People's Daily - August 3, 2026

Laying a Solid Foundation for Achieving the Year's Development Goals and Tasks

By: 本报记者 李心萍 钱一彬 韩 鑫

GDP grew 4.7 percent year on year, and new growth drivers grew rapidly... In the first half of the year, China's economy pursued progress while maintaining stability and kept improving, performing outstandingly among the world's major economies and laying a solid foundation for achieving the year's development goals and tasks. The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held on July 30 pointed out: "China's economy is showing a development trend in which growth drivers turn toward the new and the structure turns toward the superior," and "make good use of various opportunities and advantages to promote high-quality development so that it advances steadily and far."

"The 15th Five-Year Plan period is a critical period for consolidating the foundation and making an all-round push";

"continue to define the promotion of high-quality development as the theme of economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period";

"adherence to high-quality development must become an important part of leading officials' view of political achievements (政绩观)";

In the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, a study-and-education campaign to establish and practice the correct view of political achievements (树立和践行正确政绩观学习教育) was launched across the Party. "Turn the results of the study-and-education campaign into tangible results in promoting high-quality development," General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized on many occasions.

"We must keep the overall situation in mind, 登高望远 (dēng gāo wàng yuǎn - "climb high and look far," to take a broad and long-term perspective), maintain strategic resolve at the strategic level, and plan meticulously at the tactical level, so as to continuously enhance the certainty and sustainability of China's development."

The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core discerns the general trend, sets the direction, responds to changes in the situation, and opens up new prospects. Facing the once-in-a-century transformation of the world that is accelerating, it guides the giant vessel of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation to 劈波斩浪 (pī bō zhǎn làng - "cleave the waves and slash the billows," to brave winds and waves) and advance steadily and far.

Strengthen Strategic Resolve · Respond to Changing Situations

"We must keep the focus of our work on building up our internal strengths and making ourselves stronger."

Since the beginning of this year, geopolitical conflicts have erupted frequently, and energy prices have fluctuated sharply. How is China responding?

The answer is found in practice.

On July 14, Typhoon Bavi howled across the northern Yellow Sea. Forty-two "big windmills" of China Huaneng, rooted 52 to 56 meters beneath the sea surface, stood facing the wind, capturing the wind and taming the waves. This offshore wind farm can generate 1.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.

"We took the lead in developing wind power and photovoltaics, and the path we took now proves to be forward-looking." Following the direction charted by the General Secretary, China Huaneng's installed power-generating capacity firmly ranks second in the world, with clean energy accounting for more than half of its installed capacity.

Confidence is visible in the data.

As of the end of June, China's cumulative installed power-generating capacity was about 4.04 billion kilowatts, ranking first in the world. In the first half of the year, while some countries faced tight energy supplies and elevated inflation expectations, China's energy needs for production and daily life were effectively met, and economic and social operations remained generally stable.

The world in chaos and China in stability profoundly demonstrate: China has already formed a sound and solid fundamental profile through long-term development. As long as we unswervingly run our own affairs well, we need not fear the baptism of wind and rain or 惊涛骇浪 (jīng tāo hài làng - "alarming waves and terrifying billows," violent storms and perils).

"China's development is in a period in which strategic opportunities coexist with risks and challenges, and uncertain and unpredictable factors are increasing."

At the Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping set forth the regularity-based understanding of the "five musts" (五个必须), and an important one of them is that "external challenges must be met by diligently cultivating our internal strengths."

At this year's two sessions, when joining group deliberations (下团组), the General Secretary stressed: "We must keep the focus of our work on building up our internal strengths and making ourselves stronger."

Scientifically anticipating changes, promptly discerning risks, and effectively responding to challenges, China has taken new solid steps in the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

Planning is the helm, execution the oars; institutional advantages are brought into play, and the foundation of development confidence is strengthened.

In March, a model launched by a Chinese automaker won the monthly sales title in the United Kingdom; not long ago, Volkswagen began considering a strategy of "R&D in China, production in Europe"; in the first half of the year, China's exports of new-energy vehicles reached 2.355 million units, up 1.2 times year on year.

Policies gather strength, innovation drives forward, and Chinese automobiles continue to expand new advantages in the resonance between planning and execution.

"A good plan and execution capability — these two must be combined," the General Secretary said with heartfelt earnestness.

The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan sets forth 20 major indicators, major strategic tasks in 16 aspects, and 109 major projects; the National Development Planning Law has been formally implemented; the 15th Five-Year Plan outlines of 31 provinces, together with special plans in various fields, have been released one after another... The grand blueprint is being refined on the "lines" and deepened on the "blocks."

On June 8, the new Three Gorges water-transport channel project was officially started. The 109 major projects are being successively planned and launched. This is a vivid footnote to the fact that "China always has long-term plans, and it always manages to fulfill them."

Deeply cultivate the real economy, consolidate foundations and strengthen fundamentals, build a solid strategic support, and grasp the initiative in development.

The export value of its products, measured in RMB, increased 88.7 percent year on year, and daily chip output exceeded 1.5 billion units — China's integrated circuit industry achieved eye-catching results in the first half of the year.

In the field of chips, in the face of the most brutal "encirclement and blockade," the Chinese people have stood on their own, striven to strengthen themselves, and fought hard to break through. One "bottleneck" technology after another has been conquered. Not only has the self-sufficiency rate of domestic chips risen from single digits to double digits, but China has also become the world's second-largest chip exporter. China's voice in the global semiconductor supply chain is being reshaped.

"In recent years, China's economy, 顶风破浪 (dǐng fēng pò làng - "facing the wind and breaking the waves," advancing through difficulties), has maintained strong resilience and vitality; the strategic support is the complete industrial system." At the "first lesson of the year" (开年第一课) this year, the General Secretary stated this clearly.

The C919 large passenger aircraft has been delivered in a cumulative total of 41 units; the CR450 EMU has successfully completed its whole-train test; the second domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Flora City, has completed its trial voyage... In the first half of the year, manufacturing value added accounted for 26.2 percent of GDP, 0.4 percentage points higher than three years ago, and the material and technological foundation of Chinese modernization has become more solid.

Domestic demand leads, and the market is strengthened; grasp the strategic base point and unleash development vitality.

The water network, new-type power grid, computing network, new-generation communication network, urban underground pipeline network, and logistics network — the investment scale in the "six networks" (六张网) and related key areas is expected to exceed 7 trillion yuan this year.

On April 7 and 8, the National Conference on the Service Sector was convened in Beijing — the first national conference in the new era focused on the service sector. General Secretary Xi Jinping made an important instruction on the development of the service sector, stressing the need to "highlight demand-driven pull, reform breakthroughs, technological empowerment, and opening-up and cooperation" and "strive to create a new situation of high-quality development in the service sector."

The service sector is expanding in capacity and improving in quality. In Guangxi, the Liuzhou Marathon was moved into a sea of bauhinia flowers, and the "super weekend" boosted the city's cuisine; in Sichuan, more than 100 study-tour routes became phenomenally popular, breaking out of their original niche... The cultural-tourism market is bursting with vitality.

"Persist in taking the expansion of domestic demand as the strategic base point." With stable investment, promoted consumption, and smoothed circulation, the total retail sales of consumer goods and services grew 2.7 percent year on year in the first half of the year, and the demand potential of the super-large market continued to be released.

Open the door wide, open up and cooperate, uphold harmony and coexistence, and achieve win-win cooperation.

As of May 31 this year, imports under the "zero-tariff" policy had reached 2.645 billion yuan in value, up 1.2 times year on year; newly registered business entities reached 172,100; newly added foreign-invested enterprises reached 1,240... Since the Hainan Free Trade Port entered independent customs closure operations (封关), indicators have climbed one after another.

The 15th Five-Year Plan "draws the blueprint for China's development over the next five years and also offers the world an 'opportunity list.'"

From the implementation of the newly revised Foreign Trade Law, to the unveiling of the China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone, to the comprehensive implementation of zero-tariff measures for 53 African countries having diplomatic relations with China, the door of opening-up has been opened ever wider, and the domestic and international dual circulation has become smoother. In the first half of the year, China's total foreign trade in goods increased 16.9 percent year on year, and newly established foreign-invested enterprises increased 5.3 percent year on year — "Chinese Opportunity 2.0" has become a consensus.

Maintain resolve, take deep roots, and do practical work — the more turbulent the world, the more composed China appears.

A few days ago, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its forecast for global economic growth this year and raised its forecast for China's annual economic growth by 0.2 percentage points. With the stability and certainty of its own development, China is injecting valuable stability into a world full of uncertainties.

Strengthen Growth Drivers · Open Up New Prospects

"We cannot look only at GDP growth. What is growing now is hard power, and what we are pursuing is the development of new quality productive forces (新质生产力)."

A grand gathering reflected a magnificent landscape of innovation.

The Ascend 950 supernode in its physical form, the world's largest parameter open-source model, and the first agentic phone... At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference held in July, several hundred products made their global debut.

A breakthrough attracted the world's attention.

On May 25, Huawei released "Tao's Law" (韬定律) in the semiconductor field, replacing "geometric miniaturization" with "temporal miniaturization." Based on this law, Huawei has successfully designed and mass-produced 381 chips over the past six years.

厚积薄发 (hòu jī bó fā - "thickly accumulate, thinly release," to achieve a major advance after long and solid preparation) comes from seizing the first opportunity and is accomplished through sustained efforts.

From the Central Economic Work Conference's deployment to "deepen and expand the 'AI Plus' (人工智能+) initiative," to the statement at the "three science-and-technology conferences" (科技三会) about "promoting AI to empower scientific research," to the emphasis at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance that we should "let AI empower a thousand industries and ten thousand trades" ... General Secretary Xi Jinping, grasping the general trend, is leading this "young undertaking" to grow and thrive.

The real economy is the foundation of the national economy and a key link in "consolidating the foundation."

The new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating. How can the real economy be made stronger, better, and bigger?

The General Secretary's thinking is far-reaching: "We cannot look only at GDP growth. What is growing now is hard power, and what we are pursuing is the development of new quality productive forces."

Define the priorities: "Scientific and technological strength and innovation capability are increasingly becoming a country's core competitiveness."

In March, at a joint group meeting of the CPPCC, the General Secretary stressed that "original technologies must go from '0' to '1' and achieve transformation from experiments"; in April, at a symposium on strengthening basic research, he proposed that "basic research should be strengthened with greater intensity and more concrete measures"; in July, at the "three science-and-technology conferences," he pointed out the need to "accelerate the realization of high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology."

Plan the layout; every move lands with a decisive sound.

A bundle of finger-thick "silk" can pull a C919 large passenger plane.

In March this year, Zhongfu Shenying (中复神鹰), a subsidiary of China National Building Material Group, achieved a breakthrough in the preparation technology of T1200-grade ultra-high-strength carbon fiber, making China the first country in the world to achieve hundred-tonne-scale mass production of this grade of carbon fiber.

From "0" to "1," and then stretch the "1" longer. At the end of June, three world-class high-performance carbon fiber production lines in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, were put into operation at the same time.

From the stay cables of cross-sea bridges to the blades of wind turbines to subway trains, the fine filaments support the manufacturing of a great power.

"Lingsheng" (灵晟) topped the global supercomputing list; "Jiuzhang-4" set a new world record in photonic quantum information technology; the Long March-10B carrier rocket achieved the world's first maritime net-based recovery... The starlight of frontier innovation converges into a brilliant galaxy of kinetic transformation, and an innovative China is full of vitality.

Define the path: "promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation" and "empower industrial innovation with high-quality scientific and technological supply."

In February this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the National Information Technology Innovation Park (国家信创园) located in Beijing E-Town, stressing: "We must give full play to our country's advantage in concentrating strength to accomplish major events, and pool all kinds of high-quality factors to tackle key problems."

In June, the Beijing No. 1 Token Factory settled in the National Information Technology Innovation Park, producing more than 1.4 trillion tokens per day on average to continuously serve model developers. Keeping the instruction in mind, the park has gathered over 90 percent of the country's leading information technology enterprises.

Turning our gaze to the whole country:

Traditional industries are being "renewed": more than 500 excellence-level intelligent factories are 星罗棋布 (xīng luó qí bù - "spread out like stars and chess pieces," scattered widely in great numbers);

Emerging industries are "taking the lead": in the first half of the year, the value added of the equipment manufacturing industry and the high-tech manufacturing industry above designated size increased by 9.3 percent and 13.3 percent year on year, respectively;

Future industries are "breaking out of the soil": multiple types of commercial space rockets have been successfully launched; quantum information, integrated circuits, nuclear fusion and other technologies are running at "accelerated speed"; several large models have made new performance breakthroughs; and the number of complete humanoid robot products for the whole year is expected to exceed 100,000 units...

"China is accelerating its transformation from a participant and contributor in global science and technology to a pioneer and leader, and has become one of the countries with the fastest rising innovation capability."

Strengthen Responsibility · Pursue Solid Work

"Create achievements that stand the test of practice and history, truly benefit the people, and win public recognition."

Yiwu, Zhejiang — orders are exploding again.

At the United States-Canada-Mexico World Cup, Yiwu captured about 70 percent of the global share of peripheral merchandise, and exports under market procurement grew 16.4 percent year on year in the first half of the year.

"Order volume has doubled twice over; the largest single order was a full 300,000 pieces." Wen Congjian (温从见), a Yiwu merchant who has been deeply engaged in soccer jerseys for more than 20 years — what is his secret?

He has identified one path. He moved early, stocking up a year in advance and opening up the upstream and downstream supply chains; he understands innovation, introducing AI design to seize the first opportunity in R&D.

The "Yiwu development experience" remains 历久弥新 (lì jiǔ mí xīn - "the longer it lasts, the fresher it becomes," retaining vitality through the passage of time).

Identifying itself with "prospering commerce to build the city." Six relocations and five rounds of iteration — Yiwu has never wavered in more than 40 years; the "roadside market" has been transformed into a "world supermarket," with more than 2.1 million kinds of goods sold to every corner of the world.

"In connection with the study-and-education campaign to establish and practice the correct view of political achievements, the 'Yiwu development experience' should be further summarized and applied well," General Secretary Xi Jinping made an important instruction.

In the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, whether formulating plans or deploying implementation, a correct view of political achievements is required.

General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Adhere to proceeding from reality and acting in accordance with the laws of things; through scientific decision-making and hard, solid work, create achievements that stand the test of practice and history, truly benefit the people, and win public recognition."

Grasp work firmly and do it in earnest, solving in a coordinated way both the "economic test paper" and the "livelihood test paper" of development.

The old alley has changed.

Shimin New Village (市民新村) in Bansongyuan Road Subdistrict (半淞园路街道), Huangpu District, Shanghai, used to be an "old, shabby, small" neighborhood, where several households shared a kitchen and people "carried chamber pots" every day. In 2022, the community began its renovation: "household extraction" freed up space, and "demolish-and-rebuild on the original site" built new homes. In March this year, the new homes were delivered. "With a private kitchen and bathroom in the house, it's so comfortable," resident Zhu Guoli (朱国莉) said with a smile.

"Shanghai has been advancing old-house renovation for decades, one administration after another, 久久为功 (jiǔ jiǔ wéi gōng - "persist over a long time to achieve success," achieving results through sustained effort). This is the correct view of political achievements," the General Secretary said earnestly.

"Economic development and social development complement each other and must advance in coordination."

Opening the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, among the 20 major indicators, 7 concern people's livelihood. "The surveyed urban unemployment rate will remain below 5.5 percent annually," "the average years of education of the working-age population will rise to 11.7 years," and "average life expectancy will increase to 80 years" — these precisely respond to the urgent concerns and pressing needs of the people.

Looking back at the livelihood report card for the first half of the year, the national average surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.2 percent; the national consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.0 percent year on year; subsidized training was provided to 5.5 million person-times; about 100 billion yuan of child-rearing subsidy funds was allocated; long-term care insurance covered about 320 million people — livelihood protection has been strong and effective.

Grasp work firmly and do it in earnest, coordinate development and security, and provide strong support for the stable operation of the economy and society.

The plains of northern Anhui are lush with green.

"After the wheat was harvested, corn was planted next; at the end of July, it is exactly the time of jointing and booting," said Wang Lanjun (王兰俊), a major grain grower in Wangqiao Village (王桥村), Yingdong District (颍东区), Fuyang, Anhui. "Fertilizer was supplied in sufficient quantities this year, so the harvest is guaranteed."

In the first half of the year, global fertilizer markets fluctuated significantly, and several major agricultural countries were "waiting for fertilizer to go to the fields." China executed a "combination punch," with fertilizer prices broadly stable and supplies ample and orderly.

"No matter how modernized this country of ours becomes, grain must still mainly rely on ourselves; 1.4 billion people cannot rely on anyone else for food — we must do a good job in grain production." During an inspection in Dezhou, Shandong in June this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping showed meticulous and concrete concern for matters in the fields.

"You just plant the wheat — the whole of China will harvest it for you!" More than 4,000 combine harvesters rushed across provincial borders to assist Xiangyang, Hubei, and completed an emergency wheat harvest; the improved and cultivated new variety "Yangmai-53" increased yields and reduced costs through high disease resistance... With good machines and good seeds, China's summer grain output exceeded 300 billion jin for the first time, and the foundation of food security has been consolidated, 稳如磐石 (wěn rú pán shí - "as stable as a huge rock," rock-solid).

Grasp work firmly and do it in earnest, coordinate the present with the long term, and deeply cultivate the "latent achievements" that "lay the foundation, add staying power, and benefit the long term."

Irrigating farmland, securing drinking water, guarding against floods and waterlogging, and opening waterways to navigation — 25 major water conservancy projects were newly started; breakthroughs were made in complex-curved-surface six-axis laser processing equipment, second-generation blade batteries, and megawatt flash-charging systems, and the major technical equipment research project is advancing; construction began on photovoltaic, energy-storage, and heavy-truck charging and battery-swapping stations and on the first full-chain zero-carbon freight corridor of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, providing green power for vehicles along the entire route...

Forge long boards, reinforce short boards, and strengthen the foundation — the staying power of high-quality development continues to increase.

Guiding high-quality development with a correct view of political achievements — as General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed: "We must do both practical things that the people can see, touch, and benefit from, and good things that pave the way, lay the foundation, and benefit the long term for future generations."

＊＊＊

"The new journey is a new Long March" — one stage after another.

"To accomplish the Party's missions and tasks on the new journey of the new era, all Chinese Communists are required to strengthen confidence and continue the struggle, constantly creating new achievements worthy of the times and the people."

Halfway through the opening year, China's economy is comprehensively shifting onto the track of high-quality development, and the internal support for long-term sound growth has become more solid. On July 24, when presiding over a symposium with non-Party personages, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that "to do the economic work in the second half of the year well, we must adhere to the general principle of pursuing progress while maintaining stability, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the construction of the new development paradigm, better coordinate the domestic and international situations, and coordinate development and security," and "promote the sustained development of the economy toward the new, the superior, and the good."

Riding the momentum, consolidate the foundation. "China has made a good start in the 15th Five-Year Plan period, is striving to open up a new situation in the construction of Chinese modernization, and is marching in big strides toward the Second Centenary Goal."

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Rule of law safeguards the warmth of people's livelihoods (A good start for the 15th Five-Year Plan)

By: 本报记者 倪 弋

A hidden "box" was opened, personal privacy was quietly exposed... Among the typical cases released by the Supreme People's Procuratorate (最高人民检察院) in the "Prosecutorial Protection of People's Livelihood" (检护民生) special campaign, a major "network doxxing" case attracted attention. Criminals used encrypted communication tools to illegally obtain over 900 million sets of citizens' personal information, formed a "doxxing" group of over 2,000 people, wantonly exposed privacy, and incited online violence.

After case filing, the procuratorial authorities intervened simultaneously, coordinating with multiple departments such as public security, cyberspace administration, and industry and information technology, pierced through the anonymous disguise of virtual currency, locked onto the real identities behind the funds, built a clear and complete chain of evidence, and brought the criminals to justice. After the case was closed, the procuratorial authorities also promoted the removal of related websites and associated groups, issued warnings to domestic platforms, and strove to block the leakage of personal information at the source.

Personal information security is an important people's livelihood right in the digital age. The handling of this case is a vivid microcosm of the procuratorial authorities using the power of the rule of law to safeguard people's livelihood and well-being.

President Xi Jinping emphasized: "Chinese-style modernization puts people's livelihood first." (中国式现代化，民生为大) The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held on July 30 pointed out, "Multiple measures must be taken to strengthen people's livelihood guarantees."

In the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," on the basis of the continuous implementation of the "Prosecutorial Protection of People's Livelihood" special campaign over the past two years, the Supreme People's Procuratorate deployed procuratorial authorities nationwide to further deepen the "Prosecutorial Protection of People's Livelihood" special campaign, focusing on three aspects: "closely monitor key areas, focus on key groups, and grasp prominent people's livelihood issues," concentrating on 16 key tasks such as strengthening the handling of civil supervision cases in the people's livelihood field, integrating procuratorial performance into ensuring and improving people's livelihood.

Closely monitor key areas, adhere to judicial service for the people in serving high-quality development.

Lucid waters and lush mountains are the bright background of high-quality development and also the most inclusive benefit to people's livelihood.

In Wuchuan County (武川县), Hohhot City, Inner Mongolia, because a sewage treatment plant operating while "sick" had long discharged pollutants exceeding standards, multiple indicators of the river water were abnormal and often emitted odors. After the procuratorial authorities issued a pre-litigation procuratorial recommendation demanding rectification to the relevant department, the rectification was like "squeezing toothpaste."

"Public interest litigation cannot stop at recommendations; we must dare to use the confirmation of 'litigation' to promote the effectiveness of 'governance'." The relevant responsible comrade of the Hohhot City People's Procuratorate stated. The procuratorial authorities filed an administrative public interest litigation according to law. In the courtroom, each appraisal report and each set of monitoring data clearly revealed the persistence and harmfulness of the pollution. The pressure of litigation transformed into the driving force for governance. The relevant department ultimately carried out a thorough technical transformation of the sewage treatment plant and planned to build new treatment facilities, eradicating the "root cause" of pollution at its source.

From handling disputes in areas such as finance and real estate according to law and with prudence, helping to prevent and defuse economic risks, to strengthening comprehensive judicial protection of intellectual property rights and stimulating innovation vitality, and then to equally protecting the legitimate rights and interests of all types of business entities and maintaining a fair competition market order... The procuratorial authorities closely monitor key areas, handle each case with high quality and efficiency, and continuously enhance people's livelihood and well-being through the power of the rule of law.

Focus on key groups, continuously strengthen the protection of rights and interests of laborers and specific groups.

"Prosecutor, our money has arrived!" In March this year, the prosecutor of the Xinzhou District (信州区) People's Procuratorate of Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province, received a happy call from migrant worker Old Chen. Earlier, Old Chen and 94 of his fellow workers had their wages of over 1.2 million yuan withheld for nearly a year. They won the arbitration, and the court also ruled to allow enforcement, but it stalled due to problems in procedural connection.

The procuratorial authorities issued a precise procuratorial recommendation directly targeting the blockage point in the mechanism to the court, while coordinating with the court, human resources and social security, trade unions and other departments to meet and negotiate, clarify responsibilities, and unblock the process. A few days later, the workers' wages were fully credited.

The "Prosecutorial Protection of People's Livelihood" campaign always places the safety and well-being of specific groups such as women, childrn, the elderly, and the disabled in a prominent position. In the field of juvenile protection, the procuratorial authorities have "zero tolerance" for crimes infringing on minors, prosecuting 73,000 people in 2025; for children involved in crimes, they wholeheartedly "educate, influence, and rescue," applying conditional non-prosecution to 16,000 people according to law. For groups such as women, the elderly, and the disabled, the procuratorial authorities' protection is equally meticulous, from severly punishing infringement crimes to promoting barrier-free environment construction — a warmer judicial protection net is being woven ever tighter.

Grasp prominent people's livelihood issues, help alleviate the urgent difficulties and concerns of the masses.

In Suzhou City (宿州市), Anhui Province, the procuratorial authorities discovered a batch of abnormal "confirmation of labor relationship" cases — the defendants, without exception, readily "admitted" to the plaintiffs' claims. It turned out that a certain labor agency colluded with a certain enterprise responsible person, forged a full set of labor contracts and payroll sheets, fabricated that 81 people had "worked for many years," intending to use effective judgments to illegally supplement pension insurance payments and defraud state social security funds.

The court adopted the retrial procuratorial recommendation issued by the procuratorial authorities, revoking all erroneous judgments. The procuratorial authorities also promptly transferred the leads to the human resources and social security department, issued a procuratorial recommendation to strengthen review and supervision, and promoted the establishment of a normalized coordination mechanism for case lead transfer and information sharing, reinforcing the "rule-of-law lock" on the masses' "pension money" and "life-saving money" at the source.

From safeguarding the security of social security funds to severly punishing telecom and online fraud and protecting the people's "money bags"; from helping to break the "difficulty of enforcement" so that judgments are fulfilled, to addressing prominent issues in food and drug safety, the procuratorial authorities focus on the masses' urgent difficulties and concerns, and through the "small entry points" of each case, do the "big article" of social governance.

"Prosecutorial Protection of People's Livelihood — the core is 'protection', the key is 'substance'." The relevant responsible person of the Supreme People's Procuratorate stated that the procuratorial authorities will closely adhere to the development goals of the "15th Five-Year Plan," handle each case with high quality and efficiency, do solid work in procuratorial service for the people that the masses can feel, experience, and benefit from, and use the strength of the rule of law to guarantee the warmth of people's livelihood.

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Photo Report

Since the new era, the efficiency and level of Yangtze River shipping have greatly improved, and the strategic channel function has steadily strengthened. In 2025, the cargo throughput of Yangtze River trunk line ports exceeded 42 billion tons, ranking first among the world's inland rivers for many consecutive years, contributing to the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The picture shows on August 1, ships coming and going on the Yangtze River in Nanjing, Jiangsu, a scene of bustling activity.
Fang Dongxu (方东旭) photographed (Image China (影像中国))

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Dedicated to Seeking Truth and Taking the Historical Initiative

By: 任 平

Thought is the banner, is the direction, is the strength.

At the celebration of the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping incisively summarized the Party's six outstanding qualities, with "committed to pursuing truth, always keeping the forward direction on course" listed first.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March.

"The path traversed by the Long March not only crossed thousands of mountains and rivers, but also crossed the erroneous ideological obstacle of treating Marxism as immutable dogma."

Why the Communist Party of China can do it comes down to the fact that Marxism that has been sinicized and modernized works.

"Faced with a rapidly changing world and China, if one 墨守成规 (mò shǒu chéng guī - "rigidly adhere to old rules," to be conservative and inflexible), is ideologically ossified, lacks the courage for theoretical innovation, and cannot scientifically answer the questions of China, the world, the people, and the era, then not only will the Party and national cause be unable to continue advancing, but Marxism will also lose its vitality and persuasiveness."

Bearing in mind the "two overall situations (两个大局)" and adhering to theoretical innovation, the quality of the Communists of the new era of being committed to pursuing truth is consistent.

The 20th National Congress of the Party summarized and proposed and deeply elaborated the theory of Chinese-style modernization, making Chinese-style modernization clearer, more scientific, more tangible and feasible, and it is a major innovation in the theory and practice of world modernization.

Marxism has profoundly changed China, and China has also greatly enriched and developed Marxism. This is the conclusion drawn by the vigorous vitality and exuberant energy of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Communist Party of China possesses the cultural subjectivity of self-development, responding to challenges, and creating new situations, and possesses the theoretical confidence to observe the era, grasp the era, and lead the era.

Looking back on over a hundred years of struggle, we have achieved a subjectivity leap from analyzing China with foreign theories to "Chinese theories" steering China, and realized a historic leap from the era of ideological awakening to the era of theoretical self-reliance.

Use theoretical confidence to consolidate cultural confidence, and use theoretical initiative to grasp historical initiative.

"We must take upholding high-quality development as the hard truth of the new era."

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the total economic output successively crossed four major thresholds of 10 trillion yuan, and in the first half of this year, it grew by 4.7% year-on-year. China is recognized as the "stabilizing star" of the world's century-old changes and the "stable anchor" of economic growth.

High-quality development is the theoretical crystallization formed by General Secretary Xi Jinping's scientific summary of the new stage of China's development and its essential characteristics, and has become the "theme of economic and social development" and the "primary task."

Adhering to high-quality development is an important part of the performance view of leading cadres. The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held on July 30 pointed out, "Promote high-quality development 行稳致远 (xíng wěn zhì yuǎn - "walk steadily to reach far," to achieve steady and lasting progress)" and "continuously create new achievements in high-quality development."

From the practice of comprehensively promoting Chinese-style modernization with high-quality development, deeply understanding the scientific nature, people-centered nature, and practical nature of the Party's innovative theory in the new era, one can more profoundly grasp the great logic of the Communist Party of China always keeping the forward direction on course and mastering historical initiative.

(二)

Scientific nature is the foundation for Chinese Communists to take Marxism as their faith, and is the fundamental reason for continuously opening up new realms of sinicizing Marxism and adapting it to the times.

Correctly understanding the historical position and development stage in which the Party and people's cause is situated is an important experience for our Party to continuously achieve success.

"Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, which is a new historical position for China's development."

"The principal contradiction in Chinese society has been transformed into the contradiction between the people's ever-growing needs for a better life and unbalanced and inadequate development."

The characteristic of China's economic development in the new era is that "China's economy has shifted from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development."

"Seizing the momentum to embark on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and marching toward the second centenary goal marks that China has entered a new development stage."

General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the scientific understanding and theoretical sublimation of the stage of China's development, and has put forward a series of major judgments 与时俱进 (yǔ shí jù jìn - "keep pace with the times"), demonstrating the power of Marxist truth.

Promoting high-quality economic and social development is launched and deepened on this basis, and in the practice of guiding the comprehensive promotion of Chinese-style modernization, it demonstrates the scientific nature of the Party's innovative theory.

The new development philosophy is the "baton" and "traffic light" guiding high-quality development, and has become the guiding principle for China's modernization.

The South-to-North Water Diversion and West-to-East Electricity Transmission are being deeply implemented, and the East-to-West Computing Transfer is fully launched. All regions are playing a "concerto" within the "one chessboard" and "six networks."

High-quality development is development that embodies the new development philosophy, where "innovation becomes the primary driving force, coordination becomes an endogenous characteristic, green becomes a universal form, openness becomes the only way, and sharing becomes the fundamental goal."

Building a new development pattern is the strategic foundation for promoting high-quality development, and has become the path choice for China's economic modernization.

Since the "14th Five-Year Plan," China has firmly maintained its position as the world's second-largest commodity consumption market and the largest goods trading nation; from 2013 to 2024, the average contribution rate of domestic demand to economic growth was 93%...

With the external environment being turbulent, accelerating the construction of a new development pattern has allowed us to gain a broader strategic depth and firmly grasp the initiative in development.

Developing new quality productive forces 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - "adjust measures to local conditions") is an important focal point for promoting high-quality development, providing new and strong momentum for Chinese-style modernization.

Newly installed industrial robots account for more than 50% of the global share, and various smart terminals enter thousands of households... "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" has become another bright name card of Chinese-style modernization.

"Traditional industries are 'renewed,' emerging industries are 'leading,' and future industries are 'taking root.' Over the years, China's economy has braved the wind and waves, maintaining strong resilience and vitality, and the strategic backing is the complete industrial system."

Place the development of new quality productive forces according to local conditions in a more prominent strategic position, promote the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation, and China's economic momentum is shifting toward the new and its structure toward the optimal.

The light of truth illuminates the road to rejuvenation.

(三)

Marxism is a theory that speaks for the people and represents the people. The people-centered nature is the essential attribute of Marxism.

Adhering to putting the people first is an important manifestation of the worldview, methodology, and the stance, viewpoints, and methods that run through Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

"We must build both prosperous cities and thriving villages."

Common prosperity for all the people is the essential characteristic of Chinese-style modernization, and coordinated regional development is an inevitable requirement for achieving common prosperity. From this, we can more profoundly understand the people-centered nature of the Party's innovative theory.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, General Secretary Xi Jinping successively presided over 10 regional development symposiums, guiding the unfolding of a new picture of east-west mutual assistance, north-south coordination, and land-sea integration.

Under the overall situation led by the Party Central Committee, leverage the strategic superposition effect, build a regional economic layout with complementary advantages, inject surging momentum and accumulate strong potential energy for promoting high-quality development.

County-level economy connects cities on one side and villages on the other.

"Better leverage the role of county towns in connecting cities and driving villages, and take the lead in achieving integrated urban-rural development within counties."

Small commodities break into big markets and become big industries. An important inspiration from the successful practice of Yiwu, Zhejiang, in developing county-level economy according to local conditions lies in "focusing on urban-rural coordination."

In the 1990s, Yiwu residents who first became rich began exploring the implementation of old village renovation; since the new era, Yiwu has leveraged e-commerce advantages to build over 200 e-commerce villages, the income gap between urban and rural residents has continuously narrowed, and it has won the top spot in the "China County-level Common Prosperity Index" for consecutive years.

"High-quality development is development that can well meet the people's ever-growing needs for a better life."

On the road to common prosperity, no one can be left behind. "Some marginal households were already unsteady, and as soon as they encounter a little risk or change, they could immediately fall into poverty," "Work must leave no gaps, policies must leave no blanks"... A path of poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics was forged, and a theory of anti-poverty with Chinese characteristics was formed.

With the goal of building modern people's cities, and with high-quality promotion of urban renewal as an important starting point... fully implement the concept of people's cities, and strive to forge a new path of urban modernization with Chinese characteristics.

When inspecting Shanghai in July this year, the General Secretary emphasized: "Persist in making long-term efforts, handle the matters of concern to the common people one by one well, and continuously improve people's livelihood and well-being."

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the role of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as engines of high-quality development has continued to strengthen, with their economic output accounting for over 40% of the national total;

In 2025, China's urban population rate reached 67.89%, and it will further increase in the future;

China's average life expectancy ranks among the top of middle- and high-income countries, and basic education has reached the average level of high-income countries in the world...

Transcending the Western modernization logic of "capital-centeredness," closely combining high-quality development with high-quality life, and taking benefiting the people as the fundamental value orientation, Chinese-style modernization possesses the most reliable, deepest, and most enduring source of strength.

(四)

Marxism is a practical theory, and practicality is a prominent feature of Marxism.

"Persist in discovering truth and developing truth in practice, and use practice to realize truth and test truth."

An extremely important aspect of why the Party's innovative theory in the new era has achieved a "new leap" is that it promptly and scientifically answers the new questions of the times, and continuously guides new practice with new theory.

Take, for example, adhering to the "dual carbon" goals and promoting comprehensive green transformation.

"It is not that others want us to do it, but that we ourselves want to do it."

The Party Central Committee made the major strategic decision to promote carbon peak and carbon neutrality, which means we will complete the largest reduction in carbon emission intensity in the world and achieve the transition from carbon peak to carbon neutrality in the shortest time in global history. This tests courage, and even more so tests wisdom.

"To promote high-quality economic development, we must never again take the old path of polluting first and treating later."

Adhering to the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," Anji, Zhejiang, has shifted from "selling stones" to "selling scenery";

Keeping in mind "jointly promoting large-scale protection, not engaging in large-scale development," the clear waters of the Yangtze River flow eastward, and the GDP of the Yangtze River Economic Belt has more than doubled in ten years.

"Promoting the greening and low-carbonization of economic and social development is a key link in achieving high-quality development."

Synergistically promote carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and growth, build the world's largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system, and complete the world's largest and most complete new energy industry chain...

"New quality productive forces are themselves green productive forces."

The theory of new quality productive forces provides scientific guidance for comprehensively promoting Chinese-style modernization with high-quality development, and has solidified the theoretical and practical foundation from the height of safeguarding national ecological security, the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, and responsibility for human civilization.

"We must always adhere to protecting the ecological environment with the strictest system and the most rigorous rule of law."

Revised and implemented the "strictest in history" Environmental Protection Law, enacted the Law on the Prevention and Control of Soil Pollution, the Yangtze River Protection Law, the Yellow River Protection Law, etc. The Ecological Environment Code "further solidifies the legal foundation for building a Beautiful China."

Guided by the "dual carbon" work, unswervingly take the path of prioritizing ecology and green development, China's ecological civilization construction has undergone historic, transformative, and overall changes from theory to practice. The green foundation of high-quality development has become stronger, and its potential and staying power continue to increase.

During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, it will be necessary to cope with a more complex environment and resolve more deep-seated contradictions.

Use the Party's innovative theory in the new era to consolidate the spirit and cast the soul, make efforts and gain experience in studying new situations and solving new problems, and create new achievements worthy of the times and the people. This will surely ensure that the great ship of China's rejuvenation cuts through waves and sails steadily and far.

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Guide to Reading

Theory · Read-through of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes I–V

Let the light of truth illuminate the road to rejuvenation

Ninth Edition

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes I–V are the authoritative works for comprehensively and systematically studying Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Starting today, the Theory section of this newspaper launches the column "Read-through of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes I–V", systematically sorting out the developmental脉络 (context) of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully highlighting the theoretical character, wisdom, and practical demands embodied therein, and pushing Party members and cadres to deeply study and meticulously comprehend Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in the course of 融会贯通 (rónghuì guàntōng - "fuse and penetrate," to achieve a thorough understanding).

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Advancing Urban Renewal to Create "Four-Good" Spaces (New Economic Orientation)

By: 本报记者 李心萍

Cities are important carriers of modernization. Across the land of China, more than 690 cities are 星罗棋布 (xīng luó qí bù - "scattered like stars and chess pieces," widely distributed) and 940 million people live in urban areas.

On July 15, while inspecting Shanghai, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "high-quality promotion of urban renewal is an important lever for urban modernization construction; we must comprehensively practice the people-centered city concept, persist in asking the people for their needs, asking the people for their ideas, and asking the people for their feedback, and carry out all aspects of urban renewal work with depth, detail, and substance."

Currently, how is China's urban renewal work progressing? What are the achievements of the "Four Goods" construction of good houses, good residential areas, good communities, and good urban districts? Reporters conducted interviews.

From having a place to live to living comfortably
How to build "good houses"?

On May 1, 2025, the new version of the national standard Code for Residential Projects was implemented. With this "instruction manual," various regions are actively exploring and comprehensively promoting the upgrading of housing quality, moving from having a place to live to living comfortably.

Walking into the Yunqi Huating project, a phase of the Huacao Phase III affordable housing in Minhang District, Shanghai, the most intuitive feeling is brightness. The floor height is 3 meters, and it features a dual-balcony system consisting of a "landscape balcony + functional living balcony."

"Common problems in old houses such as water leakage, odors, and poor sound insulation have corresponding preventive measures," introduced Liang Bin, general manager of the China Construction Eighth Engineering Division Shanghai Yunqi Huating project. Not only is sewage separated from wastewater in the bathrooms, but new materials such as silent drainage pipes are also used; floor slabs utilize new types of concrete to reduce the impact of striking sounds, and when combined with new material windows, they ensure that indoor noise at night is controlled within 30 decibels.

The project has fully topped out and is expected to meet delivery conditions by the end of 2027, providing 2,681 sets of resettlement housing.

How can one know if existing residences are "good houses"?

On June 1, 2025, the Sichuan Province Good Housing Evaluation Standards were implemented. This is the first local "good house" evaluation standard to be implemented nationwide after the release of the new version of the national standard Code for Residential Projects.

Simply put, it involves "scoring" housing, divided from low to high into one-star, two-star, and three-star ratings.

What does a "three-star good house" look like?

It focuses on functional and spatial quality. Xie Xin, an expert from the China Construction Southwest Design Institute, introduced that "three-star good houses" upgrade the quality of architectural functions such as public spaces, interior spaces, pilot floors, building spacing, and floor heights, while also increasing leisure and entertainment spaces.

It emphasizes a comfortable and healthy environment. The standards incorporate noise, lighting, temperature, humidity, air, water, and site environment into the evaluation scope; "three-star good houses" place greater emphasis on the creation of soft environmental quality.

"The construction of 'good houses' nationwide has taken off and gained momentum," a relevant official from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development stated. They will focus on the synergy of the "five goods"—good standards, good design, good materials, good construction, and good operation and maintenance—to turn new houses into "good houses" and gradually transform old houses into "good houses," using high-quality housing supply to better meet the diversified housing needs of the masses.

From "old, dilapidated, and broken" to "new, green, and beautiful"
The renovation of old residential areas connects one end to people's livelihood and well-being and the other end to urban development.

The Shimingshyuan Road Residents' Area in Huangpu District, Shanghai, was once a typical example of "old, dilapidated, and broken." 351 households were crowded into four old buildings, sharing kitchens and bathrooms, with aging electrical wires and prominent hazards, meaning residents had to "carry their toilets" every day.

Today, walking into the home of resident Yu Weiwei, one first sees a tidy kitchen; moving further in, within the living room, a row of white custom cabinets embeds a television and a dining table, and at the ceiling, an electric staircase leads to an attic. Although the house is not large, it is fully equipped and functionally distinct.

How was the transition from "old, dilapidated, and broken" to "new, green, and beautiful" achieved?

How to renovate? The residents have the final say. The demands of the 351 households varied; community workers plunged into the alleys and knocked on doors to enter homes, recording several heavy "books of public opinion" and polishing more than 20 drafts of design plans. Ultimately, over 40 types of floor plans were introduced to ensure that the area would not decrease and that every household would gain an independent kitchen, bathroom, and balcony.

Where does the money come from? Shared responsibility from multiple parties. Municipal and district-level finances provide support, commercial banks provide low-interest loans, and rental income from operating assets such as underground garages feeds back into the project.

One renovation has brought about a real sense of gain and happiness. "With the elevator, we elderly people can go downstairs for a stroll every day," resident Bei Ziying said with a happy smile.

The renovation of old residential areas focuses not only on hardware upgrades but also on software improvements.

The Huawei Beili Nan-1 community, located in Chaoyang District, Beijing, was built in the 1980s, and its nine residential buildings belong to multiple property ownership units. Due to a long-term lack of unified management, difficulties in parking and elevator maintenance became a "heart ailment" troubling more than 2,100 households.

In 2025, Beijing launched a three-year action plan for property service coverage in old residential areas, introducing property services to 380 old residential areas that year, with a target of 800 for this year.

How is the quality of property services? Facing the doubts of residents, the community neighborhood committee and the property service enterprise chose an ice-breaking strategy of "service first, charge later." They set up a "wish wall" in the activity room where residents could write down their needs, and the property service enterprise implemented them one by one according to urgency. Once the service is in place, trust naturally follows. As of the end of 2025, the property fee collection rate of the community reached 96.08%.

It can be seen that the renovation of old residential areas is both a livelihood project and a governance project; it tests the governance wisdom of the city and further measures the warmth of livelihood security.

Data shows that during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, various places have cumulatively renovated more than 240,000 urban old residential areas, benefiting approximately 110 million residents and installing 129,000 elevators; during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, another 115,000 urban old residential areas will be newly started for renovation.

From living places to life paradises
What is a good community?

Walking into the Fourth Community of the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City in Binhai New Area, Tianjin, one sees children running on walkways, office workers conveniently throwing trash into smart recycling bins on their commute, and elderly people participating in various activities such as calligraphy classes, reading classes, and choir classes at the community center... The daily needs of residents, such as conducting business, schooling, leisure, and shopping, can all be met within a 5-minute walk.

Hardware is complete, and software keeps up. The community introduces resources, allowing professional operating entities to become "community partners," achieving the professionalization of public services.

"The community center opened a childcare center this year with a professional maternal and infant healthcare team." Resident Ms. Liu walks her granddaughter to the community center across the road every morning before meeting neighbors to chat or draw. Near noon, she buys some ingredients at the community basement supermarket to go home and cook; "everything is arranged perfectly."

At night, the community's sunken plaza takes on a different "mode of opening." Some people watch outdoor movies amidst the sound of cicadas, while others enjoy artistic performances or purchase creative handicrafts at the market; the community transforms from a living place into a life paradise.

A good community should be a space capable of carrying the warmth of life.

According to the Guidelines for the Construction of Complete Residential Communities, a good community refers to a residential community where there are perfect basic public service facilities, sound convenient commercial service facilities, complete municipal supporting infrastructure, sufficient public activity spaces, full coverage of property management, and sound community management mechanisms within a suitable walking distance for residents, and where residents have a strong sense of belonging and identity.

From 2023 to 2025, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, in conjunction with relevant departments, carried out complete community construction pilots in 106 communities nationwide, completing a cumulative investment of 10.379 billion yuan and benefiting 1.0885 million residents. 22 provinces expanded the pilot scope, creating a total of more than 3,500 models for complete community construction.

On this basis, the focus of complete community construction work this year has shifted from pilot demonstration to expansion and quality improvement, and from construction to sustainable operation. The Urban Renewal "15th Five-Year Plan" clearly states that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, complete community construction renovations will be implemented in 5,000 communities.

"This shift is not only a growth in quantity but also a deepening of connotation, shifting from focusing on facility support to emphasizing comprehensive service improvement, from government-led to multi-party co-governance, and from short-term renovation to sustainable operation," said Bian Lancun, Dean of the China Institute for Urban Studies at Tsinghua University.

Bian Lancun stated that the capital investment for complete community construction is large and has strong public welfare attributes; the sources of revenue mainly include operating income from parking and charging piles, rent and joint venture income sharing from community commerce and convenient services, advertising revenue dividends, value-added income from leasable properties, property fees, etc. "The next stage of complete community construction needs to improve diversified investment and financing methods and find an institutional balance point between public goals and commercial logic."

From extensive development to people-oriented
As the highest level of space, the "good urban district" is the macro carrier of the "Four Goods," and its core is to provide systematic support for the "Four Goods" through coordinated planning and construction.

In terms of basic security, the renewal and renovation of municipal infrastructure such as underground integrated pipe corridors, water supply and drainage, and gas heating are being promoted in a coordinated manner, using urban "inner lining" projects to ensure the basic operational safety of housing.

In May, the Huancheng South Road integrated pipe corridor in Ningbo, Zhejiang, entered the full construction stage. The corridor is 13 kilometers long and integrates electricity, communication, water supply, reclaimed water, and pressurized sewage pipelines.

"The construction of the pipe corridor breaks the fragmented pattern where each pipeline unit is laid independently and without interconnection; once completed, it will fundamentally solve chronic problems such as 'road zippers' and 'aerial spider webs,'" said Li Liangtao, a project deputy manager from China Railway Tenth Engineering Bureau, who participated in the construction. Not only that, but high-standard sealed pipe corridors can also provide all-around protection for pipelines, significantly reducing the risk of water outages, power outages, and communication interruptions during extreme weather.

In terms of ecological enhancement, urban ecological restoration and historical style protection are carried out systematically, promoting the opening and sharing of parks and green spaces, allowing the micro-quality of "good houses" to echo the macro-ecology of the urban district.

Permeable paving has been laid along nine municipal roads, and 318,000 square meters of road greenery adopt the Sponge City concept, constructing a "seepage, stagnation, and purification" surface runoff system; Tiantang Lake has created a 96-hectare core regulation water body, equipped with artificial wetlands and ecological buffer zones, with a catchment area covering 823 hectares, achieving the integration of rainwater storage, purification, and reuse... In 2025, the area meeting Sponge City construction standards in the built-up area of Chizhou, Anhui, reached 29.25 square kilometers, with a compliance rate of 57.24%.

According to reports, Chizhou adopted a Government and Social Capital Cooperation model in the Sponge City construction of the Binjiang District and Tiantang Lake New Area. "As the social capital party for this project, we undertook the construction tasks and are responsible for 10 years of operation and maintenance. Through the integrated coordination of construction and subsequent operation management, we have effectively solved the problems of fragmented planning, construction, and operation and maintenance," said a relevant official from Chizhou Tiecheng Sponge City Investment and Construction Co., Ltd.

In terms of smart empowerment, the construction of smart city platforms is being accelerated, integrating functions such as government services, livelihood security, and safety supervision, using technology to empower and improve the level of refined urban governance.

Moving from extensive development to being people-oriented, making cities a bit smarter and more intelligent, is an inherent requirement for promoting the modernization of the urban governance system and governance capacity.

The "Shanghai Parking" smart application can not only find vacant parking spaces near a destination but can also perform reverse vehicle searching; Shenzhen, Guangdong's "Hua Tuo GPT" intelligently recommends appropriate departments and supports one-click registration; "Yue Sheng Shi" integrates hundreds of livelihood matters such as medical insurance, social security, housing provident fund, and taxation... Citizens' travel is more secure, handling business is more effortless, and life is more comfortable.

A city exists to prosper its people. It is expected that the people-centered city concept will continue to draw a magnificent picture of "Cities of Happiness" across the land of China.

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Drone-assisted aquaculture keeps live seafood fresher (New scenarios showcase vitality)

By: 本报记者 刘军国

From the heights of Nanji Island (南麂岛), Pingyang County (平阳县), Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province, looking out, hundreds of deep-water net cages are scattered in the sea, 蔚为壮观 (wèi wéi zhuàng guān - "present a magnificent sight").

Accompanied by a buzzing sound, at Guosheng'ao Pier (国姓岙码头), agricultural drones fully loaded with bait soar into the sky, flying toward the distant large yellow croaker breeding base.

“Previously, we had to manually carry bags of bait to auxiliary fishing boats to go out to sea and feed, which was inefficient and costly,” said Lin Duanzhao (林端照), head of the Nanji Fishing Ground of Wenzhou Haipai Fishery Co., Ltd. (温州海派渔业有限公司).

“After introducing agricultural drones, operational efficiency has increased by more than three times, and each net cage is expected to save about 5,000 yuan in management costs per year,” Lin Duanzhao said. “The drones can also collect feeding data and fish school dynamics in real time, providing decision support for scientific farming.”

The implementation of innovative achievements benefits from the connection between enterprise demand and scientific research supply. Huang Dake (黄大克), Secretary of the Nanji Town (南麂镇) Party Committee, said: “We actively build an industry-university-research cooperation platform, promoting collaborative efforts between enterprises and university research institutions to tackle key problems.”

“More innovative achievements are emerging from the laboratory,” said Li Pei (李沛), a lecturer at Hangzhou Dianzi University. As the head of the Low-Altitude Low-Orbit Digital Intelligence Industry Technology Innovation Center (低空低轨数智产业技术创新中心) of Aojiang Laboratory (鳌江实验室), she is leading a team to explore autonomous drone feeding models, achieving full automation through preset takeoff and landing points.

In addition, drones can also deliver “live fresh seafood.” Through the coordination of local relevant departments, Wenzhou Dayu Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. (温州大域农业科技有限公司) came to Nanji to explore new application scenarios for drone transportation.

“Live large yellow croaker from the breeding base is successfully transported to island hotels via drone, taking only a few minutes from takeoff to landing!” Lin Duanzhao said.

From net cage to table, the air corridor makes “live fresh seafood” even fresher. Since the “14th Five-Year Plan” (十四五) period, Pingyang County has promoted the upgrade of traditional wooden net cages to deep-water anti-wave net cages, and has taken the lead in experimenting with new submersible spherical net cages; the breeding sea area has expanded from 6 meters near the shore to over 20 meters, with a total breeding area exceeding 1,400 mu.

“During the ‘15th Five-Year Plan’ (十五五) period, Wenzhou will continue to carry out in-depth cooperation with domestic and foreign research institutes, focusing on the entire industry chain of large yellow croaker including seedlings, breeding, standards, branding, and marketing, so that higher-quality large yellow croaker can ‘swim’ onto the tables of thousands of households,” said Xu Xiong (徐雄), Deputy Director of the Wenzhou Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

(Fang Pengyimeng (方彭依梦) participated in writing and interviewing.)

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Last year, China's "three new" economic added value accounted for 18.39% of GDP.

Beijing, August 2 (Reporter Qiu Chaoyi (邱超奕)) — The reporter learned from the National Bureau of Statistics (国家统计局) that in 2025, the value added of China's "three new" (三新) economy (the collection of economic activities with new industries, new business forms, and new business models as their core content) reached 257,869 billion yuan. Calculated at current prices, this was an increase of 6.2% over the previous year, 2.2 percentage points higher than the growth rate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at current prices in the same period. It accounted for 18.39% of GDP, an increase of 0.38 percentage points over the previous year.

By three industries, in the 2025 "three-new" economy, the value added of the primary industry was 9,865 billion yuan, an increase of 4% over the previous year, accounting for 3.8%; the value added of the secondary industry was 106,304 billion yuan, an increase of 5.8% over the previous year, accounting for 41.2%; the value added of the tertiary industry was 141,700 billion yuan, an increase of 6.6% over the previous year, accounting for 55%.

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Humanoid Robot Serves as "Store Manager"

On August 1, inside a shopping mall in Shanghai's Songjiang District (上海市松江区), a trendy toy vending kiosk staffed by a humanoid robot "store manager" that can fully independently complete services such as reception, product retrieval, and order settlement became a major highlight. Photo by Li Lizhen (李立真) (Image China (影像中国))

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"15th Five-Year Plan" Public Institutions Energy Saving and Carbon Reduction Work Plan Issued

Beijing, August 2 (People's Daily) — (Reporter Shi Yiqi (史一棋)) To accelerate the green and low-carbon development of public institutions and raise the level of energy conservation and carbon reduction in public institutions, the National Government Offices Administration (国家机关事务管理局) and the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) have recently jointly issued the Work Plan for Energy Conservation and Carbon Reduction in Public Institutions during the "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五) period.

Taking peak carbon and carbon neutrality as the driving force, and based on the positioning of serving economic and social development, the plan deploys the targets and indicators, key tasks, and support and safeguard measures for energy conservation and carbon reduction in public institutions during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, helping to build a high-quality development system for government offices affairs based on asset management, and striving to give play to the demonstration and leading role of public institutions in the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development.

The plan proposes that by 2030, the energy utilization efficiency of public institutions nationwide will continue to improve, the energy consumption structure will continue to be optimized, the level of resource conservation and intensive utilization will continue to rise, cadres and workers will be more conscious in practicing green production and lifestyle, the management mechanism will be more perfect, support and safeguards will be more robust, and new achievements will be made in energy conservation and carbon reduction in public institutions. Taking 2025 carbon emissions and energy resource consumption as the baseline, within the statistical scope, carbon emissions per unit building area of public institutions will decrease by 8.5%, energy consumption per unit building area will decrease by 5%, and per capita water consumption will decrease by 3%.

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C919 Plateau Variant Completes Maiden Flight

This newspaper, Beijing, August 2 (Reporter Gu Yekai (谷业凯)) — The reporter learned from COMAC (中国商飞) that the first aircraft of the C919 plateau variant recently conducted its maiden flight test at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, completing all scheduled test flight subjects, marking an important step in the serial development of the C919 aircraft family.

The C919 plateau variant is one of the important models in the serial development of the C919 aircraft family. On the basis of the basic variant, the C919 plateau variant has adopted targeted designs such as fuselage shortening and system function improvements to meet plateau operation requirements.

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Comprehensive Transport Service Development '15th Five-Year Plan' Issued

Reported from Beijing, August 2 (Reporter Han Xin (韩鑫)). The "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Comprehensive Transport Services" (综合运输服务发展"十五五"规划), recently issued by the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部) and three other departments, proposes: by 2030, basically complete the building of a modern comprehensive transport service system, and basically complete the building of a multi-level, high-quality, and excellent-experience public travel service system; by 2035, the modern comprehensive transport service system will be more complete, and the "National 123 Travel and Transport Circle" (全国123出行交通圈) and the "Global 123 Express Cargo Logistics Circle" (全球123快货物流圈) will basically take shape, better supporting "people enjoy their travel, goods flow smoothly" (人享其行、物畅其流).

According to the plan, the coordinated and integrated development of comprehensive transport will be promoted through such means as accelerating the service upgrade of passenger connecting transport, improving the service quality and efficiency of comprehensive transport hubs, promoting the integrated development of transport services and tourism, promoting the high-quality development of small and mini passenger vehicle rental, promoting the high-quality development of multimodal transport, and deeply advancing the integrated development of rural passenger, freight, and postal services.

The plan proposes to promote the connotative development of urban transport in such aspects as determining urban transport development models 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - "act according to local conditions," to adapt measures to local circumstances), building a multi-level urban public transport service network, improving the operational service level of urban rail transit, improving the efficiency of commuter travel in metropolitan areas, strengthening safeguards for urban public transport development, promoting the coordinated development of taxis and online ride-hailing, and improving the service level of elderly-friendly and barrier-free transport and travel services.

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Ensure the Warmth of People’s Livelihood with the Strength of Rule of Law (A Good Start for the 15th Five-Year Plan)

By: 本报记者 倪 弋

A concealed "box" was opened, and personal privacy was quietly exposed... Among the typical cases of the "Prosecutorial Protection of People's Livelihood" (检护民生) special campaign released by the Supreme People's Procuratorate (最高人民检察院), a particularly large "online box-opening" case drew attention. Criminals used encrypted communication tools to illegally obtain over 900 million sets of citizens' personal information, formed a "box-opening" group of over 2,000 people, wantonly exposed privacy, and incited online violence.

After filing the case, the procuratorial organs intervened synchronously, coordinated with public security, cyberspace affairs, industry and information technology, and other departments, penetrated the anonymous disguise of virtual currency, locked onto the real identities behind the funds, constructed a clear and complete chain of evidence, and brought the criminals to justice. After the case was concluded, the procuratorial organs also promoted the removal of related websites and associated groups, issued warnings to domestic platforms, and strived to block the leakage of personal information at the source.

Personal information security is an important livelihood right and interest in the digital era. The handling of this case is a vivid microcosm of the procuratorial organs using the power of the rule of law to safeguard people's livelihood and well-being.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "In Chinese-style modernization, people's livelihood is paramount." The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held on July 30 pointed out: "Multiple measures must be taken to strengthen livelihood guarantees."

In the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五), on the basis of the previous two years' continuous implementation of the "Prosecutorial Protection of People's Livelihood" special campaign, the Supreme People's Procuratorate deployed procuratorial organs nationwide to further deepen the "Prosecutorial Protection of People's Livelihood" special campaign, focusing on three aspects: "closely monitoring key areas, concentrating on key population groups, and seizing prominent livelihood issues," and concentrating on 16 key tasks including strengthening the handling of civil supervision cases in the field of people's livelihood, integrating procuratorial performance into ensuring and improving people's livelihood.

Closely monitor key areas, and adhere to judicial service for the people in serving high-quality development.

Lucid waters and lush mountains are the distinctive background of high-quality development and also the most inclusive benefit to people's livelihood.

In Wuchuan County, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, a sewage treatment plant that had been "operating while sick" had long discharged pollutants exceeding standards, causing multiple indicators of the river water to be abnormal and often emitting odors. After the procuratorial organs issued pre-litigation procuratorial proposals to relevant departments demanding rectification, the rectification was like "squeezing toothpaste" (slow and reluctant).

"Public interest litigation cannot stop at proposals; we must dare to use the confirmation of 'litigation' to promote the actual effect of 'governance,'" said a relevant responsible comrade from the Hohhot Municipal People's Procuratorate. The procuratorial organs lawfully initiated an administrative public interest lawsuit. In court, each appraisal report and each set of monitoring data clearly revealed the persistence and harm of the pollution. The pressure of litigation was transformed into momentum for governance. The relevant departments ultimately carried out a thorough technical transformation of the sewage treatment plant and planned to construct new treatment facilities, eradicating the "root cause" of pollution at its source.

From lawfully and prudently handling disputes in areas such as finance and real estate to help prevent and resolve economic risks, to strengthening comprehensive judicial protection of intellectual property rights to stimulate innovation vitality, and to equally protecting the lawful rights and interests of various types of business entities and maintaining a fair competition market order... Procuratorial organs closely monitor key areas, handle every case with high quality and efficiency, and continuously enhance people's livelihood and well-being with the power of the rule of law.

Concentrate on key population groups, and continuously strengthen the protection of the rights and interests of workers and specific groups.

"Prosecutor, our money has arrived!" In March this year, a prosecutor from the Xinzhou District People's Procuratorate of Shangrao City, Jiangxi, received a happy call from Old Chen, a migrant worker. Previously, over 1.2 million yuan in wages owed to Old Chen and 94 of his fellow workers had been unpaid for nearly a year. The arbitration was won, and the court also ruled to allow enforcement, but it stalled due to procedural interface issues.

The procuratorial organs issued a precise procuratorial proposal directly pointing to the mechanism's blockage to the court, while also coordinating the court, human resources and social security departments, trade unions, and other departments to meet and negotiate, clarify responsibilities, and unblock the process. A few days later, the workers' wages were fully credited.

"Prosecutorial Protection of People's Livelihood" always places the safety and well-being of specific groups such as women, children, the elderly, and the disabled in a prominent position. In the field of juvenile protection, procuratorial organs have "zero tolerance" for crimes against minors, prosecuting 73,000 people in 2025; for children involved in crimes, they wholeheartedly "educate, influence, and save," lawfully applying conditional non-prosecution to 16,000 people. For groups such as women, the elderly, and the disabled, the procuratorial organs' protection is equally meticulous, from severely punishing crimes of infringement to promoting the construction of barrier-free environments, weaving an ever-denser judicial protection net with greater warmth.

Seize prominent livelihood issues, and help alleviate the urgent, difficult, worried, and desired concerns of the people.

In Suzhou City, Anhui, procuratorial organs discovered a batch of abnormal "confirmation of labor relationship" cases—the defendants uniformly readily "admitted" to the plaintiffs' claims. It turned out that a labor dispatch agency colluded with the person in charge of an enterprise, forged complete labor contracts and wage statements, fabricated 81 people "working for many years," intending to use effective judgments to illegally supplement pension insurance payments and defraud the national social security fund.

The court adopted the procuratorial organs' proposal for retrial supervision and revoked all erroneous judgments. The procuratorial organs also promptly transferred the leads to the human resources and social security department, issued a procuratorial proposal to strengthen review and supervision, and promoted the establishment of a normalized coordination mechanism for case lead transfer and information sharing, reinforcing the "rule of law lock" on the people's "pension money" and "life-saving money" at the source.

From safeguarding the security of social security funds to severely punishing telecommunications and internet fraud and protecting the people's "money bags"; from helping to crack the "difficulty of enforcement" to realize judgments, to governing prominent issues in food and drug safety, procuratorial organs focus on the people's urgent, difficult, worried, and desired concerns, and through the "small entry points" of individual cases, they substantiate the "big article" of social governance.

"Prosecutorial Protection of People's Livelihood: the core is 'protection,' and the key is 'substance.'" A relevant responsible person from the Supreme People's Procuratorate stated that procuratorial organs will closely follow the development goals of the "15th Five-Year Plan," handle every case with high quality and efficiency, substantiate the procuratorial service for the people that the people can feel, experience, and benefit from, and use the strength of the rule of law to ensure the warmth of people's livelihood.

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Number of basic pension insurance participants in China reached 1.07591 billion last year

Beijing, August 2 (Reporter Wu Chuqi) — The Ministry of Civil Affairs (民政部) and the National Committee on Aging (全国老龄办) recently released the 2025 National Report on the Development of Aging (2025年度国家老龄事业发展公报) showing: As of the end of 2025, 1,075.91 million people nationwide participated in basic endowment insurance, an increase of 3.09 million compared with the end of the previous year.

As of the end of 2025, the national population aged 60 and above was 323.38 million, accounting for 23.0% of the total population; the national population aged 65 and above was 223.65 million, accounting for 15.9% of the total population. The national elderly dependency ratio for those aged 65 and above was 23.1%. The national average life expectancy reached 79.25 years.

The report shows: China's elderly care service facility network has been further improved. As of the end of 2025, there were a total of 395,000 various types of elderly care institutions and facilities nationwide (including institutions combining medical and elderly care), with a total of 7.679 million elderly care beds. Among them, there were 39,200 registered elderly care institutions with 4.984 million beds (nursing-type beds accounting for 69.9%); there were 356,100 community elderly care service institutions and facilities with 2.695 million beds. Nationwide, there were 4,730 county-level public elderly care institutions, with a coverage rate of 100%; 20,500 township (subdistrict) regional elderly care service centers were built, with a construction rate of 53%; 5,776 elderly homes implemented the reform of "township institution, county management" (乡院县管); there were 16,000 rural institutions for providing for the extremely poor and more than 140,000 mutual-aid elderly care service facilities. 900 million yuan was invested to support the construction of home-based elderly care beds in 50 project areas. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (十四五), a total of 570,000 home-based elderly care beds were built, and 30 million person-times of doorstep home-based elderly care services were provided. The construction of elderly care service facilities in urban residential areas was promoted; in 2025, 27,100 old urban residential communities were newly renovated and upgraded, and more than 4,300 various community service facilities including elderly care were added.

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Drawing on China's experience, Indonesian villages take on a new look (Working together for a new era of prosperity and development)

By: 本报记者 曹师韵

Since 2019, the Indonesian village cadre training program carried out by the Chinese Embassy in Indonesia in cooperation with Indonesia's Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions has enabled more than a hundred Indonesian village heads to go deep into Chinese villages and learn experience in agricultural modernization, rural governance, public services, and industrial development. Hendrik Martono, head of Purwosono Village, Sumbersuko District, Lumajang Regency, East Java Province, Indonesia, is one of them.

Under Hendrik's leadership, Purwosono Village built a volleyball court, held cross-village leagues, renovated the village committee office, and cleaned up the river environment. The village's appearance has undergone tremendous changes, and it has driven surrounding villages to develop together. Hendrik told reporters that all of this must be credited to Chinese concepts and experience.

A Volleyball Match Drives Local Tourism and Consumption

"Whack!" "Got it!" "Good ball!" On the newly built volleyball court in Purwosono Village, a villagers' volleyball match was underway. The new court is flat and spacious, with a taut net. During a break, villager Slamet pointed to a weed-covered open space nearby and told reporters: "We used to play over there. The ground was pitted and uneven; falls were common, and there was no net. Now it's different. The new court was built to national standards and is open for free. I now come to play three or four times a week."

From an open space where dust flew to a standard, tidy court, behind the transformation of this court lies rural development experience from China.

In October 2023, Hendrik took part in the Indonesian village cadre training program and visited Beijing; Hangzhou, Zhejiang; Wuyuan (婺源), Jiangxi; Shanghai; and other places. The complete infrastructure and booming industries in China's villages gave him, for the first time, a true view of another possibility for rural development. "This learning experience was extremely valuable," Hendrik said. The comprehensive rural revitalization that China is advancing is inspiring; he has been thinking about how to apply what he learned to the development of his hometown.

The villagers of Purwosono and surrounding villages love volleyball, and this made him think of Guizhou, China's "Village Super League" (村超). "In China, rural sports have long been more than just competition; they can bring villagers together and stimulate village vitality," Hendrik said. Using China's "Village Super League" experience for reference, he 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - "take measures according to local conditions," to act according to actual circumstances) launched a cross-village volleyball league.

Hendrik applied to the higher-level government for special funds and in 2024 built a volleyball court meeting national standards and equipped with spectator stands. In 2025, the volleyball "Village Super League" he had been longing for was successfully held, attracting teams from more than 30 surrounding villages to participate; the event lasted nearly a month. During that month, Purwosono Village suddenly became lively, and tourism and consumption were both boosted. On the night of the final, about 2,000 spectators flooded into the court. The spectator stands were not enough, so temporary seats had to be added. The event also brought new opportunities for the village's young people. The team that Slamet's son was on won the league championship. Because of his outstanding performance in the competition, his son was subsequently selected and sent to the province for training.

"The Purwosono Village volleyball court is the best village-level court in Lumajang Regency," said Nurman Riyadi, head of the Lumajang Regency Youth and Sports Office. He expressed the hope that the volleyball "Village Super League" would be taken as an opportunity to drive local and surrounding villages to cultivate more outstanding athletes and further promote the development of mass sports.

A Cool Stream Lets Villagers Form Environmental Protection Habits

Coming out of the volleyball court, the reporter followed Hendrik to the village committee office. As soon as he pushed open the courtyard gate, he felt full of vitality. At a brand-new ping-pong table, two villagers were swinging their paddles in a rally, the crisp sound of the ball echoing; in the outdoor leisure area, several villagers sat around drinking tea and chatting; in the small library, children were earnestly reading and doing homework.

"The volleyball league brought everyone together, but we also need real public spaces that make people willing to stay," Hendrik said. In the past, the Purwosono Village committee office was only a place for villagers to gather and handle affairs. In China, he saw the multiple functions of the village committee as a public space for villagers—it is both a governance center, a cultural display window, and an industry promotion platform. "This experience greatly inspired me."

With Hendrik's push, the village committee office underwent systematic renovation: the exterior was renewed; a leisure area, a library, and an entertainment area were added; a stage for festive events, training, and collective study was built; and a villagers' service center specifically for handling grassroots civil affairs was established. Fatimah, a villager who runs a small restaurant nearby, had just come out of the service center. She told reporters that after the village committee office was renovated, more people came to take part in activities in the morning and evening, and the restaurant's business also improved.

On the porch of the service center is written an Indonesian phrase: "Joy on arrival, unforgettable on departure." A simple phrase expresses the true feelings of many villagers about the changes in Purwosono Village.

Walking along the path behind the village, among the shelter of green trees, the stream water was clear to the bottom. On the bank, footpaths and pavilions were 错落有致 (cuò luò yǒu zhì - "scattered with ordered variety," arranged in a pleasingly irregular way), villagers in twos and threes were cooling off and chatting, children were playing in the public swimming pool, and someone was quietly fishing by the fishing pond. It is hard to imagine that a few years ago this place was an open-air garbage dump, with worrying environmental sanitation.

Hendrik said that during his study tour in China, the water system management and water resource protection work of Dongziguan Village (东梓关村) in Hangzhou left a deep impression on him. "The entire village is surrounded by water. Whether on the water surface or in the streets, everything is clean and tidy, and garbage is sorted and disposed of." He told reporters, "Chinese friends have done well. I want my hometown to keep up."

After returning to his country, Hendrik took out photos he had taken in China and introduced the experience to the villagers. Everyone was deeply moved, and they set to work together to clear away silt and garbage, repair the water channel, and lay footpaths... Thanks to the collective efforts of the villagers, the stream water became clear again, and the place was transformed into a leisure and entertainment venue for the villagers, acquiring the pleasant name "Cool Stream." Ershad, the sanitation inspector for the Cool Stream, said: "It is precisely because everyone has poured their hearts into this place that everyone feels a sense of responsibility and carefully protects the ecology here."

Now, an environmental protection display board stands by the Cool Stream, with real samples such as plastic bags, cartons, and bottles pasted on it, and the decomposition years of different kinds of garbage marked. Hendrik said that this way of spreading environmental protection concepts to villagers was also learned from China. Inspired by the experience of Hangzhou's West Lake, he also plans to further renovate the village's waterscape park and create a more comfortable public leisure space.

A Good Model Drives More Villages to Change

As Purwosono Village's public spaces become increasingly lively and community activities grow ever richer, more and more villagers are willing to stay in their hometown to seek opportunities. "Everyone's incomes have risen, and life has also become more hopeful," Hendrik said.

"I hope to apply more of China's successful experience to the development of Purwosono Village," Hendrik said. Drawing on Chinese experience, he is currently dividing villagers into groups by industry—breeding, planting, and light industry—to help villagers increase their incomes. He also plans to improve the tourism supporting facilities around the Cool Stream to drive economic development.

The development and changes in Purwosono Village have gained more and more recognition. The Indonesian government classifies villages into five levels according to the Village Development Index. In 2017, when Hendrik had just become village head, Purwosono was still an "underdeveloped village" of the lowest level; now, the village has leapfrogged into an "independent village" of the highest level.

Purwosono Village's exemplary and driving role has gradually become apparent, and Chinese rural development concepts have also begun to extend outward from here. Nearby villages have taken action one after another: some are strengthening infrastructure construction, some are advancing river channel governance, and still others are developing sports activities. Now, neighboring villages have also built sports fields, and everyone looks forward to hosting the "Village Super League" in turn.

"Exchanges between Indonesian and Chinese villages and village heads are of vital importance," said Sugito, special assistant to Indonesia's Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions. Many of China's successful experiences in rural development are worth learning from for Indonesia, and Indonesia will also absorb them in light of its own national conditions. "Indonesian village heads going to China to study will help the country further improve its rural development policies."

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Correct Move, Just Move, Exemplary Move (Ambassador's Essay)

By: 杨晓光

Recently, the government of Papua New Guinea announced the closure of the "Taipei Economic Office in Papua New Guinea." This once again demonstrates that adhering to the one-China principle is what the people desire and the general trend of the times, and that pursuing "Taiwan independence" has no way out; it also powerfully demonstrates that under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government are firmly grasping the initiative and the dominant position in cross-strait relations, and the process of achieving the complete reunification of the motherland is unstoppable. The Papua New Guinean side made this decision in accordance with the historical trend, which fully reflects the Papua New Guinean government and people's positive will and friendly posture toward developing relations with China.

Papua New Guinea is one of the earliest Pacific Island countries to establish diplomatic relations with the new China. In 1976, China and Papua New Guinea established diplomatic relations on the basis of the one-China principle, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Over the past 50 years, China-Papua New Guinea relations have maintained a momentum of positive development. In 2018, President Xi Jinping conducted a historic state visit to Papua New Guinea, and the two countries established a comprehensive strategic partnership of mutual respect and common development. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Papua New Guinea comprehensive strategic partnership has become increasingly mature and steady. Political mutual trust between the two countries continues to deepen, and they firmly support each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. Cooperation between the two sides in fields such as economy and trade, infrastructure, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, energy and minerals, education, and health has also achieved abundant results, bringing tangible benefits to the two countries and their peoples.

The decision by the Papua New Guinean government to close the so-called "office" of the Taiwan region is a correct move. There is only one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. The return of Taiwan to China is the achievement of the victory of the Chinese people's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, and is also the fruit of the victory of World War II. The Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, the Instrument of Surrender of Japan, as well as United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2751, legally clarify the legal status of Taiwan as belonging to the territory of China. The Democratic Progressive Party authorities continuously and deliberately distort UN General Assembly Resolution 2751, openly challenge the current international order and rules, and use their so-called "offices" in relevant countries to engage in political manipulation, carrying out the reality of secession. Thoroughly closing the so-called "office" of the Taiwan region is a correct move that conforms to the one-China principle and upholds international rules, and is in line with the historical trend.

The decision by the Papua New Guinean government to close the so-called "office" of the Taiwan region is a move of justice. For a period of time, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities have persisted in the secessionist stance of "Taiwan independence," refused to accept the one-China principle, distorted and denied the "consensus of 1992," promoted "de-Sinicization" and "gradual Taiwan independence" within the island, and intensified "seeking independence through military means" and "resisting unification through military means"; they have colluded with external forces to strive in the international arena to manufacture "two Chinas" and "one China, one Taiwan." Certain countries, out of the dark calculations of "using Taiwan to control China," are willing to act as political accomplices to "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces. This time, the Papua New Guinean government's closure of the so-called "office" of the Taiwan region heavily strikes a blow to the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces as well as the external interference schemes of "using Taiwan to control China," demonstrating the international community's righteous position of adhering to the one-China principle, firmly opposing "Taiwan independence," and supporting China in safeguarding national unification, which conforms to what the international community desires.

The decision by the Papua New Guinean government to close the so-called "office" of the Taiwan region is a move of demonstration. Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Tkatchenko stated that Papua New Guinea firmly adheres to the one-China principle and believes that Taiwan is part of China and has never been a country. Papua New Guinea's announcement to close the "Taipei Economic Office in Papua New Guinea" sends a clear and powerful signal, which is to firmly develop relations with China and firmly defend the one-China principle. This is a unanimous decision made by Papua New Guinea's highest leadership and also sets a precedent in the Asia-Pacific region. This move provides a demonstration for other countries in correctly handling the issue of Taiwan-related institutions; it is believed that this will promote more countries to make correct and just choices, and clearly tell "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and their supporters that any scheme to destroy international rules, overturn the post-war international order, or trample upon China's sovereignty will 四处碰壁 (sì chù pèng bì - "bump into walls in all directions," to encounter setbacks everywhere), and pursuing "Taiwan independence" will only result in hitting walls everywhere and will inevitably fail.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Papua New Guinea, the Papua New Guinean government's decision to close the so-called "office" of the Taiwan region will help to further consolidate the political foundation for the development of relations between China and Papua New Guinea as well as cooperation between the two sides in all fields. The Chinese side looks forward to working hand in hand with Papua New Guinea to promote the development of the China-Papua New Guinea comprehensive strategic partnership toward higher levels and broader fields, to better benefit the two countries and their peoples.

(The author is the Chinese Ambassador to Papua New Guinea)

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"The CPC has always been rooted in the people and keeps pace with the times."

By: 本报记者 颜 欢

"The key to the Communist Party of China's continuous development and growth throughout its 105-year history of struggle lies in always adhering to putting the people first, and continuously advancing theoretical innovation and practical innovation. This has not only provided a strong political guarantee for China's development, but has also made important contributions to promoting world peace and development," José Luis Centella, President of the Communist Party of Spain (Partido Comunista de España), stated recently during an exclusive interview with this newspaper's reporter.

Centella believes that one important reason why the Communist Party of China has always maintained vigorous vitality lies in adhering to 与时俱进 (yǔ shí jù jìn - "advancing with the times," to keep pace with the times), and continuously strengthening Party building. He stated that the Communist Party of China is good at constantly improving itself according to the requirements of era development, adhering to theoretical innovation, practical innovation, institutional innovation, cultural innovation, and innovation in all other aspects, and continuously improving its governing capacity and enhancing its creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness.

"Only when Marxism is combined with the history, culture, and reality of a single country can it truly demonstrate the great ideological power to promote social development," Centella stated, noting that the Communist Party of China continuously advances the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, always adhering to starting from China's national conditions and enriching and developing Marxism through practice; "without concrete analysis and without political creativity, there would be no truly feasible socialist cause."

Centella stated that the Communist Party of China possesses very strong strategic planning capabilities, being able to organically combine long-term goals with the central tasks of various development stages, and continuously improving policies according to practice. This capacity for long-term planning and strategic determination allows China to maintain policy continuity and steadily move toward its established goals within a complex and changing international environment.

"The Communist Party of China is always rooted in the people and advances with the times," Centella stated. He said that the Communist Party of China always adheres to putting the interests of the people first, adheres to the principle of establishing the Party for the public and governing for the people, regards improving people's lives as an important goal in formulating various policies, and continuously improves public service systems such as education, medical care, housing, and elderly care, so that the achievements of modernization benefit all the people more and more fairly. China's victory in the battle against poverty is a great feat in the history of human poverty reduction and is also a vivid embodiment of the Communist Party of China's adherence to putting the people first. "Poverty is not an unchangeable fate, but a problem that can be solved through powerful public policies." He believes that through precise identification and precise implementation of measures, a large number of Party members and cadres have gone deep into the grassroots to promote the implementation and effectiveness of various assistance policies, which fully embodies the strong organizational and execution capabilities of the Communist Party of China and provides important experience for the world's poverty reduction cause.

Currently, the changes unseen in a century in the world are accelerating, and global challenges such as regional conflicts, climate change, and developmental imbalances are intertwined. "No matter how powerful a country is, it is impossible to deal with global challenges alone," Centella stated. The contemporary world needs to adhere to multilateralism and strengthen international cooperation more than at any other time. China's proposal of the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, as well as the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative, reflects the Communist Party of China's broad global vision and strong sense of responsibility. "China always respects the development paths chosen independently by all countries, adheres to cooperation and win-win results, promotes the construction of a more balanced and more inclusive international order, and contributes Chinese strength to world peace and development," Centella said.

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"This road has changed the lives of many of us."

By: 本报记者 陈一鸣

At 6:00 in the morning, among the mountains of the Cajamarca region in northern Peru, the mist had not yet dissipated. Trucks loaded with passion fruit, sugar apples, and egg fruit drove down the mountain along a brand-new asphalt road. On one side of the road were layered terraced fields, on the other the rolling Andes Mountains. Driver Jose Augusto turned the steering wheel skillfully, occasionally honking to greet oncoming vehicles.

Recently, the Cajamarca region highway renovation and maintenance project (see photo, courtesy of China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation) contracted by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (中国土木工程集团有限公司) smoothly passed its handover inspection. The project is located in the mountainous highlands of Peru, with elevations along the route between 1,500 and 2,800 meters. After renovation and maintenance, the highway totals about 246 kilometers in length, connecting multiple remote mountain villages, greatly improving road network efficiency, unblocking the flow of regional goods, and directly benefiting 32 communities and over 200,000 residents.

"Before, driving this road, I was most worried about rain," Augusto told the reporter. In the past, many sections of the road here were severely damaged, becoming muddy and impassable once the rainy season came, with vehicles often getting stuck in mud pits. "Now the road is repaired. Covering the same distance saves a lot of time, and transportation costs have also come down," Augusto said.

Continuing along the highway, the reporter arrived at a mountain market. Stalls were filled with avocados, passion fruit, and fresh vegetables. Many villagers were loading agricultural products onto trucks to transport to nearby towns. Maria Gonzalez, a 55-year-old farmer, has been in the agricultural products business here for over 20 years. "In the past, the most worrisome thing was not being unable to grow, but being unable to transport them out," Gonzalez said. Due to poor road conditions, buyers were often unwilling to come in to purchase, and many farmers could only watch as part of their agricultural products spoiled and rotted. Now, as road conditions improve, more and more buyers come to the area, agricultural product transport is more convenient, and "the farmers' incomes have also increased."

For local residents, this highway not only connects markets, but also connects educational and medical resources. At a community health station along the project route, nurse Ana recalled that in the past, some mountain residents needed to travel for hours or even longer to go to the hospital for medical treatment. When encountering bad weather or road disruptions, it was difficult to receive timely treatment. "Now ambulances can drive into mountain villages, and it is more convenient for patients to go to the hospital," Ana said. "For many families, this is not only a highway, but also a lifeline."

Construction in the highland mountains was truly not easy. Project manager Dai Changhui (代长慧) introduced that the project site has complex terrain, with some construction areas having high mountains and steep slopes, and large temperature differences between day and night. During construction, the project team overcame complex geological conditions and variable weather impacts, scientifically organized construction, and ensured project quality and progress.

During the construction process, the project actively hired local employees and carried out skills training. Kevin Pool, 29, is one of the beneficiaries. Previously, he made a living by doing odd jobs. After joining the project, he started as an ordinary worker and gradually mastered road construction and machinery operation skills. "Before, I had no stable job. Now I not only learn skills but also have a substantial income," Pool said. He hopes to continue working in the infrastructure construction industry in the future.

Carlos Vargas, mayor of Cartavio (库特尔沃市), a city along the project route, stated that this highway is an important part of the regional transportation network. After the project was completed, it not only improved travel conditions for residents along the route, but also further strengthened interconnection within the Cajamarca region and connections with surrounding areas, creating more favorable conditions for the development of agriculture, commerce, and tourism.

As the sun set in the west, trucks shuttled among the mountains. On both sides of the road, one could occasionally see farmers working and children returning from school. For these people living in the Andes mountains, wherever the highway extends, hope reaches. Vargas, looking at the highway stretching into the distance, said: "This road has changed the lives of many of us."

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China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Organizes Entrepreneur Delegation to Visit the United States

Our reporter Li Zhiwei (李志伟) from Washington, August 1. From July 27 to 31, at the invitation of the US-China Business Council, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) organized a delegation of Chinese entrepreneurs to visit Salt Lake City, Chicago, and Washington in the United States, to promote the business communities of the two countries to actively implement the important consensus reached during the Beijing meeting of the two heads of state and expand practical cooperation in the economic and trade field. 22 Chinese enterprises accompanied the delegation.

During the visit, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) cooperated with relevant US institutions to hold multiple China-US business matchmaking events, and conducted symposiums and exchanges with over 120 US enterprises and institutions. Ren Hongbin (任鸿斌), President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, met with a number of US political and business figures, and briefed all sectors in the US on the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (十五五规划纲要) and China's economic situation, introduced China's new measures to adhere to high-quality development and high-level opening up, promoted the Fifth China International Supply Chain Expo (第五届链博会), welcomed US enterprises to share "China Opportunity 2.0" (中国机遇2.0), and emphasized that the CCPIT will support and promote the strengthening of multilateral and bilateral practical cooperation between the business communities of China and the US to achieve a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

US political and business figures highly evaluated the Beijing meeting of the two heads of state, expressed anticipation for continuing to deeply cultivate the Chinese market during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, strengthen trade and investment cooperation, expressed willingness to actively participate in the APEC CEO Summit and the Fifth China International Supply Chain Expo, and jointly maintain the stable and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains.

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Unswervingly Fight the Black and Evil Forces to the End

By: 本报记者 亓玉昆

Recently, the Party Central Committee made deployments on deepening the special campaign against organized crime and vice (扫黑除恶专项斗争), specifying that starting from July of this year, using about one year's time, a deepened special campaign against organized crime and vice will be carried out nationwide, focusing on solving the problems of illegal and criminal acts involving organized crime and vice strongly reflected by the masses, rectifying and regulating industry chaos that breeds organized crime and vice, lawfully safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of the people, and ensuring that the people live and work in peace and contentment, society is stable and orderly, and the country enjoys lasting peace and stability.

Why is it necessary to organize and carry out a deepened special campaign against organized crime and vice? What are the work priorities of the special campaign? What effects are to be achieved? Regarding the above issues that the masses are more concerned about, the responsible comrade of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission answered the reporter's questions.

1. Q: Since the 20th National Congress of the Party, what achievements have been made in the normalized fight against organized crime and vice (常态化扫黑除恶斗争)?

A: Since the 20th National Congress, various localities and departments have deeply implemented the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core on carrying out the normalized fight against organized crime and vice, responding to the concerns of the people, and always maintaining a high-pressure posture of striking at organized crime and vice as soon as they emerge (露头就打). The number of organized crime and vice cases has significantly decreased, the public security situation continues to improve, Party conduct and government conduct continue to be purified, the grassroots foundation has been fully consolidated, and the development environment continues to be optimized. In 2025, criminal cases nationwide decreased by 12.8% year-on-year, the lowest since the beginning of this century. Homicide cases decreased by 8.7% year-on-year, the lowest since the beginning of this century. A survey by the National Bureau of Statistics shows that in 2025, the people's satisfaction with the fight against organized crime and vice was 94.55%, remaining at a high level above 92% for 7 consecutive years. In 2025, the national public sense of security was 98.23%, remaining above 98% for 6 consecutive years.

2. Q: Why is it necessary to organize and carry out a deepened special campaign against organized crime and vice?

A: As just introduced, the normalized fight against organized crime and vice has achieved obvious results. But it must also be clearly recognized that organized crime and vice crimes have a stubborn, recurrent, and complex nature; some organized crime and vice crimes are hidden and transformed, and traditional organized crime and vice crimes have not yet been eradicated, requiring greater effort to advance the normalized fight against organized crime and vice. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, judging the hour and sizing up the situation (审时度势 - shěn shí duó shì, "judge the hour and size up the situation"), made the major decision and deployment to deepen the special campaign against organized crime and vice, which has significant practical significance and far-reaching strategic significance.

This is a new mission entrusted by the great historical process. At present, our country is in a critical period of laying a solid foundation and making full efforts to basically achieve socialist modernization. The goals and tasks established by the blueprint of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" place new requirements on improving the ability and level to prevent and respond to various risks and challenges. We must, centering on the central task of comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization, better coordinate the "two major matters" of development and security, continuously maintain a high-pressure posture against all types of illegal and criminal activities, resolutely eliminate all malignant tumors that erode the social organism, build a higher level of Peaceful China, and write a new chapter of long-term social stability.

This is a new requirement put forward to better ensure the people's peaceful life and work. Organized crime and vice forces seriously affect the people's sense of security. If the people become wealthy but lack a sense of security, they cannot study, work, or live with peace of mind. With the rapid development of informatization, traditional organized crime and vice crimes and internet crimes are intertwined, and some new types of organized crime and vice crimes seriously endanger the personal and property safety of the masses. We must focus on all types of organized crime and vice forces and their illegal and criminal acts that the masses reflect most strongly and deeply detest and abhor (深恶痛绝 - shēn wù tòng jué, "deeply detest and abhor"). By deeply digging and thoroughly investigating a batch of leads on organized crime and vice, and tackling and breaking through a batch of major cases, we let the masses take "reassurance pills" and sleep "peaceful sleeps."

This is a new standard put forward by comprehensively advancing the rule of law. Organized crime and vice forces are "stumbling blocks" to comprehensively governing the country by law. They openly challenge the authority of the law, trample on the dignity of the law, and disrupt the normal order of the rule of law in the country. We must fight a tough battle to the end against organized crime and vice forces, give full play to the role of the rule of law in consolidating the foundation, stabilizing expectations, and benefiting the long term, comprehensively improve the ability to crack down on, prevent, and govern organized crime and vice crimes in accordance with the law, and advance the fight against organized crime and vice on the track of the rule of law.

This is a new topic put forward by the new trends and new characteristics of organized crime and vice crimes. Unlike ordinary criminal offenses, organized crime and vice crimes severely erode the Party's ruling foundation, seriously disrupt normal social order, and cause deeper harm, greater destruction, and wider impact. At present, some organized crime and vice crimes are hidden and transformed, shifting from "offline" to "online," from "overt" to "covert," from "hard violence" to "soft violence (软暴力)," and from "traditional fields" to "non-traditional fields" and "emerging industries." We must establish the ideological preparation for a long-term struggle against organized crime and vice forces, always maintain a posture of severe crackdowns and high-pressure deterrence in accordance with the law, and continuously improve the ability to detect, strike, and punish new types of organized crime and vice crimes.

3. Q: What is the relationship between this deepened special campaign against organized crime and vice and the normalized fight against organized crime and vice?

A: Carrying out the fight against organized crime and vice is both a tough battle and a protracted war. We must adhere to the combination of focused offensives and normalized rectification. This special campaign is a deepened punitive action made on the basis of the normalized fight against organized crime and vice, according to the new trends and new characteristics of organized crime and vice crimes. The key targets of this special campaign are organized crime and vice forces that use online platforms to carry out illegal lending, malicious claims, illegal debt collection, labor scams, public opinion blackmail, online trolls causing trouble, and other internet-related organized crime and vice forces, and those that engage in large-scale tracking and harassment, threats and intimidation, extortion and blackmail, and other "soft violence" organized crime and vice forces.

4. Q: What are the overall requirements of this deepened special campaign against organized crime and vice?

A: In carrying out the deepened special campaign against organized crime and vice, we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Party and the plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee, earnestly implement the deployments of the Fourth Plenary Session, thoroughly implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the holistic view of national security, and target the new manifestations, new characteristics, new trends, and new laws of acts involving organized crime and vice at present. We must effectively combine special governance with systemic governance, comprehensive governance, law-based governance, and source governance; combine the cracking down on organized crime and vice crimes with anti-corruption and grassroots "swatting flies (拍蝇)"; and adhere to long-term struggle, law-based crackdown, treating both symptoms and root causes (标本兼治 - biāo běn jiān zhì, "treat both the symptoms and root causes"), and precise supervision, continuously raising the level of law-based, standardized, and specialized work in the fight against organized crime and vice, creating a more secure and stable political and social environment for high-quality economic and social development.

In deepening the special campaign against organized crime and vice, we must adhere to the following work principles: adhere to the overall leadership of the Party, give full play to the leadership core role of the Party in commanding the overall situation and coordinating all parties, and integrate Party leadership into all aspects and the entire process of deepening the special campaign against organized crime and vice; adhere to a people-centered approach, take safeguarding the broad masses of the people's legitimate rights and interests as the starting point and end point, and achieve that the process of deepening the special campaign against organized crime and vice involves people's participation, the results are evaluated by the people, and the outcomes are shared by the people; adhere to the rule of law thinking, always advance the deepening of the special campaign against organized crime and vice on the track of the rule of law, adhere to taking facts as the basis and the law as the criterion, ensuring that if it is organized crime/vice, none is missed; if it is not, none is forced; adhere to the combination of leniency and severity (宽严相济 - kuān yán xiāng jì, "combine leniency with severity"), adhere to severe punishment according to law without wavering, while at the same time handling leniently according to law for those with legally prescribed circumstances for lenient treatment; adhere to a problem-oriented approach, keep a close eye on new situations and new problems of organized crime and vice crimes in new fields, go all out to overcome difficulties, and use key breakthroughs to drive the in-depth development of the fight against organized crime and vice; adhere to comprehensive governance, base ourselves on the present and look to the long term, both crack down on and rectify organized crime and vice crimes, and simultaneously fight, rectify, and build, improve long-term working mechanisms for prevention and governance from the source, and make efforts to eradicate the breeding ground for organized crime and vice illegal and criminal acts.

5. Q: The special campaign emphasizes the need to severely crack down on prominent organized crime and vice illegal and criminal acts in accordance with the law. What are the key targets of this special campaign?

A: This special campaign will, on the basis of continuously deeply digging and cracking down on traditional organized crime and vice crimes, closely monitor new trends in organized crime and vice crimes, adhere to striking early and small, and eliminating evil completely (除恶务尽 - chú è wù jìn, "eliminate evil completely"). It will severely crack down in accordance with the law on "village bullies (村霸)," "township bullies (乡霸)," "sand bullies (沙霸)," "mine bullies (矿霸)," "street bullies (街霸)," "market bullies (市霸)," and other organized crime and vice forces; severely crack down in accordance with the law on criminal groups that combine pornography, gambling, drugs, and organized crime, such as manufacturing and trafficking drugs, running gambling dens, organizing prostitution, and on crimes involving collusion between domestic and foreign organized crime and vice forces; and severely crack down in accordance with the law on organized crime and vice groups that manipulate and control minors to commit illegal and criminal acts and infringe upon the rights and interests of minors. At the same time, it will severely crack down in accordance with the law on organized crime and vice crimes and related crimes carried out using online platforms and "soft violence" means, such as sextortion via nude chat, illegal lending, illegal debt collection, public opinion blackmail, malicious claims, forced consumption, labor scams, and sexual extortion; and severely crack down in accordance with the law on "soft violence" crimes involving organized crime and vice, such as tracking and harassment, threats and intimidation, extortion and blackmail.

For cases involving organized crime and vice that are strongly reflected by the masses, have major and complex circumstances, face great resistance in handling, and are highly socially concerning, supervisory handling will be assigned, and measures such as deploying police from different localities, raising the level of jurisdiction, and dedicated task forces to tackle the cases will be comprehensively used to promote breakthroughs. Efforts to seize and confiscate assets derived from organized crime will be further intensified to completely destroy the economic foundation of organized crime and vice forces, preventing them from reviving like dead ashes rekindling (死灰复燃 - sǐ huī fù rán, "dead ashes rekindle," to revive or resurge).

6. Q: In deepening the special campaign against organized crime and vice, how will the political and legal organs ensure strict law-based handling of cases?

A: In the special campaign, the political and legal organs will strictly follow the Criminal Law, the Anti-Organized Crime Law, and relevant judicial interpretations, adhere to taking facts as the basis and the law as the criterion, strictly abide by legal principles such as statutory crime and punishment, presumption of innocence, and adjudication by evidence, and strictly control the case facts, evidence, procedures, and application of law, ensuring that every case is handled into an ironclad case that can withstand the test of law and history. Public security organs will strictly follow statutory procedures to collect all types of evidence that can prove organized crime and vice crimes, improving the quality of investigation and evidence collection from the source. Procuratorial organs and judicial organs each perform their own duties, strictly and accurately determine in accordance with the law. Case-handling organs protect the lawful rights of defendants and criminal suspects in accordance with the law, and protect lawyers' rights to practice in accordance with the law.

7. Q: What are the specific reporting channels for the masses regarding illegal and criminal acts involving organized crime and vice?

A: In this deepened special campaign against organized crime and vice, the masses can choose the following channels to report:

First, use the national unified online reporting platform "12337." By searching for "12337" on the internet or clicking links such as China Peace Network (中国长安网) and the "Chang'an Sword (长安剑)" WeChat public account of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, they can log in to the reporting platform conveniently anytime, anywhere, fill in relevant information and submit it, and the National Office against Organized Crime and Vice will accept it in real time.

Second, report through the reporting channels published by the Ministry of Public Security, the National Bureau of Letters and Calls, and provincial-level offices against organized crime and vice, as well as the complaint and reporting channels of industry authorities such as telecommunications and internet, finance, and related internet platforms.

Third, report through reporting hotlines, reporting platforms, and reporting address email boxes newly announced by various localities during the deepened special campaign against organized crime and vice.

For leads obtained through the above channels, we will make every effort to do a good job of transferring, supervising, verifying, and giving feedback, and when necessary, initiate escalated random spot checks and reviews to promote thorough investigation. At the same time, we will strictly implement the systems of lead confidentiality, personal protection, and rewards for reporting, guiding the masses to actively report leads involving organized crime and vice.

8. Q: "Every network must be broken, every umbrella must be struck." The special campaign requires deeply digging into and thoroughly investigating corruption and "protective umbrellas (保护伞)" related to organized crime and vice. What arrangements and deployments are there in this regard?

A: We have always adhered to simultaneously advancing and aligning efforts in the fight against organized crime and vice and striking the "umbrellas" and breaking the "networks." We will improve the mechanism for the rapid transfer of problem leads between discipline inspection and supervision organs and political and legal organs, promptly dig deeply into the corruption and "protective umbrellas" and "networks of relationships (关系网)" behind illegal and criminal acts involving organized crime and vice, and investigate and deal with every case discovered, never tolerating any. We will increase supervisory efforts, focusing on key supervision of cases where organized crime and vice and corruption are deeply intertwined over a long period. Procuratorial organs will play their role in prosecutorial investigation functions, investigating and handling related duty crimes by judicial personnel in accordance with the law. At the same time, we will extend the reach of supervision to prevention beforehand, grasping early and small matters, and nipping problems in the bud (防微杜渐 - fáng wēi dù jiàn, "nip in the bud").

9. Q: The special campaign requires improving long-term mechanisms for the prevention and governance of organized crime and vice crimes. What are the considerations in this regard?

A: We will adhere to the combination of punishment and prevention, treating both symptoms and root causes, and continuously deepen prevention and rectification in key industries and fields. For example, on the issue of organized crime and vice forces using information networks to commit crimes, we will focus on strengthening the main responsibility of network platforms, deeply advancing network governance, and resolutely cutting off the illegal interest chains of upstream and downstream crimes such as infringing on citizens' personal information, illegal software development, "account farming and comment control (养号控评)," "attracting followers and driving traffic (吸粉引流)," and "running scores and money laundering (跑分洗钱)," and continuously crack down on and rectify crimes involving organized crime and vice and related crimes committed through networks. In response to the chaos of lending on online platforms and other issues, relevant industry regulatory authorities will increase law-based supervision of business entities such as telecom operators, commercial banks, and internet enterprises, promote the standardized operation of online loans, and prevent illegal and criminal acts related to debt collection from the source. On this basis, we will further improve the working mechanism for the issuance, rectification, and feedback of "three documents and one letter (三书一函)" — namely, the supervision proposal, judicial proposal, procuratorial proposal, and public security reminder letter — to promote industry regulatory authorities to promptly discover regulatory loopholes and improve working mechanisms.

At the same time, we will further deepen prevention and rectification in key regions. We will focus on promoting the prevention and rectification of the problem of rural clan organized crime and vice forces, continuously rectify weak and lax village Party organizations, strictly implement the mechanism for joint review of qualifications of members of village (community) two committees, select and strengthen the two committees of villages (communities), and consolidate the grassroots organizational foundation for rural revitalization. We will select key districts and counties with a high number of public reports, a high number of police incidents involving organized crime and vice, and complex public security conditions, deepen prevention and rectification, eliminate public security black spots, and prevent organized crime and vice crimes from spreading and infiltrating into rural areas.

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"Thinking Innovation" Leads "Development Innovation" (People's Forum)

By: 沈若冲

Not long ago I came across a piece of news that gave me a jolt. It said that over the more than two years since the implementation of the "two new" (两新) policy, the share of replacement home appliances at the first-level energy efficiency standard had jumped from over 60 percent to 90 percent, saving more than 400 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity — equivalent to the annual power generation of four Three Gorges hydropower stations.

I myself am one of the beneficiaries of that policy. A few days ago, I replaced an air conditioner I had used for more than ten years. At first the elderly at home disagreed, feeling that the machine could still be used and that discarding it would be a pity. After I did the math — the new air conditioner could save several kilowatt-hours of electricity each night, and on top of that there was the replacement subsidy plus the money from selling the old unit — their thinking finally turned around.

A small household ledger connects to the big national ledger; behind it lies the sense of gain from development turning to the new and from policies serving the people.

As early as 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The world generally regards energy conservation as a more prioritized source of energy than development, calling it the 'fifth energy source' after coal, petroleum, natural gas, and non‑fossil energy. This concept is worth promoting."

Innovation in ideas brings about innovation in development thinking and a leap in the development mode. Cases like this are numerous.

For example, once upon a time the siege of cities by garbage was vexing; today in some cities, when waste-to-energy incineration is used, there is actually a situation of "insufficient fuel." This owes to technological progress and the continuous intensification of the resource utilization of garbage, which not only turns waste into treasure but also gives birth to new industrial forms.

Another example: once upon a time, in the eyes of some local government departments, increasing spending on the people's livelihood was a "losing business." Recognizing that focusing on the people's livelihood is focusing on development, that the two are not opposed but reinforce each other, and driving more financial resources and investments toward the people has become a consensus and conscious action across localities.

Once ideas change, the world opens up. From small things in personal life to big things in national development, the principle is always the same.

In reality, the reason some units and localities cannot break open their work situation is often that their thinking has ossified, their mindset has become rigid, and they cannot keep pace with the rhythm of the times and the needs of development. To guide development toward the new through innovation in thinking, the key is to break away from fixed thinking patterns and break through the constraints of old frameworks.

"Beijing cannot eat its fill, Tianjin cannot eat enough, Hebei cannot get any to eat" — once upon a time, the imbalanced and uncoordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was widely known, yet it remained a chronic ailment difficult to cure. "Consciously break the thinking pattern of each tending his own 'one acre, three parts of land,' and huddle together to work toward the goals set by top-level design." Today the three places collaborate and innovate; each petal is different, yet every petal shares the same heart.

Anhui was once the "auditing student" and "transferred student" of the Yangtze River Delta. By leveraging its strategic overlapping advantages, it found its role positioning and seized industrial focal points in the integration of the Yangtze River Delta, achieving continuous new breakthroughs in industries such as new-energy vehicles and integrated circuits.

Often we need the ability to "look at things from another angle." From another angle, disadvantages can be transformed into advantages, and short boards can become springboards for development. From another angle, one can see where development opportunities lie and see a much broader space.

At the same time, we also need a global perspective of "ascending high and gazing far." As the saying goes, the onlooker sees the game best. When doing any work, one should not simply stare at his own "one acre, three parts of land" and see only the immediate interests and the gains and losses of the moment. If one's field of vision is not broad enough, and if one cannot find his position in the overall picture or discern the first opportunities from the general trend, then even when opportunities are placed before him, he will neither seize nor make good use of them.

Of course, some people may say that changing one's own ideas and breaking through one's own thinking is the most difficult thing in the world. Others may say that everyone understands the great principles, but once it comes to practice, to concrete work, they are hard to put into practice.

If you cannot think of it or cannot do it, in the final analysis it is because you have not studied enough.

Now the task of promoting high-quality development is very heavy, and new problems and new challenges emerge in an endless stream. Sticking to old ways offers no way out. To keep thinking abreast of the times, we must persistently study the Party's innovative theories, continuously achieve innovation in thinking, and advance development toward the new.

A grassroots cadre put it well: "Keep pace with the times by studying new thinking, persist in 吐故纳新 (tǔ gù nà xīn - "exhale the stale, inhale the fresh," to discard the old and absorb the new), and constantly 推陈出新 (tuī chén chū xīn - "push out the old and bring forth the new," to weed through the old to bring forth the new). Only then can one stand bravely at the forefront in the rapidly changing torrent of the times." This should be the common pursuit of those who are doers and pragmatists.

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Laying a Solid Foundation for Achieving the Year's Development Goals and Tasks

By: 本报记者 李心萍 钱一彬 韩 鑫

Gross domestic product grew 4.7% year-on-year, new drivers of growth expanded rapidly… In the first half of the year, China’s economy made progress while maintaining stability, improved while remaining stable, performed outstandingly among the world’s major economies, and laid a solid foundation for achieving the annual development goals and tasks. The meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held on July 30 pointed out: “China’s economy is showing a development trend of new drivers gaining momentum and the structure moving toward a higher quality” and “make good use of various opportunities and advantages to promote high-quality development to proceed steadily and far.”

“The ‘15th Five-Year Plan’ period is a critical period for consolidating the foundation and making comprehensive efforts”;

“Continue to determine the promotion of high-quality development as the theme of economic and social development during the ‘15th Five-Year Plan’ period”;

“Upholding high-quality development must become an important part of the performance outlook of leading cadres”;

In the first year of the “15th Five-Year Plan,” a study and education campaign on establishing and practicing a correct performance outlook was launched across the Party. “Turn the effectiveness of the study and education into tangible results that promote high-quality development.” General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized this repeatedly.

“We must bear the overall situation in mind, stand high and see far, maintain strategic resolve, make meticulous tactical arrangements, and constantly enhance the certainty and sustainability of China’s development.”

The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, observing the general trend, setting the direction, responding to changing circumstances, and opening up new prospects, in the face of the accelerating great changes unseen in a century in the world, leads the giant ship of China’s rejuvenation to 劈波斩浪 (pī bō zhǎn làng - “cleave waves and cut through breakers,” to brave difficulties and forge ahead) and proceed steadily and far.

Strengthen Resolve · Respond to Changing Circumstances

“We must persist in placing the focus of work on improving our internal skills and strengthening ourselves”

Since the beginning of this year, geopolitical conflicts have occurred frequently, and energy prices have fluctuated sharply. How will China respond?

There is an answer in practice.

On July 14, in the northern Yellow Sea, Typhoon Bavi howled past. 42 “large wind turbines” of China Huaneng Group (中国华能) are rooted in the seabed 52 to 56 meters deep, standing against the wind, capturing the wind and taming the waves. This offshore wind farm can generate 17 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.

“We were the first to develop wind power and photovoltaics; the path we took is now seen as forward-looking.” Following the direction pointed out by the General Secretary, China Huaneng Group’s installed power generation capacity ranks second globally, with clean energy accounting for more than half.

Numbers reveal the underlying strength.

As of the end of June, China’s cumulative installed power generation capacity was approximately 4.04 billion kilowatts, ranking first in the world. In the first half of the year, while some countries faced tight energy supply and high inflation expectations, China’s production and living energy needs were strongly met, and the overall economic and social operation was stable.

The world’s turmoil and China’s stability profoundly demonstrate: China has already formed a good and solid fundamental in its long-term development; by unswervingly doing its own things well, we have no fear of the baptism of wind and rain or 惊涛骇浪 (jīng tāo hài làng - “frightening waves and terrifying surges,” severe storms or perilous situations).

“China’s development is in a period where strategic opportunities and risk challenges coexist, and uncertain and unpredictable factors increase.”

At the Central Economic Work Conference held at the end of last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed a regularity understanding of “five musts,” among which an important one is “must respond to external challenges by improving our internal skills.”

At the “group discussions” of this year’s Two Sessions, the General Secretary emphasized: “We must persist in placing the focus of work on improving our internal skills and strengthening ourselves.”

Scientifically foresee changes, promptly detect risks, and effectively respond to challenges. China has taken new solid steps in the first year of the “15th Five-Year Plan.”

Planning as the rudder, execution as the oars, leverage institutional advantages, and build up the foundation for development.

In March, a model launched by a Chinese automaker won the UK monthly sales champion; not long ago, Volkswagen began considering a “China R&D, Europe production” strategy; in the first half of the year, China exported 2.355 million new energy vehicles, a 1.2-fold increase year-on-year.

Policy gathers strength, innovation drives, and Chinese cars continuously expand new advantages in the resonance of planning and execution.

“Good planning and execution ability — these two must be combined,” the General Secretary said earnestly.

The “15th Five-Year Plan” outline anchors 20 major indicators, 16 major strategic tasks in key areas, and 109 major engineering projects; the National Development Planning Law has been formally implemented; the “15th Five-Year Plan” outlines of 31 provinces and special plans for various fields have been successively released… The grand blueprint is refined in “sectors” and deepened in “regions.”

On June 8, the Three Gorges New Waterway Project officially began construction. The 109 major engineering projects are being planned and launched one after another. This is a vivid footnote to “China always has long-term plans, and always can complete those plans.”

Deeply cultivate the real economy, consolidate the foundation, strengthen the strategic pillar, and grasp the initiative in development.

Exports calculated in RMB increased by 88.7% year-on-year, daily chip production exceeded 1.5 billion pieces, and China’s integrated circuit industry achieved outstanding results in the first half of the year.

In the chip field, facing the most severe “encirclement and blockade,” the Chinese people have become self-reliant and strived to break through. One by one, “bottleneck” technologies have been overcome. Not only has the self-sufficiency rate of domestic chips risen from single digits to double digits, but China has also become the world’s second-largest chip exporter. China’s voice in the global semiconductor supply chain is being reshaped.

“In recent years, China’s economy has ridden the wind and waves, maintaining strong resilience and vitality. The strategic pillar is the complete industrial system.” At this year’s “first lesson of the year,” the General Secretary pointed out clearly.

The C919 large passenger aircraft has been delivered cumulatively 41 units, the CR450 high-speed train full-vehicle test was successfully completed, the second domestically built large cruise ship, the “Adora City of Flowers,” completed its sea trials… In the first half of the year, the added value of manufacturing accounted for 26.2% of GDP, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from three years ago, and the material and technological foundation of Chinese-style modernization has become more solid.

Domestic demand-led, strengthen the market, grasp the strategic foundation, and stimulate development vitality.

Water network, new-type power grid, computing power network, new-generation communication network, urban underground pipeline network, logistics network — the investment scale in the construction of these “six networks” and related key areas is expected to exceed 7 trillion yuan this year.

On April 7–8, the National Service Industry Conference was held in Beijing. This was the first national conference focused on the service industry in the new era. General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions on the development of the service industry, emphasizing “highlighting demand-driven, reform-focused, technology-empowered, open and cooperative” and “striving to create a new situation for the high-quality development of the service industry.”

The service industry expanded capacity and improved quality. In Guangxi, the Liuzhou Marathon was moved into the sea of bauhinia flowers, the “super weekend” boosting the city’s food scene; in Sichuan, over a hundred study tour routes became hugely popular… The cultural tourism market bloomed with vitality.

“Persist in expanding domestic demand as the strategic foundation.” Stabilize investment, promote consumption, smooth circulation. In the first half of the year, total retail sales of consumer goods and services increased by 2.7% year-on-year, and the demand potential of the super-large market continued to be released.

Open the door wide, open up and cooperate, persist in harmony and coexistence, and achieve win-win cooperation.

As of May 31 this year, the import value under the “zero tariff” policy was 2.645 billion yuan, a 1.2-fold increase year-on-year; newly registered business entities increased by 172,100; newly added foreign-invested enterprises increased by 1,240… Since the Hainan Free Trade Port began customs clearance, one indicator after another has climbed upward.

The “15th Five-Year Plan” “draws a blueprint for China’s development in the next five years, and also provides a ‘list of opportunities’ to the world.”

From the implementation of the newly revised Foreign Trade Law, to the unveiling of the China (Inner Mongolia) Pilot Free Trade Zone, to the comprehensive implementation of zero-tariff measures for 53 African countries with diplomatic relations, the door to opening up has opened wider and wider, and the domestic and international dual circulation has become smoother. In the first half of the year, China’s total import and export of goods trade increased by 16.9% year-on-year, newly established foreign-invested enterprises increased by 5.3% year-on-year, and “China Opportunity 2.0” has become a consensus.

Maintain resolve, deeply root, do solid work. The more turbulent the world, the more calm China appears.

Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lowered its global economic growth forecast for this year, while raising its forecast for China’s full-year economic growth by 0.2 percentage points. China, with its own stability and certainty of development, injects valuable stability into a world full of uncertainty.

Strengthen New Drivers · Open New Prospects

“We cannot just look at GDP growth; what is growing now is hard power, and what we are pursuing is the development of new quality productive forces”

A grand event reveals the splendor of innovation.

Shengteng 950 supernode real machine, the world’s largest open-source model by parameters, the first agentic smartphone… At the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference held in July, hundreds of products made their global debut.

A breakthrough attracts the world’s attention.

On May 25, Huawei released the “Tao Law” in the semiconductor field, replacing “geometric miniaturization” with “time miniaturization.” Based on this law, Huawei has successfully designed and mass-produced 381 chips over the past six years.

厚积薄发 (hòu jī bó fā - “accumulate thickly, burst forth thinly,” to achieve great success through long-term accumulation) stems from seizing the initiative early and results from sustained, unremitting effort.

From the Central Economic Work Conference’s deployment to “deepen and expand ‘AI+’,” to the “Three Science and Technology Conferences” pointing out “promote AI to empower scientific research,” to the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on AI Global Governance emphasizing “let AI empower thousands of industries”… General Secretary Xi Jinping grasps the general trend and leads this “young cause” to grow and flourish.

The real economy is the foundation of the national economy and a key link in “consolidating the foundation.”

The new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating. How to strengthen, optimize, and expand the real economy?

The General Secretary’s thoughts are profound: “We cannot just look at GDP growth; what is growing now is hard power, and what we are pursuing is the development of new quality productive forces.”

Define the key — “Scientific and technological strength and innovation capability are increasingly becoming the core competitiveness of a country.”

In March, at the joint group meeting of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the General Secretary emphasized that “original technology must go from ‘0’ to ‘1,’ from experiment to transformation”; in April, at the symposium on strengthening basic research, he proposed “to strengthen basic research with greater efforts and more concrete measures”; in July, at the “Three Science and Technology Conferences,” he pointed out “to accelerate the building of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening.”

Strategic planning, every move lands with sound.

A beam of “silk” as thick as a finger pulls a C919 large aircraft.

In March this year, Zhongfu Shenying (中复神鹰), a subsidiary of China National Building Materials Group (中国建材), achieved a breakthrough in the preparation process of T1200-grade ultra-high-strength carbon fiber, making China the first country in the world to achieve mass production of this grade of carbon fiber at the hundred-ton level.

From “0” to “1,” then stretch “1” longer. At the end of June, in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, three world-class high-performance carbon fiber production lines were put into operation simultaneously.

From the cables of cross-sea bridges to the blades of wind turbine units, to subway trains, tiny fibers support the manufacturing of a great power.

“Lingsheng” topped the global supercomputing ranking, “Jiuzhang-4” refreshed the world record for photonic quantum information technology, the Long March 10B carrier rocket achieved the world’s first maritime network-based recovery… The starlight of cutting-edge innovation converges into a brilliant galaxy of power transformation, and an innovative China is full of vigor.

Define the path — “Promote the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation” and “Empower industrial innovation with high-quality scientific and technological supply.”

In February this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited the National Information Technology Innovation Park (National IT Innovation Park) in Yizhuang, Beijing, emphasizing “we must fully leverage our country’s advantage of concentrating resources to accomplish major tasks, and gather various high-quality elements to tackle key problems.”

In June, Beijing No.1 Token Factory settled in the National IT Innovation Park, producing an average of over 1.4 trillion tokens per day, continuously serving model manufacturers. Keeping in mind the instructions, the park has now gathered over 90% of the country’s leading information technology enterprises.

Look across the country—

Traditional industries are “renewing”: more than 500 exemplary-level smart factories are scattered like stars — 星罗棋布 (xīng luó qí bù - “scattered like stars and spread like chess pieces,” widely distributed);

Emerging industries are “leading”: in the first half of the year, the added value of large-scale equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing increased by 9.3% and 13.3% year-on-year, respectively;

Future industries are “breaking ground”: commercial aerospace has successfully launched multiple rockets, quantum information, integrated circuits, nuclear fusion and other technologies are accelerating, many large models have achieved new performance breakthroughs, and the annual output of humanoid robot complete products is expected to exceed 100,000 units this year…

“China is accelerating its transformation from a global participant and contributor in science and technology to a pioneer and leader, becoming one of the countries with the fastest growing innovation capability.”

Strengthen Responsibility · Pursue Concrete Action

“Create achievements that can withstand the test of practice and history, truly benefit the people, and are recognized by the masses”

Yiwu, Zhejiang — another surge of orders.

For the US-Canada-Mexico World Cup, Yiwu secured about 70% of the global market share of peripheral merchandise, with market procurement exports increasing by 16.4% in the first half of the year.

“Orders have doubled, and the largest single order was as many as 300,000 pieces.” Wen Congjian (温从见), a Yiwu merchant deeply involved in sports jerseys for over 20 years — what is his secret?

Follow one path. Start early: prepare stock a year in advance, smooth the upstream and downstream supply chain; understand innovation: introduce AI design to seize the R&D advantage.

The “Yiwu Development Experience” remains 历久弥新 (lì jiǔ mí xīn - “enduring long and becoming ever new,” enduring and gaining new vitality).

Stay committed to “prospering commerce to build the city.” Six relocations, five rounds of iteration — Yiwu has never wavered in over 40 years; from a “street market” to a “world supermarket,” over 2.1 million kinds of goods are sold worldwide.

“We must combine the study and education on establishing and practicing a correct performance outlook to further summarize and apply the ‘Yiwu Development Experience’,” General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions.

In the first year of the “15th Five-Year Plan,” whether formulating plans or deploying implementation, a correct performance outlook is needed.

General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “Adhere to proceeding from reality and acting according to laws, and through scientific decision-making and hard work, create achievements that can withstand the test of practice and history, truly benefit the people, and are recognized by the masses.”

Take concrete action, comprehensively answer both the “economic paper” and the “livelihood paper” of development.

The old alleyway has changed.

Shanghai’s Huangpu District Bansongyuan Road Subdistrict Shimin New Village (上海黄浦区半淞园路街道市民新村) was once a “old, dilapidated, small” area, where several families shared a kitchen and had to “carry chamber pots” every day. In 2022, the community began renovation: “drawing out households” to free up space, and “original demolition” to build new houses. In March this year, the new houses were delivered. “Independent kitchen and bathroom installed in the house — so comfortable,” said resident Zhu Guoli (朱国莉) with a smile.

“Shanghai has been promoting old housing renovation for decades, term after term, with 久久为功 (jiǔ jiǔ wéi gōng - “persevere for a long time to achieve success,” sustained and persistent effort). This is the correct performance outlook.” General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke earnestly.

“Economic development and social development complement each other and must be coordinated and advanced together.”

Open the “15th Five-Year Plan” outline: among the 20 major indicators, 7 are for people’s livelihood. “Average surveyed urban unemployment rate below 5.5%,” “average years of education for the working-age population raised to 11.7 years,” “average life expectancy raised to 80 years” — these precisely respond to the urgent difficulties and worries of the people.

Reviewing the livelihood report card for the first half of the year: the national average surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.2%, the national consumer price index (CPI) rose by 1.0% year-on-year, 5.5 million person-times received subsidized training, about 100 billion yuan of child-rearing subsidy funds were disbursed, long-term care insurance covered about 320 million people — livelihood guarantees are strong and effective.

Take concrete action, coordinate development and security, and provide solid support for the stable operation of the economy and society.

The Northern Anhui Plain is lush with greenery.

“After a good wheat harvest, we plant corn, and at the end of July it is at the jointing and booting stage,” said Wang Lanjun (王兰俊), a large grain grower in Wangqiao Village, Yingdong District, Fuyang City, Anhui Province (安徽阜阳颍东区王桥村). “This year, chemical fertilizer supply is sufficient, so the harvest is guaranteed.”

In the first half of the year, the global fertilizer market fluctuated sharply, with many agricultural countries “waiting for fertilizer to plant.” China deployed a “combination of measures,” keeping fertilizer prices generally stable and supply adequate and orderly.

“No matter how modern our country becomes, grain must still mainly rely on ourselves. The 1.4 billion people’s meals cannot be secured by anyone else; we must do a good job in grain production.” When inspecting in Dezhou, Shandong this June, General Secretary Xi Jinping showed meticulous and specific concern for field-side matters.

“You just plant the wheat; the whole of China will harvest it for you!” Over 4,000 combine harvesters crossed provinces to assist Xiangyang, Hubei, completing the rush harvest of wheat in a blitz; improved and bred the new variety “Yangmai 53,” with high disease resistance achieving yield increase and cost reduction… Using good timing, cultivating good seeds, China’s summer grain output exceeded 300 billion jin for the first time, consolidating the foundation of food security as solid as a rock.

Take concrete action, coordinate both current and long-term, and deeply cultivate the “latent achievements” that “lay the foundation, increase stamina, and benefit the long term.”

Irrigate farmland, ensure drinking water, prevent floods and waterlogging, open up shipping routes — 25 new major water conservancy projects have started; breakthroughs in complex curved surface six-axis laser processing equipment, second-generation blade battery, and megawatt flash charging system — the major technical equipment research project is advancing; photovoltaic, energy storage, heavy truck charging and swapping stations — the first full-chain zero-carbon freight corridor of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor began construction, providing green power for vehicles throughout the journey…

Strengthen strengths, fill weaknesses, consolidate the foundation — the stamina for high-quality development continues to increase.

Lead high-quality development with a correct performance outlook, just as General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must not only do practical things that are visible, tangible, and bring benefits to the people, but also do good things that pave the way, lay foundations, and benefit the long term for future generations.”

*** ***

“The new journey is a new Long March” — one leg after another.

“To achieve the Party’s mission and tasks in the new era and new journey, all Chinese Communists must strengthen confidence, continue to strive, and constantly create new achievements worthy of the times and the people.”

Halfway through the first year of the plan, China’s economy is fully transitioning into the track of high-quality development, and the internal support for long-term improvement is becoming more solid. On July 24, when presiding over a symposium with non-Party personages, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “To do a good job in 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 the domestic and international situations, coordinate development and security” and “promote the economy to continuously move toward the new, the higher quality, and the better direction.”

Seize the momentum, consolidate the foundation. “China is achieving a good start for the ‘15th Five-Year Plan,’ is striving to create a new situation in Chinese-style modernization, and is striding forward toward the second centenary goal.”

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Two ministries jointly issue red meteorological warning for mountain torrents

Beijing, August 2 (Reporters Deng Jianyang, Jiang Xuehong) — At 18:00 on August 2, the Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued a red meteorological warning for mountain torrent disasters. It is forecast that from 20:00 on August 2 to 20:00 on August 3, the likelihood of mountain torrent disasters is high (orange alert) in parts of northeastern Inner Mongolia, northeastern Sichuan, central and southern Chongqing, northern Guizhou, and southeastern Shaanxi; among these, the likelihood of mountain torrent disasters is very high (red alert) in localized areas of northeastern Sichuan, central Chongqing, and southeastern Shaanxi.

Beijing, August 2 (Reporter Deng Jianyang) — The reporter learned from the Ministry of Water Resources: Based on the 24-hour rainfall forecast, the Ministry of Water Resources issued "one-province-one-sheet" (一省一单) targeted early warnings to 17 provinces, including Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, and Gansu, informing them of the coverage area of heavy rainfall, the list of reservoirs, and the risk zones and points for mountain torrent disasters, and reminding them to properly carry out safe flood-season operations and disaster prevention work. The Ministry of Water Resources activated a Level IV emergency response for flood control in Chongqing Municipality at 13:00 on August 2, and dispatched a Ministry of Water Resources working group to the front line of flood defense to assist and guide operations. On August 2, the Gan River, a tributary of the Nen River in Heilongjiang Province, experienced the 2026 No. 1 flood, and the Songhua River experienced the 2026 No. 1 flood.

Beijing, August 2 (Reporter Liu Wenxin) — On the morning of August 2, the Office of the National Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management organized a multi-department joint consultation to assess the recent development situation of heavy rainfall. The National Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management activated a Level IV emergency response for flood control in Beijing and Hebei at 10:00 on August 2, and activated a Level IV emergency response for flood control in Guizhou at 17:00.

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Editors of Page 1: Yang Xu, Hu Anqi, 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, Chen Zhen, Zhang Xueyan

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"Wisdom" Wins the Future, New Quality Productive Forces Gain Stronger Momentum (Commentator's Observation)

By: 李 斌

The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held on July 30 pointed out that since the beginning of this year, China's economy has shown a development trend of momentum shifting toward the new and structure shifting toward the superior. Through this trend, one can discover the surging momentum of new quality productive forces (新质生产力), see clearly the quality improvement and efficiency enhancement of the unified national market, and feel the solid confidence of transformation and upgrading. Starting today, this edition launches a series of commentaries to gather confidence and strength for making good use of various opportunities and advantages and promoting high-quality development to proceed steadily and far. — Editor

An intelligent scientific research service platform covers the entire process from hypothesis proposal to experimental verification; a smart earphone weighing only 7 grams can achieve real-time simultaneous interpretation in 8 languages; a smart kitchen links robotic arms and smart cookware to cook delicious meals for the table...

At the recent 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, over 300 smart products made their global debut, and the intended procurement amount reached approximately 20.36 billion yuan. From next-generation large models to computing power infrastructure, from industrial intelligent manufacturing to all aspects of people's livelihoods, artificial intelligence has plunged headlong from the "digital world" into the "physical world," upgraded from being "able to talk" to "doing real work," stirring up a new technology wave of "all things intelligently connected, human-machine collaboration, cross-border integration, and co-creation and sharing" (万物智联、人机协同、跨界融合、共创分享).

The economic growth driven by this wave is not "involution" (卷) but truly "innovation" (创). By understanding this wave, it is easier to read the distinctive endowment of the Chinese economy of "stable foundation, many advantages, strong resilience, and great potential" (基础稳、优势多、韧性强、潜能大), and to appreciate the profound significance of "deeply implementing the 'AI+ (人工智能+)' action, developing new forms of intelligent economy, and improving the AI governance system."

In the first half of this year, industries related to artificial intelligence, such as integrated circuit manufacturing and smart vehicle equipment manufacturing, all maintained high growth of over 30%, and retail sales of wearable smart devices increased more than 100%. Artificial intelligence is accelerating its penetration into all fields, not only giving rise to new business forms and new models, but also opening new space for the transformation and upgrading of the real economy, becoming a powerful force driving economic growth and promoting the conversion of old and new drivers.

In the past, machines required human monitoring, farmland required human harvesting, and services had time limits; today, smart technology makes production and life more efficient and convenient. Why is artificial intelligence regarded as an "epoch-making major technological transformation" (划时代的重大技术变革)? It is precisely because it has strong capability in promoting the quality transformation, efficiency transformation, and power transformation of economic development, and it contains deep potential in promoting the integrated development of technological innovation and industrial innovation.

There are over 6,000 AI enterprises, with 602 million generative AI users; daily token query volume ranks first in the world, and intelligent computing power scale ranks second globally; a cumulative total of over 56,000 basic-level, over 9,000 advanced-level, and over 500 excellent-level smart factories have been built, and 15 pilot-level smart factories have been cultivated... As the "smart family assets" (智能家底) become increasingly abundant, the complete manufacturing system gains more flexibility, and the resilience of the Chinese economy becomes stronger.

As a general-purpose technology, artificial intelligence also has the potential for inclusive benefits, like spring rain that sprinkles on thousands of industries and moistens ten thousand factories and shops, providing accessible intellectual support for traditional industries, small and medium-sized enterprises, and even ordinary individuals.

Not long ago, Miyun District (密云) in Beijing encountered heavy rainfall weather, and a mini-program named "Call and Respond" (叫应) played a major role in disaster warning, rain information notification, and mass evacuation. This mini-program was "hand-crafted" (手搓) by a grassroots cadre using artificial intelligence. This digital tool at the fingertips carries the original aspiration of serving the people in grassroots governance, and also confirms the infinite possibilities of cross-border integration. By continuously improving AI infrastructure and steadily reducing usage costs and barriers, smart technology will release stronger inclusive benefits.

The "new" of new quality productive forces is ultimately reflected in promoting human development. The end of artificial intelligence is not to "replace people" (取代人), but to "fulfill people" (成就人).

Why are various localities launching public computing power platforms, offering "smart evening schools" (智能夜校), and implementing "smart + skills" (智能+技能) special training? As more and more workers master smart technology, they can provide talent support for the smart industry, forming a virtuous interaction between industrial upgrading and employment expansion and quality improvement. When the achievements of technological innovation benefit more and more equitably thousands of industries and the broad masses, the smart level of China's economy will step up to a higher level.

At the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, President Xi Jinping issued the initiative of "jointly building a fair and reasonable global AI governance system" (携手构建公正合理的全球人工智能治理体系), emphasizing "let artificial intelligence, this thousand-li horse, run fast yet run steadily" (让人工智能这匹千里马既跑得快又跑得稳).

Technology advances by leaps and bounds, and governance must also keep pace closely. The combination of intelligence and governance is not about binding innovation, but about holding the bottom line firmly. From the introduction of the "Interim Measures for the Management of Generative Artificial Intelligence Services" (生成式人工智能服务管理暂行办法) to the implementation of a graded and classified regulatory framework for potential risks of AI development, China has always adhered to equal emphasis on development and regulation. Firmly anchoring the correct direction of upward and good, benefiting humanity, the bright prospects of the smart economy and smart society are to be anticipated.

In 2021, domestically produced large models emerged; in 2026, various intelligent applications and terminals have sprung up. Time "passes in the blink of an eye" (忽然而已), but the change 恍如隔世 (huǎng rú gé shì - "as if separated by a lifetime," a sense of dramatic transformation). The general trend of AI driving the development of new quality productive forces will not change, and the great direction of China's economy moving toward the new and upgrading toward the superior will not change. Lifting the eyes, the future has arrived, and only the "smart" (智) will win.

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The Duty of Border Defense Is Heavier than a Mountain (China's Path, Chinese Dream: Everyone Is a Protagonist)

By: 尼 玛

The border is far, but people's hearts are close. Some say our generation is tough, able to bear burdens, but as I see it, no era ever lacks people who can endure hardship and make sacrifices.

Since I contracted COPD, I seldom go out, but in my heart I am always concerned about a tree—

55 years ago, while patrolling the border, I happened upon a sapling only ankle-high, standing alone in the wind and sand. At the time I thought it probably would not survive. Every time I passed by afterwards, I would take a careful look and water it a little. More than half a century has passed; illness and old age have trapped my steps, but that tree, though not especially thick or strong, has always grown tenaciously, leaving a touch of bright green in this desolate desert.

In 1971, I was 25 years old. Responding to the call, I brought my three-year-old son, along with my mother and younger brother, to set up camp at "No. 8 Militia Point" (8号民兵点), not far from the border. Tamusu Bulag Sumu (塔木素布拉格苏木), where the militia point is located, borders Mongolia to the north; 80% of its area is Gobi desert. The summers are scorching hot, the winters bitterly cold, and wind and sand blow all year round. The groundwater is bitter and salty, and daily drinking water had to be fetched by camel from over ten kilometers away. Before coming, I had heard that border patrol was monotonous and the environment harsh. No matter how hard the task, someone has to take the lead. The organization entrusted me with this burden; it was immense trust and recognition. Endure a little, hold out a little — I could bear it.

With border defense troops stationed there, why were border guardians still needed? An extra pair of eyes means an extra measure of security, especially in a desert lacking natural barriers. How do you patrol the border? What do you patrol for? Before starting, we had intensive training, building physical fitness to the standards of active-duty soldiers. Then the soldiers led us to familiarize ourselves with the routes, demonstrating how to spot suspicious situations and report information. The border line is over 40 kilometers; a single patrol circuit takes 10 hours. As I patrolled again and again, I gradually came to understand that patrolling the border means using your footprints to outline the motherland's frontier, using your eyes to watch over everything that happens here.

Guarding the border is guarding the nation — this task is heavier than a mountain. Once during a patrol, a sandstorm suddenly struck; yellow sand blotted out the sky and hid the sun. I hid behind a camel, hugging a nearby tree tightly with my arms. I endured for over three full hours before I could crawl out of the sand pile. When I returned, I put a checkmark in the patrol log to indicate that no abnormality had been found — here, wind and sand themselves are never counted as abnormal. Some have estimated that the patrol routes our family has walked over the years total more than 800,000 kilometers, equivalent to going around the Earth's equator 20 times, all turned into dense checkmarks in the notebooks.

The border is far, but people's hearts are close. My home is simple, but it also serves as a rest stop for border police. Every time they pass by, I call them in for a bowl of hot milk tea and a few pieces of hand-grabbed lamb. Year after year, I have been upgraded from "big sister" to "auntie" to "grandma." Nowadays, the border soldiers and police, every now and then, bring me some vegetables from the Sumu over 200 kilometers away. A government worker told me that the border management brigade had set up a Women's Patrol Service Team (巾帼巡防服务队) two years ago, all of them young girls. When I heard that, my heart felt warm. Some say our generation is tough, able to bear burdens, but as I see it, no era ever lacks people who can endure hardship and make sacrifices.

Over the years, with television and mobile phones, my greatest feeling is that "time" has become extraordinarily clear, precise to the minute and second. In the past, we were used to sensing time through the movement of the sun and the growth of saplings — sunrise and sunset, year after year. Precisely because of that, those special days are all the more engraved in my heart and mind. That was in 1975, when I submitted my application for Party membership, and later successfully passed the organization's assessment, becoming a glorious Communist Party member. For me, it was not just a new identity; it was an exalted faith, a sacred mission. I always remember what my mother used to nag about when I was small: after the founding of New China, our family was finally allocated pastureland and livestock; the good life was given by the Party and the government.

What is a Communist Party member? It means listening to the Party's words, steadily and conscientiously completing the tasks assigned by the organization. I have patrolled the border all my life, striving not to let down the organization's trust. The only thing I feel I have failed is my children. My son Hadabuhe (哈达布和) followed me on patrols from childhood. In 2023, after graduating from college, my grandson Baoquan (宝泉) also took the initiative to return and became a police auxiliary at the border police station. He said that when he sees the word "China" on the border line, he feels extraordinarily grounded. Only then did I realize that that line, that feeling, has been carved not only into my heart. That year was my 48th year in the Party, my son's first year in the Party, my grandson's first year submitting his Party membership application, and also the first year that three generations of our family patrolled the border together — how glorious!

This year, our Party celebrates its 105th birthday. Under the Party's leadership, the country has grown stronger, the border defenses have become more stable, and our lives have also improved — electricity has been connected to our home, a sweet-water well has been drilled, many household appliances have been added, a smooth road has been built to our doorstep, and we have been equipped with wind-solar hybrid generators, patrol motorcycles, and communication base stations. Following the Party, there is a bright future. Only, my body is increasingly plagued by illness and pain; moving has become difficult. Most of the time I can only gaze at the border line from afar. Many people feel sorry for me and urge me to move away. But after patrolling the border all my life, like that tree, I too have long since grown together with this land.

(The author is a National Outstanding Communist Party member, a herdsman of Engerwusu Gacha (恩格日乌苏嘎查), Tamusu Bulag Sumu, Alxa Right Banner (阿拉善右旗), Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Compiled by our reporter Zhao Jingfeng.)

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Understanding 'Breakthrough' in the Roaring Workshop (On-Site Commentary)

By: 方 敏

Nylon 66, so named because both hexamethylenediamine and adipic acid in its chemical structure contain six carbon atoms, is used in fields such as automobile engines, large ship turbines, and electronics and electrical equipment, and is a strategic new material. To produce Nylon 66, adiponitrile is the “throat raw material.” In the past, adiponitrile production technology was long monopolized by international giants; today, Chinese enterprises have achieved a breakthrough.

Recently, a reporter walked into the Henan Pingdingshan Nylon New Materials Development Zone, where the towers and tanks of the China Pingmei Shenma Group (中国平煤神马集团) Aidian 200,000-ton adiponitrile (Phase I) project stand in rows, pipes crisscross, and the scene is bustling. Not far away, the new Aisi’an 100,000-ton aminocapronitrile project is advancing rapidly, with construction machinery shuttling back and forth. The two projects echo each other across the distance, providing strong support for ensuring the security of China’s Nylon 66 industry supply chain.

How was the breakthrough achieved? It is not the work of a single day, but the result of years of hard tackling and advancing on two fronts simultaneously.

The breakthrough required a firm determination to “prefer to go toward the tiger mountain.” Faced with technology blockade, the enterprise did not retreat; instead, based on national strategic needs, it embarked on a path of independent innovation and tackling tough problems. From the laboratory to pilot testing, and then to large-scale industrialization, every step was filled with the unknown and risk. It was precisely the boldness of “knowing there are tigers in the mountain, yet preferring to go toward the tiger mountain” that turned the impossible into the possible.

Today, the stable operation on the production line and the continuous technological breakthroughs of the enterprise convey confidence. The more complex the external environment, the more we must rely on our own strength to solve problems. Difficulties have never been a reason to stop advancing, but should become the motivation to spur climbing higher.

The breakthrough is embodied in the strategic wisdom of “fighting on two fronts.” Faced with technology blockade, the enterprise did not put all its eggs in one basket, but instead simultaneously tackled two technical routes: one is to catch up with the international mainstream path, and the other is to open up a completely new track. “Walking on two legs” provides mutual backup and mutual support.

This kind of layout is not only a matter of technical prudence, but also a matter of strategic clarity. It shows that Chinese enterprises are no longer satisfied with “solving the problem of whether something exists,” but are also thinking about “how to be more secure, more independent, and have more say.” Currently, the global industrial chain is being restructured, and uncertain factors are increasing. Against this background, the enterprise’s ability to 未雨绸缪 (wèi yǔ chóu móu - “repair the house before it rains,” to take precautions) is particularly valuable. The resilience of development is embodied in the ability to cope with risks and the foresight to plan for the future. Upgrading from “single-point breakthrough” to “systematic layout,” developing toward the new enables entry into a more mature and more stable stage.

The breakthrough is grounded in the persistent effort of “one batch after another, working continuously.” At present, some worry about insufficient economic momentum, and some adopt a wait-and-see attitude. Visiting the enterprise, the writer saw a scene of intense, hard work. On one side, a project of 1.874 billion yuan has just been put into production; on the other side, a project of 870 million yuan is immediately starting construction. The investment of real money is a vote of confidence in future development. According to the plan, China Pingmei Shenma Group will accelerate the formation of a core raw material guarantee capacity of over 500,000 tons per year, supporting a million-ton-class Nylon 66 industrial cluster, and providing reliable impetus for achieving the goal of building a hundred-billion-level industrial cluster. The development determination of taking one step at a time and working hard with head down turns potential into strength, and turns vision into reality.

The “15th Five-Year Plan” outline proposes: “Strive to build a number of emerging pillar industries with great growth potential, high technological content, and wide penetration fields.” Looking toward the “15th Five-Year Plan,” Pingdingshan City has also planned key Nylon new materials projects. From national strategy to local practice, from macro-level deployment to frontline breakthroughs, a picture of synchronized development is slowly unfolding.

Walking out of the project site, the roar of machinery still echoes in the ears, stirring the heart. From being constrained by others to being independently controllable, from single-line follow-up to dual-line breakthrough, the breakthrough on the production line is a leap in industrial development and also a microcosm of development toward the new. On the new journey, by continuing to maintain the sharp edge of breakthrough, strategic resolve, and tenacity of hard work, new industries will surely have an even brighter future.

(The author is a reporter of this newspaper’s Henan Branch (本报河南分社))

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Photo Report

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) inheritance, innovation, and development is a major undertaking. In 2025, more than 96% of public general hospitals at or above the second level in our country had set up TCM clinical departments, basically achieving full coverage of county-run TCM medical institutions. From the service system, to the talent team, then to standardization… Not long ago, the 15th Five-Year Plan for the Revitalization and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine was released, helping TCM to run out the “acceleration” of high-quality development.

This is exactly:

Revitalization and development open a new chapter,
The treasure of Qihuang (岐黄) benefits the myriad.
Inheritance and innovation take solid steps,
The gentle breeze of Xinglin (杏林) guards the human world.

Yang Yuwen (杨羽文)

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Refined governance boosts urban vitality (Forum)

By: 四川内江市 文国云

At the beginning of the year, after being laid off, Sister Zhang, a neighbor, found a new position at the "tide market" not far from home. Every day during the peak evening hours, she sets up a stall selling braised goods — low investment, stable income, and her days have gained new hope.

The "tide market" is a market opened in a designated area during specific time slots; its stall setup is flexible and close to residential communities, which can both support employment and bring convenience to the public. Inevitably, it may also have a certain impact on surrounding traffic, neighborhood sanitation, and the like. Setting up such mobile stalls reflects the flexibility of governance and also tests the fine-grainedness of governance.

To ensure that deregulation has limits and regulation has methods, it is advisable to adopt policies by zone and by category. For example, divide areas into strictly prohibited zones, tightly controlled zones, and strictly managed zones, clarify operating hours, sanitation standards, and exit mechanisms, so as to effectively meet the operational needs of stallholders while minimizing the impact on urban order to the greatest extent. At the same time, strengthen co-construction, co-governance, and shared benefits, and encourage all parties to actively participate in maintaining market order. For instance, explore establishing a self-discipline convention for market operators and a mechanism for penalizing dishonest conduct. It is also possible to make good use of the "wisdom" of technology. In practice, some markets use artificial intelligence systems to identify and warn in real time, dynamically match urban management forces, effectively prevent risks, and discover and handle problems early.

Set the rules in advance, extend services to the deepest level, and place supervision in the finest details. The finer the governance, the more orderly and yet vibrant a city can be.

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"Urgent Use, Priority Deployment" Offers Educational Insights (Across the Land)

By: 孟嘉多

Not long ago, the Ministry of Education added 27 new vocational education majors in one go. Unlike the past, when majors were set only after industries matured, now it is “urgent use, set up first” (急用先上): if an industry lacks personnel, set up the major first. This is equivalent to directly transmitting information that the relevant industries urgently need talent.

Technology brokerage services, infant and toddler home nurturing and guidance, low-altitude transport engineering technology… the “entry points” of the new majors are all very narrow. Whatever personnel an industry needs, schools add that major. The “urgent use, set up first” mindset for setting majors reflects the urgency of development and the scarcity of talent in related fields.

In the past, vocational education would generally be half a beat slow; an industry would be hot for several years before schools would apply to set up majors, and talent supply could not keep up with the speed of industry development. Nowadays, the low-altitude economy has just started, humanoid robots are still climbing, but majors have already been laid out, tracking industry needs and paving the way in advance. From “running behind the industry” to “accompanying the industry as it moves forward,” vocational education is quietly changing.

While applauding, with so many new majors emerging, people cannot help but ask: How is the teaching quality? Can the trained graduates match the demands of the labor market?

For vocational education, the most feared is “hanging a new signboard but teaching from old textbooks.” A major going from nothing to something is by no means a matter of just having a new name and printing an enrollment brochure and then 万事大吉 (wàn shì dà jí – “everything is fine,” all is well). Where will the teachers come from? Are the training facilities sufficient? There are also the textbook system, enterprise cooperation channels, internship and employment outlets… these invisible “inner linings”; if any of them cannot keep up, they will become shortcomings of the new major. No matter how new the major name is, if there is no solid industry-education integration to support it from the bottom, it is just 换汤不换药 (huàn tāng bù huàn yào – “change the soup but not the medicine,” same old thing with a new name).

Vocational colleges and schools setting up new majors must start from their own foundations, base themselves on their own characteristic resources and advantages, and find directions with high relevance to cut into. They cannot just follow whatever is hot. For example, a traditional strong engineering school, if it crosses over to infant and toddler home nurturing, would not be as reliable as a school with a medical care foundation; a school that cannot even connect with local drone companies, if it forcibly opens a low-altitude transport engineering technology major, the quality of student training would also be questionable.

This wave of majors “going new” means solid opportunities. With high-quality development of the economy and society, high-end equipment, intelligent manufacturing, infant care and health recovery, etc., all lack skilled personnel who can get hands-on. For vocational education to closely follow the industry, to run new majors in enterprise workshops, on project construction sites, so that the trained talent can take up posts upon graduation and get hands-on upon taking up posts — that is true ability.

Precisely for this reason, the person in charge of the Ministry of Education’s Department of Vocational and Adult Education (教育部职业教育与成人教育司) stated, “Strictly prevent 一哄而上 (yī hòng ér shàng – “all rush up at once,” a frantic rush to do the same thing) and blindly following trends.” New majors are not something that any school can open just because it wants to. “Urgent use, set up first” is not about competing on the speed of application, but on the quality of education. What industries lack is not graduates who “have studied the new major,” but technical personnel who can solve problems.

When enterprises recruit, they inevitably recruit those who can bring actual value to the enterprise. To make major settings keep up with the speed of industrial change, the confidence of vocational education lies in the rapidly iterating industrial workshops and in every training classroom.

(Excerpted from Liaoning Daily, original title: “What Does ‘Urgent Use, Set Up First’ Signify?”)

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Li Haoran, Peng Fei, He Juan

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

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Let every child shine with their own light (Story behind the reply letter · Passing on the red gene)

By: 本报记者 张丹华

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, “we must make good use of red resources, carry forward the red tradition, and pass on the red genes” and “thoroughly implement the project of red gene inheritance, vigorously promote the national spirit centered on patriotism and the spirit of the times centered on reform and innovation, continuously strengthen the sense of identity and pride in the Chinese nation, and invigorate the spirit of people of all ethnic groups striving in the new journey and building new achievements.”
Students at the Zhaojin Beiliang Red Army Primary School in Shaanxi often hear the local elderly tell the revolutionary history of Zhaojin and feel proud and honored of the red land beneath their feet; the “Red Fourth Company of Strong Military and Refined Martial Skills” is a heroic company born from the Huangma Uprising, and the officers and soldiers of the company hold high the torch of loyalty and faith, continuing the red lineage through repeated tempering; students from the Qianshan Yezhai Middle School in Anhui who have been admitted to military academies take serving the country through military service as their life pursuit and strive to grow into high-quality professional new-type military personnel… They study hard, master skills, and cultivate character, passing on the red gene generation after generation through concrete action.
Recently, reporters from our newspaper interviewed some schools and military companies that General Secretary Xi Jinping had replied to, recording their vivid stories of basing themselves on reality, striving with determination, and writing excellent answers on the new journey with hard work and sweat.
— Editor

It is the summer vacation, and the campus of the Zhaojin Beiliang Red Army Primary School in Shaanxi appears particularly quiet. Principal Zheng Dongdong made a careful inspection from the first floor to the fourth floor: whether electrical appliances were turned off, whether faucets were tightened, whether windows were closed… “I came to teach at this school in 2015, and in a blink of an eye it has been 11 years. I have witnessed the school’s tremendous changes,” Zheng Dongdong said with emotion.
The Zhaojin Beiliang Red Army Primary School (照金北梁红军小学) is located in Beiliang Village (北梁村), Zhaojin Town (照金镇), Yaozhou District, Tongchuan City, Shaanxi Province. It is a rural boarding full primary school. In 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping replied to the students of the Zhaojin Beiliang Red Army Primary School, emphasizing, “You said in your letter that the elderly in the village often tell you about the revolutionary history of Zhaojin, and this red land makes you proud and honored. I hope you will learn more about the history of China’s revolution, construction, and reform, learn more from heroes and model figures, love the Party, love the motherland, love the people, and pass on the red gene generation after generation through concrete action.”
Eight years have passed. This reply letter, spanning mountains and rivers, is like a seed sown in this red fertile soil, taking root, sprouting, and blooming.

Teaching facilities continue to improve, and the backbone teacher team continues to grow.
Zhaojin, Shaanxi, is a piece of red land.
The Shaanxi-Gansu Border Revolutionary Base Area (陕甘边革命根据地), centered on Zhaojin, was the first mountain revolutionary base area in the northwest region and wrote a glorious page in the history of the Chinese revolution. The Zhaojin Beiliang Red Army Primary School is located on this red and fertile land.
The school was initially established in 1955 at the original site near the Chenjiapo (陈家坡) Meeting site in Beiliang Village, with only a few adobe houses. Later, the school underwent relocation, reconstruction, and grade adjustments, and in 2018 it was restored to a full primary school. The local government vigorously promoted the school’s renovation and expansion project, facilities and conditions continuously improved, and a modern campus rose from the ground. In 2019, the new teaching building and student dormitory were put into use, and teaching facilities were equipped to the provincial first-class standard.
Teacher Wu Jinhua, who came from another place to support local teaching, had thought before coming that “the children were studying in a few cave dwellings.” After arriving at the school, she was pleasantly surprised to find: “The school has music classrooms, maker classrooms, national defense education rooms, labor technology classrooms, and various other functional classrooms. It also has natural gas, and teachers and students can all take hot showers. Day students have school bus pick-up and drop-off every day. The meals in the cafeteria are tasty, and the dishes are quite varied…”
The students also truly feel the changes in the school. “When I first came, the back mountain did not have such dense vegetation. Now not only is the scenery better, but the safety fences have also been reinforced. There are red science corners and reading corners in the teaching building, and we can even borrow books to read at home,” said fifth-grade student Zhao Yizhe.
The teaching staff is also continuously growing. Vice Principal Xi Yongling was originally a teacher from an urban school in Yaozhou District, Tongchuan City. In 2020, she applied for an exchange assignment to teach at the Beiliang Red Army Primary School. After the assignment ended, she chose to stay, living at the school on workdays and only able to reunite briefly with her family on weekends. “People often ask me, is it worth the long commute away from your family? My concern for the students is the greatest motivation for my work. Rooting myself here, I not only want to do my own job well but also hope to contribute to the development of rural education,” Xi Yongling said.
Xi Yongling’s story is a microcosm of the school’s teaching team. Young teacher Li Xin said, “With the help of experienced veteran teachers, we carefully study the teaching materials, analyze the learning situation, prepare and polish lessons and give trial lectures again and again, and deliberate over every detail and every sentence.”
Zheng Dongdong introduced that the school currently has 23 teachers, most of whom are post-90s and post-95s. “In these past few years, the teachers have grown very quickly. The school’s backbone teacher team system has been continuously improved, and the effectiveness of running the school is getting better and better. The school has also formed a red education alliance with Beijie Primary School in Yaozhou District to achieve interaction in education and teaching and sharing of high-quality resources,” Zheng Dongdong said.

Relying on red resources, forming a distinctive educational model.
“Teacher, what is the red gene?” “Teacher, how can I be a useful person to society?”… These are questions students asked their teachers in the first lesson of the semester.
The answers are in daily campus life.
The school established a red education teaching and research group, organizing teachers to use Red Zhaojin as the main textbook for collective lesson preparation and offering a red education class every week. The school also combined local red resources to compile two school-based textbooks, The Shining Red Star and The Flying Red Sail. Many details of campus life reflect the inheritance of red culture, permeating every child’s heart.
The school also moves the classroom outside, organizing students to visit local red sites such as the Xuejiazhai (薛家寨) Battle Site and the Chenjiapo Meeting Site. On Qingming Festival, teachers and students commemorate martyrs, and the school often invites veteran Party members to tell red stories on campus.
Du Tianxiang, 71 years old this year, is a native of Chenjiapo. He not only taught at the school but now also works as a docent at the Chenjiapo Meeting Memorial Hall.
Fifth-grade student Liu Shihan talked about her changes: “At first, when I listened to Grandpa Du tell stories, sometimes I didn’t understand very well. Later, after the teacher explained the relevant content in class, when I went to listen to Grandpa Du again, I could understand better. The Red Army soldiers were so amazing—both brave and wise!”
“We rely on local red resources, tell the stories of the Red Army, walk the path of the Red Army, lead the children to look back on the path they came from and look forward to the path ahead, forming a distinctive series of red education models of ‘sing, tell, walk, nurture, evaluate,’” Zheng Dongdong said.

Organizing a lecture group and a choir, helping children paint a colorful future.
The inheritance of the red gene is not just on campus. The school formed a “Little Red Star Lecture Group” that regularly conducts docent selection and training.
Xi Yongling took on the guidance work for the “Little Red Star Lecture Group,” teaching the children vocal training and accompanying them to polish their lecture scripts again and again.
On holidays, the children go to the Zhaojin Memorial Hall of the Shaanxi-Gansu Border Revolutionary Base Area and the Chenjiapo Meeting Site, using their young but firm voices to tell the revolutionary stories of Zhaojin, allowing tourists from all over to learn more about the red culture of Zhaojin.
Zhao Yizhe is one of the children who grew up in the lecture group. He used to be so introverted that he dared not speak to people. “In the lecture group, I not only learned about my hometown’s revolutionary history but also got training by participating in lecture activities. Now, even when facing many people, I am not as nervous as before,” Zhao Yizhe said.
The “Little Red Star Choir” is another bright business card of the school. In July this year, Liu Shihan and the children of the choir participated in the 18th China International Chorus Festival, performing the song I Look Up at the Five-Starred Red Flag. Their pure voices moved the contestants and the live audience.
Liu Shihan is an outgoing “all-rounder,” skilled in dance, singing, and speech. Her elder sister Hou Shiyu was also a student of the Beiliang Red Army Primary School and likewise a Little Red Star docent.
Influenced by her sister, Liu Shihan has been full of interest in storytelling since childhood. “When my sister practiced at home, I listened from the side. I felt she was very brave and very relaxed. I also wanted to be like her.” After joining the lecture group in the third grade, Liu Shihan soon stood out from the crowd (脱颖而出, tuō yǐng ér chū - “point of an awl protruding from a bag,” to stand out).
Xi Yongling carefully designed lecture works for the two children based on their voice characteristics and tone styles. The collaboration between Liu Shihan and Zhao Yizhe, A Special Five-Starred Red Flag, won the first prize in the Yaozhou District Red Story Lecture Competition.
“We must accompany with heart, nurture with love, and help children paint a colorful future,” Zheng Dongdong said. “I hope that under the influence of red culture, the children in the old revolutionary base areas can all become more confident and sunny, blooming with their own light.”

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The Flame of Faith Burns Ever Bright (Editor's Note)

By: 宋 宇

In the early 1930s, the older generation of revolutionaries resolutely held their torches high as they advanced, courageously carrying out revolutionary activities, and the 星星之火 (xīng xīng zhī huǒ - "sparks of fire," a small beginning with great potential) ignited on this hot land of Zhaojin (照金). Today, at the Zhaojin Beiliang Red Army Primary School (照金北梁红军小学), children learn historical knowledge and tell revolutionary stories; red culture here continues without interruption, growing ever more vibrant with the passage of time — 历久弥新 (lì jiǔ mí xīn - "the longer it lasts, the newer it becomes," enduring and forever fresh).

Red culture condenses shared emotional memories and embodies the value pursuits of the era; it is an important spiritual bond linking the past, present, and future. Every look back at history draws spiritual nourishment and gathers the strength to move forward.

For the children of Zhaojin, red culture has also shaped a fine spiritual outlook. The children are inheritors, and even more so, disseminators. With their young yet determined voices, they tell the story of Zhaojin to more people, transmitting red culture to a broader world, and in this process have gained confidence and composure, learning courage and a sense of responsibility. The children's growth vividly confirms that history is the best textbook, and the history of the Chinese Revolution is the best nutrient.

Red stars twinkle, shining forth the light of the original aspiration; the sound of reading books rings clear, reflecting the echo of the spirit. We must use red education to enlighten wisdom, moisten the heart, 培根铸魂 (péi gēn zhù hún - "cultivate roots and forge the soul," to build a strong foundation and shape character), so that the fire of faith burns without end — 生生不息 (shēng shēng bù xī - "to grow and never cease," continuous and unending) — and the revolutionary spirit is passed down from generation to generation, making the red gene a driving force within the children for healthy growth.

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Building Safe and Reliable "Underground Hydrogen Storage" (Innovation Story)

By: 杨春和

Hydrogen energy is abundant in source, low-carbon and clean, has high calorific value, and is renewable; it is a new energy source that can simultaneously satisfy resource, environmental, and sustainable development needs. Developing hydrogen energy is of great significance for reducing dependence on fossil energy, enhancing energy self-sufficiency, and lowering carbon dioxide emissions. However, the large-scale development of hydrogen energy has long been constrained by a real bottleneck: the high cost of large-scale storage and the small scale of existing storage methods.

Underground salt caverns—that is, the underground spaces left after salt mining—are large in scale, have good sealing performance, and low construction costs. In China's Jintan salt mine in Changzhou, Jiangsu, underground salt caverns have successfully stored over one billion cubic meters of natural gas, playing an irreplaceable role in energy supply assurance and emergency peak shaving.

But unlike natural gas, hydrogen molecules have a smaller diameter and stronger diffusivity, making them highly prone to leakage. At the same time, hydrogen is corrosive to materials such as metals and cement. The widely distributed layered salt rock in China is like a "thousand-layer cake," with alternating layers of salt and mudstone interbeds; the mudstone interbeds have relatively high permeability and are prone to gas leakage. To achieve safe hydrogen storage under such geological conditions, it is necessary to develop a set of storage cavern construction technologies suited to the characteristics of China's salt rock.

To determine whether China's layered salt rock is suitable for storing hydrogen, we collected formation cores from approximately 1,300 meters underground, conducted several hundred sets of hydrogen seepage experiments, systematically grasped the laws of hydrogen seepage in underground salt strata, formed a method for fine-scale site selection and layer selection for hydrogen storage caverns, and specified the construction depth and location of the storage caverns to ensure no hydrogen leakage and no cavity destabilization. To address the corrosion problems caused by hydrogen on materials and equipment, we developed casing materials resistant to hydrogen embrittlement and hydrogen corrosion, concentrated efforts on key breakthroughs, and successfully manufactured 100% domestically produced core equipment.

We pioneered a "surface–wellbore–cavity" sky-ground-space integrated safety monitoring and early warning system. This system is like performing a real-time "physical examination" on the salt cavern hydrogen storage facility; once any abnormality such as hydrogen leakage or cavity destabilization occurs, it immediately issues an alarm signal, reminding operation and maintenance personnel to handle it quickly, fundamentally ensuring the safe operation of the hydrogen storage cavern.

Thanks to systematic breakthroughs in theory, materials, and equipment, in April this year we successfully built China's first salt cavern hydrogen storage facility in Pingdingshan, Henan (see figure, image provided by the Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences), with a hydrogen storage scale reaching the million-cubic-meter level. Currently, the storage facility holds 1.5 million standard cubic meters of hydrogen, and all data from the safety monitoring system—including hydrogen concentration, gas-water interface depth, and cavity vibration—show normal readings; the project is operating stably.

The Pingdingshan salt cavern hydrogen storage facility in Henan can both absorb surplus wind and solar power for hydrogen production and energy storage, smoothing grid fluctuations, and also provide green hydrogen feedstock for industries such as chemicals and metallurgy, helping deep decarbonization of industries. In the future, it will also support the construction of hydrogen refueling station networks, reducing the cost of large-scale hydrogen storage and transport. For energy enterprises, the maturation of this technical route means more salt mine resources can be converted into "energy storage assets," driving up the output value of related industrial chains. For the country, a self-controllable hydrogen storage technology system reduces dependence on imported fossil energy and solidifies the bottom line of energy security.

I have always firmly believed that scientific research efforts must both look up at the stars and be grounded in national conditions and needs. Our goal is clear: not only to build hydrogen storage caverns, but also to create a self-controllable, safe, and economical hydrogen storage technology system that truly brings hydrogen energy into production and daily life. We will continue to optimize salt cavern hydrogen storage technology, promote the engineering model toward standardization and replicability, turn more underground salt caverns into "super warehouses" for hydrogen storage, and inject a continuous stream of innovation momentum into the construction of a new energy system and green, low-carbon development.

(The author is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a researcher at the Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The article was compiled from an interview by our reporter Fan Haotian (范昊天).)

■ Link

Striving to make hydrogen energy an important component of the future clean energy system is a key pathway to achieving the "dual carbon" goals (双碳). The large-scale development of the hydrogen energy industry is constrained by the lack of safe and economical large-scale storage methods. Underground hydrogen storage is precisely the best solution to this bottleneck and is also the core strategy for realizing large-scale cross-seasonal storage of renewable energy, ensuring energy security, and connecting the hydrogen energy industry chain.

Underground hydrogen storage may seem like simply "storing gas" in a different space, but in reality it involves overcoming a series of difficulties. Cracking "hydrogen embrittlement" is a key battle. "Hydrogen embrittlement" refers to the phenomenon in which the plasticity and toughness of metal materials, under the combined action of stress and hydrogen, significantly decrease, thereby generating microscopic cracks inside. Once this occurs, the hydrogen storage material may fracture, leading to safety hazards such as gas leakage. The project team led by Academician Yang Chunhe (杨春和) as chief scientist successfully developed a new type of high-strength hydrogen-resistant metal composite material for use as a sealing liner in rock cavern hydrogen storage. At the same time, multiple technologies—from real-time hydrogen leak monitoring to risk early warning—provide safeguards, assisting in the construction of a deep-earth hydrogen energy storage and transport system.

From the construction of China's first rock cavern hydrogen storage scientific research pilot project to the commissioning of the country's first salt cavern hydrogen storage facility, Chinese research teams are exploring diverse pathways for underground hydrogen storage in China with the tenacity of "drilling deep rock, breaking bottlenecks," laying a solid safety foundation for the large-scale development of hydrogen energy and injecting hard-core energy into China's energy self-sufficiency and green, low-carbon development.

(Compiled by our reporter Fan Haotian (范昊天).)

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National Disaster Reduction and Relief Commission supervises investigation and assessment of major flash flood disaster in Shuangshimen Gully, Weiyuan County, Dingxi, Gansu on July 26.

Beijing, August 2 (Dispatch) — (Reporter Liu Wenxin (刘温馨)) On July 26, a sudden short-duration heavy rainfall occurred in the Shuangshimengou (双石门沟) area of Luojiacun Village (罗家磨村), Huichuan Town (会川镇), Weiyuan County (渭源县), Dingxi City, Gansu Province, triggering a flash flood disaster. It has currently caused 25 deaths and 23 injuries. According to the relevant provisions of the Interim Measures for Investigation and Assessment of Natural Disasters, the National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Relief (国家防灾减灾救灾委员会) has placed this disaster investigation and assessment under listed supervision, requiring the People's Government of Gansu Province to, in accordance with relevant laws, regulations and rules, promptly organize and carry out the disaster investigation and assessment, to promote and enhance the capacity for disaster prevention, mitigation and relief, and to effectively safeguard the safety of people's lives and property.

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Photo Report

The Chizhou Yangtze River Rail-cum-Road Bridge connects Guichi District (贵池区) of Chizhou City, Anhui Province, and Zongyang County (枞阳县) of Tongling City, with a total length of 3.1 kilometers, of which the main bridge is 1,768 meters long. The bridge is built to the standard of a "highway + intercity railway + urban rail transit" combined river crossing. The upper deck serves as the river-crossing passage of the Nanjing-Zongyang Expressway and is designed with two-way six lanes, while the lower deck is the two-track Hefei-Chizhou Railway with a design speed of 250 kilometers per hour. The picture shows the construction site of the Chizhou Yangtze River Rail-cum-Road Bridge taken on July 31.

Photo by Liu Boshun (刘伯顺)/Image China (影像中国).

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Hunan to launch eco-environmental volunteer service activities

Changsha, August 2 (Reporter Yang Xun (杨迅)) — The reporter recently learned from the Department of Ecology and Environment of Hunan Province (湖南省生态环境厅) that Hunan Province will launch a series of ecological and environmental volunteer service activities, and a list of 25 special activities has been simultaneously released to the public, calling on the general public to devote themselves to the front line of ecological protection and jointly build a beautiful Hunan.

This volunteer service covers nine cities and prefectures: Changsha, Xiangtan, Shaoyang, Hengyang, Yiyang, Yueyang, Yongzhou, Zhangjiajie, and Huaihua. The activities closely align with the needs of grassroots ecological governance, focusing on the creation of three types of volunteer service projects: river and lake protection, ecological legal popularization, and mountain and forest greening preservation. The content and forms are rich and diverse: there are green and low-carbon practice classes and parent-child nature reading activities aimed at young people, as well as environmental protection legal assistance services for enterprises, among others. Volunteers will go deep into river and lake shorelines and tidal flats, mountain forest scenic areas, urban and rural communities, primary and secondary schools, industrial parks, rural water sources, etc., to carry out services, conducting on-the-ground practices such as river patrols and beach cleaning, ecological hazard investigation, forest fire prevention and persuasion against straw burning, environmental protection law popularization lectures, waste sorting science popularization, creative transformation of discarded materials, and nature study tours.

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Jiangsu Yizheng uses Party building to guide rural common prosperity

From Our Correspondent in Nanjing, August 2 (Reporter Wang Weijian (王伟健)) — “In the past, our Hecun Village (合心村) had fragmented land, and farmers all planted individually; now, from single-crop blackberry planting to deep processing, and also developing tourism, the whole village pulls together,” said a grassroots cadre from Maji Town (马集镇), Yizheng City (仪征市), Jiangsu Province. By building a four-party linkage “Blackberry Industry Alliance” (黑莓产业联盟) of “party organization + cooperative + farmers + enterprise,” blackberry planting has expanded from an initial 700 mu pilot to over 8,000 mu, and Hecun Village has transformed from a former traditional agricultural village into an industrial village.

In recent years, Yizheng City, guided by Party building, has deeply implemented the three actions of improving quality, strengthening services, and promoting common prosperity (提素质、强服务、促共富), and innovatively explored a new path for rural common prosperity of villages grouping together, villages and enterprises forming groups, policies forming clusters, banks and localities forming alliances, and cadres leading teams (村村抱团、村企组团、政策成团、银地合团、干部带团), breaking down barriers to village-level development, revitalizing idle rural resources, and activating the endogenous driving force for grassroots development. By constructing a three-dimensional support system, it effectively integrates various resources such as land, assets, policies, funds, and human resources, shoring up the shortcomings of rural industries, strengthening the village-level collective economy, and driving villagers to increase income and become prosperous.

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Zhang Yanchun, Liu Juanxi, Wang Bo

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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Four Questions on Waste Sorting (Jintai Perspective)

By: 本报记者 胡笑源

Garbage is a resource placed in the wrong position; garbage classification is a key small matter.

In recent years, our country’s domestic waste classification system has gradually improved, the waste classification system has been initially constructed, and the public’s awareness of waste classification has significantly increased. However, readers report that in some places waste classification is not done well enough; also some readers wonder, as waste incineration capacity increases, can’t waste just be burned away directly? Also some readers are concerned, with technology developing rapidly, should waste classification still follow old standards? In response, the reporter conducted investigations and interviews.

Waste classification has been implemented for many years; how is it being implemented now?

Early morning, in an old residential area in Chaoyang District (朝阳区), Beijing. The reporter saw many residents carrying domestic waste out of their homes, walking to the residential area’s waste classification drop-off station, throwing their garbage bags into not-yet-full trash bins, and then turning around and leaving.

Next to the garbage station, a man who was neither a property management worker nor a sanitation worker was rummaging through several differently colored trash bins, picking out plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and cardboard from a mix of fruit and vegetable peels, tissues, and takeout boxes with leftover food, then mixing the remaining garbage together and throwing it back into the bins.

Not coincidentally, a resident Ms. Hua (花女士) from an old residential area in Changning District (长宁区), Shanghai reported: “Before, I lived in a relatively new residential area, which had a spacious garbage room, and every day there were two staff members beside it, supervising and assisting residents in doing waste classification. But now I live in an old residential area, the garbage room is small and dirty, no one watches over it, and many residents don’t classify their garbage at all.”

In March 2017, the General Office of the State Council forwarded the Implementation Plan for the Domestic Waste Classification System (《生活垃圾分类制度实施方案》) from the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (住房城乡建设部), requiring the first implementation of mandatory domestic waste classification in 46 key cities across the country. On July 1, 2019, the Shanghai Municipal Domestic Waste Management Regulations (《上海市生活垃圾管理条例》), known as the “strictest in history” waste classification management method, were officially implemented, once sparking heated discussion. Now, how is the situation?

During the investigation, the reporter learned that in some key cities that took the lead in implementing waste classification, the promotion of waste classification policies and refined management have achieved remarkable results, but there are still many old residential areas where waste classification is not implemented well due to insufficient management manpower and lack of equipment maintenance. In some third- and fourth-tier cities and townships, not only does non-classification of waste persist over the long term, but some classification facilities have become mere decoration.

Reader Ms. Fan (范女士) from Wuhu City, Anhui Province reported on the People’s Daily Online Leadership Message Board (人民网“领导留言板”) that there is a waste classification point in the residential area, but garbage has always been thrown mixed. In May this year, when Ms. Fan went out to throw garbage, she found the trash bins were missing. “When I asked the property management, I learned that the provincial waste classification work supervision team was coming to inspect today, so there cannot be scattered bins on the ground in the residential area; they can only be put back after the inspection,” Ms. Fan said. In a picture attached to the message from reader Mr. Liu (刘先生) of Dongying City, Shandong Province, the reporter saw that in a rural domestic waste classification drop-off pavilion in Shikou Town (史口镇), Dongying District (东营区), where he lives, there was only a “classification pavilion” but no trash bins.

Also readers said that after waste classification, the time and location of drop-offs are restricted, affecting the enthusiasm for classification. Reader Ms. He (何女士) from Pudong New Area (浦东新区), Shanghai said that her residential area strictly implements the waste classification system, and garbage can only be dropped off from 6:30 to 8:30 in the morning and 6:00 to 8:00 in the evening every day. “Many office workers cannot drop off garbage within the stipulated time. When negotiating with the property management, the property management said that fixed-time and fixed-location drop-off for waste classification is the regulation and cannot be changed.”

Reader Mr. Zhou (周先生) from Huainan City, Anhui Province stated that in June this year, the residential property management planned to set up a domestic waste classification drop-off point. “According to the relevant regulations of Anhui Province, the service radius of classified drop-off facilities should not exceed 70 meters, but the nearest drop-off point planned by the property management is 350 meters from the building where I live.”

“These problems appear to occur at the resident drop-off stage, but in essence they reflect that the supply of grassroots services for waste classification does not match actual demand.” Xu Lin (徐林), chief expert of the Public Policy Research Institute of Zhejiang University (浙江大学公共政策研究院), believes that currently, our country’s waste classification institutional framework, facility network, and public awareness have already laid a certain foundation, but there are still imbalances between different regions and between urban and rural areas. Waste classification work is shifting from solving “whether there is classification” to testing “whether classification is truly effective.” How to open up the “last kilometer” of domestic waste classification drop-off remains the biggest challenge currently facing waste classification work.

Garbage is still mixed during collection and transport; what use is only front-end classification?

“Residents classify garbage when they throw it away, but when the garbage truck comes to collect and transport, it still loads everything in together mixed, so over time we also become too lazy to classify.” In the investigation, many residents expressed similar helplessness. Reader Mr. Hao (郝先生) from Dongli District (东丽区), Tianjin said: “Our residential area has a waste classification point with nine large trash bins, but when the property management’s garbage truck comes to collect, it never classifies, and the trash bins are never cleaned.”

“This situation is indeed quite common nationwide, especially in some small and medium-sized cities and county areas that have not yet established a complete classified collection and transport system.” Kong Chao (孔超), head of the “two-network integration” (两网融合) business of China Renewable Resources Group (中国再生资源集团), believes that the core crux of the problem lies in the fact that there is still room for optimization in the coordination and connection between the two major systems of urban sanitation and renewable resource recovery. “The sanitation collection and transport network has wide coverage and efficient operation, but its positioning is as a ‘porter,’ with no fine sorting function. On the other hand, renewable resource enterprises have deep processing technology and market demand, but cannot get stable raw materials, forming a structural contradiction of ‘sanitation has collection and transport but no sorting, enterprises have sorting capacity but no raw materials.’”

Furthermore, under our country’s current urban waste management framework, domestic waste governance involves multiple responsible entities such as residents, property management, and government, and within government departments, it involves multiple departments such as sanitation, commerce, supply and marketing, and transportation, with scattered responsibilities and insufficient coordination, leading to a problem of “divide and rule.”

Reader Ms. Yuan (袁女士) from Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province reported on the People’s Daily Online “Leadership Message Board” that the waste classification collection pavilion in a residential area in Nansha District (南沙区) where she lives should, according to regulations, have its data collected by the local street waste classification department, entered into the municipal waste classification management system, and have an official ledger established for supervision. However, in the two years since the waste classification collection pavilion has been in use, because the residential property management did not submit materials, it has still not been entered into the system, and the street office has never urged action, so residents are unclear whether the garbage is classified as required.

Kong Chao analyzed and believed that because the responsible entities each have different divisions of labor and responsibilities, and lack a high-level coordination mechanism, there are differences among departments in classification standards and operational norms, leading to poor connection and low overall efficiency. For example, waste classification recycling stations and sanitation transfer stations are often planned independently; most sorting centers operate through leased sites and lack stability; and sorting centers lack spatial connection with garbage transfer stations and end-treatment facilities, increasing logistics costs.

“The way to solve it lies in promoting the construction of a “two-network integration” system for waste classification collection and transport and renewable resource recovery. At the middle end, make up for the fine sorting capacity, rely on sanitation facility nodes such as transfer stations, build green sorting centers with sorting functions, and truly convert the front-end classification results into raw materials at various levels that can enter the renewable resource system,” Kong Chao said.

Since there is not even enough to burn, should garbage still be classified?

“Incineration has replaced landfill as the main method of garbage treatment in our country, “garbage besieging the city” has become “not enough garbage to burn” “Key technologies for waste-to-energy incineration have been successively conquered, even the most troublesome wet garbage can be burned clean”… Recently, similar information and viewpoints have sparked discussion on social platforms, and many readers are curious: with this, should garbage still be classified?

The answer is that classification is necessary. Data released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in May this year shows that as of the end of 2025, our country had 1,137 incineration facilities, with a daily processing capacity of 1.18 million tons, and 15 provinces and cities including Beijing, Zhejiang, and Shandong had achieved “zero landfill” of raw domestic waste. “The most prominent contribution of waste incineration is the significant reduction of residues that ultimately need to be landfilled,” introduced Zhou Chuanbin (周传斌), a researcher at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院生态环境研究中心). Incineration reduces the volume of garbage by about 80%, but this does not mean that all domestic waste can be thrown into the furnace and burned away.

“First, not all domestic waste is suitable for incineration for power generation. For example, glass, metal, and ceramics are not only non-combustible but also cause wear on the grate. Kitchen waste has high moisture content; even after pretreatment, its calorific value is only close to the minimum calorific value standard allowed by incineration plants,” Zhou Chuanbin said. It is understood that the toxic substance dioxin produced by waste incineration must be completely decomposed by maintaining a combustion time of more than 2 seconds in a furnace at a temperature above 850 degrees Celsius; if the calorific value of the incinerated material is too low, it is easy to cause insufficient combustion, hindering dioxin decomposition.

Not only that, if garbage is burned away without classification, many things that could have been recycled to exert greater economic value are also wasted. During the investigation, the reporter found that some waste recycling stations only accept categories with relatively high market recycling prices such as metal and paper, but do not accept categories with lower returns such as waste textiles, glass, and composite packaging. “Although these low-value recyclables themselves are not of high value, from the dual perspective of economic cost and environmental benefit, recycling is definitely more cost-effective than directly taking them to be burned,” Zhou Chuanbin said.

Fine waste classification is the foundation for the development of a circular economy. The National Development and Reform Commission recently issued the 15th Five-Year Plan for Circular Economy Development (《循环经济发展“十五五”规划》). Industry insiders believe that this plan will push domestic waste classification towards refinement and normalization.

Ma Ben (马本), director of the Ecological Product Value Realization Research Center at the School of Ecological Environment of Renmin University of China (中国人民大学生态环境学院生态产品价值实现研究中心), pointed out that domestic waste treatment must balance the three goals of reduction, resource utilization, and harmlessness. The fundamental purpose of front-end waste classification is to promote waste reduction, to enable garbage of different properties to receive more specialized treatment or utilization through classified transport channels, thereby achieving a reduction in the total amount of garbage that needs to be incinerated or landfilled and saving social costs.

Technology changes with each passing day; what will be done about waste classification in the future?

On May 25, the National On-Site Conference on Urban Domestic Waste Classification Work (全国城市生活垃圾分类工作现场会) was held in Beijing. The meeting pointed out that waste classification is a long-term, continuous task. Many readers are concerned: with technology changing rapidly, should waste classification still be implemented according to the current four-category method?

During visits, most people recognize the concept of waste classification, but there is always some garbage that they don’t know how to classify or where to put it. In response, Ma Ben believes that the current basic framework of the four-category method does not need to be overturned, but the unified standard does not fully match the differentiated end-treatment capacities in different places, and management cannot be “one size fits all.”

Ma Ben suggested exploring the construction of a two-tier system of “nationally unified mandatory four-category baseline + local flexible detailed rules,” implementing graded differentiated standards based on urban/rural areas, locations, and community foundations, simultaneously supporting them with collection and transport, assessment, and incentive rules, and using digital technology applications such as automated and intelligent sorting to reduce the cost of public participation, while balancing governance efficiency and social cost under the premise of holding the basic line of harmless treatment and resource utilization.

While promoting the optimization of waste classification methods, we must also accelerate the construction of the recyclables system and improve the quality and efficiency of recyclables management. Xu Lin believes that currently, our country’s domestic waste incineration, kitchen waste treatment, and recovery of high-value renewable resources such as waste paper and scrap metal have formed a relatively mature industrial system, but from the perspective of the complete industrial chain, the front-end network is still relatively scattered, some recycling stations and baling stations operate extensively, low-value recyclables lack economic viability, and there is still room for improvement in fine sorting capacity, quality of recycled materials, and production-marketing connection.

Recently, many smart recycling bins have appeared on the streets of Beijing, supporting paid recycling of low-value recyclables such as plastics and textiles. As long as residents drop off items by category, the system can automatically identify, weigh, and settle the proceeds. Many residents say that some garbage that is a pity to throw away but no one wants to recycle finally has a place to go.

Xu Lin suggested that regional modern sorting centers should be rationally laid out, intelligent equipment introduced, and the direction shifted towards standardization of the recycling network, intelligent sorting and processing, and high-value recycling. “It is not to say that traditional garbage recycling stations should be simply closed down, but to incorporate standardized stations into the unified recycling network, promote conditional baling stations to upgrade into standardized transfer, volume reduction, and sorting nodes, and then through standardized renovation, make up for the shortcomings in environmental protection, safety, data supervision, and low-value recycling.”

On the inspection standards for waste classification, Xu Lin emphasized that we cannot only look at the number of drop-off points, publicity coverage rate, and resident awareness rate; the key is to look at whether the system is complete, whether recyclables are utilized, whether costs are acceptable, and the public’s intuitive perception of the effectiveness of waste management.

The Ecological and Environmental Code of the People’s Republic of China (《中华人民共和国生态环境法典》), which will come into effect on August 15 this year, stipulates: The state implements a domestic waste classification system. Domestic waste classification adheres to the principles of government promotion, universal participation, urban-rural coordination, adaptation to local conditions, and simplicity and ease of implementation.

“Garbage must be classified; there is no need to dwell on this point. Waste classification requires the cultivation of habits over a long time, but as long as every individual and every family truly does it, they will find that it is actually not such a difficult thing,” Zhou Chuanbin said.

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Flying Wire Charging Poses Major Safety Hazards (Everyday Matters)

I am a resident of the Xiyuan Huating residential community (西苑华庭小区), Jianxi District (涧西区), Luoyang City, Henan Province. Previously, there was an incident in the community where an electric vehicle caught fire spontaneously while performing flying-wire charging (飞线充电) on a rainy day. Last year, another electric vehicle caught fire while charging at night, but fortunately it was discovered in time and did not cause a major disaster. Although the community often publicizes and advises residents not to privately pull flying wires, and the relevant departments recently conducted nighttime fire safety inspections, flying-wire charging has never been eliminated (see picture). I hope that the relevant management departments can deeply understand the situation and propose reasonable and effective solutions. For illegal acts that disregard public safety and insist on using their own flying wires for charging, they should be dealt with seriously according to law to eliminate fire safety hazards.
Mr. Liu (刘先生), Luoyang City, Henan Province

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Suggestion

Preventing illegal online loans from entering university campuses
At present, illegal online loans, by changing their disguises through digital platforms, continuously infiltrate student life. Online lending promotions are 无孔不入 (wú kǒng bù rù - "no hole not entered," all-pervasive). Nowadays, financial consumption scenarios are continuously moving down-market; ride-hailing, food delivery, video/audio, e-commerce, and many other APPs embed installment and loan service entry points. Young people, being 涉世未深 (shè shì wèi shēn - "not yet deep in worldly experience," inexperienced), are lured by loan marketing information, and some unknowingly take on debt. Once such loans become overdue, violent debt collection will 接踵而至 (jiē zhǒng ér zhì - "follow on each other's heels," come one after another), even spreading from the student themselves to their family.

To build a financial safety firewall for the student group, comprehensive measures are needed. First, we should purify the online environment, continuously improve the multi-department normalised joint rectification mechanism, and thoroughly clean up all platforms' unqualified online loan traffic-directing advertisements. Second, relevant departments can sustainably carry out special rectification actions targeting illegal lending, credit reporting fraud, violent debt collection, and other chaos, establish a joint punishment list for violators, and restrict them in terms of operation, traffic, financing, etc. Finally, we should fill the educational shortcomings. Currently, safety education in schools mostly focuses on telecommunications fraud and personal safety, and rarely covers areas such as finance and commerce; some students have relatively weak financial awareness. Schools can cooperate with financial institutions to incorporate rational consumption, online loan risks, and credit reporting knowledge into safety education, guiding students to establish correct financial concepts. In addition, improve support policies such as student loans and hardship subsidies, squeezing the living space of "bad online loans" from both supply and demand sides.

Chaoyang District (朝阳区), Beijing Xu Jingke (徐景科)

Beware of the risk of using gas cylinders to "reverse-fill" portable cassette stoves
Recently, a type of so-called "essential camping skill" or "money-saving tip" teaching video has become popular on short-video platforms, teaching viewers how to use household gas cylinders to "reverse-fill" the spent disposable gas canisters of portable cassette stoves. This seems like a life hack, but is in fact a highly dangerous act.

First, during reverse-filling, gas leakage is very likely to occur; after mixing with air, once it encounters an open flame or static spark, it will cause a flash explosion and fire. Second, portable cassette stove gas canisters are non-refillable gas cylinders; their tank wall thickness and sealing design only meet one-time use; repeated filling will cause metal fatigue, leading to material performance degradation or even failure. Third, the pressure inside a household gas cylinder is far greater than that of a disposable gas canister; during reverse-filling, it is very easy for the canister to tear or even explode.

The "Gas Cylinder Safety Technical Regulation" (《气瓶安全技术规程》) clearly stipulates that it is forbidden to directly transfer gas from a mobile pressure vessel to a gas cylinder, or to directly transfer gas from one gas cylinder to another. In local law enforcement practice, serious cases of gas cylinder reverse-filling will face administrative detention penalties. Yet such videos, involving such obvious safety hazards, are openly 大行其道 (dà xíng qí dào - "to travel widely on its path," to be prevalent). Behind this is a complete business loop of "teaching for traffic + tool sales." Video bloggers not only harvest traffic using the "money-saving" gimmick, but also induce users to purchase special gas-transfer tools, industrializing a dangerous act. Meanwhile, the review mechanisms of some platforms have obvious blind spots; algorithms lack the ability to recognize professional illegal operations like "connecting pipe to transfer gas," allowing these "illegal textbooks" to proceed 畅通无阻 (chàng tōng wú zǔ - "unobstructed passage," unimpeded).

It is recommended that short-video platforms use technical means to automatically intercept dangerous operation videos, and strictly implement full-chain crackdowns such as banning such dangerous accounts. In addition, relevant departments should improve recycling channels for discarded gas canisters, compressing the space for illegal demand; emergency management departments can use short-video teaching to popularize science and refute rumors, letting the truth outrun the lies.

Weifang City (潍坊市), Shandong Zhang Lingxi (张玲溪)

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Stop Paying for Fake Health and Medical Science Popularization (Public Concern)

By: 本报记者 沈童睿

"After attending a 'health lecture,' my mom got scammed out of over 5,000 yuan." Netizen Mr. Zhou recently reported on the People's Daily Online "Leader's Message Board" that his mother attended a health lecture where an "expert" introduced a substance called "clam peptide," claiming it could "prevent cancer, fight cancer, and treat the three highs," and also recommended a product containing this ingredient. The elderly woman spent over 5,000 yuan to buy several boxes. Later, Mr. Zhou took a look and saw that the packaging box was clearly printed with the words "solid beverage." "Saying solid beverages can cure diseases — isn't that sort of popular science just false advertising?" Mr. Zhou said.

The health field is a "disaster zone" for pseudo-popular science. In May this year, the Reporting Center of the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Science Popularization Department of the China Association for Science and Technology jointly released the "Ten Major Cases of Resisting Pseudo-Popular Science," eight of which are directly related to health. A previous statistic from the China Association for Science and Technology also shows that among the rumor-debunking content released in the past, approximately 35% was concentrated in the health field.

Health issues attract widespread public attention, and the space for traffic generation and monetization is large. As various platforms tighten regulation, directly promoting health supplements, therapeutic devices, and similar products easily violates rules. Consequently, some lawless elements use the banner of "popular science" to attract followers and promote products.

Carrying out "popular science" with such an aim makes distortion and deviation inevitable. On social media platforms, there are many bloggers who claim to be "nutritionists" or "health managers." They often introduce medical papers with very "eye-catching" headlines. For example, there is an article titled "78% of Washing and Personal Care Products Contain Depression Toxins," citing a paper from an international journal, claiming that ordinary washing and personal care products increase the risk of depression, and recommending the use of "bio-based" shampoo.

From the perspective of professionals, such "popular science" has significant problems. Wang Zhe, a pharmacist working at a tertiary hospital, believes the blogger has taken things out of context: "Talking about possible correlations as if they were definite causal relationships; discussing harm without considering dosage; arbitrarily labeling very common substances in daily life as 'toxins' — this can create anxiety and mislead readers."

Creating anxiety is precisely a typical feature of health/medical pseudo-popular science. In typical cases such as "the rumor that children's vitamin D3 is toxic" and "physical height increase for adolescents," merchants also capture parents' anxious mentality regarding their children's growth to attract traffic and promote products. Some bloggers who claim to "focus on big health IP incubation" even openly advocate: "What we sell is not the product, not expertise, but pain points and anxiety" and "Whether you dare to speak harshly determines whether you can get the money back."

Exaggerating efficacy is another distinct characteristic of health pseudo-popular science. These pseudo-popular science pieces exploit the public's knowledge gap, fabricating and misusing terminology to package ordinary food and health products as "miracle drugs." Reader Mr. An once worked for a company that disseminated pseudo-science through "health lectures," claiming that there was an "intervention factor" that could treat diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer—when in fact it was ordinary food. Some merchants also sell "quantum pendants" and "quantum insoles," touting them as capable of treating various diseases.

What kind of people engage in health pseudo-popular science? Most are not medical professionals but product promoters. Yet they deliberately craft a professional persona: in their profile pages, they claim to be medical doctors or former employees of top pharmaceutical companies; some use nicknames like "Doctor" or "Director," and when appearing on camera, they wear white lab coats to dress themselves up as physicians. To help them build up their accounts, some "incubation agencies" teach traffic-generating scripts, follower-attracting techniques, and product-pushing routines. Some agencies compile textbooks on traffic generation and customer acquisition, and even provide ready-made scripts for live-streaming. These can be bought on e-commerce platforms for a few yuan or a few dozen yuan, and among them are obviously pseudo-scientific claims like "Whether you have cancer or not, just look at your hands."

The situation of "real experts, pseudo-popular science" also exists. A reader came across a popular science video about HPV (human papillomavirus). The author was a doctor from a tertiary hospital, with a verified account and over 400,000 followers. The reader privately messaged the doctor to consult about their condition, and was told, "Add me on WeChat for details." The reader successively added three WeChat accounts, but none were the doctor himself—they were all assistants. After a few minutes of online consultation, the assistants recommended two medications, saying they would turn negative in two to three months. The reader spent a total of 8,000 yuan on the medication. Three months later, a check-up revealed not only no improvement but also a new condition.

Some institutions act as 牵线搭桥 (qiān xiàn dā qiáo - "pull threads, build bridges," to act as a go-between) between doctors and merchants, using the doctor's credentials to endorse products and using product revenue to monetize the doctor. Some doctors hand over copywriting and account management to institutions, allowing them to funnel users into private domains like WeChat to evade platform regulation, exaggerate claims, and promote products.

In 2025, four government departments jointly issued a notice on standardizing the behavior of self-media medical popular science, proposing requirements such as classifying and verifying the qualifications of certified accounts, strictly marking the sources of medical popular science information, and prohibiting unqualified accounts from producing and publishing professional medical popular science content. Various website platforms are also continuously improving their regulatory measures; some platforms have even set up dedicated business departments to review health- and medical-related content.

But the means of evading regulation are also continuously expanding. For example, some training manuals analyze the platform's review logic in detail, compile lists of prohibited keywords, and guide trainees to use more implicit language to promote product efficacy.

Some readers from the medical and health fields suggest that for pseudo-popular science by fake experts, algorithms should be optimized for precise identification. As for the popular science behavior of "real doctors," hospitals should strengthen supervision and management. In addition to filing records, measures such as spot checks and reminders can be adopted to ensure that popular science activities do not go off track. "Since the hospital's background has endorsed the authority of these bloggers, the hospital has the responsibility to positively guide doctors' popular science activities."

Wu Shenkuo, a professor at Beijing Normal University Law School, believes that the creators of pseudo-popular science are after traffic, so regulation must hit the "vital spot": platforms should strengthen content review, improve content labeling mechanisms, and handle violative accounts with measures such as account suspension and traffic limitation. The cyberspace, public security, and market regulation departments should jointly conduct precise verification of behaviors such as spreading online rumors, false advertising, and illegal transactions, and enforce laws across departments in a coordinated manner, leaving pseudo-popular science with no place to hide.

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Call for Submissions

The People's Daily "Reader Letters" page and the People's.cn "Leadership Message Board" (领导留言板) jointly conduct a collection of urgent, difficult, and worrisome problems from the masses. Readers are welcome to provide leads and suggestions regarding "illegal social organizations charging fees in violation of regulations."

Email: rmrbdzlx@126.com

Mobile terminal: People's Daily client "Exposure Platform" (曝光台)

People's.cn "Leadership Message Board" client

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Jiangxi Bank Innovates Elderly Financial Service System to Paint a Happy Picture of "Adequate Elderly Care"

Developing the silver economy and continuously improving the elderly care service system is an important path to consolidating the foundation of livelihood security and enhancing the people's sense of well-being. As a provincial-level法人银行 (legal-person bank) of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Bank (江西银行) has always actively practiced the political nature and people-oriented nature of financial work, deeply cultivating scenarios such as county-level health and elderly care, community services, and elderly education. It continuously innovates and explores around three major areas: credit support for health and elderly care projects, online and offline age-friendly services, and multi-party collaborative service ecosystems, building an integrated elderly care financial service system that adapts to local development characteristics, and safeguarding the happy later years of the elderly group with warm financial services.

Full Coverage of Age-Friendly Transformation, Upholding the "Most Beautiful Sunset Glow"

Jiangxi Bank has opened up two major service channels, online and offline, with physical网点 (outlets) and community service stations as offline support, and the exclusive section of the mobile banking app as the online foundation, building a full-process, full-coverage elderly-friendly service network, making it more convenient and easier for the elderly to handle financial services.

On the offline physical service side, the bank's entire network of outlets has undergone systematic age-friendly transformation, extending service reach to every corner of the province. As of the end of June 2026, all more than 200 outlets and community sub-branches have set up elderly care windows and exclusive green channels, giving priority to handling high-frequency businesses for the elderly group such as pension withdrawals, social security card services, loss reporting and replacement, etc., and are equipped with wheelchairs, reading glasses, and other facilities, embedding care for the elderly group into service details; nearly 300 STM smart counter terminals have undergone age-friendly transformation, with a large-font care version interface launched, simplifying operation steps and lowering the threshold for the elderly to use smart devices.

Multiple outlets have set up special customer green channels for special elderly groups such as those with limited mobility, serious illness bedridden, and elderly living alone, establishing a normalized door-to-door service mechanism. In the first half of 2026, a total of nearly 500 door-to-door services were provided. Staff carried mobile terminals to handle business at customers' homes, delivering professional and considerate financial services to clients, effectively meeting the financial business needs of the elderly group.

Online channels are simultaneously equipped with exclusive service entrances to make up for the shortcomings of digital age-friendly services. The mobile banking app has launched a comprehensive service zone called "Jiangyin Ailao (江银爱老)" (Jiang Bank Love the Elderly), which integrates convenient functions such as social security inquiry, pension details, utility payments, and business appointment in one stop, simplifying operation processes and adapting to the digital product usage habits of the elderly. At the same time, the online "Yinling e-Station (银龄e站)" (Silver Age e-Station) registration and payment channel has been opened, allowing elderly customers to book courses and participate in online financial classes without leaving home, achieving interconnection and intercommunication between online and offline services.

As age-friendly services continue to be implemented, the scale of Jiangxi Bank's elderly customer base has grown steadily. As of the end of June 2026, the bank's total card issuance for elderly customers exceeded 1.1 million cards, and the number of elderly customers opening mobile payment accounts surpassed 300,000.

Strengthening Supply of Innovative Products, Guarding the Millions of "Silver-Haired Group"

In line with the actual development of the province's elderly care undertakings, Jiangxi Bank precisely connects the wealth management needs of elderly customers and the financing development needs of health and elderly care industry operators. On the one hand, it optimizes elderly care financial products and promotional education services to meet the elderly group's needs for savings management and asset inheritance; on the other hand, it innovates special credit lines for health and elderly care, optimizes approval mechanisms, solves the financing difficulties of elderly care projects, and provides solid financial support for the development of the province's elderly care undertakings.

Combining the core needs of elderly customers for retirement savings and asset inheritance, Jiangxi Bank is committed to building a layered and classified exclusive financial product matrix for elderly care, taking into account basic savings, asset allocation, and long-term planning. It collaborates with cooperative insurance institutions to match personal protection insurance products, providing elderly customers with one-stop asset allocation solutions to meet the needs of pension fund management; it opens financial classes, conducting offline lectures on pension planning, family property inheritance, risk asset isolation, etc., helping to enhance the wealth management capabilities of the elderly group.

In response to financing pain points of elderly care industry projects, such as prominent public welfare attributes, long construction periods, and insufficient collateral, Jiangxi Bank innovates health and elderly care specialty credit products, relying on the usufruct pledge model to broaden financing channels. The Pingxiang Branch of Jiangxi Bank (江西银行萍乡分行) implemented the first "Yiyang Weilai Dai" (颐养未来贷, Future Elderly Care Loan) for both Pingxiang City and Jiangxi Bank, innovatively adopting the pledge model of standard elderly care charging rights, disbursing 50 million yuan to help upgrade local elderly care facilities, using future operating income to mitigate credit risk, forming a replicable health and elderly care financing model.

At the same time, the bank has opened a three-level collaborative approval green channel for health and elderly care projects, supporting medium- and long-term low-cost credit, precisely empowering the construction of county-level livelihood health and elderly care projects. Jiangxi Bank supported a health and elderly care project in Poyang County (鄱阳县), helping to upgrade and transform township-level inclusive elderly care centers, adding 1,210 beds, making elderly care equipment more complete and the care environment further optimized. It provided a 46 million yuan, 10-year special loan to a comprehensive health and elderly care base in Xiushui County (修水县), Jiujiang City, helping it improve supporting facilities such as living quarters and dining halls, and adding 390 standardized beds. After the project was implemented, it created nearly 100 positions in elderly care nursing and logistical support, both making up for the shortfall in care for disabled and elderly living alone at the county level and driving local people to find employment nearby, achieving a win-win situation of elderly care security and increased income for the masses.

Joining Hands with Multiple Parties to Build a "Happiness Circle" for the Silver Age

High-quality elderly care services go beyond financial products and credit support; they also require coordinating various social resources and opening up various service scenarios. Jiangxi Bank has broken away from the traditional single financial service mindset, linking community forces, the Open University for the Elderly, street party organizations, medical institutions, and other parties to build an integrated elderly care service ecosystem.

Relying on the "Jiangyin Ailao (江银爱老)" service brand, Jiangxi Bank has moved its service front down to communities, establishing more than 600 "Jiangyin Ailao" community service centers, bringing financial services to residents' doorsteps. The Nanchang Honggutan (红谷滩) Sub-branch of Jiangxi Bank has fixed every Wednesday as "Jiangyin Ailao" member day, organizing staff to go into community happiness cafeterias to handle financial services on site and conduct anti-fraud lectures. Various branches and sub-branches regularly organize public benefit activities such as free haircuts, free movie screenings, collective birthday parties, free health clinics, and winter solstice neighborhood banquets. The bank has cumulatively conducted approximately 3,000 themed respect-for-the-elderly activities, covering 200,000 elderly community residents. Community service centers have become regular good places for elderly residents nearby to socialize, relax, and handle convenient services, continuously enhancing the sense of gain and happiness of elderly residents.

Deepening cross-sector collaboration between banks and elderly education, the "Yinling e-Station (银龄e站)" platform has been established. Jiangxi Bank has reached a deep strategic cooperation with Jiangxi Open University (江西开放大学), relying on the bank's 226 outlets and the teaching points of Jiangxi Open University to establish more than 80 community "Yinling e-Station" service stations across the province. These stations offer high-quality courses for the elderly such as vocal music and dance, painting and calligraphy art, and health management; regularly hold Silver Age lectures and health and elderly care study tours; and regularly conduct science popularization activities on anti-fraud, health, and travel safety, fully meeting the spiritual needs of the elderly for "learning in old age, enjoying in old age" (老有所学、老有所乐).

Leading elderly care services with party-building, the bank has set up a vanguard team of party member volunteers, routinely conducting community co-built anti-fraud lectures. Party member volunteers, using typical cases of pension investment, telecom fraud, and anti-money laundering, explain and dismantle fraud schemes in easy-to-understand language, guiding elderly customers to identify false investment traps, and sparing no effort to protect the financial security of the elderly. Due to its full-coverage, refined age-friendly services and anti-fraud propaganda achievements, Jiangxi Bank was awarded the title of "Most Beautiful Bank Outlet for Age-Friendly Payment Services in Jiangxi Province" in 2024.

In the future, Jiangxi Bank will continue to steadfastly fulfill its mission of finance serving the people, continuously optimize elderly care financial products and services, expand service scenarios, deepen multi-party cooperation, consistently nourish the elderly care undertaking with financial vitality, and spare no effort to safeguard the happy later years of the elderly group.

Data source: Jiangxi Bank Co., Ltd.

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Let the Light of Truth Illuminate the Path to Rejuvenation

By: 中共中央党史和文献研究院院务会理论学习中心组

Opening Note for the Column

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5 present a panoramic view of the development trajectory and core essence of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. They have played an important role in arming the mind, guiding practice, and driving work with the Party’s innovative theory in the new era, and in helping the international community understand and recognize China’s path, China’s governance, and China’s logic. To promote the thorough study and deep understanding of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era by Party members and cadres in a comprehensive and systematic manner, starting today the theory section of this newspaper launches the column “Reading Through Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5,” systematically organizing the development trajectory of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and fully demonstrating the theoretical character, ideological wisdom, and practical requirements contained therein. Please follow and welcome contributions from readers.

—— Editor

The era is the mother of thought; practice is the source of theory. Contemporary China is undergoing the most extensive and profound social transformation in its history, and is also carrying out the most grand and unique practical innovation in human history. This is an era that needs theory and is certainly capable of producing theory; this is an era that needs thought and is certainly capable of producing thought. Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5 are precisely a vivid response and concentrated embodiment of this call of the era, fully presenting the development trajectory and core essence of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and profoundly demonstrating its distinctive theoretical character, deep ideological wisdom, and substantial practical requirements. The five volumes are 一脉相承 (yī mài xiāng chéng – “one continuous line of inheritance,” forming a coherent tradition) and 与时俱进 (yǔ shí jù jìn – “keep pace with the times”), and are authoritative works for comprehensively and systematically studying Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Vividly Record the Great Course of the Establishment, Enrichment and Development of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5 run through the great transformation of the new era, truthfully recording the magnificent practice of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core uniting and leading the entire Party, the entire military, and the people of all ethnic groups in upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics. They vividly present the complete trajectory of the establishment, enrichment, and development of the Party’s innovative theory in the new era, and profoundly reveal the internal logic of the mutual stimulation and dialectical unity of theoretical innovation and practical innovation.

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volume 1 and Volume 2 contain important manuscripts from after the conclusion of the 18th National Congress of the Party to before the convening of the 19th National Congress of the Party. They centrally reflect the development trajectory and main content of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and fully demonstrate the evolutionary trajectory of this thought in the process of its establishment, enrichment, and development. During this period, the world underwent profound changes unseen in a century, the principal social contradiction in our country underwent transformation, and national rejuvenation entered a critical period, urgently requiring new theory to guide new practice in governing the country.

Volume 1, as the opening of the new era and the foundational work of thought, facing the profound changes in the world, the nation, and the Party’s conditions, based on upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, puts forward a series of major theoretical viewpoints in a concentrated manner. The manuscripts clearly put forward “realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” rallying the mighty force for national rejuvenation; in response to the complex situation where reform has entered a tough and deep-water zone, they clarify the overall goal of comprehensively deepening reform; focusing on the new requirements of comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society for the rule of law, they propose comprehensively advancing the rule of law; accurately grasping the new characteristics and new trends in the change of the national security situation, they propose upholding a holistic approach to national security; in response to the urgency and difficulty of solving ecological and environmental problems, they propose striving towards a new era of socialist ecological civilization; conforming to the trends of world development, they propose the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the major initiative of jointly building the Belt and Road, providing fundamental directional guidance for ushering in a new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Volume 2, on the basis of Volume 1, achieves the deepening and expansion of theory. The manuscripts make a profound elaboration on comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, clearly proposing the coordinated advancement of the five-sphere integrated plan and the four-pronged comprehensive strategy; closely following the stage-specific characteristics of China’s development, they systematically expound “adapting to, grasping, and leading the new normal of economic development,” proposing and elaborating the new development concepts of innovation, coordination, greenness, openness, and sharing, emphasizing the establishment of a strong awareness that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”; based on the spiritual support for national rejuvenation, they elaborate on strengthening cultural confidence; focusing on the overall national security and strategic situation, they propose embarking on a new journey of strengthening the military and rejuvenating the military, advancing major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, etc., laying a solid foundation for the enrichment and development of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volume 3 and Volume 4 contain important manuscripts from after the 19th National Congress of the Party to before the convening of the 20th National Congress of the Party. They centrally reflect the grand course of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era being established as the guiding ideology of the Party and continuously elevated through upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground. During this period, the once-in-a-century transformation in the world accelerated, the pandemic of the century and external environmental impacts superimposed, and the world entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Our country entered a historical junction of the decisive stage of comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society and embarking on a new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. The Party faced the test of long-term governance and deep-seated problems within the Party, urgently requiring theoretical innovation to guide self-reform and drive the development of the cause.

Volume 3, taking the report of the 19th National Congress as its guiding principle, systematically expounds the scientific connotation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and its unfolding in various aspects of practice. The manuscripts summarize the core content of this thought as the “eight clarifies” and the “fourteen upholds.” In response to the urgent need for transformation of the economic development model, they propose the strategic thought of “promoting high-quality economic development”; in response to complex and severe risk challenges, they emphasize “upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity,” and make strategic deployments to resolutely win the three tough battles of preventing and defusing major risks, targeted poverty alleviation, and pollution prevention and control; in response to deep-seated problems faced in managing and governing the Party, they put forward the general requirements for Party construction in the new era, placing political construction of the Party in the first place. During this period, Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, Xi Jinping Economic Thought, Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, and other field-specific thoughts were formally proposed successively, becoming important components of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Volume 4 presents the development process in which the main content of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was further expanded to the “ten clarifies” and the “achievements in thirteen aspects,” profoundly reflecting the decisive significance of the “two establishes.” Facing risk challenges rarely seen in the world or in history, the manuscripts emphasize the complete, accurate, and comprehensive implementation of the new development concepts, systematically expounding the major strategic deployment of “grasping the new development stage, implementing the new development concepts, and constructing the new development pattern”; based on enriching the connotation of socialist democratic politics, they comprehensively expound the important concept of “whole-process people’s democracy”; aiming to open up new horizons for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, they creatively put forward the major thesis of “persisting in combining the basic principles of Marxism with China’s specific realities and with the excellent traditional Chinese culture.” In response to the severe and complex domestic and international environment, the manuscripts emphasize coordinating epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development, coordinating development and security, and constructing a grand security pattern. Aiming to maintain the vitality of the Party forever, the manuscripts clearly state that “self-reform is the second answer for our Party to escape the historical cycle of rise and fall,” marking that the Party’s understanding of the laws of building a Marxist party in long-term governance has reached a new height.

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volume 5 centrally presents the latest development of the Party’s innovative theory since the 20th National Congress of the Party, profoundly reflecting the latest achievements of our Party in adhering to the “two combines” and promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. During this period, the international environment is severe and complex; changes in the world, in the times, and in history are unfolding in unprecedented ways; our country’s development has entered a period where strategic opportunities and risk challenges coexist, and uncertainties and unpredictable factors have increased. Volume 5 takes the report of the 20th National Congress of the Party as the general outline, clearly and unequivocally putting forward the missions and tasks of the Communist Party of China on the new journey of the new era, and systematically expounding the theory of Chinese-style modernization. Aiming to accelerate the cultivation of new drivers of development, the manuscripts creatively propose “developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions.” Based on advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, the manuscripts profoundly elaborate on the “second combine,” indicating the fundamental path for the Party’s theoretical innovation in the new era, and summarizing and encapsulating the scientific method of the “six musts.” Facing the severe and complex international environment, the manuscripts propose the Global Civilization Initiative, systematically expounding the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind. Aiming to open up new horizons for self-reform, the manuscripts put forward and systematically expound “further improving the comprehensive and strict governance of the Party system.” These original achievements make the theoretical system of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era more complete and more mature, providing a scientific action guide for comprehensively building a modern socialist country.

Systematically Demonstrate That Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Has Opened Up New Horizons for the Sinicization and Modernization of Marxism

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5, aiming to fully present the scientific system and rich connotation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, systematically reveal the internal logic and organic connections of this thought through scientifically setting thematic topics and carefully selecting manuscripts.

Systematically reflect the rich connotation and practical requirements of the “two combines” (“两个结合”), clarifying the fundamental path for promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out: “Marxism is the fundamental guiding ideology for our Party to establish the Party and the country, to rejuvenate the Party and the country.” Marxism can only take root when it is localized, and can only be full of vitality when it is kept abreast of the times. The fundamental path for promoting the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism is to adhere to the “two combines.” From proposing the creative transformation and innovative development of excellent traditional Chinese culture after the 18th National Congress of the Party, to clearly proposing the major thesis of the “two combines” after the 19th National Congress of the Party, to the systematic elaboration of the “two combines” after the 20th National Congress of the Party, the relevant important manuscripts included in Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5 centrally embody the high theoretical consciousness and theoretical confidence of Chinese Communists in the new era, indicating that our Party’s understanding of China’s path, theory, system, and culture has reached a new height. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era is the latest theoretical crystallization of the “two combines” and is also a brilliant example of adhering to the “two combines.” The five volumes take upholding and developing Marxism as a theoretical red thread running through them, both consistently upholding the soul vein of Marxism, unswervingly adhering to, unequivocally defending, and keeping pace with the times in developing Marxism, and consistently upholding the root vein of excellent traditional Chinese culture, deeply excavating the excellent factors contained in excellent traditional Chinese culture and endowing them with new era connotations, continuously consolidating the historical foundation and mass foundation of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Through the “two combines,” Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era connects “today’s China” with “historical China,” both activating the ancient Chinese civilization with the power of truth, and endowing the Party’s innovative theory with distinctive Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese manner, making it the essence of Chinese culture and Chinese spirit in the times.

Profoundly answer a series of major epochal questions concerning the development of the Party and the state’s undertakings, reflecting the distinctive orientation of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. All epoch-making theories are products that meet the needs of the times. Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, the new questions posed by the questions of China, the questions of the world, the questions of the people, and the questions of the times have become more complex and difficult than in the past, urgently requiring answers from the combination of theory and practice. As the ideological essence nurtured in this historical process, Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5 fully reflect General Secretary Xi Jinping’s profound thinking and scientific answers to a series of major epochal questions concerning the development of the Party and the state’s undertakings and the governance of the Party and the country. Closely surrounding the epochal question of what kind of socialism with Chinese characteristics to uphold and develop in the new era and how to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, they systematically expound the general goals, general tasks, overall layout, strategic layout, development direction, development mode, development momentum, strategic steps, external conditions, political guarantees, and other basic issues of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Closely surrounding the epochal question of what kind of modern socialist country to build and how to build a modern socialist country, they systematically expound the Chinese characteristics, essential requirements, and major principles of Chinese-style modernization, constructing the theoretical system of Chinese-style modernization. Closely surrounding the epochal question of what kind of Marxist party in long-term governance to build and how to build a Marxist party in long-term governance, they clearly and unequivocally put forward major theses such as the leadership of the Party being the most essential feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and upholding the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee being the highest political principle, and make strategic deployments for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, with a series of interconnected and interpenetrating major innovative viewpoints, provides scientific answers to epochal questions, constituting a scientific system that is logically rigorous, rich in connotation, systematic and comprehensive, and profound and extensive.

Systematically present the main content of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, reflecting the major theoretical achievements of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era covers all aspects including reform, development, and stability; internal affairs, foreign affairs, and national defense; and governing the Party, the country, and the military. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Party states that the “ten clarifies,” “fourteen upholds,” and “achievements in thirteen aspects” summarize the main content of this thought. Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5 focus on the “ten clarifies,” firmly grasping the most core and most critical strategic thoughts and innovative concepts, centrally embodying the “four beams and eight pillars” (四梁八柱) that serve as the support in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era; focus on the “fourteen upholds,” comprehensively covering adherence to the Party’s leadership and the five-sphere integrated plan and the four-pronged comprehensive strategy, and making strategic deployments for major fields such as national defense and military construction, safeguarding national security, foreign affairs, "one country, two systems" and the reunification of the motherland, reflecting the basic strategy for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era; focus on the “achievements in thirteen aspects,” presenting a panoramic view of the historic achievements and historic transformations in the Party and the state’s undertakings under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, as well as the strategic measures, transformative practices, breakthrough progress, and landmark achievements, revealing the truth power and practical power of this thought. These contents are internally connected and integrated into one in Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5, condensing our Party’s valuable experience and major achievements in understanding and transforming the world, profoundly demonstrating the original contributions of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to enriching and developing Marxism, the historic contributions to inheriting and developing excellent traditional Chinese culture, and the global contributions to promoting the progress of human civilization.

Comprehensively reflect the important components of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, reflecting our Party’s new concepts, new thoughts, and new strategies in various fields of governing the country. General Secretary Xi Jinping points out that the thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era is a complete system, composed of several components, and needs to be further enriched and developed. Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5 have both a holistic presentation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and a highlighting of key points of various field-specific thoughts, reflecting the organic unity of the whole and the part, the macro and the micro, two-point theory and key-point theory. In Xi Jinping Economic Thought, they profoundly expound the fundamental guarantee, fundamental stance, missions and tasks, target orientation, conceptual principles, distinct themes, major strategies, major measures, and the methodology for doing economic work in the new era; in Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, they profoundly expound the fundamental guarantee, fundamental stance, correct path, primary task, epochal mission, overall grasp, work layout, important links, urgent tasks, basic guarantees, key aspects, etc., of comprehensively governing the country by law in the new era; in Xi Jinping Cultural Thought, they profoundly expound the position and role, objectives and tasks, principles and guidelines, strategic paths, practical requirements, etc., of cultural construction in the new era; in Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, they profoundly expound the fundamental guarantee, historical basis, basic principles, core concepts, purpose requirements, strategic paths, systemic concepts, institutional guarantees, social forces, global initiatives, etc., of ecological civilization construction in the new era; in Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, they profoundly expound the missions and tasks, goals and objectives, fundamental principles, strategic layout, important paths, etc., of strengthening and rejuvenating the military in the new era; in Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, they profoundly expound the fundamental guarantee, historical mission, lofty goals, starting point and foothold, fundamental requirements, important cooperation platforms, strategic choices, important focal points, major-country responsibility, distinctive qualities, basic experience, etc., of China’s diplomacy in the new era; in Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building, they profoundly expound the highest principle, strategic policy, value pursuit, work layout, method path, etc., of Party construction in the new era; in the Holistic Approach to National Security, they profoundly expound the strategic position, fundamental guarantee, path choice, fundamental stance, inevitable requirement, lifeline, main battlefield, central task, major-country responsibility, etc., of national security in the new era. These field-specific thoughts are important components of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, profoundly demonstrating the deepening, expansion, and elevation of the understanding of the laws governing various aspects of the Party and the state’s work by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, through a series of original theoretical contributions, rigorous scientific systems, landmark ideological viewpoints, and leading action values, marking a new height for our Party in promoting theoretical innovation, practical innovation, institutional innovation, cultural innovation, and innovation in other aspects.

Profoundly Contain the Worldview, Methodology, and the Standpoints, Viewpoints, and Methods Running Through Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era

Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5 profoundly contain the worldview, methodology, and the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods running through Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. They both deploy the task of “crossing the river” and guide the solution of the problem of “bridges or boats,” providing the “master key” for us to understand and transform the world, to study and solve problems.

Firmly grasp the basic principles of dialectical materialism and historical materialism, endowing the Marxist worldview and methodology with new era connotations. Dialectical materialism and historical materialism are important contents of Marxist philosophy, the concentrated embodiment of Marxist standpoints, viewpoints, and methods, and also the cornerstone of all Marxist theories. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes: “Party cadres at all levels, especially senior cadres, should study and read classic works from the original, and strive to make Marxist philosophy their fundamental skill”; “The entire Party must strengthen the study and application of Marxist philosophy, and improve the ability to analyze and solve problems using Marxist standpoints, viewpoints, and methods.” Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5 consistently adhere to historical materialism, profoundly expounding the laws of comprehensively deepening reform, emphasizing the need to learn and master the analytical method of social basic contradictions, and deeply understand the importance and urgency of comprehensively deepening reform; learn and master the viewpoint that material production is the basis of social life, and accurately grasp the major relationships in comprehensively deepening reform; learn and master the viewpoint that the masses of the people are the creators of history, and rely closely on the people to promote reform. At the same time, they consistently adhere to dialectical materialism, combining China’s actual conditions and the conditions of the times, profoundly expounding major issues concerning the development of the Party and the state’s undertakings, emphasizing the need to learn and master the principle that the world is unified in matter and that matter determines consciousness, adhering to formulating policies and advancing work from objective reality; learn and master the basic principle of the contradictory movement of things, continuously strengthen problem awareness, actively face and resolve contradictions encountered in progress; learn and master the fundamental method of materialist dialectics, continuously enhance dialectical thinking ability, and improve the ability to handle complex situations and solve complex problems; learn and master the principle of the dialectical relationship between understanding and practice, adhere to the viewpoint that practice is primary, and continuously promote theoretical innovation on the basis of practice. The five volumes adhere to dialectical materialism and historical materialism, innovating on the basis of upholding fundamentals, developing on the basis of inheritance, further deepening the understanding of the laws of Communist Party governance, the laws of socialist construction, and the laws of human social development, and opening up new horizons for grasping and applying the scientific worldview and methodology.

Systematically expound the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, revealing the essential essence of this thought. In the historical process of leading the advancement of socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has applied dialectical materialism and historical materialism to all the Party and state work, forming standpoints, viewpoints, and methods with the characteristics of contemporary Chinese Communists in the great struggle with many new historical features, which are centrally embodied in the “six musts” summarized in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Party, enriching and developing the Marxist worldview and methodology. Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5 connect what it is and why it is with how to view it and how to do it, running through the fundamental requirements of the “six musts,” providing the “core password” for us to comprehensively and systematically study and understand Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The five volumes consistently uphold putting the people first. Volume 1 states clearly from the outset that “the people’s aspiration for a better life is our goal”; subsequent volumes emphasize “adhering to the people-centered development philosophy,” “the era is the test paper setter, we are the answerers, and the people are the graders,” profoundly revealing the essential characteristic that “Chinese-style modernization is about ensuring the well-being of the people,” vividly interpreting the Communists of China’s utmost loyalty and mission responsibility to benefit the people. They consistently uphold confidence and self-reliance, always adhering to the basic point that China’s problems must be solved by the Chinese themselves based on China’s basic national conditions, filled with rock-solid faith, belief, and confidence, continuously making new contributions to the development of Marxism with a more positive historical responsibility and creative spirit. They consistently uphold upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground (守正创新, shǒu zhèng chuàng xīn – “uphold fundamental principles and break new ground,” to maintain correct foundations while innovating). From proposing upholding and strengthening the Party’s overall leadership and advancing the great new project of Party construction in the new era, to proposing upholding and improving the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, to proposing safeguarding the essence and source, roots and soul of Chinese-style modernization, accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, and grasping the initiative in future development, they always grasp the dialectical unity of “change” and “constancy,” inheritance and development, principle and creativity. They consistently uphold problem orientation. Whether taking major problems as guidance, grasping key problems to plan and advance comprehensive deepening of reform, proposing new development concepts in response to prominent contradictions and problems in China’s development, or focusing on solving major problems in governing the Party, the major task of improving the system for comprehensive and strict governance of the Party, they always take problems as the starting point and driving force for innovation, continuously forming a series of new concepts, new thoughts, and new methods in recognizing and solving problems. They consistently uphold systemic thinking. They consciously observe things from the perspective of universal connection, comprehensive system, and development and change, achieving breakthroughs in key areas in the process of overall advancement, driving the overall improvement of the level of economic and social development through key breakthroughs, providing scientific thinking methods for forward-looking consideration, overall planning, and holistic promotion of the Party and state’s various undertakings. They consistently uphold a global vision. They coordinate both domestic and international situations, better unify domestic development with opening up to the outside world, link China’s development with world development, combine the interests of the Chinese people with the common interests of people around the world, demonstrating the broad world perspective and grand strategic ambition of Chinese Communists.

The “six musts” are closely linked and internally unified, profoundly revealing the fundamental stance, spiritual character, theoretical character, distinct style, scientific method, and global vision of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, reflecting the essence and key points of this thought. The “six musts” originate from Marxist philosophy, are deeply rooted in the fertile soil of excellent traditional Chinese culture, indicate the scientific method for further promoting theoretical innovation, and are an important symbol of promoting the systematization and theorization of the Party’s innovative theory in the new era and continuously enriching and developing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

The theoretical innovation and practical innovation of the Party in the new era are very vivid, and theoretical study should also be vivid. We should take Xi Jinping: The Governance of China Volumes 1–5 as an organic whole to study through, adhere to reading the original works, studying the original texts, comprehending the principles, closely combining with the magnificent historical process and great transformation of the new era, closely combining with the epochal requirements of the development of the Party and state undertakings, closely combining with one’s own work responsibilities and actual needs, and continuously deepen the study, publicity, and implementation of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Deeply comprehend the historical logic, theoretical logic, and practical logic of this thought, accurately grasp its scientific worldview and methodology, deeply feel its truth charm, people’s sentiments, epochal vision, and practical power, effectively achieve the integration of learning, thinking, and application, the unity of knowledge, belief, and action, transform the learning achievements into a powerful driving force for engaging in work and promoting high-quality development, and strive unitedly for the comprehensive advancement of building a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.

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Advancing the Green and Low-Carbon Transformation of Urban Development in Depth and Substance (Governance Approaches)

By: 陈瑾羲

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Focus on building beautiful cities that are green and low-carbon." The "15th Five-Year Plan" Outline states: "Promote the transformation of urban development models and build modern people's cities that are innovative, livable, beautiful, resilient, civilized, and smart." In May this year, the State Council issued the "'15th Five-Year Plan' for Urban Renewal (城市更新“十五五”规划)", listing "promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of urban development" as one of its key tasks. We must deeply study and implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech, implement the arrangements of the "15th Five-Year Plan" Outline and the "'15th Five-Year Plan' for Urban Renewal," and push the green and low-carbon transformation of urban development to go deeper and more solid.

Continuously optimize green human living environments. To promote the green and low-carbon transformation of cities, we must adhere to the fundamental stance of putting the people first, so that the masses can live in cities with more comfort and more beauty. First, in connection with the development of green buildings, tap the value of existing stock resources; for old residential communities, urban villages, and the like, systematically advance building energy-saving renovation and infrastructure upgrading, improve the environmental protection, sound insulation, ventilation, and other performance of buildings, optimize the quality of the living environment, and benefit thousands upon thousands of households. Second, enhance people's livelihood and well-being through green space development. Protect and restore urban wetlands, improve the urban green space system, promote the opening and sharing of parks and green spaces, and, 因势利导 (yīn shì lì dǎo - "follow the momentum and guide," to guide according to circumstances), use small and micro spaces to build pocket parks and micro green spaces. For example, Shanghai routinely holds music performances in multiple ecological spaces such as Chenshan Botanical Garden and Xujiahui Park, making ecological spaces an important carrier for enhancing urban identity. Third, build consensus among the whole people through green governance. The Eco-environment Code (生态环境法典) stipulates: "Citizens, legal persons, and other organizations enjoy, in accordance with law, the right to obtain ecological environment information and to participate in and supervise ecological environment protection." As an important field of green and low-carbon transformation, urban renewal should improve public participation mechanisms; in the planning, design, and implementation stages of urban renewal projects, extensively listen to the opinions of the masses, so that the masses become participants, supervisors, and beneficiaries of green transformation.

Strengthen empowerment by scientific and technological innovation. Give full play to the supporting and leading role of scientific and technological innovation, and drive the green and low-carbon transformation of urban development with new quality productive forces. Reshape the construction model with green construction technology, carry the green and low-carbon concept through the entire process of design, construction, operation, and maintenance, and promote the realization of carbon emission assessment across the whole life cycle of buildings. Seize the opportunity of urban renewal to promote the optimization of urban energy consumption structure, and 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - "do what is appropriate to local conditions," to act in light of local conditions) develop solar energy, geothermal energy, and other renewable energy sources. Improve governance efficiency with digital and intelligent technologies; use the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and other technologies to advance the construction of the foundational platform for urban information modeling, and realize the digital management of green and low carbon in urban renewal projects. Use digital and intelligent platforms to collect multi-source data, conduct real-time monitoring and risk early warning of the operational status of urban infrastructure such as gas and water supply, and build a solid safety defense line for urban infrastructure.

Build a green and low-carbon urban cultural brand. Culture is the soul of a city; green is the base color of a city. We should advocate green lifestyles, promote energy conservation and emission reduction, guide green and low-carbon consumption, encourage green travel, and make green and low carbon a new trend in urban life. Lead with aesthetics to shape green features, making the city an aesthetic carrier of green and low carbon. Accelerate the building of an urban form in which the city and nature coexist harmoniously; strengthen the management and control of the features of key areas and important sections in urban renewal; improve the systematic layout of building clusters, public spaces, and parks and green spaces; elevate quality and connotation; and highlight development characteristics. Promote the inheritance and innovation of architectural design and urban design; in connection with green and low-carbon transformation and development, form a "three-in-one" urban aesthetic culture of local characteristics, contemporary style, and green and low carbon. Nourish the green heritage through the continuation of the cultural lineage. Seize the opportunity of urban renewal, and in connection with the development of urban green space systems and building energy-saving renovation, protect and make good use of urban cultural heritage, so that "living cultural relics" become "new landmarks" of the city's green and low-carbon transformation.

(Author's affiliation: School of Architecture, Tsinghua University)

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Tunneling through mountains and spanning seas, the "Golden Outer Ring" is coming (Economic Focus)

By: 本报记者 韩 鑫

How long can an outer ring road be? The answer is approximately 27,000 kilometers. If the three national highways G219, G331 and G228 are connected end to end, they will form a "grand outer ring" running through China's border and coastal areas, with a length equivalent to more than half the circumference of the equator.

This is a blueprint that is being unfurled. At a press conference held not long ago by the State Council Information Office, a responsible official from the Ministry of Transport introduced that by 2030, the completion rate of the main skeleton of the national comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network will rise from the current 91% to 95%, with the focus on building four types of corridors (四类通道), and this "grand outer ring" is one of them. What are the four types of corridors? What is the current progress? Why build the four types of corridors? A reporter conducted an interview.

—— Editor's Note ——

What are the four types of corridors? Fully covering key areas to make the transportation "main skeleton" stronger and more robust.

Where is the "grand outer ring"? Spreading out a map, along the national border, three ultra-long national highways are clearly visible——

In the north, G331, starting from Dandong, Liaoning in the east and ending at Altay, Xinjiang in the west, with a total length of approximately 9,200 kilometers, extends along the northern border; to the west, G219, starting from Kanas, Xinjiang in the north and ending at Dongxing, Guangxi in the south, with a total length of approximately 10,000 kilometers, runs through the western border; shifting the view, G228, starting from Dongxing, Guangxi in the south and ending at Dandong, Liaoning in the north, with a total length of approximately 7,400 kilometers, connects the coastal provinces.

"Fully connecting these three corridors and linking coastal and inland areas will create a 'golden grand outer ring,' becoming China's ultra-long-distance land ring road," said Li Meng (丽萌), deputy director of the Technical Committee of the Transport Planning and Research Institute of the Ministry of Transport.

The "grand outer ring" is a vivid microcosm of China's corridor construction. Over the next five years, from the coast to the inland, the four types of corridors will accelerate their formation, making the transportation "main skeleton" stronger and more robust——

First, the border, coastal, and river corridors (沿边沿海沿江通道). The main tasks are to build coastal high-speed railways, promote the full connection and quality improvement of border national highways, fully connect the G219 and G331 border land backbone corridors and the coastal G228 backbone corridor; for the river aspect, the focus is on accelerating the construction of the Yangtze River comprehensive three-dimensional transportation corridor, fully building a high-standard riverside high-speed railway, and implementing a batch of major projects such as the new Three Gorges waterway.

Second, the corridors exiting Xinjiang and entering Tibet (出疆入藏通道). With a view to border stability and prospering the border and enriching the people, efforts focus on addressing the shortcomings of insufficient corridor resilience and inadequate capacity for ensuring smooth and unimpeded transportation, advancing the construction of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway Ya'an to Linzhi section to a high standard, building the eastern and western sections of the Xinjiang-Tibet Railway, and accelerating the construction of a "one axis, two wings, multiple links" coal transport corridor out of Xinjiang.

Third, the New Western Land-Sea Corridor (西部陆海新通道). By accelerating the full connection of the main corridor and enhancing the hub function of the Beibu Gulf International Gateway Port, an opening-up pattern of "land and sea coordinated domestic and international linkage, east-west two-way mutual reinforcement" will be formed.

Fourth, the cross-river, cross-sea, and cross-bay corridors (跨江跨海跨湾通道). The focus is on implementing a batch of major projects such as the Shanghai-Ningbo cross-sea corridor and the Shiziyang corridor, strengthening the connection of corridors crossing the Yangtze River and crossing Hangzhou Bay, and supporting the implementation of major national regional strategies.

"The four types of corridors comprehensively cover key areas including China's border frontiers, western inland, the Yangtze River corridor, eastern coastal areas, and urban agglomeration bay areas, with precise functional positioning," Li Meng believes. "The four types of corridors each have their own focus and support each other, constructing the national three-dimensional transportation development skeleton from multiple dimensions."

What is the overall progress? Optimizing increments, improving the quality of stocks, and systematic promotion over the next five years.

The blueprint is drawn; when will it be implemented? The four types of corridors are not being built from scratch. "After sustained efforts, the main skeleton of China's comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network has accelerated its formation, and the four types of corridors have been orderly laid out, with key projects being implemented step by step," Li Meng introduced. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the construction of the four types of corridors will enter a new stage of "optimizing increments and improving the quality of stocks."

First, look at the border, coastal, and river corridors.

Taking the "golden grand outer ring" as an example, over the next five years, the focus will be on accelerating the opening of cross-mountain and cross-sea sections such as the Zhaosu-Wensu section of G219 and the Baiaj section of G228 in Quanzhou, while simultaneously promoting the overall quality improvement and upgrading of the "grand outer ring." It is estimated that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the construction and renovation mileage will be approximately 7,400 kilometers.

More than that, various localities will also combine the beautiful natural scenery and rich cultural and tourism resources along the "golden grand outer ring" to create high-quality self-driving tourism highways along the border and coast tailored to local conditions.

On the golden waterway of the Yangtze River, the riverside high-speed railway is currently being steadily advanced in sections; the main lines of national expressways such as Shanghai-Chengdu, Shanghai-Chongqing, Shanghai-Kunming, and Hangzhou-Ruili have been fully completed, and efforts are being made to expand capacity and improve quality on busy sections. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, a high-standard riverside high-speed railway will be fully completed, and riverside expressways such as Shanghai-Wuhan and Nanjing-Jiujiang will be accelerated.

Next, look at the corridors exiting Xinjiang and entering Tibet.

Corridors entering and leaving Xinjiang have basically formed a dual-line pattern of railways and high-grade highways, and roads entering and leaving Tibet have basically reached Grade III and above standards. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the focus will be on solving the problems of insufficient corridor resilience and inadequate capacity for ensuring smooth and unimpeded transportation, accelerating the formation of a corridor network of "five directions out of Xinjiang, four directions into Tibet."

From the northwest to the southwest, the New Western Land-Sea Corridor is accelerating.

After years of construction, the large-capacity railway transport corridor from Chongqing and Chengdu to the Beibu Gulf outlet has been basically fully connected; expressways such as Guiyang-Beihai and Pingshan-Xingyi are being accelerated; the backbone project Pinglu Canal will open to navigation in September. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the focus will be on accelerating the connection of remaining sections of the corridor, activating the development momentum of the western export-oriented economy.

From large regions to sub-regions, the cross-river, cross-sea, and cross-bay corridors are taking shape.

China's Yangtze River main line river-crossing corridor system has been basically formed, and the cross-sea and cross-bay corridor pattern in areas such as the Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao is being accelerated and improved. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, with a batch of major projects as the starting point, the connection of corridors crossing the Yangtze River and crossing Hangzhou Bay will be strengthened, promoting the integrated development of urban agglomerations.

Why accelerate construction? Fill short boards and weak points, open up the main arteries of the economic cycle.

Why are the four types of corridors important over the next five years?

Behind this is a distinct transformation of development philosophy.

The total mileage of China's comprehensive transportation infrastructure network has exceeded 6 million kilometers, and its scale and volume are firmly among the world's top tier. "During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we continue to promote the construction of cross-regional and cross-basin major corridors, no longer simply 'spreading out the stall' and 'launching projects' as in the past, but optimizing spatial layout, opening up the main arteries of the economic cycle, and promoting balanced regional development," said Xu Chengguang (徐成光), Vice Minister of Transport.

Thus, focusing the construction priorities on the four types of corridors is intended to fill the shortcomings and weaknesses in the completeness, integrated coordination capability, cross-regional circulation efficiency, and ability to link international and domestic markets of the strategic backbone corridors.

Behind this is a stronger capacity for service assurance.

"With the implementation of major projects for the four types of corridors and the full formation of the road network system, it is expected that by the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, transportation services will be more inclusive and of higher quality, and the ability to support industrial development and people's travel will achieve a comprehensive leap," Li Meng said.

On the one hand, promoting logistics cost reduction and efficiency increase, and assisting industrial development.

"The connection of high-volume transport corridors such as waterways and railways will significantly reduce the transportation costs of bulk commodities and foreign trade goods, and stabilize the logistics support capacity of the industrial chain and supply chain," Li Meng believes. The transportation pattern of land-sea linkage and river-sea interconnection will also effectively guide the rational layout and gradient transfer of industries, and promote the upgrading of industrial clusters along rivers, borders, and near ports.

Take the Pinglu Canal as an example. After completion, goods from the southwestern region can reach the Beibu Gulf Port directly via the Pinglu Canal without detouring eastward through the Pearl River Delta. The inland river voyage can be shortened by about 560 kilometers, enabling 5,000-ton vessels to travel directly from river to sea, helping to reduce overall social logistics costs. More importantly, relying on the main axis of the Pinglu Canal and connecting cities such as Nanning and Qinzhou in Guangxi along the route, it can attract industrial clusters such as energy materials and green chemicals to accelerate their layout, and drive the vigorous development of characteristic supporting industries such as cross-border cold chain, smart logistics, and cultural tourism integration.

On the other hand, forming a convenient road network to improve people's well-being.

Once the "golden grand outer ring" is formed, it will release the "golden effect"——

"The 'grand outer ring' is not only a major corridor along China's border and coast, but also an important tourism corridor, resource development corridor, and border stabilization and consolidation corridor," Li Meng said. Border counties and remote townships can quickly connect to the trunk road network, and the inconvenience of travel for the masses will be significantly improved. At the same time, it will also drive the vigorous development of homestay economy, self-driving tourism, and rural leisure industries along the route, helping rural comprehensive revitalization and prospering the border and enriching the people.

Previously, the Jilin section of G331 has been fully connected, becoming a benchmark section of the "golden grand outer ring." This border highway, with a total length of 1,314 kilometers, connects 12 national forest parks, 8 national nature reserves and other ecological and cultural tourism resources, becoming a treasure destination for domestic border self-driving and eco-tourism.

"In the future, with the implementation of major projects such as the riverside high-speed railway, coastal high-speed railway, and cross-bay corridors, cross-city commuting, business travel, and leisure travel for residents of urban agglomerations and metropolitan areas will be more convenient, and the transportation guarantee for means of production and livelihood materials will be more reliable and efficient, better serving economic and social development," Li Meng said.

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Strive to Promote High-Quality Development of Intellectual Property in the 15th Five-Year Plan Period

By: 申长雨

Recently, the State Council issued the '15th Five-Year Plan for Intellectual Property Protection and Utilization' (知识产权保护和运用“十五五”规划, hereinafter referred to as the "IP '15th Five-Year Plan"), which is a major top-level design by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council for the development of intellectual property during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period. It outlines the task document, construction drawing, and roadmap for continuing to advance the building of a strong intellectual property country, fully reflecting the high importance and earnest expectations of the Central Committee and the State Council for intellectual property work. We must thoroughly implement the decisions and deployments of the Central Committee and the State Council, firmly establish and practice a correct view of performance, earnestly ensure the implementation of all deployments of the IP '15th Five-Year Plan, strive to promote the high-quality development of the intellectual property cause during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, and contribute more intellectual property strength to advancing Chinese-style modernization.

Deeply understand the significance of the issuance and implementation of the IP '15th Five-Year Plan

Since the beginning of the new era, the Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed intellectual property work in a more prominent position, leading China's intellectual property cause to achieve historic accomplishments and forging a path of intellectual property development with Chinese characteristics. The number of valid domestic invention patents in China has reached 5.685 million, the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 population has reached 16.8, the number of valid domestic registered trademarks has reached 51.971 million, the added value of patent-intensive industries has risen to 13.38% of GDP, and social satisfaction with intellectual property protection has increased to 82.81 points. China's ranking in the 2025 Global Innovation Index Report has risen to tenth place. The State Council's issuance of the IP '15th Five-Year Plan, which lays out the strategy for the development of the intellectual property cause over the next five years, has important practical significance and far-reaching historical significance.

The IP '15th Five-Year Plan is an important measure to implement the decisions and deployments of the Central Committee and the State Council. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out that intellectual property protection work relates to the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity, relates to high-quality development, relates to the happiness of the people's lives, relates to the overall situation of the country's opening up to the outside world, and relates to national security. Formulating and implementing the IP '15th Five-Year Plan is an important measure to thoroughly study and implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping and to solidly promote the implementation of the decisions and deployments of the Central Committee and the State Council on intellectual property work.

The IP '15th Five-Year Plan is an important measure to effectively serve the high-quality development of the economy and society. High-quality development is the primary task of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. The IP '15th Five-Year Plan aligns with and benchmarks against the relevant deployments of the national "15th Five-Year Plan" Outline, closely follows the practical needs of high-quality development, scientifically plans intellectual property work for the next five years, and deploys a series of key tasks and special projects centered on better serving high-level scientific and technological innovation, better promoting high-level opening up, and better assisting the construction of a high-standard market system, ensuring that the intellectual property cause resonates at the same frequency with high-quality development.

The IP '15th Five-Year Plan is an important measure to continue advancing the building of a strong intellectual property country. The "15th Five-Year Plan" period is a critical period for accelerating the construction of a strong intellectual property country with Chinese characteristics and world-class standards. As the second five-year plan supporting the implementation of the Outline for Building a Strong Intellectual Property Country (2021-2035) (知识产权强国建设纲要（2021—2035年）), the IP '15th Five-Year Plan is of great significance for the continued implementation and stepwise advancement of the construction of a strong intellectual property country, ensuring that decisive progress is made in building a strong intellectual property country.

Accurately grasp the overall requirements of the IP '15th Five-Year Plan

Rooted in the epochal characteristics and stage-specific requirements of the development of China's intellectual property cause, the IP '15th Five-Year Plan clarifies the overall requirements for the development of the intellectual property cause during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

First, clarify the work thinking. The IP '15th Five-Year Plan adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, earnestly implements the decisions and deployments of the Central Committee and the State Council on intellectual property work, and, proceeding from the overall work of the Party and the state and the requirement to fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development理念, proposes an overall work思路 that takes promoting the high-quality development of the intellectual property cause as the theme, reform and innovation as the fundamental driving force, anchors the goal of building a strong intellectual property country with Chinese characteristics and world-class standards, comprehensively improves the level of the entire chain of intellectual property work, and effectively supports Chinese-style modernization, clarifying the development direction of the intellectual property cause during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

Second, clarify the main objectives. Accurately grasping the stage-specific requirements of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the IP '15th Five-Year Plan clarifies the objective that by 2030, China's comprehensive intellectual property strength and international competitiveness will be further enhanced, and decisive progress will be made in building a strong intellectual property country. It also looks forward to the development goal of basically completing the construction of a strong intellectual property country by 2035, organically linking with the strategic objectives set in the Outline for Building a Strong Intellectual Property Country (2021-2035). We must adhere to the principle of "carrying one blueprint through to the end, answering two examination papers together," and turn the strategic objectives of building a strong intellectual property country into reality step by step.

Third, scientifically set indicators. The IP '15th Five-Year Plan sets six main expected indicators, including the number of high-value invention patents per 10,000 population. It not only focuses on organic convergence with the intellectual property planning indicators of the "14th Five-Year Plan" but also reflects the new trends, new characteristics, and new needs of the development of the intellectual property cause, so as to better leverage the guiding and driving role of the indicators and accelerate the transformation from a major country importing intellectual property to a major country creating intellectual property, and the transformation of intellectual property work from pursuing quantity to improving quality.

Fully implement the task deployments of the IP '15th Five-Year Plan

The IP '15th Five-Year Plan deploys the key tasks and a number of special projects for the development of the intellectual property cause over the next five years, requiring us to establish a systematic view, highlight key work priorities, and promote implementation in an integrated manner.

First, continuously optimize the intellectual property protection environment that supports comprehensive innovation. Promptly fill institutional gaps, improve intellectual property laws and regulations, accelerate the establishment of intellectual property protection systems in emerging fields, and improve supporting policies and measures. Improve the intellectual property protection system, strengthen administrative protection of intellectual property, enhance cross-regional and cross-departmental collaboration on intellectual property protection, and improve the衔接 mechanism between administrative protection and judicial protection of intellectual property. Strengthen foreign-related intellectual property protection, improve the level of handling foreign-related intellectual property disputes, improve the overseas intellectual property dispute response guidance mechanism, and strengthen guidance on foreign-related intellectual property rights protection.

Second, vigorously enhance the utilization efficiency of intellectual property that promotes high-quality economic development. Strengthen high-quality supply of intellectual property, deepen reform of rights and interest distribution, strengthen policy support and market services, and improve the efficiency of transformation and utilization. Promote precise对接 between the outcomes of universities and research institutes and enterprises, fully implement the patent open license system, actively and steadily develop intellectual property finance, and cultivate a sound ecosystem for the transformation and utilization of intellectual property. Leverage the role of the working mechanism for intellectual property to support breakthroughs in key core technologies, deeply implement the patent navigation project, and empower industrial innovation and development. Implement商标品牌 strategies, promote geographical indication products and brands, and cultivate and strengthen specialty economies. Enhance intellectual property service capabilities, strengthen supervision of the intellectual property service industry, and promote the high-quality development of the intellectual property service industry.

Third, continuously improve the comprehensive intellectual property management system that promotes high-efficiency governance. Accelerate the establishment of an efficient comprehensive intellectual property management system, and strengthen coordination on regional intellectual property work. Deeply advance the building of first-class patent and trademark examination institutions, enhance the capacity of public intellectual property services, strengthen social co-governance of intellectual property, continuously promote the construction of a credit system in the intellectual property field, establish a whole-chain intellectual property talent cultivation system, vigorously carry out intellectual property publicity and education, and deeply cultivate intellectual property cultural concepts.

Fourth, actively construct a new pattern of international cooperation on intellectual property that serves high-level opening up. Deeply participate in global intellectual property governance, actively safeguard and develop the multilateral cooperation system for intellectual property, and deeply research and participate in the formulation of international intellectual property rules in emerging fields. Continuously deepen international exchanges and cooperation on intellectual property, promote high-quality "Belt and Road" intellectual property cooperation with high quality, deepen multilateral and bilateral cooperation on intellectual property with key countries and regions, and promote the steady growth of the effective number of overseas invention patents and enable more Chinese trademark brands and geographical indication products to "go global."

(The author is Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Commissioner of the China National Intellectual Property Administration)

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Xiongshang High-Speed Railway Hebei Section Enters Trial Operation Phase

Xiong'an, August 2 (Reporters Li Xinping (李心萍), Shao Yuzi (邵玉姿)) — The reporter learned from China Railway Beijing Group Co., Ltd. (中国铁路北京局集团有限公司) that at 7:00 on August 1, as the G55371 train departed from Xiong'an Station, the Hebei section of the Xiong'an New Area to Shangqiu high-speed railway concluded its 108-day integrated commissioning and testing (联调联试) and formally entered the trial operation phase.

Trial operation conducts a comprehensive "real combat" test of high-speed rail transport organization, equipment status, etc., by simulating the line's formal operation status. China Railway Beijing Group will carry out multiple tests including running chart parameter tests and fault simulation, providing technical basis for the line's formal opening and operation.

The Xiongshang high-speed railway (雄商高铁) starts from the Beijing-Xiong'an intercity railway (京雄城际铁路) Xiong'an Station in the north and ends at the Shangqiu-Hefei-Hangzhou high-speed railway (商合杭高铁) Shangqiu Station in the south. The main line is 552 kilometers long with a design speed of 350 km/h. After the project is completed and opened to traffic, it will further improve the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei rail transit network, and is of great significance for implementing the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei coordinated development (京津冀协同发展), deeply promoting the high-quality construction and development of Xiong'an New Area, and promoting economic and social development along the line.

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Is Setting the Air Conditioner to 26°C the Most Energy-Efficient? (Q&A)

By: 本报记者 王云杉

In the summer heat, air conditioning becomes an essential need for every household to cool down and beat the heat. How to use air conditioning more energy-efficiently and more healthily? In this regard, the reporter interviewed experts in the fields of electricity and home appliances.

The claim that "setting the air conditioner to 26 degrees Celsius saves the most electricity" — is this scientifically accurate? Yan Xianrui (燕宪瑞), a staff member of the Power Supply Service Center of China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Power Grid Company (南方电网广东电网公司), provided an explanation: 26 degrees Celsius is not the absolute most electricity-saving temperature, but rather a recommended setting value that balances human comfort, health, and energy saving.

There are many factors affecting the power consumption of air conditioning cooling, among which the key one is the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors — the smaller the temperature difference, the lower the compressor load, and the less electricity consumed. "Air conditioning cooling is essentially 'moving' the heat from indoors to outdoors. The greater the temperature difference between indoors and outdoors, the faster the heat transfers back indoors. To maintain a low temperature, the compressor must operate at high power for a long time, and the electricity consumption naturally increases," Yan said.

The reason 26 degrees Celsius is widely recommended is that it fits the human body's sensory perception and is the temperature comfort zone for most people. Taking Guangdong as an example, when the outdoor temperature exceeds 35 degrees Celsius, with the air conditioner set at 26 degrees Celsius, every 1 degree Celsius decrease in setting will increase electricity consumption by 6% to 10%. It can be said that 26 degrees Celsius is the "greatest common divisor" that balances multiple needs.

Speaking of energy-saving tips, relevant experts gave four practical suggestions: First, clean frequently — regularly clean the indoor unit filter screen to avoid dust blockage that reduces cooling efficiency. Second, skillfully combine — use the "air conditioner + fan" combination, leveraging air movement to lower the felt temperature by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. Third, make good use of modes — in the plum rain season in the south, skillfully use the "dehumidification mode"; after humidity drops, it will feel cooler. Fourth, time-of-use electricity — use the nighttime low period (0:00–8:00) to reasonably use the air conditioner, reducing electricity costs.

How to balance energy saving and comfort? Liu Qiankun (刘乾坤), director of Midea Air Conditioning's Domestic Product Development Center, stated that the important principles are to avoid excessive cold, reduce direct blowing, maintain humidity, and stabilize temperature.

In terms of temperature setting, the indoor-outdoor temperature difference should be controlled within 8 to 10 degrees Celsius.

Mode selection also has its nuances. Give priority to turning on the "no draft" and "anti-direct blowing" functions, or manually adjust the air deflector upward, using the principle that cold air sinks to achieve even cooling. Running the air conditioner for a long time tends to cause dry indoor air. You can turn on the "humidification mode", or place a humidifier, water basin, etc., to maintain indoor humidity at 40% to 60%, making the body feel more comfortable.

The selection and daily maintenance of air conditioners are also directly related to cooling efficiency and user experience. When purchasing, give priority to products with the new national standard first-class energy efficiency, and also pay attention to the APF (Annual Performance Factor) value; the higher the value, the better the overall energy efficiency. The horsepower (cooling capacity) of the air conditioner should be selected according to the room area, avoiding waste from excessive horsepower or insufficient cooling effect from too low horsepower. Choose additional functions as needed; for example, in southern regions, give priority to models with an independent dehumidification function; in dry areas, pay attention to humidification functions; for bedrooms, choose low-noise products. In daily maintenance, it is recommended to run the air conditioner's self-cleaning function every two weeks, and perform deep cleaning of the indoor unit once or twice a year.

Using air conditioning in summer requires both balancing the budget and taking care of health. By scientifically setting the temperature, flexibly using modes, and regularly maintaining equipment, achieve a "win-win" of comfort and energy saving.

(Xue Ziyi (薛子怡) contributed to the reporting and writing.)

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Page Editor: Lu Zhongzheng, Wu Kai, Han Wenrong

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Online Literature Sketches a New Portrait of Mass Co-Creation (Decoding: New Observations of the Cultural Market)

By: 本报记者 陈圆圆 胡笑源

As of the end of 2025, over 33 million works and 525 million readers, with annual revenue scale of approximately 49 billion yuan in 2025 — a set of figures outlines the household assets (jiā dǐ - "family foundation," the scale and foundation) of Chinese web literature, while also reflecting a flourishing cultural landscape.

Behind this stand writing practitioners from thousands of trades: couriers, retired teachers, prosecutors, farmers… They jointly participate in an unprecedented new mass literary and artistic practice.

The 2026 China Web Literature Forum, hosted by the China Writers Association (中国作家协会) and others, opened on July 30 in Hefei, Anhui. The 2025 Blue Book of Chinese Web Literature (2025中国网络文学蓝皮书) (hereinafter referred to as the Blue Book), released during the forum, states that web literature is a typical paradigm of new mass literary and artistic practice under internet conditions, achieving the largest-scale literary participation in history. In the evaluation for the ninth Lu Xun Literary Prize, both web literary works and web literature research works received nominations. "Vigorously developing new mass literary and artistic practice under internet conditions" was written into the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (十五五规划).

To delineate a new portrait of mass co-creation, how does web literature begin to set its brush? How can good stories be made to thrive endlessly in the practice of new mass literary and art? It is worth examining from three dimensions: writing about the masses, writing for the masses, and writing by the masses.

Writing about the masses
The protagonists of life are also the protagonists of literature.

At 8 a.m., Zhao Kang (赵康), wearing dark blue work clothes, walks into the garage, crawls under a bus, grips a wrench, and adjusts a knob — at this moment, he is a bus maintenance worker in Chongqing;
At 8 p.m., Zhao Kang, back home, sits at his desk and taps out "jianghu stories" on the keyboard — at this instant, he is the web writer "Ouyang Xiaoyao" (欧阳逍遥), with thoughts flying like the wind and a magic brush producing flowers (miào bǐ shēng huā - "magic brush produces flowers," to have superb writing skill or produce brilliant works).

"The wrench sustains the body, words nourish the soul." Over more than ten years, Zhao Kang has written over 20 million characters, including both urban stories and xianxia novels… Many of the protagonists in his works are ordinary people who grow step by step from the bottom. He writes his family members and colleagues into his novels, using vivid and lifelike figures of flesh and blood (yǒu xuè yǒu ròu - "has blood and flesh," vivid and lifelike images) to display the tenacity of ordinary people.

The protagonists of life are also the protagonists of literature. In the past, "writer" was a professional title for literary creators. Now, the person writing may be your neighbor, your colleague, or a delivery rider who once brought you a meal. The Blue Book shows that as of 2025, registered web literature authors exceed 35 million. The creative vitality of the entire nation has burst forth, and web literature has become a vivid footnote to new mass literary and artistic practice under internet conditions.

"The lives of countless ordinary people become sounds, images, words, and videos, finally converging into rich and diverse internet content, just like stars glittering in the night sky, mirroring our brilliant era," says the web writer "Ban Cai Mingyue" (半裁明月).

The leap in information technology allows the masses to participate more broadly in innovation and creation, and the door to artistic expression is open to everyone who loves life.

"New mass literary and artistic practice (新大众文艺), as a concept that actively faces major practical issues while also possessing a sense of history and productivity, will powerfully promote people's observation and articulation of the era they live in," says Ji Yunfei (吉云飞), associate professor of the School of Chinese at Sun Yat-sen University (Zhuhai). In recent years, a large number of amateur creators and writers from various industries have flooded into platforms such as WeChat public accounts (微信公众号), Xiaohongshu (小红书), Douban Read (豆瓣阅读), Zhihu (知乎), Douyin (抖音), and Kuaishou (快手); the "new media literature" (新媒体文) creative community continues to grow, and "everyone can create" has moved from a cultural ideal to everyday practice.

Writing for the masses
Real-world care extends the boundaries of literature.

Once, many people's understanding of web literature was still stuck on themes like xuanhuan cultivation or domineering CEOs. Now, that stereotype (kè bǎn yìn xiàng - "engraved-plate impression," stereotype) is being refreshed.

The Blue Book shows that in 2025, the total number of works with realistic themes approached 2 million, with about 140,000 added annually; realism has broadly extended into various themes such as science fiction.

525 million readers, nearly half of the nation's netizens — what do they read in web literature?

— They read "China in the making." Vertical Takeoff (垂直起飞) presents technological development in the low-altitude flight field; Cantonese Food Chronicle (粤食记) showcases Chinese culinary culture and the hustle and bustle of everyday life; Riverside Police Affairs (滨江警事), focusing on grassroots policing, "creates close to the ground"; Sweet Life (甜蜜一生) displays the life resilience of diabetes patients… Comprehensive rural revitalization, technological innovation, ancient charm and national style — the tides of the times always find echoes in literature.

— They also read "the micro-expressions of the human world of smoke and fire." The daily necessities of ordinary people, the real experiences of the workplace and the countryside, move many hearts through delicate brushwork.

The web writer "Teng Ping" (藤萍) is a police officer in the Exit and Entry Administration Detachment of Xiamen Municipal Public Security Bureau (厦门市公安局出入境管理支队). More than 20 years of police experience have not only allowed her to see all facets of society but also generated more reflections on good and evil. "My regular work and literary creation nourish each other."

The Blue Book states that the creation of realistic themes in web literature continues to advance toward high-quality works, emphasizing starting from authentic experience, with narration becoming more full and weighty; the utilitarian creative tendency of sloganizing and theme-first has been markedly curbed. Shao Yanjun (邵燕君), professor in the Department of Chinese at Peking University, observes a shift in creation: "As the mood of the times changes, simple and straightforward revenge satisfaction stories are no longer as popular; web literature has naturally developed a 'post-satisfaction' trend, gaining the ability to accommodate more complex human emotions and real-life situations."

"The logic of realistic themes in web literature is to use the form of web novels to carry realistic content, wrapping serious realistic themes in the popular, smooth, and rhythmically relaxed narrative of web novels, enriching literary choices for national reading," says Li Wei (李玮), professor in the School of Literature at Nanjing Normal University.

Writing by the masses
From "I write, you read" to interactive co-creation.

"Read a novel for half an hour, read paragraph comments for two hours." A netizen described their reading experience this way.

In the traditional publishing era, a work was considered complete once it went to press. But in the web literature ecosystem, the ending is not the terminal point. A message left in the chapter comments (běn zhāng shuō - "this chapter says," a comment system for individual chapters) or in paragraph comments (段评) may directly influence the direction of the next chapter; adaptations, continuations, and secondary creations allow the work to continuously grow infinite vitality beyond the author's pen.

"Reading those comments that are upvoted and recognized is my daily required lesson," says web writer "Liudan Pa Shui" (榴弹怕水). He says that when writing Shao Song (绍宋), he needed to verify the surname of a historical figure's mother, but after searching all materials, he couldn't find it. "After publishing, in the chapter comments, a reader mentioned that she was a female calligrapher, and her surname was Fu." Following that clue, he developed an entirely new plot.

Web writer "Shachong Dui Duiyuan" (杀虫队队员) feels the same. "Every time I update End of Ten Days (十日终焉), I scroll through the comments to see what readers guessed, what they misunderstood, which characters suddenly became popular," he says. "For example, for a rule based on the 24 solar terms, I only considered its connection to the plot, but readers would look up information themselves, discuss the metaphors of the solar terms, and deduce the subsequent rules."

From "I write, you read" to interactive co-creation, new connections between the work and reality have been established through the deep participation of readers.

"Entering the internet age, readers are disseminators, consumers, and co-creators," says Huang Fayou (黄发有), vice president of Shandong University. Mechanisms such as paid reading, tipping, and voting force timely adjustments in creation; while forms such as fan fiction (tóngrén wén - "same-person literature," fan fiction), side stories (fān wài - "extra chapters," spin-offs), and character illustrations (juésè tú - "character drawings") grant readers equal rights of expression and open vast space for amateur writing.

Mass co-creation goes a step further, moving from the digital world into the physical world. Web literature, relying on IP (intellectual property) for cross-border linkage with immersive cultural tourism, transforms stories on paper into diverse cultural products.

On social media platforms, many netizens share photos of themselves visiting Yue Wang Temple (岳王庙) in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, with Shao Song comics merchandise. This scene evokes images of ibuprofen piled at Cao Cao's tomb and spicy strips placed at Huo Qubing's tomb — scenes of "breaking the dimensional wall" (打破次元壁).

The author of Shao Song, "Liudan Pa Shui," reflects: "Web novels may have their limitations, but they can act like an 'introducer'; as long as readers are drawn in, they will naturally step into the vast historical world to pursue the meaning contained within."

The flourishing of web literature stimulates the creative vitality of the entire nation. How to take up this passion and better help the masses write and spread their own stories? This requires the combined effort of the entire industry and society.

Experts believe that, on one hand, organizational guidance should be further strengthened, platforms should be urged to improve distribution mechanisms, and services such as cultural training should be enhanced; on the other hand, the mainstreaming process of web literature should be vigorously promoted, bringing web literature into important traditional literary awards.

"By issuing creative subsidies, organizing field trips and revision training camps, and holding various essay contests and evaluations, ordinary people can be enabled to dare to write, be able to write, and keep writing," says a practitioner from a web literature platform. Only by empowering both the masses and the professionals in two directions can the creation of new mass literary and artistic practice be better promoted.

Facing hundreds of millions of readers, web literature, with its magnificent imagination and rich stories, continuously stimulates the vitality of innovation and creation. A new cultural picture of "everyone can create" is slowly unfolding before our eyes.

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Is This Graduate Recommendation Tutoring a "Free Lunch" or a "Trap"?

By: 人民网记者 高红霞 朱 虹 孙 竞

As the proportion of graduate students admitted through recommendation (推免) increases year by year, and as GPA, research, competitions, and interviews become rigid assessment criteria, the fierce competition for graduate recommendation has given rise to strong market demand, and various coaching agencies have emerged accordingly.

“We can connect with school contacts, get in touch with teachers to give you a higher final grade in the course,” “Quoted price 80,000 to 120,000 yuan, refund if unsuccessful” … Some unscrupulous merchants, sensing a “business opportunity,” engage in gray-area operations under the guise of academic planning.

Students and parents have reported: after payment, some agencies provide services that “do not match the sample,” contract tricks pile up leading to no way to get a refund, and there are even “dark-box operations” such as peddling grade modification and ghostwritten papers. Is such graduate recommendation coaching a “pie” or a “trap”?

“I spent nearly 4,000 yuan in total, and the agency gave me nothing. I spent money to buy psychological comfort.” Li, a student in the Chinese Department at a certain university, had enrolled in courses twice. The first time, she purchased a thesis coaching course and found it had no practical effect; the second time, she chose another agency and signed up for a full-process service package, but the promised services such as material organization and thesis coaching were all absent. This is not an isolated case; on online platforms such as the People’s Daily Online “Leadership Message Board” (领导留言板), there are hundreds of related complaints.

If service shrinkage is an “obvious pit,” then standard-form contracts are an invisible “trap.” Journalists, after undercover visits to multiple agencies, found that verbal promises are disconnected from written contracts, and it is common to pile up disclaimers and raise the threshold for refunds. “If cancellation is proposed within 7 days before the project starts or after the project starts, no fees will be refunded,” “If the course completion rate is below 80%, no refund” … Using harsh terms, some agencies keep the power of determination in their own hands.

Furthermore, some agencies define “graduate recommendation success” broadly: treating alternate admission, verbal admission notices, etc., as success scenarios, greatly reducing the space for refunds. What is more alarming is that individual agencies privately peddle services such as grade modification, thesis ghostwriting, and purchase of competition awards.

Liu Haifeng (刘海峰), Director of the Center for the Study of Imperial Examination and Examination at Zhejiang University and senior professor of humanities, believes: “Using coaching agencies to forge papers and patents, fabricate competition awards, seriously breaks the rules of graduate recommendation selection, causing injustice to students who study diligently and participate honestly, and harms the order of university admissions and selection and the ecology of educational fairness.”

The frequent occurrence of chaos is the result of the combined action of multiple factors. First, the educational anxiety generated by academic competition provides a breeding ground for the chaos. “Classmates around are all signing up; if you don’t, you will have less information and less confidence than others” … Unscrupulous merchants deliberately amplify the “information gap panic,” exaggerate that “not signing up for coaching equals losing competitiveness,” and induce speculative consumption.

Second, the diversity of graduate recommendation assessment has been alienated into space for irregular operations. As a way for universities to select outstanding students, graduate recommendation considers not only academic performance but also research achievements, competition experience, etc. “The multi-dimensional, long-cycle, non-singular evaluation characteristics give graduate recommendation selection a certain degree of flexibility, and also provide opportunities for irregularities,” Liu Haifeng said.

Third, the fragmentation of the regulatory system and insufficient coordination mechanisms allow the chaos to persist. “The graduate recommendation coaching industry, which has emerged in recent years, spans multiple regulatory fields, and there is no special normative document at the national level for this industry,” said Hou Jie (侯杰), managing partner of Shanghai Dehe Hantong Law Firm.

Dealing with the chaos requires coordinated efforts from dimensions such as source governance and institutional constraints.

Universities strengthen self-directed guidance and fill information gaps, which can reduce students’ reliance on off-campus agencies from the source. The practice of a certain university in Sichuan provides a reference. Relevant teachers from that university said that the school will publicize the graduate recommendation rules and scoring methods at the time of freshman orientation education and key nodes of the recommendation process, and distribute paper materials.

Strengthen efforts at the regulatory level, weave a tight regulatory net, and severely crack down on illegal activities. In response to related chaos, the Ministry of Education and other departments have already launched a special rectification in 2024, requiring comprehensive investigation and clearance.

Finally, students and parents should correctly view graduate recommendation coaching and abandon a speculative mindset. The essence of graduate recommendation is independent selection by universities; there is no “intermediary channel” in any sense. It requires reliance on the students’ own efforts, and agencies only play a supplementary role.

“Save all evidence such as promotional posters, complete chat records; when service shrinkage or refund disputes occur, try to communicate in writing and retain records for rights protection.” The legal adviser of the Sichuan Provincial Consumer Council (四川省消委会) reminded consumers that if they accidentally “step into a pit,” they can pursue layered rights protection: call 12315 or 12345 to file a complaint on the grounds of false advertising; report illegal schooling to the local education department; if the amount involved is large and the agency “runs off,” directly report to the public security authorities; if the above channels are ineffective, file a civil lawsuit in court.

(Ouyang Yiyi, Zhao Zule, Yuan Hanling, and Yuan Manni contributed to the reporting.)

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2,000-year-old Qin liquor unearthed in Guyuan, Ningxia

Yinchuan, August 2 (Reporter Jiao Siyu (焦思雨)) — A major breakthrough has recently been achieved in the archaeology of the Warring States Qin tomb site at Shanjiapu (善家堡), Guyuan City (固原市), Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region: through multidisciplinary joint testing, a research team has successfully identified grain wine residues from the Warring States period of the Qin state, dating back approximately 2,300 years, and revealed their specific brewing ingredients and processes. The relevant research results have been published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports.

The Shanjiapu cemetery is located in Yuanzhou District (原州区), Guyuan City, adjacent to the Warring States Qin Great Wall. A total of 183 Warring States period tombs have been excavated. Archaeologists extracted 3,740 milliliters of ancient liquid remains from a bronze garlic-head flask, an iconic artifact of Qin culture. This bronze flask employed a double-layer sealing technique using a textile lining and an outer coating of organic clay, isolating external contamination, allowing the ancient wine from over 2,000 years ago to remain largely intact with minimal evaporation. It is currently the most completely preserved and information-rich wine remains from the Warring States Qin period publicly reported in China.

To accurately decode the ancient wine recipe and process, the Ningxia Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology (宁夏文物考古研究所) invited a research team led by Professor Wen Rui (温睿) from the School of Cultural Heritage, Northwest University (西北大学文化遗产学院) to conduct multiple analyses and tests on the samples. Using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and other advanced detection technologies, combined with microanalysis of starch granules, phytoliths, and yeast microfossils, a comprehensive traceability identification was completed. A total of 24 types of compounds, including organic acids and their derivatives, amino acids and their derivatives, and carbohydrates, were detected in the archaeologically excavated liquid. Moreover, the distribution pattern of organic acids was consistent with that of artificially aged yellow wine (黄酒), confirming that the liquid is a grain wine. This multi-dimensional joint identification archaeological achievement proves that the Qin people had already skillfully used grain to make qu (starter culture) as a fermentation initiator, achieving simultaneous saccharification and fermentation, reflecting the advancement of Qin brewing technology during the Warring States period. This discovery fills the archaeological gap in wine brewing in the Ningxia region during the Warring States Qin period. It not only corroborates China’s long-standing history of grain wine brewing, but also provides new physical evidence for studying pre-Qin agricultural development, ancient dietary culture, and the evolution of handicraft techniques.

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Mountain Children's "Aerial School Bus" Gets a New Ladder

Xuanwei, August 2 (People's Daily) — (Reporter Ye Chuanzeng (叶传增)) The "Foyao Stairway (扶摇梯)" (No. 2 Cliffside Sightseeing Elevator) in the Nizhu River Grand Canyon (尼珠河大峡谷), Xuanwei City (宣威市), Yunnan Province, recently entered operation. The elevator has a vertical height of 288 meters and an operating speed of 5 meters per second.

In 2022, after the No. 1 Sightseeing Elevator and high-altitude cable car of the Nizhu River Grand Canyon were put into use, they were able to shorten the three-hour cliffside school route to 30 minutes, and have long been provided free of charge for villagers and students, becoming the number-one "air school bus (空中校车)" that broke out of its circle across the entire internet. After the No. 2 elevator entered operation, the total capacity of the two cliffside elevators in the scenic area reaches 1,200 person-times per hour. Continuing the No. 1 "air school bus" policy, villagers of Nizhuhe Village (尼珠河村) and Guanzhai Village (官寨村) and enrolled students can ride free of charge and with priority, and a dedicated green channel for students commuting to and from school has been set up, further smoothing the convenient travel passage for mountain areas and opening up the "last kilometer (最后一公里)" of rural livelihood services.

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Beijing Unveils Measures to Accelerate Innovation and Development of Intelligent Agents

Beijing, August 2 (People's Daily) — (Reporter Wang Haonan (王昊男)) The "Several Measures of Beijing Municipality on Accelerating Development Led by Intelligent Agents" (北京市关于加快智能体引领发展的若干措施) (hereinafter referred to as the "Several Measures") were issued a few days ago. Centering on four aspects — technology, application, industry, and ecology — they introduce 10 specific measures to promote the innovation-led development of intelligent agents.

Promote technological innovation in agentic artificial intelligence; support innovation entities in implementing control-layer engineering; promote the construction of a high-value capability resource sharing platform and an intelligent agent skills market; promote innovation entities in building intelligent agent development platforms and software stores... According to the "Several Measures," in terms of technological leadership, Beijing will continue to enhance foundation model capabilities and intensify efforts to tackle common underlying technologies of intelligent agents.

In terms of application leadership, the "Several Measures" specifies: accelerate the building of intelligent agent-native applications and benchmark scenarios; support the research and development of artificial intelligence operating systems; and develop scientific intelligence assistants and platforms that possess the capabilities of information association and integration and of knowledge system construction.

Foresightedly cultivate new forms of the intelligent economy. Support the new entrepreneurial model represented by OPC (one-person company) and cultivate new enterprise organizational models of the intelligent era. Create a world-class innovation ecosystem. The "Several Measures" proposes: enhance the governance capacity of intelligent agents, further standardize the development of the intelligent agent industry, and develop safe large models.

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Henan Province Regulation on the Protection, Inheritance, and Development of Henan Opera Takes Effect

Zhengzhou, August 2 (Reporter Zhao Shuaijie (赵帅杰)) — The Regulations of Henan Province on the Protection, Inheritance, and Development of Henan Opera (《河南省豫剧保护传承发展条例》) (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations) came into effect on August 1. This is the first time Henan has systematically regulated the protection, inheritance, and development of an opera genre in the form of provincial-level local regulations, marking that the protection, inheritance, and development of Henan opera has entered the track of rule of law.

The Regulations consist of 7 chapters and 41 articles, and comprehensively and systematically stipulate the protection and inheritance, talent cultivation, innovative development, and safeguard measures of Henan opera, specifying systematic protection for representative repertoires, vocal styles, performance techniques, costumes, makeup, props, as well as documents, archives, audio and video materials of Henan opera, and carrying out excavation, collation, and restaging performances of classic traditional repertoires and qupai (tune types) that are on the verge of being lost.

In response to practical problems such as grassroots opera talents "not being able to enter, not being retained, and not being evaluated" (进不来、留不住、评不上), the Regulations clarify that for Henan opera professional and technical personnel who have worked at the grassroots frontline for a long time, requirements for academic qualifications, academic achievements, and length of service shall be appropriately relaxed; and an equivalent evaluation for Henan opera creative works with theses and monographs shall be implemented, so as to retain more outstanding performers on the stage. The Regulations propose encouraging the use of new technological means such as artificial intelligence to build online theaters and digital venues, and produce excellent works suitable for online viewing and performance.

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本版责编：曹怡晴 陈世涵 董映雪

Layout design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)

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Caring for the Happiness of Rural Seniors at the Dinner Table (People's Livelihood Frontline)

The "15th Five-Year Plan" outline proposes to coordinate the planning of the layout of elderly care service facilities, optimize the supply of basic elderly care services, and promote the expansion, quality enhancement, and efficiency improvement of elderly care services. For the vast number of elderly people in rural areas, three meals a day are not only the most basic necessity of life but also an important foundation for a happy old age. This edition invited reporters to go deep into Beijing, Zhejiang, and Henan to explore distinctive paths for rural elderly meal assistance, presenting a heartwarming picture of the upgrading and improvement of rural elderly care services in the new era.

— Editor

Beijing Yanqing District Builds a Meal Assistance Service Network
Hot Meals Delivered to Your Doorstep
By our reporter Shi Fang

In the mountainous areas of Beijing's Yanqing District in summer, the vegetation is lush. At 9:30 AM, a white van bearing the words "Heartfelt Elderly Service Love Car" drove out of the Pearl Spring Township Elderly Meal Assistance Service Center. Deliveryman Wang Yonglong skillfully navigated the winding mountain roads.

The car arrived at Zhuanshanzi Village. A village volunteer took the insulated lunch box and went to the home of 82-year-old villager Pei Fengqi. "Braised pork with beans, scrambled eggs with tomatoes and rice, steamed buns, millet porridge – it costs less than 5 yuan a meal, and it's delivered right to my doorstep." Pei Fengqi opened the lunch box, and the aroma filled the air. "Before, my daughter would come once a week and cook enough food to last several days. Now the village delivers lunch and dinner on time, and I can eat hot food every day."

This "happiness on the tongue" stems from the "central kitchen + meal assistance network points + volunteer meal delivery" elderly meal assistance model implemented by Pearl Spring Township.

Pearl Spring Township is located in the mountainous area of northeastern Yanqing District. The number of elderly people over 60 exceeds one thousand, accounting for 47% of the permanent resident population, with a prominent phenomenon of empty-nesters and those living alone. The scattered villages and rugged mountain roads made it difficult for the traditional elderly canteen model to be sustainable, and "eating well" once became an urgent, difficult, worrying, and longing issue for many elderly people.

Li Zhigang, Secretary of the Pearl Spring Township Party Committee, introduced that the township integrated existing elderly canteens and collective idle houses to build a township-level "central kitchen" capable of accommodating 100 people for meals – the Elderly Meal Assistance Service Center. This center not only provides meal assistance services but also offers services such as personal cleaning, psychological comfort, and health guidance.

In the back kitchen of the Elderly Meal Assistance Service Center, equipment such as induction cooktops, dough mixers, and disinfection cabinets are all available, and staff are preparing meals. "We develop recipes suitable for the elderly, update them weekly, and also retain Yanqing local specialty staples like deep-fried dough cakes and cornmeal steamed sponge cake," introduced Shi Jiaqi, Deputy Secretary of the Party Branch of Pearl Spring Village, Pearl Spring Township.

Yu Fuqin, the person in charge of the Pearl Spring Village Elderly Station, explained that the township has set up meal pick-up points in 14 administrative villages and 29 natural villages, forming township-level and village-level volunteer service teams, thereby establishing a service network of "township-level delivery to the village, village-level delivery to the doorstep."

62-year-old Xin Haitian is a meal assistance volunteer in Chenggouwan Village, delivering meals to 2-4 elderly people for free every day. "Not only can I eat hot meals, but I can also ask the delivery guy to pick up packages and buy medicine. It's so convenient!" said 85-year-old elderly person living alone Luo Weizhi.

Relying on the meal assistance service network, Pearl Spring Township has expanded the "meal assistance+" model. In addition to delivering medicine, picking up packages, and purchasing items on behalf of the elderly, it also undertakes tasks such as policy publicity and collecting social conditions and public opinion, making the meal assistance vehicles mobile service stations.

The township has established a joint law enforcement team composed of departments such as the market supervision office, and has established a full-chain food safety management system covering ingredient procurement, food sample retention, and accountability.

Sustainable service cannot be separated from stable financial guarantees. The township innovatively established a multi-funding mechanism of "individuals contribute a little, enterprises give a little, policies subsidize a little, society donates a little." Elderly people over 60 only need to pay less than 5 yuan per meal, with the remaining portion supplemented through channels such as elderly care service subsidies and social donations.

"As of the end of July 2026, we have served a total of over 70,000 person-times of elderly people, delivering nearly 1,600 meal trips," said Huang Jingrong, Secretary of the Pearl Spring Township Disciplinary Committee. The exploration in Pearl Spring Township is a microcosm of Yanqing District's elderly meal assistance services. In recent years, Yanqing District has coordinated resources and systematically woven a meal assistance service network covering both urban and rural areas, delivering care to the elderly.

Jiangshan City, Zhejiang Introduces Measures Such as Exchanging Vegetables for Meals
Vegetable Plots "Grow" Meal Tickets
By our reporter Dou Hao

At noon, in Jintan Village, Changtai Town, Jiangshan City, Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province, smoke rose from the roof of the shared canteen, and the aroma of food wafted over. 72-year-old elderly person living alone Zhou Shuifa, carrying a bamboo basket filled with eggplants, peppers, and cowpeas he had just picked from his own yard, walked slowly into the shared canteen.

"These vegetables are really fresh today!" A staff member took the basket, weighed and priced it on an electronic scale, and the corresponding amount of money was immediately deposited into the elderly man's meal card.

Zhou Shuifa squinted and smiled: "I can't finish the vegetables from my own plot, so I exchange them for meals. It's both convenient and affordable."

In 2023, when the Jintan Village shared canteen first opened, the person in charge hit a snag – although the service was delivered to their doorsteps, the elderly weren't buying it. Looking into the reasons, most elderly people's argument was: we can't even finish the vegetables from our own fields, so why go to the canteen and spend money?

The canteen came up with a method: purchase the vegetables grown by the elderly at market price, and simultaneously launch a discounted monthly meal card. For 180 yuan a month, they could cover lunch and dinner. The elderly could directly use the income from selling vegetables to top up their cards. This way, the elderly didn't have to worry about selling their vegetables and could also eat hot meals.

As more vegetables were collected, new worries emerged: fresh vegetables are difficult to preserve to begin with, and collecting too many of the same type of vegetables easily led to repetitive dishes. Over time, the canteen's operating costs kept rising.

How to break the deadlock? Shimen Town, adjacent to Changtai Town, made an exploration. The demonstration-type shared canteen in this town mainly serves over 10,000 people in 3 administrative villages around the market town. In 2025, the Shimen Town shared canteen introduced a "points-for-meals" mechanism based on the original model, advocating for villagers to exchange participation in public welfare labor for meal points.

71-year-old elderly person living alone Jiang Chunliang is a regular at the Shimen Town shared canteen and the main caretaker of the canteen's "common prosperity vegetable garden." In the second half of last year, the canteen opened up over 10 mu of surrounding idle land as a vegetable garden, encouraging the elderly to plant and harvest themselves. Besides supplying the canteen, the remaining vegetables were uniformly purchased by the Jiangshan City Supply and Marketing Cooperative, with the proceeds used to subsidize canteen operations. Jiang Chunliang and several elderly people signed up, tilling the soil, sowing seeds, and watering on time, keeping the vegetable garden in good order. As compensation, the canteen recorded 50 "charity points" per person per day, with 1 point being deductible against 1 yuan of meal fees.

The scope of use for points is being expanded. Villagers can use points to exchange for services such as haircuts and massage at the shared canteen's health and wellness service point. As of now, Shimen Town has provided services including meals, psychological counseling, and assistance and care for over 6,000 villagers, issuing a total of over 30,000 points.

Small canteens connect to major livelihood concerns. As of the end of July, Jiangshan City had 243 shared canteens in normal operation, with a monthly average number of diners exceeding 140,000 person-times. At the same time, relying on the "Good Steward" smart meal assistance supervision platform, all shared canteens in the city are incorporated into a unified management system, with fee settlement and fund allocation leaving a complete trace and being precisely supervised.

"This year, we will also build, based on shared canteens, a comprehensive livelihood complex integrating elderly care, daily life, and social functions, mainly targeting key groups such as 'the elderly and the young,' people in difficulty, and the disabled. We will continue to make good use of measures such as exchanging vegetables for meals and points for meals to improve the quality and efficiency of livelihood services," introduced Wu Zhengrong, Director of the Jiangshan City Civil Affairs Bureau.

Lushi County, Henan Establishes Elderly Canteens in Mountain Villages
Convenient Stoves Set Up at the Village Entrance
By our reporter Fang Min

How do elderly people in the mountains eat?
With children away from home, some elderly people, for convenience, often make do with plain noodles and pickled vegetables. If this continues over a long period, it can easily lead to malnutrition.
How to ensure rural elderly people eat well? Qicunwan Village, Dongming Town, Lushi County, Sanmenxia City, Henan Province, has its own approach.

Approaching 12 noon, in front of the village-level standardized elderly care service station next to the Qicunwan Village Committee, many elderly people were queuing up. The village's elderly canteen is located here.

Lin Shifeng, Secretary of the village Party branch, introduced that in 2022, Party members and cadres in the village decided to build an elderly canteen within the village committee compound. The village committee's houses could be vacated, eliminating the need to build new houses and saving a sum of collective funds; leaders from the county and township, as well as villagers, frequently come to the village committee, so how the elderly canteen performs is under everyone's noses, making management and supervision convenient.

The Qicunwan Village elderly canteen covers an area of about 70 square meters, with 13 tables set up and a cabinet-type air conditioner in the corner. Two women were serving meals to the villagers. Lin Shifeng introduced: "These two are chefs. They have elderly people and children at home to care for, so they can't work outside the village. The village set up these public welfare positions, which both serves the elderly and facilitates employment."

A blackboard next to the serving window had the menu written on it – today's offerings, lunch: mixed stew, grits soup, steamed buns, baked flatbread; dinner: fermented noodle soup, steamed buns. Taking a closer look, the mixed stew contained cabbage, bean starch noodles, and streaky pork.

How much does such a meal cost the elderly? "Each person pays only 1 yuan per meal," Lin Shifeng introduced. "The County Civil Affairs Bureau subsidizes 2 yuan per person per meal. Additionally, local worthies donate a bit, and the village collective also contributes some funds for support."

"My children are not at home. It's not worth it for me to cook alone. Before, when I made one meal, I would eat it for three days," said villager Yan Sunsuo, who was eating. "Now I'm eating hot meals and fresh dishes. I eat both lunch and dinner here."

Around 12:15 PM, the canteen was already full of elderly people. Those who came later sat outside the door. After the elderly finished eating one after another, some went home, while others went to the recreation room in the village committee compound to rest and chat.

"On weekends, you can even watch Henan opera on the square. We can all sing along," said the elderly person Hou Liusheng, smiling.

Zhang Jiasen, Director of the Lushi County Civil Affairs Bureau, introduced that currently, the county has built 71 village (community) meal assistance points. At the same time, the county developed a smart identification system for elderly meal assistance, accurately subsidizing 2 yuan per meal for each elderly person, verified through facial recognition. "Every time an elderly diner swipes their face, the system automatically deducts 2 yuan, ensuring that the money allocated for the elderly to eat is truly spent on the elderly and goes towards meal assistance," Zhang Jiasen said.

"We will continue to explore and practice the construction of village-level elderly care service points, striving to achieve full coverage of elderly meal assistance services in 179 villages (communities) by the end of the year. In addition, canteens of county-level government agencies and institutions have started pilot programs and will gradually open to all elderly people in society," said Hu Zhiquan, Secretary of the Lushi County Party Committee.

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Every Meal Reflects Care for the Elderly (Editor's Note)

By: 刘子赫

Fuel, rice, oil, salt; three meals, four seasons — these are major livelihood matters concerning thousands of households. How to enable elderly people living in villages and mountainous areas to have a hot meal without making do or compromising?

Beijing’s Yanqing District (北京延庆区) has broken down village boundaries to build a network of elderly meal services; Zhejiang’s Jiangshan City (浙江江山市) has introduced mechanisms of “exchange vegetables for meals” (以菜换餐) and “exchange points for meals” (积分换餐), enabling the elderly to transform from recipients to participants; Henan’s Lushi County (河南卢氏县) has embedded canteens into village-level convenience service centers, allowing the elderly to enjoy a sense of happiness with meals right at their doorstep. These various local solutions both embody the wisdom of 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - “according to the land, set appropriate measures,” adapt measures to local conditions) and follow the same logic: basing themselves on actual needs and coordinating multi-party resources.

Many places have further extended the canteens into comprehensive service platforms — volunteers, while delivering meals, take the opportunity to inquire about the elderly’s physical condition and purchase medicines on their behalf; grassroots cadres regularly set up “bench classrooms” (板凳课堂) in the canteens to explain elderly care policies and fraud prevention; during holidays and festivals, the village canteens also organize dumpling-making and pastry-making, enlivening the lives of elderly people living alone. These seemingly small heartwarming services integrate respect and care for the elderly into the daily routine of everyday life.

A meal delivery vehicle, a meal card, a senior canteen — these reflect the simple answer to ensuring the elderly are cared for. It is hoped that more places will take concrete measures, so that the warmth of livelihood policies warms the hearts of the elderly.

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Refrigerators Are Not Safes: Proper Food Storage Matters

By: 本报记者 陆凡冰

In summer, high temperatures and humidity lead to a high incidence of foodborne diseases such as acute gastroenteritis. Many households treat the refrigerator as a "safe" for food preservation, little knowing that low temperatures can only inhibit microbial growth, not kill bacteria. Improper storage can easily cause food spoilage, posing health risks to the elderly, children, pregnant women, and those with weak immune systems. How should food be properly stored and safely consumed in summer?

Wang Bei (王蓓), Vice Dean and Professor of the School of Food and Health (食品与健康学院) at Beijing Technology and Business University (北京工商大学), and an expert of the China Association for Science and Technology (中国科协)'s "Science China" (科普中国) program, explains that microorganisms rapidly multiply between 5°C and 60°C, causing food ingredients to spoil. Refrigeration can cool food to below 4°C, slowing the rate of bacterial growth, but it cannot completely inhibit it. Listeria monocytogenes can grow slowly in a refrigerated environment and is commonly found in ready-to-eat meat products, cold-mixed dishes, and other foods, posing a major threat to those with weak immunity. Therefore, storing food in the refrigerator requires mastering three key points.

First, distinguish food types and store them separately by category.
Cooked meat, fish and shrimp, eggs and milk, bean products, cut fruits and vegetables, and leftovers – these foods are rich in moisture and nutrients, making them highly prone to bacterial growth, so they must be refrigerated promptly. At the same time, some foods are not suitable for refrigeration. Tropical fruits such as bananas and mangoes are susceptible to chilling injury at low temperatures, leading to blackening, spoilage, and poor texture. Potatoes, onions, and garlic are suitable for storage in a cool, dry, and ventilated place and do not need to be placed in the refrigerator.

Second, store in separate zones to eliminate cross-contamination.
One of the hidden dangers of refrigerator storage is raw-cooked cross-contamination: the juices of raw meat and aquatic products easily carry pathogenic bacteria and contaminate ready-to-eat foods. The refrigeration compartment should follow the principle of "cooked above, raw below" – store cooked food and ready-to-eat foods on the upper shelves, and raw meat and aquatic products on the lower shelves. The freezer compartment should be kept at -18°C, and the same principle of "cooked above, raw below" should be followed for placing pastries, ice cream, fresh ingredients, and so on. It is recommended to divide food into small portions for storage to avoid repeated freezing and thawing. Do not overfill the refrigerator; reserve 30% of the space to ensure cold air circulation, and promptly clean up accumulated soup or water to prevent mold growth.

Third, take a rational view and safely consume overnight dishes. Whether an overnight dish can be eaten is not related to whether it has been kept overnight, but mainly depends on the timeliness of refrigeration, the sealed condition, the storage duration, and the effectiveness of reheating. Before consumption, first check the condition of the food. If discoloration, stickiness, mold, or off-odors appear, discard it directly; do not rely on heating to kill bacteria. Leftovers that are in normal condition must be thoroughly heated before consumption. At room temperature in summer, meat dishes and leftover leafy greens should not be left out for more than 2 hours; when the temperature exceeds 32°C, this should be shortened to 1 hour, and the food should be placed in the refrigerator as soon as possible. Stewed dishes and cooked meat can be stored refrigerated for 3 to 4 days; meat soups and meat juices are recommended to be consumed within 1 to 2 days.

Wang Bei reminds that the key to refrigerator food preservation lies in controlling temperature, time, and cleanliness. In summer, there is no need to refrigerate all foods. By promptly refrigerating perishable foods, storing cold-sensitive foods in a light-avoiding, ventilated place, separating raw and cooked items, and properly storing and reheating leftovers, dietary risks can be effectively avoided and health protected.

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Twelfth Batch of National Centralized Drug Procurement Opens Bids

Our newspaper, Beijing, August 2 (Reporter Sun Xiuyan (孙秀艳)). Recently, the 12th batch of state-organized centralized drug procurement with volume commitment (国家组织药品集中带量采购) opened bids and produced winning results. This procurement successfully purchased all 65 types of drugs, covering commonly used drugs in areas such as anti-infection, anti-tumor, anti-thrombosis, blood sugar lowering, blood pressure lowering, blood lipid lowering, rheumatism and immunology, anti-inflammatory and analgesic. Across the country, a total of 45,000 medical institutions reported volumes, and pharmaceutical enterprises actively participated in this procurement. A total of 521 products from 327 enterprises obtained proposed winning qualifications.

According to introductions, this procurement prominently reflects the following aspects:

Stabilize clinical usage: better adapt to diverse medication needs. Continued the practice of medical institutions reporting volumes by brand, and optimized the "revival" winning rule. Judging from the winning results, mainstream enterprises with high clinical recognition and guaranteed quality and supply generally won.

Anti-involution: guide the industry toward rational competition. The rules of this procurement further strengthened anti-involution, adopting two tiers of measures to prevent abnormally low prices: for prices lower than the average by a certain margin, they shall not be used as anchor points for controlling price spreads; for prices lower than the average by a large margin, they may win but without volume and without occupying entry slots, eliminating the impact of extremely low prices on the overall competition pattern and price system.

Guarantee quality: strengthen quality supervision requirements. Require that during the procurement agreement period, winning drugs must not be downgraded or have their packaging changed. Raise the qualification conditions for generic drugs manufactured overseas, requiring them to provide proof of inspection by Chinese drug regulatory authorities.

Guarantee supply: optimize medication guarantees at the grassroots level. Encourage compact medical consortia (紧密型医联体) to report volumes as a unified whole, increase the concentration of demand from grassroots medical institutions, avoid fragmentation of supply relationships caused by small and scattered volumes, and enhance the enthusiasm of winning enterprises for supply and distribution.

As of now, the 12 batches of state-organized centralized drug procurement have cumulatively covered 555 types of drugs. Patients are expected to be able to use the price-reduced winning drugs from the 12th batch procurement within this year.

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China Energy Engineering Group: Deepening Lean Management to Serve the Building of a Strong Energy Country

China Energy Engineering Group Construction Co., Ltd. (中国能建建筑集团), as a main force in energy and electric power construction, focuses on its main responsibilities and core business. It has cumulatively undertaken the construction of installed capacity of 198 million kilowatts, demonstrating its mission and responsibility in helping build a strong energy nation.

Sincere Cooperation

China Energy Engineering Group Construction Co., Ltd. adheres to the philosophy of "joint construction and shared benefits, mutual achievement." It has undertaken the construction of 39 million-kilowatt units, 76 660,000-kilowatt units, over 30 gas turbines such as 9H and 9F, more than 70 cooling towers and chimneys, and over 500 operation and maintenance inspection units for million-kilowatt and 660,000-kilowatt units, achieving full coverage of million-kilowatt AC/DC ultra-high voltage and all levels of power transmission and transformation. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, it put into operation thermal power engineering projects with an installed capacity of 23.65 million kilowatts above designated scale, ranking first in the industry. Practicing the dual carbon (双碳 - "dual carbon," carbon peak and carbon neutrality) goal, its installed capacity for wind, solar, storage, and hydrogen has exceeded 66 million kilowatts. It actively lays out strategic emerging industries, undertaking projects such as compressed air energy storage in Tongchuan, Shaanxi; offshore wind power in Xuwen East 3, Guangdong; and solar-thermal integration in Damxung, Tibet. It actively integrates into and serves high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, undertaking 12 overseas 660,000-kilowatt units and over 20 300,000-kilowatt units, promoting the "going global" of Chinese equipment and technology. The Hunutlu Thermal Power Plant in Turkey withstood the test of two magnitude 7.8 strong earthquakes and maintained stable operation, demonstrating the quality of Chinese engineering.

Meticulous Management

China Energy Engineering Group Construction Co., Ltd. deepens the excellent performance model, implements grid-based and integrated management, implements "enterprise safety management extends to projects, project safety management extends to work faces," promotes green construction and clean, refined commissioning, strengthens digital and intelligent control, controls key processes and core parameters, and ensures excellent quality. Relying on innovation platforms such as National High-Tech Enterprise, National Enterprise Technology Center, and National Postdoctoral Research Station, it has led or participated in the compilation of 90 standards and developed more than 580 scientific and technological achievements such as construction methods and patents. It led the compilation of the industry's first Guide for Thermal Power Project Management, and the overall technology of the "Ultrasonic Phased Array Metal Pipeline Defect Precision Detection System under Complex Conditions" is at an internationally advanced level.

Lean Production

China Energy Engineering Group Construction Co., Ltd. adapts to the industry's demand for efficient contract fulfillment, setting up five major specialties: construction, thermal power engineering, electrical instrumentation, welding, and mechanization. It highlights differentiated advantages, possessing a construction management technical team of 600 people and 300 self-owned high-pressure welders, giving it strong core competitiveness and super-strong resource integration capability. In 2025, it is undertaking 48 thermal power units, including 29 million-kilowatt units and 11 660,000-kilowatt units; it will put into operation 11 million-kilowatt thermal power main units, accounting for 21.15% of the national total, ranking among the top in the industry. Using EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) consortia and joint venture models, it simultaneously undertakes the full-plant construction and installation works for 10 units across 5 million-kilowatt unit projects in Jieyang, Guangdong; Zhangye, Gansu; and Tongre, Shanxi. During the construction of the Xinjiang Power Transmission to Chongqing (疆电入渝) key project, Xinjiang Zhongneng Stone Mei Power Plant, the period from heating surface hoisting to hydraulic pressure test took only 5 months and 18 days.

Excellence Dedication

China Energy Engineering Group Construction Co., Ltd. promotes its distinctive culture of "Those who attain the ultimate win the future" (至精者、赢未来) and practices the benchmarking concept of "No best, only better" (没有最好、追求更好), creating high-quality projects that satisfy customers. It has built a number of benchmark projects, including the world's first "Three Hundreds and One Most" (三百一最 - "three-hundred and one most") project (single-unit capacity of million kilowatts + main transformer voltage level in the plant of million volts + outgoing line as million-volt ultra-high voltage line + the world's tallest and largest-volume fully concrete "two units, one tower" high-level water collection cooling tower), China's first million-class lignite-fired generating unit, China's first million-kilowatt "six units, one control" power generation project, the largest installed capacity million-kilowatt coal-fired peaking power plant in China, and the world's largest-scale coal power carbon capture demonstration project. It has won over 180 awards including the National Quality Engineering Gold Award and the China Construction Engineering Luban Prize.

Striving forward in the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China Energy Engineering Group Construction Co., Ltd. is unswervingly advancing toward the goal of building a strong energy nation, concentrating efforts on becoming an internationally competitive engineering service provider.

Data source: China Energy Engineering Group Construction Co., Ltd.

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Page Editor: Tang Tianyi, Fu Mingli, Liu Zihe

Layout design: Shen Yiling (沈亦伶)

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Mountain Peaks "Rest" in Rotation, Mountains "Evergreen" (Beautiful China · Protecting World Natural Heritage)

By: 本报记者 李俊杰

On July 27, Beijing time, the Changshan Islands Migratory Bird Habitat in Dalian, Liaoning, was successfully inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site. As of now, China has 15 World Natural Heritage sites and 4 World Cultural and Natural Mixed Heritage sites, ranking first in the world in total number.

In recent years, China has continuously advanced the construction of a nature reserve system with national parks as the main body, providing strong support for the systematic and complete protection of World Natural Heritage sites. Starting from today, this page launches the "Beautiful China · Protecting World Natural Heritage" series of reports, focusing on how China's World Natural Heritage sites, while ensuring protection, explore paths tailored to local conditions for harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and coordinated progress between protection and development.

—— Editor

Towering peaks with verdant forests, ancient pines welcoming guests, and surging seas of clouds. Mount Huangshan, nestled in the hinterland of southern Anhui, gathers the magnificent scenery of the world's mountains.

In 1990, Mount Huangshan was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, joining China's ranks of World Cultural and Natural Mixed Heritage sites. More than 30 years have passed, and the forest coverage rate of the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area has leaped from 56% at the time of its nomination to 98.29%, while its heritage protection work has received the highest "GOOD" rating from the International Union for Conservation of Nature for four consecutive rounds.

This impressive achievement is rooted in the systematic and long-term ecological protection exploration of the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area. In response to the fragile ecology and difficulty of management and protection typical of mountain-type heritage sites, the scenic area has coordinated multiple objectives including ecological security, resource management and conservation, and green development, forging a modern protection path that uses institutions to consolidate foundations, technology to enhance efficiency, and low-carbon measures to seek long-term sustainability, achieving a mutually reinforcing win-win between strict protection and sustainable utilization of World Heritage sites.

Scenic spots are closed on a rotating basis to restore ecology, and the first "pine guardians" (守松人) were created to protect ancient trees.

During the summer vacation, Mount Huangshan is crowded with visitors.

Starting from the foot of the mountain and climbing step by step, it takes about three hours to reach the climbing entrance of Lotus Peak (莲花峰). Currently, this area has been closed, and a nearby bulletin board notes: the scenic spot officially entered a closed rotation period from December 1, 2023, generally lasting 3 to 5 years. Many tourists stop to look, puzzled: Do scenic spots also need a "holiday"?

"In fact, the practice of closing scenic spots on a rotating basis was implemented in our scenic area as early as the 1980s," Fang Yuan (方媛), Director of the Mount Huangshan World Heritage Management Office (黄山世界遗产管理办公室), told reporters. As tourist numbers continued to grow, problems such as trampling of vegetation and soil degradation on popular peaks became prominent. Inspired by the concepts of closing mountains for afforestation and the marine fishing moratorium, the scenic area pioneered the "closed rotation of scenic spots" among mountain-type scenic areas nationwide in 1987, implementing periodic rotational closures of high-altitude hotspot areas with limited ecological carrying capacity to allow natural vegetation and soil to recover on their own.

"We selected five representative plant species—Pinus hwangshanensis, Rhododendron simsii, Enkianthus chinensis, Abelia biflora, and Lindera obtusiloba—as 'health barometers,' and established a monitoring network covering more than 300 fixed sample points and sample plants. Once 60% of the sample plants' growth indicators reach the 'closure value,' rotation is triggered," said Wu Yijun (吴贻军), Senior Engineer of the Garden Bureau of the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area Management Committee. The scenic area first implemented phased closure of Beginning-to-Believe Peak (始信峰), and later gradually extended it to key scenic spots such as Lotus Peak, Celestial Capital Peak (天都峰), and Danxia Peak (丹霞峰).

In May 2024, Celestial Capital Peak ended its "vacation" of more than five years and reopened to visitors from all directions. Monitoring data show that after the rotation, the herbaceous vegetation coverage rate of sample plots on Celestial Capital Peak rose to 83.5%, far exceeding the 70% reopening threshold, and the frequency of bird and animal activity increased significantly. In 2014, "Closed Rotation of Scenic Spots at Mount Huangshan" was listed as a typical case in "China's Fifth National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity" and released globally by the United Nations Environment Programme.

Huangshan's innovations go beyond the closed rotation of scenic spots.

In 1981, Huangshan pioneered the "pine guardian" post, implementing round-the-clock guarding of the Welcoming-Pine (迎客松). Today, the 19th pine guardian, Hu Xiaochun (胡晓春), has accumulated a total of 1.6 million characters in his Welcoming-Pine diary. "Not only the Welcoming-Pine, but the scenic area currently manages a total of 137 registered ancient and famous trees, each equipped with a dedicated protection plan and routine physical examination schedule, providing precise, scientific, and long-term care for these ancient and famous trees," Wu Yijun said.

From the rotation of scenic spots to restore ecology, to a "one tree, one policy" approach to protecting ancient trees, Huangshan's various mature and innovative ecological protection practices have now been solidified into normalized systems through a完善的 legal system.

Based on the provincial-level "Regulations on the Management of Mount Huangshan Scenic and Historic Area" (黄山风景名胜区管理条例), supplemented by municipal-level implementation rules and special regulations on heritage protection, ancient tree management, forest fire prevention, and visitor capacity control, Huangshan has built a three-tier legal protection network of "laws and regulations + special regulations + scenic area management rules," ensuring that resource protection, project construction, and tourism operations have regulations to follow and laws to abide by at every link, laying a solid foundation for the long-term protection of the World Heritage site with a complete institutional framework.

Moving from "relying on experience and the naked eye" to implementing all-time, all-space intelligent management and protection.

Entering the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area Protection Management Command and Dispatch Center, one's eyes are immediately drawn to a large digital screen that occupies almost an entire wall, displaying real-time monitoring of the entire area's actual scenes, with various types of information such as fire risk monitoring indexes and tourist flow heat distribution dynamically updating.

Mountain-type scenic areas have steep terrain, complex topography, and vast expanses. Traditional manual patrol modes have limited efficiency and contain blind spots, and tasks such as ecological protection, forest fire prevention, and visitor flow control often face problems of "difficult patrol, slow warning, and weak control." To address these pain points, the Information Center of the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area has taken the lead in building a full-area smart monitoring system, integrating high-definition cameras, drone clusters, forest fire perception terminals, and ecological environment monitoring equipment, weaving a "heaven-earth-cloud" three-dimensional monitoring network that features "drone patrol in the sky, camera surveillance on the ground, and cloud platform coordination."

"The Command and Dispatch Center aggregates monitoring information from the entire mountain, enabling integrated dispatch and visual control of three core data categories," said Tian Hong (田红), Deputy Director of the Information Center, as she demonstrated. Passenger flow data is synchronized in real time with the real-name reservation system, dynamically capturing instantaneous visitor numbers at each scenic spot. Once the flow at a point approaches the environmental carrying capacity ceiling, the Command and Dispatch Center automatically issues diversion and flow restriction dispatch alerts; forest security and safety data, relying on thermal imaging equipment deployed across the area, scans and captures heat sources around the clock, quickly pinpointing potential risk points, effectively shortening the fire incident response cycle; ecological monitoring data continuously collects multi-dimensional indicators such as air, water, vegetation, and wildlife activity, regularly producing ecological health reports for the Mount Huangshan World Cultural and Natural Mixed Heritage site.

The reach of digital technology also extends to the精细化 protection of ancient and famous trees. As a iconic ecological treasure of Huangshan, the growth safety of the Welcoming-Pine is of great concern. Wu Yijun led the completion of a 3D digital modeling project for the Welcoming-Pine, using close-range photography and three-dimensional laser scanning to fully preserve millimeter-level digital archives of the trunk, branches, and surrounding cliffs, accurately recording tree morphological change data, providing a scientific basis for disease prediction and protection plan formulation. To address the problem of wind resistance and breakage of the Welcoming-Pine, the scenic area, in collaboration with research institutes, developed a bidirectional dual-stiffness elastic tension support rod, allowing moderate branch sway under light wind conditions and limiting buffering during heavy storms and snow to prevent branch twisting, cracking, or breaking; this is supplemented by tree mechanics sensors, micro-weather stations, and infrared intrusion alarm systems to capture data on tension, wind speed, temperature, etc., in real time, and to push early warning information under extreme weather conditions... Technology has made the protection of this thousand-year-old ancient pine more precise.

From macro-level monitoring of the entire mountain forest to micro-level inspection of individual ancient trees, digital technology has enabled Huangshan's heritage protection to move away from "relying on experience and the naked eye" and enter a new stage of all-time, all-space, refined, and intelligent management and protection.

Building a mountain-type zero-carbon scenic area, providing a green sample for energy conservation and carbon reduction.

At 6 a.m. at the foot of Mount Huangshan, before the morning mist has fully dissipated, pure electric transfer buses fully loaded with tourists are already steadily climbing the winding mountain road. Such new energy buses now cover all transfer routes within the scenic area. According to calculations, after all scenic area transfer buses have been converted to new energy vehicles, carbon emissions can be reduced by 34%.

Energy conservation and carbon reduction in the transfer link is a microcosm of the green transformation of the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area in recent years. In November 2023, at the 30th Anniversary Conference of the China Biosphere Reserve Network, the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area was awarded a carbon neutrality certificate and officially designated as the country's first mountain-type zero-carbon scenic area demonstration base.

"Zero-carbon does not mean no emissions, but a balance between emissions and absorption," said Hu Jianglin (胡降临), Deputy Director of the Environmental Protection Office of the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area. The existing forest carbon sinks of the scenic area can not only completely offset operational carbon emissions but also generate a considerable surplus each year.

A solid ecological foundation has built a barrier for Huangshan to create a zero-carbon scenic area, and protecting lucid waters and lush mountains and promoting green development requires even more refined dynamic management.

The relationship between tourist volume and ecological carrying capacity is a balance problem that requires precise calculation. As early as 2013, the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area announced its maximum carrying capacity: on fine weather days, the daily maximum carrying capacity was 50,000 people; on severe weather days, it was 35,000 people. In 2023, the scenic area conducted a new round of research, reducing the daily maximum carrying capacity to 40,000 people, and further reducing it to 30,000 in winter. In actual implementation, it is also appropriately reduced based on ecological protection and weather conditions. "During operation, the scenic area distributes visitor flow across different time slots through a real-name, time-segmented reservation system, and recommends alternative sightseeing routes through the digital platform to reduce pressure on hot spots," Tian Hong explained.

The energy structure on the mountain is also being rapidly reshaped. The Yupinglou Hotel (玉屏楼宾馆), located at an altitude of over 1,600 meters, previously relied on diesel generators for power but has now been fully connected to photovoltaic and energy storage systems. At present, all hotels on the mountain have completed all-electric kitchen renovations, street lights have been replaced with LED energy-saving lamps, and digital measures such as "face-scanning" entry and smart dispatch are being rolled out simultaneously. By reducing paper tickets and ineffective transportation carbon emissions alone, the scenic area can reduce carbon by nearly a thousand tons annually.

In terms of operation, management, and protection, the scenic area has long implemented a closed-loop disposal mechanism of "clean vegetables and clean materials up the mountain, garbage and washing materials down the mountain," carrying out classified collection, transportation, and down-mountain disposal of domestic waste across the entire area, and conducting on-site biodegradation of kitchen waste in the high-altitude zone, reducing waste output at the source.

In December 2025, the group standard "Assessment Specification for Mountain-Type Zero-Carbon Scenic Areas" (《山岳型零碳景区评估规范》), jointly compiled by the Mount Huangshan Scenic Area, Fudan University, the China Green Carbon Foundation, and several other institutions, was officially released, filling a gap in the industry. "Huangshan's zero-carbon exploration cannot remain only within itself. Turning experience into standards can help more mountain-type scenic areas find green pathways they can learn from," Hu Jianglin said.

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Mazu contributes Chinese wisdom to global climate change response

By: 本报记者 蒋雪鸿

At the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, President Xi Jinping pointed out that the intelligent meteorological early warning scheme Mazu (妈祖) has been promoted for application in 30 countries, watching over the lights of ten thousand homes and protecting the peace of the four seas.

Mazu (MAZU) is an early warning scheme that carries the "Fenglei," "Fengqing," "Fengshun" and other series of AI meteorological forecasting systems, as well as a series of "soft measures" including training and services. The acronym "MAZU" contains a warm and steadfast scientific connotation: M (Multi-hazard), A (Alert), Z (Zero-gap), U (Universal).

At present, global climate risks are intensifying, extreme weather occurs frequently, and insufficient early warning capability is a disaster prevention shortcoming for most developing countries. In July 2025, the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局) released the Mazu scheme, leveraging AI technology to help countries improve their early warning capabilities. Today, Mazu has been applied in seven countries and supports "cloud"-based application in more than 40 countries worldwide.

Pan Jinjun (潘进军), Chief Engineer of the China Meteorological Administration, stated that China's intelligent meteorological early warning scheme Mazu is developing into a shared, customizable, and sustainable international public good for developing countries.

Mazu benefits many regions around the world

Severe convective weather, characterized by small scale, sudden onset, short lifespan, and high impact, is a worldwide challenge for meteorological forecasting. However, with the assistance of Mazu, many countries have successfully achieved disaster prevention and reduction.

In Afghanistan, a severe convective weather event struck, accompanied by local hail; in Uganda, two consecutive severe convective weather events struck, accompanied by local short-duration heavy rainfall... Relying on China's meteorological AI system, Afghanistan and Uganda both captured signals in advance, rapidly issued warnings, providing support for evacuating people and reducing losses.

"Focusing on common meteorological disasters in Mongolia, Mazu accessed the snow cover data of the Fengyun-2H meteorological satellite, designed workflow prompts, and generated risk avoidance guidance in the local language, which is highly practical," said Altansüvd Bold (阿尔坦苏布德·博尔德), a forecaster at the National Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring of Mongolia.

Unlike traditional "turnkey" finished systems, Mazu is highly flexible and freely combinable. Its key is the cloud-based meteorological early warning operational platform. On this platform, anyone can register and log in to obtain monitoring, forecasting, and early warning products. Forecasters can not only directly compare and view different outputs from China's CMA model, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model, etc., but also obtain extreme weather forecast products beyond conventional forecasts, area rainfall based on grid analysis, and other rich supplementary information.

At the recent Meteorological Special Session of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the China Meteorological Administration released the Mazu Fengyun Satellite AI Toolbox, and Mazu Djibouti 2.0 was officially delivered to Djibouti, further enhancing overseas adaptation capabilities.

China's intelligent meteorological early warning scheme Mazu is contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese experience to global disaster prevention and reduction and climate change response.

Helping countries improve their meteorological disaster prevention and reduction capabilities

When challenges such as data barriers, standard differences, and computing power infrastructure arise one after another, Mazu undergoes continuous iteration and upgrading to help countries improve their meteorological disaster prevention and reduction capabilities.

On the one hand, it significantly enhances universality, bridging the digital divide of "cannot be used, runs slowly." Due to落后的 network infrastructure, many countries of the Global South often suffer from slow loading of meteorological data. In April 2026, the new generation of Mazu early warning cloud public version was officially released. Bazal Chima (巴扎尔·奇玛), an expert from the Pakistan Meteorological Department, said: "Using the cloud system, information can be accessed at any time in any city or any region of Pakistan." This is thanks to Mazu's addition of overseas cloud service nodes, which increased the platform loading speed by six times and greatly shortened data response time, improving the access stability and efficiency for users in regions such as Africa and South Asia.

On the other hand, it deeply focuses on customization, tailoring a defense shield that is "smooth to use and accurate in prevention." "One of the biggest characteristics of Mazu is its emphasis on scenario application, one country, one policy. Island countries need port services; inland countries are more concerned about sandstorms. Mazu can develop application scenarios tailored to needs," said Chen Zhenlin (陈振林), Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the China Meteorological Administration.

The climates of the world vary. The China Meteorological Administration, jointly with the meteorological and hydrological departments of multiple countries, builds and shares customized versions of the meteorological early warning operational platform, conducting in-depth cooperation based on the needs of each country, making Mazu a "meteorological expert" that understands local weather.

For example, the Mazu early warning Sri Lanka customized version focuses on marine, aviation, and other fields. Athula Karunanayake (阿图拉·卡鲁纳纳亚克), Director General of the Sri Lanka Meteorological Department, stated that the Mazu early warning Sri Lanka customized version is a transformative advancement. The system, customized and trained using Sri Lankan meteorological data, effectively improves forecast accuracy and enhances the capability to respond to meteorological disasters.

Striving to establish a long-term mechanism of "teaching a man to fish"

With Mazu, China's meteorological departments share with the world their self-developed disaster prevention and reduction experience, which has more far-reaching impact, and strive to establish a long-term mechanism of 授人以渔 (shòu rén yǐ yú - "teach a man to fish," meaning to provide skills rather than direct aid).

In some developing countries where disaster prevention systems are not yet complete, even with high-precision warnings, they may get stuck at the "last mile" of "issuance" or "response." To this end, Mazu provides a one-stop, full-process closed-loop solution covering various meteorological risks. From the front-end "monitoring and warning," to the mid-end "issuance," and then to the final link of "response," Mazu can transform the complex reasoning results of AI into intuitive decision-making bases, link with local systems, and trigger progressive warnings and high-level call-back mechanisms.

Mazu is not only meteorological AI but also a technological bridge connecting meteorological youth and experts from China and abroad. Through international training courses, scholarship programs, and visiting scholar projects, Mazu cultivates early warning professionals in developing countries and promotes experience exchange. Since 2023, the China Meteorological Administration has gradually built an early warning capability training system. By assisting in building operational platforms, providing technical support and training professional personnel, and carrying out the Belt and Road Meteorological Visiting Scholar Project, it has promoted the expansion of Mazu-related exchanges and cooperation,凝聚合力应对气候变化共识.

At the Meteorological Special Session of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, the China Meteorological Administration launched the "Fenghe" Meteorological Large Model Global Open-Source Plan and initiated the construction of the China-Thailand Joint Laboratory for Intelligent Prediction and Early Warning of Meteorological Disasters, actively sharing core technological achievements.

"In the future, the China Meteorological Administration will work together to build an early warning system that benefits the whole world, promote the deep integration of AI and meteorology, create more replicable and scalable AI meteorological application scenarios, promote the standardized development of AI meteorological applications and services, and contribute China's strength to global disaster prevention and reduction and climate change response," said Chen Zhenlin.

"Early warning for all requires a fundamental shift in international cooperation. I believe Mazu can become one of the most important tools to make international cooperation effective and safeguard lives and property," said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. "China's platforms, satellites, and AI models have already helped dozens of countries improve their early warning capabilities; China is also jointly building relevant tools with a wide range of developing countries to support countries in issuing their own warnings independently. This is exactly the cooperation model the world needs—helping countries protect lives through technology transfer, joint research, and local capacity building."

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Gansu's first forestry and grassland carbon measurement center established

Zhangye, August 2 (Our reporter Song Chaojun (宋朝军)) — Gansu Province’s first forestry and grassland industry carbon measurement center was recently established in Zhangye City. Concurrently, the center formed an expert advisory committee, bringing together academicians, experts, and industry professionals to build a specialized think tank platform for tackling key technologies in forestry and grassland carbon sinks.

Carbon measurement is the foundational work for achieving the dual carbon (双碳) goals and is the key support for scientifically calculating carbon reserves, regulating carbon sink trading, and promoting the realization of ecological product value.

The center will rely on the intellectual advantages of the expert advisory committee, based on Gansu Province’s ecological advantages, resource endowments, and prior practical foundation, and will continue to make efforts in directions such as precise measurement, localized model research and development, and standard system construction, ultimately building a comprehensive intelligent platform integrating measurement monitoring, technology R&D, achievement transformation, demonstration leadership, and market services, to explore ecological product value realization mechanisms for the arid and semi-arid regions of the northwest and even the whole country.

The center is led by the Zhangye Municipal People’s Government, managed by the Zhangye Municipal Forestry and Grassland Bureau, and specifically constructed by the Zhangye Forestry Science Research Institute. It is the first professional carbon measurement platform at the provincial level in the field of forestry and grassland in Gansu Province. The establishment and operation of the center marks a substantive step forward in implementing the national dual carbon strategic deployment and building a scientific and precise carbon measurement system, and will also provide strong technical support for the regional green and low-carbon transformation. Previously, Zhangye had successively established the province’s first forestry and grassland carbon sink VCS (国际核证碳减排标准) project, innovatively launched a “forestry carbon sink expected return right + forest rights” (林业碳汇预期收益权+林权) pledge loan model, and established the Zhangye Municipal Forestry and Grassland Carbon Sink Measurement and Monitoring Center (林草碳汇计量监测中心), and built a specialized laboratory.

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Hainan's afforestation area up 26.7% year-on-year in first half

HAIKOU, Aug. 2 — (Reporter Dong Zeyang (董泽扬)) The reporter learned from the Hainan Provincial Forestry Bureau (海南省林业局) that in the first half of this year, Hainan vigorously implemented land greening and ecological restoration, continuously expanded the total amount of forest resources and improved the quality of the forest ecology, and the province’s afforestation area increased by 26.7% year-on-year, with notable results in expanding greening.

Since the beginning of this year, Hainan has adhered to the principles of matching tree species to site conditions and 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - “adjust measures to local conditions,” i.e., taking measures suited to local conditions), vigorously promoted high-quality indigenous tree species such as agarwood, rosewood, oil tea, and coconut, and balanced ecological protection value with economic industrial value. Focusing on key areas such as barren mountains and wasteland, abandoned mining land, riverbanks, urban and rural vacant land, and coastal zones, it has precisely carried out special actions such as artificial afforestation, degraded forest restoration, and quality improvement and transformation of coastal defense forests, comprehensively promoting three-dimensional greening across the entire region.

On the basis of expanding area and increasing quantity, Hainan insists on equal emphasis on afforestation and management and care, establishing normalized mechanisms for seedling management and protection, pest and disease control, and forestland patrol, effectively improving the seedling survival rate and the afforestation preservation rate, and steadily enhancing the stability and carrying capacity of the forest ecosystem. In the first half of the year, both the area of forest tending and the area of breeding and seedling cultivation maintained a good growth momentum, increasing by 7.4% and 12.7%, respectively.

In the next step, Hainan will continue to anchor the annual greening target, steadily advance afforestation and quality improvement of existing forestland tending, normalize the conduct of ecological restoration work, continuously consolidate and improve the results of land greening, continuously promote the transformation of ecological resource advantages into development advantages, and build a solid ecological security barrier for the Hainan Free Trade Port (海南自由贸易港).

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Zhang Ye, Zhang Xiaoyu, Zhang Yifu

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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State Council Regulations on Exit and Entry Administration

State Council of the People's Republic of China
Decree No. 841

The "Regulations of the State Council on Exit and Entry Administration" were adopted at the 90th executive meeting of the State Council on June 29, 2026, and are hereby promulgated, to come into force on September 15, 2026.

Premier Li Qiang
July 22, 2026

Article 1 These Regulations are formulated in accordance with the "Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China" and other laws, for the purpose of regulating exit and entry administration, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of persons exiting and entering the country, and protecting national sovereignty, security, and development interests.

Article 2 The State establishes and improves a system for preventing security risks for Chinese citizens exiting the country.

The competent departments of foreign affairs, culture and tourism of the State Council, as well as diplomatic missions abroad, shall, based on the security situation of relevant countries and regions such as war or armed conflict, public security, natural disasters, accidents and disasters, epidemic situations of infectious diseases, and the like, promptly issue public overseas security advisories and travel destination security risk alerts.

Chinese citizens shall pay attention to overseas security advisories and travel destination security risk alerts, and avoid traveling to or staying in high-risk countries or regions.

When accepting and processing applications from Chinese citizens for exit and entry documents and conducting exit border inspection, immigration administrative authorities shall, based on notifications from the relevant competent departments of the State Council, remind Chinese citizens preparing to travel to high-risk countries or regions to travel with caution or closely monitor the local security situation, to heighten vigilance, strengthen precautions, and pay attention to safety. Among them, for Chinese citizens preparing to travel to countries or regions where the risk level is the highest or where cases seriously endangering personal safety occur frequently and suddenly, when necessary, they shall be advised against traveling.

Article 3 The reasons for persons exiting or entering the country to apply for exit, entry, stay, or residence shall be genuine and lawful.

When verifying the identity and reasons for application of persons exiting or entering the country, immigration administrative authorities and visa authorities may inquire about relevant circumstances and request the production or provision of relevant documents, materials, electronic data, and other information, and the persons exiting or entering the country shall cooperate.

Units or individuals that issue invitation letters or other application materials for persons exiting or entering the country shall be responsible for the genuineness of the invitation content and certification matters, and shall cooperate with immigration administrative authorities and visa authorities in verifying the relevant information.

Where a person exiting or entering the country provides false materials or makes false statements, the immigration administrative authority or visa authority has the right to decide not to issue exit or entry documents or to deny that person exit or entry.

Article 4 Where a Chinese citizen has been subjected to administrative detention penalties for obtaining exit or entry documents by fraud or for illegally exiting or entering the country, the immigration administrative authority may, based on the circumstances of the violation and the need to prevent illegal and criminal activities, decide to deny that person exit for a period ranging from six months to three years from the date the penalty is executed.

Where a Chinese citizen engages in illegal or criminal activities abroad, endangering national security and interests, the relevant competent department of the State Council, or the provincial people's government of the person's place of domicile within the territory after verification by diplomatic missions abroad, among others, may decide to deny that person exit for a period ranging from six months to three years from the date of returning to the country.

Where a Chinese citizen violates regulations on export control, technology import and export management, and the like, potentially endangering national industrial security or technological security, the Ministry of Commerce of the State Council and other relevant competent departments may decide to deny that person exit.

Article 5 Where a foreigner, when applying for a Chinese visa abroad or applying for entry at a port, provides false materials or makes false statements, the immigration administrative authority or visa authority may decide to deny that person entry for a period ranging from one to five years.

Where a foreigner has been subjected to criminal punishment for obstructing national (border) administration, or has been subjected to administrative penalties for obtaining exit or entry documents by fraud or for illegally exiting or entering the country, the immigration administrative authority may, based on the circumstances of the violation and the need to prevent illegal and criminal activities, decide to deny that person entry for a period ranging from one to five years from the date the penalty is executed. Where laws provide otherwise, those provisions shall prevail.

Where a foreigner is included on a countermeasure list, an unreliable entity list, a malicious entity list, or is subjected to countermeasures and restrictive measures, and it is necessary to take relevant measures such as refusing to issue exit or entry documents or denying entry in accordance with the law, the immigration administrative authority or visa authority shall implement these measures according to their respective functions.

Article 6 For a person who has been legally decided to be denied exit, the deciding authority shall, in accordance with regulations, promptly notify the immigration administrative authority for enforcement, and shall inform the party concerned in writing of the facts, reasons, legal basis, and means of recourse for the denial of exit; where there are circumstances that may affect national security, criminal case investigation, or the like, the party concerned may not be informed.

When enforcing a decision to deny exit, the immigration administrative authority shall inform the party concerned in accordance with the content of the notification from the deciding authority.

Article 7 The State implements record-filing management for institutions and personnel that undertake intermediary services commissioned by persons exiting or entering the country, such as providing consultation on exit and entry policies, handling document applications, and processing formalities.

Institutions engaged in exit and entry intermediary services shall file records with the local immigration administrative authority within 15 days from the date of establishment. Personnel engaged in exit and entry intermediary services shall have the record-filing procedures handled by their employing institution. Those already engaged in exit and entry intermediary services before the implementation of these Regulations shall complete the record-filing procedures within 90 days from the date of implementation of these Regulations.

Specific measures for the record-filing management of institutions and personnel engaged in exit and entry intermediary services shall be formulated by the National Immigration Administration, in conjunction with the State Administration for Market Regulation and other competent departments.

Article 8 Institutions engaged in exit and entry intermediary services shall meet the following conditions:

(1) Established lawfully;
(2) The legal representative or principal responsible person has not been subjected to criminal punishment for intentional crimes;
(3) Possess professional personnel with knowledge of laws, regulations, and policies related to exit and entry, as well as funds and premises commensurate with the intermediary service activities undertaken;
(4) Personnel directly providing intermediary services to persons exiting or entering the country have not been subjected to criminal punishment for intentional crimes endangering national security, public safety, or obstructing national (border) administration;
(5) Have a sound management system, including personnel management, education and training, data preservation, data security, compliance management, and the like.

Those engaged in intermediary services for exit shall also have established cooperative relations with relevant overseas service institutions or signed valid letters of intent for cooperation.

Overseas enterprises and institutions shall not provide exit and entry intermediary services within the territory of China.

Article 9 Immigration administrative authorities shall, together with relevant competent departments at the same level, such as foreign affairs, education, justice administration, human resources and social security, commerce, culture and tourism, and market regulation, establish and improve supervision systems, strengthen supervision and management of whether institutions engaged in exit and entry intermediary services meet conditions, their business activities, and the like, according to their respective division of responsibilities, and lawfully publish relevant violation information and不良 records.

Relevant competent departments and their staff shall, in accordance with the law, keep confidential state secrets, working secrets, commercial secrets, personal privacy, and personal information that come to their knowledge during the performance of their duties.

Article 10 Institutions engaged in exit and entry intermediary services shall not engage in the following acts:

(1) Publishing false information, or soliciting clients through exaggerated publicity, misleading publicity, or similar means;
(2) Providing or assisting in the provision of false materials, assisting others in illegally obtaining visas, stay or residence documents, passports, or other exit or entry documents or formalities;
(3) Disclosing, selling, or illegally providing commercial secrets, personal privacy, or personal information learned during intermediary service activities;
(4) Engaging in exit and entry intermediary services beyond the scope of their record filing;
(5) Organizing or assisting others in engaging in cross-border illegal or criminal activities;
(6) Other acts that endanger national security or interests or disrupt the order of exit and entry administration.

Where public officials, military personnel, or the like, commission an institution engaged in exit and entry intermediary services to illegally process foreign nationality, overseas permanent residency status, overseas residence documents, or other exit or entry documents or formalities, the institution engaged in exit and entry intermediary services shall not process such matters and shall promptly report to supervisory authorities, among others.

Article 11 Where a person engages in fraud, such as through providing false materials or making false statements, to obtain visas, stay or residence documents, passports, or other exit or entry documents by deception, the immigration administrative authority shall impose penalties in accordance with the provisions of the "Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "Passport Law of the People's Republic of China."

Where an individual issues false invitation letters or other application materials for another person's application for exit, entry, stay, or residence, the immigration administrative authority shall impose a fine of not less than 5,000 yuan but not more than 10,000 yuan; if there are illegal gains, the illegal gains shall be confiscated. Where a unit commits the aforementioned act, a fine of not less than 10,000 yuan but not more than 50,000 yuan shall be imposed; if there are illegal gains, the illegal gains shall be confiscated; the directly responsible的主管人员 and other directly responsible persons shall be fined not less than 5,000 yuan but not more than 10,000 yuan. Where laws provide otherwise, those provisions shall prevail.

Article 12 Where an institution engaged in exit and entry intermediary services violates the provisions of Article 7 or Article 8 of these Regulations, the immigration administrative authority shall order correction within a specified period; if correction is refused, a fine of not less than 5,000 yuan but not more than 10,000 yuan shall be imposed, and the relevant competent department shall be notified to order the suspension of relevant business or rectification through suspension of operations; if the circumstances are serious, a fine of not less than 10,000 yuan but not more than 50,000 yuan shall be imposed, and the relevant competent department shall be notified to revoke the relevant business permit or revoke the business license.

Where an individual violates these Regulations by engaging in exit and entry intermediary services, the immigration administrative authority shall order cessation of the illegal act; if there are illegal gains, the illegal gains shall be confiscated; if the circumstances are serious, a fine of not more than 5,000 yuan may additionally be imposed.

Article 13 Where an institution engaged in exit and entry intermediary services violates the provisions of Article 10 of these Regulations, disrupting the order of exit and entry administration, the immigration administrative authority shall order correction within a specified period; if there are illegal gains, the illegal gains shall be confiscated; if the illegal gains exceed 20,000 yuan, a fine of not less than one times but not more than five times the illegal gains shall additionally be imposed; if there are no illegal gains or the illegal gains are less than 20,000 yuan, a fine of not less than 20,000 yuan but not more than 50,000 yuan shall additionally be imposed; if correction is refused or the circumstances are serious, the relevant competent department shall be notified to order the suspension of relevant business, rectification through suspension of operations, revocation of the relevant business permit, or revocation of the business license; the directly responsible主管人员和 other directly responsible persons shall be fined not less than 10,000 yuan but not more than 50,000 yuan. Where laws provide otherwise, those provisions shall prevail.

Article 14 Where the exit-entry administrative agency of the public security organ of a local people's government at or above the county level imposes administrative penalties of a fine exceeding 5,000 yuan or confiscation of illegal gains in accordance with these Regulations, such penalties shall be decided by the public security organ to which it belongs.

Article 15 The relevant competent departments of the State Council shall strengthen work coordination in areas such as safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of persons exiting or entering the country, preventing security risks for Chinese citizens exiting the country, and managing exit and entry intermediary services.

Article 16 Immigration administrative authorities shall keep channels open for reporting violations of exit and entry administration, and handle relevant reports promptly in accordance with the law. For reports that do not fall within their own functions, they shall promptly transfer them to the relevant unit for handling in accordance with the law.

Article 17 Violations of these Regulations that constitute a crime shall be subject to criminal liability in accordance with the law.

Article 18 The term "immigration administrative authorities" as used in these Regulations refers to the National Immigration Administration, immigration inspection agencies at ports of entry and exit, and the exit-entry administrative agencies of the public security organs of local people's governments at or above the county level.

The term "visa authorities" as used in these Regulations refers to visa authorities abroad and visa authorities at ports.

Article 19 These Regulations shall come into force on September 15, 2026.
(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, July 31)

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Ballroom Dance: A Simple Beginner’s Guide (New Horizons in Fitness · Service Station)

By: 生命时报记者 牛雨蕾

Not long ago, during a break in the 18th Beijing Sports Conference DanceSport competition, a video of over 80 national-level referees spontaneously dancing the cha-cha swept across the entire internet. Netizens rushed to imitate, temporarily making DanceSport a new fitness favorite. What kind of sport is DanceSport? How should beginners practice? A reporter interviewed professionals.

"Dance is not something set high above; it can be danced simply and lightly, bringing health and happiness to people." Hu Yao (胡耀), a national-level referee of the China DanceSport Federation (中国体育舞蹈联合会), said that besides moving all the joints of the body, dancing also brings an upright posture and a confident mindset, helping people develop self-disciplined living habits.

Regarding the referee dance video that became wildly popular, Xu Wenbiao (许文飙), a teacher in the International Standard Dance Department of the Beijing Dance Academy (北京舞蹈学院), explained that the competition had already been going on for two days, and the referees were all very tired. During the lunch break, he and Hu Yao improvised a few simple moves and called everyone to move together. "Perhaps this relaxed, energetic state moved everyone," Xu Wenbiao said. "I teach young people to dance every day, and I feel as young as they are."

Ma GuLandam (马古兰丹姆), a professor at the College of Art of Shanghai University of Sport (上海体育大学艺术学院), introduced that dance is a natural emotional regulator. Cheerful rhythms and infectious movements can promote the secretion of dopamine, endorphins, etc., in the human body, effectively relieving stress. Group dancing can also satisfy social needs, giving dancers a sense of belonging and happiness.

Ma GuLandam explained that DanceSport mainly includes two major categories: Standard Dances and Latin Dances. The former includes Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, and Quickstep, emphasizing elegance, flow, control, and partner coordination. The latter includes Rumba, Cha-Cha, Samba, Paso Doble, and Jive, emphasizing rhythm, body movement, power, and expressiveness. But regardless of the category, all require participants to complete body control, step movement, weight transfer, and posture expression within the music, which has a positive effect on improving balance ability, cardiopulmonary function, and body posture.

DanceSport contains a large number of turning, kicking, tiptoeing, and gliding movements. It can not only fully move all joints of the body, preventing degenerative diseases such as frozen shoulder and knee arthritis, but also improve muscle control and enhance body coordination.

Li Xin (李欣), deputy chief physician of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital (北京清华长庚医院), introduced that to dance well, one needs to remember dance steps, follow the rhythm, and perceive spatial orientation. Moderate-to-high-intensity dancing can give the body sufficient exercise stimulation without causing injury due to excessive intensity. If practiced regularly over a long period, it can effectively improve cardiopulmonary function, regulate blood lipid and blood sugar levels, and reduce the occurrence of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

"As long as you dare to dance, you are already half successful," Hu Yao said. The key to dancing is to please oneself; a flat surface in the living room or a park can become a stage. Xu Wenbiao suggested that beginners can start by learning simple footwork, then gradually coordinate with hand movements and music, and should not pursue high difficulty from the start.

Ma GuLandam said, first learn to "move steadily," then pursue "dance beautifully." She recommends three simple entry-level methods: First, shift weight in place. Stand with feet naturally apart, shift weight left and right following the music. Do not rush to do complex steps. This movement looks simple, but it is the foundation of all dance steps, training sense of rhythm, body stability, and balance ability. Second, try "forward-backward" basic steps. For example, basic forward and backward steps in Rumba or Cha-Cha. The range of motion need not be large; the emphasis is on clear foot placement, clear weight center, and relaxed knees and ankles. Beginners can practice "step forward, shift weight back, step back, shift weight forward" at a slow tempo. Third, side-together step. Step left, right foot together; then step right, left foot together. This kind of movement trains lateral movement, body coordination, and rhythm control.

Tips

Exercise steps should be scientific. A complete dance workout is best divided into three parts: first, do 5–10 minutes of warm-up to move all joints; then 15–20 minutes of formal dancing, with an intensity reaching moderate level (able to talk but not sing); finally, do 5–10 minutes of static stretching. It is recommended to practice 2–3 times per week; those with good physical condition can increase to 3–5 times.

Comprehensive exercise is important. While persisting in dance exercise, supplement with 2–3 times per week of strength training, such as wall sits, and combine with daily balance and coordination training, such as Taijiquan and Baduanjin.

Special populations should be cautious. People with severe cardiovascular disease, joint disease, osteoporosis, vestibular dysfunction, poor eyesight, etc., should dance with caution or under a doctor's guidance. Diabetic patients should pay attention to foot protection.

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Workers in Uniform Dance with Vigor

By: 本报记者 刘梦丹

Recently, at a workers' work-break exercise performance event held in Hegang City (鹤岗市), Heilongjiang Province, more than a hundred workers turned into contestants and danced to their hearts' content. Amid the teams, a middle-aged man in a dark blue work uniform moved with crisp, dashing dance steps, every motion hitting the beat with silky smoothness, and a confident smile beaming on his face. His dance was then caught by cameras at the scene and went viral online.

His name is Su Lebo (苏乐波), born in the 1970s, an employee of CNOOC Huahe Coal Chemical Co., Ltd. (中海石油华鹤煤化有限公司). On stage, his aura was fully unleashed and his performance was highly infectious, leading many netizens to think he was a "practiced hand." "Actually, I have never received professional training. My daily work tasks are relatively heavy. Only when I am off work and free do I follow the square-dance team in the neighborhood and dance, to exercise my body and relax my mind," Su Lebo said with a smile.

To enrich workers' spare-time life and promote national fitness, this performance event brought together 17 workers' representative teams and more than 500 workers from across Hegang.

The most touching thing about Su Lebo's dance was its abundant sense of ease. He threw himself into it wholeheartedly, displaying his most confident and composed state. "I feel that dancing has no special knack — you just have to let yourself go and enjoy the happiness that rhythm and movement bring," Su Lebo said.

At his post, he is an industrial worker who is 恪尽职守 (kè jìn zhí shǒu - "scrupulously fulfill one's duty and hold one's post," to be devoted and conscientious in one's duty), steady and hardworking; when dancing, he is a dancer full of vigor and love for life.

Even in a work uniform, one can dance out a touching spirit and vitality. After the video became a hit, netizens left messages one after another, praising him for dancing out the vigor and bearing of laborers of the new era. In this competition, the aerobics representative team formed by Su Lebo and more than 20 colleagues from his company captured two honors in one go — the second prize and the Outstanding Organization Award.

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Trans-Himalaya International Road Cycling Extreme Race Begins

Línzhī, August 2 (People's Daily) — Reporter Xian Gan (鲜敢) The Seventh Trans-Himalayan International Road Cycling Extreme Race of China's Tibet 2026 commenced on the 2nd in Bayi District, Nyingchi City, with more than 120 athletes from 18 high-level domestic and international teams including China, France, Italy, Uzbekistan, and others participating.

The current edition of the race lasts 6 days and features 5 stages in total, passing through Nyingchi, Lhasa, Shannan, Shigatse and other places, with a total distance exceeding 570 kilometers. The Trans-Himalayan International Road Cycling Extreme Race is jointly hosted by the General Administration of Sport of China (国家体育总局), China Media Group (中央广播电视总台), and the People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region (西藏自治区人民政府).

The race was upgraded in 2025 to a UCI Men Elite class 2.1 event, becoming an important platform for promoting regional sports and cultural exchange, advancing sports tourism development, and externally displaying the image of Tibet.

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2026 Table Tennis Super League Regular Season Concludes

Beijing, August 2 (People's Daily) — (reporter Sun Longfei (孙龙飞)) On the 1st, the second stage matches of the 2026 season China Table Tennis Club Super League concluded at the Xiong'an Sports Center Gymnasium in Xiong'an New Area, Hebei. Shandong Weiqiao·Xiangshang Sports Team and Shandong Luneng Team advanced as the top seeds in the men's and women's team regular season respectively. The finals will be held in Guangzhou, Guangdong from December 25 to 27.

In the men's team competition, Shandong Weiqiao·Xiangshang Sports Team defeated Shanghai Real Estate Group Team 8:3, and advanced to the finals with a record of 12 wins in 12 matches, first place in the regular season. The men's teams advancing are Shandong Weiqiao·Xiangshang Sports, Beijing Yidian Xindong, Shanghai Real Estate Group, and Huangshi Dongchu Team. In the women's team category, Shandong Luneng Team defeated Shandong Weiqiao·Xiangshang Sports Team 8:3, ranking first in the regular season. The final women's teams advancing are Shandong Luneng, Shandong Weiqiao·Xiangshang Sports, Shanghai Center, and Huangshi Dongchu Team.

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How Blind Football Is Played (Quick Sports Guide)

The 2026 National Blind Football Championship was recently held in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture (巴音郭楞蒙古自治州), Xinjiang. Unlike the lively sounds of ordinary spectator stands, the stands at blind football are always silent; rather, it is the sound of bells, shouts of "hey hey hey," and the sound of striking the goal that interweave on the field—why is that?

Blind football originated in Europe in the 1970s and 1980s and was made a competition event at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games. The sport is a five-a-side format: each side fields 4 completely blind players and 1 goalkeeper, and the blind players must wear black opaque eye masks throughout the match.

"Blind players mainly rely on sound to identify positions and complete actions such as passing, shooting, and defending," said Zhang Jian (张健), head coach of the Shanghai blind football team. Athletes can judge direction by 8 kinds of sounds, including the sound of the football and the boards, as well as the voices of the coach, the guide, the goalkeeper, opponents, teammates, and the referee.

The ball used in blind football competition is also very special. Inside the specially made football are 6 iron boxes containing small steel balls, and when it rolls it produces a very obvious bell sound; blind players rely on the bell sound to judge the position of the football. When the ball is in the front area, midfield, or back area of the field, the guide, the coach, and the goalkeeper, respectively, use necessary verbal instructions to guide the blind players. When free kicks and penalty kicks are taken, the guide can use an iron rod to strike the goal frame, helping blind players locate the goal position for shooting.

To ensure safety and to distinguish opponents from teammates, any blind player on either side who is not in possession of the ball must, while moving, make the sound "hey, hey, hey."

(Compiled by Shang Rongzheng (尚嵘峥), staff reporter of this newspaper)

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本版责编：罗彦 史哲 曹继炜

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Global Power Sector Enters New Phase of Structural Optimization and Upgrading (International Perspective)

By: 本报记者 李志伟

The Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (hereinafter referred to as the "Organization") recently officially released the research report "Global Electric Power Development Index (2026)" at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The report comprehensively assesses the electric power development level of 100 countries from four dimensions: supply security, consumption service, green and low-carbon, and technological innovation. The report points out that global electric power development is currently at a critical window period of historic and profound transformation: while clean energy continues to expand rapidly, geopolitical conflicts intensify, extreme climate events occur frequently, risks in the energy supply chain rise, and electric power security faces multiple pressures. The Organization calls on all countries to strengthen cooperation and jointly build a more just and inclusive global energy governance system.

New Situation — Demand Growth in Emerging Fields, Development Gap Still Exists

This report is the second time the Organization has released the latest research results in the electric power field to the international community since 2024, providing a standardized analysis tool for countries to assess global electric power transformation trends, narrow the electric power development gap, coordinate energy security with green and low-carbon transformation, and deepen international energy cooperation.

The report states that global electric power has entered a new phase of structural optimization and upgrading and quality improvement. In 2025, total global electric power demand is approximately 29.6 trillion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of about 4%, significantly higher than the average annual growth rate since 2015.

The main drivers of global electric power demand growth come from three types of emerging fields: First, the acceleration of transportation electrification represented by electric vehicles. In 2025, the global stock of electric vehicles is about 60 million, with annual electricity consumption exceeding 200 billion kilowatt-hours. The International Energy Agency predicts that by 2030, related electricity demand will reach 780 billion kilowatt-hours. Second, the rapid development of data centers and artificial intelligence. In 2025, global data center electricity consumption is close to 500 billion kilowatt-hours. Driven by large model training and inference demand, electricity consumption growth continues to maintain double-digit levels, and is expected to rise to 945 billion kilowatt-hours by 2030. Third, emerging electricity consumption scenarios such as electric hydrogen production and electric heating are expanding rapidly, accelerating electrification in fields such as industrial heating and chemical production.

The global electric power development gap still exists, with significant differences in regional electrification levels. The report shows that the overall electrification rate in Asia exceeds 25%, and in Northern Europe it exceeds 30%, but Africa's electrification rate is 12.6%, only about half of the global average.

The gap in per capita electricity consumption is even more pronounced. Iceland's per capita annual electricity consumption exceeds 52,000 kilowatt-hours, while Uganda's is only 120 kilowatt-hours, a difference of more than 400 times. The overall electrification rate in Africa is still less than 60%, while developed economies have long achieved 100% electrification. The Organization points out that how to continuously improve electricity accessibility and affordability, thereby promoting the realization of the seventh Sustainable Development Goal of the United Nations 2030 Agenda — "ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all" — remains a core issue and common mission facing the global energy governance system.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General Li Junhua stated at the report release that energy is the foundation of sustainable development. Countries need to accelerate energy technology innovation and grid interconnection, provide policy and technical assistance to developing countries, deepen cross-sectoral multilateral partnerships, and promote a fair and inclusive energy transition.

New Transformation — Clean Energy Accelerates Expansion, Green Transition Builds Consensus

Currently, clean energy represented by photovoltaic and wind power is being deployed globally at an accelerated pace, and the structural transformation of the power system continues to deepen, providing energy support for the sustainable economic and social development of all countries.

The report shows that in 2025, the total installed capacity of new energy globally has exceeded 3.95 billion kilowatts, accounting for nearly 40% of total global energy installed capacity. Over the past decade, the average levelized cost of electricity for photovoltaic and wind power projects has fallen by more than 90% respectively, making them the most competitive new energy types in most regions of the world. New energy installed capacity is expanding at the fastest rate in history.

As countries move toward net-zero emissions and deep decarbonization targets, the installed capacity of renewable energy such as photovoltaic, wind, and hydropower has achieved rapid growth. According to the latest statistics from the International Renewable Energy Agency, in 2025, global new installed capacity of renewable energy (including hydropower) was about 690 million kilowatts, hitting a new record and more than seven times the growth level of 2015. By the end of 2025, total global renewable energy installed capacity had reached 5.15 billion kilowatts, accounting for nearly half of global energy installed capacity. Among this, solar power added 510 million kilowatts of new installed capacity, accounting for 75% of new renewable energy installed capacity; wind power added 160 million kilowatts of new installed capacity, a year-on-year increase of 14%, continuing to maintain a steady expansion trend.

The United Nations Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sustainable Energy, Damilola Ogunbiyi, stated that today, more than 90% of new renewable energy power generation projects cost less than new fossil fuel power plants. Renewable energy deployment is faster, operating costs are lower, and it is more resilient. This transformation provides important opportunities for economic growth in developing countries. The Organization points out that the green and low-carbon transformation of energy has become an international consensus. Countries should accelerate actions to build a modern energy system that is clean-led, electricity-centered, interconnected, safe and reliable, and smart and efficient.

Former President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council, Lok Bahadur Thapa, stated that the current global energy access gap is enormous, and the vulnerability of the energy system is prominent. "We should increase investment in green energy infrastructure in developing countries, promote technology universal access and sharing, adhere to a fairness orientation, and use innovation to create a global energy transition path that is both resilient and inclusive."

New Trend — Digital and Intelligent Technology Deeply Empowers, Innovation Competition Landscape Diverges

Currently, technologies such as artificial intelligence, digital twins, and virtual power plants are moving from demonstration to large-scale promotion. How to balance the application of new technologies with sustainable energy development and promote deep industrial integration and coordinated progress is an important issue that all countries face together.

Technological innovation and digitalization are becoming important areas of competition in the new round of electric power development. The report shows that the United States, China, and Germany hold prominent global leadership positions in technological innovation in the electric power field. Many developing countries still face the shortcoming of low digital and intelligent levels. Among them, the special technological innovation index for Africa and Central and South America is only 67.6 points and 67.0 points respectively, a gap of more than 20 points compared with North America. If the technological gap cannot be effectively bridged, it will further widen the North-South electric power development gap.

Digital and intelligent technology empowerment is profoundly reshaping the design concepts, operation modes, and optimization frameworks of power systems. Artificial intelligence has been applied in key links such as power flow analysis, load forecasting, fault self-healing, and demand response, gradually becoming an important support for the efficient operation of power systems. The report gives an example: an AI-based power grid dispatching system can significantly compress the real-time scheduling optimization cycle under high-proportion new energy conditions, markedly improving the precision and response speed of system regulation. At the same time, fault monitoring and identification capabilities based on big data platforms are continuously improving, with the accuracy of fault detection at key points exceeding 99.5%, promoting a leapfrog improvement in power grid operation control capabilities from experience-driven to data-driven.

Industry experts stated that currently, artificial intelligence and new energy are showing a mutually reinforcing and synergistic development relationship. On the one hand, new energy can provide green, sustainable energy security for the development of artificial intelligence; on the other hand, artificial intelligence is also deeply empowering the transformation and upgrading of the energy industry.

(Our newspaper, United Nations, August 2)

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Thailand’s IP Goes Global: The Secret to Its Viral Appeal (Economic Perspective)

By: 刘 慧

Recently, Thailand’s popular IP (intellectual property) “Butter Bear” made its debut in Shanghai with new characters, and 32 art installations attracted numerous consumers to check in. In recent years, from “Butter Bear” and “Cry Baby” to the internet-famous pygmy hippopotamus “Moo Deng,” a number of original Thai IPs have rapidly risen in the global consumer market thanks to their vivid and lively images and narratives close to everyday life. This has not only created considerable commercial value for the related brands but also reflects, from one angle, the transformation of the global consumer market.

The popularity of Thai IP first lies in meeting the consumption demand of some young people for personalized and emotional goods. Against the backdrop of economic cycle fluctuations, the digital wave, and multiple global challenges intertwined, the behavioral patterns of Gen Z consumers are undergoing profound changes. A McKinsey research report shows that, compared with the functionality and durability of goods, many Gen Z consumers’ purchasing decisions are more influenced by emotional value and a sense of community identity. Thai IPs have followed this trend: “Butter Bear’s” sweet dance, “Moo Deng’s” sound sleep and contented bathing postures provide consumers with healing and relaxing emotional comfort; “Butter Bear’s” ordinary working life and “Cry Baby’s” vulnerability deliberately strip away a perfect persona, replacing it with a real, relatable ordinary person’s image. Consumers complete self-projection and identity recognition through these characters, and their recognition of the brand also increases imperceptibly.

If emotional resonance is the core, then the viral spread on social media is the engine of hot sales. “Butter Bear’s” daily grind and “Moo Deng’s” bathing videos, after re-creation by netizens, accumulate traffic in a very short time. Brands then establish official fan communities and, combined with social media content operations, convert users’ short-term attention into long-term loyalty. This kind of “empathy marketing” shortens the psychological distance between IPs and consumers and also lays a user base for subsequent commercial monetization.

The flourishing development of the Thai IP economy also benefits from systematic government support. In 2025, the Thai government approved the 2026–2027 Intellectual Property Development Plan (2026—2027年知识产权发展计划), further improving the legal system, strengthening enforcement against infringement, and empowering small and medium-sized enterprises. The Thailand Creative Economy Agency (泰国创意经济局) provides policy guarantees for the development of the IP industry through measures such as expanding creative and design centers, opening content labs, and increasing the cultivation of creative talent.

It is worth noting that China’s mature IP operation system also provides important support for the commercialization of Thai IPs. After “Butter Bear” became popular, the Chinese agent quickly introduced a mature IP incubation model, converting content heat into brand assets in a short period. The traffic and commercial heat amplified by the Chinese market flow back to Thailand, helping it open up the global market. After “Cry Baby” was signed by Pop Mart, it completed the transformation from image to full-category products, and relying on a global retail network and localized marketing, it quickly became a globally popular IP. The deep integration of China’s IP operation system with creative content from various countries is helping more IPs go global.

Thai IPs are accelerating the expansion of their international commercial footprint. “Butter Bear” has not only opened themed pop-up stores in China but also deeply cooperated with well-known Japanese amusement parks to integrate the IP into the park experience; through diversified models such as copyright licensing, cross-border collaborations, and offline themed exhibitions, it further converts consumer affection into cross-category consumption. Data show that the scale of Thailand’s character industry has reached approximately 72.3 billion Thai baht (1 Thai baht ≈ 0.2 yuan), and “Butter Bear’s” bakery store’s 2025 full-industry-chain revenue reached 577 million Thai baht; “Cry Baby” has become one of Pop Mart’s fastest-growing IPs in revenue, contributing nearly 3 billion yuan in revenue in 2025; after “Moo Deng” became popular, the number of visitors to Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi Province surged fourfold.

From a global perspective, IP has become a brand asset with significant commercial influence, reshaping the competitive logic of retail, tourism, and creative industries, elevating “transactions” to “heart-to-heart connections,” and unleashing a huge long-tail effect. Whether it is the cross-generational fairy-tale comfort of Disney in the United States or the blind-box surprises of Pop Mart in China, although the commercialization paths of IPs in various countries differ, they all highlight new trends such as strengthening emotional value, relying on social media dissemination, and driving diversified consumption. Of course, for emerging global IPs including those from Thailand, the real test lies in sustained content innovation and the ability to flexibly respond to market changes. How to avoid a flash in the pan and settle from a temporary trend into a classic with lasting vitality is a common industry proposition.

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Tunisia's tourism industry maintains continuous growth

By: 本报记者 张志文

Data on first-half tourism statistics recently released by the Central Bank of Tunisia show that in the first half of 2026, Tunisia's tourism revenue reached 3.352 billion Tunisian dinars (1 dinar is equivalent to about 2.30 yuan), a year-on-year increase of 8.3 percent, and tourism has continued to be the country's main source of foreign exchange income. In 2025, Tunisia received more than 11 million inbound tourists over the whole year, setting a new record high. Industry analysis holds that multiple measures have continued to be implemented and deliver results, continuously amplifying the appeal of Tunisia's tourism industry, and the industry has entered a steady upward cycle.

Tunisia, long known as the "Pearl of North Africa," is a well-known tourist destination in northern Africa, home to multiple World Cultural Heritage sites, combining Mediterranean coastal scenery with Sahara Desert charm, with a tourism resource endowment that is 得天独厚 (dé tiān dú hòu - "to receive heaven's unique favor," exceptionally endowed by nature). Since most of Tunisia's territory is covered by vast, boundless desert, the oases scattered sparsely through it are all the more precious, and desert oasis tours have become a distinctive tourism product of the country.

Tozeur, located on the edge of the Sahara Desert, is one of Tunisia's most famous desert oasis tour destinations, renowned for its extensive palm groves, desert landscapes, and profound traditional culture. The unique rock formations and surrounding sand dunes here have appeared in multiple films. The local area has launched tourism products combining culture, nature, and adventure, which continue to be favored by the market. Despite the scorching sunshine, the hundreds of thousands of date palm trees in the small city provide shade for tourists, bringing traces of coolness. Walking or cycling along tree-shaded paths, visitors can enjoy a slow-paced life while also experiencing the traditional desert agricultural wisdom nurtured by the ancient irrigation system.

Tunisia also possesses a long stretch of Mediterranean coastline and is a famous seaside resort destination in North Africa. Hammamet, on the southern shore of the Cap Bon Peninsula in northern Tunisia, faces the Gulf of Hammamet and is a celebrated bathing beach and resort town. It is currently the local peak tourism season, with hot weather but a pleasant sea breeze. Tourists relax by the azure sea, and turning around, they can look across at ancient buildings in the distance, enjoying the dual nourishment of nature and history.

Tourists from neighboring North African countries have long accounted for half of Tunisia's total inbound visitors. To consolidate its competitive advantage in the Mediterranean and North African tourism markets, Tunisia has continued to increase the supply of high-quality tourism products, upgrade accommodation facilities and tourism infrastructure, and focus on enriching tourists' immersive experiences. In December 2025, the Arab Tourism Ministers Conference officially awarded Tunis, the country's capital, the title of "2027 Arab Tourism Capital."

As a country on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, Tunisia's tourism industry has long been plagued by seasonal constraints, forming an imbalanced pattern of "bustling seaside resorts in peak season, insufficient visitor flow in the off season." To break the seasonal shackles and build an all-season tourism destination, Tunisia has thrown a "combination punch" of diversified product development, differentiated customization of source-market demand, and other measures. On the one hand, it relies on distinctive festivals such as the "International Sahara Festival" to deeply cultivate winter tourism routes in the southern desert; on the other hand, it strengthens its advantageous thalassotherapy wellness programs, attracting middle-aged, elderly, and high-end clientele to take up winter residence, activating the consumption potential of the off season.

Tunisia is also continuously expanding overseas markets, attracting more tourists from the Middle East and Asia through precision marketing and customized tourism plans, and optimizing its source-market structure. Anouar Chetoui, chief representative in China of the Tunisian National Tourism Office, told our reporter that Tunisia's thalassotherapy industry is developing rapidly, with its industrial scale and professional standards ranking among the world's foremost. The country is also continuously cultivating new business formats such as green tourism and eco-tourism, continuously enriching the supply of tourism products.

(Leila Atellah of this newspaper's Middle East Center Bureau contributed to this article.)

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Global Scan

Trump Says He Agrees to Cancel Military Strike on Iran

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- US President Trump posted on social media on August 1 local time, saying that he agrees to cancel the military strike on Iran.

Trump said the United States is prepared to take action against Iran. "The military deterrence force and the scale of combat power employed this time are 前所未有 (qián suǒ wèi yǒu - "that which has never existed before," unprecedented) since World War II." Nevertheless, Iran and other Middle Eastern countries have just made a request to the US side, hoping to postpone the launching of the attack, because the relevant parties have initially reached a framework agreement. The contents of the agreement include immediately, comprehensively, and thoroughly opening the Strait of Hormuz, while eliminating the nuclear threat posed by Iran.

Trump said: "Based on this request, I agree to cancel the military strike operation, but on the premise that all parties can quickly finalize the agreement. Israel also made this commitment together with me. All parties must act immediately to facilitate the implementation of the agreement."

According to a report by the US Axios news website on August 1, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman spoke with Trump by phone that day, expressing concern over Trump's plan for a new round of large-scale strikes on Iran, and urged the US side not to strike Iran. Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Pakistan, and other countries also called on both the United States and Iran to cool down and avoid the escalation of conflict.

According to a report by Iran's Mehr News Agency on the evening of August 1 local time, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi that day separately spoke by phone with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Munir, Turkey's Foreign Minister Fidan, and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal, exchanging views on the regional situation and the relevant actions of the United States and Israel. When speaking with Munir and Fidan, Araghchi warned the United States not to take any "adventurist actions."

Japan's Q2 Electricity Prices Up 30% Year-on-Year

TOKYO, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- The International Energy Agency recently released a report saying that the obstruction of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz caused Japan's average wholesale electricity spot price in the second quarter of this year to reach US$90 per 1,000 kWh, about 30% higher than the same period last year.

Japan's Kyodo News, citing this report by the International Energy Agency, reported on August 1 that the obstruction of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz led to a halt in the supply of Middle East-produced liquefied natural gas and caused the above impact. The report said that, accompanied by the growth in electricity demand brought by the scorching heat and the prolongation of the blockade, electricity prices may continue to maintain their upward trend. The report projects that in the second half of 2026, Japan's average wholesale electricity price will reach US$105 per 1,000 kWh, a year-on-year increase of about 40%.

Data from Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy show that thermal power generation fueled by liquefied natural gas accounts for about 30% of Japan's total power generation, so electricity prices are easily influenced by the international LNG market.

Explosion at Moscow Cafe Kills 3, Injures 15

MOSCOW, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- RIA Novosti reported on August 1 that, according to the Russian Interior Ministry, an explosion occurred that day near an open-air cafe in the Russian capital Moscow, causing 3 deaths and 15 injuries.

The Russian Interior Ministry issued a statement on social media saying that the explosion occurred at around 8:10 a.m. local time that day. Relevant personnel are carrying out investigation work at the scene of the incident.

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Peru explores new model for sustainable forest governance

By: 本报记者 陈海琪

Recently, the Ministry of Environment (Ministerio del Ambiente) of Peru announced the continuous expansion of the implementation scope of the "National Forest Protection Program" in the Amazon region, strengthening the protection of forest ecosystems and biodiversity through measures such as providing financial support to indigenous communities and cultivating green forestry industries. Standing on its own abundant forest resource endowments, Peru has innovated a governance model of synergy between government, communities, and markets, striving to achieve a 良性循环 (liáng xìng xún huán - "good cycle," a virtuous cycle) between the ecological protection of the Amazon rainforest and the improvement of people's livelihoods, providing beneficial practice for regional ecological sustainable development.

Peru is a country with a large area covered by the Amazon rainforest, with approximately 57% of the national territory covered by forests, possessing uniquely gifted biodiversity resources. However, for decades, illegal mining, indiscriminate logging, and disorderly agricultural expansion have continuously caused damage to the rainforest ecosystem, and the problem of forest degradation has become increasingly prominent. How to guarantee and improve residents' lives while building a solid ecological barrier has become an important issue for Peru's forest governance.

The Peruvian Ministry of Environment launched the "National Forest Protection Program" in 2010, deeply integrating forest management, climate governance, and sustainable development, and gradually constructing a systematized and normalized forest protection mechanism. The program innovatively implements a "conditional direct subsidy" model, in which the government signs forest protection agreements with indigenous communities and entrusts the communities to be responsible for the daily patrolling, resource monitoring, and ecological management of the forests within their jurisdictions, with the government issuing special funds based on the actual protected area. The subsidy funds are focused on forest management, the development of eco-friendly industries, and community capacity building, effectively incentivizing indigenous residents to abandon destructive development models and actively participate in rainforest protection. As of now, the program has attracted multiple indigenous communities to participate in ecological guardianship actions, having cumulatively protected over 5.8 million hectares of forest, and the trend of rainforest degradation has been effectively curbed.

The Palmareal community, located in the Madre de Dios region of southeastern Peru, is a typical sample of the program's implementation yielding results. This community, working hand in hand with the government, manages over 8,000 hectares of forest and has implemented 71 supporting commercial development plans, among which 49 focus on the green development of Brazil nuts. The Peruvian government has invested approximately 370,000 Peruvian soles (1 Peruvian sol is approximately 1.99 yuan), vigorously constructing the Brazil nut industry chain and connecting the entire chain of post-harvest processing, warehousing and logistics, and terminal sales.

Relying on policy and financial support, the Palmareal community has built 70-ton capacity warehousing facilities, equipped with professional drying equipment, transport vehicles, and boats, effectively solving the problems of high loss during traditional Brazil nut picking and transportation and uneven quality. Community leader Jose Seuá stated that nowadays the appearance of Brazil nuts is clean, their quality has improved significantly, and their market competitiveness has been markedly enhanced. The Peruvian Ministry of Environment predicts that the Brazil nut production of this community is expected to exceed 80 tons in 2026.

Ecologist Greg Asnar, who has long been engaged in ecological monitoring of the Amazon rainforest, pointed out that indigenous residents are among the highest-quality guardians of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. Relevant data shows that after Peru formally allocated forest land management rights to indigenous communities, the deforestation rate within their jurisdictions dropped significantly, and the frequency of forest disturbance decreased by approximately two-thirds. This indicates that by improving incentive mechanisms, guaranteeing community rights, and developing characteristic industries, ecological protection and the improvement of people's livelihoods can form a virtuous cycle, making forest protection more sustainable.

(Intern Hou Tianze participated in the writing and reporting)

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US-China Trade War Escalates: Beijing Retaliates with Tariffs on American Goods

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Fujian gathers new momentum to embark on a new journey, striving to take the lead in opening up new prospects.

Holding back the cloud-river to wash the sky blue, Fujian's mountains and waters teem with fresh splendor.

Fujian is an important province of reform and opening up, a major province of the private economy, with active innovation actors and powerful innovation strength. In recent years, relying on the overlapping policy advantages of multiple zones, including the Core Area of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, the China (Fujian) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and the Fuzhou-Xiamen-Quanzhou National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone, Fujian has shouldered the multiple mission of taking the lead in piloting; innovation tides surge everywhere across the land of Eight Min.

Facing a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, Fujian bears in mind its entrusted mission, seizes opportunities, and rides the momentum upward (乘势而上 (chéng shì ér shàng - "ride the momentum and ascend," to seize the trend and advance), increasing support for innovation, continuously optimizing the innovation ecosystem, and stimulating the vitality of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creation. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Fujian's regional GDP successively crossed two trillion-yuan thresholds; in the first half of this year, Fujian's economic and social development was basically stable, with quality improving in stability, and all work in building a new Fujian has continuously made new progress.

At the outset of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Fujian is carrying out in depth the action of "deep study to strive for excellence, daring action to strive for the lead, and solid work to strive for results" (深学争优、敢为争先、实干争效行动), vigorously implementing the innovation-driven development strategy, promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, building, in an integrated manner, a modern industrial system with Fujian characteristics and an innovation system with Fujian characteristics, developing new quality productive forces in accordance with local conditions (因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - "suit measures to local conditions," to act according to actual circumstances), comprehensively promoting high-quality development, and striving with bravery to be at the forefront (奋勇争先 (fèn yǒng zhēng xiān - "bravely strive to be first," to compete to take the lead) in the construction of Chinese-style modernization.

Innovation Takes the Lead, Stimulating Endogenous Momentum

To promote high-quality development unswervingly (坚定不移 (jiān dìng bù yí - "firm and unswerving," resolute and steadfast), one must grasp the "ox nose" of scientific and technological innovation. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Fujian insisted on using reform to crack the problems, strengthening the "dual-wheel drive" of scientific and technological innovation and institutional innovation. It established the Provincial Party Committee Science and Technology Commission (省委科技委), established a provincial-level coordinating mechanism for science and technology funds, and set up the Provincial Science and Technology Achievements Transformation Center (省科技成果转化中心); deepened scientific and technological cooperation with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and other regions; deployed and built 18 Fujian-Taiwan Science and Technology Cooperation Bases (闽台科技合作基地); and actively participated in the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Action Plan, among others.

From "0" to "1", and lengthening the "1", Fujian has strengthened original and disruptive scientific and technological innovation. Over the past five years, Fujian organized and implemented 133 provincial "posting-the-list and taking-command" projects (揭榜挂帅) and more than 15,000 provincial scientific research projects, successively breaking through a batch of key industrial technologies, such as new-generation lithium batteries, large-scale energy storage, and new breeds of white-feathered broiler chickens. CATL won the seventh China Industrial Grand Award.

Focusing on "strengthening the main actors" and "optimizing platforms", Fujian promotes enterprise-led integrated innovation among industry, universities, and research institutes, and improves the innovation platform system. Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the number of national high-tech enterprises has grown at an average annual rate of 22%, and a cumulative total of 4.25 billion yuan in staged subsidies for R&D investment has been provided to 11,433 enterprise-times; eight provincial innovation laboratories have brought together more than 2,600 scientific researchers and broken through more than 190 core technologies; Fujian reorganized and enrolled 13 national key laboratories, and newly added one national engineering research center and 31 national enterprise technology centers.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the construction of an innovative province in Fujian achieved notable results: enterprise R&D investment accounted for more than 88% of the total R&D investment across society; indicators such as human input in scientific and technological activities ranked among the top in the country; and the pace of green and low-carbon transformation accelerated.

Industry as the Foundation, Consolidating the Economic Base

To promote high-quality development unswervingly, it is necessary to use scientific and technological innovation to lead industrial innovation, use industrial innovation to promote scientific and technological innovation, and accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system. Fujian accurately grasps the laws of scientific and technological and industrial development, promotes the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, opens up new tracks in strategic emerging industries and future industries, builds a solid foundation for the "real", stimulates the driving force of the "new", and promotes a "two-way running toward each other" between science and technology and industry.

Toward the "new", toward the "green", toward the "integrated" — the industrial base is stable and its driving force is strong. Fujian's industrial added value increased from 1.51 trillion yuan in 2020 to 1.98 trillion yuan in 2025. In the first half of this year, the province's industrial added value above designated size increased by 5.9% year on year.

Practicing the "big agriculture" and "big food" concepts, the development of characteristic modern agriculture has ample confidence. Fujian has held on-site meetings to advance comprehensive rural revitalization for four consecutive years, grasping agriculture as it grasps industry, and striving to build agriculture into a modern major industry. According to statistics, Fujian's hybrid rice seed production area has ranked first in the country for eight consecutive years; grain sowing area, per-unit yield, and total output have grown for six consecutive years; the scale of deep-sea and far-sea aquaculture ranks first in the country; and the total output value of the whole industrial chains of the ten major rural characteristic industries exceeded 3 trillion yuan.

Expanding capacity, improving quality, and increasing efficiency, the service industry has unleashed multiple dimensions of vitality. The added value of the province's service industry jumped from 2.14 trillion yuan in 2020 to 3.13 trillion yuan in 2025, with an average annual growth rate of 5.9%; its share of regional GDP rose from 49.1% to 52.1%.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, two clusters — Ningde City's power battery cluster and Quanzhou's modern sports products cluster — were selected into the national advanced manufacturing clusters. Currently, Fujian has 20 industrial clusters at the 100-billion-yuan level, as well as 19 national-level and 60 provincial-level characteristic industrial clusters of small and medium-sized enterprises.

Striving for the 15th Five-Year Plan, Fujian proposes to implement a special action for the development of advanced manufacturing clusters and an action plan for the high-quality development of key county-level industrial chains and clusters, accelerate the construction of "555X" industrial clusters, and promote the formation of a development pattern of trillion-yuan pillars, 100-billion-yuan upgrading, and 10-billion-yuan gaining momentum.

Optimizing the Environment, Cultivating Fertile Soil for Growth

To promote high-quality development unswervingly, it is necessary to create a good innovation ecosystem in which various innovation actors interact in coordination, innovation factors flow smoothly, and innovation resources are efficiently allocated.

Fully unleash the new momentum of talent, the first resource. Fujian firmly establishes the "big talent view", implements the "Eight Min Talents" cultivation plan (八闽英才培养计划) and the provincial plan for introducing talent and intelligence, issues policies to support Fuzhou University and provincial innovation laboratories in taking the lead in exploring the integrated advancement of comprehensive reform of education, science and technology, and talent, deepens the system of science and technology special commissioners (科技特派员制度), and actively explores the collaborative innovation model of "entrepreneurs + scientists + investors". Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan, Fujian has selected 26 top-level reserve talents, 111 industry-leading teams, 303 young top-notch talents under the "Eaglet Plan" (雏鹰计划), and 101 leading talents in scientific and technological innovation.

Continuously optimize the business environment to attract more enterprises to take root. Fujian innovatively develops the "Jinjiang Experience" (晋江经验), deeply implements the new-era strategy of strengthening the province through the private economy, continuously improves the "1+N" policy system, formulates and issues a business environment construction plan, carries out comprehensive reform of the development environment of the private economy, and for two consecutive years has held the provincial conference on optimizing the business environment in the form of the "first meeting of the new year," and for six consecutive years has held a forum of representatives of the private economy in the form of the "first meeting of spring." This has driven business entities of all kinds to further stimulate innovation vitality, ignite entrepreneurial passion, and set off a wave of creativity. In 2025, 20 private enterprises in Fujian were shortlisted for the list of China's Top 500 Private Enterprises.

Based on comparative advantages, promote regional collaborative innovation. Actively integrating into the construction of a unified national market, facing the Taiwan Strait and connecting overseas, Fujian strives to link up and amplify its own advantages. Leading enterprises such as CATL and Anta are accelerating their overseas layout, multiple projects under the China-Indonesia "Two Countries, Twin Parks" (中印尼“两国双园”) are advancing side by side (齐头并进 (qí tóu bìng jìn - "heads aligned, advancing together," to progress at the same pace), and Fujian-Taiwan cooperation in electronic information, mechanical equipment, and other fields is close. At the same time, it uses institutional synergy to push mountain-sea cooperation (山海协作) to a deeper level, and has started the construction of "industrial enclaves" (产业飞地) and "sci-tech innovation enclaves" (科创飞地), such as the Xiamen-Longyan Mountain-Sea Cooperation Industrial Enclave Park (厦龙山海协作产业飞地园区).

Only innovators advance; only innovators are strong; only innovators win. Striving for the 15th Five-Year Plan, the whole province, with firm confidence, overcoming difficulties and tackling tough problems (攻坚克难 (gōng jiān kè nán - "storm strongholds and overcome difficulties," to tackle hard problems), and pioneering innovation, actively seizes the commanding heights of scientific and technological competition and future development, continues to strive toward the grand goal, and strives to create a new situation in Fujian's practice of Chinese-style modernization.

Data source: Publicity Department of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee (中共福建省委宣传部).

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Invest in China, Share in the Opportunities of Chinese Modernization

In the first half of 2026, nearly 4,800 foreign-funded enterprises made additional investments in China; in 2025, newly established foreign-funded enterprises in China grew 19.1% year on year... The huge domestic demand market, the complete industrial ecosystem, the stable opening-up system, and government services covering the full life cycle of enterprises together constitute China's unique long-term advantage in attracting global capital. From relaxing market access and optimizing business convenience, to implementing national treatment and improving management efficiency, China's pragmatic investment-attraction measures continue to polish the golden signboard of "Invest in China" (投资中国), attracting foreign-funded enterprises to take root in China, increase investment and expand their footprint, and deeply integrate into the process of Chinese modernization (中国式现代化).

United Kingdom's Unilever —
Powerful innovation engine keeps benefiting the enterprise
Staff Reporter Zhou Zhou (周輖)

Nearly 120 robots take a variety of forms, and the artificial intelligence management system "Wukong" acts as the "smart brain," directing the robots to precisely execute the entire process from sorting and packing to loading... Using the "factory-to-consumer" logistics operation center located in Hefei, Anhui, Unilever has shortened the time for its products to reach consumers from the production line by about 75%, truly realizing the ultimate experience of "ship immediately upon ordering." "The greatest charm of the Chinese market lies in always being in the midst of high-speed iterative innovation. The powerful innovation engine keeps bringing benefits to the enterprise," said Chen Ge (陈戈), President of Unilever Greater China and General Manager of the Beauty & Wellbeing Business Unit.

"More than 100 years ago, the founders of Unilever built a soap factory in Shanghai that was of leading scale in the Far East. In the more than a century since, we have always resonated at the same frequency with the Chinese market and grown together." Chen Ge said that China has a consumer market of globally leading scale and rich layers, and Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly mature and rational. What they care about is no longer just product efficacy, but rather they place greater emphasis on quality, experience, and sustainable concepts, hoping to obtain a higher "quality-price ratio." This continuously upgrading consumption demand provides broad opportunities and space for global enterprises.

China not only has consumers highly open to new things, but also has an innovation environment in which universities, research institutions, and industrial chain partners are highly coordinated. As one of Unilever's six core R&D centers globally, the China R&D Center in Shanghai brings together nearly 300 scientists. For the latest "Snow Melt Cream" (雪融霜) series launched by Unilever's Vaseline brand, the core research and development of the related technology was completed by the Chinese R&D team over a period of more than 10 years. These technological innovation products originating from China have not only become bestsellers in the Chinese market, but also sell well in Southeast Asia and even in global markets.

"For Unilever, China has upgraded from a mere manufacturing and sales base into an important source of global innovation. This benefits from China's complete and continuously upgrading industrial system." Chen Ge noted that from R&D and manufacturing to logistics and retail terminals, the complete industrial chain provides solid support for the rapid landing of innovation achievements. In addition to the Hefei factory, Unilever has in recent years successively built beauty and health category factories in Hefei, invested in an all-category food factory in Guangzhou, and vigorously advanced the construction of a smart distribution center in the Tianjin Industrial Park.

"Looking to the future, the company will continue to deepen consumer insight, increase investment in technological innovation, and continuously upgrade supply chain capabilities." Chen Ge said that Unilever is actively promoting artificial intelligence to empower scientific research and packaging innovation, among others, so as to bring innovation achievements to consumers faster and, with concrete actions, take "Chinese innovation" to a broader world stage. "Developing in sync with the Chinese market, we will convert the needs of Chinese consumers, the vitality of China's innovation ecosystem, and the achievements of China's industrial upgrading into important driving forces for the enterprise's long-term growth and global innovation."

United States' Walmart —
Consumption upgrade promotes the modernization of the retail industry
Staff Reporter Li Zhiwei (李志伟)

In the first quarter of this year, Walmart of the United States achieved net sales of 8 billion U.S. dollars in China, up 22.3% year on year. Both Walmart stores and Sam's Club stores achieved double-digit growth, e-commerce business net sales grew 31%, and e-commerce accounted for 50%. "This fully reflects China's vibrant business environment, and consumers' pursuit of a quality life continues to be released," said Zhu Xiaojing (朱晓静), President and CEO of Walmart China.

Since entering the Chinese market in 1996, Walmart has served Chinese consumers for 30 years, with its business covering more than 100 cities in China, operating hundreds of offline stores, and building more than 20 standardized distribution centers. Zhu Xiaojing said that over the past 30 years, China's per capita gross domestic product has grown nearly 33-fold, and China has grown into the world's second-largest consumer market. "Closely following the trends of China's consumption upgrade and retail industry transformation, from traditional offline supermarkets to the strategic layout of online-offline omnichannel and dual business formats, we have deeply witnessed and participated in the modernization process of China's retail industry."

China is accelerating the construction of a unified national market (全国统一大市场) and possesses the world's largest manufacturing system, with the most complete categories and the most comprehensive system. This unique advantage is being transformed into dual opportunities for Walmart to deeply cultivate China and expand its global layout. "The construction of the unified national market helps reduce circulation costs and break regional barriers, making enterprises' omnichannel network layout more efficient and smooth. China's strong manufacturing system and supply chain resilience are the most solid backing for our deep cultivation of the local market." Zhu Xiaojing believes that China's continuously expanding consumption base and continuously upgrading consumption demand have created broad space for Walmart to introduce quality global goods and enrich differentiated products.

Relying on China's complete and flexible domestic manufacturing ecosystem, Walmart adheres to high-quality standards and, through a rigorous quality control system and the building of differentiated product competitiveness, has successfully created private brands such as Marketside (沃集鲜), bringing Chinese consumers more products and services with a higher sense of value. At the same time, Walmart joins hands with China's local high-quality supply chain resources to bring high-standard localized products to the national and even global markets.

"In recent years, China has continuously introduced and implemented a series of measures to stabilize foreign investment, promoting the business environment to continuously shift toward greater transparency and stability. The policy orientation is shifting from 'giving preferential treatment' to 'creating an environment and stimulating vitality.' High-level opening up continuously lowers market barriers, strengthens fair competition, and stimulates the market's innovation momentum, making foreign-funded enterprises including Walmart firmly choose to continuously increase investment." Zhu Xiaojing said that Walmart is full of confidence in the Chinese market and will continue to deeply cultivate the Chinese market in the future, empower the development of the local industrial chain, and create a better life for Chinese consumers.

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation —
Complete industrial system boosts additional investment and expanded production
Staff Reporter Cui Yin (崔寅)

In June this year, the world's largest single-train ethylene unit — the ethylene unit of the China-Saudi Gulei Ethylene Project (中沙古雷乙烯项目) — completed a high-standard intermediate handover at the Gulei Petrochemical Base in Zhangzhou, Fujian (福建漳州古雷石化基地) and started integrated commissioning, marking the project's official entry into the sprint phase of feedstock trial operation. The project's annual ethylene production capacity can reach up to 1.8 million tons. "The construction scale and speed of the China-Saudi Gulei Ethylene Project are impressive. This is inseparable from the strong support of Chinese government departments at all levels, including efficient coordination mechanisms, approval processing, and the efficient and pragmatic resolution of day-to-day matters. It is also strong evidence of the continuous improvement of China's investment environment," said Faisal Al-Faqeer, Chief Executive Officer of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation.

Since entering the Chinese market in the 1980s, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation has continuously increased its investment in China. The company's business currently covers 17 cities in China, building a mature industrial system integrating production, R&D, and customer service, and deeply integrating into China's emerging industrial chains such as new energy vehicles, high-end electronics, and medical manufacturing. The China-Saudi Gulei Ethylene Project has a total investment of 44.8 billion yuan, jointly constructed by Saudi Basic Industries Corporation and Fujian Energy & Petrochemical Group (福建省能源石化集团). It is the largest foreign-funded project in Fujian Province in terms of one-time investment scale to date, and a benchmark project in which the Belt and Road joint-construction initiative is aligned with Saudi Arabia's "Vision 2030."

"We regard China not only as a sales market, but also as a long-term growth partner and a leading innovation highland." Al-Faqeer believes that, relying on its complete industrial system, China continuously advances industrial upgrading under the "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五规划), and the new energy vehicle, high-end semiconductor, and photovoltaic industries are growing rapidly, with market demand for high-performance, sustainable high-end chemical materials continuing to climb. The materials produced by the China-Saudi Gulei Ethylene Project can support the development of multiple industries such as new energy vehicles, ensuring the supply of chemical raw materials for industrial chains in China and Asia. The huge and continuously upgrading domestic demand market continuously empowers industrial innovation.

In addition to the ongoing China-Saudi Gulei Ethylene Project, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation will also continue to advance the development of the Jintang New Materials Project in Zhoushan, Zhejiang (浙江舟山金塘新材料项目) together with Rongsheng Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (荣盛石化有限公司), and at the same time invest in building a new thermoplastic engineering plastics alloy plant in Fujian, China, fully demonstrating the company's determination to continuously increase investment and expand production in China. "These projects will work in close synergy with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation's innovation and manufacturing network in China, accelerating the pace of innovation and enhancing supply chain resilience. Benefiting from China's complete industrial ecosystem, we are able to rapidly respond to constantly changing market demands," Al-Faqeer said.

In September this year, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation will mark the 50th anniversary of its founding. From product exports in the early years to today's multi-point layout in China and the landing of projects at the ten-billion-yuan level, the development journey of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation taking root in China and continuously increasing investment is a vivid epitome of foreign-funded enterprises continuing to be optimistic about and step up investment in China. The bustling production scene at the China-Saudi Gulei Ethylene Project base also bears witness to the formation of a new pattern of two-way empowerment, mutual benefit, and win-win between Chinese and Saudi industries. "China will continue to play a core role in Saudi Basic Industries Corporation's global growth strategy. We look forward to growing together with the Chinese market," Al-Faqeer said. (Liu Siqi (刘思齐) participated in the reporting and writing.)

Switzerland's Roche Diagnostics —
Pilot free trade zone policies empower medical innovation
Staff Reporter Cui Yin

Inside the High-end Manufacturing and International Trade Zone of the Suzhou Industrial Park, the expansion project of the Roche Diagnostics Asia-Pacific Production Base and R&D Center (hereinafter referred to as the "Suzhou Base") is under orderly construction. After the expansion of the Suzhou Base is completed, Roche Diagnostics will achieve the goal of locally manufacturing 80% of the products it sells. "China is one of the most strategically important core markets for us globally. By building the dual-core hard power of 'local R&D + high-end manufacturing,' we are moving in the same direction and advancing in tandem with the high-quality development of China's healthcare undertaking," said Yao Guoliang (姚国樑), General Manager of Roche Diagnostics China.

In August 2000, Roche Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (罗氏诊断(上海)有限公司) was formally registered and established, becoming one of the earlier foreign-funded diagnostic enterprises to deeply cultivate the Chinese market. In 2015, the Asia-Pacific Production Base settled in the Suzhou Industrial Park; in 2018, the Asia-Pacific R&D Center was launched. Roche Diagnostics has gradually built in China a full-product-line R&D and manufacturing platform covering biochemistry, immunology, molecular diagnostics, and pathological testing. In 2024, Roche Diagnostics made an additional investment of 375 million Swiss francs (approximately 3.104 billion yuan) to expand the Suzhou Base, setting a new record for its single investment in China, with cumulative investment in China reaching 1 billion Swiss francs (approximately 8.277 billion yuan). The Suzhou Base expansion project is planned on 108 mu of land, with a building area of approximately 120,000 square meters, integrating production, R&D, and logistics, and is expected to officially commence production in 2028.

Roche Diagnostics is making all-out efforts to accelerate the layout of "Made in China" diagnostic products. The Suzhou Base currently supplies 200 kinds of products to the Asia-Pacific market, and core products from central laboratories, pathology laboratories, to molecular laboratories have all achieved localization, with production capacity steadily expanding. The enterprise also leverages the facilitation policies of China's pilot free trade zones to accelerate the introduction of international cutting-edge technologies, while relying on the Suzhou Base to continuously release localized high-end intelligent manufacturing and R&D capabilities, truly moving from a "global product introducer" to a "local innovation driver."

"Relying on the Suzhou Base to build an Asia-Pacific core hub, accelerating the localization of key core technologies, and building a green and low-carbon supply chain system can not only quickly align with the Chinese medical market's demand for high quality, but also, by virtue of China's complete production system and supply chain, strengthen Roche Diagnostics' ability to resist risks across the entire Asia-Pacific region and continuously amplify regional returns." Yao Guoliang said that, as the core in-vitro diagnostics business segment under the Swiss Roche Group, Roche Diagnostics has in recent years continuously increased investment and expanded production in China and deepened innovation collaboration, fully demonstrating its firm confidence in the long-term prospects of China's big health industry.

As one of the earliest multinational enterprises to conduct business in China, the Roche Group marks the centennial of its entry into the Chinese market in 2026. "Over the years, Roche has witnessed the steady development of China's economy, deeply integrated into the overall situation of China's economic and social development, and its own business has also achieved leapfrog growth." Yao Guoliang noted that Roche Diagnostics is joining forces with more than 80 local biomedical enterprises and, relying on the Shanghai innovation platform, deeply cultivating the fields of digital diagnosis and treatment and precision medicine, building a platform for two-way empowerment of Chinese and foreign medical innovation. "In the future, we will continue to integrate into China's development, deepen the two-way empowerment of Chinese and foreign medical industries, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win with the Chinese market," Yao Guoliang said. (Yin Xiaoye (尹晓晔) participated in the reporting and writing.)

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Build "Invest in China" Brand to Stabilize and Optimize Foreign Capital Utilization (Global View)

By: 靳玉英

Currently, global cross-border direct investment continues to face downward pressure, industrial and supply chains are accelerating their restructuring, and geopolitical risks and trade protectionism are on the rise, further increasing the investment concerns of multinational enterprises in their global layout. Against this backdrop, China persists in expanding high-standard opening up, continuously rolling out practical measures to optimize the investment environment, building the "Invest in China" brand, and providing strong guarantees for global capital to take root and develop in China.

In the first half of 2026, nearly 4,800 foreign-funded enterprises made additional investments in China, the proportion of investment in high-tech fields increased, and the structure of utilized foreign investment continued to improve. China's utilized foreign investment has demonstrated strong resilience, thanks to China's long-term efforts to optimize the business environment and the introduction of a series of measures to stabilize foreign investment. On June 16, the Ministry of Commerce (商务部), together with the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) and the Ministry of Finance (财政部), jointly issued the Action Plan for Stabilizing and Optimizing the Utilization of Foreign Investment (利用外资固稳促优行动方案, hereinafter referred to as the "Action Plan"), which systematically deploys measures from five dimensions—expanding space, facilitating convenience, strengthening promotion, optimizing the environment, and refining management—to use the certainty of opening up to stabilize the stock, expand the increment, improve the quality, and optimize the structure of utilized foreign investment.

Currently, all foreign investment access restrictions in China's manufacturing sector have been lifted, and the service sector is becoming a key direction for expanding opening up. The Action Plan introduces opening-up measures centered on the service sector, responding not only to the realistic demand of foreign-funded enterprises to expand into the Chinese market but also aligning with the inherent requirements of China's consumption upgrade, industrial upgrade, and high-quality development of the service sector. This helps broaden the space for foreign capital to enter the Chinese market and improve the structure and quality of utilized foreign investment.

To stabilize and optimize utilized foreign investment, it is necessary not only to strive to open wider the big door of market access but also to effectively unblock the small doors of enterprise operation after entry. The Action Plan introduces targeted measures around key links such as foreign capital mergers and acquisitions, cross-border data flows, domestic reinvestment, and R&D center construction, deepening and expanding from "market access opening" to "operational convenience." China's utilization of foreign investment is upgrading from introducing capital and production capacity to introducing innovation capacity and global resource allocation capacity. By improving the support policies for R&D centers and promoting the expansion of foreign-funded enterprises from "production in China" to "innovation in China, transformation in China," it helps to deeply integrate global innovation resources with China's market demand and industrial ecosystem.

High-quality utilization of foreign investment requires not only open policies and convenience measures but also more effective transmission of policy advantages, market opportunities, and industrial foundations to global investors. Strengthening the influence of the "Invest in China" brand helps to enhance global investors' awareness of China's market opportunities, opening policies, and business environment, and to increase China's visibility, attractiveness, and credibility as an investment destination. The Action Plan introduces new arrangements around strengthening the influence of the "Invest in China" brand and standardizing the attraction of foreign-invested projects, helping to improve the professionalism, standardization, and sustainability of investment promotion work and to better align foreign-invested projects with China's development opportunities.

The business environment is the soil for enterprise operation and development, and it is also a key variable affecting investment decisions. For foreign-funded enterprises, what matters is not just periodic preferential treatment, but a fair, transparent, stable, and predictable institutional environment. The Action Plan exerts efforts in areas such as the implementation of national treatment, participation in consumption-boosting actions, improvement of rights protection, and project service guarantees, precisely responding to the core concerns of foreign-funded enterprises regarding fair competition and long-term development. This helps reduce the uncertainty of their investment and operations in China, strengthen their confidence in deeply cultivating the Chinese market, and promote the transformation of foreign investment from merely being able to enter to staying stable, developing well, and being willing to reinvest.

Promoting regional coordination in attracting investment can improve the efficiency of the layout of foreign-invested projects and the region's capacity to receive them. Optimizing the foreign investment information reporting system and improving direct reporting channels and information-sharing mechanisms can reduce duplicate reporting by enterprises and information silos between departments, enhancing the efficiency of foreign investment management and enterprises' sense of policy benefit. The Action Plan makes arrangements around regional coordination in attracting investment and the informatization of foreign investment management, helping to better serve the layout and long-term development of foreign-funded enterprises in China.

Against the backdrop of deep adjustments in the global investment landscape, China's determination to advance high-standard opening up is unwavering. In the future, China will continue to expand high-standard opening up, fully implement national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises, rely on full-cycle refined services, and continuously polish the golden signboard of "Invest in China." As various policies to stabilize foreign investment take effect and deliver results, China's market advantages and industrial advantages will be continuously transformed into enduring competitiveness in attracting global capital. The practice of a large number of foreign-funded enterprises continuously increasing capital and stepping up R&D fully proves that China is a key fulcrum for the global layout of multinational corporations, and more and more foreign-funded enterprises will choose to take root in China for long-term development, sharing the broad opportunities of Chinese-style modernization.

(The author is Vice President of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics)

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本版责编：Han Bingchen, Han Shuo, Song Yiran

Layout design: Cai Huawei (蔡华伟)

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How the STAR Market Continues to Fuel Innovation

By: 赵展慧

Recently, the STAR Market (科创板) celebrated its seventh anniversary of listing. It has gathered 612 listed companies, accumulated over 150,000 invention patents, and obtained 35 "global firsts" in niche industries or individual products... Over seven years, this "experimental field" (试验田) anchored to the direction of hard technology (硬科技) development has yielded 硕果累累 (shuò guǒ lěi lěi - "abundant fruits," fruit-laden).

Attracting innovation, empowering innovation, strengthening innovation... How does the STAR Market continuously stimulate "innovation momentum" (向新力)? Intuitively, 真金白银 (zhēn jīn bái yín - "real gold and white silver," hard cash) irrigates sci-tech innovation seedlings to grow robustly. As of now, STAR Market enterprises have raised 1,034.2 billion yuan through IPOs (initial public offerings) and 238.6 billion yuan through refinancing, totaling over 1.2 trillion yuan; using 2019 as the base, the compound annual growth rates of the segment's companies' operating revenue and net profit attributable to parent over the past six years have reached 17% and 11% respectively, and total market capitalization has exceeded 15 trillion yuan.

Following the growth trajectory of these hard technology enterprises, one can see that the deeper reason for the formation of "innovation momentum" lies in the sustained deep cultivation of regular understanding and systematic practice of supporting innovation in this "experimental field," exploring a new path for capital market services to new quality productive forces (新质生产力).

Adapting to innovation through inclusiveness. The STAR Market was born out of reform; from its inception it bore the mission of registration-based IPO system (注册制) reform, and inclusiveness is the most vivid footnote of this reform. In the process of registration-based IPO system reform, the STAR Market took the lead in establishing diversified and inclusive listing standards, for the first time accepting unprofitable enterprises, red-chip enterprises, and enterprises with unequal voting rights for listing, thereby solving the core problem of the former mismatch between "profit and scale thresholds" and the "growth cycle of sci-tech enterprises," changing the evaluation of innovation capability from "looking at the present" to "looking at the future" at the institutional level.

This breakthrough, which respects and adapts to the laws, has received positive feedback of innovative enterprises continuously 脱颖而出 (tuō yǐng ér chū - "the awl point emerges from the bag," to stand out). Among the 63 unprofitable enterprises at the time of listing, 28 unprofitable enterprises have achieved profitability after listing and "removed the U" (摘U) (扭亏为盈 (niǔ kuī wéi yíng - "reverse losses into profits," turn losses into profits)). Last June, the boundaries of inclusiveness were further widened -- the STAR Market established the Sci-Tech Innovation Growth Layer (科创成长层), optimized the fifth set of listing standards (第五套上市标准), expanded and upgraded coverage to include more frontier technology fields such as artificial intelligence, commercial aerospace, and low-altitude economy (低空经济). Now, the growth momentum of unprofitable enterprises in the Sci-Tech Innovation Growth Layer is gratifying, with 35 companies achieving an 18% year-on-year increase in revenue in 2025.

Coordinating innovation through synergy. 612 listed companies have gathered points into chains, and gathered chains into momentum. Taking integrated circuits as an example, breakthroughs at single points drive the entire chain to form momentum. For instance, SMIC raised 53.2 billion yuan in a single IPO on the STAR Market, greatly supporting the enterprise's innovation R&D and capacity expansion, while also pulling and driving a batch of domestic semiconductor equipment, materials, design, and other upstream and downstream enterprises in the industrial chain to develop coordinately. In addition, multi-point efforts drive cluster leaps. The STAR Market supports 131 listed companies covering all links of the integrated circuit industry chain, including chip design, manufacturing, packaging and testing, equipment, materials, software, etc., each growing and then forming 强强联合 (qiáng qiáng lián hé - "the strong unite," alliances of the strong), working together to promote the improvement of the autonomous level of China's integrated circuit industry.

Now, the deepening of industrial cluster effects is further aided by reform. The "Eight Measures for the STAR Market" (科创板八条) clearly support STAR Market listed companies in carrying out M&A integration of upstream and downstream industrial chains, so that STAR Market companies can better accurately supplement, expand, and strengthen chains around core technologies, production capacity, and key links, further aggregating the synergy of high-level technological self-reliance and self-strengthening.

Expanding innovation through smooth circulation. The capital market is a complex ecosystem; it must maintain a balance between investment and financing, between the primary market and the secondary market, and also promote the optimal allocation and virtuous cycle of technology, industry, capital, and talent. The STAR Market has played an important role in smoothing the "technology-industry-capital" cycle and promoting the integration of the innovation chain, industrial chain, capital chain, and talent chain.

In terms of attracting talent, over 60% of STAR Market companies' founding teams are scientists, engineers, and other research talents or industry experts, promoting the integrated integration of industry, academia, research, and application; in terms of guiding capital, the STAR Market has driven the formation of a trend of "invest early, invest small, invest in hard technology" (投早、投小、投硬科技), with about 90% of STAR Market companies receiving venture capital investment before listing. In terms of secondary market investment, as of now, the STAR Market has formed an index system consisting of broad-based, thematic, strategic and other indices, with related index tracking products exceeding 310 billion yuan in scale; in terms of enhancing investor returns, total cash dividends on the STAR Market in 2025 exceeded 40 billion yuan, with multiple dividends per year gradually becoming the norm...

Exploration, practice, verification, deepening... Over seven years, numerous firsts and first orders in the capital market have been realized here, and a series of institutional reforms have been extended to the entire market through the STAR Market pilot, turning the "experimental field" into a "demonstration field" (示范田). Expanding the scope of application of the fifth set of listing standards to the field of artificial intelligence, actively supporting high-quality AI large model enterprises to go public; implementing the strategic deployment of developing future industries, supporting hard technology enterprises in more fields such as quantum technology, biomanufacturing, and embodied intelligence (具身智能) to go public on the STAR Market... Since the beginning of this year, incremental reform measures have been gradually implemented, and the STAR Market is expected to welcome hard technology enterprises from more fields. It is hoped that the STAR Market will better help write a new narrative for China's hard technology.

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Financial Changes in Qiaopi

As the film Letter to Grandma (给阿嬷的情书) gains popularity, the long-sealed qiaopi (侨批, overseas Chinese remittance letters) have entered the public view. A single sheet of qiaopi traverses vast oceans, linking on one end the homesickness of overseas sojourners and on the other end the livelihoods of families in the homeland. From the deliverymen who scaled mountains and forded rivers to deliver qiaopi, to the museum professionals who meticulously preserve these cultural relics, and to the financial workers who carry forward the original function of overseas remittances and deeply cultivate cross-border services — guardians of different identities jointly pass on the integrity and the sentiment of family and country that qiaopi bear.

— Editor

Han Xiuzhen, Vice President of Nanyang Commercial Bank (China) Co., Ltd.
Carrying Forward the Original Aspiration, Deeply Cultivating Cross-Border Services

The film Letter to Grandma has brought "qiaopi (侨批)" back into the public view. A single cross-ocean family letter connects the homesickness of overseas Chinese with their sentiment for family and country. Nanyang Commercial Bank (hereinafter referred to as "NCB") was born from a qiaopi agency. Since its founding, it has taken "facilitating overseas remittances, serving overseas compatriots" as its founding tenet. As a practitioner who has worked deeply at NCB for nearly 30 years, I have witnessed the bank's evolution from a traditional remittance institution into a modern cross-border commercial bank. In my view, qiaopi is not merely a remittance voucher from old times; it is the spiritual root engraved in NCB's very bones.

The origin of NCB's connection with qiaopi must begin with its founder, Mr. Zhuang Shiping (庄世平). Born into a qiaopi family in Puning, Guangdong, his family once ran silver houses and qiaopi agencies in Shantou, Guangdong, Thailand, and Malaysia. Since childhood, he heard stories of the "Xunchengma (巡城马)" delivering qiaopi traveling under the stars and the scenes of family members of overseas Chinese weeping and laughing upon receiving remittances. These memories grew into the root of his founding of NCB.

In 1949, when New China was just established, external economic blockades caused a tight supply of foreign exchange, and overseas Chinese lacked safe and regular channels to send money home to support their families. Against this backdrop, Mr. Zhuang founded NCB in Hong Kong. He set up an overseas Chinese service department and built a domestic and overseas remittance network.

In 1997, I joined NCB's Shenzhen branch and rose from a grassroots position step by step to management. The overseas Chinese spirit inherent in NCB has run through my entire career. During my work, I met Mr. Zhuang Shiping many times. He was humble, rarely spoke of personal achievements, but always kept the country and the nation in his heart. Mr. Zhuang's pure sentiment for family and country has settled into the spiritual gene passed down throughout the bank. From being among the first to enter the mainland to serve reform and opening-up, to basing itself in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and helping to promote high-level opening-up, NCB has always resonated with the country's development at the same frequency.

Along the way, NCB has never abandoned its root in overseas Chinese affairs. Over more than 70 years, NCB has completed three key transformations: in 1949, we rose from private exchange shops to a fully licensed formal bank; during the early period of reform and opening-up, we were the first to establish a presence in Shenzhen, setting up the first foreign bank branch in the mainland and bringing brand-new financial services such as personal housing mortgages to the mainland; in 2016, we further transformed into a comprehensive commercial bank with unique cross-border advantages. In the past, NCB provided remittance services for overseas Chinese to support their families. Now, relying on the dual headquarters in Hong Kong and the mainland, we have restructured our service network, upgrading the traditional qiaopi flame into comprehensive financial services for domestic and overseas customers. The trust of domestic and overseas customers and the cross-border service experience accumulated over decades of serving overseas Chinese have become our unique advantages and confidence in cross-border financial services.

Today, online remittances have replaced the old-time couriers who traversed mountains and rivers, and online transfer time has been shortened to just a few minutes. Tools have changed, but the two words "entrustment" remain unchanged. NCB abides by the duty of trustworthiness and responsibility that old qiaopi agencies upheld, and especially cherishes the trust given to us by customers. We have built a multi-currency cross-border clearing network, and through digital services we have upgraded from "able to remit" to "remitting quickly and well." Focusing on the real needs of overseas Chinese such as buying homes back home, pension savings, and daily small transfers, we have equipped services with aging-friendly and cross-border coordination mechanisms, expanding a single remittance channel into a full-scenario financial service solution. These fine-grained services continue the service logic of "one letter, one sum of money, tailored to each person" that qiaopi used a century ago.

A hundred years ago, qiaopi connected overseas sojourners with their families back home; today, cross-border finance connects not only family ties but also richer life scenarios such as studying abroad, starting businesses, employment, and retirement. Those capital flows across mountains and seas not only bear the牵挂 and expectations of countless families but also witness the era of China's deepening opening-up. Qiaopi was born from the needs of the people, which is consistent with the purpose of modern commercial banks to serve the people and the real economy. Letting finance adhere to its original meaning of serving the people and the real economy is the most simple yet profound inheritance of qiaopi in modern financial practice.

(Interview compiled by Ge Mengchao and Jin Zhihan)

Gao Donghui, Curator of Jiangmen Museum, Guangdong Province
Guarding the Family and Country Memory in Qiaopi

My connection with qiaopi did not begin with some spectacular "discovery," but rather gradually built up through the daily "one brick, one tile" work process — that sense of responsibility. During the early planning of the China Overseas Chinese Capital Museum of Chinese Overseas (under the jurisdiction of Jiangmen Museum), qiaopi was listed as one of the distinctive collection directions. The qiaopi archive is also called overseas Chinese silver letters (银信), i.e., the collective term for family letters (letters) and remittance vouchers (silver) sent back by overseas compatriots. At that time, I followed the seniors and participated in the collection and display of many qiaopi cultural relics.

Putting on gloves and carefully arranging those yellowed pages, I understood that what we guard are not just paper document relics, but also the important embodiment of the Chinese nation's adherence to credibility and promises. When I first took over the museum's qiaopi collection work, the biggest feeling was "scattered" — a large number of qiaopi were not in the museum, but at the bottoms of villagers' camphor wood chests, in old tin boxes, and in attics of old houses. The history of overseas Chinese is somewhat different from other historical relics; it is in the present continuous tense, a living history. Adhering to the principle of "collect all that should be collected," we issued global calls for qiaopi relics through overseas Chinese organizations, overseas Chinese publications and hometown newsletters, and other channels.

The Wuyi region of Jiangmen is a famous hometown of overseas Chinese, with a large number of overseas Chinese. Almost every family has a ledger of cross-ocean transactions and a stack of old letters they couldn't bear to throw away. We went to the homes of overseas Chinese families time and again, sat down and chatted slowly, going through items one by one, identifying them piece by piece. One qiaopi that impressed me deeply was from the Anti-Japanese War period, written by Huang Chibang, a Chinese living in the United States. In the letter, the line "The rise and fall of the nation is everyone's responsibility... You must understand that only with a country can one speak of a family" — every time it is read aloud in exhibitions, the audience remains silent for a long time. This letter later became one of the core narratives of our "Qiaopi in the Flames of War" exhibition series — it is not a slogan, but the heartfelt instruction of an ordinary person to his family thousands of miles away. Another example: the qiaopi from around 1930 sent by Cuban Chinese Li Minyi to his wife Lin Shi, in which he carefully instructed household expenses "to take saving as the foundation, never waste" — between the lines is full of concern and longing for his family. This kind of private document is especially precious because it is genuine and plain, showing the true colors of an era most clearly.

The true depth of qiaopi is not limited to being "touching"; more importantly, it is a living modern folk financial history. In the era when the official modern banking network had not yet fully covered the overseas Chinese hometowns, the operation of qiaopi was extremely complex. In the early period, it mainly relied on the "Xunchengma" (巡城马, "city-patrolling horse," i.e., water couriers) going from street to street to collect and deliver, and gradually developed into a complete industrial chain involving the cooperation and sequential transmission of silver houses, commercial firms, banks, trust companies, postal institutions, and the Xunchengma. It was not until the 1970s that qiaopi business was centralized under bank management, and the qiaopi delivery industry completed its specific historical mission.

A single qiaopi often bears overlapping postmarks from the place of sending, seals of the qiaopi agency, signatures of payment, and the traces of round trips of the reply letter. These seemingly trivial stamps and vouchers actually reveal the credit mechanism of early cross-border fund flows — relying not on cold contract terms, but on the personal guarantee of a "Pijiao" (批脚, qiaopi deliveryman) who would rather take detours and brave dangers to deliver the money and letter personally into the hands of the recipient. When we do historical document sorting today, we aim to extract from a multitude of individual cases the operating rules, fee structure, risk-sharing methods, and credit constraint logic of this network, elevating qiaopi from an "emotional symbol" to empirical material that can be cited by economics, financial history, and sociology. The financial attributes of qiaopi, as well as its content related to folklore, sociology, and anthropology, are yet to be further explored. In the future, I hope more academic disciplines will get involved to more fully excavate and study the value behind qiaopi.

With the film Letter to Grandma being popular, many young viewers have come specifically to the Overseas Chinese Museum looking for "real qiaopi." As a frontline practitioner protecting qiaopi, I am very grateful that such a film has appeared. At this moment, I also want to call on people to recognize the necessity and urgency of protecting qiaopi and to pay more attention to its preservation.

As a guardian, I deeply feel that what qiaopi fears most is not the aging of paper, but being forgotten. As long as there are people willing to open it, read it, and tell it to the next generation, that thin sheet of qiaopi will never grow old.

(Interview compiled by our reporter Hong Qiuting)

Huang Haixiao, former qiaopi deliveryman of Bank of China Quanzhou Branch
Travelling the Countryside to Deliver the Warmth of Qiaopi

I am 66 years old this year. I have been retired for many years, but my knees still have old problems — they ache on rainy or overcast days. The doctor says it's a "souvenir" left from cycling to deliver qiaopi when I was young.

That was 1980, when I was just 20. My father, Huang Yaoshu, retired from the bank, and I took over as a qiaopi deliveryman at the Quanzhou Branch of Bank of China. The area I was responsible for was called "Outside the New Gate," stretching from the old city of Quanzhou all the way to Nan'an, with the farthest trip covering 40 kilometers. In four years, I rode two bicycles to ruin and wore through three pairs of shoe soles.

My father often said to me: "A Pijiao (deliveryman) doesn't deliver letters — he delivers lives." He wasn't trying to scare me. In 1949, right after high school, he joined the Guangxin Agency (光大信局), which was then one of the largest private qiaopi agencies in Quanzhou. At first it only handled qiaopi from Singapore and Malaysia, but later its business spread all over Southeast Asia. In 1956, the Guangxin Agency earned over 10 million Hong Kong dollars in foreign exchange for the country in one year. In 1976, private qiaopi agencies were shut down, and my father, along with the business, was merged into Bank of China. He said that qiaopi was the lifeline of overseas sojourners and also the foreign exchange bloodline of the country — not the slightest carelessness was allowed.

When I was a deliveryman, I left home at 5 o'clock every morning. The sky was still dark. I carried a bulging canvas mailbag strapped to my back. When hungry, I would gnaw on some dry rations; when thirsty, I would drink water from a stream. I was a 20-year-old young man, but the physical exertion was so great that often I would be full before leaving home, only to be starving halfway on the road. All of us Pijiao were as skinny as bamboo poles.

What I remember most vividly was July 1981. That year the flood season came fiercely. The stream at Xiafu Village suddenly swelled; my bicycle simply couldn't get across. I was pushing my bike by the bank, feeling troubled, when I suddenly heard the sound of a motor. A sand dredger pulled up. The boatman shouted to me: "Little brother! Quick, get on the boat, I'll take you across!" I was stunned and asked him: "Do you know me?" He laughed heartily: "Who in the villages around here doesn't know you? Seeing your bicycle, we know news from a loved one has arrived!" At that moment, my nose tingled with emotion.

In southern Fujian, qiaopi deliverymen have a nice name: "Ke Niao" — which in our dialect means magpie. When the Ke Niao flies into the village, it means news from overseas relatives has arrived.

The periods of the seventh lunar month and before the Spring Festival were when qiaopi was most abundant. We often went out in the dark and returned in the dark. But as soon as we entered a village, every household was happy. Wealthy families would set out the "eight immortals" table in the courtyard, brew tea, prepare snacks, and invite neighbors to come together to collect their qiaopi. Someone would laugh and say: "The Ke Niao has come, so the New Year has come!" At that time, qiaopi was not just letters; it also carried money. A sojourner in Southeast Asia often sent money not only to his own parents but also to several related households. My father often said: "We are all one family, we will never leave any household behind." This is probably the most basic spirit of qiaopi — the letter carries money, the letter carries affection, the letter carries righteousness.

Only later did I learn that behind qiaopi being delivered safely there was also a set of strict "codes." Chen Hongyang (陈鸿洋), who was a few years younger than me and formerly served as section chief of the business section of the former Overseas Chinese Service Department of Bank of China Quanzhou branch, still treasures two overseas Chinese address books from 1957. Opening one of them to page 98, there is information about Malaysian Chinese Lin Chiduan, next to which is written: "Jǔ tóu wàng míng yuè, dī tóu sī gùxiāng" (举头望明月，低头思故乡) — those ten characters respectively represent the numbers 1 through 10; "Bó shū xiōng" (伯叔兄) represents "hundred, thousand, ten thousand." If the letter said "Sī Bó" (思伯), it meant remitting 800 yuan. In that era, some Southeast Asian countries banned overseas Chinese from remitting money home, and recipients did not even use real names but pseudonyms like "Li Sihai" or "Wang Quanzhong." These "codes" were for protecting the property of overseas Chinese and also for maintaining a kind of trust in those special times.

Now qiaopi has become hot, and young people go to museums to look at those yellowed envelopes as novelties. But to us Pijiao, qiaopi is not a cultural relic; it is life, it is fate. It taught me one thing: the root of financial services is not in high-rise buildings, but in whether you can let people entrust their lives and property to you with peace of mind.

I often say to younger colleagues: "You now tap on keyboards; we used to knock on doors. Knocking on the door of a home is also knocking on the door of the heart."

The Ke Niao crosses the sea, a single sheet bears the nostalgia. Qiaopi, traversing the winds and waves, has always maintained the bond between the homeland and distant lands, and will continue to draw overseas and domestic relatives to be of one heart and face the same direction, journeying together on the new path of the homeland.

(Interview compiled by our reporter Liu Xiaoyu)

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Upholding the original aspiration of serving the people through finance

By: 王 观

A single piece of qiaopi (侨批 - overseas remittance letter), spanning mountains and seas, carries the homesickness of overseas Chinese, linking together the veins of century-long private financial exchange. In the bygone era of blocked transportation and inconvenient communication, qiaopi was not only a family letter sent home but also a remittance that relieved pressing needs, and it also contained the most pristine original intention of the financial industry. Looking back at the century-long circulation process of qiaopi, to understand its unique cultural connotation is to deeply grasp that honesty as the foundation and benefiting the people through inclusive finance have always been the fundamental path for the financial industry to 行稳致远 (xíng wěn zhì yuǎn - "proceed steadily and reach far," to develop stably and sustainably).

Qiaopi, also known as yinxin (银信 - "silver letter"), where "silver" refers to the remittance and "letter" to the family missive, and its special form combining silver and letter determined that from the day of its birth it was tightly bound to the lives of ordinary people. From overseas Chinese entrusting the qiaopi bureau, to transshipment and circulation along the route, to delivery personnel 翻山越岭 (fān shān yuè lǐng - "cross mountains and ridges," traveling over difficult terrain), going from village to village and household to household, one piece of qiaopi passed through several links and was finally delivered precisely into the hands of the common people. In this complete circulation system, there were no complex thresholds, no harsh restrictions; everything revolved around the needs of the people. The delivery personnel feared neither rugged mountain paths nor wind, rain, heat, or cold, only aiming to deliver the money and the letter to the family members on time; the qiaopi practitioners steadfastly upheld faith and righteousness, 分毫必清 (fēn háo bì qīng - "every cent must be clear," keeping accounts with absolute precision), 一诺千金 (yī nuò qiān jīn - "a promise worth a thousand gold," extremely trustworthy), safeguarding every hard-earned remittance. This was the most vivid image of early financial services serving people's livelihoods. It can be said that what the century of qiaopi has沉淀 (precipitated) is not only a history of overseas Chinese struggle and a history of longing for family and country, but also a set of traditional financial culture rooted among the people and centered on people's livelihoods.

The wheel of time rolls forward; traditional qiaopi has gradually exited the stage of history, but the financial culture and original intention of serving the people that it fostered have been inherited and continuously carried forward by the contemporary financial industry. Along with social development and scientific-technological progress, the financial industry has undergone 翻天覆地 (fān tiān fù dì - "overturning heaven and earth," earth-shaking) changes. The qiaopi model that once relied on manpower to travel and manual cashing has long been replaced by digital and intelligent services. Nowadays, digital cross-border finance breaks down barriers of time and space; overseas remittances arrive directly with one click, with simplified processes and swift receipt; inclusive finance continues to extend to villages and communities, lowering the service center of gravity, filling the financial shortcomings at the grassroots level, so that people in remote areas can also enjoy convenient financial services; financial products such as convenient wealth management, small-sum credit, and livelihood security are constantly enriched, precisely meeting the diverse needs of ordinary people for income growth, entrepreneurship, elderly care, and emergency response. Financial services for people's livelihoods can do more and go further.

At present, people's livelihood needs are increasingly diverse, and people are placing higher demands on the efficiency, warmth, and professionalism of financial services. This reminds the entire industry that it must unwaveringly hold fast to the original intention of serving the people. Finance has never been an 空中楼阁 (kōng zhōng lóu gé - "castle in the air," an illusion or impractical scheme) divorced from the masses; its vitality is forever rooted in the fertile soil of people's livelihoods. To deeply cultivate the field of people's livelihoods, one must actively listen to the voices of the people, focus on their urgent, difficult, worried, and longed-for issues, continuously optimize service processes and innovate service products; to uphold the bottom line of good faith, one must abide by industry standards, strengthen the risk defense line, and create a safe and reliable financial environment; to practice the concept of inclusiveness, one must continuously extend the reach of services, narrow the gap between urban and rural and regional services, and let the sunshine of finance illuminate every corner.

Honesty is the foundation of existence; inclusivity is the background color of service. The financial industry should draw on the spiritual power of a century of qiaopi, take root in people's livelihoods and serve the public with more efficient services, warmer measures, and more practical responsibility, allowing financial services to continuously nourish the hearth fires of ten thousand households, better safeguard the happiness of people's livelihoods, and support social development.

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本版责编：刘诗瑶 王东辉

Layout design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)

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Let science and technology investment be both sufficient and effective (Innovation Talk)

By: 吴月辉

The improvement of the efficiency of science and technology innovation investment is a systemic project that concerns the overall efficiency of the national innovation system. Only by making investment more precise, mechanisms more flexible, and the ecology more inclusive can science and technology investment "have quantity and even more quality" and better transform into solid support for building a science and technology power.

Comrade Xi Jinping, at the National Science and Technology Award Conference, the Conference of Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the Eleventh National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology, emphasized, "Improve the efficiency of science and technology innovation investment," and "All levels and relevant parties should perfect institutions and mechanisms, improve management methods, ensure that real gold and white silver is both invested in place and used well, realizing the unity of increased investment scale and enhanced efficiency."

Innovation competition is a competition of investment, but even more a competition of efficiency. In recent years, our country's total societal R&D expenditure has climbed year after year, and the total number of R&D personnel has steadily ranked first in the world. The "basic plate" of science and technology investment has become sufficiently thick. However, a large investment scale does not equal high investment efficiency. How to convert real gold and white silver into tangible productivity is a practical problem facing science and technology innovation work.

To improve the efficiency of science and technology innovation investment, one must apply effort in structure and methods of use. In actual work, problems such as waste of research funding and low-efficiency duplication of science and technology investment still exist to varying degrees. Some localities are keen on "sprinkling pepper powder," with many projects scattered and funds fragmented and chaotic; some research projects "emphasize project initiation but neglect output," funds are spent but results do not emerge; still other places engage in "involution-style" competition and homogeneous development, with repeated investment but meager output. The crux of these problems lies not in insufficient investment, but in poor use.

To spend every cent on the blade's edge, one must apply effort in precision. The direction of investment should not be decided by feeling, but should be pulled by national strategic needs and oriented by market demand. For example, basic research must be willing to invest for the long term, providing stable support so that researchers can endure sitting on a cold bench; tackling key core technologies must concentrate forces, avoid each fighting for themselves; achievement transformation must be good at building bridges, unblocking blockages and stuck points. Different innovation stages have different investment logics; one must not use a single set of methods to cover all under heaven. For instance, in recent years, Chongqing has focused on areas such as chips and high-end sensors, setting up special tackling plans, concentrating forces to break through key technological bottlenecks, achieving good results, and also converting limited investment into tangible output and market value.

The key to improving the efficiency of science and technology innovation investment lies in reforming the management and evaluation mechanisms of research funding. If the management of research funding cannot be flexible and efficient, and project evaluation still judges heroes by the number of papers, then investment efficiency will inevitably be greatly reduced. Only by letting funds follow talent and revolve around innovation activities, endowing researchers with greater decision-making power over technical routes, control over funds, and authority over resource allocation, can we truly take innovation quality, contribution, and performance as the orientation, allowing truly capable talent and teams to receive more support, and ensuring that money is spent on the blade's edge.

Furthermore, it must be recognized that the improvement of the efficiency of science and technology innovation investment also depends on a change in thinking. Government departments should have less management thinking and more service awareness, transforming the shackles of regulations and restrictions into precise and efficient services; enterprises should dare to be the "question setters" and "paper graders" of innovation, using R&D investment to drive the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation; the entire society should have the patience to "tolerate ten years without a sound," allowing long-term investment to traverse cycles and bear rich fruit.

The improvement of the efficiency of science and technology innovation investment is a systemic project that concerns the overall efficiency of the national innovation system. This year is the first year of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, and there are only 9 years left to achieve the goal of building a science and technology power. Only by making investment more precise, mechanisms more flexible, and the ecology more inclusive can science and technology investment "have quantity and even more quality" and better transform into solid support for building a science and technology power.

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Quantum Technology: A Future of Unlimited Potential (In-Depth Observation · The Driving Force of Emerging Industries)

By: 本报记者 李君强 王云娜 李俊杰

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, convened on July 30, emphasized “actively promoting breakthroughs in frontier technologies and the development of future industries.” Developing future industries is both an inherent requirement for promoting high-quality development and an important support for the construction of a modern industrial system. Currently, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating breakthroughs, giving rise to a batch of future industries that are crucial to the overall strategic situation and long-term development. In recent years, the CPC Central Committee has attached great importance to the development of future industries, strengthened strategic planning, intensified policy support, and promoted a good momentum in the development of future industries, with overall competitiveness entering the global first tier, and more and more fields achieving “running alongside” and even “leading.”

The “15th Five-Year Plan” outline proposes to target key areas that will lead future development, build a full-chain cultivation system for future industries, and promote quantum technology, biomanufacturing, hydrogen energy and nuclear fusion energy, brain-computer interfaces, embodied intelligence, sixth-generation mobile communications, etc., to become new economic growth points. What are the new trends and new directions in the development of China’s future industries? How to plan and layout the development of future industries? Starting today, the Science and Technology section launches a series of reports titled “The Power of ‘New’ in Future Industries,” using frontline observations from reporters to showcase China’s advanced layout of future industries and new practices in accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system.
— Editor

Quantum magnetic impurity detectors can compress the detection time of new energy battery materials from several hours to a few minutes; quantum computing platforms can provide computing power services; quantum encrypted communication has been verified in large-scale events… Quantum technology is a frontier field of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. In recent years, a number of quantum technology achievements have moved into practice, demonstrating enormous application potential.

What is the development trend of China’s quantum technology? How to achieve scaled development? Our reporter recently conducted interviews.

There are mainly three directions: quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum measurement

Quantum technology originates from modern physics’ understanding of the microscopic world. Scientists discovered that “quanta” are the smallest units of energy. As understanding of characteristics such as quantum superposition, entanglement, measurement, and wave-particle duality deepens, the door to quantum technology applications has opened.

“In layman’s terms, the industrialization of quantum technology is to transform the physical properties of quanta in the microscopic world into technical products that can be manipulated, used, deployed, and serve society,” said Guo Banghong (郭邦红), founder of Guangdong Guoteng Quantum Technology Co., Ltd. (广东国腾量子科技有限公司). From a global perspective, quantum technology mainly has three directions: quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum measurement.

The technology barrier is the first threshold that quantum technology industrialization must cross. In the Hefei High-tech Zone of Anhui, a “Quantum Avenue” about 3.5 kilometers long has become famous for its concentration of quantum industries. Here, important achievements such as the “Mozi” quantum satellite, the “Beijing-Shanghai Trunk Line,” and the “Jiuzhang” optical quantum computer were born, and leading enterprises in the industrial chain have also been incubated and cultivated, including Origin Quantum Computing Technology (Hefei) Co., Ltd. (本源量子计算科技（合肥）股份有限公司), Guoyi Quantum Technology (Hefei) Co., Ltd. (国仪量子技术（合肥）股份有限公司), and China Telecom Quantum Information Technology Group Co., Ltd. (中电信量子信息科技集团有限公司).

In the field of quantum precision measurement, the quantum magnetic impurity detector developed by Guoyi Quantum can perform online non-destructive testing of magnetic impurities in positive and negative electrode materials, compressing the original 3 to 4 hours of detection time to 5 minutes. “From theoretical breakthroughs to prototype iteration, from pilot to commercial use, the first step is to achieve stable operation in technology,” said Xu Kebiao (许克标), Vice President of Guoyi Quantum Technology (Hefei) Co., Ltd.

In the field of quantum computing, Origin Quantum’s independently developed fourth-generation superconducting quantum computer “Origin Wukong-180” has been officially launched, carrying 180 computing qubits; in the field of quantum communication, China Telecom Quantum has launched more than 30 products such as quantum encrypted calls, with over 6.8 million users.

Currently, Hefei City has gathered over 100 enterprises in the quantum technology industrial chain. The “2025 Global Future Industry Index Report” shows that Hefei’s quantum technology industry has ranked second globally for three consecutive years.

In Guangzhou, Guoteng Quantum, founded in 2017, is making breakthroughs in directions such as quantum communication, quantum computing, and quantum security services, and leads the construction of the first phase of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Quantum Security Communication Demonstration Ring Network — the Guangzhou-Foshan-Zhaoqing Quantum Security Demonstration Trunk Line.

Early quantum communication equipment was very sensitive to environmental factors such as temperature and vibration, and even needed to be operated in a constant temperature environment; such equipment was clearly difficult to truly enter the market. To get the equipment out of the “greenhouse,” Guoteng Quantum carried out technical research such as real-time tracking compensation, studied the impact of temperature and vibration on physical states such as phase and polarization, and then performed reverse compensation through electronic control methods to improve the equipment’s environmental adaptability and operational stability. “In the research stage, principles can be verified in the laboratory; industrialization must enter the real environment,” said Guo Banghong.

Promote deep integration of quantum technology and industry, accelerating the release of its own value

A technology moving from the laboratory to industry relies on far more than just a single “star achievement.”

Quantum technology is a long-chain industry involving multiple links such as materials, optics, electronics, precision machinery, and software algorithms. At the same time, a truly viable future industry must also find application value in the market — this is the second threshold that quantum technology industrialization must cross.

The prerequisite for application is a complete industrial system. From core device research and development and complete machine manufacturing to algorithm development and industry solutions, Hefei is accelerating the construction of full-chain industrial basic capabilities. It has formed a complete system covering quantum satellites, quantum secure communication backbone networks, metropolitan area networks, and terminal applications. Hefei’s quantum metropolitan area network has covered nearly 500 units at the city and district levels, with a total fiber optic length of 1,147 kilometers.

The industrial chain must also be combined with application demands. Yang Xinhui (杨欣卉), a third-level researcher at the Frontier and High-Tech Division of the Guangzhou Science and Technology Bureau, introduced that Guangzhou has initially built a collaborative development pattern of “research institutions leading innovation, universities cultivating talent, and enterprises driving industrialization,” following a differentiated development path of “using application to drive incubation, using scenarios to promote agglomeration.”

Xintiao Technology (芯跳科技) has achieved full-chain domestic production of quantum measurement and control systems, with cumulative sales of over 500 sets of equipment; Guoteng Quantum possesses independent intellectual property rights for the full industrial chain of quantum computing and quantum communication networks; Qinghe Technology (氢合科技) has developed key equipment such as ultra-low-temperature refrigerators… Achievements in the collaborative development of the upstream and downstream industrial chain continue to emerge.

Public technology platforms provide support for the industrial chain. Guangzhou has released the “Pude” dedicated quantum science computing platform, providing public quantum computing power services to more than 10 enterprises; “Weide Quantum Cloud,” based on a 1,000-qubit dedicated quantum computer, has formed industry solutions in fields such as artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals, and finance.

Looking at application scenarios: In the Hefei government service hall, quantum seals are used for remote approval and full traceability of electronic documents; along rail transit lines, quantum precision measurement equipment works in coordination with drone inspections; in the meteorological field, the quantum computing cloud platform is exploring the provision of computing power support for precise weather forecasting. Through different scenarios, quantum technology is transforming from “a technology” into “multiple capabilities.”

Finding application scenarios also requires combining with advantageous industries. Relying on rich medical resources and clinical data, Guangzhou has promoted the implementation of 21 quantum medical application scenarios, encouraging enterprises to cooperate with the Guangzhou National Laboratory to explore the use of quantum computing to optimize the design of mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid) vaccine sequences, allowing deep integration of quantum technology and industry to accelerate the release of its own value.

In 2025, the added value of Guangzhou’s future network and quantum technology industry reached 1.332 billion yuan; the total revenue of Hefei’s quantum technology enterprises exceeded 6 billion yuan, with the revenue of the quantum industrial chain in the Hefei High-tech Zone alone approaching 5 billion yuan. Future industries are continuously becoming new economic growth points.

Attract more enterprises, capital, and scientific research forces into the quantum technology industry

For quantum technology to truly become an important industry supporting economic growth, there is still a long way to go. Experts indicate that at present, core technologies such as qubit coherence time, control accuracy, and quantum error correction in quantum computing still require breakthroughs; the supply capacity of key materials and components is insufficient; and the engineering and productization capabilities of complete machines need improvement. A more realistic challenge is that many applications remain at the demonstration stage, and a scaled, replicable business model has not yet been fully formed.

“We must continue to open high-quality public scenarios such as government affairs, finance, and healthcare, encourage innovation entities to try and use first, use application demand to drive technological iteration, and promote the transformation of quantum technology from usable to good to use,” said Guo Guoping (郭国平), Chief Scientist of Origin Quantum and Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China. Yang Xinhui believes that the current “laboratory—pilot—product—market” chain for quantum technology is not smooth enough, there are too few chain-leading enterprises, and scenario opening is insufficient.

In recent years, Guangzhou has laid out the construction of concept verification centers and pilot platforms to promote the implementation of policies supporting quantum technology applications; Hefei, through the “Quantum+” integrated application and “Thousand Scenarios” action, has established scenario lists, carried out government-enterprise matchmaking, and introduced computing power subsidies. Both cities are aimed at the same goal — to let technology iterate in real demand and let industries grow in real scenarios.

The development of future industries requires long-termism, especially in the field of quantum technology. “The engineering of core devices is the slowest link in the entire industrial chain,” said Guo Banghong. Taking the optical quantum computing route chosen by Guoteng Quantum as an example, the stable output of single-photon sources, control of optical path losses, etc., are all problems that must be solved with great effort.

The fact that technical routes have not yet fully converged also means that industrial development requires greater tolerance. Experts believe that currently multiple quantum computing technical routes such as superconducting and optical quantum are running in parallel, and there is no universally recognized answer. It is necessary to concentrate efforts on overcoming core key technologies, but also to allow sufficient competition among different technical routes; both to encourage researchers to complete breakthroughs “from 0 to 1” and to give enterprises enough time to turn “1” into “100.”

Quantum technology R&D has long cycles, large investments, and strong uncertainty, and there is a mismatch between the exit cycle of capital markets and the technology maturity cycle. “Lack of patient capital is a prominent pain point for the growth of start-ups,” said Huang Mengdan (黄孟丹), head of the quantum industry chain of the Hefei Science and Technology Bureau. To solve this problem, Hefei explores using government capital to “invest early, invest small, invest in hard tech”; Guangzhou promotes the establishment of a quantum industry sub-fund and plans a municipal-level special investment fund for quantum technology.

Industrial development also requires collaborative innovation. In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen focuses on chip breakthroughs, Hong Kong and Macao leverage their advantages in basic research and international academic networks, while Guangzhou further emphasizes application scenarios and industrial implementation. Yang Xinhui stated that in the next step, Guangzhou will deepen industry-university-research collaboration with universities in Hong Kong and Macao, take the lead in building quantum technology future industry pilot zones in Huangpu and Tianhe, forming an industrial pattern of linked development and complementary advantages.

Relying on long-term accumulation of basic research, Hefei has formed a relatively complete industrial chain and will continue to promote industrial chain collaboration and regional cooperation in the future, attracting more enterprises, capital, and scientific research forces into the quantum technology industry.

The quantum technology industry has a bright future. Just as the quantum world itself is full of unknowns, the forward-looking layout of industries also requires finding certainty within uncertainty and waiting for breakthroughs through long-term accumulation.

(Chen Huan (陈欢) contributed to the reporting)

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New Paradigm for Enhancing Brain-Computer Interface "Communication Bandwidth" (Tech Talk)

By: 方 方

There exists a “communication bandwidth” between the human brain and the physical world. The sensory organs transmit approximately 11 million bits of environmental information to the brain each second, yet the upper rate limit of human conscious cognition, decision-making, and language processing is strictly confined to between 10 and 50 bits per second. This stark disparity is evident everywhere in daily life; for example, when the other person speaks too quickly, it becomes difficult to hear clearly what is being said. Therefore, how to broaden the information reception “bandwidth” between biological intelligence and the physical world has become a key issue that brain-computer interfaces and cognitive neuroscience must jointly address.

What physiological mechanism determines the upper speed limit of the brain’s information processing? Not long ago, the team from the Peking University School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences (北京大学心理与认知科学学院) and the IDG McGovern Institute for Brain Research (IDG麦戈文脑科学研究所) revealed for the first time that the alpha rhythm of the left auditory cortex is the core mechanism that limits speech comprehension bandwidth. Through multimodal neuromodulation techniques, the study successfully “accelerated” this rhythm, enabling subjects to comprehend ultra-fast speech that was originally unintelligible, thereby broadening the brain’s speech reception “bandwidth.” This discovery provides a new paradigm for breaking through the physiological limits of human communication and enhancing the “communication bandwidth” of brain-computer interfaces.

In the field of cognitive neuroscience, alpha oscillations are regarded as an important temporal organizer of brain perception and cognition, functioning like an “internal clock” that sets the tempo for information flow. We established a new cognitive experimental paradigm, comprehensively applying techniques such as psychophysics, scalp electroencephalography, high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation, repetitive auditory stimulation, and stereotactic electroencephalography to systematically investigate the neural bottleneck and its mechanisms underlying speech comprehension bandwidth.

We first established a behavioral paradigm to measure individual speech rate thresholds. The results showed that the average individual alpha peak frequency across the whole brain at rest was significantly positively correlated with the speech rate threshold: the faster the alpha rhythm, the stronger the subject’s ability to comprehend rapid speech (i.e., the speech reception “bandwidth”). This correlation was particularly robust at electrode channels over the left temporal lobe.

The team also applied high-definition transcranial alternating current stimulation to deliver accelerating or decelerating alpha-band stimulation near the individual’s threshold frequency. The results indicated that only under the acceleration stimulation condition did subjects’ correct recognition rate for rapid speech significantly improve, meaning the speech reception “bandwidth” was actually broadened. More revealingly, when non-invasive modulation was performed using repetitive auditory stimulation, accelerating auditory stimulation likewise enhanced subjects’ ability to recognize rapid speech.

To more directly trace the cortical origin of the “bandwidth” bottleneck, we collaborated with the Capital Medical University Sanbo Brain Hospital (首都医科大学三博脑科医院) to implant depth electrodes into the auditory cortex of patients with refractory epilepsy. Recording results confirmed that the local alpha peak frequency in the auditory cortex was highly correlated with the individual speech rate threshold, and this effect was cortex-specific: it was observed only in the auditory cortex and did not hold in the somatosensory cortex or visual cortex.

Intracranial electrode recordings also revealed a key hemispheric asymmetry: accelerating auditory stimulation significantly increased the alpha frequency in the left auditory cortex but had no such effect on the right auditory cortex. More importantly, the neural envelope tracking strength in the left auditory cortex could predict the subject’s subsequent speech recognition performance — the stronger the tracking, the more accurate the recognition. This further indicates that the alpha rhythm in the left auditory cortex provides an indispensable temporal framework for rapid speech parsing, constituting the core node that determines the human “communication bandwidth” for speech.

For a long time, brain-computer interface research has mostly focused on how to more precisely “read” and “write” neural signals. This study offers a complementary approach: by understanding and modulating the brain’s own rhythmic mechanisms, directly raising the upper limit of the body’s information reception “bandwidth.” This implies that future brain-computer interfaces may not only serve as “translators” between the brain and machines but could also become “enhancers” that broaden the “bandwidth” of human perception and communication, opening new possibilities for high-speed human-machine synergy, neural rehabilitation, and even information exchange that transcends physiological limits.

(The author is a professor at the School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University; interview and compilation by Gu Yekai (谷业凯) and Lyu Zeying (吕泽滢).)

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Layout Editor: Gu Yekai

Layout design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼)

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The Bridge, the Village, the People (In Search of)

By: 刘奇叶

Mugua Bridge (木瓜桥) is a five-arch covered bridge in my hometown of Wugang (武冈). Though I have been away from my hometown for many years, Mugua Bridge has always remained in the depths of my heart.

Taking advantage of an opportunity to conduct research back in my hometown, I revisited Mugua Bridge. It was an early morning in high summer. A thin mist still hung over the Zi River (资水), and the five-arch covered bridge stretched across the water surface, like a faded old painting quietly spread out between the mountains and the river. The bluestone of the bridge's body had been worn smooth by the years, and from the crevices grew several clumps of ferns, gently swaying in the morning breeze. Standing at the bridgehead, I could not help recalling that couplet: "Five-arch covered bridge, emerald water and light boat retain ancient charm; Imprint of the Seventh Army, loyal heart and 丹心赤胆 (dān xīn chì dǎn - "cinnabar heart, crimson gall," utter loyalty and courage) forge a heroic soul." Ancient charm and loyal soul — those words exactly capture the weight of this bridge.

A stone tablet at the bridgehead told me that Mugua Bridge is several hundred years old and has undergone several renovations. It was once a vital transportation route linking Wugang Prefecture (武冈州) and Chengbu County (城步县), bustling with merchants and travelers, boats and boats shuttling back and forth. But what I cared about more was that weighty passage in the inscription: In December 1930, the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, Seventh Army (中国工农红军第七军), under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, Zhang Yunyi (张云逸), and Li Mingrui (李明瑞), entered Hunan from Guangxi, passing through Mugua Bridge and leaving a deep red imprint here.

I walked up the stone steps onto the bridge deck. The wooden structure of the covered bridge was still well preserved; the carvings on the beams and pillars, though blurred, still showed the fine workmanship of those years. On the east side of the bridge end was an arched niche, in which stood a stone tablet over one meter high and half a meter wide, bearing four characters in regular script in vermilion red — 共产万岁 (gòngchǎn wànsuì - "Long live communism"). Each stroke was vigorous and firm; though eroded by wind and rain for over ninety years, they remained clearly legible. I leaned on the bridge railing and looked down — the river water was clear, and several egrets skimmed the surface. In the distance, rows of vegetable greenhouses gleamed white in the sunlight, forming a wonderful echo with the old bridge — as if history and reality converged here.

Passing over Mugua Bridge, one reached the village's Red Exhibition Hall. Pushing the door open, the first thing that met the eye was an exhibition wall, with pictures and text telling the story of the Red Seventh Army's campaign through southwestern Hunan. In display cases were some precious artifacts: a rusted kerosene lamp, a broadsword with a blunted blade, a pair of straw sandals covered layer upon layer with patches. The guide was a young woman in her early twenties, her voice crisp. Pointing to an old photograph on the wall, she told the story that has been handed down to this day.

"On December 23, 1930, the Red Seventh Army arrived at Mugua Bridge. That evening, a bitter wind blew and frost was thick as snow. When the local people heard that troops were coming from Guangxi, they naturally recalled the scene a few years earlier when Guangxi warlord soldiers had entered the village, burning, killing, and looting. Thinking these were also army bandits, they fled with their whole families, hiding in the mountains." The guide's voice was unhurried. "The Red Army soldiers had been marching all day; they were hungry and thirsty. They wanted to buy some grain to fill their stomachs, but could not find a single villager. With no alternative, they had to go into the fields and pull up some radishes, but they did not know whom to pay."

She paused, then continued: "So, every time a soldier pulled out a radish, he put a copper coin into the hole left by the radish. They also wrote the four regular-script characters 'Long live communism' (共产万岁) on the stone wall at the bridgehead, using red earth."

"What happened later?" a visitor beside me asked softly.

"The next morning, the Red Army withdrew and departed. The villagers cautiously came down from the mountains, and the scene before them stunned them — the doors and windows were completely intact, the front and back of the houses were swept clean, completely unlike when the Guangxi warlord soldiers had passed through. Suddenly, an elderly woman shouted loudly: 'Everyone, come quickly and see! The radishes in my field have been pulled! 萝卜眼里长出铜钱 (luóbo yǎn lǐ zhǎng chū tóngqián - "copper coins have grown in the radish holes")!' Everyone rushed over and found that in every radish pit where a radish had been pulled, a copper coin had been placed." The guide smiled slightly. "From then on, the story of 'copper coins growing in radish holes' spread through Mugua Bridge Village, and the villagers also began to call Mugua Bridge the 'Red Army Bridge.'"

I stood in front of that kerosene lamp, and before my eyes appeared that cold winter night more than ninety years ago — under the bridge pavilion, along the eaves, the soldiers, wrapped in thin army blankets, huddled together to sleep in the biting north wind. A faint light flickered in the darkness, illuminating young and resolute faces. Many of those soldiers, I suppose, never again returned to this bridge. And those copper coins, tiny yet shining, vividly recorded the iron discipline and work style of the Red Army, recorded the 鱼水深情 (yú shuǐ shēn qíng - "fish-water deep affection," the inseparable bond) of the Red Army caring for the common people and the common people supporting the Red Army.

Coming out of the exhibition hall, I strolled casually around the village. The cement road was smooth and clean, leading to the door of every household. On the walls along the road were painted colorful murals of Red Army stories and farming culture, both solemn and vivid. A sister-in-law who was sun-drying chili peppers at her doorstep saw me and warmly greeted me: "Come to visit? Would you like to try some of our homemade chopped chili?"

I smiled and thanked her, and chatted with her. The sister-in-law's surname was Xiao (肖); she was a local villager. She told me that since the village developed red tourism, more and more people had been coming. "Before, in this place, the young people all ran off to other places, and only the elderly and children were left. Now it's good — the Red Exhibition Hall has visitors all year round, and on weekends there are work units organizing team-building activities and schools bringing students here for study tours."

Sister Xiao turned over the bright red chilies as she spoke: "The government has turned the red resources into a 'gas station' for rural revitalization (乡村振兴的加油站), and we common folks benefit too. I set up a small stall at my doorstep, selling some local specialties, and I can earn eighty or a hundred yuan a day. Several other families in the village have started agritainment, and during the peak season they can't keep up with the demand."

I asked her, besides tourism, what other industries did the village have? She pointed to the greenhouses in the distance: "Look at that stretch — those are the village's family farms and cooperatives, growing chili peppers, eggplants, watermelons — green and pollution-free — and they've also set up an e-commerce platform, selling them all the way to Changsha and Guangzhou online."

By noon, the sun was already scorching. I walked to the village cultural square, looking for a shady spot to rest. The square was not large, but it had complete facilities — a basketball court, fitness equipment, a cultural stage, all present. Under several large camphor trees, a stone table and stone stools had been wiped clean; two elderly men were playing chess, surrounded by a circle of spectators.

I went over to watch the fun. One of the elderly men watching the game invited me to sit down and handed me a palm-leaf fan: "Hot, aren't you? Fan yourself." I thanked him and chatted with him. The elderly man's surname was Pan (潘); he had lived in the village for over seventy years and had witnessed firsthand the entire process by which Mugua Bridge Village went from "晴天一身灰，雨天一身泥 (qíng tiān yī shēn huī, yǔ tiān yī shēn ní - 'fine day a body full of dust, rainy day a body full of mud')" to "roads open, lights bright, square wide."

"Before, it was pitch-black at night; you had to carry a flashlight when you went out. Now solar streetlights are installed at the door of every household. Every evening people dance in the square, not dispersing until after nine o'clock." Mr. Pan pointed to a speaker in the corner of the square: "That's for the square dancing. The other day the township organized a competition, and our village even won second prize..."

Standing on Mugua Bridge and looking around, on one side were stone tablets, old houses, and red relics, telling of the war-torn years of the past; on the other side were vegetable greenhouses, new-style houses, and a cultural square, displaying today's rural revitalization. This bridge, like a bond of time, tightly links history and the future together.

Before leaving, I met a few art students sketching in a pavilion at the bridgehead. They had set up their easels and were using their brushes to depict this ancient bridge. I asked one of the girls why she wanted to paint Mugua Bridge. She thought for a moment and said, "Because it has a soul. It's not just beautiful — it's the kind of beautiful that has a story."

Yes — a bridge with a story, a village with roots, and people full of vitality — when these are layered together, that is truly a fine landscape.

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Don't Run the Yellow Light (Jintai Reflections)

By: 周稀银

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The Return of the Lamp Bearer

By: 周质平

Since returning to China to give lectures in 1979, Ye Jiaying has spent half a lifetime rooted at Nankai University, and with the conviction that “the lotus seed, having a heart, should not die,” she has devoted her time to the transmission of classical poetry and its international dissemination. She constructed a 独树一帜 (dú shù yī zhì - “to set up a single banner,” to develop a distinctive school of one’s own) poetic system with “evocative response” (兴发感动) at its core, and both dissected the texture of poetry for countless students at the lectern and traveled to North American universities to teach Chinese classical literature, allowing Tang poems and Song lyrics to cross language barriers and reach deep into the hearts of overseas readers.

Reading Ye Jiaying’s written lectures and listening to her classroom talks, one can perceive that she is by no means a scholar who simply buries her head in piles of old papers, but a practitioner who confirms the value of poetry through her own life experience. The suffering brought by half a lifetime of displacement was gradually dissolved by the evocative power intrinsic to poetry; her insistence on the traditional method of chanting and recitation was in fact a way of awakening the aesthetic memory rooted in the sound and rhyme of the Chinese language. What she taught was never merely technical knowledge such as tonal patterns, allusions, and prosody, but rather guided people to observe the myriad forms of the world with a poetic heart and to lodge their inner distress in poetic meaning. The poetry education she advocated, having departed from the closed exegetical scholarship inside the academy, is a humanistic force that can enter everyday life, link the ancient and the modern, and also cross national boundaries and dissolve the estrangement between civilizations.

Poetry is a common spiritual carrier for all humankind. Ye Jiaying’s scholarly research and teaching provide a model that can be put into practice for this judgment. Her decades of lecturing across regions sufficiently prove that truly mature classical texts will not be blocked by language and region. If Chinese poetry is to go to the world, it is far from enough to stop at textual translation and superficial introduction. The core of dissemination lies in excavating, from the perspective of comparative literature, the common emotional substratum of mankind, and in manifesting, through equal dialogue among multiple civilizations, the unique spiritual characteristics of Chinese poetry education. And the premise for fulfilling this purpose is to first immerse oneself in the text and deeply experience the vital stirring within the poem; only after truly understanding the feelings and aspirations of the ancients can one leap beyond the text’s limitations and allow audiences from different cultural backgrounds to jointly experience the joys and sorrows within the poetry.

In the film Scooping Water, the Moon in Hand commemorating Ye Jiaying, there is an unforgettable scene: the Canadian winter, the vast white snowscape in the wilderness, set against shots of Ye Jiaying, in the Jialing Study Society (迦陵学社) on the Nankai campus, returning to her hometown to transmit the lamp. From blank emptiness with nothing to rely on, to returning again to the old garden; from drifting, to returning to the root — how wise was the old woman’s choice for the latter half of her life! What this film reveals is by no means only Ye Jiaying’s personal experiences, but even more the life memory shared by Chinese intellectuals of the twentieth century.

Ye Jiaying has the verses, “What plan does a scholar have to serve his country? / Unforgettable are the souls of the Book of Songs, the Li Sao, Li Bai, and Du Fu.” May all friends who love classical Chinese poetry take the classics as a boat and recitation as a medium, continue to transmit and exalt the classical literary lineage, and let Chinese poetry cross mountains and seas to reach a broader world.

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Photo Report

The Chinese painting Banana and Peony, by Zhao Mengzhu (赵孟朱), in the collection of the Liaoning Provincial Museum (辽宁省博物馆).

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Lingnan Folds

By: 冯 娜

Pingtan at dusk, a ripe plant root
Earlier, someone was hawking at Gulong Market
A dream that has tossed and turned for many years
— that person of bamboo staff and straw sandals
once plucked the summer of Lingnan

The most muggy day of the year
In the distance, salt pans pickle time
I long for the compound eyes of a pair of dragonflies
to pass through the hills of Qiuchang, Aotou, and Xiachong

Let countless seeds dilute the heavy weather
Let denser lines of verse roll up wind and waves
You and I,
whispering in some interleaf of the South
For those who spend their whole lives on the road
paint a comma for them
Those ridges, post stations, academies
Those crops, oysters, crape myrtle flowers
Those horses covering hundreds of li a day
carrying lychees and the sound of water among mountain gullies and ravines

— Too distant, too dense the rain
melts into some folded page
The person writing furiously flings a hand
an ink dot, in the sky of white space
pauses for a moment

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Rich Family Mud

By: 江月卫

Carrying mud into someone else’s home on your shoes and dirtying the floor is supposed to be quite an awkward thing, but the villagers instead call it “rich-family mud” and warmly take your hand saying, “Sit, sit, sit, sit on the fire bench, this is rich-family mud, it’s bringing fortune to my home!”

From the mop hung outside the host’s door, you can tell they still care about cleanliness. Especially the fire bench boards that have been varnished — the yellow wood grain is clearly visible, shiny enough to reflect a person. The wooden walls all around are spotless, decorated with pictures of abundant harvests and longevity, and the whole room radiates harmony and warmth. A shoeful of mud brought into someone’s home is like a blot of ink on white paper — how could it not matter? Yet the host deliberately insists on calling it a good thing — it’s just being polite and comforting others.

Everyone can say comforting words, but when the villagers say them, they are especially fitting and sound especially pleasant. For instance, if you accidentally break a bowl in someone’s home, they will say, “Break and send out! Break and send out! A good break — it will bring my family sons and grandsons.” If a child falls down and hurts himself, his teeth bared in pain, the adult will stroke the sore spot and comfort him, saying, “If it hurts when you fall, you grow fast — you’ll shoot up tall in no time.” The tears that were about to flow are retracted. If your birthday is forgotten by everyone, they will later say, “It proves you’re liba (healthy) — that’s why nobody remembers.” You’re left with no temper at all. Even something as unlucky as going deaf gets the response, “Deaf people live long — being deaf is good…” The villagers have their own set of dialectics; no matter how bad the thing is, once it reaches their lips, they can always turn it around to find a good side.

Of course, some words are spoken in a mannerly way, but the sentiment is not genuine — they count only as a passing chat, just mouthing off. This too is a kind of wisdom among the villagers, adding a bit of amusement to an ordinary life. The one who was best at this kind of pleasant-faced talk was Fourth Aunt. When she went to market on the street twenty li from home and met an acquaintance, she would invite, “Come to my place for a visit — sit a while, have a cup of tea.” In those days when there were no vehicles, the twenty li of mountain road would take at least two hours on foot. Unless someone had urgent business, who would make a special trip to her home just to visit? Even funnier: if you happened to be passing right by her door, she would say, “I invited you inside to sit, but you say you’re busy.” Fourth Aunt’s pull and push — she was more Wang Xifeng than Wang Xifeng — purely polite routine, and all she got out of it was a bit of liveliness.

Only later did I understand that the villagers calling the mud brought into the home on shoes “rich-family mud” also has a history. In the early days, the village houses were made of wood, and the floors were not concrete. With shoes bringing in a little mud today and a little mud tomorrow, over the years and months, the floor would crust into fist-sized “lumps” that gradually “grew.” After a year or so, the household would scrape them off once and use them to plant melons and beans — the fertilizer effect was especially good. That mud had become fertilizer. Calling it “rich-family mud” is no exaggeration at all. The mud carried not just the soil from the fields, but also the imprints of days accumulated one by one.

In my eyes, the real rich-family mud in the village was by the mountain pond behind the stockade at Zhaibei (寨背). In those years, the village had no special products, the fields were limited in area, and the yields were not high. Fifth Uncle, who had been starving, said, “When we build houses in the countryside, how can we do without tiles? Let’s fire tiles and sell them!” The yellow clay soil behind the stockade was very sticky — it was good material for firing tiles. Soak it in water for two or three days, then dig and turn it over two or three times with a hoe. When the soil was thoroughly soaked, men and women, old and young, together with the plow oxen, took turns — they repeatedly trod and kneaded the yellow clay, just like kneading dough for steamed buns, to make the clay even stickier. This step was called “tempering the tile clay.”

It looks simple, but actually tempering tile clay is a very hard job. The yellow clay is so sticky that every step you take in it requires great effort; after just a few steps you are drenched in sweat. The villagers would scold children who couldn’t apply themselves to their studies: “Keep turning around in the same spot, no progress at all — just like tempering tile clay.” Only then did I understand that turning in the same spot is also exhausting — no wonder those repeat students didn’t want to study anymore. You had to keep treading until the clay was fully bonded and there were no hard particles left in it — only then was it properly tempered. The tempered tile clay was cut into long blocks, stacked in the shed, waiting to be put on the tile frame and shaped into tile blanks.

People from other villages saw this and were very envious, saying, “You really are sitting on land that yields gold — even mud can be sold for money.”

Fifth Uncle said proudly, “This yellow clay is useless for growing anything — everyone hates it — but each thing has its strong point. It can’t grow crops, but it has other uses — the key is how you use it.”

I have always remembered these words. Whether it is mud or a person, it’s not that they are useless — the key is where they are used. The dirty mud that was brought into the house on shoes, loathed by everyone, became “rich-family mud” in the eyes of the villagers. Those awkward, unpleasant matters turned into pleasant words on the villagers’ lips. The villagers made their simple, ordinary days rich and flavorful — this is something you cannot learn from books.

Nowadays, the village road and the paths leading to every household are all concrete — no more mud will be brought into others’ homes. The term “rich-family mud” may never be mentioned again in the future. The tiles are machine-made rock tiles or fiber tiles, and the work of tempering tile clay is probably no longer done by anyone. But sometimes, when I encounter an awkward situation, I still miss those warm, comforting words…

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Yangchun Noodles (Duoweizhai)

By: 肖德林

In yangchun noodles, the garlic flower is the soul. Some say the name is related to Emperor Qianlong, some say it is related to the October Little Yangchun, but I am more inclined to believe it is related to this green garlic.

Yangchun noodles make people drool also because of the fat oil, that is, lard. The snow-white lard, with its fragrant aroma, wraps around the tip of the tongue like mist, lingering for a long time without dispersing. Lard is the feathered garment of yangchun noodles, as if it can make a clump of noodles fly up and become a fairy in the soup. Lard allowed our once completely vegetarian days to produce a little bit of meaty flavor, giving rise to anticipation for fine food amidst barrenness—our taste buds were awakened.

Yangchun noodles are the reason I like this alley in the town. That noodle shop called "Dazhong" was at the corner of the small town, facing the street on all sides. The shopkeeper was busy behind the wooden window, bringing out steaming hot noodles, red a sauce red, green a fresh green; when placed on the table, occasionally a few drops of broth would splash. In my heart I was regretting it, but in my mouth saliva had already welled up, followed by the "shu-la" sound of eating noodles, with almost no time to mind those few spilled drops of broth.

By the time I went to school in the small town, that tempting "Dazhong" noodle shop had closed for some unknown reason. Fortunately, deeper in this alley, another noodle shop opened, run by two brothers. In winter, shrinking our necks, we stood in the cold wind waiting for noodles, our eyes only on the noodles floating in the hot soup, hoping they would enter the bowl a second earlier, afraid that one strand might be missing. The younger brother was quick and dexterous; he put the noodles into the pot, stirred them back and forth a few times with long bamboo chopsticks, and when the noodles floated up, he nimbly scooped them up with a small bamboo basket, coordinating chopsticks and basket, quickly placing them into the bowl, not forgetting to use the bamboo chopsticks to lift the noodles hanging outside the basket. Our eyes stared fixedly in "supervision"; he looked up and exchanged a smile with us. We thought the soy sauce put in was too little and the garlic flower insufficient, so we added and topped up ourselves; occasionally we could even stealthily pick up a few mang shrimp, but the lard was a fixed amount—if you wanted it, there was none. Because of the temptation of that bowl of noodles, we did not bother to wait for a reply and early began eating 地动山摇 (dì dòng shān yáo - "earth moves, mountains shake," with great force and noise). This bowl of noodles truly brought us warmth.

At that time, the college entrance exam advancement rate of our rural middle school was almost zero. We understood that in our hearts, but we were unwilling to admit defeat, always wanting to break through. Eating the noodles, we felt a kind of shame, because for us these noodles were already a kind of enjoyment, a kind of luxury, so we dared not be picky anymore; we finished them with a "hu-la-la" sound, quickly paid the money, and hurriedly slipped back to school. Returning to our seats, faced with a mountain of books and a sea of exercises, our hearts were nevertheless satisfied.

It was after I went to university in the northwest that I began to miss yangchun noodles.

Xi'an's flour-based foods are abundant, 名闻天下 (míng wén tiān xià - "name heard under heaven," known far and wide). After a long period of eating the bold and hearty wide noodles heavy with oil and spice, I missed the gentle and quiet yangchun noodles especially. But I searched the entire ancient city, never finding them once, and it became a heart ailment. Yangchun noodles carry homesickness, condense nostalgia, and hide the smoke and fire flavor of the stove in a humble alley. Following this flavor, the scent of the May wheat field and the floating and sinking figures in the noodle shop revive one by one.

Later, returning to my hometown, I often ate this bowl of noodles standing by the roadside. I also went to the old alley to look for the noodle shop run by the two brothers, but only found the dust-covered wooden shutter. Just as I was feeling disappointed, someone told me that noodle shop had long been upgraded to a big hotel on the new street. I went to look for it, and indeed.

The people of Lixiahe (里下河) not only turned the yangchun noodle shop into a big hotel, but also made exquisite packaging, forming a production line, so that it can be bought online from other places. Open the package, boil in water, add the ingredients, and the aromatic yangchun noodles are immediately on the table. Yangchun noodles not only comforted and nurtured us, but also injected new vitality into this land.

Yangchun noodles, you treat us with 恩重如山 (ēn zhòng rú shān - "favor heavy as a mountain," of immense kindness).

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Zhang Jian

Email for this section: dadi@peopledaily.cn

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