Summary: President Xi Jinping, presiding over a Politburo meeting on July 30, emphasized accelerating the development of a modern industrial system and advancing cutting-edge technologies to build new pillar industries. He reiterated the importance of anchoring the economy on the real economy, noting that China's complete industrial system provides strategic support for its resilience. Xi highlighted the need for technological innovation to lead industrial system upgrades, calling for high-level self-reliance in science and technology. He also stressed balancing the cultivation of new growth drivers with the transformation of traditional industries, cautioning against dismissing them as low-end. The article underscores Xi's guidance for regions to build industrial systems based on local resources, aiming for a robust and globally competitive industrial base.
Summary: President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to strengthen law enforcement supervision and rectify arbitrary fees, fines, inspections, and seizures to protect the lawful rights of private enterprises. The article reports that since 2025, China has rolled out nationwide "scan-to-enter" and "comprehensive one-time inspection" reforms, which have reduced total administrative inspections by 34% while increasing problem-detection rates by nearly 19 percentage points. Pilot areas like Pinghu and Yiwu have seen significant drops in industrial accidents and fire alerts, allowing firms to focus more on technology upgrades and market expansion. The Ministry of Justice, along with other agencies, has issued unified enforcement standards to resolve conflicts such as conflicting "open window vs. closed window" rules for safety versus pollution control. Over 330 regulatory measures have been introduced to create a stable, fair, and transparent legal environment for business operations, with a focus on long-term mechanisms for standardized enforcement.
Summary: The article reports on Yulin's green energy transition, highlighting a visit to Guoneng Yulin Chemical Co., where staff member Li Jiabao explained that hydrogen is produced using green electricity. Yulin officials, including Development and Reform Commission Director Cui Yuan, emphasized market-based energy consumption trading and technological innovations to reduce carbon emissions, such as capturing CO2 for oil recovery, as described by Yanchang Petroleum Research Institute Deputy Dean Liang Quansheng. The city is also advancing wind, solar, and hydrogen energy integration, with Party Secretary Zhang Shengli stating that Yulin is implementing Xi Jinping's directives on green transformation and carbon neutrality. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: A National Health Commission official outlined measures to improve grassroots healthcare quality, including remote diagnostics and expert referrals, to address public concerns about primary care reliability. Policies highlighted include extending specialist outpatient services to community clinics and enabling "grassroots exams, higher-level diagnoses" through integrated medical networks. Incentives such as priority specialist appointments, higher insurance reimbursement rates, and extended prescription durations aim to encourage community-based first visits. The official also noted expanded family doctor services and artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostic systems as additional safeguards for primary care. No reference was made to the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: On August 4, China successfully launched 23 low-orbit satellite internet satellites using a Long March 8A rocket from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site. The satellites entered their预定轨道 as planned. The article does not report any statements or actions by officials, nor does it mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The provided text lists article titles from a publication, including a comprehensive reading of Xi Jinping’s works, high-quality development as a hallmark of the new era, local explorations to solve industry problems, and a report on new employment groups becoming "legal liaisons." No specific official statements or U.S.-China relations are discussed.
Summary: President Xi Jinping emphasized that high-quality manufacturing is paramount to China's economic development. The article highlights three breakthroughs in nanotechnology driving this transformation: nano-molecular sieves boosting industrial catalysis efficiency and green production, nano-lithium iron phosphate enabling high-performance batteries for extreme cold, and nano-fiber membranes improving textiles' breathability and elasticity. These innovations, developed by Chinese companies like Sinocatalyst and Wanxiang A123, overcome foreign monopolies and scale from lab to mass production. Provincial policies in Liaoning, Zhejiang, and Shandong support these efforts as part of China's push toward advanced, intelligent, and green manufacturing.
Summary: The article explains that nanomanufacturing enables the design of materials with new properties at the atomic scale, such as gold nanoparticles exhibiting altered colors and catalytic activity. It highlights that China's lithium battery industry has benefited from these technologies, improving EV range and charging times. In 2024, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology designated nanomanufacturing as a key future direction alongside smart and biomanufacturing. The article notes China's competitive achievements in nanomaterials and calls for strengthening fundamental research and engineering to build a self-sufficient tech chain. It concludes that nanomanufacturing will help transform "Made in China" into "Created in China," driving future industrial development.
Summary: The article reports on Shanghai's efforts to bolster basic research, highlighting scientist Lin Hongxuan's work on heat-tolerant rice and Yuan Junying's team targeting Alzheimer's disease. It notes that Shanghai’s large-scale scientific facilities, such as the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, are increasingly open to enterprises, with user hours rising significantly. The piece also features Ding Xiaodong of the Shanghai Innovation Institute, who emphasized recruiting unconventional talent, and mathematician Shing-Tung Yau, who stressed using mathematics to address contemporary challenges. The article concludes that Shanghai’s basic research expenditure has risen to about 12% of total R&D spending in 2025, up from 7.94% in 2020, with a 3.2-fold increase in fiscal investment. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) is promoting electronic licenses to combat "ghost deliveries"—unlicensed, fake-location restaurants operating on food delivery platforms. A SAMR official stated that electronic licenses enable a shift from reactive complaints to proactive prevention, from manual checks to automated data verification, and from isolated enforcement to collaborative oversight involving platforms and consumers. The system uses facial recognition for authorization, coordinate comparisons to verify cooking locations, and real-time data sharing to block fraudulent or expired licenses. The official noted that SAMR recently fined seven platforms a total of 3.597 billion yuan for hosting ghost deliveries, and new regulations require platforms to verify merchant licenses every six months. The official emphasized that platforms failing to meet verification responsibilities will face severe penalties under the new enforcement standards.
Summary: The article reports that the 2026 Chinese Climbing League (Guiyang, Guizhou) opened on August 4, a two-day event. More than 150 athletes from 20 teams compete in men's and women's difficulty and speed climbing. The accompanying photo shows a men's speed final. The photo is credited to Long Jianrui via Xinhua. No officials or U.S.-related topics are mentioned.
Summary: The article reports international reactions to the Chinese Communist Party’s “correct view of performance” education campaign, which emphasizes people-centered development and long-term planning. Experts such as Yasser Habib Khan and Sergey Sanakoyev praise the campaign for reinforcing the Party’s commitment to serving the people and maintaining political clarity. The campaign is contrasted with Western short-termism, with Hassan Ragab noting its far-sighted governance wisdom needed to address global challenges. International observers, including those from Pakistan, Russia, and Egypt, view the initiative as a model for global parties, particularly in the Global South, to achieve sustainable development and shared prosperity.
Summary: The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added foreign-made power inverters and advanced robotics to a "covered list," effectively barring new models from the U.S. market. The article condemns this as discriminatory, unilateral bullying that disrupts economic rules and U.S.-China trade ties. It notes the FCC’s pattern of expanding restrictions since 2021, targeting Chinese telecom, drones, and routers, now extending to green tech and smart manufacturing. The piece argues such moves contradict the positive momentum in U.S.-China relations, including the May bilateral agreement on constructive strategic stability, and urges both sides to prioritize a “cooperation list” over contrived restrictions. It warns that protectionism harms global supply chains and U.S. competitiveness, while vowing Chinese countermeasures if Washington persists.
Summary: The article is written by Thailand's Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Interior, who argues that Thailand is adapting China's poverty reduction experience to its own context rather than copying it. He highlights China's success in eradicating absolute poverty through people-centered, systematic planning, precise targeting, and coordinated implementation across government levels. He notes China's approaches—such as rural industry development, modern agriculture, e-commerce, and job creation—offer useful lessons for Thailand's efforts to reduce regional disparities and build sustainable livelihoods. He also describes Thailand's use of data tools to identify poor households and stresses the need to translate policy into community-level results. He calls for deeper Thai-Chinese cooperation in poverty governance, rural revitalization, agriculture, digital empowerment, and training.
Summary: China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) has completed the Arba Minch Conference Resort project in Ethiopia, located in the tourist city of Arba Minch. The project covers 125 hectares with 25,300 square meters of built space, including a conference center, reception center, and guest rooms. Once operational, it is expected to significantly boost Ethiopia’s tourism industry and serve as a model for high-quality tourism infrastructure nationwide. The report includes no statements from officials or discussion of U.S.-China relations. The article credits Huang Weixin and Zhang Hongwei for photography.
Summary: China has sent its third batch of medical experts to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to assist with the Ebola outbreak, arriving in Kinshasa on August 1. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian confirmed the deployment while answering reporters' questions on August 4. He said the team includes specialists in epidemiology, health inspection, clinical treatment, and pathogen laboratory testing, and will continue cooperation with Congolese authorities and international organizations. Lin noted that the Ebola epidemic is still spreading and that China is willing to keep providing support to African countries within its capacity.
Summary: The article reports on the 2026 China Soong Ching Ling Foundation "Cultural Little Ambassadors" exchange program, held in Beijing and Anhui with 45 youth from 25 countries. Participants, such as Jingtian from Nepal and Lin An from Romania, visited the Great Wall, recited Chinese poetry, and explored technological innovations at the Anhui Innovation Hall. They also experienced traditional Chinese medicine at Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, with Stepan from Russia marveling at surgical robots and health diagnostic tools. The program included a fashion show and cultural performances, fostering friendships, as exemplified by Chen Muyang from Henan and Sara Fuentes from Spain. Since 2021, the initiative has engaged over 1,700 youth from 70 countries to promote international people-to-people exchange.
Summary: The article reports that Algeria's western railway mining line, Africa's first desert heavy-haul railway, has begun construction of its communication, signal, and power systems. The 950-kilometer line includes a 575-kilometer section built by China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and a local firm, marking the largest Chinese-built infrastructure project in Algeria. CRCC Algeria general manager Dong Lin stated the "three-electricity" project covers design, construction, and training for stations, signaling, and control centers. The railway, which started operations in February, is expected to transport 50 million tons of iron ore annually and support regional economic development.
Summary: The article reports on Beijing's campaign urging party cadres to engage in grassroots problem-solving, with officials like Li Shixin, deputy minister of the Beijing Party Committee Organization Department, emphasizing the need to address public concerns through on-site work. Examples include the long-delayed opening of the Qianhe Xilu bridge after 8 years of disuse, the renovation of a 1950s-era housing community in Chaoyang district led by deputy street director Guo Hongping, and the successful recognition of a taxi driver's missing pension years handled by Dongcheng District's HR bureau. The campaign also involved officials such as Li Junhui, head of the Beijing Transportation Commission, personally fielding 12345 hotline calls to resolve parking issues, and market regulation director Gao Niandong testing business registration processes to identify and fix bureaucratic bottlenecks. The article highlights that these efforts aim to improve service efficiency and strengthen party-people relations through direct engagement.
Summary: The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) reported that in the first half of 2026, 1,535 discipline inspection cadres were disciplined, including 59 at the bureau level and 356 at the county level. A total of 1,685 cases were filed, and 138 cadres were transferred to judicial authorities. The report also detailed the use of the "four forms" of oversight, with 5,999 cadres receiving criticism, education, or punishment. No U.S.-China relations were mentioned.
Summary: The article highlights that innovation in China can be both high-tech and small-scale, citing examples like a catwalk machine modification that cut work time from hours to minutes. It emphasizes that major breakthroughs (e.g., space missions) and minor improvements (e.g., smartphone accessibility upgrades) are equally valuable. A French columnist is quoted saying China’s innovation thrives in workshops through constant refinement. The piece argues for a pragmatic focus on tangible results over form, noting that innovations from “elephant-sized” state projects to “ant-sized” entrepreneurs all contribute. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The State Council has established an investigation and assessment team for the July 17 catastrophic landslide in Pengshui County, Chongqing, which caused heavy casualties. The team is led by the Ministry of Emergency Management and includes the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Public Security, and other agencies. On August 4, the team held its first plenary meeting, chaired by Wang Kun, head of the team and head of the China Earthquake Administration. The meeting began with a moment of silence for the victims and emphasized a thorough, science-based investigation into the disaster's causes and the response. No mention was made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: On August 4, 2026, China hosted a counter-terrorism seminar in Xinjiang, with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Xinjiang authorities, and Chinese think tanks alongside delegates from 24 countries including the UAE, Russia, and the African Union. Chinese representatives stated that global terrorism is resurgent, particularly pressuring the Global South, and framed President Xi Jinping’s initiatives as guiding principles for comprehensive counter-terrorism efforts. They emphasized multilateralism, capacity-building, and adherence to international law, offering to share China’s experience. Participants criticized “certain countries” for politicizing the terrorism label and pursuing geopolitical interests, an implicit reference to the United States and U.S.-China tensions. Foreign guests praised Xinjiang’s counter-terrorism and de-radicalization record, expressing interest in deeper cooperation.
Summary: The Jingmen City Women's Federation, in collaboration with several public welfare organizations, launched a summer study tour for rural children in Hubei Province, featuring activities in nature science, handicrafts, and charity. The program aims to broaden children's horizons and enrich their holiday experience. The article includes a photo of volunteers engaging in interactive games with children at the Jingmen Garden Expo on August 2. No mention is made of any official statements, accompanying figures, or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The China Meteorological Administration announced that two to three typhoons are expected to make landfall or significantly affect China in August, with Typhoon "Baihaitun" possibly impacting the Yangtze River estuary to northern Fujian around August 9. The Ministry of Water Resources and China Meteorological Administration issued an orange mountain flood warning, while the ministry sent targeted alerts to 14 provinces including Heilongjiang, Henan, and Sichuan. Heilongjiang experienced its 2026 No. 1 flood on the Hulan River. The National Disaster Reduction Commission activated a Level IV response for Heilongjiang's severe flooding, and the Ministry of Emergency Management dispatched a working group to assess damage.
Summary: The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) announced it has allocated an additional 300 million yuan from the central budget for post-disaster recovery in Liaoning and Jilin provinces, following an initial 60 million yuan in mid-July. A separate 50 million yuan was also allocated for Heilongjiang province, which recently experienced flooding due to heavy rainfall. The funds are intended to restore damaged infrastructure, including roads and water facilities, as well as public services like schools and hospitals. No mention was made of United States or U.S.-China relations in the report.
Summary: The article reports from a routine press conference by the China Insurance Association, detailing the industry's response to recent natural disasters. Since May, heavy rainfall, typhoons, and other events have caused urban flooding, reservoir breaches, and landslides in regions including Guangxi, Hubei, and Gansu. The insurance sector activated emergency mechanisms and implemented service measures to handle the disasters. For 20 provinces affected by floods, typhoons, and earthquakes, insurers have received 533,000 claims with estimated losses of 11.05 billion yuan. Payouts for rainstorm, flood, and typhoon disasters have reached 5.21 billion yuan.
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Summary: The article reports that China's service sector has seen significant growth in the first half of the year, with added value reaching 41.4 trillion yuan and outpacing overall economic growth. It highlights President Xi Jinping's April instruction to expand and improve the service sector through demand-driven, reform-focused, technological, and open approaches. The State Council has set a target for total service sector output to reach 100 trillion yuan by 2030. The piece emphasizes the sector's role in supporting industry, enhancing people's livelihoods, creating new jobs, and driving consumption, particularly through tourism and leisure services.
Summary: The article reports that 576 state-owned Chinese performing arts troupes have joined major short-video platforms as of May, hosting over 1 million live-streaming sessions to bring traditional performances to online audiences. It highlights how digital technology has broken theater boundaries, with troupes like Jiangsu Opera and Dance Theater and Zhejiang Song and Dance Theater adapting works such as *Ink Jiangnan* for vertical screens. The initiative has boosted offline ticket sales; for example, Shaanxi Opera and Dance Theater saw a 10% increase, while Jiangsu Opera and Dance Theater sold out its May Day holiday tickets. The piece also notes regulatory warnings from the Cyberspace Administration of China and the China Association of Performing Arts against lowbrow content and excessive tipping in these "group streams." Ultimately, it frames the shift from street theater to livestreams as a continuation of the enduring bond between art and the people.
Summary: The article discusses the renewed public attention in China on a bronze statue of an elderly scavenger reading at Hangzhou Library, modeled after retired teacher Wei Sihao, who used his modest income to secretly fund poor students. It highlights the library’s past defense of equal reading rights for all, including scavengers, against public complaints. The statue, crowdfunded by citizens, is a tribute to Wei and other humble readers. The commentary reflects on enduring values of compassion, social inclusivity, and the importance of reading as a remedy for modern distractions. It also implicitly addresses fairness and opportunity in Chinese society, without direct mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports that small theaters in commercial districts and tourist attractions, along with culturally themed concerts, are extending consumer spending and boosting urban tourism. Data from the China Association of Performing Arts shows that first-half box office revenue for commercial performances reached 30.408 billion yuan, up 9.41% year-on-year, and audience numbers grew 5.28% to 98.81 million. No officials, their statements, or U.S.-China relations are mentioned.
Summary: Chinese mathematician Deng Yu, a co-winner of the Fields Medal, also composes classical Chinese poetry, blending mathematical terms with traditional verse forms. On his personal website, he expresses a love for poetry, stories, puzzles, and other "beautiful and enchanting things," challenging stereotypes about scientists. The article argues that humanistic cultivation is essential for ensuring that technology serves ethical ends, positioning it as a "calibrator" for the benevolent use of science. It cites Chinese Academy of Sciences academician Li Jun, who stresses the growing need for humanistic spirit in the AI era. The piece ultimately frames technological progress as inseparable from moral and cultural refinement, a recurring theme in Chinese political discourse on education and innovation.
Summary: The article advocates for the principle of "seeking inward" (向内求), emphasizing diligent self-cultivation and perseverance over reliance on external tools or shortcuts. It cites Peking University professor Lou Yulie, Mencius, and examples such as Qi Baishi's painstaking study of painting and community worker Wu Yaqin's decades of grassroots service. The piece warns against the modern temptation of quick fixes and superficial learning in an era of abundant information and technology. It concludes that true mastery and resilience come from sustained inner focus and hard work, not from equipment or AI. No U.S. or U.S.-China relations are discussed.
Summary: The provided text is a call for submissions from the People's Daily opinion section, inviting readers to contribute to columns such as "Dajiatan," "Nuanwen Reping," "Zhongguo Daolu Zhongguo Meng," and "Lailun." It specifies that submissions should be sent to rmrbpl@peopledaily.cn and must note the column name, while cautioning against submitting the same piece to multiple outlets. No official statements, actions, or references to the United States or U.S.-China relations are present in the article.
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Summary: The article reports on China's new five-year plan (2026–2030) for legal education, which calls for cultivating "legal liaisons" from within new employment groups such as delivery riders, ride-hailing drivers, and livestreamers. These liaisons, deployed in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Hainan, provide peer-to-peer legal guidance and mediation, helping workers with issues like workplace injury claims and contract disputes. In Zhejiang, a legal liaison guided an injured rider through a streamlined compensation process, while in Jiangxi, a livestreamer liaison used a WeChat group to help a主播 avoid a huge penalty from a disputed contract. In Hainan's Haikou, a "rider home" legal station mediated a traffic accident dispute, reducing the payout from over 200,000 to 117,000 yuan covered by insurance. The Ministry of Justice and Propaganda Department aims to expand this program nationwide to improve legal services for precarious workers.
Summary: The article reports on the successful ecological restoration of Puzhehei Lake in Yunnan’s Qiubei County, where a "Party-building + ecological protection" model was implemented. Puzhehei Village Party Secretary and Village Committee Director Yang Weijun explained that the village established lake patrol zones with villagers serving as ecological rangers, and incorporated lake protection into village regulations. Under this initiative, household sewage and oil facilities were upgraded, and daily patrols are conducted to prevent pollution. The restored lake now attracts increasing numbers of tourists, with the village receiving 2.72 million visitors in 2025 and generating 1.5 billion yuan in tourism revenue. The article highlights how local ecological governance has transformed Puzhehei Lake from a polluted area into a driver of rural revitalization, turning "clear waters and green mountains" into economic benefits.
Summary: The fifth "Silk Road Goodwill Ambassadors" ceremony was held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, marking its first overseas edition. Chinese International Cultural Exchange Center Vice Chairman He Jianzhong and People's Daily Deputy Editor-in-Chief Xu Lijing delivered video speeches. Kyrgyz Deputy Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Policy Salken Sarnogoeva attended, along with 200 guests including the 10 groups of ambassadors from multiple countries. The event highlighted Belt and Road cooperation stories and featured a "Silk Road City: Shenzhen" launch. No mention was made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports that Suining County in Hunan Province has rich ancient architectural resources and has recently increased protective repairs to ancient villages, alleys, and residences. These efforts follow the principles of "restoring the old as it was, overall preservation, reasonable use, and continuation of cultural heritage." A photograph shows construction workers repairing an ancient building in Chenjia Village, Lixiqiao Town.
Summary: The All-China Federation of Trade Unions issued a notice on strengthening workplace safety and labor protection, urging union branches at all levels to play a supervisory role in preventing major accidents. It calls on unions to help enterprises identify safety hazards and establish reward mechanisms for workers who report risks. The notice also emphasizes intensified inspections in high-risk sectors such as mining, hazardous chemicals, and construction. Additionally, it requires unions to support oversight of labor-intensive enterprises, promote safety training and emergency drills, and encourage worker participation in safety initiatives. No reference is made to the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The Guizhou Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, along with seven other departments, issued an "AI + Manufacturing" implementation plan to integrate artificial intelligence into manufacturing, develop new productive forces, and drive high-quality industrialization. The plan sets phased goals: by end of 2026, to create notable AI application cases; by 2027, to build high-quality industry datasets; and by 2028, to develop large-model solutions with Guizhou characteristics and lead smart factories. It emphasizes strengthening computing power supply by leveraging the National Integrated Computing Power Network's Guizhou hub and building city-wide millisecond-level computing networks to support AI applications. No specific officials were quoted as accompanying the announcement, and the article does not discuss the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The Ministry of Education has issued the "Learning by Doing" Action Guide for science education in compulsory schools, set to roll out nationwide in primary and middle schools starting September. The guide emphasizes student-centered, interest-driven, and practice-oriented approaches to enhance scientific inquiry and transform educational methods. It aims to address "what to add and how to add" to science education by fostering curiosity, imagination, and exploration among students. The guide requires schools to design inquiry tasks based on local resources and interdisciplinary practices, integrating technology and humanities education. It also outlines requirements for curriculum planning, teaching methods, evaluation reforms, resource development, and social collaboration to ensure effective implementation.
Summary: The article reports on the 2026 "Xinjiang is a Good Place" intangible cultural heritage event held from July 30 to August 3 in Shihezi, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. It showcased 651 representative heritage items from 31 provinces and Xinjiang, featuring cross-regional performances like Zhejiang pipa with Xinjiang dombra and Beijing's traditional gowns with patterns referencing "five stars rise in the east." Guangdong's Yingge dance was performed with a Xinjiang school team formed through a Guangdong aid-Xinjiang program, highlighting cultural exchange. A first-of-its-kind interprovincial heritage train from Shandong to Xinjiang carried 13 inheritors across 7 provinces, engaging over 20,000 participants and generating 11.7 million yuan in consumption. The event also reported economic benefits, such as Henan's Anxiu embroidery training 3,300 women in Xinjiang with average monthly income increases of over 2,800 yuan, and Xinjiang celadon sales reaching nearly 2 million yuan.
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Summary: China's General Administration of Customs reported that in the first half of the year, exports of industrial robots rose 18.6% to 6.29 billion yuan, surgical robot exports surged 3.3 times, and combined exports of cleaning and smart bionic robots reached 18.09 billion yuan, making robots a representative "smart manufacturing export" product. New tariff codes were introduced for smart bionic and cleaning robots in 2026, providing these products with a dedicated international trade "identity card." The article notes that such tariff code additions reflect China's industrial upgrading from low-end processing to high-end, intelligent, and green manufacturing, as well as the deepening of high-level opening up. It argues that these changes signal the accelerated entry of "Made in China with Intelligence" products into global markets as part of new quality productive forces. The report does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Chinese robotics firms are experiencing a surge in global demand, with Pudu Robotics reporting that its factory production lines are fully booked until 2027 and export volumes already exceeding last year's total. Pudu CEO Zhang Tao stated that competition in service robots has shifted from price to quality, brand, and service, and that the company has established local offices and a network of over 1,000 agents worldwide. Meanwhile, CloudMinds assistant general manager Yao Hengyan noted that their quadruped robots are now operating in a Swiss nuclear power plant for high-risk patrols, with expanded cooperation already agreed. Shenzhen Customs reported that the city's robot exports surged 10.4 times year-on-year to 6.94 billion yuan in the first half of 2025, reaching over 110 countries. Hangzhou Customs also facilitated exports by streamlining hazardous goods documentation, helping Zhejiang province account for about 60% of China's intelligent robot exports.
Summary: China’s State Post Bureau released the “15th Five-Year Plan for Postal Industry Development” at a press conference, setting 2030 targets including 290 billion parcels, 88% on-time delivery for key routes within 72 hours, and 110 countries/regions covered by international express networks. Spokesperson Hu Kai highlighted progress in rural logistics, noting that 80% of administrative villages now have courier service stations and 219 demonstration projects support agricultural products reaching urban markets. He also emphasized digitalization, citing automated sorting, AI, and low-altitude drone delivery as key to transforming the industry. On competition, Hu pledged to curb “involutionary” price wars, improve compliance, and protect the rights of over 4 million couriers through better labor contracts and social insurance. The article does not discuss the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Farmers in Qiaocheng District, Bozhou, Anhui Province, are harvesting and drying over 300,000 mu of chili peppers during the summer harvest season. The photo, taken by Liu Qinli, shows farmers drying chilies in Youhe Village, Gucheng Town. No political figures or U.S.-China relations are mentioned.
Summary: The article reports on the peach industry upgrade in Chengdu’s Longquanyi District, detailing three steps: new early- and late-ripening varieties, standardized planting with smart greenhouses, and improved storage and transport including drones and cold storage. He Shunxiang, head of the district’s fruit technology station, explained that early- and late-season varieties allow differentiated competition and higher prices. Deputy bureau chief Wang Zhuangcai noted subsidies for orchard renovation, grafting, and cold-chain equipment. Almost 90% of peaches now undergo local processing before sale. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports that China's marine economy achieved steady growth in the first half of 2024, with a preliminary marine GDP of 5.5 trillion yuan, up 5.1% year-on-year. Key sectors such as offshore oil and gas production, shipbuilding, and marine transportation all saw increases, while marine engineering equipment orders surged 121.9%, capturing over 80% of the global market share. No official statements or accompanying figures were cited in the report.
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Summary: The article promotes Qujialing in Jingmen, Hubei, as a destination blending 5,000-year-old rice cultivation heritage with modern tourism, featuring archaeological sites, deer farming, local cuisine, and new high-speed rail access. It highlights the Qujialing National Archaeological Park, which reported a 20% year-on-year increase in visitors in 2025, and notes that the ongoing agricultural traditions and cultural industries aim to revive ancient civilization. No U.S. or U.S.-China relations are discussed.
Summary: The article reviews Xi Jinping's evolving theory of high-quality development as presented in volumes one through five of his works, detailing its progression from earlier concepts like the "new normal" and "new development philosophy" to the current focus on "new quality productive forces." It emphasizes that high-quality development is the primary task of Chinese modernization and must be guided by the people-centered, innovation-driven, and green transformation principles outlined by Xi. The piece highlights the practical achievements of this approach, including technological breakthroughs, green energy leadership, and improved living standards, while calling for continued reform, openness, and balanced growth. No U.S. topics or accompanying officials are mentioned.
Summary: The article, written by a professor at the Yunnan Provincial Party School, cites Xi Jinping's emphasis on building a modern tourism system and a tourism powerhouse to better serve people's lives, aligning with the "15th Five-Year Plan" call to develop cultural tourism. It argues that the "residence tourism" industry—an emerging sector blending tourism, wellness, and culture—can drive high-quality tourism growth while promoting urban-rural integration and rural income gains. To advance this sector, the author recommends leveraging local resource advantages, diversifying "residence tourism+" products such as health and wellness offerings, and improving service standards and infrastructure. It also urges policy support, financial innovation, and talent training to stimulate market participation and cultivate competitive enterprises.
Summary: The article reports on how Yuli County in Xinjiang addressed the problem of "unlimited local responsibility" by piloting county- and township-level duty lists that clarify which tasks belong to townships and which belong to higher-level departments. Under the previous system, townships were liable for tasks such as recovering excess elderly allowance payments after a recipient's death, which was difficult due to information gaps and often led to disputes and accountability pressure. The new lists reassign such tasks to the appropriate functional departments, establish cross-department data-sharing mechanisms, and improve coordination between townships and agencies. The reform also adjusts performance evaluation and accountability to match clearly defined duties, reducing burdens on grassroots officials and allowing them to focus on service delivery. The piece highlights implementation in Xingping Town, including village-level task lists and a village council system for solving residents' issues.
Summary: The article critiques the distortion of "territorial management" in China, where grassroots units face excessive burdens as higher levels shift responsibilities downward, creating a "small horse pulling a large cart" dynamic. It notes that the central government has repeatedly prohibited this practice and compiled a list of duties for townships and villages. The key to reform lies in implementing this list by adhering to the principle of aligning powers with responsibilities. Only by clearly defining grassroots tasks and rejecting inappropriate burdens can the system’s benefits be realized. No mention of U.S.-China relations or specific official statements appears in the text.
Summary: The article reports grassroots officials' complaints on the People's Daily “领导留言板” about “权责倒挂,” where local units are assigned tasks beyond their expertise—such as engineering supervision without proper qualifications—while specialized departments merely pass responsibilities downward. In community governance, officials note that functional departments offload all tasks to communities, which lack the capacity and legal authority to conduct professional inspections like safety checks. The officials propose establishing a clear “权责清单” to define which duties belong to specialized departments (those requiring professional skills or enforcement power) and which are auxiliary roles for grassroots units. The article highlights the need to address the “属地责任近似无限责任” problem but does not mention any specific accompanying officials or reference U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article, written by a Yichang City discipline inspection official, details how the commission improved oversight of school meal funds through price negotiation and a "digital cafeteria" monitoring platform. It describes a case where school staff and parents used market data and a real-time price platform to negotiate a lower price from a supplier. The commission investigated 33 typical cases and issued recommendations to the education bureau, establishing red lines for food cost ratios (≥60%), labor costs (≤30%), and fresh food proportion (≥75%). The digital platform now alerts authorities automatically when schools violate these standards, replacing manual audits. As a result, satisfaction with school meals in Yichang rose from below 70% to over 85%.
Summary: During the summer peak travel season, Beijing's ports are experiencing high passenger volumes, prompting border control to advise travelers to plan ahead, allow extra transit time, and check travel documents and destination entry policies. Special lanes have been set up for the elderly, children, pregnant women, disabled individuals, and urgent travelers. Authorities warn of four common scams: fraudulent low-cost tours or overseas volunteer recruitment, fake high-paying overseas job offers, illegal currency exchange schemes, and phishing attacks using fake flight cancellation notifications. Travelers are urged to use official channels for travel, employment, and financial transactions, and to avoid sharing personal information with strangers.
Summary: The article reports on Fuzhou's efforts to boost consumption by improving the business environment, including streamlining approval processes for duty-free shops and simplifying consumer coupon procedures. A Canadian tourist praised the new downtown duty-free store, which allows mobile payments and "order in city, pick up at airport" service. The Fuzhou Commerce Bureau, accompanied by technical platforms and financial institutions, addressed merchant complaints by simplifying coupon redemption and coordinating with tax and customs authorities to expand tax refund services. As a result, the number of tax refund stores in Fuzhou increased 2.57 times year-on-year, and sales rose 54.05%. The article highlights a shift in cadre work style from businesses chasing officials to officials proactively solving problems on the ground.
Summary: The article reports on the 2026 Yi Torch Festival folk performance held in Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County, Yunnan, featuring cultural troupes from local ethnic societies. The event took place at the county’s Guomen Cultural Square, offering a festive cultural feast for residents and tourists. No officials are quoted, and no mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports that on August 3, a national conditions seminar for Hong Kong and Macau fire services opened in Guangzhou, with 60 participants attending a three-day program. Since 2023, the Hong Kong Fire Services Department has participated in eight such seminars, and this is the first joint training organized by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. The seminar aims to help participants understand national development and strengthen Greater Bay Area消防救援 cooperation. No U.S. or U.S.-China relations were mentioned.
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Summary: The article, framed within the "Healthy China" initiative, reports on expert advice for safe weight management during the hot season. Liu Peng, director of clinical nutrition at Peking University People's Hospital, warned that "clean" ingredient labels can be misleading and emphasized reading nutrition facts to avoid hidden sugars, fats, and trans fats. Zhang Zhen, a bariatric surgeon at Anhui Medical University First Affiliated Hospital, cautioned against extreme dieting and over-exercising, which can trigger metabolic damage and rhabdomyolysis. Deng Datong, an endocrinologist at the same hospital, specifically warned against the misuse of GLP-1 "weight-loss injections" like semaglutide, stressing they are only for patients meeting strict BMI and comorbidity criteria. The piece underscores that no shortcuts exist for weight loss, advocating gradual lifestyle changes under medical supervision.
Summary: The China Consumer Association and the Market Regulation Institute issued a warning about deceptive medical advertisements circulating through private channels like WeChat groups and enterprise WeChat. These ads, often using medical professionals as endorsers, falsely claim disease prevention or treatment functions, but the products are actually supplements or ordinary food. The ads employ temporary links, offline giveaways, and pseudo-health lectures to evade regulation and commit consumer fraud. The agencies reminded that such practices violate China's Advertising Law, which prohibits unapproved medical claims and endorsements. They urged consumers to verify product licenses, use formal transaction channels, and report fraud to authorities.
Summary: The article reports that on August 1, 2008, China launched its first high-speed railway with a design speed of 350 km/h—the Beijing-Tianjin intercity line. Over 18 years, daily train pairs increased from 47 to 123, headways dropped from 15 minutes to 3 minutes, and daily ridership rose from 49,000 to 220,000, with total passenger volume exceeding 570 million. The high-density, transit-style operation continues to shorten the travel time between the two cities, facilitating commuting, family visits, and leisure travel for residents. No officials or their accompanying persons were mentioned in the report.
Summary: The article reports that Guangxi has released a plan to establish a long-term care insurance system by the end of 2028, prioritizing severely disabled individuals to address the "one disabled, whole family unbalanced" social issue. The system will adopt a benchmark contribution rate of 0.3%, with exemptions for unemployed minors and subsidies for low-income groups. Payment is made via services rather than cash, with reimbursement rates of roughly 50% for residents and 70% for employees (including retirees). No mention is made of any specific official or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports that on July 23, the Blue Sky Rescue Team in Wanning, Hainan, rescued a 21-year-old tourist caught in a rip current, with team members Wen Shaowei, Wang Chengwei, and Chen Yepin using jet skis to bring him ashore in five minutes. It notes that since July, the team has saved multiple drowning victims in the area. In an extended section, Wanning Blue Sky Rescue Team captain Liu Jiao warns that most coastal drowning incidents involve rip currents, which are narrow, fast-moving channels that can pull swimmers offshore. Liu advises tourists to swim only in designated areas, avoid unfamiliar waters, and if caught in a rip current, to stay calm, float, and swim parallel to the shore rather than against the current. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports that new "Guangdong-Macau Social Security One-Stop Windows" have been added in Zhuhai, Foshan, and Shenzhen, bringing the total to 18 service points in Guangdong Province, facilitating Macau residents' access to cross-border social security services. These windows allow Macau residents to process both Guangdong's social security services and, with guidance, Macau's services via the "One Account" platform. Since June, the windows have also begun accepting applications for "Guangdong-Macau Elderly Care+," further enriching cross-border social security offerings. A representative of the Macau Social Security Fund stated that they will continue close cooperation with Guangdong authorities to deepen the window's development and expand the service city network. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
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Summary: The article reports that Yanchang Petroleum, a major Chinese energy firm, began constructing a million-tonne integrated CCUS project in Shaanxi in June, the first of its kind on the Loess Plateau. The project features a 146-kilometer CO2 pipeline, the longest in western China, and aims to capture, transport, and store CO2 while enhancing oil recovery. Yanchang Petroleum has also pursued multiple decarbonization strategies, including coal-to-gas conversion, afforestation, and "carbon-hydrogen complementarity" to reduce emissions across its operations. Notably, the company's earlier CCUS achievements were recognized in the 2015 U.S.-China Joint Presidential Statement on Climate Change. The firm plans to scale up to a 10-million-tonne CCUS cluster, supporting long-term oilfield stability and green transition in the Ordos Basin.
Summary: The article reports on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in Wuyishan National Park, highlighting the discovery of new species such as the Wuyi forest frog by researcher Wu Yanqing and his team. Zhou Yan, a monitoring section chief, noted that improved habitat quality from resource protection and ecological restoration has led to 62 new species since 2016. Village officials including Wang Kunwu and Zhan Baoshan described the success of ecological tea gardens, which have raised tea quality and prices by 20% through green planting methods. The park has also established a "Ring Belt" buffer zone to prevent isolation and promote eco-tourism, including a zero-carbon 5A scenic area. No mention of the United States or U.S.-China relations appears in the article.
Summary: China’s Ministry of Natural Resources announced the issuance of the “15th Five-Year” national implementation plan for geological disaster prevention, designating 21 key prevention zones across the country. The plan targets landslide, collapse, mudslide, ground subsidence, and fissure risks, covering roughly 325,000 square kilometers. It outlines major tasks including dynamic surveys, remote sensing identification, monitoring and early warning systems, engineering controls, and relocation of 50,000 households from high-risk areas. A ministry official said the main focus has shifted from “enhancing disaster prevention capacity and reducing risk” to “strengthening climate change response capacity and reducing risk,” emphasizing proactive adaptation to extreme weather. The article does not address U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Jingpai, a Chinese liquor and health products company, is advancing its green transformation under the national "dual carbon" goals. On July 15, 2026, the firm held a supplier conference and signed a low-carbon and green manufacturing initiative with 96 partners to build a green supply chain. The company has reduced bottle weight by 50 grams over 18 years and cut carbon footprint by over 36% on its Maopu herbal wine. Jingpai has achieved 100% harmless treatment of solid waste, operates solar and biogas power plants, and aims to become a zero-carbon factory. It has also donated over 1.1 billion yuan for local ecological restoration and water supply projects in Hubei Province.
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Summary: Japan's 2025 national survey reveals a relative poverty rate of 15%, with 44.7% of single-parent families affected, and over a third of children in such families facing food insecurity during summer break. High inflation has exacerbated conditions, with 90% of surveyed households unable to afford adequate food and nearly 30% reducing children's meals. Experts note that Japan's reliance on income-based poverty metrics, lack of material deprivation indicators, and a societal "self-responsibility" culture hinder effective aid. The problem shows clear intergenerational transmission, with poverty linked to family breakdown, health issues, and limited educational and social opportunities. Analysts urge Japan to adopt better poverty indicators and targeted support to prevent vulnerable children from being further marginalized.
Summary: The article reports that the Philippines, under President Marcos, institutionalized the "New Fishermen Hero Program" in May 2025, sending fishing boats to provoke incidents near China's Huangyan Dao. It describes the program as political theater, with the government orchestrating media coverage and portraying fishermen as "national heroes" to frame China as a bully. The article criticizes this as exploiting vulnerable fishermen—whose poverty rate is 27.4%—for geopolitical gains while neglecting their real needs. It argues that such actions undermine regional stability and calls for dialogue to resolve South China Sea disputes.
Summary: Japan's 2026 Defense White Paper, reported by Defense Minister Koisumi, labels China as an "unprecedented maximum strategic challenge" to justify military expansion, including deployment of long-range missiles. South Korea protested the paper's renewed claim over Dokdo. Separately, 25 Democratic-led US states sued the US government over new tariffs on 60 countries under a "forced labor" pretext, arguing they are illegal and increase costs—a move that alludes to ongoing US-China trade tensions. Iran's President Pezeshkian denied resignation rumors, asserting unity with the military.
Summary: The article discusses Ethiopia's "Green Legacy Initiative," launched in 2019 to address climate change, environmental degradation, and food security. It highlights that the June-to-September rainy season is a key period for tree planting under the initiative. After several years, the program is generating widespread benefits for the country. No Chinese officials or U.S.-China relations are mentioned.
Summary: Mexico's wind power sector is rapidly expanding, with 76 wind farms across 16 states generating 8,131 MW, driven by rising energy demand from manufacturing growth linked to U.S. market proximity and the USMCA trade agreement. The article highlights that clean electricity has become critical for attracting foreign investment, especially in northern industrial hubs. Mexico's Energy Ministry plans to raise clean energy's share to 38% by 2030, focusing on wind, solar, and storage, while promoting mixed public-private partnerships for grid modernization. Mauricio Herrera, deputy director of the Mexican Wind Energy Association, stated that stable regulation offers significant investment potential, forecasting 13 new wind projects with $5-6 billion in investment by 2029. The development underscores Mexico's energy transition as a key factor in its manufacturing competitiveness, indirectly linked to U.S.-China supply chain adjustments.
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Summary: China's new 240-hour visa-free transit and improved tax-refund policies have boosted foreign tourist spending, with consumption expanding from core shopping areas to broader regions. In Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei, Party Secretary Chen Jiongwen reported daily foot traffic of 750,000, including over 8,000 foreigners, as the district shifts from electronics components to AI gadgets and smart devices. In Yiwu, merchants like Wu Liang noted rising foreign interest in original Chinese IP toys, while Zhu Xingping of Yiwu's global trade center highlighted the transformation from traditional goods to cultural and creative brands. In Dali, American tourist Joe Tortoriello engaged in cultural experiences like瓦猫 (tile cat) pottery, reflecting deeper cultural connections through immersive tourism. The article does not discuss the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article highlights China's growing appeal as a global consumption destination, with foreign tourists increasingly incorporating “Buy in China” into their itineraries. It cites that China's cross-border travel revenue reached $33.3 billion in the first half of 2026, a 36.8% year-on-year increase. The piece credits policy efforts since April 2025—such as improved tax refunds, visa-free entry, and payment convenience—for boosting inbound shopping and tourism. It argues that “Buy in China” serves as a national IP that integrates commerce, tourism, and culture, showcasing China's economic vitality and openness. The author, identified as the head of Central University of Finance and Economics' Cultural Economy Research Institute, frames the trend as a pathway for global consumers to share in China's development opportunities.
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Summary: The article reports on Shaanxi Yulin Energy Group's transformation from a traditional coal miner to a diversified energy firm, emphasizing its green mining techniques, clean coal power projects, and advanced coal chemical production. The company is building a "wind-solar-thermal-storage" integrated energy base to balance supply security with carbon reduction. It highlights the firm's role in the "Shaanxi power outward transmission" strategy, supplying electricity to northern and central China. No specific officials or U.S. relations are mentioned.
Summary: President Xi Jinping chaired a July 30 Politburo meeting emphasizing the need to leverage opportunities for high-quality development. The article compares China's rapid advancement in humanoid robots to the earlier electric vehicle industry, citing policy support, industrial ecosystem, and broad application scenarios as key drivers. It notes that China’s humanoid robot exports have exceeded 10,000 units to over 90 countries. The analysis highlights how strategic planning and complete supply chains enable China to replicate past successes in emerging technologies like 6G and quantum computing.
Summary: Chinese officials Li Huakun and Wang Qiong reported that China's prefabricated housing industry, using robotic assembly lines, produces modular buildings ten times faster than North American factories, with millimeter precision. They stated that these "super packages" are exported to Australia, North America, and the Middle East, reducing construction time by over 60% and costs by 10% compared to traditional methods. Wang Qiong highlighted that China Construction Hailong obtained Dubai's first MiC pre-approval, shifting from "benchmarking international standards" to "integrating into international standards." Li Huakun noted that while modular construction excels for hotels, apartments, and hospitals, it is not suitable for large-span structures. The article frames China's building exports as a comprehensive output of "products, standards, and brands," leveraging the world's most complete construction supply chain.
Summary: The article highlights Shanghai's Yangshan Port Phase IV, the world's largest single automated terminal, which has set global efficiency records with peak crane productivity exceeding 60 containers per hour. It credits a self-developed intelligent management system that coordinates 29 bridge cranes, 121 rail cranes, and 155 AGVs, boosting efficiency by about 30% over traditional modes, according to Wu Jilin of SIPG. Remote operators can control equipment from 30 kilometers away via an F5G optical network, while intelligent heavy trucks use a layered road system to ease traffic on the Donghai Bridge, noted Sun Hailong of Shanghai Deepwater Port International Logistics. In 2025, throughput surpassed 8 million TEUs, and the first half of this year set a record of 15.194 million TEUs, up 8.1% year-on-year. The port is expanding with the Xiaoyangshan North operation area, adding 6,100 meters of coastline—equivalent to a new Yangshan port—with its western section expected to begin trial operations by the end of this year.
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Summary: The article reports on several "15th Five-Year" special plans—including those for tourism, consumption, sports, and health—which aim to boost consumption by meeting rising demand for quality services like wellness, leisure, and cultural experiences. It notes that service consumption is growing faster than goods consumption, and the plans emphasize integrating AI, tourism, sports, and health to create new consumption scenarios. The article highlights that consumer spending is shifting from survival to quality, with green, smart, and healthy goods seeing strong growth. It concludes that these policies will leverage China's vast market advantages and solidify consumption as the primary economic driver. No U.S.-related content was mentioned.
Summary: The article highlights the revival of the historic Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory in Anhui’s Shexian County, a national intangible cultural heritage site, through its shift from traditional production to an immersive tourism and study-tour model. Factory director Zhou Meihong, a national representative inheritor of ink-making技艺, emphasized the importance of preserving ancient techniques while innovating to survive, noting that he resisted selling the factory during tough times. His son Zhou Jian, head of product development, drove the transformation starting in 2014, opening workshops to visitors and launching live-stream sales, which now generate over 20 million yuan annually. The factory has adapted by introducing youth-friendly文创 products, such as zodiac-themed ink sticks, and collaborates with over 50 study-tour agencies nationwide, attracting 190,000 visitors in 2025. Zhou Meihong called for government support to unite traditional brands nationwide, aiming to bring heritage products to global markets amid rising inbound tourism.
Summary: Shandong Province improved its consumer goods trade-in program after audit findings revealed hidden local registration barriers, insufficient subsidy targeting for mid-to-high-end new energy vehicles, and delayed payment cycles. The Shandong Audit Office and Commerce Department collaborated to remove these obstacles, introducing measures such as eliminating local registration requirements, adopting a "pay first, audit later" subsidy model, and implementing tiered car subsidies. Provincial Audit Office Director Guo Xiaoyong stated they will continue auditing to ensure policy benefits reach consumers. As a result, from January to July, Shandong processed over 13 million trade-in subsidy applications, driving sales exceeding 104.8 billion yuan.
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Summary: Dongfeng's Yipai M8, a large six-seat SUV targeting multi-member family travel, launched with a limited-time price starting at 169,800 yuan and multiple purchase benefits. The vehicle emphasizes a "Huapai Gold Standard" with balanced space, comfort, intelligence, and safety, featuring standard Huawei Qiankun smart driving and HarmonyOS cabin systems. It offers pure electric and extended-range versions with 4C fast charging, aiming to shift the market from configuration competition to value competition. The M8 has received 12 certifications from CATARC covering battery safety, intelligent safety, and cabin health, including extreme tests like water wading and side crush. Dongfeng also provides lifetime warranty for the vehicle and three-electric system for first non-commercial owners, underscoring its commitment to long-term quality.
Summary: The article is a personal narrative about potato farming, describing the author's experience digging potatoes on a cloudy day and reflecting on traditional intercropping with corn, soil conditions, and harvesting techniques. It includes nostalgic memories of childhood labor, a visit to Dingxi where the best potatoes grow in gravelly soil, and a friend's remark on the potatoes' appearance. The piece contains no references to Chinese officials, political events, or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article is a reflective essay on the nature of writing and the independent life of words, arguing that words shape and even drag the writer along. It contends that a writer's environment and upbringing influence their diction, making style a product of lived experience. The piece cites Goethe, Qian Zhongshu, Ba Jin, and Borges to argue that great works possess an "essential spirit" that transcends imperfect words or readings. This essence lies in capturing the depth of life, the pulse of the era, and the nature of things, not in ornate language. Thus, true writers must be disciplined observers and recorders of reality, sacrificing verbal purity in pursuit of meaning.
Summary: The article is a poem celebrating railway construction workers, portraying their physical labor from dawn to dusk as they lay ballast, rails, and concrete. It highlights their sweat, calloused hands, and the pride they take in shaping new roads. Their conversations mix work plans with worries about their children and elderly parents at home. As dusk falls, they smile at the extending tracks, finding meaning not in poetry but in their labor. The poem ultimately presents their footprints along the rails as the truest form of expression and dedication.
Summary: No article was provided for summarization. The only text given is a caption for a painting: "Oil painting 'Scenery of Yangshuo Suburb' by Luo Erchun, collection of the National Art Museum of China." Please provide the article you would like summarized.
Summary: The article is a travelogue describing the author's visit to a rural snack shop, where they enjoy grilled tofu and potatoes while noting the quaint practice of using dried corn kernels to count consumption. The author initially misreads the shop's sign as "心安所" (place of peace) but later discovers it is actually "新安所," yet prefers the former for its emotional resonance. No political figures, official statements, or references to the United States or U.S.-China relations appear in the text.
Summary: The article is a nostalgic reflection on "jiao xie" (焦屑), a traditional toasted grain porridge from the water town of Yancheng, Jiangsu. It describes the local custom of eating this dish on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month and its role in childhood memories and daily life. The piece highlights how the region's agricultural abundance, including wheat and rice, supports this culinary tradition. It also notes the modern commercialization of jiao xie as a specialty convenience food. The article does not mention any political figures, official actions, or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Zhang, a team leader, and Hou, a political instructor, initiated a "red carpet" ceremony at their military academy using an old, borrowed cafeteria carpet to honor awardees. They explained the gesture aimed to make hardworking individuals visible, with Hou emphasizing not forgetting their roots. Accompanying each other, they personally presented sashes to recipients, including record-breaker Ni Xuan, who remarked the worn carpet felt "like coming home." The ceremony concluded with Hou inviting everyone to walk the carpet, symbolizing collective recognition. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article is a call for reader submissions to a People's Daily column, providing the email address dadi@peopledaily.cn. It specifies that submissions must be original, previously unpublished, and not sent to multiple outlets simultaneously. No officials or U.S.-China relations are mentioned.
By: 本报记者 刘志强 刘温馨
A modern industrial system is the material and technological foundation of a modern country, bearing on comprehensive national strength and on the national economy and people's livelihood.
On July 30, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The meeting pointed out: "Accelerate the building of a modern industrial system" "actively promote breakthroughs in frontier technologies and the development of future industries, focus on cultivating emerging pillar industries, and continue to promote the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries."
"In recent years, China's economy has braved winds and waves, maintaining strong resilience and vitality, with the strategic foundation being a complete industrial system." In the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan (十五五), General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly revealed the logic of development in the "first lesson of the year," emphasizing "building a modern industrial system in a solid and down-to-earth manner."
Since the beginning of the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has deeply grasped the general trend of a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, deeply analyzed the situation and tasks of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, made major strategic deployments for building a modern industrial system, and led the Chinese economy to consolidate its foundation and advance steadily.
Maintain strategic focus, "persist in placing the focus of economic development on the real economy."
The greatness of a major country must have the weight of a major country.
In April this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. The meeting analyzed and studied the current economic situation and economic work, pointing out "we must accelerate the building of a modern industrial system and maintain a reasonable proportion of manufacturing."
Look at one region. In April 2023, during his inspection tour in Guangdong, General Secretary Xi Jinping expressed deep hopes: "Chinese-style modernization cannot follow the path of diverting from the real to the virtual; it must accelerate the building of a modern industrial system supported by the real economy." Industries such as robots, drones, and integrated circuits are accelerating iteration. Guangdong "has always adhered to establishing the province through manufacturing," promoting the steady advancement of the real economy.
Look at the whole country. From the domestic large aircraft 一飞冲天 (yī fēi chōng tiān - "soar skyward in one flight," to achieve rapid success), to gathering the "three major pearls" of the shipbuilding industry, and "high-speed rail technology setting an international benchmark," climbing all the way, with 硕果累累 (shuò guǒ léi léi - "abundant fruits hang heavy," to yield many results). During the 14th Five-Year Plan (十四五) period, China's manufacturing value-added accounted for nearly 30% of the global total, with its scale ranking first in the world for 16 consecutive years.
The "15th Five-Year Plan" outline places "building a modern industrial system and consolidating and strengthening the foundation of the real economy" at the top of various strategic tasks.
"If the path is right, we must persist in walking it," accelerating the building of a manufacturing power, a quality power, an aerospace power, a transportation power, and a cyber power. China, which "started its business by relying on the real economy," will continue to rely on the real economy to move toward an even broader future.
Seize historical opportunities, "use scientific and technological innovation to lead the building of a modern industrial system."
Scientific and technological competition is becoming increasingly fierce; 不进则退 (bù jìn zé tuì - "if not advancing, then retreating," to be in a position of no progress means regression), and even slow advance means retreat. How does China build a modern industrial system and firmly grasp the initiative in development?
"Scientific and technological innovation is the strategic support for building a modern industrial system" "developing new quality productive forces (新质生产力) is an inevitable requirement for building a modern industrial system." General Secretary Xi Jinping creatively put forward the theory of new quality productive forces and made major deployments, guiding the whole country to "continue to do a good job of the great innovation."
In today's China, in a single day, thousands of invention patents are granted, over 1.5 billion chips are produced, and more than 40,000 new energy vehicles roll off the assembly line. Strengthen "strategic support," grasp "inevitable requirements," new quality productive forces are booming, and China in the new era is 日新月异 (rì xīn yuè yì - "new day by day, different month by month," to change rapidly), "becoming one of the fastest-rising countries in innovation capability."
"The situation urges people, but also presses people." At this year's Three Science and Technology Meetings (科技三会), the General Secretary again emphasized, "We must seize historical opportunities, meet the challenges of the times, and accelerate the promotion of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening." Every word is 字字千钧 (zì zì qiān jūn - "each word weighs a thousand jun," to be of great weight and significance), inspiring people to strive forward.
Grasp the scientific path, "must properly coordinate the relationship between cultivating new drivers and updating old drivers."
Liaoning Benxi Steel, Henan Luoyang Bearing, Shanxi Yangquan Valve — General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited these "old factories" many times, urging that "traditional industries must by no means be all regarded as 'low-end industries' or 'backward industries' and simply eliminated."
These earnest teachings embody a high degree of attention to the "basic foundation of economic growth and employment income," and contain prudent considerations for "promoting the smooth succession and transformation of old and new development drivers."
稳中求进 (wěn zhōng qiú jìn - "seek progress while maintaining stability," to advance steadily), 新故相推 (xīn gù xiāng tuī - "new and old promote each other," to replace the old with the new), the industrial physique becomes increasingly "robust": "achieve transformation and upgrading through scientific and technological innovation" — traditional industries such as steel, textiles, and shipbuilding are gaining vitality day by day; "seize the commanding heights of science, technology and industry" — emerging industries such as high-speed rail, photovoltaics, and new energy vehicles are leading the world, and future industries such as embodied intelligence, quantum communication, and brain-computer interfaces are 蓄势待发 (xù shì dài fā - "store up energy waiting to release," to be ready to take off).
Adhere to 求真务实 (qiú zhēn wù shí - "seek truth and be pragmatic," to be practical and realistic), "we must have both 雄心壮志 (xióng xīn zhuàng zhì - "great ambition and lofty aspiration," to have high ambitions) and actively seize positions for development, and at the same time base ourselves on reality and be good at differentiated development."
In recent years, during his inspection tours to localities, General Secretary Xi Jinping has instructed all regions to "base themselves on resource endowments and industrial foundations" to build a modern industrial system. In Xiong'an New Area, Hebei, he demanded "develop new quality productive forces 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - "adapt measures to local conditions," to suit actions to local circumstances) and cultivate a modern industrial system that suits the actual conditions of the new area"; when visiting Zhejiang, he encouraged "taking the lead in using scientific and technological innovation to shape new advantages in development"; in Ningxia, he pointed out the need to "精耕细作 (jīng gēng xì zuò - "intensive cultivation and meticulous work," to work carefully and intensively) and continuously develop" modern coal chemical industry and new materials industries, and so on...
These earnest entrustments have been transformed into development momentum. The three provinces and one city of the Yangtze River Delta optimize division of labor, and the robot "4-hour industrial circle" is accelerating formation; Qinghai deeply cultivates salt lake resources, and green low-carbon circular industries are gradually maturing; Shaodong City (邵东市) in Hunan deeply cultivates lighter products, with output accounting for about 70% of the global total... The industrial chain "meshes together," and each section 美美与共 (měi měi yǔ gòng - "each beauty shares with others," to allow diverse beauties to coexist and flourish), making the industrial foundation increasingly solid and resilient.
Real industry rejuvenates the country, 实干兴邦 (shí gàn xīng bāng - "hard work rejuvenates the nation," to revitalize the country through concrete efforts). "Building a modern industrial system and achieving an overall leap in the industrial system are important strategic tasks for the '15th Five-Year Plan' period." Continuously strengthen, improve, and expand the real economy, "step by step moving upward," China will in the modern economic tide "always maintain the role of a tide rider."
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 张 璁
Beep—
With a scan of the law enforcement code (执法码) on site, enterprises can see the inspection items, inspection standards, etc. 一目了然 (yī mù liǎo rán - "one glance, clear understanding," obvious at a glance).
In Zhejiang, "comprehensive single inspection" (综合查一次) and "show identification to enforce the law, show the code to conduct inspections" have become the norm for grassroots administrative law enforcement personnel when entering enterprises for inspection. Pinghu (平湖市) in Zhejiang, combining a refined portrait of enterprises, implements differentiated hierarchical and classified precision supervision, further clarifying the baseline of inspections and enterprise needs. Since 2025, the implementation rate of "comprehensive single inspection" in Pinghu has reached 83.06%, the number of production safety accidents in industrial and trade enterprises citywide has dropped by 50% year-on-year, and the number of fire alarm incidents involving enterprises has dropped by 33.3% year-on-year, effectively boosting confidence for enterprise development.
In Guangdong, a relevant responsible person from Shenzhen Guanxu Electronics (深圳冠旭电子) described the changes before and after "scan-code entry for enterprise inspections" (扫码入企): In the past, law enforcement departments conducted inspections separately, and enterprises frequently had to receive inspections, occupying a large amount of the company's manpower and material resources. Now the system automatically integrates inspection items; in many cases, joint inspections are conducted, and the frequency of inspections has noticeably decreased. Moreover, personnel from different law enforcement departments are present at the same time, informing the enterprise at once how to make corrections. Law enforcement has become more standardized, and enterprises can free up more energy for technological upgrades and market expansion.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must strengthen law enforcement supervision, intensively rectify arbitrary charges, arbitrary fines, arbitrary inspections, and arbitrary seizures, and effectively protect the legitimate rights and interests of private enterprises and private entrepreneurs in accordance with the law." The 15th Five-Year Plan outlines a deployment, specifying "establish a sound long-term mechanism for standardizing law enforcement involving enterprises."
Starting in May of this year, in accordance with the decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, the work of "scan-code entry for enterprise inspections" has been comprehensively promoted nationwide on the basis of pilot programs in various localities. Since the special action to standardize law enforcement involving enterprises began last year, various localities and departments have actively explored, carrying out "comprehensive single inspection," hierarchical and classified inspections, "scan-code entry for enterprise inspections," etc., forming effective experiences and practices. The total volume of administrative inspections dropped by 34% year-on-year, and the average rate of problem discovery increased by nearly 19 percentage points.
Tackling real problems with real toughness, addressing both symptoms and root causes — "标本兼治" (biāo běn jiān zhì - "treat both the symptoms and the root causes," address both surface and underlying issues), using the rigidity of the rule of law to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises.
Closely focusing on prominent law enforcement issues that enterprises strongly reflect, law enforcement supervision has "grown teeth": Guangyuan (广元市) in Sichuan fully inspected administrative penalty case files since 2024, strictly investigating problems of non-compliance with "two-line revenue and expenditure, separation of fines and remittances" (收支两条线、罚缴分离); Taizhou (台州市) in Zhejiang built a cloud-based shared warehouse, with the government uniformly managing materials involved in cases, eliminating the profit motive in law enforcement…
From improving and perfecting the normalized monitoring mechanism for abnormal growth of confiscated income, to establishing a rapid response mechanism for administrative law enforcement demands, to collaborating and coordinating with various oversight mechanisms, the error-correction function of administrative law enforcement supervision in various localities has been continuously strengthened, prescribing institutional "remedies" for complex and entrenched law enforcement problems.
Fewer burdens, more services — transforming concepts to improve regulatory effectiveness.
Worried that the hotel renovation plan might not comply with regulations, a responsible person of a hotel in Yiwu (义乌市), Zhejiang, submitted a request for "appointment-type" administrative guidance service in advance through the "Yiqitong" (义企通) platform.
Law enforcement personnel from the comprehensive law enforcement team soon arrived on site and, according to the appointment request, inspected key areas such as guest rooms, lobby, and dining areas one by one, and explained the latest policy requirements on the spot. "Problems were resolved in advance, so we can operate with greater peace of mind," said the hotel responsible person.
In Yiwu, enterprises have shifted from being "afraid of being penalized" in the past to "wanting guidance" now, reflecting a conceptual transformation in law enforcement involving enterprises from "finding problems" to "solving problems."
Doing "subtraction" on burdens — Hebei, Shanxi, Guangxi and other localities explore adopting off-site supervision (非现场监管) methods, using smart monitoring means such as online testing and big data analysis to effectively improve regulatory efficiency; doing "addition" on services — law enforcement departments such as ecology and environment strengthen the full-process law enforcement service of "proactive prevention beforehand, prudent consideration during the process, and corrective guidance afterward," with the law enforcement concept shifting from "single supervision" to "supervision plus service."
Unify standards, treat equally — use a single "yardstick" to unblock market "blockages."
During factory production, there is dust. The ecology and environment department requires "closing windows" to prevent pollution; the emergency management department requires "opening windows" for production safety. When grassroots law enforcement standards for entering enterprises "clash," what to do?
In April this year, the Ministry of Justice, together with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (生态环境部) and the Ministry of Emergency Management, issued the "Opinions on Correctly Understanding and Applying the Law Enforcement Standard of 'Opening or Closing Windows in Factory Production'," guiding grassroots units to apply law enforcement standards precisely and standardly, and pushing law enforcement supervision to strictly adhere to safety and ecological bottom lines.
"Inconsistent law enforcement standards and non-unified requirements" leave enterprises at a loss and also affect the construction of a unified national market. Continuing to issue opinions in a "small, fast, flexible" and "small-cut" manner to unify the "yardstick," so that enterprises and grassroots law enforcement are no longer 左右为难 (zuǒ yòu wéi nán - "left and right both difficult," in a dilemma); further improving the administrative discretion benchmark system, unifying the yardstick of government action, and treating all types of business entities equally… Since the special action to standardize law enforcement involving enterprises, various localities and departments have issued more than 330 institutional measures for standardizing law enforcement standards, "standardizing one standard, solving one type of problem, benefiting a batch of enterprises."
"Standardizing law enforcement involving enterprises is not something that can be achieved 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù - "one step and it's done," accomplished overnight) or 一劳永逸 (yī láo yǒng yì - "one effort, eternal ease," solved once and for all); it requires continuous optimization and improvement," said a relevant responsible person from the Ministry of Justice. With the rapid economic and social development, the people continuously raise new and higher requirements for administrative law enforcement. It is necessary to continue deeply promoting the construction of a long-term mechanism for standardizing law enforcement involving enterprises, and effectively create a stable, fair, transparent, and predictable rule-of-law environment for enterprise development.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 张 铁 贾丰丰
On the southern edge of the Mu Us Sandy Land, at the plant site of CHN Energy Yulin Chemical Co., Ltd. (国能榆林化工有限公司), a row of huge silver-white storage tanks stands. “What is stored in here is hydrogen we ‘produce’ using green electricity,” said Li Jiabao (李家宝), a staff member of the Planning and Development Department of CHN Energy Yulin Chemical Co., Ltd.
On the sandy land of Yulin City, Shaanxi Province, wind turbines stand in rows and photovoltaic panels stretch in patches; a steady stream of green electricity crosses the sand dunes and will produce green hydrogen through electrolysis of water; using low-carbon green hydrogen to replace high-carbon-emission gray hydrogen reduces emissions at the source for the downstream coal chemical industry. Wind, solar, hydrogen, and coal blend and coexist, becoming a microcosm of Yulin’s march toward green development.
In May 2023, when listening to the work report of the Shaanxi Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Promote the green transformation of the energy industry, and actively and steadily advance carbon peak and carbon neutrality (碳达峰碳中和).” In October of the same year, the National Development and Reform Commission and the National Energy Administration approved and agreed to carry out the creation of the Yulin Energy Revolution Innovation Demonstration Zone (榆林能源革命创新示范区).
Thoroughly implementing the important directive spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping, Yulin promotes the green and low-carbon transformation of its development model, writing a new chapter in the low-carbon development of a high-carbon city.
Improve mechanisms, use the market to reduce carbon.
On the Yulin City Smart Energy Comprehensive Management Platform, data jumps and curves fluctuate; the energy consumption situation of key energy-using units is 一目了然 (yī mù liǎo rán - “clear at a glance,” obvious at a single glance).
In 2022, Yulin took the lead in Shaanxi to pilot the launch of energy-use rights trading, establishing an online energy consumption monitoring platform, an energy-use rights trading platform, and an online carbon emission monitoring platform.
In the past, energy consumption indicators were a “big pot rice” and a “muddled account,” and enterprises lacked motivation for energy conservation; now, Yulin installs “energy consumption meters” for enterprises, establishes an energy-use budget management system, with “monthly monitoring, quarterly early warning, annual settlement.”
“Energy consumption indicators have become ‘scarce resources,’ forcing enterprises to 精打细算 (jīng dǎ xì suàn - “careful calculation and strict budgeting,” to be meticulous in planning and budgeting),” said Cui Yuan (崔渊), Director of the Yulin Municipal Development and Reform Commission (榆林市发展和改革委员会). Relying on the energy-use rights platform, Yulin has cumulatively transferred 1.275 million tons of standard coal energy consumption indicators, with a transaction amount of 52.23 million yuan.
Innovate means, use technology to reduce carbon.
Reducing carbon makes waste materials “transform.” At Shaanxi Jingyi Chemical Co., Ltd. (陕西精益化工有限公司), the “Jingyi oxygen-enriched dry distillation complete set of technology and equipment” is eye-catching. “This technology turns the waste gas emitted during the production of semi-coke (兰炭) from a low-end fuel into a high-end chemical raw material,” introduced Wang Zhi’ai (王志埃), deputy general manager of the company. A green and low-carbon industrial chain of “coal head, chemical tail, from black to white” has taken shape.
Coal gangue accounts for 61% of the total bulk solid waste in Yulin. At the Shaanxi Province Carbon-Based Solid Waste Resource Utilization Pilot Base (陕西省碳基固废资源化利用中试基地) located in Yuyang District (榆阳区), Yulin City, coal gangue is ground into fine powder by machines, and then “transformed” by microorganisms into ecological functional soil, recycled aggregate, and low-calorific-value coal. In the ecological functional soil test field outside the workshop, cucumbers and tomatoes are heavy with fruit.
Reducing carbon helps old wells gain “new life.” At the production front of Yanchang Petroleum Group (延长石油集团), a “carbon capture” action is underway: carbon dioxide that was once discharged into the atmosphere is captured and injected into underground oil reservoirs through a 146-kilometer-long pipeline. “This not only enhances the fluidity of crude oil, but also increases formation energy, achieving stable and increased crude oil production, and can also permanently store carbon dioxide underground,” said Liang Quansheng (梁全胜), deputy director of the Research Institute of Yanchang Petroleum Group. Currently, Yulin’s carbon dioxide capture, utilization, and storage scale reaches 1.3 million tons per year.
Multi-energy integration, reduce carbon at the source.
Not only coal, oil, and gas, but also wind, solar, and hydrogen. Yulin anchors on the “dual carbon” (双碳) goals, and promotes the integrated development of multiple energy sources.
A wind speed of 6.5 meters per second, 2,800 hours of sunshine per year… Dingbian County (定边县), Yulin City, has 得天独厚 (dé tiān dú hòu - “uniquely favored by nature,” exceptionally favorable) wind and solar resources. In the Baiyu Mountain area (白于山区), wind turbines are arrayed, and photovoltaic panels cover the ground. Currently, Yulin city has built 315 wind and solar power generation projects, with an installed capacity exceeding 24 million kilowatts, accounting for 43.1% of total installed power capacity, and in 2025, power generation exceeded 21.6 billion kilowatt-hours.
Building a hydrogen energy equipment manufacturing industrial park, creating a hydrogen heavy truck operation service scenario platform, the hydrogen-empowered zero-carbon smart energy center has been operating stably for over 4 years… Yulin invests 300 million yuan annually to make the first move in the development of the hydrogen energy industry, and a chain of hydrogen energy industry production, storage, transportation, refueling, and utilization is taking shape.
“Bear in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping’s earnest entrustment, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, Yulin strives to do a good job in carbon peak and carbon neutrality work, accumulating new momentum for high-quality development,” said Zhang Shengli (张胜利), Secretary of the Yulin Municipal Party Committee.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 白剑峰
Nowadays, people are getting medical care near home more and more conveniently, and the volume of diagnosis and treatment at primary-level medical and health institutions has remained above 50% of the national total. However, many people still have doubts: can they "get a good diagnosis and treatment" near home? Can the level of primary-level doctors be "trusted"?
The relevant departments have adopted multiple measures, taking the strengthening of the level of diagnosis and treatment of common diseases and chronic diseases at the primary level as the entry point, improving medical quality, and guiding the masses to seek initial diagnosis at the primary level. How can primary-level initial diagnosis achieve a transition from "having it" to "being excellent"? A reporter interviewed the relevant person in charge of the National Health Commission.
Can one "get a good diagnosis and treatment" near home
Reader concern: I often go to the community hospital to get medication and receive intravenous infusions, but I also worry whether I can get a proper diagnosis and treatment here.
Aunt Zhang, who lives in Lanzhou City, Gansu Province, has been feeling chest tightness recently, so she went to the nearby community health service center, where basic examinations such as electrocardiograms can be performed. The doctor quickly gave diagnosis and treatment recommendations, and at the same time connected with a higher-level hospital for review through a remote diagnosis and treatment platform.
The key to primary-level initial diagnosis is to firmly establish the bottom line of medical quality and safety, so that the masses are willing to come and feel at ease. In April, the General Office of the State Council issued the Several Measures on Accelerating the Construction of a Tiered Diagnosis and Treatment System (关于加快建设分级诊疗体系的若干措施), proposing to extend the general outpatient services of expert teams to primary-level medical and health institutions, and gradually increase the proportion of common disease and chronic disease consultations at the primary level.
Within a close-knit medical consortium (紧密型医联体), patients can promptly obtain professional diagnostic reports from higher-level hospitals for the medical examinations they undergo at primary-level medical and health institutions, truly realizing "examination at the primary level, diagnosis at the higher level."
Can the level of primary-level doctors be "trusted"
Reader concern: I am worried that primary-level doctors lack experience and may misdiagnose or miss diagnoses, delaying the illness. How is this problem solved?
In the tiered diagnosis and treatment system, the responsibilities of primary-level doctors and doctors in large hospitals have different emphases: primary-level doctors focus on the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases, frequently-occurring diseases, and chronic diseases, while doctors in large hospitals focus on treating difficult, critical, and severe illnesses.
Primary-level doctors are rooted in communities and villages for a long time, are more familiar with the living habits and health conditions of local residents, and have accumulated rich experience in the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. At the same time, primary-level doctors can also reasonably carry out referrals based on the condition, avoiding delays in treatment.
In recent years, China's physician training system has been continuously improved, and the gap in the level of medical talent between urban and rural areas has gradually narrowed. The establishment of the standardized training system for resident doctors has consolidated the professional foundation of primary-level doctors. Localities have also strengthened the primary-level medical team and routinely improved clinical practical ability through measures such as the targeted training of medical students and the Special Post Plan for General Practitioners (全科医生特岗计划).
At the same time, relying on AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment systems, the primary level can achieve intelligent screening such as electrocardiograms and imaging, obtain standardized medical decision-making support, and add another safety line for primary-level diagnosis and treatment.
What other benefits and convenience does choosing initial diagnosis at the primary level bring?
Reader concern: Besides the short distance, are services such as medication and medical insurance reimbursement more cost-effective when seeking medical care near home?
Primary-level medical institutions are nearby and convenient, and can also enjoy these practical benefits:
Priority reservation of higher-level expert appointments. For example, in Shanghai, 50% of the outpatient appointment slots of all secondary and tertiary hospitals are opened in advance to community health service centers. Signed residents can make appointments for expert outpatient services in the community, and can "prioritize consultation, prioritize examination, and prioritize hospitalization."
Medical insurance reimbursement is more cost-effective and medication is more convenient. The medical insurance reimbursement ratio for initial diagnosis at the primary level is high, and the deductible is low. Patients requiring long-term medication for stable conditions can be issued a long-term prescription of up to 12 weeks. Qualified primary-level medical institutions are included in the designated medical insurance points, and medical insurance cards can be settled directly. For insured patients referred from the primary level, the deductible for hospitalization in higher-level hospitals can be calculated continuously.
In addition, at the primary level, more and more family doctors can provide contracted services such as disease prevention and family hospital beds, and based on the needs of different groups, provide personalized and diversified contracted services, so that the masses can enjoy high-quality and convenient health services at their doorstep.
Return to TopWenchang, August 4 (People's Daily) -- (Reporter Dong Zeyang (董泽扬)) At 16:52 on the 4th, our country used the Long March 8A carrier rocket at the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site to successfully launch the satellite internet low-orbit 23-group satellites into space. The satellites smoothly entered the predetermined orbit, and the launch mission achieved complete success.
Return to TopTheory: A Thorough Reading of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, Volumes 1–5
High-Quality Development: The Distinctive Symbol of China's Development in the New Era
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Localities Explore Solutions to Industry Challenges
Record of "Legal Awareness Persons" (法律明白人) from New Employment Groups Taking Up Their Posts
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By: 本报记者 刘佳华 窦 皓 李 蕊
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry is the top priority of China's economic high-quality development.
Clothes that breathe without trapping sweat, personalized car deliveries that are fast, humanoid robots with many models—better product performance, higher production efficiency, stronger innovation vitality... In recent years, these changes in production and daily life reflect new trends such as nanomanufacturing, flexible manufacturing, and shared manufacturing. Starting today, this column launches the "Economic New Orientation · New Trends in Manufacturing" series of reports, using vivid practices from various localities to show the pulse of Chinese manufacturing's transition toward high-end, intelligent, and green development.
— Editor
Efficient and Environmentally Friendly
Industrial Catalysis Gains Nanopore Molecular Sieves
Under an electron microscope with 300,000x magnification, a small pinch of powder appears as orderly cubic crystals, layer upon layer, as if forming a skyscraper... In the laboratory of China Catalyst New Materials Co., Ltd. (中触媒新材料股份有限公司) in Dalian City, Liaoning Province's Puwan Economic Zone (普湾经济区), the company's Chief Engineer Jiang Shan (蒋山) and colleagues observe the state of the latest molecular sieve production on a monitor.
"Just one gram of this seemingly inconspicuous powder has an internal surface area equivalent to a standard football field, allowing raw materials to react fully within it," Jiang Shan explained. The nanopores inside the molecular sieve act like a precision sieve, permitting only molecules of a certain size to pass through; additionally, its adjustable acid centers can regulate reactions at the molecular level, achieving extremely efficient catalytic conversion.
This tiny powder can be called an efficiency "multiplier" for industrial manufacturing. The petrochemical industry, construction and automotive sectors, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and environmental protection processing all cannot do without it. "After a customer enterprise replaced its catalyst with molecular sieve catalysts, its revenue increased by 1 billion yuan in just over a year," Jiang Shan said. Previously, using ordinary metal oxides and other materials for industrial catalysis resulted in slow reactions, high energy consumption, and many byproducts, leading to problems such as large equipment, low efficiency, and high costs. Taking methanol-to-olefins as an example, after using molecular sieves, the conversion rate jumped from 70% to over 99.5%, and the reaction time was compressed from several hours to a few minutes.
This tiny powder is also a fresh force in the green transformation of industrial manufacturing, reshaping production processes and shortening process routes. For instance, using molecular sieves in propylene oxide production eliminates the need for the highly polluting chlorohydrin process, reducing energy consumption per ton of product by 30% to 50%. It can also treat exhaust gases with high humidity, high temperature, and complex components, greatly reducing pollution prevention and control costs for manufacturing enterprises.
Previously, the important structures, synthesis processes, and modification technologies for high-end nanopore molecular sieve products were monopolized by foreign countries for a long time. Domestic enterprises could not obtain complete process packages, and import prices were high, with long supply cycles. Starting in 2008, China Catalyst, together with research forces from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院大连化学物理所), Dalian University of Technology (大连理工大学), and others, worked hard to overcome this problem.
"Among the company's more than 800 employees, there are over 100 R&D personnel," Jiang Shan introduced. Day after day, they 攻坚克难 (gōng jiān kè nán - "assault the fortresses, overcome difficulties," to tackle tough problems) in the microscopic world, successively researching and producing multiple products with independent intellectual property rights.
On the path of tackling tough problems, China Catalyst is not 孤军奋战 (gū jūn fèn zhàn - "fight alone as an isolated army," to struggle without support). Dalian currently has more than 80 key new materials enterprises, covering high-quality steel materials, advanced nonferrous metal materials, new chemical materials, and other fields. They continue to break through key technologies, and many newly developed products have reached domestically leading or even internationally advanced levels.
Cold-Resistant with Long Lifespan
Battery Cells Use Nano Lithium Iron Phosphate
In the production workshop of Wanxiang 123 Co., Ltd. (万向一二三股份公司) in Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, rows of thin battery cells are coming off the production line in an orderly manner. After inspection, they will travel across the ocean to be embedded in the power systems of several internationally renowned automakers, becoming the "energy hearts" of millions of vehicles.
"Small body," big energy. High-power rapid charge and discharge, vehicle start-stop, energy recovery... Unlike conventional products, even at minus 35 degrees Celsius, this battery cell can still wake up the engine. This is thanks to the nano lithium iron phosphate technology developed by Wanxiang 123.
Slow charging in low-temperature environments was a challenge the battery industry once faced. Traditional lithium iron phosphate materials, limited by their olivine-type crystal structure, have low electronic conductivity and slow lithium-ion diffusion rates, like multiple low-speed vehicles crammed onto a rugged, narrow country road, moving slowly. Especially in low-temperature environments, lithium-ion activity plummets and speeds are slow, making it easy for "congestion" during fast charging. The rate performance and cold resistance of batteries were once difficult to improve.
Shrinking the crystals can effectively broaden the roads within them—this is the solution proposed by Wanxiang 123: adjusting the particle size of lithium iron phosphate from the submicron level to the nanometer scale, similar to building multiple wide highways inside the material for lithium ions, accelerating their diffusion, and thereby substantively improving the battery's rate performance, low-temperature behavior, and cycle life.
This "road" opened for lithium ions has been under construction for over 20 years. In the early 2000s, Wanxiang 123's parent company laid out the power battery track, and subsequently carried out systematic scientific research around material nanonization, providing emission reduction solutions for hybrid electric vehicles that balance cost and effect—without needing to 伤筋动骨 (shāng jīn dòng gǔ - "injure tendons and break bones," to cause major structural changes) the entire vehicle architecture, yet achieving a comprehensive fuel saving rate of over 20%.
Around 2017, Wanxiang 123, relying on its technological advantages, secured orders from multiple automakers and has since continued to advance technological iteration. Currently, the company's third-generation nano lithium iron phosphate material achieves particle size control at the 30-nanometer level. The cycle life of the battery cells under high-rate charge-discharge conditions can reach more than 10,000 cycles, and capacity degradation over the full life cycle is greatly reduced. Product applications have also expanded from the automotive field to drones and humanoid robots.
Today, this technological pathway born from the enterprise laboratory is being integrated into a larger industrial blueprint. In 2025, Zhejiang Province's new materials industry achieved revenue of 1.19 trillion yuan. It strives to enter the ranks of world-class new materials industry clusters by 2030, helping to drive the transformation and upgrading of manufacturing.
Breathable without Trapping Sweat
Clothes Are Attached with Nanofiber Membranes
When it comes to everyday dressing in autumn and winter, many people encounter this clothing dilemma: fleece sweaters are soft and breathable but easily penetrated by cold wind; ordinary windbreakers are windproof and waterproof but tend to trap sweat, making one feel wrapped in a plastic sheet.
Can the windproof and waterproof membrane on windbreakers be used on fleece sweaters? Traditional membranes lack elasticity and cannot withstand the stretching of fleece and other fabrics.
This pain point now has a solution. In the production workshop of Qingdao Surface Energy New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. (青岛表面能量新材料科技有限公司) in Qingdao High-tech Zone (青岛高新区), Shandong Province, rows of neatly arranged nozzles "spit out" nanofibers hundreds of times finer than a human hair. The fibers intertwine and stack, forming a highly porous three-dimensional network structure, ultimately weaving into a white membrane material several micrometers thick.
"The membrane material has an elastic elongation rate of over 200%. It is soft, conformable, and does not deform under stretching. It can be laminated onto cotton, polyester, nylon, and other fabrics," said the company's Deputy General Manager Wu Dawei (吴大伟). "Whether you want fleece to be more windproof, casual pants to be more waterproof, or a windbreaker to not trap sweat, this membrane material is essential."
This thin layer of membrane material has troubled the textile industry for many years: in the over 30 years since electrospinning technology was applied, it has been difficult to achieve industrial-scale mass production. Tens of thousands of nozzles work simultaneously, electric fields interfere with each other, the spinning trajectory is chaotic, and fiber formation is unstable.
"There was no ready-made experience at home or abroad, so we had to start from scratch," Wu Dawei recalled. The team rooted themselves in the workshop for four years, consulted thousands of cutting-edge papers, and conducted hundreds of experiments just on temperature and humidity control. They finally overcame the problem of "ten-thousand-nozzle interference," turning a few grams of nanoscale samples into a mass production line capable of producing tens of millions of meters. A project related to nanofiber materials in which the enterprise participated was selected as a key product by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) for 2025. In the first half of this year, the company achieved year-on-year revenue growth of 200% in the nanofiber membrane field, and annual sales orders are expected to exceed 10 million yuan.
Arduous tackling of difficulties has been supported by policy. Shandong Province vigorously promotes key technology breakthroughs and large-scale application implementation, formulating an action plan for technological innovation in the light industry and textile sectors, and listing "low-cost nanofiber large-scale preparation technology" as a key task. Qingdao High-tech Zone provides support in project construction, R&D assistance, and industrial supporting facilities, ensuring a full-chain guarantee from technological breakthrough to market transformation for enterprises.
"Releasing enormous energy in the invisible tiny spaces—that is the charm of nanomaterials," said the company's Deputy General Manager Lan Xia (蓝霞). "We will continue to deepen our work in frontier directions such as inorganic nanofibers, unidirectional thermal radiation materials, and new energy, continuously expand production capacity and application scenarios, and let the dividends of technological progress benefit the vast number of consumers."
Issue coordinator: Zhang Anyu (张安宇)
Return to TopBy: 赵 勇
Nanometer is a very small unit of length; one nanometer equals one billionth of a meter. If a small ball with a diameter of 1 nanometer were placed on a table tennis ball, it would be like placing a table tennis ball on the Earth. In such a microscopic world, scientists manipulate atoms and molecules to design and manufacture new materials and new devices with special properties — this is nanomanufacturing.
The change brought by nanomanufacturing is first of all a change in scale. When matter enters the nanometer scale, many materials we are familiar with exhibit completely different properties. For example, nanometer-sized gold particles can change color from red to purple and also show extremely strong catalytic activity. In the microscopic world, color does not come from the metallic luster of gold itself, but from quantum effects and surface effects at work. Simply put, after entering the nanometer world, materials are not just "made smaller," but also gain new capabilities.
Currently, nanomanufacturing has already achieved the design of new materials at the atomic and molecular scale, customizing properties such as energy storage, catalysis, corrosion resistance, and electrical conductivity on demand, breaking through the performance ceiling of traditional manufacturing. In the nanometer world, scientists can optimize the structure of electrode materials at a more microscopic scale, improving the material's conductivity, stability, and energy utilization efficiency. In recent years, China's lithium battery industry has developed rapidly. The breakthroughs and industrialization of nanomaterial technology have played an important role in improving the range of new energy vehicles and shortening charging time, enhancing the competitiveness of the new energy vehicle industry.
In 2024, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) and other departments listed nanomanufacturing as an important direction for future manufacturing, laying it out together with intelligent manufacturing, biomanufacturing, laser manufacturing, etc. Future industrial competition, to a certain extent, depends on who can create new materials and devices at a smaller scale.
In recent years, China's nanomanufacturing-related technologies have developed rapidly, forming a batch of internationally competitive achievements in fields such as nanomaterials, new energy materials, and display technologies. Looking toward the "15th Five-Year Plan" (十五五) and a longer period, China still needs to continuously strengthen basic research and engineering capability building in nanomanufacturing, promote the coordinated development of nanomaterials, manufacturing equipment, process technology, and industrial applications, form a proprietary technology chain of "nanomaterials—nanoprocess equipment—atomic-level manufacturing software," and upgrade the manufacturing paradigm from "nanometer-scale control" to "on-demand atom-by-atom creation," allowing more innovative achievements to move from the laboratory to the production line and into thousands of households.
The "world in a pot" (壶中天地) of one billionth of a meter contains a vast world little known to many. From a single battery, a single chip, to a future smarter, more efficient, and greener lifestyle, nanomanufacturing will help Chinese manufacturing move toward Chinese creation, explore the infinite possibilities of the microscopic world, and open up enormous space for future industrial development.
(The author is a professor at the School of Nanoscience and Materials Engineering, Henan University; this article was compiled from an interview by our reporter Zhao Shuaijie (赵帅杰).)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 张安宇 王崟欣
In summer, not only do people fear the heat, but rice also fears the heat, and it will reduce yield. Our research is to make rice heat-resistant. In Shanghai’s Xuhui District, a reporter met Lin Hongxuan (林鸿宣), an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a researcher at the Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院分子植物科学卓越创新中心), when he was observing rice growth in a stuffy artificial climate chamber.
We are simulating rice growth conditions under high temperatures here, Lin Hongxuan said while wiping sweat. He leads a team that extracted heat-resistant genes from African rice, and after 20 years of effort, has achieved reduced yield loss for specific rice varieties under high temperatures.
In the height of summer, walking through Shanghai, one can genuinely feel the action of strengthening basic research with greater effort and more concrete measures to enhance China’s original innovation capability, and feel the solid confidence surging here with vibrant scientific and creative energy.
Confidence comes from warming up the cold bench.
In Shanghai’s Zhangjiang, at the Interdisciplinary Research Center on Biology and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, there is also a team like Lin Hongxuan’s that aspires to warm up the cold bench.
Center Director Yuan Junying (袁钧瑛), since being invited to return to China in 2012 to lead the establishment of the center, has led the team to boldly venture into the no-man’s land of scientific research. From the moment we recruited group leaders, we targeted global difficult problems and strove to build an interdisciplinary, coordinated research team for basic research on neurodegenerative diseases, Yuan Junying said.
At present, the team has filled a key link in the inflammatory hypothesis of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease: systematically revealing that RIPK1 kinase serves as an important regulatory node for neuroinflammation and neuronal necrosis, and based on this, developed multiple small-molecule inhibitors, some of which have entered clinical research stages, providing new potential targets and drug possibilities for intervening in Alzheimer’s disease and related conditions.
This is not an isolated case. Under Shanghai’s forceful measures to deepen the construction of a Pilot Zone for Basic Research (基础研究先行区), increase investment, and optimize mechanisms, more and more scientific researchers are willingly sitting on the cold bench, driving a significant improvement in basic research levels.
Confidence comes from dismantling fence walls.
How far are large scientific facilities from ordinary people? Today, the research and development process of even small medicine tablets at home may involve them.
At the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (上海光源), in a ring accelerator with a circumference of 432 meters, electron beams travel close to the speed of light, emitting synchrotron radiation. Part of this is delivered as light beams to the nearby National Facility for Protein Science Shanghai (国家蛋白质科学研究（上海）设施).
Facility Director Wu Jiarui (吴家睿) introduced that this is a key light source illuminating the microscopic world of life. Scientists place protein crystals under the light beams to resolve structures, clarify functions, aid understanding of life, and empower the design of new drugs. Currently, the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility and the protein facility have supported multiple domestically developed innovative drugs coming to market.
Large scientific facilities are opened to enterprises and others, dismantling fence walls in basic research and scientific攻关. In the first half of the year, the operating hours of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility open to users increased by 16% year-on-year, of which enterprise user hours grew by 44.2%, and hours open to the Yangtze River Delta region grew by 22.3%. The protein facility opens to various biomedical enterprises, with a 100% pass rate for enterprise demand and a 100% satisfaction rate for machine time.
Confidence comes from enhancing magnetic attraction.
Among all things in the world, people are the most precious; all innovation achievements are made by people. At the Shanghai Chuangzhi College (上海创智学院), the unconventional methods of talent selection and cultivation are increasingly attractive to young scientific researchers.
We accept people with partial talents, extraordinary talents, and eccentric talents. The college selects through real combat, identifying students’ innovative courage and ability in solving real problems, introduced Ding Xiaodong (丁晓东), secretary of the Party Committee and executive vice president of the college. The college has built a talent training mechanism integrating frontier research, engineering training, and value creation, and has incubated 26 high-valuation teacher-student enterprises with a total valuation exceeding 4 billion yuan.
At the Shanghai Institute for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences (上海数学与交叉学科研究院), blackboards are everywhere you look. Walking along, if inspiration strikes, one can calculate at any time. Trial and error is seen as normal; proposing conjectures, verifying, overturning, and starting again—this process often frustrates researchers, yet they refuse to give up and try again. This is precisely the charm of basic research, said a researcher.
Use mathematics to respond to the propositions of the times and make the contributions that basic research should make, said Institute Council Chair Shing-Tung Yau. As of the end of 2025, the institute has introduced 116 researchers from nearly 20 countries around the world. Taking mathematics as the origin, they intersect with different disciplines such as physics, biology, economics, and artificial intelligence, exploring the infinite possibilities of basic research and its applications.
In 2025, Shanghai’s basic research expenditure as a share of total societal R&D spending increased from 7.94% in 2020 to about 12%, and fiscal basic research investment reached 9.253 billion yuan, a 3.2-fold increase from 2020.
Open and inclusive, tolerant of failure—Shanghai’s sound innovation environment and collaborative mechanism for science-education synergy help advance the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent. The foundation of basic research is being laid ever more solidly, and there is ample confidence to move toward the new.
(Our reporters Xu Leipeng (徐雷鹏) and Huang Xiaohui (黄晓慧) participated in the reporting and writing.)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 林丽鹂
"Ghost kitchens" (幽灵外卖, yōu líng wài mài - "ghost takeout") are essentially illegal operators without qualifications and without fixed premises. They operate through means such as forging credentials, appropriating licenses, and fabricating addresses, disguising themselves as legitimate businesses on food delivery platforms. To further eradicate the breeding ground for "ghost kitchens" at the source and put a stop to food delivery merchants "entering the platform with defects" (带病入网, dài bìng rù wǎng - "enter the network carrying illness"), the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局) is actively promoting the application and expansion of electronic licenses in the field of online catering food safety governance. How do electronic licenses protect the safety of food delivery? A reporter interviewed the relevant official in charge of the State Administration for Market Regulation.
Question: How will electronic licenses assist in governing the food safety of online catering?
Answer: The application and expansion of electronic licenses in the field of online catering food safety governance is not a simple technological grafting, but a reshaping of the regulatory model, achieving three innovative transformations.
A transformation from "extinguishing the fire after the fact" to "preventing the fire beforehand." In the past, discovering "ghost kitchens" often relied on consumer complaints and reports. Through the verification and application of electronic licenses in the online catering field, unscrupulous merchants, if they forge business qualification images, will be unable to pass the review. This can control "ghost kitchens" from the source.
A transformation from "human-wave tactics" to "smart mode." Faced with millions of food delivery merchants and the massive daily transaction volume of over a hundred million orders in online catering, the traditional manual verification method carries a high risk of leakage and mismanagement. Now, thanks to the characteristics of electronic licenses, such as being tamper-proof and highly anti-counterfeit, regulatory authorities conduct data integration with food delivery platforms, directly pushing electronic licenses to the food delivery platforms and making them public. This is equivalent to issuing an "electronic identity card" to each food delivery merchant, realizing automated and intelligent qualification verification.
A transformation from "fighting alone" to "collaborative co-governance." Combating "ghost kitchens" requires building a co-governance pattern of "government leadership, platform fulfillment of responsibilities, merchant self-discipline, and social participation," of which the most crucial is that food delivery platforms strictly implement the primary responsibility for qualification verification. Genuine and effective electronic business qualifications not only shorten the verification time for food delivery platforms but also greatly improve verification efficiency, providing a practical pathway for further tightening and solidifying the primary responsibility of food delivery platforms for food safety.
Question: How do electronic licenses keep "ghost kitchens" out the door?
Answer: The innovative application of electronic license verification in the field of online catering is an important measure that uses new models and new technologies to build a closed-loop mechanism of "application—comparison—authorization—display," achieving real-time, precise, and intelligent regulation.
First, breaking data barriers so that unlicensed and fake licenses have nowhere to hide (wú suǒ dùn xíng - "nowhere to hide"). Regulatory authorities directly send electronic business qualifications to food delivery platforms, achieving "single-source verification, two-way calibration, and immediate feedback" of qualification information, which can block the path for merchants holding false or expired qualifications to "enter the platform with defects."
Second, through real-name authorization, making borrowed licenses and fraudulent use impossible to conceal. Before a food delivery platform obtains the electronic business qualifications of a food delivery merchant, the legal representative of that food delivery merchant must complete real-name authorization through facial recognition technology, ensuring that the identity of the authorizing subject is authentic and the intent is valid, thus blocking from the source the path of illegal operations such as renting or fraudulently using others' business qualifications to enter the platform.
Third, relying on data cross-checking to significantly improve review efficiency. Using direct data connection as a rigid constraint, the regulation mode is upgraded from "people watching photos" to "data watching risks" in a smart mode, replacing manual review with data flow and replacing empirical judgment with algorithmic precision.
Fourth, promoting unified display so that consumers can see at a glance (yī mù liǎo rán - "clear at a glance"). The display format, clarity, etc., of electronic business qualifications are all unified, avoiding problems such as blurry license images, distorted colors, incomplete coverage, etc., ensuring that the license information is complete, standardized, and readable.
Fifth, with the help of coordinate comparison, making the food preparation location perfectly clear (yī qīng èr chǔ - "perfectly clear"). Food delivery platforms can automatically capture the business premises listed on the electronic business qualifications to build "electronic fences," and conduct a triple coordinate comparison with the food preparation address provided by the food delivery merchant and the actual pickup address of the delivery rider, eliminating illegal order-transfer issues such as entrusting others to process and prepare food, achieving a transformation from "address on paper" to "spatial chain lock."
Question: How do food delivery platforms use electronic licenses to better implement their primary responsibility for food safety?
Answer: Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation found through investigation and inspection that due to inadequate substantive review by food delivery platforms, "ghost kitchens" still exist. Promoting the application of online catering electronic license verification is to empower regulation with technology, further tightening and solidifying the primary responsibility of food delivery platforms for qualification verification.
In the first half of this year, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued the "Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Online Catering Service Operators' Implementation of the Primary Responsibility for Food Safety," clarifying that food delivery platforms shall carry out real-name registration of food delivery merchants and verify and update at least every six months to ensure that the relevant information is consistent with the actual situation. Implementing electronic license verification can effectively block merchants from entering the platform with unqualified qualifications, such as lacking qualifications, borrowing or fraudulently using others' qualifications, or using photo-editing software to forge qualifications, or using expired or canceled qualifications, and urge food delivery platforms to act as goalkeepers and guard the first pass.
The regulations require that food delivery platforms shall establish and improve working mechanisms such as intelligent monitoring, and strengthen risk identification for online catering service activities through technical monitoring and other means. Implementing electronic license verification is equivalent to equipping food delivery platforms with a "sentry" that never blinks 24 hours a day, capable of comparing in real time the qualification status of newly added merchants on the platform, and also capable of promptly identifying problems such as abnormal licenses or abnormal addresses of existing merchants on the platform, achieving early risk warning and early problem handling.
The regulations stipulate that if a food delivery platform discovers that a food delivery merchant has committed illegal acts regarding food safety, it shall promptly stop the behavior and take measures such as search ranking reduction, traffic restriction, and account closure according to the platform rules. Implementing electronic license verification can promptly share problems discovered by regulatory authorities during supervision and inspection with food delivery platforms, urging them to precisely identify and forcibly clean up problematic merchants, achieving dynamic purification of merchants on the platform.
Question: If "ghost kitchens" still exist on food delivery platforms, what penalties will they face?
Answer: Governing "ghost kitchens" leaves no room for retreat, let alone dead ends. For food delivery platforms that fail to implement the primary responsibility for qualification verification, market supervision departments will impose strict penalties in accordance with the law enforcement standards for the published series of "ghost kitchen" cases.
The series of "ghost kitchen" cases refers to the administrative penalties legally imposed by the State Administration for Market Regulation on seven e-commerce platforms for the "ghost kitchen" series of cases on April 17 this year, with total fines and confiscations amounting to 3.597 billion yuan.
Before the series of "ghost kitchen" cases, penalties for discovering "ghost kitchens" on e-commerce platforms were all determined as one illegal act, with the maximum penalty under the Food Safety Law being 200,000 yuan. The low cost of illegality meant that "ghost kitchens" could not be stopped despite repeated bans. However, in the series of "ghost kitchen" cases, the penalty imposed on e-commerce platforms was one penalty per store.
Going forward, market supervision departments will also continue to intensify efforts to investigate and punish the "ghost kitchen" issue, showing absolutely no leniency.
Return to TopOn August 4, the two-day 2026 China Climbing League (Guiyang, Guizhou stop) commenced, with over 150 athletes from 20 teams competing in the four events of men's and women's difficulty and speed. The picture shows a competitor in the men's speed final.
Photo by Long Jianrui (龙建睿) (Xinhua)
At the critical juncture of the start of the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" (十五五), the Chinese Communist Party's launch of education on establishing and practicing correct views on performance (树立和践行正确政绩观学习教育) has drawn high attention from the international community. International figures interviewed by our reporter believe that this education campaign is a concentrated manifestation of the Chinese Communist Party's people-centered development philosophy, and it helps to ensure that decisions and deployments are better implemented and yield results. The correct view on performance highlights the advanced nature of China's governance concepts, responds to new demands of global party governance, and brings inspiration for the construction of political parties and the development of political civilization worldwide.
"It fully embodies the people-centered development philosophy"
"The most important and greatest achievement of a political party is to safeguard the interests and well-being of the people. The education on establishing and practicing correct views on performance once again demonstrates that the Chinese Communist Party always puts the people first," said Yasir Habib Khan, President of the Pakistan Association for International Relations and Media Studies.
Sergei Sanakoev, Director of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies in Russia, stated that adhering to a people-centered approach is the fundamental reason why the Chinese Communist Party, as the world's largest ruling party with significant global influence, has maintained its vitality. This education campaign upholds the people's standpoint and dares to face problems directly, helping to ensure that Chinese Communist Party members and cadres at all levels establish correct value orientations and maintain political clarity. The Chinese Communist Party has always closely linked the people's needs with national development, and Chinese-style modernization (中国式现代化) is continuously transformed into development achievements shared by all the people.
"In Guizhou, China, the towering mountains once hindered local development. The local government vigorously promoted the construction of highways, railways, bridges, and tunnels to improve transportation conditions, benefiting local livelihoods," said Dilbert Reyes, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Cuba's Granma newspaper. During his visit to China, he deeply felt that the Chinese Communist Party always serves the people wholeheartedly and runs this principle through national governance and the performance of duties by cadres at all levels. "This education campaign focuses on solving the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses, and carries out work that benefits people's livelihoods, warms people's hearts, and conforms to people's wishes right into the hearts of the masses, fully embodying the people-centered development philosophy."
Hassan Dawood Butt, Director of the Regional Research Center for the Belt and Road and Global Governance at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute in Pakistan, believes that the Chinese Communist Party has walked a glorious 105-year journey and grown into the world's largest ruling party. Its greatest secret to success is grasping the general trend of development, accurately assessing the situation, continuously proposing scientific concepts and effective countermeasures to solve practical problems, and firmly holding the initiative in development. The education on establishing and practicing correct views on performance is another important measure to maintain the advanced nature of the Chinese Communist Party. "A political party that always serves the people wholeheartedly will surely receive long-term support from the people."
"Always adhering to the people-centered development philosophy is the fundamental reason why the Chinese Communist Party has united and led the Chinese people to achieve success," said Sithixay Saiyavong, Rector of Savannakhet University in Laos. He believes that since the beginning of this year, the Chinese Communist Party has carried out education on establishing and practicing correct views on performance within the Party precisely to further strengthen the implementation of the people-centered development philosophy by Party members and cadres in their work, effectively benefiting the broad masses.
"It is a governance wisdom that focuses on long-term development, which is needed to address global challenges"
Coordinating the advancement of the "Five-in-One" overall plan (五位一体) and the "Four Comprehensives" strategic layout (四个全面), deeply implementing a series of major strategies such as the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education (科教兴国战略), the coordinated regional development strategy, and the rural revitalization strategy; adhering to the unity of long-term goals and phased objectives, taking five-year plans as planning cycles for step-by-step implementation and relay advancement... International figures believe that this education campaign centrally embodies the Chinese Communist Party's long-termism of "drawing a blueprint to the end" (一张蓝图绘到底) and its strategic resolve of "carrying on one batch after another" (一茬接着一茬干).
"The Chinese Communist Party has a stable and efficient organizational structure that ensures smooth policy transmission and implementation. This institutional advantage has enabled the Chinese Communist Party to accomplish many 'big things,' such as leading hundreds of millions of Chinese people to win the battle against poverty (脱贫攻坚战)," said Butt. Taking this education campaign as an opportunity, the Chinese Communist Party will further enhance its political leadership, ideological guidance, mass organization, and social appeal, continuously advancing the cause of Chinese-style modernization.
An AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment system connecting over 200 grassroots hospitals, an agricultural platform precisely controlling irrigation water, a tourism platform optimizing scenic area resource allocation, digital logistics greatly improving supply chain efficiency... Reyes's visit to Guizhou made him deeply feel the importance of the Chinese government's focus on long-term planning. "Guizhou's leapfrog development is the result of gradual progress under long-term planning. Long-term stable policy support, strong infrastructure guarantees, and the positive interaction between enterprise innovation and rich scenarios collectively highlight China's institutional advantages," said Reyes. The Chinese Communist Party guides Party members and cadres to establish and practice correct views on performance, ensuring the implementation of central decisions and deployments, and providing a strong guarantee for Chinese-style modernization.
In April this year, Kawa Mahmoud, Chairman of the Global Civilization Initiative Research Center in Iraq, visited Beijing and Shanghai and met with Chinese experts and scholars for exchanges. This trip further made Mahmoud realize that one of the important experiences of the Chinese Communist Party in governance is combining long-term strategic planning with effective policy implementation, while fully utilizing innovation and technological progress to improve public governance.
Hassan Ragab, an Egyptian sinologist and Egyptian Director of the Confucius Institute at Suez Canal University, said that the education campaign demonstrates the Chinese Communist Party's long-term vision and strategic resolve, which stands in sharp contrast to the short-term utilitarianism commonly seen in Western electoral politics. "This governance wisdom that focuses on long-term development is what is needed to address global challenges."
"The Chinese Communist Party bases itself on the present while looking to the long term. Five-year plans are implemented one after another, with consistent and stable policies and strong execution," said Sithixay. "This education campaign helps Party members and cadres correct deviations in their views on performance, promptly reflect on and amend inappropriate aspects of their work, and better fulfill their duties."
"Sharing new opportunities brought by China's high-quality development to achieve common prosperity and revitalization"
International figures believe that the Chinese Communist Party governs the Party and runs it strictly with the tenacity and determination of "always being on the road" (永远在路上), continuously enriching and improving its experience in governing the country, adding new connotations to exchanges and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign political parties, and providing valuable experience for political parties in various countries, especially those in the Global South, in governing their countries.
Sanakoev said: "The Chinese Communist Party is deeply rooted in the people and always has a solid foundation. This excellent quality brings profound inspiration to political parties in Global South countries. More and more countries hope to learn from the Chinese Communist Party's experience in governing the country and share the new opportunities brought by China's high-quality development to achieve common prosperity and revitalization."
"China does not copy foreign models but promotes development based on its own national conditions," Reyes believes. "Judging from the actual results of adjusting development directions, strengthening accountability mechanisms, and building a cadre team, the Chinese Communist Party has a solid foundation for establishing and practicing correct views on performance. For Latin American countries, establishing and practicing correct views on performance provides a useful reference for addressing social governance challenges and achieving sustainable development."
Ragab said that China's experience shows that governance is not about pursuing short-term effects, but about solving practical problems down-to-earth and step by step. "The education on establishing and practicing correct views on performance not only helps promote China's high-quality development but also contributes Chinese wisdom to global party governance."
Tshilidzi Munyai, a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature in South Africa, said that the education campaign reflects the profound insight of the Chinese Communist Party as a major world party. It both focuses on solving the practical problems of the people and emphasizes the long-term nature of economic and social development, taking "governing for the people" as the ultimate indicator of performance assessment. "This concept and practice are worth learning and referencing by political parties around the world."
(People's Daily, Beijing, Islamabad, Moscow, Rome, Mexico City, Dubai, Cairo, Johannesburg, Bangkok, August 4 (Electric) Reporters Yu Jinghao, Zhao Yipu, Xiao Xinxin, Xie Yahong, Wang Xiaobo, Zhang Zhiwen, Shen Xiaoxiao, Zou Song, Yang Yi; Inas Ibrahim of the People's Daily Middle East Center Sub-bureau participated in the writing.)
Return to TopWhat China and the United States should extend is a mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation list, not an artificially limited so-called coverage list (覆盖清单).
Recently, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has added foreign-made power inverters and advanced robotic equipment to its so-called coverage list, meaning new models of such products will be unable to obtain certification authorization and cannot enter the U.S. market for sale. The U.S. measure, under the banner of "non-discrimination" or "national security," is in essence discriminatory treatment and suppression targeting Chinese enterprises and products. It is a typical act of unilateral bullying and a blatant distortion of the rules of the market economy and the principle of fair competition.
For some time now, the FCC has repeatedly expanded the concept of national security, continuously introducing and upgrading restrictive measures. This not only severely damages the legitimate trade rights and interests of the Chinese side, but also seriously undermines the foundation of Sino-U.S. economic and trade cooperation, and even more so severely disrupts the stability of global industrial and supply chains.
Using the so-called coverage list to carry out targeted containment and suppression is a habitual tactic of the FCC. In 2021, the same agency, under the pretext of "national security," included telecommunications and video surveillance equipment from five Chinese enterprises on its list, setting a bad precedent for abusing control tools. Subsequently, the U.S. side has continuously introduced restrictive rules and steadily expanded the scope of suppression, with products such as drones and routers being brought under control. In April this year, the agency also deliberated and passed restrictive measures, proposing to revoke the qualifications of testing and certification bodies from countries that have not signed a mutual recognition agreement (互认协议) with the United States, artificially raising the compliance threshold for Chinese products. This time, it has further extended the reach of control into the fields of new energy and advanced intelligent manufacturing, making its intention to suppress China technologically and contain its industry 昭然若揭 (zhāo rán ruò jiē - "clear as if revealed," obvious to all).
This move by the U.S. side runs 背道而驰 (bèi dào ér chí - "run in the opposite direction," to run counter to) the momentum of stabilization and improvement in the current Sino-U.S. relationship. Over the past year, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the economic and trade teams of China and the United States have maintained practical communication and achieved positive progress, injecting valuable certainty into bilateral economic and trade cooperation and the recovery of the world economy. In May this year, the two heads of state jointly defined a new positioning of constructive strategic and stable relations between China and the United States, charting the direction for the development of bilateral relations. All levels and fields should move toward each other. China has always believed that competition between major powers is 不足为奇 (bù zú wéi qí - "not enough to be considered strange," not surprising), but competition cannot define the entirety of Sino-U.S. relations. Even if there is competition between China and the United States, it should be benign competition where each learns from the other, positive competition where each strives to surpass the other in a 你追我赶 (nǐ zhuī wǒ gǎn - "you chase, I rush," to compete by striving to surpass each other) manner, and fair competition that abides by the rules. What both sides should extend is the mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation list, not an artificially limited so-called coverage list.
The root cause of the U.S. side's repeated erection of walls and barriers lies in its rigid adherence to zero-sum game thinking and its deep-seated anxiety over competition with China. Faced with the rising international competitiveness of China's new energy equipment and advanced intelligent manufacturing industries, some in the U.S. side, instead of thinking about how to improve their own competitiveness and gain a development advantage through fair competition, stubbornly insist on erecting barriers and attempting to slow down the development pace of other countries. History and reality have repeatedly proven that protectionism is by no means the right path for development, and administrative barriers cannot stop the pace of industrial and technological progress. Forcibly pushing decoupling and severing supply chains (脱钩断链) and building a small yard with high fences (小院高墙) will not only fail to stop the iterative upgrading and advancement of China's industrial technology, but will instead force the global industrial and supply chains to accelerate their diversified layout, ultimately backfiring on the U.S.'s own economic vitality and technological competitiveness. People of insight have long pointed out that placing administrative barriers above market laws and industrial competitiveness is nothing less than creating an inefficient "greenhouse" for domestic industries, which will only cause U.S. domestic enterprises to lose their innovation drive and force consumers to bear the dual burden of high prices and outdated technology.
From a broader global perspective, the U.S. approach is even more contrary to the trend of economic globalization. In today's world, the economies of all countries are deeply intertwined, and industrial divisions of labor are highly complementary. The formation and development of global industrial and supply chains are the inevitable result of the operation of market laws and an important opportunity for all countries to share in development. Power inverters and advanced robotic equipment are key products supporting the global green transition and the upgrading of intelligent manufacturing. Free trade and technological cooperation benefit all countries in the world. The U.S. side's artificial segmentation of markets and erection of technological barriers not only raises the operating costs of global industrial chains and disrupts the global industrial cooperation and technological innovation ecosystem, but will also "scorch" the processes of global green transition and intelligent industry development, harming the common interests of all countries in the world.
Protectionism cannot enhance competitiveness, and building walls and erecting barriers cannot bring security. China urges the U.S. side to face up to the calls from the business communities of both countries, respect the laws of the market economy and the principle of fair competition, immediately cease its erroneous practices, and revoke the relevant discriminatory restrictive measures. If the U.S. side persists in going its own way 一意孤行 (yī yì gū xíng - "act willfully," to persist in one's own way), China will resolutely take countermeasures. It is hoped that the U.S. side will earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, abandon zero-sum game thinking, return to a rational and pragmatic track, move toward China with mutual efforts, promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-U.S. economic and trade cooperation, and inject more positive energy into the constructive strategic and stable relationship between China and the United States.
Return to TopBy: 猜瓦·琛古松颂
Over the past several decades, China has achieved remarkable accomplishments in the field of poverty reduction, historically resolving the problem of absolute poverty and creating a miracle in the history of human poverty alleviation. China's poverty reduction practice shows that poverty is not an unchangeable fate. As long as one adheres to a people-centered approach and builds a governance system featuring systematic planning, targeted policy implementation, broad mobilization, and sustained promotion, it is possible to translate poverty reduction goals into tangible and perceivable improvements in people's livelihoods.
Poverty reduction work requires both sound policy support and strong grassroots execution. An important feature of China's poverty reduction practice lies in the establishment of a coordinated mechanism that combines central policy deployment, locally compacted responsibilities, grassroots organizational mobilization, and participation of social forces, ensuring that various policies are adapted to local conditions and implemented with tangible results. Thailand is also exploring a poverty reduction path suited to its national conditions and hopes to learn from China's experience, further leveraging the role of government officials and grassroots organizations at all levels to translate policy goals into concrete measures that are close to communities, close to families, and close to individuals, and to promote the continuous improvement of people's quality of life in every province, every district, and every sub-district.
China's poverty reduction experience shows that helping disadvantaged groups escape poverty cannot stop at the level of short-term relief; it is all the more necessary to focus on cultivating long-term development capacity. China's pragmatic measures such as developing rural industries with local characteristics, promoting modern agricultural technology, expanding e-commerce channels, and facilitating employment and entrepreneurship help convert resource advantages into income-increasing channels and provide the people with more stable and sustainable development opportunities. This is highly aligned with Thailand's efforts to promote local industrial development, expand grassroots employment, and narrow regional development gaps. Some regions of Thailand have long faced problems such as unbalanced development and weak income growth, and China's poverty reduction practice provides a useful reference for solving these development difficulties.
The Thai government has always regarded relieving people's hardship and enhancing people's well-being as an important responsibility. In recent years, Thailand has elevated poverty reduction to an important national agenda, relying on tools such as the population map analysis platform and community data systems to conduct surveys, striving to accurately grasp the distribution of disadvantaged groups and the root causes of poverty. China's experience of targeted poverty alleviation has brought many inspirations to Thailand: only by accurately identifying poverty targets and clarifying the root causes of poverty can resources be directed to the most urgently needed areas and policies be delivered to the groups that need them most.
There is no one-size-fits-all fixed model for solving the problem of poverty. Every country needs to explore a poverty reduction path suited to its own national conditions in light of its own history, culture, stage of development, and social conditions. In learning from China's poverty reduction experience, Thailand is not simply copying it, but rather combining China's advanced governance concepts and mature practical approaches with its own national reality, and promoting the transformation of experience and achievements into grassroots practice. Especially at the community level, it is necessary to precisely align poverty reduction policies with the needs of the people, ensuring that poverty reduction work achieves practical, concrete, and sustainable results.
Poverty reduction and improvement of people's livelihoods are important topics of common concern to Thailand and China. The profound friendship of 泰中一家亲 (tài zhōng yī jiā qīn - "Thailand and China are one family," meaning Thailand and China share kinship as close as one family) has laid a solid foundation for deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two sides. Thailand looks forward to continuing to strengthen cooperation with China in such fields as poverty reduction governance, rural revitalization, modern agriculture, e-commerce empowerment, grassroots governance, and talent training, and to turning the outcomes of exchanges into more projects that benefit the people. We believe that through mutual learning and joint efforts, Thailand and China will make new contributions to enhancing the well-being of each other's people and promoting social fairness, justice, and sustainable development.
(The author is Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior of Thailand.)
Return to TopRecently, the Arba Minch Conference Resort project in Ethiopia, constructed by China Communications Construction Company (中交集团), was completed. The project is located in Arba Minch, a tourist city in Ethiopia, with a planned area of 125 hectares and a total floor area of 25,300 square meters, mainly including a conference center, reception center, guest rooms, and other construction content. After the project is put into operation, it will strongly enhance the development level of Ethiopia's tourism industry and play a demonstration and leading role in the construction of high-quality tourism infrastructure across Ethiopia.
Huang Weixin (黄炜鑫) and Zhang Hongwei (张洪卫) photo report.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 4 — According to reports, the Chinese government's third batch of medical expert team to assist the Democratic Republic of the Congo in fighting the epidemic arrived in the DRC capital Kinshasa on August 1. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said on the 4th while answering a reporter's question that at present, the Ebola epidemic is still spreading, and China is willing to continue to provide support to African countries within its capacity.
"After the outbreak of a new round of Ebola epidemic in Africa, China attached great importance to it and sent medical expert teams consecutively to support the DRC and other countries in fighting the epidemic, which was highly praised by all parties," Lin Jian said. The third batch of expert teams consists of experts in fields such as epidemiology, health quarantine, clinical treatment, and pathogen laboratory testing. On the basis of the work of the previous expert teams and in light of the actual needs of epidemic prevention and control, they will continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the DRC side and international organizations.
Lin Jian said that at present, the Ebola epidemic is still spreading. China is willing to continue to leverage the strength of its medical professionals in Africa and persistently provide support to African countries within its capacity, helping Africa to tide over the difficulties at an early date.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 陈尚文
“The scenery I have seen and the friends I have made along this journey will all be precious treasures in my life,” said Jingtian (景天), who came to China from Nepal to participate in the 2026 China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (中国宋庆龄基金会) “Cultural Little Ambassador” (文化小大使) exchange activity.
Recently, the 2026 China Soong Ching Ling Foundation “Cultural Little Ambassador” exchange activity was held in Beijing and Anhui. 45 “Cultural Little Ambassadors” from 25 countries, through forms such as on-site visits, cultural study, and interactive exchanges, immersed themselves in the charm of Chinese culture and felt China’s vigorous development vitality.
At the Juyongguan Great Wall in Beijing, the “Cultural Little Ambassadors” climbed up the ancient steps step by step, ascended to the high point of the city tower, and recited in Chinese in unison “Pure Serene Music · Mount Liupan” (清平乐·六盘山). Lin An (林安) from Romania said: “When I was learning Chinese, I knew that ‘If you haven’t been to the Great Wall, you are not a true man.’ Now I have finally come to the Great Wall, fulfilling my wish. Every step I take here adds to my understanding and respect for the profound depth of Chinese history and culture.” Stepan (斯捷潘) from Russia could hardly hide his excitement: “Standing here, I feel as if I am on top of the world. This magnificent structure of the Great Wall is truly admirable!”
At the Anhui Innovation Pavilion located in Hefei city, from China’s major basic science and technology achievements represented by the world’s first quantum communication satellite “Mozi” (墨子号), to black technologies close to daily life such as the thinnest glass and 360-degree full-screen mobile phones, the “Cultural Little Ambassadors” were 目不暇接 (mù bù xiá jiē - “the eyes cannot take it all in,” overwhelmed by too many things to see). “Everywhere there are fascinating technological innovations — it is so interesting!” Stepan said. He saw that discoveries driven by creativity and curiosity make the world a better place. “Surgical robots can precisely execute doctors’ instructions. There is also a device that can tell what illness you have just by looking at the color of your tongue. This sounds like science fiction, but it has already become part of people’s daily lives.”
Studying the Five Animals Exercise (五禽戏), identifying Chinese medicinal herbs… Entering Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, the “Cultural Little Ambassadors” experienced the unique charm of traditional Chinese medicine culture at zero distance. Lin An admitted that this experience gave her a deep feeling of the 博大精深 (bó dà jīng shēn - “broad, great, profound and deep,” extensive and profound) nature of Chinese medicine culture. In Jingtian’s view, medicinal herbs are gifts from nature, and China is combining this ancient heritage of traditional Chinese medicine with modern science. During the activity, the young people engaged in in-depth exchanges with Chinese students and African students studying in China. “Students from different cultural backgrounds gather because of a shared passion, inheriting a thousand-year medical tradition on a modern campus. This kind of environment makes my heart yearn for it,” Jingtian said, looking forward to the opportunity to pursue further studies in China in the future.
For the “Cultural Little Ambassadors,” this trip to China was an expansion of horizons, an immersion in culture, and even more so a starting point for friendship. During the event, a 别开生面 (bié kāi shēng miàn - “to open up a fresh new face,” a novel and distinctive) world fashion show was brilliantly staged in Beijing, where the young people wore their respective countries’ characteristic costumes and displayed diverse cultural charm through songs, dances, and more. Chen Muyang (陈沐阳) from Henan, China, wearing opera costume, performed an excerpt from Mulan (花木兰), winning rounds of applause. “I want, through Henan Opera (豫剧), to let friends from different countries understand Chinese culture and understand my hometown,” Chen Muyang said. Her words moved Sara Fuentes (萨拉·富恩特斯) from Spain, and the two became friends during the exchange. “From my Chinese friend, I learned a lot of interesting knowledge about Chinese culture, and also learned about the cooking process of many Chinese foods — truly a harvest full of gains!” Fuentes said.
Li Ang (李昂) from Iceland, aged 12, has been studying Chinese persistently for five years. “‘Sweet’ is the tongue tasting honey, ‘immortal’ is a person entering the mountains, ‘beautiful’ is a big sheep being beautiful — each Chinese character is a painting, a story. I love China, and happiness is hidden in the lines of the characters, hidden in the details of Chinese culture!” Li Ang said. He will continue, with love and persistence, to be a bridge of Iceland-China friendship and a messenger of cultural exchange.
“Young people from different countries come together, understand each other, and grow together,” said Jiaying (佳莹) from Bulgaria, who participated in the “Cultural Little Ambassador” activity for the second time this year. In her view, the most important significance of cultural exchange is not only to help understand a country, but also to learn to understand, respect, and appreciate one another through exchange.
Since its launch in 2021, the “Cultural Little Ambassador” activity has attracted the active participation of more than 1,700 young people and over 100 organizations from over 70 countries, building an important platform for promoting international youth cultural exchange and enhancing friendship between China and other countries.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Tunis, August 3 (Reporter Zhou Haojin (周昊瑾)) — Algiers dispatch: The Western Railway Mining Line of Algeria, Africa's first desert heavy-haul railway, officially launched the engineering construction of its communication, signaling, and power systems on the 2nd.
The railway mining line has a total length of 950 kilometers, of which China Railway Construction Corporation (中国铁建) and local state-owned enterprises undertook the construction of 575 kilometers. This is the largest infrastructure project undertaken by Chinese enterprises in Algeria. Since the project was opened to traffic in February this year, it has improved Algeria's national railway network and boosted interconnection, intercommunication, and economic development in Algeria's southwestern provinces.
Dong Lin (董琳), general manager of China Railway Construction Corporation Algeria Company, said that this "three-electricity" project involves the construction design and construction of the signaling and communication facilities of 10 stations and 28 passing stations, as well as of 4 centralized control centers. It covers the design, procurement, construction, commissioning, put-into-operation testing, and operations and maintenance personnel training for the communication, signaling, and power systems of the entire line. This project will build a modern system of operational control, information transmission, and power guarantee for the Western Railway Mining Line of Algeria, providing strong support for local mineral resource development and diversified economic development.
The Western Railway Mining Line is an important infrastructure project in Algeria and is regarded as a transportation route that promotes the country's economic development. After opening to traffic, it can transport 50 million tons of iron ore per year, and it also accommodates passenger transport needs, bringing convenience to residents along the line.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 胡 健 王昊男 潘俊强
On the Thousand-Lotus Dew-Spilling Bridge (千荷泻露桥) in Beijing's urban sub-center, vehicles shuttled back and forth, and the bridge sides were lush with greenery. This internet-famous bridge, which attracts no small number of residents and tourists to check in, had previously lain idle for eight years because of a "broken-head road" (断头路).
At the end of April this year, the eastward extension road of the Thousand-Lotus Dew-Spilling Bridge was officially opened to traffic. "No more detours; it saves half the time." Li, a nearby resident, deliberately drove a round trip on it. "Party members and cadres worked on site, opened up the 'broken-head road,' and solved the problem of our inconvenient travel," he said.
Since the start of this year, Beijing has carried out in depth the campaign of "going down to the grassroots, running work orders, walking through procedures, and squatting at posts" (下基层、跑工单、走流程、蹲点位). Large numbers of Party members and cadres have sunk to the front line, focused on the masses' urgent, difficult, worrying, and longed-for matters (急难愁盼), and pushed one after another practical livelihood matter to land and show results. The relations between the Party and the masses and between cadres and the masses have grown even closer, and Party members and cadres have also tempered their skills and raised their capabilities through practical work.
Going down to the grassroots to examine the real situation, thinking for the masses to solve difficult problems
"After nearly 20 years of hoping, the old-community renovation finally landed this year." Speaking of the community renovation, Yang Shuqing (杨淑清), a resident of Tianshuiyuan Community (甜水园社区) in Liulitun Subdistrict (六里屯街道), Chaoyang District (朝阳区), was excited: "We have already selected our apartment and are waiting to move into the new home."
Tianshuiyuan Community, located between Beijing's East Third Ring Road and East Fourth Ring Road, is less than 3 kilometers in a straight line from Beijing's CBD. The 421 households here have long lived in single-story houses built in the 1950s and 1960s. "The walls are cracked, the roofs leak, and the wiring is aging — there are quite a few safety hazards," Yang Shuqing said. Previously, due to funding problems and residents' votes failing to reach the required standard, two renovation plans had both failed to land.
"The renovation failed to advance smoothly before, and the masses' complaints grew more and more," said Guo Hongping (郭洪平), deputy director of the Liulitun Subdistrict office. "The harder the 'hard bone,' the stronger the masses' expectation, and the more we must make real moves, clash with the hard, and gnaw it down."
The subdistrict gave up the path of dilapidated-building renovation led by developers and adopted the model of expropriating houses on state-owned land led by government investment, providing resettlement housing for residents. "What is even more crucial is to collect the masses' opinions, ascertain the underlying data clearly, explain the policy clearly, calculate the accounts clearly, sort out the relationships clearly, and handle practical matters well," Guo Hongping said.
The household-responsibility teams made more than 1,000 home visits in total, asking clearly about needs and explaining policies clearly; they calculated accounts clearly and thoroughly, and issued individualized compensation assessment plans household by household... In the end, all 421 residential houses achieved contract signing, house delivery, and demolition.
For matters involving the vital interests of the masses, Party members and cadres must work hard and find ways to do them well.
Due to historical problems such as the restructuring and deregistration of his former employing enterprise and gaps in his archives, Jing Baozhong (靖宝忠), a taxi driver in Dongcheng District (东城区), had more than four years of length of service that could not be recognized. As he was about to retire, he was anxious: "With these years of service missing, the monthly pension is several hundred yuan less."
Yan Xuejing (阎雪菁), director of the Social Insurance Center of the Dongcheng District Human Resources and Social Security Bureau (东城区人力资源和社会保障局社保中心), said that in response to this situation, the Dongcheng District Human Resources and Social Security Bureau organized backbone personnel from six business sections to establish an "expert consultation group." Searching archives across districts, consulting with enterprises... after nearly a year, Jing Baozhong's missing length of service was successfully recognized.
Li Shixin (李世新), deputy director in charge of day-to-day work of the Organization Department of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee (北京市委组织部), said that Party members and cadres must treat the masses' affairs as their own affairs and, 设身处地 (shè shēn chǔ dì - "to set one's body in another's place," to put oneself in someone else's shoes), think for the masses; only then can they deliver practical matters to the depths of the masses' hearts.
Running work orders to listen to the people's voices, improving effectiveness in the course of ascertaining needs
On a scorching summer day, a special report meeting was held at Fangzhuang Subdistrict (方庄街道), Fengtai District (丰台区). Zhang Jing (张京), director of the subdistrict office, talked about the new changes at Fangzhuang Market, and the masses present kept applauding. Just a year earlier, Fangzhuang Market still had problems such as messy stalls, worn-out pavement, and outdated facilities, and the masses had strong complaints.
Whether the work is done well or not, the masses have the final say. "We have innovatively rolled out a work mechanism in which subdistricts and towns report to the masses, understanding the masses' needs, pooling the masses' strength, and gathering the masses' wisdom, and evaluating work results by the masses' satisfaction," said Hu Daiping (胡戴萍), deputy director of the Social Work Department of the Fengtai District Party Committee (丰台区委社会工作部). The reporting work mechanism has been rolled out in all 26 subdistricts and towns of the district, regularly reporting to the masses on the status of resolution of their appeals.
Ask the masses about their needs; ask the masses for their plans. Today's Fangzhuang Market has had elevators installed, charging piles built, and the repair stall with a history of more than 30 years turned into an open repair kiosk... "Through the reporting work mechanism, the subdistrict has collected more than 500 person-times of opinions and locked onto appeals such as aging-friendly renovation and parking and charging," Zhang Jing said. After the renovation, Fangzhuang Market retained all of its old merchants, with foot traffic up 10 percent and sales up 20 percent.
In addition to actively soliciting the masses' opinions, the 12345 citizen hotline is also one of the important channels for obtaining the masses' appeals.
"Parking of non-motor vehicles outside the Chemical Station (化工站) on the subway is chaotic!" Not long ago, a citizen dialed the Beijing 12345 citizen hotline. Answering the phone was Li Junhui (李军会), Party secretary and director of the Beijing Municipal Transportation Commission (北京市交通委), who led a team on duty at a "special call-answering post."
Starting in April this year, Beijing carried out the "Listen to the People's Opinions, Resolve the People's Worries" activity (听民意，解民忧), organizing the principal responsible persons of 11 municipal-level units, 16 districts, and the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (北京经开区) to answer calls from the masses and enterprises on site, discuss solutions, and jointly promote the resolution of appeals.
"The difficulty of parking non-motor vehicles requires us to innovate the model to solve it." Li Junhui made arrangements immediately. The next day, Li Zejun (李泽钧), deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Transportation Commission, led a team to the scene. Responsible persons at the municipal, district, and township levels conducted an on-site "consultation"; two weeks later, the renovation was completed, and the non-motor vehicle parking problem improved markedly.
The hotline becomes the front line: receive an appeal, and immediately supervise and handle it. Running work orders — what is run out is speed, and what is won is trust.
"The activity of principal responsible persons of relevant departments answering the hotline has so far been held for 12 sessions in total," said Yao Lei (姚磊), Party secretary and director of the Beijing Citizen Hotline Service Center (北京市市民热线服务中心). Taking hotline answering as an opportunity, Beijing has also carried out the "Everyone Discusses Governance" (治理大家谈) discussion and exchange, and, with the working approach of "dissecting one case to solve one category of problems," is pushing the transformation from "immediate handling upon receiving appeals" (接诉即办) to "handling before appeals are made" (未诉先办), reducing the increase in problems at the source.
Walking through procedures and squatting at posts, improving services through on-site handling of affairs
The process of resolving the masses' urgent, difficult, worrying, and longed-for matters is also a process of learning methods and broadening horizons.
Not long ago, a special applicant came to the Beijing Municipal Government Service Center (北京市政务服务中心) — Gao Niandong (高念东), director of the Beijing Municipal Market Regulation Administration (北京市市场监督管理局). "OPC (one-person company) enterprises are very popular now, but what exactly are the procedures for establishing one? Only by operating through them once myself can I have a clear idea." Holding materials in his hand and staring at the number-calling screen, Gao Niandong repeatedly checked in front of the queue machine.
Name declaration, selection of business scope, filing of organizational structure... After a round of operations, Gao Niandong discovered some problems: "The organizational structure needs to be adapted to the single-person governance model; the industry description in the name needs to incorporate frontier technology terms; and the address verification of the business premises is also a big problem."
Soon afterward, targeted reform measures were introduced: setting up an exclusive "simplified organizational structure" function, incorporating "artificial intelligence" and other such terms into industry descriptions, and incorporating qualified "OPC communities" into the address database.
Discover problems at the front line; find shortcomings at the window. This year, the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission (北京市发展改革委) listed bureau and division directors "walking through procedures" as a key task for optimizing the business environment, pushing policy makers and implementers out of their offices to experience the entire handling process on site from the perspective of enterprises and the masses.
The Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission (北京市科委) revised implementation measures for the operation of science and technology conditions platforms, optimizing the operating mechanism of the Capital Science and Technology Conditions Platform; Fengtai District explored the "two certificates in one" reform (两证合一) for environmental impact assessment and pollutant discharge permits, optimizing procedures to achieve "one application, one set of materials, one-window acceptance, simultaneous approval"; and the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area established embedded approval business guidance workstations for OPC enterprises... Up to now, the municipal and district levels in Beijing have carried out more than 500 "walking through procedures" tasks, resolving a batch of pain-point and blockage-point problems.
"Before, sitting in the office, what I thought about was how to manage well; now, standing at the window, what I think about is how to be more convenient for the people," a relevant person in charge who participated in "walking through procedures" said frankly. Standing with the masses, thinking with the masses, and working with the masses has not only helped the masses solve practical problems but also strengthened the original aspiration of bringing well-being to the people.
"Through the work of 'going down to the grassroots, running work orders, walking through procedures, and squatting at posts,' we strengthen Party members' and cadres' practical experience in serving the people, push Party members and cadres to directly face the masses' appeals and perceive the pain points of people's livelihoods, and test work results against the masses' true feelings," Li Shixin said.
Return to TopBeijing, August 4 (Reporter Shi Yiqi (史一棋)) — On the 4th, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission (中央纪委国家监委) released a report on the supervision, inspection, and investigation of discipline inspection and supervision cadres in the first half of 2026. The report shows that in the first half of 2026, 1,535 discipline inspection and supervision cadres were sanctioned, including 59 at the bureau/department level and 356 at the county/division level.
According to the report, in the first half of 2026, discipline inspection and supervision organs nationwide received a total of more than 15,500 pieces of leads or reports concerning discipline inspection and supervision cadres, disposed of more than 14,200 pieces of leads concerning discipline inspection and supervision cadres, conducted talks and inquiries with 4,385 discipline inspection and supervision cadres, placed 1,685 discipline inspection and supervision cadres on case file, sanctioned 1,535, and transferred 138 to judicial organs. Among them, 59 cadres at the bureau/department level and 356 at the county/division level were sanctioned.
The report shows that in the first half of 2026, discipline inspection and supervision organs nationwide applied the “four forms” (四种形态) of criticism, education, and handling to 5,999 person-times of discipline inspection and supervision cadres. Among them, the first form was applied to 4,397 person-times for criticism and education, the second form was applied to 1,219 person-times, the third form was applied to 222 person-times, and the fourth form was applied to 161 persons.
Return to TopBy: 靳 山
A few innovation cases seen recently prompt reflection.
When an offshore workover operation platform conducts well group operations, after the drilling floor is shifted, the catwalk machine, weighing about 10 tons in total, needs to be moved along with it. In the past, this required two cranes working together to hoist it. Shengli Petroleum Engineering Company (胜利石油工程公司) designed a catwalk machine translation device—putting roller skates on the catwalk machine—reducing a hoisting operation that took two or three hours to just a few minutes.
In one company’s warehouse, server lag and a lack of coordination between the single- and dual-longitudinal speeds of the stacker crane affected outbound efficiency. Through experiments, staff found the optimal operating speed ratio for the equipment, significantly improving outbound efficiency and generating direct economic benefits.
Without 大动干戈 (dà dòng gān gē - “to move shields and spears,” to wage war or make a big fuss), problems in production were genuinely solved. This shows that innovation can be high-precision and cutting-edge, or it can be “small, fast, and agile.” Major breakthroughs “from 0 to 1” in the laboratory, and practical improvements “from 1 to N” on the production line—both are types of innovation and creation we need. To make production more efficient, improve quality of life, and allow innovations to flourish, we need to use the wisdom of 小大由之 (xiǎo dà yóu zhī - “small and large both follow from it,” meaning both small and large matters are handled appropriately).
In a healthy tropical rainforest ecosystem, there are both towering trees and moss and shrubs. The “tropical rainforest” of innovation is the same. “Tiangong” cruising the cosmos, “Tianyan (Sky Eye)” observing the stars, “BeiDou” forming a network… these great national heavyweights hold up the backbone of the nation, mark new heights in science and technology, and are important symbols of a country’s comprehensive strength. Transforming idle street corners into pocket parks, carrying out age-appropriate adaptations for mobile apps, introducing intelligent robots to improve inspection efficiency—these seemingly tiny reforms and innovations genuinely empower production and facilitate daily life.
Not despising the small is how one achieves the great. Major innovation breakthroughs are often built upon a foundation of concrete, minute innovations.
For example, the world’s first ultra-large-scale, ultra-high-precision neutrino-dedicated facility, the Jiangmen Neutrino Experiment (江门中微子实验), has the photomultiplier tube, which is not large in size, as its core detection device. After more than ten years of exploration and joint research, Chinese scientists developed the world’s highest photon detection efficiency photomultiplier tube with independent intellectual property rights, laying a solid foundation for this large scientific facility.
Another example is the “Chang’e-6” “digging soil” on the far side of the Moon—the small “shovel” was the key tool. High-strength, tough aluminum matrix composite extruded bars, forgings, and thick-walled tubes, while reducing weight by 65%, achieved a substantial improvement in material performance and stability, assisting the world’s first lunar far-side sampling.
From “following” to “running alongside” and even “leading,” the systemic, complex, and integrated characteristics of innovation become ever more pronounced. It all the more requires us not only to stand high and see far, bear the overall situation in mind, and accurately grasp strategic priorities and key directions, but also to focus on the smallest details, exert effort bit by bit, and, through persistent, long-term exploration, accumulate the small to become significant, accumulate depth to build momentum.
“Small and large both follow from it”—innovation is not constrained by form; what matters is actual performance and real results.
In this year’s graduation season, Nanjing University doctoral student Wang Haoran (王浩然) successfully passed his thesis defense with a practical outcome. His research achievement—PCCP (prestressed steel cylinder concrete pipe) safety monitoring technology and equipment based on distributed optical fiber sensing—has already been deployed in projects such as the South-to-North Water Diversion.
Using actual ability, quality, effectiveness, and contribution as the standard to judge who is a hero—the yardstick is 唯实 (wéi shí - “only the real,” sole criterion being reality/practical results)—it unleashes the vitality of 万马奔腾 (wàn mǎ bēn téng - “ten thousand horses galloping,” a scene of vigorous activity) and stirs a spring pond of innovation-driven development.
In the view of Robin Rivaton, columnist for the French magazine L’Express, China’s innovation does not exist only in tech giants or national laboratories; it fills countless workshops, constantly repeating, improving, and accumulating—it is “a system-level capacity that can operate continuously.”
Just as the world-renowned include major national heavyweights like China’s high-speed rail, there are also Yiwu’s small commodities; among the business entities that boldly innovate and create, there is an “elephant legion” as well as an “ant army.” Not discarding the tiniest, not begrudging the smallest effort, emphasizing solid work, doing solid deeds, and seeking solid results, more innovation stories of creating something from nothing, growing from small to large, and overtaking on the curve are being written.
Return to TopBeijing, August 4 (Reporter Liu Wenxin (刘温馨)) - On July 17, a mountain collapse occurred at Hanjia Street (汉葭街道), Pengshui County (彭水县), Chongqing, causing heavy casualties. In order to deeply study and implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, implement the instructions and requirements of Premier Li Qiang and other central leaders, and in accordance with relevant national laws and regulations, the State Council established an investigation and assessment team, led by the Ministry of Emergency Management, with the participation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Transport, the China Meteorological Administration, and the Chongqing Municipal People's Government and other relevant parties, to investigate and assess the Chongqing Pengshui Hanjia Street "July 17" particularly major mountain collapse disaster.
On August 4, the State Council Chongqing Pengshui Hanjia Street "July 17" particularly major mountain collapse disaster investigation and assessment team held its first plenary meeting in Chongqing Pengshui. The head of the investigation and assessment team, member of the Party Committee of the Ministry of Emergency Management, and Director of the China Earthquake Administration, Wang Kun (王昆), presided over the meeting, reported on the work arrangements for the investigation and assessment, and put forward work requirements. All members of the investigation and assessment team attended the meeting. Before the meeting began, the attending comrades stood in silent mourning for the victims of the Chongqing Pengshui Hanjia Street "July 17" particularly major mountain collapse disaster. The meeting emphasized that the investigation and assessment team should conscientiously study and implement the important instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, implement the instructions and requirements of Premier Li Qiang and other central leaders, and in accordance with the principles of "scientific and rigorous, in accordance with laws and regulations, seeking truth from facts, and emphasizing practical results," comprehensively and objectively review the disaster occurrence process, ascertain the cause of the disaster, and thoroughly investigate and understand the entire chain of disaster prevention, response, and emergency handling. The meeting required that all regions and relevant departments should further implement the responsibility for safety work, thoroughly investigate and eliminate hidden dangers such as geological disasters, strengthen monitoring and early warning as well as inspection and risk elimination, solidly carry out all work in disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief, and effectively ensure the safety of people's lives and property.
Return to TopUrumqi, August 4 (Reporter Li Yanan (李亚楠)). On August 4, the 2026 International Seminar on Counter-Terrorism, themed “Responding to New Challenges of Terrorism: Strengthening National Responsibility and Pooling International Joint Efforts,” was held in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture (伊犁哈萨克自治州), Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and other relevant departments, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and representatives from Chinese think tanks and universities, as well as over 100 guests from 24 countries and regional international organizations including the UAE, Russia, and the African Union, attended the seminar.
The Chinese side pointed out that currently global terrorist activities have become more active again, and the Global South is facing increasing pressure in counter-terrorism. The lingering shadow of terrorism exposes deep-seated problems in global security governance. President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative (全球发展倡议), the Global Security Initiative (全球安全倡议), the Global Civilization Initiative (全球文明倡议), and the Global Governance Initiative (全球治理倡议), providing important guidance for exploring fundamental solutions to counter-terrorism. The international community must adhere to comprehensive measures to achieve 标本兼治 (biāo běn jiān zhì – “treat both the symptoms and root causes,” addressing both surface and underlying problems); must practice multilateralism to pool counter-terrorism joint forces; must strengthen capacity building to make up for shortcomings in science and technology; must strictly abide by international rule of law to consolidate the cornerstone of cooperation. The Chinese side is willing to fully share China’s counter-terrorism concepts, propositions, experience, and achievements, and together with all parties, guided by the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind (构建人类命运共同体), join hands to respond to the threats and challenges of terrorism and jointly safeguard world peace and tranquility.
The attending guests expressed that the international counter-terrorism situation is complex and severe, that world peace and tranquility face multiple crises, and that factors such as geopolitical conflict and turmoil, imbalanced economic development, abuse of emerging technologies, and insufficient counter-terrorism capacity are exacerbating the spread and escalation of terrorist activities. Individual countries have generalized and abused the concept of terrorism, using counter-terrorism to seek geopolitical self-interest or even support and use terrorism, severely damaging the foundation and collaborative effectiveness of international counter-terrorism cooperation. All countries must earnestly assume counter-terrorism responsibilities, combat all forms of terrorism, advance international counter-terrorism cooperation, jointly improve counter-terrorism effectiveness, coordinate development and security, and strengthen comprehensive counter-terrorism governance.
During the seminar, the attending guests visited the theme exhibition on counter-terrorism and de-radicalization struggle in Xinjiang (反恐和去极端化斗争主题展) and the achievement exhibition on the 70th anniversary of the founding of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (新疆维吾尔自治区成立70周年主题成就展), among others. Foreign guests expressed that China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has achieved remarkable results in counter-terrorism and de-radicalization work, and that its experience and practices of comprehensive measures and addressing both symptoms and root causes are worth learning from by the international community. The economic and social development achievements of Xinjiang were impressive, and they looked forward to further deepening exchanges and cooperation with the Chinese side in various fields.
The seminar was jointly organized by the Foreign Affairs Office of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People’s Government (新疆维吾尔自治区人民政府外事办公室), the Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院中国边疆研究所), and the World Muslim Communities Council (世界穆斯林社区理事会), with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People’s Government.
Return to TopDuring summer vacation, the Jingmen Municipal Women's Federation (荆门市妇联) of Hubei Province jointly launched a rural children's summer public welfare study tour with multiple public welfare units, introducing a series of activities such as nature science popularization, hands-on practice, and caring assistance, broadening children's cognitive horizons and enriching their holiday life. The picture shows, on August 2, at Jingmen Garden Expo Park, volunteers and children engaging in fun interactive games.
Photo by Zhao Ping (赵平) (People's Vision).
Beijing, August 4 (Reporter Jiang Xuehong (蒋雪鸿)) — On August 4, a reporter learned from the press conference of the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局) that in August, 2 to 3 typhoons will make landfall in or significantly affect China, a figure close to that of the same period in normal years, with overall intensity on the stronger side, and there is a risk that relatively strong typhoons will move northward and affect the northern regions of China. Around August 9, this year's 13th typhoon, "Dolphin" (白海豚), may make landfall on the coast from the Yangtze River estuary to northern Fujian, bringing strong winds and rain to Jiangnan and other places; it is also possible that from the 10th to the 11th it will turn in a northerly direction in offshore waters and make landfall on or graze the coastal areas from the Yangtze River estuary to the Shandong Peninsula, affecting Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, and Liaoning.
Beijing, August 4 (Reporter Deng Jianyang (邓剑洋)) — A reporter learned from the Ministry of Water Resources (水利部) that at 18:00 on August 4, the Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued an orange meteorological early warning for mountain-torrent disasters.
On August 4, based on the 24-hour rainfall forecast, the Ministry of Water Resources issued "one province, one list" (一省一单) targeted warnings to 14 provinces, including Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, and Xinjiang, notifying the areas covered by heavy rainfall, the list of reservoirs, and the risk areas and points of mountain-torrent disasters, and reminding them to do a good job of such work as safely passing the flood season and disaster prevention and defense.
On August 4, the No. 1 flood of 2026 occurred on the Heilongjiang River, and the No. 1 flood of 2026 occurred on the Hulan River (呼兰河) in Heilongjiang Province.
Beijing, August 4 (Reporter Liu Wenxin (刘温馨)) — On August 4, in response to the recent severe flood and waterlogging disasters in Heilongjiang Province, the National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Relief (国家防灾减灾救灾委员会) activated a national Level-IV disaster-relief emergency response, and the Ministry of Emergency Management (应急管理部) sent a disaster-relief working group to the front line of the disaster area to inspect the disaster situation on site. On August 4, the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (国家防总办公室) and the Ministry of Emergency Management organized rolling joint consultations among multiple departments and deployed flood-control work in key areas.
Return to TopBeijing, August 4 (Reporter Li Xinping (李心萍)) The reporter learned from the National Development and Reform Commission that, in accordance with the National Natural Disaster Relief Emergency Response Plan (国家自然灾害救助应急预案) and the disaster loss situations of Liaoning Province and Jilin Province, on the basis of the 60 million yuan of central budget investment urgently arranged on July 14 and 15, the National Development and Reform Commission additionally arranged 300 million yuan to support Liaoning Province and Jilin Province in further doing a good job of post-disaster emergency recovery in the disaster areas, so as to promote the restoration of normal production and living order as soon as possible.
Recently, affected by heavy rainfall, flood disasters have occurred in many places in Heilongjiang. The National Development and Reform Commission urgently arranged 50 million yuan of central budget investment to support Heilongjiang Province in doing a good job of post-flood-disaster emergency recovery, with the funds mainly used for the post-disaster emergency recovery construction of damaged roads, water conservancy and other infrastructure, and schools, hospitals and other public service facilities in the disaster areas, so as to promote the restoration of normal production and living order as soon as possible.
Return to TopBeijing, August 4 (People's Daily reporter Qu Xinming (屈信明)) -- A reporter learned at a recent regular press conference of the China Insurance Association (中国保险行业协会) that since May of this year, affected by heavy rainfall, typhoons, and other factors, Guangxi, Hubei, Gansu and other regions have experienced successive urban waterlogging, reservoir dam breaches, mountain landslides, and the like. The insurance industry promptly activated emergency response mechanisms for major disasters, launched a series of service measures, and properly handled disaster response and disposal. Currently, for natural disasters such as heavy rain and flooding, typhoons, and earthquakes in 20 provinces, the insurance industry has cumulatively received 533,000 reports of claims, with estimated losses of 11.05 billion yuan, and has paid 5.21 billion yuan in compensation for heavy rain, flooding, and typhoon disasters.
Return to TopBy: 李铁林
The quality and efficiency of the service industry continue to improve, becoming a powerful wing lifting industry, a trickle of living water nourishing people's livelihood, and a main engine supporting growth.
At a deeper level, the service industry not only serves people, but also empowers people.
A friend was renovating a new house but rarely went to supervise the work. Upon asking, I learned that the renovation company provides a monitoring platform for convenient viewing of construction progress, and a third-party supervisor promptly follows up on inspection details. Home renovation services have iterated and upgraded, saving consumers worry, effort, and time.
Stories from everyday life reflect development trends. In the first half of this year, the service industry presented a bright report card. Looking at scale, the value added of the service industry was 41.4 trillion yuan, outpacing economic growth by 0.5 percentage points. Looking at driving force, service retail sales increased by 5.3% year-on-year, leading the consumer market. Looking at forms, productive service industries are integrating and innovating, consumer service industries are expanding in scope and improving quality, and emerging service industries are being cultivated and strengthened—both vitality and momentum are strong.
In the past, high labor intensity, limited compensation levels, and low technological content were the labels attached to traditional service industries. Today, the quality and efficiency of the service industry continue to improve, becoming a powerful wing lifting industry, a trickle of living water nourishing people's livelihood, and a main engine supporting growth. Better promoting the high-quality and efficient development of the service industry helps empower the real economy, enrich the supply for people's livelihood, and provide inexhaustible momentum for cultivating new quality productive forces (新质生产力) and smoothing the economic cycle.
Based on the strategic fulcrum of expanding domestic demand, the service industry is a key area for tapping potential. From selling physical goods to selling experiences, from material consumption extending to emotional consumption, the flourishing and positive trend of consumer service industries is not only an intuitive portrayal of the people's better life but also continuously opens up new space for consumer demand.
Taking the cultural tourism and leisure sector as an example, in the first half of the year, revenue from tourism, sightseeing, and entertainment services increased by 12.3% year-on-year. Urban football leagues in many places are booming; the "ticket stub economy" (票根经济) links together dining, accommodation, travel, shopping, and entertainment, effectively extending the consumption chain; the trend of "following textbooks to travel" (跟着课本去旅行) has become popular, educational tourism products are continuously enriched, and the popularity of parent-child tours and study tours keeps rising... By putting sufficient effort into product design and experience upgrading, and precisely matching people's aspirations for a high-quality life, the foundational role of consumption in economic development is effectively exerted.
From "establishing oneself through manufacturing" (制造立身) to "strengthening the body through services" (服务强体), the service industry is an important engine that drives industrial leaps and fosters the germination of new quality productive forces. Although productive service industries do not directly interface with individual consumers, they promote the expansion and quality improvement of domestic demand by making industrial operations smoother and value added higher.
In Zhejiang, Qunhe Technology Company (群核科技公司) provides industrial AI (artificial intelligence) digital twin technology, helping Hangcha Group (杭叉集团) compress logistics warehouse planning and 3D visualization design cycles; in Shandong, Inspur Yunzhou Company (浪潮云洲公司) creates dedicated intelligent agents to help Jinan Heavy Machinery (济南重工) solve grinding mill operation and maintenance difficulties... Productive service industries help traditional industries overcome pain points such as high costs, low efficiency, and insufficient innovation, polishing the brilliant name card of "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" (中国智造).
At a deeper level, the service industry not only serves people, but also empowers people. The underlying logic of service industry growth lies in the continuous evolution of economic activities toward specialized collaboration, which helps achieve more efficient allocation of human resources across society.
The most touching aspect of the service industry's transformation is not data, but the creation of "new jobs" and "good jobs" for ordinary people. The new tracks and new occupations spawned during the upgrade of the service industry can promote high-quality and full employment and enhance economic vitality. Sports data analysts, digital twin engineering technicians, health caregivers, study tour instructors... a large number of new occupations are shooting up and growing, giving workers more diverse development paths.
In April this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping issued important instructions on the development of the service industry, demanding that "we highlight demand-driven, reform-focused, technology-empowered, open and cooperative approaches, and deeply implement the Service Industry Capacity Expansion and Quality Improvement Action (服务业扩能提质行动)". Not long ago, the State Council issued a document proposing that by 2030, the total scale of the service industry will step onto the 100 trillion yuan mark. With the goal set and the policy given, all that remains is to roll up our sleeves and work hard, jointly writing a new chapter in the high-quality and efficient development of the service industry.
Cultural museology study tour seats are in tight supply, night market foot traffic continues unabated, inbound tourists appreciate the oriental charm... Right now, the summer heat is intense, and service consumption is also vigorously heating up. Cultural tourism experiences, leisure formats, and cross-border travel are making efforts from multiple points, witnessing the huge potential of service consumption. By providing more professional, more considerate, and higher-quality services to continuously meet the diversified and multi-level needs of economic and social transformation and upgrading and the people, the service industry can provide stronger support for the economy to develop in a new and better direction. This "service wind" is gaining strong momentum, and the future is bright!
Return to TopBy: 智春丽
From street plays to livestreaming rooms, the physical form of the theatre is changing, but the relationship between art and the people remains unchanged. The actor is present, the audience is online; there is connection, there is resonance. The art of life is integrated into the life of art.
Many short-video users have noticed that "group livestreaming" has recently changed.
The winding and lingering water-mill tune (水磨调) of Kunqu, the crisp and agile sleeves of national-style dance, the "blue-green waist" (青绿腰) of the dance drama Only This Green (只此青绿) stretching on the vertical screen, the vigorous dance steps of Awakening Lion (醒·狮) leaping within a small space... Professional art troupes have one after another "come down to the field," bringing a fresh stream to the "group livestreaming" track in the livestreaming domain.
"Group livestreaming" refers to a livestreaming format carried out by means of team-based operation. According to statistics, as of May this year, 576 state-owned art troupes (国有文艺院团) nationwide have entered leading short-video platforms, cumulatively starting over 1.06 million livestreams. Professional art troupes have opened "cloud" theatres, extended the "second stage," and used professional direction, camera work, and lighting to present classic works. Audiences do not need to go to the theatre to obtain a good viewing experience. This is the performing arts industry's proactive embrace of new business formats, and also a vivid practice of "the people need art, and art needs the people (人民需要文艺，文艺需要人民)."
In the past, the Yellow River Cantata was sung in the cave dwellings of Yan'an, and the wartime street play Put Down Your Whip (放下你的鞭子) was performed anytime, anywhere. Wherever the audience was, there the stage was. Today, digital technology has broken the temporal and spatial boundaries of traditional theatres. Art has never been as conveniently accessible to so many audiences as it is now. On the commute, in leisure moments, swipe in and enter, stay if you like it – everywhere in the scenes of life there is art. Whether it is songs sprouting from the soil, condensed verses from life, or the 呕心沥血 (ǒu xīn lì xuè – "spit heart, drip blood," to work with utmost effort) masterpieces of professionals, along with the fingertip swipes of hundreds of millions of users, all achieve the "live scene" of art serving the people.
The art "professional team" launching "group livestreaming" is reshaping the modes of cultural supply and consumption. The lens magnifies the granularity of the performance; the bullet comments shorten the distance between viewing and performing; the ways of presenting good works have increased. At the Jiangsu Opera and Dance Theatre (江苏省歌剧舞剧院), art workers re-choreographed the original dance poem Ink-Wash Jiangnan (水墨江南) according to the laws of vertical-screen dissemination. At the Zhejiang Song and Dance Theatre (浙江歌舞剧院), "Zhejiang Knows the Seasons" (浙里知时节) creatively presents the "softness" of West Lake water and the "firmness" of the Qiantang River, giving the small square-inch screen an extraordinary style.
The integration of art and technology also enables the performing arts industry to better meet the needs of the masses. Through the livestreaming lens, actors move the backstage to the frontstage, adding explanations and guided appreciation; high art is no longer 曲高和寡 (qǔ gāo hè guǎ – "tune too high, fewer echo it," high art that few appreciate). Art troupes bring high-quality content, raise the content standard of the "group livestreaming" track, and attract potential offline audiences. High art rides digital technology to "fly into the homes of ordinary people" (飞入寻常百姓家); "online breakout" then forms a complement with "offline landing." It is understood that the "group livestreaming" of the Shaanxi Opera and Dance Theatre (陕西省歌舞剧院) drove about a 10% increase in offline box office revenue, and the Jiangsu Opera and Dance Theatre's offline tickets for this year's May Day holiday were directly sold out.
Though the phone screen is small, the "cloud" theatre can be very large. In 2022, the Beijing People's Art Theatre (北京人民艺术剧院) 70th anniversary commemorative edition of Teahouse tested the waters with high-definition real-time livestreaming, setting a record of 50 million online viewers. The outline of the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan proposes to develop online performances and other new cultural business formats. The era of 日新月异 (rì xīn yuè yì – "daily renewal, monthly change," constantly changing and progressing) creates one "boundless" theatre after another for art workers, pushing high-quality cultural resources to reach more audiences.
As a new thing, "group livestreaming" also needs to guard against content risks. In January this year, the China Association of Performing Arts (中国演出行业协会) issued the Management Requirements for Group Live Streaming Operations of Online Performances. The Cyberspace Administration of China (中央网信办) not long ago launched the "Qinglang·Online Entertainment Group Livestreaming Disorder Rectification" special action (清朗·网络娱乐团播乱象整治), targeting problems such as vulgar content and induced tipping. This reminds 跃跃欲试 (yuè yuè yù shì – "eagerly wanting to try," to be eager to try something) entrants that only by adhering to standards and honing internal skills can they run through the chain of "professional output - traffic conversion - value appreciation."
From street plays to livestreaming rooms, the physical form of the theatre is changing, but the relationship between art and the people remains unchanged. The actor is present, the audience is online; there is connection, there is resonance. The art of life is integrated into the life of art. We hope that every "cloud" theatre can make art more down-to-earth, enrich the cultural life of the people, and fill their spiritual world.
Return to TopBy: 李思辉
[Keywords] Bronze statue of the "scavenger elderly man"
[Event] An elderly man holding a book, reading with rapt attention — recently, such a bronze statue at the new Hangzhou Library has drawn widespread attention. The prototype of the bronze statue is retired teacher Wei Sihao. Many years ago, he quietly used his modest pension and income from scavenging to support underprivileged students. There were once citizens dissatisfied with the presence of a "scavenger" in the library, but the library resolutely defended their right to equal reading. This statue, funded through public crowdfunding, is a tribute to him and to more ordinary readers.
[Commentary]
The story of the "scavenger elderly man" took place over a decade ago, and the protagonist, Elder Wei Sihao, has since passed away. Why can a piece of "old news" once again flood social media and move people? Because there are always certain golden qualities and values that can transcend time and space and resonate with people.
What the statue carves is the great love of an ordinary person. Wei Sihao lived a frugal life, yet he harbored compassion and found joy in helping others. For decades, he saved on food and clothing to anonymously support students' education, using his meager strength to uphold the dreams of underprivileged learners. His only "reward" to himself was washing his hands clean and getting close to the fragrance of books. Beneath his simple clothing lay a personality of such admirable dignity. The good deeds of ordinary people are, at any time, a fire that warms the heart.
What the statue carves is also the inclusiveness of a city. Reading is meant to distinguish right from wrong, not to place oneself above others — the Hangzhou Library's response to the controversy back then was clear in stance and resounding in impact. What it defended was not just a seat in the library, but a value pursuit: learning should have no threshold, and everyone can seek knowledge. So-called "decency" should not become a barrier preventing people from enjoying public resources and pursuing spiritual fulfillment.
As time passes, the story from over a decade ago has not only not become outdated but has instead become more thought-provoking.
For example, the value of reading. Migrant worker Wu Guichun affectionately left a message for Dongguan Library, "courier poet" Wang Jibing wrote tirelessly and won the Lu Xun Literary Prize... In recent years, moving stories about libraries, reading, and writing have continuously emerged, all conveying a simple truth: regardless of one's starting point or identity, books are always fair. As long as one knocks on the door with a thirst for knowledge, one can encounter a rich and fulfilling spiritual world. In the present era of accelerating life pace and fragmented information, when "attention deficit" has become a hot topic of discussion and "loss of meaning" troubles many people, reading may be the very remedy for healing restlessness and burnout.
For another example, equality of opportunity. The right to read is just one microcosm of the value of fairness. From a broader perspective, fairness is not only about whether tangible doors are open, but more importantly, whether intangible support is solid. A society where everyone, regardless of age, gender, occupation, or class, has the opportunity to climb upward and achieve self-fulfillment is a truly civilized society.
Some localities have established projects to support new employment groups in pursuing associate or bachelor's degrees tuition-free; some localities have integrated vocational skills training with comprehensive rural revitalization, industrial upgrading, and paired-up assistance... In the landscape of contemporary China, society is committed to building a broader stage for every dream-chaser to realize their dreams. Adhering to inclusiveness and universal benefit, breaking down various rules and regulations through institutional measures, and opening up more channels for growth, so that everyone has the chance to shine in life — this is the best interpretation of social fairness.
Ultimately, what people remember about the story of the "scavenger elderly man" is a narrative of great love and respect. Behind this lies the recognition of human rights and human value. Using institutions to uplift the ordinary, using goodwill to warm people's hearts, and maximizing the respect, acceptance, and support for every ordinary person — development will then have more warmth.
Small theaters enter commercial districts and scenic spots, extending the consumption chain; concerts combine with distinctive culture, making urban cultural tourism popular... The China Performance Industry Association (中国演出行业协会) recently released data showing that in the first half of this year, box office revenue from commercial performances nationwide (excluding performances in entertainment venues) was 30.408 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.41%; the number of audiences was 98.8118 million person-times, a year-on-year increase of 5.28%.
This is exactly:
Joyful songs take turns on stage,
Fine plays open one after another.
Benefiting the people adds momentum,
Elegant tastes enter the bosom.
Yang Yuwen (杨羽文)
By: 陈 江
Not long ago, Chinese mathematicians Deng Yu (邓煜) and Wang Hong (王虹) jointly received the Fields Medal. Beyond mathematics, one of the laureates, Deng Yu, has another side that people 津津乐道 (jīn jīn lè dào - "talk about with great relish," to discuss with keen interest): he is an enthusiast of classical-style poetry. He composed a ci poem to the tune "Riverside Daffodils · Playfully Collecting Mathematical and Physics Terms": "Where the Milky Way flickers and fades, / In the presence or absence of black holes" and "After iterating a thousand years of chaos, / When may we hope to meet? / My sorrowful heart overlays many layers. / The thoughts I have for you / Tend toward positive infinity."
Mathematical terms and classical ci-patterns are 浑然一体 (hún rán yī tǐ - "blended into one whole," seamlessly integrated) under his brush. On his personal website he writes: "I love poetry, stories, novels, puzzles, comics, Go, football, and all beautiful and enchanting things." Such a self-portrayal changes people's stereotyped impression of scientists and reveals the relaxed, confident spiritual outlook of China's new generation of scientific researchers.
In fact, it has never been news that scientists love literature and art. James Clerk Maxwell, the founder of classical electrodynamics, wrote a large number of poems throughout his life; the physicist Erwin Schrödinger was also skilled in poetry composition and published a poetry collection in his early years; Albert Einstein not only engaged in profound philosophical thinking but was also a thinker rich in humanistic sentiment. In China, the mathematician Hua Luogeng (华罗庚) was adept at poetry and prose, and Su Buqing (苏步青) had loved classical-style poetry since childhood. Science and art achieved perfect unity in them, nourishing each other.
The core of science is the pursuit of truth, but the spirit of scientists is far more than that; it also encompasses the spiritual underpinning of seeking goodness and seeking beauty. Scientists who can be called great masters have never been merely explorers of the unknown frontier; they are also guardians of human values.
Today, the idea that science and technology should serve the good has become a consensus across all sectors of society. But this is not merely a technical issue; it is a value issue. Technology itself has no inherent good or evil; what determines the direction of technology is what is in the hearts of those who wield it. If a person has read widely in poetry and books, empathizes with the joys and sorrows of the world, and harbors great love in their heart, they will have more responsibility toward this world and more reverence for the consequences of technology. Humanistic cultivation is precisely the most fundamental "calibrator" for science and technology to serve the good.
This also enlightens us that during the education stage, besides enhancing students' scientific literacy, we must not neglect humanistic literacy, still less forget the shaping of moral character and personality. As Li Jun (李隽), an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said: "Having entered the era of artificial intelligence, the more rapidly society develops, the more we need the humanistic spirit."
For science and technology to serve the good, in the final analysis, it is about human beings turning toward the good. Only by cultivating humanistic feelings and enhancing humanistic literacy can the development of science and technology forever adhere to the right path and not deviate.
(Excerpted and compiled from Zhejiang Daily (浙江日报), originally titled "Deng Yu Writes Poetry, Romance 'Tends to Positive Infinity'")
Return to TopBy: 周东滨
"Seeking inward" has always been the most simple, most solid "plain hard work." It does not seek shortcuts, does not achieve quick results, yet it is the most solid, most reliable.
There is a friend of mine who has two hobbies outside of work: playing table tennis and practicing calligraphy. He has changed seven or eight paddles, buying increasingly expensive rubber, yet his skill always remains at the same level; he has assembled one set after another of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, yet his characters become more and more superficial. When asked why he still buys, he answers calmly: "Once the equipment is in place, the skill will naturally come."
These words sound like a joke, but upon reflection they also reflect the psychology of some people. In today's era, "obtaining" seems too easy. If you want to look up information, artificial intelligence responds instantly; if you want to learn a skill, resources and channels are abundant. However, external things are "easily obtained," internal skill is "hard to obtain." The true knowledge, true ability, true skill that belong to oneself do not necessarily grow with the "easy obtainment" of tools.
Peking University professor Lou Yulie (楼宇烈) once said that the foundation of Chinese culture is "seeking inward." One must understand oneself, what kind of person one is, and how much ability one has. Mencius said: "When one's actions fail to achieve the desired result, one should turn inward and examine oneself; when one's own person is upright, the whole world will turn to him." From the perspective of establishing oneself and conducting oneself, "seeking inward" means blaming others less and reflecting on oneself more, not resenting heaven, not blaming others (怨天尤人, yuàn tiān yóu rén - "blame heaven and blame others," to blame everyone but oneself). From the perspective of seeking knowledge and learning skills, "seeking inward" means the heart takes root inward, focusing and investing, working hard and diligently, continuing day after day, 久久为功 (jiǔ jiǔ wéi gōng - "long long achieve success," to persist over time to achieve results).
Qi Baishi studied painting in his early years. With a copy of the Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting, he traced the outlines one by one, spending a full half year. Later, when he became famous throughout the world, he still kept an old inkstone by his side. Due to his diligence in painting, some places on the bottom of the inkstone had been worn thin. Although the tools were ordinary, as long as one was willing to put in hard work, skill would naturally grow. The documentary Masters in the Forbidden City records the daily work of cultural relic restorers at the Palace Museum. In the film, it can be seen that the most core carving step in restoring wooden artifacts still needs to be done by hand, relying on carving knives, hands, and years of accumulated feel. As restorer Qu Feng (屈峰) said, the spirit of "investigating things" of "using oneself to observe things, and using things to observe oneself" is precisely a contemporary footnote to "seeking inward."
No matter how technology advances or society develops, "seeking inward" is a commendable quality. Of course, "seeking inward" is not 闭关自守 (bì guān zì shǒu - "close the passes and defend oneself," to isolate oneself) and reject external things. As it is said, "The gentleman is not different by nature, but is good at making use of things." External things are aids; advanced tools and cutting-edge technology should naturally be used well. But the more convenient and obtainable they are, the more one needs to maintain a clear-headedness: no matter how good the equipment, it is only an extension of the hand, and cannot replace the skill in the hand; no matter how strong artificial intelligence, it is only an aid to the brain, and cannot replace the thinking in the brain.
"Seeking inward" is especially difficult today. Because information is overwhelming and choices are diverse, concentration becomes harder; because the pace of life is fast and more and more people pursue instant feedback, patience has become a scarce commodity. And the path of improvement has never been something that can be accomplished 一蹴而就 (yī cù ér jiù - "to accomplish in one step," to achieve overnight). Taking three steps forward and two steps back is the norm, and it is not uncommon to see no results for three to five years. As a result, some people choose to spend their energy on things that are easier to obtain. For example, collecting one "dry goods" article after another, downloading one tutorial after another, yet delaying putting them into action. It is precisely for this reason that those who are willing to settle down, get moving, and compete with themselves stroke by stroke, move by move, appear all the more precious.
"A knife must be sharpened on a stone; a person must be tempered in affairs." The character "磨" (grind/temper) fully expresses the true meaning of "seeking inward." "磨" means to grind one's craft, to grind one's temperament, to grind one's sense of responsibility. Wu Yaqin (吴亚琴), recipient of the "July 1 Medal," has been rooted in community grassroots for over 30 years. In the early days of the community renovation, difficulties were numerous. She called on everyone to 自力更生 (zì lì gēng shēng - "rely on one's own strength to change one's life," to rely on one's own efforts) and jointly build their home: when there was no money, they picked up bottles and sold waste, saving bit by bit; when there was no greenery, they bought seeds and planted them themselves... She stubbornly "held a breath of determination" and led everyone to transform the community that was originally "muddy feet on rainy days, dusty all over on sunny days" into a happy home. Now, even though she is over sixty, she still holds the front line, doing the trivial and complicated grassroots work to the utmost. For over 30 years, she has not sought empty fame, but has deeply cultivated and tempered herself in one thing. It is precisely this kind of self-perseverance and self-improvement that ultimately achieves the extraordinary.
In the final analysis, "seeking inward" has always been the most simple, most solid "plain hard work." It does not seek shortcuts, does not achieve quick results, yet it is the most solid, most reliable. Living in an era where everything is "easily obtained," only by discarding impatience, taking root inward, deeply cultivating one's character, and tempering one's abilities can one always stand firm, stand steady, and go far amidst the changing winds and clouds.
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Return to TopBy: 本报记者 张 璁
New forms of employment, represented by the platform economy, are flourishing, and new employment groups such as food delivery riders, couriers, ride-hailing drivers, and livestreamers are growing day by day. However, this group faces difficulties such as difficulty in rights protection and weak services. How can the law move from paper to their side?
The recently released 'Ninth Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) of the Central Propaganda Department (中央宣传部) and the Ministry of Justice (司法部) on Carrying Out Publicity and Education on the Rule of Law' requires strengthening publicity and education on the rule of law for platform enterprises and workers in new forms of employment, and clearly states 'explore the cultivation of "legal knowledgeable persons" (法律明白人) within industries and fields.'
A batch of 'legal knowledgeable persons' from industry fields among the new employment groups have taken up their posts, delivering legal knowledge and services to their peers. Reporters traveled to Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hainan and other places to investigate the vivid practices of food delivery riders transforming into guides for work-related injury rights protection, livestreamers becoming online leaders in legal publicity, and 'Rider Homes' being built into 'legal maternal homes' (法律娘家).
— Editor —
Can a rider's injury be recognized as a work-related injury? How can a livestreamer who encounters a labor dispute protect their rights? With the vigorous development of the platform economy, the number of new employment groups is also growing day by day. However, problems such as the group's high mobility, diverse legal needs, and great difficulty in reaching them with legal publicity have also brought new challenges to grassroots governance.
The recently released Ninth Five-Year Plan for Legal Publicity and Education requires guiding and standardizing social forces to participate in legal publicity and education, and clearly states 'explore the cultivation of "legal knowledgeable persons" within industries and fields.'
To solve industry pain points such as difficulty in rights protection, weak services, and scattered governance for new employment groups, in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hainan and other places, a batch of new employment group 'legal knowledgeable persons' have taken up their posts. They are like sparks of the rule of law scattered at the front line of industries, becoming 'law deliverers' (送法人) at the side of practitioners.
"Legal knowledgeable persons" become "intimate helpers" for rights protection according to law
When a rider from the same station had an accident while delivering food and was injured, upon hearing the news, Old Zhang, a 'legal knowledgeable person' in Shangyu District (上虞区), Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province, immediately responded by rushing to the scene. As a 'legal knowledgeable person' at the rider station, Old Zhang is very familiar with the relevant regulations on occupational injury for workers in new forms of employment. After arriving at the scene, he guided the rider to apply for occupational injury confirmation through the platform's 'one-click report' while assisting in preserving key evidence such as order records, route trajectories, and accident scene photos.
'Before, if I hurt my leg, I had to argue with the platform over whether it was a work-related injury; now with one-click report, the confirmation is fast and the compensation is accurate,' said the injured rider. Under Old Zhang's professional guidance, the relevant department issued an occupational injury determination after five working days, helping the rider complete the rights protection procedure in the shortest possible time.
In Shangyu District, the number of new employment groups such as online delivery personnel and ride-hailing drivers is continuously increasing. How to resolve disputes in their infancy? The local area explores the construction of a front-end discovery mechanism for 'legal knowledgeable persons,' setting up 'rights protection observation posts' (权益保障观察哨) in key new business form industries such as express delivery and online delivery, and sorting out five service lists including legal aid and dispute mediation.
'In response to the actual situation where food delivery riders, couriers, and ride-hailing drivers have a fast work pace and are unfamiliar with rights protection channels, Zhejiang embeds legal rights protection services into the daily work and life scenarios of new employment groups, allowing legal resources to "flow" to the places where workers in new business forms are most concentrated,' said a relevant official from the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Justice (浙江省司法厅).
Moreover, Zhejiang also makes full use of the express delivery logistics network, turning express vehicles and delivery vehicles into mobile rights protection contact points, collecting dispute clues and transmitting rights protection channels while delivering packages and meals.
Longwan District (龙湾区), Wenzhou City, Zhejiang, launched 'legal publicity express vehicles,' turning more than 1,000 express vehicles into mobile legal publicity positions, achieving one delivery and one rights protection guidance simultaneously; Tongxiang City (桐乡市) formed a 'Courier Brother Legal Publicity Volunteer Team,' with team members wearing custom vests printed with legal slogans, delivering legal publicity leaflets together with packages to residents when knocking on doors to deliver items...
A relevant official from the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Justice stated that since the beginning of this year, 'legal knowledgeable persons' among new employment groups in Zhejiang have participated in a cumulative total of over 700 legal services such as dispute mediation and rights protection guidance, serving over 170,000 person-times from new employment groups. This force of the rule of law, active on the streets and in the alleys, is becoming the 'intimate helper' for new employment groups to protect their rights according to law.
A livestreamer WeChat group protects the lawful rights and interests of a group of industry members
In Xinyu City (新余市), Jiangxi, the local area relies on organizations such as the Comprehensive Party Committee of the Online Food Delivery Industry (网约配送行业综合党委) and the Party Committee of the Online Livestreaming Industry (网络直播行业党委) to select and cultivate 'legal knowledgeable persons' among groups such as food delivery riders, couriers, and livestreamers.
Song Weijian (宋卫建), Secretary of the First Joint Party Branch of the Internet in Xinyu High-tech Zone (新余高新区), set up a WeChat group for over 300 local livestreamers. Song Weijian is among the first batch of 'legal knowledgeable persons' for the livestreamer group in Xinyu City, and this group became his 'online legal publicity position.'
Once, a recent female graduate in the group tearfully recounted that she had signed a cooperation agreement after trusting a certain media company's verbal promise of 'monthly salary of 8,000 yuan and full traffic support.' However, three months after starting work, the company neither provided supporting operations and training nor fulfilled the traffic promise, and the livestreamer's actual monthly income was less than 1,500 yuan. Just as she was about to resign, the company sent a lawyer's letter demanding a huge penalty of 500,000 yuan according to the contract.
Song Weijian, on the one hand, calmed the concerned party's emotions, and on the other hand, invited professional lawyers to analyze in the group: According to the relevant provisions of the Civil Code, if the agreed penalty is excessively higher than the loss caused, the people's court or arbitration institution may appropriately reduce it upon the party's request. At the same time, he guided the livestreamer to organize evidence such as chat records and wage statements showing the company's failure to fulfill its oral promises after joining. Ultimately, with the help of Song Weijian and the lawyers, the livestreamer successfully reached a settlement with the company, avoiding a huge compensation.
In response to frequent industry problems such as livestreamers' unauthorized use of background music causing infringement, media companies defaulting on commissions, and 'blank contract' traps, Song Weijian took the lead in self-examination within the group and popularized relevant legal knowledge among peers. 'Only when the industry atmosphere is upright can practitioners have long-term development,' said Song Weijian.
Localities across Jiangxi have adapted measures to local conditions to expand the avenues for 'legal knowledgeable persons' among new employment groups to play their role, carrying out '1+N' passing on experience, helping, and guiding (传帮带), where one new employment group 'legal knowledgeable person' contacts several members of the same industry, using various forms to carry out legal publicity, provide legal services, and resolve conflicts and disputes.
'We have also established an online contact mechanism for "legal knowledgeable persons" among new employment groups by region and by industry, with lawyers and judicial administration staff providing backend support and answers to difficult questions,' said a relevant official from the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Justice (江西省司法厅). He added that in April this year, Jiangxi issued an implementation plan specifically for the cultivation of 'legal knowledgeable persons' among new employment groups, and as of now, the province has cumulatively cultivated over 12,000 'legal knowledgeable persons' among new employment groups.
"Rider Home" rule-of-law stations link resources to resolve disputes
In Haikou, Hainan, after taking an urgent delivery order, food delivery rider Xiao Wang sped along all the way "风驰电掣 (fēng chí diàn chè - "wind speed, lightning flash," extremely fast)." Suddenly, Xiao Wang saw someone crossing the road ahead, but it was too late to brake, and he immediately collided with pedestrian Yang. The traffic police department issued a traffic accident liability determination, finding Xiao Wang primarily responsible.
After Yang was admitted to the hospital for treatment, he demanded compensation of more than 200,000 yuan. Xiao Wang immediately became anxious, thinking, "Isn't this a case of '狮子大开口 (shī zi dà kāi kǒu - "lion opens its mouth wide," making an exorbitant demand)'?" The two parties negotiated many times but could never reach an agreement, and the conflict became increasingly intense. At this point, the person in charge of Xiao Wang's station thought of the 'Rider Home' rule-of-law station in Meilan District (美兰区), Haikou City, and immediately reported the dispute there.
Lei Pingping (雷平萍), the head of the 'legal knowledgeable person' workstation stationed there, quickly organized all parties for on-site centralized negotiation. How should the compensation be calculated? How should this money be paid? After calculating each item one by one according to the law, the total reasonable compensation was finally determined to be 117,000 yuan, and this amount was to be fully paid by the insurance company within the limit of the rider's third-party liability insurance, with Xiao Wang not needing to bear any costs himself. This result was recognized by all parties, and soon the conflicting parties signed a mediation agreement, achieving a one-time resolution of the case.
'In response to problems such as scattered legal resources, unclear baseline data, and difficulty in rights protection for new employment groups, we are piloting the "integration" of rule-of-law resources for new business forms in Meilan District,' said a relevant official from the Hainan Provincial Department of Justice (海南省司法厅). He stated that 'legal knowledgeable persons' among new employment groups are stationed at the 'Rider Home' rule-of-law stations on a regular basis, linking resources from judicial administration, trade unions, women's federations, street offices, etc., to provide free legal consultation, on-site mediation of conflicts and disputes, legal aid guidance, and assistance with work-related injury determination materials, making these places the 'legal maternal home' recognized by riders.
A relevant official from the Bureau of Legal Publicity and Law-based Governance of the Ministry of Justice (司法部普法与依法治理局) said that in the next step, they will continue to promote the expansion of the 'legal knowledgeable person' cultivation project to new employment groups, deeply implement the action to improve the legal literacy of new employment groups, and cultivate a team of 'legal knowledgeable persons' among new employment groups that is wide in coverage, reasonable in structure, and of good quality. They will become trustworthy legal policy propagandists, conflict and dispute mediators, and rights protection guides for workers in new forms of employment, injecting momentum for the rule of law into grassroots social governance.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 李茂颖
In Yunnan Province, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Qiubei County (丘北县), Puzhehei Lake (普者黑湖) lies like a gem embedded among the karst peaks.
Puzhehei, in the Yi language, means "a lake teeming with fish and shrimp," embodying the local people's beautiful aspiration of living by the lake and prospering with the water. Puzhehei Village (普者黑村), located in the core lake area of Puzhehei Lake, is rich in ecological resources and is also a key area for lake ecological protection.
In high summer, the lake water is clear and pure, peak reflections are mirrored, and continuous lotus leaves ripple with the wind. A black-awning boat cuts through the water surface carrying laughter; villager Li Zhuzhen (李竹珍) plies a wooden oar and says, "The lake water is clearer year by year, the scenery is more beautiful year by year, and there are more and more tourists." A tourist sitting at the bow raises a phone, and in the frame are endless green mountains and blooming lotus flowers — truly a pastoral picture.
However, a dozen years ago, Puzhehei Village presented a very different scene. "In the past, the village had no complete sewage pipeline network; domestic sewage was discharged directly into the lake, the ecological environment was damaged, and village development was trapped," recalled villager Fan Chengyuan (范成元).
Change began with infrastructure. To break out of the dual predicament of ecology and development, the entire village pooled its hearts and strength (凝心聚力) to advance the renovation separating rain and sewage; each household built supporting oil separation tanks and smoke purification facilities, and those operating catering or homestays had to pass inspection and meet standards. "Everyone understands deep down that only if the mountains and waters are protected will development have a future," Fan Chengyuan said.
To protect this expanse of clear water, normalized patrol and protection are indispensable. The village Party committee adopted a "Party building + ecological protection" (党建+生态保护) model, forming a Party-member volunteer lake-protection service team; Party cadres took the lead, spearheading key work such as sewage treatment, environmental remediation, and ecological restoration, going door to door to explain environmental policies and spread the concept of lake protection.
Yang Weijun (杨伟俊), secretary of the Puzhehei Village Party committee and director of the village committee (村党委书记、村委会主任), introduced that the village has divided lake and river management protection responsibility zones, with villagers serving as ecological river guards (生态护河员). Every early morning, the river guards insist on patrolling, fishing out garbage and discouraging uncivilized behavior. "Patrolling the lake is not just about cleaning up trash; more importantly, we must stop pollution acts in time and transmit the awareness of protection into every household," Yang Weijun said.
Moreover, each villager group in Puzhehei Village has formulated its own village rules and civil agreements (村规民约), incorporating lake and greenery protection into them, so that ecological awareness is integrated into daily life. Today, when villagers see tourists throwing bottles near the lake, they take the initiative to step forward and dissuade them; villagers rowing boats keep an eye on the water surface for floating debris while carrying passengers. What was once "require me to protect" has transformed into "I want to protect."
Qiubei County has carried out targeted ecological governance of Puzhehei Lake, continuously advancing wetland restoration and source control of pollution entering the lake, and unified planning and coordinated construction of supporting facilities for water supply, sewage discharge, and garbage treatment in the lake area, systematically building a solid ecological barrier for the lake.
Ecological governance 久久为功 (jiǔ jiǔ wéi gōng - "persist over a long time," to achieve success through sustained effort), and the clear-water lake bay has regained its vitality. Today's Puzhehei Lake lives up to its name of "a lake teeming with fish and shrimp." The number of bird and fish species in the lake area has steadily increased; egrets and herons perch on the lakeshore year-round, and every winter large flocks of migratory birds arrive, while the lake teems with fish and shrimp.
As lake water quality continues to improve and the environment becomes ever more beautiful, tourist numbers at Puzhehei Village climb year by year. The village's ecological tourism projects — homestays, dining, boat rowing — are booming (红红火火); lucid waters and lush mountains are truly being transformed into mountains of gold and silver. "I can find employment right at my doorstep, and my income has increased a lot," Li Zhuzhen said.
Today, in Puzhehei Village, tourists drift on the lake in boats, reaching out to touch the cool lake water. In the evening, strolling along the lakeside boardwalk, they can quietly enjoy the beauty of green peaks reflected in clear water and the evening breeze carrying the fragrance of lotus. A visitor from Guangdong, Ms. Liu (刘女士), who stayed in a village homestay, remarked with emotion: "Such a vast sea of flowers — so beautiful. Here I can immersively experience pastoral life; it is especially healing." In 2025, Puzhehei Village received 2,722,700 person-visits, achieving total tourism expenditure of 1.5 billion yuan; of these, 406,600 person-visits purchased tourism products, generating nearly 60 million yuan in direct tourism economic income.
This expanse of clear water nourishes the villages along its shores and also brings a path to rural revitalization that features a beautiful ecology, thriving industries, and prosperous residents.
Return to TopBishkek, August 4 (People's Daily) — (Mao Yufei (毛予菲), Wang Shuohan (王硕寒)) The fifth "Silk Road Goodwill Ambassadors" (丝路友好使者) ceremony was held on the 4th in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. He Jianzhong (何建中), Vice Chairman of the China International Cultural Exchange Center (中国国际文化交流中心), and Xu Lijing (徐立京), Deputy Editor-in-Chief of People's Daily, delivered video speeches. Salken Sarnogoeva (萨尔肯·萨尔诺戈耶娃), Deputy Minister of Culture, Information and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan, along with 10 groups of this year's "Silk Road Goodwill Ambassadors" from multiple countries and over 200 domestic and international friendly individuals concerned with the joint construction of the Belt and Road, attended.
This ceremony was co-hosted by the China International Cultural Exchange Center, Global People (环球人物) magazine, and the Publicity Department of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee (深圳市委宣传部). This was the first time the ceremony was held outside China. Guests at the event stated that the real stories, each spanning mountains and seas, demonstrated the development opportunities and cooperation results brought by the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and also injected more strength into promoting people-to-people connectivity and advancing the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
During the event, artists from China and Kyrgyzstan presented wonderful performances, interpreting a fashion show interweaving tradition and future — Silk Road Cloud Garments (丝路云裳). At the venue, a launch ceremony for "Silk Road Friendly Cities: Shenzhen" (丝路友好城市 深圳) was also held.
Return to TopThe ancient architectural resources in Suining County (绥宁县), Shaoyang City, Hunan Province, are abundant. In recent years, the local authorities have increased protective restoration efforts on ancient villages, ancient lanes, ancient houses, etc., in accordance with the principle of "repair the old as the old, overall protection, rational utilization, and continuation of the cultural context."
The photo shows construction workers restoring an ancient building in Chenjia Village (陈家村), Lixiqiao Town (李熙桥镇), Suining County, recently. Photo by Teng Zhizhong (滕治中) (Image China (影像中国)).
Return to TopBeijing, August 4 (Reporter Yi Shuran (易舒冉)) — A few days ago, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions issued the Notice on Further Strengthening Work Safety and Labor Protection, guiding trade unions at all levels to fully play their supervisory role, actively participate in and promote the strengthening of work safety, resolutely prevent the occurrence of extremely serious accidents, and earnestly fulfill the important responsibilities of safeguarding workers' safety and health rights and building a solid worker line of defense for work safety.
The notice emphasizes that trade unions at all levels must deeply carry out risk hazard investigation and rectification. Actively assist enterprises in investigating various safety hazards, establish and improve a system that supports and encourages workers to strive to become "whistleblowers" (吹哨人) for work safety, and guide enterprises to establish and improve internal hazard reporting reward mechanisms. Cooperate with relevant departments to strengthen hazard investigation and rectification in key industries and fields such as mining, hazardous chemicals, and construction.
The notice requires that trade unions at all levels extensively carry out labor protection supervision and inspection. Assist relevant departments in strengthening supervision and inspection efforts in key industries and fields and labor-intensive enterprises, make good use of the "one letter and two documents" (一函两书), and urge enterprises to implement measures such as work safety, heatstroke prevention and cooling, and labor protection in accordance with the law. Increase support efforts, guide platform enterprises and small, medium, and micro enterprises to strengthen work safety education and training, fire drills, and safety supervision. Deepen the national "Safety and Health Cup" (安康杯) competition, extensively carry out mass work safety activities such as "capture hazards with a casual photo" (隐患随手拍) and safety rationalization suggestions. Organize workers to carry out hands-on work safety training to improve their ability to respond to emergencies. Increase efforts in popularizing basic knowledge of work safety and in warning education on typical accident cases. Strengthen the construction of worker safety culture, extensively organize "model workers and craftsmen talk about safety" (劳模工匠讲安全) activities, and continuously create a strong atmosphere of "everyone talks about safety, everyone knows how to respond to emergencies" (人人讲安全、个个会应急).
Return to TopThis newspaper Guiyang, August 4 (Reporter Chen Junyi (陈隽逸)) – The Guizhou Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology (贵州省工业和信息化厅) and seven other departments recently issued the “Guizhou Province ‘Artificial Intelligence + Manufacturing’ Implementation Plan,” promoting the integrated application of artificial intelligence technology in the manufacturing industry, developing new quality productive forces (新质生产力), and empowering high-quality development of new-type industrialization.
The implementation plan proposes phased development objectives: by the end of 2026, to create a batch of typical artificial intelligence application cases with noticeable results, forming a point-based driving effect; by the end of 2027, to create a batch of high-quality industry datasets, helping to stimulate innovation vitality in emerging industries and future industries; by the end of 2028, to create a batch of large-model solutions with Guizhou characteristics and industry features, cultivate pilot-level smart factories, and gradually form a scale effect of coordinated development across industries. The implementation plan requires strengthening computing power supply, relying on the National (Guizhou) Hub Node of the Integrated National Computing Power Network (全国一体化算力网络国家（贵州）枢纽节点), encouraging intelligent computing centers to adopt advanced hardware equipment, efficient computing and network architectures, and consolidating intelligent computing capabilities. Build a metropolitan-area millisecond computing network, enhance the millisecond-level computing power accessibility capability within the metropolitan area, and support the application of “Artificial Intelligence+” scenarios.
Return to TopBeijing, August 4 (People's Daily) — (Reporter Yan Yiqiao (闫伊乔)) Recently, the Ministry of Education issued the Guidelines for the 'Learning by Doing' Pilot Action for Science Education at the Compulsory Education Stage (《义务教育阶段科学教育“做中学”领航行动指南》), deploying the implementation of the Science Education 'Learning by Doing' Pilot Action (hereinafter referred to as the Pilot Action). It is reported that starting from the school term beginning in September this year, the Pilot Action will be fully implemented in primary and junior secondary schools nationwide.
The Guidelines point out that the Pilot Action takes students as the main body, takes interest as the orientation, takes practice as the path, focuses on strengthening scientific inquiry practice, promotes the transformation of the science education's method of cultivating people, stimulates young people's curiosity, imagination, and desire for exploration, and answers well the question of "what to add and how to add" in the science education addition.
The Guidelines clarify the objectives and content requirements of the Pilot Action. The Pilot Action emphasizes the deepening, integration, and expansion of science-type courses, focuses on "real problems," guides the majority of students to pay attention to production and life reality, understand the changes and developments in science and technology, carry out cross-disciplinary inquiry practice, enable students to master scientific methods, develop scientific thinking abilities, and comprehensively enhance scientific literacy. All localities and schools should, based on regional resource advantages and school characteristics, combined with students' actual conditions, design and implement scientific inquiry practice tasks, and emphasize the coordination of science and technology education with humanities education.
The Guidelines, focusing on strengthening curriculum implementation planning, transforming teaching methods, improving evaluation methods, developing supporting resources, and reinforcing social coordination, put forward specific requirements for local education administrative departments to implement the Pilot Action. At the same time, the Guidelines also explicitly require that local authorities strengthen systematic deployment and effective implementation, build a strong teaching force, strengthen teaching research guidance, improve condition guarantees, and promote the practical implementation of the Pilot Action.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 李亚楠
Appreciating dance and music, tasting food, exploring intangible cultural heritage... From July 30 to August 3, the 2026 “Xinjiang is a Good Place” intangible cultural heritage aid-Xinjiang theme exhibition activity (2026 “新疆是个好地方” 非遗援疆主题展示活动), jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (新疆生产建设兵团), was held in Shihezi City (石河子市) of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, vividly displaying 651 representative intangible cultural heritage projects from 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Special activities such as “Dance and Music Collection” (舞乐集), “Scenery and Objects Feast” (风物宴), “Science and Technology Innovation Exhibition” (科创展), and “Tradition Learning Hall” (传习堂) brought the public an immersive intangible cultural heritage experience that can be touched, felt, and tasted.
Pipa from the Pinghu school of Zhejiang and the dombra from Xinjiang played together; Haining (海宁) shadow puppetry performed the story of the Flaming Mountain; the representative inheritor of Jingdezhen hand-made porcelain technique of Jiangxi and the representative inheritor of the Uygur mold-made pottery firing technique of Xinjiang jointly created the themed work “Pomegranate Seeds, Hearts Connected” (石榴籽心连心)... Representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage from various regions performed on the same stage, deepening exchange and mutual learning through integrated co-creation.
“We specially designed these two qipao, using traditional craftsmanship such as inlay, embedding, rolling, and draping, and brought them to the exhibition hall for display,” said Wang Chao (汪超), municipal-level representative inheritor of Beijing Ruifuxiang Chinese-style clothing hand-making technique. At the booth, Shu brocade products using the brocade pattern “Five Stars Rise in the East, Benefiting China” (五星出东方利中国) and Song brocade products using the Yili horse pattern also attracted many visitors.
Weng Dingxia (翁丁侠), municipal-level representative inheritor of Chaoyang Yingge dance from Guangdong, together with the Yingge dance team of Mingde Primary School in Shufu County (疏附县), Xinjiang, brought a flash mob performance of Yingge dance. “The school’s Yingge dance team originated from the Guangdong aid-Xinjiang intangible cultural heritage into schools cultivation project (广东援疆非遗进校园培育项目), allowing the traditional Lingnan Yingge art to radiate new vitality in Xinjiang,” said Guli Bahar Memet (古丽巴哈尔·麦麦提), the lead teacher of Mingde Primary School. This performance vividly presented the educational achievements of the intangible cultural heritage into schools work in both Guangdong and Xinjiang.
Various regions have built cultural bridges through intangible cultural heritage, carrying out rich and colorful practices, allowing the people of Xinjiang to feel the unique charm of the pluralistic and integrated Chinese culture. During the exhibitions, displays, exchanges, and integration of intangible cultural heritage, all ethnic groups not only deepened their understanding of their own cultural values but also respected differences and embraced diversity through mutual appreciation, continuously strengthening cultural identity and promoting the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage.
Not only in the exhibition hall, but also on the train, “Yimeng Mountain Folk Song” (沂蒙山小调), Jiaozhou Yangge dance, Lü opera, clay xun, erhu, and others took turns performing — on the country’s first inter-provincial intangible cultural heritage themed train heading to Xinjiang, 13 representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage accompanied the entire journey to display and perform, passing through 7 provinces, stopping at 10 stations in Xinjiang, over 18 days, focusing on showcasing the intangible cultural heritage of Shandong and Xinjiang. Li Sulin (李苏霖), representative inheritor of Jiaozhou Yangge, said that performing on the same stage with Xinjiang’s cultural workers deepened his understanding of Xinjiang’s intangible cultural heritage. During the train’s operation, over 40 performances, displays, and exchange activities were held, with more than 20,000 on-site participants, and driving overall consumption of over 11.7 million yuan.
Various regions also promoted the effective transformation of intangible cultural heritage skills into carriers that drive employment and income growth. Henan Anxiu embroidery (河南安绣) has built an intangible cultural heritage display and training base in Xinjiang, training over 3,300 ethnic embroiderers, with an average monthly income increase of over 2,800 yuan, and driving employment for over 7,000 rural surplus laborers. Liaoning Gaizhou (盖州) folk paper-cutting (Manchu Irgen Gioro paper-cutting, 满族伊尔根觉罗剪纸) and Hetian (和田) mulberry paper have cross-border integration, relying on deep cooperation in traditional skills, with annual order amounts reaching 86,000 yuan. Fan Suizhou (范随州) and Wang Zhenfang (王振芳), a couple who are representative inheritors of the Ru porcelain firing technique, overcame technical difficulties such as adapting the Gobi soil and adjusting the kiln, combined with local Xinjiang clay, and successfully created Xinjiang celadon (新疆青瓷). Over the past year, they have fired more than 10,000 pieces of finished porcelain, with annual sales of nearly 2 million yuan.
According to statistics, the main venue of this theme event received nearly 200,000 visitors, and sales of related intangible cultural heritage products reached nearly 10 million yuan.
Return to TopBy: 欧阳洁
The General Administration of Customs recently announced data on China’s import and export of goods in the first half of the year, among which a set of figures is particularly striking: China exported 6.29 billion yuan of industrial robots, an increase of 18.6%, sold to 141 countries and regions; exports of surgical robots reached 480 million yuan, an increase of 3.3 times, with the export market expanding from 23 countries and regions in the same period last year to 49; cleaning robots and intelligent bionic robots together exported 18.09 billion yuan, making robots a representative product of China’s “intelligent manufacturing going global.”
The robotics industry integrates new technologies such as artificial intelligence and new materials, and is an important carrier of advanced manufacturing. In recent years, relying on advantages such as the ultra-large market scale, complete industrial chain, and rich application scenarios, China’s robotics industry has achieved leapfrog development.
Starting this year, intelligent bionic robots and cleaning robots have been added as special tariff headings for import and export trade statistics, which is equivalent to the industry possessing an exclusive international trade “identity card.”
Tariff headings are the basic tool for conducting international trade statistics and implementing tariff collection and management. When an emerging industry gradually matures, with continuous technology iteration and upgrading and steady expansion of market scale, forming its own independent and complete industrial chain, it becomes necessary to add exclusive tariff headings. This is not only an update of trade rules and standards but also reflects that the industry has entered a new stage of scaling and internationalization.
Observing industrial upgrading through the addition of tariff headings. Changes in tariff headings confirm the process of China’s industry continuously leaping from low-end processing toward high-end, intelligent, and green development. In 2023, tariff headings were added for surgical robots and lidar; in 2024, for high-end steel products and railway vehicle bodies; in 2025, for pure electric passenger vehicles; and in 2026, for intelligent bionic robots, cleaning robots, electric toothbrushes, and wireless routers. From the continuously expanding list of separate tariff headings, one can see that more and more “intelligent manufacturing in China” representing the direction of development of new quality productive forces is accelerating entry into the international market.
Observing high-level opening up through the addition of tariff headings. Tariff headings are the common “language” of global trade. Relevant adjustments are not only technical optimizations of commodity classification but also concrete manifestations of steadily expanding institutional opening up and deeply integrating into the global trade network.
Tariff headings are a window for observing China’s high-level opening up, reflecting the leap of China’s industries and witnessing the accelerated construction of an all-round, multi-tiered, and wide-ranging opening-up pattern. “Intelligent manufacturing in China,” continuously going global, will keep releasing innovation momentum, provide guarantees for the stability of the global industrial and supply chains, and share development opportunities in synergy with industries of various countries.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 欧阳洁 刘军国
"In the first half of the year, production line scheduling at the factory was clearly tighter than last year." In the final assembly workshop at the Jianhu (建湖) factory of Pudu Robotics (普渡机器人) in Jiangsu, five production lines had already been running at full capacity for ten hours. At the assembly workstations, workers were inserting a new batch of lidar modules into the mounting slots on the robot bodies. A relevant staff member of the enterprise's production planning team introduced that the production schedule is currently booked through 2027.
Founded in 2016, Pudu Robotics has taken root in the global commercial service robot market, with cumulative shipments of more than 130,000 units and more than 50,000 end customers served. Since the beginning of this year, Pudu Robotics' export scale has already exceeded the level of the whole of last year, with products sold to 85 countries and regions. Among them, cleaning robot exports have maintained a year-on-year growth rate of more than 100 percent for many consecutive years, accounting for a 29 percent share of the global commercial cleaning robot market.
Behind Pudu Robotics are more intelligent robots setting sail for overseas markets. According to statistics from Shenzhen Customs (深圳海关), in the first half of this year, Shenzhen's export value of various robots reached 6.94 billion yuan, a 10.4-fold year-on-year increase, with exports to more than 110 countries and regions.
Strong technological strength is the key to Chinese manufacturing's global competitiveness.
"Our quadruped robot has officially gone on duty at a Swiss nuclear power plant, responsible for high-frequency, normalized autonomous patrol inspection of high-risk areas within the plant." Yao Hengyan (姚恒燕), assistant general manager of Hangzhou Deep Robotics Technology Co., Ltd. (杭州云深处科技股份有限公司), introduced that this robot can climb 45-degree slopes, flexibly shuttle through gaps between equipment, go deep into areas that are difficult for humans to reach, and can also, through its onboard thermal-imaging and acoustic sensors, precisely capture hidden dangers such as leakage, abnormal temperatures, and unusual equipment noise; the data is uploaded in real time to a digital management and control platform, and once an anomaly is found, it will automatically issue an early warning and handle it. Recently, a quadruped robot independently developed and produced by Deep Robotics completed customs clearance and was exported to Switzerland, for use in business scenarios such as local factory compound security and hidden danger inspection of underground pipe networks.
A rich product line allows Chinese robots to adapt to diverse application scenarios around the world.
"We start from customer needs, divide the market into 16 first-level industries and more than 800 sub-industries and task dimensions, and polish the comprehensive performance of our products to ensure that the equipment is 'usable, easy to use, and durable' in complex scenarios." Zhang Tao (张涛), founder and chief executive officer of Pudu Robotics, said that the company has built four product lines — delivery, cleaning, industrial, and general-purpose embodied intelligence — covering multiple industries such as industry, warehousing and logistics.
"Nuclear power safety standards are stringent; the fact that the product was able to be successfully deployed at a Swiss nuclear power plant fully confirms the stability and reliability of domestically produced robots, and we have already reached a cooperation intention to expand production." Yao Hengyan introduced that Deep Robotics' quadruped robots have advantages such as adaptability to complex terrain and extreme climates and are now used in energy, industrial, emergency, and other scenarios in many places around the world.
Having long and deeply cultivated overseas markets, many enterprises' overseas expansion models are transforming and upgrading from "products going overseas" to "brand localization."
"The competition in China's service robot sector has shifted from competing on price-performance to a stage of comprehensive competition in quality, brand, and service. What customers need is not just a machine, but a solution that can operate stably over the long term." Zhang Tao introduced that the company has established local offices and service warehouses in major global markets and built a collaboration network covering more than 1,000 agents, providing partners with a full-chain empowerment system from pre-sales consultation and sales support to delivery and implementation, after-sales operation and maintenance, and rapid spare parts response, resolving customers' 后顾之忧 (hòu gù zhī yōu - "the worry of looking back," lingering concerns about troubles yet to come) when purchasing complex technology products.
Helping enterprises "go global" cannot be separated from the precise drip irrigation of policy. Hangzhou Customs (杭州海关), in response to enterprise needs such as the whole-set export of "one machine with multiple batteries" and the separate shipment of spare batteries, carried out one-on-one policy guidance, guiding enterprises to identify in advance various risks in packaging, declaration, and transportation.
"We are promoting electronic certificates for the appraisal of the use of packaging for the transport of outbound dangerous goods. Enterprises submit materials online, check progress in real time, and download the electronic dangerous goods packaging certificate themselves, achieving 'zero legwork' and greatly shortening the certificate processing time." Qian Jianhai (钱建海), deputy director of the Commodity Inspection Division of Hangzhou Customs, introduced that, in conjunction with enterprises' shipping plans, on-site inspections are flexibly arranged, and qualified goods are quickly released. This customs clearance method reduces the time goods remain at ports and lowers warehousing and short-distance transfer costs. According to statistics from Hangzhou Customs, in the first half of this year, Zhejiang Province exported more than 400 million yuan of intelligent bionic robots, with the export value accounting for about 60 percent of the national total.
"At present, the overall penetration rate of robots is still very low. In the future, robots will see rapid growth and gradually penetrate a thousand industries and a hundred trades. The types of robots and demands in different scenarios are 千差万别 (qiān chā wàn bié - "a thousand differences, ten thousand distinctions," differing in countless ways). We hope that robots can have a unified intelligent brain that can empower delivery, cleaning, industrial, and other robot products." Zhang Tao said that the enterprise will firmly invest in technology research and development and product iteration to make robots more "intelligent."
(Zhao Yuqi (赵雨琦) participated in the reporting and writing.)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 韩 鑫
By 2030, the volume of postal and delivery services will reach 290 billion items, the 72-hour on-time delivery rate for express services in key regions will reach 88%, and the number of countries and regions covered by the international express network will reach 110... Recently, the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for the Development of the Postal Industry (《邮政业发展“十五五”规划》) was released, setting multiple targets for the development of the postal industry over the next five years in areas such as scale and capability, service supply, and network systems.
After years of development, China has built the world's largest delivery network, with express delivery business volume ranking first globally for 12 consecutive years. In the next five years, how will this delivery network evolve from large to strong? Recently, at a special press conference held by the State Post Bureau (国家邮政局), the relevant responsible official introduced the relevant situation.
Consolidate the achievements in building the rural delivery logistics system, effectively assisting more agricultural products in moving upstream.
The rural express market has broad development space.
The plan proposes that by 2030, the proportion of administrative villages with village-level comprehensive delivery logistics service stations will reach 90%. At the same time, it specifies that the integrated development model of "delivery + e-commerce + agriculture" should be promoted, guiding delivery enterprises to strengthen upstream delivery services for agricultural products.
In recent years, express delivery to villages has continued to deepen, and express delivery has become an important force in serving the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas. JD Logistics has achieved full coverage of express services across all domestic counties and has established nearly 100,000 service stations at the township and village levels nationwide. J&T Express has had eight projects selected as demonstration projects for express services in modern agriculture, covering hundreds of product categories in more than ten major agricultural production areas.
"By strengthening policy supply, enhancing end-service capabilities, and promoting cost reduction, positive progress has been made in building the rural delivery logistics system," said Hu Kai (胡凯), spokesperson of the State Post Bureau and Director of the Policy and Regulation Department. He introduced that by the end of last year, direct-sales enterprises represented by SF Express and JD Logistics covered more than 90% of administrative villages with express services; the proportion of administrative villages covered by franchise enterprises with express services continued to rise; the proportion of administrative villages with village-level comprehensive delivery logistics service stations reached 80%; 219 demonstration projects for express services in modern agriculture were formed; and the role of express delivery in moving agricultural products upstream continued to manifest.
During the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period, the State Post Bureau will continue to consolidate the achievements in building the rural delivery logistics system, promote the construction of county-level public delivery distribution centers according to local conditions, strengthen the construction of village-level comprehensive delivery logistics service stations, promote the integrated development of rural passenger, freight, and postal services for improved quality and efficiency, and better assist the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas.
Cultivate and develop new productive forces in the industry, continuously improve the delivery service experience.
Digital and intelligent transformation is an important path for innovative development in the express industry.
The plan proposes to enhance the value of industry data, strengthen the empowerment of artificial intelligence, and develop low-altitude delivery logistics. By 2030, the full automation rate of large-scale processing centers will reach 88%.
Smart warehousing, automated sorting, unmanned delivery... Over the past five years, the entire delivery process has accelerated. Moving toward "new" and "intelligent," "sweat logistics" is transforming into "technology logistics"—
At the backend, relying on the SF Express logistics large model, orders on a million scale require only a few centralized picking operations to be quickly distributed globally.
At hubs, the ZTO Express Wuhan Transfer Center has completed a full-area intelligent upgrade, with a double-layer fully automatic cross-belt sorting line combined with a "five-sided scan" millisecond-level code reading device, raising sorting accuracy to 99%.
At the end, Fengyi drones conduct thousands of flights per day in the Greater Bay Area, with a single-day delivery volume of nearly 30,000 orders...
"Unmanned delivery is flexible, economical, environmentally friendly, and has obvious benefits. It is an effective choice and beneficial supplement for end-delivery capacity, with huge development potential," Hu Kai said. Currently, large-scale sorting centers in the industry are basically operating automatically, and unmanned express vehicles are basically used by delivery enterprises.
Hu Kai stated that during the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period, the State Post Bureau will strengthen the construction of technology research and development centers in the direction of artificial intelligence, work with relevant national departments to continuously improve relevant policies, regulations, and standards, promote the standardized application of unmanned express vehicles according to local conditions, and cultivate and develop new productive forces in the industry.
Continuously rectify "involution-style" competition (内卷式竞争), strengthen the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of practitioners.
For the delivery network to go from large to strong, industry development urgently needs to shift from "scale expansion" to "equal emphasis on quality and efficiency." To achieve this shift, "anti-involution" is an important lever.
Since the beginning of this year, "anti-involution" in the express industry has been pushed forward in depth. In the first half of the year, the average express price continued to recover, increasing by 1.86% year-on-year compared to the same period last year.
"Overall, 'involution-style' competition still exists," Hu Kai said. He stated that during the "Fifteenth Five-Year Plan" period, the State Post Bureau will continue to rectify the problem of "involution-style" competition, strengthen source governance, promote delivery enterprises to improve their compliance levels, balance the profit distribution among enterprise headquarters, franchisees, and couriers, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of practitioners.
More than 4 million couriers are an important component of the new employment group and an important force ensuring the stable operation of the world's largest delivery network. YTO Express has built more than 1,300 "Warm Bee Stations" (暖蜂驿站) in over 80 cities across the country; YTO Express has fully implemented a "direct payment of dispatch fees" system to ensure couriers' wages are paid in full; SF Express has established a "Jingshun Little Bee" party-building brand to encourage couriers to integrate into grassroots governance... The plan proposes to strengthen the service management of the courier group. "In the next five years, we will continue to urge enterprises to implement the labor contract system in accordance with the law, pay social insurance for practitioners, and promote enterprises to establish scientific, reasonable, and transparent assessment mechanisms and salary payment mechanisms," Hu Kai introduced. In addition, express enterprises will be guided to set up caring service facilities at express hubs, parks, grassroots outlets, and other locations to provide a better working environment for the vast number of couriers.
Return to TopIn the height of summer, the over 300,000 mu of chili peppers planted in Qiaocheng District (谯城区), Bozhou City, Anhui Province, have entered the harvest period. Farmers seize the fine weather to harvest, dry, and sort the chili peppers. The photo shows farmers drying chili peppers in Youhe Village (油河村), Gutown Town (古城镇), Qiaocheng District.
Photo by Liu Qinli (刘勤利) (Images China)
By: 本报记者 王永战
In Chengdu's Longquan Mountain, Sichuan, plump and succulent juicy peaches hang from the branches. Picking one, large-scale grower Sun Xiaojun (孙小均) turns and places the fruit into a basket. Not far away, a basket of juicy peaches is nearly full.
In Chengdu's Longquanyi District, the area under juicy peach cultivation reaches 65,000 mu, with the brand value exceeding 7 billion yuan. In recent years, Longquanyi District has done a good job of writing a "sweet" article, driving the upgrade of the juicy peach industry.
Step one of the juicy peach upgrade – variety renewal. Entering Sun Xiaojun's orchard, the peach trees have 枝繁叶茂 (zhī fán yè mào - "branches dense, leaves lush," luxuriant foliage). "These trees look the same, but in reality they are quite different," Sun Xiaojun explains. The orchard contains both the early-maturing variety "Hongyu" and the mid-maturing varieties "Xiacui" and "Baifeng," as well as the late-maturing "Xiahui No. 8," so the juicy peaches can "get up early" and also "stay up late."
"The beauty lies precisely between the early and the late." Arriving at the orchard, He Shunxiang (何顺祥), station chief of the Fruit Tree Technology Station of the Longquanyi District Agriculture and Rural Bureau (龙泉驿区农业农村局种果技站), explains the process of variety upgrading. It turns out that juicy peaches marketed from late May to early June are early-maturing varieties, while those marketed after mid-July are late-maturing varieties; early and late varieties can achieve differentiated competition and sell at good prices. Today, early-maturing varieties in Longquanyi District already account for more than half. In the past, mid-maturing varieties were the local mainstream.
How to make juicy peaches mature even earlier? The answer lies in the breeding of new varieties. In recent years, the locality has cooperated with the Horticulture Institute of the Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (四川省农业科学院园艺研究所) to build a juicy peach variety resource nursery and to breed new juicy peach varieties. "The breeding of a new variety requires seven to eight years," He Shunxiang introduces.
After years of breeding, more than ten new varieties such as "Hongyu" have successfully opened up the market. "'Hongyu' has been planted for over four years; it matures early and has high sugar content," says Sun Xiaojun. Some peach trees still have problems such as chlorosis, affecting tree growth. To this end, researchers have bred resistant rootstocks, and through methods such as tissue culture and direct grafting, they are gradually improving peach tree varieties.
The locality is also actively guiding farmers to "switch varieties." Wang Zhuangcai (王庄财), deputy director of the Longquanyi District Agriculture and Rural Bureau, explains that fruit farmers who implement low-efficiency orchard renovation, implement high-grafting and variety conversion, and use resistant rootstocks are given subsidies of certain amounts respectively. Today, Longquanyi District has renovated more than 6,000 mu of low-efficiency orchards, implemented high-grafting and variety conversion on nearly 20,000 mu, and promoted more than 30,000 resistant rootstocks.
Step two of the juicy peach upgrade – standardized planting. Deep inside Sun Xiaojun's orchard, a smart fruit shelter comes into view. An operator clicks a control button, and the plastic covering atop the fruit shelter slowly unfurls, revealing newly planted peach trees beneath. Under the slender trees, black integrated water-fertilizer pipes are buried in the shallow soil.
This smart fruit shelter before us is an innovative attempt by the locality to advance standardized planting. "The fruit shelter is equipped with sensors, with functions such as soil moisture monitoring," says Sun Xiaojun. The integrated water-fertilizer pipes make the watering and fertilizing work for the peach trees more quantifiable and controllable. At the same time, the fruit shelter also has functions such as automatic spray pesticide application. Beneath the trees, Sun Xiaojun is exploring the development of an understory economy, experimentally planting watermelons and others.
In addition, the fruit shelter, covering more than 5 mu, has also introduced high-density planting forms such as the central leader shape, with slender tree crowns and good ventilation and light conditions, resulting in earlier fruiting and higher yields. Today, this new standardized planting model is being gradually tested and promoted in the locality.
Step three of the juicy peach upgrade – upgrade of storage and transport methods. As we speak, a basket of juicy peaches is filled. At that moment, rotors roar, and a drone slowly takes off dangling a load of juicy peaches. Under the operator's control, the drone flies uphill. In less than two minutes, the drone transports more than 200 jin of peaches to the sorting warehouse.
Juicy peaches use an "air route," greatly improving transport efficiency. In the past, farmers used electric tricycles to transport juicy peaches, with each trip taking nearly an hour. "The drone makes transporting peaches more time- and labor-saving, and also reduces instances of 'fruit damage,'" explains Che Ren (车韧), deputy general manager of Chengdu Jingkai Lugang Lianhang Investment and Development Co., Ltd. (成都市经开陆港联航投资发展有限公司).
Beyond the transport upgrade, juicy peaches also use a "big refrigerator." In Changsong Village, Baihe Subdistrict, Longquanyi District, a cold storage facility extends the shelf life of juicy peaches from three days to one week. "The cold storage can hold 1.5 million jin of juicy peaches. With it, 70% of our fresh fruit is sold directly to the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," says Li Weibo (李维波), general manager of Sichuan Panxin Agricultural Co., Ltd. (四川盘信农业有限责任公司). In Baoshi Village, Baihe Subdistrict, newly introduced refrigerated trucks keep the taste of juicy peaches stable after long-distance transport.
"We provide subsidies at 30% of fixed asset investment for processing entities or fruit farmers engaged in primary processing, such as purchasing refrigerated trucks or building cold storage," Wang Zhuangcai explains. Longquanyi's juicy peach cold storage capacity has reached 30,000 cubic meters, with six refrigerated trucks in orchards, and 90% of juicy peaches undergo on-site primary processing before sale.
Return to TopBeijing, August 4 (Reporter Liu Shiyao (刘诗瑶)). The reporter learned from the Ministry of Natural Resources (自然资源部) that in the first half of the year, China's marine economy achieved steady growth, the development momentum was good, and development resilience continued to manifest. According to preliminary calculations, the gross ocean product in the first half of the year was 5.5 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.1%.
Marine resource supply grew steadily. In the first half of the year, marine crude oil and natural gas output increased by 3.6% and 0.6% year-on-year respectively, and development projects such as the Kenli 10-2 Oilfield Group Phase I (垦利10—2油田群一期) and the Wenchang 16-2 Oilfield (文昌16—2油田) were fully put into production. The 16-megawatt floating offshore wind power platform "Three Gorges Pilot" (三峡领航号) completed its installation. The foundation of traditional marine industries remained solid. In marine shipbuilding, newly received order volume, completed volume, and orders on hand all rose across the board, and the international market share maintained its leading position. The marine transportation industry was generally stable; marine cargo volume and cargo turnover increased by 4.7% and 7.1% year-on-year respectively, and the total value of maritime imports and exports increased by 6.9% year-on-year. Emerging marine industries expanded in scale and improved in efficiency. The value of newly received orders for marine engineering equipment increased by 121.9% year-on-year, accounting for more than 80% of the global market share.
Return to TopAutumn begins is approaching, and in Qujialing Management Area (屈家岭管理区), Jingmen City, Hubei Province, the vast rice fields spanning ten thousand mu have entered the grain-filling stage. The green rice ears are tinged with light yellow, spreading out into a rolling pastoral picture scroll. Five thousand years ago, the ancient inhabitants of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River harvested rice on this land for the first time; today, this ancient farmland still nurtures a bountiful harvest. Taking advantage of the end of the summer holidays, why not step into Qujialing and immersively touch the farming civilization that has continued for millennia?
Rice waves and fields: a living carrier of rice culture spanning five thousand years
The Qujialing site is the place where the Qujialing culture (屈家岭文化), an archaeological culture of the Neolithic Age in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, was discovered and named. The archaeological project at this site was selected for the "2023 National Top Ten Archaeological New Discoveries." In 1956, archaeologists unearthed carbonized rice grains dating back 5,800 years here, also the first prehistoric rice remains discovered in the middle reaches of the Yangtze. Grain by grain, the carbonized rice lies quietly displayed in the museum, witnessing the origins of Yangtze River farming civilization.
Today, the Qujialing National Archaeological Site Park (屈家岭国家考古遗址公园) connects the museum, the site protection zone, and the contiguous rice fields, creating farming-study scenarios that can be personally experienced. Visitors can not only view the ancient rice remains in the museum but also walk into the fields, tread on the soil, touch the grain-filling rice ears with their own hands, and experience up close the rice culture that stretches across ancient and modern times. In 2025, the number of visitors to the Qujialing National Archaeological Site Park increased by 20% year-on-year. More and more parent-child families and history-and-culture enthusiasts are flocking to this place, allowing the sleeping prehistoric rice culture to step out of the exhibition hall and revitalize cultural tourism.
The land beneath your feet — five thousand years ago, ancient inhabitants tilled it; today, year after year, the rice waves arrive 如期而至 (rú qī ér zhì - "as scheduled, on time"). The ancient farming civilization is no longer a cold record in books but a real landscape 触手可及 (chù shǒu kě jí - "within reach, tangible").
White Dragon Mountain deer shadows: from prehistoric remains to a full-chain specialty industry
A deer bone unearthed inside the Qujialing Site Museum proves that as early as over five thousand years ago, deer herds inhabited the mountains and forests of Qujialing. In 1963, relying on the "North Deer, South Breeding" scientific research project, the sika deer farming industry took root in Qujialing. After decades of development, seven standardized deer farms have now been established at the foot of White Dragon Mountain (白龙山).
Qujialing deeply explores the cultural connotation of deer, linking with local enterprises such as White Deer Spring (白鹿春) and Crystal Deer Animal Husbandry (晶鹿牧业) to create a cultural tourism format integrating mountain forest sightseeing, deer interaction, forest health preservation, and cultural study. It connects the Qujialing National Archaeological Site Park and more than 40 surrounding scenic spots, launching a parent-child study route themed on deer culture, and continuously building up the distinctive "Culture + Health Preservation" brand.
Visitors can overlook the deer herds roaming among the mountain forests at the White Deer Spring scenic area, or enter the Crystal Deer Animal Husbandry Dear Interaction Park to feed fawns. They can also go to the outdoor breeding base to watch the deer herds freely foraging and playing in the water. In summer and autumn, the sika deer's coat is golden yellow and glossy, and the white spots on their bodies are especially clear — a scene unique to this season. After the tour, visitors can stay at the "China Agricultural Valley Academicians' Village" (中国农谷院士村) or the Golden Holiday Hotel at the foot of the mountain, open the window to embrace the green hills, quietly listen to the deer calling in the forest, and fully enjoy the tranquility of the mountain wilds.
Qujialing has concretized the poetic imagery of "the deer cry 'you you'" into a distinctive full industrial chain of agricultural reclamation, relying on cultural-tourism integration to activate the development momentum of "China Agricultural Valley" (中国农谷). From a single prehistoric deer bone artifact to a complete industrial chain covering ecological breeding, deep processing of products, and cultural tourism experiences, Qujialing transforms its natural endowments and historical remains into locally distinctive formats that can be experienced and developed.
Mountain wild products: nature's gifts hidden in the flavors of everyday life
After summer and autumn rains, wild mushrooms break through the soil in the forests. Local farmers are accustomed to cooking pine mushroom chicken over wood-fired stoves. The fresh mushrooms blend with the aroma of the chicken, creating a mountain wilderness flavor unique to this season. Besides this, steamed pork with rice flour is soft, sticky, and oily; steamed pumpkin is sweet and dense. The authentic Qujialing steamed dishes are simple yet full of the warmth of daily life. The "Wusan Farm (五三农场) Yellow Peaches," which were selected for the second batch of the 2024 Agricultural Products Memory Index List (农耕农品记忆索引名录), are sweet and sour, cutting through grease. Processed products such as canned yellow peaches and dried peach slices are available for tasting throughout the year.
Yuebaoshan Village (月宝山村), under Changtan Office (长滩办事处), relies on its ten-thousand-mu peach orchard to build a complete agricultural product industry chain: peach blossom seas in spring, fresh fruit picking in summer, and peach product processing year-round. In 2025, Yuebaoshan Village was rated as a National Civilized Village and Town. The rice, which has a long planting history, is also distinctive; after cooking, it yields a rich layer of rice oil and a strong fragrance. At the end of summer, locals also fry rice into "rice tea," which is refreshing and moistening, suitable for relieving dryness in early autumn weather.
A single mouthful of food carries the soil, water, and farming heritage of a place. Every distinctive ingredient is a generous gift continuously produced by this land.
High-speed rail accessibility: making an appointment with the Yangtze River civilization
In December 2025, the Wuhan-Yichang section of the Shanghai-Chongqing-Chengdu Yangtze River High-Speed Railway (沪渝蓉沿江高铁武宜段) was opened to traffic, officially ushering Jingmen's cultural tourism into the high-speed rail era. Tourists from Wuhan can take the high-speed train to Jingshan South Station (京山南站) in just under an hour at fastest, and then drive 15 minutes from the station to the Qujialing Site Museum. In June 2026, after the Xi'an-Shiyan High-Speed Railway (西十高铁) opens, starting from Xi'an takes about 5 hours, from Zhengzhou about 4 hours, and from Chongqing about 6 hours to reach Qujialing.
Convenient transportation has spurred a study tour boom. On July 17 this year, more than 50 primary and secondary school students from Hong Kong participated in the study tour activity "The Splendor of Jingchu Culture Blossoms, Hong Kong Youths Nourish Their Hearts." They observed the egg-shell colored pottery with a body thickness of only 0.2 millimeters up close, experienced prehistoric pottery-making techniques, and touched the Chinese cultural lineage through on-site visits.
The Qujialing National Archaeological Site Park is equipped with a comprehensive range of diversified study experience projects. Visitors can make pottery by hand in pottery classes, recreating the ancient inhabitants' craft techniques; experience farming labor in the rice fields; and get close to wild animals in the deer park, fully meeting the cultural tourism needs of different groups. As the transportation network continues to be densified, the five-thousand-year rice story of Qujialing will be spread more conveniently to more and farther places.
Come to Qujialing —
Watch the rice waves rolling across ten thousand mu with the wind, and understand the farming inheritance that has continued on this land for five thousand years;
Climb White Dragon Mountain, watch the deer herds moving through the mountain forest, and feel the romance of ancient poetic imagery becoming reality;
Taste a pot of fresh mushroom and local chicken soup, savoring the flavors of daily life carrying the breath of the mountain wilderness;
Step into the museum: the egg-shell thin 薄如蝉翼 (báo rú chán yì - "thin as a cicada's wing") colored pottery tells of the ancient inhabitants' pursuit of beauty; the hollow pottery balls containing stone pellets inside seem still to carry a crisp echo across the millennia, evoking thoughts of that childlike joy.
Five thousand years ago, the ancient inhabitants sowed rice seeds here; five thousand years later today, the fertile fields still yield abundantly and the cultural lineage continues 生生不息 (shēng shēng bù xī - "to grow and multiply without end"). Qujialing — a small town that makes a thousand-year cultural lineage increasingly vibrant — extends to you its sincere invitation.
Data source: Qujialing Management Area, Jingmen City, Hubei Province
Return to TopBy: 王云松 曹 平 赵渊杰
The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee meeting held on July 30 pointed out that it is necessary to consolidate and expand the achievements of learning and education on establishing and practicing a correct view of official achievements, and to promote leading cadres at all levels to continuously create new achievements in high-quality development with a more high-spirited and upward mental state.
High-quality development is a distinctive hallmark of China's development in the new era, and it is also an important content running through Volumes I to V of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. Standing on the historical coordinates and development tasks of the new era, and revolving around major era-defining topics such as what kind of development to achieve and how to achieve it, General Secretary Xi Jinping has strategically and creatively proposed high-quality development and systematically elaborated on its internal connotations and essential meanings, principles to be followed, practical paths, and leadership forces, providing navigation and direction at critical historical junctures to guide China's development in the new era to open up new horizons and step up to higher levels. High-quality development has enriched and developed Marxist political economy, marking that we have explored a new path of modernization that attaches equal importance to both scale and quality, and achieves the unity of equity and efficiency in our mode of development. Deeply studying Volumes I to V, systematically grasping the ideological threads, theoretical character, and practical power of high-quality development, will help continuously enhance the political consciousness, ideological consciousness, and action consciousness of comprehensively promoting Chinese-style modernization through high-quality development.
Systematically grasping the theoretical evolutionary thread of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on high-quality development
General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on high-quality development constitute a scientific theoretical system that has been gradually formed and enriched during the process of advancing and expanding Chinese-style modernization in the new era, fully demonstrating the historical initiative of the Communists of China to deeply insight the general trend of development, scientifically grasp changes in the internal and external environments, adapt to the transformation of the principal social contradiction, and promote theoretical innovation based on the leap in the stage of development.
The accumulation and gestation before the formal proposal of high-quality development. Entering the new era, China's development has generally been improving, while simultaneously facing new changes such as the unsustainability of extensive development modes, the inability of purely pursuing total volume expansion to meet people's livelihood needs, and the rising uncertainty of the external environment caused by deep global economic adjustments. In the special topic "Promoting Continuous and Healthy Economic Development" in Volume I, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must enhance the internal vitality and momentum of economic growth; growth must be real and without water, and must be growth that is efficient, high-quality, and sustainable." This broke the path dependency of unilaterally pursuing economic growth rates and has great guiding significance for shifting economic development onto a track that pays more attention to quality and efficiency.
The new normal of economic development is an important background for the proposal of high-quality development. In Volume II, "Economic Work Must Adapt to the New Normal of Economic Development," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Last year, the Central Committee made a judgment that our country's economic development is in a stage of 'overlapping three periods': the period of shifting growth rates, the period of growing pains in structural adjustment, and the period of digesting previous stimulus policies. Midway through this year, at a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, I further analyzed the 'overlapping three periods' and emphasized that economic work must adapt to the new normal of economic development." From the "overlapping three periods" to the new normal of economic development, this was a major judgment made by General Secretary Xi Jinping based on an objective assessment of the development trend. The new normal of economic development is a necessary process for China's economy to evolve toward a more advanced form, more optimized division of labor, and more rational structure. The proposal of the new normal of economic development revealed the inevitability of improving development quality and also provided an important theoretical preparation for the transformation of development concepts.
The new development philosophy elevated the practical requirement of transforming the mode of development into basic principles for guiding development, making full theoretical preparations for the formal proposal of high-quality development. General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed and provided profound elaborations on the new development philosophy of innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing, which is concentrated in the special topic "Unswervingly Implementing the New Development Philosophy" in Volume II. In Volume IV, "Deeply Implementing the New Development Philosophy," General Secretary Xi Jinping summarized the major theories and concepts our Party has put forward for economic and social development since the 18th National Congress of the CPC from thirteen aspects, emphasizing that "among them, the new development philosophy is the most important and primary." As a systematic theoretical system, the five development philosophies answer a series of major questions regarding the purpose, momentum, mode, and path of development, each with its own focus while being interconnected and mutually reinforcing. The new development philosophy provided theoretical guidance and a conceptual premise for the formal proposal of high-quality development.
The formal proposal and systematic construction of high-quality development. When ideological accumulation forms a trend and practical accumulation becomes substantial, the formal proposal of a theory becomes a natural and inevitable result. In October 2017, General Secretary Xi Jinping made the major judgment in the report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC that "our country's economy has shifted from a stage of high-speed growth to a stage of high-quality development." Volume III, "Our Economy Has Shifted from a Stage of High-Speed Growth to a Stage of High-Quality Development," is part of General Secretary Xi Jinping's speech at the Central Economic Work Conference in December 2017, in which he explicitly proposed: "High-quality development is development that can well meet the people's growing needs for a better life; it is development that embodies the new development philosophy; it is development where innovation becomes the primary driving force, coordination becomes an endogenous characteristic, green becomes the universal form, openness becomes the inevitable path, and sharing becomes the fundamental purpose." He further elaborated on the connotations of high-quality development from five aspects—supply, demand, input and output, distribution, and macro-economic circulation—and clarified the requirements, main lines of work, basic paths, focal points, and institutional guarantees of high-quality development, scientifically answering a series of theoretical and practical questions such as what high-quality development is, how to do it, who does it, and for whom it is done. At this point, high-quality development became a logically rigorous and scientifically connoted theoretical system, becoming an important original concept and landmark achievement of Xi Jinping Thought.
After the proposal of high-quality development, it has become the distinctive theme of China's economic and social development. In the spring of 2020, while inspecting the Ningbo Zhoushan Port in Zhejiang, General Secretary Xi Jinping made a judgment: "The environmental conditions for large-scale input and large-scale output have changed; we must propose new ideas to lead development according to the new situation." This new idea is to construct a new development pattern with the domestic large cycle as the mainstay and the domestic and international dual cycles mutually reinforcing each other. Volume IV, "Constructing a New Development Pattern and Reshaping New Competitive Advantages" and "Accelerating the Construction of a New Development Pattern," intensively demonstrate General Secretary Xi Jinping's profound thinking on the historical necessity, the most essential characteristics, and the important focal points of constructing a new development pattern. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Constructing a new development pattern is an inevitable choice for adapting to the requirements of our country's new stage of development and shaping new advantages in international cooperation and competition." The construction of a new development pattern further enhanced the resilience and vitality of high-quality development.
The enrichment, expansion, and further deepening of high-quality development. As the new era enters its second decade, we have successfully achieved the first centenary goal, and the arduous tasks of comprehensively building a modern socialist country and achieving the second centenary goal are presented before the Party and the people more clearly and more urgently, which poses higher requirements for high-quality development. The first article of Volume V is the report made by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the 20th National Congress of the CPC in October 2022. In the report, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that high-quality development is the primary task of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, and treating the realization of high-quality development as one of the essential requirements of Chinese-style modernization. In December 2023, the Central Economic Work Conference further proposed: "It is imperative to uphold high-quality development as the hard truth of the new era." From a primary task and an essential requirement to the hard truth of the new era, the strategic status of high-quality development in the overall situation of socialist modernization has been further clarified, reflecting our Party's high degree of confidence and consciousness in promoting theoretical innovation in step with the times.
High-quality development requires new theories of productivity for guidance. General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed new quality productive forces, responding to the urgent need for innovation in productivity theory. In the special topic "Developing New Quality Productive Forces According to Local Conditions to Achieve High-Quality Development" in Volume V, General Secretary Xi Jinping systematically elaborated on the connotations, characteristics, significance, and development paths of new quality productive forces, pointing out: "We must act according to local conditions, and each must have its own strengths." New quality productive forces represent the evolutionary direction of advanced productivity; their proposal indicates that the theory of the momentum of high-quality development has been further deepened and broken through, opening up vast space for high-quality development.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "High-quality development is not just an economic requirement, but a general requirement for all aspects of economic and social development; it is not a requirement only for economically developed regions, but a requirement that must be implemented in the development of all regions; it is not a requirement for a single moment or a single matter, but a requirement that must be adhered to in the long term." While constructing the theoretical "edifice" from a macro perspective, General Secretary Xi Jinping also proposed specific requirements for high-quality development from the levels of regions, fields, and industries. At the regional level, it requires walking a path of high-quality development suitable to the actual conditions of the region. At the field level, it proposes that adhering to high-quality development must become an important part of the view of official achievements for leading cadres; grasping high-quality construction and high-efficiency governance as one integrated task; promoting high-quality development with culture as an important fulcrum; supporting high-quality development with a high-quality ecological environment; coordinating high-quality development with high-level security; and so on. At the industry level, it requires solidly promoting the high-quality development of advanced manufacturing, promoting the high-quality development of finance, promoting high-quality and full employment, and closely combining the high-quality development of the population with the high-quality life of the people. These important expositions make the theoretical system of high-quality development more rich and three-dimensional, providing more scientific and powerful guidance for practice.
Scientifically grasping the distinctive theoretical character of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on high-quality development
High-quality development is a process of dynamic evolution and stepwise ascent. Only by using scientific thinking methods to observe the general trend, plan the overall situation, and grasp major matters can we continuously consolidate and expand development certainty amidst complex uncertainties, and firmly grasp the initiative of high-quality development. Volumes I to V systematically present the theoretical panorama and practical roadmap of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on high-quality development, profoundly reflecting the distinctive theoretical character of his important expositions on high-quality development.
The theoretical wisdom of 守正創新 (shǒu zhèng chuàng xīn - "uphold correctness and innovate," to maintain integrity while pursuing innovation). General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on high-quality development adhere to the basic principles of Marxist political economy, adhere to the Party's overall leadership over economic work, and adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, remaining unswervingly anchored to the development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics. At the same time, based on the main problems and key tasks faced by our country's economic and social development at different stages, it continuously promotes theoretical innovation, practical innovation, and institutional innovation. For example, facing the entry of reform into the "deep water zone" and the period of tackling hard problems, where deep-seated contradictions and issues gradually emerge, Volume I explicitly establishes "the people's yearning for a better life" as the striving goal for our Party's governance of the country, and explicitly coordinates the promotion of reforms in all fields with the general goal of comprehensively deepening reform, using reform to liberate and develop social productivity, and promoting that development achievements more equitably and broadly benefit all people; Volume II systematically elaborates on the new development philosophy, placing the requirements of quality and efficiency in the development of productivity in a prominent position, further enriching the connotation of Marxist political economy regarding the development paths of socialist economies; Volume III explicitly proposes "promoting high-quality economic development," deploying the deepening of supply-side structural reform, and focusing on optimizing production relations to adapt to the continuously upgrading demands of productivity development; Volume IV proposes constructing a new development pattern, enriching and developing the Marxist theory of social reproduction; Volume V proposes "developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions to achieve high-quality development," reflecting the dialectical unity of the qualitative leap in productivity and the dynamic adaptation of production relations, achieving an innovative development of the Marxist theory of productivity. This series of important theoretical innovations combines the basic principles of Marxist political economy with China's specific realities and with fine traditional Chinese culture, successfully opening up a new realm of the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist political economy.
The value orientation of putting the people first. Development is the upward movement of things in accordance with the direction of historical progress. The masses, as the subjects driving historical development, are the decisive force for social change. High-quality development is development that can well meet the people's growing needs for a better life. Reading through Volumes I to V, one can deeply feel that in the high-quality development of the new era, "putting the people first" is never an abstract slogan, but a value main line running through every development strategy and every top-level design, profoundly answering the important questions of for whom development is done, on whom it relies, who benefits from it, and who evaluates it, fundamentally transcending the Western development logic that is centered on capital and characterized by the alienation of humans by capital. From the profound warning in Volume I that "those who win the people's hearts win the world, and those who lose the people's hearts lose the world," to Volume II integrating the people-centered development philosophy into the entire chain of high-quality development such as health, education, security, and social governance; from Volume III further transforming the "people-centered" concept into perceivable and actionable principles of conduct, to Volume IV using the consolidation of poverty alleviation achievements to promote comprehensive rural revitalization to shore up livelihood shortcomings, and using ecological governance and public health system construction to solidify the foundation for long-term development, and then to Volume V focusing on "implementing the people-centered development philosophy and continuously improving the quality of people's lives"... From concept to practice, from systematic deployment to precise problem-solving, the five volumes connect not only a theory of practice for high-quality development in the new era, but also manifest a theory of value that "development is for the people, development relies on the people, and development achievements are shared by the people."
The practical orientation of the unity of knowledge and action. High-quality development possesses a distinctive practical character, containing the development philosophy of the unity of knowledge and action. This practical character of the unity of knowledge and action is, on one hand, reflected in using "knowledge" for direction, anchoring the course of development within theoretical clarity. For example, Volume I, "Accelerating the Transformation from Development Mainly Driven by Factor Input and Investment Scale to Development Mainly Driven by Innovation," uses a profound grasp of the laws of economic development, through specific deployments such as innovation-driven development and the energy revolution, to sketch the forward direction and point out the practical path to escape the inertia of extensive development. On the other hand, it is reflected in using "action" to practice knowledge, manifesting the power of truth in overcoming difficulties and challenges. One distinctive feature of promoting high-quality development lies in never avoiding problems, always taking the resolution of major realistic problems as the practical direction, and transforming theoretical cognition into a powerful force for transforming the objective world while resolving contradictions. For example, in Volume V, addressing a series of major realistic problems such as being constrained by others in key core technologies, unbalanced regional and urban-rural development, and tightening ecological and environmental constraints, it uses a clear problem orientation to point out new paths and break through barriers in practice, from strengthening basic research to achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength, to solid practical measures for promoting comprehensive rural revitalization and narrowing development gaps, to the practical exploration of coordinating development and security and promoting the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development... It is precisely in solving specific problems and resolving realistic contradictions that the new development philosophy is continuously transformed into a powerful material force for transforming the objective world, and the blueprint of high-quality development continuously erupts with powerful truth-force through practical testing.
The scientific thinking of systematic dialectics. High-quality development is a systematic project covering development direction, development paths, development stages, development philosophies, development patterns, development quality, development mechanisms, and development security, reflecting the dialectical unity of development purposes and means. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on high-quality development use dialectical thinking to grasp the laws of development within the unity of opposites. For example, in Volume V, "Economic Work Must Coordinate Several Important Relationships," it emphasizes that one must coordinate the relationship between an efficient market and a proactive government, the relationship between total supply and total demand, the relationship between cultivating new momentum and renewing old momentum, the relationship between optimizing incremental growth and revitalizing existing stock, and the relationship between improving quality and expanding total volume. This reflects the dialectical unity of the "two-point theory" and the "key-point theory." Adhering to systematic thinking, planning holistic development with a global vision. Standing on the new stage of development, treating the implementation of the new development philosophy and the construction of a new development pattern as an organic whole that supports each other, promoting the organic unity of development quality, structure, scale, speed, efficiency, and security through synergistic linkage in all fields, making high-quality development a systematic transformation covering all fields of economy and society and connecting the present with the long term. Making good use of historical thinking, gaining insight into the general trend of development from historical depth. For example, in Volume III, "Our Economy Has Shifted from a Stage of High-Speed Growth to a Stage of High-Quality Development," based on the lessons learned from the leap of global middle-income economies to high-income economies since the 1960s, the major conclusion was made that "economic development is a spiral upward process; the ascent is not linear; once the accumulation of quantity reaches a certain stage, it must shift to a qualitative improvement; our country's economic development must also follow this law," profoundly clarifying the historical inevitability of our country's economy shifting toward high-quality development.
The humanistic sentiment of embracing the world. High-quality development is not seeking progress behind closed doors, but possesses a broad vision of seeking progress for humanity and seeking great harmony for the world, adhering to seeking one's own development while firmly maintaining world peace and development, and better benefiting the world through one's own development. In Volume V, "Building an Open, Inclusive, Interconnected, and Mutually Beneficial World," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "What we pursue is not a modernization where China exists in isolation, but rather we look forward to achieving modernization together with all countries, including the vast number of developing countries." From expanding international cooperation space through the high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" to sharing development opportunities with the world through high-level opening-up, and then to promoting the high-quality development of "Great BRICS Cooperation," General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on high-quality development embed the great power responsibility of embracing the world into the theory and practice of high-quality development, reflecting a high degree of consciousness in placing one's own development within the grand coordinate system of the progress of human civilization, actively answering the questions of the era, and leading the historical trend, interpreting a brand-new global view of development and a view of human civilization, and injecting more certainty and stability into the world.
General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on high-quality development manifest majestic practical power
Ideological power pilots the direction of development, and the light of theory illuminates the journey of striving. Since the new era, China's high-quality development has achieved significant achievements; the total economic volume has crossed major stages, development vitality is more abundant, momentum is stronger, structure is more optimized, confidence is more sufficient, and resilience is stronger, making the material and technical foundation for comprehensively building a modern socialist country more solid.
The effects of innovation-driven development are increasingly apparent. China's economic scale is enormous; whether the problem of development momentum can be well solved concerns the overall situation and effectiveness of high-quality development. In Volume II, "Deeply Understanding the New Development Philosophy," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Coordinated development, green development, open development, and shared development are all conducive to enhancing development momentum, but the core lies in innovation." Our Party places innovation at the core position of the national overall situation, striving to achieve the transformation of development momentum and the reshaping of development advantages. China has entered the ranks of the world's ten most innovative economies. The "Chang'e" lunar exploration, the "Beidou" satellite constellation, the Long March 10B carrier rocket achieving the world's first sea-based network recovery, Huawei releasing the "Tao Law" in the semiconductor field, the fully domestic supercomputer "Lingsheng" topping the global supercomputing list... a batch of major innovative achievements have emerged, and high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength have achieved breakthroughs. In the first half of this year, the added value of high-tech manufacturing grew by 13.3%, which was 7.9 percentage points faster than the added value of all industrial enterprises above designated size; new momentum has become the core engine supporting high-quality development. The role of innovation as the first driving force leading development is increasingly apparent.
The problem of unbalanced development is being gradually solved. To promote high-quality development, the problem of unbalanced development must be solved. In Volume III, "Promoting the Formation of a Regional Economic Layout for High-Quality Development with Complementary Advantages," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Imbalance is universal; relative balance must be promoted during development." From the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to decompress non-capital functions, to continuous breakthroughs in institutional innovation for the integration of the Yangtze River Delta, to the acceleration of the construction of a world-class bay area in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area... a series of major regional strategies have been implemented with results, and China has gradually constructed a regional economic layout with clear main functions, complementary advantages, and high-quality development. We won the battle against poverty and advanced comprehensive rural revitalization. Characteristic rural industries are flourishing, and farmers are achieving prosperity and increased income at their doorstep; rural infrastructure is continuously upgraded; the "two-way journey" of farmers moving to cities and technology moving to the countryside has seen a smoother two-way flow of urban and rural elements. By promoting coordinated development to shore up development shortcomings, the potential and momentum of development have been fully stimulated.
Green and low-carbon transformation has achieved brilliant results. Green is the distinctive background color of high-quality development. In Volume IV, "Striving to Build a Modernization where Man and Nature Coexist Harmoniously," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Establishing and improving a green, low-carbon, and circular economic development system and promoting the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development is the fundamental strategy for solving China's ecological and environmental problems." China has built the world's largest renewable energy system and constructed the world's most complete new energy industry chain. Green industries such as new energy vehicles and photovoltaics have formed global competitive advantages, driving the development of the global green and low-carbon industry. Under the scientific guidance of "grasping large-scale protection and not engaging in large-scale development," over the past ten years, the proportion of excellent water quality in the Yangtze River Economic Belt has increased from 67% to 96.5%, and the regional GDP has more than doubled, achieving true progress in ecological and environmental protection and economic development side by side. The concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" has entered people's hearts and become a real-life scene.
The level of opening-up to the outside world and the internal-external linkage of development have significantly improved. High-quality development can only be achieved under the condition of opening-up to the outside world at a higher level. In Volume IV, "Constructing a New Development Pattern and Reshaping New Competitive Advantages," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must scientifically understand the relationship between the domestic large cycle and the domestic and international dual cycles, take initiative and act skillfully, build a new system of an open economy at a higher level, and implement opening-up to the outside world in a larger scope, a wider field, and a deeper level." From the unveiling of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone in 2013 to the implementation of the Inner Mongolia Pilot Free Trade Zone in 2026, 23 pilot free trade zones are flying in a wild goose formation, and the Hainan Free Trade Port is commencing closed-loop operations, with a large number of institutional innovation achievements being promoted nationwide. A batch of inland and border regions have changed from the periphery of opening-up to the frontier of opening-up, and the linkage effect between the two markets and two types of resources—domestic and international—continues to amplify. In the first half of this year, China's import and export of goods trade was 25.47 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 16.9%, maintaining its position as the world's largest country in goods trade. Practice has fully proven that high-level opening-up expands the development space for Chinese-style modernization.
The people's sense of gain, happiness, and security continues to enhance. The starting point and the end point of high-quality development is the people; the happiness and well-being of the people are the fundamental purpose of high-quality development. In Volume V, "Chinese-style Modernization, Livelihood is Paramount," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "In promoting high-quality development, we must promote more obvious substantive progress in achieving common prosperity." While "making the cake bigger," we must construct a coordinated and supporting institutional system for primary distribution, redistribution, and tertiary distribution, striving to "cut and distribute the cake well." We have built the world's largest education system, social security system, and medical and health system. The distribution of childcare subsidies and the national coordination of old-age insurance are steadily being implemented... the worries and troubles of the masses are being resolved one by one, and the road of high-quality development is becoming increasingly solid and broad through the joint construction and sharing of all the people.
Promoting high-quality development to a new level
High-quality development is the primary task of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes that we must implement the new development philosophy completely, accurately, and comprehensively; we must better coordinate the effective improvement of quality and the reasonable growth of quantity; we must unswervingly deepen reform and opening-up and deeply transform the mode of development; and we must take meeting the people's growing needs for a better life as the starting point and the end point. This provides the fundamental following for promoting high-quality development to a new level.
Comprehensively, accurately, and completely implementing the new development philosophy. Development philosophies possess strategic, programmatic, and leading characteristics, and are the concentrated embodiment of development ideas, directions, and focal points. To promote high-quality development to a new level, we must adhere to innovation-driven development, further improve the new type of whole-nation system, optimize the allocation of innovation resources, and accelerate high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and strength; we must adhere to coordinated development, continuously and deeply promote the regional coordinated development strategy and the rural revitalization strategy, and focus on optimizing the regional economic layout; we must adhere to green development, continuously promote the adjustment of industrial and energy structures, and walk out a new development path of ecological priority and green, low-carbon development; we must adhere to open development, relying on the new pattern of high-level opening-up to the outside world, and steadily expand institutional opening-up; we must adhere to shared development, letting the achievements of development benefit all people more equitably and broadly.
Better coordinating the effective improvement of quality and the reasonable growth of quantity. Economic and social development is a process of quantitative accumulation leading to qualitative leaps. To promote high-quality development, we must never again walk the old road of scale expansion like "spreading a large pancake," while at the same time, we must attach importance to the important role of reasonable economic growth rates in stabilizing employment, guaranteeing livelihoods, and resolving various risks. On one hand, place the "effective improvement of quality" in a more prominent position, accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system, improve the quality of products and services, and enhance the competitiveness and security of industrial and supply chains; on the other hand, while striving to achieve "reasonable growth in quantity" in the long term on the basis of improving development quality and efficiency, use a "policy combination" such as doing a good job in expanding effective investment, releasing the vitality of resident consumption, and shaping new advantages for attracting foreign investment to lay a solid foundation for continuous and healthy economic and social development.
Unswervingly deepening reform and opening-up and deeply transforming the mode of development. To promote high-quality development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, we must focus on resolving various structural contradictions, continuously breaking through the institutional and mechanism barriers that restrict high-quality development, giving full play to the decisive role of the market in resource allocation, and better playing the role of the government, allowing the vitality of various market entities to burst forth. Steadily expand autonomous opening-up, expanding the space for the leap and dimension of high-quality development in the mutual promotion of the domestic and international dual cycles. Further promote economic development from mainly relying on low-cost resources and factor input to mainly relying on innovation-driven and efficiency-improvement-driven intensive growth.
Taking meeting the people's growing needs for a better life as the starting point and the end point. We must adhere to development for the people, always placing the interests of the people first, and using the people's demand for a better life as the orientation to drive the promotion of high-quality development. We must adhere to development relying on the people, respecting the subject status of the masses, fully mobilizing the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the people, and encouraging the people to create a better life through common striving. We must adhere to the principle that development achievements are shared by the people, taking the improvement of people's livelihoods and well-being as the core yardstick for measuring the effectiveness of high-quality development, focusing on solving the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses, letting all the people feel a real sense of gain, happiness, and security in the process of high-quality development, and promoting the all-round development of humans and making more obvious substantive progress in common prosperity for all the people.
Return to TopBy: 余昊东
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “Focus on perfecting the modern tourism system, accelerate the building of a strong tourism country, and let tourism better serve the good life.” The outline of the “15th Five-Year Plan” proposes: “Vigorously develop the cultural tourism industry” and “promote deep integration of culture and tourism.” The long-stay tourism industry, as an emerging business form integrating multiple fields such as cultural tourism, health and wellness, provides diversified living scenarios and service supply, and is increasingly becoming an important carrier of high-quality development of tourism. At the same time, the long-stay tourism industry also has unique advantages in promoting urban-rural integration, driving farmers’ income growth, and narrowing regional disparities. Currently, China’s long-stay tourism industry is in a period of rapid development, yet there also exist problems such as insufficient product differentiation and infrastructure that needs improvement. To promote the high-quality development of the long-stay tourism industry, it is necessary to adhere to 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - “according to local conditions,” adapt measures to local conditions) differentiated development, enrich diversified product supply, and use standards and norms to enhance quality, blazing a path of specialization, integration, and sustainability.
Based on one’s own characteristics. The key to the high-quality development of the long-stay tourism industry lies in basing oneself on one’s own resource endowments and clarifying development positioning and key directions. Natural climatic conditions are the basic elements of the long-stay tourism industry, directly determining customer demand, suitable operating cycles, and product forms. Different climate conditions and resources can be matched with corresponding long-stay development models, product systems, and operational strategies. In terms of leveraging urban and rural characteristic advantages, long-stay in cities can focus on revitalizing stock resources, converting idle commercial housing and old factory buildings into long-stay apartments, etc., perfecting the urban “15-minute long-stay living circle” to meet the dual needs of short-term stays and long-term residence; long-stay in villages can rely on traditional villages, ethnic villages, and pastoral landscapes to create long-stay villages operated as whole villages, allowing farmers to gain income by participating in the development of the long-stay industry and assisting comprehensive rural revitalization.
Enrich product supply. Constructing a “long-stay +” composite business form system through industrial integration, deeply binding characteristic industries with long-stay scenarios, is an important way to achieve sustainable development of the long-stay industry. Promote the deep integration of long-stay with culture, agriculture and other industries, creating integrated business forms such as “long-stay + health and wellness,” forming a diversified product matrix. Embed intangible cultural heritage inheritance and other elements into long-stay scenarios, enriching tourists’ cultural experience during their stay. Relying on traditional Chinese medicine resources, hot spring resources, etc., develop health and wellness long-stay products integrating health monitoring, traditional Chinese medicine physiotherapy, and hot spring therapy.
Improve service quality. High-quality service is the core competitiveness of the long-stay industry. Establish and perfect a service standard system for the long-stay industry, forming full-chain regulatory requirements. Improve infrastructure construction, focusing on key links such as “food, accommodation, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment” to fill shortcomings. Optimize connecting routes from major transportation hubs to long-stay destinations, increase public transportation frequency, and solve the “last mile” problem; establish long-stay medical service centers in concentrated long-stay areas, and set up green referral channels with local hospitals. Improve service quality, strengthen training for practitioners, and raise the professional competence of service personnel; establish a dynamic monitoring mechanism for service quality, promptly discover problems and rectify them, ensuring continuous improvement of service quality.
Stimulate participation vitality. The high-quality development of the long-stay industry is inseparable from the active participation of market entities. Through policy guidance, financial support, talent training and other means, stimulate market vitality and cultivate a number of competitive long-stay enterprises. Various regions can issue targeted support policies, providing policy preferences in land use guarantees, tax incentives, etc., for the construction of long-stay areas. Optimize financial services: encourage financial institutions to legally and compliantly innovate financing products for the long-stay industry, providing convenient financing services for small and medium-sized long-stay enterprises. Strengthen talent training: strengthen cooperation between long-stay enterprises and universities and vocational colleges, offering specialties such as long-stay management, health and wellness services, and cultivate a group of professional talents who understand operations, know management, and are good at service.
(The author is a professor at the Yunnan Provincial Party School of the Communist Party of China (Yunnan Administration College) (中共云南省委党校（云南行政学院）))
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 尚嵘峥
“Hello, I am a township government cadre. You received two extra months of old-age allowance, and now you need to return it. Please cooperate.”
In Xingping Town (兴平镇), Yuli County (尉犁县), Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, an elderly person who enjoyed the old-age allowance passed away. The children did not promptly inform the village cadres, so the allowance continued to be issued after the elderly person’s death. That day, town cadre Aizezi·Halike (艾则孜·哈力克) dialed the elderly person’s children and explained his purpose.
“Return the money? You’re a telecom scammer, aren’t you! Do you have a work ID?” On the other end of the line, the elderly person’s children were full of vigilance toward this stranger who had come to “ask for money.” “Back then, you issued it without verifying clearly, and now you want us to return it?”
The elderly person’s children’s words left Aizezi quite helpless: “To be honest, verifying information on the death of an elderly person and recovering allowances that were wrongfully received are both the responsibility of the township level to implement. Cadres can only rely on going door-to-door to visit. It is very difficult to achieve full-coverage verification, and it is easy for the situation to arise where information is incomplete or not timely. Moreover, it’s easy to give money but hard to ask for it back.”
Why let the township level handle the recovery? “The deceased elderly person’s household registration is in our jurisdiction. The county, following the territorial management principle (属地管理原则), makes us bear territorial responsibility (属地责任),” Aizezi said. But for the township to undertake this work, there are many difficulties.
First, there is an information barrier; recovery consumes both time and effort. Most of the children of the deceased elderly person work outside the area, so they cannot be visited for recovery. The township’s information systems are not interconnected with those of public security (公安) and health and family planning (卫健), so town cadres have to spend a great deal of energy contacting the elderly person’s children. Moreover, when an elderly person passes away, the children are already in grief; being pressed to “return money” at such a time easily leads to conflicts.
“But if the recovery fails, we are very likely to be publicly criticized and held accountable.” Muladili·Muhetar (穆拉迪力·穆合塔尔), member of the Xingping Town Party Committee and deputy town head, said that the territory must indeed bear the responsibility it should, but territorial responsibility is not unlimited liability (无限责任). “If everyone treats the territory as a catch-all basket and stuffs everything into it, the pressure on grassroots cadres will be very great, and their enthusiasm for work and starting businesses (干事创业) will also be affected.”
To reduce the burden on the grassroots, starting in October 2024, Yuli County, as a pilot county for compiling the township (street) duty item list (乡镇（街道）履职事项清单) in Xinjiang, began to compile a list of basic duty items (基本履职事项清单), a list of supporting duty items (配合履职事项清单), and a list of items taken back by higher-level departments (上级部门收回事项清单). Xingping Town, through extensively soliciting opinions and combining its own reality, formed three lists containing 323 items, including 140 basic duty items, 127 supporting duty items, and 56 items taken back by higher-level departments. The recovery of wrongfully received old-age allowance was taken back as an item by the Civil Affairs Department (民政部门) and claimed by it.
The County Party Organization Department (县委组织部) and the Organization Establishment Office (编办) coordinated overall, discussing each item one by one. The Civil Affairs Department took the lead, linking with public security, health and family planning, and other departments to establish an information-sharing mechanism for elderly people. Information on elderly people’s deaths is regularly pushed among them, allowing for timely verification and suspension of old-age allowance. Through cross-departmental information linkage, the previous pain points of difficulty in clue verification and lagging fund recovery are effectively resolved.
“When we look at the list, what functional departments should do, what we should do, and to what extent it should be done are all clear at a glance. There will no longer be the situation of ‘not having a diamond drill but being forced to do porcelain work.’” Wulamujiang·Maimaiti (吾拉木江·买买提), deputy town head of Xingping Town, still remembers that a villager built a house on cultivated land, and he and village cadres repeatedly went to his door to persuade him but achieved no effect. “In the past, cultivated land protection was territorial management. If we did not convince the villager to demolish the illegal construction, not only would we lose points in the year-end evaluation, but we would also be publicly criticized.”
Wulamujiang recalled that the town does not have law enforcement power. Even though the cadres kindly advised him, explained the law, and clarified the reasoning, the villager still would not cooperate.
“The list clarifies the boundaries of responsibilities between functional departments and the township. For the matter of cultivated land protection, the township cooperates in fulfilling duties, while the Natural Resources Department (自然资源部门) bears the main responsibility. We only need to promptly discover problems and report them.” Wulamujiang said with emotion that now problems such as departments improperly assigning tasks and shifting responsibilities downward are much fewer, and the situation where department units, after receiving a task, simply “hand it off” to the township has also decreased.
Solving the problem of unlimited territorial liability does not mean shirking responsibility, but rather promoting effective cooperation and efficient duty fulfillment between the township and functional departments.
“For matters where the township bears the main responsibility, we resolutely handle them well; for matters where the functional department bears the main responsibility and the township cooperates, we still follow through to ensure the matter is completed smoothly.” Liang Yanyan (梁艳艳), deputy Party secretary of Xingping Town, said that after the list was implemented, the township and functional departments carry out two-way evaluations, and the township also has the right to evaluate functional departments, which to a certain extent compels functional departments to take the initiative in fulfilling their duties.
Once the list is in place, the key lies in its application. In 2025, Xinjiang initiated the pilot work for modernizing the township (street) duty fulfillment capability (乡镇（街道）履职能力). Xingping Town, as one of the pilot townships, transformed the list items into specific work tasks, precisely matched duty-fulfillment forces, and assigned work and responsibility to specific individuals. Du Linan (杜丽南), a Xingping Town cadre, said that after the list was implemented, problems such as confused functions, overlapping business, and uneven workload were effectively resolved. “Now that the person and the post are matched, I have only one supervising leader, and I can concentrate on doing my own job well.”
The methods of assessment and accountability have also been adjusted along with the implementation of the list. Against the list, only the fulfillment of the duties that the township needs to perform is assessed. “After matching people to posts, we conduct differentiated assessments of town cadres based on the difficulty and intensity of the posts. For example, posts in Party building (党建) and comprehensive governance (综治) are more difficult and carry greater responsibility, so their assessment score weights are set slightly higher,” Liang Yanyan explained.
As night fell, on a rural path in Daxi Village (达西村), Xingping Town, a row of streetlights illuminated the villagers’ way home. During a villager council meeting at the end of 2025, a villager reported that this path had long lacked streetlights, creating a safety hazard for nighttime travel. After conducting an on-site visit, the village two committees (村两委) and the village work team (驻村工作队) included the streetlight repair matter in the list of practical matters for the masses (为群众办实事清单), applied for the use of funds for handling practical matters for the people, and completed the repair of 75 streetlights.
“In the village, just like in the town, there used to be situations of ‘fighting a disorganized battle’ to some extent. After the township duty item list was compiled, the town helped our village sort out 129 specific tasks that need to be undertaken. The work planning is stronger, and responsibilities are also clearer.” Xiatiguli·Reheman (夏提古丽·热合曼), Party branch secretary of Daxi Village, said that in order to take on the village-level tasks well, the village broke down these tasks: the Party and Mass Service Center (党群服务中心) handles 54 items, the Comprehensive Management Center (综治中心) handles 32 items, and the Rural Development Center (农村发展中心) handles 43 items. After the boundaries of each center’s responsibilities were clearly delineated, work plans could be planned and arranged early.
With responsibilities clarified, cadres have more time and energy to do practical things for the masses. The villager council system also gradually formed around this time. From minor matters like controlling random littering and dumping, to major matters like adding streetlights, at each villager council, villagers collectively report a batch of problems, and cadres collectively solve a batch of problems.
Xiatiguli always carries a policy propaganda handbook covered with sticky notes. Opening the handbook, 16 categories of policy questions are listed one by one, from civil affairs, social security, health and hygiene, to employment, education, and village-town construction. “This was issued to our village cadres by the county. It collects almost all the policies that need to be propagated. This way, we only need to make one-stop household visits, and we never again have to visit households to propagate every time a task comes down.”
“The township (street) duty item list (乡镇（街道）履职事项清单) has clarified the boundaries of duty fulfillment for the grassroots. The situation where departments pass the buck and shift blame to each other and the grassroots can only passively serve as a fallback has changed. Territorial responsibility is no longer unlimited liability; on the contrary, everyone feels a greater sense of responsibility.” Zhang Xueliang (张雪亮), deputy head of the Yuli County Party Committee Organization Department, said that this year the focus will be on promoting the full, precise, efficient, integrated, and long-term implementation of the list items, effectively improving the work quality and efficiency of benefiting the people and enterprises (便民利企) and reducing burdens and empowering (减负赋能).
Return to TopBy: 徐雷鹏
Territorial management (属地管理) was originally a "line of responsibility defense" in administrative management. But in some localities, territorial management has changed flavor, turning from a "responsibility field" into a "big wicker basket": whatever tasks come from above are all stuffed into it; whatever burdens fall on the grassroots must be carried with gritted teeth. Thus, "implementation layer by layer" has been alienated into "burden-adding layer by layer," and "territorial responsibility" has been amplified without limit. Grassroots cadres have no choice but to be "a small horse pulling a big cart," exhausted by coping with all kinds of complicated and miscellaneous affairs; yet they often "can see but cannot manage," while the departments that hold law-enforcement power and resources "can manage but cannot see."
The central authorities have on many occasions explicitly prohibited arbitrarily shifting responsibility onto townships (subdistricts) and villages (communities) in the name of territorial management and the like, and the national list of duty-performance items for townships (subdistricts) has also been compiled and completed; the key lies in implementation. To bring the list down from "on paper" to "on the ground," the emphasis lies in upholding the principle that power and responsibility are consistent: the work that the grassroots should do must be listed out clearly and explicitly; the responsibilities that the grassroots should not bear must be blocked and turned back 理直气壮 (lǐ zhí qì zhuàng - "reason straight, spirit strong," acting with full justification and confidence).
Regulate territorial management in a scientific and standardized manner, shoulder the responsibilities that should be shouldered, and do the work that should be done to the proper standard, so that power and responsibility are commensurate and authority over affairs matches capacity — only then can the institutional dividends of territorial management be truly released, enabling grassroots cadres to advance 轻装上阵 (qīng zhuāng shàng zhèn - "light equipment, enter battle," unburdened in action) and to dare to act and do well.
Return to TopBy: 人民网记者 曾 帆
The grassroots are the “last kilometer” for policy implementation, but in specific execution, some localities have seen a mismatch of power and responsibility.
In the collection of problem clues and suggestions titled “Continuously Deepen the Rectification of Formalism and Reduce Burdens at the Grassroots” (持续深化整治形式主义 为基层减负) launched by the “Leadership Message Board” (领导留言板) of People’s Daily Online, some grassroots cadres have reported similar troubles. For example, in quality supervision during engineering construction, professional supervision personnel are needed to check on site, but some units rigidly impose supervisory responsibilities on grassroots positions in the relevant areas. These frontline personnel lack professional qualifications and equipment, yet they must bear the entire process of supervision from construction to acceptance. Once problems arise, only grassroots personnel are held accountable, subjecting them to performance risks that exceed their own capabilities.
Similar situations of “inverted power and responsibility” (权责倒挂) also exist in community governance.
Some grassroots cadres report that individual functional departments only act as “megaphones,” not carrying out actual implementation work, and directly “package” various business tasks onto communities. As grassroots mass self-governing organizations, communities take on a large number of matters beyond their scope of duties. Staff members have been overloaded for a long time, suffering unspeakably.
Other messages reflect that in the fields of production safety or market supervision, some special inspections should be the responsibility of professional departments, but in actual operation, community cadres are required to conduct door-to-door inspections along the streets. They are not professionals and have no law enforcement power. The inspections are neither able to touch substantive issues nor eliminate hidden dangers, while increasing ineffective workload at the grassroots.
How to break the awkward situation of “territorial responsibility approximating unlimited responsibility”? Some grassroots cadres suggest that the boundaries of responsibilities should be further clarified, and a list system of powers and responsibilities should be established. The key is to clearly delineate the respective divisions of labor between functional departments and grassroots units — work that is highly specialized and requires law enforcement support should be primarily undertaken by functional departments; grassroots units should more take on auxiliary and service work such as clue discovery, publicity and mobilization, and assistance and coordination.
What other formalism problems are there around you? You can leave a message on the “Leadership Message Board” section of the People’s Daily Online homepage by clicking on “People’s Daily invites you to talk about formalism around you.”
Return to TopBy: 唐 强
Only by being meticulous in the small details can warmth be felt in tangible results; only by exerting effort in depth can we drive source governance and promote good governance and long-term stability.
In the scorching summer heat, entering the Experimental Primary School of Xiaoting District (猇亭区), Yichang City, Hubei Province, the scene at the kitchen back-office renovation site was bustling with activity. Seeing the canteen about to be renewed, my thoughts turned back to that research visit more than a month ago.
"Long beans, 5.04 yuan per jin." After the supplier quoted the price, school affairs director Sun Yaozhen (孙耀珍) immediately flipped through the market visit records in her hand and pointed at the numbers: "The price is on the high side." The parent representative beside her also pushed forward the inquiry list she had jotted down after visiting the markets early in the morning and added, "It really is higher—we checked the prices."
Lan Tian (兰天), the vice-principal in charge of logistics, logged into the "Digital Canteen" (数字食堂) supervision platform built at the initiative of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision (市纪委监委) and turned the screen toward the supplier. "Look here, the platform has market guidance prices for ingredients. The recent hinted wholesale price for long beans has a reasonable range between 2.75 yuan and 3.9 yuan." Lan Tian pointed at the real-time fluctuating market reference price and asked, "Are you quoting the wholesale price or the retail price?"
The supplier finally relented: "Alright, 3.56 yuan it is."
"Currently, this multi-party participation price negotiation mechanism is running smoothly," Principal Li Xiaoju (李晓菊) told me. Since 2025, the school's canteen ingredient cost share had risen to 79.96%, and the fresh produce share had reached 94.71%. In a subsequent visit, Jiang Qinglong (蒋庆龙), director of the Fourth Supervision and Inspection Office (第四监督检查室) of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, told me: "In the past, student meal fees were a murky account. Individual school principals even embezzled hundreds of thousands of yuan over a decade."
The embezzlement of student meal fees exposed a series of problems. To strike precisely at the problems, it was necessary both to perfect targeted institutional designs and to clarify standards for meal quality, access, operation, withdrawal, and penalties. Since last year, the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision has conducted in-depth analyses of 33 typical cases, issued disciplinary inspection and supervision recommendations to the Municipal Education Bureau, and pushed for the delineation of three red lines: ingredient costs no less than 60% to ensure money is spent on tangible things; labor costs no higher than 30% to prevent personnel redundancy; fresh produce share no less than 75% to reduce frozen and pre-processed foods.
With a series of "combined punches," the supervision network for "school meals" has been woven ever tighter. At the Yichang City School Logistics Management Office, a huge screen displays the operational data of all 372 primary and secondary school canteens in the city in real time. In the past, checking accounts meant flipping through months of paper ledgers; now, once a school's ingredient cost falls below the 60% red line, the "Digital Canteen" supervision platform immediately flags it in red and sends an alert, and disciplinary inspection and supervision departments intervene without delay.
Today, the satisfaction rate of teachers, students, and parents across the city's primary and secondary schools with "school meals" has risen from less than 70% before the rectification to over 85%.
Punishment is only a means; governance is the goal. From each meticulous 斤斤计较 (jīn jīn jì jiào - "to haggle over every ounce," to be overly concerned with trivial details) "price haggling" to the "Digital Canteen" that monitors anomalies in real time, the precision of deepened governance reflects the warmth of people's livelihoods. Only by being meticulous in the small details can warmth be felt in tangible results; only by exerting effort in depth can we drive source governance and promote good governance and long-term stability.
(The author is the head of the Propaganda Department of the Yichang City Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, Hubei Province)
Column submission email: rmrbzzb@peopledaily.cn
By: 本报记者 张天培
Recently, the heat of outbound tourism during the summer holiday has continued to rise, and Beijing's ports have seen a peak in passenger traffic. During this period, the time required for procedures such as check-in, luggage check, and border inspection may increase. The Beijing General Station of Immigration Inspection (北京边检总站) recommends planning your itinerary in advance, allowing sufficient time for transfers, and closely monitoring weather changes and flight status to avoid affecting subsequent travel due to overly tight connections; before departure, you should carefully check the entry-exit documents of each traveling companion, such as passports and regional documents, and learn about the latest entry policies of the destination country or region in advance. "If you are indeed short on time, no need to worry," said the duty officer. At the Beijing port border inspection sites, special lanes have been set up for the elderly, children, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and expedited passengers.
The summer holiday is a peak period for students to travel abroad and participate in study tours, which has led to a concentrated surge in various new types of telecom and online fraud. The Beijing General Station of Immigration Inspection reminds the public to be particularly vigilant against four categories of traps set by criminals: first, posting information about low-price tour groups and overseas volunteer recruitment, using "free travel" as a gimmick to collect deposits from applicants and then disappearing, or forcing them to spend after they leave the country; second, posting overseas job recruitment information with low thresholds and high pay to trick job seekers into going abroad, or recruiting through domestic shell companies where new hires are soon deceived into going abroad to fraud dens on the pretext of fieldwork, team-building training, etc.; third, luring people into private currency exchange transactions with ultra-high exchange rates, then disappearing after receiving the money or delivering counterfeit currency; fourth, stealing passengers' flight itinerary information, sending fake refund or compensation links, using high compensation as bait to obtain personal bank card account details and carry out theft and fraud.
The police particularly remind the public that for situations such as legitimate tourism, overseas employment, foreign currency exchange, and flight refunds, there are official and compliant channels. Do not trust various tempting messages pushed through unfamiliar online channels, and do not casually disclose personal privacy such as passports, bank cards, and SMS verification codes. When faced with opportunities introduced by others to "make quick money abroad," do not easily believe them; verify them through official and compliant channels.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 刘晓宇
“没想到在五四路就能逛免税店，手机扫码、外卡刷卡都能支付，还能‘市内下单、机场提货’！”盛夏时节，来自加拿大的游客诺尔曼拎着购物袋，对福建福州市鼓楼区这家新开的市内免税店赞不绝口。
“I never imagined I could browse a duty-free shop on Wusi Road, pay by scanning my phone or swiping a foreign card, and even ‘order in the city, pick up at the airport’!” In the height of summer, Norman, a tourist from Canada, carrying shopping bags, was full of praise for this newly opened downtown duty-free shop in Gulou District (鼓楼区), Fuzhou City, Fujian Province.
以往，这类免税店落地涉及多部门审批，流程长、环节多。为方便国内外游客购物，福州市相关部门进一步优化营商环境，将审批流程由“串联”改“并联”。去年12月，福州首家市内免税店如期开业，140个国际国内品牌、1300余款商品摆上了货架。免税店负责人徐珊感受最深：“以前是企业追着部门跑，现在是干部追着问题跑，这种转变，让商户更有信心了。”
In the past, the establishment of such duty-free shops involved approval from multiple departments, with long procedures and many steps. To facilitate shopping for domestic and foreign tourists, the relevant departments of Fuzhou City further optimized the business environment, changing the approval process from “series” to “parallel.” Last December, Fuzhou’s first downtown duty-free shop opened on schedule, with 140 international and domestic brands and over 1,300 products placed on the shelves. Xu Shan (徐珊), the person in charge of the duty-free shop, felt this most deeply: “In the past, enterprises chased after departments; now, cadres chase after problems. This change has given merchants more confidence.”
消费持续升温的背后，是干部作风的转变。今年年初，面对消费市场复苏的关键节点，福州市商务部门把问题解决在商圈、街区和项目一线。在调研中，有餐饮店主反映，消费券申领手续繁琐，市商务局立马召集技术平台和金融机构优化方案，把复杂的核销流程简化为“一键直达”。为解决离境退税流程复杂的问题，商务部门主动对接税务、海关等单位，率先在全省试行离境口岸互认，并积极争取闽粤跨区域互认落地。截至今年6月，福州离境退税商店网点数量同比增长2.57倍，离境退税销售额同比增长54.05%。
Behind the continuous warming of consumption is the transformation of cadre work style. At the beginning of this year, facing a critical juncture for the recovery of the consumer market, Fuzhou’s commerce departments resolved problems at the front line of commercial districts, neighborhoods, and projects. During research, some restaurant owners reported that the procedures for applying for consumption vouchers were cumbersome. The Municipal Bureau of Commerce immediately convened technical platforms and financial institutions to optimize the plan, simplifying the complex verification and redemption process into a “one-click direct reach.” To solve the problem of the complex departure tax refund process, the commerce department proactively liaised with tax, customs, and other units, taking the lead in the province to pilot mutual recognition at departure ports, and actively striving for the implementation of Fujian-Guangdong cross-regional mutual recognition (闽粤跨区域互认). As of June this year, the number of departure tax refund store outlets in Fuzhou increased by 2.57 times year-on-year, and departure tax refund sales increased by 54.05% year-on-year.
在烟台山历史文化街区，46栋老建筑、13条风貌街巷构成了独特的消费场景。为推动将这些“硬资产”转化为消费“新动能”，福州市商务局在业态引导和资源对接上靶向施策，使街区商业结构不断调优，服务质量稳步提升。如今，该街区首店占比已超过30%，去年客流突破1910万人次，销售额达6亿元。
In the Yantai Mountain Historical and Cultural Block (烟台山历史文化街区), 46 old buildings and 13 style streets and lanes form a unique consumption scene. To promote the transformation of these “hard assets” into new drivers of consumption, the Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce (福州市商务局) adopted targeted measures in business format guidance and resource matching, continuously optimizing the block’s commercial structure and steadily improving service quality. Today, the proportion of first stores in this block has exceeded 30%, and last year, foot traffic surpassed 19.1 million person-trips, with sales reaching 600 million yuan.
眼下，福州市商务局促消费工作专班的办公室里，墙上的“作战图”又更新了下一阶段的工作重点：围绕打造全国消费“三新”试点城市的目标，梳理商户和群众的诉求，细化消费供给新举措。走在榕城街头，来往客流和日益便捷的消费环境，正悄然勾勒出福州迈向国际消费中心城市的坚实足迹。
At present, in the office of the Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce’s special task force for promoting consumption, the “battle map” on the wall has once again updated the work priorities for the next phase: centering on the goal of building a national “three new” (三新) pilot city for consumption, sorting out the demands of merchants and the public, and refining new measures for consumption supply. Walking the streets of Rongcheng (Fuzhou), the flow of people and the increasingly convenient consumption environment are quietly sketching out Fuzhou’s solid footsteps toward becoming an international consumption center city.
Return to TopRecently, in Jinping Miao, Yao, and Dai Autonomous County (金平苗族瑶族傣族自治县), Yunnan Province, a 2026 Yi Torch Festival ethnic folk cultural performance event was held. The event invited Yi research societies from surrounding cities and counties, as well as ethnic folk performance teams such as the Miao Society, Yao Society, and Dai Society within the county, delivering a rich and colorful festive cultural feast to the broad masses and tourists. The photo shows a local folk performance team performing at the Guomen Cultural Square (国门文化广场) in Jinping County.
Photo by Pu Jiayong (普佳勇) (Image China)
Return to TopPeople's Daily, Guangzhou, August 4 (Reporter Li Gang (李刚)). On August 3, the 2026 national conditions study class (国情研习班) for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Fire Services Department (香港特区政府消防处) and the Macao Special Administrative Region Fire Services Bureau (澳门特区政府消防局) commenced in Guangzhou, Guangdong. This study session lasts for 3 days, and 60 trainees from Hong Kong and Macao will engage in exchange and learning with mainland fire rescue teams through various forms such as on-site visits and observation studies, educational lectures and learning, and exchanges and interactions among personnel from the three places.
The national conditions study class has been held on a regular basis since 2023. This session is the first special national conditions education activity jointly organized by the three places of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao specifically for fire service colleagues from Hong Kong and Macao. It aims to help Hong Kong and Macao fire service colleagues understand the nation's development achievements and cultivate a deep sense of family and country (厚植家国情怀). It is an important window and core platform for deepening the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area fire rescue collaborative co-construction (粤港澳大湾区消防救援协同共建) and comprehensively showcasing the construction achievements, excellent work style, and performance demeanor of the Guangdong fire rescue teams.
Since 2023, the Hong Kong Fire Services Department has participated eight times in national conditions study classes hosted by the Guangdong Provincial Fire and Rescue Corps (广东省消防救援总队). The coverage of trainees in this study class has been further expanded, extending from previous fire service trainees to fire and ambulance personnel across all positions. This year, the Macao Fire Services Bureau organized for the first time a large number of new firefighters to participate in a special national conditions joint training jointly organized by the fire departments of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.
Return to TopWeight management is not only a matter of personal health, but also an important lever for building a Healthy China. Recently, the topic "the fastest time of year to lose weight has arrived" climbed onto the trending list of social media hot searches. As the period with the highest temperatures of the year, during the dog days of summer, in order to maintain a stable body temperature, the human body strengthens heat dissipation through dilation of skin blood vessels and evaporation of sweat; the total energy expenditure of basal metabolism and daily activities is physiologically higher than in temperate seasons, so this period is regarded as the golden window for weight loss.
How can weight loss avoid pitfalls? How can "controlling the mouth and moving the legs" be both safe and efficient? What "traps" are hidden in food ingredient lists?
—— Editor
Diet: Refer to Two Tables
By our reporter Lu Fanbing (陆凡冰)
In daily life, the "invisible drivers" of obesity are often hidden in the ingredient lists of foods. Understanding ingredient lists and nutrition facts tables makes weight loss twice the result with half the effort.
A Clean Ingredient List Does Not Equal Health
"A clean ingredient list" is a common promotional phrase used by many merchants. Liu Peng (柳鹏), director and chief dietitian of the Clinical Nutrition Department at Peking University People's Hospital, explains that "a clean ingredient list" does not equal health. A short ingredient list may be high in sugar and fat (e.g., pure fruit juice), while a long ingredient list may also be a compliant nutritionally fortified food. Therefore, when purchasing, one should not only look at the length but focus on the ingredients.
Also look at the nutrition facts table and the percentage of Nutrient Reference Value (NRV). In the nutrition facts table, keep a close eye on "energy, sugar, fat, and trans fatty acids." The recommended daily total energy intake for adults is approximately 2000 kilocalories; snacks with excessive energy need to have their consumption controlled. The upper limit for daily added sugar intake is 50 grams, with an ideal control standard of within 25 grams. Even if a product labels trans fatty acids as 0, it should not be consumed without restraint. Adult daily sodium intake should not exceed 2000 milligrams; long-term consumption of high-sodium foods can easily cause body edema and raise blood pressure. The percentage of NRV represents the proportion of that component in the recommended daily intake for adults. For example, if the NRV percentage for fat in a certain cookie is 30%, eating one pack accounts for 30% of the daily fat requirement.
Liu Peng recommends prioritizing natural foods (fresh vegetables, low-sugar fruits, whole grains) and high-quality protein (fish, shrimp, chicken breast, eggs, soy products), and reducing intake of processed foods. Control the total amount of food; even healthy foods, if consumed in excess, will lead to calorie surplus.
"0 Sucrose," "0 Calorie," "0 Fat" All Have Tricks
Many people like to drink beverages. The sweeteners in commercially available sugary drinks are divided into two types: high-fructose corn syrup and white sugar (sucrose). "Natural fructose is harmless" and "sugar-free drinks can be consumed freely" are common dietary misconceptions. Liu Peng explains that fructose is a monosaccharide naturally present in fruits and honey. High-fructose corn syrup (whose main components are fructose and glucose), widely used in the food industry, is a frequent guest in beverages, flavored yogurt, fruit juice, and desserts. Many people think "fructose comes from fruit, so eating more is fine." In reality, fructose in natural fruits, because it is wrapped in dietary fiber, is absorbed slowly and has a limited single intake amount. However, fructose in high-fructose corn syrup is a free sugar that does not require insulin participation and is directly metabolized in the liver. Excessive intake accelerates liver fat synthesis, causing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and simultaneously promotes visceral fat accumulation, leading to abdominal obesity. A 500-milliliter sugary drink can contain 20 to 30 grams of free fructose, while the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022) recommends that adult daily added sugar intake be best controlled below 25 grams.
To control sugar and weight, many people choose "zero-calorie drinks" containing sweeteners such as erythritol, aspartame, and sucralose, believing they "do not raise blood sugar and do not cause weight gain." Liu Peng states that sugar substitutes indeed have almost no calories and do not raise blood sugar in the short term, but long-term large intake may disrupt the balance of gut microbiota, reduce insulin sensitivity, and significantly increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. At the same time, sugar substitutes continuously stimulate the brain's sweet taste center, deceiving the body's demand for sweets, enhancing appetite, and causing people to unconsciously consume more high-calorie foods, forming a vicious cycle of "the more you drink, the fatter you get."
"Zero fat" or "low fat" does not equal low calories. Low-fat foods often have extra sugar added to compensate for the loss of flavor. For example, the sugar content of low-fat yogurt may be higher than that of ordinary full-fat yogurt, so extra vigilance is needed when purchasing. "Zero sucrose" does not equal sugar-free; it may contain fructose, maltose, high-fructose corn syrup, or sugar substitutes, essentially still "containing sugar/sweeteners."
Liu Peng recommends that the first choice for beverages is plain boiled water, weak tea, and unsweetened black coffee. Sugar-substitute drinks are only suitable for occasional indulgence, no more than twice a week, with a single serving controlled within 300 milliliters, avoiding long-term dependence. When buying beverages, check the ingredient list; if high-fructose corn syrup or crystalline fructose appears at the top of the ingredient list, it indicates a high amount of added sugar, and such products should be purchased as little as possible.
If You Love Baked Goods and Fried Foods, Beware of Trans Fatty Acids
A piece of baked pastry and a cup of milk tea are a favorite afternoon tea pairing for many. Liu Peng recommends choosing cakes with animal-based cream as a priority, and milk tea with a pure milk base as a priority. If the ingredient list contains hydrogenated vegetable oil, margarine, non-dairy creamer, shortening, or cocoa butter substitute, extra vigilance is needed.
What is the difference between animal cream and vegetable cream? Animal cream (whipping cream) is separated from whole milk, has a natural milky aroma, a milky white to yellowish color, a soft texture, and mainly contains saturated fatty acids. Moderate intake is not a concern, but it is high in calories, and excessive intake can easily lead to calorie surplus. Vegetable cream (margarine/vegetable fat cream) is made from vegetable oils such as soybean oil through hydrogenation, with added flavors, colors, and preservatives. It has a bright white color, a firm texture, and is cheap. The hydrogenation process easily produces trans fatty acids, which are harmful to health.
"Trans fatty acids are called 'blood vessel killers,' and artificially hydrogenated vegetable oil is the main source of dietary trans fatty acids." Liu Peng explains that trans fatty acids are metabolized and broken down very slowly in the human body. They raise low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (good cholesterol), significantly increasing the risk of arteriosclerosis, coronary heart disease, and stroke. At the same time, they cause visceral fat accumulation, reduce insulin sensitivity, increase the metabolic burden on the pancreas, and further induce type 2 diabetes. Foods high in trans fatty acids include non-dairy creamer milk tea, instant coffee, coffee creamer, cookies, egg tarts, cocoa butter substitute chocolate, fried chicken, French fries, and fried dough sticks.
The recommended daily intake of trans fatty acids for adults should not exceed 2 grams. China's national food safety standard stipulates that when the trans fatty acid content per 100 grams of food is ≤0.3 grams, the product packaging may be labeled "0 trans fatty acids." However, labeling "0" does not mean completely free of trans fatty acids. For all baked and fried processed foods that meet this labeling standard, long-term large consumption will cause continuous accumulation of trans fatty acids in the body.
Losing Weight: Avoid Three Pitfalls
By our reporter Li Junjie (李俊杰)
More and more people are beginning to actively manage their weight, but some unscientific weight loss methods have caused many to pay a health price in their pursuit of "dropping pounds." The following three common misconceptions require particular vigilance.
Excessive Dieting: What You Starve Out May Be Illness
"Many people have the misconception that 'eating less makes you thin' when it comes to weight loss, and even adopt extreme dieting methods to lose weight," said Zhang Zhen (张震), chief physician of the Gastrointestinal and Bariatric Metabolic Surgery Department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University. "This is actually draining the body. When we consume severely insufficient calories for a long time, the body activates a defense mechanism, significantly lowering the basal metabolic rate, and instead turns itself into an easy-weight-gain constitution."
"Excessive dieting also leads to malnutrition," Zhang Zhen warned. The human body requires more than 40 types of nutrients to function. Extreme dieting inevitably leads to nutrient deficiencies. Over time, various diseases will come knocking. First are endocrine system diseases, such as reduced secretion of thyroid hormones, causing chills, fatigue, and hair loss; inhibited secretion of growth hormone, affecting bone development and tissue repair. Second are digestive system diseases, such as prolonged fasting (over 12 hours) causing gastric acid to directly irritate the gastric mucosa, leading to pain; long-term extremely low-fat diets cause the gallbladder to contract weakly, leading to bile stasis and increasing the risk of gallstones.
Excessive dieting can also induce malnutrition-related fatty liver disease. In severe cases, it can lead to hair loss, weakened immunity, and even mental anxiety.
What counts as "excessive dieting"? Zhang Zhen explains that in medical terms, very low energy diets usually refer to a daily intake of 600–800 kilocalories. "Scientific weight loss absolutely cannot rely on 'starving'; it requires a smooth transition to a healthy lifestyle." Zhang Zhen recommends that during weight loss, dietary adjustments should "control total amount and optimize structure." The underlying logic of weight loss is to create a stable energy deficit (energy deficit = total daily energy expenditure - daily calorie intake). A daily deficit of 500 kilocalories is the most moderate, suitable for the vast majority of people losing fat; a deficit of 1000 kilocalories is relatively intense, only suitable for short-term use by people with a large baseline of obesity, and is not recommended for ordinary people to adopt independently over the long term. However, it must be noted that daily intake should not fall below an individual's basal metabolic rate.
Excessive Exercise: Sudden Intense Training Triggers Health Warnings
"Some people usually lack exercise, but to lose weight quickly they engage in high-intensity sudden training over a short period, which instead triggers health warnings," Zhang Zhen explained. The most typical sports injury is rhabdomyolysis. Its danger signals appear 4 to 12 hours after exercise: persistent severe muscle pain (far exceeding ordinary soreness), and urine that is tea-colored, soy sauce-colored, or coffee-colored.
"Rhabdomyolysis does not mean the muscles have actually dissolved; rather, skeletal muscle cells, due to overload exercise, suffer ischemia, hypoxia, destruction, and disintegration, releasing large amounts of myoglobin and creatine kinase into the blood," Zhang Zhen pointed out. When these substances are excreted through the kidneys, they easily block the renal tubules, not only causing metabolic disorders but also, in severe cases, inducing acute kidney injury or even kidney failure.
Zhang Zhen explains that exercise must be "gradual and within one's capacity." Adults can start with small amounts of exercise and gradually increase to a cumulative total of 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, such as brisk walking, swimming, or cycling. They can arrange 2–3 sessions of resistance training per week, such as dumbbell lifts and squats. They should also appropriately arrange 1–2 rest days, or engage in low-intensity stretching, walking, and other recovery activities, giving the body and muscles time to repair, avoiding excessive fatigue and sports injuries.
Hui Cancan (惠灿灿), attending physician in the Endocrinology and Metabolism Department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, reminds that on the path to weight loss, one must avoid seeking quick results. "Set scientific goals in stages. For most overweight or mildly obese people, the scientific goal is to reduce 5%–10% of current body weight within 6 months. For severely obese people, higher goals can be set under medical intervention. For most people in the early stage of weight loss, a reference standard of reducing 0.5–1 kilogram per week and 2–4 kilograms per month can be followed."
Blind Use of "Weight Loss Injections": The "Lie-Down Slimming Miracle Drug" Hides Many Risks
Deng Datong (邓大同), chief physician in the Endocrinology and Metabolism Department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, specifically warns that in recent years, GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) class "weight loss injections" have been hyped by some as a "lie-down slimming miracle drug," leading to blind following, self-purchasing of drugs, and illegal injections. Drugs commonly referred to as "weight loss injections" include GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide and liraglutide, as well as GIP/GLP-1 dual receptor agonists such as tirzepatide. Only certain specific preparations have been approved for weight management, and all must be used strictly in accordance with approved indications.
"In clinical practice, cases of physical damage caused by abuse of weight loss drugs are not uncommon: some people used the drug continuously for three months, and while their weight dropped, it was accompanied by severe liver damage, palpitations, fatigue, and muscle loss; some people purchased drugs through agents and increased the dosage without authorization, causing severe vomiting and arrhythmia requiring emergency rescue; many people with normal weight or mild overweight followed suit and used the drug, ignoring health risks." Deng Datong points out that GLP-1 receptor agonists represented by semaglutide are not weight loss products available for universal use. These drugs achieve weight loss by delaying gastric emptying and suppressing central appetite. Their scope of application is very strict: they are only suitable for people with a BMI (body mass index) ≥28 who still cannot lose 5% of their weight after 3–6 months of lifestyle intervention, or people with BMI ≥24 who also have hypertension, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, weight-related bone and joint diseases, sleep apnea syndrome, and other conditions.
Deng Datong reminds that there are no shortcuts to weight loss. If drug intervention is truly needed, one must go to a regular hospital's endocrinology department or weight loss clinic for evaluation. Only after meeting the indications should it be used under a doctor's guidance, with regular monitoring of liver and kidney function, heart rate, and other indicators. Do not trust online agents or increase dosage without authorization.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 齐志明
Recently, the China Consumers Association (中国消费者协会) has successively received consumer reports that a large number of medical advertisements are being disseminated through private-domain channels such as WeChat groups and enterprise WeChat customer service. These advertisements use medical practitioners to make recommendations and testimonials, claiming that the products have disease prevention or treatment functions, triggering unnecessary worry and anxiety among consumers about their own health conditions. After consulting with doctors for confirmation, consumers have found that the purchased goods are in fact health foods or ordinary foods that do not possess any therapeutic effect.
Such advertisements are mostly disseminated by means of enterprise WeChat customer service private chats or sending mini-program links in WeChat groups. After consumers click the links, they are redirected multiple times through mini-programs or official accounts to third-party pages, but searching via WeChat, entering the link into a browser, or directly entering the mini-program cannot retrieve the relevant content. The links have limited validity periods, automatically expiring upon expiry or the mini-program being deregistered, making the content unviewable, thereby evading regulation.
Some merchants also use offline activities such as “free eggs,” “community free clinics,” and “senior welfare parties” as bait to attract consumers into adding WeChat contacts and joining WeChat groups, then induce consumers to enter private-domain live-streaming rooms, conducting consumer fraud through forms such as “pseudo-scientific health classes” and “one-on-one expert consultations.”
Private-domain live-streaming rooms often operate under names such as “family care,” “health consultation,” and “expert lectures,” illegally using phrases such as 包治百病 (bāo zhì bǎi bìng - “guarantee to cure all diseases,” claiming to cure any ailment), “radically cure chronic diseases,” and “replace drug treatment,” or claiming “expert recommendation” and 祖传秘方 (zǔ chuán mì fāng - “ancestral secret formulas,” secret remedies handed down from ancestors), and using “limited-time flash sales” and “final offers” to create consumption anxiety.
According to the Advertising Law of the People’s Republic of China (中华人民共和国广告法) and relevant legal provisions, medical advertisements shall not contain the following content: assertions or guarantees of efficacy or safety; statements of cure rates or effectiveness rates; comparisons with the efficacy and safety of other drugs, medical devices, or other medical institutions; or use of advertising endorsers to make recommendations or testimonials. Except for advertisements for medical treatment, drugs, and medical devices, no other advertisement may involve disease treatment functions, nor may it use medical terminology. The Interim Measures for the Administration of Examination of Advertisements for Drugs, Medical Devices, Health Foods, and Foods for Special Medical Purposes (药品、医疗器械、保健食品、特殊医学用途配方食品广告审查管理暂行办法) clearly stipulates that the names or images of doctors, patients, etc., shall not be used for recommendations or testimonials.
The China Consumers Association and the China Society of Market Supervision and Administration (中国市场监督管理学会) remind the broad consumer public to remain vigilant and to consume scientifically and rationally.
Be wary of private-domain traffic funneling tactics. Stay vigilant against offline activities conducted under the names of “free eggs,” “community free clinics,” “health lectures,” etc.; do not casually add unfamiliar WeChat contacts or join unknown WeChat groups. Stay vigilant against temporary links and mini-program advertisements sent through WeChat groups or customer service private chats; do not easily click on them or purchase from them.
Carefully verify product qualifications. Before purchasing, check the merchant’s business license and food or drug operation permit; for health foods, ensure they bear the special mark for Chinese health foods (commonly known as the “Blue Hat” (蓝帽子) mark) and the approval number; for drugs, ensure they bear the “National Drug Approval Standard” (国药准字) batch number, and verify through the official website of the National Medical Products Administration (国家药监局).
Insist on transacting through formal channels. Choose reputable, fully qualified formal platforms and merchants; be wary of transacting through informal channels such as group invites and temporary links. When transacting, save chat records, product links, payment vouchers, and request formal invoices.
Understand health foods scientifically. Health foods only have the function of regulating bodily functions; they cannot replace drugs for treating diseases. Ordinary foods cannot claim to have health functions, nor may they involve disease prevention or treatment efficacy.
Protect your own rights and interests according to law. If you encounter false advertising or consumer fraud, you can call the complaint hotline or file a complaint with the consumer association through the National Consumers Association Smart 315 Platform (全国消协智慧315平台), or report to relevant administrative departments. If the amount is large and suspected of criminal offenses, report the case to the public security authorities.
Return to TopThis newspaper, Tianjin, August 4 (Reporter Ji Bo (靳博)) On August 1, 2008, the first high-speed railway in China designed with a speed of 350 kilometers per hour — the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway (京津城际) — officially opened to traffic. The reporter learned from the Tianjin Passenger Section of China Railway Beijing Group (国铁北京局天津客运段) that in the 18 years since its opening, the number of Beijing-Tianjin intercity trains has increased from the initial 47 pairs to the current 123 pairs, the departure interval has been reduced from 15 minutes to 3 minutes, the single-day passenger volume has risen from 49,000 person-trips to 220,000 person-trips, and the cumulative number of passengers transported has exceeded 570 million person-trips. The high-density, public-transit-style operation model continues to shorten the spatiotemporal distance between the two cities, providing convenience for residents of Beijing and Tianjin for commuting, visiting relatives, and leisure travel.
Return to TopOur Newspaper Nanning, August 4 — (Reporters Pang Geping (庞革平), Zhang Yunhe (张云河)) Reporters learned from the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Medical Security Bureau (广西壮族自治区医疗保障局) that: the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Establishment of a Long-term Care Insurance System in Guangxi" was recently issued. Guangxi will establish a long-term care insurance system adapted to reality by the end of 2028, striving to solve the social problem of "one person incapacitated, the whole family thrown off balance."
The plan specifies that in the initial stage of the system, priority will be given to guaranteeing severely incapacitated persons with the most urgent needs and the heaviest family burdens, and in the future the coverage will gradually expand according to national regulations. In terms of fund raising, Guangxi implements a benchmark contribution rate system of around 0.3%, with the contribution base linked to income. Unemployed persons under 18 years old do not need to pay contributions and participate in insurance through their parents; orphans and de facto unattended children are deemed to be insured. Individual accounts of employee basic medical insurance can be used to pay the contributions for oneself and close relatives for long-term care insurance. The government will also provide full or 60% subsidies for the individual contribution portion of persons in difficulty such as destitute persons, subsistence allowance recipients, and eligible targets for preventing return to poverty and falling into poverty. The long-term care insurance fund does not set a deductible, and in principle does not directly disburse cash, but provides unified nursing services. In terms of reimbursement ratio, for residents participating in insurance, the fund pays around 50%; for those participating under the unit employee insurance policy (including retirees), the fund pays around 70%.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 曹文轩
"Help! Help!" At around 14:20 on July 23, on the seashore of Shenzhou Peninsula (神州半岛), Wanning City (万宁市), Hainan Province, a burst of urgent cries for help came from the sea surface in the distance. It turned out that a 21-year-old tourist from Hubei had been rapidly carried away from the safe shallows by a strong sea current and was drifting toward the deep sea, in a dangerous position.
Team members of the Blue Sky Rescue team's Shenzhou Peninsula squadron (蓝天救援队神州半岛中队), who were carrying out routine coastline patrols, heard the cries and noticed a figure struggling on the sea surface a dozen or so meters away. Team member Wen Shaowei (文绍伟) immediately ran to the seaside, started a motorboat, and braved the waves to rush toward the incident waters; team members Wang Chengwei (王承炜) and Chen Yepin (陈业品), driving a second motorboat, followed close behind.
"Everyone quickly threw life buoys; one person, wearing a life jacket, jumped into the water and supported the tourist upward with both hands from below, to keep him from exhausting his strength and choking on water. One person on the motorboat pulled upward with force; after pulling the tourist onto the motorboat, he quickly turned around and headed for the sand beach, then helped him ashore," Wen Shaowei said. On the shore, squadron leader Zhang Shile (张史乐) and deputy squadron leader Wu Yabao (吴亚宝) were on standby throughout to respond, ready at any moment to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the drowning person. From the discovery of the tourist's drowning to his safe transfer ashore, the whole process took only five minutes. Because the rescue was timely, the tourist suffered no serious injury; after a brief rest, his tense and flustered mood gradually calmed.
Since July, team members have rescued several people from drowning in the waters off Shenzhou Peninsula. On the morning of July 11, a couple from Yunnan, while swimming in the sea, were swept by a rip current into a deep-sea area more than 20 meters deep. According to the couple's recollection, the seaside scenery was pleasant, and the comfortable environment made the two relax their vigilance; when they went into the sea to swim, they had gone too far from the shore and did not notice the changes in the waves.
"The waves were quite big at the time. Team members spotted someone on the sea in the distance continuously waving, his body on the verge of losing control. They immediately started the motorboat, evaded the impact of wave after wave, and approached the person in danger," Zhang Shile said.
Several team members told reporters that they patrol Shenzhou Peninsula year-round, reminding tourists to play in the water safely, while also formulating corresponding rescue plans according to the terrain, weather, sea currents, and other conditions. The team members also each have their own roles: some are skilled in drone search and rescue, some have proficient motorboat-driving skills, and some are skilled in cardiopulmonary resuscitation; once an accident occurs, they can quickly devote themselves to the rescue and avoid tragedy to the greatest extent.
Extended Reading
How to identify and guard against rip currents
During the summer vacation, many people choose to go to the seaside to play. Beneath the calm sea surface, there may be hidden the beach's "number one killer," the rip current (scientific name: 裂流, literally "split current"). It has no huge breakers and is highly deceptive, and it is more likely to appear during the alternating period of rising and falling tides, near reefs, and in areas where the sand beach has gaps. Liu Jiao (刘娇), captain of the Blue Sky Rescue team in Wanning City, Hainan Province, reminded that the overwhelming majority of seaside drowning incidents are related to rip currents, and tourists can learn to identify and proactively guard against rip currents and master self-rescue techniques.
"A rip current is a narrow, powerful water flow formed when seawater, after waves surge onto the sand beach, gathers and flows back toward the open sea. It rushes perpendicularly toward the deep-sea area; the fastest flow speed can reach 3 meters per second, and within dozens of seconds it can drag a person at the shore into a deep-water area," Liu Jiao explained. Rip currents are surface water flows and will not carry a person downward. What truly creates danger is that, after getting into trouble, tourists, being 惊慌失措 (jīng huāng shī cuò - "panic and lose all composure," to be panic-stricken and at a loss), struggle against the current, rapidly exhaust their strength, and ultimately choke on water and drown.
Focus on observing two features: amid the continuous white breakers, a long, narrow band of water appears with sparse foam and a deeper seawater color; floating objects on the sea surface keep moving toward the open sea. If these signs are found, there is a high probability that a rip current exists, and one should immediately stay away. "Being able to swim does not mean being able to fight a rip current; many swimming enthusiasts get into danger precisely because they underestimate the current's impact force," Liu Jiao said.
How to guard against danger? Liu Jiao said that for outings, one should try to choose formal coastal bathing beaches equipped with lifeguards and designated safe zones; stay away from wild beaches and undeveloped rocky beaches; do not swim or snorkel in unfamiliar sea areas; reduce entering the sea during ebb tide periods, when the seawater flows back and rip currents are more easily generated; when traveling with children, parents must supervise them throughout and should not let children approach the water alone, and when children play in shallow water areas, the water level should preferably not exceed their knees; before entering the sea, pay attention to the safety warning signs on the beach and do not cross the warning line.
If one unfortunately encounters a rip current, how should one save oneself?
First, absolutely do not swim strenuously against the current to return to shore. One should remain calm, relax the body, float on one's back, and conserve strength. Rip currents are mostly only a little more than ten meters wide. When strength permits, one may swim laterally in a direction parallel to the coastline; after swimming out of the water-flow channel, swim diagonally back to shore. If the water current's force is too great and it is difficult to escape laterally, one may first "drift with the current" — 随波逐流 (suí bō zhú liú - "follow the waves, chase the current," to go with the flow) — wait for the rip current's force to weaken, and then seize the opportunity to swim toward either side, while continuously waving and loudly calling for help to attract the attention of people on shore.
Liu Jiao reminded that if one discovers someone swept away by a rip current, one must not blindly enter the water to rescue him. Immediately call the police emergency number, look for life rings, floating boards, ropes, and other materials to throw to the person in distress, and wait for a professional rescue team to arrive on the scene and carry out the rescue.
(Interviewed and compiled by Cao Wenxuan (曹文轩), staff reporter of this newspaper.)
Return to TopOur newspaper Macau, August 4 (correspondent Fu Zimei) — The reporter learned from the Macau SAR Social Security Fund (澳门特区社会保障基金) that Guangdong’s Zhuhai, Foshan, and Shenzhen have recently added dedicated windows for the “Guangdong-Macau Social Security One-Window Service” (粤澳社保一窗通). Currently, a total of 18 service points within Guangdong Province have been put into operation, making it more convenient for Macau residents in Guangdong to access Guangdong-Macau social security public services nearby. The “Guangdong-Macau Social Security One-Window Service” adopts a model of “one service hall providing services for two regions,” realizing integrated handling of Guangdong and Macau social security. Macau residents can apply for various social security public services of Guangdong Province through the dedicated windows, and can also, with guidance from the window staff, use the “One Account Platform” (一户通) to handle multiple Macau social security public services. Since June of this year, the dedicated windows have also been accepting applications for the “Guangdong-Macau Elderly Care Connect+” (粤澳养老通+), further enriching cross-border social security service content.
A responsible person from the Macau SAR Social Security Fund stated that they will continue to work closely with relevant departments in Guangdong Province, persistently deepen the construction of the dedicated windows, orderly expand the service city network, and steadily improve the level of cross-border social security services between Guangdong and Macau.
Return to TopIn mid-June, in the Jingbian Economic and Technological Development Zone (靖边经济技术开发区) of Shaanxi, the million-ton-class full-process integrated CCUS (carbon dioxide capture, utilization and storage) project of Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Co., Ltd. (陕西延长石油（集团）有限责任公司) (hereinafter referred to as "Yanchang Petroleum") officially commenced construction. This is the first full-process integrated demonstration project in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Loess Plateau (陕甘宁黄土塬) landform that integrates carbon dioxide capture, pipeline transportation, oil displacement, storage and safety monitoring, and the 146-kilometer length of the carbon dioxide transportation pipeline ranks first in the western region.
As the only "century-old time-honored brand" in China's oil and gas industry and a large domestic comprehensive energy and chemical enterprise, Yanchang Petroleum is involved in multiple fields including oil, natural gas, coal power and comprehensive chemicals, new energy and new materials. In recent years, the enterprise has actively served the realization of the dual carbon (双碳) goals, coordinated energy supply assurance with energy conservation and carbon reduction, and actively constructed a multi-dimensional carbon reduction system encompassing source carbon reduction, process carbon reduction, end-of-pipe carbon fixation, and green energy substitution for carbon, exploring a new path for the green and low-carbon transformation of traditional energy enterprises.
Source Carbon Reduction: Making Fossil Energy Cleaner
As the birthplace of China's onshore petroleum industry, Yanchang Petroleum has a history of crude oil extraction spanning over a century, and has achieved stable production and increased output of over ten million tons for 19 consecutive years since 2007. In recent years, Yanchang Oilfield has continuously carried out gasification transformation of coal-fired boilers at gathering and transportation stations, and all oil production plants have achieved full coverage of peak-avoidance power use and intermittent pumping, with obvious energy-saving and carbon-reduction effects. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the enterprise invested a total of over 93 million yuan in oil area greening and ecological carbon fixation, planting a total of 5.824 million trees, 5,734 mu of grass, greening 834.2 kilometers of roads, and building 29,000 standard-compliant well sites, forming an ecological pattern of "wells in greenery, greenery by wells."
While stabilizing and increasing crude oil production, Yanchang Petroleum has vigorously deployed the low-carbon and clean natural gas industry. After 20 years of geological theoretical innovation and key technology breakthroughs, Yanchang Petroleum achieved a historic leap from a "gas-poor area" to a "large gas field." During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, it built the "15 billion cubic meter natural gas production capacity doubling project," becoming one of the fastest gas fields in terms of construction speed in the same period in China, forming an industrial pattern of two 10-million-ton levels: annual crude oil production and annual natural gas production (converted to oil equivalent). In 2025, the enterprise's natural gas production reached 12.23 billion cubic meters, doubling from five years ago, with the production increment accounting for half of the Ordos Basin, ranking as the fourth largest gas field in the country. To date, the Yanchang gas field has produced a cumulative total of over 75 billion cubic meters of natural gas, whose calorific value is equivalent to replacing approximately 72.85 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 77.75 million tons.
In the field of petroleum refining and chemicals, Yanchang Petroleum adheres to the concept of "reduction replacement, upgrading and transformation, reducing oil and increasing chemicals, energy conservation and carbon reduction," and fully promotes the new Yanchang Petroleum Yan'an 10-million-ton/year refining-chemical integration upgrading and transformation project, reducing and eliminating backward production capacity, increasing the supply of high-quality high-end petrochemical products, promoting the transformation of the refining and chemical industry from "fuel type" to "material type," and continuously reducing carbon emission intensity. In the fields of coal and thermal power, Yanchang Petroleum has built a number of ten-million-ton-class green intelligent mine clusters such as the Balasu Coal Mine and the Kekegai Coal Mine in Yulin, and built the Yanchang Mining Fuxian Power Plant project with full-process ultra-low emission characteristics in Yan'an. Among them, the Kekegai Coal Mine integrates clean energy intensive control technologies such as medium-deep geothermal energy, mine exhaust waste heat, drainage waste heat, and photovoltaic-storage integration, building the country's first "boiler-free" green mine, saving 26,000 tons of standard coal annually, reducing carbon emissions by 65,000 tons, and was selected into the China Enterprise Confederation's "2025 Enterprise Green Low-Carbon Development Excellent Practice Cases."
Process Carbon Reduction: "Carbon-Hydrogen Complementarity" for Emission Reduction and Efficiency Enhancement
Coal is rich in carbon and poor in hydrogen, while oil and gas are rich in hydrogen and poor in carbon. Can the three raw materials of coal, petroleum, and natural gas be combined to produce high-value-added chemicals through "carbon-hydrogen complementarity," thereby significantly reducing carbon emissions while improving resource utilization?
After more than 10 years of continuous effort, Yanchang Petroleum turned this concept into reality, from building the world's first coal-oil-gas comprehensive conversion project to forming a competitive industrial cluster, blazing a green and low-carbon development path with enterprise characteristics. In 2023, Yanchang Petroleum's "Coal, Oil and Gas Resource Comprehensive Utilization Low-Carbon Green Circular Integration Innovation" (煤油气资源综合利用低碳绿色循环集成创新) project won the highest award in China's industrial field — the 7th China Industrial Grand Award (中国工业大奖), and the company thus became the first unit in the national petrochemical industry to win both the China Industrial Grand Award Enterprise Award and Project Award.
The "Coal, Oil and Gas Resource Comprehensive Utilization Low-Carbon Green Circular Integration Innovation" project has successively overcome more than 50 key technologies, holds over 130 authorized patents, and its core technology has reached the international leading level. Calibration data show that compared with the advanced value of coal-to-methanol technology, the coal-oil-gas comprehensive utilization technology improves energy conversion efficiency by 16.9 percentage points, increases carbon resource utilization rate by 17.7 percentage points, reduces water consumption by 70%, and reduces carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and solid waste by approximately 60% each.
Relying on technological breakthroughs, Yanchang Petroleum has successively built and put into operation two coal-oil-gas resource comprehensive utilization and deep conversion industrial parks in Jingbian County, Yulin City, and Fu County, Yan'an City, which can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 10 million tons and save more than 20 million tons of water annually. The operating unit of the Jingbian Park, Shaanxi Yanchang Zhongmei Yulin Energy and Chemical Co., Ltd. (陕西延长中煤榆林能源化工股份有限公司), was rated by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation as the "2021 Energy Efficiency Benchmarking Enterprise" and the "2023 Water Efficiency Benchmarking Enterprise," becoming a distinctive business card of Yanchang Petroleum's green, low-carbon, and innovative development.
Currently, around the low-carbon green comprehensive utilization technology path for coal, oil, and gas resources, Yanchang Petroleum has formed a new model of clean and efficient coal conversion, water resource conservation, low-carbon emissions, and resource utilization of solid waste and liquid waste, providing a reference path for the green and low-carbon transformation and high-quality development of the energy and chemical industry.
End-of-Pipe Carbon Fixation: Burying Carbon to Drive Oil, Turning Waste into Treasure
CCUS technology is globally recognized as a core technology for large-scale emission reduction and helping achieve carbon neutrality. It can capture carbon dioxide from industrial emissions, transport it, and inject it into deep oil and gas formations, achieving permanent carbon dioxide storage while enhancing oil recovery and increasing production.
Since 2007, leveraging its advantages such as a complete industrial chain, high source-sink matching degree, low capture cost, good storage conditions, and large storage potential, Yanchang Petroleum has continuously carried out CCUS technology research and engineering practice. It has successively undertaken 14 national major scientific and technological research and international cooperation projects, developed a full-process integrated technology system for carbon dioxide capture, oil displacement, fracturing, storage, and safety monitoring, and built the Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbon Dioxide Storage and Enhanced Oil Recovery. It has won five provincial and ministerial-level scientific and technological achievement awards, including the first prize of the Shaanxi Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award, laying a solid foundation for the large-scale application of CCUS technology. In June 2015, certified by the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum, Yanchang Petroleum's full-process integrated CCUS project became the first full-process integrated CCUS project in China to receive international certification; in September of the same year, the relevant results were included in the U.S.-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change, receiving broad recognition from the international community.
Currently, Yanchang Petroleum has built an annual capacity of 300,000 tons of carbon dioxide capture and 410,000 tons of carbon dioxide injection, oil displacement, and storage, with a cumulative storage of over 500,000 tons of carbon dioxide, a 50% increase in daily oil production per well, and an increase in recovery rate of more than 8 percentage points on the basis of water flooding, accumulating rich industrial demonstration experience. The million-ton-class full-process integrated CCUS project that started construction in June this year adopts five characteristic technologies: "low-cost capture from coal chemical industry, pipeline transportation on the Loess Plateau, immiscible flooding in ultra-low permeability reservoirs, integrated underground-surface-aboveground safety monitoring, and CCUS + new energy zero-carbon injection," achieving large-scale, low-cost carbon dioxide oil displacement and storage in the Loess Plateau region. The project plans to inject a cumulative total of over ten million tons of gas over 20 years, is expected to increase oil production by 1.17 million tons, and reduce oil displacement water consumption by 1.2 million tons, which is of great significance for achieving a win-win situation between environmental protection and economic development in the semi-arid water-scarce region of northern Shaanxi.
Currently, Yanchang Petroleum has completed the overall plan for a 5-million-ton/year CCUS project, and is fully deploying a ten-million-ton-class CCUS industrial cluster to help old oilfields achieve long-term stable production, outputting a replicable "Yanchang Plan" (延长方案) for the low-carbon utilization of fossil energy, and driving the green transformation of the entire Ordos Basin.
Green Energy Substitution for Carbon: Chasing Light and Riding the Wind, Steps Renew Daily
In Yanchang Petroleum's vast mining area, besides the iconic pumping units, gas gathering stations, chemical plants, and coal bunkers, more and more photovoltaic power plants and wind power projects are interspersed among them, with traditional energy and new energy complementing each other, forming a unique landscape.
The Yulin Jingbian 58 MW photovoltaic power station of Yanchang Petroleum's Emerging Industry Company has an annual on-grid electricity of nearly 75 million kWh, setting a benchmark for the new energy transformation of traditional energy enterprises. In Huanglong County, Yan'an City, the first collector line of Yanchang Petroleum's agricultural-solar complementary project was connected to the grid for power generation in December 2023, allowing agricultural production and green power generation to complement each other and help farmers increase income. In Yanchang Petroleum's Yulin Balasu mining area and Yan'an Ansai oil area and Zhidan oil area, a number of wind power projects have been put into operation or are under accelerated construction.
At the same time, Yanchang Petroleum actively implements the requirements for accelerating the integrated development of oil and gas exploration and development with new energy, and steadily implements the national-level "Energy Internet" demonstration project — the Yanchang Oil and Gas Field "Zero-Carbon Project" (零碳工程) 1 GW wind-solar micro-energy network project. This project fully utilizes the enterprise's own high-quality resources such as oil and gas field land, wind and solar resources, distribution networks, and loads, achieving integrated source-grid-load-storage development and application in the region, and local consumption of new energy. It is expected to produce 1.58 billion kWh of green electricity annually, save approximately 160 million yuan in electricity costs for oil and gas fields, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1.2 million tons. Currently, the Wangjie 6 MW pilot demonstration project of Yanchang Oilfield's Xingzichuan Oil Production Plant has been fully connected to the grid, with an average annual power generation of 9.27 million kWh and an annual carbon reduction of over 9,700 tons.
In addition, Yanchang Petroleum is also actively deploying new tracks such as hydrogen energy and geothermal energy. In May this year, the first highway hydrogen refueling demonstration station in the northwest region was completed at the Fuping Service Area (North Area) of the Beijing-Kunming Expressway. After normal operation, it can serve about 50 hydrogen vehicles per day, reducing carbon emissions by nearly 3,800 tons annually. In Xi'an Chanba International Port (西安浐灞国际港), the first hydrogen energy combined heat and power comprehensive energy heating system in Shaanxi Province was built, where photovoltaic green electricity drives electrolyzers to produce hydrogen, the hydrogen is stored and then used for power generation through fuel cells, and waste heat is recovered for heating, achieving an efficient "electricity-hydrogen-heat" coupling. In addition, relying on its mature natural gas pipeline network, Yanchang Petroleum is making every effort to tackle the technology of blending hydrogen into natural gas pipelines, solving the problem of large-scale hydrogen storage and transportation, and continuously improving the new energy industry ecosystem.
Based on the new development stage, Yanchang Petroleum will focus on the dual carbon goals, implement the deployment of the "15th Five-Year Plan" outline, firmly pursue the direction of green, low-carbon, and circular development of the energy and chemical industry, vigorously implement the development strategy of "equal emphasis on oil, gas, and coal, simultaneous flourishing of electricity, chemicals, and materials," continuously promote energy conservation and carbon reduction across the entire industry and entire chain, empower high-quality development with green and low-carbon transformation, and contribute Yanchang Petroleum's strength to building a beautiful China.
Data source: Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum (Group) Co., Ltd.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 施 钰
The first rain had just ceased, and among the mountain peaks clouds and mist rose and swirled, the vegetation growing ever more verdant. Within the forest, the sounds of leaves rustling, frogs croaking, and birds chirping rose and fell 此起彼伏 (cǐ qǐ bǐ fú - "here rise, there fall," rising and falling continuously) — all things here share the bounty of Wuyi Mountain. In these past few days, Wu Yanqing, associate researcher at the College of Life and Environmental Sciences of Wenzhou University, once again came to Wuyishan City, Nanping, Fujian. Engaged in research on amphibians and reptiles and in biodiversity conservation, he is a frequent visitor to Wuyi Mountain National Park.
Wuyi Mountain is a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site, preserving the most complete, most typical, and largest area of mid-subtropical primary forest ecosystem at the same latitude in the world, and bearing a rich and splendid history and culture. Natural ecology and humanistic heritage coexist and merge, and have burst forth with new radiance — set foot on the land of Wuyi Mountain National Park, and see how humanity and the green mountains achieve harmony.
Continuously setting new records for species discoveries
A series of resource protection and ecological restoration measures have improved the quality of species habitats.
"The primary vegetation of Wuyi Mountain is preserved intact, the natural environment is well protected, and biodiversity surveys and conservation efforts are increasingly intensified, allowing Wuyi Mountain to continuously set new records for species discoveries," said Wu Yanqing. Amphibians are very sensitive to environmental changes. Previously, he and his team discovered a new species, the Wuyi forest frog, near Masu Natural Village, Tongmu Village, Xingcun Town, Wuyishan City.
"At that time, we found a green pit viper preying on a forest frog. After enlarging the image we captured, we discovered that this forest frog had wrinkled skin, differing from other local forest frogs." Wu Yanqing and his team brought it back to the laboratory for molecular identification and morphological comparison studies, ultimately confirming it as a new species. The discovery of the Wuyi forest frog for the first time confirmed the distribution of the lineage to which the Wuyi forest frog belongs in the East China region, which is of great significance for studying the diffusion and differentiation of this lineage.
"Wuyi Mountain's superior biological resource endowment is the source of new species discoveries," said Wu Yanqing. In recent years, a series of resource protection and ecological restoration measures in Wuyi Mountain National Park have created favorable natural environmental conditions for improving species habitat quality, and have also made it easier for scientific researchers to discover new species. "I believe there will be opportunities to discover more new species in the future."
Monitoring results show that the forest coverage rate of Wuyi Mountain National Park reaches 96.72%, the proportion of surface water quality rated excellent reaches 99%, and the carbon sequestration and oxygen release capacity of forest vegetation has increased by an average of 12.5% compared with 2022. Since the pilot of the Wuyi Mountain National Park system in 2016, the Fujian section has cumulatively discovered 62 new species.
"From figuring out what exists to conducting targeted in-depth monitoring, we will continue to do a good job of protection, providing a basis for scientifically protecting and managing various resources," introduced Zhou Yan, head of the Monitoring Section of the Fujian Scientific Research and Monitoring Center of Wuyi Mountain National Park. On the basis of baseline biodiversity surveys, Wuyi Mountain National Park will carry out monitoring of the population numbers, distribution, and habitat quality of key protected species of wild animals and plants.
Ecological tea gardens promote green cultivation
The protection and development belt around Wuyi Mountain National Park broadens channels for increasing people's incomes.
Tongmu Village, located in the hinterland of Wuyi Mountain National Park, has rich soil organic matter, lush vegetation, and a low incidence of pests and diseases. Endowed with natural conditions, the tea gardens here have a stronger "ecological" flavor.
"The original tea gardens in the village continue to be cultivated. With good ecological conditions and green cultivation, our tea leaves are very popular on the market," introduced Wang Kunwu, director of the Tongmu Village Committee.
From Tongmu Village outward along the Wuyi Mountain National Park No. 1 Scenic Byway, one arrives at Huangcun Village, Xingcun Town.
Outside the 1,001 square kilometer "inner ring" of the Fujian section of Wuyi Mountain National Park, there is also a 4,252 square kilometer "outer ring" buffer zone — the protection and development belt around Wuyi Mountain National Park (hereinafter referred to as the "belt"). To prevent the national park from becoming an isolated island, Nanping City has delineated this buffer zone, involving 31 townships (subdistricts) and 203 villages across 4 counties (cities, districts).
In the Muli Ecological Tea Garden of Huangcun Village, soybeans interplanted among the tea bushes have grown almost as tall as the pruned tea plants. "Interplanting soybeans in summer and rapeseed in winter effectively fixes nitrogen and loosens the soil," said Zhan Baoshan, board chairman of the Muli Ecological Tea Garden Professional Cooperative. "We deploy physical pest control facilities such as insect-repelling lights, and only carry out manual and mechanical weeding before tea picking and during the high summer temperatures."
"In the early years, many tea farmers in the village also managed their tea mountains according to 'old experience,' spraying pesticides and applying fertilizers to chase yields, but it was not easy to sell at a good price," said Zhan Baoshan. In 2021, several tea farmers from Huangcun Village invited Liao Hong, director of the Root Biology Research Center of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, to guide ecological tea garden cultivation, and established a professional cooperative in 2022.
After promoting green cultivation, the quality of tea leaves from the tea gardens improved significantly. "With higher tea quality, prices remain stable. The price of premium tea produced through ecological cultivation has risen by 20% compared with previous years," said Zhan Baoshan.
The ecological protection of the belt vigorously safeguards the national park, and also benefits from the spillover of the national park's ecological dividends.
Outside the Fishpond Café in Huangcun Village, layered tea mountains stretch and spread, lotus flowers stand gracefully in full bloom in the pond, and fishponds and paddy fields interweave and merge; inside the café, the furnishings have a rustic countryside style, and the aroma of coffee lingers around the nose.
This café was converted from an idle agricultural facility room. "The café is right along the scenic byway, and the natural scenery attracts many customers," said shop owner Wang Shuilong. Since opening last year, the café has seen a steady stream of guests. "Based on local characteristics, we have also developed a tea-coffee drip bag product that incorporates the flavor of Dahongpao."
To smooth the path for transforming ecological product value, Wuyi Mountain has set up 11 ecological science education observation points including Moon Bay, Xianfeng Ridge, and Dazhulan, and has deeply cultivated tourism formats such as rural leisure, eco-tourism, and tea-tourism slow travel, guiding villagers to operate village cafés, characteristic homestays, etc., continuously broadening channels for increasing people's incomes.
Built Fujian's first zero-carbon 5A-level scenic area
Experience green living in "food, accommodation, transport, sightseeing, entertainment, and tea."
Taking advantage of the summer vacation, Cai Jinlin, a rock tea enthusiast from Hebei, came to Wuyi Mountain. He toured the scenic area and walked the tea fields. Besides the pleasing natural scenery, there were also green and low-carbon scenes everywhere.
Entering the homestay, the faint fragrance of tea stalks rising from the tea roasting basket replaced chemical fragrances; in the room, bamboo-decorated walls and bamboo-wood tables and chairs exuded an ancient charm; disposable toiletries placed in the wash area had packaging clearly marked with recyclable and biodegradable labels...
The homestay where Cai Jinlin stayed is one of 23 low-carbon certified homestay demonstration sites in Wuyishan City. "To encourage reducing the use of disposable toiletries, we also give tea gift packages to guests who bring their own toiletries," introduced Zhang Qin, the homestay manager.
Within the scenic area, electric sightseeing shuttles shuttle back and forth, classified trash bins are placed along the roads, and the visitor service center adopts an ecological design of "natural ventilation + environmentally friendly materials," reducing comprehensive energy consumption by 35%.
Following the Wuyi Mountain National Park Master Plan (2023–2030), Wuyishan City has formulated a special plan for Wuyi Mountain zero-carbon tourism development, focusing on "food, accommodation, transport, sightseeing, entertainment, and tea," creating a zero-carbon tourism ecology across all scenarios, and establishing a scenic area carbon emission accounting and certification system and a region-wide low-carbon merchant certification system. In 2025, the main Wuyi Mountain scenic area was rated as Fujian Province's first zero-carbon 5A-level scenic area.
On his journey, Cai Jinlin discovered the "Zero-Carbon Smart Travel" mini-program — in Wuyi Mountain, every 1,000 steps walked earns 1 point, taking a bus earns 2 points, and spending at low-carbon hotels, low-carbon restaurants, low-carbon tea houses, and participating in low-carbon activities all earn points, which can be exchanged for cultural and creative refrigerator magnets, etc. "Experiencing green living in 'food, accommodation, transport, sightseeing, entertainment, and tea' is fun and meaningful," said Cai Jinlin.
Return to TopBeijing, August 4 (Our reporter Li Xiaoqing (李晓晴)) — The reporter learned from the Ministry of Natural Resources (自然资源部) that the National Geological Disaster Prevention and Control “15th Five-Year Plan” Implementation Plan (全国地质灾害防治“十五五”实施方案) was recently issued, delineating 21 key geological disaster prevention and control areas nationwide for the “15th Five-Year Plan” period. Among them, 17 are key prevention and control areas for landslide, collapse, debris flow, and ground collapse, with a total area of approximately 2.97 million square kilometers; and 4 are key prevention and control areas for land subsidence and ground fissures, with a total area of approximately 280,000 square kilometers.
Geological disasters are characterized by strong concealment, complexity, and suddenness, making them extremely difficult to predict. As of the end of 2025, the number of geological disaster sites registered and stored in the national database nationwide was nearly 280,000. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the national natural resources system continuously advanced work such as geological disaster survey and evaluation, monitoring and early warning, comprehensive treatment, and capacity building, and the number of deaths and missing persons and the direct economic losses caused by geological disasters decreased by 52% and 38% respectively compared with the “13th Five-Year Plan” period. Even so, the geological disaster prevention and control situation during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period remains severe. To this end, the Plan makes the following key task deployments.
Implement the dynamic survey project for geological disaster sites and risk areas, strengthen comprehensive remote sensing identification of geological disasters, and complete updated identification of areas with high and medium susceptibility to geological disasters nationwide twice a year; implement the project for enhancing geological disaster monitoring and early warning capacity, explore establishing a mass monitoring and mass prevention system (群测群防) for geological disaster risk areas, and continue to carry out three-dimensional monitoring of key land subsidence areas in 19 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government).
Implement the project for enhancing comprehensive geological disaster treatment capacity; during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, it is planned to carry out geological disaster engineering treatment at more than 4,200 sites, danger removal and risk elimination at more than 6,100 sites, and disaster-avoidance relocation of 50,000 households; implement dual-control management of “disaster sites + risk areas,” strengthen source control of geological disaster risks, and explore the graded delineation of geological disaster risk prevention and control lines with dynamic adjustment.
Enhance geological disaster defense response capacity and grassroots disaster prevention capacity, and make focused efforts to enhance the geological disaster defense capacity of disaster-prone areas in the context of climate change; strengthen innovation in scientific theories and technical methods for geological disaster prevention and control, and build and improve the “one map” (一张图) geological disaster prevention and control sub-scenario, etc.
The relevant person in charge of the Geological Exploration Department (地勘司) of the Ministry of Natural Resources said that, compared with the geological disaster prevention and control work during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, which took “improving geological disaster prevention and control capacity and reducing geological disaster risk” as its main line, during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, the main line has shifted to “improving climate change response capacity and reducing geological disaster risk,” placing greater emphasis on the capacity to respond to extreme weather and shifting from passively responding to extreme weather to actively adapting to and proactively guarding against it.
Return to TopUnder the guidance of the dual carbon (双碳) goals, the green transformation of China’s economic and social development has entered the fast lane. Jingpai Co., Ltd. (劲牌有限公司) (hereinafter referred to as “Jingpai”) continues to advance the construction of an environmentally friendly enterprise, taking the carbon reduction of a single bottle of liquor as its starting point, extending green transformation practices from product production to production operations, and then to ecological protection, forging a path of carbon reduction that combines both industrial warmth and ecological depth.
On July 15, Jingpai held its 2026 supplier symposium, on-site signing a supply chain low-carbon and green manufacturing initiative with 96 partners, aiming to work together with partners to build a green supply chain ecosystem and collaboratively practice the concept of green development.
“Slimming” the packaging: adhering to product quality amid trade-offs
Jingpai’s carbon reduction exploration begins with the most intuitive aspect for consumers — product packaging.
The small Jingjiu liquor bottle originally weighed 215 grams. In 2005, Jingpai initiated optimization of the small Jingjiu bottle shape. After multiple iterations, by 2023 it was reduced to 165 grams, a cumulative weight reduction of 50 grams over 18 years.
Beyond the bottle itself, the liquor box was simultaneously “lightened.” In 2013, Jingpai established a product packaging R&D department to comprehensively promote green design: selecting recyclable and degradable materials, minimizing void ratio to the greatest extent, and allowing packaging to return to its essence of protecting the product.
In 2024, Jingpai launched product carbon footprint accounting, with Maopu Herbal Liquor (毛铺草本酒) entering the first batch of pilot products. After multiple rounds of optimization by the R&D team, the carbon footprint of 500 ml Maopu Herbal Liquor was reduced by more than 36.5% compared to conventional packaging.
Subtraction in packaging, addition in quality. In 2026, the Maopu Herbal Liquor series completed a quality upgrade, with the base liquor minimum age for the three products — Golden Buckwheat (金荞), Black Buckwheat (黑荞), and Purple Buckwheat (紫荞) — raised by one year overall. What is subtracted is the packaging premium; what is added is perceptible product quality.
“Greening” production: discovering value increments in circulation
In Jingpai’s production philosophy, there is no “waste,” only resources placed in the wrong location. In 2013, Jingpai established a Circular Economy Business Division (循环经济事业部), proposing “increase production without increasing pollution,” promoting the resource-based reuse of all solid production waste. By adopting intelligent brewing processes for base liquor, while improving quality stability, energy consumption and emissions are significantly reduced. Data show that the new process reduces coal consumption per ton of liquor by 33% and wastewater discharge per ton of liquor by 18%.
Jingpai produces tens of thousands of tons of light-aroma baijiu distiller’s grains annually; most are sold to more than 500 domestic livestock farmers, and the remainder is processed into dried distiller’s grains powder for supply to feed mills. Plant-derived traditional Chinese medicine residue from herbal extraction and brewing biogas residue from liquor production are compounded in proportion to produce organic fertilizer, supplied to surrounding growers. Coal slag from coal combustion is sold to brick-making enterprises. Currently, Jingpai has achieved 100% harmless treatment and recycling of solid production waste, steadily advancing toward the goal of near-zero carbon emissions.
In 2014, Jingpai’s Fenglin Distillery (枫林酒厂) built a 1.95 MW photovoltaic power station, exploring green electricity application in the factory area. In 2017, a biogas power station was put into operation, generating approximately 4 million kWh of electricity annually, making a useful exploration for wastewater treatment in the domestic liquor brewing industry. From 2020 to 2025, the company’s biogas power generation totaled approximately 30 million kWh, and photovoltaic power generation approximately 20 million kWh; the share of clean electricity in total electricity consumption rose to 16%. Relying on clean energy to continuously reduce production carbon emissions, Jingpai continues to deepen the construction of an environmentally friendly enterprise.
In 2018, Jingpai was recognized as a “National Green Factory” (国家级绿色工厂). In 2025, it formally established a low-carbon project team, formulated the company’s overall carbon reduction targets and implementation pathways, and built a low-carbon management system; in the same year, it achieved a 4.66% reduction in carbon emission intensity. In June 2026, Jingpai set up nine carbon reduction special task forces, making low-carbon environmental protection a mandatory standard across the entire process of product production, supply chain circulation, engineering construction, and other areas.
In the future, Jingpai will advance carbon reduction from multiple dimensions including packaging, processes, procurement, logistics, engineering, and office logistics, implementing low-carbon measures across all business scenarios, fully sounding the clarion call for building a “zero-carbon factory” (零碳工厂), and steadily advancing toward the goal of creating an industry-leading zero-carbon demonstration factory.
“Answering” to ecology: practicing responsibility in symbiosis
Daye City, Hubei Province (湖北省大冶市) is a typical resource-based city, actively exploring a path of green urban development. As a local enterprise that grew up here, Jingpai has always adhered to an environmentally friendly foundation, extending its green transformation practices from the factory area to the entire city.
At the end of 2013, Jingpai donated funds to remediate the mining area around Stone Mouth of Golden Lake (金湖石头咀). This area was once a dense zone of mining and metallurgy in Daye City, with heavy metal超标 in tailings ponds and severe water and soil pollution. After sustained remediation, the former tailings pond and marshland were transformed into the Golden Lake Ecological Park (金湖生态园), integrating leisure and sightseeing.
This is just one example of Jingpai’s support for local ecological restoration and the construction of an environmentally friendly enterprise. Over the years, Jingpai has donated 113 million yuan to transform wasteland into an urban sports park; donated nearly 900 million yuan to build the Wangying Reservoir (王英水库) water diversion project, serving the drinking water security of millions of people; and donated 174 million yuan to build the Ke’er Mountain Baima Mountain Park (柯尔山白马山公园) in Huangshi City.
Jingpai’s green concept is continuously transmitted along the industrial chain and living circles. On the supply chain, packaging supplier Jingjia Technology invested 30 million yuan to introduce high-efficiency energy-saving offset printing presses, keeping pace with green production. Within the factory area, office waste sorting, employees’ brisk walking and stair climbing, and the “clean plate” campaign in the cafeteria have become daily habits. On the consumer end, the carbon footprint label printed on the packaging box brings the low-carbon concept into thousands of households.
From promoting energy conservation and emission reduction in the factory area, to participating in urban ecological restoration, and then to conveying the green concept to consumers, Jingpai’s carbon reduction path begins with the return of product value, is realized through the reconstruction of production methods, and ultimately settles on the symbiotic prosperity of the enterprise and society. Jingpai will actively expand the boundaries of green development, proactively create green value, advance sustained action, and continue to contribute to the realization of the dual carbon goals.
Data source: Jingpai Co., Ltd.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 刘文璋
The results of the 2025 National Survey of Living Conditions released by the Japanese government recently show that the relative poverty rate of Japanese households is 15.0%, and approximately 44.7% of surveyed single-parent households are in a state of relative poverty. Another survey shows that about one-third of children from single-parent households in Japan face the predicament of 食不果腹 (shí bù guǒ fù - "food does not fill the belly," meaning insufficient food) during the summer vacation, and among single-mother households, the proportion where the average cost per meal is less than 100 yen (approximately 4.29 yuan) is as high as 26%.
Not long ago, a cross-party group of lawmakers in Japan concerned with child poverty submitted a petition to the government, requesting the nationwide implementation of an "Emergency Plan to Build a Summer Safety Net for Children" to provide food assistance and heatstroke prevention and shelter locations for impoverished children. Against the backdrop of persistently high inflation in Japan, the issue of child poverty has once again drawn social attention.
Children from low-income families face multiple difficulties
In recent years, Japan's inflation level has been continuously rising, and children from low-income families are facing even more difficult living conditions. The results of a large-scale sample survey covering nearly 8,000 households and approximately 14,000 children, released in June this year by the Japanese public interest incorporated foundation "Children's Relief Association (儿童救助会)," show that over 90% of surveyed households are "unable to purchase sufficient food" due to high prices, and about 30% of households have reduced the amount of food for their children under economic pressure; during long holidays when school lunches are suspended, the proportion of children with insufficient lunch intake has further increased.
The summer vacation, when school lunch supply is interrupted, has become the most vulnerable period for impoverished children in Japan. A survey by the public interest organization "Japan Good Neighbor Organization (日本好邻居组织)" of 2,105 guardians of low-income single-parent households shows that over 97% of respondents felt "economic anxiety" during the long holidays, the proportion of children having two meals or fewer per day increased by about 2.5 times compared to ordinary days, and nearly 90% of parents worried that malnutrition would harm their children's physical development and learning ability. This year, the "Children's Door (儿童之门)" special summer assistance project originally planned to help 3,000 households, but ultimately received 3,361 applications, and the required funding had to be raised to 51.9 million yen, reflecting that the number of impoverished children's families in need of assistance far exceeds expectations.
In a questionnaire survey conducted by the public interest organization "Tomorrow's Stage (明天的舞台)," a single mother from Kagoshima Prefecture (鹿儿岛县) frankly stated: "I couldn't let my child eat three proper meals a day. As a mother, I am full of guilt." Another first-year female student at a vocational school in Gifu Prefecture (岐阜县) recalled: "I experienced domestic violence and abuse, had no child support subsidies, and was always financially strained... There was even a period when I could only live in a car."
Institutional shortcomings and social indifference intertwined
In recent years, the proportion of informal employment in Japan's labor market has been high and continuously rising, a phenomenon that is even more prominent among women and single-parent groups. Because the wage levels of informal employment are relatively low and benefits are limited, many single-parent parents, even if they work long hours each week, still find it difficult to significantly increase their income or cover their children's education and living costs.
Analyses by institutions such as Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting (三菱UFJ研究咨询公司) believe that single parents need to balance work, housework, and childcare simultaneously, and it is particularly difficult for groups such as those in non-regular employment or with low educational attainment to escape poverty through work. Many single-parent households also cannot afford expenses for their children's school uniforms, gym clothes, textbooks, tablet terminals, etc. 42.1% of single-parent households need to cut daily expenses, and over 40% rely on borrowing to make ends meet.
Japan enacted the "Child Poverty Countermeasures Promotion Act (儿童贫困对策推进法)" in 2013, and after the establishment of the Children and Families Agency (儿童家庭厅) in 2023, it was incorporated into the "Comprehensive Outline for Children (儿童综合大纲)." However, nationwide regular surveys focusing on children's living conditions have been suspended since fiscal year 2020, and special surveys on single-parent households are conducted once every five years. The lack of data makes it difficult for official agencies and specialized institutions to promptly grasp the dynamic changes and actual needs in addressing child poverty.
Experts point out that Japan's indicators for measuring poverty are still mainly based on income, lacking the internationally accepted "material deprivation indicators," and have not clarified the corresponding relationship between various policies and the improvement of poverty indicators, resulting in many assistance measures being difficult to implement precisely and inefficient allocation of resources.
At the social level, the deeply rooted "self-responsibility theory (自己責任論)" in Japanese society leads to public indifference to child poverty, further exacerbating the problem's concealment and persistence. Results from a 2024 questionnaire survey by the "Children's Relief Association" covering approximately 30,000 people show that the proportion of respondents who "have never heard of the current state of child poverty in Japan" has increased significantly compared to 2019. Many low-income families, even when facing difficulties, choose to remain silent for fear of being labeled "lazy" and dare not actively seek help. This social indifference weakens the effective coverage of the assistance network, leaving already fragile families even more isolated and helpless.
Showing a clear trend of intergenerational transmission
Japan's child poverty problem has evolved into a comprehensive crisis of group solidification, loss of educational opportunities, and damage to physical and mental health, and shows a clear trend of intergenerational transmission. Watanabe Hiroto (渡边宽人), a director of a non-profit organization aimed at supporting youth employment, warned that due to the impact of Japan's "employment ice age (就业冰河期)" from the end of the last century to the beginning of this century, some families have no stable daily income, and family poverty is being transmitted to the next generation through broken family relationships, mental health problems, and even domestic violence, forming a new type of poverty under the intertwined multiple difficulties of current high inflation and stagnant real income growth.
Suetomi Kaori (末富芳), a professor at Nihon University (日本大学), stated that infants and toddlers from low-income families generally have developmental problems of slow weight gain before the age of one and a half. If this persists for a long time, it may lead to short stature, decreased immunity, and even hinder normal brain development. This "invisible poverty" not only erodes children's physical health but also leaves a lasting shadow on their psychology; many children develop feelings of inferiority and helplessness. Long-term research by Abe Aya (阿部彩), a professor at Tokyo Metropolitan University (东京都立大学), shows that impoverished children are at a clear disadvantage in terms of educational opportunities, nutritional intake, and social experiences. The lack of "equal opportunity" can easily lead to the solidification of social classes, forming a vicious cycle of "born in poverty, trapped in poverty."
The weakening of social participation among impoverished children is also reflected in after-school club activities. Data from the Japan Love Football Association (日本爱心足球协会), which aims to help students participate equally in football, shows that the number of impoverished children assisted by the association surged from 109 in 2021 to 449 in 2025, covering 44 of Japan's 47 administrative divisions. The head of the association believes that expenses such as club activity fees and equipment costs have become an unbearable burden for many impoverished children's families. Impoverished children not only lag behind in physical fitness but are also quietly "left behind" in terms of self-confidence, teamwork, and social integration ability.
Analysts point out that only by facing up to "invisible poverty," optimizing poverty assessment indicators, prioritizing targeted assistance, and increasing the participation of the whole society can the Japanese government prevent vulnerable children from being further forgotten. Otherwise, relevant policies in the field of child welfare will find it difficult to fully benefit the groups most in need, and the increasingly limited space for impoverished children's growth will be hard to improve.
(This newspaper, Tokyo, August 4)
Return to TopBy: 代 帆
Recently, under the pretext of a so-called "New Fishermen Heroes Program," the Philippines has organized fishing boats to frequently enter waters near China's Huangyan Island (黄岩岛) to create incidents. The Philippine side pushes ordinary fishermen to the forefront of maritime gamesmanship, packaging them as "maritime guardians" and "national heroes," deliberately manufacturing friction and fabricating a tragic narrative. This not only fails to improve the people's livelihood at home but also continuously disturbs stability in the South China Sea, turning innocent fishermen into "extras" in geopolitics.
Such maritime posturing operations by the Philippine side have a long history and have long formed a mature routine. As early as the Aquino III administration, the Philippines, under the guise of spontaneous civilian action, organized fishing boats to illegally enter relevant waters of China's South China Sea, with official law enforcement vessels providing full escort and support. In 2024, the Philippines allocated special funds, and in May 2025, the Marcos administration formally launched the so-called "New Fishermen Heroes Program," institutionalizing and normalizing such provocative acts. The entire set of operations has a far greater attribute of political performance than of fishery production: itineraries are announced in advance, media are invited to film, and non-governmental organizations are coordinated to accompany and create momentum; once contact occurs with the normal law enforcement of the China Coast Guard, one-sided images are immediately released to amplify the narrative of "a big country bullying small country fishermen," simplifying complex issues of maritime jurisdiction into a tragic drama, thereby seeking political leverage.
This deliberately scripted scenario exploits the international community's natural sympathy for fishermen, deliberately obscuring core facts such as maritime sovereignty attribution and lawful maritime jurisdiction, and deliberately magnifying one-sided scenes to create cognitive bias. In these assembly-line-style public opinion campaigns, the livelihood issue of maritime fisheries has been thoroughly politicized. Public policies originally intended to serve fishermen and develop fisheries have been completely alienated into diplomatic tools serving geopolitical games and creating conflict and confrontation, thereby repeatedly disrupting the order of peace and stability in the South China Sea.
In fact, Filipino fishermen are among the groups most in need of assistance in the country, and they are also the biggest victims of such political manipulation. According to 2023 data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (菲律宾统计局), the poverty rate among Filipino fishing households reached 27.4%, far exceeding the national average of 15.5%, with approximately 350,000 fishing households living below the poverty line; the country's capture fishery production dropped from 2.6 million tons in 2010 to 1.9 million tons in 2023, a downward trend that continues. The root causes are structural problems such as the absence of domestic fishery regulation, rampant illegal fishing in coastal waters, and marine ecological degradation. If the Philippines truly wants to improve fishermen's livelihoods, it should invest resources in areas such as fishing port construction, aquaculture technology promotion, and improvement of the seafood industry chain, thereby solidifying the foundation of domestic fishery development.
But the Philippine side has 舍本逐末 (shě běn zhú mò - "abandon the root and chase the tip," to neglect fundamentals for trivialities), using public finances to offer small subsidies and material supplies as bait to induce fishermen to head to high-risk waters to participate in posturing. Some fishermen involved in the operations have admitted that during their voyages they caught very few fish and spent most of their time cooperating with filming, having become tools of political performance. Moreover, the sea conditions in the South China Sea are complex; Philippine fishing boats are generally small in tonnage and weak in wind and wave resistance. Once extreme weather or unexpected situations occur, it is always the ordinary fishermen who bear the risk first.
Using vulnerable groups as bargaining chips in geopolitical games and exploiting livelihood tragedies to gain so-called "public opinion dividends" is a short-sighted and irresponsible political calculation. The Philippine side's so-called "protection of fishermen" is in essence the consumption of fishermen and the creation of confrontation. It can neither solve the deep-seated difficulties of the country's fisheries nor change the facts of sovereignty and jurisdiction over the relevant waters; it will only aggravate maritime tensions and violate the consensus of regional countries to jointly safeguard peace in the South China Sea.
Resolving differences in the South China Sea ultimately requires equal dialogue and rational consultation. For the Philippines, truly beneficial measures for the people never come from maritime posturing to attract attention, but from down-to-earth efforts to improve people's livelihoods. Returning to the track of dialogue and consultation is the long-term strategy for safeguarding peace in the South China Sea and benefiting the country's own people.
Return to TopJapan's new Defense White Paper paves the way for military expansion and arms buildup
Xinhua News Agency, Tokyo, August 4 (Xinhua) -- (Reporters Chen Ze'an, Feng Wuyong) Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on the morning of the 4th reported on the 2026 edition of the Defense White Paper at a Cabinet meeting. This white paper continues to play up Japan's "peripheral security threats," with the intention of paving the way for the Sanae Takaichi government to revise the "three security documents (安保三文件)" and expand military buildup before the end of this year.
The new white paper continues the wording of the 2025 edition, stating that the international community has faced its greatest test since the post-war era and has entered a "new era of crisis." The white paper continues to position China as Japan's "unprecedented greatest strategic challenge," making unwarranted criticisms and deliberately hyping China's routine military activities and legitimate national defense construction, and willfully distorting the necessary actions of the Chinese military to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
This white paper also introduces the policy trends of the Takaichi government's military expansion and arms buildup. In March this year, Japan formally deployed the Type 25 ground-based anti-ship missile in Kumamoto Prefecture, with a range of approximately 1,000 kilometers, far exceeding Japan's territorial scope, and possessing obvious offensive attributes. This is also Japan's first deployment of a long-range missile with "enemy base attack capability (对敌基地攻击能力)." The white paper points out that Japan will further seek "enemy base attack capability," including developing air-launched and sea-launched versions of the Type 25 anti-ship missile, advancing the development of hypersonic missiles, and introducing foreign-made "stand-off missiles (防区外导弹)."
Compared with previous years, the new white paper separately lists a section on "new operational methods (新型作战方式)," increases the length of the section on "strengthening the foundation of defense production and technology (强化防卫生产与技术基础)," emphasizes that the role of drones and artificial intelligence in the military field is becoming increasingly evident, and points out that the technological capabilities of the Japanese government and the private sector should be actively applied in the field of security.
Analysts believe that the Japanese government, by playing up peripheral threats, emphasizing the transformation of the operational system and the expansion of the military industry in the new white paper, intends to lay the groundwork for revising the "three security documents" and accelerating military expansion and arms buildup before the end of the year.
South Korea protests Japan's Defense White Paper's claims regarding Dokdo
Xinhua News Agency, Seoul, August 4 (Xinhua) -- (Reporters Chen Yi, Yang Chang) South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 4th expressed strong protest over the new Japanese Defense White Paper once again claiming sovereignty over Dokdo (called "Takeshima" by Japan).
A spokesperson for South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement that day, saying that the South Korean government strongly protests the Japanese government's unreasonable territorial sovereignty claims over Dokdo once again in the new Defense White Paper, and urges the Japanese side to immediately withdraw them. The statement said that the Japanese claims do not affect South Korea's sovereignty over Dokdo in the slightest, and the South Korean side will resolutely respond to all provocative acts by Japan regarding Dokdo.
According to Yonhap News Agency, on the afternoon of the 4th, South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Kazuo Nakajo, Minister Plenipotentiary of the Japanese Embassy in South Korea, to convey the South Korean side's protest stance.
Dokdo is located in the eastern waters of the Korean Peninsula, with an area of approximately 0.18 square kilometers. South Korea, North Korea, and Japan all claim sovereignty over the island. Currently, South Korea effectively controls this island.
25 US states jointly sue US government over new tariff measures
According to Xinhua News Agency, New York, August 3 (Xinhua) -- (Reporter Liu Yanan) 25 US states on the 3rd filed a joint lawsuit with the US Court of International Trade, requesting a ruling that the US government's recent tariffs imposed on 60 countries and regions on the pretext of so-called "forced labor (强迫劳动)" are illegal and should be abolished, and that the tariff measures be suspended during judicial review.
The states participating in the lawsuit that day include New York, Oregon, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, and other 25 states governed by the Democratic Party. The complaint states that the US government has once again imposed tariffs on dozens of countries and regions, which will increase costs for US consumers and businesses. The US government's latest tariff measures do not meet the requirements of Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, and are merely using "forced labor" as a pretext to continue implementing its illegal tariff plan. These states demand that the US government refund the tariffs already collected under this measure.
Previously, the US Supreme Court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not authorize the president to impose large-scale tariffs; the US Court of International Trade also ruled that the legal basis for the US government's imposition of a 10% global import tariff under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 was invalid.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement that the US government's tariff measures have driven up the cost of household necessities, groceries, and other daily goods, which is tantamount to a tax on hardworking American families. "The Supreme Court ruling clearly shows that the US government cannot ignore the law and impose tariffs on a large scale."
The Office of the United States Trade Representative issued a notice on July 23, announcing that, based on Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, it would impose tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 countries and regions under the pretext of so-called "forced labor," to replace the global import tariffs that expired on July 24. The new tariffs took effect on July 24.
Iranian president denies resignation rumors
Xinhua News Agency, Tehran, August 4 (Xinhua) -- (Reporters Sha Dati, Chen Xiao) According to the Islamic Republic News Agency on the 4th, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied resignation rumors, saying "I will continue to serve."
Pezeshkian said in an interview program: "If I were to resign, I would announce it formally. I will not resign; I will continue to serve." He stated that some people claim the Iranian government's stance is inconsistent with the Supreme Leader, and their purpose is to create division. The government and military forces are "fully coordinated; we will not hand over positions to incompetent people."
Mehdi Tabatabaei, Deputy Director of the Office of the President of Iran for News and Communications Affairs, also refuted reports about Pezeshkian's resignation on social media on the 4th, calling these claims "complete lies," and accused rumor-mongers of attempting to undermine national and ethnic unity.
Tabatabaei said that rumor-mongers "have become puppets of Iran's enemies, which is despicable."
For some time prior, there were rumors that Pezeshkian had differences with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and that Pezeshkian might resign. The Iranian President's Office has repeatedly denied the rumors.
The rainy season from June to September each year is an important season for afforestation in Ethiopia.
In 2019, to address challenges in climate change, environmental degradation, and food security, the Ethiopian government proposed the Green Legacy Initiative (绿色遗产倡议), calling on the whole population to actively participate in tree-planting activities. After several years of effort, the Green Legacy Initiative is bringing widespread benefits to Ethiopia.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王骁波
In Oaxaca state in southern Mexico, strong air currents from the Pacific Ocean pass through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, driving the rotation of massive white wind turbines and generating a steady stream of clean electricity. As a landmark region for Mexico's wind power development, the development landscape of Oaxaca state is a vivid microcosm of the country's accelerated deployment of wind power generation and advancement of energy transition.
The latest statistics from the Mexican Wind Energy Association show that the country has currently built 76 wind farms in 16 states, with over 3,300 turbines in operation and a total installed capacity of 8,131 megawatts, accounting for approximately 8.77% of the country's total installed power capacity; the annual power generation can meet the electricity needs of about 12.1 million households, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 9.59 million tons per year, and provide over 10,000 direct jobs.
The rapid development of wind power in Mexico is closely related to the rising energy demand brought about by economic growth and manufacturing expansion. In recent years, relying on its proximity to the U.S. market, a solid manufacturing base, and the regional industrial chain advantages brought by the USMCA, Mexico has become an important destination for the global adjustment of industrial layout. Industries such as automobiles, electronics, and aerospace continue to expand, placing higher demands on electricity supply. At the same time, multinational enterprises, when deploying production capacity, increasingly attach importance to the proportion of local clean energy, taking it as a key consideration for reducing carbon emissions in the production process and meeting environmental compliance requirements.
In manufacturing clusters such as Nuevo León, Coahuila, and Chihuahua states, clean electricity has become one of the important factors in ensuring production operations and attracting foreign investment. As a renewable energy category that started early and leads in scale in the country, wind power provides important impetus for enhancing the green supply capacity of the power system and assisting the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry. As manufacturing investment concentrates in the northern and central regions, Mexico's wind power development presents a pattern of coordinated development across multiple regions: while consolidating the advantages of traditional wind power areas such as Oaxaca, the northeastern states such as Tamaulipas and Nuevo León are accelerating the deployment of wind power projects.
Wind power has become an important lever for Mexico's energy transition. The "Electric Sector Development Plan" released by the Ministry of Energy of Mexico in 2025 proposes to promote the expansion, upgrading, and modernization of the power system, enhance national energy security, and reduce electricity costs for residents. According to the plan, the share of clean energy power generation in the country will be raised to 38% by 2030, with a focus on promoting the coordinated development of wind power, photovoltaics, and energy storage, and planning a number of clean energy demonstration projects. At the same time, the Mexican government is promoting cooperation between the Federal Electricity Commission and private capital in a hybrid model to accelerate the construction of power infrastructure and improve overall power supply capacity.
Mauricio Herrera, deputy director of the Mexican Wind Energy Association, stated that under a stable legal and regulatory environment, Mexico's wind power industry has enormous investment potential. According to the association's forecast, by 2029, Mexico is expected to see 13 new wind power projects materialize, attracting an estimated $5 billion to $6 billion in investment and adding approximately 4,000 megawatts of new wind power capacity. Related investments will not only expand the scale of clean electricity supply but also drive the development of upstream and downstream industries such as engineering construction and operation and maintenance services, providing more solid support for improving energy infrastructure and optimizing the manufacturing investment environment.
(This newspaper, Mexico City, August 4th)
Return to TopWith the comprehensive implementation of policies such as the 240-hour transit visa exemption and departure tax refund version 2.0, inbound payment facilitation continues to improve. More and more foreign tourists choose to shop in China, the scale of inbound consumption steadily rises, and consumption scenarios continue to expand from core business districts to the entire area. Shopping in China is becoming a new window for foreigners to observe China, understand China, and comprehend China.
Smart Consumption Opens the Door to the Future
By staff reporter Cheng Yuanzhou
At 9 a.m., the streets of Huaqiangbei in Futian District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province gradually become lively. Markets such as Saige and the Electronic Science and Technology Building open one after another, with a 琳琅满目 (lín láng mǎn mù - “a dazzling array of beautiful jade,” a splendid display) of smart electronic products filling the stalls. Purchasers and tourists from all over the world drag their suitcases through the crowds, immersing themselves in the selection of cutting-edge electronic products.
As “China’s No. 1 Electronics Street,” this area gathers 35 specialized markets and over 115,000 business entities, supplying more than one million types of electronic components and consumer electronic products to the world. It has become an important global landmark for electronic technology consumption. “Huaqiangbei has an average daily foot traffic of 750,000 person-times, receives over 8,000 foreigners per day, and foreign trade accounts for generally more than 70% of merchants’ sales,” introduced Chen Jiongwen, Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Huaqiangbei Subdistrict Office.
Indian merchant Ma’er Kaoyong dragged his suitcase with a very clear goal — to find the latest Chinese smart electronic products. Entering the Global AI Hardware Selection Center of Zhipinku on the first floor of the Electronic Science and Technology Building, a pair of AI glasses made him stop. Real-time translation, high-definition photography, lossless music, smart assistant… After the staff demonstrated the functions one by one, Ma’er could not wait to put them on and try them. “Very good!” he said while experiencing them and asking about parameters and prices. “At least one-third cheaper than international e-commerce platforms, and with more functions,” Ma’er said.
AI companion robots, smart earphones, spray fans… This store introduces more than 80 Chinese smart hardware brands and over 300 smart hardware items, all categories equipped with bilingual Chinese and English introductions. Trying out products one by one, the procurement list grew longer and longer. “Many products I have never seen before. This place is like a future technology exhibition hall,” Ma’er said.
“In the past, foreign tourists came to Huaqiangbei more to purchase electronic components. Now consumer electronic products such as smart robots, AI wearable devices, and smart small home appliances are favored by foreign tourists. Many foreign tourists come to Huaqiangbei precisely to experience newly launched electronic products as soon as possible,” introduced Meng Hangfang, co-founder of Zhipinku. Relying on a complete industrial chain and rapid iteration capability, Huaqiangbei is accelerating its transformation into a “cradle of new quality productive forces.”
Overseas social media are also continuously amplifying Huaqiangbei’s international influence. A new model of “online grass-planting, offline experience, global procurement, cross-border sales” is gradually taking shape. More and more Huaqiangbei merchants are selling products to all parts of the world through channels such as AliExpress. The latest data show that Huaqiangbei’s electronic product exports cover more than 190 countries and regions worldwide. Ma’er learned about Huaqiangbei through social media: “Many bloggers recommend this place, saying that the electronic products here are ‘Shenzhen specialties.’ After coming, I found that the biggest feature is not the low price, but the innovation. Many electronic products can only be bought here as soon as they are released.”
After trying the AI glasses, Ma’er had a new idea: “If we could produce AI glasses that are adapted to the Indian market with multilingual translation and enhanced battery life for high-temperature environments, they would definitely sell well!” “No problem, we will communicate with the brand for you, and we can get a customized sample within two days at most,” Meng Hangfang immediately responded. Now in Huaqiangbei, more than 90% of the core components of a smart device can be assembled within one hour. Sellers can also quickly adjust hardware functions, system language, and appearance molds according to the usage habits and needs of users in different countries, achieving simultaneous consideration of small-batch flexible customization and mass production. “In the past, to procure a customized smart hardware product, we often had to contact dozens of suppliers in different places, and the prototyping cycle alone took several weeks or even months. Huaqiangbei’s efficiency is really too high!” After hearing the introduction, Ma’er repeatedly praised.
High efficiency comes from Huaqiangbei’s mature and efficient industrial science and technology innovation system. Chen Jiongwen introduced that Huaqiangbei is building a science and innovation model of “design in the morning, prototype in the afternoon, mass production the next day, and overseas shipment within a week.” A brand-new smart product can go from a creative drawing to being shipped overseas in just one week. For mobile phone-type complete machines, the time from concept to batch production is as fast as one month. The average iteration cycle for consumer electronic products has been compressed to 3–6 months, far exceeding the global industry average.
Ma’er said that his friend once brought back a small number of AI earphones and multilingual translators from Shenzhen. These smart devices have many functions and high quality, and they sold out quickly in offline stores in India. “I hope that China’s AI electronic products can drive the upgrade of India’s smart consumption market and make my business bigger and bigger,” Ma’er said. He is very much looking forward to joint customized development with Huaqiangbei brands, so that more “Intelligent Manufacturing in China” can enter the South Asian market.
Trendy Toy Consumption Conveys the Wonder of Creativity
By staff reporter Dou Hanyang
After touring Shanghai, Mexican tourist Gabriel chose Yiwu, Zhejiang as his next stop on his trip to China. “This time I came because of its reputation. I heard that this place has the most complete range of Chinese trendy toys, and my children asked me to buy gifts for them here.”
Entering Yiwu’s sixth-generation Global Digital Trade Center, a trendy toy store was surrounded by young people. On the shelves, fluffy little dogs of various colors and expressions were displayed. “Welcome to adopt a little dog,” introduced store owner Wu Liang with a smile. This original IP (intellectual property) called “Adopt a Little Dog” is one of the most popular products among Yiwu’s original trendy toys in the past two years.
Unlike traditional plush toys, “Adopt a Little Dog” not only uses artificial intelligence to customize exclusive personality, identity files, and short growth stories for each little dog, but also allows consumers to freely match clothing and accessories for personalized modification. After being equipped with a large AI model, the toy dog can achieve functions such as voice interaction and emotional companionship, allowing the toy dog to interact with people like a real dog. “Every little dog can have its own name, personality, and its own story,” Wu Liang said. This design concept full of emotional value and interactive experience quickly won consumers’ favor.
With Wu Liang’s introduction, Gabriel bought five little dogs of different styles in one go. “This IP is very interesting, and this design concept is also very creative. It fits very well with modern consumption trends.”
Wu Liang receives several groups of foreign customers like Gabriel every day. “After many foreign tourists buy the little dog toys, they share the design of ‘Adopt a Little Dog’ on overseas social platforms. Many netizens see the videos and actively contact us to buy. This product is now sold to Europe, America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and other regions. Orders this year are already scheduled until September,” Wu Liang introduced. In the past, foreign merchants came to Yiwu more to purchase daily necessities and other small commodities. Now, they are increasingly paying attention to Chinese original design and the consumption trends of young Chinese people.
Last year, taking advantage of the convenience of the 240-hour transit visa exemption policy, Gabriel had come to Yiwu International Trade City and bought AI translators and AI glasses as souvenirs. Holding the little dog toy in his hand, Gabriel said, “The gifts I bought here last year were full of a sense of technology, while this year’s have a strong cultural flavor.”
After buying gifts for all his family members, Gabriel went to a departure tax refund “buy now, refund now” service point to handle the tax refund procedures. Currently, the number of departure tax refund stores in Yiwu has increased from 7 to 42, of which 28 support “buy now, refund now.” “In the past, after buying things, I still had to remember to go to the airport for tax refund. Now it’s done while shopping. For foreign tourists, shopping in China has become easier,” Gabriel said.
Now, Yiwu International Trade City is accelerating its transformation from a traditional small commodity distribution center to a new highland for cultural creativity and brand consumption. Zhu Xingping, Deputy General Manager of the Global Digital Trade Center Branch of Yiwu Commercial City Group, introduced, “With the rise of national trend culture, more and more original brands, cultural and creative enterprises, trendy toy brands, and design studios are entering the market. Traditional commodities are increasingly incorporating cultural elements such as animation, film and television, games, and intangible cultural heritage, and are continuously enhancing product added value through IP licensing, original design, and co-branded development.” The continuously strengthened cultural attributes not only improve product competitiveness and consumer stickiness but also allow more and more overseas purchasers and foreign tourists to experience the charm of Chinese creativity, Chinese brands, and Chinese culture during the shopping process.
If abundant commodities are the first reason that attracts foreign tourists to Yiwu, then original design and cultural creativity are the important reasons for them to return to Yiwu again and again. In Yiwu, original IPs are reaching the world through social media, and also allowing the world to see the vitality of Chinese innovation and creation through small commodities.
Experiential Consumption Builds a Bridge of Culture
By staff reporter Zhang Chi
In the Bedsheet Factory Art and Entrepreneurship Block (床单厂艺术创业街区) deep inside Dali Ancient City, Dali City, Yunnan Province, red-brick old factory buildings and colorful creative signs are interwoven in a staggered pattern. An original handmade market spreads along the walkway, and stalls featuring tie-dye, tile cats (瓦猫), jia ma (甲马), and other specialties are crowded with people.
“These cats are so cute! Let’s make one too!” At the tile cat stall, 28-year-old American tourist Joe Tortorello sat down with his Chinese friend Yang Wenting. Under the demonstration of the stall owner, they experienced making tile cats. Pulling the clay, shaping, carving patterns… They learned with proper form and style. Yang Wenting did not forget to introduce the historical origin and meaning of the tile cat to Joe — the tile cat is a unique decoration on traditional Yunnan folk houses, modeled after the tiger, mostly fired from clay or chiseled from stone, often standing in the middle of the roof ridge, carrying the beautiful meaning of guarding the house and bringing good fortune.
“There is so much story behind a clay cat!” Joe, who came to China for the first time, listened 津津有味 (jīn jīn yǒu wèi - “with great interest and enjoyment,” savoring with relish). “If I just bought a souvenir, I might forget it after the trip ends. But a souvenir I made with my own hands, I will always remember it, and it makes me want to know what other interesting traditional cultures China has.”
Joe is an engineer. This is his first time in China. He chose Dali as his first stop. As a history enthusiast, he searched online for a lot of information about Dali before coming to China, including the Ancient Tea Horse Road and the history of culturally representative ancient towns. The colorful and historically rich Yunnan he saw online fascinated him. “I decided to take a month to travel deeply through Yunnan on a motorcycle.”
In Dali, Joe stayed in a guesthouse converted from an old Bai ethnic residence inside the ancient city. The house is a typical “three-bay-one-screen-wall” (三坊一照壁) courtyard form. Grey-black tiles spread along the roof, the ends of the roof ridge slightly upturned, and on the plain white plaster walls are light ink paintings of lotus patterns. In the small courtyard, the ground is paved with bluestone slabs, and the central courtyard has a small flower terrace. “The ancient architecture is very well preserved. Staying here feels like living in a piece of history,” Joe said.
During his days in Dali, Joe goes to the morning market to buy fresh local fruit, drinks coffee brewed from Yunnan-grown coffee beans in the morning, and takes a walk by Erhai Lake in the evening. Walking around the village, he casually turns into a doorway and finds an ancient stage, or stumbles into a tie-dye workshop, where strips of indigo-dyed cloth with traditional Bai patterns such as geometric patterns, flowers, birds, fish, and insects flutter in the wind… “As a tourist destination, Dali’s vividness and richness are impressive. If you are a tourist, here you can not only buy all kinds of beautiful souvenirs but also experience a variety of cultures. This creates a deeper and more vivid connection between tourists and Dali.”
In Dali, more and more intangible cultural heritage experience projects are becoming favorite consumption experiences for foreign tourists. The change in consumption patterns reflects the deepening understanding of Chinese culture among foreign tourists and also injects new vitality into Dali’s cultural tourism consumption. In recent years, Dali has continuously deepened the integrated development of culture and tourism, improved cultural tourism experience route products, international tourism facilities and services, optimized cultural and creative and experience-type products, and expanded new spaces for cultural tourism consumption. Last year, cultural and sports activities such as the American Youth “Chinese Folk Houses · Yunnan Experience Study Program,” the Dali Midu Folk Song Festival, and the Lancang-Mekong International Marathon attracted many foreign tourists to participate.
“Experience is the most precious. Living like a local, eating authentic wild mushroom hotpot, experiencing local cultural activities — from these I can feel the local people’s way of life and also understand China’s long history and culture more deeply.” Joe’s trip to Dali is not yet over, but he already has new plans. “China is so big, and every place has its own culture and traditions. Next year I will come to China again to travel, visit more Chinese cities, taste local specialties, and learn about the cultures of different places.”
Return to TopBy: 魏鹏举
Open China is becoming a global consumption hotspot. Today, more and more foreign tourists visiting China are incorporating Shop in China (购在中国) into their itineraries, experiencing the vitality of the Chinese economy and the charm of Chinese culture through consumption.
From core business districts in first-tier cities to specialty shops in ancient-town lanes, from traditional handicrafts to cutting-edge smart products, the scenarios for inbound consumption are continuously expanding and its heat is steadily rising. In the first half of 2026, China's cross-border travel revenue reached USD 33.3 billion (approximately RMB 229.2 billion), a year-on-year increase of 36.8%. The accelerated recovery of the inbound tourism market reflects the growing appeal of Chinese consumption, and Shop in China is writing a new chapter in the integration of China's and foreign economies and trade, as well as in people-to-people connectivity.
For many foreign tourists, coming to China is not just a trip; it is also a rich and diverse consumption experience. Selecting cost-effective Chinese goods in shopping malls and experiencing the quality and innovation of Intelligent Manufacturing in China (中国智造); finding specialty handicrafts in traditional neighborhoods and taking away unique cultural memories; experiencing the Chinese way of life through convenient services such as digital payments and smart transportation; tasting food, cultural creative products, intangible cultural heritage items, and other consumption scenarios, thereby getting to know a more multi-dimensional and diverse China... A journey, a purchase, a story — more and more foreign tourists discover and understand China through firsthand experience, and they also become witnesses and participants in the mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.
Behind these changes lie China's sustained policy efforts to optimize the inbound consumption environment. Since the Ministry of Commerce and five other departments launched the Shop in China series of activities in April 2025, a range of facilitation measures have been accelerated, and inbound tourism shopping has shown a growth trend with both customers and sales thriving. The tax-refund-on-departure policy has been continuously improved, visa-free policies have been steadily optimized, and convenience in payment services, transportation, consumption scenarios, and other areas has been constantly enhanced, effectively clearing the various bottlenecks for foreign tourists' inbound consumption and steadily improving the overall experience across the entire chain of "eating, lodging, travel, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment." Driven by the continuous release of policy dividends and the ongoing improvement of the consumption ecosystem, Chinese consumption is accelerating its transformation from product-promotion-driven to brand-value-driven. National-level IPs such as Shop in China and China Travel (中国游) are continuously generating comprehensive driving effects, becoming important windows that showcase the vitality and openness of the Chinese market.
The boom in Shop in China highlights the vitality and charm of China in its economic, social, and cultural ecology. A safe and stable social environment, a complete and efficient industrial system, and a rich and diverse supply of goods provide foreign consumers with higher-quality consumption choices. Many international visitors who have been to China sincerely express their admiration and become ambassadors for Shop in China.
China has a vast territory, abundant resources, mature manufacturing, and a prosperous commercial sector. Shop in China, leveraging a national-level IP as its anchor, integrates resources from multiple fields such as culture, tourism, commerce, and services, unifies the brand image and promotion system, and forms a more influential international consumption brand. A successful national-level IP can not only promote consumption growth but also enhance the national image and cultural communication power. Shop in China combines commodity consumption, tourism experiences, and cultural exchanges, allowing the world to perceive China's development vitality through daily consumption scenarios, thereby providing a new pathway for promoting mutual learning among civilizations.
Looking to the future, Shop in China has vast room for development. High-level opening up means integrating into the global economy on a larger scale, in more fields, and at a deeper level, and it also means sharing China's development opportunities with more countries and peoples. We look forward to Shop in China continuing to play the driving role of a national-level IP, deepening cooperation in commodities, services, culture, and other fields, promoting economic and trade exchanges as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, enabling global consumers to more conveniently enter China, shop in China, and perceive China, thereby sharing the new opportunities brought by China's high-level opening up.
(The author is the Dean of the Institute of Cultural Economics at Central University of Finance and Economics.)
Return to TopWhen speaking of Yulin City in Shaanxi Province, the character “coal” (煤) is unavoidable. As a municipal state-owned enterprise of Yulin, Shaanxi Yulin Energy Group Co., Ltd. (陕西榆林能源集团有限公司, abbreviated as Yulin Energy Group) has, since its establishment in 2012, deeply cultivated the coal industry, anchoring itself to the goal of “digging coal out and sending energy out,” forging ahead in the coal sea, and advancing toward the new. After more than a decade of development, Yulin Energy Group has now entered the China Top 500 Enterprises, and has set off on a new journey toward the goal of building a new energy system. Firmly fulfilling the “dual carbon” goals (双碳) and the mission of “holding the energy rice bowl firmly,” Yulin Energy Group actively responds to the deep adjustment of the energy landscape, striving to realize “black gold giving birth to green” and “turning coal into gold.” In recent years, Yulin Energy Group has taken coal as its foundation, exploring a high-quality development path supported by diversified pillars of coal power, coal chemicals, new materials, and new energy, delivering a vivid answer sheet for the industrial upgrading and green transformation of a resource-based state-owned enterprise.
Green Mining: Laying the First Foundation Stone of Transformation
Yulin coal is characterized by low ash, low sulfur, low phosphorus, and high calorific value — the “three lows and one high” — and is renowned as “black gold everywhere.” At present, Yulin Energy Group’s verified coal production capacity has reached over 40 million tons, making it a backbone force in regional energy supply assurance. Production scale has consolidated the foundation for Yulin Energy Group, and green mining has become the lifeline for the group’s sustainable development.
The Guojiatan Coal Mine (郭家滩煤矿) under construction is a concentrated embodiment of this concept. As a ten-million-ton-level intelligent mine, Guojiatan Coal Mine innovatively applies the new technology of “water-preserved coal mining” (保水采煤) — by optimizing mining techniques and rock stratum control, it protects groundwater resources to the greatest extent while mining coal, solving the traditional problem in arid and semi-arid mining areas that “mining coal inevitably destroys the aquifer.” At the same time, Yulin Energy Group adheres to “mining and rehabilitation in parallel,” coordinating the promotion of subsidence area reclamation and restoration, allowing former coal mining subsidence areas to gradually recover ecological functions. It is necessary not only to dig out “black gold” but also to safeguard “clear waters and green mountains.” Green mining not only guards the ecological bottom line but also provides stable and high-quality basic materials for the downstream industrial chain, becoming the first foundation stone of Yulin Energy Group’s transformation.
Clean Coal Power: Making Every Kilowatt-Hour Greener and Cleaner
From “digging coal and selling coal” to “transmitting coal and sending electricity” is a key step in Yulin Energy Group’s transformation. Closely adhering to the “Shaanxi electricity outward transmission” (陕电外送) strategy, the group promotes the on-site conversion of coal into clean electrical energy, building two modern power plants on the northern Shaanxi plateau.
The Yulin Hengshan Coal-Electricity Integration Project (榆能横山煤电一体化项目) is a supporting power source for the “Yuheng–Weifang” 1000 kV UHV AC transmission and transformation project. Its construction and operation have set many records: it possesses the world’s first “three-tower-in-one” million-kilowatt indirect air-cooling unit and has won the National Quality Project Gold Award; relying on deep water-saving technology, it achieves significant water savings compared with traditional wet-cooling units. At present, Hengshan Coal-Electricity Phase I is operating stably, and Phase II is expected to be completed in 2027. By then, the Hengshan Coal-Electricity Integration Project will become a “dual-channel” main power source simultaneously sending electricity to north China and central China, further consolidating the “Shaanxi electricity outward transmission” capability.
If Hengshan Coal-Electricity is the ballast stone for “stabilizing the foundation,” the Yanghuopan Coal-Electricity Integration Project (杨伙盘煤电一体化项目) is a technological pioneer “forging a new path.” Yanghuopan Coal-Electricity adopts the world’s first natural draft direct air-cooling system (NDC). Compared with indirect air cooling of the same type, it can save 21,000 tons of coal and reduce carbon emissions by 54,600 tons annually, and was included in the 2021 list of first (set) major technical equipment (projects) in the energy field.
Today, Yulin Energy Group’s outward transmitted electricity is continuously sent via UHV lines to north China and central China. Data show that the emission concentrations of soot, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides from the group’s thermal power projects are far below national standards. From “coal transport” to “electricity transmission,” from “high consumption” to “low carbon,” Yulin Energy Group uses hard-core technological innovation to make every kilowatt-hour greener and cleaner, injecting strong impetus into energy security assurance.
Coal Chemicals: The Value Leap from “Fuel” to “Raw Material”
The coal chemical industry has enormous potential and a bright future. To better develop the coal chemical industry, Yulin Energy Group has accelerated technical breakthroughs: it conquered the “lean oxygen-enriched dry distillation” (精益富氧干馏) technology, converting waste gas that used to be only fuel gas into high-value-added chemical raw material gas; it built a 400,000-ton/year ethylene glycol project, opening up the “coal–polyester–fabric” industrial chain, turning “coal into cloth” from concept into reality. What was once regarded as “coarse grain” raw coal has now become “fine grain” for supporting high-end manufacturing.
Taking this as a starting point, Yulin Energy Group is accelerating its layout in the new materials field. The 1 million-ton/year high-end chemical new materials project with a total investment of 9.68 billion yuan will in the future produce products such as high-performance concrete enhancers and water-based environmentally friendly coatings; the epoxy resin integrated project with an investment of 13.2 billion yuan is the world’s first complete coal-based methanol-to-epoxy-resin industrial chain project, and its co-produced material POE (polyolefin elastomer) is hailed as “industrial gold,” serving both as the “waterproof armor” of photovoltaic panels and the rebound core of high-end sports shoes; the coal-to-aromatics project currently being promoted, by coupling green electricity for hydrogen production, significantly reduces carbon emissions and extends downstream to end products such as polyester clothing and food packaging, realizing a full industrial chain value leap from “a piece of coal to a strand of silk.”
From policy guidance to project implementation, from technological breakthroughs to industrial flourishing, Yulin Energy Group is transforming “solid black gold” into “liquid gold,” continuously extending the value chain of the coal industry toward high-end.
Multi-Energy Complementarity: Building “Double Insurance” for Energy Security
Developing the new energy industry is not a “follow-the-trend” move for Yulin Energy Group, but an inevitable choice related to survival. In just two years, the group’s new energy installed capacity has increased by more than 250%. On the vast Loess Plateau, contiguous photovoltaic panels and tall wind turbines complement each other, forming a new landscape.
Fossil energy provides the bottom-line supply guarantee, while new energy takes on emission reduction. Yulin Energy Group has formed a pattern of synergistic complementarity between old and new energy, striving to build a “wind-solar-thermal-storage integrated” comprehensive energy base: using new coal power as the “ballast stone” to ensure the stability of energy supply; taking wind and photovoltaic as increments to continuously increase the proportion of clean energy; and supporting energy storage facilities to smooth fluctuations. The “multi-energy complementarity” model both safeguards the bottom line of energy security and opens up space for green transformation.
Turning Coal into Gold: Letting “Black Gold” Radiate the Light of Green Energy
From the black coal sea to green electric light, from raw coal leaving the mine to high-end materials rolling off the production line, Yulin Energy Group advances in step with the rhythm of energy transformation. Every leap demonstrates the confidence and determination for green transformation. Today’s Yulin Energy Group is a practitioner of green mining, an innovator in clean coal power, a practitioner of high-end coal chemicals, and an explorer of multi-energy complementarity.
Facing the future, Yulin Energy Group will continue to deeply cultivate the coal-based main business, strengthen the green energy article, cherish and make good use of the “black gold” that carries hope, and contribute more “Yulin Energy strength” to ensuring energy security and promoting the energy revolution.
Data source: Shaanxi Yulin Energy Group Co., Ltd.
Return to TopBy: 刘志强
On July 30, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee (中共中央政治局). The meeting stressed "making good use of various opportunities and advantages to promote high-quality development that advances steadily and goes far" (行稳致远 (xíng wěn zhì yuǎn - "walk steady, reach far," to proceed steadily toward lasting success)).
On the humanoid robot track in Beijing E-Town (北京亦庄), the event champion broke the human half-marathon world record; at the fourth Chain Expo (链博会), intelligent robots served as volunteers, guides, and hosts, displaying their "talents" on all fronts... At present, humanoid robots in China are accelerating their evolution, continuously shaping a leading advantage in the global market. In the first half of the year, exports of intelligent bionic robots, deeply integrated with artificial intelligence technology, exceeded 10,000 units, reaching more than 90 countries and regions worldwide.
Some international institutions that have long followed China offer this assessment: "The development of China's humanoid robot industry bears similarities to the development of the electric vehicle industry ten years ago"; "Relying on large-scale investment and first-mover advantages in the humanoid robot field, China is perfectly replicating the rise path of the electric vehicle industry ten years ago"...
Indeed, the accelerated development of the "new new three items" (新新三样), represented by humanoid robots, shares many commonalities with the dramatic emergence (异军突起 (yì jūn tū qǐ - "a different army suddenly rises," to emerge unexpectedly as a new force)) of the "new three items" (新三样), represented by new energy vehicles, over the past decade or more.
First, robust industrial policy has won a head start for development.
In 2012, the Energy-Saving and New Energy Vehicle Industry Development Plan (2012–2020) was released; in September 2017, the "dual-credit policy" was introduced, pushing automakers to transform through market mechanisms; from 2019 to the present, the policy focus has shifted to support for the usage phase and corporate research and development... The accelerated development of China's automobile industry is closely tied to industrial policy (息息相关 (xī xī xiāng guān - "each breath is linked," to be closely bound up)).
Now look at humanoid robots. In 2016, artificial intelligence was written into the outline of the 13th Five-Year Plan; in 2021, the outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan listed "new-generation artificial intelligence" as one of the seven major fields of frontier scientific and technological research; in August 2025, the "AI+" action was launched and implemented, promoting the deep integration of artificial intelligence with a thousand trades and a hundred industries... From exploration and cultivation to maturity and growth, every stage of growth has been inseparable from the escort and protection of industrial policy.
Forward-looking strategic planning and the successive implementation of industrial policies have ensured that China stands at the crest of the tide in technological change. Now, China is concentrating its efforts on developing 6G, commercial aerospace, quantum information, integrated circuits, nuclear fusion, and other advanced technologies and future industries; a series of industrial policies will drive these fields to continue replicating success.
Second, a complete industrial system has consolidated the support for upgrading.
A new energy vehicle has more than 10,000 components. With Wuxi's automotive-grade chips, Suzhou's high-strength steel, and Shanghai's intelligent screens, in the Yangtze River Delta, a complete-vehicle plant can gather all the components it needs within four hours.
A humanoid robot's industrial chain involves key components such as servo motors, controllers, and sensors, as well as links such as body manufacturing and system integration. In the Pearl River Delta, enterprises in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, and Dongguan cooperate efficiently, forming a "one-hour industrial ecosystem."
Industrial scale and the industrial system are the basic support for the internal circulation and endogenous sustainable development of a major country's economy. Today's China has a complete range of industrial categories and well-developed supporting facilities, and the scale of its manufacturing value added has ranked first in the world for 16 consecutive years. Upstream and downstream "chain links mesh," industry, academia, and research "cover for one another," and industrial clusters "huddle together for warmth" — consolidating the foundation, reducing costs, and ceaselessly nurturing new possibilities for industrial upgrading. Electric vehicle parts manufacturers supplying robot manufacturers, and complete-vehicle manufacturers crossing sectors to produce electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, are cases in point. In the future, "point-like breakthroughs" such as the landing of new technologies and the application of new products are expected to bring more "area-like upgrades," shaping more new growth points.
Third, broad application scenarios have helped accelerate innovation.
A prominent feature of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is the speeding up of innovation and the quickening of iteration, which leaves no room for "waiting and watching"; one of the keys to winning the "time gap" lies precisely in application scenarios.
From cities to villages, from plateaus to high-cold regions, from private cars to buses, over the years, the scenarios of different regions, different environments, and different users have provided new energy vehicles with a vast innovation "training ground," helping products iterate continuously in practical application and forge "hard-core capabilities." The same is true of humanoid robots. Unlike some foreign enterprises that seek to polish core technologies to the utmost before seeking commercial application, many Chinese enterprises, relying on policy support, have been able to accelerate the landing of their products in fields such as industrial manufacturing, logistics and transportation, medical care and wellness, and public services.
The enormous market upheld by more than 1.4 billion people and the continuously upgrading consumer demand provide Chinese manufacturing with favorable conditions for maturing in application and upgrading in practical training. New technologies such as brain-computer interfaces, biological manufacturing, and embodied intelligence will also gradually mature as they land in applications, thereby gaining a leading position in global competition in the same industries.
From new energy vehicles to humanoid robots, from the "new three items" to the "new new three items," each and every commonality is precisely the key code for Chinese manufacturing to ascend step by step (拾级而上 (shè jí ér shàng - "ascend the steps upward," to advance steadily step by step)). Grounded in its advantages and making good use of its advantages, Chinese manufacturing will, in replicating success, thrive without end (生生不息 (shēng shēng bù xī - "generating and growing without ceasing," to flourish endlessly)).
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 李 刚
At Dongguan Port in Guangdong, the bridge cranes slowly rise, and one after another "super express parcels" are hoisted onto oceangoing giant ships. These "super express parcels" look like containers from afar, but up close each box is a complete house; they will 漂洋过海 (piāo yáng guò hǎi - "drift across oceans, cross seas," to travel far overseas) to Australia, North America, and the Middle East, and then be assembled like building blocks into hotels, apartments, hospitals...
And across the Shizi Yang (狮子洋), at the Guangzhou Nansha (广州南沙) Dachong (大涌) resettlement housing project site, there is no roar of concrete mixers, no piles of sand and gravel cement. Heavy trucks pull in precast concrete modules, tower cranes place them one by one into position, workers only do splicing and pipeline connections, and a high-rise building quietly "grows" up like this.
"Super express parcels" come off the factory assembly line and go to the whole world. How did China's "prefabricated houses" achieve a global explosion of orders? The reporter conducted an interview.
"Good houses" change from "construction site building" to "factory manufacturing"
In Huiyang, Huizhou (惠州惠阳), inside the workshop of the China Construction Science and Industry Group (中建科工) Steel Structure Modular Product Smart Factory, there is no dust, no scaffolding. A fully automatic production line over 400 meters long operates day and night, robots wave their arms, AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) shuttle through the workshop, human-machine collaboration, welding sparks flying. This is the country's first steel structure modular intelligent production line.
Here, a house is disassembled into six surfaces—bottom, top, and four sides—produced in parallel on six sub-production lines, and finally assembled into a complete box at the end.
"Guess how many this production line can produce in a day?" Li Huakun (李华坤), chief engineer of China Construction Science and Industry Group Green Technology Co., Ltd. (中建科工集团绿色科技有限公司), pointed at the production line and asked the reporter.
"50!" He held up five fingers. "Similar factories in North America produce 5 a day, we are 10 times that."
On the production line driven by full servo motors, welding robots precisely connect steel components, assembly robots position and assemble parts, grinding robots handle surfaces. The robots work day and night, with precision stable at the millimeter level. "Previously, some construction precision was at the centimeter level or a few millimeters, now in the digital-intelligent workshop, precision can be controlled to 1-2 millimeters." Li Huakun is very confident. Through laser cutting and welding, now every steel bar and every connection point has a digital instruction, and the robots execute according to the instructions, not relying on the worker's feel.
And in the China Construction Hailong (中建海龙) Intelligent Construction Industrial Park in Longgang, Shenzhen (深圳龙岗), inside a four-story, 50-meter-high three-dimensional factory, the noise of a traditional construction site is also not seen.
"A full-element module comes off the line every 20 minutes." Wang Qiong (王琼), chief engineer of China Construction Hailong Technology Co., Ltd. (中建海龙科技有限公司), pointed at the production line and said: 190 workstations, over 80 pieces of equipment, connected in series form a "house production line." On this production line, sand and gravel go in from one end, and houses come out from the other end.
Here, they built the world's first concrete MiC (Modular Integrated Construction) flexible intelligent manufacturing production line, overcoming the industry problem of concrete module flow production; the self-developed wall panel installation robot has both work efficiency and quality. For wall puttying, a traditional worker completes 70 square meters a day, the robot completes it in 20 minutes with higher quality. Decoration materials are stored in a 10-story-high automated three-dimensional warehouse, nearly 100 AGVs shuttle throughout the factory, automatically delivering according to production rhythm. Each module has a unique QR code "ID card," scanning can trace all production data. The concealed work inspection robot uses laser scanning to perform three-dimensional reconstruction of the module's interior, automatically comparing with the design drawings; any millimeter-level error will be intercepted by the system.
"Over 70% of processes are moved forward to the factory, and the construction period is shortened by over 60%." Wang Qiong said, the production line's annual delivery capacity is 20,000 to 30,000 concrete prefabricated modules.
"Prefabricated houses" mainly have three forms: steel structure, concrete, and wood. The comparative advantages of Chinese enterprises are concentrated in steel structure and concrete. Steel structure is lightweight, suitable for ocean transportation and high-rise buildings, while concrete is closer to the traditional living experience and has high acceptance in the domestic market. With two technical routes running in parallel, China's construction has a broader space for maneuver in the global market.
Industrialized standards, digital precision, automated efficiency—houses are changing from "construction site building" to "factory manufacturing." Building houses like building cars—this is the underlying logic of China's "prefabricated houses" global explosion of orders.
Technology empowerment shifts from "benchmarking against international" to "integrating into international"
In New South Wales, Australia, the "super express parcels" shipped from Dongguan Port in China arrive one by one, and an apartment is rapidly taking shape. The construction site is very quiet, without the noise and clamor of a traditional construction site. Tower cranes lift one "container" after another from trucks and slowly position them.
Traditional building construction first lays the foundation, erects scaffolding, then builds walls, plasters, decorates... Here it is completely different. The "super express parcels" have the room's structure, walls, plumbing, electrical, and decoration all prefabricated in Chinese factories, and only one thing is done when they arrive here: assembly. "It's like building with Lego," Li Huakun described it.
The number of operating workers is less than half of a traditional site. One floor in three days; come back after three days, and it's another floor higher. From the arrival of the "super express parcels" at the construction site to the completion of the main structure, it only takes a few months. For a traditional construction of the same scale, it usually takes two and a half years in Australia.
The reporter pressed: "In this method, where is it expensive, and where is it saved?"
"It's expensive in manufacturing and sea freight, and saved in labor." Li Huakun's answer was straightforward.
In Australia, labor costs for traditional construction account for 30% to 40% of the total cost; the advantage of modularization is to move a large number of processes forward to domestic factories, saving more than half of on-site labor and compressing the construction period by more than half. "Overall construction cost is reduced by more than 10%!" Li Huakun said.
And more importantly, quality. The precision of intelligent factories is far higher than on-site manual work. Each module undergoes full-process inspection before leaving the factory, and is assembled 严丝合缝 (yán sī hé fèng - "tightly fitted with no gaps," seamlessly) on site.
Dubai, the construction highland of the Middle East, its approval system has long relied on traditional cast-in-place concrete rules, and there was no precedent for multi-story MiC approval. "It took seven months." Wang Qiong pointed at the certificate on the display board and said, "In 2025, we obtained the first MiC principle pre-approval permit from the Dubai Municipality."
This is a pass for the building modular system to enter the Dubai market! Chinese enterprises, the first of its kind. During this period, China Construction Hailong adapted item by item to US standards and Dubai building codes, perfected the full set of structural calculation documents, and transformed domestic project experience into localized technical materials. This "pass" broke Dubai's long-standing practice of traditional approval, marking that China's construction has shifted from "benchmarking against international" to "integrating into international," empowering overseas building standards upgrades with Chinese technology.
China's construction upgrades to an overall output of "product + standard + brand"
In Guangzhou, China Construction Hailong's twelfth intelligent housing manufacturing base is being built intensively, and the large-scale application of modular buildings is accelerating into a new phase.
In Shenzhen, the Bao'an Hospital of Shenzhen People's Hospital (深圳市人民医院宝安医院) contracted by China Construction Science and Industry Group, with 6 floors, 200 beds, 101 ward modules, and 168 electromechanical modules, all on-site assembly was installed in 12 days.
"A thousand-story tower rises from the ground," prefabricated modules are pushed into the building skeleton like drawers, and China's construction is overturning tradition.
"Overseas customers value three things most: delivery quality, delivery efficiency, and delivery cost." Jiang Li (蒋礼), deputy general manager of China Construction Science and Industry Group, said that with the support of robots, digital factories, and green environmental protection materials, China's construction can achieve all three points simultaneously. A clear thread emerges: China's construction is upgrading to an overall output of "product + standard + brand."
Behind this is the world's most complete construction industry chain—from steel and concrete to bathroom fixtures and electrical appliances, any component can be quickly sourced in China; structural safety during sea transport is also incorporated into customized solutions.
In the smart factories of Huiyang and Longgang, industrial workers are no longer physical laborers who 看天吃饭 (kàn tiān chī fàn - "watch the sky to eat," to depend on external factors for livelihood). They control robots, operate CNC equipment, and work against BIM (Building Information Modeling) drawings. "Modular construction is standardized, digital work, requiring a large number of digital-intelligent talents to join." Jiang Li said, talent is undoubtedly a prominent shortcoming. And among them, the most scarce are three types of composite talents: designers who understand overseas standards, production line engineers who understand processes, and on-site delivery personnel who understand technology and foreign languages.
"Modularization is not a panacea." Li Huakun said this very frankly. He counted on his fingers to explain to the reporter: Hotels, apartments, schools, hospitals, data centers with high standardization... rooms stacked up grid by grid, maximizing efficiency; but for large-span, large-space stadiums, exhibition centers, and large factories, the shortcomings of modularization are exposed. "But there is no single building system in the world that can 包打天下 (bāo dǎ tiān xià - "wrap up and conquer the world," to be all-powerful and solve everything)." Li Huakun said, "Find the right scenario, play to your strengths, the market for 'modularization' and 'prefabricated houses' is very large."
"Modular building is a new quality productive force in the construction industry." Wang Qiong said, in the first step, they achieved industrialized production and data-driven whole-process management; next, they are confident that China's modular building technology will become an important driving force for the industrialization transformation of the global construction industry.
Watching the "super express parcels" come off the assembly line, get loaded onto trucks, and be transported to the dock, Li Huakun told the reporter a story about the construction of a hotel project in Papua New Guinea—
Local workers saw modular hoisting for the first time and asked the Chinese engineer: "These big boxes, do they really have furniture inside? Air conditioning, color TV, refrigerator?" The engineer said: "Open the door and take a look." A complete room, a complete bathroom, a complete stove and wardrobe, including a full set of smart home furniture and appliances, 一应俱全 (yī yīng jù quán - "everything needed is available," all complete). What was shipped by sea was a complete "home," ready for 拎包入住 (līn bāo rù zhù - "carry a bag and move in," move-in ready).
Houses are packed into containers and go to the whole world, along with a complete set of industrial capabilities, as well as the exploration and courage to redefine "building houses." China's construction is creating new miracles.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 韩 鑫
By the shore of the East China Sea, the sea breeze blows gently. On Xiaoyangshan Island at the southeastern corner of Shanghai, a scene of bustling activity unfolds: giant ships dock, quay cranes tower high, and hundreds of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) shuttle back and forth between the yard and the waterfront, moving and stacking containers of all colors in an orderly manner, with hardly a person in sight.
This is the Phase IV terminal of Shanghai’s Yangshan Port. As the world’s largest single-unit automated terminal, since its opening in December 2017, the terminal’s operational efficiency has repeatedly set world records: the fastest single-machine handling rate exceeds 60 natural containers per hour, the highest level of port loading and unloading efficiency in the world, making it a shining business card for Chinese ports.
Where does the world’s fastest port “hand speed” come from? The answer lies at the front line of the terminal—
Installing a “smart brain.” Stepping into the remote control room, the port’s “digital twin” system comes into view. The vast real-world scene of the terminal is condensed onto a wall of digital screens, from a giant ship down to a single container, all mapped in real time and changing synchronously.
“Relying on this self-developed intelligent terminal production management and control system, unified scheduling of 29 quay cranes, 121 yard cranes, and 155 AGVs across the entire process has been achieved, boosting waterside loading/unloading efficiency and overall yard capacity by about 30% compared with traditional models,” said Wu Jilin (吴纪林), head of science and technology innovation at Shanghai International Port Group (上港集团) Shangdong Branch.
Growing “flexible hands and feet.” Stepping to the seamen’s room at the terminal’s front edge and looking outward, a twin-trolley quay crane is steadily lifting a container from a ship, transferring it via relay operation onto an AGV, which then transports it to the yard, where a yard crane completes the stacking.
The smooth motion comes from a pair of “dexterous hands” far away. Using the world’s first remote control technology for large-scale loading/unloading equipment based on the F5G all-optical network, the driver has “retreated” from the quay crane cab at the port site to the Lingang remote control center more than 30 kilometers away, or even to a remote control point in downtown Shanghai over 100 kilometers away, and can achieve precise control by gently moving the joystick.
Opening the 任督二脉 (rèn dū èr mài - “the Conception and Governor Vessels,” to unblock the body’s main energy channels, i.e., to remove key bottlenecks). Walking into the intelligent heavy-truck collection and distribution center, the two-level operation space is clear at a glance: on the upper level, unmanned container trucks quickly swap batteries and leave; on the lower level, conventional container trucks shuttle back and forth frequently; the two streams of vehicles merge orderly onto the Donghai Bridge and into and out of the terminal.
“By innovatively adopting a three-dimensional operation model combining ground level and an elevated second level, the operation spaces of conventional container trucks and autonomous container trucks are physically separated, effectively reducing the empty-running rate of vehicles and alleviating traffic pressure on the bridge,” said Sun Hailong (孙海龙), manager of the engineering technology department of Shanghai Deepwater Port International Logistics Co., Ltd. (上海深水港国际物流有限公司). He noted that as of last year, the Yangshan Port intelligent heavy-truck project had deployed a total of 89 vehicles and completed transport of over 750,000 TEUs.
A powerful “heartbeat” pumps out strong production capacity.
In 2025, the Phase IV terminal of Yangshan Port handled over 8 million TEUs, leading the world’s automated terminals in berth utilization efficiency. In the first half of this year, it helped Yangshan Deepwater Port achieve a container throughput of 15.194 million TEUs, an increase of 8.1% year-on-year, setting a new half-year volume record.
Looking to the future, this intelligent port is still accelerating its evolution—
Becoming “smarter.” “On the shore side, we are currently continuously optimizing algorithms to further reduce the yard rehandling rate and tap new space for operational efficiency,” Wu Jilin explained. On the waterside, they will explore the application of embodied intelligence to achieve rapid unlocking of container twist locks, improving the efficiency of ship container loading and unloading.
Becoming “more robust.” Opening a map, on the north side of Xiaoyangshan Island, a brand-new area of land is poised for development.
“The North Operation Area of Xiaoyangshan will bring 6,100 meters of new shoreline to Shanghai Port, equivalent to building another Yangshan Port area, and will become a new-generation intelligent container terminal and an ecological green port area,” said a relevant official from the Engineering Headquarters of Shanghai International Port Group. He noted that the project is currently accelerating according to the overall deployment of segmented construction and operation in the “west, east, and middle” sections. By the end of this year, the West Section 1, with about 840 meters of shoreline, will be ready for trial operation, and the remaining works will be completed and put into operation successively around 2032.
Under the blue sky and green sea, technology and the ocean are deeply integrated, and the business card of Shanghai Yangshan Port as a smart port will shine even brighter…
(Wang Shuyan (王澍言) contributed to the reporting.)
Return to TopBy: 王东辉
Expanding consumption is a key link in smoothing the domestic economic cycle and an important engine driving high-quality economic development.
Recently, multiple special-purpose plans for the 15th Five-Year Plan period, including the "15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Tourism Powerhouse," the "15th Five-Year Plan for Expanding Consumption," the "15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Sports Powerhouse," and the "15th Five-Year Plan for National Health," have been released intensively. From promoting the integration of culture and tourism, to accelerating the quality improvement and scale expansion of health consumption, and vigorously boosting consumption in the events sector, these special-purpose plans are based on the people's needs for a better life and systematically lay out the practical pathways for cultivating new consumption growth points and boosting consumption over the next five years.
Combining macroeconomic data from the first half of 2026 with the new circumstances in the current consumer market, it can be seen that these special-purpose plans closely adhere to the development laws of the consumer market; conversely, the various new changes in the consumer market confirm the forward-looking nature of the policy deployments.
The people's pursuit of a better life is an important driving force for the release of consumption potential. China's resident consumption is accelerating its upgrade from a survival-oriented, basic type to a development-oriented, quality type, with demand for health maintenance, leisure vacations, sports and fitness, and cultural experiences continuously rising.
Deepening the integration of culture and tourism to create differentiated products such as study tours and health retreats; uniformly incorporating health, cultural tourism, and sports consumption into the service consumption quality improvement and benefit enhancement action; implementing a health consumption special action to develop whole-chain services such as integrated medical and elderly care and smart health checkups; promoting the quality improvement and scale expansion of the sports industry... The special-purpose plans propose a series of measures to expand consumption. In the first half of this year, among the 16 major categories of total retail sales of consumer goods, 10 categories achieved growth, with 7 categories growing at a rate of over 5%. The consumption of green, smart, and healthy goods maintained a strong growth momentum, which is a direct manifestation of the release of needs for a better life, forming a two-way echo between top-level policy design and actual market demand.
The accelerated rise of service consumption has become a distinct trend in the changes of the consumer market. In the first half of this year, retail sales of goods increased by 1.1% year-on-year, while retail sales of services increased by 5.3% year-on-year. The growth rate of service consumption significantly outpaced that of goods consumption, making it an important area for releasing consumption potential and expanding consumption space.
This structural change aligns with the deployments of the special-purpose plans — placing prominent emphasis on filling the supply短板 (shortcomings) of service consumption and enriching the service consumption experience. The consumption vitality of this year's summer market also conforms to this characteristic. Various regions have launched cultural tourism consumption seasons and issued hundreds of millions of yuan in cultural tourism subsidies. Orders for study tours, health retreats, urban events, and immersive performances are on an upward trend; "slow-charging deep vacation" has sparked widespread discussion on social platforms. Tourists are no longer simply chasing scenic spot check-ins but are more willing to pay for experiences such as relaxation, healing, and sports. More people's consumption focus is shifting towards service consumption.
New business formats, new scenarios, and new models continue to emerge, and the integration of goods consumption and service consumption is also accelerating, helping to expand the increment of the current consumer market.
"Integration" is reflected in the deployments of multiple special-purpose plans. The "15th Five-Year Plan for Expanding Consumption" proposes "promoting the integrated application of artificial intelligence with education, medical care, culture, tourism, sports and other fields"; the "15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Tourism Powerhouse" proposes "expanding integrated business formats"; the "15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Sports Powerhouse" proposes "promoting the integrated development of commerce, tourism, culture, sports, and health"... Breaking down industry boundaries, promoting the integration of business formats, and creating integrated "goods + services" consumption scenarios — new consumption and new experiences are reshaping traditional consumption and stimulating market vitality.
From commercial districts integrating night markets and cultural performances to create immersive consumption scenarios, to health and wellness products being paired with customized health retreat services, and to the recent announcement by the Ministry of Transport to build a "Golden Outer Ring" to provide new experiences for self-driving tours, the current consumer market is witnessing a deep interconnection of business formats such as cultural tourism, sports, health, and retail, better matching the diversified and personalized demands of young people, parent-child families, and the silver-haired group. The linkage between goods consumption and service consumption transforms surging traffic into economic increments.
As the deployments of the special-purpose plans gradually take effect, the supply of goods and services is continuously optimized, new consumption growth points and new scenarios are accelerating their emergence, China's super-large market advantage will be further highlighted, and the role of consumption as the primary driving force for economic development will be continuously consolidated.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 罗珊珊 李俊杰
Huizhou Ancient City, by the banks of the Lian River. In Shexian County (歙县), Anhui, a car drives into the Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory (老胡开文墨厂). Several tour buses are parked in the courtyard. The unique fragrance of pine soot mixed with tung oil rushes toward you, and the thousand-year-old lineage of Huizhou ink quietly flows here.
In the ink-pounding workshop, ink hammers rise and fall, each clang resounding, settling the craftsmen's day-after-day perseverance; before the gold-tracing tables, students hold writing brushes, carefully outlining on ink sticks, immersed in the charm of intangible cultural heritage; the livestream camera focuses on the craftsmen's fingertip skills, and one by one, dark and exquisite Huizhou ink sticks cross mountains and seas via the internet, sold to all parts of the country and overseas markets.
The Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory, originally established in 1782 and reorganized several times, carries Huizhou ink, a national intangible cultural heritage (国家级非物质文化遗产). It was once trapped within the niche circle of calligraphy and painting, but now, staying true to ancient methods while taking form through innovation, it writes a brand-new story for this time-honored brand.
守正固本 (shǒu zhèng gù běn - "uphold the orthodox, consolidate the foundation," adhering to core principles while strengthening the base) — Thousand hammerings, ten thousand poundings preserve the root lineage within the ink.
Walking in the Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory, one always feels a sense of historical antiquity.
Not only in its form — the old factory buildings with white walls and gray tiles were already selected for the National Industrial Heritage List (国家工业遗产名单) in 2019.
But even more in its soul. A piece of Huizhou ink, from the refining of raw materials to the finished product, must go through eight major processes such as soot collection, ingredient mixing, ink making, ink drying, and gold tracing, which are broken down and refined into as many as hundreds of detailed sub-steps; the entire set of procedures is interlinked and indispensable. In 2006, Huizhou ink-making techniques were inscribed on the first batch of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List (首批国家级非物质文化遗产名录). In 2007, Zhou Meihong (周美洪), the factory director of Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory, was awarded the title of "National Representative Inheritor (国家级代表性传承人)" of Huizhou ink-making techniques.
"According to existing historical materials, Huizhou ink production can be traced back to the late Tang Dynasty, reaching its peak through the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties." Speaking of the history of Huizhou ink and the factory, Zhou Meihong narrates unhurriedly: Hu Tianzhu (胡天柱), one of the four great ink masters of the Qing Dynasty, established the Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory. It went through many ups and downs; by 1956, four ink workshops were jointly operated as public-private partnerships and merged into the Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Workshop. In 1982, it was renamed Shexian Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory, and continues to this day.
"One table, one stool, I sat for a lifetime." Zhou Jian (周健), director of the Product Research and Development Department of Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory, describes his father Zhou Meihong like this: "In the most difficult times, he endured and never gave up on Huizhou ink."
From ink to fountain pens, gel pens, and now to digital writing, as the times move forward, the consumer base for traditional ink sticks has continuously shrunk. The ink factory once fell into a development predicament of "few audiences, narrow sales channels, and difficult inheritance." Some people suggested selling the well-located factory buildings for other uses.
"I can't let go, I simply cannot let go. I must pass down Huizhou ink in my hands." Zhou Meihong's father was a craftsman at the Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory. In 1979, his father retired, and Zhou Meihong entered the factory as an apprentice. He has been doing this for nearly 50 years. "Even in the hardest times, I never thought of selling the ink factory. The workshops and office buildings are preserved in their original state, and many ink molds from the Ming and Qing dynasties are carefully collected. These were the foundation for the old factory buildings later being selected for the National Industrial Heritage List. But we had to survive first, so we did some other side business to generate some income, pay the workers' wages, and retain talent," said Zhou Meihong.
"Most of the Huizhou ink-making processes need to be completed by hand. First there must be people, then the techniques can be passed down." Zhou Meihong explained, "Soot" and "glue" are the two main raw materials of Huizhou ink. The proportion of ingredients, the time of soot collection, the intensity of pounding, etc., determine whether an ink can be "a dot like lacquer, preserving truth for ten thousand years (一点如漆，万载存真)." The secrets of these processes rely on the workers' years of experience and superb skills.
"We often talk about light glue with 100,000 poundings—that's an approximate number. An ink stick must be pounded at least 200 times, with moderate and even force. Another example is soot collection: machines can collect soot more efficiently, but we have always insisted on the ancient method—30 jin of tung oil yields only 1 jin of soot, and a worker can only produce 3–4 liang of soot per day. The soot is fine, and the ink sticks produced are mostly used for cultural relic restoration," said Zhou Meihong.
Today, "second-generation ink workers" are everywhere in the factory. Not only the father-and-son pair of Zhou Meihong and Zhou Jian, but also in the ink mold carving workshop, mold master Ma Guiming (马贵明) is holding a small carving knife, fully concentrating on his ink mold creation, while his daughter sits in front, equally focused on her own ink mold carving. The inheritance of Huizhou ink techniques continues through the relay of generations.
破圈求变 (pò quān qiú biàn - "break the circle, seek change," to step out of the traditional scope and pursue transformation) — The workshop opens its doors, an old craft embraces public scenarios.
Standing in the first-floor office of the Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory, looking up, you can see students through the windows of the second-floor workshop, as if you were in a middle school campus. Following the crowd that gets off the tour buses, and walking in the steps of the research-study instructor, you can pass through the ink-pounding and gold-tracing workshops in sequence.
In the second-floor gold-tracing workshop, two long tables are neatly arranged. At the edges of the tables near the corners, gold-tracing masters stand or sit, and next to each master sit two or three students. Following the masters' rhythm, the students hold writing brushes and meticulously outline and fill in colors along the relief patterns on the ink sticks. Gold powder spreads evenly along the patterns, and the originally plain black ink sticks suddenly gain brilliance.
A teacher from a school in Fujian Province looks after the students' needs in the aisle. He said: "Our theme this time is the Four Treasures of the Study. Huizhou ink has a long-standing reputation. We hope to bring the students to personally experience the ink-making process. The students we brought are mainly from the first and second years of junior high, about 40 people."
Now, the Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory has already become an important part of the research-study tour in Huangshan, Anhui, and has been rated as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage Productive Protection Demonstration Base (国家级非物质文化遗产生产性保护示范基地). Data show that in 2025, the Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory received 190,000 research-study visitors throughout the year, a year-on-year increase of 10%. Entering the summer of 2026, the fervor for intangible cultural heritage research-study continues to rise, with the factory area receiving an average of over 700 research-study groups per day, of which young people account for over 80%. Since the beginning of this year, it has cumulatively received over 100,000 research-study tourists, and has long-term stable cooperation with more than 50 research-study institutions and cultural tourism platforms across the country.
"My father's generation made the Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory survive; we too must take up this mission. Our approach is to stay true to ancient methods while taking form through innovation, and we must both inherit and break through," said Zhou Jian.
The transformation of the Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory dates back to 2014. In 2014, during a casual exchange, Zhou Jian had some thoughts: if intangible cultural heritage crafts are locked in closed factory buildings for a long time, they will only become static specimens that no one cares about; only by opening the doors wide, reaching out to the public, connecting with the market, and allowing consumers to see the craft, touch the details, and understand the thousand-year culture behind it, can ancient crafts become a living cultural carrier that can be inherited.
Zhou Jian and his father also had disagreements. "My father's generation insisted that making good products is the fundamental duty, and they had concerns about factory renovation." In the end, the shared intention of the two generations to inherit Huizhou ink brought about innovative attempts.
In the following two or three years, the ink factory broke its century-old closed production model, actively transformed the traditional ink-making workshop into an open, immersive experience space for visits. It systematically sorted and integrated the more than 100 Huizhou ink-making procedures, setting the ink-making and gold-tracing processes as interactive experience links. Ordinary tourists and young students could personally swing hammers to pound ink paste, trace and color plain ink sticks, and take away the small personalized ink sticks they made themselves, turning static viewing into dynamic hands-on practice, making distant intangible cultural heritage tangible and understandable.
This change quickly showed results. "After the renovation was completed one after another, the number of people coming for research-study tours grew rapidly," said Zhou Jian. After the workshops fully opened their doors to guests, the century-old ink factory completely transformed its identity, upgrading from a single traditional production factory into a Huizhou ink cultural dissemination hub integrating production, science education, experience, research-study, and cultural tourism. On every holiday and research-study season, primary and secondary school students, parent-child families, and cultural enthusiasts from all over the country come in an endless stream.
推陈出新 (tuī chén chū xīn - "push out the old, bring forth the new," to innovate by discarding the old) — Make cultural creative products lively, so they can enter thousands of households both online and offline.
When the thinking changes, the world broadens; the factory renovation opened the first step toward ideological liberation.
"After the research-study tour renovation, the distance between the ink factory and tourists and consumers was shortened, giving us many new ideas and confidence. Ink sticks since ancient times have not only been used for writing, but also for cultural appreciation and connoisseurship," said Zhou Jian. The ancient ink mold "Ten Immortals (十大仙)" collected by the factory uses techniques such as deep undercutting and three-dimensional carving to depict figures, mounts, and ritual implements, integrating the artistic achievements of Qing Dynasty painting, calligraphy, and sculpture.
"Ink molds are a carrier of cultural inheritance. The ink mold designs of today should also keep pace with the times and keep up with the cultural and aesthetic trends of young people. The production cycle of Huizhou ink is relatively long; ink drying alone takes more than half a year before it can enter the gold-tracing stage, which poses challenges for product innovation," said Zhou Jian. To align with the younger, trendier, and personalized consumption trends, the company has established a regular product launch mechanism, releasing one large ink mold product each month, carving popular elements such as zodiac patterns, Huizhou fish lanterns, national-style Tang horses, landscapes, flowers and birds, and auspicious messages onto the black ink sticks, making the ancient ink implements combine practicality, ornamentation, collectibility, and commemoration. For example, the three-dimensional Tang horse cultural creative ink launched with great momentum in the Year of the Horse, with a lively and delicate shape and auspicious upward meaning, immediately became a popular Huangshan cultural tourism souvenir upon market release, deeply favored by young tourists and cultural creative enthusiasts.
Product launches continue, and space renovation keeps updating. In 2019, the ink factory began building a new research-study base, equipped with a large research-study classroom and a cultural creative zone. The cultural creative zone is divided into two functional parts: one part is a Huizhou ink history exhibition hall, displaying many old ink molds and old objects collected by the factory. The other part is for product display and sales, comprehensively showcasing the product system of the Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory: including traditional reproduction products, collectible ink products specially for museum exhibitions and famous collectors; also fine ink products suitable for professional calligraphy and painting creators, ensuring professional use needs; and more lightweight, affordable cultural creative inks with delicate shapes and beautiful meanings, suitable for young people to check in, play with, give as daily gifts, and collect as souvenirs. This allows consumers of different age groups and needs to find Huizhou ink products that suit them, completely breaking the single product pattern.
The offline experience scenarios are fully opened up, and online livestreaming follows closely. In mid-2020, Zhou Jian livestreamed to sell ink on Taobao for the first time. "I remember clearly: on the first night, I sold 10 ink sticks, with revenue of 1,000 yuan. Not much, but it was an increment, so we decided to keep at it and see. Livestreaming made us understand the portrait of our consumer groups more clearly, broke through geographical restrictions, and reached young consumer groups across the country." Soon, Zhou Jian found a livestreaming path suitable for the ink factory: moving the livestreaming room into the production workshop, with the camera focused on the real work scenes of artisans pounding ink, making molds, and tracing gold. The host demonstrated ancient process operations live, while meticulously explaining the quality differences among pine soot ink, tung oil soot ink, and super-lacquer soot ink, and answered netizens' various questions about grinding ink, using ink, and appreciating ink in real time, empowering product sales with process science education. Currently, Taobao livestreaming and Douyin e-commerce work in tandem, bringing over 20 million yuan in annual revenue to the ink factory.
At 6 pm, the ink factory workshop ends its shift, and the tour buses parked in the courtyard leave one after another. Over 200 years of wind and rain, changes of time—the form, product categories, and consumption scenarios of Huizhou ink have continuously evolved and enriched, but the original aspiration of the Lao Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory—千锤百炼 (qiān chuí bǎi liàn - "thousand hammerings, hundred refinements," repeatedly tempered and honed to perfection) and constantly striving for excellence—has never wavered.
To rejuvenate the time-honored brand, Zhou Jian considers further expanding consumption scenarios so that Huizhou ink can enter more consumers' daily lives. "Time-honored brands are precious wealth accumulated over the years and the living inheritance of Chinese culture. But even good wine fears a deep alley (酒香也怕巷子深). We hope that relevant departments can organize the time-honored brands scattered across the country to form a dissemination synergy, especially against the backdrop of the booming inbound tourism and inbound shopping, to drive more people to understand the cultural connotations and product innovations of time-honored brands, so that these brands can truly enter thousands of households and step onto the world stage," said Zhou Meihong.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 齐志明
“By uploading replacement materials online, the subsidy arrived in just a few days. I could choose any store, online or offline. Switching to a new-energy vehicle truly saved me a significant expense.” Wang Wendong (王文东), a resident of Jinan, Shandong, had just completed a car trade-in. His convenient and cost-effective experience reflects the sentiments of many consumers today.
The consumer goods trade-in program is funded by ultra-long-term special government bonds (超长期特别国债). On one hand, it improves the quality of people’s home and travel life; on the other, it revitalizes the entire industrial chain of retail, manufacturing, and recycling, benefiting the stimulation of consumption, improvement of people’s livelihoods, and promotion of green development. At the national level, since the beginning of the year, the consumer goods trade-in policy has stabilized the basic foundation of the consumer market. The leverage ratio of invested funds has increased from 1:7.8 last year to the current 1:10.3, driving sales exceeding 1.25 trillion yuan and benefiting 169 million person-times. This has strongly supported steady consumption growth, promoted industrial upgrading, and driven resource recycling.
Relevant departments in various regions have taken the initiative to carry out beneficial explorations based on local realities, jointly promoting the continued effectiveness of the consumer goods trade-in policy. To fully release the dividends of the trade-in policy, the Shandong Provincial Audit Office (山东省审计厅) set up its supervisory "probe" on the front line of consumption, conducting a comprehensive investigation of the actual market operation. On the one hand, auditors went deep into supermarkets and auto dealerships across the province to visit merchants and engage with the public, collecting front-line demands face-to-face. On the other hand, relying on millions of trade-in transaction records, they built data analysis models to conduct long-cycle consumption behavior trend assessments. By combining these two lines, they identified some prominent bottlenecks restricting market vitality.
The audit found that many external distributors and online e-commerce platforms reported that some localities had set implicit entry barriers requiring local registration, preventing external business entities from participating in local subsidy activities. This significantly narrowed the range of products and stores available to consumers, which is not conducive to building a unified large market. Early-stage fixed-amount subsidies for automobiles, applied uniformly across the board, were poorly adaptable: the proportion of subsidies for low-priced commuter cars was too high, while the driving effect on mid-to-high-end new-energy models was weak, making it difficult to match the multi-tiered car-purchasing needs of the public. In addition, multi-level review processes lengthened the subsidy disbursement cycle, and merchants faced heavy burdens from advance payments — these practical difficulties weakened the policy’s actual benefit to the people.
Based on the problem list formed by the audit investigation, the Shandong Provincial Department of Commerce (山东省商务厅) issued a targeted package of supporting optimization measures, delivering a combination of benefits for both enterprises and the people.
"Auditors went down to the front line to visit merchants, used big data to quantify consumption shortcomings, and precisely targeted the key blockages in policy implementation, providing us with direction for iterating and improving implementation details." Zhu Xixin (朱希昕), Director of the Market Operation and Consumption Promotion Division of the Shandong Provincial Department of Commerce, explained that at the market access level, unreasonable access terms such as local registration requirements have been comprehensively eliminated. The process for routine filing and public notification of online and offline business entities has been simplified. Regardless of whether they are local or external, online or offline, compliant merchants can equally participate in trade-in activities. Currently, the number of business entities participating in household appliance, automobile, and digital product trade-ins across the province has reached 15,000. Community small shops, large supermarkets, and online platforms compete on the same stage, and consumers are no longer restricted from cross-regional price comparison and product selection.
At the level of subsidy disbursement and fund guarantee, Shandong innovatively implemented a new model of "first disburse, then review" (先兑付、后复核). Urban and rural residents can complete their application by simply uploading replacement invoices and installation photos on their mobile phones without leaving home. The back office conducts cross-verification against equipment SN (product serial numbers) and transaction documents, significantly compressing processing time. At the same time, a fund mechanism of "pre-allocation plus periodic settlement" (预拨+定期清算) has been established. Compliant merchants can apply for up to 80% of the subsidy funds in advance, with monthly unified account reconciliation and settlement, greatly alleviating the pressure of advance payments on stores. Businesses are thus able to offer value-added services such as door-to-door collection of old items and multiple overlapping discounts.
At the level of automobile subsidy optimization, relying on the conclusions of audit big-data analysis, Shandong has abandoned the fixed-amount subsidy model and implemented a tiered, differentiated discount system. Affordable commuter cars and mid-to-high-end new-energy vehicles are each matched with corresponding incentives. Subsidies for household appliances are tilted toward essential home items such as air conditioners and washing machines, keeping pace with market trends and people’s needs by increasing the categories of subsidized products and determining the standard of discounts, so that policy supply precisely aligns with the pace of consumption upgrading.
"Every trade-in subsidy is linked to the consumption upgrading of tens of millions of households. We will continue to conduct audits on trade-ins, keeping a close eye on all aspects such as subsidy disbursement, market supervision, and policy implementation, and carry out routine full-chain penetrating inspections. Through normalized economic health checks, we will safeguard the dividends of people-benefiting policies from taking root." Guo Xiaoyong (郭晓永), Director of the Secretariat Division of the Audit Office of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (山东省委审计办秘书处), said.
Market data directly confirm the effectiveness of the policy optimization. From January to July this year, the number of consumer goods trade-in subsidy applications in Shandong Province exceeded 13.09 million, driving sales of over 104.8 billion yuan. The ratio of consumption driven by subsidies rose to 1:10.2, a year-on-year increase of 36%, and the policy multiplier effect continues to be released.
(Wang Haoyang (王灏洋) and Zhang Yue (张悦) contributed to the reporting.)
Return to TopIn recent years, as travel demand from multi-member families has continued to be released, large six-seat SUVs for household use have become an important growth track in the domestic automobile market. Recently, the Dongfeng Yipai M8 was officially launched, offering a "limited-time super trade-in price starting from 169,800 yuan," with multiple purchase benefits launched simultaneously (see the Dongfeng Yipai official website for details on the limited-time price and benefit validity periods). Positioned as the "Huapai Golden Standard large six-seat" (华派黄金标准大六座), the Yipai M8 systematically responds to family user needs across the dimensions of intelligence, comfort, driving control, power, and safety, and is committed to establishing a clearly perceptible benchmark for the household large six-seat market as it shifts from configuration competition to value competition.
Targeting family travel needs
Making parameter configurations deliver practical value
Household vehicles have their own particularities: they must meet weekday commuting needs while also supporting weekend outings and long-distance travel; they must have sufficient body dimensions to guarantee ample interior space while also taking into account flexibility in scenarios such as urban roads and underground garages; they must allow the driver to operate with ease while also attending to the riding experience of the elderly and children. Therefore, a household large six-seat SUV is not a simple stacking of body dimensions and parameter configurations, but rather a systematic balance among space, comfort, driving control, power, and safety.
With a length, width, and height of 5,020 × 1,975 × 1,733 mm and a long wheelbase of 3,025 mm, the Yipai M8 achieves a high wheelbase-to-length ratio of 60.3%, with a zero height difference between the second- and third-row floor platforms and spacious seating space, flexibly adaptable to the travel needs of multi-member families; at the same time, its small 5.6-meter turning radius balances generous interior space with flexibility in scenarios such as urban commuting and underground-garage parking.
Valuable configurations lie in being useful, easy to use, and frequently used. The Yipai M8 is equipped with a "golden soft-furnishing six-piece set" (黄金软装六件套) consisting of dual first-class-cabin-style seats, dual-view large screens, a 50-inch AR-HUD (augmented reality head-up display), a dual-door bidirectional intelligent hot-and-cold storage box, a "velvet soft-wrapped sunroom" cabin, and a full-replacement fresh-air system. These configurations satisfy the diversified travel needs of families, extending the comfortable experience from a single seat function to the entire cabin environment.
The Yipai M8 offers both pure-electric and extended-range powertrain versions, reflecting consideration for different user scenarios. Among them, the pure-electric version is built on an 800V silicon-carbide high-voltage platform, with a CLTC pure-electric range of 600 km; the extended-range version has a CLTC pure-electric range of 300 km and a combined range of 1,281 km. Both powertrain forms support 4C ultra-fast charging, allowing users to choose based on commuting distance, charging conditions, and frequency of long-distance travel.
From the previous "piling on configurations" toward "optimized experience," and from pursuing leadership in a single item toward emphasizing comprehensive balance, the product logic of domestically produced household vehicles is changing. The "golden standard" that Dongfeng Yipai is committed to building does not force all indicators to be raised without limit, but rather strives to enable every configuration to deliver tangible practical value in family life.
Standard across all trims: the "Huawei Qiankun six-piece set" (华为乾崑六件套)
Comprehensively enhancing the intelligent experience of family travel
Intelligence is an important direction in the upgrading of the automobile industry, and the Yipai M8 is committed to forming a coordinated and consistent whole-vehicle intelligent experience.
Relying on the collaborative advantages of Dongfeng and Huawei Qiankun in vehicle manufacturing and intelligent technology, the Yipai M8 comes standard with the "Huawei Qiankun six-piece set" across all trims. Upon delivery, the vehicle is equipped with Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 5 Pro, HarmonyOS Cockpit HarmonySpace 5.2, Qiankun Vehicle Cloud, Qiankun Vehicle Control, Whale-Fin Communication, and the HUAWEI SOUND 21-speaker in-car audio system, comprehensively covering six major functions: driving assistance, intelligent cockpit, cloud services, vehicle control, network communication, and in-car audio.
Among them, Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 5 Pro supports full-scenario navigation assistance on highways, urban roads, and in campus/park areas, and is equipped with full-scenario parking assistance functions, effectively enhancing the driving experience of family travel; HarmonyOS Cockpit HarmonySpace 5.2, through natural voice interaction and multi-device connectivity capabilities, improves the usage experience of all cabin occupants; Qiankun Vehicle Cloud provides digital key, remote vehicle-status viewing, whole-vehicle OTA (over-the-air remote software update) upgrades, and remote diagnostic services; Whale-Fin Communication specifically strengthens network connection stability in weak-signal scenarios such as underground garages, tunnels, and rural areas.
A systematic intelligent ecosystem better demonstrates the actual value of the Yipai M8. From the ease of driving assistance and the convenience of parking operations, to the naturalness of vehicle-machine interaction and the stability of network connections, the Yipai M8 optimizes experience details in segmented scenarios, striving to integrate intelligent technology into users' daily travel life.
To eliminate the disparity in intelligent experience among different configuration versions, the Yipai M8 makes this complete intelligent solution standard equipment across all trims, enabling more families to obtain a comprehensive intelligent travel experience within their budgets.
12 CATARC certifications
Fortifying the quality bottom line with long-termism
In an increasingly competitive market environment, product credibility has become the primary consideration in consumer decision-making. To facilitate family consumers in comprehensively understanding product information, at launch the Yipai M8 simultaneously released 12 CATARC (China Automotive Technology and Research Center, 中汽中心) certifications, covering eight major dimensions: battery safety, intelligent safety, handling stability, space comfort, power and range, whole-vehicle energy efficiency, cabin health, and self-developed technology — like issuing a systematic, public quality "physical examination report" for the product.
Starting July 1 this year, two mandatory national standards in the electric vehicle field — "Electric Vehicle Safety Requirements" (GB 18384—2025) and "Safety Requirements for Power Batteries for Electric Vehicles" (GB 38031—2025) — officially came into effect, comprehensively upgrading power battery safety requirements. The Yipai M8 completed CATARC's "four sequential electrical safety challenges": equipped with the Golden Shield Battery featuring CATL high-energy-density cells and adopting a 16,000-ton integrated die-cast battery pack, it successively passed extreme-condition tests on the same test vehicle — traversing a 60-meter rubble road at a maximum speed of 68 km/h, driving 1,050 meters in 400-mm-deep water, enduring 300 seconds of sustained underbody scorching, and having the battery pack withstand 200 kN of lateral squeeze on the X and Y axes respectively.
The 12 CATARC certifications are not limited to the vehicle's own performance, but further cover real usage scenarios of family travel: the "wet-road moose test" was passed with a result of 75.4 km/h, providing stable support for emergency avoidance on rainy days; in-cabin motion-sickness resistance performance is excellent, fully suited to the long-distance riding needs of the elderly and children; the pure-electric version's measured range is 657.6 km, and the extended-range version's measured pure-electric range is 366.6 km, providing a real reference for users' daily commuting and long-distance travel planning; in the cabin air quality certification, the Yipai M8's measured formaldehyde concentrations under both normal-temperature parked conditions and driving conditions are far below national standard limits, fully verifying the cabin's health level.
From vehicle performance to cabin environment, from daily commuting scenarios to extreme-condition tests, the 12 certifications constitute a complete, systematic quality verification system, helping the Yipai M8 transform the "Huapai Golden Standard" from a product proposition into a quality benchmark that is perceptible, verifiable, and trustworthy for users.
At the same time, for first non-commercial owners, Dongfeng Yipai provides lifetime warranty for the whole vehicle and the three-electric system, extending quality assurance from the vehicle delivery stage to the full cycle of users' vehicle-owning life. For consumers, the value of an automobile is reflected not only in the configuration and price at the time of purchase, but also in reliability, maintenance costs, and service assurance during long-term use. This long-term service commitment reflects Dongfeng Yipai's confidence in and responsibility for product quality as a central state-owned enterprise brand supported by deep technical accumulation and manufacturing strength.
With a complete intelligent ecosystem lowering the threshold for experiencing technology, with scenario-based configurations responding to families' real needs, and with authoritative certifications and long-term warranty consolidating the quality foundation, the Yipai M8 provides a new value reference for the household large six-seat SUV market, making standards clearer, experiences more inclusive, and quality more reliable, injecting new momentum into the household large six-seat SUV market as it moves toward a high-quality development stage centered on user value.
Data source: Dongfeng Yipai Automobile Sales (Wuhan) Co., Ltd.
Return to TopBy: 陈年喜
Today is overcast, just right for digging potatoes.
Thinking back, I have not dug potatoes for many years now. Potatoes are planted year after year, dug year after year, and these tasks are all done at home by my spouse Shuxia alone. In my hometown, only two crops are still grown: corn and potatoes. Beans and sorghum are occasionally planted, but so little that they can be ignored. Potatoes and corn are both planted and harvested within the same year; planting and harvesting are both urgent, the yields are high, and they are especially time- and labor-consuming.
Our family still has two mu of relatively level land; the hillside plots have been abandoned, overgrown with weeds and scattered with wild trees. Of the remaining two mu, two-thirds are used to plant corn, and one-third for potatoes. Their harvest is just enough to feed our entire family for one year. By the turn of spring and summer the next year, when the corn runs out, the potatoes are also just finished—they match each other so perfectly. Cooking potatoes in corn porridge is the most traditional way of eating here and also an important staple. I do not know how many years it has been passed down, but we never tire of it. About them, about the days of desolate smoke and spreading weeds, a long essay could be written, one that contains life, life and death, and countless stories—this is the longest and heaviest letter from the human world. I will speak of it specially another day.
In some places, such as Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, and Tibet, potatoes are mostly planted alone, forming their own system, but the method here is intercropping: one row of corn, one row of potatoes. The drawback of this method is that the corn yield decreases, but the potatoes are not affected at all, and may even yield higher. To avoid affecting the annual harvest, every household plants a separate patch of pure corn to make up for the loss. Planting corn alone gives higher yields and also matures earlier. Once the potatoes are dug, the corn, which has no more competitors for nutrients, still has three months of growing season—it puts out top flowers, shoots red tassels, and races toward a bountiful harvest all the way, but of course, it cannot catch up either.
The corn leaves are hanging with dew; after digging only two rows of potatoes, my hair and clothes are completely wet. Whether it is sunny or overcast, the corn leaves are always covered with dew, even in the driest times. This is the secret code of corn. When potatoes are planted, the seed is buried very deep, but when they mature, they are very shallow—a gentle flip of the hoe brings them out. This is the secret code of potatoes. Every crop has its unknown secrets and laws. Potatoes like sandy soil—better aeration, they grow better—but our two mu of land are all yellow clay soil, which makes things hard for the potatoes. When dug out, they are covered in mud, and you have to wait for the mud to dry before you can remove it. Potatoes must be rotated; land that grew potatoes last year cannot be planted again this year, or it will affect the yield. Unlike other families, who have both clay and sandy land, our land is clay no matter how we rotate. But I have found that potatoes grown in yellow clay soil taste better.
Speaking of sandy soil, I cannot help but think of Dingxi. One year, going to Diebu, I changed buses in Dingxi, at Xiangquan Town. That was the truly grand scene of potato digging I have ever seen. The tractor led the way, the plowshare flashing, and potatoes surged out like waves. From afar, the ground was covered with clean, white potatoes, like silkworm babies. The Guanchuan River flowed quietly, and the village houses looked like a scattered set of building blocks. This was land I had never seen before—almost no soil, all gravel, some as big as fists, some as small as beans. On such barren land grew the most delicious potatoes—truly a miracle. At a food stall in front of the station, I ordered three baked potatoes. The taste was rich and fragrant—truly floury, waxy, sandy, and sweet. As I got on the bus to leave, I suddenly thought of that famous "Qinqiang Hua'er" song Potato Flowers Outshine the Peony: "The green smoke from the chimney circles around the old yard / Like my longing clings to the other side of the mountain / I always crave the meals Grandma used to make / Grandpa on the hillside always hums a few lines of Qinqiang / The stubbornness in the bones is like these peaks / Generation after generation, striving to change fate..."
Digging potatoes seems simple, but it is actually a skilled task that really tests one's method. First, you have to find the right place to strike with the hoe; you must strike in the gap between one nest and the next. If you do not find the right spot and strike the head of the nest, half the potato is cut, and a cut potato quickly rots. So, in the season of digging new potatoes, there are always more broken and rotten potatoes than you can eat. No matter how careful you are, some potatoes will always be broken, and most of them are the big ones—it breaks your heart. To keep them from rotting for nothing, people have created many ways to eat them: stir-fried potatoes, boiled potatoes, fried potatoes, braised potatoes. Three meals a day, potatoes become the主打 (mainstay) of the season. Newly dug potatoes taste good no matter how you cook them, but as time goes on, the flavor gradually fades. So, you have to eat potatoes while they are fresh.
Once potatoes are dug, they must be picked up and brought home promptly; otherwise, exposed to the sun, they turn green and taste very numbing. Why this happens, no one knows. This numbing sensation cannot be changed by any amount of seasoning. If a family keeps pigs, the potatoes can be fed to them. Whether pigs feel the numbness, they do not say, so humans have no way of knowing. What humans can know is that after a month of eating potatoes, a pig will put on a lot of meat—much more than it would in two months of normal feeding.
When I was a child, my family planted potatoes—several mu at a time. At harvest time, Father dug in front, and I picked up behind. The gleaming white potatoes seemed endless. It was really hot; the sunlight pricked the skin like needles, and my scalp felt as if an iron was resting on it. So I would break off a paulownia leaf and put it on my head. Paulownia leaves are huge but thin; after a while, the leaf would wilt, and I would break off another leaf to put on. Paulownia leaves have a faint, fresh fragrance, exactly the same as the scent of paulownia flowers. The paulownia flowers leave all their fragrance in the leaves. I heard the wind blowing back and forth on the opposite mountain, stirring the leaves into clouds and rain, but it stubbornly refused to blow over here, into the corn grove.
The rainfall has been good this year; we will dig at least 500 jin of potatoes. The house cannot hold them all, so we will pile them on the ground in the motorcycle shed. The motorcycle is brand new, and the potatoes are brand new too—so new that it is comforting and reassuring. In winter, some of the potatoes will be taken by motorcycle to the county seat, to become people's vegetables and staple food during the long winter.
These past few days, a friend who does physiotherapy in Yinchuan came to visit me at home, and also helped with digging the potatoes. He said, "How strange—every potato here is so white and clean, as glossy and smooth as a beauty!"
My friend's words suddenly carried me far away in time. That year, at Yanmen Pass in Shanxi, it was April. Endless potatoes were growing. A few of us got off the long-distance train and hurried toward a mountain. It was about to get dark; the last rays of sunset on the ancient Great Wall were fading. On a small street, we went from door to door looking for an inn and a restaurant. At the west end of the street, we finally found one. Opening the door to welcome us was the shopkeeper's daughter, as beautiful as a potato flower.
Return to TopBy: 凸 凹
To a person who loves writing, words are of extraordinary significance. For words possess an independent life. The writer is often a long slanting shadow dragged along by words.
For example, text broken into lines is not necessarily poetry, but the momentum of the language in line-broken text can evoke the poetic, causing the writer to 不由自主 (bù yóu zìzhǔ - "not governed by oneself," involuntarily) choose imagery and construct artistic realms. Once a writer enters the linguistic context, he can no longer 为所欲为 (wéi suǒ yù wéi - "do whatever one wishes," act as one pleases). Although it is the writer who creates the work, once the work is completed, it possesses a life of its own. The work has its own mysterious and extensive destiny of "germination."
Superb words are a double reward for the writer's innate talent and acquired cultivation: in relation to innate talent, words are a spontaneous, intoxicating sigh; in relation to acquired cultivation, they are a 意味深长 (yì wèi shēn cháng - "the meaning and flavor are deep and long," pregnant with meaning) rumination. The two are essentially different. The sigh is instinct, is lyricism; the rumination is reason, is thought. That is to say, the writer's glory and dream are built upon the fusion and ebb-and-flow of the relationship between the two.
At the same time, it should also be acknowledged that words have genes.
A person born on the plains, when he sees towering mountains, may have an eerie feeling. In this regard, Goethe once said: "Fundamentally, a person can only adapt to the environment of his birth." A writer's writing is likewise so; words, too, have their own provenance — the environment of life determines, or at least influences, the writer's verbal style — I grew up chewing green apricots, so even words that depict happiness carry a sour and astringent flavor. Qian Zhongshu was a man of the study; even when writing uninhibited novels, his writing is also mostly "word-talk," carrying a 不容分说 (bù róng fēn shuō - "not allowing explanation," peremptory) ease and composure. As for Goethe, because he long served as the director of the Weimar Court Theater, among his tenderly lingering verses there are often didactic passages.
Strangely, a work whose words are ordinary, on the contrary, possesses extraordinary emotional content and quality of thought. For example, Ba Jin's Random Thoughts; for example, Elin Pelin's native-soil fiction.
In this regard, Borges has a classic exposition in his essay "The Superstitious Ethics of the Reader": works endowed with immortal qualities can withstand the test of printing errors, can withstand the test of inferior translations, and can withstand the test of 漫不经心 (màn bù jīng xīn - "careless, not attending in mind," inattentive) reading; they will not lose their essential spirit on this account.
The so-called "essential spirit" can be interpreted as the inner laws of the coming-into-being of things, the developmental tendency of the times (the spirit of the times), the essential characteristics of the existence of human nature — that is, the inner quality of the object of reflection. In other words, it is the emotional content, cultural content, and intellectual content of the "object" itself.
The excavation and revelation of the inner quality of objective things certainly requires the aid of words, but it by no means attaches itself to words. The winning point of words lies in the depth of life, the force of emotion, and the height of thought. In other words, it lies in whether or not one has grasped the pulse of the times, captured the core of life, respected objective laws, and presented the essence of things.
Therefore, the freedom that belongs to the writer is limited — the independent existence of words compels him to have to desperately capture the "afterimage" of words; while the independent existence of the essence of things, transcending words, in turn makes him have to sacrifice the so-called "purity" of words, and to conduct a painstaking pursuit on the plane of "meaning." The former is to draw the tension of "germination"; the latter is to obtain the reason for existence. Therefore, a qualified writer is not only a conscious stylist, but also an observer of reality, a recorder of the times, and a contributor of thought.
In the depths of time, the writer is often a person of self-discipline and restraint. Because the spiritual mission does not allow him to be willful; rather, it makes the use of words submit to the content of life, and makes free writing submit to the accurate reflection of objective things.
Return to TopBy: 杨丽丽
They twist the morning light into a sweat towel
and tie it around sun-tanned necks.
When the shovel is raised,
I see in the soil
hidden the piety of a season.
Ballast is scattered punctuation,
steel rails are straightened line breaks.
The arc of their bending
just catches
the moonlight leaking from the clouds.
Every formwork remembers
the temperature of their palms,
how it made the cold concrete
grow the shape of a road.
The wind wraps gravel
and also wraps their conversation.
The topic always circles around
the direction of the next roadbed,
like it cannot avoid
the children's schoolbags at home
and the elders' clothing and food.
When dusk spreads over the scaffolding,
they smile at the extending steel rails.
That smile contains no poetry,
yet makes every inch of newly laid road
have a heartbeat.
So the most moving lyricism
is never the soft sound of pen and ink —
it is them planting footprints
in the direction where the tracks extend.
The oil painting "Yangshuo (阳朔) Suburban Scenery," by Luo Erchun (罗尔纯), collected by the National Art Museum of China (中国美术馆).
Return to TopBy: 杨舒然
When I came down from Yaofang Village (窑房村), it was nearly 11 a.m. The farmhouses with cartoons painted on their walls were still turning in my head when the wheels had already turned onto the road to Qiling Village (柒零村).
On the way down, I felt a little thirsty and noticed a shop at the roadside.
"Boss, do you have papaya water?" I parked and went in. The papaya water here in Mengzi (蒙自) is very good; they even add rose petals to it. The proprietress nodded. "Yes, I'll make it for you right away."
I looked around. There were three tables outside the shop and only two inside, all of them full of people. Each table at the entrance had a charcoal brazier, with an iron grate set on top, and on the grate potatoes and tofu lay pressed close together.
"Here, your papaya water is ready!" the proprietress called from the pickup window. I hurried over to fetch it. Just then a customer left, and I sat down, putting the ice-cold papaya water near the charcoal brazier. There was an auntie specially tasked with tending the charcoal braziers, turning the potatoes and tofu with chopsticks, her movements brisk.
I watched, spellbound. When I came back to my senses, I leaned over and asked, "Auntie, what is this called?"
"Well, in these parts, we call it roast tofu."
"Auntie, I'm traveling. May I ask where this place is?"
"This place is called 'Xin'ansuo.'"
— Xin, an, suo: heart, peace, place (心安所). I repeated it in my mind.
Since I was here anyway, I might as well try the local snacks too. But how was one supposed to eat it? I watched the uncle beside me. He picked up a piece of roast tofu, broke it open, rolled it in the dipping sauce, and sent it into his mouth. Seeing me watching, the uncle smiled, turned sideways, and demonstrated once for me. The uncle said, "The dipping sauces are set out at the pickup window — there's a soup sauce and also a dry dish. The tofu, break it or don't break it, either is fine."
I followed his example, picking up a piece of tofu, rolling it in the dipping dish, and sending it into my mouth. Hot, fragrant, spicy — and then a flavor that slowly spread outward from deep in my throat. The charcoal fire's heat warmed my face; the food's warmth spread from my throat to my chest; my whole being woke from the drowsiness of travel. At that moment, another sip of papaya water — so refreshing!
The roast tofu and the roast potatoes were five mao each, and I began to 大快朵颐 (dà kuài duǒ yí - "greatly gratify the jaws," to eat with great relish), counting the pieces as I ate. I was a little curious: on the brazier tables were several handfuls of dried corn kernels, yet I hadn't seen them being "roasted." Only after I finished eating and settled the bill did I learn that the golden-yellow corn kernels were used for counting. For each piece of potato or tofu you ate, you put one kernel at the edge of the plate. Truly interesting and plain — no one watched how many you ate; it was entirely up to you to place them.
Before leaving, I turned back for another look and found that the shop did have a sign, on which were written the characters "Xin'an Famous Specialty Snacks" (新安名特小吃). So it was "New Peace Station" (新安所), not "Heart-Peace Place." But I still prefer to call it "Heart-Peace Place" — it made my heart settle down, safe and at peace.
Return to TopBy: 戴永瑞
The western part of Yancheng in Jiangsu belongs to the Lixiahe water town region. Here lies the Dazonghu Wetland Park, with excellent water quality and good soil, abundant in wheat and rice. There is a local saying here: "On the sixth day of the sixth month, eat a piece of crispy scraps to nourish a piece of flesh." In the 1970s and 1980s, early in the morning of the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, every household would steep a large full bowl of jiaoxie (焦屑, toasted grain crumbs). The rich fragrance filled that early morning, accompanied by the scent of gardenia flowers and the fresh smell of rice seedlings, fixed forever in my memory.
At the beginning of the sixth month, every family would stir-fry their reserved wheat or glutinous rice until done. The fragrance that had accumulated for a long time burst forth. After stir-frying, it would be ground into crumbs — that was jiaoxie. In those days, in our village, this alluring aroma was everywhere.
On the morning of the sixth day of the sixth month, several large bowls were placed on the dining table. Mother had already steeped jiaoxie with sesame oil and white sugar early in the morning. Before Mother could call us, we would joyfully jump out of bed, jostling and squeezing, grabbing our bowls and slurping it down noisily. Mother would hurriedly remind us: Eat slowly, it might choke you. Mother said: "On the sixth day of the sixth month, eat a piece of crispy scraps to nourish a piece of flesh." We brothers would count aloud, calculating: one piece, two pieces, three pieces. Our earnest expressions made the adults laugh at us for many days.
People also liked to take jiaoxie with them when going out. When hungry, they would take a lick, and the jiaoxie seemed to turn into boundless strength, filling their whole body. After finishing work and returning home, feeling hungry, it was best to steep a bowl of jiaoxie to stave off hunger before the meal was served. Most people liked to add a spoonful of white sugar, plus a bit of sesame oil, brew it with boiling water, and stir constantly with chopsticks. The natural fragrance of jiaoxie would be quickly released once again. In households with a three- or five-year-old child who woke up crying at night from hunger, steeping a bowl of jiaoxie, adding some brown sugar, and dripping in a few drops of sesame oil would calm the child down.
When I was in high school, I lived at school and could only go home once a week. In those days, jiaoxie was mostly made from glutinous rice, and its flavor was much more fragrant, much more glutinous, and much sweeter than that made from wheat. Each time Mother would pack jiaoxie into a bag and let me take it to school. I would always put a few spoonfuls of jiaoxie into my congee and stir, eating it with the pickled vegetables Mother had made — it was delicious.
Now the water town has become a veritable "land of fish and rice." Aquatic products such as hairy crabs, green shrimp, white spiral snails, etc., are sold far and wide. Far-sighted people have even set their sights on jiaoxie, turning it into a special meal-replacement food for sale. A few days ago, I went to a friend's home in the city as a guest. While chatting idly, I saw a bag of jiaoxie in his home. In unison, we both exclaimed: "Steep a bowl of jiaoxie!" We laughed from the heart, both of us as if we had returned to childhood, returned to the hometown we had long left behind. The breath of the water town, the fresh fragrance of grass and trees, suddenly overflowed from the depths of memory.
Return to TopBy: 胡国栋
The anti-slip red carpet at the entrance of the mess hall had been laid for two or three days. The muddy water from the rain had soaked its color a bit darker, and the edges had frayed.
The rain drizzled all day long. Captain Zhang came out of the mess hall, stepped onto it, and his pace paused slightly.
“Instructor Hou.” He beckoned to Political Instructor Hou behind him. “Take a look at this carpet.”
“The mess hall put thought into it.” Political Instructor Hou nodded.
“Last time we picked up the students, it was this carpet we borrowed from the mess hall.” Captain Zhang smiled. “Seeing this old friend, I suddenly had an idea.”
In the sound of the rain, there was a moment of silence.
“These past few days, our unit has had no shortage of good news. The 400-meter obstacle course record was broken, we won the special prize in modeling, and papers were published in journals. But these lads, their enthusiasm comes fast and goes fast. Once finals month arrives, that momentum is going to scatter again.”
Political Instructor Hou said, “The way they do things, it really is in fits and starts.”
“We’ve handed out the awards and hung the flags, but I still feel something is missing. Just now I thought, why not set up a stage for them, let those who get things done come out and show themselves.”
Political Instructor Hou said nothing, his gaze falling on that old red carpet. After a long moment, he looked up and exchanged a smile with Captain Zhang.
That same afternoon, the rain hadn’t stopped yet. The two of them called several backbone members of the Youth League branch (团支部) to the unit office.
“Walk the red carpet? Like movie stars?” one backbone member joked. Another backbone member furrowed his brow: “Isn’t that a bit flashy?”
Political Instructor Hou took over the conversation: “Last year, a graduating student told me he couldn’t figure it out — people who bury their heads in work, it’s as if no one sees them.”
“Then how should we organize it better?” someone asked.
“It’s not complicated,” Captain Zhang said. “I remember there’s a red carpet in the storeroom — take it out and lay it down the corridor. Hang the photos of the awardees on both sides. On the day of the ceremony, let them walk the red carpet, and Instructor Hou and I will put the sashes on them in the Honor Room.”
“That carpet in the storeroom isn’t long enough,” said the Youth League branch secretary.
“Can we borrow the mess hall one?”
“The mess hall’s red carpet…” The Youth League branch secretary paused. “The edges are already torn.”
“The torn part is fine,” Political Instructor Hou continued. “We must not forget our roots. When you first came to the academy, wasn’t it this very carpet that welcomed you in?”
Over the next few days, the Youth League branch members busied themselves. They put red silk flowers on each awardee, took photos, and hung the photos neatly on both sides of the corridor. When the lights shone on the walls, an ordinary corridor took on a little bit of splendor.
The new red carpet was laid down the middle of the photo wall, all the way to the threshold of the Honor Room. The old red carpet was spliced onto the last section, its edges polished bright from wear. The two carpets joined together, as if two eras had met.
On the evening of the red-carpet walk, the rain stopped. The awardees stepped onto the red carpet one by one. The host read out their names and honors beside them; with each name, a burst of cheers erupted from the corridor. Someone called out loudly: “That’s from our squad!” The sound waves crashed back and forth through the corridor. When they reached the end of the red carpet, Captain Zhang and Political Instructor Hou greeted them and personally put the sash on each person.
Finally, everyone gathered in the Honor Room, and the host asked the awardee representatives to say a few words. After some back-and-forth refusals, the eyes fell on Ni Xuan (倪轩). He had just broken the school record in the 400-meter obstacle course. Ni Xuan stood up, adjusted his sash, scratched the back of his head, and said: “That old carpet, I step on it every day and never really paid attention. Today when I stepped on it, I realized…” He paused, his voice dropping a little: “It felt like coming home.”
The applause lasted a long time.
Captain Zhang walked to the front and motioned for everyone to quiet down. He cleared his throat: “Ni Xuan said it felt like coming home. That’s right — coming home. The door to Instructor Hou’s and my office is always open to you. The road is long — let’s walk it slowly.”
Political Instructor Hou stepped forward and said: “Let me add one thing — just now, when we came in, it was the awardees who walked the red carpet. But tonight, this red carpet is also laid for all of you. In a moment, everyone go and walk on it.”
The applause rose again, louder than before.
Chen Rui (陈瑞) and two teammates stayed at the back. Their group had pulled three all-nighters for the National College Student Mathematical Contest in Modeling, revising the plan several times, and in the end missed the shortlist by just a little. Chen Rui stood by the old carpet for a while, looked up at the end of the corridor, patted his teammate on the shoulder, and said: “Come on, let’s go step on it too. Soak up some good luck — next time we’ll definitely take it.”
“Alright!” The three of them stepped onto it. Step by step.
When he reached the dormitory door, Chen Rui looked back once more. On the old carpet, footprints of varying depths overlapped, impossible to tell whose they were.
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