Summary: The key textbook *An Introduction to Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization*, compiled by the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, has been published by Higher Education Press and People's Publishing House. The book systematically expounds the significance, scientific system, and practical requirements of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, which arose from the Party Central Committee's promotion of theoretical, practical, and institutional innovation in ecological civilization since the 18th National Congress. It clarifies that this thought is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and a major theoretical achievement integrating Marxism with China's realities and traditional culture. The *Introduction* serves as a key textbook for university students and an important reading for Party members and cadres.
Summary: General Secretary Xi Jinping, during his July 15 inspection of Shanghai, walked into residents' homes and emphasized that "the lives of the common people are a family matter, but even more so a matter of the state," following his recent instruction on establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievements through sustained, long-term effort. The article highlights Shanghai's historic resolution of the "carrying chamber pots" problem, benefiting over one million residents, and details how toilet renovation—from urban public facilities to rural sanitary toilets reaching about 77% penetration by end of 2025—reflects people-centered governance. It contrasts visible achievements with latent ones, citing Xi's warning against sloppy, superficial methods and his praise for Shanghai's decades-long old housing renovation as the correct view of political achievements. The piece underscores that true political achievements are born from solving people's urgent difficulties, asking the people about their needs, and planning for the long term, as exemplified by projects like Wuyuan's rural sewage treatment and Wuxi's smart toilet management.
Summary: Premier Li Qiang met with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, calling Qatar an important strategic partner of China in the Middle East and the Gulf region. Li expressed China's willingness to strengthen development strategy alignment with Qatar, jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality, and deepen cooperation in traditional energy, new energy, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and finance. He also welcomed Qatari investment in China, supported more Chinese enterprises investing in Qatar, and encouraged people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Li noted the current international situation presents a complex situation of instability and turmoil, and supported Qatar's role in mediation regarding the Middle East situation. Mohammed stated that Qatar cherishes its relations with China, highlighted the "golden era" in bilateral relations, and expressed willingness to deepen practical cooperation and jointly open the next "golden decade."
Summary: Vice President Han Zheng met separately in Xiamen with Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Plevnev, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol, and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Mesarović, who were attending the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade. With Plevnev, Han Zheng highlighted the healthy development of the China-Bulgaria strategic partnership and expressed willingness to expand trade and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, while hoping Bulgaria would play a constructive role in China-EU economic and trade relations. With Sun Chanthol, Han Zheng cited President Xi Jinping's recent meetings with Cambodian leaders and called for implementing consensus to deepen practical cooperation, to which Sun reaffirmed Cambodia's commitment to the one-China principle and cooperation on the Belt and Road Initiative. With Mesarović, Han Zheng noted the 10th anniversary of the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership and Xi's May meeting with President Vučić, proposing deeper cooperation under the bilateral free trade agreement, while Mesarović reaffirmed Serbia's adherence to the one-China policy.
Summary: The article reports on how China is revitalizing its traditional cultural industries—silk, tea, and porcelain—through creative transformation and innovative development, as emphasized by General Secretary Xi Jinping in his recently published *Selected Works on Culture*. It highlights the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's September 7 release of *Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of Historical Classic Industries*, which aims to accelerate protection and innovation in these sectors. Reporters visited Suzhou, Wuyishan, and Jingdezhen to observe how digital technology, cultural tourism integration, and institutional support are driving economic growth, with local officials like Chen Long of Suzhou and Chen Kelong of Jingdezhen detailing renovation and development plans. The piece includes expert commentary framing these efforts as examples of "humanistic economics," where culture and economy coexist and prosper together.
Summary: The article highlights how the Chongzuo Area of the Guangxi Pilot Free Trade Zone has leveraged institutional innovation to boost durian imports and on-site processing, with a new express clearance system at Youyi Pass cutting inspection time per vehicle by about 75 percent. Yu Weipeng, a business representative, praised the card-swipe and face-recognition system for speeding up fruit clearance, while Huang Manqiang, deputy director of the Institutional Innovation Division, emphasized turning locational advantages into industrial ones through institutional opening-up. The customs intelligent inspection system and expanded laboratory facilities have raised efficiency by 40 percent and shortened testing time by 40 percent, respectively. He Xiangwen, head of the China-ASEAN (Chongzuo) Fruit Trading Center, noted reforms like the on-site processing model have turned the fruit "transit corridor" into an "industrial magnet." In the first seven months of this year, durian imports through Youyi Pass reached 14.59 billion yuan, up 39.1 percent year on year, with Huang vowing to strengthen cross-border industrial chains in the 15th Five-Year Plan.
Summary: On September 6, the research vessel "Shenhai Yihao" departed from Qingdao, Shandong, carrying the manned submersible "Jiaolong" for a new round of deep-sea scientific research missions. The "Jiaolong" is a 7,000-meter-class manned submersible independently developed by China, serving as a key tool for deep-sea and far-sea research. The "Shenhai Yihao" is equipped with advanced facilities and strong endurance, providing comprehensive maritime support for deep-diving operations. The photo, taken by Yang Xuemei (People's Visual), shows the "Jiaolong" being hoisted onto the vessel.
Summary: The article highlights the "Hundred Bridges Project" as part of the Pinglu Canal, which involves 104 bridges along its entire route, embodying ingenuity. It appears in the Ninth Edition under the theory section "Stay True to the Party's Original Aspiration and Founding Mission," with the full report in the Sixth Edition.
Summary: Six departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the "Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of Historical Classic Industries," with Vice Minister Xie Yuansheng and others introducing the plan at a State Council Information Office press conference. The goal is to cultivate 50 leading enterprises with annual revenue of ten billion yuan and shape 100 Chinese consumer name-brand products by 2028, pushing the industries toward the mid-to-high end of the global value chain. Zhang Xiang of the Ministry of Commerce noted that over 40 percent of the 1,450 China time-honored brands are in these industries, with efforts to improve policies, exemplary roles, evaluation, and monitoring. Xie emphasized making classics "trendy" through product innovation, vivid experiences in consumption scenarios, and closer distribution via e-commerce, livestreaming, and duty-free shops. Shan Gangxin of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Wei Hong of the State Administration for Market Regulation outlined plans for intangible cultural heritage protection, cultural tourism integration, and quality upgrading.
Summary: The Ministry of Transport has released a draft amendment to the Highway Law for public comment starting September 7, aiming to implement the Third Plenary Session's deployment on optimizing toll road policies and promoting high-quality highway development. The current law, effective since 1998, lacks institutional provisions for funding expressway management and maintenance after toll collection periods expire, necessitating amendments to avoid funding gaps. The draft maintains the existing framework while making patch-style adjustments, including standardizing terms like revising "competent department of transportation" to "competent department of transport" and "poverty-stricken areas" to "less-developed areas." It tightens approval management by shifting toll standard approval from provincial transport and pricing departments to the provincial people's government, and clarifies funding channels, allowing vehicle tolls to cover management and maintenance during debt repayment or operation periods, with post-expiry options including continued toll collection or public finance support. Public comments can be submitted until October 7, 2026, via the ministry's website, email, or postal mail.
Summary: The Ministry of Transport has begun soliciting public opinions on a draft amendment to the Highway Law, which was first enacted in 1998 and has since been amended five times. The amendment aims to address issues such as outdated government investment models, low management levels for toll standards, and a lack of institutional provisions for funding expressway management and maintenance after toll periods expire. The draft proposes raising toll standard approval to provincial people's governments and clarifying that vehicle tolls may continue to be collected after toll periods expire, as fuel tax revenues only cover ordinary highway maintenance. The ministry argues this "user pays" approach is fairer than raising fuel taxes, which would burden all vehicle owners regardless of expressway use. The amendment process involved extensive research, international comparisons, and consultations with various stakeholders, and the ministry has committed to carefully considering all public feedback.
Summary: During this year's summer period, Haikou Customs supervised offshore duty-free shopping totaling 3.82 billion yuan, with 3.809 million items purchased by 690,000 shoppers, marking year-on-year increases of 4.1%, 0.3%, and 3.4% respectively. The accompanying photo, taken by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Guanyu, shows customers selecting goods at the CDFG Hainan Haikou Sun Moon Plaza duty-free store.
Summary: The National Copyright Administration has issued the "Copyright Work 15th Five-Year Plan," outlining guiding ideology, main objectives, key tasks, and special projects for the period. The plan sets goals for 2030, including a further improved copyright legal system, strengthened enforcement and supervision, enhanced social service capacity, deepened international cooperation, and a stronger social atmosphere respecting copyright. It arranges five key tasks: improving the socialist copyright legal system with Chinese characteristics, building a copyright protection ecosystem that incentivizes innovation, establishing a standardized and efficient copyright service mechanism, forging a new pattern of international cooperation on copyright based on openness and mutual benefit, and fostering a social environment that respects copyright.
Summary: China's foreign exchange reserves totaled $3.4383 trillion at the end of August, up $19.5 billion (0.57%) from July, according to the State Administration of Foreign Exchange. The increase was attributed to a declining U.S. dollar index and divergent price performance of major global financial assets, driven by global macroeconomic data and monetary policy expectations of major economies. The combined effects of exchange rate conversion and asset price changes contributed to the monthly rise. China's economic operation is generally stable, making steady progress while maintaining stability, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality, which supports the foreign exchange reserve scale remaining basically stable.
Summary: The National Data Administration released data showing that as of the end of July, total intelligent computing capacity nationwide reached 2.45 million PFLOPS (FP16), with the eight national computing hubs and three computing-power-electricity coordinated development zones accounting for over 85 percent of the national total. Construction of the national-level monitoring and dispatching platform is being accelerated, with 1.45 million PFLOPS (FP16) already brought within monitoring scope, representing about 60 percent of the national total. The efficient and concentrated use of resources and the capacity for integrated dispatching of computing resources are being continuously strengthened.
Summary: The article summarizes foreign media coverage of President Xi Jinping's late-August to early-September 2026 visit to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt, including his attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Bishkek. It highlights international praise for Xi's proposals on global governance reform, artificial intelligence cooperation, and a four-point initiative on promoting common security in the Middle East, which were seen as providing Chinese solutions and wisdom for a turbulent world. The piece notes that foreign outlets, including Russian, Belarusian, Kazakh, Tajik, Pakistani, Egyptian, Jordanian, Lebanese, Qatari, Kuwaiti, Saudi, and Emirati media, emphasized China's leading role in the SCO and its model of solidarity and cooperation among Global South countries. It also reports on the milestone significance of Xi's state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt, with a focus on bilateral trade, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and Egypt-China cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative. The article concludes by noting that the visit was seen as demonstrating China's image as a responsible major country committed to peace, stability, and development.
Summary: China was the Guest of Honor country at the 39th Moscow International Book Fair, presenting over 2,000 titles to the Russian public and building a bridge for Sino-Russian book cooperation. The Chinese activities, themed "Reading China," featured important works by President Xi Jinping, including *Xi Jinping: The Governance of China*, which Russian officials and scholars praised for providing authoritative guidance on understanding China's governance model. Russian attendees expressed interest in China's development achievements and modernization path, with some noting the works' value for deepening Russia-China cooperation. The event also included cultural experiences like tea ceremonies and woodblock printing, alongside the signing of memorandums on mutual translation of literary works and reciprocal Guest of Honor status at future book fairs. At the China-Russia Civilization Exchange Forum, officials and scholars emphasized that people-to-people and cultural exchanges strengthen bilateral trust and mutual understanding between the two civilizations.
Summary: The article marks the fifth anniversary of the Global Development Initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping in September 2021, and details its evolution from a Chinese proposition into an international consensus. It reports that over 130 countries and international organizations support the initiative, with nearly 100 signing cooperation documents with China and 88 joining the Group of Friends. The piece attributes these achievements to the initiative's conceptual leadership, cooperative action, livelihood practice, and development foresight, citing over US$23 billion mobilized and more than 1,800 cooperation projects implemented. The author, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, concludes by pledging that China will continue to promote the initiative's alignment with the UN development agenda.
Summary: Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held talks with Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena in Beijing on September 7. Wang Yi stated that China has always viewed and advanced China-Mexico relations from the strategic perspective of solidarity and coordination among Global South countries, and supports Mexico in opposing external interference. He emphasized that China-Mexico relations are not targeted at any third party, nor should they be affected by any third party. Bárcena conveyed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping, stating that Mexico firmly adheres to the one-China principle and UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, and supports China in hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and playing a leading role.
Summary: State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong presided over and delivered a keynote speech at the informal meeting under the China–Central Asia Ministers of Public Security and Internal Affairs Meeting Mechanism in Beijing on September 7. He stated that China is willing to work with Central Asian countries to practice the four global initiatives, jointly combat the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, and deepen cooperation in areas including combating transnational crime and law enforcement capacity building. The heads of delegations from the five Central Asian countries expressed gratitude for China's contributions and willingness to implement the meeting's outcomes. A video unveiling ceremony was held for the China–Central Asia Law Enforcement Training Base, and Wang conferred the Gold "Great Wall Commemorative Medal" upon the internal affairs ministers of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Wang also separately met with the Kyrgyz and Kazakh ministers, discussing bilateral cooperation on security and signing relevant documents.
Summary: Zhang Qingwei, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, met in Beijing on September 7 with a delegation of the Canada-China Legislative Association of the Parliament of Canada, led by Co-Chairs Senator Gignac and Member of Parliament Royer. The two sides exchanged views on China-Canada relations and exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two countries.
Summary: The Vienna "Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations" issued a joint statement on the first anniversary of President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Global Governance Initiative, reaffirming firm support for the initiative and commending its progress. The statement calls on all parties to uphold the international system centered on the United Nations, defend international rule of law, and adhere to consulting, building, and sharing together. It urges strengthened solidarity and cooperation to jointly address global challenges and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Summary: At the invitation of Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, Carolina Cerqueira, president of the National Assembly of Angola, will lead a delegation to visit China from September 9 to 16.
Summary: Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning briefed reporters on September 7 on the recent visit to China by a delegation from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which inspected chemical weapons abandoned by Japan. From August 31 to September 5, the OPCW Director-General, the Executive Council Chairperson, and permanent representatives and senior diplomats of 12 countries visited Hunchun, Dunhua, and Haerbaling in Jilin to observe on-site operations such as excavation, recovery, and destruction of the abandoned weapons. Mao Ning said the visit deepened recognition of the serious harm these weapons have caused to Chinese lives, property, and the ecological environment. She added that all parties support the OPCW in urging Japan, under the Chemical Weapons Convention, to fulfill its obligations and completely destroy the weapons, returning clean land to the Chinese people and achieving a "world free of chemical weapons."
Summary: The China-Laos "Peace Train—2026" joint humanitarian medical rescue exercise opened on the morning of the 7th in Vientiane, attended by leaders of the Lao People's Army and Ministry of Public Security, the Chinese Embassy's defense attaché, and participating officers and soldiers. Chinese chief director He Zhen said the event will run until late September with over 700 personnel, simulating post-typhoon international medical rescue through a three-level command and four-level rescue system. The exercise uses medical trains, field equipment, and unmanned intelligent assets to conduct mixed-unit training and live-force drills, exploring cross-border joint medical rescue models. It aims to enhance the two militaries' coordinated medical operations and emergency response capabilities, alongside medical services and cultural exchanges.
Summary: The Central Propaganda Department and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly released the "Stars of Integrity" to promote Xi Jinping's cultural thought and the traditional virtue of keeping one's word and promises. The honorees include nine individuals and Xinyu Lou Department Store Group Co., Ltd., recognized for deeds such as protecting black soil, serving citizens through hotlines, guarding Li Bai's tomb for over 40 years, repaying debts on behalf of others, and integrating credibility into business operations. The article states that the public should take these role models as examples to practice integrity in daily life and contribute to building a society of integrity. At the release site, short films on their deeds were shown, and the special program will be broadcast by the Finance Channel of China Media Group.
Summary: In Gyirong County, Tibet, rural revitalization specialist Gesang Chuzhen and her team helped relocated villagers return home after a disaster, organizing their convoy and ensuring safe arrival. The village-based work team stayed at the resettlement site around the clock, delivering meals, visiting households, arranging medical care, and providing psychological counseling. Gesang Chuzhen kept a "wish book" recording small requests like topping up phone credit and issuing fuel purchase certificates, which she handled promptly, including for truck driver Tashi Tsering. Villager Mima expressed gratitude, saying the government's house assessments gave them peace of mind and that they trust the Party and government. Gesang Chuzhen plans to continue patrols and help resume production, while Mima hopes for the village to become lively and green again.
Summary: The article is a first-person field report describing a journalist's sixth visit to Sale Township after a disaster, accompanying villagers of Seqiong Village as they return home from a resettlement site. The author recounts the perilous mountain road, now paved with asphalt, and reflects on the villagers' resilience in resuming their lives. The piece emphasizes that the villagers returned not only because it is their home, but also to protect the border and defend the country. The narrative concludes with the author expressing reverence for the mountains, rain, fog, and the people who have lived there for generations.
Summary: Jinmei Dorje, Party Committee Secretary of the Nyalam Maintenance Section of the Shigatse Highway Center, was reported inspecting and widening a road from Gyirong Town to the border gate with his workers, clearing loose stones and a large boulder to improve safety. He directed an excavator to break the boulder into pieces and push it into the river, widening the road surface. He said, "Clear away one rock, and the road widens by one rock's worth," and emphasized, "When the road is a bit wider, vehicles can pass each other. Widen the road by one inch, and safety gains one measure more." The article describes his careful inspection of loosened rocks and cracked road surfaces, with some spots requiring crouching or climbing to examine.
Summary: Huang Ke, a military doctor in a detachment of the Second Mobile Corps of the Armed Police Force, volunteered for the front line of the Gyirong mudslide disaster after extending her support work in Tibet. She carried a disinfection sprayer weighing over 30 jin, disinfected key areas, conducted medical patrols, and delivered medicine to officers and soldiers. She also set up a simple physiotherapy bed and gave traditional Chinese massage to equipment operators who stayed in operation rooms all day. Huang Ke, born in 1998, said that guarding everyone's health on the rescue front line is her duty and her honor.
Summary: At a State Council Information Office press conference on September 7, Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong announced that the Fifth Global Digital Trade Expo will be held from September 23 to 27 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Yan stated that China's total import and export of digitally deliverable services reached $432.31 billion in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 6.3%, with rapid growth in digital technology, product, service, and data trade. Zhejiang Vice Governor Hu Wei outlined the expo's features, including a pioneering Token-themed AI future exhibition area, nearly 40,000 registered professional buyers, and pre-arranged international procurement orders of $977 million. The expo will launch international cooperation platforms such as the China headquarters of the Arab Digital Economy Alliance and the China-Africa Artificial Intelligence Talent Cooperation Program, and will jointly publish the "Global Digital Trade Development Report 2026" with five international organizations.
Summary: The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management urgently allocated 240 million yuan in central government natural disaster relief funds on September 7 to support Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Yunnan in flood and geological disaster relief following Typhoon "Sadel." The funds prioritize relocation and resettlement of affected people, hazard removal, transitional living assistance, and repair of damaged houses. The Ministry of Finance required the five provinces' finance departments to promptly disburse funds, strengthen oversight, and ensure all relief funds reach disaster-stricken areas and affected people.
Summary: A photo report shows cornfields in Aweitan Village, Shitizi Kazakh Ethnic Township, Hutubi County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, entering the harvest period. Local growers are making full use of favorable weather conditions, using combine harvesters and transport vehicles to carry out harvesting and transfer operations, accelerating the pace of autumn harvest. The photo, taken by Tao Weiming (Image China), depicts a combine harvester operating in the cornfield.
Summary: General Secretary Xi Jinping, during his July 15 inspection of Shanghai, walked into residents' homes and emphasized that "the lives of the common people are a family matter, but even more so a matter of the state," following his recent instruction on establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievements through sustained, long-term effort. The article highlights Shanghai's historic resolution of the "carrying chamber pots" problem, benefiting over one million residents, and details how toilet renovation—from urban public facilities to rural sanitary toilets reaching about 77% penetration by end of 2025—reflects people-centered governance. It contrasts visible achievements with latent ones, citing Xi's warning against sloppy, superficial methods and his praise for Shanghai's decades-long old housing renovation as the correct view of political achievements. The piece underscores that true political achievements are born from solving people's urgent difficulties, asking the people about their needs, and planning for the long term, as exemplified by projects like Wuyuan's rural sewage treatment and Wuxi's smart toilet management.
Summary: The article argues that "modernization" does not equal "Westernization," citing the global appeal of Chinese-style aesthetics and living, from tai chi and Baduanjin to new-Chinese-style fashion. It attributes this resonance to profound cultural heritage and an open, inclusive cultural mindset, exemplified by Chinese designers confidently presenting local aesthetic solutions in global narratives. The piece also links China's allure to its vibrant development foundation, including convenience measures like the transit visa-free policy and the advantages of Chinese manufacturing and services. It notes that foreign talent increasingly choose to innovate and start businesses in China, citing a "Global Soft Power Index 2026" report ranking China second globally. The article concludes with General Secretary Xi Jinping's emphasis that "To walk with China is to walk with opportunity; to believe in China is to believe in tomorrow."
Summary: The article, an on-site commentary from People's Daily, uses the example of Aihui Village in Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, to argue that "seeing is believing" and leading by example are essential for rural revitalization. Village Party branch secretary He Chunliang explained that cash dividend distributions are kept because elderly villagers, lacking account alerts, doubted electronic transfers, and he took the lead by selling his agricultural machinery to buy shares in the village cooperative. This practical approach, including the "village-cooperative integration" model, raised the village collective's book deposits from 20,000 yuan in 2016 to over 11 million yuan in total dividends by 2025. The commentary stresses that Party members and cadres must charge ahead, citing examples like Party members overcoming cold-region vehicle testing technologies in Heihe and the "Pinglu Speed" at the Pinglu Canal in Guangxi. It concludes that practical work, done in ordinary times and at critical junctures, is key to mobilizing the masses and advancing Chinese modernization.
Summary: The article reflects on the emotional resonance of the film *Letter to Grandma*, which helped a Taiwanese viewer locate her ancestral home in Shantou, Guangdong, through the ancient place name "Fancha Tree" and cross-strait assistance. It emphasizes homesickness as a spiritual anchor for overseas Chinese, rooted in shared cultural lineage and expressed through qiaopi, songs, and literary works. The piece highlights how contemporary arts, such as *Detective Chinatown 1900* and *Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant*, preserve the struggles and values of Chinese diaspora history. It concludes that literature and art unite hearts by depicting enduring "feeling," connecting over 60 million overseas Chinese to their roots and to China's spiritual heritage. The essay stresses that cultural continuity and emotion bridge vast distances, making "where the heart finds its home" the true native land.
Summary: The article is a photo report showcasing early-autumn scenery across Chinese regions, including the Huangling autumn-drying display in Wuyuan, Jiangxi, the cloud-enshrouded Jiabang terraced fields in Congjiang, Guizhou, and blooming sunflowers in Shiyan, Hubei. It notes that enthusiasm for autumn appreciation is rising as more people head to fields and mountain villages to enjoy the coolness. The piece concludes with a poem by Shen Qiuwen capturing the scenic beauty and visitors' delight in photographing the autumn light.
Summary: The article, from Yichang City, Hubei Province, explains the flood-fighting practice of "When water advances, people retreat and power is cut; when water recedes, people advance and power is restored," arguing that cutting power during floods is a scientific safeguard of life, while restoring power quickly afterward supports recovery. It emphasizes the "restore power first, then repair" approach as a balance between speed and safety, not a superficial fix. A second commentary from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, discusses rural efforts to change old habits and social customs, citing examples like "contract canteens" in Guizhou, a "virtue passbook" in Anhui, and tree-planting for happy occasions in Guangdong. These measures redesign the "supply chain" of rural rituals, shifting from extravagance to civility while offering tangible benefits. The key, it concludes, is setting up new scenarios and delivering new benefits so new customs take root.
Summary: The article argues that true reading of classics requires deep engagement, not just consuming condensed summaries or short-video breakdowns, which only offer secondhand, superficial information. It emphasizes that reading a book "thin" means understanding the author's intent through careful study, then internalizing that wisdom to cultivate one's character and sharpen critical thinking. The piece cites Calvino's view that classics are meant to be reread, not merely read once, and warns that label-based interpretations dull intellectual capacity. The ultimate goal of reading classics is "reading oneself," using the wisdom of predecessors to reflect, calibrate direction, and build personal cultivation. The article concludes that genuine engagement moves from "thin" to "thick" and back to "thin," making readers active, exploring thinkers rather than passive recipients of knowledge.
Summary: The Pinglu Canal, connecting rivers to the sea, will be completed and opened to navigation on September 16, with the entire project involving 104 bridges in total. The article highlights dual innovation in technology and management, including the reverse demolition of the old Zicai Bridge and the "integral lifting" technique for the G75 Lanzhou-Haikou Expressway Qin River Bridge, the world's steel tube concrete arch bridge with the largest integral-lifting span. It also emphasizes cultural and livelihood considerations, such as preserving bridge components at Liu Yongfu's former residence and retaining old abutments to maintain residents' shared memories. Eco-friendly measures include adjusting bridge locations to avoid mangroves, designing slurry recovery systems, and creating wildlife-exclusive passage bridges like the Canal Ecological Corridor Bridge. The Pinglu Canal, a backbone project of the Western Land-Sea New Corridor, will shorten inland waterway voyages by over 560 kilometers and reduce comprehensive logistics costs by 18%–30%.
Summary: The NPC Standing Committee's law enforcement inspection team for the Hainan Free Trade Port Law held its second plenary meeting on the 7th to study and discuss the draft law enforcement inspection report, with vice chairpersons Xiao Jie and Zhang Qingwei attending. Xiao Jie noted that since the law's implementation, the free trade port's policy and institutional system has been preliminarily established and construction work solidly advanced. He stressed that building the Hainan Free Trade Port is a major decision by the Party Central Committee for comprehensively deepening reform and opening up, and a key strategic task in the 15th Five-Year Plan. He called for using the inspection as a starting point to work together with concerted efforts to break through bottlenecks and difficulties in law implementation, and to ensure the law's comprehensive and effective implementation. He also emphasized solid work in the NPC Standing Committee's hearing, deliberation, and follow-up supervision to ensure tangible results from the inspection.
Summary: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, along with five other central agencies, jointly issued the "Implementation Plan for Adhering to the Priority Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas and Improving the Investment Mechanism for Rural Revitalization." The plan aims to improve the diversified investment pattern featuring fiscal priority guarantees, financial key support, and active social participation, ensuring that investment intensity in rural revitalization continues to increase. By 2030, it targets establishing an investment mechanism compatible with agricultural and rural development levels, with a reasonable structure, scientific methods, and equal emphasis on quality and efficiency. Specific arrangements cover strengthening government fund guarantees, utilizing bond funds, enhancing credit and insurance policy tools, stimulating private investment, and revitalizing rural resource assets. The plan also calls for strengthening coordination among government investment, financial support, and private investment, alongside policy coordination in prices, subsidies, and insurance.
Summary: The 2026 Financial Education Publicity Week campaign was jointly launched on September 7 by the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the People's Bank of China, and the China Securities Regulatory Commission. Themed "Clear and Upright Financial Cyberspace, Safeguarding Worry-Free Consumption," it promotes digital and intelligent financial services, targeted policy guidance for different groups, and highlights new financial cyber risks. During the campaign, the financial system will carry out a special action of "Delivering Consumer Protection Tips to Your Doorstep," using community grid-based management and Party-mass service centers to bring financial knowledge to the public. It will also publicize rights-remedy channels such as consultation hotlines and dispute mediation mechanisms to help the public safeguard rights lawfully. The effort aims to compress the space for "black and gray industries" and build a solid national financial security defense line.
Summary: The article reports on how China is revitalizing its traditional cultural industries—silk, tea, and porcelain—through creative transformation and innovative development, as emphasized by General Secretary Xi Jinping in his recently published *Selected Works on Culture*. It highlights the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's September 7 release of *Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of Historical Classic Industries*, which aims to accelerate protection and innovation in these sectors. Reporters visited Suzhou, Wuyishan, and Jingdezhen to observe how digital technology, cultural tourism integration, and institutional support are driving economic growth, with local officials like Chen Long of Suzhou and Chen Kelong of Jingdezhen detailing renovation and development plans. The piece includes expert commentary framing these efforts as examples of "humanistic economics," where culture and economy coexist and prosper together.
Summary: The 8th China Grain Trade Conference concluded on September 7 in Changsha, Hunan, with 18 inter-provincial strategic cooperation agreements, 6 government-enterprise strategic cooperation agreements, 12 enterprise strategic cooperation agreements, 6 consumption assistance agreements, and 7 university talent cooperation agreements signed. Through on-site organization and special online trading sessions on the National Grain Trading Platform, a total of 29.2 million tons of various grains and oils and 2,111 units (sets) of various grain and oil machinery were transacted or had letters of intent signed, with a total value of 87.871 billion yuan. This year's conference focused on grain circulation, conducting exchanges on products, technologies, and services across the entire grain industry chain and at each link, building a platform for enterprises to innovate, develop, and discuss cooperation, promoting coordination between grain production and marketing, boosting the upgrading of the grain industry, and deepening international cooperation in the grain sector.
Summary: Heilongjiang Province has issued an implementation plan to accelerate AI application in medical and health services, deploying tasks across eight key areas to achieve quality improvement and service upgrades. By 2027, the plan aims to create over 20 replicable AI application scenarios, build five provincial-level AI demonstration hospitals, and ensure intelligent diagnosis and smart services cover all secondary-level and above public hospitals. By 2030, it targets consolidated grassroots intelligent diagnosis capacity, a northern-region-adapted standards system, and nationally promotable digital health models with Heilongjiang characteristics. Grassroots efforts include shared imaging and ECG AI platforms via county-level medical communities, while clinical applications cover intelligent imaging diagnosis, auxiliary decision-making, and smart pharmacies. Patient services will feature intelligent appointments, mutual recognition of exam results, and one-stop settlement, alongside AI-based disease control early warning and rapid response systems.
Summary: The article highlights how Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, selects and cultivates young cadres to boost the cultural-tourism sector through frontline training and regularized assessment. Sun Xiaobei, a former community Party secretary, created the viral short-video account "Community Party Secretary Visits Shops" and later expanded it into the "i Saihan" series, promoting local businesses and culture. Xue Jianli, a municipal culture bureau official, persuaded over 120 merchants to offer concert-ticket discounts, increasing customer flow by 40-70 percent during events. Fan Rong coordinated multi-department efforts to develop the Laoniuwan Yellow River Grand Canyon Scenic Area, helping villagers like Li Junfeng convert homes into profitable homestays. The Hohhot Municipal Party Committee has brought in 87 cultural-tourism professionals to strengthen the front line, with officials emphasizing young cadres' creativity in building cultural-tourism brands.
Summary: The article argues that grassroots work requires cadres to dare to think of new ideas and pursue development scientifically, while cautioning against both fear of difficulty and superficial "innovative" measures. It emphasizes that good ideas need not be novel or unconventional, but must be judged by actual results, citing the effective methods of young culture and tourism cadres in Hohhot. Organization departments should improve positive incentive systems to promptly promote cadres who dare to take responsibility, are willing to shoulder burdens, and achieve outstanding performance.
Summary: The Supreme People's Court released the *Opinions on Lawfully Adjudicating Cases Involving Artificial Intelligence Disputes* on September 7, comprising 24 articles across 5 parts that draw legal "red lines" while supporting AI innovation. The document regulates AI-enabled infringements such as "face-swapping and voice-cloning," specifying that unauthorized generation of identifiable virtual likenesses or synthetic voices constitutes infringement of personality rights, including for deceased persons. To balance personal information protection with AI industry development, the *Opinions* states that processing lawfully publicized personal information for model training within reasonable scope is generally not infringement unless the individual expressly refuses or significant impact occurs. It also addresses "big-data price discrimination against familiar customers" and "counterfeiting celebrities to promote goods," clarifying tort liability and supporting punitive damages for fraud. Vice President Tao Kaiyuan noted that AI governance requires coordinated efforts, with Part Five covering dispute prevention, case guidance, inter-departmental coordination, and international judicial exchanges.
Summary: The State Administration for Market Regulation has launched pilot work on metrological supervision of electronic pricing scales in Hebei, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces to crack down on shortchanging or cheating on weight and "cheating scales," protecting consumer rights. Consumers can scan a unique identity code to query the scale's "identity file" covering production, repair, and verification records, and report issues like inaccurate measurement or overdue unverified inspection online. Following a "pilot first, summarize and promote, roll out nationwide" approach, the administration emphasizes government guidance and market leadership to build a penetrating smart supervision system. This promotes a shift in supervision from "after-the-fact investigation and punishment" to "pre-prevention and in-process monitoring," aiming to hold the bottom line of consumption fairness.
Summary: The Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission has deployed and launched the work of directly selecting and recruiting military (police) officers for the 2026–2027 period, aiming to recruit outstanding talent from institutions of higher learning for the cause of building a strong military. The recruitment targets are mainly fresh graduates of "Double First-Class" construction universities and disciplines, covering graduates from December 2025 to June 2027. Applicants can register online via the "Military Talent Network" from September 18 to September 30, 2026. Relevant military units will then organize investigation and screening, physical examination and political assessment, and professional evaluation, selecting candidates in a fair and just manner.
Summary: The autumn semester of the 2026 Shanghai Citizens' Day School and Citizens' Art Evening School began on September 7, offering courses in traditional arts, modern aesthetics, life skills, and digital creativity. The day school provides 360 courses at over 130 locations, enrolling more than 6,200 students, while the evening school offers over 1,480 courses at more than 540 locations, with approximately 29,000 students. The photo shows students taking a Chinese pastry-making class at the Shanghai Modern Food Vocational Skills Training Center. The image was captured by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Ying.
Summary: The Yunnan Provincial Government issued the "Yunnan Province 15th Five-Year Plan Urban Renewal Action Plan," clarifying the principle of "short-term hazard removal, mid-term renewal, long-term quality improvement" and the concept of "micro-renovation, optimized business formats, emphasis on benefits." By 2030, the plan aims to basically form a sustainable urban renewal model, with urban living spaces more livable and cultural characteristics more prominent. The plan deploys 10 key tasks, including integrated advancement of urban physical examination and urban renewal, and vigorous strengthening of the protection and inheritance of urban historical culture. It requires strengthening organizational leadership and guiding multi-party participation, while clarifying supporting measures for land, fiscal and tax, and financial factors. The plan also encourages financial institutions to innovate credit products and supports eligible entities in issuing corporate bonds and real estate investment trust funds to broaden financing channels.
Summary: The Department of Natural Resources of Gansu Province has issued new measures to directly investigate major illegal and violative cases in the natural resources sector at the provincial level, aiming to strengthen law enforcement supervision and maintain management order. The measures apply to major, complex, or socially impactful cases across the province and specify circumstances for direct case filing, supervised handling with listed deadlines, and public notification. Seven categories of circumstances, including cases spanning multiple cities, illegal occupation of permanently basic farmland and ecological protection red lines, and illegal exploration of strategic mineral resources, may trigger provincial-level direct investigation. After filing, an administrative penalty decision must be made within 90 days.
Summary: Anyang City has embedded police forces into village and community grids, with all 115 police station chiefs serving concurrently as deputy administrative heads of townships and subdistricts, and 771 community police officers paired with over 11,000 grid workers. In Wuyue Community, police officer Zhang Wei, serving as deputy Party branch secretary, resolved longstanding disputes between merchants and property management by proactively providing services at the grassroots. The integration of policing and the grid addresses past poor communication and insufficient coordination between public security and community work, enabling joint collection of information, service handling, and conflict mediation. Community police officer Han Peishan cited an example of assisting a resident with household registration cancellation procedures and subsistence allowance applications. Since the start of the year, criminal and public security police reports in Anyang City have decreased by 25.66% and 10.56% year-on-year respectively, with telecom fraud cases dropping by 42.4%.
Summary: President Xi Jinping, at the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, called for upholding the principle of putting people first and pursuing goodness and progress while comprehensively promoting AI scientific and technological innovation, industrial development, and scenario application. The article highlights "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" as a calling card of Chinese modernization, shining through people-centered openness and open-source collaboration, scientific and technological innovation, industrial development, and scenario application. It cites examples such as the Kimi K3 open-source model, intelligent connected vehicles, humanoid robots, and smart agricultural machinery as products entering countless families and households. The piece concludes that artificial intelligence is transforming from a "key variable" into a "strong increment" empowering high-quality development, making life better from manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing.
Summary: General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that staying true to the Party's original aspiration and founding mission is a fundamental driving force impelling Chinese Communists to keep advancing, and the article argues this is a key component of his thought on Party building. It traces the evolution of this concept from the 19th Party Congress through the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee to the 20th Party Congress, framing it as clarifying the value orientation for governing the Party in the new era. The piece contends that this principle answers what the Communist Party of China "is and what it wants to do" and "where it came from and where it is going," providing spiritual impetus and consolidating the mass foundation for Party building. It further presents the concept as a major theoretical innovation rooted in Marxist party-building theory, deepening understanding of communist party governance laws and integrating the Party's value pursuit with national rejuvenation. The article concludes by outlining practical paths—ideological tempering, grassroots practice, and institutional safeguards—to ensure Party members and cadres unremittingly handle this as the eternal subject of Party building and their lifelong subject.
Summary: The article argues for building a social security theoretical system with Chinese characteristics, contrasting it with Western systems that it says maintain capitalist relations or serve elections, while China's approach integrates people-centered development, common prosperity, and elements like family support. It calls for theory to be oriented toward practical needs, including the goals of common prosperity, high-quality development, aging population response, diversified employment forms, and challenges from artificial intelligence. Key issues include refining iconic concepts from local practice, clearly defining the system's connotation and extension beyond Western discourse, and innovating theories on macro-relations such as government-market and fairness-efficiency dynamics. The author, a professor at Renmin University of China and president of the China Social Security Society, emphasizes contributing Chinese wisdom to global social security construction.
Summary: The article discusses General Secretary Xi Jinping's guidance on official assessment, emphasizing the need to examine virtue and discern talent in small matters while observing virtue and recognizing talent in major matters. It argues that small matters reveal daily conduct and foundational competence, while major matters test the ability to handle complex situations and major challenges. The piece stresses the importance of balancing both "small matters" and "major matters" to avoid superficial or one-sided evaluations. It also highlights the need to uphold the standard of "possessing both virtue and talent" and to integrate "examining," "discerning," "observing," and "recognizing" for comprehensive and fair assessment. The goal is to build a contingent of loyal, clean, and responsible officials and guide Party members toward a correct view of political achievements.
Summary: The article outlines the achievements and future plans for China's supply and marketing cooperatives, emphasizing their role in serving agriculture under Party leadership. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the system strengthened its capacity in agricultural production material supply, socialized services, modern circulation, and renewable resource recycling, contributing to poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. For the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives issued a development plan guided by Xi Jinping Thought, setting objectives to improve comprehensive service levels by 2030. Key tasks include consolidating the main channel for agricultural production material circulation, building a national team for agricultural socialized services, improving modern circulation systems, and advancing renewable resource recycling. The plan also emphasizes deepening comprehensive reform, digital transformation, and international cooperation through the International Cooperative Alliance platform.
Summary: The article discusses the viral fame of "Grandpa Gourd Boy," a 75-year-old bereaved man in Shaoxing, Zhejiang, whose balcony gourds attracted crowds that disrupted his daily life, leading him to cut them down. It argues that enthusiasm without boundaries turns sour, citing similar cases like the "lonely tree" in Xi'an and "Grandpa Sugar Water" in Wuhan, where viral attention led to harm. The piece emphasizes the need for boundaries between kindness and intrusion, urging people to respect private life and not consume individuals' peace for social media content. It concludes that holding the line on boundaries preserves not only the elderly couple's tranquility but society's understanding of kindness itself.
Summary: Heilongjiang Province has issued an implementation plan to establish a long-term care insurance system covering the province by the end of 2028. The plan specifies that coordinated regions may initially cover employees, retirees, and flexible-employment personnel, focusing on persons with severe disability, before gradually including unemployed urban and rural residents. Participation in long-term care insurance is tied to basic medical insurance enrollment, with premiums shared by employers and employees, while flexible-employment personnel and retirees pay individually, and fiscal authorities and individuals split costs for unemployed residents. Benefits carry no deductible threshold, with annual fund payments capped at 50 percent of the previous year's per-capita disposable income, and cash distributions to disabled persons are prohibited in principle.
Summary: The National Medical Products Administration announced that 37 batches of drugs from 13 enterprises failed sampling inspection, as verified by five drug inspection institutions including the Beijing Institute for Drug Control. Non-compliant products included fluticasone propionate cream, tobramycin and dexamethasone eye drops, amiodarone hydrochloride injection, and traditional Chinese medicines such as Tussilago farfara and Polygala root, with issues involving pH value, appearance, particle size, sterility, impurities, and content determination. The administration has required the relevant enterprises to suspend sales and use, recall products, investigate causes, and rectify, while directing provincial drug regulatory authorities to file cases and investigate suspected illegal acts under the Drug Administration Law of the People's Republic of China.
Summary: On September 7, during the White Dew solar term, villagers in Yangchan Village, She County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, dried freshly harvested corn, red beans, soybeans, and other crops in their courtyards and on their buildings. The colorful crops and the nearby dwellings complemented each other in a pleasing way, forming a distinctive "drying autumn" landscape. The photo was taken by Zheng Hong (China Images).
Summary: Fujian has added 169,000 parking spaces of various types as of the end of August, with complaints about parking on the 12345 platform down 23.9 percent year-on-year, according to the Traffic Management Corps of the Fujian Provincial Public Security Department. Party and government organs across provincial departments, nine prefecture-level cities, the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone, and 91 counties opened roughly 60,000 shared parking spaces to the public. The province launched a one-year special campaign in April to address urban parking inconvenience, surveying about 5.56 million spaces and identifying a shortfall of 817,000. Efforts focus on old residential communities, schools, and hospitals, promoting construction models such as "marginal land +," "park +," and "green space +," while encouraging eligible government agencies and public institutions to open at least 10 percent of their spaces. Differentiated charging policies, including "per-minute billing" and "segmented billing," are being implemented to guide short-term parking and raise turnover rates.
Summary: The article describes how six "tidal" study rooms in Zhanghua Town, Huarong County, Hunan Province, repurpose idle conference rooms into public-interest study spaces for young people, serving over 11,000 person-visits and incubating four micro-entrepreneurship projects as of September. The initiative originated from Fang Zhihao, a selected graduate assigned to grassroots work, who, with fellow graduate Zeng Tan, conducted research in summer 2025 and collected 400 responses showing nearly half of young respondents needed study spaces. Fang's recommendations for "micro-innovation"—including micro-renovation, micro-mechanisms, and micro-iteration—were adopted, with Beijie Community as the pilot site, and the first study room opened in July 2025. The rooms operate on a "whoever uses it manages it, whoever uses it maintains it" model, with volunteers earning points exchangeable for services, and have since hosted ten events and cultivated five youth interest communities.
Summary: The 7th China (Gansu) Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Expo was held in Longxi County, Dingxi City, Gansu Province, under the theme "Inheritance and Innovation, Digital and Intelligent Empowerment, Promoting Traditional Chinese Medicine to Support the Building of a Healthy China," attracting over 1,000 guests from home and abroad. The local government hosted activities including a traditional Chinese medicine product exhibition and sales fair, as well as investment and inspection tours. The expo featured 10 special sections, including AI medical experiences and cloud-based livestream promotions, with an AI application scenario experience zone showcasing innovations such as intelligent pulse diagnosis and intelligent sorting of medicinal materials. Gansu possesses 3,626 types of traditional Chinese medicinal materials and has coordinated efforts to advance the integrated development of three aspects of the traditional Chinese medicine cause, industry, and culture. The province is striving to build a comprehensive pilot zone for the development of the national traditional Chinese medicine industry.
Summary: The article discusses how AI is reshaping education and why teachers remain irreplaceable, featuring experts including You Zheng, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Wang Shuaiguo, director of the Online Education Center of Tsinghua University. You Zheng argues that AI can provide standard answers but cannot replace the human judgment and value guidance that teachers offer, while Wang Shuaiguo notes that AI tools often lack the rigor and follow-up questioning that teachers provide. Lu Xiaoyun and Zhao Yong discuss evaluation challenges, with Lu reducing after-class assignments and encouraging students to submit AI interaction processes, and Zhao citing Ministry of Education guidelines on avoiding simple AI copying. The article also reports that the Ministry of Education will implement an "AI + Teacher Development" initiative, launching full-coverage training on teachers' AI literacy, with a ministry official stating that "no matter how powerful AI is, it cannot replace teachers."
Summary: The article reflects on how AI can quickly provide answers and resources, prompting teachers to reconsider their role in education. It argues that education is not about speed but about warmth, with humanistic guidance being more important than rapid answers. Teachers should learn to coexist with AI while upholding the essence of education, accompanying students from "knowing" to "understanding" and fostering independent thinking and problem-solving skills. It cites the saying "Classic teachers are easy to find, but mentors of character are rare" to emphasize the irreplaceable value of teachers. The piece concludes that dedicating oneself to nurturing students' character, knowledge, innovative thinking, and devotion to the motherland is the true answer for educators.
Summary: In Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, a folk song exhibition brought art to the countryside, with tenor Liu Hegang, chairman of the Heilongjiang Provincial Literary and Art Volunteer Association, joining young singers to perform for locals. The event, part of the "Work Plan for Enriching Villages with Literature and Art (2025–2027)," combined performances with a creative market and benefit-oriented consumption vouchers, attracting over 60,000 on-site viewers and more than 2 million online. Literary and art workers also held discussions to cultivate local talent, aiming to leave behind a lasting artistic team. Heihe's practice reflects Heilongjiang's broader "Enriching Villages with Literature and Art" initiative, which has carried out over 12,000 cultural activities benefiting more than one million people. The article does not mention the United States or U.S.-China relations.
Summary: The Fourth Sichuan Province Sichuan Opera Joint Performance opened on September 7 in Chengdu, hosted by the Propaganda Department of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Sichuan Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles. Excerpts such as *Qiaozi Kou* and *Sweeping the Pine and Sending the Letter*, along with the full-length play *Double Heavenly Officials*, were performed. From September to October, plays including *The Phoenix of the Red Chamber* and *Zhou Yu Beats Huang Gai* will be showcased with online live streaming and rebroadcasting. From October to December, activities such as the "Famous Masters and Outstanding Apprentices" young performer growth plan and a vocational skills competition will be held to cultivate new talent. Since 2023, the joint performance has staged 101 full-length plays and excerpts, with online and offline viewership exceeding 85 million.
Summary: The Tianyu Telescope, located on Saishiteng Mountain in Lenghu, Qinghai Province, achieved first light, capturing over one million stars in a single exposure and is about to enter the scientific observation stage. It is the pathfinder telescope for the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Spectroscopic Telescope, led by the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute with the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory responsible for its development. The telescope's wide-field, fast-slew design allows it to cover nearly 9 square degrees of sky per exposure and rapidly respond to alerts from space telescopes or gravitational-wave detectors. Project head Feng Fabo said it will conduct continuous photometric monitoring of hundreds of millions of celestial objects to discover exoplanets, variable stars, supernovae, and solar system small bodies. Research teams from the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Chile have joined the project, with scientific sky surveys expected to commence in October.
Summary: The third Xinjiang National Reading Conference opened on September 5 in Hotan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, centering on the Regulations on Promoting Reading for All. The conference planned a series of reading exchange activities to inject the power of books into deepening the cultural enrichment of Xinjiang and forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. Activities included the "Tianshan Book Fair" and the "Kunlun Poetic Rhyme, Hotan Book Sounds" reading night themed viewing event. Multiple in-depth exchange activities were held around themes such as joint reading by young people and the construction of physical bookstores. The local area will also launch a series of distinctive reading activities to bring the fragrance of books into the lives of the masses.
Summary: The Palace Museum's "Canonical Models: Exhibition of Tang and Song Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting" opened to the public from September 1 to November 1 in the Hall of Literary Brilliance, displaying 107 calligraphy and painting artifacts, of which 103 are from the Palace Museum's collection and 4 are on loan from the Shanghai Museum, the Shanxi Museum, and the Henan Museum. The exhibits span calligraphy, landscape painting, figure painting, and flower-and-bird painting, presenting the course by which the paradigms of Tang and Song calligraphy and painting became increasingly complete. The exhibition both presents the inheritance and evolution of brush-and-ink techniques and explores the social conditions and humanistic spirit behind the calligraphy and painting. It is presented in two phases in chronological order, comprising five sections in total, with the first phase themed on Tang and Five Dynasties calligraphy and painting running from September 1 to 27, and the second phase themed on Northern and Southern Song calligraphy and painting running from September 30 to November 1. Artifacts such as *Nymph of the Luo River*, *The Imperial Sedan Chair*, *Spring Outing*, and *Eulogy on the Daoist Robe* are on display at the exhibition.
Summary: The article highlights China's biodiversity conservation efforts under the "15th Five-Year Plan," focusing on the rewilding training of young animals in nature's "classroom." At Wolong in Sichuan, giant panda cubs learn eating habits and "social skills" from keepers and their mothers, with the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda gradually returning the "teacher" role to panda mothers. In Hoh Xil, Qinghai, patrol rangers at the Sonam Dargye Protection Station rescue and rear young Tibetan antelopes, conducting staged rewilding before release, with over 800 wild animals rescued to date. In Hanzhong, Shaanxi, young crested ibises at the artificial breeding center learn flying and foraging in a semi-wild net enclosure, with only those passing survival assessments released into the wild. The global crested ibis population has grown from 7 birds in 1981 to more than 12,000 by the end of 2025.
Summary: Five Chinese government bodies jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting Diversified Investment in Scientific and Technological Innovation in the Field of Ecological Environment," aiming to coordinate fiscal, financial, and social resources to broaden investment channels for ecological science and technology innovation. The document calls for forming a unified national plan for ecological environment science and technology, exploring a diversified investment model from basic research to industrial application, and building a pattern with clear goals and coordinated entities. It deploys "4+3+2" nine measures across fiscal guidance, financial product supply, and social resource pooling, including strengthening central-local coordination of major science projects and supporting innovation in financial services. The Guiding Opinions also emphasize improving the coordinated promotion mechanism, ensuring inter-departmental policy alignment, and steadily carrying out pilot exploration to achieve tangible results.
Summary: The first "Beautiful China, Volunteers With Me" ecological environment volunteer service month campaign concluded successfully in August, jointly launched by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Central Social Work Department, and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League. All provinces and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps carried out volunteer activities such as river patrols, beach cleanups, biodiversity conservation, and science lectures, mobilizing public participation in ecological protection. In August, the Center for Publicity and Education of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment organized the first ecological environment volunteer service project competition, with 169 projects registered nationwide. Ultimately, 30 outstanding projects were selected, showcasing grassroots innovation and practical results.
Summary: Gansu Province has launched a pilot program for water budget management in the Hexi Region, building on the experience of Zhangye City's earlier pilot. The program targets Jiayuguan City, Suzhou District of Jiuquan City, Jinchuan District of Jinchang City, and Gulang County of Wuwei City, aiming for full coverage across administrative regions, water sources, water use sectors, and water use entities. Seven key tasks are outlined, with a working mechanism of provincial-level coordination, municipal-level supervision, and county-level implementation. The plan seeks central and provincial special water conservancy funds for pilot areas and integrates the program into the rigid constraint system for water resources assessment. It also emphasizes public outreach to foster a social atmosphere of water conservation and scientific water use.
Summary: The Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences offers a night tour of the tropical rainforest, presenting a scene different from daytime. Visitors, led by science popularization staff, walk through the forest to experience the unique charm of tropical biodiversity. Since 2010, the garden has carried out nighttime science popularization activities, integrating biodiversity knowledge and ecological conservation concepts into the tour through natural observation and multi-sensory experiences. The activities guide the public to understand plants, animals, and their interdependent ecological relationships from different perspectives, opening a window onto the observation of tropical biodiversity.
Summary: Urumqi police dismantled a cross-regional criminal gang involved in the illegal sale of wild birds, seizing 161 protected birds, including one under national first-class protection and 142 under second-class protection, all transferred to the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture Wildlife Rescue Center. The gang had illegally sold over 580 second-class protected birds, with the case amount exceeding 400,000 yuan. Police stated that such illegal activity causes a rapid and significant decline in wild animal resources, damages regional ecological balance, and disrupts wildlife protection order. The case has been filed and reviewed in accordance with the law. Police urged the public to report illegal capture or sale of wild animals to safeguard the ecological environment.
Summary: The article reports on how teenagers can learn street dance, following 13-year-old Li Yongqiu's global championship win at the 2026 Juste Debout World Street Dance Finals in Paris, where he incorporated Drunken Fist and Tai Chi into breakdancing. It features advice from Li's coach Chen Long and Su Yuxi, chief physician of orthopedics at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, on choosing classes, starting from zero foundation, and practicing safely. Chen emphasizes that coaches should discover each child's characteristics rather than teach uniform moves, and that beginners should focus on fundamentals like grooves and body control before high-difficulty moves. Su advises proper warm-ups, cushioned floors and shoes, and gradual progression under professional guidance to prevent injuries. The article also notes street dance's U.S. origins in the late 1960s, its entry into China in the mid-1980s, and its recent fusion with traditional culture, as exemplified by the Chongqing Buqi Dance Crew's works.
Summary: The national shooting team has entered the sprint phase of Asian Games preparation, with Paris Olympic champions Sheng Lihao and Liu Yukun conducting rifle three-position training and the pistol team holding simulation matches. The lineup pairs veterans like Sheng Lihao, Zhang Changhong, and Xie Yu with young newcomers, with team leaders Zhao Yuqing and Du Li overseeing rifle and pistol events respectively. Du Li, leading a major multi-sport event for the first time as pistol team leader, said the Asian Games is both a competition arena and an important training opportunity to accumulate experience for the next Olympic cycle. Less than a month after the Asian Games, the 2026 ISSF World Shooting Championships in Qatar will serve as the first qualifying event for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, posing challenges to regulating athletes' competitive form. The team is using scientific regulation to ensure athletes maintain ideal form at both events, emphasizing competition experience, mentality, and talent pipeline growth.
Summary: Yang Hansen hit a clutch layup with 2.2 seconds left to lift the Chinese men's basketball team to an 89:87 win over Lebanon on August 31 in the fourth window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers, improving China to 5 wins and 3 losses. Despite the opponent's targeted preparation, he executed the play with physicality and basketball IQ, finishing 8-of-9 for 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block, earning All-Star Five honors in both games. As the only current NBA player from China, Yang Hansen averaged just 7 minutes in 43 regular-season games but has grown through the crucible, improving his finishing and playmaking. He said helping the Chinese men's basketball team return to the Olympic stage is the greatest honor and responsibility of his career.
Summary: The CMAS Inaugural Mermaid Diving World Cup and the 2026 China Mermaid Open (Lingshui Stop) were held in Lingshui, Hainan, with competitors from 12 countries and regions. Chinese competitor Yang Lu incorporated traditional opera techniques into her routine, winning first place in the adult women's individual competition. Event technical representative Yang Ying explained that mermaid competition tests core strength, posture, rhythm, and ear pressure regulation, with scoring based on move difficulty, connection smoothness, and synchronization. An Australian competitor praised China's systematic mermaid sport development, facilities, and atmosphere. Zhang Peng, deputy director of the Water Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, said the event will be permanently based in Lingshui to promote professional, international, standardized, and popularized development of the sport.
Summary: The 2026 China Grand Sea Road (International) Motorcycle Rally began on September 4 in Xinjiang, with 35 teams and 126 riders competing over a total distance of 2,500 kilometers, including 1,300 kilometers of special stages. The course's main difficulties are concentrated in the first two stages, with SS1 requiring compass navigation and SS2 traversing complex terrain, while the marathon stage tests riders' self-maintenance abilities. The high-difficulty event attracted international competitors, including Czech Dakar veteran Milan Engel and French rider Nils Theurillat, with Chinese brand "Zhang Xue Motorcycles" fielding a team for the first time. On the 5th, the SS1 stage was described by rider Sun Meng as a "show of force upon arrival," testing navigation and bike control. During the race, Sunier of the Kaiyue Rally Team turned back to assist teammate Nils after a malfunction, and Nils went on to win the SS2 stage on the 6th.
Summary: Bai Yulu defeated England's Evans 4:1 in the final of the 2026 Women's Snooker UK Championship on September 6, winning the title for the third consecutive year and returning to the top of the women's world rankings. Bai won seven consecutive matches from the group stage to the final, dropping only two frames, with a break of 125 in the quarterfinal as the tournament's highest. In January, she won the World Snooker Federation Women's Championship, ranking first in women's snooker for the first time. With Bai back on top, both the men's and women's world No. 1 in snooker are currently held by Chinese players. Bai said she hopes to maintain her sense of tension and good form and perform even better in the matches ahead.
Summary: Xu Jiayang won the 11th Quzhou·Lanke Cup China Go Championship final on September 7 in Quzhou, Zhejiang, defeating Huang Yunsong in 204 moves by resignation, claiming the title for the second time after his 2021 victory. The tournament featured the top 32 domestic players, including 16 world champions, with the first stage held in Beijing and the second in Quzhou. After the quarterfinals and semifinals, all world champions were eliminated, setting up the final between Xu Jiayang and Huang Yunsong. Xu Jiayang struck first and gradually took control of the game, ultimately securing the championship.
Summary: The article reports on the Guangxi section of the Long March National Cultural Park, which links a 296-kilometer corridor centered on the Xiang River Campaign, with its "three parks and three memorial halls" receiving over 21 million visits. It details the recovery and protection of martyrs' remains, generational guardianship by local families such as the Jiangs in Quanzhou County, and the development of red tourism, including the April 2025 inauguration of the "Guilin Red Xiang River" bus line connecting six counties. The piece highlights memorial facilities, study-tour routes, and the integration of red tourism with rural revitalization, such as the "breakout peach" specialty and the "red + Dong ethnic customs + rural industry" model in Longsheng. It also recounts the Red Army's ethnic work documents and the story of the Jiangkou Red Army Drum Tower, built with local funds. The article concludes that the spirit of the Long March is being transformed into visible development momentum across northern Guangxi.
Summary: The article reports on Red Army folk ballads from northern Guangxi, passed down for ninety years, which commemorate the Central Red Army's bloody battle at the Xiang River in November 1934 against Kuomintang encirclement. It recounts the sacrifice of Division Commander Chen Shuxiang of the Thirty-Fourth Division, who died at 29 after being captured, and the suffocation of over a hundred wounded Red Army soldiers in Ermu Cave who refused to surrender. The piece highlights how the Red Army's faith and wholehearted service to the people, such as fighting fires and distributing relief in Longsheng, earned enduring local reverence. It concludes by urging readers to measure their own courage and conviction against this history, drawing inspiration for the "Long March road of the new era."
Summary: Lin Liping, a middle school music teacher and grandniece of Red Army martyr Lin Luofasheng, found his name on the Martyrs' Names wall at the Guangxi Guilin Xing'an Red Army Long March Breakthrough of the Xiang River Martyrs' Monument Park in November 2014, ending a family search of over 80 years. She had joined the Yudu County Long March Source Choir in 2010 and searched martyrs' monuments during performances. The park has since improved verification and family-reunification services, with curator Yin Tanghuai saying they have helped over a hundred families find their loved ones. Lin Liping later joined the Long March Source Publicity Group in 2020, giving unpaid lectures to spread the Long March spirit, while her daughter, who chose to major in Marxist theory, also shares the story. Lin Liping stated that while her search for "Little Grandfather" is complete, her road of carrying forward the red spirit continues.
Summary: China Life Insurance (Group) Company reported record first-half results, with consolidated operating revenue exceeding 520 billion yuan and net profit surpassing 130 billion yuan, while serving the real economy with over 6 trillion yuan in insurance fund stock investments. The company highlighted its role in cultivating new quality productive forces, including over 1 trillion yuan in science and technology financial investment and full-lifecycle insurance protection for technology enterprises. It also detailed efforts to safeguard people's well-being through catastrophe and agricultural insurance, pension finance across all three pillars, and digital transformation initiatives such as the "One Account Pass" platform. The article notes that on September 6, China Life announced it would receive 35 billion yuan in special treasury bond funding support from the Ministry of Finance to enhance stability and risk resistance. The report emphasizes the company's commitment to high-quality development and supporting Chinese modernization through comprehensive financial services.
Summary: The Asia-Pacific Media High-Level Forum, part of APEC's "China Year" activities, was held on September 5 in Shenzhen, with participating representatives visiting Zhuhai and Zhongshan to observe Chinese modernization. At the Qinyun Substation in Hengqin, a robot dog demonstrated intelligent inspection, prompting Florlyn Frederick of Micronesia's Pohnpei State public radio to hope such technology aids stable power supply in the Asia-Pacific. Lang Makun of the Australia-China Youth Association praised the Hengqin Digital Zero-Carbon Island Shared Laboratory for building a collaborative innovation framework, urging regional countries to strengthen mutual learning in technology and youth. Michael Hansen of New Zealand's United Media Network highlighted Mingyang Smart Energy Group's offshore wind achievements, noting China's commitment to clean energy and external cooperation amid shared climate challenges. The forum's Zhuhai sub-forum, themed on people-to-people and cultural exchange, featured calls from Malaysia's Sin Chew Daily for "soft connectivity," while APEC Secretariat's Cristina Pazzias expressed hope media would tell more stories of openness and cooperation ahead of November's Economic Leaders' Meeting.
Summary: The article highlights the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's role in Asia-Pacific cooperation, citing the first shipment through the "Cross-Border One-Lock" mechanism at the Hengqin logistics center as an example of expanded logistics links. Li Xiaoying, deputy director of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Research Institute at Sun Yat-sen University, said the Bay Area is becoming an important engine for promoting regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. The piece notes that in 2025, the Pearl River Delta's nine cities utilized 105.73 billion yuan in foreign investment, with inflows from developed Asia-Pacific economies including the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. It also describes Shenzhen's "e-Station for Going Global" platform serving over 2,000 enterprises and promoting 224 overseas investment projects, as well as the "Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou" innovation cluster. Kanokwan Korpraditsuk, international news editor of Thailand's Bangkok Post, said the Bay Area helps accelerate the transformation and application of new technologies and enhance regional competitiveness.
Summary: The 40th IBBY World Congress in Ottawa, Canada, featured China's first official international exhibition on rural reading, highlighting the country's 587,000 rural libraries that have achieved full coverage of administrative villages. IBBY President Basarat Kazim expressed deep admiration for China's rural reading network, fully endorsing the policy that brings reading to rural children and helps them open the door to creative thinking. The exhibition also showcased reading stories from local communities, including farmer writers in Xiji, Ningxia, and nearly a hundred handwritten wish cards from rural children across more than 20 provinces, which have been fulfilled through the "Lighting Up Reading Micro-Wishes" book drifting campaign. China's rural library system, which began pilot programs in 2005 and was rolled out nationwide in 2007, has distributed over 1.3 billion books, and a 2026 reform campaign aims to upgrade the project from full coverage to high quality. The article notes that while there is room for improvement in quality and effectiveness, the cause represents a livelihood practice with pioneering significance, demonstrating institutional advantages for inclusive benefits to people's livelihoods.
Summary: Nepal's President Paudel, in a national televised address on September 7, called on all citizens to act in complete unity and devote full effort to post-disaster reconstruction following a glacial collapse-triggered mudslide that killed 1,355 people and left 4,996 missing. He expressed condolences for victims, including foreign citizens, and gratitude to friendly countries and the international community for providing search and rescue personnel, technical experts, and medical teams. Separately, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zakharova dismissed Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's demand to dismantle a monument commemorating the victory over militarist Japan as "absurd," saying Japan should not infect other countries with the "disease" of disregarding its own history. Iran's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance has established an "Economic War Command Headquarters" to address economic problems caused by the war, with Deputy Minister Morteza Zamani saying it will coordinate cross-departmental solutions.
Summary: West African ECOWAS member states signed an agreement supporting the "Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline" project, a $27 billion, 6,000-kilometer pipeline with annual capacity of 30 billion cubic meters that will link Nigerian gas to European markets via Morocco. The region's energy resources are mismatched with demand, as electricity access stands at only about 50 percent and infrastructure is weak, prompting efforts like the West African Power Pool's cross-border grid connections. Expert Oluwafemi Akindele said the pipeline is key to resolving this contradiction, with construction planned for 2028 and first deliveries in 2031, including 15 billion cubic meters annually for Moroccan and European markets. China is cooperating on regional gas projects, such as China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Corporation's work on Nigeria's Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano pipeline. A World Economic Forum 2026 report says West African energy interconnection will support global energy security and industrial chain diversification.
Summary: Indonesia has entered its peak forest-fire season since August, with hotspots detected across Kalimantan and Sumatra, and Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan identified as priority areas. The government is deploying 53 aircraft and helicopters in six key provinces for aerial firefighting and patrol, while man-made land-clearing burns are cited as a major cause amid El Niño-aggravated drought. Administrative penalties have been imposed on 11 forestry enterprises, and haze has forced 12,874 schools involving about 1.43 million students to switch to home-based learning, with 13,449 acute respiratory infection cases detected. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre reports moderate to thick haze over the western Malay Peninsula and northern Borneo, with Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines affected, and transboundary haze risk expected to persist until October. Malaysia and Indonesia are strengthening cooperation, including approving cloud-seeding aircraft, while ASEAN mechanisms are being promoted to address the haze.
Summary: The article profiles seven foreign entrepreneurs in Beijing, including an American, a Sri Lankan, a German, a Brazilian, an Afghan, a Korean, and a Belgian, who share their startup experiences and reasons for choosing China. They cite China's expanding opening-up, improving innovation ecosystem, pragmatic entrepreneurship policies, and mature industrial chains as key attractions. The piece highlights specific examples, such as Gu Kaiwen's cultural company bridging Chinese and American markets, Biman's AI research on mental health, and Maher's efforts to help international talent establish businesses in Beijing. The reporter's notes emphasize that Beijing's openness and tolerance, reflected in simplified visas and multilingual guides, create a sense of belonging and opportunity. The article concludes that choosing China means choosing the future, with these entrepreneurs' stories serving as vivid chapters in China's broader narrative of openness and growth.
Summary: The article reports on Chengdu's reforms to its talent systems and mechanisms, aiming to make the city more youth-friendly and help young people achieve success. It highlights specific policies like the "Ten Measures for Attracting and Gathering Talent," which include funding support, "first start-up funds" for college students, and allowing employing units to independently recognize talent categories. The piece also describes scenario-driven support, such as the "Rongpiao Cup" competition and the opening of over 1,000 application scenarios annually, to help startups validate technologies. Additionally, it details ecosystem-building efforts, including recruitment drives, full-life-cycle services at the Science and Technology Innovation Ecological Island, and the integration of humanistic services into urban greenways. The article concludes that Chengdu's total talent pool has reached 6.85 million people, with more young people coming to innovate and start businesses.
Summary: The article emphasizes the importance of selecting and appointing capable cadres as a critical issue for the Party and the people, citing Xi Jinping's thought on Party building and the "Fourteen Commitments." It stresses that political criteria must be the primary criterion in cadre selection, with loyalty to the Party and firm ideals as key "touchstones." The piece also highlights the need to forge strong abilities and skills, addressing "capability panic" by continuous learning and improvement. Additionally, it advocates combining strict management with deep care, including mechanisms for incentives, supervision, and support for young cadres. The article concludes that grasping the "decisive factor of cadres" will support advancing national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.
Summary: The Hainan Provincial Department of Civil Affairs organized leading cadres and their family members to visit the Hairui Cultural Park in Haikou, where they learned about Hai Rui, a historical upright official praised for being "upright and incorruptible" and "pure and incorruptible." The park, opened free to the public in 2022, serves as a key integrity education base in Hainan, with the Haikou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision tailoring content for different groups, including Party cadres, key power-concentrated sectors, and young cadres. The park uses immersive live-action drama, such as "Hello, Hai Rui," to make historical stories resonate with visitors. Haikou also organized research teams to collect Hai Rui's admirable words and deeds and solicited over 300 cultural relics for exhibition. The commission stated it will continue to delve into integrity culture to support the construction of a clean free trade port.
Summary: The article describes how Daizhuang Village in Jurong, Jiangsu, transformed from one of the poorest villages in the Maoshan old revolutionary base area into an ecological and economic success through party-led cooperative union development. Under the village party branch's leadership, villagers adopted ecological farming practices, built over 3,000 mu of organic farmland, and established the "Daizhuang Xingnong Specialized Cooperative Union" with 10 surrounding village cooperatives. The cooperative union integrates agricultural resources, brands products like "Jurong Daizhuang Rice," and brings 12 million yuan in annual revenue to the village collective, with 80 percent of profits distributed to villagers. To address machinery challenges on mountainous dry farmland, the Tianwang Town party committee arranged customized agricultural machinery from Jiangsu University and the World Agricultural Machinery Company, and a regional comprehensive agricultural service center was completed last year. Jurong City is now promoting this "party organization + cooperative union" model with "five unifications" management, drawing in research institutes, financial institutions, and state-owned enterprises to advance comprehensive rural revitalization.
Summary: The article highlights the Wu opera *Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon* as a model for upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground in opera art, citing over 270 performances, including 52 overseas, and a 9.2 website rating. Its success is attributed to solid performance skills, local talent development, and preserving cultural roots, while innovating through modern stage technology and all-media dissemination. The production draws on the classic IP of *Journey to the West*, respects its spiritual core, and does not dilute its national essence for external audiences. The author, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Executive Vice Chairman of the Chinese Theatre Association, concludes that the opera's achievements inject confidence into the revitalization of opera in the new era.
Summary: The article examines how contemporary Chinese literary and artistic creators are adapting to challenges such as shrinking audience attention spans and the rise of AI, arguing that solving today's storytelling problems requires looking back at narrative tradition. It cites Lu Ne's novel *Landscape* for balancing lightness and weight, and *The Leading Role* for innovating within inheritance by expanding a slow-burn section into 14 episodes while adding "satisfying" rhythms. The film *Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant* is praised for its meticulous craft under "high-pressure storytelling," using a Chinese-style "philosophy of eating" to break cycles of war and violence. Director Wen Muye's approach—refining script, cinematography, and editing with no shortcuts—is framed as the "hard truth" of storytelling. The piece concludes that such works forge connections between history and present, reality and dream, piercing through story's past, present, and future.
Summary: The article criticizes recent "strong female lead" costume dramas for reducing supporting characters to tools that merely serve the protagonist's narrative, a trend driven by social media and traffic logic over artistic standards. It argues that this "star-circling-the-moon" treatment undermines plot logic and leaves the protagonist isolated, whereas truly excellent works root every character in real social relationships. The piece is authored by Shen Yiyao from Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, in an "Audience Corner" column.
Summary: The article discusses the Chinese-language version of the stage play *Prima Facie*, a one-person show previously introduced to Chinese cinemas via National Theatre Live footage. The Chinese production shows strong originality in direction, stage design, lighting, costume, and music, using 18 scenes and rapid character shifts that draw on traditional Chinese opera's convention of "changing scenery through movement or narration." The original stage's three bookshelves are replaced with a symbolic "horse racing" motif—twelve starting gates and a dismantlable, rotatable platform—alluding to legal competition and the protagonist's "life trajectory full of ups and downs." These innovations highlight the appeal of cross-cultural adaptation, re-presenting the work to suit local aesthetic habits and emotional sensibilities. The piece concludes that this achieves a deep dialogue with local audiences through the collision of creative concepts.
Summary: The article argues that while popular songs in primary and secondary school music classes can engage students, teachers should not let such repertoire dominate, as this risks reducing aesthetic education to shallow pleasure. It acknowledges that popular music is part of children's lives and should not be excluded, but stresses that inclusiveness does not mean laissez-faire, and that classic works in textbooks are being squeezed out. The piece notes frontline teachers often choose popular songs because music is seen as a "minor subject," yet warns this fosters inertia, leaving students unable to appreciate symphonies, traditional opera, or avant-garde music. It calls for teachers to use popular music as a "door-knocking brick" to guide students toward broader musical understanding, cultivating an ear for beauty rather than mere enjoyment. The conclusion emphasizes that music education's deeper value lies in planting a heart capable of perceiving, understanding, and creating beauty.
Summary: The article reviews *Journey to the West: The Later Chapters*, the first long-form drama entirely created by generative artificial intelligence (AIGC), which recently aired on satellite television and internet platforms. It highlights the work's "leapfrog" audiovisual experience, achieved cost-effectively through AIGC, while noting that storytelling and character building remain relatively inferior. The drama is also the first to be "reviewed while broadcasting" under the "21 Measures for Radio and Television," demonstrating a flexible operation that absorbs audience feedback and lowers trial costs for small and medium-sized companies. The piece concludes that the work follows the trend of new mass literature and art, opening creative possibilities while raising questions about AIGC-human coordination and preventing AI from "stealing jobs."
(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 7) To deeply promote the integration of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization into textbooks, classrooms, and minds, the key textbook of the Marxist Theory Research and Construction Project, An Introduction to Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization (hereinafter referred to as the Introduction), compiled by the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, has been published by Higher Education Press and People's Publishing House.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, proceeding from the height of the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, has profoundly grasped the important position and strategic significance of ecological civilization construction in the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics for the new era, vigorously promoted theoretical innovation, practical innovation, and institutional innovation in ecological civilization, creatively put forward a series of new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies, and led China's ecological civilization construction to undergo historic, transformative, and overall changes from theory to practice, giving rise to Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.
The Introduction consists of an introduction and 9 chapters in the main text, totaling about 170,000 characters. It systematically expounds the great significance, scientific system, spiritual essence, rich connotations, and practical requirements of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, and fully clarifies that Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization is an important component of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, a major theoretical achievement of the integration of the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and with the excellent traditional Chinese culture, the theoretical sublimation and practical crystallization of the Communist Party of China's unremittingly exploring (不懈探索, bu xie tan suo - "not slack, explore") ecological civilization construction, and the fundamental guideline and action guide for ecological civilization construction in the new era. The Introduction is faithful to the original texts and original statements, highlights systematization and theorization, adheres to a practice-oriented approach, and fits the actual needs of teaching. It is a key textbook for students of relevant majors in colleges and universities to systematically study and master Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, and also an important reading for the broad masses of Party members and cadres to study and understand Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization.
Return to TopBy: 金社平
The toilet, a corner of a square foot, concerns the sense of happiness of thousands of households, reflecting the foundation of civilization and the temperature of governance.
"We cannot stride toward modernization while carrying chamber pots." In September last year, Shanghai historically resolved the "carrying chamber pots" problem, benefiting a cumulative total of over one million residents. In April this year, in the Shimin Xincun residential area on Bansongyuan Road Subdistrict, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 69-year-old retired resident Zhu Guoli moved back into her renovated home. From "in the past, ten households shared one bathroom" to "now we finally have a bathroom of our own," Zhu Guoli could hardly contain her excitement.
On July 15, when General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected Shanghai, he walked into residents' homes, carefully examined their living conditions, and emphasized that "the lives of the common people are a family matter, but even more so a matter of the state."
Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping made an important instruction emphasizing: "Establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievements is a long-term task that requires sustained, long-term effort, continuously consolidating and expanding the achievements of study and education, and continuously promoting party organizations at all levels and the broad ranks of party members and cadres to uphold the public interest in party building (立党为公, li dang wei gong - "establish, party, for, public"), benefit the people, make scientific decisions, and take practical and effective actions (真抓实干, zhen zhua shi gan - "truly, grasp, real, do"), striving to create achievements that stand the test of practice, the people, and history."
"Deeply rooted in the people, always possessing a solid foundation." The correct view of political achievements of Chinese Communists is embodied in handling every practical matter of people's livelihood well and solving every difficulty of the common people.
(1)
In Chinese modernization, people's livelihood is paramount.
The concerns of the people (民之所忧, min zhi suo you - "people, particle, that, worry"), I must always bear in mind; the aspirations of the people, I must always act upon. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Communists must always remember that benefiting the people is the greatest political achievement."
"The toilet problem is not a small matter." From Hebei to Fujian, from Zhejiang to Shanghai, during his work in local positions, Comrade Xi Jinping always attached great importance to and showed great concern for the toilet problem, promoting the resolution of local people's difficulties in using toilets. Over the years, from tourist attractions expanding to the whole region, from cities to rural areas, this "key small matter" of toilet renovation has been continuously advanced.
"Having the dignity of one square meter (of toilet)," is the wish of many residents, and a series of concrete and practical measures reflect the temperature of governance.
In cities, more residents and tourists have bid farewell to "difficulty finding toilets and difficulty using toilets," the coverage rate of family restrooms is getting higher and higher, and many public toilets are equipped with baby care rooms, shared charging devices, vending machines, and other convenience facilities. Urban areas in Fuling, Chongqing, and Hangzhou, Zhejiang, have achieved a "walking-distance toilet circle."
Rural areas have also seen gratifying changes. As of the end of 2025, the penetration rate of sanitary toilets in rural areas nationwide has reached about 77%. The rural "toilet revolution" has been solidly advanced, the rural living environment has continued to improve, and the quality of life of fellow villagers has become higher.
What exactly can be called political achievements? Connecting "dead-end roads," renovating back streets and alleys, adding accessible ramps... many substantial political achievements are contained in the bits and pieces of people's livelihood matters. Every small matter, multiplied by a population of over 1.4 billion, becomes a major matter.
Promoting the inter-provincial and cross-provincial handling of basic public service matters, continuously expanding the pilot of occupational injury protection for workers in new forms of employment, carrying out a three-year action to improve the quality of primary-level medical services, and achieving basic equilibrium in 2,895 county-level areas for compulsory education... item by item, the people-centered development philosophy has been consistent from beginning to end (一以贯之, yi yi guan zhi - "one, through, connect, through"), reflecting the deep logic of Chinese modernization.
"Wherever the people have needs, there good deeds and practical matters can be done, and there achievements can be created." Persisting in creating political achievements for the people embodies the unchanging original aspiration of Chinese Communists. To benefit the people, one must think what the masses think and be anxious about what the masses are anxious about, writing political achievements into the people's sense of gain.
Opening the report card of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the per capita disposable income of national residents has grown at an average annual real rate of 5.4%, and the per capita disposable income growth rate of rural residents in counties that have shaken off poverty has been higher than the national average level of rural residents for five consecutive years; as of the end of 2025, the participation rate of basic old-age insurance and the participation rate of basic medical insurance are both above 95%... economic development and social development are complementing each other (相辅相成, xiang fu xiang cheng - "complement, assist, mutually, complete") and advancing in coordination, realizing development for the people, development relying on the people, and development achievements shared by the people.
"There are permanent principles for governing a country (治国有常, zhi guo you chang - "govern, country, have, constant"), and benefiting the people is the foundation." From "not a single one can be left behind" on the road to comprehensive moderate prosperity to "not a single one can fall behind" on the road to common prosperity, stage after stage, the value concept of benefiting the people has never changed, and the fruits of development are sweet in the hearts of the common people.
(2)
"Those who exhaust the small become great; those who are cautious in the subtle become distinguished."
A small toilet, involving thousands of households, is precisely a huge number of complex issues (千头万绪, qian tou wan xu - "thousand, head, ten thousand, thread").
The reason the "carrying chamber pots" problem is regarded as "the hardest bone among the hardest bones" is largely because of diverse interest demands and complex and intertwined problems: adding independent kitchens and bathrooms, maintaining the original area of the house, and some also having to take into account factors such as apartment layout and orientation — this is precisely what is called "trying to do something great in a very limited space (螺蛳壳里做道场, luo si ke li zuo dao chang - "snail, shell, inside, do, religious ceremony")."
Under multiple spatial constraints, responding to different concerns and expectations tests the wisdom and ability of primary-level cadres. Knowing that it is huge, how can one observe its subtleties?
The answer is written in the footprints of primary-level cadres: Xu Bingrong, director of the Old Reform Office of Pengpu New Village Subdistrict, Jing'an District, Shanghai, has more than ten notebooks, fully recording the difficulties and pain points of each project's renovation; Zhou Xing'an, Party branch secretary of the Fuxing Island residential area, Dinghai Road Subdistrict, Yangpu District, together with the joint working group, carries a tape measure at all times, measuring wherever they go... The way to accomplish things lies in being attentive and dedicated, taking practical and effective actions, doing good things well and practical things solidly.
"Reaching the vast while exploring the minute (致广大而尽精微, zhi guang da er jin jing wei - "reach, vast, and, exhaust, subtle, minute)" is both a methodology and a matter of the view of political achievements.
Is it for momentary fame, or to truly benefit the people? Two stories about toilet renovation are descending from the same lineage or tradition (一脉相承, yi mai xiang cheng - "one, vein, mutually, inherit") in understanding.
As early as during his work in Zhengding, Hebei, when Comrade Xi Jinping was rectifying the "connected manure pits," he decided to first select two production brigades for pilot trials, allowing villagers to accept the renovation measures ideologically and conceptually. Once the masses understood, the work was easy to do.
At the 2021 Central Economic Work Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The climate and ecological environment across the country varies greatly, and the economic and living standards also vary greatly. How can one method of toilet renovation be used? Some places were sloppy and superficial, resulting in a large number of toilets having serious problems, so I have made instructions on many occasions."
Any livelihood project, if divorced from reality or exceeding the stage of development, "momentary political achievements" may instead become "long-term burdens." In recent years, from the "toilet revolution," to the renovation and upgrading of municipal pipeline networks, to primary-level governance, the resolution of one livelihood difficulty after another cannot be separated from the precise grasp of "large" and "small" — planning with the overall situation in mind, and operating with meticulous precision. Only by proceeding from reality and acting according to the laws of things can livelihood projects truly achieve practical results and win the hearts of the people.
Whether cadres are good or not, the common people have the final say; for whom political achievements are created determines the direction of work.
Connected to livelihoods on one side and the cityscape on the other, the management of mobile vendors has always been a difficult problem in urban governance. In Linyi, Shandong, relying on the "hotline first-issue" reform, the root causes of problems are found from the issues prominently reflected by the masses. In response to the problem of occupying roads for business, more than a dozen departments coordinated and linked up, using an idle piece of land near the community to build a neighborhood market out of shipping containers, attracting more than 200 vendors to operate in compliance there, serving tens of thousands of flexible employees, and achieving a win-win situation for all parties.
Persisting in asking the people about their needs, seeking advice from the people, and seeking evaluation from the people, taking the satisfaction of the masses as the test standard, doing all work deeply, meticulously, and solidly, and solving the urgent, difficult, anxious, and expectant problems of the people with heart and feeling — true political achievements are precisely born from this.
(3)
Livelihood projects can reveal strategic resolve.
Starting from the 1990s, Shanghai successively promoted and completed the renovation of dilapidated sheds and simple houses, relocation and expropriation, and large-scale old-area renovation, solving the large-scale problem of carrying chamber pots; then, facing difficulties head-on, it tackled and completed the final 14,000 scattered households.
"Shanghai has been promoting old housing renovation for decades, one term after another, with sustained, long-term effort. This is the correct view of political achievements." General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke sincerely.
Good policies most fear "flipping the pancake"; cultivating deeply in time is the historical patience necessary for long-term development. In Beijing, the renovation of alleys and hutongs has also been going on for many years. From surveying and historical research before renovation, to "one courtyard, one policy" restorative construction; from repeatedly adjusting the direction of pipelines, to "tailor-made" age-friendly renovations, to skillfully adding small green spaces and pocket parks... keeping a clear goal and advancing unremittingly has given old hutongs new vitality, making them urban harbors where a beautiful life can be placed.
Valuing the beginning over the end, valuing the short term over the long term, valuing the visible over the hidden, valuing the easy over the difficult, valuing the partial over the whole... During his work in Zhejiang, Comrade Xi Jinping summarized the deviations in the view of political achievements among party members and cadres as the "five values and five neglects," which to this day remain highly pertinent and instructive.
In the persistent continuation lies a profound understanding of visible achievements and latent achievements.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that political achievements "are embodied both in visible achievements that take effect immediately and in latent achievements that lay the foundation, increase momentum, and benefit the long term."
In Wuyuan, Jiangxi, the beautiful scenery visible everywhere today comes from a series of hidden projects. As early as 2016, the county began planning the layout of rural sewage treatment, and according to the geographical conditions and population size of each village, "those that should go to the plant go to the plant, those that should be centralized are centralized, and those that should be dispersed are dispersed." Over the years, the local area has successively explored "anaerobic + constructed wetlands," resource utilization, and the upgrading and improvement of sewage treatment facilities, achieving a dynamic zeroing out of black and odorous water bodies across the entire rural area.
"Willing to do groundwork, willing to grasp unfinished matters," the "invisible corners" reveal the true substance. The "15th Five-Year Plan for Urban Renewal" clarifies that by 2030, over five years the cumulative number of dilapidated urban housing renovations will be 500,000 units (rooms), the new renovation of old residential communities in cities and towns will be 115,000, the number of old street and factory area renovation and upgrading projects will be 1,500, the number of urban village renovations will be 4,000, and the length of urban underground pipeline network renovation will be 365,000 kilometers... focusing on the next five years, one target and task after another points to the "inner lining" of ordinary streets and alleys, aiming at practical matters by the side of the people.
In the persistent continuation is reflected the scientific coordination of "immediate reform" and "long-term establishment."
"One who does not plan for ten thousand generations is not sufficient to plan for a moment." Continuously enhancing people's livelihood and well-being is never merely for momentary effect, but lies in planning for the long term. In Wuxi, Jiangsu, in recent years, tourist toilets have been densely distributed in core commercial areas and scenic spots, and at the same time, around the "second half of the article" of toilet renovation, more than 8,000 public toilets have been connected to the smart sanitation management system, implementing fixed-person, fixed-post cleaning, with daily inspections and citizen QR code evaluations uniformly incorporated into the smart system. A series of "hard constraints" has made "cleanliness upon opening the door" the norm.
In the blueprint of Chinese modernization are written the people's aspirations for a better life. Running education that satisfies the people, improving the income distribution system, perfecting the social security system... the grand picture of national development and the "small but certain happiness" of hundreds of millions of people have always resonated at the same frequency.
"Our Party firmly remembers that the country is the people and the people are the country, persists in upholding the public interest in party building and governing for the people, consciously practices the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, and firmly stands with the people, thinks with the people, and works with the people, possessing a solid foundation that no wind or wave can shake." On July 1 this year, at the conference celebrating the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping's words were resounding.
Those who act often succeed; those who walk often arrive. General Secretary Xi Jinping instructed that "education on the view of political achievements should be carried out regularly," requiring "guiding party members and cadres to always take responsibility and act, perform their duties and fulfill their responsibilities with a correct view of political achievements."
Firmly establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievements, cherishing the realm of "success need not be in my tenure," shouldering the responsibility of "success must have my contribution," striking one hammer after another, we will surely create more achievements that stand the test of practice, the people, and history, and continuously open up new prospects for the development of our cause.
Return to Top(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 7) On the afternoon of September 7, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council met with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Li Qiang stated that Qatar is an important strategic partner of China in the Middle East and the Gulf region. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the China-Qatar strategic partnership has maintained steady development, with continuously consolidated political mutual trust and fruitful mutually beneficial cooperation. China is willing to work with Qatar to further strengthen communication and coordination, firmly support each other on issues involving core interests, and deepen and solidify bilateral relations to better benefit the peoples of both countries.
Li Qiang pointed out that China is willing to strengthen development strategy alignment with Qatar, jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality, deepen cooperation in fields such as traditional energy, new energy, infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and finance, and achieve a higher level of mutually beneficial and win-win results (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual benefit, win-win"). China welcomes Qatar's active investment in China, and also supports more Chinese enterprises in investing in Qatar, promoting the improvement of quality and efficiency of two-way investment. It is hoped that Qatar will continue to provide a sound development environment for Chinese enterprises and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions, and projects in Qatar. The two sides should also strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, giant panda conservation research, and other fields, promoting mutual understanding and affinity between the peoples of the two countries. The current international situation presents a complex situation of instability and turmoil (变乱交织, bian luan jiao zhi - "change, chaos, interweave"). China and Qatar, both being developing countries, should strengthen multilateral coordination and cooperation to promote the building of a more just and equitable global governance system. China supports Qatar's role in mediation and good offices regarding the Middle East situation, and is willing to make unremitting efforts (不懈努力, bu xie nu li - "not, slack, effort") together with Qatar and other regional countries as well as the international community to promote the early restoration of peace and tranquility in the region.
Mohammed stated that Qatar cherishes its relations with China, and the two countries have always adhered to mutual trust, mutual respect, and achieved mutually beneficial and win-win results. In 2014, Emir Tamim and President Xi Jinping jointly announced the establishment of the Qatar-China strategic partnership. The two countries have continuously enhanced political mutual trust and achieved fruitful cooperation in energy, investment, industry, infrastructure, people-to-people exchanges, and other fields, ushering in a "golden era" in bilateral relations. Qatar is willing to work with China to strengthen exchanges at all levels, deepen practical cooperation in trade, high-tech, advanced manufacturing, and other fields, and jointly open the next "golden decade" of bilateral relations. Qatar thanks and appreciates China's efforts in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. Qatar is committed to resolving conflicts through dialogue and restoring peace in the region.
Return to Top(Xinhua News Agency, Xiamen, September 7) (Reporter Pan Jie) Vice President Han Zheng met separately on the afternoon of September 7 in Xiamen, Fujian Province, with Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Investment and Industry Plevnev, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and First Vice Chairman of the Council for the Development of Cambodia Sun Chanthol, and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Mesarović, who were in China to attend the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade.
When meeting with Plevnev, Han Zheng stated that under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Bulgaria strategic partnership has developed healthily and steadily in recent years, and the two sides have achieved fruitful achievements (丰硕成果, feng shuo cheng guo - "abundant, fruitful, results") in cooperation in agriculture, science and technology, and other fields, bringing tangible and concrete benefits (实实在在, shi shi zai zai - "real, solid, true") to the peoples of the two countries. China is willing to work with Bulgaria to jointly implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, expand the scale of bilateral trade, strengthen investment alignment, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the continuous progress of China-Bulgaria relations. China hopes that Bulgaria will actively play a constructive role in promoting the healthy and stable development of China-EU economic and trade relations.
Plevnev stated that Bulgaria attaches great importance to relations with China, is willing to learn from and draw on China's development experience, and closely strengthen practical cooperation between the two sides in various fields, welcoming Chinese enterprises to come to Bulgaria for investing and developing businesses (投资兴业, tou zi xing ye - "invest, start, business").
When meeting with Sun Chanthol, Han Zheng stated that not long ago, President Xi Jinping successively met with President Hun Sen and Prime Minister Hun Manet, drawing up a grand blueprint (宏伟蓝图, hong wei lan tu - "grand, magnificent, blueprint") for the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future in the new era in all weathers. China is willing to work with Cambodia to jointly implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, give full play to the role of the China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee, further deepen practical cooperation in various fields, promote the integration of trade and investment, and promote the continuous progress of China-Cambodia friendly and cooperative relations.
Sun Chanthol stated that the friendship between Cambodia and China is deep, and the two sides have always maintained mutual trust (相互信任, xiang hu xin ren - "mutually, trust") and mutual support. Cambodia reaffirms its commitment to the one-China principle, and is willing to deepen cooperation with China in such fields as economy and trade, investment, tourism, and combating online fraud, and actively participate in the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative, for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries.
When meeting with Mesarović, Han Zheng stated that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Serbia comprehensive strategic partnership. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of the two countries, China-Serbia relations have achieved leapfrog development. In May this year, President Xi Jinping and President Vučić met again, pointing out the direction for the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era. China is willing to work with Serbia to jointly implement the important consensus of the heads of state of the two countries, continuously deepen political mutual trust, make good use of the preferential arrangements of the bilateral free trade agreement, deepen cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, investment, infrastructure, and emerging industries, encourage Chinese enterprises to invest and develop businesses in Serbia, and promote the further development of China-Serbia friendly and cooperative relations.
Mesarović stated that Serbia cherishes the high-level mutual trust between Serbia and China, reaffirms its adherence to the one-China policy, thanks China for its strong support for Serbia's national development, and is willing to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with China and continuously deepen cooperation in various fields, for the benefit of the peoples of the two countries.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王伟健 刘晓宇 杨颜菲
Recently, Volume I and Volume II of the Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture were published and distributed. In the article "Continuing the Cultural Bloodline of the Nation through Creative Transformation and Innovative Development," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must be adept at organically unifying and closely integrating the promotion of fine traditional culture with the development of contemporary culture, developing through inheritance and inheriting through development."
At the 2023 National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during deliberations with the Jiangsu delegation: "Places where culture is highly developed tend to lead economically as well. One could study the humanistic economics at play here."
The Silk Road connects China and the world, tea fragrance wafts through past and present, and porcelain charm echoes across millennia. On September 7, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and five other departments jointly released the Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of Historical Classic Industries, clarifying the acceleration of protection, inheritance, and innovative development of traditional Chinese characteristic industries with profound cultural heritage, including silk, tea, and porcelain.
Silk, tea, and porcelain—three shining calling cards of Chinese civilization going global—are now radiating new brilliance through the fusion of antiquity and modernity: digital technology unlocks the contemporary value of ancient silk, diverse business formats enrich the cultural heritage behind rock tea, and immersive experiences bring ancient kiln craftsmanship closer to the public...
Reporters traveled separately to Suzhou, Jiangsu; Wuyishan, Fujian; and Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, to experience the softness of silk, the mellow richness of tea, and the smoothness of porcelain, observing how a cultural lineage stretching thousands of years is blooming with more vibrant vitality in the new era, and how humanity and economy are coexisting and prospering together (共生共荣, gong sheng gong rong - "together, live, together, prosper") and empowering each other in both directions.
Suzhou, Jiangsu: A Single Strand of Silk Gives Rise to a Hundred Transformations
In Suzhou, Jiangsu, along the outer city moat, the Suzhou No. 1 Silk Factory Cultural Industry Park draws a steady stream of visitors.
The old silk factory's red-brick workshops have been transformed into cocoon-house bookstores, fashion show venues, and original design studios, with fashion launches, creative markets, and industry salons taking turns on stage...
"This product is called 'Tree of Life,' blending Suzhou-style plain crepe satin with French painted decoration. It was previously showcased at Paris Design Week in France." Inside a quaint red building, a livestream host was promoting the new "Golden Leaf Silk" brand silk products.
"Who would have thought that this factory complex was once nothing but an empty shell?" Shi Xiang, a 58-year-old former employee of the No. 1 Silk Factory, has witnessed the rise and fall of the site. The No. 1 Silk Factory was once the golden signboard of Suzhou silk, and its "Golden Leaf Silk" products were sold overseas. But later the brand faded from the market, the bustling factory grounds fell quiet, and equipment sat idle...
To make good use of the Suzhou No. 1 Silk Factory, a precious remnant of modern silk industry, Suzhou Culture Investment and Development Group Co., Ltd. launched a renovation and upgrade of the site in 2025. "Culture is hidden in the 'old,' but it must also be integrated into the 'new.'" Chen Long, Party Secretary and Chairman of Suzhou Culture Investment and Development Group, articulated the renovation philosophy.
The industrial park is anchored to the positioning of "cultural tourism destination, cultural industry cluster," planning two major zones—east and west—where each person or thing shows their own strengths (各展所长, ge zhan suo chang - "each, show, what, one, excels") and complement each other: the east zone focuses on the century-old silk heritage, cultivating fashion design, cultural and creative development, and cultural tourism experience formats; the west zone targets artificial intelligence and digital technology innovation tracks, using cutting-edge technology to empower the traditional silk industry.
With the renovation underway, Shi Xiang also proactively threw himself into the work of revitalizing the "Golden Leaf Silk" brand—assembling a team of more than 10 veteran employees, inviting designers and technical personnel who have settled in the park to collaborate, grafting new designs onto old craftsmanship, and leading the team in online livestreaming...
Today, the cultural atmosphere of the industrial park is growing increasingly rich, and the clustering effect continues to emerge. Within just over two months of opening, the occupancy rate has reached 70%, with numerous renowned silk and cultural-creative brands successively settling in. "Suzhou silk has cultural soft power, but it also needs industrial hard support," Chen Long said. "Our goal is to build this into a ten-billion-yuan-level industrial park within the next three years."
A single strand of silk drives the entire related industrial chain, ushering in a hundred transformations of new life.
In the exhibition halls of the Suzhou Silk Museum, the lively animals, elegant peonies, and refined scrollwork on ancient silk cultural relics have been transformed through digital extraction and creative reconstruction into reusable cultural digital assets. The Suzhou Silk Museum has completed high-definition digital collection of 50,000 silk patterns from its collection, building an artificial intelligence database comprising a specimen library, material library, and gene library.
What use are the patterns? Zou Yujia, a designer born after 1990, uses these digital patterns as base drafts, incorporating modern aesthetics to give them in all sorts of shapes and colors (千姿百态, qian zi bai tai - "thousand, posture, hundred, form")—butterfly brooches worn by young people, ornaments hanging in cars, refrigerator magnets at home...
In 2025, the Suzhou Silk Museum received 588,000 visits, up 12% year-on-year, with visitors born after 1990 and after 2000 accounting for over 57%. In the first half of this year, Suzhou's total tourist arrivals and total tourism revenue grew 7% and 8% year-on-year, respectively.
Upholding correctness without being stuck in tradition (守正不守旧, shou zheng bu shou jiu - "guard, upright, not, guard, old"), innovation never departs from its roots. The strand of silk stretching across millennia is constantly being infused with new vitality.
[Expert Commentary]
In Suzhou, the traditional silk industry radiating new vitality precisely confirms the essence of the "people–culture–economy" triadic synergy in humanistic economics. The spatial renovation and adaptive reuse of the old factory district embody "nurturing culture through economy"—through integrated resource investment and precise empowerment by new technologies, culture, cultural tourism, and cultural creativity synergistically unleash new value. The flourishing of the cultural ecology in turn drives the clustering of the silk industry and the improvement of supporting links in the related industrial chain, and this is precisely the purport of "prospering the economy through culture."
—Song Lu, Executive Dean of the Institute of Intelligent Governance Strategy, Renmin University of China, and Researcher at the Suzhou Research Center for Humanistic Economics
Wuyishan, Fujian: A Single Leaf of Clear Tea Mirrors the Green Mountains
"This is the aroma! The fine mountains and waters of this place nurture the unique 'rock bone and floral fragrance' of rock tea." As morning light spilled into Huangbai Village, Wuyi Subdistrict, Wuyishan City, Nanping, Fujian, at the Tiandi Renhe Tea Estate, water vapor mingled with tea fragrance drifting through the air, attracting many tourists who came on reputation.
"Take a stroll along the lakeside tea footpath, breathe in the tea fragrance, admire the tea gardens, and you can also sit together in a circle, brewing tea and watching the mountains in the embrace of the Danxia landforms," said Ji Suying, head of the Tiandi Renhe Tea Estate. The production technique of Wuyi rock tea (Dahongpao) is a national-level intangible cultural heritage, and the estate's book station houses a large collection of books on Wuyi tea, open 24 hours a day for visitors to read at any time.
Relying on its endowed with exceptional natural advantages (得天独厚, de tian du hou - "get, heaven, unique, thick") landscape resources, Wuyishan has deeply excavated the cultural connotations of a thousand years of tea culture, constructing a complete "Four Seasons of Tea Events"—
In spring, there are mountain-calling tea rituals and mountain-opening tea picking; in summer, one can go deep into tea factories to observe traditional tea-making techniques; in autumn, one can participate in lively tea-tasting competitions; in winter, one can sit by the mountains around a stove brewing tea... A tea culture that can be felt, known, and experienced allows visitors to understand the transmission of craftsmanship and humanistic philosophy behind a single leaf of tea.
Along the protection and development belt around Wuyishan National Park, 25 tea estates and 22 tea spaces are arranged in an irregular or staggered pattern (错落布局, cuo luo bu ju - "scattered, fallen, layout"); a single Wuyishan National Park No. 1 Scenic Byway links 21 A-level tourist attractions and 40 distinctive villages... Amid green waters and lush mountains, a single leaf of tea is linking together diverse business formats.
It was precisely by riding the momentum of the opening of the No. 1 Scenic Byway that the Tiandi Renhe Tea Estate carved out a path of tea-tourism integration—
Within the estate, tea gardens surround it and streams babble; a dedicated hands-on tea-making experience workshop has been established for visitors to immersively experience intangible heritage techniques such as sun-withering and shaking-green; supporting tea culture exhibition halls, study classrooms, and mountain tea lodgings allow guests to see layered tea mountains from their windows and slowly savor fine tea while sitting quietly; tea meals and tea snacks developed from local ingredients infuse tea fragrance into the everyday life of three meals...The tea garden is no longer just a tea garden, but has become a distinctive space for cultural dissemination, study experiences, and leisure sojourns.
"'Tea culture+' has too many new possibilities." Having worked deeply with rock tea for over 20 years, Ji Suying has become a disseminator of tea culture. Today in Huangbai Village, there are already more than 30 business entities like the Tiandi Renhe Tea Estate that are deeply engaged in tea-tourism integration, and the once-weak village has transformed into a widely known internet-famous tea village. Not just Huangbai Village—the 251-kilometer No. 1 Scenic Byway has driven new formats such as "tea garden + photography" and "tea garden + leisure" to take root one after another. During this year's May Day holiday, villages along the route received nearly 30% more tourists year-on-year.
Xie Xiaoming, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Wuyishan Municipal Government, stated that Wuyishan's tea industry adheres to the tea industry as the main body, with cultural soul-giving and technological empowerment as the two wings, simultaneously enhancing the influence of tea culture, the competitiveness of the tea industry, and the supporting strength of tea technology.
Technology is infusing this leaf of tea with new vitality. At the Dapingzhou Ecological Tea Garden of Wuyishan Yongsheng Tea Industry Co., Ltd., students on study trips press against the glass windows, curiously observing the shaking-green robot in continuous operation, while the temperature and humidity curves jumping on the screen blend with the charcoal-roasted aroma permeating the air. The robot precisely replicates the trajectory of the master craftsman's shaking-green technique, achieving standardized production for the process step in rock tea making that most relies on experiential control.
A single leaf carries the cultural lineage; green mountains nurture tea fragrance. Data show that as of the end of 2025, 56% of the per capita disposable income of farmers in Wuyishan City came from the tea industry, and the brand value of Wuyi rock tea reached 75.018 billion yuan.
[Expert Commentary]
A single leaf of tea produced in Wuyishan drives the development of the entire industrial chain, achieving the coexistence and mutual prosperity of culture and economy. The key lies in operating natural endowments and intangible heritage techniques as cultural IP, upgrading tea drinking into an experienceable "mountain-and-water tea lifestyle," and using technological means to standardize and scale this experience, allowing cultural value to be monetized through experience.
—He Jianjin, Vice President of the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences
Jingdezhen, Jiangxi: A Single Kiln of New Porcelain Moistens a Thousand Years
One Jingdezhen holds half the history of ceramics.
In July this year, at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Busan, South Korea, the "Jingdezhen Handmade Porcelain Industry Heritage" was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List, becoming China's 61st World Heritage site.
The Letian Pottery Club Market, the Taoda Youth Market, the Taoxichuan Market... Wandering through the distinctive markets of Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, young "Jing piao" (Jingdezhen drifters) are constantly creating, finding their positioning, and undergoing market testing here.
"Master craftsmen and masters from around the world gather here, and creativity always collides unexpectedly." After graduating from the China Academy of Art in 2008, Wang Ping came to Jingdezhen on reputation, rented a 100-square-meter warehouse in the Sculpture Porcelain Factory, groped for techniques in piles of clay every day, and insisted on setting up a stall at the market every Saturday.
"The first time I fired that emerald-green color like Jiangnan misty rain, I was stunned for a long time." Drawing inspiration from the bluestone slabs of the old alleys, Wang Ping, after hundreds of repeated adjustments to glaze formulas, fired a unique "moss glaze." Today, his Moss Series has been collected by museums abroad, and he has his own "Pingzao" ceramic studio.
A favorable entrepreneurial environment, a complete industrial ecosystem, profound cultural heritage... Jingdezhen is like a "magnet," attracting more than 60,000 "Jing piao" to work and live here, including thousands of overseas people from more than 60 countries.
Craftsmen come from all directions; vessels are made and travel the world. When traditional culture meets trendy aesthetics, Jingdezhen's "trendy toys" are going out of China and into the world.
"In earlier years, ceramics were mostly vases and porcelain plates." In the production workshop of Jingdezhen Chentian Ceramics Co., Ltd., a dedicated production line is running at full speed. Company head Xu Wan explained that they are targeting the young market, applying fine traditional craftsmanship to trendy toy figurines.
This is by no means easy. The facial and body surfaces of trendy toys have large curved contours, making the carved-line technique extremely difficult to control, and the greenware bodies are highly prone to collapse and deformation during firing, requiring repeated prototyping and kiln temperature adjustments, with experienced craftsmen using carving needles to engrave each piece one by one on the porcelain body. In 2024, Chentian Ceramics reached cooperation with Pop Mart, applying high-temperature color glaze techniques on a large scale to the trendy toy field.
In Jingdezhen, from national-trend animation IPs like Fei Ren Zai to internationally renowned IPs, and to the internet-famous cultural relic IP "Suisui Duck" launched by the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, the warm, lustrous ceramics are undergoing cross-boundary rebirth, continuously radiating new brilliance.
"Behind bold cross-boundary moves and creative R&D, there is the empowerment of the industrial chain, and even more indispensable is the institutional 'backing.'" Xu Wan said frankly that Jingdezhen's complete protection system for original copyrights and craft patents has dispelled the worries about the future or potential problems later on (后顾之忧, hou gu zhi you - "behind, look, of, worry") of trendy toy cooperation partners.
Promulgating Jiangxi Province's first local regulation on intellectual property protection, the "Jingdezhen Made" Porcelain Protection Regulations; establishing a ceramic intellectual property technical investigator system, selecting and appointing 18 experts to specifically address difficulties in identifying ceramic intellectual property disputes... Jingdezhen is continuously promoting the standardized development of the cultural market.
"The best protection is living, active utilization." Chen Kelong, Party Secretary of Jingdezhen, stated that they will formulate tourism development plans to high standards, linking the various heritage elements into a line, promoting the living transmission of intangible heritage; developing more cultural and creative products with stronger creative design; and building a year-round, never-ending market matrix of higher quality, striving to convert cultural tourism traffic into development growth.
In 2025, Jingdezhen received more than 39.5 million domestic tourists. The brand value of "Jingdezhen Made" has reached 51.6 billion yuan.
[Expert Commentary]
In Jingdezhen, a living sample nourished by humanistic economics, the thousand-year kiln fire tempers not only the beauty of artifacts, but also forms a complete "culture–technology–industry" transformation mechanism. When a city can form a positive cycle among culture, human capital, and institutions, prosperity gains endogenous momentum—this is also the deep logic behind the kiln fire that has never been extinguished for a thousand years.
—Wang Yushuai, Executive Deputy Director of the Research Center for Central China Economic and Social Development, Nanchang University
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 张云河
"Durian freedom" cannot be achieved without faster customs clearance.
On September 7, a truck carrying 17.5 tons of Thai durians drove into the Youyi Pass port in the Chongzuo Area of the Guangxi Pilot Free Trade Zone.
In 15 seconds, the truck passed quickly through the border inspection checkpoint. "For fruit clearance, congestion is the worst fear. Now, with card swiping and face recognition, it is both fast and smooth," said Yu Weipeng, a business representative of Guangxi Pan-Asia International Freight Forwarding Co., Ltd.
The Youyi Pass border inspection express clearance system has given rise to a new model for inspecting vehicles entering and exiting the country — automatic comparison of personnel and vehicle information, reduced frequency of inspection stamping, and paperless online declaration of documents.
Since its implementation, inspection efficiency per vehicle has improved by about 75 percent, the validity period of drivers' entry-exit documents has been extended from one month to three to six months, and the system saves more than 60 million yuan annually in costs for freight forwarding enterprises registered at the port.
This innovative inspection model is one of the 170 institutional innovation achievements of the Chongzuo Area of the Guangxi Pilot Free Trade Zone, and it has been included in the sixth batch of "Best Practice Cases" for pilot free trade zones released by the Ministry of Commerce.
Backed by the southwestern hinterland and adjacent to the ASEAN market, Chongzuo possesses exceptional natural advantages in its location.
"How to turn locational advantages into industrial advantages is something we have been thinking about and exploring," said Huang Manqiang, deputy director of the Institutional Innovation Division of the Chongzuo Area Administrative Committee.
The key to breaking the deadlock lies in institutional opening-up.
The speed of fruit clearance directly affects the attractiveness of the on-site processing industry, and inspection is a crucial link.
"Platform number C31, license plate 98H06521." On the inspection platform, the electronic screen displayed information in real time, and Yu Weipeng locked onto it at a glance. "The durian inspection has begun!"
In the past, enterprise staff always had to run back and forth to watch parking spaces and hand over documents. Now, with the assistance of the customs intelligent inspection auxiliary management system, the online intelligent platform achieves automatic allocation of inspection platforms and real-time sensing of vehicle entry and exit, raising business processing efficiency by 40 percent, reducing enterprise staff trips by more than 40 percent, and improving inspection platform turnover efficiency by 35 percent.
In the Kafeng Laboratory of Pingxiang Customs, testing personnel operated a high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry instrument to screen for pesticide residues in imported durians.
"In the past, many testing items had to be sent elsewhere. After the laboratory was built, the scale of its facilities, personnel, and equipment expanded nearly threefold, and the average testing time was shortened by 40 percent," said Duan Baoyi, head of the laboratory.
Durian daifuku, durian mille crepe cake, durian snow-skin mooncakes... The deep-processing workshop of the China-ASEAN (Chongzuo) Fruit Trading Center is filled with rich aromas, and it can produce 120,000 boxes of durian daifuku and 100,000 boxes of durian mille crepe cake per month at full capacity.
He Xiangwen, head of the trading center, introduced: "The Chongzuo Area has launched innovative reforms such as the on-site processing model for goods imported through border trade, allowing inbound vehicles to go directly to industrial parks and attracting processing enterprises to set up operations, turning the fruit 'transit corridor' into an 'industrial magnet.'"
Using the corridor to drive logistics and using logistics to gather industry, the Chongzuo Area has smoothed the customs clearance chain, strengthened port support, and solidified the on-site processing industry for ASEAN specialty products, using sustained innovation to support institutional supply across the entire chain and the entire process.
Data from Nanning Customs shows that in 2025, fruit imports through Chongzuo border ports reached 35.68 billion yuan. In the first seven months of this year, durian imports through the Youyi Pass port were valued at 14.59 billion yuan, up 39.1 percent year on year; the volume was 492,000 tons, up 40.5 percent year on year.
"Striving forward in the 15th Five-Year Plan, we will focus on strengthening the cross-border industrial chain and raising the level of openness, continuously turning corridor advantages into developmental advantages," Huang Manqiang said.
Return to TopOn September 6, in Qingdao, Shandong, the research vessel "Shenhai Yihao" (Deep Sea No. 1), carrying the manned submersible "Jiaolong," smoothly departed port, heading to the deep sea to carry out a new round of marine scientific research missions.
The "Jiaolong" is a 7,000-meter-class manned submersible independently developed by China, and is a sharp tool for China's deep-sea and far-sea scientific research. As a professional research mother ship, the "Shenhai Yihao" is equipped with advanced facilities and has strong endurance, providing comprehensive maritime support for deep-diving operations.
The photo shows the "Jiaolong" manned submersible being hoisted onto the "Shenhai Yihao" research vessel recently.
Photo by Yang Xuemei (People's Visual)
Return to TopTheory
Stay True to the Party's Original Aspiration and Founding Mission
Ninth Edition
The Pinglu Canal involves a total of 104 bridges along its entire route
The "Hundred Bridges Project" Embodies Ingenuity
Sixth Edition
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王 政 刘温馨
Silk, tea, porcelain, traditional Chinese medicine, brewing, arts and crafts, and the four treasures of the study — these traditional Chinese specialty industries with profound cultural heritage are the crystallization of the wisdom of Chinese civilization and national treasures. Recently, six departments including the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the "Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of Historical Classic Industries." On the morning of September 7, the State Council Information Office held a press conference at which Xie Yuansheng, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, and others introduced the relevant situation.
By 2028, cultivate 100 Chinese consumer name-brand products
"This is the first industrial policy document formulated at the national level specifically for historical classic industries," said Xie Yuansheng. According to incomplete statistics, the number of enterprises above designated size in representative industries of historical classic industries reaches 25,000, employing nearly 3.5 million people, with annual operating revenue of the entire industry of approximately 8 trillion yuan, making them an important vehicle for driving local economic development, expanding employment channels, and inheriting Chinese civilization.
The Opinions systematically deploy key tasks in five areas: in terms of overall industrial planning, they put forward task measures such as consolidating the foundation for industrial development, optimizing industrial planning and layout, advancing the construction of industrial clusters, and accelerating the classified cultivation of enterprises; in terms of industrial inheritance, innovation, transformation, and upgrading, they put forward task measures such as strengthening inheritance protection and scientific and technological innovation, and accelerating the transformation and upgrading of industries toward high-end, intelligent, and green development; in terms of integrated industrial development, they put forward task measures such as promoting the diversified integration of historical classic industries with culture, tourism, health and wellness, education, rural revitalization, and other fields, and cultivating new consumption scenarios and new growth points; in terms of fostering a sound ecosystem for high-quality development of the industries, they put forward task measures such as strengthening trademark brand building and promotion, and reinforcing industrial quality building and standards leadership; in terms of advancing the international development of the industries, they put forward task measures such as accelerating the integration of the industries into the international high-end consumer market by building multi-channel platforms for going global and strengthening publicity and promotion.
"The development goal is that by 2028, we will cultivate 50 leading enterprises with annual revenue of ten billion yuan, shape 100 Chinese consumer name-brand products, and build a number of characteristic industrial clusters at the hundred-billion-yuan scale. By 2030, we will cultivate and form a batch of world-class enterprises and well-known brands, and push historical classic industries toward the mid-to-high end of the global value chain," said Xie Yuansheng.
Promote time-honored brands to uphold fundamental principles and break new ground
Time-honored brands are the "gold-lettered signboards" nurtured in the development of China's industry and commerce, carrying profound and excellent traditional Chinese culture. "The Ministry of Commerce has successively recognized 1,450 China time-honored brands in three batches, of which more than 40 percent are distributed in historical classic industries such as silk and tea, traditional Chinese medicine, and arts and crafts," said Zhang Xiang, head of the Department of Circulation Industry Development of the Ministry of Commerce. He said that next, efforts will be made to promote the coordinated and linked high-quality development of time-honored brands and historical classic industries from four aspects: improving supporting policies, giving play to exemplary roles, improving the dynamic evaluation system, and establishing a monitoring and early-warning mechanism.
"Activating the consumption potential of historical classic industries is by no means simply putting old products on the shelves; rather, it requires coordinated efforts on products, scenarios, and channels, so that old crafts can 'come alive, become widely popular, and enter every household,'" said Xie Yuansheng.
In terms of product innovation, make classics "trendy." Support cross-border cooperation between classic famous enterprises and front-line designers, well-known brands, and fashion institutions, promote the combination of traditional elements with modern aesthetics and practical functions, and develop high-value-added products that carry both cultural connotations and the characteristics of the times.
In terms of consumption scenarios, make experiences "vivid." Support the opening of creative markets and smart experience stores in commercial districts, pedestrian streets, scenic areas, and cultural industry parks, bringing crafts such as tea-making, embroidery, and porcelain-making to the forefront so that consumers can personally experience traditional crafts and immerse themselves in classic culture.
In terms of distribution channels, make good products "closer." Encourage localities to accelerate the cultivation of characteristic advantageous production areas, support the opening of display and sales zones for classic name-brand products in key commercial districts, urban cultural salons, and other venues, encourage the use of new channels such as e-commerce, livestreaming, and short videos to tell the stories of classic industries well and drive up sales of classic products. Promote classic name-brand products to enter port duty-free shops, urban duty-free shops, and high-end supermarkets.
Integration of culture and tourism to broaden development space
"The diversified integration of historical classic industries integrates business forms, transmits the cultural lineage, strengthens the industries, and benefits the people's livelihood," said Shan Gangxin, Director of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. He said that the development space of historical classic industries will be broadened from three aspects.
In terms of the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, we will deeply advance the systematic protection of intangible cultural heritage, implement actions to promote consumption through intangible cultural heritage, and deepen resource connectivity by organizing work such as intangible cultural heritage food festivals, brand promotion weeks, and pilot projects for improving quality and efficiency of intangible cultural heritage workshops, so as to promote good intangible cultural heritage products into airports, onto high-speed railways, and into duty-free shops.
In terms of promoting the integration and innovation of business forms, we will encourage the creation of cultural masterpieces themed on historical classic industries. Support the development of cultural and creative products and tourism products. Cultivate brands such as "Travel with Intangible Cultural Heritage" and "Appreciate Intangible Cultural Heritage with Films," continuously innovate consumption scenarios, and enrich the supply of high-quality cultural tourism.
In terms of strengthening publicity and promotion, we will support the inclusion of historical classic products in the recommended catalogs of "City Gifts" and "Rural Good Products." Relying on brand activities such as "Colorful China · Festival Good Products," we will showcase to audiences at home and abroad China's traditional crafts that are extremely clever and skillful with one's hands (心灵手巧, xin ling shou qiao - "heart, mind, hand, skillful") and the festive culture of praying for blessings and good fortune (祈福纳祥, qi fu na xiang - "pray, blessing, accept, auspicious"), and spread China's aesthetics of life.
"We focus on stimulating the endogenous driving force of enterprises, strive to improve the quality level of the industrial chain, deeply advance county-level quality innovation practices, and promote the building of strong industrial chains and quality upgrading of historical classic industries," said Wei Hong, Director of the Department of Standards Innovation Management of the State Administration for Market Regulation.
Return to Top(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 7) To thoroughly implement the deployment of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on promoting the optimization of toll road policies, and to promote the high-quality development of highways, the Ministry of Transport, after conducting in-depth research, extensively soliciting opinions, and repeated study and deliberation, has drafted the "Highway Law of the People's Republic of China (Draft Amendment for Comment)" and began soliciting public comments from September 7.
The drafting explanation notes that the current Highway Law, which has been in effect since January 1, 1998, has played an important role in promoting the development of the highway sector. The toll road policy it established broke the funding constraint of relying solely on public finance for highway development in China. While vigorously promoting the leapfrog development of highway transportation in China, some provisions have become incompatible with the needs of highway development. There is currently no clear institutional provision for the method of raising funds for the management and maintenance of expressways after the expiration of their toll collection periods. As toll collection on expressways built in the early period expires successively, it is necessary to amend the Highway Law to avoid a gap in subsequent management and maintenance funding.
The draft for comment adheres to a people-centered approach, adheres to seeking truth from facts, adheres to both a goal-oriented and problem-oriented approach, maintains the overall institutional framework of the current law unchanged, and makes necessary adjustments in a patch-style, small-incision manner.
The draft for comment further standardizes relevant expressions. It uniformly revises "competent department of transportation" to "competent department of transport," revises "poverty-stricken areas" to "less-developed areas," and revises "using loans or pooled funds" to "lawfully incurring debt."
The draft for comment further tightens examination and approval management. The toll standards for toll roads during the debt repayment or operation period are adjusted from being examined and approved by the competent department of transportation of the provincial people's government jointly with the competent department of pricing administration at the same level, to being examined and approved by the provincial people's government, thereby strengthening government responsibility and raising management requirements.
The draft for comment further clarifies the channels for raising management and maintenance funds. It clarifies that management and maintenance expenses for toll roads during the debt repayment period or operation period shall be covered from vehicle tolls. It clarifies that after the debt repayment period or operation period of expressways and independent bridges and tunnels expires, they shall be managed uniformly by the government, and, according to actual needs, methods such as collecting vehicle tolls may be adopted to raise management and maintenance funds, with toll standards examined and approved by the provincial people's government. For those incorporated into municipal management and maintenance, and those whose funding can be guaranteed by public finance, toll collection will no longer apply.
The public may view the draft for comment on the website of the Ministry of Transport. Relevant suggestions and opinions may be submitted before October 7, 2026, through the Ministry of Transport website, email, or postal mail.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 韩 鑫
On September 7, the Ministry of Transport began publicly soliciting opinions on the "Highway Law of the People's Republic of China (Draft Amendment for Comment)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Draft for Comment") that it had researched and drafted. The head of the relevant department of the Ministry of Transport answered reporters' questions on issues related to promoting the amendment of the "Highway Law of the People's Republic of China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Highway Law").
Q: What is the significance of the promulgation and implementation of the Highway Law? What considerations are there for this amendment?
A: The Highway Law, which took effect in 1998, is China's first systematic, complete, and unified basic law for the highway sector that regulates highway planning, construction, maintenance, operation, use, and management. Before its promulgation and implementation, constrained by insufficient government fiscal capacity, highway transportation infrastructure development was severely lagging. Supported by the Highway Law, after years of rapid development, highways have become the transportation infrastructure in China with the widest coverage, the deepest accessibility, and the largest population served. Statistics show that as of the end of 2025, the total mileage of highways nationwide reached 5.579 million kilometers, 4.4 times that of 1998. Among these, expressway mileage reached 199,000 kilometers, 22.8 times that of 1998, and has long ranked first in the world in terms of mileage scale. Highways bear 73% of the country's total freight volume and 67% of its total passenger volume, of which expressways, with 3.6% of the mileage, bear more than 50% of the freight turnover on the highway network. Vegetables and fruits from the south can be delivered to residents in the north on the same day, and coastal residents can more conveniently enjoy beef, mutton, melons, and fruits from the interior. Highway infrastructure has basically formed a high-grade highway network with expressways as the backbone, ordinary national and provincial trunk highways as the network, connecting east and west, and running through north and south. Ordinary highways have basically achieved nationwide accessibility, and a pattern of coordinated development between ordinary highways and expressways has basically taken shape.
Since the promulgation and implementation of the Highway Law, it has undergone five amendments in response to economic and social development changes and major reforms in the highway sector. This Draft for Comment focuses on the requirements of national governance modernization and the needs of sustainable highway development, adopting a "patch-up, small-incision" approach to make modifications and improvements, mainly based on the following aspects:
First, the expression regarding government investment models is incompatible with the requirements of the current fiscal and taxation system. In the past, toll highway projects could, through the transportation authorities of local people's governments at or above the county level, use loans or raise funds from enterprises and individuals. The Budget Law of the People's Republic of China, amended in 2014, requires that provincial people's governments may, within the limits determined by the State Council, incur debt by issuing local government bonds, and may not incur debt by any other means. The relevant expressions regarding government investment in the current Highway Law need to be adjusted accordingly in line with the current national fiscal and taxation reform requirements.
Second, the management level for toll standards is relatively low. Toll standards for toll highways are major administrative approval matters involving the vital interests of the people. The current Highway Law requires that toll standards for toll highways be examined and approved by the transportation authorities of provincial people's governments jointly with the price administration authorities at the same level. The management level is relatively low and needs to be elevated to examination and approval by the provincial people's governments, to strengthen government responsibility and enhance management requirements.
Third, there are no clear institutional provisions for the funding guarantee for the management and maintenance of expressways after the expiration of the toll period. Current relevant regulations and policies provide that ordinary highway maintenance funds are guaranteed through transfer payments from refined oil product consumption tax, and that management and maintenance funds for expressways within the toll period are covered by vehicle tolls. However, there are currently no clear institutional provisions for the method of raising management and maintenance funds after the expiration of the toll period. As tolls on expressways built in the early period expire one after another, to avoid a gap in subsequent management and maintenance funds, it is necessary to amend the Highway Law.
The Draft for Comment focuses on the above issues and makes modifications to the relevant provisions.
Q: What are the main principles followed in this amendment of the Highway Law?
A: This amendment mainly follows the following principles:
First, adhere to a people-centered approach. Establish a multi-channel fund-raising system for management and maintenance funds compatible with the sustainable development of China's highway network, with ordinary highways guaranteeing basic public travel and universal service, and expressways providing efficient and high-quality passage services, balancing fairness and efficiency.
Second, adhere to seeking truth from facts. In response to the problem that there are no clear institutional provisions for the method of raising management and maintenance funds after the expiration of the expressway toll period, make institutional arrangements, strengthen the effectiveness of the law, and provide legal guarantees for promoting high-quality development of expressways and continuously improving the modern highway transportation network.
Third, adhere to a goal-oriented and problem-oriented approach. Adopting a "patch-up, small-incision" method, keep the overall institutional framework of the current law unchanged, focus on providing legal space for broadening the channels for raising highway management and maintenance funds, and only make necessary modifications to certain provisions.
Q: What are the main contents of this amendment of the Highway Law?
A: The main contents of the Draft for Comment include three aspects:
First, further standardize relevant expressions. Uniformly revise "transportation authorities" to "transportation authorities in charge of transport," revise "poverty-stricken areas" to "less developed areas," and revise "using loans or raising funds" to "lawfully incurring debt."
Second, further tighten approval management. Adjust the toll standards during the debt-servicing or operating period of toll highways from examination and approval by the transportation authorities of provincial people's governments jointly with the price administration authorities at the same level to examination and approval by the provincial people's governments, strengthening government responsibility and raising management requirements.
Third, further clarify the channels for raising management and maintenance funds. Clarify that management and maintenance expenses for toll highways during the debt-servicing period or operating period are covered by vehicle tolls. Clarify that after the debt-servicing period or operating period of expressways and independent bridges and tunnels expires, they shall be managed uniformly by the government, and according to actual needs, methods such as collecting vehicle tolls may be adopted to raise management and maintenance funds, with toll standards examined and approved by the provincial people's governments. For those incorporated into municipal management and maintenance, and those that can be guaranteed by fiscal funds, tolls will no longer be collected.
Q: Fuel tax has already been collected, so why must tolls continue to be collected after expressway toll periods expire?
A: According to current regulations and policies, the refined oil product consumption tax (commonly known as the "fuel tax") only covers ordinary highway maintenance costs and does not include expressway management and maintenance costs. At present, management and maintenance funds for expressways within the toll period are covered by vehicle tolls, but there are no clear institutional provisions for the method of raising management and maintenance funds for expressways after the expiration of the toll period.
In recent years, as tolls on expressways built in the early period have expired one after another, the problem of gaps in management and maintenance funds has become increasingly prominent. In particular, most of those expiring are expressways with high traffic volumes, long service ages, aging facilities, and located on important corridors. If there is no sufficient, stable, and reliable guarantee of management and maintenance funds in the future, it will be difficult to continue providing safe, convenient, high-quality, and efficient passage services to the people and to economic and social development.
At present, the portion of the refined oil product consumption tax that replaces road maintenance fee expenditures can only meet about half of the demand for ordinary highway maintenance funds, leaving a relatively large gap. If the management and maintenance funds for expressways after the expiration of the toll period were guaranteed by raising the refined oil product consumption tax rate, calculations show that refined oil prices would rise significantly. This would constitute unfair taxation for fuel vehicle owners who do not use expressways or use them less.
After the amendment of the Highway Law, expressways after the expiration of the toll period will be managed uniformly by the government, and the "user pays" method of "those who use more pay more, those who use less pay less, and those who do not use pay nothing" may be adopted to collect vehicle tolls from road users who actually benefit and raise management and maintenance funds. This both reflects the fairness of "those who benefit bear the cost," avoids increasing the burden on the entire population, and can provide safe, convenient, high-quality, and efficient passage services to the people and to economic and social development. It is a pragmatic choice that conforms to China's development reality.
Q: Where is the vehicle toll revenue collected from expressways spent?
A: The construction funds for expressways are mainly raised through incurring debt, social investment, special funds for highway construction, and other means. Within the toll period, vehicle tolls collected under the "user pays" method are mainly used to repay the principal and interest of debts for expressway construction projects, with the remaining portion used for daily maintenance, major and medium repairs, operation management, emergency response, investment recovery, and so on. There are currently no clear institutional provisions for the method of raising management and maintenance funds for expressways after the expiration of the toll period.
After the amendment of the Highway Law, expressways after the expiration of the toll period will be managed uniformly by the government, and according to actual needs, methods such as collecting vehicle tolls may be adopted to raise management and maintenance funds through multiple channels. The vehicle tolls collected, in addition to continuing to be used for daily maintenance, major and medium repairs, operation management, and emergency response, will also be used for expenditures such as the renovation, upgrading, and digital-intelligent upgrading of expressways, continuously providing safe, convenient, high-quality, and efficient passage services to the people and to economic and social development.
It should be noted that after the expiration of the toll period, expressways will be managed uniformly by the government, and the toll standards for vehicle tolls collected for management and maintenance will be significantly reduced, with the specifics determined according to actual conditions. In the future, we will also introduce supporting policy documents, strengthen the management of vehicle toll revenue and expenditure, strengthen audit supervision, and ensure that the use process is open and transparent.
Q: Please introduce the process of this law amendment.
A: The Highway Law was adopted on July 3, 1997, and took effect on January 1, 1998. It made systematic and comprehensive provisions on highway planning, construction, maintenance, operation, use, and management, providing a solid legal guarantee for the sustained and healthy development of China's highway sector. With economic and social development changes and the advancement of major reforms in the highway sector, to give play to the guiding and driving role of legislation, the Highway Law underwent five amendments in 1999, 2004, 2009, 2016, and 2017.
In accordance with the deployment of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, to do a solid and steady job in this amendment of the Highway Law, the Ministry of Transport, together with the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, and other departments, established a special working group, adhering to the principle of running fairness, impartiality, and openness through the entire legislative process.
First, ascertain the baseline of highway development. Further improved the statistical survey systems for highway maintenance and toll highways, and, focusing on expressways, conducted statistical analysis of the demand for and guarantee of management and maintenance funds project by project and section by section, achieving the establishment of accounts and files and ascertaining the baseline.
Second, conducted in-depth investigation and research. Organized research teams to visit various regions to hold discussions with local governments, relevant departments, expressway management and maintenance units, transportation enterprises, highway users, and others, fully understanding local realities and listening carefully to suggestions and opinions.
Third, fully drew on international experience. Systematically reviewed the highway development models, fund-raising channels, and legal and regulatory system designs of other countries, studied and analyzed successful experiences and practices as well as lessons from failed cases, and provided reference for improving China's highway legal and regulatory system.
Fourth, organized and carried out topic research. Commissioned national high-end think tanks, high-level research universities, and research institutions inside and outside the industry to carry out dozens of topic research projects focused on highway management, maintenance, and sustainable development, proposing different reform paths and policy optimization plans and conducting comparative selection and argumentation.
Fifth, extensively solicited opinions from all parties. Held multiple industry-specific symposiums and seminars with experts inside and outside the industry, and conducted multiple rounds of written solicitation of opinions from relevant ministries and commissions of the State Council, provincial people's governments, transportation authorities in charge of transport of provincial people's governments, industry associations, relevant enterprises, and others.
On the basis of the above work, the Ministry of Transport, together with relevant departments, adhered to seeking truth from facts, fully and objectively grasped China's existing fiscal capacity and highway development reality, and, in accordance with the problem-oriented and goal-oriented principles, further improved the content of the Highway Law amendment, forming the Draft for Comment.
Q: How will the Ministry of Transport handle the suggestions and opinions put forward by all sectors of society?
A: First, comprehensively compile and summarize. For suggestions and opinions put forward by the public through the Ministry of Transport's government website, email, letters, and other means, we will arrange for dedicated personnel to collect, organize, classify, and summarize them every day, ensuring that every suggestion and opinion can be accepted for handling.
Second, conduct in-depth research and argumentation. We will, together with relevant departments, jointly study the suggestions and opinions. For suggestions and opinions with relatively large differences of opinion, we will organize experts to conduct in-depth argumentation and relevant departments to fully consult, ensuring that every suggestion and opinion can be seriously treated.
Third, fully absorb and adopt. For suggestions and opinions that are scientific, reasonable, and feasible, we will fully absorb and adopt them. For suggestions and opinions that truly cannot be absorbed and adopted, they will also be fully considered through other means, ensuring that every suggestion and opinion can be respected.
Return to TopAccording to statistics, during this year's summer period, Haikou Customs supervised offshore duty-free shopping amounting to 3.82 billion yuan, 3.809 million items purchased, and 690,000 shoppers, representing year-on-year increases of 4.1%, 0.3%, and 3.4% respectively. The photo shows customers selecting goods at the CDFG Hainan Haikou Sun Moon Plaza duty-free store.
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Guanyu
Return to Top(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Yang Zhanfei) The reporter learned from the National Copyright Administration on September 7 that the National Copyright Administration recently issued the "Copyright Work 15th Five-Year Plan," which clarifies the guiding ideology, main objectives, key tasks, and special projects for copyright work during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
The plan proposes that by 2030, the copyright legal system will be further improved, and the level of rule-of-law in copyright work will continue to rise; copyright protection efforts will be continuously strengthened, and the level of copyright law enforcement and supervision will be significantly enhanced; copyright social service capacity will be markedly increased, and copyright will contribute notable results to high-quality development of industries; international cooperation on copyright will be deepened, and China's international discourse power, communication capacity, and influence in the copyright field will continue to grow; copyright publicity and education will be widely carried out, a social atmosphere respecting copyright will become increasingly strong, and the environment for copyright development will be even better.
The plan arranges five key tasks: first, improving the socialist copyright legal system with Chinese characteristics; second, building a copyright protection ecosystem that incentivizes innovation; third, establishing a standardized and efficient copyright service mechanism; fourth, forging a new pattern of international cooperation on copyright based on openness and mutual benefit (开放共赢, kai fang gong ying - "open, win-win"); fifth, fostering a social environment that respects copyright.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Ge Mengchao) Statistics released by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange show that as of the end of August, China's foreign exchange reserve scale stood at $3,438.3 billion, an increase of $19.5 billion from the end of July, a rise of 0.57%.
In August, affected by factors such as global macroeconomic data and monetary policy expectations of major economies, the U.S. dollar index declined, and price performance of major global financial assets showed some divergence. The combined effect of factors such as exchange rate conversion and asset price changes led to an increase in the scale of foreign exchange reserves for the month. China's economic operation is generally stable, making steady progress while maintaining stability (稳中有进, wen zhong you jin - "stable, within, have, progress"), demonstrating strong resilience and vitality, which provides support for the foreign exchange reserve scale to remain basically stable.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Wang Yunshan) Data released by the National Data Administration show that, as of the end of July, the total scale of intelligent computing nationwide reached 2.45 million PFLOPS (FP16), and the intelligent computing scale already built in the eight national computing hubs and the three computing-power-electricity coordinated development zones accounts for over 85 percent of the national total.
In addition, the construction of the national-level monitoring and dispatching platform is currently being accelerated, with 1.45 million PFLOPS (FP16) of intelligent computing power already brought within the scope of monitoring, accounting for about 60 percent of the national total intelligent computing scale. The efficient and concentrated use of resources (集约化利用, ji jue hua li yong - "concentrated, intensive, transformation, use") and the capacity for integrated dispatching of computing resources are being continuously strengthened.
Return to TopFrom August 30 to September 3, President Xi Jinping, at the invitation of relevant parties, attended the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Kyrgyzstan and paid state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt. With solidarity and coordination as the main thread, the visit focused on a shared future and advocated fairness and justice. It carries important practical and far-reaching significance for consolidating consensus on cooperation among all parties and for reforming and improving global governance, and it drew close attention from the international community. Many foreign media outlets and institutions published articles stating that, against the backdrop of deepening geopolitical rifts and shocks to the international order, this visit forcefully responded to the international community's expectations for peace, stability, and development, providing Chinese solutions and Chinese wisdom for a world fraught with change and turbulence. China's image as a reliable partner and a responsible major country is winning widespread public support (深入人心, shen ru ren xin - "deep, enter, people, heart").
Promoting the Building of a More Just and Equitable Global Governance System
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of the SCO. President Xi Jinping attended the Bishkek Summit and incisively summarized the experience and highlights of the SCO's development with three "mosts," and possessing a far-reaching view (高屋建瓴, gao wu jian ling - "high roof, build high"), put forward "four adherences," pointing out the correct direction for the SCO to unite people's hearts and efforts (凝心聚力, ning xin ju li - "condense heart, gather strength") and achieve long-term success through steady progress (行稳致远, xing wen zhi yuan - "walk steadily, reach far"). This reflects China's leading role in shaping the SCO's concepts, mechanisms, and cooperation.
A report on the website of Russia's Kommersant newspaper said that the important speech delivered by President Xi Jinping during his attendance at the SCO Bishkek Summit demonstrated China's willingness to work hand in hand with all parties to strive for higher-quality development and to promote the building of a more just and equitable global governance system. The report stressed that Global South countries, as an important force in promoting world multipolarity, should have greater representation and voice in global affairs.
A report on the website of Rossiyskaya Gazeta said that the proposals put forward by the Chinese side during the Bishkek Summit will promote experience exchange among all parties in the application and practice of artificial intelligence technology, as well as the implementation of cooperation projects in related fields. The article analyzed that China regards scientific and technological development as an important area of cooperation with all parties, and China's artificial intelligence technology will benefit more countries and people through multilateral cooperation.
An article on the website of Belarus's Belarus Today newspaper said that the Bishkek Summit further promoted the building of a multipolar world order. The report said that the SCO has strengthened coordination with multilateral organizations and mechanisms such as the Eurasian Economic Union, ASEAN, the African Union, and BRICS, and the outside world generally expects the SCO to advance world multipolarity with more pragmatic actions.
An article on the website of Kazakhstan's The Astana Times said that the SCO has now become one of the world's largest regional organizations. Against the backdrop of intensifying global tensions and rising uncertainty, Global South countries hope to have a greater voice in global governance. The SCO is able to bring together countries with diverse interests and cultures.
An article on the official website of the Institute of Asian and European Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan said that the important initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping during the Bishkek Summit pointed out the direction for regional countries to translate their geographical advantages into common prosperity. The article cited examples such as the China-SCO Port Economic Cooperation Center, which was recently inaugurated in Tianjin, China, and the China-SCO Green Industry Cooperation Platform, Digital Economy Cooperation Platform, and Vocational and Technical Education Cooperation Center established last September, all of which are concrete efforts made by China to implement the SCO initiatives.
Pakistan's The Pakistan Observer published in full the important speech delivered by President Xi Jinping at the 26th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States. The report said that President Xi Jinping's important speech contributed valuable Chinese wisdom to advancing world multipolarity and reforming and improving global governance. Pakistan has assumed the rotating presidency of the SCO for 2026-2027 and will continue to promote pragmatic cooperation (务实合作, wu shi he zuo - "practical, cooperation") among regional countries in areas such as security, energy, poverty reduction, and artificial intelligence, so as to promote peace, development, and prosperity in the region.
Pakistan's Pakistan Today reported: "Leaders of SCO member states appreciated China's leading role as a founding member of the SCO and agreed to implement the consensus reached at the Tianjin Summit to strengthen political mutual trust, deepen cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, energy, finance, industrial and supply chains, and connectivity, and enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges."
Continuing Friendship and Advancing Development Together
Mainstream media in Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, and other countries paid close attention to President Xi Jinping's state visits to Kyrgyzstan and Egypt.
A report by Kyrgyzstan's Kabar National News Agency said that the mutual trust and friendly relations between the two heads of state provide important guidance for the rapid development of bilateral relations. Trade and investment between the two countries continue to grow, and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will drive the development of logistics, warehousing, customs, services, and trade infrastructure.
Egypt's Al-Ahram commented that President Xi Jinping's visit is of milestone significance. The two countries are advancing hand in hand on the road to prosperity and rejuvenation, "passing the baton of Egypt-China friendship from generation to generation."
Egypt's Rose al-Yusuf magazine launched a special issue titled "An Embrace of Two Civilizations," focusing on President Xi Jinping's state visit to Egypt and inviting figures from all walks of life in Egypt to write commentary articles. The report highly praised the leapfrog development of Egypt-China relations and believed that President Xi Jinping's visit will further push Egypt-China relations toward an even more brilliant future.
"President Xi Jinping's state visit to Egypt further consolidates the foundation of strategic mutual trust between the two countries." Egypt's Al-Wafd newspaper published an article saying that Egypt is one of the first countries to join the Belt and Road Initiative, and that Egypt and China complement each other's strengths (优势互补, you shi hu bu - "advantage, mutually, complement") in industry, with broad prospects for cooperation.
Egypt's National Television reported that Egypt and China have set an example for the world in mutual learning among civilizations (文明互鉴, wen ming hu jian - "civilization, mutually, learn from"), which also constitutes an important foundation for the friendly cooperation between the two countries.
Jordan's Al-Dustour commented that Egypt, as the first Arab and African country to recognize the People's Republic of China, has continuously elevated its relations with China to new levels over the past 70 years. Today, China-Egypt bilateral relations have become a model of solidarity and cooperation among Global South countries. The two sides have signed more than 20 cooperation documents covering science and technology, digitalization, and finance, which will provide strong impetus for Egypt's economic transformation.
Lebanon's Al-Massira comprehensively reviewed the economic cooperation achievements between China and Egypt under the SCO platform and the framework of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The article said that President Xi Jinping's visit highlighted China's firm support for Egypt's economic and social development, and the close pragmatic cooperation between the two countries is an important booster for the diversified development of the regional economy.
Providing a Feasible Path to Resolve the Security Dilemma in the Middle East
The current international situation is increasingly turbulent, the flames of war in Gaza continue to rage, and the US-Israel-Iran conflict has reignited. During this visit, President Xi Jinping had in-depth exchanges with leaders of various countries on the international situation and hotspot issues, speaking out for peace and advocating for justice.
Qatar's Al Jazeera reported that President Xi Jinping put forward a four-point initiative on promoting common security in the Middle East, which was widely appreciated by countries in the region. The report said: "The four-point initiative combines regional autonomy, political dialogue, and development cooperation, providing new ideas for addressing the Middle East security crisis."
Kuwait's Al-Anba published an article saying that China's four-point initiative on promoting common security in the Middle East reflects a vision based on cooperation and sustainable security. China-Egypt cooperation will further enhance the representation and voice of Global South countries and promote the more equitable participation of developing countries in international political and economic decision-making.
Saudi Arabia's English-language daily Arab News reported that President Xi Jinping's visit highlighted China's diplomatic philosophy of adhering to pragmatic cooperation, respecting the sovereignty of all countries, and actively promoting peace, stability, and development in the Middle East.
The United Arab Emirates' The National reported that, against the backdrop of widespread international attention to the Palestinian issue, President Xi Jinping's visit provided an important opportunity for the international community to further understand China's objective and just position on the Middle East issue, and also demonstrated China's image as a responsible major country committed to promoting regional peace, stability, and development through dialogue and consultation.
(People's Daily, Beijing, Moscow, Islamabad, Astana, Ankara, Cairo, Dubai, September 7 — reporters Li Yan, Xiao Xinxin, Zhao Yipu, Li Qiang, Li Ming, Huang Peizhao, Jiao Xiang, Wang Xuchen; Hannan Jilani also contributed to this article)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 肖新新 隋 鑫
In early September in Moscow, the aroma of books filled the Moscow Merchants' Arcade Exhibition Center near Red Square. The 39th Moscow International Book Fair was held here from September 2 to 6, attracting more than 300 publishers from 11 countries and regions. China was the Guest of Honor country at this year's book fair, with more than 30 Chinese publishing units bringing over 2,000 titles and nearly 5,000 volumes of fine books to the event, presenting to the Russian public the unique charm of traditional Chinese culture and the development landscape of China in the new era, building a bridge for Sino-Russian book cooperation and strengthening the bond of people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
Providing authoritative guidance for understanding China
The Chinese Guest of Honor country activities at this year's book fair were themed "Reading China," with a focus on displaying and selling Chinese and foreign language editions of important works by President Xi Jinping, including Volumes I and II of Selected Readings from the Works of Xi Jinping and Volumes I through V of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China. These books attracted considerable attention, drawing many local residents to read them in depth and exchange views.
On September 2, Russian Presidential Aide Dmitry Medinsky, former Russian Prime Minister and Chairman of the Russian Book Union Sergei Stepashin, and other Russian figures attended the launch ceremony of the Chinese Guest of Honor country activities and toured the Chinese Guest of Honor country exhibition area. They paused before the series of works Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, perusing them carefully, and expressed the view that the series holds important reference value for understanding China's governance model and strengthening exchanges of governance experience between Russia and China.
"I am very interested in the guiding ideas behind China's vigorous development." Vasilyev, a student at RUDN University who was flipping through the Russian-language edition of Volume II of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China at the exhibition stand, told this reporter that he had traveled to China many times and was deeply impressed by China's development achievements that are drawing worldwide attention (举世瞩目, ju shi zhu mu - "the whole world, gaze at") and its unique path of modernization. "Cooperation between Russia and China in various fields is continuously deepening. I hope that by studying China's national governance system and successful experience, I can contribute to promoting Russia-China relations and experience exchange and advancing the common development of both sides."
Panormov, a business manager at a Russian foreign trade enterprise, was reading the Russian-language edition of Volume V of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China at the exhibition stand. "I travel to China on business several times a year, and China's changes, which are changing with each passing day (日新月异, ri xin yue yi - "day, new; month, change"), are astonishing." He said that what he had seen and heard in various parts of China, as well as the development miracles China has created over the years, often made him think about the reasons for China's success. "I believe this work will enlighten me."
"I have always kept Xi Jinping: The Governance of China as a desk-side book and studied it repeatedly." Sergei Sanakoev, Director of the Russian Center for Asia-Pacific Region Studies, said in an interview with a People's Daily reporter that the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era has maintained a high level of development, and more and more Russians have developed a strong interest in the path of Chinese modernization and in Chinese ideas and propositions. "The important works by President Xi Jinping exhibited at the Chinese Guest of Honor country activities at this year's book fair will provide authoritative guidance for the Russian public to deeply perceive and understand China."
Strengthening people-to-people bonds through cultural strength
In a corner of the Chinese Guest of Honor country exhibition area, visitors and children gathered in a circle. Dipping a brush laden with ink onto a woodblock, gently pressing a thin sheet of xuan paper onto it, one lively "fu" (blessing) character after another appeared on the paper... "Being able to experience traditional Chinese culture immersively here is truly wonderful!" said Bukina, a Moscow resident who had brought her son and daughter to visit the book fair, while showing her daughter's woodblock printing work. "The Chinese Guest of Honor country exhibition area fully combines reading with cultural experience, leaving everyone with unforgettable and beautiful memories of Chinese culture."
The Chinese Guest of Honor country exhibition area this time featured a Chinese cultural experience exhibition. Interactive activities such as tea culture experiences, calligraphy, woodblock printing, and paper cutting, performances including folk music, Chinese dance, Hanfu fashion shows, and tai chi, as well as projects like master classes in traditional Chinese painting, allowed on-site visitors to feel the extraordinary charm of Chinese culture.
During the exhibition visit, Vlasova, a student at the Russian State University for the Humanities, attended a lecture on "Understanding Chinese Tea" together with friends. She said that she usually enjoys drinking tea and is now trying to study tea culture in depth. "The rich activities held in the exhibition area provide us with a window into Chinese tea culture and tea-making techniques."
Tunov is a Russian language teacher at a middle school in Moscow who enjoys researching Chinese history. At the exhibition area, he browsed historical books such as The Chronicle of Chinese Archaeology, unable to put them down due to liking them (爱不释手, ai bu shi shou - "love, not, release, hand"). "China has a glorious history of civilization stretching back more than 5,000 years without interruption, and its profound thought and cultural temperament are fascinating," he said. "Chinese civilization has a long history, and Russia likewise possesses a rich historical and cultural heritage. The potential for cultural dialogue between the two countries is enormous."
During the book fair, the Chinese and Russian sides also signed a "Memorandum on Mutual Translation and Publication of Chinese and Russian Classic and Contemporary Literary Works," planning to jointly translate and publish 50 classic works over the next five years, and signed a "Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Guest of Honor Status at the 2026 Moscow International Book Fair and the 2028 Beijing International Book Fair." Grigoriev, Director of the Department for State Support of Periodicals and the Book Industry under the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, said that the Russian side will further strengthen cooperation with the Chinese side in mutual translation of literary works and exchanges of writers and scholars, continuously enhancing mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries.
Building a platform for exchange and mutual learning among civilizations
The China-Russia Civilization Exchange Forum held on September 2 was a key activity of the Chinese Guest of Honor country program at this year's book fair. Experts and scholars from the cultural, publishing, and academic circles of China and Russia gathered around the theme "Approaching Classics, Sharing the Future" to jointly discuss the contemporary significance of classic works.
Cherkesova, Deputy Minister of the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, said that the Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era is continuously developing and growing ever more solid. As an important area of cooperation in bilateral relations, people-to-people and cultural exchanges form a beneficial complement to cooperation between the two sides in the economic, political, and other fields. Media cooperation between the two countries is flourishing and expanding into new dimensions year by year.
Stepashin said that both Russia and China possess ancient and splendid civilizations. By reading Russian and Chinese classic and contemporary literary works, readers of the two countries can enhance their understanding of each other's cultures. Strengthened cooperation between the two countries in literature, translation, and other fields will help lay a more solid foundation for Russia-China friendship.
Lukin, Academic Director of the Institute of China and Modern Asia of the Russian Academy of Sciences, believes that China's proposal of the Global Civilization Initiative, which emphasizes seeking common ground while reserving differences (求同存异, qiu tong cun yi - "seek, same; preserve, different") and harmonious coexistence, is of great significance to the development of human civilization. The interaction between Russian and Chinese civilizations has a long history, and exchanges and mutual learning between the two sides have been close. In the future, the foundation for Russia-China dialogue and cooperation will be even more solid.
Mao Yuansheng, Director and General Manager of China Publishing Group Corporation, said that people-to-people and cultural exchanges have long transcended the boundaries of time, space, and language, becoming an important bond for consolidating China-Russia political mutual trust and uniting the hearts of the two peoples. He expressed the hope that all parties can work in concert, continue to deepen cooperation in the literary field hand in hand, steadily advance the two-way translation and publication of Chinese and Russian classics, and create high-quality bilingual publications.
During the Chinese Guest of Honor country activities this time, the Chinese and Russian sides jointly held more than 40 publishing and cultural events, including a China-Russia publishing professional seminar, an online literature publishing seminar, a copyright negotiation meeting, a contemporary literature sharing session, a children's literature sharing session, and a translation seminar, helping to deepen and solidify China-Russia people-to-people and cultural cooperation.
(People's Daily, Moscow, September 7)
Return to TopBy: 傅 聪
In September 2021, President Xi Jinping solemnly put forward the Global Development Initiative at the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, calling for strengthened international cooperation, accelerated implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and promotion of a more robust, green, and healthy global development.
After five years of sustained advancement, the Global Development Initiative has evolved from a Chinese proposition into an international consensus, expanded from goal alignment to rich practice, and won broad acclaim and active participation from the international community. More than 130 countries and international organizations support and participate in the Global Development Initiative, nearly 100 countries and international organizations have signed cooperation documents with China, 88 countries have joined the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative, and more than 20 development agencies participate in the United Nations initiative advancement working group. All parties are working together with one heart and mind (齐心协力, qi xin xie li - "together, heart, cooperate, strength"), pooling development consensus, boosting development momentum, and safeguarding and strengthening the hope of common development and revitalization in a world interwoven with change and turbulence.
These achievements are attributable to the conceptual leadership of the Global Development Initiative. In today's world, the changing with each passing day (日新月异, ri xin yue yi - "sun, new, moon, different") technological revolution and industrial transformation require all countries to accelerate their pursuit of development trends. At the same time, problems such as insufficient development momentum, declining willingness to cooperate, and a widening North-South gap seriously impede the pace of progress. The Global Development Initiative advocates placing development at the center of the international agenda, rebuilding global development momentum, revitalizing the United Nations' role in overall coordination, and building a global development community with a shared future, which conforms to the historical trend and the aspirations of the people and has injected new impetus and positive energy into global development.
These achievements are attributable to the cooperative action of the Global Development Initiative. The Global Development Initiative does practical things and seeks practical results — from establishing the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund to increase financial input, to putting forward eight actions to support global development that align with the needs of developing countries, to proposing 2,000 "small and beautiful" livelihood projects and practical cooperation initiatives such as "artificial intelligence+" over the next five years, the Global Development Initiative has delved into specific fields, landed on specific projects, and produced specific results. Over the past five years, it has mobilized more than US$23 billion in funds, implemented more than 1,800 "small and beautiful" and "warming people's hearts" cooperation projects, trained more than 200,000 personnel of various types, benefited more than 120 countries, and delivered a substantial and shining report card.
These achievements are attributable to the livelihood practice of the Global Development Initiative. Having served as China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations for more than two years, standing on the UN development forum and participating in development cooperation meetings one after another, these experiences have made me deeply feel that no matter how grand the policy discussions may be, they must ultimately land on the practical livelihood matters of each country. Over the past five years, the Global Development Initiative has been like a great tree, stretching toward the sky and taking root in the earth, reaching down to the grassroots and serving people's livelihoods. The Burundi poverty alleviation and education support project, the Liberia child nutrition project, the Kenya industrial park project... In the earnest response to every livelihood need, and in the vivid practice of each country, community, village, factory, school, and hospital, the practical cooperation results of the Global Development Initiative have landed one after another, fulfilling the dreams of people in various countries for a better life.
These achievements are attributable to the development foresight of the Global Development Initiative. The Global Development Initiative fully supports the implementation of UN sustainable development goals such as poverty reduction, food security, and industrialization, consolidating the foundation of development, while actively promoting cooperation in emerging fields such as energy transition and artificial intelligence, and innovating development momentum. China has blazed a successful path where economic development and ecological protection proceed in parallel without conflict (并行不悖, bing xing bu bei - "parallel, walk, not, conflict") and reinforce each other, offering inspiration for the modernization path of developing countries. China has put forward the Global AI Governance Initiative, promoted the adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution on strengthening international cooperation on artificial intelligence capacity building, and proposed the establishment of a World Organization for Artificial Intelligence Cooperation, opening a path for the inclusive sharing and upward, virtuous development of artificial intelligence.
At present, global development cooperation is at a critical juncture of momentum transition and structural adjustment. Looking ahead, China will continue to play the role of a responsible major country, serve as a promoter and contributor to global development, firmly advance the alignment of the Global Development Initiative with the UN development agenda, continuously promote the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, share development opportunities with countries around the world, and work to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
(The author is China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.)
Return to Top(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 7) Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held talks with Mexican Foreign Minister Alicia Bárcena in Beijing on September 7.
Wang Yi stated that China has always viewed and advanced China-Mexico relations from the strategic perspective of solidarity and coordination among Global South countries, and supports Mexico in opposing external interference. China-Mexico relations are not targeted at any third party, nor should they be affected by any third party. China is willing to work with Mexico to deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields and promote the sustained and in-depth development of the China-Mexico comprehensive strategic partnership.
Bárcena conveyed Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's sincere greetings to President Xi Jinping, stating that Mexico firmly adheres to the one-China principle and UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, and supports China in hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and playing a leading role.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Zhang Tianpei) The informal meeting under the China–Central Asia Ministers of Public Security and Internal Affairs Meeting Mechanism was held in Beijing on the 7th. State Councilor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong presided over the meeting and delivered a keynote speech.
Wang Xiaohong stated that China is willing to work together with Central Asian countries to actively practice the four global initiatives, vigorously promote the "China–Central Asia spirit," jointly combat the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism, and extremism, deepen practical cooperation in such fields as combating transnational crime, migration management, protection of overseas interests, and law enforcement capacity building, strengthen security for major projects under high-quality Belt and Road Initiative cooperation, and promote the China–Central Asia Ministers of Public Security and Internal Affairs Meeting Mechanism into a model of working together with utmost sincerity (精诚合作, jing cheng he zuo - "exquisite, sincere, cooperate") across all fields of China–Central Asia cooperation, so as to jointly respond to diverse threats, safeguard the stable and positive regional security landscape, and contribute to building an even closer China–Central Asia community with a shared future.
The heads of the delegations of the five Central Asian countries delivered remarks, expressing gratitude for China's important contributions to advancing the development of the China–Central Asia Ministers of Public Security and Internal Affairs Meeting Mechanism, and indicating their willingness to actively implement the outcomes of the meeting, continuously deepen law enforcement and security cooperation, and contribute to the lasting security and prosperity of the region.
At the meeting, a video unveiling ceremony was held for the China–Central Asia Law Enforcement Training Base.
Wang Xiaohong respectively conferred the Gold "Great Wall Commemorative Medal" of the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China upon Minister of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan Sadenov and Minister of Internal Affairs of Uzbekistan Tashpulatov.
On the same day, Wang Xiaohong also separately met with Minister of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Niyazbekov and Minister of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan Sadenov.
When meeting with Niyazbekov, Wang Xiaohong stated that China is willing to work with the Kyrgyz side to implement the important consensus of the two heads of state, deepen cooperation in safeguarding political security, continue to advance cooperation in combating the "three forces," jointly maintain order at border ports, and contribute greater strength to the solid and substantive advancement of the China–Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future. Niyazbekov expressed support for China's initiative to establish an international alliance against telecom and online fraud, and expressed willingness to deepen mutual trust and cooperation with China and achieve more practical outcomes in bilateral law enforcement and security cooperation.
When meeting with Sadenov, Wang Xiaohong stated that he hopes the two sides will be guided by the important consensus of the two heads of state, strengthen the legal safeguards for law enforcement and security cooperation, jointly combat transnational crime, expand channels for communication and exchange, intensify cooperation in law enforcement capacity building, and continuously enrich the substance of comprehensive China–Kazakhstan cooperation. Sadenov stated that the Kazakh side has always attached great importance to developing Kazakhstan–China relations, and is willing to engage in learning from each other and drawing lessons from one another (互学互鉴, hu xue hu jian - "each other, learn, each other, examine") with China, so as to continuously bring bilateral law enforcement and security cooperation to new heights. The two sides signed relevant cooperation documents.
Return to Top(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 7) On September 7, Zhang Qingwei, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, met in Beijing with a delegation of the Canada-China Legislative Association of the Parliament of Canada, led by Co-Chairs Senator Gignac and Member of Parliament Royer. The two sides exchanged views on China-Canada relations and exchanges between the legislative bodies of the two countries.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Berlin, September 7) (Reporter Xu Chunhong) Vienna dispatch: On the first anniversary of President Xi Jinping's proposal of the Global Governance Initiative, the Vienna "Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations" issued a joint statement on the 7th, in which member states reaffirmed their firm support for the initiative, highly commended the important progress it has achieved, and, through the multilateral platform in Vienna, sent a strong message of upholding multilateralism and promoting the building of a more just and equitable global governance system.
The statement closely follows the implementation of the five core concepts of the Global Governance Initiative, calling on all parties to firmly uphold the international system centered on the United Nations, defend international rule of law, adhere to consulting, building, and sharing together (共商共建共享, gong shang gong jian gong xiang - "together consult, together build, together share"), strengthen solidarity and cooperation, jointly address global challenges, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Return to Top(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 7) At the invitation of Zhao Leji, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, Carolina Cerqueira, president of the National Assembly of Angola, will lead a delegation to visit China from September 9 to 16.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Chen Xirui) Recently, a delegation from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) visited China at invitation to inspect chemical weapons abandoned by Japan. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning briefed reporters on the relevant situation at a regular press conference on September 7.
Mao Ning said that from August 31 to September 5, the Director-General of the OPCW, the Chairperson of the Executive Council, as well as permanent representatives and senior diplomats of 12 countries accredited to the OPCW, visited China at invitation. During the visit, they went to Hunchun, Dunhua, and Haerbaling in Jilin to observe on-site operations such as the excavation, recovery, and destruction of chemical weapons abandoned by Japan.
Mao Ning said that through the visit, all parties further recognized the serious harm that chemical weapons abandoned by Japan have caused to the lives and property of the Chinese people and to the ecological environment. They support the OPCW, in accordance with the provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention, in urging Japan to earnestly fulfill its obligations and responsibilities at an early date, to completely, thoroughly, and cleanly destroy the chemical weapons abandoned in China, to return a clean land to the Chinese people at an early date, and to realize the lofty goal of a "world free of chemical weapons" set forth in the Convention.
Return to Top(Xinhua News Agency, Vientiane, September 7) (Reporters Zhao Xu, Liu Xiaowei) The China-Laos "Peace Train—2026" joint humanitarian medical rescue exercise opened on the morning of the 7th in Vientiane, capital of Laos. Leaders of the Lao Ministry of National Defense, the General Political Department, General Logistics Department, General Technical Department, and Ministry of Public Security of the Lao People's Army, the defense attaché of the Chinese Embassy in Laos, members of the Chinese steering and coordination group, and participating officers and soldiers of the two militaries attended the opening ceremony.
According to He Zhen, Chinese chief director of the joint exercise, the event will continue until late September, with more than 700 personnel from both sides deployed. Set against the backdrop of international humanitarian medical rescue following a super typhoon disaster, the joint exercise establishes a three-level command and four-level rescue system, relying on medical trains, field treatment equipment, unmanned intelligent equipment, and other assets, to organize mixed-unit joint training, full-process combined rehearsal, and live-force exercises, exploring an operational model for cross-border joint medical rescue and further tempering and enhancing the two militaries' medical service coordinated operations and emergency response capabilities.
During the exercise, the two sides will also organize medical services, cultural exchanges, and other activities.
Return to Top(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 7) To deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's cultural thought, to carry forward the traditional virtue of the Chinese nation of keeping one's word and promises (重信守诺, zhong xin shou nuo - "heavy, trust, keep, promise"), to spread the concept of integrity, cultivate a culture of integrity, and promote the formation of a good social atmosphere of respecting virtue and keeping faith, honoring contracts and fulfilling commitments, the Central Propaganda Department and the National Development and Reform Commission recently released the "Stars of Integrity."
The "Stars of Integrity" released this time are: nine individuals — Lu Wei, Miao Meiqing, Luo Yeqing, Gu Changxin, Zhu Shuxuan, Huang Yuxiang, Jiang Caiming, Yang Yunyan, Xiao Quan — and Xinyu Lou Department Store Group Co., Ltd. Some of them, keeping in mind their entrusted missions, protect the black soil and fulfill their solemn promises of increasing grain production and raising villagers' incomes; some adhere to their original aspiration of serving the people, establish citizen hotlines, and solve the people's urgent, difficult, worried, and anxious problems with heart and soul; some are strictly abiding by ancestral teachings (恪守祖训, ke shou zu xun - "strictly, follow, ancestors, teaching") and willingly devoting themselves to others (甘于奉献, gan yu feng xian - "willingly, at, dedicate, contribute"), guarding the tomb of the "Poet Immortal" Li Bai for over 40 years as if it were one day; some adhere to faith and righteousness, tenaciously striving, and even in difficult circumstances repay huge debts on behalf of others; some value contracts, treat customers as friends, and integrate the supremacy of credibility into every link of enterprise operation, management, and service... They are active disseminators of the concept of integrity, model practitioners of the core socialist values, and through practical actions demonstrate a spiritual outlook of integrity as the foundation and striving for progress and goodness (向上向善, xiang shang xiang shan - "towards, up, towards, good").
The broad masses of cadres and the people expressed that integrity is the foundation of standing in society and the basis of thriving in business. They should take the "Stars of Integrity" as role models, consciously practice the value criterion of integrity, integrate honesty and trustworthiness into daily words and deeds, be sincere in dealing with people, keep faith in doing things, jointly create a good atmosphere of keeping faith and fulfilling commitments, and contribute to building a society of integrity.
At the release site, short films on the deeds of the "Stars of Integrity" were shown, vividly telling their work and life insights. The special program on the release of the "Stars of Integrity" will be broadcast soon by the Finance Channel of China Media Group.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 琼达卓嘎 徐驭尧
Before the sky was fully light, the resettlement site was already bustling with activity.
Around 8 a.m., Gesang Chuzhen (格桑曲珍), the rural revitalization specialist of Seqiong Village, Sale Township, Gyirong County, Tibet, arrived with staff and volunteers: helping the masses pack their belongings, count heads, and stack supplies box by box; at 9 a.m., breakfast was served, and everyone sat together to eat; at 10 a.m., the convoy set off. Because some people suffered from motion sickness, the vehicles drove very slowly, stopping and starting along the way. "It doesn't matter if we're slow — what matters is getting everyone home safe and sound," Gesang Chuzhen said.
After 2 p.m., the convoy entered the village. Township cadres, village cadres, and the party-member volunteer service team had long been waiting by the roadside. The garbage had been cleared, supplies were laid out bag by bag, and as soon as the masses got off the vehicles, they handed the supplies into their hands.
In recent days, the village-based work team has been stationed at the resettlement site the whole time: delivering three meals a day (一日三餐, yi ri san can - "one, day, three, meals") to the masses on schedule; visiting households door to door during the day, and promptly arranging medical treatment for anyone feeling unwell; checking for fire hazards and providing psychological counseling at night. "When people are at the resettlement site, our hearts must be at the resettlement site," Gesang Chuzhen said.
Gesang Chuzhen has a notebook in hand, specifically for recording the requests of the relocated masses — it is everyone's "wish book." Flipping it open, all the entries are small matters — topping up phone credit, paying electricity bills, issuing fuel purchase certificates... "The small matters of the masses are our major matters," she said. What can be handled on the spot is handled on the spot; what cannot be handled for the time being is reported to the township for coordination.
The matter of truck driver Tashi Tsering (扎西次旺) is recorded in this notebook. After the disaster struck, Tashi Tsering drove his truck to the front line to help transport supplies. That day, Tashi Tsering called Gesang Chuzhen, asking whether she could issue him a fuel purchase certificate. "Local residents participating in disaster relief get a discount on fuel," Tashi Tsering said. Gesang Chuzhen immediately issued the certificate, photographed it and sent it to the township, which in turn contacted the border police station for review, and the certificate was quickly processed. When she relayed the news back to Tashi Tsering, he said "good" several times in a row. "He's running ahead on the front line; we're behind him getting his paperwork done smoothly," Gesang Chuzhen said. Every line crossed off the wish book puts the masses' minds a little more at ease.
"Having experienced what happened over these past days, we cherish our future life even more. We are deeply grateful and deeply moved," said villager Mima (米玛). Before they returned, the government had already assessed the houses and found no problems — "coming home puts our minds more at ease. We trust the Party and the government."
Gesang Chuzhen explained that the work team conducts two patrols a day to check for hidden dangers; whatever the masses need, they will continue to help with. Once things stabilize, she also wants to help everyone resume production. Mima looks forward to the village roads becoming lively again and the fields turning green again. On the road ahead, they want to walk more steadily — and also farther.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 琼达卓嘎
September 7 Rain
Today, the villagers of Seqiong Village in Sale Township are going home. My colleague and I drove over, hoping to see how they are getting on.
Since the disaster struck, this is my sixth trip to Sale Township. I could trace the outline of this road with my eyes closed — a silent mountainside on one side, and an extremely deep (深不见底, shen bu jian di - "deep, not see, bottom") cliff on the other.
But today, something felt different. As soon as the car climbed the mountain, fog rolled up from the valley floor, wave after wave. Visibility was less than two meters, and the world outside the window dissolved into a formless white. My colleague and I could only feel our way forward, relying on memory and the faint glow of the headlights. At that moment, an indescribable sense of awe welled up in my heart.
The drive took over two hours, and it felt long. But I knew full well that this road was already far easier to travel than before. Narrow and perilous as it is, the surface has been paved with asphalt and is very smooth. Think of the past, when there was no road at all — for people in the mountains to get out, they had to carry their loads on their backs, hug the cliff face, and inch forward step by step.
At the entrance to Seqiong Village, we saw women carrying bamboo baskets on their backs and villagers working in the fields, unhurried and steady. Having returned home from the resettlement site, their lives are returning to what they once were.
These mountains and these forests always need someone to guard them. The villagers came back not only because this is their home, but also because they must protect the border and defend the country.
On the way back, the rain was still falling and the fog was still thick, but my heart felt much brighter. The mountain road is treacherous, yet the road has been built all the way here; the land sits on the border, yet life still goes on here. For the mountains, for the rain, for the fog, I am full of awe; for those people who have lived here generation after generation, I am equally full of awe.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 徐驭尧
The wind picked up, and loose stones on the slope began tumbling down. Jinmei Dorje, Party Committee Secretary of the Nyalam Maintenance Section of the Shigatse Highway Center, stood at the roadside, holding a walkie-talkie in one hand and waving with the other to signal the vehicles behind to stop.
Jinmei Dorje looked up, staring intently, and only when the stones stopped falling did he wave to the driver at the front: "Go! Stay close to this side!" The large truck slowly started moving, kicking up a cloud of dust. He squinted, then had the workers move the traffic cones a bit further forward and added a signboard at the roadside.
These past days, Jinmei Dorje, together with the workers of the maintenance section, has been carefully inspecting this stretch of road leading from Gyirong Town to the border gate. Which rock has loosened, where the road surface has been cracked by rolling wheels — keeping all of it firmly in mind (记在心上, ji zai xin shang - "record, at, heart, top"). Some spots required crouching low to inspect, others required climbing up the slope to look; the sun beat down fiercely, and his shadow stretched very short on the ground.
By the roadside there was a large boulder, taller than a man, half of it embedded in the earth, taking up nearly a third of the road surface. Jinmei Dorje brought in an excavator and crouched beside the rock, directing where the bucket should push and how high it should lift. The boulder was finally broken into several pieces and pushed into the river, and the road surface suddenly widened by a good margin. He wiped the sweat from his face and said: "Clear away one rock, and the road widens by one rock's worth."
Widening the road is the most urgent task at hand. He led the workers in widening every place that could be widened, one by one: the loose stones on the slope were cleared away, damaged sections were filled with rocks and pressed flat, and traffic cones and signboards were put in place in time. He said: "When the road is a bit wider, vehicles can pass each other. Widen the road by one inch, and safety gains one measure more."
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 鲜 敢
On the front line of rescue and disaster relief operations in the Gyirong mudslide disaster, one could often see Huang Ke's thin figure. Dressed in camouflage military uniform, she always carried a heavy disinfection sprayer on her back.
As a military doctor in a certain detachment of the Second Mobile Corps of the Armed Police Force, Huang Ke had just completed three years of service. In June this year, Huang Ke concluded her work supporting Tibet. Though she could have returned to Wuxi, Jiangsu, she once again submitted a request to her organization for an extension. When the disaster struck, she was conducting medical patrols in Hor Township, Burang County, in the Ngari region at an altitude of over 4,600 meters.
"I have studied epidemic prevention, and I also understand psychological counseling—let me go to the front line!" she wrote in her letter volunteering for battle. After receiving approval, Huang Ke advanced into Gyirong with her unit.
Upon arriving at the scene, Huang Ke worked without a moment's rest (一刻没有停歇, yi ke mei you ting xie - "one moment, not, have, stop"). Carrying a disinfection sprayer weighing over 30 jin, she sprayed and disinfected key areas such as the work sites and operation rooms again and again. After a full day of work, she walked more than 20,000 steps under the load. This was not only a test of physical strength, but also a tempering of willpower.
"Scrapes, bumps, and bruises caused during construction work can all be treated promptly by me." During breaks in the daytime rescue operations, she made medical patrols and delivered medicine; returning to the camp at night, she asked each officer and soldier about their physical condition one by one.
Huang Ke discovered that many equipment operators, in order to save time and improve rescue efficiency, would stay in the operation room for an entire day, and stiff, swollen limbs were the norm.
She set up a simple physiotherapy bed and gave everyone traditional Chinese massage and physiotherapy to help them relax. Their numb hands and swollen legs gradually loosened under her massage. "They are so exhausted. All I can do is let them go into battle refreshed the next day," Huang Ke said.
Taking off her mask, deep pressure marks were imprinted on the face of this girl born in 1998. "Guarding everyone's health on the rescue front line is my duty and my honor," Huang Ke said.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王 珂
On September 7, the State Council Information Office held a press conference to introduce the relevant situation of the Fifth Global Digital Trade Expo (hereinafter referred to as the "Digital Trade Expo"). Yan Dong, Vice Minister of Commerce, introduced that the Fifth Digital Trade Expo will be held from September 23 to 27 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province.
In recent years, digital trade has become an important force driving the growth of the world economy. China has always been a practitioner and promoter of the reform, innovation, and development of digital trade, having issued the "Opinions on the Reform, Innovation, and Development of Digital Trade"; built national digital trade demonstration zones to promote the clustered development of digital trade; and held the Digital Trade Expo annually to create a public service platform for "joint consultation on cooperation, joint promotion of development, and sharing of achievements."
Yan Dong said that with the widespread application of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and blockchain, China's digital trade has developed rapidly, making important contributions to the high-quality development of foreign trade. In 2025, China's total import and export of digitally deliverable services reached US$432.31 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6.3%.
Trade in digital technology has expanded steadily. The technological autonomy and innovation capabilities of China's cloud computing, communication technology services, and other business forms have been continuously strengthened, and the international competitiveness of software R&D, information technology solutions, cloud computing services, and other fields has continued to improve. From 2020 to 2025, China's import and export of telecommunications, computer, and information services rose steadily from US$93.73 billion to US$154.53 billion, with an average annual growth rate of over 10%.
Trade in digital products has accelerated its development. Digital cultural products and services such as online literature, online games, film and television animation, and short videos have become new highlights of China's service exports. Multiple online video platforms have launched international versions, promoting high-quality domestic films, TV dramas, and variety shows overseas. The "2025 China Game Industry Report" shows that last year, the actual overseas market sales revenue of China's self-developed games reached US$20.46 billion, a year-on-year increase of 10.2%. The "2025 China Online Literature Blue Book" shows that as of the end of 2025, China's online literature had cumulatively exported more than 130,000 works overseas, with approximately 250 million existing overseas registered users, and overseas active users covering more than 200 countries and regions around the world.
Trade in digital services has improved quality and increased efficiency. A number of China's cloud service providers, internet companies, and digital solution suppliers with global influence have accelerated their overseas layout, providing digital transformation services to enterprises in various countries. A number of social platforms have accelerated their global expansion, leaping to the forefront of the world's most popular social platforms.
Trade in data has achieved positive practical results. The "National Data Resources Survey Report (2025)" shows that in 2025, China's total annual data production reached 52.3 ZB (zettabytes), accounting for approximately 27.4% of the global total, a year-on-year increase of 27.3%. Cross-border data flow grew steadily, with the total volume of cross-border data flow in 2025 reaching 142.3 EB (exabytes), a year-on-year increase of 14.9%. Among this, the cross-border flow of enterprise data was 88.06 EB, a year-on-year increase of 16.2%.
According to the introduction, the Digital Trade Expo is China's only national-level, international, and professional exhibition themed on digital trade. It has cumulatively attracted more than 5,000 Chinese and foreign enterprises, 87,000 professional buyers, and 627,000 visitors, with more than 1,200 first releases, first shows, and first exhibitions.
Hu Wei, Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, stated that the preparatory work for this year's Digital Trade Expo is in full swing (紧锣密鼓, jin luo mi gu - "tight, drum, dense, urgent") and being accelerated, and it has the following characteristics.
The artificial intelligence feature is more distinctive. As the main highlight of this year's Digital Trade Expo, a large number of new technologies, new products, and new scenarios will make a collective appearance. For example, a pioneering Token-themed AI (artificial intelligence) future exhibition area will be created, displaying in a one-stop manner according to the logic of the entire industrial chain of "computing power infrastructure, model services, and application scenarios." This includes both computing power infrastructure such as intelligent computing chips and quantum computing, model services such as mainstream domestic large models, and application scenarios such as "AI + foreign trade" and "AI + healthcare."
The linkage between industry and trade is more efficient. This year's Digital Trade Expo has attracted nearly 40,000 professional buyers to register for participation, of whom more than 12,000 are international buyers, with pre-arranged international procurement orders reaching US$977 million and total domestic and international orders reaching 19.5 billion yuan. This year's Digital Trade Expo breaks the five-day exhibition period limit and builds a full-cycle trade matching channel before and after the exhibition.
International cooperation is more pragmatic. During the exhibition, a series of landmark and long-term international cooperation platforms will be launched. For example, the China headquarters of the Arab Digital Economy Alliance will be inaugurated, and the China-Africa Artificial Intelligence Talent Cooperation Program will be initiated. For the first time, the flagship report "Global Digital Trade Development Report 2026" will be jointly compiled with five authoritative organizations — the World Trade Organization, the International Trade Centre, the World Economic Forum, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development — and will be published as an official United Nations publication.
Diversified integration is more three-dimensional. For the first time, themed activities on the international logistics supply chain will be held, and seven digital technology application competitions will be jointly organized. This year's Digital Trade Expo also sets up three "100s" — 100 AI scenarios, 100 featured products, and 100 consumer experience points — creating a "digital carnival" integrating "exhibition, conference, competition, and shopping."
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporters Qu Zhehan, Liu Wenxin) Recently, affected by Typhoon "Sadel," many areas in southern China have experienced widespread, persistent heavy rainfall of exceptional intensity, triggering floods and geological disasters that have caused casualties and damage to houses. On September 7, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Emergency Management urgently allocated 240 million yuan in central government natural disaster relief funds to support the five provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, and Yunnan in carrying out emergency rescue and disaster relief work for floods and geological disasters, with priority given to the relocation and resettlement of affected people, emergency response operations such as hazard removal and risk elimination, transitional living assistance, and the repair of damaged civilian houses, so as to effectively safeguard the basic livelihoods of affected people and promote the swift restoration of production and living order in the disaster-stricken areas.
The Ministry of Finance required the finance departments of the above five provinces to promptly disburse the funds to the disaster-stricken areas, strengthen oversight of the relief funds, ensure that all relief funds are used for the disaster-stricken areas and affected people, and effectively protect the safety of people's lives and property.
Return to TopRecently, in Aweitan Village, Shitizi Kazakh Ethnic Township, Hutubi County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, contiguous cornfields entered the harvest period. Local growers are making full use of favorable weather conditions (抢抓晴好天气, qiang zhua qing hao tian qi - "snatch, grasp, clear, good, weather"), using combine harvesters and transport vehicles to carry out harvesting and transfer operations, accelerating the pace of autumn harvest. The photo shows a combine harvester operating in the cornfield in Aweitan Village.
Photo by Tao Weiming (Image China)
Return to TopBy: 金社平
The toilet, a corner of a square foot, concerns the sense of happiness of thousands of households, reflecting the foundation of civilization and the temperature of governance.
"We cannot stride toward modernization while carrying chamber pots." In September last year, Shanghai historically resolved the "carrying chamber pots" problem, benefiting a cumulative total of over one million residents. In April this year, in the Shimin Xincun residential area on Bansongyuan Road Subdistrict, Huangpu District, Shanghai, 69-year-old retired resident Zhu Guoli moved back into her renovated home. From "in the past, ten households shared one bathroom" to "now we finally have a bathroom of our own," Zhu Guoli could hardly contain her excitement.
On July 15, when General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected Shanghai, he walked into residents' homes, carefully examined their living conditions, and emphasized that "the lives of the common people are a family matter, but even more so a matter of the state."
Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping made an important instruction emphasizing: "Establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievements is a long-term task that requires sustained, long-term effort, continuously consolidating and expanding the achievements of study and education, and continuously promoting party organizations at all levels and the broad ranks of party members and cadres to uphold the public interest in party building (立党为公, li dang wei gong - "establish, party, for, public"), benefit the people, make scientific decisions, and take practical and effective actions (真抓实干, zhen zhua shi gan - "truly, grasp, real, do"), striving to create achievements that stand the test of practice, the people, and history."
"Deeply rooted in the people, always possessing a solid foundation." The correct view of political achievements of Chinese Communists is embodied in handling every practical matter of people's livelihood well and solving every difficulty of the common people.
(1)
In Chinese modernization, people's livelihood is paramount.
The concerns of the people (民之所忧, min zhi suo you - "people, particle, that, worry"), I must always bear in mind; the aspirations of the people, I must always act upon. General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Communists must always remember that benefiting the people is the greatest political achievement."
"The toilet problem is not a small matter." From Hebei to Fujian, from Zhejiang to Shanghai, during his work in local positions, Comrade Xi Jinping always attached great importance to and showed great concern for the toilet problem, promoting the resolution of local people's difficulties in using toilets. Over the years, from tourist attractions expanding to the whole region, from cities to rural areas, this "key small matter" of toilet renovation has been continuously advanced.
"Having the dignity of one square meter (of toilet)," is the wish of many residents, and a series of concrete and practical measures reflect the temperature of governance.
In cities, more residents and tourists have bid farewell to "difficulty finding toilets and difficulty using toilets," the coverage rate of family restrooms is getting higher and higher, and many public toilets are equipped with baby care rooms, shared charging devices, vending machines, and other convenience facilities. Urban areas in Fuling, Chongqing, and Hangzhou, Zhejiang, have achieved a "walking-distance toilet circle."
Rural areas have also seen gratifying changes. As of the end of 2025, the penetration rate of sanitary toilets in rural areas nationwide has reached about 77%. The rural "toilet revolution" has been solidly advanced, the rural living environment has continued to improve, and the quality of life of fellow villagers has become higher.
What exactly can be called political achievements? Connecting "dead-end roads," renovating back streets and alleys, adding accessible ramps... many substantial political achievements are contained in the bits and pieces of people's livelihood matters. Every small matter, multiplied by a population of over 1.4 billion, becomes a major matter.
Promoting the inter-provincial and cross-provincial handling of basic public service matters, continuously expanding the pilot of occupational injury protection for workers in new forms of employment, carrying out a three-year action to improve the quality of primary-level medical services, and achieving basic equilibrium in 2,895 county-level areas for compulsory education... item by item, the people-centered development philosophy has been consistent from beginning to end (一以贯之, yi yi guan zhi - "one, through, connect, through"), reflecting the deep logic of Chinese modernization.
"Wherever the people have needs, there good deeds and practical matters can be done, and there achievements can be created." Persisting in creating political achievements for the people embodies the unchanging original aspiration of Chinese Communists. To benefit the people, one must think what the masses think and be anxious about what the masses are anxious about, writing political achievements into the people's sense of gain.
Opening the report card of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the per capita disposable income of national residents has grown at an average annual real rate of 5.4%, and the per capita disposable income growth rate of rural residents in counties that have shaken off poverty has been higher than the national average level of rural residents for five consecutive years; as of the end of 2025, the participation rate of basic old-age insurance and the participation rate of basic medical insurance are both above 95%... economic development and social development are complementing each other (相辅相成, xiang fu xiang cheng - "complement, assist, mutually, complete") and advancing in coordination, realizing development for the people, development relying on the people, and development achievements shared by the people.
"There are permanent principles for governing a country (治国有常, zhi guo you chang - "govern, country, have, constant"), and benefiting the people is the foundation." From "not a single one can be left behind" on the road to comprehensive moderate prosperity to "not a single one can fall behind" on the road to common prosperity, stage after stage, the value concept of benefiting the people has never changed, and the fruits of development are sweet in the hearts of the common people.
(2)
"Those who exhaust the small become great; those who are cautious in the subtle become distinguished."
A small toilet, involving thousands of households, is precisely a huge number of complex issues (千头万绪, qian tou wan xu - "thousand, head, ten thousand, thread").
The reason the "carrying chamber pots" problem is regarded as "the hardest bone among the hardest bones" is largely because of diverse interest demands and complex and intertwined problems: adding independent kitchens and bathrooms, maintaining the original area of the house, and some also having to take into account factors such as apartment layout and orientation — this is precisely what is called "trying to do something great in a very limited space (螺蛳壳里做道场, luo si ke li zuo dao chang - "snail, shell, inside, do, religious ceremony")."
Under multiple spatial constraints, responding to different concerns and expectations tests the wisdom and ability of primary-level cadres. Knowing that it is huge, how can one observe its subtleties?
The answer is written in the footprints of primary-level cadres: Xu Bingrong, director of the Old Reform Office of Pengpu New Village Subdistrict, Jing'an District, Shanghai, has more than ten notebooks, fully recording the difficulties and pain points of each project's renovation; Zhou Xing'an, Party branch secretary of the Fuxing Island residential area, Dinghai Road Subdistrict, Yangpu District, together with the joint working group, carries a tape measure at all times, measuring wherever they go... The way to accomplish things lies in being attentive and dedicated, taking practical and effective actions, doing good things well and practical things solidly.
"Reaching the vast while exploring the minute (致广大而尽精微, zhi guang da er jin jing wei - "reach, vast, and, exhaust, subtle, minute)" is both a methodology and a matter of the view of political achievements.
Is it for momentary fame, or to truly benefit the people? Two stories about toilet renovation are descending from the same lineage or tradition (一脉相承, yi mai xiang cheng - "one, vein, mutually, inherit") in understanding.
As early as during his work in Zhengding, Hebei, when Comrade Xi Jinping was rectifying the "connected manure pits," he decided to first select two production brigades for pilot trials, allowing villagers to accept the renovation measures ideologically and conceptually. Once the masses understood, the work was easy to do.
At the 2021 Central Economic Work Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The climate and ecological environment across the country varies greatly, and the economic and living standards also vary greatly. How can one method of toilet renovation be used? Some places were sloppy and superficial, resulting in a large number of toilets having serious problems, so I have made instructions on many occasions."
Any livelihood project, if divorced from reality or exceeding the stage of development, "momentary political achievements" may instead become "long-term burdens." In recent years, from the "toilet revolution," to the renovation and upgrading of municipal pipeline networks, to primary-level governance, the resolution of one livelihood difficulty after another cannot be separated from the precise grasp of "large" and "small" — planning with the overall situation in mind, and operating with meticulous precision. Only by proceeding from reality and acting according to the laws of things can livelihood projects truly achieve practical results and win the hearts of the people.
Whether cadres are good or not, the common people have the final say; for whom political achievements are created determines the direction of work.
Connected to livelihoods on one side and the cityscape on the other, the management of mobile vendors has always been a difficult problem in urban governance. In Linyi, Shandong, relying on the "hotline first-issue" reform, the root causes of problems are found from the issues prominently reflected by the masses. In response to the problem of occupying roads for business, more than a dozen departments coordinated and linked up, using an idle piece of land near the community to build a neighborhood market out of shipping containers, attracting more than 200 vendors to operate in compliance there, serving tens of thousands of flexible employees, and achieving a win-win situation for all parties.
Persisting in asking the people about their needs, seeking advice from the people, and seeking evaluation from the people, taking the satisfaction of the masses as the test standard, doing all work deeply, meticulously, and solidly, and solving the urgent, difficult, anxious, and expectant problems of the people with heart and feeling — true political achievements are precisely born from this.
(3)
Livelihood projects can reveal strategic resolve.
Starting from the 1990s, Shanghai successively promoted and completed the renovation of dilapidated sheds and simple houses, relocation and expropriation, and large-scale old-area renovation, solving the large-scale problem of carrying chamber pots; then, facing difficulties head-on, it tackled and completed the final 14,000 scattered households.
"Shanghai has been promoting old housing renovation for decades, one term after another, with sustained, long-term effort. This is the correct view of political achievements." General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke sincerely.
Good policies most fear "flipping the pancake"; cultivating deeply in time is the historical patience necessary for long-term development. In Beijing, the renovation of alleys and hutongs has also been going on for many years. From surveying and historical research before renovation, to "one courtyard, one policy" restorative construction; from repeatedly adjusting the direction of pipelines, to "tailor-made" age-friendly renovations, to skillfully adding small green spaces and pocket parks... keeping a clear goal and advancing unremittingly has given old hutongs new vitality, making them urban harbors where a beautiful life can be placed.
Valuing the beginning over the end, valuing the short term over the long term, valuing the visible over the hidden, valuing the easy over the difficult, valuing the partial over the whole... During his work in Zhejiang, Comrade Xi Jinping summarized the deviations in the view of political achievements among party members and cadres as the "five values and five neglects," which to this day remain highly pertinent and instructive.
In the persistent continuation lies a profound understanding of visible achievements and latent achievements.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that political achievements "are embodied both in visible achievements that take effect immediately and in latent achievements that lay the foundation, increase momentum, and benefit the long term."
In Wuyuan, Jiangxi, the beautiful scenery visible everywhere today comes from a series of hidden projects. As early as 2016, the county began planning the layout of rural sewage treatment, and according to the geographical conditions and population size of each village, "those that should go to the plant go to the plant, those that should be centralized are centralized, and those that should be dispersed are dispersed." Over the years, the local area has successively explored "anaerobic + constructed wetlands," resource utilization, and the upgrading and improvement of sewage treatment facilities, achieving a dynamic zeroing out of black and odorous water bodies across the entire rural area.
"Willing to do groundwork, willing to grasp unfinished matters," the "invisible corners" reveal the true substance. The "15th Five-Year Plan for Urban Renewal" clarifies that by 2030, over five years the cumulative number of dilapidated urban housing renovations will be 500,000 units (rooms), the new renovation of old residential communities in cities and towns will be 115,000, the number of old street and factory area renovation and upgrading projects will be 1,500, the number of urban village renovations will be 4,000, and the length of urban underground pipeline network renovation will be 365,000 kilometers... focusing on the next five years, one target and task after another points to the "inner lining" of ordinary streets and alleys, aiming at practical matters by the side of the people.
In the persistent continuation is reflected the scientific coordination of "immediate reform" and "long-term establishment."
"One who does not plan for ten thousand generations is not sufficient to plan for a moment." Continuously enhancing people's livelihood and well-being is never merely for momentary effect, but lies in planning for the long term. In Wuxi, Jiangsu, in recent years, tourist toilets have been densely distributed in core commercial areas and scenic spots, and at the same time, around the "second half of the article" of toilet renovation, more than 8,000 public toilets have been connected to the smart sanitation management system, implementing fixed-person, fixed-post cleaning, with daily inspections and citizen QR code evaluations uniformly incorporated into the smart system. A series of "hard constraints" has made "cleanliness upon opening the door" the norm.
In the blueprint of Chinese modernization are written the people's aspirations for a better life. Running education that satisfies the people, improving the income distribution system, perfecting the social security system... the grand picture of national development and the "small but certain happiness" of hundreds of millions of people have always resonated at the same frequency.
"Our Party firmly remembers that the country is the people and the people are the country, persists in upholding the public interest in party building and governing for the people, consciously practices the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, and firmly stands with the people, thinks with the people, and works with the people, possessing a solid foundation that no wind or wave can shake." On July 1 this year, at the conference celebrating the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping's words were resounding.
Those who act often succeed; those who walk often arrive. General Secretary Xi Jinping instructed that "education on the view of political achievements should be carried out regularly," requiring "guiding party members and cadres to always take responsibility and act, perform their duties and fulfill their responsibilities with a correct view of political achievements."
Firmly establishing and practicing a correct view of political achievements, cherishing the realm of "success need not be in my tenure," shouldering the responsibility of "success must have my contribution," striking one hammer after another, we will surely create more achievements that stand the test of practice, the people, and history, and continuously open up new prospects for the development of our cause.
Return to TopBy: 周珊珊
"Modernization" does not equal "Westernization"; different soils can equally grow lush gardens.
Visiting Beijing's Temple of Heaven Park, I happened upon a group of foreign friends following a Chinese "master" practicing tai chi. Their movements were slightly stiff, yet every posture was exceptionally earnest. The author found this quite novel, and a companion laughed, saying this had long been a common sight in the park.
A browse of social platforms makes it easy to see that from practicing tai chi and Baduanjin to new-Chinese-style fashion and drinking hot water in the morning, such scenes have become a genuine microcosm of young people overseas actively embracing Chinese culture and integrating into Chinese-style living, showcasing a cultural centripetal force that transcends national borders.
The resonance of Chinese-style aesthetics is rooted in profound cultural heritage. White Rabbit candy wrappers have gone viral overseas; the red, white, and blue layout carrying the collective memory of generations of Chinese people has been praised by overseas bloggers as a stroke of genius (神来之笔, shen lai zhi bi - "god, arrive, particle, writing") in graphic design. A 34-second "Chinese celestial palace" short film created with artificial intelligence by a post-90s store owner in Chengdu, with no dialogue and no subtitles, relying solely on the Eastern artistic conception of flying eaves, jade pavilions, seas of clouds, and immortal palaces, quickly amassed massive viewership... What appears to be an accidental breakout is in fact the inevitable resonance of a thousand-year cultural lineage in the contemporary context. Eastern aesthetics, steeped in daily life, possess the power to move and converse with young people around the world.
The other side of the aesthetic's popularity reflects an open and inclusive cultural mindset. Once, much artistic creation and design aesthetics habitually benchmarked against foreign standards. Today, Chinese designers confidently present local aesthetic solutions to participate in global narratives. Recently, the China-exclusive poster for Hollywood's "Spider-Man" film series "won fans in reverse." Integrating elements such as lotus flowers, shadow puppetry, and auspicious clouds, it reconstructs the superhero narrative with Eastern aesthetics, leading overseas netizens to exclaim, "China never misses." From this, one can see that cultural inclusiveness has never been one-way acceptance, but rather calmly exploring one's own value and willingly engaging in exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. This unyielding and poised with dignity (不卑不亢, bu bei bu kang - "not, humble, not, arrogant") cultural posture gives Chinese-style aesthetics the confidence to continue spreading outward.
Beyond the aesthetic's breakout, one must also see the vibrant and upward developmental foundation. In recent years, overseas buzzwords about China have emerged one after another, backed by an increasingly solid comprehensive national strength. "China Travel," exploring the scenery, benefits from convenience measures such as the continued expansion of the transit visa-free policy, simplified clearance procedures, mobile payment covering more scenarios, and optimized tourism services; "China Cool," experiencing coolness and taking coolness away in China, reflects the advantages of Chinese manufacturing and Chinese services; "Becoming Chinese" or "Chinamaxxing" is not just "buying Chinese goods," but "living the Chinese way of life." What attracts the world is not only "China's scenery," but also "China's way."
Today, "China's attraction" extends beyond cultural wonders and quality goods to the modernized life it presents. It proves that "modernization" does not equal "Westernization"; different soils can equally grow lush gardens.
What attracts the world to China is not only its landscapes and cultural charm, but also the broad opportunities for innovative development. In Yiwu, Zhejiang, entrepreneurs from around the world do business globally; in innovation hubs such as Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing, numerous foreign enterprises continue to increase their investments. From cross-border e-commerce to the digital economy, from artificial intelligence to green development, more and more foreign talent are choosing to innovate and start businesses in China, sharing development opportunities with China—China has transformed from an experience into a career, a life choice. This makes it easy to understand why a report titled "Global Soft Power Index 2026" released by a British consulting firm shows China ranking second globally and being the only country in the top 10 whose score rose.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "To walk with China is to walk with opportunity; to believe in China is to believe in tomorrow." From Eastern aesthetics to Chinese-style living, "China's attraction" ultimately converges on the vitality and inclusiveness that an ancient civilization demonstrates in its modernization process. Looking ahead, this ancient civilization will continue to move people with its culture, welcome guests with its services, and empower with innovation, and amid exchanges and mutual learning, will join the world in seeking diverse development answers and jointly sketching a new picture of civilizational exchange.
Return to TopBy: 邹 翔
Walking into the Party-Mass Service Center of Aihui Village in Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, photos of the village's past annual dividend distributions are highly conspicuous.
Electronic bank transfers are convenient and fast, so why distribute cash instead? Upon further inquiry, the village Party branch secretary He Chunliang explained the reason.
It was not that they had never tried transfers. There are many elderly people in the village, and quite a few have not activated account balance change alerts. One year, right after the dividends were distributed, He Chunliang received more than a dozen phone calls that very evening asking whether the transfers had been made. One elderly villager pulled out a stack of passbooks and bank cards, and He Chunliang helped check them one by one, only confirming that the funds had arrived upon examining the seventh one.
Since then, at every dividend distribution, village cadres have gone on-site to verify the ledgers, cultivated land area, and corresponding earnings household by household, explaining the details face to face and handing out cash. Although the workload is somewhat greater, the villagers see with their own eyes, and what they gain is not only the joy of a good harvest but also a sense of security.
Seeing is believing (眼见为实, yan jian wei shi - "eye, see, is, reality") outweighs a thousand words. Letting villagers see the changes, receive tangible benefits, and taste the sweetness can dispel doubts in their hearts and mobilize their enthusiasm for pursuing development and promoting revitalization.
The land is the most down-to-earth thing. In doing rural work well, one must avoid being flashy and gaudy (花里胡哨, hua li hu shao - "flower, inside, tiger, shao") or engaging in superficial and showy skills (花拳绣腿, hua quan xiu tui - "flower, fist, embroidery, leg"); what matters is "substance." For example, building livable, workable, and beautiful villages must start with solving specific problems such as a sewage pipe network, a stretch of rural road, or a rural toilet — one must "do one thing at a time, and accomplish one thing at a time."
Seeing is believing — but how are new ideas that cannot be seen or touched to be promoted? Villagers, having no direct experience, often dare not follow and experiment. This requires Party members and cadres to charge ahead and set an example.
In 2016, when the village proposed establishing a cooperative, many people had misgivings. At that time, each mu of land could yield 500 yuan in income — could joining the cooperative earn more than that? Could it guarantee profits without losses? Many chose to wait and see.
Earnest and patient persuasion (苦口婆心, ku kou po xin - "bitter, mouth, old woman, heart") is less effective than leading by example. Fearing that their invested money would "go down the drain," the large grain growers hesitated — so He Chunliang took the lead by selling his own agricultural machinery to buy shares. The village Party branch members set the example, and the first few households to join the cooperative tasted the sweetness. Spreading news rapidly from person to person (一传十、十传百, yi chuan shi, shi chuan bai - "one, transmit, ten; ten, transmit, hundred"), within a few years more than 8,000 mu of cultivated land in Aihui Village were uniformly transferred, and all village households brought their land into the cooperative as shares.
With all the village's land farmed together and purchased agricultural machinery used collectively, uniting people to form a strong force (攥指成拳, zuan zhi cheng quan - "clench, finger, become, fist") pooled their strength, and the innovation of the "village-cooperative integration" model brought tremendous change. In 2016, the village collective's book deposits were only 20,000 yuan; by 2025, the village's total dividend distribution exceeded 11 million yuan.
He Chunliang remarked with emotion: "Why emphasize that practical work is essential? Only through practical work can tangible results be achieved, making people feel that following you is not a loss. At bottom, this is still 'seeing is believing.'" The trial of locust farming over the past two years, which has increased the village collective's annual income by 300,000 yuan, is another example of this.
Gathering scattered land and people together and "twisting them into a single rope" to promote the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas requires a group of leaders who dare to act and are capable of doing. In reality, why are some villages thriving while others are "cold stoves and cold pots"? The key lies in whether the enthusiasm of the masses can be aroused and their drive to work and start businesses can be stimulated. Fully leveraging the role of grassroots Party organizations as fighting fortresses can ignite the initial "spark."
Practical work is done in ordinary times, but it must also be done at critical junctures. Looking beyond a single village: at the Honghegu Four-Season Low-Temperature Testing Ground in Heihe City, it is Party members taking the lead and "posting challenges and assuming command" who have overcome technologies for building ice and snow roads for extreme-cold new energy vehicle standardized testing grounds and other cold-region vehicle testing technologies, turning "one busy season" into "four busy seasons"; at the Madao Junction, a key controlling project of the Pinglu Canal in Guangxi, it is the Party member commando team charging ahead that created the "Pinglu Speed" of completing land acquisition and base construction in 20 days, excavating 200,000 cubic meters of earth and stone in a single day, and completing 10 high slopes in a single month...
Opening up new industrial tracks from nothing, bravely entering "no-man's land" to overcome technical difficulties, and creating new models and new forms of business — all of these require a spirit of enterprising determination and, even more, the tenacity of hard work and solid effort. In the great practice of advancing Chinese modernization, pressing toward substance in tackling difficulties and moving forward step by step will surely yield even more extraordinary tangible results.
(The author is an editor of the People's Daily Commentary Department)
Return to TopBy: 任姗姗
"Grandpa, Grandma, I'm home."
Not long ago, the film Letter to Grandma stirred deep emotions in a viewer in Taiwan. Relying on the ancient place name "Fancha Tree" preserved in her family genealogy, she sought help online and, with the assistance of people from all walks of life on both sides of the strait, successfully located her ancestral home in Shantou, Guangdong.
A single call of "Grandma" touches so many hearts. How should we depict these inner waves of emotion?
The homesickness at the bottom of the heart is the starting point. The history of leaving one's native home to settle elsewhere (背井离乡, bei jing li xiang - "leave, hometown, depart, village") to build a livelihood is not written only with tears and pain. Terms like "guofan" (going overseas) and "Gold Mountain guests," which seem somewhat unfamiliar today, all record the blood-and-tear struggles of our forebears abroad. Homesickness is the most constantly worrying about someone or something (牵肠挂肚, qian chang gua du - "pull, intestines, hang, belly") of sentiments; this softest of emotions is precisely the most solid spiritual support for those far from home. The cultural bond is like the umbilical cord between the wanderer and his hometown. In the film, Musheng, Nanzhi, and Shurou fulfill their mutual protection and sustenance through qiaopi (overseas remittance letters). Each qiaopi not only frets over daily concerns but is also filled with the ethics, morality, propriety, righteousness, and emotion of China's fine traditional culture, as well as the Chinese people's unique philosophy of life and spiritual pursuits.
Deeply rooted in a shared cultural lineage, this lingering homesickness is continuously written about in literary and artistic works. The details of life and delicate emotions inscribed in the folds of "grand history" are focused on and narrated at length by various literary and artistic works. Songs are a form of remembrance: "A creek of tears fills a boat of people; a single bath towel to go guofan." The "guofan songs" passed down by word of mouth use the native dialect to repeatedly remind later generations not to forget the bitter hardships of the overseas sojourners' drifting struggle for survival. Singing is a form of expression: "I love you, China / I want to offer you my most beautiful song / My mother, my motherland..." I Love You, China was first performed by overseas Chinese; each "I love you" is deeply affectionate and expressing deep emotion through repeated emphasis or variations (一唱三叹, yi chang san tan - "one, sing, three, sigh"), singing out the loyal hearts of countless overseas Chinese. Literary writing is a form of construction: novels that have emerged in recent years, such as Ping'an Pi (Safe Remittance Letter), Jin Xu (Golden Ruins), and Gui Chao (Returning Tide), are constantly salvaging history and connecting with reality. Light and shadow overlay yesterday and today: the film Detective Chinatown 1900 wraps the difficult survival circumstances of early Chinese Americans in a suspenseful shell; in the film Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant, the chef Xu Fu guards a Chinese restaurant amid the flames of war in a foreign land, and "eating well" reflects the Chinese people's millennia-old view of family and country and of happiness... Spanning time and brushing aside the dust of history, literary and artistic works never stint on ink, remembering through repeated inscription, and uniting hearts through long-lasting remembrance.
What flows in the heart is the same bloodline. For thousands of years, the history of the Chinese people's struggles to go overseas and open up new lives is an important part of the Chinese story and an indispensable vehicle for the transmission of the Chinese spirit. Through literary and artistic works, contemporary young people see history, see inheritance, see the people who drove history forward, and see the endless vitality of priceless loyalty and the feelings of family and country; overseas Chinese see homesickness, see their roots, see the road they came from, and also see themselves; more people see the unique spiritual temperament and value pursuits of the Chinese nation, and see emotions shared by all humanity.
Even if perspectives differ and scenes vary endlessly, what literature and art repeatedly depict in depth is nothing more than the same vein of "feeling." Without feeling, how could one knock open the window of the heart? Only by loving this land, loving the object of one's writing, and being grateful for everything that happens on this land can one achieve a grand vision through a small entry point and accumulate heart-shaking power in plain expression. Because there is feeling, those gazing at each other from afar will worry about each other year after year. More than 60 million overseas Chinese are observers and interpreters standing on the bridge connecting China and the world. Their stories contain both the "small self" and the "great self," both nostalgic attachment and feelings of family and country.
"Rivers and seas stretch ten thousand li; if my heart remembers you, it does not feel far." The qiaopi in the film resonates deeply. Mountains and seas ten thousand li away do not feel distant because history has not been severed, the cultural lineage has not been severed, and emotion has not been severed. Surging waves rush toward the future; where the heart finds its home is our native land.
Return to TopIn Wuyuan, Jiangxi, the Huangling autumn-drying display is in full swing, with colorful drying trays reflecting the white walls and dark-tiled roofs; in Congjiang, Guizhou, the Jiabang terraced fields rise layer upon layer, surrounded by clouds and mist (云雾缭绕, yun wu liao rao - "cloud, mist, coil, surround") as the rice ears gradually turn golden; in Shiyan, Hubei, sunflowers are in full bloom, golden seas of flowers surging in the wind... Since the start of autumn, early-autumn scenery across various regions has been continuously unveiling new sights, the enthusiasm for autumn appreciation is gradually rising, and more and more people are leaving their homes to head to the fields and mountain villages, fully enjoying the coolness and comfort.
This is precisely:
Drying trays flow with color and spread fragrance,
Terraced fields rise layer upon layer up the hillsides.
Visitors look upon the scene, their brows and eyes smiling,
A press of the shutter locks in the autumn light.
Shen Qiuwen
Return to TopWater rises, power cuts — demonstrating science-based disaster prevention
Li Tao, Yichang City, Hubei Province
During flood control and flood fighting, we electric power workers often make an "unusual" move — going against the flow to rush to low-lying waterlogged areas to pull the switch and cut power. Some people do not understand: when the flood season comes, pumping, lighting, communications, and the like all need electricity — why cut the power?
Behind this lies an experience accumulated through flood-fighting practice: "When water advances, people retreat and power is cut; when water recedes, people advance and power is restored." These twelve characters seem simple, yet they embody a profound people-centered stance and a scientific spirit.
Water rises, power cuts — what is cut is risk, what is protected is life. Once water submerges lines and sockets, the entire body of standing water may become electrified; after being soaked, the insulation performance of transformers and distribution boxes declines, and there is also a considerable risk of leakage. Therefore, cutting power at the first moment is a scientific assessment of risk and a resolute safeguard of the people's lives and safety.
Water recedes, power returns — what is restored is support, what warms is the people's hearts. When the floodwaters recede, lighting and rescue, drainage and waterlogging removal, post-disaster sludge clearing, and resumption of work and production — every one of these can brook no delay and no slowness. Restoring power as quickly as possible on the premise of ensuring safety is a race against time. That is why we now rigidly implement "restore power first, then repair," meaning that without waiting for faults to be completely eliminated, we first do everything possible to rapidly restore power for people's livelihoods through load transfer, emergency power access, and other means, and only after power is restored do we thoroughly investigate the faults. Such "restoration" is not addressing symptoms rather than the underlying cause (治标不治本, zhi biao bu zhi ben - "treat the symptoms, not the root"), but rather a balance between fast and slow, a grasp of the principal contradiction.
In emergency rescue and disaster relief, the more urgent the situation, the more clear-headed and scientifically sound the decisions must be. One cut, one restoration — this is a vivid portrayal of the scientific method.
Changing old habits and social customs — the key lies in handling new matters in new ways
Li Ping, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province
Where lies the difficulty in changing old habits and social customs (移风易俗, yi feng yi su - "move wind, change customs") in rural areas? Human relationships, rituals, and face are the "rigid demands" of rural society. Old forms are abolished by a paper decree, but the needs do not disappear and may at any time change their shell and make a comeback. Based on this reality, many localities have begun to innovate their measures, pushing "combining dredging and blocking" one step further — not only stipulating what cannot be done, but also nurturing new customs and new practices through handling new matters in new ways.
In the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou, "contract canteens" have been promoted in villages, undertaking villagers' banquets, setting standards, and managing them uniformly, saving time, worry, and money — some villagers say they have saved several thousand yuan on tobacco and liquor alone. In Xiedian Village, Fengyang County, Anhui Province, a "virtue passbook" has been launched: simple handling of weddings and funerals earns positive points, while extravagant handling deducts points, and points can be exchanged for daily necessities, helping turn "I am told to change" into "I want to change." In Gaozhou City, Guangdong Province, since 2014 the practice of "plant trees when there is a happy occasion" has been advocated, converting "human-relations consumption" into "ecological investment."
What these measures have in common is not "stricter management," but rather a redesign of the "supply chain" of rural rituals. The "sense of solemnity" that the masses want has not been abolished; it has merely changed from "comparing amounts, comparing extravagance" to "comparing decency, comparing civility," and one can also gain tangible benefits from it. To deepen the changing of old habits and social customs, if one only does the work of "blocking" and lacks the effort of "dredging," without providing new forms and without grasping the key groups, the result will inevitably be that the village regulations on the wall are changed every year while the scale of banquets continues as before.
In changing old habits and social customs, the key lies in setting up new scenarios, establishing new substance, and delivering new tangible benefits. Promote handling new matters in new ways, and new customs will naturally walk from the wall into people's hearts.
Return to TopBy: 任飞帆
Gaining knowledge and information is certainly one of the purposes of reading, but what is even more valuable is cultivating one's character in the process of devoted study, and learning to use the wisdom of predecessors to reflect on oneself and resolve perplexities.
The "Me and the Temple of Earth" Beijing Book Fair continues to build momentum, the "2026 Chinese Literature Gala · Lu Xun Literature Week" series of events is being held in Shanghai, and the 2026 Southern Book Festival is bringing feast after feast of books... In recent days, reading activities have been proliferating in various places, and the rich atmosphere is drawing more and more people closer to the classics and to reading the classics.
Some people also harbor doubts: now that acquiring knowledge is so convenient, is it still necessary to "tackle" hefty tomes? Take short videos, for instance. They precisely fit people's fragmented time, and quite a few short-video creators also break down the classics in a label-based manner, distilling quotable lines and connecting them to real-life scenarios, lowering the threshold for reading and drawing people closer to the classics. On the surface, this does indeed achieve the effect of "reading a book thin." The question is: can it replace reading the original text of the classics? Has the book really been read thin?
In fact, reading a book thin is not simply dismantling a classic into a single label or condensing it into a few quotable lines, but rather, in savoring and chewing it over, understanding the author's intent. "Understand The Peony Pavilion in 5 minutes," "Distill the Confucian golden sayings in 1 minute," "Reacquaint yourself with Jia Baoyu in 30 seconds"... Such summaries are the product of highly compressed information; they sever the complete logical chain of the classic's narrative, and what we gain from them is, in reality, only secondhand information filtered through others. This kind of doing things superficially without going deep (浅尝辄止, qian shang che zhi - "shallow, taste, then stop") reading approach is not reading a book thin in any true sense.
Just as with scrolling through short videos, one might be able to remember that the gist of Wang Yangming's School of the Mind is "extending innate knowing." But if one goes on to ask what "innate knowing" truly means, why Wang Yangming said this doctrine was "obtained through a hundred deaths and a thousand hardships," and how we should, in light of our own circumstances, put "extending innate knowing" into practice, short videos are often unable to provide in-depth and systematic answers. Label-based summaries and interpretations divorced from context, though plain and easy to understand, are inevitably thin and one-sided. Only by returning to the classics themselves can one truly grasp the author's deeper meaning.
Only by reading a book thick can one read it thin. The writer Italo Calvino wrote in Why Read the Classics?: "The classics are those books about which we usually hear people say: 'I am rereading...', never 'I am reading...'." This remark precisely points out a misconception people hold toward the classics: having read them, one assumes one has understood them; having learned of them, one believes one has comprehended them.
Take literary classics as an example. Their charm often lies in the unhurried, telling a story in a charming and engaging manner (娓娓道来, wei wei dao lai - "gracefully, speak, come") unfolding of the narrative; characters develop naturally within the complete storytelling, the true face of life is restored with delicacy, and readers can also seek truth, goodness, and beauty in the course of reading and thinking. The contradictions, complexity, and subtlety of human nature, and the many facets of the world, can by no means be simply summarized by one or two labels or a few sentences. When readers grow accustomed to accepting quick, shallow, and simple conclusions, they easily develop intellectual inertia and dull their capacity for critical thinking. To read a book thin, one must return to the classics themselves, and in "conversation" with the author, possessing a profound intellect that spans ages (思接千载, si jie qian zai - "thought, connect, thousand, years") and having a broad and far-reaching perspective (视通万里, shi tong wan li - "vision, penetrate, ten thousand, miles"), understand the deeper significance of the classics.
Reading a book thin means not only deeply understanding the classics, but also internalizing them into one's own knowledge, even wisdom. The classics are a medium that, having been sifted by time and spanning eras, can still evoke spiritual resonance. They carry humanity's profound reflections, both mirroring reality and illuminating the future. Reading thin is precisely, in the continuous process of reading thick, unlocking their eternal spiritual and cultural value.
More importantly, the ultimate aim of reading the classics is "reading oneself." Gaining knowledge and information is certainly one of the purposes of reading, but what is even more valuable is cultivating one's character in the process of devoted study, and learning to use the wisdom of predecessors to reflect on oneself and resolve perplexities. Cultivating oneself through reading, nourishing the heart with the classics — this substantial spiritual sustenance is something fast-food-style reading can hardly attain. In this sense, reading a book thin is, on the basis of understanding the author's intent, sharpening one's critical thinking, and gaining spiritual enlightenment, also a matter of using the classics to reflect on oneself, calibrate one's direction, and build up one's own cultivation.
The classics have never been the passing clouds of a pile of old papers, but a spiritual world with background, with extension, and with warmth. True reading of the classics must necessarily undergo the process from "thin" to "thick," and then from "thick" to "thin." In this process, we should not be passive recipients of knowledge, but should become active, exploring thinkers. This is precisely where the significance of reading a book thin lies.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 刘 泉 祝佳祺 梁 楠
A hundred bridges lie across the waves, and the waterways run unimpeded. The Pinglu Canal, which connects rivers to the sea, will be completed and opened to navigation on September 16.
The entire Pinglu Canal project involves 104 bridges in total. In addition to the 27 bridges spanning the canal, it also includes the demolition and reconstruction of a large number of supporting bridges such as trestle bridges, temporary bridges, and pedestrian bridges — truly a "hundred-bridge project."
These bridges not only link transportation on both banks of the canal, but also connect the cultural heritage and the fabric of people's livelihoods along the route, and have become a vivid portrayal of living in harmony with nature (和谐共生, hexie gong sheng - "harmonious, together, live, exist").
"Hardcore Bridges"
Dual Innovation in Technology and Management
Qinzhou, Guangxi, is where the Pinglu Canal meets the sea, and the Qin River runs through the city. On April 28, the Zicai Bridge was officially opened to traffic, marking the completion of all 27 bridges spanning the Pinglu Canal.
"The navigable clearance of the original Zicai Bridge could not meet the requirements for the passage of 5,000-ton-class vessels on the Pinglu Canal, so it had to be demolished," explained Yuan Mingyang, deputy director of the Engineering Management Department of Guangxi Pinglu Canal Construction Co., Ltd., under the Pinglu Canal Group. "But the old bridge was a self-anchored suspension bridge with complex stress characteristics, and improper demolition could easily cause it to collapse."
To demolish this bridge properly, the engineering team invited experts to conduct preliminary simulations using digital twin and BIM (Building Information Modeling) technologies, and ultimately decided to adopt the reverse demolition method — "however it was built back then, that is how we now demolish it in reverse; just demolishing the bridge took more than half a year," Yuan Mingyang said.
Demolishing the bridge was no easy task, and building the new one was equally demanding.
The site of the Qin River Bridge was originally occupied by the Qin River No. 1 Bridge, first built in 1958. The lack of space in the urban area for assembling large steel structures was a challenge faced during the construction of the Qin River Bridge. The team pre-assembled the structures at a wide-open location downstream, then transported them by water to the bridge site, cleverly solving the problem. However, water transport imposes high requirements on water levels, and vessels cannot pass after the tide recedes. "We independently developed an auxiliary waterway transport system that assists transport decision-making by predicting water levels," introduced Wei Leijun, the person in charge of the Pinglu Canal Nanzhu Street river-crossing bridge.
Another bridge, the G75 Lanzhou-Haikou Expressway Qin River Bridge, is the world's steel tube concrete arch bridge with the largest integral-lifting span and the heaviest tonnage, and previously saw peak daily traffic of over 100,000 vehicle trips. To reduce the impact, the construction team innovatively used the old bridge as a construction platform for transporting materials. "Half of the bridge was under scaffolding and netting for construction while the other half remained open to traffic — this is very rare in traditional construction," said Kuang Zhiqiang, the person in charge of the Pinglu Canal G75 Lanzhou-Haikou Expressway Qin River Bridge. In addition, the team adopted the "integral lifting" technique — assembling bridge components on the ground and then lifting them into their installation positions in the air, completing the operation in 16 hours.
Technological innovation has been put into practice, and management innovation provides the support.
"The Pinglu Canal is a complex systems engineering project integrating multiple disciplines, covering the professional fields of waterways, hubs, slopes, bridges, and ecology. The entire route is divided into more than 180 construction contract sections, with over 20,000 personnel participating during peak periods — the organizational difficulty is high and the coordination requirements are stringent," said Cheng Yaofei, Party Secretary and Chairman of Guangxi Pinglu Canal Construction Co., Ltd., under the Pinglu Canal Group.
As the nation's first full-lifecycle smart canal, the Pinglu Canal digital twin platform integrates multi-dimensional data on meteorology, hydrology, and construction schedules to simulate operation sequences in advance and automatically generate optimal schedules. The water on one side of the waterway is first drained to carry out earthwork excavation and foundation construction, and once that side is completed, work shifts to the other side. The "half-width construction" and "temporal and spatial staggering" arrangements resolved the problem of construction interference.
"The improvement in information-based management has laid a solid foundation for completing the project on schedule, allowing this century-spanning project to pick up speed," said Lu Yao, design representative for the Pinglu Canal project at CCCC Highway Consultants Co., Ltd.
"Heartwarming Bridges"
Careful Consideration of Culture and People's Livelihoods
The "hundred-bridge project" bears witness to history, reflects development, and is also full of warmth.
At the former residence of Liu Yongfu, a renowned late-Qing general from Qinzhou, bridge components collected from along the Pinglu Canal route are stored, some of which were removed from the original Zicai Bridge.
Lin Weifeng, curator of the Qinzhou Museum, introduced: "When the original Zicai Bridge was demolished, we asked the construction party for some of the components and transported them back for preservation. Later, we will repair and organize them, plan special exhibitions, and tell the story of the canal and the story of the city."
The new Zicai Bridge was rebuilt on the original site, retaining the design concept of "pillars of the state," with four hero pillars set on both sides of the bridge body to commemorate Feng Zicai, a national hero from Qinzhou. In the evening, the orange bridge body reflects the setting sun, and residents and tourists can climb the bridge for sightseeing and passage via the bridgehead fort that resembles Zhennanguan Pass. This orange bridgehead fort is, in fact, the bridge anchorage.
"When designing the bridges, we simultaneously considered the landscapes along the route and local cultural traditions, making the bridges carriers of culture as well," said Yi Qigui, deputy general manager of Guangxi Pinglu Canal Construction Co., Ltd., under the Pinglu Canal Group.
Beneath the newly built Qin River Bridge, the old abutments of the original bridge carry the shared memories of several generations of residents. "Every bridge has a story." Since construction of the Pinglu Canal began, Xie Yongyun, chairman of the Qinzhou Federation of Literary and Art Circles, has voluntarily filmed videos of every bridge in the Qinzhou urban area, recording their stories.
"The Qin River No. 1 Bridge was the first urban bridge in Qinzhou, and residents have deep feelings for it; there are also many cultural stories here." The proposal by Xie Yongyun and others to preserve the original bridge abutments was quickly adopted.
Beneath the new bridge today, space has been reserved for residents' activities. The old bridge abutments have been preserved, and a miniature replica of the old bridge has been restored and built upstream, allowing the city's memory to continue.
Some bridges involve demolishing the old and building new, while others are built new on site.
In Dongba Village, Jiulong Town, Qinnan District, Qinzhou, trucks laden with sugarcane speed across the Dongba Bridge.
The canal was straightened by cutting through bends, turning sugarcane fields into waterway, and to meet the need for passage on both banks, a large bridge rose from the ground. In August 2025, the Dongba Bridge was completed and opened to traffic, becoming the first overpass bridge along the Pinglu Canal to be fully opened.
In the past, villagers on both banks crossed using simple wooden pontoon bridges, and vehicles had to detour more than 10 kilometers.
Today, the new bridge has become a main thoroughfare for villagers' daily travel. "Every crushing season, large quantities of sugarcane need to be transported to the sugar mill; having the new bridge really is much more convenient." After the Dongba Bridge was completed, villager Huang Chengxing was the first to ride his electric bike across the bridge to visit relatives.
Six bridges in the Qinzhou urban area were demolished and rebuilt simultaneously — how could residents' travel be ensured? The temporary traffic-maintenance bridges played a key role.
"Although they are temporary transitional structures, the traffic-maintenance bridges were designed and built to permanent bridge standards from the very beginning, ensuring safe and stable traffic," said Cai Zhubing, design representative of Guangxi Communications Design Group Co., Ltd.
Once the bridges were built, the roads also had to be connected. After the Qin River Bridge traffic-maintenance bridge was completed, it faced the problem of "having a bridge but no road" — if connected to the road network along the original route, the narrowest point was only 5 meters, which could not meet residents' passage needs.
Under the overall coordination of the Office of the Leading Group for the Western Land-Sea New Corridor (Pinglu) Canal Project Construction (the Canal Office), various functional departments jointly went to the construction frontline to coordinate and resolve various problems arising during project construction, widening roads and renovating connections, and the Qin River Bridge traffic-maintenance bridge was ultimately smoothly connected to the original road network.
"Eco-Friendly Bridges"
Multiple Measures Taken Together to Protect the Ecology
Integrating environmental protection requirements throughout the entire project, protecting the ecological environment along the canal, and safeguarding biodiversity are an inherent or inevitable part of a matter (题中应有之义, ti zhong ying you zhi yi - "topic, middle, should, have, of, meaning") of the "green canal."
Gazing out from Qinzhou's Oyster Passion Square, a gracefully shaped, all-white bridge spans the Pinglu Canal. This is the "most beautiful bridge" along the Pinglu Canal route, chosen by public vote, and it is also the only newly built cable-stayed bridge among the bridges along the canal — the Beibu Gulf Bridge.
On the bridge, traffic flows ceaselessly; beneath the bridge, the mangroves are brimming with life and vitality (生机盎然, sheng ji ang ran - "life, machine, overflowing, abundant"). As an important coastal wetland ecosystem, mangroves are a vital barrier safeguarding coastal ecological security.
During the bridge construction, the engineering team adjusted the location of the Beibu Gulf Bridge traffic-maintenance bridge based on the opinions of the forestry department, avoiding sites where mangroves are distributed. At the same time, measures such as installing protective curtains were adopted to prevent industrial wastewater and construction waste from flowing into the mangroves, safeguarding the coastal ecology.
The concept of ecological and environmental protection runs through every detail of bridge construction. Protecting vegetation also means protecting the water environment.
"When building the G75 Lanzhou-Haikou Expressway Qin River Bridge, we specifically designed a slurry recovery system," Kuang Zhiqiang introduced. After concrete slurry is injected into the steel tubes from the arch foot, to ensure the concrete inside the tubes is dense, some slurry overflows from the grouting outlet at the arch crown. If this slurry is not collected through dedicated measures, it can easily fall into the river and affect the water environment.
In response to this situation, the engineering team connected a sewage pipe to the grouting outlet at the arch crown, channeling the overflowing slurry along the arch rib down to the arch foot, where it flows into a set-up recovery tank, and the collected slurry is then transported back to the mixing station for treatment and secondary use. "The slurry undergoes recovery, treatment, and reuse, achieving a green cycle of resources," Kuang Zhiqiang said. "Waste concrete generated from the demolition of old bridges can, through recycling technology, become raw materials needed for new construction."
"'Green canal' was a concept established from the project planning stage." Standing beneath the Jintang Village Bridge, Lu Yao said, "This area is sparsely populated and naturally suited to serve as an animal passage bridge."
Looking closely at the Jintang Village Bridge, while ensuring the passage needs of surrounding residents, the outer side of the bridge is separated by barriers, and on the side facing the river there is an animal passage about 3 meters wide, covered with vegetation and naturally connected to the mountain terrain, providing a cross-canal passage path for the safe migration of native wild animals such as the spotted linsang, leopard cat, and red-bellied squirrel.
Not far from the Jintang Village Bridge is the Canal Ecological Corridor Bridge, the nation's first wildlife-exclusive passage bridge spanning a canal. The bridge deck restores the original mountain forest environment, creating a nature-mimicking ecological landscape that "has shade, provides food, and offers shelter," meeting the passage and survival needs of different wild animals, and achieving advancing together in synergy (协同共进, xie tong gong jin - "coordinate, together, advance, progress") between engineering construction and ecological protection.
■ Extended Reading
Pinglu Canal to Be Completed and Opened to Navigation on September 16
(People's Daily, Nanning, September 7) (Reporter Pang Geping) The reporter learned on the 7th from a press conference held in Nanning by the Information Office of the People's Government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that the Pinglu Canal will be completed and opened to navigation on September 16.
At present, the Pinglu Canal project has been fully completed along the entire route, the Guangxi water transport river-sea integrated intelligent dispatching platform has been put into use, and all work including navigation safety verification, equipment commissioning, cargo source organization, and operation preparation is fully in place, with navigation conditions now in place.
The Pinglu Canal is the first river-to-sea canal project constructed under national-level overall planning since the founding of the People's Republic of China and a backbone project of the Western Land-Sea New Corridor. Construction began on August 28, 2022, with a total investment of approximately 72.7 billion yuan. The Pinglu Canal has a total length of 134.2 kilometers, starting in the north at Pingtang River Estuary in the Xijin Reservoir area of Hengzhou, Nanning, passing southward through Luwu Town, Lingshan County, Qinzhou, and running along the Qin River directly to the Beibu Gulf. The Pinglu Canal is the canal with the highest navigation grade in China, built to Class I inland waterway standards and capable of accommodating 5,000-ton-class vessels.
After the Pinglu Canal opens to navigation, cargo from the southwestern region shipped to sea via the canal will shorten the inland waterway voyage by more than 560 kilometers compared with traditional routes to the sea, the voyage to major ASEAN ports will be significantly shortened, comprehensive logistics costs will be reduced by 18%–30%, and more than 5 billion yuan in transportation expenses can be saved for society each year. The completion and opening of the Pinglu Canal is of great significance for promoting Guangxi's development toward the sea, advancing the development of the western region in the new era, and serving and supporting the building of an even closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Jin Xin) The NPC Standing Committee's law enforcement inspection team for the Hainan Free Trade Port Law held its second plenary meeting on the 7th to study and discuss the draft law enforcement inspection report. Xiao Jie and Zhang Qingwei, vice chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee, attended the meeting.
After hearing relevant reports and opinions and suggestions, Xiao Jie pointed out that, judging from the situation of this law enforcement inspection, since the implementation of the Hainan Free Trade Port Law, the policy and institutional system for the free trade port has been preliminarily established, and all work on the construction of the free trade port has been solidly advanced. It is necessary to fully understand that building the Hainan Free Trade Port is a major decision made by the Party Central Committee with a view to comprehensively deepening reform and opening up in the new era, and is a key strategic task defined in the 15th Five-Year Plan. Taking the law enforcement inspection as an important starting point, we must adhere to working together with concerted efforts (协同发力, xie tong fa li - "coordinate, exert force"), make every effort to break through the bottlenecks and difficulties in the implementation of the law, and promote the comprehensive and effective implementation of the Hainan Free Trade Port Law. It is necessary to do solid work in the NPC Standing Committee's hearing and deliberation of the law enforcement inspection report and subsequent follow-up supervision work, and strive to ensure that the law enforcement inspection achieves tangible results.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Yu Jingxian) To further improve the investment mechanism for rural revitalization and continuously enhance the effectiveness of policies to strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers, and enrich rural areas, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Central Rural Work Leading Group Office, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the People's Bank of China, and the National Financial Regulatory Administration recently jointly issued the "Implementation Plan for Adhering to the Priority Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas and Improving the Investment Mechanism for Rural Revitalization."
The implementation plan specifies that it is necessary to adhere to the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, improve the diversified investment pattern featuring fiscal priority guarantees, financial key support, and active social participation, ensure that the intensity of investment in rural revitalization continues to increase, and promote the continuous optimization of the investment structure in the fields of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. By 2030, an investment mechanism for rural revitalization that is compatible with the level of agricultural and rural development, with a reasonable structure, scientific methods, and equal emphasis on quality and efficiency, will be basically established, providing strong support for consolidating and expanding the achievements of the battle against poverty, accelerating the filling of shortcomings and weaknesses in agricultural and rural modernization, and solidly advancing comprehensive rural revitalization.
Focusing on improving the diversified investment pattern, the implementation plan makes specific arrangements in areas such as strengthening the priority guarantee of government funds, giving play to the role of bond funds in supporting agriculture, enhancing the effectiveness of credit funds in supporting agriculture, making good use of insurance policy tools for supporting agriculture, stimulating the vitality of private investment, and revitalizing and making good use of rural resource assets. By broadening investment channels for agriculture and rural areas, it promotes the steady growth of the scale of capital investment.
The implementation plan requires strengthening coordination and linkage, and proposes effective measures to improve investment efficiency around promoting the coordinated efforts of government investment, financial support, and private investment, promoting the coordinated linkage of agricultural industry policies, investment policies, and trade policies, and strengthening policy support and coordination in prices, subsidies, insurance, and other aspects.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Qu Xinming) To enhance the public's financial literacy and risk-prevention capabilities, and to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of financial consumers and investors, on September 7, the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the People's Bank of China, and the China Securities Regulatory Commission jointly launched the 2026 Financial Education Publicity Week campaign. This campaign, themed "Clear and Upright Financial Cyberspace, Safeguarding Worry-Free Consumption," promotes nationwide effective measures for serving the people through digital and intelligent finance, carries out targeted financial policy publicity and guidance work for different groups, and highlights new types of financial cyber risks and key points for prevention.
During the campaign period, the financial system will carry out a special action of "Delivering Consumer Protection Tips to Your Doorstep," relying on community grid-based management mechanisms, Party-mass service centers, and other channels, and leveraging both online and offline channels to bring financial knowledge and common-sense risk-prevention tips to the people's side. At the same time, it will publicize the rights-remedy service channels established by various localities and financial institutions, such as consultation and complaint hotlines and dispute mediation mechanisms, helping the public understand the pathways for safeguarding rights in accordance with the law and learn about diverse dispute-resolution methods, continuously compressing the space for the growth of "black and gray industries," and building a solid national financial security defense line.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王伟健 刘晓宇 杨颜菲
Recently, Volume I and Volume II of the Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture were published and distributed. In the article "Continuing the Cultural Bloodline of the Nation through Creative Transformation and Innovative Development," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must be adept at organically unifying and closely integrating the promotion of fine traditional culture with the development of contemporary culture, developing through inheritance and inheriting through development."
At the 2023 National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out during deliberations with the Jiangsu delegation: "Places where culture is highly developed tend to lead economically as well. One could study the humanistic economics at play here."
The Silk Road connects China and the world, tea fragrance wafts through past and present, and porcelain charm echoes across millennia. On September 7, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and five other departments jointly released the Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of Historical Classic Industries, clarifying the acceleration of protection, inheritance, and innovative development of traditional Chinese characteristic industries with profound cultural heritage, including silk, tea, and porcelain.
Silk, tea, and porcelain—three shining calling cards of Chinese civilization going global—are now radiating new brilliance through the fusion of antiquity and modernity: digital technology unlocks the contemporary value of ancient silk, diverse business formats enrich the cultural heritage behind rock tea, and immersive experiences bring ancient kiln craftsmanship closer to the public...
Reporters traveled separately to Suzhou, Jiangsu; Wuyishan, Fujian; and Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, to experience the softness of silk, the mellow richness of tea, and the smoothness of porcelain, observing how a cultural lineage stretching thousands of years is blooming with more vibrant vitality in the new era, and how humanity and economy are coexisting and prospering together (共生共荣, gong sheng gong rong - "together, live, together, prosper") and empowering each other in both directions.
Suzhou, Jiangsu: A Single Strand of Silk Gives Rise to a Hundred Transformations
In Suzhou, Jiangsu, along the outer city moat, the Suzhou No. 1 Silk Factory Cultural Industry Park draws a steady stream of visitors.
The old silk factory's red-brick workshops have been transformed into cocoon-house bookstores, fashion show venues, and original design studios, with fashion launches, creative markets, and industry salons taking turns on stage...
"This product is called 'Tree of Life,' blending Suzhou-style plain crepe satin with French painted decoration. It was previously showcased at Paris Design Week in France." Inside a quaint red building, a livestream host was promoting the new "Golden Leaf Silk" brand silk products.
"Who would have thought that this factory complex was once nothing but an empty shell?" Shi Xiang, a 58-year-old former employee of the No. 1 Silk Factory, has witnessed the rise and fall of the site. The No. 1 Silk Factory was once the golden signboard of Suzhou silk, and its "Golden Leaf Silk" products were sold overseas. But later the brand faded from the market, the bustling factory grounds fell quiet, and equipment sat idle...
To make good use of the Suzhou No. 1 Silk Factory, a precious remnant of modern silk industry, Suzhou Culture Investment and Development Group Co., Ltd. launched a renovation and upgrade of the site in 2025. "Culture is hidden in the 'old,' but it must also be integrated into the 'new.'" Chen Long, Party Secretary and Chairman of Suzhou Culture Investment and Development Group, articulated the renovation philosophy.
The industrial park is anchored to the positioning of "cultural tourism destination, cultural industry cluster," planning two major zones—east and west—where each person or thing shows their own strengths (各展所长, ge zhan suo chang - "each, show, what, one, excels") and complement each other: the east zone focuses on the century-old silk heritage, cultivating fashion design, cultural and creative development, and cultural tourism experience formats; the west zone targets artificial intelligence and digital technology innovation tracks, using cutting-edge technology to empower the traditional silk industry.
With the renovation underway, Shi Xiang also proactively threw himself into the work of revitalizing the "Golden Leaf Silk" brand—assembling a team of more than 10 veteran employees, inviting designers and technical personnel who have settled in the park to collaborate, grafting new designs onto old craftsmanship, and leading the team in online livestreaming...
Today, the cultural atmosphere of the industrial park is growing increasingly rich, and the clustering effect continues to emerge. Within just over two months of opening, the occupancy rate has reached 70%, with numerous renowned silk and cultural-creative brands successively settling in. "Suzhou silk has cultural soft power, but it also needs industrial hard support," Chen Long said. "Our goal is to build this into a ten-billion-yuan-level industrial park within the next three years."
A single strand of silk drives the entire related industrial chain, ushering in a hundred transformations of new life.
In the exhibition halls of the Suzhou Silk Museum, the lively animals, elegant peonies, and refined scrollwork on ancient silk cultural relics have been transformed through digital extraction and creative reconstruction into reusable cultural digital assets. The Suzhou Silk Museum has completed high-definition digital collection of 50,000 silk patterns from its collection, building an artificial intelligence database comprising a specimen library, material library, and gene library.
What use are the patterns? Zou Yujia, a designer born after 1990, uses these digital patterns as base drafts, incorporating modern aesthetics to give them in all sorts of shapes and colors (千姿百态, qian zi bai tai - "thousand, posture, hundred, form")—butterfly brooches worn by young people, ornaments hanging in cars, refrigerator magnets at home...
In 2025, the Suzhou Silk Museum received 588,000 visits, up 12% year-on-year, with visitors born after 1990 and after 2000 accounting for over 57%. In the first half of this year, Suzhou's total tourist arrivals and total tourism revenue grew 7% and 8% year-on-year, respectively.
Upholding correctness without being stuck in tradition (守正不守旧, shou zheng bu shou jiu - "guard, upright, not, guard, old"), innovation never departs from its roots. The strand of silk stretching across millennia is constantly being infused with new vitality.
[Expert Commentary]
In Suzhou, the traditional silk industry radiating new vitality precisely confirms the essence of the "people–culture–economy" triadic synergy in humanistic economics. The spatial renovation and adaptive reuse of the old factory district embody "nurturing culture through economy"—through integrated resource investment and precise empowerment by new technologies, culture, cultural tourism, and cultural creativity synergistically unleash new value. The flourishing of the cultural ecology in turn drives the clustering of the silk industry and the improvement of supporting links in the related industrial chain, and this is precisely the purport of "prospering the economy through culture."
—Song Lu, Executive Dean of the Institute of Intelligent Governance Strategy, Renmin University of China, and Researcher at the Suzhou Research Center for Humanistic Economics
Wuyishan, Fujian: A Single Leaf of Clear Tea Mirrors the Green Mountains
"This is the aroma! The fine mountains and waters of this place nurture the unique 'rock bone and floral fragrance' of rock tea." As morning light spilled into Huangbai Village, Wuyi Subdistrict, Wuyishan City, Nanping, Fujian, at the Tiandi Renhe Tea Estate, water vapor mingled with tea fragrance drifting through the air, attracting many tourists who came on reputation.
"Take a stroll along the lakeside tea footpath, breathe in the tea fragrance, admire the tea gardens, and you can also sit together in a circle, brewing tea and watching the mountains in the embrace of the Danxia landforms," said Ji Suying, head of the Tiandi Renhe Tea Estate. The production technique of Wuyi rock tea (Dahongpao) is a national-level intangible cultural heritage, and the estate's book station houses a large collection of books on Wuyi tea, open 24 hours a day for visitors to read at any time.
Relying on its endowed with exceptional natural advantages (得天独厚, de tian du hou - "get, heaven, unique, thick") landscape resources, Wuyishan has deeply excavated the cultural connotations of a thousand years of tea culture, constructing a complete "Four Seasons of Tea Events"—
In spring, there are mountain-calling tea rituals and mountain-opening tea picking; in summer, one can go deep into tea factories to observe traditional tea-making techniques; in autumn, one can participate in lively tea-tasting competitions; in winter, one can sit by the mountains around a stove brewing tea... A tea culture that can be felt, known, and experienced allows visitors to understand the transmission of craftsmanship and humanistic philosophy behind a single leaf of tea.
Along the protection and development belt around Wuyishan National Park, 25 tea estates and 22 tea spaces are arranged in an irregular or staggered pattern (错落布局, cuo luo bu ju - "scattered, fallen, layout"); a single Wuyishan National Park No. 1 Scenic Byway links 21 A-level tourist attractions and 40 distinctive villages... Amid green waters and lush mountains, a single leaf of tea is linking together diverse business formats.
It was precisely by riding the momentum of the opening of the No. 1 Scenic Byway that the Tiandi Renhe Tea Estate carved out a path of tea-tourism integration—
Within the estate, tea gardens surround it and streams babble; a dedicated hands-on tea-making experience workshop has been established for visitors to immersively experience intangible heritage techniques such as sun-withering and shaking-green; supporting tea culture exhibition halls, study classrooms, and mountain tea lodgings allow guests to see layered tea mountains from their windows and slowly savor fine tea while sitting quietly; tea meals and tea snacks developed from local ingredients infuse tea fragrance into the everyday life of three meals...The tea garden is no longer just a tea garden, but has become a distinctive space for cultural dissemination, study experiences, and leisure sojourns.
"'Tea culture+' has too many new possibilities." Having worked deeply with rock tea for over 20 years, Ji Suying has become a disseminator of tea culture. Today in Huangbai Village, there are already more than 30 business entities like the Tiandi Renhe Tea Estate that are deeply engaged in tea-tourism integration, and the once-weak village has transformed into a widely known internet-famous tea village. Not just Huangbai Village—the 251-kilometer No. 1 Scenic Byway has driven new formats such as "tea garden + photography" and "tea garden + leisure" to take root one after another. During this year's May Day holiday, villages along the route received nearly 30% more tourists year-on-year.
Xie Xiaoming, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Wuyishan Municipal Government, stated that Wuyishan's tea industry adheres to the tea industry as the main body, with cultural soul-giving and technological empowerment as the two wings, simultaneously enhancing the influence of tea culture, the competitiveness of the tea industry, and the supporting strength of tea technology.
Technology is infusing this leaf of tea with new vitality. At the Dapingzhou Ecological Tea Garden of Wuyishan Yongsheng Tea Industry Co., Ltd., students on study trips press against the glass windows, curiously observing the shaking-green robot in continuous operation, while the temperature and humidity curves jumping on the screen blend with the charcoal-roasted aroma permeating the air. The robot precisely replicates the trajectory of the master craftsman's shaking-green technique, achieving standardized production for the process step in rock tea making that most relies on experiential control.
A single leaf carries the cultural lineage; green mountains nurture tea fragrance. Data show that as of the end of 2025, 56% of the per capita disposable income of farmers in Wuyishan City came from the tea industry, and the brand value of Wuyi rock tea reached 75.018 billion yuan.
[Expert Commentary]
A single leaf of tea produced in Wuyishan drives the development of the entire industrial chain, achieving the coexistence and mutual prosperity of culture and economy. The key lies in operating natural endowments and intangible heritage techniques as cultural IP, upgrading tea drinking into an experienceable "mountain-and-water tea lifestyle," and using technological means to standardize and scale this experience, allowing cultural value to be monetized through experience.
—He Jianjin, Vice President of the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences
Jingdezhen, Jiangxi: A Single Kiln of New Porcelain Moistens a Thousand Years
One Jingdezhen holds half the history of ceramics.
In July this year, at the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee held in Busan, South Korea, the "Jingdezhen Handmade Porcelain Industry Heritage" was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List, becoming China's 61st World Heritage site.
The Letian Pottery Club Market, the Taoda Youth Market, the Taoxichuan Market... Wandering through the distinctive markets of Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, young "Jing piao" (Jingdezhen drifters) are constantly creating, finding their positioning, and undergoing market testing here.
"Master craftsmen and masters from around the world gather here, and creativity always collides unexpectedly." After graduating from the China Academy of Art in 2008, Wang Ping came to Jingdezhen on reputation, rented a 100-square-meter warehouse in the Sculpture Porcelain Factory, groped for techniques in piles of clay every day, and insisted on setting up a stall at the market every Saturday.
"The first time I fired that emerald-green color like Jiangnan misty rain, I was stunned for a long time." Drawing inspiration from the bluestone slabs of the old alleys, Wang Ping, after hundreds of repeated adjustments to glaze formulas, fired a unique "moss glaze." Today, his Moss Series has been collected by museums abroad, and he has his own "Pingzao" ceramic studio.
A favorable entrepreneurial environment, a complete industrial ecosystem, profound cultural heritage... Jingdezhen is like a "magnet," attracting more than 60,000 "Jing piao" to work and live here, including thousands of overseas people from more than 60 countries.
Craftsmen come from all directions; vessels are made and travel the world. When traditional culture meets trendy aesthetics, Jingdezhen's "trendy toys" are going out of China and into the world.
"In earlier years, ceramics were mostly vases and porcelain plates." In the production workshop of Jingdezhen Chentian Ceramics Co., Ltd., a dedicated production line is running at full speed. Company head Xu Wan explained that they are targeting the young market, applying fine traditional craftsmanship to trendy toy figurines.
This is by no means easy. The facial and body surfaces of trendy toys have large curved contours, making the carved-line technique extremely difficult to control, and the greenware bodies are highly prone to collapse and deformation during firing, requiring repeated prototyping and kiln temperature adjustments, with experienced craftsmen using carving needles to engrave each piece one by one on the porcelain body. In 2024, Chentian Ceramics reached cooperation with Pop Mart, applying high-temperature color glaze techniques on a large scale to the trendy toy field.
In Jingdezhen, from national-trend animation IPs like Fei Ren Zai to internationally renowned IPs, and to the internet-famous cultural relic IP "Suisui Duck" launched by the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, the warm, lustrous ceramics are undergoing cross-boundary rebirth, continuously radiating new brilliance.
"Behind bold cross-boundary moves and creative R&D, there is the empowerment of the industrial chain, and even more indispensable is the institutional 'backing.'" Xu Wan said frankly that Jingdezhen's complete protection system for original copyrights and craft patents has dispelled the worries about the future or potential problems later on (后顾之忧, hou gu zhi you - "behind, look, of, worry") of trendy toy cooperation partners.
Promulgating Jiangxi Province's first local regulation on intellectual property protection, the "Jingdezhen Made" Porcelain Protection Regulations; establishing a ceramic intellectual property technical investigator system, selecting and appointing 18 experts to specifically address difficulties in identifying ceramic intellectual property disputes... Jingdezhen is continuously promoting the standardized development of the cultural market.
"The best protection is living, active utilization." Chen Kelong, Party Secretary of Jingdezhen, stated that they will formulate tourism development plans to high standards, linking the various heritage elements into a line, promoting the living transmission of intangible heritage; developing more cultural and creative products with stronger creative design; and building a year-round, never-ending market matrix of higher quality, striving to convert cultural tourism traffic into development growth.
In 2025, Jingdezhen received more than 39.5 million domestic tourists. The brand value of "Jingdezhen Made" has reached 51.6 billion yuan.
[Expert Commentary]
In Jingdezhen, a living sample nourished by humanistic economics, the thousand-year kiln fire tempers not only the beauty of artifacts, but also forms a complete "culture–technology–industry" transformation mechanism. When a city can form a positive cycle among culture, human capital, and institutions, prosperity gains endogenous momentum—this is also the deep logic behind the kiln fire that has never been extinguished for a thousand years.
—Wang Yushuai, Executive Deputy Director of the Research Center for Central China Economic and Social Development, Nanchang University
Return to Top(People's Daily, Changsha, September 7) (Reporters Ouyang Jie, Yang Xun) The 8th China Grain Trade Conference concluded on September 7 in Changsha, Hunan. At the conference site, 18 inter-provincial strategic cooperation agreements, 6 government-enterprise strategic cooperation agreements, 12 enterprise strategic cooperation agreements, 6 consumption assistance agreements, and 7 university talent cooperation agreements were signed. Through on-site organization and special online trading sessions on the National Grain Trading Platform, a total of 29.2 million tons of various grains and oils and 2,111 units (sets) of various grain and oil machinery were transacted or had letters of intent signed, with a total value of 87.871 billion yuan.
This year's conference focused on grain circulation, conducting exchanges on products, technologies, and services across the entire grain industry chain and at each link, building a platform for enterprises to innovate, develop, and discuss cooperation, promoting coordination between grain production and marketing, boosting the upgrading of the grain industry, and deepening international cooperation in the grain sector.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Harbin, September 7) (Reporter Guo Xiaolong) Recently, Heilongjiang Province issued the "Implementation Plan for Accelerating the Application of Artificial Intelligence in the Medical and Health Field in Heilongjiang Province," systematically deploying key tasks in eight major areas, supporting and improving full-chain safeguard measures, and empowering the province's medical and health undertakings with new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, new scenarios, and new industries to achieve improving quality and upgrading services (提质升级, ti zhi sheng ji - "raise quality, upgrade").
The implementation plan specifies that by 2027, more than 20 replicable and promotable typical AI application scenarios in medical and health care will be created, 5 provincial-level AI demonstration hospitals will be built, each city (prefecture) will be promoted to have at least 1 municipal-level demonstration hospital, intelligent diagnosis and treatment and smart convenience services will achieve full coverage in all secondary-level and above public hospitals across the province, and intelligent auxiliary diagnosis and treatment will be fully implemented in county-level medical communities; by 2030, the capacity for intelligent diagnosis and treatment services at the grassroots level will continue to be consolidated, a standard and normative system for medical intelligent applications adapted to the characteristics of the northern region will be established, and a number of digital and intelligent medical and health practice models with Heilongjiang characteristics that can be referenced and promoted nationwide will be formed.
In terms of grassroots services, relying on county-level medical communities, shared imaging and electrocardiogram AI platforms will be built to intelligently carry out chronic disease monitoring and resident health management; in terms of clinical diagnosis and treatment, applications such as intelligent medical imaging diagnosis, specialty clinical auxiliary decision-making, intelligent rehabilitation, and smart pharmacies will be promoted; in terms of patient medical visits, functions such as intelligent appointment, mutual recognition of examination results, and one-stop settlement will be launched; in terms of traditional Chinese medicine, intelligent diagnosis and treatment equipment will be configured and shared traditional Chinese medicine pharmacies will be built; in terms of public health, an AI disease control early warning and assessment platform will be established to achieve intelligent identification, precise early warning, and rapid response to infectious diseases and public health emergencies.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 张 枨
In Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, the Qilechuan grassland stretches like a boundless green carpet toward the distance, the Yellow River Grand Canyon boasts magnificent scenery, and visitors come and go at the scenic spots...
Amid these vibrant cultural-tourism scenes, a group of resilient, innovative, and professionally capable young cadres are active. Through regularized routine assessment of cadres, and by comprehensively surveying and grasping cadres' strengths and advantages, Hohhot selects and cultivates high-quality young cadres to temper themselves and take on responsibilities on the front line of cultural tourism.
Two years ago, Sun Xiaobei, then Party secretary of the Fengzhou Road Community Party Committee on Zhongzhuan Road Subdistrict, Saihan District, Hohhot, used a mobile phone, a microphone, and a selfie stick to write scripts herself and appear on camera to promote local businesses, creating the short-video account "Community Party Secretary Visits Shops."
"There are many shops densely clustered around the community, so I thought of visiting and promoting them in my capacity as community Party secretary, to help residents accurately identify quality merchants and make daily life more convenient," Sun Xiaobei said. To produce good content for the account, Sun Xiaobei and her community colleagues taught themselves video editing and dug out the most down-to-earth local content that met residents' needs. Thanks to their solid, down-to-earth approach, viewership of her works rose steadily from an initial few dozen, with single videos reaching as high as 50,000 to 60,000 views, winning popularity among local residents.
"When we conducted research in Zhongzhuan Road Subdistrict, we noticed the 'Community Party Secretary Visits Shops' account. After in-depth understanding, we found that Sun Xiaobei was not limited to simple shop-visit promotion, but used short videos as a vehicle to plan an integrated development path for culture, commerce, and tourism in the community," said Niu Qianfang, executive deputy director of the Organization Department of the Saihan District Party Committee.
Thereafter, the district placed a heavier burden on Sun Xiaobei's shoulders — responsibility for the district-level cultural-tourism promotional account. The "i Saihan" series of short videos that Sun Xiaobei planned and produced quickly went viral, effectively channeling customers to businesses in the jurisdiction and building momentum for cultural tourism. Before long, Sun Xiaobei was promoted to deputy captain of the district's Ulan Muqir troupe. Her lens extended from a single street to the whole of Saihan District, using vivid imagery to spread local culture and polish the city's cultural-tourism name card.
Growing from "shop-visiting Party secretary" to "cultural-tourism recommender," Sun Xiaobei's ever-present notebook records every detail: studying viral videos in her spare time, blending "internet sensibility" into cultural-tourism promotion; when operating "i Saihan," adjusting style based on netizen feedback and upgrading filming techniques.
Xue Jianli, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Hohhot Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio and Television, has deep experience in learning to use "new ideas" in developing the cultural-tourism industry. As cultural consumption has heated up in recent years, Hohhot has scheduled more than 25 large-scale concerts this year. "Quite a few out-of-town music fans come specially to attend the shows, but most leave in a hurry right after, staying at most one night," Xue Jianli said. "Could we let audiences enjoy exclusive discounts at local restaurants, merchants, and scenic spots by presenting their concert ticket stubs?"
But at the start, many merchants were not optimistic about the customer flow brought by concerts, and the outreach process repeatedly hit dead ends. Time after time they went door to door, only to be met mostly with polite refusals. Some merchants said, "Old Xue is here again — relying on discounts to attract customers simply won't work." Faced with everyone's lack of understanding, Xue Jianli did not give up easily. He and his colleagues visited and contacted businesses one by one; if the first attempt failed, they went a second time, patiently explaining the cooperation approach: "Where there are audiences, there is popularity. Short-term profit concessions are only a transition; quality service keeps customers coming back. In the long run, this benefits everyone."
With this tenacity, he secured the first batch of cooperating merchants through on-the-ground visits and outreach alone. "At that time Xue Jianli came to communicate every day, explaining in detail the relevant policies and development prospects. At first we were not optimistic about this approach, and we also felt the discounts were limited, so we did not hold high expectations. But as tourists kept streaming in, with tangible customer flow and revenue right before our eyes, we truly saw the opportunity," said Li Cuiping, chairwoman of Inner Mongolia Lao Suiyuan Catering Management Co., Ltd.
As the number of concert sessions continued to increase, the effect of channeling customers gradually became apparent. More than 120 merchants in catering, hotels, and scenic spots have joined the campaign, and during concert periods, customer flow has increased by 40 to 70 percent compared with ordinary days.
"Before each event, we promptly update and release the discount information to ensure tourists are aware; at the same time, we tailor exclusive discount benefits to the characteristics of different business types," Xue Jianli said. "Every year we also feature different local specialty foods — the year before last it was shaomai, last year it was milk tea, and this year it is beizi."
Xue Jianli regularly visits catering, hotel, and scenic-spot merchants to exchange ideas on business operations, and also maintains ongoing contact with public security, traffic management, and public transit departments to share work experience. This hands-on frontline training, running on multiple tracks with multi-party coordination, has not only honed his skills in coordinating large events, but has also comprehensively sharpened his overall professional abilities in market resource integration, external publicity and promotion, and cultural-tourism brand operations.
At the Laoniuwan Yellow River Grand Canyon Scenic Area in Qingshuihe County, the canyon is vast, the ridgelines stretch on, and the Great Wall meets the Yellow River here. Yet such beautiful scenery had long been hidden gems that remain unknown to the public (养在深闺人未识, yang zai shen kui ren wei shi - "keep, in, deep, boudoir, person, not, know"): backward infrastructure, a lack of cultural-tourism supporting facilities, young people going out to work in other places, and the cultural-tourism industry unable to develop.
"When I visited the village, an elderly man gripped my hand and said that he had guarded the Yellow River all his life and only hoped to make a living from tourism at his own doorstep!" recalled Fan Rong, section chief of the Resource Development Section of the Hohhot Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio and Television.
By day she ran to sites, checked shortcomings, and benchmarked against standards; by night she pored over policies, revised plans, and patched gaps. To mobilize the masses, Fan Rong and her colleagues went door to door to explain policies, detailing in plain terms the co-construction cooperation model in which state-owned cultural-tourism enterprises take charge of overall operations, while farming households bear only the cost of renovating their own courtyards.
Li Junfeng, a Laoniuwan village villager who had long worked away from home, was among the first to test the waters. He converted his idle, dilapidated stone courtyard home into a homestay, whitewashing the stone walls, installing full-view floor-to-ceiling windows, and planting flowers and plants in the courtyard, so that opening the window offers a panoramic view of the Yellow River canyon scenery.
In the early days of operation, the scenic area was not well known, customer sources were unstable, and he wavered at one point. "Seeing how busy the cadres were, I thought I should be a bit more patient and see how things went," Li Junfeng said.
Meanwhile, Fan Rong coordinated all departments to work in concert: jointly with transportation departments, upgrading the Fengjiata-to-Laoniuwan tourist scenic road with supporting viewing rest stops; working with industry and information technology departments to improve scenic-area services; coordinating with sports departments to bring in events that channel visitors; and joining with commerce departments to create distinctive consumption scenarios, driving the integrated development of agricultural products, catering, and accommodation...
Today, the scenic area's popularity continues to climb, Li Junfeng's homestay has a steady stream of guests, and his annual income approaches 200,000 yuan. The number of homestays in the village has grown from a handful to more than 30, with an average annual income of over 100,000 yuan. "Through regularized training, we standardize customer-soliciting practices, put an end to vicious price competition, and guide villagers to operate soundly through online platforms," Fan Rong said.
"Young cadres have agile thinking and abundant creativity. In building cultural-tourism brands, they frequently come up with good ideas and demonstrate new achievements. We build practical, hands-on platforms for them to start businesses and do real work, and precisely select and cultivate a high-quality, professional cultural-tourism cadre team," said Zhao Jing, director of the Hohhot Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio and Television. The Organization Department of the Hohhot Municipal Party Committee is focused on building a high-quality cadre team, precisely selecting professional cadres to strengthen the cultural-tourism front line, and has brought in 87 cultural-tourism professionals of various types, effectively activating new momentum for cultural-tourism development.
Return to TopBy: 赵晓曦
To open up a new situation in grassroots work, one must dare to think of new ideas, be good at thinking of new ideas, and pursue development scientifically. This tests cadres' powers of observation, their ability to conduct research, and their capacity for action in implementing tasks.
At present, a small number of grassroots cadres harbor a fear of difficulty when facing challenges, holding the view that "the more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; doing nothing means making no mistakes." There are also a few grassroots cadres who roll out "innovative" measures that are mere window dressing—"nice to look at" but not practical to use.
Good ideas need not deliberately seek to be doing something in a novel or unconventional way (标新立异, biao xin li yi - "mark, new, establish, different"); whether an approach is good must be judged by its actual results. The methods devised by several young culture and tourism cadres in Hohhot, though not original, have all effectively advanced their work—these suitable ideas are good ideas. Organization departments should further improve the positive incentive system that upholds practical work, drives responsibility, and boosts morale, and promptly and boldly promote cadres who dare to take responsibility, are willing to shoulder burdens, are capable of achieving results, and have outstanding performance, so as to better encourage cadres to do real work, be able to do work, and accomplish work.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 魏哲哲
The Supreme People's Court released on September 7 the Opinions on Lawfully Adjudicating Cases Involving Artificial Intelligence Disputes (hereinafter referred to as the Opinions). The Opinions is divided into 5 parts with 24 articles in total, focusing on prominent issues in AI-related adjudication that have drawn widespread attention from all sectors of society, drawing clear legal "red lines" while supporting the innovative development of artificial intelligence technology.
Personality rights are the most fundamental and most important rights of civil subjects. The Opinions makes targeted provisions by category for acts that abuse or maliciously use artificial intelligence technology to infringe upon personality rights and interests.
It lawfully regulates acts such as "face-swapping and voice-cloning" that use artificial intelligence to infringe upon the right to portrait, the right to reputation, and rights in voice. The Opinions provides that using artificial intelligence to process a natural person's name, portrait, or the like without consent, and generating a virtual digital likeness that can identify that natural person, and using or publicly disclosing it, constitutes an infringement of personality rights and interests such as the right to name and the right to portrait; using a natural person's voice as training data without consent, and imitating its timbre, tone, and pronunciation style to generate an identifiable synthetic voice, constitutes an infringement of rights in voice; manipulating virtual likenesses or synthetic voices to commit improper acts or publish false statements that lower another person's social evaluation constitutes an infringement of the right to reputation, and the tortfeasor shall bear tort liability in accordance with law. In addition, the Opinions also makes specific provisions to protect the personality interests of deceased persons in accordance with law.
In order to balance and accommodate both the protection of personal information rights and interests and the promotion of the development of the artificial intelligence industry, the Opinions, in accordance with legal provisions such as the Civil Code and the Personal Information Protection Law, clarifies that where personal information that has been lawfully made public is processed within a reasonable scope for the purpose of artificial intelligence model training, and the individual has not expressly refused, it shall generally not be deemed an infringement. However, where there is a significant impact on the individual's rights and interests, the individual's consent shall be obtained in accordance with legal provisions.
In response to the problems of "big-data price discrimination against familiar customers" and "counterfeiting celebrities to promote goods" caused by artificial intelligence algorithms, the Opinions clarifies that where, with respect to the same commodity or service, a business operator uses algorithms to impose unreasonable differential treatment in transaction conditions such as transaction prices, thereby infringing upon the lawful rights and interests of others and causing damage, the people's court shall determine in accordance with law that it bears corresponding tort liability; where artificial intelligence is used to "counterfeit celebrities to promote goods" and this constitutes fraud, and the consumer claims punitive damages, the people's court shall support this in accordance with law.
With regard to the determination of liability where users maliciously induce artificial intelligence to infringe upon personality rights, the Opinions clarifies that where content automatically generated by generative artificial intelligence infringes upon personality rights and interests, and the artificial intelligence service provider fails to promptly take necessary measures such as ceasing the generation of the infringing content after notification by the right holder, it shall bear tort liability for the damage caused in accordance with law; where a network user maliciously induces generative artificial intelligence to generate infringing content through means such as entering infringing prompt words and thereby causes damage to others, that network user shall bear tort liability in accordance with law, and where, after notification by the right holder, the artificial intelligence service provider fails to promptly take necessary measures such as ceasing the generation of infringing content or blocking the relevant generation instructions, and the right holder requests that the network user and the artificial intelligence service provider bear civil liability, the people's court shall support this in accordance with law.
In supporting innovative development, the Opinions requires accurately grasping the principle of imputation for tort liability involving artificial intelligence, so as to avoid artificial intelligence technology and industry bearing excessively heavy liability in the early stage of development and thereby dampening the enthusiasm for innovation. The Opinions clarifies that for legal liability arising from the use of artificial intelligence to infringe upon civil rights and interests, except where the law expressly provides for the application of no-fault liability or presumed fault liability, the principle of fault liability shall apply.
"Artificial intelligence governance is a systematic project that requires coordinated linkage and taking multiple measures simultaneously (多措并举, duo cuo bing ju - "many, measures, together, take up") by all parties." Tao Kaiyuan, Vice President of the Supreme People's Court, introduced that Part Five of the Opinions makes corresponding provisions concerning the prevention and resolution of disputes involving artificial intelligence, strengthening research and argumentation, case guidance and trial supervision guidance, strengthening inter-departmental coordination, and strengthening international judicial exchanges and cooperation.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Lin Lili) In order to severely crack down on the chaos of shortchanging or cheating on weight (缺斤短两, que jin duan liang - "lack weight, short measure") and "cheating scales," and to protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, the State Administration for Market Regulation recently officially launched pilot work on metrological supervision of electronic pricing scales in Hebei, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces, exploring a replicable and promotable supervision model to hold the bottom line of consumption fairness.
Consumers can "scan" the unique identity information code of an electronic pricing scale to query on the platform the "identity file" of the entire life cycle of the electronic pricing scale, including production information, repair records, and verification results, and can also report online to the relevant market regulation departments issues such as "inaccurate measurement, cheating behavior, and overdue unverified inspection." In accordance with the approach of "pilot first, summarize and promote, roll out nationwide," the State Administration for Market Regulation adheres to government guidance and market leadership, focuses on building a penetrating smart supervision system for electronic pricing scales, and promotes the transformation of metrological supervision of electronic pricing scales from "after-the-fact investigation and punishment" to "pre-prevention and in-process monitoring."
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Li Longyi) In order to broadly recruit outstanding talent from institutions of higher learning to devote themselves to the cause of building a strong military in the new era, recently, the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission has deployed and launched the work of directly selecting and recruiting military (police) officers for the 2026–2027 period.
In accordance with relevant military policies, the targets of direct selection and recruitment are mainly drawn from fresh graduates of "Double First-Class" construction universities and construction disciplines, with the scope of recruitment targets being fresh graduates from December 2025 to June 2027. Applicants shall, from September 18 to September 30, 2026, log on to the "Military Talent Network" (http://81rc.81.cn or http://www.81rc.mil.cn) to inquire about specific recruitment positions and standard conditions, and conduct online registration. Subsequently, relevant military units will, in accordance with recruitment procedures, organize and carry out work such as investigation and screening, physical examination and political assessment, and professional evaluation, selecting in a fair and just (公平公正, gong ping gong zheng - "fair, just, impartial, righteous") manner, and gathering together outstanding military talent.
Return to TopOn September 7, the autumn semester of the 2026 Shanghai Citizens' Day School and Citizens' Art Evening School began, with courses covering multiple fields including traditional arts, modern aesthetics, life skills, and digital creativity, accommodating the learning needs of different groups of people. This year's day school autumn semester offers 360 courses at more than 130 locations, enrolling over 6,200 students; the evening school autumn semester offers more than 1,480 courses at more than 540 locations, with approximately 29,000 students. The photo shows students of the Shanghai Citizens' Day School taking a Chinese pastry-making class on September 7 at the teaching site of the Shanghai Modern Food Vocational Skills Training Center.
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Ying
Return to Top(People's Daily, Kunming, September 7) (Reporter Ye Chuanzeng) The Yunnan Provincial Government recently issued the "Yunnan Province 15th Five-Year Plan Urban Renewal Action Plan," which clarifies the principle of "short-term hazard removal, mid-term renewal, long-term quality improvement" and the concept of "micro-renovation, optimized business formats, emphasis on benefits," and coordinates the advancement of building good housing, good neighborhoods, good communities, and good urban districts. By 2030, the institutional mechanisms, supporting policies, and management systems for urban renewal will be continuously improved, a sustainable urban renewal model will be basically formed, the transformation of urban development and construction methods will show initial success or results appearing (初见成效, chu jian cheng xiao - "first, see, achieve, effect"), urban living spaces will be more livable, carrying capacity will be more resilient, cultural characteristics will be more prominent, and construction and governance will be more intelligent, with important progress achieved in urban renewal actions.
The plan deploys 10 key tasks, including integrated advancement of urban physical examination and urban renewal, orderly promotion of the renovation and utilization of existing buildings, active development of complete community construction, and vigorous strengthening of the protection and inheritance of urban historical culture. It requires strengthening organizational leadership, improving implementation mechanisms, guiding multi-party participation, and intensifying supervision and evaluation. It clarifies supporting measures for land, fiscal and tax, and financial factors, encourages financial institutions to innovate credit products, supports eligible entities in issuing corporate bonds, real estate investment trust funds, and other products, and broadens financing channels.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Lanzhou, September 7) (Reporter Zeng Yichen) Recently, the Department of Natural Resources of Gansu Province issued the "Measures for Direct Case Filing and Investigation, Supervised Handling with Listed Deadlines, and Public Notification of Illegal and Violative Cases in the Natural Resources Sector of Gansu Province," aiming to strengthen law enforcement supervision, improve law enforcement efficiency, intensify efforts in investigating and handling major and typical illegal and violative cases in the natural resources sector, and maintain order in natural resources management.
The Measures apply to major, complex, difficult, or socially impactful illegal and violative cases in the natural resources sector across the entire province of Gansu, and specify the circumstances under which the provincial level implements direct case filing and investigation, supervised handling with listed deadlines, and public notification, as well as the specific circumstances and working procedures for the provincial level to implement direct case filing and investigation, supervised handling with listed deadlines, and public notification.
The Measures clarify that for seven categories of circumstances—including cases involving administrative regions spanning multiple cities (prefectures), illegal occupation of permanently basic farmland and ecological protection red lines and other controlled areas causing serious consequences, illegal exploration and mining of strategic mineral resources causing major losses to the state, and triggering mass incidents or major public opinion—the Department of Natural Resources of Gansu Province may implement direct case filing and investigation, and after filing a case, an administrative penalty decision shall be made within 90 days.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 赵帅杰
Wuyue Community on Zhonghua Road Subdistrict, Wenfeng District, Anyang City, Henan Province, is located in a bustling commercial area, surrounded by more than 600 merchants. Previously, due to issues of service quality and efficiency and charges, merchants repeatedly had disputes with the property management. "The two sides would argue the moment they met, then disperse after the argument, and were utterly unable to sit down and discuss solutions." Guo Xiaojuan, Party branch secretary of Wuyue Community, was deeply concerned and anxious about the situation (看在眼里、急在心上, kan zai yan li, ji zai xin shang - "see in eyes, urgent in heart").
Later, 54-year-old police officer Zhang Wei came to Wuyue Community to serve as deputy Party branch secretary, and the first thing he did was resolve the disputes between the merchants and the property management.
"Under normal circumstances, we only intervene when members of the public call the police, but once a police report is received, it means the conflict has already escalated," Zhang Wei said. After the integration of policing and the grid, everyone proactively goes down to the grassroots and provides services up front, effectively preventing possible cases of "civil disputes turning into criminal cases."
Anyang City has embedded police forces into village (community) grids. All 115 police station chiefs in the city concurrently serve as deputy administrative heads of townships (subdistricts), 3,305 police officers have entered the two committee leadership bodies of villages (communities), more than 500 standardized police service stations share office premises with Party and mass service centers, and 771 community police officers are paired with more than 11,000 grid workers to carry out grassroots governance work in a coordinated manner.
In the past, in Wuyue Community, when disputes arose between residents or between merchants and consumers, if negotiation failed, the only option was to call the police. "Now Old Zhang is here. He not only knows the community and the merchants well, but also follows up on the final results, so there are fewer things that flare up into conflicts," said Han Sisuang, a hotpot restaurant operator.
For a considerable period in the past, grassroots policing and community work ran on two parallel tracks: public security focused on cracking down on crime and maintaining public order, while the community devoted itself to (深耕, shen geng - "deep, plow") livelihood visits and hidden danger investigations. The two teams had poor communication (沟通不畅, gou tong bu chang - "communicate, not, smooth") and insufficient coordination, which not only increased governance costs but also made it difficult to respond quickly to the urgent difficulties and concerns of the masses.
"To advance the integration of policing and the grid, on the basis of integrating organizational structures and personnel strength, we have vigorously promoted the joint collection of basic information, joint handling of services for the masses, joint mediation of conflicts and disputes, joint screening of risks and hidden dangers, and joint prevention for public security, and have established mechanisms such as joint consultation and research and information sharing," said An Qunqing, political commissar of the Public Security Administration Detachment of the Anyang Municipal Public Security Bureau.
"Taking the joint collection of basic information as an example — standard addresses, actual population, housing, work units, and so on — the public security department needs to collect these, and the community also needs to grasp them. Now, by coordinating with community cadres, a single visit can efficiently complete the task, and residents' demands can also receive faster responses," said Han Peishan, a community police officer in Xinducheng Community, Dengta Road Subdistrict, Beiguan District, with deep feeling. Not long ago, resident Mr. Zhao, due to limited mobility, had not yet completed the household registration cancellation procedures more than three months after his mother's death. After learning the actual situation, Han Peishan and community cadres took the initiative to visit and handle the procedures on his behalf, and also assisted in applying for subsistence allowances.
"The integration of policing and the grid extends the tentacles of governance to the very front line, striving to resolve risks in their budding state. Since the beginning of this year, criminal and public security police reports in Anyang City have decreased by 25.66% and 10.56% year-on-year respectively, and the number of telecom fraud cases has dropped by 42.4%," said Wang Liping, deputy director of the Anyang Municipal Public Security Bureau.
Return to TopBy: 吴 凯
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 should "uphold the principle of putting people first and pursuing goodness and progress" and "comprehensively promote AI scientific and technological innovation, industrial development, and scenario application."
"Intelligent Manufacturing in China" has become another shining calling card of Chinese modernization. Through this calling card, one can see the myriad manifestations of new quality productive forces. Where does this calling card shine?
It shines in putting people first and pursuing goodness and progress. The new-generation open-source model Kimi K3, intelligent connected vehicles driving into countless families and households (千家万户, qian jia wan hu - "thousand, family, ten thousand, household"), and rapidly evolving humanoid robots... "Intelligent Manufacturing in China," through openness, open-source collaboration, and shared benefits, provides more people with new technologies and new products that are accessible and affordable.
It shines in scientific and technological innovation. Intelligent technologies featuring the Internet of Everything, human-machine collaboration, cross-domain integration, and co-creation and sharing are releasing enormous combined energy. More technological breakthroughs are being transformed into product advantages and industrial advantages, providing solid support for advancing "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" toward the new.
It shines in industrial development. Accelerating breakthroughs in industrial software innovation, vigorously developing intelligent manufacturing equipment; advancing intelligent coordination of industrial supply chains, strengthening adaptive supply-demand matching; promoting AI-driven production process optimization methods... Artificial intelligence is jointly advancing the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, the cultivation and growth of emerging industries, and the forward-looking layout of future industries.
It shines in scenario application. In workshops, AI robotic arms flexibly adapt to complex machining scenarios; amid traffic, intelligent connected vehicles move moving freely and easily (穿梭自如, chuan suo zi ru - "pass through, shuttle, self, as one wishes"); among the fields, smart agricultural machinery equipment consolidates the foundation for a bountiful grain harvest... More high-quality, affordable, stable, and reliable "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" products are entering countless families and households, making people's daily lives more convenient, reassuring, and comfortable.
From manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing, life becomes better. This "key variable" of artificial intelligence is becoming a "strong increment" empowering high-quality development.
Return to TopBy: 段 妍
General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "Only by staying true to the original aspiration can one reach the final destination. The original aspiration and founding mission of Chinese Communists is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. This original aspiration and founding mission is the fundamental driving force that impels Chinese Communists to keep advancing." Staying true to the Party's original aspiration and founding mission is an important component of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, and it embodies the Party's purpose, stance, and value orientation. Studying and grasping in depth the rich connotations and theoretical contributions of staying true to the Party's original aspiration and founding mission, and exploring the practical paths for doing so, are of great significance for advancing the great new project of Party building in the new era.
Clarifying the fundamental value orientation for governing and managing the Party, revitalizing and strengthening the Party in the new era
Entering the new era, how to systematically summarize the Party's history and provide directional guidance and value support for the Party's continued advance is an important proposition placed before Chinese Communists. In 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out at the celebration of the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China: "All comrades in the Party must stay true to the original aspiration and continue to advance." The report to the 19th Party Congress wrote "stay true to the original aspiration and keep the mission firmly in mind" into the theme of the Congress and clarified the connotation of the original aspiration and founding mission. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee proposed "establishing a system for staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind." The report to the 20th Party Congress placed "must stay true to the original aspiration and keep the mission firmly in mind" first among the "three imperatives." The proposal of staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind not only distilled and summarized the Party's history of struggle, but also clarified the fundamental value orientation for governing and managing the Party, revitalizing and strengthening the Party in the new era.
Profoundly answering the questions of what the Communist Party of China "is and what it wants to do" and "where it came from and where it is going," thereby anchoring the correct direction for Party building in the new era. In the article "Stay True to the Original Aspiration and Keep the Mission Firmly in Mind" in Volume II of Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Party Building, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Party's original aspiration and founding mission are the concentrated expression of the Party's nature, purpose, ideals, convictions, and goals of struggle, inspiring our Party to forever hold fast and spurring our Party to advance with determination." From the very day of its founding, the Communist Party of China established seeking happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation as its original aspiration and founding mission. As the vanguard of the Chinese working class, the vanguard of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, the Communist Party of China has always maintained the political character of a Marxist party, firmly upheld its belief in Marxism and its conviction in socialism and communism, and striven unremittingly for them. The Party's struggle and the people's well-being, the Party's destiny and the country's future and the nation's destiny have long been deeply integrated. In advancing Party building in the new era, whether it is theoretical arming, tempering of Party spirit, building of the cadre contingent, or the fight against corruption, the ultimate value orientation lies in continuously satisfying the people's aspiration for a better life and steadily advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The original aspiration and founding mission clearly demarcate the Party's value origin and goals of struggle, fundamentally answering the core propositions of what the Communist Party of China "is and what it wants to do" and "where it came from and where it is going," and clarifying the starting point and ultimate goal of Party building in the new era.
Demonstrating the Communist Party of China's lofty revolutionary spirit and staunch fighting will, providing powerful spiritual impetus for Party building in the new era. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "To stay true to the original aspiration and keep the mission firmly in mind, we must not forget that we are Communists, that we are revolutionaries, and must not lose the revolutionary spirit." The hardest thing for a political party is to have having experienced many changes and hardships (历经沧桑, lijing cangsang - "go through, experience; vicissitudes, changes") while remaining unchanged in its original aspiration, and to retain its true character after enduring trials and tribulations. Entering the new era, the Party's spirit is high and uplifted, and the atmosphere for undertaking work and starting undertakings is strong, but some Party members and cadres still harbor the idea of catching their breath and resting on their laurels, lacking enterprise, being lazy and slack in governance and just muddling through, and habitually taking detours when encountering difficulties. In response, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "in our Party's long-term governance, Party members and cadres are prone to developing a mentality of complacency and spiritual slackness after prolonged peace," pinpointing the crux of the problem in one stroke. Proposing to stay true to the original aspiration and keep the mission firmly in mind is precisely aimed at resolving the crisis of spiritual slackness that may arise in a party's long-term governance, and by solving various problems within the Party that run counter to the original aspiration and mission, enabling the Party to maintain high fighting spirit and strengthen its sense of mission and responsibility. This major requirement constantly alerts the entire Party not to discard the revolutionary spirit, to ensure firmness in action through clarity in thought, and to inject inexhaustible spiritual impetus into persistently advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party in the new era.
Focusing on enhancing the entire Party's ideological and action consciousness in following the mass line, laying a solid foundation for Party building in the new era. Staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind is, in the final analysis, a question of for whom and by whom. Our Party comes from the people, and the Party's roots and lifeblood lie in the people. Keeping the original aspiration and mission firmly in mind means keeping firmly in mind the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, always placing the people at the highest position in our hearts, and maintaining the Party's flesh-and-blood ties with the people. Over more than 100 years, an important reason why our Party has been able to lead the people in taking the Chinese nation from poverty and weakness to prosperity and strength is that the Party has always kept in mind and practiced its original aspiration and founding mission, and has always stood with the people, thought with the people, and worked with the people. Although the successive intra-Party centralized education campaigns since the 18th Party Congress have differed in content focus, their ultimate goal has all been to practically do practical things for the masses and solve difficult problems, practicing the original aspiration and founding mission through concrete actions. Embarking on the new journey, we must attach even greater importance to the prominent issues strongly reflected by the masses and resolutely prevent acts that harm the interests of the masses. Therefore, staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind requires all Party members and cadres to effectively strengthen their sense of mission, continue to follow the Party's mass line in the new era, take benefiting the people as the greatest achievement, consciously accept the people's criticism and supervision, promptly rectify prominent issues strongly reflected by the masses, and continuously correct deep-seated maladies that run counter to the people's interests, thereby consolidating the mass foundation for the Party's long-term governance.
A major theoretical innovation achievement for forever maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity
Staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind has profound theoretical origins, deep historical vision, and distinct contemporary characteristics. It is rooted in Marxist party-building theory, scientifically summarizes the laws of communist party governance, adheres to the organic integration of the party's value pursuit with the mission of national rejuvenation, and provides theoretical guidance and practical principles for building a Marxist governing party that governs long-term.
Creatively distilling the value coordinates of a Marxist party's long-term struggle. Staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind is an original theoretical achievement formed on the basis of inheriting and developing Marxist party-building theory, deepening the understanding and grasp of the nature, purpose, and goals of struggle of a Marxist party. Marxism is the scientific truth that seeks liberation for humanity, which determines its distinct people-oriented stance and foundation. A Marxist party "has no interests different from those of the entire proletariat," is always rooted in the people and serves the people, and its highest mission is to achieve the liberation of all humanity. How can this lofty mission be transformed into concrete goals in light of the actual conditions of different historical periods? The original aspiration and founding mission are precisely the goals of struggle established by the Communist Party of China based on China's national conditions. Seeking happiness for the Chinese people means continuously satisfying the people's aspiration for a better life, continuously realizing, safeguarding, and developing the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people, and letting the fruits of reform and development benefit all the people more and more fairly; seeking rejuvenation for the Chinese nation means achieving national prosperity, national rejuvenation, and people's happiness, realizing the greatest dream of the Chinese people in modern times, enabling the Chinese nation to stand more firmly and powerfully on its own among the nations of the world, and making greater contributions to human peace and development. Staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind scientifically answers the fundamental question of "who I am, for whom, and by whom," elevates our Party's understanding of its own nature and purpose to a new height, and establishes the value coordinates of our Party's long-term struggle.
Deepening the understanding of the laws of communist party governance. In the article "The Party's Original Aspiration and Founding Mission Are the Concentrated Expression of the Party's Nature, Purpose, Ideals, Convictions, and Goals of Struggle" in Volume II of Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Party Building, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The longer the Party governs, the more it must not lose the character of a Marxist party, the more it must not forget the Party's original aspiration and founding mission, and the more it must not lose the spirit of self-revolution." The Party's advanced nature and purity are not achieved once and for all or immutable, but are continuously consolidated through self-revolution. Under the conditions of the Party's long-term governance, multiple risks and challenges are increasingly superimposed, and some people, as they walk along, forget why they set out, forget the lofty ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Under the new circumstances, the problems faced by Party building are sharper and more complex than at any time in the past, which places higher demands on the Party's leadership level and long-term governance capacity. Staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind reduces the Party's struggle of more than 100 years to a history of practicing the original aspiration and founding mission, opens up the internal connections among history, reality, and the future, grasps historical initiative in summarizing historical experience, and deepens the understanding of the laws of communist party governance from a new perspective. Staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind means always being vigilant against the problems of alienation and corruption in the long-term operation of power, eliminating privileged thinking and privileged behavior, constantly questioning and guarding the original aspiration in self-examination and deep reflection, shouldering the mission and bravely undertaking heavy responsibilities, and demonstrating the sobriety and firmness of Communists in always thinking ahead and being prepared for danger.
Achieving the organic integration of the party's value pursuit with the mission of national rejuvenation. Staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind runs through the Party's self-building and the country's development and progress, closely combining advancing the great new project of Party building in the new era with advancing the great struggle, great cause, and great dream led by the Party, and profoundly reflecting the inherent unity of governing and managing the Party, revitalizing and strengthening the Party, and strengthening the country and achieving rejuvenation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "To govern the country, one must first govern the Party; only when the Party thrives can the country be strong." This important assertion shows that a strong country presupposes and is guaranteed by a strong Party, and a strong Party takes a strong country as its goal and support. The Party's original aspiration of serving the people determines that governing and managing the Party is not merely intra-Party self-purification, but always serves the grand goals of national development and national rejuvenation. Only by tempering the Party's advanced nature and purity through full and rigorous self-governance of the Party and forging a strong and powerful Marxist governing party can fundamental political guarantees be provided for the steady and long-term progress of Chinese modernization and the continued advancement of the great cause of national rejuvenation. At the same time, the goals, content, and measures of Party building must all be adapted to the process of national rejuvenation, striving to continuously open up new realms in upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground. This dialectical and unified internal logic enables the value pursuit of seeking happiness for the people to be truly transformed into practical momentum for promoting social progress and empowering the building of a strong country, and also makes the historical mission of seeking rejuvenation for the nation a source of motivation for advancing the governance and management of the Party and tempering strong Party spirit, achieving the organic unity of strengthening the Party's foundation through Party building and promoting Party building through rejuvenation.
Persistently and unremittingly handling the eternal subject and lifelong subject
After the proposal of staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind, the entire Party carried out in depth the "staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind" theme education and continuously consolidated and expanded its achievements. Party members and cadres examined their own gaps against the original aspiration and mission, their foundation of faith became more solid, their spiritual calcium was continuously replenished, and their spirit of undertaking work, starting undertakings, and tackling difficulties was further enhanced; special rectification was carried out focusing on the urgent, difficult, anxious, and expectant problems of the masses, solving a number of prominent issues strongly reflected by the masses and further strengthening the flesh-and-blood ties between the Party and the masses; through targeted rectification of various problems that run counter to the original aspiration and mission, the political ecology of integrity and uprightness was further consolidated.
General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind must be unremittingly handled as the eternal subject of Party building and the lifelong subject of all Party members and cadres." On the new journey of the new era, staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind requires efforts from three aspects: ideological tempering, practical testing, and institutional safeguards, advancing layer by layer and working in coordination, consolidating the ideological foundation through normalized theoretical education, calibrating the value stance through grassroots practice of serving the people, and consolidating the effectiveness of Party governance through long-term institutional mechanisms, guiding Party members and cadres to always keep in mind the original aspiration of serving the people and bravely shoulder the mission of the times.
Nourishing the original aspiration and undertaking the mission with the Party's innovative theory, consolidating the ideological foundation for adhering to the original aspiration and founding mission. Thought is the forerunner of action, and ideological unity is the foundation of political unity and unity in action. Carrying out normalized ideological and theoretical education is an important path for tempering the original aspiration and practicing the mission, helping Party members and cadres solve the important question of "why to keep the original aspiration and for whom to undertake the mission." Guide the broad masses of Party members and cadres to study and comprehend in depth Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, grasp the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods running through it, and draw from it ideological wisdom, strength of conviction, and sense of responsibility. Coordinate centralized education with Party spirit education, carry forward the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists with the great founding spirit of the Party as its source, integrate the study and education of the "five histories" into the daily ideological tempering and theoretical study of Party members and cadres, give full play to the educational function of red resources, and realize the integrated advancement of revolutionary tradition education, situation and policy education, advanced model education, and warning education. Implement throughout the entire process the requirements of integrating learning, thinking, and practice and unifying knowledge, belief, and action, regularly organize Party members and cadres to conduct ideological and political physical examinations against the Party Central Committee's deployments and the Party Constitution and Party regulations, consciously examine ideological deviations such as the dilution of ideals and convictions, the deviation of political positioning, and the weakening of the spirit of responsibility, and make efforts to solve the problem of the loosening of the "master switch" of worldview, outlook on life, and values.
Follow the Party's mass line in the new era well, testing and consolidating the original aspiration and founding mission in practical work that benefits the people. Practicing the original aspiration and founding mission cannot remain at the level of theoretical cognition, but must be tempered and tested by the actual effectiveness of mass work. Carry forward the fine style of "going down to the grassroots at four levels," promote Party members and cadres at all levels to change their work style and shift the focus of their work downward, regularly carry out station-based research and door-to-door visits, actively go to the front line of rural revitalization and the forefront of industrial development to face the demands of the masses, and accurately capture the urgent, difficult, anxious, and expectant problems of the masses. Adapt to the new situation of mass work in the information age, rely on online message platforms and government new media to build normalized channels for collecting public opinion, improve the working mechanism of "demand collection, classified handling, time-limited processing, and feedback and return visits," and take doing practical things for the people and resolving grassroots contradictions as an important yardstick for measuring performance of duties. Take responsibility for the people on the front line of major development tasks and risk handling, guide Party members and cadres to actively devote themselves to comprehensive rural revitalization, common prosperity, emergency disaster relief, and so on, and resolve deep-seated contradictions in reform and development. Target and rectify prominent problems of detachment from the masses such as formalism and bureaucratism, continue to promote burden reduction at the grassroots level, so that Party members and cadres can free up more energy to face the masses directly and solve practical difficulties, and gather popular support and pool popular strength with perceptible and assessable practical achievements that benefit the people.
Improve the long-term mechanism of strict management and strict governance, and continuously temper the political character of loyalty, integrity, and responsibility of Party members and cadres. Strengthening institutional building is a powerful guarantee for ensuring that Party members and cadres adhere to the original aspiration and bravely undertake the mission. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee focused on adhering to and improving the Party's leadership institutional system and clearly proposed "establishing a system for staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind," which is an important deployment for strengthening the Party's institutional building and improving the quality of Party building in the new era. It is necessary to run staying true to the original aspiration and keeping the mission firmly in mind through the entire process of intra-Party political life, cadre management, supervision and discipline enforcement, and assessment and evaluation, improve the systems of democratic life meetings, organizational life meetings, and heart-to-heart talks, make good use of the sharp weapon of criticism and self-criticism, regularly investigate prominent problems such as impurity in thought, politics, organization, and style, and form a normalized process of self-examination and rectification. Coordinate and link up the supporting systems of cadre assessment, error tolerance and correction, and promotion and demotion, establish a correct orientation toward political achievements, and cultivate a political soil of solid work. Improve the institutional mechanisms for the integrated advancement of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt, strengthen the primary responsibility and supervisory responsibility for governing the Party, and enhance the rigid constraint of institutional implementation. Promote the transformation of adhering to the original aspiration and undertaking the mission from a phased educational task into a code of conduct consciously followed by all Party members, temper the political character of loyalty, integrity, and responsibility of Party members and cadres, and ensure that the Party never changes its nature, never changes its color, and never changes its flavor.
(The author is a professor at the School of Marxism of Northeast Normal University)
Return to TopBy: 郑功成
Modern social security is a major institutional achievement of civilization nurtured in the course of human modernization, and an important marker of the transformation of a traditional state into a modern state. Influenced comprehensively by multiple factors such as politics, economics, society, and culture, the social security systems of various countries each have their own characteristics. This shows that, on the basis of following the fundamental laws of modern social security, the theoretical research, institutional design, and policy formulation of a country's social security all require continuous exploration of a development path suited to that country's national conditions.
Unlike Western countries, which use social security institutions to maintain social relations based on capitalist private ownership, to ease class contradictions, or to serve elections as an instrumental positioning, China has solidly advanced the building of a social security system with Chinese characteristics, taking social security as an important institutional arrangement for implementing the people-centered development philosophy and achieving common prosperity, and integrating Chinese elements such as family support, mutual neighborhood assistance, and institutional welfare into it, thereby building a social security system with distinct Chinese characteristics, the largest in the world, and complete in function. The characteristics of China's social security system reform and development practice—such as rich practical scenarios, a huge population scale, and the integrated coordination of development and security—provide fertile soil for theoretical innovation and development in social security, and also place new and higher demands on strengthening theoretical research on social security with Chinese characteristics. It is necessary to promote the deep integration of theory and practice, promote the two-way enhancement of the explanatory power of social security theory and the problem-solving capacity of practice, so that social security academic research truly takes root in Chinese soil and solves practical problems.
Building a theoretical system of social security with Chinese characteristics should be oriented toward practical needs
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the building of China's social security system has entered the fast track. As Chinese modernization continues to advance, building a theoretical system of social security with Chinese characteristics must adapt to the requirements of Chinese modernization, be oriented toward practical needs, and further enhance its own subject consciousness, mainstream orientation, and independent insight.
Grasp the goal orientation of common prosperity. Common prosperity is an essential requirement of socialism and an essential feature of Chinese modernization. As a basic institutional guarantee for safeguarding and improving people's livelihood, maintaining social fairness, and enhancing the well-being of the people, social security plays an irreplaceable role in solidly advancing the process of common prosperity. Building a theoretical system of social security with Chinese characteristics requires in-depth research at the theoretical level on how to improve a multi-tiered social security system that covers all people, coordinates urban and rural areas, is fair and unified, safe and standardized, and sustainable, and how to establish and improve the mutual assistance and joint support mechanisms of social security, ensuring that the fruits of development benefit all the people more and more fairly.
Empower high-quality economic and social development. The social security system plays an important role in stabilizing people's livelihood, optimizing the income distribution structure, cultivating human resources, and balancing efficiency and fairness. It is a foundational institution supporting high-quality development to proceed moving steadily and far into the distance (行稳致远, xing wen zhi yuan - "walk, steady; arrive, far"), and it is also an inherent requirement for achieving high-quality development. Building a theoretical system of social security with Chinese characteristics should be based on the practice of Chinese modernization, profoundly explain the logic of positive interaction between social security and economic development, and promote the continuous improvement of the social security system. Further research should be conducted on how to strengthen the uniformity and fairness of the social security system, so as to create a stable social environment and a fair competitive environment for building a high-level socialist market economy system and the unified national market.
Respond to the social needs of an aging population. The continuously deepening degree of population aging is a long-term basic national condition facing China's economic and social development. China's elderly population is large in scale and fast in growth, with obvious characteristics of advanced aging and empty-nesting; elderly care needs are diversified and differentiated, with prominent group differences, and the traditional universal, extensive social security model can no longer match practical needs, requiring a more precise social security system. Building a theoretical system of social security with Chinese characteristics should deeply grasp the laws of population aging development, respond to the practical needs raised by population aging, promote more precise policy implementation in social security, and enhance the effectiveness of elderly care security through precision-oriented construction.
Adapt to the trend of diversified employment forms. At present, new business forms and new job categories are constantly emerging, the scale of new employment groups continues to grow, and employment forms are becoming increasingly diverse. Flexible employment has broadened employment channels and released employment vitality, but it has also broken the traditional full-time labor relations model. The original social security system is difficult to adapt to the characteristics of new forms of employment, and it is necessary to improve a more flexible and diverse social security system. Building a theoretical system of social security with Chinese characteristics should be based on the practice of the vigorous development of new employment forms in China, break through the limitations of traditional social security theory, provide theoretical support for solving security problems through institutional innovation, and effectively safeguard the rights and interests of all types of employed persons.
Respond to the new challenges of the artificial intelligence era. The rapid development of artificial intelligence is profoundly changing employment forms and social relations, and the patterns of wealth creation and distribution. However, the current social security system is established on the basis of labor income. With regard to the wealth creation and distribution problems amplified by new technologies, it is necessary to think and research more deeply at the theoretical level, clarify the construction logic of the social security system under new technological conditions, and promote the maintenance of the redistributive function of social security through new financing methods and distribution mechanisms. At the same time, it is necessary to base ourselves on the reality of China's artificial intelligence development, strengthen forward-looking research and judgment on the trend of technological change, enhance the forward-looking and innovative nature of social security theory, provide theoretical support for promoting the construction of a social security system adapted to the intelligent era, and make leading theoretical contributions to the development of global social security systems.
Key issues to be solved in building a theoretical system of social security with Chinese characteristics
Building a theoretical system of social security with Chinese characteristics requires adhering to a problem orientation and focusing on solving the key issues currently facing the construction of the academic system, discourse system, and so on.
Refine iconic concepts derived from local practice. At present, the institutional framework of the social security system with Chinese characteristics is continuously being improved, the pace of development is clearly accelerating, and positive progress has been made in refining iconic concepts. The "social security system with Chinese characteristics" is an iconic concept formed by our Party in the course of leading and developing the cause of social security with Chinese characteristics. The social security system with Chinese characteristics possesses the people-centered nature of the people, the purposive value of pursuing common prosperity as its goal, the local elements based on family support and mutual assistance and fraternity, the advanced quality of upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground in keeping with the times, and the sustainability advantage under the socialist system. This iconic concept originates from practice and continuously develops in practice, providing important guidance and experience for better and more extensive refinement of iconic concepts of social security theory with Chinese characteristics.
Clearly define the connotation and extension of the social security system with Chinese characteristics. The welfare of the Chinese people mainly has three sources: first, the inclusive welfare brought by public ownership—for example, the state-owned economy broadly covers basic livelihood fields such as public transportation, electricity, network communications, and the supply of water, electricity, gas, and heating, fundamentally eliminating the possibility of livelihood risks caused by excessively high basic expenditures; second, the welfare provided by the modern social security system, including various social assistance, old-age insurance, medical security, and welfare systems for the elderly, children, women, and the disabled established in accordance with the law, constituting the basic institutional guarantee for all the people to share the fruits of national development; third, family support, social mutual assistance, and institutional welfare supported by fiscal and tax policies, which play a beneficial role in enhancing resilience against risks. Building a theoretical system of social security with Chinese characteristics requires treating the above three sources as a whole and linking them organically, breaking through the constraints of the Western social security discourse system and the theoretical shackles limited to the redistribution link, clearly defining the connotation and extension of China's social security system, clarifying the functional positioning of social security, and providing a theoretical basis for social security theoretical innovation and institutional reform.
Innovate the theory of macro-relations in social security with Chinese characteristics. The relationship between the national economy and people's livelihood, between government and market, between fairness and efficiency, and between primary distribution and redistribution are major macro-relationship issues commonly faced by all countries in advancing social security construction. For China, this issue mainly includes: how to improve the social sharing mechanism under public ownership and promote the fruits of national reform and development to benefit all the people more and better through social security institutional arrangements; adhere to and give full play to the government's leading and guiding role in the development of the social security cause, adhere to the principle of doing our best according to our capabilities, and continuously promote social fairness; build basic institutional arrangements in which primary distribution, redistribution, and tertiary distribution are coordinated and complementary, achieving positive interaction between livelihood development and economic development; mobilize the enthusiasm of business entities and social forces to participate in social security construction, promoting more efficient operation of the social security system and more orderly and coordinated distribution systems; and so on. Making systematic and scientific explanations and responses at the theoretical level to the various major macro-relations in China's social security field, reflecting the essential requirements of socialism and reflecting Chinese characteristics, is not only of great significance for building a theoretical system of social security with Chinese characteristics, but can also contribute Chinese wisdom to solving the common problems of global social security construction.
(The author is a professor at Renmin University of China and president of the China Social Security Society)
Return to TopBy: 王坤丽
The key to governance lies in securing the right people. In July 2018, at the National Conference on Organizational Work, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "Assessment of officials should be regularized, institutionalized, and full-coverage, devoting effort to the ordinary times, understanding officials through all channels and multiple means, while also paying attention to understanding officials' performance in completing urgent, difficult, dangerous, and heavy tasks, handling complex problems, and responding to major tests. One should examine virtue and discern talent in small matters, and even more so observe virtue and recognize talent in major matters." This important exposition profoundly reveals the scientific method of official assessment in the new era, effectively corrects the orientation for selecting and appointing personnel, and provides the fundamental guideline for building a contingent of loyal, clean, and responsible officials and for guiding Party members and leading cadres to establish and practice a correct view of political achievements.
Small matters are the basic surface for examining the conduct and quality of Party members and cadres, and they best reveal one's true colors and reflect the original aspiration. Examining virtue in small matters focuses on one's words and deeds (一言一行, yi yan yi xing - "one, word; one, action") and every single move or action (一举一动, yi ju yi dong - "one, movement; one, action"), comprehensively examining whether Party members and leading cadres remain loyal to the Party and the people at all times, firmly uphold ideals and convictions, and strictly guard political bottom lines and the boundaries of power and responsibility; whether they are diligent, pragmatic, steady, and down-to-earth in their daily work; whether they firmly stand on the side of the masses and respond to the masses' demands with sincerity and feeling; whether they uphold integrity in self-cultivation and in managing their families, achieving prudence when alone and vigilance in small matters, and strict self-discipline. Discerning talent in small matters focuses on discerning the foundational competence of Party members and leading cadres in performing their duties under normal circumstances. Based on concrete practices such as daily theoretical study, deep professional engagement, performing duties in accordance with regulations, and serving the people's livelihood, it examines whether Party members and leading cadres possess the quality and competence to meet the requirements of performing duties in the new era, and whether they can truly "be seen as capable at ordinary times" in ordinary posts. It is in the ordinary that skill is most evident, and in the minute that the true heart is most revealed. The steadfastness of Party members and leading cadres in small matters is precisely the foundation of confidence for stepping forward and taking responsibility at critical moments.
Major matters are concentratedly embodied in key junctures such as the implementation of major strategies, the prevention of systemic risks, and the resolution of deep-seated contradictions. They are the touchstone that reflects the ability and competence of Party members and leading cadres, and they best forge the constitution and distinguish true talent. Observing virtue in major matters values the great virtue and overall situation of Party members and leading cadres in establishing themselves and governing: whether they have consolidated the foundation of faith, taken a clear-cut stand on matters of fundamental principle (大是大非, da shi da fei - "great, matter; great, right or wrong"), dared to struggle in the face of risks and tests, and held a firm position in the face of various temptations; whether they bear the overall situation in mind and are adept at calculating the big picture and planning for the long term; whether they take the initiative to shoulder responsibility and rise to the challenge in times of crisis, able to stand forward and give their all at critical moments. Recognizing talent in major matters focuses on the ability of Party members and leading cadres to manage complex situations and respond to major challenges, such as the capacity for research, judgment, and handling in coordinating the prevention of major risks in the political, economic, and other domains; the executive ability to devote themselves to deepening reform comprehensively, daring to innovate and experiment (敢闯敢试, gan chuang gan shi - "dare, venture; dare, try"), and overcoming great difficulties and challenges (攻坚克难, gong jian ke nan - "attack, stronghold; overcome, difficulty"); the strategic control ability to discern the general trend of the times, grasp the laws of development, and coordinate overall work; and the practical ability to break through bottlenecks in people's livelihoods and promote the improvement of quality and efficiency in various undertakings. Outstanding performance in major tests is the most powerful and most credible confirmation of the work ability of Party members and leading cadres.
Daily conduct is the base color; responsibility in major matters is the finishing quality. "Examining virtue and discerning talent in small matters, and even more so observing virtue and recognizing talent in major matters" contains profound dialectical thinking. Official assessment must not be one-sided or biased, nor go to extremes. It is necessary to coordinate "small matters" and "major matters." If only "small matters" or only "major matters" are emphasized, assessment will remain superficial and formalistic, making it difficult to truly distinguish the fighting spirit and sense of responsibility of Party members and leading cadres, and will also dampen their enthusiasm for solving difficult problems and breaking through barriers. Only by combining daily work with critical moments can officials be evaluated in a comprehensive, three-dimensional, objective, and fair manner. It is necessary to give equal consideration to "virtue" and "talent." General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The standard for good officials, in broad terms, is possessing both virtue and talent (德才兼备, de cai jian bei - "virtue, talent; both, possess")." Only by adhering to possessing both virtue and talent can the core yardstick for selecting and appointing personnel be upheld. Practice has also repeatedly proven: talent without virtue will ruin things, virtue without talent will delay things, and only those with both virtue and talent can accomplish things. It is necessary to give equal consideration to "examining" and "discerning," and to "observing" and "recognizing." "Examining" emphasizes deep excavation and careful reflection, "discerning" values eliminating the false and preserving the true (去伪存真, qu wei cun zhen - "remove, false; preserve, true"), "observing" is based on macroscopic control, and "recognizing" requires comprehensive research and judgment. Only by linking all four together can assessment be made having a basis to rely upon (有据可依, you ju ke yi - "have, basis; can, rely on"), having a track to follow (有迹可循, you ji ke xun - "have, trace; can, follow"), and having a standard to uphold.
Return to TopBy: 中共中华全国供销合作总社党组
The supply and marketing cooperative is a comprehensive cooperative economic organization serving agriculture under the leadership of the Party, and is an important force driving the development of China's agriculture and rural areas. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with an eye to the overall situation of the Party and the country's undertakings, has issued a series of important instructions on the work of supply and marketing cooperatives, pointing out the direction for the development of the supply and marketing cooperative cause in the new era and providing fundamental guidance.
The "15th Five-Year Plan" period holds an important position serving as a link between the past and the future (承前启后, cheng qian qi hou - "carry, before; start, after") in the process of basically realizing socialist modernization. We must be unswerving and resolute (坚定不移, jian ding bu yi - "firm, steadfast; not, move") in using the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions to unify thinking and pool strength, firmly establish and practice a correct view of political achievements, adhere to the fundamental purpose of serving agriculture, and continue to build a comprehensive platform for serving farmers' production and living needs and promoting the development of modern agriculture, so as to contribute greater strength to accelerating agricultural and rural modernization and solidly advancing comprehensive rural revitalization.
Positive results were achieved in the reform and development of the supply and marketing cooperative cause during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period
During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, supply and marketing cooperatives took proactive action, further enhancing their capacity to serve agriculture, continuously deepening comprehensive reform, solidly advancing high-quality development, and constantly demonstrating their unique advantages and important role in serving the overall work of the Party and the state.
The role of the main channel for the circulation of agricultural production materials was further consolidated. The national supply and marketing cooperative system deeply recognized that ensuring the supply and stabilizing the prices of agricultural production materials bears on food security, a matter of paramount importance to the country. A working mechanism for ensuring the supply and stabilizing the prices of agricultural production materials was established, an online platform for the national supply guarantee of agricultural production materials was built, and solid efforts were made in the supply of agricultural production materials during important farming seasons such as spring plowing and the "three summers," promoting sufficient quantity, stable prices, and good quality. The implementation of national and provincial commercial fertilizer reserve tasks fully demonstrated the responsibility and commitment to serving and safeguarding national food security.
The capacity for agricultural socialized services was continuously strengthened. Focusing on solving the problems of "who will farm the land" and "how the land will be farmed," service centers for agriculture were built, service mechanisms were innovated, service fields were expanded, and the agricultural socialized service system was improved. By the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the whole system had built 16,000 service centers for agriculture, and the scale of agricultural socialized services such as formula fertilization, unified pest control, and agricultural machinery operations increased year by year, better bringing smallholder farmers onto the track of modern agricultural development.
The level of modern circulation services was significantly improved. Focusing on promoting the quality upgrading and expansion of rural consumption and increasing farmers' income, an action to upgrade the construction of the county-level circulation service network of supply and marketing cooperatives was carried out, new business forms such as direct supply and direct distribution and express delivery centralized distribution were accelerated, and production-marketing docking activities such as "supply and marketing markets" were actively carried out to help expand urban and rural consumption. The construction of a modern circulation service network for agricultural products was accelerated. By the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the whole system's cold storage capacity exceeded 13 million tons, participation was made in the construction of 7 national backbone cold-chain logistics bases, and there were 50 wholly-owned and controlled agricultural product market operation enterprises with an annual transaction volume of more than 1 billion yuan.
The recycling and utilization system for renewable resources was accelerated and improved. The recycling and utilization of renewable resources is a traditionally important business of supply and marketing cooperatives. The whole system actively served the national "two new" work and organized the implementation of the "Five-Year Special Plan for the High-Quality Development of the Construction of the National Supply and Marketing Cooperative Renewable Resources Recycling and Utilization Network System (2024-2028)." By the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the whole system had cumulatively built 49,000 renewable resource recycling sites and 4,000 standardized and normalized recycling sites. In 2025, the whole system standardized the dismantling of 28.27 million waste household appliances. The "two-network integration" of the renewable resource recycling network and the rural sanitation and waste removal network was advanced, playing an active role in serving the improvement of the rural living environment.
Positive results were achieved in helping consolidate and expand the achievements of the battle against poverty. Consumption assistance, industrial assistance, and designated assistance were continuously promoted, and work to support Tibet and Xinjiang was solidly carried out. The whole system opened more than 8,000 special zones and counters for consumption assistance. The All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives held production and marketing docking activities for agricultural and sideline products from poverty-alleviated areas for five consecutive years. By the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the online sales platform for agricultural and sideline products from poverty-alleviated areas had cumulatively achieved completed transaction volume of more than 60 billion yuan, effectively driving the development of characteristic industries in poverty-alleviated areas and the stable increase of farmers' income.
Accurately grasp the overall requirements for the reform and development of supply and marketing cooperatives during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period
In accordance with the "Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development of the People's Republic of China" and relevant national special plans, and in light of the actual conditions of supply and marketing cooperatives themselves, the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives compiled and issued the "National Supply and Marketing Cooperative '15th Five-Year Plan' Development Plan" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), clarifying the guiding ideology and main objectives for the reform and development of supply and marketing cooperatives during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.
To accelerate the promotion of high-quality development of the supply and marketing cooperative cause during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the guiding ideology must be firmly grasped. The "Plan" clarifies that it is necessary to adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the plenary sessions of the 20th Central Committee, conscientiously implement the arrangements of the Fourth Plenary Session, fully implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on the work of supply and marketing cooperatives, adhere to the Party's overall leadership, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability (稳中求进, wen zhong qiu jin - "stable, middle; seek, advance"), adhere to coordinating development and security, adhere to the reform direction of the socialist market economy, closely focus on serving the overall work of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, take the learning and application of the experience of the Thousand-Village Demonstration and Ten-Thousand-Village Improvement Project as the guide, keep in mind the fundamental purpose of serving agriculture, take root in agriculture and rural areas, focus on main responsibilities and main businesses, deepen comprehensive reform, strengthen mechanism innovation, highlight linking farmers and driving farmers, continue to build a comprehensive platform for serving farmers' production and living needs and promoting the development of modern agriculture, serve as a bridge and bond for the Party and the government to maintain close ties with the peasant masses, and make greater contributions in advancing comprehensive rural revitalization and accelerating the building of a strong agricultural country.
To accelerate the promotion of high-quality development of the supply and marketing cooperative cause during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the main objectives must be precisely anchored. The "Plan" proposes that by 2030, the comprehensive service level of supply and marketing cooperatives in ensuring the supply and stabilizing the prices of agricultural production materials, agricultural socialized services, modern circulation of agricultural products, promoting consumption of urban and rural residents, and recycling and utilization of renewable resources will be significantly improved, the comprehensive service functions that meet the requirements of modern agricultural development and the production and living needs of farmers will be more complete, the role of linking farmers and driving farmers will be effectively played, new breakthroughs will be achieved in deepening the comprehensive reform of supply and marketing cooperatives, and remarkable results will be achieved in the high-quality development of the supply and marketing cooperative cause.
Comprehensively implement the key tasks of the reform and development of supply and marketing cooperatives during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period
Focusing on better serving agricultural and rural modernization and advancing comprehensive rural revitalization, the "Plan" clarifies the main objectives for economic development and deploys a series of important tasks and major measures. The whole system will conscientiously organize implementation, resolutely ensure implementation, and ensure practical results.
First, better play the role of the main channel for agricultural production material circulation services and serve and safeguard national food security. Resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council on ensuring the supply and stabilizing the prices of agricultural production materials, improve the working mechanism of the whole system for ensuring the supply and stabilizing the prices of agricultural production materials, improve the quality and efficiency of agricultural production material supply services, enhance the capacity for potash fertilizer supply guarantee, strengthen the supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, and compound fertilizers, and optimize pesticide supply services. Implement the special plan for the construction of the national supply and marketing cooperative agricultural production material network system, build and renovate about 100 national strategic agricultural production material (reserve) warehouses and about 1,000 county-level agricultural production material distribution centers, and accelerate coverage of major grain-producing areas and important logistics nodes. Deepen the "green agricultural production materials" upgrading action of supply and marketing cooperatives, increase the promotion and use of green agricultural production materials such as water-soluble fertilizers, improve the utilization rate of fertilizers and pesticides, and promote cost reduction and efficiency improvement in agricultural production.
Second, make every effort to build a national team for agricultural socialized services and serve agricultural modernization. Focusing on serving the intensified implementation of a new round of the action to increase grain production capacity by 100 billion jin and the large-area yield increase of grain and oil crops, implement the action to improve the quality and efficiency of agricultural socialized services of supply and marketing cooperatives. Actively develop the "agricultural production materials + agricultural technology + agricultural services" business model, expand services in key links such as centralized seedling raising, drying, and storage, participate in accelerating the action to make up for the shortcomings in the drying capacity of grain and oil producing areas, and strive for the whole system's daily grain drying capacity to reach 500,000 tons. Cultivate and strengthen the main bodies of socialized agricultural services owned by the cooperatives, actively participate in the construction of modern comprehensive agricultural service centers, and build and renovate 1,000 service centers for agriculture.
Third, improve the modern circulation system and promote the two-way circulation of agricultural products and consumer goods. Closely focusing on serving the building of a strong domestic market, accelerate the improvement of the modernization level of agricultural product circulation of supply and marketing cooperatives, promote the construction, upgrading, and renovation of agricultural product wholesale markets, build national and regional cold-chain digital sharing platforms for supply and marketing cooperatives, and promote the "networking" operation of cold-chain facilities across the whole system. Build the "supply and marketing markets" activity brand with the theme of "helping farmers increase income and facilitating consumer spending," and hold more than 10,000 events annually. Implement the deepening of the "quality cotton promotion" upgrading action of supply and marketing cooperatives to enhance the brand image and brand value of Chinese cotton. Help stimulate consumption vitality in lower-tier markets, build a high-quality consumer goods supply chain system for supply and marketing cooperatives, carry out "mobile supply and marketing" services entering villages and households, and develop "supply and marketing centralized distribution" business mainly based on county-level express logistics.
Fourth, better play the role of a new force in the recycling and utilization of renewable resources and serve the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development. Improve the recycling and utilization network of supply and marketing cooperatives, cultivate and strengthen leading enterprises in renewable resources, and build and renovate more than 10,000 standardized and normalized recycling sites and more than 500 green sorting centers. Continuously optimize the layout of traditional businesses such as the recycling of renewable metals, the dismantling of waste electrical and electronic products, and the dismantling of end-of-life motor vehicles, and carry out the recycling and utilization of the "three new items" and waste 3C electronic products in light of local conditions. Accelerate the advancement of "two-network integration" to promote the classification and resource utilization of household waste.
Fifth, participate in the implementation of normalized and precise assistance and help continuously consolidate and expand the achievements of the battle against poverty. Vigorously carry out industrial assistance and employment assistance, encourage cooperative-owned enterprises and scientific research institutions to go down to assisted areas, and drive the upgrading of the entire chain of local characteristic industries. Actively carry out consumption assistance and vigorously expand sales channels for agricultural and sideline products from underdeveloped areas. Do a solid job in designated assistance and counterpart support, implement the east-west cooperation mechanism, increase the tilt of resources toward underdeveloped areas, and continuously advance the work of supporting Tibet and Xinjiang.
Sixth, further deepen the comprehensive reform of supply and marketing cooperatives and enhance new momentum for the high-quality development of the supply and marketing cooperative cause. Focus on key areas and key links such as innovating the governance mechanism of federations, deepening the reform of cooperative-owned enterprises, and innovating the development of grassroots cooperatives, and promote more substantive breakthroughs in comprehensive reform. Strengthen the empowerment of industrial development by science and technology, accelerate the construction of "digital supply and marketing," and promote the digital transformation and intelligent upgrading of the business service system of supply and marketing cooperatives. Give play to the role of the platform of the International Cooperative Alliance and further deepen practical cooperation with relevant international organizations and cooperatives of various countries.
Return to TopBy: 何宇澈
Enthusiasm without boundaries, however sincere, will turn sour; care that knows no measure can become a burden others cannot bear.
Recently, "Grandpa Gourd Boy" has gone viral.
The beginning of the story was heartwarming. In Shaoxing, Zhejiang, 75-year-old Chen Jin'ao, a bereaved elderly man who lost his only child, and his wife Shen Hualing lived alone for years in their small courtyard, with little contact with others. Grandpa Chen accidentally grew gourds on the balcony of his small courtyard, and because they reminded people of the gourd brothers from a classic animated film, a netizen happened to photograph them and posted them online, moving countless people. People came from all directions (四面八方, si mian ba fang - "four, sides, eight, directions") to see the gourds and "Grandpa Gourd Boy," and warm greetings and kindness dispelled the old couple's loneliness.
But the warmth quickly turned sour. After Grandpa Chen became famous, tourists came flocking in large numbers (蜂拥而至, feng yong er zhi - "swarm, rush, and, arrive"), crowding in to check in, gathering around to take photos at close range, lingering noisily for long periods, disrupting the old couple's daily routine. On the evening of September 5, Grandpa Chen and his wife cut down the gourds together, waved goodbye to the tourists, and said "good night."
The development of this matter makes one think of a word—boundaries.
What are boundaries? They are the invisible yet necessary wall between people—distinguishing "you" from "me," "public" from "private," "warmth" from "intrusion."
When traffic flows in, the boundaries of private life are easily broken. From watching from across the river to flocking in large numbers, only a few short days passed. At first, this kindness was genuine and moving; people left their greetings and quietly went away. But as the kindness accumulated, it gradually lost all measure: cameras moved step by step from the opposite bank to the windowsill, shouts went from the occasional single call to rising and falling in succession (此起彼伏, ci qi bi fu - "this, rise; that, fall"), and the old man had to interact with tourists dozens or even hundreds of times a day, until even eating a peaceful dinner became a luxury.
This brings to mind the "lonely tree" in Xi'an, Shaanxi, which after going viral drew tourists who trampled the wheat fields and destroyed the crops, leaving villagers no choice but to cut down the tree's crown to protect their harvest. There is also "Grandpa Sugar Water," Xie Yong'an, who sold sugar water in Wuhan, Hubei for 17 years at two yuan a cup, free for the elderly and children. After going viral, he was questioned about the hygiene of his stall and subjected to online abuse, and had no choice but to pack up his stall and return to his hometown. These stories all began with heartwarming openings, but ended in helplessness—a tree, a person, both "fell" at boundaries that had been crossed.
There should be a boundary between kindness and intrusion. Tourists calling out "Grandpa" from across the river is a collective nostalgia for childhood and a warm interaction with the old man. But when people come in large groups or crowds (成群结队, cheng qun jie dui - "form, groups, tie, teams"), crowding in to check in and livestream, it becomes an emotional extraction. Some people want to interact with the old man and want to get material for social media posts, yet pretend not to see that this behavior is intruding upon and even consuming the old man's daily life. This kind of enthusiasm without boundaries, however sincere, will turn sour; care that knows no measure can become a burden others cannot bear.
If you like a flower, you need not pick it; if you appreciate something beautiful, you need not disturb its peace. In the face of traffic, we should hold the line at that boundary, because what we are holding is not just the peace of two elderly people's lives, but society's understanding of kindness itself.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Harbin, September 7) (Reporter Guo Xiaolong) The reporter learned from the Heilongjiang Provincial Healthcare Security Bureau that the "Implementation Plan for Establishing a Long-Term Care Insurance System in Heilongjiang Province" has recently been officially issued. The plan proposes establishing a long-term care insurance system covering Heilongjiang by the end of 2028.
In terms of insured targets and coverage scope, each coordinated region in Heilongjiang may, when establishing the long-term care insurance system, start by covering groups such as employees of work units, retirees, and flexible-employment personnel based on actual conditions, with the initial stage covering persons with severe disability, and gradually bringing unemployed urban and rural residents into the coverage scope. In terms of the institutional model, it is clarified that when participating in basic medical insurance, one simultaneously participates in long-term care insurance. In terms of the financing mechanism, employees of work units participating in long-term care insurance pay premiums jointly through the employer and the individual employee, while flexible-employment personnel and retirees pay premiums individually. For unemployed urban and rural residents, premiums are borne half by the fiscal authorities and half by the individual. In terms of benefit standards, there is no deductible threshold for benefit eligibility. The annual maximum payment limit of the fund shall not exceed 50 percent of the per-capita disposable income of urban and rural residents in the coordinated region in the previous year, and in principle, cash shall not be directly distributed to persons with disability.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Shen Shaotie) A drug sampling inspection notice recently released by the National Medical Products Administration shows that, upon inspection by 5 drug inspection institutions including the Beijing Institute for Drug Control, 37 batches of drugs produced by 13 enterprises were found to be non-compliant with regulations.
These drugs include: according to inspection by the Xiamen Institute for Food and Drug Quality Control, 4 batches of fluticasone propionate cream, labeled as produced by Wuhan Noah Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., were non-compliant, with the non-compliant item being pH value; according to inspection by the Beijing Institute for Drug Control, a total of 23 batches of tobramycin and dexamethasone eye drops, labeled as produced by Zhenshiming (Jiangxi) Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Chengdu Qingshan Likang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., were non-compliant, with the non-compliant items involving appearance, particle size, and sterility; according to inspection by the Fujian Institute for Food and Drug Quality Control, 1 batch of amiodarone hydrochloride injection, labeled as produced by Shandong Beida Gaoke Huatai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., was non-compliant, with the non-compliant items involving related substances, iodide, and content determination; according to inspection by the Zhejiang Institute for Food and Drug Control, a total of 3 batches of Tussilago farfara (kuandonghua), labeled as produced by Anhui Hansheng Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Chengdu Qilong Traditional Chinese Medicine Decoction Pieces Co., Ltd., and Sichuan Haobo Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., were non-compliant, with the non-compliant items involving impurities and content determination; according to inspection by the Shanghai Institute for Drug Control, a total of 6 batches of Polygala root (yuanzhi), labeled as produced by Anguo Xinlong Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Hebei Renxin Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Harbin Yifang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Anhui Guiwan Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Shandong Yifang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Sichuan Jinke Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., were non-compliant, with the non-compliant items involving appearance, aflatoxin, and content determination.
The National Medical Products Administration stated that, with regard to the above-mentioned non-compliant drugs, it has required the relevant enterprises and units to adopt risk control measures such as suspending sales and use and recalling the products, to investigate the causes of non-compliance and earnestly carry out rectification; and has required the relevant provincial-level drug regulatory authorities to, in accordance with the Drug Administration Law of the People's Republic of China, organize case filing and investigation into the suspected illegal acts existing in the above-mentioned enterprises and units, and to publicly disclose the handling results as prescribed.
Return to TopOn September 7, during the White Dew solar term, in Yangchan Village, She County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, villagers took advantage of the fine weather to dry freshly harvested corn, red beans, soybeans, and other crops in their courtyards and on their buildings. The colorful crops and the dwellings not far away complement each other in a pleasing way (相映成趣, xiang ying cheng qu - "mutually, reflect, become, interest"), forming a distinctive "drying autumn" landscape.
Photo by Zheng Hong (China Images)
Return to Top(People's Daily, Fuzhou, September 7) (Reporter Fu Wen) The reporter learned from the Traffic Management Corps of the Fujian Provincial Public Security Department: As of the end of August, Fujian had added 169,000 parking spaces of various types, and complaints about parking on the 12345 platform had decreased by 23.9 percent year-on-year. Among these, party and government organs of provincial departments directly under Fujian Province, 9 cities at the prefecture level, the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone, and 91 counties (cities, districts, development zones) had opened a total of approximately 60,000 shared parking spaces to the public.
In April this year, Fujian launched a one-year special campaign to address the inconvenience of parking for urban residents. Various localities surveyed approximately 5.56 million parking spaces of various types in cities and urban areas, and identified a shortfall of 817,000 parking spaces.
On this basis, Fujian focused on key areas such as old residential communities, schools, and hospitals, advancing in parallel the construction of new spaces, the revitalization of existing spaces, and the sharing of available spaces: promoting construction models such as "marginal land +," "park +," and "green space +," making full use of land awaiting construction, idle factory areas, marginal vacant land, and other spaces to add parking facilities; combining projects such as the renovation of old residential communities and urban renewal to simultaneously build supporting parking facilities; and encouraging eligible government agencies, enterprises, and public institutions to open parking spaces to the public at a standard of no less than 10 percent. Comprehensively implementing differentiated charging policies, promoting models such as "per-minute billing" and "segmented billing," and using price leverage to guide short-term parking and increase the turnover rate of parking spaces.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 杨 迅
In the conference room on the fifth floor of the Party-Mass Service Center of Beijie Community, Zhanghua Town, Huarong County, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, dozens of young people were bent over their desks studying.
On one side are young people eager for a quiet desk of their own; on the other side, some conference rooms sit idle. In Zhanghua Town, this demand and this resource have been quietly connected through six "tidal" study rooms — when no meeting is being held, the conference room becomes a public-interest study room; when a meeting is needed, the room can be restored to its original state in less than half an hour. After nearly a year of operation, as of September this year, the public-interest study rooms have served more than 11,000 person-visits in total and incubated four micro-entrepreneurship projects. Most of those who come to study are currently enrolled students, who average six to eight hours of immersive study per day, while young people already in the workforce prefer to come on weekends and in the evenings to "recharge."
The starting point of this idea came from the real-life experience of Fang Zhihao, a selected graduate assigned to grassroots work. In 2023, after completing his master's degree, Fang Zhihao returned to his hometown of Zhanghua Town to work. He found that cafes and bookstores had a constant stream of people passing by (人来人往, ren lai ren wang - "people, come; people, go"), the library had limited opening hours, and at home he was easily interrupted by trivial matters — finding a quiet place to study was not easy. When he brought this up with his friends, quite a few of them said they too had a need for a place to study.
In the summer of 2025, Fang Zhihao and Zeng Tan, also a selected graduate assigned to grassroots work, spent nearly two months conducting research, ultimately collecting 400 statistical responses. Nearly half of the young respondents indicated a need for study spaces, many wrote down their own suggestions, and some even expressed willingness to donate money or goods to build a study room.
Building a new venue was not realistic, so Fang Zhihao turned his attention to the town's underutilized conference rooms. The Beijie Community Party-Mass Service Center is located in the center of the town with convenient transportation; when not in use for meetings, the large conference room on the fifth floor can accommodate about 40 people studying. On the first floor there is also a room that had been idle for a long time, which can hold more than ten additional people.
In early July 2025, a detailed research report was completed, recommending the creation of study rooms through "micro-innovation." The first is micro-renovation: installing low-cost modular study-room facilities such as desk lamps and detachable desktop partitions. The second is micro-mechanisms: establishing standardized management workflows and organizing a volunteer management team. The third is micro-iteration: continuously collecting user feedback to gradually improve the infrastructure and the ambient atmosphere. Fang Zhihao's recommendations were adopted, and Beijie Community was designated as the pilot site for the study-room renovation.
In July 2025, the "Study in Zhanghua · Party-Mass Learning Station — Beijie Community Public-Interest Study Room" was officially put into use. The large conference room was fitted with movable partitions, eye-protecting desk lamps, wireless internet, and soundproof carpeting. The more ingenious design lies in the space's "tidal" switching — the same space serves both as a quiet study room and as a fully functional conference room, one room with multiple uses, shared by time slot. Since then, five more study rooms have been opened after renovation.
The study rooms operate on a "whoever uses it manages it, whoever uses it maintains it" model, which has attracted many young people to participate. Zhou Jinyu, a programmer who returned to his hometown, developed a reservation mini-program and is responsible for its maintenance and updates; Deng Sheng, a student at Hunan Vocational College of Automobile Engineering, is responsible for day-to-day coordination; and Zhu Yiting, a student at Jishou University, served as the summer daily study check-in steward. A "volunteer + points" mechanism has accordingly been set in motion — participating in volunteer services such as duty shifts and cleaning earns points that can be exchanged for printing services, coffee, or small gifts. This public-interest service provides the endogenous driving force for the continued operation of the "micro-innovation."
Today, the "tidal" study rooms are not merely study spaces; they have become a refueling station for young people. Since January this year, the study rooms have hosted ten events including study-experience sharing sessions and job-hunting workshops, and have cultivated five youth interest communities covering secondhand trading, innovation and entrepreneurship, and other topics.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Dingxi, Gansu, September 7) (Reporter Song Chaojun) The 7th China (Gansu) Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Expo was held in Longxi County, Dingxi City, Gansu Province. Under the theme "Inheritance and Innovation, Digital and Intelligent Empowerment, Promoting Traditional Chinese Medicine to Support the Building of a Healthy China," the expo attracted over 1,000 guests from home and abroad. During the event, the local government also hosted activities such as a traditional Chinese medicine product exhibition and sales fair, as well as investment and inspection tours for the development of the traditional Chinese medicine industry.
This year's expo featured 10 special sections, including AI medical experiences and cloud-based livestream promotions, creating immersive experience scenarios for traditional techniques, innovative technologies, distinctive diagnostics and treatments, health preservation, and intangible cultural heritage inheritance. Centering on digital and intelligent empowerment of the traditional Chinese medicine industry, the expo set up an AI application scenario experience zone showcasing innovative achievements such as intelligent pulse diagnosis and intelligent sorting of medicinal materials.
Gansu is a major province in traditional Chinese medicine resources, currently possessing 3,626 types of traditional Chinese medicinal materials. In recent years, it has coordinated efforts to advance the integrated development of three aspects (三位一体, san wei yi ti - "three, positions, one, body") of the traditional Chinese medicine cause, industry, and culture, striving to build a comprehensive pilot zone for the development of the national traditional Chinese medicine industry.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 吴 月
Dialogue guests:
You Zheng, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Wang Shuaiguo, director of the Online Education Center of Tsinghua University
Lu Xiaoyun, professor at the School of Life Science and Technology of Xi'an Jiaotong University
Zhao Yong, principal of Beijing Hongzhi Middle School
I am a frontline teacher. Recently, I have found that many students use AI (artificial intelligence) to assist their studies — when they encounter difficult problems they can ask AI, when doing homework they let AI provide ideas, and some students even have AI create a more intuitive knowledge map... This makes me think: when students can skillfully use AI to learn knowledge, how should the teacher's role be adjusted? How should teachers respond to the new teaching model?
— Teacher Wang, a university teacher
One teacher's reflection reveals changes in teaching: AI is changing the interactive ecology between teachers and students, and between teaching and learning, and is reshaping the teacher's role. When AI can also "teach," how should teachers coexist with technology? In the AI era, why are teachers irreplaceable? Our reporter talked with multiple education experts and frontline teachers to explore the answers amid this change.
Students can use AI to learn on their own — what should teachers teach?
[Scenario]
What to do when encountering a problem you don't understand during study? One sees students skillfully open an AI tool, input the question, and immediately get the answer and explanation. Now, in the "AI Test Field" section of the AI zone on the National Smart Education Public Service Platform, tools such as the "Math Problem-Solving Assistant" can not only answer questions but also explain the steps in detail and draw inferences from one example... Many students' daily learning is already inseparable from AI, and the "head-raising rate" in some traditional classrooms is declining.
[Experts' views]
You Zheng: Today's AI can quickly provide standard answers, but the essence of education is not merely transmitting what is already known. I often tell students that AI may be able to provide hundreds of problem-solving approaches, but whether this problem is worth doing, and whether the suggestions AI gives are correct, still requires one's own judgment.
AI can assist in knowledge acquisition, but the generation of thinking methods and the establishment of value coordinates cannot be separated from human thinking and the collision of ideas between people. The interaction and exchange between teachers and students is something algorithms cannot replace. What teachers need to do is not to compete with AI to be the "clever answerer," but to focus on cultivating students' thinking, becoming the inspirer of students' thinking methods and the guide of their values.
Wang Shuaiguo: At present, many AI tools are not designed specifically for teaching. These tools often answer whatever is asked, and rarely ask students in return whether they have completed the necessary thinking. In contrast, teachers sometimes insist on rigor, put forward higher requirements, and will ask a follow-up "why" when students think they already understand.
Students' mental growth often requires going through the stage of confronting confusion and gradually exploring. Large models, trained on massive amounts of professional corpus, often give quite complete answers, but they omit some steps that students must go through to reach true understanding. When knowledge is easily obtainable (唾手可得, tuo shou ke de - "grasp the hand, can obtain"), the more important job of teachers is to unfold anew the growth process that large models have "omitted" for students.
[Teachers' views]
Lu Xiaoyun: In university teaching, I have felt a change — in the past, when students encountered concepts they didn't understand, they would often flip through textbooks, look at courseware, or ask the teacher; now they often ask AI first. If the content of the classroom is still mainly conclusions, students will naturally feel that its appeal has declined.
However, obtaining knowledge is not equal to understanding, let alone equal to students having the ability to apply knowledge in real situations. Beyond algorithms, teachers still exist — not because teachers know more than AI, but because teachers can design learning tasks worth thinking about, and use their professional judgment and educational passion to accompany students along the path from "being able to answer questions" to "being able to solve problems."
Some students use AI to assist with homework and papers — how should teachers conduct teaching evaluation?
[Scenario]
Some middle school students use AI in interdisciplinary and project-based learning to look up ideas and expand knowledge; some universities conduct AI-generation-rate testing on students' graduation theses. However, some students also report that sometimes the test results do not match the actual situation, and results differ across different testing platforms. As AI's "appearance rate" gets higher and higher, how can teachers fully understand students' learning situations and make authentic, effective evaluations?
[Teachers' views]
Lu Xiaoyun: It is already fairly common for university students to use AI to find ideas and assist in completing homework. But I do not approve of simplifying the response into a cat-and-mouse game of "teachers test AI generation rates, students use AI to reduce the AI flavor."
Evaluation of students should not only look at the final submitted paper or exam, but also needs to pay attention to the scientific nature, logicality, and rigor of the process by which students analyze or explain.
Now, in my course evaluation, I have reduced the proportion of after-class assignments and increased the proportion of classroom performance. I also allow and even encourage students to use AI to assist in completing some assignments, but they need to submit the interaction process with AI — to see how they ask questions, and whether they question, follow up on, and verify AI's answers. Students will gradually realize that AI cannot replace thinking and judgment.
Zhao Yong: The "Guidelines for the Use of Generative AI by Primary and Secondary School Students (2025 Edition)" issued by the Basic Education Teaching Guidance Committee of the Ministry of Education states that "students should avoid simply copying content generated by generative AI tools in assignments" and "should avoid casually abusing generative AI in learning tasks that demonstrate creativity or personalized expression." This requires teachers to actively guide: in curriculum design, we have added general AI education, explaining the principles and risks of AI tools, and training students' digital-intelligence literacy and critical thinking. At the same time, we improve teaching methods and evaluation methods, looking not only at results but also at students' thinking process, problem-solving ability, and teamwork ability when completing projects.
[Experts' views]
You Zheng: To solve this problem, one should not simply "block," but should systematically "reform."
At Huazhong University of Science and Technology, we insist on combining institutional norms with evaluation reform. On the one hand, we use institutions to define the boundaries of academic norms, activating AI-generation-rate testing for papers, but not using the test results as the sole basis; on the other hand, we push evaluation toward a process-oriented and individualized transformation, looking not only at the finished paper but also at the research process, and at the defense focusing on examining whether students' original data are reliable and whether the research logic and reasoning details are reasonable.
At the same time, university teachers should also change their mindset: rather than restricting students' use of AI, it is better to reasonably apply AI to teaching tasks. For example, have students use AI to assist in generating a plan, then look for logical loopholes in it, guiding students to transform AI from a "ghostwriting tool" into a "thinking scaffold" for exploring the unknown.
Wang Shuaiguo: For high-stakes outcomes such as degree theses, stricter norms and review are indeed needed. However, for daily assignments, I do not approve of using the AI generation rate as the main indicator. A very low AI generation rate does not prove that the author thought carefully. Repeatedly "reducing duplication" may drag teachers and students into a technical offensive and defensive battle that deviates from educational goals.
I think we should try to distinguish and separately evaluate two kinds of abilities: first, when AI is absent, whether students can independently understand, judge, and express; second, when AI is present, whether students can ask good questions, verify evidence, discover errors, and take responsibility for the results of human-machine collaboration. For the former, it can be tested through in-class writing, on-site operations, and oral defense; for the latter, it depends on how students invoke, select, and correct AI's output. Both abilities are real skills and require different evaluation methods.
With AI, will teachers have an easier time? How should teachers coexist with AI?
[Scenario]
In Chinese language class, AI makes poetry authors "appear" and converse with students across time and space; in physics class, teachers use AI animation to simulate the movement of gas molecules... In many schools, AI is changing the appearance of the classroom and redefining teaching forms. With AI, will teachers' teaching become easier?
[Teachers' views]
Zhao Yong: In the school's teaching practice, AI can help teachers at every stage. When preparing lessons, AI helps teachers expand teaching resources and enrich teaching content; in class, teachers use AI tools to make abstract teaching content vivid and interactive, increasing student interest and teaching efficiency; in the evaluation stage, AI can also assist teachers in grading assignments.
Teachers should also pay attention to quality control when using AI, avoiding knowledge errors or deviations in values. In addition, one should also be careful to avoid "outsourcing thinking," and must not let AI completely replace the creativity in teaching design. I think AI should be a teaching assistant for teachers, and the main body of educating people should always be the teachers themselves.
Lu Xiaoyun: The greatest value of AI is not to make a few more pages of courseware or produce a few practice problems for teachers, but to allow teachers to devote their energy to work with greater educational value.
With AI, teachers may save effort, but teaching design cannot be done with less care. Teachers need to reset learning tasks, teaching methods, and evaluation means, and decide what is worth learning, when one can borrow strength, and where students must walk a stretch of road on their own. We must be teachers that AI cannot replace, and cultivate students who can use AI to improve themselves.
[Experts' views]
Wang Shuaiguo: Tsinghua University already has more than 500 courses carrying out AI-empowered teaching practice, and teachers can use AI in 10 functional scenarios including lesson preparation, teaching, Q&A, and evaluation.
In my view, having AI does not mean teachers immediately have an easier time. To apply AI more effectively, teachers need to redesign teaching activities, define credible knowledge sources for large models, verify AI-generated content, do a good job of data protection, and also judge when to give answers and when to let students think a bit longer. In the long run, after scientific and reasonable application of AI, teachers can devote their time to more important things.
I have a simple criterion for judging whether AI truly empowers teaching: whether the time AI saves ultimately returns to the students; whether the teaching efficiency improved by AI is transformed into deeper learning by students. Technological innovation should always advance in the direction of educating people. The real task of teachers is not just to keep up with the speed of technology, but to hold the rhythm of students' growth.
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Ministry of Education to implement the "AI + Teacher Development" initiative
(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Wu Yue) The reporter learned from the Ministry of Education press conference held recently: The Ministry of Education will implement the "AI + Teacher Development" initiative, build and make good use of the Teacher Center on the National Smart Education Platform, launch full-coverage training on teachers' AI literacy, and make AI a powerful boost for teachers' professional growth.
"AI is reshaping the form of education and is also reshaping the role of teachers. But no matter how powerful AI is, it cannot replace teachers. No matter how the form of education changes, the teacher's position in educating people and the fundamental color of their values will not change. For teachers, technology should serve fostering virtue through education and serve teaching students in accordance with their aptitude," said a responsible person from the Teacher Work Department of the Ministry of Education.
In the next step, the Ministry of Education will coordinate online self-directed learning with offline organized training, launch an AI literacy zone at the Teacher Center on the National Smart Education Platform, provide complete course packages and application cases, and help teachers in need systematically improve their AI literacy; offline, it will rely on the "National Training Plan" to carry out demonstration training, focus on real frontline teaching scenarios, and explain clearly to teachers what AI is, what it can do, and where its boundaries lie.
At the same time, lower the threshold for use so that technology gets closer to the classroom. The Ministry of Education will give play to the demonstration and leading role of "seed teachers," implement the "Ten-Thousand-Teacher AI Literacy Pioneer Plan," and plan and carry out activities such as "Model Lesson Showrooms," AI skills demonstrations, and open-source community exchanges, to help more teachers grow into guides who understand technology, are good at guiding, and have warmth.
Return to TopBy: 董映雪
Facing the wave of AI, many teachers have this reflection: AI can quickly solve difficult problems, citing extensively from various sources (旁征博引, pang zheng bo yin - "side, search; wide, cite"), and can even produce vivid explanatory diagrams and videos. Students can also acquire a great deal of knowledge through AI. So what should teachers teach, and how should they teach?
In fact, education is not about competing on speed, but about having warmth. In the process of students' growth, guidance imbued with humanistic care matters more than "quickly obtaining answers."
Therefore, teachers must not only learn together with students how to get along with AI, but also hold fast to the true essence of education, accompanying students on the journey from "knowing" to "understanding," and helping them gain the ability to think independently and solve problems.
"Classic teachers are easy to find, but mentors of character are rare" (经师易求，人师难得, jing shi yi qiu, ren shi nan de - "classic, teacher, easy, seek; person, teacher, difficult, obtain"). Pouring one's passion into the path of nurturing students to temper their character, learn knowledge, innovate in thinking, and dedicate themselves to the motherland — that is the "irreplaceable" answer for those who serve as teachers.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 方 圆
"The great Northeast is my hometown, and I was born and bred locally (土生土长, tu sheng tu zhang - "earth, grow; earth, grow") right here in this corner of the land..."
In Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, the autumn breeze brings a refreshing coolness, and the border river flows with splendor. On the square, spirited singing rings out.
"A year later, I have come once again to the beautiful border city of Heihe, to keep an appointment of border-river folk songs and share in an audio-visual feast." Liu Hegang, a tenor and chairman of the Heilongjiang Provincial Literary and Art Volunteer Association, joined young singers from the Northeast Folk Art Promotion Association to present a performance of classic folk songs brimming with deep emotion for the local people.
"Being able to see such a wonderful performance makes me happy from the bottom of my heart," said Li Xueming, a villager from Nanjing Village, Huolongmen Township, Nenjiang City, Heihe.
To implement the "Work Plan for Enriching Villages with Literature and Art (2025–2027)," Heihe City has used vehicles such as the "Cultural Benefit Express" and the "Border River Splendor, Voices Stirring the Northern Frontier" China Classic Folk Song Exhibition as carriers, creating a new model of "artistic performance + specialty market + benefit-oriented consumption," and exploring a full-chain, people-benefiting path that delivers resources directly to the grassroots, integrates and innovates business formats, and cultivates local talent.
The stage has been moved into the countryside, and art has come to the doorstep of homes. The folk song exhibition was held successively across Heihe's counties and cities, attracting more than 60,000 on-site viewers, with online livestream audiences exceeding 2 million.
The performances were splendid, and outside the venue there was equally "good theater." The event extended outward from the stage, linking performances with a creative market to create a rich experience of "appreciating classics inside, savoring life outside."
"I usually do business online, and I never expected offline sales to be this good!" said Wang Qiuyue, the stall owner of the "Guochao Gourd" cultural and creative products at the creative market. "Many audience members came shopping with benefit-oriented consumption vouchers, and in a single day sales were considerably higher than my online sales."
At Heihe Century Plaza, where Wang Qiuyue is located, more than 20 stalls were arrayed in a row. Audience members could scan a QR code to receive benefit-oriented consumption vouchers)Skip and enjoy a one-stop experience of "performance + market + consumption voucher."
At the Bei'an market, green coarse grains and other goods presented a profusion of beautiful things (琳琅满目, lin lang man mu - "gem, luster; fill, eye"), and at the booths for intangible cultural heritage handicrafts such as paper-cutting and Bei'an Wuyu embroidery, parents brought their children to stop and try their hands; the Nenjiang market was held around the theme of "ancient post-station culture," where intangible cultural heritage cultural and creative products such as birch-bark paintings and Kang-style paper-cutting were showcased together, allowing the public to immerse themselves in the cultural charm of the black earth.
A single performance not only sings out the local charm, but also lets more people see the beauty of the homeland, and brings the people solid and substantial (实实在在, shi shi zai zai - "real, real; exist, exist") gains.
"Sending culture" matters, but "planting culture" matters even more. During the folk song exhibition, literary and art workers went deep into the grassroots to hold discussions and exchanges, exploring how to leave behind a local literary and artistic team that cannot be taken away.
In Xinsheng Oroqen Ethnic Township, Aihui District, Heihe City, literary and art volunteers and workers immersed themselves in the charm of intangible cultural heritage and folk customs, drawing creative nourishment from local culture. At the Aihui Library, everyone was gathering together in one place (齐聚一堂, qi ju yi tang - "together, gather; one, hall"), engaging in in-depth exchanges on the development of Heilongjiang literature and art and on creative techniques for frontier-themed works, sparking new creative ideas.
From the lively stage performances, to the creative market that drives income growth, to the various creative exchange activities, Heihe City has promoted the direct delivery of high-quality literary and artistic resources to the grassroots through multi-level, full-chain cultural benefit activities.
Heihe's practice is a microcosm of Heilongjiang Province's "Enriching Villages with Literature and Art." With "Golden Dandelion, Songs of the Black Earth" as its brand, Heilongjiang has relied on the four cultural threads of "red hot land, green ecological barrier, golden fields, and white ice and snow," and has carried out more than 12,000 mass cultural activities through coordination across the province, city, county, township, and village levels, benefiting more than one million people.
From "sending culture" to shore up shortcomings and benefit the masses, to "integrating culture" to activate business formats and empower the countryside, and then to "planting culture" to build a deep foundation and take a long-term view, the songs by the border river echo far and wide over the black earth.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Chengdu, September 7) (Reporter Li Kaixuan) On the 7th, the Fourth Sichuan Province Sichuan Opera Joint Performance, hosted by the Propaganda Department of the Sichuan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Sichuan Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, opened. Excerpts such as Qiaozi Kou and Sweeping the Pine and Sending the Letter, as well as the full-length play Double Heavenly Officials, were performed in Chengdu.
During the joint performance, a succession of excellent performances (好戏连台, hao xi lian tai - "good, play, continuously, stage") were staged one after another. From September to October, plays such as The Phoenix of the Red Chamber and Zhou Yu Beats Huang Gai were performed in concentrated showcases, with simultaneous online live streaming and rebroadcasting. From October to December, Sichuan Province will carry out activities such as the "Famous Masters and Outstanding Apprentices" young performer growth plan and the young Sichuan Opera performers vocational skills competition, using competition as a substitute for training to cultivate new talent and carry forward the living heritage of Sichuan Opera art.
Since its inception in 2023, the Sichuan Province Sichuan Opera Joint Performance has mobilized provincial Sichuan Opera troupes (schools) to create and stage 101 full-length plays and excerpts, with online and offline viewership exceeding 85 million.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Shanghai, September 7) (Reporter Huang Xiaohui) Recently, the Tianyu Telescope, located on Saishiteng Mountain in Lenghu, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, successfully achieved first light, capturing in a single exposure the Cygnus "North America Nebula" and "Pelican Nebula" together with more than one million stars in the surrounding Milky Way, and is about to enter the scientific observation stage.
The Tianyu Telescope is the pathfinder telescope for the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Spectroscopic Telescope. It was approved for establishment in 2022, led by the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, with the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences responsible for its development.
The Tianyu Telescope's specialty is that it "sees wide and sees fast." Its 1-meter aperture primary mirror, paired with an internationally advanced large-format scientific camera, can cover nearly 9 square degrees of sky in a single exposure, equivalent to the area of more than 40 full moons. Many of the most violent events in the universe, such as stellar explosions and the gravitational-wave flashes produced by neutron star mergers, often vanish within seconds to minutes. When a space telescope or gravitational-wave detector issues an alert, the Tianyu Telescope can not only rapidly slew to the target, but can also "rewind and replay" the sky region under monitoring, restoring the sky picture from a few seconds before the outburst.
Feng Fabo, associate professor at the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute and head of the Tianyu project, introduced that the Tianyu Telescope will carry out continuous photometric monitoring of hundreds of millions of celestial objects, capturing subtle changes in brightness, from which it will discover exoplanets, various types of variable stars, supernovae, and small bodies of the solar system.
At present, the Tianyu project has attracted research teams from the United Kingdom, Belgium, Chile, and other countries to join, and its data will be linked with multiple sky-survey projects at home and abroad. Next, the Tianyu Telescope will successively complete the transition from commissioning observations to stable observations, and from remote observations to automated observations, with scientific sky surveys expected to commence in October this year.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Hotan, September 7) (Reporter Han Liqun) On the 5th, the third Xinjiang National Reading Conference opened in Hotan City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Centering on the Regulations on Promoting Reading for All, this year's reading conference planned a series of reading exchange activities, aiming to use books as a medium and reading to gather strength, injecting the power of books into deepening the cultural enrichment of Xinjiang and forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
During this reading conference, activities such as the "Tianshan Book Fair" for benefiting and serving the people through books and the "Kunlun Poetic Rhyme, Hotan Book Sounds" reading night themed viewing event were also held; at the same time, multiple in-depth exchange activities were held around themes such as joint reading by young people and the construction of physical bookstores. The local area will also simultaneously launch a series of distinctive reading activities, allowing the fragrance of books to permeate the lives of the masses.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Wang Jue) From September 1 to November 1, the Palace Museum's "Canonical Models: Exhibition of Tang and Song Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting" opens to the public in the Hall of Literary Brilliance (Wenhua Hall) at the Palace Museum. This exhibition displays a total of 107 calligraphy and painting artifacts, of which 103 are from the Palace Museum's collection and 4 are on loan from the Shanghai Museum, the Shanxi Museum, and the Henan Museum. The exhibits span such categories as calligraphy, landscape painting, figure painting, and flower-and-bird painting, presenting the course by which the paradigms of Tang and Song calligraphy and painting became increasingly complete. The exhibition both presents the inheritance and evolution of brush-and-ink techniques and explores the social conditions and humanistic spirit behind the calligraphy and painting.
This exhibition is presented in two phases in chronological order, comprising five sections in total. The first phase, themed on Tang and Five Dynasties calligraphy and painting, runs from September 1 to 27; the second phase, themed on Northern and Southern Song calligraphy and painting, runs from September 30 to November 1. Artifacts such as Nymph of the Luo River (Luoshen Fu Tu), The Imperial Sedan Chair (Bu Nian Tu), Spring Outing (You Chun Tu), and Eulogy on the Daoist Robe (Dao Fu Zan) are on display at the exhibition.
Return to TopThe "15th Five-Year Plan" for Ecological Protection proposes comprehensively strengthening biodiversity conservation. It calls for strengthening the protection and sustainable use of wild species and genetic resources.
From Wolong in Sichuan to Hoh Xil in Qinghai and Hanzhong in Shaanxi, in nature's "classroom," young animals learn skills in preparation for returning to the wild. Breeding and expanding populations, rescuing and nurturing life, rewilding and releasing into nature... The many keepers, patrol rangers, and reserve workers who carefully tend to the young animals — this guardianship that begins with love and aims at returning animals to nature — threads together the vivid practices of China's protection of rare wildlife, and is precisely a living footnote to China's advancement of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.
— Editor
Wolong, Sichuan
Giant panda cubs learn eating habits and "social skills"
People's Daily reporter Li Kaixuan
Inside the enclosure at the Wolong Shenshuping Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, the giant panda "Jiamei" is busy raising her cub. When the keepers see the cub "Qingsi" playfully climbing onto its mother's shoulders, they cannot help but laugh.
In the growth stages of the giant panda, the age of 1.5 to 5 years is the sub-adult period, similar to the adolescent period in humans. Giant pandas of this age also need to enter the "classroom" to learn various survival skills.
"First, they must develop good eating habits," says keeper Liu Huaiting, who has many years of experience caring for giant panda cubs. As "teachers," the keepers train the cubs to drink milk at relatively fixed times, helping them digest better and cultivating their interest in food. "During the transition period from weaning to learning to eat bamboo, we also prepare supplementary foods such as carrots and apples in a targeted manner to maintain a good nutritional structure for them," Liu Huaiting says.
"Social skills" are also a required course. "Like humans, every giant panda has a different personality," Liu Huaiting explains. Some cubs are more robust and assertive, and love to compete for tasty food; conversely, cubs with gentle, introverted temperaments are more prone to psychological stress. When more intense competition occurs among cubs, the "teachers" intervene and guide them in a timely manner, which also contributes to the physical and mental health of the giant pandas.
The rearing team has also put considerable effort into building the "classroom." In the enclosures where giant panda cubs live, more environmental enrichment is typically provided: bamboo sliding poles for practicing climbing skills, bamboo-woven flower racks, and tree hollows and rock caves for hiding and playing... These settings help stimulate the cubs' desire to explore and cultivate lively, sunny personalities.
In recent years, the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda has gradually returned the role of "teacher" to the panda mothers. Under their mothers' care, cubs learn skills such as eating bamboo, climbing, and avoiding natural enemies, and will also be forced by their mothers to begin independent survival once they reach a certain age. Mothers raising cubs allows young giant pandas to reduce their dependence on humans and retain more of their wild nature.
At the same time, the keepers still carry out their "teaching assistant" duties: ensuring the safety of facilities in the enclosure, closely monitoring the cubs' growth and development, and supplementing nutrition in a timely manner. In their spare time, Liu Huaiting and his colleagues use locally available materials such as bamboo tubes to make toys for the giant pandas in various creative ways. "We always want to give them the best growing environment," Liu Huaiting says.
Hoh Xil, Qinghai
Young Tibetan antelopes practice "physical education" and learn to return to nature
People's Daily reporter Jiang Meng
In the uninhabited area of Hoh Xil in Qinghai, there is a "kindergarten." The "students" here cannot speak and hide from people at the sight of them; the "teachers" here are the patrol rangers of the Sonam Dargye Protection Station, who have no teaching certificates but are all skilled at bottle-feeding, soothing to sleep, disinfecting, and rewilding training.
This "kindergarten" has a more formal name — the Wildlife Rescue Center of the Sonam Dargye Protection Station, under the Hoh Xil Management Office of the Yangtze River Source Park of the Three-River-Source National Park.
Every year from May to July, female Tibetan antelopes from the Three-River-Source region of Qinghai, the Changtang region of Tibet, and the Altun Mountains of Xinjiang cross hundreds of kilometers, migrating to the Zhuonai Lake area in the heart of Hoh Xil to give birth. "Along the way, some newborn Tibetan antelope calves become separated from their mothers or are injured while avoiding natural enemies and enduring harsh weather. After these calves are discovered by patrol rangers, they are first temporarily cared for at the Zhuonai Lake Protection Station, and after the calving season ends, they are sent together to the 'Tibetan Antelope Kindergarten,'" says Luo Zhouwangsuo, a patrol ranger at the Sonam Dargye Protection Station.
In the "kindergarten," the patrol rangers become the calves' "dads." "Calves that have just been rescued do not yet know how to eat grass and must be fed milk four times a day," Luo Zhouwangsuo explains. "Just like feeding a child, the milk must first be boiled and then naturally cooled. If it is too cold, they get diarrhea; if it is too hot, it burns their mouths. After use, the bottles must be sterilized at high temperature, and the bedding spread in the pens must be cleaned every day."
Every afternoon is the calves' "physical education class," when the "dads" take the calves outside the pens for walks and slow jogs. Luo Zhouwangsuo says: "On the one hand, this promotes digestion and builds strength; on the other hand, it also lets them learn to eat grass." The calves follow behind — when the people run, they run; when the people stop, they stop.
Just like young children, calves that have just arrived at the "kindergarten" are afraid and lack a sense of security, crying all night, so the team members hold and soothe them. As they gradually become familiar, the calves begin to recognize people. "Our uniforms are black, and the calves remember this color and also remember our scent. When strangers wearing clothes of other colors go in, they run away; but when they see people in black uniforms, not only do they not run, they actively come closer and follow behind," Luo Zhouwangsuo says. The station's rescue work adopts staged rewilding: the calves first live in the pens, then move to a small enclosure when they are bigger, and then to a large enclosure when they are bigger still.
"Enrollment" is for the purpose of smoothly "graduating" and returning to nature. From rescue to release, it generally takes 2 to 3 years. Before release, the calves have no contact with any human for three to four months. The "dads" observe their condition: if they are still affectionate toward humans and unafraid, it means their wild nature is not yet sufficient; if they are wary of humans and keep their distance, they have basically met the conditions for release. Every time a release takes place, there are always "dads" who cannot hold back their tears. "The calves run from the enclosure toward the distance, and we watch from behind, feeling both happy and reluctant to part," Luo Zhouwangsuo says.
Today, the ecology of Hoh Xil is getting better and better, and the Tibetan antelope population is growing steadily. Since the Wildlife Rescue Center of the Sonam Dargye Protection Station began operations, it has rescued more than 800 wild animals in total, including Tibetan antelopes.
Hanzhong, Shaanxi
The young crested ibises' "required courses" are flying and foraging
People's Daily reporter Zhang Danhua
At the artificial breeding center of the Administration Bureau of the Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve in Shaanxi, a huge semi-wild net enclosure covers the green trees. Inside this net enclosure, which covers about 5,000 square meters, there are flowing water channels, two ponds, and tall trees such as willows and camphor trees.
This is the "kindergarten" for young crested ibises. "Artificially bred young crested ibises would have difficulty living directly in the wild. We first let them learn skills in the semi-wild net enclosure, just as children need to go to kindergarten first," says Duan Wenbin, an engineer at the Administration Bureau of the Hanzhong Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve in Shaanxi.
When the chicks are first born, they live in small cages at the artificial breeding center, staying there for about 45 days, during which the keepers observe their wing-spreading and flight condition. The small cages are fitted with wooden perches at two heights — the low perch about 1.5 meters high and the high perch nearly 3 meters high. Chen Jun, a keeper at the artificial breeding center, says: "As long as a chick can fly up to the high perch, it shows it has basic flight ability and can be sent into the semi-wild net enclosure." Thus, every year in mid-to-late May, batches of young crested ibises with newly grown feathers are "promoted" in this way into the semi-wild net enclosure, this "kindergarten."
What do they learn in the "kindergarten"? "The semi-wild net enclosure simulates the natural wild environment," Duan Wenbin says. The chicks must learn two "required courses" here: flying and foraging.
"It is very interesting to watch the chicks learn to fly. When they fly, they do not go in a straight line but fly in circles," he says. Chicks that have just begun learning to fly often cannot control their direction and stumble about, "some crash into the net, and some even crash into our arms."
Foraging training likewise must proceed in an orderly fashion. When the chicks reach about 25 days of age, the keepers begin feeding them whole live loaches. Once in the semi-wild net enclosure, 200 to 300 jin of loaches are released into the ponds each week for the crested ibises to forage on their own. Chen Jun says: "An adult crested ibis needs to eat 200 grams of loaches per day, and we also adjust according to the amount the ibises actually forage. During the breeding season, to feed their chicks, each adult crested ibis's food intake reaches more than 500 grams."
How long do the chicks stay in the "kindergarten"? Duan Wenbin says that once the chicks have the ability to forage and fly on their own, they can be released, and this process takes about half a year, "but some birds stay longer — remaining to continue breeding the next generation." Every spring, the keepers assess each chick's ability to survive in the wild, and only those that pass the assessment are truly released into the wild.
As of the end of 2025, the global crested ibis population has grown from the 7 birds discovered in 1981 to more than 12,000. In this "kindergarten," batch after batch of young crested ibises learn to fly and forage — and then spread their wings and fly toward the broader sky.
This issue coordinated by: Dong Wenxin
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Kou Jiangze) Recently, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the People's Bank of China, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, and the National Financial Regulatory Administration jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting Diversified Investment in Scientific and Technological Innovation in the Field of Ecological Environment" (hereinafter referred to as the "Guiding Opinions"), providing policy guidance for coordinating the role of fiscal, financial, and social resources and broadening investment channels for scientific and technological innovation in the field of ecological environment.
The Guiding Opinions point out that it is necessary to focus on the strategic goal of building a Beautiful China with scientific and technological support, fully consider the laws and characteristics of scientific and technological innovation in the ecological environment, adhere to goal orientation, highlight innovation, emphasize practicality, and pursue dynamic improvement, coordinate the forces of the state, departments, localities, enterprises, and financial institutions, strengthen central-local coordination and government-enterprise linkage, promote the formation of a unified, coordinated plan or effort (一盘棋, yi pan qi - "one, board, chess") for national ecological environment science and technology, explore the establishment of a diversified investment model for scientific and technological innovation in the field of ecological environment covering from basic research to industrial application, from the government to business entities and financial institutions, build a diversified investment pattern with clear goals, coordinated entities, connected chains, and smooth channels, enhance the supply capacity and industrialization level of scientific and technological innovation in the ecological environment, and provide strong scientific and technological support for the construction of a Beautiful China.
The Guiding Opinions, centering on three aspects — strengthening the guiding role of fiscal policy, enriching the supply of financial products, and extensively pooling social resources — systematically deploy "4+3+2" nine specific measures. In terms of fiscal guidance, it proposes strengthening central-local coordination of major national science and technology projects, improving the joint fund for the ecological environment, deepening ministry-province linkage, and increasing fiscal support for the promotion and application of new technologies; in terms of financial support, it proposes building a supply-demand matching model between financial institutions and scientific and technological innovation entities, supporting innovation in ecological environment science and technology financial products and services, and encouraging the implementation of comprehensive ecological environment science and technology financial services; in terms of social resource investment, it proposes guiding public welfare donations to support scientific and technological innovation and leveraging the exemplary and leading role of advantageous enterprises.
The Guiding Opinions emphasize that it is necessary to improve the coordinated promotion mechanism, strengthen inter-departmental overall planning, policy alignment, and work coordination, coordinate the use of fiscal, financial, industrial, scientific and technological and other policy tools, and promote relevant departments, localities, enterprises, and financial institutions to each take responsibility for their own duties (各负其责, ge fu qi ze - "each, bear, their, responsibility") and act in coordination. At the same time, in accordance with the approach of "achieving breakthroughs at points, connecting lines, and promoting across the board," steadily carry out pilot exploration, improve the tracking and evaluation mechanism for policy implementation, strengthen policy publicity and interpretation, promptly summarize and promote typical models, distinctive practices, and innovative experiences, and promote the implementation of policies to achieve tangible results (落地见效, luo di jian xiao - "land, ground, see, effect") for all policy measures.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Gu Zhongyang, Zeng Shenze) The first "Beautiful China, Volunteers With Me" ecological environment volunteer service month campaign concluded successfully in August. The campaign was jointly launched by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with the Central Social Work Department and the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League. During the service month, all provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps closely followed key tasks in ecological environment protection, focused on prominent ecological environment problems around the masses, and carried out various volunteer service activities in light of local conditions, including river patrols and water protection, public beach cleanups, biodiversity conservation, and ecological environmental protection science popularization lectures, achieving a concentrated gathering, concentrated exertion, and concentrated effectiveness of volunteer forces, effectively mobilizing the enthusiasm and initiative of all sectors of society to participate in ecological environment protection, and fostering a strong atmosphere of all the people jointly building a Beautiful China.
In August, under the guidance of the Department of Publicity and Education of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and the Department of Social Liaison of the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, the Center for Publicity and Education of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment organized and carried out the first ecological environment volunteer service project competition. A total of 169 projects from across the country registered for the competition, comprehensively showcasing the innovative vitality and practical results of grassroots ecological environment volunteer services, and ultimately 30 outstanding projects stood out.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Lanzhou, September 7) (Reporters Song Chaojun, Zeng Yichen) Recently, the Water Resources Department of Gansu Province issued the "Implementation Plan for the Pilot Program of Water Budget Management in the Hexi Region," deciding to carry out a pilot program of water budget management in the Hexi Region on the basis of summarizing and promoting the experience of Zhangye City's pilot program of water budget management, one of the first batch of such pilots nationwide. The Hexi Region is located in an inland river basin with limited water resource endowments, and ecological security, food security, and the development of the new energy industry place higher demands on water resource guarantees.
The plan selects Jiayuguan City, Suzhou District of Jiuquan City, Jinchuan District of Jinchang City, and Gulang County of Wuwei City to carry out the pilot program, promoting the formation of "full coverage in all four aspects" of administrative regions, water sources, water use sectors, and water use entities, so as to achieve leaving no stone unturned (无死角, wu si jiao - "no, death, angle") in the management of water withdrawal and use.
The plan deploys seven key tasks to systematically advance the pilot work of water budget management. At the same time, it requires the establishment of a working mechanism of "provincial-level overall coordination, municipal-level supervision and guidance, and county-level implementation," actively striving for central and provincial special water conservancy funds to be tilted toward the pilot areas, incorporating the pilot work of water budget management into the assessment of the rigid constraint system for water resources, and widely publicizing the important significance of water budget management through various forms, so as to create a favorable social atmosphere of water conservation and scientific water use.
Return to TopBy: 新华社记者 胡 超摄影报道
As night falls, the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences presents a scene different from that of the daytime.
Visitors, led by science popularization staff, walk through the forest, experiencing the unique charm of tropical biodiversity. Since 2010, the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been carrying out nighttime science popularization activities. Through natural observation and multi-sensory experiences, it integrates biodiversity knowledge and ecological conservation concepts into the tour process, guiding the public to understand plants, animals, and their interdependent ecological relationships from different perspectives, opening a window onto the observation of tropical biodiversity.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Urumqi, September 7) (Reporter Shang Rongzheng) The reporter learned from the Urumqi Municipal Public Security Bureau of Xinjiang: On September 3, the High-tech Zone (New Urban District) Branch of the Urumqi Municipal Public Security Bureau successfully solved a case of endangering precious and endangered wild animals, dismantling a cross-regional criminal gang specializing in the illegal sale of wild birds.
A total of 161 wild protected birds of various species were seized at the scene during this roundup operation, including 1 bird under national first-class protection, 142 birds under national second-class protection, and another 18 birds belonging to protected wildlife under the "Three-Listed" category. At present, all seized wild birds have been properly placed and transferred to the Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture Wildlife Rescue Center for professional care and management.
As of the time the case was uncovered, the gang had illegally sold more than 580 birds under national second-class protection in total, with the total amount involved in the case exceeding 400,000 yuan. Police officers stated that the large-scale illegal capture and sale of wild protected birds not only causes a rapid and significant decline (锐减, ruijian - "sharp, decrease") in wild animal resources, but also severely damages regional ecological balance, disrupts the order of wildlife protection and management, and is of an egregious nature. At present, the police have filed and reviewed the case in accordance with the law.
Police remind the public that wild birds are an important component of the ecosystem, and protecting wild animals is a legal obligation of every citizen. If members of the public discover acts of illegally capturing or selling wild animals, they may promptly report them to public security organs, working together to safeguard the ecological environment.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王欣悦
The powerful drumbeat sounded—bending down, supporting on the ground, spinning, freezing in place... Inside the Coubertin Gymnasium in Paris, France, 13-year-old Chinese teenager Li Yongqiu, with a set of breakdancing moves full of speed and power, incorporating traditional Chinese martial arts elements such as Drunken Fist and Tai Chi, won the global championship in the youth division at the 2026 Juste Debout World Street Dance Finals.
Many children find street dance dynamic and cool, and want to learn it too. What kind of classes are suitable for teenagers? Where should beginners with zero foundation start? Our reporter interviewed Li Yongqiu's coach Chen Long and Su Yuxi, chief physician of the Department of Orthopedics at the Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University.
How to choose a training class
Don't just look at whether the moves are flashy—more importantly, look at whether the coach knows how to teach
Chen Long discovered Li Yongqiu by chance, when Li Yongqiu was practicing dance alone. "This child has good explosive power, and what's rarer is that he's willing to work hard and has resilience." Chen Long recalled that when Li Yongqiu first joined the team, he wasn't the most outstanding, but he was very self-disciplined.
In 2022, Li Yongqiu passed the selection and became a trial training team member of the Chongqing Municipal Breaking Team. As training deepened, the coaching team arranged strength, technique, and choreography training based on his physical condition and movement characteristics. To develop a more distinctive personal style, the team also invited martial arts teachers to break down Drunken Fist and Tai Chi movements and incorporate them into breaking.
"Professional training doesn't mean teaching all children to be the same—it means discovering each child's characteristics, then helping them leverage their strengths," Chen Long said. Some children have strong explosive power, some have good sense of rhythm, some have outstanding flexibility. Coaches should adjust training content based on age, foundation, and physical condition, and should not let all children blindly imitate trendy moves.
When choosing a street dance class, first clarify the learning goal. Children whose main aim is to exercise and cultivate interest can choose classes focused on musical rhythm, basic grooves, and simple movement combinations; after a period of practice, if they genuinely show strong interest and athletic ability, then consider moving into more systematic training.
During trial classes, parents should not just look at whether the coach can do handstands, flips, or headspins, but should observe whether he can break complex movements into small steps that children can understand and perform, and whether he teaches in layers according to age and foundation.
"Professional dancers don't necessarily know how to teach children. Teaching teenagers requires understanding both movement and communication," Chen Long said. When facing children who temporarily can't keep up with the rhythm, coaches should determine whether the problem lies in strength, coordination, or psychology, and help children build confidence through demonstration, games, and group practice.
A street dance class suitable for teenagers should include warm-up, basic practice, movement combinations, and cool-down relaxation. Coaches should also promptly correct problems such as knees caving inward, unstable center of gravity, and landing too heavily, and should not arrange high-difficulty moves prematurely just to pursue stage effects.
The venue is also something to inspect. The training floor should be flat, slip-resistant, and have some cushioning; the space should be well-ventilated; and drinking water and basic first-aid supplies should be fully available. Class size should not be too large, otherwise the coach will find it hard to observe each child's movements in a timely manner.
How to get started with zero foundation
Start by understanding the music, and find your own expression within the fundamentals
At the breaking training base of Shapingba Primary School Shabin Campus in Chongqing, as the music played, Li Yongqiu and his teammate launched a one-on-one "dance battle." He stepped forward, his shoulders and neck moving with the drumbeat, then bent down and supported himself on the ground to complete a one-handed spin; the opposing team member immediately responded, leaping into the air, landing, the movements smoothly and in one continuous motion (一气呵成, yi qi he cheng - "one breath, complete").
A "dance battle" is not about fighting tooth and nail or being overly aggressive (争强斗狠, zheng qiang dou hen - "compete strength, fight ferocity"), but rather dancers communicating through movement within the music and the rules. Chen Long said children must not only learn to perform moves, but also learn to listen to the music, read the opponent, and understand how to respond to changes in rhythm.
When it comes to street dance, many people first think of handstands, headspins, and flips. Chen Long said that for most teenagers, learning street dance doesn't have to start with high-difficulty floor moves. Children with zero foundation can first practice knee grooves: stand with feet naturally apart, knees slightly bent, rising and falling with the drumbeat; then practice independent control of the shoulders, chest, hips, and other body parts, before adding basic steps such as forward steps, side steps, and cross steps. These seemingly simple elements are also the fundamentals that professional dancers repeatedly practice. In the introductory stage, there's no need to pursue the number of moves—first get the center of gravity steady and grasp the rhythm well.
Isolation training involves controlling the movement of the head, shoulders, chest, and hips separately while the lower body remains relatively stable, which helps improve body control. For children who develop stiff shoulders and necks or a hunched posture from prolonged desk work, moderate, gentle shoulder and thoracic spine exercises can also be somewhat helpful. However, the cervical and lumbar spine must not be violently whipped or forcibly twisted.
Street dance emphasizes individual expression, but that doesn't mean the stranger or more difficult the moves, the better. Li Yongqiu's integration of Drunken Fist and Tai Chi into breaking is built precisely on long-term fundamental training and body control ability. "Children can find inspiration from martial arts, ethnic dance, and daily life, but they must first learn to control their bodies before they can express themselves freely," Chen Long said.
How to practice more safely
Proper form matters more than difficulty; body control matters more than visual effect
Children's bones are not yet fully developed, and the epiphyseal plates at the ends of bones are relatively fragile. Su Yuxi suggests that children should wear athletic shoes with good cushioning and shock absorption when practicing, prioritize springy wooden floors or professional rubber surfaces, and avoid prolonged repeated jumping on hard surfaces such as cement or tile.
Before training, a 5-to-10-minute warm-up should also be arranged, gradually mobilizing the shoulders, wrists, hips, knees, ankles, and other joints, then raising the heart rate through slow walking, stepping, or gentle grooving. In the beginner stage, practicing two or three times a week is sufficient; excluding warm-up and cool-down, the main practice time can be controlled at 30 to 40 minutes. Su Yuxi reminded that when a child shows obvious wheezing, movement deformation, or pain in the knees, ankles, wrists, or other areas, practice should stop immediately.
Moves such as handstands, headspins, one-handed supports, and flips place high demands on the cervical spine, wrist joints, shoulder joints, and core strength. Without long-term foundational training and professional protection, it's best not to imitate online videos; even in a professional class, strength, balance, and protective movement training must be completed first, with difficulty increased gradually.
"For beginners, proper form matters more than move difficulty, and body control matters more than pursuing visual effect," Su Yuxi said. Parents don't need to measure learning outcomes by whether a child can complete a handstand or headspin. "Choosing the right venue and athletic shoes, doing proper warm-up and cool-down, controlling training time, and making steady progress in an orderly manner (循序渐进, xun xu jian jin - "follow sequence, gradually advance") under the guidance of a professional coach—only then can children participate in street dance safely and for the long term."
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Bringing street dance into more people's lives
Street dance was born on the streets of the United States in the late 1960s and has since developed into different dance styles: Breaking is known for floor moves and power, Popping emphasizes the mechanical texture of muscle contractions, Locking is marked by wrist turns and freeze poses, and Hip-Hop focuses on the body's groove and free expression.
In the mid-1980s, street dance entered China with films. In 1988, Chongqing took the lead in hosting the National Breaking Grand Prix. In recent years, as breaking entered the Asian Games and the Olympic Games, street dance has merged into pop culture, sports competition, and daily life, attracting attention and affection from more and more people.
Today, street dance creators no longer confine themselves to a single style, experimenting with "mixing." Take the Chongqing Buqi Dance Crew, which became popular online, as an example: their works fuse multiple dance styles while incorporating down-to-earth themes, forming a hybrid street dance style. "Dance isn't just for young people—everyone can dance together," said Cai Zhuangnan, captain of the Buqi Dance Crew. The "uncle outfit" concept brought dancers and audiences closer, and the simple, intuitive, and fun choreography lets audiences "understand at a glance" and want to dance along.
The Buqi Dance Crew has also tried combining street dance with traditional culture. Their work Yao Bu Dao Tai places Sichuan opera body movements, Chongqing dialect, and street dance rhythms on the same stage, becoming a window for young people to understand traditional culture.
(Compiled and edited by People's Daily reporter Wang Xinyue)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 季 芳
As the Asian Games draw near, the national shooting team has entered the sprint phase of its preparation. Inside the training hall, gunfire is steady and order prevails. At the 50-meter target area, Paris Olympic champions Sheng Lihao, Liu Yukun and other team members are conducting rifle three-position training, periodically adjusting their shooting stances with focused eyes. In the finals hall, the national pistol shooting team is using competition to drive training, holding a 10-meter air pistol mixed team simulation match. Hu Kai, Bu Shuaihang, Shen Yiyao and other athletes are in good form, continuously posting high scores, with cheers of encouragement rising and falling in succession (此起彼伏, ci qi bi fu - "this, rise, that, fall") and the atmosphere lively.
For this Asian Games, the Chinese shooting team has fielded a lineup for the rifle and pistol events that pairs veterans with newcomers, including athletes with Olympic experience such as Sheng Lihao, Zhang Changhong and Xie Yu, as well as several young team members participating in a comprehensive continental-level competition for the first time.
"The team shifted into Asian Games training rhythm right after returning from the World Cup stop in Hangzhou in July," said Zhao Yuqing, team leader of the rifle events for the national shooting team. In the first two weeks of August, the whole team focused primarily on recovery training to help athletes adjust their physical functions and eliminate fatigue, after which comprehensive training formally began. At present, the team has conducted multiple rounds of simulation matches to build the athletes' ability to withstand pressure and adapt on the spot, helping them enter the competition rhythm as quickly as possible.
On the pistol side, young athletes have become the team's mainstay. Team leader Du Li said that young shooters such as Bu Shuaihang and Su Lianbofan show considerable potential but still lack competition experience. At present, the team is also helping the athletes adjust their mentality and raise their level according to plan.
Du Li officially assumed the post of team leader for the pistol events of the national shooting team in 2024, and this Asian Games will be her first time leading a team in a major comprehensive multi-sport event in that capacity. "The Asian Games is a test of the whole team's preparation results and of my individual leadership work," she said. Comprehensive multi-sport events feature long schedules, many events and dense pacing, placing higher demands on athletes' physical reserves, psychological adjustment and sustained combat capability. "The Asian Games is a competition arena, but also an important training opportunity. Through participation, the team will accumulate experience for the next Olympic cycle," Du Li said.
According to the schedule, less than one month after the Asian Games concludes, the 2026 ISSF World Shooting Championships will be held in Qatar, which also serves as the first qualifying event for the shooting competitions at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, making its importance self-evident (不言而喻, bu yan er yu - "not, speak, yet, understand").
The two major international competitions being held back-to-back pose challenges to the regulation of athletes' competitive form and the team's preparation pacing. Du Li admitted that competing back-to-back is uncommon, and the team is using scientific regulation to ensure athletes can maintain ideal competitive form at both major events. "We place greater emphasis on the accumulation of competition experience, the settling of mentality, and the growth of the overall talent pipeline," Zhao Yuqing said.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王 亮 范佳元
With 4.1 seconds left, the moment was both fleeting and endless. At the Zhuji Gymnasium in Zhejiang, Chinese men's basketball team captain Zhao Jiwei stepped to the sideline to execute the inbound pass. The opposing players raised their arms high, straining to disrupt. Near the paint, Yang Hansen and his defensive matchup were locked in physical battle, each refusing to give an inch (寸步不让, cun bu bu rang - "inch, step, not, yield").
Facing tough defense, Yang Hansen cleverly used a half-pivot to carve out half a step of space. Zhao Jiwei, quick-witted and nimble (眼疾手快, yan ji shou kuai - "eye, swift; hand, fast"), delivered the pass, and Yang Hansen caught it cleanly, drove to the basket, and finished — done in one continuous motion (一气呵成, yi qi he cheng - "one, breath, flow, complete")! The shot clock stopped at 2.2 seconds.
On the evening of August 31, in the fourth window of the second round of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers, the Chinese team hosted Lebanon and ultimately edged out a narrow 89:87 victory thanks to Yang Hansen's clutch layup. With this result, the Chinese men's basketball team improved to 5 wins and 3 losses, ranking third in the group and reclaiming the initiative in qualifying.
Throughout the game, the two teams were evenly matched (旗鼓相当, qi gu xiang dang - "flag, drum, equally, match"), with alternating leads in score (比分交替领先, bi fen jiao ti ling xian - "score, alternate, lead"). With 22.5 seconds remaining, China still led 87:81 by six points. Lebanon then quickly knocked down a three-pointer and, capitalizing on a Chinese turnover, tied the game at 87:87 from the free-throw line.
"Before the final possession, the opponent even pointed at me — they knew that play," Yang Hansen said after the game. Despite the opponent's targeted preparation, he still executed the play with his strong physicality and basketball IQ, helping the team secure the win.
Over the past two games, Yang Hansen's finishing ability through contact has improved markedly, as he shot 15-of-20 combined. Additionally, his role on offense has become more versatile — his high-post playmaking has been unleashed, allowing him to activate the entire team with his passing, and the three-pointer has also become a reliable scoring weapon. In this game, he shot 8-of-9, recording 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block in 26 minutes of action — a well-rounded performance. Thanks to his outstanding play, Yang Hansen was named to the All-Star Five in both games.
As the only current NBA (National Basketball Association) player from China, Yang Hansen has long been the subject of high expectations. Yet his first NBA season journey was far from smooth. In the NBA regular season, he appeared in 43 games, averaging just 7 minutes per contest. Despite this, Yang Hansen did not get discouraged and continued to grow steadily.
From the NBA court to the World Cup qualifiers, Yang Hansen's mentality has also evolved, and he has become increasingly willing to shoulder responsibility in critical moments. "Helping the Chinese men's basketball team return to the Olympic stage is the greatest honor and responsibility of my career," Yang Hansen said.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 董泽扬
At times leaping out of the water like fish, at times stretching and swaying, the competitors, clad in fishtails, weave through the water, performing moves of varying difficulty to the rhythm of the music, exquisitely beautiful (美轮美奂, mei lun mei huan - "beautiful, magnificent, exquisite") amid the interplay of light and shadow.
Recently, at the Hainan Ocean Happiness World in Lingshui Li Autonomous County, Hainan, the CMAS Inaugural Mermaid Diving World Cup and the 2026 China Mermaid Open (Lingshui Stop) were held. Competitors from 12 countries and regions transformed into mermaids, dancing gracefully while competing (蹁跹竞技, pian xian jing ji - "dance lightly, compete").
Standing upright, hovering, and at the moment of flicking the fishtail, casting out the water sleeves in hand... With traditional opera makeup and costume, Chinese competitor Yang Lu incorporated the opera's hand, eye, body, and step techniques into the blue waves, winning rounds of applause from the audience. "Being able to represent my hometown in the performance is a great honor." With her outstanding performance, Yang Lu took first place in the adult women's individual competition.
"When swimming, you can tread water with two legs separately, but a mermaid wearing a fishtail must rely on core strength to move, and also needs to pay attention to posture and rhythm and regulate ear pressure — it really tests the competitors' skill." Event technical representative Yang Ying said that mermaid competition is difficult in technique and beautiful in presentation.
In mermaid competition, the technical score mainly considers the difficulty of individual moves, the smoothness of connections, and the synchronization of multi-person events. The fit between the pre-competition costume and makeup preparation and the theme, and whether the expression, hair, and body movements during the competition are "in sync" with the music, are also stipulated in the scoring rules. Compared with individual mermaid dance, group mermaid dance places more emphasis on choreography and tacit coordination.
The competition features adult women's, adult men's, adult mixed, and youth mixed categories. Female mermaid competitors are graceful and supple in posture, while male mermaid competitors are vigorous and powerful. Competitor Zhang Jie, wearing a green fishtail, used the venue's scenery to simulate the form of seaweed, performing a story of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature.
The mermaid competition has also become a platform for friendly exchange, as competitors who came to Lingshui all felt the warmth of the event organizers. "China's mermaid sport development is very systematic, with a good atmosphere and excellent facilities. Although we sometimes cannot communicate in language, a gesture and a smile can convey encouragement," said an Australian competitor.
In the future, this international event will be permanently based in Lingshui. "Mermaid diving integrates competition, art, and science popularization. We are promoting the establishment of international-level mermaid diving events here, hoping that the mermaid diving program will achieve professional, international, standardized, and popularized development," said Zhang Peng, deputy director of the Water Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 李亚楠
Sand and gravel, carried by the wind, pelted against helmets with a crisp crackling sound like beans frying in a pan.
On September 4, as 35 teams and 126 riders set off from the camp at the Hami Sports Center in Xinjiang, the 2026 China Grand Sea Road (International) Motorcycle Rally officially began. After a qualifying round and six special stages, the race will conclude on September 11. The event was first held in 2024 and was upgraded to a national-level event in 2025.
The total distance of this year's event is 2,500 kilometers, of which the special stages cover 1,300 kilometers, with the longest single stage exceeding 300 kilometers. The marathon stage spans approximately 400 kilometers across two race days combined. The main difficulties of the course are concentrated in the first two stages: the early part of SS1 relies primarily on compass navigation, while the first half of SS2 passes through complex terrain such as fish-scale sand dunes and dry riverbeds scoured by water. In addition, during the marathon stage, riders must perform their own vehicle maintenance and repairs at the no-support camp at the Sandaoling Gymnasium, which greatly tests the riders' comprehensive abilities.
The high-difficulty course attracted numerous Chinese and foreign riders, with 39 motorcycles entered in the National Group A category. Czech rider Milan Engel has competed in the Dakar Rally 12 times and holds the official title of "Legend Rider"; French rider Nils Theurillat won the Group A championship in the previous edition of this event. The Chinese domestic motorcycle brand "Zhang Xue Motorcycles" formed a team for the event for the first time, and founder Zhang Xue appeared as a competing rider. Austrian rider Tobias Ebster is one of the competitors on Zhang Xue's team. "This is my first time competing in China, and I look forward to performing well in the stages ahead," he said, expressing hope that in the future he can represent "Zhang Xue Motorcycles" in more international events.
On the 5th, the 2026 China Grand Sea Road (International) Motorcycle Rally welcomed its first long-distance special stage — the SS1 Nanhu Gobi Power Plant stage, with a total distance of 405.20 kilometers and a special-stage distance of 253.63 kilometers. Rider Sun Meng used the phrase "a show of force upon arrival" to describe this stage: long distance, many high-speed sections, interspersed with numerous whoops and sharp turns — "it is a tremendous test of both navigation ability and bike control. Anyone who can finish today is a hero."
The course featured both extreme speed competition and heartwarming moments. Sunier of the Kaiyue Rally Team, about 15 kilometers from the finish line, discovered that teammate Nils had stopped due to a motorcycle malfunction. Seeing that his teammate might miss a golden opportunity (失之交臂, shi zhi jiao bi - "lose, that, miss, in the hand") for the championship, Sunier did not hesitate to turn back and assist. On the 6th, Nils was the first to cross the finish line in the SS2 Grand Sea Road stage and took first place in the stage. The competing riders enjoyed a rest day on the 7th and will continue competing in the desert stage and marathon stage starting on the 8th.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Li Shuo) On the 6th local time, in the final of the 2026 Women's Snooker UK Championship, Chinese player Bai Yulu defeated England's renowned player and 12-time Women's World Championship winner Evans 4:1, winning the tournament title for the third consecutive year. With the points earned from the championship, Bai Yulu will return to the top of the women's snooker world rankings.
At this year's UK Championship, Bai Yulu was in excellent form, winning seven consecutive matches (七战全胜, qi zhan quan sheng - "seven battles, all victory") from the group stage to the final, dropping only two frames. The final used a best-of-seven format. Facing the experienced Evans, Bai Yulu showed a hot attacking touch from the start. In the first frame she fired a break of 103 to take the opening frame. Although Evans won the second frame to level the match, Bai Yulu then won three straight frames, also producing a break of 117 in the fourth frame, ultimately defending her title 4:1. Her break of 125 in the quarterfinal was also the tournament's highest break.
In January this year, Bai Yulu won the World Snooker Federation Women's Championship, ranking first in women's snooker in the world for the first time. With Bai Yulu back on top, both the men's and women's world No. 1 in snooker are currently held by Chinese players. "Although the ranking is back to No. 1, the gap is not large. I hope I can maintain this sense of tension and good form and perform even better in the matches ahead," Bai Yulu said.
Return to Top(People's Daily, Beijing, September 7) (Reporter Zheng Yi) The final of the 11th Quzhou·Lanke Cup China Go Championship concluded on the 7th in Quzhou, Zhejiang. Xu Jiayang, playing white, defeated Huang Yunsong in 204 moves by resignation, claiming the title for the second time after winning the 8th edition in 2021.
This tournament brought together the top 32 players in the domestic rating rankings, including 16 world champions. In May of this year, the first stage of the tournament concluded at the China Go Academy in Beijing, with four world champions — Dang Yifei, Ding Hao, Xie Erhao, and Yang Dingxin — advancing to the quarterfinals. The second stage moved to Quzhou, where, after the quarterfinals and semifinals, all world champions were eliminated, and Xu Jiayang and Huang Yunsong met in the final. In the final contest, Xu Jiayang struck first and gradually took control of the game, ultimately winning the championship of this event for the second time.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 刘 泉 李维俊
In the winter of 1934, the Central Red Army fought the most tragic life-and-death battle of the Long March on both banks of the Xiang River in northern Guangxi. Ninety-two years later, the Guangxi section of the Long March National Cultural Park, taking the fiery footprints of the Xiang River Campaign as its soul, links together an epic corridor stretching 296 kilometers. Along the route, the "three parks and three memorial halls" have received more than 21 million visits in pursuit of red memories. In April 2025, the "Guilin Red Xiang River" red tourism bus special line, connecting six counties of northern Guangxi including Quanzhou, Xing'an, Guanyang, and Longsheng in Guilin, Guangxi, was officially inaugurated. From the recovery and protection of martyrs' remains to the generational guardianship by the masses, and then to red tourism driving comprehensive rural revitalization across the countryside, the land of northern Guangxi is transforming the spirit of the Long March into visible momentum for development.
Monuments Reflect the Xiang River, Greenways String Together a Chain of Pearls
Stepping into the Memorial Hall of the Red Army's Long March Xiang River Campaign, the themed exhibition "Heroic Epic, Immortal Monument" unfolds like a long scroll of history. Along an exhibition line of 4,545 square meters winding 791 meters, 379 yellowed photographs, 306 mottled cultural relics, 14 groups of sculptures, and 28 paintings shine in harmony with each other (交相辉映, jiao xiang hui ying - "exchange, shine, reflect; together, shine, reflect"), supplemented by multimedia scene reconstructions, condensing those blood-and-fire interwoven years of eventful times into a stirring and magnificent epic.
Among the many exhibits, a rust-covered mortar sits quietly on display, bearing witness to the bloody battle at the Fenghuangzui Ferry. On the other side, a water bowl discovered near Ermu Cave in Bantang Village, Lianghe Town, Quanzhou County, tells the story of more than 30 Red Army soldiers who died heroically in Ermu Cave — the remains of a young Red Army soldier whose bone age was under 14, with his hand reaching toward the water bowl, moves countless visitors to tears.
From Guanyang to Quanzhou in Guilin, and then to Xing'an, Ziyuan, and Longsheng, every memorial facility along this heroic bloodline tells that immortal legend in its own way.
In Xing'an, the Red Army's Long March Breakthrough of the Xiang River Martyrs' Monument Park rests quietly at the foot of Lion Mountain. The 34-meter-high main monument rises like three rifles pointing straight at the sky, and the Hall of Heroes' Names bears the inscribed names of more than 20,000 martyrs.
In Guanyang, inside the Xinxu Blocking Action Historical Facts Exhibition Hall, historical photographs and 128 cultural relics freeze the tragic heroism of "as long as men are on the position, the position stands." In the exhibition hall, that severed rope and mud-caked stones silently tell the heart-wrenching story of more than 100 seriously wounded Red Army soldiers who were bound and thrown into the Jiuhaijing Well.
Walking out of the Memorial Hall of the Red Army's Long March Xiang River Campaign, a 25-kilometer cycling greenway winds along the banks of the Xiang River, connecting the three ferry crossings of Pingshan, Daping, and Fenghuangzui. "The 25 kilometers symbolize the 25,000-li Long March," said Deng Lianfang, deputy executive director of the Guangxi Quanzhou Section Management Committee of the Long March National Cultural Park. At Daping Ferry, the two sculpture groups "Forced Crossing" and "Guide" recreate the historical scenes of the Red Army crossing the Xiang River by night and the masses leading the way through the encirclement.
In Lushui Village, Lianghe Town, Quanzhou County, the 4-kilometer Hunan-Guangxi ancient road that the Red Army once trod has become a popular study-tour route. "Every holiday and weekend, many tourists and study-tour groups come here to carry out activities such as retracing the Long March route," said Deng Lianfang. Visitors follow the rugged stone steps along the footprints of that era, sing revolutionary songs in the peach and plum orchards, lay flowers at the Red Army martyrs' graves, and experience straw-sandal weaving and battlefield first aid in Gulingtou Village. The former breakout road has today become a red classroom for understanding faith.
Green Mountains Shelter Loyal Remains, Generations Guard the Heroic Spirits
Entering the Red Army's Long March Xiang River Campaign Memorial Park, separated from the memorial hall by a single wall, among the trees the martyrs rest here with their backs to the green mountains and facing the Xiang River. The memorial park adheres to the principle of "using local materials on site," forming a design concept of "mountains as tombs, trees as souls, stones as monuments." The more than 10,000 black mountain stones in the park were taken from the Hunan-Guangxi ancient road that the Red Army passed through when they forced the crossing of the Xiang River; every stone symbolizes a monument. "Among them, 85 mountain stones are carved with serial numbers, housing more than 80 relatively complete sets of martyrs' remains and more than 7,000 pieces of scattered remains recovered from Quanzhou, Guanyang, Xing'an, and other places," said Zhou Yunliang, director of the Quanzhou Red Army Long March Xiang River Campaign Cultural Protection and Inheritance Center.
Starting in September 2018, Quanzhou mobilized cadres and the masses to carry out comprehensive excavations at a total of 247 scattered sites of Red Army martyrs' remains; Guanyang, Xing'an, and other places organized professional teams to conduct investigations, excavations, and recoveries. Every excavation depended on local people leading the way and standing guard.
Government protection has allowed the martyrs to be laid to rest, but beyond the cemetery grounds, there is the guardianship of ordinary people spanning generations.
In Caiwan Village, north of the memorial forest in Quanzhou County, on Mihua Mountain where verdant cypresses grow thick, a Red Army martyrs' grave stands quietly. Jiang Shilin, 82 years old, bends down to pull weeds and trace the red five-pointed star on the tombstone. After the Xiang River Campaign ended in 1934, Jiang Shilin's grandfather Jiang Zhongtai and father Jiang Shouyu discovered seven Red Army bodies on the mountain. "The Red Army sacrificed their lives to win the world for the common people; we cannot let them lie exposed on the wild mountain," Jiang Zhongtai risked his life to bury the martyrs on the spot, and for this was imprisoned and tortured by the Kuomintang. On his deathbed he still repeatedly urged his family: "You must guard the Red Army graves well, generation after generation."
One entrustment, spanning five generations. Jiang Shouyu insisted on paying respects at the grave every festival and New Year; in 2002, Jiang Shilin took up the baton of grave-keeping. Today, Jiang Shilin's grandson Jiang Mingfeng also follows his grandfather up the mountain to sweep the grave. "I want to keep telling this story to my children and grandchildren, and pass on the spirit of the Long March," said Jiang Shilin.
Such guardianship is not an isolated case in northern Guangxi.
In 1934, more than 100 seriously wounded Red Army soldiers were cruelly thrown by the enemy into the Jiuhaijing Well in Guanyang County. For decades, local people have never ceased their memorial offerings.
In Shuibu Village, Huajiang Yao Township, Xing'an County, villager Zhao Liangying's family has guarded the graves of 12 unnamed Red Army martyrs for more than half a century. Today her son Li Guida and grandson Li Yi continue the relay. "Keeping the graves is to make future generations remember that this land was hard won," said Li Yi.
In Fengshujiao Village, Guanyang Town, Guanyang County, villager Huang Helin's family, three generations of grandfather, father, and son, guarded a military flag riddled with bullet holes for more than 40 years, and in 1979 solemnly handed it over to the Guanyang County People's Armed Forces Department.
Cultural Tourism Industry Thrives, the Ancient Road Opens a New Journey
Guardianship and inheritance converge into momentum for development.
Beside the Hunan-Guangxi ancient road, peach groves flourish, lush and verdant. One variety of peach matures and comes to market from May to June each year, and this variety has now become a local specialty agricultural product. Local people call this peach the "breakout peach," in memory of the history of the Red Army breaking out of the encirclement here.
In Maozhushan Village, Caiwan Town, a few kilometers from the Red Army's Long March Xiang River Campaign Memorial Park, the grape industry and rural tourism reinforce each other. In recent years, relying on the visitor traffic brought by red tourism, the village receives more than 300,000 tourists annually.
Quanzhou County has conducted in-depth excavation and protection of 168 revolutionary site relics, built facilities such as the Xiang River Campaign walking experience trail and red service stations, created more than 20 red landmarks, and launched diverse business formats including "red tourism + study tours," "red tourism + cultural creativity," "red tourism + sports," and "red tourism + rural revitalization."
Continuing along the route of the Red Army's westward advance that year, one arrives at Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County. Longsheng is an important ethnic minority area that the Red Army passed through during the Long March. That year, after breaking through the Xiang River, the Central Red Army crossed Laoshanjie to arrive in Longsheng and headed toward the "Tongdao troop redirection"; today, this breakout road has become a road of revitalization driving development.
In November 1934, the Red Army issued the "Directive Principles on Work among the Yao and Miao Nationalities" and the "Slogans to the Miao and Yao Nationalities" in northern Guangxi. These were important programmatic documents of the Party's ethnic work during the Long March. The Red Army's ten days and ten nights passing through Longsheng allowed the Party's ethnic policies to be successfully put into practice.
In Lejiang Town, Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County, a 38.8-meter-high, 23-story Dong drum tower stands towering. This building, named the "Jiangkou Red Army Drum Tower," was built with funds voluntarily raised by local people to commemorate the Red Army that was once stationed here.
The ruins of the small granary beside the drum tower record this bond of fish-and-water affection between the army and the people. In December 1934, the Fourth Division of the Third Red Army Corps was stationed in Jiangkou Village when a fire broke out in the village. More than 30 Red Army soldiers fought desperately to rescue the granary covered with rice straw. After the granary was saved, the village elders wanted to give the rice to the Red Army, but the Red Army politely declined: "Let this rice be kept as seed for next year." Zhou Enping, a red education lecturer in Longsheng County, said that this sentence also sowed the seeds of ethnic unity and army-people friendship in the hearts of the local people.
The red flame has not only illuminated memory but also lit the path of revitalization for Jiangkou Village. This Dong village, leveraging the integrated model of "red + Dong ethnic customs + rural industry," strings the Long March trail, the Red Army drum tower, and the red canteen into a chain of pearls. In the village, Dong aunties serve oil tea and sing pipa songs to welcome tourists from all directions; Dong youth Wei Jiliang has returned to his hometown to open a homestay, where from the wooden buildings one opens the window to greenery, and red study tours and traditional batik craftsmanship are blended into each guest room. Tourists stay overnight, listen to a night of Red Army stories, and pillow on a bay of Dong township mountains and waters — this former battleground is quietly becoming a warm new cultural tourism calling card.
In recent years, Longsheng has invested a cumulative total of more than 76 million yuan in building and protecting red culture positions, creating a premium red tourism route of "one center, three axes, six points."
In April 2025, the "Guilin Red Xiang River" red tourism bus special line was officially inaugurated, connecting six counties of northern Guangxi including Quanzhou, Xing'an, Guanyang, and Longsheng, as well as important red landmarks such as Mao'er Mountain, linking memorial parks, ancient ferries, grave-keeping villages, and Red Army buildings into a line, allowing red culture and ecology, humanity, and ethnic customs to shine in harmony with each other.
The Xiang River surges on without cease, and the spirit of the Long March is becoming more vibrant with the passage of time (历久弥新, li jiu mi xin - "endure, long, time; still, more, new"). Ninety-two years ago, the Red Army officers and soldiers forged a monument of faith with their lives; ninety-two years later, the people of northern Guangxi, by guarding and inheriting the spirit and striving to create the future, continue to write the Long March story of the new era on this red hot land.
Return to TopBy: 孟 扬
In the green mountains and clear waters of northern Guangxi, a sound that transcends time and space echoes through the air, passed down by word of mouth for ninety years, taught from elder sister to younger sister, from village elders to their children and grandchildren—these are the Red Army folk ballads that emerged from the years of war and flames.
"On the Hunan-Guangxi ancient road, the Red Army's path, every blade of grass, every tree, one loyal soul; on the Hunan-Guangxi ancient road, the Red Army's path, every mountain, every rock, one monument."
"Heroes' blood stained the Xiang River crossing, the riverbed buried deep with the bones of the loyal and brave. For three years, do not drink the Xiang River's water; for ten years, do not eat the Xiang River's fish."
"On the Red Army Rock, like a dragon, beneath the rock, grass grows thick and long. The Red Army passed by and carved words, the Yao people must pass them down from generation to generation." ...
Folk ballads and mountain songs are not history books, yet they took root in people's hearts earlier than any history book, kneading the memory of that time of blood and fire into the spring winds and autumn rains, carving it into the mountains, waters, and native soil, erecting a monument in the hearts of the people.
That year, the people of northern Guangxi saw a contingent that was sacrificing oneself for a cause (舍生忘死, she sheng wang si - "abandon life, forget death") and charging forward courageously (勇往直前, yong wang zhi qian - "bravely, go forward, straight, ahead"), and they recorded with folk ballads a bloody battle upon which life and death hung. At the end of November 1934, the Central Red Army pushed into the Xiang River basin of northern Guangxi. Facing a pocket formation laid by hundreds of thousands of Kuomintang troops in layers of encirclement, the Red Army officers and soldiers, short of guns and ammunition, nonetheless used their flesh and blood to pry open the "pocket" and open the passage across the river. Struggling for survival in a desperate situation, corpses floating on the river surface blocked the current, and the color of blood soaked through the heart of the waves. But the contingent did not scatter, and the officers and soldiers charged forward courageously.
Where did the Red Army's strength come from? The phrase "bones of the loyal and brave" in the folk ballad, every word weighing a thousand jin, reveals the reason: holding fast to faith was the source of strength by which the Red Army overcame difficulties. "Do not drink the river's water" and "do not eat the river's fish" imply the ferocity of the fighting, and even more, they express the northern Guangxi people's "pain" and "reverence" for the Red Army martyrs.
Plain words, profound consolation, become a tragic footnote to this history. They make us today wake up upon hearing them, and when facing difficulties, think of the Red Army's Long March, think of the bloody battle at the Xiang River, think of the power of faith.
At the Fenghuangzui ferry crossing, the river flows calmly as if in unceasing chant, causing the Red Army folk ballads to ring once again in our ears. The folk ballads sing of the resolute and irreversible counter-charge of those who faced death without flinching, the endurance of those in Ermu Cave who swore never to surrender, and the loyalty of those who firmly followed the Party.
The Thirty-Fourth Division of the Fifth Red Army Corps was the rearguard of the entire army, facing an enemy more than ten times its number. Knowing full well that they faced escaping from a desperate situation (九死一生, jiu si yi sheng - "nine, deaths, one, life"), the officers and soldiers of the entire division were resolute and undeterred in one's course (义无反顾, yi wu fan gu - "righteousness, no, turn back"), staking their lives in the fight. Division Commander Chen Shuxiang swore an oath: "I swear to shed my last drop of blood for the Soviet new China." In the course of shifting battles, Chen Shuxiang was hit by a bullet in the abdomen; he used a belt to bind the wound and continued to command. After being captured, the enemy carried him on a stretcher to seek credit and rewards (邀功请赏, yao gong qing shang - "invite, merit, request, reward"). On the way, he woke from unconsciousness, and seizing the moment when the enemy was off guard, "broke his intestines to make his resolve clear," fixing his life at the age of 29.
In Ermu Cave on the back mountain of Bantang Village, more than a hundred Red Army wounded and sick had once been hidden. They waited quietly for nightfall, preparing to catch up with their unit under cover of darkness. But enemy troops searching the mountains discovered the cave. They surrounded the cave mouth and resorted to vicious means, mixing sulfur with chili peppers, setting them alight, and pouring thick smoke into the cave. The scene inside the cave is unbearable to imagine, too terrible to contemplate. Yet the Red Army soldiers pressed close together, and not one came out of the cave to "raise a white flag." In the mountain forests, those soldiers who had escaped the enemy's searches, limping and enduring their wounds, followed the direction in which the main force had advanced...
What does it mean to hold fast to faith? Chen Shuxiang and his comrades-in-arms gave their interpretation through loyalty. It was not an empty slogan, but a choice made at a critical moment. In the folk ballad, the chant of "loyal souls" is deeper and more enduring than any inscription. History is not merely a memory; it is more like a measuring stick. Today, when we face all manner of "new blockade lines," we might do well to measure and ask ourselves whether we still have the courage to "hold fast to our original aspiration," whether we still have the conviction that "revolutionary ideals are higher than heaven."
In Longsheng's villages and Ziyuan's mountain hollows, the Red Army folk ballads are sung ever more loudly, and the Red Army's stories are passed down from generation to generation. In the Jiangkou Dong village, the "five-pointed star" that the villagers made that year according to the pattern on the Red Army's caps has stood all along beside the small granary the Red Army protected; in the Baimian Yao village, the slogans written by the Red Army were carved by the villagers into the rock; in Longping, the ancient drum tower the Red Army saved from fire has become the "Red Army Tower" treasured by the villagers...
In the early winter of that year, the Red Army crossed the Xiang River and entered Longsheng. Kuomintang secret agents, in order to drive a wedge between the Red Army and the local people, set fire to the villages, and the contiguous wooden houses and bamboo towers were instantly swallowed by the sea of flames. The Red Army soldiers, without hesitation, threw themselves into fighting the fire, and many, on top of their gunshot wounds, added burns. The Red Army, short of clothing and food, also distributed relief funds to the disaster-stricken masses. When the villagers brought out rice to express their gratitude, the Red Army declined politely, and the words "let these rice grains be kept as seed for next year" moved the villagers to tears upon hearing it (闻之泪目, wen zhi lei mu - "hear, it, tears, eyes").
Why have the Red Army folk ballads of northern Guangxi been sung without end and continued to thrive from generation to generation? The answer lies in "original aspiration" and in "the people's hearts." Serving the people wholeheartedly is the foundational color of the Communists' faith, and the common people see it clearly. Conveying the heart through song, illuminating mountains and rivers with loyalty. The Red Army folk ballads are not only a historical record, but also a spark of spirit.
The long song has not yet ended, and the mountains and rivers remain ever new. These folk ballads transcend time and space, connecting with the response that "the mountains and rivers are free of harm." They remind us that no matter how far we have traveled, we must not forget why we set out; they inspire us to take faith as our lamp and loyalty as our staff, to advance with courage and determination, and to walk well the Long March road of the new era.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 唐中科 李维俊
At the Guangxi Guilin Xing'an Red Army Long March Breakthrough of the Xiang River Martyrs' Monument Park, in the drizzling rain, the Hall of Martyrs' Names bears the names of more than 20,000 martyrs densely engraved on stone tablets. In November 2014, Lin Liping followed the Yudu County Long March Source Choir from Jiangxi to this place, and she searched the name wall one by one. Suddenly, four familiar characters suddenly came into view (映入眼帘, ying ru yan lian - "enter, into, eye, appear"): Lin Luofasheng. She stopped, carefully confirmed once more, "It's him! It's 'Little Grandfather'!"
"At that moment I was both shocked and excited," Lin Liping recalled. Ignoring the drizzle, she immediately called her father: "Dad, I found it! I found Little Grandfather's name, and I know where he sacrificed!" On the other end of the line, her father Lin Guangdong's tone was calm yet urgent: "It's good that you found it, it's good that you found it. Next Qingming Festival I will definitely come to see him." This heroic name had been searched for by the family for decades.
Lin Luofasheng joined the revolution in 1931. In 1934, after crossing the Yudu River with the Central Red Army on the Long March, he was "heard from no more after going north." The family only received a martyr's certificate.
Lin Liping is Lin Luofasheng's grandniece and a middle school music teacher. She grew up immersed in stories of the Red Army. In November 2010, Yudu County established the Long March Source Choir, whose main members are descendants of Red Army soldiers, performing the "Long March Suite." Lin Liping joined, and this also began her journey of searching for "Little Grandfather." "From Ruijin and Ningdu to Xinfeng, wherever we went to perform, I would go to the local martyrs' monument to look, to see if there was 'Little Grandfather's' name," Lin Liping said.
From the Yudu River to the Xiang River, spanning more than 80 years and the concern of several generations, the search finally found its resting point in Xing'an County, Guangxi. In recent years, the Xing'an Red Army Long March Breakthrough of the Xiang River Martyrs' Monument Park has continuously improved its martyr information verification and family-reunification services: arranging dedicated personnel to verify martyrs' names, native places, unit designations, times of sacrifice, and combat experiences; making advance contact and providing full guidance for martyrs' family members to search for names; and assisting with memorial ceremonies and remembrance activities. "To date, we have received more than 300 family members of martyrs who came to search for their relatives, and have helped over a hundred families of martyrs find their loved ones," said Yin Tanghuai, curator of the Xing'an Red Army Long March Breakthrough of the Xiang River Memorial Hall. "Making every family member who comes from afar truly feel that 'the names are not forgotten, and relatives can be found' is an unavoidable duty or responsibility (义不容辞, yi bu rong ci - "righteousness, not, allow, words") of ours."
One search journey after another has reconnected the names sleeping in history with their families, and has also allowed the red memories spanning years and regions to continue. At Qingming Festival in 2015, Lin Liping brought her parents, younger brother, daughter, and nephew to Xing'an to pay respects. In the more than 10 years since, Lin Liping and her family have traveled to Xing'an several times.
The customs of the Hakka people have also continued with their repeated visits. Her father Lin Guangdong brought homemade rice wine to pay homage at the Jieshou Red Army Hall on the banks of the Xiang River; they also took a handful of soil from the Xiang River bank back to Yudu, burying it in the cenotaph of Martyr Lin Luofasheng in Hefeng Township, their hometown.
As a descendant of a Red Army soldier, Lin Liping feels it is her responsibility to pass on this red memory. Her daughter grew up hearing the story of "Red Army Great-Grandfather," and "no difficulty is too great to overcome!" Later, her daughter was admitted to university with excellent grades and chose to major in Marxist theory.
"My daughter will proactively tell her teachers and classmates the story of searching for 'Red Army Great-Grandfather,' and also hopes to spread the red spirit more widely through what she has learned," Lin Liping said. "Passing it down from generation to generation — I think this is the red family tradition."
From a seeker she became a storyteller. On May 20, 2020, Lin Liping also joined the county-organized Long March Source Publicity Group, participating in the themed lecture "The Eternal Long March," using her spare time to travel with the team to various places, telling the story of the Long March and spreading the Long March spirit.
"These activities are all public welfare in nature, with no salary or subsidies, but this is what a descendant of a Red Army martyr should do." As a working teacher, she often has to squeeze time out of her work schedule to participate in rehearsals, performances, and lectures.
The waters of the Xiang River flow on without cease, and the Yudu River stretches into the distance. Now, more than 10 years have passed since the name of Red Army martyr "Lin Luofasheng" was found. Lin Liping returns to Xing'an again and again, and also steps onto the lecture platform again and again, telling more people the story of a family's search spanning decades.
"The road of searching for 'Little Grandfather' has been completed, but the road of carrying forward the red spirit continues!" Lin Liping said.
Return to TopThis year marks the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan. China Life Insurance (Group) Company (hereinafter referred to as "China Life") fully leverages its role as a large state-owned financial institution and an important institutional investor in China's capital market, anchors itself to the goal of "accelerating the building of a financial power," adheres to making financial services for the real economy its fundamental purpose, strives to take the lead and advance in depth the "333 Strategy," fully leverages the comprehensive financial advantages of the coordinated development of its three major business segments—insurance, investment, and banking—and is meticulously cultivating a field or business (深耕细作, shen geng xi zuo - "deep, plow; fine, work") and making steady and rapid progress (蹄疾步稳, ti ji bu wen - "hoof, fast; step, steady") in areas such as cultivating new quality productive forces, enhancing people's well-being, developing pension finance, and advancing digital and intelligent transformation, contributing China Life's strength to a good start and solid foundation for the 15th Five-Year Plan.
In the first half of this year, China Life achieved its best-ever results in major operating indicators for the corresponding period in history. Under the new accounting standards, the Group's consolidated operating revenue exceeded 520 billion yuan, and consolidated net profit exceeded 130 billion yuan; consolidated total assets exceeded 9 trillion yuan, with managed assets of 18.5 trillion yuan; consolidated premium income under the regulatory statistical caliber exceeded 620 billion yuan; risk protection provided to the whole society exceeded 1,000 trillion yuan, with claims paid of 278.6 billion yuan. As of the end of June this year, the Group's insurance funds serving the real economy had a stock investment scale exceeding 6 trillion yuan; the stock investment scale of insurance funds in the domestic public market equities exceeded 1.3 trillion yuan, firmly supporting the development of the capital market.
Serving the Development of New Quality Productive Forces
The Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan makes a dedicated chapter arrangement for "accelerating high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology and leading the development of new quality productive forces," proposing to "build a science and technology finance system compatible with scientific and technological innovation." China Life continues to enrich the China Life science and technology financial service ecosystem. The life insurance company's science and technology financial investment scale exceeds 1 trillion yuan. In 2026, the property insurance company has developed 20 science and technology insurance main policies and additional products, providing risk protection of 13.7 trillion yuan for technology enterprises and serving more than 6,000 specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative "little giant" enterprises.
Providing full-process protection for "laboratories" and "production lines." From R&D to industrialization, every step of scientific and technological innovation requires risk protection as a foundation. Each member unit under China Life, starting from its professional field, works together to build an insurance protection system covering the full life cycle of technology enterprises. The life insurance company established a group science and technology insurance product development and promotion project team, launched the China Life technology enterprise employee welfare protection plan, and provides standardized menu-based services and tailor-made comprehensive solutions. The property insurance company broke through the barriers between "industry data" and "financial risks," released the "full life cycle risk protection model for innovative drugs," and formed a full-spectrum product matrix covering "R&D—clinical trials—market launch—distribution—going global."
Accompanying hard technology in the long run with "patient capital." China Life Asset Management Company initiated and established the "China Life—Haina Shenchuang Equity Investment Plan," which has completed investments in 5 key science and technology innovation enterprises, serving the "supplementing, consolidating, and strengthening of the chain" of the integrated circuit industry chain. Changxin Technology, an enterprise entrusted to invest in by China Life Investment Company, was listed on the STAR Market of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, becoming the largest IPO in the A-share market this year. China Life Asset Management Company, entrusted by the life insurance company, participated in its strategic placement, receiving an allocation of approximately 100 million yuan. The China Life Yangtze River Delta Science and Technology Innovation Fund co-led an investment in VAST, laying out 3D large models, and led an investment in Deep Robotics, entering the embodied intelligence track. The China Life Dual Carbon Fund led an investment in Fawaiyiwei, a specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative SME in collaborative robots. The China Life Science and Technology Innovation Fund has successively invested in Xihua Testing, a CRO (contract research organization) enterprise, and Kaskade, an innovative drug R&D enterprise, continuously deepening its cultivation of the innovative drug industry chain.
Solving financing difficulties with the "technology flow." CGB Bank, targeting the "asset-light, high-growth" characteristics of technology enterprises, quantifies the scientific and technological innovation value of enterprises from multiple dimensions such as patent reserves, R&D investment, scientific research teams, and business growth, and smooths the financing channel for transforming the "technology flow" of enterprises into "capital flow." At the same time, fully leveraging the advantage of being backed by the China Life Group, it provides science and technology innovation enterprises with a one-stop comprehensive financial solution of "equity, debt, loan, and insurance."
Safeguarding People's Well-being
The Outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan proposes to "strengthen inclusive, basic, and bottom-line livelihood construction, and properly solve the urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the people." China Life continuously helps to weave a tighter social security net and disaster prevention and control net, making the people's sense of gain more substantial, their sense of happiness more sustainable, and their sense of security more assured.
Advancing on both the "prevention" and "compensation" tracks, holding up "an umbrella" in wind and rain. Since the start of the flood season, many regions in China have experienced heavy rainfall and strong winds. China Life has built a customized disaster prevention, reduction, and relief system by industry and scenario: before a typhoon makes landfall, early warning information and risk avoidance guidelines are precisely delivered to various insured clients; after a typhoon passes, batch and rapid loss assessment is carried out for affected plots, giving affected farmers a "reassurance pill." Thousands of acres of pomelo orchards in Yuhuan City, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province were severely damaged in the typhoon. The Yuhuan branch of the property insurance company innovatively launched a pomelo weather index insurance that can automatically trigger claims based on meteorological data, with the first batch of more than 200,000 yuan in claim payments arriving on the same day. In the first half of 2026, China Life provided catastrophe insurance protection of nearly 25 billion yuan, participated in 23 local catastrophe insurance projects, and agricultural insurance provided protection of more than 318.4 billion yuan for more than 7.37 million households of farmers. Through the taking precautions before a problem arises (未雨绸缪, wei yu chou mou - "not, rain; prepare, plan") of "prevention" and the racing against the clock (争分夺秒, zheng fen duo miao - "struggle, minute; snatch, second") of "compensation," it firmly guards the people's "money bags."
Beyond emergency response, the warmth of insurance is also reflected in daily, bit-by-bit protection. The "Huimin Bao" series of products continues the characteristics of "low premiums, wide coverage," helping to improve the multi-level medical security system. The "Huigong Bao" employee-exclusive products have cumulatively provided risk protection of more than 10.6 trillion yuan for more than 2.6 million employee households. CGB Bank launched the "Guangfutong" one-stop supply chain platform, with inclusive small and micro enterprise clients accounting for 87.5% of its services.
China Life focuses on developing various annuity insurance and pension asset management products, and through long-term, stable wealth management services, helps release residents' consumption potential. The property insurance company is accelerating the expansion of the vehicle owner ecosystem services, upgrading vehicle-related product series, and fully integrating into customer consumption scenarios. CGB Bank innovatively piloted the "one point serving the whole country" financial empowerment model for automobile consumption. China Life is taking multiple measures simultaneously (多措并举, duo cuo bing ju - "many, measures; together, lift") to "promote consumption," committed to making people's lives more confident and more promising.
Caring for the Health and Well-being of the Elderly
The Yinling Ankang Project is an accident insurance product exclusively for the elderly innovatively launched by China Life Life Insurance Company in Shandong, featuring "low premiums, high protection, simple enrollment, and convenient claims." In addition, the life insurance company has successively launched exclusive series of products for the elderly such as "Xiyanghong," "Xiyangbao," "Yinling Wuyou," and "Guanai Laonianren," sending "amulets" for later life to more customers.
Elderly care is not only about "preventing accidents," but also about "having someone to take care of you." Long-term care insurance is known as the "sixth insurance" of the social security system. China Life has been deeply involved since the beginning of the pilot of the long-term care insurance system in 2016, with more than 90 long-term care insurance projects in operation, and strives to play the triple role of "professional service provider," "market supplementer," and "ecosystem builder." In the field of agency services, the "integrated service management platform for long-term care insurance" that has been built achieves effective linkage from full-process agency, system construction to intelligent risk control, data analysis, and coordination with care institutions.
A fuller "pension money bag" is the hard truth of "providing for the elderly." China Life comprehensively lays out its pension three-pillar business. In terms of the first pillar, the pension insurance company provides investment management services for over 88 billion yuan of basic pension insurance funds, with new additions maintaining a leading position among pension insurance peers. In terms of the second pillar, the cumulative scale of annuity business has reached 2.4 trillion yuan. Through models such as the "park collective annuity model" and "talent annuity special plans," it reduces the difficulty for small, medium, and micro enterprises to establish enterprise annuity systems and continuously promotes the expansion of enterprise annuity coverage. In terms of the third pillar, the commercial pension business scale of the pension insurance company is 91.8 billion yuan, ranking among the top in the industry. In addition, the life insurance company added 16 new commercial insurance annuity products in the first half of this year, with the commercial insurance annuity business scale firmly maintaining a leading position in the industry, and personal pension business rising significantly; the asset management company continues to expand the types of pension financial products, further enriching the pension product supply system.
While the "pension money bag" is getting fuller, "good places for elderly care" are also increasing. "Guoshou Jiayuan," the professional elderly care operation brand under China Life, has launched multiple product lines including boutique urban center elderly care apartments, continuing care retirement communities, health and wellness sojourns, and inclusive community-based home elderly care projects, completing the layout of 20 elderly care and wellness projects in more than 10 cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou in Jiangsu, Chengdu in Sichuan, Xiamen in Fujian, and Qingdao in Shandong, providing more than 11,000 elderly care service beds.
China Life is also actively expanding into the new blue ocean of the silver economy. As of the end of June 2026, the China Life Big Health Fund and the Silver Hair Fund have cumulatively contributed nearly 23 billion yuan, cumulatively helping 24 enterprises go public, providing strong support for the high-quality development of the silver hair industry chain.
Embracing Digital and Intelligent Transformation
As the wave of digital and intelligent transformation surges, China Life takes the comprehensive advancement of digital and intelligent transformation as its starting point, focuses on shaping the future China Life, advances in depth the comprehensive breakthrough of the "333 Strategy," and makes coordinated efforts in multiple dimensions such as planning and design, data governance, intelligent models, and platform construction, promoting the rapid improvement of total factor productivity.
On June 16 this year, at the 20th "China Life 616" Customer Festival, the China Life One Account Pass platform was officially released as an important achievement of the Group's digital and intelligent transformation. In the first month after launch, the platform had more than 876,000 active customers. The platform provides the experience of "one China Life, one entry point, one-stop service." Customers only need to log in once to enjoy comprehensive financial services including insurance, banking, and elderly care under the China Life Group.
Building a solid digital and intelligent foundation and activating the value of data elements. The "China Life Science and Technology Innovation Laboratory Mechanism Optimization Plan" was issued, completing the filing procedures for 79 research project applications; the intelligent computing cloud construction project was launched to dynamically meet the needs for large model development, training, and deployment. The data middle platform continues to be strengthened, with the Group's integrated strategic customer system collecting more than 700,000 pieces of various cooperation data.
Large models are achieving brilliant and successful results (落地生花, luo di sheng hua - "land, ground; grow, flowers"), reshaping the entire business chain. The life insurance company promoted the application of a new policy intelligent review model, with verification accuracy exceeding 90%; CGB Bank newly implemented 58 large model business scenarios, promoting quality and efficiency improvement in areas such as risk prevention and control, customer service, precision marketing, and operation management; the asset management company built a digital and intelligent scientific decision-making system for equity investment, helping achieve spread income of over 10 billion yuan, focusing on new quality productive forces research, building an intelligent analysis system, and monitoring more than 60 industries... Through digital and intelligent exploration, China Life is redefining service boundaries and customer experience.
On September 6, China Life Insurance (Group) Company announced that it would receive 35 billion yuan in special treasury bond funding support from the Ministry of Finance. Receiving the capital injection will help further enhance China Life's ability to operate steadily and resist risks, injecting strong momentum for the company to focus on its main business, improve governance, and achieve differentiated development. China Life will effectively leverage the supplementary capital, continuously strengthen the Group's momentum for high-quality development, and help build Chinese modernization with high-quality financial services.
Data source: China Life Insurance (Group) Company
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 陈尚文
The vast blue waves of the Lingdingyang stretch for miles, with the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge spanning between sea and sky. "The bridge achieves physical connectivity among the three places of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao through exquisite engineering technology, powerfully promoting the integrated development of the Greater Bay Area," remarked Felix Paz, president of Peru's Andina News Agency. "Just as we gather together in China, deepening cooperation and consolidating consensus through the power of connectivity will promote common regional development."
As one of the series of activities in the "China Year" of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Asia-Pacific Media High-Level Forum was held on September 5 in Shenzhen, Guangdong. Before the forum, some participating representatives visited Zhuhai and Zhongshan, feeling the strong pulse of Chinese modernization and exploring vivid examples of Asia-Pacific regional cooperation.
At the 220-kilovolt Qinyun Substation located in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, a four-legged robot dog steadily stepped onto the cobblestone pavement, walked to the main transformer, raised its head to take photos and measure temperatures, with data transmitted back in real time — the entire sequence of movements was smooth and natural. "Machines replacing humans in complex, high-risk scenarios greatly improves inspection efficiency and safety," said Florlyn Frederick, news director of the public radio station of Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia. Having learned that the substation combines intelligent equipment with artificial intelligence algorithms, shifting grid operation and maintenance from "post-incident repair" to "pre-incident warning," she expressed hope that such technology "can provide help for stable power supply in the Asia-Pacific region and island countries."
As China's first Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao energy research and development sharing platform, the Hengqin Digital Zero-Carbon Island Shared Laboratory provides comprehensive support to universities, enterprises, and young makers in Hong Kong and Macao, from concept verification to on-site trial production. "The significance of this exploration lies not only in the gathering and cultivation of talent, but also in building a cooperative framework for collaborative innovation in the Greater Bay Area, providing more possibilities for young people to realize their dreams, and also bringing important inspiration for regional development," said Lang Makun, chief executive officer of the Australia-China Youth Association, expressing hope that regional countries can further strengthen learning from each other through exchange (交流互鉴, jiaoliu hujian - "exchange, mutual learn") in areas such as technology and youth, unleash greater innovation potential, and inject more vitality into Asia-Pacific development.
Entering Mingyang Smart Energy Group, located in Zhongshan, the representatives gained in-depth understanding of the company's innovative achievements in offshore wind power and its full industrial chain layout. "China is committed to achieving both large-scale power output and ecological environment governance," said Michael Hansen, editor and senior reporter of New Zealand's United Media Network. In his view, while Chinese enterprises deepen research and development of clean energy technologies, they are also actively expanding external cooperation and sharing innovation results with other countries — which is particularly crucial at a time when climate change has become a common challenge for the Asia-Pacific region.
Fresh agricultural products from western Guangdong, such as lychees and Sanhua plums, can be delivered to supermarkets in Hong Kong within half a day; through the "Hong Kong Airport — Bridge — Zhuhai" dedicated air-ground express route for fresh products, live goods such as Australian lobsters can reach the dining tables of Greater Bay Area consumers within 48 hours at the fastest from the moment of capture... "The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge links the entire region together, bringing tangible benefits to the people," said Pongsavanh Thitkham, president and editor-in-chief of Laos' Vientiane Times.
In Yakou Village, Zhongshan, the opening of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Corridor has accelerated this land's integration into the Greater Bay Area's "circle of friends." "Young people have come back, cafes and homestays have opened, and rural tourism is getting hotter and hotter... Stories of success inspire more people to return to their hometowns and make their lives even more prosperous," remarked Sharad Chandra Bhandari, editor-in-chief of Nepal's national news agency RSS, noting that this reflects China's practical experience in rural revitalization and coordinated urban-rural development.
During the visit, the Zhuhai sub-forum of the Asia-Pacific Media High-Level Forum was held under the theme "A New Vision of Asia-Pacific People-to-People and Cultural Exchange Based on Equality, Mutual Learning, Dialogue, and Inclusiveness." Representatives from Chinese and foreign government departments, mainstream media, experts and scholars, and entrepreneurs from APEC economies participated.
Tan Han Kwang, editor-in-chief of Malaysia's Sin Chew Daily, particularly emphasized the importance of "soft connectivity." He said that moving from "interconnection" to "symbiosis" requires crossing not only national borders, but also relying on industrial linkage and multicultural cooperation to truly bring people closer together.
"We have experienced China's development, listened to the voices of different economies, and built trust through face-to-face exchanges," said Cristina Pazzias, community outreach manager of the APEC Secretariat. Noting that the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is to be held in November, she expressed hope that media from various countries will come to China and tell more stories of openness, innovation, and cooperation, gathering more consensus for the common development of the Asia-Pacific region.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 贺林平
On August 26, at the Nan Kwong (Hengqin) Logistics Center in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, with the crisp click of the "Cross-Border One-Lock" mechanism between Guangdong and Macao, a truck loaded with more than 10,000 pieces of cross-border e-commerce export goods set off, steadily passing through the joint one-stop lane at the Hengqin checkpoint; after rapid customs clearance, it went directly to Macao International Airport, 13 kilometers away, and then flew on to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
This was the first shipment and first flight of the "pilot and trial" air cargo palletization business at the Macao International Airport Hengqin front-end cargo station. For the first time, the service functions of Macao International Airport have been substantively extended to the mainland — this is not only an improvement in logistics efficiency, but also a leap in urban functions — the logistics channels between the two places have been further opened up, building a new fulcrum for embedding "Macao + Hengqin" into the Asia-Pacific and connecting with the world.
The Asia-Pacific region is an important engine of world economic growth, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is one of the regions in China with the highest degree of openness and the strongest economic vitality. From the sight of many ships sailing vigorously (千帆竞发, qian fan jing fa - "thousand, sails, compete, set out") and the vast gathering of merchants (万商云集, wan shang yun ji - "ten thousand, merchants, cloud, gather") along the Maritime Silk Road, to using Hong Kong and Macao as windows and "super connectors" to promote economic and trade exchanges and people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Asia-Pacific economies, to the three places of Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao continuously deepening the alignment of rules and the dovetailing of mechanisms, integrating as an organic whole into the regional cooperation and development landscape. In the view of Li Xiaoying, deputy director of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Research Institute at Sun Yat-sen University, "With its unique advantages, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is becoming an important engine for promoting regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific."
Taking Guangdong as an example, in 2025 the total value of foreign trade imports and exports was 9.49 trillion yuan, of which ASEAN was the largest trading partner, and imports and exports with emerging markets such as the five Central Asian countries and the Middle East grew by 23.6% and 8.5% respectively. In terms of utilizing foreign investment, the attractiveness of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has increased significantly. In 2025, the nine cities in the Pearl River Delta actually utilized 105.73 billion yuan of foreign investment, an increase of 14.6%, with investment from developed Asia-Pacific economies such as the United States, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore flowing in continuously, both injecting new momentum into regional high-quality development and creating new business opportunities for themselves.
Not long ago, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, the aroma of tea wafted through the air and crowds surged. Shenzhen's "e-Station for Going Global" used the Qianhai "sharing a boat to go to sea" model to organize seven quality tea enterprises from the mainland into a dedicated exhibition group, appearing at the 2026 Hong Kong International Tea Fair, and on the first day established contact with dozens of buyers from Southeast Asia and elsewhere. This integrated online-offline comprehensive service platform for enterprises going global, which leverages Hong Kong and Macao externally to connect with the international community and integrate global resources, has served more than 2,000 enterprises going global since it was launched in July 2024, promoting 224 overseas investment projects.
In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the "Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou" innovation cluster is the world's largest innovation cluster, and the full-process innovation chain of "basic research + technological breakthroughs + commercialization of results + technology finance + talent support," with its vibrant institutional mechanisms and innovation ecosystem, is accelerating the transformation of scientific research results from "the bookshelf" to "the shelf," taking root as the vigorous vitality of new quality productive forces. At Guangzhou Frontop Digital Creative Technology, representatives of APEC economies lingered for a long time in the VR (virtual reality) experience area, expressing on the spot their hope to use the Greater Bay Area's digital technology to showcase their countries' tourism resources to the world; in Dongguan, the vivid achievements of the intelligent transformation of traditional manufacturing have opened up broad imaginative space for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Asia-Pacific...
"Many Asia-Pacific economies are currently facing common challenges such as industrial upgrading, green transformation, and the enhancement of innovation capacity. The Greater Bay Area closely links production lines, research institutes, technology enterprises, logistics networks, and open platforms, which helps accelerate the transformation and application of new technologies and enhance the overall competitiveness of the region," said Kanokwan Korpraditsuk, international news editor of Thailand's Bangkok Post.
Return to TopBy: 寸 心
Not long ago, the 40th International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) World Congress was held in Ottawa, Canada, where the photo exhibition "Listening to the Voice of Rural Reading in China" became a major highlight of the conference. This was the first time China held an official exhibition on the theme of rural reading on an international platform. To date, China has built a cumulative total of 587,000 rural libraries, basically achieving full coverage of administrative villages, a progress that drew widespread admiration from senior figures in the field of international reading promotion present at the event.
IBBY President Basarat Kazim is the head of Pakistan's "One Thousand and One Nights Bus Library Association." Over a 48-year career, she has used buses, camels, and even boats and other means of transport to build more than 7,000 libraries for children in remote areas, and knows well the weight and hardship of spreading reading across vast lands. It is precisely for this reason that when she saw the rural reading network China has woven across more than 9.6 million square kilometers of territory, she said frankly that she was deeply moved: "I fully endorse this policy aimed at rural children. Bringing reading to them is helping them open the door to creative thinking."
What deeply moved international colleagues was not only the breadth of coverage and speed of advancement of China's rural reading network, but even more the reading stories that have grown out of the local soil. In Xiji, Ningxia, known as the "Hometown of Chinese Literature," the Mulan Academy has gathered a group of farmer writers who love writing. They say, "Literature is the best crop on this land." The life experience of the disabled writer Ma Jun deeply touched Mastura, director of the Selangor State Public Library in Malaysia.
In the exhibition hall, nearly a hundred handwritten wish cards also carried the reading aspirations of rural youth. "I want a fairy tale book," "I want to read books about dinosaurs"... These cards, written in immature handwriting, came from more than 80,000 rural children across more than 20 provinces in China. The "Lighting Up Reading Micro-Wishes" book drifting campaign, launched in April 2025, has made these wishes come true one by one. On Baizhou Island in Zhijiang, Hubei, located in the middle of the Yangtze River, Chen Mulan, who returned to her hometown, founded an island bookstore in 2019, accompanying children and parents in reading, and turning the small bookstore into a "spiritual granary" for the islanders surrounded by water on all sides.
Behind the solid results lies a clear path and sustained determination in the development of rural reading in China. As an inclusive cultural project, rural libraries started pilot programs in 2005, were rolled out nationwide in 2007, and after more than 20 years of sustained investment, started from solving the problem of hundreds of millions of farmers finding it "hard to buy books, hard to borrow books, and hard to read books," and step by step wove a reading "capillary network" covering administrative villages nationwide, with a cumulative distribution of more than 1.3 billion books, approaching the total collection of public libraries across the country. In 2026, a campaign to reform and upgrade rural libraries was launched in full, pushing this project to upgrade from full coverage to high quality. At the same time, the Regulations on the Promotion of Reading for All explicitly encourages and supports the participation of social forces, and mechanisms such as the selection of rural reading role models have built platforms for gathering goodwill, allowing scattered individual warm currents to continue flowing into the rural reading cause. The strength of government projects and the warmth of grassroots sentiment are coexisting and thriving together (相融共生, xiang rong gong sheng - "mutually, blend, together, live"), injecting lasting momentum into this cause.
To be sure, there is still room for improvement in the quality and effectiveness of rural reading in China, and sustained efforts are needed in areas such as precise supply of quality content, cultivation of the grassroots reading ecosystem, and extension of digital services. But this cause, still being improved, is itself a livelihood practice full of pioneering significance. What people see in the 587,000 rural libraries is not only the sinking of reading resources, but also the developmental warmth of "not leaving a single person behind," and the solid support of institutional advantages for inclusive benefits to people's livelihoods.
Reading is a universal language that transcends national borders. This time, the Chinese rural reading theme exhibition stepped onto the international stage, which is both a concrete action by China to actively participate in the global cause of reading promotion and a cultural window for the world to understand China. The light of reading growing out of the local soil not only illuminates the road to rural revitalization in China, but also conveys the developmental wisdom of consolidating the foundation of people's livelihoods through inclusive cultural benefits.
Return to TopNepal's President Calls on the Whole Nation to Act in Complete Unity in Post-Disaster Reconstruction
(Xinhua News Agency, Kathmandu, September 7) (Reporters Zhang Ping, Zhang Dongqiang) Nepal's President Paudel delivered a national televised address on the 7th, calling on all citizens to act in complete unity (团结一致, tuan jie yi zhi - "unite, one, together, one") in this difficult time and devote full effort to post-disaster reconstruction work.
On August 26, a sudden glacial collapse in Nepal's border region triggered a severe mudslide disaster, causing heavy casualties. As of now, 1,355 people have been confirmed dead and 4,996 remain missing in the mudslide-affected areas of the country. The disaster has also caused severe damage to important infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and hydropower facilities.
In his address, Paudel called on the people to remain united, saying, "Now is the time to demonstrate national unity and cohesion, and it is also the time for reconstruction and revival." Paudel expressed profound condolences to all compatriots who lost their lives and extended sincere sympathy to the families of the victims. He also expressed condolences for the foreign citizens who tragically lost their lives, saying that Nepal will cooperate with the governments and diplomatic missions of the relevant countries in handling the aftermath.
Paudel also expressed gratitude to the friendly countries and the international community that provided assistance during this disaster. He said that at this difficult moment when Nepal faces severe challenges, all parties "promptly provided search and rescue personnel, technical experts, medical teams, and necessary equipment, offering assistance."
Russian Foreign Ministry —
Takaichi's Remarks Demanding Russia Dismantle the Monument Are "Absurd and Disregard History"
According to (Xinhua News Agency, Moscow, September 6) (Reporter Luan Hai) Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zakharova responded on the 6th to Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae's demand that Russia dismantle the monument commemorating the victory over militarist Japan, saying that this is as absurd as demanding "not to let the wind blow and the sun stop shining," and that one should not infect other countries with the "disease" of disregarding one's own history.
On the 4th, an unveiling ceremony was held in Russia's Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk for a monument commemorating the victory over militarist Japan. This monument is currently Russia's largest monument commemorating the victory over militarist Japan, built jointly by the Russian Military Historical Society and the government of Khabarovsk Krai. At the center of the monument stands a 15-meter-tall statue of a Soviet soldier, representing the Soviet Red Army that defeated the main forces of the Japanese Kwantung Army. The soldier holds a long spear, and beside him a boundary marker bearing a chrysanthemum pattern lies smashed in two.
Zakharova said to Russian media on the 6th: "Our history is based on facts, and our memory is engraved on monuments." Zakharova specifically pointed out that the Japanese side disregards its own history and should not infect other countries with this "disease."
According to another report by Russia's Gazeta.Ru on the 6th, citing Russian State Duma (lower house of parliament) deputy Oleg Matveychev, World War II ended with Japan's unconditional surrender, and the monument in Khabarovsk was established precisely for this purpose; against this backdrop, the Japanese side's demand to dismantle the monument is "very ridiculous."
Ovsyanko, deputy chairman of the Russian Military Historical Society, said that the smashed chrysanthemum pattern on the monument is precisely the symbol of militarist Japan, and designing the monument in this way is correct and consistent with historical facts.
Iran's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance Establishes Economic War Command Headquarters
(Xinhua News Agency, Tehran, September 7) Iran's Mehr News Agency reported on the 6th that Iran's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance has established an "Economic War Command Headquarters," aimed at centrally studying and assessing the economic problems caused by the war and coordinating relevant departments to accelerate the formulation and implementation of solutions.
Iran's Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Morteza Zamani said that the body is established within the ministry and will initially focus on handling issues within the scope of the ministry's duties and authority, including the impact of the war on economic fields such as business operations, trade, and financing, in order to accelerate the follow-up and resolution of related issues. For issues beyond the ministry's authority, they will be handled through cross-departmental coordination. He said the body's main task is to centrally identify the problems and obstacles to economic operation caused by the war, propose actionable solutions, and strengthen coordination when multiple departments need to participate jointly.
U.S. President Trump announced on August 19 "devastating economic actions" against Iran. U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent announced on August 24 that the United States has launched a new round of sanctions against Iran.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 邹 松
Recently, member states of the Economic Community of West African States signed an agreement supporting the construction of the "Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline" project. The project's estimated total investment reaches $27 billion, with a total pipeline length of approximately 6,000 kilometers and a designed annual gas transmission capacity of up to 30 billion cubic meters. Passing through more than 10 West African countries, it will transport Nigerian natural gas to Morocco, from where it can be connected to other pipelines for delivery to European markets.
The West African region boasts a superior natural resource endowment (资源禀赋, zi yuan bing fu - "resource, endowment"), with diversified development potential across oil, gas, hydropower, and other renewable energy sources. Countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire possess abundant oil and gas reserves; among them, Nigeria not only ranks first in Africa in proven natural gas reserves but has long been among the leading African oil producers. Guinea, Mali, and other countries have high-quality hydropower resources. Most West African countries enjoy ample sunlight and abundant wind energy resources, with enormous potential for solar and wind power development. World Bank data show that the installed capacity of renewable energy power generation in West Africa has grown steadily in recent years, laying a solid foundation for the region's energy transition.
At present, the distribution of energy resources in West Africa is severely mismatched with the distribution of demand. Resource-rich countries such as Nigeria have limited development and utilization capacity, and a large share of natural gas resources has not been fully converted into economic momentum, making it difficult to rapidly translate resource advantages into development advantages. Countries such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Niger face continuously growing energy demand, yet have long struggled with insufficient stable gas supply and electricity supply shortages. According to recent data from the International Renewable Energy Agency and the African Development Bank, the electricity access rate in the West African region is only about 50 percent. Overall energy infrastructure is weak, with aging power transmission networks and high loss rates. Countries such as Sierra Leone and Liberia have long maintained relatively high electricity distribution loss rates, seriously affecting the efficiency and stability of energy supply.
In recent years, West African countries have further strengthened regional energy interconnection and coordinated development. The West African Power Pool has taken the lead in advancing regional power interconnection projects, having built more than 4,000 kilometers of high-voltage transmission lines that connect the power grids of 15 countries, enabling cross-border electricity trading and dispatch within the region. International institutions such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank are actively participating in West African energy cooperation, providing financial and technical support for regional infrastructure construction and helping some countries alleviate energy shortage pressures.
Oluwafemi Akindele, a West African energy expert and researcher at the Nigerian Institute for Energy Policy Research, believes that West Africa's energy development urgently requires deepening regional coordination to achieve optimal resource allocation, and that the "Nigeria–Morocco Gas Pipeline" project is precisely the key lever for resolving this contradiction. At present, the project has completed the feasibility study and front-end engineering design phases, with construction planned to begin in 2028 and the first batch of natural gas deliveries expected in 2031. Once the project is completed, countries along the pipeline route can connect to the regional natural gas network through offtake nodes, using the gas for power generation, industrial production, and residential gas supply, providing more stable guarantees for the industrialization and energy structure improvement of the countries along the route. Among these, 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year will be used to supply the Moroccan and European markets, complementing Europe's existing natural gas supply system.
China and West African countries are actively strengthening natural gas energy cooperation, with multiple projects providing important support for regional energy development. For example, China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Corporation has participated in the construction of the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano gas pipeline project in Nigeria, accumulating rich experience in West African pipeline construction and providing technical and engineering support for the improvement of regional energy infrastructure. The World Economic Forum's 2026 report emphasizes that the advancement of West African energy interconnection will not only reshape the regional energy landscape, but will also provide important support for global energy security and the diversified development of industrial chains.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 曹师韵
Since August, Indonesia has entered the peak forest-fire season in many areas, with frequent forest and land fires across Kalimantan and Sumatra. Entering September, fire conditions in some parts of Indonesia have eased somewhat, but still show a pattern of recurrence. Indonesia's Ministry of Forestry reported on September 7 that, as of the evening of September 6, the country had detected 674 high-confidence hotspots nationwide, an increase from 558 the previous day. Among these, Central Kalimantan and West Kalimantan recorded 243 and 138 hotspots respectively, making them the current priority areas for prevention and control.
At present, the Indonesian government is still deploying forces in six key provinces, committing 53 aircraft and helicopters to carry out aerial firefighting and aerial patrol and monitoring operations, in order to prevent the fires from expanding again.
Monitoring by Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency shows that most of Indonesia is currently in the dry season, with the El Niño phenomenon further aggravating drought conditions in some areas. Against this backdrop, man-made land-clearing burns have become an important direct cause of many fires. Indonesian police investigations have found that some farmers and plantation operators, in order to reduce land-clearing costs, use burning to remove vegetation. Under persistently dry weather, fires can very easily get out of control, and at some peatland fire sites, even after surface flames have been extinguished, embers may still remain underground, increasing the possibility of re-ignition and the difficulty of firefighting.
On September 4, the Ministry of Forestry again imposed administrative penalties on five forestry enterprises in West Kalimantan, another round of action following the earlier penalties imposed on six enterprises, bringing the cumulative total to 11 forestry enterprises that have received administrative penalties.
Data from Indonesia's education authorities show that, as of September 1, 12,874 schools in six key provinces, involving approximately 1.43 million students, had switched to home-based learning due to the haze, with West Kalimantan the most severely affected. Data from Indonesia's Ministry of Health show that, as of August 27, forest and land fires had affected 63 cities and counties across seven provinces, involving approximately 10.67 million people, with health authorities having cumulatively detected 13,449 cases of acute respiratory infection. In some areas, related cases have increased markedly in recent days. The health department of Samarinda, East Kalimantan, said on September 5 that local acute respiratory infection cases in August had increased by 22.8 percent compared with earlier months. Indonesia's Ministry of Health has required children, the elderly, pregnant women, and patients with underlying conditions such as asthma to reduce exposure to the haze and to wear masks when going out.
Monitoring by the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre on September 7 shows that moderate to thick haze can still be observed over the western Malay Peninsula and northern Borneo, with multiple air quality monitoring stations in Borneo at "unhealthy" to "hazardous" levels. Air quality in Singapore has also been affected, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index in some areas entering the "unhealthy" range from September 4 to 5; by September 6, Singapore's air quality had recovered to "moderate" levels. Brunei and the Philippines have also been affected by the haze. The latest outlook from the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre shows that the El Niño phenomenon is expected to remain at a relatively strong intensity from September to November, with below-normal rainfall in the southern part of the ASEAN region, and the risk of transboundary haze remains relatively high, with relief not expected until around October, when the monsoon transition brings increased showers.
Transboundary haze requires a coordinated response from regional countries. Malaysia and Indonesia are strengthening cooperation on forest fire prevention, hotspot monitoring, and early firefighting. According to Malaysia's New Straits Times, Indonesia has approved Malaysian cloud-seeding aircraft to enter Indonesian airspace, so that operations can be carried out in the border areas of the two countries. In July this year, a relevant ASEAN meeting reaffirmed the full implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution, strengthening fire prevention, monitoring, and joint emergency response. As this round of transboundary haze intensifies, Malaysia, Brunei, and other countries have expressed their intention to promote the resolution of the transboundary haze problem through ASEAN mechanisms.
(People's Daily, Jakarta, September 7)
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 王昊男
In early autumn, Beijing. In a café in Sanlitun, a young American man greets clients in fluent Mandarin; in an office building in the Central Business District, a young Afghan man, holding two phones, switches seamlessly among a dozen WeChat groups; in a café in Shunyi, a young Korean man designs a route for an upcoming filming project on the Belt and Road Initiative... Why do these foreign young people choose to start businesses in China?
A continuously expanding pattern of opening up, an ever-improving ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship... China embraces the world with a more open posture and releases development dividends through steadily deepening opening-up measures, providing valuable certainty and development opportunities for global entrepreneurs. Recently, reporters from People's Daily interviewed seven young people from different countries and listened to their entrepreneurship stories in Beijing.
The beginning—
"As long as you have a good idea, as long as you are willing to work hard, you can achieve results"
The meeting with Gu Kaiwen took place at an event held by a well-known domestic media company. This 24-year-old American young man currently has more than 3 million followers on Chinese social platforms.
"My Chinese name was given to me by my high school Chinese teacher." In the summer of 2016, Gu Kaiwen came to China for the first time to attend a Chinese language summer camp, and curiosity took root like a seed. Since then, every summer during high school, he would travel across the ocean to China to study Chinese. After graduating from high school, holding admission letters from Peking University and a top American university, he chose to study at the School of Arts at Peking University.
During his studies in Beijing, Gu Kaiwen developed the idea of starting a business. "Many things that Chinese people take for granted are actually quite amazing in the eyes of foreigners." Food delivery within half an hour, mobile payment popularized across the entire population, high-speed trains traveling at over 300 kilometers per hour... In his view, if he filmed these, people would definitely pay attention.
"Telling China's story from a foreigner's perspective can better bridge cultural differences." Relying on this differentiated approach, Gu Kaiwen quickly accumulated a large number of followers, collaborated with more than a hundred online influencers, and became a somewhat well-known "foreign blogger" on the internet.
After graduation, Gu Kaiwen decided to stay in China, and his cultural company has continued to expand in scale. He has also opened a new line of business, acting as a "brand ferryman," "helping Chinese brands go overseas and break into the American market; also assisting European and American brands that want to enter the Chinese market to understand the rules and connect with local influencers."
Gu Kaiwen came to and stayed in China because of "curiosity," while Biman, a young man from Sri Lanka, stayed in China because of a phone call. Looking back years later, Biman sums this up as a "lucky moment" in his life.
In the winter of 2009, Biman enrolled at Beihang University. Because he was not accustomed to the new environment, he fell seriously ill after enrollment. "Lying in the hospital, I felt very lonely, and the money I had left was just enough to buy a plane ticket to leave."
"Just at that moment, Professor Chen Jie from Beihang called me." Biman remains deeply grateful to Teacher Chen to this day. "He said he would help me apply to participate in the university's science and technology competition, and if I won, my tuition would be waived." Encouraged by Teacher Chen, Biman threw himself wholeheartedly into competition preparation—writing code, doing research and development—and ultimately won first prize with a pair of sensor gloves that could help deaf and visually impaired people communicate.
After graduation, Biman stayed in China to continue his entrepreneurial work. Now 36 years old, he holds multiple patents in medical health, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things... The combined valuation of the several companies he has founded has reached several million US dollars. At present, he is fully immersed in research and development, using artificial intelligence technology to identify anxiety and depression from human speech characteristics. "This technology is currently in the trial stage and has already received more than 1.2 million US dollars in clinical research funding. In China, as long as you have a good idea, as long as you are willing to work hard, you can achieve results," Biman said.
Opportunity—
"China's vibrant atmosphere for scientific and technological innovation and its mature industrial chain are undoubtedly our best choice"
"Some Western media often play up the high barriers to entering the Chinese market, but the reality is exactly the opposite," said Weiyete, a German who has lived and worked in China for nearly 20 years. "When you set up a company in China, personnel visas, bonus incentives... the policies are getting more and more complete, and there are more and more opportunities."
In 2019, Weiyete and a French partner founded Beijing Maker Talk Technology Co., Ltd. Their goal is ambitious: to become a "super connector" between international science and technology innovation projects and Chinese cities.
"One of our key roles is to help both sides bridge the gap in understanding and trust." Through deep cooperation with events such as the Chaoyang International Talent Entrepreneurship Conference, they introduce the rules and opportunities of the Chinese market to overseas startups with precision on the one hand, and help Chinese judges understand the value of international projects on the other. From Norwegian medical companies to Italian sensor enterprises, the landing rate of projects recommended through Weiyete's company is as high as 90 percent, and nearly 30 international enterprises have taken root in China.
Also in 2019, Daniel, a young Brazilian of Chinese descent, and his college roommate formally registered a company in Beijing with 6,000 yuan in start-up capital. "We caught the good policy of expanding opening up in the service sector, and the company rode the momentum to develop and quickly broke into the market."
"In the field of technology, there are differences in the stages of development between Brazil and China, and within those differences lie a great many cooperation opportunities," Daniel said. The product that first helped his company open up the market was educational robots. They purchase hardware from Guangdong and carry out software localization development in Brazil, adapting to the needs of Brazilian public primary and secondary schools. "A set of Chinese solutions, after secondary development targeted at the Brazilian market, can offer both high cost-performance and technological advantages," Daniel explained. With just this one project alone, the company's annual turnover exceeded 2 million US dollars.
Developing smart agriculture systems, entering the virtual reality glasses market... "In China, what we truly want to do is technological innovation." Last year, the total revenue of Daniel and his partner team surpassed 50 million yuan, most of which was reinvested in new technology research and development.
Now Daniel both serves as an overseas consultant for Chinese companies and accompanies Brazilian clients on inspections of Chinese factories. Straddling two hemispheres, his working hours often run from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. "Although it's a bit tiring, China's vibrant atmosphere for scientific and technological innovation and its mature industrial chain are undoubtedly our best choice."
Environment—
"China's entrepreneurship policies are becoming more and more pragmatic, and its tolerance for foreign talent is getting higher and higher"
For a seed to grow into a towering tree, it needs fertile soil and a good environment.
Having been in Beijing for 15 years, from being a student at the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University to founding Beijing Hangu Bandao Technology Co., Ltd., Korean entrepreneur Kim Jun-beom's biggest feeling is: "China's entrepreneurship policies are becoming more and more pragmatic, and its tolerance for foreign talent is getting higher and higher."
"My original intention in founding the company was to build a landing bridge for Korean and Chinese enterprises, to do technology matching, and to carry out industrial exchanges." The scene of founding the company still leaves a deep impression on Kim Jun-beom. "The company was located in Zhongguancun, and everything from company registration to tax filing, from visa processing to content compliance, was convenient and smooth."
As the company continued to develop, Kim Jun-beom also expanded his business into the new media field. "At first, I was worried that my foreign identity would be restricted in content creation and commercial cooperation. But in reality, as long as you operate in compliance, Beijing's policies very much encourage enterprise innovation."
Filming winter scenery in Yanbian, Jilin; filming the development of industrial chains in various places; introducing the latest car models at auto shows... "When people learned I was Korean, many netizens even left comments under my video accounts in Korean." As his new media works gained increasing attention, Kim Jun-beom's followers also grew. As a die-hard fan of Beijing Guoan, every time he goes to Workers' Stadium to watch a match, there are always fans who take the initiative to come up and take photos with him.
"China's policies are not 'drawing a pie'—they genuinely point enterprises in the direction of development." Recently, Kim Jun-beom has been planning to shoot a series of videos focusing on the theme of jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative. "I plan to start from Xi'an, Shaanxi, and use my camera to record the stories of connectivity between China and countries along the route. This is both a personal dream and a global concern."
When talking about the changes in China over the years, the biggest feeling for Anthony, a Belgian, is "speed." "When I first came to China, travel was still by green-skinned slow train; now high-speed rail extends in all directions. In the past, you had to carry cash when going out; now a single phone is basically enough."
In 2006, Anthony came to Beijing. From the media industry to the racing industry, and now to the new energy sector, he has been involved in many industries, witnessed the rapid development of China's economy and society, as well as changes in urban lifestyles and the consumer market, and personally experienced the continuous improvement of China's business environment. The procedures for visas to China have been continuously simplified, more market areas have been opened to foreign investment in an orderly manner, and foreign-funded enterprises can now complete the entire process of establishing a business online—a series of pragmatic measures continuously clearing obstacles on the entrepreneurial path for foreign entrepreneurs.
"Having been in China for 20 years, I increasingly feel like a bridge." In April 2025, Anthony was elected president of the Benelux Chamber of Commerce. "Twenty years ago, we talked more about how European companies could enter China. Now it's completely different—more and more Chinese companies are heading to Europe."
"Especially in new energy, electric vehicles, and technology, Chinese companies have already accumulated a lot of experience. At the same time, European companies still have great room for development in China. What matters more in the future is finding areas where both sides can complement each other and cooperate over the long term," Anthony said.
The future—
"China's door of opening up is opening wider and wider, and every inch of this land is full of hope"
Just past 6 a.m., Maher is already in a taxi. Biting into a sandwich, his two hands deftly tap on two phones. "I have to coordinate both domestic and international connections; often more than a dozen projects are advancing at the same time."
Having been in Beijing for 12 years, from founding Beijing Infinite Harbor Culture and Technology Co., Ltd. to launching the "International Alumni Talent Alliance" project, this young Afghan man's goal has remained the same throughout—"to tell foreigners how to start businesses in China, and to help international entrepreneurial talent build companies in China from scratch."
An English-language compilation of Beijing's "Two Zones" policies, multilingual color brochures on company establishment procedures... In Maher's office, the various policy documents he has led the translation of fill the display shelves.
"Beijing's entrepreneurship policies are very good, but for some foreign entrepreneurs, language comprehension is a big problem. In my view, Beijing is a super-large stage facing the world, and also a good opportunity for me to go global." Maher, who can speak seven languages including Pashto, Persian, and French, not only works as a translator but also provides policy interpretation. Opening the "Chaoyang Foreign Talent Entrepreneurship Guide Manual" that he edited and just updated this year, the answers to more than 100 frequently asked questions about entrepreneurship, such as company registration and visa processing, are clear at a glance. Since 2021, Maher's team has held more than a hundred events, connected with over 5,000 international talents, and helped more than 50 foreign-funded enterprises and projects land in Beijing.
"China's door of opening up is opening wider and wider, and every inch of this land is full of hope." For the future, Maher has a clear blueprint: to build a platform for Sino-foreign scientific and technological exchange, and to become a service institution for the cross-border flow of technology, data, and capital. "It's not about simply selling products abroad, but about striving to promote technology localization and achieve deep cooperation."
As the city lights come on, in Maher's office, young people speaking various languages communicate sincerely. They enter China carrying their own cultural backgrounds and ways of thinking, and then go out to the world carrying China's industrial chain resources and market experience—mutually empowering, mutually achieving.
Gu Kaiwen, Daniel, Biman... these entrepreneurs from all over the world have crossed mountains and seas, moving through Beijing's high-rise buildings or deep in its alleyways. Here, they are not passing travelers, nor are they bystanders, but deep participants in the wave of innovation on this land. Their stories of struggle are also vivid chapters in China's story.
Choosing China means choosing the future. From Beijing to the broader land of China, the stories of these foreign entrepreneurs are still continuing and will surely become even more brilliant.
Reporter's Notes
The charm of a city The magnanimity of a nation
The openness of a city is reflected not only in its towering buildings and clustered industries, but also in its respect for and tolerance of people.
For foreigners working, starting businesses, studying, and living in Beijing, it is through one seemingly minor convenience measure after another that they can best feel the warmth of this city. Simplifying the visa application process for foreign talent makes "landing" no longer cumbersome; launching multilingual entrepreneurship service guides makes "understanding the policies" no longer difficult; building platforms for international talent competitions and Sino-foreign enterprise matchmaking makes "finding partners" the norm. From convenience in handling affairs to innovation and entrepreneurship, from integrating into the city to expanding development space, Beijing, through a series of pragmatic measures, has translated openness and inclusiveness into tangible, perceptible details, allowing more foreign friends to see: there is not only opportunity here, but also understanding and acceptance.
Good policies attract people; a good environment retains them. A true sense of belonging comes from the recognition of values and cultural resonance. In an incubator deep in a hutong, a French designer and a Chinese intangible cultural heritage artisan are exploring cross-border collaboration; in a co-working space in Wangjing, a young Korean man and Chinese entrepreneurs strive for their ideals; in a factory in Yizhuang, a German engineer and Chinese colleagues engage in heated discussion over technical problems... This thousand-year-old ancient capital is not merely a place to live geographically, but also a place of spiritual resonance. For every entrepreneur who has come from afar, whether you are in a suit and tie or wearing a T-shirt, this place accommodates differences, holds dreams, and uplifts every effort made through down-to-earth hard work.
Beijing is a window through which to observe China's opening up. From relying on the China International Fair for Trade in Services to build an open cooperation platform and deepening the comprehensive pilot program for expanding opening up in the service sector, to continuously shortening the negative list for foreign investment access, and to advancing institutional innovation in pilot free trade zones, China, with its continuously deepening opening-up policies, is constantly optimizing the environment for global talent to innovate and start businesses, allowing more ideas and dreams to take root and grow.
The charm of a city lies in making people not want to leave once they arrive; the magnanimity of a nation lies in giving every possibility soil in which to grow. More and more overseas young people are choosing to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams in Beijing. This is both an individual story of chasing dreams and a reflection of China's open and confident breadth of mind.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 游 仪
Chengdu, Sichuan — a place where many young people aspire to go and realize their dreams.
The team behind the new-generation "artificial sun," China's HL-3 tokamak, has an average age of 35; the youth team at the National Supercomputing Center in Chengdu has an average age of 32, with young people under 35 accounting for 71 percent, and it has provided computing-power technical services to more than 50 national scientific research teams; the "Carbon One" team at the Chengdu-based Nuclear Power Institute of China has an average age of under 34... Behind these figures are young faces.
Innovation and entrepreneurship have never been a smooth road. Where does funding come from, where do projects come from, and who shares the cost of trial and error — these are all difficult problems. Why, then, are young people still willing to cross mountains and seas to gather in Rongcheng (Chengdu)?
The answer given locally is "a city friendlier to youth, and youth more accomplished in the city." In recent years, Chengdu has deepened reform of its talent systems and mechanisms, using real money and genuine sincerity to pave the way for young people and store up momentum for the city.
Attracting talent through policy, "paving roads and building bridges" for young people
"In the early days of starting a business, what I feared was not difficulty, but the lack of buffer space." He Meishan, an entrepreneur born after 1995, said candidly. She brought a Chinese-style digital entertainment exhibition project to Chengdu, settled into the Wuhou District Youth Entrepreneurship Park, and explored new business forms such as virtual-reality ancient-style immersive experiences. It sounds wonderful, but it faced many practical difficulties — overdue accounts receivable, exhibition disputes, rising labor costs, and on top of that renting housing while starting a business away from home. The team was under great pressure for a time.
"Thanks to the 'three exemptions and three halvings' policy at the youth talent station, for the first three months, rent and utilities were completely free!" He Meishan said excitedly. The station is not far from the entrepreneurship park, so she could "move in with just a suitcase," greatly reducing operating costs. In addition, in response to the problems encountered by start-up teams, the entrepreneurship park also provides services such as legal consultation, funding support, and investment and financing matchmaking.
Lacking funds, lacking premises, not understanding policies, lacking resources — many youth entrepreneurship projects do not lack prospects, but rather fall at the "from 0 to 1" start-up stage. Chengdu sees this clearly, so it acts decisively.
In October 2025, Chengdu issued the "Ten Measures for Attracting and Gathering Talent," proposing 59 specific initiatives across 10 areas, such as striving to build a full-life-cycle innovation and entrepreneurship funding support system covering "seed, start-up, and growth" stages, creating a "angel + venture capital" fund cluster at the hundred-billion-yuan level; providing pure credit loans of up to 10 million yuan to A-through-F-category talents who establish and operate technology-based enterprises; providing "first start-up funds" to college students innovating and starting businesses in Chengdu; and customizing growth files for entrepreneurial talents, offering "accompanying support" such as counseling and consultation, resource linkage, and policy application assistance and direct access...
The warmth of policy is also reflected in the boldness to break through rigid rules and regulations. In Chengdu, "who is talent is decided by the employing unit."
Tang Anhua, a senior technical expert at Siemens Industrial Automation Products, was directly elevated to the first batch of C-category high-level talents in the Chengdu High-tech Zone through his company's independent recognition; Fan Wei, a post-80s technical backbone at Fanhua Aviation, who by seniority would at most have been rated D-category, was exceptionally recognized as B-category because of his outstanding practical achievements.
Highlighting practical achievements and contributions, Chengdu every year sets aside no fewer than 600 slots to support relevant units and districts (cities) and counties in independently recognizing Chengdu A-to-C-category talents "by salary, by position, by performance, by competition, and by investment." Every year, 40 percent of the total slots in the municipal talent plan are set aside to support key employing units in conducting independent review under the talent plan, further delegating authority to the employing entities.
Scenario-driven, letting dreams "break through the soil"
Six years ago, Zhang Xingzhi, a post-90s Tsinghua PhD, moved his household registration to Chengdu and founded Chengdu Wabo Technology Co., Ltd., focusing on research and development of non-invasive brain-computer interface technology. "The technology is very cutting-edge, but the hardest part is not the algorithms — it's getting people to believe this thing can actually be applied." He pitched at many occasions, meeting more rejection than handshakes.
The turning point came on the stage of the "Rongpiao Cup" high-level talent innovation and entrepreneurship competition. Carrying his project, "High-robustness consumer-grade brain-computer interface terminal and neural large model based on domestic Ascend computing power," he overcame all obstacles and difficulties (过关斩将, guò guān zhǎn jiàng - "pass through gates, hack through generals"), standing out from more than a thousand competing projects. After the competition, the Chengdu High-tech Zone seed fund quickly followed up — that was the "first truly institutional investment" he received. Zhang Xingzhi said with emotion: "The competition not only gave me a chance to showcase, but also gave me the confidence to stay in Chengdu."
This year, the "Rongpiao Cup" high-level talent innovation and entrepreneurship competition has held 53 series events, with 4,286 projects registered and 5,416 innovative and entrepreneurial talents gathered, about 90 percent of them young people. The competition has become an important gateway for Chengdu to connect with global innovation resources and discover "seed players."
After solving the problem of "being seen," what truly makes talents "grow" is Chengdu's large-scale, systematic opening of scenario resources.
In June 2025, the first batch of Chengdu's robot public-security scenario "open competition for the best candidate" list was released. The Chengdu Municipal Public Security Bureau, together with the Municipal Economy and Information Technology Bureau and the Municipal New Economy Commission, put forward four demands at once: wheeled-legged public-security intelligent patrol robots, police four-legged intelligent patrol robot dogs, traffic patrol robots, and police application robots for the document-processing hall.
"The wheeled-legged public-security intelligent patrol robot is one we are fairly confident about competing for, and we are also very interested in government-service-type robots." In the view of Chen Yang, deputy general manager of Chengdu Humanoid Robot Innovation Center Co., Ltd., the "consortium" model of open competition will effectively integrate upstream and downstream resources of the industrial chain, leverage the professional strengths of different enterprises, and form a strong synergy of industrial collaboration.
For science-and-technology innovation enterprises, the value of opening scenarios goes far beyond "finding customers." Huang Shan, chairman of Chengdu Yuefan Innovation, started from the champion robotics team of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and has been deeply engaged in last-mile delivery for nearly 10 years. Early this year, 10 "Xiangdi Ultra" delivery robots entered the Shufu Yourong International Community, completing 30,000 deliveries in four months.
She calculated that her robots have traveled through more than 50 cities worldwide, covering more than a thousand buildings. "Since last year, Chengdu has helped us connect with a large number of scenarios, accelerating technology validation and product iteration — this kind of support is more precious than directly giving money."
The competition is the starting point; the scenario is the stage. In 2025, Chengdu established the "Scenario Innovation Promotion Center," specifying the annual release of more than 1,000 application scenarios for scientific and technological achievements in fields such as artificial intelligence and the low-altitude economy. In May 2026, it issued the "Chengdu Municipal Measures for Accelerating the Cultivation and Opening of Scenario Resources"; in July, Chengdu Scenario Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. was inaugurated, and the "two hands" of scenario innovation — government coordination and market operation — work in tandem.
From "giving policies" to "giving opportunities," from "giving funds" to "giving scenarios," Chengdu is completing a profound transformation in its philosophy of talent work. As one entrepreneur put it: "Technologies and products validated through scenarios can go national and go global."
Nurturing the ecosystem, letting talents "settle down and feel at ease"
On May 30, the "Talents Gather in Tianfu · Building Dreams in Chengdu" — "Rongpiao Talent Gathering" city tour talent recruitment series event (Nanjing stop) was held in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. Combining "online + offline" and linking "main venue + special sessions," the event released on site the Chengdu municipal city courtesy talent list, including the talent demand list, the innovation and entrepreneurship scenario opportunity list, and the Chengdu High-tech Zone "Golden Panda" internship positions, building a full-chain talent service courtesy system from internship to employment, from entrepreneurship to settling down.
At one job fair, more than 100 employing entities recruited on site, releasing more than 2,000 quality positions covering fields such as artificial intelligence, medicine and health, and aerospace.
The industrial ecosystem is the soil for taking root.
Centering on building a modern industrial system, Chengdu has continuously carried out series talent recruitment activities such as the "Rongpiao Talent Gathering," organizing more than 2,400 employing units to recruit talent at key universities across the country, cumulatively releasing more than 11,000 positions and bringing in 197,000 young talents. From Beijing to Shanghai, from Wuhan to Nanjing, by continuously releasing job demand for key industrial chains, it promotes the synchronized matching of scientific and technological achievements, investment projects, entrepreneurship carriers, and talent services.
The service ecosystem, by contrast, is like a long "accompanying run."
At the Tianfu New Area Chengdu Science and Technology Innovation Ecological Island, full-life-cycle services are integrated into the daily life of the "islanders." "If entrepreneurship is a marathon, our role is more like 'accompanying runners,' accompanying these start-ups as they grow step by step and helping them match more resources," said Zhang Pengfei, general manager of the Chengdu Tiangu Group Science and Innovation Island Operating Company.
In Building W7 of the Science and Technology Innovation Ecological Island, a specialty building for artificial intelligence and robotics industries, more than half of the settled enterprises are start-ups, and Zhang Pengfei and the investment promotion manager proactively helped them move; since Xinteng Shuzhi Network Technology Co., Ltd. came to the island, staff have provided matchmaking services in a timely manner, not only precisely linking it with institutions such as the Institute of Urban Agriculture of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, but also hand-holding the enterprise in preparing application materials and coaching it on defense points, helping the enterprise successfully win a project through open competition.
Behind the "accompanying run" is a complete ecosystem. In October 2024, the Chengdu Science and Technology Innovation Ecological Island released the "Dao+ Science and Technology Innovation Ecosystem," providing gradient support for enterprises across the full life cycle through programs such as the Science and Technology Innovation Seed Plan, the Incubation and Cultivation Plan, and the Ecological Partner Plan. At present, about 70,000 square meters of carriers on the island have been put into operation, the occupancy rate of settled carriers is about 80 percent, and the network of main island plus branch islands has expanded to 13 prefecture-level cities and states, facilitating the landing of 35 projects.
Even more distinctive is the humanistic ecosystem — Chengdu has hidden "fast innovation" into the very bones of "slow living."
In Tianfu Park, there is a talent service center. Outside, flowers are in full bloom and greenways wind; inside, a large screen scrolls talent information, and entrepreneurs gather around the service counter asking about policies. Wu Shuna, director of the Southern Sub-center of the Chengdu Comprehensive Talent Service Center, said with a smile: "We just want talents to take a stroll and, in passing, get their business done and their policy questions answered."
Through "dedicated windows and dedicated staff," applicants can handle policy consultations in one stop; in smart interview rooms, job seekers can experience AI (artificial intelligence) mock interviews... Ecological scenarios and office scenarios are deeply interwoven, making the park not only a scenic spot but also a city reception hall.
Today, Chengdu's urban greenways, totaling more than 10,000 kilometers, are linked into a network, spreading to the doorsteps of citizens. The city's total talent pool has reached 6.85 million people, and more and more young people are coming to Chengdu to innovate, start businesses, and pursue their dreams. This is like a saying — you focus on running, and I'll focus on paving the road. And this road is growing wider and brighter with each step.
Return to TopBy: 李林蔚
The key to governance lies in obtaining the right people; the key to running the state lies first in employing the right people. Our Party has always attached great importance to selecting and appointing people based on their ability (选贤任能, xuan xian ren neng - "select the worthy, appoint the capable"), and has always treated the selection and appointment of personnel as a critical and fundamental issue bearing on the cause of the Party and the people.
Within the connotative essence of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, the "Fourteen Commitments," "upholding the building of a high-caliber cadre contingent capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation" is precisely one of them.
General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly pointed out: "A very important reason why our Party has been able to maintain a powerful capacity for creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness, to become a mainstay or backbone of a cause (中流砥柱, zhong liu di zhu - "middle current, support pillar") in the development of the revolutionary, construction, and reform undertakings, and to unite and lead the people in overcoming all kinds of difficulties and dangers and achieving one victory after another, lies in the great importance it has attached to cultivating and bringing up a cadre contingent capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities."
To uphold the building of a high-caliber cadre contingent capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation, political criteria must be taken as the primary criterion.
In selecting and appointing personnel, one must first look at whether cadres are politically clear-headed and politically steadfast. For people with political problems, the stronger their ability and the higher their position, the greater the harm they cause. Our Party has always emphasized possessing both integrity and ability (德才兼备, de cai jian bei - "virtue, talent, both possess"), with integrity taking precedence; the most important thing is that political and moral character must be solid. Among the twenty-character criteria for good cadres, "firm conviction" ranks first; among the seven capabilities that young cadres must improve, political capability is the most important...
Speaking of politics is not abstract but concrete. Whether one is loyal to the Party and the people, whether one has firm ideals and convictions, whether one strengthens the Four Consciousnesses (四个意识) and the Four Confidences (四个自信), whether one resolutely upholds the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized, unified leadership, and whether one fully implements the Party's theories, line, principles, and policies... These are all "touchstones" for testing the political quality of cadres and concrete yardsticks for measuring whether cadres speak of politics.
To uphold the building of a high-caliber cadre contingent capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation, it is necessary to forge strong abilities and skills.
In undertaking work and starting undertakings, one must be both politically solid and highly competent. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "To successfully complete the goals and tasks of the '15th Five-Year Plan' period, it is necessary to make every effort to improve the Party's ability and level in leading economic and social development."
Nowadays, scientific and technological innovation is advancing by leaps and bounds, social changes are extensive and profound, and new things are emerging in an endless stream (层出不穷, ceng chu bu qiong - "layer, emerge, not, exhausted"). If one's quality and ability cannot keep up with the needs of the development of the situation, one is prone to a "capability panic." One must adhere to learning what one does, and making up for what one lacks; targeting one's own knowledge shortcomings, ability weaknesses, and experience blind spots, one should both work while learning and learn while working, continuously strengthening the ability to promote high-quality development, the ability to serve the masses, and the ability to prevent and defuse risks, so as to forge the "iron shoulders" for taking on responsibilities and making achievements.
To uphold the building of a high-caliber cadre contingent capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation, it is necessary to adhere to combining strict management with deep care.
Good cadres are selected, but they are even more so managed. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "The Party's leadership must be embodied in daily management and supervision. We must dare to take things seriously, pay attention to daily matters, grasp things early and at the small stage, and nip problems in the bud (防微杜渐, fang wei du jian - "prevent, tiny, block, gradual"), reflecting the organization's strict requirements and care and concern, and must never sit by and watch one's comrades slide further and further down the wrong path."
All localities and departments adhere to placing equal emphasis on incentives and constraints, improving mechanisms for encouraging and protecting cadres who take on responsibilities, implementing various measures such as heart-to-heart talks and reducing burdens, so as to take responsibility for those who take responsibility, be accountable for those who are accountable, and back up those who do things. The healthy growth of young cadres bears on whether the cause of the Party and the people has successors. It is necessary to improve mechanisms for cultivation, selection, management, and supervision, to help them thrive with patient support and trust and encouragement, and to guide them to consciously become firm believers in and faithful practitioners of the Party's innovative theories.
General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out that "the decisive factor of cadres must be grasped." On the new journey, by thoroughly implementing the Party's organizational line for the new era, selecting and putting to use good cadres, and letting the willingness to take responsibility, the courage to take responsibility, and the ability to take responsibility become a widespread and healthy trend (蔚然成风, wei ran cheng feng - "flourishing, become, custom"), we will surely provide strong support for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 孙海天
Not long ago, the Hainan Provincial Department of Civil Affairs organized leading cadres at and above the deputy-division level, together with their family members, to visit the Hairui Cultural Park in Haikou. "Hai Rui was a famous upright official in history. He was upright and incorruptible (刚正不阿, gang zheng bu e - "upright, not, biased") and pure and incorruptible (清正廉洁, qing zheng lian jie - "clear, upright, clean, honest"), and his character still has practical significance today," said one cadre.
The tomb of Hai Rui, located in Binya Village on the western outskirts of Haikou, has been listed as a key national cultural relic protection unit. To enable more people to learn from his spirit of purity and integrity, a cultural-tourism complex centered on the life and deeds of Hai Rui — the Hairui Cultural Park — was completed at the end of 2022 and opened to the public free of charge.
Upon entering the exhibition hall, the eight characters "upright and incorruptible, pure and incorruptible" come into view. "This is an important base for integrity education in Hainan Province," said the relevant person in charge of the Haikou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision. To make integrity education deeply ingrained in one's mind and heart (入脑入心, ru nao ru xin - "enter, brain, enter, heart"), it is necessary to address questions such as "who should learn" and "how to learn." The park adheres to the principle of "targeted measures for different groups." For Party members and leading cadres, the Haikou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision relies on the park to create the "Yecheng Breeze Lecture Hall," selecting lecturing experts and customizing explanation content according to the fields and levels of the trainees; for cadres in key positions in power-concentrated sectors such as state-owned enterprises, grain purchase and sales, education, and medical care, post-specific integrity risk education is embedded into the commentary; and for courses aimed at young cadres, the story of Hai Rui's "Strict Teacher's Admonitions" is highlighted.
How can stories of ancient people and events be told with fresh meaning? The park has explored turning exhibitions into theater. The core exhibition hall features a 360-degree circular performance space. The live-action drama "Hello, Hai Rui" creates an immersive experience, with actors recreating historical scenes such as "Mother Hai Teaching Her Son" and "A Special Birthday Gift." "We hope that when visitors tour the park, they not only see a historical site but also feel the power of the spirit," said Fan Ping, director of the park's management office.
Hai Rui served as a school instructor in Nanping, Fujian; as a county magistrate in Chun'an, Zhejiang; and reformed taxes and corvée in Xingguo, Jiangxi. To this end, Haikou organized a research team to travel to multiple places to extensively collect his admirable words and deeds (嘉言懿行, jia yan yi xing - "excellent, words, admirable, deeds"), and coordinated with relevant cultural and museum institutions to solicit more than 300 items (sets) of cultural relics for exhibition in the museum. "We will continue to delve into the essence of integrity culture, bring integrity education closer to the people and integrate it into daily life, and contribute to strengthening the foundation and nurturing the essence (固本培元, gu ben pei yuan - "strengthen, root, cultivate, origin") of the construction of a clean free trade port," said the relevant person in charge of the Haikou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision.
Return to TopBy: 本报记者 尹晓宇
Leaving Jurong city proper in Jiangsu, a drive of nearly one hour south brings one to Daizhuang Village in Tianwang Town, located at the city's southernmost tip.
At the foot of Nanshan, beside the fields, the village's first secretary, the financial assistant, and experts from the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences are gathered together with party member representatives from Tianwang Town and agricultural experts from the Zhao Yafu Studio, holding an enlarged meeting of the council of the cooperative union led by the party organization, discussing how to better design the biodiversity study tour route for Daizhuang Village.
On more than 3,000 mu of ecological farmland, there are 145 animal species and 79 beneficial insect species... Beside the ecological farmland there are also a farming culture exhibition hall, an ecological demonstration garden, and more. "The stretches of 'green' are our best selling point!" said Lu Yue, the business owner who has contracted the ecological garden, noting that the garden receives nearly 2,000 visitors each month.
In fact, this stretch of ecological "green" at the foot of Nanshan was planted mu by mu by the party organization together with the villagers. "Twenty years ago, Daizhuang was one of the poorest villages in the old revolutionary base area of Maoshan — the soil was poor, irrigation was difficult, and the villagers were relying solely on rainfall for crops (望天收, wang tian shou - "look, heaven, receive")." recalled Du Zhongzhi, a grower.
Under the leadership of the village party branch, the villagers stopped using pesticides and introduced mantis egg masses and frogs to replace pesticides for pest control. When soil fertility was insufficient, the village party branch contacted local vinegar-making enterprises to convert waste vinegar residue into nutrient soil for seedling cultivation. The village party branch also encouraged villagers to practice "raising ducks in paddy fields"... By 2020, the village had built more than 3,000 mu of ecological organic farmland.
"The village party branch organizes, party members take the lead in claiming responsibility, carrying out fine management of the water and weeds in each field, and giving rewards to villagers who produce high-quality ecological farmland," said Ren Guangming, a veteran party member.
"Having ecology alone is not enough — how can we raise the level of comprehensive land utilization so that high-standard ecological farmland brings villagers higher income?" After the autumn harvest of 2023, Ren Guangming raised this question to the village party branch at a meeting.
The Tianwang Town party committee guided Daizhuang to unite with a total of 10 village-run cooperatives from surrounding villages to establish the "Daizhuang Xingnong Specialized Cooperative Union," attracting investment across the entire city. Shortly thereafter, Lu Yuxin, a party member who operates an organic rapeseed oil company in Jurong city proper, came to Daizhuang as a rural professional manager, experimenting with rice-oilseed rape rotation in the fields.
"Experts from the provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences measured the organic matter content in the fields and found it very suitable for growing organic oilseed rape. All of the oilseed rape we trial-planted has zero pesticide residue, and the quality of the organic rapeseed oil is guaranteed," said Lu Yuxin. This year, the company will uniformly purchase organic oilseed rape through the Daizhuang cooperative union at 10 percent above the market price, bringing 600,000 yuan in income to the village collective.
The cooperative union also integrates the agricultural resources of each village, using ecological brands such as "Jurong Daizhuang Rice" to broadly connect with distributors and financial institutions, signing long-term supply agreements for products such as rice wine, fruit wine, and Chinese medicinal herbs, and conducting unified procurement from villagers. "As long as you grow agricultural products that meet the standards, you won't have to worry about sales," said Du Zhongzhi.
The sales of branded agricultural products, the supply of organic agricultural products, and the operating income from ecological cultural tourism together bring 12 million yuan in annual revenue to the Daizhuang village collective. In accordance with the cooperative's charter, the village party branch distributes 80 percent of the profits to the villagers, with the surplus further invested in equipment procurement, brand and channel development, and other work.
"Income has gone up, but we're also busier. Is there any way to bring machinery up here so I can catch my breath?" The responsibility field of villager Zhou Guanzhi's household is mountainous dry farmland, where ordinary agricultural machinery cannot operate, so he turned to the village party branch for help.
"Traditional machinery is hard to use — where will new equipment come from?" The village party branch submitted an application, and the Tianwang Town party committee stepped in to arrange a "group purchase" — expert teams from Jiangsu University and the World Agricultural Machinery Company customized new agricultural machinery tailored to the special harvesting needs of Daizhuang's "Koshihikari rice."
With the machinery equipment in place, how can villagers afford to use it? In July of last year, Daizhuang completed the construction of a regional comprehensive agricultural service center for the southern Jurong area, implementing an assistance mechanism of "free use of production materials in the initial period, repayment after harvest." In April of this year, the first batch of 1,000 mu of organic Koshihikari rice in Daizhuang Village achieved fully mechanized transplanting.
At present, Jurong City is vigorously promoting the model of cooperative unions led by party organizations, continuously deepening the development path of "party organization + cooperative union," implementing the "five unifications" management mechanism of unified variety seedling cultivation, unified technical guidance, unified production materials, unified quality standards, and unified brand sales, and concentrating efforts on developing scientific agriculture, green agriculture, quality agriculture, and brand agriculture. Using party building as the connecting bond, it draws in research institutes, financial institutions, state-owned enterprises, and other forces to jointly promote comprehensive rural revitalization. Party building pools strength, and "single-crop cultivation" is continuously transforming toward "scaled development" and "whole-chain value addition," helping fellow villagers live better lives.
Return to TopBy: 陈涌泉
The phenomenal breakout of the Wu opera Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon is a vivid example of upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground in opera art, and a practical achievement of opera troupes following the laws of art in seeking development. It faces both the broad domestic audience and successfully steps onto a larger international stage, setting a referenceable model for the inheritance and revitalization of local operas nationwide.
On September 4 and 5, the Wu opera Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon took the stage at the Beijing 2026 Contemporary International Theater Festival, presenting a thoroughly enjoyable or unrestrained (酣畅淋漓, han chang lin li - "cool, smooth, flowing; drenched, soaked") opera feast for Chinese and foreign audiences. This local opera, premiering in 2023, has delivered an impressive industry report card in just a few short years: over 270 cumulative performances, including 52 overseas, with footprints in more than 30 countries and regions; total online and offline viewership exceeding 5 million, with overseas viewership reaching over 2 million; short-video content related to it garnering over 300 million views across the entire internet, and a website rating as high as 9.2 points. The production has won the 18th Wenhua Award for Drama and the Outstanding Production award at the 19th China Theater Festival, achieving a brilliant breakout from a niche local opera to a mass-market hit.
For a long time, the survival and development of local operas have drawn widespread social attention. Talent gaps, solidified audience circles, and limited market space are common difficulties faced by many local opera genres. The phenomenal breakout of the Wu opera Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon is not a stroke of luck from traffic, but a vivid example of upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground in opera art, and a practical achievement of opera troupes following the laws of art in seeking development. Its exploration has set up a referenceable model for the inheritance and revitalization of local operas nationwide.
The key to the success of the Wu opera Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon lies in upholding fundamental principles, in firmly anchoring to the stage itself and honing solid performance skills. The vitality of opera lives in the actors and is embedded in the stage itself, refined through many trials and tribulations (千锤百炼, qian chui bai lian - "thousand, hammers, hundred, tempering"). To inherit and innovate opera art, one must hold fast to classics, cultivate tradition deeply, consolidate the "four skills and five methods," do well in the excavation and protection of traditional repertoire, and safeguard the diversity of opera genres. Full-house applause never comes from nowhere; as the saying goes, "a minute on stage, ten years of practice off stage" and "train in the coldest days of winter and the hottest days of summer." The dazzling presentation on stage is backed by day-after-day tempering and refinement. The Zhejiang Wu Opera Art Research Institute has improved incentive mechanisms, implemented practice subsidies, and promoted the institutionalization and regularization of basic skills training, building institutional safeguards for the advancement of actors' skills.
The Wu opera has long had the artistic tradition of "civil plays performed with martial techniques, martial plays sung with civil techniques," and its highly difficult martial arts skills are the most distinctive hallmark of the genre. Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon deeply understands the essence of tradition and never uses stylized techniques as a tool for showing off; all high-difficulty performances serve character portrayal and narrative progression. The White Bone Demon's face-changing and costume-changing are completed in one continuous motion (一气呵成, yi qi he cheng - "one, breath, complete, achieve"), intuitively externalizing her multiple identities as demon, human, and monster; techniques such as the high-platform stiff fall amplify the dramatic tension of the clash between good and evil; the Tang Monk, possessing both literary and martial skills (文武兼备, wen wu jian bei - "culture, martial, both, possess"), uses tumbling and rolling body movements to concretely present his spiritual journey from confusion to awakening; when Sun Wukong swings his staff three times, singing, recitation, acting, and acrobatics unfold layer by layer, displaying the complex emotions of loyalty, grievance, and indignation. The entire production does not rely on dazzling stage design; the actors' refined through many trials and tribulations performances alone are enough to be strikingly touching or moving to the heart (直击人心, zhi ji ren xin - "straight, hit, people, heart") and capture the audience. In contrast, some current opera productions blindly believe in luxurious stage design, pile up installations and special effects, and try to cover up performance shortcomings with external technology, falling into the misconception of "emphasizing form over substance." This production enlightens us: only by honing solid skills and rooting technique in character and serving the narrative can traditional opera possess the powerful ability to move contemporary audiences.
Upholding fundamental principles also means cultivating a solid foundation of local talent. The making steady progress to achieve long-term success (行稳致远, xing wen zhi yuan - "walk, steady, reach, far") of local operas cannot be separated from a strong local talent echelon as support. The breakout of Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon is not a one-man show by individual stars, but the result of the collective emergence of the troupe's local talent. Although the script was written by Jiang Chaogao, a playwright from Jiangxi invited for the task, he has long collaborated deeply with the troupe, is familiar with the artistic characteristics of the Wu opera, understands the strengths of the actors, and through repeated polishing, achieved an organic integration of external wisdom and local artistic accumulation. The director Weng Guosheng and all other principal creators and lead actors are local forces; the lead actors Yang Xiayun, Lou Sheng, Zhou Hongwei, and others are all business backbones independently cultivated by the Zhejiang Wu Opera Art Research Institute. The production relies on a complete echelon of old, middle-aged, and young actors fighting in coordination; young actors learn, comprehend, and improve while performing through rounds of touring, tempering their skills and achieving growth on real stages. Facts have repeatedly proven that to revitalize local operas, talent development must be placed in a priority position, platforms must be built for local talent, responsibilities must be pressed onto them, and young talent must be supported in taking on leading roles and playing protagonists; only then can opera genres achieve the passing of the torch from generation to generation.
Upholding fundamental principles also means preserving cultural roots. For national art to go global and achieve cross-civilization spiritual dialogue, what matters is not shoehorning adaptation and transformation, but the authentic core of national art. As advocated by the Three-Year Action Plan for Theater Revitalization (2026–2028), deeply explore the excellent traditional Chinese culture, integrate a global vision, the spirit of the times, and Chinese aesthetic spirit, and create a batch of excellent works that tell China's stories well and showcase China's style. Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon draws on the widely known by everyone (家喻户晓, jia yu hu xiao - "family, know, household, aware") classic IP of Journey to the West, respects the spiritual core of the original work, excavates new dimensions of the characters from a contemporary perspective, fully preserves the Wu opera's inherent vocal styles, performance, and aesthetic characteristics, and does not deliberately dissolve its national essence for external dissemination. Even if overseas audiences cannot understand all the lyrics, they can still read the characters' joys and sorrows, distinguish good from evil and right from wrong through the vivid stage performance, and genuinely feel the unique artistic charm of Chinese opera.
Upholding fundamental principles does not mean sticking blindly to old conventions (墨守成规, mo shou cheng gui - "ink, guard, established, rule"), and innovation must never mean forgetting one's roots or origins (数典忘祖, shu dian wang zu - "count, classics, forget, ancestors"). Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon follows Mr. Mei Lanfang's artistic philosophy of "moving steps without changing form" and boldly carries out artistic exploration and innovation. The production's innovation always grasps the proper measure: it moderately uses modern stage technology to set off the atmosphere, never seizing the dominant position of actors' performances; it draws on various artistic techniques and internalizes them into the Wu opera stage, such as borrowing Sichuan opera's face-changing and developing it into costume-changing; the story adaptation abandons formulaic and conceptualized routines, endowing the traditional story with a contemporary flavor; it actively embraces the all-media communication ecosystem, uses short-video platforms to spread brilliant excerpts, relies on cultural and creative products to extend artistic value, opens up the online-offline communication chain, attracts large numbers of young audiences into theaters, and continuously expands the boundaries of opera dissemination.
The Wu opera Three Strikes Against the White Bone Demon faces both the domestic audience and successfully steps onto a larger international stage, truly "striking" out a new world. Its success means that opera art still possesses strong vitality under new era conditions, bringing multiple inspirations to the revitalization of opera in the new era, and injecting confidence and strength.
(The author is Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Executive Vice Chairman of the Chinese Theatre Association.)
Return to TopBy: 黄昱宁
The changing environment for literary and artistic creation has brought creators challenges that are increasing day by day (与日俱增, yu ri ju zeng - "with, day, increase, increase"). Questions about how to tell stories surge in like tides:
When viewers' fingers are forever hovering over the fast-forward button, do we still dare to talk about the leisurely digressions and blank spaces in narrative? When the "golden seven seconds" rule begins to flow backward into long-form drama scripts, and "life or death in three episodes" becomes the screenwriter's iron law, is this an evolution of narrative craft, or a surrender to audience attention? When AI (artificial intelligence) appears not merely as a tool but as a narrator, will those creations whose core is human feeling depreciate in value, or become all the scarcer for their irreproducible "human fingerprint"?
All of this bears on the future of story. Today, the story treasure chest can easily hold novels, poetry, drama, film and television, short videos, and stand-up comedy all at once. Situated within such a story ecosystem, it is hard not to notice the storytelling methods of those works that have just been completed and are now being widely circulated. They embody, to varying degrees, the relationship between inheritance and innovation, allowing one to dimly perceive that the future of story actually echoes the history of story. To solve the problems of story today and tomorrow, we may well need to turn back and look at story's yesterday.
To take one example, the novelist Lu Ne's full-length novel Landscape (Shanshui) has a relaxed and loose surface tone, yet its underlying narrative logic is woven with a dense warp and weft. Although the work handles weighty subject matter like "rivers and mountains" and "rivers and hills," it employs the light, free, and nimble method of "landscape." The protagonist Lu Chengzong, from childhood, is taught the three characters "look at the landscape," which are laden with how much relativity and dialectics between "far-seeing vision" and "calm forbearance." That so many of the novel's details and the characters' postures of looking up and down, advancing and retreating, make us feel them as our own experience stems both from the writer's distinctive tone and mature novelistic technique, and from the balance between lightness and weight in the Chinese narrative tradition.
Another example is the phenomenal work The Leading Role (Zhujue), whether the novel or the television drama, which from the inside out exudes a certain steadfast and old-fashioned aura, as if a long-lost manner: the novel devotes nearly a fifth of its length to writing how the underage Yi Qing'e, in order to get a rationed grain ration, is sent to the Ningzhou County opera troupe and begins a muddled and arduous performing career. In the television drama, this section is not simplified at all, but rather expanded to 14 episodes, approaching one-third of the entire series. Such a practice of going against "traffic" requires not only courage and insight, but also the narrative confidence to support it.
The television drama lays out every turn and transition of its camera language with delicacy and refinement, yet to attract the attention of today's viewers, it also moderately introduces the rhythm of "satisfying" dramas. For example, the plot in the novel in which the four veteran performers of the "Cun" generation take Yi Qing'e under their wings is rendered in the television drama with the martial-arts flavor of "closing the door to study the craft on a snowy night." Through such groundwork, Yi Qing'e's later achieving sudden, brilliant success (一鸣惊人, yi ming jing ren - "one, sound, startle, person") delivers viewers a genuine sense of satisfaction, and narrative efficiency is thereby markedly improved. How to advance with the times (与时俱进, yu shi ju jin - "with, time, together, advance"), how to innovate within inheritance — The Leading Role offers a well-measured answer.
What makes the film Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant (Huanying lai long canguan) admirable is the difficulty this story must confront: the intricate and complicated (错综复杂, cuo zong fu za - "intertwined, complex, complicated, many") Middle Eastern backdrop, the positions of the various parties that audiences cannot identify with, the viewing expectations created by previous films of the same kind... Under the pressure of such "high-pressure storytelling," director Wen Muye's answer is both complex and simple: take every link of the film industry to its utmost. How should abundant information be distributed so as to be clear and fluid; how should tangled threads be layered and laid out so as to strike home at the crucial moment — behind this there is no shortcut, only the repeated refinement by the creative team of the script (adhering to the classical dramatic rule that "a gun shown earlier must fire later"), the cinematography (long takes rich in information), and the editing (the parallel narrative of "flames of war" and "smoke of cooking fires"), so that every shot, every sound effect, every line of dialogue is grounded, and removing a single frame would break the narrative. This is the hard truth of storytelling — a hard truth that must be followed from the wandering bards of several thousand years ago to today's big and small screens.
In this story, the director has also keenly found a soul theme rich in novelty and empathy — the Chinese-style "philosophy of eating" — which also becomes an innovative expression that breaks out of the structure of the unbreakable cycle of war and violence. Through such expression, Xu Fu, played by Shen Teng, and Ma Junsheng, played by Jiang Qiming, achieve a dual redemption of humanity and home with their flesh-and-blood bodies and the finest flavors of the human world, within a death loop that has no winner and no way out.
At the story's end, Xu Fu hallucinates himself seated at his wedding banquet of twenty years ago; on screen all is warm and harmonious, and in the theater sighs and sobs rise from time to time. At that moment, you cannot attach any ready-made clichéd label, and no algorithm can predict in advance the power and density of that scene — it is a connection between history and the present, reality and dream, individual and individual, and it also warmly and resiliently pierces through story's yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Return to TopRecently, several "strong female lead" costume dramas have appeared in succession, ranging from palace intrigue and romance to power struggles and official careers, from emotional dependence to independent growth. The content keeps expanding, and the protagonists' growth arcs are becoming increasingly rich. But there is one problem that is also quite glaring: the supporting characters are increasingly treated like tools. Either they are reduced to stereotypes to manufacture dramatic conflict, or they are hurriedly written off to heighten the protagonist's tragedy. Foreshadowing laid earlier is discarded without a second thought later on; characters are introduced with grand setups but end with sloppy exits. This kind of narrative in which supporting characters exist merely to surround the protagonist with great praise and attention (众星捧月, zhong xing peng yue - "many stars, surround, moon") may seem to preserve the protagonist's spotlight, but in reality the logic of the entire drama falls apart along with it.
Why does this happen? Because on social media, maintaining the protagonist's popularity is more important than telling a complete story well. The creative tendency of "the protagonist is everything" reflects the problem of replacing artistic standards with data metrics. Once dominated by traffic logic, plot rationality gives way to data reports, and supporting characters can be sacrificed at any time. What people fail to realize is that a protagonist without real adversaries or vivid supporting characters around them is lonely no matter how dazzling they are. In truly excellent works, every character is rooted in real social relationships and possesses their own texture of life. And the protagonist's brilliance arises precisely from such an artistic space with harmonious layers and self-consistent logic.
(Shen Yiyao, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province)
Return to TopThe stage play Prima Facie is a one-person show that has won multiple international awards. It was previously introduced to Chinese cinemas in the form of the National Theatre Live (NT Live) recorded stage footage.The Chinese-language version produced from the original production has also met audiences in the theater.
Compared with the original version, the imported Chinese-language version shows strong originality in directorial interpretation, stage design and lighting, costume and styling, and musical effects. The entire play consists of 18 scenes, spanning different times and settings, and the solo performer must switch rapidly among more than 20 characters, so the scene design and transitions must fully exploit the theatrical convention of make-believe. And this is hardly uncommon on the Chinese stage — in traditional Chinese opera, changing scenery through movement or narration (移步换景, yi bu huan jing - "move step, change scene") conveys scene changes through the actor's narration and performance. The original stage is built as a semi-enclosed structure of three huge bookshelves, recreating the working environment of the protagonist, a lawyer. The Chinese-language stage, by contrast, is rich in symbolism, using "horse racing" as its central motif: on either side of the stage stand twelve starting gates, and in the middle is a long platform that can be dismantled, reassembled, and rotated. Horse racing both alludes to the fierce competition of the legal profession and symbolizes the protagonist's life trajectory full of ups and downs (跌宕, die dang - "fall, surge").
Through these innovations, one can see the appeal of cross-cultural adaptation. It re-presents the work in a way more attuned to local aesthetic habits and emotional sensibilities, and through the collision of different creative concepts, it achieves a deep dialogue with local audiences.
(Fengtai District, Beijing Ruo Shui)
Return to TopBy: 陈友强
Nowadays, many primary and secondary school music teachers have opened short-video accounts, and from these we can often see such scenes: students singing popular songs in unison with their teacher, the entire classroom instantly becoming lively. Introducing popular songs seems to have become the "standard configuration" of music classes—students love listening to them, participation is high, the classroom effect produces immediate results (立竿见影, li gan jian ying - "establish, cane, see, immediate"), and posting it online can also gain attention.
Regarding this phenomenon, some people think that since children like it, bringing it into the classroom is not unacceptable; others express concern: will popular songs entering the classroom squeeze the space for music teaching and lower the standards of aesthetic education?
Popular music is not something extremely dangerous or terrifying (洪水猛兽, hong shui meng shou - "flood, water, fierce, beast"). Those internet songs that are all the rage on every street and alley are already part of children's lives, carrying their emotions, social interactions, and growth. Completely shutting popular music out of the classroom is neither realistic nor necessary. Cultivating a pluralistic aesthetic that can accommodate a thousand voices is an inherent or necessary part of the subject (题中应有之义, ti zhong ying you zhi yi - "topic, within, should, have, of, meaning") of music education.
But inclusiveness does not mean laissez-faire. The problem with today's music classrooms lies precisely in the fact that some teachers, because "children only like listening to pop, and if I don't teach this they won't learn," simply go along with it all the way, turning popular songs into an invisible lesson plan, while the structurally complex, richly meaningful classic works in the music textbooks are squeezed into the corner. The classroom is lively, and the students are happy, but the string of aesthetic education has, imperceptibly, loosened.
The difficulties of frontline teachers are not hard to understand. Music class, in people's impressions, is mostly in a "minor subject" position. To capture interest, to regulate the classroom atmosphere, to complete teaching hours, choosing popular repertoire is the most worry-free and effortless option. But continuing in this way for a long time (长此以往, chang ci yi wang - "long, this, go, past"), music class becomes merely a diversion, remaining at the level of shallow pleasure, and students are prone to developing inertia—they may lack the patience to listen through a symphony, may be unable to savor the charm of traditional opera, and of course will also be unable to understand the less "friendly" avant-garde music.
No one is born knowing how to distinguish musical texture or savor charm; mature, inclusive auditory aesthetics are cultivated bit by bit through later nurture. This responsibility lies in the music classroom, on every music teacher. "Pleasing to the ear" should not be the entirety of music class; the more important significance of music education is to cultivate the ear. "Teaching students according to their individual abilities" (因材施教, yin cai shi jiao - "according to, talent, implement, teaching") also does not mean teaching whatever students love, but using different methods to bring students to the goal. In the music textbook, every piece and every knowledge point corresponds to the aesthetic benchmark that children at this school stage should establish. A good music teacher will use popular music as a "door-knocking brick"—explaining why the beat of a popular song is catchy, why the harmony is pleasing, and what classic works exist with similar melodies, and along this path, gradually lead children toward a broader musical world. From "feeling it sounds good," to "understanding where the goodness lies," to "being able to listen to more different kinds of goodness," this step-by-step guidance is the irreplaceable value of the teacher.
Good music education plants in children a heart capable of perceiving beauty, understanding beauty, and creating beauty. A piece they can savor carefully, a melody that makes their eyes grow warm, a moment of resonance with ancient music—all of these bring the growth of the soul. Their significance goes one layer deeper than "pleasing to the ear."
Return to TopBy: 张明瑟
Sun Wukong, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven that children vie to imitate, a screen image that audiences across generations never tire of discussing, and a Chinese cultural IP (intellectual property) that reaches the whole world. This time, he has "transformed" into a marker of the evolution of the television drama production and broadcasting ecosystem. The drama Journey to the West: The Later Chapters, which bears multiple "firsts," recently landed on satellite television and internet platforms, drawing public attention and industry discussion.
As the first long-form drama entirely created by generative artificial intelligence (AIGC), Journey to the West: The Later Chapters delivers a "leapfrog" audiovisual experience. Whether it is the showing every minute detail clearly (纤毫毕现, xian hao bi xian - "fine, hair, appear, clearly") fur of the protagonist Sun Xiaosheng, the natural and rich expressions of the supporting characters, or the grand and magnificent scenery of Mount Huaguo and the lined up in neat rows (鳞次栉比, lin ci zhi bi - "scale, order, comb, orderly") streets of the Rakshasa Kingdom, from the most microscopic to the most macroscopic, the work shapes a Journey to the West world that matches the public imagination. In a major action sequence, Sun Xiaosheng cultivates inside the Water Curtain Cave, at one moment performing agile and skillful movements (闪展腾挪, shan zhan teng nuo - "flash, expand, leap, move") with his staff, at another fidgeting or scratching one's head in frustration (抓耳挠腮, zhua er nao sai - "scratch, ear, scratch, cheek") over his own foolishness. As the camera pans, tilts, and moves, visual spectacles such as 360-degree panoramic shooting, special-effect transitions, and montage come arriving in rapid succession (纷至沓来, fen zhi ta lai - "scattered, arrive, flood, come").
In the past, visual expression of this caliber was mainly achieved through digital technologies such as 3D modeling, virtual shooting, and motion capture, which were costly and time-consuming, and were often applied only in blockbuster films and 3A games with investments running into the hundreds of millions. In particular, the meticulously detailed character expressions and martial arts movements generally integrated several complex processes, leaving many creators far too inferior to catch up with (望尘莫及, wang chen mo ji - "look, dust, not, reach"). This time, Journey to the West: The Later Chapters fully leverages AIGC's advantages in constructing visual effects, delivering a high-caliber, animated-film-level audiovisual experience in a cost-effective manner.
Such a breakthrough also answers the question of "what kind of grand production an AI drama can actually achieve." Over the past year, the traffic performance of AI short dramas has been evident to all who see (有目共睹, you mu gong du - "have, eye, together, see"), but there are two different views on AIGC's ability to "gnaw on hard bones." Many people feel that the "all-AI" creative approach can only be engaging in trivial or insignificant activities (小打小闹, xiao da xiao nao - "small, strike, small, play"), suitable for vertical-screen short dramas with many close-ups, short episode lengths, and audiences with low demands on visual effects. On the other hand, some foresee that current problems can all be solved through model iteration, and that AIGC will one day be able to shoulder advanced audiovisual art forms such as long dramas and films. Talking on and on without getting to the point (说一千道一万, shuo yi qian dao yi wan - "say, one thousand, speak, ten thousand"), one must produce works. Journey to the West: The Later Chapters is precisely such an innovative work that confronts the difficult issues head-on. The "old ailments" of AIGC, such as inconsistent character images across scenes, stiff and abrupt camera movements, and expressions and action sequences that reek too much of AI, have basically been resolved in the work, with no sense of "incongruity."
However, in order to prove that "AIGC can produce long dramas," the work carries a certain experimental and demonstrative flavor, leaning toward visual presentation, while storytelling and character building are relatively inferior. The opening is slow to get to the point, which can easily "dissuade" viewers; in some places there are too many close-ups and slow-motion shots, and the process of characters' emotions building up to an eruption is somewhat drawn out; in some places the martial arts scenes are ample but the dramatic scenes are weak, with flashy action and transitions, yet the dialogue fails to support the characters' motivations, and the character arcs are not fully fleshed out. As the first AIGC long drama to be "broadcast on satellite television," Journey to the West: The Later Chapters will naturally face more critical scrutiny from audiences. We believe that today's flaws will become the stepping stones for tomorrow's progress. Through this attempt, we not only see the road ahead for the application of new technologies, but also the possibility of outstanding works emerging along that road.
Journey to the West: The Later Chapters is also the first work to be "reviewed while broadcasting" since the release of the "21 Measures for Radio and Television," demonstrating the continuous optimization of the drama creation ecosystem. Traditional television drama creation follows a linear process of shooting, submission for review, revision, and scheduling, with almost no possibility of timely modification based on audience feedback after broadcasting begins. "Reviewing while broadcasting," by contrast, incorporates creation, review, and audience feedback into a multi-track parallel process. Dramas released in seasonal formats, especially AIGC dramas, leveraging their technological advantages, have greatly reduced the cost of reshoots and supplementary filming, allowing them to fully absorb audience opinions, make timely modifications after broadcast, and, like online literature, meet the current public demand for artistic creation that "understands me" and "listens to advice." This flexible operation is conducive to activating creative enthusiasm, lowering the cost of trial and error for small and medium-sized companies, and enriching the landscape of audiovisual products.
At present, under internet conditions, new mass literature and art are flourishing and developing, small and medium-sized creative entities are rising, the efficiency of content supply has greatly improved, and public demand has become more diverse and constantly changing. This important trend, reflected in drama creation, is that works with shorter production cycles, moderate costs, and faster alignment with the collective emotions of audiences are increasingly favored by people. Viewed from this perspective, Journey to the West: The Later Chapters follows the trend and, with multiple "firsts," directly responds to audience needs, industry doubts, and the possibilities of institutional exploration. Although there is still room for improvement in content and form, the swing of the staff delivered by Journey to the West: The Later Chapters rings loud and clear, opening up new creative possibilities. And the propositions it raises — how AIGC and human creation can advance in coordination, and how to prevent AI from "stealing jobs" — are equally worthy of review and deep reflection.
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