People's Daily - October 20, 2026

Carry Forward the Great Long March Spirit and Walk Well the Long March of Today

By: 本报记者 金正波 李龙伊 任彤彤

A river reflects the changes of history.

In October 1934, on the banks of the Yudu River in Jiangxi, the main force of the Central Red Army and others, more than 86,000 people in total, gathered and set out, embarking on a great expedition. The common people dismantled door panels and carried timber to build pontoon bridges for the march.

More than 90 years later, it is still this same river. Five major bridges named "Red Army," "Long March," "Gathering," "River Crossing," and "Victory" now span both banks, turning a natural barrier into a thoroughfare.

A road records a new chapter of the times.

From Ruijin in Jiangxi to Yan'an in Shaanxi, in the past, the Red Army soldiers, bearing their mission on their shoulders and wearing straw sandals on their feet, trekked across mountains and rivers.

Today, high-speed rail directly connects the two places — 1,857 kilometers, 11 hours and 32 minutes — smooth, efficient, and accessible.

Ninety years on, the land of China has changed beyond recognition: China has risen from the abyss of poverty and weakness (积贫积弱, ji pin ji ruo - "accumulate, poor, accumulate, weak") and being at the mercy of others to become the world's second-largest economy; it has been reborn from the suffering of starting from scratch with nothing (一穷二白, yi qiong er bai - "one, poor, two, white") and being subjected to bullying, and has now achieved a comprehensively well-off society and is comprehensively building a modern socialist country.

The mountains and rivers have been reshaped, and the nation has straightened its backbone. It was precisely that earth-shaking (惊天动地, jing tian dong di - "startle, heaven, move, earth") revolutionary feat more than 90 years ago that achieved the great turning point of the Communist Party of China and the cause of the Chinese revolution from setback to victory, and opened a new great advance of the Communist Party of China in its struggle for national independence and the liberation of the people.

On October 16, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during an inspection in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia: "We have lofty goals, and we also have patience and resolve. Just like the Red Army's Long March, we are now carrying out a new Long March." In June this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during an inspection in Dezhou, Shandong: "Now, we are striding forward on the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. We must work together with one heart and mind (齐心协力, qi xin xie li - "together, heart, cooperate, strength") to walk the new Long March road well, create an even brighter future, and continuously meet the people's aspirations for a better life."

The sound of the Red Army's departing footsteps has been fixed in the depths of history, but the road they trod with faith and hot blood has forged an eternal spiritual coordinate for the nation, transcending time and space, dazzling and resplendent.

Revolutionary ideals stand higher than heaven

"Lofty ideals and firm convictions are forever the political soul of Chinese Communists"

How great, exactly, is the power of faith?

"The cowhide belt is three chi long; on the grassy wasteland it makes good dry rations..." In the auditorium of a Red Army brigade of the 75th Group Army, the red stage play "Half a Belt Shows Loyalty" was being performed with warmth.

During the Long March, the Eighth Company of the 274th Regiment of the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army, the predecessor unit of the brigade's Fourth Company, crossed the grasslands for the third time. With food exhausted and reinforcements cut off, wild vegetables and grass roots were not enough to fill their stomachs. Soldier Zhou Guangcai took out his own cowhide belt and, together with his comrades, boiled and ate half of it. He clutched the remaining half tightly and made a pact with his comrades to carry it to Yan'an.

The Red Army soldiers would rather endure hunger than give up the half belt, carrying it with them "to go to Yan'an to see Chairman Mao." General Secretary Xi Jinping said with deep feeling: "This is the power of faith, a vivid portrayal of 'following the Party with an iron heart.'"

Great practice has proven: the victory of the Long March was the victory of the ideals of Chinese Communists and the victory of the convictions of Chinese Communists.

At that time, the Red Army officers and soldiers faced the enemy's heavy "encirclement and suppression," traversed ice-capped mountains and snowy ridges, high mountains and deep valleys, rushing rivers and dangerous shoals, and swampy grasslands, time and again cutting a bloody path and breaking through encirclements, walking out a road that decided the fate of the Chinese nation.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Lofty ideals and firm convictions are forever the political soul of Chinese Communists."

When we once again look back at those years of beacon-fire warfare, we can still clearly touch the spiritual power deeply rooted in the bloodline of the nation.

A journey of ten thousand li, forever preserving the utter sincerity of unswervingly following the Party —

Decades later, when asked what he did during the Long March, Comrade Deng Xiaoping condensed this extraordinary experience into three characters: "Follow along."

A few brief words, reflecting the original aspiration. On the ten-thousand-li Long March road, every step pointed firmly toward the same direction.

A Red Army soldier named Liu Zhihai froze to death; his comrades pried open one of his tightly clenched hands, and inside were his Party membership certificate and a silver dollar contributed as Party dues. Old Red Army soldier Zhong Fazhen, recalling the Long March, said with emotion: "No matter how great the difficulties, I never once fell behind!"

"Without ideals, the Red Army could not have walked even a thousand li." With a profound sense of concern for the country, the Communists linked their own destiny with the destiny of the Chinese nation, linked the great forward direction of the Long March with the establishment of forward positions for resisting Japan, and wrote a glorious chapter in the history of the Chinese revolution.

Breaking the deadlock in desperate straits, forever preserving the persistence of unswervingly seeking truth —

In northern Guizhou, a two-story building bathed in sunlight stands solemn and dignified. Above the door, the six large characters "Site of the Zunyi Conference" shine brilliantly.

A kerosene lamp, a table, a manuscript — recording the courage of a political party to correct itself at a critical juncture.

"The Zunyi Conference in fact established Comrade Mao Zedong's leadership position in the Party Central Committee and the Red Army, opened a new stage in which the Party independently resolved practical problems of the Chinese revolution, and at the most critical moment saved the Party, saved the Red Army, and saved the Chinese revolution." Following the direction of the docent's finger, visitors paused, listened, and reflected...

With a strong helmsman, even in the face of violent winds and huge waves, the revolutionary ship can still forge ahead bravely.

Thereafter, crossing the Chishui River four times, skillfully crossing the Jinsha River, forcibly crossing the Dadu River, and seizing the Luding Bridge by flight... the Central Red Army leapt out of layer upon layer of encirclement and was reborn.

After the Long March, the Party and the Red Army were not weaker, but stronger. Our Party found the correct road for the Chinese revolution and found the correct theory guiding this road.

Breaking through passes and seizing defiles, forever preserving the fine style of unity —

Desperate straits reveal people's hearts. During the Long March's crossing of snow mountains, a comrade wearing thin old clothes froze to death. The commander ordered the quartermaster to be summoned, wanting to ask him why he had not issued cotton-padded clothes to the comrade who had frozen to death. A comrade in the ranks, with tears in his eyes, told him that the comrade who had frozen to death was the quartermaster himself.

General Secretary Xi Jinping said with emotion: "The one in charge of clothing would rather freeze to death himself than put on warmer clothes first — what a lofty state of mind this is!"

"Thousands of people sharing one heart (千人同心, qian ren tong xin - "thousand, people, same, heart") can achieve the strength of a thousand people." It was precisely by relying on the selfless dedication of countless advanced elements with a high degree of political consciousness that our Party won one arduous and extraordinary struggle after another.

The Long March is a military epic, a heroic epic, and even more so a spiritual epic. Today, people increasingly yearn to trace back to the source, to seek that simple yet tenacious spiritual power.

During the summer of 2026, the site of the Zunyi Conference received an average of 34,700 visitors per day, with more and more young people taking the initiative to explore the source of strength; in 2026, the themed reporting activity "Carrying Forward the Long March Spirit, Forging Ahead on the Journey of Rejuvenation — Reporters Retrace the Long March Road" saw journalists revisit the magnificent journey and experience development and change...

The Long March road tested the ideals and convictions of Chinese Communists and proved to the world that the ideals and convictions of Chinese Communists are indestructible.

On the new journey, facing new situations, new tasks, and new tests, Chinese Communists remain unchanged in their original aspiration and unchanged in their faith.

For the cause, how many heroes have made great sacrifices

"Conquering all difficulties without being conquered by any difficulty"

The Xiang River in northern Guangxi — a tragic coordinate on the Long March road.

In the Memorial Hall of the Red Army's Xiang River Campaign of the Long March, before a huge relief wall, many visitors stop to pay their respects. On the wall are carved moments of Red Army officers and soldiers fighting bravely amidst bloodshed (浴血奋战, yu xue fen zhan - "bathe, blood, struggle, fight").

In October 2014, at the All-Army Political Work Conference held in Gutian Town, Shanghang County, Fujian, General Secretary Xi Jinping affectionately recounted the story of the hero Chen Shuxiang.

The 34th Division of the Red Army, which served as the rearguard of the Central Red Army, had more than 6,000 men, mainly sons of western Fujian. In the Battle of the Xiang River, nearly the entire division was sacrificed. Division Commander Chen Shuxiang was unfortunately captured; he tore open the wound in his abdomen, twisted off his intestines, and died a heroic death, fulfilling his vow to "shed the last drop of blood for the Soviets."

Hardship and difficulty temper one into maturity. Over two years, traversing more than ten provinces, the First, Second, and Fourth Front Armies of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the 25th Army completed an "unparalleled epic expedition," creating a miracle on earth that shakes mountains and rivers.

The mountains and rivers bear witness to the heroic spirit of fearing no strong enemy and forging ahead courageously —

The Wujiang River, like a flood dragon, splits the land of northern Guizhou from west to east.

In early autumn, Feng Xiaohan, political instructor of the "Model Company for Forcibly Crossing the Wujiang River," followed the footsteps of the Red Army of that time into the depths of the Wumeng Mountains.

"Of all the roads under heaven, none is harder to cross than the Wujiang Ferry. Ninety-one years ago, our predecessors rode bamboo rafts and braved a hail of bullets to break through this natural barrier; today, with advanced equipment, we can turn natural barriers into thoroughfares. We have more steel and more spirit, and our bones are even harder!" Paying homage at the old battlefield, Feng Xiaohan was filled with emotion.

Imprints of time, the strategy and tactics of sizing up the situation and employing troops flexibly —

In Tucheng Town, Xishui County, Guizhou, stands the Memorial Hall of the Four Crossings of the Chishui River. Magnificent battle oil paintings silently recount the stirring past of the Red Army's bloody struggles.

The first crossing of the Chishui River: turning the helm in the face of danger, leaping out of a dead end; the second crossing: a sudden counterattack, a surprise assault on Mount Loushan; the third crossing: a feint to confuse the enemy, luring them westward; the fourth crossing: divine troops advancing eastward, leaping out of the encirclement.

On the Long March road, Red Army soldiers maneuvered over a thousand li, turning the conviction that "as long as we keep moving, there is hope" into battlefield choices of trading space for time and trading mobility for initiative, time and again. Entering the new era, the vast number of officers and soldiers are accelerating the transformation of military training, solving problems in preparing for war and fighting, and writing new chapters of victory.

Enduring in the annals of history, the conviction of certain victory that is indomitable (百折不挠, bai zhe bu nao - "hundred, bend, not, yield") and unwavering and persistent (坚忍不拔, jian ren bu ba - "firm, endure, not, pull") —

Mount Jiajin, Mount Mengbi, the Songpan Grassland... those names marked on maps were, in those days, death barriers that even birds could not fly over and where no human foot had trodden.

Climbing snow mountains and crossing grasslands was a road of suffering refined layer by layer, and also a road of hope that never wavered.

Wang Yuanjian's work "Seven Matches" tells a deeply touching (感人肺腑, gan ren fei fu - "touch, person, lung, viscera") story. The prototype of the story's protagonist was Red Army soldier Zheng Jinyu.

In August 1935, the Red Army entered Songpan. There, there was a swamp stretching six hundred li in all directions. No matter how great the wind and snow, Zheng Jinyu always kept the seven matches close to his body, protecting them from getting wet.

At the last moment of his life, Zheng Jinyu solemnly handed the seven matches to his comrades. He said: "I know the Party's cause will surely triumph! The revolution will surely triumph!"

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The victory of the Long March depended on the heroic spirit and revolutionary spirit of the Red Army officers and soldiers in overwhelming all enemies without being overwhelmed by any enemy, and conquering all difficulties without being conquered by any difficulty."

Today, looking across the military camps, the successors of the Red Army are carrying forward the spirit through their actions.

"Xiong Shanglin!" "Here!" "Luo Huiming!" "Here!" At the camp of the "Dadu River Company" of a brigade of the 74th Group Army of the Army, there is an unshakable ritual every day — the entire company calls out the names of the "Seventeen Heroes."

One response after another, traversing more than ninety years of wind and rain. On the sea training ground, officers and soldiers brave the wind and sand, tread through the mud, break free from the limitations of single posts and single levels, and, standing from the overall perspective of joint operations, identify shortcomings and finalize multiple practical research topics for combat.

Today, this heroic spirit has been transformed into one charge after another by officers and soldiers in the new era.

In Hotan County, Xinjiang, there is a "Road of Asking About Courage." The origin of the road's name must be traced back to a battle.

In June 2020, during the Galwan Valley clash, soldier Chen Xiangrong fought at the very front line and died a heroic death. When army leaders came to his home, his mother Yao Suishui asked one question: "Was my son brave when he was fighting?" Company Commander Du Pengfei answered without hesitation: "His courage surpassed all three armies!"

On dikes amid surging floods, in the rubble of quaking earth... there is always a group of people who shield danger in front of themselves and leave safety behind them.

Always rooted in the people

"The feeling between Communists and the common people is the feeling of sharing one quilt"

In August 2026, due to a sudden mudslide disaster on the Nepalese side, the Gyirong Port in Gyirong County, Shigatse City, Tibet, was severely affected.

This was a rescue racing against time. From the central government to local governments, rescue operations were swiftly launched. In the high-altitude, cold plateau region, with steep ravines and changeable weather... to open up rescue channels, no matter how difficult, they had to press forward.

These figures, in time, overlap and merge with the Red Army officers and soldiers of more than 90 years ago.

In October 1934, at Kunning Mountain in Shiqian, Guizhou. More than 100 Red Army soldiers of the 52nd Regiment of the Sixth Army Corps were ordered to cover the rear. At the edge of a cliff, the enemy, using local people as "human shields," pressed forward step by step. The muzzles of their guns could not be pointed at the people; the road of retreat was already cut off at the cliff's edge. In the end, the soldiers smashed their guns and leapt off the cliff.

From the smoke-filled battlefield to disaster and danger, Communists remain true to their original aspiration.

A history of the Red Army's Long March is a history reflecting the deep bond between the army and the people, as close as fish and water.

In the Memorial Hall of the Four Crossings of the Chishui River, several mottled wooden door panels are treasured. During the first crossing of the Chishui River, when the bridges were destroyed, the people on both banks dismantled their own door panels and bed boards to help the Red Army build pontoon bridges. Later, the people fished the wooden boards out of the river, patched them up, and took them home to continue using. One worn wooden board after another is engraved with the imprint of the army and the people being of one heart.

Turn your gaze to the gathering and departure point of the Central Red Army's Long March. In October 1934, tens of thousands of troops crossed the Yudu River by night without a single word leaking out, relying on the joint protection of more than 300,000 people of Yudu. So that the Red Army would have shoes to wear, the women of the Soviet areas worked day and night, hastily producing more than 200,000 pairs of straw sandals in a short time.

When the Red Army won battles, the people were their mountain of support. For the Long March soldiers, door panels were the bridges to cross natural barriers, and straw sandals were the confidence to complete the ten-thousand-li journey.

Why did the people support the Red Army? Perhaps there is an answer in the story of the "Half Quilt."

In November 1934, in Shazhou Village, Rucheng County, Hunan. Three female Red Army soldiers lodged overnight in the home of villager Xu Jiexiu. When they left, the female Red Army soldiers cut their only quilt in half and left half of it for her.

Xu Jiexiu said: "What is the Communist Party? The Communist Party is people who, even if they have only one quilt, will cut half of it and give it to the common people."

General Secretary Xi Jinping said with deep feeling: "Our army is the people's army, and the feeling between us Communists and the common people is the feeling of sharing one quilt."

The Long March was a declaration, the Long March was a propaganda team, the Long March was a seeder. With their own exemplary actions, the Red Army won the sincere support and endorsement of the masses. The broad masses of the people came to deeply understand that the Communist Party of China is a party that works for the interests of the people, that the Red Army is the people's army and a truly anti-Japanese force, and that the road pointed out by the Communist Party of China is the correct road for the masses to win liberation.

More than 90 years ago, the people gave everything they had to support the Red Army. More than 90 years later, this force that has come from the depths of history — what will it give back to the people?

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Now that the country has developed and the people's lives have improved, we must remember the source of our water when we drink, and must not forget the revolutionary predecessors and revolutionary martyrs, and must not forget the fathers and fellow villagers of the old revolutionary base areas."

In Shazhou Yao Village, where the "Half Quilt" story took place, this once remote and poor mountain village has developed fruit cultivation and rural tourism, and now the villagers' annual per capita net income has increased several times compared to ten years ago.

In Huamao Village, Zunyi, Guizhou, children play on the cultural square, and the pottery studio and papermaking workshop are thronged with visitors. Over the years, Party members and cadres have led the masses in working hard, transforming this place from "Barren Maotian" to "Huamao Village," achieving a rural transformation.

In the past, the Red Army fought bloody battles, with the army and the people united in heart; today, rural revitalization, industrial development, and ecological improvement show the ever-changing new look of the times everywhere.

Ninety years of forging ahead through hardships (砥砺奋进, di li fen jin - "grind, whet, strive, advance"). We have achieved the First Centenary Goal, comprehensively built a moderately prosperous society on the land of China, historically solved the problem of absolute poverty, and are now marching toward the Second Centenary Goal of comprehensively building a great modern socialist country.

As long as we always stand with the people, think with the people, and work with the people, our ranks will never be defeated.

Now we are crossing the summit anew

"Striving with determination and making vigorous efforts, continuing to push forward the great cause pioneered by our revolutionary predecessors"

Mount Loushan — the green mountains are like a sea, with countless peaks and ridges.

"The west wind is fierce, wild geese cry in the long sky under the frosty morning moon... The strong pass is truly like iron, yet now we cross the summit anew..." This autumn, the third "Retracing the Long March Road" activity for young people of the new era was held. The wind swept through the pass, carrying the young people's recitation into the mountains.

In 1935, the Red Army fought fierce battles with the enemy at Mount Loushan and other places, achieving the greatest victory since the start of the Long March. Today, youth representatives climb the hundred-step ladder, cross the Sky Bridge, and visit the exhibition hall. The majestic poems in the textbooks have become the real scenery before their eyes.

"Feeling the steepness of Mount Loushan, I truly understood the difficulty of the Red Army in breaking through passes and defiles and breaking out of desperate straits." "On this trip, I understood that at all times one must have the consciousness to dare to transform and strive to climb higher." The young people sighed with emotion.

Back then, the Red Army advanced toward danger in a crisis; today, the passes are still there, but they have changed their appearance. What the young people see is not only how that battle was won, but also how the next leg of the journey should be fought.

To realize great ideals, there is no smooth and level road to walk.

To make new progress in the great cause of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, to achieve new results in advancing the great new project of Party building, and to win new victories in the great struggle with many new historical features, there are still many "snow mountains" and "grasslands" to cross, and many "Mount Loushans" and "Lazikous" to conquer.

To walk today's Long March road well, ideals and convictions must be even firmer —

This summer, the Party member volunteer service team of Fudan University's "Communist Manifesto" Exhibition Hall traveled to southern Jiangxi and the Chongqing-Guizhou region, tracing the footsteps of the Red Army and seeking answers about faith.

"Facing the future, to walk the Long March road of the new era well, we need even more to strengthen our ideals and convictions and strive and struggle with determination." On June 27, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping replied to a letter to all members of the Party member volunteer service team of Fudan University's "Communist Manifesto" Exhibition Hall, encouraging them to continue telling stories about ideals and convictions well.

The team members said firmly: "When the heart has faith, one can go far. We must strive to become sparks that transmit the power of Marxist truth."

In the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has deployed a series of centralized education campaigns within the Party, insisting on using the Party's innovative theories to unite hearts and souls, guiding the vast number of Party members and cadres to replenish their spiritual calcium and hold fast to the spiritual home of Communists.

To walk today's Long March road well, the posture of striving must be even more vigorous —

On May 24, 2026, the Long March-2F Y-23 carrier rocket lifted the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft into ignition and ascent, entering the predetermined orbit. Three astronauts, together with the Shenzhou-21 crew, achieved the eighth "space rendezvous" on the Chinese space station.

Ninety years ago, the Red Army completed the Long March on foot; ninety years later, one Long March rocket after another carries the gaze of the Chinese people to the galaxy.

Exploring space, Chang'e-6 achieved the first-ever sample return from the far side of the Moon in human history; looking to the sky, the C919, China's domestically produced large passenger aircraft, spreads its wings over the blue sky... Looking back at the Long March, how much trekking through countless hardships, how much unswerving seeking; today, the vast number of scientific and technological workers are breaking through passes and defiles one after another, continuously opening up new horizons and creating new miracles.

To walk today's Long March road well, the original aspiration of serving the people must be even more fervent —

On the northern shore of Qinghai Lake lies a beautiful new village — Guoluocang Gongma Village, Shaliuhe Town, Gangcha County.

Once, this was a remote and isolated pure pastoral village. Today, infrastructure has been comprehensively upgraded, and e-commerce livestreaming has entered the lives of herders.

On the afternoon of June 8, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to this village at an average altitude of 3,300 meters.

"The herders live well, all thanks to the Party's good policies." The plain words of herder Sonam Tsering voiced his sincere feelings.

"During the Long March, when the Red Army passed through areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, they were like brothers and sisters with our ethnic minority compatriots, leaving behind many beautiful stories." General Secretary Xi Jinping continued, "Now, Party and government cadres at all levels should ask the villagers wherever they go: what kind of better life do you still want? A better life, we will promote and realize it together."

The new journey of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation is an expedition full of glory and dreams, risks and challenges.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "On the road ahead, we must vigorously carry forward the great Long March spirit, inspiring and encouraging the entire Party, the entire military, and the people of all ethnic groups across the country, especially the younger generation, to strive with determination and make vigorous efforts, and continue to push forward the great cause pioneered by our revolutionary predecessors."

The journey is long, and only through struggle can we advance — the Long March is forever on the road! Every generation has its own Long March road, and every generation must walk its own Long March road well!

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Where Red Banners Unfurl, Mountain Villages Embark on a New Journey

By: 本报记者 焦思雨

"One tree pierces the wall, green for a hundred years; the three armies joined forces, renowned for ten thousand generations..." On October 16, inside the Jiangtaibao Red Army Long March Meeting Memorial Park in Xiji County, Guyuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, docent Zhang Rui stood beside the elm tree in front of the fortress, telling teachers and students from Ningxia Normal University, who had come for study and research, the story of the Red Army's Long March passing through Xiji.

On October 22, 1936, the First and Second Front Armies of the Red Army triumphantly joined forces here.

In July 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping paid tribute to the Red Army Long March Meeting Monument in Xiji County and visited the Red Army Long March Meeting Memorial Park and Memorial Hall. The General Secretary said with deep feeling: "The great Long March spirit is a vivid reflection of the revolutionary demeanor of Chinese Communists. We must continuously inherit and carry it forward in light of new realities. The new Long March of advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics requires sustained relay and long-term effort, and every generation of us must walk its own Long March road well."

Bearing in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's earnest instructions, Guyuan City has inherited and carried forward the great Long March spirit, continued the red bloodline, passed on the red genes, and advanced the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas in light of local conditions.

Red resources come "alive"—

"The Red Army fears not the trials of the Long March; to them a thousand mountains, ten thousand rivers are nothing..." Entering the Liupan Mountain Red Army Long March Tourist Area in Guyuan City, visitors climb the stone steps along the "Red Army Trail" hidden among the pine forests, where the immersive live-action performance The Immortal Long March is underway. Actors in military uniforms reenact scene after scene from the Long March. Many tourists stop in their tracks and softly recite the familiar verses.

Along the 2.5-kilometer "Red Army Trail," 18 major historical events that occurred during the Red Army's Long March are recreated and displayed. In 2023, the Liupan Mountain Red Army Long March Tourist Area, drawing on the miniature landscapes along the "Red Army Trail," created The Immortal Long March.

Today, The Immortal Long March is gradually moving toward regular performance and has become one of the tourist area's signature attractions. The Liupan Mountain Red Army Long March Tourist Area has developed into a national 5A-level tourist attraction covering a total area of 12 square kilometers with a rich mix of business formats, receiving an average of more than 600,000 visitors per year.

"This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March, and red tourism continues to heat up." Liu Yuqiang, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Guyuan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, and Television, said that Guyuan City has continuously strengthened the protection and utilization of red resources, successively building 4 red tourist attractions and 5 premium red tourism routes, and has held the Liupan Mountain Red Culture Tourism Festival for four consecutive sessions.

Cultural and tourism integration shapes a new look—

At the foot of Liupan Mountain, Yangjiadian Village in Chengguan Town, Longde County, lies quietly amid green fields. Beneath the eaves, red five-pointed stars gleam brightly; in the square, a Red Army statue stands tall; along the lanes, red-themed wall paintings can be seen everywhere.

"In the old Yangjiadian, you went out covered in dust and came home covered in mud." Zhao Zhiren, secretary of the Yangjiadian Village Party branch, introduced that in recent years the village has vigorously developed red tourism, successively building a village history museum, a revolutionary tradition education base, and a red lecture hall; at the same time, it has renovated idle farmhouses, and while preserving the traditional village appearance, has built a cluster of boutique homestays and a cultural and creative park in light of local conditions.

Today, Yangjiadian Village has completed 8 boutique red-themed homestays, 28 households have started catering and homestay businesses, cumulatively driving more than 200 people to find employment nearby, with average annual household income increasing by more than 30,000 yuan. In 2025, Yangjiadian Village was named a "China Beautiful Leisure Village."

Guyuan City has promoted the integrated development of "red culture and tourism + Party spirit education" and "red culture and tourism + ecological wellness," forming new business formats such as catering and homestays, farming experiences, and ecological wellness. In 2025, Guyuan City received a total of 18.4487 million domestic tourists, a year-on-year increase of 10.30%; total tourist spending reached 8.544 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 11.40%.

The great Long March spirit nourishes people's hearts—

"Farmers / carry forward the Red Army spirit / set out at cockcrow / return at sunset / clinging to this patch of loess hills / they have tilled the fields ripe / and grown their crops..."

Deep in the mountain hollows of Xiji County, at the Mulan Academy, peasant writers sit together, sharing their poems. Wang Pengcheng, a literature enthusiast from Xiji County, shared his poem "Red Army Village," and as he recited the moving passages, his eyes grew moist.

"This is the 'natal home' where peasant writers exchange ideas and learn from one another." Shi Jingbo, founder of the Mulan Academy, said, "The academy has appointed 46 peasant writers as resident writers, radiating to and driving more than 300 grassroots literature enthusiasts across more than 30 villages. With a hoe in one hand and a pen in the other, they write the memory of the Long March and the great transformation of the mountain villages into their verses and essays."

Red Guyuan has a profound cultural heritage. Since the beginning of this year, Guyuan City has held events such as a calligraphy and painting exhibition commemorating the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March. "We will continue to organize literary and artistic workers to go deep into the red soil and create more fine works, so that the red spirit can further inspire people and rally strength." said Song Zhaofan, chairman of the Guyuan Municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

The peaks of Liupan Mountain stand as tall as ever; where the red flags unfurl in the wind, the world has been transformed. The fighting spirit of the revolutionary forebears is inspiring the sons and daughters of the frontier to continue their struggle on the new Long March road.

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Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains: A Millennial Painting; Red Culture Forges the Soul Forever

By: 本报记者 张 铁 贾丰丰

It is deep autumn again, and we return to Wuqi.

In Yan'an, Shaanxi, deep in the Loess Plateau, this red city covered in green unfolds a colorful grand canvas.

"Back then, Chairman Mao commanded the battle right under this tree." Atop Shengli Mountain, beneath the pear tree, docent Yang Ying is speaking in a gentle and engaging manner (娓娓道来, wei wei dao lai - "softly, slowly, speak, come").

On October 21, 1935, after the Central Red Army arrived at Wuqi Town, in order to annihilate the pursuing enemy outside the Soviet area, it fought the final "Tail-Cutting Battle" of the ten-thousand-li march here.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "The new journey is a new Long March." More than 90 years have passed, the pear tree remains lush, and the Long March road is still underfoot.

Red will forever be the base color of Wuqi.

On Victory Square, the Monument to the Victory of the Central Red Army's Long March stands tall. Party members of the Party branch of the Organization Department of the Wuqi County Party Committee are carrying out a themed Party Day activity. They stand in solemn concentration, gazing upward in contemplation. "The red genes must be transformed into 'red momentum,'" said Party member Qi Jingyan.

As the foothold of the Long March, red imprints are strung together like beads, and the red bloodline is passed down from generation to generation.

"The water vat borrowed for cooking cracked, and the Red Army soldiers pressed two silver dollars into the hands of the villagers as compensation." Chen Siyu, age 9, has told the story of the "Red Army pot" many times. Last year, together with 19 other children, she underwent 8 months of training and became a "Little Red Star docent" at the Wuqi Revolutionary Memorial Hall.

"Red resources must be protected well, managed well, and above all, utilized well," said Li Shuguo, director of the management center of the Wuqi County Long March Victory Memorial Park. In the Central Red Army Long March Victory Memorial Hall, there are immersive scenes, digital imagery, VR (virtual reality) interactive experiences... "Since the beginning of this year, 270,000 people have come to visit," Li Shuguo said.

The pear tree witnessed the arrival of the Red Army's Long March, and also witnessed the departure of a "green Long March."

Gazing into the distance, the hilltops are covered with "green quilts." Chinese pine, arborvitae, robinia, apricot, peach... branches and leaves interlock, and the mountains are covered with colorful foliage (层林尽染, ceng lin jin ran - "layer, forest, end, dye").

Green has already become the new color of Wuqi's high-quality development.

Who could have imagined that at the end of the last century, this place still had "bare mountains and gullied ravines." By the end of 1997, soil erosion in Wuqi County accounted for 97.4% of the total land area, making it one of the counties with the most severe soil erosion in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River.

In 1998, Wuqi began closing hillsides for afforestation, banning grazing, and returning farmland to forest. Entering the new era, studying and comprehending the "Two Mountains" concept, Wuqi has turned green into gold and tasted the dividends of green development.

Zhang Yanjun, a villager of Zhouguan Village, Wucangbao Town, is a witness to this "green Long March." Party members and cadres took the lead, carrying saplings up the mountains and digging pits to plant trees; the villagers responded actively, leveling cliff edges, building field ridges, digging drainage ditches, and piling up embankments. All of Zhang Yanjun's more than 200 mu of sloping farmland has been "returned to forest."

"First plant sea buckthorn to stabilize barren slopes, then plant pines to steady the mountains and rivers, economic forests bear abundant fruit, the trees on the hilltops have roots intertwined, and the Party and the people are heart to heart." Zhang Yanjun has turned afforestation into a folk rhyme. "People born and raised on this red land cannot endure a bitter life; we still have to fight hard battles."

A single spark can start a prairie fire (星火燎原, xing huo liao yuan - "star, fire, burn, plain"), and green has dyed the barren mountains. In nearly 30 years, the forest and grass coverage rate here has risen from 19.2% to 72.9%. The cadres and masses of Wuqi have carried forward the great Long March spirit and turned the sky-filling yellow sand into a vast green sea.

West of Tiebiancheng Town lies Tiebiancheng Village. On the hilltop is Lü Yongfeng's 200-mu orchard.

The apples have already turned red, and Old Lü is busy harvesting. Fuji, Red Star, Gala, Qinguan — different varieties are matched together; hail nets, reflective film, frost-proof pits — the facilities are having everything that is needed (一应俱全, yi ying ju quan - "one, should, gather, complete"). "The sloping land has become orchard land, the apple trees are firmly rooted, and this year we expect to sell 500,000 yuan worth," Lü Yongfeng calculates. "Back then, the Red Army won victory by not fearing hardship; today, only through hard work do we get a sweet life!"

Finding the right path and maintaining resolve, clear waters and lush mountains do not disappoint. Wuqi has successively developed mountain apples, pen-raised sheep, eco-tourism, food processing, and other industries —

In Zhangwanzi Village, Tiebiancheng Town, the mutton and buckwheat noodles that once entertained the Red Army soldiers have become an industry that enriches the people. Since 2016, Wuqi County has cumulatively trained more than 2,400 "Wuqi mutton and buckwheat noodle chefs" free of charge, and more than 70 buckwheat noodle shops have opened alone, linking the entire industrial chain of planting, breeding, processing, and catering.

In Nangou Village, deep in the Baiyu Mountains, the village has established the Qinfeng Shuiyun Cultural Tourism Company to operate its fine mountains and waters. There are speedboats on the water, cave dwellings have been converted into guesthouses, and the apple orchard has also been hung with the sign of "study base." Villager Kuang Zhiwu has put down his hoe and become an operator of children's amusement facilities. "Working at the doorstep of my home, I feel at ease."

Ten-billion-yuan clean energy, million-head livestock breeding, million-seedling catalpa germplasm cultivation, million-yuan forestry ecological value transformation, hundred-enterprise innovation and transformation, ten-million-mushroom cultivation... "Wuqi's Long March road is still moving forward," said the main responsible comrade of the Wuqi County Party Committee.

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Li Qiang meets with Tajikistan's President Rahmon

(People's Daily, Dushanbe, October 19) (Reporter Wang Zhou) On the morning of October 19, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council met with Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon in Dushanbe.

Li Qiang stated that at present, China and Tajikistan are working together to build a community with a shared future for the two countries. In May this year, President Xi Jinping held a meeting with President Rahmon, further charting the course for the development of bilateral relations. The Chinese side cherishes the profound friendship with the Tajik side, will always view China-Tajikistan relations from a strategic height and a long-term perspective, and is willing to consolidate and deepen political mutual trust with the Tajik side, firmly support each other's core interests, continuously improve the quality and effectiveness of cooperation, and continue to move forward hand in hand on the path toward modernization.

Li Qiang pointed out that the Chinese side is willing to expand the scale of bilateral trade with the Tajik side, strengthen cooperation in such fields as infrastructure, green minerals, and connectivity, expand cooperation in emerging industries such as the digital economy and artificial intelligence, and jointly strengthen the momentum of economic growth. The two sides should deepen law-enforcement and security cooperation, strengthen intelligence exchange and sharing, jointly combat the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and safeguard lasting peace and stability in the region. It is hoped that the Tajik side will continue to take strong measures to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and enterprises in Tajikistan. The Chinese side fully supports the Tajik side in successfully hosting this meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and is willing to work with all parties to promote higher-quality development of the SCO. The Chinese side is also willing to strengthen communication and coordination with the Tajik side within multilateral mechanisms such as the United Nations and the China–Central Asia mechanism, actively implement the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Rahmon stated that the Tajik side has always attached great importance to and deeply cherished its partnership with China. In May this year, during my visit to China, I held a successful meeting with President Xi Jinping, reaching a series of important consensuses that pointed the way for the development of Tajikistan-China relations. The Tajik side firmly adheres to the one-China principle and firmly supports the Chinese side in safeguarding its core interests. The Tajik side is willing to further deepen cooperation with the Chinese side in such fields as economy and trade, industry, agriculture, energy and minerals, connectivity, and artificial intelligence, and to promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges. The Tajik side firmly supports the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping and is willing to strengthen multilateral coordination with the Chinese side within the United Nations, the SCO, the China–Central Asia mechanism, and other frameworks, so as to continuously bring Tajikistan-China comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation in the new era to a new level of development (迈上新台阶, mai shang xin tai jie - "step on, new, platform, level"), and jointly build a community with a shared future for the two countries.

Wu Zhenglong attended the meeting.

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United as One in Forging Glory, Forging Ahead on the New Journey

By: 本报记者 杨 昊

The Yue Opera My Grand View Garden, adapted from Dream of the Red Chamber, has won wide acclaim in recent years, and it contains no small number of ingenious touches for promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. On October 15, at the open day event marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Central Institute of Socialism, Weng Hekai, a professor in the institute's Department of Chinese Culture Teaching and Research, delivered a "demonstration lesson." In just 40 minutes, it combined theoretical depth with vivid, lively presentation.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the education and training of united front talent and has made a series of major decisions and arrangements. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed, "Uphold the principle that the institute is socialist in nature, highlight political training, strengthen political consensus, continuously enhance confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and continuously consolidate the common ideological and political foundation for united struggle."

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Central Institute of Socialism. As a higher political academy of a united front nature led by the Communist Party of China, and a joint party school for democratic parties and personages without party affiliation, the Central Institute of Socialism bears in mind the General Secretary's instructions, adheres to the path of running the school with "high standards, standardization, and distinctive features," and has trained and cultivated a large number of non-Party representative figures with firm political stands, profound theoretical attainments, and strong performance capabilities in performing their duties. It has made important contributions to consolidating and expanding the patriotic united front and serving the overall economic and social development, and has written a chapter of the era of striving together with one heart to realize the dream.

Highlighting political consensus education to improve the quality and effectiveness of talent cultivation

On the evening of September 5, at the special training class for non-Party personages and intellectuals without party affiliation at the Central Institute of Socialism, trainees engaged in heated discussion. Tan Min, a researcher at Huazhong University of Science and Technology who has worked in chip research for many years, initiated a discussion on "seizing the strategic opportunity of artificial intelligence" during the training period. "The field of AI (artificial intelligence) infrastructure construction is in urgent need of talent, and it is precisely a broad stage for us intellectuals without party affiliation to give play to our intellectual advantages." Trainees from different disciplinary backgrounds enhanced mutual understanding and built consensus through exchange, resolving to translate their learning outcomes into practical results in performing their duties.

The Central Institute of Socialism, based on its position as the main front for united front talent education and training, has always regarded political consensus education as the foundation of the institute and the soul of running the school. It unswervingly uses Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to forge unity of heart and soul, continuously implements the Regulations on the Work of Institutes of Socialism, and continuously guides the broad body of trainees to enhance their political capabilities and improve their performance in fulfilling duties. The political foundation of "the institute is socialist in nature" has become more distinct.

Huang Shouhong, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and First Executive Vice President of the Central Institute of Socialism, introduced that the institute's teaching work adheres to comprehensively and systematically studying, publicizing, and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on doing united front work well in the new era, highlights political theory education, ideals and convictions education, and cultural identity education, strengthens training in performance capabilities, and has formed a distinctive teaching layout for political consensus education. It has gradually formed a class system with refresher courses, training classes, special seminars, research courses, and teacher training classes as the main types, achieving full coverage of training for 12 categories of united front work targets, united front cadres, and united front theory research talent. Over the past 10 years, it has held more than 1,400 offline class sessions in total, training more than 100,000 trainees, accounting for more than half of the total training volume in the 70 years since the institute's founding.

"I never expected that the layout from 20 years ago would be highly consistent with today's 'new three items' of foreign trade." In April this year, a special publicity and lecture event on thoroughly studying and implementing the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan and the spirit of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was held at the Central Institute of Socialism. Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD, shared with a hundred representatives of the private economy his company's experience in deeply cultivating the solar energy and energy storage fields. The entrepreneurs exchanged views and discussed, depicting a vivid picture of confidence in China's private economy and stirring the surging momentum of private economic development.

Focusing on the new requirements of the overall united front work framework, the Central Institute of Socialism has continuously increased training efforts for representatives of the private economy and new social strata. In 2025, it held 184 training class sessions, training 13,500 trainees, an increase of 30 percent over the previous year. Among them, more than 3,160 person-times of private economy representatives and nearly 1,000 person-times of new social strata personnel were trained, both far exceeding previous years. Since the beginning of this year, long-term class sessions of more than one month have increased from an annual average of 5 to more than 20, accounting for more than half of the total training volume, and the systematic nature of political consensus education has been significantly enhanced.

How can courses be taught in depth, thoroughly, and vividly? A relevant person in charge of the Central Institute of Socialism introduced that from optimizing class arrangements to innovating teaching methods, a course framework composed of "upper and lower parts" has been constructed, 160 basic courses and deepening courses have been set up, seminar-style and case-based teaching have been promoted, a quality assurance mechanism combining trainee evaluation with teaching supervision has been improved, and the pertinence and effectiveness of education and training have been continuously enhanced. In 2022, an online institute of socialism training platform was launched, initially establishing a new pattern of integrated online and offline training.

Strengthening theoretical research and actively playing the role of a united front think tank

At No. 10, Lane 470, Middle Yan'an Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, adjacent to the Memorial Hall of the Second National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the "United Front Source · Shanghai Jing'an United Front Culture Center" is located. Entering the exhibition hall, the historical culture and practice of the development of the Shanghai united front unfold before one's eyes.

"Based on the birthplace of the Party and the place where the Party's united front policy was proposed, we have created a distinctive teaching brand so that trainees can enhance their political identity through the blending of reason and emotion." At the "New Era United Front Forum · 2026," Ran Xiaoyi, member of the Party Leadership Group and Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Institute of Socialism, shared Shanghai's innovative practice: "The more local characteristics and emotional warmth consensus education has, the more it can enter the mind and heart."

Expanding research horizons through academic exchange and serving practical development through theoretical research. In recent years, the Central Institute of Socialism has continuously built the three major thematic forums of the "New Era United Front Forum," the "New Era Chinese Culture Forum," and the "New Era Political Consensus Education Forum," actively carrying out research on the Party's innovative theories in terms of their origins, originality, systematicity, and practicality. Together with local institutes of socialism, universities, and research institutes, it has jointly held a series of academic forums and seminars such as the "Annual Meeting of the Research Center for China's Political Party System" and "Face-to-Face Exchange between Scholars across the Strait." Over the past 10 years, it has held more than 270 academic activities of various kinds.

Strengthening collaborative innovation between scientific research and think tanks. The Central Institute of Socialism has established the Research Center for General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Thought on Doing United Front Work Well in the New Era and the Research Center for Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought, and has built think tank platforms such as the Research Base for the Theoretical Study of China's New Type of Political Party System. Over the past 10 years, more than 1,800 projects have been approved in total, 48 key projects including major research special projects of the National Social Science Fund have been completed, and more than 80 books and essay collections have been published, providing academic support for the research, interpretation, and practical work of the Party's innovative theories and united front work.

The fruitful results of scientific research and think tank work have converged into a powerful force promoting the coordinated development of the national system of institutes of socialism. At the beginning of this year, during the 18th National Conference of Presidents of Institutes of Socialism, 49 innovation cases in running the school and managing the institute jointly selected by central and local institutes of socialism were displayed in a row of exhibition boards, and passing trainees frequently stopped to look.

"The Shenzhen Institute of Socialism has focused on creating a series of distinctive class sessions on 'Shenzhen innovative talent serving national strategies.' Last year, Shenzhen's 'little giant' enterprises reached a cumulative total of 1,333. Through training for enterprise leaders, very good results have been achieved," said Huan Guangrong, Executive Vice President of the Shenzhen Institute of Socialism.

In the future, on the basis of the online institute of socialism of the Central Institute of Socialism, it will be upgraded and transformed to form a national united front online learning platform, linked with 4 local pilot units, initially building a united front online academy, promoting the co-construction and sharing of training resources and extending them to the grassroots level.

Cultivating people through culture and building consensus through the blending of ideas

In June this year, the "Chinese Culture in Editions" course, part of the "Greater China" series of courses of the Beijing Chinese Culture Academy, was held at the National Library of China's National Center for Preservation and Conservation of Ancient Books. Experts and scholars exchanged views on the historical inheritance of Chinese civilization, and trainees visited thematic exhibitions, experiencing up close the vastness and profundity of Chinese classics.

"I used to think that 'cultural confidence' was an abstract concept. Today, seeing so many real classics and cultural relics and listening to the experts' explaining profound matters in a simple, easy-to-understand way (深入浅出, shen ru qian chu - "deep, enter; shallow, go out"), I have gained a deeper understanding of the origins and development of Chinese civilization and the cultural mission of the new era," said a trainee from overseas Chinese circles with emotion.

Promoting political consensus through cultural identity is a distinctive feature of running the Central Institute of Socialism. The Central Institute of Socialism also bears the additional nameplate of the "Chinese Culture Academy." Based on its positioning of "one body, two aspects," it adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought, deeply carries out Chinese culture education, research, and external exchange, enhances identity through cultural immersion, and builds consensus through the inheritance of civilization.

Theoretical research and interpretation have been deepened and solidified. In cooperation with the People's Publishing House, it has developed a 12-lecture converged media course on "The Rich Connotations of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought," developed more than 10 Chinese culture series courses under the guidance of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought, published more than 100 theoretical interpretation articles in core journals and elsewhere, and held academic activities such as theoretical seminars and research classes, systematically advancing the theoretical and systematic research and interpretation of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought.

The coverage of Chinese culture education has continued to expand. Focusing on non-Party representative figures engaged in literary and artistic creation, press and publishing, and the cultural industry, it has held "Research Classes on the Inheritance and Innovation of Chinese Culture," and has carried out Chinese culture and national conditions education for ethnic minority personages, religious personages, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese. Over the past 10 years, it has developed more than 20 series courses on Chinese culture and national conditions, held more than 140 training sessions involving Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas participants, and trained more than 6,000 person-times.

The bridge of exchange and mutual learning among civilizations has been built ever wider. In conjunction with relevant units, it has developed "overseas open courses," jointly built overseas Chinese book centers, held the "International Forum on the Dissemination of Chinese Culture," invited renowned overseas scholars and political figures to give lectures and conduct exchanges, and, by building multi-level exchange platforms, helped build a discourse system that connects China and the rest of the world.

Seventy years of enduring hardships and vicissitudes (栉风沐雨, zhi feng mu yu - "comb the wind, bathe in the rain"), seventy years of achieving fruitful results after hard work (春华秋实, chun hua qiu shi - "spring flowers, autumn fruit"). Standing at a new historical starting point, the Central Institute of Socialism will continue to uphold the principle that the institute is socialist in nature, highlight political training, strengthen political consensus, strive to promote the high-quality development of the work of institutes of socialism, and make new and greater contributions to the great cause of building a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

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GDP up 4.6% year on year in first three quarters

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Liu Zhiqiang) The National Bureau of Statistics released data on the 19th: preliminary calculations show that in the first three quarters of this year, the gross domestic product (GDP) was 1,071,071 billion yuan, up 4.6 percent year on year at constant prices. By quarter, GDP grew 5.0 percent year on year in the first quarter, 4.3 percent in the second quarter, and 4.5 percent in the third quarter. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, GDP in the third quarter grew 1.2 percent. Overall, the economy operated generally smoothly, new achievements were made in high-quality development, and the resilience and vitality of development continued to be demonstrated.

In the first three quarters, the added value of industrial enterprises above the designated size nationwide increased by 5.3 percent year on year. Among them, the added value of the equipment manufacturing industry increased by 10.2 percent year on year, and that of the high-tech manufacturing industry increased by 14.3 percent.

(Related report on Page 3)

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A Long and Arduous Journey Toward Great Rejuvenation

Deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's cultural thought, and build a solid cultural foundation for the construction of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation

Sixth Edition

Theory

From a long and arduous journey (万里长征, wan li chang zheng - "ten thousand, miles, long, march") toward great rejuvenation

Ninth Edition

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Li Qiang Meets with Iranian First Vice President Aref

(People's Daily, Dushanbe, October 19) (Reporter Wang Zhou) On the afternoon of October 19, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council met with Iranian First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref in Dushanbe on the sidelines of the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states.

Li Qiang stated that China and Iran are both ancient civilizations, and their traditional friendship has a long and profound history. Over the 55 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China-Iran relations have maintained steady and sound development, having withstood the test of rapid and unpredictable changes in the international situation. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Iran comprehensive strategic partnership. China is willing to take this as an opportunity to work with Iran to promote new progress in exchanges and cooperation across various fields.

Li Qiang pointed out that since the beginning of this year, the situation in the Middle East has been unstable and turbulent. President Xi Jinping has put forward four propositions on maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East, and four initiatives on promoting common security in the Middle East region, which have gained widespread resonance and agreement among regional countries and the international community. China believes that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be respected, and that the relevant parties should adhere to the choice of peace, resume dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible, resolve differences through political and diplomatic means, and promote the early restoration of tranquility in the region. China has been making its utmost efforts to promote peace and facilitate talks, and will uphold the spirit of the series of major initiatives and propositions put forward by President Xi Jinping, continuing to make efforts to promote peace, stability, and development in the region.

Aref stated that Iran attaches great importance to its relations with China, and is willing to maintain close exchanges at all levels with China, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, and enhance coordination within multilateral frameworks such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS mechanism, so as to promote the sustained and in-depth development of the Iran-China comprehensive strategic partnership. As a responsible major country, China has always supported multilateralism and is committed to safeguarding the common interests of Global South countries, which Iran appreciates. Iran thanks China for adhering to promoting peace and ending conflict, welcomes and supports the important initiatives and propositions put forward by President Xi Jinping on promoting peace and security in the Middle East, and is willing to resolve conflicts and differences through dialogue and consultation, hoping to return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding at an early date and restore peace and tranquility in the region as soon as possible.

Wu Zhenglong attended the meeting.

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Li Qiang Meets with Belarusian Prime Minister Golovchenko

(People's Daily, Dushanbe, October 19) (Reporter Wang Zhou) On the afternoon of October 19, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council met with Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko in Dushanbe on the sidelines of the 25th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Li Qiang stated that China and Belarus are true friends who trust and support each other. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Lukashenko, the China-Belarus all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership has continued to develop steadily and achieved fruitful cooperation results. Next year marks the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Belarus. China is willing to work with Belarus to carry forward the traditional friendship, consolidate strategic mutual trust, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly promote development and prosperity, and continuously enhance the well-being of the peoples of both countries.

Li Qiang pointed out that China is willing to strengthen development strategy alignment with Belarus, further leverage the role of the intergovernmental cooperation mechanism between the two countries, fully unleash the positive effects of the China-Belarus Agreement on Trade in Services and Investment, jointly organize the "China-Belarus Industrial Cooperation Year" well, and deepen cooperation in fields such as the automotive industry, digital economy, artificial intelligence, and green economy. China is willing to import more high-quality products from Belarus and supports Chinese enterprises in investing and doing business in Belarus, hoping that Belarus will provide enterprises with an open, transparent, and predictable business environment. The two sides should expand exchanges and cooperation in culture, tourism, youth, media, and sub-national fields, so that China-Belarus friendship becomes deeply touching people's hearts (深入人心, shen ru ren xin - "deep, enter, people, heart"). In recent years, some hegemonic and power-politics acts have been becoming increasingly intense (愈演愈烈, yu yan yu lie - "more, act, more, fierce"). China is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Belarus in regional and international affairs, closely collaborate within mechanisms such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, promote multilateralism and free trade, safeguard the common interests of both countries, and uphold international fairness and justice.

Golovchenko stated that China is a true friend and partner of Belarus and a model of a responsible major country. The heads of state of the two countries have pointed out the direction for the development of bilateral relations. Belarus is willing to take the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year as an opportunity to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with China in economy, trade, industry, and the automotive sector, expand new growth points for cooperation such as artificial intelligence and the digital economy, continuously promote people-to-people and cultural and sub-national exchanges, and push the all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to continue moving forward.

Wu Zhenglong attended the meeting.

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Egypt-China relations withstand the test of international vicissitudes

By: 本报记者 沈小晓

"President Xi Jinping's state visit to Egypt is a historic visit of great significance and achieving fruitful results (成果丰硕, cheng guo feng shuo - "result, abundant, fruit, plentiful"). During the visit, the two countries reached many cooperation outcomes, injecting strong momentum into Egypt-China relations and regional cooperation." Ali Al-Shifni, Vice President of the Egypt-China Friendship Association, recently said in an interview with a People's Daily reporter that the high-level political mutual trust and broad consensus between Egypt and China not only benefit both countries but also send a positive signal to the region and the international community.

Al-Shifni said that both Egypt and China have long histories and splendid civilizations, and the friendly exchanges between the two peoples have a long and continuous history (源远流长, yuan yuan liu chang - "source, distant, stream, long"). Today, Egypt-China interactions are more frequent, ties are closer, and areas of cooperation are increasingly diverse. "President Xi Jinping's visit has sparked enthusiastic responses across all sectors of Egyptian society. Egyptian society highly appreciates China's development achievements and diplomatic philosophy."

During the visit, China and Egypt issued a joint statement confirming the advancement of building the China-Egypt community with a shared future. The two sides signed more than 30 cooperation documents in areas including the Belt and Road Initiative, scientific and technological innovation, artificial intelligence, and education and training, and also announced a substantial expansion of the scale of local currency swap, further promoting trade and investment facilitation. Al-Shifni said these outcomes fully reflect the common will of the two countries to develop bilateral relations. Egypt's "Vision 2030" has achieved deep alignment with the Belt and Road Initiative, and the areas of cooperation between the two countries will continue to expand.

"Head-of-state diplomacy plays an important guiding role in bilateral relations." Al-Shifni said, "Egypt-China practical cooperation has achieved fruitful results. Cooperation in the cultural and people-to-people field is one of the important pillars of Egypt-China bilateral relations, covering multiple levels including academia, think tanks, and civil society. Today, more and more Chinese tourists are traveling to Egypt, further promoting cultural cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries."

During his talks with President Sisi, President Xi Jinping put forward a four-point initiative on promoting common security in the Middle East. Al-Shifni said this is another set of Chinese solutions contributed by President Xi Jinping to achieving long-term peace and stability in the overall situation of the Middle East, following his four-point proposition on maintaining and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East and his four-point principle on promoting the resolution of the Palestinian question. China establishes and consolidates partnerships with countries on the basis of respecting the sovereignty of other countries and non-interference in internal affairs, and advocates resolving international and regional issues through peaceful negotiation. "China respects all countries, and at the same time has won its due place on the international stage through its own development achievements, setting an example for developing countries," Al-Shifni said.

"I am full of expectations for the future development and cooperation of Egypt-China relations." Al-Shifni said, "Egypt-China relations can withstand the test of rapid and unpredictable changes (风云变幻, feng yun bian huan - "wind, cloud, change, transform") in the international arena. I believe that with the joint efforts of both sides, the Egypt-China comprehensive strategic partnership will continue to reach new heights."

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Worshipping at Yasukuni, Japan Tears Off Its "Peaceful Disguise" Once Again (Zhong Sheng)

Japan's rulers have repeatedly and continuously (一而再、再而三, yi er zai, zai er san - "one, again; again, two, three") worshipped with great reverence (顶礼膜拜, ding li mo bai - "top, bow; worship, worship") at Yasukuni Shrine, and what they worship is not "gods" but the refusing to come to one's senses (执迷不悟, zhi mi bu wu - "clinging, delusion; not, awaken") old dream of militarism.

According to Japanese media reports, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae on the 17th, in the name of "Prime Minister of the Cabinet," offered a sprig of the sacred sakaki tree to the notorious and widely known for bad reputation (臭名昭著, chou ming zhao zhu - "stinking, name; manifest, notorious") Yasukuni Shrine, which enshrines Class-A war criminals from World War II, and on the 19th entrusted a senior Liberal Democratic Party official to offer a ritual donation. Coinciding with the shrine's so-called "autumn festival," multiple Japanese political figures have successively made offerings, and some cabinet ministers and Diet members have gone directly to pay homage. Japan's rulers, disregarding the repeated opposition of domestic peace forces and the international community, insist on offering tribute and paying homage at Yasukuni Shrine — this is a desecration of historical justice, a challenge to the bottom line of civilization, and a provocation against the postwar international order.

Japan's rulers have repeatedly and continuously worshipped with great reverence at Yasukuni Shrine, and what they worship is not "gods" but the unrepentant old dream of militarism. Yasukuni Shrine has never been a purely religious site of worship; it is the spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarism's wars of foreign aggression. Recently, Japanese media for the first time made public the shrine's internal meeting records, which fully disclose the decision-making process by which 14 Class-A war criminals, including Tojo Hideki, were enshrined together. The records show that as early as the 1960s, the Japanese government reached a secret arrangement with Yasukuni Shrine regarding the enshrinement of Class-A war criminals, deliberately concealing it from the public for more than a decade, until it became known to the outside world in 1979. This truth once again confirms that Yasukuni Shrine is an out-and-out "shrine of war criminals," and that the Japanese authorities knew from the very beginning that enshrining Class-A war criminals was utterly disgraceful, and only because they knew they were in the wrong did they calculate and scheme deliberately (处心积虑, chu xin ji lü - "exert, heart; accumulate, scheme") and keep it secret and not make it known (秘而不宣, mi er bu xuan - "secret, and; not, proclaim"). They know that these war criminals have hands stained with the blood of the people of victimized countries, yet they insist on worshipping them alongside ordinary war dead — the essence of this is to overturn the verdicts on war criminals, cover up war guilt, distort historical facts, and pave the way for "remilitarization."

Takaichi Sanae talks about peace with her mouth while offering tribute with her hands — this "peace disguise" is a blatant mockery of historical justice. Before assuming the premiership, she went to pay homage at Yasukuni Shrine for many consecutive years; after taking office, she switched to offering tribute and ritual donations as a "roundabout worship of ghosts," and this year alone she has played such tricks at least four times. On the one hand she professes to pursue peace and performs a "kneeling" act in Australia; on the other hand she worships with great reverence the main culprit or cause of a problem (罪魁祸首, zui kui huo shou - "crime, chief; disaster, culprit") of the war, denies the Nanjing Massacre, and upholds a mistaken view of history — her hypocritical posturing reveals everything without any concealment (暴露无遗, bao lu wu yi - "expose, reveal; nothing, left") the obsession of Japan's right wing with reviving militarism and its nature of foreign aggression and expansion.

Driven by a mistaken view of history, since Takaichi Sanae took office, Japan has continuously broken through the constraints of the postwar system, and its militarist ambitions have become increasingly undisguised. In fiscal year 2026, Japan's defense budget exceeded 9 trillion yen, achieving 14 consecutive years of growth, with an expansion rate setting a postwar record; it has for the first time deployed long-range missiles with "enemy base attack capability," comprehensively relaxed restrictions on the export of lethal weapons, and continuously hollowed out the principle of "exclusively defense-oriented" policy; it has for the first time participated as a full member in the U.S.-Philippines "Balikatan" joint military exercise, for the first time launched offensive shore-to-ship missiles from overseas, and pushed to reorganize the Air Self-Defense Force into an "Air and Space Self-Defense Force," step by step extending the so-called "security" scope overseas... No matter what "threat" excuses Japanese politicians fabricate, they cannot conceal the real intention of accelerating "remilitarization" and advancing "new-style militarism."

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trial. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East, with its solemn judgment, permanently nailed Japanese Class-A war criminals such as Tojo Hideki to the pillar of shame in history, upholding international justice and laying the legal foundation of the postwar international order. Japan's rulers' homage and offerings at Yasukuni Shrine are, in essence, a public denial of the results of the Tokyo Trial, a public stand against historical justice and human conscience, and a public challenge to the fruits of victory in World War II and the postwar international order — the international community and people of insight firmly oppose this. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Japan strongly condemned Japan's negative moves, urging Japan to deeply reflect on its history of aggression, face up to its war guilt, and completely break with militarism. The South Korean government expressed "deep disappointment and regret," emphasizing that facing history squarely is an important cornerstone for building a future-oriented South Korea-Japan relationship. Japanese scholars such as Shimizu Masahiko and Kosuge Nobuko, people of insight, have pointed out one after another that Japanese politicians' homage at Yasukuni Shrine is completely unacceptable at the historical level and harbors the risk of repeating the war of aggression. This fully demonstrates that overturning the verdicts on aggression and speaking up for war criminals is not only firmly opposed by the people of Asian victimized countries, but is also unacceptable to peace-loving people within Japan itself.

The crimes of Japanese militarist aggression are supported by irrefutable and overwhelming evidence (铁证如山, tie zheng ru shan - "iron, evidence; like, mountain"), history cannot be tampered with, and justice cannot be desecrated. If Japan goes against the tide of history and continues to go further and further down the wrong path, it will ultimately stand once again in the dock of history and be spurned by the international community.

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Foreign Ministry: Strongly Condemns Japan's Negative Moves on Yasukuni Shrine

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Chen Xirui) On October 17 and 19, Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae offered sacrificial offerings and ritual fees to Yasukuni Shrine. In recent days, multiple Japanese government officials, Liberal Democratic Party heavyweights, and Diet members have also visited and paid homage at Yasukuni Shrine. In response, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a regular press conference on the 19th when answering questions that China firmly opposes and strongly condemns the relevant negative moves by the Japanese side, and has lodged solemn representations and strong protests with Japan.

Mao Ning stated that Yasukuni Shrine is the spiritual tool and symbol of Japanese militarism's external wars of aggression, and enshrines 14 Class-A war criminals who bear grave responsibility for the wars of aggression. Japanese leaders and politicians knowing this very well (心知肚明, xin zhi du ming - "heart, know, abdomen, clear"), yet still worshipping with great reverence (顶礼膜拜, ding li mo bai - "top, bow, film, worship"), exposes their deeply ingrained (根深蒂固, gen shen di gu - "root, deep, base, solid") erroneous perception of history, as well as their sinister intentions to exonerate war criminals, overturn the verdict on aggression, and pave the way for "re-militarization."

"This year marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Trial. We once again solemnly demand that Japan face history squarely, reflect on its crimes, stop acting contrary to reason or progress (倒行逆施, dao xing ni shi - "reverse, walk, contrary, implement") on historical issues, and win the trust of Asian neighbors and the international community through concrete actions," Mao Ning said.

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Bulgarian President Radev Meets with Wang Yi

(Xinhua News Agency, Sofia, October 19) (Reporters Lin Hao, Yao Yulin) Bulgarian President Radev met with Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Sofia on the 19th.

Radev asked Wang Yi to convey her sincere regards to President Xi Jinping, saying that the Bulgarian side admires the highly remarkable and attracting global attention (举世瞩目, ju shi zhu mu - "world, all, look, gaze") achievements China has made in various fields. The Bulgarian side will continue to adhere to the One-China policy. Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit is a good opportunity to deepen Bulgaria-China relations, helping to strengthen communication and coordination and promote future cooperation. The two sides are stepping up planning for high-level exchanges next year and look forward to bilateral relations reaching a new level or stage of development (迈上新台阶, mai shang xin tai jie - "step on, new, platform, level"). The new Bulgarian government has a strong will to accelerate the development of cooperation with China, which also enjoys broad support from the public. The Bulgarian side shares the same view as the Chinese side on the political resolution of conflicts and contradictions, hopes China will continue to play an important role in safeguarding world peace, and is willing to strengthen coordination with China in this regard.

Wang Yi conveyed President Xi Jinping's cordial regards to Radev. Bulgaria is one of the first countries to recognize the new China. The two countries have a solid political foundation and ever-growing mutual trust. China respects Bulgaria's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, supports Bulgaria in accelerating development and revitalization, and is pleased to see Bulgaria play an important role on the international stage. It is hoped that the Bulgarian side will continue to understand and support China's legitimate position in safeguarding its core interests and consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations.

Wang Yi stated that China-Bulgaria cooperation has a foundation, demand, prospects, and potential. The two sides should consolidate the popular and social foundation of bilateral relations and provide greater impetus for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation. China is willing to strengthen multilateral coordination with the Bulgarian side, jointly practice multilateralism, and build a community with a shared future for mankind.

During the visit, Wang Yi also met with Bulgarian Prime Minister Glavchev and Deputy Prime Minister Peychev, and held talks with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgiev, jointly meeting the press afterwards.

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He Lifeng and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Chernyshenko Co-Chair 30th Meeting of China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting Commission

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 19) On October 19, He Lifeng, Vice Premier of the State Council and Chinese Chair of the China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting Commission, together with Russian Deputy Prime Minister and Russian Chair of the Commission Dmitry Chernyshenko, co-chaired the 30th meeting of the China-Russia Prime Ministers' Regular Meeting Commission via video link.

He Lifeng stated that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination. President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin have met multiple times, making arrangements and charting the course for the development of bilateral relations toward higher quality and higher levels under the new circumstances. China is willing to work with Russia to fully implement the important consensus of the two heads of state and make preparations for the 31st regular meeting of the Chinese and Russian prime ministers.

He Lifeng pointed out that, thanks to the joint efforts of both sides, China-Russia practical cooperation has shown a sound momentum of development, with bilateral trade maintaining growth, key projects advancing in an orderly manner, industrial cooperation continuously deepening, and exchanges and mutual visits remaining close. China is willing to work with Russia to further consolidate cooperation in traditional fields such as trade and investment, transportation, agriculture, nuclear energy, and aerospace, actively expand cooperation in emerging fields such as green and low-carbon development and the digital economy, jointly foster a sound environment for cooperation, uphold the multilateral trading system, and promote continuous new achievements in China-Russia cooperation across various fields.

Chernyshenko stated that the current Russia-China strategic partnership of coordination is solid, bilateral exchanges have become closer, and multilateral coordination has been further strengthened. Russia is willing to work with China to further enhance the scale and quality of cooperation.

The relevant departments of both sides conducted in-depth communication and exchanges on cooperation in related fields, reaching a series of cooperation outcomes and consensus.

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From "China Projects" to "Global Experience"

By: 本报记者 曲 颂 李 琰

The New Development Bank recently released its first China Country Portfolio Evaluation Report, comprehensively reviewing the Bank's cooperation results from 2015 to 2024 in promoting China's economic growth, fostering social inclusion, and especially in mobilizing resources to support infrastructure and sustainable development projects.

As of June this year, the number of China projects approved by the New Development Bank has increased to 33, with a loan scale of approximately US$10.7 billion, of which RMB-denominated loans account for nearly 70%, ranking first among comparable multilateral development banks. The report evaluates the Bank's loan portfolio in China, and it is rated "successful" across all five dimensions of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability. Most projects have met or exceeded their expected construction targets, generating tangible benefits in green and low-carbon development, connectivity, and public services.

Ashwani Muthoo, Director-General of the Independent Evaluation Office of the New Development Bank, stated that China has the Bank's largest country portfolio with relatively high implementation efficiency, covering areas such as low-carbon transport, clean energy, water and sanitation, and environmental protection, closely aligned with China's development strategy, the "dual carbon" goals, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Sun Chao, Chief Specialist of the Independent Evaluation Office and head of the China country portfolio evaluation, believes that the New Development Bank and China have empowered each other in both directions, each playing to their respective strengths (各展所长, ge zhan suo chang - "each, display, own, strength"), forming a mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual benefit, win together") relationship.

In recent years, the New Development Bank has brought experience from some Chinese projects to other emerging markets. In 2025, at an intelligent transportation systems seminar held by the New Development Bank, a delegation from Maceió, Brazil, exchanged views with the team of the integrated green transport construction project in Yinchuan, Ningxia. The experience formed by the project — including an integrated citywide intelligent transport management platform, an integrated green mobility system of "new-energy trunk buses plus last-mile micro-mobility," and an inclusive public transport service model — became an important design reference for the Maceió bus rapid transit system plan. Institutions such as South Africa's Magalies Water company, organized by the New Development Bank, visited Zhejiang Province's green town project — the Shengzhou urban-rural integrated water supply and drainage project (Phase II) — and piloted its applied experience in AI-based leak detection and smart water management in South Africa and elsewhere.

Dilma Rousseff, President of the New Development Bank, stated that the China portfolio has achieved tangible development results in infrastructure construction, clean energy, environmental sustainability, and green and low-carbon transition. Going forward, the New Development Bank will further expand its business influence in China, actively develop non-lending businesses such as technical assistance and capacity building, and push the partnership between the two sides to a deeper level.

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27th Meeting of China-Russia Committee on Cooperation in the Humanities Held; Shen Yiqin and Golikova Co-Chair

(People's Daily, St. Petersburg, October 19) (Reporter Xiao Xinxin) The 27th meeting of the China-Russia Committee on Cooperation in the Humanities was held in St. Petersburg on the 19th. State Councilor Shen Yiqin and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova co-chaired the meeting.

Shen Yiqin stated that in May this year, President Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin jointly attended the opening ceremony of the "China-Russia Years of Education" and delivered speeches, fully reflecting the high importance attached to China-Russia cooperation in the humanities. Under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, both sides have continuously expanded the connotation of people-to-people and cultural exchanges, innovated forms of cooperation, tapped into cooperation highlights, and achieved a series of new results.

Shen Yiqin pointed out that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Russia strategic partnership of coordination and the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between the People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation. The two sides should thoroughly implement the consensus of the two heads of state, solidly advance the key projects of the "China-Russia Years of Education," deepen cooperation in the humanities, strengthen bilateral and multilateral coordination, and make new contributions to the development of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination in the new era.

Golikova highly praised the fruitful achievements (丰硕成果, feng shuo cheng guo - "abundant, fruitful, results") made in Russia-China people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and expressed readiness to work with the Chinese side to continuously deepen and expand practical cooperation in the humanities and jointly write a new chapter in Russia-China friendship.

During the meeting, the two sides witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in relevant fields and jointly met with reporters.

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Liu Haixing Meets with Fanny, Vice Chairman of the United Seychelles Party and Minister of Health of the Seychelles Government

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 19) On October 19, Liu Haixing, Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, met in Beijing with Fanny, Vice Chairman of the United Seychelles Party and Minister of Health of the Seychelles government. The two sides exchanged views on jointly implementing the important consensus reached by the heads of state of the two countries, strengthening inter-party exchanges and cooperation, and promoting the development of the China-Seychelles strategic partnership.

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170th China-Laos-Myanmar-Thailand Joint Patrol and Law Enforcement Operation on Mekong River Officially Launched

(People's Daily, Xishuangbanna, October 19) (Reporters Sun Guangyong, Li Maoying) On October 19, the launch ceremony for the 170th China-Laos-Myanmar-Thailand joint patrol and law enforcement operation on the Mekong River was held in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. More than 100 law enforcement personnel from the relevant law enforcement departments of China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand participated.

This operation is carried out in the mode of segmented cruising, full-route joint patrol, and coordinated land-water operations. It will conduct patrol and control over key waterways, dangerous shoal waters, riverside docks, and tributary ferry crossings along the Mekong River, keeping a close watch on various types of cross-border crimes and violations such as drug trafficking, illegal border crossings, and cross-border smuggling, investigating and eliminating waterway safety hazards, preventing and resolving various security risks in the river basin, and safeguarding the lives and property of people in countries along the river, passing vessels, and their crew members.

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Positive Factors Accumulate for Steady Economic Operation and High-Quality Development (Official Release)

By: 本报记者 刘志强

On October 19, the National Bureau of Statistics released economic operation data for the first three quarters: preliminary calculations show that GDP (gross domestic product) reached 107.1071 trillion yuan, up 4.6 percent year on year at constant prices. By quarter, the first, second, and third quarters grew 5.0 percent, 4.3 percent, and 4.5 percent respectively. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, GDP grew 1.2 percent in the third quarter.

"In the first three quarters, the national economy moved forward under pressure, toward new drivers and better quality, with positive changes in major indicators increasing and new achievements made in high-quality development." At the State Council Information Office press conference that day, Mao Shengyong, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics and deputy director of the bureau, briefed reporters on the relevant situation.

Economic momentum turning new, structure turning better, quality and efficiency turning favorable — the rebound in third-quarter growth is hard-won and not easy

"In the first three quarters, economic operation was generally stable, maintaining a development trend of momentum turning new, structure turning better, and quality and efficiency turning favorable." Mao Shengyong gave a detailed analysis.

— Operation was stable.

The year-on-year GDP growth rate in the first three quarters was 4.6 percent. According to forecasts by some international institutions, this growth rate remains among the leading major economies in the world. In the first three quarters, China's economic increment reached 5.7 trillion yuan, the largest increment for the same period in the past five years.

Looking at monthly indicators in the third quarter, most indicators in September improved compared with July and August. In the third quarter, the Middle East conflict drove up international crude oil prices, with a prominent impact on global economic growth. China's third-quarter growth rate rebounded 0.2 percentage points from the second quarter — hard-won and not easy (来之不易, lai zhi bu yi - "come, arrive, not, easy"), truly commendable.

On employment: in the first three quarters, the average surveyed urban unemployment rate nationwide was 5.2 percent, unchanged from the same period last year.

On prices: affected by rising energy prices, global inflationary pressure increased somewhat. In the first three quarters, China's CPI (consumer price index) rose moderately, up 0.9 percent year on year.

On the balance of payments: in the first three quarters, total trade in goods grew 18.8 percent year on year, setting a record high for the same period in history. Foreign exchange reserves remained stable above 3.4 trillion US dollars for six consecutive months, and the RMB exchange rate rose steadily.

— Momentum turning new.

Preliminary estimates show that new drivers of growth, represented by high-end manufacturing, the digital-intelligent economy, and modern services, maintained a contribution rate of over 40 percent to economic growth in the first three quarters. Growth of high-tech manufacturing and digital product manufacturing both accelerated, and the "baton" of economic growth was further passed to new drivers.

— Structure turning better.

Development of the three industries became more coordinated. Agricultural production was in good shape, and grain production for the full year is expected to reap another bumper harvest. In the first three quarters, the share of manufacturing value added in GDP was 25.7 percent, up 0.6 percentage points from the same period last year.

On the demand side, the investment growth rate declined, but its supporting role in optimizing supply and promoting innovation continued to strengthen. In the first three quarters, investment in intellectual property products grew 9.3 percent year on year, and its share of total investment rose 2.4 percentage points from the same period last year.

— Quality and efficiency turning favorable.

Economic transformation accelerated, opening up expanded, security safeguards were consolidated, and enterprise efficiency improved, further consolidating the development trend of quality and efficiency turning favorable. On green transformation: preliminary estimates show that energy consumption per unit of GDP fell 3.1 percent year on year in the first three quarters. On opening up: China has become a major trading partner of 169 countries and regions, with the share of intermediate goods in exports rising steadily. On enterprise efficiency: from January to August, profits of industrial enterprises above designated size grew 15.7 percent year on year, maintaining a relatively fast growth rate.

"The stable economic operation in the first three quarters has laid a good foundation for the smooth realization of the annual target," Mao Shengyong said.

Industry advanced steadily while consolidating fundamentals and cultivating new drivers; the service sector's contribution rate to economic growth reached 66.3 percent, up 5.6 percentage points year on year

Industry is an important component of the modern industrial system. "In the first three quarters, industrial growth was stable, advancing steadily while consolidating fundamentals and cultivating new drivers," Mao Shengyong said.

In the first three quarters, total industrial value added was 32.9 trillion yuan, up 5.3 percent year on year. In the third quarter, value added of industry above designated size grew 5.1 percent year on year, accelerating 0.4 percentage points from the second quarter; in September it grew 5.5 percent, rebounding from July and August.

Advanced manufacturing grew rapidly. Since the beginning of this year, equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing have maintained relatively fast growth, with year-on-year growth rates in the first three quarters accelerating 0.9 and 1.0 percentage points respectively from the first half of the year, and their shares of value added of industry above designated size rising to 37.6 percent and 18.3 percent respectively — key forces leading industrial transformation and high-quality development.

Intelligent transformation expanded in scope and accelerated in pace. In the first three quarters, value added of digital product manufacturing above designated size grew 13.6 percent year on year, accelerating 1.3 percentage points from the first half of the year; output of smart wristbands, 3D printing equipment, and sensors grew 77.1 percent, 62.5 percent, and 16.4 percent respectively.

Turning to the service sector: in the first three quarters, service sector value added reached 62.8 trillion yuan, up 5.2 percent year on year, accounting for 58.7 percent of GDP, up 0.2 percentage points year on year. The service sector's contribution rate to economic growth reached 66.3 percent, up 5.6 percentage points year on year. All regions and departments actively promoted capacity expansion and quality improvement in the service sector; China's service sector operated steadily with quality and efficiency turning favorable, and its integration with advanced manufacturing deepened continuously.

Producer services expanded capacity and improved quality. In the first three quarters, value added of modern services such as information transmission, software and information technology services, and leasing and business services grew 10.4 percent and 12.3 percent year on year respectively; research and development design, modern logistics, and financial services improved quality and expanded scale, with value added of the financial sector and of transportation, warehousing, and postal services growing 5.8 percent and 5.1 percent respectively.

Consumer services continued to develop favorably. In the first three quarters, value added of the wholesale and retail sector and of accommodation and catering grew 4.4 percent and 5.5 percent year on year respectively. Across the country, cultural, tourism, and sports service models continued to innovate, and holiday consumption was active. From January to August, operating revenue of cultural and arts, sports, and entertainment enterprises above designated size grew 7.7 percent, 10.5 percent, and 5.3 percent respectively.

Trade in services continued to expand. From January to August, total imports and exports of services grew 7.9 percent year on year, of which service exports grew 14.8 percent. Service trade in research and development, design, testing, maintenance, and supply chain logistics, which relies on manufacturing advantages, developed rapidly, and imports and exports of knowledge-intensive services grew 6.6 percent.

Consumption drove economic growth by 2.1 percentage points; retail sales of services grew 5.0 percent

"In the first three quarters, positive factors promoting stable economic operation and high-quality development accumulated and increased, and there is solid support for achieving the expected target for annual economic growth," Mao Shengyong analyzed.

Positive factors in economic operation increased. New drivers maintained rapid growth, the resilience of foreign trade continued to manifest, and market expectations improved. In September, both the manufacturing purchasing managers' index and the non-manufacturing business activity index returned to the expansion zone.

It is worth noting that domestic demand is gradually improving. In the first three quarters, total retail sales of consumer goods and services grew 2.6 percent year on year, and retail sales of services grew 5.0 percent; consumption's contribution rate to economic growth reached 46.7 percent, driving economic growth by 2.1 percentage points. Since the beginning of this year, import growth has remained above 20 percent in every quarter. In the first three quarters, the producer price index for industrial products rose 2.3 percent year on year, indicating that market supply-demand relations are improving.

The real estate market is moving in a positive direction. According to data from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the area of second-hand home transactions registered online in the first nine months rose 10.7 percent. At the end of September, the floor space of newly built commercial housing for sale nationwide fell 1.5 percent, with year-on-year growth rates declining for seven consecutive months, showing clear progress in destocking.

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Strive to Complete the Annual Goals and Tasks (Quick Comment)

By: 刘志强

In the first three quarters, amid a complex external environment, China's economy pressed forward under pressure, with momentum shifting toward the new and the structure improving in quality, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality, laying a solid foundation for achieving the annual goals and tasks.

A close reading of the "three-quarter report" reveals prominent features of stability and resilience, with a clear trend of recovery and improvement. In particular, as service consumption is flourishing and showing great promise (方兴未艾, fang xing wei ai - "direction, rise, not, yet"), commodity consumption expands and upgrades, and lower-tier markets and inbound consumption continue to grow, the contribution rate of final consumption expenditure to economic growth reached 46.7 percent, up 0.7 percentage points from the first half of the year. This shows that a super-large market with a population of over 1.4 billion harbors enormous multi-tiered and differentiated demand. By adapting to different demands, expanding high-quality supply, and improving supporting measures, consumption potential and development potential will be released in an unending stream.

The fourth quarter is the season for concluding the year's work and also a key window period for consolidating the momentum of economic recovery and improvement. By further strengthening confidence and pooling joint efforts, firmly seizing the valuable opportunities brought by the long-term sound development of China's economy, developing new quality productive forces through solid and forceful actions, consolidating and strengthening the foundation of the real economy, releasing the potential of domestic demand and expanding the space for opening up through practical and effective measures, and striving to accomplish the annual goals and tasks, China's economy will continue to develop toward the new, the high-quality, and the sound.

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Turning the Momentum of Scientific and Technological Innovation into the Driving Force for Commercial and Trade Development (Official Release)

By: 本报记者 罗珊珊

The "Opinions on Accelerating the Advancement of Commerce Through Science and Technology" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions") were officially released recently. On October 19, the State Council Information Office held a press conference to introduce the relevant situation.

"The commercial and trade industry is a key link connecting production and consumption, and an important support for building a strong domestic market. At present, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating, and new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, embodied intelligence, and digital twins are rapidly iterating, profoundly changing the organizational methods and operational models of commerce and improving the consumer experience. Empowered by technology, we can increase the supply of goods and services from the supply side, enrich consumption scenarios and reduce consumers' decision-making costs from the demand side, improve operational efficiency and reduce logistics costs from the circulation side, and promote a dynamic balance between supply and demand at a higher level," said Yuan Xiaoming, Assistant Minister of Commerce.

This is the first policy document with "advancing commerce through science and technology" as its theme. Yuan Xiaoming introduced that the Opinions are a comprehensive and systematic document issued based on the new stage of development, making scientific and technological innovation an important driving force running through the entire chain of commerce, promoting deep integration of technology and commerce, and reflecting the characteristics of "new," "comprehensive," and "practical."

"New" means highlighting scientific and technological innovation and adapting to new trends and changes in consumption. As people's living standards improve, consumers pay more attention to product quality and consumption experience. Ministry of Commerce business big data shows that from January to September this year, sales of smart glasses on key platforms increased by 1.1 times. New technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and blockchain are widely applied in the consumption field, and scientific and technological innovation is increasingly becoming an important measure to promote consumption expansion and upgrading. The Opinions closely follow the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, both addressing the practical needs of expanding consumption at present and focusing on activating the consumer market, and also looking toward long-term development, using scientific and technological innovation to transform and upgrade traditional commerce, cultivate and strengthen emerging business formats, and inject lasting momentum into high-quality development of commerce.

"Comprehensive" means highlighting two-way efforts and covering the entire chain and all business formats of commerce. Vertically, from product research and development, manufacturing, and service provision on the supply side, to wholesale, logistics, and e-commerce on the circulation side, and then to consumption scenarios, scientific and technological innovation is integrated into every link of commerce. Horizontally, new technologies are used to transform and upgrade traditional business formats such as retail, catering, and housekeeping, giving traditional consumption new vitality; new business formats and models such as commercial intelligent agents and green circular consumption are also cultivated, releasing new momentum for new types of consumption, forming a complete policy system with coordination between the supply and demand sides and simultaneous development of traditional and new consumption.

"Practical" means highlighting a problem-oriented approach and ensuring that policies can be implemented and tested. The Opinions focus on prominent problems in the commercial field and implement precise policies. For example, in response to the problem of matching supply and demand of goods, it proposes developing flexible manufacturing, promoting models such as production on demand, and cultivating a number of customized brands with industry influence; around enriching the supply of quality services, it proposes promoting the digital and intelligent transformation of livelihood services such as housekeeping, medical care, and elderly care and childcare, and expanding upgraded services such as smart education, smart cultural tourism, and smart sports; in response to the quality problem of e-commerce, it proposes carrying out actions to cultivate quality e-commerce and strengthening networked verification of key products on e-commerce platforms.

To promote the iterative upgrading of goods supply, the special action of "artificial intelligence + manufacturing" is being deeply implemented. Wei Wei, Director of the Department of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, introduced that according to estimates, the core industry scale of China's artificial intelligence will exceed 1.2 trillion yuan in 2025. At present, various intelligent products and services are accelerating popularization and application. Artificial intelligence phones have entered "pockets," intelligent connected vehicles are running on "roads," and humanoid robots are accelerating into "factories." In the first half of this year, shipments of various intelligent terminals exceeded 100 million units. In the first half of the year, China's humanoid robot complete machine products exceeded 400 models, with production exceeding 40,000 units, and it is expected that the full year will exceed 100,000 units.

To expand the supply of upgraded services, pilot applications of "artificial intelligence + culture and tourism" are being deployed. Zhou Hanping, a person in charge of the Industrial Development Department of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, stated that a number of cultural and museum venues and tourist attractions are using technologies such as digital twins, extended reality, and ultra-high definition to activate cultural resources, transforming sleeping cultural relics and profound history into cultural tourism products that visitors can see, participate in, and empathize with. At present, in accordance with the work plan, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has selected and initiated 14 projects to carry out pilot application work of "artificial intelligence + culture and tourism," accumulating experience and promoting the implementation of pilot results across the country.

In the commercial field, a large proportion of business entities are small and medium-sized enterprises, micro-enterprises, and individual industrial and commercial households. How can the vast number of small and medium-sized enterprises, micro-enterprises, and individual industrial and commercial households truly benefit? Yuan Xiaoming stated that according to the Fifth National Economic Census, there are nearly 56 million individual business households in the wholesale and retail, accommodation and catering sectors alone. They are an important support for stabilizing employment and benefiting people's livelihoods, and are also the key targets of policy services. It is necessary to deeply implement the support plan for artificial intelligence entrepreneurship among small and medium-sized enterprises, and promote the expansion of inclusive computing resources to artificial intelligence entrepreneurial enterprises in the commercial field. A number of leading enterprises in digital and intelligent supply chains should be cultivated, large enterprises should be promoted to open up supply chains to small and medium-sized enterprises, and small and medium-sized enterprises should be supported in becoming an important force in the industrialization of scientific and technological achievements.

Advancing commerce through science and technology is a "chorus" in which all types of entities across the industry participate together. Large enterprises build platforms, tackle key technologies, and set examples; small and medium-sized enterprises use tools, enjoy services, and expand markets; all types of entities, each showing their respective strengths (各展所长, ge zhan suo chang - "each, display, long, strength") and each getting what they deserve, jointly share the development dividends of advancing commerce through science and technology. The Ministry of Commerce will work with relevant departments to ensure the implementation of the Opinions, truly transforming the momentum of scientific and technological innovation into the driving force for commercial development.

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After 8 Generations of Breeding, Salt-Tolerant Rice Yields Over 500 kg per Mu (Autumn Harvest in Progress·A Different Rice Variety)

By: 本报记者 李 蕊

In the golden autumn of October, at the test base of the Qingdao Seawater Rice Research and Development Center in Shandong, staff members gathered rice stalks and swung sickles, and bundles of heavy rice ears fell into their hands.

A season of hard work had arrived at the moment of testing results. Zhang Huaizhen, head of breeding area trials at the Qingdao Seawater Rice Research and Development Center, introduced that among the test varieties harvested this year, the rice numbered 24ZS-8-1 performed impressively: upright plant type, dense grains on the ears, and plump kernels throughout.

Behind a single seed lies the quest of generations of scientific researchers to wrest grain from saline-alkali land.

China possesses vast saline-alkali land resources, and large amounts of tidal flats and abandoned saline-alkali land urgently await "awakening." The coastal saline-alkali land of Qingdao offers natural experimental conditions. In 2016, the country's first seawater rice research and development center was established here, with Yuan Longping, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, serving as center director during his lifetime.

"The birth of an excellent saline-alkali-tolerant rice variety must pass through numerous tests such as hybrid cross-combination, multiple generations of southward breeding and northward cultivation, and layer-by-layer screening in saline-alkali land," Zhang Huaizhen said.

Only by building up a solid "seed family foundation" can ideal parental materials be screened out. To this end, researchers traveled all over the country (大江南北, da jiang nan bei - "great, river, south, north"), screening plant by plant from local rice varieties and wild rice resources. Today, the center has preserved more than 1,900 germplasm resources, of which over 400 are saline-alkali-tolerant lines.

24ZS-8-1 was bred through pollination and hybridization, with Yandao 12 as the female parent and Yangliu Hangu as the male parent. "The female parent has a high yield base, large ear type, strong tillering ability, and lodging resistance; the male parent is cold-tolerant and drought-tolerant with relatively good disease resistance, but has the shortcomings of easy grain shattering and relatively low yield," Zhang Huaizhen said. The original intention of breeding is to aggregate the excellent traits of the two materials into the same seed.

In 2017, the research team completed the hybrid cross-combination of 24ZS-8-1 in Qingdao, and thereafter began several consecutive years of scientific research work. Each generation of field screening has a strict elimination standard. Plants prone to lodging, those with many empty husks and shriveled grains, those with weak disease and pest resistance, and those with overly long growth periods are all excluded from the candidate list... "Salt tolerance, yield, and stress resistance are all indispensable, and when moving toward large-field promotion, grain quality, taste, aroma, and other factors are also incorporated into the comprehensive evaluation system," Zhang Huaizhen introduced.

Traditional rice breeding often takes seven to eight years or even more than ten years. To seize the time window, Zhang Huaizhen joined the ranks of "breeding migratory birds," "migrating" in pursuit of temperature and the farming calendar: in early to mid-November each year, he hurries to Sanya in Hainan to prepare the land and sow seeds, harvesting seeds from March to April the following year; in May, he returns to Qingdao with breeding materials to sow again, and from September to October comes the harvest period for northern rice paddies.

The variables in field trials are hidden in unpredictable weather. The temperature difference between day and night continuously interferes with rice grain filling and setting, so researchers must closely monitor the developmental state of the ear stage; when heavy rain hits, some low-lying plots are highly prone to waterlogging, and researchers often rush to the fields in the early morning to drain accumulated water; when typhoons pass through, the just-erected bird-proof nets are torn askew and damaged by the fierce wind, requiring timely repairs and reinforcement at the field ridges... "These test materials, each one is hard-won, and we must guard every plant as carefully as caring for a child," Zhang Huaizhen said.

From hybrid cross-combination in the laboratory to material stabilization after eight generations of selection, scientific research has not stopped at small test plots. The team has carried out large-scale multi-site comparative yield trials at multiple saline-alkali land test sites in Qingdao, Dongying, and elsewhere, undergoing the test of real saline-alkali environments.

"The Qingdao base measured an actual yield of more than 500 kilograms per mu last year, and based on this year's field growth conditions, the yield is expected to increase further," Zhang Huaizhen analyzed. "Besides its stable and outstanding yield performance, 24ZS-8-1 has large, full ears, strong tillering ability, outstanding lodging resistance, and also possesses relatively good disease and pest resistance. Its most distinctive advantage is its short growth period—while more than ten other test lines in the same batch are still in the grain-filling stage, it is already mature and ready for harvest. Grain quality test reports show that this line meets the standard for high-quality second-grade rice."

Liu Jiayin, director of the Qingdao Seawater Rice Research and Development Center, introduced that to date, 23 saline-alkali-tolerant rice varieties have passed national approval, and batches of lines like 24ZS-8-1 that are still "running" on the trial path are undergoing tests in saline-alkali fields, awaiting expansion of China's "seed echelon" of saline-alkali-tolerant rice.

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2026 Financial Street Forum Annual Meeting Opens in Beijing

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Shi Fang) The 2026 Financial Street Forum Annual Meeting, themed "Openness, Cooperation, and Inclusiveness — Building a New Ecosystem for Global Financial Development," opened in Beijing on the 19th. Around the theme of the annual meeting, participating guests engaged in exchanging and stimulating ideas (激荡思想, ji dang si xiang - "surge, stir; thought, idea") and built consensus.

The 2026 Financial Street Forum Annual Meeting lasts four days, adopting a framework structure of "main forum + parallel forums + thematic conferences + supporting activities." It plans to hold 21 agenda events across the main forum and parallel forums, and concurrently sets up three thematic conferences: the Fintech Conference, the Insurance Conference, and the Investment Conference. More than 400 important guests from over 40 countries and regions will attend. The forum sets up five sub-venues in Hong Kong, China; London, United Kingdom; Paris, France; Toronto, Canada; and Nairobi, Kenya. For the first time, the sub-venues are extended to African countries, and for the first time, a three-way live connection is conducted among Beijing, Hong Kong, and London.

Among these, the main forum includes seven agenda events, including the opening and closing ceremonies. The main forum agenda events will conduct exchanges and discussions on topics such as "Economic Governance, Financial Innovation, and the Role of Central Banks under the Evolution of Artificial Intelligence Technology," "Building First-Class Investment Institutions to Serve the High-quality Development of the Capital Market," "Building a New Ecosystem for High-quality Financial Services to the Real Economy," and "Cross-Border Financial Development and Cooperation under the New Global Landscape."

The 2026 Financial Street Forum Annual Meeting is jointly hosted by the People's Government of Beijing Municipality and the People's Bank of China, the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the Xinhua News Agency, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

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A "Most Urgent" Telegram, Sung by the Young (Long March Stories in Cultural Relics)

By: 本报记者 杨 迅

At the foot of Luomeng Mountain in Xixi Town, Tongdao Dong Autonomous County, Huaihua, Hunan, a yellowed copy of a telegram quietly rests in a display case in the Tongdao Troop Redirection Memorial Hall. The edges of the paper are slightly curled, and the four characters "wan wan huo ji" (extremely urgent) in the upper left corner are written with forceful strokes. This is a telegram of just over 500 characters in total, yet it concerned the life and death of more than 30,000 Red Army soldiers.

Red Army telegrams were classified into five levels: "ordinary," "urgent," "fire urgent," "ten-thousand fire urgent," and "wan wan huo ji" (extremely urgent), with "wan wan huo ji" being the highest level. This telegraphic order was the highest-level order issued in the name of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission during the early stage of the Long March. The original is stored in the Central Archives, recording a piece of history that is deeply moving or thrilling (惊心动魄, jing xin dong po - "startle, heart, move, soul").

In 1934, Chiang Kai-shek deployed nearly 200,000 troops of the Hunan Army and the Central Army north of Tongdao, waiting only for the Red Army to head north to western Hunan. At the critical moment, Comrade Mao Zedong firmly advocated at the Tongdao Conference held on December 12 of that year to avoiding the enemy's strengths and attacking their weaknesses (避实就虚, bi shi jiu xu - "avoid, solid, follow, empty") and advance west into Guizhou. That evening, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission issued the "wan wan huo ji" (extremely urgent) telegraphic order, requiring the entire army to march west on the 13th and capture Liping in Guizhou. The next day, more than 30,000 Central Red Army troops urgently set out toward Guizhou, breaking out of the encirclement in one move.

With a single telegraphic order, the Tongdao Troop Redirection enabled the Party and the Red Army to avert a huge crisis. More than 90 years have passed—how can this weighty telegraphic order step out of the display case and into the hearts of young people? The Tongdao Troop Redirection Memorial Hall has offered an exploration: a music lesson.

This is a music lesson of more than 30 minutes, independently planned by the memorial hall team and polished over half a year. The lesson combines "Long March stories + revolutionary songs + scene reenactment + participatory interaction," using music to spread culture and singing to pass on the spirit, vividly presenting historical stories.

The lesson content is divided into three chapters—strategic shift, Tongdao Troop Redirection, and march toward victory—incorporating nine songs including "Seeing Off the Red Army Ten Times" and "Tongdao Troop Redirection," featuring both widely known and highly acclaimed (脍炙人口, kuai zhi ren kou - "roast, glaze, person, mouth") classic red songs and original songs with local characteristics.

The "wan wan huo ji" (extremely urgent) telegraphic order is one of the key focal points of the lesson. Accompanied by video clips and song melodies, the docent explains in detail the causes and consequences of the order's issuance. "I felt as if I had returned to the night the order was sent and witnessed the turning of the fate of more than 30,000 people—this was extremely exciting." said Ni Chenyang, a student of Tongdao County No. 2 Complete Primary School.

One of the main creators, post-2000s docent Zheng Bilian, said the lesson's effect exceeded expectations. At the end of the lesson, all audience members stood up, waved Party flags, and sang the song "Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China." "What the singing conveys is the revolutionary spirit behind this conference," said Yang Peini, a student of Tongdao County Furong School.

A single "wan wan huo ji" (extremely urgent) telegraphic order has been sung aloud by more young people. This music-based ideological and political lesson has gone beyond the Tongdao Troop Redirection Memorial Hall—the team has toured multiple places for exhibitions and performances, and in June this year was invited by the Chinese People's Revolutionary Military Museum to give presentations in Beijing.

The memorial hall has formed a red culture publicity team that has gone into schools, villages, and military camps more than 200 times to tell the stories of the Long March and carry forward the great Long March spirit. At Guilin University of Technology in Guangxi, students learned the Dong language together and sang classic songs in unison during the music-based ideological and political lesson; at the Tongdao County militia ideological and political education base, militiamen felt the profound bond between the army and the people (鱼水深情, yu shui shen qing - "fish, water, deep, affection") amid the melody of "Seeing Off the Red Army Ten Times"...

The music-based ideological and political lesson is a microcosm of how this memorial hall has revitalized and utilized its cultural relics. Cultural and tourism integration has unleashed vitality. In 2025, the Tongdao Troop Redirection Memorial Hall received more than 1 million trainees and visitors.

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Let the Red Spirit Shine Forever (Expert Commentary)

By: 郑 湘

A dispatch order marked "extremely urgent" for the troop diversion at Tongdao conceals the choices and responsibility taken in a desperate situation. Facing this precious historical material, we are not merely looking back at the flames of the Long March, but also reflecting on how red culture can cross the years and enter the spiritual world of today's young people.

In inheriting red culture, maintaining integrity as the fundamental principle (守正为本, shou zheng wei ben - "guard correctness, as foundation") is the foundation, and innovation is the key. Red resources are the roots that carry the original aspiration; we need to preserve their spiritual connotation while innovating their forms of expression to better resonate with the emotions and cognition of the younger generation. We have explored creating music-based ideological and political courses, using immersive artistic expression to touch people's hearts, so that the younger generation is more willing to proactively approach red history and grow into the main force for carrying forward the red spirit.

The inheritance of red culture lies not only in ideological immersion, but also in opening up channels for value transformation, achieving a two-way symbiosis between spiritual continuity and real-world development. By revitalizing and utilizing red resources, transforming red genes into industries that enrich the people, and allowing the broad masses to share in the dividends of development, the red spirit will shine with even more dazzling radiance in the new era.

(The author is the curator of the Tongdao Troop Diversion Memorial Hall; compiled by People's Daily reporter Yang Xun)

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Online Campaign “Why China? A World Astonished” Launched in Yichang, Hubei

(People's Daily, Yichang, October 19) (Reporters He Siqi, Wu Jun) To deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's cultural thought, Xi Jinping's thought on ecological civilization, and the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping during his inspection tour of Hubei, on October 19, the Central Cyberspace Administration of China, together with the Ministry of Water Resources, People's Daily, the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Cyberspace Affairs Commission of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, and China Three Gorges Corporation, held in Yichang, Hubei, the online themed publicity campaign "What Makes China China · Astonishing the World." Zhuang Rongwen, Deputy Head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, Director of the Central Cyberspace Administration of China, and Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China; Yu Shaoliang, President of People's Daily; and Guan Zhi'ou, Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, attended the event and delivered speeches.

The campaign took the "great national equipment" as its backbone and the "Yangtze River civilization" as its thread. Academicians and experts, representatives of builders of major water conservancy projects, guardians of the Yangtze River ecology, representatives of cadres and the masses in related fields, and literary and artistic workers used scenes to trace back a century of struggle, used real scenery to survey the transformation of mountains and rivers, and used recitation and song to carry forward a thousand years of literary thought, vividly presenting the striving chapter of high gorges and calm lakes, the ecological picture of clear waters flowing eastward, and the flowing continuously without interruption (奔流不息, ben liu bu xi - "flow, run, not, stop") cultural lineage of the Yangtze River, manifesting the people-benefiting way of the river strategy of the new era in securing peace and prospering the nation, and vividly answering the epochal question of "What Makes China China."

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Central Archives Opens Batch of Long March-Themed Archives to the Public

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Hu Liaoran) To commemorate the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and to carry forward the great spirit of the Long March, the Central Archives has opened to the public a batch of archives on the theme of the Long March, totaling more than 5,000 items.

The Long March-themed archives opened this time mainly include directive manuscripts and operational telegrams drafted and issued by veteran revolutionaries such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Zhu De during the period from October 1934 to October 1936, documents of important meetings during the Long March, telegrams of major battles and campaigns, military operational deployments, revolutionary declarations, work reports, meeting materials, march records, various notices and orders, as well as red newspapers and periodicals founded and published by the Communist Party of China, with rich variety and broad coverage. Among them, the original handwritten Long March diary by Lin Boqu during the Long March, the "Jie Bao" (Victory Report) founded by the Shanghai Central Bureau of the Communist Party of China, and several other archives are opened to the public by the Central Archives for the first time.

These archives reflect the Red Army's combat deployments, record the process of the Red Army's Long March, and demonstrate the revolutionary demeanor of the Chinese Communists and the people's army they led, inspiring and encouraging the Chinese people to keep overcoming all kinds of difficulties (攻坚克难, gong jian ke nan - "attack hard, overcome difficulties"), to march from victory to victory, and to strive to create new historical glories on the new journey.

From now on, the public can consult and use these archival materials at the Open Archives Reading Room of the Central Archives by presenting valid credentials such as an ID card or work permit.

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Dancing Together, Living Together (Forging a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation, One Big Family)

By: 本报记者 杨 昊 张 驰

"The fire is burning bright, burning bright, the fire is burning..." As night falls, on the Manau Zongge Square in Longchuan County, Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, dancing fans flutter through the air, and a dragon-like procession advances in orderly formation. Dong Fanzhuang, a member of the Longchuan Daily Manau Zongge Dance Team, grips a long sword and moves to the rhythm. Now 53 years old, he has been learning to dance the Manau Zongge for over a year.

Manau Zongge, in the Jingpo language, means "gathering together in song and dance." Dong Jianbin, head of the Dehong Prefecture Jingpo Ethnic Culture Work Troupe, explains that at every festival, people of the Jingpo, Han, Dai, Achang, and other ethnic groups don their finest attire and dance together in their tens of thousands. After the dancing comes the "Green Leaf Feast," served on banana leaves, where people of all ethnicities raise their cups in celebration.

Manau Zongge is not just a festival exclusive. Since 2019, Longchuan County has persisted in building the "Daily Manau Zongge" activity, in which, under the guidance and participation of representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, various folk art dance troupes perform together, with tourists and local residents joining in spontaneously.

In early 2026, a song titled "Manau Zongge" and related short videos went viral online, and "Daily Manau Zongge" became a new "entry point" for more tourists to learn about ethnic culture and experience ethnic unity. During the 2026 National Day holiday, Longchuan County received a total of 42,000 domestic tourist visits.

"When the music starts, the soles of your feet itch." People of different ethnicities singing and dancing together have become a scenic highlight of the extensive exchanges, interactions, and integration among all ethnic groups in Yunnan.

Yunnan's 26 indigenous ethnic groups have lived side by side for generations, forming a historical tradition of interdependent livelihoods, interwoven cultures, and helping each other in times of need (守望相助, shou wang xiang zhu - "guard, watch; mutual, assist").

"The tea leaves have no feet, carried by the horse caravans. Two ethnic groups, two hearts, meeting together..." Walking into the Yunnan Museum of Ethnic Minorities, the Naxi folk ballad on the wall echoes with the artifacts in the display cases — Naxi wooden message tubes, Yi horse bells, Tibetan rattan-woven stirrups, and more are displayed side by side, bearing the marks of time.

"The Ancient Tea Horse Road originated from the tea-horse trade in the ancient southwestern region, and for thousands of years it has promoted exchanges among people of all ethnic groups in politics, economics, and culture," explains docent Liu Zhen.

Road after road carries the long history of people of all ethnic groups traveling to and fro, exchanging what one has for what one needs (互通有无, hu tong you wu - "mutually, connect, have, lack").

Walking into Lianjiang Community, Shuangjiang Subdistrict, Eshan Yi Autonomous County, Yuxi City, on the Ethnic Unity Square, the accompaniment melody of the Zuojiao dance draws a passing Hani young man into humming along; in the Yi embroidery room, several embroiderers sit together, fingers flying, with bursts of laughter from time to time.

Lianjiang Community administers 58 residential compounds with more than 11,000 residents, where Han, Yi, Hani, Hui, and other ethnic groups live together. A few years ago, this was still an old residential area with damaged roads and walls everywhere, and residents of different sections rarely interacted. In 2021, relying on the old residential area renovation project, Lianjiang Community was established. During the renovation, the community tore down walls and freed up space, and in the process added dozens of new parking spaces.

"Renovation is not just about knocking down walls and paving roads; it is even more about bringing people's hearts together." Luo Jiafu, secretary of the Lianjiang Community Party General Branch and director of the neighborhood committee, explains that the community has explored an integrated governance model of "comprehensive social management plus grid management," regularly carries out the practical activity of "doing practical things for the masses," and has also used the renovated public space to build an "Ethnic Unity Discussion Pavilion," holding a "Neighborhood Heart-to-Heart Meeting" every month. How parking spaces are allocated, how garbage is sorted — residents of all ethnicities discuss it all together.

Long'an Village, Longba Township, Longchuan County, is located on the China-Myanmar border, and among its eight villager groups, ethnic minority and Han villagers each account for about half. "In our village, everyone helps each other in times of need and lives in perfect harmony and happiness, working together for a good life and building our homeland well," says Yao Yongliu, secretary of the Long'an Village Party General Branch.

In 2016, Yao Yongliu led village cadres in taking the lead in planting mulberry and raising silkworms. "A Jingpo villager in the neighboring Lülüang Village was very skilled at silkworm raising. We went to ask for technical advice, and they taught us hands-on." Yao Yongliu was deeply moved.

Yin Shouwei, a Han villager in the village, became a silkworm-raising expert after learning the technique. He learned from the "top households" in the neighboring village while sharing the technique with more villagers. One "local method" after another spread among villagers of all ethnicities through "you teach me, I teach you," and they found a path to increased income through specialty industries such as mulberry silkworms, sugar oranges, and black fungus. "Now the village collective economy is much better off, and every year we set aside some funds to support college students in the village," Yao Yongliu says proudly.

In recent years, Yunnan has issued the "Yunnan Province 'One Big Harmonious Family' Inter-embedded Community Construction Work Guidelines," deepening inter-embedding in space, culture, economy, society, and psychology. Since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the province has cumulatively supported the construction of 501 inter-embedded communities; it has advanced the construction of border happiness villages in 374 border administrative villages, and in 2025 the per capita disposable income of rural permanent residents in the 374 border happiness villages exceeded 24,000 yuan.

Building a 15-minute convenient living circle, continuing to implement the "Ten Counties, Hundred Townships, Thousand Villages, Ten Thousand Households" demonstration and leading construction project for ethnic unity and progress... Yunnan is creating better social conditions for people of all ethnic groups to live and study together, build and share together, and work and enjoy themselves together.

From shared dances to a shared homeland, across the land of Yunnan today, a sense of community for the Chinese nation is deeply ingrained in people's hearts. In their extensive exchanges, interactions, and integration, all ethnic groups of Yunnan cling together like pomegranate seeds, advancing with one heart and one mind to build a beautiful homeland together.

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Carry Forward the Great Long March Spirit and Walk Well the Long March of Today

By: 本报记者 金正波 李龙伊 任彤彤

A river reflects the changes of history.

In October 1934, on the banks of the Yudu River in Jiangxi, the main force of the Central Red Army and others, more than 86,000 people in total, gathered and set out, embarking on a great expedition. The common people dismantled door panels and carried timber to build pontoon bridges for the march.

More than 90 years later, it is still this same river. Five major bridges named "Red Army," "Long March," "Gathering," "River Crossing," and "Victory" now span both banks, turning a natural barrier into a thoroughfare.

A road records a new chapter of the times.

From Ruijin in Jiangxi to Yan'an in Shaanxi, in the past, the Red Army soldiers, bearing their mission on their shoulders and wearing straw sandals on their feet, trekked across mountains and rivers.

Today, high-speed rail directly connects the two places — 1,857 kilometers, 11 hours and 32 minutes — smooth, efficient, and accessible.

Ninety years on, the land of China has changed beyond recognition: China has risen from the abyss of poverty and weakness (积贫积弱, ji pin ji ruo - "accumulate, poor, accumulate, weak") and being at the mercy of others to become the world's second-largest economy; it has been reborn from the suffering of starting from scratch with nothing (一穷二白, yi qiong er bai - "one, poor, two, white") and being subjected to bullying, and has now achieved a comprehensively well-off society and is comprehensively building a modern socialist country.

The mountains and rivers have been reshaped, and the nation has straightened its backbone. It was precisely that earth-shaking (惊天动地, jing tian dong di - "startle, heaven, move, earth") revolutionary feat more than 90 years ago that achieved the great turning point of the Communist Party of China and the cause of the Chinese revolution from setback to victory, and opened a new great advance of the Communist Party of China in its struggle for national independence and the liberation of the people.

On October 16, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during an inspection in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia: "We have lofty goals, and we also have patience and resolve. Just like the Red Army's Long March, we are now carrying out a new Long March." In June this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during an inspection in Dezhou, Shandong: "Now, we are striding forward on the new journey of comprehensively building a modern socialist country. We must work together with one heart and mind (齐心协力, qi xin xie li - "together, heart, cooperate, strength") to walk the new Long March road well, create an even brighter future, and continuously meet the people's aspirations for a better life."

The sound of the Red Army's departing footsteps has been fixed in the depths of history, but the road they trod with faith and hot blood has forged an eternal spiritual coordinate for the nation, transcending time and space, dazzling and resplendent.

Revolutionary ideals stand higher than heaven

"Lofty ideals and firm convictions are forever the political soul of Chinese Communists"

How great, exactly, is the power of faith?

"The cowhide belt is three chi long; on the grassy wasteland it makes good dry rations..." In the auditorium of a Red Army brigade of the 75th Group Army, the red stage play "Half a Belt Shows Loyalty" was being performed with warmth.

During the Long March, the Eighth Company of the 274th Regiment of the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army, the predecessor unit of the brigade's Fourth Company, crossed the grasslands for the third time. With food exhausted and reinforcements cut off, wild vegetables and grass roots were not enough to fill their stomachs. Soldier Zhou Guangcai took out his own cowhide belt and, together with his comrades, boiled and ate half of it. He clutched the remaining half tightly and made a pact with his comrades to carry it to Yan'an.

The Red Army soldiers would rather endure hunger than give up the half belt, carrying it with them "to go to Yan'an to see Chairman Mao." General Secretary Xi Jinping said with deep feeling: "This is the power of faith, a vivid portrayal of 'following the Party with an iron heart.'"

Great practice has proven: the victory of the Long March was the victory of the ideals of Chinese Communists and the victory of the convictions of Chinese Communists.

At that time, the Red Army officers and soldiers faced the enemy's heavy "encirclement and suppression," traversed ice-capped mountains and snowy ridges, high mountains and deep valleys, rushing rivers and dangerous shoals, and swampy grasslands, time and again cutting a bloody path and breaking through encirclements, walking out a road that decided the fate of the Chinese nation.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Lofty ideals and firm convictions are forever the political soul of Chinese Communists."

When we once again look back at those years of beacon-fire warfare, we can still clearly touch the spiritual power deeply rooted in the bloodline of the nation.

A journey of ten thousand li, forever preserving the utter sincerity of unswervingly following the Party —

Decades later, when asked what he did during the Long March, Comrade Deng Xiaoping condensed this extraordinary experience into three characters: "Follow along."

A few brief words, reflecting the original aspiration. On the ten-thousand-li Long March road, every step pointed firmly toward the same direction.

A Red Army soldier named Liu Zhihai froze to death; his comrades pried open one of his tightly clenched hands, and inside were his Party membership certificate and a silver dollar contributed as Party dues. Old Red Army soldier Zhong Fazhen, recalling the Long March, said with emotion: "No matter how great the difficulties, I never once fell behind!"

"Without ideals, the Red Army could not have walked even a thousand li." With a profound sense of concern for the country, the Communists linked their own destiny with the destiny of the Chinese nation, linked the great forward direction of the Long March with the establishment of forward positions for resisting Japan, and wrote a glorious chapter in the history of the Chinese revolution.

Breaking the deadlock in desperate straits, forever preserving the persistence of unswervingly seeking truth —

In northern Guizhou, a two-story building bathed in sunlight stands solemn and dignified. Above the door, the six large characters "Site of the Zunyi Conference" shine brilliantly.

A kerosene lamp, a table, a manuscript — recording the courage of a political party to correct itself at a critical juncture.

"The Zunyi Conference in fact established Comrade Mao Zedong's leadership position in the Party Central Committee and the Red Army, opened a new stage in which the Party independently resolved practical problems of the Chinese revolution, and at the most critical moment saved the Party, saved the Red Army, and saved the Chinese revolution." Following the direction of the docent's finger, visitors paused, listened, and reflected...

With a strong helmsman, even in the face of violent winds and huge waves, the revolutionary ship can still forge ahead bravely.

Thereafter, crossing the Chishui River four times, skillfully crossing the Jinsha River, forcibly crossing the Dadu River, and seizing the Luding Bridge by flight... the Central Red Army leapt out of layer upon layer of encirclement and was reborn.

After the Long March, the Party and the Red Army were not weaker, but stronger. Our Party found the correct road for the Chinese revolution and found the correct theory guiding this road.

Breaking through passes and seizing defiles, forever preserving the fine style of unity —

Desperate straits reveal people's hearts. During the Long March's crossing of snow mountains, a comrade wearing thin old clothes froze to death. The commander ordered the quartermaster to be summoned, wanting to ask him why he had not issued cotton-padded clothes to the comrade who had frozen to death. A comrade in the ranks, with tears in his eyes, told him that the comrade who had frozen to death was the quartermaster himself.

General Secretary Xi Jinping said with emotion: "The one in charge of clothing would rather freeze to death himself than put on warmer clothes first — what a lofty state of mind this is!"

"Thousands of people sharing one heart (千人同心, qian ren tong xin - "thousand, people, same, heart") can achieve the strength of a thousand people." It was precisely by relying on the selfless dedication of countless advanced elements with a high degree of political consciousness that our Party won one arduous and extraordinary struggle after another.

The Long March is a military epic, a heroic epic, and even more so a spiritual epic. Today, people increasingly yearn to trace back to the source, to seek that simple yet tenacious spiritual power.

During the summer of 2026, the site of the Zunyi Conference received an average of 34,700 visitors per day, with more and more young people taking the initiative to explore the source of strength; in 2026, the themed reporting activity "Carrying Forward the Long March Spirit, Forging Ahead on the Journey of Rejuvenation — Reporters Retrace the Long March Road" saw journalists revisit the magnificent journey and experience development and change...

The Long March road tested the ideals and convictions of Chinese Communists and proved to the world that the ideals and convictions of Chinese Communists are indestructible.

On the new journey, facing new situations, new tasks, and new tests, Chinese Communists remain unchanged in their original aspiration and unchanged in their faith.

For the cause, how many heroes have made great sacrifices

"Conquering all difficulties without being conquered by any difficulty"

The Xiang River in northern Guangxi — a tragic coordinate on the Long March road.

In the Memorial Hall of the Red Army's Xiang River Campaign of the Long March, before a huge relief wall, many visitors stop to pay their respects. On the wall are carved moments of Red Army officers and soldiers fighting bravely amidst bloodshed (浴血奋战, yu xue fen zhan - "bathe, blood, struggle, fight").

In October 2014, at the All-Army Political Work Conference held in Gutian Town, Shanghang County, Fujian, General Secretary Xi Jinping affectionately recounted the story of the hero Chen Shuxiang.

The 34th Division of the Red Army, which served as the rearguard of the Central Red Army, had more than 6,000 men, mainly sons of western Fujian. In the Battle of the Xiang River, nearly the entire division was sacrificed. Division Commander Chen Shuxiang was unfortunately captured; he tore open the wound in his abdomen, twisted off his intestines, and died a heroic death, fulfilling his vow to "shed the last drop of blood for the Soviets."

Hardship and difficulty temper one into maturity. Over two years, traversing more than ten provinces, the First, Second, and Fourth Front Armies of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army and the 25th Army completed an "unparalleled epic expedition," creating a miracle on earth that shakes mountains and rivers.

The mountains and rivers bear witness to the heroic spirit of fearing no strong enemy and forging ahead courageously —

The Wujiang River, like a flood dragon, splits the land of northern Guizhou from west to east.

In early autumn, Feng Xiaohan, political instructor of the "Model Company for Forcibly Crossing the Wujiang River," followed the footsteps of the Red Army of that time into the depths of the Wumeng Mountains.

"Of all the roads under heaven, none is harder to cross than the Wujiang Ferry. Ninety-one years ago, our predecessors rode bamboo rafts and braved a hail of bullets to break through this natural barrier; today, with advanced equipment, we can turn natural barriers into thoroughfares. We have more steel and more spirit, and our bones are even harder!" Paying homage at the old battlefield, Feng Xiaohan was filled with emotion.

Imprints of time, the strategy and tactics of sizing up the situation and employing troops flexibly —

In Tucheng Town, Xishui County, Guizhou, stands the Memorial Hall of the Four Crossings of the Chishui River. Magnificent battle oil paintings silently recount the stirring past of the Red Army's bloody struggles.

The first crossing of the Chishui River: turning the helm in the face of danger, leaping out of a dead end; the second crossing: a sudden counterattack, a surprise assault on Mount Loushan; the third crossing: a feint to confuse the enemy, luring them westward; the fourth crossing: divine troops advancing eastward, leaping out of the encirclement.

On the Long March road, Red Army soldiers maneuvered over a thousand li, turning the conviction that "as long as we keep moving, there is hope" into battlefield choices of trading space for time and trading mobility for initiative, time and again. Entering the new era, the vast number of officers and soldiers are accelerating the transformation of military training, solving problems in preparing for war and fighting, and writing new chapters of victory.

Enduring in the annals of history, the conviction of certain victory that is indomitable (百折不挠, bai zhe bu nao - "hundred, bend, not, yield") and unwavering and persistent (坚忍不拔, jian ren bu ba - "firm, endure, not, pull") —

Mount Jiajin, Mount Mengbi, the Songpan Grassland... those names marked on maps were, in those days, death barriers that even birds could not fly over and where no human foot had trodden.

Climbing snow mountains and crossing grasslands was a road of suffering refined layer by layer, and also a road of hope that never wavered.

Wang Yuanjian's work "Seven Matches" tells a deeply touching (感人肺腑, gan ren fei fu - "touch, person, lung, viscera") story. The prototype of the story's protagonist was Red Army soldier Zheng Jinyu.

In August 1935, the Red Army entered Songpan. There, there was a swamp stretching six hundred li in all directions. No matter how great the wind and snow, Zheng Jinyu always kept the seven matches close to his body, protecting them from getting wet.

At the last moment of his life, Zheng Jinyu solemnly handed the seven matches to his comrades. He said: "I know the Party's cause will surely triumph! The revolution will surely triumph!"

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The victory of the Long March depended on the heroic spirit and revolutionary spirit of the Red Army officers and soldiers in overwhelming all enemies without being overwhelmed by any enemy, and conquering all difficulties without being conquered by any difficulty."

Today, looking across the military camps, the successors of the Red Army are carrying forward the spirit through their actions.

"Xiong Shanglin!" "Here!" "Luo Huiming!" "Here!" At the camp of the "Dadu River Company" of a brigade of the 74th Group Army of the Army, there is an unshakable ritual every day — the entire company calls out the names of the "Seventeen Heroes."

One response after another, traversing more than ninety years of wind and rain. On the sea training ground, officers and soldiers brave the wind and sand, tread through the mud, break free from the limitations of single posts and single levels, and, standing from the overall perspective of joint operations, identify shortcomings and finalize multiple practical research topics for combat.

Today, this heroic spirit has been transformed into one charge after another by officers and soldiers in the new era.

In Hotan County, Xinjiang, there is a "Road of Asking About Courage." The origin of the road's name must be traced back to a battle.

In June 2020, during the Galwan Valley clash, soldier Chen Xiangrong fought at the very front line and died a heroic death. When army leaders came to his home, his mother Yao Suishui asked one question: "Was my son brave when he was fighting?" Company Commander Du Pengfei answered without hesitation: "His courage surpassed all three armies!"

On dikes amid surging floods, in the rubble of quaking earth... there is always a group of people who shield danger in front of themselves and leave safety behind them.

Always rooted in the people

"The feeling between Communists and the common people is the feeling of sharing one quilt"

In August 2026, due to a sudden mudslide disaster on the Nepalese side, the Gyirong Port in Gyirong County, Shigatse City, Tibet, was severely affected.

This was a rescue racing against time. From the central government to local governments, rescue operations were swiftly launched. In the high-altitude, cold plateau region, with steep ravines and changeable weather... to open up rescue channels, no matter how difficult, they had to press forward.

These figures, in time, overlap and merge with the Red Army officers and soldiers of more than 90 years ago.

In October 1934, at Kunning Mountain in Shiqian, Guizhou. More than 100 Red Army soldiers of the 52nd Regiment of the Sixth Army Corps were ordered to cover the rear. At the edge of a cliff, the enemy, using local people as "human shields," pressed forward step by step. The muzzles of their guns could not be pointed at the people; the road of retreat was already cut off at the cliff's edge. In the end, the soldiers smashed their guns and leapt off the cliff.

From the smoke-filled battlefield to disaster and danger, Communists remain true to their original aspiration.

A history of the Red Army's Long March is a history reflecting the deep bond between the army and the people, as close as fish and water.

In the Memorial Hall of the Four Crossings of the Chishui River, several mottled wooden door panels are treasured. During the first crossing of the Chishui River, when the bridges were destroyed, the people on both banks dismantled their own door panels and bed boards to help the Red Army build pontoon bridges. Later, the people fished the wooden boards out of the river, patched them up, and took them home to continue using. One worn wooden board after another is engraved with the imprint of the army and the people being of one heart.

Turn your gaze to the gathering and departure point of the Central Red Army's Long March. In October 1934, tens of thousands of troops crossed the Yudu River by night without a single word leaking out, relying on the joint protection of more than 300,000 people of Yudu. So that the Red Army would have shoes to wear, the women of the Soviet areas worked day and night, hastily producing more than 200,000 pairs of straw sandals in a short time.

When the Red Army won battles, the people were their mountain of support. For the Long March soldiers, door panels were the bridges to cross natural barriers, and straw sandals were the confidence to complete the ten-thousand-li journey.

Why did the people support the Red Army? Perhaps there is an answer in the story of the "Half Quilt."

In November 1934, in Shazhou Village, Rucheng County, Hunan. Three female Red Army soldiers lodged overnight in the home of villager Xu Jiexiu. When they left, the female Red Army soldiers cut their only quilt in half and left half of it for her.

Xu Jiexiu said: "What is the Communist Party? The Communist Party is people who, even if they have only one quilt, will cut half of it and give it to the common people."

General Secretary Xi Jinping said with deep feeling: "Our army is the people's army, and the feeling between us Communists and the common people is the feeling of sharing one quilt."

The Long March was a declaration, the Long March was a propaganda team, the Long March was a seeder. With their own exemplary actions, the Red Army won the sincere support and endorsement of the masses. The broad masses of the people came to deeply understand that the Communist Party of China is a party that works for the interests of the people, that the Red Army is the people's army and a truly anti-Japanese force, and that the road pointed out by the Communist Party of China is the correct road for the masses to win liberation.

More than 90 years ago, the people gave everything they had to support the Red Army. More than 90 years later, this force that has come from the depths of history — what will it give back to the people?

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Now that the country has developed and the people's lives have improved, we must remember the source of our water when we drink, and must not forget the revolutionary predecessors and revolutionary martyrs, and must not forget the fathers and fellow villagers of the old revolutionary base areas."

In Shazhou Yao Village, where the "Half Quilt" story took place, this once remote and poor mountain village has developed fruit cultivation and rural tourism, and now the villagers' annual per capita net income has increased several times compared to ten years ago.

In Huamao Village, Zunyi, Guizhou, children play on the cultural square, and the pottery studio and papermaking workshop are thronged with visitors. Over the years, Party members and cadres have led the masses in working hard, transforming this place from "Barren Maotian" to "Huamao Village," achieving a rural transformation.

In the past, the Red Army fought bloody battles, with the army and the people united in heart; today, rural revitalization, industrial development, and ecological improvement show the ever-changing new look of the times everywhere.

Ninety years of forging ahead through hardships (砥砺奋进, di li fen jin - "grind, whet, strive, advance"). We have achieved the First Centenary Goal, comprehensively built a moderately prosperous society on the land of China, historically solved the problem of absolute poverty, and are now marching toward the Second Centenary Goal of comprehensively building a great modern socialist country.

As long as we always stand with the people, think with the people, and work with the people, our ranks will never be defeated.

Now we are crossing the summit anew

"Striving with determination and making vigorous efforts, continuing to push forward the great cause pioneered by our revolutionary predecessors"

Mount Loushan — the green mountains are like a sea, with countless peaks and ridges.

"The west wind is fierce, wild geese cry in the long sky under the frosty morning moon... The strong pass is truly like iron, yet now we cross the summit anew..." This autumn, the third "Retracing the Long March Road" activity for young people of the new era was held. The wind swept through the pass, carrying the young people's recitation into the mountains.

In 1935, the Red Army fought fierce battles with the enemy at Mount Loushan and other places, achieving the greatest victory since the start of the Long March. Today, youth representatives climb the hundred-step ladder, cross the Sky Bridge, and visit the exhibition hall. The majestic poems in the textbooks have become the real scenery before their eyes.

"Feeling the steepness of Mount Loushan, I truly understood the difficulty of the Red Army in breaking through passes and defiles and breaking out of desperate straits." "On this trip, I understood that at all times one must have the consciousness to dare to transform and strive to climb higher." The young people sighed with emotion.

Back then, the Red Army advanced toward danger in a crisis; today, the passes are still there, but they have changed their appearance. What the young people see is not only how that battle was won, but also how the next leg of the journey should be fought.

To realize great ideals, there is no smooth and level road to walk.

To make new progress in the great cause of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, to achieve new results in advancing the great new project of Party building, and to win new victories in the great struggle with many new historical features, there are still many "snow mountains" and "grasslands" to cross, and many "Mount Loushans" and "Lazikous" to conquer.

To walk today's Long March road well, ideals and convictions must be even firmer —

This summer, the Party member volunteer service team of Fudan University's "Communist Manifesto" Exhibition Hall traveled to southern Jiangxi and the Chongqing-Guizhou region, tracing the footsteps of the Red Army and seeking answers about faith.

"Facing the future, to walk the Long March road of the new era well, we need even more to strengthen our ideals and convictions and strive and struggle with determination." On June 27, 2020, General Secretary Xi Jinping replied to a letter to all members of the Party member volunteer service team of Fudan University's "Communist Manifesto" Exhibition Hall, encouraging them to continue telling stories about ideals and convictions well.

The team members said firmly: "When the heart has faith, one can go far. We must strive to become sparks that transmit the power of Marxist truth."

In the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has deployed a series of centralized education campaigns within the Party, insisting on using the Party's innovative theories to unite hearts and souls, guiding the vast number of Party members and cadres to replenish their spiritual calcium and hold fast to the spiritual home of Communists.

To walk today's Long March road well, the posture of striving must be even more vigorous —

On May 24, 2026, the Long March-2F Y-23 carrier rocket lifted the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft into ignition and ascent, entering the predetermined orbit. Three astronauts, together with the Shenzhou-21 crew, achieved the eighth "space rendezvous" on the Chinese space station.

Ninety years ago, the Red Army completed the Long March on foot; ninety years later, one Long March rocket after another carries the gaze of the Chinese people to the galaxy.

Exploring space, Chang'e-6 achieved the first-ever sample return from the far side of the Moon in human history; looking to the sky, the C919, China's domestically produced large passenger aircraft, spreads its wings over the blue sky... Looking back at the Long March, how much trekking through countless hardships, how much unswerving seeking; today, the vast number of scientific and technological workers are breaking through passes and defiles one after another, continuously opening up new horizons and creating new miracles.

To walk today's Long March road well, the original aspiration of serving the people must be even more fervent —

On the northern shore of Qinghai Lake lies a beautiful new village — Guoluocang Gongma Village, Shaliuhe Town, Gangcha County.

Once, this was a remote and isolated pure pastoral village. Today, infrastructure has been comprehensively upgraded, and e-commerce livestreaming has entered the lives of herders.

On the afternoon of June 8, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping came to this village at an average altitude of 3,300 meters.

"The herders live well, all thanks to the Party's good policies." The plain words of herder Sonam Tsering voiced his sincere feelings.

"During the Long March, when the Red Army passed through areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, they were like brothers and sisters with our ethnic minority compatriots, leaving behind many beautiful stories." General Secretary Xi Jinping continued, "Now, Party and government cadres at all levels should ask the villagers wherever they go: what kind of better life do you still want? A better life, we will promote and realize it together."

The new journey of building a strong country and achieving national rejuvenation is an expedition full of glory and dreams, risks and challenges.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "On the road ahead, we must vigorously carry forward the great Long March spirit, inspiring and encouraging the entire Party, the entire military, and the people of all ethnic groups across the country, especially the younger generation, to strive with determination and make vigorous efforts, and continue to push forward the great cause pioneered by our revolutionary predecessors."

The journey is long, and only through struggle can we advance — the Long March is forever on the road! Every generation has its own Long March road, and every generation must walk its own Long March road well!

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Page 1 editors: Yang Xu, Zhang Shuaizhen, Zhao Chuanbo; Page 2 editors: Han Xiaoming, Jiang Bo, Guan Haoyu; Page 3 editors: Lin Lin, Qi Jiarun, Zhang Anyu; Page 4 editors: Yuan Zhenxi, Han Chunyao, Liu Jingwen

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The Nameless and the Named (Commentator's Observation)

By: 李洪兴

Ordinary posts can achieve extraordinary merit; nameless perseverance can earn an immortal name.

Liu Lalinao, Liu Zao Gouzi, Wu Xidouzi... At the Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery in Ruijin, Jiangxi, names that "do not look like names" are quietly carved into the walls. These childish names belong to Red Army martyrs who died young on the Long March. According to local custom, children who had not come of age were not given formal names. These children, who did not even have formal names, nonetheless bore the weight of mountains and rivers.

Their childhood names were simple, their faith as firm as mountains; their lives were ordinary, their integrity as strong as steel. Looking back on the Long March, the fallen numbered in the tens of thousands. An epic of the Long March is like a spiritual path paved with the flesh and blood of ordinary people and Red Army soldiers. To truly understand the Long March, the most moving undertone is the building of a famous land with nameless bodies.

What does "nameless" mean? Names not recorded in the annals of history, deeds little known to the world. The Long March was a long road, with sacrifice everywhere along it.

The bloody battle on the Xiang River shook heaven and earth. Young soldiers, continuing to advance in succession despite heavy losses (前仆后继, qian pu hou ji - "before, fall; after, follow"), fought through blood to break the encirclement, leaving their lives forever on both banks of the river. "For three years, do not drink the water of the Xiang River; for ten years, do not eat the fish of the Xiang River" — this became the people's simple yet profound remembrance of the martyrs.

Crossing the snow mountains and grasslands, soldiers in thin clothing and straw sandals pressed forward against the wind. "Those in charge of cooking starved to death; those in charge of clothing froze to death; those with strength were exhausted to death." Monuments were erected along the Long March, and the wind and snow in the vast sky bore witness to the faith and true character of the Red Army.

How many young soldiers, sons of workers and peasants, and stretcher bearers, without even time to leave a single word behind, tore open the blockade lines with their flesh and blood and paved the way forward. So ordinary as to be tiny, so common as to be nameless, yet so pure as to be utterly sincere, so steadfast as to be unshakable as rock. True namelessness is not being unremarkable and unknown (平庸无闻, ping yong wu wen - "mediocre, without, reputation"), but rather hiding oneself for the sake of a greater cause and burying one's name for the sake of family and country.

What does "famous" mean? The spirit endures forever, the mountains and rivers remember, and the times carry it forward. Personal names may fade into oblivion, but monuments of the spirit will stand forever.

Ninety years of wind and rain have passed; the smoke of battle has dispersed, and today the mountains and rivers are splendid. The warm earth beneath our feet is the territory that nameless heroes defended to the death; the peace we enjoy is also the dawn that revolutionary martyrs bought with their lives.

All who die for the people will have their names forever remembered by the people; all who dedicate themselves to family and country will have their deeds rewarded by the times. This is the "dialectic" of the nameless and the famous: willingly accepting one's own namelessness in the small self, joining forces to achieve the fame of the greater whole; setting aside one's own empty reputation, striving to forge the glorious name of family and country.

The nameless and the famous are fused into the great spirit of the Long March. The vitality of a spirit lies in its ability to transcend time, to mirror the present, and to guide the future.

Today, we are advancing on the Long March of the new era. Concentrating efforts on scientific and technological breakthroughs, innovating in grassroots social governance, developing new quality productive forces... To break through the "Loushan Pass" and "Lazikou" on the road ahead, we still need loyal perseverance and selfless dedication.

Times change, but the true character of heroes has never changed. In China today, countless ordinary heroes are continuing the struggle.

High-quality development calls for the persistence of persistent effort over a long period to achieve excellence (十年磨一剑, shi nian mo yi jian - "ten, years, grind, one, sword"), self-reliance and strength in science and technology requires the composure of "willingly sitting on a cold bench," and the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas urgently needs the deep cultivation of willingly dedicating oneself to the service of the people (俯首甘为孺子牛, fu shou gan wei ru zi niu - "bow, head, willingly, be, young, child, ox")... To advance the great cause forward, we need more doers who take up the baton and strive onward. They may no longer trek across snow mountains and grasslands, but they will take root in the Gobi Desert and in laboratories, move between the ridges of fields and livestream rooms, and stand fast at borders and along patrol lines; they may not leave their names in the annals of history, but they will surely be engraved in the rings of development amid the vast transformation.

In this sense, the namelessness of the new era is the selfless realm of staying true to the original aspiration; the fame of the new era is the "achievement with me" of creating accomplishments.

Only by further understanding the "dialectic" of the nameless and the famous can we better establish a correct view of political achievements. Always thinking of the "childhood-name martyrs" on the Long March, the idea of valuing empty reputation over solid work should be discarded, and the practice of being keen on "creating a stir to gain fame" while disdaining quiet, deep cultivation should be corrected.

The forebears of different periods and all walks of life have told us through their practice: ordinary posts can achieve extraordinary merit; nameless perseverance can earn an immortal name. Casting aside selfish thoughts and distracting concerns, shedding ostentation and empty fame, injecting youthful vitality into innovative endeavors, and integrating personal ideals into the great cause of rejuvenation will surely forge a life of substance and value.

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Countless nameless heroes who are unrepentant and devoted, who have written extraordinary lives through the ordinariness of ordinary people." The people will not forget the nameless, and history will ultimately remember the true heroes.

To advance forward with one heart and one mind, we must carry forward fine traditions, pass on the red gene, act with diligence and integrity, and act with courage and behaving with integrity (敢作善为, gan zuo shan wei - "dare, act; good, do"), striving to be pioneers and contributors in advancing Chinese modernization. Looking to the future, the mission of our generation is to let nameless choices stir the echoes of the times, let silent journeys ignite the torch of the spirit, and thereby illuminate the new Long March ahead.

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Let the Intelligent Economy Better Unleash New Drivers of Growth (People's Forum)

By: 田 轩

At present, large models are iterating at an accelerated pace, intelligent agents are being deployed in real-world applications, and computing power construction is unfolding across the board. Artificial intelligence is entering production and daily life with unprecedented speed, breadth, and depth, accelerating the shaping of a new form of the digital economy. In the first eight months of this year, investment in the information services sector grew by 22.7 percent, and consumption of communication and information services maintained relatively rapid growth, confirming the vigorous vitality of the digital economy.

What is even more noteworthy is that the center of gravity of digital economy development is shifting from the circulation and utilization of data factors toward the large-scale supply of artificial intelligence. When data, algorithms, and computing power work in coordination, the supply side acquires the capacity for autonomous perception, judgment, and generation—this is precisely an important feature of the intelligent economy. As an advanced stage of digital economy development, the intelligent economy is not simply a matter of "installing AI plug-ins" onto economic operations, but rather, through data flow, automatic response, and real-time optimization, it carries out an intelligent restructuring of production, circulation, consumption, and enterprise management, thereby enhancing operational efficiency.

The key to accelerating the growth and expansion of the intelligent economy lies in adhering to the real economy as the foundation, avoiding excessive financialization and concept speculation, better stimulating new drivers of growth, and continuously cultivating new quality productive forces.

Enabling the intelligent economy to better stimulate new drivers of growth first lies in opening up new fields and new tracks of development. In the process of transforming "technological variables" into "industrial increments," the intelligent economy will inevitably give rise to more new fields and new tracks. For example, algorithmic innovation is pushing large models to accelerate their shift from "generating content" to "executing tasks"; computing power investment is giving rise to new industries such as a unified computing power network and computing-electricity coordination; and data processing is driving the continuous emergence of new business forms such as data annotation and data trading. The factor foundation, technological models, and industry applications are making steady progress in all aspects simultaneously (齐头并进, qi tou bing jin - "heads, together, advance, together"), converging into an inexhaustible "force toward the new."

Enabling the intelligent economy to better stimulate new drivers of growth also lies in promoting the revitalizing traditional industries with new vitality (老树发新枝, lao shu fa xin zhi - "old, tree, grow, new, branch") of traditional industries. China is the only country in the world with all industrial categories, and its vast number of workshops, assembly lines, mines, and ports provide broad space for intelligent development. From intelligent steel production scheduling to equipment visual quality inspection, from chemical process optimization to unmanned coal mining... As of the end of June this year, more than 26,000 "5G + Industrial Internet" projects were under construction, and the application of artificial intelligence has been translated into improvements in production efficiency, enhancements in product quality, and optimization of service experience. In this regard, coordinating the overall layout at the national strategic level and making long-cycle sustained investment is both a matter of consolidating the foundation of the intelligent economy and of strengthening the real economy itself.

Viewed against the long river of human technological revolutions, the development of general-purpose technologies follows its own inherent laws. Infrastructure first, application scenarios following, organizational modes adapting, and overall efficiency improving—this is the universal path from a technology's birth to its maturity. Today's development of artificial intelligence likewise follows this law. Only by grasping this development rhythm—neither blindly rushing ahead nor hesitating and wavering because of lagging returns at certain stages—can the intelligent economy be made to advance steadily and well.

Viewed from the laws of industrial development, emerging industries are prone to periodic heat and capital influx in their early stages. Appropriate financial support can provide sufficient funds for the development of the intelligent economy, but speculation over valuations and concepts, homogeneous investment, and even speculation may bring the risk of bubbles. Therefore, it is necessary both to adhere to finance serving the real economy, using patient capital to serve technological innovation, industrial implementation, and scenario application, and to avoid excessive financialization and avoid shifting from the real economy to speculative financial activities (脱实向虚, tuo shi xiang xu - "leave, solid, head toward, hollow"). For enterprises, it is necessary to stay true to their core business, refine their models, lower their costs, and deliver solid customer service, so that artificial intelligence is truly translated into higher yield rates on production lines, savings in energy consumption, and efficiency in services. Continuously improving rules and guiding expectations is conducive to channeling capital toward real-economy scenarios of rigid demand.

At present, China is in a critical stage of accelerating the formation of a new form of the intelligent economy. The true value of the intelligent economy must ultimately be reflected in the statements of workshops, the production capacity of factories, and the genuine sense of gain of hundreds of millions of users. By firmly anchoring the foothold in the real economy, the wave of the intelligent economy will surely continue to release new drivers of growth and truly become a solid support for high-quality development.

(The author is Dean of the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University.)

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The Innovation of Treating Serious Illnesses with Light Measures (Micro Perspective)

By: 孟繁哲

Can serious illnesses requiring surgery be treated with "minimally invasive" procedures? China's original "radiation-free percutaneous intervention technology" offers a new option for some patients with heart disease: doctors use ultrasound imaging to guide instruments and complete cardiac interventional treatment through a puncture in the skin, without opening the chest and without using radiation or contrast agents. "Treating serious illness lightly" — what is "lightened" is the trauma and the burden of seeking medical care, and this relies on the fruits of scientific and technological innovation.

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "The satisfaction of the people's aspirations for a better life must be made the ultimate goal of scientific and technological innovation." The needs of the people are both a key yardstick for measuring the value of innovation and an important entry point for discovering scientific problems. Those difficulties not yet solved and needs not yet fully met often contain the direction for breakthroughs.

Many cardiac interventional procedures rely on radiation and contrast agents to guide the operation, which limits treatment for patients such as pregnant women and those with renal insufficiency. Researchers instead turned to ultrasound to "see" the heart clearly, and developed compatible guidewires and catheters, giving the new pathway the conditions for clinical application. Do not mistake the familiar for the correct, and do not mistake improvement for breakthrough — returning to the starting point and tackling the weak points can open up entirely new space.

When urban space is cramped, how can underground parking garages be built while reducing large-scale excavation? China's equipment manufacturing enterprises have developed shaft boring machines that open up underground space by boring downward, providing a new construction method for garage building. Hydrogen energy is highly efficient and clean, but seawater salinity and impurities interfere with electrolytic hydrogen production. Researchers combined physical processes with electrochemical reactions, using a selective phase-separation interface to block salt and impurities, blazing a new path to hydrogen production that does not require prior desalination.

Real-world problems often cross disciplinary boundaries, and solving them also requires breaking down the barriers between bodies of knowledge. Only by daring to examine long-accepted premises and being adept at mobilizing the accumulated knowledge of different fields can one escape path dependence and open up space for original breakthroughs.

Taking technology out of the laboratory and bringing it closer to ordinary people is a systematic project about "accessibility." For example, as the coverage radius of the "radiation-free percutaneous intervention technology" has expanded, the relevant medical team has also developed a mobile surgical vehicle integrating multiple pieces of equipment, including ultrasound devices, operating tables, monitoring and disinfection systems, giving medical personnel the hope of traveling from village to village to perform on-site surgeries. As another example, many agricultural machines in China have undergone intelligent upgrades based on BeiDou satellite navigation technology; not only do farmers receive subsidies for purchases, but installation technicians also come to their homes to teach them how to operate the equipment. Satellite navigation entering the fields relies on high-precision positioning, and also on supporting services that remove barriers to use.

Between technical feasibility and universal benefit lie thresholds such as cost, skills, and service conditions. Only by incorporating the difficulties encountered in promotion and application into the innovation process, and by keeping technology development and service provision in resonance with each other, can new technologies play a major role. Cutting-edge sophistication and broad coverage are not contradictory; making it convenient for more people to use a technology is itself an innovation topic worthy of investment.

At present, the "radiation-free percutaneous intervention technology" system has been applied in nearly 2,000 medical institutions across 72 countries, including the United Kingdom, France, and Kenya, and has cumulatively treated more than 200,000 patients. The United Nations has established related projects to support the training of more doctors and the treatment of more patients. Facing the common health needs of humanity, China's original technology, while enhancing its own capabilities, also provides more options for other countries — a concrete action in participating in the building of a community of shared health for mankind.

The promotion and application of advanced technology knows no national borders. In Rwanda, after local technical personnel mastered the method of cultivating mushrooms with Juncao grass, they passed the technique on to women's cooperatives and youth groups; China's Fengyun meteorological satellites provide disaster prevention and mitigation early-warning services to numerous countries and regions, including developing countries. Protecting life, responding to disasters, and escaping poverty are the common aspirations of people of all countries. Opening up data, exchanging standards, and cultivating talent extend cooperation from providing a single achievement to helping form application capacity, and the global significance of China's innovation becomes all the more concrete as a result.

"Treating serious illness lightly" inspires us to examine technological progress more through the lens of human needs. Only with both the courage to find a new way to solve a problem and the patience to lower thresholds, and with a mindset of benefiting others, can innovative achievements better benefit humanity. Looking ahead, as the hard-core strength of independent innovation is continuously converted into momentum for empowering development and benefiting people's livelihoods, the scientific and technological underpinning of Chinese modernization will become even more solid, and China's development will bring more opportunities to the world.

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Photo Report

Revolutionary cultural relics carry the glorious history of the Party and the people's courageous struggle, and bear witness to the Chinese nation's journey of saving the nation from subjugation and seeking rejuvenation since modern times. The publication of 37 revolutionary cultural relic protection and utilization zones, the cumulative implementation of more than 3,000 protection and display projects, and the construction of over 1,300 memorial halls... At present, China has built a new pattern of revolutionary cultural relic protection that covers the whole country, has clear threads, and highlights key points.

This is precisely:

Facing countless hardships and dangers (千难万险, qian nan wan xian - "thousand, difficult, ten thousand, dangerous"), weathering wind and frost,

Old objects, wordless, bear witness to great changes over time (沧桑, cang sang - "mulberry, mulberry").

Diligently guard them, not being negligent or careless (莫疏怠, mo shu dai - "do not, neglect, lazy"),

The spirit is immortal, leaving a lasting, glorious reputation (永流芳, yong liu fang - "forever, flow, fragrance").

Cheng Senwen

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Educational Wisdom Hidden in the Menu (Across the Board)

By: 曹灿辉

Recently, at the entrance of a primary school cafeteria in Yichun, Jiangxi, a wall displaying dishes for selection has drawn attention. Students vote for their favorite dishes from a list of 66 options and can also write down dishes they want to eat that the cafeteria has not yet offered in a reserved blank area. The shift from "the school decides what to cook and students eat what is served" to "whatever the children want to eat, the school arranges it" has made this innovation a vivid practice in optimizing campus governance.

For a long time, campus cafeteria menus have mostly been drafted by logistics staff, with proportions controlled by nutritionists and final approval by administrators. This entire process upholds safety bottom lines and nutritional standards, yet it often overlooks children's tastes.

Children are also participants in campus public affairs. The "Guidelines for Campus Food Safety and Meal Expense Management in Primary and Secondary Schools" issued by the General Office of the Ministry of Education proposes that schools should organize a food safety and satisfaction survey for teachers, students, and parents respectively once each semester. For policies to take effect, schools must rely on innovative exploration.

Having students order meals in campus cafeterias is valuable for more than just improving taste. Children must weigh and choose among dozens of dishes, understand that it is difficult to please everyone (众口难调, zhong kou nan tiao - "all mouths, difficult, adjust"), and learn to respect others' preferences. Earlier this year, Jincheng Primary School in the High-tech Zone of Chengdu, Sichuan, launched a "star dish" voting activity, periodically soliciting student opinions to update the menu and keeping students continuously involved in cafeteria improvement and upgrades. Zhaojia Primary School in Kaizhou, Chongqing, held cafeteria service hearings, inviting student representatives to offer suggestions face to face, turning meal management into a routine agenda item. These explorations prove that the cafeteria is also a small front for fostering virtue and nurturing talent. A single menu carries the educational connotations of respect, communication, and shared governance.

Respecting tastes does not mean abandoning scientific dietary guidance. Schools need nutritionists to hold the nutrition line, balance the ratio of meat and vegetables, define a pool of selectable dishes, and leave room for student choice within a healthy framework. Some schools regularly conduct new-dish tasting votes, screening healthy options for teachers and students to evaluate, balancing preferences and nutrition — an approach worth learning from.

Good campus cafeteria governance depends on long-term sustainability. Schools may wish to establish fixed feedback channels, set up meal suggestion boxes, conduct monthly dish satisfaction surveys, and regularly update the backup dish library. Improve the operating mechanism of the meal committee and include student representatives from different grades. Implement a meal-accompaniment evaluation system, promptly collect dining feedback, and establish a mechanism for publicizing rectification of opinions.

The wisdom of education lies in details. When schools earnestly listen to children's genuine thoughts and respect their opinions to improve cafeteria meals, what they convey is respect and trust.

(Excerpted from China Education Daily, original title: "The Warmth of Education Lies in Every Meal")

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"Conduct Meticulous Mass Work in Peacetime" (Everyone Talks · Understanding the Grassroots, Going Deep into the Grassroots, Serving the Grassroots ⑩)

Serving the people requires attention not only in times of urgency but also in ordinary times. Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out in Zhijiang Xinyu: "Only by doing meticulous mass work in ordinary times can one truly gain the recognition and trust of the masses." In this installment of "Everyone's Discussion," we have selected three contributions to reflect together with our readers on how to better keep work in hand and carry it out in ordinary times.

— Ed.

Sensitivity and Insensitivity

Wang Jinhua, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province

I once heard a grassroots cadre share his work insights: "One needs two kinds of strength: one is sensitivity, and the other is insensitivity." These seem contradictory, but upon careful reflection, the words make sense.

Sensitivity is an acuity toward the warmth and cold of the masses and toward hidden risks and dangers—it is seeing things early and acting quickly. When visiting villages and households, if an elderly person casually says, "It's inconvenient to go out at night," an attentive person can discern from this a shortcoming in nighttime lighting; a complaint between neighbors, if listened to carefully, can reveal the signs of a brewing conflict. Maintaining sensitivity toward the affairs of the masses—asking one more question, taking one more look, taking one more step—helps resolve problems in their budding state. Conversely, if one reacts sluggishly to the concerns of the masses, small matters easily grow into big ones, and big ones easily explode, leaving work inevitably mired in passivity.

Insensitivity is a detachment toward personal gains and losses—it is being willing to do groundwork, willing to accumulate small achievements, and willing to grasp at unfinished matters. Working at the grassroots requires both making visible achievements and making behind-the-scenes achievements. If one is acting impetuously in pursuit of quick success (急于求成, ji yu qiu cheng - "urgent, seek, achieve"), one easily falls into the mistaken approach of valuing appearances over substance; if one throws in the towel after hearing a couple of complaints, then nothing can be accomplished. Stay calm, endure the annoyance, focus your mind on solving concrete problems, and for what you are certain of, as long as it aligns with the interests of the masses, keep hammering away blow after blow.

Be sensitive to matters, be insensitive to oneself—grassroots cadres should possess such breadth of mind and sense of responsibility.

Seek "Scriptures" from the Masses

Wang Di, Binzhou City, Shandong Province

In one locality, while advancing demolition and resettlement work, the relevant departments repeatedly consulted and revised plans regarding matters such as unit layout adjustments for some buildings, parking space allocation, and property management handover, expecting to win praise from the masses—but unexpectedly, people had considerable complaints. The work group then changed its approach, going down into the demolition area and visiting households one by one. Many members of the masses offered suggestions, proposing the formation of building-level discussion groups and the advance public disclosure of supporting facility plans. After absorbing the suggestions and optimizing the plan, conflicts and disputes decreased significantly, and the efficiency of contract signing improved greatly. Practice has proven that only by seeking "scriptures" from the masses can work be done to the satisfaction of the masses' hearts.

In doing work, one must never rely on subjective imagination; one must listen more, look more, and understand more. If the baseline is unclear and the situation is not fully grasped, no matter how meticulously the plan is revised, it will ultimately "not adapt to local conditions." Rather than sitting in the office thinking long and hard (苦思冥想, ku si ming xiang - "bitter, think, meditate, imagine"), it is better to bend down and get a clear picture of the actual situation. By communicating sincerely with the masses, letting them dare to speak, be willing to speak, and have a place to speak, one can find more golden ideas.

The process of seeking "scriptures" is also a process of studying the underlying principles and logic (研机析理, yan ji xi li - "study, mechanism, analyze, principle") and of summarizing and improving. Regarding the opinions and suggestions of the masses, one must strictly avoid "having no follow-up after listening" and also avoid "being unable to land after receiving." On the basis of professional deliberation and democratic consultation, opinions and suggestions should be reasonably absorbed and turned into operable plans.

Wisdom comes from the masses. By seeking "scriptures" from the masses, one can find the breakthrough point for governance and ensure that work is planned accurately and implemented solidly.

Persistently "Attending to the Utmost Subtlety"

Xie Yunhui, Dazhou City, Sichuan Province

Master Zhang, an elevator maintenance worker in a residential community, keeps a notebook densely filled with records of each elevator's "temperament"—which door mechanism responds slowly, which steel cable has slight wear, which guide rail lacks oil and easily makes abnormal noises. Someone asked him: "Why keep such detailed records?" He replied: "Elevator problems hide in dark places. If I slack off today, tomorrow there could be a sudden stop trapping people." On careful reflection, doing grassroots work well likewise requires paying attention to dark places and putting in effort in obscurity.

Flaws in dark places affect the overall quality of the whole. Hidden dangers often lurk beyond the line of sight. If one only does superficial work, small oversights can grow into big problems. Grassroots work is the same—not treating matters lightly because they are small, not going through the motions because they are repetitive—this is what demonstrates responsibility and commitment.

Paying attention to dark places is in essence emphasizing a full-cycle, all-around bottom-line mindset. To use the elevator example again: conducting follow-up visits after acceptance, inspecting during rainy days, and bringing special circumstances into the management purview makes it easier to grasp the true conditions beyond routine reports. Dynamically updating the "health records" and categorizing common faults can turn passive emergency repairs into active prevention. Persistently "attending to the utmost subtlety" eliminates the "one-in-ten-thousand" risk and wins the trust of the masses.

Putting effort into places unseen and placing responsibility on every detail is how one does work well and satisfies the masses.

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Page editors: Li Haoran, Peng Fei, Li Tielin

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Deeply Study and Implement Xi Jinping Thought on Culture to Consolidate the Cultural Foundation for Building a Strong Nation and Achieving National Rejuvenation

By: 中共中央党史和文献研究院

Culture is the soul of a country and a nation. When culture thrives, the nation prospers; when culture is strong, the nation is strong. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has stood at the strategic height of matters concerning the future and destiny of the Party, the long-term stability and security of the country, and the cohesion and centripetal force of the nation, persistently placing cultural development in a prominent position in governance, creatively putting forward a series of new ideas, new viewpoints, and new conclusions, systematically answering the major questions of what kind of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics to uphold and develop in the new era and how to uphold and develop it, and forming Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture. The recently published first and second volumes of Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture include 78 of the most important and fundamental works by General Secretary Xi Jinping on cultural development, systematically reflecting the rich connotations, scientific system, and original contributions of Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture. Earnestly studying this important work is of great significance for thoroughly studying and implementing Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture, doing well the work of propaganda, ideology, and culture on the new journey of the new era, promoting cultural prosperity, and building a strong cultural nation.

I. Systematically Answering the Major Theoretical and Practical Questions of Cultural Development in the New Era, Leading Cultural Development in the New Era to Achieve Historic Achievements and Undergo Historic Changes

Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture was formed and continuously enriched and developed in the great practice of cultural development in the new era, and is a theoretical summary of the practical experience of the Party's leadership in cultural development in the new era. The first and second volumes of Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture truthfully record this historical process and systematically reflect the internal logic of this thought originating from practice and guiding and promoting practice to continuously move forward.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has coordinated the overall strategic situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and changes unseen in a century, accurately grasped the trends of the mutual agitation of ideologies and cultures worldwide and the profound changes in social ideas and concepts in our country, profoundly answered major questions of a directional, overall, and strategic nature in cultural development under new historical conditions, made systematic planning and arrangements for propaganda, ideology, and cultural work from an overall and strategic height, and promoted major progress in cultural development in the new era. The 27 important manuscripts by General Secretary Xi Jinping from the 18th to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China included in this special selected works centrally reflect the development process of Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture during this period. In November 2012, when visiting the exhibition "The Road to Rejuvenation," General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the greatest dream of the Chinese nation in modern times. In August 2013, at the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideology Work, he profoundly elaborated on a series of major theoretical and practical issues concerning the long-term development of propaganda, ideology, and cultural work, clearly put forward the fundamental task of the "Two Consolidations," and emphasized that the leadership, management, and discourse power of ideological work must be firmly held in our hands. In February 2014, at the 13th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 18th Central Committee, he pointed out that cultivating and promoting the core socialist values should be regarded as a basic project for uniting people's spirit and will (凝魂聚气, ning hun ju qi - "condense soul, gather spirit") and strengthening the foundation and consolidating the basis (强基固本, qiang ji gu ben - "strengthen foundation, consolidate roots"), and enhancing cultural confidence and value confidence. In promoting the fine traditional Chinese culture, it is necessary to handle well the relationship between inheritance and creative development, with the focus on creative transformation and innovative development. In September, at the Central Conference on Ethnic Affairs, he emphasized that to strengthen the great unity of the Chinese nation, the long-term and fundamental task is to enhance cultural identity, build a shared spiritual home for all ethnic groups, and actively cultivate a sense of community for the Chinese nation. In October, at the Symposium on Literary and Art Work, he pointed out that realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the prosperity and flourishing of Chinese culture. It is necessary to enhance cultural consciousness and cultural confidence from the height of building a strong socialist cultural nation. It is necessary to adhere to a people-centered creative orientation and create and produce excellent works worthy of our great nation and great era. In February 2016, at the Symposium on the Party's News and Public Opinion Work, he pointed out that doing well the Party's news and public opinion work and creating a good public opinion environment are major matters of governance and maintaining national stability and peace (定国安邦, ding gu an bang - "stabilize country, ensure peace"). In April, at the Symposium on Cybersecurity and Informatization Work, he pointed out that it is necessary to cultivate a positive, healthy, promoting positive and healthy values (向上向善, xiang shang xiang shan - "upward, toward goodness") online culture, build a good online ecosystem, and create a maintaining a clean and healthy atmosphere (风清气正, feng qing qi zheng - "wind clear, air upright") cyberspace. In May, at the Symposium on Philosophy and Social Sciences Work, he proposed that it is necessary to uphold the guiding position of Marxism in the field of philosophy and social sciences in our country and accelerate the construction of philosophy and social sciences with Chinese characteristics. He emphasized that strengthening confidence in the path, theory, and system of socialism with Chinese characteristics ultimately means strengthening cultural confidence. In July, at the conference celebrating the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, he creatively incorporated cultural confidence into the Four Confidences. In November, at the opening ceremony of the Tenth National Congress of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Ninth National Congress of the Chinese Writers' Association, he emphasized that strengthening cultural confidence is a major issue concerning the rise and fall of the nation's fortunes, cultural security, and the independence of the national spirit. During this period, the density of meetings convened by the Party Central Committee on propaganda, ideology, and cultural work, the comprehensiveness of the decisions and arrangements made, and the richness, systematicity, profundity, and weight of General Secretary Xi Jinping's expositions were rarely seen in the Party's history. In practice, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, with a high degree of cultural confidence, cultural consciousness, and cultural responsibility, comprehensively strengthened the Party's leadership over ideological work, the Party's theoretical innovation was comprehensively advanced, the situation in the ideological field in our country underwent an overall and fundamental transformation, and documents such as the Opinions on Cultivating and Practicing the Core Socialist Values were formulated and implemented. The core socialist values and the fine traditional Chinese culture were widely promoted, cultural confidence was manifested, the country's cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture were greatly enhanced, and cultural development in the new era presented a brand-new situation.

After the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core placed cultural development in a more prominent position, promoted the continuous development of a positive and improving trend in the field of propaganda, ideology, and culture, and Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture was enriched and expanded in practice. The 33 important manuscripts by General Secretary Xi Jinping from the 19th to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China included in this special selected works centrally reflect this historical process. In October 2017, in his report to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping incorporated upholding the system of core socialist values into the basic strategy for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and clearly put forward the major proposition of building a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leading power. In August 2018, at the National Conference on Propaganda and Ideology Work, he clearly defined the missions and tasks that propaganda and ideology work must undertake under the new situation, highly summarized the Party's understanding of the laws of propaganda, ideology, and cultural work with the "Nine Persistences," and emphasized that the Party's and the state's guiding ideology occupies a commanding position in our country's socialist ideology, and that theoretical arming work must be continuously strengthened so that the Party's innovative theories "fly into the homes of ordinary people." In September, at the National Education Conference, he pointed out that our education must take cultivating builders and successors of socialism as its fundamental task. In October 2020, at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, he emphasized that our modernization is a modernization in which material civilization and spiritual civilization are coordinated. In July 2021, at the conference celebrating the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, he succinctly summarized the profound connotation of the great founding spirit of the Party and creatively proposed "upholding the integration of the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and with the fine traditional Chinese culture." In practice, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core established and upheld the fundamental system of Marxism's guiding position in the ideological field, improved the work system of arming the whole Party and educating the people with the Party's innovative theories, adhered to leading cultural development with the core socialist values, improved the system for safeguarding the people's cultural rights and interests, formulated and implemented the Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Propaganda Work, promoted the scientific, standardized, and institutionalized construction of propaganda work to a new level, the Party's innovative theories in the new era were deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, the cultural confidence of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in the country was significantly enhanced, and their mental outlook became more vigorous and enterprising.

Since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has held high the Party's cultural banner in the new era and continuously opened up new prospects for propaganda, ideology, and cultural work in the new era. The 18 important manuscripts by General Secretary Xi Jinping since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China included in this special selected works vividly reflect the historical process of the continued enrichment and development of Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture during this period. In October 2022, in his report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping made key arrangements for cultural development work from five aspects, requiring "promoting cultural confidence and self-reliance and creating new brilliance in socialist culture." In March 2023, at the High-Level Dialogue between the Communist Party of China and World Political Parties, he solemnly put forward the Global Civilization Initiative. In June, at the Symposium on Cultural Inheritance and Development, he clearly defined the "Fourteen Emphases" on cultural development, profoundly expounded the outstanding characteristics of Chinese civilization, and pointed out that the Two Integrations are the greatest magic weapon for our success. In the same month, at the sixth collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee, he pointed out that it is necessary to always adhere to the soul and root of theoretical innovation and strive to promote the systematization and theorization of the Party's innovative theories. In October, on the eve of the National Conference on Propaganda, Ideology, and Culture Work, General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions on propaganda, ideology, and cultural work, putting forward the important requirements of the "Seven Efforts." This conference formally proposed and systematically expounded Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture. The Party Central Committee's clarification of Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture is of milestone significance in the history of the development of the Party's propaganda, ideology, and cultural undertakings, marking that our Party's understanding of the laws of socialist cultural development has reached a new height, and indicating that our Party's historical confidence and cultural confidence have reached a new height. In October 2024, at the 17th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the 20th Central Committee, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that it is necessary to accelerate the building of a strong cultural nation and continuously develop socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the new era that has strong ideological leading power, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence. In practice, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core focused on the primary political task of arming the whole Party and educating the people with the Party's innovative theories, anchored the strategic goal of building a strong cultural nation by 2035, formulated and implemented the Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Ideological and Political Work, strived to stimulate the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation, adhered to focusing on people and landing on people, continued the Chinese cultural lineage in creative transformation and innovative development, continuously enhanced the country's cultural soft power and the influence of Chinese culture, made solid strides in building a strong socialist cultural nation, and injected more proactive spiritual strength into the great cause of building a strong nation and realizing national rejuvenation.

Scientific theory always interacts with and advances together with great practice. In the practice of leading and promoting cultural development in the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with the historical initiative spirit, extraordinary theoretical courage, outstanding political wisdom, and strong sense of mission of a Marxist politician, thinker, and strategist, creatively put forward a series of new ideas, new viewpoints, and new conclusions rich in Chinese characteristics, embodying the spirit of the times, and leading the development of human civilization, forming extremely rich theoretical achievements and opening up a new realm of cultural development of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Practice has fully proved that the fundamental reason why cultural development in the new era has achieved historic achievements and undergone historic changes is that General Secretary Xi Jinping is at the helm, and that there is the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture.

II. Continuously Deepening the Understanding of the Laws of Socialist Cultural Development, Forming a Complete, Logically Rigorous, and Interconnected Scientific Theoretical System

Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture is a major achievement and a brilliant example of the Two Integrations. It understands the substance and applies it in practice, with substance and application integrated, profoundly answering the fundamental questions of what flag to hold, what path to take, what principles to uphold, and what goals to achieve in our country's cultural development in the new era, comprehensively expounding the status and role, goals and tasks, principles and policies, strategic paths, and practical requirements of cultural development in the new era, enriching and developing Marxist cultural theory, and constituting the cultural chapter of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The first and second volumes of Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture closely focus on a series of major innovative viewpoints and comprehensively reflect the rich connotations, essential meanings, and scientific system of Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture.

Upholding the Party's cultural leadership and building a socialist ideology with strong cohesion and leading power. Upholding the Party's cultural leadership is a major matter concerning the future and destiny of the Party and the state. Important manuscripts such as Building a Socialist Ideology with Strong Cohesion and Leading Power and Strengthening the Party's Overall Leadership over Propaganda and Ideology Work centrally reflect the relevant important expositions. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that our Party has led the people to blaze a path of cultural development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the most essential feature of this path is upholding the Party's leadership. Ideological work is an extremely important work of the Party, a work that establishes the heart of the country and the soul of the nation. It is necessary to clearly and unequivocally uphold the Party's management of propaganda, the Party's management of ideology, the Party's management of media, and the Party's management of the internet, so that the Party's banner flies high on the propaganda and ideology front. It is necessary to firmly grasp the leadership of ideological work, deepen the study and education of the Party's innovative theories, and promote the close unity of all the people in thought and spirit.

Promoting the coordinated development of material civilization and spiritual civilization. This is an essential feature of upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, reflecting a comprehensive grasp of the laws of socialist construction and China's national conditions. In important manuscripts such as Chinese Modernization Is a Modernization in Which Material Civilization and Spiritual Civilization Are Coordinated and Chinese Modernization Has Created a New Form of Human Civilization, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that socialism with Chinese characteristics is a great cause of comprehensive development and comprehensive progress. Only when both material civilization and spiritual civilization are well developed, both the country's material strength and spiritual strength are enhanced, and the material life and spiritual life of the people of all ethnic groups in the country are improved, can the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics advance smoothly. Material abundance and spiritual wealth are the fundamental requirements of socialist modernization. Without the prosperity and development of socialist culture, there will be no socialist modernization. It is necessary to adhere to grasping both ends and being strong in both, promote the mutual coordination and mutual promotion of material civilization and spiritual civilization, and promote the comprehensive enrichment of things and the comprehensive development of people.

Upholding the Two Integrations. On the profound foundation of more than five thousand years of Chinese civilization, opening up and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, and integrating the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and with the fine traditional Chinese culture is the only way. In important manuscripts such as Opening Up New Horizons for the Sinicization and Modernization of Marxism and Deeply Understanding the Great Significance of the "Two Integrations", General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: Why is our socialism different? Why can it be vigorous and full of vitality? The key lies in Chinese characteristics. The key to Chinese characteristics lies in the Two Integrations. The result of "integration" is mutual achievement. On the one hand, Marxism brought advanced ideological and theoretical ideas to China, activating the genes of Chinese civilization with the light of truth; on the other hand, the fine traditional Chinese culture enriched the cultural life of Marxism, promoting Marxism to continuously achieve new leaps in Sinicization and modernization and showing increasingly distinct Chinese style and Chinese manner. The "second integration" is another ideological emancipation, indicating that our Party's understanding of the Chinese path, theory, and system has reached a new height, and indicating that our Party's consciousness of promoting cultural innovation in inheriting the fine traditional Chinese culture has reached a new height.

Promoting cultural prosperity and building a strong cultural nation. Building a strong cultural nation concerns the overall situation of Chinese modernization, the great cause of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the enhancement of international competitiveness. In important manuscripts such as Placing Cultural Development in a More Prominent Position and Accelerating the Building of a Strong Cultural Nation, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that culture is an important content in comprehensively advancing the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and coordinating the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy; culture is an important pivot in promoting high-quality development; culture is an important factor in meeting the people's growing needs for a better life; and culture is an important source of strength in overcoming various risks and challenges on the road ahead. It is necessary to uphold the path of cultural development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, strengthen cultural confidence, promote the creative transformation and innovative development of the fine traditional Chinese culture, inherit revolutionary culture, develop advanced socialist culture, continuously create new brilliance in Chinese culture, and enhance the spiritual strength for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Strengthening cultural confidence and achieving spiritual independence and self-reliance. Without a high degree of cultural confidence and without the prosperity and flourishing of culture, there will be no great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. In important manuscripts such as We Must Have a High Degree of Cultural Confidence and Leading the Study of Chinese Civilization History to Greater Depth, Enhancing Historical Consciousness and Strengthening Cultural Confidence, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that cultural confidence is a more fundamental, broader, and deeper confidence. Cultural confidence comes from our cultural subjectivity. With cultural subjectivity, there is a firm self in the cultural sense, cultural confidence has a fundamental support, the Communist Party of China has a strong cultural force to lead the times, the Chinese nation and the Chinese people have a solid cultural foundation for national identity, and Chinese civilization has distinctive cultural characteristics for exchange and mutual learning with other civilizations in the world. Strengthening cultural confidence means adhering to walking our own path. The primary task is to base ourselves on the great historical practice and contemporary practice of the Chinese nation, summarize China's experience with Chinese principles, elevate China's experience into Chinese theory, and achieve spiritual independence and self-reliance.

Cultivating and practicing the core socialist values. Core values are the spiritual bond on which a nation relies for survival and the common ideological and moral foundation of a country. In important manuscripts such as Taking the Cultivation and Promotion of the Core Socialist Values as a Basic Project for Uniting People's Spirit and Will and Strengthening the Foundation and Consolidating the Basis and Actively Cultivating and Practicing the Core Socialist Values, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that it is necessary to base ourselves on the fine traditional Chinese culture, unify the inheritance and promotion of the fine traditional Chinese culture with the cultivation and practice of the core socialist values, and continuously enhance the sense of belonging, identity, dignity, and honor of the Chinese nation. It is necessary to promote the spiritual pedigree of Chinese Communists with the great founding spirit of the Party as its source, deepen education in patriotism, collectivism, and socialism, and strive to cultivate new generations of the era capable of undertaking the great task of national rejuvenation. It is necessary to promote the normalization and institutionalization of ideal and belief education and use the core socialist values to forge souls and educate people. Promoting and practicing the core socialist values requires efforts in making them detailed, small, and practical, making them as ubiquitous and ever-present as air, making them the common value pursuit of all the people, the unique spiritual pillar of our being Chinese, and the code of conduct that the people use daily without being conscious of it.

Forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. Our country is a unified multi-ethnic country, and the diversity in unity of the Chinese nation is a distinctive feature of our country. In important manuscripts such as Building a Shared Spiritual Home for All Ethnic Groups and The Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation Is the Foundation of Ethnic Unity, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that cultural identity is the deepest level of identity and is the root of ethnic unity and the soul of ethnic harmony. It is necessary to take forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation as the main line of the Party's ethnic work in the new era and as the main line of all work in ethnic regions, promote all ethnic groups to establish a correct view of the country, history, ethnicity, culture, and religion, enhance national consciousness, citizen consciousness, and rule-of-law consciousness, strengthen a high degree of identification with the great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China, and socialism with Chinese characteristics, and continuously promote the building of the community of the Chinese nation. It is necessary to take building a shared spiritual home for all ethnic groups as a strategic task, so that the hearts of all ethnic groups converge and their spirits depend on each other, forming a strong spiritual bond of unity of hearts and united struggle and progress.

Mastering the dominance of public opinion under the conditions of informatization and extensively building social consensus.The Party's news and public opinion work is an important part of the Party's work. In important manuscripts such as Speech at the Symposium on the Party's News and Public Opinion Work and Accelerating the Promotion of Media Integration and Development, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that to do well the Party's news and public opinion work, it is necessary to firmly adhere to the principle of Party spirit, adhere to the Marxist view of journalism, adhere to the correct orientation of public opinion, adhere to giving priority to positive publicity, grasp the timing, degree, and effect, and improve the communication power, guiding power, influence, and credibility of news and public opinion. Managing and using the internet well is the key to controlling the front of news and public opinion under the new situation. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized that if we cannot pass the test of the internet, we cannot pass the test of long-term governance. It is necessary to adhere to the principle that positive energy is the general requirement, being able to manage is the hard truth, and using it well is the real skill, do well the great article of media integration and development, promote the transformation of the internet, this biggest variable, into the biggest increment for the development of the cause, make positive energy stronger and the main theme more resounding, form a concentric circle online and offline, and make all the people closely unite in ideals, beliefs, values, and moral concepts.

Adhering to a people-centered work orientation and dedicating the best spiritual food to the people. Being people-centered is a distinct main line running through cultural development in the new era. In important manuscripts such as Doing Propaganda and Ideology Work Better and Speech at the Symposium on Literary and Art Work, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the people are both the creators of history and the witnesses of history, both the "characters in the play" of history and the "playwrights" of history. The "strength" of a strong cultural nation must ultimately be reflected in the people's ideological realm, mental state, and cultural cultivation. It is necessary to adhere to being people-centered, focus on meeting the people's diverse, multi-level, and multi-faceted spiritual and cultural needs, improve the capacity to supply cultural services and cultural products, and enhance the people's sense of cultural gain and happiness.

Strengthening the protection and inheritance of cultural heritage and safeguarding the cultural treasures of the Chinese nation. China's cultural and natural heritage resources are an important part of Chinese civilization, containing the great creativity, outstanding wisdom, and shared memory of the Chinese people. In important manuscripts such as Protecting Cultural Relics Benefits the Present and Benefits Future Generations and Safeguarding the Cultural Treasures and Natural Treasures of the Chinese Nation, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that historical and cultural heritage carries the genes and bloodline of the Chinese nation, belonging not only to our generation but also to generations to come. It is necessary to fully implement the work policy of "protection first, rescue first, rational use, and strengthened management," effectively increase the intensity of cultural relic protection, promote the rational and appropriate use of cultural relics, and make the achievements of cultural relic protection benefit the people more. It is necessary to revere history, revere culture, and revere ecology, strengthen the holistic and systematic protection of cultural and natural heritage, comprehensively improve the level of cultural relic protection and utilization and the inheritance of cultural heritage, safeguard the cultural treasures and natural treasures of the Chinese nation, and provide strong support for promoting the fine traditional Chinese culture and enhancing cultural confidence.

Building a Chinese discourse and Chinese narrative system and presenting a credible, lovable, and respectable image of China. The development process of any major country is not only a process of improving hard power such as economic aggregate and military strength, but also a process of improving soft power such as values, ideas, and culture. In important manuscripts such as Enhancing the Country's Cultural Soft Power and Displaying the Unique Charm of Chinese Culture and Strengthening the Building of International Communication Capacity and Presenting a Real, Three-Dimensional, and Comprehensive China, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that telling China's story well, spreading China's voice well, and presenting a real, three-dimensional, and comprehensive China are important tasks for strengthening our country's international communication capacity building. It is necessary to innovate the ways of external publicity, strive to create new concepts, new categories, and new expressions that connect China and the world, explain Chinese practice with Chinese theory, elevate Chinese theory with Chinese practice, more distinctly display Chinese thought, and more loudly put forward Chinese propositions. It is necessary to build a strategic communication system with distinct Chinese characteristics, strive to improve the international communication influence, the appeal of Chinese culture, the affinity of China's image, the persuasiveness of Chinese discourse, and the guiding power of international public opinion, and form an international discourse power commensurate with our country's comprehensive national strength and international status.

Promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and jointly building a garden of civilizations where beauty is shared. Civilizations become colorful through exchange and rich through mutual learning. Promoting the exchange, integration, mutual learning, and mutual enrichment of various human civilizations is the only way to make the world more beautiful and the lives of people of all countries better. Chinese civilization is a civilization born on the land of China and also a civilization formed through continuous exchange and mutual learning with other civilizations. In important manuscripts such as Promoting the Common Progress of Asian Civilizations through Exchange and Mutual Learning and Joining Hands to Implement the Global Civilization Initiative, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that diverse civilizations are the true nature of the world. Exchange and mutual learning are the essential requirements of civilizational development. It is necessary to respect the diversity of world civilizations, adhere to promoting the view of civilizations of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness, transcend civilizational estrangement with civilizational exchange, transcend civilizational conflict with civilizational mutual learning, and transcend civilizational superiority with civilizational inclusiveness. It is necessary to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, strive to open up a new situation of people-to-people exchanges, cultural integration, and people-to-people connectivity among countries around the world, and make the garden of world civilizations brilliant and colorful (姹紫嫣红, cha zi yan hong - "various purples, bright red") and brimming with vitality (生机盎然, sheng ji ang ran - "life force, overflowing").

Contemporary China is undergoing the most extensive and profound social transformation in its history and is also carrying out the most grand and unique practical innovation in human history. This is an era that needs theory and can certainly produce theory, an era that needs thought and can certainly produce thought. Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture integrates ancient and modern, connects China and the world, firmly grasps the internal laws of the cultural development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, profoundly expounds a series of directional, fundamental, and overall issues, is a major achievement of upholding the Two Integrations and promoting the theoretical innovation of Marxist culture, has made original contributions to enriching and developing Marxist cultural theory, has made historic contributions to inheriting and developing the fine traditional Chinese culture, and has made worldwide contributions to promoting the progress of human civilization. Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture is a continuously unfolding, open-ended ideological system that will inevitably continue to be enriched and developed with the deepening of practice.

III. Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture Possesses Powerful Truth Force and Distinct Theoretical Character

Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture contains firm cultural confidence, broad historical vision, and far-reaching strategic considerations, combines theory with practice, connects history with reality, and unifies epistemology with methodology, possessing distinct practical, theoretical, national, and contemporary characteristics, and demonstrating enormous truth force and powerful practical might in promoting our country's socialist cultural development. The first and second volumes of Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture are permeated throughout with the powerful truth force and distinct theoretical character of Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture.

Deeply understanding the scientific truth value contained in Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture. The Party's theoretical innovation process is a process of summing up experience, exploring the unknown, and discovering truth. Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture adheres to the organic combination of the theoretical logic of Marxism and the historical logic and practical logic of the development of Chinese culture, adheres to proceeding from the objective reality and rich practice of China's cultural development, both inheriting and innovating Marxist important ideas and viewpoints on the relationship between social existence and social consciousness, economic base and superstructure, on the comprehensive development of people, on the essence of culture and the subject of cultural creation, on ideology and spiritual production, on world history and spiritual communication, and also absorbing and developing important value concepts in the fine traditional Chinese culture concerning literature carrying the Way and culture transforming people, concerning national righteousness and feelings for family and country, concerning moral education and ethical norms, concerning humanistic cultivation and aesthetic spirit, concerning cultural exchange and symbiosis of civilizations, greatly expanding the breadth and depth of the Party's understanding of propaganda, ideology, and cultural work in the new era, and shining with the brilliance of Marxist truth. Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture adheres to the Marxist stand, viewpoint, and method, inherits and promotes the essence of the fine traditional Chinese culture, both upholds the ancestors and speaks much new language, making original contributions to enriching and developing Marxist cultural theory, and its scientificity and truthfulness have been fully tested in practice.

Deeply understanding the powerful spiritual force manifested by Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture. The soul of a country is transformed by culture and forged by culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that spirit is the soul on which a nation relies for long-term survival. Only when the spirit reaches a certain height can the nation stand firm and forge ahead bravely in the torrent of history. Having such a great people, such a great nation, and such a great national spirit is our pride, is our confidence in strengthening confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and is also the fundamental force for us to advance unswervingly through wind and rain with high spirits. Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture deeply grasps the laws of socialist cultural development, with firm historical confidence and cultural confidence, adheres to the unity of Party spirit and people's nature, guides the Chinese people to promote cultural prosperity and flourishing with strong historical consciousness and proactive spirit, lets the cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation fully surge, enables all the people to always have the ideological foundation for united struggle, the proactive spirit for pioneering and enterprising, and the healthy and positive value pursuit, continuously enhances the ambition, backbone, and confidence of being Chinese, and coalesces a more powerful Chinese spirit, Chinese values, and Chinese strength.

Deeply understanding the broad cultural feelings filled in Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture. The Communist Party of China is both an active leader and practitioner of China's advanced culture and a faithful inheritor and promoter of the fine traditional Chinese culture. General Secretary Xi Jinping concisely expounded that Chinese civilization has outstanding continuity, innovativeness, unity, inclusiveness, and peacefulness, emphasizing that China has firm confidence in its path, theory, and system, the essence of which is cultural confidence built on the inheritance of more than five thousand years of civilization. Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture adheres to the Chinese cultural position and cultural subjectivity amid the agitation of world cultures, creatively transforms and innovatively develops the fine traditional Chinese culture, inherits revolutionary culture, develops advanced socialist culture, draws on and absorbs all outstanding achievements of human civilization, promotes cultural creation in continuing the historical cultural lineage, promotes cultural progress in inheriting Chinese civilization, unswervingly adheres to the path of cultural development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, continuously develops socialist culture with Chinese characteristics in the new era that has strong ideological leading power, spiritual cohesion, value appeal, and international influence, and endows the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation with deeper cultural connotations and broader civilizational dimensions.

Deeply understanding the distinct practical character displayed by Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture. The viewpoint of practice and the viewpoint of life are the basic viewpoints of Marxist epistemology, and practicality is a distinctive feature that distinguishes Marxist theory from other theories. General Secretary Xi Jinping, standing at the overall and strategic height, has made systematic planning and strategic arrangements for cultural development in the new era. In the historical process of the profound interaction between theoretical innovation and practical innovation in the cultural development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, he has carried out top-level design for propaganda, ideology, and cultural work, clarified the route map and task book for cultural development in the new era, and demonstrated a distinct problem orientation and practical orientation. Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture adheres to the organic unity of the scientificity and practicality of Marxism, possessing both theoretical height and practical thickness, having both innovations and breakthroughs in cultural theoretical viewpoints and deployment requirements in cultural work layout, both systematically answering "what is" and "why" of cultural development in the new era and clearly indicating "what to do" and "how to do it," embodying the consistency of goals and paths, the integration of macro and concrete, the unity of overall and key, demonstrating enormous practical explanatory power and ideological leading power, and manifesting the powerful practical might of cultural creation in practical creation and cultural progress in historical progress.

Great eras call for scientific theory, and scientific theory leads great eras. Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture stands at the forefront of the times, connects the changes of ancient and modern, and gives voice to the first sounds of thought, greatly deepening the understanding of the laws of socialist cultural development, the development of Chinese civilization, and the progress of human civilization, and is a powerful ideological weapon and scientific action guide for cultural development in the new era. We must combine the study of the first and second volumes of Selected Works of Xi Jinping on Culture, thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping's Thought on Culture, further deeply understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, resolutely achieve the Two Upholds, promote cultural confidence and self-reliance, strive to open up a new situation in propaganda, ideology, and cultural work, and provide a strong ideological guarantee, powerful spiritual force, and favorable cultural conditions for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong nation and the great cause of national rejuvenation with Chinese modernization.

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Warmhearted Services Delivered to the Doorsteps of the Elderly (Big Data Watch)

By: 本报记者 范昊天

When an elderly family member is bedridden and incapacitated, family members do not know how to provide care or do not have the time to do so; elderly people living alone at an advanced age have difficulty eating, bathing, and seeking help... These elderly-care difficulties trouble many families. The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan proposes improving the three-tier elderly-care service network at the county, township, and village levels. The Ministry of Civil Affairs this year issued the Guidelines for the Construction and Management of the Three-Tier Elderly-Care Service Network in Urban and Rural Areas, establishing a standardized and systematic construction framework for elderly-care services at the grassroots level.

In Hubei, all counties (cities, districts) have established elderly-care service guidance centers that operate as substantive entities; the coverage rate of regional elderly-care service centers at the township (subdistrict) level has reached 71 percent; and there are 23,700 elderly-care service institutions and facilities at the village (community) level. A three-tier urban-rural elderly-care service network that covers both urban and rural areas and is universally accessible and affordable is rapidly taking shape. "At the county level, resources are pooled together; at the township and subdistrict level, supply and demand are linked up; at the village and community level, services are delivered to the side of the elderly." Li Li, director of the Hubei Provincial Department of Civil Affairs, introduced. How can the coordinated use of resources and the matching of supply with demand be promoted to better meet the multi-level and diversified elderly-care service needs of older persons? Reporters conducted a field visit.

The county (city, district)-level hub —

Focused on standardized output, guidance and demonstration, and centralized care

"When assisting an elderly person with bathing, first wipe the face, then wipe the body; when wiping the face, wipe diagonally from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner to avoid causing discomfort to the elderly person..." At 10 a.m., in the practical training classroom of the Jianghan District Elderly-Care Center in Wuhan, Hubei, caregiver Yang Yi, under the guidance of a training instructor, was completing in a standardized manner a series of services for a "disabled elderly person" played by a staff member, including turning the person over, pressure-sore prevention, and assisted limb rehabilitation.

Yang Yi, 23 years old, joined the Comprehensive Elderly-Care Service Center of Changqing Subdistrict in Jianghan District last year as a caregiver. "After starting work, I found that elderly-care work is not simple. Especially caring for disabled elderly people requires professional operations." Yang Yi said that studying daily care techniques, emergency response procedures, and other content at the Jianghan District Elderly-Care Center has been of great help to her daily work.

As one of the central urban districts of Wuhan, Jianghan District has 174,000 registered elderly residents, accounting for 33.2 percent of the district's population, with a level of aging higher than the citywide average. In recent years, relying on institutions such as Wuhan Jinian Elderly-Care Services Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the district-owned enterprise Wuhan Financial Street Group, Jianghan District has focused on building a three-tier elderly-care service network covering the district, subdistrict, and community levels. The district has completed the construction of 1 district-level elderly-care center, 11 subdistrict-level regional elderly-care service centers, and 90 community-level elderly-care service facility stations.

"The district-level elderly-care center focuses on standardized output, guidance and demonstration, and centralized care; the subdistrict-level center focuses on professional care, family support, and resource linkage; and the community-level station focuses on visitation and care, recreational services, and door-to-door services. The three tiers are linked and work in coordination, forming an elderly-care service pattern that is connected from top to bottom and operates efficiently." Fang Yonghong, deputy director of the Jianghan District Civil Affairs Bureau, introduced.

The Jianghan District Elderly-Care Center and the Jianghan District Social Welfare Institute, operated by Jinian Company, in addition to providing more than 1,000 elderly-care beds and integrated medical-and-elderly-care service programs, also undertake functions such as cultivating professional talent and outputting standardized nursing-care techniques, delivering caregivers to subdistrict-level centers and community-level stations and providing professional technical support downward.

After systematic training, Yang Yi has now grown into a care team leader. "In addition to daily work, I also conduct two training sessions each month for the 15 caregivers at the subdistrict comprehensive elderly-care service center, passing on the techniques and experience I learned at the district elderly-care center to the front line of subdistrict nursing care."

The township (subdistrict) hub —

Radiating to surrounding areas to build a "district-based respite-care transfer station"

Zhang Jianhua, 67 years old, lives in Jianghanli Community, Hanxing Subdistrict, Jianghan District. Previously, she was found to have cataracts but kept putting off treatment. "My husband has hemiplegia caused by a sudden cerebral infarction. If I am hospitalized for treatment, who will take care of him?" Zhang Jianhua said that her son is at work during the day, so she must stay staying close to him at all times (寸步不离, cun bu bu li - "inch, step, not, leave") to attend to her husband's daily needs. If she were hospitalized, her husband's care costs would also worry her. "It costs 240 yuan a day, more than 7,000 yuan a month."

Now, the Jianghanli Jinian Elderly-Care Center, which is just one street away from Zhang Jianhua's home, has relieved her of her worries. "According to the elderly person's self-care ability, we provide 'respite care' services at five levels, from mild disability to complete disability." Chen Wen, head of the Jianghanli Jinian Elderly-Care Center, said.

The Jianghanli Jinian Elderly-Care Center is a subdistrict-level regional elderly-care service center, integrating daily life care, chronic disease management, rehabilitation nursing, meal supply, housekeeping services, and spiritual comfort, with both long-term care and short-term respite-care functions. At present, all 34 elderly-care nursing beds at the center are fully occupied, of which about 20 elderly people have chosen the "respite care" service. "'Respite care' means temporarily sending an elderly person to a professional institution for care for a few days or a few weeks, so that family members who care for disabled elderly people over the long term can 'catch their breath.'" Chen Wen said.

"With the help of assistive devices such as a multi-legged cane, one can walk short distances." After assessment by professional personnel, Zhang Jianhua's husband was assessed as moderately disabled, and the combined daily charge for nursing fees, bed fees, and meal fees came to 170 yuan. After settling her husband in at the center, Zhang Jianhua went with peace of mind to have her eye surgery. "My husband stayed at the elderly-care center for 12 days; his daily life was attended to, and his meals and accommodation were guaranteed. After bringing him home, the caregivers also guided me on how to do nursing care and rehabilitation training properly." Zhang Jianhua said.

"The subdistrict-level regional elderly-care service center receives the professional nursing-care talent delivered from the district level, focuses on professional care, service referral, rehabilitation nursing, and family support, radiates to multiple surrounding community stations, and serves as the 'district-based respite-care transfer station' of the three-tier system." Tian Mengjie, executive president of Jinian Company, said.

The village (community) end —

Meal assistance, emergency rescue, and other services delivered to the doorstep

When lunchtime arrived, entering the Jinian Yile Center of Fuxing Village Community in Changqing Subdistrict, Jianghan District, small bowls of various dishes were set out on the tables, with an appetizing aroma. Auntie Zhu, 72, chatted while eating with her elderly friends.

"The dishes are varied and the prices are affordable, rice is provided free of charge, and elderly people can also enjoy discounts, so I often come here to eat." Auntie Zhu said that if she felt unwell and could not go downstairs, she could call the station staff, and they would also deliver meals to her door.

The Jinian Yile Center of Fuxing Village Community is one of the "end-point stations" of Jianghan District's elderly-care service facilities. "Our station focuses on basic convenience elderly-care services such as daily meal assistance and home-based emergency response, serving elderly people in the jurisdiction who live alone, are empty-nesters, or are of advanced age." Xu Yanfang, head of the center, introduced.

Since last year, Wuhan has implemented a home-safety guardianship project for 10,000 elderly people living alone, installing free of charge smart devices such as emergency callers, infrared sensors, and health monitors for more than 11,000 elderly people living alone who were willing to participate. Auntie Zhu signed up.

"My son lives in Guangzhou, Guangdong, and I live alone in Wuhan." Auntie Zhu said. Signing up was originally a matter of making preparations in advance for potential difficulties (未雨绸缪, wei yu chou mou - "not, rain, prepare, silk"), but unexpectedly her leg recently developed a problem and several times suddenly would not obey her. After one episode, Auntie Zhu immediately pressed the emergency caller she carries with her, and Xu Yanfang rushed over promptly, notified her family, and called 120. Thanks to the timely rescue, Auntie Zhu has now recovered.

Responsible for emergency response is the 24-hour smart-seat platform at Jinian Company's headquarters. "Staff are on duty 24 hours a day, receiving calls from elderly people living alone at any time, forming a closed loop of 'one-press call + seat dispatch' and deploying three-tier elderly-care resources from nearby. In addition to emergency rescue, services such as meal delivery and nursing-care consultation can also be provided to elderly people living alone." Yu Yonghui, the company's operations director, said.

"The three-tier elderly-care service network has built a complete service chain with differentiated levels, and the digital linkage mechanism has solved the problems of difficulty in seeking help, slow response, and delayed handling, achieving graded response to elderly people's needs, precise matching of resources, and closed-loop implementation of services, transforming elderly-care services from 'passive waiting' to 'active guardianship.'" Zhao Man, a professor at the School of Public Administration of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, said that to promote the further development of the three-tier elderly-care service network, it is necessary to continue deepening differentiated urban-rural construction: in cities, the focus should be on densifying convenience services and expanding "respite care" resources; in rural areas, mobile elderly-care services and nearby bottom-line guarantee services should be optimized; and at the same time, the integration of medical care, elderly care, and health care should be deepened, with chronic disease management, rehabilitation intervention, and dementia care delivered down to the grassroots level.

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Three-tier coordination for greater peace of mind in elderly care (Editor's Note)

By: 卢 涛

The three-tier elderly care service network has the advantage of each performing their respective duties (各司其职, ge si qi zhi - "each, undertake, its, duty") and providing tiered protection. The county-level comprehensive elderly care service management platform serves as the "brain," the township (subdistrict) regional elderly care service centers serve as the "bridges," and the village (community) elderly care service facilities and stations serve as the "terminals" and "hands." This network covers both urban and rural areas, focuses on multi-level elderly care needs, makes care operations more standardized, short-term custodial care more convenient, and home-based services more diverse, continuously improving the professionalism, precision, and convenience of elderly care services.

The three-tier coordinated linkage enables unified management across the entire network. With the help of continuously improving technological means, it achieves a closed-loop process of health monitoring, early warning, verification, and handling, making elderly care services smarter and the lives of the elderly more secure. As the three-tier elderly care service network, designed for both routine and emergency use, is continuously strengthened, more of the fruits of economic development and social attention will be directed toward the elderly, ensuring their later years are cared for with greater warmth and safety.

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More Convenient Certificates, More Considerate Services

By: 本报记者 吴储岐

In Qingdao, Shandong, at the Golden Beach Time Coast marriage registration point on the west coast, multiple carefully arranged outdoor photo spots by the sea are romantic and artistic, fully showcasing the coastal scenery; in Hefei, Anhui, the marriage registration office located inside Xingfuba Station on Rail Transit Line 3, named for its homophone meaning "happiness bar," attracts many newlyweds to register there; in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, the Shangcheng District Marriage Registration Service Center located in Taohua Lake Park has specially invited an elderly couple who have been supporting each other in difficult times (相濡以沫, xiang ru yi mo - "fish, moisten, each other") for half a century to chat with young people who have just received their certificates about getting along and family traditions...

Over the past year or more, more and more newlyweds have discovered that this major life event of getting a marriage certificate now offers more choices. The newly revised Regulations on Marriage Registration (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations) were officially implemented in May last year, and "nationwide handling" of marriage registration has been fully rolled out; civil affairs departments in various localities have actively innovated marriage registration service scenarios, either setting up registration points in parks, scenic areas, urban landmarks, historical and cultural spaces, or creating romantic check-in spots at registration venues, while simultaneously offering newlywed counseling services, making marriage registration more convenient and more considerate.

As of now, the country has built 525 park-style marriage registration points and 1,330 outdoor certificate-awarding bases. In the more than one year since the Regulations were implemented, a total of 992,000 marriage registrations have been handled through "nationwide handling." Mainland residents applying for marriage registration are no longer restricted by household registration location; they only need to submit their own resident identity card and relevant signed declaration as required, and no longer need to submit a household register booklet. In addition, various localities have promoted information sharing among civil affairs, public security, health, and other departments, integrating matters such as marriage registration, birth registration, and changes to marital status in household registration for joint processing. As of now, the country has successfully handled 653,800 joint "marriage and household registration" matters.

The Regulations clarify that marriage registration authorities should provide marriage and family counseling services, fully leveraging the role of professionals such as marriage and family counselors and other social forces in premarital education, marriage and family relationship counseling, and other areas. As of now, marriage registration authorities at and above the county level in 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities have achieved full coverage of marriage and family counseling rooms, with a total of 4,747 counseling rooms established. In 2025, various localities carried out marriage and family counseling services for 3.465 million person-times.

At present, various localities are actively carrying out practices, extending the service chain of marriage registration from the day of certificate issuance to before marriage and after marriage. Some localities have moved the service gateway forward, adding premarital counseling, family tradition inheritance, and other content before and after newlyweds receive their marriage certificates; some localities have introduced professional forces such as social workers and psychological counselors; some localities guide newlyweds to understand responsibility and commitment in marriage through collective certificate-awarding ceremonies, family tradition classes, and wedding culture experiences.

The marriage registration window is small, but what it connects is thousands upon thousands of households. One small and concrete change after another is becoming a warmth of people's livelihood that the masses can feel and perceive.

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The Fifth China Newspaper Industry Innovation and Development Conference Held

(People's Daily, Chongqing, October 19) (Reporter Jiang Feng) The Fifth China Newspaper Industry Innovation and Development Conference, hosted by the National Press and Publication Administration under the theme "Striving Forward in the 15th Five-Year Plan, Forging a New Chapter Through Transformation," was held in Chongqing on the 19th.

The conference adhered to Xi Jinping Thought on Culture as its guide, thoroughly implemented the Party Central Committee's deployment requirements on deepening the systematic transformation of mainstream media, uniting efforts and strength (凝心聚力, ning xin ju li - "congeal heart, gather strength") to promote reform taking firm root and becoming established (落地生根, luo di sheng gen - "land, fall; grow, root"), continuously improving the capacity to guide mainstream public opinion, and striving to open up new prospects for newspaper industry innovation and development. The conference proposed focusing on the primary political task, doing well in running the "front page and top headlines," and continuously deepening the theoretical elucidation, popularization, and precise dissemination of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Efforts should be made to enrich the supply of quality content, deepen innovation in institutional mechanisms, build up the main positions and main channels of communication, accelerate the "intelligent transformation and digital upgrading," and promote the deep reshaping of media productivity and communication capacity. The conference also called for consolidating the internal management of newspaper media, strengthening industry management, guidance, and services, and creating a favorable environment for newspaper industry reform and development.

More than 650 representatives from provincial-level Party committee propaganda departments, central and local newspaper publishing units, platform enterprises, universities, research institutions, and industry associations attended the conference. The conference released the 2026 China Newspaper Industry Innovation and Development Report and concurrently held the 2026 China Newspaper Industry Innovation and Development Case Exhibition to strengthen learning and exchange within the industry.

Previously, in order to accelerate the systematic transformation and innovative development of newspaper media and give play to the role of typical demonstration, guidance, and radiation-driven effects, the National Press and Publication Administration organized the sixth collection of China newspaper industry innovation and development cases. After review, a total of 60 innovation and development cases were selected, including 9 in the category of all-media communication construction, 17 in the category of content supply innovation, 13 in the category of operation and service innovation, 7 in the category of digital-intelligent technology application, 4 in the category of institutional mechanism innovation, and 10 in the category of international communication capacity building.

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Where Red Banners Unfurl, Mountain Villages Embark on a New Journey

By: 本报记者 焦思雨

"One tree pierces the wall, green for a hundred years; the three armies joined forces, renowned for ten thousand generations..." On October 16, inside the Jiangtaibao Red Army Long March Meeting Memorial Park in Xiji County, Guyuan City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, docent Zhang Rui stood beside the elm tree in front of the fortress, telling teachers and students from Ningxia Normal University, who had come for study and research, the story of the Red Army's Long March passing through Xiji.

On October 22, 1936, the First and Second Front Armies of the Red Army triumphantly joined forces here.

In July 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping paid tribute to the Red Army Long March Meeting Monument in Xiji County and visited the Red Army Long March Meeting Memorial Park and Memorial Hall. The General Secretary said with deep feeling: "The great Long March spirit is a vivid reflection of the revolutionary demeanor of Chinese Communists. We must continuously inherit and carry it forward in light of new realities. The new Long March of advancing the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics requires sustained relay and long-term effort, and every generation of us must walk its own Long March road well."

Bearing in mind General Secretary Xi Jinping's earnest instructions, Guyuan City has inherited and carried forward the great Long March spirit, continued the red bloodline, passed on the red genes, and advanced the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas in light of local conditions.

Red resources come "alive"—

"The Red Army fears not the trials of the Long March; to them a thousand mountains, ten thousand rivers are nothing..." Entering the Liupan Mountain Red Army Long March Tourist Area in Guyuan City, visitors climb the stone steps along the "Red Army Trail" hidden among the pine forests, where the immersive live-action performance The Immortal Long March is underway. Actors in military uniforms reenact scene after scene from the Long March. Many tourists stop in their tracks and softly recite the familiar verses.

Along the 2.5-kilometer "Red Army Trail," 18 major historical events that occurred during the Red Army's Long March are recreated and displayed. In 2023, the Liupan Mountain Red Army Long March Tourist Area, drawing on the miniature landscapes along the "Red Army Trail," created The Immortal Long March.

Today, The Immortal Long March is gradually moving toward regular performance and has become one of the tourist area's signature attractions. The Liupan Mountain Red Army Long March Tourist Area has developed into a national 5A-level tourist attraction covering a total area of 12 square kilometers with a rich mix of business formats, receiving an average of more than 600,000 visitors per year.

"This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March, and red tourism continues to heat up." Liu Yuqiang, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Guyuan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, and Television, said that Guyuan City has continuously strengthened the protection and utilization of red resources, successively building 4 red tourist attractions and 5 premium red tourism routes, and has held the Liupan Mountain Red Culture Tourism Festival for four consecutive sessions.

Cultural and tourism integration shapes a new look—

At the foot of Liupan Mountain, Yangjiadian Village in Chengguan Town, Longde County, lies quietly amid green fields. Beneath the eaves, red five-pointed stars gleam brightly; in the square, a Red Army statue stands tall; along the lanes, red-themed wall paintings can be seen everywhere.

"In the old Yangjiadian, you went out covered in dust and came home covered in mud." Zhao Zhiren, secretary of the Yangjiadian Village Party branch, introduced that in recent years the village has vigorously developed red tourism, successively building a village history museum, a revolutionary tradition education base, and a red lecture hall; at the same time, it has renovated idle farmhouses, and while preserving the traditional village appearance, has built a cluster of boutique homestays and a cultural and creative park in light of local conditions.

Today, Yangjiadian Village has completed 8 boutique red-themed homestays, 28 households have started catering and homestay businesses, cumulatively driving more than 200 people to find employment nearby, with average annual household income increasing by more than 30,000 yuan. In 2025, Yangjiadian Village was named a "China Beautiful Leisure Village."

Guyuan City has promoted the integrated development of "red culture and tourism + Party spirit education" and "red culture and tourism + ecological wellness," forming new business formats such as catering and homestays, farming experiences, and ecological wellness. In 2025, Guyuan City received a total of 18.4487 million domestic tourists, a year-on-year increase of 10.30%; total tourist spending reached 8.544 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 11.40%.

The great Long March spirit nourishes people's hearts—

"Farmers / carry forward the Red Army spirit / set out at cockcrow / return at sunset / clinging to this patch of loess hills / they have tilled the fields ripe / and grown their crops..."

Deep in the mountain hollows of Xiji County, at the Mulan Academy, peasant writers sit together, sharing their poems. Wang Pengcheng, a literature enthusiast from Xiji County, shared his poem "Red Army Village," and as he recited the moving passages, his eyes grew moist.

"This is the 'natal home' where peasant writers exchange ideas and learn from one another." Shi Jingbo, founder of the Mulan Academy, said, "The academy has appointed 46 peasant writers as resident writers, radiating to and driving more than 300 grassroots literature enthusiasts across more than 30 villages. With a hoe in one hand and a pen in the other, they write the memory of the Long March and the great transformation of the mountain villages into their verses and essays."

Red Guyuan has a profound cultural heritage. Since the beginning of this year, Guyuan City has held events such as a calligraphy and painting exhibition commemorating the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March. "We will continue to organize literary and artistic workers to go deep into the red soil and create more fine works, so that the red spirit can further inspire people and rally strength." said Song Zhaofan, chairman of the Guyuan Municipal Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

The peaks of Liupan Mountain stand as tall as ever; where the red flags unfurl in the wind, the world has been transformed. The fighting spirit of the revolutionary forebears is inspiring the sons and daughters of the frontier to continue their struggle on the new Long March road.

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United as One in Forging Glory, Forging Ahead on the New Journey

By: 本报记者 杨 昊

The Yue Opera My Grand View Garden, adapted from Dream of the Red Chamber, has won wide acclaim in recent years, and it contains no small number of ingenious touches for promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture. On October 15, at the open day event marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Central Institute of Socialism, Weng Hekai, a professor in the institute's Department of Chinese Culture Teaching and Research, delivered a "demonstration lesson." In just 40 minutes, it combined theoretical depth with vivid, lively presentation.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the education and training of united front talent and has made a series of major decisions and arrangements. General Secretary Xi Jinping has stressed, "Uphold the principle that the institute is socialist in nature, highlight political training, strengthen political consensus, continuously enhance confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and continuously consolidate the common ideological and political foundation for united struggle."

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Central Institute of Socialism. As a higher political academy of a united front nature led by the Communist Party of China, and a joint party school for democratic parties and personages without party affiliation, the Central Institute of Socialism bears in mind the General Secretary's instructions, adheres to the path of running the school with "high standards, standardization, and distinctive features," and has trained and cultivated a large number of non-Party representative figures with firm political stands, profound theoretical attainments, and strong performance capabilities in performing their duties. It has made important contributions to consolidating and expanding the patriotic united front and serving the overall economic and social development, and has written a chapter of the era of striving together with one heart to realize the dream.

Highlighting political consensus education to improve the quality and effectiveness of talent cultivation

On the evening of September 5, at the special training class for non-Party personages and intellectuals without party affiliation at the Central Institute of Socialism, trainees engaged in heated discussion. Tan Min, a researcher at Huazhong University of Science and Technology who has worked in chip research for many years, initiated a discussion on "seizing the strategic opportunity of artificial intelligence" during the training period. "The field of AI (artificial intelligence) infrastructure construction is in urgent need of talent, and it is precisely a broad stage for us intellectuals without party affiliation to give play to our intellectual advantages." Trainees from different disciplinary backgrounds enhanced mutual understanding and built consensus through exchange, resolving to translate their learning outcomes into practical results in performing their duties.

The Central Institute of Socialism, based on its position as the main front for united front talent education and training, has always regarded political consensus education as the foundation of the institute and the soul of running the school. It unswervingly uses Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to forge unity of heart and soul, continuously implements the Regulations on the Work of Institutes of Socialism, and continuously guides the broad body of trainees to enhance their political capabilities and improve their performance in fulfilling duties. The political foundation of "the institute is socialist in nature" has become more distinct.

Huang Shouhong, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and First Executive Vice President of the Central Institute of Socialism, introduced that the institute's teaching work adheres to comprehensively and systematically studying, publicizing, and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on doing united front work well in the new era, highlights political theory education, ideals and convictions education, and cultural identity education, strengthens training in performance capabilities, and has formed a distinctive teaching layout for political consensus education. It has gradually formed a class system with refresher courses, training classes, special seminars, research courses, and teacher training classes as the main types, achieving full coverage of training for 12 categories of united front work targets, united front cadres, and united front theory research talent. Over the past 10 years, it has held more than 1,400 offline class sessions in total, training more than 100,000 trainees, accounting for more than half of the total training volume in the 70 years since the institute's founding.

"I never expected that the layout from 20 years ago would be highly consistent with today's 'new three items' of foreign trade." In April this year, a special publicity and lecture event on thoroughly studying and implementing the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan and the spirit of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was held at the Central Institute of Socialism. Wang Chuanfu, chairman of BYD, shared with a hundred representatives of the private economy his company's experience in deeply cultivating the solar energy and energy storage fields. The entrepreneurs exchanged views and discussed, depicting a vivid picture of confidence in China's private economy and stirring the surging momentum of private economic development.

Focusing on the new requirements of the overall united front work framework, the Central Institute of Socialism has continuously increased training efforts for representatives of the private economy and new social strata. In 2025, it held 184 training class sessions, training 13,500 trainees, an increase of 30 percent over the previous year. Among them, more than 3,160 person-times of private economy representatives and nearly 1,000 person-times of new social strata personnel were trained, both far exceeding previous years. Since the beginning of this year, long-term class sessions of more than one month have increased from an annual average of 5 to more than 20, accounting for more than half of the total training volume, and the systematic nature of political consensus education has been significantly enhanced.

How can courses be taught in depth, thoroughly, and vividly? A relevant person in charge of the Central Institute of Socialism introduced that from optimizing class arrangements to innovating teaching methods, a course framework composed of "upper and lower parts" has been constructed, 160 basic courses and deepening courses have been set up, seminar-style and case-based teaching have been promoted, a quality assurance mechanism combining trainee evaluation with teaching supervision has been improved, and the pertinence and effectiveness of education and training have been continuously enhanced. In 2022, an online institute of socialism training platform was launched, initially establishing a new pattern of integrated online and offline training.

Strengthening theoretical research and actively playing the role of a united front think tank

At No. 10, Lane 470, Middle Yan'an Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai, adjacent to the Memorial Hall of the Second National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the "United Front Source · Shanghai Jing'an United Front Culture Center" is located. Entering the exhibition hall, the historical culture and practice of the development of the Shanghai united front unfold before one's eyes.

"Based on the birthplace of the Party and the place where the Party's united front policy was proposed, we have created a distinctive teaching brand so that trainees can enhance their political identity through the blending of reason and emotion." At the "New Era United Front Forum · 2026," Ran Xiaoyi, member of the Party Leadership Group and Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Institute of Socialism, shared Shanghai's innovative practice: "The more local characteristics and emotional warmth consensus education has, the more it can enter the mind and heart."

Expanding research horizons through academic exchange and serving practical development through theoretical research. In recent years, the Central Institute of Socialism has continuously built the three major thematic forums of the "New Era United Front Forum," the "New Era Chinese Culture Forum," and the "New Era Political Consensus Education Forum," actively carrying out research on the Party's innovative theories in terms of their origins, originality, systematicity, and practicality. Together with local institutes of socialism, universities, and research institutes, it has jointly held a series of academic forums and seminars such as the "Annual Meeting of the Research Center for China's Political Party System" and "Face-to-Face Exchange between Scholars across the Strait." Over the past 10 years, it has held more than 270 academic activities of various kinds.

Strengthening collaborative innovation between scientific research and think tanks. The Central Institute of Socialism has established the Research Center for General Secretary Xi Jinping's Important Thought on Doing United Front Work Well in the New Era and the Research Center for Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought, and has built think tank platforms such as the Research Base for the Theoretical Study of China's New Type of Political Party System. Over the past 10 years, more than 1,800 projects have been approved in total, 48 key projects including major research special projects of the National Social Science Fund have been completed, and more than 80 books and essay collections have been published, providing academic support for the research, interpretation, and practical work of the Party's innovative theories and united front work.

The fruitful results of scientific research and think tank work have converged into a powerful force promoting the coordinated development of the national system of institutes of socialism. At the beginning of this year, during the 18th National Conference of Presidents of Institutes of Socialism, 49 innovation cases in running the school and managing the institute jointly selected by central and local institutes of socialism were displayed in a row of exhibition boards, and passing trainees frequently stopped to look.

"The Shenzhen Institute of Socialism has focused on creating a series of distinctive class sessions on 'Shenzhen innovative talent serving national strategies.' Last year, Shenzhen's 'little giant' enterprises reached a cumulative total of 1,333. Through training for enterprise leaders, very good results have been achieved," said Huan Guangrong, Executive Vice President of the Shenzhen Institute of Socialism.

In the future, on the basis of the online institute of socialism of the Central Institute of Socialism, it will be upgraded and transformed to form a national united front online learning platform, linked with 4 local pilot units, initially building a united front online academy, promoting the co-construction and sharing of training resources and extending them to the grassroots level.

Cultivating people through culture and building consensus through the blending of ideas

In June this year, the "Chinese Culture in Editions" course, part of the "Greater China" series of courses of the Beijing Chinese Culture Academy, was held at the National Library of China's National Center for Preservation and Conservation of Ancient Books. Experts and scholars exchanged views on the historical inheritance of Chinese civilization, and trainees visited thematic exhibitions, experiencing up close the vastness and profundity of Chinese classics.

"I used to think that 'cultural confidence' was an abstract concept. Today, seeing so many real classics and cultural relics and listening to the experts' explaining profound matters in a simple, easy-to-understand way (深入浅出, shen ru qian chu - "deep, enter; shallow, go out"), I have gained a deeper understanding of the origins and development of Chinese civilization and the cultural mission of the new era," said a trainee from overseas Chinese circles with emotion.

Promoting political consensus through cultural identity is a distinctive feature of running the Central Institute of Socialism. The Central Institute of Socialism also bears the additional nameplate of the "Chinese Culture Academy." Based on its positioning of "one body, two aspects," it adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought, deeply carries out Chinese culture education, research, and external exchange, enhances identity through cultural immersion, and builds consensus through the inheritance of civilization.

Theoretical research and interpretation have been deepened and solidified. In cooperation with the People's Publishing House, it has developed a 12-lecture converged media course on "The Rich Connotations of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought," developed more than 10 Chinese culture series courses under the guidance of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought, published more than 100 theoretical interpretation articles in core journals and elsewhere, and held academic activities such as theoretical seminars and research classes, systematically advancing the theoretical and systematic research and interpretation of Xi Jinping's Cultural Thought.

The coverage of Chinese culture education has continued to expand. Focusing on non-Party representative figures engaged in literary and artistic creation, press and publishing, and the cultural industry, it has held "Research Classes on the Inheritance and Innovation of Chinese Culture," and has carried out Chinese culture and national conditions education for ethnic minority personages, religious personages, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese. Over the past 10 years, it has developed more than 20 series courses on Chinese culture and national conditions, held more than 140 training sessions involving Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas participants, and trained more than 6,000 person-times.

The bridge of exchange and mutual learning among civilizations has been built ever wider. In conjunction with relevant units, it has developed "overseas open courses," jointly built overseas Chinese book centers, held the "International Forum on the Dissemination of Chinese Culture," invited renowned overseas scholars and political figures to give lectures and conduct exchanges, and, by building multi-level exchange platforms, helped build a discourse system that connects China and the rest of the world.

Seventy years of enduring hardships and vicissitudes (栉风沐雨, zhi feng mu yu - "comb the wind, bathe in the rain"), seventy years of achieving fruitful results after hard work (春华秋实, chun hua qiu shi - "spring flowers, autumn fruit"). Standing at a new historical starting point, the Central Institute of Socialism will continue to uphold the principle that the institute is socialist in nature, highlight political training, strengthen political consensus, strive to promote the high-quality development of the work of institutes of socialism, and make new and greater contributions to the great cause of building a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

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High-quality financial services to support the building of an international center for scientific and technological innovation

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Wu Qiuyu) Recently, the People's Bank of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the State Council's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the China National Intellectual Property Administration, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange jointly issued the "Guiding Opinions on Financial Support for Building International Science and Technology Innovation Centers in Beijing (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei), Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta), and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area."

The Opinions adhere to the general principle of making steady progress while maintaining stability (稳中求进, wen zhong qiu jin - "steady, within, seek, progress"), closely integrate the needs of regional collaborative innovation and industrial collaboration, deepen supply-side structural reform, optimize the layout of financial resources, improve the high-level science and technology financial service system, and support and promote the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in building highlands for coordinated development of science, technology, and finance. By 2030, the full-chain financial service system supporting scientific and technological innovation will be more robust, the proportion of direct financing will increase significantly, and the pattern of regional integrated financial services will be basically formed.

The Opinions focus on the core functions and international positioning of international science and technology innovation centers and propose targeted support measures; promote the building of a science and technology financial system with regional characteristics, and put forward financial service layout directions and key tasks for the three regions respectively. Among them, Beijing (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) focuses on original innovation and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei collaborative innovation, strengthening financial support for the construction of major science and technology infrastructure; Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta), based on the advantages of industrial cluster collaboration, builds a science and technology financial service ecosystem with multi-party participation and joint construction and sharing; the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area builds an open science and technology financial system, strengthening high-level financial interaction and rule alignment among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao. At the same time, strengthen the building of a joint risk prevention and control mechanism, and strictly guard the bottom line of preventing systemic financial risks.

The People's Bank of China stated that, in the next step, it will strengthen coordination and linkage with relevant departments, support relevant regions in strengthening the coordination of work implementation, jointly promote the implementation of all measures in the Opinions to achieve tangible results (落地见效, luo di jian xiao - "land, ground, see, effect"), and strongly support the construction of international science and technology innovation centers with high-quality financial services, helping to build a strong science and technology country and a strong financial country.

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Page editors: Ji Yalin, Zhang Weihao, Zhai Qinqi

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Guard the Red Memory, Carry Forward the Long March Spirit

By: 本报记者 彭 波

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March. The Long March, this revolutionary feat, forged the great Long March spirit and left behind numerous revolutionary cultural relics and historical sites. Long March cultural relics are both the physical carriers of the great Long March spirit and an important foundation for inheriting the Long March spirit and continuing the red bloodline.

In order to safeguard these red family heirlooms, localities along the Long March route have successively issued local regulations targeting the protection and management of Long March cultural relics. According to statistics from the Research Office of the Legal Work Committee of the NPC Standing Committee, to date, the country has formulated and issued a total of more than 100 local regulations related to the protection, inheritance, promotion, and utilization of red resources, with nearly 50 local regulations related to the Long March. Among these local regulations, there are not only comprehensive regulations on the protection of red resources, but also special protection regulations covering red cultural relics, sites and remains, memorial facilities, and red spiritual culture.

Recently, reporters visited Guilin in Guangxi, Zunyi in Guizhou, and other places to see how local authorities use the power of the rule of law to protect Long March cultural relics and historical materials, making Long March stories deeply touching people's hearts (深入人心, shen ru ren xin - "deep, enter; person, heart") and allowing the great Long March spirit to continuously radiate new brilliance of the era.

Protection

Bringing Long March remains within the scope of protection

Outside the wall is a bustling market fair, with people coming and going (人来人往, ren lai ren wang - "person, come; person, go"); inside the wall is the silent Red Army Hall, solemn and dignified (庄重肃穆, zhuang zhong su mu - "serious, heavy; solemn, respectful").

The Red Army Hall, located on the old street of Jieshou Town, Xing'an County, Guilin City, Guangxi, served as the temporary command post of the Central Red Army during the Xiangjiang River Campaign in 1934.

"When we restored the Red Army Hall, we strictly followed the principle of 'respecting the original appearance, minimal intervention' as stipulated in the Regulations of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on the Protection and Inheritance of Red Resources, restoring the old as it was and protecting the original appearance without damaging the cultural relic itself," said Yin Tanghuai, deputy director of the Guilin Xing'an Xiangjiang River Campaign Cultural Communication Center.

The Xiangjiang River Campaign was a fierce battle in the Red Army's Long March. "In Guilin, 136 remains of the Xiangjiang River Campaign are distributed across 6 counties, with Red Army trenches, red slogans, and other relics scattered in the mountains and attached to residential houses, having long been on the margins of institutional protection," said Wu Wenting, deputy director of the Legal Work Committee of the Guilin Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee. To solve this problem, the Guilin Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee formulated the Provisions of Guilin City on the Protection and Inheritance of Red Resources of the Red Army's Long March Xiangjiang River Campaign, bringing all red remains related to the Xiangjiang River Campaign within the scope of protection. "The full text of the provisions has only 20 articles and no chapters, specifically regulating the protection of red remains related to the Xiangjiang River Campaign."

In Xialiwan Tun, Hemei Village, Xinxu Town, Guanyang County, Guilin City, there is a Jiang clan ancestral hall built in the Qing Dynasty. At the end of 1934, during the Xinxu Blocking Action of the Xiangjiang River Campaign, this was a field medical aid station that treated a large number of wounded Red Army soldiers, and local villagers voluntarily cooked for the Red Army and carried the wounded.

"This place is both a cultural relic protection unit and an ancestral hall where villagers hold major events in their daily lives, which sometimes inevitably causes damage to the cultural relic itself, making daily protection quite difficult," said Jiang Junfa, deputy secretary of the Party branch of Hemei Village. Since the implementation of the regulations on the protection and inheritance of red resources, the village has consulted with villagers on multiple occasions, and the villagers have all agreed to exchange another public venue to permanently protect the former site of the field medical aid station.

During the Red Army's Long March, a large number of red resources were left behind in Guizhou.

"Zunyi has registered 542 red resources and 358 Long March sites and remains, but most are scattered in remote villages and have lacked routine maintenance in the past," said Deng Hang, secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the Zunyi Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee. When formulating the Regulations of Zunyi City on the Protection and Utilization of Red Cultural Remains, the focus was on problems existing in the protection of Zunyi's red resources, such as complex property rights relationships and the lack of basis for controlling the thematic environment, with institutional designs targeted at these issues. "The regulations have only 28 articles, focusing the scope of protection on the field of material remains, which both avoids duplicate legislation with provincial regulations and reflects the supplementary functional positioning of local legislation."

Inheritance

Integrating red resources into campus ideological and political education

Long March cultural relics, as physical testimony to that era of beacon-fire years, are important carriers of the red gene and vivid teaching materials for inheriting the Long March spirit.

"Among the many provisions of the Regulations of Guizhou Province on the Protection, Inheritance, and Utilization of Red Resources, what impressed me most deeply is the content related to integrating red resources into campus ideological and political education," said Yang Xiaomei, principal of Jiuzhou Middle School in Huangping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province.

There is a Red Building in Jiuzhou Middle School. In 1934, the Red Army passed through Jiuzhou twice during the Long March, and the wounded were stationed in the corridor of the Red Building, where they received a warm reception from all the teachers and students of the school.

"Before the implementation of the regulations, the protection of the Red Building lacked institutional constraints, and protection responsibilities and restoration funds were difficult to implement, let alone inheritance and utilization," Yang Xiaomei said. After the implementation of the regulations, a series of specific protection measures have been implemented. "On the basis of good protection, the school regularly organizes teachers and students to enter the Red Building for on-site teaching, moving revolutionary tradition education into red former sites and transforming historical buildings into standardized on-campus ideological and political classrooms."

The rule of law escorts the protection of red resources, relying on institutional rigidity to retain precious red memories and safeguard the roots of Long March culture and the culture of martyrs.

The Daping Ferry Crossing of the Xiangjiang River Campaign is located at the junction of Fenghuang Town and Shaoshui Town in Quanzhou County, Guilin City. In November 1934, the vanguard troops of the First Red Army Corps were the first to break through the Xiangjiang River from here, making it the "First Crossing of the Red Army's Long March Breaking Through the Xiangjiang River." Today, the smoke of gunfire has dissipated, the Xiangjiang River is wide and calm, and the mountains and forests on both banks are lush and green.

In the exhibition hall beside the ferry crossing, students from Heping Red Army Primary School in Fenghuang Town, Quanzhou County, visited the Xiangjiang River Campaign exhibition under the guidance of their teachers.

"What impressed me most was the story of martyr Chen Shuxiang. After being captured by the enemy, he endured severe pain to tear out his own intestines and died a heroic death. We must remember the heroic deeds of the martyrs, study hard, and serve the motherland," said Ma Yanan, a sixth-grade student at Heping Red Army Primary School.

The Provisions of Guilin City on the Protection and Inheritance of Red Resources of the Red Army's Long March Xiangjiang River Campaign clearly require that the inheritance of the red resources of the Red Army's Long March Xiangjiang River Campaign be incorporated into the ideological and political education system, and that revolutionary tradition education, patriotic education, and ideological and moral education for young people be carried out through on-site teaching, thematic education, social practice, and other means.

On October 9, the Guangxi Young Pioneers themed team day activity "Hold High the Team Flag, Follow the Party; Young Pioneers Relay the New Long March" was held at the Red Army's Long March Xiangjiang River Campaign Memorial Park in Quanzhou County. More than 150 Young Pioneers and Young Pioneer counselors paid tribute to the martyr group sculpture, visited the memorial forest, and entered the Red Army's Long March Xiangjiang River Campaign Memorial Hall, listening to docents vividly narrate the tragic scenes of the bloody battle at the Xiangjiang River. This immersive, on-site ideological and political team lesson brought the Long March spirit directly to the hearts of the young people, inspiring them to take up the relay baton of the era and walk the Long March road of the new era well.

Utilization

Promoting the integrated development of red resource inheritance and tourism

With cannon fire roaring and water splashing, several wooden boats "descended from the sky," carrying "Red Army soldiers" skillfully crossing the Jinsha River, drawing bursts of exclamation from the audience. This is a spectacular scene from the live performance The Great Turn in Zunyi City. Set against the backdrop of the Central Red Army's bloody battle at the Xiangjiang River, the transfer of troops to Guizhou, and the convening of the Zunyi Conference, the play vividly recreates part of the Red Army's Long March journey.

The drama and imagery complement each other to enhance each other's excellence (相得益彰, xiang de yi zhang - "mutually, benefit; clearly, manifest"), music and dance blend with each other, and laser projection and surround sound effects complement each other (相辅相成, xiang fu xiang cheng - "mutually, assist; mutually, complete"). Since its premiere in 2024, The Great Turn has been performed more than 2,000 times, with over 700,000 viewers. Visiting the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall first and then watching the The Great Turn performance has become a popular itinerary for tourists from all over the country visiting Zunyi.

Article 19 of the Regulations of Zunyi City on the Protection and Utilization of Red Cultural Remains stipulates: The municipal people's government shall establish a database of red cultural remains and regularly publish it to the public, strengthen digital construction and the application of its results, and achieve open sharing of information.

Under the guidance of the regulations, the pace of digital protection of revolutionary cultural relics is accelerating.

"We have used new technologies such as virtual reality, holographic projection, and 3D modeling to complete 3D scanning of 172 collection cultural relics, digital archiving of 1,600 flat cultural relics, and retention of 8,600 pages of digital archives of cultural relics, with 80% of collection cultural relics achieving digital interactive exhibition," said Zhao Wei, curator of the Zunyi Conference Memorial Hall. Digital technology has brought dynamic vitality to static cultural relics and laid a solid foundation for the permanent preservation and sustainable utilization of revolutionary cultural relics.

Every generation has its own Long March. Along the Long March route, the spiritual monument forged by the revolutionary forebears through sacrificing one's life in battle (抛头颅, pao tou lu - "throw, head; shed, skull") and shedding hot blood (洒热血, sa re xue - "sprinkle, hot; shed, hot blood") continues to inspire and enlighten people today.

"I am a retired military serviceman; though the uniform has been removed, my original aspiration remains unchanged." Liao Jiawen, secretary of the Party General Branch and director of the villagers' committee of Lushui Village, Lianghe Town, Quanzhou County, Guilin City, has led the village's two committees to promote the revitalization of red resources and the prosperity of special industries.

The area is rich in peaches and plums, with the village's total peach and plum planting area exceeding 12,000 mu and an annual output reaching 18,000 tons. Among them, one type of peach is called the "breakout peach" by locals, in memory of the history of the Red Army's breakout from encirclement in this area.

"Relying on the red resources of the Xiang-Gui Ancient Road Red Army Road, we have launched a Red Army Long March historical trail tourism project. Many tourists come to the village to pick peaches, enjoying the green ecology while learning about red history," Liao Jiawen said. The Provisions of Guilin City on the Protection and Inheritance of Red Resources of the Red Army's Long March Xiangjiang River Campaign proposes promoting the integrated development of the inheritance, promotion, and tourism of the red resources of the Red Army's Long March Xiangjiang River Campaign. "With the guidance of the regulations, our work has more rules to follow, clearer responsibilities, and we feel more confident."

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A Bowl of Hot Soup Warms the City's "Runners" (Frontline Walk)

By: 谢 勤

With inclusiveness, sincerity, and empathy, let the new employment groups truly integrate into urban life and become an important force activating the capillary nerves of grassroots governance.

At noon, traffic flows through Hongshan Community, Minzhi Subdistrict, Longhua District, Shenzhen, Guangdong. Delivery riders passing through scan QR codes at the community gate and pass through quickly and orderly. Rider Zhao Wanming is deeply impressed by this convenience: "Before the 'Rider One-Code Pass' was launched, at every meal peak, riders would crowd and queue up for registration at the community gate, which both delayed deliveries and easily led to conflicts."

Hongshan Community, adjacent to Shenzhen North Station, has a large flow of people and diverse scenarios, gathering a large number of new employment groups such as food delivery riders, couriers, and ride-hailing drivers. They rush through streets and alleys, yet have long faced difficulties such as difficulty entering buildings, difficulty resting, and difficulty eating.

In response to the community access bottleneck most frequently reported by riders, Ye Jianfeng (叶剑锋), secretary of the Hongshan Community Party Committee, and other community cadres, after multiple consultations with property management and developers, launched the "Rider One-Code Pass," allowing riders to scan codes for quick access and saving delivery time. In response to the complex layout of buildings in the area's commercial districts and the frequent disorientation of new riders, community cadres promoted the construction of a VR (virtual reality) real-scene navigation system for the commercial district, making building entrances and exits, food pickup points, and parking areas immediately obvious and clear (一目了然, yi mu le ran - "one, eye, clearly, understand"). In response to the rigid demand of riders for off-peak dining and nighttime dining, Hongshan Community, in conjunction with enterprises, created a "One-Square-Meter Heartwarming Noodle Shop," providing free hot meals to riders and sanitation workers at night and operating on a market basis during the day.

Problems such as tight station operation and maintenance funding, high rider turnover, and difficulty in rights protection for flexible employment are long-standing issues that are difficult for any single department to solve alone. Community cadres fully exercised their organizational and coordination functions, improved consultation mechanisms, refined industry norms, and made rider-friendly services an important reference for measuring the quality and efficiency of property management work. They linked up with merchants, banks, and enterprises in the jurisdiction to build a pool of caring resources, socially supplementing the shortfall in operation and maintenance funding. They established a community rights protection service station to bring legal services to the riders' side.

Hongshan Community has also cultivated the "Hongshan Co-Governance" governance brand, bringing in new employment groups, retired residents, merchants, and others, cultivating 360 community "co-governors," and building consultation platforms such as roundtable discussion meetings and rooftop night talks, so that everyone's affairs are discussed and decided by everyone. Today, the streets and alleys of Hongshan are filled with warmth and responsibility. Couriers have voluntarily joined the community's Little Bee Youth Commando to participate in community safety inspections. Retired residents use their expertise to help repair household appliances for free and assist families in difficulty. Volunteers regularly carry out activities such as environmental improvement and civilized guidance...

Good grassroots governance is not one-sided giving, but the mutual illumination of hearts and the mutual fulfillment of people and city. New employment groups are among the professional groups closest to residents' daily lives. The community warms these "runners" of the city with smooth passage and a bowl of hot soup, and with inclusiveness, sincerity, and empathy, lets the new employment groups truly integrate into urban life and become an important force activating the capillary nerves of grassroots governance. The grassroots governance problems that once troubled the community are gradually finding their optimal solution through joint contribution, joint governance, and shared benefits.

(The author is a cadre of the Social Work Department of the Longhua District Committee of Shenzhen, Guangdong Province)

Column submission email: rmrbzzb@peopledaily.cn

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Special Bibliography of Long March Publications (1936–2026) Published and Distributed

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Li Zhuo'er) On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, the Special Bibliography of Long March Publications (1936–2026), compiled by the National Center for the Preservation of Chinese Version Documents and published by Sichuan People's Publishing House, was recently published and distributed. The compilation and publication of this special bibliography of red literature has enriched the document types of bibliography studies and expanded the research scope of the discipline.

Over the past 90 years, publications on the Long March theme have been emerging in continuous succession (持续涌现, chi xu yong xian - "continuously, surge forth"), accumulating an important body of documentary resources that possess both historical value, ideological value, and edition value. The National Center for the Preservation of Chinese Version Documents has leveraged its advantages in collection resources, comprehensively sorted through 90 years of publication achievements on the Long March theme, and, in the form of a special bibliography, reflected the publishing trajectory of the Long March theme and carried forward the great Long March spirit.

The book records 3,566 editions of Long March-themed publications issued domestically from 1936 to June 2026. The data is based primarily on the collections of the National Center for the Preservation of Chinese Version Documents, supplemented by the National Library of China, the joint catalog of the National Library Reference and Consultation Alliance, Republican-era publishing historical materials, and local archives. The scope of inclusion is mainly paper books, with audio-visual electronic publications and internal materials of historical value also covered. The content encompasses major events, important figures, spiritual interpretations, academic research, and literary and artistic works. The book carries on the tradition of ancient Chinese edition and bibliography studies, focuses on the theme of red literature editions, uses documents to verify history and editions to speak, and serves as an important reference work for conducting research on red editions and inheriting red cultural resources, providing documentary support for deepening research and publicity on the Long March and for carrying out education in ideals and convictions and patriotic education.

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Photo Report

Recently, Yongding District, Longyan City, Fujian Province, has entered the prime season for "drying the autumn harvest." Crops such as chili peppers, corn, and persimmons are laid out to dry on the circular eaves, their vibrant colors complementing each other in an interesting way (相映成趣, xiang ying cheng qu - "mutually, reflect, become, interest") with the rustic, time-honored earthen buildings. The photo, taken on October 17, shows crops spread layer upon layer on drying racks, presenting a scene of abundant harvest.

Photo by Zhuang Jianhua (China Images)

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Handle the small matters around the people one by one with real results

By: 本报记者 尹晓宇

"A hot meal, thoughtful and worry-free!" Near noon, steam rose from the kitchen of the "Everyone's Joy" community canteen in Mochou Lake Community, Jianye District, Nanjing, Jiangsu. Resident Auntie Hao said as she picked up her meal.

Mochou Lake Community is built around the lake, and meal assistance, childcare, and sports venues are needs of residents of different age groups. But walking from the northernmost end to the community Party and mass service center on the south shore of the lake takes more than half an hour. Relying solely on the Party and mass service center, both the service radius and capacity are insufficient.

The community made use of spaces such as abandoned warehouses to set up five Party and mass service stations on the north and east sides of Mochou Lake, which residents can reach within a 15-minute walk.

With the space in place, but limited community staff, how could services keep up? At the beginning of last year, Lao Tao, head of the "Everyone's Joy" canteen, became a community "partner." Since then, the canteen has taken on the meal assistance function for elderly residents in nearby neighborhoods and, with the community's help, carried out age-friendly renovations of part of its space.

"From site selection and decoration, the service stations invited 'partners' to participate, setting services by demand and space by services," said Zhang Hui, Party secretary of Mochou Lake Community. Today, Mochou Lake Community has established a "one main, multiple auxiliary" multi-point aggregated Party and mass service system, forming a layout of "central integration, multi-point coverage, and neighborhood supplementation." Jianye District has coordinated with property management companies, enterprises, and co-building units to revitalize idle spaces, push services downward, and aggregate resources, achieving full-district coverage of 15-minute Party and mass services. The "partners" of the Party and mass service centers have met people's livelihood needs including meal assistance, sports venue operation, childcare, and legal services.

In Lushan Community, the youth night school offers tutoring classes in vocal music, classical dance, and traditional Chinese painting, with baking and handicraft courses also available during the day.

Can the courses be sustained? In the past, the government provided full funding, and social organizations undertook individual activities, "finishing the task once the event was done." Today, Lushan Community has "hub-type" social organizations that coordinate services and interest courses, establish a teacher pool, and assess needs quarterly before arranging services.

"When services are aligned with demand, the volume goes up. Add the community's waiver of rent and utility fees, and there is a reasonable profit margin," said An Lili, head of a social organization that has served the community for eight years. The youth night school, in four months of operation, has served more than 4,000 person-times, and 10% of its net profit is injected into a public welfare fund jointly established by the community and a trust institution, to be used for future micro-renewal public welfare projects.

"Through 'quality services at low cost,' we screen out capable 'partner' organizations, then help them grow into professional grassroots co-builders to provide residents with better services," said Che Weiling, Party secretary of Lushan Community. In Jianye District, a resource handbook and a "whitelist" of social organizations have pooled more than 300 projects in 7 major categories delivered directly to communities. Through the dual-track supply of "inclusive public welfare plus quality services at low cost," services are both high-quality and sustainable.

At 8 a.m., in the multi-functional activity room of Xinting Community, more than 20 residents were exercising to music. Two months ago, retired resident Wang Xiulan used the "Neng Ju Xinting" mini-program to reserve the venue and uploaded her own beginner's tai chi course, and neighbors soon signed up.

"Community residents have high expectations for the right to know about public services, so we use digital technology to make all kinds of services 'known to every neighbor,'" said Wang Yumei, Party secretary of Xinting Community. After the "Neng Ju Xinting" mini-program went online, the community found that the gym was in high demand in the evenings, and promptly extended service hours to 9 p.m. through online reservations and QR code verification.

Digital governance is not only about sending notices and booking venues. The community Party and mass service center also systematically sorts through residents' feedback in the mini-program on issues such as elderly and childcare services, household convenience services, and public rest areas, relying on backend data systems to continuously optimize the quality of community services and livelihood projects.

"Through institutional innovation, we handle every small matter around the people one by one, so that the people can see the organization, enjoy services, and have a tangible sense of gain," said Jiang Chen, Party secretary of Jianye District. A quality course, a warm meal, a summer childcare class — every single matter or detail (桩桩件件, zhuang zhuang jian jian - "stake, stake; item, item") is a small thing, yet behind them lies the grassroots Party organization's sense of responsibility of "you ask, I answer," and moreover a vivid practice of grassroots governance achieving participation by everyone, responsibility by everyone, contribution by everyone, and sharing by everyone.

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Zhang Jianlong, former member of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Natural Resources and former Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, expelled from the Party for serious violations of discipline and law

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Shi Yiqi) With the approval of the CPC Central Committee, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission conducted an investigation into Zhang Jianlong, former member of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Natural Resources and former Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, for serious violations of discipline and law.

The investigation found that Zhang Jianlong lost his ideals and convictions, betrayed his original aspiration and founding mission, held a misguided view of political achievements, only paid lip service to the requirements of the Party Central Committee without implementing them, and resisted organizational review; violated the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulation, improperly accepted gifts of money and attended banquets; failed to report personal matters as required, failed to truthfully explain issues during organizational talks and correspondence, and improperly sought benefits for others in the selection and appointment of cadres and the recruitment of employees; his greed swelled, and he used his position for personal gain, engaging in large-scale power-for-money deals, using his official position to seek benefits for others in the approval of forest land occupation and special funds, permits for wildlife utilization, and the undertaking of engineering projects, and illegally accepted huge amounts of property.

Zhang Jianlong seriously violated the Party's political discipline, organizational discipline, integrity discipline, and life discipline, constituted serious duty-related violations and is suspected of the crime of bribery. Moreover, he did not restrain himself or stop his wrongdoing after the 18th National Congress of the CPC. His conduct is serious in nature and adverse in impact, and he should be dealt with severely. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Disciplinary Actions, the Supervision Law of the People's Republic of China, and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Administrative Discipline for Public Officials, upon deliberation at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and with the approval of the CPC Central Committee, it was decided to expel Zhang Jianlong from the Party; cancel the treatment he enjoyed in accordance with regulations; confiscate his disciplinary and illegal gains; and transfer the issues suspected of criminal conduct to the procuratorial authorities for review and prosecution in accordance with the law, along with the involved property.

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Wang Wenling, former Party Leadership Group member and Deputy Director of the National Council for Social Security Fund, expelled from Party and public office for serious disciplinary and legal violations

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Shi Yiqi) With the approval of the CPC Central Committee, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission conducted an investigation and review into the serious disciplinary and legal violations of Wang Wenling, former member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the National Council for Social Security Fund.

The investigation found that Wang Wenling lost his ideals and convictions, abandoned his original aspiration and founding mission, failed to fulfill the "dual responsibility" under full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, privately carried and read books with serious political problems, resisted organizational review, and engaged in superstitious activities; violated the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulation, illegally accepted gifts, cash gifts, and consumption cards, accepted banquets and travel arrangements that could affect the fair execution of official duties, and illegally frequented private clubs; sought benefits for others in the recruitment of employees and promotion of positions; lost the bottom line of integrity, illegally engaged in business and ran enterprises, and had others pay expenses that should have been paid by himself; illegally intervened in and interfered with market economic activities; lived extravagantly, seeking instant gratification and pleasure (贪图享乐, tan tu xiang le - "greedy for, enjoy happiness"), becoming corrupt and depraved (腐化堕落, fu hua duo luo - "corrupt, fall down"), and pursued vulgar tastes; had no sense of discipline or law whatsoever, alienated public power into a tool for seeking personal gain, engaged extensively in trading power for money (权钱交易, quan qian jiao yi - "power, money, exchange"), used his official position to benefit others in participating in corporate restructuring, financing and listing, and joining financial institutions, and illegally accepted huge amounts of property.

Wang Wenling seriously violated the Party's political discipline, organizational discipline, integrity discipline, work discipline, and life discipline, constituted serious duty-related violations and was suspected of bribery crimes. Moreover, after the 18th CPC National Congress, he did not restrain himself or stop his actions. The nature of his violations is serious, and the impact is adverse, so he should be dealt with seriously. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Disciplinary Actions, the Supervision Law of the People's Republic of China, and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Administrative Discipline for Public Officials, and after study by the Standing Committee of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and reporting to the CPC Central Committee for approval, it was decided to expel Wang Wenling from the Party; the National Supervisory Commission will dismiss him from public office; confiscate his disciplinary and illegal gains; and transfer the issues suspected of crimes to procuratorial organs for review and prosecution in accordance with the law, with the involved property transferred along with the case.

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Yu Xiaoping, former member of the Party Committee and Vice President of PICC, expelled from Party for serious disciplinary and legal violations

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Shi Yiqi) Upon approval of the CPC Central Committee, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission conducted an investigation and review into the serious disciplinary and legal violations of Yu Xiaoping, former member of the Party Committee and Vice President of the People's Insurance Company of China Group Co., Ltd.

The investigation found that Yu Xiaoping lost his ideals and convictions, betrayed his original aspiration and founding mission, and resisted organizational review; violated organizational principles by improperly seeking benefits for others in employee recruitment work; lost the bottom line of integrity, improperly accepted gifts, and used his position to seek benefits for relatives and friends; failed to correctly perform his duties, causing serious consequences; used public power as a tool for personal gain, leveraging his position to benefit others in waiving loan conditions, expediting loan approvals, and other matters, and illegally accepted huge amounts of property, and even after leaving his post continued to use his former position's influence to collect money and accumulate wealth; abused his authority, causing especially heavy losses to national interests.

Yu Xiaoping seriously violated the Party's political discipline, organizational discipline, integrity discipline, and work discipline, constituting serious duty-related violations and being suspected of the crimes of bribery, bribery by taking advantage of influence, and abuse of authority by personnel of state-owned companies. Moreover, after the 18th National Congress of the Party, he failed to show remorse or stop illegal activities (不收敛、不收手, bu shou lian, bu shou shou - "not restrain, not stop hand"), with a serious nature and adverse impact, and should be dealt with severely. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the "Regulations of the Communist Party of China on Disciplinary Actions," the "Supervision Law of the People's Republic of China," and the "Law of the People's Republic of China on Administrative Discipline for Public Officials," upon deliberation at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and approval by the CPC Central Committee, it was decided to expel Yu Xiaoping from the Party; cancel the treatment he enjoyed as prescribed; confiscate his disciplinary and illegal gains; and transfer the suspected criminal issues to the procuratorial authorities for review and prosecution according to law, with the involved property transferred along with the case.

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Page editors: Su Xianlong, Zhao Xiaoxi, Li Peiyang

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From the Long March of Ten Thousand Li to the Great Rejuvenation (Deeply Studying and Implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

By: 王 强

When the spirit is strong, the nation is strong; when the spirit thrives, the nation's fortunes thrive. Regarding the Long March, General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "This earth-shaking (惊天动地, jing tian dong di - "startle heaven, shake earth") revolutionary feat is a magnificent epic written by the Communist Party of China and the Red Army, and a towering monument in the historical process of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." Over ninety years of eventful times, the Long March of ten thousand li has long transcended the historical category of a strategic shift or a military breakout, becoming a great expedition that tempered the national character, reshaped the national temperament, and reforged the national backbone. This great expedition gathered rock-solid faith, indomitable (百折不挠, bai zhe bu nao - "hundred bends, not break") willpower, and endless and vigorous (生生不息, sheng sheng bu xi - "birth, birth, not cease") spiritual strength, centrally manifesting the great national spirit with patriotism at its core, marking the spiritual course of modern and contemporary China, and erecting the spiritual backbone of the Chinese nation. Looking back on the 90 years of stormy journey, only by placing the Long March into the great river and sea woven of history, nation, and spirit can one comprehend the national spirit shaped by this expedition, the value implications it carries, and the direction forward it proclaims. This has major practical significance and far-reaching historical significance for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.

This is a path of tempering, where the national backbone, after much grinding, grows ever more resolute

The backbone is the spiritual spine of a nation and the important confidence by which a nation stands unyielding through trials. For thousands of years, the Chinese nation has consistently upheld the abolition of the old and establishment of the new, constantly striving to improve oneself (自强不息, zi qiang bu xi - "self, strengthen, not cease"), continuously establishing new principles, opening new chapters, and blazing new paths. Since modern times, the country has been humiliated, the people have suffered, and civilization has been sullied; the Chinese nation was deeply mired in the crisis of national subjugation and extinction, and even more so in the deep predicament of spiritual weakness, a sagging backbone, and dissipated will. The ancient nation urgently needed an ultimate tempering to break the spiritual shackles, reshape national backbone, and consolidate spiritual confidence.

The Long March was by no means an "march" or "campaign" in the ordinary sense, but rather an expedition of human will where every step hung between life and death. The long journey was surrounded by constant dangers (险象环生, xian xiang huan sheng - "dangerous, image, surround, arise") and strewn with thorns; dozens of enemy aircraft conducted reconnaissance and bombing overhead, while hundreds of thousands of enemy troops on the ground pursued, intercepted, and besieged from all sides; hail of bullets and rain of shells were everywhere, and every battle was a life-and-death contest. Snowy mountains and grasslands presented natural barriers, with extreme cold and oxygen deprivation; the natural death traps exceeded the limits of human survival, and every step forward faced a life-or-death choice. This unprecedented ordeal of suffering forged a tenacious will to survive in desperate straits, to grow more courageous with each setback, and never to give up, making tenacity, indomitable resolve, and tenacious struggle the bright spiritual undertone of the Chinese nation.Taking the victory 90 years ago as the starting point, the spirit of striving and enterprise was lifted. The four Long March armies numbered 206,000 at departure, recruited approximately 17,000 along the way, and had only 57,000 remaining at the end of the Long March... The Red Army officers and soldiers transformed unimaginable suffering into the struggle of being tempered into steel, elevating the nation's simple quality of hard work and endurance into an enterprising character of proactively facing difficulties and strengthening resolve, deeply fusing enterprising spirit into the nation's bloodline. Taking the victory 90 years ago as the starting point, the spiritual world of confidence and self-strengthening was enriched. The Red Army was poorly equipped, short of supplies, and weak in numbers, yet time and again it broke through natural barriers and enemy encirclements, defeating enemies several times its strength in countless life-and-death decisive battles, creating human miracles in desperate situations of resisting the strong with the weak and fighting the many with the few, shattering the false claim that strong enemies were invincible, and forging an unbreakable, undefeatable, indestructible spiritual iron backbone for the nation. From a longer historical perspective, the streams of spirit converged into a mighty torrent along the Long March road; from Jinggangshan to Ruijin, from Yan'an to Beijing, countless Chinese people followed this red flag and pressed forward courageously, firmly believing they could master their own destiny and change the injustices of the world, firmly believing they could thoroughly transform the face of poverty and weakness and advance toward great goals. In this great struggle, the Red Army not only won victory, but with blazing faith and iron will, marked the coordinates of history and forged an immortal national backbone.

Over the past 90 years, the national backbone engraved in this magnificent epic has grown ever more awe-inspiring in contests with powerful enemies. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "No matter how the era develops, we must temper the national backbone that defies brutality and resists power." At present, the changes unseen in a century are accelerating, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, various risks and challenges are intertwined and overlapping, and the tasks of reform, development, and stability are arduous and heavy;the "Loushan Pass" and "Lazikou" on the new journey still need to be crossed. History never waits for the hesitant, the wait-and-see, the slack, or the weak; only those who keep pace with history and share the fate of the era can win a bright future. To walk the new Long March well, we must always maintain a striving posture of facing difficulties head-on and a fighting spirit of overcoming difficulties, directly confront the deep-water zone of reform, the critical period of development, and the salient points of contradictions, dare to gnaw hard bones and dare to ford dangerous shoals, and with unyielding spiritual resolve and the ability to overcome difficulties in struggle, shoulder the missions and tasks of the new era and build an unshakable spiritual foundation for the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation.

This is a path of unity, where national consensus is deeply consolidated and all hearts are as one

Unity and solidarity are the spiritual foundation passed down through generations by the Chinese nation, and even more so the great spiritual force for building a strong country and rejuvenating the nation. In modern China, the mountains and rivers were torn apart and people's hearts were scattered; the 400 million Chinese people were like a sheet of loose sand, unable to gather the united strength to save the nation from subjugation and resist foreign aggression. Strengthening the cohesion and centripetal force of the Chinese nation became an urgent need for national salvation.

Comrade Mao Zedong pointed out: "The Long March is a declaration, the Long March is a propaganda team, the Long March is a seeder." American journalist Salisbury sincerely praised: "It has left an indelible mark on Chinese society and brought a tremendous transformation to China's consciousness. "The Long March sowed in this country a unity and courage unseen in centuries." The conceptual identity of family and country as one grew ever more firm in the great expedition.From the water towns of Jiangnan to the mountains of the southwest, from the vast plateaus to the Gobi of the northwest, the footprints of the Red Army's Long March traversed north and south, connecting east and west, breaking the isolation of geographic space and even more so the estrangement at the level of people's hearts. Countless revolutionary aspirants, regardless of region or identity, took saving the country and the people as their common goal, helping each other and fighting side by side, consolidating the spiritual foundation of family and country sharing one heart. The pattern of pluralistic unity of the Chinese nation grew ever more consolidated in the great expedition. The Long March passed through more than ten ethnic minority areas inhabited by the Miao, Yi, Tibetan, Hui, and other peoples; the Red Army scrupulously adhered to the policies of ethnic equality, unity, and mutual assistance, forging life-and-death bonds of ethnic friendship with the people of all ethnic groups: Sangji Yuexi, a lama from Maerkang, Sichuan, took off his kasaya and joined the Red Army; Liu Bocheng and Xiao Yedan, leader of the Yi people's Guji clan, swore a blood oath and became sworn brothers... Chinese sons and daughters of different ethnicities and different strata converged together, continuously coalescing the Chinese heart, forging the Chinese soul, and deepening a sense of community for the Chinese nation.The patriotic sentiment of enduring righteousness grew ever deeper in the great expedition. The patriotic force tempered by the great expedition broke through the barriers of region, ethnicity, and class, discarded the narrow notion of putting private interests first and each fending for oneself, established the value orientation that the interests of the Chinese nation outweigh everything, cultivated the collective spirit and spirit of dedication of selflessness, sacrificing oneself for the country, and unity of purpose forms an impregnable fortress (众志成城, zhong zhi cheng cheng - "mass, will, form, city"), and forged the great spirit of unity of millions with one heart and of sharing weal and woe. In early 1936, Lu Xun and Mao Dun jointly sent a congratulatory telegram to the CPC Central Committee in northern Shaanxi: "Your courageous struggle and your great victory are the most glorious page in the history of the liberation of the Chinese nation!" After the baptism of the Long March, our Party linked resolving the survival crisis with saving the nation from subjugation, linked the general direction of the Long March with establishing an anti-Japanese forward position, realized the transformation from the domestic revolutionary war to the anti-Japanese national war, and laid a solid foundation for winning the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and then winning the New Democratic Revolution.

Over the past 90 years, unity and struggle have been the most distinctive spiritual hallmark of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people, and also the only way for the Chinese people to create great historical achievements. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Chinese modernization is the common cause of all the people, and also a grand undertaking full of risks and challenges that requires arduous efforts." With the deepening of reform and opening up, the pattern of social interests has undergone profound adjustment and ideological concepts have undergone profound changes, placing higher demands on building social consensus and pooling the strength of the whole people;at the same time, the schemes of external forces to divide, disintegrate, contain, and suppress have never ceased. Unity is strength, and struggle creates the future. On the new Long March, we must continuously forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, consolidate the great unity of people of all ethnic groups across the country and the great unity of Chinese sons and daughters at home and abroad, maximize the cohesion of ideological consensus and the pooling of the joint force of endeavor, draw the largest concentric circle of national rejuvenation, make unity of millions with one heart and unity in struggle the most distinctive spiritual atmosphere of the new era, and pool an invincible and irresistible mighty force for Chinese modernization.

This is a path of rebirth, where the national spirit is reborn and reshaped, radiating new vitality

The national spirit is the spiritual support on which a nation depends for survival and development. The accumulation of several thousand years of Chinese civilization gave birth to the spiritual culture of constantly striving to improve oneself, embracing virtue with generosity, and abolishing the old and establishing the new. However, due to the shackles of the feudal system and the limitations of historical conditions, there still existed backward factors in the traditional spiritual culture such as narrow-mindedness, closed vision, and conservative thinking, which made it difficult to lead modern China from decline toward great rejuvenation.

The nirvana-like rebirth of the spirit must necessarily originate from severe struggle practice and thorough self-renovation. Snow evaluated in Red Star Over China: the Communist Party of China "turned what might have been a demoralized retreat into a spirited victorious advance." The winding Long March road was a new path of "blocking the road of survival and seeking life from the road of death"; the Party and the Red Army were not weaker, but stronger. The awakening spirit was forged with life and blood. He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is clear-sighted. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "During the Long March, our Party held high the banner of the whole nation's united resistance against Japan, promoted the formation of the anti-Japanese national united front, sounded the clarion call for the awakening and rising of the whole nation, and pooled the powerful force of united resistance against Japan and solidarity against external aggression." Every breakout, every victory, and every step forward in the Long March was the fruit of rising up in struggle, sincere unity, and self-revolution. This great expedition awakened the Chinese nation's consciousness of subjectivity, self-reliance, and struggle, shaping the spiritual character of self-reliance, self-salvation, and striving for strength. The pioneering spirit was forged with life and blood. The Long March had no fixed route or ready-made experience; facing the complex and ever-changing situation and the unknown and unpredictable road ahead, under the strong leadership of the Party, the Red Army officers and soldiers did not cling to old methods or stick to established conventions, but adapted flexibly and actively sought change, seeking a way of survival in desperate straits and opening new prospects amid changes. Crossing the Chishui River four times to outmaneuver the enemy, feigning east while attacking west to win by surprise, they time and again broke out of the fixed mindset and broke the path dependence, eradicated the backward thinking of fearing change and being closed and conservative, and shaped the enterprising character of keeping pace with the times, pioneering and innovating, daring to try and dare to break new ground, allowing the ancient national spirit to break free from rigid constraints and burst forth with the vitality of the times.The truth-seeking spirit was forged with life and blood. In the early period of the Long March, the erroneous command of dogmatism and book worship inflicted heavy losses on the revolutionary cause and plunged it into a life-and-death crisis. The lesson learned in blood shattered the erroneous thinking of blind obedience and superstitious reliance on dogma, drove our Party to shake off external dependence and break through ideological shackles, adhere to combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities, unswervingly follow a revolutionary path suited to China's national conditions, emancipate the mind, seek truth from facts, and keep pace with the times, achieving spiritual independence and self-reliance. The Long March was like a seed full of vitality, taking root, sprouting, and flourishing on Chinese soil; the spiritual genes of the Long March have deeply merged into the bloodline and soul of the Chinese nation.

Over the past 90 years, the Long March spirit has flowed without end and nourished people's hearts, unfolding a magnificent spiritual picture of modern China. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The great Long March spirit is a vivid reflection of the revolutionary demeanor of the Chinese Communists and the people's army they lead, a concentrated display of the national character of the Chinese nation's constant self-improvement, and the highest embodiment of the national spirit with patriotism at its core." Chinese modernization is an unprecedented pioneering undertaking, with no ready-made experience to follow and no fixed model to copy, facing a large number of unprecedented new issues, new risks, and new tests. On the new Long March, we must inherit the spirit of innovation embodied in the great Long March, adhere to ideological emancipation, conceptual innovation, and practical innovation, firmly advance spiritual self-reliance and self-strengthening, neither blindly following nor becoming rigid, use Chinese theory to guide Chinese practice, distill Chinese theory from Chinese practice, continuously solve development problems, activate endogenous momentum, and broaden the road forward, ensuring that the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation remains full of vitality and advances steadily and far.

This is a path of dream-building, where national rejuvenation anchors its goal and strides forward with firm steps

The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is both a historical process of continuous accumulation of material strength and the constant rise of comprehensive national power, and a spiritual process of inheritance, sublimation, reshaping, and re-creation. Since modern times, countless people of lofty ideals have searched high and low and pressed forward one after another; the Self-Strengthening Movement, the Hundred Days' Reform, the Revolution of 1911, and other plans to save the nation took turns on stage, but failed one after another due to confused faith, vague goals, and deviated paths, and the Chinese nation wandered with difficulty on the road of exploring national salvation and national rejuvenation.

The great victory of the Long March not only saved the Party, saved the Red Army, and saved the Chinese revolution, but also thoroughly ended the predicament of modern China's confused path and hopeless exploration. Comrade Mao Zedong said: "Once the Long March is completed, a new situation begins." The great feat made people appreciate the spiritual pillar of national rejuvenation. "Wind and rain soaked our clothes, yet our bones grew harder; wild vegetables filled our stomachs, yet our will grew firmer; officers and soldiers shared weal and woe alike; "the revolutionary ideal stood higher than heaven." On the Long March road, countless officers and soldiers dedicated their lives to their mission and proved their loyalty with their blood, holding fast to faith and pressing forward with determination amid extreme hardship and life-and-death tests;once the fire of ideal and faith was lit, it would never be extinguished. The loyal character and faith forged by this expedition became the never-fading spiritual banner and unbreakable spiritual pillar of the Chinese nation, giving national rejuvenation a soul, a root, and strength. The great feat made people recognize the mission of the times for national rejuvenation. Chen Shuxiang, after being seriously wounded and captured, tore out his own intestines and died; Fang Zhimin, in prison, yearned for a "lovely China"; Liu Zhihai handed over his "last party membership dues" on the snowy mountain; classic Long March stories such as "Seven Matches," "The Golden Fishhook," and "Half a Leather Belt" vividly interpret the lofty sentiments of revolutionary predecessors who dedicated themselves to the country, selflessly contributed, and sacrificed themselves for the people. Countless Red Army officers and soldiers completely merged their personal life and death and individual destiny into the future and fate of the nation and the country, cultivating the character of responsibility that lives up to the mission and the times, injecting inexhaustible spiritual momentum into the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation. The great feat made people feel the conviction of certain victory for national rejuvenation. The great victory of the Long March was the fruit of perseverance and continuous struggle. National rejuvenation is by no means an overnight achievement or accomplished in one stroke; it is necessary to maintain historical patience and strategic resolve, walk step by step and work generation after generation. It was precisely this great expedition that laid a solid foundation for the Chinese revolution, allowed the red seed of revolution to take root on Chinese soil, and paved the way for a great power that then accounted for one-quarter of the world's population to achieve liberation and establish a people's political power. Thirteen years later, New China stood in the East of the world with a brand-new posture; today, 90 years later, China has become an important force influencing world trends and patterns and promoting human development and progress.

Over the past 90 years, our steps of endeavor have never ceased. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Each generation has its own Long March, and each generation has its own responsibility. Building a great modern socialist country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is a relay race." Today's China is closer to, more confident in, and more capable of realizing the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation than at any time in history, but the closer we get to national rejuvenation, the less smooth sailing (一帆风顺, yi fan feng shun - "one, sail, wind, smooth") it will be, and the more it will be filled with risks and challenges, even raging storms. On the new Long March, we must, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, maintain firm strategic resolve and sufficient historical patience, anchor the grand goal of national rejuvenation, firmly uphold confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, accumulate small victories into great victories and accumulate steps into a thousand li, and advance this unprecedented great undertaking forward.

(The author is a researcher at the Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era of the National Defense University)

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Balancing "Diving In" and "Leading Out" in Grassroots Work (Ideological Perspectives)

By: 闵方正

When Comrade Xi Jinping served as Secretary of the Party Branch of Liangjiahe Village, in order to alleviate the fuel shortage he planned to build a biogas digester. Some people questioned: "Sichuan is warm, but Yanchuan is cold — biogas won't work here!" How to break the deadlock? Not only did he need to explain the reasoning, he also had to take the lead in doing real work: when there was no sand, he led everyone to dig it from outside; when cement could not be transported in, he led the villagers to carry it back from 15 li away; when lime was lacking, he made it himself. The moment the biogas lamp lit up, the doubts of the masses were dispelled along with it.

Grassroots work involves a vast number of complicated issues (千头万绪, qian tou wan xu - "thousand, head, ten thousand, thread"). Grassroots cadres sometimes face situations where the masses have doubts and are unwilling to cooperate. In assistance projects that distribute chicks and saplings, no sooner have the cadres left than someone sells the chickens or pulls up the saplings; when the community promotes age-friendly renovations, cadres go door-to-door to take measurements, but the elderly complain it is "making a fuss over nothing"... Such scenes occur from time to time at the grassroots level. On the surface, it appears that the masses are uncooperative and uncomprehending, but at the root, there is an invisible wall between cadres and the masses. To tear down this wall, grassroots cadres must have the posture of "jumping in" to get a clear grasp of the problems, and even more so, the ability to "lead people out" to solve them.

When Comrade Xi Jinping worked in Zhejiang, he once said a meaningful passage: "If the masses do not listen, then you first follow the masses. If the masses jump into a fire pit, you also jump in after them. When the masses become enlightened and climb out of the fire pit, in the end they will still follow you." This important exposition contains the wisdom and methods for doing mass work well. The "fire pit" refers to the real difficulties and ideological confusion facing the masses, or the bottlenecks in policy implementation, the masses' lack of understanding, and their resistance. Why jump in? Because the masses will not immediately believe you just because what you say is correct, nor will they immediately listen just because you shout from the shore. When the masses hesitate or refuse to listen, if cadres push hard or lecture, it may produce the exact opposite of the intended result (适得其反, shi de qi fan - "suitably, get, its, reverse"). First empathize with the masses; once the emotional distance is narrowed, work becomes easier. Are those selling the chicks and saplings worried about lacking technology and funds, and thinking it is better to make some quick money first? Are those complaining about "making a fuss over nothing" worried about the trouble of construction, their homes being chiseled into a mess, and thinking it is better to just muddle along? "Jumping in" does not mean becoming the "tail" of the masses, but rather fully trusting and relying on the masses, building trust with them through empathy and getting a clear picture of the actual situation.

"Jumping in," ultimately or fundamentally (归根到底, gui gen dao di - "return, root, reach, bottom"), is for the purpose of "leading people out" and "leading them in action." In reality, there is a kind of failure to take responsibility that deserves vigilance: some cadres use "respecting the will of the masses" as a shield for inaction, thereby actually abandoning their duty to educate and guide the masses. Cadres must explain policies thoroughly and clarify the pros and cons in language the masses can understand, use things the masses can see to rally their will, and lead the masses to work together. "Jumping in" means getting to the bottom of problems and solving them: if the masses worry that raising chickens and planting trees will not make money, then deliver technology to their hands and open up sales channels to their households; if the elderly worry about "making a fuss over nothing," then make the construction plan meticulous and ensure follow-up services, so they can see that after the renovation it is indeed more convenient and indeed safer. Provide feasible paths to solve problems, deliver genuine and substantial (实实在在, shi shi zai zai - "solid, solid, exist, exist") results, and ultimately lead the masses out.

"Jumping" and "leading" are not mutually separate; rather, they are two sides of the same coin (一体两面, yi ti liang mian - "one, body, two, sides") in doing mass work well. "Jumping" is the precondition for "leading." Without jumping in, one cannot understand what the masses hope for or what worries them. If one only sits in the office thinking about problems and does work through a phone screen, "leading" may become divorced from reality. "Leading" is the purpose of "jumping." If one only jumps but does not lead, without proposing plans to solve problems, empathy cannot land on solid ground, and getting close to the masses becomes a show. In terms of results, "jumping" and "leading" must ultimately land on enhancing the masses' sense of gain, happiness, and security. Being able to jump in and lead out — maintaining close ties with the masses while giving play to the guiding and cohesive role of grassroots Party organizations — this is the true capability of grassroots cadres.

To cultivate this true capability, one must first make friends with the masses, become their "confidant," find out where the "fire pit" is and what the masses hope for, and when the masses do not understand for the moment, accompany them for a stretch and a journey. At key junctures, one must seize the opportunity to do thorough ideological work, let facts speak, and put the reasoning into the hearts of the masses. Even more, one must act boldly and do good deeds (敢作善为, gan zuo shan wei - "dare, act, good, act"), focus on the urgent, difficult, anxious, and expectant problems, turn what the masses "hope for" into what is "done" in one's hands, and turn "worrisome matters" into "comforting matters." Only by keeping the masses in one's heart, bearing responsibility on one's shoulders, and having soil on one's feet can grassroots work truly be done well.

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Seizing the Key Points in Developing Inclusive Childcare and Integrated Childcare-Preschool Services (Targeted Action)

By: 王钦池 朱钰凤

Developing inclusive childcare services and integrated childcare-preschool services is an important measure for building a childbearing-friendly society and promoting high-quality development of the population. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must vigorously develop the inclusive childcare service system." The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan proposes: "Accelerate the construction of the inclusive childcare service system and expand the supply of service resources through multiple channels. Strengthen the supply of public childcare slots, support kindergartens in developing integrated childcare-preschool services, and encourage the enrollment of children aged 2-3." Developing inclusive childcare and integrated childcare-preschool services has multiple values. At the level of individual children, it enables institutional childcare and family parenting to complement each other effectively, meeting infants' and toddlers' needs for daily care and safety protection while also attending to the enlightenment and cultivation of abilities such as perception, language, and social interaction, achieving systematic support for early childhood development and helping promote the healthy physical and mental development of children; at the family level, it helps balance family responsibilities with personal career development and stabilize household income; at the societal level, it helps stabilize the labor force participation rate, maintain China's human resources advantage, create more relevant specialized employment positions, and drive the development of related industries such as education, healthcare, and domestic services.

In recent years, China has made positive progress in building inclusive childcare and integrated childcare-preschool services, with the supply of childcare services continuously increasing and the policy support system gradually improving. However, problems such as insufficient supply of inclusive childcare services, weak professional capacity, and uneven development still exist. It is necessary to adhere to the inclusive orientation and the integrated concept, deepen institutional innovation, strengthen resource integration, build a strong talent team, improve institutional safeguards, and promote high-quality development of inclusive childcare and integrated childcare-preschool services.

Anchor the inclusive orientation and the integrated concept. Following the objective laws of infant and toddler growth, it is necessary both to uphold the inclusive orientation of childcare services and to advance the integrated development of childcare and preschool education in light of local conditions. Inclusive childcare needs to uphold the priority of public interest, guarantee basic needs, hold the bottom line, and promote fairness, enabling ordinary families to obtain childcare services that are reasonably priced, quality-assured, convenient, and accessible through means such as reasonable pricing, policy support, and cost sharing. Integrated childcare-preschool services are an important pathway for enriching the supply of inclusive childcare, and it is necessary to promote the organic articulation between childcare services and preschool education from multiple aspects. Accelerate the construction of the "1+N" childcare service system, strengthen the construction of comprehensive childcare service centers, and give play to their role of demonstration, leadership, and radiation-driven effects. Encourage qualified kindergartens to open childcare classes, provide childcare services, and promote the coordinated and sustainable development of preschool education and childcare services.

Expand the capacity of inclusive childcare and integrated childcare-preschool services. China's infant and toddler population base is enormous, and families have strong demand for socialized childcare; expanding the effective supply of inclusive childcare is an important task in developing childcare services. It is necessary to establish an inclusive childcare supply mechanism matched to population density, and, in conjunction with comprehensive rural revitalization and urban renewal, build new and expand and renovate public childcare institutions in urban and rural communities and new residential areas where demand is concentrated; guide social forces to participate in inclusive childcare services through policy tools such as tax and fee preferences, venue cost reductions or exemptions, and operating subsidies. Carry out in-depth demonstration pilot programs for childcare service subsidies, support employers in running childcare facilities, and regulate the development of community-embedded childcare and family childcare points. At the same time, achieving capacity expansion requires both tapping the supply potential of existing kindergartens' venues, teachers, and management systems, and, when building new childcare institutions, coordinating the planning of childcare and preschool education layouts, promoting the integrated design, integrated construction, and integrated management of the two.

Enhance the professional support capacity of childcare services. Infants and toddlers are in a special stage of physical and mental development, and high-quality childcare services require strong professional capacity support. It is necessary to promote the balanced development of hardware and software construction in childcare services, increase investment in childcare service teaching staff, and solve the problems of teacher shortages and insufficient professional competence. Expand the enrollment scale of majors related to infant and toddler care, coordinate degree education at both undergraduate and junior college levels with vocational skills training, build a multi-level childcare talent cultivation and training system, and promote the precise matching of talent in majors related to infant and toddler care with childcare service positions. Coordinate and optimize the setup of majors related to childcare services and preschool education majors, explore the construction of a theoretical and practical curriculum system integrating care and education for children aged 0-6, and cultivate composite talents with both caregiving capabilities and educational literacy. Improve the access and occupational system for the childcare industry, promote the establishment of a nationally unified childcare teacher qualification examination and registration system, and strictly regulate the access standards for practitioners. Improve the evaluation standards for childcare practitioners, innovate growth mechanisms, and improve income and social security systems. Professional qualification recognition for childcare talent can be introduced to strengthen the professionalization of the childcare industry talent team.

Improve comprehensive safeguards and coordination mechanisms. Childcare services have cross-departmental and cross-field characteristics; only by improving the institutional safeguard system can the steady development of inclusive childcare and integrated childcare-preschool services be achieved. It is necessary to promote the coordinated articulation of laws and regulations related to preschool education and childcare services, and actively advance the legislative process for a childcare services law. For example, Wuhan City, Hubei Province, has issued the Wuhan City Childcare Services Promotion Regulations, clarifying the definition and planning layout of childcare services and further regulating childcare service conduct. Orderly promote the inclusion of inclusive childcare services in the scope of basic public services, explore the coordinated articulation of fiscal investment in childcare services and preschool education, establish a "shared childcare and education" model in kindergartens, and increase financial support for inclusive kindergartens opening childcare classes. In addition, it is necessary to improve departmental coordination mechanisms covering planning formulation, standard setting, funding guarantees, quality supervision, and other links, and strengthen comprehensive supervision of childcare institutions.

(The authors are respectively a researcher at the China Population and Development Research Center and a specially appointed researcher at the Beijing Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era)

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Focusing on Demand, AI Empowers a New Type of Industrialization

By: 本报记者 侯琳良 王 者

From October 14 to 16, the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Industry Conference was held in Jinan, Shandong, bringing together more than 300 leading domestic and international AI (artificial intelligence) enterprises and scientific innovation entities. Technological achievements were showcased collectively, industrial ideas collided in depth, and resource docking was carried out efficiently.

The conference, themed "Accelerating AI Empowerment of a New Type of Industrialization," saw "production lines," "scenarios," and "implementation" become high-frequency keywords across exhibition halls, booths, and thematic forums. Our reporter entered the conference to examine the new highlights, new windfalls, and new trends of "AI industry + manufacturing."

Deep Cultivation of Vertical Domains

From Single-Point Model Breakthroughs to Cluster-Based Layout

How can artificial intelligence empower all walks of life and various industries (千行百业, qian hang bai ye - "thousand lines, hundred industries")? Shandong's answer is to deeply cultivate vertical fields and pursue a path of specialized, refined development.

Mining and tunneling, port dispatch, semiconductor manufacturing, equipment R&D... On the opening day of the conference, seven vertical-domain large models — Hairuo, Tianzhi, Xingji, Yunding, Xinggang, Shangzhi, and Qizhi Kongming — took the stage collectively. The "Qilu Seven Stars" of vertical-domain intelligence were officially unveiled, forming an intelligent matrix oriented toward advantageous industries and marking a new stage in regional AI development, moving from single-point model breakthroughs toward a cluster-based layout.

Shandong has 41 major industrial categories, and its production lines have accumulated massive amounts of real-world operating data, providing fertile soil for cultivating vertical-domain large models. "General-purpose large models compete over 'who is smarter,' while vertical-domain large models compete over 'who knows the industry better,'" said Zhou Jun, professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering of Shandong University. The knowledge accumulated over years of industry practice and the business data accumulated on the production front line are precisely the foundation for large models to take root in the real economy.

The seven large models each have their own strengths, solving real-world problems based on industrial realities. As a vertical-domain large model based on the industrial internet, the COSMOPlat Tianzhi large model builds an "industrial brain," resolving pain points that plague many manufacturing enterprises, such as "having data but no decisions" and "coordination relying on word of mouth"; the Xinggang large model compresses the formulation of ship berthing plans at Qingdao Port to one or two minutes, generating optimal berthing and unberthing operation plans with a plan adoption rate stably exceeding 90%; the Yunding mining large model integrates massive general data with image and video materials, covering coal mining, tunneling, electromechanical operations, and more, incubating more than 280 application scenarios and building a complete "data-model-intelligent agent-business" closed loop; the Qizhi Kongming large model serves more than 1,800 enterprises in semiconductors, automotive equipment, energy and power, and other fields, occupying a leading position in the domestic industrial large-model application market...

Robotic company Luoshi Robotics brought a product matrix including the Zhuxing H-series wheeled humanoid robots and the Taibai AR-series humanoid force-control arms, showcasing the diverse possibilities of intelligent robots extending from industrial production scenarios to consumer-grade applications; at the Doubao workstation, once a goal is handed over to it, it can autonomously produce a script in no time... At the industry docking activities held concurrently with this conference, more than 300 leading domestic and international benchmark enterprises and scientific innovation entities made appearances.

At this conference, the joint construction of a national AI application pilot and testing base was officially launched. Jinan was approved to establish a pilot base in the direction of industrial software for the manufacturing sector, coordinating cross-regionally with bases such as Taiyuan's coal industry and Qingdao's port, and focusing on clearing the "last mile" for technological achievements to land on production lines.

Creating Value

From "Showing Off Skills" at the Booth to "Demonstrating Capability" on the Production Line

Whether a large model is good or not is tested on the production line. This conference presented many impressive achievements, demonstrating that AI is moving from demonstration platforms in exhibition halls to the front lines of factory production, converting technological capabilities into production benefits.

Witness intelligent transformation through the tempering of a piece of steel. At the Shangzhi AI platform booth, a screen displayed in real time the converter steelmaking site of Shangang Co., Ltd.'s steelmaking plant. In the past, the state of the molten pool in the late smelting stage could not be observed directly, and furnace operators relied on the naked eye to gauge the heat, with differences in experience directly affecting cost and quality. Shangang Group integrated multi-dimensional data from flue gas, video, audio, and process parameters to build the Shangzhi large model. Today, a one-click steelmaking intelligent agent automatically outputs execution instructions, with the temperature hit rate improved to above 95%.

Witness intelligent substitution in high-risk scenarios through a set of refining production plans. High-temperature, high-pressure refining workshops present real pain points such as high risks in manual operations. China Mobile Shandong Company, in collaboration with Hongrun Petrochemical, built the first refining vertical-domain large model in Shandong Province to be implemented on the production front line. In the face of operating condition changes such as feed temperature fluctuations, the intelligent agent can rapidly output valve, temperature, and pressure adjustment plans, compressing the average response time for hydrocracking operations from 4 hours to 2 hours. The relevant plans have already been replicated and promoted to more than 10 refining enterprises.

Witness the deep empowerment of large models through the production of a dose of medicine. Entering the Lunan Pharmaceutical booth, staff were demonstrating the enterprise's newly developed Guipi Mixture. The enterprise's self-developed "Lunan Zhiqing" large model and AI-assisted drug discovery system have already been used in key stages of this drug's R&D. Relying on the "Lunan Zhiqing" large model platform, the R&D team completed tens of thousands of process validations, converting key steps such as water addition volume, decoction temperature, and standing time into standardized parameters that the system can execute with precision.

Witness the hard-core support of the domestic computing power foundation through an AI accelerator card. As one of the most attention-grabbing exhibits at this conference, Huawei's Ascend 950 supernode, oriented toward heavy computing scenarios in industry, energy, finance, and other fields, can provide large-scale, highly reliable computing power support, building a solid computing power foundation for the development of the regional AI industry.

To promote vertical-domain large models entering production sites, Shandong selected and released 100 vertical-domain large models in the first half of this year, each focused on specific industrial scenario needs. During the conference, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released "High-Value Scenarios for AI Empowering a New Type of Industrialization," covering 20 sub-sectors including petrochemicals, steel, automobiles, and consumer electronics, with more than 1,000 scenarios, providing a unified reference for the industry, reducing duplicate R&D investment, and lowering the threshold for enterprises' digital transformation. More and more AI technologies are no longer staying at the demonstration stage but are taking root on production lines to create value.

Building an Ecosystem

From Custom Development to Batch Delivery

For the AI industry to progress steadily and far, it requires both technological innovation and a thriving ecosystem. At this conference, "using models to build models" became one of the vivid footnotes to industrial ecosystem construction.

Inside Inspur's Hairuo Ciyuan Factory, there is no roar of machinery, yet a special large-model production line is running. Enterprises submit industry data, which, after security review, cleaning, and annotation, is trained and packaged on the foundation model, adapted to software and hardware, to achieve out-of-the-box model deployment. Since its commissioning in early 2025, the production line has served more than 300 customers nationwide and deployed nearly 1,000 intelligent agents. In the past, custom development often took months; now, data goes in and models come out. Large models have been transformed into industrial products delivered in batches, dramatically compressing lead times and reducing costs.

Batch delivery relies on a complete industrial support system. Shandong has issued implementation opinions on data industry development, activating data elements, linking AI technology, and cultivating business entities. It is strengthening the two foundations of computing power and data: advancing the "open competition for project leadership" (揭榜挂帅) of 35 manufacturing corpus libraries, covering 31 manufacturing categories; and building 22 provincial-level intelligent computing cloud centers to support model training. The National AI Application Pilot and Testing Base (Industrial Software) has been established in Jinan, building a testing platform that small and medium-sized enterprises cannot afford to build on their own, lowering the threshold for embracing AI.

With computing power and data, there must also be an application stage. Shandong released 100 "AI + Manufacturing" scenario demands. For industries such as chemicals, steel, and textiles, it is implementing "one industry, one city" pioneer application "open competition for project leadership" (揭榜挂帅), designating 13 pioneer regions including Jinan and Qingdao. The first batch of 726 pioneer projects in 2026, with a total investment of 11.658 billion yuan, is expected to generate over 17 billion yuan in additional annual revenue upon completion.

The industry's performance record is impressive. In 2025, Shandong's AI core industry revenue reached 128.93 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 39.2%, gathering 1,124 key enterprises in large models, intelligent agents, computing power, and data.

(Zhuang Runze participated in reporting and writing)

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Pooling Business Strength to Build an Asia-Pacific Community Together

By: 任鸿斌

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping has put forward a series of major concepts and propositions on jointly building an Asia-Pacific community, drawing the blueprint for Asia-Pacific cooperation from a strategic height and long-term perspective. In November 2026, China will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, with the APEC CEO Summit (hereinafter referred to as the "CEO Summit") held concurrently. At that time, leaders of multiple APEC economies will attend the CEO Summit, engaging with business representatives in discussing major plans and strategies (共商大计, gong shang da ji - "together, discuss, great, plan") and seeking excellent solutions together (共谋良策, gong mou liang ce - "together, seek, good, strategy") around Asia-Pacific cooperation and development, jointly driving the APEC "China Year" to fruitful outcomes and pooling strong synergy for jointly writing a new chapter in Asia-Pacific development.

The business community is an important force leading economic growth in the Asia-Pacific and the world

President Xi Jinping emphasized that "the Asia-Pacific business community has always been a trailblazer in Asia-Pacific cooperation and global development." Over the years, the business community has consistently carried forward the entrepreneurial spirit of pioneering, openness and innovation, and unwavering and persistent (坚韧不拔, jian ren bu ba - "firm, resilient, not, pull") perseverance, actively supporting, participating in, and promoting Asia-Pacific cooperation and development, driving the Asia-Pacific region toward major development, major prosperity, and major connectivity.

The business community is an important contributor to Asia-Pacific openness and connectivity. Openness is the only path to world prosperity and development. As the once-in-a-century transformation of the world accelerates, hegemonism, unilateralism, and protectionism are moving against the tide (逆流而动, ni liu er dong - "against, current, and, move"), but the general trend toward a multipolar world is irreversible, and the general trend of economic globalization has never changed. Since APEC's establishment in 1989, average tariffs have fallen from 17 percent to 5 percent, leading the Asia-Pacific region to deeply integrate into economic globalization and successfully pooling the development synergy of one-third of the world's population and over 60 percent of global economic output. In this process, the business community has continuously explored trade and investment opportunities, jointly safeguarded free trade and open markets, remained at the forefront of openness and cooperation, and become the most dynamic force on the stage of the open Asia-Pacific economy.

The business community is a powerful engine for Asia-Pacific innovation and development. At present, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating breakthroughs, and AI technology innovation has entered an unprecedented (前所未有, qian suo wei you - "before, ever, have, not") period of activity, becoming a new engine for world economic growth and an accelerator for the transition between old and new growth drivers. APEC economies are seizing the opportunities of digitalization, intelligence, and green development, jointly creating more R&D and application outcomes, and driving the Asia-Pacific to become a global highland of innovation-driven growth. In this process, the business community has always been at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation, continuously increasing R&D investment, strengthening the commercialization of research outcomes, and promoting practical cooperation to advance toward the new and climb to new heights, helping the Asia-Pacific region achieve continuous leaps in productivity.

The business community is a solid ballast for Asia-Pacific win-win cooperation. Mutual benefit and win-win outcomes are the common expectation of business communities across countries. The more turbulent and intertwined the international situation becomes, the more APEC economies must strengthen solidarity and coordination and increase mutual support. Over the years, APEC economies have leveraged their resource endowment advantages and continuously deepened economic and technical cooperation, with intra-member trade consistently accounting for over 68 percent of members' total trade, making the Asia-Pacific one of the world's most interdependent regions. In this process, the business community has pursued development through mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, met challenges through solidarity and coordination, enhanced consensus through communication and exchange, deepened mutual trust through properly handling frictions, and achieved mutual success through mutually beneficial cooperation, promoting industrial integration, mutual innovation, and market connectivity, with Asia-Pacific cooperation continuously deepening and solidifying.

APEC "China Year" business cooperation yields fruitful results

APEC attaches great importance to the role of the business community and decided in 1995 to establish the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) to represent the business community in offering advice and suggestions (建言献策, jian yan xian ce - "build, words, offer, strategy") for Asia-Pacific regional economic cooperation and prosperity. Following 2001 in Shanghai and 2014 in Beijing, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) is this year leading the organization of APEC business community activities for the third time. We have conscientiously performed the functions of the ABAC China Secretariat, strengthened political commitment, actively planned and strategized, proactively led and shaped, and held high the banner of building an Asia-Pacific community.

Carefully designed themes and topics, clarifying the four pillars and eight beams of cooperation. Closely following the 2026 APEC theme of "Building an Asia-Pacific Community for Shared Prosperity" and the three priority areas of "openness, innovation, and cooperation," we have promoted ABAC to set the annual theme of "openness, connectivity, and synergy." Centering on the concerns of the Asia-Pacific business community, we have established five major topics—regional economic integration, sustainable development, digital innovation, connectivity, and finance and economy—along with five topic working groups. Among them, the connectivity working group, whose restoration China proposed after an eight-year hiatus, has received broad support from all parties, fully demonstrating the host's leadership, shaping power, and cohesion. Through the year-round design of themes and topics, we have set the course and established the framework for Asia-Pacific business cooperation.

Pooling collective wisdom to lock in outcomes and actively contributing business strength. We have tightened the bonds of interest among the business community, broadly built topic alliances, and promoted ABAC to reach a letter to APEC economic leaders and a policy recommendations report, as well as 8 letters to APEC ministers of trade, finance, energy, small and medium enterprises, digital, food, transportation, and women's affairs, and 5 separate statements. The relevant outcomes incorporate China's propositions on building an Asia-Pacific community and promoting the beneficial and inclusive development of AI, and the 41 policy recommendations put forward all have important reference value. Among them, the two statements supporting the construction of an Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area and supporting connectivity cooperation both reflect China's propositions and have gained broad international recognition, contributing high-value business outcomes to the Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Extensive outreach to build consensus, leaving a profound "China imprint." Together with ABAC Chinese representatives and incoming representatives, we have studied and put forward high-quality proposals, incorporating the Chinese business community's opinions and suggestions on AI applications, zero-carbon transportation, cross-border QR code payments, and green agriculture. Together with US business representatives, we have put forward a joint proposal on strengthening Asia-Pacific supply chain cooperation, using a "win-win chain" to counter "decoupling and severing supply chains." Closely following China's "AI+" action deployment, we have put forward a joint "AI+" proposal together with Canadian business representatives. These outcomes have transformed one Chinese initiative after another into business community actions, injecting strong Chinese momentum into the APEC cooperation process and successfully achieving the goal of leading Asia-Pacific business cooperation with Chinese concepts.

Joining hands with the business community to move the Asia-Pacific community from blueprint to reality

Organizing the Chinese business community's participation in APEC cooperation is the duty and mission of the CCPIT. We will always bear in mind President Xi Jinping's earnest instructions and important directives, further weave a dense network of services for enterprises, expand the international circle of friends, base ourselves in China, radiate across the Asia-Pacific, and face the world, taking the lead and making greater contributions in building the Asia-Pacific community.

Adhere to mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, tightening the bonds of Asia-Pacific economic and trade cooperation. The Asia-Pacific region's population size, total trade volume, and economic scale are of great importance or influence (举足轻重, ju zu qing zhong - "lift, foot, light, heavy") worldwide, with enormous market development potential and broad space for economic and trade cooperation. The CCPIT will deepen exchanges and cooperation with trade and investment promotion agencies and business associations of APEC economies, successfully host events such as the Global Trade and Investment Promotion Summit and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Business Conference, implement free trade agreements such as RCEP with high quality, and promote enterprises going global to expand markets and make global layouts. We will improve the commercial legal services system, build and make good use of the special working group for serving foreign-invested enterprises and the special working mechanism for serving enterprises' overseas investment, and expand space for two-way investment cooperation.

Adhere to connectivity, maintaining the stability and smooth flow of regional and global industrial and supply chains. The Asia-Pacific economy is deeply integrated, with industries highly interlocked, increasingly becoming a community of shared destiny that is deeply intertwined and interdependent (你中有我、我中有你, ni zhong you wo, wo zhong you ni - "you, middle, have, me; me, middle, have, you"). The CCPIT will actively build platforms for exchange and dialogue among research entities, business entities, and financial institutions, help Asia-Pacific enterprises actively integrate into the global innovation network, strengthen cooperation in areas such as intelligent manufacturing and the digital economy, and promote the linked development of industrial, supply, and innovation chains. We will continue to successfully host the China International Supply Chain Expo, invite more Asia-Pacific enterprises and institutions to participate, and jointly build a more stable, smooth regional industrial and supply chain system based on comparative advantages.

Adhere to a global vision, actively participating in global economic governance. China is a key force in the transformation of the global economic governance system. The CCPIT will host the CEO Summit with high quality under the theme of "Shared Prosperity, Win-Win Future" and release the Shenzhen Initiative, sending out a strong call from the business community to jointly build the Asia-Pacific community. We will deeply participate in the work of important international organizations such as the World Trade Organization, relevant UN agencies, and the International Chamber of Commerce, enhancing the voice and influence of the Chinese business community in the formulation of international economic and trade rules. We will organize enterprises to put forward more Chinese initiatives and Chinese solutions at business community events of multilateral mechanisms such as the G20, APEC, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The wind rises over the Asia-Pacific, and the tide surges in the South China Sea. We will join Asia-Pacific business representatives in keeping the Shenzhen appointment, jointly leading a new journey of Asia-Pacific openness and cooperation, promoting APEC to set off anew from this "City of Innovation" and set sail once more toward the goal of an Asia-Pacific community, jointly creating an even better future for the Asia-Pacific!

(The author is the Chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Chairman of the 2026 APEC CEO Summit)

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"Foreign Ingredients" in Weight-Loss Meals Become Local Specialty Products (Daily Life)

By: 人民网记者 方经纶

The avocado, quinoa, chickpeas and other "foreign ingredients" in a weight-loss meal may well have been produced in China's own countryside. Behind the shift from "foreign ingredients" to local specialty products lies the combined effort of agricultural science and technology, industrial mechanisms, and policy support—and it is also a vivid footnote to the taking root and flourishing (落地生根, luo di sheng gen - "fall, ground; grow, root") of the broader food security approach.

In the past, a single avocado could cost as much as dozens of yuan; today, the unit price of some varieties has fallen to single digits. Behind this affordability, "localization" is the key word. In 2007, Menglian Dai, Lahu and Va Autonomous County in Yunnan Province introduced enterprises to trial-plant avocados. After years of demonstration and promotion, a bountiful harvest was finally achieved. As of early 2026, the local avocado planting area exceeded 120,000 mu, with output accounting for more than 80 percent of the national total, and the annual output value for the 2025 growing season surpassed 1.5 billion yuan. It is understood that 15,900 local farming households have taken shares through the benefit-sharing mechanism linking farmers with agricultural enterprises, achieving an average annual dividend of around 7,000 yuan per mu.

Avocados are not the only example. In recent years, thanks to the innovative efforts of China's agricultural workers in good seeds, good technology, and good machinery, more and more food items have become local specialty products that boost local incomes and prosperity—Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County in Gansu Province has solved the problem of "no machinery available" and "no good machinery available" in quinoa planting and harvesting, with mechanized operations reducing costs by 433 yuan per mu; Mori Kazak Autonomous County in Xinjiang has developed a specialty chickpea industry, and the independently bred new variety "Pinying No. 1" has seen its theoretical per-mu yield exceed 300 kilograms.

For these foods to gain a firm foothold in the domestic market, two forces have been at work. First, consumer demand has continued to grow. With the in-depth implementation of the "Weight Management Year" campaign, demand for healthy diets is rising. Second, the supply of goods has become more abundant. More foods are being advanced along the dual track of "increased domestic production plus expanded import sources," providing consumers with diverse choices.

The "15th Five-Year Plan" for Accelerating Agricultural and Rural Modernization explicitly proposes "promoting the high-quality development of the vegetable, fruit, and tea industries" and "advancing the diversification of agricultural product imports." In the future, more "foreign ingredients" suited to the "Chinese palate" are expected to be introduced, cultivated, and developed, becoming new members of the people's "shopping basket."

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Photo Report

Recently, in the Heilongjiang reclamation area, Beidahuang Group has centrally deployed machinery and equipment to advance autumn land preparation operations, ensuring that the farmland "overwinters in black soil," laying a solid foundation (夯实基础, hang shi ji chu - "solidify, firm, foundation") for next year's agricultural production. The photo shows the Sixth Management Area of Qindeli Farm Co., Ltd. of Beidahuang Group in Heilongjiang, where a machinery operator drives a tractor to carry out autumn land preparation operations.

Photo by Liu Wanping (Xinhua News Agency)

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Let TCM go global with greater confidence

By: 杨彦帆

At the 2026 World Conference on Traditional Medicine, a large array of achievements in the inheritance, innovation, and digital-intelligent development of traditional medicine were strikingly impressive or eye-opening (眼前一亮, yan qian yi liang - "eye, front, one, bright") to guests from various countries, and traditional medicine is demonstrating vigorous vitality amid the tide of the times.

The lens now turns to the world. Early this year, a wave of cultural imitation of Chinese-style living swept overseas social media, with overseas netizens sharing their daily routines of brewing tea and practicing Baduanjin; acupuncture has achieved legal practice and standardized application throughout Brazil, and a batch of traditional Chinese medicine products have been successively registered and launched in overseas markets... As an outstanding representative of traditional medicine, China's traditional Chinese medicine has gained attention and recognition, blazing a distinctive path for the development of traditional medicine.

How can traditional Chinese medicine continuously radiate new vitality? Walking the path of traditional medicine development in the new era cannot be separated from the strong support of modern science and technology. From Tu Youyou's discovery of artemisinin using modern scientific methods, to the gradual application of AI (artificial intelligence) throughout the entire process of TCM diagnosis and treatment, drug research and development, and intelligent industrial upgrading, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground is the foundation. National major science and technology projects continue to empower the inheritance, innovation, and development of traditional Chinese medicine; a new generation of AI-empowered in vivo mesoscopic three-dimensional microscopic imaging systems can capture the dynamic changes of distal organs in vivo during the process of acupuncture neural regulation; intelligent TCM four-diagnosis devices and similar tools promote the objectification and standardization of diagnostic information. Traditional medicine is using modern technology to break down barriers and broaden the boundaries of service.

Only through the collaborative integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine can people's health and well-being be better served. The China Center for Evidence-Based Medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine has been established, and important progress has been made in clinical evaluation research of TCM; hospitals across the country continue to carry out clinical collaboration between Chinese and Western medicine, forming a number of integrated diagnosis and treatment protocols that have been promoted and applied. Practice has proven that through the two complementing each other's strengths (优势互补, you shi hu bu - "advantage, strength, mutually, complement") and collaborative integration, more choices and more comprehensive treatment plans can be provided to patients.

Advancing openness and connectivity, traditional Chinese medicine embraces the world with a positive and open attitude. In recent years, China has promoted the inclusion of traditional Chinese medicine cooperation in more than 50 joint statements and related outcome documents between China and foreign countries, promoted high-quality TCM services in jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, built 30 high-quality TCM overseas centers and 31 national characteristic service export bases, and deepened TCM participation in global health governance. In the future, we will continue to promote the "Shennong Tasting a Hundred Herbs in the New Era" initiative, further expanding the scope of traditional medicine resource discovery to the whole world; in terms of international standards for traditional Chinese medicine, we will continue to deepen cooperation with Belt and Road partner countries on mutual recognition of standards, regulatory alignment, and other aspects... These measures demonstrate China's firm determination to accelerate the higher-level opening up of traditional Chinese medicine.

At the venue, many guests remarked: "China has many good experiences in traditional medicine to share with the world" and "We hope to learn from China's experience." As traditional Chinese medicine moves toward the world with greater confidence and determination, it will surely continue to contribute to building a global community of health for all.

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"Thousand Households, Ten Thousand Lights" Illuminates a Thousand Enterprises and Homes

By: 本报记者 刘军国

At the Lingfeng Modern Industrial Park in Beilun District, Ningbo, Zhejiang, construction machinery rumbled on the site. Zhu Baoshuai, the "Thousand Households, Ten Thousand Lights" power community manager of State Grid Ningbo Power Supply Company, spread out the project drawings and went through the energy-use details after production startup item by item with Li Yuansheng, deputy general manager of Ningbo Yibo Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd.

As early as when the enterprise applied for electricity, Zhu Baoshuai had tailored this "electricity-carbon" integrated service plan for it. The plan covers energy efficiency diagnosis, electricity price optimization, carbon efficiency accounting, and other content. By the time the plant is officially put into operation, the complete set of energy-use services will also be in place.

"Even before the plant was built, I already had a general understanding of the future energy-use situation and carbon reduction strategy, so I have more confidence in subsequent operations," Li Yuansheng said. According to the plan, the enterprise can precisely optimize its electricity consumption structure, effectively compress production energy costs, and meet the relevant requirements for foreign trade exports.

Ningbo has 127,700 manufacturing enterprises like Yibo Optoelectronic Technology, with diverse and complex energy-use demands. As a service brand created by State Grid Zhejiang Electric Power, "Thousand Households, Ten Thousand Lights" is based on the local huge industrial base and has gradually evolved into three teams of power community managers with clear positioning for rural, urban, and industrial areas.

In Ningbo, more than 800 "Thousand Households, Ten Thousand Lights" power community managers have moved their service front line forward to the grassroots frontline of rural areas, urban areas, and industrial parks, deeply integrating professional technology into the local grassroots grid-based governance system.

At the seaside pond outlet in Shuangxiawan Village, Xiangshan County, aquaculture farmer Xie Caibao tapped his phone lightly, and water quality data such as dissolved oxygen and pH value at the pond outlet jumped in real time. Power community manager Yu Di helped him interpret the alarm information pushed by the smart aquaculture platform. Aquaculture places extremely high demands on power supply reliability; once the oxygenation equipment stops running, it can easily cause large-scale death of aquatic products. Relying on the smart energy management platform for aquaculture built on the "Thousand Households, Ten Thousand Lights" service system, abnormal equipment or water quality triggers synchronized early warnings within 15 seconds, pond outlet equipment can automatically start and stop based on water quality, electricity costs fell 20% year-on-year, and aquatic product output increased 15%.

In Fengzheng Smart Manufacturing Park on Chunhu Street, Fenghua District, there are 16 standard factory buildings. In addition to providing services such as electricity application and electricity safety, the power supply company also provides technical guidance for the park's photovoltaic projects and has introduced the "Sunshine Steward" digital settlement platform to provide enterprises with one-stop electricity fee settlement services.

At the Qian Haijun Community Convenience Service Station in Cixi City, power community manager Xie Le received a platform alert: "Building 12 of Jinshan Residential Community is suspected of electric bicycle charging indoors. Please verify immediately." She and a community grid worker rushed to the scene and found that an electric bicycle was being charged at the entrance of the stairwell through an extension cord, and the socket was already slightly warm. The two immediately cut off the power and conducted safety warning education for the owner, promptly eliminating the fire hazard.

The "Thousand Households, Ten Thousand Lights" service command platform is equipped with 12 digital products including "electric bicycle indoor charging identification." Since the platform has been in operation for more than two years, it has cumulatively accurately captured and warned of more than 200 violations of indoor charging behavior, and coordinated with community, property management, fire protection, and other multi-party forces to rectify more than 500 hazard points.

"In addition to power community services, 'Thousand Households, Ten Thousand Lights' also provides social welfare services. The two services are pursuing two different methods or paths simultaneously (两条腿走路, liang tiao tui zou lu - "two, legs, walk"), better serving thousands of enterprises and ten thousand households," said Qian Haijun, initiator of the "Thousand Households, Ten Thousand Lights" service brand and community manager of the Customer Service Center of State Grid Zhejiang Cixi Power Supply Co., Ltd.

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Page editors: Lü Zhongzheng, Wu Kai, Han Wenrong

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AI+Education: What to Add, and How to Add It (Balanced Development of Quality Education · Four Questions on "AI + Education" ④)

By: 本报记者 吴 丹

Dialogue guests:

Zhang Hongkun, Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Mathematics, Great Bay University

Huang Ronghuai, Professor at Beijing Normal University and Dean of the Smart Learning Institute

Qin Chunjuan, teacher at Liangtian Middle School, Jinfeng District, Yinchuan, Ningxia

Wang Shijin, Vice President of iFlytek and Executive Dean of its Research Institute

A 2025 survey by the China Youth Research Center of 8,563 primary and secondary school students across 7 provinces (municipalities) shows: over 60 percent of surveyed primary and secondary school students have used AI (artificial intelligence), of whom nearly 20 percent (18.3%) use it regularly. Among surveyed rural primary and secondary school students, 73.2 percent used AI to assist with homework, 4.8 percentage points higher than urban students (68.4%). As AI enters the classroom, is it bridging the digital divide, or creating new problems?

—Teacher Sun, a rural teacher

From the observations and reflections of teachers on the front lines in rural areas, we can see that while urban children converse with AI and explore the future, classrooms in rural schools are likewise experiencing technological transformation. From the proactive adjustment of academic disciplines, to the deep integration of classroom instruction, to the ethical questions raised by the application of data and algorithms, AI technology is changing the underlying logic and forms of education in every way. When AI meets education, where are the boundaries of technology? How can regulatory policy be further improved? AI + education — what is being "added," and how? Our reporter engages multiple guests in dialogue to jointly explore the new propositions for education in the AI era.

AI-related majors and courses are increasing — what signal does this send?

[Scenario]

In September, as one of the 38 new undergraduate majors announced by the Ministry of Education this year, the Intelligent Computing major at Great Bay University welcomed its first cohort of 13 students. Tian Gang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and founding president of Great Bay University, explained: "The Intelligent Computing major is closely aligned with national strategy, the frontiers of science and technology, and the industrial needs of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, focusing on cultivating interdisciplinary talent who can understand AI, improve AI, and use AI to solve scientific and industrial problems." Some say the future is an "era of human-machine division of labor" — when AI can do more and more, how should universities cultivate talent?

[Expert commentary]

Zhang Hongkun: The adjustment of academic disciplines and majors by universities reflects higher education shifting further from a "discipline-supply orientation" toward a "national strategy, science and technology frontier, and industrial demand orientation." Universities adding AI-related majors and courses is precisely a response to the deep changes taking place in knowledge structures and talent structures. The future society needs not only people who can use tools, but also people who can understand tools, improve tools, and create new methods.

In the "era of human-machine division of labor," the human advantages are problem awareness, abstract reasoning ability, creativity, value judgment, and interdisciplinary integration ability. Therefore, universities must move further from "knowledge transmission" toward "capability building" — they cannot only teach standard answers, but must also cultivate people who can raise good questions, understand complex systems, judge the reliability of results, and bear social responsibility. More importantly, the AI era changes rapidly, and no single course can cover all future technologies. Universities must cultivate students' capacity for continuous learning, enabling them to possess a foundational knowledge structure, critical thinking, and a spirit of exploration.

Between urban and rural areas, is AI narrowing the teaching gap, or deepening the divide?

[Scenario]

In recent years, hardware facilities in rural schools have improved substantially, and AI has brought quality courses and renowned teacher resources to remote areas, narrowing the gap in educational resources to a certain extent. Faced with AI technology that is changing with each passing day (日新月异, ri xin yue yi - "sun, new; moon, new"), some rural schools still lack capacity in curriculum development and the transformation of teaching concepts — will this deepen the new divide between those who "can use AI" and those who "cannot use AI"?

[Expert commentary]

Huang Ronghuai: Educational equity in the AI era is extending from "whether one can access" to "whether one can use effectively." Even with the same technological access conditions, different schools, teachers, students, and families may produce vastly different outcomes due to differences in AI literacy, application methods, and support conditions.

At the current stage of developing AI + education, what rural schools face is not a single technological problem, but multiple systemic problems. For example, equipment is available, but application updates and ongoing service cannot keep up; there remains a gap between teachers "being able to use" and "using well," with AI teaching still largely confined to shallow scenarios such as generating courseware, grading homework, and simple Q&A, while sustained training and teaching research are also relatively insufficient.

To develop AI + education, rural areas need systematic support: in resource allocation, promote the continued flow downward and open sharing of quality resources. Relying on the National Smart Education Platform for Primary and Secondary Schools, support schools in rural and remote areas in offering courses in information technology and artificial intelligence, and through means such as sending teaching to the countryside, master teacher studios, and regional teaching research communities, continuously deliver quality teachers and mature lesson examples to rural schools; in teacher development, build an integrated support system of "teaching—research—training—evaluation," relying on school-based teaching research, county-level teaching research communities, and online training platforms to carry out sustained training and teaching research support around real teaching scenarios, enhancing teachers' digital literacy; in collaborative education, link schools, families, village committees, and comprehensive cultural stations to guide students in using AI correctly, understanding AI rationally, and controlling AI autonomously, avoiding the formation of new capability and thinking divides.

[Teacher commentary]

Qin Chunjuan: Rural teachers are better at teaching students in accordance with their aptitude (因材施教, yin cai shi jiao - "according to, talent; carry out, teaching") based on local conditions. AI-generated content is mostly generic and urban in perspective, but rural teachers are familiar with the children's family situations, personality traits, and knowledge gaps, and can connect textbook knowledge with the children's lives, making lessons more down-to-earth.

I think when AI enters the rural classroom, the real connection between people will become even more important. What rural children need is not just the answer to a problem, but someone who can see their emotions, tolerate their shortcomings, and encourage their growth — this is something algorithms cannot replicate, it is the irreplaceable emotional companionship and character nourishment provided by rural teachers, and it is also the humanistic care that must be upheld in the digitalization of rural education.

Data leakage, algorithm bias — how can risk regulation of AI education products be strengthened?

[Scenario]

According to media reports, a Ms. Zhang in Jinan, Shandong, spent nearly 5,000 yuan to purchase an AI learning device for her child. When registering and logging in, she only checked the basic usage permissions and did not carefully read the privacy policy of tens of thousands of words. The day after registration, she received a call from someone claiming to be from the "academic affairs office," who accurately stated the child's weak subjects and enthusiastically recommended one-on-one tutoring — "the precision of the sales pitch sent chills down one's spine." Many AI education products have functions such as "emotion recognition" and "concentration analysis." Where are the boundaries of these products and their functions, and how should they be regulated?

[Enterprise representative commentary]

Wang Shijin: Facial features and voice features are sensitive biometric information. In product design, the principle of minimal necessity should be followed — only collecting the minimum information needed to complete the task, and usage must not be connected to marketing systems.

In terms of regulation, it is recommended that functions involving minors' sensitive information be incorporated into the scope of algorithm filing and deep synthesis content management, and that data processing standards for minors be set higher than those for adults; establish a graded list of functions, clarifying which functions can be commercially used and which can only be used for teaching assistance; in addition, promote industry self-discipline through measures such as publishing negative lists.

Personalization and privacy protection are not opposed to each other — the key lies in choosing between "profiling people" or "profiling knowledge." One feasible technical path is to break knowledge down into a knowledge graph — what each knowledge point is, what knowledge points it relates to, and how difficult it is. What the system records is not the user's personal information, but the state of knowledge mastery.

[Expert commentary]

Huang Ronghuai: At present, while some AI education products assist with personalization and precision, they may also bring new problems such as the spread of erroneous or false information, privacy and data leakage, and algorithm bias and discrimination. As AI and education integrate deeply, there is an urgent need to form a pattern of pluralistic co-governance involving government coordination, school regulation, enterprise responsibility, family participation, and social collaboration.

First, improve AI education application standards and practical guidelines, refine technical standards, quality standards, and ethical norms, and strengthen institutionalized management of the entire process of data collection, storage, and use; second, build an accountable and traceable risk prevention and control mechanism, clarify the responsibilities of all parties, and ensure that data has boundaries, processes are traceable, and risks can be held accountable; third, strengthen the safety and ethical responsibilities of technology entities, run the education-oriented principle through the entire product lifecycle, and continuously monitor content safety, algorithm bias, and data security; fourth, enhance the risk prevention capabilities of schools and families, clarify usage boundaries, strengthen teachers' review of AI-generated content, cultivate students' ability to discern information and use it responsibly, and families should pay attention to data collection and exercise prudent authorization, jointly safeguarding the digital rights and interests of minors.

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Building an 'AI Pipeline' to Educational Equity (Editor's Note)

By: 曹怡晴

At the Fifth Complete Primary School of Niujie Yi Ethnic Township, Midu County, Yunnan Province, there is an "Homework Help" AI smart classroom. Without having to traverse mountains and ridges (翻山越岭, fan shan yue ling - "turn, mountain, cross, ridge"), children of farming families can experience cutting-edge AI technology right at their doorstep—the transformation of classrooms in remote village schools shows us an "AI pipeline" leading to educational equity.

Thanks to technological development, the marginal cost of knowledge dissemination has dropped significantly. From the full-coverage of all school stages on the National Smart Education Public Service Platform, to the gradual rollout of AI general education courses, from the personalized empowerment of adaptive learning systems, to the targeted assistance of intelligent teaching and research tools, technological innovation provides more possibilities for achieving the universality and equity of education.

It must also be noted that current explorations of AI+education are still in their infancy. In terms of curriculum systems, teaching models, and other aspects, schools across different regions still lack standardized distillation and sharing mechanisms. As the digital divide gradually narrows and policy support continues to intensify, looking to the future, "ensuring that every child can enjoy fair and quality education" will ultimately become a reality.

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Protect Cultural Heritage, Promote Dialogue Among Civilizations

By: 本报记者 窦 皓 王 珏 刘军国

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the discovery of the Liangzhu archaeological site. From October 18 to 20, the fourth "Liangzhu Forum," jointly hosted by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the National Cultural Heritage Administration, and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province, was held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, under the theme "Continuity and Innovation of Civilization: Safeguarding Cultural Heritage, Illuminating the Light of the Times." The forum built a platform for dialogue among Chinese and foreign civilizations, focusing on topics such as archaeology of early civilizations, nomination of world cultural heritage, application of cultural heritage protection technologies, return of lost cultural relics, and sustainable tourism.

Relay of archaeological efforts substantiates China's more than 5,000-year history of civilization

From the discovery of two "black, lustrous pottery shards" in 1936 to the inscription of the "Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City" on the World Heritage List in 2019, over the past 90 years, archaeological achievements have emerged one after another—large urban city sites, a large-scale water conservancy system, remains of carbonized rice, a system of jade ritual objects, a hierarchical burial system, and a complex system of carved symbols—forming a complete chain of evidence: in the late Neolithic period more than 5,000 years ago, Liangzhu had already become a regional early state supported economically by rice agriculture, marked by pronounced social differentiation, and possessing a unified belief system.

This forum specifically set up an extended forum on the 90th anniversary of the discovery of the Liangzhu site and a special seminar on academic history, linked with the "Archaeology China—Exhibition of Research Achievements on the Model of Civilization in the Lower Yangtze River Region," released for the first time works including the Collected Works of Shi Xingeng and the Complete Collection of Liangzhu Jade Cong, and held the inaugural issue ceremony of Zhejiang Archaeology, fully presenting the complete academic development lineage of Liangzhu archaeology across the entire chain.

Outside the venue, the "Cong Spectrum—Special Exhibition for the 90th Anniversary of the Discovery of the Liangzhu Site" displayed 124 cong and cong-style vessels treasured by 39 institutions at home and abroad, systematically presenting the more than 5,000-year lineage of transmission of jade cong, serving as a "showcase of achievements" of 90 years of excavation and research at the Liangzhu site.

Heritage safeguarding was equally a focus of this forum. At the forum's opening ceremony, Naiyef Fayezi, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, emphasized in a video address the urgency of safeguarding humanity's heritage. Greek Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni introduced that Greece has issued a national strategy integrating artificial intelligence, environmental monitoring systems, and digital twin technology to identify in advance the threats climate change poses to heritage.

"Technological progress, especially the development of artificial intelligence, has opened broad prospects for our cultural heritage protection work, particularly in digital documentation, risk monitoring, and public dissemination of cultural heritage knowledge," said Mubarak Al-Naqi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture of the United Arab Emirates.

Revitalization and utilization: culture empowers economic and social development

From discussions inside the venue to the market outside, from Liangzhu alone to the whole of Yuhang District, the spillover effect of the "Forum+" model is evident.

"Heritage, along with a place's unique landscape and characteristics, is an important source of attractiveness," said Debrine, Senior Project Officer and Project Manager for Sustainable Tourism at UNESCO.

Stepping into the Liangzhu Museum and putting on AI (artificial intelligence) guide glasses, visitors find that as their gaze sweeps over exhibits, the corresponding historical explanations appear simultaneously. "I saw what people's lives looked like more than 5,000 years ago; this ancient civilization is admirable," said Walter Campos Moraga, a host from Costa Rica.

At the Liangzhu Museum, jade cong and the spirit-man, animal-face motifs have been transformed into large-scale shadow-puppetry installations; the Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park uses VR (virtual reality) technology to make the city site from more than 5,000 years ago "stand up" before visitors' eyes; the "technology + culture and tourism" route links cultural landmarks including the Liangzhu Museum, the Hangzhou Branch of the National Archives of Publications and Culture, and the Liangzhu Ancient City Ruins Park... Here, the ancient civilization can be felt and touched.

During the forum, the Liangzhu cultural and creative market was bustling and lively (热闹非凡, renao feifan - "noisy, not ordinary"). The park where the market is located was transformed from an old printing factory, where jade cong shapes and spirit-man, animal-face motifs have been redesigned into cultural and creative products popular among young people.

"These activities can help visitors better understand the history and stories of the archaeological site," said Zhang Chaozhi, Executive Director of the Department of Tourism Studies at Fudan University and Director of the Fudan University Research Center for Heritage Revitalization and Sustainable Tourism Development. The protection and utilization of the Liangzhu site are also changing the lives of local residents.

The Liangzhu Culture Grand Corridor, rooted in Liangzhu culture, connects towns and streets along its route, gathering cultural and creative enterprises and innovative talent. In 2025, the revenue of cultural enterprises above designated size in Yuhang District, Hangzhou, exceeded 700 billion yuan, with digital cultural industries accounting for more than 90 percent—demonstrating the results of the coordinated development model of "developing through protection, protecting through development."

Exchange and mutual learning: building a platform for dialogue among global civilizations

As an important platform for practicing the Global Civilization Initiative, this forum brought together important intergovernmental organizations in the global cultural heritage field, including UNESCO and the Asian Alliance for Cultural Heritage Conservation, attracting guests from nearly 60 countries and regions.

"The 'Liangzhu Forum' is gradually becoming a major platform for global cultural exchange and a major window for showcasing Chinese civilization," said Wang Shu, Secretary of the Party Working Committee and Director of the Management Committee of the Liangzhu Site Administrative Area.

At this forum, the sub-forum "Mutual Learning: World Cultural Heritage Nomination and Value Transmission Practices" shared experiences in heritage nomination and value interpretation; the sub-forum "Guardianship: Promoting the Return of Lost Cultural Relics to Their Countries of Origin" held dialogues on the restitution and return of cultural property.

During the forum, the fourth meeting of the Council of the Asian Alliance for Cultural Heritage Conservation was held, at which Egypt was approved as a partner country of the Alliance and Kazakhstan as an observer country. To date, the total number of member countries, observer countries, and partner countries of the Alliance has reached 26.

Participating representatives pointed out that since the establishment of the Asian Alliance for Cultural Heritage Conservation, cooperation has been fruitful, its appeal has continued to grow, and practical results have continued to emerge; with regional consensus and joint research as vehicles, the transformation of practical cooperation results has been promoted; attention has been paid to the development of young talent in cultural heritage protection, cultivating future strength, and exchange and mutual learning among civilizations have radiated new vitality and vigor.

"Cultural heritage connects us to the past, and the responsibility to protect and transmit cultural heritage belongs to the present," said Lina Mendoni. "The 'Liangzhu Forum' is gradually developing into an important international platform for promoting dialogue among civilizations and protecting cultural heritage."

At the forum, a memorandum of understanding on strategic cooperation between the Asian Alliance for Cultural Heritage Conservation and the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas, and a memorandum of understanding between the National Cultural Heritage Administration of the People's Republic of China and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, were signed one after another.

"Facing the world, we have always upheld openness, inclusiveness, cooperation, and mutual benefit, actively advancing bilateral, regional, and multilateral cooperation in the field of cultural heritage to make it deeper and more substantive, so that different civilizations shine brilliantly in coordination (交相辉映, jiaoxiang huiying - "interchange, reflect, shine") and coexist in harmony and beauty," said Rao Quan, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism and Director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

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2026 China Jingdezhen International Ceramics Expo Opens

(People's Daily, Jingdezhen, October 19) (Reporters Miao Chun, Wang Dan) The 2026 China Jingdezhen International Ceramics Expo recently opened in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province. As the first ceramics expo held after "Jingdezhen's Handmade Porcelain Industry Heritage" was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List, this expo, themed "Creativity and Innovation, Empowering Industry," has welcomed more than 2,500 guests from over 90 countries and regions around the world, bringing together more than 450 domestic and international enterprises. The expo has for the first time set up a "SCO Window" themed exhibition, centrally displaying intangible cultural heritage handicrafts such as embroidery and woodcarving from SCO member states including Russia and Uzbekistan.

At the opening ceremony, achievements including the "One Map, Four Lists" for the digital and intelligent transformation of the ceramics industry, the new series of standards for the 2026 "Made in Jingdezhen" regional brand, and the municipal digital platform for cultural tourism in the porcelain capital were released. The 2026 Jingdezhen Forum was held concurrently, and the "Jingdezhen Initiative" was released, aiming to promote the transformation of ceramic culture from "one-way display" to "deep resonance."

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The Awa Mountain Villages Take on a New Look

By: 本报记者 叶传增

At dawn, clouds and mist drift across the mountain valleys, and the courtyard gates of Wengding New Village in Cangyuan Va Autonomous County, Lincang City, Yunnan Province, open one by one. In the nearby ancient Wengding village, villager Yiba changes into Va ethnic ceremonial dress, preparing to welcome visitors. As a guide for the ancient village, she guards every day the homeland where her ancestors lived for generations. Wengding, meaning in the Va language "a place surrounded by clouds and mist (云雾缭绕, yun wu liao rao - "cloud, mist, curl, surround")," is an ancient Va village with over 400 years of history and a "living museum" of Va culture.

Several years ago, a major fire dealt a heavy blow to the ancient village. During reconstruction, the village insisted on keeping the original materials and original craftsmanship unchanged — thatched roofs, bamboo and wood frames — with buildings following the traditional style of Va villages, preserving both the "form" of the village and the "soul" of its culture.

Today, Wengding villagers "live in the new village and work in the old village," participating in performances and services at the scenic area and being paid on a points-based system, while also taking shares in the form of houses and land management rights and receiving dividends at year's end. Xiao Haibin, a college graduate who returned to the village, started a catering business offering Va specialties such as the Va King's Feast, chicken porridge, and pounded vegetables. "I want people to feel Wengding's mountains, waters, and human warmth through flavor," Xiao Haibin said.

In the first half of 2026, the Wengding scenic area received 126,500 visitor trips, with total tourism consumption reaching 6.0942 million yuan.

Leaving the ancient village and traveling to Bankao Village in Nuoliang Township, the contiguous coffee groves of the Qiupo Coffee Estate spread out along the slopes. At an elevation of over 1,600 meters, with year-round cloud and mist and large day-night temperature differences, this is a recognized "premium coffee production area."

In earlier times, local coffee beans were mostly sold out as raw materials at low prices, leaving farmers with meager earnings. Estate manager Saimin shifted to a premium route: testing soil plot by plot and applying targeted fertilizer, strictly picking only fully ripe red cherries, and controlling the fermentation process; in cooperation with the Dehong Tropical Agriculture Research Institute of Yunnan Province, introducing quality varieties such as Geisha and Sachim, building a coffee germplasm resource bank, and locking in mountain flavor through standardized processing. In 2022, coffee beans selected by the estate won first place in the non-washed group at the GCEF China Yunnan Coffee Evaluation; in 2025, they took the championship at the inaugural Yunnan Treasure Excellence Cup (Yunnan pilot competition). The estate's products are supplied directly to specialty coffee shops in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, with per-kilogram prices far exceeding ordinary commercial beans. The estate pays villagers more than 300,000 yuan annually in labor fees, radiating to drive coffee industry development in surrounding villages.

From the estate, one travels to the sinkhole cluster located halfway up the mountain in the Cangyuan Cliff Painting Valley Scenic Area. The main sinkhole has a maximum diameter of 184 meters and a depth of 235 meters, preserving a complete primary vegetation community within, with tree ferns growing in contiguous stands, forming a spectacular "fern forest."

"In the past, only villagers herding sheep would come here," said scenic area manager Shen Yuexi. Today, there is a continuous stream of visitors (络绎不绝, luo yi bu jue - "intertwine, continuous, not, cease") on the cantilevered glass viewing platform. With the sinkhole as the core, the locality links the Cangyuan cliff paintings, the Thousand-Meter Chinese Painting Corridor, and Bange Village, connecting natural wonders, ethnic culture, and rural experiences into one route. When visitors scan the cliff face with their phones, scenes of ancestors hunting deer and tribal rituals vividly reappear; in Bange Village, the exterior walls of dwellings are painted with colorful totems, and visitors can immerse themselves in the charm of Va folk customs without leaving the village.

In 2025, Lincang City received 44 million visitor trips, with comprehensive tourism revenue of 31.5 billion yuan, and 263,700 people resided there as long-stay visitors. The city's coffee planting area reached 290,000 mu, ranking second in the province in both area and output; eight tea-tourism boutique routes link ancient tea mountains such as Bingdao and Xigui, turning tea mountains into scenic areas and tea farmers into guides. Banhong Township integrated the resources of the Anti-British Invasion Memorial Hall and the "Hulu King's Land" 4A-level tourist scenic area, turning red-story heritage into an industry that enriches the people... In 2025, the collective economic income of all 44 border villages in the city exceeded 100,000 yuan each, and the per capita disposable income of rural residents in border villages reached 24,382 yuan.

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Chinese Meteorological Society Annual Meeting Opens in Lanzhou

(People's Daily, Lanzhou, October 19) (Reporter Song Chaojun) The 37th Annual Meeting of the Chinese Meteorological Society opened on the 19th in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, under the theme "Understanding Extreme Weather and Climate Change: Cognition, Service, and Response." More than 1,700 backbone researchers and students in the field of meteorological science attended the meeting.

Concurrent with the opening ceremony, the award ceremony for the 2026 Chinese Meteorological Society Science and Technology Awards was held, commending individuals and teams who have achieved outstanding results in innovative practice and meteorological scientific research; awards for the Second National College Student Meteorological Science and Technology Innovation Competition were also presented.

Following the opening ceremony, several experts delivered invited plenary reports, covering frontier fields such as quantum information science and technology, plateau land-atmosphere processes, East Asian climate prediction, and the impact of continental evolution on the climate system.

The annual meeting also featured a series of activities including the Second Meteorological Science Popularization Carnival, the release of achievements in the deep integration of artificial intelligence and atmospheric science, and a special session on the incubation of meteorological science and technology achievements, showcasing the latest research progress in the field of atmospheric science.

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Page editors: Xiao Yao, Dong Yingxue, Yin Yan

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One Mountain, All Scenic Splendor; Fireworks Warm a Thousand Homes (Beautiful China: Protecting World Natural Heritage)

By: 本报记者 游 仪

In October, on Mount Emei in Sichuan, autumn spreads from the foot of the mountain toward the summit—osmanthus flowers drift with a faint fragrance, ginkgo leaves glow golden, and when the wind passes, the leaves rustle and fall.

On the mountain path, tourists carrying backpacks climb upward; at the cable car entrance, people queue and wait. During the National Day holiday not long ago, at the Golden Summit, 3,079 meters above sea level, people waiting to see the sunrise packed the area by 6 a.m. When the sea of clouds churned beneath their feet and a beam of golden light pierced through the cloud layer, cheers burst from the crowd.

In 1996, Mount Emei and the Leshan Giant Buddha were inscribed on the World Heritage List. Over the past 30 years, the Mount Emei World Heritage Site has continued to explore ecological protection, cultural inheritance, and sustainable development. In 2020, after the Regulations on the Protection of the Mount Emei World Cultural and Natural Heritage were implemented, the Mount Emei Scenic Area and Huangwan Town in Emeishan City within the heritage site established a "co-construction, co-management, and shared benefits" mechanism, integrating resources from multiple parties, activating community strength, and forming a virtuous cycle of "heritage protection—community linkage—tourism development."

Co-construction: "One chessboard" for the mountain and the area below

Shi Hengyi is now over 50 years old. He and his wife tend more than ten mu of kiwifruit fields and have lived on Mount Emei for most of their lives. He is a villager of Exiu Village in Huangwan Town, and his home was once the highest-altitude household in the village. A few years ago, they moved down the mountain. He had thought they would not get used to it, but as it turned out, their life has become more and more comfortable.

In 2016, the ecological relocation project in the core area of the Mount Emei World Heritage Site was launched. "At that time, the number of tourists in the scenic area surged, villagers developed businesses in an unregulated manner by relying on the mountain, and the ecological pressure on the heritage site increased sharply," said Yang Bihui, director of the Heritage Management Office of the Mount Emei Scenic Area Administrative Committee. Implementing ecological relocation and guiding residents to move down the mountain was also meant to lighten the burden on the mountain and better protect the heritage site.

When news came that they would need to relocate down the mountain, Shi Hengyi was initially opposed. "I had been growing kiwifruit for so many years, and it was just at the time of good returns. I also held a sedan chair permit in my pocket, and carrying the sedan chair brought in a steady income," Shi Hengyi said frankly. After moving down the mountain, what would happen to the land and how would they make a living—he had no confidence in his heart.

Facing Shi Hengyi's "lack of confidence," Li Guilin, Party branch secretary of Exiu Village, visited him several times to persuade him: "The cost of maintaining a house on the mountain is high, and your children are developing their careers in the city. Once the compensation money comes through, whether you use it for your own retirement or to support your children, isn't either option better than staying in the mountains?" After mulling it over for a few days, Shi Hengyi finally nodded.

So Shi Hengyi transferred the management of his family's land to an enterprise under the Scenic Area Administrative Committee for centralized management. The family not only received land transfer funds but also purchased old-age insurance, and when the house was demolished, they also applied for and received a special housing subsidy. After moving down the mountain, Shi Hengyi's family has been living a pleasant and flavorful life (有滋有味, you zi you wei - "have, taste, have, taste").

Today, more than 1,400 households and over 4,500 villagers from Mount Emei have "moved down the mountain and into the city." The number of original residents within the heritage site has decreased by 24 percent, and 246,000 square meters of vacated land have been restored with vegetation.

"The smooth implementation of the ecological relocation was made possible by the communication and coordination between the town and the village. This is also a microcosm of the co-construction mechanism between our scenic area and Huangwan Town," Yang Bihui said. "With the co-construction mechanism, Huangwan Town, as a regular non-voting attendee of the Party Working Committee, attends our Party Working Committee meetings and participates in decision-making on major matters."

After the Regulations on the Protection of the Mount Emei World Cultural and Natural Heritage were implemented, the Mount Emei Scenic Area has cooperated with the local government in eight areas, including planning and construction, administrative law enforcement, and work safety. The effectiveness of the co-construction mechanism in protecting the ecology is becoming increasingly evident—in response to the management of villagers' housing in the scenic area, the Scenic Area Administrative Committee and Huangwan Town jointly issued management measures for villagers' housing renovation; the scenic area has built nine sewage treatment stations, laid sewage pipe networks across the entire area, and achieved a sewage collection rate of 91 percent, with the ecological environment of Mount Emei continuously improving.

Co-management: "One heart" for patrolling the mountain and protecting the forest

"The Phoebe zhennan trees at Bailong Cave—we need to go check on them again today," Yang Hong, deputy director of the villagers' committee of Qingyin Village in Huangwan Town and village-level deputy forest chief, said early in the morning while organizing her patrol gear and speaking to her fellow team members.

When they reached the area, Yang Hong walked straight to the Phoebe zhennan trees that had previously suffered pest damage and looked up carefully at the branch tips. "Quite a few new leaves have grown, and they are recovering well." As she spoke, she took out her phone, snapped a few photos, and reported the situation to the forestry work group of the Scenic Area Administrative Committee.

Forest protection is a joint effort of all parties. Mount Emei has formed a "town-village" two-tier forest grid management pattern. The forestry station of the Scenic Area Administrative Committee works with the town- and village-level forest chiefs to patrol the mountain forests and protect the ecological foundation of the world heritage site. "Joint patrols by the two tiers of forest chiefs are now the norm on Mount Emei," Yang Hong said.

Where steep slopes and dense forests are inaccessible by vehicle, the team members travel on foot, and at every key pass they post fire prevention notices. Today, more than 200 local residents have been incorporated into the forest ranger team, carrying out daily mountain patrols and fire prevention publicity. In the past five years, the heritage site has achieved "zero forest fires" and "zero major ecological damage incidents."

During holidays, Mount Emei draws large numbers of visitors. The Scenic Area Administrative Committee, together with surrounding towns, villages, and communities, has set up multiple volunteer service points at parking lots and key mountain access roads. Volunteers in red vests are on duty all day, becoming a heartwarming sight along the scenic area, ensuring smooth travel for tourists while also protecting the ecological environment.

"The 'If you have difficulties, please find me' volunteer service is jointly organized by the Scenic Area Administrative Committee, the town government, and village and group cadres, and is on duty during holidays, serving more than 10,000 person-times per year on average," Yang Bihui said. The Scenic Area Administrative Committee has also worked with Huangwan Town to carry out tourism market rectification campaigns, set up standardized information points, and town and village cadres explain policies to villagers and jointly maintain tourism order in the scenic area.

In the afternoon, more than half of the more than 10-kilometer mountain route had been covered. Yang Hong closed her notebook and looked out again at the verdant Phoebe zhennan forest in the distance: "The trees have grown taller, the mountain has become greener, and our steps cannot stop."

Shared benefits: "One account book" for income redistribution

Morning light was just beginning to break through, and birdsong was crisp and clear. Pushing open the guest room door, Luo Yugao, owner of a homestay, deftly pulled off the bed sheets, replaced them with clean bedding, lifted the two corners and gave them a shake, and the quilt fell neatly into place. Luo Yugao lives in Qingyin Village and has been running a homestay for more than 10 years.

In the past, his operation was extensive and crude, focusing mainly on summer heat avoidance. Seeing the surrounding homestays upgrading one after another, Luo Yugao could no longer sit still. A few years ago, he used his savings to renovate his courtyard, committed to creating an original ecological experience in harmony with the mountains and waters, attracting many tourists.

"In the past, I always thought about making more money from tourism. Now I understand that the good ecology of Mount Emei is the key," Luo Yugao said. Today, he not only takes care of his own courtyard well but also transfers idle houses in the surrounding area, upgrading and operating them in a unified manner, and driving villagers to work together.

On Mount Emei, farmhouse restaurants are also bustling with activity. Zhu Zonghui's family has been running a tofu flower rice restaurant for three generations over 20 years, receiving an average of 150 tourists per day during the peak season, and the family has made a living from the "tourism meal."

From "relying on the mountain to eat from the mountain" in the past to "nurturing the mountain and enriching the mountain" today, Luo Yugao said with emotion that with clear protection regulations in place, they have more confidence to devote themselves to the tourism industry and can share in the fruits of cultural and tourism development with the scenic area. "Many young people have returned to their hometowns. The lucid waters and lush mountains at their doorstep are a good place for employment and entrepreneurship."

In accordance with the relevant provisions of the protection regulations, the Mount Emei Scenic Area has established a "ticket income redistribution" mechanism, extracting 3.5 percent from annual ticket income each year as special funds and old-age subsidies distributed to villagers within the scenic area. Over the past five years, a cumulative total of 165 million yuan in ecological compensation funds has been distributed, benefiting more than 184,000 person-times of villagers.

The coming and going of tourists has not only brought popularity from all directions but has also injected development momentum into Huangwan Town. Idle farmhouses have been transformed into cozy homestays, and specialty foods waft with enticing aromas; butterfly paintings, dragon-head walking sticks, and hand-woven works that embody the craftsmanship of artisans both inherit local culture and bring income to villagers. Luo Jie, deputy mayor of Huangwan Town, said: "Residents of the entire town have obtained about 6,200 jobs in the tourism service chain. Among them, more than 240 jobs are in sanitation, monkey management, and similar positions. Protecting the mountain while increasing income achieves a virtuous cycle."

Co-construction, co-management, and shared benefits—mechanism innovation has made local residents both participants in and beneficiaries of ecological protection, turning the lucid waters and lush mountains of Mount Emei into the gold and silver mountains right before their eyes.

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How Are River Sources Determined?

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Wang Hao) The reporter learned from the Ministry of Water Resources: the industry standard "Guidelines for River Source Tracing" (SL/T 883—2026) issued by the Ministry of Water Resources was officially implemented recently. This is China's first unified technical standard specifically regulating river source tracing work. The release of this standard is of great significance for strengthening river management and protection, comprehensively building rivers of tranquility, rivers of life, and rivers of happiness, and constructing a river protection and governance system that connects the upper and lower reaches as one integrated whole from source to estuary.

The true source of a river is the source of the main stream in a river basin's water system, and is the starting point of a river's life. River source tracing work is the process of identifying the source of the main stream in a river basin's water system. Over the years, water conservancy departments have determined the true sources of major rivers such as the Yangtze and the Yellow River through surveying and mapping, scientific expeditions, and other means. However, because there is no unified national technical standard for source tracing, different regions and different personnel use different tracing methods, and for river basin water systems where the relationship between main streams and tributaries is extremely complicated and intricate (错综复杂, cuo zong fu za - "intertwined, complex, complicated"), disagreements over the identification of a river's true source can easily arise.

The release of this standard clarifies the rules and methods for determining a river's true source. It both respects the natural development patterns of rivers and takes into account public perception and local customs, so that the identification of the true source of every river has a basis to rely on and is scientifically compliant. At the same time, it clearly requires that river source tracing must be carried out with the river basin as the unit, avoiding localized and one-sided identification.

First, a comprehensive survey must be conducted to list all potential true sources. For rivers in source areas with many tributaries where the true source is difficult to determine, following the four basic principles of the longest river course, the largest runoff volume, the most direct river alignment, and the highest source elevation, all river sources meeting one or more of these conditions are included in the list of potential true sources. At the same time, river sources passed down by word of mouth (口口相传, kou kou xiang chuan - "mouth, mouth, pass, pass") among the public and those recorded in historical documents are also listed as potential true sources.

Second, the main stream must be correctly identified to lock in the core basis for determining the true source. The main characteristics of a main stream are: good channel connectivity, the ability to traverse the complete terrain of the river basin or source area, and consistency with the main structural line; smooth connection with the downstream main channel, with a straight river alignment at the confluence; and a large catchment area, abundant water volume, and stable water flow.

Finally, tracing must proceed level by level to determine the single true source. The main stream is determined based on the above characteristics of main streams. If it is difficult to judge directly, tracing proceeds from downstream to upstream, using data to distinguish the main stream from tributaries, until the starting point of the main stream is determined, thereby determining the true source of the river.

A relevant official from the Ministry of Water Resources stated that in the past, the styles of river source markers in various regions were all sorts of different kinds (五花八门, wu hua ba men - "five, flowers, eight, gates"), varied in size, and had non-standard labeling. After the implementation of the new technical standard, where river true source markers need to be established, they should be established in a standardized manner. River true source markers should be safe and conspicuous, convenient for management and maintenance, and their style, material, color scheme, and text size should be clear and intuitive, and in harmony with the surrounding natural environment.

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Hainan conducts autumn migratory bird survey

(People's Daily, Haikou, October 19) (Reporter Dong Zeyang) The reporter learned from the Hainan Provincial Academy of Forestry Sciences that the academy has recently completed the autumn migratory bird survey under the 2026 Hainan Province Mangrove Resources Monitoring and Effectiveness Assessment Project. The survey team traveled to 13 major mangrove wetlands in Hainan to conduct a thorough investigation of assets or resources (摸家底, mo jia di - "touch, family, bottom") of autumn migratory birds.

As autumn arrives, Hainan Island has ushered in a new round of migratory bird season. Hainan is located on the "East Asia–Australasia" migratory bird flyway and possesses diverse habitats including mangroves, tidal creeks, and mudflats, creating favorable conditions for migratory birds to forage and rest. Starting each September, large numbers of migratory birds fly southward to arrive in Hainan. Each December, Hainan welcomes the most concentrated period of migratory birds moving south. In March–April of the following year, the migratory birds return northward. Mangrove wetlands, as key stopover stations on this flyway, bear the needs of tens of thousands of migratory waterbirds for resting and wintering. This survey aims to systematically grasp the community structure, population dynamics, and habitat quality of autumn migratory birds, providing a scientific basis for the ecological protection and restoration of mangrove wetlands.

This autumn migratory bird survey is an important component of the "Hainan Province Mangrove Resources Monitoring and Effectiveness Assessment Project" undertaken by the Hainan Provincial Academy of Forestry Sciences. The project is organized and implemented by the Hainan Provincial Wildlife Protection and Management Bureau. The survey content covers vegetation, birds, macrobenthic animals, water quality, and sediments in the main mangrove distribution areas of Hainan. The survey results will provide key data support for mangrove wetland protection and management in Hainan, protection of the migratory bird flyway, and assessment of ecological restoration effectiveness.

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Last Year China's Fishery Resources and Aquatic Ecological Environment Remained Stable

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Yu Jingxian) The reporter learned from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs: the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment recently jointly released the Bulletin on the Status of China's Fishery Ecological Environment (2025). The bulletin shows that in 2025, China's fishery resources and aquatic ecological environment remained stable, and during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the quality of fishery water environments showed a trend of steady improvement, though the phenomenon of nitrogen and phosphorus indicators exceeding standards still exists.

In 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs organized 48 monitoring stations of the national fishery ecological environment monitoring network to conduct fishery resource surveys in China's four major sea areas and important river basins such as the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, and carried out routine environmental monitoring covering 18 indicators including fishery water quality, sediment, and plankton at 164 important fishery waters. Compared with 2024, the concentrations of zinc, lead, mercury, and arsenic indicators in all monitored waters met evaluation standards, and the proportion of areas where the chemical oxygen demand indicator exceeded standards in important marine fishery waters decreased by 59.3%.

In 2025, 93, 202, 283, and 496 species of fishery organisms were respectively surveyed in China's Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and northern South China Sea; 351 and 114 species of native fish were respectively monitored in the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the proportions of areas where the chemical oxygen demand indicator in important natural marine fishery waters, the inorganic nitrogen indicator in key marine aquaculture areas, and the active phosphate indicator in national aquatic germplasm resource conservation zones (marine) exceeded standards decreased by 51.6%, 33.7%, and 55.4% respectively; the proportions of areas where the total phosphorus indicator in important river fishery waters, the total nitrogen indicator in important lake and reservoir fishery waters, and the permanganate index indicator in national aquatic germplasm resource conservation zones (inland) exceeded standards decreased by 47.0%, 16.5%, and 22.8% respectively.

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Photo Report

On October 18, at the Erdao Bridge scenic area of the Populus euphratica forest in Ejina Banner, Alxa League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the golden poplar trees and the shimmering lake water were shining in reflected splendor together (交相辉映, jiao xiang hui ying - "interact, each other, reflect, shine"), forming a beautiful ecological picture of the desert that attracted tourists to come and enjoy the view.

Photo by Zhang Yuanming (China Images)

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Guangdong issues plan for green belt construction

(People's Daily, Guangzhou, October 19) (Reporter Li Zong) The reporter learned from the Water Resources Department of Guangdong Province that the "Guangdong Province Green Belt Construction Plan (2026–2035)" was recently printed and put into effect. The plan specifies that by the end of 2030, Guangdong Province will have built more than 1,000 kilometers of green belts, linking more than 2,000 greenway parks and more than 10,000 distinctive resource nodes, and adding 500,000 mu of new greening area. Looking ahead to 2035, Guangdong Province will have built more than 3,000 kilometers of green belts, and the pattern of "green belts linking mountains and seas, green charm entering Guangdong" will be basically formed.

The plan proposes implementing four major actions and 10 specific tasks, including comprehensive river channel improvement and waterfront greening and beautification, and, with "typical scenes—core sections—backbone corridors—river basin networks" as the spatial framework, constructs the overall pattern of Guangdong's green and beautiful green belts of "seven scenes and three sections weaving green waters, five corridors and six regions nourishing southern Guangdong."

In terms of functional layout, green belt construction will adhere to in light of local conditions and classified implementation. The Pearl River Delta region focuses on urban waterfront vitality, creating urban central green corridors, estuary harbors, and island-ring green belts, helping to build the golden inner bay; the eastern Guangdong region deeply taps water culture resources and releases the cultural tourism value of rivers and lakes; the western Guangdong region leverages its endowment of mountain, sea, river, and lake resources, linking coastal harbors and pastoral rivers and streams, and cultivating distinctive green belts of mountain-sea blue bays; the northern Guangdong region, based on its ecological foundation, focuses on developing rural pastoral and canyon river bay scenes, coordinating ecological protection with comprehensive rural revitalization, and promoting the deep coupling of the resource endowments of different regions with green belt construction.

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Rooftops Turn Sunlight into "Savings Passbooks" as Green Energy Unleashes Development Vitality

By: 本报记者 韩俊杰 李俊杰

At noon, the sunlight is bright. On the roof of Chen Zhengfa's home, a resident of Taolou Town, Changfeng County, Hefei City, Anhui Province, rows of photovoltaic panels glisten, inverters hum at the base of the wall, and the numbers on the monitoring screen keep climbing upward.

"On a good day like this, we can generate about 120 kilowatt-hours of electricity. Our household can't use it all, and the surplus can be sold to the grid." Chen Zhengfa calculated his household's energy account for the reporter.

Today, in the rural areas of Changfeng County, such "sunshine savings passbooks" are a common sight. County-wide household distributed photovoltaic installations have reached 482,000 kilowatts, generating more than 500 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

Rooftop photovoltaics not only increase income for the people, but have also changed the way households cook and heat their homes. In the past, many farm households burned coal, with black smoke billowing from chimneys. Now, 12,000 rural households in Changfeng County have completed electric cooking and electric heating retrofits, more than 8,200 old bulk-coal stoves have been dismantled one after another, and over 10,000 villagers now use clean gas.

These changes stem from an exploration. In 2022, Changfeng County was approved as Anhui Province's only comprehensive energy innovation reform pilot county, and in 2023 it was again selected as one of the first national rural energy revolution pilot counties.

"At the start, where the money would come from and who would drive the projects forward were both real difficulties before us." Zheng Bin, deputy county head of Changfeng County, explained that the county explored building a market-oriented promotion mechanism of "the government sets the stage, enterprises play the leading role," and joined forces with Anhui Provincial Energy Group to establish Wanfeng Changneng Company as the operating platform.

"In the past, advancing energy projects involved coordination across multiple departments, and the coordination cycle was long. With a specialized platform in place, the introduction of factors such as capital and technology has become more flexible and efficient, and project advancement has gone more smoothly." Wang Zhaohui, director of the Changfeng County Development and Reform Commission, spoke with deep feeling. As of now, more than 20 key energy projects have been landed across the county, mobilizing over 7 billion yuan in social capital cumulatively.

Entering the dispatch center of the Zhitan Energy Industrial Internet Platform in Xiatang Industrial Park, real-time energy consumption data from 106 enterprises and 68 photovoltaic power stations flickers across the electronic screen. Whether an enterprise's workshop shows abnormal energy consumption or a piece of equipment is running idle, the system automatically detects it and raises an alarm.

An automotive interior company located in Hefei City, Anhui Province, was once troubled by the high energy consumption of 18 oil temperature control machines in its workshop. "In the past, the equipment often ran idle, and electricity bills stayed high." Li Xiaodong, the head of the enterprise, said that after connecting to the industrial internet platform, the system built an equipment start-stop logic model. Once it identifies idle operation, it automatically raises an alarm, helping the enterprise save more than 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.

Today, the Zhitan Energy Industrial Internet Platform has moved beyond the industrial park, covering 5 townships in Changfeng County and 1,500 household photovoltaic installations, extending its monitoring probes into rural courtyards.

Changfeng County has extended its comprehensive energy reform to agriculture, construction, transportation, and other fields. The "photovoltaic + smart agriculture" project in Taolou Town generates electricity from the shed roof, grows crops in the middle, and raises fish underneath; the South Campus of Changfeng County Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital uses "geothermal +" for heating and cooling, and 5 similar geothermal projects have been completed across the county; Anhui Province's first "oil, gas, electricity, hydrogen, and services" comprehensive energy port has been put into operation in Xiatang Town; and all 282 villages and residential communities in the county have achieved full coverage of charging piles, forming a county-level energy network pattern of "county has ports, towns have stations, villages have piles."

Since the pilot began, Changfeng County's renewable energy installed capacity has grown from 410,000 kilowatts to 1.2633 million kilowatts, electricity generation has risen from 599 million kilowatt-hours to 1.493 billion kilowatt-hours, the share of renewable energy in primary energy consumption has jumped from 8 percent to 26.79 percent, and energy consumption per unit of GDP has fallen by 19.58 percent compared with 2020.

Zheng Bin said that during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Changfeng County will accelerate the construction of pilot projects in wind power, photovoltaics, source-grid-load-storage integration, and energy storage, promote the landing of projects such as the comprehensive energy port, the second phase of the gas-fired power plant, and the fusion innovation demonstration zone, integrate into the construction of the Hefei metropolitan area in light of local conditions, and expand the coverage and improve the effectiveness of all reform achievements from the pilot.

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Page editors: Zhang Ye, Yang Xiaoyu, Fu Mingli

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"I'm willing to keep pushing forward" (Spotlight on the Asian Para Games)

By: 本报记者 季 芳 王 亮

On October 19, local time, at the weightlifting venue of the 5th Asian Para Games, when the message "attempt successful" appeared on the big screen, Chinese team athlete Cui Zhe sat on the lifting platform, raising both arms to celebrate victory. In the women's 41kg weightlifting event, she successfully claimed gold with a lift of 120kg, securing the first gold medal for the Chinese sports delegation at this Asian Para Games. This was also the fifth time in her career that she had competed at the Asian Para Games and the fifth time she had won the title.

Throughout the entire competition, across three attempts, Cui Zhe remained in stable form. Opening at 110kg, she completed the lift in one continuous motion (一气呵成, yi qi he cheng - "one breath, complete"), executing the movement in a clean and efficient manner (干净利落, gan jing li luo - "clean, neat, decisive"). For her second attempt, she increased the weight to 115kg and again completed it smoothly, establishing a significant lead. For the third attempt, she only needed to secure a safe weight to ensure the gold medal would not slip away. However, Cui Zhe chose instead to challenge 120kg — a weight she had reached in training but had never lifted in an official competition. "To bring out my training level and attack a weight I've never completed on the competition stage" — this was the goal she had set for herself before the competition.

Cui Zhe did it! Before the third attempt, she sat on the lifting platform, eyes closed, holding her breath and composing herself. "I ran through the movement once in my mind, steadied my mentality, and gave myself some encouragement," she recalled after the competition. Lying back, gripping the bar, exerting force — the barbell was lifted steadily, and Cui Zhe finally broke into a smile. With the outstanding result of lifting 120kg, she not only earned the gold medal but also set a new personal best on the competition stage.

From starting weightlifting at age 16 to more than 20 years having passed since, Cui Zhe has won no shortage of gold medals during this period, but luck has often been lacking — from the 2008 Beijing Paralympics to the Tokyo Paralympics held in 2021, she took silver in four consecutive editions. Cui Zhe did not become discouraged. She kept lifting, edition after edition, and kept adding weight, attempt after attempt.

In 2021, when Sun Yafei became Cui Zhe's coach, the training approach was transformed, and Cui Zhe also began to learn to enjoy weightlifting and savor the competition process. "By letting go of the pursuit of rankings, I actually became more relaxed on the competition stage." Starting in 2021, her results improved steadily. At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, she won the Paralympic gold medal with a lift of 119kg. "My mentality is much better than before. I feel like I matured all at once."

Actively embracing challenges and knowing how to converse with oneself are the changes weightlifting has brought to Cui Zhe. Now, approaching 40 years old, she still holds fast to her passion and appears even more composed and confident on the competition stage. Many teammates look to her as a role model, and this trust and affirmation also push her to keep moving forward. "I'm willing to keep striving all the way."

Five consecutive Asian Para Games titles is, in Cui Zhe's heart, an achievement to be proud of. But for the future, she has new goals. "European athletes are very competitive. I still need to keep working to improve my world ranking." The world record in the women's 41kg para powerlifting category is 123kg. When asked whether she wants to challenge the world record, Cui Zhe answered without any hesitation (毫不犹豫, hao bu you yu - "not, a bit, hesitate"): "Yes!" Successfully lifting 120kg on the competition stage this time may, for Cui Zhe, be a new starting point toward a new goal.

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Listen and Locate: Blind Football Is Just as Thrilling (Quick Guide)

The blind football competition at this year's Asian Para Games opened on October 16. As of now, the Chinese team has achieved 3 wins and 1 loss.

How is blind football played? Each team fields 5 players, including 4 visually impaired players and 1 goalkeeper. Players must wear opaque eye masks; positioning, passing and receiving, and physical contests are all accomplished through hearing, touch, and spatial awareness.

The match ball has bells built in, which emit a continuous clear ringing sound as it rolls — this is an important basis for players to judge the ball's position, speed, and direction. During the match, players constantly call out "hey, hey" as audible cues, informing teammates and opponents of their own positions to avoid collisions while running. This is both self-protection and the foundation of team coordination. Having trained together closely (并肩训练, bing jian xun lian - "side by side, train") year-round, the players are familiar with each other's voices and rhythms, enabling them to complete precise passes and seamless coordination on the field.

In addition, to prevent the ball from frequently going out of bounds and to ensure smooth play, boards are set up along the "sideline" positions of the field.

On-site coaching is also crucial. Wang Guishun, head coach of the Chinese blind football team, explained that during the match, each team's direction consists of three parts: a guide stands behind the opponent's goal, responsible for cues during attacking play; the goalkeeper coordinates and directs defensive organization in the back; and the coach directs in real time from the midfield area.

Spectators must remain quiet during the match to avoid interfering with the players' ability to locate positions by sound. After each goal, spectators may cheer and applaud.

(Compiled and arranged by People's Daily reporter Ji Fang)

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Chasing the Wind, Singing All the Way

By: 本报记者 庞革平

From October 13 to 18, the 2026 Tour of Guangxi (hereinafter referred to as the "Tour of Guangxi World Tour") was held. Twenty-two professional teams and 154 top riders from around the world gathered in Guangxi (see photo, courtesy of the race organizing committee), setting a new record for participation in the event's history. Over six days, on a course stretching 1,068.6 kilometers, from the Zuo River in Chongzuo to the banks of the Hongshui River, from Bama, the "hometown of longevity," to the summit of Nongla Mountain in Mashan, wheels rolled, chasing the wind and singing all the way.

Increased Challenge Difficulty

This year's event featured an upgraded and modified course, with added hills and steep slopes, increasing the challenge difficulty. The race linked five cities—Chongzuo, Baise, Hechi, Laibin, and Nanning—with the course within Hechi spanning approximately 420 kilometers, accounting for about 40 percent of the total distance, passing through seven counties (districts). The Bama–Fengshan–Tian'e stage (Stage 4) featured a cumulative climb of 2,679 meters, the highest among the six stages.

On October 15, during the third stage, Chinese team rider Wang Ruidong actively contested the climbing points and successfully claimed the polka-dot jersey symbolizing the "King of the Mountains," marking the first time a Chinese team rider had won a leader's jersey on the World Tour stage. After the race, he said: "Originally, I was better at sprinting, but this race showed me my potential in climbing."

On October 18, the event entered its final stage. The 165.6-kilometer course started from Yizhou in Hechi City, passed through Xincheng and Shanglin, and headed straight for Nongla in Mashan. Before the finish line lay a slope of 3.1 kilometers with an average gradient of about 6.2 percent, with the final 1.4 kilometers featuring local gradients exceeding 20 percent. Riders jokingly referred to riding this mountain section as "climbing a wall."

The complex terrain kept the race's suspense alive until the very end. In the end, 20-year-old rider Jarno Widar of Lotto–Dstny was the first to reach the summit, winning the sixth stage, and with a 9-second advantage over Olympic champion Pidcock, claimed the overall individual classification title of this year's Tour of Guangxi. "Guangxi's scenery is so beautiful; I will remember this land forever," Jarno Widar said after the race.

The Course Itself Is Scenery

The Tour of Guangxi is the only Union Cycliste Internationale men's road cycling World Tour race held within China, and it has now become a window showcasing Guangxi's beauty and culture. The teams passed through Chongzuo's broad urban roads, climbed over Hechi's karst peaks, crossed the long emerald bridges over the Hongshui River, and rode through vast mountain fields and bamboo groves.

The Daxin County stage in Chongzuo City is situated near mountains and water (依山傍水, yi shan bang shui - "rely on, mountains, adjacent to, water"), linking scenic spots into a corridor, connecting cultural and tourism resources such as the Heishui River, Mingshi Pastoral Scenery, and Detian Transnational Waterfall. On the Baise stage, the Sandieling Waterfall and the rolling fields of the "hometown of Chinese mangoes" accompanied the riders all the way, while special events such as Debao pony performances, Tiandong golden gong dances, and Tianyang lion dances added to the excitement. Netizens commented, "People ride within a painting, scenery moves with the wheels."

"Guangxi boasts beautiful natural scenery, excellent air quality, and well-developed road infrastructure, making it highly suitable for cycling events. Every section of the course is a window showcasing local culture," said Sven, a technical delegate of the Union Cycliste Internationale.

In 2024, Hechi City was included in the event for the first time; in 2025, it expanded to two major stages; and in 2026, all seven counties (districts) were covered. Fengshan, Tian'e, Huanjiang, and Luocheng—four counties—entered the World Tour map for the first time this year, with local residents waiting early along the roadside, some carrying dry provisions, some carrying children on their backs, all vying to watch the teams pass by.

The course connects not only beautiful scenery but also local customs and culture. Longevity elders from Bama's Yao ethnic township formed spectator groups, Huanjiang's Maonan ethnic flower-bamboo hats and "Feitao" intangible cultural heritage appeared before the lenses of the world-class event, and Luocheng's Mulao ethnic Yifan Festival customs and Yizhou's Liu Sanjie folk songs drifted over the Xiajian River. Along the course, bronze drum sounds interwove with folk songs, as traditional culture made a splendid appearance.

Both Traffic and Growth

This year, the Tour of Guangxi had a new highlight—more than 1,500 amateur riders and 154 professional riders shared the same course and started at the same time. On one side were internationally high-level athletes, on the other, ordinary cycling enthusiasts. People came driven by passion and left with great rewards.A Beijing rider remarked with emotion: "Guangxi's mountains and rivers are beautiful, and the people are warm-hearted—this trip was worth it!"

The event brought traffic and also economic growth. During last year's event, Hechi City attracted a cumulative 201,000 tourist visits, directly driving comprehensive consumption of over 160 million yuan. This year, the exhibition and sales fair at the Hechi finish line attracted more than 10,000 visitors on the day, with offline sales exceeding 100,000 yuan. Zhuang brocade bags and other cultural and creative products from Jiangzhou District, Chongzuo City, were popular as souvenirs. Bama's rural market saw cumulative online and offline sales of 2 million yuan, with hempseed oil tea and Zhuang brocade embroidered balls sold across the country. Xincheng County in Laibin City turned "race day" into a lively "cultural tourism carnival day." Many spectators, while waiting for the race, visited the Mo Tusi Government Office and the Lavender Manor, where intangible cultural heritage performances, cultural and creative markets, agricultural specialty product exhibitions, and race-themed photo spots drew large crowds.

Over six days, many stories were written. The wheels carried dreams and passion, and also witnessed the changes across the land of Guangxi.

(Lu Huayong contributed to this report)

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Old Grain Station at the Doorstep: A Great Place to Work Out

By: 本报记者 窦瀚洋

In Tatan Temple Village, Kecheng District, Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province, 74-year-old villager Chen Jiaying never imagined that the old grain station in front of her home, long abandoned, would become a great place for exercise and fitness.

Around 7 p.m., the "Nanwang · 1958" landmark lights up, colorful fountains adorn the square's night scene, and Chen Jiaying dances square dance with her sisters. On the illuminated basketball court nearby, young men compete fiercely; on the other side, inside the badminton hall, a coach leads young trainees in practicing swings and shots...

Behind the stunning transformation of the old venue lies precise planning. "Quhua Subdistrict, where Tatan Temple Village is located, is home to many industrial parks. A large number of industrial talents live and work here, with high demand for sports and leisure but few professional venues. The idle space of the old grain station can just fill that gap," said Zhu Mingming, Party branch secretary of Tatan Temple Village.

After research, planning, and recommendations from a professional team, the village collective planned to turn this old grain station, idle since 2013, into a complex integrating grain depot culture, sports and leisure, and entertainment and consumption. Once proposed, the plan received strong support from the subdistrict and relevant departments. In December 2024, the renovation and restoration work, with a total investment of over ten million yuan, officially began.

Zhu Mingming explained that the project is being advanced in two phases. Phase one focuses on mass sports and social-media-worthy photo spots, building comprehensive basketball halls, badminton halls, pickleball courts, and other sports venues; phase two focuses mainly on commercial supporting facilities and is currently attracting investment.

After renovation, the old grain station is completely new in appearance (焕然一新, huan ran yi xin - "change, fresh, one, new"): the mottled walls have been painted a bright orange, the pitted ground has become flat and open, the idle open space has been divided into clearly functional sports zones, and the abandoned warehouses have been transformed into professional sports venues.

With professional venues in place, a "fitness trend" has swept the village. "In the past, most people stayed home after dinner. Now that professional venues have been put into use, villagers have come out of their homes one after another to play ball, run, and dance — the sports atmosphere is getting stronger and stronger," Zhu Mingming said. Not only that, the locality fully leverages the sports venue resources of the industrial park, vigorously carries out various mass sports activities, and has successively hosted more than 10 sports events and training activities, including municipal- and district-level pickleball training and fun sports meets.

Zhu Mingming explained that to avoid the situation of "hot at the start, cold later," the village adopted the mindset of "letting professionals do professional work" from the very beginning. Through a "strong village company + third party" model, a joint venture company was established, and the venues were handed over to a professional team for market-oriented operation.

Chen Ling, the park's operations manager, introduced that the venues currently operate under a dual-track "public welfare + market" model, with four hours of free public welfare time set aside each day, open to all citizens, and the remaining hours billed by the hour. "Taking the badminton hall as an example, prices range from 30 to 50 yuan per hour depending on the time slot, which both guarantees the public welfare nature of public sports services and enables the sustainable operation of the venues."

Wang Yimin, an industrial worker who has lived in Tatan Temple Village for more than 30 years, is a badminton enthusiast who likes to find a place to play and work up a sweat whenever he has free time. Now that the new venue has been completed, he comes almost every day. The venue has a rubber floor with good bounce, and the nets are standard equipment — Wang Yimin feels the playing experience is excellent.

Zhu Mingming explained that the venues now generate 500,000 yuan in additional annual income for the village collective from fixed rent alone, and operating profits can also be distributed as dividends. Many villagers, including Chen Jiaying, have also been hired as park cleaners, earning a stable monthly income of more than 3,000 yuan. "Exercising and earning money at our doorstep without neglecting either (两不误, liang bu wu - "two, not, miss") — I never dared to dream of that in the past," Chen Jiaying said with a smile.

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Zhang Xue Racing rider wins runner-up in annual riders' championship

(Xinhua News Agency, Madrid, October 18) (Reporters Chen Yuzheng, Xie Yuzhi) The 2026 World Superbike Championship (WSBK) concluded its season finale on October 18 at the Jerez circuit in Spain. In the second race of the World SSP class, Valentin Debise, a rider for Chinese motorcycle manufacturer "Zhang Xue Motorcycles," finished fifth, ending the season as runner-up in the riders' championship. "Zhang Xue Motorcycles" secured third place in the manufacturers' championship. This season marked "Zhang Xue Motorcycles'" debut in World SSP competition, showcasing the development of China's motorcycle industry.

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2026 Beijing Marathon Men's Course Record Shattered

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Liu Shuoyang) The 2026 Beijing Marathon was held recently, with a total of 32,000 runners participating. In the end, 2024 Paris Olympic champion and Ethiopian star Tola won the men's title with a time of 2 hours 3 minutes 10 seconds, improving the previous course record of 2 hours 7 minutes 6 seconds by nearly four minutes. In the women's competition, Genneh, also from Ethiopia, crossed the finish line first with a time of 2 hours 20 minutes 36 seconds.

Among the domestic runners, Li Dalin finished as the top Chinese male runner with a time of 2 hours 8 minutes 30 seconds, placing fourth overall, winning consecutive titles (蝉联, chan lian - "cicada, continuous") as the domestic men's champion of the Beijing Marathon. Ciren Cuomu ranked first among domestic female runners with a time of 2 hours 23 minutes 48 seconds, placing second overall, and she will next strive to qualify for next year's Beijing World Championships.

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2026 National Go Industry Staff Competition Held

(People's Daily, Beijing, October 19) (Reporter Zheng Yi) The 2026 National Go Industry Staff Competition and the "Lanke Cup" Staff Go Invitational Tournament were recently held in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province. A total of 64 teams with nearly 300 contestants, drawn from trade unions, Go industry associations, and Go institutions across the country, took part, making it a vivid practice in implementing the national strategy of nationwide fitness and advancing the building of staff culture.

As a key event of the "Lanke Go Week," this staff competition built a nationwide platform for making friends through playing chess (以棋会友, yi qi hui you - "use chess, meet friends") and for exchange and mutual learning. In the online stage held over the preceding month, more than 1.32 million games were completed in total, with nearly 116,000 participants. After ten rounds of competition in the offline finals, the team of the Jiaxing Federation of Trade Unions, Zhejiang, and the Qinhuangdao Go Association, Hebei, took the team championships in the trade union group and the open group, respectively.

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National Public Open-Water Swimming Series Yuandang Lake Stop Kicks Off

(People's Daily, Shanghai, October 19) (Reporter Cui Yin) The 2026 "Great Rivers and Great Lakes" National Public Open-Water Swimming Series, Yuandang Lake stop, recently kicked off in Qingpu District, Shanghai, where nearly 600 swimming enthusiasts from all over showed off their brilliance (一展风采, yi zhan feng cai - "one, display, style, elegance"). The event was founded by the China Swimming Association in 2014, adopted the "Great Rivers and Great Lakes" theme in 2026, and comprises six qualifying stops nationwide, of which the Qingpu Yuandang Lake stop is one.

This is the first time a national-level open-water event has been held in Shanghai. The event features men's and women's 1,500-meter speed swimming, 500-meter leisure swimming, and other categories, divided into multiple age groups, balancing competitive racing with public water-based experiences.

The event empowers water-town cultural tourism through sports; participants can enjoy approximately 130 consumer benefits from 77 merchants in Qingpu District by presenting their event credentials. Qingpu District is simultaneously distributing golden autumn consumption vouchers and launching five themed tourist routes.

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One-Armed Teenager’s Basketball Dream

By: 本报记者 洪秋婷

The basketball arena of Guangdong Baiyun University was brightly lit — dribbling, changing direction, breaking through, shooting, the basketball slammed against the floor again and again. After finishing the last set of suicides with the team, Zhang Jiacheng wiped the sweat from his face; the cuff of his left wrist was already soaked through. More than a month into the semester, this one-armed teenager from Yunfu City, Guangdong, after a series of assessments, had fulfilled his wish and become a member of the school basketball team.

At the end of July this year, Cui Manfeng, dean of the School of Physical Education at Guangdong Baiyun University, led a team to Gaocun Town, Yunfu City, to deliver the admission notice into Zhang Jiacheng's hands. "The moment I got the notice, I thought I had to do everything I could to make the school basketball team," Zhang Jiacheng said.

Zhang Jiacheng's love of basketball has existed for a long time (由来已久, you lai yi jiu - "origin, already, long, existed"). When he was young, an accident cost him his right forearm, leaving him able to dribble and shoot only with his left hand. Dribbling with one arm makes it easy to lose balance in confrontations; falling and getting scraped were an everyday occurrence (家常便饭, jia chang bian fan - "family, usual, side, meal") for Zhang Jiacheng, but he never gave up. The crude cement court in the countryside was his little corner of happiness. After school, he often practiced on his own, his palms building up layer after layer of calluses. "Nothing special — just more practice. If others practice once, I practice ten times, a hundred times."

In 2020, a short video of Zhang Jiacheng going one-on-one and dribbling on the court went viral on social media platforms. Basketball stars such as Yi Jianlian and Zhu Fangyu gave him the thumbs-up, and he consequently received many interview and event invitations. Faced with the sudden attention and praise, Zhang Jiacheng was not overly excited; instead, he returned to the familiar court and kept up his own training rhythm. In 2024, the film I Am the Wind!, adapted from his real experiences, was released, and he played himself, passing on to more people the strength of gritting one's teeth through adversity and never giving up (永不言弃, yong bu yan qi - "forever, not, speak, abandon").

The film's release brought Zhang Jiacheng more fame, but he did not lose himself; instead, he put more energy into his studies at his desk. In his senior year of high school, with the physical education exam and cultural course preparation piling up at the same time, academic pressure surged. Zhang Jiacheng trained by day and studied by night. In the end, he was admitted to Guangdong Baiyun University's Social Sports Guidance and Management program.

Entering university, the pace is faster and the demands are higher. Cui Manfeng said the school has long been committed to integrating sports and education and will support Zhang Jiacheng in continuing to pursue his dream. "The school will teach students according to their aptitudes and help Zhang Jiacheng and his classmates grow better," said Liu Jianfeng, president of the university.

As for the future, Zhang Jiacheng has a clear plan: "I want to obtain a physical education teacher qualification certificate, and my long-term plan is to become a basketball coach or a physical education teacher."

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"Aid to Qinghai Cup" Football Invitational Tournament Held in Qinghai

(People's Daily, Haidong, Qinghai, October 19) (Reporter Qiao Dong) The final of the "Aid to Qinghai Cup" football invitational tournament was recently held at the Sports Center of Haidong City, Qinghai Province, with Shandong Liaocheng Team claiming the championship. The participating teams gathered in Haidong, using football as a bond to jointly renew the friendship of aiding Qinghai. The Qinghai Lake Little Waves Youth Women's Football Team also played a fun warm-up match against a mixed team of football stars. Thanks to the support of the aid-to-Qinghai assistance policy, this women's football team has successively traveled to Beijing, Shandong, Gansu, and Henan to compete and train in multiple locations. Off the pitch, special activities such as promotions of fine Qinghai products were held simultaneously, and during the halftime break, ethnic dances and Qinghai Hua'er singing occurred one after another in succession (轮番上演, lun fan shang yan - "turn by turn, perform"), creating a lively atmosphere at the venue.

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Page editors: Gong Yuhua, Shi Zhe, Gao Ji

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Countries Explore Ways to Curb Food Waste (International Perspective)

By: 本报记者 徐 馨 张矜若 郑 翔

Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), said recently at an event held at the FAO headquarters in Rome that reducing food loss and waste helps promote the transformation of agrifood systems, conserve natural resources and funds, and ease pressure on forest protection. The FAO noted that there remains a considerable gap to closing the target under the UN Sustainable Development Goals of halving per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels by 2030 while reducing food losses along production and supply chains.

According to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme, total global food waste each year accounts for roughly one-fifth of total available food consumption, with households, food services, and retail all being noteworthy (不可忽视, bu ke shi wu - "not, can, ignore, slight") sources of waste. Many countries have successively set targets for reducing food waste, pooling the joint efforts of the public sector, business institutions, and civil society organizations, exploring a variety of practical and effective solutions and concrete measures, striving to raise food utilization rates, and minimizing losses and waste in food production and consumption links.

Germany —

Raising the utilization rate of safe, edible food

Recently, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture launched and promoted a themed awareness week under the slogan "Too Good to Throw Away." Federal states held cooking workshops, school projects, food preparation parties, and other activities to encourage people to cherish food in daily life and improve food consumption and storage habits.

Data show that Germany wastes approximately 10.8 million tons of food each year. The German government previously issued the National Strategy for Reducing Food Waste, with the goal of substantially reducing food waste by 2030 and further lowering losses in the food production supply chain. In 2023, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture signed the Agreement Against Food Waste with 14 large wholesale and retail enterprises including Kaufland and Metro, striving to drive a 50 percent reduction in food waste among the relevant enterprises by 2030. In the first year of the agreement's implementation, the total food waste of the signatory enterprises fell by 24 percent.

Some civil society organizations are also participating in campaigns advocating the reduction of food waste. Germany's "Foodsharing" association has agreed on fixed pickup times with partner enterprises, regularly collecting food from supermarkets, bakeries, and other outlets that is no longer suitable for sale but remains safe to eat, and forwarding it to welfare institutions or placing it at public pickup points. Individuals can also flexibly use the association's website to share surplus food from their own homes. In 2025, the "Foodsharing" association, in cooperation with the Berlin city government, launched the "Community Fridge" project, in which food collected by the association is stored in dozens of "community fridges" for people to take free of charge.

"Die Tafel" is Germany's largest long-established food relief and anti-food-waste charity organization. Its staff collect food from supermarkets, bakeries, hotels, and other outlets along fixed routes each morning that is about to be discarded but is still edible; after sorting, it is placed in warehouses and then sold at very low prices to people in need. The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture also funds related digitalization projects to make cooperation between the food industry and "Die Tafel" more efficient, transparent, and convenient. Because the number of food producers and the volume of surplus food vary considerably across Germany's federal states, the state branches of "Die Tafel" and logistics providers have formed a food rescue alliance, enabling material exchanges among the state "Tafel" associations as well.

Thailand —

Advancing the reduction and recycling of surplus food

According to the latest data released by Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand generates nearly 10 million tons of food waste each year, of which approximately 4 million tons is still edible. To reduce food waste, Thailand has formulated a relevant roadmap and action plan, proposing to advance the reduction and recycling of surplus food at the sales, cooking, and consumption stages.

In a community in the Phasi Charoen district of western Bangkok, a batch of meat, eggs, vegetables, rice, and other food from retail enterprises was delivered to a community kitchen. These foods could no longer be sold because of shelf-life limits, product condition, and other reasons, but they remained edible. After sorting, testing, and cooking, they were turned into hot meals and delivered to more than 150 households. The food rescue in Phasi Charoen district is a typical example of Thailand's continued efforts to build a "food bank" cooperation network.

Thailand's "food bank" cooperation network integrates the strength of food producers, retail enterprises, hotels, catering businesses, and other parties, transporting safe, edible surplus food, after screening, to communities in need. Since June this year, community leaders have been able to check the quantity of food ingredients available for receipt each day through an online platform and arrange pickup and distribution accordingly. Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Agency has developed a simple food testing tool to help donors and recipients screen food quality. At present, Thailand's "food bank" cooperation network covers 10 provinces nationwide. The project plans to provide more than 5 million meals to communities this year, with an estimated economic value of more than 250 million baht (1 yuan is equivalent to about 5 baht).

To establish a long-term incentive mechanism for reducing food waste, Thailand's National Science and Technology Development Agency has announced that it will cooperate with a number of food enterprises, rescue organizations, and public welfare organizations to pilot "surplus food credits." Surplus food that meets food safety requirements and is donated free of charge can be calculated as reduced greenhouse gas emissions and converted into carbon credits for enterprises and public welfare institutions. These carbon credits can be used to offset enterprises' own greenhouse gas emissions or can enter the voluntary carbon market for trading, thereby incentivizing more enterprises to participate in food waste reduction activities.

South Africa —

Extending waste reduction to the community growing end

Data released by South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research show that approximately 10.3 million tons of edible food is lost in the supply chain in South Africa each year, accounting for 34 percent of total grain output. The South African government has elevated the reduction of food loss and waste to a national strategy, working to establish a systematic policy and legal framework. Last year, the South African government issued the Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste 2025–2030, aiming to systematically reduce supply chain waste through new technologies and circular economy approaches. At present, the South African Bureau of Standards has completed the formulation of the Best Practice Standard for Food Donation and Redistribution, providing clear guidance on food safety, traceability, and division of responsibilities for food donation, in order to reverse the trend of food waste.

FoodForward SA, Africa's largest "food bank," collects surplus food that remains safe to eat from farmers, manufacturers, and retailers and distributes it to audited charities and relief stations, ultimately delivering it to people in need. In the 2023/2024 fiscal year alone, it recovered 21,760 tons of surplus food. At present, the organization operates 21 rural sites nationwide, providing food to nearly 1 million people each year. The organization also runs a number of programs, including the "Mobile Rural Distribution Programme" that delivers food to remote rural areas, the "Maternal and Infant Nutrition Programme" for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, and the "School Breakfast Programme" that provides breakfast to 50,000 children on each school day. As of the end of 2025, the "Mobile Rural Distribution Programme" had covered 29 rural communities, benefiting 160,000 people.

The public welfare organization "Harvest South Africa," founded in 2019, not only distributes surplus food recovered from farms, manufacturers, retailers, and distributors but also extends waste reduction to the community growing end. The organization has launched greenhouse projects in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, cooperating with community organizations to use compost generated from rescued food for hydroponic cultivation and produce nutritious vegetables. Oz Nel, chief executive of "Harvest South Africa," said: "When communities can grow, preserve, and redistribute their own food, they can break the cycle of dependency and create long-term sustainable systems. This is no longer 'one-off charity,' but rather linking food waste reduction, community growing, and employment support into one long-term chain."

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From Twin Lotus Flowers to Robot Dogs, Experiencing China's Fine Products (Global Notes)

By: 张志文

On the eve of the 2026 Belt and Road Initiative Journalists' Organization Forum, media professionals from multiple countries participating in the "Global South Journalists View China" themed field trip arrived in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. From the innovation exhibition halls of industrial parks to cultural and creative shops in ancient city streets, from cutting-edge intelligent manufacturing products to everyday goods steeped in tradition, the journalists not only directly experienced the vigorous and dynamic vitality (蓬勃活力, peng bo huo li - "flourishing, vitality") of China's economy, but also touched the deep pulse of China's development through the fine details of daily consumption.

During the field trip, the AI (artificial intelligence) products at the Kunshan Robotics 6S Store drew the most interest. A Cambodian journalist purchased an AI robotic cat for their child, an African media colleague selected a smart robotic dog, and someone else placed an on-the-spot order for an AI remote-control car. This new store, open for only three months, showcases a range of first-launch products in China's artificial intelligence sector, and also gave the journalists a glimpse of the solid steps Suzhou's Kunshan is taking in building innovative industrial clusters. Yehiel Seely, consulting editor of India's Business Standard, said that the hard power of China's development is being most directly reflected through the soft power of its consumer market — without enterprises' sustained deep investment in R&D and manufacturing, there would not be such a rich and diverse supply of products on the consumption side.

Stepping into the countryside and the ancient city, the unique charm of cultural consumption also left a deep impression on the foreign journalists. In Shangmingdian Village, Zhangpu Town, known as the "rural Silicon Valley," modern-design industrial parks and talent apartments are interspersed throughout, and at the outdoor market in the village center, products such as Kunqu opera cultural and creative figurines and intangible cultural heritage paper-cutting attracted many onlookers. Sherif Omar, a reporter for Egypt's Al-Ahram, selected several cultural and creative works and praised the area for blending "tradition, technology, and culture at exactly the right moment or in just the right way" (恰到好处, qia dao hao chu - "just, reach, good, place"). Strolling through the Pingjiang Historical and Cultural Block, Kirtan Bhana, editor of South Africa's "Diplomatic Society" website, chose a silver bracelet for his wife at a cultural and creative shop; the pendant engraved with twin lotus flowers and auspicious patterns carried traditional Chinese blessings and became a small vessel through which he could perceive Chinese culture.

The vitality of the consumer market is rooted in the deep soil of openness and cooperation. The journalists learned that nearly 20,000 foreign-funded enterprises have taken root in Suzhou, and many "Suzhou quality goods" that sell well in the market are precisely developed and manufactured by local foreign-funded enterprises. From introducing capital and technology to integrating into the global industrial network, Suzhou's open ecosystem has not only enriched local consumer supply, but also provided a broad platform for enterprises from various countries to share the Chinese market.

At the same time, the pace at which Suzhou enterprises are going global has extended the bond of opportunity to the whole world. Industrial parks and photovoltaic bases invested in and built by Suzhou enterprises in Ethiopia, Egypt, and other places have already driven local industrial development, achieving mutual benefits and win-win results (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual, benefit, together, win"). What impressed the African media colleagues even more was the growth path of Suzhou's coffee industry: one end connects to China's vast consumer market, the other connects to major global coffee bean-producing regions such as Africa, and the two ends of the industrial chain link together opportunities for development and sharing. They said they would bring the story of China's coffee industry back to Africa through their reporting, so that more people can see the new achievements of Africa-China cooperation and share in the dividends of development.

From production to consumption, from inheritance to innovation, from openness to sharing — these are not only vivid epitomes of the achievements of Chinese modernization, but also bring development opportunities to the world that are perceivable and shareable. Many journalists in the field trip group have visited China multiple times. In their view, beneath China's changing with each passing day (日新月异, ri xin yue yi - "day, new, month, change") transformations, what remains unchanged is the people's pursuit of a happy life, and the development practice of Chinese modernization provides an important reference for Global South countries exploring their own paths to modernization.

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Global Scan

The Seventeenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity Opens

(Xinhua News Agency, Yerevan, October 18) (Reporters Liu Shuchen, Guo Shuang) The opening ceremony of the Seventeenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on Biological Diversity was held on the 18th in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. The meeting will conduct the first global collective review of progress on the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (hereinafter referred to as the "Kunming-Montreal Framework"), advancing the achievement of the 2030 goals established by the Kunming-Montreal Framework.

Nikol Pashinyan, Prime Minister of Armenia, host country of COP17, declared the meeting open. In his address, he said that the Kunming-Montreal Framework, adopted in 2022, established the common goals of the international community. With only four years remaining until 2030, all parties need to translate commitments into concrete actions and turn actions into measurable results.

Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, stated that although the world currently faces geopolitical tensions and the increasingly severe triple planetary crisis — climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution — the international community still has reason to be hopeful. She expressed hope that this meeting will prove that multilateralism can work and that commitments already made can be fulfilled.

The official session of COP17 runs from October 19 to 30, under the theme "Taking Action for Nature." The first report assessing global collective progress in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Framework was released in Yerevan on the 15th.

"Bangkok Blueprint" Calls for Cross-Border Cooperation to Combat Financial Fraud

(People's Daily, Bangkok, October 19) (Reporter Liu Ge) Recently, during the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group held in Bangkok, Thailand, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, and the Bank of Thailand jointly released the "Bangkok Blueprint: A Framework for Fraud-Resilient Financial Services" (hereinafter referred to as the "Bangkok Blueprint"), calling on countries to strengthen cross-sectoral, cross-industry, and cross-border cooperation to jointly prevent and combat the increasingly prominent risk of cyber fraud in the digital financial sector.

The "Bangkok Blueprint" framework puts forward 12 recommendations built around five pillars. The five pillars include: establishing a strategic and legal foundation; strengthening prevention and response across the full lifecycle of fraud risk; leveraging existing risk management and law enforcement mechanisms; expanding domestic and cross-border cooperation; and enhancing consumer protection and financial system resilience.

Data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime shows that in 2025, losses due to fraud in East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand amounted to at least US$88.3 billion, and criminal networks have become "corporatized, AI-enabled, and cross-border." Darany Sajou, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Thailand, stated that fraud has shifted from Trojan-based account theft to psychologically manipulated authorized transfers. Within two minutes of a victim's transfer, the money enters a secondary account; within three minutes, more than 50 percent of the funds flow out of the banking system, while victims on average take nearly two days to realize they have been defrauded. Therefore, banks, telecommunications companies, social platforms, wallets, and police must share signals on the same chain. What the "Bangkok Blueprint" aims to do is "connect banks, telecommunications companies, social platforms, encrypted channels, regulators, and police into a single network."

Iranian President: Will Never Yield to the Unreasonable Demands and Bullying of "Aggressive" Countries

(Xinhua News Agency, Tehran, October 18) (Reporter Sha Dati) According to a report by the Islamic Republic News Agency on the 18th, Iranian President Pezeshkian emphasized on the same day at a session of the Islamic Consultative Assembly held in the capital Tehran that Iran will never yield to the unreasonable demands (无理要求, wuli yaoqiu - "no reason, demand") and bullying acts of "aggressive" countries.

Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on social media on the 18th that Iran's armed forces have formulated response plans for any new "adventurism." Iran's entirely new operational plans will no longer follow the rules familiar to the other side.

Iran's military website issued a statement on the 18th in response to recent threats from the U.S. side regarding the so-called use of the "Mother of All Bombs," stating that Iran's armed forces are fully prepared and ready to respond to any threat at any time.

CNN, citing multiple U.S. officials, reported in the early morning of the 15th that the U.S. military has formulated a new plan to strike Iran, including considering the use of the large-yield air-delivered bomb known as the "Mother of All Bombs" to strike Iranian nuclear facilities.

WFP: Funding Shortage Will Leave 500,000 People in Gaza Without Food Assistance

(Xinhua News Agency, Gaza, October 19) (Reporters Xu Zeyu, Zhao Weihong) The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on the 19th that, due to funding shortages, it has reduced the scale of food assistance to the Gaza Strip, with the number of beneficiaries falling from 1.6 million last month to 1.1 million this month, leaving approximately 500,000 people unable to receive food assistance.

WFP said it has cut food assistance rations in the Gaza Strip in half, and the number of hot meals provided has also been reduced from 250,000 per day to 150,000. Over the past three years, the food assistance provided by the agency has been an important guarantee for the livelihoods of 90 percent of families in the Gaza Strip. Currently, approximately 1.4 million people in the Gaza Strip face severe food insecurity, accounting for two-thirds of the local population.

WFP stated that the funding it has received for Palestinian operations in 2026 is less than half of what it received in previous years, and it urgently needs to raise US$450 million within the next six months to sustain its assistance operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Ebola Outbreak in DR Congo Spreads to an Eighth Province

(Xinhua News Agency, Kinshasa, October 18) (Reporter Shi Yu) The latest epidemic report released by the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on the 18th shows that the current Ebola outbreak in the country has spread to an eighth province, with cumulative confirmed cases rising to 9,415 and 4,536 deaths.

As of the 16th, the outbreak has affected 66 health zones across 8 provinces, with a cumulative total of 2,522 people cured and a case fatality rate of approximately 48.2 percent. Among these, the eastern Ituri Province remains the "epicenter" of the outbreak, with 6,891 cumulative confirmed cases, accounting for approximately 73.2 percent of the national total.

Separately, Kenya's Ministry of Health confirmed on the 17th that the country has recorded 4 new cases of Bundibugyo-type Ebola, bringing the cumulative confirmed case count to 7, including 1 death. Kenya confirmed its first imported Ebola case on the 6th; the patient is a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the DRC for the previous seven years.

The Ministry of Health of Tanzania, a neighbor of Kenya, issued a travel advisory on the 17th, strengthening health screening and surveillance measures for international travelers to guard against the risk of disease spread posed by the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and recent related cases in Kenya. Travelers identified as high-risk are required to undergo daily health monitoring for a period of 21 days.

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Nepal strives to tap economic potential

By: 本报记者 李 墨

A macroeconomic report recently released by the Central Bank of Nepal shows that in fiscal year 2025/2026 (mid-July 2025 to mid-July 2026), Nepal's economy demonstrated relatively strong resilience, with growth estimated at 3.85 percent and average inflation expected to be kept below 3.5 percent, remaining overall within a moderate and controllable range. The Central Bank of Nepal believes that with the advancement of policy reforms, improved confidence in the private sector, and stronger domestic consumption and investment demand, Nepal's economic growth is expected to accelerate in the new fiscal year.

The services sector is an important force driving Nepal's economic growth, contributing 61.81 percent to the economy, with finance, wholesale and retail, and transportation sectors performing actively. The industrial sector achieved steady expansion (稳步扩张, wen bu kuo zhang - "steady, step; expand") driven by improved power supply and the commissioning of hydropower projects, with its contribution to the economy rising to 14.16 percent. Agriculture saw production setbacks due to drought and abnormal rainfall, with growth rates declining somewhat.

In merchandise trade, Nepal's goods import and export values both achieved double-digit growth in fiscal year 2025/2026. Although the growth rate of imports was slightly higher than that of exports, thanks to substantial increases in remittances and investment income, Nepal's overall balance of payments remained in surplus. At the end of the fiscal year, total foreign exchange reserves reached nearly 3.9 trillion Nepali rupees (1 yuan is equivalent to approximately 22.7 Nepali rupees), an increase of more than 40 percent compared with the beginning of the fiscal year, reaching an all-time high. Remittance income remains the core force supporting foreign exchange reserves, with remittance inflows growing by nearly 40 percent year-on-year in fiscal year 2025/2026.

However, constrained by factors such as insufficient willingness of enterprises to invest, bank capital adequacy ratio constraints, and rising non-performing loans, the recovery of domestic credit demand in Nepal has been slow, with private sector credit growth of only about 6.5 percent, far below the central bank's expectation of 12 percent. Its fiscal expenditure structure also needs optimization. Total government revenue has maintained growth, but capital expenditure is far below budget targets, and the proportion of rigid expenditures such as debt repayment is too high, resulting in insufficient support from fiscal investment for infrastructure and productivity improvement. In addition, the exchange rate of the Nepali rupee against the US dollar depreciated considerably during this fiscal year, increasing import costs and the external debt burden.

To further boost the economy, the country has substantially increased its fiscal budget, introducing measures such as increasing capital expenditure and reducing personal income tax and business tax burdens, aiming to further stimulate domestic demand and improve supply. The Central Bank of Nepal recently announced its monetary policy for the new fiscal year, continuing to maintain a "cautious and flexible" tone, keeping key policy interest rates unchanged, ensuring ample liquidity in the financial system and favorable financing costs, and creating favorable conditions for the recovery of private sector credit.

The World Bank assesses that recent natural disasters have damaged Nepal's power, transportation, and services sectors, and expects the country's economic growth to slow to 3.7 percent in fiscal year 2026/2027, but driven by reconstruction activities, growth is expected to rebound to 5.2 percent in fiscal year 2027/2028. The International Monetary Fund analyzes that a stabilizing political environment, accommodative policy stance, and expansionary fiscal policies will promote the gradual recovery of Nepal's private economy.

(People's Daily, Kathmandu, October 19)

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Protests Erupt Across Multiple Locations in Europe

By: 本报记者 尚凯元

Demonstrations erupted in several European countries including France, Italy, Portugal, and Belgium on October 17, protesting high living costs, inadequate public services, shortages of educational resources, and fiscal austerity measures. In some cities, arson, looting, and clashes between police and protesters occurred. Multiple governments condemned the violent acts and stressed the importance of maintaining public order.

Demonstrations in France that day spread across cities including Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lille, and Bordeaux. The mobilization for these demonstrations was widely disseminated through social media, with demands covering opposition to high prices, improvement of educational conditions and public services, and opposition to budget austerity. Beyond peaceful marches, some groups actively sought confrontation, while others took advantage of the chaos to loot. In Paris, multiple incidents of vehicle burning and smashing and vandalizing shops occurred; the Lyon tourism bureau building and the Limoges city hall were set ablaze and destroyed by fire; and city halls in Marseille and Lille were broken into and damaged. According to statistics from the French Ministry of the Interior, the number of protesters nationwide on the 17th reached 550,000, of whom 110,000 were in Paris; nationwide, 2,397 people were arrested, and 997 police officers and gendarmes were injured, 7 of them seriously.

French President Macron delivered a speech on the evening of the 18th, stating that responsibility for the violent acts would be strictly pursued, while also announcing that the Prime Minister would convene political parties, trade unions, and student representatives in the coming days to promote the formation of concrete proposals. French Prime Minister Lecornu told the media on the 19th that local provincial governments were being asked to establish curfews according to circumstances, so as to protect shops from destruction by vandals. European Commission spokesperson Markus Lammert stated that peaceful demonstrators should not be conflating different things or people (混为一谈, hun wei yi tan - "mix, as, one, talk") with those who commit violence, and that deliberate arson, looting, and attacks targeting individuals or public buildings were "unacceptable."

Protests also occurred on the 17th in Italian cities including Milan, Turin, and Bologna. According to reports from the Italian news agency ANSA, some demonstrators in Milan threw stones and firecrackers at police, shops and public facilities were damaged, and about 50 people were taken away by police; clashes near the Bologna railway station left more than 30 law enforcement personnel injured.

The General Confederation of Portuguese Workers organized demonstrations on the 17th in Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra, protesting rising living costs for housing, fuel, and food, and demanding higher wages and pensions and improved public services. Clashes between police and protesters also occurred in Brussels and Liège, Belgium, on the 17th, and Liège police reported on the 18th that 45 people had been detained. Belgian Minister of Security and the Interior Bernard Quintin publicly condemned the violent acts and stated that all necessary measures would be taken to restore public order.

Anti-government protests have continued in Albania since the 13th. The protests initially centered mainly on environmental protection and land development issues, then further expanded to areas including education, employment, corruption, and political accountability. During the protests, clashes with security forces and incidents of urban destruction also occurred. According to statistics from the country's government, these protests have left 272 people injured, including 169 police officers.

The concentrated outbreak of demonstrations in multiple European countries comes at a time when the pressure of living costs in Europe has further risen. Data from Eurostat show that energy prices in the eurozone rose 18.8 percent year-on-year in September, and the overall inflation rate rose to 3.8 percent. Euronews reported on the 19th that although the motives of protesters in various countries differ, problems such as heavy housing burdens, low wages, and pressure on public services reflect widespread public discontent over the growing burden of living costs.

(People's Daily, Paris, October 19)

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Page editors: Zou Zhipeng, Zhang Huizhong, Chu Jun

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The Long March Spirit: A Common Treasure of All Humanity (Authoritative Forum)

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March. The Long March, this great expedition that took place on Chinese soil, is a human epic written with ideals and the spirit of dedication, with will and courage, and has become a common spiritual treasure of mankind that transcends national borders and spans ancient and modern times. This edition invites multiple experts from home and abroad to interpret the historical significance, contemporary practice, and global value of the Long March spirit.

Zeng Jun (Associate Research Librarian, Central Institute of Party History and Literature)

Dave Bromwich (former Chairman, New Zealand China Friendship Society)

Rafael Zerbetto (Brazilian expert, Asia-Pacific Communication Center, China International Communications Group)

William N. Brown (American professor, Xiamen University)

Kimura Tomoyoshi (Japanese senior media professional, former anchor, NHK)

Pan Yunsha (Dutch expert, Americas Communication Center, China International Communications Group)

The Long March is a great epic of mankind's unremitting efforts in the pursuit of truth and light

Zeng Jun: In the era of the Red Army's Long March, the Chinese nation was suffering from both domestic and foreign calamities (内忧外患, nei you wai huan - "inside, trouble; outside, trouble"). The Long March was filled with hardships and dangers that ordinary people find hard to imagine. The Communist Party of China always held high the banner of unity against Japan, took root among the masses, mobilized the masses, and armed the masses, winning the support of the broad masses and gathering a mighty force for unity against foreign aggression. The victory of the Long March laid the popular foundation and practical conditions for the formation of the anti-Japanese national united front and opened a new chapter in the Chinese revolution.

In the long river of human history, there is no shortage of historical narratives of expeditions, but few are as stirring as the Long March. American journalist Edgar Snow called the Long March "one of the great feats of military history" in Red Star Over China. Over the past 90 years, research on the Long March at home and abroad has continued to emerge, and many international friends have come to visit this "red ribbon on the earth" and explore the spiritual power contained within it. During the Long March, there were foreign commanders and fighters incorporated into the Red Army ranks, as well as foreign missionaries who followed the Red Army's march. The Long March has long transcended the boundaries of nations and ethnicities and become a spiritual symbol of all mankind's pursuit of ideals and fearlessness in the face of danger. Memoirs written by foreign eyewitnesses and on-the-ground records by foreign journalists broke down information barriers and let the world of that time understand the true face of the Long March. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the stirring and powerful force unleashed by the Long March transcends time and space and transcends ethnicity, and is a great epic of mankind's unremitting efforts in the pursuit of truth and light. The story of the Long March took place in China, but the culture it created belongs to the world.

Kimura Tomoyoshi: I have long followed China and have always believed that understanding the Long March is crucial to truly understanding today's China. The China International Communications Group organized the "Walking the Long March Road Together" activity, giving me the opportunity to appreciate the Long March spirit at the historical sites. In my view, the Long March embodies the essence of the Chinese revolution, is a historic feat that laid the cornerstone for the victory of the Chinese revolution, and is also an extraordinarily significant major historical turning point in the development process of the Communist Party of China. Many people describe the Long March as a "miracle of the 20th century," but its value far exceeds what the word "miracle" can summarize. In those years, the forces of the Chinese revolution were in peril, and countless martyrs endured hunger, cold, and injury, crossed rivers, snow mountains, and grasslands, held fast to their convictions and fought to the end in unimaginable desperate situations, writing a magnificent and awe-inspiring (气壮山河, qi zhuang shan he - "spirit, mighty; mountain, river") human epic.

The historical weight of the Long March can be understood from four key dimensions. First, relying on the people, trusting the people, and fighting for the people was the foundation for the revolution's victory. At that time, the broad masses of the Chinese people were suffering from oppression and exploitation. The Red Army went deep among the masses, strictly observed the "Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention," safeguarded the interests of the people, and inspired the courage of the masses, and the revolutionary ranks continued to grow and strengthen in struggle. Second, the Long March fully confirmed the great significance of seeking truth from facts. The cause of the Chinese revolution was once in peril, and the Zunyi Conference reversed this situation. The Communist Party of China, based on the country's actual conditions and heeding the aspirations of the people, explored a revolutionary path suited to China's reality, and seeking truth from facts became the ideological magic weapon for the victory of the revolution. Third, the Long March laid a solid foundation for the formation of the anti-Japanese national united front. As Mao Zedong said, the Long March is a declaration, the Long March is a propaganda team, the Long March is a seeder. After a 25,000-li campaign of shifting operations, the Red Army settled in northern Shaanxi, rallying patriotic and progressive forces and promoting the formation of a broad anti-Japanese national united front. Fourth, the victory of the Chinese revolution was rooted in the soil of China's own society, history, and culture, and was a victory of endogenous strength. The ideas and experience accumulated during the Long March, despite the passage of time, still possess vivid practical significance today. Today's China is still advancing on its own new Long March.

Dave Bromwich: Since modern times, China has endured many trials, and many explorations of paths to save the country were successively frustrated, and the heavy responsibility of rescuing the nation's future fell on the shoulders of the Communist Party of China. Facing the military "encirclement and suppression" of the enemy, the Red Army embarked on the arduous and extraordinary Long March. Preserving the effective strength of the revolution was an important prerequisite for pursuing national independence, transforming society, and freeing the people from poverty and suffering. On the Long March, facing the grim situation of the enemy being strong and ourselves being weak, the Red Army sized up the situation, crossed the Chishui River four times, flexibly changed its strategy and tactics, and seized favorable opportunities to fight. This way of thinking, which insists on proceeding from reality in everything and adapting to circumstances, is a vivid manifestation of the Chinese Communists' ideological method of seeking truth from facts. Observing the governance of the Communist Party of China, one can also see this ability to adjust policies according to actual conditions and promote the realization of goals. For example, China's five-year plans are broken down into annual tasks, and through annual reports and evaluations, timely adjustments and improvements are made to ensure that all goals are implemented. More importantly, China has always had a clear long-term development vision. Just as the goal of the Long March was not only immediate survival, but also the future of the Chinese people and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, today's China is also constantly advancing in a clear direction.

During the Long March, severe cold, injury, and extreme fatigue constantly tested the will of the Red Army soldiers. Battles such as the capture of the Luding Bridge and the taking of Lazikou witnessed their extraordinary courage. When the marching columns passed through areas lacking in supplies, they still insisted on purchasing supplies fairly, and the soldiers would rather endure hunger and cold than harm the interests of the masses. The people along the way regarded the Red Army as the hope of escaping oppression, and more and more people came to identify with the revolutionary ideal. Rewi Alley, an internationalist fighter and New Zealand educator, once said with emotion: "Why has China undergone such historic changes? My answer: it is the spirit that sprouted among the people and was carried forward in the Long March, the War of Resistance Against Japan, and the War of Liberation that created miracles rarely seen in the contemporary world. This spirit was born in the old liberated areas, took root throughout the country, and is precisely the hope of China today." These words remain highly enlightening to this day. Entering the new era, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, China has completely eliminated absolute poverty and built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and the beautiful vision the people yearned for in the era of the Long March is being realized step by step.

The Long March spirit has never faded; it is embodied in every ordinary person who lives steadily and strives hard

Zeng Jun: The great Long March spirit is an important component of the red gene and spiritual genealogy of Chinese Communists. At the conference commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March, General Secretary Xi Jinping made a systematic exposition of the great Long March spirit from five dimensions: ideals and convictions, sacrifice and dedication, seeking truth from facts, unity and struggle, and reliance on the people. This spiritual legacy has shaped the spiritual foundation of Chinese Communists and provides an inexhaustible source of spiritual inspiration for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Dave Bromwich: The Long March spirit emphasizes ideals and convictions, sacrifice and dedication, seeking truth from facts, unity and struggle, and reliance on the people, and its core is to free the broad masses from a fate of oppression and exploitation. New China's journey from being covered with scars and devastation (满目疮痍, man mu chu yi - "eye, full; look, wound, scar") to achieving today's development achievements is precisely a continuation of the spirit of never giving up in desperate situations. China transforms its long-term national development vision into five-year plans and relies on annual evaluations for dynamic implementation. Whole-process people's democracy embodies the governance logic of two-way interaction and joint consultation on development between the government and the people. The value orientation inherited from the Long March era emphasizes collective interests, and this is also reflected in China's governance today. I have worked and lived in China for more than 10 years and have visited areas along the Long March route many times. This year, participating in the "Walking the Long March Road Together" activity, I once again stepped into this history. In Min County in Gansu, as well as townships such as Lazikou and Hadapu, I saw the Long March spirit being passed on in local development.

Rafael Zerbetto: The "Walking the Long March Road Together" activity is a key for me to understand contemporary China from multiple dimensions. On the Long March, the Red Army respected different ethnic groups and united all forces. Back then, the Red Army placed the people in the highest position in their hearts, and this value pursuit can still be seen in China's development today. From the protection of red heritage sites to the development of distinctive industries to increase people's incomes, Gansu is transforming the Long March spirit into momentum for overcoming difficult problems and obstacles (攻坚克难, gong jian ke nan - "attack, stronghold; overcome, difficulty") and promoting high-quality development. The local government has implemented environmental protection projects for Long March cultural relics and surrounding areas, and red tourism has flourished, driving the development of the catering, homestay, and performing arts industries and creating jobs for tens of thousands of people. Relying on the long-established Chinese angelica medicinal herb industry, the people of Min County have carried forward the spirit of overcoming difficult problems and obstacles, built a complete Chinese medicinal herb industry chain, and sold products overseas, while also giving rise to traditional Chinese medicine health and wellness cultural tourism routes. On Red Army Street in Hadapu Town, ordinary merchants safeguard the red memory, run inns to receive tourists, and sell local specialty products across the country through e-commerce platforms.

William N. Brown: The key word for the Long March spirit in the contemporary era is struggle. The Long March was the most extreme form of struggle—choosing to keep going even when hope was barely visible. This year, I spent two months retracing the Long March route through provinces including Jiangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Ningxia, and Shaanxi, observing the real lives of local people in the countryside. At the former site of the joining of forces at Jiangtaibao in Ningxia, historical records state that the Red Army soldiers who arrived there were ragged and gaunt, yet the military flag was still bright red. Today, this area, once listed by the United Nations as one of the most unsuitable regions for human habitation, has greenhouses stretching across the river valleys, and the formerly impoverished people have carved out new paths to prosperity. The red heritage sites are no longer only for recalling the past, but have also become a living source of employment and income growth. Back then, the Red Army advanced bravely to survive; today, local people are writing new chapters of struggle here. This spirit of never giving up enables the Chinese people to meet the various challenges on the road of development.

Having lived in China for 40 years, I have personally felt that China's development is not merely a story of economic growth, but a story of ordinary people overcoming difficult problems and obstacles and advancing bravely. From winning the battle against poverty to marching toward comprehensive rural revitalization, all of this has been achieved step by step by countless ordinary people. The Long March spirit has never faded; it is embodied in every ordinary person who lives steadily and strives hard. The tenacity, conviction, cooperation, and hope it carries are a common spiritual treasure of mankind, belonging to every person in the world who strives unremittingly amid uncertainty. Participating in the "Walking the Long March Road Together" activity is a new departure for me. Along the Long March route, I have explored the deep reasons behind China's development achievements—identifying a goal and being willing to walk a path that is not easy. This is precisely the core and contemporary significance of the Long March spirit.

Pan Yunsha: Visiting the heritage sites along the Long March route on the ground, the various cultural relics and on-site scenes turn the history recorded in books into memories that can be truly perceived. The Long March spirit is not just archived historical material; it has a power of appeal that transcends national borders and can inspire everyone in difficult circumstances. During my visits, I saw that many revolutionary heritage sites are combined with local rural tourism, driving the development of homestay and catering businesses, attracting young people to return to their hometowns to start businesses, and transforming the red imprint into tangible benefits for local people. International audiences look forward to vivid stories focused on people, which is precisely my original intention in retracing the Long March this time. I hope to approach this history, explore distinctive red culture, and tell China's story to overseas audiences.

The core revelation the Long March leaves to the world lies in the power of people—always insisting on moving forward in the face of difficulties

Rafael Zerbetto: The Long March has accumulated many ideas of universal reference value, and I believe the most prominent is the need to establish a common goal of struggle. Many developing countries frequently adjust their development strategies, lacking long-term, consistent development directions, making it difficult to achieve their undertakings' goals. The experience of the Long March tells us that by embracing a clear common ideal and uniting the whole society as one, it is possible to continue advancing and move toward victory. Looking at today's world, it is difficult for a single country to withstand various risks and impacts alone. The vast Global South countries need to pool collective strength, strengthen communication and coordination, promote the building of a more just and equitable global governance system, strive for a voice commensurate with their own size, and share the fruits of global development more inclusively. This is an important revelation the Long March leaves to today's world.

William N. Brown: Walking the Long March route has made me understand more deeply that the core revelation the Long March leaves to the world lies in the power of people. Facing the uncertainties emerging one after another in an endless stream (层出不穷, ceng chu bu qiong - "layer, emerge; not, exhausted") in today's world, the Long March spirit can provide spiritual nourishment for different countries and nations. Especially for young people, approaching this history will give them the strength to continue moving forward in the face of difficulties.

Zeng Jun: The Long March took place in China, but its influence has long transcended national borders. Whether it is the international figures who personally participated in the Long March or the overseas friends who subsequently retraced and studied it, they are all constantly telling this epic to the world. The Long March has become a unique spiritual calling card of China's foreign exchanges, conveying China's spiritual temperament, shaping the international community's perception of China, and accumulating valuable spiritual strength for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Over the past 90 years, the places the Long March passed through have long been transformed. The best way to commemorate the Long March is to work hard and make achievements in one's own post, continue the struggle on the new Long March of national rejuvenation, and contribute new wisdom and strength to the cause of human peace and development.

Kimura Tomoyoshi: Looking back at the Long March and understanding the sacrifice and perseverance in this journey can enable countries around the world to more objectively understand the origins of contemporary China's development path. The experience and revelations accumulated by the Long March prove that a country's development path must be rooted in its own history and social reality and cannot simply copy external models. This has reference significance for countries currently exploring paths to modernization.

Dave Bromwich: By approaching the history of the Long March, the international community can better understand China. The Red Army insisted on its direction of advance amid numerous difficulties, and this contains the strategic wisdom that supports the Communist Party of China's continued success, which is enlightening for many countries seeking development paths suited to themselves. I have seen many people who did not personally experience the Long March recalling history with reverence and cherishing the historical relics left by the Long March. More importantly, the Long March spirit has always been passing the torch from one generation to the next (薪火相传, xin huo xiang chuan - "firewood, fire; mutually, pass"), continuously inspiring the Chinese people to strive unremittingly for promoting development and creating a better life, and to keep taking solid steps on the new Long March of the new era.

(Compiled and organized by People's Daily reporters Han Shuo and Song Chaojun; Liu Zonghao participated in the writing)

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Page editors: Wang Yuan, Han Shuo

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Carry Forward the Red Bloodline, Pool the Strength of the Greater Bay Area

By: 本报记者 张 烁 人民网记者 白 鸽 焦 隆

In the golden autumn of northern Shaanxi, the sky is high and the clouds are light. On Shengli Mountain in Wuqi County, Yan'an, Shaanxi, the pines and cypresses are verdant, and the view is lush and green.

Before the Monument to the Victory of the Central Red Army's Long March, the "Retracing the Long March" interview group looked up and gazed at the gleaming red star on the monument, deeply moved: "The final foothold of the Central Red Army's Long March is right before our eyes."

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. The All-China Journalists Association, together with the Hong Kong News Executives Association, the Macao Journalists Association, and the Guangdong Journalists Association, jointly organized the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Media Alliance "Retracing the Long March" series of themed interview activities. These began in Yudu County, Jiangxi in May, proceeded to Guizhou and Yunnan in July, and to Shaanxi and Gansu in September, closely following the historical thread of the Long March's departure, historical turning point, and victorious foothold, carrying forward the red bloodline of the Long March and gathering the united strength of the Greater Bay Area.

This was an interview journey in pursuit of red memories, and even more so a profound spiritual baptism. Along the way, journalists from Hong Kong, Macao, and the mainland traveled together, visiting revolutionary sites, paying respects at red memorial halls, seeking out descendants of revolutionaries, and approaching the people of the old revolutionary base areas, witnessing the development and transformation of these areas and producing a large number of rich and diverse graphic, short-video, and converged media works.

Shocked

"Gaining a weighty understanding of the two words 'family and country'"

The first stop was the Memorial Park of the Departure Site of the Central Red Army's Long March. On the banks of the Yudu River, the "First Ferry Crossing of the Long March" stands quietly. More than 90 years ago, the historical scene of over 86,000 Red Army soldiers crossing the river by night and setting out on a long expedition seems to appear right before one's eyes.

Looking at old photographs, old military equipment, and precious letters one by one, Niu Yinhu, a reporter from Macao Daily News, was deeply moved. "Historical details I had pored over countless times in historical materials suddenly all came to life."

On September 20, the journalists climbed the Red Army path on Shengli Mountain in Wuqi County step by step. At the top of the mountain, the pear tree's branches and leaves were luxuriant and flourishing vegetation (枝繁叶茂, zhī fán yè mào - "branch, luxuriant; leaf, lush"), strong and vigorous. Beneath the tree, the statue of Comrade Mao Zedong had a piercing or penetrating gaze (目光如炬, mù guāng rú jù - "eye, light; like, torch"), gazing into the distance. It was here that the famous "Cutting the Tail" battle was fought.

Zheng Shuyi, a reporter from Hong Kong's Sing Tao Daily, said with emotion while interviewing at the Central Red Army Long March Victory Memorial Park in Wuqi County, "When we retrace the Long March, we are not trying to replicate the experiences of our predecessors, but to understand how they found direction and how they kept going when facing difficulties. We must take their methods and walk our own path well."

"When I set foot on the roads the Red Army once walked, saw with my own eyes the items the Red Army once used, and heard those historical details, my shock was beyond words. I gained a weighty understanding of the two words 'family and country,'" said Liu Xueying, a reporter from Macao Radio and Television Co., Ltd.

"I walked, looked, and thought all the way. History is no longer cold words in books, but a faith passed down through bloodlines and within reach." Xue Ye, a reporter from Shaanxi Daily's Qunzhong Xinwen Net, said with emotion, "The great spirit of the Long March is engraved on this yellow earth and also imprinted on the hearts of every member of the interview group."

In Hadapu Town, Dangchang County, Gansu, a docent told the story of those years: "During the Long March, Comrade Mao Zedong and other leading comrades learned from newspapers in Hadapu that there were Red Army forces and a considerable base area in the Shaanxi-Gansu region. Afterward, they decided to go to northern Shaanxi and make the Shaanxi-Gansu base area the final foothold of the Long March." This left a deep impression on Liang Jialing, a reporter from Hong Kong's The Bus Daily. "Walking all the way, I came to understand why the great spirit of the Long March can transcend time and space. As media professionals, we have a responsibility to tell the story of the Long March to more people."

Li Zisong, vice president of the Macao Journalists Association, said with deep feeling, "As Macao media professionals, we are gratified to see that our reporting has enabled more Macao residents to realize that the Long March was not only a route on the map, but also demonstrated the Chinese nation's national character of ceaseless self-improvement."

Great Transformation

"The biggest surprise was seeing the vigorous development vitality of the old revolutionary base areas"

Walking, observing, and reflecting all the way, the interview group witnessed the new era appearance of the old revolutionary base areas transforming from red hot soil into industrial fertile ground.

Arriving at Tantou Village, Zishan Town, Yudu County, one sees white-walled, black-tiled dwellings arranged in an orderly fashion, and contiguous large-scale selenium-rich fruit and vegetable greenhouses full of vitality. According to local village cadres, Tantou Village has explored an integrated development path of "characteristic agriculture + red study tours + rural homestays." Villagers can find employment and start businesses at their doorstep, and the days of insufficient food and clothing are gone forever.

At the Kunming International Flower Auction and Trading Center in Yunnan, fresh cut flowers such as roses, lilies, and hydrangeas were a feast for the eyes with many beautiful things (琳琅满目, lín láng mǎn mù - "jade, luster; fill, eye"), and the real-time jumping auction screen and the standardized, digitalized circulation chain drew praise from the interview group. "So many of the flowers we buy in Macao come from here," marveled Ou Yuqing, a reporter from Macao Radio and Television Co., Ltd. Members of the interview group raised their cameras one after another to record the lively atmosphere of the flower market and also tell audiences about the vivid practice of Yunnan's high-quality development.

At Kunming's Dianchi Lake, from the Dianchi greenway and the Hubianshan Art Museum to the starry-sky campsite, the journalists walked and filmed all the way. Niulian Small Fishing Village in Jinning on the south bank of Dianchi Lake, through whole-village renovation and ecological restoration, has embarked on a new path of integrated agricultural, cultural, and tourism development, vividly embodying the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

Chen Jiaxin, a reporter from Television Broadcasts Limited in Hong Kong, said, "This interview trip allowed me to convey to Hong Kong citizens the history of the Red Army's Long March and the latest developments in the country's development, helping everyone gain a better understanding of the nation."

In Shazhouba Town, Ruijin City, Jiangxi, a red well has remained clear through more than 90 years of wind and rain, and the story of "when drinking water, do not forget those who dug the well" has been passed down from generation to generation. Centered on the red well, Shazhouba has linked Yeping, the "Second National Soviet Congress" site, and others to form a cluster of revolutionary sites, creating a comprehensive red culture and tourism loop, with red culture empowering the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas.

In Nangou Village, Ansai District, Yan'an, the former yellow earth and barren slopes have been transformed into a fragrant thousand-mu orchard. Merchants come to purchase at the door, and returning young people livestream to sell products. Apples have gone from being "sold by the pile" to "sold by the piece," and life in Nangou Village is getting better day by day.

At night, the Shengdi River Valley · Golden Yan'an scenic area is brightly lit. Visitors enjoy folk customs and fine food, and the large-scale red immersive song-and-dance drama "Thirteen Years in Yan'an" prompts tourists to raise their phones one after another. The innovative practice of red culture and tourism is refreshing and novel (耳目一新, ěr mù yī xīn - "ear, eye; one, new"). Since the scenic area opened for operation in 2019, it has attracted more than 20 million visitors.

"The biggest surprise was seeing the vigorous development vitality of the old revolutionary base areas. From the Dounan Flower Market in Kunming to Nangou Village in Yan'an, from Guizhou's big data industry to Shaanxi's cultural and tourism integration, the new era appearance of beautiful landscapes, bustling popularity, strong economy, and good momentum is deeply impressive," said Zhao Ruqing, secretary-general of the Hong Kong News Executives Association.

Inheritance

"Telling red stories with heart and soul, spreading the powerful voice of the times"

Every generation has its own Long March, and every generation has its own responsibilities. Looking back on the years of war, the great spirit of the Long March has become more vibrant as time passes (历久弥新, lì jiǔ mí xīn - "pass, long time; increasingly, new"). Standing on the new journey of the new era, journalists must walk a new Long March.

"Just as many descendants of Red Army soldiers continue to tell the story of the Long March, inheritance itself is a Long March. We must fully leverage the power of new media and spread this weighty red history in expressions that Hong Kong and Macao audiences can easily understand and are willing to accept," said Gao Yingzhu, a reporter from Hong Kong's China Review News Agency.

"Our predecessors taught us that only when one's feet are covered with mud can one's pen have the strength of a thousand jun. From lead type and mimeograph to ultra-high-definition video, from one issue a day to second-level push notifications, the times are changing, the tools are changing, and the media are changing, but the journalist's mission of bearing the heavy responsibility of social justice (铁肩担道义, tiě jiān dān dào yì - "iron, shoulder; carry, moral duty") and writing articles with a masterful hand has never changed," said Xiong Jieni, a reporter from Jiangxi Radio and Television Station.

Along the way, journalists from Hong Kong, Macao, and the mainland traveled together, conducted interviews side by side, and engaged in learning from and referencing each other (互学互鉴, hù xué hù jiàn - "mutual, learn; mutual, examine"), making the interview activity a vivid practice of the journalism community in carrying forward the great spirit of the Long March.

"Through the Jiangxi leg, the Guizhou-Yunnan leg, and the Shaanxi-Gansu leg, the distance between mainland journalists and Hong Kong and Macao journalists, and between traditional media journalists and new media journalists, has grown closer and closer, and their coordination has deepened. Before interviews, the various media outlets discuss story ideas and outlines together; along the way, they exchange material and leads at any time; and after works are produced, they coordinate on dissemination and promotion. Collaboration has become increasingly smooth," said Wu Yijie, a reporter from Nanfang Media Group.

"An important gain from retracing the Long March is the deep exchange between Hong Kong media and mainland media. Although each had its own tasks, the group members cooperated with each other, learned from each other's strengths to make up for weaknesses, and sometimes worked without distinction between one another. This format was completely unexpected before the trip, and it is also a first in my career," said Jiang Xiaofeng, a reporter from Hong Kong's Phoenix Television.

Speaking of the original intention behind organizing this Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Media Alliance "Retracing the Long March" series of themed interview activities, Tian Yuhong, member of the Party Leadership Group and secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Journalists Association, said: "This is a re-publicization and re-education of the great spirit of the Long March, and it is of even greater significance for Hong Kong and Macao society, which has relatively less understanding of this history. It is also a vivid practice of news media in carrying forward the great spirit of the Long March. Through in-depth exploration of the profound red culture and the immense confidence in development, we tell red stories with heart and soul and spread the powerful voice of the times, better inheriting the red gene and gathering the strength to strive forward. This is also a convergence training exercise for media in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, where everyone competes on the same stage while also learning from each other, jointly working to improve the quality and level of reporting and promote the high unity of positive energy, high quality, and large traffic."

According to incomplete statistics, this series of themed interview activities involved more than 100 journalists from over 70 media outlets, including central media, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area media, and media from the provinces and cities along the route, producing more than 1,200 news products with rich content and strong appeal.

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Those who play with fire by seeking "independence" will burn themselves (Guan Canghai)

By: 凌 锋

Lai Ching-te's so-called "Double Ten" speech delivered on October 10 stubbornly clings to "Taiwan independence" separatist thinking, plays up the "mainland threat," peddles the false narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism," and is filled with the delusional fantasies of "seeking independence by relying on external forces" and "seeking independence by force of arms." It is a "signature performance" by a "pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence," exposing his true nature as a "scourge of Taiwan" and a "disaster for peace," yet it cannot change the outcome that "Taiwan independence" is at the end of the road (穷途末路, qiong tu mo lu - "end of, road, end of, path") and is doomed to defeat.

Lai Ching-te's claim in his speech that he "will never allow the distortion of World War II history" is wholly ignoring the facts (罔顾事实, wang gu shi shi - "disregard, facts") and distorting right and wrong (颠倒是非, dian dao shi fei - "overturn, right, wrong"). This year marks the 81st anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. On October 25, we will soon observe the anniversary of the Retrocession of Taiwan. The retrocession of Taiwan was an important achievement of the victory in the War of Resistance. A series of international legal documents, including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Proclamation, all affirm China's sovereignty over Taiwan. Lai Ching-te deliberately ignores the historical facts of the Chinese People's War of Resistance, completely abandons his national position, distorts the history of World War II, describes the victory in the War of Resistance as a mere "end of hostilities," erases the merits of the martyrs, downplays and denies the historical significance of the retrocession of Taiwan, and goes out of his way to whitewash and beautify Japan's colonial rule. This is a desecration of the martyrs and a betrayal of the nation, fully exposing his ugly face of "fawning on Japan and selling out Taiwan" and provoking separatist moves.

The true status quo in the Taiwan Strait is that both sides of the Strait belong to one China. The one-China principle is a basic norm of international relations and a universal consensus of the international community, and it is also an important component of the post-World War II international order. Lai Ching-te stubbornly adheres to his "Taiwan independence" stance, wantonly attacks and smears the mainland in his speech, distorts right and wrong, plays up the so-called "mainland military threat," slanders the mainland's legitimate exercises to safeguard national sovereignty as "attempts to change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait," peddles the false narrative of "democracy versus authoritarianism," and stokes cross-Strait confrontation and antagonism. On the one hand, he shouts about "cherishing peace" and "being willing to engage in exchanges," fabricating for people on the island a so-called "city upon a hill" of security and prosperity; on the other hand, he advocates "strengthening asymmetric combat power," clamors for increased defense investment, reinforces "whole-of-society defense resilience," and pours vast amounts of the people's hard-earned money into arms purchases, paving the way for the separatist acts of "seeking independence by force of arms" and "seeking independence by relying on external forces." His so-called "building a city" is actually building a bunker of confrontation, attempting to stuff the people of Taiwan into bunkers to serve as cannon fodder for "Taiwan independence."

Since taking office, Lai Ching-te's various actions have long since fully exposed his stubborn "Taiwan independence" stance. From blatantly peddling the "two states" theory, to changing rhetoric to hawk the fallacies of "Taiwan independence" separatism; from suppressing pro-unification forces on the island and creating "green terror," to establishing the so-called "Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee" and forcibly promoting "total defense" and "turning the whole of Taiwan into a battlefield"; from squandering the hard-earned money of the Taiwanese people to curry favor with and pledge allegiance to external forces, to the 2026 fiscal year defense-related expenditures of the Taiwan region exceeding 3 percent of GDP, with the boast of reaching 5 percent before 2030... step by step, he is destroying Taiwan's development and pushing Taiwan into the perilous situation of war and crisis. He is an out-and-out "peace breaker," "danger maker," and "war instigator."

Lai Ching-te's attempt to "seek independence by relying on external forces" is nothing but wishful thinking or an absurd fantasy (痴人说梦, chi ren shuo meng - "foolish, person, speaks, dream"). This year, the heads of state of China and the United States exchanged visits within less than half a year, and the two heads of state agreed to build a "constructive strategic stable relationship between China and the United States based on respect, fairness, and reciprocity." "Taiwan independence" is a common enemy of China and the United States, and managing "Taiwan independence" is a key link in building a constructive strategic stable relationship between the two countries. President Trump has clearly stated that he "does not want to see anyone engage in independence," and the United States is unwilling to pay the price for a conflict 9,500 miles away; a well-known American think tank has recommended in its report that the White House should abandon its traditional ambiguous strategy on the Taiwan issue and support China's push for "progressive reunification"; recent multiple U.S. opinion polls show that the proportion of people supporting U.S. military intervention in the Taiwan Strait has dropped significantly... All this fully demonstrates that "seeking independence by relying on external forces" has no way out at all.

The trend toward national reunification and national rejuvenation is grand and irresistible in scale (浩浩荡荡, hao hao dang dang - "vast, vast, surging, surging") and cannot be stopped. The future and destiny of Taiwan can only and must be decided by the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people, including our compatriots in Taiwan. Any separatist scheme is doomed to fail. The more frantically "Taiwan independence" elements act on the dead-end road of "Taiwan independence," the sooner they will meet their demise!

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Hello, New Huanggang Port (Micro Commentary)

By: 长 乐

On the morning of October 12, at the junction between Shenzhen, Guangdong, and Hong Kong, as the last yellow shuttle bus slowly pulled to a stop, the original Huanggang Port, which had served for nearly 37 years, exited the stage of history. Born amid the surging tide of reform and opening up, Huanggang Port once set several "firsts": it was the largest land port in China and even in Asia at the time, and it was the first land port in the country to implement 24-hour clearance. Over nearly 37 years, it served hundreds of millions of cross-border travelers cumulatively, witnessing the deep friendship of supporting and helping each other (守望相助, shou wang xiang zhu - "guard, watch, mutually, help") between the mainland and Hong Kong. In 1997, on the eve of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, the gifts presented to Hong Kong by 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities were transported to Hong Kong from here.

At 6:30 a.m. on October 12, the upgraded and rebuilt Huanggang Port made its fresh debut, creating another "first": integrating an entry-exit port, a three-dimensional comprehensive transport hub, and a vibrant urban public space into one, it is the largest single-structure port building in the country. The new Huanggang Port connects Shenzhen and Hong Kong and radiates across the Greater Bay Area, reflecting Hong Kong's proactive efforts to align with the national 15th Five-Year Plan and better integrate into and serve the country's overall development, and further reflecting the strong vitality and immense superiority of One Country, Two Systems.

Smooth clearance brings development and prosperity. The new Huanggang Port implements the "one place, two inspections" arrangement and the brand-new clearance model of "joint inspection, one-time release." In the past, travelers going between Shenzhen and Hong Kong had to queue twice and undergo inspection twice; now they only need to queue once and have their information collected once, with the inspection authorities on both sides completing the inspection simultaneously in the background. Clearance time has been greatly reduced from about 30 minutes to about 5 minutes. Behind this convenience and speed, under the conditions of "one country, two systems," Guangdong and Hong Kong have advanced the deepening of "soft connectivity" through rule alignment and mechanism coordination, accumulating valuable experience for cross-border government collaboration, regulatory coordination, and standards interoperability.

Looking at the map, the new Huanggang Port is located at an important node of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Corridor, enabling the Northern Metropolis of Hong Kong and the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone to "join hands," while important platforms such as the Hong Kong Science Park, San Tin Technopole, Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base, and Guangming Science City are linked into a cohesive whole (串珠成链, chuan zhu cheng lian - "string, pearls, become, chain"). With this upgrade and reconstruction, the new Huanggang Port has shed its former freight burden, releasing about 500,000 square meters of land space for the development of the Shenzhen park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone. It can be expected that the new Huanggang Port will promote the efficient cross-border flow of innovative factors such as talent, equipment, capital, and data, converting clearance "traffic" into scientific and technological innovation "increment."

From "hard connectivity" and "soft connectivity" to "heart-to-heart connectivity," as the cross-border "half-hour scientific research circle" and "one-hour living circle" gradually become part of daily life, the bright future of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, where people's hearts are connected and development is integrated, is unfolding gradually and steadily (徐徐铺展, xu xu pu zhan - "slowly, slowly, spread, unfold"). Standing between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the new Huanggang Port will surely witness even more splendid two-way journeys.

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Close-Up on the Pulse of Northeast Revitalization (Overseas Chinese Report)

By: 本报记者 刘佳华

In the trading hall of the Dalian Commodity Exchange in Liaoning, as red and green characters flickered across the large screen, futures quotations for soybean meal, iron ore, and other commodities kept changing. Representatives of overseas Chinese-language media gathered before the screen, asking questions one after another to learn about the platform's important role in resource allocation and risk management. Zhan Jinlong (詹金龙), president of Australia's Vision Australia, was visiting Dalian for the first time, and the modern trading system before him left a deep impression: "The exchange has complete functions and advanced facilities. I hope that in the future we can promote in-depth cooperation between relevant Australian enterprises and the Dalian Commodity Exchange."

Recently, the 2026 overseas Chinese-language media interview activity "Pursuing the Dream of China · Overseas Chinese See Liaoning" (追梦中华·侨见辽宁行), guided by the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and hosted by the Liaoning Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese and the Liaoning Journalists Association, made its way into Liaoning. Representatives of 17 overseas Chinese-language media outlets from 12 countries and regions visited Dalian and Shenyang, capturing the vibrant pulse of Liaoning's comprehensive revitalization and building bridges of communication between China and the rest of the world with their cameras and words.

By the dockside, the giant drilling platform in the plant area of Dalian Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co., Ltd. stood tall and imposing (巍然矗立, wei ran chu li - "towering, stand"). Facing the sea, shipbuilding and marine engineering equipment are Dalian's advantageous industries. The interview group observed at close range the self-elevating drilling platforms, oil and chemical transport vessels, and other products under construction, recording the story of the enterprises' transformation and upgrading. Jin Hao (金浩), editor-in-chief of Côte d'Ivoire's La Voix de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, remarked with emotion: "Coastal countries in West Africa have strong demand for offshore oil and gas development, and Dalian's marine engineering technology has great potential for success (大有可为, da you ke wei - "greatly, can, do")! We are willing to serve as a communication link and introduce the strength of Liaoning's marine manufacturing to African countries."

Facing the sea and chasing the wind, the green field shines with vitality. Inside Dalian's Suoyuwan Football Stadium, surrounded by the sea on three sides, the open stands and the building curtain wall with blue and white colors reflecting each other (蓝白交映, lan bai jiao ying - "blue, white, intersect, reflect") are full of a modern feel, attracting overseas fans to come and watch matches. Sun Yumei (孙雨梅), deputy president of Romania's European Overseas Chinese News, said with deep feeling: "Dalian's sporting spirit has been passed down very well. The emphasis on guiding children's interest in sports has already become a quality of the city."

Riding the century-old tram, passing through the Dongguan Street historical and cultural district, strolling through the Donggang Business District, and visiting cultural and technology enterprises... Between the old streets' everyday bustle and the light of technological innovation, the interview group deeply felt the blending and coexisting together (交融共生, jiao rong gong sheng - "blend, coexist, live together") of this city's cultural heritage and modern vitality.

In Shenyang's Tiexi District, once labeled "traditional, old, and heavy," a visit on the ground revealed a completely new in appearance (焕然一新, huan ran yi xin - "change, appearance, one, new") intelligent manufacturing scene that was truly stunning. In the workshop of Sany Heavy Industry Co., Ltd., heavy equipment was being precisely assembled with processes in perfect order (井然有序, jing ran you xu - "orderly, sequence"); at the BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. Tiexi Plant, mechanical arms swung, intelligent equipment operated efficiently, and the entire process ran on digitalized production... Wang Shuhua (王淑华), deputy president of Nigeria's West Africa United Business Daily, remarked with emotion: "Intelligence, green development, and integration are injecting new vitality into Liaoning's long-established industrial enterprises. We are willing to act as promotional envoys and tell the story of Liaoning manufacturing well to overseas Chinese and local people in Africa."

At Shenyang's "Rice Dream Space," contiguous rice paddies spread out like a colorful painting. The interview group rode a sightseeing train through the field ridges, immersively experiencing the unique charm of the integration of agriculture, culture, and tourism. Chen Lin (陈林), president of Canada's Soulo Magazine, said: "I noticed this place when watching the movie My People, My Homeland, and today I finally got to see it with my own eyes. The operator has created the entire rice field beautifully, integrating it with the cultural tourism industry. It's not only 'photogenic,' but also rich in rural cultural characteristics."

Visiting Coffee Alley to feel the trendy bustle of an industrial city, stepping into Hu Kuizhang Writing Brush Shop to touch the inherited craftsmanship of a time-honored brand, strolling through Shenyang Fangcheng to savor the warmth of everyday life in the ancient city's streets and alleys... The representatives of overseas Chinese-language media are both witnesses and connectors. Li Chong (李冲), general manager of Uzbekistan's Silk Road Bridge Network, said: "The itinerary focused on advanced manufacturing and technological innovation industries, while also covering culture, tourism, and other fields, giving us a deeper understanding of Liaoning. We will strive to connect with local resources and hope to assist Liaoning enterprises in landing in overseas markets and help their products go global."

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Page editors: Zhang Yifu

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Why This Place “Nurtures People” (Frontline Observations · Focus on Talent System and Mechanism Reform)

By: 本报记者 田先进

"Hefei is a place that 'nurtures people' — it has cultivated so many outstanding talents and is a land of innovation." On April 26, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping's words during his inspection visit to the University of Science and Technology of China were inspiring and heartening (鼓舞人心, gu wu ren xin - "drum, encourage, human, heart").

Talent is the primary resource for innovation. As a comprehensive national science center, Hefei, Anhui Province, has always placed talent work in a prominent position in urban development. In recent years, through improving policies on talent introduction, cultivation, evaluation, and incentives, it has continuously pushed talent work to achieve new progress and new results.

As of now, Hefei has over 4,100 postdoctoral researchers on station, has recognized 49,000 high-level talents, has introduced over 1 million university graduates in the past three years, and has a total talent pool exceeding 3.2 million people.

Recognizing talent:

Differentiated talent recognition, more diversified incentive policies

Recognizing talent is the foundation for selecting and motivating talent. Whatever people an industry needs, policies identify and support such talent. In recent years, centering on the talent needs of key industries, Hefei has opened up multiple recognition channels, built a differentiated talent recognition model, and established a tiered and categorized high-level talent evaluation system.

Flexible recognition is a representative practice of Hefei's differentiated talent recognition.

Hefei Kaiyue Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. is an enterprise that has been deeply engaged in the photolithography supporting equipment track for many years. In 2020, the company launched the development of coating and developing equipment, facing multiple challenges in the initial stage, including team building, technical route selection, and tackling specialized technical difficulties. At that time, to solve these problems, the company wanted to bring in Jiang Zejun, a professor from the School of Computer Science at Northwestern Polytechnical University, for technical guidance.

"Affected by his original teaching work, Professor Jiang was unable to take up the post full-time. Later, on the premise of not changing his original personnel relationship, Professor Jiang joined the company as a part-time technical consultant, participating in discussions and decisions on the company's R&D direction, and making tremendous contributions to subsequent technical breakthroughs," said the relevant person in charge of Kaiyue Company.

Huang Zhonghui, director of the Talent Comprehensive Division of the Organization Department of the Hefei Municipal Party Committee, told reporters that for personnel whom enterprises need but who cannot take up full-time posts, Hefei can recognize them as local talents through flexible recognition, enabling them to enjoy corresponding policy treatment. At the same time, the city also provides corresponding policy subsidies to entities that flexibly introduce urgently needed talents.

"The flexible talent introduction and recognition mechanism breaks through restrictions such as household registration, region, and personnel relationships, allowing scientific researchers with years of research and engineering practice experience to continue to exert their professional capabilities on the front line of industry, achieving a two-way commitment between talent and the city," Jiang Zejun said.

In January this year, Hefei launched another new policy, piloting authorized recognition of high-level industrial talents in various counties (cities, districts) and development zones, delegating part of the talent recognition authority, changing the previous model of unified recognition by the city.

"Through authorized recognition, we can better identify practical industrial talents who are rooted in the locality and serve local characteristic industries but are difficult to evaluate under the city's unified standards, so that talents who truly serve local industries can equally enjoy municipal talent policies, encouraging talents to stay in counties and districts to work and start businesses," Huang Zhonghui said.

Accompanying this is the fulfillment of incentive policies targeting different talents. "In the past, various talents may have needed to go to windows offline to submit various materials, which was time-consuming, laborious, and inefficient," Huang Zhonghui said. To thoroughly solve this pain point, the city specially built the "Hefei Talent Comprehensive Service Platform," implementing fully paperless online application throughout the entire process.

The platform integrates application channels for talent housing and job stability subsidies, publishes the latest policy notices, application guides, and frequently asked questions, and at the same time connects various data such as social security, real estate, and educational qualifications, letting data run more and talents run less, comprehensively improving the convenience of talent handling affairs.

Cherishing talent:

Building a big stage for entrepreneurship, letting talents feel at ease and comfortable

For talents, having an entrepreneurial stage to showcase personal brilliance is the best incentive policy.

Cheng Houyi, chairman of Hefei Zhizhen Precision Equipment Co., Ltd., has deep personal experience of this.

Due to the construction of the Hefei Innovation Research Institute of Beihang University, Cheng Houyi came to Hefei in 2018 to pursue a doctoral degree. After graduation, he founded Zhizhen Company, devoting all his energy to the R&D and manufacturing of key equipment in the integrated circuit field.

Recognizing Cheng Houyi's practical achievements in technology development and achievement transformation, Hefei recognized him as a municipal high-level talent. "Hefei's seed fund and angel fund each provided investment, and through channels such as government subsidized loans, they cumulatively provided us with about 200 million yuan in funding support. This solved the company's funding problems, allowing us to focus our energy on product R&D and market development," Cheng Houyi said.

In just a few years, Zhizhen Company grew rapidly, with contracted amounts exceeding 100 million yuan in 2025, employee numbers exceeding 150, and the proportion of master's and doctoral degree holders continuously rising.

"Apart from myself, other company employees have also truly enjoyed the incentives and support of Hefei's talent policies," Cheng Houyi told reporters. Hefei has tailored senior professional title review committees for industries such as artificial intelligence and integrated circuits, and company technical personnel can apply for professional titles through this "green channel," no longer constrained by frameworks such as papers and educational qualifications.

Talent incentives should not only provide a stage for work and entrepreneurship, but also provide good service in the details, letting talents feel at ease and comfortable.

The "Talent Code" is a shining business card of Hefei's talent services. Relying on the Wanshitong platform, the Organization Department of the Hefei Municipal Party Committee, together with multiple departments, has broken through data barriers in fields such as culture, tourism, and transportation, integrating nearly 50 high-quality service scenarios. Through scanning the code, talents can enjoy conveniences such as free admission to scenic spots, free bus and subway rides, and parking discounts. To date, it has cumulatively benefited over 1.3 million person-times of talents, continuously creating a strong atmosphere of respecting and cherishing talent.

In addition, Hefei has also built the "Guangyulan Talent Housing Project," providing a trinity of housing security services combining "housing security + monetary subsidies + quality of life benefits," benefiting over 240,000 person-times of talents in the past three years; it has piloted the construction of talent stations, providing free rental housing for up to 30 days for fresh graduates coming to Hefei for job hunting.

Using talent:

Strengthening incentive support, stimulating strong momentum for scientific research

Entering the Institute of Health and Medical Technology of Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, the first-floor lobby displays the institute's development history and latest technological achievements; in the laboratories upstairs, such as the small molecule drug R&D platform and chromatography analysis rooms, scientific researchers are operating with full concentration.

As a large comprehensive scientific research platform, the Institute of Health and Medical Technology focuses on basic and translational research in directions such as mechanisms of major diseases, innovative drug and medical device R&D, and from its inception has clearly defined the development path of "gathering talents, building platforms, and prospering industries," emphasizing the importance of talent.

"Drawing on advanced practices at home and abroad, we implement a project leader responsibility system, and on this basis, implement a series of innovative measures, forming the institute's unique talent cultivation and incentive system," said Tong Pei, director of the Human Resources Division of the Institute of Health and Medical Technology.

The biomedical and health industry has characteristics such as long cycles, large investments, high risks, and interdisciplinary nature. A research idea going "from 0 to 1," and then to achievement transformation and industrialization, involves multiple factors in the process. Relying solely on scientific researchers fighting alone, both efficiency and success rates are relatively low.

"We provide scientific researchers with incentive and support policies in multiple aspects, such as research authority, training guidance, and talent cultivation, providing convenience for them in team building, fund raising, equipment use, and other links," Tong Pei said.

Wu Jingxia is a senior researcher at the Institute of Health and Medical Technology and also a project leader. The research team she leads focuses mainly on tumor treatment through cell metabolism technology. From 2016 to 2023, Wu Jingxia conducted postdoctoral research in related fields at the German Cancer Research Center. After returning to China, she was determined to apply her academic ideas to the actual industry.

After multiple rounds of communication, in 2023, Wu Jingxia joined the Institute of Health and Medical Technology. Under the framework of the project leader responsibility system, Wu Jingxia received strong support, and her research vision is gradually becoming a reality step by step.

"According to the needs of the project, within 4 months of joining, I independently recruited 9 scientific researchers at different levels to form an R&D team, including 1 associate researcher, 1 postdoctoral fellow, and 7 research assistants," Wu Jingxia said. "Apart from some basic review processes and conditions of the institute, I have strong autonomy in team building and can recruit the people I need in a very short time. The institute also bears the cost of the 'five insurances and one housing fund' for institute-employed personnel on the team, allowing me to use research funds for key technology verification. These are all important measures that motivate us to better devote ourselves to scientific research."

To help teams retain and make good use of young talents, the institute has established a normalized mechanism for discovering, cultivating, and motivating young talents. Ming Yanan, a doctoral researcher on Wu Jingxia's team, was selected for the institute's "Hua Tuo Special Allowance Project," receiving special salary subsidies for 3 consecutive years, allowing her to settle down and root herself in scientific research. Now she has also received the institute's special support as a "project manager," obtaining relevant training and guidance, and has become a backbone force in promoting the subsequent industrial transformation of the research group's scientific achievements.

Unlike Wu Jingxia, another project leader, Yang Ying, believes that the hardware technology platform provided by the institute is one of the most solid supports for her.

"Before joining the institute, I was troubled by the lack of research venues and related heavy-asset infrastructure needed for preclinical validation of cell therapy. After joining, the institute opened up compliant public technology platforms, and the research projects were able to proceed smoothly," Yang Ying introduced. Currently, her team has established Hefei Liaoyuan Biotechnology Co., Ltd., and subsequent clinical trials and industrialization implementation are steadily advancing.

As of now, the Institute of Health and Medical Technology has cumulatively introduced 43 project leader teams, attracted 28 national-level high-level talents, and gathered over 400 scientific researchers, of whom those with doctoral degrees account for nearly one-third.

"The teams of the Institute of Health and Medical Technology have successively been approved for 63 scientific research projects at various levels, including the National Key R&D Program and the National Science and Technology Major Projects, and have made certain progress in directions such as tumor immunity and AI (artificial intelligence) drug design. This is also a manifestation of our talent work achievements," Tong Pei said.

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Implement the Political Responsibility for Governing the Party Well (Jintai Morning Voice)

By: 李林蔚

Recently, Qiushi magazine published an important article by General Secretary Xi Jinping. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Party committees (Party groups) at all levels must resolutely shoulder the primary responsibility, and secretaries must conscientiously fulfill the responsibility of the first person in charge, with firm stance and clear attitude, driving all relevant parties to truly assume their responsibilities."

"Adhering to the implementation of the political responsibility for governing the Party" is one of the core connotations of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, profoundly answering the major questions of who should carry out full and rigorous self-governance of the Party in the new era, how to carry it out, and how to ensure its implementation.

Implementing the political responsibility for governing the Party is the "ox nose" that must be firmly grasped in full and rigorous self-governance of the Party.

As the world's largest governing party with significant global influence, the tasks and challenges of governing the Party are self-evident (不言而喻, bu yan er yu - "not, speak, yet, understandable").

"Without clarifying responsibility, without implementing responsibility, without pursuing accountability, strict Party governance cannot be achieved." Full and rigorous self-governance of the Party has never been an abstract slogan; it must be implemented by Party organizations at all levels and Party members and cadres. If responsibility becomes hollow and suspended, strict Party governance will become a mere formality (流于形式, liu yu xing shi - "flow, towards, form, pattern") and be reduced to slogans.

Implementing the political responsibility for governing the Party focuses on improving a responsibility system with clear subjects and explicit requirements.

In March this year, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting to review the Regulations on the Work of Local Party Committees of the Communist Party of China, emphasizing that local Party committees "must shoulder the political responsibility for governing the Party."

Over the years, from revising the Regulations on Disciplinary Actions of the Communist Party of China, to reviewing and approving the Several Guidelines on Political Life Within the Party Under the New Situation and the Regulations on Intra-Party Supervision of the Communist Party of China, and issuing the Provisions on Party Committees (Party Groups) Implementing the Primary Responsibility for Full and Rigorous Self-Governance of the Party, the cage of institutions has been continuously tightened, and the "hard constraints" for implementing the political responsibility for governing the Party have become more prominent.

Full and rigorous self-governance of the Party is the common responsibility of the entire Party. Party committees (Party groups), discipline inspection commissions at all levels, secretaries of Party committees (Party groups), other members of leading bodies, and Party members and cadres occupy different positions in the responsibility chain of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, respectively bearing the primary responsibility, supervisory responsibility, the responsibility of the first person in charge, and "dual responsibilities for one post." Only when responsibilities are interlocking (环环相扣, huan huan xiang kou - "ring, ring, mutually, link") and pressure is transmitted level by level can it be ensured that every responsible subject is each performing their own duties (各司其职, ge si qi zhi - "each, undertake, its, duty") and each bears their own responsibility.

Implementing the political responsibility for governing the Party focuses on knowing responsibility, assuming responsibility, and fulfilling responsibility.

Clarifying responsibility addresses the question of "whether one knows," while assuming responsibility tests the courage of "whether one dares." "Party organizations at all levels and all Party members and cadres must truly regard the implementation of the political responsibility for governing the Party as the most fundamental political commitment."

Regarding full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, whether one merely expresses verbal support more than taking the initiative to act, or integrates Party governance into daily work and regular practice, proactively identifying problems and confronting difficulties head-on, tests the political judgment, political understanding, and political execution of leading cadres, and examines their Party spirit, stance, and sense of responsibility.

The effectiveness of implementing the political responsibility for governing the Party ultimately hinges on grasping the key link of "accountability." Where there is power, there is responsibility; where there is responsibility, there must be accountability; where responsibility is lost, there must be investigation. On the one hand, serious accountability must be pursued for those who govern the Party ineffectively or fail in their duties, forcing Party organizations at all levels and Party members and cadres to shoulder their responsibilities; on the other hand, the generalization and simplification of accountability must be prevented, adhering to the combination of strict management combined with kind care (严管厚爱, yan guan hou ai - "strict, manage, thick, love"), and encouraging cadres to take on responsibilities and act.

Only when the Party governs itself can it govern the Party well; only with strict governance can the Party be well governed. On the new journey, implementing the political responsibility for governing the Party well, with each level grasping the next and implementing at every level, will surely create an atmosphere of rigor, establish a healthy ethos, and build our Party into an even stronger and more capable force.

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Clean Governance Safeguards the Sunset Years

By: 本报记者 史一棋

"I have no children, and I have been in the nursing home for over 10 years. The national policies are good, and the services and environment here are good." At the Central Nursing Home of Binchuan County, Yunnan Province, Yang Zhaoxun, an elderly man from Dongsicun Village, Jinniu Town, spoke of his current life with a face full of smiles.

At the grassroots level, elderly people in extreme difficulty who are dispersed and supported individually often live alone at home for long periods, lacking daily care. The construction and operation of elderly care projects and the distribution of various elderly care subsidies are directly related to the vital interests of the elderly.

In recent years, the Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervisory Commission of Binchuan County have adhered to breaking through with individual cases and extending to the whole region, focusing on key links such as the implementation of elderly care projects, the allocation and use of funds, and the care of people in extreme difficulty. Coordinating with functional departments such as civil affairs and finance, they have carried out a full-chain investigation of project funds in the elderly care field in recent years. Problems collected during visits, such as insufficient care guarantees and discounted implementation of policies, have all been included in rectification lists for item-by-item handling.

The Central Nursing Home of Binchuan County was put into use in July 2014, with 102 designed beds. For elderly people with disabilities and cognitive impairments, the institution implements classified care, arranging dedicated personnel to be responsible for diet, daily living, rehabilitation, and companionship. Currently, there are 85 elderly residents in the facility.

"We must have patience and love, and treat them as our own family members. They can feel your sincere dedication to them. Because every household has elderly members (家家都有, jia jia dou you - "every family, all, have"), and we ourselves will grow old too," said caregiver Luo Meifeng.

On this basis, Binchuan County regularly carries out the "Door-Knocking Action," in which staff visit villages and households to survey people in extreme difficulty who live alone or are disabled, publicize the policy of centralized support, and open a green channel for those willing to be admitted. As of now, a cumulative total of 1,012 households have been visited, and 92 elderly people in extreme difficulty have bid farewell to solitary living and moved into elderly care institutions to enjoy their later years in comfort. The county has built 1 county-level central nursing home, 5 township nursing homes, 30 day care centers, and 12 happiness parks for shared care of the elderly and children, forming a three-tier elderly care service network at the county, township, and village levels. From January to October this year, the county distributed special support funds for people in extreme difficulty to 658 people totaling 5.68 million yuan, and issued old-age allowances to 8,077 people totaling 3.62 million yuan, ensuring that various elderly care policies benefiting the people are fully implemented.

On the basis of solving specific problems, Binchuan County has extended the results of rectification to the entire field of elderly care work, such as project construction, subsidy distribution, and post-construction management and maintenance of institutions, continuously consolidating the foundation of livelihood safeguards through strong supervision, and constantly enhancing the elderly's sense of gain, happiness, and security.

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Communities Without Property Management Now Have a Reliable "Backbone" (Party Flag Flying High at the Grassroots Frontline)

By: 本报记者 周 欢

Stepping inside, the rooms are spotless and bright (窗明几净, chuang ming ji jing - "window, bright; bed, clean") and orderly and well-organized (井井有条, jing jing you tiao - "well, well; have, order"); stepping outside, garbage is piled up haphazardly and vehicles are parked at random in the community — such a contrast is a portrait of many residential communities without property management.

Half a year ago, in Quannan County, Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, there were 53 such communities.

"The predicament of communities without property management lies mainly in 'who will manage them.'" Ye Lanwei (叶兰蔚), deputy director of the Urban Community Management Committee of Quannan County, said bluntly, "To break the deadlock, the key is to find a 'backbone' that can shoulder responsibility and unite people."

At the end of December 2025, Quannan County explored establishing Party organizations within communities without property management, setting up substantive Party branches. The Party branch took the lead in organizing a Property Management Committee (hereinafter referred to as the "PMC"), with the Party branch secretary concurrently serving as the PMC director. Each community elected 5 to 7 residents to serve as PMC members, responsible for the day-to-day management of community affairs.

With personnel in place, where would the money come from? "First, set an example, let residents see that standardized community management works well, then collect property management fees." Ye Lanwei's thinking was clear.

In the early stage, the community, the community Party branch, and the PMC raised funds and contributed effort themselves, demarcating parking spaces, installing fitness equipment, and maintaining environmental hygiene. Gradually, more and more residents were willing to come downstairs for walks and exercise, and they gave thumbs-up praise one after another.

The parties then took the opportunity to begin collecting property management fees, charging about 200 yuan per household per year based on costs such as hiring cleaners and security guards. "Residents' enthusiasm is much higher now; currently 80% to 85% of residents can pay on time." Ye Lanwei said.

How to manage? The residents themselves have the final say.

Walking into Xianghe Jiayuan Community, the "Community Self-Governance Convention" on the bulletin board at the entrance is particularly eye-catching. Looking closer, how often cleaning is done, whether fees are charged for external vehicles, how public facilities are maintained... all 26 provisions are perfectly clear and plain (一清二楚, yi qing er chu - "one, clear; two, distinct") and every one is reasonable.

"It all came from residents discussing it sentence by sentence and 'arguing' it out." The first thing Yang Xuan (杨璇), Party branch secretary of Xianghe Jiayuan Community, did upon taking office was to convene a "bench meeting" for community residents, where everyone shared their feelings about living there, discussed community governance issues, and raised rectification suggestions. "As people talked one after another (你一言我一语, ni yi yan wo yi yu - "you, one, word; me, one, speech"), residents gradually opened their hearts, we learned the real situation, and on that basis formulated the 'Community Self-Governance Convention.'"

Today, all 53 communities without property management in the county have formulated self-governance conventions. While the awareness of self-governance has been fully activated, residents with a "warm heart" have also emerged.

"Before, the community was messy and inconvenient. Now, it is clean and tidy, more residents come downstairs for walks, and neighborly relations are much better. We must cherish this!" Wu Xialing (伍夏玲), a resident of Xianghe Jiayuan Community, takes a walk around the community whenever she has free time, picking up litter as she goes, maintaining fitness and other facilities and equipment, and mediating neighborly disputes. Over time, "when something comes up, find Sister Wu" has become a catchphrase among residents.

To improve governance effectiveness, grid-based management has been promoted, and a coordinated system of "community + community Party branch + grid worker + building chief" has been established, fully activating the internal driving force of governance in communities without property management.

In the morning, Huang Jinghui (黄井慧), building chief of Building 2, No. 16 Old West Station Road in Quannan County, put on a red vest, tucked a notebook under her arm, and began half a day of inspection work.

"Before, when mediating disputes or doing good deeds, I was timid and hesitant to act (畏手畏脚, wei shou wei jiao - "fear, hand; fear, foot"), afraid of being accused of meddling in others' business. Now, with the Party branch backing me up and institutional safeguards in place, I can act with full confidence!" Huang Jinghui actively pays attention to the needs of residents in her building on a daily basis, promptly identifies and resolves problems and disputes to the best of her ability, and reports matters beyond her capacity to the grid worker and the community Party branch.

From "no one managing" to "the Party branch managing," from "watching from the sidelines" to "taking the initiative to act," as of now, all 53 communities without property management in the county have established Party branches, cumulatively promoting the resolution of more than 1,600 practical matters concerning people's livelihoods and the mediation of conflicts and disputes.

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Page editors: Shi Yiqi

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The Earth Sings a Long Song: Reading the Long March (Earth Booklist, Issue 6)

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From Snowy Mountains and Grasslands to the Sea of Stars

By: 张明瑟

Ninety years have passed since the Long March. This great journey, engraved with lofty ideals and firm convictions, is fused into the materials, cultural relics, and images left behind by several generations. The arduous and tortuous course, the soul-stirring history (荡气回肠, dang qi hui chang - "shake the air, return the intestines"), and the ever-fresh spirit — the stories of the Long March are inexhaustible, and writings about the Long March emerge in an endless stream (层出不穷, ceng chu bu qiong - "layer out, not exhausted"), with new insights constantly appearing.

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March, we sincerely invite you to open this weighty tome together, and through reading, approach the historical scene and the chapters written with utmost effort by generation after generation of writers. Step onto the journey with the words, and catch up with the footsteps with your thoughts. This is a walk on paper, and also a spiritual journey unfolding between the lines.

In the Long March era, text was the primary medium for recording history. Communication relied on telegrams, mobilization on bulletins, longing on family letters, and reflection on diaries; most of the materials left behind were textual. Late in the night of November 30, 1934, when the fighting was at its most intense, the Red First Army Corps, the vanguard that had always been fully armed and ready for battle (披坚执锐, pi jian zhi rui - "wear armor, hold weapons"), sent a telegram to the Central Revolutionary Military Commission: "All armies east of the Xiang River must cross the river traveling day and night in great haste (星夜兼程, xing ye jian cheng - "starry night, combine journey")." Four characters — "traveling day and night in great haste" — the urgency spills off the page. At 3:30 a.m., the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Central Revolutionary Military Commission, and the General Political Department of the Red Army replied to the Red First and Third Army Corps: "Disregard all sacrifice, overcome fatigue" and "Hold high the banner of victory and advance toward the firing line."

A page of telegram text, a few brief words, compels you to think — what kind of night was that? Did those who traveled day and night in great haste later make it across the river? This hard-fought battle was the Battle of the Xiang River. Its outcome was a tenacious breakthrough of the enemy's blockade, but the Central Red Army was sharply reduced from over 80,000 men at departure to 30,000, and this painful lesson impelled the revolutionary ranks to correct the "Left" errors. The telegram text was collected into history books and then expanded into the true and moving stories in History of the Red Army's Long March and Suffering and Glory.

Reading Records of the Red Army's Long March: Original Accounts, the articles collected therein were written by Long March survivors following a call for submissions personally initiated by Comrade Mao Zedong in 1936, allowing us to "hear" how people of that time spoke. On night marches: "Sitting on a horse, one can certainly doze off; walking, one can also doze off." On the equal and harmonious atmosphere within the revolutionary ranks: after the forced crossing of the Dadu River, they slaughtered livestock, and the chief commander personally went to the kitchen to cook... It turns out that those who completed the Long March were not supermen, but a group of young people similar in age to us. They too got tired, sleepy, hungry for good food, and homesick, yet the revolutionary spirit was precisely that, even so, they still took that step forward, step after step.

Along the way, there was the wisdom of struggle. In February 1935, after the Red Army crossed the Chishui River for the first time and entered Zhaxi, it then turned back eastward. The soldiers were puzzled — why take the old road again? On February 16, the Letter to All Red Army Commanders and Fighters was issued: "Sometimes heading east, sometimes heading west, sometimes taking the main road, sometimes taking the small path, sometimes taking the old road, sometimes taking the new road — the sole purpose is to achieve victory in battle under favorable conditions." The struggle strategy of seeking truth from facts, guiding things along a favorable course (因势利导, yin shi li dao - "according to situation, guide"), and adapting flexibly is hidden in a few plain and straightforward phrases, making one applaud with great enthusiasm (拍案叫绝, pai an jiao jue - "strike the table, cry excellence").

Along the way, there was the fervor of faith. Before departing from the Yudu River, the soldier Li Jun wrote to his wife: "If the revolution does not succeed, I will not return home; we will meet on the day of success." Three months later, he sacrificed his life at Qinggangpo. At Jiajin Mountain, the first great snow mountain crossed by the Central Red Army, the local saying went, "Birds cannot fly over it, and men cannot climb it." Commander-in-Chief Zhu De gave his horse to the wounded and sick, "carrying grain on his back and climbing the mountain like the other soldiers." Comrades reminded each other not to sleep, not to rest. Years later, Dong Biwu, speaking with the American journalist Agnes Smedley about Jiajin Mountain and the soldiers who sacrificed there, still felt it was "truly terrifying" — "they wanted to sit down and rest their legs, catch their breath, and could never stand up again."

These recollections, records, and reports answer with profound insight and power (力透纸背, li tou zhi bei - "strength penetrates, paper back") what the Long March was, what faith is, and what the Long March means to us today. It is precisely in reading, comprehending, and reflecting that history condenses into spirit, and spirit illuminates reality.

Each generation has its own Long March. Today's "snow mountains" and "grasslands" may be development bottlenecks, innovation challenges, or technological breakthroughs. This is also the reason this issue's book list includes Eighteen Stories from Shibadong Village and Journey to the Far Side of the Moon. Reading these books, one will see the arduous transformation of the Miao village in western Hunan in casting off poverty, and understand the solemn commitment that "no one is to be left behind"; one will understand that the journey toward the sea of stars likewise requires the same adaptive wisdom as the four crossings of the Chishui River, to grasp the historical initiative.

With faith in the heart, there is strength underfoot. Looking across the world, the more turbulent the times, with opportunities and challenges intertwined, the more we need the enlightenment of history and the nourishment of conviction. That red ribbon on the earth — ninety years on, it remains as bright as ever. It tells us with certainty that no matter what crisis or danger we face, only through going through many trials and tribulations (千锤百炼, qian chui bai lian - "thousand hammer, hundred refine") can one be tempered into steel, and only with firm persistence can one stand unyielding.

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A Quality That All Humanity Can Understand

By: 亚当·福斯特

The Long March was a breathtakingly arduous trek in modern human history, and it holds special significance for me as well. This connection is not only tied to our family's nearly a century of ties with China, but also stems from the spiritual legacy left by my great-aunt Helen Foster Snow—she devoted her life to bridging the divides of geography and prejudice, and to promoting mutual understanding between different cultures.

Helen was a descendant of early American pioneers. Her forebears crossed deserts, rapids, and mountains, seeking a new life on unknown land. Stories of resilience, sacrifice, and pressing forward through hardship were things she was constantly influenced by what one sees and hears (耳濡目染, er ru mu ran - "ear, moisten; eye, dye") from a young age. Years later, she went to China, traveling across the vast ocean (远涉重洋, yuan she chong yang - "far, cross, heavy, ocean"), and together with Edgar Snow, witnessed another epic that displayed the will and determination of human survival—the Red Army's Long March.

In recent years, I have had the opportunity to revisit the places where the Snows once left their footprints in China. From the fusion of traditional porcelain artistry in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, with the creations of contemporary international youth, to the historical threads revealed by the remains of ancient civilization in Henan, I have seen a China that both respects tradition and is full of vitality.

Visiting Yan'an in Shaanxi, standing in the earth cave dwellings on the Loess Plateau, and facing the extremely simple traces of daily life, I could truly feel the hardships people endured back then. For Helen, she came into contact with specific individuals and their real lives, and from this developed a profound respect for the self-respect, tenacity, and simple aspirations of ordinary Chinese people.

These observations were later written into her book Inside Red China. Her and Snow's records—especially the book Red Star Over China—are still mentioned by people today. In an era when the outside world was full of prejudice and misunderstanding toward China, they chose to speak with first-hand visits and true stories. Their approach reminds those who come after: listen before you judge; understand before you conclude.

The inspiration the Long March leaves for people is not limited to its history itself. What it displays is a quality that all of humanity can understand: resilience in adversity, persistence toward a greater goal, and a steadfast commitment to the future. Any meaningful progress comes with difficulty, requires extraordinary endurance and resolve, and demands that people grit their teeth and put in effort. Looking at the present, this resilience still holds meaning. It tells us that temporary setbacks do not equal the final outcome, and that difficulties can be gradually overcome through tenacity, unity, and a clear direction.

President Xi Jinping said this in his reply letter to me: "I hope that you and the foundation will continue to take the Snows as your example and make new contributions to enhancing the friendship and cooperation between the peoples of China and the United States!" The Helen Foster Snow Foundation continues to hold programs such as the "Gung Ho" youth exchange. Although our cultural backgrounds differ, everyone shares a simple belief—that a better future is worth striving for, and that sincere communication can bridge the most distant of distances.

(The author is Honorary Chair of the Helen Foster Snow Foundation of the United States)

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Live Up to the Era, Live Up to Our Forebears

By: 王仁君

Over the years, I have played the young Mao Zedong many times in film and television works such as The Bugle from Gutian and Baptizing in Blood. Every time I approach that period of turbulent history, it is a spiritual baptism. In order to get close to the character and understand the original aspiration, I read through a great deal of historical materials and writings, among which what left the deepest impression on me was Professor Jin Yinan's Hardship and Glory.

Hardship and Glory spans from the October Revolution to the eve of the Xi'an Incident, presenting a panoramic view of the extremely complex and intricate (错综复杂, cuo zong fu za - "intertwined, complicated, many-layered") and turbulent and dramatic times (风云激荡, feng yun ji dang - "wind, clouds, surge, stir") of Chinese society in the 1920s and 1930s, and answering a question that transcends time and space: how was the Communist Party of China able to blaze a path out of desperate straits? The book has vivid characters and solid historical materials, and the chapters on the Long March are particularly stirring. Take the Four Crossings of the Chishui River, for example: it was not a pre-planned, fully considered fixed tactic, but rather a path of survival that the Red Army carved out step by step from desperate straits by adapting to circumstances and flexibly adjusting during its marches and battles. As the author puts it, this was the active shaping of an unknown fate — fate is never waited for, but fought for and created through action, fully demonstrating the historical self-awareness of Chinese Communists and their quality of seeking truth from facts.

Reading deeper, I often find my eyes filled with tears (热泪盈眶, re lei ying kuang - "hot, tears, fill, eye sockets") at the choices and perseverance of the Red Army officers and soldiers. Under extremely difficult conditions, they always maintained high morale and the sharp edge of faith; many vanished into the smoke of history, and many sacrificed their lives on the eve of victory. There is a line in the book that I have always kept in mind: "They sought neither office nor money, feared neither hardship nor death, but only the cause, only the faith." What they chose was never the easy road, but the road worth taking. There is also a passage that is shocking and enlightening (振聋发聩, zhen long fa kui - "shake the deaf, startle the muddled"): true heroes "sow, but do not take part in the harvest," and "this is the backbone of the nation. Having gone through many hardships (历尽苦难, li jin ku nan - "experience, end, bitter, suffering"), they achieved glory for us."

Not long ago, I won the Outstanding Actor Award at the 35th Flying Apsaras Awards for Chinese TV Drama for the TV series Baptizing in Blood. This honor is not a personal halo, but a testament to the relay of generations in the creative ranks of major revolutionary historical themes, and a distant echo of the Long March spirit in the artistic creation of the new era. For literary and artistic workers, the process of portraying the images of our predecessors is a "spiritual Long March" across time and space: every time we pore over historical materials at our desks, every time we step into the inner world of a character before the camera, we are retracing the mental journey along the footsteps of our predecessors, and transforming the mighty power of the spirit into creative drive.

The road ahead is long, and only through struggle can we advance. Our predecessors, having gone through many hardships, paved today's road to glory; we, in turn, continue to write new glory through struggle, forging ahead courageously at our respective posts, living up to the times and living up to our predecessors.

(The author is an actor)

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Set Off, Embark on the Long March

By: 韦琳可

The Journey to the Far Side of the Moon records the exploration practices from Chang'e-1 to Chang'e-4. As a young aerospace engineer, although I did not participate in all the tasks of the "three-step" lunar exploration program, in my daily work I have been steeped in countless stories of "gritting one's teeth" and moments of "wrestling with a problem." This beautiful "road to the heavens" was forged by generations of aerospace workers making steady progress step by step (一步一个脚印, yi bu yi ge jiao yin - "one step, one step, one foot, one print") and carrying on the struggle in succession. The book tells of the Chinese people's lunar exploration footprints, but is it not also the trajectory of each of our own growth?

Yutu-2 is still working normally on the far side of the moon, with nearly 8 years of time and over 1,600 meters of driving distance — this is the Long March of us aerospace workers. The development of China's aerospace industry is remarkably similar to the Red Army's Long March back then: long-term and arduous, bitter yet glorious, relying on firm conviction to break through encirclement and charging forward courageously (勇往直前, yong wang zhi qian - "bravely, go, towards, front"), willing to sacrifice and dedicate, daring to innovate and create, constantly challenging limits and writing human miracles. The Long March of history was a resplendent page in the Chinese revolution, leaving behind the undying great spirit of the Long March; the Long March of aerospace workers in the new era is a positive quest with a firm goal, working tirelessly from dawn to dusk (披星戴月, pi xing dai yue - "wear, stars, carry, moon"), and another heroic expedition toward deep space, forging ahead with innovation.

In the flight control center, "How do you hear my voice?" and "I hear your voice fine." are the two most commonly used microphone voice test commands. "How do you hear my voice" — what I hear is the strong heartbeat and excited pulse of aerospace workers facing a mission; I will calmly and confidently tell him, "I hear your voice fine," and we are being in perfect harmony or communication (声息相应, sheng xi xiang ying - "sound, breath, mutually, respond"), striving together across the void.

If the starry sky could respond, what I most long to hear is the universe, with its eternal rigor and profundity, answering our tiny yet persistent exploration with a confirming echo. For example, "Your understanding of gravity is touching the real," or a probe, as it traverses interstellar dust, capturing fluctuations of non-natural order, hinting that "life is not an accident, nor is civilization an island." Yet perhaps the most profound "response" of the starry sky is its eternal silence. It is precisely this silence that forces us to forge our imagination into spacecraft and algorithms. We need not have the starry sky speak — the tracks imprinted by the lunar rover's wheel ruts are already the universe's gift to our courage and wisdom.

The romance of aerospace is the romance of humanity; we use our entire civilization as a thrown stone to ask the way across the sea of stars. Facing this Long March full of challenges, our generation must strive to be strong.

(Author's affiliation: Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center)

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Netizens' Comments

Netizen "One Mountain Heavy Rain": In the past, I read about the Long March in Chinese textbooks, later I watched the Long March in TV dramas and movies, and now there are so many excellent books on Long March themes to choose from — I must collect them all! Walk the road step by step, read the books one by one, and you will always reach the place you want to go.

Netizen Shuai Yu: On July 7, 1980, I bought the book Red Star Over China (Xinghuo Liaoyuan), and was so excited that I finished it in one day. In the days that followed, I read it many times, until the edges of the pages were worn smooth by my touch and the spine was broken from repeated opening. It was not just this one — The Long March: The Untold Story and The History of the Red Army's Long March, I also read many times. Reading not only let me know the course of the Long March, but also gave me a profound education, and its benefit to me is beyond words.

Netizen "Song and Smile 123": I hope there will be more books like Three Days in Zunyi that give "close-up" treatment to episodes of the Long March.

Netizen mBjCax: How can ordinary people understand the Long March? Why the Long March Is Eternal let me see from a contemporary perspective why the Long March is eternal and why the Long March spirit is immortal.

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Page editors: Dong Yang, Hu Yanyan, Ren Feifan, Zhang Mingse

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