Summary: Zhu Rongji, former Premier of China and a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, died in Beijing on August 12, 2026, at age 98. The official obituary highlighted his role in advancing economic reforms, including tax and financial system restructuring, state-owned enterprise reform, and China's accession to the World Trade Organization. It also credited him with handling the Asian financial crisis, managing inflation, and promoting the development of Pudong and foreign-oriented economy. No U.S.-China relations or accompanying officials were mentioned in the text. The announcement was jointly issued by the CPC Central Committee, the NPC Standing Committee, the State Council, and the CPPCC National Committee.
Summary: President Xi Jinping urged that AI development be guided by human wisdom and international consensus to benefit all humanity, speaking at the 2026 World AI Conference opening. China highlighted its growing AI strengths, including the open-source Kimi K3 model and governance frameworks promoting safety and inclusivity. The article contrasts a U.S. *New York Times* commentary framing AI paths as "nuclear weapons" versus "nuclear energy," with China advocating open and shared AI development. It also underscores China’s global governance efforts, such as establishing the World AI Cooperation Organization and pledging training for developing countries to bridge digital divides.
Summary: The article summarizes ongoing efforts by local Chinese governments and party units to instill correct performance metrics through study and rectification, focusing on resolving public concerns and addressing "new officials ignoring old debts." In Ningxia Yinchuan, 28 key issues were cataloged for cross-agency resolution, while the China Electronics Technology Group adopted measures to address historical investment violations. Zhejiang Lishui and other regions compiled rectification lists to tackle infrastructure and housing registration problems; Xizang Changdu resolved a long-standing funding gap for retired workers' nursing fees. The report also details disaster response in Guangdong Huizhou, elderly meal programs in Beijing Pinggu, and asset-reuse initiatives in Fujian Zhangzhou, alongside institutional reforms in Qinghai's evaluation systems and Hainan's coastal environmental restoration.
Summary: The article reports on China's服务业 (service sector) growth, with上半年 value-added up 5.2%, and highlights a July 30 Politburo meeting calling for expanded domestic demand and service consumption. It notes Xi Jinping's remarks at the first national service industry conference in Beijing, emphasizing the need to upgrade service quality and build "China Service" brands. Local governments, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing, are implementing plans to strengthen their service sectors. The piece argues that fostering service brands is crucial for economic transformation, rising consumption patterns, and boosting total factor productivity. No mention of the United States or bilateral relations.
Summary: The article reports that the real-ship test for the Pinglu Canal, a key project of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, commenced on August 12. The phased test will verify navigation under normal and adverse conditions, as well as the effectiveness of all navigational aids, preparing the canal for its planned opening in September. The canal is described as the first large-scale waterway of its kind since the founding of New China, providing the most direct, economical, and convenient sea passage for the southwestern region. Four representative vessels, ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 tons, will test various scenarios including dual-lock transits, curve encounters, and nighttime navigation. The test also covers six high-risk scenarios such as dam releases and typhoon surges. No specific officials or accompanying personnel were mentioned in the report.
Summary: China’s first national-level special plan on expanding consumption, the "15th Five-Year Plan" for Expanding Consumption, sets a target for retail sales of consumer goods to reach approximately 60 trillion yuan by 2030, up from 50.12 trillion yuan in 2025. A National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) official stated that the consumption market is entering a key period for quality and scale expansion, with solid foundations, clear upgrading trends, and ample innovation vitality. A research fellow from the Ministry of Commerce’s academy described the target as feasible, citing strong support conditions. Wang Yun, deputy director of the Xi Jinping Economic Thought Research Center, emphasized strengthening employment-first policies and improving incomes to bolster consumption. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article discusses a Chinese government plan ("规划") to boost consumption as a driver of economic growth and quality of life. It outlines targeted measures to expand spending in areas such as elderly care, childcare, and education. The plan aims to generate 10 trillion yuan in consumption over five years, underpinned by improving the consumer experience. No specific officials or their statements are mentioned, nor is there any reference to the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article highlights the story of Zhejiang's Huangdu Village, which overcame poverty through tea cultivation and now helps counties in Guizhou, Sichuan, and Hunan achieve common prosperity by sharing seedlings, technology, and experience. It emphasizes that common prosperity is achieved through collective hard work and innovation, not through waiting or redistribution, and must be pursued within high-quality development. The piece frames common prosperity as a fundamental goal of socialism and Chinese-style modernization, requiring long-term, step-by-step efforts with both a growing and fairly distributed "pie." It notes that over 1200 million urban jobs created annually and improved life expectancy reflect progress under the "14th Five-Year Plan." The narrative concludes by reaffirming that achieving common prosperity and modernization relies on the leadership of Xi Jinping and the unified efforts of all Chinese people.
Summary: China's automobile production and sales from January to July reached 17.567 million and 17.602 million units, respectively, with new energy vehicle (NEV) sales seeing nearly 10% year-on-year growth. In July, NEVs accounted for over 60% of monthly new car sales for the first time, and their cumulative share exceeded 50%. Auto exports remained robust, surpassing one million vehicles for two consecutive months in June and July. NEV exports in July rose 145.5% year-on-year, comprising over 50% of total exports for the second straight month. No U.S.-related content or official statements were reported.
Summary: Chinese state media reported that Air China’s C919 aircraft, operating flight CA723, landed at Mongolia’s new Ulaanbaatar airport on August 12, marking the first international scheduled commercial route for China’s domestically produced large passenger jet. The article noted that Air China’s C919 fleet has reached 12 aircraft, with over 12,000 safe flights, more than 1.62 million passengers carried, and over 10 routes launched.
Summary: The July China e-commerce logistics index fell slightly to 111.2, reflecting the end of promotional campaigns and a return to normal market operations, though overall business volumes remain above the annual average with over 20% year-on-year growth. Regional data showed upticks in western and northeastern areas, while the eastern region stayed flat. On the supply side, inventory turnover improved for three consecutive months and logistics service quality continued to rise since February, while cost pressures eased. Separately, the July warehouse index rose to 50.3%, remaining in expansion for two straight months, and Yang Biao, deputy general manager of Zhongchu Development, attributed the resilience to strong industry fundamentals despite severe weather. The report anticipates e-commerce logistics to stabilize and recover in August, supported by sustained summer consumption and policy effects.
Summary: The article highlights China’s first agricultural robot “4S store” in Wuxi, Jiangsu, as part of the “15th Five-Year Plan” goal to improve agricultural technology extension through both public welfare and market-based models. The store showcases ten types of robots—such as inspection, harvesting, and logistics robots—developed by the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center’s smart agriculture robot institute to cover the full cycle of fruit and vegetable production. Institute director Wu Hao explained that the “4S” stands for display experience, sales delivery, technical service, and customized solutions, with profitability targeted by 2028. The store also provides integrated solutions for clients, including customized robots, on-site technical training, and algorithm support. It has served nearly ten customers and plans to expand via self-operated and franchised outlets to more agricultural regions.
Summary: A German engineer named Coris and his Chinese wife Jiang Xiaohua moved to Taicang, China in 2023 to found a startup, Xiaoke Zhixing, after identifying market gaps in air suspension compressors for new energy vehicles. Coris reported that China's supportive innovation environment, local government "service specialists" facilitating all bureaucratic processes, and a complete supply chain enabled rapid technological breakthroughs. He noted that the Chinese government’s long-term, whole-process services and policy continuity allow foreign entrepreneurs to invest confidently in R&D. The article highlights China's efforts to attract foreign talent amid its push for core technology breakthroughs in emerging industries.
Summary: The article emphasizes that the Tokyo Trial remains the legal cornerstone of the post-WWII order, holding Japan accountable for its war crimes. It condemns persistent efforts by Japanese right-wing forces to deny the trial's validity through three main arguments: that it was "victor's justice," relied on "ex post facto law," or constitutes a "self-flagellating view of history." The author warns that such revisionism aims to enable Japan's remilitarization and undermine international trust. The piece concludes that Japan must fully accept the Tokyo Trial's conclusions to maintain its credibility and commitment to peaceful development.
Summary: President Xi Jinping, speaking at the opening of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference, urged that AI development be guided by human wisdom and international consensus to benefit all humanity. The article details China's efforts to advance global AI governance through open-source models, safety frameworks, and cooperation initiatives, including plans to train 5,000 developing-country professionals. It cites a U.S. media commentary comparing frontier AI paths to "nuclear weapons" versus "nuclear energy," contrasting competitive and cooperative approaches. China positions itself as a leader in open-source AI, with over 10 billion global downloads and six of the world's top ten generative AI patent applicants headquartered in China. The piece emphasizes China's commitment to closing digital divides and promoting inclusive, safe AI development worldwide.
Summary: An official data release from the Indonesia-China High-Speed Railway Company reported that in the first half of 2026, the Jakarta-Bandung high-speed railway operated 10,640 trains, with a punctuality rate of 99.4%. A customer satisfaction survey found overall satisfaction at 95.79%, with the highest rating for on-time performance at 98.27%, followed by staff professionalism and safety guarantees. The company attributed the strong performance to an integrated high-speed railway operation system, featuring centralized real-time dispatch and monitoring of all trains. No mention was made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports that the CCP Central Politburo held meetings on June 30 and July 30, instructing departments to enhance flood and drought prevention efforts with a focus on risk inspections and emergency response. It highlights coordinated actions by multiple agencies, including the Emergency Management Ministry, which emphasized heightened monitoring and training for northern regions. The Ministry of Water Resources and the China Meteorological Administration detailed use of advanced forecasting models, drones, and satellite tech for early warnings. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Heavy rainfall hit Henan, Hebei, Beijing and other regions on August 12, prompting the Central Meteorological Observatory to issue orange rainstorm and geological hazard warnings. The Ministry of Water Resources held a special meeting to assess Typhoon "Baitu" residual circulation and issued targeted alerts to 11 provinces, while maintaining flood control emergency responses. The National Flood Control Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management jointly raised Henan's emergency response to Level III and kept Level IV responses for other provinces, with five work groups deployed. The National Disaster Prevention and Reduction Committee, together with the Ministry of Emergency Management and the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration, allocated 20,000 relief items to Hebei and Henan. The Ministry of Transport maintained its heavy rain response and dispatched targeted guidance to Henan's transport department.
Summary: A group of eight students and teachers from Yangzhou University visited Yudu County in Jiangxi, where the Central Red Army began its Long March in October 1934. They toured the memorial monument, the first crossing site, and the museum, learning how local civilians provided over 800 boats and materials to build a pontoon bridge, and the county contributed tens of thousands to the Red Army. The students also experienced a 5.2-kilometer walk along the original military trail and watched an immersive theatrical performance reenacting the army’s departure. Yudu has developed its “Long March Source” brand by transforming red resources into educational immersive experiences, attracting over 165,000 off-site students so far this year. The initiative has boosted combined income from red education and tourism by 30% year-on-year, enhancing both heritage transmission and local development.
Summary: The article reports on campaigns across Chinese regions and agencies to promote "correct performance views," with officials focusing on resolving longstanding public grievances, such as "new officials ignoring old debts." Specific actions include宁夏银川 identifying 28 outstanding issues and assigning 24 rectification units, while Zhejiang Lishui established a task list to address project delays and housing registration problems. In Tibet, the Changdu Finance Bureau coordinated funds to pay overdue subsidies for 51 retired cadres, and Fujian Zhangzhou transformed 20 idle urban corners into public spaces benefiting 122,000 households. The piece details how Beijing Pinggu launched free weekend breakfasts for elderly residents, Jiangsu Suqian streamlined approval processes by over 25%, and Qinghai Xining revised 601 institutional mechanisms across evaluation, supervision, and social welfare. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Due to Typhoon Baitianhu, the scheduled August 5 "small fishing season" in the Yellow Sea was postponed. On August 12, various specially licensed fishing boats set sail for the fishing grounds. The accompanying photo shows vessels departing from the Ganyu District port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, heading to the Yellow Sea.
Summary: The article reports that trade in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region reached a record high of 3.05 trillion yuan in the first seven months of the year, a 15.6% increase year-on-year. Exports rose 12% and imports 17.2%, with monthly figures exceeding 4500 billion yuan for four consecutive months. State-owned enterprises saw 18% growth and private enterprises 22.5% growth. Trade with Belt and Road countries increased 5.3%, while trade with 53 African nations grew by 23.1%. The article does not mention any officials or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports that the Yellow River has maintained continuous flow for 27 consecutive years since 1999, with the Lijin hydrological station recording a real-time flow of 2,030 cubic meters per second. The Yellow River Conservancy Commission, in coordination with provincial authorities and reservoir managers, implemented strict water scheduling and avoided any low-flow warnings. Ecological water replenishment efforts included 459 million cubic meters to Ulansuhai Lake and 216 million cubic meters to the Yellow River Delta. Additionally, 346 million cubic meters were diverted to Hebei Province, supporting the Grand Canal's full connectivity for five consecutive years in coordination with the South-to-North Water Diversion Project's eastern route. No U.S. or U.S.-China relations are mentioned.
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Summary: This article emphasizes the necessity for Communist Party officials to adopt a "people-centered" approach to governance, warning against "self-righteous" decision-making that ignores actual public needs. Citing Xi Jinping’s long-standing principles, the text argues that effective leadership requires deep investigation and empathy to avoid superficial or counterproductive policies. It highlights the importance of addressing difficult, long-standing social grievances and seeking root causes rather than merely treating symptoms. Ultimately, the piece posits that true political achievement is measured by the tangible well-being of the masses rather than subjective administrative metrics.
Summary: China's new Renewable Energy Consumption Responsibility System, effective August 1, mandates minimum renewable consumption quotas for provinces and industrial sectors, aiming to shift renewable power from optional to mandatory. The article states that this policy combines "policy push and market pull" to address green trade barriers such as carbon tariffs, which pressure exporters, and to bridge the gap between China's high renewable capacity and its under-monetized green value. It highlights innovations like cross-regional green electricity trading and consumer-facing green certificate purchases via apps. The article concludes by noting international assessments that China's renewable technology breakthroughs have accelerated global adoption by at least a decade.
Summary: A villager in Qianshan, Anhui, donated a historical grain loan certificate from his grandfather to a local memorial, prompting the city government to honor the debt with a ¥70,000 reward. The article frames this as evidence of the Communist Party’s unwavering commitment to promises, citing revolutionary-era discipline and modern policies—such as poverty alleviation and green development—as examples. It contrasts China’s vow-keeping with individual countries that renege on climate pledges (a clear reference to the United States). The piece argues that such promised delivery reflects the Party’s deep bond with the people and its role as a reliable global leader. This narrative reinforces the CCP’s legitimacy through historical and contemporary acts of fidelity.
Summary: China's ports, a barometer of foreign trade, saw a 56.4% year-on-year increase in cargo ship departure tonnage in July, with growth accelerating 38.9 percentage points from June. Roll-on/roll-off vessel tonnage surged 87.1%, reflecting sustained high growth in auto exports. The upward trend in foreign trade indicates rising global recognition of Chinese manufacturing. No specific officials or U.S.-China relations are mentioned in the article.
Summary: The article criticizes Chinese dramas for a "floating sickness," citing an example where a TV show features absurdly perfect exam scores that viewers mocked as randomly generated. It identifies two main problems: life is filtered into unrealistic perfection, and plot logic is sacrificed for contrived drama. This harms works because audiences need believable, emotionally resonant stories grounded in real life. The piece notes that viewers increasingly reject hollow, formulaic narratives and value raw, authentic expressions of ordinary life. It concludes that art must stay rooted in reality to truly move people.
Summary: A senior official from Jiangsu Hengshun Vinegar Industry, also a traditional vinegar master with 26 years of experience, emphasized that intangible cultural heritage must evolve with the times. He described balancing "preserving tradition" (shouzheng) with innovation, such as optimizing the fermentation process from “12810” to “12610” and standardizing sensory parameters into quantifiable norms. He also detailed how his team adapted Jiangnan vinegar-making techniques for the high-altitude conditions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to produce barley vinegar. The official stressed that traditional craftsmanship should not be fossilized but must retain vitality through systematic talent cultivation via master studios. The article was compiled by People's Daily reporter Yao Xueqing.
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Summary: The article highlights the Shanghai Armed Police's 10th Squadron, which has conducted 76,617 Party history lectures, performed 682 community services, and maintained 10,071 days of accident-free duty. Stationed in the Huangpu core business district, the squadron upholds the legacy of the "Good Eighth Company on Nanjing Road" and trains soldiers through strict discipline and historical education. Instructor Yang Lei emphasized that new soldiers learn the unit's traditions and are inspired by role models, such as flag squad leader Wen Huajian, who refined recruits into disciplined guards. The squadron has also produced over 140 volunteer docents for the First CPC Congress Memorial Hall, and soldier Zhong Zhihao recounted his arduous training to become a qualified explainer. The unit additionally runs monthly service days offering shoe repair, hairdressing, and other small acts, fostering a culture of humble community service.
Summary: In 2022, President Xi Jinping wrote a letter encouraging the 10th Squadron of the 4th Guard of the Shanghai Armed Police Corps to uphold the great founding spirit and serve as "sentinels under the neon lights" in the new era. The squadron, which inherited both the duties and the working style of the famed "Good Eighth Company," emphasizes revolutionary tradition by studying Party history and serving as docents at the CPC's First Congress Memorial Hall. Their loyalty is also demonstrated through practical services for the people, such as shoe repair and haircuts. Over time, the squadron’s personnel have turned over, but their commitment to the people remains unchanged. The article does not discuss the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The China Meteorological Administration and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly released the "15th Five-Year Plan for National Comprehensive Meteorological Observation System Construction," outlining priorities for the next five years. The plan aims to optimize observation layouts, enhance resource coordination, and improve operational synergy and product services to support meteorological disaster prevention and socioeconomic development. It emphasizes building a modern, integrated, intelligent, and precise observation system covering land, sea, air, and space, with multi-sectoral coordination. The system will expand beyond atmospheric monitoring to include multi-sphere Earth system elements, and focus on translating data into products for disaster response, climate change adaptation, and industrial needs.
Summary: On August 12, 2026, the Digital Intelligence Economy Forum was held in Langfang, Hebei, attended by central and local government officials, industry representatives, and experts. The forum focused on leveraging digitalization and AI for development, with the People's Daily Cultural Technology Company releasing a "5A Framework" for enterprise intelligent transformation. Participants emphasized the need to prioritize innovation, security, and inclusivity, applying digital advancements to public services and elderly care to bridge digital gaps and ensure benefits for all.
Summary: The Xinjiang Development and Reform Commission has issued a new regulation to manage comprehensive bid evaluation experts and their database, aiming to ensure fairness in bidding activities. The regulation establishes a closed-loop management system covering expert recruitment, in-service evaluation, and removal, with strict entry criteria and a lifelong accountability mechanism. Experts face dynamic assessments, individual files, and a "one evaluation, one review" system, while removals and penalties are clearly defined. The Commission will also develop detailed implementation rules for performance standards and compensation. No U.S. or U.S.-China relations content was mentioned.
Summary: The article profiles Sang Nancai, a postal worker in a remote Nujiang canyon village who has delivered mail for 38 years despite dangerous terrain and weather. It recounts his life-threatening experiences, including a flood in 1997 and an injury that cost part of a finger, as well as his efforts to find recipients of vaguely addressed letters and ensure admission notices reach students on time. The piece notes that road improvements and motorcycles later increased efficiency, and that Sang has learned e-commerce and drone operation to better serve villagers. It emphasizes his dedication to the community, having covered over 400,000 kilometers and delivered 1.5 million items. No U.S. or U.S.-China relations are mentioned.
Summary: China's service sector grew steadily in the first half of 2025, with added value up 5.2% year-on-year, outpacing overall GDP growth by 0.5 percentage points. The Politburo meeting on July 30 emphasized expanding domestic demand and tapping service consumption potential. In April, a national service industry conference in Beijing, the first of its kind in the new era, was convened; President Xi Jinping stressed advancing producer services toward specialization and higher value chains, developing consumer services for high quality and diversification, and fostering more "China Service" brands. The article outlines a national push to build a 100 trillion yuan service sector by 2030 as a systemic upgrade for high-quality development, focusing on innovation, quality, and opening-up, though it does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
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Summary: A China General Chamber of Commerce survey shows weekly foot traffic at malls and outlets rebounded from late June to early August, driven by summer tourism and family spending. The article highlights innovative "cooling" consumer goods, such as Nantong-based companies developing tech-enhanced bedding like silkworm-protein mats and gel pillows. In Yiwu, creative mosquito repellent patches incorporating natural ingredients and traditional cultural designs have become a hot-selling export item. Health drink makers like Genki Forest and COFCO Coca-Cola are launching low-sugar and "New Chinese-style" beverages. No U.S. or U.S.-China relations were mentioned.
Summary: The article reports on the revival of Qinqiang opera as a summer tourist draw in Xi'an, with performances staged in bars, streets, and cultural districts. The Yisushe Cultural Block blends traditional opera with trendy venues like Livehouses, attracting both locals and visitors. Tourists can also try opera skills, costumes, and interactive performances at film studios and scenic spots. Officials are promoting a themed campaign linking the hit TV drama "Protagonist" with Qinqiang and Shaanxi tourism. Over 530 performances reached more than 200,000 people during the summer.
Summary: In Sichuan’s Guang'an District, rice in Huaqiao Town has entered the harvest period. Local authorities have deployed farm machinery to take advantage of sunny weather for mechanized harvesting. The photo, taken on August 11, shows a machine operator in Sanli Village transferring freshly harvested rice from a combine harvester to a truck.
Summary: The All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) launched a new "Work-break Tai Chi Exercise" program, also known as the "Meridian-Nourishing Exercise." The program will release weekly instructional videos on the "Worker's Home" app and ACFTU's official channels, with online livestream classes every Wednesday. The exercise routine integrates elements from tai chi, five-animal frolics, and other traditional health practices into 24 forms requiring no equipment. Designed for flexible practice, it aims to help workers maintain fitness during short breaks. No mention was made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: A Chinese defense research team led by Chang Chao, in collaboration with Beijing Tiantan Hospital's He Jianghong and Yang Yi, reported the first successful human clinical trial using terahertz waves to repair brain function in patients with consciousness disorders. The trial employed precise intraoperative terahertz stimulation combined with deep brain stimulation, effectively enhancing neural connectivity and promoting neural function recovery. The study validates the safety and feasibility of this novel neurotechnology, and the team has since developed a non-contact terahertz brain-computer interface. The research opens new technical pathways for treating cognitive impairments, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease, with findings published in *Nature Communications* and other journals.
Summary: Wang Minghua, a Nanjing Agricultural University graduate, returned to his hometown of Yongxing in Hainan to cultivate lychees on volcanic rock terrain, aiming to recreate the flavor of his childhood. He manages over 400 mu of orchards, focusing on the premium variety "Xinqiu Mili" and emphasizing quality over scale. Wang also helps local farmers reduce costs by recommending cheaper domestic agrochemicals instead of imported ones, and acts as an intermediary connecting them to buyers. During harvest season from May to July, his operation generates significant seasonal employment and income for the community. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
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Summary: The article reports that SAIC-GM and GAC-Honda renewed their joint-venture agreements, extending them to 2047 and 2038 respectively. SAIC chairman Wang Xiaoqiu stated the transition from solving “whether we have” to answering “whether we are strong” in the new “joint-venture 2.0 era.” Honda and GAC aims to accelerate the transition to smart new-energy vehicles, while the new model shifts from “technology for market” to integrated development with Chinese teams taking product-definition authority. The article also highlights a shift from “in China, for China” to “in China, for the world,” with SAIC-GM planning to export vehicles globally using foreign partners’ networks. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports that Sino-foreign joint-venture and foreign auto brands lost passenger-vehicle market share in China in the first half of the year, yet joint-venture renewals remain enthusiastic and cooperation is deepening. It attributes the decline to outdated “global car” models and slow electric/smart-technology transitions, while citing new cooperative models such as SAIC-GM delegating product definition to Chinese teams, GAC Honda basing development on Chinese users, and Changan Mazda becoming Mazda’s global new-energy R&D and export base. The piece argues joint ventures are shifting from one-way technology imports to two-way empowerment, including reverse exports to global markets. These examples involve U.S., Japanese, and other foreign partners, signaling closer ties between China’s and the world’s auto industries.
Summary: Longnan City in Gansu Province has developed a major olive industry, with 1.2 million mu planted and annual output value reaching 5 billion yuan. Local officials including Li Xinlin, director of the Olive Research Institute, and Tang Rangyun of the Forestry and Grassland Bureau highlighted achievements in cultivar domestication, raising suitable altitudes from 900 to 1,600 meters, and developing space-bred seedlings from the Shenzhou-14 mission. Deputy director Liu Ting described measures to mitigate summer rainfall effects through drainage systems and targeted irrigation. Zhang Tao, director of the Wudu District Olive Industry Development Office, reported that the industry benefits over 200,000 people across 320 villages, with 25 world-class production lines and 80+ product types. The article notes full utilization of olive trees at 70%, but makes no mention of the United States or bilateral relations.
Summary: The 2026 Shanghai Book Fair and “Scholarly China” Shanghai Week opened on August 12. This year’s event expands its “dual main venue plus X+N” model, designating the Shanghai Exhibition Center and Shanghai Book City as the two main sites. The fair aims to push resources down to community-level venues to foster a citywide reading atmosphere. It will run until August 18.
Summary: China's Ministry of Finance issued 15 billion yuan in sovereign bonds in Hong Kong on August 12, with strong investor demand reflected in a subscription ratio of 4.67 times. The issuance included tranches with maturities of 2, 3, 5, 15, and 30 years, carrying interest rates ranging from 1.27% to 2.24%. The bonds were offered to institutional investors. The report did not mention any statements by officials or accompanying figures, nor did it discuss U.S.-China relations.
Summary: For the first seven months of 2024, the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area reported a 20.7% year-on-year increase in imports and exports, reaching 6.27 trillion yuan, contributing 24.2% to national trade growth. Private enterprises accounted for 67.6% of total trade, with their imports and exports growing 27%. Hong Kong surpassed ASEAN as the region's largest trading partner, with trade rising 48.2%. Exports of electromechanical products grew 15.2%, comprising 71.7% of total exports, while import growth outpaced exports by 27.3 percentage points, reflecting a push toward balanced trade. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Bank of China's Hubei branch provided a 10 million yuan technology credit loan to Zhongke Fanyu (Wuhan) Technology Co., Ltd., an AI firm developing large language models for smart government and healthcare, after assessing its patents and market prospects. To address tech firms' "light assets, lack of collateral" challenges, the branch introduced digital credit models, extending over 26 billion yuan in credit limit to more than 400 such enterprises across the province. The branch, together with PICC, launched the "Zhongbaorongton" financing and insurance package for pilot-scale projects, with Hubei Luoneng Technology becoming the first beneficiary to receive a 3 million yuan short-term loan. It also expedited a 660 million yuan syndicated loan for a polarizer project crucial to the province's optoelectronics supply chain. Branch head Yu Qun stated the bank aims to continuously contribute to Hubei's tech industry upgrading.
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Summary: China's Ecological Environment Code, adopted in March 2026 and effective August 2026, is the world’s first law named after "ecological environment," marking a shift from fragmented legislation to systematic governance. President Xi Jinping highlighted that the code reinforces the legal foundation for building a beautiful China. The code integrates pollution control, ecological protection, and green low-carbon development into a unified framework, offering a model for developing countries to balance economic growth with environmental protection. It embodies the philosophy of "harmony between humanity and nature," rejecting the Western dichotomy of "subject-object" separation. The code’s "moderate codification" approach establishes a flexible yet comprehensive legal paradigm, signaling China’s transformation from a participant to a leader in global environmental governance.
Summary: The article cites President Xi Jinping's directive to develop an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences, emphasizing the need to address Chinese realities and advance theoretical innovation. It reports on the progress of Chinese political science since 2013, including the refinement of academic frameworks, emergence of distinctive concepts (e.g., "people's democracy," "Chinese governance"), and enhanced service to national decision-making. The text acknowledges remaining difficulties such as insufficient systematicization and limited international discourse power. It concludes by urging scholars to further theorize Chinese modernization, explain the political logic of China's path, and contribute to a shared human future, positioning these efforts as a response to global shifts. No mention of the United States or US-China relations was found.
Summary: The article argues that expanding high-quality supply of goods and services is essential for boosting consumption and resolving structural supply-demand mismatches in China’s economy. It cites Xi Jinping’s call at last year’s Central Economic Work Conference to adapt to consumption structure changes, and a July Politburo meeting’s emphasis on effectively expanding domestic demand and improving quality supply for different consumer groups. Noting per capita GDP has surpassed $13,000, it says consumption is shifting from quantity to quality and that supply-side reforms are needed to unlock potential demand. The piece highlights 2025 first-half retail sales growth of 2.7% and recommends using technology, service consumption, and opening-up—including import expos and inbound tourism—to create new demand.
Summary: The article reports on how three Chinese districts—Taishan in Shandong, Shangyu in Zhejiang, and Yunyan in Guizhou—are fostering the embodied intelligence industry through data collection and real-world applications. In Taishan, local data company official Zhou Feng noted that residents like Zhu Chuanzhen become data collectors for robot training, supported by policy and job creation. In Shangyu, scenario office director Jin Quanwei highlighted the use of dangerous chemical plant environments as perfect training grounds for robots, leveraging local industrial chains. In Guiyang, company GM Huang Jian cited cost advantages in renting and labor, while Yunyan Big Data Bureau head Qin Qi emphasized a “cloud ten articles” policy and urban scenarios. No U.S.-China relations are discussed.
Summary: The article highlights that emerging and future industries are increasingly taking root in Chinese counties beyond the large cities. It attributes this shift to selecting localized competitive tracks, integrating education and talent development, and leveraging application scenarios. Examples include Fengxin County in Jiangxi focusing on lithium battery materials, Fengyang County in Anhui using a "migratory bird" talent mechanism, and Pingyin County in Shandong building a humanoid robot training center. The piece also warns against blindly rushing into these industries without local endowments, risking redundant construction and resource waste. It concludes that counties must cultivate an open, collaborative innovation ecosystem for long-term success.
Summary: The article reports several developments relevant to Chinese political and cultural integration. It announces the Seventh National Minority Ethnic Arts Festival in Beijing, showcasing 48 performances to promote ethnic unity. Separately, the China Min-Tai Yuan Museum in Quanzhou expanded its cross-strait roots-seeking liaison network to 14 points, including newly established sites in Taiwan (Kinmen, Penghu, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Taichung, Taipei) and mainland Fuzhou and Jinjiang, deepening ties with Taiwan. Jiangsu held its first new mass literature and arts training seminar, pairing grassroots writers with established authors to cultivate socialist cultural talent. A cross-provincial tourism loop linking Gansu, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia was launched to boost regional economic integration. Additionally, Jilin established a rice science innovation cluster, uniting 13 research stations across key rice-producing areas to strengthen agricultural self-sufficiency.
Summary: Lu Xueyan, a 60-year-old Great Wall protector in Tianjin's Jizhou District, began patrolling in 2016 as one of the first 16 designated guardians. His thousands of patrol images provided frontline data used in expert-led preservation that maintained the wall's original character. He noted that tourists increasingly come for the ancient wall, and the village and the wall protect each other. On July 30, Tianjin's government reviewed and passed the "Tianjin Great Wall Protection Regulations," taking effect September 1, to ensure systematic institutional protection.
Summary: The article reports on the "Youth Small Shop" (青春小店) project, launched by the China Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Foundation in 2023 to support young entrepreneurs. In Shandong's Jinan, Li City District Party Organization Talent Work Section Chief Wu Jun stated the initiative disregards education and credentials to foster a sense of belonging among youth founders. Examples include a farm in Licheng District run by university graduate Jia Jie, and a pet庄园 in Hangzhou's Binjiang District operated by doctoral student Zhang Cennan. The project partners with local Communist Youth League organizations and universities to provide tiered incubation policies. No mention was made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Chen Jianguo, a village party secretary in Guangxin District, has sold over 1.21 million orders of local produce worth 67 million yuan through livestreaming over three years. Fellow village party secretary Mao Weimin also uses videos to promote his scenic hometown, gaining 100,000 followers. The district now has over 100 such "home ambassadors," including cadres and returning college students. Yu Fangping, director of the district’s cultural and tourism bureau, encourages more people to promote local specialties online to boost rural incomes. No mention is made of U.S. relations, focusing solely on grassroots digital commerce initiatives.
Summary: The article reports on a community in Xi'an's Lintong District that has run a "morning care, evening school" program for over three years, targeting children and elderly residents. Since 2023, it has offered holiday childcare with academic and enrichment courses, while also providing evening classes for seniors in traditional crafts and health. The community partnered with a practice group from Xi'an University of Science and Technology to develop these services, which have now served over 350 residents. No mention is made of any official statements, accompanying officials, or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports on safety concerns regarding popular high-risk amusement attractions in China, such as via ferrata and cliff swings, citing frequent accidents due to weak enforcement of rules and inconsistent standards. Luo Zibei, chief expert at the China Tourism Academy's Yangtze River Tourism Research Base, emphasized that ensuring visitor safety must be the top priority for operators. Wen Zhiqiang, director of the Risk Governance and Emergency Management Research Center at Tianjin Normal University, recommended incorporating emergency response plans during the design phase and mandating monitoring equipment and trained personnel. Industry insiders are calling for the establishment of comprehensive national standards covering design, installation, operation, and staff qualifications for these emerging attractions. They also urge stronger public safety education to help tourists avoid risks and reject improper behavior.
Summary: The article highlights the transformation of the Anshun Printing Factory in Guizhou into a cultural tourism landmark by preserving its industrial heritage—red brick walls, wooden beams, and gray tiles—while integrating new businesses such as cafes, specialty eateries, and craft workshops. The site now attracts visitors like Chen Menglin from Changsha, who appreciate its unique blend of old industrial character and modern retail. The factory, which once sat idle due to industrial changes, now hosts over 20 stores and has become a popular destination for leisure and consumption. No mention is made of U.S.-China relations or any official's statements or actions.
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Summary: The article profiles three young grassroots officials in Qinghai Province who hone their skills by solving local development challenges. Zhao Haizhen, a county organization department deputy, pushed for paid use of collective grasslands in Riyue Township to curb overgrazing, citing ecological degradation in Maduo County as a warning. Lei Faxia, the new Party secretary of Heping Township, chose to upgrade existing campsite projects and improve farmer-income links rather than switch to livestock, stabilizing the local “grass ash” flatbread industry. Ma Yuxin, Party secretary of Dongxia Township, developed wild棠梨 leaf tea into a commercial product with technical help from Nanjing, later expanding to人工种植 and new tea products. The report emphasizes that rural officials learn through practice, balancing ecological priorities, local conditions, and market logic. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports that China's market regulator has uncovered over a dozen driving school monopoly cases since 2022, with industry associations in counties across the Southwest and Northwest orchestrating price-fixing through meetings, self-discipline pacts, and alliances. These cartels raised training fees by 1,500 yuan or more, leading to higher costs, poor service quality, and consumer harm, while squeezing compliant operators. Experts like Wang Xianlin and Ding Maozhong warn that such monopolies undermine fair competition and create road safety risks. The crackdown is seen as essential for restoring market order and for unleashing auto consumption potential in lower-tier cities, especially as the government pushes new energy vehicle policies nationwide.
Summary: The article reports that Gansu Province has conducted a full-coverage rectification campaign targeting severe public complaints about residential property services, achieving over a 90% problem resolution rate. Authorities have penalized 186 firms with fines totaling 20 million yuan and expelled 16 unqualified property companies. A QR code-based feedback system was launched to streamline complaint collection and tracking. Five provincial departments jointly issued guidelines standardizing the management of residential community public revenues. No U.S. or U.S.-China relations topics are referenced.
Summary: The 49th Chinese navy escort flotilla departed from a military port in Sanya on August 12 to relieve the 48th flotilla in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters. The flotilla consists of the destroyer Kunming, frigate Yueyang, and supply ship Luomahu, carrying two shipborne helicopters and dozens of special forces personnel. The Kunming is on its first escort mission, while the Yueyang and Luomahu have previously conducted multiple such missions. During preparations, the task force conducted targeted drills including live-fire exercises, accompanying escorts, underway replenishment, and counterterrorism and counterpiracy operations.
Summary: In Henan’s Wen County, a network of 16 specialized mediation teams—including “Old Ma’s Mediation Studio” and “Old Niu’s Mediation Room”—deploys 165 retired party secretaries, legal professionals, and local elites to resolve grassroots disputes using colloquial language. A photo shows Wang Yongfu (left), mediator from Wude Town’s “Old Ma’s Mediation Studio,” mediating a greenhouse-related economic dispute. The report does not discuss the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Beijing’s Fangshan District People’s Court published typical cases on “hidden employment” labor disputes, in which employers disguise real labor relationships through subcontracts or fake individual-business arrangements. In one case, a delivery worker’s “project subcontract” was ruled an actual labor relationship because he performed core company work under company scheduling. Another case involved an employer using an “internship period” without signing a formal contract afterward, resulting in court-ordered double wages. Court official Wang Baoxin warned that employers cannot use cooperation or subcontracting agreements to evade labor law obligations, and must sign contracts and pay social insurance when labor relations exist. Judge Zhang Shuan added that failing to renew contracts after a probation period leaves employers liable for punitive compensation.
Summary: The article reports on Dongjiao Village in Hubei's Zaoyang city, where transparent bookkeeping has been maintained for over 50 years. Village accountant Yang Qingwei said every cent must be accounted for, as the ledgers hold the collective assets of all villagers. Former party secretary Zhang Daoyun led villagers to build irrigation systems, with labor contributions publicly recorded. Current party secretary Hu Aiguo emphasized that transparent accounts build trust and drive participation. The village has since digitized financial management but still publicly posts monthly ledgers on the wall.
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Summary: The 38th Hundred Flowers Awards, China's only mass film awards, were decided by 101 public judges on August 10, with the event emphasizing "film serves the people." Director Da Peng said at a forum that filmmakers and audiences exchange sincerity and resonance, creating Chinese film culture over generations. Screenwriter Zhang Ke and actor Wang Xiao highlighted the audience's role in giving films deeper meaning and value. Directors Huang Jianxin and Yu Baimei discussed adapting to shifting audience tastes and cautiously embracing AI technology. The event, featuring forums and retrospectives, underscored the evolving relationship between Chinese cinema and its expanding viewership, with over 12 million votes cast this year.
Summary: The article reports on the compilation of *The Huangmei Opera Classical Scripts Collection*, a cultural preservation project launched by Anhui Provincial Party Committee’s Publicity Department and the provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. The project aims to collect, collate, and publish standardized scripts and scores for Huangmei Opera, addressing fragmented sources held by troupes, artists, and collectors. Chief editor Xu Zhiyuan of the Anhui Provincial Art Institute explained that previous lack of scripts hindered both inheritance and innovation. Head of the institute Junhui noted the approach of simultaneous collection, repair, and publication. The collection has already produced volumes with textual and musical notation, intended to facilitate rehearsals and preserve the art’s authentic vocal style.
Summary: As of August 12, the 2026 summer box office in China surpassed 9 billion yuan, with daily revenue exceeding 100 million yuan for 33 straight days. Admissions reached 247 million, up 4% year-on-year, while total screenings rose 7.05% to 31.78 million. The article highlights strong performances from both domestic and international films, alongside the growing economic impact of “film+” business models. Citing the National Film Administration, it notes that every 1 yuan of box office revenue drives about 15.77 yuan in related industry output. Based on this multiplier, China’s full film industry chain output is estimated at nearly 390 billion yuan this year.
Summary: The 30th "China Children's Opera Little Plum Blossom Gathering" national exhibition concluded on August 12 in Beijing. The event featured amateur and professional groups held in Shanghai Pudong and Hebei Langfang, with 15 performances involving 1,545 young participants from 33 regions and 47 opera genres. The professional group showcased 128 individual and collective programs across 32 opera genres, with over 1,000 young performers competing on stage. Side events included seminars and exhibitions where experts discussed opera aesthetics education for children. The program, founded in 1997, has become an influential national brand in the field of children's opera.
Summary: The article reports that the 2026 Ceramic Artifact Identification Training Course opened in Changsha, co-organized by the Hunan Provincial Museum and the China Cultural Relics Information Consulting Center under the guidance of the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Hunan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration. The training focuses on ceramics such as Canton enamel and export porcelain, using a combination of theory and hands-on practice with experts. Participants are primarily professionals from national cultural relic inspection agencies and museums. The course is part of the National Cultural Heritage Administration’s key practice projects, leveraging the Hunan Provincial Museum’s resources to strengthen the talent foundation for artifact protection.
Summary: The article reports that Taizhou, a prefecture-level city in central Jiangsu, marked its 30th anniversary by hosting a 2026 talent development conference to highlight its strategy of “investing in people” and positioning itself as a key pillar of Jiangsu’s high-quality development. It notes Taizhou’s GDP rose from 30.5 billion yuan at its founding to 725.57 billion yuan by 2025, driven by deep integration of talent chains with industry, innovation, and capital. The city has recruited talent through initiatives such as “Taizhou Day,” during which leading municipal officials visited 141 universities and signed 841 industry-academia collaboration projects. It also supports project-based talent attraction, including a 1.05 billion yuan investment fund, exemplified by a local semiconductor firm achieving mass production of domestically made VCSEL chips. Finally, Taizhou emphasizes retention through specialized services and financial support, having cultivated 60,000 high-level talents and 22 listed companies.
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Summary: Chen Xingxing, a master's graduate, returned to her village in Guiyang, Guizhou, to revive the traditional Buyi ash tofu making technique, turning a small family workshop into a successful business using short videos and online sales. She secured two grants—100,000 yuan from the Guiyang Municipal Science and Technology Bureau in 2024 and another 100,000 yuan from the Wudang District Federation of Trade Unions in 2025—to upgrade equipment while preserving manual processes. In January, she was officially recognized by the district as a municipal-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor for her craft. She expanded her model to include agritainment, organizing village festivals and hands-on experiences that drew over 2,000 tourists and boosted local produce sales. The article highlights how a private individual, without U.S. involvement, leveraged local government support and digital tools to drive rural income and cultural heritage preservation.
Summary: Liaocheng University’s targeted employment support program helped a financially disadvantaged student, Cui, find a logistics role matching his major. Over four years, the school provided career planning, skills training, psychological counseling, and customized job referrals. Vice President Su Minghai said the university builds a complete employment service closed loop—covering assessment, guidance, recommendation, and follow-up—to ensure needy students do not fall behind in job-seeking. The article highlights the school’s “early detection, early intervention, early assistance” approach and its emphasis on precise job matching. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Zhejiang Province has introduced digital reforms to regulate food delivery platforms, addressing problems like fake licenses and unhygienic kitchens. Measures include automatic license verification through data-sharing with platforms, mandatory electronic license display, and an "AI + non-site supervision" system for remote inspection. A new management model for storefront-less delivery kitchens, with authorized third-party oversight, has also been implemented. These efforts have blocked 42,000 irregular merchant registrations and achieved nearly 95% electronic license usage. No mention was made of U.S. relations or official statements.
Summary: In Fushan District, Yantai, Shandong Province, a dedicated "basket bus" line for vegetable farmers opened on July 28, linking rural farms with urban markets. The August 10 photo shows farmers queuing to board the service at the Menlou station. The article does not mention any political officials, the United States, or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security jointly organized a "Hundred Counties to Hundred Schools" talent supply-demand matchmaking event in Yixing, Jiangsu. The event featured a new format where counties presented job openings and recruitment policies while schools provided graduate information, aiming to align local industrial needs with university talent. It attracted 511 enterprises from 78 economically strong counties, offering over 13,000 positions across more than 20 industries. The two ministries plan to hold continued matchmaking events to improve employment outcomes for college graduates. The article does not mention any specific officials or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The State Administration for Market Regulation reported that in the first half of the year it intensified metrology supervision targeting electric vehicle charging facilities, eyeglass-fitting measuring instruments, and electronic pricing scales. Inspections covered 11,164 charging station operators and 145,829 chargers, uncovering 1,783 unqualified units and 282 metrology violations. In the eyeglass sector, authorities inspected 21,028 businesses, rectified 1,640 problematic instruments, and cultivated 18,041 compliant units. For electronic scales, they inspected manufacturers, sellers, and repairers, penalized 181 cases of illegal modification, checked 1,246,362 scales, and found 8,544 unqualified ones. The campaign aimed to curb cheating, correct inaccurate devices, and regulate market order.
Summary: A Chinese research team led by Guan Huiming, from the Cold Vegetable Academician Workstation in Ulanqab, developed smart greenhouses to enable year-round vegetable cultivation in the harsh Gobi-border region of Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia, which borders Mongolia. The team overcame challenges such as low soil organic content, high wind, and alkaline groundwater by using fermented sheep manure, deep sweet water irrigation, and food-grade biological agents. After three years of development, their fifth-generation smart greenhouse system achieved eight proprietary technologies, verified by a Ministry of Science and Technology panel as domestically leading. As of early 2026, Siziwang Banner Communist Party official Baoyin Hu reported that 321 greenhouses had passed inspection, benefiting 315 herder households with diverse vegetable cultivation.
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Summary: The 2026 Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) final concluded in Hangzhou with Shanghai Jiao Tong University defeating Taiwan’s National Chengchi University 72–69. Tournament operator Li Jintian noted that delegations from multiple Asian countries and regions have praised the event, crediting Chinese teams and the Chinese market as key drivers of the league’s growth. Former Korean Basketball Association president Fang Lie, who attended in person and hosted teams from Yonsei and Korea University, stated that AUBL provides high-value training for young Asian basketball talent. The league plans to shift to a home-and-away format from November 2026, aiming to expand from 16 to 30 participating teams within three years. Li Jintian emphasized that the league’s core mission is to continuously raise the overall influence of Asian university basketball.
Summary: The article reports that China's Ministry of Education and the General Administration of Sport have mandated at least two hours of daily physical activity for primary and secondary school students, with experts and athletes offering advice on maintaining exercise during summer break. It details training methods for basic fitness and specialized sports like soccer, basketball, and volleyball, emphasizing scientific principles and safety in high temperatures. No U.S. officials or U.S.-China relations are mentioned.
Summary: The article promotes youth physical exercise during summer vacation as a means to build health, resilience, and life experience, citing examples of individual young athletes and school programs. It highlights expanding sports facilities and公益 programs to provide accessible opportunities for teenagers. The piece references the implementation of China's "15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Sports Power" and the "National Fitness Plan (2026–2030)" as policy foundations for improving youth sports development. It frames summer as a key window for youth to form exercise habits and calls on families, schools, and society to jointly support this goal. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports on Shijiazhuang's free summer daycare program for primary school students, offered across 30 schools from July 13 to August 21, providing over 10,000 places with online registration. Courses include traditional martial arts, archery, and various sports, with physical education emphasized. Parent Yan Jinglin praised the program for helping children avoid screen time and lack of outdoor activity. Teacher Miao Qing highlighted archery's benefits for posture and focus, calling it the most popular sports class. Li Qiang of the Shijiazhuang Education Bureau noted that school sports fields are now fully utilized, addressing the common lack of affordable facilities, supervision, and instruction during summer.
Summary: The article highlights how South China University of Technology’s School of Physical Education supports active national team athletes by holding thesis defenses at their training base in Beijing, with Dean Professor Fan Lianxiang and two associate professors traveling there to administer the process. It describes the school’s individualized training and full-chain support model, including flexible curricula and mixed online-offline instruction, to resolve conflicts between training and academics. Examples include weightlifter Peng Cuiting, who completed her undergraduate thesis defense under this system and earned graduate recommendation status, and Olympic diving champion Chen Yiwen, who enrolled in the school’s master’s program in 2025. The article also notes that sprinters and swimmers such as Liang Xiaojing and Yu Hexin have benefited from the model, which aims to cultivate versatile talents skilled in both scientific training and academic research. No discussion of the United States or U.S.-China relations appears in the article.
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Summary: The article reports that record-breaking heatwaves and abnormal precipitation in Europe, Asia, the United States, and elsewhere this summer are intensifying, driven by long-term climate change and a strengthening El Niño event. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for decisive measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance extreme weather response capabilities to reduce casualties and economic losses. The article highlights that extreme weather in the United States, including heatwaves in the West and flooding in the Northeast, is part of a global trend toward more frequent and intense events. Officials from international organizations emphasized the need for stronger early warning systems and climate adaptation policies.
Summary: According to Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, his government conducted 44 operations against telecom fraud in the first half of this year, detaining 4,482 suspects from 25 countries and regions. In late June, Lao police raided locations in Vientiane and the Boten Economic Zone, arresting 724 suspects affiliated with an organized transnational fraud syndicate. The Prime Minister stressed that organizers, financiers and accomplices of such fraud face severe legal penalties. China and Laos have intensified joint efforts against cross-border telecom fraud in 2024, with Laos transferring 494 suspects to China in May. Additionally, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam agreed in June to establish a more routine trilateral coordination mechanism to combat transnational fraud.
Summary: The article reports four distinct developments. South Korea's Supreme Court upheld a ruling requiring Nippon Steel to compensate forced labor victims from World War II, rejecting Japan's claim that a 1965 bilateral agreement bars such claims. The United States lifted a ban on TikTok in federal government devices, stating the app no longer poses a national security threat after its restructuring. The International Energy Agency lowered its 2026 global oil demand forecast due to geopolitical disruptions, including a warning about the impact of ongoing tensions in the Middle East. A U.S. Defense Department report acknowledged that 2025 airstrikes in Yemen killed 153 civilians and wounded 243. Finally, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia caused 188 deaths and over 1,600 injuries.
Summary: The Nepal Auto Mobility Expo 2026 opened in Kathmandu on August 11, featuring dozens of global auto brands. NAIMA President Vidya said the expo aims to create a platform for automakers, tech providers, consumers, and stakeholders to discuss mobility trends, calling it more than a car show but a gathering of the entire mobility ecosystem. NAIMA CEO Dhurra revealed that over 20 exhibiting brands are Chinese, with models from Chery, Wuling, Dongfeng, and Hongqi on display. Chinese motorcycle brand Zonshen also participated, and Nepali auto blogger Oli promoted its flagship model 820RR to fans. Visitor Thapa said Chinese brands are more attractive in both design and price compared with others.
Summary: UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s new government announced a suite of policies targeting energy, transport, housing, and business taxes to address longstanding economic and livelihood crises. The measures include a temporary 5% VAT exemption on residential electricity bills and a bus fare cap reduction in England. To offset costs, the government scrapped a digital ID project, while also cutting business rates for entertainment venues and allocating funds for housing the homeless. Critics and media have questioned the fiscal sustainability of these policies, labeling some relief as symbolic. The government has promised further reforms in the upcoming autumn budget.
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Summary: Chinese industry data shows that L2-level assisted driving penetration in new passenger cars has reached 70% since 2026. On August 8, Huawei's Qiankun and the luxury EV brand Avita jointly launched the Avita 07L, priced between 222,900 and 272,900 yuan, featuring the Huawei Qiankun ADS 5 system and 896-line lidar. The vehicle aims to enhance driver assistance in complex scenarios and improve in-cabin experience with a HarmonyOS cockpit. The article highlights the deepening cross-sector collaboration between automakers and tech firms, describing it as a model for upgrading China's auto industry toward intelligent transformation. Huawei's Qiankun, after accumulating nearly 14 billion kilometers of assisted driving data by its ADS, positions itself as an “industry enabler” helping build and sell better cars.
Summary: The Supreme People's Court released typical cases on August 12 to curb fraud in commercial franchising, warning investors against "empty shell" and "trap" franchises. Courts invalidated contracts where franchisors lacked legal qualifications or made false earnings claims, emphasizing the need for "two stores one year" verification. Judges and experts noted that franchisors must provide accurate disclosures, and franchisees hold a "cooling-off period" right to unilaterally terminate contracts. The rulings aim to guide honest operations and reduce investment risks in sectors like food, retail, and education. No U.S. relations were referenced.
Summary: The article, authored by a Renmin University law professor, discusses China's new Ecological Environment Code, which took effect on National Ecology Day (August 15). It emphasizes the code's incorporation of the "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" philosophy and its aim to establish a strict legal framework for sustainable development. The piece underscores the need for effective implementation through supportive legislation, standardized enforcement, and public compliance, notably mentioning the "15th Five-Year Plan" has already mandated the code's execution. It stresses transforming legal rules into practical mechanisms in approval processes, enforcement documents, and community regulations. Finally, the article calls for the code to be integrated into official training and public education to strengthen ecological civilization under Xi Jinping's environmental and legal thought.
Summary: Hangzhou courts are integrating ecological restoration into community correction, with Qiandao Lake Botanical Garden serving as a site where offenders perform green labor to repay “ecological debts,” according to Wang Li, Party secretary and president of Chun’an County People’s Court. The article also highlights Hangzhou’s first modified-drone illegal hunting case, tried in public, prompting joint notices and judicial recommendations to ban such tools. Courts are expanding specialized environmental adjudication, including 19 judicial protection stations and “three-in-one” trial mechanisms across all 13 grassroots courts. In a separate economic case, Fuyang District Court used parallel bankruptcy and reorganization procedures to rescue Longmen Mountain Tourism Company, resolving over 100 million yuan in debt while ensuring ecological restoration, as explained by court committee member Ma Yingkan. The piece emphasizes Hangzhou’s broader judicial efforts to balance environmental protection with economic development.
Summary: Community police officer Zhang Jinkai of the Yingjiang Border Management Brigade in Yunnan regularly visits remote border villages with his "Red Pomegranate" backpack, which contains tools for haircuts, document processing, safety education, and anti-fraud materials. Accompanied by auxiliary police, he provides services to minority ethnic communities, including free haircuts for elderly villagers and digital literacy training for those isolated by mountain terrain. The initiative, which includes a "Silver Hair Classroom" to teach seniors smartphone and anti-fraud skills, aims to bridge the digital divide and improve access to services in the mountainous region. Local police also responded to emergencies, such as driving a villager's sick child to medical care within minutes. The program has significantly reduced telecom fraud cases and increased public satisfaction.
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Summary: Guangdong province passed two consumer protection regulations on July 31, effective October 1, to support consumption and cross-border coordination in the Greater Bay Area. Li Qiong, deputy director of the provincial legislature's legal affairs commission, said the paired laws combine general and GBA-specific rules to achieve "1+1>2" legislative effect. The consumer rights regulation targets digital economy issues such as fake reviews, algorithmic price discrimination, and unclear platform responsibilities, while also strengthening protections for minors and elderly consumers. The second regulation institutionalizes long-standing cooperation mechanisms among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, including streamlining cross-border complaint processing and joint credit-building initiatives. U.S.-China relations are not discussed in the article.
Summary: The article reports on China's newly released ninth five-year plan (2026-2030) for legal publicity and education, emphasized as foundational for law-based governance. Four National People's Congress deputies offered recommendations: Xiao Beigeng (Hunan Normal University) advocated for lifelong legal education targeting youths and a shift from passive compliance to internalized legal thinking; Fu Zitang (Southwest University of Political Science and Law) stressed implementing "who enforces law, who popularizes it" responsibility systems and integrating legal education into social governance. Shi Wenmei (Zhejiang motor company) called for precise, AI-driven "digital wisdom" legal dissemination via micro-videos and cross-sector integration. Chen Haiyi (Guangzhou Liwan District People's Court) focused on youth legal education through immersive court experiences and coordinated school-family-justice efforts.
Summary: Meng Guanglu, a National People's Congress deputy and chairman of the China Theatre Association, advocated for making Peking Opera appeal to younger audiences through modern technology, livestreaming, and integration with cultural tourism. He noted the recent "2026–2028 Drama Revitalization Plan," issued by five central departments, supports the use of AI and internet tools in drama. Meng also welcomed the inclusion of "prospering internet-era new mass literary arts" in the 15th Five-Year Plan and the Government Work Report. He urged continued support for traditional culture via new media, building a multi-generational talent pipeline, and enhancing cultural confidence among netizens. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
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Summary: Yunnan’s summer economy is driven by its cool climate and coffee culture, exemplified by the nine-day 2026 Dianchi International Coffee Carnival in Kunming, which attracted 200+ coffee vehicles and 300+ events. The province saw a 42.7% increase in summer tourism bookings, leveraging natural cooling resources and coffee-themed experiences. Key cities like Lijiang and Dali hosted coffee festivals, while "Cool Summer" campaigns in Zhaotong and Nujiang featured over 1,000 activities. Festivals like the Torch Festival in Chuxiong and the Huajie Festival in Qiubei boosted local spending, with overall Yunnan summer travel orders up 52% year-on-year. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The article reports on the 2026 classical zhezi xi (opera excerpts) performance series, featuring 81 excerpts from 42 genres across 30 regions, organized by the CCP's Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It highlights that this event implements the "Drama Revitalization Three-Year Action Plan (2026-2028)" to promote high-quality development of Chinese opera. The author, a senior researcher, analyzes how such excerpts crystallize artistic skills and audience interaction, serving as a model for preserving and advancing traditional opera. He also notes that the performance examines the inheritance capacity of troupes, citing the historical institutional struggles of Shandong Bangzi opera as an example of policy-driven revival. No mention is made of the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: In this reflective essay, veteran actor Tony Leung Chiu-wai discusses his 40-year career and the role of cinema in connecting diverse regional cultures and historical memories. He highlights how the integration of the Mainland Chinese and Hong Kong film industries—facilitated by economic agreements—has allowed for deeper cultural exchange and the growth of a globalized Chinese film market. Leung emphasizes his methodology of grounding characters in their specific geographical and historical contexts to preserve cultural memory. He concludes by viewing film as a global medium for cross-cultural communication and a bridge between different societies.
Summary: The author, serving as music director for the variety show “Guoyue Wushuang,” describes it as their first such role and emphasizes a collaborative process of refining musical works. The show adapts songs by placing Mandarin and Cantonese lyrics under the same melody, deepening a cultural expression of shared roots. The author reflects on the energy of singers and veteran music workers, noting that several songs from the show were later performed in concerts by artists including Chen Xiaochun, Li Yuchun, and Wang Yuanzhi. They also express surprise and delight that many young, post-2000s audiences and creators embraced the reinterpretation of classic Chinese music. Ultimately, the experience reinforced their belief that genuine, life-derived music thrives on openness, human connection, and anticipation of the unknown.
Summary: The author, a director, recounts his childhood in Tianjin where comedy on radio and TV, especially during Spring Festival Gala, fostered family bonding and inspired his later work. He directed the 2023 comedy film *The Annual Meeting Can't Stop!*, which he believes helps lonely modern audiences find belonging through collective laughter. The film's success led him to create a sequel, *The Annual Meeting Can't Stop! 2*, aiming to highlight intergenerational workplace issues and the experiences of ordinary employees. He notes that younger workers (post-2000s) face challenges adapting to traditional workplace norms, and his comedy seeks to provide both relief and solidarity. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: Director Wen Muye, in an interview with reporter Ren Shanshan, stated that his film *Welcome to Come Restaurant* shifts focus from domestic stories to a foreign war zone to explore the impact of war on ordinary people, particularly children, drawing from news reports of war-torn youth. He emphasized that the film is fundamentally a family story about a Chinese chef and orphans, with the restaurant symbolizing home and the recurring theme “welcome home,” as evidenced by the chef’s emotional return to find a former orphan holding a spoon instead of a gun. Wen linked Chinese cuisine to the theme, citing his mother’s advice that “eating well and raising children well” are life’s essentials, while the film uses food—from a first Chinese meal to a simple last dinner—to represent peace, stability, and humble humanity. He stressed that his films consistently show environment shaping people but celebrated the innate goodness of ordinary individuals who can become heroes, as seen in the chefs’ decision to save enemy children despite their own flaws. The film adopts a realistic but fictional approach to war, not tied to any specific conflict, aiming to conveys universal emotions through authentic storytelling.
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The life of Comrade Zhu Rongji was a life of revolution, a life of struggle, a life of glory, a life of wholehearted service to the people and devotion to the cause of communism.
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 12 — The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference announce with deep grief: Comrade Zhu Rongji, an outstanding member of the Communist Party of China, a tested and loyal communist warrior, a distinguished proletarian revolutionary and statesman, an outstanding leader of the Party and the state, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 14th and 15th Central Committees of the Communist Party of China, and former Premier of the State Council, died of illness despite all rescue efforts at 11:06 on August 12, 2026, in Beijing, at the age of 98.
Comrade Zhu Rongji was born in October 1928 in Changsha, Hunan Province. He joined the revolutionary work in December 1948 and the Communist Party of China in October 1949. During his youth, he loved the motherland, was diligent and eager to learn, pursued progress, and was determined to serve the country. From 1947 to 1951, he studied electrical machinery manufacturing at the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tsinghua University and took part in the New Democratic Youth League (新民主主义青年联盟). From 1951 to 1952, he served as Deputy Director of the Production Planning Office of the Planning Department of the Northeast Ministry of Industry. From 1952 to 1958, he successively served as a team leader in the Fuel and Power Bureau and the Comprehensive Bureau of the State Planning Commission, Deputy Section Chief of the Premier’s Office, and Deputy Section Chief of the Comprehensive Office of the Machinery Bureau of the State Planning Commission. From 1958 to 1969, he successively served as a teacher at the Staff Spare-Time School of the State Planning Commission and as an engineer in the National Economic Comprehensive Bureau. From 1970 to 1975, he was sent down for labor at the “May Seventh” Cadre School (五七干校) of the State Planning Commission. From 1975 to 1979, he successively served as Deputy Director of the Office and Deputy Chief Engineer of the Electric Power Communication Engineering Company of the Pipeline Bureau of the Ministry of Petroleum Industry, and as Office Director of the Institute of Industrial Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. From 1979 to 1983, he successively served as Director of the Fuel and Power Bureau of the State Economic Commission, Deputy Director of its Comprehensive Bureau, Director of its Technical Transformation Bureau, and member of the State Economic Commission. From 1983 to 1987, he successively served as Vice-Chairman of the State Economic Commission and member of its Leading Party Group, then Vice-Chairman and Deputy Secretary of its Leading Party Group. From 1987 to 1991, he served successively as Deputy Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee, Mayor, and Secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Party Committee. He proposed that Shanghai should adjust its industrial structure, regroup for new development advantages, enhance international competitiveness, take the road of developing an export-oriented economy, and push the development of Pudong’s opening and development into a substantive start-up phase, laying a solid foundation for Shanghai’s further reform and opening-up and development. In 1991, Comrade Zhu Rongji served as Vice-Premier of the State Council concurrently as Director and Leading Party Secretary of the production Office of the State Council, and concurrently as Director and Leading Party Secretary of the Economic and Trade Office of the State Council, heading work in machinery electronics, energy, railways and transportation, metallurgy and chemicals, light industry, textiles, and others. In October 1992, Comrade Zhu Rongji was elected as a member and Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee at the First Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee, responsible for the day-to-day work of the State Council. In June 1993, he concurrently served as Governor of the People’s Bank of China. He actively promoted and implemented the spirit of Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s Southern Tour talks, implemented the spirit of the 14th Party Congress, and focused on advancing reform, opening-up, and modernization. He organized and carried out the extent of clearing “triangle debts” (三角债), based on rectifying the source to enhance the vitality of enterprise operations. He researched and formulated ideas and measures to strengthen and improving macroeconomics, further unified understanding, and did a large amount of effective work to reverse economic overheating, suppress inflation, and achieve a “soft landing” (软着陆). He forcefully reordered fiscal and tax Order, improved fiscal and economic discipline, strengthened tax collection and administration, accelerated fiscal and tax reforms, and improved the financial control system. He pushed forward the reform of grain prices and purchasing-sales systems, established a grain purchasing and sales system that would adapt to the socialist market economy, and, on a voluntary basis among farmers, implemented the contracting of grain-growing large households and developed appropriate to-scale management. In September 1997, Comrade Zhu Rongji was reappointed as a member and Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee at the First Plenary of the 15th CPC Central Committee. In March 1998, at the First Session of the Ninth National People’s Congress, he was appointed Premier of the State Council, and later served as Secretary of the Leading Party Group of the State Council. Facing the impact of the Asian financial crisis and domestic extremely severe flooding disasters, in accordance with the fact of the Party Central Committee, he switched from a moderately tight fiscal and monetary policy to a proactive fiscal policy and a prudent monetary policy, focused on expansion of domestic demand, deepened reforms in key areas, and maintained stable, fast economic growth. He comprehensively adjusted industrial structure, regional structure, and urban-rural structure, vigorously developed high-tech industries particularly the information industry, actively supported the acceleration of the modernization of the services industry, and focused on improving the quality and efficiency of economic growth. He placed the solution of the “three Rural issues” (三农问题) in a prominent position, advanced the adjustment of the agricultural structure according to local conditions, intensified the poverty alleviation and development in rural areas, and promoted coordinated urban-green development. He adopted a series of policies and measures to expand openness to the outside world and encourage exports, insisted that the RMB would not depreciate, implemented a market diversification strategy and a strategy of achieving quality, actively attracted foreign capital, better used both domestic and international markets and resources, and resolutely maintained the prosperity of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s status as an international financial-and-trade center. He increased the degree of and construction for environment protection and farming, strengthened the management of resources such as land and minerals, concentrated forces on pollution remediation for key river basins and regions. He established basic living security for laid-Off workers from state-owned enterprises, unemployment insurance, and minimum subsistence security for urban residents, was energetic in solving problems such as arrears of salaries and workers, and the re-employment of laid-Off workers. He continuously transformed government functions, advanced institutional reform of the government, and focused on strengthening the self-construction of the government. After serving as Premier of the State Council, Comrade Zhu Rongji also served concurrently as Director of the Central Special Committee, Director of the National Commission for the Reform of Economic System, Head of the National Leading Group for Science and technology and Education, Director of the Three Gorges Project Construction Committee of the State Council, Director of the State National Defense Mobilization Committee, Head of the Leading Group for Western Development of the State Council, and others, deseed massive efforts in the fields of economic structural reforms, science and technology, education, western development, and national defense industry.
During his service as Vice-Premier and Premier of the State Council, China was in a critical period of transition from the planned economy system to a socialist market economy. Under the firm leadership of the Party Central Committee comrades who accumulated around Comrades Jiang Zemin, he served as the principal vice chair of fiscal and tax reforms, fully implementing the major tax reform that focused on equitable tax burdens and simplifying the tax system, implementing the tax revenue sharing system based on the rational division of powers between the central and local governments, and conducting pilot reforms of rural tax and fee systems. He actively promoted the reform of the financial system, further regulating the functions of the central bank, deepening reforms of commercial banks, the foreign exchange system, securities and futures markets, etc., and promoting the establishment of a nationwide openly organized, competitively orderly, and strictly managed and system of financial markets. He made the reform of state-owned enterprises the central link of the economic restructuring, followed the requirements of “clear property rights, clear obligations, separation of government and enterprises, and scientific management,” accelerated the establishment of a modern enterprise system, strategically adjusted the layout of the state-owned economy and reorganized state-owned enterprises, emphasized that party and government members do one’s best to facilitate the re-employment of laid-off and unemployed people, and strengthen the construction of the social security system. He promoted the reform of the housing system, gradually implementing monetization of housing distribution, and establishing and improving market systems consisting of low-income houses as the main with a gradually increasing tier system for urban housing. He continuously deepened the reform of the grain circulation system, the appointed mechanism for the procurement of surplus grain through state-owned grain piles at the way-protected prices, open-sided sales by state-owned grain enterprises, and the closure of grain procurement funds, gradually liberalizing procurement markets and prices in grain main sales zones. He also led the implementation of a major set of reforms such as the social security system, the medical and health system, and the investment and financing system, promoting the establishment of the fundamental framework for the socialist market economy. He completed the arduous negotiations for China’s accession into new WTO, expanding the opening up to a larger degree in terms of solidness and extent. Comrade Zhu Rongji had for the people a deep reservoir of feeling, stressing that government workers must remember that they are public servants, must dare to tell the truth, not be afraid to offend, not demand special privileges, and with the most powerful responsibility of commitment, to take heavy responsibilities willingly, with the spirit of “gnawing at hard bone,” fully promote practical affairs for the people.
In March 2003, Comrade Zhu Rongji no longer held the position of Premier of the State Council. After the step down from the leadership posts, he resolutely supported and defended the Party Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as Secretary General, and thoroughly supported and upheld the Central Committee Party with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core constant, and constantly cared for the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and firmly supported the construction of the Party’s integrity and the movements against corruption.
The life of Comrade Zhu Rongji was a life of revolution, a life of struggle, a life of glory, a life of wholehearted service to the people and devotion to the life of communism. His passing is great loss to the Party and the state. We must turn grief into strength, learn from his revolutionary spirit, his bright moral character and his fine style, be even more tightly united the path is the Central Committee of the Party with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, hold high the Great Banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, thoroughly implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, to profoundly comprehend the decisive significance of the “Two Determines” (两个确立), enhance the “Four Consciousnesses” (四个意识), firm the “Four Confidences” (四个自信), achieve the “Two Upholds” (两个维护), firm the confidence and share the same hearts, work unitedly for the advancement of the chinese path to modernization concerning the grand cause of building a strong state and a national rejuvenation.
Comrade Zhu Rongji will live forever!
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 陈尚文 谷业凯
When machines begin to think, how will humans coexist with them? When algorithms participate in decision-making, how will security be guaranteed? When technology challenges ethics, how can governance keep pace? When the gap continues to widen, how can inclusivity be achieved?
At the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, President Xi Jinping pointed out that we must always use human wisdom and international consensus to lead the development of artificial intelligence, making it truly a powerful positive energy to enhance the well-being of all mankind and promote the progress of human civilization.
In the intelligent era, we must cross the waters together. Standing at the forefront of the times and bearing the responsibilities of a major power, China is promoting the deepening and solidification of global artificial intelligence governance in all aspects. From using its own development to set the tone, to the "grand landscape" of top-level design, and then to the "meticulous brushwork" of detailed implementation, letting technological dividends benefit the whole world and making the bottom line of security clearly visible—this is China's commitment to the world, and also humanity's response to the future.
Standing on its own, building the foundation of governance with strength
Not long ago, the new generation of domestic large-scale model Kimi K3 was officially open-sourced, available for everyone to download. With a parameter scale of 2.8 trillion, it has become the largest open-source model in the world in terms of parameter scale to date.
Kimi K3 is a member of the "China Team" in the field of artificial intelligence that has triggered global attention. Among the world's top ten generative artificial intelligence patent applicants, six are headquartered in China. The British Financial Times commented, "Chinese enterprises are joining the ranks of the global leaders in artificial intelligence innovation capabilities, and their cost efficiency is also surpassing their peers."
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the development of artificial intelligence, improving top-level design and strengthening work deployment, promoting the holistic and systemic leap in China's comprehensive artificial intelligence strength.
Data shows that the application rate of artificial intelligence technology among China's industrial enterprises above designated size has exceeded 30%, the scale of core industries in the intelligent economy has exceeded one trillion yuan, the scale of generative artificial intelligence users has surpassed 600 million, and China has become the largest holder of artificial intelligence patents. China's artificial intelligence technological innovation and industrial application have achieved positive results, and overall strength has improved significantly.
Standing at the new starting point of the "15th Five-Year Plan," strengthening the foundation of innovation with high-level scientific and technological self-reliance, and embracing global opportunities with "Artificial Intelligence +," China's artificial intelligence development has entered its best opportunity.
—This confidence stems from the continuous breakthroughs in key core technologies.
Zhangjiang Science City, where the Zhangjiang Science Hall exhibition area of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference is located, gathers hundreds of chip design, manufacturing, and testing and packaging enterprises, with an industrial scale accounting for approximately one-fifth of the national total. In the chip field, which has been affected by external shocks, China, relying on independent innovation and self-reliance, has not only blazed a new path but has also firmly grasped the initiative in developing artificial intelligence in its own hands.
Zhang Jianzhong, founder of Moore Threads, said: "Computing power is the cornerstone of artificial intelligence development and governance; it concerns not only technological breakthroughs but also strategic initiative. Only by being based on independent controllability and inclusive accessibility can we continuously consolidate the development base of artificial intelligence."
—This confidence stems from the increasing prosperity of the innovation ecosystem.
With the strong support of scientific and technological innovation, artificial intelligence is integrating into all aspects of China's economy and society in an all-round manner, entering thousands of households and tangibly benefiting people's livelihoods, making "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" another bright calling card of Chinese-style modernization.
In Shunde, Guangdong, and Wuhan, Hubei, after Midea's "Agent Factory" introduced the SiMoo Technology artificial intelligence visual reasoning platform, the inspection rhythm perfectly matches the production beat; artificial intelligence directly participates in production decision-making, and large-scale models are rapidly transformed into production capacity.
In Nanchong, Sichuan, and Bozhou, Anhui, Xifei Medical Technology's "Smart Medical Assistant" significantly improves the efficiency and standardization of medical record writing through functions such as structured consultation and intelligent prompting.
A group of terminal enterprises, relying on a complete industrial chain supporting system, are accelerating the launch of new products such as next-generation smartphones, intelligent robots, and smart glasses, enriching market choices and driving the formation of new hotspots in information consumption.
On August 12, Honor launched the world's first robot phone. "Our country possesses rich and diverse production and living scenarios and integrated hardware-software engineering capabilities, providing excellent soil for the efficient implementation of artificial intelligence from demand to experience," said Honor CEO Li Jian.
—This confidence stems from the institutional guarantee of coordinating development and security.
Recently, Dongbi Technology Data, in conjunction with the School of Digital Economy of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, released the Global Large Language Model Security Prevention Capability Assessment Report (2026). Using 313 high-risk science and technology questions as a test set, it assessed the security prevention capabilities of 38 large language models at home and abroad in the process of helping users acquire, understand, and use scientific and technological knowledge.
"Currently, society is paying great attention to issues such as content security and data security arising from the large-scale implementation of artificial intelligence. Balancing development and security, and promoting scientific and technological innovation alongside scientific and technological rule of law and the construction of ethics and integrity, will further guide large models and the entire artificial intelligence industry to move upward and toward goodness, achieving sustainable development," said Zhu Xufeng, Dean of the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University.
In recent years, from the State Council's Opinions on Deeply Implementing the "Artificial Intelligence +" Action, which explicitly proposed establishing and improving artificial intelligence technology monitoring, risk early warning, and emergency response systems, to the Implementation Opinions on the Standardized Application and Innovative Development of Agents, which explicitly states that the development of agents must adhere to the basic principles of being safe and controllable, standardized and orderly, innovation-driven, and application-led, China is accelerating the construction of laws, regulations, policy systems, application norms, and ethical principles adapted to the evolutionary trends of artificial intelligence, building a secure foundation for Chinese-style modernization and contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese governance to global scientific and technological governance.
Embracing the world, leading the way of governance with concepts
A recent commentary in the American New York Times compared the development of frontier artificial intelligence models to two paths: "nuclear weapons" and "nuclear energy." The former emphasizes destructiveness and requires strict supervision; the latter advocates for controllable risk and should be open and shared. Behind these different paths, ultimately, is a difference in cognitive logic—is artificial intelligence a strategic chip for monopoly and hegemony, or a public product that benefits humanity?
China's answer is clear and firm: people-oriented, upward and toward goodness, making artificial intelligence an important driving force for promoting common prosperity and maintaining common security.
President Xi Jinping proposed working together to build a fair and reasonable global artificial intelligence governance system. This is a profound insight into the trends of technology and the times; it is the accumulation of thought that promotes sharing through consultation and promotes good intelligence through good governance; and it is even more China's wise responsibility in promoting global artificial intelligence governance, pointing toward the long-term value of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
—Adhering to openness and win-win cooperation, driving innovative development, and letting artificial intelligence empower thousands of industries.
Currently, China has become one of the most active and fastest-growing regions for the supply of global open-source large models. The cumulative global download volume of China's open-source artificial intelligence large models has exceeded 10 billion times, and open-source communities such as AtomGit have gathered over 11 million registered users. From having some performance top global large model leaderboards, to the continuous rise of multi-modal capabilities, and then to a single agent deriving an agent cluster, the innovation and iteration of China's large models are continuously accelerating. This not only spawns rich and diverse intelligent application scenarios and stimulates new potential for domestic economic growth, but also promotes technological inclusivity with advantages such as high performance and low cost, becoming a "productivity tool" favored by many overseas developers and users, and also becoming a benchmark in evaluations by global model manufacturers and an important sample for overseas research institutions.
Openness and sharing is not just a technical development model, but also a development concept of collaborative symbiosis and a development action of cooperation and sharing. Initiating the International Cooperation Initiative for "Artificial Intelligence +", advocating that all countries actively carry out "Artificial Intelligence +" actions in combination with their own national conditions, strengthen policy exchange and pragmatic cooperation, and share best practices and solutions; the Artificial Intelligence Cooperation and Development Action Plan proposes eight actions such as open-source ecosystem sharing, joint construction of rules and standards, security governance collaboration, and artificial intelligence for goodness; releasing the "Fenghe" large language model, an artificial intelligence meteorological service system, and launching a global open-source plan... Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, remarked with emotion: "China plays a leading role in open-source innovation, the construction of open platforms, and international scientific and technological cooperation, creating brand-new development opportunities for all countries in the world."
—Strengthening risk awareness, ensuring safety and controllability, and letting artificial intelligence always remain a trustworthy tool for humanity.
"As artificial intelligence reasoning, scientific capability, and autonomy grow exponentially, policymakers in all countries need to be guided by the precautionary principle and prepare for possible scenarios and risks," the warning from Turing Award winner and Co-Chair of the United Nations International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, Yoshua Bengio, is thought-provoking.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that the more rapidly artificial intelligence technology develops, the more correctly the direction of moving upward and toward goodness to benefit humanity must be anchored, the more precisely the scale of regulatory governance must be grasped, and the more timely and complete the measures to prevent loss of control must be.
Releasing the Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative, proposing suggestions around risk graded assessment, improvement of laws and regulations, and construction of ethical guidelines, calling on all countries to jointly do a good job in risk prevention, and continuously improving the safety, reliability, controllability, and fairness of artificial intelligence technology. Releasing version 1.0 and 2.0 of the Artificial Intelligence Safety Governance Framework, embedding safety requirements into the entire process of model research, development, deployment, and application. The Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Action Plan lists "safety and controllability" as one of its core principles; the International Artificial Intelligence Ethical Governance Action Plan contributes an action framework that possesses both principle and operability to global artificial intelligence governance... From clarifying direction to delineating paths, China continues to provide international public goods, letting this "thousand-mile horse" of artificial intelligence run both fast and steadily.
—Encouraging inclusiveness, promoting mutual learning among civilizations, and carefully cultivating a garden of civilizations where each is beautiful in its own way and all beauties coexist.
The Dujiangyan irrigation system does not build dams to intercept the flow, but rather tames the surging Min River through guiding the momentum and scientific diversion, benefiting the Chengdu Plain for over two thousand years; Confucius said, "The gentleman seeks harmony but not uniformity," meaning that institutional civilizations each have their own ways, and the value lies in mutual respect and coexistence for common progress—Lu Zilong, Vice Chairman of the WIPO Committee, uses Eastern wisdom to interpret China's inherited way of artificial intelligence governance.
Today, Eastern wisdom is being implemented as specific action plans. The "Cultural Interaction Engine," jointly created by the Long-term Artificial Intelligence Research Center and the Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, uses artificial intelligence technology to explore and reveal the intrinsic connections between the world's cultural heritage sites, showcasing the commonalities and diversity of human civilization to users in more than 170 countries and regions globally; based on the Qwen large model, the Milan Winter Olympics created the first official large model in Olympic history, which was implemented simultaneously in both professional event management and public service ends, opening a new intelligent experience for ice and snow sports; Chinese and Malaysian enterprises jointly built the ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Multilingual Translation Center, supporting mutual translation of more than 130 languages and achieving "30-minute rapid translation" of film and television content... From civilizational dialogue to event empowerment, from linguistic connectivity to people-to-people connectivity, China's artificial intelligence technology is crossing mountains and seas, letting civilization grow in inclusiveness and renew in exchange.
—Advocating for working together through thick and thin, improving global governance, and avoiding the creation of new historical injustices in the field of artificial intelligence.
During the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Artificial Intelligence Governance, the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization was born out of necessity. 38 countries became founding member states of this organization. A blueprint was drawn one year ago, and today the fruits are ripe. As the world's first intergovernmental international organization for artificial intelligence, the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization adheres to goodness and inclusivity, follows the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, is open to all countries, and has anchored a new course and coordinates for global co-governance in the intelligent era.
China interprets its responsibility through action, practices multilateralism, unites the international community, continuously seeks the greatest common denominator of global governance consensus, and is committed to making artificial intelligence truly a precious common wealth for all mankind.
Facing the future, practicing the responsibility of governance through action
Looking back at the summer of 1956, at a symposium at Dartmouth College in the United States, the spark of "artificial intelligence" was quietly sown.
Over the past 70 years, seeking in the unknown, moving forward through twists and turns, and making breakthroughs through perseverance, artificial intelligence scientists and researchers in countries around the world have continuously expanded the boundaries of technology.
History has witnessed Chinese science and technology reclaiming fields from barrenness, traveling all the way from a faint glimmer. From following, to running alongside, and then to seizing the initiative in more tracks, every rut and every node on the road traveled has allowed China to more deeply understand the power of technology, and to more clearly contemplate where the road ahead leads, how to establish oneself, and how to reach far.
Inclusivity, benefit to all, and mutual benefit and win-win cooperation are the only righteous paths for humanity that grow wider and wider.
Remote control of pond aeration, 24-hour online monitoring of water quality parameters, and precise drone feeding of feed... In Takeo Province, southern Cambodia, relying on the integrated smart farm development plan implemented by China, the intelligent rice-fish breeding model has helped significantly improve the survival rate and quality of local giant freshwater prawn larvae, increasing the annual income per hectare of land from approximately 1,000 USD to over 3,000 USD, truly fattening the pockets of the farmers.
In Saraburi Province, Thailand, a "Yugong" (foolish old man who moved mountains) from China has installed a "digital brain" in a traditional mining area. From excavators to mining trucks, from power monitoring to transportation routes, this parallel mine operating system, based on artificial intelligence large models, has made optimal configurations for all mine equipment within milliseconds. Efficiency has leaped by 16%, and electricity consumption has decreased by 20%... Jirapa, International General Manager of Siam Cement Group in Thailand, remarked with emotion: "Chinese artificial intelligence technology has shown us the possibility of realizing a 'zero casualty, high efficiency, low emission' mine."
Along the Red Sea coast, as the tide recedes, sediment samples are placed into containers; with the help of China's artificial intelligence-driven marine drug intelligent screening platform, they become a "seed bank" for new antibacterial drugs.
At the Dorale Multipurpose Port in Djibouti, extreme weather such as high temperatures, short-term heavy rain, and sudden strong winds frequently disturb the area; the Chinese meteorological intelligent early warning solution "Mazu" helps build a full-chain early warning system of "monitoring—forecasting—warning—service." Watching over the lights of ten thousand homes and protecting the peace of the four seas, Mohammed Ismail Nur, Director of the Djibouti National Meteorological Service, said: "Djibouti hopes to steadily promote economic and social development by relying on Chinese technology."
To bridge the digital-intelligent gap, teaching a person to fish is better than giving them a fish.
Data from the International Telecommunication Union shows that approximately one-third of the global population still cannot access the internet. The World Bank's Digital Progress and Trends 2025 report shows that the gap between low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries in terms of the number of systems and computing power scale is obvious; the Africa Data Centres report shows that the vast majority of global data center capacity is concentrated in developed economies, with Africa accounting for less than 1%. If lacking coordinated intervention, the development gap in the field of artificial intelligence may further evolve into a digital-intelligent gap or even a North-South gap, bringing new challenges to global development.
China holds artificial intelligence capacity-building workshops, launches the "Belt and Road" artificial intelligence scientific and technological innovation special cooperation plan, creates the "Digital South" brand for the global development project database, and establishes the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Industry Innovation Center... A series of pragmatic measures cross mountains and seas, using Chinese wisdom to help all countries, especially countries in the Global South, strengthen capacity building. "For Africa, open and shared technology, scientific research cooperation, and talent cultivation are crucial, and China is responding to this concern through action," remarked Abdoulaye Attanagana, Academician of the World Academy of Sciences and Chair of the Research and Innovation Committee of the African Mathematical Union.
Great paths are traveled by many; let us join hands to start a new journey. China has announced that in the next five years, it will provide 5,000 artificial intelligence specialized training slots for developing countries; it will build international artificial intelligence application cooperation centers for ASEAN, the Arab League, the African Union, the African Community of Integrated Development, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the BRICS countries; and it will promote the implementation of the "Mazu" meteorological intelligent early warning solution in 30 countries...
Standing at a new historical starting point, China is willing, with a more open posture, more pragmatic actions, and a more long-term vision, to work with all parties to grasp and respond to the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence development, and join hands to create a better future for human society.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者
Recently, all regions, departments and units have continuously and deeply advanced the study and education on establishing and practicing the correct concept of political achievements (树立和践行正确政绩观), simultaneously advancing study, investigation and rectification, focusing on resolving the concerns of the people, while combining "current rectification" (当下改) with "long-term establishment" (长久立), consolidating the fruits of study and education into institutional mechanisms, to better benefit the people and drive development.
Identifying Problems and Advancing Rectification
In the study and education, Yinchuan, Ningxia, focused on key areas such as project construction, enterprise demands, people's livelihood guarantees, and revitalisation of idle assets, clearly defining 12 key tasks for concentrated rectification of the prominent issue of "new officials ignoring old accounts" (新官不理旧账), and issuing work notifications and task division plans. The whole city screened out 28 prominent problems, established a rectification ledger, and designated 24 responsibility units for rectification. The municipality set up a special task force, using cross-coordination and top-down linkage to tackle individual cases, launched a special action to clear accumulated petition cases, and effectively processed a number of problems.
The Party Committee of China Electronics Technology Group (中国电科) advanced rectification through the "four grasps, four promotions" (四抓四促) mechanism, formulated multiple measures for concentrated rectification by the Party Committee of the prominent issue of "new officials ignoring old accounts" (新官不理旧账), focused on issues such as board meetings inside investment violations, convened to revisit historical old accounts, promoted problem solving, and guided leading officials to dare to handle and be adept at letting them.
In the autonomous prefecture of Jingning (景宁畲族自治县), Jingning County of Zhejiang Province carefully identified problems, established a rectification checklist, sorted tasks one by one, sought gaps and inadequacies, and clarified improvement paths. Since the study and education were carried out, the county has broken through on projects such as the construction of the Jingning variable capacity and electricity storage station and the construction of the Jingning section of National Highway 638, solving problems such as difficulty in registering some farmers’ relocated housing.
"With the issue of payment of surplus care fees for 51 retired officers having been unattended by both the former unit and unaccepted by the local area, it remained a problem for many years." In March this year, the Luolong Conservation Section of the Xizang Changdu Highway Development and Emergency Support Center (西藏昌都公路事业发展和应急保障中心) reported the problem to the Changdu Municipal Finance Bureau. The Municipal Finance Bureau adhered to the principle of "respecting history, facing reality, acting according to law and regulations, with humanistic care", actively coordinated all parties, and verified information person by person. After multiple rounds of consultation, the Municipal Finance Bureau coordinated funds and made a one-time retroactive payment.
Pu'er City, Yunnan, advanced the work of grassroots Party organisations leading the implementation of public livelihood matters, established a whole-chain working mechanism of visiting and verifying needs, three-level joint review and confirmation of items, hierarchical and classified assignment, closed-circle supervision and implementation, set a standardised procedure, and promoted cadres in villages (communities) to first settle focusing members solve long-standing accounts and urgent difficulties and aspirations. At the same time, the mayor set up procedures for handover of village cadres, incorporating "settling old accounts" (理旧账) into the annual assessment.
Taking Concrete Action and Benefiting the People
Recently, Typhoon "Gules" made landfall directly in Haifeng County, Huizhou City, Guangdong. All cadres and officials in Huizhou implemented various measures to make a full response. Before the typhoon landed, Huizhou snatched the preventive "window of opportunity", and work such as transfer of basic necessities and deployment of people quickly unfolded. On the day the typhoon was formed, Party cadres and other key members went deep into old and ruined houses, low-lying villages and geological disaster sites, established ledgers for groups such as elders living alone, external labour cleaners, visiting and business people, and applied the "one-to-one" mechanism for special groups at the time of disaster. After the typhoon passed, they rapidly carried out post-disaster rescue and recovery work.
In the Minnan dialect, "cuò biān" (房边) means neighbor; "cuò biān" (金厝边) means good neighbor. In the study and education, Zhangzhou City, Fujian, took the comprehensive application of "Golden Neighbor" (金厝边) small-scale public space as a key grip, established a city-district-sub-district-community four-level joint verification mechanism, systematically itemised ineedingly hollow space under elevated roads, road interchanges, and residual space in old residential communities, unified those into a pool of difference sites under the principle of "livelihood first, phasingal implementation", introduced professional teams from universities and design institutes to optimise the plan, balanced the needs of all age groups, and achieved transformation at low cost. So far, the city has completed systematic transformation of 10 "golden neighbor" sites, directly benefiting 122,000 households.
In response to the difficulty of aged people having meals, from April this year, the Xiong'Erzhai Town (熊儿寨乡), Pingqi District, Beijing has relied on the government agency taper to provide free nutritious weekend breakfast for all persons aged 80 and above in the town. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, the dining hall collectively prepares meals suitable for the elderly, and under the "village-level allocated pick-up, grid worker accurate delivery" service chain, grid workers from 176 villages deliver on a weekly basis.
Since the study and education were launched, Suyu District (宿豫区), Su ng de of Suqian City, Jiangsu, established a "three-level guarantee" have the handling service system: a county-level leading cadre leads the city brings cargo project, a section-level cadre service project for full, service of a project service specialist for responsibility full, to "one-enterprise one-policy" customise the full-procedure review exact division of approval procedure, with responsibilities to fixed persons, and thoroughly responsible. At the same time, an intelligent platform for project assistance has been established, to perform pre-review ahead of schedule, multi-department linkage, and digital running, reducing approval time by over 25%.
Establishing Systems and Managing Consistently
In the study and education, the city of Paris cc, Qinghai, focused on eight key areas: evaluation, deliberation-decision, power supervision, and service chain such as guaranteeing of livelihood, in order to conduct a comprehensive "physical examination" of current regulations and systems. To date, it has completed 601 "abolition, revision, establishment" system mechanisms. Focusing on prominent issues such as giving more importance to visible outcomes over hidden ones, short-term vs. long-term determination, it has made 33 improved and perfected evaluation and systematic mechanisms for to assessing performance, and the result application, in ordering to promote doing real practical work by cadres. Focusing on key areas such as gazetted purchase, project construction, and fund management it has improved and perfected the regulatory mechanisms for agenda, decision-making, and power operation and oversight. With a focus on people’s livelihood concerns such as elderly care, housing, relief, it has improved and perfected 50 institutional mechanisms, pushing em, from "can handle" to "good handling, fast handling, warm handling".
"It's all thanks to this 'emergency relay'." Recently, a resident Ms. Zhang's mother in Jiangyang Town, Yongxiu County (永修县), Jiangxi, suffered a heart attack. Thanks to the township emergency system, the 120 ambulance was dispatched from the nearest station, and the township health center transferred relays, the patient was taken to the county hospital for treatment within just 30 minutes, and has been discharged after recovery.
To combat the former weak in and finally Town emergency system and insufficient basic medical services in the grassroots, Yongxiu County took targeted measures in four areas: optimising the service system, reducing financial-hard costs, improving medical resource distribution, and upgrading diagnostic capacity, and introduced six convenience medical systems such as chronic disease examination optimisation and cancer-free treatment application assistance.
Jianshi County (上建始县), Hubei, started from a sound mechanism for collecting opinions, widely collecting public opinions by telephone hotline "12345", the known platform of "Sunshine Complaint (阳光信访平台)" and others, and at the same time established a full responsibility mechanism, using "home visits, open-door reception, case-under-arm to further investigate, back- after case closure-affiliation, and family interview" to communicate face-to-face with the people, understand social state and public opinion, and fully respond to requests.
In the village of Zhongzuo Bay, Zhanglu Dong-subject Autonomous County, Ledong Li Autonomous County (乐东黎族自治县), Hainan, walk-in diversion and drainage pipes on the bay were once scattered. Now all curbed areas have been fully cleared, the sandy shoreline has been restored, newly planted coconut trees sway in the wind, and a chronic ecological problem has finally been solved.
In the study and education, Ledong County summarised the good practices and good experience from rectifying the ecological factor of seabed environment. It constructed a "three-line defence" work mechanism as a framework for natural resources supervision and management, perfected agricultural supervision, and fully implementing institutions of comprehensive law enforcement. It paid strong oversight and systems to protect natural resources while preserving the family wealth. At the same time, it exerted effort in the southern aquaculture and marine breeding industries, and driving transformation in the 'green transition' area. At present, eleven species of flower-headed tropical fish, among them, have got first-hand off in artificial pollution control, colour, and two modern fishery parks, with six carrying on traditional farmland to ecological breeding, accelerating the formation of a model of "seed farming on land, deep-sea aquaculture, and park-inclusive processing" marine economy.
(Our reporters: Meng Xiangfu (孟祥夫), Qiao Dong (乔栋), Fu Wen (付文), Zhou Yajun (周亚军), Wang Yunna (王云娜), Pan Junqiang (潘俊强), Fan Haotian (范昊天), Xian Gan (鲜敢), Yang Yanfei (杨颜菲), Zhang Chi (张驰))
Return to TopBy: 金社平
The added value of the service industry grew by 5.2% year-on-year, 0.5 percentage points faster than the economic growth rate; the retail sales of services grew by 5.3% year-on-year... In the first half of the year, the service industry maintained stable growth, playing an important role in supporting industrial upgrading and meeting the needs of people's livelihood.
The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee convened on July 30 noted, "It is necessary to effectively expand domestic demand, adapt to the consumption needs of different groups, expand high-quality supply, and tap the potential of service consumption."
From April 7 to 8, the National Conference on the Service Industry (全国服务业大会) was held in Beijing. This is the first national conference focused on the service industry in the new era.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "Promote the extension of producer services to the professional and high-end value chain, promote the high-quality, diversified, and convenient development of consumer services, cultivate more 'China Service' brands, and strive to create a new situation of high-quality development of the service industry."
Beijing held a municipal service industry conference, proposing to actively shape the "Beijing Service" brand;
Shanghai released the "15th Five-Year Plan" for service industry development, comprehensively enhancing the global radiation power and international competitiveness of "Shanghai Service";
Chongqing proposed to focus on building a modern service industry system and polish the "golden business card" of service industry development such as "Chongqing trades globally" (渝贸全球)……
After the National Conference on the Service Industry, all regions and departments coordinated their planning and accelerated the construction of service brands. It is expected that by 2030, the total scale of China's service industry will step onto the 100 trillion yuan level, with higher quality, better structure, and better caliber.
Aiming at this target, the Chinese economy is undergoing a new "system upgrade".
（一）
Cultivating more "China Service" brands is an inevitable choice for following the laws of economic development and promoting economic transformation and upgrading.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the scale of China's service industry has steadily expanded, the quality and efficiency have been continuously improved, and it has played an important role in supporting industrial upgrading, meeting the needs of people's livelihood, and driving employment expansion.”
Volume, the most straightforward measure. In the first half of this year, the service industry accounted for 59.5% of GDP, making it the largest industry in the national economy; its contribution rate to economic growth reached 66.1%, becoming the main driver of economic growth. The data reflects the important role of the service industry in the overall landscape of high-quality development and Chinese-style modernization.
History, the most profound mirror. The current Chinese economy is at a critical window period of transformation from factor-driven to innovation-driven, and from investment-driven to consumption-driven. Forecasts show that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the service industry's contribution rate to GDP growth will steadily rise, making it a genuine "main engine" of the economy.
This is the key to responding to the expectations of people's lives and expanding domestic demand.
The changes in the Engel coefficient outline the transition of residents' consumption. At the beginning of the reform and opening-up, the Engel coefficient of Chinese residents was above 60%, but in 2025 it is only 29.3%. The share of residents' expenditure on food has been significantly reduced, which has unleashed enormous space for increasing service consumption in education, health, culture and tourism, and other areas.
From the perspective of global economic development patterns, when a country's per capita GDP exceeds 10,000 US dollars, the consumption structure usually undergoes a significant change, with the share of service consumption rising rapidly. China is currently in this critical transformation period. The consumption model is gradually shifting from "survival-oriented consumption," which mainly meets basic living needs, to "development-oriented consumption," which pursues quality, experience, and self-actualization.
From "Jiangsu Super League" (苏超) and "Village Super League" (村超) going viral, to the continuous heating up of "following performances on travels"; from the accelerated universalization of service points for "one old, one young" to 30-minute "all delivered home" becoming the norm…… Service consumption is no longer an optional accessory, but a real need for a better life. China, with over 400 million middle-income group members, is entering "golden period" of expanding and upgrading the service industry.
This is a key measure to improve total factor productivity and develop new qualitative productive forces.
Take a garment enterprise as an example. On the R&D side, AI design can help the enterprise shorten the product cycle; on the production side, "smart transformation and digital transformation" can greatly improve production efficiency; on the circulation side, logistics can reduce comprehensive costs; on the sales side, market analysis can precisely match consumer groups……
Looking globally, as industrial division of labor deepens and integration accelerates, leading international manufacturing companies are generally transforming towards service-oriented manufacturing, relying on their advantages in finance, R&D, design and other fields to dominate the construction of global value chains. The role of producer services in production networks is increasingly prominent, and to a great extent determines whether product value can extend to the two ends of the "smiling curve."
As the world's largest manufacturing country, China's producer services added value accounts for less than 35% of GDP, and there is still a gap between scale, level, quality, and efficiency compared to the international advanced level. For moving from a large manufacturing country to a strong manufacturing country, upgrading the service industry is the key.
（II)
Cultivating more "China Service" brands, and adjusting measures to local conditions and precisely implementing strategies is the basic methodology.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "Highlight demand-driving, reform fort crack, technological empowerment openness, and deepening implementation of the action to expand capacity and improve quality of the service industry."
Observing the service industry, its categories are many and its forms are varied; the degree of development and challenges faced by different sectors vary.
Let's look first at producer services. These need to face the full-production and operation needs of possible enterprises the purpose of strongly practically supporting industrial transformation and upgrading, and strengthening weak points in the pre chain.
Among them, the "integration of the two industries," namely the deep integration of advanced manufacturing and modern service industries, is one of the core passages of current industrial policy. For a long time, the manufacturing sector and the service sector seemed to be running on two parallel tracks, belonging to different policy system, statistical dimensions, and regulatory frameworks.
To break this barrier, services must be embedded in every part of manufacturing. The breaking point lies in "data" and "policy." On the one hand, the Industrial Internet is used as a link to break data islands, attract service companies to develop specialized services in for data-oriented manufacturing scenarios, forming an ecosystem of "data flow – service embedding – value appreciation"; on the one hand, bias statistics and the policy system must be reformed, aligning with international experience, so that within the internal sector of manufacturing it can "independently account" and enjoy the policy benefits of the service industry, giving the "integration of the two industries" clear policy focus.
Now let's look at personal services. Its core is to face the everyday needs of the public to life path of all ages but the purpose of better meeting the needs for the a better life, upgrading the development level of key areas in personallife services.
Take "one young, one old" as an example. At present, the demands of the "old and child" are are jumping from the basic guarantee level toward the universal level and even the mid-to high-end level, and the dimension press is expanding daily, with needs for both material, spiritual care, infrastructure. At the same time, the structural contradiction on the supply side is also prominent. In some large cities, high-quality elderly care institutions *** have a difficult time, while are many elderly care beds in towns Herm? Many vacant; standardized chain child care involves difficulty, sparts small-scale institutional operations face difficulties.
Facing these multilevel contradictions, the demand and supply must be broken down precisely, implementing layered policies, to truly achieve quality improvement and upgrade.
Focusing on the "bottom line": with government guidance, be strong set county, county three-tier elderly care service network, solidifying social safety net; focusing on the "midline": guided by government, though investment char, measures, leverage, with tax advantages, guarantee factor, system mechanism reform, more social forces involved, so that more families benefit "from care and elderly services that are affordable, of acceptable quality, and with security”; focusing on the "higher line": relying on industrial policies and building the business environment, supporting business entities to provide personalized, customized services.
（III)
Cultivating more "China Service" brands must use the "new" of innovation to seize the first opportunity, and use "genuine" quality to win reputation.
As Comrade Xi Jinping said in Zhejiang New Journal (之江新语): "Brand meaning is the impact efficiency is competitiveness, creatives."
Cultivating more "China Service" grade increments must advance institutional openness with depth.
The brand can only be tempered and shaped under open competition. However, the barriers to trade in goods are mainly "at the border", e.g., tariffs and customs, but the barriers to trade in services are more often hidden "behind the border", such as market access rules, regulatory systems, qualification recognition, mutual recognition of professional qualifications, etc.
We need to both dynamically optimize the negative list for services, further compress the market with the scope of the list, make it an open commitment of modeling and operability; we also need to further refine openness transparency of regulatory matters and consistency regulatory alignment scale with internationally accepted practices, reduce invisible less barriers. At the same time, we need to actively promote cross-border and full recognition of professional qualifications for engineers, doctors, etc., allowing high-end talents to move freely.
Cultivating more "China Service" brands means that "it takes little effort to be convenient."*
A recent piece of news caught global attention: Mixue Bingcheng (蜜雪冰城) global stores are approaching 60,000, becoming a global chain brand of broadly influence.
The secret of Mixue Bingcheng's success is inseparable from an artificial supply chain; a set of web system. At the front line, a new model, it converts consumption data into planting data, guiding farmers to make decisions making supply that orders; in the middle, the intelligent scheduling system achieves intelligent allocation to different 30 warehouses nationwide, with Central China proportion of more than 97% in cold store chain coverage; at engine end, providing algorithm for store location and precise support. Foreign media reported, "Snow King" is bound to appear in your city.
Thus, the differentiated competition for service brand is essentially a vigor of innovation. The "China Service" brand should truly stand firm, be widely recognized, and go far worldwide. Use the "new" of innovation to car first, continuously break progress in service models, technical methods, and processes for consumption, and win hard reputation with "solid pond" quality.
From "run product" to "service", from "Made in China" to "Service in China", as the 100 trillion yuan of service territory slowly unfolds, we believe we are, are increasingly brightly cause "China's Service" cards will generate piece of provide that for China economic growth high-quality and absolute potential.
Return to Top本报南宁8月12日电 (NANNING, August 12 — reporters Pang Geping, Zhang Yunhe, Zhu Jiaqi) On August 12, the actual-vessel testing for the Pinglu Canal, a backbone project of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor (西部陆海新通道), was officially launched. This test will be completed in phases, covering navigability verification under normal and adverse operating conditions and the effectiveness inspection of navigational beacons along the entire line. It will comprehensively verify the suitability of the canal's navigation channel, ship locks, anchorages, service areas, and navigation aids, preparing for the canal's opening to navigation in September.
The Pinglu Canal is the first major canal connecting a river to the sea built since the founding of the People's Republic of China. After it opens, it will become the shortest-distance, most economical, and most convenient sea-export channel for the southwestern region.
This test deploys four representative vessels, covering mainstream navigation ship types including 5,000-ton heavy load and empty load, 3,000-ton heavy load, and 1,000-ton heavy load. The test voyage covers the Shaping river section, the dividing ridge section, the main stream of the Qin River section, the Qinzhou urban section, and the estuary section of the canal. Simultaneously, it conducts actual measurements of subjects such as vessel passage through the twin-way ship locks at the three major hubs, meeting in curved waterways, overtaking in the same direction, turning operations, berthing and unberthing with tidal forces, and nighttime navigation. It will conduct pre-tests at opportune moments for six categories of high-risk adverse operating conditions including hub water release, tributary flood convergence, and the superposition of strong winds and large tides. Meanwhile, it completed a specialized inspection of the daytime and nighttime visibility, light quality, and layout effectiveness of 206 representative navigational beacons along the entire line.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王东辉 王 珂
As the first national-level special plan in the field of consumption, the Expanding Consumption "15th Five-Year" Plan (扩大消费“十五五”规划) (hereinafter referred to as the Plan) sets forth the development target for the consumer market by 2030: the overall scale of the consumer market will continue to expand, and the total retail sales of consumer goods will reach approximately 60 trillion yuan.
In 2025, China's total retail sales of consumer goods reached 50.12 trillion yuan, steadily remaining the world's second-largest consumer goods market and the largest online retail market for many consecutive years.
According to the target, over the next five years, total retail sales of consumer goods will see an increment of approximately 10 trillion yuan. What are the supporting conditions for achieving the incremental target? How to achieve the incremental target? The reporter conducted an interview.
The incremental target possesses solid supporting conditions and strong operability
As night falls, the Chongqing Changjia Hui Shopping Park (重庆长嘉汇购物公园) becomes lively, and a drone light show interweaving technology and culture is staged. Patterns such as flowers, pandas, and mountains appear in turn, adding a touch of romance to the city.
"After watching the drone show with my family, we'll have hotpot—we've got a full evening planned," said tourist Peng Shangwen (彭尚文). He added that after the meal, he would still go to the shopping district to choose cultural creative products.
Since April last year, the drone light show has been performed more than 100 times, with a total dissemination of approximately 11 billion views online, linking together consumption chains such as catering and retail. The operator of a store in that business district introduced that during the evening performance hours in summer, customer traffic increased by 30% compared to ordinary days, and overall business revenue rose significantly. The conversion of traffic into real increments has become a vivid illustration of the bursting vitality of consumption.
Jiang Zhao (姜照), an associate researcher at the Institute of Circulation and Consumption Research (流通与消费研究所) of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation (商务部研究院), believes that the Plan‘s target of bringing total retail sales of consumer goods to approximately 60 trillion yuan by 2030 is an anticipatory target set on the basis of first crossing the 50 trillion yuan mark in 2025, and it possesses solid supporting conditions and strong operability.
The foundation of the consumer market is solid.
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, although the external environment was complex and severe, the consumer market generally maintained growth. China's total retail sales of consumer goods successively climbed the 40 trillion, 45 trillion, and 50 trillion yuan thresholds, growing by more than 10 trillion yuan over the five years. The average contribution rate of final consumption expenditure to economic growth was 58.8%, 10 percentage points higher than in the "13th Five-Year Plan" period.
New products such as smart homes and smart robots entered the market; technology iteration and upgrades have better aligned supply and demand, gradually entering ordinary households. The consumption groups of county markets, as well as silver-hair (elderly), youth, and infants/toddlers, have huge scale, and the prospects for consumption growth are broad… Referencing the growth scale during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, this target is positive and feasible.
A relevant responsible comrade from the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展改革委) stated that moving toward the "15th Five-Year Plan" direction, China's consumer market development has entered a critical period of improving quality and expanding quantity. The consumption foundation is solid and steady, the trend of consumption upgrading is obvious, and the innovation vitality of consumption scenarios is robust, providing solid support for the growth of the consumer market.
Policy measures are being exerted continuously.
On July 8, the 2026 National Summer Culture and Tourism Consumption Season was launched. During the consumption season, localities will hold more than 30,000 cultural and tourism consumption activities, issuing over 450 million yuan in consumption vouchers and other consumption subsidies to help residents and tourists enjoy the summer.
In recent years, policies to boost consumption have been implemented, including special consumption stimulation actions, trade-in of consumer goods, the cultivation and building of international consumption center cities, financial subsidies on personal consumption loans, and providential invoice sweepstakes, with their effects continuing to emerge.
In 2025, sales of goods related to trade-in programs exceeded 2.6 trillion yuan, benefiting more than 3.6 billion consumer visits and driving a more than 1 percentage point increase in total retail sales of consumer of goods. In the first half of this year, trade-in of consumer goods drove a total of 1.1 trillion yuan in sales of related goods, benefiting of 1.5 billion consumer visits, powerfully promoting sales of related goods and industrial development.
This year, the third batch of 62.5 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special treasury bonds supporting trade-in of consumer goods has already been allotted, and the policy effects are continuously to appear; the National Development and Reform Commission is, together with relevant departments, rushed to study and formulate the Implementation Plan for the Strategy of Expanding Domestic Demand (2026—2030) (扩大内需战略实施方案（2026—2030年）)... A series of policies to expand domestic demand and promote consumption are ongoing, will help the consumer market volume continue to expand.
Optimize supply to form new growth points
Goods consumption is an important area for boosting consumption and benefiting people's livelihood. China's market of consumer goods retail sales increased from 10.4% in 2021 to 44.3% in 2025, with a cumulative growth of 12.5%, and its share of total retail sales of consumer goods has long remained around 90%.
The Plan highlights innovation-led development, systematical deploying the expansion and upgrading of goods consumption from aspects such as promoting green consumption, upgrading consumption of household goods, and advancing "IP (intellectual property) + consumption".
As the summer season arrives, the Jingdezhen Imperial Kilned Museum (景德镇御窑博物院) in Jiangxi attracts many tourists. Students on study tours and families on family trips carefully select goods in the creative goods section.
“I always buy special creative cultural products wherever I travel.” tourist Zhang Ying (张莹) from Ningbo, Zhejiang, just bought a refrigerator magnet of the “Sui Sui Duck” ornament (岁岁鸭). The magnet was designed with reference to the Museum's collection piece—the plain three-color duck-shaped incense for the summer show. "It has a lot of historical heritage," Zhang Ying said, satisfied.
Around the “Sui Sui Duck” IP, Jingdezhen Imperial Kilned Museum introduced more than 180 auxiliary cultural creative products. Director Weng Yanjun (翁彦俊) stated that Museum collaborates with design units to excavate the unique features of The collection cultural objects and present new creative products from time to time. For those that receive positive market feedback, they will further and production on a larger scale. The "IP+consumption" model not only helps more people understand the cultural relics reactions but also generates economic benefits.
"Artificial intelligence and other technologies promote the iterated upgrading of consumer goods, and new business consumption models forms, new scenes, and new gears structure, are key drivers of continuous increase in the increments," Jiang Zhao analyzed.
In the first half of the year, out of 16 major categories in total retail sales of consumer goods, 10 categories achieved growth, among which 7 categories had growth rates exceeding 5%. A relevant responsible comrade from the Ministry of Commerce (商务部) expressed that it will introduce relevant policy measures to boost the scale expansion and structural upgrading of goods consumption, better catering to and meeting the diversified, multilevel consumption demands of the people.
Strengthen the foundation for expanding consumption and further release potential
At present, the consumption field still faces some contradictions and problems, which objectively restrict the further release of consumption.
Chen Lifen (陈丽芬), director of the Market Circulation Research Office of the Institute of Market Economy (市场流通研究室) of the Development Research Center of the State Council (国务院发展研究中心), believes that the Plan pays more attention to the establishment of long-term institutions and systems such improving consumption capabilities, optimizing the consumption environment, and improving the mechanisms for long-term progression promoting consumption, emphasizing replacing promotion or consumption through multiple channels, safeguarding consumer rights and interests, and cleaning up and optimizing unreasonable restrictive policies to truly enhance people's willingness and ability to consume, and to concretely make the foundation foundation for expanding comsumption.
On the one hand the Plan upholds the close integration of benefiting people's livelihood and promoting consumption, improving the quality of the people's lives; on the other hand, should note appropriately handle relations between short-term and long-term, supply and demand, the government and the market, consumption policy and other economic and social policies, adhere to the unified integration of specific consumption measures with improving consumption ability, optimize consumption environments, and improve institutional policies, all together from one system building force.
Wang Yun (王蕴), deputy director of the Center for Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought Research (习近平经济思想研究中心), believes that employment and income are both major livelihood issues and the foundation for expanding consumption. Great emphasis should be placed on a job-first orientation, strengthening the priority policy for employment operations. And implementation policies such as structural tax and fee reliefs should be implemented, and support for industries and enterprises capable of absorbing that such as stable work and expand posts, and strengthen employment and vocational skill improvement services for groups young people groups including college graduates.
The relevant responsible comrade for National Development and Reform Commission expressed their intent to vigorously stimulate consumption, to further improve consumption capacity, implement the employment-first strategy thoroughly for execution, continuously train large-scale vocational skill improvement training, and through multiple channels to stimulate income for residents, so that residents can have greater consumption confidence, more stable expectations, and stronger consumer base.
Return to TopBy: 崔 斌
Consumption is connected to the big picture of the economy on one side, and to the lives of millions of households on the other. The effectiveness of expanding consumption concerns the driving force of economic development, and concerns every detail of each person’s life even more. The Plan is very close to the masses, providing a “package plan” to meet diverse needs. Taking service consumption as an example, “expanding elderly-care consumption” focuses on the happy later years of the elderly, “supporting childcare consumption” is based on making it easier for “moms and dads” to raise children, and “improving the quality of education and training consumption” provides support for lifelong learning… The starting point and objective are both “promoting service consumption to improve quality and benefit the people. Consumption by service quality improvement” consumption by the people’s lives”
The confidence behind the 5-year, 10 trillion yuan increase comes precisely from the people’s repeated satisfying consumption experiences amid “daily necessities,” and from all sides continuously adding bricks and tiles to the people’s high-quality life consumption. With the in-depth implementation of the Plan, it is believed that the people’s consumption needs will be satisfied with increasing precision, and that consumption will play an even greater role in supporting high-quality development.
Return to TopBy: 吴秋余
The moon shines bright and bright, gratitude to Zhejiang Huangdu Village, sending seedlings a thousand li to arrive here, generation after generation will not forget the kindness… In the “White Leaf No. 1” Gratitude Tea Garden of Tunshang Village, Digua Town, Pu’an County, Guizhou, unadorned mountain songs echo through the hills, telling the story of mountains-and-sea common prosperity spanning nearly 2,000 kilometers.
In Anji, Zhejiang, Huangdu Village has long been famous — first for its poverty, now for its wealth. A single tea seedling, after hard tending, not only transformed Huangdu into the well-known “No. 1 White Tea Village” but also became a link connecting the mountains and the sea as a bond of prosperity, driving Guzhang in Hunan, Qingchuan in Sichuan, and Pu’an, Yanhe, and Leishan in Guizhou — three provinces, five counties — toward common prosperity.
From “one leaf makes one place rich” to “one leaf makes another place rich,” the road to prosperity spanning more than 20 years — why can it keep widening? Because Huangdu Village has always adhered to relying on hard work and innovation to become prosperous. Facing the difficulties of lacking funds, lacking technology, and lacking markets, the people of Huangdu Village did not wait or rely on others. With one hand they fought for credit funds and expanded sales channels; with the other they promoted green and organic white tea certification and built a white tea eco-leisure sightseeing zone. Relying on their industrious hands and innovative minds, Huangdu Village completed the transformation from “mud roads everywhere, too poor for young men to find wives” to “every household has a small villa, three private cars parked in the yard,” and sent the highest-quality seedlings, the most practical technology, and the most valuable experience a thousand li away, realizing “those who got rich first help those who got rich later, together running the road to wealth.”
“A happy life is earned through struggle; common prosperity must be created by diligence and intelligence.” The “one leaf” of Huangdu Village tells us: Common prosperity is not “waited out” or “distributed out”; it is done by relying on common struggle, hard work and innovation, and complementary advantages. It must firmly promote common prosperity among high-quality development.
Common prosperity is an essential requirement of socialism, an important feature of Chinese-style modernization, and the unremitting pursuit of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese people. It is very clear to recognize that common prosperity is absolutely not achieved lightly, beating gongs and drums; rather, it must thereby rely on the diligence and intelligence of the masses to be created. Only if all the people engage together in common struggle, unremitting struggle, pool consensus, and form a good atmosphere of common struggle can common prosperity be realized in high-quality development. Both history and reality prove that for a big country like China with over 1.4 billion people, a good life cannot be waited for or begged for; there is no other path but struggle.
All things obtain their founding to live; all on their principle and achieve. To realize common prosperity must be down-to-earth, perseverance and effect and long-term achievement, while scientifically grasping the strategic goals and practical pathways. The common prosperity we want to achieve is not all people becoming rich at the same time, nor all regions resolutely reaching one level of prosperity; different groups not only have varying degrees of prosperity, but also have time lags. There will still be certain differences in the prosperity levels of different regions; it cannot be all advancing forward simultaneously. On one hand, we must see that promoting common prosperity is a long-term, arduous, and complex task, a long historical process. On the other hand, we must also profoundly recognize that common prosperity is consistent — the wealth of all the people — a prosperity where everyone participates, everyone does their best, everyone enjoys. It ultimately depends on the common struggle of all the people, advancing gradually in accordance with the law of economic and social development. First, we must make the “cake” bigger and better through the common struggle of the entire nation, and then cut and share the “cake” properly through reasonable institutional arrangements.
Each year, urban newly added fixed jobs above 12 million, new layout of 114 national regional medical centers, average life expectancy reaches 79.25 years… During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, taking benefiting the people as the fundamental value orientation and steadily raising the level of people’s livelihood in development, each of us is not only a participant in development but also a beneficiary of development. It is precisely the united struggle of over 1.4 billion Chinese people that gathers the immense force to overcome all difficulties and obstacles, ensuring the smooth progress of various tasks in the “14th Five-Year Plan” and solid steps for common prosperity of all people.
In the good life, there is a people’s livelihood view, a development view, and a modernization view.
From the “one leaf” of Huangdu Village to the deep feelings of mountain and sea in Minning Town, our country has now arrived at the historical stage of solidly promoting common prosperity. With the party leading, hundreds of millions of their people are creating wealth with dual hands, writing legends with struggle, marching steadily toward the goal of common prosperity, and striding toward the grand goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects.
Achievements originate from common struggle; the fruits are ultimately shared by you and me. Chinese-style modernization is modernization with huge population scale, and modernization of consistent prosperity for all people. On the new journey, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, guided by Xi Jinping’s Economic Thought, if we continue to meet efforts and connect struggles, we will surely be able to paint an even grander sketch of common prosperity.
Return to TopThis newspaper, Beijing, August 12 (Reporter Wang Zheng (王政)) — The latest statistical data released by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (中国汽车工业协会) shows: In the first seven months of this year, China’s automobile production and sales completed 17.567 million and 17.602 million units respectively, of which new energy vehicle production and sales completed 9.014 million and 9.007 million units respectively, both with year-on-year growth of nearly 10%. In July, the monthly share of new car sales for new energy vehicles exceeded 60% for the first time, and the cumulative share exceeded 50% for the first time. After automobile exports exceeded 900,000 units for two consecutive months in April and May, China’s automobile exports continued their strong growth momentum, surpassing 1 million units for two consecutive months in June and July.
In July, new energy vehicle production and sales completed 1.576 million and 1.561 million units respectively, with year-on-year growth of 26.8% and 23.7% respectively; battery electric vehicle production and sales both exceeded 1 million units, with year-on-year growth both exceeding 30%.
In July, automobile exports reached 1.043 million units, a month-on-month increase of 0.6% and a year-on-year increase of 81.3%. Among them, new energy vehicle exports reached 553,000 units, a month-on-month increase of 5.7% and a year-on-year increase of 145.5%, with export share exceeding 50% for two consecutive months. From January to July, automobile exports reached 6.14 million units, a year-on-year increase of 66.8%. Among them, new energy vehicle exports reached 2.909 million units, a 1.2-fold year-on-year increase.
From our Beijing and Ulaanbaatar August 12 dispatch (reporters Qiu Chaoyi (邱超奕) and Zhang Penghui (张朋辉)). At 16:58 Beijing time on August 12, the CA723 flight, executed by Air China's C919 model, smoothly landed at Mongolia's New Ulaanbaatar Airport, marking the official commencement of regular international commercial route operations by the domestically-produced large aircraft. As of now, Air China's C919 fleet has reached 12 aircraft, with a cumulative total of over 12,000 safe flight sorties, transporting over 1.62 million passengers, and has opened more than 10 routes.
Return to TopBeijing, Aug 12 (People's Daily) — (Reporter Ouyang Jie (欧阳洁)) The China e-commerce logistics index (中国电商物流指数) for July, jointly released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (中国物流与采购联合会) and JD Group (京东集团), stood at 111.2 points, down 0.2 points from the previous month. The e-commerce logistics total business volume index was 128.4 points, down 0.2 points month-on-month. By region, the western and northeastern regions rose by 0.9 points and 0.6 points respectively, the central region fell slightly by 0.4 points, and the eastern region was flat with the previous month.
The supply side of e-commerce logistics was stable and improving. In July, enterprise inventory turnover efficiency further improved; the inventory turnover rate rose by 0.4 points month-on-month, achieving an increase for three consecutive months. Logistics service quality was steadily optimized; from February onward, logistics timeliness, fulfillment rate, and satisfaction rate continuously recovered, rising in July by 0.1 points, 0.3 points, and 0.1 points, respectively. The cost index fell by 0.3 points month-on-month, and the pressure on enterprise operations eased somewhat.
According to analysis, in July, e-commerce logistics entered a seasonal adjustment. E-commerce promotional activities ended one after another, the concentrated promotion effect of platforms gradually faded, the market returned to normal operation, and demand for e-commerce logistics declined somewhat. However, the fundamental foundation of industry operations remained solid; the total business volume index was still above the full-year average, and both the total e-commerce logistics business volume and the rural business volume maintained a year-on-year growth rate of over 20%. In August, as summer consumer demand continues to be released, combined with the further emergence of the effect of consumption-stimulating policies, e-commerce logistics is expected to stop falling and stabilize, continuing its steady operating posture.
At the same time, the China warehouse index (中国仓储指数) for July, jointly surveyed and released by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing and China Merchants Development and Storage Development Co., Ltd. (中储发展股份有限公司), stood at 50.3%, up 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, running in the expansion range for two consecutive months. Looking at the sub-indices, compared with the previous month, the extended business volume index, the ending inventory index, the average inventory turnover times index, and the enterprise employee index all rose, with the increase ranging between 0.2 and 7.8 percentage points.
Yang Biao (杨飚), deputy general manager of China Storage Development Co., Ltd., believed that in July, the warehouse storage index still maintained a small slight upward adjustment under the influence of high temperatures, heavy rainfall, typhoons, and other seasonal climate and extreme weather factors, showing that the warehouse industry operation has strong resilience. The new orders index, although falling, is still in the expansion range, and the demand for warehouse business has maintained moderate growth. At the same time, the average inventory turnover times index rebounded relatively significantly, improving the efficiency of commodity throughput.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 姚雪青
Complete a system for promoting agricultural science and technology that combines public-benefit and market-oriented services.
— Excerpted from the Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan
In the outskirts of the Wuxi High-Tech Zone, Jiangsu, four new agricultural greenhouses were built this year. This is the country’s first agricultural robot 4S store.
Walking into one of the greenhouses, nylon ropes hang from the ceiling; tomato vines climb upward along the ropes, and fruits at different stages of ripeness hang under the leaves. “The greenhouse is kept so tidy and orderly – all thanks to them.” Qin Qi (秦齐), the market operations director of the Smart Agriculture Robotics Research Institute (智慧农业机器人研究所) of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center (长三角国家技术创新中心), who runs the store, introduced his “colleagues” to reporters.
The intelligent inspection robot, “stepping on” a track-type chassis, uses the camera on its head to identify the size and color of tomatoes, count the number of fruits, determine ripeness, and then transmit the data back to the cloud backend in real time.
After receiving the data, the intelligent harvesting robot “goes on duty,” moves to the ripe tomato truss, locates and identifies it, and precisely cuts the fruit. At that moment, the intelligent logistics robot also arrives, loads the tomatoes, then automatically drives to the warehouse to unload, and afterward returns to continue working.
Targeting different types of crops, growing environments, and ground conditions, the store equips the greenhouses with corresponding robot employees. In greenhouses with tracks, it uses track-type chassis robots; on dirt surfaces, wheeled or crawler robots take on the task.
How is this different from ordinary planting bases that use agricultural robots?
“Building a real scene is meant to demonstrate agricultural robots,” Qin Qi explained. In the past, growers and agricultural enterprises often purchased farming machinery from distributors, and it was not easy to judge whether the device was suitable for their own crops, fields, and agronomic processes before buying. More often, what they need is not just a robot, but a complete set of solutions: how different robots cooperate in coordination, how robots work in synergy with the growing environment, agronomic processes, and production management… All of these must be verified in real-world scenarios.
Wu Hao (吴昊), director of the research institute, said that relying on the platform resources of the Yangtze River Delta National Innovation Center, the team focuses on the niche segment of high-value cash crops, developing ten agricultural robots covering the full cycle of fruit and vegetable production from planting to harvesting, and on that basis carries out sales and services.
Why call it a 4S store?
Wu Hao explained that the “4S” in the store stands for show & experience, sales & delivery, technical service, and bespoke solutions. The store is not only a product show and experience center, but also a testing establishment – resource testing ground – for checking “whether using robots to farm can make money” — practical only if this model can generate revenue and achieve sustainable operation can it form a demonstration effect and further open the market. “We expect to reach profitability by 2028.” Wu Hao is confident on that count.
Some time ago, Nanjing Golden Manor Agricultural Products Co., Ltd. (南京金色庄园农产品有限公司), after a site visit, took an interest in an ultraviolet physical plant-protection robot. “We grow strawberries and hope to use advanced agricultural machinery to help save costs, increase efficiency, and improve quality,” said Li Defu (李德富), the company’s technical director. What was even more attractive was the complete set of solutions offered by the 4S store — technical personnel can be stationed at the enterprise in the early stage to help set up the network, match algorithms, and provide daily maintenance, and also train enterprise staff hand—on in using the products.
The operational model combining product research and development and sales allows the 4S store’s agricultural robots to meet more customer needs. The Amway (China) Botanical R&D Center (安利（中国）植物研发中心) in Wuxi grows Hangzhou white chrysanthemum (杭白菊). The planting area has relatively narrow row spacing and wider beds, and organic pest control is required. Jiang Nanjun (姜楠钧), an researcher at the center, said that within less than two months, the 4S store customized a cross-ridge ultraviolet plant-protection robot for the white chrysanthemum planting, with a larger span and a chassis height that can be flexibly adjusted according to field conditions.
This agricultural robot 4S store has already served nearly ten customers, with another more than ten clients under negotiation. Qin Qi admitted that current customers are mainly concentrated in Jiangsu Province and surrounding areas. For potential customers in agricultural production regions such as the Northeast and Southwest, distance remains an obstacle to visiting to experience the facilities in person. The store plans to use live streaming and other methods to let more growers and enterprises see how the robots work and what their actual performance is; over the long term, plans of establishing branches across more agricultural production regions, using a model combining self-operated and franchised properties, to provide targeted products and services.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王伟健
Opening Remarks for the Column
In the booming and developing China, vitality of entrepreneurship, innovation, and creation surges everywhere. From farmlands to production workshops, from laboratories to office buildings, from trade exhibitions to e-commerce platforms, many foreign friends also carry dreams and courage, crossing mountains and seas, to find their own opportunities on this hot land of China. What are their entrepreneurial journeys like, what challenges do they face, and what gains do they have?
The People's Daily launches today the column "Starting Up a Business in China" (我在中国创业), documenting the authentic experiences of these overseas entrepreneurs. They come from different countries and are in different industries, yet they share one identity—co-sharers of China's opportunities. Let us walk into their stories together and experience a China full of vitality, openness, and inclusiveness.
Inside Plant B3 of the Taicang Sino-German Life Science Park in Jiangsu, a special competition is underway. The contestants are two air-suspension compressors, each smaller than a shoebox—one from a leading German company in the industry, the other from a foreign-invested startup, Xiaoke Zhixing (Taicang) Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. (小科智行（太仓）汽车科技有限公司). The air-suspension compressor can be called the “lung” that controls the raising and lowering performance of a vehicle’s chassis. Though small in size, it must have the strength to “lift” the entire vehicle and also possess the “endurance” to work continuously and steadily. Just now, the two sides were competing precisely in “exhalation” explosive power and head-dissipation performance. Not long after, the outcome was clear: Xiaoke Zhixing won comprehensively, reaching the same rated pressure value with only 40 seconds required, and by the end of the test the unit showed only mild temperature rise.
“The entrepreneurial environment in China is so good, our choice could not be more correct,” said Keresi (科瑞斯), founder of Xiaoke Zhixing, looking at the test data frozen on the screen, barely containing his excitement. In 2023, this German engineer, together with his Chinese wife Jiang Xiaohua (蒋筱桦), came to China and set foot on the path of entrepreneurship starting from zero. In just over two years, he has led his team to achieve major technological breakthroughs. Recently, a reporter visited Taicang to explore this entrepreneur story that crosses mountains and seas.
“Go to China; not only is there the market there, but also an innovation atmosphere.”
Keresi, now 38, previously worked in Darmstadt, Germany, as a high-end technical talent in the field of aerospace engine development. A few years ago, he noticed that new energy vehicles were increasing on German streets, but after frequent rising and lowering of vehicle chassis, the adjustment speed was slow and prone to turning off to protection due to overheating. “The air compressor is not working well,” he saw the problem immediately. After investigation, Keresi found that the technology used in air compressors is still that from over 20 years ago. When the compressor supplies air directly to the air suspension, lifting the chassis by 10 centimeters took as long as one and a half minutes. Such speed has become an obvious shortcoming for intelligent, high-dynamic new energy vehicles.
This discovery made Keresi and his wife see a vast “blue ocean” market—if they could assemble a team in Germany and focus on tackling the problem, they could seize the high ground in the industry. The seed of entrepreneurship germinated from this. “At first, I wanted to land this in Germany, but the difficulty was great,” Keresi admitted. Germany has deep industries, but even if a startup makes technological breakthroughs, it is very hard to break into the mature supply chain system of leading companies. Even more realistic is that in Germany, starting a business—every link from team building, industry chain integration, to market development—requires the startup to fumble through on its own. For a startup with limited funds and lacking experience, each step is very hard.
“China’s new energy vehicle industry is booming; to undertake advanced technology, we must go to China. There is not only a market, but also an innovation atmosphere.” Jiang Xiaohua’s words awakened the baffled Keresi. After making the decision, the couple settled down and came better prepared in advance: Jiang Xiaohua contacted friends between them in China repeatedly for detailed information about the entrepreneurial process; Keresi made a special trip to visit a number of German friends who had experience working and starting up in China, learning about foreign capital market access policies, industrial chain supporting capabilities, supply of skilled talent, and international market development prospects. Having felt more confident, in 2023 the couple boarded a flight to China and conducted investigations in multiple cities in the Yangtze River Delta. Traveling, observing, and comparing, in Taicang, Jiangsu, which gathers over 500 German-invested enterprises, they found that there is a mature supporting industrial cluster for auto parts, precision manufacturing, etc., highly matching their startup needs. “This is the place,” said Keresi and Jiang Xiaohua, decisively opting to start their business in Taicang.
“Such efficiency is unimaginable in other countries.”
On June 5, 2023, Xiaoke Zhixing was officially established. On the very first day of operation, Taicang High-Tech Zone presented a “welcome gift”: a detailed bilingual guide named Taicang High-Tech Zone Talent Policy Guidebook (太仓高新区人才政策一本通). This “entrepreneurial guidebook” clearly explained special talent support, science and technology innovation subsidies, and other policies. That same day, a Taicang Science Technology Bureau “liaison officer” took Keresi and his wife to “view housing,” and soon, a temporary office was settled. In his first year of startup, Keresi was evaluated as a recipient of several honors, including Gusu Innovation and Entrepreneurship Leading Talent (姑苏创新创业领军人才) and Taicang Sci-Tech Leading Talent (太仓科技领军人才). Not only that—from company registration filing, declaration material preparation, to investment and financing matchmaking and policy application landing, the relevant departments in Taicang assigned a dedicated person to follow up one-on-one and provide full-process assistance. “Everything process was handled for us by someone. The only thing I had to do was to concentrate on tackling technical challenges,” said Keresi, noting that he felt very at ease from the early startup phase.
What made Keresi even more exciting was the strong development momentum of China’s new energy vehicle industry. In recent years, China has continuously increased support for new energy vehicles and core intelligent chassis components. The Catalogue of Industrial Structural Adjustment (2024 Edition) (产业结构调整指导目录（2024年本）) included wire-control chassis systems into the encouraged category, making the intelligent chassis track a frontier of innovation that attracted substantial capital market attention. Keresi’s entrepreneurial project quickly attracted capital favor.
The complete and efficient industrial chain supporting, along with the open and inclusive innovation atmosphere, gave Keresi the confidence for technological breakthroughs. He explained that many of the parts needed for product development can be found within a few kilometers. When talking with suppliers about cooperation, most partners basically look not at “background” but at “technical strength.” Even though Xiaoke Zhixing was still in early R&D and its single procurement volume was negligible, as long as he brought a design drawing to them, they were willing to listen to technical proposals and agree on cooperation intentions. Even for a few customized small parts, the supplier was willing to open a specific mold to support their collaborative R&D. Last year, parameters for a small accessory needed optimization adjustment. Keresi sent the revised drawing to the supplier in the afternoon of one day, and by the next morning, he received the finished new sample. “Such efficiency is unimaginable in other countries,” Keresi marveled. In China, Keresi has encountered many such partners. One air-suspension compressor has over 100 parts, involving nearly 50 suppliers. Keresi and Jiang Xiaohua visited each one, polished details, and in less than half a year, built a complete, efficient supply chain system.
“With a long-term, full-process service, escort the development of startups.”
With help from upstream and downstream customers in the industry, Xiaoke Zhixing’s R&D advanced rapidly. The first self-developed prototype was successfully rolled out in less than a year, followed quickly by the second-generation iterative product. From team building to R&D landing, it took only over two years. Keresi explained that previously, high-end vehicle models required multiple sets of pneumatic systems of different specifications, serving different functions such as air-suspension chassis lifting, seat massage, side wing support, and oxygen generator. Currently, many Chinese new energy models are gradually being equipped with the above functions, but face cost challenges. The product developed by Keresi’s team only requires a single pneumatic system that can be applied to multiple scenarios, enabling extension to more new energy models and effectively reducing costs.
However, core automotive components have a very high barrier to supply chain entry. For vehicle manufacturers, the air-suspension compressor is a core part related to driving safety, and the supply chain is relatively fixed. A brand-new startup lacks large-scale production verification and mature market application endorsement, so it is difficult to enter the sight of vehicle manufacturers. Although Keresi’s product performed excellently in functional tests, it encountered “growing pains” in production partnership. “This is the company’s own problem. I can’t trouble the government for help,” Keresi thought. But he nonetheless took a try-and-see attitude, and brought the issue to the Taicang High-Tech Zone Science and Technology Bureau. Unexpectedly, a response came quickly. By sorting through local new energy vehicle supply chain resources, Taicang High-Tech Zone precisely matched them with a new energy smart heavy-duty truck technology company, and stepped in to facilitate the matchmaking. The two sides are currently in negotiations. Meanwhile, Jiang Xiaohua is connecting with domestic multiple new energy vehicle manufacturers to promote market introduction of the product.
From the initial stage of “turnkey move-in” to the growing stage of resolving difficulties, Keresi has tangibly benefited from the policy dividend of starting up in China. He said: “Government support is not just one-time, but a long-term, full-process service to safeguard the development of startups.”
This year’s Government Work Report (政府工作报告) contains key points on “cultivating and developing emerging industries and future industries” and “strengthening original innovation and breakthroughs in core critical technologies,” which deeply inspired Keresi.
“There are still so many opportunities in the Chinese market,” Keresi says. China has a globally unique full-industry-chain supporting advantage and an extremely high tolerance for new technologies and new things. Even more important, the continuity and stability of industrial policies allow overseas entrepreneurs to dare to invest, dare to innovate, and dare to make long-term plans.
And indeed, Keresi has set new technological goals: to extend his aerospace-grade precision power technology advantage into the low-altitude economy new track, to continue writing the story of entrepreneurship and innovation in this hot land of China, and to build a firmer bridge for Sino-German economic and trade cooperation and technology exchange.
Return to TopHistorical issues are not "old accounts" that can be easily turned over; they are the "credit report" that determines whether a country can be trusted by the world.
On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. Although this brought an end to the war of aggression, what truly drew a legal conclusion to this war was the Tokyo Trial 80 years ago — a thorough reckoning, in the name of law and justice, of the crimes of Japanese militarist aggression, which laid an important legal cornerstone for the post-war peace order. Yet, to this day, right-wing forces in Japan remain 处心积虑 (chǔ xīn jī lǜ - "to brood and scheme incessantly," to deliberately plan for a long time) to overturn the verdict on the history of aggression, scheming to break free from the constraints of the post-war international order by denying the historical conclusion of the Tokyo Trial, thereby paving the way for "re-militarization." Faced with this dangerous countercurrent, revisiting the legal value of the Tokyo Trial and defending the historical justice that cannot be tampered with are essential requirements for curbing the revival of Japanese militarism and safeguarding peace in Asia and the world.
On May 3, 1946, in accordance with the arrangements for Japan's unconditional surrender and the Charter of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East formally opened in Tokyo, Japan. This was an international criminal trial of unprecedented scale in human history, bringing together the judicial forces of 11 nations, lasting two and a half years, with a total of 818 court sessions held, 419 witnesses called to testify, 4,336 pieces of various evidence admitted, and nearly 50,000 pages of English transcripts of the trial proceedings produced.
Based on a vast body of iron-clad evidence and rigorous legal reasoning, the tribunal legally determined that Japanese imperialism had launched aggressive wars and seriously violated international law, comprehensively exposing its heinous crimes committed in many Asian countries, and sentencing 25 Class A war criminals including Hideki Tojo to corresponding punishments. The Tokyo Trial was the implementation of what was stipulated in the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, reflecting the collective will of the victorious powers and victims, implementing the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, and firmly safeguarding the fruits of victory in the worldwide struggle against the Axis powers.
The value of the Tokyo Trial in shaping the post-war international order remains irreplaceable to this day. It made clear through international law that planning, initiating, and waging wars of aggression constitutes an international crime, and those responsible must bear legal liability; it contributed to the international consensus that war is illegitimate, and the legal concepts it applied, such as "crimes against peace," "crimes against humanity," and "individual responsibility for war crimes," are of great significance in international legal theory and pracitce. The trial records detail the planning and implementation of wars of aggression by Japan's rulers from as early as the end of the 1920s until their defeat and surrender, as well as the various crimes committed during those wars, forming a vast and authoritative repository of historical materials that continually serves as a warning for the people throughout the world.
Accepting the verdict of the Tokyo Trial was an essential legal premise for post-war Japan's return to the international community. The Tokyo Trial was not merely about punishing the past crimes; its more important purpose was to provide fundamental norms for post-war Japan to reshape its national development trajectory, shed its militaristic system, and embark on a peaceful development path. The trial established in legal form that Japan's militaristic leadership bore an inescapable responsibility for launching wars of aggression and committing war crimes. Together with the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, and Japan's "Peace Constitution" that took effect subsequently, it formed the institutional foundation for post-war Japan to pursue peaceful development. From this perspective, the Tokyo Trial drew a baseline from which Japan could start anew: only by severing itself from militarism could it gain acceptance by the international community; only by upholding pacifism could it achieve sustained stability and long-term development.
However, rightist forces in Japan have always tried to smear or even completely erase this baseline. From implicit questioning in the early post-war period, to openly overturning the verdicts under the guise of a "post-war political total settlement" in the 1980s, to the comprehensive permeation of the thinking that denies the Tokyo Trial into politics, ideological, academic, educational, cultural and other spheres since the 1990s, the track of its evolution is unmistakable. Scholars have pointed out that right-wing politicians in Japan have concocted three main arguments to deny the Tokyo Trial: first, they claim the trial was merely a "decision of the victors over the vanquished"; second, they imagine that the trial applied "an ex post facto law," claiming the related crimes did not exist at the time; third, they denigrate facing up to the history of aggression as a "masochistic view of history (自虐史观)." These various arguments are essentially all about seeking an excuse to overturn the verdict of the history of aggression.
The so-called "decision of the victors over the vanquished" is in essence a deliberate substitution of the boundary of right and wrong. This was a just trial jointly conducted by 11 nations and based on a series of international legal documents. It was by no means the arbitrary exercise of power by a single state. The Tokyo Trial embodied the justice of the victory moment, and its legal value has long transcended the game of victory and defeat to become a norm of international law followed by all humanity.
The so-called "ex post facto law" is actually an attempt to deny the legitimacy of a trial in order to escape historical guilt. The Charter of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East clearly grants the court jurisdiction, and its verdict is binding on Japan under international law. Japan, in the Japanese Instrument of Submission, promised to faithfully carry out the provisions of the 1945 Potsdam Proclamation, while the Potsdam Proclamation reaffirms the legal force of the 1943 Cairo Declaration; these three form a complete legal chain.
The so-called "masochistic view of history" aims to nullify historical and legal conclusions by magnifying a purported "victim" narrative of oneself. But the rigorous procedures and abundant evidence of the Tokyo Trial are sufficient to debunk such false claims.
Besides crafting rhetoric, right-wing Japanese politicians also ignore the feelings of the people in victimized countries, visiting Yasukuni Shrine, where Class A war criminals are enshrined, tampering with history textbooks, and beautifying the crimes of militarism. This approach of accepting the trial's outcome to return to the international community while simultaneously attempting to hollow out the historical meaning of the trial's conclusion is not historical amnesia, but is precisely filled with pragmatic calculations.
The Tokyo Trial's historical verdict must not be denied. What the Tokyo Trial affirmed was not only the criminal responsibility of a few war criminals, but rather a defense that wars of aggression must not be glorified, that war crimes must not be denied, and that historical justice must not be reversed.
Historical issues are not "old accounts" that can be easily turned over; they are the "credit report" that determines whether a country can be trusted by the world. For Japan to truly earn the trust of the international community today, it must respect the verdict of the Tokyo Trial, face up to the history of aggression, and uphold the post-war order. This is the most basic political ethics and the minimum level of international credibility.
By: 本报记者 陈尚文 谷业凯
When machines begin to think, how will humans interact with them? When algorithms participate in decision-making, how will security be guaranteed? When technology challenges ethics, how can governance keep pace? When the gap continues to widen, how can inclusivity be achieved?
At the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Conference on Global AI Governance, President Xi Jinping pointed out that we must always use human wisdom and international consensus to lead the development of artificial intelligence, making it a powerful positive energy that truly enhances the well-being of all mankind and promotes the progress of human civilization.
In the era of intelligence, we stand together through global tribulations. Standing at the forefront of the times and bearing the responsibilities of a major power, China is comprehensively promoting the deepening and consolidation of global AI governance. From starting with its own development to set the momentum, to the "large-scale wash" (da xie yi - "grand landscape painting," a broad, holistic design) of top-level design, and then to the "fine-brush painting" (gong bi hua - "meticulous brushwork," detailed implementation) of precise execution, letting technological dividends benefit the entire world and making the bottom line of security clearly visible—this is China's commitment to the world, and also humanity's response to the future.
Rooted in itself, building the foundation of governance with strength
Not long ago, the new generation of domestic large-scale model Kimi K3 was officially open-sourced, available for everyone to download. With a parameter scale of 2.8 trillion, it has become the largest open-source model in terms of parameter scale in the world currently.
Kimi K3 is a member of the "China Team" that has triggered global attention in the field of artificial intelligence. Among the world's top ten applicants for generative artificial intelligence patents, six are headquartered in China. The British Financial Times commented, "Chinese enterprises are joining the ranks of the global leaders in artificial intelligence innovation capabilities, and their cost efficiency is also surpassing their peers."
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the development of artificial intelligence, improving top-level design and strengthening work deployment, promoting the holistic and systemic leap in China's comprehensive artificial intelligence strength.
Data shows that the application penetration rate of artificial intelligence technology among China's manufacturing enterprises above designated size exceeds 30%, the scale of core industries in the intelligent economy exceeds one trillion yuan, the scale of generative artificial intelligence users has surpassed 600 million, and China has become the largest holder of artificial intelligence patents. China's artificial intelligence technological innovation and industrial application have achieved positive results, and overall strength has improved significantly.
Standing at the new starting point of the "15th Five-Year Plan," strengthening the foundation of innovation with high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-improvement, and embracing global opportunities with "Artificial Intelligence +," China's artificial intelligence development has reached its best timing.
—This confidence stems from the continuous breakthroughs in key core technologies.
Zhangjiang Science City, where the Zhangjiang Science Hall exhibition area of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference is located, gathers hundreds of chip design, manufacturing, and testing and packaging enterprises, with an industrial scale accounting for about one-fifth of the national total. In the chip field, which has been affected by external shocks, China, relying on independent innovation and self-reliance, has not only 蹚出了一条新路 (tiao chu le yi tiao xin lu - "trudged out a new path," to forge a new way through difficulty) but has also firmly grasped the initiative of developing artificial intelligence in its own hands.
Zhang Jianzhong, founder of Moore Threads, said: "Computing power is the cornerstone of artificial intelligence development and governance; it is not only about technological breakthroughs but also concerns strategic initiative. Only by being based on independent controllability and inclusive accessibility can we continuously consolidate the development base of artificial intelligence."
—This confidence stems from the increasing prosperity of the innovation ecosystem.
With the strong support of scientific and technological innovation, artificial intelligence is integrating into all aspects of China's economy and society, entering thousands of households and tangibly benefiting people's livelihoods, making "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" another bright calling card of Chinese-style modernization.
In Shunde, Guangdong, and Wuhan, Hubei, after Midea's "agent factory" introduced the SiMOU Technology artificial intelligence visual reasoning platform, the inspection rhythm perfectly matches the production beat; artificial intelligence directly participates in production decision-making, and large-scale models are rapidly transformed into production capacity.
In Nanchong, Sichuan, and Bozhou, Anhui, Xfyi Medical Technology's "Smart Medical Assistant" significantly improves the efficiency and standardization of medical record writing through functions such as structured consultation and intelligent prompting.
A group of terminal enterprises, relying on a complete industrial chain supporting system, are accelerating the launch of new products such as new-generation smartphones, intelligent robots, and smart glasses, enriching market choices and driving the formation of new hotspots in information consumption.
On August 12, Honor launched the world's first robot phone. "Our country possesses rich and diverse production and life scenarios and integrated hardware-software engineering capabilities, providing excellent soil for the efficient implementation of artificial intelligence from demand to experience," said Honor CEO Li Jian.
—This confidence stems from the institutional guarantee of coordinating development and security.
Recently, Dongbi Technology Data, in conjunction with the School of Digital Economy at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, released the Global Large Language Model Security Prevention Capability Assessment Report (2026). Using 313 high-risk science and technology questions as a test set, it assessed the security prevention capabilities of 38 large language models at home and abroad in the process of helping users acquire, understand, and use scientific and technological knowledge.
"Currently, society is very concerned about issues such as content security and data security derived from the large-scale implementation of artificial intelligence. Balancing development and security, and promoting scientific and technological innovation synchronously with scientific and technological rule of law and the construction of ethics and integrity, will further guide large models and the entire artificial intelligence industry to move upward and toward goodness, achieving sustainable development," said Zhu Xufeng, Dean of the School of Public Policy at Tsinghua University.
In recent years, from the State Council's Opinions on Deeply Implementing the "Artificial Intelligence +" Action which explicitly proposed establishing and improving artificial intelligence technology monitoring, risk early warning, and emergency response systems, to the Implementation Opinions on the Standardized Application and Innovative Development of Agents which explicitly states that the development of agents must adhere to the basic principles of being secure and controllable, standardized and orderly, innovation-driven, and application-led, China is accelerating the construction of laws, regulations, policy systems, application norms, and ethical principles adapted to the evolution trends of artificial intelligence, building a secure foundation for Chinese-style modernization and contributing Chinese wisdom and Chinese governance to global scientific and technological governance.
Embracing the world, leading the way of governance with concepts
A recent commentary in the American New York Times compared the development of frontier artificial intelligence models to two paths: "nuclear weapons" and "nuclear energy." The former emphasizes destructiveness and requires strict supervision; the latter advocates for controllable risk and should be open and shared. Behind these different paths, ultimately, is a difference in cognitive logic—is artificial intelligence a strategic chip for monopoly and hegemony, or a public product that benefits humanity?
China's answer is clear and firm: people-oriented, upward and toward goodness, making artificial intelligence an important source of momentum for promoting common prosperity and maintaining common security.
President Xi Jinping proposed working together to build a fair and reasonable global artificial intelligence governance system. This is a profound insight into the trends of technology and the times, a crystallization of thinking that promotes sharing through consultation and good intelligence through good governance, and even more, it is China's wise responsibility in promoting global artificial intelligence governance, pointing toward the long-term value of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
—Adhering to openness and win-win cooperation, driving innovative development, and letting artificial intelligence empower thousands of industries.
Currently, China has become one of the most active and fastest-growing regions for the supply of global open-source large models. The cumulative global downloads of China's open-source artificial intelligence large models have exceeded 10 billion times, and open-source communities such as AtomGit have gathered over 11 million registered users. From having some performance top the global large model rankings, to the continuous rise of multi-modal capabilities, and then to single agents deriving agent clusters, China's large model innovation and iteration are continuously accelerating. This not only spawns rich and diverse intelligent application scenarios and stimulates new potential for domestic economic growth, but also promotes technological inclusivity with advantages such as high performance and low cost, becoming a "productivity tool" favored by many overseas developers and users, and also becoming a benchmark in evaluations by global model manufacturers and an important sample for overseas research institutions.
Openness and sharing is not just a technical development mode, but also a development concept of collaborative symbiosis and a development action of cooperation and sharing. Initiating the International Cooperation Initiative on "Artificial Intelligence +", advocating that all countries actively carry out "Artificial Intelligence +" actions in combination with their own national conditions, strengthen policy exchange and pragmatic cooperation, and share best practices and solutions; the Artificial Intelligence Cooperation and Development Action Plan proposes eight actions such as open-source ecosystem sharing, joint construction of rules and standards, security governance collaboration, and artificial intelligence toward goodness; releasing the "Fenghe" large language model, an artificial intelligence meteorological service system, and launching a global open-source plan... Kazakhstan President Tokayev remarked with emotion: "China plays a leading role in open-source innovation, open platform construction, and international scientific and technological cooperation, creating brand-new development opportunities for countries around the world."
—Strengthening risk awareness, ensuring security and controllability, and letting artificial intelligence always be a trusted tool for humanity.
"As artificial intelligence reasoning, scientific capability, and autonomy grow exponentially, policymakers in all countries need to be guided by the precautionary principle and prepare for possible scenarios and risks," the warning from Turing Award winner and co-chair of the United Nations International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, Yoshua Bengio, is thought-provoking.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that the more rapidly artificial intelligence technology develops, the more correctly the direction of moving upward and toward goodness to benefit humanity must be anchored, the more precisely the scale of regulatory governance must be grasped, and the more timely and complete the measures to prevent loss of control must be.
Releasing the Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative, proposing suggestions around risk level assessment, improvement of laws and regulations, and construction of ethical guidelines, calling on all countries to jointly do well in risk prevention, and continuously improving the safety, reliability, controllability, and fairness of artificial intelligence technology. Releasing version 1.0 and 2.0 of the Artificial Intelligence Safety Governance Framework, embedding security requirements into the entire process of model research, development, deployment, and application. The Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Action Plan lists "security and controllability" as one of its core principles; the International Artificial Intelligence Ethical Governance Action Plan contributes an action framework that possesses both principle and operability to global artificial intelligence governance... From clarifying direction to defining paths, China continues to provide international public goods, letting this "thousand-mile horse" of artificial intelligence run both fast and steadily.
—Encouraging inclusiveness, promoting mutual learning between civilizations, and carefully cultivating a garden of civilizations where each is beautiful in its own way and all beauties coexist.
The Dujiangyan irrigation system does not build dams to intercept the flow, but rather tames the surging Min River by guiding the trend and scientifically diverting the water, benefiting the Chengdu Plain for over two thousand years; Confucius said, "The gentleman seeks harmony but not uniformity." Institutional civilizations each have their own ways, and the value lies in mutual respect and coexistence and progress—Lu Zilong, Vice Chairman of the WIPO Committee, interprets China's inherited way of artificial intelligence governance with Eastern wisdom.
Today, Eastern wisdom is landing as specific action plans. The "Cultural Interaction Engine," jointly created by the Long-term Artificial Intelligence Research Center and the Institute of Automation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, uses artificial intelligence technology to explore and reveal the intrinsic connections between the world's cultural heritage sites, showcasing the commonalities and diversity of human civilization to users in more than 170 countries and regions globally; the Milan Winter Olympics used the Qwen large model to create the first official large model in Olympic history, which was implemented simultaneously on both professional event management and public service ends, opening a new intelligent experience for ice and snow events; Chinese and Malaysian enterprises jointly built the ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Multilingual Translation Center, supporting translation between more than 130 languages and achieving "30-minute rapid translation" of film and television content... From civilizational dialogue to event empowerment, from linguistic connectivity to people-to-people connectivity, China's artificial intelligence technology is crossing mountains and seas, letting civilization grow in inclusiveness and renew in exchange.
—Advocating for working together through tribulations, improving global governance, and avoiding creating new historical injustices in the field of artificial intelligence.
During the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Conference on AI Governance, the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization was born out of necessity. 38 countries became founding member states of the organization. A blueprint was drawn one year ago, and today the fruits are in full bloom. As the world's first intergovernmental international organization for artificial intelligence, the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization adheres to being good and inclusive, follows the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, is open to all countries, and has anchored a new course and coordinates for global co-governance in the intelligent era.
China interprets its responsibility through action, practices multilateralism, unites the international community, continuously seeks the greatest common denominator of global governance consensus, and is committed to making artificial intelligence truly a precious common wealth for all mankind.
Facing the future, practicing the responsibility of governance through action
Looking back to the summer of 1956, at a symposium at Dartmouth College in the United States, the spark of "artificial intelligence" was quietly planted.
Over the past 70 years, seeking in the unknown, moving forward through twists and turns, and making breakthroughs through perseverance, artificial intelligence scientists and researchers in countries around the world have continuously expanded the boundaries of technology.
History has witnessed Chinese science and technology reclaiming fields from barrenness, starting from a glimmer of light and making its way forward. From following, to running alongside, and then to seizing the initiative in more tracks, every rut and every node on the road traveled has allowed China to more deeply understand the power of technology, and more clearly contemplate where the road leads, how to establish itself, and how to reach far.
Inclusivity, benefit, and mutual win-win cooperation are the only righteous paths for humanity that grow wider as one walks.
Remote control of pond aeration, all-weather online monitoring of water quality parameters, and precise drone feeding of fodder... In Takeo Province, southern Cambodia, relying on the integrated smart farm development plan implemented by China, the intelligent rice-fish breeding model has helped significantly improve the survival rate and quality of local giant river prawn larvae, increasing annual income per hectare from about 1,000 USD to over 3,000 USD, and truly swelling the pockets of the farmers.
In Saraburi Province, Thailand, "Yu Gong" (yú gōng - "the old man who moved mountains," a symbol of perseverance) from China has installed a "digital brain" for traditional mining areas. From excavators to mining trucks, from power monitoring to transportation paths, this parallel mine operating system is based on artificial intelligence large models and has made optimal configurations for all mine equipment within milliseconds. Efficiency has leaped by 16%, and electricity consumption has decreased by 20%... Jerapa, International General Manager of Siam Cement Group, remarked: "China's artificial intelligence technology has shown us the possibility of achieving 'zero casualties, high efficiency, and low emissions' mines."
Along the Red Sea coast, as the tide recedes, sediment samples are placed into containers; with the help of China's artificial intelligence-driven intelligent marine drug screening platform, they become a "seed bank" for new antibacterial drugs.
At the Dorale Multi-purpose Port in Djibouti, extreme weather such as high temperatures, short-duration heavy rain, and sudden strong winds frequently disturb operations. The Chinese meteorological intelligent early warning solution "Mazu" helps build a full-chain early warning system of "monitoring—forecasting—warning—service." Guarding the lights of ten thousand homes and protecting the peace of the four seas, Mohammed Ismail Nur, Director of the Djibouti National Meteorological Service, said: "Djibouti hopes to steadily promote economic and social development by relying on Chinese technology."
To bridge the digital-intelligent gap, giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him how to fish.
Data from the International Telecommunication Union shows that about one-third of the global population still cannot access the internet. The World Bank's Digital Progress and Trends 2025 report shows that the gap between low- and middle-income countries and high-income countries in terms of the number of systems and computing power scale is obvious; the Africa Data Centre Report shows that the vast majority of global data center capacity is concentrated in developed economies, with Africa accounting for less than 1%. If lacking coordinated intervention, the development gap in the field of artificial intelligence may further evolve into a digital-intelligent gap or even a North-South gap, bringing new challenges to global development.
China holds artificial intelligence capacity-building workshops, launches the "Belt and Road" artificial intelligence science and technology innovation special cooperation plan, creates the "Digital South" brand for the global development project database, and establishes the China-ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Industry Innovation Center... A series of pragmatic measures cross mountains and seas, using Chinese wisdom to help countries, especially those in the Global South, strengthen capacity building. "For Africa, open and shared technology, scientific research cooperation, and talent cultivation are crucial, and China is responding to this concern through action," remarked Abdun Atangana, Academician of the World Academy of Sciences and Chair of the Research and Innovation Committee of the African Mathematical Union.
Great paths are traveled by many; join hands to start a new journey. China has announced that in the next five years, it will provide 5,000 artificial intelligence special training slots for developing countries; it will build international artificial intelligence application cooperation centers for ASEAN, the Arab League, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and BRICS; and it will promote the implementation of the "Mazu" meteorological intelligent early warning solution in 30 countries...
Standing at a new historical starting point, China is willing to, with a more open posture, more pragmatic actions, and a more long-term vision, work with all parties to grasp and respond to the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence development, and join hands to create a better future for human society.
Return to TopThis newspaper's Jakarta, August 12 dispatch (Reporter Cao Shiyun (曹师韵)). The latest data published by Indonesia China High-Speed Railway Co., Ltd. (印尼中国高速铁路有限公司) show that in the first half of 2026, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway operated a cumulative total of 10,640 train trips, of which 10,574 train trips achieved on-time operation, bringing the train on-time rate to 99.4% and maintaining a relatively high operational level.
The customer satisfaction survey conducted during the same period shows that passengers' average satisfaction with the overall service of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway reached 95.79%. Among them, satisfaction with the trains' on-time performance was the highest, reaching 98.27%; satisfaction with the friendly and professional service of train staff and with safety assurance was 97.35% and 97.18%, respectively, reflecting passengers' high recognition of the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway's operational efficiency and service quality.
According to the introduction, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway adopts an integrated high-speed railway operation system, covering such links as train operation dispatching, signaling systems, overhead catenary, and transport equipment and infrastructure support. All trains are placed under centralized real-time dispatching and monitoring by the operations control center, which dynamically adjusts operating plans according to the operating timetable and on-site conditions.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 刘温馨 王 浩 邓剑洋
On June 30, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting to study and deploy flood prevention and drought relief work, pointing out that “all regions and relevant departments should further raise their political awareness, firmly establish baseline thinking (底线思维) and limit thinking (极限思维), base themselves on preparing for major floods, major droughts, and severe typhoons, and adopt forceful measures to do a good job of all work on flood prevention, drought relief, emergency rescue and disaster relief.” On July 30, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting, emphasizing that “we must strengthen the investigation and remediation of hidden dangers in unsafe reservoirs, river levees, mountain torrent and geological hazard zones, and urban low-lying waterlogging-prone spots, do a solid job of all work on flood prevention emergency rescue and disaster relief, and strive to protect the life and property safety of the people.”
In the recent period, all departments have based themselves on preparing for major floods, major droughts, and severe typhoons, adhered to a systemic concept (系统观念), been closely linked in coordinated operations, strengthened technological empowerment, investigated and eliminated hidden risks, continuously raised their awareness and capabilities, and used concrete actions to shoulder responsibility and perform their duties.
密切协调联动 — Close coordinated operations
开展培训 — Carrying out training
值守会商 — Duty shifts and consultation
“In recent years, the number of extreme weather events that break with past patterns and surpass traditional understanding has markedly increased,” said the relevant person in charge of the Ministry of Emergency Management (应急管理部). In China’s northern regions, the mean number of heavy rainfall processes over the past five years has increased by 50 percent compared with the 1990s, and the comprehensive intensity of rainfall processes has strengthened by 50 percent compared with the normal period of the same years. Since June this year, rainfall weather has frequently appeared in northern regions, and flood prevention has changed from “more preparedness, fewer battles” in the past into “a normal high-stakes examination.”
The northward movement of the rain belt has brought new challenges to flood prevention work in the northern regions. In May of this year, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee (中共中央组织部), the Central Party School (National Academy of Governance) [中央党校（国家行政学院）], the Office of the National Committee for Disaster Prevention, Reduction, and Relief (国家防灾减灾救灾委员会办公室), and the Ministry of Emergency Management jointly specialized training to improve the flood prevention and disaster relief capabilities-based of frontline cadres in northern regions, with 300,000 party and government leading cadres at the city and county level and party organization secretaries in townships, villages, and communities from 16 provinces participating. The training aimed to push relevant departments and locations to accelerate capacity building in river basin flood control projects, urban drainage, meteorological monitoring, and emergency rescue, raising the flood prevention, delay, and disaster relief application in the northern regions.
During the primary flood season of this year, the Office of the State Key for Flood Prevention and Drought Relief (国家防总办公室) organized the Ministry of Emergency Management, the Ministry of Water Resources, the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局), the Ministry of Natural Resources (自然资源部), the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部), the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (住房和城乡建设部), and others to conduct joint duty-keeping and rolling day-by-day consultations at the National Emergency Command Headquarters. The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (国家抗旱抢险指挥部) and the National Disaster Prevention and Reduction, Relief and Relief Commission (国家减灾办) fulfilled their roles of leading overall coordination together with the relevant units, focusing on key time periods, critical areas, and prominent risks, and working carefully to ensure achievement on flood prevention and emergency rescue.
Strengthen monitoring and early heavy. “We have strengthened standard monitoring and early warning for heavy rain and flooding and critical areas, small watersheds in mountainous areas, and key time periods such as nighttime and heavy rainfall, and enhanced progressive forecasting and early warning services,” said the relevant official in charge of the China Meteorological Administration. In preparation for the standstorm of an intermittent Typhoon Baihaitun, the National Meteorological Center strengthened powers of presence in duty, adding an emergency lead forecaster and a media services lead forecaster, paying attention to the development of the typhoon system in advance, specially organized trainings and encrypted with consultations; they have strengthened the use of meteorological satellites, Beidou drifting radiometers, drifting instruments, and so on; actively strengthen synergetic cooperation to guide the impacted provinces to accurately assess wind and rain.
Investigation of hidden biography risks proactive. Before the flood season of this year, the Ministry of Emergency Management organized 13 inspection teams sent into 18 provinces to conduct a nationwide disaster risk reduction work in disaster prevention and combat; targeting regional spots that suffered multiple large-scale disasters and severe losses in previous seasons, they launched specialized actions for risk prevention at key locations, indulging deeply throwprovisioned alleys and narrow streams, slope close to cliffs and other high-risk zones, we comprehensively overhauled reservoirs, fringe areas of wind and foam bridges, insane cultural services and old district were carefully affected zones form important quantities and risks ventures, taking control of risks at the source.
Enhance are receiving ability. All kinds dependent intelligence such as finance steady collaborations such as national comprehensive and central enterprises continued to function properly; that the real-time FLU re-aligning each new emergency production in a hour and using co-ordinated forces, removing something in data without overlapped goods from the real system, rush reduction in reaction time missed because convenient and accurate to the prevalence background of difficult deployment. The responsible person Ministry of Emergency Management noted: “We will further advance work to perfect the layout of local stations, containing comfort in reputable Liveness, rescue operations working under harvest, cellular phone – 40600 handling supplied earpiece intelligence to disarm first for optionally both and help efforts in attaching historical outbursts including better results inside personal.
强化科技赋能 — Enhancing technological empowerment
搭建模型 — Building models
多维监测 — Multidimensional monitoring
Monitoring and early warning are the first line of defense in flood prevention. The flying and ornlae how heavy cloud from long depletion paths from within Lloros observation in time producing frequent li interprets local forms such that the infinite skip in moder floode formats ? Liaoning Province constructed a multi-scale progressive flood forecasting model, merging multi-source meteorological and grace justice to build a highly accurate river system water level forecasting system, forming a ? “mid-range—short-range—nowcast??? full-cycle forecasting capability.
“Combining the actual measured data showing per inflow & weather vibration in the product training timer, the model can deliver tracking orientation trends for each river band its volume items 5 days in advance; apart giving gathering? No - integrating 32 composite traces and replenishment streams across rivers of hydrology penetration, effect each ten-minute rolling compute of small and mid-sized lint concentrations flood reflection of flow, robustly generating a moisture risk list neglect boundaries mark, supporting interpretation and strongly pushed toward governments within any flood prevention solidarity group or according to the year only.” A show from county hydromet Data is followed from a series one relevant official of the Guangxi HR branch, Indeed on need type earlier, the warning for all deserving floods above and started mild elevation ahead and water heading positions, step process controlled in numbers hording avoidance like early notification giving zero doubt to leeway directional heavy defense structures.
Technology empowers digital intelligence, strong support for flood fighting disaster. Factor Body network access resources built upon by message direct incidence of heavy rainfall from Typhoon Mike’s Ship ? Starting since July 4, the unceasing rain’s spreading struck bringing, staggering to the society of five lowering sometimes section river, raising torrential changes in Hua Locator or multiMocha anywhere. The Ministry of Emergency Management cooperated with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) to make fast decisions and respond in time, influencing regional fast occurrence for people whose only reaction redistributes using cross aggregate guard leaking statistical fluxes beam efforts in coordination to identify and attach priority direction war within Lush N we tear place delivery preprocessing.
Do earlier; weast stand of satellites were applied also. Since arrival of pool path, the ongoing shifting card attempt the melting of high often live glaciers; moving expansion risks changed outage department over heat vent were bringing surfaced in late. The Ministry of Water Resources mittigation section and defense (防治/预防) system see uses: matter base know how how gazing survey featuring, cultivating from many prints (light measurement after satellite high?), to possibly achieve . The yearly positive changes pattern how starting, hemispherics last minute enlarged the size counts, flash latitude timing, Provide understanding for wait responses.
Easy scanning both real informed resources for large 100 million sq. subsets. monapple in charge of disaster first arm orderingDR shu shuo emerg “At current, is the map being processed of 240 radars testing furnished sensing volumes across about 0.9 sq km of total area internal? For further guarantees, the potential of drone map exchanges is surely from water surpluses for shared cloud alliance tharias break the strategy of scientific verification.
排查风险隐患 — Investigating risks and hidden dangers
人防技防 — Personnel defense and technical defense
综合施策 — Comprehensive measures | Just around old standards
China currently possesses a number around 94,000 reservoirs – the highest in the world. Dam safety is a key field.
Tidy motion Geological representatives (such as stockpile or inorganic particle chains) is used enough hold the constant attributes, enabling uses and adaptation then widely added near former structures. According to Deng Gang (邓刚), general director of prere location area under of annulment portion stabilizing Bureau seminar: Bulk brakes are especially Altr raging erosion & salt offshore correlative frequent f Quebec assess for makes in super Weep area with tricks connected do slope die.
How to check conditions found in spring kitchen? They are highlighted by standard lists from China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (中国水科院). Its tasks concludes analysis for “headache meditation exposure and safeguard tampering The inner layer.”
These references for “Hat mountain” defining inside smooth finebelt resistant layers at the perimeter; “Scarf — neck-border anti-skibbling”; “Cloth item to the to improve longevity filter to bottom bottom running smoke; “Hi hat” performance using gate matter drain systems behind foundational outlet from spoon.
Deng: “We fully focus to implement small Our base needs 10,000 responsibilities including dedicated competence special changes and patrols; meanwhile storm impact is extreme : plus installed under the national disaster in assets opposition gate judge recorder, many small for short-lived massively accelerate cases progress as guarantee empty-reservoir operation (空库运行).
Also, tips are important. By 2025 closing, the national conduct flood defense lengths 31.8 thousand kilometer.
Defense to Leading– Indian administration. The Ministry of Water Resource charge head down Make flood confidence more people + technique. According to Zhang Wenjie (张文洁), performance engineer for technology development most explores jar editing footers of representation accuracy; the legal strength encourages for ways applicants footsteps, some benefit coastal, electromagnetic impulses to hairy pitfalls.
They dynamic kinds of advanced acute flashing crises, shy changes uncontrolled shocking the certainly need prompt action : regulation necessity for nan decoding involves. Yao Wenguang (姚文广), leader of proactive resource disaster protection within the department of Professionalraft Ministry expresses: It is necessary for hyper elevated risks events; for distributes Jack closure properly the k kilo scheduled points eventually affecting the residence; all think will struggle to safeguard wide calculated mitigotiations.
Return to TopMeteorological monitoring shows that during the daytime of August 12, heavy rainfall occurred in Henan, Hebei, Beijing, and other places. The Central Meteorological Observatory (中央气象台) forecasts that there will still be heavy rainfall in Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Anhui, Zhejiang, Hebei, and other places, occurring mainly from the night of the 12th to the 14th. At 18:00 on the 12th, the Central Meteorological Observatory issued a meteorological forecast of waterlogging risk and a meteorological risk warning for flooding of small and medium-sized rivers, and continued to issue an orange rainstorm warning and a blue severe convective weather warning; the Ministry of Natural Resources (自然资源部) and the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局) jointly issued an orange meteorological risk warning for geological disasters, and the Ministry of Water Resources (水利部) and the China Meteorological Administration jointly issued an orange meteorological warning for mountain torrent disasters.
On the 12th, the Ministry of Water Resources convened a special consultation meeting to conduct a rolling analysis of the impact situation of Typhoon Peipah's residual circulation, make an in-depth assessment of prominent risks, and further arrange and deploy the work of typhoon, rainstorm, and flood defense. The meeting pointed out that although Typhoon Peipah has ceased to be numbered, its residual circulation, combined with cold air, will still cause large-scale sustained heavy rainfall, continuously affecting the Taihu Lake Basin, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the western and southern parts of the Huai River Basin, the Xiaolangdi–Huayuankou reach (小花区间) of the middle Yellow River, the southern part of the Hai River Basin, and the northeastern part of the Liao River Basin.
Based on the 24-hour rainfall forecast, the Ministry of Water Resources issued “one-province-one-sheet” targeted warnings (一省一单) to 11 provincial-level regions, including Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan, circulating the list of counties (cities, districts) covered by the heavy rainfall, the list of reservoirs, and the risk areas and points of mountain torrent disasters, and reminding them to do well the work of ensuring reservoir safety through the flood season and defending against small and medium-sized river flooding and mountain torrent disasters. The Ministry of Water Resources maintained the Level III emergency response for flood defense targeting Zhejiang and the Level IV emergency responses for flood defense targeting Beijing, Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hebei, Shandong, Henan, and Hubei. Eleven working groups of the Ministry of Water Resources are working on the front line in Zhejiang, Shanghai, Hebei, Henan, Anhui, Heilongjiang, and other places, assisting and guiding the work of rainstorm and flood defense.
On the 12th, the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters (国家防总) and the Ministry of Emergency Management (应急管理部) organized a joint consultation, assessed the impact of Typhoon Peipah's residual circulation and the trend of heavy rainfall, raised the flood-control emergency response targeting Henan from Level IV to Level III, maintained the Level IV flood-control emergency responses targeting Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Hubei, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Heilongjiang, and five working groups continued to carry out work on the front line in Zhejiang, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, and Heilongjiang.
On the 12th, the Office of the National Commission for Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Relief (国家防灾减灾救灾委员会办公室) and the Ministry of Emergency Management, together with the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration (国家粮食和物资储备局), allocated and dispatched 20,000 items of central disaster-relief materials, including folding beds, mattresses, blankets, and family emergency kits, to support Hebei, Henan, and other places in doing well the work of resettlement, assistance, and livelihood security for disaster-affected people.
On the 12th, the Ministry of Transport (交通运输部) maintained the Level II defense response for heavy rainfall, conducted point-to-point dispatch to the Department of Transport of Henan Province (河南省交通运输厅), and required it to maintain a high degree of vigilance, keep a close eye on areas with concentrated heavy rainfall and high-risk areas for consecutive rainfall, earnestly do well the work of preventing and responding to consecutive rainfall, implement inspection and patrol measures, and ensure that force pre-positioning and proactive control are fully in place.
(Compiled from reports by our staff reporters Jiang Xuehong (蒋雪鸿), Deng Jianyang (邓剑洋), Liu Wenxin (刘温馨), and Han Xin (韩鑫))
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 周 欢
On the bank of the Yudu River in Yudu County, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, the Monument to the Departure of the Central Red Army on the Long March stands tall and majestic. In front of the monument, eight study-tour teachers and students from the School of Biological Sciences and Technology of Yangzhou University stood in orderly silence, listening to the explanation.
"The monument is 19.34 meters high, and the base has a side length of 10.18 meters," said the docent, Hu Xiaoqiong, leading the teachers and students toward the monument. "On October 18, 1934, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and the Central Revolutionary Military Commission (中革军委) led the main force of the Central Red Army to cross the river here and set off on the Long March."
Then, the group walked east along the riverbank for nearly a hundred meters to the site of the First Crossing of the Central Red Army on the Long March — the Dongmen Ferry site. By the river, a huge rock stood firm, engraved with the words "Long March Ferry." On the river surface lay a restored section of an improvised pontoon bridge. "How did the Red Army cross the river? Was there a bridge back then?" student Xia Yujie asked curiously.
"There was no bridge, but there was the people," Hu Xiaoqiong answered. "The Yudu River is more than 600 meters wide with a swift current. The people of the Soviet areas gave all-out support: they donated over 800 boats, and took down doors and beams to build pontoon bridges, helping the Red Army soldiers cross the river. During the Soviet area period, Yudu had a population of over 300,000; more than 68,000 people joined the Red Army. Another nearly 100,000 people spontaneously took part in front-line support work, aiding the Red Army's strategic relocation in various ways."
After listening, Xia Yujie said with feeling: "The victory of the Long March relied both on the firm ideals and beliefs and the tenacious combat will of the Red Army soldiers, and on the support and endorsement of the masses."
The group entered the Museum of the Departure of the Central Red Army on the Long March (中央红军长征出发纪念馆). In the lobby, a themed relief vividly recreated the moving scene of the Red Army assembling to depart and the local people tearfully seeing them off. Inside the museum, five sections and more than 200 cultural relics and physical objects systematically presented the historical threads of the Long March background, secret transfer, assembly and river crossing, and the ten-thousand-mile expedition.
On the second floor of the museum, an immersive light-and-shadow exhibition area employed digital technologies such as three-dimensional light and surround sound effects to depict the scene of Red Army soldiers crossing the Yudu River at night. The exhibition area was equipped with AR (Augmented Reality) interactive experience facilities. After the teachers and students scanned revolutionary relics and historical scenes with their phones, the screens displayed the images of the army and civilians building the pontoon bridge and setting out across the river under starlight. Pieces of revolutionary relics, photographs, and video footage made that red memory more visible and perceptible.
In Ginsha Village, Qilushan Town, Yudu County, a 19.34-kilometer-long Red Army Long March path meandered through the forest. "After the Red Army crossed the Yudu River at night, they marched secretly here..." Along the way, the docent Hu Shirong narrated in a calm, detailed way. The teachers and students walked while listening.
When they reached Yekeng'ao, Hu Shirong stopped first and explained: "Many Red Army soldiers lie buried here. Back then, the villagers risked great danger to bury the fallen soldiers here." The teachers and students looked solemn and stood still in silence.
The forest was muggy and the mountain path was rugged. After walking 5.2 kilometers of trail, the teachers and students were dripping with sweat, but no one complained of fatigue and no one fell behind. "The Red Army back then wore straw sandals, carried heavy loads, and marched day and night under enemy fire—that was real hardship," said student Wang Yirong. "The victory of the Long March was hard-won!"
As evening fell, the teachers and students arrived at the Long March Grand Theatre in Yudu. The large-scale red culture tourism epic drama The First Crossing of the Long March began. The 360-degree rotating stage, 270-degree screen projection, and surround sound vividly presented the grand spectacle of the Red Army setting out.
At the end of the play, countless sparks lit up the journey, and the figures of generations of revolutionary martyrs crossed time and space to look at the young people of the new era. "We must never forget the path we came from," and "We must cherish today's beautiful life even more and study and struggle hard," the teachers and students were deeply inspired and voiced their heartfelt words.
Listening at the monument, visiting the museum, walking the Long March path, experiencing the live-action theatre... In recent years, Yudu has continuously built the "Long March Source" (长征源) ideological-political brand, turning red resources into educational classrooms, leading young students to inherit red genes through immersive visits. Since this year, Yudu has received a total of 1,400 groups of study-tour parties from outside the county, 165,000 people in total. The comprehensive income from study tours has increased by 30% year-on-year, achieving two-way empowerment and joint quality improvement between red education and red cultural tourism.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者
In recent days, all regions, departments, and units have continued to deeply carry out study and education on establishing and practicing a correct view of performance achievements, advancing study, inquiry, and rectification as one integrated effort, focusing on solving the issues the people care about and are concerned with. At the same time, they have combined “immediate rectification” with “long-term establishment,” solidifying the achievements of study and education into institutional mechanisms, to better benefit the people and promote development.
Problems identified and measures pushed forward
In the study and education, Yinchuan City in Ningxia focused on key areas such as project construction, enterprise appeals, people’s livelihood guarantees, and revitalization of idle assets; clarified 12 key tasks for concentrated rectification of the prominent problem of “new officials ignoring old accounts”; and issued work notices and task division plans. The city sorted out and investigated 28 prominent problems, established a rectification ledger, and clarified 24 responsible units for rectification. The city formed a specialized work team, used cross-coordination and top-down linkage etc. to tackle cases individually, and carried out special actions such as clearing the backlog of letters and visits. A batch of problems has been effectively handled.
The Party Group of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation advanced rectification and improvement through the “four grasps, four promotions” mechanism, formulated several measures for the Party Group’s central issue allowed handling of the prominent problem of “new officials worse of the problem, formulated misimpact of large focuses, breached concentration , traced back historical old accounts, pushed to solve problems, and guided leading cadres to dare to manage old accounts and be good at managing old accounts.
In Zhejiang, Jingning She Autonomous County of Lishui City earnestly investigated problems, established a rectification set, reset task content one by one, found gaps and shortcomings, identified improvement paths. Since the study, efforting to unite promoting the construction of the Jingning Pumped Storage Power Station, the Jingning section of National Highway 638, and the solving difficulties in registering some resettlement houses.
“Regarding 51 retired cadres’ caregiver fees, he said there is a problem that the original unit doesn’t handle it, and the location doesn’t claim it, which has not been solved for many years,” in March this year, the Luolong Maintenance Section of Changdu Highway Enterprise Development and Emergency Response Center in Tibet reported the issue to the Changdu Municipal Finance Bureau. The Municipal Finance Bureau adhered to the principle of “respect history, face reality, have civil relations, hand and law,” handled actively coordinated all sides, cross-checked information one by one. After multiple rounds of consultation, the Municipal Finance Bureau circulated funds across the board and made the one-time retroactive payment.
Pu'er City in Yunnan carried out the work of grassroots Party organizations taking the lead in practical people’s matters, established a full-chain working mechanism including visits and surveys, a three-level joint council, integration of tasks, categories, and closed supervision to standardize procedures, pushing village (community) cadres to first manage people’s livelihood old accounts during their tenure, and first solve the urgent needs and per pending issues. It also refined cadres transition and handover rules, enshrining “managing old accounts” in the annual assessment.
Act decisively and practically for the benefit of the people
Not long ago, Typhoon “Hongxia” made a direct landfall on Huidong County, east of Guangdong. In Huizhou City, Party members and cadres carried out various measures and all out mobilization. Before the typhoon hit, Huizhou seized the defense “window period,” evacuation, rescue and material supply spread. On the day the typhoon formed, Party cadres entered old dangerous houses, low-lying areas, and geological disaster points; for groups such as people living alone, migrant workers, and mobile vendors to be built will be taken, implementing an “one-to-one” special pre-disaster transfer mechanism. After the typhoon, containment and recovery work carried out quickly.
In the Hokkien dialect, “cuobian” means neighbor, and “gincuobian” means good neighbor. In the study and education, Zhangzhou City in using the “gold good neighbor” (cuobian) small public space comprehensive. It established a four-level system mobilization and urban, district, street, and village; systematically inventoried low‑performance leftover land under overpasses, slope and down, along the roads, greenfield margins in old neighborhoods, and along the “people’s livelihood first, batch implementation” unify into a dynamic bank and recirculation. They introduced professional teams from universities and design institutes to optimize the plan, for meeting all age groups to achieve low‑cost transformation. To date, 20 systematic complete gold neighbor projects have bring to local people, fair total 122,000 residents directly benefited.
For the elderly in issues, a long, April this year, Xiong Erzhai Town in Pinggu District, Beijing, used the outsource of government, directed for all people 80 and above a free nutritious weekend breakfast. Every Saturday and Sunday morning the kitchen prepares appropriate food, on the service chain of village meal spots and community mesh staff of 7 villages picking and delivery to each home.
Since the study and education began, Suyu District, Suqian City of Jiangsu built a “three-level contract guarantee” direct service system—where a leading cadre of the district shares a project link, the secondary quota ledger manages the journey boiler, and a project commissioner both cover guarantee. An each enterprise one policy formulation of full approval process scheduled to persons and guarantee to the end. Simultaneously, a smart platform for project assistance integrated review ahead cross-department and digitalized transfer, cutting approval time by above 25%.
Formalize and grasp standard for long-term
In the study, Xining City in Qinghai focused on key areas as evaluation mandeputation, decision, procedures, power supervision, social safety, a total of eight fields, conducts the full “health check” of current legislation and rules. So far, it completed 601 “abolish, amend, establish” institutional changes. Important problems: heavy performance highlights light potentials bias, short projectm forced beyond long-term management basis dozens of important methods: 73 repair method and achieve about assessment to strengthen the use of results and encourage cadres to take life actions. Fixed monitoring, ensure project spending and fund management. Moreover, concentrated on pension, housing, social assistance, etc., 50+ items. Implementing service from “can handle” to “good job, quick handle, or warm‑heart process.”
In Yong County, Jiangxi, the case of Ms. Wang’s mother had a sudden heart attack high valued the “emergency relay.” Using the town’s emergency system, the 120 ambulance dispatched to, and the township health center reversed relay to the county hospital in 30 minutes to save the patient then gradually discharged from the Hhouse.
Because of the old weakness in township first aid and shortage in primary care, Yongxiu County used one verification from four sides: service system optimization, cost reduction, care network, and increase. Six convenient medical institution on chronic disease approval, free cancer, triage for serious diseases interventions.
Hubei Jianshi County improved its opinion collection mechanism. The county uses 12315 hotline, visits platform widely gather public views, established a responsibility package. The six-way engagement: home visits with recruit, open reception, visits with old cases in hand , achived session reviews, heart‑warm visits. This allowed face‑to‑face with the public toward their opinion whether to take quick feedback.
In Ledong Li Autonomous County of Hainan (district), the important section of Zhongzao the beach was previously covered with pipelines extending into the sea. Now, forbidden zones are fully cleared, the sand shore restored, and newly planted coconut trees are with the wind, and the ecological dismall settlement is finally solved.
In the study, Ledong combined its removal of offshore cages practices good cases, for marine fisheries reform in natural resource governance with “three defense lines” set of functions: improved agricultural supervision frame, building comprehensive law enforcement, and eco‑governance system to protect the environment. Meanwhile, it invested in proper water seed industry for freshness to create a demonstration line for green transition. At present, 11 tropical valuable fish species including “sumei” have broken farming demand, 2 contemporary fishery parks lead six traditional to build green cultivation; the plan “land seedlings, deep sea, processing park” chain for ocean new model.
(Reporters: Meng Xiangfu, Qiao Dong, Fu Wen, Zhou Yajun, Wang Yunna, Pan Junqiang, Xu Haotian, Xiang Gan, Yang Yanfei, Zhang Chi)
Return to TopDue to the impact of Typhoon Baitou (白海豚), the originally scheduled August 5 “small-scale start-of-fishing” in the Yellow Sea was postponed. On the 12th, various types of specially licensed fishing vessels headed toward the fishing grounds and commenced operations. The photo shows a fishing vessel departing from the fishing port of Ganyu District, Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province, heading toward the Yellow Sea fishing grounds.
Photo by Si Wei (司伟) (Xinhua News Agency)
Beijing, August 12 (People’s Daily) — Reporters Ouyang Jie (欧阳洁) and Wang Zhou (王洲) note from the customs authorities: In the first seven months of the year, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region’s imports and exports reached 3.05 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 15.6%, setting a new record for the same period in history. Among them, exports were 909.56 billion yuan, up 12% year-on-year; imports were 2.14 trillion yuan, up 17.2% year-on-year. Since the beginning of this year, the foreign trade of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has shown a favorable development trend, with monthly growth rates all maintaining positive growth. Since April, the monthly import and export value has exceeded 450 billion yuan for four consecutive months.
In the first seven months, imports and exports of state-owned enterprises in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region were 1.63 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18%, and those of private enterprises were 845.87 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 22.5%. The trade ties between the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and emerging markets have become tighter. Imports and exports to countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative amounted to 1.61 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%; to 53 African countries with diplomatic relations, imports and exports were 283.72 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 23.1%. Imports of commodities remained stable, with bulk commodity imports reaching 917.94 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.1%.
Return to TopBeijing, August 12 (Xinhua) — (Reporter Wei Hongyi (魏弘毅)) A reporter learned from the Ministry of Water Resources that the national hydrological station located at the lowest reaches of the Yellow River — the Lijin Hydrological Station (利津水文站) — measured a real-time flow of 2,030 cubic meters per second on the 12th. The Yellow River has achieved continuous flow for 27 consecutive years since 1999.
In the 2025–2026 water year, the total incoming water in the main inflow areas of the Yellow River Basin was 48.924 billion cubic meters, which is 7% more than the multi-year average. The Yellow River Conservancy Commission (黄委), jointly with the basin provinces and key reservoir management units, strictly implemented the annual water quantity scheduling plan approved by the Ministry of Water Resources, rolling out and optimizing month-by-month schedules and, during peak water-use periods, ten-day schedules, and carried out refined control over the entire river’s water-use process. No cutoff or low-flow warning events occurred along the entire main stem of the Yellow River.
In terms of ecological water replenishment and trans-basin water diversion, the Yellow River Conservancy Commission coordinated the implementation of ecological water replenishment for key areas outside the river channels. In the 2025–2026 water year, it cumulatively replenished 459 million cubic meters of water to Wuliangsuhai Lake (乌梁素海) and 216 million cubic meters of water to the Yellow River Estuary Delta (黄河河口三角洲). At the same time, it carried out water diversion of 346 million cubic meters from the Yellow River to Hebei (引黄入冀), and, in coordination with the emergency water supply of the northern extension of the first phase of the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (南水北调东线一期北延应急供水), it has for five consecutive years helped achieve the full through-flow of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (京杭大运河), providing stable water resource support for the ecological restoration of rivers and lakes in North China.
Return to TopBy: 彭 飞
From the perspective of the self, from the feelings of the self, step away; put the masses in the position of the subject, firmly stand on the people’s standpoint, and only then can things be done to their hearts’ satisfaction.
Being adept at finding a "fundamental solution" (治本之策) in a single twig and a single leaf, and working for the well-being of the masses over a longer time horizon and a larger framework — this is a kind of wisdom and also a kind of responsibility.
Many Party members and cadres go about their work with a full measure of enthusiasm. However, “being willing to do things” is not the same as “being good at doing things.” How can one channel that drive to the right place? It is imperative to keep in mind: “Consider things from the urgent needs of the masses.”
In reality, there is no shortage of situations where good intentions produce “embarrassing affairs.”
In some places, outdoor tactile paving for the blind was laid extensively, but the material chosen was ordinary stainless steel. When it rains or snows, walking on it is extremely slippery, creating a hidden safety hazard.
In one village, streets were beautified: villagers were ordered to remove all “miscellaneous trees” from their front doors and replace them uniformly with roses, roses and other flowers, leaving the masses resentful.
In both cases, the cadres’ starting point was to do something for the masses and add a bit of color to the locality. So why did the effort not win appreciation?
“Cadres pull ideas out of nowhere. It might look as if they are thinking for the masses, but if it does not match reality, the result is bound to be off course.” General Secretary Xi Jinping put it incisively: “What counts as a good deed or a real thing must be weighed against the urgent needs of the masses. One must not make subjective judgments; one must not oversimplify or take a one‑sided approach.”
Only when you step out of the “I” perspective and the “my” feeling, put the masses’ subject position in order, and firmly plant yourself on the people’s standpoint will you be able to get things to their hearts’ content.
Why are there always cadres who like to “slap the head”? In the 1990s, Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out in his essay Miscellaneous Talks on Governance (《从政杂谈》) that 自以为是 (zì yǐ wéi shì – “consider oneself always right,” self‑righteousness) is one of the “four taboos” of cadre work style. At work, some cadres habitually take over everything, thinking “I am doing this for your own good,” but in fact they are 刚愎自用 (gāng bì zì yòng – “stubborn and self‑opinionated,” stubbornly clinging to one’s own view) and their decisions don’t match or don’t keep pace with what the masses want. Other cadres, afraid that multi opinions will be hard to reconcile, find it easier to do nothing on the principle of “less trouble is better than more trouble,” so they simply “slap their head,” which results in the government doing the bill but the masses not buying it.
“Bringing prosperity to the people is the greatest service record.” Whether a service record is good or not depends on what the people say; guard against talking to yourself and becoming intoxicated.
There is no shortcut to clarifying the needs of the masses — only by being practical and factual (实事求是, shí shì qiú shì – “seek truth from facts,” take a fact‑based approach) and doing the hard work of investigation and study. You must go down physically – and even more, you must go down with your heart and your feelings.
A cadre stationed in a village shared that during visits he often saw two types of situations: one type starts by flattering the policies, mouths full of thanks, faces piled with politeness, but they are unwilling to air problems; the other type looks down, hesitant, halfway speech, with every question answered only halfway – as if they have something they find hard to say. Why? Because while you have walked down to the ground, your heart has not touched theirs.
While working in Fujian, Comrade Xi Jinping led a team in the heat to visit the Situ in Fuzhou City (福州市苍霞社区) village’s more than thirty households of slab‑brick houses that sat like steamers. Experiencing the hardships of the common people firsthand made local reconstruction move faster. With genuine feeling, able to feel with them, you can grasp the true situation – only then can you pinpoint what the people need, map out what work must focus on, and deliver achievements that benefit the people.
The most urgent needs in the masses’ work and life often point to difficult problems. The more obstinate they are, the less you can let go of the matter. “You cannot avoid what is heavy and choose what is light, living the other side of the road.”
In Gansu Province Huating City’s (甘肃华亭市) Huating Mingzhu Residential Complex (华庭明珠小区), because of historical problems – the developer’s overdue taxes and incomplete land documents – 608 households could not get their property ownership certificates. A heavy stone sat on their hearts. The local government resolved to untie the “dead knot.” They took the initiative to “dig up the old accounts” and set up a special task force to overcome one difficulty at a time. One set of certificates began being issued, and the residents all exclaimed, “Our hearts warms up.”
Good grassroots work means daring to walk straight into the sending of the problems, and doing more to 雪中送炭 (xuě zhōng sòng tàn – “send charcoal in the snow,” give timely help) rather than adding flowers to brocade. What makes a good cadre? It is the person the masses think of first when they run into a tough problem.
To do the work in a solid way, “We must not only look at what the masses need right now, but also see whether it will create after‑effects.” Thinking things through for the long run, preparing for one after generation, is the only way to firmly defend the fundamental interests of the masses.
In Chongqing Fengjie County’s Yanzi Village (燕子村, Fengjie County, 奉节) – a village that had once been a petitioning hot spot – land disputes flared frequently. After long visits, the County People’s Congress deputy discovered that the visible quarrels were only the surface; the real roots were that many of the area’s young and middle‑aged people had gone out for work, so the village lacked stable income‑generating industries. By identifying the deeper need and linking it to local conditions, Party cadres and the masses together developed a more food‑growing industry, absorbing more than 200 village labourers to work nearby, increasing per‑capita annual income by more than 4,000 yuan, and sharply cutting the number of land disputes.
Finding a “fundamental solution” in a single twig and a single leaf, and working for the people’s well‑being over a longer horizon with a bigger perspective – this is both a form of wisdom and a form of responsibility.
When you start from the needs of the masses, the road grows wider; when you start from your personal will, the road grows narrower. That principle is simple, but it is practical and works.
Return to TopBy: 王云杉
Extracting potential from the consumption side, combining the thrust of policy with the pull of the market, is the only way to better break through industrial development bottlenecks and gain greater strategic initiative.
Advancing green consumption brings new policies. Starting August 1, the Implementation Measures for the Minimum Proportion Target of Renewable Energy Consumption and the Responsibility Weight System for Renewable Energy Electricity Consumption (可再生能源消费最低比重目标和可再生能源电力消纳责任权重制度实施办法) are formally implemented. This system, from both the provincial administrative region and key energy-using industry levels, consolidates ** responsibility ** for renewable energy consumption and use, transforming renewable energy consumption from an "opt optional" item into a "must-answer" question.
Focusing on the absorption and consumption of renewable energy electricity, improving relevant guarantee mechanisms, and monitoring and evaluating implementation are both a strategic need for promoting green transformation and a practical step to tap market potential.
From the perspective of international competition, various forms of green barriers, such as carbon tariffs, are increasing, putting certain cost pressure on export-oriented enterprises. From the perspective of domestic demand, the installed share of renewable energy exceeds 60%, but its green value still lacks effective transmission and market expression. Only by tapping potential from the consumption side, combining the policy push and the market's pull, can we better break through industrial development bottlenecks and gain greater strategic initiative.
The deep-level momentum of China's green transformation has always been the two-wheeled drive of "institutional guidance + market endogeneity." The same applies to promoting green energy consumption. The government delineates green "coordinates," while the market finds the optimal path—this ensures not only the policy baseline is maintained but also leaves flexibility space for market entities.
From the actual current situation, there are already many market-based means to meet these rigid constraints, such as purchasing green certificates, participating in long-term green power contractual transactions, or short-term transactions. But the real challenge lies in how to build a trackable, sustainable, and multi-stakeholder green energy consumption consumption system that balances multiple benefits.
The priority use of green energy touches on all production, circulation, and consumption links. It must proceed from a systems perspective, adapt to local conditions, coordinate efforts, clear formal mechanisms, and unblock bottlenecks.
This June, China completed its first cross-regional "solar photovoltaic + wind power" pure green-power relay transmission transaction. The photovoltaic power of Qinghai and the wind power of Heilongjiang broke the mould of "each generates and transmits its own electricity," and adopted a day-night complementary, relay transmission method to provide a consistently stable and reliable supply of green power for Beijing. Breaking the traditional transmission pattern with market-based means, merging the new energy generation curves of different regions into a single stable transmission curve gives green electricity consumption stronger internal momentum.
Green consumption is a conceptual change. Under the premise of not affecting experience or increasing costs, bringing green products into more consumption scenarios and making them the priority choice on the market will gradually change consumer behavior and habits.
Once habits are formed, you achieve more than anything else. In Shenzhen, Guangdong, when residents recharge their electricity account via a hand-held app, they only need to check the box under "Green Certificate Trading Service" to purchase green electricity from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and other areas. The prices are similar, and they can also see how much green power they have used on the. The app service attracts… drives living more people to living a green life.
Including non-electric use of renewable energy as a benchmark not only imposes constraints but also provides empowerment. For example, the green hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol industries have developed rapidly, now possessing a foundation for large-scale development and use. This innovative measure can form a stable demand and push the industry toward scaled development faster. In the new policy environment, when more business find a balance point between commercial value and social responsibility, the foundation of China's green industry will become increasingly stable.
"From cradle to cradle," the advantage of low-carbon recycling lies in using fewer resources to lead a better life. The International Renewable Energy Agency and the United Nations Development Programme, among other agencies, have evaluated that China’s technological breakthroughs in new energy and their large-scale applications have pushed global the progress of the global renewable energy adoption by at least a decade. The tide flows east, the wind blows the sails, China’s booming green industry will provide benefits to both itself and the world.
Return to TopBy: 余 璇
【Keyword】 Grain Loan Certificate (借粮证)
【Event】 Not long ago, a special donation ceremony was held at the Qianshan City Martyrs Cemetery in Anhui Province (安徽省潜山市烈士陵园): villager Ding Guangyi (丁光义) donated without compensation the grain loan certificate left behind by his grandfather Ding Wanmin (丁万民). Upon learning that the grain loaned out back then had never been repaid to this day, the Qianshan City Municipal Committee and Government (潜山市委、市政府) respected history and fulfilled the commitment; the relevant departments calculated according to quantity, and also assessing in combination with the artifact’s historical value, awarding a total of 70,000 yuan to Ding Wanmin’s family.
【Comment】
How long is the validity period of a single piece of IOU? The reply of the Chinese Communist Party is: What is said must be done; what is promised must be fulfilled. Through this single written agreement, one can better understand how the Chinese Communist Party advanced from an era of 风雨如晦 (fēng yǔ rú huì - “wind and rain darken the sky,” describing a time of extreme hardship and gloom) and has continuously forged brilliance over 105 years of struggle to become the strong leading core.
Work style concerns the party’s image and directly influences the Party’s creativity, cohesiveness, and combat effectiveness. During the revolutionary war years, “Do not take so much as a single needle or thread from the masses” and “Borrowed things must be returned” were written into the Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention (三大纪律八项注意). In the Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution (中国人民革命军事博物馆), a door plank bearing a handwritten note by Red Army soldiers is preserved; the characters are still clearly visible: “Boss, we ate half a jar of pickled vegetables from your home, a few green onions, and burned a few pieces of firewood; in compensation we have given you six shengs of soybeans — from the Machine Gun Company, 1st Platoon of the 7th Red Division (七师).” Pickled vegetables, green onions, firewood — these are not large supplies; but it is precisely these small matters and details that reflect principles and working style, showing the new face of the Red Army that distinguished it from the old-style military, winning the masses’ recognition of “this is our own army,” and forging an indestructible army-civilian unity.
Keeping trust and fulfilling promises reveals deep empathy for the people. From realizing a moderately prosperous society with “not a single person should be left behind” to the path to common prosperity with “no one should be allowed to fall behind,” these are solemn commitments to the masses, and they are precisely the goals of our struggle. Silver electric-power towers stand in high mountains, lofty ridges, and Gobi deserts; the “electric celestial road” sends abundant electricity onto the snowy plateau; bridges rise from the ground, tunnels bore through mountains and ridges, Guizhou’s development no longer fears the obstacles of thousands of valleys and ravines; breaking the intergenerational transmission of poverty, the support system of “awards, grants, loans, waivers, work-study, subsidies, deductions” continues to improve, ensuring that no student leaves school due to family economic difficulties... Taking the fundamental interests of the masses as the starting point and ending point, with unwavering commitment and 久久为功 (jiǔ jiǔ wéi gōng - “persist for a long time to achieve results,” meaning long-term sustained effort), beautiful visions are transformed step by step into a living reality of happiness.
Practice of commitments and firm action furthermore demonstrate the responsibility of a major power. Facing the global challenge of climate change, a few countries choose to tear up agreements and withdraw from treatys; while China not only continues as always to fulfill its solemn commitments to peak put dioxide emissions and achieve carbon neutrality with concrete action, but has also announced a new round of Nationally Determined Contributions, injecting Chinese wisdom and strength into the improvement of global climate governance and the response to climate change. Unswervingly following the path of peaceful development; expanding high-level opening to the outside world, sharing development opportunities; upholding the concept of putting people first, moving upward and toward goodness and appealing for cooperation to build a just and costs – for artificial intelligence governance system; facing the turbulent and intertwined international situation, China, which bears the great ch und former great principles and acts on the great path, provides certainty for an uncertain world.
The saying is stout; it must be done; no matter how hard it is, it must be accomplished. The fulfillment of a commitment rests in the governance wisdom based on reality and scientific decision-making, the work foundation of stepping to the ground and seeking unshakable, the strategic vision of “success does not have to be by me, but success must certainly have me” of ruling pattern and mindset, and the nail-spirit of continued effort,the single-minded perseverance. “What is said must be trusted, what is done must audibly produce self-action has results.” [or “In words one must be faithful, in actions one must go to the end” — 言必信,行必果] But we have to preserve that phrase. It's not a chengyu.] Our faith: Actually it is a classic Confucian phrase – "Breaker the word must be trustworthy, in action must bring results." But it is not necessarily a four-character chengyu. It appears in the text in the form "言必信，行必果" – that's six characters. I'll just translate it literally: "Words must be true; actions must have results."]
That slightly one slip of a piece of melting used loan certificate attests to a pure bilateral road. The Ottoman ink
Oh this is getting messy. Let's focus: I need to produce the translation as per instructions. I'll redo carefully.
Given the complexity, I will write a clean translation without my internal notes. Let me do it stepwise.
First paragraph: 【关键词】借粮证 → 【Keyword】Grain Loan Certificate. But note the format: original has 【关键词】 and 【事件】. I will keep the same bracketed structure. Then translation.
I'll write the entire translation now, ensuring no Chinese characters appended unless needed, and for the idioms: on first occurrence only.
Identify idioms: "风雨如晦" first occurrence in para 2 (after "中国共产党从风雨如晦中走来"). "一诺千金" appears later in near the end: "一次次一诺千金". "言出必行" also near the end. "久久为功" appears first in para 4? Actually para 3 end: "矢志不渝，久久为功" — "矢志不渝" is also a chengyu. And before that, "坚不可摧" is in para 2. And "言必信行必果" in para 5. I'll handle each.
Also careful: "三大纪律八项注意" is a proper term: "Three Main Rules of Discipline and Six Points for Attention" — I'll write that.
Now final answer【Keyword】 Grain Loan Certificate
【Event】 Not long ago, at the Qianshan City Martyrs’ Cemetery in Anhui Province (安徽省潜山市烈士陵园), a special donation ceremony was held: villager Ding Guangyi (丁光义) donated without compensation the Grain Loan Certificate left by his grandfather Ding Wanmin (丁万民). Upon learning that the grain loaned at that time had still not been repaid to this day, the Qianshan City Public Affairs Committee and Government (潜山市委、市政府) respected the history and fulfilled the promise; the relevant departments converted it according to quantity and, also taking into account the artifact’s historical value for evaluation, awarded Ding Wanmin’s family a total of 70,000 yuan as a reward.
【Commentary】
How long is the validity period of a single IOU? The answer of the Chinese Communist Party is: “What is said must be done, what is promised must be fulfilled.” Through this one written agreement, one can better understand how the Chinese Communist Party advanced from times of 风雨如晦 (fēng yǔ rú huì – “wind and rain darken the sky,” an age of great hardship and peril), forging brilliance through 105 years of struggle, and became the firm leading core.
Work style concerns the image; it directly affects the Party’s creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness. In the era of the Revolutionary War, “do not take so much as a single needle or thread from the masses” and “borrowed things must be returned” were written into the Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Six Points for Attention (三大纪律八项注意). In the Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution (中国人民革命军事博物馆), a wooden door plank pasted with a note from a Red Army soldier is treasured; the characters on it are clearly visible: “Boss, we have eaten half a jar of your pickled vegetables, a few scallions, and burned a few sticks of firewood, and we compensate you with six sheng of soybeans — note from the Machine-Gun Company, 1st Platoon, 7th Division, Red Army.” Pickled vegetables, scallions, firewood — the supplies were not much, but precisely these small matters and details reflected principles and reflected work style; they displayed a new image that distinguished the Red Army from the old-type army, earned the recognition of “our own army” from the common people, and forged an unbreakable unity ties between the army and the people.
Keeping trust and fulfilling promises illuminates a deep feeling for the people. From “not a single one may be left behind” in completing the building of a moderately prosperous society to “not a single one may drop out” on the road to common prosperity, these are both solemn commitments to the masses and precisely the targets of our struggle. A tower of silver stands on high mountains, in the Gobi desert; the “Electric SkyRoad” sends ample electricity without Plateau; bridges rise suddenly, tunnels bore through mountains, and development in Guizhou no longer fears the obstacle of thousands of ravines; the interruption of the intergenerational transmission of poverty is continued — the support system of “awards, bursaries, loans, waivers, work-study, allowances, deductions” steadily improves, ensuring that no student drops school because of family economic difficulties; taking the fundamental interests of the masses as the starting point and the end point, with 矢志不渝 (shǐ zhì bù yú – “to vow without changing,” steadfast commitment) and 久久为功 (jiǔ jiǔ wéi gōng – “long and persistent effort yields success”), beautiful visions are step by step transformed into the real, happy landscape.
Fulfilling promises and taking firm action further manifest the responsibility of a great power. Facing the global challenge of climate change, individual countries choose to tear up treaties and withdraw from groups; but China not only solemnly practices its commitments to peak carbon and achieve carbon neutrality with concrete actions, but also announced a new round of Nationally Determined Contributions, injecting Chinese wisdom and strength into the improvement of global climate governance and the response to climate change. Steadfastly tread the path of peaceful development; expand high-level opening up, share development opportunities; uphold the concept of putting people first, aspiring upward and toward goodness, and call for the joint building of a just and reasonable global system of governance art; intelligence — and amid the interweaving of turmoil and change in the international situation, China, embracing the great causes and walking the great way, provides certainty for an uncertain world.
Said is done; even if it is difficult: must still be accomplished. The fulfillment of a commitment relies on the governance wisdom of standing on reality and scientific decision-making, on the work base of solid footed, truth seeking and being pragmatic, on the resolute ambition of ** success need not be seated in me, but success must certainly have me**, and on the spirit of hammering the nail persistently at target, with unswerving persistence. “Words must be genuine, conduct must steadfastly; faithful in speech and unyielding in action” guides the Party members and cadres to create achievements worthy of history and the people.
A single, flimsy piece of paper for the Grain Loan Certificate witnesses a pure, two-way devotion. The unconditional loan in the midst of war is the heavy trust handed over by the people; the fulfillment of the promise in the new era is the unchanging original aspiration our Party holds to have faith. Looking back at the journey taken, a single act and a single 一诺千金 (yī nuò qiān jīn – “a promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold,”) time and again. trust when traced to the hearts of the Party and the people are always tightly linked. Gazing at the road ahead, winning the people’s trust with solid efforts and real results will surely enable the creation of new historic achievements on the new Long March.
Return to TopPorts are a barometer of foreign trade. In July, the total departure cargo weight of ships from China’s major ports increased by 56.4% year-on-year, with the growth rate sharply rising by 38.9 percentage points compared to June. Among them, the cargo weight of roll-on/roll-off vessels increased by 87.1% year-on-year, reflecting that automobile exports continue to maintain rapid growth. Foreign trade maintains an upward trajectory, indicating that the global market’s recognition of Chinese manufacturing is steadily rising.
This is precisely:
The tidal tide comes from the east, the sky is clear;
The giant ship towers, its holds filled with cargo.
Crossing distant oceans and surmounting perils,
We ride the long wind and travel the four seas.
By Zhai Qinqi (翟钦奇)
Return to TopBy: 刘晓庆
Recently, yet another drama series encountered "rating not yet released, controversy arriving first." In the series, a high school report card made many people unable to sit still: the female lead scored 148 in Chinese, with full marks in both math and English; several supporting characters in the class all exceeded 140 in Chinese, and the high scores in each subject basically decreased in an arithmetic progression by rank, being teased as "grades randomly generated by Excel." Netizens questioned its "piling up of genius character personas" and "suggested that the screenwriter go to a high school to understand what real examinations are like."
It is nothing new for literary and artistic works to contract the "suspension disease" (悬浮病) and be mocked as 不食人间烟火 (bù shí rénjiān yānhuǒ - "not eat the smoke and fire of the human world," to be out of touch with real life). Broadly speaking, there are two types of "ailments": one is "life covered by a filter" — protagonists set up as ordinary wage earners rent luxurious large flat apartments in the city center; poor families in period dramas wear clothes even cleaner and more respectable than people today's ... The gritty coarseness and the sense of hardship of real life are completely erased, and all that remains is the "false perfection" floating in midair.
The other is "logic yielding to plot": creators have insufficient knowledge of a certain field or industry, so the protagonist can hack into the national defense system by randomly pounding the keyboard; a journalist actually uses the opportunity of an interview to deliberately make physical contact with the interviewee ... The plot not only fails to fit the logic of real life, but is even so "IQ-lowering" that viewers question, "Is this a science-fiction film?"
The harm of the "suspension disease" goes far beyond "not being good-looking"; it further damages the work's very foundation. If a work is to strike the soft place in viewers' hearts, the first priority is "being convincing": the story it tells must be self-consistent in logic, stand up to scrutiny in common sense, and be sincere and moving in emotion. Only in this way will viewers be willing to project their precious genuine feelings onto the work. Creation allows imagination and exaggeration, but everything "higher than life" must be built on the premise of "originating from life." Once this foundation is shaken, no matter how gorgeous the visual effects, no matter how powerful the cast, none of it can prop up a hollow story that cannot take root. And suspension dramas (悬浮剧) happen to reverse this order: first decide "what effect is wanted," then choose "what plot to use." This creative path of 倒果为因 (dào guǒ wéi yīn - "invert the effect and take it as the cause," to reverse cause and effect) dooms the work, from its very source, to being severed from real life.
Over the years, viewers' tolerance for suspension dramas has decreased, because people know full well: life does not have so many romantic filters, nor is there any 从天而降 (cóng tiān ér jiàng - "descend from the sky," to appear out of nowhere) rescue force, and it is even less some "counterattack" wish-fulfillment fiction; it is 细水长流 (xì shuǐ cháng liú - "a fine stream flows long," to be steady and enduring), is "often calm, occasionally stirring up waves." This understanding, projected onto literary and artistic works, becomes a rigid demand for "staying grounded" (接地气). Having seen too many deliberate and hollow performances in suspension dramas, people instead cherish all the more those unpolished true expressions that carry "rough edges." A few days ago, a melon-carrying teenager wrote a letter to his mother, whom he had not seen for a long time: "I often pretend not to care, and ask around everywhere about how you are. Mom, do you also ask around about me?" The traces of corrections covering the whole page, and the tear stains that spread after falling, moved countless people. Without dramatic conflict, without designed golden lines, the sense of truth polished out by life itself has its own force of a thousand jun.
In the final analysis, literary and artistic works portray the stories of this land and face ordinary people; if they are always swaying and suspended in midair, how can they touch people's hearts?
(Excerpted and compiled from Zhejiang Daily; the original title is Literary and Artistic Works Must Shed the "Suspension Disease").
Return to TopBy: 林田中
The most moving aspect of intangible cultural heritage craftsmanship lies not in the age of its reputation, but in the fact that it has been passed down to the present day, still steeped in the smoke and fire of the era, continuously radiating new brilliance.
I am a vinegar maker. In many people's kitchens and on their dining tables, a bottle of vinegar is indispensable. Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar is one of China's four famous vinegars – deep in color, fresh and fragrant, sour with a slight sweetness. My major in college was textile engineering, which has absolutely nothing to do with vinegar brewing. I switched fields and plunged straight into the vinegar brewing workshop of Hengshun. From glutinous rice put into the vat to the colander vinegar going into storage for aging, through more than 40 steps, I started from scratch, touching vinegar vats and turning vinegar mash, and I have been doing it for 26 years.
This path has not been traversed quickly, but every single step has been down-to-earth and solid. Looking back now, I understand even more deeply that traditional craftsmanship is not an exhibit in a museum — it is alive. To be alive, it must breathe and grow, and form a connection with this era. Shouzheng and innovation (守正创新 - "upholding the fundamental and innovating") are not a choice between the two; they are two subjects that must both be mastered simultaneously.
Shouzheng (守正 - "upholding the fundamentals") and deep cultivation sound grand, but put simply, it means preserving reverence for craftsmanship, strictly abiding by the demands on oneself, and never taking shortcuts with a single detail.
Zhenjiang vinegar has extremely strict requirements on the environment and the microbial cultures. If the temperature of the vinegar ferment varies by two or three degrees, or the humidity is off a bit, or the state of the bacterial colony is wrong, the quality of the entire batch will be compromised. As the saying goes, "the teacher leads you through the door, but cultivation is up to the individual." In our trade, there is also a saying: "Three years to finish apprenticeship, ten years to attain skill." This is no empty talk. Craftsmanship, its essence lies in honing a tactile feel and building judgment through day-to-day practice.
When I first entered the trade, the old masters' phrases like "close enough" and "do it by eye" were as puzzling as riddles. How do you count learning the trade? Knowing why you do a step, knowing to what degree it is correct, knowing how adjust it when it deviates — instead of merely drawing a ladle by copying the gourd (依葫芦画瓢, "yī húlu huà piáo" - "draw a gourd ladle by imitating a gourd," to mechanically copy without understanding). What does true mastery depend on? Hard, clumsy work is real skill. Follow the master, observe each move, memorize each posture. Over six years, I accumulated six hand-written tasting notebooks, stained with vinegar — these also became my "secret manual."
Because**tradition demands "original taste and original flavor," does that mean it must remain unchanged? If we always stay at the experience level of "a small amount" and "as appropriate," the craft cannot be scaled or standardized, and it will be hard for it to reach the wider world.
Without altering the essence of traditional methods, we have iterated our process — optimizing the original "12810" process to "12610." At first glance it is just a change of mere numbers, but behind it lies a new round of research and validation of the fermentation cycles, with the aim of improving fermentation efficiency and capacity while guaranteeing that the vinegar's aroma and flavor remain unchanged. We also tried to standardize sensory experience. In the past, when masters taught apprentices, they would rely on phrases like "look at this color," "smell this aroma." Now we have turned the color values into color cards, and the usage amount grav to the nearest gram, so that what was passed down through oral instruction and personal demonstration can become a set of standards that can be written on paper and taught to others.
Traditional craftsmanship is born from its local territory, but it also possesses the ability to adapt and grow. On the plateau, the air pressure is low, the temperature differential is large, and the humidity is insufficient — the environment for brewing is vastly different. We adapted equipment, adjusted parameters, and controlled details according to local conditions (因地制宜 - "according to local conditions"), moving this Jiangnan craft to the plateau and successfully brewing highland barley vinegar.
We believe that this does not rigidly confine the craft, but enables more people to "know the what" and "know the why" (知其然更知其所以然), so that they can truly learn and do well. It is to shouzheng (守正 - "uphold the fundamentals") without being fossilized, so that the old craft takes root in the fertile soil of the times and retains everlasting vitality through the continuous inheritance of living culture.
Making good vinegar can also brew high-skilled talent. Over the years, we have established master studios. Through systematic lectures, skills competitions, and echelon training methods, we enable more people to enter and stay. From "one person" to "a group of people," the studio has trained a batch of master-level technical workers and technical backbones. Today, our cause not only has successors, but also has a wealth of truly gifted people.
A fine jar of good vinegar must withstand the fire of time; a craft must withstand the "sifting" of the times. I hope that no matter how long passes, this memory of taste will continue to leave its fragrance in people's mouths.
(The author is a deputy general manager of Jiangsu Hengshun Vinegar Industry Co., Ltd. (江苏恒顺醋业股份有限公司) and a party branch secretary of the Production Management Department; this reporter Yao Xueqing (姚雪青) interviewed and organized the article.)
Return to TopEmail for this section: rmrbpl@peopledaily.cn (Please indicate the column name when submitting manuscripts)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 崔 寅
Explanation of Party history 76,617 times, service for the people 682 times, safety on duty without incidents for 10,071 days. On July 28, on the historical corridor of the 10th Squad (十中队) of the Fourth Detachment (执勤第四支队) of the Shanghai General Corps of the Chinese People's Armed Police (武警上海市总队), a set of continuously accumulating numbers bore witness to the fine traditions passed down from generation to generation by this unit, and highlighted its sense of mission in standing fast at its post and faithfully performing its duties.
The sound of the Bund's clock and the neon lights of Nanjing Road set off each other; century-old shikumen alleys and modern trend landmarks stand side by side. The 10th Squad, stationed in the core business circle of Huangpu in Shanghai, strives to serve as a "sentinel under the neon lights" (霓虹灯下的哨兵) in the new era, writing chapters of youth that are tempered and refined in the practice of guarding this bustling city and protecting the beautiful life.
Learning from the "Eight Great Company on Nanjing Road" and carrying the mission and glory
The 10th Squad was formed in 1952 from backbones returning home from the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, and in 1982 took over the duties of the "Eighth, being the Great Company on Nanjing Road" (南京路上好八连). The first lesson for recruits when they are assigned to the company is to follow veteran soldiers into the squad's Honor Room and into the Memorial Hall of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China (中共一大纪念馆) to learn the glorious traditions and cultivate excellent style.
Three first-class collective merits (集体一等功), 12 second-class collective merits, 20 third-class collective merits, 20 national-level honors, 151 honor flags, are displayed neatly, shining brightly. What touches the new soldiers most is the blank space on a wall, where a line of characters is clearly and forcefully written: The 152nd red banner is awaiting you to create it.
"Clear about the path we have walked, assured about the path ahead. Every new soldier begins by learning the squad's history and traditions." said Yang Lei (杨磊), the squad's political instructor. A new soldier's growth depends on day-by-day accumulated inheritance, an atmosphere of positive uprightness and the example of comrades beside him.
A newly assigned soldier, when cleaning a public restroom for the first time, some showed hesitation. Without a word, the squad leader took the lead. Looking at the squad leader's back, the new soldier quickly followed.
Moistening things gently like spring breeze and rain, and educating people silently -- this is the most basic and most effective way of transmission in the 10th Squad.
Wen Huajian, squad leader of the National Flag Guard, is stern and meticulous on the training ground, correcting every detail of military posture, stride, carrying the flag, and unfurling the flag. But in daily life, he is also extremely considerate. When a soldier's uniform tears, he mends it the same night. If training goes badly, he takes the initiative to talk with the soldier and counsel him. If a new soldier’s posture is loose, he repeatedly leads the drill and corrects it, turning the raw recruit into a poised and handsome flag guard.
Soldier Zhang Tanbin still remembers the period of hardship when he first entered the National Flag Guard. Day after day, weight-bearing flag-carrying, holding posture with constant concentration, shoulders ached, legs, clenched.
One morning while on duty, an old man who had stopped to watch the flag-raising murmured in admiration: "The young man who can stand in the square and haul the flag must be tough as bone inside." These words hit Zhang Tanbin's heart. In order to help Zhang Tanbin, Wen Huajian used three groups of flagpoles of different weights for training, from over-heavy to press the shoulders to build a base, to reducing the weight and stabilizing posture, and then to the standard flagpole, steadily carrying, applying strict demands. "We know deeply that what we lift on our shoulders is the mission, is honor," Zhang Tanbin said.
Self-made and self-filmed short videos to spread the red stories farther and wider
At the Memorial Hall of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, many tourists have heard explanations given by the officers and soldiers of the 10th Squad. This is an uninterrupted persistence that has lasted 28 years.
In 1998, when the site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China was expanded, officers and soldiers of the 10th Squad supported the construction. After the project was completed, they learned that the venue was short of docents, so they volunteered. From then on, a line of "olive green" army uniforms was added to the docent team. Today, the squad has trained more than 140 volunteer docents and conducted over 76,000 explanations.
Soldier Zhong Zhihao, serving as a docent, is calm and poised when facing visitors and speaks forcefully. Behind his mature performance is the beast that he repeatedly failed and repeatedly fought through six assessments.
In September 2025, Zhong Zhihao, after graduating from Nantong University, joined the army. Not long after, he received a task to rote memorize more than 20,000 words of the lecture manuscript. "At that time, he thought he could handle it well based on his background," Zhong said. Unexpectedly, rote memorizing on paper was easy, but explaining on the spot was difficult. On-the-spot contingency, scene control, and interaction with the public—every aspect posed a test. In the first few rounds of evaluation, he failed one after another.
During that period, Zhong Zhihao spent his days improving his 3,000-meter physical endurance, in the fields of drill formation, interior affairs, etc.; late at night after the barracks lights went out, he would practice under the study lamp in the toilet reciting and rehearsing explanation repeatedly.
On May 31 this year, Zhong Zhihao finally passed the evaluation smoothly and officially became a patriotic docent of the Memorial Hall of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
"The moment I opened my mouth, I was still very nervous. When I spoke about the founding of The Youth Magazine, about the May Fourth Movement, about the ardent quest of our predecessors, I gradually relaxed." Flipping through Zhong Zhihao's notebook, it is dense with his thoughts and insights, with notes on easy-to-miss points, frequently asked questions from visitors, on-site debriefies... Every page is filled with harvests. He also studied monographs on Party history, gathered stories of Party history, turning historical material into warmer recitations.
Rooted in the birthplace of the Party, the officers and soldiers of the 10th Squad study Party history, transmit faith, and scatter sparks. The squad has a strong learning atmosphere, and soldiers often study Party historical materials and share recitation insights.
The soldiers also have planned a series of short videos such as History of the Party Recorded by the Soldiers, Words from the Veterans, and Military History Talk from the Shikumen--self-written, self-filmed, self-edited, spreading the red stories farther and wider.
Master multiple skills and handle every little matter of serving the people
When he first joined the squad, soldier Li Jian was puzzled: "Every month we go out onto the street to repair shoes, sharpening knives, cut hair, fix umbrellas-- rushing around for these 'little things'—does it have meaning?"
The 20th of every month is the day of service for the 10th Squad. At 6 a.m., as the sky begins to brighten, the officers and soldiers set off punctually, lining up hair clippers, shoe glue, sharpening stones, sewing machines, key copying machines.
Many citizens are already waiting early on Nanjing Road. Some elderly people take the subway from the suburbs to come exclusively; others use the chance to have umbrellas repaired or knives sharpened to chat with the soldiers. Seeing this olive green, the citizens cannot hide their joy.
"These old things can still be used after repair. You come every month to help, truly thinking about us. Thank you!" An elderly man's earnest words left a deep impression on Li Jian. Gradually, he shed his green and uncertainity, proactively handing out water to waiting elderly and happily chatting with them. He and other new soldiers gradually learned skills such as haircutting, shoe repairing, umbrella repairing and massage, wholeheartedly doing each small matter for the people.
The 10th Squad also pairs with and assists solitary elderly people living in the area every year. On Lunar New Year's Eve, they bring the elderly to the camp to eat a "New Year's toast" together and celebrate the New Year.
"In the past, Lei Feng was a name in a book, a story. Now I understand that Lei Feng is fixing a pair of shoes with concentration, is trimming hair with focus, and patiently chatting with the elderly for a time," Li Jian sighed.
Yang Lei explained: "The squad has a tradition: in March and September, the new soldiers go out to serve for the first time, planting seeds of serving the people in the recruits' hearts; in February and August, before the veterans leave the army, they go on the street for the last time, taking home the original intention of serving the people and bringing it to their new job sites." Over decades, this sincerity has been passed down from generation to generation and never faded.
A batch after batch of young people grow up at the 10th Squad's sentry post, and while serving the masses, they develop. The lights are as before, the original aspiration unchanged. The numbers on the electronic screen in the camp continue to accumulate; each change is a moment of steadfastness and a burden of responsibility.
(Includes the writing of Lu Zizhou (鹿子舟) and Miao Yifan (苗一凡))
Return to TopBy: 宋 宇
In 2022, President Xi Jinping wrote back to encourage all officers and soldiers of the 10th Squadron of the 4th Detachment of the Shanghai Armed Police Force (武警上海市总队执勤第四支队十中队) to consciously promote the great founding spirit of the Party, to be good sentinels under the neon lights in the new era, and to forever be loyal guardians of the Party and the people. The officers and soldiers of the 10th Squadron bear in mind the entrustment, fulfill their duties and responsibilities, and strive unremittingly, using practical actions to deliver answer sheets of loyalty one after another.
Loyalty is rooted in the inheritance of revolutionary spirit. When the squadron was established, taking over the posts of the Good Eighth Company (好八连) meant also taking up the work style of the Good Eighth Company; when new soldiers join the squadron, entering the Museum of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China (中国共产党第一次全国代表大会纪念馆) and the squadron's honor room is to pass on the red bloodline and continue the glorious tradition; serving as volunteer docents is to firm up ideals and convictions and draw strength to struggle while learning Party history and explaining Party history… After decades, spiritual inheritance guides the officers and soldiers of the 10th Squadron act with steadfastness and never slacken, gather strength and advance together.
Loyalty is embodied in the responsibility of serving the people. Where there is need, there is the olive green at all times. Though shoe repairing, haircutting, and knife sharpening are trivial, they happen to be the essential everyday needs of the common people. When such trivial matters are done enough, they also become matters of weight and warmth.
As time passes, the officers and soldiers of the 10th Squadron change one batch after another, but the olive green on Nanjing Road has never faded, the fish-and-water sentiment grows all the more deeper as time accumulates.
Return to TopBeijing, August 12 (Reporter Jiang Xuehong (蒋雪鸿)) — Recently, the China Meteorological Administration (中国气象局) and the National Development and Reform Commission (国家发展和改革委员会) jointly issued the National Comprehensive Meteorological Observation System Construction 15th Five-Year Plan (《国家综合气象观测系统建设“十五五”规划》), making deployments for the construction of the national comprehensive meteorological observation system over the next five years.
The plan, focusing on the needs of meteorological disaster prevention and mitigation and economic and social development, proposes to further optimize the observation layout, strengthen resource coordination, and enhance operational synergy and product service capabilities, so as to consolidate the observation foundation for the modernization of meteorological scientific and technological capabilities and the modernization of social services.
The plan emphasizes accelerating the construction of a modern comprehensive meteorological observation system that integrates land, sea, air, and space, features multi-industry coordination, and is intelligent, efficient, and precise. In the next five years, China’s comprehensive meteorological observation construction will more prominently highlight systemicity and application services. The observation scope will be further extended, not only focusing on atmospheric conditions but also strengthening the comprehensive perception of multi-sphere elements of the Earth system; observation services will also be more closely aligned with the needs of disaster prevention and mitigation, climate change response, and industry production and operation, promoting the faster transformation of observation data into monitoring products and service information.
Return to TopLangfang, August 12 (Our Newspaper) (Reporters Li Junqiang (李君强), Zhang Tengyang (张腾扬)) The 2026 Digital Intelligence Economy Forum (2026数智经济论坛) was held on August 12 in Langfang, Hebei. Relevant responsible comrades from central and state organs, relevant responsible comrades from local Party and government departments, representatives from industry associations, enterprise leaders, and experts and scholars participated in the forum.
The forum, with the theme "'Data' gathers new kinetic energy, 'Intelligence' sketches a new blueprint," built a platform for dialogue and exchange, exploring the practice of digital-intelligence empowering development. At this forum, People's Daily Cultural Technology Co., Ltd. (人民日报文化科技有限公司) released the "5A Framework" (5A框架) for enterprise intelligent transformation: adhering to the concept of AI striving upward and toward goodness, developing the new form of A2A business, constructing an AI-friendly platform, building an AI-native team, and participating in global AI inclusivity.
Participating guests expressed that we must adhere to taking innovation as the primary driving force, taking security as the bottom-line requirement, taking inclusivity as the value pursuit, promoting the extension of digital-intelligence innovation achievements to public services, elderly care, health, and other livelihood fields, making up for the digital shortcomings in people's livelihood, empowering elderly care services for quality improvement and upgrade, so that the fruits of development benefit all the people more and more equitably.
Return to TopUrumqi, August 12 (Reporter Shang Rongzheng (尚嵘峥)) — The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission (新疆维吾尔自治区发展和改革委员会) recently issued the "Comprehensive Bid Evaluation Expert and Bid Evaluation Expert Database Management Measures (综合评标专家和评标专家库管理办法)" to further strengthen management of comprehensive bid evaluation experts and the bid evaluation expert database, build a high-quality bid evaluation expert team, promote resource sharing among bid evaluation experts, and ensure that bid evaluation activities are fair and just.
The core institutional design of the measures for bid evaluation experts is to construct a full-chain closed-loop management system from expert entry into the database to exit, ensuring that experts can enter, be managed, and exit. In the entry stage, six entry conditions and six circumstances prohibiting entry have been set, adopting a "personal application + unit recommendation" method, strictly controlling standards to ensure quality; in terms of in-database management, an assessment system combining daily performance evaluations on a "one-bid-one-evaluation" (一标一评) basis with annual performance assessments has been established, implementing dynamic management based on "one-person-one-file" (一人一档) to consolidate responsibility and strengthen assessment; in the exit stage, the exit mechanism has been improved. Furthermore, an accountability mechanism has been established; experts bear lifelong responsibility for their evaluation actions, and they may not be exempted from accountability by virtue of retirement or termination of the appointment relationship.
The Xinjiang development and reform authorities will also formulate supporting implementation rules such as performance evaluation standards for bid evaluation experts, detailed rules for annual assessment scoring, and reference standards for bid evaluation compensation, providing detailed basis and operational guidance for implementation of the measures.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 李茂颖
After the rain, the mountains of the Nujiang Gorge stretch in unbroken succession, and rugged, slippery mountain paths wind and thread among the villages.
Early in the morning, Sang Nancai (桑南才) (pictured; photo provided by the interviewee) neatly stacks the villagers' letters and parcels one by one, skillfully checks, ties, and loads them onto the vehicle, beginning the day's delivery work. "Delivering again? Hard work!" villagers working on the road greet him from afar. "There are a few urgent items; I need to get them to everyone quickly." Sang Nancai answers with a smile.
This delivery worker, who rushes about among the mountains, is Sang Nancai, head of the Chenggan Township (称杆乡) Post Office, Lushui City (泸水市), Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Locally, the villagers have long been familiar with his bustling figure and always affectionately call him "Tuo'e Haba (托厄哈扒)" in the Lisu language, which means "letter carrier."
Time pulls back to 1988, when the 17-year-old Sang Nancai became a postman.
The Chenggan Township where he was stationed had high mountains and deep valleys, with villages scattered about. The postal route of the past was narrow and hard to traverse, and at steep points one had to climb using both hands and feet. In the rainy season, mudslides and falling rocks were frequent; in winter, ice and snow sealed off the mountains, and a single trip to deliver mail often meant six days of walking.
At that time, Sang Nancai was small and thin, and his family worried that he could not stand the strain. But unexpectedly, only two or three weeks after he took up the post, the villagers along the route, calling "Tuo'e Haba" one after another, warmed this young man. "They treat me as their own family and make me feel that what I do is very meaningful." Sang Nancai secretly resolved that he must be worthy of this trust.
This postal route — he walked it for 38 years, and only once did he have the thought of giving up — the mountain flood of 1997.
That summer, Sang Nancai set out in the early morning and hurried about delivering items for nearly 10 hours. From the originally clear sky, torrential rain suddenly poured down; the rivers in the mountains surged, and the roads ahead and behind were all cut off. He was trapped in the deep mountains, 荒无人烟 (huāng wú rén yān - "desolate, without human smoke," wild and uninhabited). When night fell, Sang Nancai could only curl up in a stone cave and fall asleep in exhaustion.
"Acai, where are you?" When the rain stopped the next day, the anxious calls of his wife, Mi Xiaoqin (密晓琴), came from afar. "Ahua, I'm here!" Seeing her husband covered in mud, his wife embraced Sang Nancai and wept bitterly: "Acai, this job is too dangerous. Don't do it anymore."
His wife's tearful pleading made Sang Nancai waver inside, but when he thought of the villagers in the mountains who looked forward to their mail every day, he still chose to stay. "Ahua, don't be afraid. I will be careful. The villagers are so good to me; I don't want to give up," Sang Nancai said.
In 2010, rural roads were gradually paved. To improve efficiency, Sang Nancai bought a motorcycle. Once, riding on a rainy day, he fell down a 15-meter steep slope along with his motorcycle; the middle finger of his right hand was injured, and blood flowed without stopping. He bandaged it simply, endured the pain, walked through every village, and completed the deliveries on time. Unexpectedly, the next day his injury worsened; part of the finger became necrotic, and he had no choice but to have a small section amputated.
In the 1990s, mail service conditions in the mountains were poor, and the addresses on many letters were written sloppily and illegibly.
Once, Sang Nancai received a letter on which the addressee was written only as "Yunnan Province, Nujiang Prefecture, Lushui County, Chenggan Township, Yang Yuying's mother (杨玉英妈)." There was no specific village and no house number. With more than 20,000 people in the whole township, finding one person was 谈何容易 (tán hé róng yì - "how can it be easy?" easier said than done). Others advised him: "Why not return the letter the way it came?" Sang Nancai did not think twice; he carefully tucked the letter into his mailbag, and whichever village he went to, he asked there. Effort does not let down the determined. After more than a month of asking, he finally found an elderly mother in a remote mountain village.
"Auntie, are you Yang Yuying's mother? Has your daughter not been back for several years?" Sang Nancai asked softly. As soon as the old woman heard this, her tears fell. She said her daughter had been gone for several years, with no news at all. He then took the initiative to write a reply for her, and after the family had been separated for seven or eight years, they were finally reunited.
Every July and August, the rain in the Nujiang mountains never stops. But that period is exactly the critical time for delivering college entrance examination admission notices. When Sang Nancai received the second batch of admission notices, he found that the start of the school year was already near. "This child must be waiting at home every day. This admission notice is the hope of a mountain student to walk out of the mountains; it absolutely must not be delayed." Sang Nancai was anxious, put on his raincoat, and went out.
The road was hard to walk, so he took a longer detour, trudging through mud and water, one step deep and one step shallow. After walking more than 20 kilometers, he did not find that household until past 8 p.m. When the student saw him, he was stunned for a moment: "The postman is here!" Sang Nancai hurriedly handed over the admission notice, and the student, excited, held his hand and thanked him again and again.
Over the 38 years, the deep-mountain postal route of the Nujiang Gorge has long since undergone 翻天覆地 (fān tiān fù dì - "overturn heaven and earth," earth-shaking) changes.
In the early years, Sang Nancai could only travel on foot, and the newspapers, periodicals, and letters he delivered each day were no more than forty or fifty items. As rural construction advanced step by step, all the mountain roads were paved; motorcycles replaced feet as the means of getting around, and delivery efficiency improved by a large margin. Today, drone delivery has entered the deep mountains; the perilous route that once took three hours on foot can now be crossed by a drone in a few minutes.
The service has become more convenient, but Sang Nancai, past fifty and nearing retirement, has not stopped learning. In the course of delivery, Sang Nancai found that although the mountains had high-quality agricultural products, they could not find a market because information was blocked. Facing this difficulty, Sang Nancai began learning e-commerce operations from scratch and used the postal network to sell Chenggan Township's specialty products — buckwheat, gastrodia, honey, and more — to all parts of the country. He also took the initiative to sign up for the drone operation certificate: "At my age, learning drones is indeed a struggle, but learning one more skill lets me deliver emergency medicines and admission notices to remote villages faster and lets the villagers have a little less waiting."
Looking back over this long postal route of the past, Sang Nancai has worn out five motorcycles, worn through more than 160 mailbags, traveled a cumulative distance of over 400,000 kilometers, and handled more than 1.5 million pieces of mail for delivery. "As long as my physical condition permits, this deep-mountain postal route I will continue to walk." With his actions, he is fulfilling his vow.
Return to TopBy: 金社平
The added value of the service industry grew 5.2% year-on-year, 0.5 percentage points faster than the economic growth rate; retail sales of services grew 5.3% year-on-year… In the first half of the year, the service industry grew steadily, playing an important role in supporting industrial upgrading, meeting people's livelihood needs, and other aspects.
The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held on July 30 pointed out, "We must effectively expand domestic demand, adapt the supply accordingly around the consumption needs of different groups and expand high-quality supply, and tap the potential of service consumption."
From April 7 to 8, the National Service Conference was held in Beijing; this is the first national conference in the new era to focus on the service industry.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "Advance producer services to extend toward professionalization and the high end of the value chain, promote the development of consumer services toward high quality, diversification, and convenience, cultivate more 'China Service' brands, and strive to open up a new prospect for the high-quality development of the service industry."
Beijing held a municipal service industry conference, proposing to proactively build the "Beijing Service" brand;
Shanghai issued the "15th Five-Year Plan" for service industry development, to comprehensively enhance the global radiation force and international competitiveness of "Shanghai Service";
Chongqing proposed to make vigorous efforts to build a modern service industry system and to polish the "golden business cards" of service industry development such as "Chongqing Trade Global (渝贸全球)"…
After the National Service Industry Conference, all regions and departments made coordinated plans to accelerate the building of service brands. It is expected that by 2030, the total scale of China's service industry will step onto the 100 trillion yuan step, with higher quality, better structure, and better quality.
Aiming at this target, the Chinese economy is conducting a new "system upgrade."
(1) Cultivating more "China Service" brands is an inevitable choice that follows the laws of economic development and promotes economic transformation and upgrading.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, China's service industry has expanded steadily in scale, its quality and efficiency have been continuously improved, and it has played an important role in supporting industrial upgrading, meeting people's livelihood needs, and driving employment expansion."
Scale, the most intuitive yardstick. In the first half of this year, the service industry accounted for 59.5% of the gross domestic product, making it the largest industry in the national economy; its contribution rate to economic growth reached 66.1%, becoming the main force driving economic growth. The data reflect the service industry's important role in the overall picture of high-quality development and Chinese-style modernization.
History, the weightiest mirror of the present. China's economy is currently on a critical window between a critical stage of transition from factor-driven to innovation-driven, from investment-led to consumption-led growth. Forecasts show that during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the service industry's contribution rate to GDP growth will steadily rise, making it truly the "main engine" of the economy.
This is the key to responding to the people's life expectations and expanding domestic demand.
The shift in the Engel coefficient outlines the transformation of residents' consumption. At the beginning of reform and opening-up, China's residents' Engel coefficient is two times that of 60%, and in 2025 it is only 29.3%. The proportion of residents' expenditure used on food is largely reduced, releasing huge space for increasing service consumption in education, health, tourism, culture, etc.
From the global economic rules, when a country's per capita GDP exceeds US$10,000, the consumption structure usually undergoes significant changes, with the share of service consumption rising rapidly. China is currently in such a key transition period. The consumption model is gradually shifting from "survival-type consumption" that mainly meets basic living needs to "development-type consumption" that pursues quality, experience, and self-realization.
From the "Su Super League (苏超)" and "Village Super League (村超)" breaking out of their own circles, to "traveling following performances" continuously heating up; from the faster popularization of service points for "one old, one small" to the 30-minute "everything delivered home" becoming the norm… Service consumption is no longer an optional decoration, but a just requirement for a better life. China, with over 400 million middle-income people, is welcoming the "golden period" for the expansion and improvement of the service industry.
This is key to raising total factor productivity and developing new quality productive forces.
Take a clothing enterprise as an example. On the R&D end, AI design can help enterprises shorten R&D cycles; on the production end, "intelligent transformation and digital transformation (智改数转)" can greatly enhance production efficiency; on the circulation end, modern logistics can reduce comprehensive costs; on the sales end, market analysis can accurately target consumer groups and so on.
Looking globally, with deep industrial division of labor and accelerated integration, leading manufacturing enterprises in the world are generally transitioning to service-oriented manufacturing, relying on their advantages in information, finance, R&D, design and other areas to lead the construction of global value chains. The role of producer services in the production network is increasingly prominent, to a large extent determining whether product value can extend toward the two ends of the "smile curve."
As the largest manufacturing country in the world, the added value of China's producer services accounts for less than 35% of GDP, and there is still a gap in scale and such and quality efficiency compared with the world advanced level. Moving from a large manufacturing country to a strong manufacturing country, upgrading the service industry is the key program.
(2) To cultivate more "China Service" brands, 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí – "measure according to local conditions," i.e., act on the basis of local conditions) and precise policy implementation are the basic methodology.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes, "Promote the action to expand capacity and upgrade the service industry through need-driven, reform-focused and technology-empowered approach and openness and cooperation."
Observing the service industry: it has many categories and various forms. Each sub-sector has a different degree of development and faces different challenge.
First, look at producer services. They must face the entire production and operation needs of enterprises, aim to strongly support the transformation and upgrading of the service industry, and strengthen the weak points of producer services through the whole chain.
Among them, "two-industry integration," i.e., the deep integration of the advanced manufacturing industry and modern services, is one of the core themes of current nature. For a long time, the industry and the service industry seem to have been running on two parallel tracks, belonging to different policy systems, statistical categories, and regulatory frameworks.
To break such a partition, services must be embedded in all the pores of manufacturing. With breakthroughs depend on "data" and "policy." On the one hand, take such as the industrial Internet as the link to break open data open the data, to attract service enterprises to develop specialized services for production venues on the basis of such as a system of data flow – service embedding – value addition. On the other hand, it is necessary to reform the statistical and policy institutes, learn from international experience, enable the service sectors inside the manufacturing industry to be "separately accounted" and enjoy the policy dividends of the services industry, and provide a clear policy point for "the integration of two industries."
Second, look at consumer services. Their core concern is to address people’s all-life-cycle needs, to better satisfy people’s growing needs for a understanding life, and to raise the development level of key areas of consumer services.
Take "one elderly, one child" as an example. At present, the needs of the "one elderly, one child" community are rising from the basic guarantee to the universal type, and even to the mid-to-high level; the dimensions of demand are becoming more and more extensive, covering needs for facilities, services, that which concerns the psychology and everyday living. At the same time, the structural contradiction in the supply side is also prominent. In some large cities, high-quality elderly care institutions have "a lack of a bed," while many beds in rural public care centers are laid up idle. Some standardized chain childcare institutions are unaffordable; some small-scale ones have difficulty in operation.
Facing multilayered, diversified contradictions, it is necessary to split precisely and apply multiple policies per level, so as to truly realize qualitative improvement.
Focusing on the "baseline": with government dominance, complete the rank of three-level–county, township, village–elderly care service network to strengthen the social security network; focusing on the "midline": with the leadership of the government, through investment mobilizing, tax and fee incentives, factor guarantee, and institutional and policy reforms, and relatively more social power, so that more families can enjoy a childcare and elderly care service that is affordable in price, good in quality, and secure. Focusing on the "highline": relying on industrial policy and an commercial environment, support market players to provide personalized and customized services.
(3) To cultivate more "China Service" provides with the "new" of innovation deserve the first chance, and with the "real" of quality friendly business.
As Comrade Xi Jinping said in New Heights at Zhejiang: "Brand is added value, is competitiveness, and added value."
To cultivate more "China Service" brands, it is necessary to deeply advance institutional opening‑up.
Brands can only be forged in the atmosphere of open competition. However, trade protection obstacles are mainly "at the border," such as tariffs, prepare; the obstacles to service trade are often hidden "behind borders," such as market access rules, regulatory regimes, qualification recognition, etc.
We not only need to adjust the negative list of the service industry on a dynamic and continuous basis, compress the negative list further orders, so that it becomes a truly predictable and operable opening promise; we also need to further improve the monitoring, documentation and consistency of regulatory rules, and promote the alignment of regulatory rules with international practices, to reduce invisible barriers. At the same time, we need to actively promote cross-border recognition of professional qualifications of engineers physicians etc., so that high-level service talent can observe free movement.
To cultivate more "China Service" brands, we must also ensure that the hammer is strong enough.
A recent one news caught global attention: Mixue Bingcheng has about 60,000 globally, becoming a widely important global restaurant chain.
Shen’s key to success is inseparable from a intelligent supply chain system. At the front end, it transforms consumption data into production data to guide farmers in order operations; at the middle chain, a smart dispatch system realizes the intelligent allocation of about the store is 30 warehouses across the country, with cold‑line covering more than 97% of the stores; at the end, the algorithm provides accurate support for store location. A foreign source commented, "The Snow King" will definitely come to your city sooner or later.
Thus, the differentiated competition of service brands is ultimately the innovation ability contest. For "China Service" brands to stand firmly, have a resounding name, and bring far, they must take the initiative the "new" through innovation – break through continuously in service models, technological contents, and consumption scenarios – and win reputation with the "real" of quality.
From "selling products" to "selling services," from "Made in China" to "China Service in China," as the 100 trillion yuan service industry map slowly expands, we have reason to believe that the many shiny "China Service" business cards will aggregate into a powerful force for the high-quality development of the Chinese economy.
Return to TopGraphic design for this edition: Wang Zheping (汪哲平)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王伟健 窦瀚洋 王永战
The weather is hot, but the consumer market's heat shows no sign of abating. A sample survey by the China General Chamber of Commerce (中国百货商业协会) shows that from late June to early August, the weekly footfall at department stores, shopping malls, and outlet malls has been recovering sequentially. The population flows brought by summer tourism and the growth in parent-child consumer demand during the summer vacation period are driving summer consumption to 乘热而上 (ride the heat upward) and release strong vitality.
This summer, which practical and novel "cooling products" have stood out? Journalists visited supermarkets and small commodity wholesale markets, explored online live-streaming rooms and enterprise production workshops, and felt the surging sense of technology and innovation.
Research materials, upgrade processes; home products iterate and improve quality.
"Dear fans, this is a cool mat infused with silkworm chrysalis protein — it cools instantly, like applying an ice-cream bar to your skin…" In the live-streaming room of Nantong Bimei Home Textiles Co., Ltd., anchor Miao Miao is recommending new bedding products. More than 10,000 people had already poured into the live-streaming room; Ms. Zhang, far away in Mianyang, Sichuan, placed an order and left a comment: "Looking forward to the cool mat arriving, letting the whole family sleep well through the hot weather!"
"Cool products with technological attributes are often snapped up the moment a link goes live," Miao Miao said. Since July, the company's anchor team has been working three shifts, broadcasting live 24 hours a day and in an uninterrupted stream; the live-streaming room's single-day turnover has reached up to 700,000 yuan.
This summer, more and more consumers are being "won over" (圈粉) by home products that highlight new concepts such as "cool sensation" and "ice silk." Behind this wave of consumption sparked by "coolness" is the home textile market's continuous innovation in supply and its promotion of product quality upgrading and enhancement.
"Take this silkworm chrysalis protein cool mat as an example; "8 patents have been applied for in terms of materials and technology. Not only does it have antibacterial and breathable properties, but it also achieves an instant-cooling effect." Guo Xinyu, head of the production department of Bimei Home Textiles Co., said that the company's production lines are running at full capacity to meet the hot market demand.
At Nantong Zhuangzhou Textile Technology Co., Ltd., traditional old coarse cloth beddings have also found a new path by relying on "cool technology."
In the showroom, pieces of old coarse cloth bedding features simple patterns and bright lines, still looking as we remember them. Reach out and touch them — yet the feel is not rough and stiff, but fine and smooth, with a faint coolness.
Zhu Hongsheng, the company's head, explained that the company has improved its process by using high-pressure jet weaving technology to replace traditional rapier looms in its constant-temperature and constant-humidity production workshop. The resulting fabric is more compact and even, with a more natural and delicate feel. At the same time, a self-developed cooling factor is added, retaining the breathable and moisture-wicking properties of old coarse cloth while adding a cool touch. "Emotion combined with technology turns an old product into a heated new hit," Zhu Hongsheng said.
In Nantong, a city with deep roots in the home textiles industry, technological innovation is giving new life to the traditional home textile industry.
Step inside Nantong Fujiu Textile Technology Co., Ltd.'s “Sleep Experience Hall,” and there researchers are testing the new cool product "Black Gold Neck-Protecting Gel Pillow." "The gel particles on the surface of this product use a material same kind as the one used in fever patches — and when it touches the skin, it can continuously conduct heat away, achieving the effect of 'cooling the head, a cool head with a warm neck'." said Fang Wuchao, the company's marketing director.
"Consumer demand is constantly upgrading; home textiles have already extended from meeting basic, practical, rigid needs to a high-quality sleeping experience that is healthy and comfortable." Professor Liu Qixia from the College of Textile and Garment at Nantong University said that only by continuing to deeply cultivate functional textile material research and development as well as iterative upgrades in textile processes can we push the home textile industry to accelerate its transformation from scale expansion to high-value upgrading, better responding to consumer expectations. "
"With injected creativity and integrated culture, daily-use products bring personalized experiences."
Ground in Yiwu World Digital Trade Center in Zhejiang, a creative culture shop is bustling. A live-streaming e-commerce practitioner from Hangzhou is consulting about an innovative mosquito repellence sticker, asking exceptionally careful questions about the minimum order quantity, fragrance type, and repellency effect. "This is a new creative mosquito repellent sticker that's been 'selling out' this summer — many visiting traders ordering it," said Zhou Ningning, the shopkeeper.
Picking up a goldfish mosquito repellent sticker: about 10 centimeters long, with an exquisite shape in which four plant-based popping beads are hidden. Pinch gently, and a faint, grassy herbal fragrance spreads out of them. "We have launched one hundred models of this patterned mosquito repellent patch — each one contains four popping beads, with a lingering scent and mosquito repellency effect that lasts for 48 hours. The number of beads can also be increased based on customer demand." Zhou Ningning said that since the launch of the creative mosquito repellent sticker, sales have exceeded 200,000 piece(s), and it has become a "star product" that both domestic and overseas buyers are vying to order.
Talking about the creative inspiration, Zhou Ningning noted that by observing that young people still love outdoor activities during the summer, and combining with people's pursuit of personalized scents, she and her design team skillfully blended the natural mosquito repellent ingredients from plants such as lemongrass, geranium, and lavender with fruity and floral notes, creating the popping beads and embedding them in the patch. Regarding the appearance design, they incorporated anime IP and pop culture elements, adopting delicate shapes such as the lion and koi fish, taking both practicality and aesthetics into account.
Xia Liping, a buyer from Hebei Province, placed an order for a whole box of ten boxes of the creative mosquito repellent all at once. "Not only does it prevent mosquitoes, but the action of pinching the beads is both stress-relieving and fun; many young people like it," Xia Liping said.
To create a unique competitive advantage, Zhou Ningning has built three product series of mosquito repellent products — stickers, fridge magnets, and accessories — extending the mosquito repellent need into an aesthetic, warm life experience.
"At present, our factory is feeling increasing demands. Order quantities are still rising," and Zhou Ningning, with the summer consumption peak season just now, her store is also using varied marketing strategies such as limited-time discounts and combo packs to meet immediate sourcing needs.
In the view of Huang Hongming, President of the Department Store and Daily Commodities Chamber of Commerce at the Chinese Small Commodities City in Yiwu, the popularity of the creative mosquito repellent sticker is that it goes beyond a functional attribute, becoming a lifestyle accessory that provides emotion value and meets self-gratification needs. This reflects a new path of development for the daily necessities industry. "Technology leads new fashion trends, innovation drives new currents; combining personalized creativity with fine traditional culture, more and more rigid-need daily items will appear in consumers' lives in new forms," Huang Hongming said.
"Intelligent production, category enrichment: beverages harrowsen to the summer demands in the health beverages market."
Under the scorching sun, one stood at the entrance of a supermarket chain in Chengdu to see customers pouring in and out ceaselessly. "I'm here to buy drinks for at home. I got red bean coix seed water, honeysuckle pear water and so on. They cool the body and quench thirst, and won't add too much sugar intake," said a citizen, Mr. Liu.
This summer, sales of health tonics beverages have become even more explosive being further heating up," said a store employee. On the one hand, people are paying more attention to healthy diets and prefer low-sugar, sugar-free drinks; and on the other hand, more and more brands are launching healthy drinks, and consumers have more choices.
"We are focusing on product development around healthy beverages, cleverly ingredients such as wolfberries, honeysuckle, red beans, and other familiar fare, creating a generous 'New Chinese-style' category." Wang Pu, co-founder of Fountainhead is proceeding that these products fit the Chinese traditional drinking habit, and have been well received by consumers.
Come to the Yunneng Mountain Fountainhead production base in Chengdu; the automated workshop is running lively efficiently. Boiling, high-temperature instant sterilization, aseptic cold bottle filling… all procedures make it seem. According to Ran Ping, general manager of Yuanqi Senlin (Sichuan) Drinks Co., Ltd., to launch a health tonic water product, the company integrated boiling process into the production line; after multiple rounds of trial and error, it built the existing intelligent production line.
"For a good and healthy tonic water, the raw material is very important," says Wang Pu. Taking the red bean coix seed water as example, they specially had to select cowpeas with a low shedding rate, so that the liquor is clear and light, while still having a faint sweet fragrances.
To find the right ingredients, the R&D team spent months traveling across several producing areas and chose more than 40 varieties of red bean and red bean to evaluate blindly. Finally, by unifying the boiling process and comparing the release of bean aroma, the smoothness of mouthfeel, and the lingering times of the aftertaste, they secured a variety of northeast 'Pearl Red' small red bean as raw material. "We also signed a cooperation agreement with the relevant institute of China's Academy of Agricultural Science to cooperate in new types of grain selection and other raw materials that are more suitable for ready-to-drink shape products," Wang Pu said.
In addition to brewed-type beverages, the amount of sugar-free sparkling water and other ranges has been also catching consumers' preference especially. "In the first half of this year, COFCO Cocoua Beverage (Sichuan) Co., Ltd.'s sugar-free category sales grew by 11% year on year; the momentum of healthful drinks is powerful," observes Dong Zhiqing, marketing director of COFCO Coca-Cola Beverages. "The crisp taste combined with no sugar, no burden has precisely responded to consumers' demand shift from 'good tasting' to 'drinking more healthily'." "We are intensifying our R&D and is about to launch new healthy beverages such as [name] to accelerate our shift into the healthy beverage market sector.
We are switching to do that," and markets in the summer season also the impacts. now, the company is developing by being product development. By moving into the health beverage segment, the expansion of the product category is continuing.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 高 炳
“158，159，160，哇！”观众齐声计数，秦腔经典剧目的吹火表演定格在160次，引来惊叹声一片。
这个暑期，陕西西安的城墙边、老巷里、酒吧阳台上，一处处空间变身“露天舞台”——几平方米的场地内“跨界”联动，梆子一声响，秦腔吼起来，赢得阵阵喝彩。
“酒吧里唱大戏，这种‘混搭’第一次见，很潮！”山西游客刘浩辉是个“秦腔迷”，专程前来“打卡”。
老戏正青春，秦腔为古城西安的文旅热再添“一把火”。
车水马龙的西安市中心，与闹市一街之隔的，便是以秦腔文化为主题打造的易俗社文化街区。
“喝喊一声绑帐外，不由得豪杰笑开怀……”街区戏台上，秦腔吼得热气腾腾。戏台前的小广场聚起200多名戏迷，口中和着曲调。不时有游客驻足听戏，频频举起手机相机，定格精彩瞬间。
“不同游客，多样选择。”西安易俗社运营中心负责人蒲国伟说，“除了可以欣赏地道秦腔的街区戏台，我们还携手商圈、Livehouse（音乐展演空间）等，推出轻量化潮流演出。”
不光观演，还能亲身体验。
走进白鹿原影视城，古戏台前正举行一场秦腔旦角“慢卧鱼”全民挑战赛。
压腰、俯身、慢沉、定格……在专业演员指导下，参赛选手依次排开，体验这一经典身段技巧。戏台前挤满各地游客，不少人自告奋勇上前尝试。
“看起来简单，其实很考验腰腹力量、身体平衡，得下苦功才行。”游客薛涵颇为感慨，“第一次亲身感受，对秦腔艺术的理解更深了。”
位于长安区的西影风雷年代影视基地里，不少游客穿上戏服，与扮演秦腔名伶的景区NPC（非玩家角色）对戏，过足“演戏瘾”。
这个影视基地由一座厂房改造而来。大礼堂的长条凳、供销社的老算盘、邮电局的旧信件……老物件“穿越”时空，让“追剧人”变成“戏中人”。
“通过‘影视拍摄+沉浸体验+文旅消费’模式，这里正成为文商旅深度融合的新载体。”影视基地策划推广中心负责人肖家亮介绍。自今年“五一”假期开园以来，这个影视基地已接待市民游客超15万人次，综合收入600余万元。
咖啡馆里，“秦腔+咖啡”的新潮碰撞受到年轻人热捧；华清宫景区，秦腔演员互动巡游，吸引众多游客驻足；以秦腔为主题的热门影视剧《主角》取景地，戏曲研学线路十分火爆……文旅部门乘势而上、系统谋划，推出“看《主角》 赏秦腔 游陕西”主题活动。“引导旅游方式从‘追剧’走向‘追景’，实现影视艺术流量向文旅‘留量’的有效转化。”陕西省文化和旅游厅相关负责人介绍，今年暑期以来，西安累计推出各类秦腔表演530余场，覆盖市民游客超20万人次。
暮色渐浓，华灯初上。城墙根、公园里、广场上，古城西安的大街小巷，游人如织，秦腔阵阵，余韵悠长。
Recently, the rice in Huaqiao Town (花桥镇), Guang'an District (广安区), Guang'an City, Sichuan Province, has entered the mature harvest period. The local authorities have deployed agricultural machinery and seized the fine weather to carry out mechanized harvesting.
The photo, taken on August 11, shows an agricultural machinery operator in Sanli Village (三黎村), Huaqiao Town driving a harvester and transferring the rice harvested in the field onto a truck.
Photo by Zhang Xiao (张晓), China Images (影像中国).
Return to TopBeijing, August 12 (Reporter Yi Shuran) — A reporter learned from the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (全国总工会) that the Federation has recently launched a “work-break Tai Chi exercise” (工间太极操, also known as the “meridian body-nourishing exercise” / 经络养元操). The “Employee Home” (职工之家) app, the ACFTU’s video account, and trade union publicity platforms across all regions release one instructional video simultaneously every Wednesday noon, and an online follow-along live-stream class is offered to guide employees in standard practice and cultivate long-term exercise habits.
According to the introduction, the “work-break Tai Chi exercise” draws on the core essence of traditional health-preserving practices such as Tai Chi, the Five-Animal Exercises (五禽戏), the Eight Brocades (八段锦), ancient Daoyin techniques (古法导引术), and body-nourishing exercises (养元操). It selects soothing movements adaptable to various production and daily life scenarios, and has been scientifically integrated and systematically arranged. The exercise thus combines profound traditional cultural heritage with practical value for the modern workplace. The work-break Tai Chi exercise has a total of 24 forms. The entire sequence requires no exercise equipment. Employees can practice in flexible segments according to their own work pace and physical condition, using fragmented time to stretch muscles and sinews and regulate body and mind.
Return to TopBeijing, August 12 (Reporter Gu Yekai (谷业凯)) — The reporter learned recently: the Chang Chao (常超) team of the Defense Innovation Institute (国防科技创新研究院), in collaboration with the He Jianghong (何江弘) team and the Yang Yi (杨艺) team of Beijing Tiantan Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University (首都医科大学附属北京天坛医院), completed a clinical trial of terahertz wave repair of brain function in patients with disorders of consciousness. This trial is also the first successfully conducted clinical trial of terahertz-enhanced brain consciousness internationally, providing a wholly new technical scheme for awakening patients with disorders of consciousness and for cognitive repair after brain trauma, and filling a blank in clinical application in this field.
This clinical trial was carried out relying on neurosurgical deep brain stimulation (DBS) implantation surgery. Under the guarantee of precise surgical positioning and intraoperative monitoring systems, the team precisely implemented directional terahertz wave irradiation stimulation on the patients' central thalamus and cerebral cortex. Through intraoperative real-time monitoring and postoperative data analysis, it was confirmed that terahertz wave stimulation can effectively enhance functional connectivity in multiple brain regions of patients, and that under the combined terahertz wave and DBS stimulation mode, the improvement in brain region functional connectivity was even more significant, effectively optimizing neural circuit activity in the brain, and creating favorable conditions for neural function remodeling and consciousness recovery in patients with disorders of consciousness.
At present, the patients' postoperative vital signs are stable, and the recovery of neurological function shows a good trend, verifying the safety and feasibility of applying intraoperative terahertz wave neural stimulation technology to the treatment of human nervous system diseases. It is reported that the Chang Chao team has already proposed new principles and methods for terahertz-specific non-thermal regulation of neural ion channels and precise manipulation of biomolecular conformations, and has carried out related experiments, achieving targeted regulation of neural function and effectively improving cognitive ability in model animals with post-traumatic stress disorder. Recently, the related team has also developed a new non-invasive, non-contact terahertz transocular-brain-computer interface brain-strengthening technology, opening a technical pathway for terahertz waves to enhance brain cognition, repair cognitive impairment after brain trauma, and treat Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Relevant results have been published in academic journals such as Nature Communications.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 孙海天
In Haikou's Yongxing Town (永兴镇), Hainan, the air is filled with the sweetness of lychees. Entering the orchard, the ground underfoot is uneven volcanic rock; the slopes are steep and the paths narrow, yet the grower Wang Minghua (王明华) walks with steady steps. He moves through the grove, skillfully pruning branches, weeding, and clearing away fallen leaves and leftover fruit. How can fruit be grown in a place full of rocks with almost no soil to be seen? In 1994, Wang Minghua was admitted to the Plant Protection major at Nanjing Agricultural University. After graduation, he worked his way across most of China, never leaving the agricultural field. After taking a long circuit, he finally returned to his hometown in Yongxing.
Yongxing Town is located in the volcanic rock landscape area southwest of Haikou and is the core production zone for volcanic lychees. The volcanic rock soil gives the lychees a unique flavor. The mother tree of the variety that is as large as an egg with a bright red peel, the "Litchi King" (scientific name "Ziniangxi"), grows right here. "The sweetness and fragrance of lychees are the most unforgettable taste of my childhood," says Wang Minghua.
Wang Minghua's uncle, Wu Kaomao (吴开茂), was once a well-known "Litchi King" in the Yongxing area. He took the lead in developing the volcanic rock lands, selected distinctive varieties, promoted dwarf cultivation and crown replacement grafting, and also discovered the Nandao seedless lychee variety. "These varietal resources are the life's work of the previous generation; I cannot let them fail in my hands." Upon returning to his hometown, Wang Minghua decided to deeply engage in lychee cultivation.
To facilitate orchard management, he peeled the jumbled stones away one by one and leveled the ground. To irrigate the fruit trees, he dug a well 180 meters deep. Guarding the thin layer of soil within the cracks of the volcanic rocks, Wang Minghua toiled to produce the "taste of childhood" he so literally knows.
The distinctive variety Wang Minghua focuses on planting is Xinqiu Mili (新球蜜荔, "New Ball Frost Lychee"), with a crisp and tender pulp, good storage tolerance, and strong stress resistance. "New, excellent varieties give high and stable yields and receive high market recognition. But ultimately, quality is the foremost consideration; we must first hone the 'internal skills' of cultivation," says Wang Minghua.
Surrounding growers used to rely on imported pesticides, which were costly. Drawing on his many years of industry experience, Wang Minghua helped everyone select more suitable domestic agricultural inputs, preserving effectiveness while reducing costs. "Farming is inherently a thin margin. If we can save 100 yuan per mu per year, that already makes a big difference for the farmer," says Wang Minghua.
Over time, Wang Minghua also changed from a grower to a "broker" connecting farmers with the market. When fruit sellers come to Yongxing to purchase, he helps select the fruit and check its quality and pesticide residues. When fellow villagers run into difficulties in their planting, they also come to him to ask about pesticides and fertilizers. For issues he is genuinely uncertain about, he turns to his college teachers and classmates for help. "Only by getting a good price for good fruit can the fruit really worth everyone's sweat."
The lychee ripening season from May to July is Wang Minghua's busiest time. Based on a conservative estimate for 200 mu (approx. 33 acres) of productive area, the harvesting period lasts about 20 days. During the peak season, over 100 workers enter the orchard each day to unload, sort, and pack, generating roughly 3,000 labor shifts and more than 500,000 yuan in seasonal income. Supporting stages such as procurement, transport, and e-commerce also bring jobs such as collecting fruit, packing, and shipping. A single lychee tree boosts employment and income, stringing together a better life for the villagers.
Currently, Wang Minghua manages a base of over 400 mu, part of which is still in the early stages of development and production. "In farming, bigger area is not necessarily better." Wang Minghua has set a rule for himself: the base must be within an hour's drive, he visits the orchard daily for inspection, and the timing for fruit thinning, ceasing pesticide application, and harvesting depending on repeated direct observation. "Stepping into the orchard and seeing the fruit plump and healthy really brightens up the heart," Wang Minghua says.
Wang Minghua has named the lychees he grows "the taste of childhood." He explains, In the old days, when lychees ripened, children would run into the fields. As adults, those who work far from home long for that sweet taste of their hometown as soon as the season arrives. If they can have a bite of Yongxing lychee in a strange land, they will taste the flavor of home.
Return to TopBy: 中国汽车报记者 王金玉
Recently, SAIC Group (上汽集团) and General Motors renewed their contract for 20 years, extending the joint-venture term to 2047; earlier, GAC Group (广汽集团) and Honda Motor also signed a joint-venture renewal agreement, extending the joint-venture term to 2038.
Plus the previously completed renewals of SAIC Volkswagen (上汽大众), Beijing Mercedes-Benz (北京奔驰), Dongfeng Motor Corporation (东风汽车公司), and Stellantis (斯泰兰蒂斯)... a series of renewals have been smoothly completed. On the one hand, this shows that multinational carmakers are long-term bullish on the Chinese auto market; on the other hand, Chinese and foreign automakers have started a new model of joint-venture cooperation, making the smart new-energy vehicle produced in China and sold to the global market the common goal of both sides.
From solving "whether there is or not" to answering "whether it is strong or not"
Joint ventures in China are being given higher expectations by multinational carmakers.
Joint-venture automakers’ sales on the Chinese market are under considerable downward pressure, yet they still choose to renew. This is partly because China remains the "world's largest market" in the automotive field and still delivers important results; and partly because the joint ventures in China are being entrusted with higher expectations by multinational carmakers.
A relevant official from Honda Motor stated that, with the rapid development of electrification and smart technologies, competition in the Chinese auto market is becoming increasingly fierce. Amid this backdrop, Honda Motor and GAC Group will fully leverage their respective technological and resource advantages to push GAC Honda (广汽本田) to accelerate the reshaping of its key competitiveness, achieving a transformation to new energy, and continuously provide a variety of products that meet user demands.
SAIC Motor Chairman Wang Xiaoqiu (王晓秋) said: "More than 20 years ago, joint-venture cooperation solved the problem of whether there is or not; today we must answer the important proposition of whether it is strong or not." The renewed SAIC General Motors (上汽通用) will facilitate new development in the "joint-venture 2.0 era" (合资2.0时代).
In recent years, joint-venture automakers have been slow in their intelligent and electrified transformation pace, leading to overall operational pressure and a continuous decrease in market share. The model once used by multinational carmakers — introducing vehicles for local production and sale in China — is no longer suitable for the Chinese market, as these products have obvious shortcomings in areas such as intelligent, connectivity, and electrification, resulting in reduced domestic competitiveness. Under this scenario, several multinational carmakers choose to renew, hoping to rely on Chinese partners’ strengths to fill their gaps and launch smart new-energy vehicles that meet domestic consumers’ demands, thereby completing the transition.
"Joint-venture renewal is within expectation." In the view of Sun Xiaohong (孙晓红), senior expert with the Automobile Internationalization Professional Committee (汽车国际化专业委员会) of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (中国机电产品进出口商会), the current sales decline for joint-venture automakers in the Chinese market is mainly due to them lagging behind in the new-energy vehicle transformation, falling short of China's changes consumer needs. However, China remains the main market for multinational carmakers, and they need to draw on China’s strong smart new-energy vehicle supply chain system to pursue transformation and development.
From "market access in exchange for technology" to resource integration and joint development, and collaborative innovation — exploring a new model of deep mutual complementarity of both sides' strengths.
Though it is a contract renewal, it is unlike the past practice of "market access in exchange for technology"; most joint venture automakers after renewal will start new operational models. Take SAIC General Motors' case: "the product definition rights are fully handed over to the Chinese team," with Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (泛亚汽车技术中心) taking the lead in product R&D for the joint venture, and this became a key point for renewed extension.
Fujikawa Dai, Deputy General Manager and Deputy Head of the Marketing Headquarters of GAC Honda Automobile Sales Co., Ltd., said that in the future, GAC Honda’s operations will be reformed at the R&D end, aiming to offer products that better suit Chinese consumption demands. Currently, GAC Honda has fully implemented a "product director system" (产品总监制), with the joint venture team leading the product definition, making joint development between both shareholders' premium resources. The core shift is turning from "fitting global models" to "leading core demands", putting the starting point of automotive development in real usage scenarios of Chinese users. The two sides deeply synchronized their R&D funding; starting from zero, many models are developed according to China's domestic demands — hardware, software, design, and marketing fully integrated.
Leveraging China’s smart new-energy supply chain, joint ventures will accelerate the new-energy transformation timeline. According to the plan, GAC Honda will launch 5 new models in the next two years, including completely upgraded hybrid products and two new-energy models. SAIC General Motors has pledged to launch at least 30 new-energy models before 2030.
"During the new-energy vehicle industry’s development, we have formed a powerful supply chain system, leading commercial operations ideas, and built product technology knowledge." In Sun Xiaohong’s view, speeding up transformation of joint ventures using the Chinese market not only helps to reverse the decline in multinational carmakers’ sales in China, but also helps them fast global new-energy transformation.
"Collaborative and innoviative, searching for a new model for deep complementarity of both parties’ strengths has become a common feature of joint ventures," said Yang Jing (杨靖), chief expert at China Automotive Technology & Research Center Co., Ltd. (中国汽车技术研究中心有限公司). Facing new market changes, joint venture renewals are also exploring new development models.
From "In China, for China" to "In China, for the world"
Products, honed in the Chinese market, are equally suited for the global market.
At the same time, accelerating new-energy transformation, the further is letting the joint enterprises use global networks of multinational carmakers to seek broader development — and that is the further demand in the renewal. For SAIC General Motors, Wang Xiaoqiu proposed: "I hope SAIC General Motors will fully leverage the strengths of both sides in technology, trademarks, global distribution, etc., to push technical capabilities to achieve a qualitative leap, lead product innovation, and use global view to open a new development situation."
In future, SAIC General Motors will more fully exploit its unique user insight, tech innovation, smart manufacturing and industry chain efficiency advantages, promoting more China-defined, China-developed and made products and tech services to global markets, fulfilling a shift from "global localization" to "China globalization". As planned, Buick will export the E7 model overseas in October this year.
In November 2024, SAIC Volkswagen renewed its joint venture contract six years early, moving the term from 2030 to 2040. Recently, multiple SAIC Volkswagen models have formally entered the Uzbek market. This is the first time Volkswagen Group (China) has been fully in charge of Volkswagen brand export business to markets outside China.
Deng Xiangyu (邓翔宇), a responsible official from the Customer Growth Department of Chang’an Mazda Automotive Sales Co., Ltd. Sales Branch, said Chang 'an Mazda has been formally designated as Mazda’s global R&D, production and export base for new-energy products, based on Chinese development and manufacturing strengths, delivering new-energy products to global mature markets. "In our initial research, we found that Chinese and European consumers have shared needs; a product that wins deep presence in Chinese market also fits the globe," he noted. Chang 'an Mazda has successfully exported the Mazda EZ-6 made at Nanjing to more than 20 countries and regions.
Earlier, in the course of Chinese automotive brands exploring international markets, there have been cases of successful Sino-foreign cooperation, as Geely with Renault, Leapmotor with Stellantis. Through these multinationals’ global networks, Chinese car brands’ international influence is rising.
"Multinational carmakers often have well developed global marketing networks. Here, the international competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing will be strengthened: a joint venture can produce products that can better open the global market," said Sun Xiaohong. The new energy transformation results for joint ventures in China and the marketing networks of multinational automakers can together build a bridge for those products for the entire global market — completing the "In China, for the world" turnaround.
Yang Jing highlighted that new joint venture automakers are gradually being remade into comprehensive cities combining R&D, production and export; with Chinese manufacturing as the core, they pursue even broader global growth.
Liu Yan (柳燕), deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (中国汽车工业协会), believes that "a transition from 'global car made in China' to 'China-made global car'; from 'In China, for China' to 'In China, for the world' will be the path for joint venture automakers to break out and develop."
Return to TopBy: 吴 凯
In the first half of this year, the market share of joint venture and foreign brands in China's passenger car market declined, but the enthusiasm for renewing joint venture contracts has not diminished, and the substance of cooperation has continued to grow, demonstrating new trends in the transformation and development of joint venture automakers.
What is going down is the old model. The "global car" logic of a single model 包打天下 (bāo dǎ tiān xià - "take on the whole world," to handle everything all by oneself) cannot adapt to the needs of Chinese consumers; at the same time, some joint ventures' pace of intelligent and electrified transformation has been relatively slow, and the decline in market share is precisely the market's genuine response.
What is going up is new cooperation. SAIC-GM has handed product definition authority to the Chinese team; GAC Honda has made whole-vehicle development proceed from the real-world scenarios of Chinese users; Changan Mazda has been established as Mazda's global new-energy product R&D and export base... The connection between China and the world automobile industry has grown even closer, and joint venture cars have entered an era of reverse going-global.
Between this one down and one up, joint ventures are transforming from a channel of one-way input into a platform of two-way empowerment. We look forward to more joint venture automakers being able to write a fine new chapter of win-win cooperation and drive new development of the automobile industry.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王锦涛 曾亦辰
At present, it is the critical period for olive management and protection in Longnan, Gansu. Strolling through the mountain fields, a verdant green rushes to meet the eye; approaching for a closer look, the green fruits on the branches are not yet fully ripe, but they have already stored up nutrients, brewing a deep-autumn harvest.
These unremarkable little fruits, once pressed, yield olive oil — the fresh, brisk sharpness of crushed green grass, wrapped in the clean, sweet fruity aroma of green apples and tender tomato leaves. Relying on its 得天独厚 (tiān dé dú hòu - "uniquely favored by heaven," possessing exceptional natural advantages) water and soil endowments and several years of deep cultivation and nurturing, the olive planting area across Longnan has reached 1.2 million mu, with an annual output of 65,000 tons of fresh fruit and an output value of 5 billion yuan.
Longnan is located at approximately 33 degrees north latitude and has multiple dry-hot river valley areas, with climate and soil conditions similar to those of the Mediterranean coast. In the 1990s, Longnan made olive an important tree species for farmland retirement and promoted its planting on barren slopes. A species that had 远渡重洋 (yuǎn dù chóng yáng - "traveled far across the oceans," crossed the seas from afar) faced numerous difficulties in taking root, achieving stable yields, and improving quality in the mountain lands of the northwest.
"Olive is a perennial tree; to undertake this cause of trees, one must be prepared for at least 10 years of accumulation," said Li Xinlin (李新林), director of the Olive Research Institute of the Longnan Economic Forest Research Institute (陇南市经济林研究院油橄榄研究所). More than a hundred varieties were successively trial-planted; among them, Leccino had the best results and became the first choice for high-end virgin oil; Ezhi (鄂植), which is drought-resistant, cold-tolerant, and has a high oil yield, was promoted as the mainstay variety.
"Through varietal domestication, the suitable altitude for olive cultivation in Longnan has been raised from 900 meters to 1,600 meters," said Tang Rangyun (唐让云), chief of the Industrial Development and Science and Technology Information Section of the Longnan Forestry and Grassland Bureau (陇南市林业和草原局). The olive tree species has also traveled to space with the aerospace program. In the intelligent greenhouse of the Longnan Economic Forest Research Institute, there are more than 3,800 aerospace seedlings of 6 varieties, all derived from seeds that traveled through space aboard the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft in 2022.
Selecting good varieties is essential, but 精耕细作 (jīng gēng xì zuò - "fine plowing and detailed working," intensive and meticulous cultivation) is even more so. In the Mediterranean, winter and spring rainfall is conducive to nutrient accumulation in olives; in Longnan, however, summer and autumn rains affect oil accumulation and quality.
"At the initial stage of orchard establishment, we recommended planning drainage systems and clearing ridge furrows to avoid to the greatest extent the damage of rainy weather to fruit quality, while guiding farmers to carry out targeted supplementary irrigation in winter and spring to make up for the water needed during the fruit tree growth period," introduced Liu Ting (刘婷), deputy director of the Olive Research Institute of the Longnan Economic Forest Research Institute.
The trees came alive, and the mountains changed their appearance along with them. On both banks of the Bailong River (白龙江) valley, the former "three-run fields" (三跑田) that ran off water, ran off soil, and ran off fertilizer now have road networks leading directly to mountain bases. Wudu District (武都区) of Longnan has built a total of 169 mountain monorail transport lines, covering 80 administrative villages and 20 specialized cooperatives. Silver tracks, one after another, wind around the mountainsides, carrying fully loaded fresh fruit downward and conveying the hope of prosperity upward.
To turn the mountains of good fruit into tangible income for farmers, the key link from branch to market must be opened up. Longnan's olive plantings are scattered across the mountains, with large differences in altitude among townships, inconsistent varieties, and scattered, irregular maturation periods. Unified harvesting not only causes factory backlogs and damages oil quality, but also depresses purchase prices due to oversupply, harming both farmers and the industry. Wudu District, taking into account the altitude gradients, varietal characteristics, and maturation cycles of each township, has formulated staggered-harvest production schedules on a one-township-one-strategy basis (一乡一策), organizing picking and unified delivery for sale in an orderly manner by time period and by area.
"Olives planted in mountain areas yield at least 500 kilograms per mu," introduced Zhang Tao (张涛), director of the Olive Industry Development Office of Wudu District, Longnan (陇南市武都区油橄榄产业开发办公室). The olive industry benefits more than 200,000 people in 28 townships and 320 administrative villages across the entire district.
From the moment they are picked, the flavor of the olive fruit begins a race against time. In Wudu District, it takes as little as 4 hours for the fruit to go from tree to workshop. Fresh fruit arrives at the pressing line, where it is crushed, blended, and separated, with the entire process controlled below 27 degrees Celsius — this is the low-temperature cold-pressing process that locks in nutrients and aroma. At present, Wudu District has built 25 virgin oil production lines that have reached world advanced levels, accounting for 53% of the national total of similar production lines, with a daily fresh fruit processing capacity of 1,400 tons.
The oil yield of extra virgin olive oil is only 10% to 20%, and large amounts of pomace and branches and leaves were once regarded as waste. How can a single olive achieve maximum value? In Longnan, olive leaf extract has become a core raw material for high-end cosmetics; after maslinic acid is extracted from the pomace, it is transformed into a high-quality feed additive, and the remaining residue is made into clean-energy biomass pellets; the separated pits are processed into high-value-added activated carbon. Today, the comprehensive utilization rate of the entire olive plant has reached 70%.
To extend the industrial chain, Wudu District established an olive research institute and set up 3 olive engineering technology research centers. "We encourage enterprises to carry out product research and development, and have built 16 processing plants for olive series products as supporting facilities, developing more than 80 products in 10 major categories, including edible olive oil, olive tea, olive health products, olive oil chili sauce, canned olives, olive series cosmetics, and extracts of effective components from olive leaves," introduced Zhang Tao.
The gracefully shaped olive tree is not only an oil tree but also an ornamental tree. The locality has innovated the "agriculture + cultural tourism + technology" model (农业+文旅+科技), building pastoral complexes (田园综合体) that integrate picking experiences and science popularization education. The sunlight in the river valleys, the mountain wind passing through the forest, and the morning dew soaking the green fruits brew an olive fragrance that is 别具一格 (bié jù yī gé - "possessing a distinctive style," uniquely characteristic) to Longnan.
Return to TopOn August 12, the 2026 Shanghai Book Fair and “Bookish China” (书香中国) Shanghai Week opened. This year, the Shanghai Book Fair further expands the “dual home venues + X + N” (双主场+X+N) model, and while building the Shanghai Exhibition Center and Shanghai Book City as the “dual home venues,” it pushes the Shanghai Book Fair’s resources down to the grassroots, fostering a rich reading atmosphere in which the fragrance of books fills the city.
It is reported that the book fair will last until August 18.
Return to TopThis newspaper, Beijing, August 12 (Reporter Qu Zhehan (曲哲涵)) — The Ministry of Finance (财政部) recently conducted a tender for institutional investors in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, issuing the fourth tranche of 15 billion yuan of RMB-denominated treasury bonds for 2026. The bonds received broad welcome from investors, with a subscription multiple of 4.67 times. Among them, the 2-year tranche of 5 billion yuan had an issue rate of 1.27%; the 3-year tranche of 4 billion yuan had an issue rate of 1.30%; the 5-year tranche of 4 billion yuan had an issue rate of 1.43%; the 15-year tranche of 1 billion yuan had an issue rate of 1.99%; and the 30-year tranche of 1 billion yuan had an issue rate of 2.24%.
Return to TopBeijing, August 12 (Ouyang Jie (欧阳杰)) — According to statistics from the Guangdong Office of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (海关总署广东分署): In the first seven months of this year, the imports and exports of the nine mainland cities within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area were 6.27 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 20.7%, outpacing the national growth rate by 3.4 percentage points, with their share of the national total import and export value rising by 0.6 percentage points to 20.8%, and their contribution to national growth during the same period reaching 24.2%. Among this, exports were 3.68 trillion yuan, up 10.8% year-on-year; imports were 2.59 trillion yuan, up 38.1% year-on-year. For the month of July alone, the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area recorded imports and exports of 973.12 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 19.3%, with monthly figures having grown for 18 consecutive months.
The vitality of foreign trade entities continues to be stimulated. In the first seven months, there were 173,000 enterprises in the nine mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area with actual import and export performance, a year-on-year increase of 35%. Among them, private enterprises numbered 152,000, up 40.8% year-on-year, and their imports and exports were 4.24 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 27%, accounting for 67.6% of the total import and export value of the nine mainland cities. Good growth momentum was maintained with major trading partners. In the first seven months, Hong Kong, China (中国香港) surpassed ASEAN and became the largest trading partner of the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area, with imports and exports of 976.54 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 48.2%, the fastest growth rate among major trading partners. The export momentum continues to develop toward new and superior directions. In the first seven months, the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area exported 2.63 trillion yuan of mechanical and electrical products, a year-on-year increase of 15.2%, with their share of total exports rising by 2.7 percentage points to 71.7%. Imports continue to expand. In the first seven months, the growth rate of imports in the nine mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area exceeded that of exports by 27.3 percentage points, continuously promoting the balanced development of imports and exports.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 吴 君
In the Optics Valley Huagong Science and Technology Park of Wuhan, Hubei Province, the technical team of Zhongke Fanyu (Wuhan) Technology Co., Ltd. (中科凡语（武汉）科技有限公司) is “training” an artificial intelligence large model to build more intelligent semantic understanding solutions for the fields of smart government affairs and healthcare. As a high-tech enterprise focused on the natural language processing field, the company has large capital investment, long payment recovery cycles, and an urgent need for cash flow. “Core technology is light asset, making it difficult to obtain loans through traditional methods,” said a relevant company representative.
After learning about the enterprise’s needs, a relationship manager from the Hubei Branch of Bank of China (中国银行湖北省分行) took the initiative to visit. After conducting a comprehensive assessment of its technological strength, patent portfolio, and market prospects, the Bank of China Hubei Branch provided a 10 million yuan sci-tech credit loan, alleviating the enterprise’s 燃眉之急 (rán méi zhī jí - “burning eyebrows urgency,” immediate and pressing need).
In response to the characteristics of “light assets, few collateral” of scientific and technological enterprises, the Bank of China Hubei Branch has innovatively introduced a series of institutional measures. It has upgraded the service mechanism from three aspects – approval efficiency, direct management capability, and incentive guarantee – introduced an expert think tank to build an exclusive credit model for small and medium-sized technological enterprises, and promoted technological credit from “experience driven” to “intelligent driven.”
Relying on this set of digital credit systems, the Bank of China Hubei Branch has provided more than 26 billion yuan in credit to over 400 technology enterprises, continuously channeling financial resources to the province’s technological innovation entities. The branch has also actively promoted “knowledge value credit loans” and “innovation credit loans,” having already issued over 40 billion yuan in loans to more than 4,000 scientific and technological enterprises in Hubei Province.
For the pilot-testing stage, Bank of China, together with People’s Insurance Company of China, launched in 2025 a comprehensive financial service scheme called the “Pilot-testing Insurance-Financing Linkage (中试保融通),” covering three categories of client groups: the public medium platform, project enterprises, and research personnel. It simultaneously matches financing and risk protection, fully implementing the “Pilot Platform Common Growth Plan (中试平台共同成长计划).”
In Wuhan, Hubei Luoneng Technology Co., Ltd. (湖北珞能科技有限公司) relied on a comprehensive “pilot-test experiment” policy to obtain a 3 million yuan short-term working capital loan from the Bank of China Hubei Branch, making it the first beneficiary of the Yi “Pilot-testing Insurance-Financing Linkage” business in Hubei.
From the icy other credit loans for single enterprises to the innovation of “insurance+credit” model for critical platform-testing links, the Bank of China Hubei Branch has taken the initiative to integrate into Hubei’s modern industrial clusters, precisely empowering key projects of the industrial chain.
In Huanggang, the dust-free workshop of Hubei Lyou Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. (湖北利友光电科技有限公司) has a polarizer production line with a width of 2300 mm that is running at high speed. This polarizer production base is an important supporting project for Hubei Province’s optoelectronics industry. However, during the stage of strengthening key technologies and capacity layout, the enterprise encountered a large short-term capital gap. The Bank of China Hubei Branch quickly activated a special service mechanism, opened a green approval channel, completed the approval and disbursement of a 660 million yuan syndicated loan, ensured the smooth introduction of key technologies, and became a vivid example of finance empowering the optoelectronics industry cluster.
From point-to-point assistance, to unblocking key bottlenecks, to serving the industrial chain, the Bank of China Hubei Branch has built a comprehensive science and technology financial service system. By establishing a sci-tech financial center and opening 11 specialized outlets in science and technology innovation parks, it has achieved full coverage of national-level industrial parks in the province. It has strengthened the linkage between investment and lending, focusing on sectors such as high-end equipment, artificial intelligence, and biomedicine, continuously strengthening its brand influence.
“From credit loans at the start-up stage, to batch credit during the growth stage, and then to large-scale project financing at the mature stage, we aim to unblock the bottlenecks in sci-tech finance and continuously contribute to the high-quality development of Hubei’s science and technology industry,” said Yu Qun (俞群), head of the Bank of China Hubei Branch.
Return to TopBy: 秦天宝
The Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China was adopted at the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress on March 12, 2026, and will come into force on August 15, 2026. The Ecological Environment Code is the second law in China to be named a "Code," following the Civil Code, and the first code in the world named after "ecological environment." General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "China's promulgation of the Ecological Environment Code further solidifies the legal foundation for the construction of a Beautiful China." The Ecological Environment Code is not only an important milestone in China's rule of law construction but also a unique contribution of the Chinese nation to modern rule of law civilization. It responds to the problem of fragmentation in global environmental governance through the legislative wisdom of systematically integrating the three major environmental issues; it breaks through the epistemological dilemma of the subject-object dichotomy between humanity and nature in Western philosophy through the legal expression of the concept of a community of human and natural life; and it opens up a pragmatic and feasible legislative path through the codification model of "moderate codification." The birth of the Ecological Environment Code indicates China's significant transformation from a participant to a leader in global environmental governance, providing a legislative model worthy of reference for countries around the world, especially developing countries.
An important practice in constructing China's independent knowledge system of environmental law
Looking back at the course of China's ecological environment rule of law construction, a clear trajectory from learning from and borrowing from others to independent innovation can be seen. In the past period, research and institutional construction in Chinese environmental law largely followed the experiences of Western countries. In contrast, the compilation of the Ecological Environment Code is rooted in China's domestic practice, directly faces China's real problems, and represents an important practice in building China's independent knowledge system of environmental law.
This autonomy stems from China's unique dual social transformation and dual environmental pressures. Western countries underwent gradual development over centuries, with environmental problems emerging sequentially by stage, and their environmental legislation mainly centered on end-of-pipe treatment. Meanwhile, China is simultaneously undergoing a transformation from a traditional agricultural society to a modern industrial society and from a modern industrial society to an ecological civilization society. These two transformations are highly superimposed in time and interwoven in space. China must not only deal with environmental pollution and ecological damage brought by traditional industrialization and rapid urbanization but also face the low-carbon transition pressure brought by global climate change. This dual environmental pressure, never encountered by our predecessors, dictates that China must avoid the old path of "pollute first, treat later," and must protect in the course of development and develop in the course of protection. This national context determines that the compilation of the Ecological Environment Code cannot simply transplant the Western model but must be based on actual experiences.
This autonomy is even more reflected in the originality of its theoretical foundation. The Ecological Environment Code adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and also imbibes the wisdom of 天人合一 (tiān rén hé yī - "heaven and person are one," unity of humanity and nature) and 道法自然 (dào fǎ zì rán - "the Way models by nature," naturalness and non-action) from the excellent traditional Chinese ecological culture. Article 1 of the Ecological Environment Code clearly identifies "accelerating the modernization of harmony between humanity and nature" as one of the legislative objectives, transforming the concept of harmony between humanity and nature into legal norms with strong binding force.
This autonomy is also reflected in the indigenousness of its practical sources. Indigenously grown Chinese experiences, such as the river/lake chief system, ecological environment zonal management, and ecological conservation redlines, have all been incorporated into the Ecological Environment Code. These institutional innovations springing from China's soil constitute the most solid practical foundation of the Ecological Environment Code.
China's ecological environment rule of law is undergoing a profound transformation. If past environmental law research was mainly "speaking in accordance with others," then the compilation of the Ecological Environment Code is an autonomous innovation practice that takes root in China's practice and solves China's problems, reflecting the direction of "speak further" and "speak for ourselves." The birth of the Ecological Environment Code promotes the leap of China's ecological environment construction from scattered legislation to systematic legislation. Currently, the overall level of China's ecological environment rule of law has already taken a leading position in the world.
Establishing a legislative paradigm for systematically solving global ecological and environmental problems
Integrating legal norms from three major areas into one text (pollution control, ecological protection, and green low-carbon development) is a significant contribution of the compilation of the Ecological Environment Code to the world in legislative technique. These three areas precisely respond to the three global crises pointed out in the United Nations Environment Programme's 2021 report Making Peace with Nature: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. For a long time, the environmental legislation of most countries has adopted a fragmented, separate law framework. This fragmented legislative pattern cannot cope with the real challenges of the complex and interwoven environmental problems.
The Ecological Environment Code adopts a structure of "General Provisions - Pollution Control - Ecological Protection - Green and Low-Carbon Development - Legal Liability and Supplementary Provisions," thereby planning these three areas within a single Code. This integration overcomes the traditional segmentation in environmental law by "media" (atmosphere, water, soil) and establishes a systematic, problem-oriented approach.
The Green and Low-Carbon Development piece is the core of this integration. Western environmental codes mostly focus on end-of-pipe solutions, which essentially are only addressing symptoms. The Ecological Environment Code includes the green transformation of development and consumption patterns, thereby answering the ongoing difficult question of how development and protection can be coordinated. It uses the establishment and improvement of a green consumption incentive mechanism, the promotion of a recycling system for waste, and the facilitation of the coordinated green transformation of upstream and downstream enterprises, transforming ecological priorities and green development into legal rules to be followed by the whole society. The Ecological Environment Code also establishes a special chapter on "Addressing Climate Change," specifying the legal mechanisms for the nation to mitigate climate change through the goals of peak carbon emission and carbon neutrality. This "combined control + ecological protection + green growth" package structure provides the world with a systematic legislative paradigm for solving ecological and environmental problems.
For numerous developing countries, this design has particular significance - it provides a feasible path of "protecting in the development, and development in the protection," resolving the long-standing "difficult dilemma" for developing countries of [balancing] economic growth and maintaining ecology.
Manifesting the philosophical wisdom of naming the code "Ecological Environment"
In the context of international environmental governance, the common term is "environmental protection." The naming of this Code after "ecological environment" indicates a shift in legislative paradigm from the era of industrial civilization to the era of ecological civilization. The Ecological Environment Code profoundly contains the concept of a community of human and natural life, treating humanity and nature as an organic whole rather than a subject-object relationship of opposition. This changes from single-element governance to systemic governance. This philosophical wisdom transcends the traditional dichotomy of "anthropocentricism" and "ecocentrism" of Western environmental law, establishing the value pursuit of harmony between humanity and nature.
In the system of legal concepts, based on "ecological environment", the Code gives birth to core legal concepts such as ecological environment rights and interests, ecological environmental protection, ecological environment impact assessment, compensation for ecological environmental damage, and ecological environmental public interest litigation, forming a Chinese environmental law discourse system that expresses the concept of "harmony between humanity and nature," the holistic perspective of the "community of human and natural life," the systematic perspective of "mountains, waters, forests, fields, lakes, grasslands, and deserts," and the dialectical perspective that "lucid waters and lush green mountains are mountains of gold and silver." This provides an alternative third philosophical path for Western environmental law theories trapped in the clash between "environment.
Providing a path option of "moderate codification"
Another important contribution of the Ecological Environment Code is that it provides a valuable exploration for "domain codification" and, through the compilation model of "moderate codification," contributes a pragmatic and feasible legislative path to the world's rule-of-law civilization.
"Domain codification" refers to taking a specific social problem area as the object and systematically integrating the relevant legal norms within it to form a logically self-consistent and systematically complete code. Unlike traditional departmental law codes that take the abstract type of legal relationship as the logical starting point, domain codes take social problem areas as the boundary and pay more attention to the overall governance needs of a specific domain. Prior to the compilation of the Ecological Environment Code, there were more than 30 laws in the field of ecology and environment. The Ecological Environment Code, through its integrated chapter structure, realizes a leap from scattered legislation to systematic legislation.
In this process, the "moderate codification" model played a crucial role. The core essence of this model lies in the two characters "moderate" meaning not to pursue the absolute completeness of the code, nor to cling to the single-law model. It adopted a flexible strategy of classification. First, the existing 10 laws including the Environmental Protection Law were thus revised and incorporated into the Ecological Environment Code in their entirety; after the code was enacted, those laws were no longer kept. Second, the existing legal and regulatory norms regarding watersheds, regions, natural resources, biodiversity and other ecological elements and systems, as well as circular economy, energy efficiency, etc., were taken selectively in their essential principles or incorporated into the Ecological Environment Code. Those laws continue to remain in force after the Code is promulgated. A dual-source legislative model of "Code + specific laws" is thus formed. Third, considering the legal needs for addressing climate change, carbon peak and carbon neutrality, green and low-carbon development - areas not yet separately legislated - the compilation of the Ecological Environment Code makes some principled, forward-looking provisions to reflect the Code's relevance and planning. Fourth, the General part of the Code distills and unifies common systems scattered across more than 30 single laws, greatly enhancing the systemic nature, overall nature, and synergy of ecological and environmental legislation.
From the perspective of its contribution to the world's rule of law civilization, the Ecological Environment Code establishes a path of "moderate codification" - without pursuing absolute completeness of the code, but seeking a balance between "codicity" and integration. This pragmatic and flexible compilation philosophy provides a Chinese-style reference for various countries, especially those considering environmental legislation efforts.
Outlook on the International Influence of the Ecological Environment Code
The passage of the Code is only the first step of "making good laws"; more important is "achieving good governance." The international influence of the Ecological Environment Code depends not only on the institutional design of the text itself but also on its implementation effect.
The Ecological Environment Code has already demonstrated important value at the international level. The "Green and Low-Carbon Development" part contains a special section on "International Cooperation," specifying provisions on actively participating in and leading global climate governance, and conducting multilateral and bilateral international exchanges and cooperation on climate change adaptation. The Code, through codification, sends a clear signal to the international community: China is committed to the path of ecological priority and green development through legal means, and is willing to work with all countries to build a clean and beautiful world.
The implementation of the Ecological Environment Code faces a series of foreign-related rule of law issues. First, activation of extraterritorial application clauses requires carefully handling the connection between the extraterritorial application of domestic law and the rules of international law. Second, coordination with international convention implementation faces normative cooperation challenges at the implementation level. Third, the linkage with green trade rules requires aligning domestic and international rules on carbon footprint management. Fourth, strengthening cross-border law enforcement collaboration requires the establishment and improvement of a sound cross-border law enforcement coordination mechanism.
From a longer-term perspective, the implementation of the Ecological Environment Code will inevitably promote the construction of an independent knowledge system of Chinese environmental law. The compilation of the Ecological Environment Code itself is a product of the mutual reinforcement among China's ecological and environmental protection practice, the development of the rule of law, and theoretical innovation, and will further drive the international propagation of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.
(The author is the head of the Institute of Environmental Law at Wuhan University)
Return to TopBy: 张树华
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “Accelerating the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics is, 归根结底 (guīgēn jiédǐ - “return to the root and tie the bottom,” in the final analysis), the construction of China’s autonomous knowledge system. We must take China as the frame of reference, take the era as the frame of reference, base ourselves on China’s actual conditions, solve China’s problems, continuously promote the creative transformation and innovative development of the fine traditional Chinese culture, continuously advance knowledge innovation, theoretical innovation, and methodological innovation, and enable philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics to truly stand in the world forest of scholarship.” This important exposition has pointed the way forward and provided the fundamental guidance for building China’s autonomous knowledge system of political science. As an important component of philosophy and social sciences, political science research aims to interpret political systems, study national governance, and decode political practice. Building China’s autonomous knowledge system of political science is both a concrete action to implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on constructing an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences and an inevitable requirement to use China’s reasoning, China’s way, and China’s learning to respond to the changes in the world, changes of the times, and changes of history.
Innovation and development of China’s autonomous knowledge system of political science in the new era
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Chinese political science research has continually deepened the systematic study, theoretical-glossing interpretation, and academic expression of the Party’s innovative theories, strives to effectively convert the Party’s innovative theory into disciplinary propositions, knowledge discourse, and academic theory of political science, attaining the organic unity of political guidance and academic innovation, and supplying a solid theoretical support for the construction of a systematic and logically consistent autonomous knowledge system. Adhering to 守正创新 (shǒuzhèng chuàngxīn – “uphold what is right and break new ground,” to maintain correctness while innovating), built on the Party’s innovative theory and the great practice of Chinese modernization, it has put forward a batch of important concepts and viewpoints, expanded the horizon of political science research, innovated academic propositions of political science, enriched the research methods of political science, and preliminarily constructed the framework of China’s autonomous knowledge system of political science.
The academic foundation is constantly reinforced, the disciplinary system is gradually perfected. Chinese political science research revolves around the center, serves the overall situation, adheres to building a “big political science” disciplinary layout, the disciplinary coverage keeps expanding, the level of systemic integration is continuously raised, and the disciplinary field covers government administration, public management, national security, and other disciplines and specialties, and develops new cross-cutting disciplines such as global governance and Chinese studies. In recent years, Chinese political science research has actively introduced research methods such as history and field investigation, significantly propelled the process of localization and autonomization of political science, injected new vitality into the development of the discipline, and laid a solid foundation for the development of the “Chinese school.” Universities and research institutes, as the main battlefields of disciplinary construction, continuously optimize the distribution of political science specialties, perfect the talent cultivation system, have trained a group of professional talents who possess both political accomplishment and academic ability, and have provided solid personnel support for the construction of the autonomous knowledge system. At the same time, the academic community has conducted a large amount of scholarly research around major propositions such as Chinese-style modernization and whole-process people’s democracy (全过程人民民主), forming a batch of high-quality academic outcomes and consolidating the academic foundation of the autonomous knowledge system.
Original outcomes have continually emerged, and clusters of iconic concepts are gradually forming. Under the guidance of the Party’s innovative theory, the academic community, based on China’s political practice, has refined and condensed a batch of important concepts with Chinese characteristics, breaking the monopoly of Western political science discourse over a long period. At present, “view of democracy,” “view of governance,” “大党之治” (dà dǎng zhī zhì – “governance of a big party”), and “中国之治” (zhōngguó zhī zhì – “China’s governance”) have become important components of China’s autonomous knowledge system of political science, revealing interpretative and communicative power at the level of theory, further enrich the theoretical connotation and academic accumulation of Chinese political science, and highlighting the agency and developmental force of Chinese political science.
The practical orientation is even more distinct, the service capability is gradually raised. Chinese political science research always adheres to being grounded in China’s actual conditions and responding to real needs, taking the great practice of China-style modernization as the source and motive force of theoretical innovation. The Chinese political science community has carried out targeted research on major real-world issues such as comprehensively and strictly governing the Party (全面从严治党), the theoretical innovation, practical experience, and how institutional advantages of consultative democracy (such composition) can be more effectively translated into governance effectiveness, and grassroots governance innovation, and has put forward forward-looking, problem-oriented, and actionable policy suggestions, providing important references for the decision-making of the Party and the state, fully reflecting the important function of political science in serving practice and promoting practice.
The international horizon has continually expanded, academic exchanges are gradually deepened. Under the backdrop of acceleration of world changes unseeen a century, on the great changes world, Chinese political science research adheres to openness and inclusiveness, broadens its global perspective, actively participates in international academic exchanges and dialogues on political science, and strives to drive Chinese political science discourse toward the world. From the standpoint of China and the historical dimension of world politics, it is done with more self-confidence, raising the self-consciousness of constructing the autonomous knowledge system of Chinese political science. At present, the academic community has conducted a series of targeted comparative studies around building a community with a shared future for mankind (对性命运共同 unified, body) and the world meaning of the Chinese path and Chinese governance, and has handed in the Chinese political science answer to the era’s question of “What is wrong with the world and what should we do about it?”
It must also be noted that, while remarkable achievements have been made, there are still many difficulties, blockages, and sticking points in Chinese political science research. For instance, the degree of disciplinary systemization is insufficient, and the autonomy and systemic of the discipline need to be enhanced; the construction of discourse systemapartheid relily lags, and the international discoursive power needs to be raised; there are shortcomings in the system of academic evaluation and in the construction of talent teams, and there is still a deficiency in innovation capacity and the academic governance system. These problems must be gradually resolved in the course of future academic innovation and the reform of the academic governance system.
Further conclude on China’s governance , refine governance theory
China-style modernization provides a broad stage for building China’s autonomous knowledge system of political science and Chinese political science autonomous knowledge, while building China’s autonomous knowledge system of political science in turn provides important theoretical support for Chinese modernization. In the process of building China’s autonomous knowledge capacity of political science, interpreting the essential requirements of China-style democratization, summarizing China’s governance advanced, and refining China’s governance theory is the important mission that Chinese political science research bears in the new era.
Theory originates in practice in practice with. The autonomous knowledge system of Chinese political science grows from China-style modernization and in turn serves China-style modernization. It must reade to take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guide, take the formation of a political science with Chinese features, Chinese style, and Chinese manner as the direction, firmly grasp the characteristics of the times, the national character, the scientific character, and the creativity of Chinese political science, best capture the development law of China-style modernization, thoroughly illuminate the historical inevitability and practical superiority of the political development path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, provide theoretical support for answering major political questions in the work of China-style modernization, and propel the matter of Chinese-style modernization to proceed steady and far-reaching.
China-style modernization not only brings a happy life for the Chinese people but also provides new realistic ethnic groups for the development of countries all over the world. Building the autonomous knowledge system of Chinese political science, systematically explaining the political logic and the practical path of China-style modernization, showing the external use the advantages of the political system of socialism with Chinese characteristics to the transition, will be beneficial to breaking Western monopoly over discourse concerning of China theory, and create fusion Chinese and foreign discourse of political science, allowing the world to better know China and understand China, and contributing the wisdom and that force from Chinese political science to researching the community with a shared future for mankind.
Political science is a field of knowledge that 经世致用 (jīng shì zhì yòng – “manage affairs of the world and apply them for use,” the study about governing the world and habituating practical use) and 治国安邦 (zhì guó ān bāng – “govern the country and stabilize the state”). To build the autonomous knowledge system of Chinese political science, it is necessary to adhere to the “两个结合” (liǎng gè jiéhé – “two combinations”), take as basis an integrated, systematic research, focus on iconic concepts and original theories, and thoroughly explain the scientific system, rich connotation, and ideological essence of the Party’s innovation theories, and effectively convert them into scholarly every research proposition, knowledge discourse, and academic theory.
Facing the change of the world, the change of times, and the change of history, Chinese political science research must base itself on the great practice of the new era, make joint efforts from multiple aspects such as academic foundation, practice orientation, international perspective, and historical dimension, from the perspective of political science explore theoretical academic resources, systematically explain principles, doctrines, and rational theorems, elevate Chinese practice into Chinese theory, and answer major theoretical and real practical questions in the construction of China-style modernization.
The Chinese political scientific community members insist on 自立自强 (zì lì zì qiáng – “stand on one’s own and strive to become strong,” “oneself-standing and compulsive and striving for strength”), acting together with the times, and doing academic work for the people. Within the world awaits of a century’s transformations, they deeply explain the world significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, rely from the developmental rules of academic research to create new propositions, new categories, and new theory of political science that fuse China and foreign regions without all, continuously push forward academic innovation, discipline construction, and academic governance system reform, add bricks and tiles to the construction of which the independent autonomous knowledge system of Chinese philosophy and social sciences, and add luster to the garden of the political culture of the.
(The author is the president of the Chinese Association of Political Science, (中国政治学会会长).)
Return to TopBy: 顾雷雷
Consumption is an important engine of economic growth and a direct manifestation of the people's aspiration for a better life. At the Central Economic Work Conference last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping set out the key tasks for this year's economic work, including "adapting to changes in the consumption structure and expanding the supply of quality goods and services." The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held at the end of July stressed: "It is necessary to effectively expand domestic demand, expand quality supply in response to the consumption needs of different groups, and tap the potential of service consumption." Driving consumption upgrading by expanding the supply of quality goods and services is both a practical need for resolving the structural mismatch between supply and demand and a strategic choice for satisfying the people's aspiration for a better life.
Supply and demand are the two sides of one body in economic development. Only by promoting the adaptation between supply and demand, prompting the production and supply side to proactively adapt to changes in consumption trends, and dynamically and precisely matching diverse consumption demands in terms of quality, structure, utility, and other aspects, can new demand lead new supply and new supply create new demand, thereby smoothing the circulation of the national economy and building a new development pattern in the dynamic balance of the two. At present, China's per-capita gross domestic product has exceeded US$13,000, and consumption demands are shifting from "whether there is any" to "whether it is good," with the characteristics of quality-seeking, personalization, and diversification becoming increasingly distinct. At the same time, the problem of structural mismatch between supply and demand still exists in some fields, and some potential consumption demands are difficult to release effectively. To resolve this contradiction, it is necessary to rely on both guidance from the demand side and proactive action on the supply side, organically combining the implementation of the strategy of expanding domestic demand with deepening supply-side structural reform, so as to lead and create demand with quality supply and promote the expansion and upgrading of consumption. Centering on this goal, China has introduced a series of policies and measures. For example, the Implementation Plan for Enhancing the Adaptability of Consumer Goods Supply and Demand and Further Promoting Consumption (《关于增强消费品供需适配性进一步促进消费的实施方案》) released last year put forward measures in five aspects, precisely in order to enhance the adaptability between supply and demand and further release consumption potential.
Driven by a series of measures, in the first half of this year, China's total retail sales of consumer goods and services increased by 2.7 percent year on year, and final consumption expenditure drove GDP growth by 2.1 percentage points, continuing to play the role of the primary driving force of economic growth. As technology iterates and upgrades and supply and demand are better matched, more new commodities will enter the consumer market, bringing new consumption increments while meeting the people's needs for a better life. The meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee proposed "expanding quality supply in response to the consumption needs of different groups," pointing out the direction for further promoting the adaptation of supply and demand. "Adapting to different groups" embodies that policy implementation must be precise, meaning that it is necessary to distinguish differences among different regions, different income levels, different age groups, and so on, so as to avoid a "one-size-fits-all" approach; "expanding quality supply" is the path, converting potential demand into actual consumption by improving the quality of commodities and services. To implement this requirement, it is necessary to take scientific and technological innovation as the guide, expand capacity through service consumption, improve the policy system that promotes a virtuous cycle between supply and demand, and expand high-standard opening up, so that domestic demand truly becomes the principal driving force and stabilizing anchor for economic growth, providing solid support for building a new development pattern and promoting high-quality development.
Improve the quality of commodity supply. High-quality supply can open up new consumption scenarios and demand space. For example, in recent years, new business forms such as instant retail have relied on digital technology to reconstruct consumption patterns and have become one of the faster-growing segments of the retail industry; driven by the policy of trading in old consumer goods for new ones, green and intelligent commodities such as new-energy vehicles and home appliances with Grade 1 energy efficiency have become the common choice of consumers. This shows that structural optimization and quality improvement on the supply side can inject endogenous momentum into the expansion and upgrading of consumption. In practice, scientific and technological innovation should be taken as the support to improve supply quality. On the one hand, promote the deep integration of frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence and green, low-carbon technologies with the consumer goods industry, transform and upgrade traditional industries such as food, light industry, and textiles, and resolve homogeneous competition by increasing product varieties, improving product quality, and creating product brands; on the other hand, cultivate and strengthen emerging industries and future industries, accelerate the industrialization of innovative achievements in fields such as smart wearables and service robots, and continuously enrich the supply of quality commodities that meet the needs of consumption upgrading.
Cultivate new advantages of service consumption. Service consumption has the characteristics of high frequency, strong experience, and long chain, and has become an important driving force for the growth of residents' consumption. From the spectator-tourism boom of "traveling to a city for a sporting event," to the "wonderful museum nights" brought about by museums' extended opening hours, to the vigorous development of the ice-and-snow economy and the silver economy, these not only show that new service consumption scenarios can usually be transformed into real consumption growth points, but also reflect the important value of quality supply. To improve the supply of quality services, on the one hand, it is necessary to thoroughly implement the Action to Improve Quality and Benefit the People in Service Consumption (服务消费提质惠民行动), relax market access in fields such as elderly care and childcare, medical and health, and culture, tourism, and sports, attract social capital to participate, and expand the total supply of quality services; on the other hand, it is necessary to improve service quality standards and the credit system, accelerate the training of professional personnel in such fields as elderly care nursing and infant and toddler care, promote the upgrading of life services industries toward high quality, diversification, and convenience, and support the sustained growth of service consumption through the continuous expansion of quality supply.
Expand new space for quality supply. Making good use of both domestic and international markets and both kinds of resources can directly enrich residents' consumption choices; steadily expanding the opening up of the service industry can promote competition through opening up and promote quality improvement through competition, driving the upgrading of domestic service supply. For example, the eighth China International Import Expo attracted the participation of 155 countries, regions, and international organizations, with intended transaction volume calculated on a one-year basis reaching US$83.49 billion, and a large number of globally quality consumer goods turned from exhibits into commodities through this platform and entered the Chinese market. As the visa-free "circle of friends" continues to expand and the "buy now, refund now" departure tax refund service is promoted nationwide, inbound foreigners in 2025 exceeded 82 million person-times, the popularity of "China Travel" and "China Shopping" is rising, and inbound consumption is becoming a new highlight of domestic demand growth. Against this background, the structure of imported goods is continuously optimized, tariffs and institutional transaction costs continue to decline, the cultivation and construction of international consumption center cities is advancing in depth, and expanding opening up and promoting the upgrading of domestic supply are forming a benign interactive pattern of internal-external linkage and orderly competition.
(The author is a professor at the Business School of Central University of Finance and Economics.)
Return to TopTaishan District, Tai'an City, Shandong (泰山区)
Residents Become Data Collectors
Early in the morning, Bocheng Community (博城社区), Qiu Jiadian Town (邱家店镇), Taishan District, Tai'an City, Shandong, the Taishan Data Collection Valley (泰山数采谷) industrial park is already bustling.
Inside an ordinary, home-like collection room, Zhu Chuanzhen (朱传珍), a 59-year-old community resident, wears a sports camera on her head and props up a phone on each side of her body. Smoothing the collar, aligning the hem, folding in layers, and storing them in the cabinet... the whole set of actions was recorded for 10 minutes, completing a collection of real-scene behavior data used for training robots.
Zhu Chuanzhen never imagined that housework could become valuable digital material, and that she would get a new identity — data collector. "There's no educational background limit and no age requirement. I can work at my doorstep and still take care of the family," Zhu said. Currently, more than 60 residents in the community are engaged in data collection work.
At the back end of the park, on the screen, community members' freshly recorded home videos scroll by. A quality inspection team checks frame by frame for camera angles and movement standards. From early standardized training to later unified video verification, a complete quality control flow is 环环相扣 (huán huán xiāng kòu - "linked ring to ring," closely interconnected). Qualified data is packaged and delivered to partner enterprises.
"Our job is to act as the robot's 'teacher,' inputting massive amounts of real-scene data to complete training," introduced Zhou Feng (周峰), head of the training department at a local data company. Scenarios such as home, factory, pharmacy, and office all need continuous data supplementation, and the industry has a huge gap. In the future, the enterprise plans to deploy thousands of collection devices to create a distinctive "embodied collection community," expected to provide more than 600 jobs in the area this local.
Why did an enterprise focused on high-end data service choose to set up here? Zhou explained that from project negotiation to park operation, the entire process took less than four months, thanks to the policy support and supporting services from Taishan District. At present, Taishan District has formed a complete industrial chain covering "data collection, intelligent annotation, model training, scene implementation, talent incubation," creating a closed-loop, well-established data annotation industry ecosystem.
Approaching evening, more than ten residents are still in the collection room, earnestly wiping tables and chairs and folding clothes. Ordinary daily life is generating new value here.
Shangyu District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang (上虞区)
Intelligent Robots Take Root in Industrial Lines
In the spray tower workshop of a chemical enterprise in Shangyu District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang, a four-legged robot moves through the pipe corridors, with a "mechanical eye" on its head continuously scanning and monitoring.
15 spray towers have been operating at high temperatures year-round. Manual inspection requires full coverage of temperature measurement, vibration measurement, and reading every four hours; after one full round of inspection, workers' uniforms are already soaked with sweat. "Now these tasks can be handed over to robots, so we can focus on refined control, improving quality and efficiency!" said Lu Dedang (陆德党), who has worked in this workshop for 13 years.
Currently, many regions have been deploying the embodied intelligence industry. Shangyu District is committed to allowing intelligent robots to take root in industrial lines, taking a differentiated path to breakout.
Motor equipment serves as the "joints" of robots, and new materials are the key to lightweight and high-sensitivity embodied intelligence. Shangyu District happens to have a complete block-based industrial chain. "Frameless torque motors, harmonic reducers, six-dimensional force sensors — in the past we sold these to the machine tool and wind power industries, but now they are tight-demand components in the robot industrial chain," introduced Zheng Yanwen (郑艳文), a relevant person in a local motor enterprise.
An enterprise person directly said: "Embodied intelligence technology requires massive, real-world implementation scenarios." In April this year, Shangyu District established a Scenario Cultivation and Application Office; it issued a special implementation plan and released a "Scenario Opportunity List" covering 12 categories of high-value application scenarios, with chemical scenarios being the first breakthrough. Jin Quanwei (金权炜), Director of the Shangyu District Scenario Office, introduced: "Shangyu District has a fine chemical industrial park that ranks among the top in the country. There are many links such as high-risk inspection, dangerous chemical movement, packaging and material handling that are difficult to recruit for and have high danger. This is precisely the best real combat scenario for embodied intelligent robots."
The advantages of an integrated "R&D-Manufacturing-Application" system allow Shangyu District to achieve the rapid transformation of robots from "laboratory prototypes" to "market-oriented products." In July this year, the Yangtze River Delta Center of the Embodied Intelligence Test Laboratory was officially put into use in Shangyu District. Relying on its location advantages, Shangyu District allows its county-level industrial structure to break through geographical limitations, continuously developing.
Yunyan District, Guiyang City, Guizhou (云岩区)
Leveraging Computing Infrastructure to Implement Real-World Scenarios
Wearing a panoramic collection headband and carrying a data receiver, the collector maps different items in various environments: grasping, picking, and storing… This is the daily work of a data collector in Yunyan District, Guiyang City, Guizhou.
According to order demand, the enterprise where this collector works needs to complete more than 200,000 hours of data collection this year. "These data will be 'fed' to robots for deep learning," introduced Huang Jian (黄建), General Manager of the enterprise. Robots might perform well in the structured environment of a laboratory, but could be 'invalid' in non-structured, dynamic scenes of the real world. The root cause often points to the 'semantic gap' between training data and deployment environment, which requires a systematic, engineering-reproducible real-scene data collection system. To complete 200,000 hours of data collection in Guiyang, the enterprise needs to rent at least 300 sets of housing and 500 sets of equipment. In July this year, the enterprise also widely recruited embodied intelligence partners to jointly complete data collection.
The arrival of data enterprises has brought a large number of jobs. At present, Yunyan District has aggregated nearly 80 data enterprises and over 3,000 employees.
Why do these enterprises come to Yunyan District? In Huang Jian's view, it depends on cost advantages. Taking the houses rented for data collection as an example, the rent in Guiyang is far lower than that in first-tier cities, and the labor cost is relatively low. On the other hand, embodied intelligence needs 见多识广 (jiàn duō shí guǎng - "seen more, known more," meaning knowledgeable and experienced). As the main urban area of the provincial capital, Yunyan District has plentiful scenarios such as supermarkets, hotels, and hospitals, which can meet this need. According to Qin Qi (秦奇), Director of the Bureau of Big Data Administration and Development of Yunyan District (云岩区大数据发展管理局), the district has opened more than ten categories of urban application scenarios to enterprises, and also issued the "Cloud Ten Measures" (云数十条), the first county-level digital economy policy in Guizhou Province, greatly enhancing the attractiveness of policy.
In addition, as a national hub node for the "East-Data, West-Computing" (东数西算) project laid out by the National Integrated Computing Power Network, Guizhou has one of the largest data center clusters in the world, with intelligent computing capacity ranking among the top nationally, providing computing power support for massive training of embodied intelligence models, complex environment simulation, and algorithm verification.
(Compiled from reports by reporters Liu Ping (柳萍) and Zhang Wenning (张汶宁) of Tai'an Daily, Xu Jingjin (徐晶锦) of Shaoxing Daily, Feng Jiena (冯洁娜) of Shangyu Daily, and Huang Baohua (黄宝华) of Guiyang Daily)
Return to TopBy: 张一夫
In many people’s impression, emerging industries and future industries always seem to be closely linked with first-tier cities. However, recent changes in some counties are changing this perception — from eastern counties building embodied intelligence “new hundred-billion-level industry clusters” to small western towns focusing on computing-power metal industries, more and more frontier industries are taking root in counties.
Why can counties burst forth with new momentum? This benefits from track selection based on 因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - “according to local conditions, adopt appropriate measures,” adapting to local circumstances), the integrated promotion of education, science and technology, and talent, and the advantageous conversion of application scenarios.
Selecting the right track is the key for counties to break out. Compared with big cities, many counties have limited resources and find it hard to gain comparative advantages in technology R&D and capital investment. Therefore, during the process of transformation and upgrading, they should act according to local conditions, identify precisely in segmented links in the industrial chain, and make those deeper and more thorough. Fengxin County (奉新县) in Yichun, Jiangxi, takes lithium-battery new energy as its main direction; the enterprises it has cultivated are in the forefront in fields such as artificial graphite and anode materials. The key links are firmly grasped in solid county-level industrial chains.
Industries can be attracted, but how to retain them? It is necessary to advance education, science and technology, and talent in an integrated manner. Fengyang County (凤阳县) in Chuzhou, Anhui, has introduced a “migratory bird-style” talent attraction mechanism, giving rise to models such as “weekend engineers” and “holiday experts,” which both preserve the continuity of talents’ work in university research and accurately solve enterprises’ technical problems, achieving efficient cross-regional allocation of intellectual resources, and further enhance the convenience and sense of fulfillment for talents serving in counties.
As they look toward future industries, some counties are shifting from “granting preferential policies” to “providing application scenarios.” For some technology enterprises, especially artificial intelligence and embodied intelligence companies in the growth stage, what they urgently need are application scenarios and verification environments. Pingyin County (平阴县) in Jinan, Shandong, has built the largest humanoid-robot data training center in Shandong, and also opened up manual-intensive operation scenarios such as flower sorting and product packaging from some flower processing enterprises within the county, turning them into training grounds for fine-grained industrial operations of embodied-intelligent robots.
In the upsurge of developing frontier industries in counties, one must also keep a clear head and not “charge forward haphazardly in a一哄而上 (yī hōng ér shàng - “a clamor and rush up,” one flurry of all rushing in together in disorderly manner).” It is necessary both to guard against the forced layout of assets regardless of endowments evidence and homogeneous construction, and to prevent the tendency to cluster in low-threshold tracks while neglecting key technology R&D. If not, it will easily fall into a low-end repetitive deadlock, will aggravate the already financial burden, and more likely cause resource waste and low-level involution.
To stimulate the frontier-industry competitiveness of counties, we need to build an open, collaborative, and sustainable innovation ecosystem. It is believed that with long-term deep cultivation and fine practice, deeply integrating frontier technologies with local characteristic characteristic industries, counties will certainly run out their own acceleration on the track of frontier industries.
Return to TopThe Seventh National Minority Literary and Art Performances will be held (第七届全国少数民族文艺汇演) According to Xinhua News Agency — the Seventh National Minority Literary and Art Performances will be held in Beijing from August 18 to September 23. During the performances, a total of 48 excellent theatrical works will come to Beijing for performance. The participating works will be staged one after another at 13 venues in Beijing, with each work performing 2 to 3 shows, for a total of 114 performances. The participating works are rich in type, covering multiple art forms; the subject matter is diverse, possessing both historical depth and contemporary warmth; grassroots troupe works account for 32% of the total, and 5 cross-regional jointly created and rehearsed works are launched for the first time; adhering to the orientation of public welfare benefiting the people, policies for cultural benefits such as low-cost tickets have been introduced.
China Fujian-Taiwan Ties Museum (中国闽台缘博物馆) establishes 14 root-seeking liaison points across the Strait. According to Xinhua News Agency — the reporter learned from the Sixth Cross-Strait Folk Genealogy Cultural Exchange Conference held recently at the China Fujian-Taiwan Ties Museum that the institution has now established 14 root-seeking liaison points across the Strait. The China Fujian-Taiwan Ties Museum is located in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province. It is a first-grade (national) museum with the theme of reflecting the historical relationship between the mainland and Taiwan. In July 2025, the museum completed the "Fujian-Taiwan Root-seeking and Origin-tracing Service and Exchange Center" and simultaneously established six root-seeking points in Xiamen, Zhangzhou, and Quanzhou. On that day, the museum awarded 8 newly established root-seeking liaison points, including Kinmen, Penghu, Kaohsiung, Pingtung, Taichung, Taipei, Fuzhou and Jinjiang. This is the first time the China Fujian-Taiwan Ties Museum has extended root-seeking liaison points to Taiwan.
Jiangsu holds new era of mass literature and art literature creation training seminar. Xinhua Daily, Taizhou, August 12 (reporter Feng Yuanfang) — recently, the Jiangsu Province New Mass Literature and Art Creative Literature Training Seminar was held in Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province. This is the first time Jiangsu has offered a literature training targeted at the new mass literature and art group. 46 trainees came from many parts of Jiangsu. Five outstanding representatives of Jiangsu's new mass literature and art include Dan Ning (但宁), Yao Gang (姚刚), Li Dong (李冬), Liu Hui (刘慧), Tang Meigu (常玫瑰) paired with five famous writers: Qiao Ye (乔叶), Cai Chongda (蔡崇达), Wang Shiyue (王十月), Huang Deng (黄灯), and Pang Yuliang (庞余亮). These outstanding representatives will receive one year's creative guidance in the first phase of the "Public Creation Enjoyment · Literary Pairing project" (大众创享·文学结对项目).
Cross-provincial tourist small loop connecting Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia released. Gansu Daily, Baiyin, August 12 (reporter Xia Dandan) — a cross-provincial tourist small loop connecting high-quality cultural and travel resources of the three provinces (regions) of Gansu, Ningxia and Inner Mongolia was officially released recently at the Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Area (黄河石林景区) in Jingtai County (景泰县), Baiyin City, Gansu Province. This cross-provincial tourist small loop connects the Yellow River Stone Forest in Jingtai, Gansu; Shapotou (沙坡头) in Zhongwei, Nisingxia; and Tonghu Grassland (通湖草原) in Alxa, Inner Mongolia, aiming to create a high-level, three-dimensional, culturally rich tourism route.
Jilin Province establishes rice science and technology small yard cluster. Jilin Daily, Jilin, August 12 (reporter Zheng Yuxin 郑玉鑫) — recently, the Jilin Province Rice Science and Technology Small Yard Cluster (水稻科技小院集群) unveiling ceremony took place in Yongji County (永吉县), Jilin City. As of now, Jilin Province has 13 rice sector science and technology small yards, covering major rice areas such as Shulan (舒兰), Yongji (永吉), Huinan (辉南), and Qian Gorlos (前郭), and spanning the full chain from seed breeding, cultivation, plant protection, smart agricultural machinery, to production and processing.
Return to TopBy: 新华社记者 孙凡越摄影报道
In the early morning, in Qian'ganjian Village (前干涧村), Xiaying Town (下营镇), Jizhou District (蓟州区), Tianjin, 60-year-old Lu Xueyan (卢学艳) began his patrol of the Great Wall. In 2016, Tianjin launched comprehensive protection of the Great Wall, and Lu Xueyan signed up to become one of the first group of 16 Great Wall protectors in Jizhou District.
Opening Lu Xueyan’s patrol records, “natural” (meaning no human-caused damage) is the most frequently appearing word. Today, the segment of the Great Wall for which he is responsible has essentially no visible traces of human-caused damage. The thousands of inspection photos he has taken not only document the changes to the Great Wall but also proved highly useful in this year's protective repairs. The expert team formulated its plan based on his frontline data, enabling the renovation project to preserve to the maximum extent the original appearance of the ancient Great Wall.
Lu Xueyan says that in recent years many tourists have come because of the ancient Great Wall — the wall guards the village, and the village also guards the wall. On July 30 this year, the Tianjin Municipal People's Congress deliberated and approved the Tianjin Great Wall Protection Regulations (《天津市长城保护条例》), which will officially come into effect on September 1 this year, providing institutional safeguards for the systematic protection of this section of the Great Wall.
By: 新华社记者
How can a small shop burst forth with 蓬勃生命力 (péng bó shēng mìng lì - "vigorous life force," abundant vitality)? Since 2023, the China Youth Entrepreneurship and Employment Foundation (中国青年创业就业基金会) has initiated and implemented the "Youth Small Shop" project, exploring the establishment of assistance systems with League organizations and universities in many places.
A pastoral small train travels slowly, and sounds of laughter and joy drift from camping tents... In Lunan Village, Licheng District, Jinan, Shandong, a farm can also become a "Youth Small Shop." In previous years, Lunan Village developed a pastoral complex. After graduating from university, Jia Jie chose to return to her hometown, integrating camping, homestays, coffee, and other elements into the pastoral setting, allowing the farm hidden in the mountain hollows to gradually gain more popularity.
In April this year, Jia Jie gained a new identity: a "Youth Small Shop Manager." "Not looking at academic credentials, not looking at professional titles, [we aim to] enhance the sense of belonging and sense of gain for young entrepreneurs, and gather the strength of youth," said Wu Jun, director of the Second Division of Talent Work of the Jinan Municipal Committee Organization Department.
In Shaanxi, a group of characteristic small shops involving diverse business formats such as cultural and creative handicrafts and Hanfu styling and makeup have emerged in concentrated clusters, and new immersive consumption scenarios are widely welcomed; in Jiangsu, "Suqing Small Shops" participate in activities such as sports carnivals, cultural and tourism consumption festivals, and youth markets...
In Hangzhou, Zhejiang, on an expansive lawn, several pet dogs are running and playing. In March this year, this pet manor was selected as a "Youth Small Shop" of the Binjiang District of Hangzhou. The manor manager, Zhang Cennan, is a doctoral student majoring in aerospace at Zhejiang University. Zhang Cennan said that her dream is to transform what she has learned in her profession into "golden ideas" for entrepreneurship, further exploring the integration of technology and the pet industry to make pet health management more scientific.
In response to the needs of youth entrepreneurship and development, Binjiang District launched the "Youth Market" and "Youth Small Shop" plans this year, providing stepped incubation policies for young people to support the "small and beautiful" entrepreneurship dreams of the youth group.
(Reported by Xinhua News Agency reporters Wang Mingyu, Zhang Liyuan, Zhang Ge, and Zheng Keyi)
Return to TopBy: 本报通讯员 龚俊慧
“Every livestream, there are always villagers holding their own native eggs and dried bamboo shoots standing behind me, waiting for me to help them hawk them,” Chen Jianguo (陈建国) said.
Chen Jianguo is the Party branch secretary of Beishan Village (北山村), Sishiba Town (四十八镇), Guangxin District (广信区), Shangrao City, Jiangxi Province. Every night at 9 p.m., his livestream room starts on time. Over three years, he has cumulatively sold 1.21 million orders of agricultural products, with sales revenue of more than 67 million yuan, driving income growth for over 20,000 farming households in the surrounding area.
In Guangxin District, there are already more than 100 “hometown recommender” (家乡推荐官) like Chen Jianguo. Among them are village cadres, returning college students, as well as aspiring entrepreneurs and ordinary villagers. With the help of short videos and livestreams, these “new farmers” (新农人) have brought their hometown’s scenery, local specialties, and simple folkways onto the “cloud.”
Mao Weimin (毛伟民), Party branch secretary of Yangtang Village (洋塘村), Huating Town (花厅镇), Guangxin District, likewise uses the lens to tell his hometown’s story. “Before, we used to go see distant scenery; now I want people far away to come see the scenery of my hometown.” Last October, a video he had made about his hometown went viral, and within a few months his followers grew to over 100,000. The village hidden deep in the mountains came to be “seen” by more people.
One short video, one livestream, let beautiful landscapes and specialty products emerge from the mountains. “We hope that more people can become ‘recommenders’ for their hometown, using their own ways to speak for their hometown, and drive the masses to increase their income and become prosperous,” said Yu Fangping (余芳萍), director of the Guangxin District Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism.
Return to TopBy: 本报通讯员 王三合
At 8:00 a.m., the "Green Shoots Growth" (青苗成长) daycare class in the Dongdajie (East Main Street) Community, Lishan Subdistrict (骊山街道), Lintong District (临潼区), Xi'an, Shaanxi, was already buzzing with activity. In the non‑heritage grass‑woven art classroom, children gathered around a long table, pliant grass leaves flying between their fingertips. As dusk fell, in the Materials Bureau (物资局) neighborhood of the Dongdajie Community, a dozen elderly people sat around tables, focused on cutting paper window flowers under the guidance of university student volunteers. This practice of "morning daycare, evening school" (晨托晚校) has been carried out by the Dongdajie Community for over three years.
Since 2023, the Dongdajie Community has been steadily promoting the winter‑ and summer‑vacation daycare classes as a key public‑service project for the people. This summer, the Community further optimized the course offerings, partnering with university practice teams to launch a distinctive curriculum system: mornings are mainly homework tutoring, interspersed with poetry recitation, thinking‑skills training, hard‑tip calligraphy, and other basic‑competence courses that help children keep their "learning never leaves the hand" (学不离手) during the holidays; afternoons feature special courses such as artificial‑freedom (AI) popularization, physics experiments, scientific exploration, and creative art. At the same time, the Dongdajie Community’s "East Neighbor Night School" (东邻·夜校) also opened a "Summer-Cool Magic Night" (消夏奇妙夜) for the elderly, where handcraft classes bring to the stage traditional skills such as non‑heritage rubbing and mug‑wort hammer making.
By accurately discerning resident demand and looking for night‑school "partners," the Dongdajie Community found that the Social Practice Group "Zhibo Xinxi Ke ‑ Ai Zhan Shiliuhua" (智播信小科·爱绽石榴花) from the High‑tech College at Xi’an University of Science and Technology (西安科技大学高新学院) responded actively. As of now, the Dongdajie Community has launched courses including non‑heritage paper‑cutting, first‑aid science popularization, fitness guidance, and hand‑crafting, serving a cumulative total of over 350 residents.
Return to TopBy: 新华社记者 张千千 白丽萍 周文冲
Via ferrata, cliff swings, cave exploration… In recent years, some internet-famous high-risk amusement projects have become popular and heated up. However, beneath the craze there are also safety concerns.
Although many amusement venues post safety notices, these prompts are often placed in inconspicuous positions, making it difficult for visitors to notice them at first glance, and the implementation situation is far from ideal. For example, numerous internet-famous rainbow slides stipulate that only one person per ride is allowed, and children under 1.2 meters or under 20 kilograms as well as people over 60 years of age are prohibited from participating in the experience. But in actual operation, the phenomenon of adults holding young children and sliding down together is common.
In recent years, several safety accidents involving internet-famous high-risk amusement projects have already occurred. Some projects lack unified operating standards, and the scales of strictness vary among different localities; some projects have clear national standards, but the implementation and execution fall short.
"Ensuring the life safety and health of tourists is the first priority for scenic spots and the operation of amusement projects." Said Luo Zibo (罗兹柏), chief expert of the Yangtze River Tourism Research Base of the China Tourism Academy. Industry insiders call for soon completing national standards covering the full chain of project design, equipment installation, operational and maintenance, better, and personnel qualifications for the new internet-famous high-risk amusement projects. Wen Zhiqiang (温志强), director of the Center for Risk Governance and Emergency Management Research at Tianjin Normal University, suggested that the high-risk amusement projects should integrate emergency rescue plans at the planning and design stage, be mandated to equip monitoring facilities and rescue equipment and dedicated personnel, and conduct regular practice drills.
Industry insiders call for continuously strengthening public science-popularizing, Walter safety publicity and education to guide tourists to proactively avoid risks and refuse operation that violates rules.
（据新华社电）
Return to TopBy: 贵州日报记者 杨媛媛
In the factory area of the Anshun City Printing Factory (安顺市印刷厂) on Dongjiao Road (东郊路), Xixiu District (西秀区), Anshun City (安顺市), Guizhou Province (贵州省), visitors are like a dense weave (yóu rén rú zhī - "visitors like weaving," a sea of tourists). Chen Menglin (陈梦琳), a tourist from Changsha, Hunan, walked and browsed as she said, "This is different from an ordinary commercial street; the old factory buildings have their own unique charm."
The Anshun City Printing Factory was built in 1989 and is an important witness of local industrial development. The mottled red-brick walls and old workshops preserve the struggle imprints of generations of workers. As the industry evolved, many factory buildings lay idle for a long time. To revitalize this industrial heritage, the Anshun City introduced enterprises to carry out renovation. Now, stepping into the factory area, the red-brick walls, wooden roof beams, and greenish-gray old tiles are preserved in their original juice and original flavor (yuán zhī yuán wèi - "original juice, original flavor," in the authentic original state), blending with new business forms such as coffee shops, specialty restaurants, and handicraft workshops. It has become a new cultural tourism landmark.
The continuously rising popularity has attracted many entrepreneurs to locate there. At present, multiple business forms — coffee and leisure, specialty catering, cultural and creative handcrafts — are gathered together. The factory area now has more than 20 specialty shops in operation, and the once-idle industrial space has become lively again.
Old buildings retain industrial memories; new business forms expand consumption space. While preserving its heritage, the Anshun City Printing Factory introduces consumption scenarios, allowing the idle factory buildings to once again integrate into urban life and become a new choice of leisure consumption for residents and tourists.
Return to TopLayout design: Zhang Fangman (张芳曼) Submission email: rmrbgdcz@peopledaily.cn
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 乔 栋
Editor's note: The grassroots are the foundation of the Party's governance, the source of its strength, and the ultimate focus of all work. The key to improving the Party's governance capacity lies in improving the capacity of cadres at all levels, including grassroots cadres. The work capability of the broad ranks of grassroots cadres plays a foundational role in strengthening the Party's governance capacity building.
Starting today, this section launches the series report "New Observation on Cadre Status · Honing Basic Skills on the Front Line," focusing on the vivid practices of grassroots cadres in various places leading the masses to solve difficult problems, develop industries, and promote common prosperity, polishing their basic skills for doing solid work and starting businesses, and responding to the masses' expectations and seeking well-being for the masses through genuine and solid work.
Riyue Mountain (日月山) is an important geographical landmark of Qinghai. Along Riyue Mountain, from west to east, in Riyue Tibetan Township (日月藏族乡), Heping Township (和平乡), and Dongxia Township (东峡乡), the reporter met three young cadres respectively. They either hold the ecological bottom line and accelerate green development, or base themselves on regional characteristics to deeply cultivate camping projects, or conform to market laws to promote industrial upgrading.
The development of one rural industrial project after another is a process in which grassroots cadres encounter problems and solve problems, and also a process of adapting measures to local conditions (因地制宜 (yīn dì zhì yí - "adjust measures to local conditions," act according to circumstances)) and making scientific decisions. The three grassroots cadres said that people are tempered through practical work; it is precisely through one concrete task after another that they continuously upgrade their thinking and hone their skills.
One Mountain: Seeing the Concept of Ecological Priority Take Root
Riyue Township of Huangyuan County (湟源县), Qinghai Province, is a concern close to the heart of Zhao Haizhen (赵海珍), deputy head of the Organization Department of the Huangyuan County Party Committee (湟源县委组织部).
Zhao Haizhen once served as deputy secretary of the township Party committee in Riyue Township. The masses of Riyue Township make a living by traditional grazing and animal husbandry, and grassland disputes brought by overgrazing are not few. With more and more cattle and sheep, one's own pasture is not enough for grazing, and the village collective grassland has also become an object of "contention" among herders for grazing, with every household "fleeceing the wool" and "occupying territory."
In Riyue Township at that time, this was a new situation. "The root is still overgrazing; the number of cattle and sheep has exceeded the carrying capacity of the grassland." Village cadres dissuaded them, but with little effect. "The grassland is too large; even if people are sent to patrol regularly, it is still attending to one thing and losing sight of another (顾此失彼 (gù cǐ shī bǐ - "attend to this and lose that," unable to cope with all demands))." Zhao Haizhen said.
In 2025, in response to this situation, the township conducted full discussions. Some cadres considered the herders' interests: "If there are too many cattle and sheep to graze, after all, it is our own village's grassland; if it is idle, it is idle. If cattle and sheep do not have enough to eat, coming to eat on the 'public' grassland a bit is also understandable." Other cadres also proposed: "If it keeps being eaten this way, the 'public' grassland will soon be exhausted. By then, with even more cattle and sheep in stock, what if it brings a vicious cycle of ecological destruction?"
Zhao Haizhen agreed with the latter. At the meeting she said: "Maduo County (玛多县) was once a wealthy county with per capita annual income exceeding 10,000 yuan, relying precisely on the livestock industry. However, the 'county of a thousand lakes' back then, because of overgrazing, soon was covered with black soil flats everywhere, and it is still under governance and restoration."
After unifying their thinking, the Riyue Township Party Committee decided to take the lead in promoting the paid use of grassland, and submitted "paid use of grassland" into the "strive to take the lead" (勇争先) key work list for all townships and departments of Huangyuan County. According to the work deployment, Riyue Township defined the boundaries of village collective grassland, set up fences around village collective grassland, and clarified the contracting, fee standards, grazing regulations, and other contents of village collective grassland. In addition, every year it carries out grassland improvement and supervision and management of village collective grassland.
"Many herders are resistant; herders are accustomed to the traditional free grazing model, and increased costs naturally make them unwilling." Zhao Haizhen and others each led teams, starting first with pilot villages to conduct door-to-door publicity and education. "We also specially produced videos, telling of the ecological harm brought by overgrazing." At the same time, grasping the "ox nose" of the three villages of Ruoyaotang Village (若药堂村), Qiantan Village (前滩村), and Muchang Village (牧场村), they signed the "Grassland Contract Management Right Transfer Contract" with large-scale breeding households, forming a demonstration effect.
Qinghai's greatest value lies in ecology, its greatest responsibility lies in ecology, and its greatest potential also lies in ecology. From the herders' initial resistance, to their later acceptance and recognition, and then to last year's village collective income increasing by 100,000 yuan and 10,000 mu of degraded village collective grassland being brought under governance, after "biting down" on this difficult problem, Zhao Haizhen's biggest feeling is: "The 'three greatest' (三个最大) gave us guidance and inspiration, letting us recognize the win-win brought by ecological priority. Whether a policy is scientific and reasonable, whether the 'ecological account' is worthwhile, must be considered."
One Bun: Seeing the Long-Term Plan Based on Endowments
Heping Township of Huangyuan County has an average altitude of more than 2,800 meters. Entering along the Baishui River (白水河), one passes Baishui Village (白水村), Majiawan Village (马家湾村), Longhe Village (隆和村), and Machangtai Village (马场台村) in turn. This season is exactly the busiest time here.
Heping Township is known to the surrounding area for its natural scenery. A few years ago, on Huashi Mountain (华石山) behind the Baishui River, in spring azaleas bloomed all over the mountains and fields. The number of tourists coming to visit increased, and the local area struck while the iron was hot (趁热打铁 (chèn rè dǎ tiě - "strike while the iron is hot," seize the opportunity)), building a 15-kilometer ecological corridor and laying out 12 camping sites. All four villages along the river benefited, with village collective annual income increasing by more than 400,000 yuan in total.
In April this year, Lei Faxia (雷发霞) took office as secretary of the Heping Township Party Committee. Just after arriving at her post, she immediately went from village to village without stopping (马不停蹄 (mǎ bù tíng tí - "horse hooves never stop," without a moment's pause)) to conduct research. Unlike what she had imagined, this ecological corridor, after more than four years of development, showed a bit of "fatigue": on one side, tourists reported that the quality of the agricultural specialty products they bought was uneven (参差不齐 (cēn cī bù qí - "uneven and irregular," of varying quality)); on the other side, village masses reported that "'the ecological rice' is not easy to eat; it is just crowded and lively, but no money is made."
Take the Heping Township specialty grass-ash bun as an example. A bun mixed with the local specialty fragrant bean powder is placed in a kun pot, and the pot is "seated" directly in a pile of wheat straw. When the straw pile burns out, the grass-ash bun is ready to come out of the pot. The fragrant bean powder wraps the bun's fragrance, and it is crisp on the palate, welcomed by tourists. But grass-ash buns have relatively high production requirements; weather, heat, and timing are all indispensable. Burnt and scorched buns are common, and complaints about grass-ash buns passing off inferior goods as quality ones (以次充好 (yǐ cì chōng hǎo - "pass off inferior as good," substitute inferior goods for quality ones)) never stop.
Shortly after taking office, another development path lay before Lei Faxia. Heping Township has more than 100,000 mu of natural grassland, and someone suggested to Lei Faxia: camping exists in many townships; rather than renovating and upgrading infrastructure, it would be better to invest the money in the livestock breeding industry, "the project shows results quickly and is also effective in leading the masses to prosperity."
Should she start a new stove (另起炉灶 (lìng qǐ lú zào - "set up a new stove," start all over again)) or continue "digging the deep well"? For Lei Faxia, this was a difficult problem. At first, she wavered a bit: "The camping project has encountered a bottleneck in development. If it cannot be broken through, continuing to pour resources into it will easily get half the result with twice the effort (事倍功半 (shì bèi gōng bàn - "twice the effort, half the result," get poor results despite great effort)). Developing animal husbandry, the 'cooperative + farmer household' development model for animal husbandry is ready-made, and it is easy to produce work achievements."
One must still base oneself on endowments. Lei Faxia said: "Developing rural industries cannot simply be copied, cannot 'rush forward in a swarm' (一哄而上 (yī hōng ér shàng - "rush forward all at once," do something in a headlong rush)) — animal husbandry can certainly be developed, but one cannot give up eating for fear of choking (因噎废食 (yīn yē fèi shí - "give up eating for fear of choking," refrain from doing what one should for fear of a minor risk)) and throw away the camping project."
"The current industrial bottleneck is that the camping project and the masses' income increase are not well integrated; in the final analysis, the mechanism for driving agriculture needs to be improved." After multiple discussions, the Heping Township Party Committee made a decision: go about it steadily and surely (稳扎稳打 (wěn zhā wěn dǎ - "go steadily and strike surely," proceed step by step)), continue doing the camping project well, and solve the problem of increasing the masses' income.
Now, Heping Township has its own "Baishui River Valley" grass-ash bun. The township secured 500,000 yuan of higher-level funds to build a small processing plant, purchasing ingredients from villagers, and also absorbing villagers for employment, making the quality of grass-ash buns more stable. Small repairs and patches sometimes are stronger than bold and drastic action (大刀阔斧 (dà dāo kuò fǔ - "big knife and broad axe," bold and resolute)). Lei Faxia said: "Through the improvement of the camping mechanism linking farmers, the four villages are expected to increase income by 300,000 yuan this year."
One Leaf: Seeing the Market Thinking of Specialty Upgrading
In Huitiaokou Village (灰条口村), Dongxia Township, Huangyuan County, take a sip of tea — the taste is unique — and sit and listen to Ma Yuxin (马玉新), secretary of the Dongxia Township Party Committee, tell of the development experience of the tangli pear leaf industry.
Huitiaokou Village has a tradition of drinking "boiled tea." The method is very simple: take tangli pear leaves from the mountain, put them on the roof to be struck by frost, then steam them in a steamer, dry them in the sun, and steep them in water with mint, salt, and Sichuan pepper. "We here are accustomed to yak beef and mutton as staple foods. After a meal, a cup of 'boiled tea' cuts the grease and is comfortable." Ma Yuxin said.
Tangli pear leaf tea is a good thing — low fluoride content, unique taste, quite loved by the local masses. Can it jump out of the scope of self-use and be processed into a commodity? Huitiaokou Village began exploring the industrialization of tangli pear leaf tea.
At first, no one knew how to do it. Everyone knew how to dry, steep, and brew, but the tea-making craft had to be explored from scratch. The first step was stir-frying. In the fixing stage, the tea leaves stir-fried with the crude old method were scorched yellow and bitter. The township invited tea technicians from Liuhe District of Nanjing, Jiangsu (六合区) to the village for guidance. After round after round of rolling and trial production, the result was still unsatisfactory in the end: because of the low temperature on the plateau, the road of making green tea and white tea from tangli pear leaves would not work.
Ma Yuxin said that at the time everyone thought the road of tea-making would not work, but the technicians suggested that the method of fully fermented tea-making could be tried. After the first piece of tangli pear leaf black tea was produced, the villagers were very happy: "Our village's tea has become high-end!"
This was only the first step. From a trial product to a product, one still needed to make the leap. Ma Yuxin quickly realized that a business entity was needed to pull it along: "First, through standardized production, ensure stable tea quality; second, absorb villagers in, solving the problem of driving income increase." In order to turn the trial product into a product, with the help of East-West cooperation (东西部协作) funds, led by the village collective, the Huangyuan Shizhai "Little Jiangnan" Tourism Development Co., Ltd. (湟源石寨小江南旅游开发有限公司) was established, production equipment was purchased, and the company organized farmer households to pick and process.
With the processing plant established and the cooperation mechanism built, for several years running, 100 jin of tangli pear leaf tea was ordered up completely by the supporting unit before it even went on the market. However, 100 jin of tea is far from scaled supply.
"Every year, the villagers work hard and can only pick 500 jin of bud leaves, which can only be made into 100 jin of finished product; the output is not enough." Ma Yuxin explained that during the tangli pear leaf picking period from April to June every year, villagers go up the mountain to pick fresh leaves. Because tangli pears are all wild tree species and the bud leaves have high requirements, each person can pick at most two to three jin per day. Not only that, villagers need to climb up slopes and into rock crevices, which is both laborious and dangerous.
Artificial cultivation of tangli pear was duly put on the agenda. After the trial planting cycle of tangli pear tea seedlings, Huitiaokou Village decided to open up a 40-mu tangli pear planting base on barren mountains and slopes. "Once output comes up, the choice of industrial products can be richer." The steps of extending the tangli pear industry chain continue. "Making tangli pear leaf tea mainly picks the tender leaves at the branch tips, while in autumn the old leaves of tangli pear are numerous and easy to take. The village plans to use the old leaves to develop tea cake products and improve resource utilization." Ma Yuxin said.
The development path of the tangli pear leaf industry is also Ma Yuxin's growth path. "Before going down to the grassroots, I thought that if the thing is good, it can make money. From standardized production to the extension of the industry chain, tangli pear leaf tea taught me how agricultural specialty products should find the breakthrough in rural industrial revitalization."
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 林丽鹂
In Bazhong, Sichuan, motor vehicle training fees, which ranged from 1,500 yuan to 2,500 yuan, have risen to 4,000 yuan.
In Tongliang, Chongqing, motorcycle training fees have risen from over 200 yuan to 900 yuan.
Why are driving school training fees getting more and more expensive? It is not due to a significant increase in costs such as rent, labor, or vehicles, but because local driving training enterprises have agreed to "huddle together to raise prices" (抱团涨价).
Recently, the State Administration for Market Regulation published a list of 12 driving training monopoly cases that market regulatory authorities nationwide have investigated and penalized since 2022. These cases span over 10 provinces, with counties in the southwestern and northwestern regions being high-incidence areas. The cases involve more than 100 local driving schools, with the number of implicated entities per case ranging from 4 to 17.
Investigations show that more than 30% of the cases were led by industry associations, which used methods such as holding meetings, signing conventions, and establishing alliances to unify prices, divide regions, and allocate profits. For example, the Xiushan Road Transport Association (秀山道路运输协会) in Chongqing led nine driving schools in uniformly raising prices and implementing monopolistic behavior. The Bazhong Road Transport Association (巴中道路运输协会) in Sichuan organized 12 driving schools to formulate a "price self-discipline measure" to raise prices indirectly.
Monopoly practices directly push up the cost of learning to drive. In Bazhong, driving school training fees generally increased by more than 1,500 yuan. To control prices, the Bazhong Road Transport Association required that if a training institution fails to charge according to the regulations, the first verified violation would incur a fine of 5,000 yuan, and a second violation a fine of 10,000 yuan. Driving instructors would also be placed on a blacklist.
Tuition fees have become more expensive, but service quality has worsened. On the training side, there is falsification of learning hours and no guarantee of quality. On the business management side, there are prominent issues such as false advertising, hidden charges, and risks from prepaid fees; unqualified institutions and "scalpers" illegally solicit customers. Institutional management is slack, instructor employment is prone to hanging credentials without practicing, the principal liability falls into disuse, teaching facilities are outdated, and personnel quality is uneven.
Wang Xianlin (王先林), a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, believes that the combination of driving training monopolies and industry chaos creates multidimensional harm: rising costs for consumers learning to drive and difficulty in protecting their rights; destruction of the fair competition ecosystem in the industry, squeezing the survival space of regular driving schools that operate in compliance and with slim profits—劣币驱逐良币 (liè bì qū zhú liáng bì - "bad money drives out good money," meaning inferior products or practices displace superior ones); and inferior-quality training produces "road killers," leaving underlying hidden dangers in road safety.
"The investigation and handling of these serial cases have effectively broken the county-level 'price alliance' in driving training, pushing prices back to reasonable ranges. This not only protects consumer rights but also forces the industry to improve procedural fairness and achieve standard and benign development," said Ding Maozhong (丁茂中), a professor at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law.
In addition, rectifying the chaos in driver training is also a key prerequisite for unlocking the potential vehicle consumption in lower-tier markets. Issues such as overall fee opacity, falsification of course hours, and difficulty in refunds directly work to repress consumers' willingness to learn to drive and purchase cars.
Since June, multiple departments have intensively rolled out policies to support the automobile industry, and the 2026 special activity for new energy vehicles to go to the countryside has been formally launched. Experts suggest that the driver training industry should seize market opportunities, optimize courses by relying on smart devices depending on circumstances and improve training models, win consumer trust through transparent fees and high-quality services, and unlock the potential of automobile consumption in lower-tier markets.
Return to TopLanzhou, August 12 (Our Correspondent Song Chaojun (宋朝军)). Since the beginning of this year, Gansu Province has focused on issues of strong public concern in the property services of residential communities, and has made every effort to advance a special rectification of prominent problems in property services. As of now, full coverage of inspections of property communities in the province has been achieved, and the problem rectification rate exceeds 90 percent. During the special rectification, the province has cumulatively investigated and dealt with 322 cases of violations of laws and regulations, administratively penalized 186 enterprises, with fines and confiscations totaling 20 million yuan, and expelled 16 substandard property enterprises.
Gansu focuses on six major areas such as fee performance and the use of special maintenance funds. On the basis of retaining traditional telephone and email complaint channels, it has enabled QR codes for online collection of problem clues, implementing a mechanism of "one-click feedback, graded handling, SMS reply" whereby the public can submit demands by scanning the code and track progress throughout the process. In addition, five departments in Gansu jointly formulated guidance opinions on regulating the management of public revenue in residential communities across the province, specifying full-process regulations for the sources, attribution, purposes, management, use, transfer, and supervision of public revenue.
Return to TopBeijing, August 12 (Reporters Ren Tongtong (任彤彤), Wang Huangfei (汪黄飞)). On the morning of the 12th, the Chinese Navy's 49th escort task force cast off from a certain military port in Sanya, Hainan, and set sail for the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters to relieve the 48th escort task force and carry out escort missions.
At around 10:30 a.m., to the majestic sound of military music, the three vessels cast off one after another and slowly departed the dock. On the deck, the escort officers and soldiers, 精神抖擞 (jīng shén dǒu sǒu - "spirit and vigor roused," in high spirits and full of energy), stood in neat ranks, waving goodbye to the motherland and their loved ones.
The 49th escort task force is mainly composed of naval forces from the Southern Theater Command Navy (南部战区海军), including the guided-missile destroyer Kunming, the guided-missile frigate Yueyang, and the large ocean-going comprehensive replenishment ship Luomahu (骆马湖), all independently designed and built by our country, and carrying two ship-borne helicopters and dozens of special operations personnel. Among them, the Kunming is performing an escort mission for the first time; the Yueyang and the Luomahu have previously performed escort missions multiple times and possess rich experience in far-sea combat training.
During the mission preparation phase, the task force command post, keeping a close watch on the risks, challenges, and actual threats that this escort operation might face, and in accordance with the requirements of full-element, combat-oriented training, focused on carrying out targeted training in the actual use of weapons, accompanying escort, underway replenishment, and counter-terrorism and counter-piracy.
Return to TopIn Henan Province, Jiaozuo City, Wen County (温县), 16 specialized mediation teams represented by the “Old Ma Pingli Studio” (老马评评理工作室) and “Old Niu Mediation Studio” (老牛调解室) are spread across urban and rural areas; 165 veteran party branch secretaries, retired legal and political personnel, and village sages and capable people go down to the grassroots front line to resolve conflicts using local language. The picture shows: on August 10, in Kang Village (亢村), Wude Town (武德镇), Wen County, mediator Wang Yongfu (王永富, first from left) of the town’s comprehensive governance center’s “Old Ma Pingli Studio” is mediating an economic dispute related to a greenhouse.
Xu Hongxing (徐宏星) photo (Xinhua News Agency)
By: 本报记者 王 洲
Employment is the foundation of the people's livelihood. However, in order to reduce employment costs and evade statutory responsibilities, some employing units have, through "hidden employment" (隐蔽用工) means, caused the rights and interests of many workers to be harmed. Recently, the Beijing Fangshan District People's Court (北京市房山区人民法院) published a batch of typical cases of "hidden employment"-type labor disputes.
"Hidden employment"-type labor disputes refer to labor dispute cases in which, in order to evade statutory employment obligations, an employing unit conceals the true facts of employment between itself and workers by fabricating other legal relationships such as cooperation, outsourcing, contracting, or registration as an individual industrial and commercial household (个体工商户), and the two sides develop differences over the characterization of the legal relationship, the payment of labor treatment, and the assumption of employment responsibility, giving rise to labor dispute cases.
In a "contract-substitution type" case, the plaintiff Yu signed a Project Subcontracting Agreement with Company A, which stipulated that Yu would "undertake" the company's delivery business. Thereafter, a labor dispute arose between the two sides. The court held after trial that behind the so-called "contracting agreement" was a genuinely real labor relationship: both parties met the statutory subject qualifications for a labor relationship; the delivery business for which the plaintiff was responsible was a component of Company A's business, and he was subject to Company A's shift-scheduling management; although he was packaged in the agreement as an "individual industrial and commercial household," the essential nature of the labor — performing delivery tasks and accepting company management — had not changed, and it should be determined to be a labor relationship.
Wang Baoxin (王保新), chief judge of the Yanshan People's Tribunal (燕山人民法庭) of the Fangshan District People's Court, cautioned that employing units may not, by signing "cooperation agreements" or "contracting agreements," evade the statutory obligations under the Labor Contract Law (劳动合同法); for posts that conform to the characteristics of a labor relationship, they should sign labor contracts and pay social insurance in accordance with the law.
Another major ploy of "hidden employment" is to abuse the names of "internship period," "trial post," and the like, arranging formal work for workers over the long term while deliberately failing to sign labor contracts. In a typical case, Zhang applied for an operations post at a technology company. When he took up the post, the two parties signed a Labor Contract, which stipulated: "The contract takes effect on March 14, 2022, with the internship period ending on June 30, 2022." After the internship period expired, the technology company did not re-sign or renew a written labor contract with Zhang. Zhang filed for labor arbitration, requesting payment of the double-wage differential caused by the failure to sign a labor contract. In the end, the court ruled in support of Zhang's claims.
Zhang Shuan (张栓), the judge handling the case, said that in practice, some employing units, after a worker's internship period (probation period) expires, do not sign a formal labor contract with the worker, maintaining the employment relationship with oral statements such as "just keep working" and "the contract will automatically continue." This kind of stipulation, in which "there is only an internship period and no contract period," is legally regarded as an incomplete stipulation of the term. The judge reminded that employing units should clearly stipulate in the labor contract the start and end times of the probation period and the overall term of the labor contract; after the internship period expires, the enterprise should renew the contract; otherwise, it will face the punitive compensation liability of bearing the double-wage differential for the unsigned labor contract.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 吴 君
"525736, 109012.7, 38400.72..." Accompanied by the crisp number-reporting sound of the calculator, the accounts for July – operating income, operating revenue, total revenue, etc. – of Dongjiao Village, Huancheng Subdistrict, Zaoyang City, Hubei Province, were calculated one by one. After each number was reported, village accountant Yang Qingwei (杨清伟) recorded it in the village ledger, which was then posted publicly in the village office.
This habit of bookkeeping has been maintained by Dongjiao Village for over 50 years, accumulating 43 account books. "These are the village's family assets, related to the vital interests of every villager; every cent and every li must be accounted for," said Yang Qingwei.
Dongjiao Village suffered "nine years of drought out of ten." In the 1960s, due to perennial drought and water shortages, agriculture could only rely on rainfall, and life was extremely hard. Money depended on loans, food depended on relief grain; the village accountant's abacus beads clicked loudly, yet the collective account books could never show a surplus.
To escape the predicament and get enough to eat, the village's first Party branch secretary, Zhang Daoyun (张道云), led villagers – hauling with hands and carrying on shoulders – to build river dams, terrace ditches, and divert water to protect seedlings. "How many person-days each household contributed and how many days they worked, the village recorded it all clearly and posted it publicly," recalled 75-year-old villager Wan Baogui (万宝贵).
With the accounts open and transparent, everyone felt reassured in their hearts, mutually supervising and encouraging each other. Within just a few years, Dongjiao Village basically resolved the agricultural irrigation water problem.
Later, the village successively built a processing factory and an oil mill. Amid the roar of machinery, the village collective account book registered its first surplus. By the 1980s, Dongjiao Village gradually solved the problem of adequate food and clothing, and the village began exploring ways to develop the collective economy. At first, everyone also had concerns: how would the money earned be distributed? How would the collective assets be managed? Opening the yellowed account books of Dongjiao Village, the tiny figures are still clearly visible: in August 1984, villager paid land long-term use certificate fees, 0.13 yuan per household; in 1992, village officials went to Qifang Town to buy tobacco seedlings, a bus ticket for 0.1 yuan...
Moreover, Dongjiao Village always tightened its belt and live frugally; multiple account books were conspicuously marked: "Firmly oppose reckless overspending." "To win the trust of the villagers, we must account for every single detail without the slightest error and 'sunshine-disclose' it with all clarity," said Dongjiao Village Party branch secretary Hu Aiguo (胡爱国). Expenses for the village's purchase of pens, paper, ink, bamboo poles, etc., as well as material supplies given to poor households, were all recorded in the books stroke by stroke.
This "housekeeping philosophy" of careful budgeting made the villagers more reassured and brought the cadres and the masses closer. From excavating ponds to bring in fish-farming specialists, to planting yellow peaches and launching e-commerce livestreaming, Dongjiao Village's industrial landscape has continuously expanded. In 2025, Dongjiao Village's per capita disposable income reached 30,123 yuan.
Small account books also reflect large-scale livelihood issues. In 2023, the No. 2 villagers' group of Dongjiao Village discussed and planned propose upgrading and blacktopping a village road. Because there were funding gaps for the road construction, the villagers spontaneously donated. Bright red 100-yuan old money bills and crumpled small bills soon covered the office desks.
"We owe the good times today to the village officials leading us to work for them," said Li Chuanzhi (李传芝), who, in her 70s and a household lifted out of poverty, also donated 100 yuan. Li Chuanzhi said: "Building a road in the village is a good thing that benefits everyone; this token of appreciation I must give."
The accountant responsible for bookkeeping, Yang Qingwei, pulled out a softcover book and carefully wrote down the donors' names and recorded the amounts. In Dongjiao Village, the reporter saw this special softcover book; each person's name and donation amount were clearly visible: cash 7,260 yuan, mobile transfer 1,600 yuan, total 8,860 yuan. On the right side of the page, there were also continuously appended vertical notations: +200, +40, +100, +200... The accounts were clear and plain: thrift, frugality, and hard work in starting undertakings. The villagers were truly convinced by deposits for the village Party branch and village committee; leaders' words were heard, and followers were followers.
Today, Dongjiao Village's bookkeeping method has changed from the abacus to the keyboard. All village finances are now managed under digital management, and villagers can check immediately on their mobile phones at any time, but Dongjiao Village's old tradition of publicly posting accounts on the wall has not changed.
"No matter how the form changes, every penny in the village funds can be traced, and they are still publicly posted month by month, with public postings on the wall," said Hu Aiguo. "When the account books are clear and transparent and service is substantive, everyone's determination will become stronger."
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 任姗姗
On the evening of August 10, through on-site voting by 101 public judges, the nine major awards of the 38th Popular Film Hundred Flowers Awards (大众电影百花奖) were revealed one by one. The biennial Hundred Flowers appointment has witnessed the audience's support for good works, and also witnessed the new look and new trends of domestic film creation.
As the only mass-oriented film award in the country, the Hundred Flowers Awards have, since their birth, engraved the word "people" into their own coordinate of value. In 1962, the first Popular Film Hundred Flowers Awards was born in Beijing; after a gap of 64 years, the series of activities for the 38th Popular Film Hundred Flowers Awards were held in Beijing. From award evaluation, film exhibitions to forums and concerts, this year's "Hundred Flowers" closely adhered to the main tenet of "films serve the people" and slowly "blossomed" amid the shared expectations of film practitioners and audiences.
Let films understand audiences better, and also let audiences understand films better.
On the eve of the opening of this year's Hundred Flowers Awards, film artist Tian Hua (田华) celebrated her 98th birthday. In a short film broadcast at the opening cultural performance, Tian Hua recalled emotionally: "The Hundred Flowers Awards is a film award elected by the masses, representing the people's aesthetic choices."
The Hundred Flowers Awards are generated by audience voting; every vote reflects the most direct emotional connection between Chinese films and audiences. In this year's Hundred Flowers Awards, the collective screenwriters for the film Nanjing Photo Studio (南京照相馆) won the Best Screenplay Award. One of the screenwriters, Zhang Ke (张珂), said that compared to box office numbers, he is more concerned about the people behind the numbers. "The audience is always the final link of a film; it is you who give a deeper meaning and higher value to a film." Wang Xiao (王骁), who won the Best Supporting Actor award, said.
The Hundred Flowers Awards connect filmmakers and audiences more closely.
There are gatherings in the theater. On August 8, at the Beijing Exhibition Theater, as one of the main activities of this year's Popular Film Hundred Flowers Awards, a symphony concert of film music and a public-welfare commemorative performance for film workers were held here. Film artists and young and middle-aged cultural workers such as Zhu Xijuan (祝希娟), Xiao Guiyun (肖桂云), Wang Fuli (王馥荔), together with representatives of new-style workers in Beijing, gathered happily. Light and shadow intertwined with musical notes to form artistic classics, also reflecting the warmth of companionship between cinema and audiences.
There is consensus at the forums. The forums held one after another let films understand the audience more, and also let the audience understand films better. At the Beijing Film Forum, scholars, directors, screenwriters, etc. discussed together how films connect personal experience, regional culture, and the life of the era. "Creators pass their sincerity from this side of the screen, and audiences pass back their resonance from that side of the screen; back and forth, across decades and generations, we form our own film culture," said director Da Peng (大鹏).
Setting up the "Audience Open Mic" segment, releasing a new evaluation system for Chinese films. At the forums, these activities continuously strengthen the connection between films and audiences.
There is resonance at the film exhibition. In the Hundred Flowers Film Exhibition, films such as My Life (我这一辈子), A City of Sadness (城南旧事), My September (我的九月), American Dreams in China (中国合伙人), What a Happy New Year (年会不能停！) etch the marks of the times; works such as As Time Goes By (似水流年), Thirteen Hu in the South Sea (南海十三郎), Echo of the Rainbow (岁月神偷) tell the unchanging bonds of the nationality over the passage of years. The films spanning over 70 years open the shared memory of life and homes.
The "Hundred Flowers" and the audience jointly shape the future of cinema.
In 1962, the Hundred Flowers Awards set out from Beijing, went into the many halls of the nation. Fox decades of time, film workers and audiences have together shaped the new appearance of Chinese cinema.
At the closing ceremony, a typical moment of the time was acted out: In 1962, the voting deadline for the first Popular Hundred Flowers Awards was approaching. But the Shenyang Glass Factory in Liaoning had only one issue of Mass of Art (大众电影) and more than 4,000 employees had to jointly decide on that single ballot… The first Hundred Flowers Awards received over 110,000 votes; this year's Hundred Flowers Awards counted more than 12 million valid votes. The change behind this provokes deep thought: the base of the audience has changed, and the audience's ways and tastes of watching and reviewing are also changing with the times.
At the moment, multiple media are reshaping viewing habits, and AI technology is intervening in the film creation and production process… This year's Hundred Flowers Awards not only carry the nostalgic warmth of looking back, but also heated invitations to shape the future of cinema together with the audience.
In response to changes in audience aesthetic taste, director Huang Jianxin (黄建新) ponders: how to reduce the mismatch between the mode of film production and fast-evolving aesthetic preferences, how to difference the classic narrative setups of cinema with the needs of contemporary audiences.
Facing the technological wave brought by generative AI, director Yu Baimei (俞白眉) believes that film people need to bravely embrace new technology, use it to improve work tetradiction and cinematic standards, but also be cautious about overusing AI.
On the "Hundred Flowers Forum", an audience member on site asked: what exactly is the cultural core of Chinese cinema? Ding Yaping (丁亚平), Dean of the College of Art at the China Media University (中国传媒大学艺术学部部长), answered: "Capture the real life of today's Chinese people, express the complexity and growth in the emotions of Chinese people, and transform the current Chinese life and narrative into film language that more people can understand."
"Film has never been the affair of a single person; it is a love, a stubbornness, and a promise kept by a group of people." said Wang Yantong (王彦桐), who played Zheng Musheng in the film Love Letter to Ama (给阿嬷的情书).
How are ten million heartbeats reflected in the resonance of light and shadow?
Walking into the "2026 Beijing Midsummer Film Festival" (2026北京仲夏电影嘉年华) — with 12 venues, over 3,000 public service screening points, and 16 "super venues" for the opening and closing ceremonies … the series of activities of this year's Hundred Flowers Awards offers an answer: the future of Chinese cinema lies in the two-way effort of both filmmakers and audiences moving toward each other.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 徐 靖
“For the sake of rescuing Master Li, I leave my home village…” At the Anhui Province Wuhu Huangmei Opera Troupe, the actors are rehearsing the classic opera The Female Consort (女驸马). Troupe head Cao Bangping (曹帮萍) says: “Now we have a standard rehearsal script, and teaching has become much more 得心应手 (dé xīn yìng shǒu – ‘the heart responds to the hand,’ meaning proficient and smooth).”
The rehearsal model comes from the Huangmei Opera Script Collection (黄梅戏曲本典藏) released in recent years.
Huangmei Opera’s vocal style is gentle, simple and refined, carrying rich folk emotions and aesthetic wisdom.
In 2023, the Anhui Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department (安徽省委宣传部) and the Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism (安徽省文化和旅游厅) launched the Huangmei Opera Script Collection Project (黄梅戏曲本典藏工程). In May this year, a series of events to donate the Huangmei Opera Script Collection, jointly organized by the Anhui Provincial Art Research Institute (安徽省艺术研究院) and the Anhui Provincial Library (安徽省图书馆), was held in Hefei, marking that this foundational opera preservation project has entered a new stage where its results benefit the people.
What is a script (曲本), and why must scripts be compiled?
“Put simply, a script can simultaneously preserve the literary content and the musical-score state of a drama,” said Xu Zhiyuan (徐志远), a first-level composer at the Anhui Provincial Art Research Institute and one of the chief editors of the Huangmei Opera Script Collection.
Traditional repertory of Huangmei Opera exists in many editions – handwritten manuscripts, oral-accounts, woodblock editions – scattered among troupes, senior artists and private collectors. Many endangered minor operas have only fragmentary lyrics or recordings remaining. “The lack of scripts has affected transmission and is even less conducive to innovation,” Xu says.
Faced with scattered materials, Anhui established an editorial approach of “边搜集、边整理、边修复、边出版、边复排 (biān sōují, biān zhěnglǐ, biān xiūfù, biān chūbǎn, biān fùpái - ‘while collecting, while sorting, while restoring, while publishing, while restaging’).” “First we took the 1958 Anhui Province Traditional Repertory Compilation·Huangmei Opera (安徽省传统剧目汇编·黄梅戏) as our foundation, and linked with relevant libraries, opera museums, troupes, schools and folk-collecting forces to seek out scattered versions,” says Yue Jun (岳军), head of the Anhui Provincial Art Research Institute.
After collection, textual collation was especially difficult. Scripts in different versions and from different periods had to be compared word by word and sifted; for missing musical passages, they had to 修旧如旧 (xiū jiù rú jiù – ‘repair old to resemble old,’ ‘restore without changing the original’); no arbitrary supplements could be added, preserving as far as possible the original vocal style of Huangmei Opera.
Selection and omission were equally crucial. “Opera belongs to its times; each play has its own direction in which it ‘flows’ – that is an unchangeable fact,” Xu says. “We must take a historical perspective, absorbing the essence and discarding the dross, both preserving the original classic arias and adapting to contemporary aesthetic tastes.”
After more than two years of solid work, results of the Huangmei Opera Script Collection have appeared successively. In September 2024, the 2-volume preliminary edition was published, establishing the editorial model. In 2025, five more volumes were published, including the traditional major operas The Female Consort, Luo Pa Ji (罗帕记), Little Farewell Inn (小辞店), and others, as well as the traditional minor operas Making Tofu (打豆腐), Sending Fragrant Tea (送香茶), Shatters (砂子岗), and others. Each play contains complete text and musical score, supplemented descriptions of the creative performance and performance, critical articles, stage, performances, and historical photos, forming an integrated documentation system of “score, text, audio, image, chart, and criticism.”
Old scripts retain the sound of the times. “The Huangmei Opera Script Collection has great practical value; it can be directly used for rehearsal and performance, and its significance for inheritance and promotion is tremendous,” Xu says. “In the long run, many opera forms have both peaks and troughs in their development, and scripts record history and preserve the original form, providing a concrete and feasible basis for inheritance.”
Return to TopBeijing, August 12 (People's Daily; Liu Yang (刘阳), Ma Zexiang (马泽祥)) — According to data from Maoyan Professional Edition (猫眼专业版), as of 18:23 on August 12, the 2026 summer season box office (including presales) broke through 9 billion yuan, with single-day box office exceeding 100 million yuan for 33 consecutive days; admissions reached 247 million, up 4% year-on-year; and total screenings during the season reached 31.782 million, up 7.05% year-on-year.
During this year's summer season, excellent films from home and abroad were released one after another, bringing audiences a rich silver-screen feast. At the same time, the "film+" new business format continued to gain strength, and the film industry's driving effect on economic and social development was evident.
According to information on the official website of the China Film Administration (国家电影局), in 2025 the box-office pull coefficient of China's film industry across the entire industry chain was approximately 1:15.77 — that is, every 1 yuan of box office revenue can drive 15.77 yuan of output value in related industries across the entire chain. Based on this calculation, the output value of China's film industry across the entire industry chain this year has approached 390 billion yuan.
Return to TopBeijing, August 12 (Our reporter Wang Jue (王珏)) — On August 12, the curtain fell on the 30th "China Children's Opera Little Plum Blossom Gathering" (中国少儿戏曲小梅花荟萃) National Exhibition Performance Activity.
This edition of the national exhibition performance activity was divided into an amateur group and a professional group. The amateur group was held in Pudong New Area, Shanghai from July 18 to 26, and the professional group was held in Langfang, Hebei from August 5 to 12, with a total of 15 exhibition performances held, attracting 1,545 young people from 33 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government and from 47 opera genres to participate in the performances.
The professional group's on-site exhibition performances covered a total of 128 programs in the two categories of individual and group, bringing together 32 opera genres; more than 1,000 young opera actors took the stage to perform and competed on the same stage. During the event, special seminars on opera, a special Little Plum Blossom exhibition, and other activities were held concurrently, gathering industry experts to jointly explore the path of aesthetic education in children's opera.
The "China Children's Opera Little Plum Blossom Gathering" activity was founded in 1997, and has now developed into a highly influential artistic brand in the field of children's opera nationwide.
Return to TopOur Newspaper (Changsha, August 12) (Reporter Yang Xun (杨迅)). The 2026 Ceramic Artifact Identification Training Class, guided by the National Cultural Heritage Administration (国家文物局) and the Hunan Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration (湖南省文物局), and co-hosted by the Hunan Provincial Museum (湖南省博物馆) and the China Cultural Heritage Information and Consultation Center (Data Center of the National Cultural Heritage Administration) (中国文物信息咨询中心 (国家文物局数据中心)), recently opened in Changsha, Hunan.
This series of training has long been focused on teaching ceramic categories such as Guangcai porcelain (广彩瓷), export porcelain (外销瓷), and Yuezhou kiln ware (岳州窑). The trainees are mainly responsible appraisers from the Cultural Artifact Import and Export Appraisal Administration Offices (国家文物进出境审核管理处) and professional practitioners of ceramic artifact identification and research at museums of all levels. The course adopts a "theoretical teaching + practical operation with objects" model, inviting experts from the domestic cultural heritage and museum field to teach professional techniques such as artifact periodization and dating.
This training class is a key practical project of the National Cultural Heritage Administration's Artifact Identification Training Base (国家文物局文物鉴定实训基地). Relying on the rich collection resources, training system, and expert team of the Hunan Provincial Museum, it solidifies the talent foundation for cultural heritage protection, transmission, and utilization.
Return to TopIn 2026, the prefecture-level city of Taizhou ushers in the 30th anniversary of its establishment. On August 12, the 2026 "Taizhou Has Gravity" High-Quality Talent Development Conference (泰有引力) was held. This renowned city in central Jiangsu Province pays tribute to talent in the name of the city, and with the strategic resolve of "investing in people," anchors itself to its positioning as a central pivot city for Jiangsu's high-quality development, striving to write the four essays of "industry, water, culture, and people."
At the time of the city's founding, Taizhou's gross regional product was only 30.5 billion yuan; by 2025, it had leapt to 725.527 billion yuan, crossing seven 100-billion-yuan thresholds in succession. Behind these data lies the deep coupling of Taizhou's talent chain with its industrial chain, innovation chain, and capital chain. To hold up the "backbone" of a central pivot city for Jiangsu's high-quality development, Taizhou focuses on industrial development and activates the talent engine.
Industry gathers talent: letting specialties and industry resonate at the same frequency.
Manufacturing is Taizhou's pillar industry, and the "Great Sea, New Dawn" (大海新晨) modern industrial system is the future development direction of Taizhou's manufacturing industry. Closely following this layout, Taizhou promotes the "gear-meshing" of university disciplines with local industries.
In Taixing City (泰兴市), the Nanjing Tech University Taixing Industrial College (南京工业大学泰兴产业学院) is not only a "laboratory" for technological research and development but also a "consultation room" on the production front line. In 2024, Taixing co-built the Industrial College with Nanjing Tech University, routinely organizing academician and expert teams to "make rounds and take pulses" for enterprises. At Runtai Chemical Co., Ltd. (润泰化学股份有限公司), academician and expert teams went deep into production workshops, sorted out pain points in the technological process, and brought scientific research achievements from the "paper" to the "ground." This closed loop of "enterprises set the topics, professors lead the topics, and the market judges the topics" gave birth to 40 technical transformation projects in the chemical industry of the park, with total investment reaching 2 billion yuan, and 14 "claim-the-list, lead-the-topic" projects (揭榜领题), with total enterprise investment reaching 18 million yuan.
In 2022, Taizhou created the "Taizhou Day" (泰州日) activity, focusing on 13 industry-specific routes, with principal leaders of the Municipal Party Committee leading teams to universities across the country to recruit talent and gather wisdom. In recent years, "Taizhou Day" has entered 141 universities, signed 841 industry-university-research cooperation projects with a number of universities and research institutes including Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and promoted the landing and rooting of 58 scientific and technological innovation carriers, including the Peking University Health Science Center (Taizhou) Medicine and Health Industry Innovation Center (北大医学部（泰州）医药健康产业创新中心) and the Fudan University Taizhou Institute of Health Sciences (复旦大学泰州健康科学研究院).
Projects attract talent: opening up the "last kilometer" from the laboratory to the production line.
Attracting talent depends on opportunities; retaining talent depends on the ecosystem. With projects as the traction, Taizhou established the first prefecture-level-city branch of the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute (江苏省产业技术研究院) — the Taizhou Industrial Technology Research Institute (泰州市产业技术研究院) — and set up a 1.05 billion yuan "appropriation-investment combination" (拨投结合) fund pool, using real gold and silver to support talent in bravely venturing into the "no-man's land" of scientific research.
In the cleanroom of Huaxin Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. (华芯半导体科技有限公司), staff are debugging MOCVD (metal-organic chemical vapor deposition) equipment. In 2019, the enterprise's project team launched an assault on high-end VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) chips and, during the critical R&D period, faced the risk of an external supply cutoff. At the critical moment, 4 million yuan in talent awards and subsidies from the Taizhou Industrial Technology Research Institute arrived in a timely manner, and the dedicated sci-tech innovation service team followed up through the entire process. After hundreds of experiments, the team successfully "lit up" the 56G PAM4 chip, realizing large-batch production of fully domestic VCSEL chips, with a monthly production capacity of 4 million chips.
From the laboratory to the production line, a chip going from nothing to existence, from existence to excellence, is a vivid footnote to Taizhou's project-based talent attraction. In 2025, Taizhou held the "Taizhou Has Gravity, Talent Wins the Future" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (泰有引力才赢未来), using the competition as a substitute for evaluation; 39 talent projects received 72.8 million yuan in funding, each project was assigned a talent service specialist, more than half of the projects landed that same year, and the fastest took only 10 working days from competition participation to landing.
Services retain talent: turning "passers-by" into "city partners."
Optimize the entrepreneurial ecosystem to achieve talent retention through services. Taizhou has forged a development environment of "Come to Taizhou, receive thoughtful and thorough care" (到泰州、泰周到), providing services ahead of demand.
Targeting the pain point of new-drug applications by biomedical enterprises, Taizhou integrated the national-level drug (vaccine) regulatory training base with resources at the provincial, municipal, and district levels, forming a "four 90%" professional service team (the numbers of personnel with master's degrees or above, first-rate professional backgrounds, secondment experience at the national or provincial drug administration, and on-site inspection experience each accounting for more than 90 percent), providing full-chain services from clinical trials to market launch.
The living water of capital precisely drip-irrigates. A product of Jiangsu Zhonghui Yuantong Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (江苏中慧元通生物科技股份有限公司) took 10 years of research and development, and it was precisely 30 million yuan in angel investment that helped it through the difficulty. Taizhou has built a diversified financial matrix of "incubation + angel," "debt + equity," and other forms, and has cumulatively cultivated 22 listed enterprises.
三十而立 (sān shí ér lì - "at thirty, one stands firm," having established oneself at thirty) — and now Taizhou sets out once more. The number of high-level talents in Taizhou has reached 60,000, and for two consecutive years it has gathered more than 40,000 young talents each year, leaping to 33rd place nationally in the 2025 city ranking of attractiveness to post-95s talent. As the "gear set" of the talent chain and the industrial chain accelerates, a more dynamic central pivot city for Jiangsu's high-quality development is rising steadily on the banks of the Yangtze River.
Data source: Organization Department of the CPC Taizhou Municipal Committee (中共泰州市委组织部).
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 程 焕
In the stove, firewood crackled, and in the glossy black iron cauldron, snowy-white soybean milk bubbled and rolled. In the mountain hollow, a thick fragrance of beans spread.
In Xiayuan Village (下院村), Pianpo Buyi Township (偏坡布依族乡), Wudang District (乌当区), Guiyang City, Guizhou Province, whenever this wisp of aroma rose, nearby villagers knew: Old Chen's gray tofu was about to come out of the pot.
At the foot of the mountain, inside an old brick-and-tile house, a young woman directed workers methodically through each step. Her name was Chen Xingxing (陈星星); three years ago, after finishing her master's degree, she chose to return to her hometown, taking up the baton of the Buyi gray tofu making technique (布依族灰豆腐制作技艺) to lead her fellow villagers toward common prosperity.
One cell phone helped her sell tofu out of the village
For Chen Xingxing, tofu was not only food; it was also her childhood memory. From the time she could remember, the family's tofu workshop had never been idle; the rumbling sound of the stone mill was the background noise of her growth.
Different from common white tofu, gray tofu was a dark gray color; upon entering the mouth, the reminiscent aftertaste carried a faint fragrance of grass and wood. Chen Xingxing explained: "Besides using locally made special stewed ice to precipitate, soaked thicket ashes must also be infused, only then can this unique color and aroma be formed."
Yet Chen Xingxing's parents had decades of good skills but ordinarily sold to neighbors and set up stands on market days; usually, after a day's hard work, they could only sell fifty-three jin [3.3 lb]. "Not that it doesn't taste good; mainly, outside, not many people know about it," Chen Xingxing said.
During her graduate studies at Guizhou University of Finance and Economics (贵州财经大学), in order to participate in the school's innovation and entrepreneurship competition, she specially surveyed the production and sales status of gray tofu the scope of Guiyang city. She discovered that small-workshop-style production, no brand identity, and lack of stable channels were three obstacles to other gray tofu sales. "If I take over the family workshop, can I break this situation?" That day she submitted the project proposal, a thought flashed in Chen Xing walked her mind.
The gray tofu making technique (灰豆腐制作技艺) belongs to one of the soybean product making techniques. In 2023, the soybean product making technique was selected for the Guiyang Intangible Cultural Heritage List (贵阳市非物质文化遗产名录). Just in time for graduation, Chen Xingxing packed her bags and returned to Xiayuan Village. "I want to be an industry leader," let more people taste the unique flavor of gray gray tofu; more importantly, "make it an industry that can benefit villagers."
Once the news spread, there was discussion in the village: "A graduate student comes back to make tofu ― can he make flowers?" His parents were especially opposed: "Hard to bring you up through study, and now you're following our old path?" Seeing his daughter's firm attitude, father Chen Mingquan (陈明权) eventually handed over the workshop key to her; mother Wang Xiufen (王秀芬) stood by the stove, teaching her person-to-person how to sprinkle the brine and wrap the ash, and to gauge the heat. "If the heat is off by just little, the bean aroma falls short; if the ash quantity is off by a pinch, the color is uneven," Wang Xiufen said.
The old workshop was too old and needed urgent renovation. The cash on hand was very tight; except for hiring a master for the masonry and plastering, Chen Xingxing did everything else herself. Under the scorching sun, moving bricks, painting walls, paving floors, her couldnecks got sunburnt peeling. After a few months, the tofu workshop, which combined Buyi characteristics with modern functions, had completed a 焕然一新 (huàn rán yī xīn – "bright and new appearance," completely renewed).
Registering a trademark, obtaining the bean product technology certificate, opening an offline store in the city center — Chen Xingxing officially "went on duty" Out of the workshop. On the day the first batch of gray tofu came out of the pot, she set up her phone, filmed the production process, cooking methods, and marketing scenes, and made short videos to post on the internet. "No way to know, measure the risk one can handle, the material, let's fire and want to say." Chen Xingxing said. Besides demonstrating the technological process, she also explained in the videos the history and culture of gray tofu and cooking methods for gray tofu dishes. Video after video was sent out, traffic quietly gathered. Online orders arrived, city restaurants took the initiative to place orders, supermarkets began to discuss cooperation. Sales rose from a few tens of catty per day to over a hundred cats of catty, then to a steady supply of four to five hundred cats per day.
Traffic being turned into sales, grants to increase villagers' income
Business picked up; Chen Xingxing did not rush into expanding production, but frequently went out to learn.
Going to soybean product factories within the province to learn product quality control management, visiting Lishui in Zhejiang Province (浙江丽水) to investigate "helper farmers' workshops," attending national exhibitions to understand industry trends… widening gap, the clearer the direction became. Before, gray tofu production had no standardized production process; the taste of different batches varied. Chen Xingxing first started with the most critical "taste stability".
"Making gray tofu is a craft work; raw material quality factors like quality, fermentation time, all affect the taste. If the quality is unstable, you can't even talk about a brand." Chen Xingxing said. After multiple comparisons, she locked onto two key variables: sour soup and wood ash.
Together with her parents, they experimented with different fermentation formulas, and discovered that if made with seasonal vegetables, the sour soup stew becomes most mellow flavor. They also collected various plants from the mountain to burn into ash, repeatedly conducted infusion tests, and confirmed that the alkaline components in rice straw ash were most suitable for enhancing aroma and fixing color.
Quality stabilized, equipment upgrades were also put on the schedule. In 2024, Chen Xingxing obtained a startup support fund of 100,000 yuan from the Guiyang Municipal Science and Technology Bureau (贵阳市科技局); in 2025, she also obtained a 100,000 yuan intangible cultural heritage technique inheritance assistance fund from the Wudang District Federation of Trade Unions (乌当区总工会). With financial support, Chen Xingxing introduced automatic bean grinders and other equipment, "but key steps such as what time to invest in the brine cake, the type of frame pressure, and the wood ash immersion – all must be done by hand," she said. "Machines can improve efficiency, but you cannot completely rely on machines: when to pour the brine soup, how much should the pressing force be, how each block of grey tofu should be coated with wood ash – all this relies on the experience of old craftsmen."
Whenever peak season comes, she recruits villagers to help in the village. "They do the work they are good at, earning one to two hundred yuan a day – satisfaction and happiness." Chen Xingxing notes that the workshop's annual total work volume is 1,000 person-time, and total annual labor expenditure exceeds 100,000 yuan. The" short video + gray tofu sales" model gradually took shape; related videos achieved over ten thousand plays across the entire internet. In order to truly turn traffic into sales, Chen Xingxing simultaneously developed product lines: gray tofu cut into blocks and boxed, paired with Buyi cultural elements in packaging design, transforming into a delicate gift; colluding with the food expert group of Guiyang University (贵阳学院), through the technological aid introduced and by the District Science and Technology Bureau and the District Science and Technology Association (区科技局、区科协), made series of specialty agricultural products, including salted gray tofu and hand-torn air-dried tofu.
Today, this flavor from deep in the mountains relies on the dual channels of offline and online, is finding its way to more and more dinner tables.
In January this year, Chen Xingxing was designated by Wu Dang District as the district-level representative inheritor of the soybean product making technique intangible cultural heritage. "This is not only an honour, but also a responsibility," she said. "Inheritance is not clinging to the past, but making the old craft go away in the present."
Everyone pulls to form a rope and jointly make a rope-shaped stand, jointly developing rural tourism
The stone mill wheel turns, and ground slowly drips down along the sides of ancient grain mills. In the tofu workshop on holidays, the busy ones are not workers, but children and their parents rolling up sleeves. They push the mill, filter the liquid, pour brine, and feel the power of intangible cultural heritage in the steamy heat.
This year, Chen Xingxing upgraded the workshop again and set up an intangible cultural heritage experience space. Once the activity was launched, all sessions were filled to capacity, with over a hundred people registering for a single session.
"An 'village feast' before the Spring Festival this year let me see more possibilities," Chen Xingxing said. This year just before the Lunar New Year, Xiayuan Village held a traditional folk activity welcoming the new year: making chubby rice bowls, composing folk songs, and attracting more than 2,000 visitors. The villagers' self-made gray tofu, cured meat, and wine were all bought out.
"Intangible cultural heritage, which is tangible, tasteable, and participatory life itself." Chen Xingxing said. Participating throughout the organization and planning of the "village feast", Chen Xingxing hatched a new idea: turning the tofu workshop into a leverage point for a village cultural tourism.
She designed a series of agricultural experience classes: picking up farm eggs, making plant specimens... More than ten villagers in the village became "experience tutors", guiding visitors into the fields, up the mountains, and into the kitchen; laughter echoed in the valley. "Developing rural tourism is not the affair of a few households; everyone must tie a mutually bound rope " Chen Xingxing said. "Only when local resources are activated can the wallets of fellow villagers really bulk up."
But if the tourists enjoy themselves to the fullest, and the family's own reception capacity is limited, Chen Xingxing are directs them to surrounding farmhouses. "The farmhouses around here are thriving, and the sales of grey tofu are also increasing," she said.
With more people, the industry came alive. In the autumn harvest season last year, she used a live broadcast to help the whole village sell yellow peaches. In a short period, she sold over 100,000 catties, helping the village's fruit farmers increase their income by over 1 million yuan.
Making tofu, leading the team, filming videos, connecting orders ... Today, Chen Xingxing is still busy every day, even unable to stop. When she is tired, she looks at the comments online: "I support you", "The era needs young people who dedicate themselves to rural businesses" ... The subsistence flows in to her net, clearing away the fatigue.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 闫伊乔
"Finding a suitable position is inseparable from the school's support." At a trading company, Xiao Cui (a pseudonym), who had recently joined the company, began a day's work.
Xiao Cui graduated this year from Liaocheng University (聊城大学) with a major in logistics management. He comes from a financially disadvantaged family. Starting from his freshman year, he was included by the school in the assistance ledger for financially struggling graduates. In his freshman year, in the compulsory course on career development and planning, the instructor guided him in writing a career outlook. In his sophomore year, through targeted assistance, academic competitions, and career experience activities, his career awareness and comprehensive competencies were enhanced. In his junior year, relying on the series of employment guidance courses, his resume-making skills, interview techniques, and other job-search abilities were improved through recruitment skill training. In his senior year, employment positions were tailored and recommended to him... Over four years, the school provided continuous tracking and nurturing, and the employment guidance teachers offered full-process guidance. A total of five career consultations, eight resume refinements, five rounds of mock interviews, and four sessions of industry-fit guidance were conducted for Xiao Cui.
At the same time, the school's funding center's "Nurturing Dreams Plan" (润育梦想计划) also provided job-seeking subsidies during the employment season. The psychological counseling center regularly conducts stress relief sessions. The class employment representatives promptly disseminate recruitment dynamic information. Ultimately, targeting Xiao Cui's major and job-search needs, the school directed him to five suitable positions. Xiao Cui successfully found a job as a logistics operations and supply chain management position that matched his major and offered considerable development potential. "Through our early communication with the school, reviewing his resume, and conducting the interview, we found that Xiao Cui has a solid foundation in his professional knowledge and a strong sense of responsibility—exactly the kind of pragmatic talent we urgently need," said a company recruiter.
Xiao Cui's smooth employment is a microcosm of Liaocheng University's work in employment-oriented education that is whole-process, targeted, and heartfelt. In recent years, the university has built an integrated employment-education system for disadvantaged students, covering all personnel, tracking them through the entire process, and providing all-around support. It has constructed a closed-loop employment service of "fact-finding — guidance — recommendation — follow-up tracking."
The university insists on early discovery, early intervention, and early assistance. Starting from the time students enroll as freshmen, the university initiates the fact-finding and verification process. Through a three-tier linkage mechanism involving class-level reporting, college-level review, and university-level cross-checking, all key student groups, including those with family financial difficulties and disabilities, are incorporated into a special assistance ledger, and dynamic management files are established.
While hosting a series of comprehensive recruitment fairs and industry-specific recruitment fairs for all students, Liaocheng University, centering on the employment of disadvantaged students, proactively reaches out to key enterprises within the province. Industrial parks, and school-level units, and digs deep into job resources that match their Specializations and have development potential. It insists on precise person-to-person matching and precise alignment between students' home regions and employment, providing three to five suitable job positions for each disadvantaged graduate, with priority given to job positions for local development.
"Career choices should not only look at immediate salary but should also integrate personal growth into the overall national development situation." Now employed, Xiao Cui feels great. He is determined to deepen his business knowledge at the front line of logistics and transform the knowledge he learned at university into concrete job performance.
"The university is making every effort to build a closed-loop employment service where fact-finding has a basis, guidance is targeted, has precision, and follow-up tracking is sustained, ensuring that no disadvantaged student falls behind on the road to employment," said Su Minghai, vice president of Liaocheng University.
Return to TopOur Daily reports from Hangzhou, August 12 (Reporter Dou Hao (窦皓)): A reporter learned from the Zhejiang Provincial Market Supervision Administration (浙江省市场监管局) that Zhejiang, with digital reform as the leading driver [牵引], has exerted effort on the entire chain from admission checks, information disclosure, smart regulation, to social co-governance, exploring and launching numerous governance measures such as automatic verification of business qualifications, the "electronic license" (电子证照) disclosure system, construction of aggregation areas for delivery-only food vendors, and "AI plus off-site supervision" (AI+非现场监管), effectively addressing the problems of dirty, messy, and unhygienic back kitchens, fake business licenses used by vendors, and "ghost delivery" (幽灵外卖).
In response to the problem that some delivery vendors can go online and take orders using counterfeit licenses or borrowed credentials, Zhejiang Province has established a license verity verification and comparison mechanism with some delivery platforms, breaking down data barriers between government and enterprises. When a vendor applies to join the platform, the platform compares and verifies the license and qualification information through the data interface; if the check fails, the platform dispatches an operator to conduct an on-site inspection.
Starting in 2024, Zhejiang has implemented the "electronic license" disclosure system. Relying on the province's unified electronic license database, it established an "electronic license" sharing mechanism with delivery platforms. After the platform verifies the vendor's qualifications, it automatically retrieves the "electronic license" from the market supervision data repository and discloses it on the platform page, eliminating the issues of fake licenses and misappropriated licenses from the source. As of now, various platforms have cumulatively intercepted 42,000 abnormal admission applications, made over 400,000 "electronic license" retrievals, and the electronic license disclosure rate has reached nearly 95%.
To address the problem that delivery-only food vendors are scattered in streets and alleys, operating covertly and bring challenges for regulation, Zhejiang has innovatively launched a management model for food delivery aggregation areas, first pioneering a "management party + merchant" self-governance mechanism. The managerial entity obtains a "catering service management" qualification and implements a "one-archives list-one-license" management system for merchants within the area.
To address the problem of limited coverage from manual inspections and the inability to monitor in nighttime conditions, Zhejiang has promoted "AI plus off-site supervision," establishing the country's first vertical large model for 明厨AI (Mingchu AI - "Bright Kitchen AI"). It has independently developed four algorithms: video diagnosis, environment assessment, rodent trace recognition, and operational compliance. The system conducts comprehensive "static plus dynamic" automated inspections of kitchen hygiene, personnel violations of rules, etc., for all 190,000 merchants that have connected to the 阳光厨房 (Yangguang Chufang - "Sunshine Kitchen") [campaign].
Return to TopOn August 10, at Menlou Station (门楼场站), Fushan District (福山区), Yantai City, Shandong Province, vegetable farmers queued to ride the Basket Special Line (篓子专线) bus. This cross-district convenience bus, custom-built for vegetable farmers, opened on July 28 of this year, connecting rural vegetable gardens with the city's "vegetable basket," and opening a convenient channel for fruits and vegetables to enter the city. Photo by Sun Wentan (孙文潭) / People's Vision.
Return to TopThis newspaper Beijing August 12 (Reporter Wu Yue (吴月)). The journalist learned from the Ministry of Education (教育部): The 2026 "Hundred Counties to Hundred Schools Promote Employment Action" (百县对百校促就业行动) school-local talent supply-demand matching reception, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (人力资源社会保障部), was recently held in Yixing City (宜兴市), Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.
This activity is an important measure for implementing the "Hundred-Day Public Employment Services Entering Campuses Action" (就业公共服务进校园百日行动) of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. For the first time, the activity adopted the innovative form of "hundred counties bring position needs, hundred schools bring student source information." Local human resources and social security departments bring the recruitment job requirements and talent introduction policies targeted by local quality enterprises; university employment departments bring the detailed student source information of graduates from that school's various majors. Through information exchange and precise matching of the two ends of supply and demand, the superior emphasis of local industrial resources and university talent resources is promoted.
The reception attracted a total of 511 high-quality enterprises from 78 economically top-100 counties (cities) to participate in recruitment information collection, among which enterprises above designated scale (规上企业), listed companies, and specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative small and medium enterprises (专精特新中小企业) accounted for 70.1%. The event provided over 13,000 employment positions, covering more than 20 sectors, providing diverse and strongly catered employment choices for college graduates with different professional backgrounds.
The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Rights and Social Security will also continuously hold a series of supply-demand matching activities, construct normalized school-local and school-enterprise supply-demand platforms, and strive in every way to promote high-quality and sufficient employment for college graduates.
Return to TopOur newspaper, Beijing, August 12 (Reporter Lin Lili (林丽鹂)). The reporter learned from the State Administration for Market Regulation (市场监管总局): In the first half of the year, the State Administration for Market Regulation focused on key livelihood measuring instruments such as electric vehicle charging piles, eyeglass fitting measuring instruments, and electronic price-computing scales, strengthened metrological supervision, and strictly investigated prominent problems such as metrological cheating, inaccurate instruments, and absent supervision.
From January to June this year, nationwide supervision and inspection covered 11,164 charging pile operating units; 145,829 charging piles in use were spot-checked; 1,783 unqualified charging piles were discovered through investigation; 282 metrological violations of various types were investigated and handled according to law; the chaotic phenomena of charging metering deviation and illegal cheating were effectively rectified; the order of the new-energy charging market was standardized; and the consumer rights and interests of the vast number of vehicle owners were safeguarded.
In response to the summer peak in eyeglass fitting consumption, centering on the key work of adolescent myopia prevention and control, the administration deepened whole-chain metrological supervision and science popularization in the eyeglass fitting field. From January to June this year, nationwide supervision and inspection covered 21,028 eyeglass fitting business entities; 52,602 measuring instruments in use were verified; 1,640 problematic measuring instruments were investigated and rectified; 18,041 standardized and honest measurement entities were cultivated; and chronic industry ills such as inaccurate optometry and overdue uninspected equipment were rectified from the source, effectively purifying the business environment of the eyeglass fitting market.
Focusing on trading scenarios such as farmers' markets, supermarkets, and gold recycling, the administration comprehensively rectified prominent problems such as "ghost scales" (鬼秤) and modified cheating scales. From January to June this year, nationwide supervision and inspection covered 124 electronic price-computing scale production enterprises, 8,578 sellers, and 2,150 repairers; 181 illegal acts of metrological cheating modification were investigated and handled according to law; 114,244 market and supermarket business units of various types were inspected; 501 markets that failed to set up fair scales as required were rectified; 1,246,362 electronic price-computing scales of various types were verified; 8,544 unqualified electronic price-computing scales were investigated and handled; 5,801 problem rectifications were supervised to completion; metrological illegal acts were severely cracked down on; and market transaction order was standardized.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 李祉瑶
The northern part of Siziwang Banner, Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, shares a border with Mongolia, with the boundary line winding through the vast steppe and Gobi region. 四子王旗全年无霜期不足120天，60%的土地是荒漠戈壁，土壤有机质含量不到1%，不利于农作物的生长。 Siziwang Banner has a frost-free period of less than 120 days per year; 60% of its land is desert and Gobi; soil organic matter content is below 1%, making it unfavorable for crop growth. 据统计，此前当地牧民年人均蔬菜消费量不超过30公斤。 According to statistics, previously the annual per capita vegetable consumption of local herders did not exceed 30 kilograms.
为破解高寒边境种菜难题、补齐民生短板，乌兰察布市联动多方力量，让小小菜棚扎根戈壁。 To solve the problem of growing vegetables in the high-cold border area and to fill the shortcomings in people's livelihoods, Ulanqab City mobilized forces from multiple sides, enabling small vegetable greenhouses to take root in the Gobi. 随着适配戈壁牧区的标准化智慧温室菜棚在当地普及，牧民的餐桌逐渐丰盛起来。 As standardized smart greenhouse vegetable sheds adapted for the Gobi pastoral area have become popular locally, the herders' dining tables have gradually become abundant.
四子王旗江岸苏木卫境嘎查牧民钢宝力达家的温室菜棚里，黄瓜藤攀着支架生长，西红柿错落地挂在枝头，青椒、小葱等蔬菜也已成熟。 In the greenhouse of herder Gangbaolida (钢宝力达) of Jiang'an Sumeng Weijing Gacha, Sizhuang Banner, cucumber vines climb along supports, tomatoes hang scattered on the branches, and vegetables such as green peppers and spring onions have also ripened. “有了这些智能设备，我们外出不在家时，也在Status Mapping 有了这些智能设备，我们外出不在家时，菜棚也能运转良好。哪怕冬天棚外零下30摄氏度，棚内仍能保持在0摄氏度以上。”钢宝力达说。** "With these smart devices, even when we are away from home, the vegetable greenhouse can still operate well. Even in winter when outside the shed it is minus 30 degrees Celsius, the temperature inside is that can still be kept above 0 degrees Celsius," said Gangbaolida.
2023年冬天，乌兰察布市冷凉蔬菜院士专家工作站研究员关慧明和团队，带着各类蔬菜秧苗盒子走访四子王旗牧户，宣传新想法：建设温室菜棚，四季种植蔬菜。 In the winter of 2023, researcher Guan Huiming (原慧明) and his team the Cold Vegetable Academician Expert Work Station of Ulanqab City visited herder households with boxes of various vegetable seedlings, promoting a new idea: known on building greenhouse sheds and growing vegetables year-round. 不少牧民心存疑虑：“祖祖辈辈放牧，突然说种蔬菜，就这环境能种好吗？” Many herders had doubts: "We have been herding for generations. Suddenly talking about growing vegetables — with this environment, can it really be done well?"
关慧明没有多解释，只是每户发放3到5盒蔬菜秧苗：“先试种一下试试。” Guan Huiming did not explain much but instead gave each household three to five boxes of vegetable seedlings: "First, try to plant them and see."
实打实的种植成效，逐步打消了牧民的顾虑。 Genuine planting results gradually dispelled the herders' concerns.
牧民斯琴毕力格家的温室菜棚，是关慧明团队的首批试验点之一。 The greenhouse shed of herder Siginbilige (斯琴毕力格) was among the first test points of Guan Huiming's team. “第一代温室建起来，用一场大风吹了顶，我们反复拆建9次，最终摸索出了‘小方块结构-大角度采光’的抗拒拥保温方案。” "The first generation of the greenhouse was up up, you then a strong wind blew off the roof. We repeatedly disassembled and built nine times, eventually exploring a 'small block structure + large angle for adjustment' heat preservation and wind resistance plan," said Guan Huiming.
有了稳固的外界方案联盟，土壤仍是个大问题。 With a solid external environment, soil was still a major problem. 当地戈壁沙土有机质含量极低，于是团队瞄准了草原本最不缺的东西——羊粪。 The organic matter in the local desert sand soil was extremely low, so the team focused on what the grassland had no shortage of: sheep manure. “生羊粪发热量大，会烧伤根系，还带有病菌和草籽，不可直接使用，须先密封发酵进行腐熟，再用沙土与发酵羊粪按照1比1比例混合，配成耕作层。” "Fresh sheep manure generates heat, it can burn root systems, and carries pathogens and weed seeds, so it cannot be used directly. It first must be sealed for fermentation to make it well-rotted, then mix sand-soil and fermented sheep manure in a 1:1 ratio to ready the tillage layer," said Guan Huiming.
水源也是一道基础。 Water was also a basic difficulty.
用专用深层水甜水对水进行灌溉，配套电子控水电系统，滴灌系统嫁料到景后就自动停止，便使得一个温室大棚水 For irrigation, they used deep sweet water specifically, and equipped with an electronic water control system; drip irrigation automatically stops once the needed amount is reached, so a small greenhouse uses no more than 4 tons of water in a winter. 防虫治病走的是另一条路——使用食品级生物制剂替代化学农药：出现蚜虫，就喷植物源药剂；土壤需要补充雌激素，就用施根根进行生物菌肥。 For pest and disease control, a different route is taken: food-grade biological agents are used to replace chemical pesticides; when aphids appear, plant-based agents are sprayeded; when soil needs probiotics, biological fungicides are applied to the roots.
经过三年发展，关慧明团队成功开发出适应当地特殊气候的第五代智能温室技术体系，经科技部委托的专家论证会论证，认定拥有8项自主知识产权，总体达到国内领先水平。 After three years of development, Guan Huiming's team successfully built a fifth-generation smart greenhouse technology system adapted to the local special climate, which, after evaluation by an expert panel commissioned by the Ministry of Science and Technology, was granted eight independent intellectual property rights and reached a leading domestic level.
如今，标准化智慧温室菜棚正在四子王旗进行批量推广。 Standardized smart greenhouse vegetable sheds are now being promoted in batches across Siziwang Banner. “截至2026年初，四子王旗已建成通过验收的温室菜棚321座，惠及315户铺牧民。 "By early 2026, 321 greenhouse vegetable sheds have passed acceptance checks, benefiting 315 herdsman households in Siziwang Banner. 每个菜棚面积在25至40平方米之间，可种植西红柿、黄瓜、辣椒、生菜、萝卜等10多个品种。” Each shed covers 25 to 40 square meters and can grow more than ten species including tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, lettuce, and radishes," introduced Baoyinhu (宝音呼), a Standing Member and the Director of the United Front Work Department of the Siziwang Banner Party Committee.
小小菜棚，绿意盎然，连片穿越茫茫戈壁，不仅弥补了边境牧民餐桌上的短板、守住了生活烟日常烟火，更封锁了百姓定居乐业的底气。
The small greenhouses bring greenery to the vast Gobi Wasteland. They haven not only filled a gap in the herders’ meals and preserved the warm "kitchen three" of daily life, but also become the foundation upon the local people 安居乐业 (ān jū lè yè - "settle down and be content with one's occupation," "live in peace and work in content.)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王 亮
On the evening of August 11, the 2026 Asian University Basketball League (AUBL) concluded at the Hangzhou Binjiang Gymnasium (杭州滨江体育馆) in Zhejiang. Relying on an outstanding performance in the critical moments of the fourth quarter, Shanghai Jiaotong University defeated National Chengchi University (Taiwan) 72–69 to win the championship. Throughout this tournament, Shanghai Jiaotong University overcame several strong teams in succession, displaying tenacity, and was regarded as the “dark horse” of the AUBL this season.
Beyond the exciting and intense competition, the AUBL was 可圈可点 (kě quān kě diǎn - "can be circled, can be dotted," commendable) in areas such as competition organization and market operations. Many figures from the Asian basketball community who came to Hangzhou to observe the event fully acknowledged the tournament’s hosting, stating that the Chinese team and the Chinese market are key forces in the league’s continuous growth, and expressing hope that China will inject more vitality into Asian basketball.
The collision of different basketball styles
From the composition of participating teams, the number of Chinese university teams was reduced from seven to five, including two from Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan, China. This year, a total of six new teams joined, from Australia, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Mongolia, and others. The distribution of participating teams became more balanced, and the AUBL’s internationalisation process clearly accelerated.
The addition of new teams brought more vitality to the AUBL. Different teams had very distinct styles, and their collisions and confrontations 大饱眼福 (dà bǎo yǎn fú - "greatly satisfy the eye's fortune," to feast one’s eyes) for the fans. Chen Lei (陈磊), head coach of Tsinghua University, said: “The AUBL provides a platform that allows us to see teams of different styles – Japanese teams are quick, small, and agile; Australian teams excel in height and physical play; Philippine teams play with flair – and we also need to continuously strengthen our own style.”
Waseda University, participating for the first time, played with sharp style and smooth teamwork, its tenacious performance impressing many fans. Coach Kuraishi Hei (仓石平) said that because Japanese players cannot match other strong teams in height and physical confrontation, the team’s training attaches great importance to running, shooting, and cooperation. “Only in this way can we turn disadvantages into advantages, and this also conforms to the development trend of modern basketball.”
Through the experience of the AUBL stage, many teams and players achieved growth. Shanghai Jiaotong University turned games around in spectacular fashion on multiple occasions when they were far behind, and its starting guard Chen Tiancan (陈天灿) was named the tournament’s Best Player. Throughout the series, he hit many crucial shots and effectively linked the team.
The first cross-regional competition platform for Asian university teams
The AUBL was established in 2025, officially certified by the Asian University Sports Federation (亚洲大学生体育联合会), and is the first cross-regional competition platform built for Asian university teams. Li Jintian (李锦天), head of Asia Campus Basketball League Co., Ltd. (亚洲校园篮球联赛有限公司), the exclusive tournament operator, revealed that many university basketball associations from Asian countries and regions came specially to the competition site, gave full recognition to the tournament, expressed their full support, and hoped that the event could continue to be held and improved.
Bang Yeol (方烈), former president of the Korean Basketball Association, specially came to Hangzhou to watch the match. He paid out of his own pocket for team dinners, bringing together teams from Yonsei University and Korea University. He believes that opponents on the basketball court should bring out the best in each other and grow together. The charm of campus basketball lies in its passion and purity, which is also the attraction of the AUBL.
“The AUBL competition is intensely confrontational, in line with the development trend of modern basketball. For young basketball talents in Asia, such a stage has very high training value,” Bang Yeol said. As an emerging tournament, the AUBL is full of potential and has a promising future.
Enhancing the overall influence of Asian basketball
According to the official AUBL statement, starting from November 2026, the new AUBL season will adopt a home-and-away competition system, with a total of 16 university teams participating. Compared to the centralized tournament format, the home-and-away system will face entirely new challenges, including schedule building, roster formation, investment and output, all of which are problems the operator needs to solve. Li Jintian said the challenges are objective. He noted that, compared to the Binjiang Gymnasium, some university arenas cannot meet usage standards, and the team still needs to find suitable venues in the cities where those are located. But the home-and-away system also has advantages that the centralized tournament format cannot offer, namely the passionate atmosphere created when a team is playing on its own campus. “Each school has its own home-court color scheme and basketball culture, and we will use a different logic to reflect the aesthetics and packaging of the home court.”
Li Jintian is confident: “The expansion and exposure this year have achieved a leap, and overall talent procurement has risen, which accumulates a lot of confidence and confidence for the subsequent tournament operations. More importantly, many universities and associations from many countries and regions place high expectations on the AUBL, which keeps motivating us to continuously overcome various challenges,” Li Jintian said.
For any basketball tournament, teams and players are the key. Li Jintian explained that the first two editions were still in an exploratory phase. Once the home-and-away system is introduced, the tournament cycle will be extended, the number of participating teams will increase, covering more Asian countries and regions. The next edition will have 16 participating teams; the goal for the next two to three years is to expand to 30 participating teams. “Our starting point is committed to continuously raising the overall influence of Asian university basketball,” Li Jintian said.
Those moments of 全力以赴 (quán lì yǐ fù - "use all strength and go," to give one’s all), and the experiences of victory or defeat, will all become unforgettable memories of this summer and will accompany the players of these Asian university teams for a long time. The significance of the AUBL’s existence, whether for the development of Asian basketball or for the growth of university students, 不言而喻 (bù yán ér yù - "without speaking it is understood; self-evident).
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 陶相安 刘硕阳
During summer vacation, parks, courts, and swimming pools are alive with the figures of adolescents. In recent years, the Ministry of Education (教育部) and the State General Administration of Sport (国家体育总局) have issued documents explicitly requiring primary and secondary school students to have no less than two hours of daily physical exercise. How can good exercise habits be extended into holiday life? How can the favorable window be grasped to let children build a healthy body? A reporter invited experts and athletes to offer advice for parents and children.
How to cultivate basic physical fitness
On average, engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity activity daily, primarily aerobic activities
At dawn, more than 30 adolescents participating in the "Wang Yu Jump Training Camp (王宇跳跃训练营)" were training on the sports field and in the weight room at Beijing Polytechnic College. To carry out physical exercise in summer, how can children's sports abilities be improved?
Wang Yu, the initiator of the training camp and champion of the high jump at the Asian Games, introduced that the improvement of basic physical fitness in adolescents can be divided into components such as strength, speed, flexibility, coordination, and endurance, each of which has a unique role. "Speed is divided into frequency and amplitude; adolescents can make their bodies quicker through correct running form. Flexibility is key to avoiding injury and is also an important means of recovery after training. Tendon strength is the guarantee for completing actions such as starting, stopping, and changing direction. The various components of basic physical fitness should be integrated into daily training."
The Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior issued by the World Health Organization recommend that children and adolescents aged 5–17 should engage in at least an average of 60 minutes per day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity throughout the week, primarily aerobic activities; and should arrange vigorous intensity aerobic activities at least three days per week, as well as activities that strengthen muscles and bones. Wang Yu believes that in the process of improving basic physical fitness, adolescents who usually exercise less should initially not pursue a large amount of exercise. "The cardiopulmonary capacity of adolescents is still in developmental stage, and one cannot excessively pursue running volume." He stated that adolescent exercise must follow scientific principles and formulate different plans based on each person's developmental characteristics.
Li Liang (李良), a researcher at the Sports Science Research Institute of the General Administration of Sport of China (国家体育总局体育科学研究所), suggested that a comprehensive exercise session can be carried out following the sequence of "warm-up activity, main exercise, and cool-down activity." First, spend 5–10 minutes activating the brain and muscles through joint mobilization, dynamic stretching, jogging CANDY to complete the warm-up. After finishing the exercise, do not stop immediately; adjust your breathing rhythm through activities such as jogging or walking with arm swings to bring the body to a relaxed state; then perform some static stretching to stretch and relax tense muscles.
Li Liang introduced that training can take aerobic endurance exercises and resistance exercises as main exercise content, among which aerobic endurance exercises can choose running, cycling, swimming, any jumping rope. It is worth noting that adolescents should not blindly increase external load when performing resistance exercises; they can first use their own body weight as resistance for training, e.g., squats, push-ups, glute bridges, planks, doing 1–2 sets of 8–15 repetitions per set, with the prerequisite of stable posture and controllable movement. When strength and control significantly improve, external loads such as dumbbells and resistance bands can be used to strengthen training. Resistance exercise methods recommended frequency 2–3 times per week, preferably arranged on non-consecutive days.
How to train specialized sports
First, practice the decomposition of actions, then complete the action of mouth composition.
The "three major ball sports" (足球、篮球、排球) have become physical assessment items in many local high school entrance exams. Many parents express that they have never practiced these sports themselves and want to help their children to improve during summer vacation. What suggestions are there?
Li Liang said that adolescents may use the summer to perform some specialized exercises to deliberately improve sports skills.
In terms of football specialized training, the ability to control the ball and turn changes. When dribbling, the body's center of gravity should be slightly lowered, knees kept moderately bent, use the inside, outside, or insole of the foot to lightly touch the ball, adopting a "small stride, fast frequency" approach to progress, so that the ball is always within the reach of the next step. Before turning, decelerate appropriately, accelerate after maneuvering past the drills or obstacles, avoiding the ball speed far exceeding the body movement speed. When shooting, the support foot is placed to the side and behind the ball and points toward the target, fix the ankle joint, and use the inside of the foot to push the ball to improve accuracy; use the instep to strike the ball for more power. In training, set 4–6 marker discs to practice dribbling ball direction changes, then transition to fixed-point shooting, and integrate a timed drill after the practice becomes familiar.
For basketball specialized training, focus on practicing the connection between dribbling, footwork, and shooting. When dribbling, bend knees to lower the center of gravity, or slightly lean forward, press the ball with fingers and the base of fingers, avoid slapping the ball with the palm; the landing point of the ball should be at the side of the front of the body, keep your head up to observe the direction of travel. For the three-step layup, first practice footwork without the ball. Take a right-handed layup as an example, perform according to the rhythm of "big step, step small step, and vertical jump," i.e., the common "big step, one small step, rise high for the jump." The three-step layup on the left uses the opposite footwork. When releasing the ball, aim at the upper corner of the backboard square, and as soon as the shot is released, go to the ball and connect a next dribble combination. In training, first perform 5–8 repetitions of footwork without the ball, then practice close-range layups with ball, and finally drill the whole combination of "dribble-make the basket-ball-dash dribble suite.
Volleyball specialized training requires focus on establishing a stable forearm passing hand shape. Stand with feet apart, shoulder-width in parallel or staggered, bend the knees, move the body center of gravity forward onto the ball of the foot; overlap the hands or clasp fingers together, with thumbs parallel, wrists pressed down, arms straight and closed together to form a smooth contact surface for the forearms. When the ball is in the incoming, move to the landing point, use the forearms about above the wrist, about 10 cm the height of the ball to contact the ball, and lift the platform by extending legs, raising shoulders, and forward swing to push the ball. Beginners can start by self-remove the ball and landing each catch, stand 1.5–2 meters from a wall to do stationary hold the ball, gradually increase the employees of continuous passes and the stability of landings. For an underhand serve, stand with one foot forward and control the ball in front of the body with an other hand, draw the hitting hand back, using the body rotation and chest and shoulder turn and move the arm forward to hit the ball. The base of the palm should contact behind the lower part of the ball.
Li Liang recommends that each specialized training session can focus on one sport, first putting 10 minutes to practice decomposing movements, then 10–15 minutes to complete action combinations. In order between sets, proper rest should be taken. To avoid obvious form deterioration or consecutive mistakes, the player should reduce speed and practice basic exercises.
What to pay attention to during summer exercise
Avoid high-temperature hours, choose well-ventilated and cool shady places, and ensure body hydration.
For adolescents, it is very important to develop good physical fitness exercise habits during summer, but how to exercise scientifically and reasonably under hot weather cannot be similarly overlooked.
In the view of Yi Jian (伊剑), associate professor at the Department of Sports Teaching & Research, Capital Normal University (首都师范大学体育教学研究部), selecting the proper exercise time and location is very important. He suggested: "Avoid the high-temperature hours between 10 a.m. and well 4 p.m., and prioritise choosing well-ventilated places in parks, riversides, and other shaded spots. Second, wear breathable clothing, preferably light-colored and quick-dry fabric. You can wear sports hats and sports sunglass, and apply sunscreen appropriately."
Science proper hydration is also important. Yi Jian said that stages before, during, and after exercise should all ensure body hydration. In case of exercising for more than one hour or heavy sweating are occurrences, be sure to replenish electrolyte drinks.
Additionally, compared with normal climate, exercising at the same intensity in high-temperature brings a lower response to be a larger. Adjust the exercise intensity accordingly. If symptoms like muscle cramps occur, stop exercising and rest. Hydrate and stretch the muscles. And if paleness, heavy sweating, dizziness, or nausea occur, you should see a doctor at that time. Yi Jian advises that insect protection be done before activity, avoid staying mosquito near bushes or locations along water for a long time. After exercise, do not immediately enter an air-conditioned summer rooms.
(Liang Yifan (梁一凡) participated in the writing.)
Return to TopBy: 曹继炜
On the Liangma River (亮马河) in Chaoyang, Beijing, a youth cleaves the waves and advances; on the "Class Super League" (班超) field in Rongjiang County (榕江县), Guizhou, young players perform 闪转腾挪 (shǎn zhuǎn téng nuó - "dodge, turn, leap, shift," agile evasive maneuvers); in the skateboard park of Kunshan, Jiangsu, athletes leap into the air and land... This summer vacation, many teenagers have walked out of their homes, shedding sweat under the sun and reveling in sports.
Training through the dog days of summer — this is exactly the right time for exercise. During the summer vacation, the qi and blood of the human body circulate vigorously. Moderate exercise during the cool hours of early morning and late evening can strengthen cardiopulmonary function, improve the body's adaptability to heat, promote metabolism, and comprehensively enhance physical fitness.
Training through the dog days of summer trains not only the physique, but also the mind and character. Li Chen (李晨), a 13-year-old boy from Hunan, took part in closed-door physical training during the summer vacation. With strict self-discipline in his daily routine, he not only successfully lost weight, but also regained his self-confidence. Yang Tengyuan (杨腾渊), an 11-year-old boy from Leshan, Sichuan, undaunted by scorching heat, wind, and rain, persisted in basketball training every day, making up for his short stature with technique, and stepped onto the stage of the Provincial Games. Their self-confidence did not come out of thin air; it is the result of countless times of sweating and running, of gritting their teeth and persevering.
Training through the dog days of summer can also enrich life experience. Huaibei Middle School (淮北中学) in Jiangsu has organized students to retrace the Long March route during summer vacations for 20 consecutive years. With their footsteps, the children measure the mountains and rivers, comprehending the power of faith. At the sailing summer camp in Sanya, Hainan, 42 primary and secondary school students received systematic training — identifying wind direction, determining the course, adjusting sail angles. They not only gained sailing skills, but also learned to hold nature in awe.
At present, localities are continuing to open up school sports venues, add public-welfare sports venues, launch public-welfare sports classes, and hold fun cultural and sports events, providing young people with rich and diverse venue options for exercising nearby and conveniently. With the implementation of the "15th Five-Year Plan" for Building a Sporting Power (体育强国建设“十五五”规划) and the National Fitness Program (2026–2030) (全民健身计划（2026—2030年）), the youth sports development system is being continuously improved, and the policy foundation for the healthy growth of young people is being increasingly consolidated.
Sports do not take a vacation; growth does not stop. Summer vacation is not only leisure time for rest and relaxation, but also an important window period for filling physical fitness gaps and cultivating exercise habits. Families, schools, and society should exert force in the same direction, guiding young people to establish a scientific concept of sports and to reasonably plan their vacation schedules. May every young person live up to their youth — 不负韶华 (bù fù sháo huá - "not fail one's splendid youth," to make the most of one's youth) — strengthening their bodies, tempering their wills, and cultivating their character through sports, and reaping joy and letting their youth bloom through running!
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 史自强
Stance in horse stance, punch with palm, push palm... On the playground of Jindi Primary School (金地小学) in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, children stand in neat rows, full of energy, practicing martial arts under the guidance of martial arts teacher Fu Huayi (付华毅). Every move is standardized and forceful, exuding the spirit and essence of traditional martial arts.
This is a free summer volunteer classroom for primary school students established in Shijiazhuang. From July 13 to August 21, Shijiazhuang set up 30 host schools in Chang'an District (长安区), Qiaoxi District (桥西区), Xinhua District (新华区), Yuhua District (裕华区), and the High-Tech Zone (高新区), providing more than 10,000 summer volunteer slots for local primary school students as well as primary school students returning from other places or visiting relatives. Parents can register online according to their needs.
"In previous summers, our child liked to stay at home watching TV and playing on the phone, not only lacking outdoor activities but also causing concern that her eyesight would decline. Now that the school is offering summer volunteer care, it really helps us a lot!" said Yan Jinglin (闫景林), the parent of a student at Beiyuan Primary School (北苑小学) in Shijiazhuang.
In Shijiazhuang, the primary schools providing summer volunteer care services offer a rich variety of courses, including picture-book reading, intangible cultural heritage art, and Chinese calligraphy, and they also prominently feature physical education courses, with each school’s sports classes having their own distinct characteristics.
"The archer follows the Way of benevolence. In archery, one must seek correctness in oneself; being correct, then one releases the arrow..." At Shigang Street Primary School (石岗大街小学) in Shijiazhuang, teacher Miao Qing (苗青) is leading children in learning the essential techniques of archery. The children hold their bows and arrows, stand, draw the bow, and release the arrow following the commands.
"Archery can correct posture, exercise concentration, and help children temper their character," Miao Qing told a reporter. Since the start of the summer volunteer classes, his archery class has become the most popular special sports course in the school.
Centered on improving students’ physical fitness and cultivating their character, Shigang Street Primary School offers systematic, tiered physical education courses, implementing gradual instruction that matches the growth characteristics of lower, middle, and upper grade students.
The reporter found, when looking over the school’s summer volunteer timetable, that in addition to archery, the school also offers many other physical courses such as football, basketball, and chess. Meanwhile, Dongfeng Primary School (东风小学) in Shijiazhuang offers special sports courses including rope jumping and fencing.
In the past, commercial sports training courses outside of school were more expensive, and sports facilities in residential communities were insufficient. During the summer, young people faced practical difficulties of "lack of venues, difficulty in supervision, and few instructors."
"Now, children can exercise for free on campus sports fields, and there are professional teachers supervising them, and classmates can train together. The school’s sports facilities, which were unused during the holidays, have also been fully put to use," said Li Qiang (李强), section chief of the Basic Education Section (基础教育科) of the Shijiazhuang City Education Bureau.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 孙龙飞 李 硕
"Previously, when the coach arranged specialized muscle training, I merely executed it mechanically. Only after studying sports anatomy did I understand the principles behind it." Recalling her four-year academic journey, Peng Cuiting (彭翠婷), a member of the National Weightlifting Team and an undergraduate graduate of the School of Physical Education at South China University of Technology (华南理工大学), felt deeply moved.
During this year's thesis defense period, the national team was in the critical phase of preparing for the Asian Games and the World Championships. The closed-loop intensive training management made it impossible for her to return to campus. To address this, Lian Xiang (樊莲香), Dean and Professor of the School of Physical Education at South China University of Technology, along with two associate professors, traveled north from Guangzhou, Guangdong, to set up the defense site at the national team's base in Beijing. The entire review procedure and assessment standards were fully consistent with those for students on campus.
Traveling all the way to Beijing for the thesis defense was not an ad hoc measure; it was a beneficial exploration arising from years of deep dedication by the School of Physical Education of South China University of Technology to the integration of sports and education (体教融合). How to resolve the conflict between studying and training for active high-level athletes and provide them with high-quality education? The School summarizes this into two key points: individualized customized training and whole-chain warm support.
The School has specially established an excellent athlete class, adopting a teaching syllabus different from that of ordinary students. The course schedule is closely aligned with the annual training and competition cycle, implementing a flexible academic system, a "online + offline" blended teaching model, "multi-to-one" support groups, and other plans. The conflict between studying and training for high-level athletes has been effectively resolved, achieving the goal of uninterrupted competition preparation, no discount on academic assessment standards, and no falling behind in personal academic growth.
In the more than 20 years since the School's establishment, this mature training system has helped many athletes complete their studies and move toward a broader stage. Sprint stars Liang Xiaojing (梁小静) and Liang Jinsheng (梁劲生), as well as Asian Games swimming champion Yu Hexin (余贺新), have all relied on this model to obtain bachelor's and master's degrees.
In September 2025, Chen Yiwen (陈艺文), double gold medalist in diving at the Paris Olympics, enrolled as a master's student in the Physical Education program at South China University of Technology. "I want to study professional new knowledge just as earnestly as I would learn a new dodge!" For Chen Yiwen, the double-line battle of both the competition and the classroom is a new challenge, and also an opportunity for personal growth and breakthrough. The School's strong academic atmosphere, the School's mature training model, and the wholehearted help from teachers and classmates have built a solid foundation for her continued climb upwards.
The School of Physical Education has also opened a "bachelor's-master's-PhD" progression pathway, establishing dedicated graduate recommendation quotas and combined master-doctoral positions for elite athletes. Peng Cuiting has already obtained the qualification for a recommended master's degree from this university. "Our goal is to equip students with both knowledge of scientific sports training and professional academic research ability, enabling them to grow into well-rounded composite talents," Lian Xiang said.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 尚凯元
This summer, from Europe to South Asia, from North America to Africa, record-breaking high temperatures and abnormal precipitation struck in turn, severely impacting the lives of the public. The latest research shows that global high temperatures are presenting a trend of "becoming hotter, longer, broader, and also failing to cool down at night." The heat continuously accumulating in the global climate system is rapidly magnifying the probability and impact intensity of extreme weather occurrences. The scientific community generally believes that, under the combined effect of long-term global warming and strong El Niño events, extreme weather is transitioning from sporadic occurrences to a normal state, and climate challenges are becoming increasingly severe.
A bulletin released on August 10 by the Copernicus Climate Change Service, the climate monitoring agency of the European Union, shows that in July, the average ocean surface temperature in the extratropical zone between 60 degrees north and south latitude reached 20.96 degrees Celsius, setting a new record high for the same period since records began. The global average surface air temperature in July was 16.9 degrees Celsius, about 1.47 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial (1850 to 1900) average. Several officials from international organizations have called on various countries to strengthen early warning and respond to the climate crisis. UN Secretary-General António Guterres suggested that all parties should take resolute measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb global warming at its source. At the same time, it is necessary to accelerate the improvement of capabilities to address extreme weather, in order to reduce the casualties and economic losses brought by climate risks.
Abnormal climates have emerged intensively in many places.
A bulletin released by the World Meteorological Organization on August 11 said that Western Europe has experienced the hottest June and July since records began, and this trend continues in August, with some countries having already faced four extreme heat events since May. In France, Switzerland, the UK, and other countries, temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius may still occur in the coming days. In early August, multiple weather stations in the region of the Balkan countries, including Central Europe, have broken historical temperature records.
Persistent high temperatures bring secondary disasters such as drought, wildfires, and energy shortages. In late July, the resort town of Lacanau (拉卡诺) on the Atlantic coast of southwestern France was hit by a large fire, forcing more than 220,000 people to leave their homes, becoming the largest civilian evacuation operation in France since World War II. As of August 1, the cumulative area burned by this year's French fire incidents in France had reached 119,000 hectares. Spain's cumulative area burned this year exceeds 343,000 hectares. Major inland waterways such as the Rhine and Danube rivers have experienced persistently low water levels, hampering some industrial transport in Germany; and some nuclear power plants in Hungary and Slovenia have reduced power generation due to restricted cooling water conditions. The Copernicus Climate Change Service stated that the drought persistent in July has continued to affect western and central Europe and has further intensified. In some regions of France, and in parts of the United Kingdom, and especially in the United States, precipitation or soil moisture was exceptionally low. Water volumes in many European rivers were significantly below average, putting pressure on water supply, agricultural irrigation, inland water transport, ecosystems, and energy production.
Asia has also suffered record high temperatures. In late July, some parts of Japan experienced temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days. In just one week from July 20 to 26, more than 18,000 people across the country were taken to hospital due to heat stroke. On August 2, in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam Province (庆尚南道梁山市), South Korea, a temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius was recorded, setting a new record high since modern meteorological observations began over a century ago. In recent years, seasonal average temperatures in the capital, Seoul, have continued to rise, and daytime temperatures approaching 30 degrees Celsius have persisted for several months, leading to high levels of extreme heat and the loss of power and food production.
In the United States, the extreme heat wave continues in some western parts of the country, with California, and several other inland areas, including and the Rocky Mountain region and the Southwest, under extreme heat alerts. Among them, the city of Las Vegas in Nevada reached a temperature of 46 degrees Celsius on August 1, setting a new high for this year. In the West, large-scale active wildfires continue to rage, and the dense, thick, heavy smoke they produce has led to air quality alerts in multiple states. Meanwhile, the Northeastern region has suffered from extreme heavy precipitation, causing flooding in several states.
The World Meteorological Organization points out that against the background of global temperature increase, the frequency, intensity, and extent of extreme weather events are becoming more common. Jean Jouzel, former Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, recently said: "This is precisely what we have been projecting for the past 50 years. The rate of development of extreme weather events may be even faster than we had previously imagined. Models predict that the future rate of increase in the peak temperature will be three times that of the average temperature increase."
Long-term warming plus El Niño over the region.
Studies suggest that the frequent extreme weather events this year are not isolated events, but the result of the combination of natural climate fluctuations and underlying changes in the climate system against the backdrop of long-term climate warming. The World Meteorological Organization report "State of the Global Climate 2025," released in March, noted that the period 2015 to 2025 has become the hottest eleven-year period on record, with the global average temperature in 2025 about 1.43 degrees Celsius higher than the pre-industrial level.
Research shows that since the 1970s, the hold temperature during the hottest periods has been continuously increasing, the hot season has significantly lengthened, and the number of days with severe heat stress has been rising. This is especially true at night, where high daytime temperature rise is faster, making it difficult for the body to rest and recover after being subjected to the heat. Today, about 70% of the global population experiences at least 90 days of severe heat stress each year. High temperatures have gradually transformed from a seasonal risk in a few regions into a public health challenge that stretches across a wider geographic range and a greater temporal span.
The continuous increase of sea surface temperature is one of the most notable signals this year. The ocean absorbs about 90% of the excess heat caused by greenhouse gas emissions, and the amount of heat absorbed each year over the past 20 years is about 18 times the total annual energy consumption of humanity. The ever-warming oceans continue to transfer more heat and water vapor into the atmosphere, which increases the intensity of heavy precipitation events and provides more ample "fuel" for the development of tropical cyclones.
In the tropical Pacific region, sea surface temperatures over a wide area are anomalously high, and an El Niño state has already formed there. The World Meteorological Organization's latest forecast indicates that the El Niño will continue to strengthen from August to October and develop into a strong El Niño event, with the seasonal average sea surface temperature anomaly (the departure from the long-term average for the same period) in the main monitoring area expected to exceed 2.9 degrees Celsius. An article recently published by the journal Nature states that the current El Niño event strengthening in the Pacific, according to its current development trend, may become the strongest in at least 150 years. El Niño will also change the global atmospheric circulation and precipitation patterns, increasing the risk of extreme weather such as heatwaves, droughts, and heavy rainfall in some areas.
The profound change in the center of gravity of public policy in all countries.
In the face of increasingly frequent extreme weather events, countries not only need to do well in emergency response to disasters; it also concerns the long-term adaptation of urban construction, public governance, and lifestyles. From building more resilient cities and retrofitting housing to adapt to higher temperatures, to improving medical security, labor protection, and comprehensive disaster prevention education for the whole population, extreme weather is profoundly reshaping the focus of public policy in many countries.
The persistent high temperatures in many parts of Europe this summer have boosted the sale of air conditioners, breaking the conventional wisdom that summers in Europe are not hot and thus air conditioning is unnecessary. The report Global Cooling Observation 2025 released by the United Nations Environment Programme points out that if the current trend continues, global demand for cooling could more than triple, and the greenhouse gas emissions related to cooling equipment compared to the levels from 2022 will also double.
In response to the increasingly prominent urban heat island effect, it is urgently needed to improve the cooling capacity of cities and buildings themselves. For example, the UK capital, London, released its first-ever city-wide heat action this year, prioritizing the retrofitting of homes at high risk from extreme heat, increasing the ratio of urban green area and the installation of water fountains, improving public cooling spaces, expanding "blue spaces" to facilitate swimming and recreation for citizens, and paying special attention to vulnerable groups, integrating heat preparedness further into urban planning and social equity considerations.
The public health system has become an important line of defense against heat waves. This year, Spain continues to implement its National Heat-Health Prevention Plan, dividing the country into 182 "meteo-health zones." Based on the climate characteristics of each area and the relationship between temperature and mortality, respectively set thermal comfort and risk thresholds, while integrating the weather forecast with the daily mortality monitoring system to dynamically evaluate the actual impact of heat on public health, thereby providing a basis for the allocation of medical resources and protection of key populations.
A joint guideline issued by the World Health Organization and the World Meteorological Organization previously pointed out that high temperature not only threatens the health of workers, but also significantly reduces labor productivity. It is becoming increasingly urgent to establish occupational protection systems tailored to local conditions. In July this year, the Greek government implemented a mandatory work stoppage order in high-temperature areas, requiring outdoor workers engaged in construction, shipbuilding, and food delivery in Attica and Thessaly to suspend work from 13:00 to 17:00 on July 22.
The public's own risk awareness and emergency preparedness capacity are equally crucial. The French firefighters' union, in cooperation with Decathlon, is promoting a "72-hour emergency kit," proposing that families stock in advance water, food, medicine, first-aid supplies, a radio, lighting equipment, sleeping bags, and simple tents, so that in the event of an emergency evacuation or a disruption of power and communication, they can maintain at least three days of basic life. Many people propose to comprehensively and systematically incorporate disaster prevention skills into national education plans.
Faced with severe climate challenges, the sector has called for all countries to take active action, strengthen international collaboration, improve scientific or early warning capabilities, and adopt effective measures for disaster protection, safeguarding life, livelihoods, and economic development.
(Our newspaper, Paris, August 12)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 杨 一
In recent times, Laos has continuously intensified its law enforcement efforts to combat telecommunications network fraud crimes nationwide. Lao Prime Minister Sonexay, when introducing government work at the special session of the 10th National Assembly, stated that in the first half of this year the government carried out 44 operations targeting telecommunications network fraud crimes, detaining a total of 4,482 suspects from 25 countries and regions. According to Lao media reports, in the period from June 1 to June 25 alone, the country arrested nearly 900 suspects of involvement in telecommunications network fraud.
Not long ago, Lao police arrested 589 suspects of involvement in telecommunications network fraud in a building in the capital Vientiane, and arrested 135 suspects of involvement in telecommunications network fraud in a building inside the Botan Special Economic Zone (磨丁经济特区) in Xayaboury (琅南塔) Province, seizing 1,902 smartphones, 182 computers, and 8 safes containing various currencies. Lao police stated that all the suspects arrested in this operation worked for an organized transnational fraud group. After initial investigation, the group is suspected of creating fake social media accounts, operating fraudulent online gambling websites and mobile appearances, and publicizing to others, the scheme that gives high-return investment plans to; it is reported going directly to further victims’ fake crypto trading platforms of fake cryptocurrencies for their high-return that will have to pay fake "customs fees" for stealing a package from those the precious goods.
Lao Ministry of Public Security extended this year in June, it repeated its crucial position of fighting telecom fraud determination, announced intent strengthening measures, and public education, and to foster cooperation between law enforcement agencies and the public, to safeguard national security and protect the people against telecommunications fraud. Relevant departments have increased inspection of entertainment venues, hotels, rental housing to prevent criminal syndicates from utilizing these places for criminal activity. Border inspections also further tightened controls to curb illegal entry. The government had publicly various campaigns, instructing the well towards correct identification on telecom fraud, reminding the public to stay vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to relevant authorities. The government repeatedly warned that the organizers, financiers, and enablers of telecom fraud activities will be severely punished to the fullest extent under law.
According to a report issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Southeast Asia has become one of the most active regions in the world for telecom fraud. Transnational criminal groups often employ baits like "high-paid positions" and "overseas labor" to entice some individuals into fraud compounds, to engage in telecom fraud and related illegal activities, and progressively form a cross-border black chain industry from recruitment, to directing victims, from committing fraud to transferring money. Since the start of this year, Chinese and Lao police have through mechanisms such as intelligence sharing, joint enforcement, and case cooperation to continuously suppress cross-border telecom violations. In May, the Lao side lawfully turned over 494 suspects involved in fraud to the Chinese side. In June, relevant departments from Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam held a meeting in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia, and unanimously agreed to reinforce sharing of intelligence, joint operations, and more, further deepen cooperation in fighting transnational crimes such as telecom fraud, human trafficking, and drug smuggling, and push for building a more routine trilateral consultation mechanism.
Return to TopSouth Korea Supreme Court Final Ruling Orders Japanese Company to Compensate Forced Labor Victims of World War II
Xinhua Seoul, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- (Reporters Zhang Can (张粲) and Sun Yiran (孙一然)) According to Yonhap News Agency on the 12th, the Supreme Court of South Korea (韩国大法院) on the same day rendered a final judgment in a compensation lawsuit filed by the bereaved family members of a victim of forced labor by Japan during World War II against a Japanese company, upholding the second-instance verdict and ordering the defendant to pay 80 million won (about 380,000 yuan).
The bereaved family members of victim Min, a Korean laborer, filed a compensation lawsuit against Nippon Steel Corporation (日本制铁公司) in April 2019. In February 2022, the first-instance court ruled against the plaintiff on the grounds that the right to claim damages had expired beyond the statute of limitations. However, in September 2024, the second-instance court overturned the first-instance verdict and ordered the defendant to pay 80 million won in compensation to the plaintiff.
During the period of Japanese colonial rule over Korea from 1910 to 1945, large numbers of Korean laborers were forcibly conscripted to do hard labor in Japan. For a long time, Korean victims and their bereaved family members have repeatedly filed lawsuits to claim compensation from Japan, but the Japanese government and related companies have refused to pay, citing that the "Korea-Japan Claims Agreement (韩日请求权协定)" already resolved the issue.
In October 2018, the South Korean Supreme Court, in a judgment ordering Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corporation (now Nippon Steel) to pay 100 million won each to four Korean victims of forced labor during World War II, explicitly determined that the 1965 Agreement on the Settlement of Claims between Korea and Japan (韩日请求权协定) signed when the two countries normalized diplomatic relations does not preclude individual Korean forced laborers from exercising their personal right to claim compensation.
US Revokes Ban on TikTok on Federal Government Equipment
Xinhua San Francisco, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) (Reporter: Wu Xiaoling (吴晓凌)) According to a Bloomberg news report on the 11th, the U.S. government has directed a directive banning the use of the short-video social media platform TikTok on federal government equipment, stating that the restructuring of ByteDance's U.S. business no longer poses a national security threat.
The report said the White House Office of Management and Budget revoked a 2023 directive in a memorandum on the 10th that prohibited the use of TikTok on U.S. federal government equipment. Previously, the U.S. Department of Justice had issued a written opinion concluding that TikTok no longer fell within the definition of a "covered application" under the relevant law. Since late 2022, the U.S. federal government and many states have banned the use of TikTok on government electronic devices under the pretext of "data security."
International Energy Agency Cuts 2026 Global Oil Demand Forecast
According to Xinhua Paris, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) (Reporter: Cui Kexin (崔可欣)) The International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its latest monthly oil report released on the 12th that, affected by the continuing shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz and high fuel prices, global oil consumption continues to be suppressed, and it is predicted that global oil demand in 2026 will fall by an average of 1.6 million barrels per day, expanding by 51 million barrels per day compared with the forecast in last month's report, while in 2027 global oil demand is expected to increase by an average of 2.4 million barrels per day.
The report noted that the demand for oil supply recovery fell as conditions in the Middle East reversed; the oil price once rose to a two-month high. Due to renewed conflict and sudden changes in the diplomatic situation, oil prices have fluctuated sharply within a one-dollar range by about US$40. The report predicts a supply gap of average 180,000 barrels per day in the third quarter of 2026, more than doubling compared to last month's estimate of about 80,000 barrels per day. Although the market is expected to return to oversupply by the end of year, risks remain high. The IEA warned that with existing inventory cushions nearly exhausted, the urgency of restoring navigability through the Strait of Hormuz is further increasing.
U.S. Media: U.S. Military Strikes in Yemen in 2025 Kill Hundreds of Civilians
Xinhua Washington, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) (Reporters: Huang Qiang (黄强) and Yan Liang (颜亮)) According to a report by the Wall Street Journal on the 11th, an internal investigation by the U.S. Department of Defense indicates that a series of U.S. military attacks on Yemen in 2025 caused hundreds of civilian casualties.
The Pentagon on the same day submitted a 12-page unclassified assessment report to the U.S. Congress, summarizing the Pentagon's assessment of civilian casualties caused by U.S. military operations worldwide in 2025. The U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, stated in the report that three large-scale U.S. military strikes on Yemen in April 2025 resulted in 153 civilian deaths and 243 injuries. The report also said that Central Command was investigating 15 additional incidents that might have caused civilian casualties during operations against the Houthis.
The report marks the first formal acknowledgment by the Trump administration of the scale of civilian casualties caused by its airstrikes on the Houthi forces in Yemen. On March 15 last year, the United States began large-scale airstrikes on the Houthi forces, which then launched attacks on U.S. aircraft carriers and escort ships. On May 6 that year, the U.S. and the Houthi forces reached a ceasefire agreement.
Colombia Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 188
Xinhua Bogotá, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) (Reporter: Li Zijian (李子键)) The National Association of Capitals of Colombia (哥伦比亚首都协会) released the latest statistics on the 11th, showing that the 7.4 magnitude strong earthquake in the western part of the country on the 10th had caused 188 deaths and 1,677 injuries.
Return to TopXinhua News Agency, Kathmandu, Aug. 12 (Reporter Zhang Ping (张平)) — The "Nepal Automobile Importers and Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) 2026 Nepal Mobility Expo" opened on the 11th in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, bringing together dozens of automobile brands from around the world and presenting the latest models and mobility technologies to the public. Booths of Chinese automakers attracted many visitors to stop and watch.
The expo lasts six days. NAIMA President Vidya said at the opening ceremony that this expo aims to build an exchange platform for automakers, technology providers, consumers and stakeholders to jointly discuss development trends in the mobility field. "This is not just an auto show, but a platform for the entire mobility ecosystem to 汇聚一堂 (huì jù yī táng - "gather in one hall," to assemble together)."
NAIMA Chief Executive Officer Dulal disclosed that more than 20 of the exhibiting brands come from China, and new models from brands such as Chery, Wuling, Dongfeng and Hongqi all made appearances at the venue.
The Chinese motorcycle brand Zhangxue Motorcycles (张雪机车) also participated in this expo. Nepali automotive blogger Oli, at the Zhangxue Motorcycles booth, introduced to fans the flagship model 820RR, which is in the same series as the brand's championship-winning racing motorcycle. He said this motorcycle has a cool appearance and is very eye-catching.
Visitor Thapa told a Xinhua reporter: "I compared multiple brands and found that Chinese brands are more attractive in both design and price."
In addition to vehicle model displays, multiple learning and exchange activities will also be held during the expo, with discussions centered on automotive technology, mobility trends and related industry topics.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 许立群
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, at the outset of his tenure, the new government has quickly issued a full set of policies covering energy, transport, housing, commerce, and administrative reform in the area of people’s livelihood. Behind the series of “combination blows” lies the long-accumulated economic and livelihood predicament of the UK.
The UK’s public debt as a share of GDP has already exceeded 95%, high-interest expenditures continue to squeeze livelihood and infrastructure budgets, coupled with high external energy dependence, residents’ living costs continue to rise, and many problems urgently need to be solved. At present, the UK’s core inflation remains above 4%, and wage-earning families are forced to cut basic expenses. In terms of housing supply, the number of newly built homes falls far short of demand, rents continue to rise, causing the rough-sleeping population on England’s streets to set a record high for four consecutive years. Meanwhile, commercial rates have risen year after year, squeezing operating profits, and small and micro offline merchants have considerable complaints.
In the entire set of new policies, energy relief is at the core. The UK government has determined that from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, it will temporarily exempt the 5% value-added tax on residential electricity bills. According to estimates by the UK Treasury, this measure will save ordinary households about 45 pounds per year, with tax revenues in the current fiscal year reduced by about 850 million pounds. To fill the gap, the government has proposed suspending the previously planned 1.8 billion pound digital identity card construction project. At the same time, from April 2027, business rates for offline cultural and entertainment such as pubs and clubs will be reduced by 20%, benefiting 32,000 merchants, with a single ordinary pub seeing an average annual tax reduction of about 1,100 pounds, and a total tax reduction of about 100 million pounds.
In the transport sector, from January 1, 2027, the single bus fare cap in England (excluding London) will be reverted from 3 pounds back to 2 pounds for a period of 12 months. The UK government will invest a total of over 500 million pounds for this. The government has also listed “eliminating rough sleeping on the streets” as a core task, allocating 340 million pounds in special funds, and planning to add 1,200 units of resettlement housing to assist numerous longtime rough sleepers.
After the series of new policies were implemented, evaluations from all sectors of society have been mixed. Ordinary people hold expectations for the two intuitively burdens-reducing measures of electricity tax exemption and bus fare reduction; the British Hospitality Association recognizes the accumulation-combining of business rate reductions, calling it a positive signal to revive the offline service sector; housing charities also affirm the one-time special funds for resettlement housing, acknowledging it as a positive attempt to improve the conditions of the rough-sleeping population.
However, the UK Office for Budget Responsibility has clearly pointed out that the digital identity card project that was to be used to balance the cost of the electricity tax reduction has never actually had funds allocated, and halting it cannot generate real fiscal surpluses. Some media outlets have directly argued that the tax relief plan lacks stable and reliable funding support. Multiple institutions have also questioned the feasibility of the means for funding the related bus fare cap. Moreover, the proposed electricity tax exemption and bus fare cap are both temporary arrangements, and the burden reduction of dozens of pounds per household has been derided as “symbolic relief” by public opinion.
Media analysis in the UK argues that the government’s “combination blows” of people’s livelihood policies have to some degree alleviated social anxiety, but the funding method of “tearing down the east wall to repair the west wall” also intuitively reflects that under the current environment of high debt and low growth, the government’s fiscal space for implementing inclusive relief is extremely limited. The new government has made a commitment to further introduce long-term supporting reforms in this autumn’s budget.
(This newspaper’s London, August 12 dispatch)
Return to TopData from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (工业和信息化部) show that since 2026, the market penetration rate of new passenger cars equipped with Level 2 (L2) combined driver-assistance functions in China has reached 70%. As electrification technology matures, automotive consumers’ focus has gradually shifted from “electrification” to “intelligentization,” and comprehensive capabilities such as driver assistance, safety protection, and cabin experience have become major considerations in car-purchase decisions.
On August 8, Huawei Qiankun (华为乾崑), together with the high-end intelligent electric vehicle brand Avita (阿维塔), launched the Avita 07L with a limited-time offer price of 222,900 yuan to 272,900 yuan, with a limited-time offer period from August 8 to September 6. Through innovative practices of deep industry-chain collaboration, this adds new momentum to the intelligentization and high-end transformation of the automotive industry.
Driver assistance technologies empower an upgraded user experience
As consumers’ demand boundaries for automotive intelligentization continue to broaden, whether driver assistance functions can be applied in richer, more complex scenarios becomes a key factor affecting users’ car-purchase decisions.
As another flagship product of deep cooperation between Huawei Qiankun and Avita, the Avita 07L’s hardware perception, data accumulation, and algorithm architecture organically fit with vehicle manufacturing, delivering a high-quality driver assistance experience for users. The Avita 07L is equipped with Huawei Qiankun’s 896-line LiDAR. Its innovative dual optical-path architecture enables it to see farther, see more clearly, see more comprehensively, and can stably identify low obstacles at 120 meters and 14 centimeters high, laying a hardware foundation for the implementation of advanced driver assistance functions.
The Avita 07L carries Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 5 driver assistance solution. In complex scenarios that require experienced judgment, such as construction zones and intersections without traffic lights, it can accurately identify hidden hazards, pre-alert to dangers in advance, strives to make each trip safer and more worry-free, and greatly expands the applicable scenarios of driver assistance functions. Meanwhile, Huawei Qiankun also provides a new generation of HarmonyOS Cockpit that supports chat-style navigation and “control the car” with voice, emotional companionship, and a no-microphone karaoke function that enriches the interactive experience and entertainment attributes of riding in the vehicle, further improving travel comfort and convenience.
To date, the cumulative miles of Huawei Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS has approached 14 billion kilometers. The real-world data from 100 billions of kilometers highlights Huawei Qiankun’s technological strength and further solidifies Avita’s commitment to driving safety.
Cross-sector collaboration explores a new path for industrial development
The launch of the Avita 07L carries Avita’s it is a reflection of Avita’s trend-based thinking on the automotive industry: currently, the automotive industry is entering the intelligentization second half, and cars are evolving from single-mode transportation into super-intelligent terminals with deep integration of multiple systems. Along with this trend, the linear chain relationship between traditional OEMs and suppliers is being reshaped, and cross-sector fusion has become the mainstream direction for the future of the industry.
Huawei Qiankun is committed to becoming the “electronic screw” of the intelligent connected vehicle industry. Based on capabilities accumulated over 30 years of deep involvement in the ICT field, it empowers the OEMs’ intelligent transformation, focusing on providing intelligent components and solutions such as Qiankun Intelligent Driving and HarmonyOS Cockpit. With the positioning of “industry enabler,” it helps partner OEMs to build good cars and sell good cars well.
The collaboration between Huawei Qiankun and Avita has deep roots. Since the cooperation was reached in 2019, the two sides have gradually expanded from initial technical collaboration to a full-chain synergy covering user insight, vehicle model definition product R&D product, product development, and integrated marketing. Huawei Qiankun’s latest intelligent vehicle solutions have all been launched on Avita models. By joining hands with an intelligent vehicle solution supplier, Avita can reduce duplicate investment in smart technology R&D; for Huawei Qiankun, scaled implementation can further accumulate data and feed back into technology iteration, forming a positive cycle of “technology—market—data.” The integrated innovation model of “vehicle OEM + tech giant” gives both sides the new “growth power.”
The launch of the Avita 07L is also a microcosm of transformation of China’s automotive industry toward intelligentization. OEMs take charge of vehicle manufacturing, tech companies provide technical support; it’s the guided exploration for an enterprise to break through technical barrier, build core competitiveness by technology, and replace zero-sum game with ecosystem win-win, and also paves a new path for industrial transformation and upgrading.
Data source: Huawei Qiankun
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 魏哲哲
Franchise chains are a choice for many entrepreneurs and investors. In practice, franchise chains are commonly seen in such livelihood fields as food and beverage, retail, hotels, education and training, express logistics, and beauty and hairdressing, and have played an active role in stimulating market vitality and promoting consumption upgrading.
From a legal perspective, "franchise chains" are commercial franchises, referring to an enterprise (hereinafter referred to as the "franchisor") that possesses business resources such as registered trademarks, enterprise logos, patents, and proprietary technology, licensing other operators (hereinafter referred to as "franchisees") to use those business resources in a contractual form, with the franchisees conducting operations and paying fees under a unified business model.
As an important innovation in the organizational method of modern commerce, commercial franchising has become a significant force driving the development of the service industry and promoting entrepreneurship and employment.
"At the same time, problems such as some franchisors making exaggerated publicity and expanding blindly, and franchisees neglecting risks and following the herd into investment exist to a certain extent, leading to increasingly numerous conflicts and disputes." The Supreme People's Court issued relevant typical cases on August 12, reminding entrepreneurs and investors not to follow the herd and to exercise careful discrimination, guiding and regulating business entities to operate with integrity and compliance, and promoting the healthy and orderly development of franchising.
Containing the chaos of "shell franchising"
A franchisor must have a mature business model verified by the market
Commercial franchising reduces market transaction costs and improves the efficiency of enterprise expansion through brand sharing, unified management, and scaled operations.
A certain club mainly engaged in martial arts and boxing training wanted to expand its operations, so it carried out investment promotion.
After a referral, Tang Mou and the certain club formed a cooperation intention, with the certain club authorizing Tang Mou to open a brand franchise store, a franchise fee of 30,000 yuan, and an annual brand use fee of 5,000 yuan.
After a period, Tang Mou wanted to cancel the agreement but failed after negotiations, so he sued.
"A certain club is an individual business (self-employed industrial and commercial) and does not meet the required qualifications!" Tang Mou claimed that, according to the Reggolating Commercial Franchise Operations, entities other than enterprises and individuals shall not act as franchisors to engage in franchising activities.
So, does an individual business meet the enterprise qualifications?
The Civil Code states that natural persons engaging in industrial and commercial operations, after being registered according to law, become individual business. The Intermediate People's Court of Jining City, Shandong Province (山东省济南市), held that the involved contract violated the mandatory provisions of laws and administrative regulations requiring the franchisor subject to be an enterprise, and the contract should be void.
At the same time, taking into account the degree of fault of both parties, the performance of the contract, and considering that a certain club had actually provided Tang Mou with a renovation plan and sent coaches to guide enrollment, teaching management, and other matters, the court discretionarily ordered the certain club to return 15,000 yuan of the franchise fee.
Franchise must be lawful and standardized. "Currently, there are many personal registered trademarks with mixed brand quality. This provision helps to avoid damage to the interests of franchisees and consumers caused by defects in the franchisor's qualifications, and helps maintain good market order and social stability." Guan Suyumer (管育鹰), researcher at the Institute of Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (中国社会科学院法学研究所), expressed that the people's courts' rulings help to contain the unauthorized expansion activities of unqualified entities, guide business entities to exercise due diligence in contract-making, and guard against franchise "traps".
"Two stores and one year" (两店一) is also a statutory condition that a franchisor must meet.
A certain company was punished for carrying out business franchise operations without meeting the conditions for franchising. The Fuzhou City, Fujian Province (福州市) imposed a fine of 100,000 yuan on it. The certain company refused to accept this and sued.
"A certain company claimed its 15 subordinate stores meet the criteria for direct stores. After investigation, these stores are all individual businesses, and the franchisor did not have absolute control, and met the standards for recognition as direct stores." The Cangshan District People's Court of Fuzhou (福州市仓山区人民法院) held that the certain company did not satisfy the "two stores and one year" condition, the Department of Commerce had the power to order rectification, confiscate the unlawful income, and impose a fine, and the court rejected the company's petition.
"The 'two stores and one year' standard requires a franchisor to have a mature business model verified by the market and the capability to provide ongoing operational guidance, technical support, and business training to franchisees to prevent enterprises from using franchise to defraud, reducing the franchisee's investment risk." Zhang Jiansheng (章剑生), Vice President of the Administrative Law Research Institute of the China Law Society (中国法学会行政法学研究会) and Professor at the Guanghua Law School of Zhejian University (浙江大学光华法学院), believes that this judgment lawfully supports the administrative department's penalty decision, providing important demonstration significance for regulating the franchise market order and containing the disorder of "fine franchising".
Being cautious about the "formula franchise" trap
Standardizing investment promotion disclosure and publicity behavior
With display of both dishes and storefront, as well as the statements of other entrepreneurs, a certain food and beverage company's investment promotion advertisement was very attractive: "Daily turnover of more than 30,000 yuan" "a minimum of seven to eight hundred copies can be sold"...
After seeing the investment advertisement, Zhang Mou and Wang Mou took a franchise idea and signed a contract with a certain food and beverage company. Later, Zhang Mou and Wang Mou paid a service fee of more than 86,000 yuan, an ingredient procurement firm of more than 40,000 yuan, and incurred a renovation cost of 55,000 yuan for opening the store.
As agreed, the company provided training, opening instruction, and supplied equipment worth approximately 50,000 yuan.
After a certain period, Zhang Mou and Wang Mou found the business situation unsatisfactory. "The certain food and beverage company, in the process of making the contract, had inflated publicity, with fraudulent intention." Zhang Mou and Wang Mou filed a lawsuit seeking rescission of the contract, refund of the fee, and compensation for economic loss.
"Franchisees are in a distinctively weaker position in terms of information acquisition and risk assessment. If the franchisor violates the principle of good faith and, in its promotion public activities, falsely publicizes key commercial information such as the operating income of existing franchisees, it will inevitably mislead other potential franchisees, causing them to make mistaken determinations about the expected returns from franchise operations, thereby acting against their true intentions and signing contracts with the franchisor." Zhang Tiantian (张天天), the adjudicator at the High People's Court of Sichuan Province (四川省高级人民法院), introduced.
The court found that the certain food and beverage company could not provide evidence for the operating income claimed in its advertisement and could be determined to have intentionally issued false information to government franchisees signing contracts, and the behavior constituted fraud, contract should be rescinded according to law.
On the division of responsibility, the adjudicator contributed both the false statement from the certain food and beverage company and the fact that Zhang Mou and Wang Mou neglected to properly investigate commercial risks before the contract; the certain food and beverage company should bear primary responsibility, and Zhang Mou and Wang Mou should bear secondary responsibility.
Ultimately, considering that the certain food and beverage company had provided technical services and equipment, and remaining inventory had some residual value, the court decided to refund 20,000 yuan of the service fee and award compensation of 35,000 yuan for economic losses.
The core of the franchising model lies in the reproduction of brand reputation and business experience. If it attracts franchise with false publicity, it not only damages the franchisee's investment interests but also weakens consumer trust in the entire industry.
"The people's court held that the franchisor's conduct in making investment promotion by fabricating operational data and exaggerating franchise income constituted fraud, rescinded the contract in accordance with law, and fairly distributed losses, clarifying the basic requirements of honest promotion and truthful disclosure to invest in franchising activities." Ma Yide (马一德), Dean of the Institute of Intellectual Property at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院大学知识产权学院), said that the case passes negative evaluation of conduct such as "routine-franchise' traps", which can help guide franchisors to return operational focus to brand building, product innovation, and operational service improvement, promoting market rejection of poor players.
This also reminds franchisees to enhance their risk and attention while ambiguous investment promotion information when making business decisions, rationally investing and clinging carefully.
Implementing the trust theory protecting the franchisee
Franchisee enjoys the right to unilateral contract rescission based on the "cooling-off period" system
After learning about a certain food and beverage program, Liu Mou and Lei Mou signed a brand expansion contract with a certain company, agreeing that Liu Mou and Mou would in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, join the company's food program with a one-year half term.
After contract signature, Liu Mou and Lei Mou paid management training fees and other items of 35,000 yuan. The certain company provided technical manuals, but did not provide actual training or technical instruction.
On the fifteenth day after signing the contract, Liu Mou and Lei Mou turned repentant. Since they had not yet opened a store or used the company's technical resources, they requested return of the fees from the company.
However, the company refused. Subsequently, Liu Mou and Lei Mou sued in court.
The contract has not been signed for long; can they rescind? According to the Growing Commercial Franchise, "the franchisor and franchisee shall specify in the franchise contract that the franchisee has the right to unilaterally rescind the contract within a certain period after the contract is signed."
"Such a cooling-off period (冷静期) design empowers the franchisee with the right to unilaterally rescind the contract within a certain period after signing the franchise contract, with the aim of buffering the franchisee's impulse of investment." The Chongqing Free Trade Pilot Zone People's Court (重庆自由贸易试验区人民法院) found that in a franchise contract, the strength and ability of the parties are not equal; the franchisor occupies a negotiating advantage. If the contract does not specify the cooling-off period or the franchisee's right to unilaterally rescind, the franchisor is at fault during contract negotiation and should bear the unfavorable consequences arising therefrom.
In this case, the contract contained no clause for the franchisee's right to cancel the unilateral cancellation. Could the right still be exercised?
The trial court found: A franchisee can still unilaterally rescind the contract within a reasonable period. The definition of the reasonable period should follow the "if agreed, abide by the terms; if not agreed, reference and customary business practice" principle. But the reasonable period generally should not be too long, and it is usually confined to when the franchisee has not actually used the franchisor's business resources.
"Liu Mou and Men Mou proposed contract rescission on the fifteenth day after signing the contract, and had not actually used the company's business resources, thus they exercised their unilateral rescission right within the reasonable period." Presiding Judge He Haiyan (贺海艳) stated, the clause that "the franchisee, once receiving training materials, cannot claim refund of management training fees or technology transfer fees" constitutes a model clause. The company presenting evidence that they used me personally that a reasonable method to call the franchisee's attention to that clause, and the clause's content unreasonably restricts the franchisee's rights or releases/ mitigates the franchisor's responsibility, making those model terms invalid.
Therefore, the judgment confirmed the rescission of the contract and ordered the company to return 35,000 yuan to Liu Mou and Lei Mou.
In addition to the right to unilaterally rescind the contract, if the franchisor's ability to perform diminishes so that the contract's purpose cannot be achieved, the franchisee may also rescind the contract.
Cen Mou (岑某) signed a franchise contract with a certain company with a term of three years. Cen Mou paid a franchise fee and guarantee deposit of 169,000 yuan. After the contract was signed, employees of the company provided site selection services multiple times, but Cen Mou failed to finalize a location and applied to suspend site selection. During the contract's performance, the company's qualification registration was revoked. Cen Mou then sued, requesting the contract be rescinded and all fees returned.
The Hangzhou Railway Transport Court (杭州铁路运输法院) found that a franchisor has a disclosure obligation in respect of material changes in the franchise system and other major information significantly affecting the franchisee. However, there was no evidence that the company disclosed its circumstances to Cen Mou that had a significant substantive impact on contract performance. Moreover, before Cen Mou filed this lawsuit, the company had many litigation cases, and in many of the enforcement cases, few traceable assets existed, reflecting that the company's ability to perform the contract was limited. The company had committed breach of contract.
On the other hand, Cen Mou failed to actively locate a site as stipulated and prepare to open the store, which also constituted breach. The court ordered the contract rescinded and the company to return franchise fees of 70,000 yuan.
"The people's courts implement the concept of trust protection throughout the franchise relationship, establishing a judicial path for review of the franchisor's dynamic ability to perform." Ma Yide said: When the franchisor's business model is not mature or performance ability declines, causing the basis for cooperation to be lost, allowing the franchisee to exit the contract in a legal manner and redistribute losses reflects the protection of the franchisee's reasonable trust interests.
Return to TopBy: 张世明
This year, on August 15, it is National Ecological Day, and it is also the day when the Ecological Environment Code (生态环境法典) officially comes into effect. This "green code" incorporates the concept that "green waters and green mountains are gold and silver mountains" (绿水青山就是金山银山), establishes institutions that cover the entire territory and run through the entire process, builds a solid barrier for the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature with the strictest institutions and the most rigorous rule of law (最严格制度、最严密法治), and lays a solid legal foundation for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation.
The vitality of law lies in implementation, and the authority of law also lies in implementation. The completion of the code's compilation is the "first half of the article," while promoting its implementation to achieve results is the more strenuous and more critical "second half of the article." The Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan has already made arrangements for "implementing the Ecological Environment Code." To truly move the code from text to practice, the key lies in fully implementing the provisions on rights, obligations, and responsibilities of various subjects—including the government, enterprises, and citizens—and integrating the specific rules of the code into the actual approval processes, enforcement documents, contract terms, and village regulations and people's compacts, thereby genuinely transforming institutional advantages into governance effectiveness.
A complete and efficient supporting legislative system is the key support for unleashing the governance effectiveness of the code. The code has unified and clarified such mechanisms as ecological protection redlines, pollution prevention and control rules, and ecological restoration mechanisms. However, in the face of complex and diverse scenes of regional governance, industrial regulation, and dispute resolution, it is necessary to have supporting systems with detailed standards, smooth procedures, and clear responsibilities to take over and transform. It is necessary to advance supporting system construction with the code as the core, fill the shortcomings, clearing the connection blockages for the concrete landing of the institutions; comprehensively benchmark existing norms and timely modify or abolish those inconsistent with the spirit of the code or conflicting in content; deepen the reform of the ecological environment ecological compensation system, so as to truly achieve that in all aspects of the whole process of ecological environment governance there is law to rely on, regulations to observe, and rules to follow.
Fair and civilized law enforcement is the core link in implementing the code. It is necessary to clarify law enforcement powers and responsibilities, promote cross-regional and cross-departmental coordinated law enforcement, improve enforcement discretion standards, and standardize the exercise of discretionary power. Strengthen enforcement supervision and smooth the channels for public reporting and oversight. Establish and improve the law enforcement responsibility system and the application discipline system, leverage the role of judicial protection, and form a law enforcement system with clear powers and responsibilities, standardized conduct, effective supervision, and adequate safeguards, thereby enhancing law enforcement efficacy. Systems such as daily fines must not only give the law "teeth" but also be equipped with a procedural scabbard for "timely cessation of wrongdoing," avoiding replacing management with fines.
The effectiveness of the code's implementation depends on general recognition and voluntary adherence by the whole society. By grasping the "key minority" and incorporating the code into the required mandatory course for leading cadres at all levels to study and to enforce the law, their ability to use the rule-of-law thinking and rule-of-law methods to promote development can be enhanced. Strengthen publicity and education on the rule of law throughout society, combining the study and implementation of the code with the study and implementation of Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization and Xi Jinping's Thought on the Rule of Law. Focus on publicizing the environmental rights and obligations the code grants to citizens and legal persons, to cultivate the concept of respecting nature and taking order from nature. When the rule of law transforms from external coercion to internal self-consciousness, the code can truly become the "law in action," and the law's value will be realized in its real popular experience and gained feeling.
The code builds the foundation for Beautiful China; the rule of law safeguards the continuous development of eternal sustainability. To promote the high-quality implementation of the Ecological Environment Code, it is necessary to take Xi Jinping's Thought on Ecological Civilization and Xi Jinping's Thought on the Rule of Law as guidance, correctly grasp the modern ecological environment governance system of "Party committee leadership, government leading, enterprise as the main body, social organizations and the public working together," use the power of the code to build the rule-of-law cornerstone of building a Beautiful China, and let the light of the rule of law illuminate the path to modernization where humans and nature live in beautiful harmony.
(The author is a professor at the School of Law of Renmin University of China.)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 窦瀚洋
In the early morning, thin mist like gauze veils Thousand-Island Lake. Inside the Thousand-Island Lake Botanical Garden (千岛湖植物园), a brown signboard often draws visitors to stop. The two aerial photos placed side by side on the signboard form a sharp contrast: on the left is Deer Island (鹿岛) from years ago, with more than half of the land exposed in bare yellow; on the right is Deer Island after ecological restoration, 郁郁葱葱 (yù yù cōng cōng - "lush and verdant," thick with greenery), green as far as the eye can see.
This is the operational carrier of Hangzhou's first cross-departmental coordination mechanism that incorporates ecological restoration into community correction. "After ecological restoration, Deer Island has become a botanical garden, and the former 'destroyers' pay off their 'ecological debt' here through public-interest labor," said Wang Li (王莉), Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and President of the Chun'an County People's Court (淳安县人民法院) of Hangzhou.
In handling cases, the Thousand-Island Lake Environment and Resources Tribunal (千岛湖环境资源法庭) found that defendants involved in environmental-resource crimes, after being sentenced to probation and entering community correction, mainly performed public-interest labor such as traffic duty at intersections and collectively watching warning and education videos, which had a low degree of correlation with their "ecological damage behaviors."
"By establishing the correction and assistance site at the Thousand-Island Lake Botanical Garden, community correction recipients can carry out public-interest labor for replanting and restoring greenery, such as weeding and watering, recognize their mistakes in the process of labor, and achieve correction in their ideological concepts," Wang Li said. As of now, a cumulative total of more than 120 community correction recipients have participated in ecological restoration public-interest labor at the Thousand-Island Lake Botanical Garden, effectively achieving the triple effect of equal emphasis on crackdown and restoration, connection between judiciary and administration, and combination of legal popularization and publicity.
Illegal hunting by dropping arrows from drones is a new type of criminal means that has emerged in recent years; the modus operandi is covert and poses safety hazards to society.
In April this year, Hangzhou's first case of illegal hunting with modified drones was publicly tried and the verdict was pronounced in court at Yaolin National Forest Park: Li, a certain person, together with others, hunted in no-hunting areas and during closed hunting seasons using prohibited tools and methods, destroying wildlife resources, with serious circumstances, and should be investigated for criminal responsibility for the crime of illegal hunting.
The day after the verdict was pronounced, the Tonglu County People's Court (桐庐县人民法院), together with the County People's Procuratorate and the County Public Security Bureau, issued a notice requiring real-name registration of drones in accordance with the law and strictly prohibiting unauthorized modification and the use of drones for illegal hunting; it also issued a judicial recommendation letter to the County Forestry and Water Resources Bureau, promoting the explicit inclusion of sharp implements mounted on and projected from drones in the scope of prohibited hunting tools, providing a clear basis for front-line law enforcement.
From case-by-case exploration to institutional construction, Hangzhou's approach to safeguarding lucid waters and lush mountains has become more proactive and more comprehensive. Nineteen ecological environment judicial protection liaison stations integrating functions such as circuit trials, ecological restoration, publicity and education, and comprehensive governance have been successively established, and all 13 grassroots courts in the city have realized "three-in-one adjudication" for environmental-resource trials. The specialized construction of environmental-resource adjudication is steadily advancing, and the institutional foundation for the judiciary to safeguard lucid waters and lush mountains is being gradually consolidated.
We need lucid waters and lush mountains, and we also need economic development. Longmen Ancient Town (龙门古镇) on the bank of the Fuchun River is bustling with visitors. However, two years ago, the Longmenshan Tourism Company here was still mired in a debt "quagmire."
Because of poor management, the Longmenshan Tourism Company was unable to repay its due debts, and an application for compulsory enforcement was filed against it. The collective land rights of more than 140 mu and the leased forest land of more than 3,500 mu under its name, although actually used by the company for many years, had not completed standardized rights confirmation and registration procedures, making it difficult to verify asset value; potential buyers did not dare to make a move, and the conventional judicial auction path was not viable.
How to activate mountain and forest resources? The court proposed the approach of running bankruptcy liquidation and reorganization in parallel. "If a reorganization investor is recruited within a reasonable period, the case is transferred to reorganization proceedings; if not, the enterprise is liquidated," introduced Ma Linkan (马嶙侃), full-time member of the Adjudication Committee of the Fuyang District People's Court (富阳区人民法院) of Hangzhou. Through recruitment, a strategic investor was ultimately locked in, and the case took only 21 days from the ruling on reorganization to the completion of reorganization. The enterprise's debt of more than 100 million yuan was resolved.
During the reorganization period, the court also used the "Ecological E-Governance" platform (生态e治) to verify ecological issues such as hazardous waste retained by the enterprise, ensuring zero residual pollution on rural collective land and full ecological restoration, helping the enterprise improve quality and safeguarding green development.
According to the introduction, in recent years, Hangzhou courts have fully exercised the functional role of environmental-resource adjudication, continuously made good use of characteristic judicial enforcement methods such as public-interest labor to improve the compensation and restoration mechanisms for ecological-environmental damage, and safeguarded with heart, with effort, and with feeling the good ecological environment as the most inclusive public welfare for people's livelihood, providing strong judicial guarantees for the enhancement of "ecological appearance" and the improvement of urban and rural living environments.
Return to TopBy: 杨文明 陈 敏
In western Yunnan’s Yingjiang (盈江县), the mountain road winds along the forest on the China-Myanmar border. Villages of ethnic minorities such as the Dai, the Jingpo, and the Achang are scattered like stars in the folds of the deep mountains.
Yingjiang County (盈江县) in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture (德宏傣族景颇族自治州) has nine border township and 22 border administrative villages. With mountains blocking travel and villages scattered, villagers face many inconveniences in handling affairs and traveling.
“Let’s go! Going down to the countryside.” Zhang Jinkai (张金凯), a community policeman of the Mengnong Border Police Station (勐弄边境派出所) of the Yingjiang Border Management Brigade (盈江边境管理大队), under the Dehong Border Management Detachment (德宏边境管理支队), headed out with auxiliary police officers to visit the countryside, and the “Red Pomegranate” service backpack (红石榴”服务背包) was always slung over his shoulder.
Unzipping the backpack revealed it was fully packed: a mobile policing terminal, a portable printer, legal education leaflets, hair clippers, a camera, and also a bag of fruit candy.
For the sake of livelihood, many young people in the village have gone out to work, and the children live with the elderly. It was summer vacation, and young children have weak safety awareness and drowning accidents happen from time to time. Zhang Jinkai’s trip to the countryside this time was to give the children in the village safety education.
As soon as the car stopped, a few children, seeing the backpack with the police badge from a distance, immediately gathered around. Zhang Jinkai smiled as he unzipped the backpack, took out fruit candy and distributed it.
He called the children into the shade of a tree, and while eating candy with them, he explained the basics of preventing drowning and preventing fraud… One small fruit candy narrowed the distance between them, giving the serious police work a softness and warmth intended for children.
“Zheyu Shuzi village (楂子林村) is 20 or 30 kilometers from the market town – an hour to make the round trip. The elderly are not very agile on their feet; going to town for a ID card or a haircut costs quite a bit of money. We making a trip to their door saves them a lot of trouble.” Zhang Jinkai parked the police car at the side of the road and continued forward on the gravel path.
On the 15th of every month is Zhang Jinkai’s fixed day of volunteering haircuts in the village. As soon as he sets up the wooden stool in the courtyard, drapes the cape over his shoulders, and the electric clippers buzz to life.
Grandpa Dong (栋大爷) touched his freshly trimmed hair and smiled, his eyes and brows relaxed: “Going to town for a haircut costs thirty or forty yuan in bus fare. Police Officer Zhang comes on time every month, and his skills are more to my liking than the barbershop in town.”
After they walked out of the village entrance, a few elderly people were sitting under the leaves of a tall tree cool off. Zhang Jinkai, together with the auxiliary police, walked over to greet them. He crouched down and started chatting with the old people sitting around.
“Last time I told you all: do not believe any accounts money transfers from unfamiliar numbers. They are all telecom fraud. Some time ago, someone came to the station to report that they had almost been conned out of their savings.” He said as he pulled out of promotional leaflets and explained them to the old people line by line.
Because the mountain area is isolated and limited, the village elderly face a “digital divide (数字鸿沟)” predicament: they cannot register for medical care online, call or video call on their phones, identify internet fraud, and for paying bills they have to go to the township business hall more than ten kilometers away.
To solve this problem, the officers specially set up a “Silver Hair Classroom (银发课堂),” focusing on teaching the elderly practical skills such as using WeChat, paying bills on mobile phones, and installing anti-everyday apps. For the elderly who learn well, the police train them to become “Silver Hair Lecturers,” creating a positive effect of “teach one person, one whole group” benefit.
What the officers pack in their backpacks from the service pack was not only thoughtful services but also the people’s hopes for safety.
Once in the late afternoon, a villager from the jurisdiction of the Mangyun Border Police Station (芒允边境派出所) nervously tracked down the officers who were doing village visits. She said her two-year-old child had a high fever and convulsions, and since there was at that time no bus into town, she was so upset that she did not know what to do to do.
Officer Wang Yong (王勇) grabbed his car keys and went straight to the farmer’s home. He covered 4.5 kilometers of mountain road in five minutes. Using his phone, he first learned the child and family’s information, and synchronized contacting the health center doctor to come for emergency care. After the child was taken to the hospital, he quickly fell out of danger. “You can’t let a child wait when he’s and And since we drive to the countryside, we are closer to the people’s homes. One minute arriving sooner means a greater guarantee of safety,” Wang Yong said.
“The backpack is not very large, but every item it loaded meets the real needs of the village’s people.” Zhang Jinkai, who often makes countryside visits, had deep feelings “It carries view in the things is the basis for us to solve problems locally and serve the people!”
A bag of fruit candy brought police and people closer; a pair of hair clippers warmed up the children of the elderly left behind; a police mobile device solved practical difficulties; a police car kept the people safe.
Since the Yingjiang Border Management Brigade has promoted the “Red Pomegranate” backpack policing (红石榴”背包警务), the officers have delivered services such as ID card reissue, law popularization, emergency rescue direct, free haircuts to the people’s very doorsteps. “Red Pomegranate” backpack policing has caused the number of network crime fraud cases in the precinct to fall significantly, and public satisfaction has continued to rise.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 亓玉昆 姜晓丹
Participating in study tours in Guangzhou, experiencing indoor skiing in Shenzhen, visiting Sun Yat-sen's former residence in Zhongshan, and going to Hong Kong and Macao to enjoy quality family time... this summer, relying on the advantages of connectivity, cultural and tourism consumption in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was extremely vigorous, with many people embarking on a pleasant "Bay-strolling" (遛湾) journey.
Consumption is an important engine of economic growth. How can solid legal safeguards be provided for the people to consume with peace of mind? On July 31, the 26th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th Guangdong Provincial People's Congress deliberated and adopted the "Regulations of Guangdong Province on Consumer Rights and Interests Protection" (《广东省消费者权益保护条例》) (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") and the "Provisions of Guangdong Province on Promoting Cooperation in Consumer Rights and Interests Protection in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" (《广东省促进粤港澳大湾区消费者权益保护协作规定》) (hereinafter referred to as the "Provisions"). The two pieces of legislation will take effect on October 1.
Li Qiong (李琼), deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial People's Congress (广东省人大常委会法工委), stated that the "Regulations" make foundational and comprehensive provisions for consumer rights and interests protection work in Guangdong Province, while the "Provisions" make targeted and specialized provisions for consumer rights and interests protection cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The two pieces of legislation form a complementary package, formulated in sync, promulgated at the same time, and implemented in the same period, achieving a legislative quality and effectiveness of "1+1>2." This has important and positive significance for vigorously boosting consumption and promoting the integrated development of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.
Responding to the development needs of the digital economy
In response to prominent problems in online transactions such as false advertising, big-data "killing the familiar" (charging regular customers more than new ones), and unclear platform responsibilities, the institutional rules and norms are improved.
With the rapid development of the digital economy and platform economy, online transactions have become an important form of consumption. Along with this, the forms of infringement faced by consumers have also become more complex and diverse. Problems such as "runaway" merchants in prepaid consumption, big-data "killing the familiar," and false advertising in livestream e-commerce occur from time to time.
In Gaoming District (高明区), Foshan City, a gym suddenly closed and ceased business, and the person in charge became unreachable. Prepayments of nearly 500,000 yuan from more than 200 consumers were at risk of "skipping stones on water" (going down the drain), and the consumers turned one after another to the local Consumers Committee for help. The Gaoming District Consumers Committee quickly joined with the district Market Supervision and Administration Bureau to carry out verification, proactively coordinated with the courts, human resources and social security departments, and other departments, and formed a coordinated joint force. After contacting consumers one by one to understand their claims, the Consumers Committee proposed a diversified resolution plan of "assisting with course transfers + supporting litigation," and this consumption dispute was effectively resolved.
To prevent such disputes at the source, it is urgent to strengthen legal safeguards. Li Qiong stated that the "Regulations" consist of 7 chapters and 67 articles, adhere to the principles of combining the general with the specific, combining regulation with protection, and combining restraint with necessary punishment, and make specific provisions for multiple hot consumption scenarios commonly encountered by the public.
In response to false advertising in online transactions, the "Regulations" stipulate that consumer reviews may not be tampered with, fabricated, or concealed, and that consumer reviews may not be displayed in misleading ways such as placing positive reviews first, negative reviews last, or not clearly distinguishing the reviews of different goods and services, effectively regulating internet promotion practices.
Different people using the same shopping app may see different prices when placing orders. In consumption activities such as buying airline tickets online and daily online shopping, hidden price increases and "killing the familiar" practices cause distress to some consumers. In response, the "Regulations" stipulate that, without the consumer's knowledge, one may not, based on information such as willingness to pay, ability to pay, consumption preferences, and consumption habits, use data and algorithms, platform rules, and other means to set different prices or charging standards for the same goods or services under equivalent transaction conditions. In response to unclear platform responsibilities, the relevant provisions of the "Regulations" strengthen the review obligations of e-commerce platforms, responding to the regulatory needs of new business forms such as livestream e-commerce and AI (artificial intelligence) digital human product promotion.
"Low first-month price — pre-checked by default — small-print notice — hidden cancellation entrance" is a common trick in the membership subscription services of many internet products.
The Zhuhai Municipal Consumers Committee disclosed a case in which a consumer, in order to use a service related to an office software program, activated the membership of the office software and paid the fee for that month. When activating the membership, he was not aware that there was a subsequent automatic renewal agreement, nor did he agree to the relevant automatic renewal terms. However, without his knowledge, the software deducted the super membership fee every month for 11 consecutive months. In the end, through mediation, both parties reached an agreement, and the complained-against party refunded the consumer.
For business operators that provide services through automatic extension, automatic renewal, and other similar methods, the "Regulations" make detailed provisions on notification before activation, reminders before renewal, convenient cancellation of subscriptions, and other matters, and set corresponding penalty rules, eliminating at the source such chaos as "pre-checked by default" and "forced bundling," so that consumers can make independent choices on the basis of full information.
Jiang Baoguo (江保国), professor at the Law School of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (广东外语外贸大学), stated that the two pieces of legislation systematically regulate and respond to many prominent hot-button consumer dispute issues in practice. The legislative content does not stop at the level of supporting rights protection in individual cases, but rather integrates such content with more fundamental institutional construction such as optimizing the consumption environment, which is conducive to promoting the optimization and improvement of the consumption environment and consumption formats.
Focusing on consumption pain points in key areas
Consumption protection for special groups such as minors and the elderly is strengthened, and specialized provisions are made for key areas such as food business operations, tourism operations, and education and training.
Becoming addicted to tipping in online livestreams, using parents' phones to make large recharges, being fooled by lectures into buying large quantities of health products... whenever consumption disputes involving minors or the elderly occur, related topics quickly become online hot spots.
A wellness and health care center in Zhongshan City used the ultra-low price of "100 yuan for 2 foot baths and massages" as bait to attract 73-year-old Ms. Chen to the store for an experience. Staff fabricated that she suffered from "a serious disease that hospitals cannot detect," and even used tactics such as "if you don't receive treatment, you only have two to three years left to live" to create panic, inducing Ms. Chen to accept so-called treatment and charging her a cumulative total of more than 350,000 yuan.
After Ms. Chen's children sensed something was wrong and requested a refund, they were refused, so they filed a complaint with the Zhongshan Municipal Consumers Committee. After receiving the complaint, the Consumers Committee immediately verified the consumption facts and patiently mediated. In the end, the merchant refunded 260,000 yuan to Ms. Chen.
In response to the conduct of selling health care products, or products claimed to have health care functions, to the elderly through door-to-door sales, conference marketing, centralized lectures, health talks, expert free consultations, free checkups, free experiences, and other methods, the "Regulations" explicitly prohibit fabricating or exaggerating the therapeutic, health care, and wellness effects of products. At the same time, they establish distinctive protection systems such as "seven-day no-reason return for offline purchases by the elderly."
Jiang Baoguo stated that the relevant provisions design a "cooling-off period" mechanism for specific marketing scenarios such as conference marketing and door-to-door sales, aiming to resolve the practical contradiction between "impulse consumption" and the "right to regret," and helping elderly people hold on to their "money bags" in a promotional atmosphere of information asymmetry.
Liu, aged 11, used his maternal grandfather's phone number to register an account on a certain platform without real-name verification. In just over ten days, he made more than 100 purchases of "blind box proxy unboxing" products in multiple livestream rooms, spending nearly 38,000 yuan in total... Recently, the Guangzhou Internet Court publicized this case, determining that this consumption behavior was incompatible with his age and intelligence, that the contract was invalid, and that the business operator should bear the corresponding refund liability.
Considering the physical and mental health of minors, the "Regulations" stipulate that business operators may not publish, broadcast, post, or disseminate information and advertisements containing content that endangers the physical and mental health of minors, and further clarify that network product and service providers may not provide minors with products and services that induce them to become addicted.
For network service providers such as online games, online livestreaming, online audio and video, and online social networking, the "Regulations" clarify that they shall set up a minors mode, provide corresponding services in terms of usage periods, duration, functions, and content in accordance with relevant national regulations and standards, reasonably limit the single-transaction consumption amount and daily cumulative consumption amount of minors when using their services, shall not provide minors with paid services inconsistent with their capacity for civil conduct, and shall, in conspicuous and convenient ways, provide guardians with functions such as time management, permission management, and consumption management for the performance of guardianship duties.
In addition to strengthening consumption protection for "one old, one young" (一老一小; the elderly and minors), the "Regulations" also make specialized provisions for key areas such as catering services, passenger transport operations, driving training, tourism operations, ticketing services, decoration services, non-degree education and training, intermediary services, and cross-border e-commerce retail imports.
Advancing cross-border consumer rights protection cooperation
Provide convenient channels for handling cross-border consumption complaints, and jointly build a worry-free consumption environment that is livable, workable, and travel-friendly.
With the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the two-way journey of "southbound" shopping and "northbound" consumption has become the norm, but the pain points of cross-border consumption rights protection have also emerged.
Xiao Chen, who studies in Macao, went to a dental clinic in Zhuhai in 2023 because his teeth were not aesthetically pleasing. On the doctor's recommendation, he accepted the plan of having 4 healthy teeth extracted for full-mouth invisible orthodontic treatment, paying a cumulative total of 26,800 yuan.
However, in the dozens of follow-up visits over the subsequent two years, not only were the attending physicians changed three times, but the orthodontic effect also fell far short of expectations, with problems such as alveolar bone depression in the gaps left by missing teeth and loose teeth repeatedly appearing, resulting in obstruction of biting and eating and affected facial symmetry.
Over the two years, Xiao Chen frequently requested leave to travel back and forth between Macao and Guangdong for follow-up visits, and his physical and mental health and studies were seriously affected. In desperation, he filed a complaint with the Zhuhai Consumers Committee. After receiving the complaint, the Zhuhai Consumers Committee carefully sorted through the course of events, carefully verified the evidence, and on multiple occasions communicated, coordinated, and explained the law with the involved clinic. In the end, the clinic refunded all treatment fees and compensated for losses, totaling 126,000 yuan.
"Because of differences in relevant legal standards, rights protection procedures, and other matters, when consumers encounter shopping, service, and pre-sale consumption disputes, cross-border rights protection is not smooth enough." Yu Fufang (余馥芳), vice president of the Macao Nanshan Youth Association (澳门南山青年协会), said that consumers from the three places face many problems in cross-border rights protection, which urgently need legislative responses.
"Initially, Greater Bay Area cooperation was only touched upon in the 'Regulations,' but in our research we found that consumers face numerous problems in cross-border rights protection. Combining Guangdong's actual conditions and soliciting opinions from Hong Kong, Macao, and other parties, we decided to specifically carry out 'small, fast, and agile' (小快灵) legislation." Li Qiong said that the "Regulations" make macro-level guiding provisions, while the "Provisions" refine them, with 11 articles in total and no chapter divisions, elevating the cooperation experience and mature practices formed by the three places over many years into institutional norms, and advancing the "soft connectivity" (软联通) of rules and mechanisms for consumer rights protection cooperation in the Greater Bay Area.
In recent years, the three places have already achieved considerable preliminary exploration results in cross-border consumer rights protection cooperation. In 2019, the consumers committees of the three places respectively signed consumer rights protection cooperation agreements and officially launched the "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Consumer Complaint Transfer Platform." Through the platform, consumers in Hong Kong and Macao can directly file complaints with the Guangdong Provincial Consumers Committee (广东省消费者委员会) or the consumers committees of the 9 Pearl River Delta cities, and consumer complaints from within Guangdong Province concerning Hong Kong and Macao can also achieve "one-network transfer."
To further improve the efficiency of rights protection, the "Provisions" require improving the cross-border complaint and dispute handling mechanism, explicitly supporting the Provincial Consumers Committee in lawfully building and optimizing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Consumer Complaint Transfer Platform, and strengthening data security management.
The "Provisions" clarify that the consumers committees of the three places shall establish a normalized linkage and coordination mechanism, explore strengthening interaction and exchange through methods such as exchange meetings, strengthen normalized cross-border linkage and information sharing, and strengthen cooperation in consumer education and risk warning. At the same time, they support the three places in carrying out cross-border consumption integrity co-construction through activities such as cultivating worry-free consumption merchants and integrity stores, enhancing the cross-border consumption experience.
Huang Guanying (黄冠英), deputy secretary-general of the Guangdong Provincial Consumers Committee, stated that they will continue to implement systems such as the three-place linkage and coordination, steadily advance the compilation of "Bay Area Standards" in the field of consumer rights protection, and jointly build, in the Bay Area, a worry-free consumption environment that is livable, workable, and travel-friendly.
Return to TopLegal publicity and education is a long-term foundational task for comprehensively governing the country by law. Recently, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council transmitted the "Ninth Five-Year Plan on Carrying out Legal Publicity and Education (2026–2030) of the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Justice." How to strengthen and improve legal publicity and education, so as to promote the practice of respecting the law, learning the law, abiding by the law, and using the law becoming a common practice throughout society? Our reporter interviewed four deputies to the National People's Congress.
— Editor
Xiao Beigeng (肖北庚), deputy to the National People's Congress, dean of the Jiangwan Institute of Rule of Law and Public Policy (江湾法治与公共政策研究院) at Hunan Normal University:
Promote lifelong legal education for citizens
The rule of law taking root in people’s hearts and the respect for, study of, observance of, and use of the law becoming a way of life is the goal of a society under the rule of law, and this requires that legal education be integrated into citizens’ life course, fostering a behavioral consciousness of accepting lifelong legal education. This requires a sustained, continuous institutional arrangement covering the entire lifespan, which should run through different life stages and fit the characteristics of each stage, with particular emphasis on targeted legal publicity and education for young people.
The goal of lifelong legal education for citizens is to enhance citizens’ legal literacy. This not only requires citizens to grasp the basic principles and institutional norms of the law, but also demands that citizens identify with the spirit of fairness, justice and the rule of law that the law contains. The center of gravity of legal publicity and education efforts should expand from merely popularizing legal knowledge to cultivating the spirit of the rule of law, progressing from “passive law-abiding” to the fostering of a legal mindset of “handling affairs according to law, seeking help in line with the law when encountering problems, using law to resolve issues, and relying on law to resolve conflicts.”
Cultivating the rule of law spirit and fostering a legal mindset are systematic undertakings. The Law of the Republic on the Promotion of Legal Publicity and Education (法治宣传教育法), enacted in 2025, stipulates the duties of state organs, mass organizations, and public institutions in carrying out legal publicity and education, to guarantee the implementation of this systematic effort. Each responsible entity should establish a practical and effective system, implement the main responsibility for legal education into actual work, integrate it into daily routines, and promote the normalization and institutionalization of citizens’ lifelong legal education.
(Organized by our reporter Yang Xun (杨迅))
Fu Zitang (付子堂), deputy to the National People’s Congress, professor at Southwest University of Political Science and Law (西南政法大学):
Improve the legal publicity and education work system
Improving the legal publicity and education work system is an important guarantee for promoting the normalization and long-term operation of legal popularization work.
Implement the legal popularization responsibility system, gathering cohesive force for joint effort. Fully implement the responsibility system that “those who enforce the law shall also popularize the law,” and improve a system of a list of legal popularization responsibilities. Promote deep extension of to “those in charge also popularize” and “those who provide services also popularize,” urging mass organizations, industry organizations, enterprises and others to actively bear the obligation of legal popularization. Establish a system of legal popularization reminders and liability accountability to ensure responsibilities do not fall by the wayside and work does not break down.
Integrate into legal practice to elevate the legal literacy of all people. Adhere to organically combining universal legal popularization with law-based governance, continuously promote open lawmaking, transparent law enforcement, and public judicial practice, to constantly enhance the legal literacy of the masses. Strengthen the interpretation and reading of legislation throughout the entire process, broaden channels for public participation; strengthen the interpretation of legal reasoning during enforcement and judicial phases, formulate work guidelines for legal popularization throughout the whole case handling process, and improve the system for publishing typical cases and of using legal cases as teaching material. Integrate legal popularization with this-level governance and changing customs; enhance targeted legal education simultaneously when tackling issues such as high bride prices and unhealthy comparison in dealings.
Guide social participation for legal popularization, and expand legal popularization personnel. Deeply implement the “legal acquaintance” training project, exploring its extension to other industries and fields. Encourage legal experts, persons, and university students to serve as volunteers in legal popularization, and build brands such as university students’ legal advocacy groups. Establish a national expert database for legal publicity and education, strengthen theoretical research and talent training, provide institutional security and incentive mechanisms for social forces.
(Sorted and organized by our reporter Liu Xinwu (刘新吾))
Shi Wenmei (施文美), deputy to National People’s Congress, director of the R&D Center of Huzhou Taiping Weite Micro Motor Co., Ltd. (浙江湖州太平微特电机有限公司) in Zhejiang:
Form a targeted model for legal publicity and education
Facing the new situation of diversified social structures and the detailed needs of the masses, the traditional “flood irrigation” approach to legal popularization is already hard to adapt to the requirements of the times. We should accelerate the development of a new model of legal publicity and education that is precise, intelligent and integrated.
Explore establishing a legal needs research system based on big data. Through sharing data from systems, judicial data, and internet platforms we can judge the weak links in legal literacy and real legal needs of various regions and groups. Establish closed-loop feedback from audiences, dynamically adjust contents and methods according to effect, ensuring legal popularization resources are used where need is the greatest.
Deepen the construction of all-media legal dissemination system. Make good use of forms the masses love to see, such as microvideos, microfilms, micro-dramas, and cartoons, to enhance the attractiveness and influence of legal content. Explore cross-sector combination by combing 润入无声, and principles of “legal guide plus intangible cultural heritage” and “legal plus culture and tourism,” weaving legal elements into the fabric of traditional festivals, folk activities, and sports events, so that legal publicity can 润物无声 (rùn wù wú shēng, “moisten things silently,” to influence imperceptibly).
We base ourselves on existing resources to build a comprehensive “digital public legal” platform, strengthen sharing of resources with judgments databases, case databases of the People’s Courts, and mainstream internet platforms. Embed legal publicity and education modules into venues such as government service halls and public transport facilities, making legal knowledge readily accessible. Expand the new media matrix for legal campaigns, nurture a number of influential legal social media accounts, support and guide “influencers” in the legal field to actively take part in legal publicity, forming a network that links online and offline for full-coverage legal popularization.
(Organized by our reporter Dou Hao (窦皓))
Chen Haiyi (陈海仪), deputy to the National People’s Congress, Party Secretary and President of the People’s Court of Liwan District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province (广东省广州市荔湾区人民法院):
Root the faith in the rule of law in the hearts of young people
Young people are the future of the nation. Legal education for young people is a foundational project for advancing the construction of a rule of law in China.
Embedding legal education into judicial case handling is a basic requirement of juvenile justice work. Continue to weave a densely net protecting minors in multiple aspects of judicial protection. For juveniles involved in cases, adhere to the principle of education, influence, and redemption, making good use of mechanisms such as conditional non-prosecution, observation and guidance, and family education corrective order, carry out pilot projects for psychological assessment and counseling, not only “untying legal knots” but also “opening up heart knots.” Closely follow the Family Education Promotion Law to implement the cooperation of schools and families at home, explore “parent legal education classes,” and strengthen the first threshold of legal enlightenment.
Innovating the pathway of legal popularization is essential for improving the effectiveness of legal education for young people. Transform legal popularization from one-way inculcation to realistic experience. Open the door of judicial organs to the public, establish standardized juvenile legal practice bases, let young people perceive the authority of the law in real judicial settings. Improve the system of law-use of posts, resign, create immersive legal education classrooms, turning real cases into vivid teaching materials. Bring legal literacy into the comprehensive evaluation system of primary and secondary school students, guiding students to actively participate in legal learning.
Legal education for young people is a systematic project. We will build a coordinated pattern of school teaching, family guidance, judicial empowerment and social participation, continuously optimize the mode of education, consolidate the institutional support, fill the shortage of resources, so that the spirit of rule of law will permeat the whole process of young growth, accumulating youthful strength for building a China grounded in the rule of law.
(Organized by our reporter Li Zong (李纵))
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 郑海鸥
“How to make more young people fall in love with Peking opera?” has been something on the mind of Meng Guanglu, a deputy to the National People’s Congress, chairman of the China Theater Association, and Peking opera performing artist. He has been pondering what “opening methods” and “fan-attracting modes” ancient theater can still have in contemporary society.
Not long ago, upon learning that he would participate in a theatrical carnival gathering many fellow professionals and audience members, Meng Guanglu was very pleased — this was a good opportunity for investigation and research. He arrived early, went into the crowd, talked about everyday matters, inquired about feelings, listened to difficulties, and noted down demands.
“On the basis of upholding the orthodox, theater must fit the rhythm of the times, align with the tastes of the masses, and win the affection of the public,” Meng Guanglu said. During the investigation he had many impressions and gains: “On-site teaching and experience are very novel and popular. In recent years, theater and cultural tourism have become deeply integrated, entered everyday life, and made more people participate voluntarily. The next step is to continue combining with campus aesthetic education and the cultural tourism industry, develop theater-related cultural and creative products and offline experience classes (现场体验课堂), and activate the industry’s internal momentum.”
Wherever the audience is, Meng Guanglu performs. He enacts the Qiu school classics on different stages and platforms, and also tries to promote Peking Opera in ways contemporary people like. As a guest on television programs, he elaborates in detail on his experiences of studying under a master and mastering the 铜锤花脸 (tóng chuí liǎn tongchui hualian — “copper-hammer painted-face,” a type of role in Peking Opera); he participates in cross-genre programs, stepping out of the conventional fixed context of professional opera and using everyday, easy-to-understand language to explain basic knowledge such as role categories, body movements (shans dance), and musical modes . . . Every performance is also a process of that he fans out and surveys: he listens his audience’s feedback, reads netizens’ comments, and asks everyone where their daily channels for watching opera lie and what expectations they have for opera innovation.
At the 2023 sessions of the National People’s Congress and tumid, Meng Guanglu suggested that the state continue to increase its support for the inheritance of China’s fine traditional culture, and proposed using new platforms such as livestreaming to ignite the traditional culture enthusiasm of youth groups. “By stage presentation, we should rationally apply modern technologies such as multimedia, lighting, and digital audiovisual to optimize the stage-procuring memory narrative logic and fit youthful aesthetics. For dissemination, we should rely on all-media platforms to carry out segmented and targeted propagation, and tirelessly push opera beyond the country’s borders.”
Meng Guanglu is pleasantly surprised to see that this year, among the five departments including the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the “Three-Year Action Plan for the Revival of Chinese Opera (2026–2028)” (2026–2028) proposes: “We have researched and develop science and technology to empower the creation and dissemination of modern solar energy dissemination, and support theater potential in the active usage of the Internet, artificial intelligence, and other new technical methods.” Meng Guanglu suggests continuing to use live streaming to present the finest content of Chinese fine traditional culture, so that netizens can strengthen their cultural confidence in the process of feeling the charm of traditional culture.
The phrase “vigorously develop new popular literary art (新大众文艺) under the conditions of a prosperous Internet” was written into the “Fifteenth Five-Year Plan” form and this year’s “Government Work Report. Meng Guanglu has turned to thinking about the new popular mass culture and where theater should stand within it. Using the opportunity of the first “Opera Zhiyin Conference” (中央广播电视总台首届戏曲知音大会) hosted by China Local and General Mass Cooperation, opera lovers of all ages and from all walks of life, bringing nearly a hundred dramatic forms, took the stage to perform. From this, Meng Guanglu saw the passion in everyday life: “Each simple, unpolished performance makes me truly understand the deep-seated nature of the people in opera, and I can clearly see that traditional art must always keep pace with the times and journey alongside the people.”
Of this, Meng is preparing to offer relevant proposals as promoting the transmission of, promote, and popularize opera among the figure polo pen plus the new mass literature and art. “Opera was born from the people. Every ordinary person who, from the heart, fell in love with it, is willing to approach opera and sing — all of them are the prized kindred spirits of the opera. I suggest that we continue to unearth young artistes, young motto learners, and folk zaušovarine fans, and building a “multivector next-generation tower” where the new talent for the passing of old, and young fans? The old basis of a mythical, vital sequence of generation inheritance.
Meng Guanglu says that the new era brings infinite opportunities, and opera figures must uphold the integrity of their foundation and make innovations that seize the hearts of young audiences. He sees a wonderful future for Chinese traditional opera awaiting the start of the era.
Return to Top8月的滇池，湖风清凉，咖香四溢。
In August, Dianchi Lake has cool breezes wafting off the water, and the fragrance of coffee permeates the air.
8月1日至9日，以“滇咖聚 万物生”为主题的2026滇池国际咖啡文化嘉年华在云南省昆明市举行。来自52个城市的200余辆特色咖啡车环湖集结，300余场主题活动与200余场音乐演艺轮番上演。从咖啡品鉴到场景打卡，从民族风情体验到环湖艺术展演，各类特色活动亮点纷呈，咖啡的醇香与22摄氏度的清凉交织，吸引了八方游客。这场为期9天的咖啡盛宴，正是云南暑期经济的生动缩影。
From August 1 to 9, the 2026 Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival, with the theme “Dian Coffee Gathers, All Things Grow” (滇咖聚 万物生), was held in Kunming City, Yunnan Province. Over 200 special coffee vehicles from 52 cities gathered around the lake; more than 300 thematic events and over 200 musical performances were staged in succession. From coffee tasting to scene check-ins, from ethnic folk experiences to art performances around the lake, all kinds of special activities had a profusion of highlights. The rich aroma of coffee interlaced with the 22-degree-Celsius coolness, attracting visitors from all directions. This nine-day coffee industry gathering served as a vivid microcosm of Yunnan’s summer economy.
今年暑运期间，中国铁路昆明局集团有限公司预计发送旅客2790万人次。多家平台数据显示，云南稳居全国长线避暑旅游热门省份前三，暑期旅游预订量同比增长42.7%。用好“凉资源”，撬动“热经济”，云南正以一杯咖啡、一场清凉、一季活动，激发暑期经济新活力。
During this year’s summer transportation period, China Railway Kunming Group Co., Ltd. (中国铁路昆明局集团有限公司) expects to handle 27.9 million passenger trips. Data from multiple platforms show that Yunnan is firmly among the top three provinces nationwide for long-distance cool‑avoidance tourism, with summer tourism bookings up 42.7% year‑on‑year. By capitalizing on “cool resources” and leveraging a “hot economy”, Yunnan is using one cup of coffee, one season of coolness, and one series of activities to ignite new vitality in its summer economy.
一杯咖啡，串起消费新场景
One Cup of Coffee, Linking New Consumption Scenarios
咖啡，是今年云南暑期经济的一抹亮色。滇池国际咖啡文化嘉年华自2024年创办以来，持续深耕“咖啡+滇池文旅”特色赛道，已成长为面向南亚东南亚、具有全国影响力的标志性咖啡文化盛会。
Coffee is a bright spot in Yunnan’s summer economy this year. Since its inception in 2024, the Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival has consistently cultivated the “coffee + Dianchi culture and tourism” special track and has grown into a landmark coffee rendezvous that reaches South Asia and Southeast Asia and holds national influence.
从滇池到雪山，从峡谷到雨林，咖啡正以不同形态融入云南各地的暑期消费场景。丽江玉龙雪山脚下，“一杯咖啡看雪山”特色文旅品牌持续升温。丽江全域举办咖啡季，设1个主会场、4个分会场，白沙古镇集聚119家专业咖啡店，咖啡主题博物馆成为游客热门打卡地。
From Dianchi Lake to snow‑capped mountains, from canyons to rainforests, coffee is being integrated into summer consumption scenarios across Yunnan in different forms. At the foot of Lijiang’s Yulong Snow Mountain, the “A cup of coffee with a view of the snowy mountains” specialty cultural tourism brand is building momentum year after year. The whole city of Lijiang holds a Coffee Season, with one main venue and four sub‑venues; more than 130 coffee shops gather in Baisha Ancient Town (白沙古镇), and the coffee-themed museum has become a popular photo opportunity for tourists.
怒江大峡谷深处，G219美丽公路沿途的溶洞咖啡馆、峡谷咖啡庄园里人声鼎沸，“一路有咖香、一村一特色”的格局初步成形。德宏傣族景颇族自治州依托边境风光与乡村生态，在芒市、梁河县等地打造一批融合自然景观与传统风情的咖啡消费新空间。临沧市将年均18.8摄氏度的“恒春”气候禀赋转化为文旅吸引力，依托古茶树群落、佤族村寨等，推出“茶咖”融合新饮品和实景打卡路线。玉溪抚仙湖畔，临湖网红咖啡聚集区采用“咖啡+旅拍+落日音乐会”运营模式，热门咖啡馆节假日单日接待超千人。
Deep in the Nujiang Grand Canyon (怒江大峡谷), G219 scenic road is lined with cave coffee shops and canyon coffee plantations buzzing with activity; the pattern of “coffee aroma all along the road, one village with its own coffee speciality” is taking shape. Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture (德宏傣族景颇族自治州) leverages its border‑zone scenery and rural ecology to create a new-type coffee consumption space that integrates natural landscapes and humanistic interest in places like Mangshi (芒市) and Lianghe County (梁河县). Lincang City (临沧市) turns its “everlasting spring” climatic asset, with an average annual temperature of 18.8°C, into a cultural‑tourist attraction, and uses ancient tea mountains and Wa ethnic villages to launch a “tea‑coffee” fusion beverage and real‑scene photo‑taking routes. On the shore of Fuxian Lake (抚仙湖) in Yuxi City (玉溪市), a cluster of internet‑famous coffee shops adopts the “coffee + travel photography + sunset concert” operational model, with popular coffee shops receiving over a thousand customers a day on holidays.
一杯杯咖啡，串联起高原湖泊、白雪皑皑的雪山、峡谷和热带雨林，也串联起云南暑期经济的多元脉络。
Every cup of coffee connects the plateau lakes, snow‑capped mountains, canyons, and tropical rain forests, and also traces the diverse arteries of Yunnan’s summer economy.
一场清凉，成就避暑好去处
One Season of Coolness, Creating an Ideal Summer Escape
如果说咖啡是云南暑期经济的“味道”，那清凉就是云南夏天的“底色”。
If coffee is the “flavor” of Yunnan’s summer economy, then coolness is the “backdrop” of Yunnan’s summer.
云南7月平均气温仅21.9摄氏度，全省129个县（市、区）中有95个的平均气温在19到24摄氏度之间。依靠这个独有的气候家底，云南各地纷纷打出“清凉牌”。
Yunnan’s average temperature in July is only 21.9°C, and among its 129 counties (cities, districts), 95 have an average summer temperature between 19°C and 23.9°C. Relying on this unique climate foundation, various places in Yunnan are all promoting the “cool card”.
昭通市素有“秋城”之美誉，平均海拔约1950米，夏季均温约20摄氏度。今年，昭通以“清凉一夏·嗨玩昭通”为主题，策划推出196项、1064场次的夏季避暑系列文旅活动，大山包、小草坝等生态景区游客持续不断，避暑旅居人群日益增多，大部分山区自然村落成为长住游客的热门选择。
Zhaotong City (昭通市) has the reputation of “the city of autumn”, with an average elevation of about 1950 meters and an average summer temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius. This year, Zhaotong takes the theme “Cool Summer · Enjoy Zhaotong” and has planned and launched 196 items and 1,064 sessions of summer retreat cultural tourism activities. Tourist numbers at the ecological scenic spots such as Dashanbao (大山包) and Xiaocaoba (小草坝) have continued to rise; the number of people seeking coolness and long‑stay visitors is increasing, and the tourist villages become popular choices for long‑term tourists.
怒江大峡谷最热月平均气温仅22.2摄氏度，森林覆盖率67.77%，负氧离子含量常年保持在2000个/立方厘米以上。丽江市依托64.48%的森林覆盖率、夏季20摄氏度的天然避暑条件，建成A级景区44家，丽江古城景区7月接待游客608.9万人次，日均约20万人进入古城，避暑游客占五成以上。临沧市被中国气象局国家气候中心评价为“全域恒春、全城宜居”，成为养老避暑的热门目的地。
In the Nujiang Grand Canyon, the average temperature of the hottest month is only 22.2 degrees Celsius, the forest cover is 67.77 percent, and the negative oxygen ion content is constantly above 2000 per cubic centimeter. Lijiang City relies on its 64.48 percent forest coverage and natural summer‑cool conditions of 20 degrees Celsius to establish 44 A‑level scenic spots. The Lijiang Old Town scenic area received 6,089 million visitors in July – nearly 200,000 per day – with summer‑escape tourists accounting for over half. Lincang City (临沧市) is rated by the National Climate Center (国家气候中心) of the China Meteorological Administration as “a city of perennial spring throughout the entire territory, liveable in all seasons” and has become a wellness tourism destination popular with summer visitors.
当清凉气候遇上旅居需求，“气候资源”便成了实实在在的“经济流量”。平台数据显示，今年暑期，全国范围内住宿满15天及以上的旅居订单同比上涨22%，云南旅居订单同比上涨52%，涨幅位居全国前列。今年暑期，大理的民宿预订量持续高速增长，7月1日至13日，大理站累计开行列车862对，运送旅客97.10万人次。在云南，旅游正从“赶行程”向“过生活”转变。
When cool climate meets demand for long‑term stays, “climate resources” turn into real “economic flows”. Platform data show that nationwide, this summer, orders for stays of 15 consecutive nights or longer surged 22 percent year‑on‑year, and such orders in Yunnan surged 52 percent year‑on‑year, one of the highest rates in the country. This summer, home‑stay booking in Dali continued to grow strongly; from July 1 to 13, Dali Station operated a total of 1,384.5 train services and transported 931,400 passengers. In Yunnan, tourism is shifting from “travel schedule” to “living experience”.
一季活动，点燃假日大市场
One Season of Activities, Igniting the Holiday Market
有了清凉的气候和香醇的咖啡，还得有丰富的活动把人留住。
With the cool climate and the aroma of coffee, you also need a variety of activities to keep people there.
昆明市打出“喝咖啡、吃菌子、过火把节、追滇剧”的“组合拳”。除滇池国际咖啡文化嘉年华外，依托野生菌上市季推出专属食菌季旅游线路，全新升级的滇池绿道从单一骑行道升级为复合型生态文旅体验廊道，精准定向投放1000万元“彩云美物”消费券，覆盖2000多家商户。
Kunming city is playing its “combination card”: “drink coffee, eat wild mushrooms, celebrate the Torch Festival, and pursue Dian‑style opera”. In addition to the Dianchi International Coffee Culture Carnival, the city launches the exclusive mushroom‑eating seasonal tourism route based on the season when wild mushrooms come to market, upgrades the Dianchi Greenway from a single cycling path to a composite ecological cultural tourism experience corridor, and precisely distributes 10 million yuan of “Colorful Cloud Beautiful Things” consumption coupons covering more than 2000 merchants.
楚雄彝族自治州在火把节期间，开展了15项精品活动，包括盛大的祭火大典、踏歌起舞的万人欢乐海洋，全州同步推出景区门票减免、住宿补贴等惠民政策，实现了从“客流”到“客留”的转变。
During the Torch Festival, as many as 15 excellent activities were carried out by the Cicada Yi Autonomous Prefecture (楚雄彝族自治州), including the grand fire worship ceremony and tens of thousands of happy dances. The entire prefecture also introduced such beneficial policies as scenic‑spot ticket reduction and lodging subsidies to achieve the transformation from “tourist flow” to “tourist stay”.
文山壮族苗族自治州丘北县将花脸节从“一节日”延伸为“一季火”，活动自7月18日持续至8月18日，联动荷花节、火把节，推出“天天抹花脸”沉浸式体验。活动开展以来，普者黑风景区水上桨板项目单日最高接待400余人次，夜游项目吸引游客超20万人次，带动综合收入突破8000万元。
Qiubei County (丘北县) in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (文山壮族苗族自治州) extended the Face‑painting Festival from “a one‑day event” to “one‑season fire”, with activities from July 18 to August 18 and co‑ordination with the Lotus Festival and the Torch Festival, launching an “Every Day Face painting” immersive experience. Since the activities started at Pushanhe Scenic Area, the stand‑up paddle‑boarding program on the water once hosted more than 400 person‑yet.person‑times, and the night tourism programme attracted more than 200,000 visitors, boosting overall revenue by over 80 million yuan.
怒江傈僳族自治州健全“月月有活动、季季有亮点、全年有精彩”的文旅活动体系，依托国家级非遗项目怒族仙女节推出无人机光影秀、千人篝火等17项活动；泸水市以10公里精英赛为载体，吸引6000名跑者跑向自然风光和民族风情，串联了多项主题场景。
Nujing Lisu Autonomous Prefecture (怒江傈僳族自治州) has improved the cultural tourism activity system with “events every month, highlights every season, excitement throughout the year”, based on the national intangible‑cultural‑heritage project of the Nuts Fairies Festival, it introduced 17 events such as drone light shows and the fire of a thousand people; In the same vein, the city of Lulshui (泸水市) used a 10‑kilometer elite race as a vehicle, attracting 6,000 runners to encounter natural scenery and ethnic folk customs, linking several thematic scenarios.
德宏州则将国家级非遗项目目瑙纵歌从正月举办的民族节日延伸为贯穿暑期的文化IP。7月中旬，云南民族村目瑙纵歌率先点燃暑期热潮；随后活动在玉龙雪山脚下开展，万人共舞、篝火木板接连登场。第十届南博会期间，德宏展区每天组织精彩的互动体验，半小时沉浸式歌舞让游客感受“一站式”边境风情。德宏州5个县市每天都有目瑙纵歌体验活动，跨区域联动展演带动文化支消费持续升温。
Dezhou has extended the National Intangible Cultural Heritage item Mu Noro (目瑙纵歌) from the traditional ethnic festival held in the first lunar month into a cultural IP that runs through the summer. In mid-July, the Mu Noro festival in the Yunnan Ethnic Village first ignited the summer trend; then the event moved to the foot of the Yulong Snow Mountain, where tens of thousands of people danced together and bonfire gatherings took place one after another. During the 10th South China Expo (第十届南博会), the Dehong exhibition area organized interactive experiences every day, with half‑hour immersive singing and dancing allowing tourists to “enjoy the border ambience at one stop”. In Dehong’s five counties and cities, Mu Noro experience activities were held every day, while cross‑regional intangible‑cultural‑heritage linkages kept the event’s reach and kept temperatures of cultural consumption rising.
玉溪市依托抚仙湖、星云湖、杞麓湖，布局水上休闲、低空观光等多元业态。丽江民谣音乐季从6月持续到11月，古城大水车旁开放式街头舞台常态上演，丰富游客夜间游览体验，延长游客停留时间。
Yuxi City (玉溪市) relies on Fuxian Lake, Xingyun Lake (星云湖), and Qilu Lake (杞麓湖) to deploy diversified businesses such as water‑free leisure and low‑altitude sightseeing. Lijiang Folk Music Season runs from June to November, with an open street stage performed regularly next to the ancient city’s Giant water Wheel, enriching tourists’ night‑time visiting experiences and lengthening their stay.
旅游是云南最突出的比较优势之一。从滇池边的咖啡嘉年华到全域接连不断的节庆赛事，云南正用“一杯咖啡、一场清凉、一季活动”把全国避暑游客引进来、留下来。绿水青山正在转化为实实在在的收入——824个自然村因旅居受益，越来越多各族群众在家门口吃上了“旅游饭”。这个暑期，“有一种叫云南的生活”就是游客舌尖的咖啡香、耳畔的民谣、眼前的好风光。
Tourism is one of the most important comparative advantages of Yunnan. From a coffee festival by the side of Dianchi Lake to one‑by‑one festivals and events throughout the whole region, Yunnan is using “one cup of coffee, one season of coolness, one series of events” to bring in and keep the summer‑escape tourists. The “green water and green mountains are turning into real income” – 832 natural villages have benefited from the visitors, and more and more of the local people are living on ‘tourism rice’. This summer, “That’s a kind of life called Yunnan” means the coffee fragrance on the tongue of visitors, the music Folk songs echo in their ears, and the beautiful scenery before their eyes.
数据来源：中共云南省委宣传部
Data source: Propaganda Department of the Yunnan Provincial Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.
By: 王 馗
The 2026 Classic Opera Excerpts Exhibition presents a succession of fine performances. In his Jin opera Returning Home, Xie Tao (谢涛) sang the time's new meaning of the "Lanke Mountain" tale; Li Mei (李梅), Wang Hang (王航), and Yang Yun (杨运) worked in concert to present the Qin opera Ghost's Resentment·Slaying Life, including special skills such as "soft-lying fish" and "spitting fire," fully displaying the collective creation charm of Chinese opera; Chen Lili (陈丽俐), Yang Xiayun (杨霞云), and Lou Sheng (楼胜), three "Plum Blossoms," elevated the Wu opera Broken Bridge, which has been performed for over 60 years, to a new artistic peak… 20 days, 20 performances, 81 opera excerpts, and the famous artists and representative works from 42 opera genres of 30 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities were concentratedly displayed, highlighting the artistic beauty of Chinese opera and revealing the laws of inheritance and development in contemporary opera. This activity, jointly organized and promoted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee (中宣部) and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (文化和旅游部), has become an important measure for implementing the Three‑Year Action Plan for the Revitalization of Drama (2026‑2028) (《戏剧振兴三年行动计划（2026—2028年）》and for promoting the high‑quality development of Chinese opera. Approaching this activity, we can glimpse the laws of opera inheritance and development.
The formation of classic opera excerpts (折子戏) represents the law by which many stage‑art works move toward becoming classics. Excerpts are short plays in the opera repertoire, either spun off from full‑length major works or forming short independent sections because the subject fits a small‑scale structure only. Their artistic presentation has distinct characteristics: structure is short and concise, plot is concentrated, character relations rise, develop, turn, and conclude in an orderly manner, and the performers' skills—singing, recitation, acting, and acrobatics—are refined. The reason excerpts become classics is that they are a high‑degree condensation of opera technique and stage aesthetics, and because most have undergone a long process of stage polishing and settling, having been tested artistically by generation after generation of audiences.
The formation of classic excerpts that are a necessity of creativity during long reader interaction between performance and viewing, represents the law by which many stage works move toward classics, and mirrors the straight path of Chinese opera inheritance and development. Promoting classic creation from a constructive artistic stance and averting the disorderly development of stage art and unsustainability of innovation is a topic that today's opera creation and performance must confront.
For a specific opera genre, classic excerpts establish the artistic heights of that genre, specific role types, and even specific schools, achieving the artistic standard of protecting the performer through the work, promoting the performer through the work, and shapingthe performer through the work (以戏保人、以戏推人、以戏塑人). At the same time, the classic excerpt requires actors to maintain creative vitality in order to realize the artistic sphere of protecting the work through the person, performing the work through the person, and creating the work through the person (以人保戏、以人演戏、以人创戏).
Most of the classic works participating in this exhibition are performed by famous artists of their respective genres, and many of the main performers have already had more than 40 years of stage experience. Their performances have attained 炉火纯青 (lú huǒ chún qīng – "the furnace fire is pure indigo," denoting the highest degree of perfection and thus fully express the creativity of the "person" in the classical nature of opera). Some other actors, with their youthful vitality and their constantly increasing performance skills, allow the audience to see the process of growth in which performer and work jointly reach perfection, and to enjoy the artistic surprise of "witnessing a classic."
For example, a few years ago, during exhibitions such as the "National Local Opera Essence Exhibition" and the "Garden of Art Selections," people saw the breathtaking and wonderful performance of the Gui opera Hitting the Stick and Getting Out of the Box (《打棍出箱》). The actor used highly difficult techniques to complete the "three falls and fourth exits" between opening and closing the box, as well as comprehensive skills among water sleeves, ornamental hair, side‑splits, and beard – all within the repertoire of poses and shapes, leaving the audience lost in awe. At that time the actor performing that play was Wang Pei (王培), just over 20 years old. After several years of training, in this Classic Opera Excerpts Exhibition, he has displayed in Hitting the Stick and Getting Out of the Box artistic height that a "play" should have: steady stances, fitting temperament, and smooth singing, integrating skills and techniques into the character's state of being.
From the artistic dialectic of mutual support between "person" and "play" in the excerpts, we can see exactly the way to cultivate and transform of young talent. In recent years, a large number of outstanding middle‑aged and young opera stars have gradually become the leaders of stage art. Through massive stage practice, they display their unique artistic personas, create audience drawing power in the spread areas of their respective genres, and also add a contemporary flavor to the classic works, turning more spectators into maintainers of traditional opera. This distribution applies to Yan Dong's Yan Qing Selling a Thread (燕青卖线) and even more to Chen Lili, Yang Xiayun, and Lou Sheng's Broken Bridge. From the growth and transformation of young actors, we can see the assistance provided by the national and local levels in promoting talent cultivation and other aspects. Through ample stage practice, young actors are fully capable of properly inheriting the classical arts of their genres.
It is necessary to encourage opera troupes to promote the making of classics, so as to realize the benign development of the ecology of opera creation and performance.
A complete artistic team and a full range of personnel reserves in an opera troupe are important markers of its creative capacity. If the benign development and active construction of opera troupes is neglected, it is difficult for the opera art to retain its classic qualities. This exhibition is both testing the inheritance level of each genre’s classic repertoire, the creative experience of current opera artists, and the transmission capability of opera troupes.
For a time, the protection of Shandong Bangzi was a neglected link in Shandong opera art. This can be traced from the system of the "Shandong Bangzi Provincial Troupe": its predecessor was the Heze Prefecture People’s Dramatic Troupe (菏泽去署—— the former Great Prosperity Troupe (原为大兴班). In June 1958, the troupe was used as base, with famous veteran artist transfers from the Jining area, the provincial troupe was established in Jinan. In 1986, it was renamed the Provincial Troupe Art of Shandong Province Art Service Center (山东省艺术服务中心); in 2018, the Service Center was transferred to Shandong Province Culture and Art School (山东省文化艺术学校); in 2020, it was approved by the Shandong Province Department of Culture and Tourism, the School established a unit of Shandong Bangzi Experiren Group (山东梆子实验剧团); in March 2026, with the consent of the Culture and Tourism Department Party Group of Shandong Province, the Shandong Bangzi Expeririment Group was entirely placed under the Shandong Liuzi Art Protection and Transmission Center (山东省柳子戏艺术保护传承中心). The institutional changes of a provincial troupe over nearly 70 years have been so tortuous; the difficulty for Shandong Bangzi’s survival and development is obvious.
Since the new era, thanks to the high priority given to Chinese excellent traditional and the guarantee of policies, the Shandong Bangzi troupe has been reborn like a phoenix. The Shandong Bangzi classic excerpt The Old Sheep Mountain: Appeal in the Court (《老羊山·诉堂》) displayed the vitality that an excellent opera troupe should possess, can as well as the troupe's artistic standard suite for both civil and military roles. The performance of such a classic excerpt allows people to see the surprise that a genre brings after it revives its energy, and this is the inevitable consequence of the various opera policies favorable in the new era.
In 2025, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced "Excellent Cases in Opera Creation" (戏曲创作优秀案例), selecting 80 outstanding works nationwide and thereby calling for "adhering to the combination of achieving results and producing talent, and grasping works and mastering the environment as interconnected" elements in creation and performance. The Three‑Year Action Plan for Revitalisation of Drama (2026‑2028), published this year, is also based on this very requirement, specially proposing the "establishment of a repertoire of classic retains," hoping that "all types of troupes at all levels organize and sort their continuously thriving classic repertoire, do research play collation and performance promotion. Support the revival and restoration of excellent traditional classics and the improvement of key retained works, promote the standardized inheritance of excellent traditional classics and the continuous perfection and performance of key retained works." Clearly, the Classic Opera Excerpts Exhibition aims to encourage troupes to promote the classic making, to continuously perfect and polish retained repertoire, including excerpts, long‑term, and in the multidimensional pattern of opera creation and staging, to set "classical quality " as a key objective, achieving the benign development of the opera creation and performance ecosystem.
The classic excerpts displayed in this exhibition in this area gather representative troupes of many operas: they some are rooted in the grassroots, with long‑term cultural commitment conserves the excellent genes of opera; some are devoted to innovation, with excellent art creation to sustain the good traditions of opera. Their achievements raise famous artists, and order her places the excellence of the art classic in succession. Famous artists, famous troupes, and famous plays each make their best collaboration, together building a sound development space for opera. This is beyond doubt positive for the construction of today's opera troupes.
(The author is Director of the Institute of Opera Research at the Chinese Academy of Arts and President of the Chinese Theatre Society.
Return to TopBy: 梁家辉
I am 68 years old this year, having acted for over 40 years and made more than 160 films. If asked what my greatest reward is, I would say: from the south to the north, from the east to the west, I have traveled to many places and lived many lives. That is how I have come to see how film connects one stretch of land after another, one culture after another, into a single map.
The place where I first opened this map was Beijing. In 1982, I was 24, with no real expectations or preparation for acting. Director Li Hanxiang brought me to Beijing, had my head shaved, and led me onto the set to play the Xianfeng Emperor in The Burning of the Yuanmingyuan and Reign Behind a Curtain. Those two films were among the earliest co-productions in the early days of Reform and Opening Up.
Back then, Hong Kong also made historical costume films. But the moment I truly stepped inside the Forbidden City, I felt a kind of majesty entirely different from any set: not the majesty of a studio backdrop, but the majesty of real history, the majesty of a nation's memory. I suddenly realized that film does more than tell a film is more than telling a story — it can also carry a people's look back at history, a culture's sense of reverence.
From that moment on, Beijing was no longer just a place name to me. When I walked out of the set and into the streets and alleys, I saw a side of this city different from Hong Kong. Both are metropolises, each with its own landscape, atmosphere, and daily hum. For the first time I truly felt how regional cultures, each in its own historical warp and weft, give birth to completely different essences. And it was from then on that I grew ever more convinced that an actor's life is one of constantly stepping into different spaces and different cultures. And as an actor, how far you can go is often not something you plan for yourself.
After 2000, as cultural exchange between the mainland and Hong Kong grew closer, and with the signing of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, more and more Hong Kong filmmakers came to work on the mainland — among them, naturally, myself. Many people ask me: Was this a "going north" choice? For me, it was not a choice; it was a return. Because as early as the 1990s, I had already made films on the mainland — New Dragon Gate Inn, Ashes of Time, and others. The wind-blown sand of Dunhuang in Gansu, the Red Stone Gorge of Yulin in Shaanxi — these memories of mountains and rivers were already etched onto my body.
When the great landscape met the imagination of filmmakers, the shock it produced remains un-faded even today. Martial-arts, action, romantic emotion — because of the existence of those different regional cultures — was raised a notch, and it also offered many inspirations for later Chinese-language blockbusters. I say jokingly that with The Last Contract (Biao Ren - Feng Qi Da Mo), which was released this year, I have in my acting career now collected a complete "Desert Trilogy."
In an instant, more than 20 years slipped by. From the cultural conflicts of East and West in The Gua Sha Treatment, to the national memory in Taihang Mountain and A Banner of No Return; from the Chen Shaobai of The Stool of Binding, to the Vulture Mountain of The Taking of Tiger Mountain (Zuo Shan Diao), to the Fu Longsheng of Great Ambition — when I look back at these characters, I witness not only my own acting path, but also the miniature of an era: the mainland's film industry growing from low-cost production into a market that commands global attention; Hong Kong changing from a cultural exporter into a part of the fusion. It is a two-way movement between an actor and his industry, between an actor and his era, between an actor and a stretch of land.
And what I have done throughout is always the same thing: first put the character back in his land, then play him. That piece of land has its unique language, its food, its climate, its history, even its human connections and social. Understand that space, and the character comes to life. When I played Chou Chao-hsien in The Long Arm of the Law (character), I wrote 100,000 words of character biography — just to answer: where did this man come from? Why is he here? Where is he going?
With this method, I stepped into more than 160 people. With each person I stepped into, I confirmed: every character is nourished by a particular patch of land; and every good film serves to preserve a cultural memory for its era.
Over these 40-plus years, I have always used performance to connect different lands, from different cultures, from different human hearts. I have been a bridge builder, and also, like all audiences, a person standing on the bridge looking at the scenery.
When I was a judge at an international film festival overseas before, I said: film is a global means of communication. Film festivals and film awards epitomize the cohesive and penetrating power of film. At a festival, one country, many countries, one language, many languages gather together in the space of a few days and invest themselves fully. In moments like that, I feel that we have come together because of film.
Film is a map. It marks where we came from, and it also unfolds a road farther into the future. We are gradually drawing that map bigger and bigger: adding more coordinate points and more bridges, adding more of the vast mountains and rivers, and adding the scope of the era as well as the depth of culture.
(The author is an actor.)
Return to TopBy: 常石磊
It is a great honor to have participated in the program Guo Yue Wu Shuang (国乐无双) this year, serving as the "music director" for a variety show for the first time. What I understand is that this role is about "bridging the upper and lower levels," working together with musicians of all professions to refine and produce good works.
The program, through an adaptation method of "one melody, two lyrics," places Mandarin and Cantonese side by side within the same melody to undergo innovative adaptation, deepening the cultural expression of "a single rhyme, a shared origin." The workload of recording the program was considerable, but as I ground with the singers and good works kept appearing, I became more and more immersed in it. Just like the musical interest and unknown possibilities embodied by the program's song "Anxious White Gate" (志跳白门), many chance encounters in the co-creation sparked our inspiration. As the program nears its end, looking back now, it is precisely this extreme creative environment that allowed me to encounter many beautiful things unexpectedly and also deepened my understanding of music. Musical works are never something one person can accomplish; sparks are always born from the connections between people.
Guo Yue Wu Shuang (国乐无双) is a stage built by CCTV-6 and Zhejiang Satellite Television. Whether the singers in front of the camera or the lyricists, composers, and arrangers behind the scenes, everyone along the way has been full of enthusiasm. Many of them have spent twenty or thirty years in the industry, yet still share their musical lives, share love and emotions, in the program with full passion. This truly impresses me. Because of music, all sorts of interesting exchanges and meaningful gains arise between people. And because inner boundaries are broken, everyone is willing to try, step by step, to go outward, and even to go inward with greater strength and attitude. And so the works grow new forces.
Recently, many singers have been bringing the works from Guo Yue Wu Shuang (国乐无双) to their concerts to share with the audience. Chen Xiaochun sang "Let Me Pass," Li Yuchun sang "Triumphant Joy," Wang Yunjun sang "How I Miss You, One by One"... The audience reactions were intense, and I am especially delighted. When a singer finds some point deep in their feelings during the show, music, like a bookmark, leaves a mark on that page of their life.
The program has also been enjoyed by many young viewers, which exceeded my expectations. There are many post-2000s singers and staff participating in the creation, and this energy and freshness come from real life. Challenging the many possibilities of music is perfectly aligned with young people's mentality of trying new things. This creative experience also reminded me not to overlook young people's love for classic Chinese music, and that they must be shown the sincerity within the music.
Only works that originate from real life can possess vibrant vitality. This summer, I was fortunate to meet such a sincere group of creators, and also blessed to encounter so many audiences who understand us. If I were to sum up what this program has brought me in one sentence, it would be: on the road of music, always hold onto expectation of the unknown. Be more inclusive, open yourself up more, and bravely accept the future — and the connections between people will become ever closer.
(The author is the music director of the variety show Guo Yue Wu Shuang)
Return to TopBy: 董润年
I was born in a worker’s family in Tanggu, Tianjin. As a child, when both my parents went to work, I was left in the care of my grandmother. To soothe me, she would put on radio broadcasts for me to listen to. In the 1980s in Tanggu, the radio station liked most to broadcast all kinds of quyi programs. So before I started elementary school, I had listened to nearly all of the traditional cross-talk. Much of the content I could not understand; I did not grasp why those gags were funny. But when my grandmother laughed, I would laugh along with her. As I laughed and laughed, I truly came to like it. Thinking back now, in those days I was actually afraid of being separated from my parents each day, and without meaning to, my grandmother healed me with laughter.
When I got a little older, I was exposed through television to comedy sketches. Especially at the annual Spring Festival Gala, when the sketches came on, the whole family would laugh loudly together, more uninhibitedly and more noisily than usual. Amidst the laughter, the bonds among family members seemed closer, and a warm feeling would 油然而生 (yóu rán ér shēng - "arise spontaneously," to well up naturally).
Many years later, once in a movie theater I watched a comedy together with several hundred other audience members. The film was superb; the entire audience would burst out laughing every few minutes, and even spontaneously break into applause. I sat in the middle, laughing nonstop, 捧腹大笑 (pěng fù dà xiào - “hold the belly and laugh heartily,” laughing to bursting) at some gags that I usually would not have found funny. When I walked out of the theater, I felt an unprecedented lightness. At that moment, I had a partial understanding of why “the pleasure of being alone is not as good as the pleasure of being among many people.” Each of us instinctively seeks a sense of belonging and a sense of security deep in our hearts. In a group, the more people we laugh with, the stronger that sense of belonging and security becomes, and the more relaxed and de-stressed we feel. Modern people interact with the world through cell phones and the Internet, and the feeling of loneliness grows stronger. Comedy can help dilute that loneliness and help us find our own kind. The experience of that viewing strengthened my determination to create comedy.
At the end of 2023, the comedy film The Annual Meeting Must Go On! that I directed was released. During the road show at Shanghai Grand Cinema, I laughed together with a thousand audience members. In that moment, I thought I was extremely lucky. Isn’t creating comedy exactly for this?
After The Annual Meeting Must Go On! was released, I kept receiving all kinds of feedback. Many audience members told me about their own encounters in the workplace. Those stories made me feel that there are so many ordinary people in the workplace who need to be seen. I told myself that I should keep working on workplace comedies as a genre, reflecting the realities of the workplace while also providing an outlet for the audience to de-stress. Thus began the creative journey of The Annual Meeting Must Go On! 2.
Over the past several years, many things have changed in the workplace. The biggest change I have observed is in the mentality of the people at work. The post-00s generation is starting to enter the workplace. Raised entirely in the information age, they have grown up with smartphones and the internet and possess completely new thought paradigms. When they leave campus and enter the workplace — this “adult world” — they often find it hard to adapt right away and may even 头破血流 (tóu pò xuè liú - “head broken and blood flowing,” to suffer a severe setback). People of different generations in the workplace cannot fully understand one another. In creating The Annual Meeting Must Go On! 2, I worked hard to increase the number of comedic jokes, hoping to make the audience laugh a little more. Essentially, I wanted more working people to see each other through the shared laughter of the movie theater and to know that they are not alone.
Some audience members have suggested that the film should offer solutions to workplace chaos. At first, I thought it was impossible for a comedy film to provide answers to the structural problems in the workplace. In the last two years, I have heard feedback from friends working at internet organizations that after the movie satirized those meaningless enterprises empty “jargon,” people were more self-reflective when using them. It seems that laughter is not only a release of emotion, but may also become a force for change.
(The author is the director.)
Interlocutors: Wen Muye (文牧野, film director), Ren Shanshan (任姗姗, reporter of this newspaper)
A Chinese cook, a Chinese restaurant, a war, a group of orphans... The summer blockbuster film Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant (欢迎来龙餐馆) turns its lens to a battlefield in a foreign land, to ordinary people swept up by war, to the behind-the-scenes of fate being "rewritten." Since its release, the film's box office and popularity have continued to rise, and many viewers have shared their thoughts after viewing on social platforms. How was this film made, and what is the story expressing? Director Wen Muye accepted an exclusive interview with this newspaper's reporter.
Reporter: The films you directed, Dying to Survive (我不是药神) and Nice View (奇迹·笨小孩), both feature ordinary people as protagonists and tell stories set in this land. Why does Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant move its lens to a battlefield in a foreign country?
Wen Muye: In some news reports, I saw children suffering from war. Their faces and experiences deeply pierced me, prompting me to think about the relationship between war and people. Today's world is interwoven with turmoil and chaos; those of us living in peace must know to cherish it, and we must not forget where peace comes from.
Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant is essentially a family story. Xu Fu, Ma Junsheng, and the orphanage children such as Saif form a special big family. After enduring calamities, Xu Fu has always protected Saif and the children like a father. The Dragon Restaurant is their livelihood, and even more so, their "home." Why is Xu Fu so deeply moved when he returns to the Dragon Restaurant 20 years later and sees Saif's back? Not only because Saif is alive, but because what he holds is a spoon, not a gun. Therefore, another meaning of Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant is "Welcome home."
Reporter: Under the theme of opposing war and protecting children, how did you find the small entry point of Chinese cuisine, and turn it into a thread that runs through the entire film and carries the theme?
Wen Muye: My mother had a saying: "The most important things in life are nothing but eating well and bringing up children well." This is simple but contains great wisdom. Faced with the capriciousness of fate, the easiest thing for ordinary people to do is probably to eat each meal well and take care of the next generation.
Let us also look at our cultural tradition: food often represents happiness, peace, and stability. At family gatherings we prefer a round table, because "round" symbolizes completeness, reunion, and harmony. From a global perspective, Chinese cuisine is also regarded as a representative Chinese cultural symbol. In the flavors on the tongue, there is the way Chinese people view themselves and even the world scanned.
Xu Fu drifts alone in a foreign country; Ma Junsheng is an orphan. Food becomes the bond that holds them and the children together. The first meal Xu Fu cooks at the Dragon Restaurant is authentic Chinese food. The final meal is a mixed rice stew; the ingredients are simple, the cooking utensils are improvised from local materials — the one purpose is to feed the children. At that moment, food returns to its original meaning, and Xu Fu also recovers his true self. At the end of the story, this stew that is "not presentable" is included on the Dragon Restaurant's menu under the name "Xu Fu's stew." Food is not just food; behind it there are stories — a Chinese cook once risked his life to save foreign children. In the story there is kindness, there is the most child-like view of life and view of happiness.
Reporter: The film patiently tells the experiences and feelings of ordinary people under war. A chef, Mrs. Manager, war orphans, soldiers — missing mother, wanting to get married, wanting to go home, wanting to make life better... delicate and everyday. The people in the story are what touch the heart the most.
Wen Muye: Actually, most of us are ordinary people; no one is a natural-born hero. My three films — Dying to Survive, Nice View, and Welcome to the Dragon Set — speak about the same thing: the environment can change a person. The era you are in, your family environment, your experiences and circumstances — these will influence which direction you go.
Xu Fu and Zeid were once very similar, but there is no luck on the battlefield. In Zeid, who lost his wife and daughter, only vengeance is left in all; he has forgotten that children are just children. The dialogue "They are not your children.
"It is also children." This dialogue appears twice in the film; once between Ma Junsheng and Xu Fu, once between Xu Fu and Zeid. The "children" here refers both to underaged children and to each person deeply caught in war. Xu Fu saves the children, and in saving them he also saves himself.
I hope Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant is a work centered on people. While the environment might make a person complex and multidimensional, I believe in the inherent goodness and beauty of human nature. An ordinary person who trembles in the face of a life-and-death threat can also become a "father" who shelters children and a hero who sacrifices himself to save others. And the ability to freely ask is human.
Xu Fu and Ma Junsheng's concern for the children arises from the same sense of empathetic humanity; all they risk their lives to save the children is an involuntary act.
Reporter: Welcome to the The Dragon Restaurant uses a realist creative approach. How do you manage the measure between reality and fiction?
Wen Muye: The transmission of positive values must be sincere, not false. The other time I used your honey in the 退 rice.
Wen Muye: Many of the plots do not necessarily exist in reality, but if the characters' demands in the film are not detached, the audience will feel familiarity and be able to get into it; on the other hand, once an impressive work now like a documentary, but far from the audience's life, people will also feel it is unreal. This story is set 20 years ago, but I do not want to limit it to a certain specific war; the audience can understand it as a story about war and people, which may have happened in the past or may still be ongoing.
Characters and story have always been the core of a film. In any era, the audience's judgment of beauty, justice, and nobility will not change in essence; sincere emotions are always universal. Why do I make films? To use our culture to express these universal emotions and let more people resonate; to use the film medium to tell the richness of the heart and the possibilities of life, to make a kind of work that will not leave too many regrets when we look back many years later — that is my small aspiration.
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Earnestly Study and Implement the Spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference
Do the 2023 Economic Work Well by Lifting the Net by Its Main Rope
The Central Economic Work Conference (中央经济工作会议) was held in Beijing from December 15 to 16. The meeting conscientiously summarized this year's economic work, deeply analyzed the current economic situation, and comprehensively made arrangements for next year's economic work. It is of major and far-reaching significance for unifying thinking, building consensus, and 真抓实干 (zhēn zhuā shí gàn - "truly grasp and solidly do," to work in a down-to-earth and pragmatic manner), so as to make a good start and take a good first step for comprehensively building a modern socialist country.
This year is an extremely important year in the history of the Party and the country. The 20th CPC National Congress was held successfully, depicting a grand blueprint for comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-style modernization (中国式现代化), and pointing out the direction of progress and establishing the guide to action for the development of the Party's and the country's cause and the realization of the Second Centenary Goal on the new journey of the new era. We adhered to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implemented the new development philosophy (新发展理念), accelerated the building of the new development pattern (新发展格局), focused on promoting high-quality development, better coordinated both domestic and international situations, better coordinated epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development, better coordinated development and security, withstood the impact of unexpected factors, and maintained the overall stability of the economic and social situation. These achievements were truly hard-won and deserve to be cherished all the more.
The meeting emphasized that to do next year's economic work well, it is necessary to take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guide, comprehensively implement the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress, solidly advance Chinese-style modernization, adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, accelerate the building of the new development pattern, focus on promoting high-quality development, better coordinate both domestic and international situations, better coordinate epidemic prevention and control with economic and social development, better coordinate development and security, comprehensively deepen reform and opening up, vigorously boost market confidence, organically combine the implementation of the strategy of expanding domestic demand with deepening the structural reform on the supply side, highlight the work of maintaining stable growth, stable employment, and stable prices, effectively prevent and resolve major risks, promote the overall improvement of economic operation, achieve effective improvement in quality and reasonable growth in quantity, and make a good start and take a good first step for comprehensively building a modern socialist country.
The Central Economic Work Conference is a very important meeting held by the Party Central Committee after the 20th CPC National Congress. To do economic work well, we must deeply grasp the Party Central Committee's judgment on the economic situation and its arrangements for economic work. The meeting pointed out that at present, the foundation for China's economic recovery is not yet solid; the triple pressures of demand contraction, supply shock, and weakening expectations are still relatively great; and the turbulent external environment has deepened the impact on China's economy. We must strengthen our confidence in doing economic work well, proceed from the overall strategic situation, start from improving social psychological expectations and boosting development confidence, and do our work well by 纲举目张 (gāng jǔ mù zhāng - "when the headrope of a net is lifted, its meshes spread open," grasp the key link and everything else falls into place).
The meeting pointed out that next year's economic work involves 千头万绪 (qiān tóu wàn xù - "a thousand heads and ten thousand threads," extremely multifarious and complicated). We must proceed from the overall strategic situation, grasp the principal contradiction, start from improving social psychological expectations and boosting development confidence, seize the major key links, and do our work well by lifting the net by its main rope.
Better Coordinate the Present and the Long-Term
The Central Economic Work Conference emphasized that it is necessary to better coordinate economic policies with other policies, strengthen the overall perspective, strengthen coordination and cooperation with macro policies, and ensure that efforts are exerted in the same direction and a joint force is formed.
Walk the New Examination Road Well with Tangible Achievements
At year-end, the various tasks at hand are often multifarious.
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