People's Daily - October 12, 2026

Consolidating the Health Foundation for Chinese Modernization

By: 本报记者 白剑峰

Time is the scale of life; time is the yardstick of endeavor.

A steadily rising "lifeline" condenses a "chronicle" of the nation's health —

In the early years of the founding of New China, the average life expectancy of our people was only 35 years. In 2015, the average life expectancy of our people was 76.34 years, and in 2025 it reached 79.25 years. The maternal mortality rate and the infant mortality rate have continued to decline. Major health indicators remain steadily among the forefront of middle- and high-income countries with populations exceeding 100 million, and the people's health level has improved significantly.

A set of globally notable data marks the historic achievements of the building of a Healthy China —

Our country has built the world's largest systems of medical services, traditional medicine, disease prevention and control, and medical security; more than 1.1 million medical and health institutions and more than 16 million medical and health personnel are spread across urban and rural areas; more than 90 percent of residents can reach the nearest medical service point within 15 minutes.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed the protection of the people's health in a strategic position of priority development, convened the National Conference on Health and Wellness, established the work guidelines for health and wellness in the new era, issued the "Healthy China 2030" Planning Outline, issued the call for building a Healthy China, clarified the major policies and action programs for building a Healthy China, and implemented a series of major measures and practical, hard measures that benefit the present and benefit the long term, laying a solid health foundation for realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

"Advancing the building of a Healthy China is our Party's solemn commitment to the people." "Building a Healthy China by 2035 is a strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee. The 15th Five-Year Plan is a critical period for realizing this goal. It is necessary to make overall plans, step up progress, and strive to achieve decisive progress."

A very solemn promise (一诺千金, yi nuo qian jin - "one, promise, thousand, gold"), weightier than Mount Tai. General Secretary Xi Jinping steers the ship and charts the course, providing fundamental guidance and pointing out the direction for the building of a Healthy China, and leading more than 1.4 billion people onto the new journey of building a Healthy China.

Opening Up a Path

"The path of health and wellness development with Chinese characteristics must not waver; the implementation of the work guidelines for health and wellness in the new era must not waver"

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with broad vision, extraordinary boldness, and scientific decision-making, has personally planned and personally deployed the building of a Healthy China, and the path of health and wellness development with Chinese characteristics has grown ever broader.

People's health is the foundation of the nation. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee proposed "advancing the building of a Healthy China," and the Decision of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed "implementing the strategy of health-priority development." From "advancing the building of a Healthy China" in the 13th Five-Year Plan to "comprehensively advancing the building of a Healthy China" in the 14th Five-Year Plan, and then to "accelerating the building of a Healthy China" in the 15th Five-Year Plan, the Healthy China is advancing with resounding steps.

In August 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the National Conference on Health and Wellness: "It is necessary to adhere to the correct work guidelines for health and wellness, focus on the grassroots level, take reform and innovation as the driving force, give priority to prevention, give equal importance to both Chinese and Western medicine, integrate health into all policies, and have the people build and share together."

In March 2026, when participating in the joint group meeting of members from the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party, the Jiusan Society, the medical and health sector, and the social welfare and social security sector at the Fourth Session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The path of health and wellness development with Chinese characteristics must not waver; the implementation of the work guidelines for health and wellness in the new era must not waver. On these fundamental issues, we must always keep a clear head and maintain strategic resolve."

One guideline, consistently upheld; one path, unswerving and steadfast (坚定不移, jian ding bu yi - "firm, steady, not, move"). What changes is time; what does not change is the value concept of putting the people first and life first, and the people-centered development thinking.

"The most important indicator of modernization is still the people's health, which is the foundation of the people's happy life. To grasp this matter firmly, putting the people first and life first should be a concept that the entire Party and the whole society must firmly establish."

"Health is 1, and everything else is the 0s behind it. If the 1 is gone, nothing is left."

Through long-term efforts, we have opened up a path of health and wellness development with Chinese characteristics. Our country has obtained relatively high health service output with relatively small resource input, has been listed by the World Health Organization as a high-performance country for maternal and child health, has become one of the countries with the greatest medical progress in the world, and has won broad acclaim from the international community.

Solving a Difficult Problem

"Persist in using Chinese-style methods to solve this worldwide difficult problem of the reform of the pharmaceutical and health care system"

"Without universal health, there is no comprehensive moderate prosperity." This slogan has always hung in the first-floor lobby of the Health Center of Shiye Town, Dantu District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, and is especially eye-catching.

On December 13, 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to the Shiye Town Health Center to learn about the development of rural medical and health services and the situation of villagers seeking medical treatment.

Wang Shengqin has worked at the Shiye Town Health Center for 16 years. Today, she is the contracted family doctor of 322 villagers in Xinglong Village. Who in the village has high blood pressure, whose blood sugar needs re-examination, which elderly person should receive regular follow-up visits — she keeps all of this in mind.

Grassroots medical and health institutions are the bottom of the net of our country's medical and health service system and the "nerve endings" of the building of a Healthy China. In 2025, the number of outpatient visits at grassroots medical and health institutions nationwide reached 5.65 billion, accounting for 53 percent of the total number of outpatient visits nationwide.

On March 23, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to the Shaxian General Hospital in Sanming City, Fujian Province, for an inspection to learn about the situation of medical reform benefiting the people. In front of a bar chart, the General Secretary stopped and looked closely.

"I am very concerned about your reform. This is a spirit of daring to be the first, a consciousness and responsibility of the concept of putting the people first and life first." General Secretary Xi Jinping's attitude was clear-cut.

Taking the reform of public hospitals as the entry point, Sanming City has actively explored the comprehensive reform of the "three-medicine linkage" of medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals. All localities have studied and promoted the experience of Sanming's medical reform in light of local conditions, and improved the mechanism for the coordinated development and governance of medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals.

"Serious illnesses are solved within the province, ordinary illnesses are solved at the city and county level, and daily headaches and fevers are solved in the villages."

"Unalterably write public welfare on the banner of the medical and health undertaking."

"Persist in using Chinese-style methods to solve this worldwide difficult problem of the reform of the pharmaceutical and health care system."

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has taken a holistic view of the overall situation, focused on the long term, concentrated on the old difficult problems and new challenges faced, incorporated the reform of the pharmaceutical and health care system into the comprehensive deepening of reform with simultaneous deployment, simultaneous requirements, and simultaneous assessment, with correct direction, clear paths, effective measures, and remarkable results.

From one region to the whole, an "answer sheet for medical reform" of a major country with a population of more than 1.4 billion is praiseworthy and noteworthy (可圈可点, ke quan ke dian - "can, circle, can, dot"):

The allocation of medical resources has been further optimized. Our country has established national medical centers in 13 professional categories and national regional medical centers in the categories of children's and mental illness, and supports 125 national regional medical center construction projects.

Compact medical consortia have expanded in scope and improved in quality. A total of 2,199 counties (cities, districts) have built compact county-level medical communities, and 81 cities have carried out pilot work on compact urban medical groups; the construction of resource-sharing centers for medical imaging, electrocardiogram diagnosis, and medical laboratory testing has been accelerated to improve the level of homogenization of medical and health services within medical consortia.

The burden of medical treatment on the people has been reduced. The number of people covered by basic medical insurance exceeds 1.3 billion, with the coverage rate consolidated at 95 percent; the National Essential Medicines List has reached 794 drugs, accounting for 71 percent of the total usage of drugs allocated in all public medical and health institutions; in 2025, the proportion of residents' personal health expenditure in total health expenditure dropped to 27.1 percent.

The grand blueprint of a Healthy China has been transformed into the well-being of the people's livelihood, landing on price-reduced prescription lists, in high-quality diagnoses and treatments, and in the follow-up visits of family doctors.

Building a Line of Defense

"Preventing and defusing major epidemics and sudden public health risks bears on national security and development, and bears on the stability of the overall social and political situation"

At Henghu Farm, Xinjian District, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, a drone sweeps low over the reed marshes, transmitting real-time images back to the command center, while ground-based intelligent surveillance cameras link up in sync, generating dynamically updated risk maps of schistosomiasis transmission.

In recent years, Jiangxi Province has built a supervision platform for schistosomiasis infection sources in the Poyang Lake area, realizing round-the-clock visualized supervision at the provincial, municipal, and county levels. As of the end of 2025, the schistosomiasis epidemic in the province has dropped to its lowest level in history.

"Preventing and defusing major epidemics and sudden public health risks bears on national security and development, and bears on the stability of the overall social and political situation." On May 24, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized this when participating in the deliberation of the Hubei delegation at the Third Session of the 13th National People's Congress.

A strong public health system is the "first line of defense" for safeguarding the people's life and health.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, our country has withstood the severe impact of the pandemic of the century, creating the miracle of a major country with a large population successfully emerging from the pandemic; it has promptly detected and rapidly handled emerging and sudden epidemics such as mpox, and effectively controlled local epidemics such as dengue fever and chikungunya fever; it has entered the ranks of countries with a medium-low prevalence of tuberculosis; and it has received the World Health Organization certification for national malaria elimination.

Line after line of public health defense, network after network of disease prevention and control, protect the life safety and physical health of hundreds of millions of people, and build a solid public health security barrier for advancing Chinese modernization.

Monitoring and early warning have become more sensitive. The infectious disease surveillance system covers 84,000 medical institutions and 1,323 sentinel hospitals nationwide; intelligent infectious disease surveillance and early warning front-end software has been deployed and applied in more than 50,000 medical institutions, monitoring infectious disease epidemic information in real time, and the time from diagnosis to reporting of infectious diseases has been shortened from 5.2 hours in the past to 3.7 hours.

Emergency response has become more efficient. Twenty-nine provinces have built biosafety level 3 laboratories, and all provincial-level and more than 90 percent of municipal-level CDC centers have the capacity for nucleic acid testing and virus isolation; every province has undertaken the construction of a national emergency infectious disease prevention and control team, and every prefecture-level city and district/county has established a grassroots infectious disease emergency response team.

Vaccination has become more convenient. The state provides free vaccines that can prevent 16 diseases, and the reported incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, hepatitis A, Japanese encephalitis, and meningococcal meningitis has dropped to relatively low levels in history; 31 provinces have realized cross-provincial sharing and circulation of vaccination information, making it more convenient for children to have their vaccination certificates checked when entering childcare and school.

The infectious disease treatment system has become more complete. Thirty national major infectious disease prevention and treatment bases have been laid out and built in provincial capital cities, comprehensively building a barrier for the prevention and treatment of major infectious diseases in major national strategic regions and densely populated areas; relying on the National Center for Infectious Diseases and others, a major infectious disease treatment system integrating urban and rural areas, systematic and continuous, layered and graded, and with efficient referral has been formed, effectively safeguarding the people's life and health security.

Writing Out a "Prescription"

"To build a Healthy China, we must rely not only on the 'small prescription' of medical and health services, but even more on the 'big prescription' of overall social linkage"

"Previously my blood sugar was always hard to control, but now my blood sugar is stable, and I've even become a 'health coach'!" said Aunt Wang, 67, of Baihedong Village, Yanglinqiao Town, Zigui County, Yichang City, Hubei Province, recently. Under the guidance of her family doctor, her health record card has changed from red to yellow.

"To build a Healthy China, we must rely not only on the 'small prescription' of medical and health services, but even more on the 'big prescription' of overall social linkage, establish the concept of big health and big wellness, transform from a focus on treating disease to a focus on the people's health, and pay attention to the entire life cycle and the whole process of health." At the 2016 National Conference on Health and Wellness, the General Secretary's words were resounding.

From "the state calls on you to lose weight" to the establishment of "healthy weight management clinics," from promoting "health points" to carrying out "joint prevention of multiple diseases," from "treating existing diseases" to "treating pre-disease states"... Our country implements the Healthy China Action, carries out in depth 18 special actions, actively advocates healthy and civilized lifestyles, and promotes the deep integration of national fitness and national health.

In April 2020, during an inspection in Shaanxi Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping walked into Class 1, Grade 5 of the Central Primary School of Laoxian Town, Pingli County, and cordially asked about the children's study and living conditions. The General Secretary said earnestly: "Nowadays children are generally becoming myopic, and this is my hidden worry. Also, the degree of physical health, due to less physical exercise, has declined somewhat. Civilize their spirit, toughen their physique — what I mean by 'toughen their physique' is to strengthen the body."

From "little glasses" to "little chubby kids," from physical education classes to nutritious meals, the healthy growth and comprehensive development of children and adolescents is the gentlest concern in the General Secretary's heart. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the educational concept of health first.

Our country implements the "five health" promotion actions for children and adolescents covering weight health, vision health, mental health, bone health, and oral health, and has established a full-chain service system of prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. The overall excellence rate of physical fitness and health of students nationwide continues to improve. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the overall myopia rate of students achieved "five consecutive declines."

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has always attached great importance to the patriotic health campaign, promoted the transformation from environmental health governance to comprehensive social health management, and solved the overall and long-term problems related to the people's health.

"The toilet problem is not a small matter." From Hebei to Fujian, from Zhejiang to Shanghai, during his work in local areas, Comrade Xi Jinping always attached great importance to and was very concerned about the toilet problem, and promoted the resolution of the local people's difficulties in using toilets.

Small toilets, major livelihood. As of the end of 2025, the penetration rate of sanitary toilets in rural areas nationwide has reached about 77 percent, and the penetration rate of tap water in rural areas nationwide has reached 96 percent. The living environment in rural areas has continued to improve, and the quality of life of the people has improved significantly. Shanghai has historically solved the problem of "carrying chamber pots," benefiting a total of more than one million residents.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the health literacy level of residents nationwide increased at an average rate of 2 percentage points per year, reaching 33.69 percent in 2025. The "15th Five-Year Plan for National Health" proposes reaching 40 percent by 2030.

Inheriting a Treasure

"Traditional Chinese medicine is a treasure of Chinese civilization, and inheriting, innovating, and developing traditional Chinese medicine is a major matter"

At 8 a.m., the waiting area of the Appropriate Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Clinic of Guang'anmen Hospital of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences is full of patients waiting for treatment. More than 20 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine characteristic techniques attract patients from all over the country. Acupuncture, tuina, gua sha, moxibustion... These appropriate traditional Chinese medicine techniques, characterized by being "simple, convenient, effective, and inexpensive," exude a unique charm.

In the face of changes unseen in a century, the question of where traditional Chinese medicine should go has become a major issue bearing on the continuation of traditional Chinese culture. To build a Healthy China, there is an urgent need to give full play to the unique advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in disease prevention and treatment.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the revitalization and development of traditional Chinese medicine has ushered in a great opportunity.

On February 15, 2015, during an inspection in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in the community of the 205th Research Institute, Dianzicheng Street, Yanta District. The General Secretary said: "Many patients like to see traditional Chinese medicine doctors because the side effects are small, the efficacy is good, and the prices of Chinese herbal medicines are relatively cheap. I myself also like to see traditional Chinese medicine doctors."

In May 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to the Yisheng Shrine, the memorial site of the tomb and shrine of Zhang Zhongjing, a medical scientist of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in Nanyang City, Henan Province, to learn about Zhang Zhongjing's life and his contributions to the development of traditional Chinese medicine.

Today, the Yisheng Shrine has been integrated into the Yisheng Cultural Park, attracting traditional Chinese medicine enthusiasts from all over the world to pay homage. The Zhongjing Academy, adjacent to the Yisheng Shrine, has become a highland for talent cultivation in Nanyang for inheriting Zhongjing's academic thought.

In May 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to Nanyang Yao Yibao Mugwort Products Co., Ltd., inspected the production workshop and product displays, and had a cordial exchange with the enterprise operators and employees. The General Secretary emphasized that mugwort is a precious Chinese medicinal material, and developing mugwort products can both use local materials and solve local employment.

In the display room of the Nanyang Mugwort Industry Association, dozens of photographs record the development course of the local mugwort industry: "Nanyang mugwort" has been approved as a national geographical indication protected product, "Zhongjing moxibustion therapy" has entered the China Mugwort Expo, "Zhongjing moxibustion master" training classes have been held, and mugwort has been included in the new "eight major Nanyang medicinal materials"...

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed traditional Chinese medicine in a more prominent position, promoted the reform and development of traditional Chinese medicine with unprecedented intensity, and led the traditional Chinese medicine undertaking to achieve historic achievements.

In August 2016, at the National Conference on Health and Wellness, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that it is necessary to make efforts to promote the revitalization and development of traditional Chinese medicine, adhere to giving equal importance to both Chinese and Western medicine, promote the mutual supplementation and coordinated development of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, and strive to realize the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional Chinese medicine health preservation culture.

Tasting traditional Chinese medicine tea drinks, hand-making sachets, experiencing auricular acupressure, trying artificial intelligence traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis... Since the beginning of this year, the "hundred cities, thousand counties" traditional Chinese medicine culture benefit-the-people activity has been in full swing. Tradition and modernity collide with wonderful sparks, and traditional Chinese medicine culture resonates among young people.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, our country's traditional Chinese medicine undertaking achieved leapfrog development. As of the end of 2025, the number of traditional Chinese medicine medical institutions nationwide has exceeded 110,000, and community health service centers and township health centers generally provide traditional Chinese medicine services.

On December 19, 2024, during an inspection at Macau University of Science and Technology, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Traditional Chinese medicine is a treasure of Chinese civilization, and inheriting, innovating, and developing traditional Chinese medicine is a major matter. We must inherit, develop, and make good use of this precious wealth left to us by our ancestors, and promote traditional Chinese medicine to the world."

Inheriting the essence of a thousand years, answering the questions of the times. The Huangdi Neijing, the Bencao Gangmu, and the Four Medical Tantras have been included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register; traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture and moxibustion, tai chi, and others have been included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; the 72nd World Health Assembly reviewed and adopted the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which for the first time includes a chapter on traditional medicine originating from traditional Chinese medicine...

A small grass changes the world, a classic prescription is passed down for a thousand years, a wisp of medicinal fragrance traverses ancient and modern times, a silver needle connects China and the West. The traditional Chinese medicine undertaking, along the path of "inheriting the essence and upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground," is moving toward the world with greater determination, making greater contributions to building a community of shared health for mankind.

"People's health is the foundation of the progress of social civilization, an important indicator of national prosperity and strength, and also the common pursuit of the broad masses of the people."

A Healthy China is built and shared by all. The goals proposed in the "15th Five-Year Plan for National Health" are inspiring: by 2030, the building of a Healthy China will achieve decisive progress, healthy lifestyles will be popularized more rapidly, the upward trend in the incidence of major chronic diseases will be effectively controlled, the average life expectancy will reach 80 years, major health indicators will enter the ranks of high-income countries, laying a solid foundation for building a Healthy China by 2035.

The health of one person is the foundation of one's standing; the health of the people is the foundation of the nation. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, more than 1.4 billion people, full of boundless longing for a better life, continuously consolidate the health foundation of Chinese modernization, and will surely write a new chapter in building a Healthy China!

(Related report on page 8)

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Striving on the New Journey, United Toward Rejuvenation

By: 本报记者 江 琳

In the group photo at the opening ceremony of the founding congress of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the delegates attending the congress with a solemn expression (神情庄重, shen qing zhuang zhong - "spirit, solemn") and with a determined gaze (目光坚定, mu guang jian ding - "eyes, firm") jointly witnessed the setting sail on a new journey (扬帆启航, yang fan qi hang - "raise, sail, set, sail") of the cause of the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. On October 12, 1956, with the approval of the Party Central Committee, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese was established in Beijing.

As time flows on, remaining true to the original aspiration (初心不改, chu xin bu gai - "initial, heart, not, change"). In October this year, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese ushers in its 70th anniversary. Over the past 70 years, the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese has always listened to the Party and followed the Party, leaving resounding footprints of the overseas Chinese community's continuous struggle on the journey of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

From July 27 to 28 this year, the National Conference on Overseas Chinese Affairs Work was held in Beijing. At the conference, an important instruction made by General Secretary Xi Jinping on overseas Chinese affairs work was conveyed.

"Better unite the hearts and strength of overseas Chinese, guide the vast number of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their family members to uphold fine traditions, cultivate deep feelings for the family and the country, give play to their unique advantages, and make greater achievements," General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instruction put forward task requirements for uniting the hearts and strength of overseas Chinese and promoting the united struggle of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, pointing the direction and providing important guidance for doing overseas Chinese affairs work well on the new journey of the new era.

Earnest entrustments spur people forward. Looking back on the road traveled, the development history of the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese is a history of struggle in uniting overseas Chinese under the Party's leadership; looking ahead to the future, on the new journey, a magnificent picture of uniting the hearts and strength of overseas Chinese and promoting Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad to jointly realize the Chinese Dream is slowly unfolding.

Uphold fine traditions and draw the largest concentric circle of the overseas Chinese community

The group photo at the opening ceremony of the founding congress of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the roster of returned overseas Chinese among the meritorious experts of the "two bombs, one satellite" project, the proposal initiated by the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese to donate for the construction of the "Overseas Chinese Winter Olympics Ice and Snow Museum"...

On October 11, the "Family and Country United in Heart Toward Rejuvenation — Thematic Exhibition on the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese" opened at the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China. Photo after photo, document after document, and artifact after artifact string together a patriotic history of overseas Chinese organizations uniting and leading the vast number of overseas Chinese to share the same destiny (同呼吸、共命运, tong hu xi、gong ming yun - "same, breathe, together, fate") with the ancestral (native) country, heart linked to heart.

"The overseas Chinese federation is a people's organization founded and led by the Party, and overseas Chinese federation work is an important component of the cause of the Party and the state. Listening to the Party and following the Party is the fundamental basis for the overseas Chinese federation's finding a way to make a living and establish oneself (安身立命, an shen li ming - "settle, body, establish, life")." Wang Linggui, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Chairman of the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, stated.

In the spiritual lineage of overseas Chinese hearts turning to the Party, Mr. Tan Kah Kee, the first chairman of the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and a renowned overseas Chinese leader, is a banner-like representative.

Dressed in a suit with a solemn bearing, behind him the military and civilians of Yan'an welcoming him warmly. In the thematic exhibition, a photo taken on the afternoon of May 31, 1940, records the historic moment when Mr. Tan Kah Kee led a delegation to arrive in Yan'an.

In 1940, Mr. Tan Kah Kee led the "Nanyang Overseas Chinese Comfort and Inspection Delegation for Returning to the Motherland" back to the country to comfort the military and civilians in the War of Resistance, and after inspecting Chongqing, Yan'an and other places, concluded that "China's hope lies in Yan'an," and from then on stood unswerving and steadfast (坚定不移, jian ding bu yi - "firm, steadfast, not, move") with the Chinese Communist Party and with the people of the motherland. Mr. Tan Kah Kee was hailed as the "Banner of Overseas Chinese, Glory of the Nation."

To draw the largest concentric circle of the overseas Chinese community, the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese has always adhered to uniting and rallying the vast number of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their family members, continuously consolidating the common ideological foundation for the united struggle and progress of the overseas Chinese community.

In many overseas Chinese hometowns in Zhejiang, the "Family Affection for China · Zhijiang United in Heart" overseas Chinese federation literary and artistic "light cavalry" sets up stages in the fields, blending local accents and local sentiments to let the Party's innovative theories enter minds and hearts.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, from the "Pursuing the Chinese Dream" themed publicity activities to the overseas Chinese short video competition, from documentaries such as "Beacon Fire Overseas Chinese Hearts" and "Overseas Chinese and the People's Republic" to senior study seminars for overseas Chinese leaders and businesspeople and the Belt and Road Initiative overseas Chinese businessperson seminar — a series of warm and powerful brand activities and innovative carriers have guided overseas Chinese federation cadres and the vast number of overseas Chinese to study deeply and understand thoroughly (深学细悟, shen xue xi wu - "deep, study, fine, realize") Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, to deeply practice General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses on overseas Chinese affairs work, and to continuously enhance political, ideological, theoretical, and emotional identification with the Party's innovative theories.

Cultivate deep feelings for the family and the country and build a solid emotional bond among Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad

In Gaotai County, Zhangye, Gansu, the "Red Army meal" of millet porridge and sand date cakes let many camp participants truly experience the material scarcity and spiritual loftiness of the era of revolutionary war. "Retracing the Long March and tasting the Red Army meal, I understand even better the spirit of the forebears' striving hard amidst hardships (艰苦奋斗, jian ku fen dou - "hard, bitter, struggle, strive") and their fearlessness of sacrifice," sighed Lin Wenxiang, a Chinese youth of Chinese descent from Slovakia.

2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. More than 700 overseas Chinese youths from 22 countries followed the footsteps of the Long March on a "roots-seeking journey," experiencing the spirit of the Long March on the red soil and seeking their cultural roots.

The "roots-seeking journey" spanning mountains and seas is a vivid microcosm of the deep cultivation of the "Family Affection for China" brand activities over many years. The "Family Affection for China · Four Seas Share Spring" comfort performances for overseas Chinese brought the greetings and warmth of the ancestral (native) country, and the World Chinese Students' Composition Competition makes friends through literature (以文会友, yi wen hui you - "use, literature, meet, friend")... One brand activity after another integrates enhancing emotional bonds with overseas Chinese with spreading Chinese culture and telling China's story well.

The once sparsely traveled "Muddy Ferry Road" is now Yincheng Middle Road in the core area of the Lujiazui Financial City in Pudong, Shanghai; the once factory-covered "industrial rust belt" of Yangpu has become a "living show belt" for citizens and tourists to rest... The "Pursuing the Chinese Dream · Setting Sail on the Huangpu" Shanghai interview tour for overseas Chinese-language media deeply moved a reporter from "West Africa Chinese Voice," who said, "We must tell the story of Pudong's development into a modern new city through works of substance and close to the people."

Deepen friendships with old friends and broadly make new friends. Jointly hosting the National Day reception for overseas Chinese community representatives, the World Overseas Chinese Associations Friendship Conference, and other events, on the "Overseas Chinese Connecting Five Continents" platform, themed activities such as "Shanghai CIIE," "Cloud Gathering for Mid-Autumn," and "Full of Affection at West Lake" have deepened and solidified friendship and exchange at home and abroad.

Give play to unique advantages and serve the overall national development

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Our cause of reform and opening up and development and construction is inseparable from the large number of overseas Chinese who care deeply about their hometowns and their motherland." The vast number of overseas Chinese possess sincere patriotic feelings, strong economic strength, rich intellectual resources, and extensive business networks, and are an important force for realizing the Chinese Dream.

At the beginning of reform and opening up, overseas Chinese businesspeople were the first to return to China to invest and start businesses; in the Winter Olympics town of Chongli, Hebei, the Overseas Chinese Ice and Snow Museum, built with donations from the vast number of overseas Chinese, stands tall; on the battlefield of the battle against poverty, the national overseas Chinese federation system helped 58,000 people out of poverty...

On the new journey, the overseas Chinese community is giving play to its advantages in funds, technology, talent, and other areas, playing a role on a broader stage.

"Only exporting products will not last; only building brands for export can make businesses bigger and stronger." At the economic and trade exchange site of "Overseas Chinese Assisting a Thousand Enterprises and Ten Thousand Products to Go Global" at the 2026 Belt and Road Initiative Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development Conference, overseas Chinese businesspeople and enterprise representatives unreservedly discussed the "business wisdom of going global."

Enterprise representatives introduced samples, overseas Chinese leaders introduced market channels, and the pages of records beside the recorders piled up thick. By establishing a "list of overseas Chinese businessperson demands" and a "list of local opportunities," funds, technology, and talent are efficiently matched here.

Taking guiding overseas Chinese capital and wisdom to serve the national development strategy as the main line of work, overseas Chinese forces are increasingly converging into the magnificent journey of Chinese modernization.

Since its founding in 2021, the China Overseas Chinese Businessperson Investment Conference has achieved gratifying investment and trade amounts; the "Overseas Chinese Assisting a Thousand Enterprises and Ten Thousand Products to Go Global" action has opened up overseas channels, promoting tens of thousands of Chinese products to the international market; in Yiwu, Zhejiang, approximately 110,000 overseas Chinese businesspeople and over 300,000 overseas Chinese-related groups come and go nearly one million person-times each year, becoming an important support for "buying and selling globally"; brand activities such as the China Overseas Chinese Wisdom Development Conference and the China Overseas Chinese Businessperson Investment Conference build bridges for the connection of talent, technology, projects, and industry, continuously pooling overseas Chinese wisdom and strength.

At present, the grand blueprint outlined by the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan is being transformed into a broad stage for the vast number of overseas Chinese businesspeople and enterprises to realize their ambitions. The vast number of overseas Chinese are rising to action one after another, becoming an important bond in the two-way endeavor to help build the new development pattern with domestic circulation as the main body and domestic and international dual circulation mutually reinforcing each other.

Make greater achievements and gather and give full play to the strength of the vast number of overseas Chinese

The ground beneath their feet shook violently, buildings collapsed, and some disaster-stricken neighborhoods were shrouded in smoke... On the evening of June 24 local time this year, an earthquake struck Venezuela, with two strong quakes of magnitude 7 or above occurring within one minute.

"Having lived here for decades, this is the first time I have encountered such a big earthquake." Local overseas Chinese expressed the palpitations and unease of Chinese sons and daughters in the disaster area.

At the critical moment, the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese connected overnight with overseas Chinese organizations and consulates in the front line, quickly surveyed the safety situation of local overseas Chinese, and conveyed the care of the Party Central Committee to overseas Chinese in the disaster area at the first opportunity, letting overseas wanderers in danger truly feel that "the ancestral (native) country is right by their side."

National overseas Chinese federation organizations adhere to doing service work for overseas Chinese deeply and solidly, continuously enhancing the sense of gain, happiness, and security of the overseas Chinese community.

From the "Overseas Chinese Love Project" benefiting hundreds of thousands of people in difficulty, to the "Rule of Law Publicity Border Tour" entering border villages; from the "headquarters-to-headquarters" online litigation-mediation docking mechanism covering the whole country, to nearly 12,800 "homes for overseas Chinese" covering urban and rural communities; from the gradual formation of a national cooperation pattern between legal affairs and overseas Chinese affairs and between procuratorial affairs and overseas Chinese affairs, to overseas Chinese community volunteer service projects being selected as national advanced models for volunteer service, the capacity and level of serving overseas Chinese continue to improve. There are 27,000 overseas Chinese federation organizations at all levels across the country, with overseas Chinese federation organizations deeply rooted among overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese federation work active by their side.

Every Spring Festival, "New Year Warmth Packages" are sent across mountains and seas to overseas Chinese in their hands; during the fight against COVID-19, health care packages one after another were sent to more than 50 countries and regions, delivering the concern of the ancestral (native) country to overseas Chinese; in daily life, "Warm Overseas Chinese Online" cloud connections with overseas Chinese federation overseas advisors and committee members convey care for overseas Chinese.

Wang Linggui stated that, standing at a new historical starting point, the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deeply study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses on overseas Chinese affairs work, fully implement the spirit of the National Conference on Overseas Chinese Affairs Work, unite hearts and strength, work hard and pragmatically, draw the largest concentric circle of the united struggle of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, and make new and greater contributions to comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.

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Wang Huning meets with Chairman of Vietnam's National Assembly Tran Thanh Man

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 11) Wang Huning, chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, met in Beijing on the 11th with Tran Thanh Man, chairman of the National Assembly of Vietnam.

Wang Huning said that in recent years, General Secretary and President Xi Jinping has maintained close strategic communication with General Secretary and President To Lam, guiding China-Vietnam relations to keep forging ahead through difficulties (破浪前行, po lang qian xing - "break, waves, move forward") amid the once-in-a-century transformation of the world. China is willing to work with Vietnam to follow the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, and, in accordance with the overall goal of the "six mores," to advance mutually beneficial cooperation in all fields with high quality and to promote the building of a China-Vietnam community with a shared future. The CPPCC National Committee of China is willing to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the Vietnamese side and contribute to advancing each other's modernization endeavors.

Tran Thanh Man said that under the strategic guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, Vietnam-China relations have continued to deepen, and the political foundation, material foundation, and popular foundation have been continuously consolidated. He congratulated China on its major achievements. Vietnam firmly adheres to the One-China policy. The National Assembly of Vietnam is willing to strengthen exchanges with the Chinese side, intensify friendly interactions among all sectors of society, and promote the building of a Vietnam-China community with a shared future.

Wang Dongming and Wang Dongfeng attended the meeting.

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Gongbei–Guangzhou Border Gate Port Exceeds 100 Million Passenger Trips This Year

On October 11, as an important livelihood passage connecting Zhuhai City in Guangdong Province with the Macao Special Administrative Region, the Gongbei–Guangzhou Border Gate port saw its number of inbound and outbound travelers exceed 100 million person-times this year, 14 days earlier than in 2025. The increasingly busy and ever-more-convenient Gongbei–Guangzhou Border Gate port is a miniature representation of something larger (缩影, suo ying - "shrink, image") of the continuously accelerating "hard connectivity" and "soft connectivity" of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. The photo shows the departure hall of the Zhuhai Gongbei Port, where travelers pass through customs in an orderly manner.

(People's Daily reporter He Linping, text; Ding Rui, photo (People's Vision))

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“Half a Quilt” and “Half a Leather Belt”

By: 任 平

(1)

What is the Communist Party?

"The Communist Party is a group of people who, even if they have only one quilt, will cut half of it off and give it to the common people."

The teller of this story is Xu Jiexiu, an elderly woman from Shazhou Yao Village in Rucheng County, Hunan. During the Long March of the Red Army, three female soldiers lodged overnight at the elderly woman's home, and upon leaving, they cut half of their only quilt in half and left it for her.

In October 2016, in his important speech at the conference commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Red Army, General Secretary Xi Jinping affectionately recounted the story of the "Half Quilt."

In September 2020, when the General Secretary conducted an inspection and research visit at the site where the "Half Quilt" story took place, he pointed out: "This story fully embodies the people-centered sentiment and the nature of serving the people of the Communist Party of China."

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. Reviewing the story of the "Half Quilt," we deeply appreciate the political character of the people's army under the Party's leadership and the bond of fish-and-water affection between the army and the people.

Facing the same difficulties together (风雨同舟, feng yu tong zhou - "wind, rain, same, boat") with the people, sharing a common origin or close connection (血脉相通, xue mai xiang tong - "blood, vessel, mutually, connect") with them, and sharing the same fate of life and death (生死与共, sheng si yu gong - "life, death, and, together") with them — this is the fundamental guarantee for the Communist Party of China and the Red Army to achieve victory in the Long March, and it is also the fundamental guarantee for us to overcome all difficulties and risks on the new Long March.

That the Long March could ultimately achieve final victory was, first and foremost, a victory of ideals and convictions.

What is the power of faith?

During the Long March, on the vast desolate grasslands of northwestern Sichuan, the Red Army was severely short of grain. They dug wild vegetables, chewed grass roots, and gnawed on tree bark, and later even boiled and ate leather belts and the soles of leather shoes.

Red Army soldier Zhou Guangcai distributed a captured leather belt to the soldiers to stave off hunger. When half of the belt had been eaten, Zhou Guangcai tearfully begged his comrades: "I won't eat anymore! Comrades, let us keep it as a memento, and take it with us to Yan'an to see Chairman Mao!" This half leather belt was later donated by Zhou Guangcai and is now collected by the Chinese Revolution Museum (now the National Museum of China).

In January 2016, when President Xi Jinping inspected the military history museum of a certain group army and heard the story of the "Half Leather Belt," he said with deep feeling: "This is the power of faith, a vivid portrayal of 'following the Party with an iron heart.'"

The new journey is a new Long March. On the new Long March, drawing on the inexhaustible power contained in the "Half Quilt" and the "Half Leather Belt" — of having the Party in one's heart, having ideals in one's heart, and having the people in one's heart — we can more deeply comprehend the light of truth contained in the General Secretary's important speeches —

"On the road forward, no matter how the situation changes or how complex the environment becomes, all comrades in the Party must strengthen their faith in communism, their conviction in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and their confidence in realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

(2)

With the Party in one's heart, one's mind is clear and one's direction is bright.

"At any time and under any circumstances, we must adhere to taking the Party's flag as our flag, taking the Party's direction as our direction, and taking the Party's will as our will."

This important assertion by General Secretary Xi Jinping is a practical requirement for all comrades in the Party, and moreover, it is a profound conclusion drawn from history.

The Long March faced countless difficulties and perils (千难万险, qian nan wan xian - "thousand, difficulties, ten thousand, dangers"), and the most difficult of all was the question of direction.

The Zunyi Conference was a great turning point. From then on, under the guidance of the correct line represented by Comrade Mao Zedong, the Chinese revolution embarked on the road of victorious development.

"On the long revolutionary road fraught with storms, the words most often spoken by our army's officers and soldiers were: as long as we follow the Party, we will surely win victory."

For a Party as large as ours and a country as large as ours, upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee "is a matter of Party spirit, a matter of the overall situation, and bears on the future and destiny of the Party, the nation, and the country."

Only by being adept at viewing problems from a political height can one understand the Party Central Committee's major policies and decisions and deployments more thoroughly, and can one work with greater foresight and initiative.

Consider the major regional strategies.

"Taking the relocation of Beijing's non-capital functions as the 'ox nose' to promote the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region" — the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei was established.

Grasping the historical positioning of the "millennium plan, a major national event," one can more deeply appreciate that "the Party Central Committee's decision to build the Xiong'an New Area is completely correct."

"Once decided, it must be implemented."

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, more than 400 branch institutions of central state-owned enterprises and more than 4,000 enterprises originating from Beijing have settled in Xiong'an...

"You are the first batch of pioneers. You submitted to the needs of the Party, and at the sound of a single order you took action, making contributions to the coordinated development of Xiong'an and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region." This was pointed out by the General Secretary in March this year when he went to the Xiong'an New Area for an inspection and warmly exchanged views with representatives of cadres, workers, and staff of relocated units that have settled in and are under construction.

Beijing has shifted from being "large and comprehensive" to "high-end, precise, and cutting-edge," Tianjin has strengthened the construction of undertaking platforms, and Hebei, the "largest steel province," has undergone a green transformation... Planning and advancing the work of one's own region and department on the premise of implementing the Party Central Committee's decisions and deployments, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region's pieces are different from one another, yet being of one mind despite differences (瓣瓣同心, ban ban tong xin - "piece, piece, same, heart").

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the General Secretary successively presided over 10 regional development symposiums.

"We must resolutely respond to what the Party Central Committee advocates, resolutely implement what the Party Central Committee decides, and resolutely refrain from what the Party Central Committee prohibits, constantly aligning with established standards and requirements (对标对表, dui biao dui biao - "match, standard, match, meter") and promptly correcting deviations."

In the Yangtze Economic Belt, nearly 10,000 chemical enterprises along the river have undergone "closure, rectification, relocation, and transformation," and the clear waters of the river have reappeared;

In the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, "Macao cars going north," "Hong Kong cars going north," and "Guangdong cars going south" are shaping the Bay Area's "centripetal force"...

With mutual assistance between east and west, coordination between north and south, and overall planning for land and sea, all regions are forming harmony within the symphony conducted under the unified command of the Party Central Committee.

On the Long March road of the new era, how many great battles and great tests there have been!

The whole country has acted under the overall situation commanded by the Party Central Committee, overcoming one difficulty after another and creating one miracle after another. From this, we more deeply comprehend the decisive significance of the Two Establishments (两个确立).

Striding forward on the new Long March, when examining our view of political achievements, what is very important is to see whether the Party Central Committee's major decisions and deployments are resolutely and forcefully implemented; the most fundamental thing is to take the Party's original aspiration as our own original aspiration and the Party's mission as our own life, achieving sincere love for the Party, constant concern for the Party, firm protection of the Party, and full dedication to revitalizing the Party.

(3)

With ideals in one's heart, one's conviction is as firm as a rock, and one is courageous and resolute in action.

"For the people, for the country, for the nation, for ideals and convictions, overcoming all obstacles and difficulties (披荆斩棘, pi jing zhan ji - "tear, thorns, hack, brambles") and forging ahead through hardships (砥砺前行, di li qian xing - "grind, whet, front, walk"), no matter how powerful the enemy, how treacherous the road, or how severe the challenges, one is always fearless and never retreats."

Ideals and convictions are the spiritual pillar and political soul of Communists, and the courage and ability to struggle are the fine qualities of the Party.

"The new journey is a new Long March, and we must be prepared at all times to carry out great struggles with many new historical characteristics." General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "All comrades in the Party, especially leading cadres, must step forward, take on challenges head-on (迎难而上, ying nan er shang - "meet, difficulty, and, go up"), dare to struggle, and be good at struggling," and "strive to transform unfavorable factors into favorable conditions for defeating the enemy."

On average, for every 1 kilometer the Central Red Army marched, 4 Red Army soldiers fell; only 1 in every 14 people reached northern Shaanxi. "What sustained them was a kind of faith, and what they fought for was an ideal."

Drawing the strength of ideals and convictions from the Long March, always maintaining confidence in victory, and upholding and carrying forward the spirit of fearing no sacrifice and struggling heroically, we will be able to continuously win new victories.

Consider the construction of the new development pattern.

To smooth the "domestic circulation," one must find ways to overcome any obstacle (逢山开路, feng shan kai lu - "meet, mountain, open, road") and build bridges when encountering rivers.

During the Long March, the Red Army's officers and soldiers crossed nearly a hundred rivers, using their own bodies as bridges, at the cost of so many heroic sacrifices!

Today, our country is already the country with the most bridges in the world. By the end of 2025, highway bridges had reached 1,144,100, of which 12,462 were extra-large bridges and 203,400 were large bridges.

With the layout of the "six networks," investment this year is expected to exceed 7 trillion yuan;

With the cultivation of a "big market," we will deeply rectify "involution-style" competition and carry out special actions to remove bottlenecks and obstacles that impede a unified market and fair competition...

To open up the "external circulation," one must break through obstacles and connect with the world.

The Pinglu Canal has realized its century-old dream, enhancing the capacity of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor;

The annual number of China-Europe freight train trips has grown from 1,702 in 2016 to over 20,000 in 2025;

High-quality Belt and Road cooperation is advancing into new tracks such as green development and digitalization...

"Building an open, inclusive, interconnected, and commonly developed world" — embracing the world with a broad mind and achieving success for oneself while helping others succeed.

Ideals and convictions are the foundation for establishing and revitalizing the Party, and they are also the foundation for Party members and cadres to establish themselves and fulfill their mission.

On the battlefield of the battle against poverty, Huang Wenxiu dedicated her life to the mountains;

On the front line of grassroots governance, Wu Yaqin is willing to be "a ball of fire," caring for the community for more than 30 years;

At the forefront of scientific research, Wang Ji used his body, unsupported by legs, to "forge a shield" for the country...

"As long as one has ideals in one's heart, the country in one's breast, and a mission on one's shoulders, one can stand tall and see far, continuously enhancing confidence and strength; one can overwhelm all difficulties and not be overwhelmed by difficulties, forming a single heart across the whole Party and a single chessboard across the whole country, truly implementing the Party Central Committee's major decisions and deployments well, and uniting our strength to conquer one 'Loushan Pass' and 'Lazikou' after another."

(4)

With the people in one's heart, one achieves political achievements for the people and achieves political achievements through practical work.

"The Communist Party exists to serve the common people" — our Party has always maintained this original aspiration. Through 105 years of unremitting struggle, it has fundamentally changed the future and destiny of the Chinese people, and the fine quality of being "deeply rooted in the people" has become ever more fervent.

"I will be selfless and live up to the people. I am willing to be in a state of 'selflessness' and dedicate myself to China's development." This affectionate declaration by General Secretary Xi Jinping marks the spiritual height of Chinese Communists in the new era.

Having gone to 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government for inspection and research, with footprints covering the north and south of the country... "Always thinking of the people's hardships in my heart, always planning policies to enrich the people in my mind" — the General Secretary has personally practiced this, setting a brilliant example for the whole Party.

The story of the "Half Quilt" also has a prelude and a sequel.

From "fearing soldiers" to "supporting the army." Before the Red Army came to Rucheng, because of rumors and slander spread by the enemy, many villagers fled into the deep mountains. After the Red Army entered the village, discipline was strict and there was not the slightest violation of the people's interests. Of the more than 120,000 people in the county, more than 15,000 carried loads for the Red Army or provided cover for them.

From the "Half Quilt" to "happy days." Strengthening organizational leadership, revitalizing red resources... Today, Rucheng has integrated into the 3-hour economic circle of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the collective economic income of 50% of its administrative villages exceeds 200,000 yuan, with the old revolutionary base area embarking on a new path of revitalization.

With the people in one's heart, the key lies in always thinking about problems, making decisions, and handling affairs from the standpoint of the people.

Consider electricity.

At the beginning of this century, the contradiction between electricity supply and demand across the country became increasingly prominent, especially in economically developed regions. In July and August 2003, Hangzhou implemented a cumulative total of more than 13,000 load-shedding and power-rationing measures.

For matters involving the vital interests of the masses and the long-term development of the city, "no matter how difficult, we must find a way to solve them." Comrade Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Party Committee, proposed during an inspection at the Hangzhou Electric Power Bureau: "Better to have electricity waiting for development than to have development waiting for electricity." In the same year, Zhejiang launched the "Five Major Hundred-Billion" projects, with nuclear power and thermal power construction included in them.

Continuing the work one batch after another, Zhejiang has built a "two AC, three DC" ultra-high-voltage grid framework. From "vanguard of electricity" to "partner in common prosperity," the role of energy and electricity has undergone a leap, yet its fundamental character remains unchanged.

From the perspective of the two overall situations, our country's electricity deployment has become more forward-looking and strategic.

Amid the turbulent and changing global energy landscape, China's electricity consumption in 2025 historically exceeded 10 trillion kilowatt-hours.

The end of computing power is electricity. Facing the new round of competition for the commanding heights of science and technology, the new-type power grid has been incorporated into the "six networks," and "computing-electricity coordination" has been written into this year's Government Work Report...

"At all times, we must keep the common people in our hearts."

"We must both do practical things that the people can see, touch, and benefit from, and do good things that pave the way, lay the foundation, and benefit the long term for future generations."

"We must organically unify economic development and the improvement of people's livelihoods, embedding the requirements of improving people's livelihoods into the formulation of economic development policies simultaneously, and simultaneously considering the effects of promoting economic development when formulating livelihood policies."

State affairs and family affairs, the broad and the subtle, converge in the theory and practice of Chinese modernization, unfolding a livelihood answer sheet for the new era.

"Follow the Party" and "take solid steps forward one step at a time."

On the new Long March, we are full of confidence.

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More villagers can now receive parcels quickly without leaving their villages (New Economic Perspectives)

By: 本报记者 韩 鑫

Express delivery reaching villages is an important lever for promoting consumption fairness and activating the consumption potential of rural areas.

In China's rural regions, especially the remote areas of the central and western parts of the country, the population is dispersed, the geographic scope is vast, and transport distances are long. Delivery demand is low-frequency, scattered, and unstable, and trunk-line transport costs and end-point collection costs are significantly higher than in cities, making it difficult for express delivery to reach villages.

To make up for the shortcomings of market supply and smooth the two-way circulation channels between urban and rural areas, this year the State Post Bureau, together with China Post Group, launched a special pilot program for "express delivery reaching villages" with postal services serving as a safety net. How effective has the pilot been? Recently, the State Post Bureau introduced the relevant progress.

Completing the pilot goals set at the beginning of the year

Since the implementation of the "express delivery reaching villages" project in 2020, significant progress has been made in building the rural delivery logistics system in China. As of now, the State Post Bureau, together with multiple departments, has created 100 demonstration zones for the coordinated development of rural e-commerce and express delivery, cultivated 219 demonstration projects for express delivery services supporting modern agriculture, and postal express delivery now supports an annual online retail value of agricultural products exceeding 780 billion yuan.

Notable results have been achieved, yet challenges remain.

"In remote rural areas of the central and western regions, problems such as long delivery distances and high operating costs are relatively prominent. If delivery companies were to build their own networks independently, it would be difficult for enterprises to bear the cost," said Lin Hu, spokesperson for the State Post Bureau and director of the Market Regulation Department. Practice has found that the universal postal service network serving as a safety net is an effective model for achieving express delivery reaching villages.

In January this year, 17 central and western provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) each selected one county to carry out the special pilot program for "express delivery reaching villages" with postal services as a safety net, relying on the universal postal service network.

A review of the list makes it easy to see that many of the pilot counties are key counties supported by the state for rural revitalization. "In these areas, the rural population is dispersed and parcel volumes are insufficient; the marginal cost of a single package is more than ten times that in cities," Lin Hu said. The situation in which express delivery companies are unwilling to deliver below the township level, unable to deliver, and unable to afford to deliver exists to a certain extent. Selecting these areas can further verify the relevant work rules, business processes, and policy effects.

Since the pilot began, postal and express delivery services have cooperated closely. As of the end of August, among the 3,960 administrative villages in the 17 pilot counties, 2,939 administrative villages have achieved "express delivery reaching villages" through the postal safety net, completing the pilot goals set at the beginning of the year. More and more villagers are now able to receive parcels quickly without leaving their villages.

Not just for "receiving parcels," but for smoothing the circulation of the economy

With high costs and great difficulty, why do multiple parties join forces to advance "express delivery reaching villages"?

"'Express delivery reaching villages' with the postal safety net is not just for 'receiving parcels,' but for connecting rural areas to the modern economic system and smoothing the circulation of the economy," Lin Hu said. It enables specialty agricultural products and other goods to be converted through circulation into tangible economic value, allowing the vast rural areas to become deeply integrated into the domestic major cycle.

In Fang County, Shiyan, Hubei Province, 269 administrative villages are scattered in all directions. Before the pilot, 112 administrative villages found it difficult to rely on market-based mechanisms to achieve regular and stable delivery, and another 28 village-level stations were forced to shrink or close due to operational difficulties. Updating county, township, and village-level logistics hardware, upgrading standardized stations into comprehensive service outlets, exploring cost-sharing models... After a period of trial operation, the per-piece operating cost for delivery to villages was reduced by 0.13 yuan, with an average daily volume of 10,000 pieces delivered to villages; by opening up the upward channel for specialty agricultural products, village-level collection volume has doubled compared to before the pilot, driving an average income increase of about 20,000 yuan per household for nearly 20,000 farming households.

One county, one policy, in light of local conditions. Since the pilot work began, China Post Group has arranged a cumulative investment plan of 210 million yuan, of which more than 21 million yuan is special construction funding for the 17 pilot counties. The rate of motorized rural delivery vehicles has increased from 62 percent to 97 percent, while effectively connecting data from express delivery companies and platforms to achieve full-process data tracking from parcel handover to delivery confirmation.

"The gap between urban and rural areas is, to a large extent, a gap in infrastructure and public services," Lin Hu said. The postal network is the only physical delivery network in the country with the capability of full geographic coverage, "reaching horizontally to the edges and vertically to the bottom." Relying on the postal network to advance "express delivery reaching villages" will guarantee the equalized provision of basic public services in an institutionalized manner and effectively release the consumption potential of rural areas.

Strengthening hard connectivity, optimizing the soft environment, and making the safety-net service more sustainable

"Although the pilot work has achieved initial results, as the pilot advances in depth, some deep-seated problems still need to be resolved," Lin Hu said.

For example, in some areas, postal and express delivery enterprises remain at the shallow level of cooperation of "substitute delivery and substitute transport," and deep cooperation in facility co-construction, resource sharing, and route co-distribution is still insufficient. In another example, some pilot counties still have problems such as cramped postal processing center sites, low coverage of automated sorting equipment, and insufficient delivery capacity below the township level, making it difficult to cope with the surge in substitute delivery volumes after the safety net is in place.

More importantly, how can the safety-net service be made more sustainable?

Lin Hu suggested that, in the long run, it is necessary to prevent some express delivery companies from blindly collecting parcels at the front end and causing disorderly competition by taking advantage of the postal safety-net service.

Strengthening hard connectivity. Support the postal branch companies of the relevant provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in comprehensively improving county-level processing capacity, introducing automated processing equipment suitable for joint sorting, and advancing the pilot application of unmanned vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles in rural areas. At the same time, promote the use of rural passenger transport vehicles to carry mail and parcels, achieving resource sharing between "passenger transport routes plus postal express delivery," reducing rural end-point distribution costs, and expanding service coverage.

Optimizing the soft environment. Further promote the inclusion of "express delivery reaching villages" with the postal safety net as a priority in county economic development and rural revitalization work, providing support in site use, village-level station construction, and the establishment of public welfare positions. In addition, regulate the order of the rural express delivery market and promote fair competition.

It should be recognized that the postal safety-net service is only a beneficial supplement and transitional form for "express delivery reaching villages." As the consumption potential of rural areas in the central and western regions continues to be released and delivery demand becomes more robust, more express delivery companies will extend their outlets downward and improve their services. A more complete rural delivery service network will better meet the production and living needs of rural residents, effectively serve the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas, and smooth the domestic major cycle.

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Making "light travel" and "micro-vacations" More Fun and Worry-Free (Cultivating More "China Service" Brands)

By: 本报记者 马 晨

Leaving work on Friday and taking a one-hour high-speed rail ride, one can step into Hebei's green waters and green mountains, ancient city walls and alleyways. "So close, so beautiful, spend the weekend in Hebei" has long ceased to be merely a slogan and has become a regular choice for tourists.

Previously, Hebei's presence in the cultural tourism market was not strong. Although adjacent to Beijing and Tianjin, it faced a situation of strong resources, weak branding, many passing-through routes, and few stays.

In September 2016, the first Hebei Provincial Tourism Industry Development Conference was held in Baoding, Hebei, establishing an innovative platform for the development of the cultural tourism industry. To date, ten sessions have been held, with the supply of tourism products and services continuously enriched and optimized, and Hebei's cultural tourism development gradually moving into the fast lane.

In recent years, "light tourism" and "micro-vacations" featuring short distances and an emphasis on experience have risen. In 2022, Hebei shifted its development approach, proposing to "build the preferred destination for Beijing and Tianjin tourists' weekend leisure, making 'So close, so beautiful, spend the weekend in Hebei' a new fashion."

Brand building does not happen overnight or in one single step. Led by major events, disseminated through converged media, marketed through scenario-based approaches, and linked across industries, Hebei has constructed a multi-level, three-dimensional publicity and promotion system. The cultural tourism slogan "So close, so beautiful, spend the weekend in Hebei" has now gone viral online, with total interactions on the topic across all platforms exceeding 30 billion.

Once the brand has gained renown, what is used to retain visitors afterward?

The answer Hebei gives is: from "viewing scenery" to "experiencing," from "checking in" to "immersion," with dual upgrades to both products and services.

From "viewing scenery" to "immersion," product innovation makes weekends more interesting—

At Tangshan's Hetou Old Street, lights shine brilliantly, and "Li Bai," clad in a white robe with a flowing long beard, exchanges poetry with tourists... On this ancient street, more than 300 performers recreate the splendor of the High Tang, stringing together the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

In Chongli District of Zhangjiakou, the single sport of skiing has been expanded into diverse experiences such as spectating events and study tours, turning "a single season of popularity" into "popularity in all four seasons"; in Langfang, "Only Red Mansion · Dream of Drama City" breaks the traditional performance model, precisely matching tourist demand with immersive theater and other offerings. Hebei has integrated resources including mountain and water ecology, history and culture, rural leisure, and intangible cultural heritage experiences, focusing on building "ten major weekend tourism scenarios" and "five major cultural tourism consumption formats," promoting the transformation of tourism from scenery-based to scenario-based, allowing tourists to move from "viewing scenery" to "entering the scene."

From convenience to comfort, service guarantees make weekends more carefree—

"Online reservation is convenient, and the scenic area's public facilities are complete." Liu Yue, who works in Beijing's Dongcheng District, is a regular visitor on Hebei weekend trips. Hebei has made coordinated efforts across multiple dimensions including transportation guarantees, product supply, service quality improvement, and benefit policies for the people: continuously improving the tourism passenger transport service system and opening Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei tourism through-bus routes; the "Easy Travel Hebei" luggage delivery service, since its launch in May 2025, has cumulatively delivered over 100,000 luggage items for tourists; as of the end of September this year, cumulative sales of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei scenic area joint ticket have reached 210,400 tickets, realizing "with one ticket in hand, travel freely across the three places."

From "traffic" to "retention," industrial driving makes weekends more valuable—

At the foot of the Taihang Mountains, Wu Meilan, head of the Banshan Yun She bed-and-breakfast in Yingtan Village, Xindu District, Xingtai City, selects fresh ingredients to prepare breakfast for guests arriving for the weekend. As Hebei continues to promote weekend short trips and micro-vacations, the government has guided local efforts to renovate idle rural houses, upgrade the quality of bed-and-breakfasts, standardize service norms, and cultivate distinctive business formats, bringing development opportunities to rural cultural tourism in the Taihang Mountain area.

The continued warming of the cultural tourism brand has activated the service industry chain, driving the development of catering, accommodation, transportation, retail, cultural and creative products, and agricultural product sales. In 2025, Hebei received 10.9 percent more tourist visits year on year, and total tourism spending increased 10.2 percent year on year, of which Beijing and Tianjin tourists numbered 160 million visits, up 13.1 percent year on year.

"Hebei will continue to advance the integration of culture and tourism, making 'So close, so beautiful, spend the weekend in Hebei' offer more places to go and more fun to have," said Zhao Bing, director of the Hebei Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

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How to Understand the "Three Prohibitions and One Strict Ban"

By: 刘振中

On October 9, the "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Developing New Quality Productive Forces" was publicly released. The Opinions clearly state that we must not shift from the real economy to virtual sectors, strive for excessive scale and perfection, or create bubbles; we must not allow industrial hollowing-out or industrial disconnection to occur; and we must not blindly pursue novelty while neglecting one thing while attending to another. It is strictly forbidden to abuse policies in violation of regulations under the name of developing new quality productive forces, and serious accountability will be pursued for those who rush in blindly and collectively or engage in blind investment that causes major losses. Some people interpret this as "stepping on the brakes to cool down," but that is not the case. It is more like a "traffic light" and "navigation system" for developing new quality productive forces, drawing clear boundaries for innovation and exploration in various localities while also calibrating the direction for cultivating new drivers of growth with high quality.

The "three must-nots" progress layer by layer and are dialectically unified, clarifying from three dimensions—the foundation of development, the continuity of momentum, and the coordination of methods—the cognitive misunderstandings and practical deviations in "how to do" the development of new quality productive forces.

The requirement not to shift from the real economy to virtual sectors, strive for excessive scale and perfection, or create bubbles focuses on consolidating the foundation of the real economy. New quality productive forces are led by scientific and technological innovation and rooted in the real economy. Once one shifts from the real economy to virtual sectors, departs from manufacturing, breaks away from the industrial chain, and simply equates new quality productive forces with concept speculation, capital operations, or platform expansion, it is easy to breed "false heat." Striving for excessive scale and perfection manifests as blindly expanding projects and scale regardless of conditions, using the word "new" as a signboard to compete for resources. Creating bubbles may even cause emerging industries to fall into excessive financialization and over-capitalization before they have taken shape. The Opinions list the three together, essentially reminding us that the "newness" of new quality productive forces must be tangible technological progress and efficiency improvement, not book numbers and valuation illusions. All localities must base themselves on their resource endowments and industrial foundations, precisely select tracks, orderly lay out projects, adhere to establishing the new before abolishing the old and making progress while maintaining stability, and avoid low-level redundant construction.

The requirement not to allow industrial hollowing-out or industrial disconnection focuses on promoting the orderly transition between old and new drivers of growth. China's manufacturing industry has a complete range of categories, and traditional industries absorb a large amount of employment and constitute the basic foundation of the modern industrial system. Developing new quality productive forces does not mean starting something entirely new from scratch, nor does it mean simply replacing traditional industries with emerging ones. Using digital technology, green technology, intelligent equipment, and the like to transform traditional industries such as steel, chemicals, textiles, and building materials can equally give rise to new quality productive forces. If there is a "gap" in the transition between old and new drivers of growth—with new industries not yet taking shape and old industries already falling into disorder—the economic foundation will be damaged. "Moving toward the new" and "discarding the old to pursue the new" are two different things: the former is upgrading, the latter is rupture. Only by promoting the orderly transition and positive interaction between old and new drivers of growth can industrial hollowing-out and industrial disconnection be avoided.

The requirement not to blindly pursue novelty or neglect one thing while attending to another focuses on giving overall consideration to all aspects and advancing systematically. "Pursuing novelty" itself is not wrong; the problem lies in the word "blindly." When developing new quality productive forces, some localities tend to direct all their attention to frontier tracks such as artificial intelligence and biomanufacturing, while neglecting equally important goals such as regional coordination, employment security, ecological constraints, and safety bottom lines. New quality productive forces are a systematic project and cannot sacrifice safety, fairness, or green development in exchange for temporary "new" achievements. Coordinating the relationships between government and market, quality and business forms, reform and development, and independence and opening up, and coordinating development and security, are precisely the overall requirements for the practice of developing new quality productive forces. Where research and development is appropriate, conduct research and development; where manufacturing is appropriate, engage in manufacturing; where services are appropriate, provide services—only by exploring distinctive and differentiated paths can comparative advantages be transformed into lasting competitive advantages.

The "one strict prohibition" is an inflexible red line that cannot be crossed. The statement that it is strictly forbidden to abuse policies in violation of regulations under the name of developing new quality productive forces, and that serious accountability will be pursued for those who rush in blindly and collectively or engage in blind investment that causes major losses, is highly targeted. The cultivation of new quality productive forces is characterized by large investment, long cycles, and high uncertainty, relying on long-term capital, patient investment, and market-based trial and error—it can never be achieved quickly through administrative promotion or debt expansion. Some localities, being overly eager to achieve quick success, treat the development of new quality productive forces as a short-term performance project, blindly building new industrial parks and launching projects, even leveraging investment through illegal borrowing. This may appear to have a great deal of momentum or influence, but in reality it conceals fiscal and financial risks. In developing new quality productive forces, the government must do what it should and refrain from what it should not; it must provide planning guidance, ecosystem cultivation, and public services, letting enterprises play the leading role and the market determine the direction. What should be left to market trial and error should be left to the market; where the government should fill gaps, it should shore up shortcomings. Under no circumstances should one engage in the reality of extensive expansion under the banner of "newness."

"Three must-nots and one strict prohibition," in the final analysis, answers the question of "how to develop new quality productive forces." It requires us to grasp well the relationships between establishing and abolishing, the new and the old, and doing and not doing. Developing new quality productive forces requires both a sense of urgency and the absence of impatience; both daring to venture and experiment, and holding firm to bottom lines. Only by drawing clear boundaries for what "must not" be done and establishing the red line of "strict prohibition" can we prevent rushing in blindly and collectively and bubble formation, allowing new quality productive forces to grow healthily on the track of rule of law and marketization.

At a time when the trend is at its peak, even greater composure is needed. New quality productive forces are not repackaging old ideas in a new way, but a profound transformation of the development model. Only when all localities firmly grasp the practical guideline of the "three must-nots," strictly observe the rigid bottom line of the "one strict prohibition," respect industrial laws, proceed in light of local conditions, and safeguard development security can they promote the orderly transition and positive interaction between old and new drivers of growth, and continuously transform new quality productive forces into the hard-core driving force of high-quality development.

(The author is the director and researcher of the Innovation Strategy Research Office (New Quality Productive Forces Research Office) of the Institute of Industrial Economics and Technological Economics of the National Development and Reform Commission)

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Consolidating the Health Foundation for Chinese Modernization

By: 本报记者 白剑峰

Time is the scale of life; time is the yardstick of endeavor.

A steadily rising "lifeline" condenses a "chronicle" of the nation's health —

In the early years of the founding of New China, the average life expectancy of our people was only 35 years. In 2015, the average life expectancy of our people was 76.34 years, and in 2025 it reached 79.25 years. The maternal mortality rate and the infant mortality rate have continued to decline. Major health indicators remain steadily among the forefront of middle- and high-income countries with populations exceeding 100 million, and the people's health level has improved significantly.

A set of globally notable data marks the historic achievements of the building of a Healthy China —

Our country has built the world's largest systems of medical services, traditional medicine, disease prevention and control, and medical security; more than 1.1 million medical and health institutions and more than 16 million medical and health personnel are spread across urban and rural areas; more than 90 percent of residents can reach the nearest medical service point within 15 minutes.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed the protection of the people's health in a strategic position of priority development, convened the National Conference on Health and Wellness, established the work guidelines for health and wellness in the new era, issued the "Healthy China 2030" Planning Outline, issued the call for building a Healthy China, clarified the major policies and action programs for building a Healthy China, and implemented a series of major measures and practical, hard measures that benefit the present and benefit the long term, laying a solid health foundation for realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

"Advancing the building of a Healthy China is our Party's solemn commitment to the people." "Building a Healthy China by 2035 is a strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee. The 15th Five-Year Plan is a critical period for realizing this goal. It is necessary to make overall plans, step up progress, and strive to achieve decisive progress."

A very solemn promise (一诺千金, yi nuo qian jin - "one, promise, thousand, gold"), weightier than Mount Tai. General Secretary Xi Jinping steers the ship and charts the course, providing fundamental guidance and pointing out the direction for the building of a Healthy China, and leading more than 1.4 billion people onto the new journey of building a Healthy China.

Opening Up a Path

"The path of health and wellness development with Chinese characteristics must not waver; the implementation of the work guidelines for health and wellness in the new era must not waver"

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with broad vision, extraordinary boldness, and scientific decision-making, has personally planned and personally deployed the building of a Healthy China, and the path of health and wellness development with Chinese characteristics has grown ever broader.

People's health is the foundation of the nation. The Fifth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee proposed "advancing the building of a Healthy China," and the Decision of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee proposed "implementing the strategy of health-priority development." From "advancing the building of a Healthy China" in the 13th Five-Year Plan to "comprehensively advancing the building of a Healthy China" in the 14th Five-Year Plan, and then to "accelerating the building of a Healthy China" in the 15th Five-Year Plan, the Healthy China is advancing with resounding steps.

In August 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized at the National Conference on Health and Wellness: "It is necessary to adhere to the correct work guidelines for health and wellness, focus on the grassroots level, take reform and innovation as the driving force, give priority to prevention, give equal importance to both Chinese and Western medicine, integrate health into all policies, and have the people build and share together."

In March 2026, when participating in the joint group meeting of members from the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party, the Jiusan Society, the medical and health sector, and the social welfare and social security sector at the Fourth Session of the 14th CPPCC National Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The path of health and wellness development with Chinese characteristics must not waver; the implementation of the work guidelines for health and wellness in the new era must not waver. On these fundamental issues, we must always keep a clear head and maintain strategic resolve."

One guideline, consistently upheld; one path, unswerving and steadfast (坚定不移, jian ding bu yi - "firm, steady, not, move"). What changes is time; what does not change is the value concept of putting the people first and life first, and the people-centered development thinking.

"The most important indicator of modernization is still the people's health, which is the foundation of the people's happy life. To grasp this matter firmly, putting the people first and life first should be a concept that the entire Party and the whole society must firmly establish."

"Health is 1, and everything else is the 0s behind it. If the 1 is gone, nothing is left."

Through long-term efforts, we have opened up a path of health and wellness development with Chinese characteristics. Our country has obtained relatively high health service output with relatively small resource input, has been listed by the World Health Organization as a high-performance country for maternal and child health, has become one of the countries with the greatest medical progress in the world, and has won broad acclaim from the international community.

Solving a Difficult Problem

"Persist in using Chinese-style methods to solve this worldwide difficult problem of the reform of the pharmaceutical and health care system"

"Without universal health, there is no comprehensive moderate prosperity." This slogan has always hung in the first-floor lobby of the Health Center of Shiye Town, Dantu District, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, and is especially eye-catching.

On December 13, 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to the Shiye Town Health Center to learn about the development of rural medical and health services and the situation of villagers seeking medical treatment.

Wang Shengqin has worked at the Shiye Town Health Center for 16 years. Today, she is the contracted family doctor of 322 villagers in Xinglong Village. Who in the village has high blood pressure, whose blood sugar needs re-examination, which elderly person should receive regular follow-up visits — she keeps all of this in mind.

Grassroots medical and health institutions are the bottom of the net of our country's medical and health service system and the "nerve endings" of the building of a Healthy China. In 2025, the number of outpatient visits at grassroots medical and health institutions nationwide reached 5.65 billion, accounting for 53 percent of the total number of outpatient visits nationwide.

On March 23, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to the Shaxian General Hospital in Sanming City, Fujian Province, for an inspection to learn about the situation of medical reform benefiting the people. In front of a bar chart, the General Secretary stopped and looked closely.

"I am very concerned about your reform. This is a spirit of daring to be the first, a consciousness and responsibility of the concept of putting the people first and life first." General Secretary Xi Jinping's attitude was clear-cut.

Taking the reform of public hospitals as the entry point, Sanming City has actively explored the comprehensive reform of the "three-medicine linkage" of medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals. All localities have studied and promoted the experience of Sanming's medical reform in light of local conditions, and improved the mechanism for the coordinated development and governance of medical services, medical insurance, and pharmaceuticals.

"Serious illnesses are solved within the province, ordinary illnesses are solved at the city and county level, and daily headaches and fevers are solved in the villages."

"Unalterably write public welfare on the banner of the medical and health undertaking."

"Persist in using Chinese-style methods to solve this worldwide difficult problem of the reform of the pharmaceutical and health care system."

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has taken a holistic view of the overall situation, focused on the long term, concentrated on the old difficult problems and new challenges faced, incorporated the reform of the pharmaceutical and health care system into the comprehensive deepening of reform with simultaneous deployment, simultaneous requirements, and simultaneous assessment, with correct direction, clear paths, effective measures, and remarkable results.

From one region to the whole, an "answer sheet for medical reform" of a major country with a population of more than 1.4 billion is praiseworthy and noteworthy (可圈可点, ke quan ke dian - "can, circle, can, dot"):

The allocation of medical resources has been further optimized. Our country has established national medical centers in 13 professional categories and national regional medical centers in the categories of children's and mental illness, and supports 125 national regional medical center construction projects.

Compact medical consortia have expanded in scope and improved in quality. A total of 2,199 counties (cities, districts) have built compact county-level medical communities, and 81 cities have carried out pilot work on compact urban medical groups; the construction of resource-sharing centers for medical imaging, electrocardiogram diagnosis, and medical laboratory testing has been accelerated to improve the level of homogenization of medical and health services within medical consortia.

The burden of medical treatment on the people has been reduced. The number of people covered by basic medical insurance exceeds 1.3 billion, with the coverage rate consolidated at 95 percent; the National Essential Medicines List has reached 794 drugs, accounting for 71 percent of the total usage of drugs allocated in all public medical and health institutions; in 2025, the proportion of residents' personal health expenditure in total health expenditure dropped to 27.1 percent.

The grand blueprint of a Healthy China has been transformed into the well-being of the people's livelihood, landing on price-reduced prescription lists, in high-quality diagnoses and treatments, and in the follow-up visits of family doctors.

Building a Line of Defense

"Preventing and defusing major epidemics and sudden public health risks bears on national security and development, and bears on the stability of the overall social and political situation"

At Henghu Farm, Xinjian District, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, a drone sweeps low over the reed marshes, transmitting real-time images back to the command center, while ground-based intelligent surveillance cameras link up in sync, generating dynamically updated risk maps of schistosomiasis transmission.

In recent years, Jiangxi Province has built a supervision platform for schistosomiasis infection sources in the Poyang Lake area, realizing round-the-clock visualized supervision at the provincial, municipal, and county levels. As of the end of 2025, the schistosomiasis epidemic in the province has dropped to its lowest level in history.

"Preventing and defusing major epidemics and sudden public health risks bears on national security and development, and bears on the stability of the overall social and political situation." On May 24, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized this when participating in the deliberation of the Hubei delegation at the Third Session of the 13th National People's Congress.

A strong public health system is the "first line of defense" for safeguarding the people's life and health.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, our country has withstood the severe impact of the pandemic of the century, creating the miracle of a major country with a large population successfully emerging from the pandemic; it has promptly detected and rapidly handled emerging and sudden epidemics such as mpox, and effectively controlled local epidemics such as dengue fever and chikungunya fever; it has entered the ranks of countries with a medium-low prevalence of tuberculosis; and it has received the World Health Organization certification for national malaria elimination.

Line after line of public health defense, network after network of disease prevention and control, protect the life safety and physical health of hundreds of millions of people, and build a solid public health security barrier for advancing Chinese modernization.

Monitoring and early warning have become more sensitive. The infectious disease surveillance system covers 84,000 medical institutions and 1,323 sentinel hospitals nationwide; intelligent infectious disease surveillance and early warning front-end software has been deployed and applied in more than 50,000 medical institutions, monitoring infectious disease epidemic information in real time, and the time from diagnosis to reporting of infectious diseases has been shortened from 5.2 hours in the past to 3.7 hours.

Emergency response has become more efficient. Twenty-nine provinces have built biosafety level 3 laboratories, and all provincial-level and more than 90 percent of municipal-level CDC centers have the capacity for nucleic acid testing and virus isolation; every province has undertaken the construction of a national emergency infectious disease prevention and control team, and every prefecture-level city and district/county has established a grassroots infectious disease emergency response team.

Vaccination has become more convenient. The state provides free vaccines that can prevent 16 diseases, and the reported incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, hepatitis A, Japanese encephalitis, and meningococcal meningitis has dropped to relatively low levels in history; 31 provinces have realized cross-provincial sharing and circulation of vaccination information, making it more convenient for children to have their vaccination certificates checked when entering childcare and school.

The infectious disease treatment system has become more complete. Thirty national major infectious disease prevention and treatment bases have been laid out and built in provincial capital cities, comprehensively building a barrier for the prevention and treatment of major infectious diseases in major national strategic regions and densely populated areas; relying on the National Center for Infectious Diseases and others, a major infectious disease treatment system integrating urban and rural areas, systematic and continuous, layered and graded, and with efficient referral has been formed, effectively safeguarding the people's life and health security.

Writing Out a "Prescription"

"To build a Healthy China, we must rely not only on the 'small prescription' of medical and health services, but even more on the 'big prescription' of overall social linkage"

"Previously my blood sugar was always hard to control, but now my blood sugar is stable, and I've even become a 'health coach'!" said Aunt Wang, 67, of Baihedong Village, Yanglinqiao Town, Zigui County, Yichang City, Hubei Province, recently. Under the guidance of her family doctor, her health record card has changed from red to yellow.

"To build a Healthy China, we must rely not only on the 'small prescription' of medical and health services, but even more on the 'big prescription' of overall social linkage, establish the concept of big health and big wellness, transform from a focus on treating disease to a focus on the people's health, and pay attention to the entire life cycle and the whole process of health." At the 2016 National Conference on Health and Wellness, the General Secretary's words were resounding.

From "the state calls on you to lose weight" to the establishment of "healthy weight management clinics," from promoting "health points" to carrying out "joint prevention of multiple diseases," from "treating existing diseases" to "treating pre-disease states"... Our country implements the Healthy China Action, carries out in depth 18 special actions, actively advocates healthy and civilized lifestyles, and promotes the deep integration of national fitness and national health.

In April 2020, during an inspection in Shaanxi Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping walked into Class 1, Grade 5 of the Central Primary School of Laoxian Town, Pingli County, and cordially asked about the children's study and living conditions. The General Secretary said earnestly: "Nowadays children are generally becoming myopic, and this is my hidden worry. Also, the degree of physical health, due to less physical exercise, has declined somewhat. Civilize their spirit, toughen their physique — what I mean by 'toughen their physique' is to strengthen the body."

From "little glasses" to "little chubby kids," from physical education classes to nutritious meals, the healthy growth and comprehensive development of children and adolescents is the gentlest concern in the General Secretary's heart. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the educational concept of health first.

Our country implements the "five health" promotion actions for children and adolescents covering weight health, vision health, mental health, bone health, and oral health, and has established a full-chain service system of prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. The overall excellence rate of physical fitness and health of students nationwide continues to improve. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the overall myopia rate of students achieved "five consecutive declines."

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has always attached great importance to the patriotic health campaign, promoted the transformation from environmental health governance to comprehensive social health management, and solved the overall and long-term problems related to the people's health.

"The toilet problem is not a small matter." From Hebei to Fujian, from Zhejiang to Shanghai, during his work in local areas, Comrade Xi Jinping always attached great importance to and was very concerned about the toilet problem, and promoted the resolution of the local people's difficulties in using toilets.

Small toilets, major livelihood. As of the end of 2025, the penetration rate of sanitary toilets in rural areas nationwide has reached about 77 percent, and the penetration rate of tap water in rural areas nationwide has reached 96 percent. The living environment in rural areas has continued to improve, and the quality of life of the people has improved significantly. Shanghai has historically solved the problem of "carrying chamber pots," benefiting a total of more than one million residents.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the health literacy level of residents nationwide increased at an average rate of 2 percentage points per year, reaching 33.69 percent in 2025. The "15th Five-Year Plan for National Health" proposes reaching 40 percent by 2030.

Inheriting a Treasure

"Traditional Chinese medicine is a treasure of Chinese civilization, and inheriting, innovating, and developing traditional Chinese medicine is a major matter"

At 8 a.m., the waiting area of the Appropriate Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Clinic of Guang'anmen Hospital of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences is full of patients waiting for treatment. More than 20 kinds of traditional Chinese medicine characteristic techniques attract patients from all over the country. Acupuncture, tuina, gua sha, moxibustion... These appropriate traditional Chinese medicine techniques, characterized by being "simple, convenient, effective, and inexpensive," exude a unique charm.

In the face of changes unseen in a century, the question of where traditional Chinese medicine should go has become a major issue bearing on the continuation of traditional Chinese culture. To build a Healthy China, there is an urgent need to give full play to the unique advantages of traditional Chinese medicine in disease prevention and treatment.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the revitalization and development of traditional Chinese medicine has ushered in a great opportunity.

On February 15, 2015, during an inspection in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to a traditional Chinese medicine clinic in the community of the 205th Research Institute, Dianzicheng Street, Yanta District. The General Secretary said: "Many patients like to see traditional Chinese medicine doctors because the side effects are small, the efficacy is good, and the prices of Chinese herbal medicines are relatively cheap. I myself also like to see traditional Chinese medicine doctors."

In May 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to the Yisheng Shrine, the memorial site of the tomb and shrine of Zhang Zhongjing, a medical scientist of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in Nanyang City, Henan Province, to learn about Zhang Zhongjing's life and his contributions to the development of traditional Chinese medicine.

Today, the Yisheng Shrine has been integrated into the Yisheng Cultural Park, attracting traditional Chinese medicine enthusiasts from all over the world to pay homage. The Zhongjing Academy, adjacent to the Yisheng Shrine, has become a highland for talent cultivation in Nanyang for inheriting Zhongjing's academic thought.

In May 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to Nanyang Yao Yibao Mugwort Products Co., Ltd., inspected the production workshop and product displays, and had a cordial exchange with the enterprise operators and employees. The General Secretary emphasized that mugwort is a precious Chinese medicinal material, and developing mugwort products can both use local materials and solve local employment.

In the display room of the Nanyang Mugwort Industry Association, dozens of photographs record the development course of the local mugwort industry: "Nanyang mugwort" has been approved as a national geographical indication protected product, "Zhongjing moxibustion therapy" has entered the China Mugwort Expo, "Zhongjing moxibustion master" training classes have been held, and mugwort has been included in the new "eight major Nanyang medicinal materials"...

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed traditional Chinese medicine in a more prominent position, promoted the reform and development of traditional Chinese medicine with unprecedented intensity, and led the traditional Chinese medicine undertaking to achieve historic achievements.

In August 2016, at the National Conference on Health and Wellness, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that it is necessary to make efforts to promote the revitalization and development of traditional Chinese medicine, adhere to giving equal importance to both Chinese and Western medicine, promote the mutual supplementation and coordinated development of traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, and strive to realize the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional Chinese medicine health preservation culture.

Tasting traditional Chinese medicine tea drinks, hand-making sachets, experiencing auricular acupressure, trying artificial intelligence traditional Chinese medicine pulse diagnosis... Since the beginning of this year, the "hundred cities, thousand counties" traditional Chinese medicine culture benefit-the-people activity has been in full swing. Tradition and modernity collide with wonderful sparks, and traditional Chinese medicine culture resonates among young people.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, our country's traditional Chinese medicine undertaking achieved leapfrog development. As of the end of 2025, the number of traditional Chinese medicine medical institutions nationwide has exceeded 110,000, and community health service centers and township health centers generally provide traditional Chinese medicine services.

On December 19, 2024, during an inspection at Macau University of Science and Technology, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Traditional Chinese medicine is a treasure of Chinese civilization, and inheriting, innovating, and developing traditional Chinese medicine is a major matter. We must inherit, develop, and make good use of this precious wealth left to us by our ancestors, and promote traditional Chinese medicine to the world."

Inheriting the essence of a thousand years, answering the questions of the times. The Huangdi Neijing, the Bencao Gangmu, and the Four Medical Tantras have been included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register; traditional Chinese medicine acupuncture and moxibustion, tai chi, and others have been included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; the 72nd World Health Assembly reviewed and adopted the Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), which for the first time includes a chapter on traditional medicine originating from traditional Chinese medicine...

A small grass changes the world, a classic prescription is passed down for a thousand years, a wisp of medicinal fragrance traverses ancient and modern times, a silver needle connects China and the West. The traditional Chinese medicine undertaking, along the path of "inheriting the essence and upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground," is moving toward the world with greater determination, making greater contributions to building a community of shared health for mankind.

"People's health is the foundation of the progress of social civilization, an important indicator of national prosperity and strength, and also the common pursuit of the broad masses of the people."

A Healthy China is built and shared by all. The goals proposed in the "15th Five-Year Plan for National Health" are inspiring: by 2030, the building of a Healthy China will achieve decisive progress, healthy lifestyles will be popularized more rapidly, the upward trend in the incidence of major chronic diseases will be effectively controlled, the average life expectancy will reach 80 years, major health indicators will enter the ranks of high-income countries, laying a solid foundation for building a Healthy China by 2035.

The health of one person is the foundation of one's standing; the health of the people is the foundation of the nation. Under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, more than 1.4 billion people, full of boundless longing for a better life, continuously consolidate the health foundation of Chinese modernization, and will surely write a new chapter in building a Healthy China!

(Related report on page 8)

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Carry Forward and Enhance the Friendly Relations Between China and Central Asian Countries (The Path of Great Virtue)

By: 本报记者 屈 佩

In an office of the School of International Education at China University of Petroleum (Beijing), Rejepman, a Turkmen teacher, and his colleagues are sorting through graduate student archives. He led the reporter to the lobby on the first floor of the school building, where a display showcases President Xi Jinping's 2023 reply letter to the university's Central Asian students. "Writing to President Xi Jinping and receiving his reply was the highlight of my life. President Xi Jinping's reply made me even more convinced: China will always be my first choice," Rejepman said.

In 2023, President Xi Jinping replied to the Central Asian students at China University of Petroleum (Beijing), encouraging them to make greater contributions to promoting the development of relations between China and Central Asian countries. "China and Central Asian countries are connected by shared mountains and rivers (山水相连, shan shui xiang lian - "mountain, water, mutually, connect"), with deep friendship and a shared future." President Xi Jinping emphasized that the friendly relations between China and Central Asian countries need to be inherited and carried forward by generation after generation of aspiring and capable young people.

As one of the drafters of the letter to President Xi Jinping, Rejepman was then a doctoral student at the university. "For Central Asian international students, 2023 was a very happy year. That year marked the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the 70th anniversary of our university," Rejepman said. Everyone saw the development opportunities that international educational cooperation brought to individuals.

Rejepman's opportunity to study in China came from a joint enrollment program under the framework of energy cooperation between China and Turkmenistan. "At that time, more than 200 Central Asian international students gathered at the university. Some came because they admired Chinese culture, some came because they saw China's surging economic vitality. We were gathered together in one place (相聚一堂, xiang ju yi tang - "mutually, gather, one, hall"), and a strong sense of happiness and fulfillment made us want to thank President Xi Jinping. So the idea of writing to President Xi Jinping came to us," Rejepman recalled. From the excitement of absorbing knowledge in class, to the experience of serving as a volunteer at the Winter Olympics, to what they saw and heard during social practice... people talked one after another (一言我一语, yi yan wo yi yu - "one, word, my, one, word"), eagerly sharing their feelings about studying in China in the letter.

Soon, Rejepman and his classmates received President Xi Jinping's reply. "You are witnesses and beneficiaries of China-Central Asia relations, and even more so, builders and disseminators of them." Every word in the reply was filled with President Xi Jinping's expectations: "I hope you will actively devote yourselves to the cause of friendship between China and Central Asian countries, carry forward the spirit of the Silk Road, tell the stories of China and Central Asia well, serve as envoys of friendship and bridges of cooperation, and make your own contributions to building an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future."

Many of the Central Asian students who wrote to President Xi Jinping that year have continued to devote themselves to China-Central Asia cooperation: some are fighting on the front lines of energy cooperation, some have grown into technological backbone personnel, and some are busy with economic and trade exchanges. Rejepman chose to stay at the university to teach after completing his doctorate, rooting himself on the front line of educational cooperation.

Over the past three years, batches of international students from Central Asia and other countries have come to China University of Petroleum (Beijing). At every orientation, Rejepman brings them to the lobby on the first floor of the School of International Education. "I want to tell them the story behind the reply letter, to tell them how much President Xi Jinping values our group, and how correct a choice it is to come to China to study," Rejepman said.

"President Xi Jinping's reply has made our university even more popular in Central Asian countries. Now there are more than 500 Central Asian international students at the university — one WeChat group can't even hold them all!" Rejepman said. The international students share a consensus: if you want to access the most cutting-edge technology and learn the most advanced concepts, coming to China to study is the best choice. When he completed his doctorate, Rejepman's dissertation was titled "Innovation in Energy Utilization and Resource Management Models under the Concept of Ecological Civilization." Today, this dissertation, along with many other outstanding ones, is displayed on both sides of the corridor in the school building, representing the academic achievements of international students.

"China's latest development achievements are becoming popular topics of study and discussion in the classroom," Rejepman introduced. China's achievements in ecological civilization construction have gained global recognition, and in traditional strengths of the university's curriculum such as chemical engineering, oil, and gas, the implementation and application of the concept of sustainable development has become a teaching focus.

"China-Central Asia relations have continued to reach new heights, and cooperation in various fields has entered the fast track, bringing well-being to the peoples of both sides." This sentence from President Xi Jinping's reply left a deep impression on Rejepman. Every time he returns to Turkmenistan, he discovers more Chinese elements: China's latest technological applications are used in projects of CNPC (Turkmenistan) Amu Darya Gas Company, Chinese engineers are stationed locally to facilitate technology transfer, Chinese-brand new energy vehicles are visible everywhere, and Chinese goods have entered ordinary households... "Central Asian countries are striving to develop and achieve modernization. By drawing on China's experience, ordinary people can quickly feel the improvement in their quality of life," Rejepman said. "Cooperation with China not only helps us firmly grasp development opportunities in our own hands, but also wins us precious development time."

Not long ago, a symposium on studying and implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important reply letter to the Central Asian international students of China University of Petroleum (Beijing) and on the high-quality development of energy higher education under the Belt and Road Initiative concluded. Guests from various countries brought new cooperation needs, and various tasks are being advanced in an orderly manner, with Rejepman deeply involved. He said: "I am one of the tens of thousands of international students who have benefited from the Belt and Road Initiative. We must continue to write a new chapter in cooperation between Central Asian countries and China with new growth and new stories, and live up to President Xi Jinping's expectations for us."

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China and the EU Should Be Each Other's Stable and Balanced Key Trading Partners (Zhong Sheng)

Although there are differences between China and Europe, as long as both sides uphold the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and fully accommodate each other's legitimate concerns, the two sides are fully capable, in wisdom and in ability, of finding a proper path to resolve the issues.

From October 8 to 9, the second regular meeting of the China-EU Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism was held in Beijing. Building on the positioning of the two sides as "stable and balanced key trading partners between China and the EU," the two sides took stock of the progress of consultations in various fields since the mechanism's first meeting, conducted pragmatic and productive discussions on important China-EU economic and trade issues, and formed a list of consensus outcomes and issued a joint statement. Against the backdrop of a world economic recovery under pressure and a rising tide of anti-globalization sentiment, China and the EU, within the framework of WTO rules, managed differences and advanced cooperation through reciprocal, professional and constructive dialogue, injecting valuable stability into a world economy full of uncertainty.

Dialogue is a path of win-win cooperation anchored by rules and propelled by reason, reflecting the strategic sobriety of both China and the EU. The consensus outcomes with 16 specific items reached this time cover key areas such as trade and investment balance, export controls, intellectual property rights, and WTO reform, responding to the common concerns of the industrial communities on both sides and laying the groundwork for further expanding cooperation. Both China and the EU recognize that "the successful convening of the second regular meeting is a new starting point, not an end point." This formulation shows that although there are differences between China and Europe, as long as both sides uphold the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and fully accommodate each other's legitimate concerns, the two sides are fully capable, in wisdom and in ability, of finding a proper path to resolve the issues. International opinion generally holds that this regular meeting effectively demonstrated the operational effectiveness of the consultation mechanism, helping to stabilize market expectations and benefiting both China and the EU as well as the world economy.

The essence of China-EU economic and trade relations is mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. The current bilateral trade structure is a two-way choice made by both sides based on their respective comparative advantages and is the inevitable result of the operation of market forces. In 2025, the volume of goods trade between China and the EU reached US$828.11 billion, a year-on-year increase of 5.4 percent, with two-way investment stock exceeding US$280 billion, and the two sides being each other's second-largest trading partners. In the first half of 2026, despite the interference of protectionist headwinds, the volume of goods trade between China and the EU grew by 14.2 percent year-on-year to reach US$447.88 billion. From automobiles and new energy to biomedicine and machinery and equipment, the industrial and supply chains of the two sides are deeply interwoven and complementary in advantages, with highly interdependent supply and demand markets, having long formed a solid pattern of shared interests. The two sides' firm commitment to their positioning as each other's key trading partners and their continued efforts to stabilize bilateral economic and trade relations and promote a more balanced trade are both pragmatic steps that conform to the reality of the deep integration of China-EU economic and trade ties and also demonstrate the two sides' shared sense of responsibility in providing certainty to the world.

Europe has a deep tradition of free trade and has long been an important builder of the open world economy. The Chinese side has noted that over a period of time, the EU has successively introduced a number of trade remedy measures and industrial policies, and the spillover effects of the relevant measures have drawn the attention of the international community. Politicizing and over-securitizing economic and trade issues and setting up unreasonable trade and investment barriers not only run counter to the WTO's principle of fair competition but also disrupt the stability of global industrial and supply chains, and ultimately are not conducive to the transformation and upgrading of Europe's own industries. An analysis by The Economist of the United Kingdom got straight to the point (一语中的, yi yu zhong - "one, word, hit, center"): if Europe wants its industry to prosper, the focus should not be on keeping competitors out of the door, but on "addressing its own internal ills." Many insightful people in Europe have already pointed out that the key to enhancing industrial competitiveness lies in resolving internal structural problems rather than simply restricting external competition.

China has always been a partner for Europe in addressing development challenges, not a source of problems. The real challenge for China-EU economic and trade cooperation lies in the practice of "de-risking" in name but "de-cooperation" in substance. The Chinese side has consistently maintained that interdependence is not a risk, the interweaving of interests is not a threat, and open cooperation is the right path to achieving common development. China's super-large market space, rapidly iterating innovative applications, and complete industrial supporting systems are indispensable and important foundations for Europe to advance its green transition and stimulate scientific and technological innovation. The German Chamber of Commerce in China has pointed out that the professional expertise and experience accumulated by German enterprises in operating in China can effectively help enterprises enhance their global competitiveness.

At present, unilateralism and protectionism continue to spread, and the international economic and trade order is facing impact. As firm supporters and active contributors to the multilateral trading system, both China and the EU have emphasized the value of a rules-based multilateral trading system, supported WTO reform, and stressed the importance of abiding by WTO rules. This consensus and position between China and the EU is not only conducive to maintaining the stable development of bilateral economic and trade relations, but also has significance that transcends bilateral relations, helping to safeguard the global trade order and promote the development of the world economy in a more open, inclusive, beneficial, balanced and win-win direction.

Dialogue and consultation are the optimal path for managing differences, and mutually beneficial cooperation is the greatest common denominator for common development. Looking ahead, the Chinese side is willing to work with the European side, on the basis of abiding by WTO rules and accommodating each other's core interests, to continue to resolve frictions and differences through dialogue and consultation, continuously tap new potential for cooperation and expand new space for cooperation, and jointly contribute China-EU strength to promoting global economic growth and safeguarding the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.

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The building of a new era all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future is radiating vigorous vitality

By: 本报记者 李 琰

"This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. In September, President Xi Jinping paid a historic visit to Egypt, and African heads of state have also visited China successively this year. The building of a new era all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future is radiating vigorous vitality, setting a benchmark for the unity and revitalization of the Global South, providing certainty for a world in turmoil and transformation, offering a new paradigm for global governance, and becoming a model for building a community with a shared future for mankind." Liu Xianfa, Special Representative of the Chinese Government for African Affairs, said recently in an exclusive interview with our reporter.

China and Africa have always been a community with a shared future. In 1956, the People's Republic of China and Egypt established diplomatic relations, opening a new chapter of contemporary friendly exchanges, joint struggle, and common development between China and Africa. In 1971, the People's Republic of China, with the support of African brothers, restored its lawful seat in the United Nations. In 1974, Chairman Mao Zedong met with Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda and first put forward the "Three Worlds" theory, which became an important milestone in the development of China-Africa relations. "Entering the new era, under the personal planning and guidance of President Xi Jinping, China-Africa relations have entered their best period in history. China's bilateral relations with all African countries having diplomatic ties with China have all reached the height of strategic relations, and the overall positioning of China-Africa relations has been elevated to a new era all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future." Liu Xianfa said that the brilliant achievements of 70 years of China-Africa relations give us four points of inspiration: First, adhere to sincerity, real results, amity and good faith. This is the distinct and consistent foundation of China-Africa relations and the fundamental reason why the friendship between the two sides has become stronger and more resilient over time (历久弥坚, li jiu mi jian - "endure long time, become more firm"). Second, adhere to achieving mutual benefits and win-win results (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual benefit, win together"). The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation has become a model of unity and cooperation for the Global South and a "golden brand" leading international cooperation with Africa. Third, adhere to putting the people first. China-Africa cooperation is rooted in the people and benefits the people. "Small yet beautiful" projects in agriculture, poverty reduction, medical care, and vocational education provide support for the sustainable development of African countries. Fourth, adhere to fairness and justice. In the past, the Chinese and African peoples jointly waged a magnificent and grand in scale (波澜壮阔, bo lan zhuang kuo - "billows, magnificent, vast") anti-imperialist and anti-colonial struggle that achieved historic victory. Now, the two sides are jointly implementing the four major global initiatives with the mission of the new era, and their steps toward jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind are resounding.

On May 1 this year, China fully implemented zero tariffs on 53 African countries having diplomatic ties with China. "This is the latest major measure by China to practice the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith in its Africa policy and the correct view of justice and interests (正确义利观), and it is of epoch-making significance in the history of China-Africa relations and international relations. This is an important manifestation of China's expansion of high-standard opening up. China has taken the lead among the world's major economies in implementing zero tariffs on Africa, reflecting its firm stance of adhering to open cooperation and advocating a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, demonstrating a world vision of helping oneself while also helping others (立己达人, li ji da ren - "establish self, reach others"), and showing a clear distinction between good and bad (高下立判, gao xia li pan - "high, low, immediately, distinguish") compared with the unilateralism and protectionism that have resurfaced in the world." Liu Xianfa stressed that the zero-tariff measure not only effectively supports Africa in enhancing its capacity for independent development, but also provides important impetus for Chinese enterprises to expand investment in Africa and extend production and supply chains.

After the implementation of the comprehensive zero-tariff measure, as of the end of September, China's imports from Africa increased by 23.3 percent year-on-year, and exports to Africa increased by 23.9 percent year-on-year, with positive effects continuously being released. "More and more high-quality specialty products from Africa, such as Ethiopian coffee, Kenyan avocados, South African wine, and Egyptian fresh oranges, are accelerating their way into the masses or every household (千家万户, qian jia wan hu - "thousand, families, ten thousand, households") in China, while also driving employment, income growth, and wealth creation for African people, benefiting the people of both sides with tangible results," Liu Xianfa said.

This year is the "China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges" jointly designated by President Xi Jinping and African leaders. As of now, nearly 800 events have been successfully held under the Year of Exchanges, achieving "full coverage" of Africa's 53 countries having diplomatic ties with China and the African Union. Liu Xianfa said that the Year of Exchanges has played a "symphony" of conceptual resonance, deepening exchanges of governance experience between China and Africa; composed a "concerto" of people-to-people and cultural exchanges and practical cooperation, helping to jointly advance modernization; and performed a "chorus" of mutual understanding and affinity between the peoples, enhancing emotional resonance and continuing the traditional friendship.

The current international situation is fraught with turbulence and intertwined changes, with global challenges emerging in an endless stream (层出不穷, ceng chu bu qiong - "layer, emerge, not, exhausted"). Facing the severe peace deficit, development deficit, security deficit, and governance deficit, China and Africa should draw wisdom and experience from 70 years of cooperation, adhere to helping each other in times of need (守望相助, shou wang xiang zhu - "watch, look, mutually, help") and unity and self-reliance, and provide China-Africa solutions and contribute China-Africa strength to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Looking ahead, Liu Xianfa said that the two sides should keep the course of China-Africa relations steady, solidly advance the implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, hold a good ministerial meeting of the Forum in 2027, and promote the building of a new era all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future to go deeper and more practical. The two sides should adhere to sharing development opportunities, strengthen exchanges of experience in party and state governance, and support countries in exploring modernization paths suited to their national conditions. China is willing to actively share with the African side the development experience of Chinese modernization and jointly pursue the dream of modernization. The two sides should continue to enhance the quality of cooperation, fully leverage the driving effects of major measures such as zero tariffs and the activation of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway and the construction of a prosperity belt, and open up broad cooperation opportunities. The two sides should deepen mutual learning among civilizations and people-to-people exchanges, and consolidate the popular foundation of the new era all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future. The two sides should work together to strengthen global governance, jointly act as builders of world peace and defenders of the international order, jointly promote the development and revitalization of the Global South, resolutely oppose hegemonism and power politics, and push the world toward a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future.

The greatest truths are the simplest (大道至简, da dao zhi jian - "great, way, reaches, extreme, simplicity"), and action is what matters most. "We must anchor ourselves to the goal of building a new era all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future, and write a new chapter of China-Africa friendship in the new era through unity, cooperation, and solid action," Liu Xianfa said.

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Botswana President Boko to Pay State Visit to China Starting Today

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President Duma Gideon Boko of the Republic of Botswana will pay a state visit to China from October 12 to 17.

Duma Gideon Boko, male, 57 years old, holds a Master of Laws degree. He has served as President of the Republic of Botswana since November 2024. This visit is President Boko's first visit to China since taking office.

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 11)

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Photo Report

On October 11, the newly built ro-ro ship "Guangrong" departed from the Longtan port area of Nanjing Port carrying 1,530 domestically produced new-energy vehicles, setting off on its maiden voyage to Europe. This is another direct route for Nanjing Port following routes to the Middle East, South America, and elsewhere.

The photo shows new-energy vehicles awaiting loading for export on October 10.

Photo by Fei Bojun (Image China)

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Writing a New Chapter in the China-Papua New Guinea Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (Ambassador's Notes)

By: 杨晓光

On October 12, 1976, China and Papua New Guinea formally established diplomatic relations. Over the past 50 years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-Papua New Guinea relations have maintained stable and sound development, with continued consolidation of bilateral political mutual trust, constant expansion of mutually beneficial cooperation, and deepening people-to-people and cultural ties, writing a fine chapter of "though far apart, we are neighbors at heart."

China-Papua New Guinea relations are at the forefront of China's relations with Pacific island countries. President Xi Jinping pointed out that China and Papua New Guinea are good friends, good partners, and good brothers, and a model of solidarity, coordination, and mutually beneficial outcomes (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual benefit, shared win") among developing countries. Papua New Guinea is the first Pacific island country to sign a memorandum of understanding and cooperation plan with China on jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative. President Xi Jinping's historic state visit to Papua New Guinea in 2018 opened a new chapter in the comprehensive strategic partnership of mutual respect and common development between China and Papua New Guinea. In recent years, high-level exchanges between China and Papua New Guinea have been close, and the two sides have firmly supported each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns. In July this year, the Papua New Guinea government announced the closure of the "Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Papua New Guinea," which fully reflects the positive will of the Papua New Guinea government and people to adhere to the one-China principle and develop relations with China, will further consolidate the political foundation for the development of bilateral relations, and will also play a demonstrative role in the Pacific island region and even the wider world.

China-Papua New Guinea practical cooperation benefits the two countries and the two peoples. China has a huge market and advanced technology, while Papua New Guinea has abundant energy, mineral, agricultural, forestry, and fishery resources. The two sides are complementing each other's strengths (优势互补, you shi hu bu - "advantage, mutually, supplement"), with enormous space for cooperation. More than 20 years ago, under the personal promotion of Comrade Xi Jinping, then Governor of Fujian Province, Papua New Guinea became the first stop for China's juncao technology to go global, and the project has continued to operate to this day, becoming a much-told tale in China-Papua New Guinea relations. Over the years, with the joint efforts of both sides, Papua New Guinea has become China's largest trading partner and investment destination among Pacific island countries, and the two countries have achieved fruitful results in cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, infrastructure, agriculture, forestry and fishery, energy and minerals, education, and health. Projects such as the Butuka Academy, the Independence Drive, the International Convention Centre, and the national power grid in Papua New Guinea have become shining calling cards of the two countries' joint efforts to promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Papua New Guinea's related products have contributed to China's development. In recent years, the two sides have signed quarantine protocols for the export of wild aquatic products and unroasted coffee beans and cocoa beans to China, allowing more high-quality Papua New Guinea products to enter the Chinese market.

The friendship between the Chinese and Papua New Guinean peoples is becoming fresher with the passage of time (历久弥新, li jiu mi xin - "long time, even more, new"). More than 100 years ago, Chinese people crossed the oceans to come to Papua New Guinea and became an important part of the local community. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries have become increasingly close, and the friendship between the peoples has continued to deepen. In 2002, China sent its first medical team to Papua New Guinea, which was also the first medical team China sent to Pacific island countries. Over the past 24 years, Chinese medical workers in white have selflessly dedicated themselves to rescuing the dying and helping the wounded (救死扶伤, jiu si fu shang - "save, dead, assist, wounded"), leaving behind many stories of goodwill. The Confucius Institute at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology, the Confucius Classroom at Butuka Academy, and various scholarship and bilateral and multilateral training programs provide Chinese language education and skills training for Papua New Guinea youth, cultivating a large number of new forces carrying forward the China-Papua New Guinea friendship. In 2023, a direct flight route was opened between Guangzhou, China, and Port Moresby, the capital of Papua New Guinea. This route is the first regular commercial air route from the Chinese mainland to South Pacific island countries, greatly facilitating the movement of people between the two sides. The peoples of the two countries are drawing closer and closer and becoming more and more intimate, laying a solid foundation of public support for the development of bilateral relations.

Over the past 50 years, the friendship between China and Papua New Guinea has spanned mountains and seas and stood the test of the times, becoming a treasure cherished by the peoples of the two countries. Taking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as a new starting point, China is willing to work with Papua New Guinea, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, to further consolidate political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, and strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, jointly writing a new chapter in the China-Papua New Guinea comprehensive strategic partnership and contributing greater strength to building an even closer China-Pacific Island Countries community with a shared future.

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

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2026 World Mayors' Dialogue · Luoyang: Revitalizing Ancient Capitals and Advancing Urban Development

(People's Daily, Luoyang, October 11) (Reporters Yu Jinghao, Zhang Wenhao) From October 9 to 11, the "2026 World Mayors' Dialogue · Luoyang" event, guided by the State Council Information Office and themed "Carrying Forward the Cultural Heritage of Ancient Capitals, Mutual Learning Among Urban Civilizations," was held in Luoyang City, Henan Province. More than 90 mayors, mayoral representatives, representatives of international organizations, and experts and scholars from over 10 countries, including China, the United Kingdom, Italy, Argentina, and Algeria, conducted in-depth exchanges on topics such as the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage, industrial transformation and upgrading, and urban renewal.

The event featured one main dialogue and three scenario-based dialogues. The three scenario-based dialogues moved out of the conference room and were held respectively at the Longmen Grottoes, China YTO Group Corporation, and Luoyi Ancient City — discussing inheritance before the cliff faces, observing intelligent manufacturing alongside production lines, and talking about renewal in the streets and alleys.

Chinese and foreign guests visited a number of manufacturing enterprises in Luoyang, touring in succession the intelligent factory of Luoyang Bearing Group, the heavy-duty CNC workshop of CITIC Heavy Industries, and the large wheeled tractor production line of China YTO, and test-driving Dongfanghong tractors, experiencing up close the innovative vitality of "intelligent manufacturing in China." Roberto Di Stefano, Mayor of Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, said that China's industrial chain advantages are deeply impressive, and expressed the hope of deepening cooperation in fields such as manufacturing and tourism, jointly enhancing the resilience of industrial development.

Chinese and foreign guests inspected the protection, revitalization, and utilization of cultural heritage at the Luoyang Museum, the Sui-Tang Luoyang City, and Luoyi Ancient City, and exchanged views on heritage restoration, digital preservation, and tourism carrying capacity before the cliff faces of the Longmen Grottoes. Julio Zamora, Mayor of Tigre, Argentina, said: "While preserving historical relics intact, Luoyang has simultaneously advanced their revitalization and utilization, allowing the ancient civilization to be integrated into modern urban development. This experience is of great referential value."

The event was hosted by the People's Government of Luoyang City and the Information Office of the People's Government of Henan Province. During the event, the "Luoyang Consensus on Urban Civilization" was released, and promotional exchange activities and an intangible cultural heritage gathering were held concurrently. During this period, Luoyang conducted in-depth engagement with cities from multiple countries on sister-city pairing, industrial cooperation, and cultural-tourism connectivity, promoting the transformation of dialogue outcomes into practical cooperation.

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Mingde Strategic Dialogue: China's Economic Resilience and Vitality Bring New Opportunities to the World

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 11) (Reporter Sun Nan) The main forum of the Mingde Strategic Dialogue (2026), themed "Resilience and Vitality: New Opportunities China's Development Brings to the World," was held in Beijing on the 11th. More than 20 former political leaders, experts, and scholars from various countries engaged in strategic dialogue on topics including China's high-quality development and global economic growth, improving global economic governance and the stability of industrial and supply chains, and artificial intelligence empowering industrial innovation, contributing wisdom to global economic recovery and sustainable development.

Mulatu Teshome, former President of Ethiopia, stated that against the backdrop of the global economy seeking a stable anchor, China's high-quality development is becoming a stabilizer and powerful engine for global economic growth. The Chinese economy has demonstrated resilience, with advanced manufacturing and modern services continuously iterating and upgrading, creating abundant cooperation opportunities for global partners.

Jenny Shipley, former Prime Minister of New Zealand, stated that China has always been willing to build new types of partnerships. These innovative forms of cooperation rely on the willingness for open cooperation and pragmatic action, rather than protectionism and closed attitudes, bringing prosperity to all relevant parties. China's economic vitality, sustained investment, and development momentum deserve the joint attention of both Eastern and Western economies.

The series of activities of the Mingde Strategic Dialogue (2026) were held from October 6 to 11, hosted by Renmin University of China and organized by the Institute of Regional and Country Studies (Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies) of Renmin University of China and the Global Leadership Academy of Renmin University of China.

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Painting a New Picture of the Vast Borderlands

By: 本报记者 李龙伊

"To prepare the borders and strengthen the armed forces is a grave matter of state."

On the map of the motherland, more than 22,000 kilometers of land border winding and undulating, more than 18,000 kilometers of continental coastline stretching and spreading. From the snowfields of the north to the islands of the southern frontier, from the Gobi of the west to the outposts of the East China Sea, one after another border sentry post and border town bear witness to the new atmosphere and new visage of border, coastal, and air defense in the new era.

Border, coastal, and air defense is an important symbol of national sovereignty, an important gateway of national security, and an important guarantee of national development. Our Party has always attached great importance to it.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to border, coastal, and air defense construction, led the implementation of a series of major reforms in the leadership and management system, force structure, and policies and institutions of border, coastal, and air defense, commanded the conduct of a series of major operations in border, coastal, and air defense, and effectively safeguarded our country's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and maintained the strategic initiative for national security and development. Our country's border, coastal, and air defense construction has achieved historic accomplishments and now stands at a new starting point.

"Pure love, only for China." The battle slogan written by martyr Chen Xiangrong demonstrates the firm resolve of officers and soldiers guarding the border in not yielding an inch of territory (寸土不让, cun tu bu rang - "inch, soil, not, yield"), and gives voice to the sonorous oath of the people's soldiers to dedicate themselves to serving the country. Every inch of the land that border defense officers and soldiers measure with their footsteps is the splendid rivers and mountains they guard with their lives.

Clenching the fingers into a fist, joining forces to forge a shield

Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, on the banks of the Tumen River. The sky had just begun to show the first light of dawn when a joint patrol team composed of militia, border defense officers and soldiers, and police officers assembled and set out on its routine patrol.

Walking at the front was militia guide Jin Chunhu, who knows every shortcut and every steep slope of this forest by heart. "On today's stretch of road, there are 3 steep slopes on the mountain path, and also a patch of marshland. If you're not careful, you might slip or sink in. You must keep close behind me and watch your step..." Jin Chunhu reminded the police officers participating in the patrol for the first time from time to time.

Yanbian Prefecture is located in eastern Jilin, where the border area features tall mountains and dense forests and a crisscrossing network of waterways, making the control situation complex. To ensure the quality and effectiveness of border management and control, the military and local authorities in Yanbian Prefecture have continuously improved the "Five-Sphere Integrated Plan" (五位一体) strong-border and solid-defense system, strengthened overall coordination, ensured joint management by all parties, and provided institutional guarantees for joint defense work. In recent years, Yanbian militia have cumulatively assisted military and police in carrying out more than 20,000 person-times of patrol and duty, and participated in handling more than 1,000 cases of various border violations.

The joint efforts of military, police, and civilians have made border management and control work broader in coverage, faster in response, and more efficient in handling. Border police station officer Chen Hao said with deep feeling: "In the past, each party managed its own turf; now we are truly twisted into a single rope."

From one corner of Yanbian to the ten-thousand-li border, such institutional upgrades are being rolled out across the entire border, coastal, and air defense front line.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, the Party Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission have coordinated and linked up the reform results of Party and state institutional reform and of military size, structure, and force composition reform, and, in accordance with the principles and requirements of clear responsibilities, reasonable structure, lean and capable forces, efficient operation, and overall linkage, have continuously optimized the force structure of border, coastal, and air defense. The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan proposes to "strengthen modern border, coastal, and air defense construction, and advance the joint efforts of the Party, government, military, police, and civilians to strengthen the border and consolidate the defense."

Once the main rope of the net is lifted, all the meshes open. All localities responded to the order immediately, and a series of practical measures took root and bore fruit.

Yunnan has fully implemented the system of "five-level secretaries grasping border defense, five-level section chiefs guarding the border," established border defense committees and their offices in 110 border townships, built a smart border prevention and control network integrating the "three-in-one" of the Internet of Things, data linkage, and intelligent linkage, and formed a working pattern of joint efforts by the Party, government, military, police, and civilians to strengthen the border and consolidate the defense.

Starting from March 2025, Guangxi, in accordance with the working approach of "one overall plan with multiple sub-plans, overall coordination and promotion," organized and coordinated relevant departments to carry out 7 special governance campaigns targeting illegal border crossing, smuggling, "three-no" vessels, and other issues, promoting all localities and relevant units to faithfully perform their duties and responsibilities and to coordinate closely and act in concert.

The border guard team is also moving toward standardization, institutionalization, and professionalization.

Inner Mongolia has issued management measures for border guard teams, incorporating border guard subsidy funds into the autonomous region's annual fiscal budget. From the central finance establishing a border resident subsidy mechanism and a border guard subsidy mechanism, to localities implementing policies such as old-age insurance and serious illness medical insurance for border guards, a series of practical measures have enabled border defenders to live with dignity, with security, and with motivation.

Technology empowers, facilities are renewed

In the autumn season, at a little past 4 a.m., the sky over Heixiazi Island, the easternmost point of the motherland's land territory, was already bright.

On the watchtower of the Dongji (Eastern Extreme) Sentry Post, soldier Dang Tianchen told reporters: "In the early years, patrols relied on foot; now we use high-definition surveillance cameras and drones."

The old squad leader often told Dang Tianchen about the patrol scenes of those days: in winter, the snow reached the knees, the wind was like a knife, and visibility was less than 10 meters. The soldiers, holding hands, moved forward step by step in the snow, and finding a boundary marker that was right before their eyes often required a long time of groping.

Now, the situation is vastly different.

On the screen in the sentry post's command room, the border line within the sector is clear at a glance. High-definition cameras operate around the clock, and in the reed thickets several kilometers from the sentry post, roe deer foraging and foxes passing through can all be seen clearly.

The change was not the result of a single night's work (一夕之功, yi xi zhi gong - "one, evening, of, achievement"): in 2014, the first batch of infrared cameras was mounted on high points, and the sentry post gained "night-vision eyes"; in 2020, new network base stations were completed, and an invisible information "sky net" began to be woven; in 2025, the "radar-video integrated" platform was officially put into operation, fusing radar and video so that the border situation is fully within grasp...

In the past, we relied on "iron soles" and telescopes; now we rely on "data links" and "thousand-mile eyes." Between the old methods and the new technology lies a profound transformation.

Shandong has built a smart sea defense management and control system covering 7 coastal cities. Multi-dimensional sensing means such as radar, optoelectronic surveillance, and drone patrols have realized functions including intelligent identification of vessel behavior, automatic early warning of abnormal trajectories, and fusion analysis of multi-source data, providing strong scientific and technological support for sea defense management and control work. Recently, relying on this system, Shandong public security organs have successively cracked a number of maritime smuggling cases, with a total value of more than 34 million yuan involved, demonstrating the hard strength of technology-empowered maritime anti-smuggling efforts.

Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, in border management and control, uses air-ground technical prevention systems such as radar early warning and electronic fences, as well as equipment such as drones, high-definition surveillance, and satellite communications, gradually weaving a "air-ground integrated" three-dimensional border patrol prevention and control network, effectively covering remote desert areas, realizing round-the-clock real-time monitoring and dynamic early warning, and greatly improving the emergency response speed of border areas.

Border defense troops have strengthened technology empowerment, and the ten-thousand-li border is accelerating its transformation from traditional defense to intelligent management and control. All levels have coordinated the integrated construction of information systems and built a platform integrating command and control and comprehensive support. On the border today, a management and control system led by information and empowered by technology is initially taking shape.

Border, coastal, and air defense infrastructure is also continuously improving.

Over the years, the state has continuously advanced special construction for border, coastal, and air defense, coordinated the overall layout of standardized duty and control facilities across land borders, coastal shorelines, and port passages, cumulatively built tens of thousands of kilometers of border and coastal defense duty roads, and deployed on a large scale nearly 10,000 kilometers of fixed and mobile interception and blocking facilities. The vast majority of border defense companies and frontline duty sentry posts across the country have had vehicular patrol roads built to them, putting an end to the history of patrolling the border on foot.

Looking across the barracks of border defense troops, the comprehensive support capability of each unit has been greatly improved.

In the vegetable cellar of the Kunmujia Sentry Post of a certain unit of the Tibet Military District, peppers, eggplants, and various other vegetables are neatly arranged, the freezer is well stocked with meat, and there are even live fish and crabs transported from a thousand li away. "Now with just one click of an order, vegetables can be delivered within 3 days — a wide variety, and fresh too!" said supply officer Zhou Ye. In the past, supplies were hard to get in during winter; now the asphalt road reaches the sentry post, and the provisioning problem has been greatly improved.

Today, at most border sentry posts in Tibet, new-type barracks are equipped with oxygen supply and oxygen generation equipment, cell phone signals have full coverage, and smart vegetable cellars guarantee the supply of fresh vegetables. Modern training venues, study rooms, and medical rooms have become standard equipment for frontline border defense companies. Through the remote medical system, border defense officers and soldiers can consult "face to face" with experts from system hospitals a thousand li away.

The conditions of border defense are changing, the methods of patrol are changing, but the original aspiration of guarding remains unchanged — "Never let the territory be guarded smaller, never let sovereignty be guarded away!"

Loyal guardianship, enriching the border and prospering the border

In Yidaliang Village, Tugaimaiti Township, Artux City, Xinjiang, in a small room, a horsewhip polished to a shine lies quietly in a display case. Beside it are faded old photographs, yellowed certificates of merit, and an old saddle. The couplet on the front door reads: "In one lifetime, only one thing — I guard the border for the motherland."

This is the home of border guard Tuerdi Wusiman, and also the "Border Guard Museum" he built with his own hands.

Tuerdi's father, Wusiman Suyun, was one of the earliest border guards in the area. When he was a child, Tuerdi asked his father why he guarded the border, and his father said: "When the border is well guarded, everything else will go smoothly."

In 1989, Tuerdi, just turned 20, took over the heavy responsibility of guarding the border. "My father asked me to pass on the tradition of border guarding and defense."

Over the decades, Tuerdi himself cannot remember how many pairs of rubber shoes he has worn out or how many camouflage uniforms he has worn through. Under his influence, his wife and son successively joined the border guard team. In 2022, Tuerdi carefully displayed the border guarding items used by three generations of his family and built this museum in his home. "My father hoped that we would always guard the border well."

Only when the border is secure can the border be prospered, and only when the border is prospered can the defense be consolidated. The mission of border, coastal, and air defense work is not only to firmly guard the security of the national gate, but also to escort high-quality development of the border areas.

Dachen Island, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province — the country's first island-based "green hydrogen" project and the world's first flexible low-frequency power transmission project have been implemented and put into operation here. New technologies have made the homeland greener and smarter.

The Tiaozini area of the Yellow Sea tidal flats in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, is the core area of the China Yellow (Bohai) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat World Natural Heritage site. This muddy coastline is both a solid maritime defense line of the motherland and an important "way station" on the migration route of millions of migratory birds. In recent years, the local sea defense office has coordinated the formation of an ecological volunteer police force, created a new model of smart sea defense empowering ecological protection, and blazed a new path that gives equal weight to "managing the sea" and "protecting the sea."

Hekou Village, Changdian Town, Kuandian Manchu Autonomous County, Liaoning Province, is the place of origin of the classic song "In That Place Where Peach Blossoms Bloom." This small border village is using "one road, one peach" to blaze a path to prosperity driven by transportation empowerment and the linkage of three industries. Hekou Village's annual output of Yanhong peaches reaches 40 million kilograms, and the peach industry supports the village's dream of prosperity. National Highway 331 passes through the village, and along the route, homestays, farmhouse restaurants, and village service stations are springing up like bamboo shoots after rain (如雨后春笋, ru yu hou chun sun - "like, rain, after, spring, bamboo shoots"). Villagers are doing livestreams, running e-commerce, and operating homestays, and the tourism industry is thriving.

Suifenhe City, Heilongjiang Province, as an important land gateway of the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor under the Belt and Road Initiative, relies on its two national first-class ports — one for highways and one for railways — to continuously advance the upgrading of the China-Russia connectivity system and amplify the radiating and driving role of the corridor economy. In the first half of this year, the city's total import and export value grew 30.1% year-on-year, and exports grew 52.5% year-on-year.

When border residents are prosperous, the border is consolidated; when the border areas are stable, the country is secure.

In recent years, all localities have coordinated the advancement of border, coastal, and air defense construction and the economic and social development of border and coastal areas, strengthened infrastructure connectivity and joint construction and shared use, and built a border, coastal, and air defense construction pattern that can both effectively maintain security and strongly support development. Border, coastal, and air defense construction in the new era is firmly advancing in the direction of deep integration of "consolidating the border, prospering the border, and enriching the people."

Along the motherland's ten-thousand-li border line, sentry posts are standing tall and imposing (巍然矗立, wei ran chu li - "towering, grandly, stand"), roads wind and stretch, and border villages take on a new look. From the snow-covered plateau to the grasslands of the northern frontier, from the dense forests of the southwest to the forest seas of the northeast, a magnificent picture scroll of "solid border defense, secure border areas, and prosperous border residents" is slowly unfolding.

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Red Army Bridge Bears Witness to the Legacy of Revolutionary Heritage

By: 本报记者 吴 君

Green mountains embrace the area, and pines and cypresses stand verdant.

In Banliyuan Village, Lijiahe Town, Xuan'en County, Hubei Province, the Banliyuan Victory Monument stands tall and majestic. The eight large characters engraved on the monument's body, "The extraordinary and momentous years (峥嵘岁月, zheng rong sui yue - "lofty, rugged, years") & Blood-and-Flesh Comradeship," gleam brightly in the sunlight. In front of the monument, visitors gaze at the inscription while 59-year-old volunteer docent Qin Qinghai (覃庆海) speaks with great passion and expression (声情并茂, sheng qing bing mao - "voice, emotion, and, lush") about the fierce battle that took place in 1935.

In August 1935, the Red Army, relying on intercepted enemy coded telegrams to grasp the enemy's situation, set up an ambush at Banliyuan, annihilating the enemy's 85th Division headquarters, 2 regiments, and 1 battalion, and capturing more than a thousand enemy troops. The Banliyuan Victory was a key victory in the counter-"encirclement and suppression" campaign in the Hunan-Hubei-Sichuan-Guizhou Soviet Area, and it coordinated with and supported the Central Red Army's Long March.

To commemorate this victory, in 2005, Xuan'en County raised funds to build a monument at the former site of the Red Army's fierce fighting. The monument is 19.35 meters high, representing the time when the battle took place.

Qin Qinghai's grandfather personally witnessed the heroic and bloody scenes of the Red Army's desperate struggle back then. In his spare time, the grandfather would tell Qin Qinghai about that period of history. When speaking of the Red Army soldiers who sacrificed their lives, the grandfather could not help but shed tears, which left a deep impression on Qin Qinghai: "The revolutionary martyrs spilled their blood on this land, and history must not be forgotten. I have an obligation to tell this story well."

In 2021, Xuan'en County, relying on the old village office building of Banliyuan Village, built the Banliyuan Victory Memorial Hall. The memorial hall has four exhibition areas: "Coordinating with the Central Authorities and Strategic Shift," "Igniting the Spark and Spreading the Prairie Fire," "Immortal Merits and Glorious Example," and "Revolutionary Heritage, passing on the torch from generation to generation (薪火相传, xin huo xiang chuan - "firewood, torch, mutually, pass on")." Through rich historical photographs, revolutionary cultural relics, and other exhibits, it vividly presents those extraordinary and momentous years.

Not far from the memorial hall, an ancient wooden bridge quietly spans the stream. "This bridge has a history of more than 100 years. It was originally called the Wind and Rain Bridge. Although it is only 10.5 meters long in total, it was an important passage for the Red Army's operations back then, and bullet holes left by the fighting can still be seen on the bridge pillars today," Qin Qinghai introduced. To commemorate the Red Army's heroic deeds, in 1983, the People's Government of Xuan'en County officially named it the "Red Army Bridge." Over the years, the local government and villagers have been diligently repairing and protecting this bridge.

This Red Army Bridge has become a passage for villagers' daily travel. Visiting tourists also always stop on the bridge to pause and pay tribute, reflecting on the revolutionary spirit of the ancestors' bloody and desperate struggle.

Red stories are passing on the torch from generation to generation, and the red spirit is endless and vigorous development (生生不息, sheng sheng bu xi - "birth, birth, not, cease"). In recent years, Xuan'en, based on its red resources, natural pastoral resources, and cultural resources, has promoted the deep integration of red culture inheritance, Party member education and training, Party history publicity and study, and red rural tourism functions, striving to build Banliyuan Village into a beautiful red village integrating education, tourism, and study tours. Banliyuan Village was selected as a pilot for Hubei Province's beautiful red villages, and the Banliyuan Victory site was incorporated into the Long March National Cultural Park construction project, becoming a key location on the "100 Boutique Red Tourism Routes for the Centenary of the Party's Founding."

In terms of industry, Banliyuan Village, in light of local conditions, has developed specialty agricultural products such as oil-tea camellia and vegetables, building an industrial development system of "agricultural products + e-commerce." In 2025, Banliyuan Village's e-commerce sales reached 20 million yuan, forging a path of comprehensive rural revitalization that "uses red to drive green and uses tourism to promote agriculture."

"Our lives are getting better and better, but the Long March spirit will never be outdated. As long as I can still walk and speak, I will continue to spread the red stories, so that future generations will remember history, always follow the Party, and cherish the hard-won happy life," Qin Qinghai said.

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Technology Empowers, All Life Thrives (Beautiful China Tour · Exploring the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park)

By: 本报记者 蒋雪鸿 尹 婕

Amid the white mountains and black waters, autumn is at its finest, with lush, multicolored forests (层林斑斓, ceng lin ban lan - "layer, forest, variegated, colorful"). In the thin morning mist, a Siberian tiger slowly makes its way through the sea of forest deep in the hinterland of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park.

This scene unfolded in the deep mountains of Hunchun, Jilin, hundreds of kilometers away, yet it was simultaneously displayed on the large screen at the command center of the "Sky-Ground-Air" integrated monitoring system of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park in Changchun, Jilin. After the system compared the patterns on the tiger's flanks and shoulder blades, it quickly confirmed that this Siberian tiger was one of the 72 wild Siberian tigers recorded in the park's registry.

"The stripes on tigers and leopards are like human fingerprints — unique and incomparable (独一无二, du yi wu er - "only, one, no, two")." Chen Xiaocai, director of the Comprehensive Business Division of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park Administration, pointed at the Siberian tiger on the large screen and explained that through monitoring, the system aggregates a vast amount of field imagery and then conducts preliminary identification of individual tigers and leopards. The research team then combines multiple biological characteristics such as stripe patterns and facial contours for further review and confirmation of identity. The latest monitoring data released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration shows that within the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, the number of wild Siberian tigers has grown from 27 in 2017 to 72, and wild Amur leopards from 42 to 115, marking landmark achievements in the protection of flagship species.

The distribution range of tiger and leopard populations within the park continues to expand and their numbers grow steadily — the role of the "Sky-Ground-Air" integrated monitoring system cannot be overlooked.

At the initial stage of the monitoring system's construction, 95% of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park had no network coverage. Infrared cameras operated independently, and researchers would go into the mountains once every month or two to replace batteries and retrieve data. Not only was the data delayed, but they also had to face risks posed by complex terrain and the presence of ferocious beasts.

How was this resolved? Sun Pengyu, the forestry and grassland industry lead at Jishi Media Co., Ltd., the main contractor of the monitoring system, told reporters that the team had built a total of 95 wireless communication base stations, achieving wireless network signal coverage over more than 82% of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, resolving the network communication difficulties in the vast majority of key tiger and leopard activity areas.

In the sky, remote-sensing satellites observe; on the ground, infrared cameras monitor; in the air, high-altitude lookout spheres patrol. Today, the park's 14,100 square kilometers have basically achieved full-domain information-based monitoring, with multi-dimensional information such as animal activity, personnel and vehicle entry and exit, and forest fire conditions collected simultaneously. More than 30 species of wild animals can be accurately identified, and the recognition accuracy for Siberian tigers and Amur leopards exceeds 90%. The system has cumulatively recorded over 30,000 instances of Siberian tiger activity and over 40,000 instances of Amur leopard activity. "The forest sea that was once shrouded in thick fog or uncertainty (迷雾重重, mi wu chong chong - "mist, fog, heavy, heavy") is becoming transparent," Sun Pengyu said.

Transparency does not mean disturbance. Today, cameras deployed in the forest remain silent in daily operation and only start shooting when triggered by passing animals, with a standby time of up to one year. When manual intervention is truly needed, patrol team members use the monitoring system to learn about the whereabouts of wild animals, scientifically plan their routes, and enter the mountains as needed. "With fewer human trips into the mountains, the forest is more tranquil, and the authenticity and integrity of the natural ecosystem are better maintained," said Xu Weihua, a researcher at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The terrain of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park is gently undulating, with numerous villages and hamlets scattered within the park, resulting in extensive overlap between human living areas and wild animal activity areas. Sun Pengyu explained that when the "Sky-Ground-Air" integrated monitoring system was deployed, additional monitoring terminals were installed around villages and hamlets, bringing four types of wild animals — tigers, leopards, bears, and wild boars — into the early-warning system. "When the monitoring system identifies these four types of animals appearing in risk areas adjacent to villages and hamlets, it automatically pushes early-warning text messages to patrol team members and surrounding forest-area residents according to preset warning levels." In the early-warning messages Sun Pengyu displayed, the incident location, time of occurrence, geographic coordinates, and other content were containing everything that is needed (一应俱全, yi ying ju quan - "one, all, should, complete").

"Technology empowerment has helped achieve remarkable results in the protection of wild Siberian tiger and Amur leopard populations and their habitats," said Duan Zhaogang, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park Administration.

Tigers roar in the forests while villagers remain safe. What the "sky eyes" of the forest sea guard is precisely a beautiful homeland where humans and nature coexist in harmony.

(Ouyang Yijia, a reporter from People's Daily Online, contributed to the reporting)

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Photo Report

From October 9 to 11, the 12th Beijing International Aging Industry Expo was held at Phase II of the China National Convention Center in Beijing. Leveraging the national "Respect the Elderly Month," the expo created a silver-age market, promoting age-friendly products and wellness and retirement destinations. The photo shows a humanoid robot conducting a health information collection demonstration at the expo site on October 10.

Photo by Li Wenming (Image China)

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Average review time for simplified concentration of undertakings cases shortened to 18.6 days

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 11) (Reporter Lin Lili) The reporter learned from the special press conference on the "Effectiveness of the Simplified Case Review System for Concentration of Undertakings" recently held by the State Administration for Market Regulation: the simplified case review system was established in 2014 and has been in operation for 12 years. The average review time for simplified cases has been shortened from 39.9 days in 2014 to 18.6 days so far this year, with review efficiency continuously improving, significantly reducing the institutional transaction costs of enterprise investment and mergers and acquisitions.

The Anti-Monopoly Law proposes improving the classified and tiered review system for concentration of undertakings to enhance review quality and efficiency. The simplified case review system for concentration of undertakings is an important measure to implement the classified and tiered review requirements of the Anti-Monopoly Law. Its core is to divert cases unlikely to raise competition concerns into a fast-track review channel, allowing transactions to obtain approval in a shorter time, serving enterprise investment and mergers and acquisitions, while enabling limited administrative resources to focus on key cases, ensuring review quality, and effectively safeguarding fair market competition.

Compared with non-simplified cases, the number of information items required to be filled in for simplified cases has been reduced from 53 to 44, and was further simplified to 38 in 2024. According to estimates by some enterprises, the average filing cost for simplified cases has been reduced by more than 50% compared with non-simplified cases.

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Page 1 editors: Xu Nuo, Zhang Shuaizhen, Zhang Yujie; Page 2 editors: Lin Lin, Jiang Xuejie, Chen Zhen; Page 3 editors: Wu Gang, Zhou Zhou, Xie Jianing; Page 4 editors: Bai Zhiyu, Han Chunyao, Cui Bin

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Gaining Insight into the Creativity of the Chinese Nation from Sanxingdui (People's View)

By: 本报评论部

(1)

"To advance high-quality development, culture is an important pillar"; "to overcome various risks and challenges on the road ahead, culture is an important source of strength."

On October 9, a symposium on studying volumes one and two of Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture was held in Beijing. In studying Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture, one must earnestly translate the results of study into concrete action to accelerate the building of a culturally strong country.

In late September, "How does the Sanxingdui cultural relic also have a hot pot?" trended on hot search. The Sanxingdui Hot Pot Industry Conference was held in Guanghan, Sichuan, and this "hot, spicy, and bubbling" endeavor is still undergoing innovative development.

Not long ago, the country's first "Neutron Cultural Heritage Protection Laboratory" was established. With the assistance of neutron technology, more ancient creations, including those of Sanxingdui, will be better "decoded."

Broadening our perspective, cultural and creative products have become new New Year goods, the "Village Super League" has ignited an entire region, and the "new three items" of culture have gone overseas to win fans... When ancient cultural genes meet contemporary creative vitality, China is turning tradition into the trendiest hits.

New thought is leading Chinese culture to display a myriad of splendid scenes in the new era. One can deeply appreciate the creativity of the Chinese nation from three dimensions: bloodline genes, ideological inspiration, and integration-driven empowerment.

(2)

Viewed from the long river of history, creativity originates from bloodline genes.

What makes China, China?

"Chinese civilization, through its standing out in a class of one (独树一帜, du shu yi zhi - "alone, build, one, mark") innovative creation and its handing down from generation to generation (一脉相承, yi mai xiang cheng - "one, vein, inherit, carry") persistence and steadfastness, has erected peak after peak of civilization."

Across a thousand years of time, the spirit of "if one can make oneself new each day, one should do so anew every day, and again every day" has never ceased to flow. Tenacious vitality and immense creativity have been internalized as the oldest yet most active genes of the Chinese people.

From two "trees," two "moons," and two "rivers," one can better understand this handing down from generation to generation and continuous transcendence.

The bronze tree and the tree of wisdom. In the Mianyang City Museum in Sichuan, on the nationally designated first-grade cultural relic, the Han Dynasty bronze money tree, the branches and leaves are exquisitely beautiful, and the auspicious beasts are lifelike and vivid (栩栩如生, xu xu ru sheng - "vividly, like, enter, life"). Not far away, in the Chinese Scientists Park, a tree-shaped "City of Wisdom" sculpture stands, commemorating the scientists' arduous innovation. From crafting exquisite mingqi (funerary objects) to forging major national instruments, transcending the small self and the small family to "forge the sword" for the nation's destiny, today's creativity carries greater depth of the times.

Gazing at the moon and reaching for the moon. "I wish to soar to the blue sky and embrace the bright moon" was the romantic imagination of the ancients. Chang'e-6 brought back the first lunar far-side soil samples in human history and presented relevant samples to the United Nations — this is today's people practicing with determination to reach far goals (笃行致远, du xing zhi yuan - "sincere, walk, reach, far"). From "raising a cup to ask the moon" to "seizing the moon from the nine heavens," the aspiration has never changed, and with the gathering of all efforts, today's creativity marks the measure of spirit.

The ancient canal and the newborn river. On the land of Guangxi, the Lingqu Canal connects two rivers, constantly flowing without interruption (川流不息, chuan liu bu xi - "river, flow, not, cease"), while the Pinglu Canal links rivers to the sea and connects with ASEAN. Turning feeling overwhelmed by the vastness of something (望洋兴叹, wang yang xing tan - "gaze, ocean, sigh, lament") into "striving toward the sea for strength," and from "standing on one piece of land" to "benefiting all directions," today's creativity manifests the breadth of vision.

The leap of creativity illuminates a civilization's striving continuously for self-improvement (自强不息, zi qiang bu xi - "self, strengthen, not, cease"), rooted in an innovative character handed down from generation to generation.

"The innovativeness of Chinese civilization fundamentally determines the enterprising spirit of the Chinese nation of upholding what is right without clinging to the old, and respecting antiquity without restoring the past; it determines the fearless character of the Chinese nation in not fearing new challenges and in courageously accepting new things."

The leap of creativity reflects a nation's great changes brought by the passage of time (沧桑巨变, cang sang ju bian - "mulberry, mulberry, huge, change") and manifests the mighty power to create new glory.

"Chinese modernization endows Chinese civilization with modern strength, and Chinese civilization endows Chinese modernization with profound substance."

Humanoid robots are taking up posts in factories; artificial intelligence and semiconductors have moved from being "choked" to achieving breakthroughs; the quantity and quality of innovative drugs are steadily improving... Viewed from a historical perspective, China's innovation "blowout" comes from the "spring" of the Chinese nation's creativity.

"Only by grounding ourselves in the grand and magnificent (波澜壮阔, bo lan zhuang kuo - "wave, billow, magnificent, vast") history of more than five thousand years of Chinese civilization can we truly understand the historical inevitability, cultural connotation, and unique advantages of the Chinese path."

Upholding the cultural subjectivity of the Chinese nation, letting the essence of all civilizations benefit the present and benefit humanity, the "stars filling the sky" of Chinese civilization are now shining in the resplendent firmament of human civilization.

(3)

Viewed from the path of development, creativity originates from ideological inspiration.

In modern times, due to the invasion of Western powers and the corruption of feudal rule, the nation was humiliated, the people suffered, and civilization was eclipsed; this ancient civilization of ours once became a "laggard student" of modernization.

"We must let the latecomer overtake the predecessor (后来居上, hou lai ju shang - "later, come, occupy, up") and recover the 'lost two hundred years,'" General Secretary Xi Jinping's resounding words voiced the self-strengthening aspirations of hundreds of millions of Chinese people.

Finding the right fulcrum to pry open the hardened soil, once creativity is awakened, it becomes unstoppable.

The journey of chasing the sun illuminates the fusion of creativity.

The bronze sun-shaped artifact unearthed at the Sanxingdui site is believed by experts to reflect the ancient Shu people's worship of the sun and their longing for energy.

Also in Sichuan, the new-generation "artificial sun," China's HL-3 tokamak, broke through "double hundred million degrees" for the first time in March last year, and not long ago entered a new stage of engineering; humanity's "ultimate energy" is drawing ever closer.

From worshipping the sun to creating a "sun," why does our "sun" burn?

Following thought to find direction: "Independent innovation is the only way for us to scale the world's scientific and technological peaks."

Incorporating controlled nuclear fusion as a future energy technology into key directions for energy innovation development, discarding the attitude of "waiting, relying, and asking," and carrying out whole-chain independent tackling of hard problems, "following" is gradually becoming "leading."

Seeking vitality from reform: "Improve the new system for mobilizing resources nationwide and enhance the overall effectiveness of the national innovation system."

A capable government mobilizes an effective market, a complete innovation ecosystem activates diverse actors, resources and funds are fully utilized, and the four chains are continuously and deeply integrated; a "Chinese path" is being forged through the "uncharted territory."

Thought breaking the ice, mechanisms breaking down walls, technology breaking through circles — surging with vitality, Chinese innovation shines for the aspirations of the people and illuminates the future direction for the world.

From the sun-shaped artifact to the HL-3 tokamak, this reflects the continuous pursuit of renewing an old nation, and even more so reflects the truth-power and practical might of the Party's innovative theory in the new era.

"'The second combination' is another ideological emancipation," opening broad space for innovation and creation.

"Village Super Leagues" across the country are in full swing; the intangible cultural heritage craze and the cultural relics museum craze have ignited mutual engagements... Creative transformation and innovative development have made cultural creation full of vitality, with brilliant achievements.

"Accelerate the building of a modern industrial system supported by the real economy," consolidating the industrial foundation for innovation and creation.

The "chain-leader system," the "horse-racing system," and "open competition for tackling key problems" are being deeply implemented; "breaking the four onlys" and "establishing new standards" are advancing in coordination... developing new quality productive forces in light of local conditions, the contribution of new drivers to the growth of industrial enterprises above designated size remains high, and we firmly grasp the initiative in development.

A nation that has come this far in history relies on creation, and to move toward the future, it must still rely on creation.

"Time waits for no one! History waits for no one!" Guided by the light of thought in shouldering the mission of rejuvenating the nation, and undertaking new historical missions at a new historical starting point, the ancient civilization is once again radiant with new splendor.

(4)

Viewed from the footprints of practice, creativity originates from integration-driven empowerment.

All epoch-making theories are products that meet the needs of the times. True innovation and creation have never been empty fantasies conceived in an ivory tower.

Only by keeping pace with the times, following the development of practice, and achieving the "chemical reaction" of integration can we turn the interlocking "question marks" into "exclamation marks."

In a few days, the fourth Liangzhu Forum will be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. From a historical site to a calling card, the "integration ledger" of Liangzhu contains the methods for activating creativity.

Protecting and integrating development, balancing the "livelihood ledger." Innovating the model of "protection within the zone, feedback outside the zone," several villages within the Liangzhu ruins protection zone have built "enclave plots" outside the zone to increase employment and income. A civilization from 5,000 years ago is integrated into life 5,000 years later; "developing through protection and protecting through development" awakens the vitality of culture.

Culture integrating with technology, balancing the full "industry ledger." Relying on its cultural foundation and gathering cultural enterprises, Liangzhu New City has built an integrated ecosystem of "digital + technology + content"; in 2025, the revenue of cultural enterprises above designated size in Yuhang District, where it is located, exceeded 740 billion yuan. Technology from 5,000 years later activates a civilization from 5,000 years ago, bringing cultural heritage "to life" and stimulating cultural supply capacity.

One region integrating with the whole, balancing the long-term "cooperation ledger." From integrating into the joint building of the Belt and Road Initiative and strengthening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, to the inclusion of "continue to run the Liangzhu Forum well" in the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the Liangzhu Forum continues to bear rich fruit. A civilization from 5,000 years ago empowers solutions for 5,000 years later; working together with one heart and pursuing harmonious coexistence enhance cultural influence.

Transforming cultural soft power into real productive forces, Liangzhu's "integration ledger" reveals the winning path of turning creative resources into innovation advantages.

Taking root in practice and writing at the point of integration, when sparks collide, creativity bursts forth.

Oriented toward the nation's major needs, planning China's science and technology strategy, the Shendi Take-1 well discovered oil and gas at a depth of 10,000 meters underground, adding further security to the "energy rice bowl"; innovative achievements such as "Beiyi-1" are successively moving toward clinical application, and frontier technologies benefit the people... The integration of scientific and technological supply with real demand gives the nation full confidence in its strength.

Artificial intelligence permeates and leads more than 70% of business scenarios in leading factories; a batch of "world's first" innovative achievements, including the world's first CAR-T therapy for solid tumors and the world's first invasive brain-computer interface medical device, have been centrally approved for market... Solidly advancing the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, new quality productive forces are bursting forth at an accelerated pace.

The "two overall situations" are deeply interacting, and national rejuvenation has entered a critical period. The extraordinarily grand and unique practical innovation we are experiencing is the code of success for standing firm against the waves.

Striving forward in the 15th Five-Year Plan period, more "snowy mountains" and "grasslands" still await crossing. Relying on creativity, stimulating creativity, and integrating creativity, there is nothing that cannot be "broken through" or "accomplished."

China today: creation drives development. China of the future: creation forges glory.

(Writer: Cui Yan)

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Development Toward the New Is Also Inclusive Development (People's Commentary)

By: 李 拯

Not long ago, the August national economic data were released, showing that China's economy remained generally stable with steady progress. Among them, short-term fluctuations in a few individual economic indicators have drawn attention. Starting today, this section launches a series of commentaries, joining cadres and the masses in correctly understanding the development trend of China's economy.

— Ed.

In the autumn season (金秋时节, jin qiu shi jie - "gold, autumn, time, season"), the Zhuque-2 improved rocket achieved "one rocket, ten satellites," accelerating the networking of the satellite internet constellation; Xiaomi's self-developed chip paired with Changxin's self-developed memory, collaborative innovation achieving "1+1>2"... "Intelligent manufacturing in China" has become another brilliant calling card of Chinese modernization, demonstrating that "solid steps have been taken in building a manufacturing powerhouse."

Surging innovation vitality corroborates the macroeconomic data. Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics show that in August, the value added of high-tech manufacturing industries above designated size grew 16.7 percent year on year, 11.5 percentage points higher than the value added of industries above designated size. New quality productive forces are growing faster, and the role of innovation as the main engine is continuously strengthening, driving China's economy toward higher quality and better performance.

In developing toward higher quality, have traditional industries, small and medium-sized enterprises, and ordinary households shared in the dividends of industrial upgrading?

Looking at the everyday lives of ordinary people, AI (artificial intelligence) is not just an abstract algorithm but brings tangible changes. In the workplace, AI can handle tedious tasks such as retrieving materials and organizing meeting minutes; at the hospital, "AI medical companions" make the medical treatment process smoother; in communities, intelligent government service all-in-one machines are online 24/7...

New technologies "flying into the homes of ordinary people" not only bring convenience and enrich life, but also lower the threshold for entrepreneurship, providing more opportunities for ordinary people. Relying on AI empowerment, new models such as the "one-person company" are emerging, giving stronger support for turning creative ideas into entrepreneurial reality.

In digital transformation, small and medium-sized enterprises are both beneficiaries and trendsetters. In the same garment factory, which previously made money by selling goods in large quantities at a low profit margin (薄利多销, bo li duo xiao - "thin, profit, many, sell"), now relies on intelligent production to take on personalized orders; on the same production line, which previously could only rely on the experience of veteran workers, AI now adjusts process parameters in real time, making human-machine collaboration more efficient...

Integrating artificial intelligence into every link of research and development, production, quality inspection, and management makes production processes smoother, resource utilization more efficient, and supply and demand better matched, giving enterprises better development opportunities.

Digital empowerment also provides new possibilities for the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. In an old steel plant, once filled with towering blast furnaces and dust in the air, low-carbon smelting processes are now in use and research is focused on special steel development, shifting from supplying construction rebar for real estate to supplying special steel for new energy vehicles, offshore wind power, and energy storage equipment. The industry is still the same industry, but its core has been completely renewed, and its value is no longer what it used to be (今非昔比, jin fei xi bi - "now, not, past, compare").

Agriculture has moved from relying entirely on nature or weather for survival (靠天吃饭, kao tian chi fan - "rely, heaven, eat, rice") to "farming with data," electricity from "passive response" to "intelligent regulation," manufacturing from "the roar of machines" to "digital-intelligent reconstruction"... Being traditional does not mean being backward; with digital wings attached, traditional industries can equally sprout new branches.

The transition between old and new growth drivers involves continuously revitalizing existing stock while opening up increments. Therefore, the short-term pains that appear during the sequential transition between old and new growth drivers must not be interpreted as a trend problem, still less should the pains be exaggerated while ignoring the overall results of transformation and upgrading.

More importantly, China has a complete industrial system and a super-large market, adheres to the combination of an effective market and a well-functioning government, and possesses strong governance capacity to prevent polarization and achieve coordinated development. In the long run, as long as we continue to advance economic transformation and upgrading, remove the bottlenecks and obstacles in the sequential transition between old and new growth drivers, and promote new technologies to empower all walks of life and various industries (千行百业, qian hang bai ye - "thousand, lines, hundred, industries"), we will be able to promote more balanced and more inclusive development between regions and between urban and rural areas.

Judging from the laws of economic growth, only by continuously cultivating new quality productive forces and promoting the transformation and upgrading of industrial structure and development models can we continuously inject momentum into long-term economic development. By achieving universal sharing of dividends amid transcending divergence, realizing value enhancement amid digital-intelligent transformation, and achieving reshaping of advantages amid structural optimization, China's economic transformation and upgrading will surely advance with steadier steps and fuller momentum, and enable more people to benefit from the dividends of development.

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Photo Report

Autumn brings good soil moisture, and the survival rate of saplings is high—this is exactly the right season for desertification control and afforestation. On the Gobi desert of Jinta County, Gansu Province, desertification-control workers are seizing the opportunity to lay out straw checkerboards; at Baijitan in Lingwu, Ningxia, shrub and grass seedlings such as bush clover and wheatgrass are being planted in concentrated efforts... In the three years since the launch of the "Three-North" Shelterbelt Program's tough battle, a cumulative total of 265 million mu of construction tasks including new planting, improvement, and consolidation of achievements has been completed.

Here is a verse:

Autumn comes, seedlings busy,

Straw grids lock the vast wasteland.

Fearless of the fierce wind,

The sand sea is draped in green.

Shen Qiwen

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On duty, on site, and fully engaged

By: 覃克寒

With many points spread across long lines and workers mobile and dispersed, railway frontline operations have long faced the pain points of difficulty in organizing collective activities and difficulty in conveying care. During research at the Baise Train Crew Section of China Railway Nanning Group, the author found that this section selects Party members and cadres with solid professional skills and a pragmatic work style to "station at stations and stay overnight," eating, living, and working alongside frontline workers, enabling more targeted solutions to shortcomings in the work.

The grassroots are the foundation of the Party's governance and the source of its strength. Giving major attention to the grassroots cannot stop at channeling material resources downward. Only when Party members and cadres are "on duty, on site, and in the right state" can the nerve endings of the grassroots become sensitive and the functions of the body become robust.

Being on duty does not mean merely clocking in on time; it means truly fulfilling the function of the post. The reason "stationing at stations and staying overnight" achieves real results is not that cadres sleep at the station, but that they step out of their offices and plunge into the work site—bottlenecks in transport and production, difficulties in workers' lives, are seen on site, heard on site, and handled on site. In reality, some cadres treat their posts as mailrooms, substituting "busy fingers" for the effort of on-the-ground investigation, content merely that nothing goes wrong. This may seem to hold the fort, but in fact loses the position, performing futile and ineffective work (徒做虚功, tu zuo xu gong - "useless, do, empty, work"). The essence of being on duty is the ability to shoulder responsibility. Treating the post as a battle position and duty as a mission is how one protects people's livelihoods and warms hearts through responsibility.

Being on site is a dual narrowing of both the physical and psychological distance between cadres and the masses. The core of the "four grassroots-level practices" system is to push the center of gravity of work downward and channel strength downward. In Weining, Guizhou, at the "people's sentiment market," leading cadres do not sit and wait for visitors but immerse themselves in the crowd to hear demands; in some places, leading cadres and university administrators actively interact in real time with netizens on social platforms to solve problems. One goes deep among the masses offline, the other approaches netizens online; the forms differ, but the direction is the same: arrive at the scene, listen to the truth, and enable policies to take root and deliver results better at the grassroots.

Being in the right state is the elevation of being on duty and being on site, reflecting the view of political achievements of Party members and cadres. Being in the right state means both wanting to do well and being able to do well. In Shanghai's Huangpu District, facing the long-standing historical problem of property rights of resettlement housing being frozen for many years, the district took the lead in coordinating multi-party joint efforts to tackle and resolve each case one by one; Li Xiaona, Party Committee Secretary of Hailian Community in Lianyungang, Jiangsu, does not write community achievements on the glossy photos in the activity room, but in practical livelihood matters such as revitalizing idle underground parking lots and drawing a "rider-friendly map" to solve the problem of finding one's way in the community; grassroots cadres in Delingha, Qinghai, do not chase flashy projects or shout empty slogans, but adopt the method of "winter irrigation with freeze-thaw, pipe drainage and salt washing" to make former saline-alkali wasteland grow highland barley. Only when cadres remain consistently in the right state, wanting to work and able to work, can they turn established plans into concrete results and turn the people's expectations into reality.

Being on duty is the bottom line; being on site is the duty; being in the right state is the responsibility. The unity of the three fully demonstrates the original aspiration and sentiment of serving the people wholeheartedly. This is not a slogan hung on the wall, but the proper bearing that every Communist Party member should have.

(The author is the head of the Publicity Department of the Party Committee of China Railway Nanning Group Co., Ltd.)

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Raising the Level of the First-Store Economy (Micro Perspective)

By: 齐志明

A good window for observing the consumption vitality of a place is to see how many new stores have opened, and how much fresh experience these stores can bring to consumers.

For some time now, many cities have treated the number of first stores as an important indicator of commercial vitality. A first store can become the starting point for a brand to enter a new market, and can also become a wind vane that opens up the imagination of consumption. However, how to turn the impulse of "first encounter" novelty into the consumption stickiness of "one visit after another" is a new topic that the first-store economy urgently needs to answer well.

Where does the next stop of the first-store economy go? The answer may lie not only in promoting more first stores to land, but also in making first stores more energetic.

Judging from practices in various places, the first-store economy is shifting from pursuing temporary popularity to creating long-term value, and from the traffic aggregation of "opening a new store, holding an event" to the deep operation of enriching consumption experience and improving consumption quality. The continuous emergence of high-energy-level first stores is an important footnote to this transformation — they are not only stages for new products to make their debut, but also new spaces that promote scenario innovation, experience upgrading, and integrated development.

For example, on Guozijian Street in Beijing, the fragrance brand To Summer incorporates the "shop in front, workshop in back" layout of traditional Chinese medicine stores into its space design, allowing consumers to experience traditional incense-making craftsmanship while purchasing products; on Huaihai Middle Road in Shanghai, the first China store of Lindt combines Shanghai-style culture to create Shanghai-exclusive packaging and a unique consumption experience. The upgrading of first-store energy level activates, amplifies, and extends consumption behavior: people come for the products, stay for the experience, and then become repeat customers through cultural resonance, driving related consumption in surrounding dining, cultural tourism, accommodation, and other sectors, forming an effect of "one store drives one street, one street drives one city."

The changes brought by high-energy-level first stores are not just adding a few consumption scenarios, but reshaping the consumption chain. Their core competitiveness lies not merely in "scarcity," but in empowerment — shifting from stimulating a momentary consumption enthusiasm to building a sustainable consumption ecosystem.

To achieve the leap from opening first stores to optimizing the ecosystem, supporting measures must be in place at the policy level. From optimizing approval processes to improving transportation layouts, from strengthening intellectual property protection to providing special support, addressing one aspect to influence the whole situation (以点带面, yi dian dai mian - "take, one point; lead, one surface") can leverage the overall upgrading of the commercial ecosystem, so that first stores can not only come in, but also stay and grow.

Today, boosting consumption cannot rely only on short-term promotions, but must promote deeper interaction between the supply and demand sides.

Take the robotics industry as an example: rich and diverse application scenarios allow the most cutting-edge innovation achievements to be quickly seen, experienced, and accepted. In Wangfujing, Beijing, Unitree Technology's first directly-operated store nationwide brings the latest breakthroughs in hardware structure, motion control, and human-machine interaction to consumers in a more intuitive and experienceable product form; in Wuxi, Jiangsu, the country's first agricultural robotics 4S store, with an operation model combining R&D and sales, lets more planting enterprises and farmers understand how robots work and what their actual results are. Through first stores, better connecting supply and demand has opened up new space for promoting consumption.

Truly vibrant innovation lies not in creating momentary novelty, but in creating value that can continuously satisfy consumers. Taking "first-glance freshness" as the starting point, creating value increments from multiple angles and levels, combining innovative supply with industrial empowerment, and combining traffic with quality — only in this way can a virtuous cycle be formed in which supply creates demand and demand drives innovation.

Innovation is a spiral, forward-moving creative process. The people's aspiration for a better life is the driving force that pushes innovation forward; the accelerated landing of innovation achievements, in turn, makes more beautiful visions easily accessible or within reach (触手可及, chu shou ke ji - "touch, hand, can, reach") in daily life. With the leap in first-store energy level promoting high-quality development of the first-store economy, Chinese innovation will surely bring us more surprises.

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Page editors: Liu Tianliang, Peng Fei, Chang Jin

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Bending Over the Desk, Devoting Heart to Translating Classics (One Lifetime, One Pursuit)

By: 本报记者 刘军国

A Brief Biography of the Figure

Xu Jun, born in 1954 in Longyou, Zhejiang, is a translator and a senior professor of liberal arts at Zhejiang University. He has served as the convener of the Foreign Language and Literature Discipline Appraisal Group of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council and as executive vice president of the Translators Association of China. He is currently a member of the editorial boards of more than ten academic journals at home and abroad, including Foreign Language Teaching and Research and Chinese Translators Journal. He has translated more than 30 major works of French literature and social science, including In Search of Lost Time (Volume IV) and The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and has published more than 10 scholarly works, including On Translation and An Introduction to Translation Studies. He has received honors including the "Special Contribution Award for the Translation Cause" from the Translators Association of China.

In Qiantun Village, Longyou County, Quzhou, Zhejiang, the wired loudspeaker at the village entrance was the window through which the young Xu Jun came to know the outside world. In the early 1960s, when reading materials in the countryside were scarce, at the age of seven or eight he would always clutch a pencil and a sheet of rough paper, crouching at the foot of a utility pole to jot down the fresh words and phrases broadcast over the loudspeaker. That words could connect distant places and dissolve barriers — this seed took root in his heart from that time on.

As time passed, the boy who once listened to the broadcasts has grown into a renowned French translator and translation theory researcher. He studied French and spent half a lifetime at his desk rendering overseas classics; he delved deeply into theory and systematically sorted out the threads of China's own translation studies;he stepped onto the podium and has continuously cultivated translation talent.

Words serve as a bridge running through his academic career. Faced with the spread of artificial intelligence and the fluctuating fortunes of the foreign language discipline, many people question the value of translation, yet Xu Jun has always remained steadfast: to devote a lifetime to translation is his unchanging choice.

Working continuously at writing

Repeated deliberation, preserving the humanistic warmth of translated works

At 16, Xu Jun joined the army, and half a year later became the clerk of his company. His solid command of written language earned him the opportunity to be selected for the PLA University of Foreign Languages, where he majored in French. At that time, exchanges between China and foreign countries were gradually increasing, and foreign language talent was in short supply. Doing translation well and opening up channels of external communication became his goal.

During his university years, he focused on cultivating a habit of two-way linguistic conversion: upon hearing a foreign language he would immediately match it to the Chinese context, and upon reading Chinese he would match it in reverse to foreign-language expression. Maintaining this practice year-round, he honed a delicate sensitivity to language. During his studies in France, while reading Balzac's originals alongside Fu Lei's translations on the banks of the Seine, he was deeply inspired and proposed understanding Fu Lei's scholarship in three stages: at thirty, one sees the beauty of the language; at forty, one sees the subtlety of the fusion of Chinese and Western elements; past fifty, one grasps the core standard of "seeking truth, seeking beauty, seeking goodness." "Seeking truth, seeking beauty, seeking goodness" has accompanied his decades-long translation career.

In 1979, after Xu Jun obtained the opportunity to translate the French novel Farewell to the Mad Mother, he repeatedly polished the work under the guidance and assistance of Qian Linsen, a specialist in world literature studies at Nanjing University. This translation of approximately 400,000 characters was officially published in 1982. Afterwards, they jointly translated the novel Desert, which also forged a literary friendship of several decades between Xu Jun and the French writer Le Clézio.

The translation of long stream-of-consciousness novels is the most mentally taxing. When he took on the translation of In Search of Lost Time, with its intricate and fragmented text, Xu Jun spent two years completing the manuscript, working at his desk six hours a day, writing on average only a little over 300 characters per day. Breaking down long sentences, restoring imagery, and matching emotional tones — every detail was subjected to repeated deliberation. Xu Jun candidly admitted: "The path of translation is often fraught with anguish, but the moment I think of the spirit that words carry, I am unwilling to give up halfway."

When translating children's picture books, he discarded formulaic expressions such as "majestic lion" and instead used "chubby lion" to fit a child's perspective. "Translation must be faithful to the core of the original work, but it must also respect the audience; words that lose empathy lose the meaning of translation and introduction," Xu Jun said.

With AI translation applications now widespread, Xu Jun has a clear judgment on this: "Machines have no capacity for value judgment and cannot convey the emotion of dialogue between civilizations." Xu Jun said that human-machine collaboration is the trend, but the translator will always remain the subject of translation; cultural gatekeeping, emotional transmission, and value interpretation can only be accomplished by human beings.

Rigorous scholarship

Completing the transformation from translator to translation researcher

In Xu Jun's view, engaging only in translation practice cannot sustain a complete enterprise of translation studies. After years of deep engagement on the front line of translation, Xu Jun perceived that China lacked systematic works of translation criticism. In 1992, drawing on his rich practical experience, he wrote Studies in Literary Translation Criticism, which became one of the relatively systematic monographs on literary translation criticism. Afterwards, he published the translation studies work On Translation, in which he put forward a theory of translation value and a clear cultural view of translation, completing his transformation from translator to translation researcher. He became a leading figure in Chinese translation studies, with broad influence in translation studies circles at home and abroad.

In Xu Jun's philosophy of scholarship, practice, theory, and education form a trinity that supports one another. Past seventy, he persists in reading, thinking, and writing every day; even when in poor health, he maintains the habit of writing a thousand characters by hand each day. Every year he coordinates the publication of dozens of book series and reads and revises all the manuscripts.

Since 2016, Xu Jun has promoted the establishment of the Chinese Translation Studies Academy at Zhejiang University, injecting new vitality into the development of the translation discipline at Zhejiang University. Seeing that the manuscripts and oral materials of the older generation of translators were being continuously lost, he took the lead in rescuing and organizing them. The academy now houses precious manuscripts or letters of nearly a hundred renowned Chinese and foreign figures, including Ji Xianlin, Qian Zhongshu, Yu Guangzhong, and Le Clézio, preserving the roots of cultural inheritance. Grounded in the international dissemination of Chinese culture, Xu Jun has led a number of key national projects, including the "Chinese Translation Studies Library" and the "Translating China" research series. He has also compiled classic translations by Chinese translators past and present, collecting representative translated works by masters such as Xuanzang, Yan Fu, Lu Xun, and Fu Lei; compiled series of books that systematically expound Chinese literature, culture, and discourse, changing the previous situation of one-way translation and introduction of foreign works; written original translation studies textbooks to respond to the industry's perplexities in the age of artificial intelligence; and built an indigenous theoretical system of translation studies to fill gaps in domestic research...

"Every language carries the unique civilization behind it. Translation has a threefold mission of transformation: modernizing ancient classics, localizing foreign theories, and globalizing Chinese culture." Xu Jun is committed to building an autonomous disciplinary system, connecting multiple disciplines including Chinese, history, philosophy, and foreign languages, and building research platforms so that translation studies can take root locally while looking to the world.

Passing on the torch through translation

Carefully teaching students and serving as a bridge between China and foreign countries

"The most essential spirit of translation is openness." This is what Xu Jun often says to his students. Translators must face foreign cultures squarely and recognize themselves through comparison; the fusion of civilizations is not simple addition, but the collision that gives rise to new ideas and values.

Over decades of teaching, he has run three principles through his instruction: establishing a correct understanding of translation, taking a firm stand in Chinese culture, and mastering the methods of equal communication, guiding students to move beyond self-centered thinking and serve as bridges of communication between China and foreign countries.

In daily life, he carefully teaches his students, and several winners of the Fu Lei Translation and Publishing Prize have come from under his tutelage. "I do not advocate that students shut themselves up in the study; I encourage everyone to devote themselves to the country's cause of external exchange. Only when languages are mutually comprehensible can hearts be mutually connected, and the win-win of civilizations cannot be achieved without the support of translation," Xu Jun said.

Xu Jun has also done exactly this. He has built multilingual exchange platforms, inviting Chinese and foreign writers such as Mo Yan, Yu Hua, Le Clézio, and Adonis into the campus to broaden the horizons of young students. At major events such as the Shanghai World Expo and Nanjing's bid for the Youth Olympic Games, Xu Jun was invited to serve as a language consultant, responsible for the review and revision of the French versions of the bid reports. When Boutros Boutros-Ghali, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, visited Nanjing University, Xu Jun served as his interpreter. In Xu Jun's view, translation activities, with their long history and rich variety, are an important force for promoting cultural exchange between China and foreign countries and mutual learning among civilizations.

Past seventy, his schedule of editing books, giving lectures, and academic exchanges remains tight, but Xu Jun still insists on setting aside one hour each day to read the newspapers. Speaking of the fruits of his many years of hard work, he said: "In this life, if one can hold fast to one thing that benefits the country and benefits civilization, that is enough. To be able to build bridges of exchange between civilizations and witness different cultures coming to know and merge with one another is the greatest consolation."

"Translation is not only a way of human existence, but also one of the driving forces of the development of human civilization. Translation is not merely linguistic conversion; it is cultural construction and a driving force for mutual learning among civilizations." Over fifty-six years of deep engagement in the translation world, Xu Jun has been working continuously at writing (笔耕不辍, bi geng bu e - "pen, plow, not, stop") and has never ceased educating people.

Reporter's Notes

Holding fast to the enduring power that belongs uniquely to words

During the interview, the reporter was deeply moved by the purity of Professor Xu Jun, who from beginning to end has recognized only one thing: translation.

When the conversation turned to artificial intelligence and the fluctuating fortunes of the foreign language discipline, Xu Jun remained composed, neither rejecting technological tools nor ever relinquishing the irreplaceable humanistic essence of the translator. Machines can only accomplish the conversion of symbols, but the philosophical reflections, the warmth of human feeling, and the cultural choices within words must ultimately be perceived and conveyed by human beings. He has preserved nearly ten thousand pages of handwritten translation manuscripts and has expended great effort in rescuing the cultural lineage of the older generation of translators — every character is a testament to the sincerity of his deep engagement.

Taking mutual learning among civilizations as his mission, Xu Jun translates classics at his desk on the one hand and cultivates new talent at the podium on the other, building translation studies platforms and sorting out the indigenous system of translation studies. He does not seek flashy empty fame; he reads, thinks, and writes every day, turning a lifetime of passion into a bridge connecting the world.

In academic research, some people chase short-term shortcuts. Xu Jun has demonstrated through his life: to settle one's mind and hold fast to one valuable endeavor, to embrace diverse cultures with an open attitude — only thus can one, amid the tides of the times, hold fast to the enduring power that belongs uniquely to words.

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"Sun Yat-sen and Macao Photo Exhibition" Opens

(People's Daily, Macao, October 11) (Reporter Fu Zimei) To commemorate the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and the 115th anniversary of the Revolution of 1911, the "Sun Yat-sen and Macao Photo Exhibition," hosted by the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification (Macao), opened in Macao on the 11th.

Zheng Jianbang, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee and Vice President of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification, Ho Hau Wah, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, Sam Hou Fai, Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, and Lü Yuyin, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao, attended the opening ceremony.

Dr. Sun Yat-sen had a deep connection with Macao; this land witnessed his early years of practicing medicine to help society (行医济世, xing yi ji shi - "practice medicine, help the world") and his subsequent dedication to revolution, and it also witnessed the patriotic fervor of Macao compatriots who, around the time of the Revolution of 1911, were actively campaigning and calling for support (奔走呼号, ben zou ha hu - "run about, cry out") for the revolution. Through historical photographs, the exhibition revisits Dr. Sun Yat-sen's historical footsteps in Macao, reviews the patriotic deeds of Macao compatriots during the Revolution of 1911, and showcases the concrete actions taken by all sectors of Macao society over the years to commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen and carry forward the spirit of the Revolution of 1911.

Liu Yiliang, President of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification (Macao), stated that the purpose of holding the photo exhibition is to remember history, pay tribute to the pioneers, and inspire Chinese people at home and abroad to strive together for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. He expressed the hope that more Macao citizens and the younger generation will further strengthen their national consciousness and ethnic identity, and jointly contribute to promoting the peaceful development and integrated development of cross-strait relations and advancing the process of national reunification.

This photo exhibition is supported by the Taiwan Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao and sponsored by the Macao Foundation.

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Thematic Exhibition Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese Opens

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 11) (Reporters Jiang Lin, Zhang Yifu) The "Family and Country United in Heart, Advancing Toward Rejuvenation — Thematic Exhibition Marking the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese" opened on the 11th at the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China. This exhibition is one of a series of activities commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. In the form of a special exhibition, it systematically presents the glorious journey of the federation over the past 70 years in uniting and rallying the vast number of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their relatives, and in serving the overall national development, all under the Party's leadership.

With "Family and Country United in Heart, Advancing Toward Rejuvenation" as its theme, and taking as its main thread the development trajectory of the federation organizations under the Party's leadership, the exhibition traces back to the red origin of the Yan'an Overseas Chinese National Salvation Association, a group of returned overseas Chinese led by the Party. It fully presents the evolution and transformation of the federation organizations from the revolutionary era to the new era, closely adheres to the important positioning of "uniting overseas Chinese and serving the country," systematically sorts out the striving footsteps of the federation over the past 70 years since its founding in uniting and guiding the vast number of overseas Chinese, returned overseas Chinese and their relatives to stand facing difficulties together (风雨同舟, feng yu tong zhou - "wind, rain, same, boat") and keep keeping pace with the times (与时偕行, yu shi xie xing - "with, time, together, walk") with their ancestral (or native) country, vividly reproduces the moving course of the overseas Chinese community's dedication to the journey of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation under the Party's leadership, and highlights the profound sentiments and sense of mission of the overseas Chinese community in sharing the same destiny (同呼吸, tong hu xi - "same, breathe, breath") and sharing weal and woe with their ancestral (or native) country.

The exhibition is hosted by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and organized by the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China.

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Huanggang Port Opening Ceremony Held in Shenzhen

(People's Daily, Shenzhen, October 11) (Reporter Cheng Yuanzhou) The Huanggang Port, an important 24-hour passenger land port between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, held an opening ceremony on the 11th, announcing that it will officially begin customs clearance on the 12th. After clearance begins, the "one place, two inspections" arrangement and the new "cooperative inspection, one-time release" clearance model will be implemented, providing 24-hour clearance services for passengers and passenger vehicles.

The Huanggang Port, which is about to reopen, is the largest single-port building in the country, with 4 underground floors and 5 above-ground floors, a total construction area of 689,700 square meters, and is also the world's largest land port complex, with plans for 5 rail lines to converge there.

The Huanggang Port is a landmark project in advancing the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and serving the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, and has been incorporated into the national-level smart port construction project. As a major project connecting Shenzhen and Hong Kong and radiating across the Greater Bay Area, the opening of the Huanggang Port will further facilitate the movement of people and provide strong support for the connectivity of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The original Huanggang Port was China's first large-scale land port to implement 24-hour clearance. Since it was put into operation in 1989, passenger traffic has increased from several thousand person-times per day to more than 60,000 person-times during peak periods, and vehicle traffic has increased from over a hundred vehicle-times to about 10,000 vehicle-times. It has cumulatively served hundreds of millions of cross-border passengers, witnessing the flourishing and vigorous development (蓬勃发展, peng bo fa zhan - "lush, flourishing, develop, grow") of the cooperation process between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. With the increase in clearance demand between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, reconstruction of the Huanggang Port at its original site was initiated in 2019.

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“Youth Chapter, Strengthening Agriculture to Serve the Country” Large-Scale Ideological and Political Course Held

(People's Daily, Tai'an, October 11) (Reporter Wang Zhe) The "Youth Chapter, Strengthening Agriculture to Serve the Country" large-scale ideological and political course online-themed publicity and interactive guidance activity opened on the evening of the 10th at Shandong Agricultural University. The activity aims to create a fine "large-scale ideological and political course" of the new era that is rooted in Shandong, linked with the Yellow River basin, and radiates across the country, guiding young students to integrate their personal aspirations into the great cause of building a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation, and to contribute youthful strength in the practice of advancing the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas and accelerating the building of a strong agricultural country.

With the theme of "Strengthening Agriculture to Serve the Country," the activity is structured around three chapters: "One must start from the bottom to reach the top" (登高必自, deng gao bi zi - "climb, high, must, from"), "Qilu Granary," and "China's Rice Bowl." Centering on the new chapter of high-quality development of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers (三农) in Shandong Province, it comprehensively showcases Shandong's practice of Chinese-style agricultural and rural modernization and the strong agricultural commitment of agriculture-related universities in serving national strategies.

The activity opened with the themed video "Three Meals and Four Seasons Always Concern Us," expounding the contemporary connotation of the saying "The five grains are the lifeblood of the myriad people and the great treasure of the state." In the segment "The Earth Will Not Forget," actor Huang Pinyuan, actors from the Shandong Provincial Drama Theater, and students of Shandong Agricultural University jointly performed the moving deeds of Academician Yu Songlie, an expert in modern wheat cultivation science in China; corn breeding expert and "Role Model of the Times" Li Denghai, along with Li Hongbo, a professor at Shandong Agricultural University and recipient of the China Youth May Fourth Medal, told the story of passing the torch from one generation to the next (薪火赓续, xin huo geng xu - "firewood, flame, continue, extend") in breeding seeds for the country.

The story of Yin Yuzhen, a national model worker and sand-control hero, and her American friend Saikesi has spread across the world. At the event site, actor Lin Jiangguo, starting from "Lovely China," joined Yin Yuzhen in telling the story of wresting grain from the desert; Zhang Dajian, deputy dean of the College of Agronomy at Shandong Agricultural University, shared research and practice in wresting grain from saline-alkali land; and the "Aspirational Soybean" youth team demonstrated the youthful strength of carrying on the relay to safeguard China's rice bowl.

The activity was guided by the Network Communication Bureau of the Central Cyberspace Administration of China and jointly hosted by the Cyberspace Administration of the Shandong Provincial Party Committee, the Shandong Provincial Department of Education, the Shandong Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Communist Youth League Shandong Provincial Committee, Shandong Agricultural University, People's Daily Online, and the Cyberspace Administration of the Tai'an Municipal Party Committee.

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Striving on the New Journey, United Toward Rejuvenation

By: 本报记者 江 琳

In the group photo at the opening ceremony of the founding congress of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the delegates attending the congress with a solemn expression (神情庄重, shen qing zhuang zhong - "spirit, solemn") and with a determined gaze (目光坚定, mu guang jian ding - "eyes, firm") jointly witnessed the setting sail on a new journey (扬帆启航, yang fan qi hang - "raise, sail, set, sail") of the cause of the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese. On October 12, 1956, with the approval of the Party Central Committee, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese was established in Beijing.

As time flows on, remaining true to the original aspiration (初心不改, chu xin bu gai - "initial, heart, not, change"). In October this year, the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese ushers in its 70th anniversary. Over the past 70 years, the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese has always listened to the Party and followed the Party, leaving resounding footprints of the overseas Chinese community's continuous struggle on the journey of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

From July 27 to 28 this year, the National Conference on Overseas Chinese Affairs Work was held in Beijing. At the conference, an important instruction made by General Secretary Xi Jinping on overseas Chinese affairs work was conveyed.

"Better unite the hearts and strength of overseas Chinese, guide the vast number of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their family members to uphold fine traditions, cultivate deep feelings for the family and the country, give play to their unique advantages, and make greater achievements," General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instruction put forward task requirements for uniting the hearts and strength of overseas Chinese and promoting the united struggle of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, pointing the direction and providing important guidance for doing overseas Chinese affairs work well on the new journey of the new era.

Earnest entrustments spur people forward. Looking back on the road traveled, the development history of the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese is a history of struggle in uniting overseas Chinese under the Party's leadership; looking ahead to the future, on the new journey, a magnificent picture of uniting the hearts and strength of overseas Chinese and promoting Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad to jointly realize the Chinese Dream is slowly unfolding.

Uphold fine traditions and draw the largest concentric circle of the overseas Chinese community

The group photo at the opening ceremony of the founding congress of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, the roster of returned overseas Chinese among the meritorious experts of the "two bombs, one satellite" project, the proposal initiated by the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese to donate for the construction of the "Overseas Chinese Winter Olympics Ice and Snow Museum"...

On October 11, the "Family and Country United in Heart Toward Rejuvenation — Thematic Exhibition on the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese" opened at the Overseas Chinese History Museum of China. Photo after photo, document after document, and artifact after artifact string together a patriotic history of overseas Chinese organizations uniting and leading the vast number of overseas Chinese to share the same destiny (同呼吸、共命运, tong hu xi、gong ming yun - "same, breathe, together, fate") with the ancestral (native) country, heart linked to heart.

"The overseas Chinese federation is a people's organization founded and led by the Party, and overseas Chinese federation work is an important component of the cause of the Party and the state. Listening to the Party and following the Party is the fundamental basis for the overseas Chinese federation's finding a way to make a living and establish oneself (安身立命, an shen li ming - "settle, body, establish, life")." Wang Linggui, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Chairman of the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, stated.

In the spiritual lineage of overseas Chinese hearts turning to the Party, Mr. Tan Kah Kee, the first chairman of the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and a renowned overseas Chinese leader, is a banner-like representative.

Dressed in a suit with a solemn bearing, behind him the military and civilians of Yan'an welcoming him warmly. In the thematic exhibition, a photo taken on the afternoon of May 31, 1940, records the historic moment when Mr. Tan Kah Kee led a delegation to arrive in Yan'an.

In 1940, Mr. Tan Kah Kee led the "Nanyang Overseas Chinese Comfort and Inspection Delegation for Returning to the Motherland" back to the country to comfort the military and civilians in the War of Resistance, and after inspecting Chongqing, Yan'an and other places, concluded that "China's hope lies in Yan'an," and from then on stood unswerving and steadfast (坚定不移, jian ding bu yi - "firm, steadfast, not, move") with the Chinese Communist Party and with the people of the motherland. Mr. Tan Kah Kee was hailed as the "Banner of Overseas Chinese, Glory of the Nation."

To draw the largest concentric circle of the overseas Chinese community, the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese has always adhered to uniting and rallying the vast number of overseas Chinese and returned overseas Chinese and their family members, continuously consolidating the common ideological foundation for the united struggle and progress of the overseas Chinese community.

In many overseas Chinese hometowns in Zhejiang, the "Family Affection for China · Zhijiang United in Heart" overseas Chinese federation literary and artistic "light cavalry" sets up stages in the fields, blending local accents and local sentiments to let the Party's innovative theories enter minds and hearts.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, from the "Pursuing the Chinese Dream" themed publicity activities to the overseas Chinese short video competition, from documentaries such as "Beacon Fire Overseas Chinese Hearts" and "Overseas Chinese and the People's Republic" to senior study seminars for overseas Chinese leaders and businesspeople and the Belt and Road Initiative overseas Chinese businessperson seminar — a series of warm and powerful brand activities and innovative carriers have guided overseas Chinese federation cadres and the vast number of overseas Chinese to study deeply and understand thoroughly (深学细悟, shen xue xi wu - "deep, study, fine, realize") Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, to deeply practice General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses on overseas Chinese affairs work, and to continuously enhance political, ideological, theoretical, and emotional identification with the Party's innovative theories.

Cultivate deep feelings for the family and the country and build a solid emotional bond among Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad

In Gaotai County, Zhangye, Gansu, the "Red Army meal" of millet porridge and sand date cakes let many camp participants truly experience the material scarcity and spiritual loftiness of the era of revolutionary war. "Retracing the Long March and tasting the Red Army meal, I understand even better the spirit of the forebears' striving hard amidst hardships (艰苦奋斗, jian ku fen dou - "hard, bitter, struggle, strive") and their fearlessness of sacrifice," sighed Lin Wenxiang, a Chinese youth of Chinese descent from Slovakia.

2026 marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. More than 700 overseas Chinese youths from 22 countries followed the footsteps of the Long March on a "roots-seeking journey," experiencing the spirit of the Long March on the red soil and seeking their cultural roots.

The "roots-seeking journey" spanning mountains and seas is a vivid microcosm of the deep cultivation of the "Family Affection for China" brand activities over many years. The "Family Affection for China · Four Seas Share Spring" comfort performances for overseas Chinese brought the greetings and warmth of the ancestral (native) country, and the World Chinese Students' Composition Competition makes friends through literature (以文会友, yi wen hui you - "use, literature, meet, friend")... One brand activity after another integrates enhancing emotional bonds with overseas Chinese with spreading Chinese culture and telling China's story well.

The once sparsely traveled "Muddy Ferry Road" is now Yincheng Middle Road in the core area of the Lujiazui Financial City in Pudong, Shanghai; the once factory-covered "industrial rust belt" of Yangpu has become a "living show belt" for citizens and tourists to rest... The "Pursuing the Chinese Dream · Setting Sail on the Huangpu" Shanghai interview tour for overseas Chinese-language media deeply moved a reporter from "West Africa Chinese Voice," who said, "We must tell the story of Pudong's development into a modern new city through works of substance and close to the people."

Deepen friendships with old friends and broadly make new friends. Jointly hosting the National Day reception for overseas Chinese community representatives, the World Overseas Chinese Associations Friendship Conference, and other events, on the "Overseas Chinese Connecting Five Continents" platform, themed activities such as "Shanghai CIIE," "Cloud Gathering for Mid-Autumn," and "Full of Affection at West Lake" have deepened and solidified friendship and exchange at home and abroad.

Give play to unique advantages and serve the overall national development

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Our cause of reform and opening up and development and construction is inseparable from the large number of overseas Chinese who care deeply about their hometowns and their motherland." The vast number of overseas Chinese possess sincere patriotic feelings, strong economic strength, rich intellectual resources, and extensive business networks, and are an important force for realizing the Chinese Dream.

At the beginning of reform and opening up, overseas Chinese businesspeople were the first to return to China to invest and start businesses; in the Winter Olympics town of Chongli, Hebei, the Overseas Chinese Ice and Snow Museum, built with donations from the vast number of overseas Chinese, stands tall; on the battlefield of the battle against poverty, the national overseas Chinese federation system helped 58,000 people out of poverty...

On the new journey, the overseas Chinese community is giving play to its advantages in funds, technology, talent, and other areas, playing a role on a broader stage.

"Only exporting products will not last; only building brands for export can make businesses bigger and stronger." At the economic and trade exchange site of "Overseas Chinese Assisting a Thousand Enterprises and Ten Thousand Products to Go Global" at the 2026 Belt and Road Initiative Overseas Chinese Cooperation and Development Conference, overseas Chinese businesspeople and enterprise representatives unreservedly discussed the "business wisdom of going global."

Enterprise representatives introduced samples, overseas Chinese leaders introduced market channels, and the pages of records beside the recorders piled up thick. By establishing a "list of overseas Chinese businessperson demands" and a "list of local opportunities," funds, technology, and talent are efficiently matched here.

Taking guiding overseas Chinese capital and wisdom to serve the national development strategy as the main line of work, overseas Chinese forces are increasingly converging into the magnificent journey of Chinese modernization.

Since its founding in 2021, the China Overseas Chinese Businessperson Investment Conference has achieved gratifying investment and trade amounts; the "Overseas Chinese Assisting a Thousand Enterprises and Ten Thousand Products to Go Global" action has opened up overseas channels, promoting tens of thousands of Chinese products to the international market; in Yiwu, Zhejiang, approximately 110,000 overseas Chinese businesspeople and over 300,000 overseas Chinese-related groups come and go nearly one million person-times each year, becoming an important support for "buying and selling globally"; brand activities such as the China Overseas Chinese Wisdom Development Conference and the China Overseas Chinese Businessperson Investment Conference build bridges for the connection of talent, technology, projects, and industry, continuously pooling overseas Chinese wisdom and strength.

At present, the grand blueprint outlined by the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan is being transformed into a broad stage for the vast number of overseas Chinese businesspeople and enterprises to realize their ambitions. The vast number of overseas Chinese are rising to action one after another, becoming an important bond in the two-way endeavor to help build the new development pattern with domestic circulation as the main body and domestic and international dual circulation mutually reinforcing each other.

Make greater achievements and gather and give full play to the strength of the vast number of overseas Chinese

The ground beneath their feet shook violently, buildings collapsed, and some disaster-stricken neighborhoods were shrouded in smoke... On the evening of June 24 local time this year, an earthquake struck Venezuela, with two strong quakes of magnitude 7 or above occurring within one minute.

"Having lived here for decades, this is the first time I have encountered such a big earthquake." Local overseas Chinese expressed the palpitations and unease of Chinese sons and daughters in the disaster area.

At the critical moment, the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese connected overnight with overseas Chinese organizations and consulates in the front line, quickly surveyed the safety situation of local overseas Chinese, and conveyed the care of the Party Central Committee to overseas Chinese in the disaster area at the first opportunity, letting overseas wanderers in danger truly feel that "the ancestral (native) country is right by their side."

National overseas Chinese federation organizations adhere to doing service work for overseas Chinese deeply and solidly, continuously enhancing the sense of gain, happiness, and security of the overseas Chinese community.

From the "Overseas Chinese Love Project" benefiting hundreds of thousands of people in difficulty, to the "Rule of Law Publicity Border Tour" entering border villages; from the "headquarters-to-headquarters" online litigation-mediation docking mechanism covering the whole country, to nearly 12,800 "homes for overseas Chinese" covering urban and rural communities; from the gradual formation of a national cooperation pattern between legal affairs and overseas Chinese affairs and between procuratorial affairs and overseas Chinese affairs, to overseas Chinese community volunteer service projects being selected as national advanced models for volunteer service, the capacity and level of serving overseas Chinese continue to improve. There are 27,000 overseas Chinese federation organizations at all levels across the country, with overseas Chinese federation organizations deeply rooted among overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese federation work active by their side.

Every Spring Festival, "New Year Warmth Packages" are sent across mountains and seas to overseas Chinese in their hands; during the fight against COVID-19, health care packages one after another were sent to more than 50 countries and regions, delivering the concern of the ancestral (native) country to overseas Chinese; in daily life, "Warm Overseas Chinese Online" cloud connections with overseas Chinese federation overseas advisors and committee members convey care for overseas Chinese.

Wang Linggui stated that, standing at a new historical starting point, the China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese must adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deeply study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important discourses on overseas Chinese affairs work, fully implement the spirit of the National Conference on Overseas Chinese Affairs Work, unite hearts and strength, work hard and pragmatically, draw the largest concentric circle of the united struggle of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, and make new and greater contributions to comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.

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4th National College Student Career Planning Competition Launched

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 11) (Reporter Wu Dan) The reporter learned from the Ministry of Education: Recently, the Ministry of Education issued a notice to launch the fourth National College Student Career Planning Competition. The competition is jointly hosted by the Ministry of Education and the People's Government of Chongqing Municipality, closely centering on the goals of "using competitions to promote learning, using competitions to promote teaching, and using competitions to promote employment," striving to build a major classroom for strengthening career education, a major platform for promoting the matching of talent supply and demand, and a major market for serving the employment of graduates.

The competition sets up a growth track and an employment track, to be held from October 2026 to April 2027, adopting a three-level competition system of school-level competition, provincial-level competition, and national finals. The school-level competition is organized by each university, and the provincial-level competition is organized by each locality. The national finals are hosted by the Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Chongqing University, and Chongqing Normal University, with awards including gold, silver, and bronze medals, an outstanding instructor award, as well as awards such as the local outstanding organization award and the school-level competition education award. During the competition, localities and universities will hold a series of activities such as school-enterprise supply and demand matching, exhibitions of school-level competition education achievements, and promoting employment through innovation.

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Production and sale of power banks without CCC certification markedly curbed

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 11) (Reporter Lin Lili) The reporter recently learned from the State Administration for Market Regulation: at present, the illegal production and sale of power banks without CCC certification has been markedly curbed, and the compliance awareness of production and operation entities has generally improved.

In August 2024, after power banks were brought under CCC certification management, regulatory authorities found that the production and sale of power banks without CCC certification still existed on the market, posing a serious hidden danger to the quality and safety of power banks. To further eliminate the hidden danger, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued the "Notice on Carrying Out a Concentrated Rectification of Power Banks Without CCC Certification," deploying a three-month concentrated rectification. It is understood that, under the guidance of the Certification Supervision Department of the State Administration for Market Regulation, the China Consumer News conducted on-site unannounced inspections in 18 locations including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, and found that the previously exposed non-compliant points in multiple locations had all completed rectification.

At present, the concentrated rectification has achieved phased progress. Market regulation departments in various localities have altogether supervised and inspected 425 power bank production enterprises, 1,496 sales markets, 55,600 shops, and 812,000 shared power banks and online-sold power banks, and discovered 395 leads on problems.

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Page editors: Zhang Yanchun, Song Yu, Liu Juanxi

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How Should Homestays in Residential Buildings Be Regulated? (Jintai Observation)

By: 本报记者 孙立极 人民网记者 沈王一 郑会宇

With the flourishing and developing (蓬勃发展, peng bo fa zhan - "flourishing, developing") cultural and tourism industry, some people have converted private residences into commercial homestays or online-rented rooms. Some readers have reported that certain homestays and online-rented rooms operating in residential buildings, without having undergone lawful and compliant approval, are soliciting tenants through online platforms, affecting residents' normal lives, increasing safety hazards in residential communities, and that reporting these issues to relevant departments has yet to yield an effective resolution.

Commercial homestays in residential buildings make a loud noise or cause a disturbance (喧哗吵闹, xuan hua chao nao - "noise, shouting, clamor") at all hours, and illegal renovations increase fire safety hazards.

"The vast majority of residents want a quiet, safe living environment." Mr. Liu lives near Sitou Town in Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. He said that in his residential community, some households have privately converted their homes into unlicensed homestays and online-rented rooms, with outside tourists coming and going at all hours, making a loud noise or causing a disturbance late at night, disrupting the community's tranquility and creating public security risks.

"I hope there will be strict crackdowns on unlicensed homestays and online-rented rooms converted from residential housing within residential communities, and that the access requirement of consent from building owners as stipulated in the homestay management measures will be strictly implemented," Mr. Liu said.

A netizen, Ms. Zhang, from Baohe District, Hefei City, Anhui Province, has encountered the same trouble. Recently, she filed a complaint on the "Message Board for Leaders" of People's Daily Online, stating that her neighbor's tenant had converted a residence into a homestay and online-rented room bookable online, equipped with mahjong machines and board games, with no soundproofing measures whatsoever, and the sound of mahjong continued late into the night, seriously disturbing the neighborhood.

"Problems of late-night noise and chasing and roughhousing occur frequently," "access control has been damaged," "elevators have been overloaded for a long time, breaking down frequently, posing safety risks"... For some time now, on the "Message Board for Leaders" of People's Daily Online, one can see many netizens reporting problems of homestays and online-rented rooms in residential buildings disturbing residents. In addition to affecting community tranquility, there have also been instances of illegal conversions into homestays.

A reader, Mr. Ji, from Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, said that several years ago, the tenant of the household above him arbitrarily altered the original layout of the residence, illegally dividing the complete residential unit into four independent rooms, adding four independent bathrooms, and converting the residence into multiple homestay rooms for rent to outsiders. Starting last year, his ceiling began to leak; after being repaired, it began leaking again this year, causing the walls to turn black and wardrobes and beds to become moldy.

A netizen from Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, complained that in the comprehensive building where he lives, floors above the 13th are residential apartments. "A household has privately divided one residential unit into 6 to 10 small compartments, then furnished them with large beds or double beds, so that a single unit can accommodate far more than 10 people." He said such renovations pose fire safety hazards: not only do the rooms fail to meet evacuation distance standards, but someone has also chiseled through the fire-resistant partition walls between two independent residential units, creating a single connected large space. In addition, the original electrical distribution design of the residence has a small load capacity, and the simultaneous use of multiple high-power appliances creates a high risk of electrical fire.

Regulations on "converting residential use to commercial use" are not implemented at the enforcement level, and regulatory responsibilities for homestays are split among multiple departments.

"Operating a homestay using vacant rooms in a residential building is a 'converting residential use to commercial use' issue of changing a residence into premises for business operations, and the legal relationship is clear," said Bi Wenqiang, vice president and secretary-general of the Beijing Real Property Law Research Association. He believes that such issues are not complicated to characterize. First, one must examine whether the owner engaged in "converting residential use to commercial use" has strictly complied with relevant legal provisions. Second, if operating lawfully, whether they comply with relevant laws and regulations on the environment, transportation, and public order.

However, at the enforcement level, disputes over homestays in residential buildings have not been resolved satisfactorily.

According to Article 279 of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, owners shall not change residential housing into premises for business operations in violation of laws, administrative regulations, and management rules. Where an owner changes residential housing into premises for business operations, in addition to complying with laws, administrative regulations, and management rules, they shall obtain the unanimous consent of all interested owners. That is to say, "converting residential use to commercial use" first requires the consent of interested owners.

Bi Wenqiang said that obtaining the consent of interested owners is in fact a way of balancing the rights of operators and surrounding residents. It is both a protection of the rights and interests of surrounding residents and a protection of operators. "Once the owners have all agreed, it means the operator's lawful business activities have received support," which is truly a win-win move. However, many homestays have not complied with this provision, and relevant departments have not strictly implemented and enforced it.

A reader, Mr. Su, from Qixing District, Guilin City, Guangxi, complained that a homestay operated by a neighbor on the 14th floor caused nighttime noise disturbing residents. However, the relevant department refused to handle the matter on the grounds that the other party held a business license. When he raised the violation of Article 279 of the Civil Code, the local government department replied that "when applying for registration, the homestay applicant must sign and submit a 'Commitment Letter on the Use of the Premises (Business Premises),' which includes a commitment that they have obtained the unanimous consent of interested owners to change the residence into premises for business operations, and the registration authority issues the business license on that basis." After Mr. Su filed the complaint, even though the relevant department confirmed that the owner had not obtained the unanimous consent of interested owners as required by regulations, it still stated that "the interested owners, the owners' committee, the property management company, etc., should resolve the matter through litigation."

This situation is not an isolated case. A reader, Ms. Chen, from Huangpu District, Shanghai, complained that a neighbor had arbitrarily converted a privately owned residence into a homestay without the permission of other residents, which does not comply with Article 279 of the Civil Code. The relevant department replied that Ms. Chen should resolve the matter herself through judicial channels. In practice, there are indeed many cases where owners have successfully taken the matter to court on this basis, but going to court against a neighbor requires a great deal of manpower and energy, and most people are deterred.

At the same time, regarding homestay disputes in residential buildings, many regions, constrained by practical obstacles such as insufficiently detailed higher-level regulations and unclear enforcement boundaries for grassroots departments, often resort only to measures such as interviews and persuasion in their governance. In March this year, a locality in Guangdong, in responding to the problem of homestays disturbing residents, stated: "At present, laws and regulations at the national, provincial, municipal, and district levels have not yet made detailed regulatory requirements on key dimensions such as the business nature and access qualifications, public security management standards, and fire safety norms for hourly and daily rentals," and because "there is a lack of management basis, it is difficult for our town to carry out targeted management of hourly and daily rentals and homestays during supervision," and "at present, only policy and legal publicity can be carried out."

In the specific implementation process, the regulatory responsibilities for homestays in residential buildings are split among multiple departments. For example, public security organs mainly conduct public security-level management of short-term rentals in accordance with the "Regulations on the Public Security Administration of Leased Housing," while violations of unlicensed operations are accepted by market supervision departments. This leads to significant differences in the applicable legal standards for the same type of problem across different regions and departments, directly resulting in the public being unable to find a clear and definite path when defending their rights.

Bi Wenqiang believes that the "Notice on Further Strengthening Comprehensive Supervision of the Tourism Market" issued by the General Office of the State Council last September clearly states: the Ministry of Culture and Tourism takes the lead in coordinating and harmonizing comprehensive supervision of the tourism market; governments at or above the county level coordinate comprehensive supervision of the tourism market in their respective regions; and it also requires "steadily advancing cross-departmental and cross-regional joint inspections and law enforcement collaboration" and "promptly coordinating with relevant departments to conduct investigations when clues to problems involving the supervisory responsibilities of multiple departments are discovered." As homestays are part of the tourism market, the responsible departments should be clarified accordingly.

But as the lead department, the culture and tourism department has its difficulties. A person familiar with the matter said that the culture and tourism department lacks corresponding leverage for homestay management. "The culture and tourism department does not have the approval authority for homestays, and therefore does not have basic information on homestays, making supervision relatively difficult."

In addition, the conceptual boundaries of homestays and online-rented rooms are still unclear, and the positioning of homestays in residential buildings is in a gray area. If treated as the hotel industry, they need to obtain a business license, a public place health permit, pass fire safety acceptance, and obtain a special industry license before operating; if treated as individual short-term rentals, they may not even need to apply for a business license.

In July this year, the government of Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, in its reply to a proposal from the Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, stated that in the absence of special regulations issued by the state and the autonomous region, it would implement territorial management responsibilities in light of local conditions, dividing homestays and online-rented rooms into several levels: those with "concentrated housing sources and a certain scale" are all included in hotel industry management, while those with "scattered housing sources, relatively small scale, and unsuitable for setting up a front desk" are managed as rental housing. A homestay operator in the city, Ms. Li, told reporters that she currently operates a homestay with four or five rooms, which is closed because it is unlicensed. When she asked the relevant department what "scattered housing sources and relatively small scale" means, the reply was that they were waiting for the plan to be implemented. "If the policy is vague, its implementation by law enforcement units will also be vague," she said, expressing hope that government departments will provide a clear definition as soon as possible.

To clearly define the nature of operating homestays in residential buildings, it is recommended to establish a pre-registration and filing system.

Only by clarifying the positioning of homestays can the legal nature of operating homestays in residential buildings be defined, and their access thresholds and operating conditions be detailed. Zhang Yi, a professor at Zhejiang Tourism College, introduced that according to the national standard "Basic Requirements and Classification of Tourist Homestays" (GB/T41648-2022) (hereinafter referred to as the "Standard"), which came into effect in February 2023, a tourist homestay is a small accommodation facility that utilizes relevant idle resources such as local residential houses, with the host participating in reception, providing tourists with an experience of local nature, culture, and production and lifestyle. "The host personally serving and participating in reception is an important feature of a homestay," she introduced.

As one of the main drafters of the "Standard," Zhang Yi pointed out that the "Standard" proposes that "buildings used for business guest rooms should not exceed 4 floors and the building area should not exceed 800 square meters." This scale requirement is based on fire safety considerations and was formulated with reference to the provision of "maximum 4 floors and building area not exceeding 800 square meters" in the "Notice on Printing and Distributing the Guidelines for Fire Protection of Farm Stays (Homestays) (Trial)" (Jiancun [2017] No. 50) jointly issued by the then Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the Ministry of Public Security, and the National Tourism Administration.

As for the problem of inadequate enforcement of "converting residential use to commercial use," it is necessary not only to clarify the powers and responsibilities of market supervision, public security, housing and urban-rural development, culture and tourism, and other departments, but also to achieve cross-departmental information sharing and establish a normalized joint law enforcement working mechanism.

Zhang Li, a professor at the Civil and Commercial Law School of Southwest University of Political Science and Law, suggested establishing a pre-registration and filing system for homestays. "The fundamental problem with this phenomenon is that some commercial accommodation activities have long remained outside the registration and filing system." He believes that any residence that operates for business purposes and provides short-term accommodation to unspecified members of the public must, before opening, submit materials such as proof of consent from interested owners, fire safety qualification certificates, and public security management responsibility letters, and may only operate after filing. Operating without filing constitutes illegal operation, which should be directly investigated and dealt with by the competent department, shifting from post-hoc punishment to pre-hoc filtering. "In the filing review, the legality of structural changes to the housing should be verified. Those suspected of illegal renovation and expansion may be dealt with in accordance with laws and regulations such as the Urban and Rural Planning Law." Operators or property owners repeatedly found to be operating illegally may be included in credit records and restricted from applying for filing again.

Zhang Li also said that in addition to requiring property service enterprises to fulfill their obligations to discover, dissuade, and report, the primary responsibility of online service platforms such as OTA (online travel agencies) for pre-review of homestay listings should be consolidated, requiring platforms to conduct substantive verification of core materials such as the business qualifications of listed properties, and to refuse to list properties without filing.

A reader, Mr. Tian, said that some homestay addresses directly state "public rental housing - Building 18" and yet they can still be listed on online platforms, and in other cases, even when regulators have determined that a homestay is in violation, they can only ask the homestay operator to voluntarily remove the rental listing from the online platform. Online platforms are not beyond the reach of the law. For listings that are clearly in violation, relevant departments have the authority to require online platforms to take graded measures such as removal, traffic restriction, and account suspension as a first step. He suggested increasing the severity of punishment for homestay operators who operate without a license or who repeatedly fail to rectify violations, forming effective governance by raising the cost of illegal conduct.

Recently, the 25th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th Hunan Provincial People's Congress passed the "Hunan Province Homestay Regulations" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"). As the first provincial-level local regulation in the country with homestays as its main regulatory content, its provisions include: "Homestays shall not be operated in residential units above the fourth floor of buildings in urban residential communities; those operating homestays in residential units on the fourth floor or below shall comply with laws, regulations, and management rules, and obtain the unanimous consent of interested owners." and "Online trading platforms and other intermediaries that provide transaction services for homestay operators shall conduct real-name registration of them and verify the authenticity of relevant information such as business licenses and special industry licenses." These provisions respond to problems that have arisen in homestay management work.

Zhang Li believes that the "Regulations" pushes homestay management from principled norms toward whole-chain governance covering access, operation, platforms, and departmental coordination. For example, the "Regulations" sets floor restrictions for homestays in urban residential communities and requires the unanimous consent of interested owners, responding to practical issues such as residents' peaceful enjoyment of their homes, common rights and interests, and housing safety; at the same time, it brings online trading platforms into the regulatory scope, requiring real-name registration, verification of business licenses and special industry licenses, and measures such as stopping services and reporting for false information and illegal acts, which helps move the regulatory gate forward.

He also said that it should be noted that although the "Regulations" provides for a multi-department joint approval mechanism, this is not a complete pre-filing system for homestays. The next step should be to refine as soon as possible the methods for identifying homestays, fire safety standards, review materials, and the boundaries of platform responsibilities, to avoid inducing problems such as inconsistent approval standards, duplicate approvals, or unclear regulatory responsibilities.

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Open Land Turned into Garbage Mountain, Complaints Ignored (Matters Nearby)

I am a homeowner in the Xinchaolongwan residential community in Dongxing City, Guangxi. Between Phase I and Phase II of this community there is an open plot of land on which a large amount of construction waste and household garbage has long been piled, already forming a garbage mountain (see photo). Among it, the construction waste was generated when homeowners were renovating; at the time, each household paid the developer a garbage removal fee, but unexpectedly the developer piled the garbage on the open land and never removed it at all. Later, people began dumping household garbage there as well, causing the pile to grow larger and larger. In summer, when the weather is hot, the garbage rots and ferments, and the stench is extremely foul-smelling (臭气熏天, chou qi xun tian - "stink, odor, fill, sky"), enveloping the community in an unpleasant odor. Moreover, the accumulated garbage breeds large numbers of mosquitoes and flies, and has also attracted quite a few rats. Community residents have reported this problem to the developer and the relevant departments on many occasions; the developer replied that it had no money to remove the garbage, while the relevant departments replied that they could only urge the developer to deal with it. The problem has reached a dead end or stalemate (死胡同, si hu tong - "dead, alley, tunnel"). We hope the relevant departments will pay attention to this matter and help resolve the problem.

Netizen on the "Message Board for Leaders" of People's Daily Online

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Equipping Middle School Students with Properly Sized Desks and Chairs

Equipping Middle School Students with Properly Sized Desks and Chairs

Recently, I went to a parent-teacher meeting for my child who is in middle school, and I noticed that the desks in the school are generally too low. I estimated that the desktop is about 75 centimeters from the ground, and with the desk drawer, the lower edge of the desk is only about 55 centimeters from the ground. The classroom is not spacious to begin with, and the front-to-back distance is relatively narrow. For some taller students, their legs are even squeezed by the desk to the point where they cannot bend.

Nowadays, children generally grow quickly, and many are already quite tall by the time they reach middle school. However, many middle schools still purchase desks and chairs according to primary school standards or previous standards, making taller students feel very cramped. It is suggested that education departments and schools pay attention to this issue, appropriately adjust the size of student desks and chairs, and not let children study in cramped desks and chairs; or adopt methods such as purchasing adjustable-height desks and chairs, or offering several height options for desks and chairs, to meet the needs of children at different stages of growth.

He Yi, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province

Dynamically Adjusting Parking Fees to Improve Urban Space Utilization

After dinner, I often take a walk in the park near my residence and noticed that many parking fee collection poles have been installed next to the park. This park originally did not have many visitors, and after being enclosed, the flow of people became even sparser.

Nowadays, parking lots near many parks and shopping malls have added fee collection poles, and some parking fees are not cheap. Parking fees are a means of resource allocation; reasonable charging based on differences in area and time period is conducive to the rational use of urban space and facilitates residents' lives. In places with sparse foot traffic and ample parking space, parking fees should not be too high, so as to mobilize consumption enthusiasm and play a regulatory role. It is suggested to dynamically adjust and reasonably collect parking fees, and through measures such as staggered parking fee adjustments and free opening of idle parking lots, revitalize urban space and improve resource utilization.

Han Wei, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province

Emergency Equipment in Township Health Centers Needs Routine Maintenance

Some time ago, an elderly family member suddenly felt unwell, and we went to the nearest township health center for a consultation. We found that some emergency support equipment lacked necessary maintenance. For example, consumables in some emergency kits had expired, and defibrillators and oxygen inhalation devices were left in corners, lacking regular calibration records.

Many villages are far from urban hospitals, and when villagers suffer acute conditions such as cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases, their first choice is often the nearest township health center.

Township health centers bear the function of primary emergency treatment at the grassroots level. After many pieces of equipment are purchased and fully equipped, there are not many emergency cases in daily consultations, and maintenance is neglected. Emergency equipment is different from ordinary diagnostic and treatment instruments. It may look intact on a daily basis, but once consumables expire and instruments are not regularly calibrated, at a critical moment, they may not be able to function properly, missing a critical window for medical treatment (贻误宝贵救治时机, yi wu bao gui jiu zhi shi ji - "lose, precious, rescue, time, opportunity").

It is suggested that health administration authorities strengthen supervision of emergency equipment in grassroots health centers, establish ledgers for equipment and consumables, and clarify calibration and replacement cycles; organize medical staff to carry out routine emergency practical drills. Within health centers, arrange dedicated personnel to manage emergency supplies and promptly update expired consumables. Strengthen the emergency reception capacity of township health centers to better safeguard the lives and health of rural residents.

Chen Shang, Wuhan City, Hubei Province

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Express delivery insurance: why do disputes arise? (Readers' concerns)

By: 本报记者 赵 兵

Express delivery insurance/declared-value service is a safeguard service launched by express delivery companies, which can both give consumers peace of mind when purchasing and share the transport risks of express delivery companies. However, many readers have reported through the "People's Complaints" channel on People's Daily Online that when they purchase declared-value coverage when sending parcels, disputes arise over compensation after the goods suffer transport damage.

On July 22, Mr. Li sent a 55-inch LCD television through a logistics company, shipping it from Heilongjiang to Shandong. When sending the item, in addition to paying the freight, he spent an extra 12 yuan to purchase full declared-value coverage of 2,000 yuan. As a result, after the parcel was delivered, the screen was completely shattered and could not be used normally.

"I contacted the logistics customer service immediately to initiate a claim. The television's actual value was 1,500 yuan and the express freight was 100 yuan, so I requested compensation of 1,600 yuan, but after multiple negotiations with the logistics customer service, no result was reached. The other side used financial regulations and item depreciation as excuses to lower the compensation, only agreeing to pay 1,000 yuan." Mr. Li believes that since the parcel had full declared-value coverage, transport damage falls under the carrier's responsibility, and the logistics company's refusal to compensate in full infringed upon his legitimate rights and interests.

Similarly, Mr. Song from Qingyuan City, Guangdong, shipped a brand-new water heater from Hebei to Guangdong, choosing full declared-value coverage when consigning the item, with a declared value of 5,000 yuan. When the water heater arrived, it had serious damage. "I submitted a complete set of materials including the full unboxing video, photos of the actual damage, and receipts proving the item's value, but the express company only agreed to pay 1,500 yuan in compensation," Mr. Song said.

Does the declared value amount equal the compensation amount? According to the Interim Regulations on Express Delivery, where a parcel is delayed, lost, damaged, or has contents missing, for parcels with declared value, liability for compensation shall be determined in accordance with the declared-value rules agreed upon between the express delivery business enterprise and the sender. Therefore, when a declared-value parcel is damaged or lost, compensation shall be made in accordance with the declared-value rules agreed upon between the sender and the express company, rather than the consumer's understanding of "compensate as much as declared."

"In other words, when declared-value goods suffer transport damage, the determination needs to comprehensively consider factors such as the actual value of the goods, the degree of damage, and residual value. There is no denying that this gives express companies discretionary space in the amount of compensation, and it is also one of the reasons why some disputes arise," said Pang Jun, a professor at the School of Management of Sun Yat-sen University.

A reporter's review of information found that currently, the declared-value services launched by express companies are divided into full declared-value coverage and partial declared-value coverage. For the former, the declared value is greater than or equal to the actual value of the goods, and the compensation rule is to compensate according to the actual loss amount, with the maximum not exceeding the declared value. For the latter, the declared value is less than the actual value of the goods, and the compensation rule is proportional compensation, with the actual compensation usually lower than the declared value amount.

In this regard, a large express company provided an illustrative example: Ms. Zhang sent a brand-new mobile phone with an official website price of 4,000 yuan. Assuming the screen is damaged during the mailing process, under full declared-value coverage, with an official repair price of 2,000 yuan, the claims plan would be 2,000 yuan in repair costs plus 15% depreciation of 600 yuan, for a total compensation of 2,600 yuan; under partial declared-value coverage, only 2,000 yuan in repair costs would be compensated.

In practice, providing evidence for loss assessment is precisely the focal point of disputes between consumers and express companies. "In express companies' compensation rules, repair costs and depreciation are set by the express companies themselves, and consumers do not necessarily agree. At the same time, for some goods damaged in transit, what the express company considers repairable, the consumer considers to have lost all use value," Pang Jun said. In recent years, such disputes have been something that occurs very often (屡见不鲜, lǚ jiàn bù xiān - "frequently, see, not, fresh"), exposing problems such as declared-value rules that are complex and difficult to understand, great difficulty in providing evidence for loss assessment, and vague and unclear compensation standards.

"Express companies also have their difficulties," said an industry insider. "At present, the premiums for declared-value services are generally quite low, for example, 1 yuan covers 500 yuan or even 1,000 yuan. If every claim were paid according to the declared value amount, express companies could not bear it. But the premium cannot be raised too much either — for example, 200 yuan to cover 500 yuan — consumers would definitely not accept it." "This determines that even under full declared-value coverage, as long as the item has not been completely lost, compensation will be made as much as possible according to the proportion of loss, rather than in full," he said.

In addition, he also revealed that express companies' explanations to consumers are indeed lacking: "Generally, when a courier comes to the door to collect a parcel, they will not explain to consumers the rules related to the one or two yuan declared-value fee and the final compensation."

Experts suggest that relevant departments should refine and clarify the loss assessment mechanism and loss assessment evidence-providing practices in the express industry. For example, for goods damaged in transport, express companies should not be allowed to arbitrarily apply complex and opaque calculation formulas to "convert according to the proportion of the damaged part," but should fully consider consumers' demand for "compensation according to the declared value." At the same time, the problem of consumers' "difficulty in providing evidence" should also be addressed through unified regulation and safeguards.

In June this year, the China Express Association released the group standard "Parcel Declared-Value Service." Although this standard does not have legal binding force, by unifying service norms, it has broken the previous situation in which express companies were "both athletes and referees" in claims settlement, helping to reduce disputes between express companies and consumers.

Experts remind consumers that when sending parcels, they should carefully read the declared-value clauses, especially standard-form clauses marked in special fonts such as red or bold, to avoid infringement of their rights and interests. At the same time, express companies should strengthen training for their staff, strictly fulfilling the obligations to inspect items, and to inform and explain service terms and declared-value rules during the process of collecting and delivering parcels, so as to reduce disputes arising from consumer misunderstanding.

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Page editors: Hu Xiaoyuan

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New Health Changes Around the People

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has placed the protection of the people's health in a more prominent position, the construction of a Healthy China has been accelerated, and the level of the people's health has continued to improve. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized that to build a Healthy China, we must proceed from China's national conditions, unswervingly follow the path of health development with Chinese characteristics, and unswervingly implement the health and wellness work policy of the new era.

In order to build a Healthy China, all localities have continued to make efforts and actively explore: issuing exercise prescriptions to safeguard residents' health; implementing chronic disease management to enhance the sense of gain among the public and medical staff... In this issue's report, we select stories from around us to feel those visible, tangible new changes in health.

— Ed.

Shanghai's Yangpu District incorporates exercise and health work into livelihood projects

Integration of exercise, medicine, wellness, and care makes community residents healthier

People's Daily reporter Jiang Hongbing

During this year's National Day holiday, at the Yinhang Community Exercise and Health Center at No. 175, Gongnong Fourth Village, Yangpu District, Shanghai, on the first floor in the Elderly Exercise and Health Home, aunties and uncles gathered in crowds. Most of them were very familiar with the way or surroundings (熟门熟路, shú mén shú lù - "familiar door, familiar road"), scanning codes upon entry, starting up treadmills, exercise bicycles, and other equipment, and completing their exercise volume according to the requirements of their "exercise prescriptions." In the Sunshine Wellness and Health Home area, several disabled people were doing rehabilitation exercises under the guidance of community exercise and health coaches. Some younger residents headed straight to the second floor to run, lift weights, and do Pilates...

Ms. Cen, 63, was one of the first residents to come to the center to exercise. "I insist on coming to exercise four or five times a week," she said. When she first retired, Ms. Cen was found to have mild fatty liver and high blood pressure. Now, after nearly eight years of health management, she has successfully lost 15 kilograms, her fatty liver has disappeared, and her blood pressure medication has been gradually reduced from one pill a day to a quarter of a pill.

Yangpu District has integrated exercise and dietary guidance into the entire process of intervention for the "three highs and one heavy" (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high blood lipids, and overweight/obesity), building a new integrated method for chronic disease prevention and control.

Of Yangpu District's 1.2 million permanent residents, one-third are over 65 years old. In order to curb the occurrence and development of chronic diseases, Yangpu District has integrated the dietary and exercise guidance requirements issued by the National Health Commission into the entire process of grassroots comprehensive chronic disease prevention and control intervention, focusing on the "three highs and one heavy," building a multi-department collaborative management chain, a full-cycle intervention network alliance, a "data-integrated exercise and medicine" intelligent management system, and a "three-dimensional" incentive and guarantee system, reshaping an integrated chronic disease comprehensive prevention and control system of "medical-prevention integration and moving the gate forward," achieving notable results. From 2025 to the present, 174,500 residents with "three highs and one heavy" conditions in the entire district have been included as key targets of exercise and dietary intervention management, and more than 10,000 people have received offline precise assessment and personalized intervention service packages, realizing full-cycle management of "prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and management."

Yangpu District has continued to incorporate exercise and health work into livelihood projects and major government decision-making matters, gradually realizing the full implementation of community exercise and health centers across all streets in the district and full coverage of key populations and life cycles.

Wang Wenhui, a general practitioner at the Yinhang Community Health Service Center, said that there are very many chronic disease residents like Ms. Cen who have achieved a decline in their "three highs and one heavy" indicators through exercise, diet, and lifestyle intervention. One half-day each week, Wang Wenhui sees patients at the exercise intervention outpatient clinic. After residents briefly describe their condition and medical history, they undergo disease risk and exercise capacity assessment here. The intelligent management system automatically classifies risk levels, and the doctor makes a comprehensive judgment to generate an exercise prescription. High-risk individuals receive rehabilitation treatment at the hospital, while chronic disease patients at medium and low risk enter the community exercise and health center, where exercise and health coaches "fill the prescription according to the formula," helping to formulate exercise and dietary plans. The exercise data of contracted residents is then transmitted back to the hospital, allowing doctors to update exercise plans and adjust medication based on the actual situation. From 2016 to the present, the exercise intervention outpatient clinic at the Yinhang Community Health Service Center has issued more than 2,000 exercise prescriptions.

Suixi County, Huaibei, Anhui promotes chronic disease management reform

From "passive treatment of illness" to "active management"

People's Daily reporter Luo Yangqi

In the evening, Chen Shumin, a doctor at the Daokou Village Health Office in Baishan Town, Suixi County, Huaibei City, Anhui Province, slung her follow-up bag over her shoulder and began her door-to-door visits. As a family doctor, she conducts follow-up visits every day to key patients with diabetes, high blood pressure, and other conditions. "For the chronic disease population, we conduct at least one follow-up visit per quarter," Chen Shumin said.

Chen Shumin's phone has several family doctor WeChat groups, which include doctors from the Baishan Town Health Center and the Suixi County People's Hospital. Villagers can consult doctors in the groups at any time. This stems from the family doctor "1+1+1" contracted service implemented in Suixi County, in which teams composed of county hospital doctors, town health center doctors, and village health office doctors provide health management for all villagers.

"We continue to promote the shift of medical institutions from 'treatment-centered' to 'health management-centered,' and by changing incentive mechanisms, improving the level of chronic disease management in grassroots medical institutions, and other measures, we serve as the guardians of villagers' health," said Wu Liang, director of the Suixi County Health Commission. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the average annual per capita inpatient cost within the county for the entire insured population in Suixi County fell from 8,509 yuan to 6,586 yuan, and the premature mortality rate from four major chronic diseases among residents fell from 13.74 percent to 11.07 percent.

Behind the data lies the establishment of a whole set of institutions. Suixi has integrated all medical units in the county into two medical communities led by county-level public hospitals, and implemented "overall contracting" within each medical community. That is, based on the number of insured persons covered by the townships, after deducting the incremental fund risk reserve and the critical illness insurance fund, no less than 95 percent of the remainder is handed over to the medical community for contracted use. If there is a surplus in the medical insurance fund for that year, it is distributed to each medical institution according to a ratio of 6:3:1 among county, town, and village levels, mainly used for staff salaries and performance bonuses.

"The less the insured get sick, the less money is spent, and the higher the income for hospitals and doctors, which forces medical institutions to do a good job of health management for the insured. The leading hospitals of the medical communities are also more willing to help town and village medical institutions improve their level," introduced Chen Zhuo, head of the Suixi County Medical Reform Office.

Suixi has also calculated the medical insurance funds for 47 groups of common chronic diseases and, based on the number of people, handed them over to township health centers for contracted per-capita use, with surpluses retained according to a 4:4:2 ratio among county, town, and village levels.

"Chronic disease treatment has a long cycle and is mainly based on outpatient care and daily management, and the town and village level medical institutions have played a huge role. In the past, our assessment could only count individual treatments and individual hospitalizations, and could not calculate whether routine management was done well. Only with per-capita management can medical staff be prompted to do contracted services, follow-up visits, and medication guidance more solidly, and control chronic diseases better," Chen Zhuo said.

Surpluses mean improved treatment for medical staff. Suixi County's medical insurance fund has achieved surpluses for nine consecutive years, and the chronic disease medical insurance fund has achieved surpluses for five consecutive years.

Suixi County has integrated the health records of the chronic disease population within the county and built a tiered online management system, which currently covers 131,000 people in the county's chronic disease population. The chronic disease pilot population increased by 4,152 people year-on-year in 2025, reaching nearly 150,000 people. The total medical expenses of the chronic disease pilot population were 255.414 million yuan, down 0.18 percent year-on-year, and total hospitalization expenses were 192.5575 million yuan, down 4.07 percent year-on-year.

Shaxian District, Sanming, Fujian continues to promote medical reform and technological innovation applications

County-level medical services upgraded in quality and level

People's Daily reporter Liu Xiaoyu

Early morning, in Xiamao Town, Shaxian District, Sanming City, Fujian Province, in the hemodialysis room of the Xiamao Branch of the Shaxian District General Hospital, machines hummed at low volume. Lao Jiang, a 64-year-old patient, half-reclined on the bed, clutching his cost settlement slip: "In the old days, at this hour I'd still be bouncing along on the bus to the city."

The long and arduous journey or distance (山高路远, shān gāo lù yuǎn - "mountain high, road far") had once been the "threshold" for local people to see a doctor. Kidney disease patients need dialysis several times a week, traveling dozens of kilometers back and forth over bumpy mountain roads, spending most of the day on the road. Now, the city's first township hemodialysis sub-center has been established in Xiamao, and Lao Jiang can get dialysis just 10 minutes from home.

The changes are not only in the hemodialysis room. As deputy director of the Xiamao Branch, Lin Jizao is a doctor trained through targeted commissioned education. It was again the monthly day to go down to the villages for physical examinations of the elderly. He and his colleagues loaded an electrocardiograph machine and a portable color ultrasound machine into the car and drove from village to village along the roads. Temporary screening points were set up at village committee offices, where people over 65 could receive free physical examinations. In 2023, a liver space-occupying lesion shown on an ultrasound report made Lin Jizao's heart tighten. He immediately called the Shaxian District General Hospital, and the green channel for referral was opened the same day. An elderly man with liver cancer was rushed into the operating room of the Shaxian District General Hospital in time for the optimal surgical window.

In the oncology ward of the Shaxian District General Hospital, department director Zheng Canguang was leading his team in reviewing the imaging data of patient Lao Huang. The oncology department was established at the end of 2021. With the assistance of experts seconded from Fujian Provincial Cancer Hospital, the team has gradually mastered difficult surgeries such as single-port thoracoscopic radical resection of lung cancer. Lao Huang, 53, is from Qingzhou Town, Shaxian District. A lung tumor was found during a physical examination. The next day, Zheng Canguang's team initiated a multidisciplinary consultation, opened the remote consultation system, and jointly studied the condition and formulated a treatment plan with experts from the Provincial Cancer Hospital. After the surgery was successfully completed, Lao Huang did not need to travel back and forth repeatedly for follow-up examinations; he could complete them nearby at the Qingzhou Branch of the Shaxian District General Hospital.

The sinking of high-quality medical resources to the grassroots has made it more convenient for the public to seek medical treatment — for chronic disease follow-up visits, prescription refills, and re-examinations, which previously required queuing at city hospitals, the Shaxian District General Hospital has now opened a grassroots joint service department, allowing chronic disease patients to stay in Shaxian District and complete prescription refills, follow-up visits, and reimbursements in one go. Since 2024, the grassroots joint service department has served nearly 150,000 person-times. At the same time, the proportion of grassroots diagnosis and treatment volume in Shaxian District has risen from 39.4 percent in 2020 to 59.1 percent now, and a tiered diagnosis and treatment pattern is gradually taking shape.

At present, Lin Jizao and his colleagues are constantly learning new diagnosis and treatment methods. Under the continuous teaching and guidance of experts from the Shaxian District General Hospital, the medical staff of the Xiamao Branch have gradually mastered thrombolysis emergency techniques. All 12 township branches in the district have opened dental departments, so villagers no longer need to make special bus trips to the county seat for tooth fillings and extractions.

"Medical reform is about targeting the pain points of the public in seeking medical treatment, sending technology and talent to townships, enabling the public to see a doctor nearby and be treated well, and upgrading the quality and level of county-level medical services," said Lin Qijian, deputy director of the Shaxian District Health Bureau.

Shiye Town, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu provides convenient basic medical services for the public

Medical consortium construction makes chronic disease management more efficient

People's Daily reporter Shen Lin

On September 29, in Shiye Town, Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, under a drizzling autumn rain, Mi Qiaomei, a village doctor at the Xinglong Village Medical Office, went to the home of 70-year-old villager Li Xiuying for a follow-up visit. Li Xiuying suffers from high blood pressure and diabetes, and had a sudden cerebral infarction a few years ago. Her son works away from home all year round, and her husband is hard of hearing, so Mi Qiaomei often makes a point of helping her measure her blood pressure and blood sugar.

Shiye Town is located on a small island in the middle of the Yangtze River. Here, in addition to village doctors, the town health center has also built five family doctor teams totaling 25 people, who go into the villages five times a month to provide services for the town's more than 7,000 permanent residents.

At 8:30 a.m., resident Hong Qingfang had a chest X-ray taken at the Shiye Town Health Center in preparation for applying for a health certificate. The image was transmitted in real time to the Zhenjiang First People's Hospital, where an imaging department doctor quickly fed back the abnormal findings. At 9:30, Zhang Jiahao, the doctor on duty at the health center, called Hong Qingfang's mobile phone: "There seems to be a small problem with the chest X-ray. Come back when you have a chance, and let's do a CT scan to find out." At around 10 o'clock, Hong Qingfang returned to the health center for a re-examination, which ruled out the possibility of an infectious disease.

Zhao Guoqiang, director of the Shiye Town Health Center, introduced that thanks to the construction of the medical consortium, the Shiye Town Health Center and the Zhenjiang First People's Hospital have established joint outpatient clinics and opened a two-way referral channel. Examination images of patients at the health center can be uploaded to the First People's Hospital for image reading, difficult and complicated cases can also be diagnosed by doctors at the First People's Hospital through the remote consultation center, and the First People's Hospital also regularly sends experts to the Shiye Town Health Center to see patients.

"Now the expert team from the city's First People's Hospital regularly carries out the digestive endoscopy examination benefit medical project at the health center. The doctors are skilled, and the fees are cheap," said Wang Shengqin, a family doctor at the town health center. One villager participated in this examination project at the health center, and an early-stage tumor was detected as a result. He is now in good condition after surgery. Over the past two years, more than 600 residents of Shiye Town have received digestive endoscopy examinations at the town health center.

Zhu Guangmei, a 71-year-old villager from Shiye Village, Shiye Town, had suffered from high blood sugar for more than 10 years and had taken many medications, but her blood sugar just would not come down. "It wasn't until later, when experts from the city hospital came to the health center to see patients, that they suggested I take injections," Zhu Guangmei said. Following the doctor's prescription, she insisted on taking insulin injections. "It really works, and the price is not expensive either. The health center makes us feel at ease when seeking treatment!" At the Shiye Town Chronic Disease Screening, Prevention and Treatment Center, data on all 2,074 chronic disease patients in the town is stored: 1,730 with high blood pressure, 518 with diabetes... "Not only do we carry out precise management of chronic diseases through the center, but we can also promptly divert patients from the general practice clinic, making the hospital's overall medical services more efficient," Zhao Guoqiang said.

Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, hospitals cultivate volunteer service brands

Melodious piano music soothes the soul

People's Daily reporter Hong Qiuting

Around 10 o'clock every Thursday morning, in front of a black grand piano in the outpatient hall of the Panyu Central Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University, an elderly person wearing a volunteer vest can be seen playing. As the soothing melody rises, patients pushing IV stands slow their steps, mothers holding children stop, some people quietly appreciate the music, and others take out their phones to record a video.

The elderly person is Zhang De'an, a piano volunteer of the hospital's "Music Appreciation Time" music volunteer service team, and everyone calls her "Piano Grandma." Zhang De'an was born in Fujian in 1933 and came to Guangzhou with her children after retirement. In June 2024, when she heard that the hospital was recruiting additional piano volunteers, she signed up. "People who come to the hospital are mostly anxious, and I want to help them relax a bit," Zhang De'an said with a smile.

"Playing the piano is a combination of three things: brain training, fine physical activity, and psychological nourishment," said Zhao Zigeng, consultant of the medical social work department and general practitioner at the Panyu Central Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University. Ten fingers pressing keys independently, arms and wrists coordinating, eyes reading the score, ears listening to the melody — this is low-intensity but sustained fine motor activity. For the elderly, it can reduce hand joint stiffness and delay the degeneration of motor function; memorizing scores, reading music, and remembering musical structure mobilizes memory, concentration, and logical thinking, and long-term persistence helps maintain brain activity; the sense of achievement and recognition gained through dedication prompts the brain to secrete dopamine and other pleasure neurotransmitters, soothing emotions.

Playing the piano not only makes Zhang De'an feel happy, but also brings spiritual comfort to others. In the waiting areas, in the infusion rooms, on the corridors leading to examination rooms, time that was once occupied by anxiety and pain is briefly relaxed because of a melody. Some family members said, "The half hour or more of waiting for results is no longer so hard to endure." Zhao Zigeng explained that soothing music can reduce the excitability of the sympathetic nervous system, making heart rate and blood pressure tend toward stability, which helps alleviate patients' preoperative anxiety and waiting-room irritability.

In October 2020, the Panyu Central Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou Medical University established a medical social work department, responsible for managing and recruiting volunteers. By building a three-dimensional recruitment system of "online platform + offline cooperation network + interpersonal recommendation," a stable channel for volunteer supply has been formed, and the team has been continuously expanded. Now, the hospital has cultivated nine volunteer service brands, including the "Music Appreciation Time" music performance volunteer service, the "Companionship Time" picture book reading activity, and the "Leisure Time" game interaction. In addition, 11 regular volunteer service positions have been set up, with more than 6,000 registered volunteers and a cumulative service duration of more than 350,000 hours.

Dazhulin Community Health Service Center, Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing establishes consultation mechanism

Chinese and Western medicine join hands to safeguard public health

People's Daily reporter Liu Xinwu

"Doctor Zhou, I have menstrual cramps again, and it's even hard for me to walk!" 23-year-old Ms. Xu, hunched over, clutching her lower abdomen tightly, slowly shuffled into the consultation room, her brows furrowed. After receiving her, general practitioner Zhou Dan first prescribed Western medicine for symptomatic pain relief, then immediately activated the "Chinese-Western medicine consultation" mechanism. Before the painkiller took effect, a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner in the same consultation room performed acupuncture and moxibustion on Ms. Xu, quickly alleviating the pain, and prescribed Chinese herbal medicine based on constitution differentiation. The next day, the decocted Chinese medicine was delivered to Ms. Xu's home. After a period of conditioning, her symptoms improved significantly.

Zhou Dan explained that Western medicine mainly focuses on pain relief for menstrual cramps, while traditional Chinese medicine regulates the patient's constitution; each has its own strengths.

The scene of Chinese and Western medicine jointly diagnosing and treating patients has become the norm at the Dazhulin Community Health Service Center in Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing. Based on the reality of grassroots diagnosis and treatment, the center has explored and established a "Chinese-Western medicine consultation" mechanism, routinely deploying two traditional Chinese medicine practitioners to sit in consultations together with Western medicine doctors. When encountering recurring chronic diseases, postoperative weakness, weak spleen and stomach in children, long-term insomnia, and other problems, Western medicine doctors invite traditional Chinese medicine practitioners to intervene for recuperation; when encountering sudden discomfort, organic lesions, and other situations, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners coordinate with Western medicine doctors for standardized management. In the past year, the center has conducted approximately 2,000 Chinese-Western medicine consultations in total.

The center has broken down departmental boundaries and promoted mutual exchange of thinking and mutual integration of capabilities among medical staff. Pediatric medical staff actively participate in special "Western medicine learning traditional Chinese medicine" training, traditional Chinese medicine doctors continuously consolidate their Western medicine foundation, do a good job of identifying basic diseases, screen for diagnosis and treatment risks in consultations, ensure that traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment is standardized and sound, and focus on carrying out traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation treatment for common and frequently occurring diseases of residents based on the community.

As a member unit of the closely integrated medical community of the Liangjiang New Area Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, the center has also established a mature two-way referral channel. Mild and chronic diseases stay in the community, while complex conditions are quickly referred upward, realizing tiered diagnosis and treatment with upward-downward linkage and closed-loop protection. Backbone doctors from the higher-level traditional Chinese medicine hospital routinely go down to the grassroots to see patients, teach, and mentor, hand-in-hand improving the integrated diagnosis and treatment capabilities of grassroots medical staff.

The person in charge of the center introduced that in response to the inconvenience of the public in obtaining and decocting medicine, the center provides the convenience service of "decoction on behalf of patients and home delivery of medicine."

Community medical services are also being upgraded. Targeting the high-incidence chronic diseases in the jurisdiction such as high blood pressure and diabetes, the center's family doctor teams proactively enter the grid and conduct door-to-door follow-up visits, implementing the combined plan of "Western medicine controlling indicators + traditional Chinese medicine regulating the body." Western medicine precisely controls the condition and standardizes medication, while traditional Chinese medicine carries out constitution identification, acupoint health care, and dietary intervention, tackling the problem from two sides simultaneously (双管齐下, shuāng guǎn qí xià - "two pipes, together under") to jointly help patients stabilize chronic diseases and improve their constitution. In the next step, the Dazhulin Community Health Service Center will continue to improve the Chinese-Western medicine consultation process, build a stronger talent team, enrich service scenarios, and refine full-cycle health management, using the deep integration of Chinese and Western medicine as a starting point to solidify grassroots medical and health services and better safeguard the health of the public.

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Page editors: Cheng Chen, He Yuche, Liu Zihe

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Make Efforts to Strengthen the Party's Leadership over Propaganda, Ideological, and Cultural Work (Thoroughly Study and Implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

By: 孙来斌

In October 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping issued important instructions on propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, putting forward the important requirement of the "seven efforts," the foremost of which is to "make efforts to strengthen the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work." Propaganda, ideological, and cultural work bears on the future and destiny of the Party, bears on the long-term stability and peace (长治久安, chang zhi jiu an - "long, lasting, stable, peaceful") of the country, and bears on the cohesion and centripetal force of the nation. Upholding and strengthening the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work is the fundamental guarantee for the major achievements in cultural development in the new era and is the most essential feature of the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics. Volumes I and II of Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture (hereinafter referred to as the Selected Works) include a total of 78 of General Secretary Xi Jinping's most important and most fundamental works on cultural development, systematically presenting the basic spirit, basic content, and basic requirements of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. The publication and distribution of the Selected Works is an important achievement in the development of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, reflects our Party's high degree of theoretical confidence and cultural confidence, and also vividly embodies the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. To thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture and to study and use the Selected Works well, we must first deepen our understanding of strengthening the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, summarize and refine our understanding of the underlying patterns, grasp the principled requirements in practice, and provide a strong guarantee for following the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics and striving to build a strong socialist culture.

The theoretical leap in our Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in the new era

In Volume I of the Selected Works, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "In long-term practice, our Party's propaganda and ideological work has accumulated very rich experience. This experience was not easy to come by (来之不易, lai zhi bu yi - "come, arrive, not, easy") and is extremely precious (弥足珍贵, mi zu zhen gui - "extremely, fill, precious, valuable"); it is an important guide for doing our work well in the future. We must conscientiously summarize it, adhere to it over the long term, and continuously enrich and develop it in practice." Since its founding, our Party has attached great importance to leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. The Party's leadership has been continuously consolidated in practice and has continued to be explored, developed, and elevated in theory. The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has upheld and developed Marxist cultural theory, systematically summarized our Party's historical experience in leading cultural development over more than a century, and, on the basis of promptly refining the practical experience of cultural development in the new era, put forward the major proposition of "making efforts to strengthen the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work," providing new theoretical guidance for propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. This proposition has a profound Marxist theoretical foundation and a solid practical foundation, reflecting our Party's creative thinking in advancing theoretical innovation.

A profound Marxist theoretical foundation. In Volume II of the Selected Works, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "To study Marx, one must study and practice Marxist thought on cultural development." The classic Marxist writers attached great importance to the leading role of proletarian parties in propaganda, ideological, and cultural work and had rich ideas and expositions on this subject. For example, the classic Marxist writers revealed the general law of ideological domination in class society, emphasizing that "the ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, i.e. the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force"; they elucidated the active reaction of ideology and culture on social development, emphasizing the guiding significance of revolutionary theory for revolutionary movements; they discussed the important methods by which proletarian parties lead propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, emphasizing persuading people with thorough theory so as to "win over the masses"; and so on. All of these have laid a solid and profound foundation for our Party to further explore and develop in depth at both the theoretical and practical levels. As socialism with Chinese characteristics entered the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has upheld and strengthened the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, established Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and formed Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, consolidated cultural confidence, upheld the Two Integrations, especially the "second integration," promoted the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, consolidated cultural subjectivity, and put forward a series of original and iconic concepts, reflecting a profound Marxist theoretical foundation.

The theoretical elevation of the practice of cultural development in the new era. Putting forward the major proposition of "making efforts to strengthen the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work" is a theoretical refinement made by our Party through profoundly summarizing the Party's historical experience, scientifically grasping the needs of building a strong culture, and promptly elevating the practical experience of cultural development in the new era. Since the beginning of the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has attached great importance to propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, made clear the extreme importance of ideological work, and continuously enriched and developed the theory and discourse system for upholding the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. In important works included in Volume I of the Selected Works, such as "Speech at the Symposium on Literary and Artistic Work," "Speech at the Symposium on the Party's News and Public Opinion Work," and "Speech at the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences Work," General Secretary Xi Jinping all discussed strengthening and improving the Party's leadership as an important issue in a dedicated manner. For example, "The Party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for the development of socialist literature and art," "Ensure the Party's dominant power and management power over news media," and "Strengthen and improve the Party's leadership over philosophy and social sciences work." In the important works included in Volume II of the Selected Works, in response to the different work and different content in the field of propaganda, ideology, and culture, General Secretary Xi Jinping discussed in depth the important role of the Party's leadership. For example, in the article "Strengthen Cultural Confidence and Promote the Flourishing and Development of Socialist Culture," General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly proposed "firmly grasping the leadership of ideological work"; in the article "Strengthen the Party's Overall Leadership over Propaganda and Ideological Work," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "we must be clear-cut and outspoken (旗帜鲜明, qi zhi xian ming - "flag, banner, bright, clear") in upholding the Party's management of propaganda and the Party's management of ideology, and let the Party's banner fly high on the propaganda and ideological front"; in the article "Ideological and Political Courses Are Key Courses for Implementing the Fundamental Task of fostering virtue and cultivating people (立德树人, li de shu ren - "establish, virtue, grow, person")," General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed "strengthening the Party's leadership over the development of ideological and political theory courses"; in the article "Deeply Advance the Sinicization of Religion in Our Country," General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "we must uphold the Party's centralized and unified leadership over religious work"; and so on. By summarizing and sorting out these important expositions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, we can deeply feel that the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work is all-encompassing and all-covering, and is implemented in all fields and all links of cultural development. This fully shows that upholding the Party's leadership is the most essential feature of the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics.

The distinctive hallmark and important proposition of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture. Xi Jinping Thought on Culture is a scientific system of thought with rich connotations and rigorous logic. Looking at the formation process and important content of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, from the summary of the "nine insistences" on the understanding of the patterns of the Party's propaganda and ideological work in August 2018, to the clarification of the "fourteen emphases" on cultural development in June 2023, and then to the proposal of the important requirement of the "seven efforts" for propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in October 2023, upholding the Party's leadership has always occupied the foremost position. The Selected Works presents relatively completely the formation and development process, rich ideological content, and major theoretical contributions of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, highlights its theoretical significance, main connotations, and work orientation, and the main logical thread and ideological red line running through it is upholding and strengthening the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. In short, proposing and emphasizing making efforts to strengthen the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work answers the fundamental and leading major questions in cultural development, is the fundamental political guarantee for building a strong socialist culture, and is the distinctive hallmark of the cultural development propositions of Chinese Communists in the new era.

Grasping the understanding of the patterns of strengthening the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work

Volumes I and II of the Selected Works include a series of important works by General Secretary Xi Jinping on cultural development from November 2012 to February 2026, spanning a long period and covering many fields. Each important work embodies the strong leadership and scientific guidance of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core over key fields and key tasks of cultural development, is the most vivid and most concrete manifestation of our Party's strengthening of leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, and has rich implications and inherent requirements. We must study and use the Selected Works well, and explore, summarize, understand, and grasp from a theoretical perspective the understanding of the patterns of strengthening the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work.

Uphold direction-setting leadership, emphasizing that grasping ideological leadership is the foundation for grasping all leadership. In the article "Speech at the Ceremony Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Marx" in Volume II of the Selected Works, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out from the perspective of the basic principles of Marxism: "Once advanced ideology and culture are grasped by the masses, they will be transformed into powerful material force; conversely, if backward and erroneous ideas are not eliminated, they will become shackles on social development and progress." Marxist social structure theory shows that culture is a reflection of economy and politics, while at the same time actively reacting on economy and politics. In more than a century of unremitting struggle, the Communist Party of China has formed a fine tradition and unique advantage of upholding the Party's leadership and emphasizing ideological guidance. Under the new conditions of the era, social ideological concepts are active, value orientations are diversified, and information technology is developing rapidly; propaganda, ideological, and cultural work faces new situations, new tasks, and new challenges. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "upholding the Party's leadership is a question of direction" and explicitly proposed that "grasping ideological leadership is the foundation for grasping all leadership." From the perspective of leadership methods, political leadership solves the question of "who to follow," organizational leadership solves the question of "who to rely on to do the work," and ideological leadership solves the question of "what to believe." If ideology is not established, then the banner will not be clear, the organization will be lax, and the direction will deviate. Looking at the history of political development in the world, ideological evolution is the forerunner of political change, ideological laxity is the precursor of organizational decline, and if the ideological defense line is not firm, other defense lines will be shaken to their foundations. This regular historical phenomenon reflects the extreme importance of upholding ideological guidance. At present, social thought is highly active, ideas are colliding greatly, and cultures are blending extensively, requiring us to enhance our ability to carry out public opinion struggle and consolidate ideological consensus, and to illuminate the path forward with the light of Marxist truth. History and reality show that it is precisely because it has grasped the scientific truth of Marxism that our Party has the ability and confidence to uphold and strengthen its leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, and to firmly grasp in its own hands the initiative in creating history. On the new journey of the new era, to continuously uphold and strengthen the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, we must persist in using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to unite hearts and minds and strengthen the armed force of the Party's innovative theory.

Strengthen institutional guarantees and uphold the fundamental system of Marxism's guiding position in the ideological sphere. In the article "Build a Socialist Ideology with Strong Cohesion and Leading Power" in Volume II of the Selected Works, General Secretary Xi Jinping quoted Marx's famous saying, "If one examines from the perspective of ideas, then the disintegration of a certain ideology is enough to bring down an entire era," emphasizing that in ideological struggle there is "no room for any compromise or retreat." This tells us that in the ideological sphere we must firmly grasp leadership in our hands, otherwise we will commit irreparable historical mistakes. Culture has a distinct ideological attribute; ideology determines the forward direction and development path of culture, and the core of the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work lies in leadership in the ideological sphere. Being good at transforming the advanced nature of the guiding ideology into the dominant power, management power, and discourse power in the ideological sphere is a major advantage of Marxist political parties. In contemporary China, the economic system, social structure, and interest pattern have undergone profound changes, which inevitably gives rise to diversified ideological concepts. Since the beginning of the new era, in the face of complex and ever-changing situations, how to consolidate Marxism's guiding position in the ideological sphere has become a major issue facing propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. Our Party has continuously raised the level of institutionalization of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, making institutions the carriers of culture and forming stronger normativity, stability, and binding force. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Party explicitly proposed "upholding the fundamental system of Marxism's guiding position in the ideological sphere." This is a major institutional innovation concerning the forward direction and development path of our country's culture and an important understanding of the patterns of socialist cultural development. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party made systematic arrangements for deepening the reform of the cultural system and mechanisms, clarifying key tasks for the reform of the cultural system and mechanisms such as improving the responsibility system for ideological work, optimizing the supply mechanism for cultural services and cultural products, improving the comprehensive governance system for the internet, and building a more effective international communication system. The Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work has been continuously deepened and consolidated in terms of institutions and mechanisms. In October 2024, when General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over the 17th group study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee, he further clarified that building a strong socialist culture is a common task of the whole Party and the whole society, and made important arrangements such as strengthening the Party Central Committee's centralized and unified leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work and improving the leadership and management systems and mechanisms for cultural development. This has further pooled the strong joint force for building a strong culture in the process of continuously improving institutions and mechanisms. A series of institutional development achievements in propaganda, ideological, and cultural work have provided a solid and powerful institutional guarantee for upholding and strengthening the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work and for building a strong socialist culture.

To grasp the dominant power of public opinion, we must firmly uphold the correct orientation of public opinion. In the article "Speech at the Symposium on the Party's News and Public Opinion Work" in Volume I of the Selected Works, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "In ancient and modern times, at home and abroad, any political party that wants to seize and hold political power, and any political power that wants to achieve long-term stability and peace, must do a good job in public opinion work. Marxist political parties have always regarded news and public opinion work as a powerful weapon for revolutionary struggle." Public opinion is a barometer of social sentiment and a projection of social cultural psychology, and has always been highly valued by various political forces. Under certain social conditions, public opinion always contains various complex tendencies and manifests different positions, viewpoints, and attitudes. For this reason, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out that "a correct orientation of public opinion is the blessing of the Party and the people, and an erroneous orientation of public opinion is the misfortune of the Party and the people," emphasizing "upholding, strengthening, and improving the Party's leadership over news and public opinion work." To grasp the dominant power of public opinion, we must uphold the correct orientation of public opinion, guide people to establish correct value orientations, and stimulate the spiritual force of society moving toward goodness and upward. Social public opinion is always expressed through certain fields and certain positions. At present, with the widespread application of artificial intelligence and the rapid development of new media, the social public opinion field is showing a trend in which the boundaries between international and domestic, online and offline, virtual and real, inside and outside the system are becoming increasingly blurred and the situation increasingly complex. The key to responding to the new situation and new circumstances of public opinion work lies in managing and using well the important position of the internet. This requires us to continuously summarize the important experience and understanding of the patterns of online ecological governance, resolutely implement the principle of the Party managing the internet, firmly grasp that positive energy is the general requirement, being able to manage is the hard truth, and using it well is real skill, make mainstream public opinion bigger and stronger, and build a solid foundation for the Party's governance and mass base in terms of ideology, spirit, and culture, so as to provide strong spiritual force and public opinion support for realizing Chinese modernization.

The above three aspects of the understanding of patterns are each focused differently yet interconnected. Among them, upholding direction-setting leadership is the basic premise, strengthening institutional management is a powerful guarantee, and grasping the dominant power of public opinion is the effect orientation. The three respectively focus on the power of guidance, the power of management, and the power of discourse, and together constitute the theoretical connotation of strengthening the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work. This is not only an inherent requirement of the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, but also provides cultural work experience that Marxist political parties around the world can draw on.

Implementing the principled requirements for strengthening the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work

Strengthening the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work is the fundamental guideline and fundamental guarantee for cultural development in the new era. When we study the Selected Works and grasp the spiritual essence, rich connotations, and practical requirements running through them, the ultimate purpose is to implement the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in practice and promote development. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Party put forward the strategic goal of building a strong socialist culture by 2035. We must, in the process of building a strong culture, make efforts to strengthen the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, consciously apply the important understanding of patterns, and focus on grasping the following principled requirements.

Uphold the unity of Party spirit and people's spirit. How to view the relationship between Party spirit and people's spirit is both a major issue in the development of Marxist cultural theory and a practical subject that must be handled well in the practice of cultural development in the new era. In the article "Do Propaganda Work Better" in Volume I of the Selected Works, General Secretary Xi Jinping clearly pointed out: "Party spirit and people's spirit have always been consistent and unified." Firm Party spirit requires consciously standing on the people's standpoint, and upholding people's spirit equally requires standing on the Party's standpoint. Upholding the principle of Party spirit, the most fundamental thing is to uphold the Party's leadership, implement the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in practice, and achieve "speaking with full confidence and justification, not being evasive or hesitant." Upholding people's spirit requires taking a people-centered approach as the value orientation of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in the new era. At present, the pace of building a strong socialist culture is continuously accelerating, and we must uphold the unity of Party spirit and people's spirit in the process of building a strong culture. The "strength" of a strong culture must be guaranteed by upholding the Party's leadership and also reflected by the people's ideological realm, spiritual state, and cultural cultivation. In specific work, we must implement Party spirit throughout the entire process of cultural development, fully and accurately implement the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee, and combine forging strong Party spirit with carrying out work creatively. Uphold the people-centered creative orientation, respond to the people's growing spiritual and cultural needs, actively connect with the masses' spiritual and cultural needs, take whether the masses are satisfied and identify with the work as the realistic yardstick for testing cultural work, and achieve "always insisting that cultural development focuses on people and lands on people."

Uphold the unity of upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground is an important way of thinking for our Party in governing the country in the new era." Making efforts to strengthen the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work and leading and promoting the practice of cultural development in the new era require us to uphold fundamental principles and break new ground in practice. Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground embodies the dialectical unity of upholding and developing, and of principledness and creativity. Upholding fundamental principles means upholding the Party's leadership, upholding the correct political direction, upholding the path of socialist cultural development with Chinese characteristics, holding fast to the Marxist soul and the roots of fine traditional Chinese culture, not losing the direction of cultural development, and not making subversive mistakes. Breaking new ground means, under the Party's leadership, making efforts to stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation. Culture is the field most in need of innovation, and accelerating the building of a strong culture especially cannot be separated from innovation. In principle, only by continuously carrying out cultural creation in practical creation and continuously achieving cultural progress in historical progress can we always lead the development direction of advanced socialist culture. We must carry the guiding position of Marxism through all aspects of cultural development, take stimulating innovation and creativity as the central link in deepening the reform of the cultural system and mechanisms, make efforts to improve the capacity for original cultural creation, and realize the mutual promotion of culture and technology. Actively cultivate new quality productive forces in culture, deepen the systematic transformation of mainstream media and the reform of the cultural system and mechanisms, accelerate the construction of an independent knowledge system for Chinese philosophy and social sciences, and consolidate the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work with high-quality cultural creation.

Uphold the unity of "establishing" and "breaking." In the article "Build a Socialist Ideology with Strong Cohesion and Leading Power" in Volume II of the Selected Works, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must uphold both establishing and breaking, be clear-cut and outspoken in upholding truth, and firmly refute fallacies." This important exposition enlightens us that strengthening the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work is consolidated and implemented in the dialectical unity of "establishing" and "breaking." "Establishing" means holding high the banner. To do propaganda, ideological, and cultural work well under the new situation, we must hold high the banner of Marxism and socialism with Chinese characteristics, and use the Party's innovative theory to arm the whole Party, educate the people, and promote work. "Breaking" means eliminating the influence of various erroneous ideological trends. We must strengthen dynamic analysis and comprehensive research and judgment of social ideological trends, deepen the understanding of the patterns of ideological work, and continuously enhance political discernment and political immunity. In the new era, to uphold and strengthen the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, we must take "establishing" as the main direction of attack, make good use of platforms and carriers such as the New Era Civilization Practice Centers and county-level integrated media centers, launch more cultural products with clear mainstream value orientation, and continuously expand the coverage and influence of mainstream public opinion; promote "breaking" through "establishing," uphold the guiding position of Marxism in the ideological sphere, take root in the broad and profound Chinese civilization, and give constructiveness a clear direction for criticalness; protect "establishing" through "breaking," dare to draw the sword and be good at struggle against various ideological disorders, and consolidate the foundation of constructiveness with criticalness; also drive "establishing" through "breaking," pay attention to struggle strategies, improve the mechanism for regular research and judgment of ideological trends, conduct forward-looking research on budding and tendency problems, and comprehensively use various governance means such as public opinion guidance, position management, and legal and regulatory constraints. Upholding the unity of "establishing" and "breaking" manifests the dialectics of constructiveness and criticalness. It is not only an important feature of propaganda, ideological, and cultural work in the new era, but also an inevitable requirement for strengthening the Party's leadership and better shouldering the new cultural mission.

Today, we are in a critical period of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. We must thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture, study and use the Selected Works well, make efforts to strengthen the Party's leadership over propaganda, ideological, and cultural work, continuously summarize the understanding of patterns contained therein, strengthen practical application, so that the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in the country are closely united in ideology and spirit, and, with a spirit of constantly striving for self-improvement (自强不息, zi qiang bu xi - "self, strengthen, not, cease") and vigorous endeavor, make every effort to advance the great cause of building a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation.

(The author is a specially invited researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era of the Ministry of Education)

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Better Translating China's Poverty Reduction Experience into International Public Goods (Targeted Approach)

By: 徐秀丽 夏昕鸣

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "China will work with all parties to advance cooperation in key areas, mobilize development resources, and deepen global poverty reduction and elimination cooperation." The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan proposes: "Promote global poverty reduction cooperation." China has successfully won the battle against poverty and blazed a path of poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics, providing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for advancing the global poverty reduction process and improving the global poverty reduction governance system. In May this year, China, together with 53 countries and 9 international institutions, jointly initiated the establishment of the Global Alliance for Poverty Reduction and Development (hereinafter referred to as the "Alliance"). Looking ahead, to deepen and solidify global poverty reduction cooperation, it is necessary to effectively leverage the role of the Alliance, enhance the effectiveness of sharing and cooperation, promote South-South cooperation, better transform China's poverty reduction experience into international public goods, work with all countries to explore poverty reduction and sustainable development paths suited to their own national conditions, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Distill China's poverty reduction theory and consolidate theoretical support. Through successful poverty reduction practice, China has formed a theory of poverty alleviation with Chinese characteristics. The theory of poverty alleviation with Chinese characteristics adheres to the people-centered development philosophy, upholds the elimination of poverty, improvement of people's livelihoods, and gradual realization of common prosperity for all people as its goals, and adheres to the targeted poverty alleviation strategy and the development-oriented poverty alleviation policy, deepening understanding of the laws of human poverty reduction, enriching and developing the theory of human anti-poverty efforts, and making important original contributions. Facing this rich mine of human poverty reduction practice, the Alliance should organize international academic teams to distill iconic concepts of poverty reduction from China and other Global South countries, research and exchange development theories and development practices suited to respective national conditions, and conduct policy dialogue and academic seminars through multilateral platforms such as the United Nations; through norm-setting and project implementation, further transform theoretical concepts accumulated in emerging interdisciplinary fields such as area and country studies into toolkits and discourse clusters with implementation capacity.

Deepen alignment of development strategies and provide planning guarantees for advancing cooperation. China put forward the concept of targeted poverty alleviation, focusing on the "six precise" measures of precisely identifying support targets, precisely arranging projects, precisely using funds, precisely implementing measures to households, precisely dispatching personnel to villages, and precisely achieving poverty alleviation outcomes, and implemented the "five batches" projects of developing production, relocating from inhospitable areas, ecological compensation, developing education, and social security as a safety net, helping different types of impoverished areas and impoverished populations escape poverty. Developing countries have different national conditions and different development paths, and there is no unified standard poverty reduction plan that can be implemented. In the process of implementing the Alliance, it is necessary to rely on multilateral and bilateral cooperation mechanisms such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, precisely align with international public goods such as the Global Development Initiative, focus on in-depth collaboration with partner countries at the macro-strategic level, and around their national development plans, carry out policy dialogue, joint research, and international cooperation in areas such as rural development, infrastructure connectivity, and industrial cultivation. Actively share China's macro-management experience, policy tools, and innovative means in county-level economic development, cross-regional coordination, and effective linkage between the battle against poverty and rural revitalization, helping partner countries enhance their capacity to integrate poverty reduction goals into national development agendas and cultivate their endogenous development momentum.

Build multi-dimensional exchange platforms and broaden three-dimensional channels for experience sharing. The international sharing of poverty reduction experience requires establishing multi-level, operable communication pathways and consolidating the depth and breadth of Alliance exchanges. The Alliance can further enrich multilateral poverty reduction and development forums and broaden multi-language, multi-channel, multi-scenario three-dimensional communication models. On the policy dialogue channel, relying on the Alliance framework, regularly hold global-level high-level forums on poverty reduction and development and regional thematic seminars to promote exchange and dialogue between policymakers and practitioners. On the training and study channel, relying on Alliance partner strength, further invite officials and technical personnel from developing countries to visit China for field inspections, exploring a new practical education model that is "learnable, portable, and usable." On the digital platform channel, build an Alliance online knowledge-sharing system to achieve interconnection of case libraries, expert libraries, and project libraries, lowering the threshold for knowledge acquisition. On the demonstration and promotion channel, further establish poverty reduction demonstration villages in Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere, adapting China's experience in village-based assistance, social assistance, and work-for-relief to local conditions to achieve experience sharing. Through the organic integration and mutual coordination of multiple methods, the Alliance can truly become an active knowledge exchange and cooperation network.

Consolidate the practical foundation and advance pragmatic cooperation on poverty reduction projects. Advancing pragmatic cooperation on poverty reduction projects requires coordinated advancement of major landmark projects and "small yet beautiful" livelihood projects, helping partner countries both advance infrastructure construction and enhance capacity for improving people's livelihoods. For example, in terms of major landmark projects, as of June 30 this year, the China-Laos Railway has operated a cumulative total of over 22,000 international freight trains, with import and export freight volume of 19.353 million tons, cargo value of 90.28 billion yuan, and cargo categories reaching 19 countries and regions. Another example: in terms of "small yet beautiful" livelihood projects, projects such as "Small Technology, Big Harvest" and "Small Beans, Big Nutrition" utilize agricultural applicable technologies rooted in China and have contributed to helping Africa increase grain output, achieve food security, and promote sustainable agricultural development. The Alliance needs to build a pool of projects with tangible poverty reduction effects and match it with a funding pool, adhering to the principle of teaching someone how to fish instead of just giving them fish (授人以渔, shou ren yi yu - "give person with fish"), and in accordance with the concept of parallel experience sharing and two-way empowerment among Global South countries, systematically enhance the development capacity of partner countries.

(Author affiliation: College of International Development and Global Agriculture, China Agricultural University)

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Data Circulation and Trading Now "Backed by Certification" (Economic Focus)

By: 本报记者 王云杉

With the rapid development of the digital economy, the economic and social value of data resources has become increasingly prominent.

Compared with other factors of production, data possesses many typical characteristics such as non-exclusivity, value volatility, and multi-source integrability, and its registration and confirmation of rights, circulation and trading, and distribution of benefits present some unique difficulties.

The National Data Administration recently issued the "Data Property Rights Registration Work Guidelines (Trial)" to promote the construction of a unified national data property rights registration system.

In simple terms, data property rights registration is to issue an "identity certificate" for data as an intangible asset, clarifying "who holds the data," "what it can be used for," "who can use it," and so on.

What role does data property rights registration play, and what practical benefits can it bring to enterprises? What progress has been made in property rights registration work? A reporter conducted interviews.

Lowering transaction costs and stimulating the vitality of the data factor market

"This smart translation ring is not only proficient in Portuguese translation, but also supports real-time online interpretation in more than 120 languages." Lin Yuchu, founder and chief executive officer of Shenzhen Transyi Technology, introduced a product to reporters.

The reason the smart translation ring can translate hundreds of languages lies in the massive amount of language data behind it. Transyi Technology is precisely the data provider that supplies "teaching materials" for this ring, specializing in the collection and production of high-quality multilingual datasets.

"Data is the teaching material for AI (artificial intelligence)." In Lin Yuchu's view, "Every country has its own cultural habits and value norms. Only by providing high-quality corpora that match local languages and regional characteristics can we help these countries develop AI technologies that suit their own needs."

In 2024, Transyi Technology completed compliance review and quality assessment for two high-quality datasets, namely "multilingual and multi-domain text corpora" and "manually recorded multilingual voice data," and this data asset package gained market recognition.

"Without authoritative proof of ownership, buyers in data transactions worry about the legality of the data source and the clarity of ownership, and the trust cost between the two parties in a transaction is high. We encounter many difficulties in the circulation and trading of data." Lin Yuchu said that clear ownership is the key to turning the company's data products into compliant "assets," which helps data products circulate efficiently and makes the path to realizing data value smoother.

Observing the practice of market-oriented allocation reform of data factors in China, for the data factor market to truly become active, clear data ownership is a prerequisite.

How does the registration certificate play its role? "Proof" is the key word. In data circulation and trading, it can serve as proof of data ownership for both parties to a transaction; in processes such as putting data on the balance sheet, financing, and equity investment, it can serve as proof of lawful possession or control of data; in support policies such as the cultivation of data enterprises, it can serve as proof of an enterprise's data situation...

"From 'having data but difficulty confirming rights' to 'having certificates to rely on,' data property rights registration has a substantive driving effect on stimulating market vitality." Gu Liang, general manager of Shenzhen Data Exchange, introduced that due to data's own characteristics of non-exclusivity and replicability, various data rights disputes often arise in the process of data circulation and trading. By building a unified national data property rights registration system, market entities have mutually recognized registration certificates, the willingness of data suppliers to supply data is enhanced, and the cost for data demanders to use data is reduced.

Luan Jie, director of the Department of Policies and Planning of the National Data Administration, said that the purpose of establishing the data property rights registration system is to implement the data property rights system, provide unified data property rights certificates for data circulation and trading, reduce the cost of data circulation and trading, and cultivate a national integrated data market.

Registration system launched, registration institutions announced, registration certificates publicly displayed for the first time

Since the issuance of the Guidelines, what progress has been made in data property rights registration work?

Registration system launched——

On September 11, the National Data Property Rights Registration Service System was launched for trial operation.

It is understood that the National Data Property Rights Registration Service System uniformly aggregates the registration results of registration institutions across the country. Data property rights registration completed by an enterprise in one place can be recognized nationwide without repeated registration, effectively reducing circulation and trading costs.

"From now on, the public can use the National Data Property Rights Registration Service System to check in one stop the public disclosure information of all data property rights registrations nationwide, without needing to query different institutions and different channels separately." Luan Jie said that verification of the authenticity and validity of data property rights registration results will become more convenient. In scenarios such as data circulation and trading, relevant parties can directly confirm the effectiveness of ownership certificates through official channels, effectively reducing ownership disputes.

Registration institutions announced——

After recommendation and selection through due procedures, Beijing International Big Data Exchange, Shanghai Data Exchange, and Shenzhen Data Exchange were included in the national catalog of data property rights registration institutions.

Why these registration institutions? Luan Jie explained that Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong have undertaken relevant reform tasks, and their digital economy foundations are relatively solid. They have already carried out pilot explorations in the early stage and accumulated considerable experience and practices in registration process rules and certificate scenario applications, which is conducive to promoting the in a steady and orderly manner (稳妥有序, wen tuo you xu - "stable, secure; orderly") implementation of the data property rights registration system.

Gu Liang introduced that as one of the selected registration institutions, Shenzhen Data Exchange will strictly align with the national unified review standards, process norms, and management requirements, effectively maintain the professionalism and standardization of registration review, and ensure that certificates can withstand scrutiny.

Registration certificates publicly displayed for the first time——

On the first day the National Data Property Rights Registration Service System was launched, 56 data property rights registration certificates were publicly displayed to society through the system. Judging from the application information publicly disclosed by relevant registration institutions, the certificates mainly involve industries such as information transmission, software and information technology services; transportation, warehousing and postal services; scientific research and technical services; and health and social work, which is basically consistent with the distribution of industry fields where data circulation, development, and utilization are currently relatively active, reflecting the relatively active demand for data property rights registration in relevant industry fields.

"Overall, a series of progress including the launch of the registration system and the announcement of registration institutions marks the formal implementation of the unified national data property rights registration system." Luan Jie said.

Promoting the implementation of the data property rights registration system in detail

At present, property rights registration work still faces some challenges, and industry practice still requires continuous exploration.

From the perspective of practical operation, the implementation of the system still needs to be refined. For example, in areas such as automated programs collecting public data and derivative data, although unified review principles have been formed, more specific and detailed review standards still require continuous improvement by experts and scholars from all parties.

From the perspective of talent supply, the reserve of composite review talent is relatively insufficient. Registration review involves multiple fields such as data technology, laws and regulations, and compliance and risk control. It requires both business knowledge and legal knowledge, as well as practical experience. The training cycle for such composite talent is relatively long, and such talent is relatively scarce.

At the same time, market awareness is still in the cultivation stage. Some entities still have concerns about registration costs, registration effectiveness, and security compliance. Government departments, industry associations, and other units need to coordinate with registration institutions so that more enterprises can understand the actual role and operational procedures of registration.

In the future, how can the implementation of the data property rights registration system be further promoted in detail to better stimulate the vitality of the data factor market?

Refine the rules. Luan Jie said that the National Data Administration will, based on feedback from registration practice, continuously refine and improve registration review rules and business processes, optimize and upgrade the functions of the National Data Property Rights Registration Service System, continuously improve the quality and efficiency of registration services, and better adapt to the registration needs of various entities.

Expand scenarios. "We will make every effort to promote broader acceptance of registration certificates in fields such as the judiciary and finance, so that market entities truly feel that registration is useful and certificates are effective." Gu Liang said.

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Building a Strong Foundation for an Automotive Power Through Self-Reliance and Strength in Science and Technology

By: 中国长安汽车集团有限公司党委

The automobile industry is an important pillar industry of the national economy. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has visited automobile enterprises on multiple occasions, emphasizing that "if we are to become a manufacturing power, we must become an automobile power," "we must grasp key core technologies in our own hands, and we must set this ambition to build up the national automobile brand," and "we must attach importance to the real economy, take the path of self-reliance, and achieve self-reliance and strength in science and technology."

China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "China Changan Automobile") has deeply studied and implemented the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and directives, adhered to cultivating and developing new quality productive forces, and advanced high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology. On September 4, China Changan Automobile released its self-developed intelligent driving assistance system — Changan Tianshu Pilot — providing a practical model for China's automobile industry to achieve independent controllability in the field of intelligent core technologies.

Technology as the core, full-stack self-development deepens the foundation of self-reliance and strength in science and technology

Carrying forward a century of industrial heritage and building on 45 years of vehicle manufacturing foundation, China Changan Automobile has always made self-reliance and strength in science and technology the distinctive foundation of its development.

Upholding this original aspiration, China Changan Automobile has continued to advance the intelligent "Beidou Tianshu" plan. At present, it has built a global technology team of 24,000 people, of which the intelligent team comprises more than 7,500 people, with a cumulative investment of 22.5 billion yuan in the field of intelligent products; it has developed 141 integrated functions including cockpit-driving integrated AI piloting, blowout-stable driving, and wet-surface stability control; it has laid out 44 technology research and product development centers, and built more than 200 laboratories including the National Key Laboratory for Intelligent Vehicle Safety Technology and the Tianshu Intelligent Experiment Center.

Entering a new stage of automobile intelligence, intelligent driving assistance has become a competitive high ground. Facing challenges such as large R&D investment, long verification cycles, high risk of failure, and unremarkable short-term economic returns, China Changan Automobile has been tackling difficulties head-on (迎难而上, ying nan er shang - "face, difficulty, and, go up"), insisting on full-stack self-development of Tianshu Pilot. The technical system of Tianshu Pilot can be summarized in three layers: the bottom layer is architecture and hardware, based on a central ring-network communication architecture and dual-redundancy backup of key components, constituting a physically safe and redundant foundation; the middle layer is a one-stage end-to-end large model, enabling the system to learn human-like driving strategies from massive real-world driving data, making control smoother and more natural; the upper layer is self-developed algorithms and scenario coverage, with over 400,000 virtual simulation scenarios and over 3.3 million kilometers of daily average simulation training, allowing Tianshu Pilot to continuously evolve.

In building the computing power foundation, China Changan Automobile relies on the "Xinjiang computing into Chongqing" cross-regional collaboration model, utilizing Xinjiang's green computing resources to provide scenario simulation training support for Tianshu Pilot, effectively supporting Tianshu Pilot in completing training on over 20 million segments of real driving data, and continuously consolidating the large model's autonomous evolution capability.

Thanks to the underlying support brought by the end-to-end large model, China Changan Automobile has obtained the nation's first official license plate specifically for L3-level autonomous driving, and has been approved for a Chongqing L4 driverless taxi testing license. Through the stepwise implementation of high-level autonomous driving technology, it continues to tap the potential of scientific and technological innovation and unleash the vitality of new quality productive forces. At the same time, it has built a two-way cycle in which scientific and technological innovation drives industrial innovation and industrial upgrading feeds back into technological iteration, injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of China's automobile industry.

Open empowerment, ecosystem co-building drives upgrading of the entire chain

The value of technology lies in leaving the laboratory, moving to mass-produced vehicles, and benefiting the broad consumer base.

The intelligent capabilities represented by Tianshu Pilot are extending from the ground to low-altitude domains. China Changan Automobile has migrated core homologous technologies including the "three intelligences" (intelligent driving, intelligent cockpit, intelligent connected vehicle) and the "three electrics" (battery, motor, electronic control) to flying vehicles and embodied intelligence platforms, promoting deep integration of the automobile industry with strategic emerging industries. Relying on the scale capability of the automobile industry chain, it has deepened its presence in the low-altitude mobility sector, with products adaptable to scenarios such as high-rise firefighting, road rescue, and energy operations; it has established Changan Tianshu Intelligent Robot (Chongqing) Co., Ltd., focusing on humanoid robot R&D and multi-scenario deployment.

China Changan Automobile has released its "1445" strategy, transforming self-developed technical capabilities into momentum for industrial collaboration, adhering to open empowerment and ecosystem co-building. On the one hand, China Changan Automobile continues to deepen strategic cooperation with partners, expanding greater space for cooperation at the levels of data, technology, and product projects; on the other hand, relying on homologous reuse of core technologies, it drives coordinated upgrading of upstream and downstream enterprises in chips, software, and components, cross-sectorally building an integrated industrial ecosystem of "vehicle—energy—road—cloud—network—satellite," leading the entire industry chain toward achieving steady and long-term progress (行稳致远, xing wen zhi yuan - "walk, stable, reach, far").

Fulfilling responsibility, actively participating in standard-setting

Whether technology can be effectively transformed depends importantly on standards as a guide. Standardization is an important driving force for innovation and development, and a core element of the quality technology foundation of the manufacturing industry. For the emerging field of intelligent connected vehicles, the leading role in standards has become an important variable in industrial competition — whoever has greater leadership in standard-setting is better positioned to grasp the first opportunity for industrial development. China Changan Automobile continues to make sustained efforts in core technologies, industrial ecosystems, and standards system building, transforming the mission of central state-owned enterprises into concrete actions of technological breakthrough and industrial empowerment, serving the overall national strategy of high-quality development. In specific practice, China Changan Automobile adheres to advancing both domestic and international standards in parallel.

Promoting development through national standards. China Changan Automobile has led the formulation of foundational national standards in the intelligent connected vehicle field, including Classification of Automotive Driving Automation and Terminology and Definitions for Intelligent Connected Vehicles, and has led the advancement of the national standard Coordinate System for Intelligent Connected Vehicles, clarifying technical boundaries and unifying technical language for the rapid development of China's intelligent connected vehicles, promoting the safe, healthy, and orderly development of intelligent connected vehicles.

Opening new prospects through international standards. Looking globally, China Changan Automobile has participated throughout in the formulation of the world's first unified autonomous driving technical system regulation, with multiple proposals it submitted being adopted; it has led the formulation of ITU (International Telecommunication Union) international standards including Global Intelligent Vehicle Head-Up Display Interface Requirements International Standard and System Framework and Functional Requirements for In-Vehicle Multimodal Voice Interaction, contributing wisdom to global intelligent mobility.

To date, China Changan Automobile has cumulatively participated in the formulation of more than 360 international, national, and industry standards, of which more than 70 are in the intelligent field. Its sustained deep cultivation led by standards strongly supports China's strategic initiative in global competition for the intelligent vehicle industry.

Looking to the future, China Changan Automobile will take the release of Tianshu Pilot as a new starting point, promote the high-end transformation of the automobile industry through high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology, play the leading role of a central state-owned enterprise in cultivating and strengthening strategic emerging industries, meet the people's needs for better mobility with safe and reliable intelligent connected vehicle products, and remain unswerving and determined (坚定不移, jian ding bu yi - "firm, steadfast, not, move") in aiming to build a world-class automobile group with global competitiveness and independent core technologies, forging the goal of a world-class automobile brand, and striving to contribute the strength of central state-owned enterprises to promoting the building of a manufacturing power and an automobile power.

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Industrial Tours Become a New Travel Option (Daily Life)

By: 人民网记者 方经纶

Visiting production lines, learning about knowledge, and hands-on experiences... nowadays, many parents are bringing their children into factories to embark on an interesting industrial journey.

A report released by Fliggy shows that "factory tours" have become a new travel option, with industrial study-tour destinations such as rocket factories, shipyards, soda factories, and new energy vehicle plants favored by tourists.

Behind the booming popularity is a "two-way effort" between the supply and demand sides of industrial tourism.

China's complete industrial system provides rich "material" for the development of industrial tourism. Spinning, steelmaking, brewing, film production... production scenes have become novel attractions, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in the development history of industries.

At the same time, industrial tourism is not lacking variety or being indistinguishable (千厂一面, qian chang yi mian - "thousand, factory, one, face"); rich content and diverse experiences have become its distinctive features. Some scenic areas use a "sense of presence" to showcase hardcore technology. Wenchang in Hainan Province focuses on commercial aerospace, building a comprehensive platform for observing rocket launch ceremonies; Chengdu in Sichuan Province, centering on the aviation industry, has opened a large aircraft science museum with a 1:1 simulated C919 cockpit. Some scenic areas use a "sense of freshness" to revive industrial culture. Chengdu's Eastern Suburb Memory targets trendy consumption formats, innovatively transforming an old electron tube factory into a new cultural tourism landmark; Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province uses porcelain as its medium, utilizing the former site of the State-owned Universe Porcelain Factory to connect museums, cultural and creative markets, and dining and leisure scenes.

Data shows that as of June this year, China has a total of 142 national industrial tourism demonstration bases and has recognized 264 national industrial heritage sites.

When "workshops" are transformed into "exhibition halls," tourists' close-up observation of production lines forces enterprises to improve production processes and enhance management capabilities. At the same time, the cultural tourism consumption driven by visits also opens new revenue channels for factories.

It is worth noting that industrial tourism has become an effective path for transformation and development in some regions. Wanshan District in Tongren, Guizhou Province, has carried out protection, management, and revitalization work around its local mercury mine heritage, building a 4A-level scenic area themed on mountain industrial civilization. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the number of tourists received by Wanshan District increased from 3.39 million to 5.965 million, a growth of 76%.

Industry research institutions predict that by 2029, the market size of China's industrial tourism industry is expected to exceed 300 billion yuan. In May this year, seven departments issued a document proposing multiple measures, including "encouraging all regions to launch a batch of high-quality industrial tourism routes and brands with regional and industry characteristics" and "supporting the development of study and practice activities for student groups that are incorporated into school education and teaching plans."

The rise of industrial tourism is not only a bright spot in the cultural tourism market, but also a vivid portrayal of the deep integration of industrial manufacturing and modern services; it not only enriches the public's travel options, but also opens new space for the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries.

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Photo Report

On October 11, at Sanpai Peach Orchard in Pingpu Town, Fanchang District, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, students from Anhui Normal University promoted local specialty agricultural products during an e-commerce livestreaming competition. The livestreaming competition promotes learning through competition (以赛促学, yi sai cu xue - "use, competition, promote, learning") and promoting sales through competition (以赛促销, yi sai cu xao - "use, competition, promote, sales"), broadening the sales channels for Fanchang District's specialty agricultural products.

Photo by Xiao Benxiang (China Images)

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CSRC Revises Rules for Public Fund Operation Management

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 11) (Reporter Zhao Zhanhui) To regulate the investment and operation of public offering funds, support the development of equity funds, and improve operational flexibility, the China Securities Regulatory Commission recently solicited public comments on the "Measures for the Administration of the Operation of Publicly Offered Securities Investment Funds (Draft for Comments)" and its supporting rules.

This draft for comments revises the current operational administration measures. The main contents of the revision include: improving regulatory requirements for fund investment and operation, and consolidating the responsibilities of fund managers; supporting the development of equity funds, improving the investment and operation arrangements for equity funds, providing space for product innovation, and helping to introduce more medium- and long-term funds; optimizing certain regulatory indicators and mechanisms, and improving the flexibility of fund operations. For example, in terms of supporting the development of equity funds, the new rules propose to lower the establishment threshold for products such as equity funds and funds of funds, from a scale of 200 million yuan and 200 million shares, to 50 million yuan and 50 million shares, respectively.

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Optimize Power Supply Guarantees to Support Industrial Development

By: 本报记者 程远州

In the first nine months of this year, Guangdong Province's total electricity consumption reached 775.996 billion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 7.67%. Among this, in July, Guangdong's total electricity consumption reached 100.798 billion kilowatt-hours, making it the first province in the country to exceed 100 billion kilowatt-hours in a single month; in August, the figure was refreshed again, reaching 105.6 billion kilowatt-hours, maintaining sustained growth.

The accelerated cultivation of new quality productive forces and the secondary industry's move toward the "new" have become important factors driving the growth in electricity consumption. Data show that in the first nine months, Guangdong's secondary industry electricity consumption reached 437.387 billion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 7.41%. Among this, electricity consumption in the high-tech and equipment manufacturing industry grew 8.61% year on year, with the automobile manufacturing, special equipment manufacturing, and computer/communications and other electronic equipment manufacturing sectors ranking among the top three in growth rate, as new drivers of growth continue to be unleashed.

Entering the dust-free workshop of Shenghong Technology in Huiyang District, Huizhou City, precision circuit boards flow, etch, and take shape along automated production lines, and will be widely applied in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence servers. The enterprise's electricity consumption in the first half of this year reached 401 million kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 17.78%. "To match the enterprise's production expansion needs, we built a new substation to provide support for the stable operation of the enterprise's several hundred production lines," said Chen Ming (陈鸣), deputy general manager of the Marketing Department of China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Huizhou Power Supply Bureau.

The "three new" economy, centered on new industries, new business formats, and new business models, is developing rapidly, with electricity consumption remaining persistently high. Data show that in the first nine months, electricity consumption in Guangdong's "three new" industries reached 29.769 billion kilowatt-hours, a year-on-year increase of 40.37%, with a growth rate approximately 5.26 times the provincial average.

At the production base of Gokin Solar Technology Co., Ltd. in Huadu District, Guangzhou City, automated production lines are running at full speed. "We have received multiple large-scale centralized procurement orders, and the continuous expansion of production scale has driven electricity demand to keep rising," said Dong Xiaoting (董晓婷), vice president of Gokin Solar. In the first nine months, the enterprise's electricity consumption grew 46.12% year on year, and electricity consumption in Guangzhou's photovoltaic equipment and component manufacturing industry grew 37.07% year on year.

Driven by the surge in demand for artificial intelligence computing power, electricity consumption at data centers across Guangdong Province grew 17.37% year on year in the first nine months. As a national-level backbone network hub node, the Shaoguan data center cluster has maintained rapid growth of more than 50% in data center electricity consumption since 2025, with a year-on-year growth rate of 218.66% in the first nine months.

Looking at regional electricity consumption data, in the first nine months, total electricity consumption in western Guangdong grew 11.54% year on year, with Yunfu City and Zhanjiang City growing 22.91% and 20.74% respectively. Zhanjiang's industrial electricity consumption grew 30.69% year on year, ranking first in the province in growth rate. This benefits from the full commissioning of the BASF (Guangdong) Integrated Base. In March this year, the base was fully commissioned on Donghai Island in Zhanjiang, with average monthly electricity consumption exceeding 150 million kilowatt-hours.

In addition to western Guangdong, in the first nine months, electricity consumption in Guangdong's northern ecological development zone grew 10.98% year on year, higher than the provincial level, showing that with the advancement of Guangdong's "High-Quality Development Project for Hundreds of Counties, Thousands of Towns, and Myriads of Villages," coordinated regional development has achieved tangible results.

A relevant person in charge of China Southern Power Grid Guangdong Power Grid Company stated that in the face of persistently high electricity demand, the grid will take multiple measures simultaneously (多措并举, duo cuo bing ju - "many, measures, together, lift") to build a solid line of defense for electricity supply security, from reliable supply to green transformation, using an uninterrupted flow of electricity to fully help Guangdong make a good start and take solid first steps.

(Ouyang Yixue (欧阳逸雪) participated in the writing and reporting)

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Page editors: Lü Zhongzheng, Wu Yan, Wu Kai

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Foreign-related legal services get a "one-stop" platform (Rule of Law Focus)

By: 本报记者 张 璁

On October 10, to precisely align with and better serve the practical urgent needs of enterprises and citizens "going global," the national foreign-related legal service platform "Fatong" (法通) website was officially launched and put into operation.

The functions currently set up on the "Fatong" website mainly include three "comprehensive provisions": comprehensively providing Chinese translations of laws and regulations of major global economies, regional and country-specific legal service guides, and typical cases of foreign-related legal services, so as to facilitate enterprises and citizens in referring to and learning from (参考借鉴, can kao jie jian - "refer, imitate, borrow, learn") them and in conducting legal risk assessment and response for going overseas; comprehensively providing information on foreign-related legal service institutions and personnel, so as to facilitate "one-stop" centralized inquiries by enterprises and citizens; and comprehensively providing intelligent retrieval of foreign-related legal service information and personalized consultation on foreign-related legal issues, so as to provide the public with more tangible and accessible foreign-related legal services through technological means.

"The Ministry of Justice will take building and making good use of the 'Fatong' website as a lever to further strengthen the construction of the foreign-related legal service system, and strive to provide the people with professional, convenient, and high-quality foreign-related legal services," said a relevant official of the Ministry of Justice.

Providing high-quality resources in an integrated manner, incorporating a large number of China's foreign-related laws and foreign legal resources

"Through research, we have learned that enterprises and citizens have a relatively large demand for high-quality foreign-related legal service resources, and hope to conveniently obtain foreign-related laws and regulations, foreign legal texts, and typical cases of 'going global,'" said Zheng Wei, Deputy Director of the Foreign-Related Rule of Law Work Bureau of the Ministry of Justice. He stated that providing the needed high-quality resources in an integrated manner is a major feature of the "Fatong" website's functions.

The website has opened columns such as foreign-related laws and regulations, overseas law inquiry, regional and country-specific legal service guides, and typical cases. At present, the "Fatong" website has centrally collected more than 1,800 of China's foreign-related laws, regulations, and rules, and collected more than 1,500 pieces of legal resources from 187 countries, including Chinese translations of 976 overseas laws, 512 country-specific legal service guides, and 140 typical cases, initially building a "treasure chest" that gathers foreign-related legal service resources.

Zhejiang is a major province with an export-oriented economy, but its foreign-related legal services face problems such as scattered resources and enterprises "running around to multiple departments," imprecise supply and enterprises finding it "not easy to use," poor connectivity and enterprises "spending a long time." In recent years, in addition to closely tracking key regions for enterprise trade and investment and high-risk scenarios for cross-border operations, and organizing the compilation of more than 260 regional and country-specific cross-border investment and foreign trade legal service guides, Zhejiang has also developed a vertical large model that connects provincial, municipal, and county resources, links domestic and overseas scenarios, and interfaces with the "Fatong" website platform.

"In the construction and commissioning of the 'Fatong' website, Zhejiang is both a participant and a beneficiary," said Dai Ji, Director of the Department of Justice of Zhejiang Province. He stated that, in accordance with the unified arrangements of the Ministry of Justice, the Department of Justice of Zhejiang Province participated in the website's construction, actively provided resources such as regional and country-specific legal service guides and typical cases, and put forward opinions and suggestions on the website's design. "We will continue to explore the path for the enrichment and development of the 'Fatong' website, provide high-quality resources, and help the website better play its role as a national platform and better serve enterprises 'going global.'"

Providing customized answers to legal questions, with consultation available through the "Fa Xiaotong" AI agent or online professional teams

China's enterprises and citizens "going global" are spread across the globe and will face many legal issues involving different regions, countries, and fields, which require targeted and professional answers.

How to solve this problem? The "Fatong" website provides a solution — providing customized answers to actual legal questions.

The "Fatong" website provides users with two professional and convenient consultation channels, allowing users to choose independently based on their actual circumstances. One consultation channel is the "Fa Xiaotong" AI agent. The AI quickly gives answers based on the website's overall resources, serving as a reference for solving problems. The other consultation channel is the "Fatong Consultation" column. After users raise questions, the backend professional team gives reference opinions after careful research. For some high-quality Q&A items with relatively great reference and guidance significance, they will subsequently be displayed centrally on the platform, creating a "shared construction, joint participation by all" ecosystem for the "Fatong" website.

In addition, the Ministry of Justice has recently launched pilot work on the construction of foreign-related legal service platforms. "In terms of the overall approach, the main focus is on coordinating high-quality domestic legal service resources, and through piloting the construction of comprehensive legal service platforms in relevant countries, promoting the formation of a foreign-related legal service pattern featuring platform construction both domestically and abroad and online-offline interconnection and interoperability, while also building a sound 'Belt and Road' legal and dispute resolution mechanism," said Yang Xiangbin, Director of the Public Legal Service Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Justice.

What is the relationship between the pilot and the "Fatong" website? Yang Xiangbin introduced that the two, in terms of coordination and linkage, mainly involve two aspects: on the one hand, relevant information on physical legal service platforms will be promptly published on the "Fatong" website, so as to facilitate inquiries by Chinese enterprises and citizens "going global" as well as enterprises and natural persons "coming in"; on the other hand, the "Fatong" website will open a special column for online handling of legal services in countries jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, so as to facilitate online handling of legal consultation, notarization, and other services.

Building the legal affairs team through linked cultivation, directly facing the real scenarios, real problems, and real needs in the field of foreign-related rule of law

The key to improving the quality and efficiency of foreign-related legal services lies in people.

"The legal affairs personnel of foreign-related enterprises are the 'first line of defense' for enterprises in handling foreign-related legal matters, and are also a combat-ready team on the front line of foreign-related rule of law work," said Zheng Wei. He stated that the "Fatong" website brings together foreign-related legal resources across multiple legal domains, types, and fields, which can meet the daily work and study needs of enterprise legal affairs personnel and build a stronger foreign-related enterprise legal affairs team through linked cultivation.

Universities also bear the important responsibility of cultivating foreign-related rule of law talent. Xiao Kai, President of East China University of Political Science and Law, said: "The participation of universities in the construction of the 'Fatong' website is not only about using the research results, data, and technical capabilities accumulated by the university to serve foreign-related legal practice such as enterprises going overseas, but more importantly, it is about truly connecting talent cultivation, scientific research, and foreign-related legal services." East China University of Political Science and Law has connected its independently developed overseas law ascertainment AI agent to the "Fatong" website, and the agent can provide services such as intelligent Q&A, cross-language legal retrieval, and research report generation.

"Bringing the real scenarios, real problems, and real needs in the field of foreign-related rule of law gathered by the national-level platform back into university classrooms enables our talent cultivation to be closer to practice and enables our teaching and research to better serve national development needs," said Xiao Kai.

Zheng Wei stated that, in the next step, based on the positioning and functions of the "Fatong" website, efforts will be made to increase support services for enterprises and citizens "going global," with a focus on strengthening legal resources with high public demand and attention, continuously promoting the optimization and upgrading of the platform, and providing users with more high-quality and efficient foreign-related legal services.

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Avoiding "Heavy Punishment for Minor Offenses": The "Foundation" of Rule of Law Is Serving the People (On-the-Ground Reporting)

By: 林丽鹂

Let the warmth and force of law enforcement coexist, gather consensus across all sectors of society, and jointly safeguard "safety on the tip of the tongue."

The "Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China (Draft Revision for Comment)" issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation on October 10 adjusted the fine system, directly confronting the controversial problem of "heavy punishment for minor offenses" in the field of food safety that has drawn widespread attention in recent years.

The "Yulin toxic celery case" is a typical example. In 2022, a vegetable and grain shop in Yulin, Shaanxi, was fined 66,000 yuan after purchasing 7 jin (3.5 kg) of celery with a total value of about 20 yuan, which was found by regulatory authorities during random inspection to contain a banned pesticide. The public generally felt something was "not right" about this — the disparity between profit and fine was enormous, and even if it was legal, from simple common sense it felt "too heavy." In recent years, this phenomenon — where the illegal act is minor in nature, the value of goods is small, and the social harm is limited, yet the fine amount is disproportionate to the illegal act — has been fairly widespread across the country.

Why did this happen? When the current Food Safety Law was revised in 2015, the starting point for fines was raised from the original 2,000 yuan to 50,000 yuan, reflecting the legislative approach of using severe punishments to control disorder (重典治乱, zhong dian zhi luan - "heavy, law, govern, chaos"), which played an important role in safeguarding food safety. However, in enforcement practice it was found that, with "a goods value of 10,000 yuan" as the dividing line, acts involving goods worth less than 10,000 yuan were subject to a fixed fine starting at 50,000 yuan, while acts involving goods worth more than 10,000 yuan were subject to a fine of a certain multiple of the goods value. For example, for the same substandard food product, the illegal act and harm of goods worth 20 yuan versus 9,900 yuan are vastly different, yet the minimum fine for both is 50,000 yuan; while the illegal act and harm of goods worth 9,900 yuan versus 10,100 yuan are almost identical, the latter, calculated at 10 times, incurs a fine of 101,000 yuan — more than double the former.

Regarding the problem of "heavy punishment for minor offenses," legislative, judicial, and law enforcement departments attach great importance to it. In early 2025, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued the "First-Offense Non-Punishment List" and the "Minor Offense Exemption List," exempting 12 types of first-time and minor illegal acts from punishment. In this draft revision for comment, fines for goods valued below "10,000 yuan" under certain provisions have been adjusted from fixed fines to multiple-based fines. For example, an illegal act involving goods worth 20 yuan would be fined at a certain multiple, which will better conform to the principle of punishment that is proportionate to the offense (过罚相当, guo fa xiang dang - "offense, punishment, equal, appropriate"), avoiding the situation where an excessively high starting fine leads to "heavy punishment for minor offenses."

The subjects involved in "heavy punishment for minor offenses" are mostly street vendors, individual businesses, and small and micro enterprises. They may be a mom-and-pop shop, a small supermarket, or a small food cart. For these small and micro business entities whose illegal acts involve no subjective intent, relatively low social harm, and relatively minor circumstances, it is inappropriate to apply a one-size-fits-all approach (一刀切, yi dao qie - "one, knife, cut") and impose fines of 50,000 yuan or more.

As can be seen from the draft revision for comment, the adjustment to the fine system is by no means a lowering of food safety punishment standards, nor is it tolerance or indulgence toward food safety violations, but rather an attempt to more accurately grasp the balance between "offense" and "punishment." For serious violations with egregious circumstances, multiple-based fines carry greater punitive force, and punishment measures such as revocation of licenses and administrative detention are retained; for minor violations, punishment is more moderate and reasonable, achieving a combination of sanction and education.

The "underlying color" of the rule of law is serving the people. Punishment is never the goal; ensuring food safety is the original aspiration. Let the warmth and force of law enforcement coexist, gather consensus across all sectors of society, and jointly safeguard "safety on the tip of the tongue."

(The author is a reporter of this newspaper.)

Column submission email: rmrbzzb@peopledaily.cn

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Can Cultural Relics Unearthed on Your Own Homestead Be Sold? (News Perspective)

By: 本报记者 魏哲哲

A large number of ancient cultural sites, ancient tombs, cave temples, and ancient stone carvings are distributed across rural fields, mountain slopes, and wasteland. Criminal acts targeting such immovable cultural relics are highly covert and not easily detected. Some offenders hold cognitive misconceptions about cultural relic criminal activities and gradually embark on the path of cultural relic crime.

If an ancient tomb is discovered on one's own homestead land, can it be dug up and sold? If cultural relics are picked up in a river channel, how should they be handled? ... In response to hot-button social concerns, the Supreme People's Court and the National Cultural Heritage Administration released six typical cases of criminal punishment for cultural relic crimes on October 10, aiming to fully leverage the normative and guiding role of judicial adjudication, establish a clear value orientation, and lawfully combat and effectively prevent cultural relic crimes.

In one case, the defendant Shi Mou-xing was a villager of a certain village in Ma Wang Street, Chang'an District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. The village is located within the protection zone of the Feng Hao Site, one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In July 2014, Shi Mou-xing and his elder brother Zhao Mou-she (handled in a separate case) discovered an ancient tomb while clearing persimmon tree roots in their own courtyard, and subsequently excavated it, stealing eight bronze artifacts including a bronze ding, a bronze jue, and a bronze gu. Appraisal determined that the stolen bronzes were all cultural relics of grade three or above; the stolen tomb was a late Shang-early Zhou tomb located within the Feng Hao Site protection zone, and the unearthed bronzes possess extremely high historical, scientific, and artistic value.

Although the stolen ancient tomb was located within Shi Mou-xing's homestead land, this does not change the fact that the ancient tomb is lawfully owned by the state. The Xi'an Intermediate People's Court held in its trial that the defendant Shi Mou-xing, knowing that his residence was located within the protection zone of the Feng Hao Site, a national key cultural relics protection unit, excavated the discovered ancient tomb, and his conduct constituted the crime of excavating an ancient tomb. The court ruled that the defendant Shi Mou-xing was guilty of the crime of excavating an ancient tomb and sentenced him to fifteen years' imprisonment, along with a fine.

The people's courts and cultural relics departments remind the public that all cultural relics remaining underground, in inland waters, and in the territorial sea within China's territory belong to the state. In activities such as engineering construction and agricultural production, any unit or individual that discovers cultural relics or suspected cultural relics shall protect the site and immediately report to the local cultural relics administrative department. Those who conceal discovered state-owned cultural relics without reporting or refuse to hand them over will face administrative penalties; if acts such as seizing, encroaching upon, or trafficking in them are involved, criminal liability may be constituted and pursued.

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Photo Report

On October 8, Longjing Primary School in Guli Town, Qianxi City, Guizhou, held a fun sunshine recess activity, where students took part in special games such as catching plush toys with baskets, enjoying exercise and building fitness.

Photo by Zhou Xunchao (Image China)

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Gansu holds symposium marking 90th anniversary of Red Army's three main forces joining at Huining

(People's Daily, Baiyin, Gansu, October 11) (Reporters Xu Hongmei, Song Chaojun) On the 10th, Gansu Province held a symposium in Huining County, Baiyin City, to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the joining of the three main forces of the Red Army at Huining. Comrades from the Central Institute of Party History and Literature, Gansu Province, and Baiyin City, as well as representatives of the relatives of veteran Red Army soldiers, delivered exchange speeches.

Participants stated that they should draw strong spiritual strength from the stories of the Long March, the stories of the revolution, and the stories of heroes, and, inspired by the great spirit of the Long March, strengthen confidence, make full use of a favorable trend (乘势而上, cheng shi er shang - "ride the momentum, go upward"), and advance courageously, continuously creating new great miracles in modernization efforts. Before the symposium, the attending comrades went to the former site of the Red Army's Huining rendezvous, presented flower baskets before the Memorial Tower of the Joining of the First, Second, and Fourth Front Armies of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in tribute to the Red Army martyrs, paid respects to the Red Army Rendezvous Memorial Tower, deeply mourned the Red Army martyrs, and visited the Memorial Hall of the Victory of the Red Army's Long March.

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Hunan Province Upgrades Business Environment Appeal Handling Platform

(People's Daily, Changsha, October 11) (Reporter Yang Xun) The reporter learned from the Hunan Provincial Development and Reform Commission: Focusing on the deployment of the "Enterprise Service Year" campaign, the upgraded iteration of the Hunan Province business environment appeal handling platform has been officially launched. The platform achieves connectivity across the provincial, municipal, and county levels, establishing a closed-loop handling system for enterprise-related appeals. The Hunan Provincial Private Economy Development Bureau (Provincial Business Environment Construction Bureau) has upgraded and built the 2.0 version of the appeal handling platform on the basis of the original Hunan Province Business Environment website, with an emphasis on filling the gap in online handling of appeals at the county level.

The platform has established a full-process digital supervision mechanism, whereby appeals are traceable throughout the entire process from submission, assignment, handling, to feedback, and enterprises can inquire about the handling progress at any time, adhering to the principle that "if the problem is not resolved, the appeal is not closed." In terms of the review mechanism, a three-level review and approval system is implemented, clarifying that cases may not be re-assigned, applying the "recusal principle" for the complained-against unit, and requiring that supporting evidence be uploaded upon case closure. In terms of handling time limits, the platform specifies that general appeals are accepted on the same day, assigned within 24 hours, and concluded within 15 working days; for complex, difficult, and special matters, an application for an extension of handling may be made according to procedures, so as to achieve implementing specific measures based on different categories (分类施策, fen lei shi ce - "classify, implement, policy") and proper resolution.

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Page editors: Ji Jianming, Xu Leipeng, Li Peiyang

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Forging the Sky Eye in Deep Mountains, Watching the Starry River for a Decade (Self-Reliance and Strength in Science and Technology)

By: 本报记者 吴月辉

In Pingtang, Guizhou, within a karst depression known as the Da Wodang sinkhole, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) has been watching over the sky for 10 years. On September 25, 2016, "China's Sky Eye" was completed. From its initial construction to stable and efficient operation, achieving great success through long-term perseverance (十年一剑, shi nian yi jian - "ten, year, one, sword"), this great national instrument has completed the leap from "successfully built" to "fully utilized." Recently, a reporter conducted an exclusive interview with Jiang Peng, Deputy Director of the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Director and Chief Engineer of the "China Sky Eye" Operation and Development Center, looking back on the arduous journey of braving all kinds of weather or hardships (风雨兼程, feng yu jian cheng - "wind, rain, simultaneously, travel") and interpreting this weighty scientific and technological answer sheet.

From completion to full usability, racing at "China Speed" in the technological no-man's land

"Continuously producing top-tier scientific research results is the only way to reflect the true value of 'China's Sky Eye.'" In Jiang Peng's view, completion is only the beginning; usability is the key.

The Da Wodang sinkhole, surrounded by mountains and far from the hustle and bustle, shields against the vast majority of artificial electromagnetic interference. The unique natural conditions, along with the distinctive attributes of ultra-large aperture, ultra-high precision, and ultra-high sensitivity, have created the observational advantages of "China's Sky Eye," but they also bring numerous operation and maintenance challenges.

"Subtle changes in temperature differences, wind force, and humidity in the mountains can cause slight deformations in the panels; even millimeter-level deviations can directly affect the precision of cosmic signal capture," Jiang Peng said. In the more than two years following the completion of "China's Sky Eye," Jiang Peng led his team to continue to root themselves deep in the mountains, permanently stationed at the base, and began a long and arduous commissioning effort. To ensure each reflective panel was precisely aligned, the team conducted tens of thousands of simulation calculations and over a thousand on-site adjustments; to ensure the stable operation of the signal receiving system, staff maintained round-the-clock monitoring, not letting any minor fault go unnoticed.

The hardest bone to chew was the commissioning of the feed cabin. The 30-ton feed cabin, suspended 140 meters in the air, needed to achieve millimeter-level precise positioning within a scale of over 200 meters, posing enormous trial risks. Jiang Peng and Sun Jinghai, then head of the control group of the core commissioning team, signed a responsibility pledge to initiate on-site testing. When the feed cabin steadily completed the full set of test maneuvers, the on-site personnel felt greatly relieved (如释重负, ru shi zhong fu - "as, release, heavy, burden").

Starting from scratch and exploring independently, through day after day or continuously (日复一日, ri fu yi ri - "day, repeat, one, day") persistence, the team ultimately overcame numerous unprecedented technical challenges, including measurement and control techniques and methods, the development of domestically produced steel cables, and high-performance receivers, creating a truly "usable" telescope.

"For traditional large radio telescopes, the commissioning period is generally no less than 4 years, yet we completed all commissioning tasks in just over two years, allowing 'China's Sky Eye' to continuously lead the world in observational sensitivity, survey efficiency, and signal capture capability," Jiang Peng said. This is also the foundation of its confidence in continuously producing significant scientific research results.

Localization of core components, covering the entire chain of software and hardware

Over the past 10 years, the effort to localize the core components of "China's Sky Eye" has not paused for a single step.

At the beginning of construction, many key components relied on imports, and the traction steel cables for the feed cabin were among them.

Guizhou's high humidity and frequent rain create extremely special on-site working conditions. The steel cables are prone to oil seepage; the oil stains slowly congeal and can directly hinder the rolling of the pulley blocks, planting a considerable safety hazard. Staff often had to climb to heights of a hundred meters to carry out manual cleaning and maintenance work. In this regard, overseas manufacturers found it difficult to provide customized modifications, and in the event of a malfunction, the overseas technical support cycle was lengthy — truly a case of distant help cannot solve an immediate problem (远水解不了近渴, yuan shui jie bu liao jin ke - "distant, water, cannot, resolve, near, thirst").

"We cannot just stand still and wait. The core components of 'China's Sky Eye' must take the path of localization," Jiang Peng's attitude was very firm.

So, the research team joined forces with domestic enterprises, deeply integrating frontier theoretical research with industrial engineering practice. Jiang Peng said: "We digested and absorbed advanced foreign rope-making techniques, then combined them with the actual working conditions of 'China's Sky Eye' for continuous iterative innovation. After three years of repeated testing and refinement, the domestically produced steel cables were finally successfully developed and installed, with costs reduced by nearly half compared to imports and performance reaching the same international level."

The value of technological breakthroughs goes beyond serving "China's Sky Eye" itself. This technique has spilled over to empower the manufacturing of major domestic equipment such as aircraft carrier arresting cables, mountain passenger ropeways, and large bridges, achieving a technological feedback from major scientific facilities to the manufacturing industry.

In the past, pulsar data processing relied on multiple foreign software programs; parameters conflicted between different software, and data analysis was hampered at every turn. The team's researchers settled down, wrote the underlying code from scratch, restructured the entire processing system, optimized key algorithms, and improved software processing precision by 50%. Today, more than 10 domestic research institutions are using this independently developed domestic software.

"The value of localization is not just about getting rid of supply chain risks, but more importantly about thoroughly understanding the entire R&D pathway and mastering the ability for iterative optimization," Jiang Peng said. At present, all core equipment of "China's Sky Eye" has clear domestic substitution plans, completely resolving the "bottleneck" problem of the major scientific facility.

Continuous major breakthroughs give China's radio astronomy research a voice

After 10 years of cultivation, "China's Sky Eye" has delivered a dazzling answer sheet: to date, it has discovered more than 1,300 pulsars in total, a number far exceeding the sum of pulsars discovered by all other radio telescopes worldwide during the same period. The discovery of a series of entirely new celestial bodies has enriched humanity's understanding of stellar evolution, galactic evolution, and the origin of the universe. In frontier fields such as fast radio burst detection, interstellar molecular observation, black hole evolution research, and deep-space neutral hydrogen mapping, "China's Sky Eye" continues to achieve major breakthroughs, with multiple research results published in top international academic journals, giving Chinese radio astronomy research a greater voice.

"Particularly worth mentioning is that on the fiercely competitive track of nanohertz gravitational wave detection, 'China's Sky Eye' has produced the observational results with the highest confidence level in the world," Jiang Peng said. "In addition, it has discovered the shortest pulsar binary system with an orbital period of only 53 minutes. This is like precisely pressing the shutter to capture the key moment of celestial evolution undergoing a transformative breakthrough (破茧成蝶, po jian cheng die - "break, cocoon, become, butterfly"), filling in a long-missing key link in the evolutionary chain of spider pulsars, and providing precious observational samples for solving the long-pending puzzle of celestial evolution."

Scientific and technological innovation is not acting blindly without consulting others (闭门造车, bi men zao che - "close, door, build, cart"); "China's Sky Eye" has always upheld the concept of open cooperation, opening up and sharing observational resources to the world. Since officially opening observation applications to the global scientific community on March 31, 2021, it has helped multiple international research teams carry out observations.

Experts from the Max Planck Institute in Germany and the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics have conducted in-depth cooperation with the "China's Sky Eye" team, discovering new pulsars with special properties in several globular clusters.

Openness has also brought technological breakthroughs. The team of Chai Xiaoming, Senior Engineer at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, spent nearly two years independently developing the core component of the "China's Sky Eye" receiver — the domestically produced low-noise amplifier. This component has not only been installed in batches on the pre-research project of the "China's Sky Eye" Phase II project, but is also expected to achieve batch export.

"'China's Sky Eye' has allowed Chinese astronomers to stand at the very forefront of human vision," Jiang Peng said. From relying on overseas data in the past to today's high-level global papers being produced based on data from "China's Sky Eye," Chinese radio astronomy has completed a historic leap from following to leading.

Looking to the future, the challenges remain formidable.

"China's Sky Eye" leads the world in sensitivity, but resolution remains an obvious shortcoming. The team is currently fully advancing the "China's Sky Eye" Phase II upgrade project, planning to build the world's first hybrid-aperture radio interferometric array with a "giant telescope at the center, medium-sized telescopes surrounding it." "This upgrade plan not only retains ultra-high sensitivity but also makes up for the resolution shortcoming through a distributed array," Jiang Peng said.

Ten years of enduring hardships to forge oneself (砥砺, di li - "grind, whet") is merely the prologue to chasing dreams in the sky. From scientific conception to a great national instrument, the 10 years of "China's Sky Eye" are a vivid portrayal of self-reliance and strength in science and technology. Gazing up at the vast universe, these researchers who survey the starry river will continue to write China's answer sheet to the heavens, reaching toward ever deeper and more profound starry skies.

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The Song of Strings Never Ceases, the Fragrance of Books Nurtures Minds (Campus Libraries in Song)

By: 本报记者 张丹华

The autumn air is crisp and clear, and the fragrance of books is in full bloom. The reporter visited the libraries of six universities in succession — Xidian University, Shaanxi Normal University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Yan'an University, and Northwest University — and found that each, in its own way, tightly weaves the red gene, the spirit of scientists, traditional culture, and other elements together with the growth of youth.

One library, one history — treasured memories preserved

In the library of Xidian University's Chang'an Campus, a red classic recitation event titled "The Radio Waves Never Die, the Long March Has a Voice" was underway. The Xidian Military Radio Archive, located on the third floor of the library, is the library's special collections repository, mainly housing the works, manuscripts, textbooks, and notes of the university's faculty, students, and alumni, so as to preserve Xidian's academic history and educational tradition.

At the very back of the special collections repository are two rows of stone benches. Li Tuanjie, director of the Xidian University Library, recalled that when he first arrived at the school in 1999, the stone benches under the shade of the trees at the north gate of the Yanta Campus were crowded with students studying on their own. Today, the university has reproduced this scene, carrying on the tradition of "studying at Xidian."

In the Red Literature Hall of the library on Yan'an University's New City Campus, there are more than 20,000 titles and over 40,000 volumes of rare collections from the Yan'an period. The university's library is known as the "library on horseback." Director Yang Hongxia introduced that in 1947, when the university moved and fought its way through northern Shaanxi, the librarians packed the main collections into 16 large wooden crates, each weighing more than 100 kilograms, carried by eight mules — "wherever the contingent moved and fought, the library followed." Since 2015, Jia Cuiling, a researcher at the university's library, has led a team in building the "Digital Research Platform for Red Literature of the Yan'an Period," completing projects such as the "Full-Text Database of the Central Committee of the CPC's Organ Newspapers During the Yan'an Period."

From books carried on horseback to digital platforms, red resources are not dusty archives but a "great ideological and political course" scene that can be observed, listened to, and interacted with.

A dialogue across time and space, passing on the torch of knowledge or spirit (薪火传承, xin huo chuan cheng - "薪火, pass down")

In the Jiang Changying Aviation Historical Materials Hall in the library of Northwestern Polytechnical University's Chang'an Campus, A History of Chinese Aviation sits quietly on display. Li Huaxing, a retired professor from the School of Aeronautics, was explaining to students the story of Mr. Jiang Changying: he studied in the United States in the 1920s, and after returning to China, he founded the discipline of Chinese aviation history and compiled the first monograph, A History of Chinese Aviation.

In the special collections hall for the three navigations (aeronautics, astronautics, and marine engineering), a copy of Overall Design of Torpedoes was once used under classified status for teaching the first cohort of students in the underwater weapons specialty. Its author, Professor Huang Zhenzhong, built up the overall torpedo design system after returning to China from the United States. On the day of the interview, Liu Zhengguo, an alumnus of Northwestern Polytechnical University and former president of the China Ship Research and Development Academy, together with Huang Jianguo, a retired professor from the School of Marine Science and Technology, taught a class of more than 20 students from the "Huang Zhenzhong Ocean Class" in front of this textbook. The seniors recounted their stories while the young people listened, and a "secret" set of lecture notes completed a handover across time and space.

In the Starry Sky Lecture Hall of the Qian Xuesen Library at Xi'an Jiaotong University, a reading session on The Great Masters of the Westward Relocation was underway. Li Huaizu, a 93-year-old senior professor, served as the book's presenter, fondly recalling the extraordinary or turbulent years (峥嵘岁月, zheng rong sui yue - "extraordinary, years") when he moved west with the university. At the event, the students were deeply moved by the westward relocation stories recorded in the book.

"The exhibition on Qian Xuesen's scientific spirit and educational thought is required content for new students' orientation," said Ma Zhong, director of the Qian Xuesen Library at Xi'an Jiaotong University. The library has also built a VR (virtual reality) online exhibition hall and established the "Qian Xuesen Reading Award," forming an educational model of "exhibition + activities + incentives + courses."

When facing young visitors, student docent Zhang Yifei often tells the story of Qian Xuesen's mechanics manuscripts: in 1941, Qian Xuesen and his advisor Theodore von Kármán published an article titled "Buckling of Thin Cylindrical Shells Under Axial Compression," which went through five rounds of revisions. On the envelope of the final draft, the word "Final" was originally written, but Qian Xuesen then wrote beside it, "Nothing is final." "This revision inspires me to keep never stopping one's progress (永不止步, yong bu zhi bu - "forever, not, stop, step") on the road of study," Zhang Yifei said.

Ancient texts reborn, culture spread far and wide

In the first-floor lobby of the library on Shaanxi Normal University's Chang'an Campus, a themed book exhibition titled "Experiencing a Thousand Years in a Single Glance (一眼千年, yi yan qian nian - "one, glance, thousand, years"), Reading Dunhuang" was being held. More than a thousand authoritative works and classic documents cover 13 themes, including Dunhuang art, textual research on documents, and Silk Road exchanges. Qi Shengyue, a graduate student in the Faculty of History, sorted through the lineage of the classics and told the stories of Dunhuang: "A niche field is not cold, and a lost discipline is not extinct. The reason for studying Dunhuang studies is to make it known to more people."

In the ancient books exhibition hall on the fifth floor, the special exhibition "New Words from Fragmented Scrolls · Ancient Paintings Reborn" drew visitors to pause and linger. Four precious Dunhuang documents from the collection were displayed together, among them the Dunhuang Linen Painting with Sutra Copying, with a linen painting on the front and a mounted sutra copy on the back — an extremely rare mounting format in which "painting and sutra are united." Sha Wutian, a professor at the School of History and Civilization and director of the library at Shaanxi Normal University, explained: "This precious cultural relic has regained its splendor after a year of professional restoration. It is both a physical testimony to Dunhuang art and a vivid footnote to the safeguarding of the Chinese cultural lineage."

In the second-floor book stacks, Zhang Fan, a professor from the School of Marxism, read Why China? together with students; in the fifth-floor calligraphy study room, Dang Huaixing, a professor from the School of Chinese Language and Literature, led students in carrying on the cultural lineage through the rise and fall, turn and pause of the brush. "The library is not merely a place for storing books, but an educational site where culture shapes people and books nurture people," said Lu Shengli, deputy secretary of the CPC Shaanxi Normal University Committee.

The Northwest University Library traces its origins to the Shaanxi University Hall book collection building, first established in 1902. It is a national key ancient books protection unit and currently holds more than 180,000 volumes (items) of ancient books. Liu Liang, director of the library's Special Collections and Exhibition Department, said that in 2024 the library resumed its ancient books restoration work, which had been interrupted for more than 30 years, and also re-made and restored the cases and mounts for some ancient books.

In the ancient books special collections room of the Qian Xuesen Library at Xi'an Jiaotong University, a "Twisting Threads into Books — Ancient Book Binding Experience Activity" was underway. Shang Shengwei, an international student from Russia, smoothed the paper and threaded the needle, experiencing the ancient binding craft. "The Xi'an Jiaotong University library is very good, and Chinese culture is wonderful," she said in Chinese.

Walking through the libraries of the six universities was like leafing through three-dimensional textbooks one after another. "The university library is fertile soil for the growth of talent," said Gao Dali, secretary of the Party General Branch of the Northwestern Polytechnical University Library — words that captured what the reporter saw on this trip.

Time flows on, and the fragrance of books never fades. Generation after generation of young people open the pages of books in the library, draw strength from them, and set out anew on their journeys.

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Major Revolutionary-Themed TV Drama *The Great Long March* Premieres

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 11) (Reporter Shi Fang) To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, the major revolutionary-themed television drama The Great Long March, guided by the Art Bureau of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the Television Drama Bureau of the National Radio and Television Administration, planned by the Publicity Department of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, and created over more than five years, has recently begun airing.

The Great Long March is produced by China Media Group, Capital Culture and Technology Group Co., Ltd., and others, presenting in a panoramic manner the entire process of the Long March of multiple Red Army routes. The drama has been selected for the key support project of the National Radio and Television Administration, the key guidance production of the National Radio and Television Administration, the key project of the Beijing Cultural Quality Project, the support project of the Beijing Publicity and Culture Guidance Fund, the key literary and artistic project of "Beijing Grand Audiovisual," the creation support project of the Beijing Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and others.

According to reports, the main creative team retraced the Long March route three times, systematically sorted through the museum collections along the Long March route and massive historical materials, consulted and collected more than 30 million characters of materials, drew on the latest Party history research findings, and deeply mined red historical resources.

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Government-Industry-School Collaboration: Leveraging Talent to Reach New Heights

By: 本报记者 尹晓宇

"Social insurance is arranged in universities, while innovation and entrepreneurship take place in enterprises. We welcome all people of ability and vision (有识之士, you shi zhi shi - "have, knowledge, person, scholar") to come to Taizhou for cooperation and entrepreneurship!" In September, Xu Shanshan (徐珊珊), talent recruitment ambassador of Hailing District, Taizhou City, Jiangsu Province, and Deputy Secretary of the Party General Branch of the School of Artificial Intelligence at Taizhou University, accompanied the Hailing District talent recruitment team to Xidian University, where she connected with multiple science and technology talent projects in one go, many of which are cooperation projects between Hailing District's leading industries and the artificial intelligence industry.

This is the latest stop in the "Hundred Cities, Thousand Talents, University Tour" series of activities in Hailing District — the district is, through the "one visit, multiple schools" and "one trip, multiple enterprises" model, continuously following up on cooperation projects to elevate the level of school-enterprise cooperation, following up on key departments and schools to improve the quality and efficiency of technology transfer, and following up on practical training platforms to strengthen talent recruitment efforts, fully promoting the extension of school-local cooperation from "single-point docking" to "chain-style coordination."

"We have carried out joint technical research with 8 universities." Chen Jianxin (陈建新), General Manager of Haiyang Technology Co., Ltd., introduced that under the support of Taizhou's "Double 18" policies for industrial and technological innovation to strengthen the city, the enterprise has deepened R&D cooperation with institutions such as Sichuan University and Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, achieving a major breakthrough in the domestic production technology of nylon elastomers, with 17 new invention patents added.

Focusing on the new materials leading industry, and providing support for key technological breakthroughs and the aggregation of high-end talent, Hailing District, together with the Yangtze River Delta National Technology Innovation Center, the Jiangsu Provincial Industrial Technology Research Institute, and other units, established the Jiangsu Jicui Surface Engineering Technology Research Institute. "Since its establishment, our team has brought in multiple high-level talents and overcome several technical difficulties such as tantalum carbide coatings for third-generation semiconductors," said Zhang Pingze (张平则), Deputy Director of the institute.

"Hailing's local university resources are limited, so we are bringing in more high-quality university resources." Chen Linfeng (陈林峰), Member of the Standing Committee of the Hailing District Party Committee and Head of the Organization Department, stated that around building a youth- and talent-friendly city, Hailing District, using platforms such as "Taizhou Day" and "Taizhou Talent Week," has joined hands with key local enterprises to visit universities and research institutes such as Chongqing University and Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, carrying out city promotions, recruitment for urgently needed positions, publishing cooperation demands for industry-university-research tackling of key problems, and attracting a number of industry-university-research projects to settle in, including the Hailing Innovation Center of the National Technology Transfer Center of Xi'an Jiaotong University.

"In addition to 'bringing in,' Hailing is more proactively 'going out.'" Chen Linfeng introduced that the district has successively established offshore innovation centers in Shanghai, Nanjing, and other places, accelerating the transfer and incubation of university innovation achievements through the model of "offshore incubation, onshore transformation."

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Zhejiang Haiyan and Qinshan Nuclear Power Innovatively Establish Joint Youth Study and Research Alliance

(People's Daily, Jiaxing, October 11) (Reporter Dou Hao) Centering on the three main lines of "joint study, joint lecturing, and joint building," Haiyan County, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, together with Qinshan Nuclear Power, has innovatively established a joint youth study and research alliance, building a central-local youth exchange platform for science popularization and talent co-cultivation, and exploring a new path of central-local integration with two-way empowerment.

Joint study "breaks down barriers": a joint enterprise-local training class under the "Young Marxist Training Project" has been held, with master craftsmen and model workers selected from both sides to serve as practical mentors, joint youth study stations built, and nine "Salt Trail Tracing" study routes created, pushing factor resources from "scattered allocation" toward "integrated co-cultivation." Joint lecturing "gathers energy": the "Salt·Nuclear" youth lecture group and volunteer docent teams have entered science and technology museums, museums, and libraries to deliver audience-segmented explanations, and have regularly carried out lectures in government organs, enterprises, villages, and communities; since the beginning of this year, 63 activities have been held, covering more than 3,200 person-times. Joint building "achieves integration": bottlenecks in coordination have been cleared, with an average of more than 500 skilled personnel cultivated annually, outstanding youth recommended for inclusion in programs such as "Jiaxing Master Craftsmen" and "Zhejiang Craftsmen," and youth cultivation tracked dynamically to activate the momentum of talent.

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Mianyang, Sichuan Completes Renovation of 102 km of Aging Gas Pipelines, Strengthening Urban Safety Foundation

The planning and construction of the "six networks" is being accelerated, and the urban underground pipeline network, as an important part of this effort, though buried deep underground, constantly sustains the warmth of the stoves of thousands of households and the safety bottom line of urban operations. In Mianyang City, Sichuan Province, a four-year renovation project of the underground gas pipeline network was officially completed and fully brought into service on September 30.

At 4 a.m. on September 30, with the completion of inspection of the final welded joint on Mianyang's Gaoshui North Street, the switchover from old to new pipelines in the renovation of Mianyang's aging gas pipeline network — which lasted four years, covered a total length of 102 kilometers, involved an investment of 157.7 million yuan, and serves 580,000 gas users in the main urban area — reached its conclusion.

The underground gas pipelines in Mianyang's main urban area are intertwined and crisscrossing (纵横交错, zong heng jiao cuo - "vertical, horizontal, cross, intersect"), the handwriting on the original drawings has faded, and construction is like "performing surgery in the center of a maze." The old steel pipes have been in operation for more than 20 years, are corroded and aging, and carry a high risk of leakage. The renovation could not interrupt gas supply or disturb residents, and with the dense population of the main urban area and the large number of catering businesses, the renovation construction faced numerous difficulties.

Adhering to the principle of "leaving convenience to the people and difficulties to ourselves," Mianyang Gas Group avoided peak gas usage hours, scheduled operations in the dead of night, and carried out construction in sections with sectional acceptance and sectional restoration, ensuring that gas supply was restored before dawn. Throughout the entire renovation of the aging gas pipeline network, "zero safety accidents" were achieved, and the public was "almost unaware" of the renovation.

After the renovation, PE pipes replaced the old steel pipes that had been in operation for more than 20 years, with a design life of 50 years; the Huayuan pressure regulating station completed its smart upgrade, with pressure regulation capacity increased by 40%; intelligent ball valves and unattended intelligent stations built a smart system featuring real-time monitoring, proactive warning, and precise dispatch, compressing safety response time from the "hour level" to the "minute level." The problem of "gas shortage" during peak winter gas usage was completely resolved, and the number and scope of emergency repairs due to gas supply failures were greatly reduced.

Mianyang's promotion of urban underground pipeline network construction is not just about replacing pipes and equipment, but also about driving the transformation of urban governance from "emphasizing construction" to "placing equal emphasis on construction and management."

From "worrisome pipes" to "reassuring network," what has changed is a section of pipeline network, and what has been consolidated is the foundation of people's livelihoods. With one pipe after another and one welded joint after another, Mianyang Gas Group has built a solid foundation for urban safety and written a new chapter in the Mianyang practice of Chinese modernization.

Data source: Mianyang Gas Group

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Page editors: Cao Yiqing, Dong Yingxue, Yin Yan

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Joint Efforts to Protect Giant Panda Habitats (Beautiful China · Protecting World Natural Heritage in This Way)

By: 本报记者 李凯旋

Amid the mountains and waters of Bashu, in the vast and misty forests, giant pandas dwell in peace, coexisting with rare flora and fauna of the same habitat such as the Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey and the dove tree. During the just-concluded National Day holiday, scenic spots such as the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan attracted numerous visitors, who observed giant pandas tumbling and playing up close and walked into the Giant Panda Museum to learn relevant knowledge...

Sichuan ranks first nationwide in both giant panda population and habitat area. In 2006, the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries were inscribed on the World Heritage List, giving Sichuan the world's largest and most complete giant panda habitat as a World Natural Heritage site. In 2021, the Giant Panda National Park was officially established, with the Sichuan section covering most of the area of the giant panda habitat World Natural Heritage site.

Under the unique framework where the World Natural Heritage site and the national park carry a "dual identity," Sichuan promotes their complementarity and synergy, scientifically safeguarding the safety of giant panda populations, intensifying ecological restoration of habitats, and driving community participation in joint protection, with the multi-dimensional giant panda protection system continuously improving. At present, the wild giant panda population has recovered from "endangered" to "vulnerable" status.

Stable population growth drives the rewilding and release of captive-bred giant pandas

In Wenchuan County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, the Wolong Shenshuping Base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda is built against the mountains. Layers of bamboo groves stretch across the slopes as giant pandas either amble slowly or frolic and play, bringing boundless vitality to the vast forests. Gazing at the endearing and charming appearance (憨态可掬, han tai ke ju - "charming, adorable, endearingly") of the giant pandas, Li Desheng, deputy director and chief expert of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, beamed with delight.

Years ago, shrinking habitat areas once drove giant pandas to the brink of extinction; captive-bred giant pandas also long faced difficulties such as breeding challenges and cub-rearing problems, making it extremely difficult to sustain giant panda population numbers.

Staying close to the giant pandas, the research team devoted themselves to developing nutritional supplies consistent with the biological characteristics of giant pandas, building enclosures similar to natural habitat environments, and upholding the concept of "loving care breeding"... After more than 20 years of effort, the giant panda population achieved stable reproduction. By the end of 2025, China's captive giant panda population had grown from fewer than 100 in the early period to more than 800.

"When the captive giant panda population grows steadily, we must also take on new responsibilities." In Li Desheng's view, carrying out the rewilding and release of captive-bred giant pandas is key to improving the genetic diversity of wild populations and protecting small wild giant panda populations.

How can captive-bred giant pandas successfully return to the wild? Li Desheng and his team developed a "mother-with-cub" training method: pregnant giant pandas with rich cub-rearing experience give birth inside rewilding training enclosures, and the cubs grow up following their mothers from birth, learning survival skills. After multiple stages of survival ability assessment, giant pandas that "pass the examination" return to the wild. To date, Sichuan has successfully rewilded and released 9 artificially bred giant pandas, achieving the important goal of having artificially bred giant pandas survive in natural habitats for the first time and revitalize endangered small wild populations. "Continuous monitoring of the released giant pandas also gives us a better understanding of how they interact with the natural environment and other species, which helps our research work," Li Desheng said.

With the improvement of Giant Panda National Park construction, when going out into the field, Li Desheng and his colleagues have observed many gratifying changes: mines shut down, small hydropower stations withdrawn, ecological corridors connected... "A broader habitat and more sufficient policy support provide assistance for giant panda protection," Li Desheng stated. "We will also continue to strengthen disease prevention and control for giant pandas and wholeheartedly safeguard the safety of giant panda populations."

Leveraging the umbrella effect, rare flora and fauna share a beautiful home

White mist drifted across the valley of Baoxing County, Ya'an City, Sichuan. Early in the morning, ranger Liu Hanqiang and his colleagues assembled at the Dengchigou Management and Protection Station of the Giant Panda National Park in Baoxing County. Pulling on high-top boots and packing supplies into backpacks, the nearly 10-kilometer routine patrol of the national park began.

As the world's site of giant panda scientific discovery and the place of origin of the giant panda type specimen, 81.7% of Baoxing County's area has been designated into the Giant Panda National Park, where 181 wild giant pandas inhabit. Many local residents have had "face-to-face encounters" with wild giant pandas.

"In the past, encountering a giant panda was not easy." Liu Hanqiang, in his 50s, chatted as he walked. Years ago, local people "lived off the mountains," and the forests grew increasingly sparse with wildlife rarely seen. As the local government adopted a series of protection measures such as closing hillsides to facilitate afforestation in the core areas of the Giant Panda National Park, forest protection and greening became a "hard requirement."

Because he is familiar with the terrain, Liu Hanqiang became a ranger. "The government has made great efforts to intensify the crackdown on poaching and illegal logging, replant forests patch by patch, and protect the giant pandas' home."

In the vast forests of the Sichuan section of the Giant Panda National Park, ecological restoration is underway with great vigor (如火如荼, ru huo ru tu - "like fire, like water, in full swing"). By coordinating differentiated management systems across the various protection and management units within the World Natural Heritage site and the national park, and building a unified and standardized governance system for giant panda habitat protection, the Sichuan section of the Giant Panda National Park has cumulatively restored 340,000 mu of giant panda habitat and implemented 21,300 mu of ecological corridor construction.

At the same time, comprehensively considering factors such as the distribution range of wild giant pandas, topography and landforms, human activities, and the distribution of protection stations, Sichuan has scientifically and rationally delineated 106 grid-based protection units, establishing a grid-based protection model for wild giant panda populations, complemented by a "sky-ground integrated" monitoring system for routine monitoring. The annual number of wild giant pandas encountered in key monitored areas rose from 178 to 185.

Walking along, Liu Hanqiang's gaze constantly swept across the forest floor. Suddenly, he bent down and crouched, pointing at a clump of light brown pellets: "These are the feces of the Chinese serow. Judging from the shape, a group of Chinese serows has been active nearby recently." Pulling out his phone to take photos and record the location, he entered the information in detail into the ledger. Whenever various animal tracks are encountered along the way, rangers register and archive them one by one. The field records accumulating bit by bit over a long period (日积月累, ri ji yue lei - "day accumulate, month accumulate") provide vivid evidence for habitat restoration.

Leveraging the umbrella effect, not only in giant panda habitats but also in ecological elements such as alpine wetlands and glacial relics, all have received comprehensive protection in Sichuan, with more than 8,000 species of rare flora and fauna including snow leopards, Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkeys, and dove trees coexisting with giant pandas here. "Now rare animals such as the Chinese monal and the forest musk deer also frequently appear, and the giant pandas' 'road home' has linked together the beautiful homes of flora and fauna," Liu Hanqiang said.

During rest breaks in patrols, fellow villagers often come to ask Liu Hanqiang for advice on carbon sink policies. It turns out that Baoxing County, relying on the Giant Panda National Park, has developed related carbon sink products, forming a diversified matrix: carrying out routine scientific conservation of forests with restricted logging, enhancing carbon sequestration capacity, and converting the opportunity cost of ecological protection and restoration into carbon sink revenue, benefiting 1,670 households.

Community co-management and co-construction, ecological industry "brews" sweet days

A stream gurgles, and beehives hum in the mountain forest. "Once the honey is produced, it will fetch a good price again!" said Gao Mingbin, a villager of Guanba Village, Pingwu County, Mianyang City, Sichuan.

Located deep in the Minshan Mountains, Guanba Village was formerly a junction zone of multiple protected areas, and now 96.8% of its area has been incorporated into the Giant Panda National Park. However, due to complex forest land ownership and unclear management and protection boundaries, the village previously found it difficult to identify a focal point for participating in giant panda protection.

Neither the World Natural Heritage site nor the national park is a closed protection unit; only through joint construction, joint governance, and shared benefits can governance synergy be consolidated to better protect lucid waters and lush mountains.

Integrating forest resources and clarifying the responsibility framework, the local area established the Pingwu County Guandangou Watershed Natural Protection Community, led by the community with the goal of establishing a biodiversity protection mechanism. On this basis, local villagers also established the "Guandangou Watershed Natural Protection Center," led by the village's two committees, with a patrol team, a monitoring group, and an industry group under it, with 30% of the village's households participating in protection work.

The ecological industry "brews" sweet days. Relying on the fine mountains and waters, Guanba Village established a Chinese honeybee breeding professional cooperative and created its own brand. In 2022, that batch of honey successfully obtained the franchise authorization for original ecological products of the Giant Panda National Park. "Previously, free-range beekeeping couldn't fetch a good price; now the purchase price has doubled," Gao Mingbin said.

Giant pandas have brought a "study tour boom." Last year, Guanba Village explored nature education, offering special courses such as forest patrol camping, with enrollment slots demand exceeding supply (供不应求, gong bu ying qiu - "supply, not, meet, demand"). Not only can the village receive operational dividends, but many villagers have also been trained to become "study tour guides," turning stories of protecting forests and safeguarding giant pandas into nature education course cases.

Today, Sichuan has built a systematic, multi-level community co-management and co-construction system around the giant pandas' home, forming a working pattern of "government leadership, community participation, and multi-party coordination." A batch of new entrance communities integrating ecological experience and industrial transformation, such as Chengdu Longmen Mountain and Ya'an Longcanggou, are thriving and have become strong fulcrums for nationwide public participation in protection.

According to infrared camera monitoring, within the 12.6-square-kilometer protection area of Guanba Village, at least 6 wild giant pandas are active on a long-term basis. "The forest is our root, and the giant panda is our national treasure; we must protect them well," Gao Mingbin said.

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Main construction begins on Gezhouba shipping capacity expansion of new Three Gorges waterway

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 11) (Reporter Wang Hao) The reporter learned from China Three Gorges Corporation: On October 10, construction officially commenced on the upstream and downstream cofferdams for the Gezhouba shipping capacity expansion of the new Three Gorges waterway. These two cofferdams, together with the bank slopes, will enclose the construction area, creating the prerequisite conditions for dry-ground construction of the new 10,000-ton-class ship locks, marking that the Gezhouba shipping capacity expansion has fully entered the main construction phase.

The new Three Gorges waterway consists of two parts: the new passage through the Three Gorges hub and the Gezhouba shipping capacity expansion. Among them, the Gezhouba shipping capacity expansion is located on the left bank of the Gezhouba hub, where the existing No. 3 ship lock will be demolished and two new 10,000-ton-class ship locks will be built on the original site. In the future, a single 10,000-ton-class vessel will be able to pass smoothly through the Gezhouba hub.

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Super-Strong El Niño Forms

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 11) (Reporter Jiang Xuehong) The reporter learned from the National Climate Center: an eastern-type super-strong El Niño event has officially formed this September.

Since May this year, the equatorial central and eastern Pacific has entered an El Niño state, with sea surface temperatures in the key region continuously rising. From July to September, the sliding average of the sea surface temperature index in the key region exceeded 2.5 degrees Celsius, meeting the standard for a super-strong event. In September, sea surface temperatures over most of the equatorial Pacific were higher than the same period in normal years, with the warm water center in the eastern Pacific being more than 3.0 degrees Celsius higher, and the sea surface temperature index in the key region was 2.94 degrees Celsius, up 0.35 degrees Celsius from August. From July to September, the average sea surface temperature index in the key region was 2.54 degrees Celsius.

The National Climate Center mainly monitors the sea surface temperature index of specific regions. When the three-month sliding average of the index reaches or exceeds 0.5 degrees Celsius and persists for at least five months, it is determined to be an El Niño event; the intensity of the event is defined by its peak value. A peak value reaching or exceeding 0.5 degrees Celsius but less than 1.3 degrees Celsius is defined as a weak event, reaching or exceeding 1.3 degrees Celsius but less than 2.0 degrees Celsius is defined as a moderate event, reaching or exceeding 2.0 degrees Celsius is defined as a strong event, and reaching or exceeding 2.5 degrees Celsius is defined as a super-strong event. It is expected that in the next three months, sea surface temperatures in the equatorial central and eastern Pacific will continue to rise, reaching a peak in late autumn and early winter, and this El Niño event will become the strongest El Niño event since systematic monitoring began.

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Gansu issues plan to advance forestry and grassland protection and utilization

(People's Daily, Lanzhou, October 11) (Reporter Zeng Yichen) The Gansu Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau and other departments recently issued the "Gansu Province Forestry and Grassland Protection and Utilization 15th Five-Year Plan," clarifying that by 2030, the "Three-North" Project's tough battle will achieve a decisive victory, the integration and optimization of nature reserves will be completed, the quality and functions of forest, grassland, wetland, and desert ecosystems will be continuously enhanced, the scale of the forestry and grassland industry will steadily grow, and total output value will reach a new level of success (再上新台阶, zai shang xin tai jie - "again, go up, new, terrace/step").

The plan aims to consolidate the ecological security barrier of the country's western region, focuses on major national strategies such as the "Three-North" Project and ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin, and lays out nine key projects including the sixth phase of the "Three-North" Project, protection and restoration of important ecosystems, development of the nature reserve system, wildlife protection, precise improvement of forest quality, forest and grassland fire prevention, prevention and control of forest and grassland pests, development of the forestry and grassland industry, and improvement of infrastructure in forest areas and forest farms, proposing 31 main tasks in 7 fields.

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A City of Scenic Beauty: Luzhou District of Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, Writes a Cultural Tourism Chapter with Its Mountains and Waters

In the autumn, in Luzhou District, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province, the lush greenery on eastern mountains (东山叠翠, dong shan die cui - "east mountain, layer, green") and the rippling waves of the western waters present a scenic view. Since the beginning of this year, Luzhou District, grounded in its ecological endowment of "eastern mountains and western waters," has been delving into its historical and cultural heritage, promoting deep integration of multiple business formats, and iteratively upgrading consumption scenarios. A picture scroll where mountains and waters coexist and culture and tourism blend is slowly unfolding across this land.

Project Upgrading and Empowerment — Cultural Heritage Gains New Life

More than 400 years ago, artisans condensed their ingenuity and exquisite craftsmanship into the hanging sculptures of Guanyin Hall. Today, these precious Ming Dynasty statues are being "brought to life" in entirely new ways.

The Guanyin Hall Public Cultural Innovation Experience Base has a total investment of 290 million yuan, with 79 buildings arranged in a scattered, elegant layout. Leveraging more than 500 precious Ming Dynasty hanging sculptures, the project lays out functional areas such as digital exhibitions, study tours, and cultural streets, using digital technology to revitalize thousand-year-old cultural relic resources. Here, science popularization and study tours of ancient architecture are regularly carried out, allowing children to experience the charm of traditional crafts up close; open-air stages and intangible cultural heritage experience spaces are open on a regular basis, and the park's green spaces are fully shared with the public free of charge. Dust-laden cultural relics have stepped out of the storerooms and into the lives of the people, making the base a cultural landmark of considerable distinction in the city.

Adjacent to Changzhi Airport, the Changzhi Smart Living Room, with a total investment of 50 million yuan, is a key carrier for the integrated development of agriculture, commerce, culture, tourism, and digital intelligence in Luzhou District. The Changzhi Smart Living Room integrates e-commerce livestreaming, cultural tourism study tours, and cultural exchange, and with the help of smart devices such as AR/VR, holographic projection, and AI-guided tours, it creates an immersive interactive experience. In the exhibition hall, more than 20 intangible cultural heritage projects, nearly 200 types of authentic medicinal herbs, and local specialty products are showcased together. Through new models such as digital displays and livestreaming promotion, Luzhou District is enabling time-honored crafts and local specialties hidden in the countryside to step out of the streets and alleys and reach the whole country, while also allowing visiting tourists to better perceive the cultural roots of this land.

Mountains and Waters Linked Across the Region — Urban and Rural Cultural Tourism, each enjoying its own unique beauty (各美其美, ge mei qi mei - "each, beautiful, its, beautiful")

Every mountain and every river nourish Luzhou; every step and every scene form a picture scroll. Grounded in its advantages in mountain and water resources, Luzhou District is optimizing lakeside leisure and strengthening rural cultural tourism, building a new pattern of cultural tourism in which the whole region is worth visiting and every vista is worth viewing.

By the banks of Zhangze Lake in the west of the city, the Manna Waterfront Scenic Area has completed a comprehensive quality upgrade. The lakeside lawns are open and tidy, starry-sky tents are scattered about as accents, and water activities such as sailing and powered surfboards are rich and diverse, integrating lakeside sightseeing, water sports, and starry-sky camping into one. During the peak tourist season this summer, the scenic area received more than 800 visitors per day on average, becoming a popular check-in destination for citizens' suburban leisure and vacation.

To the east of the city, the greenery of Laoding Mountain spreads, and the cultural tourism industries in the surrounding villages are flourishing, each with its own distinctive features. Shuangqiaozhuang Village has revitalized idle rural houses to create "Health and Wellness Shuangqiao · Forest Mountain Villa," transforming a small mountain village into a popular check-in destination; Xinzhuang Village, drawing on its ecological advantages, focuses on the parent-child camping and leisure business format; Beidong Village's cultural tourism market bustles with the rising smoke of daily life and gathers popularity; Digusi Village delves into its historical heritage to create distinctive courtyard homestays. The Luzhou section of the Taihang No. 1 Tourist Highway winds through, connecting mountains, forests, fields, and villages, forming a beautiful corridor where "one road links many sights, and the whole region offers scenery," and building a new rural cultural tourism landscape of "fast entry, slow travel."

Intangible Cultural Heritage Enriches the Foundation — Ingenuity and Inheritance Shine with Splendor

Culture has its roots; intangible cultural heritage has its voice. The profound heritage of intangible cultural heritage injects uninterrupted and continuous (源源不断, yuan yuan bu duan - "source, source, not, continuous") momentum into the integrated development of culture and tourism in Luzhou District.

Inside the Splendid Embroidery Workshop, the provincial-level intangible cultural heritage of Shangdang women's needlework is innovating and developing through inheritance. Artisans integrate traditional stitching techniques with modern aesthetics to develop more than 400 cultural and creative products. A range of "Luzhou-exclusive gifts," such as Guanyin Hall hanging sculpture refrigerator magnets, duijin (stacked brocade) works, cloth tigers, and Lu wine, are exquisite, ingenious, and distinctive. They not only sell well domestically but also go abroad, vividly spreading the charm of Luzhou as a city.

At present, Luzhou District has 8 provincial-level intangible cultural heritage projects, 42 municipal-level projects, and 114 district-level projects, gathering 49 inheritors of intangible cultural heritage at various levels, with multiple intangible cultural heritage workshops and production demonstration bases established and put into operation. Traditional crafts that were once displayed in exhibition halls now enter the marketplace and come close to daily life, making local culture visible, playable, and tangible, continuously enriching the city's cultural tourism connotation and warming the city's vibrant, everyday atmosphere.

With mountains and waters as the foundation, cultural lineage as the core, and innovation as the wings, today's Luzhou District is transforming its ecological advantages and cultural heritage into developmental strengths, allowing the natural scenery of "eastern mountains and western waters" and the humanistic heritage accumulated over a thousand years to continue radiating new splendor, and striving to write a moving chapter of high-quality development through the integration of culture and tourism.

Data source: Luzhou District Convergence Media Center, Changzhi City

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Page editors: Zhang Ye, Yang Xiaoyu, Dong Wenxin

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Zheng Qinwen: The Best Version of Myself Is in the Present and the Future (Behind the Signature Moment)

By: 本报记者 李 硕 史 哲 季 芳

A Signature Moment

On October 11, the Diamond Court at the National Tennis Center witnessed a historic moment for Chinese tennis. Zheng Qinwen, competing on a wild card, defeated new French Open champion and Russian player Andreeva 7-5, 6-4 in the final of the women's singles at the 2026 China Open, becoming the first Chinese player to win the women's singles title in the tournament's twenty editions with seven consecutive victories. This is the sixth singles title of Zheng Qinwen's professional career, her first tour-level title since the Tokyo stop in 2024, and her first WTA (Women's Tennis Association) 1000-level title.

With a brilliant ACE (a serve that scores directly without the opponent touching the ball), Zheng Qinwen, who had just won her first China Open women's singles title, lay down on the court, fully releasing the joy of victory.

Breaking out after more than a year of injury-induced dormancy

"I thank the team members who have always been by my side; this year has been a very difficult one. Thank you to the audience and friends who supported me on site — this championship has a share belonging to you. Thank you to all the staff; the success of the tournament could not have happened without the support of all of you. Thank you, everyone." Zheng Qinwen expressed her gratitude sincerely after the match, and when she picked up the microphone to sing "Dream's Light Point," her dream shone into reality.

Behind this glory on home soil lies Zheng Qinwen's more than a year of injury-induced dormancy, difficult comeback, and quiet perseverance. Zheng Qinwen's path to the title was full of tests from the very beginning. In the first round against home player Shi Han, she endured a three-set battle to secure an opening victory, and then she passed the test of consecutive three-set battles to advance to the quarterfinals. Facing a host of high-level seeded players, Zheng Qinwen's offensive firepower continued to be unleashed, and by the end of the semifinals she had accumulated 219 winners, setting the record for the highest number of winners by a female player in a single event this season.

Zheng Qinwen spent her 24th birthday at the China Open. "I hope to always maintain a thirst for life and fight on match by match." Zheng Qinwen said she does not want to set grand goals for her new year of age, but only wants to act in a steady and reliable manner (踏踏实实, ta ta shi shi - "step step, real real") and move forward, to see what growth and answers the road ahead will bring.

"The low point helped me keep growing, keep improving, keep changing"

The past year was the most agonizing period of Zheng Qinwen's professional career. At the China Open a year ago, Zheng Qinwen, who was in the recovery period from an elbow injury, decided to make her comeback on home soil. That decision aggravated her injury and plunged her into the winter of her professional career. Long-term absence from the tour, consecutive defeats after her comeback, a sharp slide in the world rankings... She, who had once been ranked in the world's top ten, once fell outside the top 100.

"During the low point, I saw some of my own shortcomings, as well as some flaws in my character. The low point helped me keep growing, keep improving, keep changing." Zheng Qinwen said that when people are doing well, it is easy to be immersed in joy; it is only when they are at a low point that they force themselves to settle down, reflect, and change. "The low point is precisely the moment that can bring you the most progress. Do not be afraid; face it directly, and keep going day by day, because you cannot stay at a low point forever — there is always a time when you come back."

This long injury experience also allowed her to understand her body anew. "Through this long period of injury, I have gained a new understanding of my own body." Zheng Qinwen frankly admitted that in the past she often played by relying on sheer tenacity to tough it out, without clearly knowing where her body's limits were. Now she is slowly learning to understand her body, protect her body, and her coordination and communication with the team have also become much more mature and refined than before. "In the future, when faced with these problems again, I believe I will handle them better, and this will also bring positive changes to my tennis." Zheng Qinwen said.

To emerge from the predicament, Zheng Qinwen underwent closed-door intensive training at the IMG Tennis Academy before the US Open qualifying rounds. She set aside the glory of the past and started from zero. The settling down that came from letting go of her former status became the turning point of her comeback. At the US Open, she twice staged tenacious comebacks from 0-5 deficits; moving on to the China Open, her offensive firepower improved steadily. "I have always wanted to become a more aggressive player." Zheng Qinwen said, "In the past, I won matches more by relying on consistency and on opponents' errors; now, when I see an opportunity, I especially want to seize it." In the China Open final, Zheng Qinwen hit 24 winners, eight more than her opponent.

"I have always been on the road to becoming a better version of myself"

Many people say Zheng Qinwen has finally "come back." But in her view, "I have never wanted to find the self I used to be; I have always been on the road to becoming a better version of myself." Zheng Qinwen said she has always believed that her future self will definitely be better than her current self. "Nor do I think 2024 was my peak period; my peak is still ahead. There are indeed many areas where I can still improve, especially in high-pressure matches like these."

Many people rely on small things in daily life to heal themselves during low points, but what has sustained Zheng Qinwen through it all has always been tennis. "I have many happy moments, but what has always brought me the greatest emotional response is tennis." Zheng Qinwen said sincerely, "In the past it brought me a lot of pain, confusion, and tears, but of course it also brought me much joy of success, passion for life, and that feeling of striving together with everyone — these experiences are truly unique."

Today's Zheng Qinwen "does not let down any day, does not let down any training session, does not let down any match." She has always believed that the best version of herself is not in the past, but in the present and the future. For Zheng Qinwen, the low point is a badge of growth, and hardship is the cornerstone of advancement. Carrying love and an even-keeled mindset, she advances steadily on the court, calmly striding toward boundless growth and a more distant peak.

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Spectacular events deliver a rich experience

By: 本报记者 孙龙飞 潘俊强

When the score was finally fixed at 4:0, Chinese player Wang Manyu raised her arms to celebrate winning the women's singles title. On the evening of October 11, the 11-day 2026 WTT China Smash concluded at Beijing's Shougang Park, with the Chinese table tennis team claiming the women's doubles and women's singles titles.

In the women's singles final, Wang Manyu faced Japan's chopper Sato Hitomi. In this match, her opponent stepped up her attack in the second and fourth games, at one point keeping the score close; Wang Manyu firmly controlled the tempo of the match and withstood her opponent's counterattack at critical moments, ultimately winning four straight games and winning decisively and cleanly (干净利落, gan jing li luo - "clean, neat, decisive").

Earlier, Wang Manyu had teamed up with teammate Kuai Man to defeat the Japanese pair Miwa Harimoto/Hina Hayata, beating them again after the Nagoya Asian Games to take the women's doubles title. "This stop continued the good form I showed at the Asian Games," Wang Manyu said in her post-match summary. "Although I encountered various difficulties and challenges along the way, with the encouragement of my coaches and teammates, I actively overcame them all."

This is the third consecutive year that the China Smash has been held in Beijing. The main venue for the event was once a training venue for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, while the Smash Park is located at the foot of the Shougang Big Air "Snow Flying" ski jump. During the event, a big screen in the park broadcast live match footage for fans to watch in sync; many Chinese and foreign table tennis stars came to the park for face-to-face interactions with fans, allowing more ordinary people to experience the charm of table tennis up close. In addition, the park's photo-op spots were highly creative, the games were full of fun, and dozens of cultural and creative products at the official licensed store were snapped up... The immersive scene integrating "spectating, leisure, cultural tourism, and consumption" met the diverse needs of residents and visitors.

"Every time I come to Shougang Park, I am deeply moved." The post-Games utilization of the Beijing Winter Olympic venues has repeatedly surprised International Table Tennis Federation President Petra Sörling. She said: "In winter you watch snowboarders take to the air, and in autumn families watch table tennis at the Smash Park. This is what Olympic legacy should look like. This model can be promoted globally." She stated that the China Smash is no longer just "one stop on the Chinese circuit," but has become WTT's flagship event, offering much inspiration to other host cities around the world.

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2026 "Village BA" Southern Division Kicks Off

(People's Daily, Nanning, October 11) (Reporter Tao Xiang'an) The 2026 National Harmonious and Beautiful Village Basketball Tournament ("Village BA") Southern Division kicked off on the 11th in Qiaorong Village, Dafeng Township, Shanglin County, Nanning City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with 18 representative teams and over 210 farmer-athletes from nine provinces — Shanghai, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, and Yunnan — competing. The tournament lasts eight days, and on the 18th the top five teams of the Southern Division will be decided; together with the top five of the Northern Division and the top six of the Central Division (including the representative team of the finals host site), they will advance to the national finals. The finals will be held from October 24 to 29 in Xianfeng County, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hubei Province.

During the tournament, the host county Shanglin will launch a harvest market for the participating athletes and the broad masses of farmers, centrally showcasing Shanglin premium products, local delicacies, and intangible cultural heritage handicrafts, and promoting tourist routes, distinctive homestays, and other offerings. Leveraging the brand influence of "Village BA," it will deeply tap rural cultural tourism resources and forge a new engine for rural economic development.

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12th Beijing Municipal Disabled Persons' Games Conclude

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 11) (Reporter Shi Fang) On the 11th, the 12th Beijing Municipal Disabled Persons' Games, which lasted 42 days, came to a close. The Beijing Municipal Disabled Persons' Games are hosted by the Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation and are held once every four years. This edition was the largest in scale, with nearly 2,000 participants.

According to Yang Ming, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Cultural and Sports Service Center for Disabled Persons, the event lineup for this edition of the Games balanced tradition and innovation, featuring not only competitions such as track and field, swimming, table tennis, and chess, but also mass sports events like floor curling, as well as Paralympic events making their debut, including equestrian, frame racing, and rock climbing.

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Tide Surges on the West Bank, Rowers Take the Lead — Hexi District of Tianjin Answers with Solid Work as the 15th Five-Year Plan Begins

The tide surges along the west bank, and those who row hard take the lead.

Hexi District is the administrative center, financial center, commercial center, and cultural center of Tianjin Municipality. The efforts of the 14th Five-Year Plan have been written into a completed chapter, and the canvas of the 15th Five-Year Plan has already been unfurled. How will the answer be given? Hexi District's choice is clear and resolute — with "a strong economic district" as the goal and "a city of quality" as the foundation, turning the blueprint into scenery within sight through solid work.

Integrating into the broader coordinated development framework, expanding new space by leveraging momentum and pooling strength

Integrating into the broader framework of coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, Hexi District seizes the opportunities presented by the construction of the modern capital metropolitan area and the expansion of the Beijing International Science and Technology Innovation Center.

Collaborative innovation, building a key fulcrum of the Beijing-Tianjin Science and Technology Innovation Corridor. Hexi District operates Tiankai Hexi Park, Tianta Science and Technology Innovation Service Zone, and Chentang Science and Technology Innovation Park, promoting platforms such as the CETC Semiconductor Materials Innovation Center and the Tianjin Base of the National Engineering Research Center for Cryptographic Technology to unleash their full potential, and developing science and technology innovation services such as concept validation, pilot-scale and pilot-line testing, and professional managers.

Forming clusters and groups (建圈成群, jian quan cheng qun - "build, circle, become, group"), continuously cultivating and strengthening the headquarters economy ecosystem. Hexi District will expand the "handshake channels" with central enterprises, central academies, central research institutes, as well as high-quality foreign enterprises and private enterprises, serve the improvement of quality and efficiency of existing headquarters enterprises, introduce headquarters enterprises and platform institutions, and accelerate the building of a hundred-billion-yuan-level headquarters economy cluster.

Joint construction and shared benefits, deepening coordination in key areas. Hexi District will promote the continued expansion of "cross-provincial handling" of government services, deepen the construction of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei teaching and research community, expand mutual recognition of examination and inspection results among medical institutions, and promote docking and cooperation of elderly care resources.

Forging a strong industrial engine, cultivating new momentum in the course of advancing toward the new

The added value of the service industry in Hexi District accounts for over 94% of the regional gross domestic product. In the next five years, it will build a "3+3+5" modern industrial system and promote the extension of producer services toward specialization and the high end of the value chain.

Upgrading and improving the quality of the three leading industries. In the financial services field, extend toward new financial business forms such as venture capital funds and real estate investment trusts. In the science and technology services field, deepen cooperation with universities such as Nankai University and Tianjin University. In the digital economy field, develop high-value-added business forms such as the data industry and software services.

The three characteristic industries are building momentum and racing to develop. In the commercial trade and shipping field, extend toward high-end business forms such as cross-border e-commerce and four-party logistics. In the design services field, leverage the advantages of the "Northern Design Alliance" and support enterprises in "going abroad in groups." In the commercial services field, enrich high-end supply such as professional consulting and human resources.

Accelerating the deployment of moves in the five new tracks. In the biomedicine field, promote the development of the Tianjin Life and Health Industry Park, and strengthen innovation platforms such as the BD Medical (Tianjin) Life and Health Innovation Center and the Tianjin High-End Medical Device Joint Innovation Center. In the embodied intelligence field, strengthen the 764 Embodied Intelligence Industrial Theme Park. In the commercial aerospace field, with Huoyan Position as the chain leader, improve the entire chain of research and development, manufacturing, and application. In the low-altitude economy field, build a low-altitude digital industry cluster zone and a pilot zone for flight safety assurance. In the advanced semiconductor materials field, relying on the technological advantages of the 46th Research Institute of CETC, link with the Haihe Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Electronic Materials to build a semiconductor innovation highland.

Meticulously refining the urban fabric, investing painstaking effort to bring forth a new look

Hexi District adheres to the intensive development of the city.

Following greenness toward the new, the 7.7-kilometer urban greenway ecological leisure belt integrates the "Jinlv Shiguang Hao" train IP, revitalizing the "rust belt" of industrial heritage into the "embroidery belt" of citizens' lives.

Traveling along the river, the Haihe cultural, tourism, sports, and commerce integrated development belt links People's Park, Jinrong Tiandi, the Tianjin Bay Yacht Marina, and the Haihe Liulin Creative City, and the cultural center quality consumption vitality zone will introduce brand merchants and quality first stores.

Exploring alleys in search of the new, accelerating the advancement of urban renewal projects such as Hongqi Xinli and Haihe Liulin, doing a good job of "micro-renewal" of the city, and coordinating the implementation of projects such as pipeline network renewal, pocket park renovation, street facade improvement, and sidewalk greening and repair.

Strengthening livelihood guarantees, focusing on "the elderly and the young" to convey new warmth

Hexi District highlights all-age friendliness and district-wide livability, and handles practical livelihood matters with dedication and care.

Elderly care and childcare are warmer. Hexi District continues to polish the brand of home-based elderly care services, expand the application scenarios of "smart elderly care," and develop integrated medical and elderly care services. The "Jincai Xiyu" childcare brand will also make simultaneous efforts to improve the "1+N" childcare service system.

First-rate education is of higher quality. Hexi District optimizes the allocation of educational resources, adheres to "simultaneous development of five aspects of education," deepens the construction of the "Smart Education Demonstration Zone" and the pilot zone for youth football talent cultivation reform, builds a team of educator-type party secretaries and principals, and cultivates socialist builders and successors who are well developed morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically, and labor-wise.

Residents' health is better guaranteed. Hexi District makes good use of the resource advantages of tertiary hospitals stationed in the district, promotes the construction of compact urban medical consortia, improves the hierarchical diagnosis and treatment mechanism, and promotes the distinctive development of district-affiliated secondary hospitals.

Striving forward in the 15th Five-Year Plan, Hexi District is using the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region as the strategic traction, forging the development engine with the "3+3+5" industries, meticulously refining the city of quality with painstaking effort, and laying the foundation of happiness with the warmth of people's livelihood. The blueprint has been drawn, and solid work provides the answer — on the west bank of the Haihe River, vitality is surging.

Data source: Publicity Department of the CPC Tianjin Hexi District Committee

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Page editors: Luo Yan, Gao Ji, Cao Jiwei

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Using Books as a Bridge to Tell China's Story to Global Readers (International Perspective)

By: 本报记者 刘仲华 郭梓云

On October 11, the five-day 78th Frankfurt Book Fair concluded at the Frankfurt Exhibition Center in Germany. This year's fair attracted more than 4,000 publishing institutions from over 100 countries and regions, showcasing the innovative vitality of the global publishing industry.

China National Publications Import and Export (Group) Corporation organized more than 80 domestic publishing and cultural units to make a collective appearance under the unified image of "Read China," exhibiting more than 3,000 titles and over 4,600 volumes of fine books, and holding 55 publishing and cultural exchange activities including thematic seminars, author dialogues, copyright signing ceremonies, and new book launches, comprehensively presenting the achievements of China's publishing industry and building a bridge for the international community to understand China and for the exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

"Understanding China's Path, China's Governance, and China's Principles"

"Good stories change everything" — stepping into the Frankfurt Exhibition Center, this striking theme slogan catches the eye first. Book posters line both sides of the corridor in a dazzling array (琳琅满目, lin lang man mu - "forest, forest, full, eye"), readers from various countries move back and forth through the exhibition halls, and publishers converse animatedly in the negotiation areas. As one of the world's largest and most influential publishing industry events and copyright trading platforms, the Frankfurt Book Fair is a vital hub for international academic exchange and cross-cultural dialogue. At this year's fair, the China joint pavilion of more than 330 square meters (see photo, taken by People's Daily reporter Liu Zhonghua) integrated exhibition display, copyright negotiation, cultural exchange, and interactive experiences, using books as the medium to tell China's story to readers around the globe.

In the thematic book exhibition area, multilingual editions of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China and Selected Readings from the Works of Xi Jinping were displayed in prominent positions, attracting many exhibitors and readers to stop and study them. The Learning Publishing House booth presented theoretical books including the Outline of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era (2023 Edition). Huang Qiang, editor-in-chief of the Learning Publishing House, said: "At present, studying the Communist Party of China and interpreting China's development path has become a prominent field of study in the international academic community. If the world truly wants to understand China, the core lies in gaining an in-depth understanding of the Communist Party of China's governance philosophy and governing practice, and in understanding China's path, China's governance, and China's principles."

At the thematic seminar "China in the New Era and the World," new books including China from an Economic Perspective: An Analysis under the Global Development Initiative (Spanish and French editions) met readers. China Social Sciences Press launched the English editions of four works including China's Economy Toward the 15th Five-Year Plan. Mr. Schön, director of the German publisher IUDICIUM, said these works have taken an important step in enhancing the international community's understanding of the real China and deepening exchange and mutual learning.

China Development Press held overseas launch events for the Chinese and English editions of China Development Report 2026 and Global Development Report 2026 (Key Points). Walter Döring, president of the German Hidden Champions Academy, said the two reports have opened a window for European readers to observe contemporary China, presenting the vivid practice of Chinese modernization and showing European political and business circles a real, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive China. "The reports can help German entrepreneurs and policy researchers understand China's development logic and seize new opportunities for a win-win situation for all parties involved (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual, benefit; together, win")."

"The visibility and recognition of Chinese books in the international community continue to rise"

Thought and scholarship build a solid foundation for dialogue, while diverse and vivid creative expressions give China's story a contemporary face with greater tension and warmth. From the Long March-themed art exhibition to the series on ancient Shu civilization, from the transformation of classic IP (intellectual property) to illustrations of everyday street life, fine traditional Chinese culture radiates contemporary vitality through creative transformation and innovative development, allowing overseas audiences to experience the charm of Chinese culture through immersive experiences.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. New World Press launched the series of themed activities "The Long March: Let the World Understand China," releasing multilingual editions of Suffering and Faith: Oral Histories of the Last Survivors of the Long March and holding a supporting Long March-themed art exhibition. Hida, director of the Albanian publisher Fan Noli, said the reason the Long March can transcend national borders and resonate with people lies in the fact that it profoundly interprets universal human values and qualities such as faith, perseverance, and unity.

Sichuan University Press, together with Springer Nature Group, completed the global launch of the English edition of the series Sanxingdui–Jinsha: Ancient Shu Civilization in the Bronze Age, sharing China's archaeological research achievements with the international academic community. Hebei Publishing & Media Group held a promotion event for high-quality Hebei IP: the "Jimei Journey to the West IP," based on classic comic books, promotes the overseas dissemination of mythological stories through multilingual output and animation creation; the "Huazhongshu IP" incorporates embroidery craftsmanship into book design, making the reading of classics more aesthetically pleasing. Liaoning Science and Technology Press launched the "Fangcun Yixiang — Chinese Cuisine Theme Illustration Exhibition," blending clay-oven barbecue, candied hawthorn skewers, Dragon Boat Festival boat racing, and everyday teahouse scenes within a small frame. Wang Yongzheng, person in charge of the Panda Bookstore booth under Xinhua Winshare, said Chinese IP products, including panda cultural and creative merchandise, can approach audiences in various countries in a more friendly and warmer way, leading them to understand the history, geography, and cultural connotations behind the products and better presenting China's image.

"The China joint pavilion is not only beautifully and impressively arranged, but its professionalism also improves year by year, with a rich variety of activities such as publishing cooperation and copyright transactions." Jürgen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, told People's Daily reporters that books are an indispensable bond for communication between people — people express themselves through books and deepen understanding through exchanging thoughts after reading. "The visibility and recognition of Chinese books in the international community continue to rise, and through various forms such as audiobooks, film and television adaptations of books, and cultural and creative merchandise, overseas audiences' understanding of China is further deepened."

"Looking forward to European and Chinese publishing circles each displaying their own unique talents and strengths (各展所长, ge zhan suo chang - "each, display, possess, strength") and complementing each other's respective strengths (优势互补, you shi hu bu - "advantage, mutual, complement"), injecting lasting vitality into the global flow of knowledge"

With books as the bridge and culture as the connection. During the fair, Chinese and foreign publishing institutions signed multiple cooperation agreements. The intensive Sino-foreign academic exchanges and author dialogues highlight the profound depth of mutual learning among civilizations.

UK-based Balestier Press signed an agreement with Henan Fine Arts Publishing House on the export of the English copyright of The Yangshao Era, helping Yangshao culture go global. Science Press, Chongqing University Press, and several other institutions signed cooperation agreements with Springer Nature Group. Pan Wanhe, executive vice president of the group, said the international influence of Chinese culture and scientific research strength is increasing steadily day by day (与日俱增, yu ri ju zeng - "with, sun, follow, increase"), and the high-level professional content provided by Chinese publishing institutions has attracted much attention. He expressed hope for further expanding cooperation space and accelerating the transformation of China's outstanding scientific research achievements into international academic publications.

At the event "Sino-German Dialogue Salon: Cross-Cultural Translation of Philosophical Language," German sinologist Cord Eberspächer said that accurately translating China's governance philosophy into German helps German readers objectively understand the real China. "I have participated in the book fair many times and witnessed the continuous improvement of the professional level of China's publishing industry. I look forward to the Chinese industry continuing to expand its communication power and triggering cross-cultural resonance at a deeper level."

In literary exchange activities, Chinese writer Zhang Yiwei and German writer Jande Seck and other guests held a dialogue on everyday urban life, exploring how strangers can break through alienation and become "one of us." Seck said: "Literature allows readers to see themselves in others' stories and resonate with them. Through reading Chinese works and face-to-face exchanges, I feel that the distance between me and China has been greatly narrowed."

The friendly exchanges between Chinese and European cities also added a vivid footnote to this year's book fair. During the fair, the launch ceremony was held for The Biography of Frankfurt: From an Ancient Ferry Crossing to an International Financial City, part of the "Biographies of 100 Cities along the Silk Road" series. Matthias Pfeifer, a member of the Frankfurt City Council, said cross-cultural exchange is especially precious. "Books are the best bridge connecting people. When Chinese authors write about the history of Frankfurt, and when readers from both countries discuss history, culture, and contemporary life together, sincere mutual understanding is born at that moment."

Tim Kersley, chief executive officer of global publishing operations at the BMJ, said the complementary advantages of European and Chinese academic publishing are remarkable. Chinese institutions are deeply rooted in the fertile soil of scientific research and possess irreplaceable high-quality academic resources. "I look forward to European and Chinese publishing circles each displaying their own unique talents and strengths and complementing each other's respective strengths, injecting lasting vitality into the global flow of knowledge."

(People's Daily, Frankfurt, Germany, October 11)

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A Monument Reflects Japan's Historical Cognition Dilemma (Global Notes)

By: 肖新新

Not long ago, a monument commemorating the victory over militarist Japan was inaugurated in Khabarovsk, the capital of Russia's Far Eastern Khabarovsk Krai. In the more than a month since its unveiling, many schools have incorporated it into their autumn patriotic study tour routes. The monument has already become a well-known check-in point in the region for commemorating the victory in World War II.

The sculpture depicts a Soviet Red Army soldier holding a rifle and smashing a Japanese militarist-era boundary marker bearing a chrysanthemum design in two, freezing the historical moment of victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. It is the largest monument of its kind in Russia to date. Faced with this historical monument, Japan has reacted strongly. The day before the unveiling, the Japanese Consulate General in Khabarovsk made an urgent démarche, demanding the removal of the chrysanthemum design representing the Japanese imperial family from the boundary marker; Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae went so far as to speak out publicly, "strongly demanding the dismantling" of the entire monument on the grounds that it "hurts the feelings of the nation." In response, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Peskov made clear that Russia has never forgotten the history of Japanese militarist aggression, nor the victory won in the anti-fascist war. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova went further, saying bluntly that Japan's demand is as absurd as asking to "stop the wind from blowing and the sun from shining," and that Japan should not impose its own problem of ignoring history on others. Khabarovsk Krai Governor Demeshin said that Japan's reaction was "extremely excessive," which instead convinced the Russian side that "we did the right thing."

In fact, this is not the first time Japan has "broken down" over historical memorials. In recent years, from the United States to Canada, from Germany to Australia, and to the Philippines, World War II memorial facilities established by multiple countries have all encountered obstruction from Japan. In April this year, a plan to erect a statue on the theme of "comfort women" in Auckland, New Zealand, was forced to be shelved due to Japanese interference. Any clear-eyed person can see that Japan's treating something with extreme alarm or hostility (如临大敌, ru lin da di - "as if, face, great, enemy") toward monuments and statues that record history one after another is, in essence, an attempt by Japanese right-wing forces to cover up historical truth and evade war guilt.

More than 80 years after the war, Japan has consistently maintained an improper attitude toward the history of aggression. With regard to crimes against humanity such as the Nanjing Massacre, the forced conscription of "comfort women," and the atrocities of colonial rule, Japanese society has not conducted a thorough reflection and reckoning. The repeated falsification of history textbooks and the visits by political figures to the so-called "Yasukuni Shrine" are common occurrences. In recent years, Japan has also shown dangerous militarist tendencies in multiple fields.

Since the Takaichi Sanae government came to power, Japan's "remilitarization" process has visibly accelerated: greatly expanding the defense budget, relaxing restrictions on arms exports, pushing to revise the core provisions of the "peace constitution," testing abandoning the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles," deploying offensive weaponry...A series of actions have advanced step by step, already exceeding the basic framework of "exclusive defense" and constituting a substantive breakthrough in the postwar peace system. At the ideological level, Japanese right-wing forces continue to promote historical revisionism, creating a soil of public opinion for military loosening by beautifying the history of aggression and downplaying war guilt. Koshkin, a member of the executive council of the Russian Association of World War II Historians, said that the ideological poison of militarism is spreading in Japanese society, and that many young people lacking war memories, influenced by right-wing propaganda, harbor unrealistic expectations of Japan becoming a military power.

This Russian monument commemorates the common victory of the World Anti-Fascist War and warns of the real risk of a resurgence of something previously suppressed or extinguished (死灰复燃, si hui fu ran - "dead, ashes, return, burn") of militarism. For Japan, what is needed is to erect in its cognition a warning monument that faces history squarely and reflects on guilt.

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No Chinese citizens reported dead or injured in Riyadh airport attack

(People's Daily, Riyadh, October 11) (Reporter Ren Haoyu) The Saudi Arabian General Authority of Civil Aviation issued a statement in the early hours of the 11th, saying that King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh was attacked on the 10th, resulting in 12 deaths and 309 injuries. The Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia said on the 11th that there have been no reports of Chinese citizen casualties so far.

The Chinese Embassy in Saudi Arabia said that King Khalid International Airport remains suspended from operation, and large-scale anomalies have appeared at airports in many parts of the country. The embassy reminded Chinese-funded institutions and Chinese citizens in Saudi Arabia to firmly establish a mindset of risk prevention (牢固树立, laogu shuli - "firmly, establish"), reduce unnecessary outings, remain calm, and ensure personal safety. Passengers planning to travel by air are asked to maintain close contact with relevant airlines to avoid affecting their itineraries. Chinese citizens planning to transit through Saudi Arabia should carefully consider the current aviation situation in Saudi Arabia. Strictly abide by local laws and regulations, and do not photograph, publish, or disseminate any photos or videos related to Saudi government agencies and military units, foreign embassies and consulates, military activities, or attacks suffered.

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UN Secretary-General Condemns Houthi Attack on Saudi Airport

(Xinhua News Agency, United Nations, October 10) (Reporter Shang Xuqian) UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement on the 10th condemning the Houthi armed forces' attack that day on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.

The statement said that Guterres was deeply shocked by the Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport, which killed 12 people and injured hundreds, and strongly condemned it. Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international law and must cease immediately.

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Europeans rally in solidarity with Palestine, urging Israel to halt military operations

(Xinhua News Agency, London/Athens, October 10) Pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held on the 10th in Britain, Greece, Germany, and other European countries, with demonstrators calling on Israel to stop its military operations in the Gaza Strip.

According to British media reports, thousands of people held a demonstration in central London that day. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and held up placards reading "Stop the genocide" and "Free Palestine," calling on the British government to stop supplying weapons to Israel.

The demonstration route passed landmarks including Big Ben and Westminster Bridge, finally reaching the vicinity of the British Prime Minister's residence for a rally. Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of the British Labour Party and a member of the House of Commons, delivered a speech at the rally expressing support for Palestine and condemning Israel's atrocities.

In Athens, Greece, demonstrators chanted slogans such as "Free Palestine" and "Stop the massacre" as they marched to protest in front of the Israeli Embassy in Greece and the U.S. Embassy in Greece. Demonstrators called on Israel to stop its military operations in the Gaza Strip and end its occupation of Palestinian territory. Peti Perka, a lawmaker from Greece's New Left party, said in an interview: "The Palestinian people have endured hunger and genocide, yet have never been able to obtain justice. That is why we took to the streets today."

Pro-Palestinian marches were also held on the 10th in Berlin, the German capital, and Dublin, the capital of Ireland.

The new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has now lasted a full three years since it broke out on October 7, 2023. The first-phase ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 ended large-scale hostilities in the Gaza Strip, but drone strikes and military operations continue to this day. Data from the Gaza Strip health authorities on the 7th of this month show that over the past three years, Israeli military operations have killed more than 74,000 Palestinians and wounded 175,000; since the ceasefire agreement took effect in October 2025, more than 1,500 people have been killed and more than 5,000 wounded.

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Multilateral cooperation is the most effective way to address global risks

By: 本报记者 刘 刚

The Global Risks Report 2026 recently released by the United Nations shows that the various risks facing the world today are intertwined with one another (相互交织, xiang hu jiao zhi - "mutually, interlace") and overlapping with one another (相互叠加, xiang hu die jia - "mutually, overlap"), making the global risk landscape more complex, with no single actor able to cope alone. The report stresses that enhanced coordinated action by governments remains the most effective way to address global risks, and that the international community should strengthen multilateral cooperation and join hands to meet the challenges posed by multiple risks that are interwoven and overlapping.

This is the second report of its kind released by the United Nations following its first global risk survey in 2024. The survey was conducted from February to April this year, gathering the views of more than 1,300 individuals from governments, international organizations, the private sector, civil society, and academia across all regions of the world. Respondents assessed 28 global risks across five areas — political, economic, environmental, social, and technological — with the criteria including the significance of the risks, their urgency, the degree of interconnection among them, and the preparedness of multilateral institutions to respond.

The survey results show that, compared with two years ago, large-scale war has risen 16 places in the ranking of risk urgency, the largest increase of all risks. Thirty-six percent of respondents believe a large-scale war could occur within one year, and 76 percent believe it could occur within seven years. Risks that also rose significantly in the ranking include international financial crises, supply chain collapse, and cybersecurity issues; those that fell most sharply include biodiversity degradation, large-scale environmental pollution, and scarcity of natural resources. The report also notes that respondents' attention to environmental risks has declined compared with two years ago, yet inadequate response to climate change, natural disasters, and natural resource shortages are still regarded as relatively important challenges.

By sub-category, the importance of technological risks has increased markedly compared with two years ago, with risks related to artificial intelligence and frontier technologies being particularly prominent. By regional distribution, all seven regions covered by the survey listed large-scale war and geopolitical tensions among their top ten threats, with six regions placing them among the top five; two years ago, these two risks ranked in the top five in only one region.

It is worth noting that political, economic, environmental, social, and technological risks do not exist in isolation, but rather are interacting with one another (相互影响, xiang hu yin xiang - "mutually, influence") and reinforcing one another (相互加强, xiang hu jia qiang - "mutually, strengthen"), forming a complex risk system that further amplifies the overall impact of risks. The report holds that risks such as breakdown of the rule of law, large-scale war, and geopolitical tensions occupy key positions in this system and are important drivers of other risks; if mishandled, they could trigger chain reactions. For example, debt risks and weak growth may fuel financial risks and social injustice; inadequate response to climate change may lead to more natural disasters, forcing more people to be displaced. When these outcomes are compounded, they will seriously undermine social cohesion.

The report's analysis points out that weak governance and coordination mechanisms hinder the effective management of nearly all risks, and that the lack of consensus is the main obstacle to resolving risks. Multilateral action by the international community is the most effective measure for addressing global risks, and is particularly important for reducing geopolitical tensions and preventing large-scale conflict.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted in the report that the global risk landscape has become more complex, with more risk factors, and no country, no enterprise, and no institution can face these risks alone. "This report provides a basis for our decision-making. We have a responsibility to use this knowledge wisely for present and future generations, and to act while cooperation can still shape a safer path," Guterres said.

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Panamanian government declares state of emergency in response to strong earthquake

(Xinhua News Agency, Panama City, October 10) (Reporters Xu Yongzheng, Li Jiaxu) The Panamanian government announced on the 10th that it has declared a state of emergency in response to the strong earthquake, coordinating disaster relief and assistance efforts.

Aureliaque, minister of the Presidency of Panama, said at a press conference held at the presidential palace that day that the government has declared a state of emergency, requiring all departments and public institutions to be ready for immediate action (随时待命, sui shi dai ming - "any time, wait, command"), allocate necessary resources, and provide assistance to affected residents.

Aureliaque said that Panamanian President Mulino has instructed the establishment of a special committee responsible for coordinating disaster relief operations and coordinating assistance resources. The government has set up a disaster relief supplies collection point in the capital, Panama City, and provincial governments will also receive donated materials from society.

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred at 12:56 local time on the 9th in Panama, with its epicenter located approximately 39 kilometers northwest of Tonosí in Los Santos Province. The earthquake caused damage to residences, schools, medical facilities, roads, and public buildings in multiple areas. At present, the Panamanian government is continuously assessing the disaster situation and carrying out rescue operations.

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Page editors: Yue Linwei, Liu Gang, Wan Yu

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Shangyu, Shaoxing, Zhejiang: Let Youth and Hometown Meet in a Two-Way Journey

Shangyu District, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province — a land of five mountains, one river, and four parts farmland — is becoming a hotbed for young people moving to the countryside to develop.

In the past three years, Shangyu District has built 3 rural talent entrepreneurship parks and 16 youth-in-rural practice sites, covering specialty industries such as planting and breeding, agricultural e-commerce, and agricultural innovation study tours. Cumulatively, it has attracted 18,000 young people to start businesses and find employment in the countryside, driving more than 11,000 farming households to increase their income by over 350 million yuan.

In August this year, Shangyu District was selected for the first batch of Zhejiang Province's youth-in-rural development reform pilots. Centering on seven major areas — working mechanisms, policy supply, factor support, capacity building and empowerment, and others — it is committed to blazing a trail for youth development in the countryside.

Talent is the key to comprehensive rural revitalization. As young people bring their drive and aspirations to develop in the countryside, the picture of comprehensive rural revitalization gains a moving scene of "two-way running" between youth and the countryside.

The Youth's "Entry"

What can young people do when they move to the countryside to develop, and where do they start? Shangyu District's answer is: first pave a road, so that young people dare to come in and can get in.

Stepping into the "Zero Innovation Bay · Hongyan" entrepreneurship space, the "four-zero services" — zero rent for space, zero running around for registration, zero cost for utilities, zero distance for training — first relieve young people of their burdens and concerns. The provincial-level modern agricultural innovation park, Shangyu's "Wisdom · Convergence" Agricultural Innovation Park, joins hands with the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences. In its 140-mu incubation base, smart greenhouses, the Internet of Things, and expert service stations are all available, with free professional guidance throughout the entire process of planting, management, and sales, as well as subsidies.

This year, Shangyu District has also linked up with local market entities to open more than 160 positions and launched the "100 Experiences of Going to Work" plan, allowing young students to explore the mountains, forests, fertile fields, villages, and workshops to feel the pulse of things before graduation.

With the "road" in place, "signposts" also need to be set up.

Lianjiang Primary School in Shangpu Town sat idle for years after its closure, until a group of young people pushed open its doors — classrooms were transformed into a youth hostel and restaurant, the playground was set up with canopies to become a camping site, and the vacant school buildings became a "youth retirement home" exclusively for young people to relax and unwind. Kaoxi'ao Reservoir in Huihuang Village, Changtang Town, nestled among bamboo seas and rarely visited by people, was developed ecologically by a young maker team and became the healing camp "Cuicui Forest" not far from the city. An entrepreneurial young person from Anji County, Huzhou City, "moved" an umbrella factory wholesale to the countryside, settling in Zhuwencun, Songsheng Subdistrict, and also renovated idle old grain warehouses nearby to open the village café Guangyin SkyBuddy, achieving a parallel development of "hard industry + soft business formats."

By promoting the "space manager" model and exploring the "village collective + young makers + farming households" operation method, in the first half of this year, Shangyu District cumulatively introduced 179 agricultural, cultural, and tourism business formats, revitalized 2.906 million square meters of idle rural housing, and drove village collectives to increase their income by 290 million yuan.

From building entrepreneurship platforms to revitalizing idle spaces, Shangyu District uses policy support and model innovation to help youthful energy continuously activate the vitality of the countryside.

The "Backing" That Accompanies the Journey

Leaving campus, leaving the workplace, heading to the vast countryside to start businesses and do work — the greatest fear is fighting alone.

Young people starting businesses in the countryside generally face two hurdles: first, a lack of practical confidence and a need for help with legal issues — ordinary legal advisors are expensive and don't understand the countryside; second, a lack of resources and connections — policy applications and financing matchmaking are hard to get started, and they urgently need experienced people to show the way.

A group of people makes difficulties solving problems easily (迎刃而解, ying ren er jie - "meet, arrive, at, solve"). Shangyu District has incorporated youth-in-rural development into the construction of a "Maker City," formed a team of entrepreneurship mentors, and promoted pairing between new and old makers, resolving more than 260 technical and market problems. It has established the Yu Makers Alliance, bringing together nearly 1,200 members through a structure of "1 general association + 20 town and subdistrict branches + 2 industry branches," allowing a "makers help makers" atmosphere to grow naturally. In the first half of this year, the Yu Makers College trained more than 6,000 maker participants, and activities such as "Yu Makers Afternoon Tea" and entrepreneurship salons promoted cross-field collision and collective development among young people.

A set of mechanisms puts safeguards into practice. Shangyu District has implemented the "Ten Measures for Worry-Free Entrepreneurship" and established a special fund with a total scale of 300 million yuan. The "Yu Makers LINK" platform allows more than 50 business matters to be handled on a mobile phone. "Yu Makers Loan" and "Yu Makers Insurance" work in tandem, having issued more than 51 million yuan in loans benefiting more than 320 projects, gradually forming an institutionalized risk-closure loop of "support for entrepreneurship, protection in failure."

The district level sets up the framework, and each township and subdistrict, based on its own industrial foundation and resource endowments, breaks it down into "at-your-doorstep" implementation support.

Xinzhaicun, Xiaoyue Subdistrict, relying on the "Meirenlong No. 1" cultural landmark, innovates a "rural entrepreneurship visa" and builds a three-level advancement system of "apprentice villager — new villager — rural partner." Yonghe Town, leveraging the "connecting to Ningbo" opportunity, has launched three maker spaces and two cultural tourism zones, bringing in more than 130 makers and 17 projects. The southern Yushan mountainous area jointly builds a common prosperity area; Dingzhai Township, with its "immortal fruit + makers" brand, attracts 4 enterprises and 10 teams to take root, using the "youth partner" model to bring in makers with light assets. In Daoxu Subdistrict, 8 young makers initiated the district's first township-level venture capital fund, "Venture Capital Jiangnan," attracting cultural tourism projects such as the "Guyue Embroidery and Weaving Revival Plan" to settle and take root.

In addition, to adapt to the development pace of new business formats, the Shangyu District government proactively liaises with State Grid Shaoxing Power Supply Company to coordinate the upgrading of the rural power grid. Based on the electricity needs of maker projects, through a series of measures such as adding distribution capacity, optimizing line layouts, standardizing electricity access, and investigating and rectifying line hazards, it improves the district's overall power supply capacity and load-carrying capability from the root. It simultaneously promotes refined operation and maintenance of power supply equipment across the district, comprehensively renovates old lines, continuously optimizes power supply quality, and lays a solid foundation for the high-quality development of rural common prosperity business formats.

On the entrepreneurial road there are companions, and in grassroots governance there are young people. At present, more than 400 entrepreneurial village affairs workers have integrated into the village "two committees" teams, promoting mutual reinforcement between entrepreneurship and governance, allowing positive interaction to take root and grow in the countryside.

The Shared "Fruits"

Attracting people in is the start, taking root is the key, and integrating and achieving excellence is the goal.

The golden signboard of "Four Seasons Immortal Fruits" has been operated by Shangyu District for many years. This year, the district, guided by the development of the entire industry chain of "Four Seasons Immortal Fruits," uses "one plate of fruit" to leverage "a city's common prosperity."

In Dingzhai Township, the "Immortal Fruit Town," strawberries and mulberries have been planted for years, with aging varieties and prices that can't rise. Returning young people introduced new strawberry varieties in the "Agricultural Innovation Wisdom Valley" intelligent unmanned farm, promoting good varieties and good methods to farming households. At the same time, they introduced long-fruited mulberries with unique flavors to open the market through differentiation, giving old fruit products new value.

Facing the old problem of bayberries having "abundant harvests but no income, selling for one season and eating for a year," returning young people built their own distillery, developing bayberry liquor and bayberry-infused wine. This year, targeting the "slightly tipsy" demand of young consumer groups, they launched a sparkling wine production line. From bayberry planting, distillery production, to product packaging, it has driven employment for 236 surrounding farming households, absorbed 10 low-income households, achieved an average monthly income increase of 3,000 yuan per person, and purchases nearly 30,000 kilograms of surrounding bayberries annually.

The "ways to play" in the countryside are also being gradually enriched by young people.

In Lingnan Township, young makers string farms, homestays, camps, cultural creativity, and e-commerce into one chain, making the once-obscure valley lively. Surrounding villagers followed suit by opening homestays, selling local products, and working at the camps, gaining new livelihoods at their doorsteps. At present, the township has more than 40 distinctive homestays and more than 10 cafés and cultural creative spaces, receiving over 700,000 visitors in 2025, with comprehensive tourism revenue exceeding 65 million yuan.

The Yao Chi area of Zaoli Lake in Lianghu Subdistrict has gathered two high-quality returning-entrepreneurship projects: the "Tuojing · Shikongshan" lakeside camping site and the Yaochi Shanyu specialty restaurant. The projects are adjacent in layout and develop complementarily. Among them, the Yaochi Shanyu specialty restaurant revitalized idle duck sheds in the village through renovation and upgrading, creating a local specialty catering brand and effectively activating idle rural resources.

In Zhangzhen Town, kiwifruit branches that could previously only be burned as firewood are now processed by returning young people into cat teaser sticks and pet toys. Organized for production through common prosperity workshops, monthly sales have exceeded 200,000 units, exported far to Europe and America via cross-border e-commerce, driving idle labor to increase income by more than 2 million yuan. Following this "pet track" and relying on the local children's clothing industry base, many young people have returned from big cities to make pet fashion, pushing this small town to blaze a cross-industry path of "children's clothing + pets" in its "second entrepreneurship."

Youth development in the countryside is a "two-way running" between youth and the countryside. When policies are more integrated, platforms more professional, supporting services more heartwarming, and channels more open, the countryside is not just "a scenic spot" in young people's lives, but also "a fertile field" where they are willing to take root and can achieve excellence.

Data source: Publicity Department of the CPC Shangyu District Committee, Shaoxing

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Fuzhou: A City of a Thousand Charms Embracing All Rivers (A Chinese City Through Foreign Eyes)

By: 本报记者 施 钰

At the shore of the East China Sea, where the Min River flows into the sea, Fuzhou in Fujian embraces the river and kisses the sea, a hundred waterways nourish the city, and clusters of green surround the city walls.

This nationally renowned historical and cultural city has grown along its central axis from north to south over more than 2,200 years of urban history. From the Xindian Ancient City ruins and the Western Han Yecheng ruins, to the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys and Zhuzi Lane, and further to Shangxiahang and Yantaishan, a profound cultural lineage of a thousand years has settled, engraved with the open imprint of a city born facing the sea. Fuzhou adheres to the principle of protection first, ensuring that ancient dwellings are preserved, traditional crafts are passed down, and urban memories are carried forward, displaying the Min capital's charm of being broad-minded and inclusive (海纳百川，有容乃大, hai na bai chuan, you rong nai da - "sea, accept, hundred, rivers").

Tracing Footprints in Lanes and Alleys, Reading the Roots of Cultural Lineage Through Local Customs

The Three Lanes and Seven Alleys Historical and Cultural District is a renowned cultural attraction along Fuzhou's central axis. Strolling here, one can savor a spoonful of soft taro paste, taste a bite of springy fish balls, and also experience distinctive intangible cultural heritage projects such as ox-horn combs and oil-paper umbrellas.

"Thirty years ago when friends came to Fuzhou, the first stop I brought them to was the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys; today when friends visit, my first choice remains the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys. I believe this is the heart of Fuzhou," said Turkish businessman Aladdin Colak. Having lived in Fuzhou for 31 years, he is worthy of the name (名副其实, ming fu qi shi - "name, match, actual, reality") a "Fuzhou expert." In Colak's memory, although Fuzhou already showed the appearance of a modern city from the 1990s, the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys has always frozen time, allowing profound historical heritage and vibrant everyday life to blend and coexist.

The Three Lanes and Seven Alleys originated in the Jin Dynasty, took shape in the Tang Dynasty, and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has long been known as a "living fossil of the urban lane system," a "museum of Ming and Qing architecture," and a "gathering place of modern celebrities," having produced notable figures such as Lin Zexu, Yan Fu, Shen Baozhen, and Lin Juemin. In the 1990s, the former residence of Lin Juemin in the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys faced demolition. When Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee, learned of this, he immediately convened an on-site working meeting and decided on the spot to protect and restore it. At the meeting, Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must, in our hands, do a good job of protecting, restoring, and utilizing the city's cultural relics. Not only must we not allow them to be damaged, but we must also make them even more splendid and pass them on to future generations."

Since then, Fuzhou has adhered to the principle of "not altering the original state of cultural relics," and has continuously carried out restoration work on the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys using a protection model of "tooth-inlaying, gradual, micro-circulation, small-scale, and uninterrupted," striving to faithfully restore the original appearance of ancient buildings. The district has also successively launched various exhibitions and displays, introducing Fuzhou's outstanding intangible cultural heritage presentation formats, so that the historical lineage, the ancient city's appearance, and urban memories can be continued and passed down. "Ancient buildings have gained new life, streets and lanes are clean and pleasant, and Fuzhou is carrying forward culture in a living way," Colak said. Historical culture is the best business card of a city; no matter how time passes, the charm of the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys remains.

In early September this year, heads of several South Korean travel agencies visited Fuzhou to inspect tourism routes, planning to organize South Korean tourists to visit from November this year to March next year, with the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys as a must-visit item. The person introducing the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys to South Korean tourists is Yu Ho-in, a young South Korean historian. As a specially invited foreign-language translator and review committee member for Fuzhou's public domain, he has translated introductory texts on Fuzhou historical attractions such as the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, the Shangxiahang Historical and Cultural District, and Wushan into Korean.

"Many of the names in the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys carry rich connotations of traditional Chinese culture. If translated only literally, tourists may not be able to understand their profound history." In the process of translating and reviewing introductions to Fuzhou's historical and cultural attractions, Yu Ho-in has been striving for perfection (精益求精, jing yi qiu jing - "refine, benefit, seek, excellence"), often pondering over a single word or sentence repeatedly, and asking Korean friends to do trial readings. "I hope to achieve a proper balance between accuracy and accessibility, so that Korean tourists not only 'see Korean text' but also truly understand the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys and Fuzhou's history through these written introductions," he said.

Having long participated in translation work, Yu Ho-in's understanding of the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys has grown deeper and deeper. "The Three Lanes and Seven Alleys made me intuitively feel that history is not far out of reach (遥不可及, yao bu ke ji - "distant, not, can, reach"); it exists in real spaces where people can stroll. People still live in the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys. While protecting the historical layout, architecture, and cultural appearance, it has also introduced new cultural formats." Yu Ho-in believes that Fuzhou has protected the past of the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys but has not let it remain in the past. "The Three Lanes and Seven Alleys is not just about buildings being preserved; more importantly, such historical spaces can still be used, recognized, and understood today."

Intangible Cultural Heritage Coexists, Craftsmanship Blends Chinese and Foreign Sentiments

Brushing on lacquer paint, shaking off gold powder, waiting for it to dry in the shade... Italian artist Ling He's movements are somewhat unfamiliar, but his gaze is focused: "Finished lacquerware often brings unexpected surprises, and it becomes increasingly warm and lustrous as time passes. This is precisely the fascinating mystery of raw lacquer material." More than two months ago, Ling He began learning to create cartoon self-portraits with lacquer under the guidance of a Fuzhou lacquer artist.

Using raw lacquer to paint cartoon self-portraits, learning about handmade stained glass painting art, decorating men's hats with cork painting, and cutting out self-designed logos in the form of yang-engraved paper-cutting... Ling He has long been deeply engaged in artistic creation and has lived in Fuzhou for 15 years. In the past two years, he has begun trying to create contemporary artworks using Fuzhou's intangible cultural heritage techniques. "I hope more foreign friends will come closer to the profound, vivid, and distinctive intangible cultural heritage of Fuzhou, opening an international window for exchanges between China and foreign countries," he said.

With the cultural and artistic platforms provided by Fuzhou, Ling He has also held two solo art exhibitions. "Many local audience members, after viewing the exhibitions, directly left me messages on social media platforms, sharing their feelings when viewing the paintings," Ling He said. These warm responses moved him to tears of joy. "Fuzhou's audiences are full of curiosity and insight, giving me tremendous encouragement."

In Fuzhou, Ling He's explorations and attempts are not an isolated case. Relying on intangible cultural heritage talent cultivation, heritage transmission space construction, and intangible cultural heritage characteristic districts, Fuzhou's intangible cultural heritage continues to break boundaries and circles in diverse forms. Ancient crafts have stepped out of exhibition halls and become cultural carriers that can be experienced and created, integrated into modern life.

"Over the years, the extensive work done by Fuzhou's relevant institutions to display and protect these intangible cultural heritage treasures has deeply impressed me," Ling He remarked. "These treasures are not only China's wealth but also treasures of the whole world." Beyond creation, he also shoots short videos on social media platforms, recording his cultural exploration footprints in this city. "Fuzhou is my home and also a good teacher, guiding me to explore and appreciate the beauty of Chinese culture," Ling He said.

If Ling He is co-creating art with intangible cultural heritage, then Jan Martorell from Spain is "co-creating daily life" with the city. Two years ago, he and his wife chose to settle in Fuzhou and opened a café in their community. Although he has not been in Fuzhou for long, his understanding of Fuzhou is considerable.

"My parents met because of learning Chinese, and my mother has long studied the history of the ancient Silk Road, having come to China many times following the footsteps of ancient merchants." Fuzhou is one of the important starting points of the Maritime Silk Road, nurturing a splendid maritime culture and a spirit of openness and inclusiveness. After settling in Fuzhou, Martorell consulted historical materials on the Maritime Silk Road through the internet and books, following the threads of the ancient Changle port and the flourishing trade of olden times, gradually appreciating the city's profound and diverse historical heritage.

The history on paper is only a starting point; what brings the heritage into daily life are the people he meets in the streets and lanes. Martorell has noticed that many Fuzhou people, even when their relatives and friends are in foreign lands, value their roots and take the initiative to learn about their family history. "Fuzhou places great importance on the protection of heritage sites and museums, and I hope that the new generation of Fuzhou people, as well as Fujianese overseas Chinese living abroad, can all maintain this cultural identity," he said.

"Fuzhou people maintain an attitude of tolerance and acceptance toward outsiders." Martorell greatly cherishes such an atmosphere of exchange and regularly holds events in his café, building a cultural space for dialogue and exchange between local citizens and foreign friends. "People gather here, make new friends, meet those sharing the same ideals and goals (志同道合, zhi tong dao he - "will, same, path, combine"), and together create a warm atmosphere in the community."

Documents Spread Far, Crossing the Sea to Explore Min Capital History Together

Opening the official website of Harvard University in the United States, the first line of the honors column of Michael Szonyi, professor of Chinese history at the university and former director of the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, reads — in 2024, he was awarded the title of "Honorary Village Resident" of Yongtai County by the Yongtai County government of Fuzhou.

Yongtai fortified villages (zhuangzhai) began in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Historically there were more than 2,000 of them; today, 152 remain in relatively good condition, including 5 nationally protected cultural relic sites and 18 provincially protected cultural relic sites. But as the population flowed out, the fortified villages were once people have left and the buildings are empty (人去楼空, ren qu lou kong - "people, go, building, empty"). In September 2015, Yongtai County launched a "Battle to Defend the Fortified Villages," beginning to restore key fortified villages in batches. It was precisely during this "campaign to save old houses" that the Yongtai documents hidden in camphor wood chests saw the light of day again.

In 2016, while conducting surveys of fortified village architecture in the countryside of Yongtai County, Fujian historians discovered the Yongtai documents long hidden there. This batch of folk historical documents dates from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, scattered across various villages, with rich variety, including contracts, genealogies, account books, household division documents (jueshu), lawsuits, receipts, tax slips, ritual texts, and stone inscriptions. In 2017, a research team led by Zheng Zhenman, director of the Center for Research on Local Documents of Xiamen University, went to Yongtai County to carry out excavation and research work, and Szonyi was invited to join.

"The Yongtai documents record the stories of ordinary people. They allow us to re-understand that period of history from the perspective of the common people, from the bottom up," Szonyi introduced. The Yongtai documents have changed many entrenched perceptions of traditional Chinese villages in the world's historical scholarship.

Like other team members, Szonyi's method of collecting folk documents is simple — upon hearing that a household has documents, he goes over, scans them on the spot, and stores them on a hard drive. Through repeated visits, Szonyi has received the most unadorned reciprocation from the villagers. Szonyi still remembers that when he was collecting documents in Chishui Village, Songkou Town, Yongtai County, he was scanning and thanking the villagers at the door of their homes. "The villagers poured tea for me and told me, 'When you come, our history comes alive.'" Szonyi said that the villagers of Yongtai County understand what they are doing and value Yongtai's history as much as they do. From relevant departments and local scholars to local villagers, everyone has come together with a common goal, bending over for the same documents and being moved by the same history.

Bundles of old objects scattered in various households eventually became neatly arranged documents on bookshelves. As the largest document compilation project in Fujian's history, the "Bamin Library" all-media publishing project was launched in March 2019, planning to publish 1,650 volumes of paper books and corresponding digital products over 10 years. Among them, the topically compiled "Fujian Folk Contracts and Documents" has so far published 36 volumes totaling 100 books, including more than 80,000 pieces of Yongtai folk documents, all published for the first time. When organizing the documents, they were strictly grouped according to the principles of "by location," "by household," and "by object," with items within each group arranged chronologically and reproduced in color, preserving the original state of the documents to the greatest extent.

Since 2022, Szonyi has offered a "Chinese Folk Documents Reading Training Course" at Harvard University, incorporating the Yongtai documents into his teaching and organizing students to conduct field research in Yongtai County. "In the Harvard classroom more than 10,000 kilometers from Yongtai County, we studied a household division document of the Lin family from the 18th century, glimpsing how an elderly man divided his property among his children. Coming to Yongtai County, the old house recorded in the document appeared vividly before our eyes." He said that the most distinctive feature of the Yongtai documents is that they maintain their original state — "household attribution" means the documents have always been kept in the hands of their collectors, and "object attribution" means the documents correspond to specific objects, with each one traceable to the place where it was produced and the person who handled it.

In 2024, Szonyi received the "Honorary Village Resident" certificate from the relevant head of Yongtai County. He has written this honor into every personal introduction, regarding it as "the most gratifying honor I have received." On January 4, 2026, Shengping Village in Dayang Town, Yongtai County, also handed him a key engraved with his name, symbolizing that the gate of the fortified village will always be open to him. "This is a symbol of my bond with Yongtai," Szonyi said. He plans to devote the rest of his life to researching the Yongtai documents and continuing to maintain close ties with the city of Fuzhou.

From the ancient dwellings with their everyday bustle in the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, to the resplendent and flowing with color (流光溢彩, liu guang yi cai - "flow, light, overflow, color") of raw lacquer craftsmanship, and then to the ancient documents in the Yongtai fortified villages, Fuzhou preserves a thousand-year cultural lineage in tangible, walkable real spaces. Batch after batch of foreign friends have been drawn to this land, settling here, studying, and creating. The waters of the Min River flow eastward without cease, and stories of mutual learning among civilizations continue to unfold here.

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Open Exchange, New Life for Cultural Heritage (Reporter's Notes)

Culture becomes colorful through exchange; cities stay young through openness.

The fragrance of jasmine that "drifted" in along the Maritime Silk Road meets the tea leaves on both banks of the Min River, producing the scent of "jasmine infused to an unsurpassed flavor"; cork oak bark from Europe, carved by the knives and brushes of Fuzhou artisans, takes on the unique oriental mood of cork painting; merchant guilds coming from north and south, together with goods from overseas, settled in the old houses of Shangxiahang, where door lintels and arched windows display a distinctive style blending Chinese and Western elements... In the cultural rings of Fuzhou, the imprint of cross-national cultural fusion has long been carved.

The vitality of culture lies not in static preservation, but in innovation through inheritance and in endless and continuous growth (生生不息, sheng sheng bu xi - "birth, birth, not, stop") through exchange and mutual learning. Fuzhou was both an important gateway of the ancient Maritime Silk Road and a key component of the core area of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. Different cultures meet and merge here, growing into new forms: lively historical and cultural districts have built tangible cultural spaces that people can enter, walk through, and perceive; living intangible cultural heritage techniques have been integrated into the everyday life of the people—experienceable, exchangeable, and transmittable.

From fusion to rebirth, this cannot be separated from the open atmosphere of an open-minded attitude that accepts all things (海纳百川，有容乃大, hai na bai chuan, you rong nai da - "sea, accept, hundred, rivers; have, tolerance, is, big"). The inclusive and all-embracing (兼容并蓄, jian rong bing xu - "accommodate, tolerate, combine, absorb") temperament of the city has enabled more and more foreign friends to become not merely passing visitors, but participants in cultural exchange and inheritors of the city's history.

In Sanfang Qixiang, Ryu Ho-in translates the history and culture of the lanes and alleys into language that tourists can understand, so that guests from afar can truly read Fuzhou; in the intangible cultural heritage workshop, Ling He studies the craft under the guidance of heritage inheritors, then transforms it into contemporary artistic expression, telling the cultural enlightenment of ancient techniques; in the Yongtai fortified manor houses, Michael Szonyi works together with local scholars and villagers to send the voice of local history out to the world. Their stories confirm the same truth: when a city is open and inclusive, it will naturally attract protectors, participants, and disseminators of culture.

The true charm of a city lies not only in how many relics and remains it treasures, but also in connecting the ancient with the modern and linking China with the world, allowing dusty historical memories to continue resonating with the present and allowing local culture to meet world civilization with composure. The cultural lineage of Fuzhou has never been a specimen on static display, but rather, like the waters of the Min River, surges ceaselessly onward, born toward the sea. This ancient city opens its arms wide, allowing the culture rooted in its lanes, old houses, and intangible heritage to bloom with unique brilliance through open exchange, and to grow toward the sun through continuous guardianship and dialogue among civilizations.

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Page editors: Han Bingchen, Zhang Bolan

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Attending to Livelihoods Is Also Attending to Development (Weekly Economic Review)

By: 董 煜

The Qiushi journal published on October 1 carries an important article by General Secretary Xi Jinping titled "Strengthening Inclusive, Basic, and Bottom-Line Livelihood Construction." The article emphasizes that the fundamental purpose of economic development is to better safeguard and improve people's livelihoods, and that attending to livelihoods is also attending to development. This important thesis profoundly reveals the dialectical unity inherent in the relationship between economic development and livelihood construction, dispels the one-sided understanding that simply views livelihoods as a fiscal burden, and provides fundamental guidance for coordinating economic growth and livelihood security in the course of Chinese modernization.

Our goal is both grand and simple — in the final analysis, it is to enable the people to live better lives. China's economic governance operates on two basic logics: the first logic is that economic development is the material foundation for safeguarding and improving people's livelihoods; without sustained and sound development, there can be no question of enlarging the social wealth cake, and basic public services such as education, healthcare, and social security would lack solid support. The second logic is that livelihood construction itself is an important variable driving development — by no means a mere "add-on" to development. Economic policy and livelihood policy are not lacking connection or being inconsistent (两张皮, liang zhang pi - "two, sheets, skin"); attending to livelihoods is both the ultimate goal of development and its source of momentum. In the current economic work, there are a number of prominent and important matters that closely align with the inherent requirements of livelihood construction. Through "additions" in the livelihood sphere, more momentum can be provided for economic development.

Inclusive, basic, and bottom-line livelihood construction is, in essence, a long-term investment oriented toward people. Improving the basic public service system, raising the level of public services, enhancing balance and accessibility, and coordinating the development of education, healthcare, social security, and other undertakings can relieve workers of worries about future problems or consequences (后顾之忧, hou gu zhi you - "behind, concern, of, worry"), continuously raise the health literacy and labor skills of the entire population, and steadily increase total factor productivity. When the potential of the broad masses of the people is fully unleashed, the vitality for innovation and creativity can continue to burst forth, industrial transformation and upgrading and breakthroughs in scientific and technological innovation will have continuous and unending (源源不断, yuan yuan bu duan - "source, source, not, continuous") support from human capital, and the long-term sound development of the economy will have the most solid foundation.

The livelihood sphere contains enormous market potential. Attending to livelihoods means cultivating effective demand and expanding new space for economic growth. The Party Central Committee has already clearly proposed implementing a plan to increase urban and rural residents' incomes. Through promoting employment, increasing incomes, and other means, residents' consumption expectations can be stabilized and consumer confidence boosted. Livelihood tracks such as childcare, elderly care, and health services are both areas of livelihood security and new points of economic growth. Sports, cultural entertainment, and various forms of fashion consumption are both new demands of the broad young demographic and emerging industries with considerable potential. Focusing on livelihood needs to increase effective market supply can continuously give rise to new business forms and create new jobs, forming a virtuous cycle in which improved livelihoods drive income growth, income growth drives domestic demand, and domestic demand in turn fuels economic growth.

Consolidating livelihood security is also an inevitable requirement for holding the bottom line of economic operations and maintaining a stable development environment. Smooth economic operation cannot be separated from a fair, just, harmonious, and stable social environment. Economic work must provide solid bottom-line security for basic livelihoods, steadily advance the goals of care for the young, education for all, remuneration for labor, medical care for the sick, support for the elderly, housing for all, and assistance for the vulnerable, precisely resolve difficulties in the people's production and daily life, and continuously enhance the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security. When the livelihood chain operates normally, market expectations become more stable, all types of production factors can flow efficiently and orderly, and economic development has a solid and stable social foundation.

To practice the principle that "attending to livelihoods is also attending to development," scientific working methods must be upheld. A list combining the economy and livelihoods should be drawn up to identify focal points for effort, so that economic policy better aligns with livelihood needs. For example, industrial policy should focus more on creating employment opportunities, science and technology policy should devote more effort to raising the scientific literacy of the whole population, reform policy should do more to resolve the bottleneck problems prominently reflected by the masses, and regional and urban-rural policies should strive to narrow livelihood gaps, and so on. It is necessary to adhere to doing one's best within one's capability (尽力而为, jin li er wei - "exhaust, strength, and, act") and acting according to one's capability (量力而行, liang li er xing - "measure, strength, and, act"), coordinate needs and possibilities, and place the safeguarding and improvement of people's livelihoods on the foundation of economic development and sustainable fiscal capacity. At the same time, the broad masses should be guided to establish the concept of improving their lives through becoming wealthy through hard work (勤劳致富, qin lao zhi fu - "diligent, labor, lead to, wealth"), so that improving people's livelihoods is both the direction of the Party and government's work and the goal of the people's own struggle.

(The author is Executive Vice President of the Institute for China Development Planning at Tsinghua University)

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Financial Innovation Lifts the Bounty of Autumn (Finance in Depth)

By: 本报记者

As autumn deepens, the autumn grain harvest is about to enter its large-scale collection phase, and seasonal fruits and vegetables are coming to market one after another.

In April this year, the General Office of the National Financial Regulatory Administration issued the "Notice on Doing a Good Job of Financial Support for Comprehensive Rural Revitalization in 2026," requiring a focus on key areas such as stabilizing the development of grain and oil production, improving the quality and efficiency of the "vegetable basket" industry, and agricultural science and technology innovation, while strengthening financial supply.

Ensuring funding is available before starting operations (粮草未动，资金先行, liang cao wei dong, zi jin xian xing - "grain, grass, not, move; funds, first, go"). Around one crop cycle after another of agricultural production, multiple banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions have continued to deepen cooperation across various fronts. Through project support, financing products, and service innovation, they are doing their utmost to meet the financing needs of all types of agricultural production and operation entities, safeguarding China's food supply across the entire chain and jointly supporting this autumn's abundance.

Supporting new varieties, new equipment, and new technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of grain production

434 kilograms! At the peanut improved-seed breeding base of Liaoning Peanut Group in Xingcheng City, Huludao, Liaoning, the "Zhengye 308" (Liaoji Flower No. 4) peanut recently underwent yield measurement. Where the machine passed, rows of peanut plants were pulled up by the roots, their root hairs studded with pods. "This variety's per-mu yield is about 100 kilograms higher than other peanut varieties in adjacent plots. This year we demonstrated and promoted it on 3,000 mu in Xingcheng," said Chen Dongxu, general manager of Zhengye Seed Industry Company, as he cracked open a pod to reveal plump, round peanut kernels.

As an important oil crop in China, a high-quality peanut bears on the self-sufficiency rate of the "oil bottle." Given the long breeding cycle and heavy scientific research investment characteristic of the seed industry, the Huludao Branch of Bank of Communications tailored a dedicated financial service plan, extending a comprehensive credit line of 12 million yuan to Liaoning Peanut Group and its subsidiary Zhengye Seed Industry Co., Ltd.

"The western Liaoning region is dominated by sandy loam soil, which is loose and well-aerated, suitable for pod-bearing crops like peanuts," said Huang Wei, head of the group. The dedicated financing has effectively eased the seasonal production and operation funding pressure on the enterprise, supporting it in continuously increasing investment in peanut germplasm resource research and development and expanding the scale of improved-seed breeding. In recent years, focusing on high oleic acid content, high yield, and strong stress resistance, the enterprise has successfully bred more than 20 new high-quality peanut varieties including the "Huayu" series, with cumulative promotion area exceeding one million mu.

This year, China continues to implement the action to increase per-unit yield of grain and oil crops on a large scale. To seek higher per-unit yield from science and technology, in addition to leading varieties and main promoted technologies, advanced main-force machinery models are equally important "engines."

On the eve of the busy "three autumns" season, in Shuangfeng County, Hunan, in the production workshops of Hunan Nongyou Machinery Group, main-force models such as crawler rotary tillers and ratoon rice harvesters are accelerating off the production line and being shipped to major grain-producing areas.

Shuangfeng County has rolling hills and scattered fields, where large agricultural machinery has difficulty operating, making "small, specialized, and precision" machinery the key to solving the problem. "We have cumulatively issued more than 46 million yuan in loans to enterprises to support workshop renovation and upgrading," said Zeng Zhimiao, head of the Shuangfeng Sub-branch of the Agricultural Bank of China's Loudi Branch. Since the beginning of this year, the bank has established strategic cooperation with five leading agricultural machinery enterprises and issued more than 400 million yuan in loans to over 30 agricultural machinery enterprises.

"Relying on bank financing, we have carried out digital and intelligent renovation of our production workshops, increasing the production capacity of agricultural machinery equipment by nearly threefold, with an automation rate of 70%," said Liu Ruoqiao, a relevant person in charge of Hunan Nongyou Machinery Group. With research and development funding support, the company developed the crawler self-propelled "Deep Mud King" rotary tiller, which overcomes the weakness of traditional wheeled agricultural machinery that easily slips and sinks in muddy paddy fields, and can operate in 60-centimeter-deep mud, achieving in-place turning.

How can advanced agricultural machinery and equipment be transformed into field productivity? The Agricultural Bank of China has increased the intensity of farmer loan issuance and, through market-downreach mechanisms such as "farmer service stations + mobile services," enhanced service capacity at the village and household level. To address the funding shortage some farmers face when purchasing machinery, the Agricultural Bank of China's Yanzhou Sub-branch in Shandong extended financial services from the workshop to the field. In Sizhuang Community, Xinzhen Town, major grain grower Wang Qingming applied for a 100,000-yuan loan last year and purchased a new intelligent seeder. "The new machine works efficiently. After finishing my own fields, I can also take on outside work. With two cropping seasons a year, I've already recouped the cost," Wang Qingming said.

Improving the full-chain socialized services for agriculture, turning the "harvest account" into an "income account"

Grain harvesting is the "last mile" of the harvest. In Lianhua County, Jiangxi, a newly built agricultural service center this year has solved the drying problem for many grain growers.

"In previous years, I had to scramble to find open spaces to spread grain out and dry it while racing against the weather. Now, after the paddy is unloaded and weighed, it goes straight to the drying tower, and after four hours of drying, it goes directly into storage," said Liu Qinglin, a grain grower in Liangfang Township. Since the early rice harvest began this year, he has successively transported more than 4,000 jin of paddy to the agricultural service center. Currently, his 8 mu of late rice is at the critical stage of grain filling and panicle strengthening, and will be harvested in mid-to-late October. With the agricultural service center providing support, Liu Qinglin feels much more assured.

Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission, and other departments issued guiding opinions proposing to strengthen the construction of modern comprehensive agricultural service centers and "encouraging all types of financial institutions to optimize financial products and credit models in accordance with market-oriented and law-based principles."

In Lianhua County, this agricultural service project covers all 12 townships in the county. In addition to grain drying and storage facilities, it also includes supporting processing workshops, agricultural machinery sheds, and other facilities, equipped with crawler rotary tillers, high-speed rice transplanters, and other agricultural machinery. It can serve more than 200,000 mu of rice planting area annually, effectively reducing post-harvest grain losses.

"The project has a total investment of 231 million yuan, and the project entity lacks qualified collateral assets, so there was considerable resistance in the early stages of construction," said Zhang Junqiang, general manager of the Agriculture, Rural Areas, and Farmers Corporate Business Department of the Agricultural Bank of China's Jiangxi Branch. Given the practical characteristics of the project's long-cycle construction, the Agricultural Bank of China extended a credit line of 160 million yuan with a 17-year fixed-asset loan, set a 2-year repayment grace period, and matched it with a "low first, high later" installment repayment plan, fitting the project's operational characteristics of large early-stage investment and gradually released later-stage returns. At the same time, the bank provided supporting supply-chain comprehensive financial services to fill the gap in the local grain post-harvest drying, storage, and processing integrated service chain.

On the western Sichuan Plain, the late rice has welcomed its harvest. In Huoxing Village, Genggang Sub-district, Qionglai City, Sichuan, major grain grower Huang Junyi has already sold all 1,800 mu of "Quanyou 822" rice harvested some time ago.

"As soon as it's harvested, I haul it off to sell. The mini-program lets me book the tonnage directly," Huang Junyi remarked. Selling grain has long since changed from finding channels and waiting in long lines to "sipping tea and signing a document." Not only has on-site service been upgraded, but this year, on the eve of the large-scale rice harvest, Huang Junyi also attended a symposium for major grain growers, where he and several other major growers jointly reserved 5,100 tons of paddy purchase through intention orders on the spot.

"Money waiting for grain" makes farmers feel more secure when selling grain. The notices posted at grain purchase points clearly state "no IOUs." With the national autumn grain harvest imminent, the Agricultural Development Bank of China has carried out fund preparation and loan disbursement preparations in advance, setting aside 200 billion yuan in credit funds to support autumn grain purchases. "October is the peak period for autumn grain purchases. We completed the rating and credit extension work for relevant enterprises ahead of schedule and set aside more than 3 billion yuan in credit funds to ensure that all grain growers get their money in hand as soon as their grain leaves their hands," said Liu Bin, deputy director of the Grain, Cotton, and Oil Customer Department of the Agricultural Development Bank of China's Sichuan Branch.

In addition to safeguarding purchase funds, the Agricultural Development Bank of China's Sichuan Branch is also helping grain "enter the granary." Since the beginning of this year, it has issued nearly 300 million yuan to support the construction of grain and oil storage facilities for entities including Zitong County in Mianyang, Sinograin's Chengdu Qingbaijiang depot, and Chuanliang Rice Industry, adding a number of shallow circular silos equipped with intelligent grain storage systems to ensure grain is stored well and managed well.

Supporting the construction of agricultural disaster prevention and reduction systems, with innovative financing and insurance services effectively enhancing industrial resilience

In Xiangshui County, Jiangsu, across 100,000 mu of fields, broccoli plants spread their thick outer leaves, with tight, verdant buds. This is a crop of broccoli newly sown in August this year, which will begin to be harvested in stages from the end of October.

Xiangshui is a renowned hometown of broccoli, with an annual output value exceeding 1.3 billion yuan, driving income and employment for more than 40,000 farming households. However, broccoli is quite sensitive to weather: it fears low-temperature frost during the seedling stage and heavy rain and waterlogging during the growth period. For a long time, local production entities have urgently needed funds to build high-standard greenhouses and modern planting bases.

Risk accompanies demand — how can banks be made willing and able to lend? In March this year, with support from multiple parties including the Jiangsu Provincial Climate Center, the Yancheng City Branch of the People's Bank of China, and the Yancheng Regulatory Sub-bureau of the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the Yancheng Branch of the Bank of China, in coordination with the Yancheng Meteorological Bureau, innovatively launched a "meteorology + finance + specialty agriculture" financial service model, extending a 50 million yuan credit line to an agricultural technology company in Xiangshui County and taking the lead in disbursing 5 million yuan in "climate loans."

With coordinated efforts among banks, government, and enterprises, professional meteorological data has been introduced into the credit approval system. "In the past, when lending to agriculture-related enterprises, what we feared most was risks that could not be seen or touched," said a relevant person in charge of the Bank of China's Yancheng Branch. The Yancheng Meteorological Bureau retrieved nearly 30 years of meteorological data from Xiangshui's main broccoli-producing areas and, combined with climate sensitivity at different growth stages, classified planting risk levels and precisely calculated the probability of meteorological disaster losses under different planting models. On this basis, the Bank of China innovatively conducted project risk assessment for this loan, incorporating indicators such as meteorological disaster defense capability into the credit feasibility analysis, effectively facilitating the loan's disbursement.

In responding to natural disaster risks, insurance services are the last line of defense protecting farmers' incomes.

Chongqing's Dianjiang County is a major rice seed-producing county. Peng Wanfu, a large grower in Yushan Village, Zhoujia Town, has transferred more than 400 mu of land and has been engaged in rice seed production for many years. He frankly admitted, "Hybrid rice seed production is not easy. It has high requirements for temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, and field management standards, and what I fear most is sudden weather changes causing yield losses."

Fortunately, rice seed production insurance is now achieving full coverage in Dianjiang, and Peng Wanfu also enrolled this year. As of the end of August, the Chongqing Branch of PICC Property and Casualty Company had underwritten 270,000 mu of rice full-cost insurance and seed production insurance across the county, with per-mu coverage amounts of 1,100 yuan and 2,000 yuan respectively. Relying on the municipal finance's differentiated premium subsidy policy, farmers' self-paid premium ratio is only 15%.

While obtaining insurance protection, Peng Wanfu also enjoys digital risk-reduction services. "Since the beginning of the year, the weather in Dianjiang has fluctuated greatly, and during the rice growth period there have been multiple episodes of continuous overcast and rainy weather, high-temperature and summer drought, and periodic alternation of dry and wet conditions," said a relevant person in charge of PICC Property and Casualty's Chongqing Branch. In response, the company has explored a "agricultural insurance + meteorology + technology" service model, coordinating with meteorological, agriculture and rural affairs, and other departments to build a rice seed production risk-reduction demonstration park platform in Zhoujia Town, deploy field meteorological sensing points, promote meteorological data to assist precise loss assessment, and better protect farmers' incomes through pre-disaster warnings, risk reduction, and rapid post-disaster claims.

"Overcast and rain and high-temperature warnings are pushed to my phone the moment they're issued. I have a much better sense of when to water the fields and when to drain them. Pests and diseases can also be monitored and warned about in advance," Peng Wanfu said. He now feels more confident in seed production.

A relevant person in charge of the Chongqing Financial Regulatory Bureau said that around improving agricultural risk monitoring and disaster warning mechanisms, insurance institutions are being promoted to strengthen coordination with relevant departments and optimize underwriting, claims verification, and claims settlement business processes. At the same time, disaster prevention knowledge is being promoted through social software platforms, insurance institution apps, offline methods, and other channels, continuously improving farmers' experience with insurance enrollment and claims services.

(People's Daily reporters Yu Jingxian, Wang Guan, Li Xiaoqing, Ge Mengchao, Qu Xinming)

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The Water-Managing Wisdom of the Millennium-Old Lingqu Canal in Prospering the Nation (Learning Economics from History)

By: 贺祖斌

When the water artery flows, the region prospers. The Lingqu Canal, located in Xing'an County, Guangxi, has been flowing for more than 2,000 years. The Lingqu Canal was built for military and strategic purposes, and gradually developed multiple economic functions over its long period of operation. To solve the problem of transporting grain and supplies for the southern expedition against the Baiyue peoples, the Qin Dynasty completed the Lingqu Canal in 214 BC. Using a plow-shaped spillway to divide the water, the canal connected the Xiang River and the Li River through its southern and northern channels, linking the Yangtze and Pearl River systems, and providing crucial logistical support for Qin troops entering the Lingnan region. Navigation facilities such as the doumen (flash locks) were gradually improved through continuous maintenance and repair in later generations. As governance of the Lingnan region became increasingly stable, the economic value of the Lingqu Canal continued to strengthen. After the Tang and Song dynasties, commercial shipping grew increasingly prosperous: goods from the Central Plains and the Yangtze River basin were transported southward by water, while Lingnan products were shipped northward along the waterways, gradually forming a cross-regional commodity circulation network. The Lingqu Canal also connected with ports such as Hepu through the Lingnan water transport system, becoming an important node linking inland and maritime transportation. At the same time, canal water was used to irrigate farmland along its banks and improve the livelihoods of residents along the route. The Lingqu Canal thus developed a comprehensive economic function combining shipping and commerce with agricultural irrigation. This thousand-year-old canal, a major ancient water conservancy project, has left future generations a legacy of economic governance wisdom recorded in the annals of history.

Using major water conservancy projects to break through geographical barriers and reduce cross-regional circulation costs. In ancient times, land transport was costly, while water transport had a clear advantage for bulk goods and long-distance shipping. By connecting the Xiang River and the Li River with an artificial waterway, the Lingqu Canal crossed the watershed of the Five Ridges, improving transportation conditions between the Central Plains and Lingnan, reducing the cost of transporting and transshipping goods, and promoting the exchange of products, people, and production technology between north and south. Farming techniques and production experience from the Central Plains spread more rapidly to Lingnan, while Lingnan's agricultural and sideline products, minerals, and other goods could be shipped northward at low cost. Market integration and cultural exchange between regions were thereby continuously strengthened. This demonstrates that transportation infrastructure, by lowering logistics costs and expanding the scale of the unified market, can create important conditions for regional development and economic growth.

Adapting to natural conditions and coordinating the comprehensive benefits of the project. The Lingqu Canal did not forcibly alter the natural topography and water flow, but instead responded to the terrain and hydrological conditions of the Nanling watershed. Through the plow-shaped spillway for water division and the large and small balancing dams for flow regulation, and with the later addition of doumen to regulate water levels, it effectively solved the problems of connecting water systems and maintaining navigable channels, embodying the water management wisdom of acting in accordance with the natural trend (顺势而为, shun shi er wei - "follow, trend, and, act") and working in light of local conditions. Through successive generations of maintenance and functional expansion, the Lingqu Canal also served purposes such as farmland irrigation and flood control and disaster reduction. It delivered comprehensive benefits in ensuring goods transport, promoting commercial exchange, and improving the livelihoods of residents along its route, reflecting the economic thinking of ancient water conservancy projects that emphasized practicality and balanced multiple needs.

Emphasizing continuous repair and routine maintenance to ensure infrastructure delivers long-term benefits. The fact that the Lingqu Canal has remained in use for more than 2,000 years is due both to an engineering design suited to local conditions and to the continuous repair and maintenance carried out by successive generations. In the Tang Dynasty, Li Bo and Yu Mengwei led repair efforts on the canal, and later generations continued to dredge the channels and repair the canal embankments, gradually forming a relatively stable tradition of maintenance and management.

Learning from the past to understand the future (鉴往知来, jian wang zhi lai - "examine, past, know, come"), the historical experience of the Lingqu Canal still offers important lessons for the present. The Pinglu Canal, a project of the century in the new era, has already opened to navigation. As a key project of the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, it opens a direct river-sea connection from the Xijiang River to the Beibu Gulf, striving for strength through maritime development (向海图强, xiang hai tu qiang - "towards, sea, map, strong") and shortening the sea route for southwestern China's exports. This is precisely the modern extension of the ancient wisdom of "breaking through geographical barriers with waterways." It is necessary to carefully calculate the economic accounts of logistics organization, industrial layout, and regional coordination, and to better translate corridor advantages into development advantages. The Lingqu Canal's experience of water management and national prosperity through working in light of local conditions and acting in accordance with the natural trend also reminds us that canal development must not only consider shipping returns, but also uphold the ecological bottom line, coordinating project construction, resource utilization, and ecological protection. At the same time, sound long-term operation and maintenance mechanisms should be established and improved, balancing national strategy, industrial development, and the interests of residents along the route, so as to promote the coordinated unity of economic, social, and ecological benefits.

The ancient canal has flowed for a thousand years; rivers and seas open a new chapter. Summing up the wisdom of water management and national prosperity embodied in the construction, use, and maintenance of the Lingqu Canal throughout history will help major canal projects of the new era better coordinate construction, operation, and development, and serve coordinated regional development.

(The author is a professor at Guangxi Normal University and dean of the Guangxi Canal Research Institute; compiled from an interview by Zhou Bin, a reporter for National Humanities History.)

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Page editors: Zhao Zhanhui

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Meteorological Services Safeguard Beautiful Landscapes (In-Depth Observation)

By: 本报记者 李红梅 蒋雪鸿

At 7:15 a.m., at the main station of the Xilinhot National Climate Observatory in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, staff members punctually release a balloon carrying a BeiDou radiosonde. After 110 minutes, the balloon reaches an altitude of 40,000 meters and transmits real-time atmospheric vertical profile data to the world.

Twenty-six kilometers away, the observatory's field experiment base conducts continuous ecological monitoring across the full dimensions of the atmosphere, biosphere, pedosphere, and hydrosphere over long time series, studying the "code" of grassland carbon sequestration, supporting carbon sink trading, and serving green development.

Today, under the blue sky and amid the mountains and waters, meteorological workers can be seen guarding everywhere. On August 15 this year, the Ecological Environment Code of the People's Republic of China officially came into effect, giving meteorological services a clearer statutory duty to safeguard a Beautiful China.

How do meteorological services protect beautiful mountains and waters? Our reporter conducted an interview.

Space-Air Observation, "Watching" Over Blue Skies and Clean Air

A single curve tells the story of the Earth's breathing patterns over more than 30 years.

In the early morning, on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of more than 3,800 meters, Shi Wen, an observer at the Waliguan Global Atmosphere Watch Baseline Station, and another colleague carry sampling equipment weighing more than 10 jin, hold their breath, operate the equipment, and begin sampling. Every week, observers at the Waliguan Station must conduct such fixed-point outdoor manual sampling once. The samples are sent to the China Meteorological Administration and the World Meteorological Organization's central laboratories for data extraction and scientific research analysis.

At present, the Waliguan Station has successively carried out observations of 7 major categories, 24 items, and more than 100 types of meteorological and key atmospheric composition elements, including meteorology, acid rain, aerosols, total column ozone, reactive gases, solar radiation, and greenhouse gases, generating more than 200,000 data entries every day.

Since 1994, the Waliguan Station has conducted monitoring continuously for more than 30 years, "producing" the "Waliguan Curve" that records the Earth's atmospheric breathing patterns. This "curve" has entered global climate change conferences, been written into reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and become one of the important bases supporting global climate change conclusions.

According to Jin Junli, director of the Atmospheric Composition Division of the Meteorological Observation Center of the China Meteorological Administration and a senior engineer, the China Meteorological Administration is the designated agency of the World Meteorological Organization for atmospheric baseline and greenhouse gas monitoring in China. At present, an observation system has been built with the Waliguan Global Atmosphere Watch Baseline Station as its core, 17 regional atmospheric baseline stations as its backbone, and 150 high-precision greenhouse gas observation stations as supplements, achieving full coverage of China's 16 key climate zones and successfully carrying out meteorological services in the Antarctic region.

"China's atmospheric baseline operations have overall reached the internationally advanced level. The monitoring data have been written into authoritative reports such as the China Greenhouse Gas Bulletin and the World Meteorological Organization's Greenhouse Gas Bulletin." Jin Junli said. At the same time, the meteorological department has established a global carbon source-sink monitoring, verification, and support system, fully supporting the national strategy for addressing climate change.

A sandstorm is precisely "captured" from the moment the sand begins to rise, and warnings are issued in a timely manner.

On April 17 this year, a large-scale sandstorm weather process occurred in northern China. From 6:00 p.m. on April 17, the National Meteorological Center continuously issued 7 blue warnings for sandstorms on a rolling basis, carried out progressive forecast services jointly with Beijing, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, and other regions, and conducted consultation and linkage with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration with timely "call-and-response" actions, achieving good service results. In 2025, 35 sandstorm warnings were issued throughout the year, with no major process missed.

Similarly, for PM2.5 and ozone pollution weather processes, the meteorological department relies on multi-model ensemble forecasting and artificial intelligence technology to continuously carry out monitoring, forecasting, and assessment. In 2025, the National Meteorological Center participated in 33 joint consultations with the ecological environment department, providing meteorological support for emergency response to heavy pollution weather and air quality assurance for major events. These monitoring and assessment analyses are written into the Atmospheric Environment Meteorological Bulletin, published annually.

According to Jiang Qi, a senior engineer at the National Meteorological Center, technologies such as pollution source tracing and refined forecasting have been applied on the ground, and monitoring and assessment using multi-source data including satellites and lidar have provided solid support for the "Blue Sky Defense War."

The multi-source monitoring data benefit from the world's largest integrated space-air-ground observation system built by China's meteorological department. Among these, Fengyun meteorological satellites, weather radars, and radiosonde equipment conduct real-time, three-dimensional, and continuous observation of the atmosphere. Whether it is sandstorms, ozone, or PM2.5, all are "seen" by the space-air observation system, guarding blue skies and clean air around the clock.

"For example, in March 2025, the National Meteorological Center and the National Satellite Meteorological Center worked in tandem to launch, for the first time, a rapid-scan of sandstorm weather based on the Fengyun-4B satellite, capturing the high-precision textural structure of sand emission and transport in the China-Mongolia sand source areas; and multi-source vertical observations such as lidar and wind profiler radar have also been widely applied in the review of sandstorm weather processes." Jiang Qi said.

In greenhouse gas observation, the full-element greenhouse gas baseline observation network built by the meteorological department, through coordination with Fengyun satellites, has formed a "space-air-ground" integrated monitoring capability, providing independent observational support for the identification of key global emission regions and the analysis of cross-border transport.

Observing Clouds and Enhancing Rainfall, Safeguarding Green Mountains and Verdant Land

A green pact to combat desertification spanning mountains and seas was finally fulfilled in full when American friend "Sai Kesi" (Ronald Sakolsky) once again visited the home of Yin Yuzhen in Uxin Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, located in the Mu Us Sandy Land.

The miracle of "green advancing and sand retreating" in the Mu Us Sandy Land bears witness to this heartwarming story of desertification control. Behind it lies the persistent cultivation of desertification fighters who have worked with consistent dedication for decades (数十年如一日, shu shi nian ru yi ri - "ten, dozen, years, like, one, day"), as well as a share of protection from the Ordos municipal meteorological department.

Precise monitoring is the foundation of scientific desertification control. On the one hand, the Ordos municipal meteorological department has continuously improved its monitoring system; on the other hand, it has compiled the Remote Sensing Monitoring Report on Changes in the Area of Exposed Sandy Land in the Mu Us Sandy Land within Uxin Banner over the Past Forty Years, analyzing the ecological suitability conditions of different regions and different time periods to provide scientific decision-making support for afforestation site selection and optimization of seedling planting timing. At the same time, it scientifically assesses the planting window period, providing data support for forestry and grassland departments to seize favorable weather for afforestation operations.

"Accurate weather forecasting is a powerful guarantee for improving afforestation effectiveness and consolidating desertification control achievements. Since the launch of the sixth phase of the 'Three-North' Shelterbelt Program in 2024, Uxin Banner has cumulatively treated 780,000 mu of sandy land." said Shi Dongming, director of the Reform Office and deputy director of the Forestry and Grassland Business Office of the Uxin Banner Forestry and Grassland Bureau.

The latest monitoring data from the High-Resolution Satellite Inner Mongolia Ordos Sub-Center show that from 2005 to 2025, the carbon sequestration capacity of the Mu Us Sandy Land ecosystem increased by 73.4%, with an average annual carbon sequestration of 6.3 million tons.

A lake of clear water is finely monitored, assessed, and warned of by the ecological meteorological monitoring system.

Qinghai Lake is China's largest plateau lake. The meteorological department has built an ecological meteorological monitoring network with coordinated linkage among satellite remote sensing, ground stations, and drones, tracking key indicators such as the lake area, temperature and humidity, precipitation, and evaporation over the long term, and routinely monitoring vegetation coverage around the lake, phenology, and the evolution of surrounding desertification.

Yan Hao, a senior engineer at the National Meteorological Center, introduced that in addition to deserts and lakes, the meteorological department also routinely carries out observation of indicators such as vegetation coverage, productivity, and phenological period for typical ecosystems including wetlands, grasslands, and forests, building an ecological meteorological monitoring, assessment, and early warning operational service system, and carrying out meteorological risk forecasting and early warning services for typical ecological security issues such as forest and grassland fires, pests and diseases, and drought. Ecological meteorological bulletins are compiled and published annually, providing scientific reference for ecological restoration projects, desertification control, and biodiversity conservation.

In China's "three zones and four belts" and ecologically fragile areas, the meteorological department has also built more than 1,000 sets of ecological meteorological observation equipment such as phenological automatic observation instruments and eddy covariance flux observation systems, with observed elements covering more than 10 key ecological meteorological elements including animal and plant phenology, water and carbon fluxes, and soil moisture.

The National Satellite Meteorological Center has for many consecutive years carried out remote sensing monitoring and assessment of the ecological status of the Yangtze River Basin, using the normalized difference vegetation index, aerosol optical depth, and ecological environment quality index from satellite remote sensing to comprehensively evaluate the vegetation coverage, air quality, and ecological environment quality of the Yangtze River Basin. Satellite remote sensing monitoring of the ecological environment of the Yangtze River Basin from 2007 to 2025 shows that the vegetation in the basin is becoming greener, the air is becoming cleaner, and the ecological environment quality is showing a year-on-year improving trend.

Rain after rain moistens the vegetation and land of the Sanjiangyuan region, guarding the ecological functions of the "Water Tower of China."

Sanjiangyuan is an ecological barrier region of China, known as the "Water Tower of China." The meteorological department has for many consecutive years carried out ecological restoration-type weather modification operations in ecological protection areas such as Sanjiangyuan and the Qilian Mountains.

Wang Fei, director of the Effectiveness Assessment Office of the Weather Modification Center of the China Meteorological Administration and a senior engineer, introduced that since the beginning of this year, Gansu and Qinghai provinces have successively carried out artificial precipitation enhancement operations in ecological barrier areas such as the Qilian Mountains and Sanjiangyuan. As of September 15, a cumulative total of more than 100 aircraft precipitation enhancement operations and more than 1,400 ground-based precipitation enhancement operations have been implemented.

"Among these, for the key ecological protection areas in the middle and eastern sections of the Qilian Mountains, high-performance MA60 precipitation enhancement aircraft were organized to carry out large-scale precipitation enhancement operations, with the operation areas covering ecological protection areas and water conservation areas in Zhangye, Jinchang, Wuwei, and other places, as well as the Huangcheng and Xidahe reservoirs. Preliminary estimates show that the affected area of this year's ecological restoration-type artificial precipitation enhancement operations in the two provinces reached 515,000 square kilometers, effectively assisting water conservation, reservoir storage increase, and snow enhancement and ice replenishment in mountainous areas and other ecological protection work." Wang Fei said.

"Chasing" the Wind and "Catching" the Light, Turning Climate into "Gold"

On the Loess Plateau, gullies crisscross the terrain. On the open field of the Zhuangze Wind Farm in Jingbian County, Yulin, Shaanxi, the blades of white wind turbines turn in the wind, while radar tilts its head upward, capturing wind speed and direction at different altitude layers.

"The meteorological department installed 11 lidar wind measurement devices at our wind farm. Using this data to train the power generation forecasting model, the accuracy of power generation forecasts has continuously improved, the risk of deviation in grid dispatch has correspondingly decreased, and climate has been turned into 'gold.'" said Gao Wang, the person in charge of the wind farm.

The energy meteorological services provided by the meteorological department for the Zhuangze Wind Farm cover the entire life cycle of the wind farm: before project approval, the meteorological department carries out refined wind and solar resource surveys and climate feasibility demonstration; during construction, meteorological instruments undergo simultaneous metrological verification; after commissioning, rolling updated power generation forecasts are delivered to the station every day, and warnings for turbine icing, sandstorms, and lightning are delivered simultaneously, directly embedded into the production dispatch process.

At present, more than 100 new energy stations in Yulin have been connected to this system.

In today's China, renewable energy generation accounts for more than 40 percent of total electricity generation. Among this, wind power and photovoltaic power generation account for the largest share. How much electricity wind and solar resources can generate, and when, are closely related to weather. To meet demand, the meteorological department not only carries out weather forecast services and wind and solar resource surveys and assessments, but also carries out power generation forecasting and energy supply guarantee meteorological services. Meteorological services have been upgraded from auxiliary support in the past to a rigid demand for the safe and stable operation of the new power system.

"From resource surveys to how much electricity each station generates, we embed services into every link of energy production." Shen Yanbo, chief scientist of the Public Meteorological Service Center of the China Meteorological Administration, told reporters that starting this year, the Public Meteorological Service Center publishes the National Monthly Report on Wind and Solar Energy Resource Monitoring every month. For wind and solar power generation forecasting, a multi-model ensemble forecasting system has been built covering single points at stations, key regions at 1 kilometer, and the whole country at 3 kilometers; artificial intelligence energy meteorological forecasting models are also being accelerated for implementation.

On ordinary days, they "chase" the wind and "catch" the light; in the height of summer, they safeguard energy supply.

This summer, the China Meteorological Administration established a special task force for meteorological services for energy supply guarantee during the summer peak period.

The guarantee begins with a daily report: since June 24, the Public Meteorological Service Center has delivered key information such as high-level weather warnings, precipitation rankings, and typhoon tracks directly to the front line of supply guarantee every day; targeted reminders for stations and counties and hourly intensified services for extreme weather have followed suit, and this year a new air-conditioning load risk warning product was also launched. For China Southern Power Grid, a total of 303 half-hourly typhoon bulletins have been issued, and the Tibet-Guangdong DC project has received dedicated daily and weekly reports.

Beyond the daily reports and bulletins, another force is watching over longer-term climate trends. In a consultation room at the National Climate Center, climate experts and grid dispatchers have become "desk mates," with the National Climate Center, the State Grid Energy Research Institute, and the State Grid Southwest Branch jointly consulting on the relationship between weather and electricity demand.

The "big background" of ocean temperature and atmospheric circulation and the "small details" of precipitation, typhoons, wind speed, and sunlight are placed together for repeated comparison and verification; maximum electricity consumption is split into two parts for calculation — one is the base volume that follows the economy, and the other is the cooling demand pushed up by high temperatures.

"For the summer peak period, what we fear most is not known extreme weather, but risks hidden in the details. For example, whether a high-temperature process falls on a workday or a rest day, or occurs in isolation or accumulates over consecutive days, the electricity consumption curve will be completely different. All these details must be taken into account." said Wang Yang, a researcher at the National Climate Center.

The service results are remarkable: the maximum electricity load in the State Grid operating area during the summer peak was forecast at 1.305 billion kilowatts, while the actual figure was 1.27 billion kilowatts, a deviation of about 2.8 percent, basically consistent with the forecast made before the summer.

Nowadays, cool air and comfortable climates have become hot commodities, attracting people to travel and escape the heat.

Diebu County, Gansu, is located in the transition zone between the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the western extension of the Qinling Mountains, and is an area rich in plateau summer resort climate resources. The Zhagana Scenic Area in Diebu County is situated among high mountains and deep valleys, with steep and spectacular mountain terrain and swirling clouds and mist.

In 2025, the National Climate Center, jointly with the local government, released the Diebu County Summer Resort Climate Tourism Outlook Report and launched Gansu's first urban climate and cultural tourism IP, "Cool Summer · Leisurely Diebu." In the same year, the Zhagana Scenic Area was selected for the national-level summer resort tourism route.

"Around the demand for summer resort tourism, the meteorological department provides services such as summer resort suitability assessment and disaster weather warnings, and also helps Diebu optimize tourism route design in combination with climate adaptability assessment." said Zhao Lin, a senior engineer at the National Climate Center.

The "cold advantage" of plateau summer resort climate resources has become the "hot driving force" for the development of the cultural tourism industry. From July to October 2025, Diebu County received 4.6431 million tourist visits, with tourism spending of 3.083 billion yuan, up 67.9 percent and 54.2 percent year-on-year, respectively.

From the cool plateau to the warm coast, from wetlands and oases to mountains, rivers, and plains, diverse geographical landforms and rich climate types, with the assistance of meteorological services, are releasing greater ecological value, continuously turning beautiful scenery into real value and climate into "gold."

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Protecting the Beauty of a Beautiful China

By: 李红梅

In the early morning in Xiong'an, the "Millennium Forest" stretches its branches and leaves in the thin mist, and the reed marshes of Baiyangdian sway gently in the wind. In this future city woven with blue and green, ecological and meteorological monitoring stations collect data on air, water quality, and soil around the clock, like a faithful "ecological steward," silently recording every breath of this land.

Such scenes are continuously spreading across the map of a Beautiful China.

From forests to deserts, from rivers to lakes, meteorological departments conduct monitoring, assessment, forecasting, and early warning, helping to paint a beautiful ecological picture. Before heavy pollution weather arrives, meteorology has long "anticipated" it and issues early warnings in advance; for ecosystems such as forests, deserts, and rivers, meteorology continuously carries out monitoring and assessment and releases ecological meteorological bulletins, making the "health status" of ecosystems immediately obvious (一目了然, yi mu liang ran - "one, eye, clearly, understand").

Protecting the "good looks" of a Beautiful China depends on real skill and hard technology. Meteorological departments use "clairvoyant eyes" and "far-reaching ears" such as satellites and radar to "chase" sandstorms and "capture" pollution, leaving the path of every sandstorm and the diffusion of every pollutant cluster with no place to hide (无所遁形, wu suo dun xing - "not, any, hide, shape"); they tap green wind and solar resources, monitor greenhouse gas emissions, support the development and utilization of clean energy, and help address climate change.

Protecting the "good looks" of a Beautiful China depends on persistent dedication and rigorous meticulousness. The "Waliguan Curve," which records changes in global atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, was finally successfully "drawn" thanks to meteorological observers at the Waliguan Global Atmosphere Watch Baseline Station persisting in continuous monitoring for more than 30 years; during every extreme weather event, meteorological departments must stand guard day and night, conduct continuous monitoring, strive for accurate forecasting, promptly issue linked alerts, and build lead time for local responses.

The Ecological Environment Code, which took effect on August 15 this year, brings ecological meteorological services onto a law-based track. This is a weighty responsibility and also a glorious mission. Meteorological departments must, with more precise monitoring, more scientific assessment, and more efficient early warning, and with a sense of responsibility that is "always on their minds," carefully protect this hard-won beauty and contribute meteorological strength to better realizing Chinese modernization featuring harmony between humanity and nature.

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Page editors: Liu Shiyao

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Gazing Up at the Snowy Peaks

By: 熊召政

I

What a carefree flower it is—beneath the main peak towering over 6,000 meters above sea level, it is the only splash of brilliance. A cluster of gleaming, fluffy tender yellow, its leaves, long and slender as swords, bloom like narcissus, their edges covered in fine, silky white fuzz. Flower like leaf, leaf like flower, flower and leaf leaning on each other, growing alone on the dry and coarse talus slope, displaying the tenacity of life in a posture of utmost fragility, in this place of an eternity of time (天荒地老, tian huang di lao - "sky, yellow; earth, old"), keeping watch over the homeland of snow leopards and blue sheep.

This flower is called the meconopsis. It grows at an altitude of 4,500 meters, and the snow-covered peak it faces is the main peak of the Anyemaqen Snow Mountain. I was traveling from the Hailong Glacier beneath the Magê Gangri main peak toward the Dangxiong Glacier when, passing through a stretch of gravel flats, I discovered it. In this desolate, high-cold place, I believe that any traveler passing by who catches sight of it would be certain they had found poetry and the far horizon.

In recent years, because of my concern over the issue of climate warming, I have visited many snow mountains within China's borders, surveying on the ground the rise and fall of their snow lines and the advance and retreat of their glaciers. If nature speaks of its own vicissitudes in a thousand voices, the snow mountain is one of them. The cold and heat of air currents are faint and formless, but the changes of the eternal changes of nature and history (万古风云, wan gu feng yun - "ten thousand, ancient; wind, clouds") and the rotation of the ages' climate are all inscribed, one by one, upon the gleaming ice peaks—every cluster of icicles, every sheet of ice, every snowflake is a silent letter from the mountains and rivers. It is precisely for this reason that I came to the Anyemaqen Snow Mountain in the sultry season of this year.

On the land of China, the extreme peaks exceeding 7,000 meters in altitude stand majestically in the snow country, and there are over a hundred named, describable snow mountains above 6,000 meters. Most lie quietly among the ranges of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, each peak with its own distinct character—some solitary peaks rising from the ground, their sharp edges piercing the long sky; others stretching in unbroken succession, their snowy ridges surging like silver waves.

Among the host of snow mountains, Anyemaqen possesses a unique bearing. It is not like Gongga or Meili, which stand as a single, strikingly prominent peak (一峰突兀, yi feng tu wu - "one, peak; abrupt, protruding"), solitary and aloof from the world, but rather a continuous chain of peaks—18 snow peaks above 5,000 meters uneven and jaggedly arranged (参差齿列, can ci chi lie - "uneven; teeth, row"), with 4 ice peaks above 6,000 meters clustered in scattered embrace. Peak joins peak, with no abrupt beginning or end in sight; the snow peaks are not sharp but layered one upon another like hibiscus petals. If the sky is clear, you will see ice ridges winding like surging silver waves, glaciers cascading down from between the peaks and valleys, ice mantles brushing over the dark rock bones, ice towers stacked in layers, condensed into a thousand hectares of pure white. Seen from afar, it lacks the fierce dominance of a single mountain, yet possesses the somber vastness of mountains joined in fellowship—ice light overflowing, boundless and solemn, its deep and broad bearing is naturally extraordinary.

II

My attention to the boundary where ice and snow advance and retreat began at Mount Jiajin. In June 1935, when the Central Red Army crossed this mountain, it was still in the lingering cold of the Little Ice Age. At that time, the lower limit of year-round snow was still around 3,800 meters above sea level, and at the height of summer the pass was still covered in thick snow. The Red Army soldiers who set foot on the 25,000-li Long March, holding firm convictions, shook off the pursuit and interception of several hundred thousand Nationalist troops and stepped onto this vast snow mountain. The soldiers were thinly clad, climbing with difficulty under the twin pressures of wind and snow and oxygen deprivation; many fighters lay down to eternal rest on this mountain, becoming an indelible memory in the history of New China. Eighty years later, following in the footsteps of the martyrs, I retraced the Long March route and came here, only to find that the snow that had never melted since ancient times was nowhere to be seen. The climate has warmed, the boundary of ice and snow advance and retreat has risen all the way, and Mount Jiajin no longer has a stable snow line. The same mountain—once a deadly ice-and-snow barrier, now a verdant passage reachable by vehicle. From the disappearance of a mountain's wind and snow, I saw the enormous impact of climate change on the shifting of eras and on the ways of human life. I am a blind man when it comes to philosophy, but I can sense, even if I cannot yet fully comprehend, the climate issue, and it awakened in me the consciousness of "concern for the world's troubles."

That clump of meconopsis grows on the talus slope left behind after the glacier retreated.

Following the thread of the snow line's advance and retreat, the great ice melted and withdrew, the mountain's rock disintegrated through repeated freeze-thaw cycles, and gravel of all sizes rolled and spread down the slopes—jagged rocks everywhere, the soil layer extremely thin. The winter winds sweep through, the temperature difference between day and night is extreme, and ultraviolet radiation is intense. Not to mention humans—even animals and plants find it hard to linger. This kind of rubble wilderness has become nearly a dead zone for life. Yet this meconopsis has made this cold, harsh place its home. Its plants are mostly one to two feet tall, with thin petals of congealed yellow and green leaves steeped in cold. Its domain of survival always hugs the boundary of ice and snow advance and retreat. When the snow line rises in warm periods, it expands its territory upward to altitudes of 4,300 to 4,400 meters; when it is dry and cold, it retreats, growing at 4,000 to 4,200 meters. The rise and fall of the snow line drives the expansion and contraction of the meconopsis's habitat.

From this it can be seen that the migration of a single flower or creature tugs at the entire chain of the alpine ecosystem. A hundred years ago, today's meconopsis habitat was still a great glacier. Every migration of the meconopsis is the result of changes in the earth's climate. Of course, its migration is not like that of migratory birds, once a year; each time it drifts, it is at least a hundred years, sometimes "once in a thousand years." That is why, when I saw it on this talus slope at 4,500 meters, I felt both delight and a measure of worry. To guard this orchid of the snow country is, in essence, to guard the snow mountains and glaciers, to maintain the fragile balance of the plateau's ecology.

III

Anyemaqen has always been called "Great Jishi Mountain" in the literature of the Central Plains. The first use of the term "Jishi" is in the "Tribute of Yu" chapter of the Book of Documents: "He channeled the River from Jishi, and reached Longmen." Here it is called only Jishi, not Jishi Mountain. The earliest document to use the term "Jishi Mountain" is the "Classic of the Western Mountains" chapter of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, which says, "Another three hundred li to the west is called Jishi Mountain; below it there is a stone gate, and the River emerges and flows west." But this Jishi Mountain does not refer to Anyemaqen; rather, it is the Jishi Gorge on the border of Qinghai and Gansu. For a long period of history, people conflated the Jishi Gorge with Jishi Mountain. When I came to visit Anyemaqen, I still saw some documents saying that Yu the Great's flood control began here (referring to Anyemaqen). In fact, this is an erroneous attribution of the Jishi Gorge to Anyemaqen. After Kublai established the Yuan Dynasty, he sent people to survey Anyemaqen, and when the envoy returned, he reported to him that the source of the Yellow River was not the Jishi Gorge. Anyemaqen has another Chinese name, "Great Jishi Mountain," adopted to distinguish it from the duplicate name of the Jishi Gorge. The ancients believed that Anyemaqen was the source of the Yellow River—this is of course incorrect—but Anyemaqen is indeed the highest peak in the Yellow River basin. The Yellow River, setting out from its source at the Yueguzonglie spring, winds more than 800 li to arrive at the foot of the Anyemaqen Snow Mountain. Blocked by this majestic snow peak, the great river turns back and circles, absorbing here the meltwater of countless glaciers; three-tenths of the upper reaches' water volume comes from this great snow mountain. After leaving the snow peak, the Yellow River surges on for more than 5,000 kilometers, crossing plateaus, gorges, the loess highlands, and the North China Plain, finally emptying into the Bohai Sea. There is no doubt that the Yellow River is the cradle of Chinese civilization and the mother river of the Chinese nation. Then this Anyemaqen before my eyes is the snow peak standing tall and majestic (巍然屹立, wei ran yi li - "towering, majestic; stand, erect") in the upper reaches of the mother river, guarding it—a thousand years of wind, snow, and glacier turned into the milk of the great river, nourishing the land of China and fostering vigorous life.

Standing on this talus slope between two glaciers, I stood shoulder to shoulder with that meconopsis, gazing at the Magê Gangri main peak. I thought: every drop of water that flows from this snow mountain into the Yellow River—whether abundant or lean, whether a trickle or a surge—is a gift from heaven, a manifestation of heaven's blessing on China. Its crystal clarity nurtures people of noble character; its sanctity nourishes the endless, continuous life and growth (生生不息, sheng sheng bu xi - "birth, birth; not, cease") of the East. The meconopsis chooses only to live in its proper season and refuses to abandon its ground to survive by stealth. Plants have spirit—how could we not feel it! Today, our protection of the ecology and our kindness toward nature are not merely compensation after taking, but a gentle response between humanity and heaven and earth. To treat the snow peak well is to treat the pulse of the climate well; to treat the mountains and rivers well is to treat the tranquility of the years well. Every blade of grass and every tree holds the warmth and cold of the world's changes; every mountain and every river stores nature's code of metabolism. Before nature, we can only hold reverence, and not the slightest trace of luck!

Anyemaqen, together with the meconopsis, I bow to you.

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At the Tail End Yet Facing the Tide (Jintai Reflections)

By: 余甘氏

Recently, the renowned writer Wang Meng published an article titled "Running a Vivid and Full-of-Life Supplement" in the "Dadi" (Earth) supplement of People's Daily, in which he focused on three sets of relationships in running a good newspaper supplement: editors and authors, solemnity and lightness, and media and public opinion. Drawing from his personal experience, he proposed that in the face of online public opinion, "mainstream media such as newspapers must provide scientific, stable, and healthy guidance of public opinion," and that "the media must dare to and be good at speaking up on hot topics, presenting clear viewpoints, and better exercising the supplement's cordial and mature leading role in public opinion." Reading this is deeply inspiring.

Since the early years of the last century, the Chinese newspaper supplement, situated at the "end of the newspaper," has always been an important front for China's modern and contemporary cultural development. This is no accident; it is related to its unique positioning and traditional advantages. Now that we have entered the era of intelligent media, under internet conditions, the significance of newspaper supplements for cultural development and their leading role in public opinion have not diminished; on the contrary, they should receive increasing attention.

Culture is the weather vane of the times. The supplement, whose main function is to lead social trends and spread culture, is the most sensitive, richest, and most vital textual space of a newspaper. Chinese newspaper supplements established a tradition of paying attention to reality very early on. From Lu Xun using the "Free Talk" supplement of the Shun Pao as his garden, and Sun Li presiding over the "Literary Weekly" supplement of Tianjin Daily, to cultural luminaries and masters such as Ba Jin, Bing Xin, Xiao Qian, and Wei Wei, most of them started out on newspaper supplements. Using pen and words as their weapons, they played an important role in the cultural development of the entire era.

Supplements are often about telling stories, about warm exchanges in the manner of everyday human life, about infection and triggering that works without any visible effort. From the perspective of effect, this characteristic of supplements gives them at least two major advantages in leading social public opinion: first, cordiality — the supplement's affinity, its flavor of everyday life, and its cultural character naturally connect it with readers, making it easy to win their closeness and trust; second, steadiness — compared with the race against time of news, the supplement is better at sorting out details, opening up emotional channels, leaving room for thought to settle, and also allowing truth to truly reach people's hearts.

Under the conditions of the new era, the online public opinion arena has long undergone tremendous changes. Everyone has a microphone, anything may make it to the hot search list, emotions often run ahead of facts, and opinions sometimes overshadow truth. In such a cacophony of many voices (众声喧哗, zhong sheng xuan hua - "many, voices, noisy, clamor"), do newspaper supplements, known for their cultural flavor, intellectual depth, and flavor of everyday life, still need to participate in the tide of public opinion? Can they still be leaders and builders of the culture of the times? The answer is yes. In fact, the more complex the environment, the more it requires timely and keen discovery and flexible and effective expression. The performance of newspaper supplements in recent years has been praiseworthy and noteworthy (可圈可点, ke quan ke dian - "can, circle, can, dot"), which corroborates this point. Supplement platforms such as the "Dadi" supplement of People's Daily, the "Culture Weekend" of Guangming Daily, and the "Night Light Cup" of Xinmin Evening News have continuously and proactively carried out constructive discussions on many social issues such as the chaos of fan circles, appellation trends, audience rights, and the authenticity of cultural relics, clarifying fallacies, building cognition, and leading aesthetics, thereby becoming a cultural home that audiences and readers trust.

A history of supplements is a history of culture. The advantage of newspaper supplements lies precisely in their persistence that overcomes great difficulties (滴水穿石, di shui chuan shi - "drop, water, pierce, stone") and their influencing someone imperceptibly (潜移默化, qian yi mo hua - "subtly, move, silent, transform") of cultural tastes and the ways of the world and the human heart. This is the unique path by which newspaper supplements participate in the building of socialist culture. The thickening of cultural subjectivity must ultimately fall upon concrete and perceptible cultural soil. What supplements do day after day is precisely to till, maintain, and nourish the rich cultural soil of the country and the nation.

The supplement is not supplementary. When readers repeatedly encounter the beauty of culture, the truth of the soul, and the depth of thought in the supplement, recognition quietly takes root, and confidence finds its source. This is what is meant by cultivating people through culture (以文化人, yi wen hua ren - "use, culture, transform, people"), benefiting others in a silent, subtle way (润物无声, run wu wu sheng - "moisten, things, without, sound").

Amid the surging waves of digital transformation of media, supplements should stand boldly at the "crest of the tide," uphold the principle that content is king, make greater efforts in revealing life, culture, and thought, keep pace with technological changes, strengthen communication thinking, and make upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground an eternal right path.

The supplement has warmth, and it also has sharpness. When every article in a newspaper supplement carries the creative edge and the warmth of life, the supplement's appeal is self-evident and obvious (不言而喻, bu yan er yu - "not, speak, instead, understand"), and its vitality is bound to be enduring — it will be read by more people, and it will deliver those beautiful things worth believing in and holding fast to into the hearts of more people.

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That Damaged Inkstone (On the Trail · Stories Along the Long March)

By: 王纯亮

Deep inside the wooden cabinet at home lies quietly a inkstone wrapped in old rice paper. The inkstone is of coarse stone, with chipped and broken corners, looking unremarkable and ordinary (平平无奇, ping ping wu qi - "level, level, no, strange"). One year when I returned to my hometown, I saw that damaged inkstone again, and thinking it was useless, I was about to throw it away. My father hurriedly stepped forward to stop me, saying in a loud voice, "You can't throw it away—this was left to our family by the Red Army during the Long March!"

A utterly inconspicuous, damaged inkstone, actually connected to the Long March? As my father recounted the story, a long-sealed piece of Long March history, deeply etched into the bloodline of my family's elders, slowly unfolded.

My hometown is Bijie, Guizhou, deep in the Wumeng Mountains, where towering mountains overlap one another (群山叠嶂, qun shan die zhang - "group, mountain, stack, barrier") and the land is crisscrossed with gullies and ravines (沟壑纵横, gou he zong heng - "ditch, ravine, vertical, horizontal"), vast and magnificent.

Just after the Spring Festival in 1936, the Second and Sixth Army Groups of the Red Army fought their way through Bijie, marching with difficulty through the bitter cold. A small detachment from this force passed through our village and briefly stayed at our home.

At that time, turbulent times and unstable political situations (山河动荡, shan he dong dang - "mountain, river, move, shake") prevailed, and the world was in chaos. The remote mountain village was isolated and cut off, and the villagers, unaware of the Red Army's principles and swayed only by rumors, were fearful of any troops passing through—whenever an army came by, they would hide. On the day the Red Army arrived at the village, heavy snow sealed off the mountains. Upon learning of their impending arrival, my grandfather and second grandfather, who were out on business, hastily hid in a cave. My grandmother and great-aunt (grandfather's younger sister), who were at home, had no time to flee and could only climb up to the attic to hide.

That day, several soldiers walked into our small courtyard. They knocked on the door and called out "fellow villagers," but got no response, so they pushed open the door that had not yet been closed tightly. A coal fire was burning in the room, and the men gathered around the stove to warm themselves, wisps of white steam gradually rising from their soaked clothes.

The floor of our wooden house was laid with bamboo poles, and between the poles, though the gaps were fine and tight, one could still faintly see what was happening below. My grandmother recalled in her later years that the Red Army soldiers who entered the house wore puttees and straw sandals, with thin, tattered clothing, and because of the long march, they were utterly exhausted.

The mountain folk lived in poverty and had no good food to offer. There was not much rice in the steamer, and little soup left in the earthenware pot. Only in the bamboo basket on the table were a few yellow cakes made by steaming a mixture of firethorn berries and corn flour. Knowing full well how hard life was for the common people, the soldiers were reluctant to touch the villagers' food at first, but after marching all the way, suffering from both hunger and cold simultaneously (饥寒交迫, ji han jiao po - "hunger, cold, intersect, press"), they had no choice but to carefully take a small amount of the yellow cakes to fill their stomachs, and used their mess kits to boil hot water to warm themselves.

After a brief rest, the unit prepared to move out. According to discipline, they ought to compensate the household, but they searched through their pockets and found no valuables. Then they noticed that on the table in the main room sat a broken earthen bowl used as an inkstone to hold ink, with a homemade brush made from a sorghum stalk resting on top of it. My grandfather had loved reading since childhood but could not afford to buy proper writing implements, so he had to make do with whatever was at hand. A leading soldier was silent for a moment, then took a damaged inkstone from his pack and placed it on the table. He then dipped it into the remaining ink in the earthen bowl and, on the grayish-brown plank wall of the old house, wrote four large characters, neatly and solemnly: "Thank you, fellow villagers!"

Not long after, the unit marched off into the snow. Gazing at the damaged inkstone on the table and the large characters on the plank wall, the family stood in silence for a long time. In the years that followed, the writing on the wall remained intact, and my grandfather treasured that damaged inkstone all the more.

After hearing my father's account, I came to understand that behind that small damaged inkstone lay such a moving story. Later, my father showed the inkstone to my son and daughter. Hearing the story of the inkstone, the children's eyes were filled with reverence. I think that generation after generation keeping this old inkstone and remembering this piece of history is the best form of inheritance.

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Dreams and Fruit

By: 许 军

The Autumn Orchard

At the warm and earnest proposal of the wind

Apples, pomegranates, citrus, persimmons, figs

Gather together by collective appointment

And meet once again

Draped in the afternoon sunlight

Each in its own heart

Has accumulated a long summer's worth of sweet words

That are spoken out one by one

Already far removed from the days of ups and downs or hardships (风风雨雨, feng feng yu yu - "wind, wind, rain, rain")

Growing ever more plump and full

In orchard after orchard of autumn

Heavy-laden dreams hang from every branch

Every small happiness nurtured since spring

Is within easy reach (触手可及, chu shou ke ji - "touch, hand, can, reach")

The pomelos borne on the trees are large and round

The scorching sun and torrential rains they fought off countless times

Have in the end all turned into a juicy interior

And a layer upon layer tightly wrapped, slightly bitter rind

Gently cupped in both hands

It is as if one is steadily holding up

That full round moon from one's hometown

The yellowed years of the old days

Are now giving off a faint, delicate fragrance

If one continues to peel it open

A stretch of amber-colored time, interwoven with sweet and sour, will be reopened

The veins that hint at the vicissitudes of life make one want to speak yet hold back

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Photo Report

The Chinese painting Autumn Path, by Wu Biduan, is in the collection of the National Art Museum of China.

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Rattan Pepper Notes (A Taste of Many Flavors)

By: 沈荣均

Rattan pepper (藤椒), its roots and stems are gathered for medicinal use and soaked in wine; the taste is bitter, to be sure, yet it can dispel the coldness of the hands and feet. Its use as a seasoning is a matter of only the past two or three hundred years. Before that, rattan pepper was not well regarded, simply because the strange odor that could not be washed clean no matter how one scrubbed it, together with fruit color that was not as pleasing to the eye as that of the Sichuan pepper, left it to grow wild.

In the mountain areas of Ya'an, Hongya, and Emei, spring water drips and gurgles all year round, mist and haze curl and linger, and the conditions are extremely favorable for the flourishing of plants and trees. Osmanthus, gardenia, yellow orchid, honeysuckle, "old eagle tea," and the like are all extremely fragrant. Having lived in company with them for a long time, the rattan pepper, from head to toe, has also taken on their fragrance. Unlike Sichuan pepper, rattan pepper is at its most fragrant when seven or eight tenths ripe; the green skin is too tender to pinch, and the fragrant oil rolls out like beads of sweat. It smells like a "fragrant citron," slippery and cool, entering through the nose and emerging from the pores, as if every aperture of the body had been pried open.

The villagers, having by chance come to know the goodness of that fruit, brought it out of the mountain forests. They planted it in front of and behind their houses; it puts forth fine white flowers and hangs green and verdant fruit. Both flower and fruit are suffused with the sunlight of youth — pleasing to look at, bright and open to smell, numbing in a refreshing way, fragrant in a penetrating way, unreserved and straightforward (不遮不掩, bu zhe bu yan - "not, cover; not, hide"), just right for the ways of country households. Growing rattan pepper does not require choosing between fertile and barren soil; at the edge of a field or the corner of a plot, one simply finds a crack in the ground, inserts a cutting, pours on a ladle of pig or cattle manure, covers it with corn husks and banana leaves, and need not tend it for three or five years.

Then one day, when the summer heat pressed in unbearably, one suddenly recalled that relaxed and cool numbing-fragrant strength, and before one's eyes rose a full embrace of luxuriance and rich fragrance. Hastily, taking advantage of the cool of night and the dawn light, one gathers the fresh fruit, lets it air in the dew, and seals in the numbing fragrance. Then one mixes it with chicken, mixes it into noodles, mixes it with sliced pork head, and dips tender tofu pudding in it — and unexpectedly it truly can relieve the summer heat.

The fragrance of rattan pepper volatilizes quickly and cannot withstand sun-drying; by the time the fruit ripens to red, there is not much fragrance left. To preserve its goodness, there is only the old method of "sealing" (閟). Sealing rattan pepper oil — the subtlety lies in the single character "seal." Fresh peppers are placed in an earthenware oil jar, oil is fried in a wok over a wood fire, it is drained and steeped through a bamboo winnowing basket, and several layers of broad taro leaves, lotus leaves, and banana leaves are spread over the top, "sealed" and left to steep through the night. Frying the oil demands care with the oil temperature: it must not smoke, and it must not be underdone — six or seven tenths done is just right. There is a knack to gauging the oil temperature. When one places a hand two or three inches above the oil surface and feels a hot warmth yet sees no oil smoke, it is about right. Sealing rattan pepper oil fears exposure to air; the fresh fragrance so hard to retain is precious to begin with — would it not be a pity if it escaped? Rattan pepper oil sealed by the old method has a numbing fragrance that is supple, resilient, and penetrating, and it can be kept until after autumn.

Rattan pepper truly broke out of its niche only in the past 30 years. The world-renowned local delicacy "bobo chicken" (钵钵鸡) has undergone a flavor innovation. Originally served in a clay bowl with numbing-spicy dressed chicken, the introduction of the rattan pepper flavor immediately opened up new horizons on the tip of the tongue. Adding even more fragrance to an existing scent (香上添香, xiang shang tian xiang - "fragrance, on top; add, fragrance"), freshness beyond freshness, cool and refreshing, and not apt to cause internal heat. With rattan pepper, "bobo chicken" has taken on a completely new flavor profile (口味一新, kou wei yi xin - "taste, one, new").

Rattan pepper has made the internet-famous "bobo chicken" what it is, and it has also made the Sichuan-style numbing fragrance — Hongya's "Yaomazi" (幺麻子) pepper-numbing oil. Rattan pepper has become popular, and the pepper farmers' purses have swelled. The little rattan pepper tree is a tree of rural prosperity. When you visit Hongya in Sichuan, be sure to taste a bite of "bobo chicken" on arrival, and take a bottle of "Yaomazi" with you when you leave.

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Autumn, Too, Is a Season for Tilling

By: 陈荣力

For a long time, I could not understand my father's stubborn decision to return to his hometown to settle down after retiring from work.

My father's hometown was an ancient, simple town in the Siming Mountain area of eastern Zhejiang. Just after turning 16, he joined the "Third-Fifth Detachment" (the main force of the New Fourth Army's Zhejiang-East Guerrilla Column) in the Siming Mountain area. In the early years of the People's Republic of China, after being transferred to civilian work from the Shaoxing Military Subdistrict, he worked for a while at the supply and marketing cooperative in his hometown town. It was also during this period that my father met my mother and started his own small family.

In the Shaoxing Military Subdistrict, my father drove Soviet-style GAZ trucks for a time, making him one of the first generation of drivers in New China. Because of this specialty, he was transferred to a town adjacent to Hangzhou Bay, where I was later born, and there he tended to the diesel engine we called the "motor" at a cotton processing factory. After that, my father stayed in this town for nearly 40 years.

My father retired in the last autumn of the 1980s. The following Spring Festival, he called us children together for a meeting. "I want to discuss something with you. Your mother and I plan to return to our hometown to settle down." My father didn't give a reason; he opened with the conclusion, and we were all stunned with amazement (目瞪口呆, mu deng kou dai - "eye, stare; mouth, stunned").

"Return to the hometown to settle? What about the house?" After the ancestral home collapsed in the great typhoon of 1958, there was not a single tile above or an inch of land below left in the hometown. "A few days ago I went back to the hometown and found a house I liked. If we give up the factory dormitory here, we can get 3,000 yuan in settling-in allowance. We have some savings of our own, and if you all chip in a bit, that should be enough." What my father called a discussion was in fact more like an announcement.

That autumn, my father formally bid farewell to the town where he had lived and worked for nearly 40 years and returned to settle in his hometown in the Siming Mountain area. From the mountain to the sea, and from the sea back to the mountain, I wondered whether this was returning to one's ancestral home (叶落归根, ye luo gui gen - "leaf, fall, return, root") or an old tree putting forth new life.

Once, during a holiday, my wife, daughter, and I went to visit my parents. My father accompanied us for only half a day before he went out carrying his large thermos bottle.

"Dad seems pretty busy?" I asked my mother. "It's only when you come back that he can stay put at home. On ordinary days, he carries a thermos bottle and is out of sight all day long." "What is he busy with?" "Busy with what? Visiting neighbors, chatting, playing the 'good old man.'" "Dad can play the 'good old man'?" "Him? Today he delivers a few cold tablets to the family to the west, tomorrow he mediates a dispute for the family to the east. He also plays matchmaker and has brought several couples together." My mother's tone sounded like a complaint, yet carried a hint of admiration.

After that, whenever I went to see my parents, unless it was mealtime, I still rarely caught sight of my father. Two things left a deep impression on me. One was that people often came to my parents' home to visit, many of them carrying a few eggs, some sweet potatoes, or a handful of vegetables just pulled from the fields. The other was that almost everyone in town knew my father and called him "Old Uncle Chen," and I myself nearly blurted out "Old Uncle Chen" when addressing him.

Not only did my father help the neighbors himself, but when he couldn't manage something, he would have me help as well. Finally, one time, I lost patience and complained: "This isn't even our own family's business. Why do you bother with so much?" My father's face showed a hint of embarrassment, and he could only say sheepishly: "They're neighbors and fellow townsfolk. If we can help, we should lend a hand."

After a silence, my father told me a story: "Half a year after I joined the 'Third-Fifth Detachment,' the troops withdrew north. I was young and not a frontline combatant, so I had two choices: one was to follow the troops north, and the other was to stay behind and take part in the struggle behind enemy lines. At the time, there was still my grandmother in her 60s and my 12-year-old sister at home, so I chose to stay. Those years were truly hard. At night I slept in mountain caves, thatched sheds, and dilapidated temples, and the food and clothing I had were given to us by the nearby common folks who tightened their own belts. I still remember the names of many of them, but unfortunately quite a few are no longer with us."

After calming his emotions a bit, he went on: "I returned to my hometown, first, because I couldn't bear to part with it; I always felt that living here was steady and comfortable. Second, because while I can still move about, I want to do what is within my power or ability (力所能及, li suo neng ji - "strength, what, can, reach") for the neighbors and fellow townsfolk. We must repay the kindness we owe."

My father passed away in the twelfth year after returning to his hometown to settle. In his final moments, many neighbors and fellow townsfolk came to see him, and the doctor from the town health center also kept watch by his bedside.

In one's twilight years, it is supposed to be the autumn of harvest, but my father let me know that autumn is also a time for plowing and sowing.

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Page editors: Zhang Shanshan

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