponent in one fell swoop.

Reform—the body has turned around, but the mind must also turn around. The truth that the officers and soldiers of this brigade only realized after a painful defeat is now a conscious action throughout the whole army.

The Marine Corps focuses on combined multi-capability, rapid response, and all-domain application, accelerating the pace of transformation. A unit of the Information Support Force deeply integrates into the joint operations system, optimizing information service support methods. The Second Mobile Corps of the Armed Police Force, closely following the requirements of diversified missions, plans and advances various constructions and work… Concepts are being updated, thinking is being upgraded, and one elite unit after another is sharpening its blade and iron fist.

Exploring and innovating construction models—

A Rocket Force unit is a completely new force established during the reform. At the beginning of its establishment, there was no precedent to follow for how the unit should be built and how the officers and soldiers should train.

If there is no road, blaze a trail. Starting from scratch, this unit integrated communications, transportation, engineering, chemical defense, repair, medical service, and other forces into a brand-new support chain, gradually achieving “command with one map, linkage with one chessboard,” greatly improving support response speed.

The whole army continues to deepen reform and innovation, transform development concepts, innovate development models, enhance development momentum, focus on solving the blockages and bottlenecks that restrict high-quality development, and promote the modernization of national defense and the military from growth in “quantity” to improvement in “quality.”

Opening up a new situation for reform to strengthen the military—

To this day, many people still remember that special moment: midnight on January 16, 2016. Taking this as the dividing line, the original seven military area commands and the five theater commands completed a historic handover, and the people’s army entered a new “time zone,” officially starting the construction of theater joint operations command institutions.

Ten years have flown by, lights are often on, but the topics lingering in the mind have changed. The “Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Promoting Chinese-style Modernization” specifically uses one section to deploy deepening national defense and military reform, clearly stating “optimize the composition of theater joint operations command centers.”

From “construction” to “optimization,” a change of one word embodies the day-and-night struggle and hard work of thousands of officers and soldiers and stirs the forward command of “reform is always on the road.”

“Improve the leadership management system and mechanism of the people’s army,” “deepen the reform of the joint operations system,” “deepen cross-military-civilian reform”… The majority of officers and soldiers maintain the determination, perseverance, and tenacity for reform, unremittingly pushing reform forward in depth.

(III) Leapfrog Development, Modernization Construction Steady and Rapid

“We must enhance the sense of mission and urgency, and strive to achieve leapfrog development in the modernization of our military.”

J-35, J-15T, KJ-600… In May this year, a message released by the Ministry of National Defense quickly went viral: with the deployment of multiple new types of aircraft, the People’s Navy has successfully completed the “five-piece set for aircraft carriers.”

Completing the “five-piece set” is a key link in forming the system-of-systems combat capability of aircraft carrier strike groups and is also an important achievement in the modernization of the People’s Navy’s weapons and equipment.

Since entering the new era, the modernization of the People’s Navy has been steady and rapid. Aircraft carriers have completed a “triple jump” from nothing to something, from refitted to domestically built, from ski-jump to catapult launch. Type 055 10,000-ton destroyers and Type 075 amphibious assault ships have been deployed in batches, and the types and functions of various weapon platforms are continuously improving.

Iron warships galloping across the vast seas reflect the magnificent journey of national defense and military modernization in the new era.

“We must enhance the sense of mission and urgency, and strive to achieve leapfrog development in the modernization of our military.” Closely tracking changes in science and technology, changes in warfare, and changes in opponents, the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and President Xi have made a series of strategic plans and deployments, comprehensively advancing the modernization of military theory, military organizational forms, military personnel, and weapons and equipment, leading the modernization of the people’s army to stride forward and achieve leapfrog development.

—“Weapons and equipment are an important symbol of military modernization and an important support for national security and national rejuvenation.”

Accelerate the development of advanced weapons and equipment, accelerate the implementation of major strategic projects in defense science and technology and weapons and equipment, develop and build “trump card” weapons and equipment… From “airplanes and big guns” to “missiles and satellites” to “steel and chips,” our military has accelerated the integrated development of mechanization, informatization, and intelligence, and a large number of advanced domestically produced weapons and equipment have been deployed in systems.

September 3, 2025, Tiananmen Square. The military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was solemnly held.

New-type main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and other new-generation traditional land warfare weapons; new-type combat equipment in unmanned, underwater, cyber-electromagnetic, and other fields; national heavy weapons such as hypersonic missiles and strategic missiles… The equipment reviewed were all active main combat equipment of domestic origin, most of which appeared for the first time.

On the reviewing stand, a centenarian veteran of the War of Resistance who once depended on “millet plus rifles” to fight the invaders, tears in his eyes, raised his right hand and solemnly saluted the modernized parade formation.

—“We must strengthen innovation-driven development, accelerate self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology with greater intensity and more concrete measures, and give full play to the strategic supporting role of science and technology in our military construction.”

National heavy weapons rely on independent innovation to be fostered; the “wings of a great power” are lifted by our own strength.

“Key core technologies cannot be asked for, bought, or begged for.” President Xi has repeatedly emphasized “unswervingly accelerate the pace of independent innovation,” demanding “promote high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, accelerate breakthroughs in key core technologies, accelerate the development of strategic, frontier, and disruptive technologies, and give play to the strategic supporting role of scientific and technological innovation in our military construction.”

“Not innovating will not do, and innovating too slowly will also not do.” The vast number of military scientific researchers face difficulties head-on, dare to be the first, closely focus on tackling key core technologies, and strive to transform the country’s growing scientific and technological strength into defense science and technological innovation power.

An Army brigade submitted requirements, research institutions solicited solutions from across the military, and a Navy scientific research team “took up the challenge” to tackle a problem. A military research result urgently needed by the troops was put into application on the training and exercise front line in just 45 days. The College of Intelligence Science and Technology of the National University of Defense Technology formed cross-institute and cross-disciplinary joint research teams, established communication and collaboration mechanisms with front-line mission units, and accelerated the rapid transformation of cutting-edge research results…

—“Talent is the key factor in promoting high-quality development of our military and winning the initiative in military competition and future warfare.”

Is it reliable to let a group of young people with an average age under 31 take charge of key projects? The Defense Innovation Research Institute of the Academy of Military Sciences rejected all objections, boldly allowed young backbone personnel to try and break through, and achieved excellent results in actual combat drills.

Is it appropriate to set up a studio named after two civilian personnel? An Army unit broke with convention, built platforms for business backbones who have ideas, abilities, and drive, helping them accelerate growth and produce more results.

The way to strengthen the military lies in getting the right people. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and President Xi have placed the strategy of strengthening the military with talent in the new era in a prominent position in the development of the cause of strengthening the military, and have made great efforts in reinvigorating the political discipline of Party management of talent, establishing a clear orientation of education for combat, optimizing the layout of talent team building, deepening the reform of military human resources policy systems, and promoting open integration in the talent field. Our military’s talent work has achieved historic accomplishments.

A new three-in-one system for cultivating military talent releases new momentum. The system promotes the cultivation of four types of talent: joint operations command, new-type combat forces, high-level scientific and technological innovation, and high-level strategic management. Young officers and soldiers are tempered on the training and exercise front line; a batch of new-type destroyer/frigate captains, air commanders, combined arms battalion commanders, and missile launch commanders have emerged in major tasks, and a large number of high-quality non-commissioned officers play important roles on the training ground…

New era, new atmosphere. The path of strengthening the military with talent is broadening, and the echelon of new-type military talent is accelerating its rise.

(IV) Concentrating on Winning, Training for Combat and Preparing for War Forges Elite Forces

“The people’s army is forever a fighting force; the vitality of the people’s army lies in combat effectiveness.”

Using the most surging “Chinese heart” to bring back “the most lovely people” home.

In April this year, the Y-20B, equipped with a domestically produced engine, flew to South Korea to carry out the mission of repatriating the remains of volunteer martyrs. Across time, the officers and soldiers of the new era moving toward the army’s centenary report to the predecessors who defended the country and sacrificed their lives in blood and fire through their ever-extending flight paths: The iron blood is still there today, and the mountains and rivers are safe.

This mission was the first time the Y-20B flew abroad. Striving on the new journey, such “firsts” are too numerous to enumerate—

H-6K bombers patrol the South China Sea and take a group photo with Scarborough Shoal for the first time; multiple types of aircraft conduct “circumnavigation patrols around the island” as a system for the first time; actual-combat joint exercises encircle Taiwan Island for the first time, and a live-fire shooting range is set up east of Taiwan Island for the first time; the dual-carrier formation of the Liaoning and Shandong of the People’s Navy appears simultaneously in the Western Pacific for long-range training for the first time…

The heartening “firsts” are linked to the resounding “foremost”: “The military is first and foremost a fighting force, existing for fighting.”

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi has repeatedly emphasized that being able to fight and win wars is the essence of strengthening the military, that the people’s army is forever a fighting force, and that the vitality of the people’s army lies in combat effectiveness. On warships breaking waves, President Xi boards the deck, enters the cabins, and inspects all major combat stations one by one. On the Gobi Desert where water freezes instantly, President Xi braves the severe cold and the north wind to deeply understand the flight training situation. In whole-army combat readiness exercises and training, President Xi personally goes to the front line to command, personally approves exercise plans, designates participating units, and directs scenarios on the spot…

Establish the thinking on military strategy for the new era, establish the military strategic guidelines for the new era, establish the baton for preparing for war and combat, and establish the sense of responsibility for grasping preparation for war and combat. The whole army resolutely implements President Xi’s decisions and instructions, focusing all energy on fighting, using all work for fighting, while struggling, while preparing for war, while building, accelerating the improvement of the ability to win wars, ensuring that when the Party and the people need it, the troops can be pulled out, go up, and win.

—Lead construction with combat, promote construction with preparation.

An Air Force unit built a virtual-real integrated simulation training center, promoted a new model of virtual-real interconnection, cross-domain grouping, and remote confrontation among heterogeneous aircraft, ground-to-air missile, and radar units, using digital empowerment to break through training barriers.

A depot of the Joint Logistics Support Force implemented the requirements of joint operations, joint training, and joint support, integrated logistics force resources, smoothed the circulation of combat readiness materials, and focused on improving the level of combat readiness and the ability to support winning.

All units grasp the new situation and task requirements, focus on the needs of preparing for war and combat and construction development, enhance the systemic, holistic, and synergistic nature of various tasks, ensure coordinated and comprehensive efforts, and accelerate the formation of a good situation where combat, construction, and preparation are advanced as one.

—Actual-combat training, joint combat, joint training.

“Train the troops the way you fight, train hard on what is needed for war, and specialize in what the troops lack most.” All units unswervingly place military training in a strategic position as a central task, innovate training concepts, methods, and means, vigorously carry out actual-combat military training, continuously deepen military training reform, promote the transformation and upgrading of military training, and comprehensively enhance the solid ability to win future wars.

The Eastern Theater Command regularly organizes joint exercises and training, with multiple services and arms acting in unison for all-domain deterrence and control. An Air Force unit, together with a unit of the Information Support Force, an Army air defense brigade, and an Air Force radar brigade, explored establishing an operational information sharing mechanism, with multi-service “data flows” converging into the same training ground. A Navy ship formation, during one long-range training, deployed dozens of ships and hundreds of aircraft in the vast open ocean, driving the integrated participation of various air, surface, and underwater forces in training… The stricter and more practical the training, the stronger the capability and the greater the confidence.

—Maintain troops for a thousand days, use them for a thousand days.

“You have violated the airspace of the People’s Republic of China. Leave immediately! Leave immediately!”

In May this year, a foreign warship illegally intruded into the Xisha Islands and repeatedly launched shipborne helicopters to invade China’s airspace. Facing this serious violation of our country’s territorial sovereignty and maritime and air security, front-line maritime and air forces took necessary measures such as voice warnings and warning electronic interference in accordance with laws and regulations, successfully driving it away.

Being capable of fighting is the best way to stop war. From the loyal defense of every inch of border land, to the resolute and powerful rights protection and countermeasures in the East China Sea and South China Sea, to the strong blockade and deterrence around Taiwan Island with multiple services and arms acting in unison and precisely coordinated, all units vigorously promote the integration of training and troop employment and the normalization of force deployment. The vast number of officers and soldiers carry forward the combat spirit of fearing neither hardship nor death, daring to struggle and daring to win, and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests.

Responsibility is seen at critical moments. When super typhoons and strong earthquakes cause severe destruction, when viruses spread and seriously threaten the lives and health of the people, when floods, mudslides, landslides, and other disasters cause heavy casualties and economic losses, wherever it is most dangerous, wherever it is most needed, there are the people’s soldiers.

Rectification and training forge a new atmosphere; tackling difficulties and sprinting toward a strong military. The people’s army led by the Party, in rectifying malpractice and innovating, clears the source and rectifies the origin; in tempering becomes steel, condenses the soul; in tackling difficulties and forging ahead, assumes the mission. It is always a heroic force that the Party and the people can fully trust. The attainment of historic great achievements is fundamentally due to the helmsmanship of President Xi Jinping and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era.

Advancing with perseverance toward the Party’s goal of strengthening the military in the new era, writing a new chapter in strengthening the military and rejuvenating the armed forces. The people’s army adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era, deeply implements Xi Jinping’s thinking on strengthening the military, deeply implements the military strategic guidelines for the new era, profoundly understands the decisive significance of the “two establishes,” strengthens the “four consciousnesses,” strengthens the “four self-confidences,” achieves the “two upholds,” implements the system of the chairman of the Central Military Commission assuming overall responsibility, bears in mind its duties and missions, invigorates its revolutionary spirit, gathers strength for advancement, goes all out to fight the tough battle of achieving the goal of building the military by its centenary, accelerates the building of the people’s army into a world-class military, and provides strong strategic support for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.

(Contributors to the article: Li Longyi, Yan Shan, Yu Xiaoquan)

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 30)

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Red Study Tours Gain Momentum, Transformation Drives Growth

By: 本报记者 刘梦丹

“If conditions exist, we must go; if conditions don’t exist, we must create them and go!”

Beside the Sa-55 well (萨55井) of the Daqing Oilfield in Heilongjiang, “Iron Man Wang Jinxi” led his workmates in a roar of determination, moving the drilling rig by man-haul and shoulder-carry, breaking ice to fetch water to ensure the start of drilling; next to the base derrick stood a mottled drilling rig and crude dugout shelters… This is the stage set for the live-action performance Celebration of the Completion of Sa-55 Well, and the actors are members of a study tour group from Harbin. Changing into the work clothes of that era, everyone seemed to return to those years of arduous pioneering.

The Sa-55 well is the first well drilled by Iron Man Wang Jinxi when he led the 1205 Drilling Team to join the great oil battle. Today, the site has become the Experiential Training Center of the Daqing Oilfield Iron Man College (大庆油田铁人学院体验式培训中心), which has launched more than 20 immersive experiential research and study programs, attracting a total of over 15,000 participants for training.

In September 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping, when presiding over a symposium on promoting the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China in the new era, stressed: “Vigorously promote the spirit of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, the Daqing spirit (Iron Man spirit), and the Beidahuang spirit; guide Party members and cadres to establish a correct view of achievements and stimulate the enthusiasm for working and starting undertakings.”

Keeping in mind General Secretary’s earnest entrustment, Daqing City makes good use of its red resources, and red study tours have become a “golden business card” for local cultural tourism.

Pulling simulated drilling rigs and shouldering drill pipes; strolling along the stone-engraving corridor to listen to a walking micro-Party lesson; watching documentaries on the great oil battle in a holographic cinema… “Visitors experience a full-chain study system of ‘viewing, performing, laboring, listening, and creating’ at the base, making the Daqing spirit more tangible and perceptible,” said Zhou Tianchang, director of the Experiential Training Center of the Daqing Oilfield Iron Man College.

Going to the Zhong-4 Oil Production Team of the Third Oil Mine of the First Oil Production Plant of Daqing Oilfield to learn the entire process of crude oil extraction; at the Daqing Oil Museum, known as the “Oil Cube,” searching for the answer to “clothing, food, housing, transportation – oil is everywhere”… At present, Daqing City has 76 red study sites and 169 red courses; in the first half of this year, it received more than 1,500 red study tour teams, with the number of visitors reaching 1.75 million.

Carrying forward the Daqing spirit, the stories of struggle continue to be written.

The second-generation Iron Man Wang Qimin used science and technology to boost oil and ensure stable production, “Rather exhaust one’s heart’s blood, also make the oilfield stable and then high-yield”; the third-generation Iron Man Li Xinmin drilled wells abroad, “Rather undergo thousands of difficulties and dangers, also produce oil for the motherland”…

Today, after years of high-intensity extraction, the remaining oil in the Daqing Oilfield is dispersed like capillaries. Extracting this oil is akin to squeezing water out of cement blocks, which has become a world-class technical challenge facing the new generation of oilfield workers.

“Iron Man could shout ‘Risk our lives to take the big oilfield,’ so what difficulties can we not overcome?” At the National Key Laboratory for Multi-Resource Synergistic Continental Shale Oil Green Extraction (多资源协同陆相页岩油绿色开采全国重点实验室) in Ranghulu District (让胡路区), Daqing City, gathered around rows of fresh cores taken from several kilometers underground, Cheng Xinyang, a senior engineer in the Unconventional Exploration Research Office, and his colleagues are conducting a “consultation.” They record one by one the core’s color, hardness, physical property differences, and oil-bearing grade, for the sole purpose of 吃干榨尽 (chī gān zhà jìn - “eat dry, squeeze out completely,” to extract every bit of value) the oil from within the cracks of the rocks.

In December 2025, the annual production of the PetroChina Daqing Gulong Continental Shale Oil National Demonstration Zone (大庆古龙陆相页岩油国家级示范区) reached 1 million tons, completing the zone’s annual production task 28 days ahead of schedule.

“At present, 303 million tons of proven reserves have been submitted for Gulong shale oil, and this is just a starting point. Building a century-old oilfield is by no means just a slogan,” said Zhang Jinyou, deputy director of the Daqing Oilfield Shale Oil Research Institute.

Today’s Daqing is no longer just an “oil city.” Daqing is “blooming in multiple points” in fields such as bio-economy, equipment manufacturing, specialty light industry, and advanced materials, turning in report cards of transformation and development: In the dust-free constant-temperature workshop of Daqing Yitai Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd. (大庆溢泰半导体材料有限公司), materials such as gallium arsenide and indium phosphide are supplied directly to leading domestic semiconductor enterprises; at Daqing Shengquan Green Technology Co., Ltd. (大庆圣泉绿色技术有限公司), crop stalks from the fields are transformed into furfural and lignin products, widely used in packaging, building materials, pharmaceuticals and other industries… From “sole dominance of oil” to “multi-point support,” the ratio of value added between the oil industry and non-oil industries in Daqing City has been adjusted to 31.3:68.7.

Inheriting and promoting the Daqing spirit, Daqing is striving to advance the transformation of a resource-based city and writing a new answer sheet for high-quality development.

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Make Full Use of All Opportunities and Advantages (Today's Talk)

By: 常 晋

Since the beginning of this year, China's economy has been advancing under pressure, moving toward the new and the excellent. The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee stressed "making good use of various opportunities and advantages," pointing out the key to doing a good job in economic work for the second half of the year and promoting high-quality development to 行稳致远 (xíng wěn zhì yuǎn - "proceed steadily and reach far," to make steady progress towards long-term goals).

Opportunities wait for no one; they must be keenly grasped and firmly held. On the one hand, we must 抢位 (qiǎng wèi - "seize the position," to take the lead), insisting that industries set the questions and science and technology provide the answers, firmly seizing the strategic opportunities of the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation. On the other hand, we must 错位 (cuò wèi - "take a different position," to differentiate), as all localities need to promote the development of new industries, new business forms, and new models 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - "adapt measures to local conditions," taking actions suited to local realities), accelerating the shift of momentum toward the new and of structure toward the excellent.

Making good use of advantages lies in coordinated efforts. Deepen the construction of a unified national market, expand high-quality supply to adapt to different demands, forcefully advance the construction of the two major constructions (两重) and the two new initiatives (两新) ... Amplify the synergy of policies, transform potential into momentum, and the vast ocean of China's economy will surely surge with vitality.

Opportunities are superimposed on advantages, shaping a winning trend in development. A complete industrial system and abundant talent reserves provide solid support for the construction of a modern industrial system; the green opportunity of the global energy transition opens vast space for the construction of China's clean energy system. Seizing the momentum to exert effort, the initiative in development is in our hands.

Firmly confident, 迎难而上 (yíng nán ér shàng - "face difficulties and forge ahead," to confront challenges head-on), concentrate on running our own affairs well, and we will surely hand in a satisfactory answer sheet for the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (十五五).

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Guide to Reading

Theory
Deeply study and implement Xi Jinping’s thought on Party building, promote high-quality development of discipline inspection and supervision work on the new journey of the new era
Page 9

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Three Perspectives on New Changes in Electricity Supply and Demand

By: 本报记者 王云杉

Data recently released by the National Energy Administration (国家能源局) shows: In the first half of the year, total electricity consumption of the whole society reached 5,099.9 billion kWh, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%. Among them, electricity consumption in the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries and residential living increased by 4.9%, 5.1%, 8.0%, and 3.1% year-on-year respectively.

Electric current is strong, kinetic energy is surging. Through the window of electric power, one can better observe the positive trend of our country's economy moving toward the new, the excellent, and the good.

Viewing the newness of industrial structure from electricity consumption

Inside the intelligent workshop for nuclear power deep-sea forgings of Yilaite Energy Equipment Co., Ltd. (伊莱特能源装备股份有限公司) in Zhangqiu District (章丘区), Jinan, Shandong, giant CNC ring rolling equipment runs nonstop. Zheng Dongdong (郑东东), manager of the company's ultra-large equipment core components business department, said that thanks to the rapid development of the new energy industry, the enterprise's order volume continues to grow, and the company's electricity consumption in the first half of the year increased by 8.74% year-on-year.

State Grid Shandong Electric Power (国网山东电力) data shows that in the first half of this year, electricity consumption in Shandong's high-end equipment-related industries increased by 13.94% year-on-year, contributing 35.34% to the growth of industrial electricity consumption.

"With the in-depth advancement of the transition from old to new growth drivers, high-tech and high value-added industries are becoming an important support for Shandong's industrial growth. These industries will release strong electricity consumption demand, driving the province's electricity consumption to continue to grow," said Du Peng (杜鹏), director of the Statistics and Operations Division of the Development Department of State Grid Shandong Electric Power (国网山东电力发展部统计经营处).

In the first half of this year, the secondary industry was the main force for the growth of total electricity consumption of the whole society, driving up total electricity consumption by 3.3 percentage points. Among them, high-tech equipment manufacturing became the key engine for manufacturing growth. In the first half of the year, electricity consumption of high-tech and equipment manufacturing increased by 9.8% year-on-year, an increase of 6.0 percentage points compared with the same period last year.

If the secondary industry is the "basic plate" of electricity consumption, the tertiary industry is the "new growth driver" with strong momentum. Xing Yiteng (邢翼腾), deputy director of the Planning Department of the National Energy Administration (国家能源局规划司副司长), stated that driven by the rapid development of high-tech industries such as new energy vehicles and artificial intelligence, electricity consumption in the charging and swapping service industry and the internet data service industry grew strongly, with year-on-year increases of 56.9% and 44.0% respectively.

Looking southward — in Danzhou (儋州), Hainan, the Baimajing (白马井) heavy-truck supercharging station is busy in the dead of night.

"Since the supercharging station was put into operation until June this year, the charging volume has increased nearly twofold," said Lin Youchao (林尤超), general manager of Southern Grid (Hainan) Electric Vehicle Service Co., Ltd. (南方电网（海南）电动汽车服务有限公司). In the first half of this year, Hainan's heavy-truck recharging demand grew rapidly. Southern Grid served 110,000 vehicle-trips for heavy-truck charging, an increase of nearly 140% year-on-year. Facing continuously rising energy demand, the Baimajing station is preparing for the third phase of construction, increasing charging guns from the current 40 to 70 to enhance the station's reception capacity.

Looking westward — in the Zhongwei Industrial Park (中卫工业园区) in Ningxia, tower cranes stand in rows and machinery roars, as batches of computing power centers accelerate construction.

Data from State Grid Zhongwei Power Supply Company (国网中卫供电公司) shows that in the first half of the year, electricity consumption of cloud computing-related enterprises in Zhongwei increased by 82.25% year-on-year. "With the rapid development of China's artificial intelligence industry, computing power has become a key engine driving the development of the digital economy, and will continue to drive rapid growth in electricity consumption," said Yang Yu (杨雨), president of CICC Data Group (中金数据集团). "We are accelerating the construction of subsequent computer rooms to better meet the growing demand for computing power."

Jiang Debin (蒋德斌), deputy director of the Statistics and Digital Intelligence Department of the China Electricity Council (中国电力企业联合会统计与数智部副主任), believes that overall, the new business forms represented by high-tech and equipment manufacturing, internet data services, and charging and swapping services are gradually growing from "marginal increments" into "core increments." As new quality productive forces (新质生产力) accelerate to grow stronger, these related industries will become the most certain force supporting the medium- and long-term steady growth of total electricity consumption of the whole society, and will promote the continuous optimization of the electricity consumption structure toward technology-intensive, green and low-carbon direction.

Viewing the greenness of energy structure from power generation

In the Baina Fashion Industrial Park (百纳时尚产业园) in Yinzhou District (鄞州区), Ningbo, Zhejiang, nearly 5,400 square meters of dark blue photovoltaic panels glisten under the sun. The rooftop distributed photovoltaic project in the park has just been completed. After being put into use, the annual power generation will reach 1.26 million kWh, accounting for about half of the park's annual electricity consumption. Data from State Grid Ningbo Power Supply Company (国网宁波供电公司) shows that as of the end of June this year, the installed capacity of distributed photovoltaics in Ningbo reached 9,886 MW, and the maximum output of photovoltaics reached 34% of the highest load of the whole society.

From one region to the overall picture, these "blue oil fields" spread across scenarios such as factory rooftops reflect the steady pace of China's energy green and low-carbon transformation. A set of data can confirm this:

The "advance" of wind and solar. In the first half of the year, renewable energy power generation maintained steady growth, with its share of power generation exceeding 40% for the first time. Among them, total wind and solar power generation exceeded 1.2 trillion kWh, a year-on-year increase of 9.3%, accounting for about one-quarter of total electricity consumption of the whole society, meaning that for every 4 kWh of electricity used nationwide, 1 kWh is generated by wind and solar.

The "decline" of coal power. In the first half of the year, China's coal power generation was 2.5 trillion kWh, accounting for 49.7% of total power generation, the first time the half-year share fell below 50%. "This is a phased achievement of China's long-term promotion of non-fossil energy power generation substitution, marking a new breakthrough in the pace of China's energy green and low-carbon transformation," said Xing Yiteng.

From the perspective of installed capacity, as of the end of June this year, the national renewable energy installed capacity reached 24.55 billion kW, a year-on-year increase of 13.7%, accounting for about 60.7% of China's total installed capacity. Among them, wind and solar installed capacity accounted for about 48.3% of the national total power installed capacity, a share close to half, and solar power installed capacity was basically on par with coal power installed capacity.

Not long ago, the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) and the National Energy Administration jointly issued the "Renewable Energy Development '15th Five-Year Plan'" (《可再生能源发展“十五五”规划》), which specifies that by 2030, the total installed capacity of renewable energy power generation will reach approximately 35 billion kW, and annual power generation will reach approximately 6 trillion kWh.

Pan Huimin (潘慧敏), deputy director of the New Energy Department of the National Energy Administration (国家能源局新能源司副司长), stated that they will anchor onto the goal and task of initially building a new energy system by 2030 and advancing the construction of an energy-strong country, implement the new energy security strategy to high standards, solidly promote energy green and low-carbon transformation, and ensure a good start and a good beginning for the development of renewable energy in expanding quantity and improving quality.

Viewing the stability of power supply from peak summer demand management

Since the beginning of July, a relatively large area of persistent high-temperature weather has appeared across the country. Electricity demand in many places continues to grow strongly. The national electricity load has hit record highs three times, reaching a maximum of 1.553 billion kW, an increase of about 45 million kW from last year's extreme value.

The current period is the critical "seven-down, eight-up" (七下八上) period for peak summer demand management. How to firmly hold the bottom line of electricity use for people's livelihoods and key industries?

Power sources are stable. Compared with the peak summer period last year, the national newly added power generation installed capacity in June this year was about 400 million kW more than in June last year, among which newly added installed capacity of supportive and regulating power sources such as hydropower, gas power, and coal power was 110 million kW.

Power transmission is strong. The newly put into operation Shaanbei (陕北) - Anhui UHV DC project has brought the number of UHV channels in operation nationwide to 46, and the "West-to-East Power Transmission" (西电东送) capacity exceeds 340 million kW.

The market is active. In the first half of the year, the scale of electricity market transaction volume in China showed a growth trend, with a year-on-year increase of 24.2%. On July 14, when the power load hit a new high, the maximum cross-provincial and cross-regional power transmission reached 278 million kW, effectively supporting the national electricity guarantee.

Liu Mingyang (刘明阳), deputy director of the Electric Power Department of the National Energy Administration (国家能源局电力司副司长), stated that currently the power supply situation across the country is generally stable. Since this summer, primary energy supplies such as coal for power generation and natural gas have been sufficient. The coal inventory of nationally dispatched thermal power plants has more than 30 days of availability, at a historically good level. All types of supportive and regulating power sources have been started as they should, operating steadily and at full capacity. The national power supply guarantee situation is stable, and no demand response or orderly electricity usage has occurred anywhere.

A relevant report recently released by the China Electricity Council shows that in the second half of the year, China's macroeconomy will continue to maintain a development trend toward the new and excellent. At the same time, the probability of a strong El Niño phenomenon is increasing, and there are still many uncertain factors affecting electricity consumption. It is estimated that the national total electricity consumption of the whole society in the second half of the year will increase by 5%-6% year-on-year.

"Judging from the current situation, the trend of power supply and demand during this year's peak summer period is basically consistent with earlier forecasts. If widespread persistent high-temperature weather occurs next, it is estimated that the national maximum electricity load will reach about 1.6 billion kW, an increase of about 90 million kW from last year, and the overall balance of power supply and demand across the country will be maintained," Liu Mingyang said. The National Energy Administration will strengthen supply and demand monitoring and early warning, closely observe key regions and critical links, coordinate and optimize the allocation of power resources, continuously consolidate the defense line for safe power production, and do its utmost to ensure the energy and power supply for this summer.

(Xue Ziyi (薛子怡) participated in writing)

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Electricity Data Reflects New Momentum in High-Quality Development (Editor's Note)

By: 何 彪

Electricity consumption is a “barometer” and “wind vane” for economic operation. The first-half “report card” on total social electricity consumption has been released, conveying not only a development trend of momentum turning toward the new and structure turning toward the superior, but also containing the deep logic of high-quality development advancing steadily and reaching far.

Within the data, one sees “new” meaning. The electricity consumption data for the charging and battery-swapping service industry and the internet data service industry are eye-catching, demonstrating the strong momentum of the vigorous development of new business forms. The proportion of coal-fired power generation in the first half fell below 50% for the first time, and the proportion of renewable energy power generation exceeded 40% for the first time—two “firsts” marking the accelerated advancement of the green and low-carbon transformation of the energy structure, with the electricity consumption structure continuously turning toward the new and the green.

Within the data, one also sees resilience. Currently, it is the critical period of meeting peak summer demand, and the overall power supply situation across the country is stable. The confidence comes precisely from China’s already-built energy system with the most complete categories and the largest scale in the world.

Viewing vitality through electricity, as the economy continuously develops toward the new, the superior, and the good, on the “electric power map” of the Chinese economy, the new atmosphere of high-quality development is becoming increasingly magnificent.

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Accelerate the Building of a Healthy China

By: 本报记者 白剑峰

Editor's Note: Recently, the Central Propaganda Department, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China Work Committee for Central and State Organs, the Ministry of Education, the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, and the Beijing Municipal Committee jointly held a series of situation and policy report meetings on "Ensuring and improving people's livelihood amidst high-quality development." On July 21, Lei Haichao (雷海潮), Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the National Health Commission, delivered a special report on "Accelerating the Construction of a Healthy China," which is now published in summary in a question-and-answer format.

Historic achievements have been made in the construction of a Healthy China; major health indicators have entered the forefront among countries with upper-middle income and a population exceeding 100 million.

Reporter: Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, what historic achievements has China made in the construction of a Healthy China?

Lei Haichao: Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed the safeguarding of people's health in a more prominent position. Proceeding from the overall situation of the development of the Party and the state, it has made the major strategic deployment of building a Healthy China. General Secretary Xi Jinping personally planned and laid out the construction of a Healthy China, making profound and systematic important arrangements at every key juncture.

In December 2014, during an inspection at the Shiyizhen (世业镇) Health Center in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Without universal health, there is no comprehensive well-off society." In August 2016, at the National Health and Wellness Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that people's health should be placed in a strategic priority position for development, focusing on popularizing healthy lifestyles, optimizing health services, improving health security, building a healthy environment, and developing the health industry to accelerate the construction of a Healthy China, striving to safeguard people's health comprehensively and across the entire lifecycle, laying a solid health foundation for achieving the "Two Centenary Goals" and realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In October 2017, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China made the major deployment of "Implementing the Healthy China Strategy," clarifying the strategic position of building a Healthy China.

In March 2021, during an inspection in Sanming, Fujian, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "People's health is an important indicator of socialist modernization," and "Health is the 1, and everything else is the 0 behind it. If the 1 is gone, there is nothing," further highlighting the foundational and leading role of health. On March 6 of this year, when visiting members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party, the Jiusan Society, the medical and health sector, and the social welfare and social security sector participating in the Fourth Session of the 14th National Committee of the CPPCC, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that to build a Healthy China, we must adhere to proceeding from China's national conditions, unswervingly follow the path of health development with Chinese characteristics, and unswervingly implement the health and wellness work principles for the new era.

In the historical process of achieving the "Two Centenary Goals," developing health and wellness undertakings has always occupied a foundational position, closely linked with the overall national strategy, and playing an important supporting role. We have built and continuously consolidated and developed the world's largest medical service, traditional medicine, disease prevention and control, and medical security systems. Historically, we have ensured basic medical care for the impoverished population, achieved historic accomplishments in the development of health and wellness undertakings, withstood the severe impact of the pandemic of the century, created a miracle for a populous country to successfully emerge from the pandemic, and the strategic pace of building a Healthy China has become increasingly firm, the strategic connotation has been continuously enriched, making tremendous contributions to maintaining economic and social stability and development.

From a global horizontal comparison, the health level of our residents leads the level of economic development, and major health indicators have reached the best levels in history. From 2012 to 2025, China's average life expectancy increased by 3.85 years over 13 years, reaching 79.25 years; the under-5 mortality rate dropped to 5.4 per thousand; the maternal mortality rate dropped to 13.4 per 100,000; major health indicators have entered the forefront among countries with upper-middle income and a population exceeding 100 million. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the average height of males and females aged 6–17 in China increased by 2.1 cm and 2.2 cm respectively; the trend of overweight and obesity among children under 6 years old was brought under control; the coverage rate of eye health and vision examination for children aged 0–6 nationwide reached 95.8%. The premature death rate from major chronic diseases fell below 14%; the health literacy level of national residents increased at an average rate of 2 percentage points per year, reaching 33.69% in 2025. A social atmosphere of valuing health, pursuing health, and maintaining health is taking shape.

The fundamental reason for these achievements lies in the piloting and steering of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, demonstrating the superiority of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, and demonstrating the significant advantages of the path of health development with Chinese characteristics.

Profoundly grasp the new situation and new requirements facing the development of health and wellness undertakings.

Reporter: How should we understand the current new situation and new requirements for the development of China's health and wellness undertakings?

Lei Haichao: During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, China still faces a complex situation where multiple disease threats coexist and multiple health influencing factors are intertwined. The situation for infectious disease prevention and control remains severe and complex. Since 2014, the World Health Organization has declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern eight times. Affected by factors such as global warming and increased extreme weather, the transmission range of some vector-borne infectious diseases has expanded, epidemic patterns have changed, and epidemic durations have lengthened. With a substantial increase in cross-border personnel flows and international trade logistics, the pressure and risk of imported infectious diseases from abroad and the spread of domestic infectious diseases continue to rise. The pressure of chronic disease prevention and control continues to increase. Population aging pushes up the scale of chronic disease prevalence and disease burden. There are approximately 450 million chronic disease patients in China, and chronic disease deaths account for as high as 88% of total resident deaths. Sedentary behavior, staying up late, smoking and excessive drinking, unhealthy diet, and lack of exercise are all important contributing factors. The adolescent population faces new challenges such as obesity, myopia, and mental health issues.

With the continuous improvement of economic and social development levels and people's living standards, the people are placing greater emphasis on life quality and health safety. Health demands continue to increase and show diversified and differentiated characteristics. There is a gradual shift from the past passive medical treatment of "treating illness when sick" to health demands covering the entire life cycle. People not only require the ability to see a doctor and have their illness treated well, but also hope not to get sick or to get sick less. At the same time, China is still in and will long remain in the primary stage of socialism. Basic national conditions such as a huge population scale, gaps in urban-rural and regional development levels will persist for a long time. Problems of unbalanced and inadequate development in the health field still exist. There is a shortage of medical and health resources, especially human resources, with structural disparities. The guarantee mechanism for maintaining public welfare is not yet perfect. The economic and social development model and governance model conducive to health need further consolidation and expansion.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" period is a critical period for laying a solid foundation and making comprehensive efforts to basically realize socialist modernization. In the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that building a Healthy China by 2035 is a strategic decision made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. The "15th Five-Year Plan" is a key period for achieving this goal. It is necessary to plan comprehensively and step up efforts, striving for decisive progress. We must anchor to the strategic goals set by the Central Committee, adhere to the Party's overall leadership over health work, unswervingly follow the path of health development with Chinese characteristics, unswervingly implement the Party's health and wellness work principles for the new era, take the implementation of the health priority development strategy as the guide, accelerate the improvement of policy and regulation systems for health priority development concepts, planning, elements, governance, performance, etc., precisely grasp the close integration of investment in things and investment in people, accelerate the formation of production and lifestyle patterns and economic and social development models conducive to health, promote a greater focus on health-centeredness in the development mode of medical and health services, a greater emphasis on quality and efficiency improvement in the service system, a greater emphasis on system coordination in reform and governance, enhance the balance and accessibility of health services, strengthen technological empowerment and talent support, better coordinate high-quality development and high-level security, continuously meet the people's new expectations for health, and strive to achieve an average life expectancy of 80 years by 2030, making a landmark contribution to Chinese-style modernization.

Anchor to the goal of building a Healthy China by 2035; solidly advance the key tasks of the "15th Five-Year Plan."

Reporter: During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, what are the main key tasks for accelerating the construction of a Healthy China?

Lei Haichao: During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, we will thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on the construction of a Healthy China and the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. We will comprehensively implement the "15th Five-Year Plan" for national health, the revitalization and development of traditional Chinese medicine, disease prevention and control, etc., carry out the blueprint to the end, strive for decisive progress in the construction of a Healthy China, and lay a solid foundation for building a Healthy China by 2035.

First, advocate for a healthy and civilized lifestyle. World Health Organization research shows that personal behavior and lifestyle account for 60% of health impact. Currently, the disease burden caused by chronic diseases is increasingly prominent. Advocating for a healthy and civilized lifestyle is the most cost-effective means of coping with chronic diseases. In recent years, the National Health Commission has launched a healthy weight management campaign to improve abnormal weight conditions in the population, which has been welcomed by the public. We must promote the inclusion of health education in the national education system and build health education and science popularization platforms. Promote and support medical institutions and medical personnel to integrate health knowledge dissemination into the entire process of medical and health services. Implement rational dietary action and healthy weight management action, promote smoke-free environment construction, and extensively carry out national fitness activities. Taking major chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases as entry points, strengthen monitoring of chronic diseases and their risk factors, develop full-chain services of prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and management, improve early screening, early diagnosis, and early treatment systems, establish integrated chronic disease outpatient services, and strengthen co-prevention, co-treatment, and co-management of multiple diseases.

Second, improve the public health system. Thoroughly implement the newly revised "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases" and the newly enacted "Law of the People's Republic of China on Response to Public Health Emergencies," strengthen Party leadership, implement the "four-party responsibilities" of localities, departments, units, and individuals, improve the joint prevention and control mechanism for major infectious diseases, strengthen core capabilities such as preventing importation, monitoring and early warning, and emergency response, and establish and improve a smart multi-point triggered infectious disease monitoring and early warning system. Strictly prevent the importation and spread of overseas epidemics such as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, strengthen the prevention and control of major infectious diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis, and viral hepatitis, and control or eliminate the harm of key parasitic diseases and endemic diseases. Strengthen mass prevention and mass control, deeply carry out the patriotic health campaign, strengthen vector biological control, and actively promote vaccination such as influenza vaccine. Vigorously cultivate cross-compound strategic talents in medicine, prevention, and management. Make full use of the experience and practices formed during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as upgraded command and joint epidemiological investigation teams of public security, industry and commerce, and disease control, to ensure that large-scale epidemics do not occur.

Third, build a high-quality and efficient medical service system. Focus on doing a good job of "strengthening the grassroots, stabilizing the secondary, and controlling the tertiary." "Strengthening the grassroots" means enhancing the service capacity of primary-level medical and health institutions, vigorously implementing the medical and health strengthening project, and continuously promoting the sinking of personnel and services. Support the construction of 1,000 compact county-level medical communities, promote distributed examination and centralized diagnosis, and achieve full coverage of compact county-level medical communities and compact urban medical groups by 2027. Optimize the layout of primary-level medical and health institutions according to local conditions, promote itinerant medical services, mobile medical services, and remote diagnosis and treatment, and build a strong 15-minute basic medical and health service circle. Comprehensively promote the establishment of referral and consultation centers at the city level, give priority to opening outpatient appointment resources of secondary and above hospitals to primary-level medical and health institutions, and guide rational medical treatment. "Stabilizing the secondary" means stabilizing and optimizing the development of secondary hospitals, supporting the development of weak specialty services needed by the people, such as rehabilitation, nursing, mental health, pediatrics, geriatric medicine, and hospice care. "Controlling the tertiary" means regulating the development speed and scale of tertiary hospitals, strictly prohibiting public hospitals from exceeding planned construction and illegal debt construction, and preventing excessive concentration of resources in tertiary hospitals. Leverage the radiation-driven role of national medical centers and regional medical centers, and promote the tilt of high-quality medical resources towards the central and western regions, towards the grassroots, towards weak specialties, and towards areas with net population growth.

Further focus work priorities on filling and strengthening weaknesses and shortcomings, strengthen the construction of weak specialties, comprehensively enhance emergency medical treatment, blood supply, and emergency response capabilities, promote the revision of the Blood Donation Law, and strengthen emergency medical service points and vehicle configuration. Establish and improve a long-term mechanism for implementing practical services for the people. We have designated 2025–2027 as the "Pediatric and Mental Health Service Years." On the basis of implementing 8 practical services for the people in 2025, we will continue to implement 10 practical services for the people in 2026, including adding 1,000 primary-level institutions to provide pediatric services, adding 110 counties to provide psychological outpatient services, tertiary hospitals opening healthy weight management outpatient clinics, reaching 300 items of mutual recognition of inspection and test results within cities, counties with a population of over 60,000 all being able to provide hemodialysis services, 10,000 medical institutions opening early pregnancy care outpatient clinics, adding 150,000 inclusive childcare slots, providing free HPV vaccination for girls aged 13, training 3,200 backbone personnel in "Western medicine learning Chinese medicine," and holding 10,000 health knowledge lectures, to further enhance the people's sense of health gain.

Fourth, continuously deepen the reform of the medical and health system. Promote the improvement of the mechanism for coordinated development and governance of medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals. Comprehensively promote "Learning from Sanming and Grabbing Medical Reform" at the city level. Leverage the demonstration role of 70 high-quality development demonstration cities for public hospitals and 107 improvement projects. With public welfare as the orientation, deepen reforms in public hospital staffing, service pricing, compensation systems, and comprehensive supervision. Improve fiscal input policies, and promote strengthening the operational support of county, district, and primary-level medical institutions. Deepen medical-education coordination, continue to implement the rural order-directed free medical student and university graduate village doctor special plans, and expand the medical and health talent team. Comprehensively strengthen industry Party building, implement the dean responsibility system under the leadership of the Party committee, give full play to the political function and organizational function of grassroots Party organizations, promote the spirit of fighting SARS, the great spirit of fighting the pandemic, and the lofty professional spirit, strengthen medical ethics and conduct construction and corruption problem rectification, create a clean and upright industry environment and a good social atmosphere of respecting doctors and valuing health.

Fifth, promote the revitalization and development of traditional Chinese medicine. Adhere to placing equal emphasis on Chinese and Western medicine, promote mutual supplementation and coordinated development of Chinese and Western medicine, strengthen the construction of TCM departments in public general hospitals and flagship hospitals for integrated Chinese and Western medicine, deepen clinical collaboration between Chinese and Western medicine around major diseases and difficult illnesses, and improve the level of comprehensive disease diagnosis and treatment. Continuously implement the TCM culture promotion project, and improve the TCM culture dissemination system. Give full play to the unique advantages of TCM in preventive treatment of disease, promote health preservation and fitness methods, and strengthen TCM prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and geriatric diseases. Promote the inheritance, innovation, and development of TCM, use modern science and technology to explain the mechanism of action of TCM, and promote the modernization and industrialization of TCM. Implement the "New Era Shennong Tastes a Hundred Herbs" action, expand global cooperation in traditional medicine, and accelerate the promotion of TCM to the world.

Sixth, promote high-quality population development. Comprehensively understand and correctly view the population development situation. We must oppose both "population determinism" and "population irrelevance," focus on improving population quality, strive to stabilize the scale of new births, and support Chinese-style modernization with high-quality population development. Improve the fertility support policy system, advocate for a positive view of marriage and childbearing, give play to the role of policies such as childcare subsidies, and improve the maternity insurance system. Vigorously develop inclusive childcare and integrated childcare services, and deeply conduct pilot demonstrations for childcare service subsidies. Strengthen health services for women and children, implement early pregnancy care initiatives, improvement plans for pregnancy and birth defect prevention capabilities, and implement health promotion actions for children and adolescents in terms of weight, vision, psychology, bones, oral cavity, etc. Actively promote healthy aging, advance the rehabilitation and nursing expansion and upgrade project, implement long-term care insurance, develop integrated medical and elderly care services, improve the medical care and nursing system for the disabled and elderly persons with dementia, increase the supply of inclusive rehabilitation, nursing, and hospice care services, and strengthen door-to-door medical services and home-based ward services for disabled and elderly populations.

Seventh, vigorously develop new quality productive forces in health. Improve the scientific and technological innovation system in health, optimize the layout of scientific and technological innovation platforms and bases, cultivate national strategic scientific and technological forces, and enhance the scientific research capabilities of high-level medical and health institutions. Focus on people's life and health to strengthen organized major special projects in health technology research, give play to the role of national laboratories, national-level academies of medical sciences, high-level medical and health institutions, leading technology enterprises, etc., promote deep integration of medical industry, academia, and research, promote the output of landmark innovation achievements, and support the high-quality development of emerging pillar industries such as biomedicine and future industries such as brain-computer interfaces and biomanufacturing. Promote the digital and intelligent construction of national health, and orderly promote the application of digital and intelligent technologies in scenarios such as assisted diagnosis and treatment, precision medicine, health management, medical insurance services, and elderly care and disability support.

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NPC Standing Committee Holds 3rd Session of 2026 Training Course for NPC Deputies

Xinhua News Agency, Shijiazhuang, July 30 — The National People's Congress Standing Committee (全国人大常委会) held the 3rd training session of 2026 for deputies to the National People's Congress in Hebei from July 27 to 29. A total of 187 NPC deputies from 28 electoral units carried out on-duty study centered on the theme “Deeply study, implement, and enforce the Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress (民族团结进步促进法), further forge the sense of community of the Chinese nation (中华民族共同体意识).”

The responsible comrade of the Representative Work Committee of the NPC Standing Committee (全国人大常委会代表工委) stated at the opening ceremony that the formulation and implementation of the Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress is a major policy decision and deployment made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core based on the historical positioning of the Party's ethnic work in the new era, and is an inevitable requirement for adhering to the correct path of solving ethnic problems with Chinese characteristics and governing ethnic affairs according to law. Deputies to the National People's Congress must stand at the political height of firmly supporting the “two establishments” (两个确立) and resolutely achieving the “two upholds” (两个维护), deeply study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts on strengthening and improving ethnic work, accurately grasp the legislative spirit, basic principles, and main content of the Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, and in accordance with law performing duties and in their own work, effectively transform the learning outcomes into concrete actions of consciously and deeply implementing the Law on the Promotion of Ethnic Unity and Progress, ensuring and promoting high-quality development of ethnic work, and promoting the great unity of the Chinese nation.

The training session arranged 4 special topic reports, inviting relevant comrades from the National People’s Congress Ethnic Affairs Committee (全国人大民族委员会), the National Ethnic Affairs Commission (国家民委), and other departments, as well as relevant experts and scholars from the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院大学) to give explanations on related themes. The training session also arranged on-site teaching, and organized and carried out on-duty exchanges.

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World's largest high-speed rail shield tunnel under water body completed

Beijing, July 30 (Reporter Li Xinping (李心萍)) — On the 30th, the world's largest diameter high-speed rail shield tunneling machine "Linghang (领航号)", independently developed by China, crossed the natural barrier of the Yangtze River and arrived at No. 2 vertical shaft. Thus, the Chongtai Yangtze River Tunnel achieved water section connection, laying the foundation for high-speed trains to cross the Yangtze River at 350 kilometers per hour without decelerating. The Chongtai Yangtze River Tunnel connects Shanghai's Chongming with Jiangsu's Taicang, with a total length of 14.25 kilometers, and is currently one of the highest construction standards and most difficult high-speed rail river-crossing tunnel projects in China.

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"Chinese experts teach us how to achieve a better life, hand in hand" (Creating a New Era of Shared Prosperity and Development)

By: 本报记者 邹 松

“In the past half year and more, my family has added a cattle shed and a chicken coop, harvested two crops of new vegetable varieties, and also renovated the plank house.” Standing beside his own chicken coop, Teje Guta, a villager of Godino village in Ethiopia’s Oromia state, expressed full gratitude, “It was Chinese experts who taught us hand in hand how to live a good life!”

Less than two hours’ drive from the capital Addis Ababa, Godino village is an extremely impoverished village with a per capita daily income of less than US$0.50. At the end of May 2025, the first batch of pilot projects for the China-Ethiopia Agricultural Cooperation Poverty Reduction Demonstration Village were officially launched here. Eight agricultural experts from the fourth phase of the Chinese senior agricultural expert team aiding Ethiopia entered the village and households, deeply integrating China’s poverty reduction experience with local realities. By providing farmers with seeds, fertilizer, livestock and poultry, agricultural machinery and equipment, and promoting technologies such as China’s high-yield planting, healthy breeding, and water-saving irrigation, they used hands-on teaching and concrete actions to support local poverty reduction practices.

“Chinese experts helped me become a prosperity leader in the village.”

Rural poverty reduction requires innovation in production models as a necessary link. The courtyard of villager Asenaku has now become a demonstration model for three-dimensional planting and breeding in Godino village. Every morning, Asenaku first feeds the chickens; chicken droppings fall into the fish pond; the nutrient-rich water from the fish pond can irrigate corn, vegetables, and fruit trees; vegetable leaves and the like can then be used to feed the chickens, thus forming a circular farming system.

“Now my family’s corn yield per mu has increased by 20% compared to before; eggs can be consumed at home and also sold; fish can be taken to the market for cash. Over the year, I can earn an additional 120,000 Ethiopian birr (about 5,200 yuan).” Asenaku said with a smile.

More than a year ago, Asenaku could only rely on meager field income to barely raise five children. In March 2025, after the team leader of the expert group, Zhang Shihong (张世洪), led the team to conduct household surveys, he tailored a three-dimensional planting and breeding model of “chickens, fish, grains, vegetables, and fruits” for her.

Asenaku recalled that the Chinese experts did not just explain verbally; they also brought tools to help her dig a fish pond and build a chicken coop, teaching her hand in hand how to mix chicken feed, regulate the water quality of the fish pond, and arrange grain and vegetable planting. The originally barren two mu of land turned into a beautiful courtyard that increased income and brought prosperity. “Chinese experts helped me become a prosperity leader in the village,” she said. “Now my family has money to buy new clothes and pay school fees for the children; the previously leaky shack has been replaced with a brick and stone house.”

The change for demonstration household Abu Negash came from innovation in crop planting techniques. Crop expert Li Rongbiao (李荣彪) provided high-quality wheat seeds and fertilizer to Negash and 50 other pilot farm households, and also taught them hand in hand techniques such as deep soil plowing, proper dense planting, and biological pest and disease control.

“The Chinese experts are even more attentive than we are. They gave lessons right in the fields, and even calculated the amount of fertilizer for us one by one.” Negash pointed to his own wheat field and said, “Over the past year, my family’s wheat yield increased by nearly 70%, and income rose by 45,000 Ethiopian birr (about 2,000 yuan).” Under the guidance of Chinese experts, wheat production in Godino village increased by 20%, and the yield of teff per hectare rose from 700 kg to 900 kg. The village’s overall grain self-sufficiency rate increased from 60% to over 75%, basically bidding farewell to the predicament of “靠天吃饭 (kào tiān chī fàn - “rely on heaven for food,” to depend on the weather for a living), lacking grain and food.”

“It has brought us hope for accelerating the development of animal husbandry.”

Poverty reduction cannot be separated from hardware improvement. The expert group combined the efforts of Chinese enterprises and the local government to jointly promote a leapfrog upgrade of agricultural and rural facilities in Godino village.

In the first half of this year, the demonstration dairy farm built with full funding from the expert group was put into use. In the approximately 500-square-meter compound, the semi-enclosed cattle shed is airy and orderly, with durable and easy-to-clean cement feeding troughs, and a complete set of facilities including a forage storage area, milking equipment, and sewage disposal facilities.

To change the local tradition of extensive feeding, the expert group is building a demonstration village animal health center that integrates epidemic prevention, milking, and breeding in the village. Currently, a channel for a medicated bath pool has been pre-laid; after completion, it will be used for external parasite control of livestock through soaking and spraying. “The center covers multiple functions such as disease prevention and control, breeding, and milk collection and storage. Doing so can save costs, improve production efficiency, and effectively help local farmers increase income,” said Wen Liming (温利明), a member of the expert group and an animal husbandry expert from Ningxia.

Teshome, an official from the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Department of the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, said after inspecting Godino village that Ethiopia has abundant animal husbandry resources, but backward breeding technology has constrained industrial development. By improving facilities and equipment and providing technical support, Chinese experts “have brought us hope for accelerating the development of animal husbandry.”

The main grain crops in Godino village—wheat and teff—have long relied on manual planting, resulting in extremely low production efficiency. At the end of 2025, the expert group donated more than 70 sets of agricultural equipment to Godino village, including corn seeders, water pumps, incubators, juicers, insecticidal lamps, etc. Zhong Dexin (钟德新), the expert group’s agricultural machinery and irrigation expert, took the lead throughout the installation, debugging, and teaching, imparting hands-on instruction to farmers on operating the equipment and explaining maintenance methods. To address the problem of local teff planting relying on manual labor, he purchased teff seeders from China and demonstrated in person, and also developed a teff harvester suited to local conditions to improve production efficiency.

As the village technician, Silteri sincerely thanked the Chinese experts for their help: “Many pieces of equipment I had never seen before. The Chinese experts patiently explained the principles to us, taught us how to operate the machines, and regularly inspected our usage and maintenance.” Under the guidance of Chinese experts, Silteri organized a farm machinery team, which became the main force during the busy farming season.

In terms of living facilities, the expert group also promoted the construction of a 4G base station in the village. Now, 4G signal covers the entire Godino village, which not only solved communication difficulties but also laid the foundation for e-commerce to enter the village. “Villagers have the opportunity to go online to learn agricultural techniques and understand market information, and the village’s e-commerce outlets are also being established,” said Asefa Gudisa, the village head of Godino.

“It has played a positive role in strengthening agricultural cooperation between Ethiopia and China.”

After one year of practice, the effectiveness of the demonstration village project has been recognized by many parties. Villagers have a high degree of enthusiasm for participation. Currently, the selection of the first batch of 55 demonstration households has been completed. It is expected that within three years, each prosperity leader can drive three new developing farm households, helping a total of more than 200 farm households achieve poverty reduction. “The core of the project’s assistance is to draw on China’s poverty reduction experience, take ‘industrial revitalization and educational revitalization’ as the orientation, promote the sustainable development of the demonstration village, convey the spirit of 自力更生 (zì lì gēng shēng - “rely on one’s own strength to regenerate,” self-reliance), achieve hematopoietic aid, and ensure that the poverty reduction demonstration has both visible results and capabilities that cannot be taken away,” said Liu Shouyun (刘守云), deputy leader of the expert group.

“You are truly creating a new life together with the farm households.” Teshema, an official from the Agriculture Bureau of Ada District, Oromia State, Ethiopia, stated that the demonstration village project has driven income growth for farm households in Godino village. The newly renovated farmer training center has conducted multiple training sessions for villagers, significantly improving the overall quality of farmers. It provides a replicable model for agricultural poverty reduction across the state. The state government will fully support the project’s expansion to benefit more farm households.

“Chinese agricultural experts have not only established the agricultural cooperation poverty reduction demonstration village but also set up eight other project demonstration sites, imparting Chinese agricultural technologies and helping to attract investment from Chinese enterprises.” Yeneshe Bezabih, the China-Ethiopia project liaison officer in the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, said, “We very much welcome the Chinese expert group; they have played a positive role in strengthening agricultural cooperation between Ethiopia and China.”

“Chinese experts not only provide material assistance but also place greater emphasis on agricultural technology transfer and capacity building.” Former Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture Girma Amente praised that Chinese experts help smallholder farmers integrate into the industrial chain and increase income, which is highly compatible with Ethiopia’s agricultural modernization development strategy.

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Pooling Strong Synergies for Global Development (Heping)

China will continue to play its role as a responsible major country, closely link its own development with the common development of all countries, and act as a promoter and contributor to global development.

The High-level Meeting on the Fifth Anniversary of the Global Development Initiative was recently held in Beijing. At present, as the century-old changes (百年变局) accelerate, the world has entered a new period of turmoil and transformation, and humanity once again stands at a crossroads where it must decide which way to go. At this important moment, China invites all parties to revisit the original aspiration of jointly promoting global development, seek sound strategies for accelerating sustainable development, and push the Global Development Initiative to keep deepening and solidifying, injecting strong momentum and valuable confidence into solving the global development deficit and implementing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In September 2021, faced with the question of the times on the future of global development, President Xi Jinping solemnly put forward the Global Development Initiative at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, providing a Chinese solution and making China’s contribution to revitalizing the global development cause. Over the past five years, this initiative has developed from a Chinese proposition into broad international consensus, and from conceptual alignment into rich cooperation practices, receiving positive responses from the international community. At present, more than 130 countries and international organizations support the initiative and participate in related cooperation, and nearly 100 countries as well as international and regional organizations have signed cooperation documents with China. The Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative (全球发展倡议之友小组) has expanded to 88 members, becoming an important force in advancing the global development cause. UN Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that the Global Development Initiative and other global initiatives proposed by China are perfectly aligned with the issues of concern to the United Nations, demonstrating clear strategic vision and displaying the responsibility of a major country.

The fundamental reason why the Global Development Initiative can receive broad support and participation is that it always places development at the center of the international agenda, responding to the common aspirations of people of all countries for development and prosperity. At present, the international situation is intertwined with turbulence and change, the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is lagging far behind, the North-South development gap is widening, and the global development cause faces severe challenges. The Global Development Initiative promotes common development and prosperity through tangible resource input and pragmatic actions. Relying on mechanisms such as the China-UN Peace and Development Fund (中国—联合国和平与发展基金) and the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund (全球发展和南南合作基金), it has mobilized over 23 billion US dollars, implemented more than 1,800 cooperation projects that are “small yet smart” (xiǎo ér měi - “small and beautiful,” referring to projects that are targeted and effective) and “warm the hearts of the people” (nuǎn mín xīn - “warm the people’s hearts,” meaning projects that benefit ordinary people directly), and trained over 200,000 personnel of various types. From the Juncao (菌草) technology that helps reduce global poverty, to sustainable development satellites that share data synchronously, to the Mazu (妈祖) platform that helps Global South countries improve meteorological early warning and disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities, the achievements of the Global Development Initiative have brought tangible benefits to the people of more than 120 countries. As World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Celeste Saulo said, “The Global Development Initiative exemplifies the development vision and concepts urgently needed in the world today – adhering to a people-centered approach, promoting inclusive and sustainable growth, and building an important framework for translating ambitious goals into concrete actions.”

This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and also the first year of China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” period. The Communist Party of China

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Exploring Modernization Path for Global South Countries

By: 本报记者 戴楷然

“The 105-year journey of struggle of the Communist Party of China shows that a country can fully base itself on its national conditions and forge a development path that fits its own realities,” Ishmael Mada, director of the Chitepo School of Ideology, a think tank affiliated with Zimbabwe’s ruling party ZANU-PF, said in an exclusive interview with our reporter. “The Communist Party of China leads the people in advancing Chinese-style modernization, providing important inspiration for Global South countries exploring paths to modernization.”

As the head of a think tank affiliated with ZANU-PF, Mada has long studied the Communist Party of China’s experience in governing and administering the country. In March 2025, Mada went to Fujian to attend the second Wuyi Forum, where he conducted in-depth investigations and research in villages, enterprises, and scientific research institutions, and exchanged views with scholars from multiple countries on Chinese-style modernization. “China’s development is not only reflected in modern urban construction, but also in the development and changes of ordinary villages and the continuous improvement of people’s lives,” Mada said. In China’s villages and communities, grassroots Party organizations can promptly understand the needs of the masses and accurately allocate resources to where they are most needed by the people. “This people-centered development philosophy of the Communist Party of China ensures that various policies can truly be implemented.”

In May this year, Mada went to Tanzania to attend the dialogue meeting between the Communist Party of China and six sister parties from Southern Africa, where he had in-depth exchanges with representatives from parties in China and Southern African countries on topics such as cadre training, modernization, and party governance. “Today, more and more Global South countries want to understand China and comprehend the Communist Party of China, hoping to draw wisdom from China’s development practices,” Mada said. “The Communist Party of China has not only profoundly changed China, but also contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to the modernization of Global South countries.”

Mada believes that the Communist Party of China continuously strengthens its own construction. “A political party can only maintain its vigorous vitality if it constantly examines itself, corrects problems, and adapts to the development of the times,” he said. In recent years, ZANU-PF and the Communist Party of China have carried out fruitful exchanges on cadre training, governance, and ideological and theoretical construction, which have not only deepened mutual trust between the two sides but also helped ZANU-PF strengthen its governance capacity building.

Mada pays special attention to the inspiration of China’s poverty reduction experience for Africa’s development. The China-Zimbabwe agricultural cooperation demonstration villages, China’s Juncao technology assistance projects in Zimbabwe, and others have not only helped local areas increase agricultural productivity but also created more employment opportunities for youth and women. Mada said that China’s development experience shows that poverty reduction is not short-term relief, but is achieved by continuously strengthening the endogenous driving force of development.

Starting from May 1 this year, China has fully implemented a zero-tariff policy for 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations. “Zimbabwe’s blueberries, avocados and other products look forward to expanding the Chinese market with the help of the zero-tariff policy,” Mada said. For African countries, this not only means more products entering the Chinese market, but more importantly, it promotes industrial upgrading, realizing a transformation from exporting raw materials to exporting high value-added products. “China’s expansion of high-standard opening up and sharing of development opportunities with the vast number of developing countries fully reflects China’s firm commitment to common development and common prosperity with Global South countries.”

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Photo Report

On July 30, a New Western Land-Sea Corridor (西部陆海新通道) train departed from Yuzui Station in Chongqing (drone photo). The train, fully loaded with automobile parts, motorcycle components, and other products, will be sent to the Southeast Asian market.

Data from Chongqing Customs shows that in the first half of the year, Chongqing achieved an import and export volume of 28.71 billion yuan through the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, a year-on-year increase of 13.7 percent, and the corridor's driving effect on local foreign trade continues to strengthen.

Xinhua News Agency reporter Tang Yi (唐奕) photo

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He Lifeng holds video call with U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent and Trade Representative Greer

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 30 — On the evening of July 30 Beijing time, He Lifeng, Chinese lead for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs and Vice Premier of the State Council, held a video call with U.S. lead Treasury Secretary Bessent and Trade Representative Greer. The two sides, centering on the implementation of the important consensus reached at the Beijing meeting between the heads of state of China and the United States, conducted candid, in-depth, and constructive exchanges on maintaining stable economic and trade relations between the two countries, expanding practical cooperation, and properly addressing each other's concerns during the next phase. The Chinese side expressed serious concerns about recent U.S. economic and trade restrictive measures against China. The two sides agreed to, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, further leverage the role of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, strengthen communication, enhance trust and dispel doubts, expand cooperation, promote the stable and positive development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations, and contribute to building a constructive and strategically stable China-U.S. relationship.

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New Impetus for Development in Sri Lanka’s Northern Dry Zone

By: 本报记者 张矜若

Deep underground, two double-shield hard rock tunnel boring machines moved toward each other and ultimately achieved precise connection. Recently, the Sri Lanka Ellahara Canal Water Diversion Tunnel Project, undertaken by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (中国建筑股份有限公司, hereinafter “China Construction”), achieved full completion through the entire line.

“Sri Lanka’s future development and prosperity will, to a great extent, depend on the scientific and efficient development, management, and protection of water resources.” At the completion ceremony, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Lands and Irrigation, Senarath, said that the full completion of the canal water diversion tunnel project marks Sri Lanka’s water conservancy construction entering a new important stage.

Uneven distribution of water resources has long constrained agricultural production and improvements to the people’s livelihood in Sri Lanka’s northern region. This water diversion tunnel is a key part of Sri Lanka’s north-central water canal project, and undertakes the important task of transporting the relatively abundant water resources from the south-central part to the drought-stricken northern region.

In the Ellahara Canal Water Diversion Tunnel Project, the hard rock tunnel section constructed by the double-shield tunnel boring machine is approximately 26.6 kilometers long. Since construction began in March 2021, Chinese and Sri Lankan builders, facing complex hydrogeological conditions, needed to complete ultra-long-distance continuous hard rock tunneling and solve challenges such as long-distance ventilation, drainage, transportation, and equipment maintenance.

The project’s scientific and technical personnel independently developed a tunnel boring machine split-start technology, enabling large equipment to start precisely under constrained construction conditions; during construction they adhered to “advance forecasting, proactive treatment,” and adjusted construction plans in a timely manner according to changes in rock strata and groundwater. “These explorations have provided a Chinese solution for similar overseas project construction,” said Project Manager Yi Chengzhi (易承志).

The project construction not only opened a water conveyance channel, but also trained a number of local technical personnel. Balasuriya, a 28-year-old Sri Lankan geological engineer, after joining the project, systematically studied professional skills such as geological sketching, advanced geological drilling, and as-built drawing drafting. “Here, I not only mastered advanced tunnel geological technology, but also developed rigorous and standardized work habits,” he said. This experience has given him more confidence in his future career development.

“We not only want to build the project well, but also leave good technology locally,” said Liu Bingquan (刘兵全), head of China Construction’s Sri Lanka company. The project directly provided more than 1,300 jobs, and simultaneously implemented the “Luban Craftsman Plan” (鲁班工匠计划), jointly opening free skills training classes with the local government, training nearly 3,000 local machinery and water conservancy technical workers. After the project completion, these trainees will be incorporated into the Mahaweli Irrigation Area (马哈威利灌区) operation and maintenance system, enabling the technology to take root locally.

According to the plan, after the project is completed, it will provide a stable irrigation water source for 73,800 hectares of farmland along the line, benefiting 375,000 households. After the canal is put into use, it will further improve water supply conditions in the drought-stricken northern region of Sri Lanka, providing support for increasing agricultural production capacity, ensuring food security, and promoting coordinated regional development.

In Megaswawa Village (梅加斯瓦瓦村), not far from the project, 55-year-old farmer Nihal Wanasinha, upon learning of the tunnel completion, is full of anticipation. He and his family make a living by growing rice and sesame, and their income has long been affected by insufficient rainfall.

“In the past, once the dry season came, the well would go dry, and it might not even be possible to save one season’s rice crop,” Wanasinha said. In the future, with a stable water source, they expect to be able to grow two to three seasons of rice per year, and also plant cash crops such as chili peppers and papayas. “The money for children’s schooling and elderly medical care can all be earned from the land.”

From opening the underground tunnel to nourishing the farmland along the line; from overcoming construction difficulties to training local talent — the livelihood project jointly advanced by Chinese and Sri Lankan builders is transforming development achievements into tangible, perceptible life changes for local people, injecting new momentum into the development of Sri Lanka’s northern dry zone.

(Zou Changping also contributed to this article.)

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Survey Report: African Youth Positively Assess China's Influence

Xinhua News Agency, Johannesburg, July 30 (Reporters Jiang Guopeng, Bai Ge) — A recent report titled the 2026 African Youth Survey published by South Africa's Ichikowitz Family Foundation shows that in the eyes of African youth, China's positive influence on Africa continues to rise, and China's status as an important partner for Africa has been further consolidated.

The survey was launched in March this year, covering 16 African countries and conducting interviews with nearly 5,000 youth aged 18 to 24.

The survey shows that among respondents who believe China has influence on their country, 95% of African youth positively evaluate China's international influence, an increase of 18 percentage points compared to 2022. This data indicates that China's influence on African youth is growing day by day.

In terms of perceptions of bilateral relations, 95% of surveyed African youth regard China as a friendly and cooperative partner.

The report points out that African youth place greater emphasis on concrete results of cooperation. Fifty-five percent of respondents said that African countries should give priority to partners that can bring them trade and investment. Survey initiator Ivo Ichikowitz said: "China is winning the trust of the young generation that will determine Africa's future."

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Innovative formats bring policy briefings to life (Striving for the 15th Five-Year Plan: Reports from the Frontline)

By: 本报记者 祝佳祺

Deepen the study and propaganda-education of the Party's innovative theory, persistently use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to solidify the soul, and strengthen systematic, academic research and interpretation as well as popularization and accessible propaganda and dissemination.
——Excerpted from the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (十五五规划纲要)

"Family violence must be resisted, remember the rights of the elderly!" On the cultural square of Baixiang Community (百祥社区), Youjiang District (右江区), Baise City (百色市), the program "Clapper Talk on the Law" is being performed. The "legal literacy personnel" (法律明白人) in red vests are spirited, integrating the Anti-Domestic Violence Law, the Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, and other content into clapper talk, making it catchy and easy to recite.

On the nearby stage, volunteer actors are singing a newly compiled mountain song, "Song of Civilized New Customs." Social science volunteers from the Youjiang District Cultural Center (右江区文化馆) are guiding the singing from the side stage: "The line 'New-style weddings, no comparing' should be sung with more vigor!"

This event was jointly organized by the Youjiang District Federation of Social Sciences (右江区社科联) and the Youjiang District Bureau of Justice (右江区司法局), attracting many onlookers. "In the past, I always felt legal provisions were 'lofty and remote' and hard to understand. Today, after watching this clapper talk program, I understood it at once. It's much better than a flyer!" said Li Tiandi (李天地), a resident of Baixiang Community.

"Traditional policy propaganda and briefings are often lecture-style, not easy for the masses to understand. To make policies sink into the mind and heart, we need to center on content, combine local characteristic resources, and innovate forms of expression so that the masses love to listen and watch," said Ruan Ming (阮鸣), former chairman of the Youjiang District Federation of Social Sciences.

In recent years, the Youjiang District Federation of Social Sciences has deeply integrated "social sciences + literature and art," combining the Party's innovative theory and social science knowledge with forms the masses love to see and hear, such as mountain songs, clapper talk, skits, and situational dramas, making theoretical propaganda more down-to-earth and warmer.

"Ten thousand purples and reds still one spring, joy of harvest fills the mountain village, rural construction has vast heaven and earth." On the New Era Civilization Practice Square of Daleng Village (大楞村), Daleng Township (大楞乡), Youjiang District, accompanied by gongs and drums, Qin Liliu (覃丽柳), an autonomous region-level representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage (自治区级非遗代表性传承人), and the propaganda team members take the stage dancing with fans and handkerchiefs. As soon as the witty Guiliu dialect (桂柳方言) singing style begins, the villagers below clap and laugh.

A piece of Caidiao opera (彩调) sings about the daily life of the masses and also incorporates the latest policies and life safety knowledge. "Villagers love to listen to Caidiao opera and mountain songs. After one propaganda session, the hearts of cadres and the masses grow closer," said Qin Liliu.

Youjiang District breaks the traditional propaganda model of "one person, one table, one microphone," deeply excavates local cultural resources, creates works such as "Be a Baise Person Who Inherits Red Genes" and "New Look of Youjiang Villages," which are performed by intangible cultural heritage representative inheritors and folk singers in villages and communities; it arranges situational dramas such as "The Spark Remembers the Original Aspiration" for exhibition on cultural squares, allowing cadres and the masses to grasp principles while watching performances.

Since 2025, the Youjiang District Federation of Social Sciences has organized social science volunteers to go deep into villages, communities, and New Era Civilization Practice Centers (stations), carrying out more than 60 interactive propaganda sessions such as "Dialect Clapper Talk on Policies" and "Social Science Popularization + Situational Drama," using down-to-earth "local dialect" to interpret policies, allowing the Party's voice to fly into the homes of ordinary people.

Innovation is not limited to offline. Through the Youjiang Rongmei (右江融媒) public account, mini-program, video account, and other channels, the Youjiang District Federation of Social Sciences has expanded its propaganda positions in all directions.

"What should I do if the smoke from the barbecue stall downstairs is choking?" "Noise disturbing residents, does the property management care?" The Ecological Environment Code will come into effect on August 15. The Youjiang Rongmei public account has published a comic law-popularization post, allowing the masses to quickly understand the code. Since the beginning of this year, Youjiang District has relied on WeChat mini-programs to carry out more than 20 "cloud propaganda" sessions, produced 35 social science micro-videos and 41 audio books, covering a cumulative total of more than 15,000 person-times, effectively expanding the breadth and depth of theoretical popularization.

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Dare to use and be adept at using the first form (People's Forum)

By: 习 骅

Recently, a cadre in a certain unit was investigated for corruption. The responsible leader said he had long known that this person would run into trouble. A comrade asked back: "Then did you warn him?"

This is not the first time a similar problem has occurred in this unit. Tracing the cause, the leader's dereliction of duty and failure to manage cannot be ignored. In fact, many confession letters of corrupt officials contain content like: "If the organization had been stricter with me at the beginning, even just given me a disciplinary sanction, the outcome would not have been this." The actual situation may be complicated, but it also reveals the truth that strictness is love, laxity is harm.

The Politburo meeting of the CPC Central Committee held on July 30 proposed, "Uphold the tone of strictness without wavering." Strictness is an important guarantee for doing all our work well and is an inherent requirement of cadre management.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Good cadres are selected, and even more so, they are managed. Strict management is deep care, and is truly being responsible for cadres." However, in reality, it is not uncommon for some leading cadres to fail to enforce strict management. Cadres are left unmanaged and untaught, minor illnesses are allowed to develop into major ones, and they slide into corruption — this is distressing. So why is it difficult to be strict?

Some are unwilling to manage. There is a cognitive bias, a lack of understanding; they fail to grasp the dialectical relationship that strict management is deep care. They habitually practice "good-guy-ism," treating laissez-faire as care. The more familiar the cadre, the harder it is for them to take action. Even when a cadre makes a mistake, they cannot bring themselves to be stern, fearing that strict management will dampen the cadre's work enthusiasm, and even covering up shortcomings and letting things slide. This approach causes some party members and cadres under them to also oppose strict management and deep care, resisting management constraints and becoming increasingly unscrupulous.

Some dare not manage. "Good-guy-ism" is actually egoism. They practice "plant more flowers, fewer thorns," always giving face, never offending anyone. They coax and go along with cadres — "You are fine, I am fine, everyone is fine." When a cadre is about to be promoted, they are willing to have a talk; but if it involves criticism or warnings, they stay far away, fearing that offending someone will cost them votes, or even bring them complaint letters.

After a certain leading cadre received a party disciplinary sanction, he reflected on his problems and adjusted his mindset. In his work, he dared to manage and dared to act, leading his unit to achieve very good work results, and was later promoted and appointed by the organization. Someone asked him how he viewed the sanction he received. He said: "If the organization hadn't given me a knock on the head, I would definitely have ended up in prison!" Qualitative changes all arise from quantitative changes. "If a minor illness is not treated, a major illness will cause suffering." A cadre's slide into the abyss of law-breaking usually has a process. If the process of deviation is halted as early as possible, the outcome will be completely different. This is not only about caring for and being responsible for the cadre, but also because by catching problems early and acting on small matters, and moving the checkpoint forward, the incidence of corruption will also decline. Therefore, this is also an important path for governing corruption.

The correct way of care lies in strict education and establishing rules, 防患未然 (fáng huàn wèi rán - "prevent trouble before it occurs"), rather than lenient tolerance and laissez-faire. This is true for managing a family and educating children, and also true for managing the party and governing officials. Principled inclusion, bottomless laissez-faire, and unconstrained deep care are the most concealed and most fatal forms of harm. "Holding back the hand" actually means ruining the cadre's opportunity to correct mistakes and reform; daily laxity and softness will allow cadres to step by step slide into the abyss of violating discipline and law. Some cadres' downfall is not due to sudden major corruption, but to long-term absence of supervision and lack of strict management. Just as a tree that is rarely pruned and allowed to grow wild will hardly become a useful timber; a cadre who is rarely strictly managed and left unchecked for a long time will also hardly be able to shoulder heavy responsibilities.

The strict management that Communists speak of has never been about "stifling" cadres, but about building a solid line of defense against corruption and degeneration, helping cadres understand boundaries, know reverence, and keep the bottom line. The core essence of the "four forms" of supervision and discipline enforcement is to catch problems early and act on small matters, 防微杜渐 (fáng wēi dù jiàn - "prevent small things, stop gradual development," nip in the bud). Routine "ear-pulling and sleeve-tugging" and talk-based warnings are aimed at eliminating problems in the bud. If the first form — managing daily life, managing small details, and managing budding problems — is used well, if preventive and foundational supervision methods such as "red face and sweating" are implemented thoroughly, and if we emerge from the misunderstanding of being unwilling to use, daring not to use, and not wanting to use them, then cadres will benefit, and the cause will benefit.

Strict management and a good political ecosystem are inseparable. Party organizations must adopt a serious attitude toward cadres who only calculate for themselves; they must support, embolden, and promote cadres who are upright and dare to manage and act, with a clear orientation. And for those "tigers' backsides that cannot be touched," those who harbor resentment upon receiving criticism, or even act shamelessly, throw tantrums, or lodge false accusations and frame others, they must be resolutely punished, and no leniency can be shown.

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Striding Toward the Centenary Goal of Building the People's Military

By: 本报记者 金正波 新华社记者 梅常伟 解放军报记者 费士廷

In the midsummer of the Bingwu year, the People's Army, having traversed 99 years of extraordinary journey, once again ushers in its own festival—August 1 Army Day.

In Nanchang, Jiangxi, the August 1 Nanchang Uprising Memorial Tower stands towering; the pedestal is engraved with the words "1927.8.1", and the granite sculpture of a "Hanyang-made" rifle atop the tower and the fluttering "August 1" military flag complement each other, commemorating the magnificent journey of a heroic army.

Time is the most faithful recorder, and also the greatest writer. Over 99 years, starting from this heroic city, the People's Army, holding high the Party's banner, passing through the smoke and flames of war, 披荆斩棘 (pī jīng zhǎn jí - "cut through thorns and brambles," to overcome obstacles all the way), making tremendous sacrifices, achieving one brilliant victory after another, has established great historical merits for the Party and the people, and is now striding with an unstoppable pace toward a great moment—the centenary of the People's Army.

Building a consolidated national defense and a strong military is a goal our Party has assiduously pursued. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, focusing on realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and centering on realizing the Party's goal of strengthening the military in the new era, has mapped out the great cause of strengthening the military and guided the journey of strengthening the military, leading the national defense and military construction to achieve historic achievements and undergo historic changes.

This year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and it is also a crucial year for winning the battle to achieve the centenary goal of strengthening the People's Army.

On July 1, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, President Xi Jinping emphasized at the meeting celebrating the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China: "We must comprehensively implement the Party's thinking on strengthening the military in the new era, implement the military strategic guidelines for the new era, uphold the Party's absolute leadership over the People's Army, unswervingly follow the path of building a strong military with Chinese characteristics, comprehensively advance political construction of the military, reform to strengthen the military, science and technology to strengthen the military, talent to strengthen the military, and rule of law to govern the military, advance the modernization of national defense and the military with high quality, achieve the centenary goal of strengthening the People's Army as scheduled, and accelerate the building of the People's Army into a world-class military."

The Party flag leads the military flag forward; striding on a new journey to strengthen the military. Standing at the historical node of the 99th anniversary of the People's Army, the People's Army led by the Party, with a struggling posture and a new look, is making concerted efforts to tackle tough problems, striving to be the first, and writing new glory on the magnificent scroll of strengthening the military and rejuvenating the army.

(1) Casting Firm the Military Soul, Rectification and Training Forging a New Ethos

"To strengthen the military, the first thing is to be strong politically; being strong politically is the most fundamental strength."

In the capital Beijing, on the east side of the northern extension of the central axis. The Museum of the Communist Party of China welcomed a group of visitors in military uniform—students of the All-Army High-Level Cadre Training Course.

Tracing the roots to find the source, tempering and forging. Historical photos, revolutionary relics, and lifelike scenes inspired the participating senior military cadres to think deeply: What did they join the Party for? What did they join the army for? What do they serve as generals for?

Senior cadres are the backbone of the cause of strengthening the military, bearing heavy responsibilities and leading thousands upon thousands of troops. At the historic juncture of the new "three-step" strategic transition of national defense and military modernization, President Xi personally decided to hold the All-Army High-Level Cadre Training Course. This is a strategic measure to consolidate and deepen the achievements of political rectification and training and to forge the backbone of the cause of strengthening the military.

On the morning of April 8, President Xi attended the opening ceremony and delivered an important speech, emphasizing the need to carry out ideological rectification, deepen political rectification and training, strengthen the revolutionary forging of our military officer corps, always maintain the purity and honor of the People's Army, and greet the centenary of the People's Army with a new political outlook.

Senior cadres are educated first; the "key minority" truly receives education. Reading original texts, special lectures, site visits and study, discussions and exchanges... the students of the training course underwent a profound spiritual baptism deep in their souls.

On the day the first training course ended, 16 student representatives gave exchange speeches, talking about the weight of their mission and the responsibility of practical work. Outside the window, a bronze sculpture of the Red Army's Long March stood quietly, illuminating the path and pointing to the distance. After being tempered and forged here, the students set off again, returning to their respective posts and embarking on a new journey.

Looking back at the glorious journey of the People's Army, from the Sanwan Reorganization (三湾改编) to the Gutian Conference (古田会议), from the Yan'an Rectification Movement (延安整风) to the new-style military rectification movement during the War of Liberation, from the rectification of work style and the Party in the early days of the founding of New China to the comprehensive Party rectification after the reform and opening up, the People's Army becomes stronger, purer, and more combat-effective the more it undergoes rectification and training.

"To strengthen the military, the first thing is to be strong politically; being strong politically is the most fundamental strength." Since entering the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, standing at the strategic height of winning the historical initiative of strengthening the military and rejuvenating the army, has led and promoted political construction of the military and political rectification and training with great political courage and strong historical responsibility, firmly defending the political nature of the People's Army, and has opened a new journey of reshaping the People's Army through political rectification and training.

From Gutian to Yan'an, from the All-Army Political Work Conference to the Central Military Commission Political Work Conference, through rectifying thinking, rectifying personnel use, rectifying organization, rectifying work style, and rectifying discipline, the Party's leadership over our military, which had once been weakened, has been strengthened; the work focus, which had once deviated, has been corrected; the unhealthy tendencies and corrupt phenomena that were once thought impossible to stop have been curbed; the political ecology, which had once deteriorated, has been reversed. The People's Army, in revolutionary forging, has been reborn through fire (浴火重生, yù huǒ chóng shēng - "bathing in fire, reborn," to undergo a baptism of fire and emerge renewed) and transformed like molting (换羽新生, huàn yǔ xīn shēng - "changing feathers, new life," to undergo a complete transformation), laying a more solid ideological foundation and providing a stronger political guarantee for achieving the centenary goal of strengthening the People's Army.

—— Consciously use the Party's innovative theory to transform thinking, consolidate the foundation and cultivate the essence.

In Yongxin (永新), Jiangxi, the Sanwan Reorganization (三湾改编) Monument, inscribes history and enlightens the future. During an inspection of a troop, President Xi emotionally narrated the story that took place here: "The 54th Group Army has a famous 'Red First Company' (红一连). In September 1927, during the 'Sanwan Reorganization', Comrade Mao Zedong personally established a Party branch in this company and developed six new Party members, creating the precedent for our army's 'Party branch built on the company level' (支部建在连上)."

With a red root, there must also be a red soul. Over the years, the "Red First Company" has adopted methods such as group study, institutional promotion, party member leading study, backbone assistance study, and scenario-assisted study, integrating the study of the Party's innovative theories into daily life, stimulating the intrinsic motivation of officers and soldiers for training, preparing for war, and tackling difficulties, and has completed many major exercises and tasks.

All troops have always placed the political construction and control of the military from the ideological and political perspective in a prominent position, persistently using the Party's innovative theories to forge souls and cultivate people. On the western border, multiple small propaganda teams of an Air Force unit went to the plateau, entered positions, and arrived at combat posts, explaining the Party's innovative theories in simple terms; on the vast South China Sea, the "Loyal Blue Whale Grand Stage" of a Navy submarine crew started lectures on the deep sea, guiding officers and soldiers to study, think, and practice Xi Jinping's thinking on strengthening the military in light of actual tasks; on the exercise front line, a Rocket Force brigade, in response to the mobile and dispersed characteristics of the troops, flexibly carried out mass discussion activities such as "Everyone Talks about Strengthening the Military Thinking"... continuously building the foundation of faith, supplementing the calcium of spirit, and stabilizing the rudder of thought.

—— Consciously carry forward the thorough spirit of self-revolution.

In May this year, the Central Military Commission issued the "Several Measures on Strengthening the Education, Management, and Supervision of Senior Military Cadres," focusing on strictly enforcing discipline and caution, strictly managing principal officers to lead from above, strictly clarifying responsibilities for real implementation and real results, effectively establishing iron rules of strict education, strict management, and strict supervision.

"Our Party is a Marxist political party that always represents the fundamental interests of the vast majority of the people and has no special interests of its own. All thoughts and behaviors of seeking personal gain and corruption are incompatible with the Party's nature and purpose." Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and President Xi, all troops of the whole army have adhered to comprehensively and strictly governing the Party and comprehensively and strictly governing the military, deeply advanced political rectification and training, rectification of work style, discipline, and anti-corruption, insisted on thorough investigation and punishment, clear away evil and eliminate all, resolutely investigated and punished corrupt elements at the high level of the military, effectively removed major political risks, and consolidated the purity and honor of the People's Army.

Investigating and exposing manifestations of poisonous influence, setting up problem targets, thoroughly and deeply reviewing and rectifying; opposing privilege thinking and privilege phenomena, rectifying the "four forms of decadence" with the nail-spirit; resolutely investigating and punishing new types of corruption and hidden corruption; deepening simultaneous investigation and treatment of corruption and decadence, persevering for long-term effect, systematic governance, advancing the integration of deterrence, prevention, and the desire for integrity; focusing on key industries and fields to strictly investigate and strictly govern, driving the elimination of hidden rules and chronic malpractices in various fields... clean and upright atmosphere fills every barracks.

—— Consciously establish and practice a correct view of performance achievements.

For whom are performance achievements established? What kind of performance achievements? By what means to establish performance achievements? All levels of the whole army insist on combining the learning and education on establishing and practicing a correct view of performance achievements with promoting combat training, planning and construction, and grassroots construction, ensuring quality in learning, strength in investigation, and effectiveness in rectification, letting "proceeding from reality, acting according to law" enter thinking concepts and work guidance, and promoting high-quality development with solid action and practical results.

An Army brigade has developed a learning path of "thematic research, immersive study, and scenario-based discussion," closely focusing on ideological rectification for deep study and deep understanding, correcting deviations in the view of performance achievements from the ideological root. A college of the National Defense University insists on using typical cases as "living teaching materials" and warning education as "sobering agents," enabling Party members and cadres to understand law and discipline, know rules, and be in awe. A unit of the Cyberspace Force, in conjunction with the progress of rectification and consolidation, compares and investigates problems, collects opinions and suggestions from the troops online and offline, and dynamically updates the problem list. A unit of the Aerospace Force coordinates the advancement of problem rectification with the rectification and governance of key industries, rectifying one and closing the account for one. Each theater compares and investigates problems found in inspections, exercises, and training, refines the investigation of deviations in the view of performance achievements in preparing for war, and takes whether it is conducive to improving combat effectiveness as the hard criterion for measuring all work, promoting the establishment of the combat effectiveness standard.

After rectification and training, the fundamental principle and system of the Party's absolute leadership over the military have become stronger, ideals, beliefs, original intention, and traditional style have strongly returned, and significant and profound changes have taken place in the troop morale, mental outlook, and political ecology. The belief of all officers and soldiers in listening to the Party and following the Party is extremely firm, gathering the will and strength to struggle and strengthen the military under the Party's banner.

(2) Transformation and Reshaping, Reform and Innovation Advancing in Depth

"We must maintain the determination and confidence in sharpening reform, maintain the courage to tackle tough problems, and maintain the momentum of leaving marks on the iron and prints on the stone (抓铁有痕, zhuā tiě yǒu hén - "grip iron and leave a scar," to do things with determination and results; 踏石留印, tà shí liú yìn - "step on stone and leave a print," to leave a tangible impact), to win a comprehensive victory in deepening national defense and military reform."

Midsummer, scorching sun, the battlefield is in full swing.

New-type combat vehicles gallop across the field, each charge and each track painting a new picture on the long scroll of strengthening the military. The vehicles are driven by the officers and soldiers of the "Red Fourth Company of Strengthening the Military and Refining Skills" (强军精武红四连), a Red Army company with a deep history and outstanding achievements.

On the eve of the August 1 Army Day in 2014, President Xi visited the company and earnestly encouraged the officers and soldiers to "carry forward the glorious tradition, be good red successors, train hard in combat skills, strive to be refined military pacesetters, take the lead and spearhead in completing major tasks, and make new and greater contributions to achieving the goal of strengthening the military."

At that time, the great tide of the era of reform to strengthen the military was surging. In November 2013, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China decided to incorporate the deepening of national defense and military reform into the overall plan of comprehensively deepening reform, elevating it to the Party's will and national action; in February 2014, the Central Military Commission decided to establish the Central Military Commission Leading Group for Deepening National Defense and Military Reform, with President Xi personally serving as the group leader.

In the following years, the unit to which the company belonged was reorganized into a combined arms brigade. The officers and soldiers of the company devoted themselves to the reform, transforming from motorized infantry to armored infantry, and by controlling informationized combat vehicles, they excellently completed a series of major tasks.

In July 2024, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made systematic arrangements for further deepening reform comprehensively and advancing Chinese-style modernization, clearly stating "continuously deepen national defense and military reform." Soon after, President Xi replied to all officers and soldiers of the Fourth Company, affirming that they "successfully achieved transformation and development, excellently completed the tasks assigned," and encouraged everyone to "achieve new successes and make new contributions on the new journey of the new era."

Reform is the necessary path for strengthening the military and rejuvenating the army, and it is also the key measure that determines the future of the military.

The new military revolution in the world is developing rapidly, the form of war is accelerating its evolution, and major countries are adjusting their military strategies and changing the organizational form of their military forces to compete for strategic initiative. "Not reforming will not work, and reforming too slowly will not work either." President Xi profoundly pointed out that deepening national defense and military reform is "a major test that we cannot avoid."

Advancing the "three major campaigns" of reform in a pressing sequence, forming a new pattern of the Central Military Commission governing the military, the theaters focusing on combat, and the services focusing on construction, constructing a modern military force system with Chinese characteristics, constructing a socialist military policy system with Chinese characteristics... Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and President Xi, with unprecedented determination and force, have comprehensively implemented the strategy of reform to strengthen the military, and the People's Army has achieved an overall revolutionary reshaping.

This historic change is called "the most extensive and profound national defense and military reform since the founding of New China."

President Xi emphasized: "We must maintain the determination and confidence in sharpening reform, maintain the courage to tackle tough problems, and maintain the momentum of leaving marks on the iron and prints on the stone, to win a comprehensive victory in deepening national defense and military reform."

The People's Army must be brave in reform and good at innovation, never being rigid or stagnant at any time or under any circumstances. The whole army insists on unchanged direction, no deviation in the path, no reduction in force, accelerating the advancement of transformation and reshaping, and unswervingly carrying the reform through to the end.

Follow up and transform thinking concepts——

The night was as dark as ink. A mobile detachment of an Air Force radar brigade concealed its tracks, sped forward to a predetermined area, quickly set up antennas, debugged parameters, searched! Captured! Before they could catch their breath, they received an order to transfer to another location, preparing for the next operation. It is now common for a single mission to move through multiple locations.

At one time, the officers and soldiers of this brigade, accustomed to training under the fixed radar station model, set up camp in a routine manner during a cross-regional exercise, only to be "wiped out in one pot" by the opponent.

Reform — the body has turned around, but the mind must also turn around — this truth, which the officers and soldiers of the brigade only understood after a painful defeat, is now a conscious action across the entire army.

The Marine Corps focuses on synthetic multi-capability, rapid response, and all-domain application, accelerating the pace of transformation; units of the Information Support Forces deeply integrate into the joint operations system, optimizing information service support methods; the Second Mobile Corps of the Armed Police Force plans and advances various constructions and tasks closely following the requirements of diverse missions... concepts are being updated, thinking is being upgraded, and fine troops and sharp forces are honing their iron fists.

Explore and innovate construction models——

A certain unit of the Rocket Force is a completely new force established during the reform. At the beginning of its establishment, there was no precedent to follow on how to build the unit and how to train the soldiers.

If there is no road, then blaze a trail. Starting from scratch, the unit integrated communication, transportation, engineering, chemical defense, repair, medical service, and other forces into a new support chain, gradually realizing "one-map command, one-chessboard linkage," significantly improving the speed of support response.

The entire army continues to deepen reform and innovation, transform development concepts, innovate development models, enhance development momentum, focus on solving bottlenecks and blockages that restrict high-quality development, and promote the modernization of national defense and the military from an increase in "quantity" to an improvement in "quality."

Create a new situation of reform to strengthen the military——

To this day, many people still remember that special moment: zero hour on January 16, 2016. Taking this as the dividing line, the original seven military regions and the five theater commands completed a historic handover, and the People's Army entered a new "time zone," officially initiating the construction of theater joint operations command structures.

Ten years have flown by, the lights are often on, but the topic lingering in the mind has changed. The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese-style Modernization" specifically devotes a section to deploying the deepening of national defense and military reform, clearly stating "optimize the composition of theater joint operations command centers."

From "construction" to "optimization," a change of one word encapsulates the day-and-night struggle and hard work of thousands of officers and soldiers, surging with the forward command of "reform is always on the road."

"Improve the leadership and management system and mechanism of the People's Army," "deepen the reform of the joint operations system," "deepen cross-military-civilian reform"... The vast majority of officers and soldiers maintain the determination, constancy, and tenacity of reform, unremittingly advancing the reform in depth.

(3) Leapfrog Development, Modernization Progressing Steadily and Surely

"We must enhance the sense of mission and urgency, and strive to achieve leapfrog development in our military modernization."

J-35, J-15T, KJ-600... In May this year, a news release from the Ministry of National Defense quickly went viral: With multiple new types of fighter jets entering service, the People's Navy has successfully equipped the "five-piece set of aircraft carriers."

Equipping the "five-piece set" is a key link in forming the combat capability of aircraft carrier formation systems, and also an important achievement in the modernization of the People's Navy's weaponry and equipment.

Since entering the new era, the modernization of the People's Navy has progressed steadily and surely, with aircraft carriers completing a "three-step leap" from nothing to existence, from refitting to domestic construction, from ski-jump to catapult launch. Type 055 ten-thousand-ton destroyers and Type 075 amphibious assault ships have been commissioned in batches, and the types and functions of various weapon platforms are constantly being improved.

Steel warships galloping across the vast seas reflect the magnificent journey of national defense and military modernization in the new era.

"We must enhance the sense of mission and urgency, and strive to achieve leapfrog development in our military modernization." Keeping a close eye on changes in science and technology, changes in warfare, and changes in adversaries, the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and President Xi have made a series of strategic plans and deployments, comprehensively advancing the modernization of military theory, military organizational form, military personnel, and weaponry and equipment, leading the modernization of the People's Army to stride forward rapidly and leapfrog development.

—— "Weaponry and equipment are an important symbol of military modernization and an important support for national security and national rejuvenation."

Accelerate the development of advanced weaponry and equipment, accelerate the implementation of major strategic projects in defense science and technology and weaponry, develop and build "trump card" weapon systems... From "aircraft plus artillery" to "missiles plus satellites" and "steel plus chips," our military has accelerated the integrated development of mechanization, informatization, and intelligentization, with a large number of domestically produced advanced weapon systems entering service in systems.

On September 3, 2025, at Tiananmen Square. A military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was held solemnly.

New-type tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, and other new-generation traditional land warfare weapons; unmanned, underwater, network and electromagnetic, and other new types of combat equipment; hypersonic missiles, strategic missiles, and other national heavy weapons... The reviewed equipment are all domestically produced active-duty main battle equipment, most of which made their debut.

On the reviewing stand, a hundred-year-old veteran of the Anti-Japanese War, who once relied on "millet plus rifles" to resist the invaders, with tears in his eyes, raised his right hand and solemnly saluted the modernized reviewing formation.

—— "We must strengthen innovation-driven development, accelerate self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology with greater efforts and more concrete measures, and give full play to the strategic supporting role of science and technology in our military construction."

National heavy weapons rely on independent innovation for incubation; the "wings of a great power" are lifted with our own strength.

"Key core technologies cannot be asked for, bought, or begged." President Xi has repeatedly emphasized "unswervingly accelerate the pace of independent innovation," requiring "advance high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology, accelerate breakthroughs in key core technologies, accelerate the development of strategic, frontier, and disruptive technologies, and give play to the strategic supporting role of scientific and technological innovation in our military construction."

"Not innovating will not work, and innovating too slowly will not work either." The vast number of military scientific researchers face difficulties head-on, dare to be the first, keep a close eye on key core technology breakthroughs, and strive to transform the country's growing scientific and technological strength into defense science and technology innovation capabilities.

An Army brigade submitted requirements, research institutions solicited plans from across the military, a Navy research team "published a challenge" to tackle the problem, and a urgently needed military research result was put into application on the exercise front line in just 45 days; the College of Intelligence Science and Technology of the National University of Defense Technology formed a cross-institute, cross-disciplinary joint tackling team, established a communication and collaboration mechanism with front-line mission units, accelerating the rapid transformation of cutting-edge research results...

—— "Talents are the key factor in promoting the high-quality development of our military and winning the initiative in military competition and future warfare."

Is it stable and reliable to let a group of young people with an average age of less than 31 take charge of key projects? The Institute of Defense Innovation of the Academy of Military Sciences overrode objections, boldly letting young backbone personnel try and venture, and delivered an excellent report card in actual combat exercises.

Is it appropriate to establish a studio named after two civilian personnel? An Army brigade broke conventions, built a platform for business backbone with ideas, ability, and drive, helping them accelerate growth and produce more results.

The Way of strengthening the military lies in obtaining talents. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and President Xi have placed the implementation of the strategy of strengthening the military with talents in the new era in a prominent position in the development of the cause of strengthening the military. Great efforts have been made in restoring the political discipline of the Party governing talents, establishing a clear orientation of education for combat, optimizing the layout of talent team construction, deepening the reform of military human resources policy systems, and promoting open integration in the talent field. Our military's talent work has achieved historic achievements.

The three-in-one new-type military personnel training system releases new momentum; systematically promote the training of "four types of talents" for joint operations command, new-type combat forces, high-level scientific and technological innovation, and high-level strategic management; young officers and soldiers are tempered and forged on the exercise front line; a number of new-type destroyer and frigate captains, aerial commanders, combined arms battalion commanders, and missile launch commanders have emerged in major tasks; a large number of high-quality non-commissioned officers play important roles on the exercise ground...

New era, new atmosphere. The Way of strengthening the military with talents is broadening, and a phalanx of new-type military talents is accelerating its rise.

(4) Focus on Winning, Training and Preparing for War Forging Crack Troops

"The People's Army is always a combat force, and the vitality of the People's Army lies in its combat effectiveness."

With the most surging "Chinese heart," bring home "the most lovely people."

In April this year, the Y-20B, equipped with domestically produced engines, flew to South Korea to carry out the mission of repatriating the remains of the Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) martyrs. Across time, the officers and soldiers of the new era marching toward the centenary of the People's Army, with ever-extending flight paths, report to the ancestors who defended the country and shed blood: The iron-blood still remains today, and the mountains and rivers are safe.

This mission was the first time the Y-20B flew abroad. Forging ahead on the new journey, such "firsts" are too numerous to list——

H-6K bombers patrolled the South China Sea, for the first time posing for a picture with Huangyan Island; multiple types of fighter jets for the first time formed a system to "circumnavigate Taiwan Island"; actual combat joint exercises for the first time encircled Taiwan Island, for the first time set up a live-fire shooting range east of Taiwan Island; the Navy's Liaoning and Shandong dual aircraft carrier formation for the first time appeared simultaneously in the Western Pacific for far-sea training...

The inspiring "firsts" are connected to the resounding "primary": "The army is first and foremost a combat force, existing for fighting."

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi has repeatedly emphasized that being able to fight and winning battles is the essence of strengthening the military, that the People's Army is always a combat force, and that the vitality of the People's Army lies in its combat effectiveness. On the warship sailing through the waves, President Xi boarded the deck, entered the cabins, and inspected various main combat positions one by one; on the Gobi desert where water freezes, President Xi braved the severe cold and faced the north wind, deeply understanding the flight training situation; in the all-army combat readiness exercises and training, President Xi personally came to the front line to command, personally reviewed exercise plans, randomly selected participating troops, and gave on-the-spot guidance...

Elevate the new-era military strategic thinking, elevate the new-era military strategic guidelines, elevate the baton of preparing for war and combat, and elevate the responsibility and accountability for grasping preparation for war and combat. The whole army firmly implements President Xi's decisions and instructions, focusing all energy on fighting, applying all work to fighting, struggling, preparing for war, and building at the same time, accelerating the improvement of winning capability, ensuring that when the Party and the people need it, it can be pulled out, go up, and win.

—— Lead construction with war, promote construction with preparation.

An Air Force unit has built a virtual-real integrated simulation training center, launching a new model of virtual-real interconnection, cross-domain formation, and remote confrontation for heterogeneous aircraft, ground-to-air missile, and radar units, using digital empowerment to break through training barriers.

A warehouse of the Joint Logistics Support Force implements the requirements of joint operations, joint training, and joint support, integrates logistics force resources, smoothes the circulation of combat readiness materials, and strives to improve the level of combat readiness and the capability to support winning.

All troops grasp the new situation and task requirements, focus on the needs of preparing for war, combat, and construction and development, enhance the systematic, holistic, and coordinated nature of various tasks, ensure that efforts are made in the same direction and comprehensively, and accelerate the formation of a good situation of integrated advancement of war, construction, and preparation.

—— Actual combat training, joint combat training.

"Train soldiers the way you fight, train hard on what is needed for war, and specialize in what the troops lack most." All troops unswervingly place military training in a strategic position and as a central task, innovate training concepts and methods, vigorously conduct actual combat military training, continuously deepen military training reform, promote the transformation and upgrading of military training, and comprehensively enhance the solid capability to win future wars.

The Eastern Theater regularly organizes joint exercises and training, with multiple services and arms coordinated and integrated, deterring and controlling the entire domain; an Air Force unit jointly with an Information Support Force unit, an Army air defense brigade, and an Air Force radar brigade explored establishing a combat information sharing mechanism, with "data streams" from multiple services and arms converging into the same training ground; a Navy ship formation conducted long-distance sea training, with dozens of ships and hundreds of aircraft deploying troops on the vast ocean, driving and integrating various air, surface, and underwater forces to participate in training together... The stricter the training, the more solid the practice, the stronger the capability, and the greater the confidence.

—— Maintain troops for a thousand days, use them for a thousand days.

"You have violated the airspace of the People's Republic of China, leave immediately! Leave immediately!"

In May this year, a foreign warship illegally intruded into the Xisha Islands and repeatedly launched shipborne helicopters to invade Chinese airspace. In the face of this serious violation of our national territorial sovereignty and maritime and air security, the front-line maritime and air forces took necessary measures such as voice warnings and warning electronic interference in accordance with laws and regulations, successfully driving it away.

Only by being capable of fighting can fighting be stopped. From the loyal defense of the frontier without yielding an inch, to the resolute and powerful rights protection and countermeasures in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, to the strong blockade, control, and deterrence with multi-service and multi-arm forces integrated and precisely coordinated around Taiwan Island, all troops vigorously promote the integration of training and troop use, the normalization of force application. The vast number of officers and soldiers carry forward the fighting spirit of fearing neither hardship nor death, dare to struggle and dare to win, resolutely safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests.

When crises arise, responsibility is seen. When super typhoons and strong earthquakes cause severe destruction, when viruses wreak havoc seriously threatening the lives and health of the people, when floods, mudslides, and landslides cause heavy casualties and economic losses, wherever it is most dangerous, wherever it is most needed, there are the people's soldiers.

Rectification and training forge new ethos; tackling tough problems and sprinting toward a strong military. The People's Army led by the Party, in discarding the corrupt and establishing the new (革弊鼎新, gé bì dǐng xīn - "reform malpractices and establish new," to eliminate the bad and create the new), clears the source and corrects the origin (正本清源, zhèng běn qīng yuán - "rectify the root and clear the source," to fundamentally rectify); in being tempered into steel (淬火成钢, cuì huǒ chéng gāng - "quench and forge steel," to be tempered into a strong form), it solidifies the soul and gathers the spirit; in tackling tough problems and forging ahead, it assumes the mission. It has always been a heroic force that the Party and the people can fully trust. The fundamental reason for the historic great achievements lies in President Xi's leadership and guidance, and in the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Forge ahead toward realizing the Party's goal of strengthening the military in the new era, and write a new chapter in strengthening the military and rejuvenating the army. The People's Army adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deeply implements Xi Jinping's thinking on strengthening the military, deeply implements the military strategic guidelines for the new era, profoundly comprehends the decisive significance of the "two establishments," strengthens the "four consciousnesses," firm the "four self-confidences," and achieves the "two safeguards," implements the system of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission assuming overall responsibility, bears in mind the duties and mission, stirs up the revolutionary spirit, gathers the force to forge ahead, goes all out to win the battle to achieve the centenary goal of strengthening the People's Army, accelerates the building of the People's Army into a world-class military, and provides strong strategic support for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.

(Contributors to the reporting: Li Longyi, Yan Shan, Yu Xiaoquan)
(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 30)

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Editors of Page 1: Hu Anqi, Zhao Zheng, Zhang Yujie; Editors of Page 2: Lin Lin, Qi Jiarun, He Biao; Editors of Page 3: Wu Gang, Zhou Zhou, Xie Jianing; Editors of Page 4: Yuan Zhenxi, Liu Jingwen, Zhang Xueyan

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Forging an Invincible Force Continuously (Online Commentator)

对话人：
　　周珊珊  本报评论员
　　李秦卫  解放军报评论员

Dialogue participants:
　　Zhou Shanshan (周珊珊), commentator of this newspaper
　　Li Qinwei (李秦卫), PLA Daily commentator

　　周珊珊：人民军队的生命力在于战斗力。党的二十届四中全会明确提出“加快先进战斗力建设”，这一重要部署也写入今年《政府工作报告》。前不久，中国海军成功组织潜射战略导弹试射，引发广泛关注。加快先进战斗力建设，如何让大国重器、新型装备与部队实战训练、联合作战体系深度融合，真正实现科技赋能、以战领建？

Zhou Shanshan: The vitality of the people's army lies in combat effectiveness. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee clearly proposed "accelerating the building of advanced combat effectiveness (先进战斗力建设)," and this important deployment was also written into this year's Government Work Report. Not long ago, the Chinese Navy successfully organized a test launch of a submarine-launched strategic missile, drawing widespread attention. In accelerating the building of advanced combat effectiveness, how can major national strategic equipment and new-type equipment be deeply integrated with the actual-combat training of troops and the joint operations system, so as to truly realize technology empowerment (科技赋能) and lead construction through combat (以战领建)?

　　李秦卫：强国必须强军，强军必须利器。加快先进战斗力建设，一个重要内容就是加快先进武器装备建设。

Li Qinwei: A strong country must have a strong military, and a strong military must have sharp weapons. An important element of accelerating the building of advanced combat effectiveness is accelerating the building of advanced weaponry and equipment.

　　先进战斗力的现实威力与潜在效能，必须通过严格练兵备战来达成。信息化智能化战争中，战斗力生成已不再单纯依赖“器利”，更取决于先进的训练理念、手段、模式。先进战斗力的指向，就是练兵备战的着力方向。

The actual power and potential effectiveness of advanced combat effectiveness must be achieved through rigorous troop training and combat readiness. In informationized and intelligentized warfare, the generation of combat effectiveness no longer relies solely on "sharp weapons," but depends even more on advanced training concepts, methods, and models. The direction of advanced combat effectiveness is the focus of troop training and combat readiness.

　　近年来，人民军队积极探索新型作战力量建设和运用模式，充分解放和发展新质战斗力，国产航母、新型核潜艇、“东风”系列导弹等大国重器列装，战略预警、远海防卫、远程打击、战略投送、信息支援等作战能力上了一个大台阶。

In recent years, the people's army has actively explored new models for building and employing new-type combat forces, fully unleashing and developing new-quality combat effectiveness (新质战斗力). Major national strategic equipment such as domestically produced aircraft carriers, new-type nuclear submarines, and the "Dongfeng" series of missiles have been commissioned, and combat capabilities in strategic early warning, distant-sea defense, long-range strike, strategic projection, and information support have reached a new high level.

　　抓住新质生产力蓬勃发展的时代机遇，推动新装备以主力身份融入联合作战体系，各部队大力推进战训耦合、体系练兵、科技练兵，人民军队胜战底气更加充足。

Seizing the era opportunity of the vigorous development of new-quality productive forces (新质生产力), promoting new equipment to integrate into the joint operations system as a main force, and with all units vigorously advancing combat-training coupling, system-based troop training, and science-and-technology-based troop training, the people's army's confidence in winning wars has become more ample.

　　周珊珊：先进战斗力，是保家卫国的钢铁长城，也是守护人民的坚实盾牌。入汛以来，我国多地遭遇极端暴雨洪涝灾害。危难时刻挺身而出、守护人民安危，也是人民军队战斗力的生动体现。

Zhou Shanshan: Advanced combat effectiveness is the Great Steel Wall that protects the country and defends the homeland, and also the solid shield that safeguards the people. Since the start of the flood season, many parts of our country have suffered extreme rainstorms and flood disasters. Stepping forward at critical moments and protecting the safety of the people is also a vivid manifestation of the people's army's combat effectiveness.

　　李秦卫：“看见解放军，我们就心安了”，质朴的话语，是多少老百姓的心声。

Li Qinwei: "When we see the People's Liberation Army, we feel at ease." This simple statement expresses the heartfelt sentiment of many ordinary people.

　　灾区也是考场。抢险救灾是非战争军事行动，同样检验着军事行动能力。从北斗导航、预警机指挥到遥感监测，空天一体的信息网为精准决策提供硬核支撑；从千里驰援到连续奋战，部队快速反应与应急救援能力得到充分彰显。装备的精准运用、力量的科学配置、组织的严密协同，生动诠释了我军先进战斗力的建设成效与联合作战的实战水准。

Disaster areas are also testing grounds. Emergency rescue and disaster relief are non-war military operations, and they equally test the capability for military operations. From BeiDou navigation, early warning aircraft command, to remote sensing monitoring, the air-space integrated information network provides hard-core support for precise decision-making; from rushing to aid over thousands of kilometers to continuous fighting, the troops' rapid response and emergency rescue capabilities are fully demonstrated. The precise application of equipment, scientific configuration of forces, and rigorous coordination of organizations vividly interpret the construction achievements of our army's advanced combat effectiveness and the actual-combat level of joint operations.

　　周珊珊：今年是红军长征胜利90周年。烽火中锻造的伟大长征精神，是人民军队战斗力的精神源泉。在新时代加快先进战斗力建设的背景下，如何确保红色基因代代相传，让长征精神及人民军队优良传统持续为智能化、体系化的先进战斗力建设提供精神支撑、作风保障？

Zhou Shanshan: This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March. The great Long March Spirit (长征精神) forged in the flames of war is the spiritual source of the people's army's combat effectiveness. Against the backdrop of accelerating the building of advanced combat effectiveness in the new era, how can we ensure that the red gene (红色基因) is passed down from generation to generation, so that the Long March Spirit and the fine traditions of the people's army continue to provide spiritual support and work style guarantees for the building of intelligent, systemized advanced combat effectiveness?

　　李秦卫：长征，“无与伦比的史诗般远征”。90年来，长征的故事代代相传，长征精神一直是我们前行路上的北斗。

Li Qinwei: The Long March is "an unparalleled (无与伦比 - wú yǔ lún bǐ, "nothing can compare," unmatched) epic-like expedition." For 90 years, the story of the Long March has been passed down from generation to generation, and the Long March Spirit has always been the Big Dipper on our path forward.

　　加快先进战斗力建设，也是一次新时代的长征。面对繁重任务，能否挺起脊梁、敢于担当，遭遇困难挫折，能否站稳脚跟、不改初心，精神是漫漫征程上砥砺人心的火炬。用红色基因、长征精神为加快先进战斗力建设导航赋能，纵有千难万险，都会拥有不断向前的精神力量。

Accelerating the building of advanced combat effectiveness is also a Long March of the new era. Facing heavy tasks, can one straighten one's backbone and dare to take responsibility? Encountering difficulties and setbacks, can one stand firm and not change one's original aspiration? The spirit is the torch that tempers people's hearts on the long journey. Using the red gene and the Long March Spirit to navigate and empower the acceleration of advanced combat effectiveness building, even if there are thousands of difficulties and dangers (千难万险 - qiān nán wàn xiǎn, "a thousand hardships and ten thousand perils," countless dangers), one will possess the spiritual power to keep moving forward.

　　周珊珊：当前，世界百年变局加速演进，国家安全形势保持总体稳定、稳中有进。加快先进战斗力建设，对如期高质量实现建军一百年奋斗目标有怎样的意义？我们又该如何加快建设？

Zhou Shanshan: At present, the world's once-in-a-century transformation is accelerating, and the national security situation maintains overall stability with progress amidst stability. What significance does accelerating the building of advanced combat effectiveness have for realizing the centenary goal of the people's army on schedule and with high quality? And how should we accelerate this building?

　　李秦卫：没有一支强大的军队，就不可能有强大的祖国；没有国防和军队的现代化，就没有中国式现代化。今天，我们比历史上任何时期都更接近中华民族伟大复兴的目标。越是如此，越需要强军兴军，以先进战斗力托举民族复兴。

Li Qinwei: Without a strong military, there cannot be a strong country; without the modernization of national defense and the military, there can be no Chinese-style modernization (中国式现代化). Today, we are closer than any time in history to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The more so, the more we need to strengthen the military and invigorate the military, using advanced combat effectiveness to lift up national rejuvenation.

　　强化理论创新与科技赋能的双轮驱动。坚持理论创新为科技应用指明方向，科技赋能为理论落地提供方法路径，二者协同发力，共同促进先进战斗力的跃升。

Strengthen the dual-wheel drive of theoretical innovation and technology empowerment. Insist that theoretical innovation points the direction for the application of technology, and technology empowerment provides method paths for the implementation of theory; the two work in synergy to jointly promote the leap in advanced combat effectiveness.

　　以人才队伍建设支撑先进战斗力建设。人是战斗力构成中最活跃、最具决定意义的因素。必须牢牢把握先进战斗力建设对军事人力资源的新要求，重点强化指挥人才的体系思维、技术人才的创新攻关、保障人才的精准适配，打造一支数量充足、素质优良的新型军事人才队伍。

Support the building of advanced combat effectiveness with the building of a talent team. People are the most active and most decisive factor in the composition of combat effectiveness. It is necessary to firmly grasp the new requirements of advanced combat effectiveness building for military human resources, focusing on strengthening the system thinking of command personnel, the innovative research and development of technical personnel, and the precise matching of support personnel, to create a new-type military talent team that is sufficient in number and excellent in quality.

　　周珊珊：回望来路、展望未来，我们更加清醒，先进战斗力，从来不是钢铁与火药的物理叠加，而是信仰与科技的交融、血性与智慧的结合。它是大国博弈的压舱石，是民族复兴的铁肩膀，是中国式现代化最硬核的安全底线。

Zhou Shanshan: Looking back on the path we have traveled and looking forward to the future, we are even more clear-headed: advanced combat effectiveness has never been a physical superposition of steel and gunpowder, but a fusion of faith and technology, a combination of courage and wisdom. It is the ballast stone in the game of major powers, the iron shoulders of national rejuvenation, and the most hard-core security bottom line of Chinese-style modernization.

　　进一步突出战的牵引、提升建的效能、强化备的支撑，让每一滴训练汗水都流进实战的土壤，让每一件大国重器都融入体系的血脉，加快先进战斗力建设，持续锻造不可战胜的力量，人民军队将以崭新面貌迎接建军一百周年。

Further highlight the traction of combat, enhance the effectiveness of construction, and strengthen the support of readiness; let every drop of training sweat flow into the soil of actual combat, let every piece of major national strategic equipment merge into the bloodstream of the system; accelerate the building of advanced combat effectiveness, continuously forge an invincible force; the people's army will greet the centenary of its founding with a brand-new appearance.

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"Unpopular" and "Popular" Viewed Dialectically (People's Commentary)

By: 常 钦

What truly lifts an industry has never been a trending topic, but generations of people warming the "cold bench" and deepening the ordinary.

Is grassland science far from daily life? Just look at the trample-resistant turf on a football field to understand. Does agricultural science mean "clear skies with dust, rainy days with mud on both feet"? In greenhouse sheds, intelligent breeding robots pollinating crops are no longer rare. Today, classrooms and laboratories of disciplines such as agricultural science, grassland science, and forestry are everywhere equipped with sensors, drones, big data, and artificial intelligence.

A survey covering 2,001 college entrance exam candidates and their parents shows that 84.8% feel their views on agriculture-related majors have changed in recent years, and 83.2% believe that smart agriculture has increased people around them willingness to apply for related majors. In the 2026 undergraduate program catalog released by the Ministry of Education, agricultural robotics, saline-alkali land science and engineering, and smart fisheries have become new majors. Agricultural science "breaking out of the circle" has become a window for observing changes in academic disciplines.

Why are some disciplines once regarded as "unpopular" being rediscovered, even becoming highly sought after?

Behind this is the change in the state's and society's demand for talent. Securing the rice bowl requires coordinated efforts in seed sources, arable land, agricultural machinery, and other areas; comprehensive utilization of saline-alkali land, response to extreme weather, and food safety are also raising new research topics. Demand connects the laboratory with the front line of production, making the value of disciplines that were previously hard to see perceptible and understandable. This is true for agricultural science, and equally true for disciplines such as geology, archaeology, and surveying. Major engineering safety, cultural heritage protection, artificial intelligence applications — many trends are expanding the scope of traditional disciplines.

A deeper reason is the cross-fertilization and integration of disciplines, with boundaries becoming increasingly blurred and correlations becoming higher. Today's broad disciplinary categories are no longer isolated "cubicles" isolated from each other. Agriculture meets robotics, giving rise to intelligent agricultural machinery; biology combines with information technology, promoting smart breeding; fisheries integrate with digital technology, expanding intelligent monitoring and precision aquaculture. By the end of 2025, China's annual operational area for agricultural drones exceeded 460 million mu, the proportion of independently bred crop varieties in planted area exceeded 95%, and the contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress exceeded 64%. The development and progress of modern agriculture have placed higher demands on disciplinary integration, accelerating the breakthrough of disciplinary impressions.

Another reason is that specialized labor is being seen by more people. In the past, the achievements of "unpopular" disciplines were mostly hidden among ridges, mines, specimens, and ancient texts, unknown to outsiders. Today, a video of a field experiment, a live broadcast of cultural relic restoration, a connection from a deep-sea scientific expedition — all bring professional knowledge before the public's eyes. "Unpopular" does not mean lacking in knowledge value or social value; it represents "rich mines" awaiting excavation.

From "unpopular" to "popular," both the discipline itself and society as a whole need to view it rationally. Professional names can be very new, but basic training cannot be skipped; social attention can heat up, but the determination to sit on the "cold bench" must not be lacking. The value of a field of knowledge is not simply priced by employment salary or industry prospects; it needs to be accurately defined by its knowledge thickness and scientific connotation.

Without the willingness to endure hardship and obscurity during the "cold" period, there would be no universal attention during the "hot" period. Agricultural science now has drones and robots, but it still cannot do without field surveys, long-term observations, and repeated experiments; archaeology inevitably revolves around cultural relics, but behind this are day after day of exploration, cleaning, and recording. When choosing a major, one cannot only look at temporary buzz and whether the name is "fashionable"; one must also consider personal interests, abilities, and long-term needs. To guard the calm foundation of "unpopular" fields of learning, we urgently need to restrain utilitarian thinking and adhere to long-termism.

The value of a discipline cannot be measured only by current popularity. Disciplines have their hot and cold, occupations have their division of labor, but seeking truth and being pragmatic are the essential qualities of every striver. What truly lifts an industry has never been a trending topic, but generations of people warming the "cold bench" and deepening the ordinary. Seeing the application of every field of knowledge, respecting every down-to-earth effort, more young people will be able to find a direction worthy of long-term pursuit at the intersection of national needs and personal strengths.

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Exploring New Possibilities in Cultural Tourism with Fresh Perspectives (Micro Perspective)

By: 李盼强

For a long time, the chaos of forced shopping has plagued the tourism market and impacted tourist experience; it is a chronic ailment that must be overcome in promoting high-quality development of the cultural tourism industry.

In response to this issue, relevant departments have intensified rectification efforts, achieving phased results. Data show that in the first half of this year, the number of cases investigated and handled involving forced shopping increased by 86.9% year-on-year, while during the same period, the number of tourism complaints received through the national online complaint and report processing system for the cultural and tourism market decreased by 24.2%. The simultaneous rise and fall of these figures indicate that more precise investigations and more refined governance help improve the consumption environment and enhance tourist satisfaction.

Forced shopping persists despite repeated prohibition because an interest chain of "low-price traffic generation — high commission rebates — compulsory shopping" has been formed; in the final analysis, it is still a matter of scenic area operation models and interest distribution. For the cultural tourism industry, breaking free from single-operation models that rely on ticket sales, shopping, and the like, and exploring a path of transformation and development, is the fundamental solution.

Innovating models makes it possible to expand revenue sources. The key to exploring new operation models is to adapt to new tourist demands and new consumption preferences, and to find new revenue-generating channels and profit methods. For example, the West Lake Scenic Area used the "subtraction" of ticket fees to achieve the "addition" of consumption, forming an operation model of low-threshold traffic attraction and high-stickiness consumption; Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (甘孜藏族自治州) in Sichuan Province launched a "lifetime free travel card" for scenic areas, leveraging secondary consumption such as hot spring experiences, cultural and creative product purchases, and dining and accommodation. Thus, only by stepping out of rigid frameworks and exploring diversified operation models can the soil that breeds forced shopping be eliminated.

Upgrading services makes it possible to retain customers. Nowadays, tourism is no longer merely about visiting famous sites and viewing scenery, but about pursuing spiritual experience and cultural resonance. The same landscapes cannot remain merely a superficial presentation of natural scenery; efforts must be made to tell good stories, achieve dynamic transformation, and empower with culture. On the streets of Xi'an, Shaanxi, amidst the "Grand Tang Nightscape," tourists can exchange poems and chat with actors portraying Du Fu and Bai Juyi; in the ancient town of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, a woodworking workshop provides tourists with an authentic woodworking experience. The appeal of tourism is shifting from "I have seen it" to "I have experienced it and still yearn for it." Only by raising service levels and providing value-added experiences for tourists can cultural tourism move from "traffic attraction" toward "value creation."

The integration of "cultural tourism + all industries" is breaking down industry boundaries, expanding industry depth, and producing chemical reactions. Industrial tourism turns production lines into scenery lines; study travel makes walking into a classroom; bright lights illuminate night life... The cultural tourism industry has a distinct openness and easily intersects or resonates with other industries, thereby giving birth to new business forms. Night visits to museums, immersive intangible cultural heritage workshops, national-trend cultural and creative blocks, themed homestay clusters, "follow the event to travel," and other new business forms and new scenarios 层出不穷 (céng chū bù qióng - "emerge one after another without end"), continuously amplifying the industry's multiplier effect. Only by constructing a cultural tourism ecosystem with diversified synergy and comprehensive linkage can a leap from single-point breakthroughs to ecological prosperity be achieved.

Only change remains constant; win through change. By discarding the mindset of "lying down to earn" by simply relying on natural scenery or cultural heritage, and by adopting entirely new development thinking, broad cross-sector vision, and novel product design to form supply capacity and development models that match new demand, can more landscapes become "poetry and distant places" in tourists' hearts, and can the high-quality development of the cultural tourism industry be continuously promoted.

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Photo Report

Trade-in of 3.707 million vehicles; trade-in of 63.266 million household appliances; purchase of 79.098 million digital and smart products... In the first half of 2026, the coverage of the consumer goods trade-in policy continued to expand, benefiting over 150 million person-times, cumulatively driving sales of related commodities by 1.1 trillion yuan, effectively stimulating market vitality, promoting consumption upgrading, facilitating resource recycling and utilization, and achieving multiple policy effects.

Exactly this:

Abundant supply of new products thrives,
Production and sales mutually promote, circulation smooth.
Good policies and concrete measures invigorate consumption,
Riding the wind and striving forward, all industries flourish.
Xu Zhiwen

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Guest Opinion

Live-streaming to Assist Farmers Must Provide Practical Help
Pan Jiangping (潘江平), Huangping County, Guizhou

In recent years, many village officials have entered live-streaming rooms to endorse agricultural products and promote rural scenery. This has both shortened the distance between officials and the masses and broadened new paths to prosperity. However, some live-streaming sessions have become overly娱乐化, also sparking concerns about neglecting one's proper duties. How to strike the right balance and ensure that farmer-assistance live-streaming does not change its nature or deviate from its course? The key lies in the word "practical."

When officials conduct live-streaming, they must not only focus on viewership data but look at whether they can truly help the masses increase their incomes. He Jiaolong (贺娇龙) once said: "Do not get carried away just because you have become popular online. I also constantly remind myself of this, to keep in mind that I am a public servant, and my online traffic is meant to serve the people." Attracting attention and boosting popularity are not the ends; enriching the people is.

Farmer-assistance live-streaming must also not blindly follow trends or "drive ducks onto the perch" (force people to do what they are not good at). The method is available to everyone, but what truly touches people's hearts is never flashy forms, but rather the unique qualities rooted in the local soil—the local customs and human sentiments behind specialty agricultural products, the struggle stories of new-type farmers, and so on. By working intensively in one's area of strength, persistently exerting effort where the masses need it, maintaining one's true character, and achieving distinctive features, can farmer-assistance live-streaming proceed steadily and go far, allowing the dividends of digital traffic to benefit the vast countryside.

Move the Threshold Forward, Act "Half a Beat Faster"
Chang Yan (常言), Xuchang, Henan (许昌市)

Recently, on the front lines of disaster prevention and rescue in various localities, grid workers have played a major role. When dangers first appear, they identify risks through subtle clues and report early warnings; before a disaster strikes, they rush about day and night, knocking on every door to notify residents; after residents evacuate, they go against the flow to check again, afraid of missing a single person… Moving the threshold forward and acting "half a beat faster" helps better protect the safety of the people's lives and property.

Disaster prevention and relief require racing against time in two aspects. The first is ideological preparation. Not only must we establish bottom-line thinking and极限思维 (jíxiàn sīwéi - extreme thinking), always keeping the string of safety taut, but we must also strengthen a "real combat" orientation, enhancing the level of pre-judgment and decision-making through emergency training and regular drills. Currently, extreme weather events are frequent and multiple, disaster risks have already exceeded traditional understanding, and the vast number of Party members and officials must complete this "required course" well. The second is capability reserve. When a disaster strikes, information must be transmitted to the front line and forces sunk to the nerve endings at the fastest speed. Materials must be prepositioned at key points, and teams must be stationed at critical locations, only then can the line of defense be firmly established before the disaster arrives.

"The grassroots are the first line against natural disasters; the work of grasping the grassroots and strengthening the foundation must never be relaxed." By persisting in putting prevention first, gaining a deeper understanding and acting a minute faster, we will surely be able to win the tough battle against extreme weather disasters.

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Exploring the "No Man's Land" with Unceasing Steps (China's Path, Chinese Dream · Youth Forges Ahead for Chinese Modernization 58)

By: 窦衍光

This April, China released for the first time the "Subsea Chemical Element Map" of its eastern seas—the Geochemical Atlas of Sediments in the Eastern China Seas (《中国东部海域沉积物地球化学图集》). In this key sea area connecting the Eurasian continent and the Pacific Ocean, layers of sediment and biological remains accumulated on the seafloor, like a thick "seafloor diary," faithfully recording information on climate evolution, environmental changes, and river course shifts over millions of years.

The survey pilot project I led has filled the gap in systematic geochemical mapping of sediments in China's eastern seas, effectively enhancing our country's academic discourse power in the global research field of marginal seas.

From student to researcher, I have been exploring the field of marine geology all along. The same sea: why do some people see only wind and waves, while others glimpse treasures? What the eyes can reach is always where the heart directs. In 2014, I joined a research vessel heading to the Okinawa Trough in the East China Sea to conduct marine surveys, collecting long columnar sediment cores to reconstruct the history of marine sedimentation and paleoenvironmental evolution over the past 20,000 years. It was winter, with strong winds and high waves; seasickness lasting about a week exhausted both body and mind. "I must successfully complete the sample collection, absolutely must not retreat." During that month or more, the violent winds and monstrous waves never ceased, but I devoted all my attention to scientific research. When the precious cores were retrieved intact and I carried them onto the dock, all the hardships turned into spray, urging me to explore again and set sail once more.

Trekking through the "no-man's land" of scientific research, no one has a "treasure map." There is no precedent to follow, nor can one blindly charge around; the answer to a riddle may well lie on the face of another riddle. Three years ago, when I received the mission statement for the pilot project of seafloor geochemical survey in the eastern seas, my mind was also anxious: what kind of core outcome, possessing both major scientific value and strategic significance, could truly serve the building of a maritime power?

At that time, onshore geochemical mapping on China's land areas had already yielded rich results, but marine geochemical survey work still faced many problems, such as uneven sea area coverage, inconsistent data standards, and insufficient systematic integration. Would it not exactly fill the blank and make up for the shortcomings to integrate existing data with unified standards and compile a systematic, authoritative, and comprehensively covered marine sediment geochemical atlas? When feeling lost, boldly posing questions and rigorously seeking solutions may allow one to step out of the valley of doubt and into a broad horizon.

Scientific expedition is not only an intellectual challenge but also a test of physical endurance. To compile the "Subsea Chemical Element Map," our team launched a land-based reconnaissance spanning Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong, heading south from Chongming Island in Shanghai all the way to Guangdong, with a total distance of over 2,000 kilometers. In the Zhoushan Islands of Zhejiang, an ideal sampling site was located in a remote mountain gully. I led the team members hiking into the mountains; the rugged mountain paths were full of mosquitoes, our clothes were soaked with sweat, and the round trip took two or three hours, leaving us no choice but to grit our teeth and endure. Returning to our base that evening, we immediately divided work to sort and classify the samples. To make a "cold bench" warm requires the urgency brought by a sense of mission.

Exploring "no-man's land" inevitably encounters knowledge blind spots; they cannot be dodged or bypassed. What to do? Learning is still the hard truth. While sorting data, we found that about 20% of the sea area lacked sediment samples collected on site, leaving large gaps in the data. Filling those gaps could only rely on numerical simulation. To this end, I led the team back to school to diligently study the core methods of numerical simulation. It is often said that scientific research requires "foolish effort." The so-called "foolish" does not mean using old methods or doing useless work, but rather being willing to be uncarved jade and to chisel oneself. Facing developments that advance 一日千里 (yī rì qiān lǐ - "a thousand li in a day," extremely rapid progress) and subjects that are 日新又新 (rì xīn yòu xīn - "renew day by day, and renew again," constant renewal), one must be willing to be a "primary school student," daring to ask questions and skilled at solving them, in order to ride the waves upward.

The "Subsea Chemical Element Map" condenses nearly two decades of deep cultivation and carries the original aspiration passed down from generation to generation; it still awaits continuous improvement and supplementation. Looking further ahead, the vast ocean always ripples with layer upon layer of unknown waves, beckoning us to bow down and explore its secrets, writing a new chapter of striving toward the sea for strength. Our steps in exploring the "no-man's land" of marine scientific research will not cease.

(The author is a researcher at the Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, China Geological Survey (中国地质调查局青岛海洋地质研究所); the article was compiled by this newspaper reporter Wang Zhe from an interview.)

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Liu Tianliang, Peng Fei, Cui Yan

Email for this section: rmrbpl@peopledaily.cn (Please indicate the column name when submitting your manuscript).

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"Straw-Shoes" Academician Establishes Smart Farm (Promoting the Spirit of Scientists)

By: 本报记者 姜晓丹

Biographical Sketch

Luo Xiwen, born in 1945, a native of Hunan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, a professor at South China Agricultural University, and an expert in the field of agricultural mechanization and smart agriculture in China. He has long been dedicated to research on agricultural intelligent equipment and smart agriculture technology, overcoming multiple key technologies such as mechanization of southern paddy fields and agricultural machinery navigation, effectively promoting the modernization of agriculture in China. He has successively won multiple awards including the National Technological Invention Award and the National Science and Technology Progress Award, and recently received the title of “National Outstanding Communist Party Member” (全国优秀共产党员). He takes revitalizing agriculture through science and technology as his mission, roots himself in the fields, and is an agricultural scientist serving the comprehensive revitalization of the countryside. He has long been deeply engaged in the front lines of scientific research and education, cultivating a large number of agricultural engineering talents for the country.

On a summer day on Huangpu Dajisha Island (黄埔大吉沙岛), Guangzhou, with the morning mist not yet dissipated, the 1314 mu smart farm is already a scene of bustling activity: driverless rotary tillers precisely shuttle along the trajectory of BeiDou navigation, drones precisely spray in the air, driverless harvesters automatically unload grain into trucks… The entire process of plowing, seeding, managing, and harvesting shows no sign of farmers, only smart agricultural machinery operating in an orderly manner. This piece of previously abandoned land is now a smart agriculture demonstration base with rolling waves of rice. This is exactly the core demonstration area of the rice smart farm created by the team of Luo Xiwen, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at South China Agricultural University. Not long ago, the key technology for unmanned smart rice farms developed by his team was selected for the 2025 list of major new scientific and technological achievements in Chinese agriculture. As of February 2026, the smart farms of Luo Xiwen’s team have built more than 40 demonstration bases across the country, with crops expanding from rice to wheat, corn, peanuts, and rapeseed, making the vision of “farmers not going to the fields can still farm, and farm well” a reality across the country.

“I deeply understand the hardships of farmers; researching agricultural machinery is precisely to do something practical for them.”

In early winter of 1945, Luo Xiwen was born in a small mountain village of Jianjiachong (简家冲), Zhuzhou, Hunan. At the age of six or seven, he followed adults to the fields to do farm work—composting, harrowing, transplanting rice seedlings, weeding, harvesting grain… every step of rice production bore the figure of his stooped labor. The aches of bending over to transplant seedlings, the anxiety of the blazing sun overhead, and the inefficiency of manual labor planted a vision in the young Luo Xiwen’s heart: “Liberate farmers from heavy labor.” This feeling for the countryside and for farmers became the motivation for Luo Xiwen’s lifelong deep cultivation of agricultural machinery. After graduating from university, he chose to enter an agricultural machinery factory and worked there for more than half a century. “We research whatever farmers need”—this is a phrase Luo Xiwen often says, and it is also the guiding principle on his scientific research path. He firmly believes that agricultural research cannot remain in the laboratory; it must be rooted in production practice, writing papers on the fields, so that technology truly serves farmers and agriculture.

Addressing the pain points of manual labor such as uneven density, disorderly growth, and unstable yields, Luo Xiwen’s team took the lead in China in researching precision hill-drop direct seeding technology for rice. After years of tackling key problems, they invented seven types of precision water hill-drop direct seeders for rice, seven types of dry hill-drop direct seeders, and one type of hybrid rice seed production synchronous transplanting direct seeder, which can meet the planting needs of different regions and different varieties, and created supporting agronomic techniques such as “precision seeding for full seedlings” and “one-time deep application of basal and tillering fertilizer.” This technology enables rice to grow in orderly rows and hills, not only greatly reducing the problem of lodging but also saving more than 30% of water and more than 15% of fertilizer. This technology won the second prize of the 2017 National Technological Invention Award.

Facing the continued loss of young rural labor, Luo Xiwen believes: “I don’t know what science and technology will develop into in the future, but I know that we will always need to eat, always need agriculture, and always need agricultural machinery.” In his view, smart agriculture is the direction of modern agriculture, and smart farms are an important means to achieve smart agriculture. Only by greatly increasing labor productivity, land output rate, and resource utilization through digital and intelligent technologies can we solve the issues of “who will farm” and “how to farm well.” In 2020, the achievement he led, “Key Technologies and Applications of Automatic Navigation Operations for Agricultural Machinery Based on BeiDou,” won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award.

Luo Xiwen was one of the earliest scholars in China to propose “accelerating the development of agricultural aviation.” He led his team to develop precision operation technology for agricultural drones, making drones the “smart eyes” of agricultural production: using remote sensing technology to quickly and accurately obtain rice growth information, then conduct variable rate fertilization and precision plant protection. Multiple yield measurement results show that rice fields using drone variable rate fertilization yield 6% to 10% more than traditional fertilization. Talking about the cause of agricultural machinery, Luo Xiwen frankly said: “I deeply understand the hardships of farmers. Researching agricultural machinery is to do something practical for them. If there is a next life, I would still choose to work on agricultural machinery.”

“Only by stepping in the mud with both feet can one judge the machine’s operation and know how to improve it.”

Luo Xiwen, over eighty years old, still spends nearly half of his year running around in the fields. He has a habit he has adhered to for decades: every time he arrives at a test base, he must walk barefoot into the rice paddy, using his feet to feel the depth of the tillage layer and the softness of the soil, and using his hands to feel the growth of the seedlings. “Computers can help us grow rice better, but rice cannot grow out of computers.” Luo Xiwen believes that the root of agricultural research is in the fields; technology divorced from production reality, no matter how advanced, is meaningless. His classroom has never been limited to the lecture hall; it is also in the muddy rice paddies and beside the roaring machinery. Every time he takes students to do experiments, he is always the first to roll up his trousers and step into the mud with his feet, and the students follow closely behind. In Luo Xiwen’s view, stepping on the soil is the key to cultivating the spirit of hard work and endurance in agricultural research talents.

An experience in Shaanxi gave the team members a deep understanding of this phrase. At that time, Luo Xiwen’s team was conducting tests on rice precision hill-drop direct seeders in Nanniwan (南泥湾). They found that the machines were always “shivering” in the field and could not go straight. When everyone was 一筹莫展 (yī chóu mò zhǎn - “not a single plan can be unfolded,” at a loss for what to do), Luo Xiwen took off his shoes and went into the field, stepping barefoot into the mud and discovered that underneath the soil layer were all smooth cobblestones, causing the direct seeder’s wheels to have unstable traction. “Only by stepping in the mud with both feet can one judge the machine’s operation and know how to improve it.” This experience imprinted the research philosophy of “rooted in the fields, 求真务实 (qiú zhēn wù shí - “seek truth and be pragmatic”)” on the students’ minds.

Now, the smart farms built by Luo Xiwen’s team have broken through four major technologies: “digital perception, intelligent decision-making, precision operation, and smart management,” realizing five major functions: full coverage of the production chain from plowing, seeding, managing to harvesting; full automation of machine shed-field transfer operations; automatic obstacle avoidance and abnormal situation stopping for safety; real-time full monitoring of crop growth processes; and fully unmanned intelligent decision-making precision operations. In Guangdong Heyuan Wanlv Smart Farm, the operational efficiency of smart machinery is more than 50 times higher than manual labor; in Hunan Yiyang ratoon rice smart farm, the highest yield per mu for two seasons reaches 1,290 kilograms… These impressive figures are the best confirmation of Luo Xiwen’s “field research” philosophy.

“Research must continue, and young people must be well cultivated.”

“I have never felt that I am old. There are too many things to do. Research must continue, and young people must be well cultivated.” On October 21, 2024, in the Hongmantang (红满堂) lecture hall of South China Agricultural University, as Luo Xiwen’s voice fell, prolonged applause broke out. On that day, the “Strengthening Agriculture” education fund (强农教育基金) initiated by him was established, to be used to reward outstanding students and support young teachers’ scientific research. Having engaged in agricultural engineering teaching for more than 40 years, Luo Xiwen has cultivated a large number of talents for China’s agricultural modernization. He is rigorous and serious in teaching. He has taught a course on “Principles of Sensors” for decades, but still re-prepares before each class. When supervising graduate theses, he 字斟句酌 (zì zhēn jù zhuó - “weigh every word and sentence,” careful with wording), revising a thesis five or six times. He takes students to conduct research in various places, letting them understand and master technology through practice.

Luo Xiwen pays special attention to cultivating students’ ideals and beliefs. He gives the first lesson to new students, using his own experience to tell the original intention and responsibility of agricultural machinery workers. He uses themed ideological and political courses as a carrier to let students experience the charm of agricultural technology up close. In his view, cultivating agricultural research talents requires not only honing solid professional skills but also strengthening the belief in strengthening and revitalizing agriculture, so that students are truly willing to root themselves in the countryside and serve agriculture.

Under Luo Xiwen’s influence, his students have all rooted themselves in the front lines of agricultural research and production. “Teacher Luo’s spirit of 只争朝夕 (zhǐ zhēng zhāo xī - “only strive for the morning and evening,” to seize the day and work hard) and vigorous struggle deeply moves us and also becomes our driving force,” said student Zhang Zhigang.

From a farm boy in a Hunan mountain village to an academician deeply engaged in the field of smart agricultural machinery; from developing the first driverless rice transplanter to building smart farms across the country… Luo Xiwen has practiced the concept of “liberating farmers from heavy labor” with more than half a century of persistence. Today, his team is still tackling key problems, developing adapted agricultural machinery for the shortcomings of agricultural mechanization in hilly and mountainous areas, and laying out mechanization technology in areas such as vegetable transplanting and fruit picking, advancing steadily toward modern agriculture.

Reporter’s Note

Approaching Luo Xiwen, this academician with “muddy legs” over eighty years old, I have come to understand the sincere dedication of an agricultural researcher rooted in the native land, strengthening agriculture and serving the country. He writes his papers on the fields. The hardship of farming in his youth made him set the ambition to benefit farmers, and he deeply cultivated the front line of smart agricultural machinery. He has been stepping barefoot into rice paddies all year round, using the soil as paper and agricultural machinery as a pen to do research. From rice precision hill-drop direct seeding equipment to BeiDou-navigated unmanned farms, every award-winning technology originates from the fields his feet have stepped on. He leads by example, cultivating generation after generation of agricultural talents. Luo Xiwen not only concentrates on tackling hard-core agricultural technology, but also cares deeply about the cultivation of young talents. He established the “Strengthening Agriculture” education fund, opened ideological and political classrooms in the fields, guided students to know and love agriculture, and cultivated a large number of talents for China’s agricultural modernization. This sincere dedication of Luo Xiwen, rooted in the soil and determined to strengthen agriculture, is exactly the most touching spirit of researchers in the new era.

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"Villagers' health and longevity is my greatest pride" (Watching and Guarding)

By: 本报记者 田豆豆

Beside Xian Island Lake, picturesque and poetic, the natural beauty of Wangying Town (王英镇), Yangxin County (阳新县), Huangshi City, Hubei Province, attracts tourists in droves. "The whole town has 13 centenarians, and our Guzhen Village (谷贞村) has two of them. The health and longevity of the villagers are my greatest pride," said Yin Chuanbo (尹传波), a doctor at Wangying Town Health Center.

Yin Chuanbo, just past forty, has practiced medicine for 20 years, 18 of them rooted in his hometown, Guzhen Village. Because he suffered from polio as a child, Yin Chuanbo has always walked with a crutch, earning him the nickname "crutch doctor" from the villagers. Despite the difficult mountain roads and his own mobility issues, Yin Chuanbo has spent many years rushing along the mountain paths. Even after being transferred to the town health center last year, he still returns to the village clinic every weekend to offer free consultations. "The villagers can't do without me, and I can't do without them either," Yin Chuanbo said.

"Doctor Yin is back! Come in and sit down!" Recently, when Yin Chuanbo returned to Guzhen Village to visit patients, the elderly greeted him as warmly as if seeing a family member. "You have to keep taking your blood pressure medicine!" "Diabetes is no joke; you should eat less sweets and drink less porridge." Yin Chuanbo gave each one his earnest instructions.

"When I was a child, I was weak. Whether I needed to see a doctor or go to school, the villagers would voluntarily take me by boat. When I was young, the villagers looked after me; now it's my turn to look after them," Yin Chuanbo said.

In the past, when there was no road, the villagers faced many inconveniences in seeking medical treatment. In 2006, when Yin Chuanbo graduated from health school and returned to his hometown to become a village doctor, the village had been without a doctor for several years. For villagers to see a doctor in town, they had to take a boat back and forth, a three-hour ordeal. Some villagers gradually developed the habit of "dragging out minor illnesses and bearing major ones."

When he first started working, Yin Chuanbo felt the hardest part was changing people's health concepts. "Even if I prescribed medicine and wrote medical orders, some villagers still didn't care at all," Yin Chuanbo said. Gradually, he decided to 死缠烂打 (sǐ chán làn dǎ - "deadly缠 and rotten hit," to pester relentlessly) with patients who did not follow medical advice. Last Mid-Autumn Festival, when he visited a household, the villager Yin Yifa (尹移发) said his foot was uncomfortable and asked Yin Chuanbo to take a look. Yin Chuanbo quickly diagnosed him with diabetic foot. "I eat and drink well; I'm fine. How could I have diabetes?" Yin Yifa was dismissive and even drank large glasses of cola at the banquet. "Diabetic foot is a complication of diabetes, which means your condition is already quite serious. You need treatment immediately," Yin Chuanbo advised earnestly (苦口婆心, kǔ kǒu pó xīn - "bitter mouth, motherly heart," to admonish earnestly). Seeing that he was not taking it seriously, he also mobilized his family members to persuade him. In May this year, Yin Yifa finally had surgery at the town health center and was cured of his diabetic foot.

Treatment must be timely, and the villagers also need to be able to get well without spending too much money. Whether day or night, in wind or snow, as long as a phone call came, Yin Chuanbo would rush to the patient's home in time. "Over the years, I have worn out more than a dozen crutches," Yin Chuanbo said. For many years, he has strictly controlled medication use: if a disease can be cured with a few yuan, he never adds a single cent more.

One year, the wife of villager Yin Li'an (尹礼安), Shi Yudi (石玉笛), was rushed to the village clinic due to a sudden severe headache, dizziness, and limb weakness. After examination, her blood pressure was dangerously high, and her life was at risk at any moment. Yin Chuanbo took emergency measures to lower the blood pressure and quickly contacted the Yangxin County Hospital to send an ambulance, ultimately saving her.

"Now, the transportation conditions in the village have improved. It takes just over 20 minutes by car from the village to the town," Yin Chuanbo said. To better serve the villagers, he learned to drive a three-wheeled vehicle and a car, making it even more convenient to treat and save people.

In 20 years of practicing medicine, Yin Chuanbo has received multiple honorary titles such as "Advanced Individual" (先进个人) and "Most Beautiful Rural Doctor" (最美乡村医生). "Grassroots doctors are the 'gatekeepers' of the people's health. The recognition of the people is my greatest honor," Yin Chuanbo said.

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Red Study Tours Gain Momentum, Transformation Drives Growth

By: 本报记者 刘梦丹

“If conditions exist, we must go forward; if conditions do not exist, we must create conditions and still go forward!”

Beside the Sa-55 Well (萨55井) of the Daqing Oilfield in Heilongjiang, “Iron Man” Wang Jinxi led his fellow workers in shouts as they moved drilling rigs with manpower and shoulder poles, broke ice to fetch water to ensure drilling commenced; beside the base’s derrick stood a mottled drilling rig and crude dugout shelters… This is the stage setting for the live-action performance “Sa-55 Well Completion Celebration Meeting,” and the performers are members of a study tour group from Harbin. Changing into the work clothes of that era, everyone seemed to return to those years of arduous pioneering.

The Sa-55 Well was the first well drilled by Iron Man Wang Jinxi leading the 1205 Drilling Team during the great oil battle. Today, this site has become the experiential training center of the Daqing Oilfield Iron Man Academy, offering over 20 immersive experiential study programs, which have attracted more than 15,000 participants cumulatively.

In September 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping, when presiding over a symposium on promoting the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China in the new era, emphasized: “Vigorously promote the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army Spirit, the Daqing Spirit (Iron Man Spirit) (大庆精神（铁人精神）), and the Beidahuang Spirit; guide Party members and cadres to establish a correct view of performance, and ignite the enthusiasm for undertaking work and starting businesses.”

Bearing in mind General Secretary’s earnest entrustment, Daqing City makes good use of its red resources, and red study tours have become a “golden business card” for local cultural tourism.

Experiencing dragging a simulated drilling rig and shouldering a drill pipe; strolling along the stone stele corridor to listen to a walking micro-Party lesson; watching a documentary on the great oil battle in a holographic cinema… “Visitors experience the entire chain of ‘viewing, performing, laboring, listening, creating’ study system at the base, making the Daqing Spirit more tangible and perceptible,” said Zhou Tianchang (周天畅), director of the experiential training center of the Daqing Oilfield Iron Man Academy.

Go to the Zhong-4 Oil Production Team of the Third Oil Mine under the First Oil Production Plant of the Daqing Oilfield to understand the entire process of crude oil extraction; at the Daqing Petroleum Museum, known as the “Oil Cube (油立方),” search for the answer to “in clothing, food, housing, and transportation, petroleum is everywhere”… Currently, Daqing City has 76 red study tour sites and 169 red courses; in the first half of this year, it received over 1,500 red study tour groups, with visitor numbers reaching 1.75 million.

Carrying on the Daqing Spirit, stories of struggle continue to be written.

The second-generation Iron Man, Wang Qimin (王启民), used science and technology to invigorate oil and ensure stable production, “willing to exhaust all effort, even if it means draining one’s heart’s blood, to keep the oilfield stably producing and then achieve higher output”; the third-generation Iron Man, Li Xinmin (李新民), drilled wells abroad, “willing to endure thousands of difficulties and dangers to contribute oil to the motherland”…

Now, after years of high-intensity extraction, the remaining oil in the Daqing Oilfield is as dispersed as capillaries. Extracting this oil is like squeezing water out of a cement block, a world-class technical challenge facing the new generation of oilfield workers.

“The Iron Man could shout ‘We’ll fight tooth and nail to take the big oilfield,’ so what difficulty can we not overcome?” At the National Key Laboratory for Multi-Resource Synergistic Continental Shale Oil Green Extraction (多资源协同陆相页岩油绿色开采全国重点实验室) in Ranghulu District (让胡路区), Daqing City, surrounding rows of fresh core samples taken from several kilometers underground, senior engineer Cheng Xinyang (程心阳) of the Unconventional Exploration Research Office and his colleagues are holding a “consultation.” They record one by one the core’s color, hardness, physical property differences, and oil-bearing levels, solely to “squeeze every last drop of oil out of the crevices in the stone.”

In December 2025, the annual output of the CNPC Daqing Gulong Continental Shale Oil National Demonstration Zone reached 1 million tons, completing the annual output task 28 days ahead of schedule.

“Currently, the proven reserves submitted for Gulong shale oil stand at 303 million tons; this is only a starting point. Building a century-old oilfield is by no means just a slogan,” said Zhang Jinyou (张金友), deputy director of the Daqing Oilfield Shale Oil Research Institute.

Today’s Daqing is no longer just an “oil city.” Daqing has achieved “multiple points of brilliance” in fields such as bio-economy, equipment manufacturing, specialized light industry, and advanced materials, delivering a scorecard for transformation and development: in the dust-free constant-temperature workshop of Daqing Yitai Semiconductor Materials Co., Ltd., materials such as gallium arsenide and indium phosphide are directly supplied to top domestic semiconductor companies; at Daqing Shengquan Green Technology Co., Ltd., straw from the fields is transformed into furfural and lignin products, widely used in packaging, building materials, pharmaceuticals, and other industries… From “oil alone dominating” to “multiple points of support,” the value-added ratio of oil to non-oil industries in Daqing City has now been adjusted to 31.3:68.7.

Inheriting and promoting the Daqing Spirit, Daqing is vigorously advancing the transformation of a resource-based city, writing a new answer sheet for high-quality development.

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2026 "Xinjiang is a Great Place" Intangible Cultural Heritage Aid-Xinjiang Event Opens

Our newspaper Shihezi, July 30 — (Reporter Li Yanan) On the 30th, the 2026 "Xinjiang is a Good Place" Intangible Cultural Heritage Aid-Xinjiang Theme Exhibition Activity opened in Shihezi City, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (新疆生产建设兵团). This activity, under the theme of culture moistens Xinjiang, intangible cultural heritage adds color (文化润疆 非遗添彩), brings together 651 representative intangible cultural heritage projects and 549 representative bearers from 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, with the number of participating provinces and exhibited projects being the highest over the years.

This exhibition adopts a fully upgraded model, with integrated co-creation (融合共创) as the main thread, integrating the intangible cultural heritage resources of the aid-providing provinces and cities and the recipient prefectures and cities, and focusing on exhibiting the interactive practices between various regions and Xinjiang's 14 prefectures and cities, as well as the XPCC divisions and cities, in the protection, technical exchange, and cultural inheritance of intangible cultural heritage projects. Representative bearers join hands to present fine intangible cultural heritage works, intangible cultural heritage workshops pair up to learn from and emulate each other, jointly conveying deep friendship that spans mountains and seas. The Intangible Cultural Heritage Aid-Xinjiang Volunteer Explanation Team provides public explanations for citizens and tourists, and after the event ends, they will follow the intangible cultural heritage caravan deep into local communities and regimental farms to deliver high-quality cultural resources to the grassroots. At the same time, special activities such as Dance and Music Collection (舞乐集), Customs Feast (风物宴), Science and Innovation Exhibition (科创展), and Transmission Study Hall (传习堂) provide citizens and tourists with an immersive intangible cultural heritage experience that can be touched, felt, and tasted, bringing a cultural feast that allows them to traverse the charm of north and south and savor the fireworks of all directions.

This activity is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (文化和旅游部), the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (新疆维吾尔自治区人民政府), and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and will last until August 3. As a signature activity of culture moistens Xinjiang, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Aid-Xinjiang Theme Exhibition has been held for six consecutive years, with a cumulative total of 1,999 representative intangible cultural heritage bearers participating and 1,868 representative intangible cultural heritage projects exhibited.

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Photo Report

On July 29, a freight train loaded with containers steadily departed from Xiamen Yuanhai Dock (厦门远海码头), marking the official opening of China's first sea-rail intermodal dedicated line that features a "vertical shoreline, direct-to-dock" design — the Xiamen Yuanhai Dock Railway Dedicated Line.

Photo by Lin Shanchuan (林善传), Xinhua News Agency.

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Two departments deploy pilot program for building a register of cultural relics in administrative divisions and place names.

Beijing, July 30 (Reporter Wu Chuqi (吴储岐)) The General Office of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Office of the National Cultural Heritage Administration recently jointly issued the "Notice on Carrying Out the Pilot Work on Building a List of Administrative Division Place-Name Cultural Relics (区划地名文物名录)," deciding to carry out the pilot work on building a list of administrative division place-name cultural relics.

According to the notice, the first batch of pilot areas plans to select around 15 nationwide, mainly with cities (prefectures, autonomous prefectures, leagues) as the unit; county-level units with particularly excellent basic conditions may also be included. The pilot period is in principle one year.

This pilot will be combined with the fourth national survey of cultural relics (第四次全国文物普查). Based on the directory of immovable cultural relics within the respective jurisdiction, it will organize relevant departments and experts in related fields to conduct comprehensive analysis, study and clarify the identification boundaries, identification standards, and identification procedures for administrative division place-name cultural relics, and screen and identify a batch of cultural relics that can reflect the historical evolution and developmental course of administrative division place-names in the local area or corresponding region.

After the list is established, it must also be protected and utilized well. The notice clarifies that the pilot work mainly includes four tasks: collaborative survey, scientific identification; building a list, orderly publication; protection and inheritance, innovative utilization; and improving systems, perfecting mechanisms.

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Beijing Releases First Modern Industrial System Plan

Beijing, July 30 (Reporter Wang Haonan (王昊男)) — Recently, the "Beijing 15th Five-Year Plan Period Modern Industrial System Development Plan" was officially released. This is the first time Beijing has prepared a five-year special plan for a modern industrial system. The plan proposes that by 2030, a modern industrial system reflecting Beijing's characteristics will be basically established, with the features of intelligence, greenness, and integration becoming more prominent, total factor productivity continuing to improve, and overall industrial strength and international competitiveness significantly enhanced.

A relevant official from the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission (北京市发展改革委) introduced that the plan is based on Beijing’s urban strategic positioning and the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, with its characteristics mainly reflected in four emphases (四个突出). That is, more prominently taking the initiative to serve national strategies, more prominently implementing the urban strategic positioning, more prominently leading industrial development trends, and more prominently building an industrial ecosystem.

The plan sets 16 indicators, among which four indicators — including the proportion of added value of producer services in the added value of the service industry reaching 65% — are set for the first time in a five-year plan. The plan proposes 16 key tasks, including continuously expanding strategic industries, from four aspects such as building an internationally competitive industrial system and strengthening the radiating and leading capacity of the industrial system.

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China Successfully Launches Communication Technology Test Satellite 27A/B

Beijing, July 30 (People's Daily) — (Reporter Liu Shiyao (刘诗瑶)) At 9:00 on July 30, China used a Long March 6A carrier rocket at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center to successfully launch the Communication Technology Test Satellite 27A/B into orbit; the satellite entered the predetermined orbit smoothly, and the launch mission achieved complete success. The Communication Technology Test Satellite 27A/B is primarily used for satellite communications, radio and television broadcasting, data transmission, and other services, and will carry out related technology test verification. This mission was the 660th flight of the Long March series carrier rockets.

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本版责编：康岩 刘涓溪 王博

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All Things Intelligently Connected, Accelerating Toward Reality (Big Data Observation: New Momentum in the "Six Networks")

By: 本报记者 王崟欣

A pair of seemingly ordinary glasses can not only see and hear, but also perceive emotions. How is this achieved?

Entering the core carrying zone of the Shanghai 6G Future Industry Cultivation Zone (上海6G未来产业培育区) located in Sijing Town (泗泾镇), Songjiang District, Shanghai — the 6G Xintong Zhigu (6G信通智谷) — and putting on the glasses, the electrode pads on the frame contact the skin, immediately receiving brainwaves and perceiving changes in state and emotion. "Switching songs and ordering coffee according to mood can both be achieved," the developer explains. What's more, when Alzheimer's disease shows its first signs, the glasses can promptly issue a warning; even in deep mountains or deserts without ground signals, the module hidden in the temple of the glasses can directly connect to satellites in the sky, ensuring normal operation of the device.

"This is an intuitive scenario of the future new-generation communication network providing inclusive intelligent services," says Jin Jun (金军), Chairman of Shanghai 6G Xintong Zhigu. 6G means not only faster speed and broader coverage, but more critically, it drives the "Intelligent Connection of All Things." If 5G connected people to people, and people to things, then 6G will achieve deep interaction between people, things, and intelligent agents.

After years of development, China has built the world's largest and most technologically advanced information and communication network. 6G technology research and development and standard setting are being comprehensively advanced; the first phase of 6G technology tests have been smoothly completed; 10-gigabit optical networks have begun pilot deployment and application; 400G ultra-high-speed optical transmission systems and new ultra-low-loss optical fiber cables have achieved large-scale deployment. Satellite internet construction is rapidly advancing, with dense networking in space networks. Fusion-type new infrastructure such as the industrial internet and low-altitude intelligent networking is advancing in an orderly manner and achieving positive progress.

In June of this year, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a notice to organize a ministry-province coordinated pilot special action for 6G innovation and development. The notice proposed that by 2029, a batch of independently innovative 6G technology solutions will be formed, a batch of promising new-type business application scenarios will be cultivated, and a batch of rich and diverse new-type terminal products will emerge, providing strong support for the commercial implementation of 6G.

"The 6G Future Industry Cultivation Zone is a key project that aligns with the construction of the new-generation communication network under the national 'Six Networks' (六张网) and implements the municipal-level 6G industry plan," explains Xiao Yang (肖扬), Director of the Songjiang District Science and Technology Commission. The Cultivation Zone takes Sijing Town as its core, plans a construction area of approximately 1 square kilometer, and a series of frontier R&D, concept validation, and enterprise incubation efforts are underway at the 6G Xintong Zhigu. The Cultivation Zone plans to attract and cultivate over 100 enterprises in the industrial chain from 2026 to 2027, consolidating the industrial foundation; by 2030, it aims to cultivate a batch of leading enterprises and strive for the industrial scale to exceed 100 billion yuan.

This pair of glasses capable of perceiving emotion was jointly developed by three enterprises in the same building. One is responsible for neural signal acquisition and decoding, achieving "perception"; one focuses on AI vision and noise reduction, endowing them with the ability to "see" and "hear"; and the third miniaturized the satellite communication module into the temple of the glasses.

Achieving the interconnection between the glasses and other intelligent agents cannot be separated from the support of underlying technologies.

Zhou Nanqing (周楠清) is the founder of an enterprise that provides complete commercial-level physical layer solutions; the company's core business is precisely the underlying technology of 6G signals. After arriving at the 6G Xintong Zhigu, the well-established industrial ecosystem in the park made Zhou Nanqing's eyes light up. "The park covers about 120,000 square meters, with 15 buildings. R&D downstairs, validation upstairs, pilot testing inside the park, production within the district. Prototype products made by enterprises in the incubator are tested in the concept validation laboratory on the rooftop, reachable by elevator. After testing, they go to the pilot testing platform not far from the park for small-batch trial production, and finally can be mass-produced in nearby factories," Zhou Nanqing says. The efficient operating system made them decide to locate the company's headquarters, core R&D, and satellite payload production line in the park.

Bringing in enterprises also means ensuring good subsequent operation. The park connects companies with more than 10 investment institutions; bridges enterprises in the upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, universities, and standardization organizations; opens the pilot testing platform to support them in expanding new business directions... As enterprises in the industrial chain continue to cluster, stories similar to those of this pair of glasses are increasingly playing out in the Shanghai 6G Future Industry Cultivation Zone.

In response to the situation where embodied robots have "a body that runs fast but a brain that cannot keep up," the park has introduced a technology company focused on 6G wireless technology and millimeter-wave communication-sensing-computing integration to provide solutions; another company, through technological innovation, has the potential to reduce robot hardware costs by 40% to 60%. "The 6G picture that benefits all industries and improves people's livelihood is increasingly becoming a reality," says Jin Jun.

"In the Shanghai 6G Future Industry Cultivation Zone, chain-leader enterprises drive the clustering of upstream and downstream players, gradually linking together satellites in the sky, ground base stations, and handheld terminals. Space-air-ground integration has taken initial shape," Xiao Yang explains. Currently, Songjiang District has gathered 79 key enterprises in the mobile communication industrial chain, with total revenue of approximately 28 billion yuan in 2025; in December 2025, the park was selected by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as a new track for the National High-Tech Zone "6G and Satellite Space-Air-Ground Integration Chips."

In March of this year, Songjiang District issued several measures to accelerate the promotion of 6G technology and industrial innovation and development, launching five major action plans around core technology, high-level carriers, industrial entities, application scenarios, and innovation ecology, supporting the innovation and development of 6G technology and industry. To ensure that enterprises at different growth stages can both "take root and grow big," Songjiang District has also built a full-cycle capital ladder: a 100 million yuan "Eagle Fledgling Cultivation Plan (雏鹰培育计划)," a 300 million yuan scale 6G incubation fund, and an industrial guidance fund pool of no less than 20 billion yuan.

Xiao Yang says that Songjiang District will tilt funding toward core technology breakthroughs, product R&D, platform construction, talent support, standard setting, and demonstration scenario implementation, while simultaneously strengthening the supporting guarantees of factors such as capital and talent, to promote more "chemical reactions" to emerge in the park.

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Weaving a Dense Communication Network to Build a Solid Digital and Intelligent Foundation (Expert Commentary)

By: 徐天衡

In the six major networks (六张网), the new-generation communication network is quite special — it not only transmits information but is increasingly becoming a carrier for perception, computation, and decision-making, serving as the "nervous system" of Digital China and new quality productive forces (新质生产力). If 5G paved a wider information superhighway, then 6G will install a "brain" onto both that highway and the vehicles running on it. We are moving from the "mobile internet" toward the era of the mobile intelligent interconnection entity (移动智联体): the symbiotic interaction between humans and intelligent agents, between all things and intelligent agents, and among intelligent agents themselves will bring about a transformation across the entire chain.

This network has already been woven quite thickly by China. As of the end of June, the number of 5G base stations reached 5.102 million, and the number of 10G PON ports with gigabit network service capability reached 32.86 million; over 80,000 5G industry virtual private networks have been built, and 5G and gigabit optical network applications have been integrated into 94 major categories of the national economy; nationwide, there are over 26,000 "5G + Industrial Internet" projects under construction, and 1,260 5G factories with distinct classifications and characteristics have been built. For 6G, China’s patent applications account for 40.3% of the global total, and more than 300 key technology reserves have been formed in directions such as integration of communication and sensing (通感一体) and space-air-ground integration (空天地一体化), with overall competitiveness firmly in the world’s first echelon.

Currently, China’s 6G R&D has entered the critical stage of standard-setting and industrial shaping. Intensified efforts are being made to tackle key problems and explore in areas such as strengthening original innovation, consolidating the space-based foundation, and expanding application scenarios. A nationwide collaborative innovation network is gradually taking shape.

To transform first-mover advantages into sustained victories, persistent long-term effort is still required (久久为功 - jiǔ jiǔ wéi gōng - "persist for a long time to achieve success," meaning sustained effort). We must consolidate the innovation foundation, concentrating our efforts on tackling core technologies such as mobile intelligent agent communication, artificial intelligence-native networks, and autonomous low-orbit satellite constellations; deeply engage in international standards, converting more Chinese proposals into global consensus; cultivate advantageous clusters, with chain leaders driving upstream and downstream players to alleviate bottleneck risks (卡脖子) at the source; adhere to scenario-driven guidance, creating a batch of heavyweight applications in fields such as industry, healthcare, and emergency response; and strengthen talent development, taking multiple measures to cultivate and effectively utilize composite talents who understand both communications and artificial intelligence.

Every generational leap of the communication network reshapes the landscape of production and daily life. By weaving the "neural foundation" of Digital China even denser, we will surely seize the initiative and win the future on the track toward the era of the "mobile intelligent interconnection entity."

(The author is a researcher at the Intelligent Information Center of the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The article was compiled through an interview by Wang Yinxin (王崟欣), a reporter of this newspaper.)

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Lotus Leaves Spread Across the Gobi Depths (Big Country, Small Village)

By: 本报记者 蒋云龙

In the height of summer, lotus leaves spread thickly.

This is the 300-mu “Lotus Township Lotus Root Encounter” Wetland Park in Xiarilejin Village (夏热勒津村), Belin Hari Modun Township (贝林哈日莫墩乡), Bole City (博乐市), Xinjiang. Green ripples shimmer, green leaves stretch in sheets, pinkish-white lotus flowers bloom in scattered clusters, and water birds occasionally skim low across the water.

This enchanting landscape was once a stretch of Gobi desert wasteland.

“In 1962, I was nine years old. I followed my parents and 50 fellow villagers, jolting along for more than half a month, from Hubei to Xiarilejin Village to take root and support the border region.” Villager Li Zhenfang (李振芳) recalls that this place was completely unlike Hubei, with its connected mountains and waters. Picking up a ketman (坎土曼, a kind of hoe) and a shovel, every strike of the shovel came down on dazzling white salt crusts. Blood blisters on his hands would form and then burst, then form again and burst again.

“We are not afraid of hardship, not afraid of difficulty. We stubbornly reclaimed over 100 mu of arable land on the saline-alkali soil.” Li Zhenfang says, they could get by, but they still wanted to live well. Everyone was deeply attached, unable to forget the lotus flowers and leaves of their hometown, and the sweet and crisp lotus roots.

In 1984, Li Zhenfang’s father returned to his hometown to visit relatives and brought back 10 segments of lotus root seedlings from Hubei. But because they could not adapt to the extreme low-temperature environment, all the trial plantings died from frost in the first year.

“We were not resigned. The next year we tried a new method: wrapping the lotus root seedlings in local wet mud from Hubei and bringing them back to Bole.” Li Zhenfang says, the next year the spring winds thawed the earth, and the lotus root seedlings buried deep at the bottom of the pond finally survived, sending up new shoots, then unfurling new leaves, spreading green. On the former Gobi desert, sheets of lotus leaves rose above the water.

From a few scattered plants and small patches of lotus pond to continuous tracts gaining momentum; from neighbors’ skepticism that “saline-alkali land cannot grow golden lumps” to achieving large-scale continuous planting. The lotus ponds of Xiarilejin Village grow lush every year, and the “Gobi Lotus Village” is famous far and wide.

A pond of lotus flowers enlivens a stretch of land, and moreover enriches the local people.

“In the past two years, we have leveraged the resource advantage of this wetland, secured 10 million yuan in renovation funds, and carried out a comprehensive quality upgrade of the old ponds, preserving the original wetland landscape to the greatest extent, without damaging the water system or engaging in excessive commercial development.” Says village Party branch secretary Zhang Qiuyin (张秋银): the flat and unobstructed lake-ring road is there, the standardized and tidy parking lot has been built, waterside boardwalks, viewing platforms, and rustic fishing areas are scattered in an orderly manner, the scenery changes with every step. In 2024, this lotus-town secret realm hidden deep in the Gobi was rated a national AAA-level tourist attraction. Today, the popularity of Xiarilejin Village continues to rise, receiving an average of more than 50,000 visitors per year, and the annual income of surrounding farm stays and shops has increased by over 10,000 yuan per household on average.

Today’s Xiarilejin Village, where groundwater and surface water converge, and a naturally warm hot spring water system nourishes the entire wetland, forms a unique ecosystem rare in northern Xinjiang. In summer, the living water is clear and lotus fragrance fills the paths; in winter, the water temperature is suitable and water plants remain green year-round. For as long as five months each year, various migratory birds such as swans and wild ducks roost and overwinter here. In the morning, there is thin mist covering the water and birds gliding gracefully; in the evening, the setting sun spreads over the waves and the water shimmers – it has become a shining ecological business card in the region.

By the side of the lotus pond, the melody of the deeply affectionate song “Hubei Compatriots” (湖北老乡) often echoes. The feelings of supporting Xinjiang, the experience of supporting the border, and the warm stories of ethnic unity have sedimented into a unique local cultural charm, allowing every visiting tourist to feel this deep affection and steadfastness that spans mountains and rivers.

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Restoring Time with Craftsmanship and Technology (On the Road to Dreams)

By: 本报记者 姚雪青

Using a scanner to scan a photograph, performing initial color correction and removal of damage and stains on a computer, then using brush mode to redraw outlines and reconstruct shadows, and finally using artificial intelligence software to colorize and enhance resolution — an old photograph is restored. This process can take anywhere from a few hours for a quick job to up to a week.

“Our team has only five people. We set up this old photo restoration studio in 2018 and have so far restored over 30,000 old photos,” said Ju Xudong (居旭东), a post-1990s young man from Nanjing, Jiangsu. The restored photos become clear in detail and vivid in appearance, awakening buried memories; many people tear up when they receive their photos.

Ju has loved fine arts since childhood. After graduating from university in 2013, he first worked as a UI designer at an internet company and later started his own business as an illustrator. In 2018, using realistic illustration techniques, Ju restored a blurry black-and-white photo of a historical figure, which was well received on an online platform. From then on, he began exploring old photo restoration, drawing on his artistic foundation and computer skills — and he has been at it for eight years.

Ju discovered that the market demand was far greater than he had imagined. “The people who come to restore old photos come from all over the country — men and women, young and old. Some young people restore their parents’ wedding photos as a surprise gift; elderly people bring in photos of themselves in military uniform from their youth, hoping to look back on their fiery young days; others want to restore an ancestor’s portrait and insert it into a family photo,” Ju explained. The studio’s annual orders have grown from seven to eight hundred to seven to eight thousand, attracting increasing attention.

In 2024, Ju saw a news report that deeply moved him. In April of that year, during the relocation of the graves of fallen soldiers from the Battle of Xue Village (雪村) in Hebei, workers discovered the remains of one martyr with his hands clasped over his chest, tightly holding a small round mirror. Inside the mirror was a photograph; although it had been buried for 82 years, the face of a young woman in the photo was still faintly discernible. “She must have been the person the martyr cherished in life,” Ju said. He proactively contacted the local authorities, hoping to restore the photo to help find the martyr’s relatives.

After restoring it using conventional methods, the team members felt it looked similar in form but not in spirit. “It lacked a sense of age,” Ju found. Modern tools and modern aesthetics inevitably affect the temperament and spirit of the person being restored. Only by “traveling back” to that era and carefully sensing the environment and state of mind of the person — as if standing before them and taking their photo — can one achieve the effect of 修旧如旧 (xiū jiù rú jiù - “repair old to be old,” restoring in a way that preserves the original aged character).

During the re-restoration, each team member worked separately on their own version, then they met to discuss how to refine it. After a week, they finally produced the finished product. “That’s her!” many netizens exclaimed after seeing the restored photo. Ju felt very gratified, and he became even more aware that in an era where restoration software emerges endlessly, only by getting as close as possible to the subjects and understanding their life stories can one better restore the photo and bring the story back to life.

The photo Ju remembers as the hardest to restore was an experience of “creating something from nothing” (从无到有) in 2023. A couple from Ganzhou, Jiangxi, had their young son abducted. They had been searching for him across the country for over twenty years, using only one childhood photo. “Relying on a child’s photo to find an adult — it’s too difficult.” The team referred to the couple’s facial features, the child’s appearance, and the facial characteristics of siblings, and also factored in “what an ordinary young person’s life would look like,” producing a composite portrait of him at age 31. Considering possible changes such as wearing glasses or weight gain or loss, the team also created several extended versions.

Last October, the couple finally found their son and immediately called Ju to share the good news. “The composite portrait is very similar to the real son!” Ju was overjoyed and deeply moved. “Maybe a restored photo can’t play a decisive role, but it can get more people to pay attention to this group and make the search target more precise. Even if it only gives the family a little comfort, that is meaningful.”

Now, the team is experimenting with AI video generation technology to make the people in the photos move, producing personalized micro-documentaries for ordinary people. “Restoring photos to ‘salvage’ memories and bring back the times — we will keep doing this,” Ju said.

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Photo Report

On July 29, citizens and tourists visited Xiwan Park in Xiangzhou District (襄州区), Xiangyang City, Hubei Province for leisure and recreation.

In recent years, Xiangzhou District has vigorously implemented river shoreline protection and utilization and water ecological protection projects. The former Xiwan barren beach along the Han River has been transformed into Xiwan Park, becoming a good place for people to get close to nature, exercise, and relax.

Photo by Yang Dong (杨东)/People's Vision (人民视觉)

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China's online literary works exceed 33 million titles

Our newspaper Hefei, July 30 (Reporters Chen Yuanyuan (陈圆圆), Hu Xiaoyuan (胡笑源)) – The 2026 China Internet Literature Forum (中国网络文学论坛) opened on the 30th in Hefei, Anhui, bringing together over 200 online literature authors, corporate representatives, and experts and scholars. The 2025 China Internet Literature Blue Book (2025中国网络文学蓝皮书) and the China Internet Literature Influence List (2025) (中国网络文学影响力榜（2025年度）) were also released simultaneously.

The Blue Book shows: As of the end of 2025, the total volume of Chinese online literary works exceeded 33 million titles, with the creative level generally rising in major categories such as realism, science fiction, history, and fantasy. Registered authors surpassed 35 million, and the reader population reached 525 million. In 2025, the revenue scale of online literature was approximately 49 billion yuan; the number of newly added micro-drama adaptation licenses was about 9,000 per year, a year-on-year increase of 463 percent. As of the end of 2025, Chinese online literature had cumulatively exported more than 130,000 works overseas, the existing number of overseas registered users was approximately 250 million, and overseas revenue exceeded 8 billion yuan (including the micro-drama business of online literature platforms).

The theme of this forum is "New Masses, New Forms, New Journey" (新大众·新形态·新征程). It is hosted by the China Writers Association (中国作家协会) and the Publicity Department of the Anhui Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (中共安徽省委宣传部), and explores topics such as new mass literary and artistic creation, the online literature industry, and dissemination. Participating guests believed that online literature has already become a typical paradigm of new mass literature and art, and is a landmark achievement of literature's innovative development in the Internet era.

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**Headline:** Xi Jinping Holds Talks with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif

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Tailoring to Local Conditions to Let New Quality Productive Forces Take Root (High-Quality Development Story Hub · Issue 21)

By: 本期主讲人：国家发展改革委宏观经济研究院副院长 徐 强

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “During the ‘15th Five-Year Plan’ period, it is necessary to place the development of new quality productive forces 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - “according to local conditions,” to adapt measures to local conditions) in a more prominent strategic position, take scientific and technological innovation as the guide, take the real economy as the foundation, adhere to the simultaneous promotion of the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, the active development of emerging industries, and the forward-looking layout of future industries, and accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system.” The outline of the “15th Five-Year Plan” proposes, around “building a modern industrial system and consolidating and strengthening the foundation of the real economy,” a series of major measures such as “optimizing and upgrading traditional industries,” “cultivating and expanding emerging and future industries,” “promoting the high-quality and efficient development of the service industry,” and “building a modern infrastructure system.” This year’s Government Work Report proposes, “Persist in focusing the force of economic development on the real economy, develop new quality productive forces 因地制宜, and build a modern industrial system.” This series of deployments profoundly reveals the inner logic of economic development in the new era and points out the direction for the high-quality development of our country’s economy.

Profoundly grasp the inner logic between the modern industrial system and new quality productive forces

The modern industrial system is the material and technological foundation of a modern country and the vehicle for the gestation and development of new quality productive forces. New quality productive forces are an advanced productive force state in which innovation plays a dominant role, breaking away from traditional economic growth modes and productivity development paths, characterized by high technology, high efficiency, and high quality, and conforming to the new development concept.

From a historical dimension, each industrial revolution has been accompanied by a qualitative leap in productive forces and a profound reshaping of industrial structure. The invention of the steam engine gave birth to mechanized mass production; the application of electric power promoted the arrival of the electrification era; the breakthrough in information technology initiated the digital wave. Currently, the clustered breakthroughs of cutting-edge technologies represented by artificial intelligence, quantum information, and biological manufacturing are restructuring the global industrial landscape. Whether we can firmly grasp the wave of the new technological revolution, build a modern industrial system adapted to the characteristics of the times, and provide material and technological carriers for innovative development determines whether we can gain strategic initiative in future development and fierce international competition.

From a practical dimension, our country possesses the most complete industrial system in the world. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the added value of manufacturing accounted for nearly 30% of the global share, and the overall scale of manufacturing has ranked first in the world for many consecutive years. This is our enormous advantage. However, we must also clearly see that some of our industries are still in the middle and low end of the global value chain, some key core technologies are controlled by others, the resilience and security level of the industrial and supply chains need improvement, and the pressure on the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries is relatively high. This requires us to place the construction of a modern industrial system in a more prominent position, and by developing new quality productive forces, push industries towards high-end, intelligent, and green advancement, realizing a transformation from “accumulation of quantity” to “qualitative leap.”

Accurately grasp the new characteristics and new trends of current industrial development

To build a modern industrial system and develop new quality productive forces, we must accurately grasp the stage-specific characteristics and evolutionary trends of current industrial development.

First, the transformation from factor-driven to innovation-driven. In the past, our country’s economic development mainly relied on the large-scale input of factors such as labor, land, and capital. As resource and environmental constraints tighten, this extensive growth model is no longer sustainable. New quality productive forces are primarily generated by revolutionary technological breakthroughs. Scientific and technological innovation can give birth to new industries, new models, and new drivers, and is the core element for developing new quality productive forces. It is necessary to place scientific and technological innovation at the core of national development, strengthen the principal position of enterprises in scientific and technological innovation, promote the deep integration of innovation chains, industrial chains, capital chains, and talent chains, and make innovation the primary driving force leading development.

Second, the transformation from traditional manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing. Artificial intelligence is accelerating its deep integration with the real economy, profoundly changing manufacturing production models and economic forms, becoming a key variable driving industrial upgrading and reshaping the global landscape. We must take intelligent manufacturing as the main direction to drive industrial technological change and optimization and upgrading, promote a fundamental transformation of manufacturing industry models and enterprise forms, use “innovation” to drive “reform,” use increments to drive stock, and promote our country’s industries toward the middle and high end of the global value chain. In recent years, the digital and intelligent transformation of our country’s manufacturing industry has been solidly advanced. To date, a total of 35,000 basic-level, over 8,200 advanced-level, and over 500 excellence-level smart factories have been built. We must deeply grasp the evolutionary trend of artificial intelligence, deeply implement the “Artificial Intelligence+” action, accelerate the integration and application of artificial intelligence technology in manufacturing, and firmly grasp the initiative in development.

Third, the transformation from single industries to integrated symbiosis. Currently, the boundaries of the industrial system are increasingly blurred, and industrial integration has become the norm. The integration of advanced manufacturing and modern service industries, the integration of the digital economy and the real economy, and cross-industry, cross-domain crossover integration are giving birth to a large number of new business forms, new models, and new scenarios. Integrated development not only expands the space for industrial development but also improves total factor productivity. This requires breaking down industry barriers, promoting the free flow of factors, and building an open, shared, collaborative, and efficient industrial ecosystem.

Fourth, the transformation from follow-up imitation to leading innovation. For a long time, many of our country’s industries were in the stage of follow-up imitation. With the significant improvement in scientific and technological strength, our country has entered a stage of running alongside or even leading in some fields. To develop new quality productive forces, it is necessary to increase the layout in frontier fields, strengthen basic research, strive to achieve new breakthroughs in more fields, form a batch of key technologies and products with independent intellectual property rights, and enhance the voice and influence in the global industrial and supply chains.

Take multiple measures to build a modern industrial system

Building a modern industrial system is a systematic project that requires overall planning, precise policy implementation, and 久久为功 (jiǔ jiǔ wéi gōng - “persist for a long time to achieve success,” to achieve success through sustained effort).

First, optimize and upgrade traditional industries to consolidate the industrial foundation. Traditional industries are the base of the modern industrial system. It is necessary to promote the quality improvement and upgrading of key industries, promote the application of advanced applicable technologies, and promote equipment renewal, process upgrading, digital empowerment, and management innovation. Focus on supporting the transformation of industries such as steel, nonferrous metals, petrochemicals, chemicals, and building materials toward high-end, intelligent, and green development. At the same time, accelerate the elimination of backward production capacity, optimize the allocation of existing resources, and enable “old trees to sprout new shoots.”

Second, cultivate and expand emerging industries to create new engines. Strategic emerging industries represent the direction of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, and are new pillars and new tracks leading future development. It is necessary to focus on key areas such as next-generation information technology, biotechnology, new energy, new materials, high-end equipment, and aerospace, implement a number of major projects, create a number of leading enterprises, and form a number of industrial clusters.

Third, make forward-looking layouts for future industries to shape new growth drivers. Future industries are driven by cutting-edge technologies, currently in the embryonic stage or early industrialization stage, with forward-looking, strategic, and disruptive characteristics. It is necessary to establish a growth mechanism for investment in future industries, improve the policy support system, encourage localities to combine resource advantages, and carry out explorations in fields such as quantum technology, biological manufacturing, hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion energy, brain-computer interfaces, embodied intelligence, and sixth-generation mobile communications, creating new growth poles.

Fourth, strengthen factor guarantee and support, and optimize the development environment. Building a modern industrial system cannot be separated from strong factor support. It is necessary to increase fiscal and financial support, guide social capital to invest in key areas. Strengthen the construction of the talent team, cultivate and bring up a number of strategic scientists, first-class scientific and technological leading talents and innovation teams, promote the spirit of craftsmanship, and strengthen the high-skilled talent team. Optimize the business environment, remove institutional and mechanism obstacles that constrain industrial development. Strengthen the protection and application of intellectual property rights, and create a good atmosphere that encourages innovation and tolerates failure.

Develop new quality productive forces 因地制宜

To develop new quality productive forces, we cannot adopt a “one-size-fits-all” approach; we must insist on 因地制宜, identify the entry points, and embark on a path of differentiated development.

For regions with abundant scientific and educational resources, it is necessary to fully leverage the agglomeration advantages of universities and research institutes, strengthen basic research and original innovation, and promote the on-site transformation of scientific and technological achievements. Build comprehensive national science centers and regional science and technology innovation centers, create innovation communities with deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application, and become the source of new quality productive forces.

For regions with a strong manufacturing foundation, it is necessary to focus on key links in the industrial and supply chains, promote the digital and intelligent transformation of traditional industries, and cultivate and expand advanced manufacturing clusters. It is possible to rely on leading enterprises to drive the coordinated development of upstream and downstream small and medium-sized enterprises, enhance the overall competitiveness of the industrial chain, and become the carrying ground for new quality productive forces.

For resource-based regions, it is necessary to accelerate the transformation of resource-based cities, extend the industrial chain, develop deep processing, and cultivate replacement and alternative industries. It is possible to leverage abundant wind, light, and water resources to vigorously develop the new energy industry, promote green and low-carbon transformation, and become transformation demonstration zones for new quality productive forces.

For ecological function protection areas, it is necessary to adhere to ecological priority and green development, and strictly prohibit all kinds of development activities that do not conform to the main functional positioning. It is possible to rely on a good ecological environment to develop green industries such as ecotourism, health and medical care, and organic agriculture, explore practical paths for transforming lucid waters and lush mountains into mountains of gold and silver, and become green models of new quality productive forces.

Accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system and developing new quality productive forces 因地制宜 are major strategic tasks related to the overall development of our country and cannot be accomplished 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù - “to accomplish in one step,” to achieve overnight). It is necessary to maintain historical patience and strategic determination. We must deeply implement the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development concept, better serve and integrate into the new development pattern, lead industrial innovation with scientific and technological innovation, build new competitive advantages with industrial upgrading, and provide solid support for promoting high-quality development and advancing Chinese-style modernization.

(Compiled by People’s Daily Online reporter Xu Weina (许维娜))

Case One

New agricultural fertilizers: from “volume expansion” to “efficiency improvement”

Narrator: Zhang Min (张民), Deputy Director of the National Engineering Technology Research Center for Slow and Controlled Release Fertilizers

During this year’s summer harvest season, Li Shengyun (李圣云), a new farmer in Linshu County (临沭县), Shandong Province, excitedly said: “Professor Zhang, this year my wheat yield increased, and I used less fertilizer. The income is not bad.”

A few years earlier, the more fertilizer was spread, the more “hungry” the land became. Fertilizer utilization was less than 30%, the cost of farming kept rising every year, but income did not increase. In 2009, the Ministry of Science and Technology approved the establishment of the “National Engineering Technology Research Center for Slow and Controlled Release Fertilizers,” relying on the Kingenta Group (金正大集团) and jointly building it with Shandong Agricultural University and other units. Previously, the core membrane material formula for coated controlled-release fertilizers was in the hands of foreign companies, and domestic fields could not afford to use them. Through more than ten years of tackling key problems, we cracked this tough nut.

The data shows the results: fertilizer utilization increased to 50%, saving 30% of fertilizer per mu, while increasing grain yield by 10%.

Enterprises are the main body of scientific and technological innovation. The words of Wan Peng (万鹏), President of Kingenta Group, left a deep impression: “In the past, we bought foreign technology and followed others’ standards; now, private enterprises participate in the work of the Engineering Technology Research Center for Slow and Controlled Release Fertilizers, scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation are coordinated, and national standards and industry standards have been formulated.”

Sun Baiguang (孙佰广), Deputy County Mayor of Linshu County, said directly: “To develop new quality productive forces 因地制宜, you have to bend down and look at the land under your feet. We have the soil of the fertilizer industry, the technological accumulation of enterprises, and supporting policies to attract and retain talent. We must plant ‘new seedlings’ in this soil.”

Recently, the “15th Five-Year Plan for Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization” issued by the State Council clearly states that by 2030, the level of scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement in agriculture will be greatly improved, and major breakthroughs will be made in developing new quality productive forces in agriculture. How to achieve this? It still depends on mastering core technologies and global industry voice ourselves.

(Compiled by People’s Daily Online reporters Li Tong (李彤) and Ouyang Yijia (欧阳易佳))

Case Two

Machine tools: from “import” to “independent”

Narrators: Yao Wei (姚蔚), Director of the Bureau of Industry and Information Technology of Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province; Dong Mingzhu, Chairman of Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai

The milling cutter falls, and a core impeller of a compressor is machined. The surface is as smooth as a mirror, and the accuracy is locked at 0.003 mm.

Looking at this machine tool with a completely domestically self-developed CNC system and precision swivel head, one cannot help but recall the scene from more than ten years ago: high-end machine tools relied entirely on imports. We held orders and waited in line for goods. When equipment malfunctioned, we had to wait for overseas experts to come for debugging. If they came a day late, the entire production line had to stop for a day.

Zhuhai, based on the equipment manufacturing belt on the west bank of the Pearl River, leveraging the foundation of the home appliance and new energy industries, has embarked on a differentiated path for the development of machine tools: leading enterprises taking the lead, high-end domestic substitution, deep scenario adaptation, and precise policy support. Breakthroughs in high-end areas are accelerating, and the industrial ecosystem is continuously improving. Gree Electric has deeply engaged in the self-research of CNC machine tools. Its Jinwan factory has been selected into the first batch of leading-level smart factories of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, providing solid support for the upgrading of equipment manufacturing on the west bank of the Pearl River.

Since 2015, Gree Electric has comprehensively laid out the research and development of high-end machine tools such as five-axis CNC machine tools and intelligent equipment such as industrial robots. Many people advised us to directly import mature equipment, saying that self-research is high-cost, long-cycle, and high-risk. But we have always firmly believed that core technologies cannot be begged or swapped; no matter how difficult the hurdle, we must break through it on our own.

Today, the machine tools we have independently developed have been applied in multiple manufacturing fields: a high-speed dual-five-axis gantry machining center, specially adapted for machining integrated die-cast structural parts of vehicles, with processing efficiency increased by 80% compared to traditional equipment, and has been supplied in batches to multiple new energy vehicle companies; a five-axis machining equipment for precision components of intelligent robots, with performance comparable to top international products, and procurement costs significantly reduced.

We will continue to deepen the technological iteration of machine tools and intelligent equipment, polish products closely aligned with real production needs; work with industry chain partners to fill the gaps in equipment for sub-sectors, and use autonomous and controllable high-end manufacturing equipment to consolidate the foundation for the steady growth of domestic emerging industries.

(Compiled by People’s Daily Online reporter Xia Xiaolun (夏晓伦))

Case Three

Biopharmaceuticals: from “follow-up” to “leading”

Narrator: Liu Qingyuan (刘清源), Researcher at the Clinical Medicine Center of Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group

With the increasing focus on higher quality of life, people hope for better and more superior treatment options. Against this background, relying on the latest policies and the scientific research talents, resources, and innovation platforms gathered by the rapid development of the domestic innovative drug industry, we have moved from a combination of imitation and innovation to focusing solely on innovation, deeply integrating into the global pharmaceutical ecosystem. From independent research and development to international cooperation, a group of innovative drug enterprises are committed to completing a double leap across geographical and scientific boundaries, developing innovative drugs with FIC (first-in-class) and BIC (best-in-class) potential, bringing more breakthrough therapies to patients.

Starting from small-molecule innovative drugs that broke the import monopoly, then quickly entering the track of large molecules and antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) and achieving a global leading position, we have continuously improved our capabilities during the transformation.

The confidence to firmly pursue globalized innovation stems from confidence in industrial development. The outline of the “15th Five-Year Plan” proposes to aim at key areas leading future development, build a full-chain cultivation system for future industries, and promote quantum technology, biological manufacturing, hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion energy, brain-computer interfaces, embodied intelligence, and sixth-generation mobile communications to become new economic growth points. In 2025, the total amount of Chinese innovative drug out-licensing transactions exceeded 130 billion US dollars, 76 innovative drugs were approved, and the total number of innovative drugs under research accounted for 33.7% of the global total. Many original innovative drugs by local enterprises are globally leading in their class.

For future industries to take root, enterprises need to adhere to innovation, and they also cannot do without the support of the industrial system. Over the years, we have seen great changes — continuous introduction of supporting policies, gradual improvement of industrial supporting facilities, and accelerated return of high-end talents, which are driving the continuous improvement of the industrial chain. From “follow-up innovation” to “source innovation,” from “China” to “the world,” the road is long, but the direction is clear.

(Compiled by People’s Daily Online reporters Li Qiaochu (栗翘楚) and Jiao Lei (焦磊))

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本版责编：吴燕 韩文榕 黄金玉

Layout designer: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)

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Deeply Study and Implement Xi Jinping's Thought on Party Building to Promote High-Quality Development of Discipline Inspection and Supervision Work on the New Journey of the New Era

By: 中央纪委国家监委机关

A great era gives birth to scientific thought, and scientific thought guides innovative practice. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has upheld the principle that the Party must supervise itself and govern strictly in all respects. Centering on the major epochal课题 of what kind of long-term Marxist ruling party to build and how to build it, it has put forward a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies, giving rise to Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building. This is the chapter on Party building in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; it is the summation of experience and theoretical distillation of all the practical work of Party building in the new era that General Secretary Xi Jinping has led. This thought is profound in scope, rich in content, deep in insight, and systematic in structure. The "Fourteen Persistences" grasp the inner connection between governing the Party and making it strong, on the one hand, and strengthening the country and rejuvenating the nation, on the other; they integrate the leadership of the Party and the construction of the Party; they adhere to the organic unity of epistemology and methodology, and of the two-point theory and the priority theory; they clarify the substance and apply it, integrating substance and application. Every aspect contains rich theoretical elaboration and clear practical requirements, and they collectively summarize General Secretary Xi Jinping’s marking and guiding new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies on Party building in the new era. This thought has a distinct theoretical character, embodying firm ideals and convictions, a high degree of historical initiative, a clear problem orientation, a strong sense of mission and responsibility, deep feelings for the people, and a scientific way of thinking. It profoundly illuminates the fundamental question of what the Communist Party of China is and what it is to do, and it is imbued with General Secretary Xi Jinping’s political wisdom, ideological brilliance, and personal charisma, revealing the political character, value pursuits, and spiritual style of contemporary Chinese Communists. This thought has a solid foundation in practice and deep theoretical roots; it derives from the scientific theory of Marxism, is rooted in China’s fine traditional culture, and was nurtured in the great practice of exercising full and strict governance over the Party in the new era. It is a major achievement of our Party in advancing theoretical innovation by adhering to the "two combines" (两个结合 - the combination of the basic tenets of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the best of China’s traditional culture). It marks a new height in the understanding of the laws governing the building of Marxist political parties. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building makes significant original contributions to developing Marxist theories of Party building, provides the fundamental guidance and action guide for further advancing the great new project of Party building in the new era, and has major practical significance and long-term guiding significance for strengthening the Party and the country.

Discipline inspection and supervision agencies were born for the Party and fight for the Party; they are an important force in advancing full and strict governance over the Party. All the achievements of discipline inspection and supervision work in the new era are fundamentally due to the helm guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping, to the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and especially Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building. On the new journey, to promote high-quality development of discipline inspection and supervision work, we must always uphold the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building. Discipline inspection and supervision agencies at all levels and all discipline inspection and supervision cadres must more deeply understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments" (两个确立 - establishing Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and establishing 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 - uphold Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, and uphold the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee). They must study, understand, and implement Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building fully, accurately, and comprehensively, deeply grasp its essence and practical requirements, and consciously use it to arm the mind, guide practice, and lead all work of discipline inspection and supervision. They must unswervingly be steadfast believers and loyal practitioners of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building, fulfill the duties conferred by the Party Constitution and the Constitution with higher standards and more concrete measures, firmly safeguard the unity and solidarity of the Party, firmly defend the Party’s progressiveness and integrity, and provide a strong guarantee for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization (中国式现代化).

1. Focus on the "Two Upholds" to strengthen political oversight, ensuring the Party’s overall leadership and the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building clearly puts forward that "upholding the Party’s leadership is the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics," emphasizes "upholding the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee," and requires "adhering to taking the Party’s political construction as the lead," ensuring that the entire Party maintains a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in political stance, political direction, political principles, and political path. History and practice have fully proven that the Party’s leadership is the foundation and lifeblood of the Party and the country, and the interests and destiny of people of all ethnic groups in the country. Upholding the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee is the highest principle of the Party’s leadership. The "Two Establishments" are the greatest certainty, the greatest confidence, and the greatest guarantee for us to cope with all uncertainties. On this issue, at any time and under any circumstances, we must take a clear-cut stand and be firm in our stance. Discipline inspection and supervision agencies are the loyal guardians of the Party, bearing a major mission and responsibility in the "Two Upholds." They must always resolutely safeguard General Secretary Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole, resolutely safeguard the authority and centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, conscientiously implement the relevant regulations on strengthening and maintaining the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, strictly implement the reporting and request-for-instructions system, and demonstrate loyalty to the Party, obedience to the Party’s command, and dedication to the Party’s cause through concrete actions. They must grasp political oversight and deepen political inspections, urging Party organizations at all levels and Party members and cadres to continuously improve their political judgment, political understanding, and political execution, strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses" (四个意识 - consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership), fortify the "Four Confidences" (四个自信 - confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics), and achieve the "Two Upholds." They must frequently benchmark and calibrate, promptly correct deviations, and ensure that what the Party Central Committee advocates is resolutely responded to, what the Party Central Committee decides is resolutely implemented, and what the Party Central Committee prohibits is resolutely not done. They must closely focus on General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions and directives, and on strategic deployments such as implementing the new development concept, promoting high-quality development, and accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, strengthen specific, precise, and regularized oversight, ensuring that the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee are implemented without any discount. They must strictly enforce political discipline and political rules, focus on solving the problem of the "Seven Havens" (七个有之 - seven instances of problematic behavior such as having one’s own say, doing one’s own thing, etc.), seriously rectify the "Five Isms" (五个主义 - such as individualism, liberalism, etc.), resolutely eliminate "double-faced people" (两面人) who harbor different intentions and act inconsistently with their words, promptly eliminate political risks, and consolidate the unity and solidarity of the Party.

2. Strengthen armed with the Party’s innovative theories, always ensure the correct direction of discipline inspection and supervision work. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building clearly puts forward "adhering to using the Party’s innovative theories to solidify the soul and cast the spirit" and "adhering to tempering a strong Party spirit," emphasizing ideological Party building and theoretical Party strengthening, promoting the entire Party to cast the soul through learning, increase wisdom through learning, correct work style through learning, and promote work through learning. It clarifies the fundamental task of the Party’s ideological construction, embodies the truth power of Marxism, and provides a powerful impetus for us to grasp the political direction, distinguish right from wrong on major issues, and strive hard with determination. The more thorough the theoretical arming, the firmer the ideals and convictions, the deeper the ideological understanding, and the more conscious the practical action. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building innovates while upholding fundamentals, develops while inheriting, comprehensively and profoundly illuminating the highest principles, strategic guidelines, value pursuits, work layout, methods, and paths of Party building in the new era. It is a complete theoretical system that reflects the times, grasps laws, and is rich in creativity. Discipline inspection and supervision agencies must adhere to the integration of learning, thinking, and application, and of knowledge, belief, and action, take the lead and set an example in studying and implementing Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building, and consciously implement it in all aspects and throughout the entire process of discipline inspection and supervision work. They must consciously treat Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building as a required and regular course of study and training, persist in reading original works, studying original texts, and comprehending principles, deeply understand the Marxist world outlook and methodology embodied in this thought, master the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods running through it, and solve the general switch problem of world outlook, outlook on life, and values. They must regard tempering Party spirit as a lifelong task, be good at drawing nourishment for Party spirit from the Party’s innovative theories, focus on tempering political character, accumulating political experience, and enhancing political acumen in the crucible of inner-Party political life, continuously firm ideals and convictions, forge loyalty to the Party, cultivate deep feelings for the people, purify moral character, and maintain integrity and cleanness. They must strengthen systematic research, theoretical explanation, and popular dissemination, clarify its scientific system, rich connotations, spiritual essence, and practical requirements, tell the story of full and strict governance over the Party and the story of anti-corruption in the new era well, and promote the Party’s innovative theories to take deeper root in the hearts of the people. They must adhere to learning for application, integrating knowledge and action, consciously combine the study and implementation of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building with various tasks of rectifying work styles, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption, and consciously find ideas, methods, and answers from it, further enhance strategic thinking, historical thinking, dialectical thinking, systematic thinking, innovative thinking, rule-of-law thinking, and bottom-line thinking, and make work ideas and measures more scientific, more rigorous, and more effective.

3. Focus on the central tasks and the overall situation to strengthen mission and responsibility, persistently advance full and strict governance over the Party. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building clearly puts forward "adhering to full and strict governance over the Party," clarifying the strategic policy of Party building in the new era. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping, based on the new historical juncture of our Party’s governance in the new era, with a broad vision of the rise and fall of political parties in the world, taking the historical cycle of rise and fall as a mirror, has incorporated full and strict governance over the Party into the "Four Comprehensives" (四个全面 - comprehensively build a moderately prosperous society, comprehensively deepen reform, comprehensively govern the country according to law, and comprehensively strictly govern the Party) strategic layout, profoundly expounding the decisive role of the great new project in the "Four Greats" (四个伟大 - great struggle, great project, great cause, great dream). This reflects the historical initiative to grasp the general trend of historical development and to lead and create a bright future for the cause of the Party and the country, and reflects a high sense of responsibility towards the Party, the country, the nation, the people, and history. Full and strict governance over the Party is the distinct theme of Party building in the new era. The strict tone, strict measures, and strict atmosphere must be maintained over the long term, and the Party’s eternal non-degeneration must ensure the eternal non-fading of the red river and mountain. Discipline inspection and supervision agencies must comprehend and grasp Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building in the vivid practice of our Party’s governance and Party management in the new era, consciously find their responsibilities and positions in the overall situation of the Party’s and the country’s undertakings and in the overall picture of full and strict governance over the Party, take the Party’s original aspiration as their own heart, take the Party’s mission as their life, pool all wisdom and strength into realizing the Party’s central tasks, and clear obstacles and provide safeguards for achieving the goals and tasks of the "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五) period. They must adhere to a problem orientation, deeply recognize that our country’s development has entered a period of strategic opportunities coexisting with risks and challenges, with increasing uncertain and unpredictable factors, and that the "Four Tests" (四大考验 - tests of governance, reform and opening up, market economy, and external environment) and "Four Dangers" (四种危险 - dangers of lack of drive, incompetence, disengagement from the people, and corruption) faced by the Party are long-term, complex, and severe. They must always maintain the sobriety and firmness to solve the unique difficulties of a large party, grasp Party spirit, Party conduct, and Party discipline together, integrate rectifying work styles, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption, focus on solving the most prominent problems that the people most strongly reflect and that pose the greatest threat to the Party’s governance foundation, and comprehensively advance the Party’s self-purification, self-improvement, self-renewal, and self-enhancement. They must implement the general requirements for Party building in the new era, based on their functions and responsibilities, strengthen systematic thinking, and in accordance with the requirements of full coverage of content, full coverage of objects, full linkage of responsibilities, and full penetration of systems, promote the improvement of the organizational system, education system, supervision system, institutional system, and responsibility system for full and strict governance over the Party, achieving complete elements, complete functions, scientific norms, and efficient operation.

4. Persist in implementing the Central Eight-Point Regulation with unswerving determination, and promote the normalization and long-term effectiveness of work style construction. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building clearly puts forward "adhering to promoting the normalization and long-term effectiveness of work style construction," emphasizing that this is an effective way to maintain the Party’s flesh-and-blood connection with the people. The Party’s work style is the Party’s image, relating to the public support for the Party and the Party’s survival. The Central Eight-Point Regulation is the Party Central Committee’s "move to establish trust by moving a log" (徙木立信 - xǐ mù lì xìn, "move the wood to win trust," an act to build credibility by keeping a promise), and is a long-term effective iron rule and hard bar. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that there is no shortcut to implementing the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation; the key lies in the words "regular" and "long-term." If not grasped regularly, relapses are prone; if not grasped long-term, it is difficult to form self-discipline. Discipline inspection and supervision agencies shoulder the important responsibility of assisting Party committees in strengthening Party style construction, and must work hard on normalization and long-term effectiveness, making the "golden name card" of the Central Eight-Point Regulation even brighter. They must strictly and realistically rectify the "Four Winds" (四风 - formality bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance), insist on integrating work style construction into daily work and grasping it regularly, deeply rectify and centrally address stubborn problems such as recurring illegal eating and drinking, accurately identify and timely handle new manifestations and tendencies of hidden transformation, seriously investigate and publicly announce typical cases of those who do not restrain or stop, and who violate discipline despite the prohibition, forming a strong deterrent. They must continuously prevent and rectify prominent problems of deviation in performance view, closely focus on leading organs and leading cadres, resolutely rectify prominent issues such as waiting and watching inaction near the change of term, and after the change, seeking quick success and instant benefits by "flipping the pancake" and engaging in "performance projects," and severely crack down on malpractices such as statistical fraud. They must improve the long-term mechanism for work style construction, deeply implement the opinions on unswervingly implementing the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation to promote the normalization and long-term effectiveness of work style construction, take regular study and education as the foundation, strengthen education with typical examples from both positive and negative sides, take simultaneous investigation of both work style problems and corruption as the starting point, promote the integration of investigation and rectification, and the simultaneous establishment of what is correct and correction of what is wrong, resolutely break down privileged thinking and privileged behavior, promote the Party’s glorious traditions and fine work styles, encourage Party members and cadres to keep in mind the "Three Musts" (三个务必 - must not forget the original aspiration and keep the mission firmly in mind, must be modest and prudent and not become arrogant or impetuous, must work hard and be ready to fight), and practice the "Three Stricts and Three Honests" (三严三实 - be strict in morals, power use, and self-discipline; be pragmatic in planning, starting undertakings, and conducting oneself). Use the excellent Party style to lead social and folk customs.

5. Comprehensively strengthen Party discipline construction, comprehensively exert disciplinary education, restraint, guarantee, and incentive effects. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building clearly puts forward "adhering to using strict discipline to govern the entire Party and all Party members," emphasizing that this is the fundamental strategy for full and strict governance over the Party. Our Party is a Marxist political party organized by revolutionary ideals and iron discipline; strict discipline is the Party’s fine tradition and political advantage. Discipline is the "ruler" for governing the Party and managing the Party, and also the standard and compliance for Party members and cadres to restrain their own behavior. The more complex the situation the Party faces and the more arduous the task it shoulders, the more it is necessary to strengthen discipline construction. Discipline inspection and supervision agencies, as agencies for supervising discipline and enforcing law, have unshirkable responsibility in maintaining Party discipline. They must adhere to combining regular education with centralized education, carry out targeted education by level and category, use the people and incidents around them to conduct education, and urge Party members and cadres to imprint compliance with rules and discipline in their hearts. They must insist on putting discipline ahead, insist that discipline is stricter than law and discipline comes before law, and integrate discipline enforcement and law enforcement, ensuring that discipline enforcement is strict and violations are investigated, effectively maintaining the rigidity and seriousness of discipline, preventing the "broken window effect," and making discipline truly a live high-voltage line. They must focus on strengthening political discipline and organizational discipline, driving comprehensive strictness of integrity discipline, mass discipline, work discipline, and life discipline to the end, and improving the political nature, timeliness, and pertinence of discipline construction. They must adhere to seeking truth from facts, strictly follow rules, regulations, and laws, accurately apply the "Four Forms" (四种形态 - four forms of supervision and discipline enforcement: criticism and self-criticism, light sanctions, heavy sanctions, and criminal prosecution), correctly grasp policies and strategies, neither wrong nor lenient, objective and fair, achieving organic unity of political effects, disciplinary and legal effects, and social effects. They must adhere to learning from past mistakes to avoid future ones and curing the illness to save the patient, do in-depth and meticulous ideological and political work, pay attention to the integration and fusion of disciplinary, legal, and emotional reasoning, seriously investigate and deal with false accusation and framing behaviors, deepen the work of clarification and rehabilitation, and guide Party members and cadres to forge ahead and actively act under the premise of abiding by rules and discipline.

6. Integratively advance the efforts to ensure that officials dare not, cannot, and do not want to be corrupt, and firmly take the path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building clearly puts forward "adhering to integratively advancing the efforts to ensure that officials dare not, cannot, and do not want to be corrupt," emphasizing that this is an important strategy for full and strict governance over the Party and the basic policy for the anti-corruption struggle. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the entire Party in an unprecedented anti-corruption struggle, with a scale previously unseen and results evident to all, successfully forging a path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics under the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, addressing both symptoms and root causes, and integratively advancing the efforts to ensure that officials dare not, cannot, and do not want to be corrupt. Corruption is the greatest risk, the greatest threat, and the greatest challenge our Party faces. The anti-corruption struggle is a major struggle that cannot afford to lose and must never be lost. Currently, the situation of the anti-corruption struggle remains severe and complex, and the task of eradicating the soil and conditions for breeding corruption remains arduous and heavy. We must maintain the sobriety and firmness that the anti-corruption struggle is always on the way, adopt a zero-tolerance attitude towards corruption and punish evil, deepen the treatment of both symptoms and root causes and systematic governance, and resolutely fight the tough, protracted, and comprehensive battle of the anti-corruption struggle. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out that to integratively advance the efforts to ensure that officials dare not, cannot, and do not want to be corrupt, the three must exert force simultaneously, in the same direction, and comprehensively, integrating the powerful deterrent effect of "dare not," the rigid institutional constraint of "cannot," and the ideological education advantage of "does not want." They must adhere to strict punishment, focusing on key issues, key areas, and key targets, deeply investigate and probe into new types of corruption and hidden corruption, insist on simultaneously investigating both bribe-takers and bribe-givers, intensify cross-border corruption governance and pursuit of fugitives and stolen assets, ensuring that all corruption is punished, all embezzlement is disciplined, and evil is eradicated completely. They must adhere to precise governance, grasp the use of cases to promote reform and treatment, forming a closed-loop mechanism of supervision, case handling, rectification, and governance; take inner-Party supervision as the leading factor, promote the coordination and integration of various types of supervision, and improve a supervision system under the unified leadership of the Party that is comprehensive, authoritative, and efficient. They must adhere to effective prevention, highlight precise drip irrigation, enhance the pertinence and effectiveness of building a clean culture in the new era, pay attention to family, family education, and family tradition construction, and create a favorable atmosphere of respecting integrity and rejecting corruption. They must adhere to integrated handling, improve the anti-corruption work mechanism and responsibility implementation mechanism, and improve the normalization cooperation mechanism between discipline inspection and supervision agencies and relevant departments under the unified leadership of the Party committee, using full-chain collaboration to promote integrated governance. Strengthen technology empowerment, accelerate the construction of a digital discipline inspection and supervision system, pay attention to using big data and other means to improve the efficiency of supervision and discipline enforcement and law enforcement, and promptly discover, accurately identify, and effectively govern various corruption problems.

7. Adhere to discipline enforcement and law enforcement for the people, continuously deepen the rectification of unhealthy practices and corruption problems around the masses. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building always adheres to the Party’s purpose stance and value orientation, clearly puts forward "adhering to remaining true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind," deeply answers the question of "who I am, for whom, and relying on whom," takes the realization of the people’s aspiration for a better life as the starting point and foothold of all work, fully demonstrating the fundamental stance of putting the people first. Our Party’s strong anti-corruption, rectification of the "Four Winds," and establishment of new work styles are to win the hearts and minds of the Party and the people. Only by always keeping in mind that the country is the people and the people are the country, and continuously promoting the extension of full and strict governance over the Party to the grassroots, can we forever win the sincere support of the people and consolidate the Party’s governance foundation. Discipline inspection and supervision agencies must consciously practice the people-centered development thought and correct view of performance, take the new era Party’s mass line well, adhere to resolutely preventing and correcting whatever the people oppose and hate, always regard benefiting the people as the greatest achievement, and always regard whether the people support, approve, are happy, or agree as the fundamental standard for measuring the gains and losses of all work. They must adhere to fighting for the people, making the people feel it, further deepen the centralized rectification of unhealthy practices and corruption problems around the masses, and strive to achieve comprehensive results in reshaping conduct, good grassroots governance, and benefiting the masses. Focus on remedying stubborn diseases related to people’s livelihood, coordinate the promotion of national rectification projects and major practical livelihood matters, resolutely punish "flies and ants" corruption (蝇贪蚁腐), and focus on solving the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses. With an eye to the long term, improve systems and mechanisms, carefully summarize experiences and practices, continuously enhance grassroots governance capacity and level, and continuously enhance the people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security.

8. Strengthen institutional governance of power and use power in accordance with regulations, more scientifically and effectively cage power within the institutional fence. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building clearly puts forward "adhering to institutional governance of the Party and regulation-based governance of the Party," requiring continuous improvement of the inner-Party regulations and institutional system, enhancing institutional execution, and profoundly clarifying the long-term and fundamental measures for full and strict governance over the Party. Full and strict governance over the Party is highly political and principled, and must be regulated by a scientific and complete set of institutions. The essence of corruption is the abuse of power. To prevent and control corruption problems, it is necessary to strengthen the regulation and supervision of the allocation and operation of power, improve the institutional mechanism that unifies authorization, exercise, and control of power, and is clear, transparent, and traceable, ensuring that power always operates on the correct track. On the one hand, it is necessary to improve institutional provisions and prevent "keeping a cat in a cattle pen" (牛栏关猫 - using a fence meant for cattle to contain a cat, i.e., rules too loose to be effective). Improve the power supervision system, grasp key powers such as policy formulation, approval and supervision, and law enforcement and justice, strictly define responsibilities and authority, and standardize work procedures. Integratively perform the responsibility of formulating inner-Party regulations and supervision regulations, combine the Party Central Committee’s requirements, the people’s expectations, actual needs, and fresh experiences, promptly elevate effective good practices and experiences into institutional norms, keep pace with the times in establishing, amending, abolishing, and interpreting, so that institutional construction is compatible with the needs of governing the Party and managing the Party, and is matched with various Party building efforts. On the other hand, it is necessary to enhance rigid constraints and prevent "imprisoning a tiger with a paper cage" (纸笼禁虎 - using a paper cage to imprison a tiger, i.e., rules too weak to be effective). Strengthen publicity and education on regulations and institutions, guide Party members and cadres to understand laws and discipline, clarify rules, know the boundaries of respect, recognize that regulations and institutions are both a "tightening hoop" and a "protective talisman," and consciously oppose and resist hidden rules. Strengthen supervision and inspection of the implementation of key regulations and institutions, seriously investigate and deal with those who "run red lights" or "climb over fences" (闯红灯、翻栅栏), and resolutely pursue the responsibility of those in leadership positions, ensuring that institutions are implemented in place.

9. Conscientiously perform supervision responsibilities and assisting duties, promote the improvement of the responsibility system for full and strict governance over the Party. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building clearly puts forward "adhering to implementing the political responsibility of governing the Party and managing the Party," emphasizing that the responsibility of governing the Party and managing the Party is the most fundamental political responsibility, clarifying the "bull’s nose" (牛鼻子 - key link) that must be firmly grasped for full and strict governance over the Party, providing powerful guidance for Party organizations at all levels and all Party members and cadres to know, assume, and fulfill their responsibilities. The responsibility of governing the Party and managing the Party includes main responsibility, supervision responsibility, responsibility of the first responsible person, and "one post, two responsibilities" (一岗双责 - a post responsible for both business work and Party building). These constitute a complete responsibility chain, and it is necessary to improve a responsibility system with clear subjects and clear requirements. Discipline inspection and supervision agencies, as the specialized agencies for inner-Party supervision and state supervision, must consciously look up to General Secretary Xi Jinping’s lofty spiritual realm of "I will have no self, and serve the people" (我将无我、不负人民), his strong sense of mission and responsibility of "offending thousands to live up to fourteen hundred million" (得罪千百人、不负十四亿), and his fearless spirit of "even if thousands of people oppose me, I will go" (虽千万人、吾往矣). They must be selfless and fearless, dare to struggle, go through fire and water for the interests of the Party and the people without hesitation, and unswervingly carry out full and strict governance over the Party and the anti-corruption struggle to the end. They must resolutely shoulder supervision responsibilities, conscientiously perform the duties of supervision, discipline enforcement, accountability, and supervision investigation and disposal, continuously strengthen disciplinary supervision, supervision by discipline inspection agencies, dispatched supervision, and inspection supervision, ensuring no absence and no overstepping. They must conscientiously assist Party committees (leading Party groups) in advancing full and strict governance over the Party, urge the implementation of main responsibilities, the responsibility of the first responsible person, the "one post, two responsibilities" of leading party members, and the supervisory responsibilities of functional departments, promote the formation of a responsibility pattern for governing and managing the Party where each bears their own responsibility and there is unified coordination, and consolidate and develop a good situation where the whole Party takes action together. They must insist that dereliction of duty must be questioned and accountability must be strict, focus on problems such as the lack of strictness and reality in full and strict governance over the Party, accurately and normatively use the accountability tool, transmit pressure layer by layer, and promote the implementation of governing and managing the Party tasks in place through responsible fulfillment in place.

10. Strengthen the standardization, legalization, and regularization of discipline inspection and supervision work, and build an iron army that is politically excellent, capable excellently, work-style excellently, and incorruptibly excellent. Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building clearly puts forward "adhering to improving the organizational system that is connected from top to bottom and has strong execution" and "adhering to building a high-quality cadre team capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation," emphasizing the deep implementation of the Party’s organizational line in the new era, adhering to the Party’s principle of managing cadres, implementing the standards for good cadres in the new era, clarifying where the Party’s advantages and strength lie, and answering the key questions related to the cause of the Party and the country. For the Party’s leadership and various tasks of governing and managing the Party to be implemented, the Party’s organizations must be strong and effective, operate smoothly, and Party members and cadres must have excellent quality and high ability. General Secretary Xi Jinping has always placed high trust and high hopes in the discipline inspection and supervision team, profoundly expounding the important positioning of discipline inspection and supervision agencies, putting forward the important requirement of "Four Excellences" (四个过硬 - politically excellent, capable excellently, work-style excellently, incorruptibly excellent) for the discipline inspection and supervision cadre team, emphasizing that they must always remember what they are doing, and entrusting them with major responsibilities and glorious missions. They must combine the study and implementation of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Party Building with the "Year of Action for the Standardization, Legalization, and Regularization of Discipline Inspection and Supervision Work" (纪检监察工作规范化法治化正规化建设年), conscientiously implement the opinions on strengthening the construction of discipline inspection and supervision teams in the new era, continuously strengthen ideological tempering, political training, practical training, and professional training, and promote the iron army construction to a new level. They must continue to deepen the reform of the discipline inspection and supervision system, improve the allocation of functions, institutional settings, and strength deployment, steadily carry out pilot projects on re-dispatching supervision, strengthen the coordinated use of agency and dispatched supervision forces, and promote better play of organizational advantages. Strengthen the clear orientation of focusing on the grassroots, tilt more resource strength to the grassroots frontline, strengthen guidance to lower levels, strengthen support and guarantee, deepen the reform of grassroots supervision systems and mechanisms, and deepen mechanisms such as area collaboration according to local conditions. Organize political training, business training, and practical drills by level and category, focus on discovering, cultivating, and training cadres in practical combat, and gradually form a talent cultivation mechanism with discipline inspection and supervision characteristics that combines combat and training. Adhere to the combination of strict management and loving care, optimize the selection, education, management, and use of cadres, improve the internal power restriction mechanism and management supervision system, improve the positive incentive system for discipline inspection and supervision, ensure that they themselves are correct, incorruptible, and strong, solve the problem of "who supervises the discipline inspection commission" (谁来监督纪委), resolutely prevent "lamp black under" (灯下黑 - corruption or problems that occur within the organization itself), and strive to forge a discipline inspection and supervision iron army that is loyal, clean, responsible, and daring to struggle and excel in struggle, reassuring General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Party Central Committee, and satisfying the people.

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Leading officials must both plan and execute (Ideological Perspectives)

By: 赵雅娇

Cadres, cadres — the character "do" comes first. How to do is the touchstone for testing whether cadres can establish and practice a correct view of political achievements. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that leading cadres "must both lead everyone together to set the plates well, sort out the paths, and prescribe the right remedies, and also personally deploy important tasks, personally check key links, and personally supervise the implementation of situations; they must not be high above, treading on air, nor only take command but not go into battle." This important exposition profoundly elucidates the responsibility and mission of leading cadres, and provides a scientific direction and fundamental guidance for leading cadres to unify planning and doing.

Adhering to formulating policies and advancing work from objective reality is a practical requirement of the Marxist worldview and methodology, and also a consistent fine tradition and style of the Chinese Communists. Comrade Xi Jinping, when working in Ningde, Fujian, pointed out: "This requires our leading cadres at all levels to go deep into reality, go deep among the masses, and persist in coming from the masses and going to the masses." Simply looking at materials and listening to reports, expressing attitudes and going through the motions, making decisions by slapping the head, making promises by slapping the chest, and leaving by slapping the buttocks — their essence is a misplaced view of political achievements and a lack of responsibility. What is obtained from paper is shallow in the end; to know a thing thoroughly, one must personally practice it. To plan affairs, one must comprehensively grasp the situation and accurately grasp the reality — this is the prerequisite for scientific decision-making, the foundation for benefiting the people, and even more an inevitable requirement for leading cadres to practice the correct view of political achievements.

Between planning and achieving lies doing. As leading cadres, "setting the plates well" is only the first step; the subsequent "sorting out the paths and prescribing the right remedies" requires being down-to-earth and persevering over time. Reality is concrete, historical, and changing; finding development paths according to local conditions and prescribing the right medicine to solve practical problems all require leading cadres to throw themselves down, go deep into the grassroots, thoroughly understand the specific situation, clearly grasp the difficulties and challenges, and accurately identify the needs of the masses. Only by grasping and doing solidly can one gain true knowledge and insight. Faced with the constantly developing and changing reality, only by going to the front line personally, practicing personally, and checking personally can one continuously calibrate the coordinates, adjust thinking, and improve methods. Setting the plates and sorting out the ideas are important responsibilities conferred by the post on leading cadres. The inherent quality of practicing the correct view of political achievements, in the final analysis, is manifested in the quality of grasping and doing solidly and benefiting the people. In those years, Jiao Yulu, already suffering from a serious illness, wanted to write an article, and the first subheading was "Assumptions Are Not Reality." Although the article was not finished, he led the people of Lankao (兰考) through the snow and frost, governing the "three evils" (三害), and practiced the assumptions with concrete actions, leaving behind immortal political achievements. Upholding the heart for the people, discarding selfish thoughts and distractions, doing practical things and seeking practical results, can one see real effects and achieve real achievements.

"When leaders take the lead, nothing is difficult." The words are simple, but the principle is profound: Leading cadres are in key positions, they are the backbone of the masses, and they are the vanguard in undertaking and starting enterprises. China's excellent traditional culture has always valued "teaching by example." The Analects, Zilu, says: "If the person is upright, orders are carried out without being issued; if the person is not upright, even though orders are issued, they are not obeyed." Leading from above to set an example for those below is both a leadership method and a working method. Leading cadres taking the lead and charging forward is an important factor in our Party's continuous victories. To be the first to take the lead and dare to take responsibility means not shouting "Charge!" but taking the lead with "Follow me!" thereby arousing the courage of cadres and the masses to overcome difficulties, and gathering the power of a single spark to start a prairie fire. Leading cadres leading from above and setting an example, and truly grasping and doing solidly, does not mean doing everything personally regardless of importance; rather, it means finding the correct positioning, fulfilling duties and responsibilities, with one level showing the next level what to do, and one level leading the next level to do it, connecting up and down, linking front and back, to the maximum extent using the "head goose effect" (头雁效应) to stimulate the "vitality of the flock of geese" (群雁活力).

Only by being good at planning and willing to do can one have the numbers in mind, have moves in hand, and have methods in action; only by both taking command and going into battle can one assume responsibility for the territory, be accountable for the territory, and fulfill one's duty for the territory. Leading cadres at all levels must deeply study and carefully comprehend General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on establishing and practicing the correct view of political achievements, lead by example, and guide everyone to think with one mind, exert strength in one direction, and twist into a single rope, coalescing the spirit of undertaking and starting enterprises, and continuously write new glory on the new journey.

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Building a Vibrant Urban Hub for Scientific and Technological Innovation

By: 创新驱动国家高质量发展课题组

Innovation is the primary driving force leading development and the key momentum for promoting high-quality economic development. The “15th Five-Year Plan” outline proposes “creating an open innovation ecosystem with global competitiveness.” The urban innovation ecosystem is an organic whole in which multiple innovation subjects collaborate and interact, innovation elements circulate efficiently, and institutions and culture deeply nourish. In a well-functioning innovation ecosystem, the innovative and entrepreneurial activities of different subjects can give rise to various new technologies, new industries, new products, and new business forms; scientifically reasonable institutional arrangements can deepen the collaborative symbiosis among innovation subjects, enabling the efficient flow and optimal allocation of innovation elements such as knowledge, technology, talent, capital, and data among them. In recent years, Wuhan, based on its positioning as a national regional science and technology innovation center, and Shenzhen, centering on the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area international science and technology innovation center, have both continuously advanced the construction of highlands for scientific and technological innovation, achieving remarkable successes, and accumulating valuable experience for other cities to build vibrant urban innovation ecosystems.

Further deepen reforms, promote the “dual-wheel drive” of scientific and technological innovation and institutional innovation, and synergize the effective market and the competent government. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Scientific and technological innovation and institutional innovation must work together; both wheels should turn together.” Developing new quality productive forces is an inherent requirement of high-quality development. Institutional innovation can unleash the enormous potential of scientific and technological innovation. In the process of cultivating new quality productive forces, cities need to accelerate the construction of innovation ecosystems, promote institutional innovation in key areas through further deepening reforms, facilitate the development of new quality productive forces, and realize the “dual-wheel drive” of scientific and technological innovation and institutional innovation, with the effective market and the competent government working in synergy. The “dual-wheel drive” of scientific and technological innovation and institutional innovation provides hard-core impetus for innovative development; the synergy of the effective market and the competent government creates a good atmosphere for innovative development. The two are coupled and complement each other (相辅相成, xiāng fǔ xiāng chéng – “mutually complement and reinforce,” complement each other).

Wuhan adheres to the “dual-wheel drive” of scientific and technological innovation and institutional innovation. While supporting innovation subjects to seize the technological high ground, it also focuses on strengthening institutional and mechanism innovation. In 2012, Wuhan issued the “Golden Ten Articles” for scientific and technological innovation and strengthened exchanges and mutual learning with Silicon Valley, an international science and innovation highland. The “Golden Ten Articles” for scientific and technological innovation stipulated that at least 70% of the income from the transformation of scientific and technological achievements shall belong to the achiever or team, focusing on solving the problems of “the right to dispose, the right to benefit, and the right to use” of scientific and technological achievements, breaking the restrictions and constraints on the right to dispose of the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. In 2015, the “Regulations on the Donghu National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone” were issued, striving to build platforms with institutions, select winners with the market, and guarantee value with rules, so that those who dare to venture have confidence and those who work hard get rewards, greatly activating the potential for the transformation of scientific and technological achievements in universities. In 2017, the “New Golden Ten Articles” were issued, further delegating the right to dispose and the right to benefit of scientific and technological achievements, going a step further in the reform of the “ownership” of scientific and technological achievements, stipulating that municipal universities, research institutes, and talent teams can independently choose the method of achievement transformation and independently decide the rewards from transformation income. Institutional and mechanism innovation stimulates innovation and creation vitality. Currently, Wuhan Optics Valley has gathered approximately 6,000 high-tech enterprises and 196 national-level specialized and new “little giant” enterprises. High-tech enterprises represented by Yangtze Memory Technologies, Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable, Huagong Tech, and Accelink Technologies are accelerating their rise. Companies such as Huawei, Tencent, and Xiaomi have successively established regional headquarters or R&D centers in Wuhan.

Shenzhen, by promoting the organic integration of the effective market and the competent government, has built a full-chain vibrant innovation ecosystem, effectively stimulated market vitality and social creativity, formed an innovation pattern with enterprises as the main body, and gathered leading enterprises such as Huawei, Tencent, BYD, and DJI, as well as a large number of start-ups. It continuously optimizes the market-oriented, law-based, and international business environment, promotes the coordinated development of leading enterprises, small and medium-sized enterprises, and innovative enterprises, forming a positive situation where a first-class city and excellent enterprises and various talents mutually enhance and prosper together. It builds multi-level innovation platforms with high standards, promotes the collaborative interaction of over 4,000 various innovation platforms, has established one national laboratory, 6 national-level innovation centers, and 20 national key laboratories, with R&D investment accounting for over 6% of the regional GDP, extending the innovation chain to basic research and applied basic research, integrating the entire innovation chain process. Huaqiangbei has thousands of design, R&D, prototyping, and mass production companies, forming a high-speed closed loop of “design in the morning, prototyping in the afternoon, mass production the next day, and overseas in a week.” The extreme efficiency and cost advantages attract engineers from all over the world to Shenzhen for product iteration. Projects that require one to two years of R&D cycle abroad can be compressed to 6 to 8 days in Shenzhen.

Promote the connection and support of innovation‑entrepreneurship‑venture capital, form risk-sharing and long-term investment patience mechanisms, stimulate the vitality of innovation and entrepreneurship, and create a virtuous cycle of “science and technology‑industry‑finance.” General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Innovation has always been a matter of 九死一生 (jiǔ sǐ yī shēng – “nine deaths, one life,” an extremely narrow escape or great risk).” Strengthening technological innovation requires a large amount of R&D investment and faces multiple risks. Promoting the transformation of technological innovation achievements into actual productive forces also requires a large amount of capital investment and faces considerable risks. Capital is an important bond that drives the agglomeration and allocation of various production factors. Vigorously promoting innovation-driven development requires not only creating a good social atmosphere and building a vibrant innovation ecosystem, but also constructing an “iron triangle” of innovation‑entrepreneurship‑venture capital, with mutually connected and circularly supported risk-sharing and long-term investment patience mechanisms, to stimulate more venture capital and patient capital to “invest early, invest small, invest long-term, and invest in hard technology,” realizing a virtuous cycle of “investment‑cultivation‑exit‑reinvestment,” effectively dispersing the risks of innovation activities, and stimulating the vitality of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Innovation begins with technology and succeeds with capital. Cultivating patient capital is the key hub for constructing a virtuous cycle of “science and technology‑industry‑finance.” “Patient capital” is a form of capital that is oriented towards long-termism, has a high risk tolerance, and can create long-term value by deeply empowering enterprises. Developing patient capital is an important part of building an urban innovation ecosystem and constructing a science and technology financial system that adapts to scientific and technological innovation. To this end, government investment funds and state-owned capital should take the lead in being cultivated as patient capital, playing a leading and exemplary role, promoting the establishment of a complementary and synergistic ecology between private capital and government capital, so that patient capital is willing to invest, dares to invest, is good at investing, and invests for the long term. On the one hand, the market sensitivity and mechanism flexibility of private capital should be fully utilized, focusing its role on early-stage value discovery and cultivation of innovative enterprises, forming effective identification and market-based pricing; on the other hand, the strong patient long-term investment advantages of state-owned capital should be strengthened, support for key technology breakthroughs, infrastructure supporting, and large-scale application should be enhanced, forming strategic synergy with private capital, together building a multi-level risk-sharing system covering the full life cycle.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited Wuhan Optics Valley four times, affirming that Optics Valley “独树一帜 (dú shù yī zhì – “alone set up a banner,” to be distinctive or unique) in the field of optoelectronic information industry.” Wuhan insists on laying out basic and strategic industries such as optoelectronics and integrated circuits, implementing phased and precise innovation support strategies: playing the role of “patient capital” for early-stage projects; providing “acceleration services” for growth projects, greatly improving the “survival rate” of projects; establishing the Optics Valley Industrial Development Fund, the Optics Valley Venture Capital Guidance Fund, etc., covering the entire life cycle of enterprise development; giving full play to the role of the Wuhan East Lake Science and Technology Insurance Demonstration Zone, effectively covering the main risk needs of technology enterprises. The Wuhan City Circle was approved in 2015 as the first national science and technology financial reform and innovation pilot zone. Yangtze Memory Technologies, headquartered in Wuhan, is a typical epitome of how “patient capital” technology finance supports hard technology development. It is precisely this kind of “decades-deep cultivation in core tracks” determination and patience towards innovative enterprises that has enabled Wuhan Optics Valley to quickly become an irreplaceable part of the industrial chain.

Shenzhen, with the characteristics of “government guidance + market leadership + long-term capital,” has established a hundred-billion-level industrial guidance fund, a ten-billion-level angel mother fund, and a science and technology innovation seed fund. It actively guides funds to adhere to long-term companionship strategies, allowing dreams to break ground and accompany innovation to take root, forming a complete “venture capital chain” from venture capital to the ChiNext stock market, providing “full-cycle, full-chain, all-round” comprehensive services for innovative enterprises, cultivating high-quality innovative enterprises to grow and develop, and incubating a number of high-quality science and technology innovation entities such as DJI, the global benchmark enterprise in the drone field, and Xinwangda Power, a national-level specialized and new “little giant” enterprise in the power battery field. Currently, Shenzhen has become one of the most active venture capital and entrepreneurial cities in the country. In the 2026 GFCI (Global Financial Centres Index), Shenzhen’s fintech ranked second globally. In 2025, the “Shenzhen‑Hong Kong‑Guangzhou” innovation cluster jumped to the top of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s global top 100 innovation clusters ranking for the first time.

Promote the integration of external talent attraction and gathering with internal independent talent cultivation, establish effective talent incentive mechanisms, and fully stimulate the innovative vitality of all types of talents. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “It is necessary to do a comprehensive job in talent cultivation, introduction, and utilization, create a strong atmosphere of encouraging innovation and tolerating failure throughout society, and fully mobilize the enthusiasm of talents for innovation and entrepreneurship.” Innovation-driven development is essentially talent-driven. Without talent advantages, there are no innovation advantages, science and technology advantages, or industrial advantages. It is necessary to accelerate the innovation of talent systems and improve the institutional design for cultivating, attracting, and gathering talents. To mobilize the enthusiasm of innovators and entrepreneurs, it is necessary to establish effective talent incentive mechanisms, build a “golden triangle” of innovation‑entrepreneurship‑wealth creation and its environment of getting rich and achieving common prosperity, and create a vibrant innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, so that the innovative vitality of all types of talents is fully released and burst forth in competition.

In recent years, Wuhan has accelerated its transformation from a single “policy talent attraction” to a multi-dimensional “environment talent gathering” approach, building a highland for scientific and technological innovation talents. By deeply implementing the “four major talent gathering projects for Wuhan”—strategic talents, industrial talents, young talents, and alumni talents—systematically promoting reforms in key aspects such as talent evaluation, support methods, and resource allocation, taking the integration of innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain, and talent chain as the main line, attracting first-class talents with a first-class city, establishing first-class enterprises with first-class talents, and creating an even more first-class city with first-class enterprises, so that the innovative vitality of talents fully flows. Now, Optics Valley has gathered over 80 Chinese and foreign academicians and nearly 3,000 high-level talents from home and abroad. Among them, nearly 80% are returnees from first-tier cities, and more than half have overseas backgrounds.

Shenzhen “gathers talents from all over the world and uses them,” bringing together the “returnee” group of overseas study returnees starting businesses, the “peacock” group of “once you come, you are a Shenzhener,” the “fission” group of those leaving large tech enterprises to start businesses, and the “local” group of local talent innovation and entrepreneurship—four aspects of scientific and technological innovation and entrepreneurial forces—powerfully promoting scientific and technological innovation. In 2025, the city’s total talent pool reached 7.19 million, with over 200,000 introduced innovation and entrepreneurial talents. The full-time equivalent of R&D personnel reached 474,000 person-years, ranking first among cities nationwide. The total number of returned overseas students exceeded 230,000. In recent years, Shenzhen has actively created a talent environment that attracts people from near and far (近悦远来, jìn yuè yuǎn lái – “those near are pleased, those far come,” an attractive environment that draws talent), continuously improving the business environment, humanistic environment, ecological environment, and wealth creation environment, to ensure that talents have no worries in starting businesses, no worries in living, and no worries in commuting.

The practical experience of Wuhan and Shenzhen shows that, on the one hand, to build a vibrant urban innovation ecosystem, it is necessary to focus on national strategic needs, improve the independent talent cultivation mechanism, accelerate the training of more top-notch talents in basic disciplines, talents urgently needed for major national strategies, and innovation and entrepreneurial talents, carry out stratified and classified precise talent cultivation, connect the growth channel of “skilled workers—technical talents—high-skilled talents—great country craftsmen,” and build a high-quality national talent system from multiple dimensions. On the other hand, it is necessary to strengthen the talent incentive mechanism, actively implement distribution policies oriented towards increasing knowledge value, guide enterprises to use medium- and long-term incentives such as dividends and equity to share benefits with innovative talents, and reward talent value with market value; improve systems such as achievement empowerment, income distribution, and burden reduction, create a social atmosphere that respects talent and encourages bold innovation, so that scientific researchers can fully utilize their talents, realize their potential, and achieve success; promote the reform of the ownership, use right, disposal right, and benefit right of scientific and technological achievements, and smooth the linkage mechanism between knowledge innovation in universities and research institutes and enterprise technology transformation.

Cultivate an open and inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship culture, promote the scientist spirit and the entrepreneur spirit, and create an open innovation ecosystem with global competitiveness. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Persist in cultivating an innovation culture, inherit the innovative genes of excellent traditional Chinese culture, create a good environment that encourages exploration and tolerates failure, so that advocating science and pursuing innovation become common practice throughout society.” Advantages based on culture are the most fundamental, the most difficult to imitate, and the most lasting competitive advantages. To build an urban innovation ecosystem, it is necessary to vigorously promote the scientist spirit and the entrepreneur spirit, vigorously cultivate an innovation and entrepreneurship culture, form a value orientation of respecting labor, respecting knowledge, respecting talent, and respecting creation, and stimulate the vitality of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Innovation culture is the key “software” of the innovation ecosystem. Many regions at home and abroad that have successfully implemented innovation-driven development strategies have unique innovation and entrepreneurship cultures. Openness is one of the inherent qualities of innovation and entrepreneurship culture. Many innovation and entrepreneurship cultures and activities in human society have been formed and realized in open and inclusive environments. Wuhan Optics Valley, with scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation as its main axis, has gradually cultivated an innovation and entrepreneurship culture of “daring to take risks, encouraging innovation, advocating success, and tolerating failure” in the process of building a “world Optics Valley,” injecting strong new vitality into this old industrial city of Wuhan. Shenzhen, as a young immigrant city, has distilled the “new era Shenzhen spirit” of “daring to venture and try, openness and inclusiveness, pragmatism and law-abiding, and pursuit of excellence” in the process of reform and opening up, constituting a unique soft power and becoming an important driving force behind hard technology.

Shenzhen and Hong Kong are two important engines for the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area international science and technology innovation center. They are geographically close, have outstanding advantages, and complementary resources, and are both at the center of the deep restructuring of the global innovation chain, industrial chain, and value chain, with great potential for collaborative open innovation. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during his inspection of Hong Kong: “It is hoped that Hong Kong will leverage its own advantages, gather global innovation resources, and join forces with the mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, forming a perfect union (珠联璧合, zhū lián bì hé – “pearls strung together, jade pieces joined,” a harmonious combination).” To promote Shenzhen-Hong Kong collaborative open innovation, it is necessary to realize the collaborative development path of “Hong Kong basic research + Shenzhen application transformation + Greater Bay Area production and manufacturing,” form a result transformation linkage mechanism of “Shenzhen science and technology innovation + Hong Kong science and technology innovation,” and deeply superimpose Hong Kong’s internationalization advantages with Shenzhen’s industrial and innovation advantages by building platforms, harmonizing rules, strengthening industries, and connecting infrastructure in a multi-pronged manner, jointly creating a new engine for innovation-driven high-quality development.

(Project supported by: Wuhan University)

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Internet platform operators receiving tax reminders: how to self-inspect and rectify (Service Window)

By: 本报记者 王 观

State Taxation Administration (国家税务总局) recently released data showing that in the more than one year since the implementation of the "Regulations on the Submission of Tax-Related Information by Internet Platform Enterprises," nearly 9,700 domestic and overseas platforms have actively fulfilled their obligation to submit tax-related information. The quality and efficiency of platform enterprises' data submissions have been continuously improving, tax compliance by merchants operating on platforms has been steadily strengthened, and the order of platform economic operations has become more standardized.

In the earlier period, tax authorities concentrated efforts to expose a batch of tax evasion cases involving influencer online stores, making an increasing number of platform-based operators realize that law-abiding and compliant operation is the long-term path. It is understood that many online stores, livestreamers, and other platform-based operators have received tax compliance reminders regarding discrepancies between the income they declared and the income reported by the platform.

Under what circumstances would one receive such a reminder? Why do reporting discrepancies arise? And how should they be handled?

Receiving information requires careful discernment; reminders and prompts promote compliance

"I received a text message from the tax bureau—could it be a scam?" "My monthly income is not high, so why have I been reminded?" These are the first reactions of many platform-based operators upon receiving tax compliance reminders.

A reporter learned from the tax authorities that, to help platform-based operators prevent and resolve tax-related risks, the tax authorities rely on the tax-related information submitted by platforms and routinely compare it with taxpayers' self-declared data. When a significant discrepancy is found between the two, they send text messages or use other methods to remind the relevant platform-based operator to verify the amount they self-declared and promptly correct any erroneous declaration. Tax reminder content typically includes the taxpayer's name, the reason for the reminder, and a prompt for self-verification. It does not include any links, nor does it require clicking links, providing bank card passwords, or making transfers or remittances. Platform-based operators who receive such reminders can call the 12366 service hotline or contact their competent tax authority for confirmation and verification.

Discrepancies in income data; reasons for omissions must be clarified

According to regulatory requirements, platforms submit income information and other tax-related information to the tax authorities on a quarterly basis. The income information is the net amount of income obtained by the platform-based operator through the platform (including both invoiced and uninvoiced portions), and does not deduct service fees, commissions, etc., paid to the platform. Yuan Xinli (苑新丽), a professor at the School of Public Finance and Taxation of Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (东北财经大学), explained, "Receiving a reminder does not necessarily mean a tax supplement is required or that it is directly deemed illegal. One should actively cooperate and conduct a proactive self-inspection."

Yuan Xinli noted that some platform-based operators, when filing personal income tax or value-added tax returns, have a discrepancy between the income they self-declared and the income reported by the platform. There are many reasons for the discrepancy, mainly the following: First, the platform-based operator only declared invoiced income or income deposited into a corporate account, but overlooked part of the platform transaction income that was collected through personal accounts, WeChat, Alipay, etc., that was not invoiced but actually realized, or deducted commissions, service fees, and other fees paid to the platform from the income; second, the operator conducts business on multiple platforms simultaneously but only aggregated income from some platforms when declaring, or the statistical cycles of each platform's data are inconsistent, thereby causing a discrepancy; third, the platform-based operator failed to fully retain transaction records and payment vouchers from each platform, which may also cause a reporting discrepancy.

It is worth noting that all transaction flows obtained by the operator constitute taxable income. Fees paid to the platform are operating costs; if legally compliant pre-tax deduction vouchers are obtained, they can be deducted when calculating taxable income, but they cannot be directly subtracted from income before declaration.

"The discrepancy between the income reported by the platform and the self-declared income does not necessarily mean the taxpayer has an intent to evade tax," Yuan Xinli stated. Many operators are accustomed to declaring based on the invoiced amount, while paying insufficient attention to uninvoiced income, or failing to comprehensively aggregate income from multiple platforms—this is a relatively common problem. The tax authorities, through data comparison and push notifications, are precisely helping taxpayers identify these blind spots. Issues of incomplete or inaccurate reporting that are exposed should be taken seriously and corrected in a timely manner.

Conduct a complete self-inspection and handle step by step; proactively correct and supplement declarations

Tax officials stated that after receiving a tax reminder, platform-based operators should first log into the backends of all platforms where they conduct business and export detailed income records from all platforms, including all forms such as transaction flows, service fees, commissions, rewards, etc. (including both invoiced and uninvoiced portions). At the same time, check one by one all receipt accounts of the individual or enterprise, including personal bank savings or credit cards, corporate accounts, WeChat Pay, Alipay, and other third-party payment channels, to confirm whether the actual funds received are consistent with the income details exported from the platforms.

After completing the comparison, handle according to two situations: if it is found that the declared income is indeed lower than the actual platform income, the declaration should be corrected in accordance with the law, and back taxes and late payment surcharges should be paid; if after self-inspection it is believed that the declaration is correct, the operator may explain the situation to the competent tax authority and submit supporting materials such as platform transaction records and bank statements.

Yuan Xinli stated that active cooperation and proactive correction are the best ways to avoid legal risks. According to the Tax Collection and Administration Law and relevant administrative penalty provisions, those who voluntarily pay back taxes and late payment surcharges may receive a lighter or exempted administrative penalty; if they refuse to make a corrected declaration, the competent tax authority will transfer the case to the inspection department for handling as per regulations. After verification, the operator will face back tax payments, additional late payment surcharges, fines, and even credit penalties. The taxpayer's self-declared income is not limited to online income; if there is offline income, it should also be self-inspected and reported together.

At the same time, it should be noted that the vast majority of platform-based operators are small and micro enterprises or individual businesses. Under the current series of tax preferential policies, the actual amount of tax they pay is relatively small or even zero. Receiving a reminder does not necessarily mean a tax supplement is required; the key is to declare truthfully and completely.

"Compliant declaration is not only the legal obligation of operators but also the foundation for the healthy development of the industry," Yuan Xinli said. The establishment of the platform tax-related information reporting system aims to enhance tax transparency and promote tax fairness between online and offline channels. Declaring truthfully, completely, and in accordance with the law helps accumulate high-quality tax credit and avoids, at the source, the accumulation of major tax-related risks caused by long-term reporting omissions.

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Warmth delivered to the grasslands

By: 本报记者 赵景锋

Summer in Ulanqab, Chahar Right Rear Banner (察哈尔右翼后旗), Inner Mongolia: waves of grass roll, the sky is high and the clouds are vast.
Inside the mushroom greenhouses of Habilige Gacha (哈必力格嘎查), Ulan Hada Sumu (乌兰哈达苏木), fungus sticks are neatly arranged, and farmers are busy harvesting; in the Renjia Village Happiness Home (任家村幸福院) of Danglang Hudong Sumu (当郎忽洞苏木), elderly people sit chatting in rooms that have been repaired and renewed; on the playground of Baiyinchagan No. 2 Primary School (白音察干第二小学), students chase each other on the newly laid green field, their laughter rising one after another.
Behind these heartwarming scenes stands the same enterprise — AIA Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (友邦人寿保险有限公司) (hereinafter referred to as "AIA Life Insurance"). This insurance company, originating in Shanghai, extends its services and warmth from the city to the vast countryside. Since 2019, with support from the China Banking and Insurance Asset Management Association and several insurance institutions, Habilige Gacha has built 8 spawn-production greenhouses and 12 double-layer mushroom-fruiting greenhouses, bringing an annual rental income of 150,000 yuan to the gacha and driving nearby employment for over 20 households, with each household's annual income increasing by more than 10,000 yuan.
AIA Life Insurance's participation has opened new possibilities for local industrial development. By building channels such as livestream e-commerce, online retail, and internal procurement, good products from the fields are pushed toward broader markets. In Chahar Right Rear Banner, there is a "Cheese Town" (奶酪小镇) covering 505 mu of land, which, relying on the area's endowment of livestock resources, has an annual fresh-milk processing capacity of 30,000 tons. However, constrained by traditional offline promotional channels, it once faced the predicament of "having products but no sales channels, having good goods but no good prices." "We invited professional e-commerce instructors to conduct e-commerce skills training locally, teaching online sales techniques on the spot, and by inviting senior company executives, marketing staff, and celebrities, we held public-welfare farmer-aid livestreams, precisely matching the needs of our marketing staff and customers, thus opening up a sustainable consumption pathway for local specialty products such as cheese," said Shen Zichang (沈子昌), Deputy General Manager of AIA Life Insurance. He noted that a recent public-welfare farmer-aid livestream run by the company generated a total of 3,583 orders and broke 370,000 yuan in sales.
Precise and effective assistance work is also reflected in care and concern for special groups. In recent years, the company has taken "the elderly and the children" (一老一小) as key groups for assistance, bringing warmth to those in need.
On the playground of Baiyinchagan No. 2 Primary School, a fun physical education class was filled with a warm atmosphere. Volunteers led the students in a fun soccer match. During this school visit, they also brought the students several gifts — 40 laptop computers, upgraded one computer classroom for the school, and offered a financial literacy class. "The sustained attention from social forces has injected vitality into rural education and broadened the children's horizons," said Bai Liang (白亮), Principal of Baiyinchagan No. 2 Primary School.
In the nearby Renjia Village Happiness Home, more than 20 households of left-behind elderly and elderly living alone reside. This mutual-aid elderly-care site, built in 2017 alongside the relocation-for-poverty-alleviation project, implements centralized residence, separate household living, and mutual-aid elderly care, allowing the elderly to spend their later years without leaving their hometown, without leaving the land, with companionship and dignity. To further improve the living environment for the elderly, the company included it as a project site under the "AIA Friendship·Happy Aging Program" (友邦友爱·乐龄计划), and jointly with the local government carried out centralized renovation and quality improvement of the housing. Adding color-steel tile roofs, replacing wall insulation materials, repainting walls... after a series of repairs, the elderly now live more comfortably and enjoyably. According to the company, it carries out aging-friendly renovations, meal-assistance services, cultural and recreational activities, etc., continuously improving the living environment for disadvantaged elderly, benefiting over 150,000 people.
From the planting greenhouses to the Happiness Home, from the "Cheese Town" to the school classrooms, these public-welfare practices are not scattered acts of kindness but a set of mutually supporting long-term mechanisms: organizing teams of marketing staff and customer volunteers to go deep into grassroots frontline areas and carry out regular assistance; building consumption-assistance pathways through livestream e-commerce, internal procurement, and other channels; using e-commerce skills training to help people master new skills and activate the endogenous momentum of the countryside.
From the banks of the Huangpu River to the great grasslands, the footsteps of public welfare are gradually going deep into the countryside. "In addition to bringing the philosophy of 'a long-term, good life in health' to our customers, we will also continue to go deep into remote rural areas to help more people share the fruits of economic development," said Zhang Min (张敏), Deputy General Manager and Chief Customer Officer of AIA Life Insurance.

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Photo Report

On July 29, at the Fish-Scale Dam (鱼鳞坝) in Moon Bay Scenic Area (月亮湾景区), Caicun Town (蔡村镇), Jing County (泾县), Xuancheng City, Anhui Province, citizens and tourists experienced water fun. Photo by Wang Wensheng (王文生) (Image China (影像中国)).

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Elderly care service consumption subsidies benefit about 2 million moderately to severely disabled seniors.

This newspaper, Beijing, July 30 (Reporter Wu Chuqi (吴储岐)) - The reporter learned from the Ministry of Civil Affairs (民政部) third-quarter regular press conference on July 30 that, as of now, the project of issuing elderly care service consumption subsidies to moderately and severely disabled elderly people has, nationwide, cumulatively redeemed consumption vouchers 10,799,200 times, with a redeemed amount of 6.512 billion yuan, driving elderly care service consumption of 29.093 billion yuan, and approximately 2 million moderately and severely disabled elderly people have benefited from it.

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Cheng Chen, Fu Mingli, Min Fangzheng

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The People's Army Forever Follows the Party (Frontline of Military Strengthening)

A Burden of a Thousand Jun Sets Out Again
Li Longyi

From the single gunshot on the ramparts of Nanchang on August 1, 1927, the people’s army has traversed 99 years of magnificent journey. Under the Party’s strong leadership, the people’s army has, with hot blood and faith, composed a heroic song that shakes heaven and earth, establishing immortal merits for national independence, people’s liberation, and national prosperity.

The military flag forever follows the Party flag; the military forever follows the Party. Entering the new era, the people’s army deeply implements Xi Jinping’s thought on strengthening the military, comprehensively strengthens military training and war preparations, forges strong Party organizations that are politically firm and capable, forges a high-quality cadre contingent that is loyal, clean, and responsible, provides a strong political guarantee for the cause of a strong military, and gathers the surging power of striving for a strong military.

Party organizations at all levels in the military are strong bastions for strengthening and revitalizing the military; the vast numbers of Party members and Party affairs workers are vanguard models who charge at the front. From the front line of exercises and training to the high ground of scientific research, from the snow-covered border passes to the distant oceans, they melt absolute loyalty to the Party into their blood, shoulder the responsibility of preparing for war and fighting on their shoulders, and with solid work and real achievements write the strong military answer sheet of revolutionary soldiers in the new era. On the eve of Army Day, August 1, we approach our military models who have been selected as National Outstanding Communist Party Members, Outstanding Party Affairs Workers, and Advanced Primary-level Party Organizations, to display their era style of being loyal to the mission, determined to win, and taking responsibility and dedication.

The journey is ten thousand li, the wind is strong; the burden is a thousand jun, we set out again. Standing at the historical node of the 99th anniversary of the military’s founding, looking toward the centenary goal of military building, let us take the models as benchmarks, unite and strive, march forward bravely and resolutely, and welcome the centenary of the military with a new political appearance and strong winning capability!

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Party Branch of the 42nd Element, Unit 75220 of the People’s Liberation Army (中国人民解放军75220部队42分队党支部) —
Let the Red Gene Live On Endlessly in the Bloodline
By our reporter Li Longyi

High summer, a training ground in western Guangdong, heat waves wrapped in gunpowder smoke, a clash of offense and defense is at a stalemate. “Blocked by enemy fire, advance halted!” The message coming over the radio made the atmosphere tense.

The Party Branch of the 42nd Element, Unit 75220 immediately organized a Party member突击队 (tūjī duì — assault team). First-class Senior Sergeant and squad leader Zhao Lei volunteered for the task, plunging with his team members into the enemy line, tearing open an opening, playing a key role in reversing the battlefield situation.

When the smoke of gunpowder dissipated, the Element’s Party Branch Secretary Wu Junjie said: “Whenever there is an urgent, difficult, dangerous, or heavy task, the Party Branch takes charge in a coordinated way up front, and Party member backbone elements charge at the front — this is the Element’s secret to victory.”

Time goes back. In May 1935, the Red Army on the Long March was driven to the banks of the Dadu River. Ahead was a natural barrier, behind were pursuers, life and death hung by a thread. It was precisely this unit that selected 17 warriors to form a “River-Crossing Daring Team” (渡河奋勇队). Facing the natural barrier of the Dadu River, which the enemy boasted was “impossible to cross even with wings added,” the warriors, under a hail of bullets and a rain of shells, forced their way across.

That battle tore open a natural barrier and opened a route to survival. The warriors charged forward courageously, forging the “Dadu River Spirit” (大渡河精神) of “listening to the Party’s command, advancing bravely, daring to fight and certain to win, and taking the overall situation into account,” opening a passage for the Central Red Army to head north.

Passing the torch from generation to generation, entering the new era, the Element’s Party Branch has deeply excavated the red roots, allowing the red gene to take root in the hearts of officers and soldiers and to merge into training and war preparations.

In the Element’s honor room, the oil painting “Forcible Crossing of the Dadu River” hangs in a prominent place. When new cadres report and new soldiers join the unit, the first lesson is to stand before this painting to receive a baptism; before major tasks set out, the entire company calls the names of the “Seventeen Warriors” (十七勇士), and when the task returns, they report to the battle flag. Not long ago, the Element used artificial intelligence technology to restore the portraits of the Seventeen Warriors and specially held a solemn ceremony to welcome these young faces to “rejoin the unit.” The day the portraits were hung up, many people’s eyes reddened.

Soldier Cai Siqi was not very interested in red history when he first enlisted. But as time passed, the stories in the honor room, the shouts on the training ground, and the heroic spirit passed down by predecessors gradually entered his heart. He began to immerse himself in studying the Party’s innovative theories and red historical materials, gradually growing into a theoretical backbone of the Element.

The Party flag flies high, giving birth to confidence in victory.

On a certain sea-training ground, sea breezes blow steadily, waves roll and surge. Officers and soldiers of the “Dadu River Company” have been fighting fiercely there for many days, quietly studying and practicing new joint operations tactics. Braving windblown sand, treading on mud, in the changeable coastal environment, they take root and train hard. Previously in training, problems of professional estrangement and disjointed coordination had appeared. The officers and soldiers of the Element did not take a detour but jumped out of the limitations of single posts and single echelons, examined shortcomings from the perspective of the overall joint operations situation, finalized multiple practical combat research topics, and handed in their answer sheets with practical combat results.

The waters of the Dadu River surge endlessly. The spirit of the Seventeen Warriors, passing through the gunpowder smoke and storms of time and space, has always surged in the bloodline of this unit, never ceasing.

(Zheng Ye and Zhang Huhu participated in the writing)

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Party Branch of the 66th Element, Unit 95662 of the People’s Liberation Army (中国人民解放军95662部队66分队党支部) —
Oxygen May Be Lacking, But Faith Must Not Be Lacking
By our reporter Jin Zhengbo

High summer, on the position of a certain radar station at an altitude of nearly 5,000 meters, a cold wind blows fiercely. Four officers and soldiers of the 66th Element, Unit 95662 pulled open the four corners of the Party flag; all Party members of the Element, witnessed by the snow-covered mountains, faced the Party flag and reaffirmed their oath of admission to the Party.

“Tomorrow in this battle, the branch committee members will fight at the forefront, Party members will stand in the front row. The harsher the conditions, the more we must charge at the front line. Does everyone have confidence?” After the oath, the Element’s Party Branch Secretary swept his gaze over each resolute face one by one.

Wind and snow rotate, officers and soldiers change in rotation, but this cloud-top combat bastion remains as firm as a rock. In the past five years, this station has been rated by the Central Military Commission as an “All-Army Combat Readiness Model Unit,” and by the Air Force as an advanced unit of the “Four Irons” (四铁 — referring to iron-like faith, conviction, discipline, and responsibility)…

Old photos on the honor wall tell of more than 60 years of struggle. When first ascending the ice-capped position, water was scarce, oxygen was lacking, materials were deficient, the tents leaked wind everywhere, and many officers and soldiers suffered severe altitude sickness.

“Oxygen may be lacking, but faith must not be lacking.” The Party Branch has not forgotten its original aspiration, carrying forward the spirit of striving of “carrying radar on shoulders and with carrying poles, chipping ice and boiling snow to guard air defense,” organizing officers and soldiers to build positions, pull materials, erect antennas, and assess air situations, securing a foothold under extremely harsh conditions.

“Times change, the environment changes, but the foundation of faith has never wavered,” a leader of this unit told the reporter. They grasp on one hand the learning of fine traditions, and on the other hand the arming of the Party’s innovative theories, transforming the Supreme Commander’s earnest entrustment into the ideal pursuit of taking root on the plateau.

Loyalty is embedded in the soul, and also implemented in action. This Party Branch has taken the lead in promoting military training and war preparations to shift from task-driven to demand-driven, from fighting alone to system collaboration, innovating and practicing more than ten types of tactics and operational methods; exploring and establishing an information data sharing mechanism, constructing a new model of flat command, autonomous coordination, and intelligent management and control.

“Stand high, and even more be determined to climb high.” At this radar station, Party member vanguard posts, Party member demonstration squads, and Party member突击队 (tūjī duì — assault teams) have always been the charging force for urgent, difficult, dangerous, and heavy tasks. Last winter, a blizzard struck suddenly. The radar was covered with snow, the system gave an alarm, and air situation monitoring was at risk of interruption at any time. Third-class Senior Sergeant and Party member Zeng Honglin led his comrades to rapidly assemble and rush directly to the position.

The raging wind and snow on the plateau cut like a knife on the face. But they unhesitatingly climbed onto the nearly ten-meter-high antenna mast, grabbed the ropes, quickly removed ice, and inspected the lines. After more than two hours of hard fighting, the equipment finally returned to normal.

At urgent moments, they stand at the very front; on difficult and dangerous training subjects, they demonstrate first; in daily work, they take on the heaviest tasks… The Element’s Party Branch regularly carries out the practical activity of “one post, one responsibility; one Party member, one banner.” All officers and soldiers at the station are proficient in multiple posts, repeatedly achieve outstanding results in post competitions, and weave a winning sky net with their solid strength.

(Deng Dongzhi participated in the writing)

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Party Committee of the PLA Navy Ship Honghe (海军红河舰) —
The Party Organization Is the Compass of the Marine Tiger Boat
By our reporter Ren Tongtong

The PLA Navy ship Honghe is the fifth-generation “Marine Tiger Boat” (海上猛虎艇). After four equipment changes and five generations of relay, this modern domestically produced missile frigate has emerged from the historical gunpowder smoke, extending the iron-blooded courage of the older generation who “fought at bayonet range on the sea” into the magnificent voyage tracks of the new era, allowing the heroic battle flag of the “Marine Tiger Boat” to always stand tall on the vast maritime frontiers.

Equipment has been upgraded and replaced, mission domains have expanded; the vessel has been upgraded from a 75-ton close-combat boat to a 4,000-ton main battle ship. The power of faith spanning time and space has become the spiritual source for generations of officers and soldiers to take root at their posts and charge toward battle.

A few years ago, just before taking delivery of the Honghe, the crew awaiting the ship faced a “tough fight”: the task cycle was compressed, personnel turnover was frequent, professional experience was insufficient… Under multiple trials, facing the completely new equipment, some crew members, starting from full excitement and anticipation, gradually developed a sense of fear of difficulty.

“The role of the primary-level Party organization as a combat bastion has not been sufficiently exerted; the root cause is that ‘the Party branch is established at the company level but has not been strong at the company level’!” said the Political Commissar of the frigate flotilla to which the Honghe belongs, at a research meeting.

Under the guidance of the flotilla Party Committee, the Honghe gradually built up a strong primary-level Party organization, deeply binding ideological and theoretical arming with post practice, regularly setting up “Marine Tiger Lectures” and “Marine Tiger Storytelling Sessions,” opening evening theory schools, organizing study and exchanges, transforming study of the Party’s theories into the endogenous driving force for military training and war preparations.

At a special study session on “Family Letters Convey Original Aspirations,” the Honghe’s Party Committee organized a video link between new and old sailors. Veteran Yang Jinxing earnestly instructed the young soldiers: “The Party organization is the compass of the Marine Tiger Boat; if the root of loyalty is lost, the warship will lose its course.”

Crew member Du Xiangyu listened to the veteran’s account and gradually understood what the ship’s Political Commissar often said: “When you come, you are a piece of iron; when you leave, you are a piece of steel.” The “Marine Tiger Spirit” is not just a slogan on the wall, but a spiritual force carved into the blood.

Relying on the spirit of everyone striving to be first and charging toward battle, the Honghe achieved first place among ships of the same type in the thousand-point acceptance inspection, passed the full training assessment three months ahead of schedule, has been awarded a collective third-class merit, and has been rated an advanced unit of the “Four Irons” of the Navy and an advanced unit of combat readiness and war preparations of the theater command.

In a multi-dimensional confrontation exercise under complex sea conditions, officers and soldiers needed to complete a live-fire assessment in foggy weather. The sea swell obscured the target, and the soldiers lacked confidence. Han Qiang, the master chief of the main gun who has served through three generations of Marine Tiger Boats, encouraged everyone: “Our predecessors ‘aimed at flying birds and fixed their eyes on stars,’ training hard under even worse conditions. Our current difficulty is nothing.” He led his comrades to repeatedly refine the firing procedure, and ultimately achieved a remarkable result of 10 hits out of 12.

When the Honghe first sailed far to the Gulf of Aden to carry out a transcontinental escort mission, it innovated a model of integrated organization and training of “escort, training, and war preparations,” safely escorting more than 100 Chinese and foreign ships. Party member backbone Deng Changming took the lead in compiling more than 100,000 characters of technical data and condensing practical combat methods, using innovation and breakthroughs to help accelerate the generation of new-quality combat effectiveness.

The battle flag flutters; the original aspiration remains unchanged. Generations of officers and soldiers relay the charge. The Honghe advances courageously across the vast blue waters, daring to fight and certain to win.

(Liu Lipeng and Ding Feiyu participated in the writing)

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■ Comments

Always Remember “I Operate the Missile, I Listen to the Party’s Command”
The rapid development of the strategic missile forces has given me a stage for growth. Being in the heroic collective of the “Missile Launch Vanguard Battalion,” inspired and led by a series of model heroes, I must train hard to win, and bring the performance of the weapons and equipment in my hands to the extreme.
As a Party member soldier who operates the great weapon of the nation, I deeply know that a small launch button concerns the peace of the country and the family. I must always remember “I operate the missile, I listen to the Party’s command,” and be absolutely loyal, absolutely pure, absolutely reliable. I will continue to be a vanguard benchmark, drive my comrades around me in training and war preparations, and contribute my strength with solid achievements to realize the centenary goal of military building.
— National Outstanding Communist Party Member, He Xianda, squad leader and launch technician of the 58th Element, Unit 96714 of the People’s Liberation Army

The Lights of Ten Thousand Homes Are Under Our Eternal Guard
We are permanently responsible for armed patrol tasks at important locations such as the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China and Nanjing Road in Shanghai, carving the glorious tradition of the “Good Eighth Company on Nanjing Road” into our bones, measuring loyalty with tireless footsteps.
On the 20th of every month, on the Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street, our service point for the people always opens on schedule — haircuts, shoe repairs, blood pressure checks. One batch after another of young soldiers take up the clippers and needlework passed on by the older generation, and also take up an unchanging promise. An elderly grandmother held the soldier’s hand and repeatedly said “Thank you, soldier sons of the people.” That moment made me feel that all the sweat was worth it.
The August 1 military flag guides us to advance courageously. The sentinels under the neon lights are reporting to the Party and the people with an even more high-spirited posture: Rest assured, the lights of ten thousand homes are under our eternal guard!
— National Outstanding Party Affairs Worker, Yang Zenan, Instructor of the Second Battalion, Fourth Detachment on Duty, Shanghai Armed Police Corps

Build Strong Combat Bastions on the Vast Maritime Frontiers
On July 1, I was honored, as a representative of National Outstanding Party Affairs Workers, to be invited to Beijing to attend the conference celebrating the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and receive recognition. I personally felt the flourishing and majestic atmosphere of our Party, and felt the firm confidence and historical responsibility of our Party in uniting and leading the people of all ethnic groups in the country to forge ahead on the new journey and make contributions in the new era.
In recent years, the People’s Navy has achieved leapfrog development: aircraft carriers cleave through waves, carrier-based aircraft soar over the sea and sky, warship footprints spread across distant oceans, and the steps toward a strong military are resounding and powerful. As a front-line Party affairs worker in the naval forces, I will always remember the Supreme Commander’s entrustment, strengthen my ideals and convictions, build strong combat bastions on the vast maritime frontiers, and with solid responsibility and action, fulfill the historical mission of strengthening the military and revitalizing it.
— National Outstanding Party Affairs Worker, Jiang Tao, Deputy Director of the Political Work Department, Unit 91278 of the People’s Liberation Army
(Compiled by our reporters Li Longyi and Ren Tongtong)

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Red Genes Infuse the City’s Fabric

By: 本报记者 杨颜菲

Walking into the Jiangxi Grand Hotel site (江西大旅社旧址) of the Nanchang August 1 Uprising Memorial Hall (南昌八一起义纪念馆), a mottled old-style table clock silently rests on a long wooden table, its hands permanently stopped at 2 a.m. On August 1, 99 years ago, at this very 惊心动魄 (jīng xīn dòng pò - "startling heart, moving soul," thrilling and breathtaking) moment, the gunfire atop the walls of Nanchang pierced the dark night, and the people's army was thus born.

The frozen time evokes a period of towering and lofty years, and also plants in the Hero City (英雄城) the fiery roots of military-civilian unity (军民同心), honoring the military and loving the troops (崇军爱兵). From the war-torn era when military and civilian united to support the uprising, to the new era of comprehensive honoring and supporting the military, red genes (红色基因) permeate the city's fabric, becoming the most moving underlying color of Nanchang.

"Students, 'Rest assured, Party, the nation's strength includes me' (请党放心，强国有我) is not just a slogan; it should become everyone's guide to action. We must diligently study knowledge, cultivate solid skills, and contribute our youthful strength!" At Nanchang No. 2 Middle School (南昌二中), Xiong Zhiqiang (熊志强), deputy head of the Nanchang City Veteran Propaganda Troupe (南昌市“老兵宣讲团”), stepped onto the podium and recounted his fiery military career and post-retirement stories, evoking strong resonance among the teachers and students present.

In July 2021, Nanchang City established a two-level (city and county) veteran propaganda troupe, successively selecting 124 propagandists from among the most beautiful figures, heroes and models, and advanced typicals among retired military personnel. Over five years, they have entered primary and secondary schools, communities, enterprises, and government offices, combining their personal experiences to tell heroic stories.

The spirit of a city originates from history and is rooted in culture. In recent years, Nanchang has deeply integrated red inheritance with urban construction, grassroots governance, and double support work (双拥工作).

At dawn on the 1st of each month, the Bayi Square (八一广场) is the most vivid manifestation of Nanchang's city spirit. When the stirring melody plays, the flag-guarding phalanx marches with firm and powerful steps, escorting the five-starred red flag as it slowly rises. Citizens and tourists come spontaneously, standing solemnly, watching attentively, and singing the national anthem loudly, together witnessing this solemn moment.

Since the normalization of the Bayi Square flag-raising ceremony with the theme 'Carry forward the patriotic aspiration, march forward on the new journey' (弘扬爱国志 奋进新征程) was launched on May 1, 2023, this solemn ceremony has been held consecutively for more than 30 sessions, cumulatively attracting over a million people to watch on-site, with a single live broadcast online viewership exceeding 100 million person-times. 'You must come to Nanchang Bayi Square to watch the flag-raising' has transformed from an internet catchphrase into a city IP (知识产权), becoming Nanchang's most influential and most inspiring patriotic education activity.

This Hero City, where the people's army was born, persists in creating a distinctive double support brand, continuously expanding the socialized 'support-the-military alliance' (拥军联盟), signing up more than 3,600 support-the-military enterprises (outlets), so that military personnel and their families receive honor and enjoy more convenience.

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Increase assistance and support for retired military personnel and families of active-duty soldiers

Our newspaper Beijing, July 30 (Reporter Ni Yi (倪弋)). On the eve of August 1st Army Day, the Supreme People's Procuratorate (最高人民检察院) and the Ministry of Veterans Affairs (退役军人事务部) jointly released typical cases of strengthening judicial assistance collaboration, aiming to solidly advance the key work of "Prosecutorial Protection of People's Livelihood" (检护民生), further strengthen the linkage and collaboration between procuratorial organs and veterans affairs departments in national judicial assistance work, and increase the assistance and support efforts for veterans and families of military personnel and soldiers.

The typical cases released this time demonstrate characteristics such as comprehensive coverage of assistance recipients, close and efficient military-civilian collaboration, and diversified and integrated assistance methods, providing practical samples for the regularized conduct of military-related judicial assistance work and deepening the work of supporting the military and giving preference to military families in the new era.

In terms of assistance recipients, the cases comprehensively cover groups such as veterans themselves and their family members, and family members of active-duty soldiers, including veterans who were seriously injured by intentional harm due to 见义勇为 (jiàn yì yǒng wéi - "see righteousness and boldly act," to act bravely for a just cause), as well as family members and minor children of veterans who fell into difficulty due to cases. In terms of assistance models, the procuratorial organs and veterans affairs departments fully leverage their respective advantages, open a "green channel" for judicial assistance, prioritize the timely disbursement of assistance funds, and simultaneously promote diversified social assistance and support, achieving an organic connection between "judicial assistance + long-term support". In terms of linkage methods, the procuratorial organs and veterans affairs departments establish a normalized working mechanism for information sharing, bidirectional transfer of leads, coordinated assistance, and joint follow-up visits, unblocking cross-departmental support bottlenecks, forming an assistance pattern of "judicial leadership, administrative coordination, social participation".

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Military Academy Applications and Candidate Quality Reach Historic Highs This Year

Beijing, July 30 (Reporter Ren Tongtong (任彤彤)) — On the afternoon of July 30, the Ministry of National Defense held a regular press conference. Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Senior Colonel Jiang Bin (蒋斌) answered reporters’ questions. A reporter asked that every year when filling out college entrance examination志愿, military academies are always the ideal choice for many students and parents. Please introduce the situation of this year’s military academy enrollment and admission work. Jiang Bin stated that this year a large number of students continued to enthusiastically apply for military academies. In 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the central government), approximately 192,000 people registered, and 22 military academies admitted more than 17,500 students. The average ranking of admitted students’ scores was in the top 6% of each province. Both the enthusiasm for application and the quality of student sources reached historic highs.

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Platform algorithms must not allow "speedy delivery"

Beijing, July 30 (People's Daily) — (Reporter Wang Zhou (王洲)) To standardize the management of non-motor vehicles in the express delivery and food delivery industries, the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau (北京市商务局) and three other departments recently jointly issued the Measures for the Management of Non-Motor Vehicles in the Express Delivery and Food Delivery Industries of Beijing (Trial) (北京市快递、外卖行业非机动车管理办法（试行）). The new regulation will officially come into effect on August 1. The Measures stipulate that platforms using electric bicycles to carry out express delivery, food delivery, and other service activities must, on the basis of complying with laws, regulations, and road traffic rules, fully consider traffic safety, reasonably set standards and requirements such as delivery times and routes, and regularly review, evaluate, and validate algorithms. Relevant algorithms shall calculate service times based on an average speed not exceeding the legally stipulated maximum speed, and shall not recommend illegal routes such as driving against traffic or driving on prohibited roads. Riders must wear helmets while riding, and must eliminate traffic violations such as running red lights and driving against traffic.

The Measures stipulate that charging electric bicycles must comply with electrical and fire safety requirements, and it is strictly prohibited to pull or connect wires or sockets without authorization for charging. Compliant batteries that meet national standards must be used; batteries that exceed five years from their production date shall undergo safety assessment, and batteries that do not pass safety assessment shall be discontinued from use. It is strictly prohibited to bring electric bicycles or accumulators into elevator cars, and it is forbidden to bring electric bicycle batteries into residential buildings.

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Hefei police advance front-end prevention of juvenile protection

Hefei, July 30 (Reporters Han Junjie (韩俊杰)) — The Hefei Public Security Bureau (合肥市公安局) of Anhui Province integratively advances front-end perception, mid-end intervention, end-end correction, and bottom-line strike, comprehensively strengthening the prevention and governance of juvenile delinquency and victimization. Since the start of this year, cases involving juvenile delinquency in Hefei City have decreased by 11.1% year-on-year, and cases of harm to minors have decreased by 61% year-on-year.

For a long time, school registration information has fallen under the education department, case information circulates within the public security system, and mental health information is managed by the health department, creating prominent data silos. The Hefei Public Security Bureau has broken through information silos across multiple sources, including police intelligence data, school registration data, and the 12355 Minor Protection Hotline (12355未成年人保护热线), established a database covering 10 categories of juvenile-related topics, built an intelligent early-warning matrix, and promoted the early detection, early identification, and early control of potential risks.

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本版责编：季健明 徐雷鹏 李佩阳

Layout design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)

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Hangzhou High-Tech Zone (Binjiang) Forges New Engine for AI Industry Innovation and Development

At the Hangzhou Embodied Intelligence Exhibition and Application Promotion Center (杭州市具身智能展示与应用推广中心) located in Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) (杭州高新区（滨江）), an intelligent vending robot precisely grasps goods, a chess-playing robot plays against visitors, a mining robot detects obstacles in an underground operation training area, and an agricultural harvesting robotic arm picks with force that is 恰到好处 (qià dào hǎo chù - "just to the right point," perfectly appropriate). A series of live demonstrations intuitively sketch a clear picture of artificial intelligence technology empowering thousands of industries.

At present, the innovative achievements of artificial intelligence are accelerating their exit from laboratories, deeply integrating into various scenarios of production and life, and becoming an important force driving regional high-quality development. Relying on a solid digital economy foundation, Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) seizes the opportunity of AI transformation, continuously pushes forward the coordinated efforts of technological innovation, industrial cultivation, and ecosystem construction, turns AI into a new engine for industrial upgrading, and continuously injects new momentum into accelerating the construction of a world-leading science and technology park.

坚守创新使命 在做深做透“两篇大文章”上先行示范
(Uphold the innovation mission, take the lead in setting an example on thoroughly writing the "two major articles" (两篇大文章))

Centering on thoroughly writing the "two major articles" of integrated reform of education, science and technology, and talent, and of deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) has long persisted in strengthening innovation-driven development, anchored on new industrial opportunities such as "Internet+," "Internet of Things+," and "Data Element ×," built a full industrial chain of core digital economy industries, and continuously pushed the digital economy to leap toward the intelligent economy, forming several industry clusters at the hundred-billion-yuan scale.

The comprehensive innovation strength of Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) continues to be in the first tier of national high-tech zones. In 2025, it achieved a regional GDP of 303.8 billion yuan, with the added value of core digital economy industries accounting for over 70% of regional GDP. Outstanding results have been achieved in cultivating business entities: there are currently 76 listed companies, nearly 3,000 national high-tech enterprises, and the number of national specialized and new "little giant" enterprises (国家级专精特新“小巨人”企业) has exceeded 100. The number of invention patents per 10,000 people ranks first in Zhejiang Province. Enterprise innovation achievements continue to emerge. Hangzhou Mailiu Technology, relying on "AI + hemodynamics" technology, 脱颖而出 (tuō yǐng ér chū - "the awl point emerges from the bag," to stand out conspicuously) from nearly 1,300 small and medium-sized enterprises from 126 countries and regions and won the World Intellectual Property Organization 2026 Global Award, demonstrating the region's hard strength in scientific and technological innovation.

Talent is the primary resource. Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) adheres to the development path of "talent brings technology, technology becomes projects, projects attract capital, and achieve industrialization," deeply implements the "Talent Chain Global" plan (才链全球), vigorously attracts and cultivates strategic scientists, leading technology talents, and innovation teams, fully implements the talent "enterprise recognition, government credit" mechanism, includes emerging industry talents such as AI and the "new three types" of cultural products into the district-level talent classification and recognition catalogue, and builds a more dynamic reservoir of innovative talents. At present, the total talent in the zone has exceeded 500,000, and more than 60,000 college graduates under the age of 35 are newly introduced each year. At the same time, relying on high-level scientific and innovation platforms such as Baima Lake Laboratory (白马湖实验室) and Beihang University Hangzhou Innovation Institute (北京航空航天大学杭州创新研究院), it promotes the integrated reform of education, science and technology, and talent, innovatively establishes a "dual appointment and mutual recognition (双聘互认)" mobility mechanism for school-enterprise talents, removes institutional and mechanism obstacles to talent mobility, and relevant reform measures have been selected as typical reform cases of the national independent innovation demonstration zones, providing practical reference for the innovation of talent systems in national high-tech zones.

抢抓战略机遇 在推动人工智能创新发展上勇攀高峰
(Seize strategic opportunities, bravely scale new heights in promoting AI innovation and development)

Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) grasps the window period for the development of the AI industry, opens up the complete chain of technology research and development, pilot testing, and scenario implementation, and continuously promotes the growth of the AI industry cluster.

In May of this year, the National AI Application Pilot Base (Embodied Intelligence) (国家人工智能应用中试基地（具身智能）) was officially inaugurated and opened in Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang), becoming the only national-level application pilot base in China specifically for the embodied intelligence field. The base sets up more than 30 types of real application scenarios including industrial assembly, warehousing and logistics, power operation and maintenance, and domestic services, promoting robots from laboratories to workplaces. Targeting common pain points in the industry such as insufficient model generalization ability and difficulty in obtaining high-quality data, it accelerates the construction of four public service centers for computing power, data, models, and scenarios, and focuses on tackling key technologies in areas such as edge-side chips and world models. At present, the base has gathered 18 first-batch settled enterprises and 18 co-building partner units, linking chain-leading enterprises to connect industrial chain innovation resources, and accelerating the industrial implementation of intelligent robot products.

After continuous layout and cultivation, Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) has built a full AI industry chain covering advanced computing chips, basic software, industry large models, intelligent agent applications, and data services. The infrastructure and policy support system are continuously improved. The Hangzhou AI Computing Center (杭州人工智能计算中心) has been iteratively upgraded, and the computing power scale will reach the planned target within the year, providing computing power services to various innovation entities. The construction of "China Data Valley" (中国数谷) is continuously promoted, gathering a large number of data merchant enterprises, and exploring new models for trustworthy data circulation and element governance. Special AI support policies have been issued to precisely solve industrial development pain points. Multiple generative AI large models within the region have completed filing and are widely deployed in fields such as security, industry, medical care, and finance, promoting AI from single-point technological breakthroughs to scaled industry applications. In the first half of this year, the revenue of the core AI industry in Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) reached 47.64 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18.5%.

保持发展定力 在建设一流创新生态上笃行不怠
(Maintain development focus, act diligently without slackening in building a first-class innovation ecosystem)

For innovative development, ecology is paramount. Closely focusing on the development needs of the entire life cycle of enterprises, Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) strives to build a "four most" (四最) innovation ecology—the best soil for talent growth, the best cradle for enterprise development, the highest quality and efficiency of integration and synergy, and the most tangible policy services—to promote the efficient aggregation and integration of various innovation elements.

In response to the emerging trend of one-person companies (OPC) in the AI field, Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) builds an "AI+OPC" community, creating an integrated entrepreneurship carrier of "living upstairs, working downstairs." Entering the Binhe Qimeng Space (滨和启梦空间), independent workstations, shared meeting spaces, entrepreneurship guidance, resource matching, and other supporting facilities are complete, reducing the operating costs of startup teams. The "Ten Measures for AI+OPC Entrepreneurship Escort in Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang)" (《杭州高新区（滨江）人工智能OPC创业护航十条》) has been issued, focusing on the actual needs of "AI+OPC" entrepreneurs, and exerting efforts from dimensions such as space, computing power, finance, scenarios, growth, and services. For "AI+OPC" communities with a strong entrepreneurial atmosphere, complete service systems, and good operational results, the operating entity can receive support of up to 2 million yuan; "AI+OPC" entrepreneurs who purchase element resources such as computing power and models from AI industry innovation ecosystem partner enterprises can receive support of up to 60% of the purchase amount. By providing full-cycle escort support "from the first stop to every step," Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) continuously stimulates individual innovation vitality, giving various creative ideas the space to take root and grow.

Embracing artificial intelligence means grasping the future of development. Looking toward long-term development, Hangzhou High-tech Zone (Binjiang) will continue to base itself on its own industrial foundation, adhere to the development path of hardware-software synergy and digital-real integration, strengthen the full AI industry chain, continuously improve the supporting systems for innovation platforms, industrial carriers, and entrepreneurship services, cultivate and develop 新质生产力 (xīn zhì shēngchǎn lì - "new quality productive forces"), continuously shape new advantages for regional high-quality development, and strive to push the construction of innovative Binjiang to a new level.

Data source: Publicity Department of the Working Committee of Hangzhou High-tech Industrial Development Zone of the Communist Party of China (Publicity Department of the CPC Hangzhou Binjiang District Committee) (中共杭州高新技术产业开发区工作委员会（中共杭州市滨江区委）宣传部)

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Skill-Strengthening Enterprises: How the Industry-Education-Evaluation Skills Ecosystem Chain Can Drive Progress

By: 本报记者 王云娜 李家鼎 刘军国

Prologue
Having just received his graduation certificate and signed with a desirable enterprise, Yu Huanfan (于焕凡), a graduate of the Mechatronics program at Dongguan Technician College (东莞市技师学院) in Guangdong Province, could scarcely contain his excitement: “On-campus training plus corporate internships ensured solid skills, enabling me to smoothly secure employment.”

Having recruited Yu Huanfan, Dongguan Liqun Automation Technology Co., Ltd. (东莞市李群自动化技术有限公司) also benefited: saving training time, the new employee could get started on the job immediately.

The win-win for talent and enterprises is inseparable from the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain (产教评技能生态链) — a chain that takes enterprises as the main body, with schools, governments, and others jointly participating, and that links and integrates industry, teaching, and evaluation. Within this chain, enterprises provide positions, standards, and mentors; schools provide students, teachers, and teaching resources; and governments provide policies, services, and management, jointly promoting person-post matching and alleviating the structural employment contradiction.

In January 2025, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部) and seven other departments jointly issued the “Guiding Opinions on Advancing the Work of Skill-Strengthening Enterprises” (《关于推动技能强企工作的指导意见》), clearly stating “build an industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain.” In April of this year, data released at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security showed that more than 20 provinces have cultivated over 300 industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chains.

How is the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain built? How are talents cultivated? How are skills evaluated? Recently, reporters conducted research in Tianjin Municipality, Hangzhou City of Zhejiang Province, and Dongguan City of Guangdong Province.

How is the chain built?
Chain-lead enterprises, together with upstream and downstream enterprises as well as schools, build a talent supply chain.

In this year’s graduation season, as the chain-lead enterprise (链主企业) of the smart robotics industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain in Dongguan, Liqun Automation recruited eight skilled workers from its partner school, Dongguan Technician College. “Students trained in the ecosystem chain tackle real-world problems faced by enterprises while still at school, plus one year of shadow internship, so they can 独当一面 (dú dāng yī miàn - “able to handle one side alone,” capable of fully assuming independent responsibility) upon assuming the position,” said Liu Yipeng (刘易芃), Director of the Industry-Education Integration Division at Liqun Automation.

In certain manufacturing sectors, there is to some extent a disconnection between talent supply and demand: industries update and iterate rapidly, while some schools’ curricula, equipment, and faculty cannot keep up, resulting in work without people to do it and people without work to do; some skill training lacks substance, certificates are issued in large numbers, but enterprises do not recognize them. The skill talent cultivation model urgently needs to change.

In May 2022, Guangdong, a major manufacturing province, held a meeting to advance the training and evaluation of talent in strategic industries, deploying the creation of an “industry-education-evaluation” integrated skill ecosystem organization. In October of the same year, the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Guangdong Province (广东省人力资源社会保障厅) and other departments issued the “Notice on Promoting the Implementation of the Industrial Skill Foundation Project” (《关于推动实施产业技能根基工程的通知》), proposing to establish an “industry-education-evaluation” integrated development industry skill ecosystem chain, taking industrial post standards as the guide, school students and teaching resources as the foundation, and occupational skill level evaluation as the link. Based on local manufacturing development realities, Dongguan detailed its implementation plan around nine industrial chains including smart robotics.

Liqun Automation, which self-develops a full range of industrial robots, faced a labor gap. As soon as the policy was released, Liu Yipeng was the first to rush to the human resources and social security department to consult. Why?

“Under the traditional recruitment model, person-post matching efficiency is low. The new model lets us move from the ‘employment end’ toward the ‘education end,’ deeply participating in talent cultivation,” Liu Yipeng explained.

How is the ecosystem chain built? According to Guangdong’s application guidelines, the ecosystem chain is applied for by the chain-lead unit, which in principle must be an enterprise above designated size, an industrial chain lead enterprise, etc., with relatively high reputation and good growth potential in the same industry inside and outside the province, and must also meet conditions such as “being able to drive no fewer than five ecosystem chain enterprises to participate in skill talent cultivation and use” and “being able to provide more than 500 training and employment positions.”

Checked item by item, Liqun Automation met all criteria. Previously, after being recognized by the human resources and social security department, the company had obtained autonomous evaluation rights for two occupational skill levels: “Industrial Robot System Operator” and “Industrial Robot System Maintainer.” Therefore, the company’s submitted application materials also targeted talent cultivation for these two job types.

In March 2023, after evaluation by the Department of Human Resources and Social Security of Guangdong Province, Liqun Automation was selected as one of the province’s first batch of chain-lead cultivation units for the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain, entering a one-year chain-lead cultivation period and beginning to form the chain, build the chain, and cultivate talent. Unexpectedly, “difficulty in setting exam questions” became the first challenge facing the enterprise.

Originally, the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain breaks down enterprise collaboration barriers, supporting chain-lead enterprises in conducting skill training and evaluation for employees of enterprises within the ecosystem chain. But in the early stages of model exploration, policy required that when chain-lead enterprises evaluate personnel from outside the enterprise, they should align with the standards of social evaluation agencies. This meant Liqun Automation had to prepare 1,000 theoretical questions, 30 practical questions, or 10 complete test papers for each grade level of each job type.

“Preparing a massive volume of test questions is difficult for an enterprise to complete in a short period,” said Zhao Xin (赵欣), a fourth-level researcher at the Dongguan Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau (东莞市人力资源社会保障局). The human resources and social security department introduced flexible measures, allowing chain-lead enterprises to initially prepare only two sets of test papers for each grade level of each job type, and then gradually supplement them to 10 sets within the following year. In addition, relevant government departments also set up supply-demand exchange platforms for chain-lead enterprises and willing schools, training and evaluation institutions, etc., providing matching support.

With the obstacles removed, chain formation and construction proceeded smoothly. During the cultivation period, Yuan Huangqiang (袁晃强), training manager of Googol Power (Dongguan) Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (固高派动（东莞）智能科技有限公司), which belongs to the same smart robotics industrial chain, came knocking.

“We also face the problem of person-post mismatch,” Yuan Huangqiang said. In his view, the ecosystem chain’s training supply is linked to enterprise demand, helping to increase employee skills, enterprise efficiency, and industrial chain resilience. Currently, the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain led by Liqun Automation includes 12 enterprises.

In March 2024, the cultivation period ended, and the ecosystem chain passed evaluation by the Dongguan Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. In the summer of the following year, Liqun Automation, together with ecosystem chain enterprises such as Googol Power, came to Dongguan Technician College and screened 20 students from the third-year class of the Mechatronics program for a 15-day intensive training. Thereafter, the enterprises and students made mutual selections, and the students went for a one-year internship at chain enterprises. In this year’s graduation season, Googol Power successfully retained three outstanding students.

The pilot was successful. At the end of last year, Liqun Automation and Dongguan Technician College signed an agreement to jointly build an Industrial College. “Both sides will jointly invest in equipment, venues, and faculty, co-build a training center, and jointly develop courses, to cultivate and supply more composite talents for the ecosystem chain enterprises,” Liu Yipeng explained.

As of June this year, Guangdong has built 152 industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chains.

Not only Guangdong. With the January 2025 release of the “Guiding Opinions on Advancing the Work of Skill-Strengthening Enterprises,” more and more localities have begun building industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chains. Since August 2025, Tianjin has piloted the construction of industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chains in key city-level industrial chains, and has so far built 10. In Hangzhou, Zhejiang, four municipal-level skill talent training and evaluation industry alliances have been established for digital, integrated circuits, and other sectors, forming an industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain mechanism of “leading enterprises taking the lead, linking industry enterprises, helping small and medium-sized enterprises, and serving various types of schools.”

How are talents cultivated?
Industrial demand is embedded in the entire teaching process, and students improve their skills through real combat.

Early one morning, Wang Yujie (汪宇杰), a student at the School of Intelligent Control and Equipment of Hangzhou Xiaoshan Technician College (杭州萧山技师学院), clutching a blueprint, together with teacher Zeng Yuping (曾玉平), began debugging an automation device urgently needed by a local manufacturing enterprise. In this intelligent manufacturing training building, industrial robots, 3D printing equipment, and the like are all available, fully benchmarking against enterprise standardized workshops.

Being able to access cutting-edge equipment at school and experience real enterprise projects is a new change that Hangzhou Xiaoshan Technician College has seen since entering the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain.

How did practical projects enter the campus?

“The school is willing to invest, procuring advanced equipment that precisely matches the local industrial ecosystem. Teachers regularly plunge into ecosystem chain enterprises, collecting frontline process pain points, equipment operation and maintenance problems, and the latest post skill standards,” Zeng Yuping explained. After cooperating with enterprises to carry out technical desensitization, everyone breaks down complete projects into a series of training tasks that progress from shallow to deep, integrating them into classroom teaching. Technical specialists from partner enterprises also come to the school regularly to follow up and conduct full-process assessments, and the training results are accepted according to factory production standards.

In the past three years, Hangzhou Xiaoshan Technician College has undertaken more than 100 enterprise technical transformation projects, providing students with real-combat material and helping enterprises save R&D costs. “I was able to win the gold medal at the National Youth Vocational Skills Competition, and this training model deserves the credit,” said Wang Yujie, who will graduate next year. “Even before graduating, many enterprises have expressed interest in hiring me.”

How is the new model different from traditional order-class (订单班) programs?

Xu Hongping (许红平), founding principal of Hangzhou Xiaoshan Technician College, explained that order classes mostly insert a few courses related to the enterprise; curriculum design, training, and assessment are often decided by the school, and the enterprise is mainly responsible for receiving graduates. The new model, however, lets enterprises deeply participate in talent cultivation: enterprise post standards, production equipment, etc., are deeply embedded in the entire teaching process. “Now, all programs in the school’s intelligent manufacturing program cluster are included in the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain training model. The 2025 graduating class employment rate reached 98.5%,” Xu Hongping said.

In Tianjin, the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain extends to undergraduate institutions, and teaching scenarios are expanded to enterprise frontlines. Qi Xinyi (齐芯艺), a student in Applied Chemistry at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Tianjin University of Technology (天津理工大学), is one of the beneficiaries.

In 2025, thanks to the construction of the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain, Tianjin Green Petrochemical Skill Ecosystem Chain lead enterprise Tianjin Bohai Chemical Industry Group Co., Ltd. (天津渤海化工集团有限责任公司) deepened cooperation with Tianjin University of Technology. According to the arrangement, some students in the Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Technology programs at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Tianjin University of Technology spend the first three years at school and the final year in frontline internships at enterprises.

Based on her personal preference and the school’s preliminary selection results, Qi Xinyi went last year to intern at Bohua Group subsidiary Tianjin Bohua Chemical Development Co., Ltd. (天津渤化化工发展有限公司), participating in monitoring equipment temperature, pressure indicators, and similar tasks. As soon as she entered the workshop, the dense network of pipes and instrument panels left her bewildered: “The chemical principles from the classroom ‘disappeared,’ replaced by large chemical units like water scrubbers and caustic scrubbers, leaving me somewhat 手足无措 (shǒu zú wú cuò - “hands and feet at a loss,” flustered and uncertain what to do).”

“As a university positioned as an application-oriented institution, we must fill the practical skill gaps of our students,” said Liu Yong (刘勇), Deputy Dean of the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Tianjin University of Technology. In his view, when training talent, universities should comprehensively consider the development needs of the industry, the university’s own positioning, and the expectations of parents and students.

Under the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain training model, Qi Xinyi has two mentors: an “on-campus academic mentor” and an “enterprise practice mentor.” The former is responsible for consolidating the theoretical foundation, and the latter guides her in solving real production problems. With the joint mentorship of the two supervisors, Qi Xinyi calmed down and gradually mastered the entire process flow and system control techniques. In July this year, she passed the assessment and joined Tianjin Bohua Chemical Development Co., Ltd.

“In the past, it took about three years for an enterprise to train a qualified operator. Under the new model, after a one-year shadow internship, a student can grow into the role in about one year after joining the company,” said Xi Xuezhi (席学智), Deputy Director of the Human Resources Department of Tianjin Bohua Chemical Development Co., Ltd., carefully calculating. “More importantly, the two-way screening is done earlier. During the internship, students learn about the enterprise, and the enterprise assesses the students, greatly improving the matching rate. In 2025, of the undergraduate interns we received, nearly 90% were retained.”

School-enterprise cooperation is deepening, and teaching quality is steadily improving.

In May this year, Bohua Group and Tianjin University of Technology held a symposium to listen to intern representatives share their internship experiences and reflections, summarizing the gains and losses of the ecosystem chain training. Several students’ remarks left Liu Yong deeply impressed.

“These students reported that courses like Chemical Engineering Drawing and Chemical Engineering Design are extremely useful on the front line, but they felt they hadn’t thoroughly understood or mastered them,” Liu Yong said. “Starting next semester, we will adjust the talent cultivation plans for the Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Technology programs, especially strengthening the teaching of these practical courses. ‘Only by aligning with enterprise needs can schools promote coordinated industry-education talent cultivation.’”

School-enterprise cooperation models are not limited to one type. Tianjin also encourages key enterprises in industrial chains to jointly design training programs with schools, implement project-based training, empower enterprise product and process innovation, and simultaneously feed back into school teaching. In 2025, a total of 1,581 people in Tianjin participated in project-based training under the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain.

How are skills evaluated?
“One exam, multiple certificates” improves skill certification efficiency; government departments fill the gaps in enterprise capability.

At the Training and Certification Center of Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co., Ltd. (浙江大华技术股份有限公司), Lou Jing (娄敬) focused intently on debugging a “smart building face recognition access control system.” When the screen showed that permission verification was successful, it meant he had passed the enterprise practical exam.

Earlier, under the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain talent cultivation model, Lou Jing, then a senior university student, entered an internship at Dahua Technology and received a two-month intensive training. After passing the practical exam, he successfully obtained both the “Smart Building Engineer” enterprise certification certificate and the “Smart Building Administrator” occupational skill level certificate, and smoothly joined Dahua Technology.

One exam, two certificates in hand — behind this is the support of reforms such as enterprise autonomous evaluation of skill talent and “one exam, multiple certificates” (一试多证).

The “Guiding Opinions on Advancing the Work of Skill-Strengthening Enterprises” clearly states: “Support enterprises in autonomously conducting occupational skill level evaluation.” In January 2026, the General Office of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and others issued the “Notice on Promoting Mutual Recognition of Vocational Skill Certificates” (《关于推进职业技能证书互通互认的通知》), which proposes “exploring the implementation of ‘one exam, multiple certificates.’”

“‘One exam, multiple certificates’ promotes mutual recognition between national occupational standards and enterprise talent standards, reduces overlapping and duplicate evaluations, and improves the efficiency of vocational skill certification,” said Zhang Hanyu (张晗毓), General Manager of the Training and Certification Center of Dahua Technology. In her view, the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain builds a model of “post demand + skill training + skill evaluation + employment service,” meaning training revolves around posts, trainees can obtain certificates after training, and after obtaining certificates they can take up posts. Enterprise autonomous evaluation of skill talent is a key link in this. “When enterprises have the right to evaluate, training becomes closer to actual production reality.”

“Many enterprises directly link certificates to salary and promotion, greatly boosting employees’ motivation to participate in training. The evaluation from chain-lead enterprises is highly credible; even if an employee goes to another enterprise within the ecosystem chain, they do not have to start from zero,” Zhang Hanyu said. Since 2024, Dahua Technology has issued certificates to a cumulative total of 3,000 person-times.

Guangdong also regards skill evaluation as a key link in building the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain. Chain-lead enterprises leverage their advantage of being close to the market frontier to take the lead in formulating industry talent evaluation standards, customizing enterprise evaluation norms that fit workshop production, on the basis of unified national occupational standards.

Dongguan Guangzheng Mold & Plastic Co., Ltd. (东莞市广正模具塑胶有限公司) had few training resources and a weak foundation. After joining the chain, with help from Liqun Automation, focusing on new equipment, new technologies, and new processes, employees studied theory online and practiced in the workshop. In just over a year, more than 300 veteran employees completed skill upgrades and evaluations.

“By leveraging the ecosystem chain’s training and evaluation, we did not need to hire outside technicians at high salaries, nor did we have to replace large numbers of veteran employees. Establishing an internal talent echelon helps reduce the cost of hiring and training,” said Xu Yaochuan (许耀川), HR supervisor at Guangzheng. As of June this year, chain-lead enterprises across Guangdong’s ecosystem chains had conducted training for 690,000 person-times and completed skill level evaluation for 230,000 person-times.

During interviews, reporters learned that some specialized and sophisticated SMEs (专精特新中小企业) have high technological content and strong innovation capability but are small in employment scale. According to relevant policy, they cannot conduct autonomous evaluation of skill talent and cannot serve as chain-lead enterprises for the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain. Some interviewees suggested that for such SMEs to obtain autonomous evaluation qualifications, the threshold for employee numbers could be appropriately lowered, and instead a capability assessment and support mechanism centered on digital skills and process innovation could be established.

In practice, enterprises within the ecosystem chain have different main businesses and diverse job types, making it difficult for any single entity to cover all training needs. At such times, government departments integrate resources, issue policies, and organize various training courses tailored to enterprise needs, effectively reducing the pressure on enterprises for training and skill evaluation.

On the Bohai Bay sea surface, at a platform of the Bohai West Operation Company (渤西作业公司), Tianjin Branch of CNOOC (China) Co., Ltd. (中海石油（中国）有限公司天津分公司), electrical engineer Wang Haifeng (王海峰) was operating a new model PLC (programmable logic controller). His skilled operation benefited from training he attended in April this year at the Tianjin Public Vocational Skills Training Center (天津市职业技能公共实训中心).

Wang Haifeng recalled that the training venue was filled with the latest model PLCs, and the instructors were mostly senior industry experts. After the seven-day training, he successfully obtained the “Programmable Control System Design and Implementation” special vocational ability certificate issued by the Tianjin Vocational Skills Assessment and Guidance Center (天津市职业技能鉴定指导中心).

“Although we are the chain-lead enterprise for the Tianjin Marine Energy Skill Ecosystem Chain, we do not have the training capability for operating various new-model PLCs,” admitted Yang Menglong (杨孟龙), a staff member at the Occupational Skill Assessment Station of the Human Resources Department of CNOOC (China) Co., Ltd. Tianjin Branch. When Tianjin organized relevant training, the company encouraged its technical backbone to attend. The special vocational ability certificates obtained after training are recognized by the company and used for talent level evaluation.

“The training and evaluation organized by the training center filled our capability gaps,” Yang Menglong said. He added that this move also achieved an organic connection between the company’s talent evaluation system and local talent evaluation standards.

Not long after, Wang Haifeng participated in the Tianjin “Haihe Craftsman Cup” (海河工匠杯) Skills Competition and placed fifth in the electrician category. “According to Tianjin’s relevant policy, those who enter the top 10 in a municipal first-class skills competition and are already technicians can be exceptionally promoted to senior technician. Wang Haifeng will therefore be directly promoted to senior technician,” Yang Menglong added. Relying on the industry-education-evaluation skill ecosystem chain, enterprises can evaluate employee capabilities through multiple dimensions, including autonomous evaluation, special training, and skills competitions.

Zhang Hengrong (张恒荣), Deputy Division Chief of the Vocational Capacity Building Division of the Tianjin Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau (天津市人力资源社会保障局职业能力建设处), introduced that Tianjin, using the “Haihe Craftsman Cup” Skills Competition as a driving force, has built a competition matrix, setting more than 200 competition events each year, driving 100,000 frontline workers to engage in on-the-job skills training. “The human resources and social security department will continue to play a supporting role, coordinating the city’s skill training resources, improving relevant policy support and service guarantees, and accelerating the forging of a high-quality skilled talent team,” he said.

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Let Talent Training Keep Pace with Industrial Development (Reflections)

By: 王云娜

Riding the east wind of the construction of the industry-education-evaluation skills ecosystem chain (产教评技能生态链), students acquire knowledge and skills that match enterprise hiring needs, and upon leaving the school gate, they smoothly take up posts. During visits in Dongguan, Guangdong and other places, the author heard many such stories.

As industrial iteration accelerates day by day, the market's demand for compound-skilled, practical, and innovative skilled talent continues to rise. How to promote person-post matching? On the industry-education-evaluation skills ecosystem chain, chain-leader enterprises, in conjunction with upstream and downstream enterprises, provide positions and set standards, promoting from the hiring source adjustments to school teaching content, effectively alleviating the structural employment contradiction of "students have difficulty finding jobs, enterprises have difficulty recruiting workers."

In January 2025, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部) and seven other departments jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting Work to Strengthen Enterprises through Skills (关于推动技能强企工作的指导意见)", proposing to "build an industry-education-evaluation skills ecosystem chain". To give full play to the advantages of the ecosystem chain, it is necessary to strengthen the leading role of enterprises, rationalize multi-party coordination mechanisms, and ensure that talent cultivation keeps pace with industrial development.

Deep participation of enterprises in talent cultivation is an important measure. In the past, there was a certain disconnection between school teaching content and enterprise job requirements, and some of the students trained could hardly meet frontline hiring needs. Relying on the ecosystem chain, enterprises move from "using talent" to "cultivating talent", deeply participating in curriculum development. This will force schools to closely follow industry demands to optimize specialty layouts and improve teaching content and methods, promoting precise matching of talent supply and industrial demand.

Innovating independent evaluation rules is a powerful grip. Policies such as enterprise independent evaluation of skilled talent and "one test, multiple certificates (一试多证)" help to break problems such as lagging updates of occupational classifications and standards, disconnection between evaluation and use, and overlapping and duplicate evaluations, smooth the growth channels for skilled talent, and make the industry-education-evaluation skills ecosystem chain operate more efficiently. Many enterprises link employees' vocational skill levels to salary income, genuinely improving skilled talent's sense of gain, promoting talent echelon construction—this is also a beneficial exploration for enhancing the resilience of the industry-education-evaluation skills ecosystem chain.

Improving long-term coordination mechanisms is the key to breaking the deadlock. Breaking down the barriers of industry, education, and evaluation, the industry-education-evaluation skills ecosystem chain connects enterprises, schools, and skilled talent into one whole. Schools and enterprises should each display their strengths and exert force in the same direction—the former consolidates theoretical foundations, the latter solves practical problems—through long-term deep cooperation, letting resource complementarity produce a "1+1>2" effect. Relevant government departments should also promptly issue support and safeguard measures, providing targeted services such as school-enterprise cooperative training and matching, to escort and protect the development of the ecosystem chain.

It must also be seen that building an efficiently operating industry-education-evaluation skills ecosystem chain is not the work of 一朝一夕 (yī zhāo yī xī - "one morning one evening," a short period of time). Each locality must base itself on industrial endowments, 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - "according to local conditions") to improve supporting policies, persistently make sustained efforts, continuously explore, and constantly optimize, in order to lay a solid talent foundation for high-quality industrial development.

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本版责编：杨彦 孙振 戴林峰 刘雨瑞

Layout design: Shen Yiling

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37 years, from bare loess to sprawling forest sea (Comprehensively advancing the construction of a Beautiful China)

By: 本报记者 龚仕建

In Xining, Qinghai, a forested expanse of ten thousand mu has been opened up on barren mountainous land above 2,200 meters above sea level — truly a green miracle.

The older generation still vividly remembers: 37 years ago, vegetation on this land was sparse, and the forest cover rate once fell as low as 7.2%.

Today, looking down from the clouds, the artificial forest belts stretch like emerald silk. The Xining South and North Mountains Greening Project (西宁南北山绿化工程) has accumulated 516,000 mu of artificial afforestation, raising the forest coverage rate to 79%. The number of parks in the urban area has increased to more than 40, and the green development index ranks among the top in Qinghai.

The miracle stems from 37 years of relay-style hard work. The Xining South and North Mountains Greening Project has not only witnessed the ecological transformation from exposed loess in the past to sprawling forest seas today, but also reflects, through the sedimentation of time, the bright future of green development for this ancient plateau city.

Barren mountains take on a new face, chiseling out green hope hammer blow by hammer blow.

At 6 a.m., forest ranger Gou Xuelu (苟学录) starts his patrol on time. He and his wife have been stationed in the forest for six years, carefully tending 750 mu of woodland. Gazing at the verdant landscape, he sighs with emotion: “When I was little, this place was bare. Now it is shaded by green trees, and it feels especially comfortable in my heart.”

Xining is located in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with “two mountains clamping one city,” and an average annual precipitation of only about 380 millimeters. In the past, the vegetation on the south and north mountains was sparse, and “wind blows sand flies without bird shadow, rain falls mud and rocks descend on Xining” was a true portrayal of that time.

Faced with difficulties, the Qinghai Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government made the decision in 1989 to “green the south and north mountains of Xining and improve Xining’s ecological environment.” Gabu Long (尕布龙), who had served as Vice Governor of Qinghai Province and other positions, volunteered to take on the heavy responsibility, leading cadres and the masses to take root in the barren mountains. He put on a straw hat, shouldered a hoe, lived in a tent, chewed dry flatbread, carried saplings up the mountain on poles and on his back, chiseled rocks and dug pits to divert water uphill, accumulating experience through trial and error. Over 18 years, Gabu Long led cadres and the masses to plant nearly 30 million trees, clothing 37,500 mu of barren mountains with green, building an ecological barrier protecting Xining.

With the first phase of the South and North Mountains Greening Project exploring, the second phase advancing, the third phase improving quality, and the fourth phase expanding capacity, local cadres and the masses have persisted and worked hard. In this green relay, countless people willing to “drive nails” (钉钉子) have emerged.

In the Huoshao Valley East afforestation area (火烧沟东造林区), afforestation worker Liu Yanxiang (刘延香) has held fast for 12 years. When she first arrived here in 2014, what met her eyes was completely desolate. “There weren’t even proper roads; saplings had to be carried up the mountain on people’s backs,” Liu Yanxiang said. Facing different soil types, she and her colleagues implemented the principle of 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí — “according to local conditions,” to adapt measures to local conditions) — planting Chinese pines in red soil, caragana on landslide-prone slopes, and spruce on steep mountain bodies, stubbornly “embroidering” a “green brocade” on over 2,000 mu of barren mountain. In 2022, Liu Yanxiang’s husband also came up the mountain after retirement, and the couple made their home on the mountain.

Also deeply moving is Duan Guolu (段国禄) of North Mountain’s Dasi Valley (北山大寺沟). In 1991, at the age of 18, he threw himself into the greening cause. When he first went up the mountain, they carried water manually and pumped water for irrigation; at night, fierce winds lifted the tents, and eating windblown sand and living in snowy ground were routine… It was this group of pioneers who, with the tenacity of “daring to transform barren mountains into a new face” (敢教荒山换新颜), hammer blow by hammer blow, chiseled out green hope amid the desolate mountains.

Scientific tackling of difficulties, the average survival rate of seedlings was raised to over 85%.

Having drive alone is not enough. The people of Xining know well that planting trees on high-cold, arid, barren mountain land requires science to crack the problem.

Xining City adheres to promoting green through science, forming expert teams to repeatedly experiment, independently developing technologies such as “container seedlings,” “concentrated flow land preparation,” and “plastic film mulching for moisture conservation,” raising the average seedling survival rate to over 85%; building an irrigation network of “four-stage water lifting, full coverage” that sends water from the Huangshui River (湟水河) up the high mountains, breaking the passive situation of “planting trees by relying on the sky.” Selecting native drought-tolerant tree species such as Qilian Juniper (祁连圆柏) and Qinghai Spruce (青海云杉), planting over one hundred million seedlings of various types. Today in Xining, the regional microclimate has improved significantly, biodiversity is increasingly rich, and rare wild animals have reappeared in the city.

Ma Wenbin (马文斌), director of the Xining City Huangshui Forest Farm, has held fast on the front line of the South and North Mountains greening for many years. Every golden season for afforestation, Ma Wenbin, as a professional technical leader in forestry and grassland, shuttles through the mountain forests, conducts field surveys to select suitable afforestation plots, demonstrates to forest farmers the procedures of seedling selection, pit digging, planting, watering, and moisture conservation, using easy-to-understand methods to enable advanced afforestation techniques to take root. Through years of continuous demonstration and promotion, areas such as Xiaoyou Mountain (小有山) and Ta’er Mountain (塔尔山) within the South and North Mountains region have completed over 10,000 mu of afforestation with superior varieties including male Populus cathayana (青杨雄株) and Simon poplar (小叶杨).

Green moisture nourishes people’s livelihoods, ecological improvement drives green development.

Ecological improvement releases dividends. The South and North Mountains not only strengthen the city’s ecological barrier, but also drive leisure tourism, allowing citizens to reap full ecological happiness at their doorsteps.

In July on the plateau, the trees on the South and North Mountains are lush. Citizen Zhao Yun (赵云) took his parents up to the observation deck and sincerely praised: “Surrounded by greenery, blowing in the evening breeze while watching the sunset, it’s especially pleasant.” This pleasantness translates into tangible economic value and people’s livelihood benefits. Xining promotes increasing green in the urban area — “green in every crevice, green through dismantled walls, green in reserved spaces” (见缝插绿、拆墙透绿、留白增绿), transforming idle corners into park green spaces, striving to realize the livable vision of “green at the window, a park at the doorstep” for citizens.

At Nanshan Park, lush green everywhere. He Hong (何鸿), born in the 1990s, runs a restaurant hidden among the trees, mainly offering hotpot, barbecue, and tea drinks, providing a corner for hikers to slow down and savor nature. “Thanks to the good ecology of Nanshan, more and more citizens come here for leisure, and business is getting better,” He Hong said.

Xining, using the South and North Mountains as a link, has built 9 ecological landscape trails with a total length of 105 kilometers, connecting parks, scenic spots, and mountain forests, constructing a full-region leisure corridor; relying on ecological resources, it has built high-quality ecological spaces such as Huangshui Forest Park and Beishan Beautiful Garden; exploring the folk culture of “Langshan” (浪山 - mountain roaming), the number of eco-tourists reached over 16.47 million person-trips, and the green industry has become a new engine for high-quality development.

“The South and North Mountains Greening Project is not only a key measure to promote green development, but also a major livelihood project for the benefit of the people. We will continue to promote the improvement of ecological environment quality and the efficient transformation of ecological value, making green a perceptible and shareable background color of happiness for the people,” said Quan Guoxing (权国兴), Deputy Secretary-General of the Xining Municipal Government.

From exposed loess to sprawling forest seas, from ecological barrier to industry enriching the people, Xining, with a “nail-driving spirit” (钉钉子精神), has written the answer sheet of ecological protection on the green mountains and clear waters of the plateau land, and has further integrated it into the city’s development and the smiles of the masses.

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National Climate Change Response Plan for the 15th Five-Year Period Issued

Beijing, July 30 (Reporter Kou Jiangze (寇江泽)) — The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (生态环境部), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部), the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委), and other departments recently jointly issued the National Climate Change '15th Five-Year Plan' (国家应对气候变化“十五五”规划).

The plan clarifies that during the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, new major progress will be made in addressing climate change and in the work on carbon peak and carbon neutrality (碳达峰碳中和), the carbon peak target will be achieved on schedule, and the 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution will be fully fulfilled. By 2030, carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP will be reduced by 17% compared to 2025, carbon dioxide emissions per unit product of industries covered by the national carbon emissions trading market (全国碳排放权交易市场) will decline by about 3% compared to 2025, a national greenhouse gas voluntary emission reduction trading market (全国温室气体自愿减排交易市场) that is honest and transparent, unified in methodology, broadly participatory, and aligned with international standards will be established, the product carbon footprint management system (产品碳足迹管理体系) will be basically completed, monitoring and control of non-CO₂ greenhouse gases (非二氧化碳温室气体) will be strengthened, an emission reduction capacity of 30 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent will be formed, the climate change adaptation work system will be more complete, phased progress will be made in building a climate-resilient society (气候适应型社会), and awareness and capacity to address climate change will continue to be enhanced. In terms of controlling carbon dioxide emissions in key areas, the plan proposes implementing a dual control system for total carbon emissions and carbon intensity, accelerating the construction of a new energy system, vigorously developing non-fossil energy, implementing renewable energy consumption substitution, promoting the peaking of coal and oil consumption, and for new, rebuilt, or expanded coal-using projects in key regions for national air pollution prevention and control (国家大气污染防治重点区域), equivalent or reduced coal substitution shall be implemented. In terms of strengthening the construction of the national carbon market, the plan clarifies accelerating the construction of the national carbon emissions trading market. It will orderly expand the coverage of industries and types of greenhouse gases, implement total quota control preferentially for industries with relatively stable total carbon emissions, prudently promote a combination of free and paid allocation methods for carbon emission quotas, orderly increase the proportion of paid allocation, and establish a quota reserve and market adjustment mechanism.

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Wild Amur tiger and leopard populations in China's northeast show recovery growth

Beijing, July 30 (Reporters Gu Zhongyang (顾仲阳) and Dong Siyu (董丝雨)) July 29 this year was the 16th Global Tiger Day. The latest monitoring data released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (国家林草局) shows: over the past 10 years, China's wild populations of Amur tigers and Amur leopards have continued to recover. Within the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park (东北虎豹国家公园), the number of wild Amur tigers has grown from 27 in 2017 to 72, and wild Amur leopards from 42 to 115, achieving landmark results in the protection of flagship species.

In recent years, China has accelerated the construction of a system of protected areas with national parks as the main body, implemented endangered species rescue projects, and strengthened the construction of wildlife monitoring networks and rescue systems. The habitat environment for flagship species such as wild Amur tigers and Amur leopards has been effectively improved, strongly promoting the reproduction, recovery, and growth of their populations.

Especially since the official establishment of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, coordinated efforts have been made in ecological protection, scientific research and monitoring, law enforcement and supervision, livelihood security, and cross-border cooperation. Understory replanting and afforestation of 600,000 mu have been completed, pilot transformations of planted forests and forestry pest control have been carried out on an area exceeding 190,000 mu, five wildlife migration corridors have been opened, fragmented habitats have been effectively restored, and regional ecological connectivity has been significantly enhanced. An air-space-ground integrated intelligent monitoring system has been built, capable of accurately identifying more than 30 species of wild animals, with species identification accuracy exceeding 90% for Amur tigers and Amur leopards. A cumulative total of over 30,000 instances of Amur tiger activity and over 40,000 instances of Amur leopard activity have been monitored.

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Full-Chain Layout Builds Momentum: Ejin Horo Banner in Inner Mongolia Drives Zero-Carbon Transition with Innovation

As an important extension of the zero-carbon industrial system, relying on scientific and technological innovation to promote the high-quality development of the hydrogen energy industry is a key lever for Ejin Horo Banner (伊金霍洛旗), Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, to deepen the depth of its transformation and consolidate its long-term competitiveness. On the basis of the iterative upgrading of the traditional coal industry and the initial formation of a zero-carbon manufacturing cluster, Ejin Horo Banner continues to unblock the entire "production–storage–application" chain of new energy, using scenario-based applications to drive the landing of the hydrogen energy industry, leveraging technological breakthroughs to support the leap in the level of green development, and steadily advancing industrial transformation from scale expansion toward quality and efficiency gains.

Relying on the industrial agglomeration effect of the Ordos Zero-Carbon Industrial Park, Ejin Horo Banner is accelerating the expansion of downstream application scenarios in the new energy industry chain, taking hydrogen energy as the main lever for zero-carbon transportation transformation, building an integrated "production–storage–refueling–application" (制储加用) whole hydrogen energy industry chain, and pushing the hydrogen energy industry from pilot demonstrations toward large-scale application.

Hydrogen Energy Takes Shape: Full-Chain Layout to Build the "Northern Hydrogen Capital"

Ejin Horo Banner focuses on the short-haul transportation needs of coal in the mining area and promotes the large-scale deployment of hydrogen fuel cell heavy trucks. At present, more than 200 hydrogen heavy trucks have been put into operation in the mining area; recently, 14 additional 49-ton hydrogen heavy trucks were delivered to Inner Mongolia ShenDong TianLong Group Company Limited (内蒙古神东天隆集团股份有限公司). The first heavy-load railway hydrogen refueling station in the country—the Batu Tower Hydrogen Refueling Station (巴图塔加氢站) located at the Haileshaowan South Station (海勒斯壕南站)—has surpassed 10,000 kilograms in cumulative hydrogen refueling volume, providing clean power for high-power hydrogen energy power shunting locomotives, and the hydrogen energy application scenario is expanding from road transport to rail transport.

At present, 10 hydrogen refueling stations have been completed and put into operation across the banner, and 3 are under construction; the hydrogen refueling network is continuously improving. In April 2026, the Ordos Airport Logistics Park newly signed contracts with 5 hydrogen energy enterprises, with a total investment of approximately 150 million yuan, and the industrial agglomeration effect is further manifesting.

The Shengyuan Energy Wind-Solar Hydrogen Production and Refueling Integration Project in Ejin Horo Banner, Ordos City, is accelerating construction. The project is equipped with 125 MW of wind power, 50 MW of photovoltaic power, and hydrogen production facilities with a capacity of 14,000 standard cubic meters per hour, building a zero-carbon cycle system of "wind-solar power generation – electrolytic water hydrogen production – hydrogen storage and transport – end-use application."

The Green Hydrogen Key Equipment Testing and Verification Demonstration Base Project, located in the Ordos Airport Logistics Park, is jointly built by National Energy Group Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (国家能源集团氢能科技有限责任公司) together with the China Hydrogen Alliance (中国氢能联盟) and the local government, and has been selected for the second batch of the Green Low-Carbon Advanced Technology Demonstration Project List. Ejin Horo Banner continues to tackle frontier technologies such as solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) and perovskite solar cells, pushing the technological level of the hydrogen energy industry from "following and running alongside" toward "running alongside and leading."

Technology Empowerment: Innovation-Driven Accumulation of Long-Term Momentum

Ejin Horo Banner adheres to the central position of innovation in the overall transformation and development, continuously strengthens the supporting role of scientific and technological innovation, builds high-end R&D platforms, tackles key core technologies, promotes the transformation and landing of scientific and technological achievements, and injects lasting momentum into green and low-carbon transformation.

The Ordos New Energy Research Institute has achieved fruitful scientific and technological results. Aiming at the zero-carbon operation scenario of the mining area, it has developed and launched an ammonia-hydrogen powered mining dump truck of 130 tons, integrating ammonia-hydrogen range extension, high-power electric drive, wire-controlled chassis, and unmanned driving technology; it has launched a pure electric intelligent architecture explosion-proof trackless rubber-tyred vehicle, adapted for underground commuting and transportation scenarios, reserving space for the upgrade of unmanned driving technology for explosion-proof trackless rubber-tyred vehicles. In the field of basic materials, original breakthroughs have been made: the world's first 60-centimeter-width ion solvent membrane has achieved mass production; the conversion efficiency of perovskite solar cells and perovskite/crystalline silicon tandem cells has continued to break through, driving the continuous decline of photovoltaic power generation costs. In the energy system field, it has innovated the "house–vehicle–grid integration" (房—车—网融合) zero-carbon microgrid system, reshaping the energy production and consumption model.

The efficiency of achievement transformation continues to improve. Since 2025, the banner has incubated a total of 17 science and technology enterprises and promoted the industrialization of 12 scientific research achievements, achieving deep integration and two-way empowerment of scientific and technological innovation and industrial development.

The accelerated formation of the whole hydrogen energy industry chain and the continuous improvement of scientific and technological innovation capabilities give Ejin Horo Banner's zero-carbon transformation both industrial scale and technological confidence. From a "sea-of-coal heavy town" to a "zero-carbon green valley," Ejin Horo Banner, while stabilizing growth and strengthening its foundation based on its existing industrial base, actively conforms to the general trend of development to seek innovation and expand new horizons. Its transformation practice provides a vivid case for promoting high-quality development in resource-based regions in western China.

Looking ahead to the future, Ejin Horo Banner will continue to do a good job of the two articles of traditional energy upgrading and new energy cultivation, deeply cultivate the full-scenario application of hydrogen energy and key core technology research, continuously improve the integrated industrial ecology of "production-storage-refueling-application," continuously release the empowering effect of scientific and technological innovation, promote the coordinated development and deep integration of new and old driving forces, unswervingly follow the high-quality development path that gives priority to ecology and is green and low-carbon, and strive to write a brand-new chapter in the transformation and development of resource-based regions.

Data source: Publicity Department of the CPC Ejin Horo Banner Committee, Ejin Horo Banner Convergence Media Center.

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Zhang Ye, Yang Xiaoyu, Zhang Yifu (Page Editors)

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Nadam, a Vibrant Prairie Gathering (Focus on Traditional Sports)

By: 本报记者 吴 勇

In the height of summer, the Xilingol Grassland (锡林郭勒草原) stretches with verdant grass meeting the sky. The 36th Tourism Naadam of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region opened in Xilinhot City (锡林浩特市), Xilin Gol League (锡林郭勒盟). Over 4,000 performers, 1,024 Bökh wrestlers, and thousands of fine horses, together with more than 100,000 people of various ethnic groups and visitors from all directions, turned the vast grassland into an ocean of jubilation.

Naadam, in Mongolian, means "recreation, games." During the long nomadic years, the sons and daughters of the grassland moved with water and grass, and they also gathered on the grassland in seasons of abundant water and lush grass, using Bökh to compete in strength, using horse racing to test equestrian skills, and using archery to pass on bravery and martial valor. Naadam is not only an arena of competition, but also a grand festival for relatives and friends to meet and exchange goods, becoming a deep and fervent memory in the hearts of the grassland people.

Grassland grand gathering — a window from traditional competitions to understanding grassland culture

At a single command, the Bökh competition begins. Two Bökh wrestlers stand facing each other, bending forward and linking arms. Feinting, stepping forward, turning, exerting force — after several rounds, Mongolian boots kick up wisps of grass debris. The moment the outcome is decided, applause and cheers ring out.

1,024 Bökh wrestlers compete on the same field, without weight classes, deciding victory in a single bout — testing not only strength but also technique and on-the-spot judgment.

Wensudu (温都苏), a Bökh wrestler from Zhenglan Banner (正蓝旗), defeated the famous wrestler Chagan Zhana (查干扎那) from Abaga Banner (阿巴嘎旗) to win the championship. "When I was a child, I followed my father to watch Bökh at Naadam. Now that I stand on the competition field myself, I truly understand that Bökh competes not only in strength, but even more in wisdom and respect for the opponent," said Wensudu, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

After the match ends, the victor performs the eagle dance and circles the field to acknowledge the audience; the defeated stands up, walks toward the opponent, and they pat each other on the shoulder. Competition has winners and losers, but etiquette and respect run through it all.

Not far away, the 20-kilometer endurance horse race is in full swing. The fine horses burst from the starting line; the riders lean forward close to the horse's back, their bodies rising and falling with the rhythm of the horse's gallop. In the latter half of the race, the horses gradually spread apart, and the riders constantly adjust, seeking the moment to sprint.

The champion rider Alatengsuhe (阿拉腾苏和) is from Sonid Right Banner (苏尼特右旗). To prepare for this race, he and his horse began training several months in advance. "Long-distance horse racing cannot only think about speed; when to speed up and when to conserve energy must all depend on the horse's condition. A person must understand the horse and love the horse, and only then will the horse be willing to go forward bravely with you," said Alatengsuhe. After crossing the finish line, he did not rush to celebrate, but instead bent down and gently stroked the horse's neck, then led the horse to walk slowly to relax. Such interaction added warmth to the originally fierce race.

The wind on the archery field sometimes fast, sometimes slow. The competitors stand sideways, nock the arrow, draw the bowstring, draw the bow, hold their breath and concentrate, adjust the angle, and the arrow pierces the air.

Bökh, horse racing, and archery are known as the "three arts of manhood" of the Mongol ethnic group. Competing in strength, racing in speed, contending in precision — the grassland people's veneration for bravery, wisdom, and fortitude is condensed in these traditional competitions, and is passed down from generation to generation on the Naadam field.

Tradition + trend — from "watching once" to "playing for several days"

This year's conference takes "tradition + trend" as its main line, setting up over 20 experiential business formats at the main venue, including intangible cultural heritage workshops, folk interactive activities, RV camping, and costume change photography. Activities such as the tourist triathlon, youth Naadam, football Naadam, and parent-child Naadam allow visitors of different ages to find events suitable for participation.

In the archery experience area, staff are explaining the key points of the action. A young visitor draws the bowstring and aims carefully. The moment the arrow hits the target, the child jumps up excitedly. In the riding trail and tourist riding experience area, first-time riders grip the reins tightly, especially cautious. After riding a certain distance, their originally stiff bodies gradually relax, and laughter mingles with the sound of horse bells.

Local citizen Mr. Bai brought his family to the Naadam venue early. "In the past, I mainly watched horse racing and Bökh from the stands. This time, the children can shoot arrows and ride horses, and we can also experience intangible cultural heritage and stay in grassland camps."

In the intangible cultural heritage workshop, a leather carving artist slowly guides the knife along the outlined patterns, and fine horses and auspicious clouds gradually appear; in front of the silver jewelry making table, fine silver wires are bent and soldered between the craftsman's fingers, turning into delicate ornamentation; next to the felt embroidery booth, visitors thread needles and try to make unique souvenirs with their own hands. Traditional cultural elements such as long songs, the horse-head fiddle, and ethnic costumes also enter modern life through exhibitions, study tours, cultural and creative products, and other carriers.

Tourist Ms. Jiang and her friend came to Xilinhot all the way from Chongqing. She flipped through the photos she had just taken on her phone and said, "Watching horse racing during the day, changing into ethnic costumes for photos in the evening, and listening to music and watching the stars at night. Originally we planned to stay only one night, but now we are going to stay two more days."

Visitors "staying two more days" is exactly the space that the Tourism Naadam strives to expand. Cultural, sports, and tourism scenes are interconnected; visitors become participants, and Naadam has transformed from "watching once" to "playing for several days." "We want to link competitions, intangible cultural heritage, food, accommodation, performances, and more, so that tourists are not only willing to come but also willing to stay and slow down," said Xin Ying (辛颖), Deputy Mayor of Xilinhot City.

As night falls, lights come on in the music festival area. People sit around tents and look up at the starry sky; some step to the beat and dance; children run on the grass with glowing lanterns. Naadam extends from daytime to night, from the arena to the campsite, offering more ways to open up grassland tourism.

"From 'Grassland Naadam' to 'Tourism Naadam,' the name has changed, not to dilute tradition, but to better integrate tradition into modern civilization," said He Mingjian (何明鉴), Director of the Xilin Gol League Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio, and Television. "We must both protect the cultural core of Naadam and innovate means of expression, so that more people can approach Naadam and fall in love with grassland culture."

Market amplifier — from earning money for a few days to anticipating a season's business and a year-round market

With more tourists coming, the first to feel the change are local operators and herders.

During the Naadam, hotels in Xilinhot city center, specialty guesthouses, and campsites are bustling with popularity. In restaurants, specialty foods such as hand-held lamb and instant-boiled mutton are popular; in the exhibition and sales area, dairy products, beef jerky, ethnic costumes, and cultural and creative products attract visitors to stop and browse.

Bayanna (巴音那), a herder from Baoligen Sumu (宝力根苏木), booked a stall in a key area early this year. "In the past, the Naadam lasted a few days, and we were busy for those few days. Now there are more and more activities, and our business has extended from a few days to the entire summer," Bayanna said. "We not only sell products but also tell tourists about pastoral life, hoping they eat with peace of mind and have fun."

One exhibition stall connects the festival with the market; one herder's account book reflects the income expansion space brought by the integration of culture and tourism.

During the Naadam activities, the "Xilin Brand Fair (锡林品牌汇)" opened, with over 50 local enterprises showcasing their specialty products. Tao Gao (陶高), a national-level intangible cultural heritage cheese-making inheritor who came from Zhenglan Banner to exhibit, said, "Naadam brings not only on-site sales but more importantly brand exposure. Many tourists will leave contact information after tasting, and they will make repeat purchases after returning home."

One Naadam connects multiple industries including catering, accommodation, transportation, retail, and performing arts, and also opens a broader market for dairy products, beef and mutton, embroidery, silver jewelry, and cultural and creative products. Tourists bring traffic, traffic converts into consumption, and cultural resources further become development resources.

This year marks the fifth consecutive time Xilinhot City has hosted a Naadam at the autonomous region level. Over the past five years, relying on this brand, the locality has promoted the interconnection of competition traffic attraction, industry empowerment, and city promotion. A batch of themed hotels, special campsites, and intangible cultural heritage experience workshops have been built and put into operation.

The responsible comrade of the Xilin Gol League Committee said, "We hope to use a series of activities starting with Naadam to promote the transformation of one-time festivals into normalized tourism products, making Naadam a continuously operable city brand. In the past, we earned money for a few days; now we look forward to a season's business and a year-round market."

As night deepens, the sound of the horse-head fiddle rises again. A long wind sweeps across the grassland, and the melodious song drifts into the distance. This traditional grassland grand gathering, which has continued for nearly 800 years, is connecting the present and racing toward the future in new ways.

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Zhao Xintong and Wu Yize advance to semifinals

Beijing, July 30 (Xinhua) — (Reporter Li Shuo (李硕)) The 2026 World Snooker Shanghai Masters commenced the quarterfinal matches on the 30th, with Chinese player Zhao Xintong defeating Australian player Neil Robertson 6-0 to advance to the semifinals.

Zhao Xintong was in hot form at this tournament. In his previous match against Ding Junhui, he won five consecutive frames to reach match point. Although Ding Junhui then made two consecutive century breaks, Zhao Xintong still won comfortably 6-2, and throughout the match Zhao Xintong made three century breaks and three fifty-plus breaks. In the quarterfinal against Robertson, Zhao Xintong continued his good form. Starting from the third frame, he made consecutive breaks of 117, 85, 102, and 98, during which Robertson scored only 14 points, and Zhao Xintong ultimately won easily 6-0.

After the match, Zhao Xintong said that after adequate rest during the break, his mental adjustment was quite complete, allowing him to face the challenges of the new season calmly. "Although my long potting has not been particularly accurate these two days, that is just a temporary performance; maybe the form will come back in the next match." Zhao Xintong will face English player Kyren Wilson in the semifinals. The two met in the Shanghai Masters semifinals last year, and Zhao Xintong, after leading 5-4, was beaten by his opponent in six consecutive frames, with Wilson ultimately winning the title.

Another quarterfinal held that evening featured the lineup of this year's World Championship final. Newly crowned world champion Wu Yize narrowly defeated English player Shaun Murphy 6-5 to advance to the semifinals. He will face world No. 1 English player Judd Trump in the semifinals.

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The Great Desert Pass: An 'Iron Man' Chases His Dream

By: 本报记者 曾亦辰

“The Great Wall Gobi course possesses an irreplaceable and unique charm!” Stepping off the race course, Swiss athlete Anna Michelle Delon, champion of the women’s elite group at the 2026 Ironman China T100 Jiayuguan Open, exclaimed in admiration.

The 2026 Ironman China T100 Jiayuguan Open and China · Jiayuguan 17th International Triathlon recently concluded in Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province. This event attracted nearly a thousand “ironmen” to challenge this “Great Wall Gobi” course. Relying on elements such as the Great Wall, Gobi, beacon towers, Black Mountain, and lakes, the event brought participants a unique experience: wind blowing from all directions on the cycling segment, the distinctive tactile feel of the gravel and sand surface on the running segment, an altitude of over 1,700 meters along the course adding difficulty to the race, and the scenery at the foot of the Great Wall leaving an unforgettable impression.

How can unique scenery be transformed into new scenarios for distinctive sports? The answer lies in the iterative upgrading of the course layout. Previous courses mostly relied on urban roads; this year’s 100-kilometer race route penetrates deep into the Gobi hinterland, linking lakes, oases, and the Ming Great Wall ruins, with the finish line directly pointing to the “Greatest Pass Under Heaven.” Blue waves of East Lake reflect the Qilian snow peaks; in the clear waters, swim caps of various colors surge forward through the waves; the Gobi wind sweeps past the wheels; the course stretches and unfolds along the rammed-earth Great Wall; at the moment of crossing the finish line, with the flying eaves of the thousand-year-old pass as the backdrop, the silhouettes of the running athletes merge with the Gobi scenery.

The Jiayuguan International Triathlon has been held for over 20 years. This year’s event, themed “Heading Toward the Pass,” set up four competition sectors and added a women’s special race and a youth “Little Ironman” challenge, covering sports enthusiasts of all age groups. Shao Xiaoguang (邵晓光), Director of the Jiayuguan Municipal Sports Bureau, explained: “The multi-category design aims to allow the Pass course to accommodate more ordinary people who love sports.”

After the event concluded, a “tiger tally” medal continued to tell the story of the scene. The medal replicates the Ming Dynasty border pass tiger tally used for troop mobilization, employing a magnetic-split design: upon registration, participants receive the “Setting Out” half-tally engraved with a beacon tower relief; after crossing the finish line, they get the “Triumphant Return” half-tally imprinted with the pass city pattern; only when the two halves are joined is the completion token considered fully collected. “Holding the tiger tally feels like having a cross-temporal dialogue with an era of 金戈铁马 (jīn gē tiě mǎ - “golden spears and iron horses,” symbolizing warfare).” said Liu Debin (刘德斌), runner-up in the men’s elite group. The organizing committee staff introduced that this design deeply explores the historical heritage of Jiayuguan as a key border defense fortress, using the imagery of “setting out and then returning triumphant” to echo the spirit of self-transcendence in triathlon.

During the event, competitors could visit scenic spots such as the Jiayuguan Pass Fortress, the Overhanging Great Wall, and the First Pier of the Great Wall for free by presenting their race numbers, and their family members could enter at half price. “In the future, we will continue to build an immersive experience of deep integration among culture, sports, tourism, and commerce, presenting a panoramic view of Jiayuguan’s city image, unique local customs, and long-standing history and culture,” said Zhao Shumin (赵淑敏), Deputy Mayor of Jiayuguan City.

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What is Tee Ball (Quick Sports Guide)

The 2026 "Run, Youth" National Youth Sports Club Soft Baseball League Finals opened on the 27th in Kangbashi District (康巴什区), Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. A total of 79代表队 from 16 provinces and more than 1,200 athletes are competing. The event is divided into four age groups—U8, U10, U12, and U15—to suit the developmental needs of different youth athletes.

Soft baseball is an introductory sport for baseball and softball. While retaining the basic rules of pitching, batting, and base running, it has been simplified and adjusted for youth and beginners, balancing fun and safety.

Soft baseball equipment uses soft materials such as foam balls and lightweight rubber bats to reduce the risk of impact injuries. It can be played on ordinary track and field or playground surfaces with line markings, and the base distances and home-run distances can be adjusted. Difficulty gradients are set according to the U8, U10, U12, and U15 groups: the equipment materials transition from sponge to rubber to metal, and the batting mode progresses from self-hitting, to machine-pitching, to manual pitching, matching the motor skill levels of each age group and gradually linking into the professional baseball and softball competition system.

Taking the U8 low-age group, which has a higher level of popularity and lower entry threshold, as an example: a soft baseball game is played on a fan-shaped field. Players hold bats and use a T-shaped batting tee to secure the ball and complete the hit. Offensive and defensive rotations are achieved through passing and catching coordination. Points are scored by successively touching first base, second base, and third base and returning to home plate. In a regular game, each team fields nine players and is divided into offense and defense. Offensive players bat in turn and sprint around the bases; defensive players attempt to put offensive players out through catching, throwing, and tagging. After three outs, the two sides switch between offense and defense. One offensive-defensive switch constitutes one inning. Under normal circumstances, the game ends when either five innings have been completed or the game time reaches one hour—whichever condition is met first. The team with the higher cumulative score wins. If the score is tied, extra innings may be added until a winner is determined.

This sport integrates multiple fundamental movements such as running, jumping, throwing, and hitting, exercising coordination and reaction ability. It also emphasizes team cooperation and tacit understanding, balancing physical fitness, mental exercise, and character cultivation.

(Compiled by our reporter Li Zhiyao (李祉瑶))

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本版责编：罗彦 高佶 曹继炜

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Chinese Brand Cars Continue to Gain Popularity in Mexican Market (International Perspective)

By: 本报记者 王骁波

In the showroom of a Geely car dealer in the Coyoacán district of Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, several customers are taking turns experiencing the functions of new energy vehicles. Customer Manuel fell in love with an SUV in less than 10 minutes, saying: "This car's interactive system and panoramic imaging system are both great. I am bullish on Chinese-brand cars, because at the same price point, Chinese cars have more functions and a better experience."

Sales manager Eric said that on weekends or when there are promotional activities, the store becomes busier, "some models sell out easily." Eric pointed to a display car next to him and told the reporter, "Many people want to buy this hybrid model, and they can only wait a few more months."

Not far from the Geely store, there is a Chery dealer store. Arturo and his wife are choosing a car purchase package, and the various configurations provided by the package satisfied them. "The dealer gave us several preset configuration options, even better than we expected, and almost all the hardware configurations are top-notch." Another customer, Alejandro, accompanied his wife to choose a new car. He said: "We bought a Chery car two years ago, and it has a very high level of intelligence. When we approach the car door, the car can automatically sense and unlock. When leaving, there is no need to manually lock the car; the windows and rearview mirrors automatically return to position. We have gotten used to these small smart conveniences, and now we plan to buy a higher-configuration car."

From a market share of less than 1% in 2020, to about 7% in 2022, and now to about 17%, Chinese-brand cars have continuously increased their recognition among Mexican consumers, relying on cutting-edge technology, superior configuration, comprehensive service, and reasonable prices. Currently, there are nearly 3,000 automotive dealer outlets in Mexico, among which outlets specializing in Chinese car brands have increased to more than 400. Brands such as BYD, Geely, Chery, Changan, JAC, and Great Wall have all established local sales networks, continuously enriching the product layout of hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and pure electric vehicles.

According to statistics from the Mexican Automotive Dealers Association, in the first half of 2026, Chinese-brand car sales in Mexico exceeded 137,000 units, a year-on-year increase of nearly 30%. Currently, the share of Chinese-brand cars in total new car sales in Mexico has risen to about 17%, meaning that for every six new cars sold, one is a Chinese brand. Among them, BYD continues to rank first in sales of Chinese-brand cars in Mexico, while Geely, Changan, and other brands have all achieved growth.

When the reporter used Didi to hail a ride in Mexico City, he often encountered Chinese-brand new energy vehicles. Didi driver Omar's car is a BYD Dolphin. Due to continuously rising local fuel prices, he switched from a fuel car to a pure electric car, and the fuel money saved each month can offset half of the car loan. "Look at this big display screen, look at this high-definition imaging. This sense of technology is something I could not imagine when driving before," Omar said.

Mexico, relying on the North American automotive industry chain and a vast market, has a strong automotive industry foundation. European, American, Japanese, and Korean car brands have been deeply rooted locally for many years, accumulating a stable consumer base. The reason Chinese cars can break the competitive landscape of traditional brands is precisely by using technological innovation to accurately match local market demand, forging a path that wins through cost-performance ratio and intelligence. In recent years, Chinese car brands' technological advantages in hybrid and fuel economy, along with high cost-effectiveness, have precisely targeted local consumers' rigid demand to reduce car usage costs. Chinese automakers have also effectively enhanced consumer trust by establishing regional parts center warehouses in Latin America, optimizing after-sales supply chains, and shortening repair and parts waiting times.

Behind the popularity of Chinese-brand cars in the Mexican market is a concentrated reflection of China's complete automotive industry chain and strong manufacturing capabilities. Jaime López, head of the Mexico automotive business of Mercado Libre, the largest e-commerce platform in Latin America, said that Mexican consumers are increasingly inclined to choose Chinese cars, the core of which lies in the combination of intelligent configuration and high cost-performance ratio. "Many advanced safety protection and smart connectivity functions are high-end configurations in European and American cars of the same class, but in Chinese-brand cars, they have all become standard, and are popularized at a very friendly price."

Guillermo Rosales, executive president of the Mexican Automotive Dealers Association, said that in addition to local layout, many Chinese-brand car dealer outlets are also opened and operated by Mexican local automotive dealer groups. Currently, the Chinese-brand car sales network has created more than 32,000 direct jobs locally.

Marco Mares, a senior financial commentator in Mexico, pointed out that as market competition becomes more sufficient, the Mexican light vehicle market is developing in a direction more favorable to consumers. The growing market share of Chinese cars not only provides an opportunity for Mexico to accelerate vehicle iteration and renewal, but also allows advanced technologies such as intelligence and safety to benefit more ordinary consumers at more competitive prices.

Facing external uncertainties such as tariff hikes, some Chinese automakers are studying and advancing plans for localized production and knocked-down kit assembly to further enhance supply chain resilience and market competitiveness. Behind the sales growth is a comprehensive strength built by technological innovation, industrial chain advantages, and localized service capabilities. From product going abroad to deep integration of the industrial chain, Chinese cars are cultivating the Mexican market with more solid steps, bringing benefits to local consumers and injecting new impetus into China-Mexico economic and trade cooperation.

(Reported from Mexico City, July 30, by this newspaper)

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Foreign Ministry: China's nuclear forces are an indispensable deterrent against nuclear war

Beijing, July 30 (Reporter Cui Qi) — This year marks the 30th anniversary of the conclusion of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and July 29 is the 30th anniversary of China's announcement of a moratorium on nuclear testing. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a regular press conference on the 30th in response to a question that China has always implemented a self-defensive nuclear strategy, and China's nuclear forces are an indispensable force for deterring nuclear war, maintaining world peace and security, and global strategic stability.

Mao Ning said that 30 years ago, the Chinese government solemnly announced to the world a moratorium on nuclear testing, which not only responded to the demands of the vast number of non-nuclear-weapon states but also made a historic contribution to the eventual conclusion of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, powerfully advancing the international nuclear arms control process.

Mao Ning stated that over the past 30 years, China has always abided by its commitment to a "moratorium on nuclear testing" and actively supported international efforts to ban nuclear testing. As one of the first signatory states to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, China firmly supports the treaty's purposes and objectives, supports its early entry into force, supports capacity-building for developing countries, actively advances domestic preparations for treaty implementation, and has made important contributions to maintaining the treaty's universality and authority.

"China's nuclear policy maintains a high degree of stability, consistency, and predictability. It has always advocated the comprehensive prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons, adheres to a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons, and unconditionally commits not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones," Mao Ning said.

Mao Ning stated that China has always implemented a self-defensive nuclear strategy, maintaining its nuclear forces at the minimum level required for national security, and does not participate in any form of nuclear arms race. China's nuclear forces are an indispensable force for deterring nuclear war, maintaining world peace and security, and global strategic stability.

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Defense Ministry: Japan’s nuclear ambitions cannot be indulged, redline challenges cannot be tolerated

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 30 (Reporter Wang Chuntao (王春涛)) Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Jiang Bin (蒋斌) said on the 30th that Japan's nuclear ambitions cannot be indulged, challenging the red line cannot be tolerated, and the international community and people from all walks of life in Japan must be highly vigilant and resolutely curb this.

At the regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense held that day, a reporter asked: According to reports, Japan's Defense Minister has repeatedly said in recent days that Japan should discuss policies related to nuclear weapons without any taboos, including whether to revise the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" (无核三原则) long adhered to after World War II. What is your comment on this?

Jiang Bin said that the relevant remarks of Japan's Defense Minister are extremely provocative and dangerous, once again puncturing the disguise and lies of the Japanese side that deceive the international community. Is it intended to test the direction of public opinion, pave the way for ulterior motives, and challenge the bottom line of international justice?

"What is highly worthy of vigilance is that Japan is an internationally recognized nuclear threshold country, stockpiling approximately 44.4 tons of separated plutonium, and has long deliberately maintained the capability to seek a nuclear breakthrough in the short term." Jiang Bin said that Japan's attempt to break through the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" seriously violates the international legal obligations stipulated in the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, seriously impacts the international nuclear non-proliferation system, and seriously threatens the fruits of victory in World War II and the post-war international order.

Jiang Bin said that Japan's nuclear ambitions cannot be indulged, challenging the red line cannot be tolerated, otherwise once the "Pandora's box" is opened, the consequences would be unimaginable. The international community and people from all walks of life in Japan must be highly vigilant and resolutely curb this.

Another reporter asked: According to reports, Japan's Ministry of Defense said that during the navigation of a total of four Chinese and Russian naval vessels in the waters southwest of Okinotori Reef (冲之鸟礁), one Chinese warship conducted firing exercises in Japan's exclusive economic zone. What is your comment on this?

Jiang Bin said that the joint cruise waters of the Chinese and Russian militaries are high seas, not the so-called exclusive economic zone of the Japanese side. As is known to all, Okinotori Reef has an area of less than 10 square meters, barely exposed above water only after artificial reinforcement, and cannot sustain human habitation, completely not meeting the definition of an island under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Japanese side, ignoring the facts, "calls a reef an island" and claims an exclusive economic zone and continental shelf based on this, which is completely untenable. The relevant actions of China and Russia conform to international law and international practice, and the Japanese side has no right to make irresponsible remarks; hype and sensationalism will only 适得其反 (shì dé qí fǎn - "to get the opposite result," to be counterproductive).

A reporter asked: Today marks the 27th anniversary of the signing of the memorandum between the Chinese and Japanese governments on the destruction of abandoned chemical weapons by Japan (日遗化武). China has repeatedly urged Japan to accelerate the disposal process of abandoned chemical weapons by Japan. What is your comment on this?

Jiang Bin said that the chemical weapons abandoned by Japan in China are one of the serious crimes committed by Japanese militarism during the war of aggression against China. The early, comprehensive, and thorough destruction of abandoned chemical weapons by Japan is a historical, political, and legal responsibility that the Japanese side cannot shirk, and is an international obligation stipulated in the Chemical Weapons Convention. According to the time limit set by the convention and the provisions of the Sino-Japanese government memorandum, the Japanese side should have completed the destruction of all abandoned chemical weapons by Japan in China by 2007, but has repeatedly been passive and perfunctory, resulting in the destruction plan being overdue four times.

"Because the Japanese side lacks sincerity in fulfilling its obligations, has limited investment, and especially has never provided detailed information on the burial of abandoned chemical weapons by Japan, a large number of abandoned chemical weapons by Japan remain undiscovered, still endangering the safety of life and property of the Chinese people and ecological security." Jiang Bin said, "Japan owes the Chinese people an explanation, owes the world an explanation. Shying away from the heavy and taking the light will not work, and deceiving one's way through is impossible. We once again demand that the Japanese side face up to historical and practical responsibilities, take concrete actions to accelerate the disposal process of abandoned chemical weapons by Japan, and return a clean land to the Chinese people as soon as possible."

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Who is footing the bill for Japan's right-wing political schemes? (Global View)

By: 刘文璋

On a Saturday afternoon, in Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, Japan, people quietly lined up, waiting for a local civil society organization to distribute free food: bread, bananas, tomatoes, compressed biscuits, and instant rice. On-site, life consultations, health guidance, and legal assistance were also provided. In the queue were white-haired elderly, mothers with young children, ordinary office workers, and even entire families seeking help.

This was not the scene of emergency disaster relief. This civil assistance activity has been ongoing for more than six years, held regularly every week. The targets of assistance have expanded from the earlier street sleepers to a large number of ordinary people who "have jobs but find it difficult to maintain a dignified life." Notably, over the past year, the queue for help has continued to grow longer, directly reflecting that the survival pressure on ordinary Japanese people is steadily rising.

The bustling and noisy core business district of Tokyo stands in stark contrast to the long queue for street relief. Beneath the glossy "prosperity narrative of a developed country," the deep fissures in Japanese society are becoming increasingly prominent. According to the latest National Survey on Living Standards by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan's relative poverty rate reaches 15%. The Labour Force Survey by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications shows that in 2025, non-regular employment accounted for 36.5% of all employees. A large number of workers face difficulties such as long-term wage stagnation, lack of employment security, and inadequate social security coverage. It should be noted that the intensification of poverty is the combined result of aging, industrial transformation, and policy choices. Under the influence of Japan's right-wing forces, the Japanese government not only ignores long-term structural policy imbalances but also stubbornly moves toward "re-militarization," which is an important driver of the continued fermentation of contradictions.

The aggressive fiscal stimulus plan implemented by the Takaichi Sanae cabinet boosted capital market performance in the short term, but failed to cure Japan's economic chronic ills. Instead, it has continuously increased the medium- and long-term burden on the people, shifting policy costs and potential risks to the future. According to the latest survey results published by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in July this year, influenced by high prices and the ongoing situation in the Middle East, the actual consumption expenditure of households with two or more persons in Japan in May had declined year-on-year for the sixth consecutive month. The trend of residents actively reducing non-essential spending and prioritizing rigid demand continues.

While investment in livelihood security continues to come under pressure, the defense budget has broken historical records year after year. Since fiscal year 2023, Japan's defense budget has been on the rise: 6.8 trillion yen in FY2023 (1 yuan RMB is approximately 23.6 yen), 7.9 trillion yen in FY2024, 8.7 trillion yen in FY2025, and for FY2026, it will exceed 9 trillion yen for the first time. Vast sums of money are directed toward military expansion, serving its goal of seeking so-called "normal country" status. At the same time, the space for livelihood budgets has been squeezed, and the shortcomings of the social security system are becoming increasingly prominent. Numerous Japanese media commentaries have pointed out that the relief activities of various non-profit civil organizations are passively filling the gap left by official welfare guarantees. The long queue for civil relief is a realistic portrayal of the inadequacy of the social security system.

The clear mismatch between policy priorities and people's demands is precisely the core crux of the intensifying social rift in Japan. A recent nationwide poll by Kyodo News clearly shows public opinion: 57.2% of respondents oppose the government's lifting of the ban on the export of lethal weapons, 70.5% of respondents call on the government to introduce measures to promote energy conservation and consumption reduction, and 70.6% of the public express concern about the insufficient supply of naphtha (a product of crude oil refining, which is a basic raw material for producing plastic, chemical fiber, and other chemical products). The Japanese right-wing government continues to follow the path of "prioritizing military buildup and neglecting people's livelihoods," drifting further away from the realistic expectations of ordinary citizens.

What the Japanese people most urgently hope for is coping with price increases and stabilizing energy and basic material supplies, not constantly record-breaking defense spending and the political schemes to promote constitutional revision.

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Germany Unveils Reform Package to Boost Economy

By: 本报记者 徐 馨

The German federal government recently released a package of reform plans, encompassing 34 measures in areas such as taxation, employment, pensions, healthcare, and administrative burden reduction, aiming to accelerate structural reforms and boost the economy.

Under the impact of multiple factors such as rising energy prices, increasing labor costs, and intensified global competition, Germany’s traditional export-oriented industrial model is under pressure. The competitiveness of traditional pillar industries such as automobiles, machinery, and chemicals has declined, enterprises’ willingness to invest is insufficient, and the scale of employment continues to shrink. Germany’s GDP growth rate from 2022 to 2025 has been below the EU average. A study by the German Institute for Economic Research (德国经济研究所) shows that the number of manufacturing jobs in the country has fallen to 6.6 million, the lowest level in nearly ten years.

Among the package of measures, reform of the pension system is regarded as one of the most challenging projects. Previously, the German Pension Security Commission (养老保障委员会) put forward 33 reform proposals, and the German government plans to implement a series of legislative measures by the end of 2026. The Pension Security Commission recommends establishing an adjustment mechanism linked to average life expectancy in the future — that is, as the population’s lifespan increases, the retirement age adjusts synchronously, so as to alleviate the long-term financial pressure on pension insurance. Germany’s current “45-year contribution early retirement” (45年缴费提前退休) system allows long-term insured persons to retire early and receive full pension after meeting specified conditions. The Commission recommends reassessing this, reducing incentives for early retirement, and encouraging more experienced workers to continue employment.

Excessive, mechanical, and cumbersome procedures and paperwork constituting bureaucracy are an important factor constraining the development of German enterprises. A business survey by the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (德国工商总会) shows that 45% of enterprises consider Germany’s bureaucracy problem to be their biggest challenge. According to reports from the Ifo Institute (伊福经济研究所) and the Munich Chamber of Commerce and Industry (慕尼黑工商会), Germany loses 146 billion euros in economic output each year as a result, roughly 3% of Germany’s GDP. In this series of reform plans, the German government intends to reduce enterprises’ reporting obligations, simplify tax declaration procedures, and accelerate approval processes, thereby lowering administrative pressure and creating a more favorable environment for enterprise investment and innovation-driven development.

Germany also plans to advance income tax reform, by adjusting wealth tax, raising the basic tax credit amount, the child tax credit amount, and other measures, to reduce the tax burden on ordinary wage-earning families. At that time, an ordinary wage-earning family is expected to receive tax relief of more than 600 euros per year. The total tax relief provided annually by this reform amounts to approximately 10 billion euros, and it is expected to take full effect in 2028.

Opinions within Germany on the government’s reform plans are divided. German enterprises largely welcome the reforms, believing that increasing labor market flexibility and administrative efficiency can lower operating costs. However, some enterprises consider the reforms insufficient in areas such as lowering energy prices and improving digital infrastructure. Trade unions are more cautious toward the reforms. The German Services Trade Union (德国服务业工会) opposes raising the retirement age for manual workers, arguing that raising the retirement age is in effect a disguised cut in pensions. Some members of the public also have doubts about the reforms, with some opposing the delay of retirement.

Marcel Fratzscher, President of the German Institute for Economic Research, believes that the reforms strive to break the rigid situation of the German economy, but it is still difficult to solve structural problems such as weak economic growth and insufficient competitiveness. In addition, the focus of the reforms leans toward reducing the burden on enterprises, while reforms in areas such as pensions may increase the burden on low-income groups.

For the German government, introducing reforms is only the first step; the real test lies in whether the reform plans can be implemented and transformed into new drivers of economic growth. German Chancellor Merz believes that the reforms are oriented toward future growth and will help “overcome Germany’s structural growth weakness.” An article in German magazine Der Spiegel states that the reform package is diverse in content, helps reduce the burden on taxpayers, begins to tackle bureaucracy, and expands the space for economic growth, but there are still some points of disagreement, making it difficult to satisfy everyone.

(This newspaper, Berlin, July 30)

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Foreign Ministry: Strongly Urges Japan to Thoroughly Eradicate the Harm of Abandoned Chemical Weapons at an Early Date

Beijing, July 30 (People's Daily) — (Reporter Cui Qi (崔琦)) Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on the 30th that the complete destruction of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons (日遗化武) is a historical, political, and legal responsibility that the Japanese side cannot shirk. China strongly urges the Japanese side to accelerate the disposal process of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons and eliminate the poison of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons at an early date.

At the regular press conference that day, a reporter asked: July 30 marks the 27th anniversary of the signing of the Memorandum between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of Japan on the Destruction of Chemical Weapons Abandoned by Japan in China (《中华人民共和国政府和日本国政府关于销毁中国境内日本遗弃化学武器的备忘录》). Could the spokesperson brief us on the relevant work progress and China's concerns?

“Chemical weapons abandoned by Japan in China are one of the serious crimes committed by Japanese militarism during the war of aggression against China, and to this day they continue to endanger the safety of the lives and property of the Chinese people and the ecological environment. Complete destruction of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons is a historical, political, and legal responsibility that the Japanese side cannot shirk,” Mao Ning said.

Mao Ning pointed out that the Japanese side should have completed the destruction of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons by 2007 in accordance with the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention and the requirements of the bilateral government memorandum. However, the Japanese side has insufficient sincerity in fulfilling its obligations and insufficient investment, and the destruction plan has been delayed four times. The disposal process of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons is seriously lagging behind, and the safety hazard of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons persists.

“China strongly urges the Japanese side to fully and faithfully fulfill the responsibilities and obligations stipulated by the Convention and the China-Japan government memorandum, provide effective burial clue information as soon as possible, accelerate the disposal process of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons, and completely eliminate the poison of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons at an early date, returning a clean land to the Chinese people,” Mao Ning said.

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Chinese Embassy in Japan Reminds Chinese Citizens to Guard Against Earthquake Disasters

Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, July 29 (Xinhua) — (Reporters Li Ziyue (李子越), Chen Ze’an (陈泽安)) On the evening of the 29th, the Chinese Embassy in Japan issued a reminder urging Chinese citizens in Japan to take precautions against earthquake disasters.

The reminder stated that at 16:27 on July 28, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, with more than 148 aftershocks within 12 hours, causing heavy casualties. The Japan Meteorological Agency has called for vigilance against strong earthquakes of a similar magnitude within the next week.

The Chinese Embassy in Japan reminded Chinese citizens to properly arrange their itineraries, avoid traveling to disaster-affected areas, effectively enhance their awareness of self-protection, and strengthen their own safety precautions. They should closely follow earthquake developments, meteorological warnings, and disaster prevention information, comply with prevention and evacuation orders issued by local governments, and beware of aftershocks and secondary disasters. In case of emergency, they should promptly call the police and contact Chinese embassies and consulates in Japan for assistance.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture on the evening of the 29th. The Japan Meteorological Agency said that the earthquake struck around 22:19 local time on the 29th (21:19 Beijing time on the 29th), with the epicenter located at 32.4 degrees north latitude and 130.4 degrees east longitude, and a very shallow focal depth.

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Death toll from earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan rises to 34

Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, July 30 (Reporters Li Ziyue (李子越), Chen Ze'an (陈泽安)) — The Kumamoto Prefecture Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters reported in an afternoon briefing on the 30th that the death toll from the magnitude-7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture has risen to 34, with another 5 people seriously injured.

Among the victims, 8 died in the chimney collapse accident at the Japan Pulp and Paper Group’s Yatsushiro Plant, and 7 died in the explosion and collapse accident at a large commercial facility in Kashima Town. At around 16:27 local time on the 28th, a magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, followed by continuous aftershocks. Currently, nearly 10,000 people remain evacuated due to the earthquake.

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Japan Begins 22nd Round of Nuclear-Contaminated Water Discharge

According to Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) on the 30th launched a new round of discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea. This is the fourth round of discharge in the current fiscal year and the 22nd round overall.

According to reports from local media in Fukushima, at 11:28 local time on the 30th (10:28 Beijing time on the 30th), TEPCO began this round of nuclear-contaminated water discharge.

According to materials released by TEPCO on the 28th, this round of discharge is planned to continue until August 17, with an estimated total of approximately 7,800 tons of nuclear-contaminated water to be discharged, containing approximately 1.3 trillion becquerels of radioactive tritium.

In August 2023, Japan, ignoring strong international opposition and criticism, unilaterally and forcibly started the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the sea. As of the 24th of this month, a total of 21 rounds of nuclear-contaminated water discharge had been conducted, with a cumulative discharge volume of approximately 165,000 tons.

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US military says it has completed latest round of strikes against Iran

Xinhua News Agency, Washington, July 29 — US Central Command said in a statement released on social media on the 29th that the US military completed the latest round of large-scale strikes on Iran at 22:00 Eastern Time on the 29th. The strikes lasted two hours and were a response to Iran's attempt to attack US forces stationed in the Middle East the previous day.

The statement said that the US military struck dozens of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps targets inside Iran, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, coastal surveillance and defense bases, and maritime combat capabilities. Currently, over 50,000 US military personnel are deployed in the Middle East, maintaining high alert and standing by at all times.

US Central Command released a message on social media on the 28th stating that Iran launched a missile surprise attack on US forces in the Middle East that day, and the US military intercepted all incoming missiles. Subsequently, US Central Command released another message stating that US forces and Saudi military forces conducted strikes on "Iran-backed" targets in Iraq. The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps issued a statement on the 29th saying that the Revolutionary Guard Air Force used missiles that day to strike a US Air Force base and command center located in Jordan.

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Zou Zhipeng, Zhang Huizhong, Chu Jun

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Chinese trendy toys break into overseas markets

From being a hit both at home and abroad all the way to appearing at the World Cup opening ceremony, the Chinese trendy toys (潮玩) craze continues to heat up globally. The overseas breakthrough of trendy toys is no accident; behind it relies on the complete Chinese manufacturing supply chain and industrial ecosystem, realizing the leap from "Made in China" to "Created in China." At the same time, Chinese trendy toys are rooted in Chinese culture, using non-linguistic emotional symbols to carry the common values of all humanity, crossing cultural barriers to spark resonance. They not only become a new window for the world to perceive Chinese culture but also open up new paths for the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations.

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The Cultural Phenomenon Behind China’s Trendy Toy Craze

By: 蓬蒂瓦·坎蒂亚猜

Labubu appeared at the opening ceremony of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico; over a hundred creative trendy toy products made a group appearance at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France; and long lines formed in front of Chinese trendy toy counters in Southeast Asian and European and American shopping districts… In recent years, the Chinese trendy toy craze has continued to heat up globally, attracting the attention and affection of more and more young people.

As a Thai journalist who has long followed youth culture, and also a trendy toy enthusiast, I have felt the unique charm of Chinese trendy toys. The fact that Chinese trendy toys have broken out of their circle and gone overseas is by no means accidental; behind it lies the transformation and upgrading of China’s creative industry, as well as the continuous enhancement of China’s cultural soft power.

The rise of trendy toys cannot be separated from the solid support of Chinese manufacturing. From original design and IP incubation, to refined production and quality control, to the construction of an efficient and complete supply chain system, the Chinese trendy toy industry has built a relatively complete development ecosystem. This reflects the leap of Chinese manufacturing from improving production efficiency and living functions to satisfying emotional value and spiritual needs, and mirrors the profound transformation from “Made in China” to “Created in China.” At the same time, increasingly complete industrial policy support, intellectual property protection measures, and the broad opportunities and testing space provided by China’s large market have all provided fertile soil for the growth of Chinese original trendy toys.

The trendy toy craze appears to be a trend, but behind it is a Chinese cultural phenomenon. The rise of Chinese trendy toys benefits from the continuous vitality and innovative development of Chinese culture under its rich accumulation. For example, Pop Mart’s DIMOO “A Cup of Wind and Moon” (一盏风月) series draws inspiration from the traditional imagery of “wind” and “moon”; the “Dream-eating Baku” (食梦貘) series of Wanle Tonghua (玩乐童话) brings the ancient mythical beasts from the Classic of Mountains and Seas to life… The vitality of Chinese trendy toys originates from the broad and profound Chinese culture. More and more trendy toy products are transforming uniquely Chinese cultural elements into visual styles and product forms that contemporary young people love to see and hear, and among them there is no lack of creative transformation and innovative development (创造性转化和创新性发展) of fine traditional Chinese culture. Precisely because of this, Chinese trendy toys can step onto the global stage with an international and innovative expression, and also become a window for the world to perceive Chinese culture.

The deeper reason lies in the fact that Chinese trendy toys, in the process of going overseas, retain distinct Chinese cultural characteristics while also carrying the common values of all humanity, possessing an infectiousness that directly reaches people’s hearts. By virtue of their de-linguistic “emotional symbol” characteristics, excellent original trendy toys make emotion a common language that transcends cultural and regional barriers. Take the example of the NOOK series launched by the Chinese trendy toy brand 52TOYS becoming popular in Southeast Asia: the story of an introverted boy and a stray cat journeying together in search of “small but certain happiness” conveys universal human emotions and common values such as companionship, healing, and hope, thereby triggering strong psychological resonance and cultural identity. Although young people in Southeast Asia speak different languages, they can enter the inner world of the characters through vivid storylines and the rich, nuanced expressions of the characters, shortening the distance between their hearts, and also allowing Chinese culture to enter the daily lives of Southeast Asian young people in a lighter, more natural way.

The popularity of Chinese trendy toys overseas has also opened up a new path for civilizational exchange and mutual learning. Like online literature, online games, and online dramas, trendy toys have become a new vehicle for Chinese culture to go global, showcasing to the world the aesthetic pursuits and innovative spirit of contemporary Chinese youth. At the same time, overseas consumers, through social media sharing, secondary creation, and other methods, have fostered more diverse cultural interactions, promoted a new trend of “global co-creation,” and enabled different cultures to enhance understanding and stimulate new creativity through exchange and mutual learning.

The overseas breakthrough of Chinese trendy toys holds great reference significance for Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand. From Thai mythology and legends, Malaysia’s multiculturalism, to Indonesia’s traditional arts and Vietnamese folk tales, Southeast Asia does not lack cultural resources with development potential. The challenge lies in how to transform them into original products with sustained vitality. In the future, I hope that Southeast Asian countries can further deepen cultural exchanges and cooperation with China, strengthen mutual learning in areas such as creative design, talent cultivation, and copyright protection, and jointly build a more open and inclusive international creative ecosystem.

When more and more overseas consumers come to understand and approach China through individual original trendy toys, and people from different cultural backgrounds get to know and appreciate each other through shared interests, Chinese trendy toys become not just commodities, but a cultural bond connecting China with the world. This kind of cultural resonance sparked by creativity is becoming one of the most vital forms of exchange and mutual learning under the conditions of economic globalization, and also allows the world to continuously perceive a more confident, open, and creative China.

(The author is a journalist from Thai National Television, translated and compiled by our reporter Bai Yuanqi (白元琪).)

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Li Feng, Chen Xirui

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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"Shennong" Moves from the Cloud to the Field (Weekly Economic Review)

By: 郁静娴

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that artificial intelligence is a new engine for world economic growth and an accelerator for the conversion of old and new driving forces, and is moving from the “digital world” to the “physical world”.

Artificial intelligence is accelerating iterative innovation. Not long ago, Wang Yaojun (王耀君)’s team at China Agricultural University released two major achievements in agricultural artificial intelligence — Shennong Big Model 4.0 and Shennong Agricultural World Model 1.0.

The weight of these two achievements is unusual. The former has been comprehensively upgraded in data coverage, pest and disease identification, genomic analysis, and service capabilities, pushing agricultural AI toward “seeing more accurately and understanding more”; the latter is equivalent to establishing a digital twin experimental field for farmland that grows and responds, answering “what will happen if we do it, and how it should be done.” In just a few years, the perception, cognition, reasoning, and decision-making capabilities of agricultural artificial intelligence have continuously touched new heights.

As an ancient industry that has lasted for thousands of years, agriculture provides a unique observation window for technology empowerment. In 2025, the application process of agricultural artificial intelligence has been accelerating, with the annual consumption of Tokens (词元) already exceeding 240 million. Driven by scenarios, data and code are transformed into real productivity, profoundly reconstructing traditional agricultural production methods.

The vitality of technology lies in solving practical problems. In Hainan, the first seed industry large model in China, “Fengdeng,” “reads genes, edits sequences, and calculates combinations,” greatly shortening the breeding cycle; in the lotus ponds of Yangzhou, Jiangsu, the AI system automatically regulates irrigation water volume and precisely calculates fertilizer usage, making large-scale and standardized cultivation of specialty crops and aquatic products possible; in Ganzhou, Jiangxi, intelligent sorting equipment quickly removes defective fruits, effectively reducing post-harvest losses of navel oranges, and helping good fruits sell at good prices. It can be seen that, by following the trend of agricultural modernization and hitting the pain points of each link, AI not only helps solve the problem of “who will farm the land,” but also has vast room for application in统筹发展 (tǒngchóu fāzhǎn - integrated development) of science-and-technology agriculture, green agriculture, quality agriculture, and brand agriculture.

At present, the core industry scale of China’s intelligent economy has already exceeded one trillion yuan, and many regions have laid out related tracks such as computing power and big data. Although our country’s AI technology is developing with 日新月异 (rì xīn yuè yì - “daily renewal, monthly change,” changing rapidly) speed, as far as the agricultural field is concerned, there is still a long way to go from point breakthroughs to system integration.

This is determined by our country’s unique agricultural conditions. Under smallholder management, production data is highly fragmented, while the soil, water, and climate of different regions are 千差万别 (qiān chā wàn bié - “thousand differences, ten thousand distinctions,” widely varying), and the objects of cultivation and breeding are complex and diverse, bringing about a vast number of vertical application scenarios. In addition, regional imbalances in mechanization levels and differences in digital literacy among populations also affect the outcomes of technology implementation. To promote “AI + Agriculture” from “penjing” (miniature landscape, i.e., isolated showcases) to a real landscape, it is necessary to base efforts on each region’s resources and conditions, avoid 一哄而上 (yī hōng ér shàng - “with a roar, go up,” rushing headlong into uniform construction), and through continuously consolidating the digital foundation of modern agriculture, form development patterns with distinct characteristics.

Technological development must always be people-centered; this is also the warmth that Chinese-style modernization (中国式现代化) should have. In the vast fields, each individual smallholder is the broadest service target. At present, some regions have released agricultural technology service agents that are lightweight and low-cost, capable of accurately understanding farmers’ everyday language, greatly lowering the threshold for use. Looking ahead, how can AI balance inclusivity and fairness, allowing subjects at different levels to share the digital dividend? How can it truly bridge the gap between small farmers and large-scale production through innovation in technological service means? These issues still await further reflection.

This year’s Central Document No. 1 and the “15th Five-Year Plan” for Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization have both made deployments for AI empowering agriculture. From traditional factor-driven to technological innovation-driven, the future development path of agriculture is becoming increasingly clear. With the support of advantages such as a complete industrial system, an ultra-large-scale market, and rich application scenarios, integrating artificial intelligence into the unique fabric of our country’s agricultural modernization will release more possibilities across the fields and farmlands.

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Lotus Seeds' Southward Migration (Three Meals, Four Seasons)

By: 本报记者 孙海天

At noon in Jiuzhou Town (旧州镇), Qiongshan District, Haikou, Hainan, the temperature reaches 35 degrees Celsius. A thousand mu of lotus ponds: lotus leaves layer upon layer in rolling waves, pink blossoms gently swaying in the heat. Harvest workers, wearing conical hats, wade into waist-deep paddy water and snap off emerald-green lotus seedpods. A few minutes later, the seedpods are sent into a cold storage facility not far away, where the temperature drops sharply to 4 degrees Celsius. This "rapid cooling" determines whether a single lotus seed can remain refreshingly sweet and crisp a thousand miles away.

This marks Hainan’s first large-scale planting of fresh-eating fruit lotus seeds. The "Sweetheart Lotus Seed" (甜心莲子), originally rooted in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, along with an entire set of preservation technology, has crossed the Qiongzhou Strait and settled in the tropical fields and paddies. When a consumer takes a box of fruit lotus seeds priced at 21.9 yuan off a supermarket shelf, it may be hard to imagine that these seeds were still growing in a Hainan lotus pond 48 hours ago.

The sweet lotus finds its way — from Hangzhou lotus ponds to Haikou fields and paddies

Fruit lotus seeds differ from the varieties sold from pushcarts on the street. Traditional lotus seeds have a bitter plumule and are mostly used for boiling soup or congee; fruit lotus seeds can reach a sweetness of 9 to 11 degrees, with a sweet, slightly tangy plumule, and can be eaten as a snack straight after shelling.

The person who discovered and cultivated this variety is Hong Zhihao (洪智浩), born in 1989, together with his father Hong Lihong (洪利红). In 2019, father and son founded Lianyi Agriculture (莲谊农业) in Xinyu Village (新宇村), Linping District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, focusing on the breeding, planting, and fresh-preservation processing of fruit lotus seeds. "After my father retired, he spent two years traveling all over Hubei, Hunan, and Fujian before he found this wild hybrid variety," Hong Zhihao says.

Fruit lotus seeds were not easy to sell at first. In 2020, after entering new retail channels such as Hema Fresh stores in Hangzhou, they quickly became popular. In five years, the planting base expanded from 50 mu to over 2,500 mu, annual sales broke through 10 million yuan, and the product spread from one city to the whole country.

However, as consumer demand grew, production capacity could not keep up. The Zhejiang production area usually only begins harvesting in summer, with a supply period of at most three full months. "In late spring and early summer, as soon as the weather turns hot, consumers start craving the refreshing, sweet, and not greasy fruit lotus seeds," says Zhang Jie (张杰), the Hema purchasing manager. "But at that time, Zhejiang's fruit lotus seeds are still two months away from maturity."

At that moment, about 2,000 kilometers away in Hainan, a "match" was being arranged.

Chilian Village (池连村), Jiuzhou Town, Haikou, had attempted lotus seed planting since 2023. Wenduoyang Field and Paddy (文多洋田洋), where Chilian Village is located, is low-lying and floods whenever it rains, so rice farming yielded meager returns. At that time, Liang Zheng (梁峥), then village Party总支 secretary, cooperated with local wealth leader Xu Zhenlin (许振琳) to plant 280 mu of traditional lotus seeds, with sales revenue exceeding 500,000 yuan that year.

"But the added value of traditional varieties is limited, and prices are unstable. With mere agricultural planting and no primary processing, the industry cannot last long," recalls Xie Qiangjian (谢强健), executive deputy town mayor of Jiuzhou Town. At the end of 2024, he learned about Lianyi Agriculture online and eventually contacted the Hong father and son. Xu Zhenlin had had business dealings with them before and also acted as a go-between.

Thus, Hong Zhihao’s team stepped onto the land of Jiuzhou Town for the first time. Gan Difu (甘迪夫), then deputy secretary of the village Party总支, took them to see the water source and the fields, then led them to the site of a village primary school that had been idle for years. "It is only a few minutes’ drive from the base, convenient for pre-cooling; and a half-hour drive from Meilan Airport, convenient for transport," Gan Difu says. Hong Zhihao immediately made the decision to set up there.

Xie Qiangjian then led a team to Hangzhou for investigation and study. There they saw that the local lotus seed industry also produced wine, lotus root starch, and lotus leaf tea, spreading the entire industrial chain wide — and they were greatly inspired. At the same time, for Lianyi Agriculture, the water temperature in Hainan can reach the germination temperature of 15 degrees Celsius by mid-March, about two months earlier than in the Zhejiang production area, naturally providing conditions for off-season supply.

The two sides 一拍即合 (yī pāi jí hé - "one clap and it comes together," to hit it off immediately).

In 2025, the Jiuzhou Town government applied for industrial funds, converted the school buildings into a lotus seed processing plant, with the government investing in fixed assets and the enterprise providing equipment. Hong Zhihao formally expanded his business to Hainan, planting about 1,500 mu of lotus fields in Jiuzhou Town, Sanmenpo Town (三门坡镇), and elsewhere. In mid-May this year, Chilian Village’s fruit lotus seeds began harvesting.

Racing against the heat — the preservation code for a 6-hour taste

One can grow them, but one may not be able to transport them. The key to fruit lotus seeds lies in the character "fresh."

"Lotus seeds are seeds; after leaving the seedpod, their respiration is vigorous, and they rapidly consume their own soluble sugars and organic acids," Hong Zhihao says. From harvesting to the onset of quality deterioration, the window is only 6 hours. Once that window passes, the lotus seeds turn brown, shrivel, and become bitter. "This is also why the lotus seedpods you buy on the roadside never taste good. Seedpods cannot travel far; if they go far, their freshness is lost. If a product does not have the ability to be transported over long distances, it does not have commodity viability."

During the first trial run last year, the team suffered a loss: they air-freighted the seedpods back to Hangzhou for processing, and a large amount of water was lost and aging occurred during transport, so the quality did not meet standards. Hong Zhihao made a firm decision: move the entire set of Hangzhou production and processing systems to Hainan, build a front-end processing warehouse right in the fields, and complete all steps from harvesting to box sealing on site.

The core of the system is three-stage pre-cooling. The first stage is in the field: as soon as the seedpods are picked, they are sent into the adjacent cold storage facility for rapid cooling, to make the lotus seeds "calm down" before respiration intensifies. The processing plant, a 15-minute drive away, is the second stage: workers hand-shell the seeds in a continuously temperature-controlled environment. Before sealing and packaging, a third stage of deep cooling is performed.

Why divide the cooling into three steps instead of doing it all at once? "We conducted comparative experiments with the Zhejiang Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences; plants cannot be suddenly cooled to an extremely low temperature, otherwise they will lose water and spoil — they must be given an adaptation period in stages," Hong Zhihao says.

After the three-stage pre-cooling, the lotus seeds are packed in modified-atmosphere fresh-keeping packaging to delay oxidative browning and flavor loss. Hong Zhihao calls it the lotus seed's "dormancy chamber." Then, through Hema’s cold-chain transport, the lotus seeds can be shipped by air to all parts of the country, "sleeping" all the way to the consumer.

"Thirty-six hours to the warehouse, 48 hours to the shelf, and only one day of shelf life," says Fuzhou (福洲), Hema’s vegetable procurement manager. "It places extremely high demands on the channel: stable orders, full cold chain, strict same-day turnover — not a single link can be missing."

Today, the first batch of Hainan "Sweetheart Lotus Seeds" has been simultaneously put on shelves at Hema stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and elsewhere. Data show that "Sweetheart Lotus Seed" sales are doubling every week. Besides the Yangtze River Delta, markets in the Southwest and North China are also performing well.

In the first half of this year, the lotus seed industry encountered a new difficulty. Affected by aviation fuel prices, the number of flights out of Haikou has decreased significantly compared with the same period last year, and the lotus seeds are competing for "transport capacity" with lychees that come on the market at the same time. Hong Zhihao admits that in the short term both the enterprise and the retailer have lowered their profit expectations, "but the industry’s establishment in Hainan is 势在必行 (shì zài bì xíng - "the situation demands action," imperative and unavoidable). Temporary difficulties will not affect the long-term layout."

Taking root in fertile soil — a sweet industry emerges from idle land

After the technology takes hold, whether a single lotus seed can truly take root in the tropical soil depends on what it brings to this land.

Gan Difu, who took over as Party总支 secretary of Chilian Village after the change of term in March this year, has done some calculations: Lianyi Agriculture purchases fresh seedpods at a guaranteed price of 8 yuan per jin, nearly double the 4 to 5 yuan per jin for traditional lotus seedpods; the industry has driven villagers’ employment, with about 80 workers needed each day for harvesting and about 100 workers for the processing plant; land transfer rent paid to farmers totals 400,000 to 500,000 yuan a year; and 15 households have voluntarily planted lotus seeds, with each household earning about 20,000 yuan annually. "The village’s total labor income for the whole year is expected to exceed 2 million yuan," Gan Difu says.

Villager Zeng Qiongbo (曾琼波) has 10 mu of land in the Chilian lotus seed industrial park. In the past, whenever it rained it flooded, and she could only grow one crop of rice a year; after deducting costs, the per-mu income was no more than 400 yuan. Now she has transferred her land out for lotus planting, earning 9,000 yuan a year just from rent, and she also harvests seedpods at the park, earning over 100 yuan a day. "Having a job at my doorstep, with stable income, life has hope!" Zeng Qiongbo says.

The driving effect is expanding to the surrounding areas. The total lotus seed planting area in Jiuzhou Town has grown from 280 mu in 2023 to nearly 1,500 mu today. Preliminary estimates show that the province-wide planting area has also increased from about 3,000 mu three or four years ago to nearly 5,000 mu. "Before, Haikou folks only knew that lotus seeds could be boiled in soup; now they eat fruit lotus seeds, and not one says it’s not delicious," Xie Qiangjian says.

Not all harvested seedpods are made into high-end fruit lotus seeds. About half of the total yield consists of older lotus seeds suitable for stewing soup or cooking congee, called "vegetable lotus" in the trade; these will be sold to Haikou’s local market and to wholesale channels in other areas. The tender ones go through the supermarket fruit channel, the older ones serve as traditional table vegetables — thus the value of a single seedpod is fully released.

The government’s proactive services have helped the northward-migrating lotus seeds take root faster. When waterlogging on the road in front of the plant affected transport, funds were immediately allocated for paving; when the workshop lacked workers, the government quickly organized over a hundred people from various villages to come for trial work; when the enterprise needed to register a legal person, coordination was arranged to handle the registration procedures without delay. "When the enterprise encounters difficulties, they raise them, and we help solve them at once, so that the enterprise, like the lotus seeds, can take root," says Wang Changrui (王昌锐), Jiuzhou Town mayor.

Gan Difu has even longer-term plans. Jiuzhou Town is located in the volcanic rock area of Jiuzhou Ridge, rich in cold spring resources with good water quality; the agricultural products grown here have excellent taste and texture. The downstream paddy fields are suitable for "lotus-rice rotation": planting lotus in the first half of the year and one season of rice in the second half. "The whole village has several thousand mu of paddy fields; as long as the water source is sufficient, this model can be used — there is considerable room for development," Gan Difu says.

Xie Qiangjian explains that Jiuzhou Town also plans to turn the lotus seed base into a sightseeing and check-in spot, combining local cold spring resources and specialty products like Longjing "Sanjiao Ning" sweet potatoes to develop rural tourism routes. "We want to build a distinctive industry that integrates planting, processing, sales, and employment."

At the end of July, this season’s lotus seeds in Hainan will be finished; before the typhoons come in August, the lotus fields will be cleared and rotated to one season of rice. In March of next year, the seedlings will be brought in again, and a new round of lotus planting will begin.

Eat Hainan lotus in summer, eat Jiangnan lotus in autumn. The lotus ponds of the two regions relay supply, and the fresh, sweet fruit lotus seeds extend from early summer to deep autumn.

In the evening, the lotus ponds of Wenduoyang are covered with a layer of golden sunset. Lotus leaves overlap in layers, blossoms peeking out among the leaves. Chinese people have been planting, appreciating, and eating lotus seeds for over 2,000 years. Zhou Dunyi wrote of it "emerging from muddy silt yet unstained" — that was the emotional expression of a literatus. For the villagers of Chilian Village, this low-lying land that was still barren three years ago is now covered with lotus flowers, meaning rent, wages, and a livelihood right at their doorstep. The same lotus — the ancients endowed it with moral character; today’s people harvest a living from it — 各得其所 (gè dé qí suǒ - "each gets its proper place," each finds its rightful role).

Thus, a fruit lotus seed that crossed the sea from Zhejiang has taken deep root in the fields and paddies of northern Hainan.

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Health and Wellness Empowerment: A Remote Mountain Town Forges a Path to Revitalization (Beautiful Countryside, My Home)

By: 本报记者 刘鑫焱 郑洋洋

In the height of summer, the deep Taihang Mountains are layered with emerald and flowing jade. In Songmiao Village (松庙村), Lingchuan County (陵川县), Jincheng City (晋城市), Shanxi, a clear breeze passes through the forest, and bluestone slab paths wind through the village; the scenery is 美不胜收 (měi bù shèng shōu - "beauty too abundant to be fully taken in," extremely beautiful). Relying on its high-quality ecology, this deep-mountain village at the junction of Shanxi and Henan has transformed into a well-known summer resort and health-and-wellness internet-famous check-in spot.

"Starting in April, tourists from Henan, Shandong and other places have been coming here for vacations one after another. In the peak tourist season of July and August, homestays are almost fully booked every day, and we have no worries at all about finding customers," said Wang Ling (王玲), the First Secretary of the village Communist Party branch stationed in Songmiao Village. She frankly stated that every summer and autumn, the tranquil mountain village is filled with the bustling energy of daily life.

Songmiao Village is located in the eastern part of Lingchuan County, enjoying unique locational and ecological advantages, adjacent to the two major scenic areas of Wangmang Ridge (王莽岭) and Qizi Mountain (棋子山), and traversed by the Taihang No. 1 Tourist Highway (太行一号旅游公路) and the Gaoxin Expressway. The village's forest coverage rate exceeds 80%, the average summer temperature does not exceed 22 degrees Celsius, rainfall is abundant, and the climate is warm and moist, making it a natural summer resort.

In the past, constrained by poor transportation, Songmiao Village had a single industry and large amounts of idle land and houses, once degenerating into a desolate "hollow village."

How to revitalize the ecological family assets and awaken the sleeping countryside?

"Our biggest advantage is the quiet environment and fresh air, which allow people to relax both body and mind," Wang Ling explained. In 2020, the Taihang No. 1 Tourist Highway reached the village entrance, opening up the development channel for the deep mountains. At that time, Jincheng City launched the "Hundred Villages, Hundred Courtyards" health and wellness project (康养“百村百院”工程), and Songmiao Village seized the policy and locational dividends, insisting on planning first and precise positioning.

The village invited several professional planning teams to conduct on-site surveys and systematic planning. Combining the village's architectural style, ecological endowment, and transportation advantages, it laid out the business format around the integrated layout of "health and wellness + sleep," building a solid foundation for the village's transformation.

At the "Yiyang Song Bar" (怡养松吧) health and wellness service base created in the village, acupuncture, physiotherapy, cupping, massage, and other functional rooms are all available. Relying on university-local cooperation resources, experts from Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine and Lingchuan County Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine regularly take up posts in the village, carrying out professional health and wellness services on a normalized basis. "We have an original ecological health and wellness environment, and we also have professional health and wellness technology," Wang Ling introduced. The village also brought in Wang Hongxing (王红星), an expert in neurology from Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, to establish a postdoctoral workstation.

"In the past, the village was full of old and dilapidated houses. We had good mountains and rivers but couldn't earn money. Now, with scientific planning to revitalize resources, the village appearance has changed dramatically, and villagers have the confidence to increase their income," said Qiao Nan (乔楠), the village Party branch secretary.

Since 2020, the village has launched a health and wellness homestay project with a total investment of over 53 million yuan and covering an area of 15,600 square meters, innovating the resource revitalization model and activating the village's sleeping assets.

Villagers such as Wang Wenqing (王文清), who had been working outside, have returned to their hometown to open distinctive homestays. "In the past, I worked outside all year round. Now I am back in the village running a homestay. During summer vacation, it is almost fully booked every day, and my net daily income exceeds one thousand yuan," Wang Wenqing said.

The village committee revitalized 56 idle homesteads in the village; for well-preserved residential houses, a 20-year long-term rental model was implemented, with villagers' annual rental income reaching 6,000 yuan. At the same time, the county government launched a "government interest subsidy, free guarantee" policy benefiting the people for villagers along the Taihang No. 1 Tourist Highway.

Today, in Songmiao Village, 22 distinctive wooden cabins, 4 boutique homestay courtyards, and 19 farmhouse-stay establishments are arranged in a scattered but orderly fashion, with supporting facilities such as a health-and-wellness restaurant and a sleep examination center fully equipped.

To ensure the long-term development of the industry, the village innovated the development model of "county agricultural investment company + village shareholding economic cooperative + villagers." In 2019, the village shareholding economic cooperative (村股份经济合作社) was established, and the following year, it jointly formed a professional operation enterprise with the county agricultural investment company (县农投公司), incorporating it into the unified brand operation of "Taihang Homestay" (太行人家). Through the two-way model of social capital contracting and villagers' independent operation, market-oriented and standardized operation was achieved.

Shen Yuping (申玉平), 56 years old, works at a wooden cabin restaurant near her home, increasing her monthly income by 2,000 yuan. "Before, I relied entirely on my husband going out to work as a migrant laborer, and I farmed at home. Now the village's industry is thriving, I can earn money right at my doorstep, the family income is steadily increasing, and life is increasingly promising," Shen Yuping said.

The village stably provides over 40 job positions, such as homestay butlers, catering service staff, and scenic area operations and maintenance staff, enabling villagers to "achieve nearby employment without leaving the village." In 2025, the per capita net income of Songmiao Village villagers reached 17,000 yuan, and the village collective income exceeded 600,000 yuan.

Today, Songmiao Village welcomes over 150,000 tourists annually, with a turnover of approximately 10 million yuan. This small town deep in the Taihang Mountains, taking ecology as its foundation and health and wellness as its core, has revitalized idle resources and driven up the income of the masses, blazing a new path for comprehensive rural revitalization.

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Deng Jianyang

Layout design: Zhang Danfeng

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Public services should be more attentive and patient (Prism)

By: 陆凡冰

Urban governance pursues refinement, and refinement must not remain merely in written plans; modern community construction must also not allow basic safety services to have loopholes.

Not long ago, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, two nine-year-old girls were trapped in an elevator for nearly two hours. During that time, they repeatedly pressed the emergency call button inside the elevator at least 35 times, but were “mistaken for playing mischief” and ignored by a security guard who was separated from them by only one wall. The property management company stated that the directly responsible person had been advised to resign. This elevator entrapment incident, which could have been quickly resolved, took two hours to settle, exposing the property management’s lack of responsibility, the 形同虚设 (xíng tóng xū shè - "to exist in name only," utterly ineffective) emergency response mechanism, and the loopholes in public safety management.

People being trapped in an elevator is a common emergency situation in residential property management. Even an adult encountering an elevator malfunction will become anxious within just over ten minutes, let alone two children as young as nine. In a cramped, confined space with dim lighting, the helplessness of being out of contact with the outside world, fear intensifies with time. The duty security guard, relying solely on subjective assumption, mistook the continuous distress signals for children playing. A single flippant judgment nearly turned an ordinary equipment malfunction into long-term psychological trauma, and even gave rise to greater safety hazards. Misinterpreting the children’s repeated cries for help as horseplay superficially reflects the duty staff’s observational oversight, but at its root lies a weak sense of post responsibility and a lack of reverence for life’s calls for help.

Property management is the primary responding entity for residential safety governance. The fire control duty room, as the front line of safety early warning, must never be reduced to a mere decoration. When homeowners choose to settle here, what they entrust to the property management is not just the management of residential buildings and elevator equipment, but also the sense of security in daily life. The property management duty post may seem ordinary and humble, yet it is connected to the safety of thousands of households. Especially for important safety facilities such as elevators, fire protection, surveillance, and access control, property management cannot be satisfied merely with “having someone on duty”; it must strictly implement a complete workflow of dedicated personnel responsibility, immediate handling, and full-loop closure. A security guard on duty shoulders real safety responsibilities; receiving a resident’s distress signal must not be a formalistic reply, but a rescue action that must be carried out quickly. What the public finds hard to forgive is never the sudden malfunction of the elevator equipment itself, but the delay in rescue opportunities caused by the negligence and slackness of security personnel when rescue conditions clearly exist.

Public safety management must particularly emphasize the true implementation of emergency management systems. The property management involved responded that there were objective factors such as communication signal problems and the microphone not being returned to its place. This precisely illustrates that a well-established emergency mechanism should already cover contingencies such as signal failures, personnel misjudgments, and equipment malfunctions. Measures such as double-person duty review, regular training for key positions, graded emergency response plans for faults, and post-incident accountability review must not remain merely on paper in regulations and documents, but must be integrated into daily work. A single slow and improper handling action reflects precisely that in normal times drills have not been taken seriously, plans have not been made detailed, and responsibilities have not been firmly pressed.

Particularly crucial is this: for minors, any public service should have an extra measure of attentiveness, patience, and sensitivity. When a child repeatedly presses buttons and continuously calls for help in an emergency, that is the most direct and clear danger warning. Ignoring a child’s urgent plea for help and mistaking anguished calls for help as unreasonable disturbances is not only a lack of goodwill toward minors, but also numbness and disregard for the baseline of urban public safety.

Urban governance pursues refinement, and refinement must not remain merely in written plans; modern community construction must also not allow basic safety services to have loopholes. Upgrading old elevators, regularly inspecting facilities and equipment, systematically training security personnel, normalizing emergency drills, and establishing accountability tracing mechanisms—these are all seemingly trivial but critically important livelihood details. The people’s direct perception of a better life comes precisely from whether these so-called “small matters” are taken seriously. Evaluating the quality of residential property management has never been about how many propaganda slogans are posted on the bulletin board, but whether, in a moment of crisis, residents’ life safety can be protected first and foremost.

When a child is trapped, what should be heard most is “coming right away,” not “stop playing with the elevator buttons.” For incidents like this, comprehensive rectification must be carried out in terms of processes, training, responsibilities, supervision, etc., truly plugging the loopholes and turning the lesson into protection. Treating every求助 as a real call for help, and every malfunction as a tough test—that is being responsible to the people and responsible to the city.

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Housing provident fund more affordable and practical (Big Country, Small Home)

By: 本报记者 尹晓宇 游 仪 辛 阳

This year's Government Work Report clearly states: "Deepen the reform of the housing provident fund system." In the first half of the year, housing provident fund policies across various regions have seen intensive adjustments. According to incomplete statistics, more than 60 cities have adjusted and optimized their housing provident fund policies, focusing on loan ceilings, down payment ratios, and withdrawal scope, to further unleash housing consumption potential and ensure people's wellbeing.

Through continuous adjustment and optimization, the housing provident fund system has accelerated its transformation from a single "home purchase financing tool" in the past to a comprehensive housing security and livelihood support platform covering the entire life cycle of housing "purchase, rental, repair, and maintenance." What tangible benefits has the adjusted and optimized housing provident fund policy brought to the people? Reporters went to Suzhou City in Jiangsu Province, Chengdu City in Sichuan Province, and Shenyang City in Liaoning Province to conduct investigation and interviews.

Loan ceiling raised, smoothly moved to a new home

Selecting floor materials, studying kitchen and bathroom layouts, comparing wallpaper colors... Mr. Li, a citizen of Suzhou, has been busy recently decorating his new home. "Just thinking about the day we move into the new home, I'm happy. This is all thanks to Suzhou's new housing provident fund policy!" Mr. Li and his wife told reporters with great joy.

Mr. and Mrs. Li are ordinary salaried workers. Their family of three had long lived in a three-bedroom apartment of over 90 square meters in Gusu District (姑苏区). Household clutter accumulated more and more, yet there was not even a proper storage room; everywhere was piled high. In addition, the community facilities were aging, and parking spaces were "hard to find." Living comfort was declining day by day. As their child grew, improving living conditions and giving their family a better living environment became the couple's wish.

"When we planned to change homes, we looked at some new houses. The layout designs and community amenities really attracted us." It turned out that a few months ago, Mr. and Mrs. Li had their eye on a property and were quite satisfied with it in all aspects. However, after paying the down payment for the replacement new home, there was still a loan gap of about 3.4 million yuan, leaving them 一筹莫展 (yī chóu mò zhǎn - "cannot find a single move to display," at a loss for what to do). According to Suzhou's housing provident fund policy at that time, the maximum housing provident fund loan ceiling for each family was 1.5 million yuan. The repayment pressure from the remaining nearly 2 million yuan in commercial loans put the family's home-changing plan on hold.

A turning point came in June this year. Mr. Li saw from the news Suzhou's new housing provident fund policy: the maximum housing provident fund loan ceiling for a family was adjusted to 2 million yuan; for purchasing a newly built commercial housing project within the city's administrative region that implements sales of completed properties, the housing provident fund loan ceiling is increased by 50% on top of the eligible loan amount; for purchasing a newly built residential green building of two-star rating or above within the city's administrative region, the housing provident fund loan ceiling is increased by 20% on top of the eligible loan amount.

To confirm the housing provident fund loan amount for the new home he had previously favored, Mr. Li specifically called the Suzhou Housing Provident Fund Management Center. The staff told him that because the couple applied jointly and were purchasing a newly built completed housing project within the city's administrative region that is also a two-star or above green building, they could enjoy a 50% increase on the housing provident fund ceiling, plus an additional 20% uplift — that is, 2 million yuan plus a 70% increase, amounting to 3.4 million yuan.

"Then the provident fund can fully cover the loan amount." Mr. Li was 喜出望外 (xǐ chū wàng wài - "joy beyond expectation," overjoyed) and restarted the shelved home purchase plan. He did the math for reporters: this time, using the entire 30-year provident fund loan will save nearly 200,000 yuan in interest compared to the previous combination of provident fund and commercial loan.

He Jingqing (何静清), Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Suzhou Housing Provident Fund Management Center, introduced that Suzhou, taking the continuous satisfaction of the people's diverse and varied housing needs as its starting point, fully leverages the role of the housing provident fund policy toolbox, successively issuing more than 50 new policies benefiting the people, including raising loan ceilings, extending to the full life cycle of housing "purchase, rental, repair, and maintenance." From January to June this year, Suzhou issued 25.699 billion yuan in housing provident fund loans and 32.913 billion yuan in provident fund withdrawals, with business scale firmly ranking first in Jiangsu Province.

Adding elevators, making it more convenient for the elderly to go up and down stairs

The elevator car was very quiet, with only the numbers on the floor display changing. Eighty-year-old Liu Fen (a pseudonym) stood in the middle; the buttons lit up, the elevator descended smoothly, and soon reached the first floor from the fifth floor. The door slowly opened, and sunlight and the sounds of bustle poured in together. "With the elevator, going up and down stairs is much more convenient!" Liu Fen said that she now goes out more times in a week than she did in a whole month in the past.

Liu Fen lives in the Qianxi Huating (千禧华庭) residential community in Shuangliu District (双流区), Chengdu. In the past, the community was old and had no elevator; due to Liu Fen's leg and foot problems, going out was difficult. Especially in windy and rainy weather, the slippery steps made her 望而却步 (wàng ér què bù - "look and step back," to shrink back at the sight). Adding an elevator became her long-cherished wish.

In June 2025, the community officially launched an elevator installation project for old buildings. According to policy, elevator installation can receive special government subsidies, with the remaining costs shared by households based on floor level. Originally thinking her wish was about to come true, the calculated costs left Liu Fen in a difficult position: "The shared cost is over 50,000 yuan. How can I afford that?"

It turned out that Liu Fen relies on her pension to live each month, and with daily medical expenses, her budget was already tight. Pulling out over 50,000 yuan at once for renovation costs was a big pressure for her. More frustratingly, as an older-generation resident, Liu Fen had never contributed to the housing provident fund and could not enjoy provident fund relief policies. The funding problem made her very conflicted: she hoped the elevator would be installed soon, but could not bear the high shared costs.

Targeting the common pain point in old community renovation of "elderly have no provident fund, difficulty paying shared costs for elevator installation," in 2024, Chengdu included elevator installation in the scope of housing provident fund withdrawals. The users expanded from contributors and their spouses to include parents, children, and children's spouses. In 2025, it was further expanded to the scenario of replacing old elevators, achieving intergenerational mutual assistance within families.

This heartwarming new policy solved the problem for old community residents. Liu Fen's son submitted materials with one click through an online channel, handled the entire process online, and smoothly withdrew provident fund to pay for the individual share of elevator installation costs. In January this year, the brand-new elevator was officially put into use. The elevator added to the old building made it easy, convenient, and safe for Liu Fen to go up and down stairs.

Behind the newly installed elevator in an old community lies the precise adaptation of the housing provident fund policy. "Since the policy was introduced, we have supported a total of 1,766 households in installing or updating elevators, with a total withdrawal amount of over 62 million yuan," introduced He Bin (何彬), Director of the Policy Management Department of the Chengdu Housing Provident Fund Management Center.

In recent years, Chengdu has continuously optimized the supply of housing provident fund policies, centering on optimizing loan policies and striving to build a full life-cycle coverage and usage guarantee system for housing. In March this year, Chengdu introduced policies including raising loan ceilings, temporarily canceling restrictions on the number of loan applications, and optimizing the identification of first homes, along with existing measures such as loan ceiling increases for families with multiple children and "trade-in" groups, to reduce the cost of home purchases for the people.

Paying property management fees, making living more comfortable

"In the past, after the mortgage was paid off, the money in the provident fund account could only be saved. Now, paying property management fees and renovating the home environment can all be withdrawn, truly put to great use!" Xue Ming, an employee living in Heping District (和平区), Shenyang, recently completed a property management fee withdrawal through the mobile provident fund APP, with 3,000 yuan in provident fund directly offsetting the year's property expenses.

In the past, many families in Shenyang who had paid off their mortgages and had no immediate plans to change homes had their housing provident fund accounts sitting idle for a long time. On one hand, contributing employees held provident fund but had nowhere to use it; on the other hand, there was a lack of funding support for essential livelihood needs such as old community renovation, home aging-appropriate decoration, parking space purchase, and property management fee payments, creating a clear bottleneck between supply and demand. The Shenyang Housing Provident Fund Management Center changed its policy thinking, pushing the provident fund system to transform from "guaranteeing whether one has housing" to "improving living quality."

From the end of 2025 to the first half of 2026, Shenyang issued housing provident fund new policies in three batches, successively introducing six major withdrawal measures: property management fees, home purchase deed tax, parking space purchase, home aging- and child-friendly renovation, rough-house decoration, and urban renewal, moving away from piecemeal adjustments to achieve systematic restructuring. For example, among daily living expenses, the property management fee withdrawal policy was implemented earliest and benefited the largest number of people, with withdrawal limits set according to housing area: up to 2,000 yuan per year for homes under 90 square meters, and up to 3,000 yuan per year for homes over 90 square meters.

Focusing on the livelihood concerns of "the elderly and the young," at the end of June this year, Shenyang launched a provident fund withdrawal policy for home aging-friendly (and child-friendly) renovation, directly targeting the pain points of home-based elderly care and childcare. Families with elderly over 65 years old or children under 3 years old, and who have not withdrawn provident fund in the past three years, can withdraw up to 10,000 yuan per household in a lump sum for renovating bathrooms, installing safety handrails, and other suitable facilities.

Xue Ming plans to renovate the residence for her parents. Her husband's provident fund can just be used for home renovation, with the couple's contribution accounts working separately to jointly share the family's housing renovation expenses.

Data attests to the effectiveness of the reform: Since the implementation of the property management fee withdrawal policy in Shenyang in January this year, 27,800 employees have processed withdrawals, with a cumulative withdrawal of 70.02 million yuan; after the launch of new services such as parking space, deed tax, and home renovation, 315 employees have cumulatively withdrawn 4.67 million yuan.

"This round of policy adjustments has solved the problem of idle provident fund for a large number of mortgage-free families, precisely matching the diverse housing needs of the people in the era of housing stock." Li Xiaoyan (李晓研), Director of the Fund Raising Department of the Shenyang Provident Fund Management Center, said that Shenyang will continue to deepen provident fund system reform, continuously expand the boundaries of system services, and persistently optimize supporting measures for withdrawal and use, so that the "water" in the provident fund reservoir truly flows into every aspect of the people's living and housing, using refined livelihood policies to ensure that the people have a place to live and live well.

Period coordinator: Shen Shaotie (申少铁)

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"Persisting in the Continuous Delivery of Nutritious Meals with Love" (Care for the People)

By: 主讲人：“中国好人”、山东乐陵市浩玥餐饮服务有限公司负责人 李 刚

On July 1, 2026, lunch, 72 portions.” At 11:30 a.m., I delivered the nutritious meals on time to Leling (乐陵) Special Education School. After checking the quantity and confirming no errors, I wrote this line of numbers in my record book. Over the past 10 years, I have delivered more than 110,000 portions of free love meals (爱心餐).

My name is Li Gang (李刚), born in the 1970s, and my hometown is Wangqi Village (王起村), Hu Jia Street (胡家街道), Leling City, Shandong. Previously, I worked outside the hometown all year round. In 2015, I returned to my hometown to start a business and opened a catering company on Shizhong Street (市中街道) in Leling City.

Quitai Middle School (奎台中学) in Zhengdian Town (郑店镇), Leling City is relatively remote and had harsh conditions; back then there was no cafeteria. Starting in 2016, I drove more than 40 kilometers every day to deliver meals to that school. One day in November of that year, after I finished delivering lunch, I found that a teacher was still making a fire to cook in the yet-unrenovated teaching building. At that time, the cold wind made my face hurt, and the teacher was holding a child in his arms, which was very inconvenient. The principal, Li Houguo (李厚国), explained that there were four teachers from other places who lived and ate at the school.

I, too, had worked far from home and deeply understood the hardships of being away from one’s native place. If the teachers could not even solve the problem of eating, how could they settle down and stay? The rural children desperately needed them. The next day when I delivered meals, I had my wife prepare four extra portions and provided them free of charge to those teachers. That was also the first love meal we delivered.

Not long after, when I saw the principal again, he greeted me from afar and happily said that now the four teachers from other places had solved the difficulty of eating, that they were full of energy at work, and that all of them had become homeroom teachers.

As the company’s business expanded, I came into contact with some disadvantaged left-behind children. These children lacked companionship emotionally and were financially strapped; they needed our help. So, my love meal service group extended from teachers to students from financially struggling households in rural townships, including many rural schools in Leling City such as Dasun Middle School (大孙中学) and Zhuji Middle School (朱集中学). Each school had six or seven needy students, all of whom could receive free, warm and nutritious love meals on a long-term basis.

Many people do not understand and ask me, “What are you after by doing this?” Actually, I am not after anything at all. By doing what little I can within my power, I feel at ease in my heart. When I was young, my family was not well-off, but the elders in my family were all very warm-hearted. Back then, people still used old yellow oxen to plow fields. During the busy farming season, my grandfather would lead his own old yellow ox to help neighbors plow. Our household was hard up, but when fellow villagers came to borrow rice or flour, my parents never hesitated.

Having been deeply influenced since childhood, “lending a hand when there is something to do” seems completely normal to me. After graduating from junior high school, I went to work as a worker at the Leling Pesticide Factory (乐陵市农药厂). My salary was only about 100 yuan, but every month I set aside a portion to help poor households in the village. Later, when my circumstances improved, I could do even more. Every holiday, I would deliver daily necessities such as rice, flour, oil, and quilts to the elderly over 75 in the village.

Whether it is school meal delivery or love meals, I dare not slack off. Raw materials are screened layer by layer; special lunch boxes are washed and dried with high-temperature, high-pressure rinsing, then sterilized with ultraviolet light. Every procedure is strictly standardized.

In 2020, by chance, I learned that most students at Leling Special Education School had physical or intellectual disabilities, placing heavy burdens on their families. After an on-site visit, the children’s innocent smiles made my heart ache even more. I made a promise on the spot: to provide nutritious meals free of charge to all students at the school on a long-term basis.

Whether in bitter winter or scorching summer, in wind or rain, I drive the insulated delivery truck on time every day to deliver meals, strictly controlling the entire process from ingredient procurement to cooking and transportation. I change the menu every week to ensure the meals are warm, tasty, and nutritionally balanced. Many children who have eaten the love meals for a long time have shown noticeable improvements in their digestive systems and overall health.

One person’s faint light is ultimately limited; only when many join hands can warm more people. What makes me happy is that more and more friends around me are joining the ranks of caring for these children, and some have even spontaneously formed a “love team (爱心小队).” Dentist Gao Xinyong (高新勇) is one of them. He regularly goes to the special education school to check the children’s teeth for free and brings them daily necessities such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, becoming the children’s personal dental health care provider.

In the future, as long as my company does not go under, I will persist in delivering the nutritious love meals. I also always hope that more people will devote themselves to public welfare and pass on goodwill, gathering little glimmers of light into a warm river of stars, illuminating the path forward for more people.

(Interviewed and compiled by Wang Pei (王沛), reporter for this newspaper)

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Layout Editor: Shen Shaotie

Layout design: Zhang Danfeng (张丹峰)

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Expanding the Creative Boundaries of Historical Drama

By: 高长力

Television dramas are a door for us to understand the world, and also a window for us to look back at history. Recently, the television drama River and Sea Tide Rise (江海潮生) aired in prime time on CCTV-1. Through this window of television drama, many viewers have gained a more comprehensive and profound understanding of Zhang Jian (张謇), whom they first encountered in history textbooks. Analyzing the popularity of dramas such as River and Sea Tide Rise and Peaceful Years (太平年), we can gain insights into the breakthrough in the creation of serious historical dramas.

Serious historical dramas have returned to the mainstream creative track. Serious historical dramas were once a popular genre in domestic television dramas. Classic works such as The Qin Empire (大秦帝国), The Emperor Han Wu (汉武大帝), Yongzheng Dynasty (雍正王朝), Ming Dynasty 1566 (大明王朝1566), The Long River (天下长河), etc., all achieved good ratings and reputation. However, in recent years, the creation of serious historical dramas has fallen into a persistent decline, and the heavy narrative on screen once gave way to entertainment-oriented ancient costume content.

There are multiple realistic causes for the cooling of serious historical dramas. From a market logic perspective, the creation cycle of serious historical dramas is long, the cost of textual research is high, and the investment in real-scene sets and costumes is enormous, which means a long payback period and high uncertainty in commercial returns. From a creative perspective, serious historical dramas must strictly adhere to the boundaries of historical facts; any slight deviation in major historical context or character evaluation can easily provoke dual controversy from historians and audiences. The creation of serious historical dramas requires long-term accumulation and considerable historical knowledge.

Facing problems such as imbalance in the creation of serious historical dramas, a gap in subject matter, and a thin character lineage, the National Radio and Television Administration (国家广电总局) has in recent years continuously improved top-level design and, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of History (中国历史研究院), formed a set of mechanisms for guidance, support, and creative direction. Historical experts intervene from the early stages of creation to guide and review, strictly adhering to the script-centered system (剧本中心制), starting from grasping the script to systematically promote the return of serious historical dramas to the mainstream creative track. Under the protection of this entire policy mechanism, the creation of serious historical dramas has gradually emerged from its low point, ushering in a concentrated emergence of high-quality works.

Peaceful Years, aired earlier this year, is a serious historical drama born under this mechanism. The creators turned their attention to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, a chaotic era long neglected by the film and television industry, excavating the deep-seated foundation of Chinese civilization's aspiration for stability and unity from the historical process of moving from division to unification. The drama takes the historical fact of ceding territory and returning to Song (纳土归宋) as its narrative axis, unfolding a panoramic view of the chaotic era around key historical figures such as Qian Hongchu (钱弘俶), Zhao Kuangyin (赵匡胤), and Guo Rong (郭荣), always closely adhering to the narrative main line of peace under heaven, peace for the people (天下太平，百姓安宁). Particularly commendable is that Peaceful Years discards the single standard of 成王败寇 (chéng wáng bài kòu - "the victor becomes king, the loser a bandit," judging solely by success or failure) and objectively restores the common aspiration of rulers from all sides for stable order and people's livelihood during the chaotic era, profoundly explaining that unification is an irreversible historical trend and the will of the people. During creation, experts in Five Dynasties history were stationed with the crew throughout to provide guidance and review. The semi-classical and semi-vernacular dialogue system fitting the historical context, the rigorously researched ritual costumes, and the details of prefecture and county administrative systems together constructed a credible and perceptible historical space. After the series aired, young viewers proactively consulted the official histories and local gazetteers of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and the cultural tourism popularity of related historical landmarks such as the King Qian Temple (钱王祠) in Hangzhou significantly increased, forming a cultural phenomenon of watching dramas to study history (追剧学史) that sparked heated discussion across the internet.

The popularity and heated discussion of Peaceful Years fully prove that obscure eras in historical records and rarely portrayed historical figures also contain rich spiritual deposits. As long as the creators uphold a reverent attitude to deeply cultivate historical materials and adhere to historical materialism, they can continuously break through thematic blind spots and constantly expand the boundaries of serious historical drama creation.

Historical characters come alive on screen. To promote the creation of serious historical dramas, the National Radio and Television Administration, in relevant plans, encourages deep cultivation of Chinese historical themes, excavating historical sages and heroic figures, planning major historical themes with the vertical and horizontal coordinate method (纵横坐标法), and including the Eternal Figures of Elegance and Talent (千古风流人物) series into the national key TV drama topic database, providing support and encouragement for biographical dramas focusing on industrial pioneers, literati and aspirants, and scientific and technological craftsmen, building an institutional bridge for historical figures from historical records to step onto the screen.

From the filing announcements and planning and creation progress in the past two years, TV dramas about a batch of historical figures such as Zhang Jian, Zhang Juzheng (张居正), Lu You (陆游), Wang Yangming (王阳明), Su Dongpo (苏东坡), Li Qingzhao (李清照), Zhuge Liang (诸葛亮), Lin Zexu (林则徐), etc., have been successively initiated, created, and filmed. The previously cold historical drama creation is now welcoming a new wave of enthusiasm.

The currently airing River and Sea Tide Rise is precisely the benchmark work of the Eternal Figures of Elegance and Talent series. The main character of the drama, Zhang Jian, was the top scholar (zhuangyuan) in the 20th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty. After the defeat in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, he resolutely abandoned his official position and returned to his hometown, founded the Dasheng Cotton Mill (大生纱厂), took the lead in founding nearly 400 schools throughout his life, and built Nantong into the first modern city in China. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Zhang Jian's death, so the release of River and Sea Tide Rise comes at an opportune time.

River and Sea Tide Rise is not just a character biography; it contains half of the modern history of national self-salvation. Viewers see from this drama how, at the time of national peril, Chinese intellectuals completed a difficult and magnificent transformation; they see from where the source of modern Chinese entrepreneurial spirit surged; they see how the foresight of taking education as father and industry as mother (父教育而母实业) cultivated the roots and soul of a nation. There is a scene in the drama: Zhang Jian writes a ten-thousand-word memorial in the dead of night and publicly impeaches Li Hongzhang (李鸿章); although unsuccessful, this enrages the powerful. He confesses his true feelings to his mentor Weng Tonghe (翁同龢): "I would rather accomplish a tiny bit of useful work than hold a shameful high-ranking official position." He Bing (何冰), who acts in this scene, has not anger in his eyes, but a coldness that penetrates to the bone. Being the top scholar (zhuangyuan) was originally the pinnacle of life dreamed of by old-style intellectuals, but after seeing through the corruption of officialdom, Zhang Jian turned and walked toward the roaring factories and the reclamation areas on saline-alkali wasteland. From the imperial court to the grassroots, from learning well leads to officialdom (学而优则仕) to learning well leads to doing (学而优则干), his transformation grounded the traditional ideal of 修齐治平 (xiū qí zhì píng - "cultivate self, regulate family, govern state, pacify the world") into practical social construction. For today's young people, is this not a vivid lesson on the value of life: true success lies not in high fame and position, but in being "useful" to the country and society.

River and Sea Tide Rise, through artistic creation, transforms the brief descriptions of characters in textbooks into a complete life journey with warmth, strength, and empathy. As this drama continues to air, a wave of interpreting Zhang Jian's life and spirit has risen in many places. The tourist reception at historical sites such as Zhang Jian's former residence in Nantong, the site of the Dasheng Cotton Mill, and the Nantong Museum (南通博物苑) has increased significantly. Major knowledge platforms and offline reading groups have collectively launched interpretations of Zhang Jian's life and historical materials, forming a benign cultural cycle of watching dramas to read history, educating through dramas (追剧读史，以剧育人). This confirms that excellent serious historical dramas can open a channel between visual communication and universal historical popularization; the once silent sages in the pile of old papers are entering the spiritual world of contemporary people.

Taking history as a mirror, one can know the rise and fall; taking people as a mirror, one can understand gains and losses. The vast and numerous historical records document the unbroken struggle of the Chinese nation over more than 5,000 years. Countless people with lofty ideals and outstanding figures await a meeting across time and space with contemporary audiences. Narratives about Chinese culture and history should not be limited to emperors, kings, generals, ministers, talented scholars, and beautiful ladies. Scientists, educators, industrialists, writers, craftsmen and physicians, national heroes, etc., are all treasure troves of creation worth deep exploration. In historical records, generation after generation of outstanding figures have left behind spiritual imprints of ideals, perseverance, struggle, and exploration, awaiting today's people to continue interpreting, inheriting, and promoting. At a time when cultural confidence and cultural literacy have greatly improved, historical sages should vividly "walk" onto the screen, leading contemporary audiences through the long river of history, feeling the enduring spiritual power of Chinese civilization, and drawing the confidence and strength for national rejuvenation from the continuous historical wisdom.

(The author is the vice president of the China Radio and Television Social Organization Federation (中国广播电视社会组织联合会).)

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Let the Land of Eight Gui Have Stages Everywhere (Arts Observation: Drama Revitalization in Progress)

By: 龙 倩

At age 14 I took the stage and apprenticed to a master. The vocal styles of northern Guangxi nurtured by the Lijiang River and the simple village stage are the foundation of my art. My three career stages as actor, director, and theater troupe administrator have allowed me to witness the path of perseverance, dormancy, and revival that local opera has traversed, and to better understand the practical necessity of drama revitalization.

Solid basic skills and unique techniques are the foundation for local opera to 安身立命 (ān shēn lì mìng - “settle the body and establish the destiny,” to secure a foothold and make a living). Over many years on stage, I have witnessed many young actors unable to endure the hardship and loneliness of training; characteristic special skills of Gui opera (桂剧) such as fire-spitting and water sleeves lack young inheritors, and traditional old operas have long lacked a fixed performance platform. After transitioning to an opera director, I felt more deeply that the creation of operas with revolutionary, ethnic, and realist themes cannot do without multiple supports: script polishing, financial backing, expert guidance, and professional stage facilities. The chronic lack of systematic policy support was the pain point that made it difficult for local opera to break through in earlier years.

The fertile soil of opera is at the grassroots level. As a cultural cadre dispatched by a Guangxi cultural institution to the county government, I was once seconded to Zhaoping County (昭平县), where I took the lead in organizing the first Zhaoping Tea King Festival, coordinated with multiple parties to invite the Central Nationalities Song and Dance Troupe to perform in the countryside, so that mountain villagers could watch national-level cultural performances at their doorsteps for the first time, witnessing their love for opera and their passion for art. In 2012, the Guangxi Theater (广西戏剧院) was established, and the organization appointed me as its president. Over more than ten years, the theater has created 27 original plays, revived 28 classic traditional operas, and adapted 5 excellent outside plays, covering Zhuang opera (壮剧), Gui opera (桂剧), Caidiao (彩调), Peking opera, etc., and has carried out 5,694 performances benefiting the public.

The Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and other four departments issued the “Three-Year Action Plan for Drama Revitalization (2026–2028)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Three-Year Action Plan”), and the “Guangxi Gui Opera Revitalization Action Plan (2026–2030)” was launched. The two plans work in unison, bringing unprecedented development opportunities to front-line opera practitioners. In the past, we guarded Gui opera, always worrying about the loss of vocal styles, the coldness of the stage, and 后继无人 (hòu jì wú rén - “no one follows behind,” having no successors); now, with national and local policy support, we can set aside survival anxiety, concentrate on polishing plays, diligently nurturing new talents, and steadily performing in the countryside, devoting ourselves wholeheartedly to the cause of opera inheritance and innovation.

At the top of the agenda is play creation; we will simultaneously advance the collation and revival of traditional Gui opera plays and the polishing of original works for the new era. On one hand, we will systematically sort out existing Gui opera vocal scores and old opera documents, continuously rescue and collate endangered excerpted plays (折子戏) and full-length major operas (整本大戏), and improve the inventory of local opera resources; on the other hand, we will regularly gather creative forces to create new plays with distinctive Guangxi characteristics that align with the aesthetics of contemporary audiences.

Building a talent pipeline is the top priority. The complete talent cultivation system in the “Three-Year Action Plan” meets the practical needs of Gui opera inheritance and development. We will maintain long-term targeted cooperation with professional opera academies to build a channel for cultivating young opera talents; fully implement the model of famous masters mentoring apprentices, give full play to the role of representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage at all levels, and completely pass down the unique performance techniques of Gui opera. At the same time, we will organize rotational training and professional assistance for grassroots cultural practitioners, constructing a complete chain from youth reserves to industry leading talents.

Taking advantage of the policy opportunity to increase investment in opera infrastructure and implement the “one troupe, one venue” (一团一场) approach, we will continue to operate well the local regular resident opera brand, create regular intangible cultural heritage experience and opera aesthetic education spaces. We will continuously promote inclusive performances of opera entering villages, communities, and schools, and build an online opera communication matrix to attract young audiences. Relying on Guangxi’s geographical advantage of being adjacent to ASEAN, we will strive to build long-term China-ASEAN opera exchange and cooperation channels, making Guangxi local opera a distinctive card for foreign cultural exchange. Theoretical research and documentary collation cannot be neglected either; relying on the support of the “Three-Year Action Plan” for the protection of precious opera historical materials, we will continue to collect and compile historical materials of traditional Gui opera singing styles and plays, and dynamically update the research results of local opera development.

The “Three-Year Action Plan” is a powerful boost. We will take this opportunity to form a long-term stable opera support system and build a self-sustaining, virtuous cycle industry ecosystem, only then can the tones and charm of Guangxi opera be passed down generation after generation. Gui opera, Zhuang opera, Caidiao, Peking opera, Yong opera (邕剧), Guangxi Cantonese opera (广西粤剧), and southern Guangxi tea-picking opera (桂南采茶戏) each have their artistic value, together forming an important part of Guangxi opera’s landscape. We look forward to a 百花齐放 (bǎi huā qí fàng - “a hundred flowers bloom,” letting diverse forms flourish) among Guangxi’s many opera genres, so that every corner of the eight Gui (八桂) region has a stage and audiences can always enjoy good performances.

(The author is the Chairperson of the Guangxi Dramatists Association (广西戏剧家协会).)

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Engaging for Children, Resonant for Adults

By: 马 路

On July 18, the children's play Thatched House (草房子), adapted from the novel of the same name by Cao Wenxuan, was warmly staged at the Peking University Centennial Memorial Hall. After the performance ended, many audience members remained in the theater, engaging in deep exchanges with us, once again confirming the emotional power and vitality that the children's play Thatched House has accumulated through more than 300 performances in national tours.

Since its creation and rehearsal, the tour of Thatched House has spanned north and south regions. Through long-term local performances, I have completed a deep dialogue with a generation of children, a generation of parents, and a generation of audience members, and have also continuously revised and refined my own creative concepts for children's theater.

Contemporary children's empathy, aesthetic judgment, and understanding far exceed what adults perceive. Many young children can also understand the character Tuhe's inferiority and stubbornness, Du Xiaokang's strength in loneliness, Sang Sang's delicacy within bravery, and Zhiyue's kindness within gentleness. Children do not reject "subtle melancholy"; on the contrary, they can read from imperfection, parting, and hardship the meanings of dignity, perseverance, and growth.

Children's theater must first respect children. Children are not shallow audiences only suited for cheerful fairy tales, but complete individuals with independent aesthetic judgment, independent thinking, and an independent inner world. While creating Thatched House, we constantly reminded ourselves to look at children at eye level, to respect children, to trust children, not to avoid hardship or conceal imperfection, and to use sincere stories, poetic staging, and restrained expression to let children understand the weight of growth through beauty and gentleness. In this adaptation, we respected the original work's literary core of "aestheticism, purity, compassion, and solemnity." In the play, Sang Sang is mischievous and naive, Tuhe is sensitive and stubborn, Du Xiaokang is proud and fragile — it is precisely this authentic imperfection that constitutes the most touching light of youthful human nature. Every character is a real, vivid, and relatable life.

An excellent children's play must be a theater work for all ages, capable of conveying to children the growing power of kindness, bravery, and perseverance, while also allowing adults to see their lost childhood and the regrets of growth. The fact that Thatched House can enter universities, move professional scholars and adult audiences, perhaps is precisely because it has broken through the narrow perception that "children's theater belongs only to children," becoming a stage art work that carries shared emotions, eternal aesthetics, and enduring value.

From urban theaters to university stages, from facing parent-child audiences to "dialoguing" with professionals, we use the poetic stage of Thatched House to safeguard a literary classic, use sincere creation to deeply cultivate children's aesthetic education, and also strive to shape the texture of contemporary children's theater. Breaking free from the creative inertia of catering to low age, formulaic patterns, and mere entertainment, how can children's theater possess literary height, ideological depth, aesthetic richness, and humanistic warmth? Thatched House is our answer.

(The author is the director of the children's play Thatched House)

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Joy in Intangible Heritage, New Renditions of Opera

By: 郭冠华

The World Heritage site Gulangyu (鼓浪屿) boasts hundreds of historical buildings blending Chinese and Western architectural styles, and is also a “Island of Music” famous at home and abroad. During the seventh Gulangyu Music Season, the “Joy in Intangible Cultural Heritage” (乐见非遗) concert organized by People’s Daily Online (人民网) was performed.

As night fell, Gangzaihou Beach (港仔后沙滩) grew lively. On stage, traditional opera actors and creators performed together, classic vocal styles intertwined with modern rhythms — the vigorous vigor of Peking Opera, the gentle grace of Huangmei Opera, and the elegant purity of Nanyin (南音), reconstructed through modern arrangements and interpreted by popular voices, collided to create an artistic resonance that 跨越时空 (kuà yuè shí kōng - “crosses time and space”).

The Floating Human World (《漂来的人间》), Half Bowl of Lijiang (《半碗漓江》), and Walking in the Painting (《画中行》) were performed first. The audience “traveled through mountains and rivers” following the music, touching the cultural texture of different regions. Huangmei Opera performing artist Han Zaifen (韩再芬), together with the band Anzi and Jiumei (安子与九妹), sang Misty Yellow Mountain (《烟雨大黄山》); Peking Opera master Wang Peiyu (王珮瑜) and singer Huang Ying (黄英) dueted A Line Between Heaven and Earth (《天地一线》). Traditional opera vocals matched with modern arrangement rhythms, the charm of ancient melody and new sound fully blossomed. Tenor Cai Chengyu (蔡程昱) delivered Song of the Nine-Bend Oar (《九曲棹歌》) using the “bel canto-pop” crossover style; actor Zhang Xiaolong (张晓龙) and the Xiamen Jidao Children’s Choir (厦门吉岛少儿合唱团) brought a rap version of The Analects (《论语》). A thousand-year cultural lineage reappeared on stage in a vivid manner, offering the audience a unique audiovisual experience.

The moving melodies resonated across the entire venue; applause and cheers rose one after another. The ancient intangible cultural heritage gained waves of echoes in the night scene of mountains and sea. “I never imagined that intangible cultural heritage opera could be so trendy and energetic!” said Xiuying (琇莹), a post-1995 audience member. She and her friends, upon first encountering cross-boundary integrated intangible cultural heritage music, were “hooked.” “Several songs left us wanting more — we’ve already added them to our playlist.”

Revitalizing intangible cultural heritage hinges on 守正创新 (shǒu zhèng chuàng xīn - “uphold integrity and innovate”). “Huangmei Opera was born with a sense of everyday life and cannot be sealed away in archives,” Han Zaifen believes. In cross-boundary innovation, instruments, rhythms, and arrangements may be reformed, but the vocal charm and operatic core of Huangmei Opera cannot be lost; its unique embellishments, emotional rhythms, and spiritual foundation must not be diluted.

Discussing “new interpretation of opera charm” (戏韵新唱), Wang Peiyu stated that the key to spreading intangible cultural heritage opera lies in not being confined to existing performance paradigms. By “translating” traditional Peking Opera, the distance between this national treasure and ordinary audiences can be narrowed.

Cai Chengyu remarked that his innovative performance of Zhu Xi’s Song of the Nine-Bend Oar “though using a Western vocal style, the words carry Zhu Xi’s landscape chanting as he boated along the Nine-Bend Stream of Mount Wuyi hundreds of years ago.”

Zhang Xiaolong likewise felt deeply. He said that traditional culture needs contemporary expression. “Today, young people genuinely love traditional culture from their hearts, and intangible cultural heritage music is also an important way for them to express themselves.”

In January 2024, under the guidance of the Network Communication Bureau of the Central Cyberspace Administration (中央网信办网络传播局), People’s Daily Online, together with multiple platforms, launched “Joy in Intangible Cultural Heritage” — a China Intangible Cultural Heritage Music Plan. To date, the works created have covered such national-level intangible cultural heritage items as Peking Opera, Huangmei Opera, Nanyin, and Southern Fujian nursery rhymes (闽南童谣).

Looking ahead, “Joy in Intangible Cultural Heritage” will continue to deepen the intangible cultural heritage music IP, enabling intangible cultural heritage music to move from “being heard” toward “being participated in, co-created, and disseminated.”

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The Narrative of "Walking" Is Rich and Profound (On Writing)

By: 佟睿睿

The dance drama Qiuci (龟兹) has completed its 45th performance. Recalling the early days of creation, upon hearing the word “Qiuci,” I suddenly felt my eyes brighten, and a scene immediately surfaced in my mind—the image Bai Juyi painted: “Huixuan dancer, Huixuan dancer, heart responds to the strings, hand responds to the drum.” The Huixuan dance was all the rage in the Tang dynasty, and on today’s stage we can still often see it; the “five modes and seven tones (五旦七声)” brought by Qiuci music have enriched the tonal colors of Chinese music to this day. As a choreographer, Qiuci holds a natural attraction for me, and Qiuci music and dance are an essential topic that cannot be bypassed in the study of Chinese dance history.

When I settled my mind to think about a dance drama on the theme of Qiuci, I also felt that Qiuci seemed very distant. After we traveled more than 3,000 kilometers to reach Kuqa (库车) in Xinjiang, facing the remnants of ancient city ruins and grotto murals, history and reality, splendor and grandeur intertwined… it was hard to glimpse the magnificent scenes of Qiuci described in the Great Tang Records on the Western Regions. At a loss, literary historian and screenwriter of dance drama Qiuci, Han Ziyong (韩子勇) teacher, suggested that instead of being trapped inside “Qiuci,” it might be better to first step out of “Qiuci.” So I threw myself into one “dead end” after another in the “Western Regions,” crossing deserts, traversing snow mountains, trekking through uninhabited areas—thus, time and again, striving to approach Qiuci.

The inspiration gained from these field trips was ultimately blended into the drama. Qiuci was originally an artistic image forged from the four great ancient civilizations; each civilization showed its brilliance in the grotto murals yet blended harmoniously—just like the celestial beings in the chapter Dance of the Gods (众神之舞) , whose muscular lines are Greek sculptures, whose facial adornments are in the Gandhāra style, plus the line drawing of the Central Plains and the domes of Persia. The flying celestial musicians are so simple, rough, and majestic, utterly different from the slender and ethereal flying apsaras of Dunhuang.

Sitting in the plaza of the Kizil Caves (克孜尔石窟) at night, I always felt that something was still missing from the Qiuci in music and dance. At that moment, before my eyes stood Kumarajiva’s gaunt figure and contemplative expression, suffused with the Chan (meditative) flavor spoken of by later generations. I suddenly thought of Xuanzang, outside the ancient city of Gaochang (高昌故城) a thousand li away, with bright eyes and sparse brows, robes fluttering in the wind. Might Kumarajiva step down from his pedestal? As I thought on, that stretch of Que’ertage Mountain (雀儿塔格山) suddenly took on color. I instantly realized that the Qiuci in the dance drama still lacked the power of “walking.”

The dance drama Qiuci strives to make the narrative of “walking” richer and deeper. Qiuci concerns two dimensions—one is the “local” Qiuci, a historical and cultural remnant that has weathered thousands of years of wind and rain; the other is the “walking” Qiuci, which, in forms such as music, dance, and Buddhist art, has come from ancient times, traveled eastward, and transformed through the blending of multiple cultures. In the dance drama, we incorporate Kumarajiva into both the “local” and the “walking.” Born and raised in Qiuci, Kumarajiva is a crystallization of East-West cultural fusion, and moreover a cultural traveler. As Kumarajiva journeyed eastward, besides the continuous evolution of Qiuci music and dance, there was also the constant intermingling of diverse ethnic cultures, together converging into the magnificent course of the diversity-in-unity of Chinese civilization.

Making the “sleeping” images of music and dance 栩栩如生 (xǔ xǔ rú shēng - “vividly lifelike”) is easier said than done. During the creative process, we had to use imagination to fill in the gaps of the murals, and use exquisite control of the body to complete the simulation from static to dynamic. In addition, we had to deeply consider the intentions and logic behind them. For example, the flow of the neck, shoulders, and wrists coordinated with the “U”-shaped rotational movement of the hips embodies the human conception of time and space and the cosmos; the myriad hand gestures leading the form and the rhythmic motion of the dance postures reflect the endless changes of the phenomenal world. Also, the Qiuci dancers’ costumes evolved from sleeveless to sleeved, and Han Chinese dance costumes from connected sleeves to separate sleeves—behind the ever-changing single sleeve, connected sleeve, and separate sleeve lies a process of flux, fusion, and 美美与共 (měi měi yǔ gòng - “beauty in diversity and shared appreciation”). On the murals, the surroundings of Qiuci have been eroded and flaked away, but Qiuci blue remains vivid, as if with just a beam of light it could soar into the sky, full of a temperament of freedom and romance.

At the end of the dance drama, Xuanzang and Kumarajiva—who had no intersection in actual history—meet in a parallel space where Eastern and Western civilizations blend. Every time I see Kumarajiva and Xuanzang gazing at each other on stage, it reminds me of that earlier moment when I stood before the Kumarajiva statue and envisioned Xuanzang at Gaochang. Under the coordination of the Publicity Department of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China (新疆维吾尔自治区党委宣传部), with the combined strength of local and aid-Xinjiang forces, “Qiuci” is now taking new steps and beginning a new “walking.”

(The author is the general director of the dance drama Qiuci.)

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Zhao Cairu, Page Editor

Email for this edition: ysbjs@peopledaily.cn

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