People's Daily - September 15, 2026

Be a Pioneer of the Times and Pool the Strength of Unity

By: 新华社记者 郝薇薇 杨依军 本报记者 杜尚泽 陈振凯

From Beijing, China, where autumn is gradually deepening, to New Delhi, India, where the summer heat still lingers. Steady and solid major-country diplomacy has written a vivid and colorful (浓墨重彩, nong mo zhong cai - "thick, heavy; intense, vivid") new chapter on the Gangetic Plain.

From September 12 to 13, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Modi, President Xi Jinping traveled to New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. "Thank you very much for personally attending this summit," Prime Minister Modi said to President Xi Jinping. "I express my sincere gratitude for the support and assistance China has provided during India's BRICS presidency."

On the turbulent and powerful (风雷激荡, feng lei ji dang - "wind, thunder, surge") stage of the era, China's strength carries great importance and influence (举足轻重, ju zu qing zhong - "lift foot, weigh heavy").

BRICS cooperation has been forging ahead through hardships (砥砺前行, di li qian xing - "grind, sharpen; move forward") for two decades, and this is a clear guide to the historical mission of "greater BRICS cooperation": "Firmly stand on the right side of history, boldly serve as pioneers of the era, lead the international order toward a more just and reasonable direction, and work together to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind."

From Kazan to Tianjin and then to New Delhi, this is a reconfirmation of the positioning of China-India relations: "They are partners, not rivals; each is a development opportunity for the other, not a threat."

From Central Asia to the Middle East and then to South Asia, this is a solemn declaration of solidarity and cooperation among developing countries: "Jointly write a new chapter of unity and self-strengthening for the Global South."

Coordinating both the neighborhood and multilateral affairs, focusing on both the present and the future. In less than 24 hours in New Delhi, China's head-of-state diplomacy demonstrated strategic planning and broad vision, manifesting the responsibility of the era to jointly advance "greater BRICS cooperation" and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

(1) The historical mission of "greater BRICS cooperation": "Jointly Shoulder the Responsibility of the Era, Boldly Serve as Pioneer Forces"

Arriving in New Delhi at noon on the 12th, after a brief rest, he headed to the venue. Passing through stretches of lush greenery, President Xi Jinping's motorcade drove toward Progress Square in central New Delhi. On the large screens in the conference media center, footage of President Xi Jinping entering the venue and being warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Modi was played repeatedly.

In the Summit Hall on the second floor of Bharat Mandapam, the main venue, the first plenary session of the 18th BRICS Summit officially opened, and an in-depth exchange centered on "Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthened Multilateralism" immediately followed.

Twenty years ago, the world economic landscape was already building momentum for a change in the pattern, and the foreign ministers' meeting of the "BRIC countries" held on the margins of the UN General Assembly opened the historical prelude to BRICS cooperation. The first plenary session of the New Delhi Summit focused on "global governance" and "multilateralism," which is both a solemn tribute to the "original aspiration of BRICS" and a solemn declaration of the "BRICS mission" of jointly promoting change and jointly seeking development.

Prime Minister Modi, who chaired the meeting, after delivering remarks on behalf of the host country, invited President Xi Jinping to speak first among the attending leaders.

Looking back at the extraordinary journey of BRICS in recent years, at every key juncture in the growth and development of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, President Xi Jinping has provided important guidance: mapping out the "four major goals" of BRICS cooperation, proposing the "BRICS Plus" cooperation model, promoting the historic expansion of BRICS, and advocating high-quality development of "greater BRICS cooperation"... When a new journey begins again, all parties simultaneously, without prior agreement (不约而同, bu yue er tong - "not agree, but same") look toward China, eagerly expecting China's thinking and propositions.

This is a historical review that transcends time and is full of deep emotion.

"Twenty years of self-reliance and self-strengthening," "twenty years of facing difficulties together (风雨同舟, feng yu tong zhou - "wind, rain, same boat")," "twenty years of fruitful achievements." In 2013, President Xi Jinping made his first appearance on the international multilateral stage as China's head of state, and it was at BRICS. Since then, President Xi Jinping has chaired and attended multiple BRICS Summits. "Three twenty-year periods" is a profound summary of BRICS achievements and an important inspiration for future development.

"Adhering to independence and self-reliance, actively exploring development paths suited to national conditions," "jointly responding to challenges such as the international financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change," "achieving historic expansion and establishing an all-round, multi-tiered cooperation architecture"... These BRICS "report cards" are recounted one by one, and the resilience of steadfast progress, the warmth of mutual assistance, and the pride of pioneering innovation are all vividly etched in one's memory (历历在目, li li zai mu - "clear, clear, in eyes").

This is a blueprint drawn up by following the prevailing trend (顺应潮流, shun ying chao liu - "follow, respond, trend, flow") and grasping the general situation.

In President Xi Jinping's speech, there is a precise diagnosis of the profound and complex evolution of the century-old changes: "The Global South is rising prominently, and world multipolarity is unstoppable," "Unilateralism and power politics are surging against the current, and multilateralism and the international order are being impacted," "A new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, represented by artificial intelligence, is accelerating breakthroughs, profoundly affecting the world development landscape," "The world today is far from peaceful, and the aspects of change and chaos are more prominent"... Only by clearly seeing opportunities and discerning challenges can BRICS cooperation continue to deepen and be substantiated.

There are also deep expectations for BRICS countries to jointly shoulder the responsibility of the era: "Be pioneers in promoting innovative development," "Be pioneers in safeguarding peace and stability," "Be pioneers in promoting mutual learning among civilizations," "Be pioneers in reforming and improving global governance" — the "four pioneers" cover the four dimensions of development, security, civilization, and governance, and from the height of promoting human development and progress, point out the direction for "greater BRICS cooperation."

This is a "China moment" of immense expectation and the center of public attention (万众瞩目, wan zhong zhu mu - "ten thousand people, gaze, look").

President Xi Jinping solemnly announced that China will assume the BRICS presidency next year and host the 19th BRICS Summit. This will be the fourth time China serves as BRICS president, following Sanya in 2011, Xiamen in 2017, and the "virtual summit" in 2022. The "China commitment" to "open the third 'golden decade' of BRICS cooperation and jointly create a bright future of prosperity and progress" sparked eager anticipation both inside and outside the venue.

Egyptian President Sisi expressed support at the venue immediately: "We look forward to China's upcoming BRICS presidency, which will continue to advance the BRICS agenda and further strengthen the partnership among member states."

After the meeting, Prime Minister Modi took the initiative to walk toward President Xi Jinping and expressed congratulations in person: "I believe that during China's presidency, BRICS cooperation will achieve even greater development."

South African President Ramaphosa agreed with President Xi Jinping during the summit that they will definitely meet in China next year to jointly embark on a new voyage of BRICS cooperation.

If the growth and expansion of BRICS embodies "historical inevitability," then China's leadership and shaping demonstrates "historical initiative," displays strategic foresight, and draws a bright prospect.

On "promoting innovative development," he pointed out that BRICS countries should firmly grasp the initiative, strengthen AI cooperation, encourage open-source, open, cooperative, and shared approaches, and promote practical cooperation to move toward the new and climb toward the high;

On "safeguarding peace and stability," he emphasized upholding the common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept, and making BRICS's unique contribution to seeking treatment of both symptoms and root causes (标本兼治, biao ben jian zhi - "symptom, root, treat together");

On "promoting mutual learning among civilizations," he proposed that BRICS countries, inheriting ancient civilizations and nurturing diverse cultures, should become a garden where different civilizations coexist inclusively;

On "reforming and improving global governance," he emphasized following the general trend of democratization of international relations, promoting the building of a more just and reasonable global governance system, upholding the authority of the United Nations, and opposing withdrawal from groups, repudiation of treaties, and setting up a separate stove...

As representatives of emerging market countries and developing countries, BRICS countries have always stood at the forefront of the tide and dared to be first. In the face of the storms of the era, BRICS countries need to stand on the side of human progress and lead the course of the historical trend.

"Reaffirming the BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity and democracy, openness and inclusiveness, deepened cooperation, and consensus-building," "promoting sustainable development and inclusive growth," "respecting the national conditions of each country, the diversity of national systems and development paths, and building a community with a shared future for mankind on the basis of mutually beneficial cooperation"...

The cooperation concepts and consensus on action consolidated in the "New Delhi Declaration of the 18th BRICS Summit" powerfully confirm a statement by President Xi Jinping: "Solidarity and cooperation have always been the source of strength for the development of the BRICS cause."

(2) The practical path for the Global South's unity and self-strengthening: "Lighting Up the Path to Common Prosperity"

Two group photos are a true portrayal of the Global South's unity and self-strengthening.

On the 12th and 13th, during the first and second plenary sessions of the 18th BRICS Summit, President Xi Jinping took group photos with the attending leaders respectively; one was of BRICS member states, and the other covered BRICS member states, partner countries, guest countries, and international organizations.

"The collective rise of the Global South has become a key driving force for world multipolarity" — at this very moment, this is a vivid and concrete manifestation.

Similar historical experiences, identical development aspirations, and similar concepts of international cooperation. President Xi Jinping once said with deep feeling: "Since its inception, the BRICS mechanism has been closely linked to the destiny of the vast number of emerging market countries and developing countries."

"The first echelon of the Global South," "a model of unity and self-strengthening for emerging markets and developing countries," "the most influential cooperation platform for emerging markets and developing countries in today's world"... China uses "greater BRICS cooperation" to lead the great development of the Global South, and uses the strength of unity between BRICS countries and the vast number of Global South countries to enhance the common well-being of mankind.

Facing the two issues of the era placed before BRICS countries and the vast number of Global South countries, China responds with composure:

How to strengthen the power of the Global South so that it can better play a positive, stable, and benign role in international affairs? "Jointly upholding international rule of law," "holding high the banner of multilateralism," "adhering to the people-centered development philosophy," and "jointly advancing security governance" — the four-point Chinese proposition put forward by President Xi Jinping closely follows the development trend of the times, grasps the general trend of human progress, responds to the common expectations of Global South countries, and points out a feasible path for enhancing the Global South's international influence and voice in rule-making.

How to consolidate the foundation of BRICS practical cooperation so that "greater BRICS" can make great achievements and achieve great development? The AI open-source and inclusive initiative, the trade and investment facilitation initiative, the digital industry cooperation initiative, the intelligent manufacturing cooperation initiative, and the science and technology talent cultivation initiative — the Chinese initiatives announced by President Xi Jinping are oriented toward BRICS countries, but also benefit the Global South, and are committed to upgrading traditional industries, developing emerging industries, and laying out future industries, so that emerging technologies can light up the path to common prosperity.

Gathered together to discuss major plans. The summit theme of "Building a Resilient, Innovative, Cooperative and Sustainable BRICS" — the initials of the English words happen to form the English name of the BRICS mechanism, "BRICS," which resonates with the urgent development aspirations of the Global South.

During the breaks in the summit, many attending national leaders and heads of international organizations took the initiative to step forward and talk with President Xi Jinping. Bilateral relations, BRICS cooperation, the international situation... the dense interactions "in every spare moment" conveyed the strong desire of the international community, especially Global South countries, to deepen cooperation with China, and demonstrated the broad appeal of Chinese solutions and Chinese opportunities.

With the Global South in mind, rooted in the Global South, empowering the Global South. Chinese solutions are written with an emphasis on "new."

"China will take the lead in building a BRICS AI open-source zone," "China proposes building a BRICS special economic zone partnership," "China will promote the establishment of a BRICS digital industry cloud platform," "China proposes establishing a BRICS engineers training alliance," "China will implement a BRICS youth science and technology innovation exchange program"... The practical measures announced at the second plenary session, together with the initiative on AI empowering new industrialization proposed at the first plenary session, form a combination of moves toward "intelligence" and "newness," opening new channels for the Global South to deeply participate in the wave of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation.

We must not only make ourselves better off, but also make others better off. Chinese solutions are committed to "sharing."

"The 15th Five-Year Plan is not only China's own development blueprint, but also a cooperation list for the world." The remarks made by President Xi Jinping during the summit once again demonstrated the broad-mindedness of a major country in walking the path of modernization hand in hand with countries around the world.

(3) The character and style of Chinese diplomacy: "Cherishing the future of humanity and caring for the well-being of the people"

"The world's attention is focused on the meeting between Chinese and Indian leaders," "The two Asian powers will sit together again," "Can Beijing and New Delhi open a new page"... Before the China-India bilateral meeting even began, analyses and observations were already overwhelming, and Indian television channels even tracked the coverage with countdowns.

As the world's two most populous countries and important members of the Global South, and as two neighboring major countries, China-India relations are of great concern to the international community. On the evening of the 12th, what message did the face-to-face meeting between the leaders of China and India convey to the neighborhood, to the Global South, and to the international community?

In October 2024, during the BRICS Summit in Kazan, President Xi Jinping held a meeting with Prime Minister Modi, leading China-India relations to "start anew." In August 2025, on the eve of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin, President Xi Jinping held another meeting with Prime Minister Modi, leading the bilateral relations to achieve "further improvement."

Institutional exchanges are gradually resuming, the cooperation list is continuously growing, and bilateral trade volume has reached new highs... Under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, China-India relations have returned to the track of recovery and improvement, moving forward step by step.

This time in New Delhi, President Xi Jinping shared four points of view, pointing out that China and India should "calibrate the direction with objective and rational strategic perception," "achieve mutual success with the concept of win-win cooperation," "eliminate interference with the political wisdom of mutual respect and mutual understanding," and "benefit the world with open and inclusive multilateral coordination," providing important guidance for promoting the stable and long-term development of bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Modi listened attentively and expressed agreement. He stated that India always views India-China relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, is willing to be a partner with China rather than a rival, and regards each other's development as an opportunity rather than a challenge. India is willing to promote greater development of bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect and mutual trust.

During the meeting, the two leaders reached a clear consensus: to view and develop bilateral relations "always from a strategic height and long-term perspective." President Xi Jinping particularly emphasized: "Both sides should cherish the future of humanity and care for the well-being of the people, work together to promote the high-quality development of 'greater BRICS cooperation,' and provide more positive energy for promoting world peace, stability, development, and prosperity." Such broad vision and grand pattern demonstrate the practical wisdom drawn from the depths of history by an ancient Eastern civilization.

Cherishing the future of humanity and caring for the well-being of the people — looking back at the head-of-state diplomacy of this year, which has been full of climaxes and highlights, this is precisely the great logic by which China follows trends, creates momentum, and shapes momentum, leading the world's major transformation toward the correct direction of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

In the past half month, from the visits to Central Asia and the Middle East to the visit to South Asia, from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Bishkek to the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, people have clearly seen that solidarity and cooperation with the vast number of developing countries has always been the unshakable foundation of China's foreign relations.

Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping's head-of-state diplomacy, China is working together with the international community, including Global South countries, step by step, to advance an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, implement the four major global initiatives, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Such a bearing of a major country has attracted worldwide attention —

From the wave of visits to China in the spring of this year, to the summit meetings between China and the United States and between China and Russia in May, to the new busy season of diplomacy; from East Asia to Central Asia, from the Middle East to South Asia, the footprints of visits have crossed mountains and seas, and major-country diplomacy has been splendid and colorful. Regardless of region, cultural tradition, or development stage, more and more countries are moving toward China in a two-way journey, and the global partnership of equality, openness, and cooperation is becoming ever stronger and closer.

Such a concept of a major country has won recognition from the world —

The major judgment made at the BRICS Johannesburg Summit eight years ago — "The next 10 years will be a critical decade for the transformation of old and new drivers of the world economy" — is rapidly becoming a new reality in the world; the Global Development Initiative proposed at the UN General Assembly general debate five years ago has received active support from more than 130 countries and international organizations. Concepts such as "people-centered," "the development philosophy of innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing," "building an open world economy," and "building a community with a shared future for mankind" have won increasingly broad international recognition and were also written into this New Delhi Declaration.

Such a sense of responsibility of a major country has won admiration from the world —

In the face of the complex evolution of the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region, when President Xi Jinping visited Egypt, he put forward a four-point initiative on building a new security architecture for the Middle East; at this New Delhi Summit, President Xi Jinping expressed his willingness to work with BRICS members to play a due role in achieving peace and tranquility in the Middle East and the Gulf region. From actively exploring solutions to hotspot issues with Chinese characteristics, to deeply elaborating the core essence of an equal and orderly multipolar world, to drawing a new blueprint for the high-quality development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS cooperation mechanism... China has always firmly stood on the side of peace, on the side of cooperation, and on the right side of history.

Over mountains and rivers, the steps of major-country diplomacy never stop. At noon on the 13th, at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi, President Xi Jinping's special plane took off, successfully concluding the visit to South Asia. Facing the turbulent and changing international situation, people expect and believe that China in the new era will forge ahead courageously and continuously write magnificent chapters for human progress and for the great harmony of the world.

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General Offices of the CPC Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission Issue the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Services and Support of Veterans"

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 14) Recently, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the General Office of the State Council, and the General Office of the Central Military Commission issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Services and Support of Veterans" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), making arrangements and deployments for the work on veterans during the 15th Five-Year Plan period.

The Plan emphasizes that veterans are a valuable asset of the Party and the state, and an important force in advancing Chinese modernization. The work on veterans bears on reform, development, and stability, as well as the cause of strengthening the military and building a strong military. It is necessary to fully implement Xi Jinping's thinking on strengthening the military and the important expositions of General Secretary Xi Jinping on the work on veterans, adhere to the policy of serving economic and social development and serving national defense and military construction, take promoting the high-quality development of the work on veterans as the theme, take further deepening the reform of the management and support system for veterans as the driving force, and continue to improve the organizational management system, the work operation system, and the policy and institutional system, so as to truly ensure that veterans are properly received and placed, well served and supported, well educated and managed, given full play to their roles, and have their rights and interests well safeguarded, making military service a profession respected by the whole society and making veterans people respected by the whole society.

The Plan proposes that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the work on veterans should uphold the Party's leadership, guide veterans to firmly follow the Party and obey the Party's command; uphold a people-centered approach, and safeguard and protect the legitimate rights and interests of veterans; uphold fundamental principles and break new ground, and deepen reforms in key areas and key links; uphold coordination between the military and local authorities, and strengthen the alignment of policies and institutions and the coordination of work measures; uphold a classified and targeted approach, and enhance the precision, convenience, and sustainability of services and support.

The Plan deploys a number of key tasks centering on improving the governance system for veterans' affairs, deepening ideological and political guidance and commendation and encouragement, promoting high-quality placement and employment of veterans, improving the level of work to support the military and give preferential treatment to military families, and enhancing the effectiveness of services and support for veterans. At the same time, it proposes engineering projects such as improving the quality and efficiency of veterans service centers (stations), upgrading and renovating martyrs' memorial facilities, and enhancing the capacity of the preferential treatment, medical care, and convalescence system.

The Plan requires that all regions and relevant departments, under the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, earnestly implement the Plan in light of actual conditions.

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Charting a Course Toward Maritime Strength

By: 本报记者

On September 14, the "Beigang Canal 001" vessel, fully loaded with containers, conducted a trial voyage on the Pinglu Canal, heading directly for the Dalamping operation area of Qinzhou Port.

The Pinglu Canal is about to open to navigation, and for the first time, the great river separated by heavy mountains and the sea are tightly embracing each other.

A backbone project organically linking the Belt and Road Initiative and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, the first grand canal built since the founding of New China to connect rivers with the sea, opening up the shortest, most economical, and most convenient sea passage for the southwest region — the 134.2-kilometer Pinglu Canal has left a significant mark on the river system map of this great nation.

The canal dream mirrors the dream of a strong nation.

Dr. Sun Yat-sen's "The International Development of China" depicted the dream of the great southwest reaching the sea, yet in old China, the blueprint could only hang on paper.

"Once the water network is built, it will be another century-spanning scroll in the Chinese nation's history of water management, and it will be recorded in the annals of a thousand years."

"The ocean nurtures life, connects the world, and promotes development."

"The road to the sea is an important path for a country's development."

In the new era, we plan rivers, lakes, and seas with deep foresight, grasping firmly and implementing solidly.

In December 2023, during his inspection tour in Guangxi, General Secretary Xi Jinping earnestly instructed: "Build the Pinglu Canal to high standards and high quality."

Construction began in August 2022. Over more than 1,400 days and nights, with central coordination, local collaboration, scientific and technological breakthroughs, and industrial linkage, more than 20,000 builders of all ethnic groups pooled their strength to accomplish a major undertaking on the land of Guangxi.

Today, the Pinglu Canal flows into the sea, and amid the layered mountains of the great southwest, the symphony of the era of striving seaward with strength resounds.

Connecting Rivers to the Sea

On the upper reaches of the Xijiang River, by the Youjiang River, construction of the navigation facilities of the Baise Water Conservancy Hub in Guangxi is in full swing.

Thirty kilometers away, at the headquarters of the leading aluminum enterprise Geely Baikuang Group, the progress of the project concerns everyone: once completed and put into operation, imported bauxite and thermal coal can be shipped from Qinzhou Port on the Beibu Gulf, pass through the Pinglu Canal, and reach Baise directly.

"In the past, when raw materials arrived at the port, they were transported by train and truck — small volumes, high freight costs." Su Yonghui, director of the Logistics Management Department, spoke bluntly and calculated the cost account: by waterway, comprehensive logistics costs drop by 30%, saving more than ten million yuan a year.

One region reveals the whole picture. Spread out the map and examine the west —

There is the pain of choosing a longer or more difficult route instead of a shorter one (舍近求远, she jin qiu yuan - "abandon, near, seek, far"). The Xijiang River and the Beibu Gulf are separated by layer upon layer of mountains. "The river and the sea are not connected, so being near the sea yet struggling to reach it." Having worked with the sea for 31 years, Mo Weihua, a second-level researcher at the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration, has deep feelings about this "pain": detouring to Guangzhou Port means traveling more than 500 extra kilometers on the river.

There is the hope of "large volume, good prices." In the new era, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has arrived. With combined rail, road, and sea transport, goods from the west can also move smoothly in and out of the Beibu Gulf. "The cost of inland waterway transport is far lower than rail and road; this account cannot be ignored." Lin Jian, deputy director of the Baise Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, frankly stated that Baise's hundred-billion-yuan aluminum industry has an annual throughput of over 15 million tons, "and we hope even more for the canal to open up a low-cost, high-capacity passage."

The river and the sea have gazed at each other for a thousand years; from pain to connection, the longing has lasted a hundred years.

Several generations have planned and deliberated — why has the pen finally been set down in the new era?

"There is the opportunity of real demand and the support of technological development." Yang Zhengmei, deputy director of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor Construction Management Division of the Development and Reform Commission of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, reflected: more critically, this is an important stroke in serving the construction of the new development pattern.

Yunnan's port is now gazing eastward.

At the border of Yunnan and Guangxi, an important site for the "north aluminum, south relocation" initiative, Funing Port in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture will be completed within the year. On the shore, the red characters "Yunnan goes to the sea from here" are especially conspicuous.

Setting out from here, passing through the Baise Water Conservancy Hub, one connects eastward to the aluminum materials consumer market of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. "Heading south through the Pinglu Canal, we radiate to Southeast Asia." Liu Xiaoheng, director of the Wenshan Prefecture Industry and Information Technology Bureau, said that the locality has already laid out in advance a two-way integrated industrial chain of "importing aluminum raw materials from outside — green reprocessing in Wenshan — products sold far and wide at home and abroad."

Guizhou's road is now extending southward.

Starting from Huangtong in the north and reaching Baise in the south, the Huangbai Railway, an important project of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, is being built at an accelerated pace — connecting to the Youjiang River and the canal, helping Guizhou, which is "not adjacent to rivers, seas, or borders," to connect rivers with the sea, transforming from a dead end to a frontier.

Goods from Sichuan and Chongqing are now heading toward the sea.

On September 4, freight trains loaded with "Made in Sichuan" goods departed from Chengdu and Zigong, waiting to board the first cargo vessel after the Pinglu Canal opens to navigation, heading for ASEAN. Sichuan and Chongqing now welcome a two-way sea passage of "the Yangtze River waterway in the east, the Pinglu Canal in the south."

There is also Nanning's cross-border new energy battery production and supply chain.

This chain has already attracted "chain leader" BYD, Do-Fluoride, and more than 50 upstream and downstream enterprises.

Batteries are manufactured in Nanning and sold to global markets, with the total output value of the entire industrial chain exceeding 60 billion yuan. "Once the canal opens, logistics costs will drop, market response will speed up, and competitiveness will rise further." Bi Guochu, director of the Nanning Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, said.

East and west support each other, land and sea work in tandem — a scene of boundless vitality.

A set of data shows cost reduction and efficiency gains.

"Logistics costs will drop by 18% to 30%, and in the long term it is expected to save more than 5 billion yuan in freight costs annually for regions along the route." Busy organizing cargo sources, Li Yuntao, deputy director of the Investment Development Department of Pinglu Canal Group, is filled with growing confidence.

Two markets, see mutual achievement.

On one side is China with a population of more than 1.4 billion; on the other is ASEAN with a population of nearly 700 million. "A new mutually beneficial passage has been added between the two large markets." After an on-site inspection of the Pinglu Canal, foreign envoys of ASEAN countries sincerely praised: it is not only the flow of goods, but also the connection of hearts and minds.

To strengthen the domestic major circulation, optimize the domestic and international dual circulation, and promote coordinated regional development, the inland waterway shipping network is of vital importance.

From one river to a network, specializing in coordinated regional development, Luo Jing, associate researcher at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, looked to the future and traced several lines on the map —

The Pinglu Canal, together with the Xiang-Gui Canal and the Zhe-Gan-Yue Canal currently under feasibility study, will link up, connecting the Yangtze and Pearl River systems, jointly building a water network of east-west complementarity and north-south connectivity. "By then, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration will be efficiently interconnected, reshaping the economic geography of the southern region."

Pursuing the Dream at Pinglu

The ship lock opens, the water level drops, and the nearly ten-story-high drop is gradually smoothed away — heading south from Nanning, the "Beigang Canal 001" vessel steadily enters Madao Hub, the first hub of the canal.

Heading toward the sea, hubs are the key. The total water level drop along the canal is as high as 65 meters. How can the flow rate be controlled to ensure the safe passage of 5,000-ton-class vessels?

Build "staircases" on the waterway — from upstream to downstream, three cascade hubs, Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian, are arranged in sequence, absorbing the drop level by level.

Install "elevators" in the hubs — "When a ship enters the lock chamber of a hub, it is like entering an elevator car." Wei Minxin, resident engineer at Madao Hub, used an analogy: by raising or lowering the water level through valves, the water carries the ship up or down vertically, and it moves horizontally to the next water level.

More than 2,000 years ago, the Lingqu Canal in Guangxi pioneered the ship lock, using flash locks to control water by taking advantage of the terrain, with boats climbing "steps" over mountains and ridges;

Entering the new era, the Pinglu Canal inherits the wisdom of the ancients, using technology to guide the water according to circumstances, with giant ships riding "elevators" to connect rivers with the sea.

The water vein flows, and the cultural vein continues. Pinglu has also achieved new breakthroughs.

Seeking innovation in structure and technological innovation, Madao Hub has reached a new height in water conservation — a water-saving rate of up to 60%, saving about 1 billion cubic meters of water a year.

"What does this concept mean?" Wei Minxin marveled, "It is equivalent to the storage capacity of 70 West Lakes."

"To advance Chinese modernization, the issue of water resources must be taken into consideration."

A team of more than 300 people studied the best water-saving plan and drew more than 20,000 drawings. Pan Jian, chief engineer of Guangxi Pinglu Canal Construction Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Canal Construction Company"), was most deeply impressed by this sentence of General Secretary Xi Jinping.

"The southwest region is not short of water, but the spatial and temporal distribution is uneven, the topography and landforms are complex, and water resources face considerable challenges." Pan Jian felt this personally: concerning the conservation and utilization of water resources, every drop of water must be used to the utmost.

The secret of the utmost lies hidden in Madao Hub. "The world's first three-stage stacked water-saving basin is like equipping the ship lock with a dynamic 'water storage tank'." Pan Jian said.

Opening the screen, a three-dimensional animated demonstration plays intuitively: when a ship descends, the water level drops, and the water in the lock chamber enters the water-saving basins in stages for storage; when a ship ascends, the stored water automatically flows back from the basins into the lock chamber, quickly restoring the water level to navigation standards. Through such recycling, water consumption for passing through the lock is greatly reduced.

Reality is far more difficult than imagination. Of the three water-saving basins, one is buried deep underground. With nearly 140,000 tons of water overhead, how can it withstand the enormous impact? There are also the number of outlets, the position of wave-dissipating columns, the curvature of the corridors... countless challenges came head-on.

The hardest "bone" to gnaw was none other than the rapid opening and closing of the valves.

"Discharging water level by level means that the efficiency of passing through the lock will decrease. To win back the time, the opening and closing of the water-saving basin valves must be fast enough." At the forefront of the research, Cheng Yaofei, chairman of the Canal Construction Company, and his colleagues quickly found the crux: the buffer device of the hydraulic opening and closing system. "A 70-ton valve falling rapidly must be able to brake firmly and stop steadily."

A public call for talent was posted, and there was no shortage of respondents.

An internationally renowned manufacturer offered a complete set of equipment. And the design concept? "No comment."

This jolted the research team awake — "We are a big country, and in scientific and technological innovation, we must have our own things."

If it cannot be begged for or bought, then roll up our sleeves and work hard.

Academicians offered advice, research institutes lent support, and top domestic hydraulic manufacturers came upon hearing the news.

Several setbacks, ten thousand experiments. The team pioneered the "labyrinth-type buffer sleeve" hydraulic opening and closing technology, fixing the valve closing time at 30 seconds. "This means that six 5,000-ton-class vessels in a single lockage can pass through Madao Hub within one hour." Cheng Yaofei is very proud — the team worked together and successfully solved the difficult problem of rapid valve opening and closing.

Walking along the canal, one sees both the speed of racing against time and the "slowness" of composure and measure.

At the lower head of Madao Hub, two thousand-ton-class gates slowly close, and the dazzling light narrows and thins inch by inch until it disappears into the lock chamber.

"Airtight against light, and perfectly airtight or watertight (滴水不漏, di shui bu lou - "drop, water, not, leak")." Tang Huailiang explained unhurriedly: for the closing gap of the gates, the national standard is 0.15 millimeters, "we achieved 0.05 millimeters, thinner than a sheet of paper."

Dozens of days of hard fighting, thousands of screws adjusted by millimeter-level fine-tuning, all for an improvement of 0.1 millimeters... As the person in charge of the metal structure installation project, Tang Huailiang and his fellow workers from Sinohydro Bureau 8 anchored themselves to a common goal: to make every opening and closing of the gates as steady and unshakable as Mount Tai (稳如泰山, wen ru tai shan - "stable, like, Mount Tai").

"Constantly striving for perfection and improvement (精益求精, jing yi qiu jing - "refine, more, seek, excellence"), water management does not covet the merit of a moment but pursues long-lasting durability." Tang Huailiang said. From the Three Gorges and Baihetan to Pinglu, Tang Huailiang, who has been in the industry for more than 30 years, has learned a great lesson: our understanding of time "is measured in hundreds and thousands of years."

The Breadth of the Sea

At the confluence of river and sea, at the smart fishway monitoring platform of Qingnian Hub, resident engineer Chen Zhu is intently watching the screen.

A silvery-white shadow flashed by: two red-eye fish swimming upstream, their swimming speed, body length, and body width captured in real time by the system.

This is a life passage that was interrupted for more than 60 years. The Qingnian Sluice, completed in 1959, nourished the local people but blocked the migration route of fish.

During the demolition of the old and construction of the new, a composite fishway, the first of its kind in China, quietly took shape on one side of Qingnian Hub.

"Those from the sea and those from the river can all find their way home here." Chen Zhu also revealed: the drop between the upstream and downstream of the hub is nearly 10 meters. To allow fish to ascend gradually level by level, the interior of the fishway was carefully designed with a vertical-slot structure that winds around three times.

Fish do not speak, but the data in the sonar monitoring speaks for the ingenuity: 78,474 fish migrated upstream and 119,987 fish migrated downstream, with more than 10 species of fish successfully migrating.

Why would a major national project that cuts through mountains and opens rivers build a road for fish?

"Humans can utilize nature and transform nature, but in the final analysis, humans are part of nature and must cherish nature and must not place themselves above it." This sentence, included in Volume I of "Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization," is engraved in the hearts of the engineers, and their pen is set down with firmness.

This stroke first fell on "soil."

The excavation volume of earth and stone for the canal reaches 315 million cubic meters. If stacked into a dike one meter square, it could circle the Earth's equator nearly eight times.

With such a volume, where can it be placed?

The team from Guangxi University came.

Specializing in the resource utilization of solid waste, President Professor Xiao Jianzhuang led the team to the site more than 90 times, "writing the thesis on the land": raising and filling to create land, green building materials, mine pit restoration, land reclamation... seven types of disposal technologies have turned more than 98% of the spoil into "treasure from waste."

"Guess where this land came from?" At an open area along the canal, Tang Xiaofu teased.

Stepping into the greenhouse and picking a plump winter melon, this associate professor from Guangxi University revealed the answer: canal soil, backfilled into the valley, then soil improvement and scientific fertilization, "tomatoes in winter, melons in spring, with an annual output value of 50,000 yuan per mu!"

More than 10,000 mu of such land have already "grown" along the canal.

Many villagers have come to Tang Xiaofu to seek experience and learn techniques.

"Sharing everything one knows with complete openness (知无不言，倾囊相授, zhi wu bu yan, qing nang xiang shou - "know, no, not, speak, empty, bag, impart")." Tang Xiaofu paused, "What the villagers hope for is exactly what we must do."

The ecological account and the production account merge into one big account on the reclaimed land: harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Within this coexistence, there are both grand strokes and fine details.

Shaping Town, Lingshan County, Qinzhou City. In the canal resettlement community, an ancient camphor tree attracts attention: around the trunk, steel pipes provide steady support, like pairs of hands lifting up.

"This tree is almost 220 years old!" Resident Liang Yongzheng remembers clearly: after the canal construction started, both the village and the tree had to be relocated. On the day the work team came to the old village to solicit opinions, everyone sat under the camphor tree to discuss.

The initial plan was to move the old tree to a centralized management and protection area.

"People talking back and forth or engaging in conversation (一言我一语, yi yan wo yi yu - "one, word, I, one, word"), full of reluctance." Liang Yongzheng said. The big tree had watched generations grow up, witnessed the changes of the village, and its growth rings were engraved with memories. Someone suggested: "Can the old tree come with us to our new home?" As the words fell, the villagers nodded one after another.

Ask the people for their needs, ask the people for their advice.

"After many visits and repeated deliberation, it was finally decided that the old tree would move together with the villagers." Zhang Shoulong, an engineer of the Canal Construction Company responsible for the transplantation of ancient trees, and his colleagues customized a "relocation plan": health testing, hoisting and transportation, planting and rejuvenation — every procedure was repeatedly deliberated. "36 ancient trees were transplanted along the canal, with one tree, one strategy, and follow-up monitoring."

On the day of transplantation, many villagers made a special trip back to the old village. "Some raised their phones, some just watched quietly, watching the crane slowly lift the tree." Liang Yongzheng sighed that with the old tree guarding the new home, nostalgia has found its place.

Chinese modernization is the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

In fact, it is not just the old tree. Such stories of coexistence are written into every inch of mountains and waters treated with care during the construction process.

A bridge, its deck not paved with asphalt but covered with fertile soil, planted with mountain cherry blossoms, and equipped with water collection points and rock piles. "This was built specially for animals." Following the direction of Zhang Shoulong's finger, a bridge spans the canal, "restoring the mountain forest ecology so that animals will not get lost."

A forest, at the mouth of the canal, breathes quietly. Nearly 4,000 wave piles protect the root systems, and there are also 77,000 meters of anti-pollution curtains. "Wherever they are laid, only then do the construction vessels sail there." Chen Zhizong, safety director of the 15th section of the canal waterway, sighed that the care for the mangroves is "meticulous in every detail."

A "corridor," with its goal anchored on "near-zero carbon." At the three major hubs and two waterway ship service areas, photovoltaic panels are laid and microgrids are built to construct a clean energy corridor, "striving to achieve basic energy self-sufficiency during the operation period." Pan Jian said.

"General Secretary Xi Jinping urged us to 'build the Pinglu Canal to high standards and high quality,' and treating nature with care is an inherent part of this." Having been deeply involved in the canal construction, Hu Ya'an, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, commented: the Pinglu Canal is not only a new model for ecological protection in major global projects, but also a new benchmark for the quality of world canal construction.

Sailing Toward the Azure

At Maowei Sea in Qinzhou, the sound of a ship's whistle rings out as cargo vessels sail from here toward the azure of the Beibu Gulf.

Cutting through mountains toward the sea, the "first chapter" of canal construction has been brilliantly written; connecting rivers with the sea, how will the "second chapter" of striving seaward with strength begin?

In April 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to Guangxi for an inspection. He urged Guangxi: "Vigorously develop the marine economy, promote China-ASEAN opening-up and cooperation, run the pilot free trade zone well, and better transform the unique locational advantages into advantages for opening-up and development."

Guided by thought, action is firm.

Continuing to explore and deepening advancement. On June 30 this year, the Twelfth Plenary Session of the Twelfth Committee of the Autonomous Region Party Committee was held, with a special study on the high-quality development of the marine economy.

Inside the venue, participating representatives repeatedly circled and underlined; outside the venue, market entities continued to discuss heatedly. All eyes focused on the same keyword: "leaf-vein type."

"For the marine economy, industry is the foundation. The 'leaf-vein type' marine industry layout precisely matches the intertwined characteristics of Guangxi's land, sea, rivers, and canals." Huang Lanxi, director of the Policy Research Office of the Autonomous Region Party Committee, vividly depicted a "canal industry map": the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt is the "main vein," concentrating the layout of high-volume, port- and water-appropriate industries; the rest of the region serves as "branch veins," with numerous parks and enterprises as "fine veins," deeply embedded in the division of labor within the industrial chain.

At the starting point of the "main vein," the Eastern New City of Nanning is growing together with the canal.

"How could enterprises with keen senses miss this sea 'delivered' to Nanning's doorstep?" Huang Hui, director of the Nanning Municipal Industrial Park Reform and Development Office, was deeply impressed that even before the canal started construction, many major investments had already landed. Over the past few years, new battery materials, high-end papermaking, and new chemical materials — the chains are extending and the clusters are gathering. "In 2025, the total output value of industries above designated size reached 41.754 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 29.9%, contributing 39.88% to the city's industrial growth." Huang Hui said.

Qinzhou, at the mouth of the "main vein," leverages its hub advantage of connecting rivers with the sea to help new quality productive forces grow vigorously.

Petroleum coke and coal pitch from the north arrive directly at the plant along the canal; products are sold nearby to the southwest and ASEAN markets... "One canal connects the entire chain from raw materials to markets." Zhang Zengtang, deputy general manager of Guangxi Guangtou Qiangqiang Carbon-based New Materials Co., Ltd. frankly stated, "This is a key consideration for investment."

With the main vein connected, branch veins unblocked, and fine veins extended, the "leaf-vein type" layout is gradually unfolding. Leveraging the leading role of state capital and focusing on building a "Beihai-Fangchenggang-Qinzhou" coastal circular aluminum industry cluster, Guangtou Capital Group, under Guangxi Investment Group, has invested in nearly 60 projects in the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt, with a total investment exceeding 12.5 billion yuan.

Supporting this "leaf vein" is not just the Pinglu Canal.

Looking across Guangxi, there are 65 major land passages leaving the province, going to sea, and crossing the border, 50 container routes facing ASEAN, and air routes reaching all ASEAN countries... "Relying on the China-ASEAN Information Harbor, 12 international terrestrial optical cables reaching ASEAN countries have also been built." Yang Zhengmei said, "Land, sea, air, and digital forces work in concert to help Guangxi build a convenient place for domestic and international dual circulation market operations."

"'The leaf vein' is rooted in Guangxi, faces ASEAN, looks to the world, connects land and sea, and links domestic and foreign markets." In the view of Xie Tingyu, dean of the School of Economics at Guangxi University of Finance and Economics, this layout will empower Guangxi's transformation from a corridor economy to a hub economy, while injecting momentum into reshaping the competitive advantages and enhancing the level of opening-up of the western region.

Giant ships berth, crane arms rise and fall — at the No. 1 Operation Area of Dalamping, Qinzhou Port, Beibu Gulf Port, there is a scene of bustling activity.

In May this year, 122 units of equipment including loaders produced by Liuzhou's LiuGong Group were shipped in full to Jakarta, Indonesia; in July, the route to Aqaba Port in Jordan was opened, with more than 2,600 new energy vehicles produced in Chongqing and other places reaching the Middle East market directly... "After the canal opens to navigation, the inland waterway shipping system will be linked with the ocean shipping system, promoting the continuous upgrading of the port's capacity." Chen Shengchang, general manager of the operation area, said.

The tangible canal has opened to navigation, and the intangible canal is being unblocked.

The Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration has promoted the establishment of the country's first "equivalent A-class navigation area" waters. Inland vessels with the appropriate qualifications can, under defined conditions, sail directly to the deep-water berths of Beibu Gulf Port, solving the "last kilometer" from river to sea.

Pinglu Canal Group has built a smart canal perception system with all-round monitoring of land, water, air, and space; the Department of Transport of the Autonomous Region has taken the lead in establishing a river-sea integrated dispatch platform, with vessels automatically scheduled and passing through locks as ordered.

With the canal about to open to navigation, at the construction site of the navigation facilities of the Baise Water Conservancy Hub, workers are working with great vigor.

Yunnan Communications Investment Group, Guangxi Beibu Gulf Port Group, and Guangxi Youjiang Water Resources Development Company directly under the Ministry of Water Resources — three parties joining hands and coordinating across provinces, not calculating petty gains but jointly tackling the "bottlenecks."

"We must jointly build the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor."

Observing the overall situation and comprehending the thought, Hu Huaping, Party Secretary of Beibu Gulf Port Group, has gained a deeper understanding: striving seaward with strength means joint construction and shared benefits. Upstream and downstream, main streams and tributaries, rivers and seas, land and sea — there are no bystanders, only problem-solvers.

(People's Daily reporters Liu Quan, Ke Zhongjia, Zhu Jiaqi, Qiang Yuwen)

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Benevolent Hearts and Skilled Hands to Heal All Living Beings

By: 本报记者 白剑峰

"Glazed-tile rooftops, sweeping eaves, and swift swallows darting beneath them..." At Beijing's Dongdan intersection stands a cluster of Chinese-Western architectural ensembles, standing shoulder to shoulder with the modern outpatient and emergency building. This is Peking Union Medical College Hospital — a place where the lights are always on.

The lights of PUMCH have witnessed countless sleepless nights spent rescuing lives, and have also kindled hope in the hearts of countless patients suffering from difficult and severe illnesses.

Half of the history of modern Chinese medicine is written in the history of PUMCH. On September 16, 1921, Peking Union Medical College Hospital was officially founded. Over the past 105 years, generations of PUMCH people have cultivated medical ethics, practiced benevolent healing, safeguarded the people's health with the great love of physicians, and written an outstanding answer sheet of revering and protecting life.

The PUMCH spirit is passed down from generation to generation

The "roots" and "soul" of a century of PUMCH lie hidden in each prescription, in each word of advice, and in every life that has been treated with kindness

"I have worn this white coat my entire life. When my body is laid to rest, put the white coat on me." These were the last words left by Zhang An, a hematology expert, before she passed away. Wearing the white coat was the happiest and most glorious time of her life.

The PUMCH spirit of "rigor, precision, diligence, and dedication" has always flowed through the blood of PUMCH people. From Zhang Xiaoqian's acting with extreme caution as if on thin ice (如临深渊，如履薄冰, ru lin shen yuan, ru lv bo bing - "as if approaching a deep abyss; as if stepping on thin ice") to Lin Qiaozhi's "clinical doctors must not leave the clinical bedside; a doctor who leaves the bedside is not a good doctor," from Zeng Xianjiu's "being merely a surgical craftsman is not enough" to Huang Jiasi's "good doctors are forged in the wards"... The teachings of predecessors have been passing down orally from generation to generation (口口相传, kou kou xiang chuan - "mouth to mouth, mutually passing on"). A young doctor said: "The best inheritance is not remembering the names of our predecessors, but living in their likeness."

"PUMCH has three treasures: professors, medical records, and the library." Walking into the PUMCH history museum, every exhibit and every medical record answers the same question: Why is PUMCH PUMCH? The answer is written on Zhang Xiaoqian's stethoscope, which was "a bit shorter than others'," written on the telephone on Lin Qiaozhi's bedside table, written on the scalpel Huang Jiasi hoped would "eventually be thrown away"... Only by knowing where one comes from can one know where one is going. Those seemingly insignificant details are precisely where the essence of the PUMCH spirit lies.

The "Three Basics and Three Stricts" — basic theory, basic knowledge, basic skills; serious attitude, strict requirements, rigorous methods — PUMCH's unique educational philosophy, passed down through generations; the 24-hour resident physician responsibility system, three-level ward rounds, clinicopathological conferences, and multidisciplinary consultations — the core systems established by PUMCH, becoming more new and relevant over time (历久弥新, li jiu mi xin - "passing long, increasingly new"). Soaking in the wards, steeping in the consultation rooms, and tempering on the operating table — this is the growth path of a PUMCH physician.

"Not examining a patient carefully is worse than not examining the patient at all." These are the heartfelt words (肺腑之言, fei fu zhi yan - "words from the lungs and abdomen") of Cui Liying, chief physician of the Department of Neurology. Once, she lost her voice due to a severe cold and could have suspended her clinic to rest, but in order not to disappoint patients who had already registered, she insisted on communicating through pen and paper and saw all the patients who came for treatment.

Near the end of the workday, Wang Erqian, deputy chief physician of the Department of Ophthalmology, received a cataract patient who was nearly blind. Seeing that the elderly patient had come to the hospital alone, she explained one by one the time, location, and precautions for each examination, and neatly wrote the key points on the back of the examination sheet. The dense handwriting warmed the patient's heart.

A woman had experienced three miscarriages due to antiphospholipid syndrome. Tian Xinping, chief physician of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, patiently comforted her and administered precise medication, not only resolving the danger of recurrent bleeding in early pregnancy but also working together with obstetricians to help her realize her dream of becoming a mother. The woman later expressed her gratitude specifically: "It was your professional diagnosis and treatment and selfless care that helped me regain confidence amid anxiety."

From pen-and-paper consultations to meticulous care, PUMCH people have never treated patients as merely a name on a medical record, but as "my patient." As time passes, Zhang Xiaoqian's small notebook has long since yellowed, and Lin Qiaozhi's signature has quietly faded, but the philosophy that "the closer one is to the patient, the closer one is to the truth of the disease" has been etched into the genes of PUMCH people.

Lang Jinghe, an obstetrics and gynecology expert, said: "The first prescription a doctor writes for a patient is care." The "roots" and "soul" of a century of PUMCH lie hidden in each prescription, in each word of advice, and in every life that has been treated with kindness.

The light of innovation illuminates life

Where there is no road, use the scalpel to carve out a road; where there is no precedent, make oneself the precedent

"We must find a way to keep the patient alive!" In the medical world, there is a peak known as "rare diseases," and few attempt the climb. Because every step is into the unknown, and every leg of the journey may end in returning empty-handed. The choice of PUMCH people is: "The patient entrusts their life; the doctor gives their all." In one medical "no-man's-land" after another, PUMCH people have lit the "lamp of China."

Since 2010, when Zhao Yupei led the establishment of the nation's first difficult-disease consultation center, the hospital's multidisciplinary consultation professional groups for difficult and rare diseases have grown to 55, with more than 5,000 consultations conducted cumulatively, serving over 20,000 patients. In 2019, Zhang Shuyang led the establishment of the nation's first national-level rare disease consultation platform. In April 2023, the hospital established the Department of Rare Disease Medicine and opened a joint rare disease clinic. In 2024, the nation's first fully established dedicated rare disease ward was put into use, with a diagnosis rate of 59% for admitted patients who had not yet been diagnosed, and the average time to diagnosis for patients shortened from 4 years to within 4 weeks.

Every Thursday at noon, the rare disease multidisciplinary consultation begins on schedule — this is an unbreakable "appointment with life." On August 6 this year, the attention of more than 40 experts from the hospital was focused on a 4-year-old girl. The patient had traveled from place to place seeking treatment for systemic vascular calcification but could not be diagnosed. On the CT scan, although the patient had not been injected with any contrast agent, the blood vessels throughout the body "lit up" like bones. This critical vascular condition, commonly seen in elderly dialysis patients, had rarely occurred in a young child. Experts from more than 10 departments conducted focused analysis: the Department of Radiology compared images frame by frame along the timeline, the Department of Pathology confirmed pulmonary metastatic calcification through lung biopsy, the Department of Pediatrics clarified the diagnosis of infection-secondary thrombotic microangiopathy, and the Department of Nephrology provided the pathological conclusion of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis... A one-and-a-half-hour consultation brought a glimmer of hope to a family on the brink of despair. Even more commendable, this rare disease multidisciplinary consultation was broadcast live nationwide, with over a thousand viewers from 105 hospitals observing online. This was not only a full-strength effort to support a life, but also a live teaching exercise for the whole country.

When everyone says "impossible," PUMCH people are looking for "how it can be done." Where there is no road, use the scalpel to carve out a road; where there is no precedent, make oneself the precedent.

PUMCH people are always in a hurry, their silhouettes carrying a gentle yet steadfast strength. Every piece of research here comes from the clinic and returns to the clinic; every achievement here is written into the patients' medical records. Courageous innovation is the vivid footnote PUMCH people have written for "healing the sick and saving lives."

In March 2023, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, together with the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Tsinghua University, restructured and established the National Key Laboratory of Difficult, Severe, and Rare Diseases, filling a gap in China's national-level science and technology support platform in this field, with the aim of tackling medical problems that others cannot research, cannot solve, or dare not touch. The National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure for Translational Medicine (Peking Union Medical College Hospital) began trial operation in 2021, focusing on translational research on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases related to aging and difficult and complicated diseases. In more than two years of operation, the clinical research ward has conducted 853 clinical studies, of which innovative drugs account for 73.3% and domestically developed innovative drugs account for 53.2%. With multiple platforms integrated into one system, a closed loop of "basic research — technological breakthrough — achievement transformation — clinical application" has been formed.

At present, the hospital has completed a national-level genomic diagnosis project covering more than 76,000 rare disease families; established a new diagnostic method for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis, raising the diagnosis rate from 20% to 80%. Here, innovative achievements have emerged one after another: a domestically produced extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) system has been approved for market, with key technologies and core components fully independent and controllable; an ash pollen allergy diagnostic kit has been approved for market, filling the gap in China's precise in vitro pollen diagnosis; and China's first independently developed, world-first radioactive Class 1 innovative drug has been approved for market, achieving precise auxiliary diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in lung cancer patients.

In February 2025, the "PUMCH·Taichu" rare disease large model entered clinical application. This "AI doctor," built on PUMCH's massive high-quality medical records and expert-level evidence-based decision-making, has conducted more than 9,000 effective consultations since its launch, and more than a thousand patients have been diagnosed with its assistance.

At PUMCH, the light of innovation can be seen everywhere. Perhaps it is a new drug, perhaps a patent, perhaps a surgery, perhaps an "idea." In April this year, a steel rebar 125 centimeters long and 1 centimeter thick pierced through the body of a construction worker, separated from the rectum, iliac vessels, and sciatic nerve by mere millimeters. Because both ends of the rebar were exposed, the aperture of an ordinary CT scanner could not accommodate it. Gao Peng, chief physician of the Department of Orthopedics, had a flash of inspiration: he first wrapped an infusion tube around the rebar, leaving a "tail" for the invisible wound tract, then slowly pulled the rebar out. As the rebar left the body, the infusion tube was guided in along the same path, and the bloody wound tract was instantly "revealed." Guided by the path indicated by the infusion tube, the medical team carefully explored and repeatedly irrigated the deep wound tract, both reducing the risk of infection at its source and creating conditions for the recovery of limb function. On the third day after surgery, the patient was able to get out of bed and move around. An ordinary infusion tube became the key to saving a life — behind it lies the innovative thinking and adaptability of PUMCH people.

In the eyes and hearts of PUMCH doctors, it is always the patient's life that comes first. The bed in the research ward, the lamp in the smart operating room, the piece of data in the AI model... the meaning of their existence, in the final analysis, is only one thing: to let patients suffer a little less, and to let life shine a little more.

"PUMCH seeds" take root in all directions

The brilliance of PUMCH doctors shines not only on the operating tables of this century-old prestigious hospital, but also in the places where the motherland needs them most

From "planting a single tree well" to "cultivating a whole forest," from "well-developed root systems" to luxuriant and flourishing with branches and leaves (枝繁叶茂, zhi fan ye mao - "branches luxuriant, leaves lush"), Peking Union Medical College Hospital is striving to cultivate an "ecological forest" that radiates high-quality medical resources across the nation.

PUMCH is a "seed bank." The brilliance of PUMCH doctors shines not only on the operating tables of this century-old prestigious hospital, but also in the places where the motherland needs them most.

Since 2015, Peking Union Medical College Hospital has carried out "group-style" medical talent assistance to Tibet, dispatching 12 consecutive batches of more than 100 backbone personnel. Batch after batch of assistance team members have created multiple "firsts" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: the first spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy under 3D laparoscopy, saving the spleen of an 18-year-old Tibetan youth; the first "growth-friendly" spinal deformity correction surgery, allowing a young girl with spinal deformity to stand straight again; the first robot-assisted scoliosis correction surgery, endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer, and laparoscopic radical cystectomy, relieving the suffering of one patient after another... Surgeries that once required crossing mountains and seas can now be completed in Lhasa, and the "PUMCH standard" has become the "PUMCH warmth" at the doorstep of ordinary people.

One trip to assist Tibet, a lifetime of feeling for Tibet. At the People's Hospital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, liver surgery expert Xu Haifeng, after completing his assistance term, proactively applied to stay for another year, mentoring 3 apprentices through "two-way selection." Over two years, five physicians at or above the deputy chief physician level in the department have become able to independently perform Level IV surgeries. A local doctor said: "What the PUMCH experts taught us is not just surgery, but also the spirit of taking responsibility and dedicating oneself to patients."

If "treating diseases others cannot treat" is an ability, then "taking root in the hearts of the people" is a sentiment. From the snowy plateau to the shore of the East China Sea, from top-tier hospitals to the front lines of primary care, wherever there is need, there are PUMCH people. According to statistics, PUMCH sends more than 150 senior professional and technical personnel each year, and the cumulative number of experts dispatched on long-term assignments of one year or more exceeds 400. "PUMCH seeds" have taken root in all directions, providing strong support for the project to strengthen the foundation of healthcare.

The Peking Union Medical College Hospital Macao Medical Center is a landmark cooperation project between Macao and the mainland in the field of health. PUMCH people serve the national strategic overall situation and safeguard the health of Macao residents, having dispatched a total of 141 experts covering hospital construction, discipline development, operational management, and clinical diagnosis and treatment. "No major illness requiring travel outside Macao" is turning from a vision into reality. The center has performed more than 5,000 surgical procedures, of which 671 were high-difficulty, high-risk operations; the assisted reproduction center began trial operation in July 2025 and already has successful pregnancy cases; and the intensive care unit was put into use on June 22 this year, greatly enhancing the capacity for treating critical and severe conditions.

Zhang Shuyang, president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said: "Standing at a new historical starting point, we must cultivate deep feelings for the people, achieve great medicine through great love, polish the century-old PUMCH brand, and make greater contributions to accelerating the building of a Healthy China." Wu Peixin, Party Committee Secretary of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, stated that the hospital must adhere to educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country, take fostering virtue through education as the foundation, and cultivate more medical pillars of talent who possess both integrity and ability and are capable of shouldering great responsibilities.

Bearing righteousness through wind and rain, healing all living beings with benevolent heart and benevolent art. For 105 years, Peking Union Medical College Hospital has always breathed the same breath and shared the same destiny as the motherland and the people. Generation after generation of PUMCH people, remaining true to their original aspiration and continuing to strive, are now writing a new chapter in the building of a Healthy China!

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Shortcomings Turned into “Potential for Growth” (Carrying Forward the Spirit of the Long March, Forging Ahead on the New Journey of Revitalization)

By: 本报记者 程远州

In the golden autumn, before the morning mist in the mountains had fully dispersed, in the high-mountain tea garden of Xinbai Village, Hongshan Town, Renhua County, Shaoguan City, Guangdong, tea farmers carried bamboo baskets at their waists, their fingertips gently pinching tender buds. After a full day's work, one person could earn more than 100 yuan.

In late autumn 1934, also in the early morning, villagers rose early to pick tea and found the streets and lanes filled with sleeping Red Army soldiers. At that time, the main forces of the Central Red Army on the Long March passed successively through Nanxiong, Renhua, Lechang and other places in northern Guangdong, breaking through the blockade lines set up by the Kuomintang one after another. "That year my mother was 13 years old. When the Red Army passed through Xinbai Village, they slept in the open in their clothes, bought and sold fairly, and did not take anything that did not belong to them (秋毫无犯, qiu hao wu fan - "autumn, hair, none, violate"); the common people voluntarily cooked tea and meals for the Red Army and tended the wounded," said Li Yuqing, a retired former village party branch secretary.

In October 2018, during an inspection tour in Guangdong, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must adhere to dialectical thinking, change our mindset, and strive to turn shortcomings into 'potential boards,' fully leveraging the ecological advantages of eastern, western and northern Guangdong, continuously expanding development space and strengthening development momentum." In November 2025, during an inspection tour in Guangdong, General Secretary Xi Jinping urged: "The Party and the government must continue to strengthen policy support for the old revolutionary base areas. The broad masses of cadres and the people in the old revolutionary base areas must work together with one heart and mind (齐心协力, qi xin xie li - "together, heart, cooperate, strength") and strive to make oneself or one's country strong (奋发图强, fen fa tu qiang - "exert, expand, plan, strong")."

Thoroughly implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, Guangdong is striving to solve the problem of unbalanced development between urban and rural regions. On the basis of learning from and applying the experience of the Thousand-Village Demonstration and Ten-Thousand-Village Improvement Project (千万工程), Guangdong launched the "High-Quality Development Project for One Hundred Counties, One Thousand Towns, and Ten Thousand Villages" (hereinafter referred to as the "One Hundred, One Thousand, Ten Thousand Project") at the end of 2022, striving to turn shortcomings into "potential boards."

The integration of tea and tourism helps promote the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas.

Walking through Xinbai Village, verdant tea gardens spread from the mountaintop to the foot of the mountain, with white-walled, black-tiled dwellings dotted among them, and asphalt roads winding like ink-colored ribbons.

"The village has grown white-haired tea for generations, but the tea industry once became a worry for the villagers," said Li Yuqing. "The purchase price for fresh tea leaves was sometimes only four or five yuan per jin, the tea gardens gradually became overgrown, and the village became a 'hollow village.'"

In 2024, riding the momentum of the "One Hundred, One Thousand, Ten Thousand Project," Xinbai Village cooperated with Guangdong Jinsha Tea Garden Co., Ltd. to build the Jinsha Tea Industry Demonstration Park, encouraging villagers to switch to growing Jinsha tea.

"Is the new variety easy to manage and protect? Will it sell well?" When the cooperation plan was announced, the villagers felt hesitant and uncertain (将信将疑, jiang xin jiang yi - "take, trust, take, doubt"), and no one dared to make a move.

"For the industry to 'break out,' we need that same spirit the Red Army had on the Long March!" Li Rixiang, party branch secretary of Xinbai Village, and party members took the lead in trial planting, bringing the village's two committee cadres to visit households one by one to do persuasion work, and coordinating with the company to provide tea seedlings to villagers free of charge, send technicians to teach skills, and have the company uniformly purchase the fresh tea leaves. Over the past two years, more than 480 mu of tea gardens have been converted to growing Jinsha tea.

"We plan to expand the Jinsha Tea Industry Demonstration Park to a scale of one thousand mu within three years, and then set up a tea processing factory," Li Rixiang introduced.

As more and more young people return to the village to grow tea, the village has taken the opportunity to create three "red study tour + rural tourism" routes. Today, the collective economic annual income of Xinbai Village has jumped from 90,000 yuan to more than 400,000 yuan.

Technology empowerment turns small moso bamboo into a major industry.

In the bamboo-based new materials production workshop of Renhua County Aoda Plywood Co., Ltd., pieces of bamboo-wood panels file off the production line one after another. "Highway infrastructure, container manufacturing, new energy vehicle components... bamboo is being used in more and more ways, and its value has increased tenfold, a hundredfold!" said Pan Jinshan, the company's general manager, unable to hide his excitement.

Renhua County has ten thousand mu of bamboo sea, but in the past the moso bamboo was only used as firewood or for building scaffolding. Today, the entire county has embarked on a new industrial path of "substituting bamboo for wood, substituting bamboo for plastic, substituting bamboo for steel," transforming ecological advantages into development advantages.

"In the past, the Red Army traversed countless hardships and dangers to win victory. Today, we must break through barriers on the road of industrial upgrading and let technology 'turn bamboo into gold,'" said Cao Yongjian, a researcher at the Guangdong Academy of Forestry, who led a team to station at Aoda Company, jointly building a postdoctoral workstation and developing a complete set of intelligent processing equipment.

Through the "enterprise + cooperative + base + farmer household" model, in 2025, the 38,000 bamboo-farming households in Renhua County saw an average income increase of 15,000 yuan per household, and the county's comprehensive bamboo industry output value reached 1.589 billion yuan, with more than 5,000 people employed in bamboo enterprises.

Supporting e-commerce enables specialty fruits to enrich farmers and increase incomes.

Arriving in the territory of Lechang City, Shaoguan, at the foot of Dawang Mountain on the Hunan-Guangdong border, a monument to the Red Army martyrs stands tall. In November 1934, the Red Army crossed Dawang Mountain in the rain, with soldiers leaning on tree branches and holding torches, a "fire dragon" winding up the mountain.

The flames of war of yesteryear have receded into the forest sea. Today, in Jiufeng Town, Lechang City, in light of local conditions (因地制宜), people are exploring markets and seeking development, and local cadres and the masses are forging a path of "crossing the mountain."

"Jiufeng Town has a high altitude and a large temperature difference between day and night, so the golden nai plums grown here taste refreshingly sweet." In Xiaolang Village, Jiufeng Town, returning youth Huang Qifeng was livestreaming. During this nai plum picking season, he sold fresh fruit worth more than 1.7 million yuan through livestreaming.

Relying on the "One Hundred, One Thousand, Ten Thousand Project," Lechang City has established companies to strengthen towns and enrich villages, with farmers contributing land as shares and receiving dividends according to their shareholdings; introduced e-commerce support policies; and built platforms for connecting production and sales... Today, the golden nai plum production area covers 86 villages in 8 towns of Lechang, driving more than 7,000 fruit-growing households to an average income increase of over 30,000 yuan per household.

Since the "One Hundred, One Thousand, Ten Thousand Project" has been implemented for more than three years, the GDP growth rate of Guangdong's 57 counties (cities) has outpaced the provincial average for two consecutive years, more than 60 percent of counties (cities) have achieved net population inflow, and the urban-rural resident income ratio has narrowed from 2.41:1 to 2.28:1.

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Reader's Guide

Theory

Uphold the Building of a High-Caliber Cadre Force Capable of Shouldering the Heavy Task of National Rejuvenation

Ninth Edition

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From SCO to BRICS, understanding the steady progress of major-country diplomacy

By: 本报记者 陈世涵 李建广

On the world stage where winds and clouds surge and shift, there is always a force that carries the world's hopes for peace and development.

In September 2026, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization gathered once again; in New Delhi, India, the expanded BRICS opened a new chapter. Amid the engaging in complex maneuvering or diplomacy (纵横捭阖, zong heng bai he - "vertical, horizontal; push, pull") of multilateral diplomacy, Chinese head-of-state diplomacy bravely shoulders historical responsibility and actively steers the course of history.

"The governance of the world is such that if it does not advance, it retreats. Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states and partners should all grasp the historical trend and shoulder the responsibility of the times."

"We must adhere to treating others with frankness and sincerity (坦诚相待, tan cheng xiang dai - "frank, sincere; face, each other") and seeking common ground while reserving differences (求同存异, qiu tong cun yi - "seek, same; preserve, different"), respect each other's core concerns, enhance mutual understanding through communication and dialogue, properly handle differences and disputes, and ensure that BRICS cooperation achieves long-term success through steady progress (行稳致远, xing wen zhi yuan - "walk, steady; reach, far")."

Standing at a crossroads that concerns the future and destiny of humanity, through two multilateral diplomatic gatherings, the world listens to the stability and progress of major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in the new era amid a century of profound changes.

The waves of the times surge without cease — how can the world be "stabilized"?

"Stability" is upheld in true multilateralism.

"A world without rules is like a crossroads without traffic lights; chaos and disorder are inevitable." During this trip, President Xi Jinping offered a refined metaphor.

How to prevent chaos and disorder? History tells us that multilateralism and solidarity and cooperation are the correct answers to solving global challenges.

"Hegemony by one country, governance by a few, and bloc politics are not true multilateralism. The world's affairs should be discussed by all countries, and international rules should be jointly formulated by all countries." On September 1, at the Bishkek Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, President Xi Jinping's words carried great weight.

Whether calling for "responding to common challenges through multilateral coordination" in Bishkek, or emphasizing in New Delhi that "Global South countries should hold high the banner of multilateralism," China has always worked together with countries sharing the same ambitions and ideals (志同道合, zhi tong dao he - "will, same; path, together") to improve global governance and uphold international rules and order.

"Stability" is rooted in the solidarity and self-strengthening of the Global South.

The collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive hallmark of the great transformation of the world; BRICS countries are the leading echelon of the Global South.

Rooted in the Global South and caring deeply for the Global South, President Xi Jinping emphasized at the Bishkek Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization that the organization "is an important pillar of South-South cooperation."

On September 13, at the second plenary session of the 18th BRICS Leaders' Meeting, President Xi Jinping stated his position clearly: "BRICS countries must grasp the historical initiative, unite the vast number of Global South countries, play a positive, stable, and constructive role in international affairs, and enhance the common well-being of mankind."

From "SCO+" to "BRICS+," the plus sign signifies a broader "circle of friends" and also greater responsibility for the times.

To move the world from "stabilizing" to "improving," the key lies in the power of leadership.

The world looks to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which has traversed a quarter of a century. President Xi Jinping pointed out clearly that "the 'SCO strength' should drive the prosperity and common development of the Eurasian continent," "the 'SCO wisdom' should promote the growth and strengthening of the Global South," and "the 'SCO actions' should lead the reform and improvement of global governance."

The world looks to BRICS, which has weathered two decades. President Xi Jinping stated firmly that "BRICS countries must firmly stand on the right side of history, boldly serve as pioneers of the times, lead the international order toward a more just and reasonable direction, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind."

Amid the tide of the times, what does it mean to be a pioneer? To grasp the general trend, to shoulder great righteousness, and to walk the great path.

With the "advance" of development, resolve the development deficit.

Since the Global Development Initiative was proposed five years ago, China has jointly carried out more than 2,000 cooperation projects with various parties, trained more than 200,000 personnel of various types, and benefited the people of more than 120 countries.

At the frontier of development, artificial intelligence is a vivid example.

In July this year, China promoted the establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. At this BRICS Leaders' Meeting, President Xi Jinping proposed the Artificial Intelligence Open and Inclusive Initiative, sharing opportunities and creating prosperity together with countries around the world.

With the "advance" of security, bridge the security gap.

With an eye to regional security, at the Bishkek Summit, President Xi Jinping proposed "advocating a rational, coordinated, and progressive view on nuclear security," supporting the early activation of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's "four security centers," and enhancing member states' capacity to respond to security threats and challenges.

In addressing regional hotspot issues, President Xi Jinping pointed out during the New Delhi meeting regarding the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf: "Attention must be paid to resolving root causes, rebuilding mutual trust among regional countries, and constructing a new security architecture." Earlier in Egypt, President Xi Jinping put forward a four-point initiative on promoting the building of a "new Middle East security architecture."

With the "advance" of inter-civilization exchanges, eliminate civilizational estrangement.

From the Shanghai Cooperation Organization's call to "take into overall consideration the history and culture of all countries," to BRICS' assertion that it "should become a garden where different civilizations coexist inclusively," the concern for "advocating exchanges, mutual learning, and harmonious coexistence among civilizations" has been consistent from beginning to end (一以贯之, yi yi guan zhi - "one, through, connect, throughout").

"Run the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum on Innovation and Sustainable Development and the Forum on People-to-People Friendship and Friendly Cities well" and "remain willing to continue building bridges for exchanges, mutual learning, and people-to-people connectivity through projects such as the Confucius Institutes and Luban Workshops"... Pragmatic actions are aimed at enhancing mutual trust through culture and promoting cooperation through exchanges.

With the "advance" of governance, improve the governance system.

With a view to advancing an equal and orderly multipolar world, President Xi Jinping proposed at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit: "We should uphold partnership over alliance and dialogue over confrontation, adhere to extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and promote equal participation and universal benefit for all countries in global governance." During this visit, President Xi Jinping proposed that BRICS countries should "serve as pioneers in reforming and improving global governance," lead global governance in new frontiers such as cyberspace, outer space, and the deep sea, and enhance the voice of Global South countries.

"I proposed the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Governance Initiative precisely to resolve these deficits and promote the building of a better world." At this BRICS Leaders' Meeting, President Xi Jinping systematically elaborated on the contemporary value of the four major global initiatives.

The warp and weft of the times often recalibrate the direction of progress at milestone moments.

As the new story of high-quality development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization unfolds, and as the curtain is about to rise on the third "Golden Decade" of BRICS cooperation, the world is witnessing: a China with the composure of "stability" and the responsibility of "advance" is bringing more certainty and hope for development to a world interwoven with change and turbulence through its own stability and development.

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Enhancing BRICS Cooperation, Empowering the Global South

By: 本报记者 张朋辉 李 墨 任 彦

From September 12 to 13, President Xi Jinping, at the invitation of India, attended the 18th BRICS Summit. In less than 24 hours in New Delhi, President Xi Jinping attended nearly 10 events in a packed schedule, discussing development plans and charting new cooperation with BRICS leaders. People interviewed by People's Daily reporters at home and abroad believe that President Xi Jinping's visit was pragmatic, efficient, and fruitful, achieving the goals of enhancing BRICS cooperation and empowering the Global South; China has played a key role in the growth and development of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, and they look forward to the next "China Year" pushing BRICS cooperation to a new level, demonstrating new achievements, and opening up new prospects.

Boosting the determination and confidence of BRICS countries in seeking strength through unity

President Xi Jinping summarized the BRICS development journey with three keywords: "self-reliance and self-improvement, standing together through thick and thin (风雨同舟, feng yu tong zhou - "wind, rain, same, boat"), and fruitful achievements." Over the past 20 years, BRICS countries have actively explored development paths suited to their own national conditions, providing valuable inspiration and useful reference for developing countries.

"The important initiatives and propositions put forward by President Xi Jinping help provide more development opportunities for Global South countries and also inject more Chinese wisdom into global governance." Royce, a researcher at the Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla in Mexico, said, "The goal of the BRICS cooperation mechanism is to promote common development and create better lives for the people of all countries, which is highly consistent with Mexico's development vision. This also shows that BRICS cooperation has enormous potential."

"China continues to steer the direction of BRICS cooperation, provide political support, and inject pragmatic momentum. China has also promoted the BRICS cooperation mechanism to become an important platform for promoting development cooperation and shared prosperity through knowledge sharing, capacity building, and investment." Diaa Helmy, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and Secretary-General of the Egyptian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said, "The important concepts put forward by President Xi Jinping have further boosted the determination and confidence of BRICS countries in seeking strength through unity."

Swaran Singh, a professor at the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, said that a series of forward-looking cooperation initiatives proposed by China have always played an indispensable role in promoting BRICS cooperation and improving global governance.

Su Xiaohui, Director of the Institute of Developing Countries at the China Institute of International Studies, said that at this summit, the Chinese side focused on the development pain points of Global South countries, responded to the demands of developing countries, and proposed a series of cooperation initiatives, pointing the way for the next stage of BRICS development and cooperation.

Vito Petrocella, President of the Italian Association for BRICS Studies, said that from initiating the "BRICS+" cooperation model to proposing the important concept of "'Greater BRICS Cooperation' high-quality development," President Xi Jinping has been taking matters into one's own hands (亲力亲为, qin li qin wei - "personally, do, personally, do") in promoting the development of BRICS cooperation, providing strategic guidance for building a more just and reasonable international order. "This demonstrates China's unswerving and resolute (坚定不移, jian ding bu yi - "firm, steady, not, move") commitment as a major country to promoting solidarity and coordination among the Global South, provides practical and feasible Chinese wisdom for addressing common challenges, and points the way for the international community to achieve mutually beneficial and win-win (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual, benefit, together, win") outcomes."

Bringing more Global South countries to share in the dividends of artificial intelligence development

Focusing on the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, President Xi Jinping proposed initiatives including BRICS countries' AI empowering new industrialization, open-source AI for universal benefit, digital industry cooperation, and intelligent manufacturing cooperation, and announced that China will take the lead in building a BRICS AI open-source zone, establishing a BRICS digital industry cloud platform, and implementing a BRICS youth science and technology innovation exchange program, among other pragmatic cooperation measures, which were warmly welcomed by all countries.

"President Xi Jinping's proposal of the open-source AI for universal benefit initiative is timely. The development of artificial intelligence presents both opportunities and challenges, and the international community should strengthen coordination and cooperation in the field of AI." Ana Garcia, a researcher at the BRICS Policy Research Center in Brazil, said that BRICS pragmatic cooperation has achieved many results, helping Global South countries develop and prosper.

"China has become one of the most important sources of global scientific and technological innovation, with advantages in fields such as artificial intelligence and intelligent manufacturing." Alibek Tajibayev, Director of the "Eurasian Monitoring" Analytical Research Center in Kazakhstan, said, "The open-source AI for universal benefit initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping helps lower the technological threshold and bring more Global South countries to share in the dividends of artificial intelligence development."

Aishwarya Pandit Sharma, founder of India's ITV News Network, said that the BRICS cooperation mechanism is gradually growing into one of the world's most influential multilateral platforms, with an increasingly louder BRICS voice on the international stage. This summit produced fruitful results, and she looks forward to BRICS countries further deepening cooperation in areas such as international trade, artificial intelligence, and addressing climate change, and promoting technology and knowledge sharing. To address the challenges of climate change, China has developed new technologies and renewable energy, which will provide important technical support for BRICS cooperation.

Anthony Munsami, Chief Director of the Gauteng Department of Cooperative Governance in South Africa, said that BRICS countries have leveraged their respective strengths, deepened pragmatic cooperation, and achieved fruitful results. "We look forward to all parties seizing the opportunities of technological change, transforming their complementary advantages in resources, industry, and markets into momentum for common development, turning more BRICS visions into development results, and contributing to the common development and prosperity of the Global South."

In the view of Lan Qingxin, Director of the BRICS Research Center at the University of International Business and Economics, BRICS cooperation has formed a "Greater BRICS Cooperation" pattern that radiates development cooperation across the Global South. In the future, all parties focusing on the high-quality development of "Greater BRICS Cooperation" and tapping the potential for pragmatic cooperation in emerging fields such as the digital economy will empower the development of Global South countries and help enhance the representation of the Global South in global governance.

Enhancing the influence and voice of the Global South in international affairs

During this summit, President Xi Jinping put forward four important propositions on strengthening the forces of the Global South: jointly upholding international rule of law and ensuring the equal application of international law and international rules; holding high the banner of multilateralism and safeguarding the authority and role of the United Nations; adhering to the people-centered development philosophy and promoting the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and jointly advancing security governance and jointly addressing traditional and non-traditional security threats.

"The four important propositions put forward by President Xi Jinping closely follow the trend of the times, respond to the common expectations of Global South countries, and provide a feasible path for enhancing the influence and voice of the Global South in international affairs." Ruvislei González, a senior researcher at the Cuban International Policy Research Center, said.

"The fundamental reason why BRICS cooperation has broad appeal and strong vitality lies in its consistent adherence to the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation." Mohammed Zarouni, a lecturer at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in the UAE, said that BRICS countries adhere to openness rather than closure and cooperation rather than confrontation, contributing to maintaining and strengthening multilateralism and enhancing the representativeness and effectiveness of existing international mechanisms.

Malaysian Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research, Tan Kar Hing, believes that the continuous expansion of the BRICS "circle of friends" and the deepening of cooperation fully demonstrate that developing countries have a real demand for a more open and inclusive multilateral cooperation platform. "BRICS cooperation has enormous potential. As a BRICS partner country, Malaysia will further expand its cooperation space with BRICS countries and other Global South countries, and contribute to building a more just and reasonable global governance system."

Wirun Pichayapongpat, Director of the Thailand-China Belt and Road Research Center, said that the world today is far from peaceful, and the BRICS cooperation mechanism, which advocates dialogue and cooperation, is continuously injecting more certainty, stability, and positive energy into world peace and development.

Raihan Ronodipuro, a researcher at the ASEAN-China Research Center at the University of Indonesia, said that China's active promotion of BRICS expansion and deepening of "Greater BRICS Cooperation" reflects an open and inclusive cooperation philosophy. The BRICS cooperation mechanism is not an exclusive "small circle," but a "circle of friends" that continuously expands cooperation with developing countries, which can provide more channels for win-win cooperation for developing countries, including Southeast Asian countries.

(People's Daily reporters Yuan Jirong, Qiang Wei, Meng Xianglin, Chen Zhenkai, Che Bin, Qu Song, Wang Xiaobo, Xie Yahong, Zhang Jinruo, Zheng Xiang, Qian Yibin, Shen Xiaoxiao, Shi Yuanhao, Xiao Xinxin, Cao Shiyun, Li Qiang, and Wang Xuchen contributed to this report)

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Be a Pioneer of the Times and Pool the Strength of Unity

By: 新华社记者 郝薇薇 杨依军 本报记者 杜尚泽 陈振凯

From Beijing, China, where autumn is gradually deepening, to New Delhi, India, where the summer heat still lingers. Steady and solid major-country diplomacy has written a vivid and colorful (浓墨重彩, nong mo zhong cai - "thick, heavy; intense, vivid") new chapter on the Gangetic Plain.

From September 12 to 13, at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Modi, President Xi Jinping traveled to New Delhi to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. "Thank you very much for personally attending this summit," Prime Minister Modi said to President Xi Jinping. "I express my sincere gratitude for the support and assistance China has provided during India's BRICS presidency."

On the turbulent and powerful (风雷激荡, feng lei ji dang - "wind, thunder, surge") stage of the era, China's strength carries great importance and influence (举足轻重, ju zu qing zhong - "lift foot, weigh heavy").

BRICS cooperation has been forging ahead through hardships (砥砺前行, di li qian xing - "grind, sharpen; move forward") for two decades, and this is a clear guide to the historical mission of "greater BRICS cooperation": "Firmly stand on the right side of history, boldly serve as pioneers of the era, lead the international order toward a more just and reasonable direction, and work together to promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind."

From Kazan to Tianjin and then to New Delhi, this is a reconfirmation of the positioning of China-India relations: "They are partners, not rivals; each is a development opportunity for the other, not a threat."

From Central Asia to the Middle East and then to South Asia, this is a solemn declaration of solidarity and cooperation among developing countries: "Jointly write a new chapter of unity and self-strengthening for the Global South."

Coordinating both the neighborhood and multilateral affairs, focusing on both the present and the future. In less than 24 hours in New Delhi, China's head-of-state diplomacy demonstrated strategic planning and broad vision, manifesting the responsibility of the era to jointly advance "greater BRICS cooperation" and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

(1) The historical mission of "greater BRICS cooperation": "Jointly Shoulder the Responsibility of the Era, Boldly Serve as Pioneer Forces"

Arriving in New Delhi at noon on the 12th, after a brief rest, he headed to the venue. Passing through stretches of lush greenery, President Xi Jinping's motorcade drove toward Progress Square in central New Delhi. On the large screens in the conference media center, footage of President Xi Jinping entering the venue and being warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Modi was played repeatedly.

In the Summit Hall on the second floor of Bharat Mandapam, the main venue, the first plenary session of the 18th BRICS Summit officially opened, and an in-depth exchange centered on "Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthened Multilateralism" immediately followed.

Twenty years ago, the world economic landscape was already building momentum for a change in the pattern, and the foreign ministers' meeting of the "BRIC countries" held on the margins of the UN General Assembly opened the historical prelude to BRICS cooperation. The first plenary session of the New Delhi Summit focused on "global governance" and "multilateralism," which is both a solemn tribute to the "original aspiration of BRICS" and a solemn declaration of the "BRICS mission" of jointly promoting change and jointly seeking development.

Prime Minister Modi, who chaired the meeting, after delivering remarks on behalf of the host country, invited President Xi Jinping to speak first among the attending leaders.

Looking back at the extraordinary journey of BRICS in recent years, at every key juncture in the growth and development of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, President Xi Jinping has provided important guidance: mapping out the "four major goals" of BRICS cooperation, proposing the "BRICS Plus" cooperation model, promoting the historic expansion of BRICS, and advocating high-quality development of "greater BRICS cooperation"... When a new journey begins again, all parties simultaneously, without prior agreement (不约而同, bu yue er tong - "not agree, but same") look toward China, eagerly expecting China's thinking and propositions.

This is a historical review that transcends time and is full of deep emotion.

"Twenty years of self-reliance and self-strengthening," "twenty years of facing difficulties together (风雨同舟, feng yu tong zhou - "wind, rain, same boat")," "twenty years of fruitful achievements." In 2013, President Xi Jinping made his first appearance on the international multilateral stage as China's head of state, and it was at BRICS. Since then, President Xi Jinping has chaired and attended multiple BRICS Summits. "Three twenty-year periods" is a profound summary of BRICS achievements and an important inspiration for future development.

"Adhering to independence and self-reliance, actively exploring development paths suited to national conditions," "jointly responding to challenges such as the international financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and climate change," "achieving historic expansion and establishing an all-round, multi-tiered cooperation architecture"... These BRICS "report cards" are recounted one by one, and the resilience of steadfast progress, the warmth of mutual assistance, and the pride of pioneering innovation are all vividly etched in one's memory (历历在目, li li zai mu - "clear, clear, in eyes").

This is a blueprint drawn up by following the prevailing trend (顺应潮流, shun ying chao liu - "follow, respond, trend, flow") and grasping the general situation.

In President Xi Jinping's speech, there is a precise diagnosis of the profound and complex evolution of the century-old changes: "The Global South is rising prominently, and world multipolarity is unstoppable," "Unilateralism and power politics are surging against the current, and multilateralism and the international order are being impacted," "A new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, represented by artificial intelligence, is accelerating breakthroughs, profoundly affecting the world development landscape," "The world today is far from peaceful, and the aspects of change and chaos are more prominent"... Only by clearly seeing opportunities and discerning challenges can BRICS cooperation continue to deepen and be substantiated.

There are also deep expectations for BRICS countries to jointly shoulder the responsibility of the era: "Be pioneers in promoting innovative development," "Be pioneers in safeguarding peace and stability," "Be pioneers in promoting mutual learning among civilizations," "Be pioneers in reforming and improving global governance" — the "four pioneers" cover the four dimensions of development, security, civilization, and governance, and from the height of promoting human development and progress, point out the direction for "greater BRICS cooperation."

This is a "China moment" of immense expectation and the center of public attention (万众瞩目, wan zhong zhu mu - "ten thousand people, gaze, look").

President Xi Jinping solemnly announced that China will assume the BRICS presidency next year and host the 19th BRICS Summit. This will be the fourth time China serves as BRICS president, following Sanya in 2011, Xiamen in 2017, and the "virtual summit" in 2022. The "China commitment" to "open the third 'golden decade' of BRICS cooperation and jointly create a bright future of prosperity and progress" sparked eager anticipation both inside and outside the venue.

Egyptian President Sisi expressed support at the venue immediately: "We look forward to China's upcoming BRICS presidency, which will continue to advance the BRICS agenda and further strengthen the partnership among member states."

After the meeting, Prime Minister Modi took the initiative to walk toward President Xi Jinping and expressed congratulations in person: "I believe that during China's presidency, BRICS cooperation will achieve even greater development."

South African President Ramaphosa agreed with President Xi Jinping during the summit that they will definitely meet in China next year to jointly embark on a new voyage of BRICS cooperation.

If the growth and expansion of BRICS embodies "historical inevitability," then China's leadership and shaping demonstrates "historical initiative," displays strategic foresight, and draws a bright prospect.

On "promoting innovative development," he pointed out that BRICS countries should firmly grasp the initiative, strengthen AI cooperation, encourage open-source, open, cooperative, and shared approaches, and promote practical cooperation to move toward the new and climb toward the high;

On "safeguarding peace and stability," he emphasized upholding the common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security concept, and making BRICS's unique contribution to seeking treatment of both symptoms and root causes (标本兼治, biao ben jian zhi - "symptom, root, treat together");

On "promoting mutual learning among civilizations," he proposed that BRICS countries, inheriting ancient civilizations and nurturing diverse cultures, should become a garden where different civilizations coexist inclusively;

On "reforming and improving global governance," he emphasized following the general trend of democratization of international relations, promoting the building of a more just and reasonable global governance system, upholding the authority of the United Nations, and opposing withdrawal from groups, repudiation of treaties, and setting up a separate stove...

As representatives of emerging market countries and developing countries, BRICS countries have always stood at the forefront of the tide and dared to be first. In the face of the storms of the era, BRICS countries need to stand on the side of human progress and lead the course of the historical trend.

"Reaffirming the BRICS spirit of mutual respect and understanding, sovereign equality, solidarity and democracy, openness and inclusiveness, deepened cooperation, and consensus-building," "promoting sustainable development and inclusive growth," "respecting the national conditions of each country, the diversity of national systems and development paths, and building a community with a shared future for mankind on the basis of mutually beneficial cooperation"...

The cooperation concepts and consensus on action consolidated in the "New Delhi Declaration of the 18th BRICS Summit" powerfully confirm a statement by President Xi Jinping: "Solidarity and cooperation have always been the source of strength for the development of the BRICS cause."

(2) The practical path for the Global South's unity and self-strengthening: "Lighting Up the Path to Common Prosperity"

Two group photos are a true portrayal of the Global South's unity and self-strengthening.

On the 12th and 13th, during the first and second plenary sessions of the 18th BRICS Summit, President Xi Jinping took group photos with the attending leaders respectively; one was of BRICS member states, and the other covered BRICS member states, partner countries, guest countries, and international organizations.

"The collective rise of the Global South has become a key driving force for world multipolarity" — at this very moment, this is a vivid and concrete manifestation.

Similar historical experiences, identical development aspirations, and similar concepts of international cooperation. President Xi Jinping once said with deep feeling: "Since its inception, the BRICS mechanism has been closely linked to the destiny of the vast number of emerging market countries and developing countries."

"The first echelon of the Global South," "a model of unity and self-strengthening for emerging markets and developing countries," "the most influential cooperation platform for emerging markets and developing countries in today's world"... China uses "greater BRICS cooperation" to lead the great development of the Global South, and uses the strength of unity between BRICS countries and the vast number of Global South countries to enhance the common well-being of mankind.

Facing the two issues of the era placed before BRICS countries and the vast number of Global South countries, China responds with composure:

How to strengthen the power of the Global South so that it can better play a positive, stable, and benign role in international affairs? "Jointly upholding international rule of law," "holding high the banner of multilateralism," "adhering to the people-centered development philosophy," and "jointly advancing security governance" — the four-point Chinese proposition put forward by President Xi Jinping closely follows the development trend of the times, grasps the general trend of human progress, responds to the common expectations of Global South countries, and points out a feasible path for enhancing the Global South's international influence and voice in rule-making.

How to consolidate the foundation of BRICS practical cooperation so that "greater BRICS" can make great achievements and achieve great development? The AI open-source and inclusive initiative, the trade and investment facilitation initiative, the digital industry cooperation initiative, the intelligent manufacturing cooperation initiative, and the science and technology talent cultivation initiative — the Chinese initiatives announced by President Xi Jinping are oriented toward BRICS countries, but also benefit the Global South, and are committed to upgrading traditional industries, developing emerging industries, and laying out future industries, so that emerging technologies can light up the path to common prosperity.

Gathered together to discuss major plans. The summit theme of "Building a Resilient, Innovative, Cooperative and Sustainable BRICS" — the initials of the English words happen to form the English name of the BRICS mechanism, "BRICS," which resonates with the urgent development aspirations of the Global South.

During the breaks in the summit, many attending national leaders and heads of international organizations took the initiative to step forward and talk with President Xi Jinping. Bilateral relations, BRICS cooperation, the international situation... the dense interactions "in every spare moment" conveyed the strong desire of the international community, especially Global South countries, to deepen cooperation with China, and demonstrated the broad appeal of Chinese solutions and Chinese opportunities.

With the Global South in mind, rooted in the Global South, empowering the Global South. Chinese solutions are written with an emphasis on "new."

"China will take the lead in building a BRICS AI open-source zone," "China proposes building a BRICS special economic zone partnership," "China will promote the establishment of a BRICS digital industry cloud platform," "China proposes establishing a BRICS engineers training alliance," "China will implement a BRICS youth science and technology innovation exchange program"... The practical measures announced at the second plenary session, together with the initiative on AI empowering new industrialization proposed at the first plenary session, form a combination of moves toward "intelligence" and "newness," opening new channels for the Global South to deeply participate in the wave of the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation.

We must not only make ourselves better off, but also make others better off. Chinese solutions are committed to "sharing."

"The 15th Five-Year Plan is not only China's own development blueprint, but also a cooperation list for the world." The remarks made by President Xi Jinping during the summit once again demonstrated the broad-mindedness of a major country in walking the path of modernization hand in hand with countries around the world.

(3) The character and style of Chinese diplomacy: "Cherishing the future of humanity and caring for the well-being of the people"

"The world's attention is focused on the meeting between Chinese and Indian leaders," "The two Asian powers will sit together again," "Can Beijing and New Delhi open a new page"... Before the China-India bilateral meeting even began, analyses and observations were already overwhelming, and Indian television channels even tracked the coverage with countdowns.

As the world's two most populous countries and important members of the Global South, and as two neighboring major countries, China-India relations are of great concern to the international community. On the evening of the 12th, what message did the face-to-face meeting between the leaders of China and India convey to the neighborhood, to the Global South, and to the international community?

In October 2024, during the BRICS Summit in Kazan, President Xi Jinping held a meeting with Prime Minister Modi, leading China-India relations to "start anew." In August 2025, on the eve of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Tianjin, President Xi Jinping held another meeting with Prime Minister Modi, leading the bilateral relations to achieve "further improvement."

Institutional exchanges are gradually resuming, the cooperation list is continuously growing, and bilateral trade volume has reached new highs... Under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, China-India relations have returned to the track of recovery and improvement, moving forward step by step.

This time in New Delhi, President Xi Jinping shared four points of view, pointing out that China and India should "calibrate the direction with objective and rational strategic perception," "achieve mutual success with the concept of win-win cooperation," "eliminate interference with the political wisdom of mutual respect and mutual understanding," and "benefit the world with open and inclusive multilateral coordination," providing important guidance for promoting the stable and long-term development of bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Modi listened attentively and expressed agreement. He stated that India always views India-China relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, is willing to be a partner with China rather than a rival, and regards each other's development as an opportunity rather than a challenge. India is willing to promote greater development of bilateral relations on the basis of mutual respect and mutual trust.

During the meeting, the two leaders reached a clear consensus: to view and develop bilateral relations "always from a strategic height and long-term perspective." President Xi Jinping particularly emphasized: "Both sides should cherish the future of humanity and care for the well-being of the people, work together to promote the high-quality development of 'greater BRICS cooperation,' and provide more positive energy for promoting world peace, stability, development, and prosperity." Such broad vision and grand pattern demonstrate the practical wisdom drawn from the depths of history by an ancient Eastern civilization.

Cherishing the future of humanity and caring for the well-being of the people — looking back at the head-of-state diplomacy of this year, which has been full of climaxes and highlights, this is precisely the great logic by which China follows trends, creates momentum, and shapes momentum, leading the world's major transformation toward the correct direction of building a community with a shared future for mankind.

In the past half month, from the visits to Central Asia and the Middle East to the visit to South Asia, from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Bishkek to the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, people have clearly seen that solidarity and cooperation with the vast number of developing countries has always been the unshakable foundation of China's foreign relations.

Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping's head-of-state diplomacy, China is working together with the international community, including Global South countries, step by step, to advance an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, implement the four major global initiatives, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

Such a bearing of a major country has attracted worldwide attention —

From the wave of visits to China in the spring of this year, to the summit meetings between China and the United States and between China and Russia in May, to the new busy season of diplomacy; from East Asia to Central Asia, from the Middle East to South Asia, the footprints of visits have crossed mountains and seas, and major-country diplomacy has been splendid and colorful. Regardless of region, cultural tradition, or development stage, more and more countries are moving toward China in a two-way journey, and the global partnership of equality, openness, and cooperation is becoming ever stronger and closer.

Such a concept of a major country has won recognition from the world —

The major judgment made at the BRICS Johannesburg Summit eight years ago — "The next 10 years will be a critical decade for the transformation of old and new drivers of the world economy" — is rapidly becoming a new reality in the world; the Global Development Initiative proposed at the UN General Assembly general debate five years ago has received active support from more than 130 countries and international organizations. Concepts such as "people-centered," "the development philosophy of innovation, coordination, green, openness, and sharing," "building an open world economy," and "building a community with a shared future for mankind" have won increasingly broad international recognition and were also written into this New Delhi Declaration.

Such a sense of responsibility of a major country has won admiration from the world —

In the face of the complex evolution of the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region, when President Xi Jinping visited Egypt, he put forward a four-point initiative on building a new security architecture for the Middle East; at this New Delhi Summit, President Xi Jinping expressed his willingness to work with BRICS members to play a due role in achieving peace and tranquility in the Middle East and the Gulf region. From actively exploring solutions to hotspot issues with Chinese characteristics, to deeply elaborating the core essence of an equal and orderly multipolar world, to drawing a new blueprint for the high-quality development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS cooperation mechanism... China has always firmly stood on the side of peace, on the side of cooperation, and on the right side of history.

Over mountains and rivers, the steps of major-country diplomacy never stop. At noon on the 13th, at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi, President Xi Jinping's special plane took off, successfully concluding the visit to South Asia. Facing the turbulent and changing international situation, people expect and believe that China in the new era will forge ahead courageously and continuously write magnificent chapters for human progress and for the great harmony of the world.

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Wang Yi holds telephone conversation with French Foreign Minister Barrot

(People's Daily, Beijing, September 14) Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the 14th held a telephone conversation with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot at the latter's request.

Wang Yi stated that, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-France relations have generally maintained a momentum of stable development. At present, the international situation is one in which changes and chaos are intertwined (变乱交织, bian luan jiao zhi - "change, chaos, interweave"). As permanent members of the UN Security Council, China and France should strengthen strategic communication and jointly respond to risks and challenges. China actively supports France in fulfilling its role as rotating president of the Security Council this month, and expects the French side to promote the Security Council in playing its due role.

Wang Yi pointed out that the one-China principle is the political foundation of the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership. He hopes the French side will adhere to the one-China principle through concrete actions, refrain from any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, and refrain from sending any wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" forces. China and Europe should uphold their positioning as partners, uphold mutual benefit and win-win results (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual, benefit, together, win"), uphold mutual openness, and properly resolve current economic and trade frictions through constructive dialogue, avoiding escalation and confrontation. Protectionism will not enhance Europe's competitiveness; on the contrary, it will cause consumers to lose quality goods at fair prices, push up inflation, and drag down the green transition process. China is one of the world's largest markets, and China's development is an opportunity for the EU rather than a challenge. He hopes that France, as a major country with strategic vision, will promote the European side to move towards China in a cooperative manner (相向而行, xiang xiang er xing - "towards, towards, each, walk") with a pragmatic and rational attitude, view China's development more correctly, and play a positive role in the stability of China-EU relations.

Barrot stated that since President Macron's visit to China last year, France and China have upheld the "Dujiangyan spirit" of exchange and integration, seeking common ground while reserving differences (求同存异, qiu tong cun yi - "seek, same, preserve, different"), and maintaining continuous dialogue, with bilateral relations generally maintaining a momentum of development. The French side firmly pursues the one-China policy. EU-China economic and trade relations are currently experiencing difficulties and challenges, and the French side is willing to promote the EU and China in finding solutions through constructive exchanges.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues of common concern, including the situation in Iran and the Ukraine crisis. Wang Yi introduced China's principled position, pointing out that President Xi Jinping has put forward a four-point initiative on building a new security architecture for the Middle East, which has provided public goods for regional peace and stability and played a constructive role.

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Wang Yi Holds Telephone Conversation with Latvian Foreign Minister Braže

(People's Daily, Beijing, September 14) Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, on September 14 held a telephone conversation with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže at the latter's request.

Braže said that Latvia and China have just jointly commemorated the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Over the years, the two countries have maintained sound practical cooperation and also enjoyed good coordination on multilateral platforms such as the United Nations Security Council. She expressed the hope to further strengthen communication and exchanges with China and continuously advance bilateral relations.

Braže said that in recent days, 33 Latvian citizens have gone missing in mudslide disasters in Nepal and in China's Tibet Autonomous Region. After the disasters occurred, she thanked China for the notifications and search-and-rescue efforts it provided, as well as its sincere condolences to the families of the missing. Latvia is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to jointly carry out the follow-up work.

Wang Yi said that a sudden ice-rock avalanche on the Nepalese side triggered a mudslide disaster, causing heavy casualties and missing persons in Gyirong County, Tibet, China. Latvia is the European country with the largest number of missing persons. Faced with this sudden tragedy, he once again expressed sincere condolences to the Latvian side, especially to the families of the missing. China treats Chinese and foreign nationals treating everyone equally (一视同仁, yi shi tong ren - "one, look, same, treat") and has gone all out to carry out rescue operations. We will make our utmost efforts to continue searching for the missing Latvian and other foreign nationals and properly handle the follow-up arrangements.

Wang Yi said that although China and Latvia are far apart geographically, the two peoples share deep traditional friendship. China was one of the first countries to recognize Latvia's independence. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have always treated each other as equals, respected each other, and maintained the steady development of their relations. China's implementation of unilateral visa-free entry for Latvia reflects its trust in the Latvian side, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have become more frequent, with practical cooperation continuously expanding. China is willing to work with Latvia to take the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to continuously inject new contemporary meaning into China-Latvia relations.

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IAEA General Conference Calls for Multilateralism to Prevent Nuclear Proliferation

(People's Daily, Vienna, September 14) (Reporter Xu Xin) The 70th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency opened in Vienna, Austria, on September 14. The conference called on the international community to actively practice multilateralism and jointly prevent nuclear proliferation.

Ghada Waly, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna, read out the message of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the conference. The message said that as this session of the General Conference convenes, the world is in a state of profound turmoil and uncertainty. Attacks on nuclear facilities are increasing, the factors inducing nuclear proliferation are growing, while the guardrails against nuclear proliferation are crumbling. At the same time, the world stands at the threshold of a nuclear power generation revolution, one that requires more prudent management and monitoring than ever before.

Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in his opening remarks that the present era calls for multilateralism. Although the role of the United Nations, the IAEA, and other similar institutions is sometimes questioned, these mechanisms have proven essential to resolving difficult problems and bringing situations back to normalcy.

Shan Zhongde, Director of the China Atomic Energy Authority, said in his statement at the General Conference's general debate that the peaceful use of atomic energy bears on the common well-being of all humanity, and all parties all the more need to uphold multilateralism and deepen solidarity and cooperation. China adheres to the active, safe, and orderly development of nuclear energy, coordinating innovation-driven development, safe development, and opening-up and cooperation. In the future, China will focus on the following four areas: coordinating development and security to expand new space for nuclear energy cooperation; holding fast to the bottom line of safe development to build a solid global nuclear safety shield; putting people at the core (以人为本, yi ren wei ben - "take, person, as, foundation") to steer nuclear science and technology toward good and benefit for the people; and practicing the four global initiatives to improve the global governance system.

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Zhang Qingwei Meets with Chairman of French Senate Finance Committee Raynal

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 14) On September 14, Zhang Qingwei, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, met with Claude Raynal, Chairman of the Finance Committee of the French Senate and Honorary Chairman of the France-China Friendship Group, at the Great Hall of the People. The two sides exchanged views on topics of common concern, including China-France relations and exchanges between the legislative bodies of China and France.

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Dong Jun Holds Talks with Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 14) (Reporter Mei Changwei) Minister of National Defense Dong Jun held talks on the 14th with visiting Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Khamliang at the Bayi Building in Beijing.

Dong Jun said that China and Laos are sharing a common destiny (命运与共, ming yun yu gong - "fate, and, together"), bound by a special friendship of "comrades and brothers." The Chinese military is willing to work with the Lao military to resolutely implement the important consensus reached between General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and President Xi Jinping and General Secretary and President Thongloun, further strengthen high-level exchanges, promote higher quality and greater efficiency in practical cooperation across various fields, provide strong support for building a China-Laos community with a shared future of lasting significance in the new era, and jointly safeguard regional stability.

Khamliang said that the Lao side is willing to strengthen high-level military communication and exchanges at all levels with the Chinese side, and promote more achievements in practical cooperation across various fields.

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Promoting Overall Improvement in Resolving Payment Recovery Difficulties for SMEs (Official Release)

By: 本报记者 王云杉

The difficulty of recovering payments is a "matter of great concern" for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Promoting timely payment of accounts by enterprises within the industry and ensuring the smooth flow of enterprise capital chains is an inherent requirement for enhancing the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains and for advancing the modernization of the industry governance system and governance capacity. Recently, the General Office of the State Council issued the Notice on Strengthening Work Related to Addressing the Difficulty of Payment Recovery for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, proposing 4 aspects and 10 measures to promote an overall improvement in the difficulty of payment recovery for SMEs. On September 14, the State Council Information Office held a routine policy briefing to introduce the relevant situation.

Promote leading enterprises to take the lead in practicing the "60-day cash payment commitment"

Ke Jixin, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, stated that at present, most industries have not yet issued specialized settlement and payment rules. Some large enterprises abuse their dominant market competitive position by blurring the starting point for calculating the payment period, delaying acceptance or settlement, and abusing commercial acceptance bills and electronic vouchers for accounts receivable (hereinafter referred to as "electronic vouchers") and other related means, deliberately extending the payment period for upstream and downstream SMEs, resulting in difficulty for SMEs in recovering payments.

The Notice clarifies the need to formulate and improve settlement and payment management regulations for the relevant industry and field, specifying key elements such as the starting point for calculating the payment period, the method and process of account payment, the standards and time limits for inspection and acceptance of goods and services (or completion settlement of engineering projects), and the maximum payment period (hereinafter referred to as the "four key elements of payment").

"By standardizing the 'four key elements of payment' and promoting their inclusion in model contract texts, we can fill the 'blank spots' that currently exist in settlement and payment management across various industries. This not only sets clear boundaries for large enterprises to pay accounts promptly, but also enables SMEs to have a clear understanding of when they can receive payment and in what manner. By continuously advancing institutional development and improving long-term mechanisms, we will gradually achieve fundamental governance of the difficulty SMEs face in recovering payments," said Ke Jixin.

The Notice clarifies the need to promote leading enterprises to take the lead in practicing the "60-day cash payment commitment." It calls for issuing initiatives for timely payment by large enterprises in the industry and field, guiding large enterprises, especially leading enterprises, to take the lead in issuing and practicing commitments to pay accounts to SMEs in cash within 60 days from the date of delivery of goods, projects, or services.

"By guiding leading enterprises to take the first step and set an example, we can drive the entire industry to form a sound ecosystem of timely payment," Ke Jixin stated.

Regarding refining and improving information disclosure rules for listed companies, Guo Ruiming, Director of the Listed Company Supervision Department of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, stated that the CSRC will refine disclosure requirements, guide listed companies to shorten payment periods and pay SME accounts promptly, and increase visits to listed companies to help listed SMEs resolve payment recovery difficulties and alleviate cash flow pressure.

Central enterprises take the lead in ensuring "dynamic clearing" of default arrears

Central state-owned enterprises and state-owned enterprises playing an exemplary role in payment and helping to solve the difficulty of payment recovery for SMEs is an unavoidable and mandatory responsibility (义不容辞, yi bu rong ci - "righteousness, not, allow, refuse").

Pei Renquan, head of the Finance Supervision and Operation Evaluation Bureau of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, stated that central enterprises will be promoted to take the lead in action from three aspects——

Take the lead in not defaulting or delaying payments. Ensure "dynamic clearing" of default arrears. Central enterprises will actively raise funds for discovered defaults and arrears to ensure timely payment.

Take the lead in issuing fewer bills and paying more in cash. Central enterprises will promote the transmission of cash payments along the business chain, strictly manage the use of "bills and vouchers," and strictly prohibit the issuance of "bills and vouchers" with a term exceeding 6 months.

Take the lead in breaking unreasonable industry practices and conventions. Supervise and guide central enterprises to take the lead in complying with regulations in their respective industries and fields, and consciously accept supervision from the whole of society.

The Notice clarifies the need to standardize the management of electronic voucher business and strictly supervise electronic voucher service platforms.

Electronic vouchers are electronic records issued by core enterprises through electronic voucher service platforms, promising payment within a certain period in the future. Banking financial institutions provide financing services to suppliers upstream and downstream of core enterprises based on these electronic records.

Cao Yuanyuan, Director of the Financial Market Department of the People's Bank of China, introduced that at its peak, there were more than 200 electronic voucher service platforms across the entire market, with the outstanding balance of electronic vouchers issued reaching 3 trillion yuan, involving numerous core enterprises and their upstream and downstream suppliers, with a very significant impact. However, in the early stages of development, the accounts voucher business lacked sufficient standardization. Some core enterprises used accounts vouchers to delay payment and extend payment periods, saving their own financial costs.

Previously, the People's Bank of China, together with the National Financial Regulatory Administration and other departments, standardized the management of the accounts voucher business. Over the past year or more, related work has achieved positive results, and the scale of the accounts voucher business has declined significantly. As of the end of July, the outstanding balance of accounts vouchers across the entire market was 2.4 trillion yuan, a decrease of 20% compared with before standardization.

Cao Yuanyuan stated that the People's Bank of China will continue to strictly control the term of accounts vouchers, strengthen supervision over electronic voucher service platforms, and promote core enterprises to pay cash promptly.

Zhou Weijun, Director of the Credit Supervision Department of the State Administration for Market Regulation, stated that enforcement against unfair competition will be strict. For egregious acts by large enterprises that abuse their dominant position to deliberately extend payment periods—such as blurring the starting point for calculating the payment period, delaying the process of inspection and acceptance of goods and services (including project settlement), or using commercial acceptance bills or electronic vouchers to covertly extend payment deadlines—penalties will be imposed in accordance with laws and regulations once verified.

Strengthen financing supply for large enterprises that actively implement the requirements

In the process of implementing the requirements of the Notice, large enterprises may face certain financial pressure in the short term. The Notice clarifies that financing supply should be strengthened for large enterprises that actively implement the relevant requirements.

Ke Jixin stated that financial management departments will actively guide commercial banks to support large enterprises in replacing accounts payable through financing methods such as loans and bond issuance, alleviating the financial pressure on large enterprises and enabling them to pay cash promptly to upstream and downstream enterprises. At the same time, account monitoring of these large enterprises will be strengthened. If it is found that large enterprises deliberately extend payment periods and are unwilling to make good use of financing support policies, relevant departments will intervene promptly, urging rectification through means such as joint talks.

Cao Yuanyuan stated that the People's Bank of China will actively cooperate with relevant departments to strengthen governance of the account issues of large enterprises. For enterprises issuing bonds in the interbank market, information disclosure of accounts payable will be strengthened, and continued support will be provided for enterprises to replace accounts payable through loans and bond issuance. For those enterprises that have very significantly reduced accounts and shortened payment periods, financing convenience will be provided in areas such as bond issuance.

As the comprehensive management department responsible for promoting the development of small, medium, and micro enterprises, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will enhance the financing efficiency of SMEs from multiple dimensions.

First, jointly with the Ministry of Finance, the People's Bank of China, and others, implement the interest subsidy policy for small, medium, and micro enterprise loans and the relending policy for technological innovation and technological transformation, effectively reducing the financing costs of SMEs.

Second, explore applying the evaluation results of the specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative development of SMEs to the financial field, enriching financing credit enhancement tools for SMEs.

Third, establish the second phase of the National SME Development Fund to inject long-term capital and patient capital into the specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative development of SMEs.

Fourth, together with financial management departments, improve the financing promotion system for SMEs, guide financial institutions to increase support for high-quality SMEs, and ensure the provision of funding.

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Surfing the Web at 10,000 Meters: How Is It Done? (Innovation Around Us)

By: 本报记者 邱超奕

Recently, many passengers on China Eastern Airlines wide-body aircraft flights have enjoyed smooth internet service at an altitude of 10,000 meters. Is it safe to use the internet on an airplane?

Experts from China Eastern Airlines stated that the onboard WiFi (wireless network) currently provided by major domestic airlines complies with airworthiness safety standards. This is because the avionics systems of modern civil aircraft have strict frequency band and physical isolation from the WiFi used by passengers. When passengers switch their phones to flight mode as required and then connect to onboard WiFi, it will not cause interference to the aircraft's navigation, communication, or other equipment.

In the past, many passengers were unable to access the internet after boarding. Now, being able to "surf the web" at an altitude of 10,000 meters — how is this achieved?

Relevant experts explain that there are currently two main technical paths for connecting aircraft to the internet — air-to-ground communication and satellite communication.

Let's first discuss air-to-ground communication. Special antennas are installed on aircraft, base stations are built along the ground route, signals are transmitted upward, and the aircraft automatically connects when passing through. The advantages are mature technology, lower cost, and shorter latency, with internet speeds close to ground-level 4G networks — browsing web pages and sending messages are basically free of lag. However, air-to-ground communication can only be used where ground base stations exist; if an aircraft flies over oceans, plateaus, deserts, or other areas, the signal is lost.

Now let's look at satellite communication. The aircraft also needs to install an antenna and align it with communication satellites in space, and the satellites then relay the signal back to ground stations to access the internet. Its greatest advantage is wide coverage — as long as the aircraft is within the satellite's "field of view," the network signal can keep up. This method of connectivity is not restricted by terrain or flight routes and does not require building dense networks of base stations. For airlines, a single satellite system can cover a global route network, with deployment efficiency far higher than air-to-ground communication.

However, satellite communication connectivity also has shortcomings. For example, after a signal is sent, there may be a delay of more than half a second, making video calls and online gaming somewhat strained. Another example: when an aircraft flies over the airspace of different countries, the satellites and bandwidth allocated vary, so the internet experience also differs.

Shi Yajie, chairman of the Aviation Safety Academy (Beijing) Technology Development Co., Ltd., introduced that China's civil aviation aircraft mainly rely on high-orbit satellites for communication and connectivity, while some foreign airlines have adopted low-orbit satellite connectivity systems. Low-orbit satellite communication can significantly reduce network latency and increase transmission bandwidth, support full-scenario internet applications such as high-definition audio-visual content and video conferencing, and can achieve an internet experience close to that on the ground.

The reporter learned that China's independent low-orbit satellite constellation construction is currently being accelerated. China SatNet and Shanghai Gesi (Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology) — the two major entities — have cumulatively launched more than 200 low-orbit satellites. Measured data shows that the bandwidth performance of domestically produced satellite networks is matching or equaling something else (比肩, bi qian - "compare, match") international advanced levels, and it is expected that global network coverage will be completed within this year, achieving a "ground-level" internet experience at an altitude of 10,000 meters.

The ability of aircraft to connect to the internet in the sky is supported by an entire industrial chain. From satellite design, rocket launch, and orbital deployment to signal transmission and aircraft modification, every link is a systems engineering effort. This is not just progress in the civil aviation industry itself; it also reflects the systematic breakthroughs and upgrades in China's aerospace engineering, materials science, electronic information, and other industries.

"China's aviation communications industry is making every effort to catch up. With the completion of the global networking of Gesi's 324 satellites within this year, the gap between us and internationally advanced aviation internet services will narrow at an accelerated pace," Shi Yajie said.

Extended Reading · Q&A

Q: How much does onboard internet cost? Which airlines offer free service?

Expert: The price of onboard internet varies by airline and cabin class. For example, since July 3 this year, China Eastern Airlines has offered economy class passengers on global wide-body aircraft flights free use of the standard version of onboard WiFi service, while first class and business class passengers can use the high-speed version for free. Juneyao Airlines offers economy class passengers on wide-body aircraft a 10-minute free internet experience, with charges applying beyond that. Network equipment configurations vary by flight, so passengers are advised to check specific flight information when purchasing tickets.

Q: How can I check whether the flight I'm taking has WiFi?

Expert: When purchasing tickets, passengers can check the flight's connectivity information on the airline's app or official website. Flights equipped with WiFi usually indicate relevant labels such as "Onboard WiFi" or "Free WiFi" at the ticket purchase stage. If uncertain, passengers can contact airline customer service to confirm before purchasing tickets.

Q: How fast is the onboard internet? Can I send WeChat messages and watch videos?

Expert: Generally, the standard version can meet lightweight needs such as WeChat text chat, Moments browsing, and web page reading; the high-speed version can support video calls and online video viewing. The specific experience is affected by factors such as the aircraft's flight status, the current satellite connection status, and the number of internet users. Products may vary by airline, and specifics are subject to the introduction on the airline's official website or app.

Q: Can WiFi be used during takeoff and landing?

Expert: Some domestic airlines have already achieved full-flight availability. For example, China Eastern Airlines achieved full-flight WiFi coverage, including takeoff and landing, in 2023. Some other airlines open WiFi service after the aircraft reaches cruising altitude, and specific requirements are subject to onboard broadcast announcements or airline regulations.

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China's Aggregate Social Financing Up 23.91 Trillion Yuan in First Eight Months

(People's Daily, Beijing, September 14) (Reporter Wu Qiuyu) The latest financial statistics released by the People's Bank of China show that, according to preliminary statistics, in the first eight months, the cumulative increase in total social financing in China was 23.91 trillion yuan, of which RMB loans extended to the real economy increased by 10.23 trillion yuan. As of the end of August, the broad money (M2) balance stood at 356.81 trillion yuan, up 7.5 percent year on year; the stock of total social financing was 464.80 trillion yuan, up 7.2 percent year on year, matching the expected targets for economic growth and the overall price level. The growth rates of both M2 and total social financing remained at reasonable levels, creating an appropriate monetary and financial environment for the sustained improvement and optimization of the economy.

The data show that since the beginning of this year, the scale of loans in China has maintained reasonable growth, and the credit structure has continued to improve. As of the end of August, the balance of all RMB loans stood at 282.35 trillion yuan, up 4.9 percent year on year. In terms of structure, the balance of inclusive small and micro loans was 38.13 trillion yuan, up 8.3 percent year on year, and the balance of medium- and long-term loans to the services sector excluding real estate was 62.25 trillion yuan, up 9.3 percent year on year, with the growth rates of the above loans all higher than the growth rate of all loans over the same period. At present, loans in the "five major articles" of finance continue to maintain double-digit growth, and the share of their increment in the increment of all loans has risen to more than 70 percent. Credit resources are flowing more toward new drivers of growth such as scientific and technological innovation and green transformation, promoting a shift in credit growth from extensive scale expansion to intensive quality improvement, and strongly supporting the economic structure in moving toward the new and the better.

At the same time, loan interest rates in China remain at historically low levels. In August, the weighted average interest rate on newly issued corporate loans was slightly below 3 percent, about 0.2 percentage points lower than the same period last year; the weighted average interest rate on newly issued personal housing loans was about 3.1 percent, unchanged from the same period last year.

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Tech Services Bridge the Gap, Deep-Sea Industry Takes Root (New Economic Directions · Expanding and Upgrading the Services Sector)

By: 本报记者 刘诗瑶 孙海天

On September 3, at the Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City High-Tech Zone in Sanya, Hainan, Hainan University, drawing on the "deep-sea science and technology innovation points" it had accumulated through mission participation and research contributions, redeemed the right to use shared-voyage scientific research berths and deep-sea bottom-mounted test capsules for the second half of this year.

Research contributions can be accumulated, and points can be redeemed for voyages, equipment, and data. That same day, the first batch of "deep-sea science and technology innovation points" scoring results was released, and the shared-voyage missions for the second half of the year were launched. Participating units earn points for organizing and implementing trials, research output and effectiveness, and marine data submission, among other things. Points can also be used to redeem services such as marine data products and a green channel for research-related administrative procedures.

As a key park in the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the High-Tech Zone has in recent years leveraged its advantages in deep-sea application scenarios, built a professional service system, cultivated the deep-sea industry through science and technology services, and burnished its service brand through the deep-sea industry. As of the first half of this year, the Science and Technology City had gathered 3,153 marine-related enterprises, achieving output value of 3.328 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 52.6 percent; in 2025, the deep-sea industry's output value reached 1.992 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 207.59 percent.

For a long time, sea trials of deep-sea equipment have had a particular pain point: sea conditions are complex, and if expensive equipment is lost, the loss is often borne by the research team itself. Insurance companies, faced with such niche, high-risk subjects, are usually becoming discouraged or deterred by something (望而却步, wang er que bu - "look, and, retreat, step"). If enterprises cannot obtain strong support and guarantees, it is difficult for them to cross the gap from the "bookshelf" to the "store shelf."

At the beginning of 2025, the Science and Technology City Administration came up with a solution to break the impasse: it established a 20 million yuan annual fiscal risk-sharing fund pool, promoted five insurance companies including PICC Property and Casualty to form a co-insurance consortium, and established a marine test equipment insurance risk-sharing mechanism. After annual claims exceed premiums, 80 percent of the excess is borne by the fund pool within its quota, and the insurance companies only need to share the remaining portion according to the agreed proportions. This measure greatly reduced the risk exposure of insurance companies, and premiums subsequently decreased, coming in more than 20 percent lower than comparable market quotes.

Government guidance, market leadership, and shared risk have enabled research teams and enterprises to think boldly and act freely.

In September last year, in the depths of the South China Sea, when a research team was conducting a sea trial of a bionic unmanned submersible, the equipment failed to return to the surface as expected during the sixth deep-diving test phase, and the team was subsequently unable to locate it. Fortunately, just a few days before the sea trial, the equipment had been insured, becoming the first policy under the risk-sharing mechanism. "Without the timely advance payment of the claim, the research project would have been difficult to continue," said the head of the team.

The premium for this policy was 72,000 yuan. After the equipment was lost, PICC Property and Casualty quickly advanced 800,000 yuan in claim payments, and ultimately paid a full claim of 1.8 million yuan, of which the risk-sharing fund pool bore more than 1.3 million yuan. Liu Yang, director of the Financial and Fiscal Affairs Department of the Science and Technology City Administration, said: "We review the quota of the risk-sharing fund pool on an annual basis and adjust it dynamically, using it specifically to share insurance losses during the pilot phase, hoping to solve the initial-stage problem of 'institutions not daring to insure, enterprises not daring to try.' This mechanism is a form of 'stage-by-stage cultivation.' Once the business matures and data accumulates, it will be phased out in an orderly manner, promoting the full marketization of sea trial insurance." To date, the mechanism has facilitated 8 transactions, leveraging 15.3 million yuan in risk protection.

Professional services are also extending to segments such as equipment processing, test verification, and maintenance and repair. Liu Yang explained that the Science and Technology City has successively built public facilities such as an anechoic water tank, a wave-concentrating tank, and a shared machining platform, and has promoted the implementation of supporting services such as shared voyages and crew recruitment, forming an integrated "shore–tank–lake–sea" service chain covering deep-sea equipment processing, sea trial support, and maintenance and repair.

Equipment born here is also sailing to more distant waters. In the second half of 2025, the vessel "Tansuo 3" departed from Sanya and headed north, arriving at the Arctic scientific research area. On board was a deep-sea microbial in-situ sampler. Over a round trip of 15,000 nautical miles, this device sampled continuously around the clock and completed its mission with excellent results.

Relying on Sanya Nanshan Port, the Science and Technology City supports more than 2,000 scientific research voyages per year. The service chain is being woven ever denser, and the roots of the deep-sea industry are growing ever deeper.

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Specialized Services Accompany Enterprises in Their Growth (Quick Comment)

By: 何 彪

Deep-sea science and technology requires large investment, long cycles, and carries high risks, and the difficulty of translating achievements into practical application is great. The way Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City has broken through this problem lies in providing specialized science and technology services and acting as a partner that shares risks with research teams and accompanies them over the long term. From launching the "Deep-Sea Science and Technology Innovation Points" to establishing a risk-sharing mechanism for sea-test equipment insurance, and then to building a full-chain public service system, the Science and Technology City uses a combined set of institutional innovations to blaze a trail in addressing the pain points of the industry.

Striving for maritime power (向海图强, xiang hai tu qiang - "toward the sea, seek strength") requires both strengthening the hard power of science and technology and optimizing the soft environment of institutions. Developing new quality productive forces in light of local conditions and accelerating the formation of a full-chain science and technology service system will help further promote the flow of technology, the transformation of knowledge, the allocation of capital, and the empowerment of talent, and the multiplier effect of deep-sea science and technology innovation factors will continue to be released.

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Gansu Section of Gansu-to-Zhejiang Power Transmission Project Fully Connected

(People's Daily, Lanzhou, September 14) (Reporter Wang Jintao) On the 14th, at the junction of Jingtai County and Jingyuan County in Baiyin City, Gansu Province, the Gansu-to-Zhejiang ±800 kV ultra-high-voltage direct current transmission project (hereinafter referred to as the "Longdian-to-Zhejiang Project") successfully completed the wire-stringing construction for the large-span crossing over the Yellow River, marking the full line connection of the Gansu section of the project.

The large-span crossing section over the Yellow River is the controlling node of the entire project. The area it passes through features extremely rugged terrain (地势险峻, di shi xian jun - "land, position, steep, treacherous"), while also facing strong valley winds, making construction highly difficult and posing multiple challenges to the project's safety management and construction precision. The construction team built four new towers and adopted an independent tension section crossing method to span the Yellow River.

According to reports, the Longdian-to-Zhejiang Project is a key project in the national power development plan. The project's transmission line starts from Wuwei, Gansu in the west and ends at Shaoxing, Zhejiang in the east, with a total length of 2,370 kilometers, and is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2027. By then, it will transmit more than 36 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity to Zhejiang annually, of which more than 21.2 billion kilowatt-hours will be from new energy sources, strongly supporting the coordinated energy development of the eastern and western regions and the green and low-carbon transition.

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Boosting Consumption of Smart Home Appliances

(People's Daily, Beijing, September 14) (Reporter Wang Ke) The Ministry of Commerce and seven other departments recently issued the "Action Plan for Promoting the Consumption of Smart Home Appliances."

Home consumption is large in scale, broad in coverage, and long in industrial chain. It is an important component of resident consumption and an important area for combining the improvement of people's livelihoods with the promotion of consumption. In recent years, with the accelerated iteration and upgrading of technology and the continuous rise in residents' demand for a higher quality of life, smart homes have developed rapidly, and market penetration has continued to increase.

The action plan proposes seven measures, including expanding the supply of high-quality smart home products, improving the standard system for smart homes, and optimizing community convenience services, with emphasis on the following four aspects:

First, adhere to the coordinated efforts of both supply and demand. Encourage production enterprises to strengthen the research and development of smart home products; support home furnishing malls, shopping centers, and other venues in establishing smart home experience centers, whole-home smart and digital home model rooms; and guide financial institutions to increase credit support for smart home consumption and other loans. Second, build a diversified and integrated ecosystem. In response to the bottlenecks in the interconnection and intercommunication of smart homes, improve the intelligent grading and evaluation standard system for smart home products, and accelerate the formulation and implementation of mandatory national standards for smart home interconnection and intercommunication. Third, provide precise services to different groups. Centering on the differentiated needs of the broad consumer base, accelerate the cultivation of a number of large home renovation enterprises and platforms, launch personalized and diversified renovation packages, and vigorously develop customized, order-based, and appointment-based services. Fourth, unblock the chain of convenience services. Focusing on the inconvenience of supporting services in the home furnishing and renovation field, guide all localities to scientifically and rationally set up recycling outlets for used home furnishing items, and encourage enterprises to provide services such as "delivery of new items + collection of old items" and "Internet + recycling."

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Advancing the Building of a Healthy China to Achieve Decisive Progress (Authoritative Release · A Strong Start for the 15th Five-Year Plan)

By: 本报记者 白剑峰

On September 14, the State Council Information Office held a series of themed press conferences under the banner "A Strong Start for the 15th Five-Year Plan," introducing the situation regarding efforts to achieve decisive progress in advancing the building of a Healthy China.

Enabling more people to access and receive quality medical care close to home

Lei Haichao, Director of the National Health Commission, stated that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will implement a health-priority development strategy and deepen reform of the medical and health system; greater emphasis will be placed on shifting from a treatment-centered approach to a health-centered approach, promoting the improvement of the public's health literacy; health services will be made more inclusive, accessible, systematic, and continuous; efforts will continue to improve birth-support policies to effectively promote high-quality population development; importance will be attached to empowering development through science and technology, especially the broad application of artificial intelligence technology and biotechnology in the health field; and attention will be paid to health governance, valuing the role of health legislation in consolidating foundations, stabilizing expectations, and benefiting the long term.

Guo Yanhong, Spokesperson and Deputy Director of the National Health Commission, stated that China has built the world's largest medical service system, with more than 1.1 million medical and health institutions nationwide, and over 90 percent of residents can reach the nearest medical service point within 15 minutes. Over the next five years, the focus will shift from "having access" to "having quality," accelerating the improvement of a high-quality, efficient, integrated medical and health service system so that more people can access and receive quality medical care close to home.

Optimizing the functional positioning and structural layout of medical institutions. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the overall approach of "strengthening the grassroots, stabilizing secondary-level institutions, and controlling tertiary-level institutions" will be upheld, further clarifying the responsibilities and positioning of medical institutions at all levels and in all categories, and rationally allocating medical and health resources. The capacity of urban and rural grassroots medical and health services will be enhanced so that the public can access general medical services nearby. Secondary hospitals and county-level hospitals will be supported in actively developing services such as mental health and psychology, rehabilitation and nursing, pediatrics, and geriatric medicine, to fill service gaps. Tertiary hospitals will focus more on the diagnosis and treatment of acute, severe, critical, and complex diseases, and relevant hospitals will better leverage their specialty advantages and leading roles to raise the overall level of medical services within their regions.

Accelerating the advancement of tiered diagnosis and treatment and continuity of care. The homogenization level of medical and health services will be improved, and the construction of compact medical consortia will be accelerated. Secondary and tertiary hospitals will be encouraged to dispatch medical personnel to grassroots medical institutions to provide services, thereby raising the level of grassroots medical services. Outpatient appointment slots at secondary and tertiary hospitals will be prioritized for opening to grassroots medical and health institutions, guiding the public to seek medical treatment rationally. The first-visit responsibility system and referral mechanisms will be further improved to enhance the continuity of medical and health services. The full-chain support for integrated and continuous medical services will be strengthened, and mechanisms for the coordinated development and governance of medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals will be improved.

Concentrating efforts on implementing key projects. The project to strengthen the foundation of medical and health services will be implemented, optimizing the medical and health service system and service model with a focus on the grassroots, and promoting the sinking of high-quality medical resources and balanced regional distribution. The project to expand and upgrade rehabilitation and nursing services will be implemented, improving the rehabilitation and nursing service network. The building of the rehabilitation and nursing workforce will be further strengthened, with increased efforts to train professional rehabilitation nurses and rehabilitation therapists. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the goal is to achieve 0.7 rehabilitation physicians and 1.6 rehabilitation therapists per 10,000 population.

Lei Haichao stated that the National Health Commission has launched a three-year "Year of Pediatric and Mental Health Services" initiative. At present, secondary and tertiary public general hospitals nationwide can all provide pediatric medical services, and 90 percent of community health service centers and township health centers can also provide pediatric diagnosis and treatment services. This year, an additional 1,000 community health service centers and township health centers will be added to provide pediatric diagnosis and treatment services. It is expected that by the end of this year, more than 95 percent of community health service centers and township health centers will be able to provide pediatric diagnosis and treatment services.

This year, 3,200 backbone talents will be trained under the "Western Medicine Learning Traditional Chinese Medicine" program

Liu Jinfeng, Deputy Director of the National Health Commission and Director of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, stated that "Western medicine learning traditional Chinese medicine," that is, Western medicine practitioners studying traditional Chinese medicine, is a uniquely Chinese and time-honored model for cultivating medical talent, and is also an important practical achievement of adhering to the equal emphasis on Western and traditional Chinese medicine and promoting their integration. This year, 3,200 backbone talents will be trained under this program, with efforts to make breakthroughs on some clinical challenges.

Having more outstanding traditional Chinese medicine talent is an important measure supporting the realization of the goal of "traditional Chinese medicine services for all." Over the past five years, the number of licensed (assistant) physicians practicing traditional Chinese medicine has increased by more than 50 percent, and the number of traditional Chinese medicine pharmacists has increased by more than 30 percent. There are currently 22 academicians of the two academies active on the front lines of traditional Chinese medicine, 64 national TCM masters, and 174 national renowned TCM practitioners. More than 5,000 inheritance studios of veteran TCM experts have been established, and more than 56,000 backbone talents for grassroots TCM clinics have been trained.

Over the next five years, the following work will be prioritized: organizing and implementing a project to cultivate TCM professionals with distinctive characteristics, with focused efforts to increase the training of personnel in TCM geriatrics, pediatrics, rehabilitation, and epidemic disease prevention and treatment, and sustained effective measures to expand the supply of grassroots talent; summarizing and promoting the talent cultivation model that combines institutional education with mentorship inheritance, dynamically optimizing the construction of standardized residency training bases and related systems, and strengthening the training of technical and skilled personnel for TCM health services; continuing to cultivate and select a group of national TCM masters and national renowned TCM practitioners, placing greater emphasis on the cultivation of outstanding young and middle-aged physicians, and further highlighting the role of talent in supporting the inheritance, innovation, and development of traditional Chinese medicine; and establishing talent evaluation methods suited to the characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, so that outstanding individuals with noble medical ethics and the ability to solve practical problems can distinguish themselves from the crowd (脱颖而出, tuo ying chu ru - "shed, emerge, out").

Liu Jinfeng stated that "traditional Chinese medicine services for all" is a main thread running through the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Revitalization and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine." During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, efforts will focus on expanding coverage, improving quality, promoting strengths, and addressing shortcomings, so that "traditional Chinese medicine services for all" can be felt and accessed by the people.

Making the foundation of the disease control system more solid and its resilience stronger

Sun Yang, Deputy Director of the National Disease Control and Prevention Administration, stated that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will comprehensively improve the level of disease prevention and control from three aspects—system, capacity, and strategy—making the foundation of the disease control system more solid and its resilience stronger, and ensuring that decisive progress is made in the modernization of the disease prevention and control system and capacity.

In terms of system building, greater emphasis will be placed on coordination among all parties and social co-governance. Joint prevention and control mechanisms for major infectious disease epidemics will be established at the provincial, municipal, and county levels and maintained in regular operation, ensuring that all departments and all parties always form a strong joint force in infectious disease prevention and control. Collaboration and integration between medical services and disease prevention will be deepened, promoting the joint implementation of infectious disease prevention and control responsibilities by medical institutions and disease control institutions. The role of public health committees of villagers' (residents') committees will be emphasized, promoting the participation of the whole society in disease prevention and control work.

In terms of capacity building, greater emphasis will be placed on scientific and technological innovation and empowerment through digital intelligence. The scientific research system will be improved, scientific and technological innovation layout will be systematically planned, platform construction will be strengthened, key technology breakthroughs in priority areas will be advanced, original innovation capacity will be enhanced, and the translation of applications will be accelerated. A "digital-intelligent" disease control system will be built, particularly by leveraging the development of science, technology, and information technology, combined with typical application scenarios, to develop artificial intelligence large models and intelligent agents, empowering and improving the efficiency of infectious disease prevention and control work.

In terms of prevention and control strategies, greater emphasis will be placed on "co-prevention of multiple diseases" and "peacetime-emergency conversion." "Co-prevention of multiple diseases" refers to taking coordinated monitoring, testing, prevention, control, and management measures for a category of diseases that share common characteristics in transmission routes, risk factors, and prevention and treatment measures, effectively integrating prevention and control resources and improving prevention and control efficiency. "Peacetime-emergency conversion" is more reflected in emerging and sudden infectious diseases: during peacetime, monitoring, early warning, and emergency preparedness are improved and long-term mechanisms are perfected, so that when an epidemic arrives, there can be rapid response and effective handling.

Sun Yang stated that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China closely focused on the two priorities of multi-point triggering and intelligent early warning to accelerate the construction of an infectious disease monitoring and early warning system. On the basis of the previous direct online reporting system, eight monitoring systems have been established and improved, including symptom monitoring, pathogen monitoring, vector monitoring, and sewage monitoring. Front-end software for intelligent infectious disease monitoring and early warning has been deployed and applied in more than 50,000 medical institutions, enabling real-time monitoring of infectious disease epidemic information, and through "intelligent alerts plus confirmation by clinicians," reducing the burden on and empowering medical personnel.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China will continue to make improving the infectious disease monitoring and early warning system a top priority. Monitoring channels will continue to be expanded, and the timeliness, sensitivity, and accuracy of monitoring and early warning will be improved. Automatic early warning and timely response mechanisms for abnormal signals of epidemic risk will be improved to form a closed-loop workflow. The application of "artificial intelligence+" in monitoring and early warning model scenarios will be strengthened, enhancing the capacity for automated infectious disease monitoring and analysis, intelligent prediction and early warning, and cross-validation of multi-source data.

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《军营理论热点怎么看·2026》印发全军

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, September 14) To unswervingly use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to forge souls and rally hearts, the popular theoretical reader How to View Hot Topics in Barracks Theory · 2026, compiled by the Publicity Bureau of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, was recently published by the PLA Publishing House and distributed to the entire military.

The book closely follows the pace of innovation in the Party's theory and practice, thoroughly implements Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the military, thoroughly explains major issues such as advancing political work in the military and consolidating political advantages, clearly explains new trends in the international strategic landscape and new changes in the national security situation, interprets the latest deployment arrangements for modernizing national defense and the armed forces, actively responds to the ideological and practical concerns of officers and soldiers, and strives to use plain language, vivid stories, and explaining things in a simple and easy-to-understand way (深入浅出, shen ru qian chu - "deep, enter; shallow, out") to vividly demonstrate the truth power and practical power of Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the military. It is an important auxiliary textbook for theoretical study and ideological and political education in troops and academies.

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The Power of "Fit" (People's Forum)

By: 盛玉雷

Among the typical cases reported, there is a common problem. Some leading cadres, disregarding the actual state of local finances and resource endowments, blindly incur debt to expand projects and launch initiatives, leaving behind unfinished projects with profound lessons.

Looking deeper, there are deviations in the concept of political achievements and also deviations in development thinking. For a major country like China, the situation of tightening resource constraints is difficult to change in a short time. In doing economic work well, it is necessary to be appropriately forward-looking while also leaving room for maneuver, finding the optimal balance point between input and output, cost and benefit, and supply and demand.

This brings to mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's guidance and direction on the degree of development fit on two occasions.

During an inspection in Hainan, he urged: "Enhance adaptability, especially considering the major premise of ecological protection and green development. Unlimited development will not work; excess is as bad as deficiency (过犹不及, guo you bu ji - "pass, more than, not reach"). We must plan comprehensively within the state's positioning of Hainan and strive to achieve 'just right.'"

At the first lesson at the start of this year, regarding modern infrastructure construction, he emphasized: "We must pay attention to calculating the input-output account and improving the degree of fit. We can neither ignore shortcomings nor be overly forward-looking and cause waste."

In the new stage of development, situations involving dilemmas or even multiple difficulties in economic work are increasing. The difficulty lies in how to achieve the balanced state of "just right." It is not about being conservative and refusing to progress (固步自封, gu bu zi feng - "fix, step, self, seal") in pursuit of stability, nor is it about acting without any scruples or hesitation (无所顾忌, wu suo gu ji - "none, what, care, fear") in reckless action, but rather about coordinating the present with the long term, balancing what is needed with what is possible, acting with a clear purpose or specific goal (有的放矢, you di fang shi - "have, target, shoot, arrow"), and proceeding in a steady and methodical manner (稳扎稳打, wen zha wen da - "steady, plant, steady, strike").

Land in urban locations is extremely expensive (寸土寸金, cun tu cun jin - "inch, earth, inch, gold"). Where does development space come from? Not long ago, the "Beijing Municipal Special Plan for Underground Space (2025-2035)" was printed and implemented. By scientifically and rationally developing and utilizing underground space and coordinating the use of above-ground and underground space, a three-dimensional livable city is being built.

"We must put a larger piece of clothing on a child who grows quickly." Yiwu in Zhejiang carried out a reform to expand its authority, upgraded its customs office, opened the "Yixin'ou" China-Europe freight train service, and built the "Sixth Port Area" of Ningbo Zhoushan Port, creating a miracle in the development of China's county-level economies.

Development is urgent and requiring immediate action (刻不容缓, ke bu rong huan - "moment, not, allow, delay"), and it is imperative to "think ahead and get ahead." But this does not mean impetuous and short-sighted impulses for political achievements. Rather, it means being good at grasping one's own positioning from the overall situation, learning to seize fleeting and vanishing in an instant (稍纵即逝, shao zong ji shi - "slight, release, immediately, vanish") opportunities amid trends, daring to think and act, being good at doing and achieving, and being down-to-earth and practical (脚踏实地, jiao ta shi di - "foot, tread, solid, ground") in forging a path that suits one's own actual conditions.

Looking at it from another angle, enhancing the degree of fit is itself a manifestation of improving efficiency through systematic thinking and precise concepts.

During the Spring Festival travel rush, when tickets are purchased intensively, the peak daily visits exceeded 200 billion times. The 12306 railway ticketing system launched a waitlist purchase mechanism, aggregating scattered and immediate demands in advance into a clear "demand pool," achieving more refined matching between transport capacity and demand.

Since July this year, the national electricity load has repeatedly hit record highs. A very important reason why residents' electricity use is "imperceptible" is that various localities have been shifting peaks and filling valleys and achieving efficient matching. For example, Shanghai relies on digital means to coordinate flexible electricity use among thousands of households. The "virtual power plant" effectively smooths fluctuations, with a dispatchable capacity equivalent to that of a large mainstream coal-fired power plant.

Enhancing the degree of development fit ultimately requires acting in accordance with laws. During his work in local areas, Comrade Xi Jinping once proposed, "When formulating relevant policies and determining relevant measures, grasp the degree well and master the balance point." This degree and balance point point to objective laws and contain scientific methods.

In building a city of the future, "we must be appropriately forward-looking, but not overly so, to prevent completed projects from 'basking in the sun' and causing waste"; in ensuring a safety net for people's livelihoods, "we should do our utmost within our capability (尽力而为, jin li er wei - "exhaust, strength, and, act") while also acting according to our capacity"; in laying out future industries, "unify what is needed with what is possible, formulate and implement plans by category, achieve the easy before the difficult and the near before the far, and advance actively and steadily"...

"Everything we do has inherent laws." By building entrepreneurship on a solid foundation and rigorous laws, and by enhancing adaptability and balance, "carrying out modernization in a solid and down-to-earth manner" will have firm support, and we will be able to advance step by step.

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State Council Upgrades Investigation Level for Major Fire Accident at CSSC Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. on September 10

(People's Daily, Beijing, September 14) (Reporter Liu Wenxin) At approximately 11:15 a.m. on September 10, a fire broke out on a foreign cargo vessel docked for repairs at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, killing 25 people and injuring 5 others. In order to conscientiously implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, and in accordance with the requirements of the directives of Premier Li Qiang and other leading comrades of the CPC Central Committee, and pursuant to the provisions of relevant national laws and regulations, the State Council has established an investigation team for the "9·10" major fire accident at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. of China State Shipbuilding Corporation in Qingdao, Shandong. Led by the Ministry of Emergency Management, with the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Transport, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the National Fire and Rescue Administration, and the People's Government of Shandong Province, among other relevant parties, the investigation into this accident has been elevated in level.

On the afternoon of September 14, the State Council accident investigation team held its first plenary meeting. Song Yuanming, head of the State Council accident investigation team, deputy director of the Office of the State Council Work Safety Committee, and vice minister of the Ministry of Emergency Management, presided over the meeting, briefing the investigation arrangements and putting forward work requirements.

Before the meeting began, all comrades present stood in solemn silence to mourn the victims of the accident.

The meeting emphasized that the accident investigation work must conscientiously implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, and, in accordance with the principles of "scientific rigor, compliance with laws and regulations, seeking truth from facts, and emphasis on practical results" and the "four don't let go" principle, promptly ascertain the cause of the accident, comprehensively clarify the responsibilities of the enterprise, industry supervision, and territorial management, and seriously pursue accountability in accordance with the law. At the same time, the meeting required local governments, relevant departments, and central enterprises to deeply draw lessons from the accident, layer by layer consolidate the responsibility of departments under the "three management, three must" requirement and the primary responsibility of enterprise principal persons in charge, conduct in-depth investigation and rectification of all types of fire hazards, strictly investigate subcontracting and illegal subcontracting practices, and, by learning from one instance to grasp others (举一反三, ju yi fan san - "lift one, reflect three"), do a solid job of hidden-danger investigation and rectification in key industries and fields such as hazardous chemicals, mining, industry and trade, transportation, construction, and special equipment, resolutely preventing and curbing major and extraordinarily serious accidents.

All members of the State Council accident investigation team, as well as responsible comrades of the relevant departments of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, attended the meeting.

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2026 National Cybersecurity Awareness Week Opens in Jinan, Shandong

(People's Daily, Jinan, September 14) (Reporter Jin Xin) On September 14, the opening ceremony of the 2026 National Cybersecurity Awareness Week was held in Jinan City, Shandong Province. More than 1,200 people attended the opening ceremony, including leading comrades from relevant departments of central Party and state organs, representatives of the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, leading comrades from relevant departments of Shandong Province and relevant provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government), experts and scholars, representatives of enterprises and universities, and journalists from news media.

At the opening ceremony, cybersecurity achievements were released in a centralized manner, including the "Artificial Intelligence Security Governance Framework 3.0," the "2026 Test Results on AI Technology Empowering Cybersecurity Applications," and consumer-grade networked camera cybersecurity labeling and filing products. During the opening ceremony, participating leaders and guests also visited the cybersecurity technology application experience zone.

From September 14 to 20, the 2026 National Cybersecurity Awareness Week will be carried out uniformly across the country, with the theme "Cybersecurity for the People, Cybersecurity by the People — In the Intelligent Era, Cybersecurity Safeguards Us," jointly hosted by ten departments, including the Central Publicity Department, the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Public Security, the People's Bank of China, the National Radio and Television Administration, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League, and the All-China Women's Federation.

During the Cybersecurity Awareness Week, there will also be activities such as the Cybersecurity Technology Summit Forum, the cybersecurity technology application experience zone, a job fair for cybersecurity and informatization talent, "Literature and Art Talks on Cybersecurity," themed days, and cybersecurity "Seven Entries" activities.

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The 29th National Promotion Week for the Popularization of the National Common Language and Script Opens in Yanbian, Jilin

(People's Daily, Changchun, September 14) (Reporters Ding Yasong, Men Jiewei) The opening ceremony of the 2026 National Promotion Week for the Popularization of the National Common Language and Script, themed "Promoting and Popularizing the National Common Language and Script in Accordance with the Law, Striving Forward on the New Journey of Building a Strong Country," was held on September 14 in Yanji City, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province. This year's Promotion Week is the 29th session and is also the first Promotion Week held after the implementation of the newly revised "Law of the People's Republic of China on the National Common Language and Script." Statistics show that in 2025, the national Mandarin popularization rate reached 87.72 percent.

During this year's Promotion Week, the Ministry of Education and the National Language Commission held a photo exhibition titled "Language Nourishes Every Household, Images of the Times," centrally showcasing the achievements made in language and script work under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, and reflecting the practical results of language and script work in serving the people and benefiting people's livelihoods; they also carried out mass activities such as the "Pomegranate Mailbox" letter collection and display and "Test Your Mandarin," demonstrating the role of the national common language and script in serving the implementation of the fundamental task of cultivating character and educating people (立德树人, li de shu ren - "establish virtue, nurture people") and in promoting the forging of a sense of community for the Chinese nation.

This year's Promotion Week innovatively launched a "1+7+N" activity model. On the basis of national key activities, it introduced seven themed days, including "Promoting the Common Language in Accordance with the Law, Loving My China," "Exploring China through Idioms," "Promotion Week Assisting Rural Revitalization," and "Promotion Week Intelligence+." All member units of the National Promotion Week Leading Group, relevant member units of the National Language Commission, as well as various localities, industry systems, and national language promotion bases, carried out diverse forms of promotion and popularization publicity activities in light of actual conditions, pushing the promotion and popularization of the national common language and script to go deeper and be more substantive.

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Hainan upgrades rainstorm alerts in multiple areas

(People's Daily, Haikou, September 14) (Reporters Cao Wenxuan, Dong Zeyang) Recently, under the combined influence of the remnant vortex of a tropical depression over the South China Sea and cold air, Hainan has experienced sustained extreme heavy rainfall. According to monitoring by the Hainan Provincial Meteorological Bureau, from 8:00 on September 11 to 6:00 on September 14, the central-southern and western parts of Hainan Island saw widespread torrential and extremely heavy rain, with localized exceptionally heavy rain. The rainfall across the province has been wide in scope, intense in strength, and prolonged in duration, with significant compounding effects. As of September 14, multiple locations in Hainan have upgraded their rainstorm warnings, with severe waterlogging, rising river levels, and other dangerous situations occurring at multiple points across the province. In response to the flood situation, Hainan has comprehensively upgraded its emergency prevention and control measures. As of 18:00 on September 14, the province had cumulatively urgently relocated more than 55,000 people from at-risk areas, with priority given to relocating personnel in high-risk zones such as geological hazard hidden danger points, low-lying flood-prone areas, and areas adjacent to river channels. Relocated residents have been properly resettled, and the supply of basic living materials has been ensured.

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Sowing Seeds of Joyful Growth in the Soil

By: 本报记者 闫伊乔

The morning mist had not yet dispersed when, in the "Happy Farm" of Fuchun No. 7 Primary School in Fuyang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Principal Zhang Zhenle was bending down to inspect the growth of the crops.

Taking a turn around the farm every day is a habit that this principal, called the "labor committee member" by his teachers and students, has maintained unshakably for 33 years of teaching. He extends the three-foot podium to the fields and earth, planting with the children the seeds of loving labor and growing toward the sun.

Zhang Zhenle's educational faith is rooted in the fertile soil of the countryside. Influenced by his father, who toiled at a rural podium for more than three decades, he set the aspiration from childhood to "illuminate lives through education." In 1993, Zhang Zhenle graduated from the then Yanzhou Normal School and took the initiative to go to rural schools in Fuyang, staying at the grassroots level for 15 years.

The children were born in the countryside and grew up in the countryside, yet could not tell chives from wheat seedlings; when they came home from school, their grandparents had to carry their schoolbags... Zhang Zhenle realized: education cannot only teach children to answer questions on exam papers; it must also teach them to grow in life.

In 2008, Zhang Zhenle left the rural primary school where he had worked for 15 years and took on the task of preparing the establishment of Fuchun No. 7 Primary School. At that time, the online game "Happy Farm" was sweeping the nation. "If there were really a farm on campus, the children would surely love it." He had a sudden flash of inspiration (灵机一动, ling ji yi dong - "spirit, mechanism, one, move") and decided to transform the wasteland around the campus into a labor practice base.

"We finally managed to get into the city to study — why do they have to go back to the fields?" "What if doing labor delays their studies?" Faced with such doubts, Zhang Zhenle did not retreat. He led the teachers in pulling weeds, clearing rubble, and leveling the land, explaining to parents again and again: "Having the children grow vegetables is not for play, but to let them learn to cherish, learn to live, and gain growth." In this way, they managed to reclaim 15 mu of campus "Happy Farm" from a patch of wasteland. Soon, it became the school's liveliest classroom.

In his spare time, Zhang Zhenle sows, waters, weeds, and harvests together with the students, taking the fields as the classroom, the soil as the textbook, and labor as the curriculum, guarding the children's most genuine growth in the simplest way.

Zhang Zhenle believes that labor is not only an expenditure of physical strength, but also an awakening of the soul.

Fourth-grade students grow wheat following the solar terms, from sowing at the Beginning of Winter to harvesting at the Grain in Ear, writing more than 80 observation diaries and more than 100 research reports over nearly 200 days. When the wheat they had harvested with their own hands was ground into flour and made into steamed buns, some children's eyes reddened: "This is the most delicious steamed bun I have ever eaten, because every bite was grown by myself." At that moment, Zhang Zhenle's conviction grew even stronger: labor is not an "elective course" in education, but a "required course" for growth.

Student Tang Wangyu is a well-known "insect expert" on campus, raising more than 30 kinds of small animals at home and having personally made nearly a hundred insect specimens. It is hard to imagine that when he first entered primary school, Tang Wangyu was a "wild monkey" who could hardly sit still in class. Zhang Zhenle keenly noticed Tang Wangyu's obsession with insects, recruited him into the insect club, took him to observe ants moving their nests, recorded the emergence process of cicadas, and went together to the mountains to look for beetles, guiding him to transform his restless nature into the scientific literacy of focused inquiry, channeling this unique passion onto a professional and positive path of growth.

"Little experts" like this are not few in number at Fuchun No. 7 Primary School: silkworm-raising masters, planting experts, rock enthusiasts, natural observers..."Every child is a unique seed that needs to be seen and understood. We hope that children will find their own interests in labor and cultivate their own special skills," Zhang Zhenle said.

Over more than a decade, Zhang Zhenle has led the teachers in promoting the "30 Things to Do Before Age 12," enriching children's childhoods with the joys of playing with mud and finding insects; building a curriculum matrix of "three groups and sixty courses," bridging the boundaries between labor and Chinese, science, ideology and politics, and art; taking the lead in forming the Fuyang District New Labor Education Alliance, establishing a full-stage labor education system covering kindergarten through high school; he has also made many trips to Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang, and other places to deliver teaching, radiating this educational philosophy rooted in the soil to a broader world...

In Zhang Zhenle's view, the essence of labor education is not only teaching children to do chores, but also teaching children to live. "Seeing more and more schools build their own 'Happy Farms,' and more and more students perceive beauty and grow up healthy through labor — that is my greatest happiness," Zhang Zhenle said.

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Page 1 editors: Yang Xu, Luan Xinyi, Zhang Yujie; Page 2 editors: Wu Gang, Zhou Zhou, Xie Jianing; Page 3 editors: Lin Lin, Lyu Li, Zhang Anyu; Page 4 editors: Yuan Zhenxi, Han Chunyao, Zhang Xueyan

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Environmental Protection for the People, Credibility Proven by Public Praise (Online Commentator)

Dialogue participants:

Zhou Shanshan  Commentator, People's Daily

Xie Jiali  Director of the Theory and Commentary Department, China Environment News

Zhou Shanshan: General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed: "Ecological civilization construction can best bring a sense of gain to the people, and when the environment improves, the people feel it most deeply." From "new major progress in building a Beautiful China" becoming one of the main goals of economic and social development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, to the issuance of the "15th Five-Year Plan for Building a Beautiful China" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"), to the implementation of the Ecological Environment Code, the concept of "environmental protection for the people" has been consistent from beginning to end (一以贯之, yi yi guan zhi - "one, through, connect, always").

Xie Jiali: The effectiveness of ecological and environmental protection work must ultimately be verified by the feelings of the people. Citizens of Nanjing, Jiangsu, can often see finless porpoises in the Yangtze River; the Chinese goral has appeared in Beijing's Baiwangshan Forest Park; from January to July this year, the national average PM2.5 concentration fell by 6.2 percent year on year, and the proportion of surface water sections with excellent water quality reached 86.5 percent... Behind these changes is a distinct value orientation: "A sound ecological environment is the fairest public product and the most inclusive form of public wellbeing."

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China's ecological and environmental protection work must achieve "four greater emphases," and the first is "greater emphasis on environmental protection for the people." At present, there remains a certain gap between the quality of the ecological environment and the goals of building a Beautiful China, the expectations of the people, and the requirements of high-quality development. "Environmental protection for the people" means truly anchoring the coordinate system of our work on the people's sense of gain — this is where our original aspiration lies, and it is also what reality requires.

Zhou Shanshan: The implementation of a concept cannot be separated from institutional safeguards. From the Plan to the Code, how can we build a solid institutional foundation for "environmental protection for the people" and consolidate long-term results?

Xie Jiali: The Ecological Environment Code systematically integrates various types of ecological environment legal systems and norms, and makes pioneering provisions for emerging fields. The people's expectation of a sound ecological environment is not merely a policy declaration, but a right that can be asserted and remedied. The Plan, for its part, incorporates the PM2.5 concentration and the proportion of excellent water bodies — the indicators the people feel most directly — into binding target assessments, and also plans key tasks and major projects such as beautiful blue skies and beautiful rivers and lakes, making the people's feelings a "hard criterion" for development.

Good laws consolidate the foundation; planning benefits the long term. The combination of the two transforms the results of short-term remediation into normalized, institutionalized ecological dividends.

Zhou Shanshan: It was mentioned at relevant press conferences that building a Beautiful China is a "project of public reputation," not a "project of slogans." To put "environmental protection for the people" into practice, we must both treat the main arteries and clear the microcirculation, and both achieve visible accomplishments and do behind-the-scenes work.

Xie Jiali: In the past, when governing major rivers, results could be seen in the data; but the ponds, pits, and ditches in front of and behind people's homes and along fields and roadsides are often places where data cannot reflect the situation. The Plan specifically proposes "strengthening the protection and treatment of water bodies around the people," which brings governance into the living spaces that the people see and touch every day.

Ecological environmental protection and the building of a Beautiful China are complex systemic projects. We must both focus on "visible results" and work hard on "invisible efforts." For example, the adjustment of industrial structure and energy structure has a long cycle before results appear, yet it profoundly affects the progress and effectiveness of green development. Much of this work is work that cannot be achieved overnight (朝夕之功, zhao xi zhi gong - "morning, evening, of, work"), yet it is laying the foundation for the future.

Doing only visible accomplishments can easily become bonsai-style governance and campaign-style law enforcement — the results look good but easily rebound; doing only behind-the-scenes work means the people see no change over a long period, and their confidence and enthusiasm for participation will gradually decline. Only by cultivating both the surface and the interior, and balancing the short term with the long term, can a reputation change from "good for a while" to "good forever."

Zhou Shanshan: The public nature of the ecological environment determines that it has never been a task that a single department can complete. There are no bystanders in ecological governance; in building a Beautiful China, everyone is a responsible party.

Xie Jiali: In the past, ecological and environmental protection work was mostly done by the government while the people watched. Today, the emphasis on joint construction and shared benefits is in fact inviting the people from the "end" of governance feedback to the "front stage" of the governance process.

From fighting alone to supervising jointly. Chongqing has upgraded the supervision of sewage discharge outlets to "photo-reporting of discharge outlets" supervision, enabling public oversight; the Central Ecological and Environmental Protection Inspection has attached great importance to the "troubling matters" around the people, accepting and forwarding more than 380,000 public petition reports over the past 10 years.

From passive beneficiaries to active participants. Relying on series of activities such as "Beautiful China, I Am an Actor," more people start from themselves and from the small things around them, integrating green and low-carbon concepts into daily life. When green living changes from "I am asked to do it" to "I want to do it," a Beautiful China gains its deepest foundation.

In the final analysis, the acceptance of a "project of public reputation" is never conducted in documents or meetings, but among green mountains and clear waters and in the hearts of the people.

Zhou Shanshan: Building a Beautiful China is not only an ecological project of safeguarding green mountains and clear waters, but also a project of popular sentiment that responds to the people's expectations, enhances public wellbeing, and consolidates social consensus. The issuance of the Plan and the implementation of the Code are only the starting point; what truly reflects the quality of governance is whether institutions can grow teeth, whether commitments can be delivered with tangible results, and whether the people can benefit continuously. By thoroughly implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, taking the people's satisfaction as the ultimate yardstick, and making every patch of blue sky, every stretch of clear water, and every touch of green a happiness backdrop that the people can perceive and feel, a Beautiful China will surely become a homeland that we jointly build, jointly protect, and jointly enjoy.

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Literature gains strength only when rooted in the people (People's Commentary)

By: 虞金星

Empowered by the internet and digital technology, the distance between the public and literature and art is not farther, but closer. At the same time, cultural activities that help improve the quality of life are not too many, but far from enough.

This year marks the 145th anniversary of the birth of Mr. Lu Xun and the 90th anniversary of his death.

Serving as a young promoter at the "Encountering Mr. Lu Xun" Lu Xun cultural and creative market, planting the literary "seed of fire" at the Memorial Hall of the League of Left-Wing Writers, and leaving literary reflections at the "Torch by the Riverside" beside the maritime tower on the North Bund waterfront... The "2026 China Literary Gala · Lu Xun Literature Week" recently concluded in Shanghai, where a series of "chance encounters" embedded in daily life and brimming with surprises allowed readers to resonate with literature in tangible, lived settings.

As a follow-up to the awards, this year's Lu Xun Literature Prize expanded from a "night" to a "week" through supporting activities, extending not only in time but also in space, from theaters to exhibition halls, bookstores, parks, and communities.

With the rise of new mass literature and art, a literary award should not stop at a single ceremony or a one-off event. The original purpose of awards is to guide reading and creative trends through commendation, connecting good works with readers and the market. Today, these functions are no longer exclusive to literary awards. Convenient and fast online social platforms and rapidly iterating large language models have continuously proven their capabilities in screening vast numbers of works and providing precise recommendations.

In response to these changes, new spaces of value must be sought. Literature or literature and art, unlike grain or water, are not basic necessities of life, but as long as one pursues spiritual life, they are indispensable. A recently released research report, "Research Report on the Integrated Development of Online Literature and Micro-Dramas," shows that the domestic online literature user base has reached 550 million, with cumulative works exceeding 44 million; as of the end of 2025, the cumulative number of online literature works adapted into short videos and micro-dramas has exceeded 12,000. Like grassroots creators such as "delivery poet" Wang Jibing and "vegetable market writer" Chen Hui, today there are still many people persevering and never giving up (锲而不舍, qie er bu she - "persist, not, stop") in weaving emotions and imagination into stories and words, gaining spiritual satisfaction and resonance.

Culture contains deep and enduring power. Observing today's urban development, competing on GDP growth and industries is important, but in the long run, one must also compete on culture. The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan states: "Let the people enjoy a higher quality of cultural life." As aesthetics become increasingly inclusive and demands increasingly diverse, literature's potential to lead trends and serve society is growing day by day.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The needs of the people are the fundamental value of the existence of literature and art." Empowered by the internet and digital technology, the distance between the public and literature and art is not farther, but closer. At the same time, cultural activities that help improve the quality of life are not too many, but far from enough. When literary awards adapt to the times and become touchpoints integrated into daily life, contributing to a better life, the Lu Xun Literature Week shows people new possibilities. For example, when citizens chance upon "Mr. Lu Xun" in everyday settings, they may repeatedly revisit the literary proposition of "for life" upheld by the older generation of writers represented by Lu Xun, and comprehend new meanings from their own life experiences.

The new "for life" is still "for life." In the last nearly ten years of his life, Lu Xun settled in Shanghai, pushing literature and social practice to their peak through a large body of classic creations, publications, and activities, including "Old Tales Retold," "Dawn Blossoms Plucked at Dusk," and several collections of essays. A literary award named after a distinguished predecessor borrows the historical credit of the sage while also bearing the responsibility of continuing aesthetic ideals and spiritual character. This also brings inspiration: literature is more powerful when rooted in the masses, and more vital when integrated into the everyday life of the city.

"The infinite distance, the countless people, are all connected to me." In 1936, Mr. Lu Xun wrote this in an essay. In this sense, the winners of the Lu Xun Literature Prize deserve attention, and how to enable literature to transcend creation itself, elevate into a way of life, and thereby contribute to the flourishing of new mass literature and art and empower a high-quality life, is equally worthy of reflection and exploration.

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Why Shenzhen School Uniforms Have Gone Viral (Micro Observation)

By: 李浩燃

With the start of the new school year, the topic of Shenzhen school uniforms has drawn attention. According to media reports, in Shenzhen, primary and secondary school uniforms adopt a citywide unified style, and parents do not need to order them uniformly through the school. School uniform sales outlets cover stationery stores near schools, community shops, supermarkets, and online platforms, with prices ranging from dozens of yuan to over 100 yuan, making purchase convenient, worry-free, and cost-saving.

School uniforms may seem like a small matter, but they are closely related (息息相关, xi xi xiang guan - "breath, breath; connect, connect") to many families. In recent years, governance of school uniforms has achieved notable results, but issues around design, price, quality, and bidding and procurement continue to surface from time to time, and there is still room to improve public satisfaction. The "breakout" of Shenzhen school uniforms offers one way of thinking about solving the problem. Broadening our perspective, this also brings inspiration for deepening reform and optimizing governance.

Making good use of reform to solve governance problems requires both establishing a systematic way of thinking and adhering to a long-term approach.

Behind the popularity of Shenzhen school uniforms lies the local government's sustained efforts in overall planning and long-cycle, dynamically refined policy improvement. In 2002, Shenzhen selected a citywide unified style for primary and secondary school uniforms through a school uniform design competition, and the following year issued management measures to promote unified dress for primary and secondary school students; in 2011, it set a guidance price for school uniforms; in 2018, it stopped unified bidding for school uniforms, and from then on gradually cultivated and regulated the school uniform market.

Whether through "unification" or "decentralization," the path of solving problems through reform has always been clear, and the methodology of doing a good job of top-level design and emphasizing overall planning and coordination has been consistent from beginning to end (一以贯之, yi yi guan zhi - "one, one; pass, through"). The "three-medical linkage" reform, the household registration system reform, and the coordinated advancement of integrated reforms to the institutions and mechanisms for education, science and technology, and talent... Since the new era, the reason why one reform after another has been blooming one after another in succession (次第开花, ci dai kai hua - "order, order; appear, flower") with outstanding results lies precisely in avoiding tackling problems superficially without addressing root causes (头痛医头、脚痛医脚, tou tong yi tou, jiao tong yi jiao - "head, ache, treat, head; foot, ache, treat, foot"), and instead advancing systematically and comprehensively with sustained, long-term effort.

Guided by goals, properly handle the relationship between the government and the market, with the "two hands" working in coordination.

Looking back at the course of Shenzhen's school uniform governance, as reform has deepened, relevant departments have shifted from being "purchasers" to setting standards and strengthening supervision, employing a combination of measures such as "filing and restraint by the school uniform industry association plus strengthened government quality supervision," thereby stimulating market forces. For example, the group standard "Colors of Primary and Secondary School Uniforms in Shenzhen" was recently released, giving school uniforms a "color benchmark."

Relieving schools of the pressure of school uniform procurement so they can focus on education, leaving production and circulation to the market, and giving families the right to make their own choices — this is a vivid example of the benign interaction between an effective market and a well-functioning government. From advancing the construction of the unified national market in depth, to deepening reform of the science and technology evaluation system, to improving the long-term mechanism for expanding consumption... letting the "visible hand" and the "invisible hand" each give full play to their strengths and accelerating the formation of an economic order that is both "flexible in letting go" and "good at managing" will add momentum to high-quality development.

With the well-being of the people's livelihood as the ultimate purpose, make things tangible and accessible for the masses.

Shenzhen's school uniform management mechanism of citywide unified style, parental self-purchase, and full market competition has also faced criticism such as insufficient personalization and causing trouble for families. By asking the people about their needs and seeking advice from the people, policy patches have been applied, and the public's sense of gain has increased. The Ministry of Education recently issued the "Ten Measures for School Uniform Management in Primary and Secondary Schools," clarifying institutional norms and red lines, and putting forward requirements such as "schools should establish school uniform selection organizations with multi-party participation, in which the proportion of parent and student representatives shall not be less than 80 percent," with the original intention also being to safeguard the interests of the masses.

School uniform governance cannot adopt a one-size-fits-all approach (一刀切, yi dao qie - "one, knife, cut"). Stopping or delaying purchases out of fear of violating rules or receiving complaints, or frequently changing school uniform styles, all run counter to serving the people's livelihood. In reality, issues such as how to use flexible management to protect the "lively atmosphere" of night markets and how urban renewal can improve the quality of public spaces also need to proceed from actual conditions and let the masses offer their ideas. As a netizen put it: "There are no small matters in people's livelihood; the original aspiration is seen in the details. May more and more cities, starting from a school uniform, come to understand the true meaning of inclusive governance."

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Photo Report

As of now, the country has 82,000 meal assistance points for the elderly, serving over 4 million person-times daily. The Ministry of Civil Affairs stated that in the next step, measures will be introduced to support social catering enterprises in participating in services by operating meal assistance points for the elderly, adding "elderly dining tables," and other means, and to encourage chain catering brands, property service enterprises, state-owned platform companies, and others to leverage their professional advantages and explore models such as "public construction, private operation" and "chain operation."

This is precisely:

A clean and well-lit environment (窗明几净, chuang ming ji jing - "window, bright; table, clean") with a blazing stove,

The aroma of delicious food (佳肴, jia yao - "good, food") wafts through the streets and alleys.

Thoughtful service benefits the neighbors,

Silver-haired elders chat and laugh, warming the heart.

Cheng  Sen

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A "Nimble Frame" for Adaptability (Across the Board)

By: 谷 朋

How does one move a thousand-ton heavy load? Relying on brute force alone will not do; one must be able not only to carry it, but also to walk steadily and turn nimbly.

Recently, Tianjin produced a pair of dexterous "strongmen" — the unmanned heavy-load intelligent transport vehicles manufactured by Tianjin World Intelligent Robot Co., Ltd.: each vehicle has a load capacity of 500 tons, and two vehicles linked together can carry 1,000 tons. They can move laterally, turn, and travel in all directions, and the two vehicles can coordinate in lockstep — truly a case of "a large build with a nimble figure."

The "nimble figure" of the "big fellow" reflects the product's characteristics and, moreover, reveals the enterprise's way of adapting to change. When an enterprise opens up a market, it likewise relies not on one-sidedly competing through "brute force," but on continuously adjusting and iterating in response to changes in demand.

The more segmented the market and the more diverse the demand, the harder it is for an enterprise to handle everything under heaven single-handedly (包打天下, bao da tian xia - "wrap, hit, all, heaven and earth") with a single product or a single advantage. Changing in response to demand and changing with the market depends on converting accumulated technical strength into the ability to fit new demands and open new markets. Only when one possesses both "hard skills" and a "nimble figure" can one carve out new space for development amid market changes.

To cultivate a "nimble figure," one must be adept at identifying the right track from subtle demands and turning "small scenarios" into "big markets." Galileo (Tianjin) Technology Co., Ltd. focuses on industrial-grade special-purpose robots and has launched multiple inspection robot dogs for the chemical, coal mining, and electric power industries; Tianjin Wangyuan Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. has deepened its work in the field of pool-cleaning robots, and its products sell well overseas... These enterprises have not crowded into "involutionary" competition, but rather let demand guide product design and pursue differentiated development. It is evident that enterprises that make good use of clever effort and compete from differentiated positions can also carve out a space of their own in segmented fields.

A "nimble figure" must be underpinned by a distinctive skill, and moreover must be able to flexibly convert that "unique expertise" and extend it into more fields. Fit (Tianjin) Testing Technology Co., Ltd. started in the automotive industry, distilling machine vision, optics, artificial intelligence, and other technologies into general-purpose capabilities, and its business has expanded from parts inspection to whole-vehicle paint surfaces, chemical fiber spools, pharmaceutical light inspection, and other fields. From "doing one project" to "solving one class of problems," this appears on the surface to be merely an expansion of service scope, but in essence it is a leap in the enterprise's capacity for technological conversion. In this way, enterprises can continuously cultivate new growth points.

Such a "nimble figure" is a resilience that can adjust in time and adapt quickly. In Zhejiang, some garment enterprises have revamped flexible production lines, making possible "orders starting from a single piece" of trendy clothing; in Shanxi, rolls of paper-thin or extremely delicate (薄如蝉翼, bo ru chan yi - "thin, like, cicada, wing") "hand-torn steel" have become key materials in fields such as foldable screens, precision instruments, and aerospace equipment. When orders change, production lines can switch freely; when demand upgrades, products can be iterated in time. This flexible, adaptable "clever effort" is precisely the confidence that enables enterprises to stand at the forefront of the market.

Fluctuations in the market are not frightening; what is frightening is an enterprise that stays put, does not know how to adapt, and even elevates past experience into immutable dogma. Only by honing the hard skills of the "big fellow" and cultivating the adaptability of the "nimble figure" can one stand firm amid change, keep pace with the market's rhythm, and firmly grasp the initiative in development amid fierce industry competition.

(Excerpted from Tianjin Daily, original title: "The 'Big Fellow' Must Also Have a 'Nimble Figure'")

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Governance by Rules: Safeguarding the Online Public Sphere

By: 常言道

An online post claiming "being pressured by one's advisor into delayed graduation" turned out to be promotional traffic for ghostwritten thesis services; some deliberately misleading stock-market "short essays" were actually mass-generated by AI (artificial intelligence); a woman posted a video falsely claiming she was "molested and beaten" in an elevator, and was placed under investigation for suspected fabrication of facts disturbing public order...

Recently, some online "short essays" have frequently sparked heated discussion. Such content is pitched primarily at "accusation" and "exposure," spreads extremely quickly across social platforms, and some even gain astonishing reach, disrupting the normal order of public discussion.

The phenomenon of online "short essays" is essentially a projection of real-world interest conflicts and individual emotions into cyberspace. If rumors tend toward sensationalism or the fabrication of facts, "short essays" often carry strong personal emotion, deliberately elaborate a convoluted narrative, and are marked by a pronounced subjective coloring. In many cases, the factual details in the text are also difficult to verify.

What warrants vigilance is that some writers are deeply versed in the laws of online communication, and their starting point in composing "short essays" is to grab attention and pursue private gain, so truth and rationality are naturally cast aside. Once such "short essays" become the focus of online attention, they not only make it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood (真假难辨, zhen jia nan bian - "true, false, difficult, distinguish"), breed hostility, and erode the basic trust between people, but also consume the public's attention resources, doing no good for building a sound public-opinion ecosystem.

"Short essays" also often carry an inherent gene of "trial by public opinion." The moment information is released, harm has already occurred: the reputation of the accused may suffer severe damage in a short period, while the road to vindication and remedy is difficult and long, and may even fail to completely eliminate the impact. If such carefully choreographed narratives are allowed to influence public opinion, it is not only unfair to the parties involved, but also dissolves the spirit of the rule of law and public rationality.

To curb the chaos of "short essays," moral appeals alone are by no means sufficient; the thinking and methods of the rule of law must be carried through the entire process of governing and managing the internet. The internet is not a place beyond the reach of the law (法外之地, fa wai zhi di - "law, outside, place, land"). As laws and regulations continue to improve, the legal responsibilities of online content publishers are becoming clearer. A growing number of cases prove that acts such as fabricating facts, malicious traffic-driving, and manipulating public opinion will only be dealt with according to law from now on.

Creating a clean and clear cyberspace serves the fundamental interests of internet users and is also a social consensus. But this goal cannot be achieved automatically; it requires pooling the wisdom and strength of collaborative governance among multiple actors.

From strengthening penetrating regulation and consolidating platform responsibility, to internet platforms establishing more efficient content review, rumor labeling, and complaint response mechanisms, to self-media and internet influencers consciously calibrating the tone of public discussion, countering extreme emotions with a rational and objective attitude, and guiding the public back to the facts themselves... Only by jointly internalizing the spirit of the rule of law as a code of conduct can we continuously optimize the online public-opinion ecosystem through "governance by rules."

For individuals, the key to avoiding being swept along by "short essays" lies in improving media literacy, learning to remain prudent in the face of emotional narratives, actively cross-verifying information, and not becoming blindly believing and following others without question (盲信盲从, mang xin mang cong - "blind, believe, blind, follow"). When encountering problems, one must also know how to use legal weapons to protect oneself — neither being led by the nose by "short essays" nor condoning wrongdoing through silence.

In the era of digital intelligence, it is especially necessary to foster a sound online public-opinion environment, safeguarding human dignity and a sense of security with clear boundaries. This is not only a matter of governance strategy, but also a need of civilization.

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Page editors: Chen Ling, Zhang Fan, Cui Yan

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Building a Shield for Life on the Roof of the World (A Lifetime Devoted to One Cause)

By: 本报记者 龚仕建

A Brief Biography of the Figure

Wu Tianyi, born in 1934, a native of Yili, Xinjiang, is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, a recipient of the "July 1 Medal," a renowned Chinese expert in hypoxic physiology and high-altitude medicine, and a pioneer of the high-altitude medicine cause. He has been deeply engaged in theoretical research and clinical practice on the prevention and treatment of high-altitude diseases, pioneered the study of "Tibetan adaptive physiology," and established a quantitative diagnostic system for chronic high-altitude sickness that has been adopted as an international standard. He led the high-altitude disease medical support work for the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, achieving the medical goal of zero deaths from acute high-altitude sickness on a major high-elevation project.

In Xining, Qinghai, the door of an office at the High-Altitude Medical Research Center stands open. Materials are piled layer upon layer on the desk, and Wu Tianyi, now in his nineties, is intently polishing an academic report. Sunlight slants in through the window, falling on the scars left by frostbite on the back of his hand from his early years, and also on the stack of dog-eared research materials in front of him. Having studied high-altitude medicine for decades, from clarifying the mechanisms of high-altitude sickness to proposing the concept of high-altitude wellness, Wu Tianyi has opened a new path for high-altitude medicine to serve the health of the whole population.

Traversing the Snowy Plateau and Wilderness, Establishing an International Standard for the Diagnosis of High-Altitude Sickness

From the late 1950s to the early 1960s, in order to meet national needs such as the exploration and development of Qaidam resources, Qinghai set off a wave of large-scale modernization construction. Many young people with ideals responded to the nation's call and rushed to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau from all over the country; Wu Tianyi was one of them.

Shortly after arriving in Qinghai, Wu Tianyi witnessed one distressing scene after another: builders new to the plateau experienced symptoms such as splitting headaches and being unable to sleep at night (夜不能寐, ye bu neng mei - "night, not, can, sleep"), and some even collapsed suddenly and never woke up again.

"Neither planes nor artillery knocked me down, but after coming to this place, I contracted this strange disease." These were the words a soldier who had contracted high-altitude sickness while supporting plateau construction once said to Wu Tianyi. These words stung Wu Tianyi; and it was also these words that set him on the path of researching high-altitude medicine.

At that time, research on high-altitude medicine in China was a complete blank. There were no reference documents, and no one could even say with certainty what the disease was called, so Wu Tianyi could only start from scratch (从零开始, cong ling kai shi - "from, zero, start, begin") to find answers.

In the 1980s, Wu Tianyi formed a team and went deep into pastoral areas such as the Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai, launching a high-altitude sickness survey that lasted more than 10 years.

Where there were no roads, they rode horses, carrying blood oxygen monitors, electrocardiograph machines, and other equipment on the backs of yaks, traveling fifty or sixty li each day. At night, they lit oil lamps to organize the materials.

At first, the herdsmen were unwilling to have their blood drawn, but Wu Tianyi did not rush to persuade them. He put on a Tibetan robe, began learning the Tibetan language, sat cross-legged inside the herdsmen's tents, and chatted about everyday matters with everyone. As time went on, the herdsmen began to roll up their sleeves voluntarily and say: "Manba (doctor), you may draw it." When the herdsmen saw Wu Tianyi from afar, they would come out to greet him, calling him "the good Manba on horseback."

But this road was difficult at every step.

The most dangerous incident occurred at Xiangpi Mountain. In 1982, Wu Tianyi was riding in a jeep to carry out a medical survey. The mountain road was narrow and slippery, and the car suddenly veered and rolled directly down the hillside. Inside the car, Wu Tianyi gripped the door handle tightly, and no matter how the vehicle tumbled, his body was never thrown out. When the car came to a stop, he was bleeding and had suffered multiple fractures. Someone driving by spotted the danger and rescued him.

Many years later, Wu Tianyi often spoke of this dangerous incident. He did not know who the herdsman was who had helped him, but he has always kept this debt of gratitude in his heart. Over the decades, his footprints have spread across Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, and Gansu, and he has collected more than 100,000 physiological and pathological data samples in total. He was the first in China to comprehensively report on high-altitude pulmonary edema, the first in the country to report on "adult high-altitude heart disease," and reached the conclusion that pulmonary hypertension is the fundamental pathological mechanism. He established China's first high-altitude medicine research institute and demonstrated that the Tibetan people, having lived on the plateau for thousands of years, have evolved a unique low-oxygen adaptive capacity in their bodies.

In 2005, the quantitative diagnostic system for chronic high-altitude sickness that he established was adopted by the International Society for Mountain Medicine as a globally used standard. From that point on, the disease that had once inspired fear yet defied explanation finally had a standard by which it could be measured, defined, and understood.

Safeguarding the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, Building a Solid Lifeline at High Altitude

In 2001, the second phase of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway — the Golmud-to-Lhasa section — commenced construction.

The entire line lies above 4,500 meters in elevation, where the oxygen content is only half that of the plains. One question confronted Wu Tianyi, then head of the high-altitude medicine expert group for the second phase of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway project: more than 100,000 builders would have to work continuously for several years in an extreme environment of severe cold and oxygen deficiency — how could the life and health of every one of them be safeguarded? Looking across the history of high-altitude medicine development worldwide, there was no precedent for medical support for construction of such a large scale and such a long duration at high altitude.

"We must never allow a single worker to die from high-altitude sickness!" Wu Tianyi made this vow.

He and his team plunged headfirst into the most arduous work sites. Fenghuoshan Tunnel, at an elevation of 4,905 meters, has air so thin that even a lighter cannot be lit; at Tanggula Pass, nighttime temperatures hover around minus 40 degrees Celsius... At these places he set up medical stations and ate and lived together with the workers.

As the workers swung their picks and dug forward, he and his team measured blood oxygen and recorded heart rates right beside them. The massive amounts of physiological data accumulating steadily over a long period (日积月累, ri ji yue lei - "day, accumulate, month, pile up") were recorded by him in dense handwriting in his notebooks. On this basis, he created a comprehensive prevention and treatment system of "hyperbaric oxygen chamber + drug therapy + staged acclimatization," and also presided over the formulation of China's first "Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of High-Altitude Sickness."

During the five-year construction period of the Golmud-to-Lhasa section of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, relying on the medical support system built by Wu Tianyi, more than 100,000 railway builders achieved "zero deaths" from acute high-altitude sickness — a feat that can be called a miracle in world medicine.

After the Qinghai-Tibet Railway was opened to traffic, Wu Tianyi did not stop his steps of exploration, and his research further extended to a new major project — the Sichuan-Tibet Railway.

This railway, running from Chengdu in Sichuan to Nyingchi in Tibet, consists of approximately 95% tunnels and bridges along its entire route, and some uninhabited areas reach an elevation of 4,500 meters, where the problem of oxygen deficiency remains severe.

Wu Tianyi applied the experience in the prevention and treatment of high-altitude sickness accumulated during the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway to the construction site of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, resulting in a significant decline in the number of cases of acute high-altitude sickness and severe high-altitude sickness.

Extending the Dimensions of Medicine, Pioneering a Development Path for High-Altitude Wellness

At the Qinghai Provincial Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease Specialist Hospital, Vice President Zhu Fangyi recalled the past event of going to Wu Tianyi's door with academic manuscripts to ask for his careful guidance.

That was in 1996, when Zhu Fangyi had just graduated. "Teacher Wu pointed out in every single instance (一处处, yi chu chu - "one, place, place") the imprecise places in the paper, and as we parted he said one sentence to me — to do good research on high-altitude sickness, one must go deep into the grassroots and cannot just stay in the laboratory." Zhu Fangyi has remembered these words to this day.

Zhu Fangyi first learned about "high-altitude wellness," a concept that is no longer unfamiliar in the high-altitude medicine community today, precisely from the inspiration of Wu Tianyi. As early as more than ten years ago, at an internal seminar of the hospital, Wu Tianyi put forward an observation and a line of thought: research on high-altitude medicine mostly focuses on the various injuries caused by oxygen deficiency, yet the herdsmen living on the plateau are physically robust and full of energy, and their blood lipids and blood sugar are even more stable than those of people in the plains. Does the plateau environment only bring harm to the human body?

This question, long overlooked by the academic community, lingered in Wu Tianyi's mind. He led his team to rush about various parts of the plateau, drawing blood, measuring blood pressure, and recording data, with the laboratory lights burning steadily for a long time (灯火长明, deng huo chang ming - "lamp, fire, long, bright") and data accumulating day by day. In 2007, the article "Research on the Beneficial Effects of the Plateau Environment on the Human Body" was published in the Journal of Medical Research, systematically demonstrating the conclusion that moderate hypoxia can intervene in human metabolism and possesses positive health value.

To turn more "possibilities" into "certainties," Wu Tianyi understood that the answers still had to be found in practice.

The Qinghai Duoba National High-Altitude Sports Training Base, at an elevation of 2,388 meters, is known as the "cradle of champions." Whenever there is an international competition, many domestic endurance athletes come here for pre-competition training.

"The core mechanism of high-altitude wellness is hypoxic acclimatization. By scientifically utilizing the plateau's unique elevation, low-oxygen environment, special climate, and ecological resources, combined with means such as hypoxic stress training, exercise intervention, nutritional regulation, and psychological adjustment, it activates the body's physiological potential, regulates metabolic pathways, and maintains human health and prevents and treats certain diseases," Zhu Fangyi explained the mechanism.

"The golden elevation of 1,500 to 2,500 meters, especially 2,000 to 2,250 meters, is the elevation range suitable for wellness for the general population." In 2024, at the first High-Altitude Wellness Medicine Academic Symposium, Wu Tianyi gave this elevation yardstick.

Based on this yardstick, the Chengbei District of Xining City built the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Wellness Center, helping thousands of patients with chronic diseases regulate their blood sugar and blood lipids; the Huzhu Tu Autonomous County of Haidong City developed its wellness industry by relying on forest wellness bases and Tibetan medicine baths, and was awarded the title of "National Demonstration County for the Integration of Medical and Elderly Care"; at the third High-Altitude Wellness Forum, the "High-Altitude Wellness Blue Book (2026)" was officially released, and several academicians offered suggestions and advice, setting the direction for the standardized development of the wellness industry...

Wu Tianyi has a saying he often repeats: "One must go deep into the grassroots." There is the figure of him making medical visits in the tents of pastoral areas, the laboratory holds data accumulated over the years, and summer camps have also left his footprints of concern for the wellness of young people...

Step by step, taking root on the plateau, Wu Tianyi is still advancing on this road of exploration to this day.

(Ma Kexin participated in the writing and interviewing)

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21st China-EU Round Table Meeting Held in Hangzhou

(Xinhua News Agency, Hangzhou, September 14) (Reporter Duan Jingjing) The 21st Round Table Meeting between the China Economic and Social Council and the European Economic and Social Committee was held in Hangzhou on September 14. Thirty-seven representatives from China and Europe engaged in in-depth exchanges on "Solving the Problem of Poverty and Promoting Social Inclusion," "Promoting Higher Quality and Greater Efficiency in China-EU Trade and Investment," and "Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence." Wang Dongfeng, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of the CPPCC National Committee and Chairman of the China Economic and Social Council, attended and delivered a speech.

Wang Dongfeng stated that at the important juncture of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, President Xi Jinping met with European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, exchanging in-depth views on the development of China-EU relations and reaching important consensus, which charted the course for the development of China-EU relations under the new circumstances. The Chinese and European sides should adhere to the positioning of partnership, adhere to openness and inclusiveness, adhere to multilateralism, and help usher in a future of greater mutual respect and mutual trust, mutually beneficial and win-win (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual benefit, together win"), fairness, and justice. China is willing to work with the European side to leverage the role of the China-EU Round Table Meeting mechanism and promote the deepening of cooperation between China and the EU in various fields and the sound development of China-EU relations.

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"China's Good People" Special Program Honors Ordinary Heroes, Passes on the Torch of Civilization

(People's Daily, Beijing, September 14) (Reporter He Siqi) The 2026 "China's Good People" special program premiered on the evening of September 13 on the comprehensive channel of China Central Television (CCTV), and was rebroadcast on the evening of September 14 on CCTV's society and law channel. The program focused on telling the moving stories of 10 (groups of) ordinary heroes.

The year 2026 marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Red Army, and is also the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan. Paying tribute to China's good people is not only a salute to virtuous deeds and kind acts, but also a tribute to a great era, honoring every Chinese person who forges extraordinariness out of ordinariness. At the program site, representatives of those listed as China's good people in 2025 emotionally recounted stories of finding joy in helping others (助人为乐, zhu ren wei le - "help others, for pleasure"), acting bravely for a just cause (见义勇为, jian yi yong wei - "see righteousness, bravely act"), being honest and trustworthy (诚实守信, cheng shi shou xin - "honest, keep trust"), being dedicated and devoted to one's work (敬业奉献, jing ye feng xian - "respect profession, dedicate"), and of filial piety and caring for the elderly. Among them were Qiao Lijuan, a community party general branch secretary who devoted herself wholeheartedly to the front line of grassroots governance, interpreting the original aspiration and founding mission of a "good party branch secretary" through practical work and responsibility; Jiang Zhaopeng and Wang Tao, who staged a seven-minute "race against time" on the way to the spring college entrance examination, desperately rescuing a student in a life-threatening situation (命悬一线, ming xuan yi xian - "life, hang, one, line"); Wang Jun, a fourth-generation grave keeper who, mindful of the Red Army's life-saving kindness, has had four generations of his family successively guard the graves of Red Army martyrs; Zhao Haiying, a mother who devotedly accompanied her daughter with Down syndrome in painstakingly practicing the Sichuan opera face-changing art; and Weng Xinyi, who lost her left arm and left leg in a car accident yet still holds up a patch of clear sky for disabled companions and people in difficult circumstances. With their actions they interpret the great love of the human world, gathering warm currents from glimmers of light, and with perseverance and kindness they inject warm and uplifting spiritual strength into society.

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23rd National Seed Information Exchange and Product Trade Fair Opens in Hefei

(People's Daily, Hefei, September 14) (Reporter Xu Jing) Recently, the 18th China International Seed Industry Expo and the 23rd National Seed Information Exchange and Product Trade Fair opened in Hefei, Anhui Province. The dual expo highlights the layout of the entire industrial chain, strengthens management across the whole chain, and pools resources from all factors, striving to build a new high ground for seed industry policy publicity, a major stage for docking seed industry innovation achievements, and a core display platform for seed industry revitalization. The expo centrally showcases the latest achievements in seed industry revitalization, including seed industry innovation tackling, frontier digital-intelligent seed industry developments, and enterprise development results, interprets major policies such as the 15th Five-Year Plan for the seed industry, releases important information on seed enterprises, variety promotion, seed quality, and seed supply and demand, and holds multiple precise docking activities such as artificial intelligence plus seed industry, seed industry investment, and deep seed processing.

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Charting a Course Toward Maritime Strength

By: 本报记者

On September 14, the "Beigang Canal 001" vessel, fully loaded with containers, conducted a trial voyage on the Pinglu Canal, heading directly for the Dalamping operation area of Qinzhou Port.

The Pinglu Canal is about to open to navigation, and for the first time, the great river separated by heavy mountains and the sea are tightly embracing each other.

A backbone project organically linking the Belt and Road Initiative and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, the first grand canal built since the founding of New China to connect rivers with the sea, opening up the shortest, most economical, and most convenient sea passage for the southwest region — the 134.2-kilometer Pinglu Canal has left a significant mark on the river system map of this great nation.

The canal dream mirrors the dream of a strong nation.

Dr. Sun Yat-sen's "The International Development of China" depicted the dream of the great southwest reaching the sea, yet in old China, the blueprint could only hang on paper.

"Once the water network is built, it will be another century-spanning scroll in the Chinese nation's history of water management, and it will be recorded in the annals of a thousand years."

"The ocean nurtures life, connects the world, and promotes development."

"The road to the sea is an important path for a country's development."

In the new era, we plan rivers, lakes, and seas with deep foresight, grasping firmly and implementing solidly.

In December 2023, during his inspection tour in Guangxi, General Secretary Xi Jinping earnestly instructed: "Build the Pinglu Canal to high standards and high quality."

Construction began in August 2022. Over more than 1,400 days and nights, with central coordination, local collaboration, scientific and technological breakthroughs, and industrial linkage, more than 20,000 builders of all ethnic groups pooled their strength to accomplish a major undertaking on the land of Guangxi.

Today, the Pinglu Canal flows into the sea, and amid the layered mountains of the great southwest, the symphony of the era of striving seaward with strength resounds.

Connecting Rivers to the Sea

On the upper reaches of the Xijiang River, by the Youjiang River, construction of the navigation facilities of the Baise Water Conservancy Hub in Guangxi is in full swing.

Thirty kilometers away, at the headquarters of the leading aluminum enterprise Geely Baikuang Group, the progress of the project concerns everyone: once completed and put into operation, imported bauxite and thermal coal can be shipped from Qinzhou Port on the Beibu Gulf, pass through the Pinglu Canal, and reach Baise directly.

"In the past, when raw materials arrived at the port, they were transported by train and truck — small volumes, high freight costs." Su Yonghui, director of the Logistics Management Department, spoke bluntly and calculated the cost account: by waterway, comprehensive logistics costs drop by 30%, saving more than ten million yuan a year.

One region reveals the whole picture. Spread out the map and examine the west —

There is the pain of choosing a longer or more difficult route instead of a shorter one (舍近求远, she jin qiu yuan - "abandon, near, seek, far"). The Xijiang River and the Beibu Gulf are separated by layer upon layer of mountains. "The river and the sea are not connected, so being near the sea yet struggling to reach it." Having worked with the sea for 31 years, Mo Weihua, a second-level researcher at the Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration, has deep feelings about this "pain": detouring to Guangzhou Port means traveling more than 500 extra kilometers on the river.

There is the hope of "large volume, good prices." In the new era, the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor has arrived. With combined rail, road, and sea transport, goods from the west can also move smoothly in and out of the Beibu Gulf. "The cost of inland waterway transport is far lower than rail and road; this account cannot be ignored." Lin Jian, deputy director of the Baise Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, frankly stated that Baise's hundred-billion-yuan aluminum industry has an annual throughput of over 15 million tons, "and we hope even more for the canal to open up a low-cost, high-capacity passage."

The river and the sea have gazed at each other for a thousand years; from pain to connection, the longing has lasted a hundred years.

Several generations have planned and deliberated — why has the pen finally been set down in the new era?

"There is the opportunity of real demand and the support of technological development." Yang Zhengmei, deputy director of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor Construction Management Division of the Development and Reform Commission of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, reflected: more critically, this is an important stroke in serving the construction of the new development pattern.

Yunnan's port is now gazing eastward.

At the border of Yunnan and Guangxi, an important site for the "north aluminum, south relocation" initiative, Funing Port in Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture will be completed within the year. On the shore, the red characters "Yunnan goes to the sea from here" are especially conspicuous.

Setting out from here, passing through the Baise Water Conservancy Hub, one connects eastward to the aluminum materials consumer market of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. "Heading south through the Pinglu Canal, we radiate to Southeast Asia." Liu Xiaoheng, director of the Wenshan Prefecture Industry and Information Technology Bureau, said that the locality has already laid out in advance a two-way integrated industrial chain of "importing aluminum raw materials from outside — green reprocessing in Wenshan — products sold far and wide at home and abroad."

Guizhou's road is now extending southward.

Starting from Huangtong in the north and reaching Baise in the south, the Huangbai Railway, an important project of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, is being built at an accelerated pace — connecting to the Youjiang River and the canal, helping Guizhou, which is "not adjacent to rivers, seas, or borders," to connect rivers with the sea, transforming from a dead end to a frontier.

Goods from Sichuan and Chongqing are now heading toward the sea.

On September 4, freight trains loaded with "Made in Sichuan" goods departed from Chengdu and Zigong, waiting to board the first cargo vessel after the Pinglu Canal opens to navigation, heading for ASEAN. Sichuan and Chongqing now welcome a two-way sea passage of "the Yangtze River waterway in the east, the Pinglu Canal in the south."

There is also Nanning's cross-border new energy battery production and supply chain.

This chain has already attracted "chain leader" BYD, Do-Fluoride, and more than 50 upstream and downstream enterprises.

Batteries are manufactured in Nanning and sold to global markets, with the total output value of the entire industrial chain exceeding 60 billion yuan. "Once the canal opens, logistics costs will drop, market response will speed up, and competitiveness will rise further." Bi Guochu, director of the Nanning Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau, said.

East and west support each other, land and sea work in tandem — a scene of boundless vitality.

A set of data shows cost reduction and efficiency gains.

"Logistics costs will drop by 18% to 30%, and in the long term it is expected to save more than 5 billion yuan in freight costs annually for regions along the route." Busy organizing cargo sources, Li Yuntao, deputy director of the Investment Development Department of Pinglu Canal Group, is filled with growing confidence.

Two markets, see mutual achievement.

On one side is China with a population of more than 1.4 billion; on the other is ASEAN with a population of nearly 700 million. "A new mutually beneficial passage has been added between the two large markets." After an on-site inspection of the Pinglu Canal, foreign envoys of ASEAN countries sincerely praised: it is not only the flow of goods, but also the connection of hearts and minds.

To strengthen the domestic major circulation, optimize the domestic and international dual circulation, and promote coordinated regional development, the inland waterway shipping network is of vital importance.

From one river to a network, specializing in coordinated regional development, Luo Jing, associate researcher at the Guangxi Academy of Social Sciences, looked to the future and traced several lines on the map —

The Pinglu Canal, together with the Xiang-Gui Canal and the Zhe-Gan-Yue Canal currently under feasibility study, will link up, connecting the Yangtze and Pearl River systems, jointly building a water network of east-west complementarity and north-south connectivity. "By then, the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration will be efficiently interconnected, reshaping the economic geography of the southern region."

Pursuing the Dream at Pinglu

The ship lock opens, the water level drops, and the nearly ten-story-high drop is gradually smoothed away — heading south from Nanning, the "Beigang Canal 001" vessel steadily enters Madao Hub, the first hub of the canal.

Heading toward the sea, hubs are the key. The total water level drop along the canal is as high as 65 meters. How can the flow rate be controlled to ensure the safe passage of 5,000-ton-class vessels?

Build "staircases" on the waterway — from upstream to downstream, three cascade hubs, Madao, Qishi, and Qingnian, are arranged in sequence, absorbing the drop level by level.

Install "elevators" in the hubs — "When a ship enters the lock chamber of a hub, it is like entering an elevator car." Wei Minxin, resident engineer at Madao Hub, used an analogy: by raising or lowering the water level through valves, the water carries the ship up or down vertically, and it moves horizontally to the next water level.

More than 2,000 years ago, the Lingqu Canal in Guangxi pioneered the ship lock, using flash locks to control water by taking advantage of the terrain, with boats climbing "steps" over mountains and ridges;

Entering the new era, the Pinglu Canal inherits the wisdom of the ancients, using technology to guide the water according to circumstances, with giant ships riding "elevators" to connect rivers with the sea.

The water vein flows, and the cultural vein continues. Pinglu has also achieved new breakthroughs.

Seeking innovation in structure and technological innovation, Madao Hub has reached a new height in water conservation — a water-saving rate of up to 60%, saving about 1 billion cubic meters of water a year.

"What does this concept mean?" Wei Minxin marveled, "It is equivalent to the storage capacity of 70 West Lakes."

"To advance Chinese modernization, the issue of water resources must be taken into consideration."

A team of more than 300 people studied the best water-saving plan and drew more than 20,000 drawings. Pan Jian, chief engineer of Guangxi Pinglu Canal Construction Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Canal Construction Company"), was most deeply impressed by this sentence of General Secretary Xi Jinping.

"The southwest region is not short of water, but the spatial and temporal distribution is uneven, the topography and landforms are complex, and water resources face considerable challenges." Pan Jian felt this personally: concerning the conservation and utilization of water resources, every drop of water must be used to the utmost.

The secret of the utmost lies hidden in Madao Hub. "The world's first three-stage stacked water-saving basin is like equipping the ship lock with a dynamic 'water storage tank'." Pan Jian said.

Opening the screen, a three-dimensional animated demonstration plays intuitively: when a ship descends, the water level drops, and the water in the lock chamber enters the water-saving basins in stages for storage; when a ship ascends, the stored water automatically flows back from the basins into the lock chamber, quickly restoring the water level to navigation standards. Through such recycling, water consumption for passing through the lock is greatly reduced.

Reality is far more difficult than imagination. Of the three water-saving basins, one is buried deep underground. With nearly 140,000 tons of water overhead, how can it withstand the enormous impact? There are also the number of outlets, the position of wave-dissipating columns, the curvature of the corridors... countless challenges came head-on.

The hardest "bone" to gnaw was none other than the rapid opening and closing of the valves.

"Discharging water level by level means that the efficiency of passing through the lock will decrease. To win back the time, the opening and closing of the water-saving basin valves must be fast enough." At the forefront of the research, Cheng Yaofei, chairman of the Canal Construction Company, and his colleagues quickly found the crux: the buffer device of the hydraulic opening and closing system. "A 70-ton valve falling rapidly must be able to brake firmly and stop steadily."

A public call for talent was posted, and there was no shortage of respondents.

An internationally renowned manufacturer offered a complete set of equipment. And the design concept? "No comment."

This jolted the research team awake — "We are a big country, and in scientific and technological innovation, we must have our own things."

If it cannot be begged for or bought, then roll up our sleeves and work hard.

Academicians offered advice, research institutes lent support, and top domestic hydraulic manufacturers came upon hearing the news.

Several setbacks, ten thousand experiments. The team pioneered the "labyrinth-type buffer sleeve" hydraulic opening and closing technology, fixing the valve closing time at 30 seconds. "This means that six 5,000-ton-class vessels in a single lockage can pass through Madao Hub within one hour." Cheng Yaofei is very proud — the team worked together and successfully solved the difficult problem of rapid valve opening and closing.

Walking along the canal, one sees both the speed of racing against time and the "slowness" of composure and measure.

At the lower head of Madao Hub, two thousand-ton-class gates slowly close, and the dazzling light narrows and thins inch by inch until it disappears into the lock chamber.

"Airtight against light, and perfectly airtight or watertight (滴水不漏, di shui bu lou - "drop, water, not, leak")." Tang Huailiang explained unhurriedly: for the closing gap of the gates, the national standard is 0.15 millimeters, "we achieved 0.05 millimeters, thinner than a sheet of paper."

Dozens of days of hard fighting, thousands of screws adjusted by millimeter-level fine-tuning, all for an improvement of 0.1 millimeters... As the person in charge of the metal structure installation project, Tang Huailiang and his fellow workers from Sinohydro Bureau 8 anchored themselves to a common goal: to make every opening and closing of the gates as steady and unshakable as Mount Tai (稳如泰山, wen ru tai shan - "stable, like, Mount Tai").

"Constantly striving for perfection and improvement (精益求精, jing yi qiu jing - "refine, more, seek, excellence"), water management does not covet the merit of a moment but pursues long-lasting durability." Tang Huailiang said. From the Three Gorges and Baihetan to Pinglu, Tang Huailiang, who has been in the industry for more than 30 years, has learned a great lesson: our understanding of time "is measured in hundreds and thousands of years."

The Breadth of the Sea

At the confluence of river and sea, at the smart fishway monitoring platform of Qingnian Hub, resident engineer Chen Zhu is intently watching the screen.

A silvery-white shadow flashed by: two red-eye fish swimming upstream, their swimming speed, body length, and body width captured in real time by the system.

This is a life passage that was interrupted for more than 60 years. The Qingnian Sluice, completed in 1959, nourished the local people but blocked the migration route of fish.

During the demolition of the old and construction of the new, a composite fishway, the first of its kind in China, quietly took shape on one side of Qingnian Hub.

"Those from the sea and those from the river can all find their way home here." Chen Zhu also revealed: the drop between the upstream and downstream of the hub is nearly 10 meters. To allow fish to ascend gradually level by level, the interior of the fishway was carefully designed with a vertical-slot structure that winds around three times.

Fish do not speak, but the data in the sonar monitoring speaks for the ingenuity: 78,474 fish migrated upstream and 119,987 fish migrated downstream, with more than 10 species of fish successfully migrating.

Why would a major national project that cuts through mountains and opens rivers build a road for fish?

"Humans can utilize nature and transform nature, but in the final analysis, humans are part of nature and must cherish nature and must not place themselves above it." This sentence, included in Volume I of "Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Ecological Civilization," is engraved in the hearts of the engineers, and their pen is set down with firmness.

This stroke first fell on "soil."

The excavation volume of earth and stone for the canal reaches 315 million cubic meters. If stacked into a dike one meter square, it could circle the Earth's equator nearly eight times.

With such a volume, where can it be placed?

The team from Guangxi University came.

Specializing in the resource utilization of solid waste, President Professor Xiao Jianzhuang led the team to the site more than 90 times, "writing the thesis on the land": raising and filling to create land, green building materials, mine pit restoration, land reclamation... seven types of disposal technologies have turned more than 98% of the spoil into "treasure from waste."

"Guess where this land came from?" At an open area along the canal, Tang Xiaofu teased.

Stepping into the greenhouse and picking a plump winter melon, this associate professor from Guangxi University revealed the answer: canal soil, backfilled into the valley, then soil improvement and scientific fertilization, "tomatoes in winter, melons in spring, with an annual output value of 50,000 yuan per mu!"

More than 10,000 mu of such land have already "grown" along the canal.

Many villagers have come to Tang Xiaofu to seek experience and learn techniques.

"Sharing everything one knows with complete openness (知无不言，倾囊相授, zhi wu bu yan, qing nang xiang shou - "know, no, not, speak, empty, bag, impart")." Tang Xiaofu paused, "What the villagers hope for is exactly what we must do."

The ecological account and the production account merge into one big account on the reclaimed land: harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

Within this coexistence, there are both grand strokes and fine details.

Shaping Town, Lingshan County, Qinzhou City. In the canal resettlement community, an ancient camphor tree attracts attention: around the trunk, steel pipes provide steady support, like pairs of hands lifting up.

"This tree is almost 220 years old!" Resident Liang Yongzheng remembers clearly: after the canal construction started, both the village and the tree had to be relocated. On the day the work team came to the old village to solicit opinions, everyone sat under the camphor tree to discuss.

The initial plan was to move the old tree to a centralized management and protection area.

"People talking back and forth or engaging in conversation (一言我一语, yi yan wo yi yu - "one, word, I, one, word"), full of reluctance." Liang Yongzheng said. The big tree had watched generations grow up, witnessed the changes of the village, and its growth rings were engraved with memories. Someone suggested: "Can the old tree come with us to our new home?" As the words fell, the villagers nodded one after another.

Ask the people for their needs, ask the people for their advice.

"After many visits and repeated deliberation, it was finally decided that the old tree would move together with the villagers." Zhang Shoulong, an engineer of the Canal Construction Company responsible for the transplantation of ancient trees, and his colleagues customized a "relocation plan": health testing, hoisting and transportation, planting and rejuvenation — every procedure was repeatedly deliberated. "36 ancient trees were transplanted along the canal, with one tree, one strategy, and follow-up monitoring."

On the day of transplantation, many villagers made a special trip back to the old village. "Some raised their phones, some just watched quietly, watching the crane slowly lift the tree." Liang Yongzheng sighed that with the old tree guarding the new home, nostalgia has found its place.

Chinese modernization is the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

In fact, it is not just the old tree. Such stories of coexistence are written into every inch of mountains and waters treated with care during the construction process.

A bridge, its deck not paved with asphalt but covered with fertile soil, planted with mountain cherry blossoms, and equipped with water collection points and rock piles. "This was built specially for animals." Following the direction of Zhang Shoulong's finger, a bridge spans the canal, "restoring the mountain forest ecology so that animals will not get lost."

A forest, at the mouth of the canal, breathes quietly. Nearly 4,000 wave piles protect the root systems, and there are also 77,000 meters of anti-pollution curtains. "Wherever they are laid, only then do the construction vessels sail there." Chen Zhizong, safety director of the 15th section of the canal waterway, sighed that the care for the mangroves is "meticulous in every detail."

A "corridor," with its goal anchored on "near-zero carbon." At the three major hubs and two waterway ship service areas, photovoltaic panels are laid and microgrids are built to construct a clean energy corridor, "striving to achieve basic energy self-sufficiency during the operation period." Pan Jian said.

"General Secretary Xi Jinping urged us to 'build the Pinglu Canal to high standards and high quality,' and treating nature with care is an inherent part of this." Having been deeply involved in the canal construction, Hu Ya'an, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, commented: the Pinglu Canal is not only a new model for ecological protection in major global projects, but also a new benchmark for the quality of world canal construction.

Sailing Toward the Azure

At Maowei Sea in Qinzhou, the sound of a ship's whistle rings out as cargo vessels sail from here toward the azure of the Beibu Gulf.

Cutting through mountains toward the sea, the "first chapter" of canal construction has been brilliantly written; connecting rivers with the sea, how will the "second chapter" of striving seaward with strength begin?

In April 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to Guangxi for an inspection. He urged Guangxi: "Vigorously develop the marine economy, promote China-ASEAN opening-up and cooperation, run the pilot free trade zone well, and better transform the unique locational advantages into advantages for opening-up and development."

Guided by thought, action is firm.

Continuing to explore and deepening advancement. On June 30 this year, the Twelfth Plenary Session of the Twelfth Committee of the Autonomous Region Party Committee was held, with a special study on the high-quality development of the marine economy.

Inside the venue, participating representatives repeatedly circled and underlined; outside the venue, market entities continued to discuss heatedly. All eyes focused on the same keyword: "leaf-vein type."

"For the marine economy, industry is the foundation. The 'leaf-vein type' marine industry layout precisely matches the intertwined characteristics of Guangxi's land, sea, rivers, and canals." Huang Lanxi, director of the Policy Research Office of the Autonomous Region Party Committee, vividly depicted a "canal industry map": the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt is the "main vein," concentrating the layout of high-volume, port- and water-appropriate industries; the rest of the region serves as "branch veins," with numerous parks and enterprises as "fine veins," deeply embedded in the division of labor within the industrial chain.

At the starting point of the "main vein," the Eastern New City of Nanning is growing together with the canal.

"How could enterprises with keen senses miss this sea 'delivered' to Nanning's doorstep?" Huang Hui, director of the Nanning Municipal Industrial Park Reform and Development Office, was deeply impressed that even before the canal started construction, many major investments had already landed. Over the past few years, new battery materials, high-end papermaking, and new chemical materials — the chains are extending and the clusters are gathering. "In 2025, the total output value of industries above designated size reached 41.754 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 29.9%, contributing 39.88% to the city's industrial growth." Huang Hui said.

Qinzhou, at the mouth of the "main vein," leverages its hub advantage of connecting rivers with the sea to help new quality productive forces grow vigorously.

Petroleum coke and coal pitch from the north arrive directly at the plant along the canal; products are sold nearby to the southwest and ASEAN markets... "One canal connects the entire chain from raw materials to markets." Zhang Zengtang, deputy general manager of Guangxi Guangtou Qiangqiang Carbon-based New Materials Co., Ltd. frankly stated, "This is a key consideration for investment."

With the main vein connected, branch veins unblocked, and fine veins extended, the "leaf-vein type" layout is gradually unfolding. Leveraging the leading role of state capital and focusing on building a "Beihai-Fangchenggang-Qinzhou" coastal circular aluminum industry cluster, Guangtou Capital Group, under Guangxi Investment Group, has invested in nearly 60 projects in the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt, with a total investment exceeding 12.5 billion yuan.

Supporting this "leaf vein" is not just the Pinglu Canal.

Looking across Guangxi, there are 65 major land passages leaving the province, going to sea, and crossing the border, 50 container routes facing ASEAN, and air routes reaching all ASEAN countries... "Relying on the China-ASEAN Information Harbor, 12 international terrestrial optical cables reaching ASEAN countries have also been built." Yang Zhengmei said, "Land, sea, air, and digital forces work in concert to help Guangxi build a convenient place for domestic and international dual circulation market operations."

"'The leaf vein' is rooted in Guangxi, faces ASEAN, looks to the world, connects land and sea, and links domestic and foreign markets." In the view of Xie Tingyu, dean of the School of Economics at Guangxi University of Finance and Economics, this layout will empower Guangxi's transformation from a corridor economy to a hub economy, while injecting momentum into reshaping the competitive advantages and enhancing the level of opening-up of the western region.

Giant ships berth, crane arms rise and fall — at the No. 1 Operation Area of Dalamping, Qinzhou Port, Beibu Gulf Port, there is a scene of bustling activity.

In May this year, 122 units of equipment including loaders produced by Liuzhou's LiuGong Group were shipped in full to Jakarta, Indonesia; in July, the route to Aqaba Port in Jordan was opened, with more than 2,600 new energy vehicles produced in Chongqing and other places reaching the Middle East market directly... "After the canal opens to navigation, the inland waterway shipping system will be linked with the ocean shipping system, promoting the continuous upgrading of the port's capacity." Chen Shengchang, general manager of the operation area, said.

The tangible canal has opened to navigation, and the intangible canal is being unblocked.

The Guangxi Maritime Safety Administration has promoted the establishment of the country's first "equivalent A-class navigation area" waters. Inland vessels with the appropriate qualifications can, under defined conditions, sail directly to the deep-water berths of Beibu Gulf Port, solving the "last kilometer" from river to sea.

Pinglu Canal Group has built a smart canal perception system with all-round monitoring of land, water, air, and space; the Department of Transport of the Autonomous Region has taken the lead in establishing a river-sea integrated dispatch platform, with vessels automatically scheduled and passing through locks as ordered.

With the canal about to open to navigation, at the construction site of the navigation facilities of the Baise Water Conservancy Hub, workers are working with great vigor.

Yunnan Communications Investment Group, Guangxi Beibu Gulf Port Group, and Guangxi Youjiang Water Resources Development Company directly under the Ministry of Water Resources — three parties joining hands and coordinating across provinces, not calculating petty gains but jointly tackling the "bottlenecks."

"We must jointly build the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor."

Observing the overall situation and comprehending the thought, Hu Huaping, Party Secretary of Beibu Gulf Port Group, has gained a deeper understanding: striving seaward with strength means joint construction and shared benefits. Upstream and downstream, main streams and tributaries, rivers and seas, land and sea — there are no bystanders, only problem-solvers.

(People's Daily reporters Liu Quan, Ke Zhongjia, Zhu Jiaqi, Qiang Yuwen)

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Page editors: Kang Yan, Liu Juanxi, Wang Bo

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Smart Economy Surges with Vitality

By: 本报记者 谷业凯

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: "We must seize this rare historical opportunity, encourage open source, openness, cooperation and sharing, comprehensively promote AI technological innovation, industrial development, and scenario-based application, coordinate efforts to transform and upgrade traditional industries, cultivate and strengthen emerging industries, and make forward-looking arrangements for future industries, so that artificial intelligence empowers all walks of life (千行百业, qian hang bai ye - "thousand, industry, hundred, business")."

In recent years, China has actively embraced the development of AI (artificial intelligence), actively advanced the "AI+" action, and comprehensively promoted AI technological innovation, industrial development, and scenario-based application. The core industry scale of the intelligent economy has already exceeded one trillion yuan.

Intelligent agents have become the key "entry point" for the scenario-based implementation of artificial intelligence

Amid the tidal flats along the coast of the Bohai Sea, the huge blades of white wind turbines turn slowly in the wind. Longyuan Power manages more than 10,000 such turbines across over a hundred wind farms in China, most of which are located in remote areas such as the Gobi Desert, mountainous regions, and sea areas, making operation, maintenance, and repair a difficult challenge.

In recent years, Longyuan Power and Baidu AI Cloud have embarked on an exploration of wind power intelligence. In 2025, the hundred-billion-parameter power generation large model "Qingyuan" was officially released, and intelligent agents for equipment operation and inspection were deployed in more than 100 wind farms nationwide. Operations and maintenance personnel only need to interact through natural language, and the large model can quickly provide disposal recommendations. Today, wind turbines can perform "self-diagnosis" in real time through multi-dimensional data such as vibration, temperature, and power, having cumulatively identified more than 2,600 equipment defects, with both fault identification accuracy and operation and maintenance efficiency significantly improved.

At present, intelligent agents have become the key "entry point" for the scenario-based implementation of artificial intelligence. At State Grid, 18,000 operations and maintenance personnel have been equipped with "AI companions," compressing single-station inspection time from 2.5 hours to 45 minutes; at Shenzhen Power Supply Bureau of China Southern Power Grid, 75 "digital employees" have come on board, covering key links such as production operations and maintenance, and marketing.

"The fact that intelligent agents have taken off shows that what users are really paying for is not 'whether you know how to do it,' but 'whether you can help me get things done.' This marks that AI is transforming from a chat tool into a 'digital employee' or agent," said Robin Li, founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Baidu Group.

Serving all walks of life with full-stack capabilities

The use of large models in the financial industry requires not only that large models "know how to answer," but also that they understand financial knowledge, comply with regulatory requirements, and ensure safety and controllability.

Relying on its "chip-cloud-model-agent" full-stack AI capabilities, Baidu AI Cloud has worked together with more than 800 financial institutions to forge new quality productive forces for the financial industry. The specialized financial analysis model jointly explored by SPD Bank and this platform deeply integrates professional knowledge in the financial field with financial analysis key points, and is able to automatically collect and integrate multi-source data, intelligently complete verification of consistency relationships in financial statements, identify anomalies and risks, and help review personnel compress financial analysis that previously took hours or even days down to the minute level.

Over the past 11 years, this platform has served numerous leading internet companies, 80 percent of central state-owned enterprises, and a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises. "A truly useful intelligent agent is a product on the surface, but behind it is a complete set of full-stack AI capabilities," said Shen Dou, executive vice president of Baidu Group and president of Baidu AI Cloud Group. From Kunlun chips, the Baidu Baige computing platform, and the Baidu Qianfan platform to applications that go deep into industries, Baidu AI Cloud supports intelligent agents in operating stably and continuously evolving in real tasks, serving all walks of life with full-stack capabilities.

Providing foundational support for the development of emerging industries and future industries

With the rapid evolution of intelligent driving, large models, and intelligent cockpits, automobile enterprises are generating massive amounts of data, and the scale of large model training continues to expand, placing higher demands on computing power stability, resource utilization efficiency, and engineering capabilities.

Baidu AI Cloud continues to deepen its work in the automotive industry, building intelligent computing power foundations for multiple automakers including BAIC Group, supporting scenarios such as intelligent driving model training, multimodal algorithm development, and large model inference, and helping the automotive industry sustain innovation. At present, this platform serves leading enterprises in the automotive industry chain covering complete vehicle manufacturing, autonomous driving, power batteries, automotive chips, and driverless driving, and in 2025 successfully supported the delivery of more than 20 million new vehicles equipped with L2-level assisted driving.

At the recently held Second World Humanoid Robot Games, a humanoid robot developed by the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center ran the 100-meter event in the large group category in 8.64 seconds; at the exhibition hall of the 2026 World Robot Conference, demonstrations of robots doing somersaults and carrying goods filled people with expectations for future applications.

At present, embodied intelligence has already stepped out of the laboratory and become a new track for future industries. Baidu AI Cloud has served the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, the Shanghai Embodied Intelligence Innovation Center, and more than 50 key enterprises in the industry chain, including AgiBot, Galaxea, Unitree, and Qianxun Intelligent.

From underlying computing power to upper-level applications, from single-point breakthroughs to win-win outcomes across the industry, Baidu AI Cloud relies on its full-stack AI infrastructure to provide foundational support for the development of emerging industries and future industries. Looking ahead, it will continue to adhere to its open source and open strategy, join hands with partners to jointly build a new ecosystem for the intelligent economy, and enable enterprises and users at large to better enjoy the dividends brought by artificial intelligence.

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Rice Fragrance by the Desert’s Edge (Great Nation, Small Village)

By: 本报记者 尚嵘峥

In Daoxiang Village, Baihe Town, Hotan County, Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang, the green is gradually fading and gold is spreading across the fields. Before long, the thousand-mu rice paddies will usher in the harvest season.

Ayagedun, the former name of Daoxiang Village, means "the last sand mound" in the Uyghur language. Not far from the village lies the Taklamakan Desert, and the village has long been battered by wind and sand, once surrounded by sand dunes five to six meters high. Yet it was not buried by the swirling yellow sand;instead, it has a rice-growing history passed down for over a hundred years, because the Karakash River and the Yurungkash River near the village provide a natural water source for rice cultivation.

"Previously, the rice in the village was grown by villagers on scattered plots, and everyone's level of cultivation was uneven and of varying quality (参差不齐, can ci bu qi - "vary, not, even, not, level"), so overall output could not rise, and it was basically only enough for being self-sufficient (自给自足, zi ge zi zu - "self, provide, self, sufficient")." Abudurexiti Wufuer, secretary of the Party branch of Daoxiang Village, explained that with the advancement of high-standard farmland construction, the village has reclaimed wasteland into cultivable land, leveled the uneven farmland, and unified it under an agricultural technology company for large-scale, intensive cultivation, forming 1,800 mu of concentrated contiguous rice paddies.

Through improved seed selection and soil improvement, the per-mu yield of rice in Daoxiang Village has risen from about 300 kilograms to around 600 kilograms, giving rise to the "Golden Silk Rice" brand. The increase in rice output, together with higher land transfer fees, has added more than 1.1 million yuan in annual income to the village collective. "The rent is 600 yuan per mu per year, and compared with villagers farming on their own, each mu can earn about 400 yuan more per year," said Abudurexiti. The villagers have left behind the traditional farming model of low output and low income, and the concentrated contiguous rice paddies, rare at the edge of the desert, have also become a highlight of rural tourism.

To develop rural tourism, construction funds, business planning, target customer positioning, infrastructure development, and so on are all important. The village had no experience — what to do? In 2021, the Beijing Aid-Xinjiang Hotan Command extended a helping hand, not only providing aid funds for Xinjiang but also, based on the characteristics of Daoxiang Village, positioning it as a pastoral complex folk culture village and developing a "rice paddy +" rural tourism business model.

For tourists to be willing to come, the village must have both "face" and "substance." The improvement of the living environment and infrastructure construction proceeded in tandem, preserving the authentic and original in flavor or style (原汁原味, yuan zhi yuan wei - "original, juice, original, taste") of the local traditional dwellings, so that tourists can immersively experience the way of life of local residents. Encouraged by village cadres through door-to-door visits, villagers have brought their skills into play and increased their incomes at their doorsteps.

Stepping into a farmhouse restaurant, under the grape trellis, Muhebaiti Saidimaimaiti, in his 50s, wore a smile all over his face. Having grown rice all his life, he never imagined he could open a shop in his own courtyard and make money.

After the rice paddies were transferred out, Muhebaiti did not stay idle either. "My cousin's big plate chicken restaurant in the county town is doing good business, so we opened a shop at home selling big plate chicken and other specialty dishes." Many customers, after seeing the short videos her cousin posted on social media, made special trips to the village to experience it.

"Most of the villagers have gone into the catering business, but rural tourism cannot rely on food and drink alone," said Abudurexiti. The village has held courtyard concerts, allowing tourists to feel melodious singing amid pastoral life; built a public cultural space, the Daoxiang Academy, which on weekends and holidays attracts many children and parents from the city; and introduced a hot-air balloon sightseeing project to add fun to rural tours.

At the village entrance, an art installation woven from rice straw is eye-catching or striking (引人注目, yin ren zhu mu - "attract, person, attention, eye"). Strolling through the village, one finds Rice Fragrance Road, Rice Paddy Road, Rice Flower Road, Rice Ear Road... one village lane after another steeped in the flavor of "rice." "We have woven the image of 'rice' throughout the village, hoping to enhance the brand recognition and influence of Daoxiang Village," said Abudurexiti. After nearly five years of development, Daoxiang Village has become a well-known tourist village, receiving about 35,000 visitors in 2025, and the per capita net income of villagers has risen from 9,800 yuan before the renovation to more than 14,800 yuan. The rich fragrance of rice has brought tangible popularity and income.

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Shortcomings Turned into “Potential for Growth” (Carrying Forward the Spirit of the Long March, Forging Ahead on the New Journey of Revitalization)

By: 本报记者 程远州

In the golden autumn, before the morning mist in the mountains had fully dispersed, in the high-mountain tea garden of Xinbai Village, Hongshan Town, Renhua County, Shaoguan City, Guangdong, tea farmers carried bamboo baskets at their waists, their fingertips gently pinching tender buds. After a full day's work, one person could earn more than 100 yuan.

In late autumn 1934, also in the early morning, villagers rose early to pick tea and found the streets and lanes filled with sleeping Red Army soldiers. At that time, the main forces of the Central Red Army on the Long March passed successively through Nanxiong, Renhua, Lechang and other places in northern Guangdong, breaking through the blockade lines set up by the Kuomintang one after another. "That year my mother was 13 years old. When the Red Army passed through Xinbai Village, they slept in the open in their clothes, bought and sold fairly, and did not take anything that did not belong to them (秋毫无犯, qiu hao wu fan - "autumn, hair, none, violate"); the common people voluntarily cooked tea and meals for the Red Army and tended the wounded," said Li Yuqing, a retired former village party branch secretary.

In October 2018, during an inspection tour in Guangdong, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must adhere to dialectical thinking, change our mindset, and strive to turn shortcomings into 'potential boards,' fully leveraging the ecological advantages of eastern, western and northern Guangdong, continuously expanding development space and strengthening development momentum." In November 2025, during an inspection tour in Guangdong, General Secretary Xi Jinping urged: "The Party and the government must continue to strengthen policy support for the old revolutionary base areas. The broad masses of cadres and the people in the old revolutionary base areas must work together with one heart and mind (齐心协力, qi xin xie li - "together, heart, cooperate, strength") and strive to make oneself or one's country strong (奋发图强, fen fa tu qiang - "exert, expand, plan, strong")."

Thoroughly implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, Guangdong is striving to solve the problem of unbalanced development between urban and rural regions. On the basis of learning from and applying the experience of the Thousand-Village Demonstration and Ten-Thousand-Village Improvement Project (千万工程), Guangdong launched the "High-Quality Development Project for One Hundred Counties, One Thousand Towns, and Ten Thousand Villages" (hereinafter referred to as the "One Hundred, One Thousand, Ten Thousand Project") at the end of 2022, striving to turn shortcomings into "potential boards."

The integration of tea and tourism helps promote the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas.

Walking through Xinbai Village, verdant tea gardens spread from the mountaintop to the foot of the mountain, with white-walled, black-tiled dwellings dotted among them, and asphalt roads winding like ink-colored ribbons.

"The village has grown white-haired tea for generations, but the tea industry once became a worry for the villagers," said Li Yuqing. "The purchase price for fresh tea leaves was sometimes only four or five yuan per jin, the tea gardens gradually became overgrown, and the village became a 'hollow village.'"

In 2024, riding the momentum of the "One Hundred, One Thousand, Ten Thousand Project," Xinbai Village cooperated with Guangdong Jinsha Tea Garden Co., Ltd. to build the Jinsha Tea Industry Demonstration Park, encouraging villagers to switch to growing Jinsha tea.

"Is the new variety easy to manage and protect? Will it sell well?" When the cooperation plan was announced, the villagers felt hesitant and uncertain (将信将疑, jiang xin jiang yi - "take, trust, take, doubt"), and no one dared to make a move.

"For the industry to 'break out,' we need that same spirit the Red Army had on the Long March!" Li Rixiang, party branch secretary of Xinbai Village, and party members took the lead in trial planting, bringing the village's two committee cadres to visit households one by one to do persuasion work, and coordinating with the company to provide tea seedlings to villagers free of charge, send technicians to teach skills, and have the company uniformly purchase the fresh tea leaves. Over the past two years, more than 480 mu of tea gardens have been converted to growing Jinsha tea.

"We plan to expand the Jinsha Tea Industry Demonstration Park to a scale of one thousand mu within three years, and then set up a tea processing factory," Li Rixiang introduced.

As more and more young people return to the village to grow tea, the village has taken the opportunity to create three "red study tour + rural tourism" routes. Today, the collective economic annual income of Xinbai Village has jumped from 90,000 yuan to more than 400,000 yuan.

Technology empowerment turns small moso bamboo into a major industry.

In the bamboo-based new materials production workshop of Renhua County Aoda Plywood Co., Ltd., pieces of bamboo-wood panels file off the production line one after another. "Highway infrastructure, container manufacturing, new energy vehicle components... bamboo is being used in more and more ways, and its value has increased tenfold, a hundredfold!" said Pan Jinshan, the company's general manager, unable to hide his excitement.

Renhua County has ten thousand mu of bamboo sea, but in the past the moso bamboo was only used as firewood or for building scaffolding. Today, the entire county has embarked on a new industrial path of "substituting bamboo for wood, substituting bamboo for plastic, substituting bamboo for steel," transforming ecological advantages into development advantages.

"In the past, the Red Army traversed countless hardships and dangers to win victory. Today, we must break through barriers on the road of industrial upgrading and let technology 'turn bamboo into gold,'" said Cao Yongjian, a researcher at the Guangdong Academy of Forestry, who led a team to station at Aoda Company, jointly building a postdoctoral workstation and developing a complete set of intelligent processing equipment.

Through the "enterprise + cooperative + base + farmer household" model, in 2025, the 38,000 bamboo-farming households in Renhua County saw an average income increase of 15,000 yuan per household, and the county's comprehensive bamboo industry output value reached 1.589 billion yuan, with more than 5,000 people employed in bamboo enterprises.

Supporting e-commerce enables specialty fruits to enrich farmers and increase incomes.

Arriving in the territory of Lechang City, Shaoguan, at the foot of Dawang Mountain on the Hunan-Guangdong border, a monument to the Red Army martyrs stands tall. In November 1934, the Red Army crossed Dawang Mountain in the rain, with soldiers leaning on tree branches and holding torches, a "fire dragon" winding up the mountain.

The flames of war of yesteryear have receded into the forest sea. Today, in Jiufeng Town, Lechang City, in light of local conditions (因地制宜), people are exploring markets and seeking development, and local cadres and the masses are forging a path of "crossing the mountain."

"Jiufeng Town has a high altitude and a large temperature difference between day and night, so the golden nai plums grown here taste refreshingly sweet." In Xiaolang Village, Jiufeng Town, returning youth Huang Qifeng was livestreaming. During this nai plum picking season, he sold fresh fruit worth more than 1.7 million yuan through livestreaming.

Relying on the "One Hundred, One Thousand, Ten Thousand Project," Lechang City has established companies to strengthen towns and enrich villages, with farmers contributing land as shares and receiving dividends according to their shareholdings; introduced e-commerce support policies; and built platforms for connecting production and sales... Today, the golden nai plum production area covers 86 villages in 8 towns of Lechang, driving more than 7,000 fruit-growing households to an average income increase of over 30,000 yuan per household.

Since the "One Hundred, One Thousand, Ten Thousand Project" has been implemented for more than three years, the GDP growth rate of Guangdong's 57 counties (cities) has outpaced the provincial average for two consecutive years, more than 60 percent of counties (cities) have achieved net population inflow, and the urban-rural resident income ratio has narrowed from 2.41:1 to 2.28:1.

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ICBC "Chuancheng Jia": The Virtue of Passing Down a Legacy, the Way of Carrying on the Family Business

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Page editors: Ji Yalin, Lu Tao, Zhai Qinqi

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The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo: Sharing 3.0 Opportunities, Creating a Better Life Together

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Uphold the Building of a High-Caliber Cadre Contingent Capable of Shouldering the Heavy Task of National Rejuvenation (Deeply Studying and Implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

By: 刘靖北

Attaching importance to selecting the worthy and capable and strengthening the building of the cadre contingent is an important historical experience and fine tradition of our Party. To govern the Party strictly, the key is to govern officials strictly. Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has, with a resolute attitude and decisive measures, rectified work styles and enforced discipline, powerfully forging the capable backbone force for the cause of the Party and the state, and providing an important guarantee for creating the great achievements of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "To build a modern socialist country in all respects, there must be a contingent of cadres who are politically sound, meet the requirements of the new era, and possess the ability to lead modernization." Deeply studying and grasping the key issue concerning the cause of the Party and the state of "persisting in building a high-caliber cadre contingent capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation" is of great significance for deeply studying and implementing Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, continuously consolidating the Party's long-term governing position, and better fulfilling the Party's governing mission.

Deeply understand and grasp the principles and guidelines for selecting and appointing personnel in the new era, ensuring that cadre work always adheres to the correct political direction

The Party's organizational line in the new era is one of the important contents of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building. It clearly incorporates persisting in possessing both virtue and talent (德才兼备, de cai jian bei - "virtue, talent, both, possess"), giving priority to virtue, and appointing people based on their ability (任人唯贤, ren ren wei xian - "appoint, person, only, worthy"), and providing a strong organizational guarantee for upholding and strengthening the Party's overall leadership and upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, realizing the organic integration of key elements such as the organizational system, the cadre contingent, and the talent contingent, and providing fundamental guidance for doing the Party's organizational work well and strengthening the building of the cadre contingent in the new era.

The Party managing cadres and the Party managing talent is an integral part of the subject at hand (题中应有之义, ti zhong ying you zhi yi - "topic, inside, should, have, of, meaning") in implementing the Party's organizational line in the new era and upholding the Party's overall leadership. We must unswervingly uphold the Party Central Committee's centralized and unified leadership over organizational work, implement the principles of the Party managing cadres and the Party managing talent, give full play to the role of Party committees in gatekeeping, and ensure the Party's leadership and management authority over cadre work and important cadres.

Cadre work and talent work are, in essence, both work of selecting and appointing personnel. We must persist in possessing both virtue and talent, giving priority to virtue, and appointing people based on their ability, among which virtue is primary and directional and must be placed first. At the same time, when selecting cadres and using talent, ability must not be neglected; those outstanding cadres with strong skills and remarkable achievements should be promptly put to use. Party committees at all levels and their organizational departments should proceed from the cause of the Party and the people, uphold fairness and integrity, select and appoint cadres and talent from all walks of life (五湖四海, wu hu si hai - "five, lakes, four, seas"), strive to gather outstanding talent from all aspects into the cause of the Party and the people, and give full play to the role of the cadre contingent and talent from all aspects.

The important contents of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building regarding the principles and guidelines for selecting and appointing personnel not only uphold our Party's consistent requirements for cultivating and selecting cadres, but also endow them with rich contemporary connotations, realizing the Party's upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground and advancing with the times (与时俱进, yu shi ju jin - "with, time, together, advance") in the principles and guidelines for selecting and appointing personnel. To persist in building a high-caliber cadre contingent capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation, we must firmly grasp the essence and key points of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, fully implement the Party's organizational line in the new era, ensure the correct political direction of cadre work, and provide a continuous stream of cadre and talent strength for advancing the development of the cause of the Party and the state.

Deeply understand and grasp the standards for good cadres in the new era, continuously improving the quality of cadre cultivation, selection, and appointment work

By what standards to select people, and what kind of people to select, is the primary question in cadre work. Generally speaking, the standard for good cadres should be possessing both virtue and talent. At the same time, the standard for good cadres is also concrete and historical; different historical periods endow the Party's cadre standards with new connotations. Since the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has put forward a series of new ideas, new concepts, and new requirements on the major issue of the standard for good cadres. In Volume I of the Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Party Building, in the article "Strive to Cultivate and Select Good Cadres Needed by the Party and the People," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Good cadres must be firm in conviction, serve the people, be diligent and pragmatic, dare to take responsibility, and be honest and upright." In Volume II of the Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Party Building, in the article "Strive to Improve the Party's Ability and Level of Leading Economic and Social Development," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Party organizations at all levels must temper, test, and identify cadres in the practice of overcoming difficulties, withstanding risks, and meeting challenges, and strive to cultivate and select outstanding cadres who dare to fight hard battles and are good at winning victories." This fully shows that implementing the standards for good cadres in the new era is both consistent from beginning to end (一以贯之, yi yi guan zhi - "one, through, connect, one") in ideological connotation and continuously deepened in specific requirements.

The standards for good cadres in the new era not only uphold our Party's consistent principles and guidelines for selecting the worthy and capable, but also endow the standards for good cadres with entirely new contemporary connotations, establishing a distinct contemporary coordinate for cultivating and selecting good cadres needed by the Party and the people. Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, our Party has adhered to the standards for good cadres in the new era, strictly guarding the gates of political integrity, conduct, work style, and honesty in selecting and appointing personnel, strictly implementing the "four musts for all promotions," resolutely correcting the deviation of the "four onlys," firmly rectifying unhealthy tendencies in selecting and appointing personnel, establishing a distinct and correct orientation for employing people, and effectively promoting the clean and upright political ecology through a clean and upright environment for employing people. On the new journey, to strengthen the building of the cadre contingent, we must deeply study and fully implement the important requirements of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building regarding the standards for good cadres, focus on building a high-caliber cadre contingent capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation, do cadre work well with the spirit of reform and innovation, and continuously improve the quality and level of cadre selection, cultivation, and appointment work.

Deeply understand and grasp the distinct political positioning of cadre work, persisting in taking the political standard as the first standard

Highlighting the political standard in selecting cadres is determined by the political attributes of a Marxist political party and is an important requirement for doing cadre work well in the new era. In Volume II of the Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Party Building, in the article "Cultivate a High-Caliber Cadre Contingent That Is Loyal, Clean, and Responsible," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Our Party's requirements for cadres are first of all political requirements. When selecting and appointing cadres, we must first look at whether cadres are politically clear-headed and firm." Whether a cadre is politically qualified and politically sound mainly depends on political loyalty, political resolve, political responsibility, political ability, and political self-discipline. Those who do not meet or pass the political standard must be vetoed with one vote and never let through. Whether one is loyal to the Party and the people, whether one has firm ideals and convictions, whether one firmly upholds the Two Establishments (两个确立) and resolutely achieves the Two Upholds (两个维护), and whether one fully implements the Party's basic theory, basic line, basic policy, and the major decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee must be taken as the first standard for measuring cadres. We must conduct thorough and multi-channel investigations of cadres' political quality, select and use good cadres who are truly loyal and reliable, consistent in words and deeds, and responsible and dutiful, and ensure that the cadres selected are politically trustworthy, reliable, and reassuring. We must strengthen loyalty education and political training, strive to enhance cadres' political cultivation, and continuously improve political judgment, political understanding, and political execution.

The important expositions in Xi Jinping's thought on Party building regarding the political standard for selecting and appointing personnel embody the fundamental requirements of a Marxist political party in selecting and appointing personnel, highlight the political positioning of the Party's cadre work, and have distinct orientation and practical pertinence. We must deeply understand and grasp these important expositions and important requirements, carry the political standard through all aspects and the entire process of cadre selection and appointment, resolutely prevent political "double-dealers" who harbor different intentions and are inconsistent in words and deeds, and ensure that the red river and mountains never change color.

Deeply understand and grasp the "five major systems" of cadre work, forging a high-caliber and professionalized cadre contingent through the entire chain

Persisting in building a high-caliber cadre contingent capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation is a complex systematic project that requires overall planning and coordination with the focus on doing well in cultivation, selection, management, and use, so that all aspects and links of cadre work are connected and coordinated.

The important expositions in Xi Jinping's thought on Party building on establishing the "five major systems" of cadre work comprehensively and profoundly answer the key questions in the selection, cultivation, management, and use of cadres, and construct the systematic framework of the Party's cadre work in the new era. The quality cultivation system emphasizes giving play to our Party's institutional advantages in cultivating cadres, striving to enhance the systematicness, sustainability, and pertinence of cadre quality cultivation, and avoiding using people only when urgently needed and lowering standards to seek them; the system of understanding affairs and recognizing people emphasizes "governing fundamentally lies in obtaining people, obtaining people lies in careful recommendation, and careful recommendation lies in verifying the truth," improving the cadre assessment and evaluation system, and conducting regular, all-round, and multi-angle assessments to verify cadres accurately, preventing "promotion with illness"; the selection and appointment system profoundly elucidates the key question of cadre work of what kind of people to select, from where to select people, and how to use people, emphasizing upholding the cause as paramount, selecting people according to the matter, and matching people and positions, preventing mismatch between people and posts; the strict management system profoundly embodies the practical requirements of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party for cadre management, emphasizing truly managing truly and strictly, daring to manage and daring to be strict, and managing for a long time and strictly for a long time, preventing emphasizing selection over management; the positive incentive system profoundly demonstrates the distinct orientation of cadre work, focusing on encouraging and prompting cadres to dare to take responsibility, dare to shoulder responsibility, be good at acting, and achieve outstanding performance, preventing "going through the motions," "idling away the days," and inaction.

The "five major systems" cover all aspects of cadre selection, cultivation, management, and use, are interconnected, and form a strict system, constituting the complete chain of the Party's cadre work, greatly deepening our Party's understanding of the laws of cadre growth and the laws of cadre work, and clarifying the scientific path for doing cadre work well in the new era. To strengthen the building of the cadre contingent, we must deeply study and understand the important expositions of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building on the "five major systems" of cadre work, more prominently highlight the organic connection, linkage, and coordination of all aspects of selection, cultivation, management, and use, more prominently highlight the use of the concept of governance, systematic thinking, and dialectical thinking, and continuously improve the scientific, institutionalized, and standardized level of cadre work.

Deeply understand and grasp the combination of strict management and loving care, and the equal emphasis on incentives and constraints, continuously stimulating the endogenous motivation and vitality of the cadre contingent

The Party's good cadres are not only selected, but also managed. Strictly managing cadres, improving the institutional system for strict management and supervision of cadres, and carrying strict management through all aspects and the entire process of cadre contingent building are in themselves loving care for and true responsibility toward cadres.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Cadre management is a science; one must dare to manage, be good at managing, and implement precise measures, reflecting the organization's strength; it is also an art; one must support, encourage, care for, and be tolerant, reflecting the organization's warmth." To strengthen the building of the cadre contingent, the focus is on managing with scientific methods, truly managing to the point and managing at the key points, embodying the distinct orientation of emphasizing responsibility and valuing responsibility in selecting and appointing personnel, promoting the normalization of cadres being able to go up and down, and giving opportunities and stages to those cadres who want to do things, are willing to do things, and can accomplish things. We must improve the incentive and protection mechanisms for cadres to take on responsibilities and act, unequivocally support and encourage cadres who dare to take responsibility and act, promptly clarify and restore the reputation of cadres who have been falsely reported, and enable cadres to let go of their burdens and travel light. We must build a scientific, precise, and differentiated cadre assessment and evaluation mechanism, guiding the broad masses of cadres to establish and practice a correct view of political achievements. We must strengthen professional training and practical tempering for cadres, guide cadres to promptly fill gaps in knowledge and quality, and comprehensively improve their abilities to meet the requirements of advancing Chinese modernization. We must give play to the exemplary and leading role of advanced models, and encourage Party members and cadres to emulate the virtuous (见贤思齐, jian xian si qi - "see, worthy, think, emulate") and strive to make progress. We must care for and show concern for cadres with genuine feelings, strengthen comradely heart-to-heart talks, implement policy measures for caring for cadres' physical and mental health and ensuring treatment guarantees, and give more understanding and support to cadres at the grassroots frontline and those who have long undertaken urgent, difficult, dangerous, and heavy tasks. We must improve the long-term mechanism for reducing burdens at the grassroots level, continuously do a good job in rectifying formalism, and give grassroots cadres more energy to focus on implementation and doing practical things.

On the new journey, to persist in building a high-caliber cadre contingent capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation, we must deeply grasp the inherent unity of strict management and supervision and encouraging responsibility and action, adhere to valuing responsibility, valuing practical work, and valuing actual performance, let willingness to take responsibility, daring to take responsibility, and being good at taking responsibility become a widespread trend (蔚然成风, wei ran cheng feng - "grand, naturally, become, wind"), and promote the broad masses of cadres to devote themselves with full enthusiasm and undivided attention to the construction of Chinese modernization.

Deeply understand and grasp the strategic position of talent-led development, striving to gather outstanding talent from all aspects into the cause of the Party and the state

For a cause that lasts a thousand years, talent is the foundation. Since the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has comprehensively strengthened the Party's leadership over talent work, promoted historic achievements in talent work in the new era, and won the strategic initiative in international talent competition.

A series of new concepts, new strategies, and new measures in Xi Jinping's thought on Party building regarding talent work in the new era have pointed out the direction and provided fundamental guidance for the building of the talent contingent in the new era. First, uphold the Party's overall leadership over talent work, profoundly elucidating the fundamental basis for doing talent work well in the new era; second, uphold the strategic position of talent-led development, accelerate the implementation of the strategy of building a talent-strong country, and clarify the major strategic requirements for doing talent work well; third, propose upholding the "four orientations" strategic guidance, comprehensively enhance scientific and technological strength and innovation capability, and point out the direction and goals of talent work in the new era; fourth, uphold the all-round cultivation and good use of talent, strive to improve the quality of independent talent cultivation, and clarify the key tasks for doing talent work well in the new era; fifth, uphold deepening the reform of the talent development system and mechanism, promote the vigorous emergence and full flow of innovation and creativity of all types of talent, and clarify the institutional guarantee for doing talent work well in the new era; sixth, uphold gathering the world's talent and using them, support talent from all aspects to actively make contributions to the cause of the Party and the people, and clarify the basic requirements for talent work in the new era; seventh, uphold creating an environment that recognizes, loves, respects, and uses talent, build a talent innovation ecosystem that encourages success and tolerates failure, and create good social conditions for doing talent work well in the new era; eighth, uphold promoting the spirit of scientists, the spirit of craftsmen, and the spirit of entrepreneurs, guide talent from all aspects to love the Party and serve the country, be dedicated and devoted, and serve the people, and profoundly elucidate the spiritual guidance and ideological guarantee for doing talent work well in the new era.

On the new journey, we must deeply study and implement the new concepts, new strategies, and new measures of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building regarding talent work in the new era, implement more active, more open, and more effective talent policies, accelerate the construction of important talent centers and highlands of scientific and technological innovation, and provide strong talent support for Chinese modernization.

Deeply understand and grasp the fundamental plan of ensuring the succession of successors, cultivating reliable successors for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Cultivating and selecting young cadres concerns the passing the torch from generation to generation (薪火相传, xin huo xiang chuan - "firewood, flame, mutually, pass") of the Party's cause and concerns the long-term stability and peace (长治久安, chang zhi jiu an - "long, govern, long, peace") of the country." The rich contents of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building on the building of the young cadre contingent fully reflect the profound and precise grasp of the laws of young cadre growth and the deep expectations for outstanding young cadres. To build a high-caliber cadre contingent capable of shouldering the heavy task of national rejuvenation, we must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building and cultivate and bring up reliable successors for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Strengthen long-term planning. Focusing on near-term needs and long-term strategic requirements, improve the mechanism for discovering outstanding young cadres, improve policies and systems, improve selection and appointment methods, broaden the vision for selecting people, and strive to build a high-caliber and professionalized young cadre contingent that faithfully implements Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, meets the standards for good cadres in the new era, is loyal, clean, and responsible, is sufficient in number, and is full of vitality.

Strictly select cadres. Always put the political standard first, carry strict standards, strict measures, and strict discipline through the entire process of cadre selection work, closely follow the standards for good cadres in the new era, refine the assessment indicators for morality, ability, work style, and actual performance, highlight the orientation of valuing practical work, valuing responsibility, and valuing actual performance, and through establishing a fair and just orientation for cadre selection work, guide the young cadre contingent to form a good atmosphere of emulating the virtuous and catching up with and surpassing each other in learning.

Optimize growth paths. Give full play to our Party's institutional advantages of testing cadres layer by layer and cultivating them progressively, strengthen whole-process cultivation, let young cadres undergo strict ideological tempering, political training, practical tempering, and professional training, let outstanding young cadres with potential and prospects for cultivation undergo complete-cycle tempering in difficult and complex places and key demanding positions, and promote their healthy and vigorous growth.

Use promptly and boldly. Resolutely break the concepts of balancing, seniority, and demanding perfection, use outstanding young cadres without sticking to one pattern and boldly, especially those with good political quality, outstanding work performance, and solid tempering, break hidden steps and promptly select them into leading bodies at all levels, achieving use at the right time and use of their strengths.

Strictly manage and supervise. Adhere to strictness in peacetime and management in daily life, strive to strengthen "field management," promptly "prune branches and leaves, fertilize and water, and drive away insects and prevent diseases," strengthen all-round management and normalized supervision of young cadres, educate and guide young cadres to always keep the string of discipline and rules taut, achieve fear in the heart, restraint in words, and restraint in actions, grow into pillars of talent who can be greatly used and can shoulder heavy responsibilities, and ensure that the Party's cause is passed on from generation to generation.

(The author is a distinguished researcher at the Shanghai Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

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Promoting High-Quality Development of the Social Work Professional Workforce Through Long-Term Mechanisms (Targeted Approach)

By: 宋贵伦

Since the advent of the new era, China's social structure has undergone profound changes, the pattern of interests has been deeply adjusted, the demands of the masses have become increasingly diverse, and grassroots governance faces more numerous and complex tasks. To advance Chinese modernization, it is necessary to consolidate the foundation of grassroots governance modernization, which requires both improving the institutional system and promoting the growth of professional forces. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Social work is an important component of the work of the Party and the state, bearing on the Party's long-term governance and the country's long-term stability and security, and bearing on social harmony and stability and the happiness and well-being of the people." General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourse on social work has pointed out the direction and provided the fundamental guidance for strengthening the building of the contingent of social work professionals in the new era.

In March this year, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council issued the "Opinions on Promoting the Building of the Contingent of Social Work Professionals," which is of great significance for building a contingent of social work professionals who listen to the Party and follow the Party, possess strong skills and professional competence, and have commitment and dedication, for promoting the long-term development of social work services, and for enhancing the professional level of public services and social governance. At the same time, various localities have actively explored effective paths for professional forces to participate in grassroots governance. For example, Guangdong has implemented the "Double Hundred Project," promoting the coverage of social work service stations across townships (subdistricts), allowing professionals to take root at the grassroots level and play an important role in guaranteeing basic livelihood services and assisting people in difficulty. It should also be noted that there are still problems such as an insufficient total number of professionals, unbalanced regional development, inadequate job development, a professional identity that needs to be strengthened, and a level of professionalization and specialization that is not yet high. Strengthening the building of the contingent of social work professionals is a systematic project that must adhere to facing the masses and serving society, clarify the functional positioning of professionalization and specialization, grasp the key priorities of expanding the scale of positions, improving the quality of the contingent, and enhancing service capacity, and build a long-term mechanism in which talent cultivation, utilization, and development are interconnected and mutually reinforcing.

Improve the cultivation mechanism for the contingent of social work professionals. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Social governance is a science" and "community work is a body of knowledge." To advance the building of the contingent, the first task is to solve the problem of the disconnect between talent cultivation and grassroots needs, and to promote the transformation of professionals from "quantitative growth" to "qualitative improvement." Adhere to cultivating virtue and nurturing people (立德树人, li de shu ren - "establish, virtue; cultivate, person"), run ideological and political education through the entire process of talent cultivation, guide social work professionals to strengthen their ideals and convictions, deepen their commitment to serving the people, and always listen to the Party and follow the Party. Consolidate the knowledge foundation, deepen reforms in professional education and vocational education, improve the disciplinary system, teaching system, and textbook system, strengthen professional education in schools and professional training for on-the-job personnel, and promote the effective articulation of the knowledge system and talent cultivation system with the grassroots governance practice system. Strengthen the practice orientation, promote the deep integration of university education and vocational training with grassroots governance practice, and organize students and young talents to participate in community governance and other work. Strengthen grassroots exercise, improve the mechanism for professionals to engage in practical exercise in urban and rural communities, social organizations, and the front line of grassroots governance, and guide more professionals to receive education, grow their abilities, and make contributions in serving the grassroots.

Improve the utilization mechanism for the contingent of social work professionals. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "It is necessary to consolidate the grassroots foundation of social governance and promote the downward shift of the focus of social governance." The key to building the utilization mechanism is to promote the effective matching of professional talents with grassroots needs, so that the professional forces of social work are truly embedded in the grassroots governance system. Rationally determine the scope of utilization of professionals, coordinate balanced development between urban and rural areas, regions, and fields, and promote the integrated use of various resources and talents. Expand the scale of positions, set up professional positions around key areas such as community building, services for the elderly and children, social assistance, social psychological services, services for new employment groups, and the resolution of grassroots contradictions, providing a platform for professionals to go down to the grassroots. Standardize utilization standards, and establish and improve professional operational norms such as position grades, job responsibilities, treatment standards, and management measures.

Improve the evaluation mechanism for the contingent of social work professionals. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "To innovate social governance, it is necessary to take the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people as the fundamental coordinate, and start from the issues of greatest concern, most direct interest, and most immediate relevance to the people." The evaluation mechanism is not a simple assessment indicator, but rather the value orientation of social work. When evaluating professionals, one should not simply use the number of tasks completed or the amount of materials produced as the standard, but should pay more attention to the actual effectiveness of serving the masses, solving problems, and promoting social development. It is necessary to emphasize comprehensive evaluation, attach importance to the effectiveness of professional services, the satisfaction of the masses, and long-term social benefits, and prevent the substitution of ledger record-keeping and the quantity of materials for actual work effectiveness. Emphasize professional characteristics, improve the professional qualification system and the position grade system, and organically combine professional competence, professional ethics, and public recognition. Emphasize value orientation, guide the broad contingent of professionals to seek truth from facts and being pragmatic (求真务实, qiu zhen wu shi - "seek, truth; be, pragmatic") and take genuine action and working solidly (真抓实干, zhen zhua shi gan - "truly, grasp; solidly, do"), and truly devote their minds and energy to facing the masses and serving society.

Improve the incentive mechanism for the contingent of social work professionals. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Talent resources are an important strength and a notable advantage of our country in fierce international competition." The core of building the incentive mechanism is to form an institutional environment conducive to talent growth, the exertion of roles, and career development. It is necessary to improve the treatment guarantee mechanism, comprehensively consider factors such as professional characteristics, job responsibilities, professional level, and years of work, reasonably determine salary and treatment and establish a normal growth mechanism, and give more support to those who have long been rooted at the grassroots level and in difficult and remote areas. Broaden career development space, pay more attention to grassroots work experience in the selection and appointment of cadres, and tilt toward outstanding professionals in rank promotion, position appointment, and talent selection. Optimize the talent mobility mechanism, promote the reasonable flow of professionals between different regions, fields, and units, and promote the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and the articulation of social security.

The ultimate goal of mechanism building is to transform institutional advantages into advantages for high-quality development, so that the masses have a greater sense of gain, happiness, and security. Transforming institutional advantages into advantages for high-quality development means transforming the cultivation, utilization, evaluation, and incentive mechanisms into efficiency advantages for serving the grassroots. By improving the cultivation mechanism, solve the problem of the disconnect between talent cultivation and grassroots needs, and ensure that professionals "can go down and are competent"; by improving the utilization mechanism, promote the matching of professional competence with job responsibilities, and ensure that professionals "can stay and have achievements"; by improving the evaluation mechanism, establish a correct value orientation and work orientation, and promote professionals to "do well and have accomplishments"; by improving the incentive mechanism, stimulate innovation vitality and development momentum, and enable outstanding professionals to "flow and have development." Through the building of long-term mechanisms, promote the high-quality development of the building of the contingent of social work professionals, thereby promoting the high-quality development of social work in the new era, and make due contributions to consolidating the grassroots governance foundation for advancing Chinese modernization.

(The author is a specially appointed researcher at the Beijing Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

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Enhancing the Capacity for Agricultural Disaster Prevention, Mitigation, and Relief (Special Topic for In-Depth Reflection)

By: 游志斌

During an inspection tour in Dezhou, Shandong, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that "ensuring the stable supply of grain and other important agricultural products is the top priority in agricultural production," and explicitly required "enhancing the capacity for agricultural disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief." Agricultural disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief bear on the stable and secure supply of agricultural products, and bear on national food security and economic and social stability. Enhancing the capacity for agricultural disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief is a key project for building a solid line of defense for national food security, and it is necessary to respond to possible losses caused by disasters with definitive disaster prevention measures. Since 2015, China's annual grain output has remained stable at above 1.3 trillion jin, and the supply of grain and other important agricultural products has been effectively guaranteed, with the Chinese people's rice bowl firmly held in their own hands. At the same time, it must also be recognized that in China's agricultural sector there still exist such problems as the urgent need to strengthen the construction of emergency command and dispatch systems, the insufficiently high precision of agricultural disaster risk monitoring and early warning, the generally low level of protection of comprehensive agricultural disaster prevention infrastructure, and the weak capacity for emergency supplies and equipment support under catastrophic disaster conditions, making it necessary to further enhance the awareness and capacity for disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief, and to effectively safeguard food security.

Vigorously develop resilient agriculture. China's agricultural disasters are numerous in type, high in frequency, and wide in scope of impact. With global climate change, extreme weather has in recent years become prone to occurrence, frequent, and recurrent in China, and the correlation, derivative nature, and compounding nature of disasters in the agricultural sector have increased; at the same time, responding to biological disasters such as crop pests and diseases faces new problems and new challenges. This year, the State Council issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization," putting forward the important concept of "developing resilient agriculture." From the perspective of disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief, resilient agriculture must be able to effectively respond to the damage and impact of disasters. This requires a shift in mindset, adherence to bottom-line thinking and extreme-scenario thinking, respect for the laws of nature, and, based on preparedness for major floods, major droughts, major emergency rescues, and major disaster relief, preparing for a rainy day (未雨绸缪, wei yu chou mou - "not, rain, prepare, plan") to build a solid basic line of defense for agriculture. Comprehensively apply such methods as disaster preparedness through policies and supplies, disaster prevention through engineering facilities, disaster avoidance through crop varieties and technologies, disaster reduction through multi-party collaboration, and disaster relief through teams and equipment, and accelerate the filling of shortcomings and weaknesses; steadily advance the construction of high-standard farmland, and vigorously carry out the repair and renovation of farmland ditches and canals; improve the reserve of disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief supplies and equipment and the emergency allocation system; uphold social co-governance, improve mechanisms for the participation of social forces and the market, improve the agricultural insurance system, and promote the building of mechanisms that benefit and support farmers.

Comprehensively strengthen the "monitoring and early warning—efficient response" linkage mechanism. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Reducing disaster risk and mitigating disaster losses lies in prevention beforehand." Precise monitoring and early warning are the basic line of defense for agricultural disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief. On the one hand, focusing on the various disaster types and disaster chains affecting agriculture, improve a precise and effective monitoring and early warning system. Systematically sort out and precisely identify various agricultural disaster risks, and improve the indicator standard system and models for agricultural natural disaster risk monitoring and early warning; research and improve the "space-air-ground integrated" agricultural observation network, promote the sharing of disaster monitoring and early warning information across agriculture and meteorology, hydrology, geology, oceans, and other fields, and strengthen cross-departmental interconnection and interoperability; strengthen consultation and joint assessment of disaster trends and disaster situations, and promote the timely, accurate reception and dissemination of agricultural disaster early warning information. On the other hand, strengthen the scientific linkage between the monitoring and early warning stage and the response stage, and continuously improve emergency plans and technical solution systems in light of disaster risks, so as to achieve early detection of problems, rapid response, and precise measures. Strengthen the linkage between meteorological disaster monitoring, early warning, and response, and promptly dispatch elite forces to the front line to carry out emergency guidance services; strengthen the linkage between monitoring, early warning, prevention, and control of major crop pests and diseases, and strengthen unified prevention and control and joint prevention and joint control by region, by pest and disease, and by crop; expand the application scenarios of smart agriculture, build data standards and norms for agricultural disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief covering all disaster types and multiple modalities, and promote efficient and precise response.

Improve the agricultural emergency command and dispatch mechanism. The state of standardized command construction is an important yardstick for measuring the quality and effectiveness of the construction of the disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief system. Responding to agricultural disasters requires pooling the strength of numerous departments—agriculture, meteorology, water resources, emergency management, environment, transportation, electric power, insurance, and others—within a short period of time, and agricultural emergency command should be treated as a foundational task in agricultural disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief. Agricultural departments should take the lead in establishing an agricultural disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief command mechanism under the framework of major security and major emergency response, improve the information sharing mechanism with meteorology, emergency management, water resources, and other departments, strengthen the command mechanism for unified prevention and control of pests and diseases and joint prevention and control of major animal epidemics, issue information in a timely manner, and scientifically and efficiently initiate emergency responses; pay attention to studying typical agricultural disaster scenarios and situations, classify and clarify command procedures and key measures, and do everything possible to protect the safety of people's lives and property.

(The author is Deputy Director of the Institute of Emergency Management Research of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance))

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Unswervingly follow the path of sustainable transportation development

By: 中共交通运输部党组

General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the development of sustainable transportation, and has delivered important statements and instructions on multiple occasions. On October 14, 2021, he delivered a keynote speech titled "Connecting with the World, Keeping Pace with the Times, and Striding Forward on the Path of Sustainable Development" at the opening ceremony of the Second United Nations Global Sustainable Transport Conference; on October 14, 2022, he sent a congratulatory letter to the China International Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center on its establishment; on September 25, 2023, he sent a congratulatory letter to the Global Sustainable Transport Forum. General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of important statements, with profound historical insight and broad strategic vision, systematically expounded China's concepts and propositions for sustainable transport development, providing directional guidance and injecting strong impetus for global sustainable transport development.

Over the past five years, in the face of a complex and volatile external environment and the arduous and heavy tasks of reform, development, and stability, the national transportation industry has thoroughly implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's keynote speech and important congratulatory letters, unswervingly followed the path of sustainable transport development, and promoted important achievements in global transport cooperation. Further in-depth study and understanding of the spirit of the keynote speech and important congratulatory letters, summarizing practical results, and planning new measures are of great significance.

Deeply grasp the core essence and contemporary value of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important statements

General Secretary Xi Jinping's keynote speech and important congratulatory letters, possessing a broad and lofty perspective (高屋建瓴, gao wu jian ling - "high roof, build ling"), rich in content and profound in thought, scientifically answered major theoretical and practical questions concerning sustainable transport development. After five years of practice, they have been transformed from Chinese propositions into international consensus, from directional guidance into tangible results, winning widespread acclaim from the international community and opening up broader prospects for global sustainable transport development. They must be upheld over the long term, fully implemented, and advanced with sustained, long-term effort.

Deeply grasp the Chinese concept of "connecting with the world and keeping pace with the times." General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly put forward this concept in his keynote speech, setting the tone and direction for sustainable transport development. It both embodies the core concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and demonstrates the Chinese wisdom that transport is the way of connectivity, the way of exchange, and the way of development. Over the past five years, the century-old transformation of the world has accelerated, unilateralism and protectionism have intensified, and the global industrial system and world trade pattern have undergone deep adjustment. However, the general trend of global connectivity has not changed, and the vision of common development among all countries has not changed. Only by adhering to connecting with the world and keeping pace with the times can we promote development through cooperation and achieve mutual benefits and win-win outcomes.

Deeply grasp the practical path of "five adherences" in advancing global transport cooperation. In his keynote speech, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized "adhering to openness and connectivity to advance interconnection," "adhering to common development to promote fairness and inclusiveness," "adhering to innovation-driven development to strengthen growth momentum," "adhering to ecological priority to achieve green and low-carbon development," and "adhering to multilateralism to improve global governance." These "five adherences" point the way forward for advancing global transport cooperation and addressing the common challenges of mankind. In the face of the impact of changes in the external environment on the international logistics supply chain, and in the face of the reshaping of transport forms by the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, only by deeply practicing the "five adherences" and continuously advancing global transport cooperation can we keep pace with the trends of the times and promote the sustainable development of global transport.

Deeply grasp the mission positioning of "transport becoming a trailblazer in Chinese modernization." In his keynote speech, General Secretary Xi Jinping endowed the transportation sector with this new historical mission and strategic positioning, fully reflecting the high importance the Party Central Committee attaches to the transportation cause and greatly inspiring the confidence and determination of all transportation workers to engage in work and entrepreneurship. The period of the 15th Five-Year Plan is a critical period for consolidating the foundation and making comprehensive efforts to basically realize socialist modernization. We must closely focus on the central tasks of the Party and the state, accelerate the building of a strong transportation country, strive to be a trailblazer in Chinese modernization, and provide a Chinese model and inject new impetus for the modernization of world transportation.

Deeply grasp the development direction of sustainable transport characterized by "safe, convenient, efficient, green, economical, inclusive, and resilient." When sending a congratulatory letter to the Global Sustainable Transport Forum, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized "building a safe, convenient, efficient, green, economical, inclusive, and resilient sustainable transport system," pointing out the development direction for sustainable transport. This is both a summary of the experience of China's sustainable transport practice and is aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, we must organically integrate the building of a sustainable transport system with the improvement of a modern comprehensive transport system, accelerate the building of a modern, high-quality national comprehensive three-dimensional transport network, and focus on promoting integrated development, safety enhancement, digital and intelligent upgrading, and green transformation, so as to boost global sustainable transport development through China's own transport development.

Deeply grasp the beautiful vision of "people enjoying convenient travel and goods flowing smoothly." General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized realizing "people enjoying convenient travel and goods flowing smoothly," depicting the beautiful vision of transportation development in the new era and clarifying the ideal and pursuit for all transportation workers to strive for. On the new journey, we must always adhere to the principle that people's transport serves the people, strive to build transport that satisfies the people, and let the fruits of sustainable transport development better benefit people of all countries around the world.

China's practice of deepening global transport cooperation to promote the sustainable development of global transport

Over the past five years, the national transportation industry has conscientiously implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's keynote speech and important congratulatory letters, deeply practiced the Chinese proposition of the "five adherences," promoted the accelerated formation of a sustainable transport system, and effectively promoted the sustainable development of global transport.

Adhering to openness and connectivity, the level of interconnection has significantly improved. Serving the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, landmark projects such as the China-Russia Heihe Highway Bridge have been opened and put into operation, major projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway have been smoothly started, and the interconnection framework of "six corridors, six routes, multiple countries, and multiple ports" has basically taken shape. The influence of international transport brands has significantly increased. The China-Europe Railway Express now reaches 236 cities in 26 European countries, with cumulative trips exceeding 130,000; the "Maritime Silk Road" covers 150 ports in 48 countries and regions around the world, and China's maritime connectivity ranking remains first in the world; the Air Silk Road is becoming increasingly dense, covering 125 cities in 60 countries jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative.

Adhering to common development, transportation has become more inclusive and shared. More than 770,000 kilometers of new and upgraded rural roads have been built, the transport "blank spaces" in the western region have been strengthened, and transport conditions in weak areas have been rapidly improved, effectively serving common prosperity for all people; at the same time, China has vigorously supported transport development in developing countries. The China-Laos Railway has seen robust passenger and freight traffic for nearly five years since its opening, helping to improve Laos's economic and social development and regional connectivity; projects such as the Greater Mekong Subregion international road transport special training have been held, contributing Chinese wisdom to the common development of all countries.

Adhering to innovation-driven development, new momentum for transportation has been accelerated. China's transportation has achieved fruitful results in the innovative application of advanced technology and equipment and in "going global." The Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway has been operating safely for over 1,000 days, and the name card of China's high-speed rail is getting brighter; the C919 large aircraft has safely carried over 50 million passengers, providing new choices for the global civil aviation market; long-span bridge construction technology is world-leading, and a large number of world-class bridges contracted by China overseas benefit local people and connect the world; breakthroughs have been made in the construction of large cruise ships and large liquefied natural gas carriers, and the scale and technical level of automated terminals remain among the world's foremost. China's transportation has added new momentum to global sustainable transport development through its own innovative development.

Adhering to ecological priority, solid steps have been taken in green and low-carbon transformation. A green travel system is being accelerated, low-carbon transport tools are being rapidly applied, and new energy vehicles account for more than half of the global total, contributing China's transportation strength to addressing global climate change. China adheres to green and low-carbon development as a key direction of international cooperation, actively promotes the construction of international green shipping corridors, deeply participates in the joint construction of a green Silk Road, and the Addis Ababa Ring Road project in Ethiopia, which adopts all-area new energy facilities, has been successfully selected for the United Nations "Global Sustainable Transport Best Practice Cases Collection." The operation of the Port of Piraeus in Greece has achieved energy conservation and emission reduction throughout the entire process, providing an important demonstration for green port construction.

Adhering to multilateralism, promoting more equitable global transport governance. The "China International Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center," whose establishment was announced by General Secretary Xi Jinping, has been officially established and is operating efficiently. China has been elected as a Category A member of the Council of the International Maritime Organization for the 19th time, and its constructive role in international organizations such as the Organization for Cooperation of Railways, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the Universal Postal Union has become increasingly prominent. China has deeply participated in the consultations and negotiations of the International Maritime Organization, promoting the formation of fair and pragmatic international rules for maritime transport. China has led or participated in the formulation of important international standards in multiple fields including railways, highways, civil aviation, water transport, and postal services, and the international recognition of China's transport technology, equipment, and services has been continuously improved.

Promoting sustainable transport development to a new level

During the period of the 15th Five-Year Plan, we must thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's keynote speech and important congratulatory letters, deepen global transport cooperation, and promote sustainable transport development to a new level.

Enhance the level of interconnection of transport networks. Guided by serving the high-quality joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, we will build a comprehensive transport network that is three-dimensionally interconnected and smooth throughout the world, focus on promoting "hard connectivity" of infrastructure, and promote substantive breakthroughs in major projects such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway; focus on promoting "soft connectivity" of institutional rules, proactively align with high-standard international economic and trade rules, strengthen international cooperation in areas such as document standards, information exchange, inspection and quarantine, and transport safety, and improve the level of cross-border transport facilitation.

Promote more inclusive and shared transportation. Serve common prosperity for all people, strengthen coverage and accessibility guarantees in weak areas, and promote the coordinated development of transportation between regions and between urban and rural areas. Implement the Global Development Initiative, increase support for transport cooperation with developing countries, coordinate the implementation of "small yet beautiful" projects of technical assistance and capacity building in the transportation field, continuously strengthen people-to-people exchanges and technical cooperation, and help implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Accelerate the development of "artificial intelligence + transportation." Thoroughly implement the "artificial intelligence + transportation" action, take scenario application as the guide, vigorously develop smart transportation and smart logistics, and accelerate the digital and intelligent upgrading of transportation. Deepen technical exchanges and cooperation in emerging fields such as smart highways, smart ports, and intelligent shipping, strengthen alignment and coordination of governance rules and technical standards, and promote the benefits of scientific and technological innovation to more countries and people.

Improve the green and low-carbon transportation system. Accelerate the promotion and application of new energy and clean energy vehicles and vessels, build zero-carbon transport corridors, and promote the comprehensive green and low-carbon transformation of transportation. Actively promote the cooperative development of international green shipping corridors, jointly build a global zero-carbon fuel bunkering network, accelerate the formation of a domestic sustainable fuel certification system, and help the world's shipping industry achieve green and low-carbon transformation.

Actively participate in the building of the global transport governance system. Build the China International Sustainable Transport Innovation and Knowledge Center well, and rely on platforms such as the Global Sustainable Transport Forum to deepen policy communication and pragmatic cooperation. Actively participate in global transport governance, promote the establishment of more fair, reasonable, and efficient global transport governance rules, and work with all countries to jointly address global challenges in the field of sustainable transport.

Enhance the security and resilience of the international logistics supply chain. Improve a diversified and resilient international transport corridor system, raise the development level of the China-Europe (Asia) Railway Express, promote the capacity expansion and efficiency improvement of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, advance the integrated development of port, shipping, and trade along the "Maritime Silk Road," promote the quality and efficiency improvement of the Air Silk Road, improve the international express delivery and logistics system, and ensure the stable and smooth operation of the international logistics supply chain.

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Watch for These Warning Signs to Prevent Cerebral Hemorrhage (Service Window)

By: 本报记者 陆凡冰

The passing of a well-known host due to acute cerebral hemorrhage is regrettable, and it has also brought "cerebral hemorrhage," a dangerous disease, back into the public eye. Many people think cerebral hemorrhage is a disease of old age, but the risk of cerebral hemorrhage among younger people cannot be ignored. What is cerebral hemorrhage? Which groups of people are at higher risk of developing it? What warning signs are there?

Liu Zunjing, director of the Department of Neurology at Peking University People's Hospital, director of the Department of Neurology at Peking University, and chief physician, introduced that cerebral hemorrhage, commonly known as a brain bleed, is a type of hemorrhagic stroke among strokes (zhongfeng) with an extremely high fatality and disability rate. Its main pathology is the rupture of blood vessels inside the skull, with blood leaking out to compress and damage brain tissue. It has a sudden onset and an extremely short treatment window. From a clinical classification perspective, cerebral hemorrhage is mainly divided into two major categories, each with different symptoms and triggers.

The first category is intracerebral parenchymal hemorrhage, the most familiar type of cerebral hemorrhage to the public, which occurs frequently in the basal ganglia region of the brain. Hypertension is its primary trigger. Long-term failure to control blood pressure to target levels, with excessive fluctuations, will continuously damage the small blood vessels in the brain, causing the vessel walls to become fragile and rupture. In addition, smoking, abnormal blood glucose, arteriosclerosis caused by aging, and congenital cerebrovascular malformations all increase the risk of onset. Among these, cerebrovascular malformations can be screened in advance through brain imaging examinations and effectively intervened in through minimally invasive interventional surgery. At the same time, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, diseases of the blood system, and long-term use of anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs can also induce this type of hemorrhage. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy is more common in the elderly, with bleeding mostly concentrated beneath the cortex of the cerebral lobes; while blood diseases such as coagulation dysfunction and thrombocytopenia, as well as long-term medication use by patients with atrial fibrillation and vascular stenosis, can weaken the blood's coagulation and hemostatic capacity, increasing the probability of bleeding.

The second category is subarachnoid hemorrhage, where the bleeding occurs on the surface layer of the brain. Its primary trigger is the rupture of an intracranial aneurysm, and the pain at onset is extremely intense.

The onset of cerebral hemorrhage is not entirely without warning, and there are relatively clear high-incidence populations. Based on clinical data, the following groups belong to the high-risk populations for cerebral hemorrhage:

People with poorly controlled blood pressure. This is the primary high-risk group for cerebral hemorrhage. Long-term hypertension, frequent blood pressure fluctuations, and arbitrarily increasing or decreasing antihypertensive medication will continuously erode the walls of blood vessels in the brain and are key causes of intracerebral parenchymal hemorrhage. The clinical standard for judging qualified blood pressure control is that under ambulatory monitoring, blood pressure reaches target levels about 70% of the time within a day. A single small fluctuation in blood pressure does not require excessive intervention, and one must not adjust medication on one's own based on a single blood pressure reading.

People with congenital cerebrovascular abnormalities. Those with cerebrovascular structural problems such as intracranial aneurysms, cerebral arteriovenous malformations, and moyamoya disease face the risk of sudden cerebral hemorrhage even without hypertension or obvious discomfort. Such cerebrovascular structural problems are one of the main triggers for onset in middle-aged and young people and can be screened and intervened in early through professional cerebrovascular imaging examinations.

People with underlying diseases and those on special medications. Patients with abnormal blood glucose, arteriosclerosis, and diseases of the blood system have weaker vascular tolerance and coagulation function, and thus a higher risk of bleeding; those taking anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs such as warfarin, aspirin, and clopidogrel for a long time need to regularly monitor coagulation indicators to avoid bleeding risks.

People with a familial clustering risk. If immediate family members have hypertension, the probability of offspring having hypertension is higher. If blood pressure is not well controlled, the probability of triggering cerebral hemorrhage will increase significantly, so screening and prevention measures should be carried out in advance.

Middle-aged and young people with poor lifestyles. At present, the trend of cerebral hemorrhage occurring at younger ages is significant. If young people stay up late for long periods, experience excessive mental stress, have disrupted routines, abuse drugs, or have intense emotional fluctuations, combined with minor vascular risks, acute cerebral hemorrhage is very easily triggered.

Cerebral hemorrhage is mostly an acute sudden event, and the condition progresses extremely rapidly. Delayed treatment will cause irreversible damage to brain tissue. If symptoms such as sudden abnormal headache, projectile vomiting, a state of listlessness or low spirits (精神萎靡, jīng shén wěi mí - "spirit, wither"), limb weakness, slurred speech, or blurred vision appear, one must not ignore them and should seek medical attention promptly.

Experts remind that once related symptoms appear, call 120 immediately. Do not take medication on your own, and do not move the patient. Lay the patient flat (in a supine position), turn the head to one side, ensure the airway is unobstructed, and soothe the patient's emotions; accurately record the time of onset, prioritize waiting for professional medical transport, and only for very short distances may one cautiously transport the patient to the hospital oneself.

Although cerebral hemorrhage has high fatality and disability rates, it is not unpreventable. The vast majority of sudden risks of cerebral hemorrhage can be effectively avoided through scientific lifestyle management, regular screening, and standardized management of chronic diseases. Whether middle-aged or elderly people, or young people under long-term stress and staying up late, all should attach importance to cerebrovascular health. Early screening, controlling underlying diseases, and recognizing warning signs are the keys to preventing tragedy.

(Zhong Yanyu participated in writing and reporting)

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Learn the Law, Surf the Internet Safely

On September 14, at Zhenhai Branch of Jinjiang Primary School Education Group in Taixing City, Jiangsu Province, police officers interacted with students on cybersecurity knowledge.

On the same day, the Cyberspace Affairs Office of the Taixing Municipal Party Committee and the Jichuan Subdistrict Office of Taixing City, together with public security, procuratorial, and court departments, entered Zhenhai Branch of Jinjiang Primary School Education Group in Taixing City to carry out a themed activity on minors' online civility. The activity combined legal education lectures with fun checkpoint-style interactive games to popularize knowledge on anti-fraud and personal privacy protection, guiding young people to use the internet safely and civilly and to build a strong line of defense for campus cybersecurity.

Photo by Gu Jihong (People's Visual)

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Benevolent Hearts and Skilled Hands to Heal All Living Beings

By: 本报记者 白剑峰

"Glazed-tile rooftops, sweeping eaves, and swift swallows darting beneath them..." At Beijing's Dongdan intersection stands a cluster of Chinese-Western architectural ensembles, standing shoulder to shoulder with the modern outpatient and emergency building. This is Peking Union Medical College Hospital — a place where the lights are always on.

The lights of PUMCH have witnessed countless sleepless nights spent rescuing lives, and have also kindled hope in the hearts of countless patients suffering from difficult and severe illnesses.

Half of the history of modern Chinese medicine is written in the history of PUMCH. On September 16, 1921, Peking Union Medical College Hospital was officially founded. Over the past 105 years, generations of PUMCH people have cultivated medical ethics, practiced benevolent healing, safeguarded the people's health with the great love of physicians, and written an outstanding answer sheet of revering and protecting life.

The PUMCH spirit is passed down from generation to generation

The "roots" and "soul" of a century of PUMCH lie hidden in each prescription, in each word of advice, and in every life that has been treated with kindness

"I have worn this white coat my entire life. When my body is laid to rest, put the white coat on me." These were the last words left by Zhang An, a hematology expert, before she passed away. Wearing the white coat was the happiest and most glorious time of her life.

The PUMCH spirit of "rigor, precision, diligence, and dedication" has always flowed through the blood of PUMCH people. From Zhang Xiaoqian's acting with extreme caution as if on thin ice (如临深渊，如履薄冰, ru lin shen yuan, ru lv bo bing - "as if approaching a deep abyss; as if stepping on thin ice") to Lin Qiaozhi's "clinical doctors must not leave the clinical bedside; a doctor who leaves the bedside is not a good doctor," from Zeng Xianjiu's "being merely a surgical craftsman is not enough" to Huang Jiasi's "good doctors are forged in the wards"... The teachings of predecessors have been passing down orally from generation to generation (口口相传, kou kou xiang chuan - "mouth to mouth, mutually passing on"). A young doctor said: "The best inheritance is not remembering the names of our predecessors, but living in their likeness."

"PUMCH has three treasures: professors, medical records, and the library." Walking into the PUMCH history museum, every exhibit and every medical record answers the same question: Why is PUMCH PUMCH? The answer is written on Zhang Xiaoqian's stethoscope, which was "a bit shorter than others'," written on the telephone on Lin Qiaozhi's bedside table, written on the scalpel Huang Jiasi hoped would "eventually be thrown away"... Only by knowing where one comes from can one know where one is going. Those seemingly insignificant details are precisely where the essence of the PUMCH spirit lies.

The "Three Basics and Three Stricts" — basic theory, basic knowledge, basic skills; serious attitude, strict requirements, rigorous methods — PUMCH's unique educational philosophy, passed down through generations; the 24-hour resident physician responsibility system, three-level ward rounds, clinicopathological conferences, and multidisciplinary consultations — the core systems established by PUMCH, becoming more new and relevant over time (历久弥新, li jiu mi xin - "passing long, increasingly new"). Soaking in the wards, steeping in the consultation rooms, and tempering on the operating table — this is the growth path of a PUMCH physician.

"Not examining a patient carefully is worse than not examining the patient at all." These are the heartfelt words (肺腑之言, fei fu zhi yan - "words from the lungs and abdomen") of Cui Liying, chief physician of the Department of Neurology. Once, she lost her voice due to a severe cold and could have suspended her clinic to rest, but in order not to disappoint patients who had already registered, she insisted on communicating through pen and paper and saw all the patients who came for treatment.

Near the end of the workday, Wang Erqian, deputy chief physician of the Department of Ophthalmology, received a cataract patient who was nearly blind. Seeing that the elderly patient had come to the hospital alone, she explained one by one the time, location, and precautions for each examination, and neatly wrote the key points on the back of the examination sheet. The dense handwriting warmed the patient's heart.

A woman had experienced three miscarriages due to antiphospholipid syndrome. Tian Xinping, chief physician of the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, patiently comforted her and administered precise medication, not only resolving the danger of recurrent bleeding in early pregnancy but also working together with obstetricians to help her realize her dream of becoming a mother. The woman later expressed her gratitude specifically: "It was your professional diagnosis and treatment and selfless care that helped me regain confidence amid anxiety."

From pen-and-paper consultations to meticulous care, PUMCH people have never treated patients as merely a name on a medical record, but as "my patient." As time passes, Zhang Xiaoqian's small notebook has long since yellowed, and Lin Qiaozhi's signature has quietly faded, but the philosophy that "the closer one is to the patient, the closer one is to the truth of the disease" has been etched into the genes of PUMCH people.

Lang Jinghe, an obstetrics and gynecology expert, said: "The first prescription a doctor writes for a patient is care." The "roots" and "soul" of a century of PUMCH lie hidden in each prescription, in each word of advice, and in every life that has been treated with kindness.

The light of innovation illuminates life

Where there is no road, use the scalpel to carve out a road; where there is no precedent, make oneself the precedent

"We must find a way to keep the patient alive!" In the medical world, there is a peak known as "rare diseases," and few attempt the climb. Because every step is into the unknown, and every leg of the journey may end in returning empty-handed. The choice of PUMCH people is: "The patient entrusts their life; the doctor gives their all." In one medical "no-man's-land" after another, PUMCH people have lit the "lamp of China."

Since 2010, when Zhao Yupei led the establishment of the nation's first difficult-disease consultation center, the hospital's multidisciplinary consultation professional groups for difficult and rare diseases have grown to 55, with more than 5,000 consultations conducted cumulatively, serving over 20,000 patients. In 2019, Zhang Shuyang led the establishment of the nation's first national-level rare disease consultation platform. In April 2023, the hospital established the Department of Rare Disease Medicine and opened a joint rare disease clinic. In 2024, the nation's first fully established dedicated rare disease ward was put into use, with a diagnosis rate of 59% for admitted patients who had not yet been diagnosed, and the average time to diagnosis for patients shortened from 4 years to within 4 weeks.

Every Thursday at noon, the rare disease multidisciplinary consultation begins on schedule — this is an unbreakable "appointment with life." On August 6 this year, the attention of more than 40 experts from the hospital was focused on a 4-year-old girl. The patient had traveled from place to place seeking treatment for systemic vascular calcification but could not be diagnosed. On the CT scan, although the patient had not been injected with any contrast agent, the blood vessels throughout the body "lit up" like bones. This critical vascular condition, commonly seen in elderly dialysis patients, had rarely occurred in a young child. Experts from more than 10 departments conducted focused analysis: the Department of Radiology compared images frame by frame along the timeline, the Department of Pathology confirmed pulmonary metastatic calcification through lung biopsy, the Department of Pediatrics clarified the diagnosis of infection-secondary thrombotic microangiopathy, and the Department of Nephrology provided the pathological conclusion of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis... A one-and-a-half-hour consultation brought a glimmer of hope to a family on the brink of despair. Even more commendable, this rare disease multidisciplinary consultation was broadcast live nationwide, with over a thousand viewers from 105 hospitals observing online. This was not only a full-strength effort to support a life, but also a live teaching exercise for the whole country.

When everyone says "impossible," PUMCH people are looking for "how it can be done." Where there is no road, use the scalpel to carve out a road; where there is no precedent, make oneself the precedent.

PUMCH people are always in a hurry, their silhouettes carrying a gentle yet steadfast strength. Every piece of research here comes from the clinic and returns to the clinic; every achievement here is written into the patients' medical records. Courageous innovation is the vivid footnote PUMCH people have written for "healing the sick and saving lives."

In March 2023, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, together with the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Tsinghua University, restructured and established the National Key Laboratory of Difficult, Severe, and Rare Diseases, filling a gap in China's national-level science and technology support platform in this field, with the aim of tackling medical problems that others cannot research, cannot solve, or dare not touch. The National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure for Translational Medicine (Peking Union Medical College Hospital) began trial operation in 2021, focusing on translational research on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases related to aging and difficult and complicated diseases. In more than two years of operation, the clinical research ward has conducted 853 clinical studies, of which innovative drugs account for 73.3% and domestically developed innovative drugs account for 53.2%. With multiple platforms integrated into one system, a closed loop of "basic research — technological breakthrough — achievement transformation — clinical application" has been formed.

At present, the hospital has completed a national-level genomic diagnosis project covering more than 76,000 rare disease families; established a new diagnostic method for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis, raising the diagnosis rate from 20% to 80%. Here, innovative achievements have emerged one after another: a domestically produced extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) system has been approved for market, with key technologies and core components fully independent and controllable; an ash pollen allergy diagnostic kit has been approved for market, filling the gap in China's precise in vitro pollen diagnosis; and China's first independently developed, world-first radioactive Class 1 innovative drug has been approved for market, achieving precise auxiliary diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in lung cancer patients.

In February 2025, the "PUMCH·Taichu" rare disease large model entered clinical application. This "AI doctor," built on PUMCH's massive high-quality medical records and expert-level evidence-based decision-making, has conducted more than 9,000 effective consultations since its launch, and more than a thousand patients have been diagnosed with its assistance.

At PUMCH, the light of innovation can be seen everywhere. Perhaps it is a new drug, perhaps a patent, perhaps a surgery, perhaps an "idea." In April this year, a steel rebar 125 centimeters long and 1 centimeter thick pierced through the body of a construction worker, separated from the rectum, iliac vessels, and sciatic nerve by mere millimeters. Because both ends of the rebar were exposed, the aperture of an ordinary CT scanner could not accommodate it. Gao Peng, chief physician of the Department of Orthopedics, had a flash of inspiration: he first wrapped an infusion tube around the rebar, leaving a "tail" for the invisible wound tract, then slowly pulled the rebar out. As the rebar left the body, the infusion tube was guided in along the same path, and the bloody wound tract was instantly "revealed." Guided by the path indicated by the infusion tube, the medical team carefully explored and repeatedly irrigated the deep wound tract, both reducing the risk of infection at its source and creating conditions for the recovery of limb function. On the third day after surgery, the patient was able to get out of bed and move around. An ordinary infusion tube became the key to saving a life — behind it lies the innovative thinking and adaptability of PUMCH people.

In the eyes and hearts of PUMCH doctors, it is always the patient's life that comes first. The bed in the research ward, the lamp in the smart operating room, the piece of data in the AI model... the meaning of their existence, in the final analysis, is only one thing: to let patients suffer a little less, and to let life shine a little more.

"PUMCH seeds" take root in all directions

The brilliance of PUMCH doctors shines not only on the operating tables of this century-old prestigious hospital, but also in the places where the motherland needs them most

From "planting a single tree well" to "cultivating a whole forest," from "well-developed root systems" to luxuriant and flourishing with branches and leaves (枝繁叶茂, zhi fan ye mao - "branches luxuriant, leaves lush"), Peking Union Medical College Hospital is striving to cultivate an "ecological forest" that radiates high-quality medical resources across the nation.

PUMCH is a "seed bank." The brilliance of PUMCH doctors shines not only on the operating tables of this century-old prestigious hospital, but also in the places where the motherland needs them most.

Since 2015, Peking Union Medical College Hospital has carried out "group-style" medical talent assistance to Tibet, dispatching 12 consecutive batches of more than 100 backbone personnel. Batch after batch of assistance team members have created multiple "firsts" on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: the first spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy under 3D laparoscopy, saving the spleen of an 18-year-old Tibetan youth; the first "growth-friendly" spinal deformity correction surgery, allowing a young girl with spinal deformity to stand straight again; the first robot-assisted scoliosis correction surgery, endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer, and laparoscopic radical cystectomy, relieving the suffering of one patient after another... Surgeries that once required crossing mountains and seas can now be completed in Lhasa, and the "PUMCH standard" has become the "PUMCH warmth" at the doorstep of ordinary people.

One trip to assist Tibet, a lifetime of feeling for Tibet. At the People's Hospital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, liver surgery expert Xu Haifeng, after completing his assistance term, proactively applied to stay for another year, mentoring 3 apprentices through "two-way selection." Over two years, five physicians at or above the deputy chief physician level in the department have become able to independently perform Level IV surgeries. A local doctor said: "What the PUMCH experts taught us is not just surgery, but also the spirit of taking responsibility and dedicating oneself to patients."

If "treating diseases others cannot treat" is an ability, then "taking root in the hearts of the people" is a sentiment. From the snowy plateau to the shore of the East China Sea, from top-tier hospitals to the front lines of primary care, wherever there is need, there are PUMCH people. According to statistics, PUMCH sends more than 150 senior professional and technical personnel each year, and the cumulative number of experts dispatched on long-term assignments of one year or more exceeds 400. "PUMCH seeds" have taken root in all directions, providing strong support for the project to strengthen the foundation of healthcare.

The Peking Union Medical College Hospital Macao Medical Center is a landmark cooperation project between Macao and the mainland in the field of health. PUMCH people serve the national strategic overall situation and safeguard the health of Macao residents, having dispatched a total of 141 experts covering hospital construction, discipline development, operational management, and clinical diagnosis and treatment. "No major illness requiring travel outside Macao" is turning from a vision into reality. The center has performed more than 5,000 surgical procedures, of which 671 were high-difficulty, high-risk operations; the assisted reproduction center began trial operation in July 2025 and already has successful pregnancy cases; and the intensive care unit was put into use on June 22 this year, greatly enhancing the capacity for treating critical and severe conditions.

Zhang Shuyang, president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, said: "Standing at a new historical starting point, we must cultivate deep feelings for the people, achieve great medicine through great love, polish the century-old PUMCH brand, and make greater contributions to accelerating the building of a Healthy China." Wu Peixin, Party Committee Secretary of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, stated that the hospital must adhere to educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country, take fostering virtue through education as the foundation, and cultivate more medical pillars of talent who possess both integrity and ability and are capable of shouldering great responsibilities.

Bearing righteousness through wind and rain, healing all living beings with benevolent heart and benevolent art. For 105 years, Peking Union Medical College Hospital has always breathed the same breath and shared the same destiny as the motherland and the people. Generation after generation of PUMCH people, remaining true to their original aspiration and continuing to strive, are now writing a new chapter in the building of a Healthy China!

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Page editors: Cheng Chen, He Yuche, Liu Zihe

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Build, Manage, and Use High-Standard Farmland Well (Rectifying Misconduct and Corruption Issues Around the People)

By: 本报记者 田先进

Editor's note: This year marks the final year of the three-year concentrated rectification campaign against misconduct and corruption issues around the people. Over the past three years, discipline inspection and supervision organs across various regions have carried out concentrated governance around national rectification projects such as high-standard farmland construction, rural collective "three assets" management, medical insurance fund management, elderly care services, and petition issues in people's livelihood fields. No matter how many good things are said, only when the people say it is good is it truly good; no matter how many criteria there are, the people's feeling is the first criterion. Is the effect good? Is the people's sense of gain strong? Our reporters visited various regions to investigate, focusing on a batch of typical cases, presenting the specific practices of severely punishing petty corruption and small-scale bribery (蝇贪蚁腐, ying tan yi fu - "fly, greedy; ant, corrupt") and promoting the resolution of problems such as institutional deficiencies and regulatory absence.

High-standard farmland construction involves a wide scope, large capital investment, and a long supervision chain, harboring integrity risks. "To undertake high-standard farmland construction, must we purchase designated 'high-priced' building materials?" In 2024, the Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervisory Commission of Chuzhou City, Anhui Province, discovered such a clue to a problem.

"In order to investigate prominent issues in the field of high-standard farmland construction and ensure that high-standard farmland construction truly benefits the people, we established a special rectification work team. When collecting and analyzing massive data involving bidding, supervision, acceptance, fund use, and maintenance in this field across the city, we found that Lu Shuxiang (卢书祥), former member of the Party Leadership Group of the Chuzhou Municipal Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, had extremely high integrity risks," said Zhang Wei (张伟), deputy director of the Fourth Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office of the Chuzhou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision.

Through investigation, case-handling personnel found that there were large amounts of financial transactions between Lu Shuxiang and his specific associate Zhang Li (pseudonym). From 2012 to 2015, Lu Shuxiang was seconded to the Municipal Grand Chuzhou City Construction Command Headquarters and the Municipal Key Projects Office to be responsible for demolition and resettlement work, and Zhang Li became acquainted with him due to her own family's demolition and resettlement issues. Zhang Li operated a building materials company and, through this special relationship with Lu Shuxiang, illegally supplied bricks, sand, cement, lime, and other building materials for multiple high-standard farmland construction projects. "According to regulations, these materials should have been procured by the winning bidder of the project on its own in accordance with the standards stipulated in the contract," Zhang Wei said. "However, Lu Shuxiang used his position of responsibility for high-standard farmland construction to pressure the actual contractors, forcing them to purchase the high-priced building materials supplied by Zhang Li." Investigation found that Zhang Li profited more than 13 million yuan through this method, and Lu Shuxiang illegally accepted nearly 3 million yuan from Zhang Li.

In addition, in the bidding for a bid section of a high-standard farmland construction project in Langya District, Chuzhou City, in 2021, in order to ensure that his "friend" Han (surname) won the bid, Lu Shuxiang instructed relevant departments to hire an acquaintance of Han as an owner-side evaluation expert, ultimately helping him win the bid. In the municipal-level acceptance process, for any project where money had been given to Lu Shuxiang, when he was responsible for acceptance, he often merely flipped through the materials briefly and signed in agreement without conducting substantive re-verification.

Investigation found that from 2012 to 2025, Lu Shuxiang used his position to illegally provide assistance to relatives and specific associates in matters such as winning bids and undertaking high-standard farmland construction projects, project construction, acceptance, and project fund disbursement, accepting property worth more than 16.1 million yuan. In August 2025, the Chuzhou Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision imposed the penalty of expulsion from the Party and dismissal from public office on Lu Shuxiang, confiscated his disciplinary and illegal gains, and transferred his suspected criminal issues to procuratorial organs for legal review and prosecution, with the involved property transferred together.

"As the head of the agriculture and rural affairs department, Lu Shuxiang bore primary and supervisory responsibility for high-standard farmland construction management. He used his authority to intervene in almost every link of high-standard farmland construction projects, alienating the power in his hands into a tool for personal gain," said Wu Li (武莉), deputy director of the Sixth Discipline Inspection and Supervision Office of the Anhui Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision.

Case investigation is the most powerful form of supervision. Sun Chengzhu (孙承柱), deputy director of the Party Conduct and Government Ethics Supervision Office of the Anhui Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, introduced that Anhui adheres to the approach of audit first and case investigation as the breakthrough, comprehensively using methods such as leadership case responsibility, upgraded-level handling, and data empowerment to conduct in-depth investigations. The Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, together with the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, formulated the Supervision Guidelines for the Special Rectification of Prominent Issues in High-Standard Farmland Construction Management, further strengthening supervision and discipline enforcement. Since 2024, Anhui has promoted the special rectification of prominent issues in the field of high-standard farmland construction for three consecutive years, investigating and handling 3,887 problems.

Promoting the rectification of problems to completion and systematic governance is fundamental. Wei Changnian (魏常年), member of the Anhui Provincial Supervisory Commission and director of the Party Conduct and Government Ethics Supervision Office of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision, introduced that for a long time, in high-standard farmland construction, the agriculture and rural affairs department has been both the main entity implementing project construction and the main entity supervising and accepting projects, lacking checks and balances on power and external constraints, leading to increased integrity risks.

The Ma'anshan Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision explored the implementation of a model of "separation of management and construction, grid-based maintenance, and full participation of large grain growers," strengthening checks on power, breaking the previous situation where the agriculture and rural affairs department "handled everything from start to finish," and effectively preventing integrity risks. "Agriculture and rural affairs and other functional departments return to their industry supervision role, construction agent units undertake professional implementation responsibilities, and the management and construction sides have clear division of labor, clear powers and responsibilities, coordinated linkage, and mutual supervision," said Chen Hongxing (陈红星), member of the Standing Committee of the Ma'anshan Municipal Party Committee, secretary of the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection, and director of the Municipal Supervisory Commission. "We also give full play to the important role of large grain growers in the management, construction, and maintenance process, truly handing the right to know, the right to speak, and the right to supervise to the people who farm the land."

"In the early planning stage, government departments came to my door multiple times to ask for my opinions. When actual construction began, for the plots involving my family, village cadres also took me to the construction site to inspect together. If I felt something was unreasonable or unsatisfactory, I could continue to discuss and modify the design plan," said Li Changcai (李昌才), a large grain grower in Hanshan County, Ma'anshan City.

"Last year, we signed the Agreement on Entrusted Construction Agency for High-Standard Farmland Projects with the County Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. As the construction agent, we formally took over from the bidding stage," said Xu Chi (许驰), director of the Hanshan County Key Project Construction Management Center. "The bidding documents for high-standard farmland construction projects must be prepared strictly in accordance with the model bidding document text required by the province, and after review, the bidding announcement is published at the Municipal Public Resources Trading Center. Bid evaluation and bid opening activities are all carried out under the supervision of the competent authorities." At present, 46 counties in Anhui have planned to adopt the "separation of management and construction" model in conjunction with ongoing projects. "During the construction process, the first priority is to strictly control the quality of raw materials. The steel bars, culverts, cement, and other materials involved in the project are jointly reviewed and accepted by the project team, supervision unit, and mass representatives, with image and video records retained. Unqualified products are prohibited from entering the construction site," introduced Fan Yusong (范玉松), chief engineer of the Hanshan County Key Project Construction Management Center. For concealed works such as foundation trenches, concrete cushion layers, and steel bars, "sign-board acceptance" is carried out, and each process step may not proceed to the next construction step without passing acceptance.

Go toward problems, and govern by focusing on problems. In the planning and design stage, Anhui explored a multi-department "managing farmland by maps" joint review mechanism to avoid building projects in prohibited and restricted areas; in the bidding stage, it innovatively applied the "AI + bidding" smart large model to use technology to prevent bid rigging and collusive bidding; in fund disbursement, all districts and counties in the province have established dedicated fund accounts, achieving dedicated account supervision, dedicated account allocation, and dedicated account settlement...

"As of now, all localities across the province have established and improved a total of 240 institutional mechanisms targeting the prominent issues existing in various links of high-standard farmland construction, further preventing integrity risks," said Pan Xin (潘鑫), deputy director of the Anhui Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. "We will seize key time points, tackle key difficulties, and break through difficult points, keeping an eye on projects, funds, and quality, and grasp and implement the rectification of prominent issues in high-standard farmland construction with the spirit of driving in nails, ensuring visible results and practical effectiveness," said the main responsible person of the Anhui Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision.

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Cracked farmland irrigation pipes and fittings, yet purchased at a high price

By: 本报记者 王明峰

In early 2026, the Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervisory Commission of Gulin County, Luzhou City, Sichuan Province, received a report from the masses that Chen, a former assistant to the general manager of the original Gulin Lüzhou Building Materials Co., Ltd., as the person in charge of procurement for farmland irrigation pipeline and pipe fitting materials in the 2022 high-standard farmland construction project, had purchased a batch of pipeline and pipe fittings at a price 20% higher than the market price.

Carrying the leads, discipline inspection and supervision cadres of Gulin County made on-site visits to the high-standard farmland construction area where the batch of pipeline and pipe fittings had been installed, and found that some of the pipeline and pipe fittings had cracked and leaked, resulting in relatively large water conveyance losses.

"The quality of irrigation pipeline and pipe fittings directly bears on the water storage, drainage, and irrigation of farmland. If the supplier is using inferior products to pass off as high-quality ones (以次充好, yi ci chong hao - "use, inferior, replace, good"), it will be very easy for situations such as pipeline rupture and water leakage to occur in the later period, affecting agricultural production," the case-handling personnel continued to dig deeper.

At first, Chen was flatly denying (矢口否认, shi kou fou ren - "arrow, mouth, deny") the matter, insisting that the procurement process was compliant and the prices were normal. As the investigation deepened, other serious violations of discipline and law by Chen were successively exposed, and he voluntarily confessed to violations of discipline and law such as, by taking advantage of his position, accepting "favor fees" from material suppliers during the procurement of pipeline and pipe fitting materials related to the high-standard farmland construction. In the end, the discipline inspection and supervision organ transferred his suspected violations of discipline and crimes to the procuratorial organ for examination and prosecution in accordance with the law.

"The case exposed problems in the field of high-standard farmland construction such as personnel in important positions exercising power arbitrarily and the implementation of institutional mechanisms being casual, which not only harmed the interests of the masses but also shook the quality foundation of high-standard farmland," said Zhang Fengchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Gulin County Party Committee, secretary of the County Discipline Inspection Commission, and director of the County Supervisory Commission. The county adheres to taking cases as a mirror and promoting rectification through cases, building a four-level quality control system of "construction units bearing primary responsibility, supervision units conducting inspections, owner units carrying out spot checks, and special work teams providing oversight," refining the county, township, village, and household management and protection lists and promoting regular inspections, so as to consolidate the responsibility for the full life-cycle management and protection of high-standard farmland.

Investigating and handling cases "treats existing diseases," while mobilizing the masses to participate in supervision "prevents diseases before they occur."

High-standard farmland construction involves multiple engineering categories such as field and soil adjustment, ditches, canals, and pipelines, and machine roads. The professional technology is complex, and ordinary people often "cannot understand it and cannot manage it." The Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervisory Commission of Hejiang County, Luzhou City, together with the County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau, innovated supervision methods, adopting methods easy for the masses to understand such as dialect rhymes, physical comparisons, and plain-language illustrations, compiling and printing the "Earthy" Supervision Practical Manual for High-Standard Farmland Construction Projects, and extensively mobilizing old Party members, farming experts, and villager representatives to form supervision teams. "In the past, I could not understand professional construction. Now with the manual, how large the toe wall joints should be and how to identify the cement grade are immediately obvious and easy to understand (一目了然, yi mu liang ran - "one, eye, clear, understand")." Lu Haibing, a villager of Yinping Village, Bailu Town, Hejiang County, is one of them. Not long ago, during an inspection, he found that the masonry joints of a section of field ridge toe wall were excessively large, and immediately took photos and reported it. The County Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau responded quickly, ordering the construction party to redo the work, and the hidden danger was eliminated in only 2 days.

"We have built a closed-loop supervision system of 'masses discover — immediate feedback — rapid verification — rectification within a time limit — masses acceptance,' making professional supervision visible and tangible," said Xu Xianqiang, member of the Standing Committee of the Hejiang County Discipline Inspection Commission and member of the County Supervisory Commission.

As the special rectification entered the deep-water zone, common problems such as crude supervision of individual projects and the idling of post-construction management and protection were constantly exposed. The Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervisory Commission of Luzhou City promoted the introduction of mechanisms such as project legal person management, project quality assessment, and post-construction management and protection, clarifying that the city and county levels arrange fixed funds for post-construction management and protection each year, with a cumulative investment of 11.97 million yuan in management and protection funds.

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Legend Holdings Deepens ESG Practices, Adding Momentum to Sustainable Development Through Scientific and Technological Innovation

At present, high-quality development and the "dual carbon" work are being advanced in a solid manner. Enterprises are not only the basic units that create economic value, but also an important force for promoting social progress and improving people's well-being. As a technology-based enterprise, Legend Holdings Corporation ("Legend Holdings") has deepened its ESG (environmental, social, and governance) practices in line with its own innovation-led corporate strategy. In 2025, Legend Holdings was selected as a constituent stock of the Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Benchmark Index and received an ESG rating of A+. Behind these achievements is Legend Holdings' ESG practice of adhering to science and technology innovation to drive industrial upgrading, using talent cultivation to provide momentum for sustainable development, and promoting the green and low-carbon transition through technological breakthroughs.

Innovation Drives Development

Science and technology innovation is the core engine of high-quality development for enterprises, and it is also the key support for achieving a high level of self-reliance and strength in science and technology. Legend Holdings is committed to building a sustainable development pattern of innovation-driven, multi-party win-win outcomes, using science and technology innovation as a powerful engine for practicing the ESG concept. On the one hand, it continues to increase R&D investment around its main business. According to statistics from the International Data Corporation (IDC) for the first quarter of 2026, Legend's PC market share ranked first globally, and its server market share ranked third globally. On the 67th TOP500 list of global supercomputers, Legend's system market share ranked first. On the other hand, it has carried out investment layout around science and technology innovation, having cumulatively invested in more than 1,000 domestic high-tech enterprises, of which more than 300 related enterprises have been cumulatively invested in the field of artificial intelligence, covering a complete ecosystem of the AI industry chain from chips and large models to terminal applications, providing important support for technologies that are independent and controllable (自主可控, zi zhu ke kong - "self, govern, can, control") in the AI industry chain.

In addition, Legend Holdings also actively plays the role of a bridge connecting science and technology innovation with industrial innovation, establishing a Frontier Technology Research Institute to systematically explore frontier technology fields that are at an early stage and crucial to industrial competitiveness. In January 2026, the "Peking University–Legend Holdings Joint Laboratory for Advanced Photonic Integration Technology" was officially inaugurated, committed to forming a closed loop of "R&D–validation–transformation–industrialization."

Long-Term Investment Cultivates Talent

Technical breakthroughs and industrial transformation cannot be separated from talent support. In 2008, Legend Holdings established the Legend Star Entrepreneurship CEO Training Program, investing a total of 160 million yuan in a purely public-welfare manner. The enterprises founded by its trainees span frontier fields such as chips, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, new energy, and new materials, with a total market value exceeding 1.6 trillion yuan, creating more than 400,000 jobs, blazing paths of technology industrialization, and achieving one technological breakthrough after another from dependence on imports to independent and controllable technologies.

Since 2004, Legend Holdings has launched the "Legend Advancement Class" public-welfare education assistance program, which has cumulatively funded 3,405 high school students. In addition to current students, 2,834 people have been admitted to universities, with an undergraduate admission rate of 99.8%. A "Legend Advancement Class" University Student Federation has also been established, organizing students to go deep into remote mountainous areas every summer for public-welfare teaching support. After graduation, students have devoted themselves to fields such as scientific research and tackling key problems, new urbanization construction, and comprehensive rural revitalization, and have inspired more people through various means.

Green Practices Form a System

On the path of technological innovation breakthroughs, Legend Holdings adheres to the goal of green and low-carbon development.

In December 2024, Legend Holdings' subsidiary Lenovo Group's Innovation Industrial Park (Tianjin) obtained the "ecological zero-carbon factory" certification in the global ICT field, with self-emission reduction and green power and green energy accounting for more than 90%. At the same time, the sixth-generation "Neptune" liquid cooling solution achieves 100% liquid cooling coverage for servers, with heat removal efficiency as high as 98%, saving 42% of electricity annually, and more than 70,000 units have been deployed. Lenovo Group fully leverages its role as the chain leader, driving upstream and downstream enterprises in the industry chain to reduce carbon emissions collaboratively through the "five dimensions, one platform," empowering the green and low-carbon transformation of the entire industry chain.

As a national-level "green factory," Legend Holdings' subsidiary Levima Advanced Materials recycles approximately 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually through its EC (ethylene carbonate) products; at the same time, Levima Advanced Materials is advancing in parallel two lines of research on biodegradable materials: PLA (polylactic acid) and PPC (polypropylene carbonate based on carbon dioxide). Levima Advanced Materials has cooperated with the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to develop PPC technology products, with significant carbon sequestration effects. At present, Levima Advanced Materials holds 248 authorized patents and has passed the national high-tech enterprise certification three times, gradually building a technological moat.

In other fields, Buildings A, B, and C of the Rongke Information Center under Legend Holdings have all obtained RESET Air certification, with the AIoT (Artificial Intelligence Internet of Things) platform achieving a comprehensive energy-saving rate of over 22%, and green electricity procurement of 24,000 MWh in 2025, equivalent to reducing approximately 13,968 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Legend Holdings' subsidiary Banque Internationale à Luxembourg has cumulatively issued 29 green bonds, and related projects have been included in the "BRBR Green Finance Practice Cases (2023 Edition)."

Legend Holdings' green practices are moving from point-based breakthroughs to systematic construction, and "green" has become the development background color running through the entire value chain.

Ning Min, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of Legend Holdings, stated that enterprises should place their own development within the overall development framework, achieve the harmonious unity and joint improvement of economic, social, and ecological benefits, and do well in the required questions of fulfilling social responsibility. Legend Holdings will adhere to science and technology innovation as the source of momentum for sustainable development, uphold the duty and mission of "serving the country through industry," and strive to practice the responsibility and value that technology enterprises bear.

Data source: Legend Holdings Corporation

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Page editors: Ji Jianming, Xu Leipeng, Li Peiyang

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Scenario Innovation & Sci-Tech-Finance Synergy — 2026 China Private Enterprise Investment and Financing Fair

Main Venue Events of the 2026 China Private Enterprise Investment and Financing Fair

The 2026 China Private Enterprise Investment and Financing Fair (hereinafter referred to as the "2026 Private Enterprise Fair") is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China and the Tianjin Municipal People's Government, and is scheduled to be held in Tianjin from the afternoon of September 22 to September 23, 2026. The conference, themed "Scenario Innovation & Sci-Tech-Finance Synergy — Promoting High-Quality Development of the Private Economy," adopts a "1+4+N" structure. The conference focuses on scenario innovation and the cultivation of new quality productive forces, pooling resources from central state-owned enterprises, top 500 private enterprises, emerging sci-tech enterprises, universities and research institutes, and financial investment institutions, to build a ministry-municipality collaborative platform for industry-finance matching, foster a sound ecosystem in which technology empowers and finance supports the development of the private economy, and promote the deep coupling of the innovation chain, industrial chain, and capital chain. 2026 marks the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan and the year in which the Regulations of Tianjin Municipality on Promoting the Private Economy officially take effect, ushering the development of Tianjin's private economy into a new stage of transitioning from "policy support" to "rule-of-law protection." This year's conference will release a batch of policies, match a batch of capital, and open a batch of scenarios, providing private enterprises with an efficient and convenient matching and matchmaking platform.

Scenario Innovation Application and Development Conference

The conference focuses on addressing the difficulties of sci-tech innovation lacking scenarios, scenarios being hard to match with technology, and financing being impeded, and builds a matching platform to release Tianjin's ten typical cases of scenario innovation, the list of Tianjin's ten major scenario innovation opportunity projects, and products such as "scenario loans," while witnessing the unveiling of scenario institutions, the launch of platforms, and the release of association standards. At the same time, Tianjin will sign regional scenario innovation strategic agreements with Hangzhou of Zhejiang, Hefei of Anhui, and Xiong'an New Area of Hebei, cultivating new quality productive forces through industry-finance synergy and empowering the transformation and overseas expansion of private enterprises.

Sci-Tech Finance Empowering the Development of New Quality Productive Forces Matching Conference

The event closely follows the national efforts to cultivate new quality productive forces and guide capital to empower hard technology, releasing the latest policy orientations and smoothing the channels connecting technology with capital. At the event, financial institutions will release special sci-tech finance policies and distinctive financial products for the biomedicine sector; launch industry research reports; share typical cases of industry-finance cooperation; and organize the signing and landing of multiple types of financial leasing institutions.

China Nezha Enterprise Development Conference

At present, China is vigorously developing new quality productive forces, and Tianjin enjoys distinct advantages in location, funds, and policy. Nezha enterprises are an important new force for future industries and urgently need a national-level exchange platform. The conference builds a comprehensive exchange platform, carrying out activities such as report interpretation, industry promotion, enterprise roadshows, institutional speeches, and licensing ceremonies, pooling resources from multiple parties to improve the ecosystem for cultivating new quality enterprises.

Fund Night

At present, equity investment is focusing on hard technology and industrial mergers and acquisitions, serving as an important lever for cultivating new quality productive forces. Anchored in its position as a hub of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Tianjin, relying on its distinctive industries and the Haihe Industrial Fund system, will host the Fund Night of the 2026 China Private Enterprise Investment and Financing Fair. The event features fund policy presentations, the release of brain-computer interface achievements, and deep industry-finance matching as highlights, promoting the landing of investment, mergers and acquisitions, and fund attraction, and is committed to building a national benchmark for industry-finance matching and empowering high-quality development.

National Venture Capital Guidance Fund Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Fund Roadshow and Matching Event

The event leverages the platform of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Fund under the National Venture Capital Guidance Fund, pooling venture capital, industry, and financial resources, introducing long-term patient capital to solve the financing difficulties of sci-tech enterprises, focusing on hard technology to cultivate new quality productive forces, and deepening industry-finance synergy in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Leading institutions will be invited to carry out matchmaking and docking, and through forms such as releasing investment lists, project signings, fund roadshows, and on-site negotiations, the event promotes the deep integration of innovation, industry, and capital, helping drive high-quality development of regional sci-tech innovation.

China Top 500 Private Enterprises Investment Promotion Dialogue and "117 Project" Strategic Investment Achievement Exhibition Special Event

In order to seize the opportunities for the development of the private economy and advance the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the event focuses on key areas of new quality productive forces, showcases project landing achievements, promotes the Computing Power World and the Robot Town, releases enterprise-benefiting policies, carries out government-enterprise industry-finance matching, and organizes on-site inspections, attracting private enterprises to establish regional headquarters, cultivating the headquarters economy, and enhancing the region's industrial capacity.

Brain-Computer Interaction and Human-Machine Integration Industry-University-Research Special Event

The event pools resources from ministries and commissions, academicians and experts, and medical, enterprise, venture capital, and investment institutions, releases policies, cutting-edge achievements, and cooperation demands, conducts project roadshows by representative enterprises, and builds an industry-university-research-capital matching platform, helping Tianjin build a highland of brain-computer interface innovation.

Green, Low-Carbon, and Circular Industry Government-Enterprise Cooperation Special Event

The event is grounded in the policy requirements for green, low-carbon, and circular development, focuses on government-enterprise collaborative cooperation, sets up a signing session for key projects, organizes leading enterprises to introduce their investment layouts, showcases the construction achievements of the SCO Green Industry Cooperation Zone, and simultaneously carries out a series of activities such as policy presentations, green finance promotion, and project roadshows, building a cooperation platform connecting policy, industry, and capital.

Robot Enterprise Industry-Finance Synergistic Development Special Event

The event closely follows the national policy orientation of developing the robot industry and cultivating new quality productive forces, and builds a robot industry investment and financing matching platform. At the event, policies related to the robot industry will be released, industrial parks will be promoted, and on-site robot demonstrations and interactions will be carried out. The event will invite leading industry enterprises to share cutting-edge technological achievements, release lists of industrial opportunities and distinctive financial products, and promote industry exchange and capital matching along the industrial chain.

Special Event on Improving the Comprehensive Overseas Service System to Help Private Enterprises Go Global with High Quality

The event leverages the advantages of government-enterprise-service collaboration, builds an overseas expansion matching platform, links global resources, and addresses the pain points of private enterprises going global, while inviting well-known domestic and international enterprises to introduce market opportunities, and carrying out roundtable forums and free negotiations, helping Tianjin enterprises expand into diversified overseas markets.

Data source: Tianjin Municipal Development and Reform Commission

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“中国服务”阔步走向世界

By: 本报记者 齐志明 潘俊强 邵玉姿

In golden autumn Beijing, the sky is high and the clouds are thin. The blast furnaces of Shougang Park stand tall, and Qunming Lake is shimmering with light (波光潋滟, bo guang lian yan - "wave, light, shimmer, overflow"). On September 13, the five-day 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services concluded here.

This was an edition brimming with "newness": the "China Services" exhibition area entered the core zone of the themed exhibition for the first time, and the "Going Global Services" special zone and the "Going Global Services Promotion Roadshow Area" were set up for the first time.

This was an edition with a bigger "circle of friends": 90 countries (regions) and international organizations set up exhibitions and held events, and more than 1,830 enterprises participated offline, including 473 Fortune Global 500 and leading industry enterprises.

This was an edition full of "sense of gain": more than 200 new achievements were released in a concentrated manner, more than 100 first releases and debut shows were held, 15 themed forums and 200 forum sessions, negotiations, and promotions unfolded in succession, and during the fair a total of more than 1,200 achievements in 7 categories including transactions and investment were concluded.

Through the window of the Fair, the world saw China's determination to promote the high-quality development of the service industry, witnessed the continuous rise of the brand influence of "China Services," felt China's sincerity in expanding high-level opening up, and touched the strong momentum that new quality productive forces, represented by digital-intelligent technologies, have injected into global services trade.

Promoting services trade to a new level through high-quality development of the service industry

The steady and long-term progress of services trade is rooted in the quality improvement and efficiency enhancement of the domestic service industry. At this year's Fair, a large number of innovative service achievements rooted in the needs of people's livelihoods and derived from diligent internal cultivation made a concentrated appearance, demonstrating the vigorous vitality of service supply upgrading.

At the special exhibition on engineering consulting and construction services, China Construction Eighth Engineering Division's steel-concrete composite modular building attracted attention. In the renovation project of dilapidated buildings in the Third Zone of Kaiyangli, Fengtai District, Beijing, the room structure, electromechanical pipelines, and interior decoration were all prefabricated in the factory, and the main structure hoisting was completed only 6 days after the foundation was finished. The overall prefabrication rate reached 90%, the construction period was shortened by half compared with traditional construction, construction waste was reduced by 70%, and 38 households of residents achieved comfortable housing. Beijing Construction Engineering Group brought a complete spectrum of intelligent construction technologies, with new materials and new processes running through the entire life cycle from planning and construction to intelligent operation and maintenance, with business layout in 31 countries and regions, exporting "China Construction" comprehensive solutions to the world.

Green circular services are entering public life. Aihuishou's "Return Voyage, New Life" project has built a three-tier renewable resource recycling system of "points-stations-fields," deploying more than 60,000 community intelligent recycling machines in 40 cities, covering more than 32.31 million users, with a cumulative recycling volume of 2.43 million tons. Residents scan a code to deposit waste and can weigh it and withdraw cash on the spot; IoT devices automatically dispatch collection and transport; transfer stations serve both merchant and sanitation recycling; and collection and distribution factories complete refined sorting of more than 80 categories, forming a complete closed loop of "community recycling-transfer storage and transport-refined sorting-raw material reuse," promoting the reduction and resource utilization of household waste through a market-based model.

Cultural services were brilliant and varied (精彩纷呈, jing cai fen cheng - "splendid, colorful, present, offer"). At this year's Fair, the Publicity and Culture Center of Chaoyang District, Beijing, reached a strategic cooperation with Qimengdao, joining hands to explore the integrated development path of the capital's cultural resources and the modern trend industry. Qimengdao launched three new co-branded trend toys incorporating the intangible cultural heritage techniques of Beijing silk figurines, Chinese knot buttons, and ceramics, placing traditional techniques into the hands of young people in the form of trend IP (intellectual property). The two sides also plan to promote IP art installations and pop-up stores entering public cultural venues, exploring collaborative innovation between public cultural institutions and market-based trend toy enterprises. Focusing on the spiritual and cultural needs of the elderly, Lihua Culture has created a service ecosystem of "AI (artificial intelligence) + culture + age-friendliness," relying on acoustic hardware and an AI tutor practice and assessment system, having served more than 26 million users cumulatively and opening a new track for the silver economy.

Tourism services were full of new ideas. Ctrip showcased its full-chain service achievements for inbound and outbound travel, striving to serve 200 million inbound tourists within 5 years. A "combined punch" of one-stop airport service counters, AI travel assistants, and multilingual content systems will continue to improve the experience of overseas tourists in China and help the high-quality development of inbound tourism.

New models and new scenarios bring new consumption experiences. Zhidebuy Technology Company brought original creative building blocks themed on Lugou Bridge and Wanping City to the exhibition, and, relying on the "Wonderful Consumption in Fengtai" mini-program, linked up with merchants in commercial districts to issue consumer vouchers for the benefit of the people, converting exhibition traffic into urban consumption vitality and empowering the real economy with digital consumption services. At the Beijing cultural relics exhibition area, the refrigerator magnet interactive experience was extremely popular: audiences scan a code to upload photos, AI completes the design, and on-site printing and production yields a unique cultural relics refrigerator magnet, creating an immersive interactive scenario that can be participated in, created, and collected.

In the first seven months of this year, China's total services import and export volume reached 4,446.71 billion yuan, up 8.3% year on year, with the growth rate of service exports significantly higher than that of imports, and knowledge-intensive service exports accounting for more than half of the total. The strong strength of the service industry has laid a solid foundation for the expansion and quality improvement of services trade.

Expanding new space for services trade development through inclusiveness and shared progress

Openness is the inherent foundation of services trade. In the first half of this year, the number of foreigners entering China nationwide reached 22.914 million, up 20.4% year on year, and travel service exports grew by 31.1%, leading the top five service export sectors. The open foundation of this year's Fair has become even more distinct, with cooperation yielding abundant results (硕果累累, shuo guo lei lei - "fruit, result, accumulate, accumulate").

On September 10, at the "Invest in Beijing" themed promotion event, 36 key projects were signed in a concentrated manner, covering 12 industrial fields, involving an amount of 44 billion yuan. The Beijing Investment Promotion Service Center has opened the "Invest in Beijing Reception Room" at the Fair for 5 consecutive years, with investment promotion specialists at both the municipal and district levels moving their service desks to the front line of the exhibition, providing face-to-face negotiation opportunities for domestic and overseas enterprises.

Embracing global tourists with an open attitude is a vivid portrayal of the inclusiveness and universal benefit of services trade. At the World Tourism Cooperation and Development Conference, Beijing Badaling Cultural Tourism Group signed with Mastercard to make payments for inbound tourists smoother and optimize cross-border payment scenarios at scenic areas. "Payment facilitation is the key to the internationalization of cultural tourism services. We must embrace global tourists with more open, more convenient, and higher-quality services," said Rong Xinfeng, chairman of Beijing Badaling Cultural Tourism Group.

Cross-border digital trade continues to achieve new breakthroughs. COFCO Group's "Credit Trade Chain Practice" was selected as a demonstration case of "China Services," achieving fully paperless settlement in canned goods export business between China and Singapore, compressing the trade cycle from 20 days to 5 days and reducing document business costs by 30%.

Cross-border payment services continue to solve pain points in going global. PINGPONG released a one-stop cross-border payment solution for the aviation and travel industry, targeting industry difficulties such as installment payments for air tickets and hotel orders and long-cycle fund settlement, integrating global acquiring, intelligent sub-accounting, virtual cards, and supply chain financing capabilities, and relying on a service network covering more than 200 countries and regions to help business travel enterprises achieve "global collection and payment, closed-loop chains, and fund efficiency gains."

Financial strength escorts high-level opening up. Bank of Communications upgraded its "BOCOM Aviation and Trade Link" digital cross-border platform, relying on its global network to provide integrated domestic and foreign currency services for enterprises "bringing in" and "going global," while simultaneously implementing special products such as green electricity and carbon finance. At the Beijing Fengtai exhibition area of the financial services special exhibition, Beijing's first digital RMB science and technology group insurance policy was landed, with the entire process of insurance application, payment, and refund using corporate digital RMB wallets, real-time transaction settlement, and full traceability of funds, promoting the deep embedding of financial technology into industrial scenarios.

From the paperless processing of trade documents, to the optimization of cross-border payments, to the compliant flow of data elements, China is steadily advancing institutional opening up, both welcoming global enterprises to deeply cultivate the vast Chinese market and supporting Chinese services in setting sail globally, expanding the common market of global services trade through mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

Building a new engine for services trade development through digital-intelligent empowerment

Cutting-edge technologies such as AI, quantum computing, and robotics are reshaping the service industry landscape, giving rise to a large number of new services trade scenarios. Walking through the various exhibition halls of the Fair, digital-intelligent innovation is visible everywhere, with new technologies accelerating their journey from the laboratory to the front line of industry.

Smart logistics has achieved technology going global. Cainiao brought its self-developed climbing robot and the "Global Three-Day Delivery" cross-border logistics service solution. In cross-border logistics warehouses, the climbing robot handles both ground transport and elevated operations, increasing the warehouse capacity utilization rate of the Hong Kong warehouse by 1.5 times; overseas robot warehouses are being delivered one after another, with the technology landing in multiple industries including electronics and apparel. "Global Three-Day Delivery" covers 15 major routes in regions such as Europe and Asia, with door-to-door delivery within 3 calendar days after ordering, at a price only half that of traditional international express delivery. Relying on chartered flights, trucking networks, overseas customs warehouses, and AI order allocation, a globalized intelligent fulfillment network continues to be woven denser, witnessing China's logistics technology moving from scale export toward technology export.

Digital-intelligent technology is constantly rewriting the boundaries of services. At Baidu's one-mirror booth, a digital human chatted face-to-face with audiences, telling stories expressively and full of emotion (声情并茂, sheng qing bing mao - "voice, emotion, together, lush"), and has achieved large-scale implementation in the live-streaming e-commerce field, becoming a new carrier of digital content services. At the Bank of China booth, Boson Quantum brought the new generation of dedicated quantum computers, the "Yuliang · Shanhai 1000," which, in validation with real data involving 1,200 accounts, identified high-risk communities with a fraud rate exceeding 50%, providing a reference for auxiliary financial risk identification. Residential services are also being reshaped: Beike's AI online service assistant "Buding" can find homes, answer questions, and provide process guidance, and its 3D real-scene restoration technology can replicate community environments and building views, with "Rushi VR (virtual reality)" having exported spatial digital replication capabilities to 70 countries and regions, serving more than 5,000 brands.

Outside Beijing, another "digital-intelligent appointment" was equally lively. From September 11 to 12, the only themed forum of this year's Fair held outside Beijing—the Xiong'an Digital Trade Innovation and Development Conference—was held. In the supporting scenario display activities, four meteorological large models, "Fengqing," "Fengshun," "Fengyuan," and "Fenghe," made a concentrated appearance, 51 application scenarios were released, and more than 40 demand-side units and more than 70 enterprises reached multiple cooperation intentions on site.

Individual innovation cases and cooperation intentions converge into a powerful force propelling global services trade forward. Facing the future, China will unswervingly expand high-level opening up, join hands with countries around the world to advance open, innovative cooperation in global services trade, let the development dividends of services trade benefit more countries and people, and jointly build an open and prosperous world economy.

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Strength on Display, Pathways Being Laid

By: 本报记者 王 洲 施 芳

A table tennis ball bounces across the table, several high-speed cameras capture it simultaneously from different angles, and a large screen instantly reconstructs the ball's flight trajectory, speed, and spin, with disputed moments rendered as three-dimensional images... At Beijing Shougang Park, within the sports services special exhibition area of the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services, the booth of Beijing Ruige Technology Co., Ltd. drew many visitors eager to see the "Chinese Hawk-Eye" in action.

At this year's CIFTIS, Ruige Technology showcased intelligent officiating and match replay systems for table tennis, volleyball, football, tennis, baseball, and softball, among other sports. "The systems rely on our self-developed three-dimensional trajectory tracking algorithms and high-speed visual capture to achieve millimeter-level precision," said Li Jiaqi, operations director of Ruige Technology. "We have achieved new technological breakthroughs. The table tennis match system now offers full three-dimensional display, allowing coaches, athletes, and fans to see challenge results faster and more directly. The volleyball match system has newly introduced an automatic line-calling function, replacing the previous hand-drawn three-dimensional images." The company has already expanded its business to more than 20 countries and regions. At the exhibition site, many foreign guests came to the booth seeking cooperation.

Chinese services going global depend on corporate strength as well as infrastructure connectivity.

In the cultural tourism services special exhibition area, the display of Beijing International Land Port was particularly eye-catching. As the operating platform for Beijing's regular scheduled China-Europe (Asia) international freight trains, Beijing International Land Port has achieved stable scheduled operations on both the Central Asia and China-Europe routes, with its logistics network covering more than 20 countries and regions across Asia and Europe, making it an important channel for the efficient export of "Beijing Intelligent Manufacturing."

"At this year's CIFTIS, going global is the keyword," said Wang Mengfan, deputy director of the Legal Policy Working Committee of the China Urban Development Research Association. "Chinese services continuously going abroad is both the result of our strength being seen by the world and inseparable from the continuous improvement of the support system for going global. The difficulties of 'information asymmetry, unfamiliarity with rules, and insufficient resources' are gradually being resolved, and the path for going global is being paved."

On the second floor of Hall 2, the exhibition area for going-global service providers was bustling. In front of the booths, service providers and representatives of enterprises going global sat together in discussion, covering topics from tax planning to cross-border payments to overseas trademark registration... The questions were specific, and the answers were substantive.

Unlike previous years when individual enterprises exhibited in scattered fashion, this year's fair brought together dozens of professional institutions in fields such as finance, law, accounting, advertising, and human resources in one place, building a service matrix with coordinated linkage across risk prevention and control, human resource support, marketing and logistics, and cultural tourism finance. The various needs enterprises face on the road to going global can be resolved "one-stop" within a single exhibition area.

"We have plans to go global, but we are unfamiliar with overseas laws, fiscal and tax systems, and employment matters, so today we came to test the waters," said the head of an agricultural product processing enterprise who came to the exhibition area for consultation and stopped at the booth of DPR Group.

"What enterprises face in going global today is not just product competition, but comprehensive competition in rule-understanding capability and compliance management capability. When Chinese enterprises grow and develop and want to go abroad, the first hurdle they often encounter is overseas legal and fiscal-tax compliance," said Wang Lei, senior consulting advisor in the Business Development Department of DPR Group. "We have served enterprises going global for more than 30 years, with a service network covering more than 60 countries and regions, deeply cultivating the six major fields of international law, fiscal and tax affairs, capital, commerce, trusts, and credit reporting. We are committed to providing one-stop global legal, commercial, fiscal, and tax solutions, and hope to play a greater role in providing enterprises with overseas investment, listing, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, and international trade services."

Enterprises going global are proactively seeking solutions to their pain points, and service enterprises are also promoting themselves. Complementing the exhibition area, CIFTIS this year for the first time set up a "Going-Global Service Promotion Roadshow Area," bringing the cases, solutions, and resources of service enterprises directly before enterprises with needs for going global.

In the roadshow area, special roadshows on human resource services and logistics services were held continuously. Representatives from service enterprises including Air China Limited and Thunder Software Technology Co., Ltd. explained "essentials" for going global such as building human resource systems and intelligent warehousing solutions.

Doumi Group has been deeply engaged in human resource services for many years, with business covering more than 180 countries and regions. This year, participating in CIFTIS for the first time, it took part in the roadshow presentations. Stepping off the stage, corporate representative Zheng Shuling was surrounded by representatives of multiple participating enterprises seeking consultation.

"We are an artificial intelligence robotics enterprise and want to conduct final product assembly in Abu Dhabi, UAE. After preliminary research, we found that hiring local workers is costly, and the procedures for hiring employees from neighboring countries are relatively complicated. We hope you can provide us with a solution," said the head of one enterprise, putting forward the request.

"We entered the Middle East market relatively early and are familiar with local employment policies, visa quotas, and social security systems. For a situation like yours, one can usually consider..." As more and more clients came for consultation, Zheng Shuling unconsciously quickened her pace, answering each question one by one. "This is the group's first time participating in CIFTIS. Through this platform, our visibility has increased, laying the foundation for better connecting with service demands in the future," Zheng Shuling said.

A total of 40 such roadshows were held during the fair period. "The roadshow area has set up a signing and negotiation zone, where every seat is equipped with a deal-intent recording card, and those with cooperation intentions can sign on the spot," the person in charge of the roadshow area introduced.

From exploring new territory cautiously through trial and error (摸着石头过河, mo zhe shi tou guo he - "touch, stone, cross, river") to "one-stop" escort services, CIFTIS bears witness to the upgrading journey of Chinese enterprises going global. For enterprises, going global is no longer fighting alone without any assistance or teamwork (单打独斗, dan da du dou - "single, strike, single, fight"), but a systematic project supported by professional forces. As hard strength continues to grow and support systems continue to improve, more Chinese services will set sail, injecting more Chinese momentum into world economic growth.

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“Ten-Mile Steel City” Transforms into “Expo Town”

By: 本报记者 潘俊强

As the national-level comprehensive services trade exhibition in the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the 2026 China International Fair for Trade in Services was successfully held at Shougang Park in Beijing.

Strolling through Shougang Park, the CIFTIS exhibition halls are interspersed and partially hidden from view (错落掩映, cuo lu yan ying - "scattered, hide and reflect") among the greenery, with steel elements blending with the lush vegetation, and industrial relics such as blast furnaces, silos, and old factory buildings organically integrated into the exhibition scene. This year marks the sixth year that CIFTIS and Shougang Park have worked hand in hand, and also the first year that the permanent venue of CIFTIS has been completed and put into use. Shougang Park has made its debut with a brand-new look as a fashionable and cool international exhibition town.

This exhibition cluster, transformed from a century-old industrial base, has integrated into a single whole (融为一体, rong wei yi ti - "melt, become, one, body") the hard-core industrial heritage, trendy business formats, and international exhibition functions.

The transformation of Shougang Park cannot be separated from the empowerment of CIFTIS. "We have seized the major opportunity of CIFTIS's innovative development to promote the renovation of industrial relics and functional re-creation. The successful holding of each CIFTIS session has pushed Shougang Park to take a big step toward becoming a world-class exhibition destination," said Jiang Nan, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and deputy general manager of Shougang Group Co., Ltd. Shougang Park is now fully undertaking national-level exhibition functions, building a vibrant area in western Beijing, and the construction of the international exhibition town will become a showcase window for the opening up and expansion of the services sector.

The newly renovated venues skillfully employ the color combination of "steel gray," "rust red," and "metallic silver," integrated into a single whole with the park's industrial style; Halls 1-4 are connected by outdoor corridors, innovating the exhibition hall layout and guiding citizens and visitors to walk through and linger among the buildings, creating an interesting experiential touring route; the "fifth facade" has been finely crafted, with the rooftops and terraces of Halls 2, 3, and 4 transformed into public spaces full of lush greenery (绿意盎然, lv yi ang ran - "green, meaning, overflowing"), becoming sky gardens for leisure, sports, sightseeing, and conversation.

The old industrial buildings have become an international reception hall welcoming guests from all directions (八方宾朋, ba fang bin peng - "eight, directions, guest, friend"), and every renovation tells the story of the gorgeous transformation of the old industrial base. "In terms of planning and design, Shougang Park benchmarks against world-renowned vibrant exhibition districts, combines its own resource endowments, and allows natural landscapes, industrial memories, and modern exhibitions to collide and blend in the same space through urban renewal," said Liu Feifei, head of the Urban Renewal Department of Beijing Shougang Construction Investment Co., Ltd.

Shougang Park has strengthened openness and cooperation, actively seeking support from the government, industry associations, social organizations, and professional companies, promoting the utilization of venue resources, and through deep cultivation of segmented fields, attracting diverse customer groups and improving comprehensive service levels. The exhibition area of Shougang Park exceeds 100,000 square meters, and a total of 221 events were held in the first half of this year.

Relying on its home-ground advantage as the host of CIFTIS, Shougang Park has also deeply cultivated the "Exhibition+" model, building a three-dimensional matrix of commercial supporting facilities, ticket-stub economy, and distinctive activities, enhancing regional vitality and popularity, and striving to create a "never-ending" CIFTIS and an "open all year round" international exhibition town. Among these, in terms of smart operations, Shougang Park has built a smart exhibition management platform, enabling one-click inquiries for venue information, parking navigation, catering services, and transportation connections, as well as all-time heat analysis of park visitor and vehicle flows.

CIFTIS has not only brought flows of people and information, but has also attracted a large number of high-quality enterprises and projects to settle here. Shougang Park is not just a venue for exhibitions; relying on the major exhibitions, it has rapidly demonstrated an industrial agglomeration effect—as of the end of August this year, more than 1,300 enterprises have entered the park, interweaving into a network in fields such as gaming and esports, virtual reality, and robotics, building a distinctive digital space industry matrix.

The "ten-li steel city" has been transformed into a bustling "exhibition town." The park, carrying a century of industrial memory and the cultural heritage of the Winter Olympics, uses exhibitions as a bond to write a new chapter in promoting the opening up and expansion of the national services sector.

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Page editors: Wu Yan, Wu Kai, Han Wenrong

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Advancing a Global Community of Health for All Through the Power of Medicine

By: 本报记者 申少铁 陆凡冰

On September 16, Peking Union Medical College Hospital will celebrate its 105th anniversary. The China-U.S. Medical Exchange Conference and the Academic Week marking the 105th anniversary of the founding of Peking Union Medical College Hospital recently opened in Beijing, where hundreds of medical experts and scholars from both sides of the Pacific gathered for a medical appointment spanning a century.

A history of PUMCH is half the history of modern Chinese medicine. On September 16, 1921, the Rockefeller Foundation of the United States, through its specially established body — the China Medical Board of New York — donated funds to create Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Since then, China-U.S. medical exchanges have continued to develop. In the new era, China-U.S. medical exchanges have become even closer, with fruitful results.

In May this year, President Xi Jinping held a meeting with President Trump in Beijing. President Xi Jinping pointed out: "The two sides should implement the important consensus we have reached and further make good use of the political and diplomatic and military communication channels. We should expand exchanges and cooperation in such areas as economy and trade, health, agriculture, tourism, people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and law enforcement."

During the Academic Week, top experts from the Chinese and American medical communities gathered at Peking Union Medical College Hospital to jointly explore frontier issues in medicine and safeguard human health. Through in-depth exchanges, the consensus on jointly improving global health governance and building a community of shared health for mankind has continued to deepen.

A memorandum bears witness to a century of friendly cooperation

On the morning of September 10, witnessed by Chinese and American guests, Zhang Shuyang, President of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and Roger Glass, President of the China Medical Board, signed the third five-year cooperation memorandum.

In 2016, the two sides signed their first cooperation memorandum. The two sides have carried out highly effective or productive (卓有成效, zhuo you cheng xiao - "extraordinary, have, achievement, effect") cooperation in such areas as standardized residency training, post-graduate medical education, and clinical postdoctoral programs, promoting the continuous improvement of the post-graduate medical education system, injecting important momentum into the standardization, normalization, and internationalization of residency training in China, and providing strong support for the building of the medical talent cultivation system at Peking Union Medical College Hospital and across the country.

From the founding donation of the Rockefeller Foundation, to preserving the flame of medicine in an era characterized by continuous warfare (战火纷飞, zhan huo fen fei - "war, fire, fly, fly"), from leading medical education and building the medical and health system in the early years of the People's Republic of China, to serving as a bridge for China-U.S. medical exchanges after reform and opening up, and up to the new era's establishment of a national medical center, taking the lead in the rare disease diagnosis and treatment system, and deepening global cooperation... the birth, perseverance, development, and growth of Peking Union Medical College Hospital are inseparable from exchanges and cooperation with the international medical community.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu said that Peking Union Medical College Hospital is an example of the people of China and the United States transcending cultural and institutional differences to jointly safeguard human health, and that the two countries should strengthen dialogue and cooperation in the health field, jointly safeguard global public health security, and make greater contributions to building a constructive and strategically stable China-U.S. relationship.

U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue said that competition and cooperation are not mutually exclusive, and that the United States and China are working toward constructive strategic stability on the principles of fairness and reciprocity. In this context, Peking Union Medical College Hospital is a vivid example of what the United States and China can achieve together.

"Medicine and education provide the two countries with a unique platform for dialogue and cooperation. At a time when the U.S.-China relationship requires sustained constructive engagement, the signing of the new five-year cooperation memorandum will promote deeper cooperation between the two sides in such areas as medical education, academic exchange, and scientific and technological innovation, cultivate the next generation of medical leaders, and jointly address global health challenges with the power of science and medicine," said Roger Glass.

Roger Glass's remarks resonated with many medical experts at the conference, especially young doctors. Over the past decade, the friendly cooperation between Peking Union Medical College Hospital and the China Medical Board has trained a large number of resident physicians and clinical postdoctoral fellows, who have entered major hospitals across the country and served countless patients.

A future-oriented academic dialogue of exceptional brilliance

The cultivation of medical talent determines the future development of medicine. On September 10, in the Academic Hall of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, hundreds of medical experts and scholars from China and the United States gathered to discuss how to cultivate high-quality medical talent for the future. The thinking and vision of the world's top medical experts added exceptional brilliance to the Academic Week.

Victor Dzau, Chancellor Emeritus for Health Affairs at Duke University and former President of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, delivered a presentation titled "Academic Medicine in an Era of Transformation: Leadership, Innovation, and Impact," proposing that academic medicine should build a full-chain integration model "from bench to bedside to population to society."

At present, artificial intelligence technology has been widely applied in the medical field, profoundly affecting the development of academic medicine. How should artificial intelligence technology be properly applied?

"Artificial intelligence is accelerating the reshaping of the medical landscape," said Victor Dzau. "Academic medicine should play a guiding and supervisory role in AI governance, ensuring that technological innovation truly benefits patients and society in terms of quality, equity, and trustworthiness."

Talent cultivation is the foundation of the inheritance and development of medicine. How to conduct medical education well and cultivate high-quality medical talent is a common issue of the times facing both China and the United States.

Ji Xunming, President of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and President of Peking Union Medical College, discussed improving the training system for medical leaders in the new era. He believes that it is necessary to anchor the direction of development with a forward-looking vision, cultivate medical talents with a fervent original aspiration, and jointly embark on a new journey of high-quality development in medical education.

Sanjay Desai, Vice Dean for Education Affairs at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, presented the concept of "precision education" in medicine, which captured the audience's attention. He proposed building a personalized, efficient lifelong learning system with the help of artificial intelligence and data analysis, moving medical education from a "one-size-fits-all" approach to one that is "tailored to the individual."

"The core of training future doctors is not teaching them how much knowledge to memorize, but teaching them how to collaborate with artificial intelligence and how to maintain clinical judgment in an environment of human-machine symbiosis," said Sanjay Desai.

In a keynote report titled "Accelerating the Building of a World-Class Medical Talent Highland," Zhang Shuyang reviewed PUMCH's century-long journey of education, always aligned with the Party and the nation. She said that generations of PUMCH people have always upheld the PUMCH character of "establishing the hospital for the country, practicing medicine for the people, and pursuing learning for truth," profoundly answering the fundamental question of "for whom to cultivate talent, what kind of talent to cultivate, how to cultivate talent, in what ecosystem to cultivate talent, and how to enable outstanding talent to stand out."

"Medical education shoulders the dual mission of building a strong education nation and a healthy China." Zhang Shuyang shared PUMCH's educational practices: always adhering to the orientation of cultivating talent for the country and the people; cultivating talent that is possessing both integrity and ability (德才兼备, de cai jian bei - "virtue, talent, both, possess"), combining medical skill with benevolence (仁术合一, ren shu he yi - "benevolence, art, combine, one"), with hearts for the country and the people, and with an international vision; building a competency-oriented education system; establishing a strategy of strengthening the hospital through talent, promoting the coordinated development of talent across medical, teaching, research, nursing, technical, and management fields; upholding the fine tradition of the "Three Basics and Three Stricts," creating multi-level international exchange programs for talent, and entrusting young doctors with important responsibilities.

The prevention and treatment of a class of diseases pools the medical wisdom of China and abroad

The hospital now has 55 multidisciplinary consultation specialty groups for complex and rare diseases, with a cumulative total of more than 5,000 consultations and services to more than 20,000 patients; based on multidisciplinary consultations for rare diseases, the average time to diagnosis for rare disease patients has been shortened from 4 years to less than 4 weeks... On September 10, the museum of Peking Union Medical College Hospital officially reopened after renovation, and a set of data on display was particularly striking.

Rare diseases refer to diseases with extremely low incidence rates, most of which originate from gene mutations. Due to the great difficulty of diagnosis and treatment and the lack of specific drugs, they are among the greatest challenges facing the global medical community. Peking Union Medical College Hospital is the national guidance center for the diagnosis and treatment of complex, severe, and rare diseases, and is also the lead unit of the national rare disease diagnosis and treatment collaboration network.

On September 11, the Peking Union Rare Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Innovation and Development Research Institute held the 2026 Academic Conference on Innovation and Translation in Rare Disease Diagnosis and Treatment, focusing on breakthroughs in frontier technologies and clinical translation in rare disease diagnosis and treatment. Authoritative medical experts in the field of rare diseases from China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries and regions held discussions.

Zhang Shuyang said that the key pain points of difficult diagnosis, difficult access to medication, and difficult translation in rare diseases still exist. With the development of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, gene editing, and big data, rare disease diagnosis and treatment has ushered in new opportunities. "We must both work meticulously at the clinical frontline and achieve breakthroughs in basic research. This requires the joint efforts of domestic scholars, and also requires opening our doors wide to learning from and helping each other improve (互学互鉴, hu xue hu jian - "mutual, learn, mutual, learn from each other") with overseas experts."

Breakthroughs in innovative drug development are key to treating some rare diseases. Li Xiaokun, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and President of Wenzhou Medical University, believes that many rare diseases present a series of symptoms because gene mutations lead to abnormal protein expression. If a drug can be developed and administered to patients to compensate for the abnormal protein expression, the disease can be cured. He and his team are currently committed to research in this field.

"With the advancement of drug development and production technology, through strengthening international cooperation, humanity can develop more specific drugs for rare diseases and cure more rare diseases," Li Xiaokun's words were inspiring.

Shen Yiping, a professor at Harvard Medical School, has long been committed to promoting China-U.S. cooperation in genomic medicine. In recent years, he has organized Chinese doctors to go to Boston in the United States for further study, and facilitated the establishment of a joint laboratory between Shanghai Children's Medical Center and Boston Children's Hospital of Harvard University. He believes that breakthroughs in genomics have transformed rare diseases from an "unsolvable fate" into a medical proposition that is "diagnosable, treatable, and preventable." Strengthening genomics research and increasing investment in human, financial, and material resources can not only advance the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases, but also better feed back into the prevention and treatment of common diseases, benefiting every patient.

Su Jing, head of the Genomics Data Analysis Center at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer of the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, believes that China is progressing rapidly in terms of patient scale, big data platforms, and artificial intelligence applications, while the United Kingdom has rich experience in unified testing catalogs, quality control, and clinical translation of research results. The two sides each have their own strengths, and there is broad space for cooperation. She suggested that the two sides strengthen the sharing of analytical methods, clinical guidelines, and diagnosis and treatment experience, promote the participation of young doctors in international cooperation, and allow China's large-sample research and Europe's standardized systems to reinforce each other.

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China-Switzerland FTA Upgrade Carries Special Significance (Global Walk)

By: 刘 赫

Recently, China and Switzerland completed the upgrade negotiations for their free trade agreement and signed a memorandum of understanding. At a time when protectionist currents are surging and the world is full of uncertainty, the two countries' signing of an "upgraded version" free trade agreement is a firm choice for openness and cooperation.

The China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement signed in 2013 was the first bilateral free trade agreement China reached with a continental European country and one of the world's top 20 economies. At that time, European and American countries generally adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward signing free trade agreements with China. Switzerland's "first-mover step" was highly substantive, quickly activating bilateral trade vitality, and China rose to become Switzerland's third-largest trading partner.

In September 2024, China and Switzerland launched negotiations on upgrading the free trade agreement. Through the joint efforts of both sides and after five rounds of consultations, the upgrade negotiations were successfully completed. According to the arrangements for the upgraded free trade agreement, in terms of trade in goods, the final share of imports with zero tariffs on both sides exceeds 99 percent, and both sides have made high-level two-way opening-up commitments in areas such as goods, services, and investment. The two sides will also carry out broader and deeper cooperation in digital trade, artificial intelligence, sustainable development, supply chains, pharmaceuticals, the machinery industry, and watches. Bloomberg commented: against the backdrop of the current uncertain global trade environment, especially the sustained pressure of U.S. trade policy, this new agreement with China is regarded by Switzerland as an important "pressure release valve."

In supporting free trade and embracing openness and cooperation, China and Switzerland have once again taken a "first-mover step." The value of this "upgraded version" free trade agreement goes beyond the bilateral dimension and beyond trade and economic matters; it also sends a clear signal of the times.

The new agreement is not merely a further reduction in tariff levels, but also a deep alignment at the level of rules. The cooperation fields are broader, the trade structure is more optimized, and the institutional rules are more detailed — competition policy, intellectual property protection, government procurement, and labor standards are all incorporated into a higher-level institutional framework, creating fairer, more transparent, and more convenient conditions for Chinese enterprises to explore the Swiss market and conduct investment, while also allowing Switzerland's advantageous products to enter the Chinese market more conveniently. As the dividends of China's institutional opening-up continue to be released, the cake of China-Switzerland win-win cooperation keeps growing, and enterprises and people of both countries will share more development outcomes.

As a typical practice of mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual, benefit; together, win"), the new agreement will bring profound inspiration for China and Europe to expand the space for economic and trade cooperation. Switzerland is a highly open developed economy and has long played a unique bridging and linking role in China-Europe economic and trade exchanges. The completion of the upgrade negotiations for the China-Switzerland free trade agreement powerfully proves that China and European countries can carry out mutually beneficial and high-level economic and trade cooperation. Although China-Europe economic and trade relations currently face some interfering factors, the general trend that the two sides are important trading partners to each other and that cooperation brings win-win outcomes has not changed. China and Switzerland have confirmed a truth through their win-win practice: as long as both sides adhere to mutual respect and attend to each other's concerns, a closer and more long-term stable China-Europe economic and trade relationship is entirely achievable.

The new agreement is both a proactive choice by both sides for certainty and an injection of rare certainty into the complex and volatile international trade landscape. The statements of the two countries' ministers were very straightforward: "The successful upgrade of the agreement is another important milestone in the development of bilateral relations," "It demonstrates the clear attitude of both sides in choosing certainty and supporting free trade," and "It will provide more stable, transparent, and predictable institutional guarantees for the long-term development of enterprises in both countries."

Cooperation rather than confrontation, openness rather than closure, and rules rather than power — this has always been the correct direction for maintaining steady progress toward long-term goals (行稳致远, xing wen zhi yuan - "walk, steady; reach, far") in international economic and trade relations. In the global transformation where uncertainties are intertwined, such a "first-mover step" is both courage and foresight; it is both a choice for bilateral win-win outcomes and a measure of responsibility toward the world.

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Hebei Strengthens Land Element Guarantees to Safeguard Key Project Implementation

Since the beginning of this year, the Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province has planned ahead, provided services proactively, continuously improved the efficiency of land resource allocation and service effectiveness, and made every effort to ensure the implementation of key provincial projects. As of the end of August 2026, Hebei Province has cumulatively approved 120,400 mu of construction land, with a guarantee rate of 93.98% for key provincial projects, strongly supporting the province's high-quality development.

Strengthen coordination and linkage  Pool guarantee forces

The Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province fully leveraged the role of the inter-departmental land guarantee joint meeting mechanism, strengthened normalized linkage with provincial departments including Development and Reform, Transport, Human Resources and Social Security, and Water Resources, held 16 coordination meetings and training sessions, jointly consulted and made concentrated efforts to tackle difficult problems (集中攻坚, ji zhong gong jian - "concentrate, attack, tough struggle"), and worked together to resolve cross-departmental issues.

The Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province improved the provincial, municipal, and county work system, adhered to "one chessboard" planning and "integrated" advancement, investigated needs project by project, consolidated responsibilities at each link, shared information in real time across the three levels of province, municipality, and county, provided whole-process tracking services, coordinated resource allocation, built a work pattern of vertical connectivity and horizontal coordination, and enhanced the service effectiveness of land use guarantee. It carried out special policy interpretation for provincial departments, key construction enterprises within its jurisdiction, and grassroots units at the municipal and county levels, and efficiently advanced the land use application and approval for major and key projects.

Improve institutional mechanisms  Perfect the policy system

The Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province strengthened land factor guarantee, coordinated with the Provincial Development and Reform Commission to submit a list of national major projects requiring enhanced central government land construction guarantee, and made every effort to secure national guarantee. Benchmarking against the latest policy requirements, the Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province, the Development and Reform Commission of Hebei Province, the Department of Transport of Hebei Province and other 7 departments jointly issued the "Notice on Strengthening Land Factor Guarantee to Serve the Province's High-quality Development," focusing on 5 aspects including securing construction space, accelerating preliminary work, and optimizing land supply, and formulated 17 specific measures in detail, continuously improving the quality and effectiveness of land factor guarantee; issued the "Notice on Doing Well the Work of Land Requisition for Contiguous Development," optimized the application and approval process, simplified application and approval requirements, and improved approval efficiency.

To improve supporting policies, the Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province issued the "Notice on Doing Well the Work of Advance Land Use Application and Approval for Construction Projects," standardized the review and application process for advance land use, proactively and efficiently undertook approval matters delegated by the Ministry, and effectively shortened the project implementation cycle. It drafted the "Notice on Further Regulating the Application and Approval of Land Use Adjustments for Construction Projects," revised the text format and review standards for land use applications, continuously released the policy dividends of land use guarantee, and effectively improved the quality of dossier compilation and approval efficiency.

Deepen reform and innovation  Improve approval quality and efficiency

The Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province strengthened the joint approval of land, forest, grassland, and sea use, streamlined materials, reengineered processes, and compressed time limits, transforming "running to multiple offices" into "handling in one go," truly implementing "efficiently completing one matter." It expanded joint approval matters, newly establishing system linkage processes for 3 matters including batch-by-batch land conversion and requisition, and for the staggered-level approval of municipal-approved land use and provincial-approved forest use. As of the end of August 2026, 13 projects and 10 batches have been jointly approved, with 1,740.905 hectares of land use and 286.598 hectares of forest use approved. It optimized the joint approval process, innovated the "dual lead" mechanism, and promoted "one round of review, land and forest handled together." The correction time limit for 3 matters including batch-by-batch land conversion and requisition was compressed to 10 working days, using the "subtraction" of approval to promote the "addition" of project implementation.

To strengthen the standardization and normalization of land use approval, the Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province issued the "2026 Work Plan for the Supervision of Decentralized and Entrusted Construction Land Approval," clarifying 22 aspects and 68 scoring criteria of "quality + efficiency," improving the "daily + quarterly" whole-process supervision system, effectively regulating approval behavior and improving approval quality, ensuring that approval authority is delegated properly, received properly, and managed well. As of the end of August 2026, the province has supervised 155 dossiers of land conversion and requisition approved by cities with districts, and 61 dossiers of land use pre-review and planning site selection. Each city approved 281 dossiers of land conversion and requisition, with an average time of 4.34 working days, significantly improving approval efficiency.

Provide precise services  Optimize preliminary work

The Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province adhered to the grassroots service mechanism of "department leadership paired assistance + division-level point-to-point liaison + small team on-site assistance," regularly collected and handled demands and suggestions, and service teams went deep into grassroots and enterprise front lines to deliver policies, build bridges, and do practical things, providing "hand-in-hand, one-on-one" guidance for the compilation and application of land use dossiers for various projects.

The Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province made every effort to advance preliminary work such as project site and route selection, implementation of the balance of occupation and compensation, and guarantee of construction space, researched, developed, and promoted a smart site and route selection system, produced a "one-picture guide to smart site and route selection services" brochure, strengthened policy interpretation, provided precise services to 238 project units, and cumulatively completed site selection analysis for 498 projects. It efficiently undertook national approval authority, completed land use pre-review approvals for 7 key provincial projects including the Kuancheng-Qinglong-Qian'an local railway project, completed advance land use approvals for 4 projects including the Hebei section reconstruction and expansion project of the Tangshan-Tianjin Expressway, greatly compressing the preliminary implementation cycle of projects.

As of the end of August 2026, Hebei Province has cumulatively approved 120,400 mu of construction land, with 702 of 747 key provincial projects guaranteed, a guarantee rate of 93.98%, efficiently meeting the land use needs of construction projects such as the Qinshen Expressway and the Dongguang 120 MW wind power project.

In the next step, the Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province will adhere to a problem-oriented approach, further advance the joint approval of land, forest, grassland, and sea use, establish a land guarantee ledger, closely monitor key links such as land requisition dossier compilation and indicator implementation, and clarify responsible entities, time nodes, and advancement paths. At the same time, it will strengthen departmental coordination, adhere to normalized consultation, sort out pain points and difficulties across the entire chain, and ensure that land for key projects is guaranteed to the fullest extent.

Data source: Department of Natural Resources of Hebei Province

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Page editors: Yue Linwei, Liu Gang, Wan Yu

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Between the White Mountains and the Songhua River, Aspirations to Revitalize the North and Serve the Nation

By: 本报记者 汪志球 门杰伟

In the golden autumn season, the sky is high and the clouds are light. On September 16, Jilin University celebrated its 80th anniversary. Looking back on eighty years of history and looking forward to the journey of the new era, an exhibition of educational achievements recently opened at the Dingxin Library of Jilin University. Within the 1,100-square-meter exhibition hall, three major sections—natural science research, philosophy and social science research, and talent cultivation—are laid out in sequence.

"This drilling rig has made our country the third in the world to master the capability of scientific ultra-deep drilling to 10,000 meters underground." In front of the display board, a docent introduced the achievements of the "Earth Crust No. 1." Each display board and each achievement is not only a "report card" of Jilin University's educational work, but also a vivid footnote to how generations of Jilin University people have written their theses on the motherland's land.

Behind these impressive achievements lies Jilin University's becoming stronger and more resilient over time (历久弥坚, li jiu mi jian - "last, long, endure, firm") educational foundation and value commitment. As a key national comprehensive university that has grown together with the People's Republic of China, the university carries forward its red genes, continues its revolutionary traditions, and, grounded in its foundation of vast scale and complete disciplinary coverage, has always cultivated deep feelings for the family and the country, threading the mission of "innovation for strength, revitalizing the North to serve the nation" through all areas of school governance and the entire process of educating and nurturing talent.

Interdisciplinary integration, deep cultivation of original innovation

"When doing scientific research, one must head toward where the country needs it most." At the testing ground of the College of Construction Engineering of Jilin University, faculty and student teams are closely monitoring parameters and keeping records. Beside them, the scientific research and tackling of key problems for "Earth Crust No. 2" is being accelerated, advancing deeper into the Earth.

Jilin University fully leverages its advantages of profound basic research foundations and interdisciplinary integration, deeply cultivates original innovation, strengthens organized scientific research, and demonstrates its sense of mission and responsibility.

Facing the world's scientific and technological frontiers, the matrix of national-level innovation platforms continues to exert its strength. A number of "national-brand" platforms, including the Comprehensive Extreme Conditions Experimental Facility and the National Key Laboratory of High Pressure and Superhard Materials, have become important positions for tackling fundamental scientific problems.

Data outlines the solid footprint of basic research: according to the latest rankings, Jilin University ranks 15th globally on the Nature Index research leaders list; its ESI (Essential Science Indicators) global ranking has risen to 131st, with 20 disciplinary fields entering the top 1 percent globally in ESI, and the chemistry discipline entering the top 0.01 percent; 16 disciplines were rated Class A in the Ministry of Education's fifth round of discipline evaluation.

Writing theses on the land where the motherland needs them most—the "Earth Crust No. 1" 10,000-meter drilling rig has knocked open the door to the deep Earth; a batch of "bottleneck" technologies, including 2-inch single-crystal diamond preparation, digital tire design, and precision manufacturing of special optoelectronic devices, have achieved breakthroughs; high-level chimerism of human hematopoietic immune cells in pigs has been achieved, opening a new window for organ regeneration and biomedical translation; hand function rehabilitation training robots and wearable multimodal brain function imaging analyzers are accelerating their path to clinical use; a "concept verification center" has been established to push achievements toward the production line; new crop varieties resistant to drought and saline-alkali conditions are spreading the hope of bumper harvests across the fields...

"We must both strengthen basic, forward-looking, interdisciplinary, and transformative innovative research, striving to become pioneers in global science and technology; and promptly respond to national strategic needs, solving key difficult problems with the most suitable form of scientific research organization, promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, giving back to society, and strengthening the country and enriching the people," said Zhang Xi, President of Jilin University.

Precious historical materials, demonstrating profound cultural accumulation

In the vast wilderness of the oilfield, the sun shining brilliantly and intensely (骄阳似火, jiao yang si huo - "fierce, sun, like, fire"). "Many old workers are advanced in years; if these oral memories are not recorded now, they will dissipate." Having just finished a four-hour drive, the faculty and students of the Jilin Provincial Urban Governance Research Base, affiliated with the School of Philosophy and Sociology of Jilin University, did not take time to rest before beginning in-depth interviews with old workers who had participated in the Daqing Oilfield Battle. One true story after another, one vivid memory after another, were carefully preserved. This was a scene from the base's "Oral History of Industrial Workers in Northeast China in the New China Era" research project in June this year. "The old industrial base in Northeast China has precious historical memories," said Professor Tian Yipeng, director of the base. Next, they will further dig into the precious historical materials of the evolution and governance transformation of the old industrial base in Northeast China, serving the comprehensive revitalization of the Northeast.

Jilin University has always placed the development of philosophy and social sciences in an important position, accelerating the construction of an independent knowledge system for philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics, and providing academic support for national development and the comprehensive revitalization of the Northeast. In the exhibition hall of educational achievements, six key research bases for humanities and social sciences, two Ministry of Education philosophy and social science laboratories, and related achievements of national high-end think tanks are displayed in sequence, demonstrating the profound accumulation of Jilin University's humanities and social sciences.

Letting more top-notch talent head from here to the front line of serving the nation

In the "talent cultivation" section of the exhibition hall, in front of the photograph of Comrade Huang Danian, many young students lingered for a long time. "The seed of serving the nation was planted in my heart from the moment I entered the school." Liu Jinxin, who graduated from Jilin University with a doctorate last year, declined other well-compensated job offers and firmly joined the research team tackling key problems in major projects. "We must follow the path our predecessors have blazed and continue to move forward."

Jilin University adheres to the mission of "educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the country," upholds the principle of fostering virtue through education, advances talent cultivation and reform and innovation on an ultra-large scale and across an ultra-broad range of disciplines, and carries forward the teaching tradition of "solid foundations, emphasis on practice, and strict requirements." There are 88 national first-class undergraduate program construction sites; 9 base sites under the National Plan for Cultivating Top-Notch Students in Basic Disciplines 2.0; 115 national first-class undergraduate courses; and 11 achievements selected for the 2022 National Undergraduate Teaching Achievement Awards... More top-notch talent heads from here to the front line of serving the nation.

With skills to offer and aspirations to pursue, Jilin University continuously inspires the patriotic feelings, aspirations to strengthen the country, and actions to serve the nation of all faculty and students. Five teacher teams have been selected as national university Huang Danian-style teacher teams, and the university has been selected as one of the first national pilot universities for the reform of training engineering master's and doctoral students and as a university for building national excellence engineer academies. Batch after batch of students head to major national projects, key fields, and the grassroots frontline, writing their youth answer sheets on the land where the motherland needs them most.

Revitalizing the North to serve the nation, embarking on a new journey. Tian Hui, Party Secretary of Jilin University, stated that standing at the new starting point of the new journey of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Jilin University will base itself in Changchun, take root in the Northeast, face the whole country, and look to the world, anchoring on the goal of building a world-class university with Chinese characteristics, coordinating and advancing the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent, focusing on cultivating top-notch innovative talent, striving to support the country's high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, effectively serving the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences, and writing a new chapter of innovation for strength and revitalizing the North to serve the nation with a spirited posture.

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Writing a New Chapter of Self-Reliance and Strength in Science and Technology

By: 本报记者 刘以晴

In August, the National Conference on Condensed Matter Theory and Statistical Physics was held in Changchun, Jilin Province, where a tribute event was held for Academician Zou Guangtian of Jilin University on the occasion of his 60 years of teaching. Academician Zou Guangtian said: "Educating and nurturing students (教书育人, jiao shu yu ren - "teach books, nurture people") and devoting oneself to scientific research (潜心科研, qian xin ke yan - "submerge heart, scientific research") are my lifelong passions."

In 1966, the 28-year-old Zou Guangtian delivered an academic report at the National Symposium on Atomic and Molecular Physics and Physical Mechanics. After the meeting, he brought his paper to Qian Xuesen for guidance. Qian Xuesen advised: "The international community still has very little knowledge of (知之甚少, zhi zhi shen shao - "know, that, very little") research in the high-pressure field, but it is extremely important. Persist over the long term, and you will certainly achieve success (必有所成, bi you suo cheng - "must, have, something, achieve")." Zou Guangtian remembered these words for the rest of his life. In 1982, he declined his American mentor's invitation to stay and resolutely returned to China, saying, "A scientific researcher must be able to endure long-term, tedious, or lonely work without seeking immediate fame (稳稳地坐住冷板凳, wen wen de zuo zhu leng ban deng - "steadily, sit, stay, cold, bench")."

How can the research strengths of universities be transformed into national strategic competitiveness? Jilin University has answered this question with a series of solid achievements.

The crystal structure of a material determines its properties. Accurately calculating crystal structures based on chemical composition has been an important scientific problem that the academic community has sought to solve for many years. To address this problem, the team of Academician Ma Yanming created a calculation method named "CALYPSO" and developed a set of calculation software with 14 functional modules and 10 software copyrights, achieving accurate calculation of crystal structures.

The team of Academician Yu Jihong has long been committed to research on molecular engineering of inorganic functional materials. They innovatively proposed a new route for directed design and synthesis combining "theoretical simulation + data mining + high-throughput experiments," systematically carried out research on crystallization mechanisms and development of high-performance molecular sieve materials, and successfully independently created 10 molecular sieve topological structures named after the initials "J" of Jilin University, which have been certified and included by the International Zeolite Association. Going beyond breakthroughs in basic research, the team closely follows the major strategic needs of the country in the fields of energy and environment, continuously broadens the application boundaries of molecular sieve materials, and promotes frontier research to land and empower industry.

In the field of organic/polymer luminescent materials, the research team of the State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials at Jilin University has achieved a series of major original innovations in basic research and major breakthroughs in key industrialization technologies, gradually growing into a research team with outstanding innovation capability in supramolecular optoelectronic materials. A green light-emitting material developed by the team was successfully applied in 2025 to the mass production technical solution of an OLED display panel enterprise. In April this year, Academician Shen Jiacong, the founder of the laboratory, was awarded the Fifth Lifetime Achievement Award of the Chinese Chemical Society for his outstanding contributions in the fields of supramolecular self-assembly and polymer optoelectronic materials research.

In the automotive field, the team of Academician Guo Konghui has been deeply engaged in automotive air suspension and intelligent chassis technology, continuously tackling key industry challenges, promoting the industrialization and transformation of research achievements, and achieving full domestic production of air suspension from key components to complete systems.

In terms of achievement transformation, the automatic-wheel intelligent chassis technology has completed a transformation worth 10.7 million yuan, landing at Changchun Maideke Intelligent Mobility Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. It has now formed a series of products including intelligent chassis, automatic-wheel modules, and kingpin steering systems, with cumulative new output value exceeding 50 million yuan and driving new financing of 53 million yuan, and has reached mass production cooperation with leading domestic vehicle manufacturers. To address the world-class challenges of weak control capability of traditional robotic arms and poor safety of human-machine physical interaction, Professor Ren Lei pioneered the theory and technology of bionic tension-compression body robots. The developed bionic tension-compression body dexterous hand has 38 degrees of freedom, surpassing traditional rigid hands in strength, speed, precision, flexibility, and compliance, and has been put into mass production at Yuequan Bionic Technology, providing brand-new bionic solutions for fields such as intelligent manufacturing.

Serving the country's major strategic needs. To meet the demand for high-end specialized equipment for China's deep Earth exploration project, the team of Academician Sun Youhong solved the technical problems of traditional drilling equipment, including low rotary table rotation speed, low automation level, and low precision of drill bit pressure control, and independently developed the "Crust No. 1" 10,000-meter drilling rig, a specialized scientific drilling equipment.

Facing major national needs such as resource exploration and geological disaster monitoring, the team of Academician Lin Jun has continuously carried out research on air-ground integrated ground-detection technology and equipment, forming a technical system integrating airborne electromagnetic detection, ground-air electromagnetic detection, and intelligent unmanned platforms, providing important support for the development of China's deep Earth detection and intelligent exploration equipment.

Facing the urgent demand of commercial aerospace for high-efficiency remote sensing data that equally emphasizes both spectral and geometric information, Academician Lin Jun led the team of Professor Zhang Liu to independently tackle the new optical remote sensing technology of "high timeliness, high geometry, and high spectrum," supporting the on-orbit application of the "Jilin University No. 1" satellite. Suzhou Jitian Xingzhou Space Technology Co., Ltd., incubated based on the core technology, has built a closed loop of industry-university-research integration, achieving the industrialization of optical remote sensing payloads and data.

The ultrafast laser processing research team at Jilin University discovered the optical far-field induced near-field breakdown effect, achieving disruptive technological innovations such as ultra-invisible cutting, three-dimensional optical chips, and femtosecond optical brush black bodies.

Writing the answer sheet of self-reliance and strength in science and technology, Jilin University takes serving the country's major strategic needs as its mission, systematically deploys and organizes efforts to tackle key problems, so that breakthroughs in basic research "from 0 to 1" and the transformation of key core technologies "from 1 to N" resonate in harmony.

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Heart with the Greater Self, Writing Theses on the Motherland's Soil

By: 本报记者 刘以晴

In the 1980s, a research team represented by Professor Gao Qinghai promoted a transformation in philosophical concepts through the "mode of thinking based on practical viewpoints." He distilled his approach to scholarship into the two characters "ben xiang" (clumsy thinking), admonishing scholars that "one must not defer only to authority or books, and must not engage in repeating what others say without thinking (人云亦云, ren yun yi yun - "person, cloud, also, cloud")."

Jilin University's philosophy and social sciences are known for their strength in basic theoretical research. Rooted in Chinese practice and committed to theoretical innovation, the university strives to participate in and advance the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.

Generation after generation of scholars, following Gao Qinghai's academic ideal of "creating a philosophical theory of our own for the Chinese nation," have been passing on the torch from one generation to the next (薪火相传, xin huo xiang chuan - "薪, fire; 相, mutually; 传, pass on") at the frontier of basic theory. Younger scholars such as He Lai and Wang Qingfeng have inherited the academic lineage and continuously and deeply cultivating a field of study (深耕不辍, shen geng bu chuo - "deep, plow; not, stop"), steadily advancing innovation in basic philosophical theory and laying a solid foundation for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.

The university is also a major research hub in fields such as Marxist theory, Chinese language and literature, and political science, with an excellent academic tradition. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of Jilin University. Generations of Jilin University scholars have worked with unremitting dedication, forming an academic tradition of "clumsy thinking, resolute practice, new evidence, and thorough inquiry." Professor Liu Zhongshu and Professor Zhang Fugui have delved deeply into the academic history of modern and contemporary Chinese literature, sorting out the evolution and landscape of 20th-century Chinese literature with the vision of historians. Entering the new era, Jilin University takes Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as its fundamental guide. Zhang Wenxian, a senior professor of philosophy and social sciences, has advanced the systematic and theoretical research and interpretation of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law. Han Xiping, director of the Northeast and Northeast Asia Research Institute, has deepened research and interpretation of the theoretical and practical innovations of Chinese modernization, presenting a "Jilin University answer sheet" for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences.

Enhancing discourse capacity. Oracle bone inscriptions and bamboo and silk manuscripts are primary materials for studying early human civilization. The discipline of ancient script studies at Jilin University, founded by Mr. Yu Xingwu, provides Chinese evidence for tracing the origins of civilization through its achievements in deciphering ancient characters. In his lifetime, Mr. Yu correctly deciphered more than 300 oracle bone inscriptions. "If it is not certain, do not assert it" was a phrase Yu Xingwu often used. His student Wu Zhenwu once transcribed in full the Liang Zhou Jinwen Ci Da Xi (Corpus of Bronze Inscriptions from the Two Zhou Dynasties). Wu Zhenwu recalled: "The method was clumsy at the time, but the benefit was also very clear — the learning was relatively solid." Today, Wu Zhenwu has carried on the academic lineage, leading his team to participate in global academic dialogue with solid research on excavated documents, continuously providing Chinese academic evidence for tracing the origins of human civilization.

Aligning with major national needs. "Write papers on the motherland's land. We take root in the Northeast, study the Northeast, and serve the Northeast, and we must have a sense of greater social responsibility (心有大我, xin you da wo - "heart, have, big, self") and strive to be great teachers of our time." Professor Han Xiping's words capture the scholarly pursuit of Jilin University's humanities and social sciences researchers. Jilin University has established a research base for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and a collaborative research center for national revolutionary cultural relics. Professors Tian Yipeng and Song Donglin and others have formed a series of research findings on grassroots governance and the revitalization of the Northeast, serving the transformation and development of old industrial bases.

Adhering to innovation-led development. Jilin University actively embraces emerging technologies and deepens organized research and interdisciplinary studies. The "Research Innovation Team on the Rule-of-Law Track of Chinese Modernization," led by Professor Cai Lidong as chief expert, was selected as one of the first batch of Ministry of Education philosophy and social sciences innovation teams. The Bioarchaeology Laboratory was selected as one of the first batch of pilot construction units for Ministry of Education philosophy and social sciences laboratories, and for the first time internationally obtained a high-quality whole-genome dataset of the extinct Equus ovodovi. The Artificial Intelligence Laboratory for Ancient Scripts and Cultural Relics independently developed the "Ji Jin Shi Bian" mini-program, introducing artificial intelligence technology into the dating research of bronze vessels.

From the "clumsy thinking" classroom to the "new evidence" laboratory, organized research has pooled scattered wisdom into a combined force. Recently, the results of the 10th Ministry of Education Outstanding Achievement Awards in Scientific Research (Humanities and Social Sciences) were officially announced. Jilin University won a total of 28 awards, including 3 first prizes, 9 second prizes, 14 third prizes, and 2 youth achievement awards.

"Nurture people with theory and safeguard the frontiers with scholarship. We will fulfill our original aspiration and founding mission of educating people for the Party, pursuing scholarship for the country, and benefiting the people with our work, strive to produce more outstanding works, and contribute Jilin University's strength to building an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences and realizing the great cause of national rejuvenation," said Professor Qu Hongmei, director of the Social Science Research Institute of Jilin University.

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Willing to endure patient study, cultivate a new generation worthy of the era's great tasks

By: 本报记者 门杰伟

Sunlight streamed through the venetian blinds, falling upon the open classics on the table. In a classroom at Jilin University, Sun Zhengyu, a senior professor of philosophy and social sciences, sat in a circle with his students, conducting a small-class seminar. Pointing at the annotations on the pages, Sun Zhengyu urged his students: "In research, only those who can endure the loneliness of patient study can achieve success. More importantly, you must keep the nation's needs in your heart—only then can scholarship take root."

Sun Zhengyu has remained at the forefront of teaching year after year. His tireless dedication to education on the three-foot podium is a vivid microcosm of Jilin University's deep commitment to talent cultivation and its mission of fostering virtue through education.

Over the past 80 years, Jilin University, nestled between the white mountains and the pine-covered waters, has consistently inscribed "educating people for the Party and cultivating talent for the nation" into every aspect of its governance and operation, and has implemented the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education.

Since its founding, the university has cultivated more than 1.3 million outstanding graduates. Batch after batch of academician alumni, first completers of national awards, and renowned scholars have emerged from here, with multiple talent-related indicators ranking among the top of universities nationwide.

Forging souls through education, ideals and convictions illuminate the path of growth. The university has built a comprehensive education system in which curriculum-based ideological and political education, practice-based ideological and political education, and culture-based ideological and political education are integrated across multiple dimensions. Two undergraduate courses have been rated as national demonstration courses for ideological and political education, and 16 teachers have been rated as national master teachers of ideological and political education. Education in ideals and convictions permeates every stage of student growth, achieving all-round and whole-process education.

Disciplines lay the foundation, and talent cultivation is anchored to the nation's urgent needs. Closely aligned with national strategic demands, the university has established a high-level talent cultivation system that connects bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs. It currently has 88 national first-class undergraduate programs, 51 first-level discipline doctoral degree conferral points, and 11 professional doctoral degree conferral points. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, it has added 5 first-level interdisciplinary doctoral programs and 5 professional doctoral degree conferral points, with its disciplinary layout continuously focusing on fields of urgent national need, making it one of the first pilot construction units for interdisciplinary centers designated by the Ministry of Education.

In 2022, the university was approved as one of the first national pilot universities for training engineering master's and doctoral students, and in 2025 it was approved as a construction unit for the National Academy of Excellent Engineers. Using the National Academy of Excellent Engineers and the Hongqi Academy as experimental fields for education, the university builds practical education platforms through school-enterprise and school-local cooperation. Students step out of the classroom and into enterprises for frontline internships and practice, transforming professional knowledge into the ability to solve major national strategic needs. The university has created two special classes linking undergraduate and graduate programs—the "Large Aircraft Class" and the "Industrial Mother Machine Class"—to tackle technical challenges such as the "bottleneck" problems faced by enterprises.

In recent years, the echelon of top-notch talent has continued to grow, and outstanding achievements by talented individuals have been emerging endlessly (层出不穷, ceng chu bu qiong - "layer, emerge, not, stop"). Li Chao, a graduate of the 2016 "Tang Aoqing Class," won the Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award in Beam Physics in 2023; Chen Siwei, a graduate of the 2014 "Tang Aoqing Class," mapped the human non-coding variant constraint atlas, providing key support for the screening of pathogenic variants in rare and complex diseases.

Strengthening the faculty and revitalizing education, the torch is passed from generation to generation as they deeply cultivate the teaching podium. Jilin University currently has 6,289 full-time teachers, bringing together a large number of leading talents including academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and national-level master teachers. The university has also built a number of high-level platforms such as national-level innovation and entrepreneurship bases, experimental teaching demonstration centers, and virtual simulation experimental teaching centers. Fifty Sino-foreign cooperative education programs and more than one hundred joint training programs open an international perspective for students. The "Study at Jilin University" online platform and smart classrooms are continuously upgraded, closing the loop of the entire teaching process and empowering educational and teaching reform through digitalization.

Outstanding talents emerge in abundance, and the new generation of the era makes contributions across the motherland. Since 2000, the university has achieved outstanding results in teaching construction and reform, winning a total of 43 national teaching achievement awards. Students have won seven consecutive gold medals at the iGEM International Genetically Engineered Machine competition and six consecutive championships in the Formula Student competition, demonstrating solid practical ability. The National Natural Science Foundation of China's basic research project for young students (doctoral students) has achieved high-level research results in fields of major national strategic need such as perovskite materials and new carbon-based materials. One practical achievement was selected among the first ten "Outstanding Practical Achievements in Excellent Engineer Training" by the China Excellent Engineer Training Consortium. Moreover, large numbers of graduates have taken the initiative to go to key national fields, urban and rural grassroots units, and the main battlefield of Northeast revitalization, taking root and growing in the places where the motherland needs them most.

Through eighty years of weathering wind and rain, the university motto of "seeking truth and innovation, striving with determination for strength" has been passed down from generation to generation. Yang Bo, dean of the Graduate School of Jilin University, stated that facing the new journey ahead, Jilin University will, as always, implement the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, improve its distinctive talent cultivation model, and enable more new-generation talents who bear the nation in their hearts and are capable of shouldering great responsibilities to move from here toward broader horizons, continuously contributing Jilin University's strength to the prosperity of the motherland, the rejuvenation of the nation, and the happiness of the people.

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Page editors: Cao Yiqing, Dong Yingxue, Yin Yan

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Yuntianhua Group Advances Digital-Intelligent Transformation to Empower High-Quality Development

Artificial intelligence is accelerating its deep integration with the real economy, profoundly changing manufacturing production models and economic forms, and has become a key variable driving industrial upgrading and reshaping the global landscape. In the process of earnestly implementing the special action of "AI + Manufacturing," Yuntianhua Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Yuntianhua Group") adheres to the direction of high-end, intelligent, and green development, continuously promoting the deep integration of digital and intelligent technologies into the entire industrial chain, injecting new momentum into the enterprise's green and high-quality development.

Full-Process Digital Layout to Enhance Digital-Intelligent Competitiveness

As a comprehensive information technology application innovation enterprise under Yuntianhua Group, Yunnan Yuntianhua Information Technology Co., Ltd. has long focused on digital transformation and intelligent upgrading in the chemical industry. It is the only enterprise in Yunnan Province selected for the first national batch of construction entities for the Manufacturing Industry Digital Transformation Promotion Center. Its independently developed "Industrial Internet + Hazardous Chemical Safety Production" digital solution can realize standardized, integrated, collaborative, and intelligent safety production management for enterprises, and has currently been widely applied among customers in the domestic chemical industry.

In Yuntianhua Group, a digital layout covering the entire business process is advancing rapidly. By building a digital platform with SAP ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning system) as the core, the group effectively integrates six major businesses—operations, innovation, procurement, production, sales, and warehousing logistics—continuously improving the application of decision support, integrated human resources, integrated finance, and integrated administrative platforms, promoting online management, collaborative business operations, intelligent production, data-driven decision-making, and precise services.

Focusing on key links such as mining, chemical production, glass fiber manufacturing, and composite material processing, Yuntianhua Group has increased efforts to advance the construction of automated control, intelligent equipment, online monitoring, process optimization, equipment predictive maintenance, and intelligent safety and environmental protection systems. Focusing on scenarios such as business analysis, market forecasting, cost control, quality traceability, energy optimization, safety and environmental protection, and customer service, the group is accelerating the formation of data domains and data assets covering value chain integration, management empowerment, and support functions, laying a solid foundation for the group's high-end, green, and intelligent development.

Advancing Intelligent Transformation, Digital Upgrading, and Network Connectivity to Install a "Smart Brain" for Factories

Yuntianhua Group is comprehensively advancing intelligent transformation, digital upgrading, and network connectivity across its subsidiaries. Entering the intelligent control center of Yunnan Tian'an Chemical Co., Ltd., the centralized control room simultaneously controls 30 sets of large-scale production units, with various production data, real-time operating conditions, and early warning information constantly flashing on the digital map. Workers who once had to patrol through the equipment areas now sit in front of screens and can monitor production units in real time. In the production area of Yuntianhua Dawei Ammonia Co., Ltd., an intelligent inspection robot equipped with "AI Smart Eyes" and an infrared thermometer is conducting safety inspections along a preset track...

As the intelligent transformation and digital upgrading of the manufacturing industry advance in depth, new applications such as digital twins and intelligent inspection robots continue to be implemented in enterprises, making the transformation of frontline industrial workers into digital-skilled talent a very important task. Yuntianhua Group actively responds to the new talent demands brought by digital-intelligent transformation and strives to cultivate high-quality professional talent. In August 2026, group employees swept the top three places in the Industrial Robot System Operator Skills Competition at the Yunnan Province Workers' Vocational Skills Competition.

Chemical production is characterized by long process flows, numerous variables, and nonlinearity. Traditional manual control has slow response and low precision, with shortcomings in safety, energy efficiency, quality, and cost control. Through innovative exploration of the deep application of general large models in the chemical production field, Yuntianhua Group successfully implemented the coal gasification APC+RTO (Advanced Process Control + Real-Time Optimization) large model project, deeply integrating cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence algorithms and digital twins to install a "smart brain" for traditional chemical production units. Currently, the group has completed the implementation of APC+RTO large model projects for 29 sets of units, forming replicable and promotable industry intelligent manufacturing solutions and achieving good economic benefits.

Yuntianhua Group takes the integration of "informatization, digitalization, and intelligence" as its main line, continuously improving its intelligent manufacturing level. It has currently built 20 digital factories, and the group has also been selected for the State Council State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission's list of pilot enterprises for digital transformation of state-owned enterprises.

Using Data to Drive R&D and Accelerate the Enhancement of Independent Innovation Capability

Relying on the achievements of digital-intelligent transformation, Yuntianhua Group has constructed a "136N" innovation system covering 1 digital management platform, 3 pilot-scale testing platforms, 6 research centers, and N enterprise technology centers, building a multi-level R&D system covering efficient utilization of phosphorus resources, high-end fertilizers, fine phosphorus chemicals, engineering plastics, glass fiber and composite materials, and new energy materials, forming a complete innovation chain from basic research, application development, pilot-scale amplification to industrialization.

Among these, the independently developed and constructed digital management platform plays a crucial role. Relying on the platform, the enterprise can achieve full life-cycle, full-resource-element information-based management and control of technological innovation projects, making R&D cycles and achievement transformation faster and more efficient.

Recently, three project achievements of Yunnan Yuntianhua Co., Ltd. received Yunnan Province's 2025 Science and Technology Awards. Among them, the "Key Technology and Application of Efficient Recovery of Associated Fluorine in the Wet-Process Processing of Phosphorus Resources," led by Yuntianhua Group's scientific research team, won the first prize of the Yunnan Province Science and Technology Progress Award. The project overcame the technical difficulty of recovering fluorine elements in strong acid systems, established a new method for efficiently recovering fluorine from liquid and solid phases, and promoted technological progress in fluorine chemical production. Currently, Yuntianhua's fluorine recovery technology has been applied on a large scale in 6 enterprises, with the fluorine recovery rate increasing from the traditional 31.7% to 78.3%, adding over 120,000 tons of fluorine resources annually.

Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, Yuntianhua Group has undertaken 23 provincial-level and above key science and technology projects, achieving multiple key technological breakthroughs in fields such as phosphate mining and beneficiation, fertilizer efficiency enhancement, electronic glass fiber, and chemical materials, forming a batch of industrialized technology applications and new products. The momentum of scientific and technological innovation driving the enterprise's high-end development is strong.

Focusing on Digital-Intelligent Collaboration to Promote Industrial Upgrading and Quality Improvement

Digital-intelligent transformation has brought profound changes to Yuntianhua Group, achieving resonating in unison (同频共振, tong pin gong zhen - "same, frequency, resonate, vibrate") between concept renewal and technological innovation, and the comprehensive effect of industrial upgrading and quality improvement continues to emerge.

In July 2026, Yuntianhua Group signed a deep cooperation agreement on digital-intelligent transformation with Huawei, carrying out coordinated layout in fields such as industrial internet, smart mines, intelligent factories, and smart parks, jointly cultivating digital industry talent, and accelerating the digital-intelligent transformation of the green chemical industry. The two sides are working together to promote the large-scale, deep-level, and high-level application of new-generation information technology in the manufacturing industry, jointly building a complete full-chain development system.

Moving toward intelligence, the "newness content" of Yuntianhua Group's three main businesses is more abundant. In the fertilizer industry, Yunnan Yuntianhua Co., Ltd. has connected the entire industrial chain from resource end to consumer end. By promoting the upgrading and quality improvement of basic fertilizers and strengthening the R&D of new fertilizers, it has gradually formed a multi-level fertilizer product structure system of "basic product upgrading + new products," better serving the construction of an agricultural powerhouse. In the glass fiber and composite materials industry, Chongqing International Composite Materials Co., Ltd. has formed a multi-level product system of "basic glass fiber + specialty glass fiber," owning multiple industry-first innovative products, with high-end insulating yarn and ultra-fine electronic yarn market shares ranking among the top globally. In the new chemical materials industry, dozens of products covering six major categories—electronic new materials, new energy materials, fine phosphorus chemicals, fluorine chemicals, petrochemicals, and engineering materials—are continuously leaping toward high-end and differentiated development, gradually becoming Yuntianhua Group's new growth pole.

Moving toward intelligence, Yuntianhua Group's confidence in operational quality improvement is stronger. In the first half of this year, the group achieved operating revenue of 41.275 billion yuan and total profit of 3.213 billion yuan, with operating performance rising against pressure, maintaining steady progress, and exceeding expectations.

From the integrated integration of digital application platforms to the batch creation of digital factories, from empowering scientific and technological innovation to driving the optimization and quality improvement of traditional industries, on the road of digital-intelligent transformation, Yuntianhua Group is accelerating the forging of digital-intelligent competitiveness, steadily advancing toward the goal of "building a world-class green chemical industry group with global influence."

Data source: Yuntianhua Group Co., Ltd.

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“The Tokyo Trial must not be forgotten, just as the history of aggression must not be tampered with” (Remembering History · Defending Peace)

By: 本报记者 尚凯元

In August 2025, France's France 2 television channel broadcast a historical documentary of approximately one hour in length — "The Tokyo Trial: The Forgotten Nuremberg Trial." The film was directed by Cédric Condon, with French historian Jean-Yves Le Naour serving as screenwriter, recreating the historical process of the Tokyo Trial and presenting the complex relationship between judicial justice, the postwar international order, and political maneuvering. After its broadcast, the documentary received widespread attention, prompting more European viewers to reflect on history.

A reporter from People's Daily recently conducted an exclusive interview with Jean-Yves Le Naour, exploring, through the perspective of the European historical academic community, what historical lessons the Tokyo Trial has left behind, and how the world today should view this history that brooks no falsification.

One Judge's Dissent

The Tokyo Trial, which opened in 1946 and lasted two and a half years, convicted 25 Japanese Class-A war criminals, 7 of whom were sentenced to death by hanging. Together with the Nuremberg Trial previously held in Germany, the Tokyo Trial pioneered the use of international law to hold war criminals accountable, and is of great significance in defending the victorious achievements of World War II and upholding international fairness and justice. As a scholar deeply engaged in 20th-century history, Le Naour has for many years been interested in research on the history of the Tokyo Trial.

"The Tokyo Trial: The Forgotten Nuremberg Trial" takes the experience of French judge Henri Bernard in participating in the Tokyo Trial as its narrative main line, weaving together a large amount of original trial footage and primary sources such as letters and archives left by Bernard, bringing French viewers a retrospective of this international trial.

The concept for this documentary had already sprouted in Le Naour's mind ten years ago — at the 70th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trial. However, constrained at the time by the lack of a broadcast platform, the project was shelved for a time. It was not until 2025, the 80th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War, when France 2 decided to launch related documentary programming, that this concept was finally realized.

The production of the documentary first faced the enormous task of sorting through historical materials. The full footage of the Tokyo Trial was filmed and preserved by the American side, with a large quantity of original film stored in the U.S. National Archives. The production team repeatedly selected from a vast amount of material, while also referring to film archives from other countries that participated in the trial. Le Naour conducted in-depth research on the letters and personal archives left by Bernard, injecting a unique perspective into the narrative.

Le Naour said that the documentary does not begin with the grand history of the trial, but rather unfolds its narrative from Bernard's perspective. For French viewers, the Tokyo Trial took place on a distant Asian battlefield, with both historical and geographical distance being very great. Bernard, as the judge sent by France to the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, could serve as a natural bridge connecting French viewers with that history.

"This angle makes it easier for French viewers to establish a connection with the judge, and to be willing to follow his perspective, step by step entering the complex and tortuous judicial labyrinth of the Tokyo Trial," Le Naour said. Bernard was an extremely upright person, and his cherishing of justice and courage meant he "never feared taking a stand or differing from the majority opinion." During the Tokyo Trial, Bernard righteously pointed out that although the Tokyo Trial, in the form of international judicial practice, together with the Nuremberg Trial, held war criminals accountable for crimes against peace and crimes against humanity, filling the gap in traditional international law which only held states responsible and did not hold individuals accountable for war crimes, Japan's Emperor Hirohito was neither prosecuted nor put on trial — an issue that could not be avoided in this trial.

Restoring historical truth and fairly punishing crimes and determining sentences were important functions borne by the Tokyo Trial. Bernard's dissent constitutes one of the most important narrative threads of the documentary. He places a sharp question before the viewer: when a trial attempts to respond to war crimes through law, how exactly should the relationship between judicial procedure, postwar arrangements, and realpolitik be handled? Le Naour said, "Bernard was a person who genuinely cared about judicial justice."

What surprised Le Naour was that such a documentary about the postwar trial of the Asian theater of World War II attracted approximately 1.4 million viewers in a late-night time slot, and sparked enthusiastic responses from French viewers, becoming one of the best-performing historical programs in France that year in terms of viewership. "This shows that the French public has a genuine and strong interest in historical topics about which they know little or have never truly encountered," Le Naour said.

A Blind Spot in Memory

The Nuremberg Trial conducted an international trial of the principal war criminals and criminal organizations of Nazi Germany, prompting Germany to reflect on its history of aggression. The documentary calls the Tokyo Trial the "forgotten Nuremberg Trial" and asks: both being century-defining trials of Axis war criminals after World War II, why is the Nuremberg Trial widely known by everyone (家喻户晓, jia yu hu xiao - "family, eyes, reach, know") in Europe, while the Tokyo Trial has long remained little known to the European public?

Le Naour believes the main reasons lie in geographical distance and historical timing. "The Tokyo Trial was too far away from Europe, and the European public often finds it difficult to truly understand its significance." At the outset of the Tokyo Trial, European media did provide prominent coverage of it. However, the trial lasted two and a half years, and the lengthy judicial process gradually consumed public attention. By the time the verdict was rendered, the Cold War had already begun, the world situation had undergone profound changes, and people's perspectives on historical issues had shifted accordingly. The Nuremberg Trial lasted less than a year, directly involved Europe itself, and took place during the critical period of postwar order reconstruction in Europe, making it easier to enter the collective memory of European society.

The deeper reason lies in a structural blind spot in European public understanding of the Asian theater. Le Naour stated that the Western world as a whole has conducted quite limited research on the Tokyo Trial and the Asian theater of World War II, with Europe being particularly pronounced. In France, the few historians who study the Tokyo Trial often entered the field through research on the Nuremberg Trial. "What Europeans truly care about first and foremost is the war on the European battlefield," Le Naour said. "What people often overlook is that World War II began in Asia as early as 1931."

"When the European public lacks basic knowledge of the Tokyo Trial, statements denying and distorting the justice of the Tokyo Trial can more easily breed in the international public opinion arena," Le Naour stated. The failure to hold Japan's supreme ruler accountable, as well as the fact that many Japanese war criminals characterized by many heinous crimes (恶行累累, e xing lei lei - "evil, deeds, accumulate, accumulate") were quickly pardoned and returned to politics, all meant that Japanese militarism was not thoroughly eradicated. For example, Japanese Class-A war criminal Mamoru Shigemitsu was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment in 1948, was released as early as 1950, and later served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan; Nobusuke Kishi, who had been in charge of forced labor affairs in occupied territories, became Prime Minister of Japan in 1957. In Le Naour's view, this to a certain extent gave Japanese society a "sense of impunity," making it easier for the Japanese public to view themselves as victims of a small group of militarists and imperialists, and less willing to face the historical responsibility they themselves should bear.

French viewers who watched the documentary were shocked by the cruelty of the Japanese military's aggressive atrocities, and posted comments online one after another: "The Tokyo Trial process was far longer and far more difficult than the Nuremberg Trial; the trial team traced a series of crimes committed by Japan in invading its neighboring countries, including details that make one's making one's hair stand on end with horror (毛骨悚然, mao gu song ran - "hair, bone, shudder, shudder")" "The Tokyo Trial revealed some aspects that had long been covered up, such as the fate of the 'comfort women,' and also exposed the cruel human experiments conducted by the Japanese military to develop biological weapons" "Japan tried to use claims such as 'self-defense' to cover up their shocking and appalling (骇人听闻, hai ren ting wen - "frighten, person, hear, hear") war crimes" "Unlike Germany, Japan finds it difficult to face its history squarely. For decades, Japan's downplaying and denial of its aggressive history has persisted, and school textbooks gloss over the massacres that occurred during World War II"...

A Missing Reflection

Le Naour stated that the true purpose of the Tokyo Trial was not merely to convict a small group of war criminals, but to make a nation engage in collective reflection. However, the absence of this reflection has continuously affected postwar Japan's historical cognition.

The spirit tablets of the notorious Class-A war criminals are still enshrined to this day in the so-called "Yasukuni Shrine," and multiple Japanese prime ministers have visited to pay homage; Japanese right-wing forces arbitrarily tamper with textbooks, distorting historical truth; war atrocities such as the Nanjing Massacre and the forced conscription of "comfort women" have been denied... "Many war criminals died peacefully in their own homes, insisting on their innocence until the very last moment of their lives. As far as Japan is concerned, this social education was a failure," Le Naour said. "This denialism enables Japan to maintain a perception that 'the image of the state and the military remains unimpaired.' Japanese nationalists even declare that those who expose these historical crimes are merely trying to tarnish Japan's national image."

In Le Naour's view, the gap in historical cognition left by the Tokyo Trial exists not only in the early postwar period, but is still being continuously activated in Japan's right-wing political narratives today. Le Naour cautioned that the current rightward drift of the Japanese government warrants vigilance. Takaichi Sanae has close ties with far-right groups, loudly plays up the so-called "external threat," portrays Japan as a country increasingly under urgent security threats and military pressure, and incites the Japanese public to support the Japanese government's remilitarization policies such as greatly increasing military spending, expanding Self-Defense Forces strength, and enhancing the Self-Defense Forces' long-range strike capabilities. "Although the Japanese Constitution restricts Japan from maintaining war potential, and there is public opinion in Japanese society opposing remilitarization, voices within Japan pushing for the expansion of military forces continue to exist," he said.

Le Naour believes that in today's era full of uncertainty, people need reflection on history and reverence for law more than ever. "History is like a lamp, illuminating the road that has been traveled," Le Naour said. Revisiting history is for the purpose of exposing lies, revealing truth, putting an end to the manipulation of history, and also preventing the tragedy of history from recurring.

Eighty years have passed since the opening of the Tokyo Trial, but the questions it raised have not faded away: how can war crimes be held accountable under the law, how can postwar society face historical responsibility squarely, and how can the justice of historical conclusions be upheld? Le Naour stated that the old world of "might makes right" once led humanity to disaster, and the lessons left by the Nuremberg Trial and the Tokyo Trial are very clear. "The power of legal judgment is greater than any political manipulation. The Tokyo Trial should not be forgotten, just as the history of aggression brooks no falsification. Facing history squarely is the prerequisite for moving toward the future."

Le Naour spoke to our reporter with great hope about a new plan of his — turning the history behind the Tokyo Trial into a historical comic book, "hoping to use more ways to tell this history to more audiences."

Reporter's Notes

Bringing the Tokyo Trial Out of the "Black Hole of Oblivion"

In 2010, French scholar Étienne Jaudel published the book "The Forgotten Nuremberg," calling the Tokyo Trial a "black hole" in 20th-century history, and asking why this major trial, which together with the Nuremberg Trial pioneered the judicial practice of international war crimes, had long faded from European public view. Fifteen years later, a documentary on the same subject appeared on French television. For French and even European society, the Tokyo Trial remains a piece of "forgotten" history that urgently needs to be re-understood.

In May 1946, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East opened, trying those principally responsible for Japan's launching of wars of aggression; over the past 80 years, a huge gap has formed between the historical status of this trial and public cognition of it.

European society does not lack the capacity to preserve the memory of war. From the decades-long pursuit of Nazi war criminals, to memorial halls and archives scattered everywhere, to looking back at the war through film, literature, and documentaries, the Nuremberg Trial has long become an important yardstick for Europe's understanding of World War II and modern international justice. This year, at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France, the shortlisted work "The Dawn Archive" was still telling the story of the "Nazi hunters," the Klarsfeld couple, pursuing Klaus Barbie, the "Butcher of Lyon."

The Tokyo Trial should move from the margins of European public cognition toward a more central position. When the Nuremberg Trial is regarded as a common historical heritage of all humanity, the Tokyo Trial should not be viewed merely as a piece of "Asian history"; when the fascist atrocities on the European battlefield are continuously hotly debated by the global historical community, the aggressive crimes on the Asian battlefield and their judicial accountability should no longer be marginalized. The shock felt by French viewers at Japan's aggressive history precisely proves that people of all countries share a common abhorrence of crimes against humanity and a common pursuit of justice in punishing evil. The Nuremberg Trial took place in Europe, the Tokyo Trial took place in Asia; although the two places are far apart, the two trials both answered the major propositions: "Can those who launch wars of aggression and commit large-scale war crimes escape legal responsibility? Can state action serve as a shield for individual criminal responsibility? Can the international community respond to wartime atrocities with law rather than might?"

What needs to be guarded against is that the neglect of the Tokyo Trial is bringing real consequences. Japan has never formed a public narrative of reflection on its aggressive crimes comparable to Europe's reflection on Nazi crimes; on the contrary, it has repeatedly downplayed, whitewashed, and denied its aggressive crimes, resulting in Japanese right-wing forces today openly visiting the so-called "Yasukuni Shrine" where Class-A war criminals are enshrined, the Japanese government pushing for open discussion of revising the "Peace Constitution," and continuously expanding its armaments.

Fortunately, the international community's pursuit of truth and justice has never ceased, and the Tokyo Trial is being "rediscovered" again and again. Facing the significance of the Tokyo Trial squarely is not merely about restoring history; it is about safeguarding the common bottom line drawn by humanity after enduring the catastrophe of the world war: crimes of aggression brook no escape, historical truth brooks no falsification, and judicial justice brooks no challenge.

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Page editors: Wang Yuan, Song Yiran

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To Win on the Future Battlefield, Every Mission Is a "Forced Crossing" (On the Road to a Strong Military · Visiting the Long March Heroic Company)

By: 本报记者 李龙伊

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

Looking back on the 25,000-li Long March, the heroic Red Army officers and soldiers fought a bloody battle at the Xiang River, crossed the Chishui River four times, skillfully crossed the Jinsha River, forcibly crossed the Dadu River, and seized the Luding Bridge by flying assault... The revolutionary forebears, harboring firm ideals and convictions, carved out a path of survival in desperate situations and forged brilliance amid hardship, giving rise to a number of heroic companies with outstanding military exploits such as the "Model Company for the Forcible Crossing of the Wujiang River" and the "Dadu River Company." Every glorious battle flag is engraved with magnificent and awe-inspiring (气壮山河, qi zhuang shan he - "air, strong; mountains, rivers") heroic stories.

Starting today, this newspaper launches the "Entering the Long March Heroic Companies" series of reports, interviewing these heroic companies that rendered distinguished service during the Long March, revisiting classic battle scenes, and showcasing the spiritual outlook of officers and soldiers in the new era who carry forward the great Long March spirit and strive for the great cause of building a strong military.

— Edi  tor

"Though one may traverse all roads under heaven, none is harder to cross than the Wujiang ferry."

The Wujiang River, like an iron-blue flood dragon, splits the land of northern Guizhou from west to east, roaring and surging. Breaking through the Wujiang River was a life-and-death battle and a legendary battle facing the Red Army. The "Model Company for the Forcible Crossing of the Wujiang River" was precisely one of the heroic companies that shouldered the forcible crossing mission that year and performed extraordinary feats.

In early autumn, Feng Xiaohan, political instructor of the "Model Company for the Forcible Crossing of the Wujiang River," following in the footsteps of the Red Army of those years, walked into the depths of the Wumeng Mountains and to the banks of the Wujiang River. The knife-carved cliffs and the torrential river water were profoundly stirring.

At the Wujiang ferry crossing, the water was deep and the waves swift, with hidden reefs densely scattered. The local people have passed down through generations: to cross the Wujiang River, one must have all "two bigs and one good" — a clear sunny day, a large wooden boat, and a skilled boatman — none of which can be missing.

But this company, more than 90 years ago, had none of these. Facing a hail of bullets, how were they able to cross the natural barrier? "What the forebears relied on was precisely the spirit of 'fierce attack and fierce charge, bravely advancing without hesitation.'" Feng Xiaohan said.

Crossing the natural barrier, hot blood forged the company's heroic designation

In the honor room of the "Model Company for the Forcible Crossing of the Wujiang River," two "family heirlooms" are quietly displayed: a battle flag of the "Model Company for the Forcible Crossing of the Wujiang River" and a kerosene lamp from the Houchang Conference.

"A battle flag and a kerosene lamp — how do they carry forward the company's legacy?" Feng Xiaohan often asks this of the soldiers, and also of himself, "What I see is how a military unit, in the darkest of nights, steadfastly advanced its steps and followed its faith."

In January 1935, after the Houchang Conference, enemy forces swarmed in, preparing to form an encirclement at the Wujiang River. If the Central Red Army could not cross the river quickly, the tragedy of the blood-soaked Xiang River a month earlier might be repeated.

The lamplight of the Houchang Conference illuminated the direction of the breakout. "At all costs, open a passage across the river!" Zhang Yunyi, then deputy chief of staff of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, rushed to the Jiangjiehe ferry crossing with urgent orders, and those traveling with him carried the kerosene lamp brought from the Houchang Conference venue, treading out the road to the riverbank in the pitch-black night.

Today, this kerosene lamp can no longer be lit, but the faith beneath its light has never been extinguished.

"The predecessor of our company was the First Company of the First Battalion of the 'Ye Ting Independent Regiment,' the first company in the establishment of the first armed force under the leadership of our Party." Feng Xiaohan said, "Every charge of the forebears is carved into the bloodline of the company."

As a spearhead company, the First Company immediately decided that even at the greatest cost, it would ensure the smooth crossing of the main force. Seventeen brave soldiers of the company stepped forward, boarded three bamboo rafts, and risked death to force the crossing, interpreting with hot blood and life what it means to "fiercely attack and fiercely charge, bravely advancing without hesitation."

The officers and soldiers who had previously carried out the swimming crossing operation also successfully infiltrated behind enemy lines, coordinating from inside and outside to tear open the Wujiang River defense line in one stroke. The Red Army eliminated the enemy on the opposite bank in the shortest time and with the smallest sacrifice, and erected a pontoon bridge across the Wujiang River to ensure the smooth passage of the main force.

"By January 6, 1935, the Central Red Army had all crossed the Wujiang River, leaving the Kuomintang 'pursuit and suppression forces' in the areas east and south of the Wujiang River. The Red Army's prestige shook northern Guizhou." The company history docent's tone carried excitement.

"How difficult it was for the Red Army to cross the river back then!" Ninety-one years later, company squad leader Feng Peishu stood at the Wujiang ferry crossing, seeing the steep mountain ridges on both banks, with cliff walls pressing straight down onto the river surface, like high walls pinning the entire river in between.

The Party history expert traveling with them said: "Currently, dams have been built upstream and downstream of the ferry crossing. In those years, the Wujiang River in winter was deep and swift, and combined with the rapids and dangerous shoals formed by visible and hidden rocks, maneuvering bamboo rafts was fraught with difficulties."

"Before, I had heard the story of the forcible crossing of the Wujiang River again and again. But truly standing at the ferry crossing, looking at those restored bamboo rafts, I was still deeply shaken." Feng Peishu said.

What kind of bamboo rafts were those? They were simply wooden boards sandwiched between bamboo, fixed with bamboo strips. "The Red Army used simple bamboo rafts to break through a natural barrier heavily guarded by enemy troops." Feng Peishu sighed, "Previously I thought 'fierce attack and fierce charge, bravely advancing without hesitation' was just a slogan. Standing here, I finally understood the weight behind it."

Corporal Qian Fadong of the company, whose home is in Chashan Village, Zunyi, Guizhou, has the Wujiang River right at his doorstep. As a child, he often heard the elders point at the river and say: "This is where the Red Army fought their way across back then."

When he enlisted and was assigned to the company, Qian Fadong entered the honor room for the first time and saw the old map on the wall, with the three characters "Chashan Pass" standing out clearly. From a youth by the banks of the Wujiang River to a successor of the heroes who forcibly crossed the Wujiang River, the Wumeng Mountains and the Wujiang River waters nurtured him and also endowed him with a strong sense of mission.

During a live-fire exercise, the vehicle suddenly lurched violently, and the target disappeared from the sight. Qian Fadong abruptly rose to re-acquire the target, his nose bridge slamming hard against the edge of the turret, blood gushing out. He didn't bother to wipe it away, gritted his teeth, re-locked on, and fired — all shots hit.

"Why didn't you call a halt then?" After leaving the training ground, a comrade-in-arms asked while applying medicine to Qian Fadong.

"Back then at the Wujiang River, the Red Army forebears didn't stop even facing a hail of bullets. If they had stopped, the entire campaign might have turned out differently." Qian Fadong replied.

When on leave at home, Qian Fadong went to the Red Army martyrs' monument at the village entrance. He thought of the map in the honor room, of the surging waters of the Wujiang River, of the days of sweating profusely in the barracks, and even more of the Red Army forebears who fought so valiantly back then. At that moment, his conviction to put down roots in the military became even more steadfast.

On the training ground, inheriting the fighting spirit of daring to fight and certain to win

Time flows on. That soul-stirring river-crossing battle has passed 91 years, but the spirit of "fierce attack and fierce charge, bravely advancing without hesitation" still echoes in the hearts of the company's officers and soldiers.

In July this year, in the heartland of the Central Plains, under the scorching sun. During a live-force confrontation exercise, the company was carrying out a dispersal and concealment mission in mountain forests when it suddenly received an order: "Quickly dispatch an advance detachment to conduct preliminary reconnaissance of the advance route!"

Earlier, platoon leader Shi Linlin had already, based on training experience, conducted war-gaming of multiple anticipated scenarios. But halfway through the advance, urgent reports came over the radio: "The bridge ahead has been blown up!" "Small groups of enemy forces spotted harassing on the opposite bank!" "Enemy drone spotted 200 meters to the left flank!" Three dangers overlapping, still caught the officers and soldiers off guard.

Detouring 40 kilometers of mountain roads would be safe, but would delay the opportunity for battle. Forcing a crossing on the spot would be fraught with difficulties, but would ensure arrival on time.

Company commander Huang Shifeng decisively gave the order: "Force the crossing!" Firepower cover, engineer bridge-laying, anti-drone operations... In less than 20 minutes, a mechanized bridge spanned the riverbanks, and the follow-on troops poured through in succession.

"Ninety-one years ago, the forebears rode bamboo rafts and braved a hail of bullets to break through the natural barrier. Today we have advanced equipment that can turn a natural moat into a thoroughfare. But the forebears' genes for victory are still being passed on." Shi Linlin said.

The moments when history shines into reality are always especially moving. Every "forcible crossing" on the training ground is a solemn tribute to that night at the Wujiang River.

To bring the spirit of "fierce attack and fierce charge, bravely advancing without hesitation" to the future battlefield, new skills and new achievements are also needed.

In a confrontation exercise a few years ago, the squad led by Sergeant Wu Chengming was responsible for mopping up remaining enemy forces. No sooner had the lead troops crested the hill than they were hit with a "head-on cannon blast" by the hidden Blue Force, suffering heavy losses.

"Why not use drones for reconnaissance?" At the after-action review meeting, Wu Chengming's question struck at the crux. The equipment had just been issued, and no one could use it proficiently — this became an awkward reality. From then on, the company formed a unmanned equipment research and training group, and Wu Chengming volunteered to serve as its leader.

During that period, Wu Chengming trained with the simulator every day, often until one or two in the morning, with comrades-in-arms teasing him that he had developed "panda eyes." In assembly training, in order to make the welding more solid, he practiced repeatedly until his index and middle fingers were covered in blisters from burns. "Today our equipment is more advanced, but the spirit of 'fierce attack and fierce charge, bravely advancing without hesitation' must not be lost!"

The effort was not in vain. In a recent urban offensive-defensive exercise, Wu Chengming operated a FPV drone at speeds exceeding 80 kilometers per hour, precisely flying into a wall firing port only 3 centimeters taller than the drone itself, destroying the target in one strike.

"Technology is changing, the battlefield is changing, but the fighting spirit must not change." Sergeant Li Zhen, who is also charging ahead in the field of unmanned operations, said, "What we need to do is use new technology to carry forward the old spirit and win future wars."

In one exercise, Li Zhen reported "all clear" after observing with binoculars, only for the formation to be ambushed by the hidden Blue Force, suffering heavy losses. From then on, he set aside his fixed way of thinking and trained hard in drone operation. Through takeoffs and landings again and again, and review after review, he gradually mastered the operating skills of multiple types of unmanned equipment.

In a tactical exercise in August, an unfinished building proved difficult to take after prolonged assault. Li Zhen decisively operated a drone to move forward, completing reconnaissance, targeting, and striking in one smooth sequence. The enemies hidden in the shadows were eliminated one by one, and the unit completed the mission with zero casualties.

Wherever the battle flag points, the mission will be accomplished, continuing to write new glory

In October 1936, the First Red Army Corps conferred on the First Company the title of "Model Company for the Forcible Crossing of the Wujiang River." From then on, this battle flag has accompanied the company through eventful years, inspiring generations of officers and soldiers to overcome difficulties and charge toward battle.

Before enlisting, Senior Private Shao Weiya was a third-year student at Renmin University of China. From the first new-style regular university founded by the Party to the first armed force under the Party's leadership, he said: "Youth is not just about burying one's head and pressing forward; it should also devote one's full passion to faith and mission."

When he first entered the military, Shao Weiya lagged behind in physical fitness, and at the new recruit graduation assessment, he ranked third from the bottom overall. After joining the company, during the first battalion-wide mobilization, because of his nervousness, the entire squad was the last to complete the task.

That evening, the squad leader did not criticize Shao Weiya, but instead took him to stand beneath the battle flag: "Weiya, do you know how this battle flag came to be?"

That night, Shao Weiya thought for a long time beneath the battle flag. Afterward, he set himself a rigorous extra training plan: when comrades-in-arms trained in light gear, he wore full gear; on weekend mornings, he trained alone in armed long-distance running. In wind and rain, covered in mud and water, he shouted with all his might toward the sky, venting the pent-up frustration and stubbornness within him.

On the day of the competition, the instructor asked loudly beneath the battle flag: "Do you still remember our company's soul?"

"Fierce attack and fierce charge, bravely advancing without hesitation!" Shao Weiya shouted. At the sound of the starting gun, he gave his all and ultimately took first place in the enlisted soldier group. Crossing the finish line, tears burst from his eyes.

The power of the battle flag is written into the growth of every officer and soldier.

"Every generation has its own Long March." Shao Weiya said, "Only by facing difficulties head-on and advancing without hesitation can we break through the 'Wujiang River natural barrier' that we must confront today."

Deputy squad leader Gou Yongyong, who re-enlisted for a second term of service, feels the company's "temperament" deeply: "Whenever we encounter opponents on the competition ground or need to tackle major tasks, a light suddenly appears in everyone's eyes, and they charge forward without hesitation."

This kind of drive shines even more brightly on foreign soil.

In 2022, the company was deployed in full formation to South Sudan to carry out peacekeeping missions. On the first armed escort mission, squad leader Xia Zhengping encountered a tough battle. During reconnaissance, local armed elements snatched their work camera and summoned more than a dozen armed individuals. Xia Zhengping stood in front of the other party's motorcycle, arguing on principle, demanding that the camera must be left behind. Seeing that intimidation was ineffective, the other party eventually returned the camera and left.

"It's impossible not to be afraid. I had never felt so close to danger." Xia Zhengping said, "On one end of the 'balance' is life, but on the other end is a mission heavier than life."

That year, the company successfully completed 7 short patrols, 5 long patrols, 10 short-distance escorts, and dozens of urban patrols. Platoon leader Jiang Heng participated in the peacekeeper competition, competing against 21 teams from 15 countries, scoring full marks in all 7 subjects and winning the championship. At year's end, the company was commended by the Central Theater Command Ground Force as a "Model Unit for Practicing the Goal of Building a Strong Military."

Returning in triumph from overseas, the battle flag was then planted on the flood-fighting dikes.

In 2023, many areas in northern China were hit by extraordinary floods. The company was ordered to Tianjin and Zhuozhou, Hebei, for flood fighting and emergency rescue. From noon until the early morning of the next day, the officers and soldiers fought continuously for 14 hours. When the rainstorm struck, everyone put on white woven bags and continued working; when their shoes got wet, they took them off and went into action barefoot.

"These are hands wringing sweat from clothes, these are hands at work, these are hands being applied with medicine..." In the photos of the soldiers fighting the flood, those pairs of hands bore witness to the hardship of the battle and also to the inheritance of the spirit.

Squad leader Li Weidong thought of the company's other family heirloom — the "umbrella of the people" given to the company by villagers of Huangchangpu Village, Beijing, during the War of Liberation. "Back then, the forebears strictly observed discipline and served the people, winning the recognition of the common people; today, we must also hold on to this trust. The company's fundamental character has never changed. For the safety of the people, I am willing to give everything." Li Weidong said.

The waters of the Wujiang River still surge on, day and night without cease. That battle flag, steeped in glory, leads the new generation of officers and soldiers to charge toward battle.

Wherever the battle flag stands, that is the direction of the charge.

"The forebears walked the longest roads, braved the coldest winds, and forcibly crossed the most raging rivers." Looking at the battle flag fluttering proudly in the wind, Feng Xiaohan said, "Now, they must be watching us, as we climb higher mountains, cross wider rivers, and pursue even more dazzling light."

(Gong Zeyuan and Luo Tianyang contributed to the reporting)

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Let National Defense Education Be Both Innovative and Heartfelt (Jintai Beacon)

By: 金正波

As September begins, with the first lesson of the new school year, a "Long March grand lesson" covering all four school stages of Jiangxi's primary schools, junior high schools, senior high schools, and universities officially commenced.

More than 90 years ago, the Central Red Army gathered and set out from Yudu, Jiangxi, embarking on a long and arduous journey. More than 90 years later, a "Long March grand lesson" awakens red memories, inspiring young people to appreciate the feelings of family and country, and to pack up and set out once again.

Tracing the footsteps of our forebears and listening to the stories of the Long March, this "first lesson of the school year" rooted in the red soil is not only an inheritance and baptism of the revolutionary spirit, but also a vivid national defense education lesson for young people.

September coincides with "National Defense Education Month," and this year's theme is "Carry Forward the Great Long March Spirit, Jointly Build a Strong National Defense." The public enters red venues to revisit remarkable and unforgettable times (峥嵘岁月, zheng rong sui yue - "lofty, steep; years, months"); officers and soldiers enter campuses to tell stories of military life; teachers and students enter military camps, where "red scarves" and "camouflage green" interact at zero distance... Across the country, by carrying out rich and varied (丰富多彩, feng fu duo cai - "abundant, full; many, colorful") national defense education activities, the public and young students are guided to further strengthen their concept of national defense and forge the strength to strive forward.

In recent years, from the establishment of the National Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre and Martyrs' Day, to the return of the remains of more than one thousand Chinese People's Volunteers martyrs from the Republic of Korea; from holding the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition and the open-day activities of naval vessels, to holding military parades at important junctures, the social atmosphere of caring about national defense, loving national defense, building national defense, and defending national defense has become even stronger.

But at the same time, it should also be noted that, having been in a peaceful environment for a long time, some people simply view national defense as "a matter for the military," believing that "national defense means fighting wars" and "national defense has nothing to do with me." During the back-to-school season, some are also puzzled: "Is it really necessary to stand at attention in the sun and practice goose-stepping over and over again?" "What, after all, is the meaning of military training today?"

Chen Siqi, the first post-90s captain of the Y-20 transport aircraft of the People's Air Force, answered this question at a report meeting titled "Battle Flags Forge Ambition, Inspiring Youth" recently held at Peking University — "National defense is the 'firewall' that shields our happiness. The 'wall body' is us professional soldiers, but the more crucial 'wall foundation' is everyone. How much pressure the 'wall body' can withstand depends on how deep the 'wall foundation' is." From this perspective, military training is precisely the process of consolidating this "wall foundation" — what it teaches is far more than just drill movements and resounding slogans; it is also the spirit of bravely shouldering missions and the concept of national defense rooted deep in the heart.

National defense is not an abstract concept, but is closely connected to national tranquility, the future of the nation, and daily life. In fact, we merely live in a peaceful country, not in a peaceful era. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has not subsided, and the smoke of gunpowder in the Middle East still lingers. Peace does not fall from the sky, nor is it something that is only natural or as it should be (理所应当, li suo dang ying - "reason, what; should, ought") — it requires everyone to guard it at all times, and guarding begins with vigilance in thought. Strengthening the concept of national defense is everyone's "required course."

At present, the social environment is increasingly open and diverse, and young people's thinking is more active. Innovating the methods and approaches of national defense education, and enhancing its sense of the times and appeal, appears particularly urgent.

To enhance the effectiveness of national defense education, it is necessary not only to inherit the red roots, but also to align with the trends of the times and get close to young people's cognition, being both "innovative" and "heartfelt." On the one hand, deeply explore local red resources, integrate the Long March spirit and revolutionary deeds into the first lesson of the school year, ideological and political education, and research-based study practices, guiding young people to inherit the red gene and build a firm belief in national defense while touching history; on the other hand, innovate educational carriers, abandon rigid preaching, combine with the interests and characteristics of young people, use short videos, situational dramas, red performances, national defense science popularization and other forms, integrate knowledge of aerospace technology, border defense protection, cybersecurity and other fields, interpret the national security situation, so that national defense education has both historical depth and the warmth of the times.

A country cannot stand without national defense, and the people cannot be secure without defense. Only by letting the concept of national defense take root in the hearts of generations of Chinese people can we truly achieve remaining vigilant in times of peace (居安思危, ju an si wei - "dwell, peace; think, danger") and safeguard the hard-won peace.

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Writing Youth on Zhongjian Island (National Defense Frontline)

By: 金正波 吴 亮

In the honor room of the naval garrison unit on Zhongjian Island in the Xisha Islands, a withered coconut sits quietly in a display case. It is not large, its skin already yellowed and wrinkled, with a caption beside it reading: "In 2002, Zhongjian Island harvested its first coconut." Every year when new recruits arrive at the unit, the political instructor tells them the story behind this coconut. This seemingly ordinary coconut has a special "life story."

Zhongjian Island, located at the southernmost tip of the Xisha Islands, covers an area of less than 1.5 square kilometers. Formed from accumulated coral sand and shell debris, it endures year-round high temperatures, high humidity, high salinity, and frequent typhoons, earning it the nickname "Gobi Desert of the South China Sea" from local fishermen. In 1975, when garrison troops first set foot on the island, all they could see were two colors: blue and white—blue for the sea, white for the sandy beach, with not a trace of green.

To address the coral sand soil conditions, the troops carried soil onto the island on their backs. The soil in the vegetable plots was multicolored—yellow earth, red earth, black earth—with signs at the plot edges reading "Shaanxi," "Fujian," and "Heilongjiang," all soil carried back handful by handful from the soldiers' respective hometowns. For the saplings they planted, everyone watered them with their saved fresh water, set up simple shade shelters, and tended them with great care. Even so, none of the more than 200 trees initially planted survived. The failures were almost despairing, but no one conceded defeat. Day after day (日复一日, ri fu yi ri - "sun, repeat, one, day"), the troops tried planting sunflowers, violets, banana trees... They died, and they planted again; they planted again, and they died.

In 1979, then-squad leader Wu Ruikong used the island's only yellow earth and manure as fertilizer, tending carefully, and succeeded in growing the island's first tree—a silver-hair tree. This tree ignited hope in everyone. In 1982, Zhongjian Island successfully grew its first batch of nearly 300 coconut trees and slash pines. This island without vegetation welcomed its green. It was also in this year that the garrison unit was awarded the honorary title of "Patriotic, Island-Loving Sentinels of the Remote Frontier" by the Central Military Commission.

However, growing trees successfully was only the beginning; waiting for them to bear fruit was an even longer ordeal. Over 20 years, the troops carried forward the spirit of hard struggle, nurturing these coconut trees as if they were their own children. In 2002, a coconut tree bore its first fruit. No one could bear to open and taste that coconut; instead, it was solemnly placed in the honor room.

A single coconut embodies the loyal hearts of the sentinels of the remote frontier who have rooted themselves at the southern outpost of the South China Sea. Here, patriotism is never an abstract slogan but a concrete, tangible action. Senior Sergeant First Class Li Xiaolong has served on Zhongjian Island for decades. As long as he does not leave Zhongjian Island, on the first day of every month, he paints the two characters "China" on the sovereignty monument bright red with red paint, unwavering year after year.

Master Sergeant Second Class Zhang Xiaowei, in his 20 years of military service, has tackled difficulties head-on and devoted himself to intensive study. Through six rounds of upgrades and replacements of old and new equipment, facing new equipment and new technologies, he has each time volunteered to serve as a "pathfinder," mastering proficiency in dozens of types of old and new radar systems and compiling three manuals on fault handling and data recovery totaling about 100,000 characters.

Today, more than 6,000 slash pines and several hundred coconut trees have survived on the island, and the camp area is shaded by lush greenery providing shade (绿树成荫, lv shu cheng yin - "green, tree, become, shade"). Conditions have changed, but that spirit of "small island, great loyalty; hardship, yet greater achievement" remains unchanged.

From generation after generation of troops carrying soil onto the island on their backs, to commanding information-based equipment to guard the maritime frontier, at the southern outpost of the motherland, a group of troops have rooted themselves deeply here with their youth and blood, guarding peace and tranquility day and night.

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Page editors: Li Longyi

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How the "Pinglu Canal Team" Succeeds (Frontier Observation)

By: 本报记者 祝佳祺

The Pinglu Canal, a backbone project of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, is about to open to navigation.

As the first canal in the history of the People's Republic of China to connect a river with the sea, the Pinglu Canal has moved from the vision of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's The International Development of China to reality, spanning a full century. Construction began in August 2022, and navigation will open in September 2026 — a total length of 134.2 kilometers, a total investment of approximately 72.7 billion yuan, and 315 million cubic meters of earth and rock excavation: the century project has taken only four short years. The "Pinglu Canal Battle Team," composed of more than 20,000 builders, with 40 Party branches along the entire line, more than 110 Party member commando teams, and more than 1,300 Party member cadres, has been working together in a unified manner (攥指成拳, zuan zhi cheng quan - "fist, grasp; finger, become; fist") on the front line, going all out to build a quality project, a green project, and a clean project.

"Build the Pinglu Canal to high standards and high quality." General Secretary Xi Jinping's earnest instructions have stirred a surging response across the land of Guangxi.

Rapid assembly at the front line, working together in a unified manner and "willing to take responsibility"

"Our biggest problem right now is that we don't have enough people!" In May 2023, the Organization Department of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region received a list of cadre and talent needs covering water transport, environmental protection, informatization, safety, finance, Party building, discipline inspection, and other fields.

This list came from the Pinglu Canal Group, which had been established for less than a year.

On June 9, through differential recommendation and competitive selection, the first batch of 16 cadres stood out from 43 recommended candidates and were seconded to the Pinglu Canal Group.

Wei Binqi, director of the Autonomous Region Fiscal Funds Review Center, was one of the first batch of members. From receiving the secondment notice to reporting for duty took less than a week. "I had long been responsible for infrastructure finance. To be able to serve a century project like this — I feel deeply honored!"

The canal's total budgeted investment is 72.719 billion yuan. Funds need to be arranged as quickly as possible, and the pace of payment must be cross-checked against project progress to ensure construction targets are met on schedule. She quickly got into character: "Our 'Pinglu Canal Battle Team' treats the construction site as a battlefield. There are no holidays, only deadlines; no difficulties, only progress."

"Don't act as a guest but as the host; don't act as a spectator but as a capable official." Having served as deputy director of the Finance Department of the Pinglu Canal Group for only a little over a year, Wei Binqi has closely followed the main line of "low cost, compliance, and high efficiency," pressing down financing costs through multi-party negotiations and strengthening tracking and supervision of disbursed funds; she has actively communicated and coordinated with the Autonomous Region Department of Finance, the Department of Transport, and other departments to promote the resolution of practical difficulties such as compensation for land acquisition and demolition in Qinzhou and the financing of four bridges in Qinzhou.

"Pride" is the word reporters heard most often when visiting the Pinglu Canal from Party member cadres in different positions.

The rapid assembly of talent from all fields is not only a response to the brand appeal of the "century project," but also requires meticulous talent organization.

In the past, "those you want to use can't be used, and those who should be sent can't be sent out" was one of the bottlenecks in advancing major projects. "On the one hand, all units face heavy operational pressure, and the technical backbone who understand the profession are a mainstay or crucial person (顶梁柱, ding liang zhu - "top, beam, pillar") of their original units; on the other hand, some cadres have concerns about secondment," said a responsible comrade from the Organization Department of the Autonomous Region Party Committee.

Give those who are "willing to work" a "promising future." All seconded cadres hold real positions, are given real authority, and bear real responsibility, directly managing a certain area of work. The Autonomous Region Party Committee issued the Opinions on Further Encouraging the Broad Ranks of Cadres to Take Responsibility and Make Achievements in the Construction of a Magnificent and Beautiful Guangxi in the New Era, using a correct orientation for cadre selection to lead entrepreneurship and endeavor. Organization departments take the effectiveness of canal construction as an important reference for cadre selection and appointment, rank promotion, and evaluation for awards, encouraging cadres to take root on the front line.

Focusing on the urgent needs of Pinglu Canal construction, the Organization Department of the Autonomous Region Party Committee coordinated cadre resources across the region, precisely selected and deployed management teams, carefully selected and dispatched 45 capable cadres for secondment, transferred 124 technical and management backbone personnel, and coordinated with the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Transport, and others to dispatch 4 doctoral degree holders to form a "Pinglu Canal Construction" service group at the project construction front line. These cadres and talents have played important roles in all fields of Pinglu Canal construction.

105 participating construction units and more than 20,000 builders have gathered from across mountains and seas. A "Pinglu Canal Battle Team" has been rapidly assembled. How to pool strength?

Guangxi has insisted on treating the Pinglu Canal as a "Party building project that promotes learning through action," establishing 40 Party branches with full coverage across the project sections, construction teams, and front-line work sites along the canal's 134.2-kilometer line, dispatching more than 200 full-time and part-time Party affairs workers, bringing all Party members from the project owner, construction parties, design parties, supervision parties, and other parties under unified management, and using the "three linkages, three co-constructions" mechanism to break down the organizational barriers of the 105 participating construction units. More than 110 Party member commando teams have been formed, 183 Party member responsibility zones have been established, and more than 1,300 Party member cadres have pooled their strength to tackle difficulties.

The Pinglu Canal Group has created the "Pinglu Canal Battle Team · Pioneers of the Canal Opening" Party building brand, extending and building a brand matrix of "Pinglu Alliance, Pinglu Clean, Pinglu Wisdom, Pinglu Innovation, Pinglu Tide, Pinglu Charm," covering six areas including branch co-construction, clean construction, and talent cultivation, and innovating the "three simultaneous" working method of deploying Party building tasks and engineering tasks simultaneously, advancing organizational construction and project construction simultaneously, and implementing Party building assessment and engineering evaluation simultaneously, promoting Party member cadres to write loyalty through action, embody responsibility through action, and realize value through action on the canal front line.

"The implementation of the Party building brand construction is one of the assessment indicators in our quarterly comprehensive inspections of each project section, and it is included as an important basis for evaluation and award selection," said Li Jianliang, deputy director of the General Affairs Department of Guangxi Pinglu Canal Construction Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the Pinglu Canal Group that assists in advancing Party building brand construction along the entire line. "Party building work inspections do not only look at ledgers, but also at actual engineering construction performance. A branch is a fighting fortress, and a Party member is a banner of struggle."

Confronting problems head-on, clean and upright, "daring to take responsibility"

"Whoever wants to move can move; I'm not moving anyway." At the start of construction, in Tongluoping Village, Shaping Town, Lingshan County, Qinzhou City, located on the Pinglu Canal line, many villagers were agitated as soon as they heard about relocation.

In the 1960s, they had already moved once to support the construction of the Xijin Reservoir in Nanning.

Shaping Town did not push hard. The model of "Party building leadership + villager self-governance + villager council" quietly unfolded: 3 policy publicity teams went door to door, 9 villager representatives deliberated, 11 "micro-grid" Party members took responsibility for households, and 100 container units were coordinated to store villagers' belongings free of charge.

The deadlock was broken by the words of Huang Rentang, a veteran Party member and villager representative: "I'm a Party member — if I don't sign, who will?" As a relocated household, he took the lead in signing the agreement and voluntarily vacating his house, and even repaired his old home to provide temporary accommodation for an eighty-year-old villager in the village.

With the leading example set, work advanced rapidly. In 39 days, all 109 households signed. In January 2025, all 648 households moved into new homes, and the first batch of 521 relocated households completed their housing lottery in just 7 days, setting a record of "zero disputes, zero complaints."

Land acquisition and demolition are difficult — what if cadres "lie flat"? The capable are promoted, the excellent are rewarded, the mediocre are removed, and the inferior are eliminated. The Qinzhou Municipal Party Committee Organization Department formed a team of "front-line observers" to inspect cadres' actual performance on the front line of land acquisition, demolition, and relocation. Qinbei District also promoted a "organizational work service officer" mechanism, assigning liaison responsibility for 71 units, extending the "probe" for identifying cadres to the very front line, identifying and cultivating 146 "Binhai Canal City capable officials," optimizing and adjusting 12 leaders of functional departments related to serving canal construction, and promoting, further using, or upgrading more than 60 people.

"Close-in" supervision has fostered a clean and upright political ecosystem for engineering construction. The Autonomous Region Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervisory Commission has listed supervision of Pinglu Canal construction as the "No. 1 project" of political supervision, with resident supervision teams stationed at the construction site, closely monitoring key areas and critical links such as bidding, fund management, quality management, and cadre work style, and strengthening supervision focused on responsibility implementation, work style, and corruption problems.

"No need to work on relationships; just focus on the project." Qin Yifei, commercial manager of the 13th waterway project section, has worked in engineering for 15 years. In the past, he always had to divert attention to navigating personal connections, but on the Pinglu Canal, this anxiety has disappeared.

This project section runs through the urban area of Qinzhou. At the start of construction, the outward transport and disposal of earth and rock became a "bottleneck" problem — the filing of disposal sites and the approval of transport routes were two indispensable steps. Qin Yifei was worried: could the procedures be completed quickly?

The result was unexpected — the process was exceptionally smooth. "The local government and the construction owner took the initiative to serve." In just two months, the approval for the first disposal site and route was obtained.

Behind this "proactive service" is the practical determination of Party member cadres to turn "hard work" into "hard battles."

Qinnan District specially established a working group for the land disposal project of the Pinglu Canal Jinwo Industrial Park, with a member of the District Party Committee Standing Committee and executive deputy district mayor serving as group leader, coordinating and advancing project construction. The Qinzhou Municipal Administrative Approval Bureau formed a "Party Member Commando Team Serving the Pinglu Canal Project," simultaneously establishing a temporary Party branch with the Party group secretary of the bureau as team leader. Party member cadres vied to be project "service officers," implementing "priority fast processing, approval with missing documents under commitment, and agency processing on behalf of" for approval matters involving the canal.

On the other side, Zhang Qian, deputy director of the Engineering Management Department of Guangxi Pinglu Canal Construction Co., Ltd., invited professional units to repeatedly calculate traffic flow, with precise planning for every link. During that period, she discussed plans in the morning, surveyed the site at noon, and returned in the evening to continue revising, often working late into the night.

After revising the plan more than 20 times, holding more than a dozen coordination meetings, and working nonstop for over a month, the plan finally passed approval.

At her busiest, Zhang Qian went a week without being able to speak face to face with her child. Now, her child passes by the canal every day on the way to and from school, and seeing the waterway connected and the greenery taking shape, proudly tells classmates: "My mother is a builder of the Pinglu Canal."

"We have a slogan — 'Pinglu Battle Team, battles must be won.'" Zhang Qian said, "Everyone is twisted into a single rope, thinking with one mind and exerting strength in one direction. Party member cadres must take the lead in gnawing on the hardest bones."

Pioneering and innovating, tempering talent and appointing the capable, "skilled at taking responsibility"

The Pinglu Canal diverts water from the Xijiang River. It must both guarantee water use in the Pearl River Delta and meet navigation needs, leaving a huge water shortfall. How to save water has become a technical challenge that must be solved.

Under the traditional flat-layout plan, three 10-meter-deep water-saving basins would need to be excavated on each side of the ship locks, covering an area of more than 100,000 square meters, equivalent to 15 standard football fields. But the mountain slopes are steep and the rock strata are fractured, and large-scale excavation would easily cause collapse — that path was impassable, so a different approach had to be found.

"No mature experience to follow, no complete set of technical standards to use, no similar precedent to reference" — then innovation would have to blaze a trail.

The Pinglu Canal construction tackling team boldly changed the water-saving basins from a "flat layout" to a "stacked layout," arranged in a pin-shaped configuration, with one basin hidden deep underground.

A design team of more than 300 people, divided into 10 tackling groups, worked day and night calculating parameters and building models, and a 1:30 scale model fitted with more than a hundred sensors was repeatedly verified.

The world's first stacked water-saving system was thus born, with a single-pass water-saving rate for the ship locks exceeding 60% and annual water savings of more than 1 billion cubic meters.

The strongest navigation capacity among similar canals in the world, the fastest navigation speed among similar ship locks in the world, the largest head difference of water-saving ship locks in the world, the largest inland waterway water-saving ship locks in the world... The Pinglu Canal has cumulatively overcome 28 key technologies, obtained 42 patents, promoted more than 220 "four new" technologies, and formulated 301 standards. Under extreme challenges, the "Pinglu Canal Battle Team," skilled at taking responsibility, has unleashed enormous energy.

The challenges are not limited to engineering technology. As a systematic project, Pinglu Canal construction also requires coordinating construction, environmental protection, people's livelihoods, and other issues. In June 2023, Hong Ming was seconded from his post as deputy director of the Guangxi Marine Environment Monitoring Center Station to serve as deputy director of the Engineering Management Department of the Pinglu Canal Group.

At that time, the canal was already in full construction. Under the concept of a "green project," how could the ecological bottom line be held?

"Ecological risk prevention and control must run ahead of construction!" Hong Ming led his team to the construction sites to take stock of the ecological baseline, urging all participating construction units to implement construction protection measures in accordance with environmental impact assessment documents and design documents, and to control the scope of construction impact. They systematically compiled supporting plans for biodiversity observation and drinking water safety guarantees, refining ecological protection requirements down to each project section and each process, so that green construction has rules to follow.

"In the past, when working on projects, 80 points was enough to earn praise, but on the Pinglu Canal you must achieve 100 points." This is a common feeling among many builders.

The Madiao Hub ship locks use steel plate facing for protection along the entire line, but the guide wall of the approach channel partially uses steel fenders. This little-known detail is a vivid illustration of optimizing while building.

"Most water transport engineering ship locks use traditional steel fenders, but based on site visits and observations, the durability of steel plates and the lock chamber space will reach a higher level," said engineer Wei Minxin. Following the group's arrangements, he and the engineering management team successively made factory visits to other domestic ship locks and top metal structure manufacturing enterprises, supervising production while learning on site. "Facing new situations, to build a quality project, we must all be good at learning and always pursue better solutions." Since the start of Pinglu Canal construction, multiple similar on-site study tours have been organized, with nearly 20 backbone personnel participating. Relying on the "Western Light" and "Guangxi Light" projects, a group of young talents from the Pinglu Canal Group have gone to advanced regions for study and research, improving their ability to master frontier technologies, carry out scientific and technological tackling, and serve major strategies.

Combining combat with training has continuously enhanced the combat effectiveness of the "Pinglu Canal Battle Team." In April 2023, Zhong Guangda joined the Pinglu Canal Group and has since been stationed on the front line at the Qingnian Hub, leading efforts to tackle construction difficulties such as optimizing concrete mix ratios and placing mass concrete, and promoting the completion of the Qingnian Hub on schedule. In December 2025, Zhong Guangda, a 37-year-old engineer, was honorably admitted into the Party for his outstanding performance, becoming a Communist Party member.

The Organization Department of the Autonomous Region Party Committee treats the Pinglu Canal as a "whetstone" and "racecourse" for tempering Party member cadres and talents, implementing a "dual cultivation" mechanism that has developed 32 business backbone personnel into Party members and cultivated 46 Party members as technical leaders.

A knife is sharpened on a stone; a person is tempered in work. Li Quan, a post-2000 technician, could not even distinguish concrete grades when he first arrived, but after four years of tempering, he can now handle things independently.

"'The spirit of the Pinglu Canal Battle Team' still inspires me!" Wei Binqi, who has returned to her original unit after her secondment ended, is now applying the digital fund supervision experience accumulated on the Pinglu Canal to the supervision of major projects across the region.

The team is formed, the war drums are beating, and riding the mighty east wind of the century project, this "Pinglu Canal Battle Team" that is willing to take responsibility, dares to take responsibility, and is skilled at taking responsibility is writing its answer sheet of overcoming difficulties on Guangxi's new journey of advancing toward the sea and building strength.

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Mastering the "Three-Character Formula" for Work Style Building (Jintai Tidal Sound)

By: 何昭宇

The Party's work style is the Party's image; it bears on whether the people support or oppose the Party, and on the Party's very survival. "Persisting in advancing the normalization and long-term institutionalization of work style building" is one of the core connotations of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, and it is the experience distilled from our Party's having undergone rigorous testing and refinement (千锤百炼, qian chui bai lian - "thousand, hammer, hundred, refine") while remaining forever vigorous and full of vitality.

Since the new era began, the Party Central Committee has broken new ground by formulating and implementing the Eight-Point Regulation (八项规定), and the Party's and the government's conduct has taken on an entirely new look, while social customs and popular mores have continued to improve. Work style building is always on the road, never has a full stop, and must not slacken for even a moment. General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly pointed out: "The key is to make efforts in persisting, in being meticulous, and in sustaining over the long term."

Persisting means grasping it regularly and making it the norm.

Not long ago, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission published the summary of cases nationwide in July 2026 involving violations of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation. In that month, more than 27,000 cases nationwide of violations of the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation were investigated and dealt with, and more than 34,000 people were criticized, educated, and handled — this is the 155th consecutive month in which monthly data have been published.

General Secretary Xi Jinping once cited the story of "the Pleasant Three Li." "The Pleasant Three Li" is a stretch of level road halfway up Mount Tai, where tourists like to stop and rest, yet the porters who carry loads up the mountain dare not linger too long, for fear that their legs will "go lazy" and they will find it hard to climb the "Eighteen Bends." Work style building is like climbing a mountain: when a person is halfway up, the mountain road grows steeper. At the critical juncture, if the spirit once slackens and the mind once relaxes, the problems of the Four Malfeasances (四风) may make a comeback after a setback (卷土重来, juan tu chong lai - "roll, earth, return, come").

The formation of a prevailing atmosphere depends on daily cultivation and guidance, and work style building is valuable precisely for persistent and continuous efforts (常抓不懈, chang zhua bu xie - "constant, grasp, not, slack"). Only by always keeping work style building in a prominent position, organically integrating it into daily work, and ensuring that whoever manages affairs also manages people, and whoever manages people also manages their thinking and their work style, can the value concept of advocating integrity and rejecting corruption gradually become a widely accepted ideological consensus among the people, and can fine Party conduct transform customs and become social practice.

Being meticulous means grasping it in depth and taking concrete measures.

On the second day after the Central Eight-Point Regulation was implemented, General Secretary Xi Jinping went to inspect the former Second Artillery Force headquarters and specifically instructed that roads should not be sealed off, and that his car should travel together with ordinary social vehicles. On his first trip outside Beijing for inspection after the 18th Party Congress, General Secretary Xi Jinping went down to the troops for an inspection, went to the sailors' dining hall, took a tray and queued up with the soldiers to get food, and ate at the same table.

Later, when mentioning these two inspection trips, General Secretary Xi Jinping spoke with earnest and sincere advice (语重心长, yu zhong xin chang - "speech, heavy, heart, long"): "Although in our view these are small matters, the soldiers will regard them as major matters, even matters they will remember for a lifetime. Whether the work style is good or not is reflected precisely in such details, and it is through such tiny, incremental details (一点一滴, yi dian yi di - "one, dot, one, drop") that the broad ranks of officers and soldiers observe us."

Being meticulous embodies conscientiousness; only with conscientiousness can one be concrete, and only with concreteness can one go deep.

Details are important precisely because they are linked to the people's hearts and tied to Party spirit. Rereading the words Comrade Xi Jinping wrote in Zhijiang Xinyu, the enlightenment is all the more profound: "Small matters and minor details are a mirror that can reflect a person's character and reflect one's work style. In small matters and minor details there is Party spirit, there are principles, and there is personal integrity."

Sustaining over the long term means grasping it persistently and achieving long-term results.

"In grasping the Eight-Point Regulation and work style building, why do we refuse to let go? It is precisely so that they can be carried through to the ground, consolidated, and made long-term and institutionalized; then the achievements will be truly remarkable, and only then will there be the precondition for concentrating energy on undertaking some new undertakings."

Sustained, long-term effort relies on seeking long-term results through institutional development. The first meetings of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee convened after the 19th and 20th Party Congresses both had on their agendas the deliberation of the Rules for the Implementation of the Central Eight-Point Regulation by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Perseverance can overcome great difficulties (绳锯可断木, sheng ju ke duan mu - "rope, saw, can, break, wood"), and persistence can achieve even the most difficult tasks (滴水能穿石, di shui neng chuan shi - "drop, water, can, pierce, stone"). A 2025 survey by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that 95.5 percent of surveyed members of the public expressed affirmation of the effectiveness of implementing the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation, and 92.2 percent of surveyed members of the public expressed satisfaction with the effect of the transformation of Party and government conduct in driving the improvement of social mores. This is the vote of confidence that the people have cast for our Party.

The Central Eight-Point Regulation is "an iron rule and a hard benchmark that is effective over the long term." On the new journey, maintaining the determination and perseverance to fight a tough battle and a protracted war, implementing the spirit of the Central Eight-Point Regulation with unremitting and persistent effort (锲而不舍, qie er bu she - "carve, and, not, abandon"), and advancing the normalization and long-term institutionalization of work style building, we will surely be able, with a fine work style, to unite people to focus their efforts (凝心聚力, ning xin ju li - "condense, heart, gather, strength") and truly and pragmatically work, continuously opening up new prospects for the development of our cause.

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The "Missing" Old-Age Insurance (Supervision Watch)

"We paid the money for old-age insurance, so why can't we find the payment records?" Not long ago, the Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervisory Commission of Xupu County, Huaihua City, Hunan Province, received a report from the masses, reflecting that several villagers in a certain village were unable to query their rural old-age insurance payment records.

The Xupu County Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervisory Commission set up a special verification team, retrieved ledger materials, visited villagers one by one, and verified the account details, quickly clarifying the facts of the case. It turned out that Han, a member of the village party branch committee and a member of the village committee, failed to enter the villagers' old-age insurance fees collected and turned over by the leaders of each villagers' group into the system in accordance with regulations and in a timely manner, and also mixed the collected insurance fees with personal funds, resulting in the loss of payment information for many villagers' old-age insurance for that year, making them unable to normally enjoy the corresponding government subsidies.

After the case came to light, Han paid the old-age insurance fees for 66 villagers in full, made up the remaining premiums in full, and proactively compensated the villagers for the government subsidies they had missed.

"For the mistakes I made in being lax in performing my duties and disregarding the interests of the masses, I feel deep remorse and heartache (痛心疾首, tong xin ji shou - "painful, heart, severe, head") and endless regret (悔恨不已, hui hen bu yi - "regret, hate, not, stop")." Han reflected deeply. In the end, Han received the corresponding punishment.

[Commentary from the discipline enforcers] Rural old-age insurance is the guarantee for villagers' later years, and every cent is an account of the people's hearts. Failure to pay or record, misappropriation or occupation, resulting in villagers being unable to enjoy the corresponding government subsidies, harms the vital interests of the masses and damages the credibility of the Party and the government. This case exposes problems such as the irregular operation of "small and micro power" at the village level and the inadequacy of village affairs disclosure. The vast number of Party members and cadres should treat the affairs of the masses as their own affairs, neither delaying nor shirking, and fulfill their duties with due diligence; at the same time, they should always keep the string of discipline and rules taut, know reverence, maintain caution, and hold the bottom line, ensuring that policies benefiting the people truly benefit the people.

(Wu Houhua)

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Page editors: He Zhaoyu

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Folk Songs, Keeping Pace with the Times (Upholding "Two Creations" · Focus on New Popular Literature and Art)

By: 杨玉成

Faced with folk songs vast as the sea (浩如烟海, hao ru yan hai - "vast, like, mist, sea"), we should approach them, respect them, understand them, and explore them, and on this basis, innovate and develop further. Keep the songs alive, keep the roots secure, and let them grow new branches and leaves.

In recent times, two folk songs have gone viral across social media. The northwestern Hua'er song "Ga Lian Shou" and the Yunnan Jingpo ethnic group's song-and-dance "Munao Zongge" have spread from the rural earth to phone screens, not only garnering hundreds of millions of views but also sparking a nationwide craze of singing along, revealing the extraordinary charm of traditional folk music.

Some people ask me: as lifestyles change, are folk songs destined to become outdated? My research over these years has increasingly convinced me that we cannot draw such a simple conclusion.

Our country has a vast territory, and the current state of survival of folk songs in different regions varies greatly. In some places, traditional singing is gradually withdrawing from daily life; in others, folk songs remain active in production, festivals, and everyday social interactions; and some folk songs, once in decline, have regained vitality under new social conditions.

In 2007, I went to the Xilingol grassland to investigate Mongolian long-tune folk songs. In Sonid Right Banner, local cultural workers told me that only a few dozen people could sing traditional folk songs. At that time, when people talked about the inheritance of long tunes, there was a certain sense of crisis.

Nearly 20 years have passed, and today's Xilingol presents a different scene. More and more young people are beginning to learn and sing long tunes, and a group of outstanding young singers is continuously growing. The sounds that once required going deep into pastoral areas to find now appear not only on professional stages but have also re-entered living spaces such as weddings, banquets, and gatherings of friends. In cities like Hohhot, one can also see many young people learning and singing traditional folk songs. Some born in the 1980s and 1990s know more folk songs than those born in the 1970s, and their understanding and application of tradition are also more self-conscious.

This reminds us that modernization is not naturally the enemy of folk songs. On the one hand, rapid changes in urbanization, mediatization, and lifestyles will cause some folk songs to gradually lose their original living context; on the other hand, cities, schools, stages, films, the internet, and music festivals have created unprecedented space for the dissemination of traditional music. For example, khoomei, the Grand Song of the Dong people, and Xintianyou have long broken through their original regional boundaries, entering films, variety shows, music festivals, and the musical lives of young people, becoming highly recognizable Chinese sounds. The practices of some young musicians are equally worthy of attention. In their creations, they use traditional instruments, absorb the nourishment of traditional music, and at the same time employ modern instruments and arrangement methods, fusing the two and attracting a cross-regional, cross-generational audience.

Of course, acknowledging that folk songs can change does not mean that any kind of change is acceptable.

Folk songs themselves are mainly transmitted orally and by heart. Generations of singers continuously adjust them according to their own voices, life experiences, emotions, and aesthetics. The same folk song may naturally have multiple versions in different regions and among different singers. After new artistic forms emerged, they did not eliminate the original traditions; they coexist, extending the same cultural memory from different angles. Songs deeply loved by the public, such as "Kangding Love Song," "Jasmine Flower," "Wild Geese," and "Do You Know or Not," were themselves born from folk song melodies or nourished by their aesthetic spirit. Today, behind much music creation with Chinese character, one can also see the shadow of traditional folk songs.

Therefore, the question is not "can folk songs be changed," but whether we truly understand what we are changing. If one does not understand the region, history, and way of life behind a folk song, merely stitching together a few melodic fragments, a few traditional instruments, and a few sonic symbols with regional color cannot yet be called genuine creative transformation. Particular attention should be paid to the tendency to take works that have undergone stage adaptation and popularization and, in turn, treat them as the original ecological tradition itself. Over time, people only know the processed "new version" but not where it came from, and the tradition may quietly lose its foundation amid lively dissemination.

When discussing folk songs today, there is another often-overlooked question: do we still have the ability to listen to folk songs? Modern people's musical experience is increasingly rich, yet also increasingly reliant on immediate judgment. Opening a phone, one can decide whether a song sounds good within dozens of seconds or even a dozen; whether a melody can quickly catch the ear often becomes an important criterion for dissemination. "Sounds good" is certainly not wrong, but if "sounds good or not" becomes the only yardstick, we may miss a great deal of precious traditional music.

The listening that folk songs demand is often not immediate. Why is a song sung this way? Why is a note held so long? Why can a melody that sounds simple evoke strong emotions among local people? These questions, if separated from the environment in which the music was produced, are often difficult to truly understand. Likewise, listening to a long tune on a city street lined with high-rises is very different from listening while standing on a vast grassland. When the distant sky, white clouds, and grassland spread out before you, you realize that the expansiveness of the long-tune melody is not an artificial stretching of a note, but is closely tied to the space of the grassland, the breath of people, and the rhythm of herders' lives.

Understanding folk songs requires historical imagination and also empathy with life. Understanding the living environment of a place, understanding how local people express emotions, and knowing on what occasions a song is sung, to whom it is sung, and why it is sung—only then will many details in the music gradually emerge. Folk songs are not the accidental inspiration of any single individual; they have passed through the singing, revision, and selection of countless ordinary people, accumulating long-standing life experience and emotional memory.

Faced with folk songs vast as the sea, we should approach them, respect them, understand them, and explore them, and on this basis, innovate and develop further. The important thing remains keeping the songs alive, preserving the voices of representative inheritors, recording the versions of different regions and different singers, and preserving the relationships between folk songs and regions, customs, production, and life. Keep the songs alive, keep the roots secure, and let them grow new branches and leaves. The creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture does not mean simply packing tradition into existing forms, but, after truly understanding the spirit of tradition, reconnecting it with today's life.

When more and more people are willing to approach folk songs, willing to enter the mountains, rivers, history, and life behind them, those voices that have been passed down for thousands of years will not belong only to the past; they will continue to grow in the life of the new era, and will also keep telling us: where the Chinese nation has come from, and with what sounds it will move toward the future.

(The author is a professor at Inner Mongolia Normal University)

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“Invisible” Front, Unspoken Hopes (New Work Quick Review)

By: 祝燕南

In the 1970s, the counter-espionage film The Invisible Front (《看不见的战线》), dubbed by the Changchun Film Studio, was released. The film tells the story of enemy agents dispatched by hostile forces being captured in one fell swoop (一网打尽, yi wang da jin - "one, net, strike, finish"). Several of its characters left a deep impression on a generation of viewers, and the lurking agent "Old Fox" even became a byword among children of the time for enemy agents. For a long time, counter-espionage and spy-themed films and television dramas, represented by films such as Secret Post in Canton (《羊城暗哨》) and Heroic Tiger (《英雄虎胆》), and TV series such as Eighteen Years in the Enemy Camp (《敌营十八年》) and Lurk (《潜伏》), have always been widely followed and loved by audiences.

The rapid passage of time (光阴荏苒, guang yin ren ran - "light, time, flows, quickly") has not dispelled the smoke of the secret war. Recently, the contemporary national security-themed TV drama Clash (《交锋》) premiered, telling the story of national security police officers working together in a life-and-death contest spanning 20 years against foreign spies. Through the art of film and television, the work presents the fierce struggles against subversion, separatism, and espionage, allowing people to truly see the contest on the covert front in peacetime, to feel the loyalty and dedication of national security guardians, and to become all the more convinced that national reunification is the trend of the times, the cause of justice, and the will of the people.

The drama lets viewers see the collective portrait of national security guardians who are concealing their true identity (隐姓埋名, yin xing mai ming - "hide, surname, bury, name"), loyal and dedicated, and continuously following one another in succession (前赴后继, qian fu hou ji - "go forward, follow, succeed"). In the drama, the national security police officers led by Bureau Chief Wu Shenglai gaze at their opponents with the sharp eyes of hunters, never missing a single move by the enemy, and even when their lives are under severe threat, they still display calm fortitude in facing crises head-on without fear of sacrifice. For example, Jiang Zaizhen, who dies at the very beginning, transmits vital information back to his superiors before the end of his life, opening a breakthrough in the investigation. Carrying on the genre characteristics of spy dramas, the work not only has the thrilling tension of "being in the enemy's camp" to highlight the loyal character of our undercover personnel, but also focuses on portraying the story of a contest being beset by constant dangers (险象环生, xian xiang huan sheng - "dangerous, appearance, surround, arise"), delicately depicting the daily grinding and growth of younger-generation national security officers such as He Chunxiao and Jin Lan as they stay close to their opponents day after day, as well as the frustration, forbearance, and eventual victory of national security guardians such as Wei Guangjin and Ma Qi when they encounter setbacks, creating a strong sense of immersion for the audience.

Through the rich cast of characters on both the enemy and our sides, the work lets people living in the sunshine intuitively feel the dangers that may be hidden around them and understand the long-term and complex nature of the struggles against subversion, separatism, and espionage. Among them are both the ugly faces of enemy "military intelligence" operatives such as Zhu Yingjia and Zheng Guiping, who constantly plot sabotage operations while fighting for power and influence (争权夺势, zheng quan duo shi - "struggle, power, seize, momentum") and profiteering from the opportunity, and the filthy means employed by spy organizations, such as entanglement and coercion, threats and bribery, and kidnapping and assassination. And the very few of our personnel with access to classified information who cannot withstand the severe tests and suffer a single mistake leading to lifelong regret (一失足成千古恨, yi shi zu cheng qian gu hen - "one, slip, foot, become, thousand, ages, regret") serve as negative examples, reflecting the importance of strengthening confidentiality and security work for major scientific research projects and key positions, as well as the necessity of building a national security awareness among the entire people.

Beyond the struggle on the covert front, what cannot be fully told is the shared blood and kinship of people on both sides of the strait as Chinese, and what cannot be suppressed is the common aspiration of compatriots on both sides of the strait for peace and reunification. Since reform and opening up, the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics has flourished, with achievements drawing the attention of the whole world (举世瞩目, ju shi zhu mu - "entire, world, gaze, eye"), and the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces have been too anxious to sleep or eat properly (寝食难安, qin shi nan an - "sleep, eat, difficult, peaceful") over this, vainly attempting to sabotage the great cause of national reunification. Clash artistically presents the contest on the covert front and vividly reveals this truth: the historical process of achieving the complete reunification of the motherland cannot be stopped. Those who follow it prosper, while those who oppose it perish (顺之者昌，逆之者亡, shun zhi zhe chang, ni zhi zhe wang - "follow, it, one, prospers; against, it, one, perishes"). At the same time, the drama fully displays the indisputable facts of increasingly extensive cross-strait exchanges and cooperation and increasingly close mutual contacts, interpreting through the small the theme that Taiwan's future lies in national reunification and that the well-being of our Taiwanese compatriots is tied to the rejuvenation of the nation.

A drama with such an important theme and such "must-see" appeal must be even more enjoyable to watch. Although Clash still has certain shortcomings in the display of individual details and character settings, on the whole, the plot is full of twists and turns and the character portrayals are fairly full-bodied. It is a work that is refreshing in theme, technique, and message alike, and it also has enlightening significance for expanding the narrative depth of literary and artistic creation on similar themes. The drama has an ending, but the reflections it inspires are endless. What Clash leaves in the hearts of viewers is not only the life-and-death struggle on the covert front, but also the fervent hope for the complete reunification of the motherland.

(The author is the president of the China Radio, Film and Television Newspapers and Periodicals Association.)

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What the "Give Me Back Ji Jie" Debate Reveals (Sharp Views)

By: ​卞芸璐

Fifteen years on, the crime-investigation drama series Heavy Case Unit Six, etched into the memory of a generation of viewers, has returned to the screen with a "restart." Not long ago, the spin-off series Heavy Case Unit Six: The Vanishing Badge Number went online, and its streaming data quickly climbed. At the same time, discussion surrounding the work continued to ferment, with the hashtag "Give Me Back Ji Jie" holding a high position on the trending list for some time, becoming a focal topic on social platforms.

Similar situations, in which classic series "restart" and trigger heated discussion, occur frequently. Although the focus of the debate differs in each case, all of them reflect a deep shift in viewers' aesthetic needs and reception psychology under the current media landscape. The sustained buzz around "Give Me Back Ji Jie" this time is a vivid case study for analyzing this shift.

"Give Me Back Ji Jie" is a form of aesthetic criticism, reflecting viewers' demands regarding the quality of the series. The initial discussion mostly revolved around the acting of Ji Jie's performer being worse than in the past (今不如昔, jin bu ru xi - "now, not, as, past"), but viewers' dissatisfaction went beyond the performance itself. To be sure, the actor in question has publicly apologized, showing a positive attitude of humbly accepting audience opinions, but a performance lacking in depth and exaggerated in emotion is also inseparable from the plot. The "hysteria" for which the new version of the character has been criticized has its roots in the fact that the script, in order to lay out the character's arc and create dramatic conflict, sacrificed the logic of the character's behavior. At the same time, the less-than-precise restoration of period details in the series, and the disconnect between the southwestern regional setting and the original series' Beijing-flavored temperament, also leave the new version's character image lacking a foundation and difficult to establish.

"Give Me Back Ji Jie" is also an expression of nostalgia, reflecting viewers' desire to protect a collective cultural memory. The Heavy Case Unit Six IP (intellectual property) has become a shared memory for a generation of viewers, and the character Ji Jie, in turn, is a cultural symbol formed through repeated purification by media dissemination. Ji Jie's iconic status lies not only in her being a main character running through all four installments, but also in the especially deep emotional projection viewers placed on her. She was not only highly capable in handling cases, with rigorous logic and decisive action, but also the interpersonal glue within Unit Six. That crisp, sharp, and relaxed temperament made her the textbook-style female detective in viewers' hearts. The emotions viewers invested in Ji Jie back then are precisely the source of today's nostalgic sentiment behind "Give Me Back Ji Jie." Therefore, when the new work failed to restore the character of Ji Jie to a high standard, it is not hard to understand the emotional backlash that followed.

"Give Me Back Ji Jie" is also a call-out to the creators, reflecting viewers' clear attitude toward the "canonical authority" of the IP. In the field of IP development, canonical authority is an important concept concerning creative boundaries and commercial value. Under the logic of the traditional film and television industry, canonical authority belongs to the copyright holder, who holds the sole right of interpretation over such essential elements as the boundaries of the IP's story world and the direction of character relationships. The developer of Heavy Case Unit Six: The Vanishing Badge Number is precisely the original series' production company, so it undoubtedly holds the IP's canonical authority. Therefore, settings in the series such as placing the character's early life experiences in the southwestern region and giving young Ji Jie a sensitive, impulsive personality foundation fall within the scope of reasonable and lawful adaptation. But viewers, through the outcry of "Give Me Back Ji Jie," have still conveyed a clear attitude: it is acceptable to seize classic nostalgic symbols, and it is acceptable to leverage nostalgia-driven traffic, but the premise is that the adaptation should fit the core of the original work and win viewers' approval. Otherwise, even if these settings are acting in a legitimate and justifiable manner (名正言顺, ming zheng yan shun - "name, correct, words, reasonable") at the copyright level, viewers will still find it hard to feel emotional identification.

The above three points cannot fully cover all the motivations behind the discussion of "Give Me Back Ji Jie," but their typicality is already evident. Under internet conditions, new popular literature and art are flourishing, viewers' discursive power continues to rise, and discussions in the literary and artistic sphere are showing new trends such as denser points of contact, stronger emotional tension, and diverse and complex motivations. Hoping that all parties will fully and rationally understand these changes is precisely the deeper significance of clarifying the discussion around "Give Me Back Ji Jie" this time.

(The author is an associate professor at the School of Journalism and Communication, Shandong Normal University)

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A Moving Album of Mountain-Sea Solidarity

By: 刘 玮

Thirty years of Fujian-Ningxia collaboration have passed, and the "mountain-sea sentiment" has transcended the realm of place names and film and television dramas, settling into a weighty cultural symbol—it condenses Ningxia and Fujian, separated by more than 2,000 kilometers, and thirty years of watching over each other and rushing toward each other, into a moving page of the Chinese story. Recently, the documentary Our Mountain-Sea Sentiment, in three chapters—"Pioneering the Road," "Common Prosperity," and "Toward the New"—looks back on the 30-year course of Fujian-Ningxia collaboration, unfolding the profound friendship that spans mountains and seas through the fates of ordinary individuals.

The ancients said, "Thirty years make one generation." A "generation" on the time dimension, when applied to the individuals in the lens, becomes "half a lifetime." In this sense, 30 years is a time span, but it is also a yardstick with practical weight—enough for a generation to grow, enough for a system to show results.The juncao grass brought by Professor Lin Zhanxi of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University was initially tried by only 27 farming households, yet today it has taken root in more than 100 countries around the world. Zhang Li, who left Ningxia, started with a convenience store in Xiamen, and today his stores have grown to more than 3,600. These ordinary strivers may not have foreseen at the outset that a collaboration spanning mountains and seas would profoundly rewrite the trajectory of their own lives. Over the past 30 years, the form of Fujian-Ningxia collaboration has also iterated and evolved. At the start, it was mainly one-way assistance from Fujian in talent, funds, and technology; later it developed into a two-way rush toward each other—Ningxia's wine was sold in Fujian, and Fujian's smart factories landed in Ningxia. Today, Ningxia has even begun to export technology, enterprises, and talent in the reverse direction. This transformation is precisely the vivid imprint of the eastern-western regional collaboration coming to life.

The "sentiment" that flows through the entire film lets us truly feel that Fujian-Ningxia collaboration is constantly renewing through time (历久弥新, li jiu mi xin - "last long, become new again"). Li Dan, a young teacher at Fuzhou No. 18 Middle School, once went to Xihaigu to support education there. While ill, she left behind this reflection: "It is not that we brought something to those places, but that we gained a great deal from them." Today, at Ningxia Longde County No. 2 Middle School, teachers and students' memories of her have never faded; at her alma mater, Minnan Normal University, her story has been adapted into the stage play A Loyal Heart Blossoms Toward the Flowers, performed and passed down by successive cohorts of juniors for more than 10 years. Medical experts who came from Fujian to Ningxia for joint consultations, at the operating table, voluntarily handed the lead surgeon's position to young Ningxia doctors, willingly serving as assistants to cultivate the Ningxia medical team's ability to independently complete high-difficulty surgeries. In the renovation of Xiamen's urban villages, a construction company from Ningxia undertook this people-benefiting project and also absorbed a large number of fresh university graduates from Fujian. Fujian-Ningxia collaboration originates from national strategic deployment; mountains and seas lean on each other, and distance of a thousand li is no obstacle—the friendship forged between the two places is genuine and profound. This is precisely the most moving sentiment in the "mountain-sea sentiment."

Why is the story of Fujian-Ningxia collaboration moving? The answer lies here: the work does not preach grand principles; it only faithfully records the changing fates of ordinary people. In the film, satellite remote-sensing images spanning 30 years become the most objective footnote to the transformation of Minning Town—contiguous farmland, water conservancy, and industrial parks outline a clear portrait of a demonstration town for ecological resettlement. The people's lives have genuinely improved, and common prosperity has taken on a vivid appearance.

What this documentary calls to mind is not limited to Minning Town. This land, once with extremely harsh living conditions, has been transformed into a prosperous home—it is a living sample of Chinese modernization advancing coordinated regional development and of common prosperity taking firm root and flourishing (落地生根, luo di sheng gen - "land, fall, grow, root"). Across the great north and south of China, how many more such "Minning Towns" are there? And how many high mountains and vast seas are echoing each other from afar and advancing hand in hand? When mountains and seas share one heart, in the final analysis, it is because people's hearts point in the same direction. As an album of the times, the documentary reflects the picture of the entire nation striding boldly toward a better future.

(Author's affiliation: Monitoring Center of the National Radio and Television Administration)

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Polishing Realism Must Not Sacrifice One for the Other (From the Stand)

The drama series Early Spring Sunshine does have praiseworthy and noteworthy (可圈可点, ke quan ke dian - "can praise, can point") aspects in its portrayal of white-collar life in Beijing. The shared apartments in Tiantongyuan, the street-side stalls, and the crowded with people (摩肩接踵, mo jian jie zhong - "rub shoulders, follow heels") flow of commuters in the subway—these details allow many viewers to feel empathizing deeply with others (感同身受, gan tong shen shou - "feel same, body receive") with the characters. However, this sense of realism somewhat breaks down when the narrative shifts to the workplace. The offices of top-tier companies are as empty as model showrooms, and newcomers' pivot tables are crude and outdated, yet their promotion speed is advancing at a very rapid pace (如坐火箭, ru zu huo jian - "as if sit, rocket")—such setups make viewers feel somewhat taken out of the story.

This is also a common problem with workplace dramas. In response, some viewers argue that watching a drama is merely entertainment and one need not take it too seriously—this is not without reason. However, when a drama chooses to build its credibility on real place names, industries, and lifestyles, viewers naturally have reason to examine it through the lens of real-world logic. If the authentic experience of life is insufficient, and the workplace is treated merely as a backdrop for romance, then the love story in the foreground will also hang in the air. A sense of realism is a web; one cannot afford to be neglecting one thing to lose another (顾此失彼, gu ci shi bi - "care this, lose that"). Only by portraying the real conditions of an industry and the emotions of the people within it can workplace dramas truly move audiences.

(Wang Xinlan, Zhengzhou, Henan Province)

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Effectively Strengthen the "On-Site" Force of Literary and Art Criticism (Art Sea Observations)

By: 董耀鹏

As a mirror, a dose of good medicine, and a sharp blade for literary and artistic creation, literary and art criticism is an effective means and a powerful instrument for the Party to lead literary and artistic work, and an important force for promoting the prosperity and flourishing of the literary and artistic cause on the new journey of the new era. At present, critics with ideals, feelings, and a sense of responsibility should keep pace with the times, go deep into life, place themselves in broad and profound social practice, face the myriad manifestations of the new era, and effectively strengthen and enhance the "presence" power of literary and art criticism.

The first is "position" presence. Position is the soul of literary and art criticism; when the position is firm, the direction is clear. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "For literature and art to reflect the voice of the people well, it is necessary to adhere to the fundamental direction of serving the people and serving socialism." This is the political and value position that literary and art criticism must uphold. Critics should always adhere to the clear orientation of praising the good and condemning the bad, clearing away the bad and promoting the good (激浊扬清, ji tuo yang qing - "stir up muddy, raise clear"), confidently recommending outstanding literary and artistic works that manifest the Chinese spirit, reflect the face of the times, and are deeply loved by the people; and resolutely criticizing unhealthy tendencies that violate socialist core values, are vulgar, kitsch, and philistine, distort history, or blaspheme heroes and models. Always stand firmly on the people's side, overcome the stylistic shortcomings of "talking to oneself" and "obscure and hard to understand," take whether audiences and readers are satisfied as the highest standard for evaluating works, and let literary and art criticism truly reach the masses, serve the masses, and become a bridge connecting works and the people.

The second is "practice" presence. The ancients said, "After playing a thousand tunes, one then knows the sounds; after observing a thousand swords, one then recognizes the weapon." Only when literary and art criticism is deeply embedded in the entire chain and whole process of creation, production, and dissemination can it truly play the role of guiding creation. Promote the organic integration of criticism and creation, change the lagging model of "criticizing only after creation is completed," proactively intervene in the early stages of creation preparation, rehearsal and production, and exhibition and promotion, carry out "targeted" criticism on the front line of creation, both keeping the direction in check and putting forward constructive opinions, so as to achieve resonance and two-way engagement between criticism and creation. At present, new literary and artistic forms such as online micro-dramas, short videos, and artificial intelligence-generated content are flourishing, and their aesthetic logic and dissemination laws differ significantly from traditional literature and art. Actively go deep into the practice of new mass literature and art, promptly track and study their creative characteristics and audience needs, do not use old eyes to examine new things or old rulers to measure new works, and accelerate the construction of criticism standards and discourse methods suitable for new mass literature and art. We should also vigorously promote the practice of investigation and research, take the scene as the "first classroom" of criticism, avoid engaging in academic speculation without practical experience (纸上谈兵, zhi shang tan bing - "paper, on, discuss, soldier") while sitting in the study, and let criticism truly keep its feet on the ground, grasp the real situation accurately, and be filled with warmth that touches people's hearts.

The third is "discourse" presence. Continue to deeply explore the excellent traditional Chinese culture, systematically sort out important concepts in classic literary theories such as The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons and The Critique of Poetry, including "understanding a person in the context of their era (知人论世, zhi ren lun shi - "know, person, discuss, generation")," "implication," "spiritual charm," and "vitality," so that excellent traditional literary theory resources radiate new vitality in contemporary criticism. Strengthen research on major theoretical and practical issues, focus on contemporary topics such as the construction of the literary and artistic evaluation system, the application of digital humanities technology, the guidance of new literary and artistic groups, and the evaluation of new mass literature and art, carry out interdisciplinary and cross-category joint research, effectively promote the transformation and application of results, and solve the blocking, stuck, and difficult problems that restrict the combat effectiveness and persuasiveness of literary and art criticism. Enhance international discourse power, around global common topics such as the wave of digital intelligence technology, the protection of cultural diversity, and the inheritance of cultural heritage, put forward Chinese solutions and contribute Chinese wisdom, tell China's story well to the world through high-quality translation and introduction, international academic exchanges, and other means, and build a disciplinary and academic discourse pattern with an independent knowledge system.

The fourth is "personality" presence. As the saying goes, the writing mirrors the person; personality is the foundation of the credibility of literary and art criticism. Only by persisting in telling the truth and reasoning over the long term can critics establish credibility and influence and win the respect and recognition of creators, readers, and audiences. We must strive to overcome the "panic of incompetence," take "being fond of learning and skilled in writing" as a lifelong pursuit, both consolidate the theoretical foundation of Marxist literature and art and extensively dabble in multidisciplinary knowledge such as literature, art, history, philosophy, and sociology, and continuously improve professional quality and ability. Put the construction of professional ethics in a prominent position, resolutely resist unhealthy practices such as "red envelope criticism," "favor criticism," and "circle criticism," and maintain the good image of the literary and art criticism industry. Critics should not only be appreciators of artistic aesthetics, but also leaders of social trends, building a literary and artistic ecology that is self-respecting and self-loving, mutually learning and mutually referencing, and characterized by a bright sky and fresh air; a healthy and wholesome atmosphere (天朗气清, tian lang qi qing - "sky, bright, air, clear").

(The author is the chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Critics.)

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Page editors: Zhang Mingse

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