People's Daily - November 5, 2026

“Deepening the Rectification of Improper Practices and Corruption Around the Masses” (The People-Centered Sentiments of the General Secretary)

By: 本报记者 史一棋

The Decision of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party proposed to institutionalize and normalize the rectification of improper practices and corruption issues around the masses.

On October 22, at the conference commemorating the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "continuing with perseverance (持之以恒, chizhiyiheng - "hold, continue, with, persistence") to advance full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, and constantly realizing the Party's self-purification, self-improvement, self-renewal, and self-enhancement." Earlier this year, at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Deepen the rectification of improper practices and corruption issues around the masses."

"Whatever the masses oppose and hate, we must resolutely guard against and correct." Since the new era, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, standing at the strategic height of maintaining the Party's close ties with the masses and consolidating the Party's governing foundation, has continuously deepened the rectification of improper practices and corruption issues around the masses, enabling the broad masses to truly feel that full and rigorous self-governance of the Party is right beside them, and that fairness and justice are right beside them.

In deepening the rectification, temper the original aspiration of serving the people, "so that the common people can feel and benefit from it."

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must implement the people-centered development philosophy, respond to the masses' thoughts, concerns, worries, and expectations, promote the extension of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party to the grassroots, solve prominent problems strongly reflected by the masses, and use the tangible results of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party to consolidate the Party's governing foundation."

The wind-and-corruption problems in the fields erode the foundation of food security and hurt farmers' sense of gain; the General Secretary has always kept this in mind.

On June 24, when inspecting Dezhou City, Shandong Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "The Party Central Committee and the State Council attach great importance to the construction of high-standard farmland, investing large amounts of funds every year to provide support. We must ensure quality so that the broad masses of farmers truly benefit."

Since 2024, the concentrated rectification of improper practices and corruption issues around the masses has continued to deepen and expand, with the construction of high-standard farmland being one of the key areas of focus. Various localities and departments have implemented the General Secretary's important instructions, adhered to targeted treatment, and promoted the grassroots to put more real effort into practical results and less energy into formalities.

"The farther improper practices are from us, the closer the masses will be to us." The dialectical relationship between "far" and "close" is imbued with sincere feelings for the people, demonstrating our Party's original aspiration and founding mission of seeking happiness for the people and rejuvenation for the nation.

Take concrete measures and seek practical results, "correcting one problem at a time."

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "For prominent problems strongly reflected by Party members and cadres, especially those at the grassroots level, we must investigate and rectify each one as soon as it is discovered."

Tackle prominent problems in the management of rural collective "three assets" (funds, assets, and resources); vigorously rectify management problems in "campus meals"; vigorously straighten out problems in the elderly care service sector... Solving one problem after another, overcoming one stubborn disease after another, discipline inspection and supervision organs at all levels have started from the interest issues that the masses care about most, are most directly concerned with, and are most realistic about, investigating and rectifying "micro-corruption" in the field of people's livelihood and the "stumbling blocks" hindering the implementation of policies benefiting the people. Since the concentrated rectification of improper practices and corruption issues around the masses was launched, a total of 6.523 million urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses have been corrected.

Improper practices and corruption issues around the masses are numerous, widespread, and prone to occur; they must be addressed with the spirit of the nail, striking blow after blow.

General Secretary Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: "We must deepen the simultaneous investigation and joint governance of misconduct and corruption, and through the appearance of 'misconduct,' uncover the essence of 'corruption.'" Only by promoting the two-way force and coordinated governance of investigating corruption through misconduct and correcting misconduct through corruption can we sever the transmission chain from misconduct to corruption.

On the one hand, we must dig deep into the problems behind the Four Malfeasances such as cliques and factions, entrusting others to handle affairs, and transfer of interests, and expose the true face of "corruption" by lifting the lid on "misconduct." On the other hand, we must target the regional, industry-specific, and sector-specific stubborn misconduct problems reflected in corruption cases, and use "joint governance" to eradicate the common roots of misconduct and corruption.

By linking "investigation" and "governance" to block the evolution of misconduct into corruption, full and rigorous self-governance of the Party continues to extend to the grassroots, urgent, difficult, and anxious problems of the masses are resolved, the vital interests of the masses are safeguarded, and the mass foundation for the Party's long-term governance becomes more solid.

Adhere to constantly maintaining efforts without letting up (常抓不懈, changzhabu xie - "always, grasp, not, slack") and sustained, long-term effort, and continue to deepen rectification work with the spirit of the nail.

General Secretary Xi Jinping explicitly required, "Party committees at all levels, especially municipal and county party committees, must make the rectification of improper practices and corruption issues around the masses an important task to be carried out on a regular and normalized basis."

This year is the decisive battle year for the concentrated rectification of improper practices and corruption issues around the masses; improving institutional mechanisms to consolidate achievements is one of the directional goals of the decisive battle.

"Improve institutional mechanisms, and continue to exert efforts and advance in depth in eradicating the soil and conditions that breed corruption." Putting power in the cage of institutions — the General Secretary is planning ahead with great foresight (深谋远虑, shenmouyuanlü - "deep, plan, far, thought").

Govern power with institutions, exercise power according to rules. The concentrated rectification lies not only in the fierce offensive of the decisive battle, but also in the strategic consideration of long-term governance, promoting the organic unity of "immediate correction" and "long-term establishment." Discipline inspection and supervision organs at all levels start from the "points" related to the interests of the masses, deepen and expand the "surface" of systematic rectification, and pay attention to summarizing and consolidating good experiences and good practices.

"For people and matters that violate the spirit of the Eight-Point Regulation, and for improper practices, investigate and deal with them severely as soon as they emerge; for problems that recur repeatedly, deepen rectification and remediation, and resolutely prevent rebound and resurgence." General Secretary Xi Jinping's attitude is clear-cut.

On the new journey, the broad masses of Party members and cadres bear in mind the General Secretary's instructions, adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, deepen the rectification of improper practices and corruption issues around the masses, continue with perseverance to advance full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, and constantly create a new situation of governing and strengthening the Party in the new era. We will surely always win the historical initiative of strengthening the Party and the country.

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History illuminates the future, and endeavor achieves great accomplishments

By: 本报评论员

Persisting in advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party is the common political responsibility of the entire Party, and thoroughly studying and implementing the spirit of the plenary session is a major political task for the entire Party both now and for a period to come.

The Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party deliberated and adopted the "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Persisting in Advancing Full and Rigorous Self-Governance of the Party," and called on the entire Party to "strive to improve governance and administration, strive for greatness and strength, persist in advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, and continuously open up new prospects for governing and managing the Party and invigorating and strengthening the Party in the new era." We must unify our thoughts and actions with the spirit of the plenary session and the arrangements of the Party Central Committee, further enhance our understanding of the importance and urgency of persisting in advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, accurately grasp the strategic tasks and major measures deployed by the plenary session, and effectively implement the various arrangements of the "Decision."

History illuminates the future, and struggle accomplishes great undertakings.

From a small red boat to a majestic giant ship, through 105 years of unremitting struggle, how has our Party developed into the world's largest governing party with significant global influence, uniting and leading the people in writing the most magnificent epic in the several-thousand-year history of the Chinese nation?

Persistently pursuing truth and always keeping the correct direction of advance, deeply rooting itself in the people and always possessing a solid foundation, bravely shouldering historical missions and always grasping strategic initiative, conforming to the trend of development and always staying at the forefront of the times, daring and adept at struggle and always maintaining confidence in victory, and focusing on strengthening itself and always remaining full of vitality. These excellent qualities are the key code to why the Communist Party of China is capable.

On the new Long March, how can we overcome all difficulties and obstacles and continuously create a better future? The key lies in vigorously carrying forward the great founding spirit of the Party, always bearing in mind the "Three Imperatives," continuously carrying forward the Party's excellent qualities, persisting in advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, and building our Party better and stronger.

Party cadres are the backbone force of the cause of the Party and the state, and Party organizations at all levels are the subjects of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party. From this, one can more deeply grasp the spiritual essence and practical requirements of the "Decision."

For the Party to govern itself, the first priority is to manage cadres well; for strict governance of the Party, the key is strict governance of officials.

In the new era, full and rigorous self-governance of the Party has implemented the strict management of cadres throughout the entire process of building the cadre contingent, and a large number of good cadres who are loyal, clean, and responsible have been discovered and used in a timely manner. The broad masses of Party members and cadres generally reflect: full and rigorous self-governance of the Party has fundamentally stimulated the enthusiasm of cadres, the standards for good cadres have been established, and everyone has more drive to work and start undertakings.

"Build a high-quality cadre contingent that is politically competent, highly capable, of excellent conduct, and strictly disciplined." The "Decision" makes major arrangements around forging a high-quality cadre contingent capable of shouldering the great task of national rejuvenation. The broad masses of Party members and cadres must deeply understand the inherent unity of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party and encouraging responsibility and action, firmly establish and practice a correct view of political achievements, continuously enhance their ability to work and start undertakings, and strive to create achievements that stand the test of practice, the people, and history.

A rigorous organizational system is where the Party's advantages and strength lie. "Only when Party organizations at all levels are sound and competent, forming a rigorous organizational system that is connected from top to bottom and effective in execution, can the Party's leadership act with seamless coordination and efficiency."

Stabilizing the economy and promoting development, fighting poverty and building a moderately prosperous society, controlling epidemics and resisting major disasters, responding to changing situations and resolving crises... Since the new era, the reason our Party has been able to lead the people in winning one tough battle after another and creating one miracle after another is precisely that, under the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, the entire Party has united into "a piece of hard steel," continuously transforming the Party's political and organizational advantages into advantages for victory.

The Party's overall leadership and all the Party's work must be realized through the Party's strong organizational system. Today, whether it is realizing the goals and tasks of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, or promoting the resolution of problems of unbalanced and inadequate development, or responding to the challenges of a turbulent external environment, it is necessary to strengthen the political and organizational functions of Party organizations, ensuring that the implementation of the Party's line, principles, and policies and the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee are coordinated from top to bottom and are precise and efficient.

The "Decision" makes major arrangements around building a rigorous organizational system that is connected from top to bottom and effective in execution. Conscientiously implementing the Party's organizational line for the new era, systematically advancing the building of Party organizations at all levels and in all fields, promoting comprehensive progress and comprehensive competence of Party organizations at all levels, and continuously enhancing the creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness of Party organizations at all levels will surely provide a strong organizational guarantee for the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation.

From "the nation suffering humiliation, the people suffering hardship, and civilization being cast into darkness," to the world's second-largest economy, the largest manufacturing country, and the largest trading country in goods... "Over more than one hundred years, the tremendous changes that have taken place on Chinese soil fully prove that the Party has lived up to history and the people, and is worthy of being the vanguard of the Chinese working class, and worthy of being the vanguard of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation." This is the profound conclusion of history and practice.

Coming from the depths of history and advancing toward national rejuvenation, today's Communist Party of China, having weathered storms, remains unchanged in its original aspiration, is firm in its goals and advances courageously, and the grand cause for which countless revolutionary predecessors fought and sacrificed is becoming a reality.

On the new journey, uniting more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, fully implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, deeply comprehending the decisive significance of the Two Establishments (两个确立), strengthening the Four Consciousnesses (四个意识), firming up the Four Confidences (四个自信), and achieving the Two Upholds (两个维护), forever maintaining the sobriety and firmness of those taking the examination, and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party, our Party will surely be able to lead the people in creating new great undertakings through new great struggles.

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Li Qiang Meets with WIPO Director General Daren Tang

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 4) (Reporter Dong Xue) On the afternoon of November 4, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang met with Daren Tang, Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Li Qiang stated that in recent years, China and the World Intellectual Property Organization have carried out fruitful cooperation in fields such as global intellectual property services, information technology, and human resources. At present, world economic growth is weak, and the value of intellectual property as a fundamental guarantee for stimulating innovation and empowering development is becoming increasingly prominent. The Chinese side will conscientiously implement President Xi Jinping's important expositions on intellectual property, and is willing to work together with the World Intellectual Property Organization to continuously deepen and solidify bilateral cooperation, promote international cooperation on intellectual property, and make greater contributions to world innovation-driven development and shared prosperity.

Li Qiang pointed out that China is willing to play a greater role in global intellectual property governance, will continue to support the work of the World Intellectual Property Organization, constructively participate in the modernization reform process of the global intellectual property service system, conduct active discussions with all parties within the organizational framework on topics such as artificial intelligence and frontier technologies, and promote the international rules on intellectual property to keep pace with the times (与时俱进, yu shi ju jin - "with, time, together, advance") and be optimized and improved. The Chinese side is willing to continue carrying out capacity-building cooperation with the World Intellectual Property Organization oriented toward countries of the Global South, actively share useful experience, contribute more public goods, implement well the Belt and Road Initiative cooperation agreements, and let the fruits of intellectual property development benefit all parties. It is hoped that the World Intellectual Property Organization will continue to support the development of China's intellectual property cause, build more platforms for exchange and cooperation, and provide more convenient and high-quality services to Chinese intellectual property users.

Daren Tang stated that he congratulates China on the remarkable achievements in the development of its intellectual property cause. China's ranking in the Global Innovation Index has entered the global top ten, it possesses the largest number of global top-100 innovation clusters, and its innovation economy in areas such as film and gaming is advancing rapidly. China's experience in intellectual property development provides a useful reference for all countries. The World Intellectual Property Organization looks forward to further deepening cooperation with the Chinese side, is willing to advance Belt and Road Initiative cooperation, implement the Global Development Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, build an intellectual property ecosystem that benefits the whole world, and promote technological innovation and economic development.

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The 75th Chairmen's Meeting of the 14th NPC Standing Committee Held

(People's Daily, Beijing, November 4) (Reporter Peng Bo) The 75th Chairmen's Meeting of the 14th NPC Standing Committee was held on the afternoon of the 4th at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Chairman Zhao Leji presided over the meeting.

The meeting heard reports by Xin Chunying, Chairwoman of the Constitution and Law Committee of the NPC, on the draft revisions to the Public Interest Litigation Procuratorial Law, on the draft revisions to the Antarctic Activities and Environmental Protection Law, on the draft revisions to the Water Law, on the draft revisions to the Anti-Cross-Border Corruption Law, and on the deliberation results of the draft amendments to 15 laws including the Emergency Response Law, and deliberated the relevant revised drafts and draft decisions.

The meeting heard a report by Lou Qinjian, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the NPC, on the deliberation of the Agreement on the Establishment of the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, and deliberated the draft decision on approving the agreement.

The meeting heard a report by Liu Qi, Secretary-General of the NPC Standing Committee, on the qualifications of individual deputies and the deliberation of appointment and dismissal cases.

The Chairmen's Meeting decided to submit the aforementioned revised drafts and other documents to the Standing Committee session for deliberation.

Vice Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee Li Hongzhong, Wang Dongming, Xiao Jie, Zheng Jianbang, Ding Zhongli, Hao Mingjin, Cai Dafeng, He Wei, Wu Weihua, Tie Ning, Peng Qinghua, Zhang Qingwei, Losang Jamcan, and Shohrat Zakir attended the meeting.

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The 19th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th CPPCC National Committee Concludes

(People's Daily, Beijing, November 4) (Reporter Jiang Jie) The 19th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th CPPCC National Committee concluded in Beijing on the afternoon of the 4th. Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, presided over the closing meeting and delivered a speech. He stated that the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee's study of the issue of persistently advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party is a major decision made by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, grasping the historical orientation of the development of the Party and the country's cause and focusing on the overall situation of Chinese modernization. The CPPCC must regard the in-depth study and implementation of the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee as a major political task, effectively unify thoughts and actions with the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and the plenary session's arrangements, more deeply comprehend the decisive significance of the Two Establishments (两个确立), and resolutely achieve the Two Upholds (两个维护). Efforts must be made in comprehensive study, comprehensive grasp, and comprehensive implementation, deeply grasping the importance and urgency of persistently advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, grasping the great achievements of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party in the new era, grasping that Xi Jinping's thought on Party building is the fundamental guideline for advancing the great new project of Party building in the new era, grasping the guiding ideology and important principles of persistently advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, grasping the strategic tasks and major measures of persistently advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, grasping that persistently advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party requires implementing the political responsibility for governing the Party and running the Party strictly, and consciously using the spirit of the plenary session to unify thoughts, unify will, and unify actions.

Wang Huning stated that it is necessary to combine the actual conditions of the CPPCC to implement the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, unwaveringly and firmly (毫不动摇, hao bu dong yao - "not, no, shake, move") uphold the overall leadership of the CPC and the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, unswerving perseverance (坚持不懈, jian chi bu xie - "persist, not, slack") in using Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to forge souls and solidify hearts, strictly strengthen the building of the ranks of CPPCC members and organ cadres, comprehensively and strictly strengthen work style building, achieve the simultaneous grasping of Party spirit, Party conduct, and Party discipline, and the interconnection of rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and combating corruption, firmly establish and long-term uphold the atmosphere of strictness, the style of righteousness, and the spirit of hard work, and provide a strong guarantee for the CPPCC to do a good job in the "four cohesion" work. It is necessary to take welcoming the 21st National Congress of the CPC and studying, publicizing, and implementing the spirit of the 21st National Congress of the CPC as the main line of the CPPCC National Committee's work in 2027, and carefully plan next year's work focusing on the central tasks of the Party and the country.

After a vote, the meeting adopted the decision on Comrade Shen Changyu no longer serving as a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th CPPCC National Committee and accepting his resignation as a member; adopted the decision on removing Wang Ning from the posts of member of the Standing Committee of the 14th CPPCC National Committee and deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Committee and revoking his membership qualification; adopted the decision on revoking the membership qualifications of Zhang Jianming, Yu Yanhong, and Wang Tongzhou as members of the 14th CPPCC National Committee.

After the closing meeting, Chen Ruifeng, deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee and director of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, was invited to deliver a study lecture titled "Forging a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation and Advancing the Building of the Chinese National Community."

Shi Taifeng, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, and CPPCC National Committee vice chairmen Hu Chunhua, Shen Yueyue, Wang Yong, Zhou Qiang, Ho Hau Wah, Leung Chun-ying, Batel, Su Hui, Shao Hong, Gao Yunlong, Mu Hong, Xian Hui, Wang Dongfeng, Jiang Xinzhi, Jiang Zuojun, He Baoxiang, Wang Guangqian, Qin Boyong, Zhu Yongxin, and Yang Zhen attended the meeting.

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Han Zheng to Attend COP31 Leaders' Summit in Türkiye as President Xi Jinping's Special Representative and Visit Georgia

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 4) Foreign Ministry Spokesperson announced on November 4 that Han Zheng, Special Representative of President Xi Jinping and Vice President of the People's Republic of China, will travel to Türkiye upon invitation from November 6 to 12 to attend the Antalya Leaders' Summit of the 31st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and will visit Georgia.

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The "Three Ones" Behind the Bountiful Harvest

By: 本报记者 郁静娴

The fluctuations of sea surface temperature over the vast ocean affect the safety of hundreds of millions of mu of grain fields. Recently, the National Climate Center reported that a super El Niño event has formed and will continue to develop. Since the beginning of the year, key global shipping routes have been blocked, with risks transmitting to sectors such as energy and food.

Turning our gaze to the land of China. The latest agricultural situation dispatch from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs shows that, as of November 4, over 90 percent of the autumn grain harvest has been completed nationwide, and a bumper grain harvest for the whole year is a foregone conclusion.

When granaries are full, the world is at peace. General Secretary Xi Jinping has the safety of grain in mind, stressing that "no matter how modernized our country becomes, we must still mainly rely on ourselves for grain; with 1.4 billion people to feed, we cannot depend on anyone else, and we must do a good job of grain production."

This year marks the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," and securing a bumper grain harvest for the whole year is of great significance. Opening the harvest answer sheet written across the fields, and looking through a disaster prevention and reduction network, a production supply chain, and a set of technical plans for stable production and increased yields, one can understand the deep foundation behind the "Chinese rice bowl."

A disaster prevention and reduction network —

More production in years without disasters, less reduction in production in years with disasters, providing a safety net for the harvest

In Sizhuang Village, Wanjin Town, Shaoling District, Luohe City, Henan Province, grain grower Yang Gai's more than 3 mu of corn welcomed a bumper harvest this year. "There was a lot of rain this year; thanks to this newly built canal, the harvest was saved." Behind him, a 1-kilometer-long canal wound southward, tightly embracing the fertile fields.

In recent years, the trend of the rain belt moving northward and expanding westward has become obvious. Affected by Typhoon "Baijuhua," from August 10 to 13, Luohe City experienced its strongest precipitation event in recent years.

Corn submerged in water for a long time can easily lead to root hypoxia and premature senescence. The canal in front of Yang Gai's farmland opened up the drainage bottlenecks of 13 villages along the Wanjin section of National Highway 107, effectively avoiding large-scale waterlogging.

"In June, we organized machinery to clear silt and repair slopes. When the heavy rain came, after the incoming water along the route converged, it was drained within two days," said Liu Chunsheng, Party branch secretary of Sizhuang Village. According to reports, this year Luohe City, through the dredging and remediation of 1,060 kilometers of canals, formed a field drainage pattern of "fields have ditches, ditches connect to canals, and canals enter rivers."

How much production capacity can be stabilized under adverse conditions tests every link of China's agricultural disaster prevention and reduction system.

Farmland is precisely the key node in this disaster prevention and reduction network. Looking at the more than 1 billion mu of high-standard farmland, over 70 percent is located in major grain-producing provinces (regions), over 80 percent is in flat areas with slopes below 6 degrees, and nearly 90 percent is in areas with annual precipitation above 400 millimeters. This balanced distribution based on topographical advantages helps maximize grain production capacity. At the same time, as the climate pattern has undergone profound changes in recent years, multiple major production areas have accelerated the dredging of field-level "capillaries," further improving drainage efficiency.

This network also plays an important role in the prevention and control of pests and diseases.

This year, rice planthoppers were more severe in the middle and late rice areas of Jiangnan and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River than in previous years. In Hunan, in late July, the area affected by rice planthoppers across the province reached 48,000 mu, 11 times that of the same period last year. Chang Jianwen, head of the Changqun Agricultural Machinery Cooperative in Qingshuzui Town, Nan County, recalled the scene from a few months ago, feeling fearful or terrified from a past experience (心有余悸, xin you yu ji - "heart, still, have, leftover, fear"): "There were hundreds of insects on a single rice clump; when my hand touched them, the adults rose in a buzzing cloud."

Nan County quickly activated its emergency response, deploying 500 sets of plant protection drones for unified prevention operations, with agricultural technicians going to the fields at least twice a week, strictly implementing the weekly pest and disease situation report and the 24-hour rapid reporting system for sudden pest outbreaks. "The relevant departments arranged for drones to spray pesticides; a mu of field takes just a few minutes, ensuring the pesticide solution is precisely applied to the base of the rice plants, and the pest infestation was quickly brought under control," Chang Jianwen said. After two rounds of unified prevention on his family's more than 4,000 mu of fields, the insects were visibly reduced. Through preventing wherever prevention was needed, Nan County effectively curbed the pest population density in the fields.

Multi-level agricultural technology extension extends the coverage of the disaster prevention and reduction network. At present, China has built the world's largest agricultural technology extension system. In response to localized waterlogging disasters and the frequent outbreak of rice planthoppers in some southern rice areas, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs promptly issued risk warnings and technical guidance opinions, dispatched multiple working groups and science and technology teams, guided key provinces in making good use of central government funds for major pest and disease prevention and control, vigorously carried out unified prevention and control and joint prevention and joint control, and achieved "seizing grain from the mouths of insects."

A production supply chain —

From growing grain to selling grain, a combined policy package provides full-process support

A narrow strait has blocked international energy transport and also affected the supply of key agricultural input raw materials.

As the autumn grain harvest proceeds on a large scale, agricultural machinery fuel use has simultaneously entered its peak period. In Wangjin Village, Yiyang Subdistrict, Feicheng City, Shandong Province, taking advantage of a break during grain unloading, machinery operator Wang Zhaoyong drove to a fuel supply station for agricultural machinery about two kilometers away to refuel his operating machinery. "Filling up this tank saves me fifty or sixty yuan compared to the market price," he said, holding up his special fuel card for agricultural machinery.

Only when fuel prices are stable can agricultural machinery keep running. Since the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has held close consultations with PetroChina and Sinopec, striving to take measures to increase exclusive discounts on fuel for agricultural machinery.

"Before the harvest began, we conducted a comprehensive survey of the city's agricultural machinery inventory, operating areas, and autumn harvest fuel demand, and locked in supply guarantee stations and fuel sources in advance," said Yi Yonglin, head of the Agricultural Machinery Production Section of the Feicheng Agricultural Machinery Development Service Center. During the period of guaranteed agricultural fuel supply, designated Sinopec stations across the city offered a discount of 0.3 yuan per liter of diesel to users of agricultural machinery cards with designated number segments; PetroChina township supply guarantee stations offered a 3 percent fuel discount to card-holding machinery operators, comprehensively reducing agricultural machinery operating costs.

Chemical fertilizer is the "food" of grain. In the production workshop of Shandong Nongda Fertilizer Technology Co., Ltd., the production line is running at full speed. As the city's leading enterprise for fertilizer supply guarantee, the Feicheng base has an annual production capacity of 1.8 million tons, focusing on ensuring the fertilizer needs of local staple crops such as wheat and corn.

At the Yinong agricultural materials sales store, various compound fertilizers, water-soluble fertilizers, and base fertilizers are fully stocked and complete in variety. "Compound fertilizer prices have risen somewhat. Following the guidance of agricultural technicians, we applied soil testing and formula fertilization, using fertilizer according to need. Calculated over the season, the average fertilizer input per mu increased by about 20 yuan, which is generally within an acceptable range," said Ji Rongxiang, a major grain grower in Feicheng City.

"China's chemical fertilizer industry system is relatively complete, and major fertilizer products have strong supply capacity," said Hu Bingchuan, a researcher at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Since the beginning of this year, China has fully leveraged its production capacity and institutional advantages, strengthened coordination among fertilizer reserves, import procurement, and supply during the production season, effectively smoothing out the impact of international market fluctuations.

To protect the interests of grain-growing farmers, China's agricultural support and protection policy system has been continuously improved.

In early August this year, Jiangxi and Hunan launched the implementation plan for the 2026 minimum purchase price for early indica rice. In Yingqian Town, Shangyou County, Jiangxi, major grain grower Zhou Dongping planted more than 2,000 mu of early rice this year, with a yield of 472 kilograms of dry grain per mu. "When the new grain was concentrated on the market, the grain dealers who came to buy at the door generally offered low prices. After the national minimum purchase price policy was activated, the rice that met the standards was sold to state grain depots at the support price, with an average net income of more than 400 yuan per mu," Zhou Dongping said. Yingqian Town has actively developed agricultural socialized services, with entrusted managed fields across the town increasing yield by an average of 4.5 kilograms per mu and reducing average production costs by 28 yuan per mu.

With the stable harvest of early rice, Zhou Dongping's late rice this year is of the Xiangheyou Xisimiao variety, with an order signed with a grain and oil processing enterprise. Liu Guangwen, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Shangyou County Agriculture and Rural Bureau and director of the Agricultural Technology Extension Center, introduced that this year the county's middle and late rice planting scale is basically the same as that of early rice, with the purchase price expected to be around 1.3 yuan per jin. In addition to state grain depots purchasing qualified rice without restriction, multiple market entities have also actively entered the market to carry out market-based purchases, and grain farmers' income is expected to be better than that of early rice.

A set of technical plans for stable production and increased yields —

Technology continues to be upgraded, pushing the level of food security to a higher level

The outline of the "15th Five-Year Plan" sets the comprehensive grain production capacity of about 1.45 trillion jin as a binding indicator. Autumn grain accounts for about three-quarters of the annual grain output; in terms of planting scale and yield increase potential, the bulk lies in corn.

Under the integration of multiple factors, various regions have year by year polished the key indicator of per-unit yield. In 2025, the contribution rate of per-unit yield improvement to the national grain output increase has exceeded 90 percent. Judging from this year's autumn harvest, good news has come in succession from many places.

A yield of 1,799.1 kilograms per mu! In the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang, a 100-mu corn high-yield demonstration field once again set a new national corn high-yield record.

"We selected dense-planting, lodging-resistant varieties and precisely regulated irrigation and fertilization according to seedling condition and soil moisture. The Ili River Valley has abundant light and heat and a large temperature difference between day and night, fully releasing the high-yield potential of corn," said Li Shaokun, a researcher at the Institute of Crop Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

In the 100-mu "Xia Shuang Zao" model summer corn high-yield demonstration field in Bazhou City, Hebei Province, a new breakthrough was achieved in summer corn yield per mu at the northern edge of the Huang-Huai-Hai summer corn area. Wang Ruihua, head of the Langfang Comprehensive Experimental Station of the Hebei Province Corn Industry Technology System, introduced that after the summer harvest, early sowing was rushed to gain more heat resources; the demonstration field maintained an average of about 6,500 seedlings per mu, with precise control of vigorous growth and prevention of lodging at the 6-8 leaf expansion stage; drip irrigation with integrated water and fertilizer was applied in multiple applications, and in the later stage, one-spray-multiple-promotion was used to extend the grain-filling period and increase grain weight.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the dense-planting high-yield precise regulation technology was cumulatively promoted on 240 million mu nationwide, covering 18 provinces, with an average yield increase of 226 jin per mu, driving farmers' income up by nearly 30 billion yuan. This year, China launched for the first time 20 prefecture-level cities for whole-region promotion of large-area per-unit yield improvement, and the number of whole-region promotion counties increased from 702 to 1,000, promoting more balanced yield increases over a larger area.

Agricultural AI (artificial intelligence) large models have been "newly launched," supporting new quality productive forces in agriculture to accelerate.

On the farms of Heilongjiang Beidahuang Agricultural Reclamation Group Co., Ltd., this year 600,000 growers and 48 million mu of large fields have achieved full-cycle digital support through the Beidahuang Agricultural Service APP. This APP, by introducing the Shennong large model and the Tiangong Kaiwu cold-region large model, has achieved the integration and innovation of industry-university-research AI capabilities. In terms of operating mechanism, the platform relies on an integrated "space-air-ground-human-machine" sensing system, aggregating real-time monitoring data from satellite remote sensing, drone field patrols, and field IoT sensors, superimposed with years of planting history data from the reclamation area and long-term observation data of cold-region soils, combined with the Shennong large model's tens of millions of agricultural knowledge graph entries and multimodal agricultural knowledge base, and relies on the "Smart Soil Holographic Map" to establish digital archives for land parcels.

Wang Yaojun, professor at the College of Information and Electrical Engineering of China Agricultural University and head of the Shennong large model R&D team, introduced that since its first release in 2023, the "Shennong large model" has continued to iterate, now covering 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), serving one million farming households, and being applied on more than 5 million mu of farmland.

The contribution rate of China's agricultural scientific and technological progress has reached 64.8 percent. The continuous application of new technologies keeps raising the ceiling of modern agricultural development, pushing the level of food security to a higher level.

At present, autumn and winter planting is proceeding in an orderly manner across various regions. Looking through the turbulent international agricultural product supply chain, one can see the "three ones" behind China's autumn harvest scene; this stability is truly precious. The stability of the Chinese rice bowl is injecting a steady stream of certainty into solving the problem of feeding more than 1.4 billion people and promoting global food security.

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“Turning the blueprint of openness and cooperation into a tangible reality”

By: 本报记者 罗珊珊 王东辉

3617, 4108, 4142 — three numbers, joined into an upward-sloping curve.

In 2018, the first China International Import Expo, the world's first national-level exhibition themed on imports, was held in Shanghai, with 3,617 overseas enterprises attending the grand event.

In 2025, the eighth CIIE saw 4,108 enterprises participate, setting a new record high.

At the ninth CIIE, which opened on November 5, 4,142 overseas enterprises participated, the overall exhibition area exceeded 440,000 square meters for the first time, the number of Fortune Global 500 companies and leading industry enterprises surpassed 300 for the first time, and multiple data points set new records again.

Against the backdrop of weak global economic growth, why are enterprises around the world acting in unison without prior agreement (不约而同, bu yue er tong - "not, agree, and, together") in heading to the CIIE and putting down roots in China?

President Xi Jinping emphasized that "China is accelerating the development of new quality productive forces and steadily expanding institutional opening-up, and is willing to turn the Chinese market into a market for the world, a market shared by all" and "turn the blueprint of openness and cooperation into a reality that can be seen and touched."

Keeping one's word and following through with actions (言必信、行必果, yan bi xin xing bi guo - "speech, must, trust; action, must, fruit"). The "flocking" of numerous foreign enterprises acting in unison without prior agreement sends a clear signal: a China committed to high-level opening-up is not only an important export destination, but also a highly valuable place for investment and entrepreneurship.

At successive CIIEs, in story after story of world premieres and first shows reaching the market directly, and in cooperation bonds extending from exhibition booths to industrial chains, we see that an increasingly open and continuously innovative China keeps injecting more certainty and positive energy into a world of turbulence and change.

On opening-up —

Steadily expanding institutional opening-up, connecting the domestic and international dual circulation through a super-sized market

"Opening-up is an important driving force for the progress of human civilization and the only way for world prosperity and development."

"We should grasp the general trend of economic globalization, support all countries in expanding opening-up, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, and push humanity toward a better future."

In November 2018, when protectionism and unilateralism were on the rise and economic globalization encountered setbacks, the first CIIE was successfully held, demonstrating China's consistent and continuous from beginning to end (一以贯之, yi yi guan zhi - "one, continuously, penetrate, through") attitude of openness and injecting strong positive energy into win-win cooperation in the world.

In November 2022, President Xi Jinping emphasized at the opening ceremony of the fifth China International Import Expo: "China is willing to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus on opening-up, jointly overcome the difficulties and challenges facing global economic development, and let opening-up bring a new bright future for global development!"

Since the new era began, China has been unswerving and determined (坚定不移, jian ding bu yi - "firm, steady, not, move") in advancing high-level opening-up to the outside world, and the door of opening-up has been opening wider and wider.

China is steadily expanding institutional opening-up, continuously optimizing the business environment, and jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality, connecting the domestic and international dual circulation through its super-sized market.

China adheres to mutual benefit and win-win outcomes (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual, benefit, together, win"), actively promotes the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and helps build an open world economy.

Today, China has become the world's second-largest consumer market and import market, and is the only developing country that hosts a national-level international import expo and continuously opens its market to the whole world.

At this year's CIIE, the national exhibition attracted 69 countries and international organizations to participate, with the number of participants exceeding last year's. In the enterprise exhibition, the exhibition area of American enterprises exceeded 50,000 square meters, ranking first for eight consecutive sessions; the exhibition areas of Canadian and New Zealand enterprises reached record highs, and the exhibition area of Australian enterprises expanded by 25 percent compared with last year.

Facing the headwinds of protectionism, enterprises from various countries are voting with their feet, unswervingly optimistic about the Chinese market.

"For Bayer, confidence is not a slogan, but is reflected in sustained action," said Bill Anderson, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer AG. In his view, the role of the CIIE is changing: at first, it was more of a window for bringing global innovation into China; now, it has become a platform for turning innovation into tangible results.

This year, Bayer will bring nearly 30 world premieres, with its three divisions — prescription pharmaceuticals, consumer health, and crop science — making a full appearance. In China, Bayer has established six R&D and innovation centers and four supply centers, and has carried out more than 110 joint research projects with Tsinghua University and Peking University.

"Innovation often begins with exchange, and the CIIE creates such opportunities for us every year," Anderson said.

From the continuous reduction of the negative list for foreign investment access to 23 pilot free trade zones covering the east, west, north, south, and center of the country, institutional arrangements for expanding opening-up one after another have turned "China's door of opening-up will only open wider" into a stable expectation.

"OSIM is a beneficiary and witness of the continuous improvement of China's business environment. From supporting the development of the first-release economy to the continuous improvement in customs clearance facilitation and intellectual property protection, all of these enable foreign enterprises to put down roots in China with greater peace of mind," said Lin Xiaohui, head of management at OSIM (China) headquarters. At this year's CIIE, OSIM came with the concept of "artificial intelligence + consumption," deeply integrating global innovation achievements with Chinese market demand.

The CIIE is a window. Through this window, we can see the surging tide of China's opening-up to the outside world.

On opportunities —

World premieres and first shows reaching the market directly, innovation ecosystems resonating at the same frequency or rhythm (同频共振, tong pin gong zhen - "same, frequency, together, resonate")

In the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China's economy continues to develop in a new, high-quality, and sound direction, with solid steps in high-quality development.

President Xi Jinping pointed out: "The 15th Five-Year Plan is not only a blueprint for China's own development, but also a cooperation list for the world."

At present, changes unseen in a century are accelerating, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, geopolitical conflicts are rising and falling in succession (此起彼伏, ci qi bi fu - "this, rise; that, fall"), global trade growth is slowing, and the risk of fragmentation of industrial and supply chains continues to increase.

At the same time, China's economy has entered the stage of high-quality development, continuously releasing a double dividend to the world, namely creating more and more "market dividends" while creating more and more "innovation dividends."

Driven by the accelerated development of new quality productive forces, the way China participates in economic globalization has achieved a systematic leap, and "China Opportunity 2.0" has emerged in response to the times (应运而生, ying yun er sheng - "respond, luck/opportunity, and, be born").

What does "China Opportunity 2.0" mean? The CIIE has the answer.

At this year's CIIE, more than 480 representative exhibits made their global debut, Asian debut, or China debut, setting a record high for all years; nearly 200 enterprises and institutions have attended all nine sessions, and more than 2,000 "new face" enterprises are participating for the first time. More and more global new products are choosing the "four-leaf clover" as the stage for their "first shows."

"China's opportunity goes far beyond market size; it lies in growing together with China. Over the past decades, Pfizer's role in China has continued to evolve, from an introducer of global innovation achievements to a co-builder of China's healthcare and innovation ecosystem," said Jean-Christophe Pointeau, Pfizer Global Senior Vice President and Pfizer China President, whose view is highly representative when discussing "China Opportunity 2.0."

At this year's CIIE, Pfizer's innovative weight-loss drug Enogrupride injection (Xianweiying) made its global debut. Previously, more than ten Pfizer innovative products had entered China through the CIIE platform.

"Under the framework of Pfizer China's 2030 strategy, we committed to investing an additional US$1 billion in the Chinese market. At present, this commitment has been completed ahead of schedule, and the actual investment amount has also exceeded the original target," Pointeau said.

The density of premieres reflects the depth of China's innovation ecosystem.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's total R&D expenditure grew at an average annual rate of 10 percent, ranking second in the world in scale, and in 2025 the share of basic research funding exceeded 7 percent, setting a new record high.

A new model of global cooperation for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes has built a new interactive relationship between "China Opportunity 2.0" and the global economy.

On the one hand, more and more multinational enterprises continue to establish R&D centers and regional headquarters in China, deeply integrating into China's innovation and industrial chains, injecting new dividends into global industrial development while sharing in China's development dividends.

On the other hand, with its complete industrial system and advantages in innovation at scale, China provides implementable transformation solutions for the modernization process of developing countries and the re-industrialization of developed countries, continuously activating global development vitality.

This year, Hyundai Motor, an "ever-present" participant at the CIIE, regards the Chinese market as its fastest technology testing ground, focusing on showcasing innovative achievements in electrification, hydrogen energy, and future mobility. Wu Yanbing, chief expert of Hyundai Motor Group (China), introduced that Hyundai Motor has been in China for 24 years, with cumulative investment exceeding 130 billion yuan, forming a complete localized system from R&D and manufacturing to the supply chain.

New product premieres, market validation, policy alignment, and industrial cooperation — the CIIE has greatly shortened the process of promoting and applying overseas innovative products and technologies in China, helping multinational enterprises quickly connect to the global innovation ecosystem chain.

On sharing —

The CIIE appointment bears witness to China and the world moving forward hand in hand (携手并进, xie shou bing jin - "hold, hands, together, advance")

The CIIE belongs to China, and even more so to the world.

The CIIE has grown from an exhibition into a global public good shared by the world.

At this year's CIIE, six international organizations including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization participated in the exhibition and meetings, more than 40 trading delegations and over 600 trading sub-delegations attended for observation and procurement, and Chinese and foreign enterprises actively participated, moving toward each other.

Inclusive and beneficial — this is the distinctive foundation of this "public good."

At this year's CIIE, the Asia-Africa products zone was upgraded to help African countries with diplomatic relations seize the opportunity of zero-tariff treatment for China, promoting a large number of specialty products such as coffee and sesame to cross mountains and seas and enter thousands of Chinese households, turning macro-level opening-up commitments into visible and tangible order growth and benefits for people's livelihoods.

The value of sharing is realized in transaction after transaction.

At this year's CIIE, Sinochem participated for the ninth time. Its procurement list includes not only chemical products and high-end intelligent chemical equipment, but also high-quality agricultural products such as African sesame, which both enriches domestic market supply and better meets the diversified consumption needs of the people, while also helping Africa's specialty products integrate into global industrial and value chains.

The weight of sharing is demonstrated in project after project.

At the 2021 CIIE, Siemens Energy and Songtsam Group signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement to jointly develop rural energy infrastructure such as electricity and heat. Two years later, the Songtsam Basum Tso Linka Hotel jointly built by the two parties was officially put into operation, equipped with Siemens Energy's microgrid intelligent system, replacing an average of about 1 million kilowatt-hours of traditional energy consumption per year.

"The CIIE is an important platform for Siemens Energy to showcase innovative technologies and deepen exchanges and cooperation with Chinese partners," said Yao Zhenguo, Global Senior Vice President of Siemens Energy.

Chinese modernization benefits others while achieving oneself and empowers the world. From a six-day exhibition period to normalized matchmaking, the spillover effect of the CIIE has long gone beyond the exhibition halls. Walking with China means walking with opportunity. The CIIE appointment bears witness to China and the world moving forward hand in hand.

"China is willing to join hands with countries around the world to jointly uphold the multilateral trading system, ensure the stable and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains, expand the space for mutually beneficial international economic and trade cooperation, promote inclusive and beneficial economic globalization, and continuously inject new impetus into world development and prosperity."

The tide surges in the East, and all rivers flow into the sea (百川入海, bai chuan ru hai - "hundred, rivers, enter, sea"). A China that is unswerving in advancing high-level opening-up will surely let the spring breeze of opening-up warm the world and let the fruits of win-win cooperation better benefit the people of all countries.

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Benefiting the Chinese Nation Forever and Blessing Future Generations

By: 本报记者

General Secretary Xi Jinping recently made important instructions on further advancing the protection and governance of the Yellow River, emphasizing "striving to make this mother river ever more beautiful, benefiting the Chinese nation forever and blessing future generations."

The broad masses of cadres and the people expressed that General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions are inspiring and uplifting (鼓舞人心, gu wu ren xin - "encourage, people, heart") and spur people forward, providing important guidance for continuing to advance ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin on the new journey. Next, they will unswervingly practice General Secretary Xi Jinping's water governance approach of "prioritizing water conservation, spatial balance, systematic governance, and joint efforts from both sides," firmly grasp the strategic requirement of focusing on protection and emphasizing governance, and continuously open up new prospects for Yellow River protection and governance work.

The Party's leadership of the people in governing the Yellow River over the past 80 years has fundamentally changed the historical situation of "breaching the dikes twice every three years," creating the miracle of peace and tranquility year after year.

Yao Wenguang, Director of the Department of Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention of the Ministry of Water Resources, stated that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has personally planned, personally deployed, and personally promoted the major national strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, leading Yellow River protection and governance to achieve historic accomplishments and undergo historic changes. Practice has powerfully proven that only under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, leveraging the advantages of the socialist system, can the historic transformation of Yellow River governance from passive to active be truly realized.

"General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized 'ensuring the long-term stability and peace of the Yellow River,' and I deeply feel the glorious mission and heavy responsibility." Yao Wenguang stated that on the new journey, he will conscientiously practice the disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief philosophy of "two adherences and three transformations," firmly grasp the "key link" of regulating the water-sediment relationship, coordinate the upper and lower reaches, left and right banks, and main stream and tributaries of the Yellow River, improve the water-sediment regulation mechanism, strengthen unified and joint dispatch of water projects in the basin, and firmly hold the safety bottom line of flood and drought disaster prevention.

In governing the Yellow River, the emphasis is on protection, and the key lies in governance. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Continuously improve the pattern of major protection and major coordination."

"General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions are full of deep concern for the mother river, profoundly reflecting his consistent and continuous throughout (一以贯之, yi yi guan zhi - "one, through, connect, continue") high attention to Yellow River protection and governance." Zhu Xiaoyong, Director of the Soil and Water Conservation Bureau of the Yellow River Water Conservancy Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources, said that over the 80 years of Party-led governance of the Yellow River, especially since the new era, soil and water conservation work in the Yellow River basin has achieved tremendous results, with notable achievements in increasing green coverage and carbon sequestration, and continuous improvement in people's livelihoods. Next, the basin institution's unified governance and management functions will be fully leveraged to persevering and persistent (持之以恒, chi zhi yi heng - "hold, with, with, constant") comprehensively advance soil and water conservation work in the Yellow River basin to a new level.

"We adhere to the integrated protection and systematic governance of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands, and deserts, leverage the foundational role of territorial spatial planning, coordinate the protection and governance of the Yellow River source area, the 'Ji' character bend, and downstream areas, strengthen the coordination and synergy of various governance projects such as the 'Three-North' project and the mountain-water project, enhance the quality and stability of the Yellow River basin ecosystem, and support high-quality development with high-level protection." Wang Lei, Director of the Department of Territorial Spatial Ecological Restoration of the Ministry of Natural Resources, stated.

For thousands of years, the flowing continuously and vigorously (奔腾不息, ben teng bu xi - "run, gallop, not, cease") Yellow River, together with the Yangtze River, has nurtured the Chinese nation and given birth to Chinese civilization. "We comprehensively consider the upper and lower reaches, left and right banks, and main stream and tributaries, and continuously improve the pattern of major protection and major coordination." Dai Tao, Deputy Director of the Planning and Program Bureau of the Yangtze River Water Conservancy Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources, stated that next, they will thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on water governance, and accelerate the construction of a safe Yangtze, a living Yangtze, and a happy Yangtze.

Wang Quangang, General Manager of the Strategic Planning Department and Chief Economist of the Agricultural Bank of China, stated that the Agricultural Bank of China will effectively enhance its sense of responsibility and mission, continuously increase differentiated policy support, prominently strengthen financial services in key areas such as ecological and environmental protection, comprehensive rural revitalization, water conservancy projects, and green development, and work together to sing the new era's "Yellow River Grand Chorus."

"In recent years, the Agricultural Development Bank of China has provided credit services in areas such as flood prevention and disaster reduction, water resource conservation and intensive utilization, and water ecological protection and restoration, supporting a number of key projects including the Guxian Water Control Project on the Yellow River." Shao Jing, General Manager of the Infrastructure Department of the Agricultural Development Bank of China, introduced that next, they will further optimize the support model, using policy-based financial "living water" to safeguard the long-term stability and peace of the Yellow River.

Jingtai County in Gansu Province is adjacent to the Yellow River and located on the southern edge of the Tengger Desert. "We adhere to jointly doing a good job of major protection and coordinately advancing major governance, improve the joint management and protection mechanism, continuously promote soil and water conservation, desertification control, and ecological restoration, and safeguard the Yellow River with practical measures." Lu Changhai, Director of the Coordination Service Center for Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development in the Yellow River Basin of Jingtai County, stated.

Water is the lifeline of the Yellow River, and it is necessary to adhere to determining cities by water, determining land by water, determining people by water, and determining production by water.

Rows of sluice gates shoulder the task of water diversion and supply. Qi Chuanzhou, a senior technician at the Suge Sluice Management Station of the Heze Yellow River Bureau of the Yellow River Water Conservancy Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources, said: "General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions have deeply inspired me. I have worked on the front line of Yellow River diversion sluice operation and management for more than 30 years, witnessing the iterative upgrading of sluice management. Next, I will actively explore refined and digital management and protection paths for sluices, and do my utmost to use Yellow River water carefully and economically."

"'How much soup you can make depends on how many steamed buns you have,' we focus on managing groundwater well, using Yellow River water well, storing mountain floodwater well, strengthening water ecological protection and restoration, and truly governing and protecting the Yellow River well." Shi Yongqiang, Director of the Water Conservancy Bureau of Urad Rear Banner in Inner Mongolia, said.

Yellow River culture is an important component of Chinese civilization and the root and soul of the Chinese nation.

"General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized 'inheriting and promoting Yellow River culture,' and we actively promote the creative transformation and innovative development of Yellow River culture." Liu Guofei, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director of the Development and Reform Commission of Kaifeng City, Henan Province, said that Kaifeng will organically combine the development of the cultural tourism industry with the protection and revitalization of Yellow River cultural heritage, connecting the Kaifeng City Wall scenic area, the Yellow River Suspended River Cultural Park, and others, to create high-quality Yellow River cultural tourism routes.

"We do a good job in the protection, inheritance, and utilization of cultural relics such as the Pujiu Temple, Wangu Temple, Pujin Ferry, and the Puzhou Ancient City ruins, strengthen the living inheritance of intangible cultural heritage such as Puju opera, do a good job in the 'tourism plus' integration article, enrich the supply of business formats, and let the people along the Yellow River earn a living from the 'cultural tourism industry.'" Xue Cuifeng, Director of the Culture and Tourism Bureau of Yongji City, Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, said.

Zhang Hui, Dean of the School of Marxism at China Agricultural University, stated: "The Yellow River, with its undaunted by many setbacks (百折不挠, bai zhe bu nao - "hundred, bend, not, yield") majestic momentum, has shaped the Chinese nation's national character of constantly striving for self-improvement (自强不息, zi qiang bu xi - "self, strengthen, not, cease"). We must deeply explore the contemporary value contained in Yellow River culture, inherit and promote Yellow River culture, nourish the soul and cultivate confidence with the profound Yellow River culture, and gather mighty strength for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."

(People's Daily reporters Zhu Jun, Wang Hao, Chang Qin, Deng Jianyang, Zhang Wenhao, Song Chaojun, Zheng Yangyang)

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Answering the Call of Openness, Deepening Global Cooperation

By: 本报记者

The 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) opened in Shanghai on November 5. This year's CIIE attracted 4,142 overseas enterprises to participate, with the overall exhibition area exceeding 440,000 square meters for the first time, setting new highs across multiple metrics. International figures interviewed by our reporter believe that the CIIE continues to promote supply-demand matching and resource integration, and has become an important platform for countries to share China's opportunities and deepen global cooperation, conveying China's firm determination to walk hand in hand with the world and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual, benefit; together, win"). It is believed that this year's CIIE will surely yield fruitful results, and an open China will add new momentum to world economic development.

"Helping high-quality global supply enter the Chinese market"

More than 90 overseas exhibition groups made appearances, with the exhibition area growing nearly 8 percent year on year; nearly 200 enterprises and institutions have attended all nine editions of the CIIE, while more than 2,000 "new face" enterprises are participating for the first time; more than 480 representative exhibits making their global debut, Asia debut, or China debut set a new record for the highest number in any year... Over the past nine years, the CIIE has gotten better and better with each edition, constantly innovating, and an increasing number of enterprises and institutions have used the CIIE platform to take root in China, increase investment, and go global.

Song Ying'ai, head of IKEA's China business, said that IKEA has participated in the CIIE for nine consecutive years, using this platform to continuously understand the Chinese consumer market and explore new opportunities together with partners. "China's super-large market scale, the diversity of consumer demand, and the vitality in fields such as digitalization and retail innovation all show us the space for long-term development. At this year's CIIE, we are bringing products and solutions that meet the needs of Chinese households, and in the future we will continue to follow and participate in the CIIE, growing together with the Chinese market."

"The CIIE is not only a window for us to showcase high-quality agricultural products, but also an important platform for expanding international agricultural trade cooperation and the Asia-Pacific market," said Ariane Guedes, director of international affairs at the investment promotion department of Mato Grosso, an important agricultural and livestock region in Brazil. Since first participating in 2023, the state has used the CIIE to continuously expand its cooperation fields with China, extending from traditional bulk agricultural products to more diversified products and broader industrial investment. "We hope to bring more specialty products to Chinese consumers and, using the CIIE as a fulcrum, help high-quality global supply enter the Chinese market."

Paul Hudson, chief executive officer of French biopharmaceutical company Sanofi, said that China has become one of the world's most important sources of biomedical innovation. At this year's CIIE, Sanofi will bring an upgraded strategy deeply integrated into China's pharmaceutical ecosystem, and looks forward to reaping more fruitful results.

"For Bosch, the CIIE is an important window for observing changes in Chinese market demand and conducting industry technology exchanges," said Xu Daquan, president of Bosch China. Leveraging the CIIE's platform effect and broad attention, Bosch's technology solutions have been able to achieve localized adaptation more quickly. He hopes to use this year's CIIE's efficient two-way communication channels to further connect global R&D resources with China's local low-carbon and digitalization development needs.

"An important platform for promoting innovation integration and expanding growth space"

China is both a "super seller" and a "super buyer." In the first three quarters of this year, China's imports reached 16.74 trillion yuan, up 22.3 percent year on year, the fastest growth rate since 2021. At this year's CIIE, for the first time, exclusive "benefit packages" were launched for guest countries of honor and annual theme countries for "Exporting to China," with the United Kingdom, Spain, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Thailand, and others serving as annual theme countries for "Exporting to China." A global national brand exhibition zone was also created for the first time, linked with the CIIE for global promotion, focusing on the needs of Chinese consumers and helping more high-quality overseas enterprises discover new opportunities in China's high-quality development.

"Since the CIIE has been held for nine editions, it has become an important vehicle for promoting the quality upgrading, volume expansion, and industrial linkage of Thailand-China economic and trade relations. This year's CIIE lists Thailand as an annual theme country for 'Exporting to China,' which is expected to further unleash the cooperation potential between the two sides in fields such as agriculture and food, health, and green industries, and push bilateral economic and trade relations to a higher level," said Li Renliang, associate professor at Thailand's National Institute of Development Administration. Over the first eight editions of the CIIE, nearly 500 Thai enterprises participated cumulatively, continuously promoting the transformation of large numbers of exhibits into regular trade goods. He looks forward to the 9th CIIE providing opportunities for more Thai small and medium-sized enterprises to expand into the Chinese market.

Frank Hammes, global chief executive officer of Swiss air purification information technology company IQAir, said that the CIIE has become an important launch platform connecting Chinese demand with global innovation. "The CIIE's powerful 'spillover effect' not only accelerates our transformation from 'exhibitor' to 'co-creator,' but also makes the real needs of the Chinese market the source driving global innovation."

At this year's CIIE, Siemens is focusing on digital-intelligent and low-carbon technology innovation led by industrial artificial intelligence, joining hands with more than 40 enterprises to collectively showcase cases of digital-intelligent and low-carbon transformation and industrial AI applications. "The CIIE is not only a window gathering global innovation, but also an important platform for promoting innovation integration and expanding growth space," said Xiao Song, chairman of Siemens Ltd., China. Siemens will continue to use the CIIE platform to join hands with ecosystem partners, open up innovation, and explore new space for the intelligent, green, and integrated development of industry.

Huang Yingxue, president of Dow China, said that as a window for China's opening up to the outside world, the CIIE has built an efficient platform for global enterprises to share Chinese market opportunities and deepen industrial chain cooperation, and has also conveyed a positive signal of win-win cooperation to the world. "Over the years, we have released more than a hundred innovative products and technologies through the CIIE and established extensive and in-depth cooperative relationships with customers across the entire industrial chain. China not only has the advantage of a super-large market, but also demonstrates strong development momentum in fields such as advanced manufacturing, technological innovation, and green low-carbon transformation. Dow has full confidence in the development potential and prospects of the Chinese market."

"The 15th Five-Year Plan brings broad opportunities for deepening long-term cooperative relationships"

This year marks the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly calls for "continuing to run the CIIE well." At this year's CIIE, the China Pavilion, themed "Opening Up New Prospects, Creating a Win-Win New Future," closely follows the new blueprint of the 15th Five-Year Plan, presenting a future-oriented perspective, global vision, and open mind. People from many countries believe that the CIIE lets the world see China's efforts to actively participate in global economic governance and firmly uphold the multilateral trading system, further strengthening the confidence of enterprises from various countries in deeply cultivating the Chinese market over the long term.

"The 15th Five-Year Plan brings broad opportunities for deepening long-term cooperative relationships," said Richard Allen, chief executive officer of New Zealand's Fonterra Group. The CIIE is an important platform for enterprises to gain in-depth understanding of trends in the Chinese market. Fonterra has long been deeply engaged in the Chinese market and looks forward to seizing the opportunities brought by the 15th Five-Year Plan in fields such as nutrition and health and sustainable development, helping to drive high-quality development in the Chinese market.

Yin Zheng, global executive vice president of Schneider Electric, said that as the technological revolution, energy transition, and industrial upgrading continue to advance, the global industrial landscape is undergoing accelerated adjustment. Open cooperation and win-win partnership are the hallmarks of the CIIE as a world-class exchange platform. "As a 'full-attendance participant' in all nine editions of the CIIE, Schneider Electric looks forward to deepening cooperation with more partners, sharing the opportunities of the times, and jointly creating a bright future of mutually beneficial outcomes."

"The CIIE is not only a window for showcasing products and technologies, but has also become a platform for connecting consumers and deepening cooperation," said Xu Min, president of P&G China and member of P&G's Global Management Committee. "During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, as China continues to expand opening up and continuously optimizes the business environment, the potential of the super-large market will be continuously unleashed, and foreign-funded enterprises in China will surely have broader development space, with their confidence in long-term cultivation of China further strengthened."

(People's Daily reporters Li Xinyi, Gao Shi, Han Shuo, Li Anqi, Bai Ziwei, Yang Yi)

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Jointly Charting a Bright Blueprint for a New Era China-Togo Community with a Shared Future (Ambassador's Notes)

By: 王 敏

In this golden autumn of October, President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with Faure Gnassingbé, President of the National Assembly of Togo, who was in China for an official visit. The leaders of the two countries announced the elevation of bilateral relations to a new era China-Togo community with a shared future, leading high-level political mutual trust between China and Togo to a new level. The two governments issued a joint statement on building a new era China-Togo community with a shared future, and the two sides signed 15 cooperation agreements covering trade, agriculture, digital, media, and other fields, opening a new chapter in high-quality China-Togo cooperation.

Over the 54 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Togo, under the stewardship and guidance of the leaders of both countries, and no matter how the international landscape has changed, China and Togo have always respected each other, united and coordinated, and supported each other on issues involving each other's core interests and major concerns, serving as an outstanding example of China-Africa friendship and South-South cooperation. China has consistently supported Togo's independent choice of a development path suited to its national conditions, and positively evaluates the sustained economic growth, social stability, and active role in regional affairs achieved under the leadership of President Faure. The Togolese side firmly adheres to the one-China principle, firmly supports China on issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, human rights, and the South China Sea, highly appreciates the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind and the four major global initiatives proposed by President Xi Jinping, and has actively joined the "Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative," the "Group of Friends of Global Governance," the International Organization for Mediation, and the World Organization for Artificial Intelligence Cooperation. President Faure highly appreciates the important role China plays in maintaining world peace and stability and jointly addressing global challenges, and is willing to strengthen multilateral cooperation with China, jointly uphold multilateralism, and safeguard the interests of developing countries.

During his meeting with President Faure, President Xi Jinping put forward four principles for all parties' constructive participation in resolving hotspot issues in Africa: first, uphold African leadership; second, safeguard fairness and justice; third, promote bringing peace through the cessation of conflict (止戈为和, zhi ge wei he - "stop, spear, become, peace"); fourth, practice addressing both the symptoms and the root causes (标本兼治, biao ben jian zhi - "symptom, root, both, treat"). These four principles embody China's sense of responsibility as a major country, and are of important practical guiding significance for resolving current hotspot issues in Africa. Togolese mainstream media believe that the four principles are highly relevant to the times, closely match the real needs of the African continent, and provide an authoritative, scientific, and feasible new guiding framework for African peace and security governance, with far-reaching significance. This is not only an important outcome of the China-Togo leaders' meeting, but also an important contribution by China to Africa's peace governance and independent development, injecting new intellectual content and practical momentum into the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future.

During his visit to China, President Faure visited Shaanxi, Xiamen in Fujian, Beijing, and Shenzhen in Guangdong, tracing the "path traveled" of socialism with Chinese characteristics and unlocking the code of China's successful governance. In Shaanxi, he took a high-speed train to Yan'an, understood President Xi Jinping's firm conviction of "doing practical things for the people" in Liangjiahe, inspected local poverty alleviation practices in light of local conditions in Nangou Village, and explored agricultural modernization cooperation opportunities in Yangling; at Yundang Lake in Xiamen, he gained an in-depth understanding of Xi Jinping's thought on ecological civilization and marveled at the green ecological achievements of harmonious coexistence between man and nature; in Beijing, he visited the Museum of the Communist Party of China to appreciate the original aspiration and founding mission and historical responsibility of the century-old Party, and went to enterprises to learn about cutting-edge technological progress and application scenarios; in Shenzhen, he felt the abundant vitality of China's high-quality economic development and high-level opening up... Along the way, President Faure expressed deep admiration for the outstanding achievements of Chinese modernization, believing that the successful practice of Chinese modernization provides useful reference for African countries, including Togo, in exploring modernization paths suited to their own national conditions. He expressed willingness to strengthen high-quality Belt and Road Initiative cooperation, take it as a strategic pillar of Togo's "Vision 2040," actively make good use of zero-tariff measures, and promote the upgrading and enhancement of practical cooperation between the two countries for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

Those with shared purpose are not kept apart by mountains or seas (志合者，不以山海为远, zhi he zhe, bu yi shan hai wei yuan - "will, unite, person, not, by, mountain, sea, as, distant"). This year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa, and next year will mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Togo. The two countries will implement the important consensus of the leaders of both sides, jointly draw the beautiful blueprint of a new era China-Togo community with a shared future, and make greater contributions to China and Africa joining hands in advancing toward modernization.

(The author is the Chinese Ambassador to Togo)

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11th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting Held in Beijing

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 4) (Reporter Shao Yibo) The 11th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Beijing on November 4. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sihasak co-chaired the meeting. Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongsavanh, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung, and Myanmar Minister of National Planning, Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Aung Kyaw Hoe attended.

Wang Yi stated that this year marks the tenth anniversary of the first leaders' meeting of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation. Over the past decade, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the six countries, Lancang-Mekong Cooperation has become the "golden model" of regional cooperation with the greatest vitality and potential, bringing genuine and substantial (实实在在, shi shi zai zai - "real, real, in, in") benefits to the people of the six countries and effectively contributing to the modernization process of each country. Facing the multiple challenges in the current international and regional landscape, the Lancang-Mekong family should solidly advance the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation 2.0 version and jointly open a new "golden decade" of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation.

Wang Yi put forward five suggestions: forging a new synergy of solidarity and self-reliance, building a new high ground of openness and win-win cooperation, cultivating new momentum for green innovation, consolidating a new bulwark of security collaboration, and creating new highlights in disaster governance.

The participating parties congratulated the successful convening of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, highly commended the positive progress achieved in Lancang-Mekong Cooperation over the past decade, appreciated China's important leading role in promoting cooperation, and reaffirmed their commitment to continuing to uphold good-neighborly friendship, mutual respect and mutual trust, deepening cooperation, achieving win-win outcomes, and jointly promoting regional sustainable development and prosperity.

The meeting adopted the "2025 Annual Progress Report on the Implementation of the Five-Year Action Plan of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (2023–2027)" and the "List of Projects Supported by the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Special Fund for 2026."

After the foreign ministers' meeting, Wang Yi and Sihasak jointly met with the press.

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Wang Yi Meets with Vietnamese and Cambodian Guests Attending the 11th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in China

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 4) (Reporter Shao Yibo) Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi met in Beijing on November 4 with Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea, who were in China to attend the 11th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

During the meeting with Le Hoai Trung, Wang Yi stated that, under the personal guidance of the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, the building of the China-Vietnam community with a shared future has been making progress more profound and substantive (走深走实, zou shen zou shi - "walk deep, walk solid"). China is willing to work with Vietnam to promote all-round connectivity by land, sea, and air, enhance trade and investment facilitation, seize opportunities for the development of emerging industries, expand cooperation in tourism and talent cultivation, and support each other in successfully hosting the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Le Hoai Trung congratulated the successful convening of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and expressed that Vietnam is willing to implement the consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and two countries, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, and promote more results in practical cooperation.

During the meeting with Sok Chenda Sophea, Wang Yi stated that the building of the new era all-weather China-Cambodia community with a shared future has continued to make progress more profound and substantive, and that the "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework has brought tangible benefits and well-being to the Cambodian people. The two sides should jointly make preparations for high-level exchanges in the next stage, strengthen strategic communication, advance the building of the "Industrial Development Corridor" and the "Fish and Rice Corridor," and deepen practical cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, and other fields.

Sok Chenda Sophea stated that China is Cambodia's most trustworthy partner. Cambodia is willing to implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, strengthen the alignment of development strategies, and continuously raise the level of bilateral law enforcement and security cooperation.

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2026 World Mayors' Dialogue · Ningbo Main Event Held

(People's Daily, Ningbo, November 4) (Reporter Dou Hanyang) The "2026 World Mayors' Dialogue · Ningbo" was held in Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, from November 2 to 5. At the main event on the afternoon of the 3rd, Chinese and foreign mayors, centering on the theme of "Open Connectivity · Symbiotic Opportunities," shared their cities' distinctive strengths, discussed openness and cooperation, and talked about development opportunities.

This event featured one main session, two scenario dialogues, and three activities for learning from each other through exchange (交流互鉴, jiaoliu hujian - "exchange, mutual learn"). Mayors from Ningbo City, Auckland of New Zealand, Suez Governorate of Egypt, Laamu Atoll of the Maldives, Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray of France, Errachidia of Morocco, and other cities held dialogues on the topics of "Distinctive Strengths and City Internationalization," "Open Cooperation and Urban Development," and "People-to-People Exchange and People-to-People Bonds."

At the event site, 14 cooperation projects were signed collectively, covering areas such as friendly exchanges, economic and trade cooperation, science, technology and education, and cultural tourism. Among them, Yinzhou District of Ningbo established friendly exchange relations with Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray of France, and Yuyao City of Ningbo established friendly exchange relations with Errachidia of Morocco.

The "Ningbo Consensus on Cooperative Development," released concurrently with the event, advocates upholding openness and connectivity, strengthening interconnections, promoting the orderly flow and efficient allocation of factors, and jointly safeguarding the stability and smoothness of industrial and supply chains; deepening industrial collaboration, building on cities' endowments and comparative advantages, and promoting complementing each other's strengths (优势互补, youshi hubu - "advantage, mutual complement") and resource sharing; and enhancing people-to-people connectivity, deepening exchanges and cooperation in culture, education, health, and other fields, and increasing developing mutual understanding and friendship (相知相亲, xiangzhi xiangqin - "know each other, be close to each other") among the people.

The main event venue was accompanied by the "Ningbo and the World · A Thousand Enterprises, A Fleet of Cultural Sails" exhibition, showcasing Ningbo's vivid practice of using culture as a bond, enterprises as the main actors, and the port as a foundation to promote two-way economic and trade exchanges and close people-to-people bonds.

It is understood that the "World Mayors' Dialogue" aims to use Chinese cities as a window to showcase the achievements of Chinese modernization and to promote learning from each other through exchange among cities. This event attracted the participation of mayors and mayoral representatives from 20 cities in 15 countries, including France, Italy, and New Zealand, as well as representatives of international organizations such as the United Nations Global Compact.

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“China is an important source of global innovation” (Witness · China Opportunities)

By: 本报记者 李欣怡

"The CIIE fully demonstrates China's firm commitment to pursuing high-quality development and advancing high-standard opening up," said Pascal Soriot, Global Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca and Head of International Business, in a recent exclusive interview with our reporter. The CIIE has created opportunities for enterprises from various countries to gain in-depth insight into the Chinese market, connect with innovation resources, and promote cross-border cooperation.

AstraZeneca has participated in the CIIE for nine consecutive years. The CIIE has provided an important platform for AstraZeneca to showcase its innovative drugs and accelerate their accessibility to patients. For example, an innovative breast cancer treatment drug that made its China debut in 2025 completed a "triple leap" within eight months after the exhibition — from regulatory approval, to commercial launch, to inclusion in medical insurance. "This fully reflects the continuous improvement of China's healthcare environment and its drug review and approval system," said Soriot. "Leveraging the 'spillover effect' of the CIIE, AstraZeneca has not only accelerated the introduction of products, but also deepened and expanded its manufacturing, innovation layout, and industrial cooperation, continuously increasing its commitment to the Chinese market."

Centering on five major areas — scientific research and development, innovation cooperation, production and supply, diagnosis and treatment transformation, and sustainable development — AstraZeneca will comprehensively present its full value chain layout in China and its artificial intelligence strategy at this year's CIIE, bringing a number of cutting-edge innovative therapies. "China is an important source of global innovation, with flourishing development (蓬勃发展, peng bo fa zhan - "flourishing, develop") in advanced manufacturing and a vibrant life sciences ecosystem," said Soriot. The number of new drugs under development in China has risen to second place globally, and its innovation strength and influence are both rapidly improving.

At present, China's artificial intelligence technology is being increasingly applied in the medical field, driving quality and efficiency improvements in drug production and R&D. "With its vast healthcare data resources, rapidly growing AI talent pool, and strong support for digital healthcare infrastructure, China's AI and digital technologies continue to empower medical innovation," said Soriot. AstraZeneca is accelerating cooperation with China's scientific ecosystem to promote the accelerated integration of AI and biotechnology. Currently, AstraZeneca's Wuxi production and supply base has applied more than 30 Industry 4.0 technologies, its Taizhou production and supply base is exploring the application of AI robots in repetitive and high-risk operational scenarios, and its Qingdao inhaled aerosol production and supply base is using AI to drive automation in warehousing, supply, and production.

At present, the global economic outlook still faces uncertainty. Soriot believes that China, relying on its super-large market, high-quality production and supply chains, and continuously deepening institutional opening up, provides a stable business environment for global enterprises. Earlier this year, AstraZeneca announced plans to invest more than 100 billion yuan in China by 2030, expanding its layout in drug production and R&D. "China is further strengthening international exchanges and cooperation, promoting global collaborative innovation, especially in areas such as green transformation, the digital economy, and biotechnology. This brings new growth momentum to the global economy," said Soriot. Leveraging the important platform of the CIIE, AstraZeneca will continue to deepen its presence in China, contributing to high-quality development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period and to the goal of building a Healthy China by 2035.

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China's Cultural Tourism Makes a Fresh Debut at World Travel Market London

(Xinhua News Agency, London, November 4) (Reporter Zhao Yang) The 2026 World Travel Market London is being held from November 3 to 5 at ExCeL London. The China pavilion held its opening ceremony on November 3, attended by nearly 100 figures from Chinese and foreign political, business, cultural, and tourism circles, jointly witnessing China's cultural tourism debut with a new focus on green innovation, intangible cultural heritage preservation, and industrial chain aggregation.

The China pavilion at this year's exhibition is themed "China Travel: Culture Shapes Tourism, Wisdom Creates the Future, Green Coexists," with a total area of 487.5 square meters, setting a new record in scale. The pavilion design draws its prototype from the contour lines of China's mountains and rivers, with booths built from environmentally friendly materials neatly and artistically arranged (错落有致, cuo luo you zhi - "scattered, fallen, yet, have, order"), showcasing the distinctive cultural tourism products of 14 participating provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the central government, with 116 participating institutions and enterprises.

Zhang Li, Director of the China National Tourist Office in London, said in his speech at the opening ceremony that tourism is not merely about checking in at scenic spots and sightseeing, but an important avenue for cultural exploration, mutual understanding of hearts, and the forging of lasting friendships, as well as an excellent bridge for enhancing people-to-people bonds and cultivating friendship and mutual trust. He welcomed more British tourists to visit China and also looked forward to more Chinese tourists experiencing in person the rich cultural heritage and hospitality of Britain and countries around the world.

Zhang Zhixin, Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom, said that this year marks the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, and "building a strong tourism country" has been written into the national five-year plan for the first time, charting the course for the high-quality development of China's tourism industry. China continues to expand high-standard opening up and optimize inbound tourism policies and services. China has implemented a unilateral visa-free policy for British citizens and welcomes people from all walks of life to visit and exchange in China.

Patricia Yates, Chief Executive of VisitBritain, said that China's visa-free policy has provided convenience for British tourists, promoted people-to-people exchanges and cultural communication between Britain and China, and expressed hope that through joint efforts on both sides, the mutual connections between the peoples of the two countries can be deepened.

During the exhibition, the China pavilion will present intangible cultural heritage elements including Henan dough figurines, traditional Chinese incense making, painted Peking Opera masks, Hangzhou block printing, Jiangsu Song brocade, Guangdong embroidery, and Foshan woodblock New Year prints, and will host performances such as Chinese kung fu, Henan opera, and Sichuan long-spouted copper teapot tea art.

The World Travel Market London was founded in 1980 and is one of the largest and most influential tourism exhibitions in the world. This year's exhibition has attracted more than 4,000 exhibitors from over 180 countries and regions around the globe.

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Firmly Treading the Path of Anti-Corruption with Chinese Characteristics (Study and Implement the Spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee)

By: 李 希

The "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues Concerning Persistently Advancing Full and Rigorous Self-Governance of the Party" (hereinafter referred to as the "Decision"), adopted at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party, emphasizes firmly treading the path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics. The path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics is a profound summary of the historic achievements made in the anti-corruption struggle in the new era, and it is the theoretical distillation of all the practices of our Party in unswervingly opposing corruption under the guidance of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building. To persistently advance full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, it is necessary to deeply grasp the rich connotations, major significance, and practical requirements of the path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics, continue to exert sustained efforts, advance the anti-corruption struggle in depth, and provide a strong guarantee for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.

I. The Anti-Corruption Struggle in the New Era Has Been Unprecedented in Intensity and Its Results Are Evident to All, Successfully Forging a Path of Anti-Corruption with Chinese Characteristics

Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the entire Party in carrying out an unprecedented anti-corruption struggle, successfully forging a path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics that, under the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, addresses both symptoms and root causes and advances in an integrated manner the goals of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt.

(1) Advancing the anti-corruption struggle from the strategic height of its bearing on the survival or demise of the Party and the state, with the mission and responsibility of "offending thousands of people, yet living up to the 1.4 billion." Entering the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping has profoundly grasped the Party's historical position and the missions and tasks it shoulders, deeply analyzed the severe harm of corruption and the situation and tasks of the anti-corruption struggle, and profoundly pointed out that corruption is the greatest risk, the greatest threat, and the greatest challenge facing our Party, and that the anti-corruption struggle is a major struggle that cannot be lost and must not be lost, leading the entire Party ideologically, politically, and in action to advance the anti-corruption struggle in depth. Comprehensively strengthening the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee over anti-corruption work, implementing the primary responsibility and supervisory responsibility at every level, mobilizing the entire Party to work together, advancing in an integrated manner the goals of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt, employing multiple measures simultaneously to "hunt tigers," "swat flies," and "chase foxes," and launching a complete set of combined measures to combat corruption and punish evil, resolutely eliminating hidden dangers within the Party, continuously purifying the cadre ranks, safeguarding the Party's image, consolidating the red political power, and winning the historical initiative for strengthening the Party and the country.

(2) Adhering to no restricted zones, full coverage, and zero tolerance, and resolutely eliminating all corrupt elements. With the courage of taking drastic measures to eliminate deep-seated problems (刮骨疗毒, gua gu liao du - "scrape, bone, cure, poison") and taking painful but necessary decisive action (壮士断腕, zhuang shi duan wan - "brave soldier, break, wrist"), resolutely investigating and punishing corrupt elements such as Zhou Yongkang, Bo Xilai, Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou, Sun Zhengcai, Ma Xingrui, Zhang Youxia, He Weidong, and Ling Jihua, seriously investigating and punishing problems such as collusion between politics and business, resolutely rectifying corruption in fields with concentrated power, dense funds, and abundant resources such as finance, state-owned enterprises, energy, medicine, and infrastructure projects, adhering to investigating both bribe-takers and bribe-givers simultaneously, deeply punishing new-type corruption and hidden corruption, continuously carrying out the "Sky Net Operation," and never allowing corrupt elements to get away with crime with impunity (逍遥法外, xiao yao fa wai - "roam, law, outside"). Since the 18th National Congress of the Party, as of September 2026, disciplinary inspection and supervision organs nationwide have filed a total of 8.105 million cases for investigation and disciplined 7.922 million people, including 963 centrally managed cadres, fully demonstrating our Party's tenacious will and firm resolve to resolutely fight corruption wherever it is found (有腐必反, you fu bi fan - "have, corruption, must, oppose"), to punish corruption wherever it is found, and to completely eradicate evil or corruption (除恶务尽, chu e wu jin - "remove, evil, must, exhausted").

(3) Tightening the institutional cage for preventing and punishing corruption, ensuring that power operates on the correct track. Adhering to relying on institutional advantages and the advantages of the rule of law to combat corruption, formulating and revising intra-Party regulations such as the Regulations on Intra-Party Supervision and the Regulations on Disciplinary Action, promulgating and implementing and advancing with the times (与时俱进, yu shi ju jin - "with, time, together, advance") amending the Supervision Law, amending the Criminal Law and the Criminal Procedure Law, and forming a relatively complete system of intra-Party regulations and an anti-corruption legal system. Coordinating institutional development and institutional implementation, enhancing the authority and enforcement of laws, regulations, and institutions. Carrying out work to promote reform and governance through case analysis, plugging institutional loopholes, and regulating the operation of power. Strengthening the reform of supervision mechanisms and institutional development in key areas, improving the system for strengthening supervision over "top leaders" and leading groups, and perfecting the institutional mechanisms for preventing the breeding and spread of corruption.

(4) Adhering to getting to the source of a problem to rectify it (正本清源, zheng ben qing yuan - "rectify, root, clear, source") and strengthening the foundation and basic elements (固本培元, gu ben pei yuan - "solidify, root, cultivate, origin"), and building a solid ideological dam against corruption and degeneration. Paying attention to using ideals and convictions to strengthen the foundation, using the Party's innovative theories to arm the entire Party, and using excellent traditional culture to rectify the mind and clarify virtue, carrying out nine rounds of centralized education within the Party, guiding Party members and cadres to replenish the calcium of the spirit and cast the soul of thought. Strengthening the building of a culture of integrity in the new era, promoting the Party's glorious traditions and fine conduct, carrying out targeted Party spirit education, discipline and law education, and warning education, continuously deepening the building of family, family education, and family conduct, and creating a social environment that advocates integrity and rejects corruption, and advocates thrift and abstains from extravagance. Telling the stories of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party and the anti-corruption struggle in the new era with heart and feeling, clearly proclaiming the Chinese Communist Party's determination and will to oppose corruption, and firmly occupying the moral high ground.

(5) Extending the anti-corruption struggle to the grassroots level and consolidating the Party's mass foundation for governance. Always standing firmly on the people's side, adhering to enforcing discipline and law for the people, closely focusing on the implementation of policies for benefiting the people and enriching the people and promoting common prosperity, continuously rectifying corruption and unhealthy tendencies in fields such as the battle against poverty, rural revitalization, education and healthcare, elderly care and social security, and ecological and environmental protection, and deeply investigating and thoroughly punishing corruption and "protective umbrellas" related to organized crime and gang activities. Deploying and carrying out centralized rectification of unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems around the masses, using extraordinary measures to severely punish "fly corruption and ant corruption," promoting the resolution of the masses' urgent, difficult, and anxious problems, so that the common people get tangible benefits and our Party wins the people's hearts.

Since the new era, the fundamental reason why our Party has been able to successfully forge a path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics lies in the helm-holding and navigation of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and in the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Practice has fully proven that this path is workable and has been traveled well; it has both clarified the task of "crossing the river" and solved the problem of the "bridge or the boat," and it is the correct path for effectively governing corruption. It is necessary to uphold the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. The anti-corruption struggle is extremely complex and extremely arduous; only under the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee can we always maintain the correct direction, unify ideological understanding, strengthen organizational leadership, make meticulous arrangements and deployments, act in unison, and form a strong joint force for punishing corruption and governing corruption. It is necessary to adhere to addressing both symptoms and root causes. Treating symptoms and treating root causes are inherently unified and mutually reinforcing; only by addressing both symptoms and root causes, both removing the "blue-green algae" in the water and eradicating the "silt" that breeds the "blue-green algae," can corruption be prevented and governed from the source. It is necessary to adhere to advancing in an integrated manner the goals of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt. This is the basic policy for the anti-corruption struggle, and it has found the method and path for achieving the goal of addressing both symptoms and root causes. Not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt are an organic whole that is interdependent and mutually reinforcing; only by connecting the internal links among the three, achieving simultaneous efforts, coordinated efforts, and comprehensive efforts, can the powerful deterrent effect of not daring to be corrupt, the rigid institutional constraints of not being able to be corrupt, and the advantages of ideological education of not wanting to be corrupt be integrated into one, forming a comprehensive effect of addressing both symptoms and root causes.

II. Deeply Grasping the Major Significance of the Path of Anti-Corruption with Chinese Characteristics, and Advancing the Anti-Corruption Struggle More Clearly and Firmly

The path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics is based on the rich practice of a century-old major Party, takes root in China's specific national conditions, draws on the wisdom of excellent traditional Chinese culture, learns from the experiences and lessons of the rise and fall of political parties around the world, especially Marxist political parties, and profoundly reveals the basic laws of the anti-corruption struggle, which is of major and far-reaching significance for resolutely eradicating the cancer of corruption and achieving clean cadres, clean government, and clean politics.

(1) This path is the intellectual crystallization of adhering to the Two Integrations and exploring the experience and laws of the anti-corruption struggle. The Two Integrations are the fundamental path for advancing the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism. The path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics inherits and promotes the ideological essence of Marxism regarding the Party's centralized, unified leadership and the operation and supervision of power, fully draws on traditional Chinese political wisdom such as "affairs are in all directions, but the key lies in the center" and the mutual reinforcement of treating symptoms and treating root causes, deepens the application of our Party's more than 100 years of historical experience in governing and strengthening the Party, systematically summarizes the great practice of the anti-corruption struggle in the new era, is the concrete manifestation of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building in the field of anti-corruption, enriches and expands the scientific connotation of the theory of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics, and marks that our Party's understanding of the laws of the anti-corruption struggle has reached a new height.

(2) This path is an important guarantee for forever maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity and realizing the Party's missions and tasks. Our Party cherishes the lofty ideal of communism, is determined to achieve the great cause of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, always represents the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the Chinese people, and never represents the interests of any interest group, any power group, or any privileged class. The path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics fully demonstrates our Party's clear-cut stance of being irreconcilable with corruption at all times, focuses on providing a strong guarantee for realizing the Party's central tasks in the new era and the new journey, points out the direction for governing corruption in an advancing with the times manner, and is of great significance for maintaining the Party's advanced nature and purity, creating a clean and upright political atmosphere (风清气正, feng qing qi zheng - "wind, clear, air, upright") and a good development environment, and better advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation.

(3) This path is the action guide for fighting the tough, protracted, and overall battle against corruption. The struggle against corruption is a long historical process and cannot be accomplished in one battle or several battles. As long as the soil and conditions for the breeding of corruption still exist, the anti-corruption struggle will always be on the road. At present, the situation of the anti-corruption struggle remains severe and complex, and the task of eradicating the soil and conditions for the breeding of corruption remains arduous and heavy. The path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics accurately grasps the stage-specific characteristics of the anti-corruption struggle, strengthens the goal of not daring to be corrupt by maintaining high-pressure deterrence, strengthens the goal of not being able to be corrupt by strengthening supervision and restraint, strengthens the goal of not wanting to be corrupt by deepening integrity education, makes greater efforts in integrated advancement, promotes the integration and superposition of the advantages of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt, and provides an effective path for consolidating the hard-won achievements of victory and eradicating the soil and conditions for the breeding of corruption.

(4) This path has contributed Chinese solutions to the international community's efforts to solve the problem of corruption governance. Corruption is the common enemy of mankind, and anti-corruption is a common problem faced by all countries. The path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics is the organic unity of theoretical innovation, practical innovation, and institutional innovation in the anti-corruption struggle under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, dispelling the myth that preventing power corruption can only rely on Western multi-party rotation in power and the "separation of three powers," providing new ideas for the international community to solve the problem of corruption governance, and making important contributions to promoting the building of a new international anti-corruption order.

III. Firmly Treading the Path of Anti-Corruption with Chinese Characteristics, and Continuously Promoting the Anti-Corruption Struggle to Develop in Depth

The Decision, focusing on treading the path of anti-corruption with Chinese characteristics, centering on unswervingly advancing in an integrated manner the goals of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt, has clarified the strategic tasks and major measures for the current and future period. It is necessary to always, under the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, pay more attention to addressing both symptoms and root causes and systematic governance, adhere to strict punishment, precise governance, effective prevention, and integrated handling, never stop for a moment, never retreat half a step, and carry the anti-corruption struggle through to the end.

(1) Upholding and strengthening the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee. Upholding the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee is the highest principle of the Party's leadership. The Decision prominently emphasizes upholding and strengthening the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee in its guiding ideology, principles, and key tasks. It is necessary to more deeply comprehend the decisive significance of the Two Establishments, enhance the Four Consciousnesses, strengthen the Four Confidences, and achieve the Two Upholds, and implement the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee throughout all anti-corruption work. Deeply studying and implementing Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, deeply grasping its essential essence and practical requirements, always maintaining strategic resolve and combat resilience, and using the scientific methods contained therein to advance the anti-corruption struggle. Improving the institutional mechanisms for the Party's leadership over anti-corruption work, consolidating the political responsibility for governing the Party, and making anti-corruption work more coordinated and efficient in decision-making, deployment, command, integration of resources and forces, and application of measures and means. Strictly enforcing the Party's political discipline and political rules, clearly opposing the "seven have-its" and the "five isms," resolutely eliminating double-dealers, and consolidating the Party's unity and solidarity.

(2) Maintaining the high-pressure posture of punishing corruption. Facing the anti-corruption struggle situation of the "two stills," the hand of punishment must never be relaxed or softened at any time. It is necessary to more forcefully curb the increase and more effectively eliminate the stock, highlight key areas, key problems, and key targets, deepen the rectification of corruption problems in fields with concentrated power, dense funds, and abundant resources, focus on investigating and dealing with problems where political issues and economic issues are intertwined, collusion between politics and business, and the penetration of capital into the political sphere, pay attention to investigating and dealing with corruption problems behind various risks, focus on investigating and dealing with corruption of the "key minority," especially "top leaders," and corruption of young cadres, seriously investigate and deal with family-style corruption of leading cadres and corruption of people around them, and resolutely eliminate corrupt elements who do not restrain themselves, do not stop, and act recklessly. Deeply investigating and thoroughly uncovering new-type corruption and hidden corruption such as expected returns, agreed nominee holdings, "white gloves," and the political-business "revolving door," and deepening the simultaneous investigation of bribe-takers and bribe-givers. Formulating a law against cross-border corruption, strengthening the pursuit of fugitives, prevention of flight, and recovery of stolen assets, and increasing the intensity of investigating and handling cross-border corruption cases. Normalizing the rectification of unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems around the masses, and continuously enhancing the people's sense of gain, happiness, and security. Strengthening dynamic monitoring of integrity risk hazards, and establishing a linkage mechanism for corruption early warning and punishment. Promoting the thorough elimination of pernicious influences and the restoration of the political ecosystem in localities, departments, and units where major corruption cases have occurred.

(3) Strengthening the restriction and supervision of the operation of power. The essence of corruption is the abuse of power; to advance the anti-corruption struggle in depth, it is necessary to more scientifically and effectively confine power in the institutional cage. It is necessary to closely focus on leading organs and leading cadres, grasp key links such as policy formulation, deliberation and decision-making, approval and supervision, and law enforcement and justice, standardize responsibilities and authority, the boundaries of power exercise, and work procedures, and improve institutional mechanisms that unify authorization, power exercise, and power restriction, and are clear, transparent, and traceable. Further improving the Party and state supervision system, substantiating the comprehensive supervision of Party committees (Party groups), strengthening the coordinated connection of disciplinary supervision, supervisory supervision, dispatched supervision, and inspection supervision, improving the grassroots supervision system, and promoting the deep integration and efficient linkage of intra-Party supervision with other types of supervision. Strengthening daily supervision, consolidating the regular supervision responsibilities of Party committees and governments at all levels, promoting functional departments to improve systems and mechanisms by deeply exploring common problems, and accelerating the building of norms for the operation of power and restriction mechanisms in key areas and new fields.

(4) Consolidating the ideological foundation for advocating integrity and rejecting corruption. The problems of some Party members and cadres, in the final analysis, stem from confusion of faith and loss of spirit; it is necessary to pay more attention to consolidating the foundation and strengthening the base, and educate and guide Party members and cadres to resist the temptations of corruption from the depths of their hearts. It is necessary to continuously strengthen the building of a culture of integrity in the new era, deeply implement the three-year action plan for building a culture of integrity in the new era, enrich the content and carriers, use the ideals and convictions, values, moral concepts, and discipline and law awareness contained in the Party's innovative theories to cultivate the clean conduct of Party members and cadres, deeply explore the factors of integrity in excellent traditional Chinese culture, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture, and provide an abundant and full source of living water for the building of a culture of integrity. Innovating the mechanism for integrity publicity and education, taking precise identification of targets, precise production of content, precise construction of channels, and precise evaluation of effects as the direction for improvement, and enhancing pertinence and effectiveness. Optimizing the methods of integrity publicity and education, giving play to the exemplary and leading role of diligent and clean models and the warning and deterrent role of cases of discipline and law violations, and continuously enhancing communication power, attractiveness, and appeal. Supervising leading cadres to take the lead in building a pro-clean and clear relationship between politics and business, strengthening the building of family, family education, and family conduct, and strictly educating and managing relatives and staff around them.

(5) Enhancing the comprehensive effectiveness of advancing in an integrated manner the goals of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt. Advancing in an integrated manner the goals of not daring to be corrupt, not being able to be corrupt, and not wanting to be corrupt, the emphasis lies in "integration," and the difficulty also lies in "integration"; it is necessary to actively explore effective carriers for connection and integration, and continuously amplify the overall effect of integrated advancement. It is necessary to deeply study and grasp the laws of anti-corruption under the conditions of the socialist market economy, and improve the ideas and measures for preventing and governing corruption from the source. Solidly carrying out work to promote reform and governance through case analysis, carrying out special governance of industry-wide and systemic corruption problems discovered in major cases, improving systems and mechanisms through the investigation and handling of cases, eliminating loopholes in the operation of power, blind spots in supervision, and gaps in institutions, and forming a closed loop of supervision, case handling, rectification, and governance. Grasping the new trends and new characteristics of corruption, strengthening the empowerment of science and technology, deepening the building of the digital discipline inspection and supervision system, advancing the building of a big data supervision platform for public power, improving the penetration of anti-corruption, and further timely discovering, accurately identifying, and effectively governing various corruption problems. Improving the mechanism for coordination and cooperation between discipline inspection and supervision organs and relevant departments under the unified leadership of Party committees, and promoting integrated governance through whole-chain coordination.

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Persistently Advance Full and Rigorous Self-Governance of the Party and the Military (Study and Implement the Spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee)

"The key to running China's affairs well lies in the Party, and the key lies in full and rigorous self-governance of the Party."

Convening Party committee meetings, organizing Party committee theoretical study center group sessions, conducting seminars and exchanges, inviting experts to give guidance, and using training breaks to carry out mass study discussions... Over the past several days, in military camps across the length and breadth of the country, officers and soldiers of the entire armed forces have rapidly set off a wave of studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party through various means.

The broad mass of officers and soldiers unanimously expressed that this session was a very important meeting convened at a critical juncture in basically realizing socialist modernization, and is of great significance for consolidating the Party's long-term governing position and fulfilling the Party's mission and tasks. They said they must take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guide, deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's Thought on Party Building and Xi Jinping's Thought on Strengthening the Military, unswervingly advance full and rigorous self-governance of the Party and full and rigorous governance of the military, and provide a strong political guarantee for winning the tough battle of achieving the centenary goal of the People's Liberation Army and for advancing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces with high quality.

The plenary session deliberated and adopted the review report of the Central Military Commission of the CPC Central Committee concerning the serious violations of discipline and law by Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli, Wang Renhua, Liu Qingsong, Huang Ming, Li Qiaoming, Li Wei, Zhang Hongbing, Wang Haijiang, Zhang Lin, Wang Peng, Liu Faqing, Yang Cheng, Zhong Shaojun, Zhao Xiaozhe, and Fang Yongxiang, and confirmed the decisions made earlier by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee to expel Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli, Wang Renhua, Liu Qingsong, Huang Ming, Li Qiaoming, Li Wei, Zhang Hongbing, Wang Haijiang, Zhang Lin, Wang Peng, Liu Faqing, Yang Cheng, Zhong Shaojun, Zhao Xiaozhe, and Fang Yongxiang from the Party. This has aroused strong repercussions throughout the armed forces. The broad mass of officers and soldiers expressed firm support for the decisions of the Party Central Committee and unanimously held that this fully demonstrates the clear attitude of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission to carry the fight against corruption through to the end, and once again shows the firm stance that punishing corruption has no forbidden zones, full coverage, and zero tolerance, and that there can be no place for corrupt elements to hide in the military. The broad mass of officers and soldiers expressed that they must consciously maintain a high degree of unity with the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in thought, politics, and action, and resolutely obey the command of the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and Chairman Xi.

The Party and the people have won the historical initiative in strengthening the Party and strengthening the country

"Full and rigorous self-governance of the Party in the new era has achieved great accomplishments." In the various departments and commissions of the Central Military Commission organs, the directly affiliated agencies of the Central Military Commission, and the Central Military Commission Joint Operations Command Center, everyone conducted study and discussion at the first opportunity. Everyone unanimously held that the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, with tremendous political courage and a strong sense of responsibility, directly confronted the severe reality of a period in which the Party's leadership had been weakened, diluted, and faded, Party management and governance had not been strict, solid, or forceful, and some problems within the Party were shocking or startling (触目惊心, chumu jingxin - "touch, eye, startling; eye, see, alarming"), unswervingly advanced full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, turned the blade inward, applied severe measures to cure chaos, continuously resolved prominent problems, fundamentally reversed the previous lax, weak, and soft state of Party management and governance, checked unhealthy tendencies that had long gone unchecked, corrected deep-rooted maladies that had persisted for many years, eliminated serious hidden dangers within the Party, the state, and the military, and made the Party stronger and more capable through revolutionary tempering.

In the various theater commands and various services and arms, in the directly affiliated units of the Central Military Commission and the Armed Police Force, the broad mass of Party member cadres held in their study and discussion that full and rigorous self-governance of the Party in the new era has opened up a new realm of self-revolution for the century-old major Party, propelled the cause of the Party and the state to achieve historic accomplishments and undergo historic changes, and enabled the Party and the people to win the historical initiative in strengthening the Party and strengthening the country. They said they must unswervingly uphold and strengthen the Party's absolute leadership over the military, deepen ideological rectification, integrate political training into daily life and make it a regular practice, consolidate the ideological foundation of officers and soldiers in listening to the Party and following the Party, and ensure that the gun barrel is forever under the command of the Party.

In the classrooms of the National Defense University, Professor Fan Hanjie and his students exchanged insights and experiences around the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session. "Xi Jinping's Thought on Party Building has enriched and developed Marxist theory on Party building and provides the fundamental guideline and action guide for deeply advancing the great new project of Party building in the new era," he said. To advance full and rigorous self-governance of the Party with perseverance, the military must set higher standards and stricter requirements. The requirements of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party must be carried through the entire process of forging souls and educating people, with strictness as the lead, combat as the priority, and pragmatism as the foundation, so as to cultivate high-caliber new-type military personnel who are absolutely reliable politically and capable of winning battles professionally.

Continue to make efforts in resolving prominent problems within the Party

"Full and rigorous self-governance of the Party is the fundamental guarantee for our Party to forever maintain its vigor and vitality and to walk well the new road of the examination." Xu Tong, an associate researcher at the Academy of Military Sciences who has long studied Party history and military history, believes that the contest in the ideological sphere, a contest without the smoke of gunpowder, will exist for a long time. "We must take Xi Jinping's Thought on Party Building as the guide, calibrate our research direction with the Party's spirit of self-revolution, strictly observe political discipline and political rules, uphold Party management of scientific research, and take political standards as the primary constraint in tackling key research topics."

On the new road of the examination, new mission and responsibility are called for. Professor Xiao Weidong of the National University of Defense Technology has come to a profound understanding that adhering to a problem-oriented approach is an important way of thinking and working method of our Party. "Full and rigorous self-governance of the Party is the fundamental guarantee for strengthening the military and revitalizing the university," he said. "Strict Party governance cannot remain at the level of habitual experience; efforts must be made in resolving problems." The in-depth study and implementation of the spirit of the plenary session must be treated as a major political task, based on the teaching and research post, serving the mission of strengthening the military, promoting the extension of Party management and governance from "post-hoc correction" to "strict process management," and, with higher standards and more concrete measures, resolving prominent problems within the Party and upholding the strict tone for the long term.

In late autumn, the chill is biting. On the training ground of a certain brigade of the Rocket Force, a sudden downpour made the training ground slippery and muddy. During a break in the assessment of basic tactical movement subjects, officers and soldiers organized on-the-spot "micro-classrooms" at their combat positions to study the spirit of the plenary session. "Full and rigorous self-governance of the Party and full and rigorous governance of the military are both a tough battle and a protracted war," the officers and soldiers said. They said they must carry the strict tone, strict measures, and strict atmosphere through to the end in military training and combat readiness, and continuously improve and strengthen the training style. "When the training style and assessment style are solid, combat effectiveness will steadily improve."

On the snow-covered plateau, radar antennas spin. Officers and soldiers of the "Gambala Heroic Radar Station" of a certain radar brigade of the Western Theater Command Air Force sat together after an adversarial training exercise to exchange their study of the spirit of the plenary session. "We must adhere to a problem-oriented approach and make efforts with a 'strict' standard to resolve the problem of unrealistic training and exercise styles," said station commander Zhang Dong. "Full and rigorous self-governance of the Party and full and rigorous governance of the military are closely related to every Party member and every soldier among us. We must demand more of ourselves with higher standards, strengthen the Party spirit of Communists, and enhance our ability to fight, so as to live up to the motherland and the mission."

We must adhere to systematic thinking and strengthen forward-looking thinking, overall planning, and holistic advancement

At a southern military port, sea breezes blow strongly. On the Navy's Wuzhishan ship, about to put to sea for a training mission, a joint Party lecture on the deck had just concluded. "The heavier the tasks, the more we must advance full and rigorous self-governance of the Party," said Lu Liang, deputy political commissar of the Wuzhishan. He said they must deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's Thought on Party Building, uphold the strict tone without wavering, improve the system for full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, adhere to systematic thinking, strengthen forward-looking thinking, take the Party's political construction as the guide, comprehensively advance all aspects of Party building, build every Party branch on the ship into a strong maritime fighting fortress, and provide a strong guarantee for combat effectiveness building.

Snowflakes fly, and the cold wind is biting. After a comprehensive exercise of a certain brigade of the Tibet Military District, Lai Bo, director of the brigade's political work department, led officers and soldiers in systematically studying the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session. "Only with 'iron-like discipline' can we forge an 'iron-like force,'" Lai Bo said. In the next step, in light of the unit's actual conditions, we must keep a close eye on key areas such as sensitive matters, exercise and training support, and material management to rectify hidden dangers in work style, persevere in tightening education and management of Party member cadres, uphold the strict tone, strict measures, and strict atmosphere for the long term, integrate the rectification of conduct and discipline into the entire process of military training and combat readiness, and gather strong combat effectiveness for guarding the border and consolidating national defense with a clean and upright atmosphere.

A teaching seminar at the Information Engineering University of the Cyberspace Force had just concluded, and Professor Xiao Guorui shared his learning insights based on his experience in devoting himself to the building of new domains and new-quality forces. "Between the warp and weft of the sky, every coordinate is connected to victory or defeat on the battlefield, and every line of code concerns thousands upon thousands of troops, which requires us to have strong Party spirit," he said. "Party spirit is the cornerstone for Party member cadres to establish themselves, build their careers, speak with authority, and cultivate virtue. Strengthening Party spirit is the fundamental task of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party. In the future, we will focus on strengthening Party spirit, keep a close eye on the 'bottleneck' problems that constrain the generation of combat effectiveness and continue to tackle them, deliver more achievements to frontline units, and provide solid scientific and technological support for strengthening the military and winning wars."

In the capital Beijing, at the First Detachment on Duty of the Beijing Armed Police Corps, platoon leader Li Yuanze exchanged learning insights with his comrades-in-arms. He said that standing guard at the sentry post at the heart of the motherland, they will take the spirit of the plenary session as the guide, strengthen Party spirit, forge loyalty, strictly observe discipline, stand every watch to the highest standard, and fulfill the solemn commitment to obey the command of the Party.

Unswervingly advance full and rigorous self-governance of the Party and full and rigorous governance of the military

In their study and discussion, the broad mass of officers and soldiers held that at present, the cause of strengthening the military is at an important stage of overcoming difficulties, and the more arduous the mission and the more complex the situation, the more we must advance full and rigorous self-governance of the Party and full and rigorous governance of the military with perseverance.

On the northern land, on a nameless mountain, the first snow fell quietly. Officers and soldiers of a certain unit of the Military Aerospace Force on duty were exchanging their insights from studying the plenary session documents. "Having been rooted in the deep mountains for eighteen years, I have had the honor of devoting myself to the historical process of the growth and development of new domains and new-quality forces, closely linking personal growth with the cause of strengthening the military. This is the opportunity of the times and the glory of life," said Senior Sergeant Gao Debao. He said he will focus on tackling and breaking through technical problems in equipment support, concentrate efforts on tapping and maximizing the effectiveness of equipment, and make new contributions to forging sharp troops for winning in new domains and new-quality forces and to building a solid space security shield.

As the year draws to a close, multiple scientific research tasks of a certain unit of the Information Support Force are continuing to advance. "As a strategic service that coordinates the construction and application of the network information system, we must strictly observe political discipline and political rules at all times," said Gao Lanlan, director of a certain office who was forward-deployed to carry out a comprehensive exercise support and evaluation task. She said that to implement and implement the requirements of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party and full and rigorous governance of the military, we must continuously strengthen the awareness of orders and the concept of organizational discipline, resolutely establish strict rules for inspection and evaluation, and shoulder the mission of system support and all-domain victory with excellent work style and capability.

In the Department of Critical Care Medicine of the First Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital, Deputy Director Kang Hongjun and department personnel sat together to study the spirit of the plenary session. "Advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party with perseverance requires tempering Party spirit, taking responsibility and acting, carrying the Party's great self-revolution through to the end, and providing a strong guarantee for the building of a strong country," he said. He said they must keep in mind the mission of strengthening the military, focus on battlefield treatment difficulties such as multiple injuries and training injuries, actively carry out innovation in military medical research, and devote themselves to building the strategic medical support system for modern warfare from their posts. "We will train our skills with a strict and pragmatic style, integrate medical support for combat readiness, scientific research, and clinical treatment into one, and practice the loyal mission of military doctors in the new era with excellent medical skills."

On the land of Xiaohan, the sky is clear and the air is fresh. At a work situation analysis meeting on conscription in Sanmenxia City, Henan Province, members of the conscription office and municipal-level clean conscription supervisors earnestly studied the spirit of the plenary session, sorted through post-specific integrity risks item by item, and discussed prevention and control measures. "Conscription work is the source project and foundation project of national defense and military construction, and discipline supervision must be carried through the entire process of recruiting soldiers," said Zhao Yan, a division chief of the Sanmenxia Military Subdistrict. He said that national defense mobilization is on the front line of selecting talent for war, and we must purify the conscription ecology with a strict and pragmatic style, build a solid "firewall" for clean conscription, and deliver high-quality soldiers for the timely realization of the centenary goal of the People's Liberation Army.

Struggle has no end, and strengthening the military has no end. The broad mass of officers and soldiers unanimously expressed that on the new journey of the new era, let us unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the guide, deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's Thought on Party Building and Xi Jinping's Thought on Strengthening the Military, unify our thoughts and actions with the spirit of the plenary session and the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee, deeply understand the decisive significance of the Two Establishments (两个确立), strengthen the Four Consciousnesses (四个意识), firm up the Four Confidences (四个自信), and achieve the Two Upholds (两个维护), implement the system of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission assuming responsibility, and make unremitting efforts to comprehensively advance the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 4, reporters Mei Shixiong and Zhang Yongjian)

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Blue Books China Internet Development Report 2026 and World Internet Development Report 2026 Released

(People's Daily, Jiaxing, November 4) (Reporters Jin Xin, Shen Shaotie) On the 4th, the blue books China Internet Development Report 2026 and World Internet Development Report 2026 were officially released at the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, compiled under the leadership of the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies. The blue books have been released to the world for ten consecutive years, representing an important theoretical and practical research achievement of the World Internet Conference, and have attracted widespread attention both at home and abroad.

China Internet Development Report 2026 comprehensively presents the important progress made in building China's strength in cyberspace over the past year, showcasing China's new progress in artificial intelligence policy formulation, industry application, industrial ecosystem, and security governance.

World Internet Development Report 2026 reviews and summarizes the state of world internet development, presenting the latest achievements of global efforts to jointly build a community with a shared future in cyberspace and the internet development status of representative countries and regions, providing reference for global internet construction and development.

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Initiative on Cooperation for the Innovative Development of the Intelligent Internet Released

(People's Daily, Jiaxing, November 4) (Reporter Jin Xin) At the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, the Cyberspace Administration of China, together with relevant parties, put forward the "Initiative on Cooperation for the Innovative Development of the Intelligent Internet."

The initiative proposes cooperation from eight aspects: technological innovation, infrastructure, collaboration among intelligent agents, application ecosystems, data circulation, security protection, digital literacy, and governance dialogue. It advocates that all parties work together to build an intelligent internet that is intelligent-native, open and innovative, secure and trustworthy, and inclusive and beneficial to all.

The initiative proposes deepening technological innovation to drive network evolution. It encourages increased investment in research and development of key common technologies such as new network communication theories, intelligent-native network architectures, new transmission protocols, and the integration of computing and networking, promoting the expansion of the internet from "connecting people and information" to "connecting intelligent agents and intelligent services," raising the level of network intelligence, enabling intelligent services to reach end users more efficiently, and laying the technological foundation for the large-scale deployment of the intelligent internet.

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Guo Ningning appointed acting governor of Fujian Province

(Xinhua News Agency, Fuzhou, November 4) The 25th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th Fujian Provincial People's Congress decided on November 4: to accept Zhao Long's resignation as Governor of the Fujian Provincial People's Government, and to appoint Guo Ningning as Vice Governor and Acting Governor of the Fujian Provincial People's Government.

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Hainan Province Dual Carbon Service Center Established

(People's Daily, Haikou, November 4) (Reporter Sun Haitian) Hainan Province Dual Carbon Service Center was officially inaugurated in Haikou on November 3, further promoting the integrated application of multi-energy data across electricity, coal, oil, and natural gas.

The center primarily undertakes three functions: ascertaining the baseline data on the province's carbon emissions, providing data support for the province's carbon control, carbon budgeting, and dual-carbon assessment; offering professional training services such as carbon accounting, carbon footprint, and carbon evaluation to enterprises in industrial parks, helping enterprises reduce costs and increase efficiency (降本增效, jiang ben zeng xiao - "reduce cost, increase efficiency") and create zero-carbon parks; and breaking down data barriers between government and enterprises and within parks, promoting the sharing and common use of carbon emission data.

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He Lifeng delivers video address at Hong Kong International Financial Leaders Investment Summit

(Xinhua News Agency, Hong Kong, November 4) The Hong Kong International Financial Leaders Investment Summit was held in Hong Kong from November 2 to 4. He Lifeng, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, delivered a video address.

He Lifeng noted that President Xi Jinping has always been deeply concerned about Hong Kong's development. With the firm support of the central government, Hong Kong's momentum of achieving prosperity through effective governance (由治及兴, you zhi ji xing - "from governance, reach prosperity") has been continuously consolidated, and new notable achievements have been made in economic and social development. The national 15th Five-Year Plan has made specific arrangements for supporting Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing its competitive advantages and better integrating into and serving the overall development of the country. In alignment with the national 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong has formulated its first five-year plan, which will surely further consolidate social consensus, stimulate innovation vitality, strengthen development momentum, and promote Hong Kong's continuous consolidation of its competitive advantages.

He Lifeng stressed that Hong Kong's development has always been developing in synchronization with (同频共振, tong pin gong zhen - "same frequency, resonate together") the motherland. The central government is full of confidence and expectation that Hong Kong will implement its five-year plan well and achieve greater development, and will, as always, provide full support and safeguards for Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability. He expressed the hope that Hong Kong will fully leverage the advantages of One Country, Two Systems to build a higher-level, freer, and more open economic environment; further consolidate the foundations of its financial development and strengthen its status as an international financial center; continuously enhance the effectiveness of financial support to promote high-quality economic and social development; and solidly advance the implementation of the five-year plan to better integrate into and serve the overall development of the country.

He Lifeng pointed out that no matter how the international situation changes, peace, development, cooperation, and win-win outcomes remain an unshakable historical trend. China will unswervingly expand high-level opening up, and he expressed the hope that all parties will share the new opportunities of Chinese modernization and work together to make greater efforts for the prosperity and stability of the world economy.

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The 25th Session of the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC Reviews Multiple Reports

The financial system improves the quality and efficiency of serving the real economy

People's Daily reporter Peng Bo

On November 3, the 25th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress heard a report by the State Council on financial work. The report noted that since October 2025, the financial system has adhered to the general principle of making steady progress while maintaining stability (稳中求进, wen zhong qiu jin - "stable, seek, progress"), improved the quality and efficiency of serving the real economy, comprehensively strengthened financial regulation, deepened financial reform and high-level opening up, safeguarded financial stability and national financial security, advanced full and rigorous self-governance of the Party in depth, and achieved new results in all areas of work.

The report introduced the situation regarding the operation of the financial industry and regulatory work. Operating and regulatory indicators of financial institutions remained within a reasonable range. At the end of September this year, the capital adequacy ratio of commercial banks was 15.4 percent, the non-performing loan ratio was 1.5 percent, and the comprehensive solvency adequacy ratio of insurance companies was 177.7 percent. The average risk coverage ratios of securities companies and futures companies were 294.9 percent and 201.6 percent respectively, with overall sufficient capacity to absorb losses.

The overall operation of the financial markets remained stable. The decisive role of the market in exchange rate formation was upheld, and macro-prudential management tools were applied to maintain the smooth operation of the foreign exchange market. From October 2025 to September this year, the RMB appreciated against the US dollar by approximately 5.8 percent. Through sustained development and construction, the foreign exchange market has become more mature, and the sensitivity of exports to exchange rate fluctuations has declined.

Financial regulation was further strengthened, focusing on prominent issues such as price wars and illegal commission rebates, with in-depth rectification of disorderly competition. Financial regulatory enforcement became more standardized, with severe punishment of illegal and non-compliant acts such as market manipulation and the fabrication and dissemination of false information, and strict implementation of the delisting system.

Regarding financial support for the real economy, the report noted that the adaptability of financial services to key areas and weak links improved. Quotas for relending for technological innovation and technical transformation, and for relending to support agriculture and small enterprises, were increased, and a dedicated relending facility for private enterprises was established, with a combined risk-sharing instrument for bonds of technological innovation and private enterprises. Technology insurance provided risk protection of 9.9 trillion yuan for scientific and technological activities. The coordination mechanism for financing support for small and micro enterprises was deepened. A nationwide integrated financing credit service platform network was built. A one-time credit repair policy was implemented to support eligible individuals with damaged credit in accelerating the repair of their own credit. A package of policies to support the stabilization of foreign trade was introduced.

The report also introduced the situation regarding preventing and defusing financial risk hazards. Support for defusing the debt risks of financing platforms achieved notable results, with continued supervision of all localities in implementing the package of debt resolution plans, orderly resolution of financing platform debt risks, and accelerated promotion of the exit, reform, and transformation of financing platforms. At the end of September this year, the number of remaining financing platforms nationwide had decreased by 92 percent compared with the end of March 2023; at the end of June this year, outstanding operating financial debt had decreased by 79 percent compared with the end of March 2023.

The report stated that in the next step, the moderately loose monetary policy will continue to be implemented well, creating an appropriate monetary and financial environment for the sustained development of the economy toward the new, the superior, and the good. Financial regulation will be further strengthened and improved, with continuous enhancement of the quality and effectiveness of regulation. The adaptability of financial services to the real economy will be improved, serving the transformation and upgrading of the economic structure and high-quality development. Financial reform and high-level opening up to the outside world will be steadily deepened, safeguarding national financial security. Risks in key areas will be prudently resolved, holding the bottom line of preventing systemic financial risks.

There are 340,000 people's assessors nationwide

People's Daily reporter Wei Zhezhe

On November 3, a report by the Supreme People's Court on the work of people's assessors in people's courts was submitted to the 25th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress for deliberation.

The report showed that the people's assessor corps has become more broadly representative. As of June this year, there were 340,000 people's assessors nationwide, an increase of 61.9 percent compared with before the implementation of the People's Assessors Law in 2018. Among them, grassroots cadres, farmers, community workers, and flexibly employed persons accounted for more than 50 percent, and there were 37,000 people's assessors from ethnic minorities. Selection of eligible people's assessors from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan was explored, with 124 people's assessors from Hong Kong and Macao and 180 people's assessors from Taiwan currently serving. Guidance was provided for the selection of people's assessors from active-duty military personnel, with 831 newly selected this year, better serving and safeguarding the implementation of the strategy of governing the military according to law.

At the same time, the scope of cases in which people's assessors participate in adjudication has become broader. People's courts ensure that people's assessors participate more in cases involving group interests, public interests, cases of relatively major social impact widely concerned by the people, and cases with complex facts. In particular, for cases with major social impact as specified in the People's Assessors Law, a seven-member collegiate bench composed of judges and people's assessors hears the case according to law. Since the implementation of the People's Assessors Law, people's assessors have participated in the conclusion of 15.5 million cases.

In promoting balanced participation in adjudication, people's courts adhere to random selection of people's assessors for individual cases, strictly enforce the upper limit that each people's assessor generally participates in no more than 30 cases per year, and ensure that people's assessors equally enjoy opportunities to participate in adjudication and fully engage in trial activities.

The report showed that people's courts fully leverage the advantages of people's assessors coming from the masses, covering all sectors of society, and being familiar with the grassroots frontline, promoting trial work to better understand public sentiment, reflect public opinion, pool public wisdom, and benefit people's livelihoods, consciously accepting supervision by the people, so that judicial fairness can be realized, genuinely felt, and well received.

Courts in various localities have established and improved information databases of people's assessors in various professional fields and expert talent resource pools. When hearing dispute cases of a relatively professional nature, they explore random selection from the list of people's assessors meeting professional needs, fully leveraging their professional advantages and strengths, significantly enhancing professional and occupational judgment of the facts and circumstances of the cases in which they participate, and helping improve the quality and efficiency of adjudication. At present, people's courts nationwide have 33,000 people's assessors with professional knowledge, who have participated in a cumulative total of 2.16 million cases involving intellectual property, ecological environment, finance, maritime affairs and maritime commerce, and foreign-related matters, playing an important role in serving high-quality development with high-quality judicial services.

The report showed that people's courts encourage people's assessors to assist judges in strengthening the explanation of the law and reasoning, doing a good job of answering questions after judgment, and, drawing on their own rich work experience and life experience, combined with their genuine feelings from performing their duties in adjudication, explaining to the parties the factual determination basis of the collegiate bench and the considerations of judicial adjudication, using language that ordinary people can understand to clearly explain the truth of a matter or right and wrong (是非曲直, shi fei qu zhi - "right, wrong, crooked, straight") and the pros and cons, making it easier to generate emotional resonance and more conducive to promoting acceptance of judgments and withdrawal of appeals, and the resolution of cases with matters settled and people reconciled. Since 2018, the appeal rate and the rate of applications for retrial of cases in which people's assessors participated have been 2.19 and 1.24 percentage points lower respectively than those of cases in which people's assessors did not participate during the same period, powerfully demonstrating judicial credibility.

Procuratorial organs have handled 134,000 intellectual property cases over more than five years

People's Daily reporter Qi Yukun

On November 3, the 25th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress heard a report by Ying Yong, Procurator-General of the Supreme People's Procuratorate, on the work of procuratorial organs in intellectual property prosecution.

The report introduced that from January 2021 to September this year, procuratorial organs nationwide handled a total of 134,000 intellectual property cases of various types, including 118,000 criminal prosecution cases, 7,514 civil prosecution cases, 5,393 administrative prosecution cases, and 2,864 public interest litigation prosecution cases, effectively strengthening judicial protection of intellectual property.

Coordinating development and security, serving high-level self-reliance and strength in science and technology. Procuratorial organs safeguarded national security in the field of intellectual property according to law, strengthened judicial protection of strategic high-tech and "bottleneck" technologies in important fields, and lawfully punished crimes of stealing, spying on, purchasing, and illegally providing trade secrets to foreign parties. Focusing on optimizing and upgrading traditional industries, cultivating and strengthening emerging industries and future industries, judicial protection was strengthened, and 873 persons were prosecuted for crimes such as infringing trade secrets and counterfeiting patents. Data intellectual property protection was strengthened according to law, and 24,000 persons were prosecuted for crimes infringing data security in fields such as artificial intelligence and e-commerce.

Strict protection according to law, maintaining fair competition market order. Targeting areas with frequent infringement and counterfeiting, judicial protection of trademark rights was continuously strengthened, with 80,200 persons prosecuted for related crimes and 2,396 cases of supervision over civil and administrative litigation handled. Intellectual property protection in fields such as world cultural heritage and folk art was strengthened, public interest litigation cases for cultural heritage protection were handled according to law, and criminal liability was pursued according to law for acts constituting crimes such as copyright infringement. Malicious intellectual property litigation was supervised and corrected according to law, with 1,386 procuratorial recommendations for protest and retrial filed against effective civil judgments in malicious litigation cases.

Strengthening procuratorial supervision, raising the level of rule-of-law in intellectual property protection work. The Supreme People's Procuratorate issued work guidelines for handling intellectual property cases, improved the comprehensive performance mechanism for intellectual property prosecution, and guided procuratorial organs in various localities to carry out "one case, four examinations," simultaneously reviewing and handling supervision leads concerning criminal offenses, civil infringements, administrative violations, and public interest damages, effectively safeguarding the fairness of law enforcement and judicial work and ensuring the unified and correct implementation of national laws.

Procuratorial organs actively coordinated in improving the legal system and judicial case-handling rules in the intellectual property field, proactively strengthened communication and cooperation with other law enforcement and judicial organs, improved the coordinated protection system for intellectual property, and effectively enhanced the synergy of intellectual property protection. At the same time, they proactively integrated into the broader framework of foreign-related rule-of-law work and strengthened foreign-related intellectual property prosecution work according to law.

The report noted that in recent years, although positive progress has been made in intellectual property prosecution work, there remains a considerable gap compared with the situation and tasks facing the rule-of-law guarantee of intellectual property. For example, the quality and effectiveness of prosecution work need further improvement, the role of comprehensive performance of duties has not been fully brought into play, the coordinated protection work system needs to be improved, and professional development still needs to be strengthened.

In this regard, the report put forward next-step plans and suggestions: raise political positioning to better serve the overall work of the Party and the state; deepen comprehensive performance of duties to comprehensively improve the quality and effectiveness of intellectual property prosecution work; strengthen coordination and cooperation to promote the improvement of the level of whole-chain protection of intellectual property; and continue strengthening the foundation and consolidating the basics (强基固本, qiang ji gu ben - "strengthen, foundation, consolidate, root") to forge a high-quality, professional intellectual property prosecution team.

Barrier-free facility construction has accelerated across the board, and social services continue to improve

People's Daily reporter Wei Zhezhe

On November 3, a report by the law enforcement inspection team of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on the inspection of the implementation of the Law on the Construction of a Barrier-Free Environment was submitted to the 25th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress for deliberation. The report showed that the implementation of the law has achieved positive results, and the construction of a barrier-free environment has become a new highlight in the development of China's human rights cause.

The report noted that the normative system for barrier-free environment construction has been continuously improved. Laws promulgated after the implementation of the Law on the Construction of a Barrier-Free Environment, such as the Law on Rule-of-Law Publicity and Education and the National Park Law, have made provisions on barrier-free environment construction from different perspectives; a number of departmental rules or administrative normative documents have implemented the relevant provisions of the Law on the Construction of a Barrier-Free Environment. Multiple provinces have issued local regulations or government rules, making detailed provisions on barrier-free environment construction in light of local conditions. At present, there are more than 260 national standards on barrier-free and age-friendly facilities. Overall, the principled provisions in the Law on the Construction of a Barrier-Free Environment have been implemented through operable policies, standards, and norms, providing a rule basis for the practice of barrier-free environment construction.

The report showed that barrier-free facility construction has accelerated across the board. The problem of whether new projects have barrier-free facilities has been basically solved. Barrier-free renovation has been solidly advanced. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, nearly 70,000 residential communities nationwide have undergone age-friendly and barrier-free renovation, and 135,000 elevators have been installed. The level of barrier-free access in transportation has improved significantly. As of July this year, the number of low-floor and low-entry vehicles among urban public buses and trolleybuses nationwide had reached 155,000, accounting for approximately 24.6 percent. The installation rate of barrier-free facilities in highway service areas and urban roads has generally increased greatly, with the installation rate in multiple places such as Anhui, Hubei, and Ningxia reaching or approaching 100 percent.

The report noted that barrier-free information exchange has improved in quality and expanded in scope. The convenience of public information access and daily life has improved markedly, the barrier-free supply of reading and audiovisual products has become increasingly abundant, and the level of intelligent barrier-free information exchange has been continuously raised.

In addition, barrier-free social services have continued to improve. The level of barrier-free access in the field of government services has generally improved, with government service centers in various localities generally opening barrier-free service windows, equipping them with wheelchairs, crutches, handwriting communication boards, and other equipment, and promoting the convenient service of "one thing, one-time handling." Barrier-free services in transportation have been solidly expanded, with more than 220 cities opening taxi-hailing service hotlines, all lines of urban rail transit launching "caring reservation" services, and major ride-hailing platforms launching "one-touch car-hailing" services in more than 320 cities. In the field of education and examinations, reasonable accommodation services have formed institutionalized arrangements. Medical institutions at all levels generally retain manual registration and cash payment and open priority windows for persons with disabilities. Various cultural and tourism venues retain traditional reservation and registration methods, provide information consultation and guidance, and improve barrier-free service content such as Braille commentary.

The report showed that China's barrier-free environment construction has generally made continuous progress, and the implementation of the law has laid a solid foundation for ensuring that persons with disabilities, the elderly, and other groups can participate in social life equally, fully, and conveniently. Compared with the provisions of the law, with the expectations of the people in the new era for barrier-free environment construction, and with the requirements of high-quality economic and social development, there are still some prominent problems in the implementation of the law.

Regarding further implementation of the Law on the Construction of a Barrier-Free Environment, the report suggested: placing more emphasis on the pertinence and effectiveness of publicity and education to create a favorable environment for the correct and effective implementation of the law; placing more emphasis on source-level regulation and source-level participation to promote the effective use of social resources; placing more emphasis on empowering through science and technology to promote high-quality development of barrier-free environment construction; placing more emphasis on systematic planning to advance in an integrated manner the protection of the rights and interests of key groups and the improvement of the well-being of the whole people; and placing more emphasis on coordination among all parties to form a strong synergy for barrier-free environment construction.

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2026 Kuliang Forum Held in Fuzhou

(People's Daily, Fuzhou, November 4) (Wu Wenjing, Wang Nan) The 2026 Kuliang Forum was held on November 4 in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. Zhao Long, Secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee, and Yu Shaoliang, President of People's Daily, attended the forum and delivered speeches. Xie Feng, Chinese Ambassador to the United States, delivered a video speech. More than 200 guests from various sectors of China and the United States attended.

Guests at the forum stated that the hope of China-U.S. relations lies in the people, the foundation lies in grassroots exchanges, the future lies in the youth, and the vitality lies in local cooperation. Under the strategic guidance of the Chinese and U.S. heads of state, efforts should be devoted to building new bridges of China-U.S. friendship, telling more stories of friendship, and sending more messages of cooperation, so as to provide momentum and strength for building a "constructive and strategically stable China-U.S. relationship based on respect, fairness, and reciprocity."

The forum was hosted by People's Daily Digital Communication Co., Ltd., under the theme "Gathering the Strength of moving forward in the same direction (相向而行, xiang xiang er xing - "toward, toward, each, go")." Special events included a "China-U.S. Moments of Friendship Themed Image Exhibition," a "Visit to Kuliang," and a "Night Cruise on the Min River Youth Dialogue."

Qin Haixiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee and Secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee; Zhang Donggang, Secretary of the CPC Committee of Renmin University of China; Wang Ning, President of the National Centre for the Performing Arts; Shen Xin, Vice President of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries; Liu Jin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Bank of China; Adam Foster, Director-General of the Helen Foster Snow Foundation; and Teng Shaojun, President of the U.S.-China Public Affairs Association, attended the forum and delivered speeches. Craig Allen, President of the U.S.-China Business Council, and Michael Hart, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, delivered video speeches.

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“Turning the blueprint of openness and cooperation into a tangible reality”

By: 本报记者 罗珊珊 王东辉

3617, 4108, 4142 — three numbers, joined into an upward-sloping curve.

In 2018, the first China International Import Expo, the world's first national-level exhibition themed on imports, was held in Shanghai, with 3,617 overseas enterprises attending the grand event.

In 2025, the eighth CIIE saw 4,108 enterprises participate, setting a new record high.

At the ninth CIIE, which opened on November 5, 4,142 overseas enterprises participated, the overall exhibition area exceeded 440,000 square meters for the first time, the number of Fortune Global 500 companies and leading industry enterprises surpassed 300 for the first time, and multiple data points set new records again.

Against the backdrop of weak global economic growth, why are enterprises around the world acting in unison without prior agreement (不约而同, bu yue er tong - "not, agree, and, together") in heading to the CIIE and putting down roots in China?

President Xi Jinping emphasized that "China is accelerating the development of new quality productive forces and steadily expanding institutional opening-up, and is willing to turn the Chinese market into a market for the world, a market shared by all" and "turn the blueprint of openness and cooperation into a reality that can be seen and touched."

Keeping one's word and following through with actions (言必信、行必果, yan bi xin xing bi guo - "speech, must, trust; action, must, fruit"). The "flocking" of numerous foreign enterprises acting in unison without prior agreement sends a clear signal: a China committed to high-level opening-up is not only an important export destination, but also a highly valuable place for investment and entrepreneurship.

At successive CIIEs, in story after story of world premieres and first shows reaching the market directly, and in cooperation bonds extending from exhibition booths to industrial chains, we see that an increasingly open and continuously innovative China keeps injecting more certainty and positive energy into a world of turbulence and change.

On opening-up —

Steadily expanding institutional opening-up, connecting the domestic and international dual circulation through a super-sized market

"Opening-up is an important driving force for the progress of human civilization and the only way for world prosperity and development."

"We should grasp the general trend of economic globalization, support all countries in expanding opening-up, oppose unilateralism and protectionism, and push humanity toward a better future."

In November 2018, when protectionism and unilateralism were on the rise and economic globalization encountered setbacks, the first CIIE was successfully held, demonstrating China's consistent and continuous from beginning to end (一以贯之, yi yi guan zhi - "one, continuously, penetrate, through") attitude of openness and injecting strong positive energy into win-win cooperation in the world.

In November 2022, President Xi Jinping emphasized at the opening ceremony of the fifth China International Import Expo: "China is willing to work with all countries to practice true multilateralism, build more consensus on opening-up, jointly overcome the difficulties and challenges facing global economic development, and let opening-up bring a new bright future for global development!"

Since the new era began, China has been unswerving and determined (坚定不移, jian ding bu yi - "firm, steady, not, move") in advancing high-level opening-up to the outside world, and the door of opening-up has been opening wider and wider.

China is steadily expanding institutional opening-up, continuously optimizing the business environment, and jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative with high quality, connecting the domestic and international dual circulation through its super-sized market.

China adheres to mutual benefit and win-win outcomes (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual, benefit, together, win"), actively promotes the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, and helps build an open world economy.

Today, China has become the world's second-largest consumer market and import market, and is the only developing country that hosts a national-level international import expo and continuously opens its market to the whole world.

At this year's CIIE, the national exhibition attracted 69 countries and international organizations to participate, with the number of participants exceeding last year's. In the enterprise exhibition, the exhibition area of American enterprises exceeded 50,000 square meters, ranking first for eight consecutive sessions; the exhibition areas of Canadian and New Zealand enterprises reached record highs, and the exhibition area of Australian enterprises expanded by 25 percent compared with last year.

Facing the headwinds of protectionism, enterprises from various countries are voting with their feet, unswervingly optimistic about the Chinese market.

"For Bayer, confidence is not a slogan, but is reflected in sustained action," said Bill Anderson, Chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer AG. In his view, the role of the CIIE is changing: at first, it was more of a window for bringing global innovation into China; now, it has become a platform for turning innovation into tangible results.

This year, Bayer will bring nearly 30 world premieres, with its three divisions — prescription pharmaceuticals, consumer health, and crop science — making a full appearance. In China, Bayer has established six R&D and innovation centers and four supply centers, and has carried out more than 110 joint research projects with Tsinghua University and Peking University.

"Innovation often begins with exchange, and the CIIE creates such opportunities for us every year," Anderson said.

From the continuous reduction of the negative list for foreign investment access to 23 pilot free trade zones covering the east, west, north, south, and center of the country, institutional arrangements for expanding opening-up one after another have turned "China's door of opening-up will only open wider" into a stable expectation.

"OSIM is a beneficiary and witness of the continuous improvement of China's business environment. From supporting the development of the first-release economy to the continuous improvement in customs clearance facilitation and intellectual property protection, all of these enable foreign enterprises to put down roots in China with greater peace of mind," said Lin Xiaohui, head of management at OSIM (China) headquarters. At this year's CIIE, OSIM came with the concept of "artificial intelligence + consumption," deeply integrating global innovation achievements with Chinese market demand.

The CIIE is a window. Through this window, we can see the surging tide of China's opening-up to the outside world.

On opportunities —

World premieres and first shows reaching the market directly, innovation ecosystems resonating at the same frequency or rhythm (同频共振, tong pin gong zhen - "same, frequency, together, resonate")

In the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China's economy continues to develop in a new, high-quality, and sound direction, with solid steps in high-quality development.

President Xi Jinping pointed out: "The 15th Five-Year Plan is not only a blueprint for China's own development, but also a cooperation list for the world."

At present, changes unseen in a century are accelerating, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. Unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, geopolitical conflicts are rising and falling in succession (此起彼伏, ci qi bi fu - "this, rise; that, fall"), global trade growth is slowing, and the risk of fragmentation of industrial and supply chains continues to increase.

At the same time, China's economy has entered the stage of high-quality development, continuously releasing a double dividend to the world, namely creating more and more "market dividends" while creating more and more "innovation dividends."

Driven by the accelerated development of new quality productive forces, the way China participates in economic globalization has achieved a systematic leap, and "China Opportunity 2.0" has emerged in response to the times (应运而生, ying yun er sheng - "respond, luck/opportunity, and, be born").

What does "China Opportunity 2.0" mean? The CIIE has the answer.

At this year's CIIE, more than 480 representative exhibits made their global debut, Asian debut, or China debut, setting a record high for all years; nearly 200 enterprises and institutions have attended all nine sessions, and more than 2,000 "new face" enterprises are participating for the first time. More and more global new products are choosing the "four-leaf clover" as the stage for their "first shows."

"China's opportunity goes far beyond market size; it lies in growing together with China. Over the past decades, Pfizer's role in China has continued to evolve, from an introducer of global innovation achievements to a co-builder of China's healthcare and innovation ecosystem," said Jean-Christophe Pointeau, Pfizer Global Senior Vice President and Pfizer China President, whose view is highly representative when discussing "China Opportunity 2.0."

At this year's CIIE, Pfizer's innovative weight-loss drug Enogrupride injection (Xianweiying) made its global debut. Previously, more than ten Pfizer innovative products had entered China through the CIIE platform.

"Under the framework of Pfizer China's 2030 strategy, we committed to investing an additional US$1 billion in the Chinese market. At present, this commitment has been completed ahead of schedule, and the actual investment amount has also exceeded the original target," Pointeau said.

The density of premieres reflects the depth of China's innovation ecosystem.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's total R&D expenditure grew at an average annual rate of 10 percent, ranking second in the world in scale, and in 2025 the share of basic research funding exceeded 7 percent, setting a new record high.

A new model of global cooperation for mutual benefit and win-win outcomes has built a new interactive relationship between "China Opportunity 2.0" and the global economy.

On the one hand, more and more multinational enterprises continue to establish R&D centers and regional headquarters in China, deeply integrating into China's innovation and industrial chains, injecting new dividends into global industrial development while sharing in China's development dividends.

On the other hand, with its complete industrial system and advantages in innovation at scale, China provides implementable transformation solutions for the modernization process of developing countries and the re-industrialization of developed countries, continuously activating global development vitality.

This year, Hyundai Motor, an "ever-present" participant at the CIIE, regards the Chinese market as its fastest technology testing ground, focusing on showcasing innovative achievements in electrification, hydrogen energy, and future mobility. Wu Yanbing, chief expert of Hyundai Motor Group (China), introduced that Hyundai Motor has been in China for 24 years, with cumulative investment exceeding 130 billion yuan, forming a complete localized system from R&D and manufacturing to the supply chain.

New product premieres, market validation, policy alignment, and industrial cooperation — the CIIE has greatly shortened the process of promoting and applying overseas innovative products and technologies in China, helping multinational enterprises quickly connect to the global innovation ecosystem chain.

On sharing —

The CIIE appointment bears witness to China and the world moving forward hand in hand (携手并进, xie shou bing jin - "hold, hands, together, advance")

The CIIE belongs to China, and even more so to the world.

The CIIE has grown from an exhibition into a global public good shared by the world.

At this year's CIIE, six international organizations including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization participated in the exhibition and meetings, more than 40 trading delegations and over 600 trading sub-delegations attended for observation and procurement, and Chinese and foreign enterprises actively participated, moving toward each other.

Inclusive and beneficial — this is the distinctive foundation of this "public good."

At this year's CIIE, the Asia-Africa products zone was upgraded to help African countries with diplomatic relations seize the opportunity of zero-tariff treatment for China, promoting a large number of specialty products such as coffee and sesame to cross mountains and seas and enter thousands of Chinese households, turning macro-level opening-up commitments into visible and tangible order growth and benefits for people's livelihoods.

The value of sharing is realized in transaction after transaction.

At this year's CIIE, Sinochem participated for the ninth time. Its procurement list includes not only chemical products and high-end intelligent chemical equipment, but also high-quality agricultural products such as African sesame, which both enriches domestic market supply and better meets the diversified consumption needs of the people, while also helping Africa's specialty products integrate into global industrial and value chains.

The weight of sharing is demonstrated in project after project.

At the 2021 CIIE, Siemens Energy and Songtsam Group signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement to jointly develop rural energy infrastructure such as electricity and heat. Two years later, the Songtsam Basum Tso Linka Hotel jointly built by the two parties was officially put into operation, equipped with Siemens Energy's microgrid intelligent system, replacing an average of about 1 million kilowatt-hours of traditional energy consumption per year.

"The CIIE is an important platform for Siemens Energy to showcase innovative technologies and deepen exchanges and cooperation with Chinese partners," said Yao Zhenguo, Global Senior Vice President of Siemens Energy.

Chinese modernization benefits others while achieving oneself and empowers the world. From a six-day exhibition period to normalized matchmaking, the spillover effect of the CIIE has long gone beyond the exhibition halls. Walking with China means walking with opportunity. The CIIE appointment bears witness to China and the world moving forward hand in hand.

"China is willing to join hands with countries around the world to jointly uphold the multilateral trading system, ensure the stable and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains, expand the space for mutually beneficial international economic and trade cooperation, promote inclusive and beneficial economic globalization, and continuously inject new impetus into world development and prosperity."

The tide surges in the East, and all rivers flow into the sea (百川入海, bai chuan ru hai - "hundred, rivers, enter, sea"). A China that is unswerving in advancing high-level opening-up will surely let the spring breeze of opening-up warm the world and let the fruits of win-win cooperation better benefit the people of all countries.

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China's Services Trade Up 8.5% in First Three Quarters

(People's Daily, Beijing, November 4) (Reporter Wang Ke) From January to September this year, China's total import and export of services amounted to 5.76877 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 8.5%. Among this, exports reached 2.2714 trillion yuan, up 14.8%; imports reached 3.49737 trillion yuan, up 4.8%.

Transport services saw the fastest growth in import and export. From January to September, the import and export of transport services totaled 1.28172 trillion yuan, an increase of 33.9%, ranking first in growth rate among all sectors, with a scale second only to travel services and other business services; among this, exports of transport services reached 482.32 billion yuan, up 29.4%; imports of transport services reached 799.4 billion yuan, up 36.8%.

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Page 1 editors: Hu Anqi, Zhao Zheng, Luan Xinyi; Page 2 editors: Wu Gang, Jiang Bo, Xie Jianing; Page 3 editors: Lyu Li, Guo Xueyan, Chen Zhen; Page 4 editors: Liu Nian, Cui Bin, Zhang Xueyan

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Why the Ecological Asset Base Keeps Growing Stronger (On-Site Commentary)

By: 孙海天

Only when the questions of "how much it is worth," "how to convert it," and "who benefits" are each sorted out one by one can good practices at the local level settle into stable mechanisms, and can development gains continue to feed back into protection.

The broader the path of conversion is widened, the more fully the people share in the gains, and the more enduring the internal impetus for stewardship becomes.

Earlier this year, at the Hainan Dongfang Black-faced Spoonbill Provincial Nature Reserve, staff at the management station, during their routine patrol, spotted a large wading bird foraging calmly: slate-gray feathers, with a patch of bright red on its crown. After comparison and confirmation by experts, it was identified as a common crane. The last time it left a definitive record in Hainan was 1964.

In recent years, rare species in Hainan have increased. Hainan's Homalomena occulta reappeared after a 90-year absence, the Pelteobagrus species of the Qiongzhou Strait received its formal scientific name, and the critically endangered blue-fin guitarfish successfully bred 12 juveniles... These successive pieces of good news have given Hainan's "ecological endowment" a more tangible measure.

On November 6, 2025, General Secretary Xi Jinping, while hearing a report on the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, pointed out that "ecology is a major advantage of Hainan, and this endowment must be safeguarded well."

Why has the ecological endowment grown thicker the more it is safeguarded? It lies in one word, "guard" — once a path is recognized as right, it must be held to to the end; in one word, "convert" — turning ecological advantages into development advantages; and in one word, "expand" — letting each locality and each thing connect to a longer chain, letting green development enter more fields, and letting local explorations grow into system-wide capabilities.

The firmness of "guarding" comes from a grasp of the historical path. In the 1950s, to break the international blockade, the state organized forces to reclaim wasteland and plant rubber in Hainan, altering part of the tropical rainforest habitat. The Hainan gibbon once dwindled to just 2 groups of fewer than 10 individuals in the 1980s. Looking back on this stretch of road, one must both understand the construction needs of that era and see clearly the long duration of ecological restoration.

Today, Hainan's strongest advantage and greatest asset are precisely this expanse of green mountains and clear waters, blue seas and azure skies. From the comprehensive ban on logging natural forests in the 1990s, to the launch of the national park system pilot in 2019 and the formal establishment of the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in 2021, through decades of continuous protection, the Hainan gibbon has grown to 7 groups of 44 individuals, becoming the only gibbon population in the world to sustain continuous growth. The Dongfang Black-faced Spoonbill Provincial Nature Reserve has also cleared 850 mu of aquaculture ponds, shut down and demolished 11 wind power generating units, and restored mangroves year after year, and the common crane has reappeared. When stewardship becomes more resolute, and ecological restoration moves from consensus to action, a more beautiful and healthier natural habitat will allow "rare visitors" to return steadily and become "regular guests."

"Conversion" means letting ecological advantages land in industry and livelihoods, letting the people obtain stable gains through protection, and letting stewardship gain a broader social foundation.

A single lotus seed that migrated south best illustrates the logic of conversion. This year, a fruit-lotus variety originating from Zhejiang was planted and harvested in Haikou, and with Hainan's light and heat it ran a "time differential," reaching market nearly two months earlier than production areas south of the Yangtze. Off-season marketing has given ordinary land and water a "new value," and villagers have happily increased their incomes at their doorsteps. Such conversion is now spreading widely in many different areas (多点开花, duō diǎn kāi huā - "many, points, bloom, flower"). Maona Village in Wuzhishan links the tea industry with rainforest experiences, Wuzhizhou Island in Sanya links coral restoration with diving experiences, and Baisha links ecological resources with financial tools through "Two Mountains loans." Ecological advantages thus gain more pathways for realizing value.

"Expansion" means, on the basis of "conversion," extending the industrial chain further, spreading the fields of green development more broadly, and then settling local experience into long-term mechanisms.

Haikou's fresh lotus seeds complete shelling, pre-cooling, packaging, and other processes in workshops near the fields, and are delivered to stores in other regions within 48 hours. The industrial chain extends from cultivation to processing, cold-chain logistics, and sales, converting not only gains but also retaining more value locally. Boao Dongyu Island, meanwhile, started with the renovation of existing buildings, and in 2025 the demonstration zone's energy-related carbon dioxide emissions from buildings and municipal infrastructure fell by 99.9 percent compared with the 2019 baseline. Hainan's "grand ecology" is extending from natural ecological protection to the green transformation of production and lifestyle.

As the fields broaden, explorations at the local level must also "grow" into system-wide capabilities. To address the bottlenecks of ecological products being difficult to measure, difficult to trade, and difficult to monetize, the Opinions on Building an Eco-Environmentally Friendly Free Trade Port issued by Hainan this year, along with the pilot on the value realization mechanism for national ecological products carried out by the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park, are exploring ways to break through on value accounting, market trading, and benefit sharing. Only when "how much it is worth," "how to convert it," and "who benefits" are each sorted out one by one can good practices at the local level settle into stable mechanisms, and can development gains continue to feed back into protection.

From a gibbon's call to a lotus seed, the practices of safeguarding ecology and converting value each have their own entry points, but the underlying logic is the same. The broader the path of conversion is widened, the more fully the people share in the gains, and the more enduring the internal impetus for stewardship becomes. Today, the colleagues at the nature reserve still look forward to the crane's return, and what awaits it will be an even thicker ecological endowment.

(The author is a reporter for the People's Daily Hainan Branch.)

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"Service-Oriented" Governance Warms People's Hearts (Commentator's Observation)

By: 李洪兴

Recently, two types of venues in Shanghai have been warmly welcomed by ordinary people and even foreign visitors alike.

First, look at community canteens. At the Butterfly Food House (蝴蝶食坊) in Jing'an District, there is a continuous stream of people (络绎不绝, luo yi bu jue - "continuous, not ending"), including the elderly and children, as well as Chinese and foreign tourists coming to check in. Inside the "Butterfly Castle" (蝴蝶堡) where the food house is located, there are various functional areas, including a public living room, a reading area, and a self-study area.

Next, look at Party-masses service centers. The Changfeng Bay Party-masses Service Center (长风湾党群服务中心) in Putuo District has a children's library and also hosts handicraft activities. An American blogger who visited, after experiencing the diverse convenience services and distinctive scenes, deeply felt the warmth of "a community like a small home."

The widespread acclaim for community canteens and Party-masses service centers reflects, behind it all, a vivid practice of public services returning to the people and grassroots governance moving toward refinement.

To understand the logic behind the popularity of these two venues, one may approach it from four dimensions.

In terms of spatial form, "walls" are being torn down and functions expanded. Community canteens are no longer just places to eat, and Party-masses service centers are no longer just venues for meetings. More space is shifting toward all-age openness and multi-use of a single room, usable for discussion, rest, reading, and study... Public space has transformed from "dedicated premises" into a "living room for all," where people can enter and exit with ease and stay at their leisure. This openness is precisely the starting point of their appeal.

In terms of supply-demand relations, tiered and targeted services are being achieved. The original purpose of community canteens was to assist and respect the elderly; subsequently, meal sets were introduced for office workers, couriers, and others to meet the needs of different groups. Some Party-masses service centers also regularly organize residents to hold cultural activities, small salons, and the like, upgrading single services into a "one-package" plan. Service content is no longer one-way supply; rather, it continuously collects needs and dynamically adjusts, achieving a shift from "whatever is provided, that is what is accepted" to "whatever is needed, that is what is supplied."

In terms of emotional value, a sense of belonging is being settled through rebuilding connections. The elderly chat about daily life while dining, office workers open a book after a quick meal, couriers have a place to rest their feet... The dining tables of community canteens and the reading corners of Party-masses service centers have become vehicles for communication and rest. Service venues carry the functions of emotional comfort and public participation, allowing people living in the city to find a place of peace of mind.

In terms of governance philosophy, the goal is to build a modern people's city and promote pluralistic co-governance. For example, in the Meiling South Grid (梅岭南网格) of Caoyang Xincun Subdistrict (曹杨新村街道) in Shanghai's Putuo District, relying on the "grid partner" (网格合伙人) mechanism, volunteer teams composed of street Party members, residents, and new employment groups have been formed to carry out science popularization and inspection work on issues such as merchants' drainage outlets and food safety, helping restaurants improve service and resolving worries for neighbors. When the objects of service become participants in governance, this pluralistic coordination mechanism helps solve problems such as insufficient grassroots manpower and scattered resources, making the supply of high-quality public services more sustainable.

Whether community canteens or Party-masses service centers, they have been upgraded from single-function stations into comprehensive service complexes. Seemingly unremarkable places have become accessible and approachable spaces, demonstrating the underlying logic of adhering to openness and sharing. From "being present" to "empathy," from "service" to "symbiosis," Shanghai's practice offers further inspiration for optimizing urban governance and public services.

High-quality public services must account for the ledger of people's livelihoods, not just the economic ledger. In advancing urban development, leaving quality space to the people can continuously enhance livability and sense of belonging, consolidating the foundation of social development. As cities across the country advance urban renewal and renovation of old residential communities, the requirement of "leaving the best resources to the people" must be put into practice, creating more inclusive service venues and making benefiting the people the greatest achievement.

To do well the foundational work of modernizing grassroots governance, it is necessary to integrate service and governance. Service venues are windows for connecting with the people, and they must become bonds for co-governance and shared benefit. Integrate resources to help the people and enterprises solve practical problems; establish mechanisms to respond promptly to diverse needs; consolidate grassroots strength, and drive mutual assistance and shared benefit through collective wisdom and effort. With more "service-oriented" governance, development with warmth will grow out of the hustle and bustle of daily life, manifesting the value concept of "taking serving the people and benefiting the people as the starting point and goal of grassroots governance."

The charm of a city lies both in hot meals and in open doors. Seeing major governance through small spaces, making development achievements more qualitative and effective, only then can a better life be more tangible and perceptible. This is the happy landscape of the times moving forward.

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Unlocking the Value of Data with Innovation (People's Commentary)

By: 王庆峰

As a new type of production factor, data needs to be combined with specific vertical application scenarios and continuously expand the breadth and depth of its application in order to maximize its potential. How can innovation unlock this potential?

Some time ago, the "Work Plan for Building the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Data Special Zone" was issued, offering inspiration for unlocking the potential of data. The plan proposes creating nine categories of cross-border data application scenarios with distinctive features, taking the lead in the innovative utilization of cross-border data.

Unlike the finiteness and exclusivity of traditional factors, data possesses the characteristic of "one-time investment, unlimited reuse," with a prominent multiplier effect. At present, enabling the value of the data factor to flow fully through all walks of life (千行百业, qian hang bai ye - "thousand, industry, hundred, industry") is an inherent requirement of promoting high-quality development.

Revitalize public data, build high-quality data sets, and turn dormant resources into usable rich mines.

In response to the problem of information silos, Shanghai has proposed "sharing as the principle, non-sharing as the exception." Except as otherwise provided by laws and regulations, public data should be fully uploaded to the blockchain and cloud for full sharing. In response to the problem of high-quality data supply being lacking in both quantity and quality (量质齐缺, liang zhi qi que - "quantity, quality, both, lacking"), Beijing has deepened the application of the authorized model for public data by field, having already provided services to more than 60 financial institutions and over 700,000 business entities more than 400 million times. In response to the problem of missing pricing and revenue distribution mechanisms, Shandong has taken the lead in carrying out confirmation of rights, pricing, and accounting entry for health and medical data assets, and has landed the first paid-use revenue from public data assets.

Only by innovating mechanisms and removing the institutional obstacles and mechanistic blockages in the circulation and use of public data can we avoid the idling of public data, effectively mobilize the enthusiasm of all parties in developing and utilizing public data, and give full play to the amplifying, overlapping, and multiplying effects of the data factor.

Adhere to a demand-oriented approach, promote the transformation of data from "being stored" to "being used," and avoid data spinning in place.

The value of data is ultimately released in practical application. Taking cross-border healthcare in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as an example, the cross-border medical data space located in Nansha, Guangzhou, promotes cross-border retrieval of data such as medical records and examination results among pilot medical institutions in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao; Qianhai in Shenzhen promotes data interoperability, enabling Hong Kong residents to receive instant insurance claims when seeking medical treatment in Shenzhen. These explorations, while removing bottlenecks in public services for people's livelihoods, also push the three regions to take the lead in cross-border data coordination.

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area features "one country, two systems, three customs territories, and three currencies," with close industrial coordination and personnel exchanges, making the need for data flow and factor integration particularly urgent. Based on this actual situation, the Greater Bay Area has prioritized the "cross-border scenario" as its entry point. This also enlightens us that all regions should base themselves on their own endowments, closely follow the actual needs of industry and governance, and create data application scenarios suited to local characteristics.

"Token" is one of the basic units of measurement in the intelligent era, opening a new path for fully releasing the value of the data factor.

As the smallest semantic unit for large models to process information, the "token" provides a unified yardstick for the measurement, pricing, trading, and settlement of artificial intelligence services, solving the long-standing pain points of difficulty in quantifying data value and difficulty in settling transactions. The "token economy" formed on this basis gradually develops clear pricing rules, cultivates a market consensus of "paying for high-quality data," and guides more business entities to participate in developing high-quality data sets.

Since the beginning of this year, the average daily call volume of "tokens" in China has grown substantially, and products such as "token loans," "computing power token loans," and "computing power loans" have been emerging in an endless stream (层出不穷, ceng chu bu qiong - "layer, emerge, not, exhausted"). Promoting the deep integration of the "token economy" with all walks of life will surely help the large-scale implementation of artificial intelligence applications and form a data "flywheel effect."

To activate the value of the data factor, we must both boldly innovate and explore, and firmly uphold the security bottom line, developing in a standardized and orderly manner, so that dormant data can "come alive," scattered data can "get moving," and the value it empowers can "become visible."

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Photo Report

Recently, the Ministry of Transport and seven other departments jointly issued the "15th Five-Year Plan for the Development of Comprehensive Transportation Hubs," focusing on improving the efficiency of connection and transfer between domestic and international routes, trunk and branch lines, and cross-mode transitions, striving to upgrade capacity levels, strengthen connections, and enhance quality and efficiency, and coordinating the advancement of comprehensive transportation hub clusters, hub cities, and hub ports and stations, to build convenient passenger transfer centers and efficient logistics collection and distribution centers.

This is precisely:

Smooth travel for people and efficient flow of goods (人畅其行货畅流, ren chang qi xing huo chang liu - "person, smooth, their, travel; goods, smooth, flow"),

South by boat, north by horse, all converging at the vital throat.

Arriving at a destination within a single day (朝发夕至, chao fa xi zhi - "morning, depart; evening, arrive") across a thousand li of road,

A vast network of well-connected roads (通衢万里, tong qu wan li - "thorough, thoroughfare; ten thousand, li") reaching all parts of the country (达九州, da jiu zhou - "reach, nine, provinces").

Shen Qiuwen

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Beware of 'Food-Style' Packaging in Daily Chemical Products (People's Sharp Review)

By: 叶 鸣

Children's moisturizing cream packed in "sip pouches" shaped like jelly or yogurt, toilet-cleaning gel molded into candy shapes, lip balm sticks packaged as lollipops... In daily life, the phenomenon of daily chemical products adopting "food-style" packaging is not uncommon.

Though attractive to look at and pleasant to smell, they harbor hidden risks. Recently, an elderly person in Yunnan mistakenly consumed "white peach-scented toilet-cleaning mousse" as a beverage, resulting in burns to the mouth and esophagus. A young boy in Guizhou accidentally ingested laundry detergent pods and was rushed to the hospital for gastric lavage.

Products with a "food-style" exterior but non-edible daily chemical contents blur the boundary between food and daily necessities. The "not edible" warning that should be prominently marked on the packaging is often buried among dense small print, and some products do not mark it at all. For elderly people with declining eyesight or who cannot read, as well as children lacking the ability to distinguish, there is a significant risk of accidental ingestion. Especially with strong acid and strong alkali cleaners, once ingested, the consequences are severe.

The purpose of "food-style" packaging for daily chemical products is nothing more than to attract consumers' attention through attractive packaging, conveying a signal of "natural, mild, and harmless" to induce consumers to make a purchase. But product packaging must not ignore safety for the sake of "appearance." The packaging of daily chemical products must first hold the safety bottom line. For products involving chemical agents, warning signs should be especially conspicuous and prominent, rather than deliberately blurring the boundary with food and causing misunderstanding.

The trick of "big print to catch the eye, small print to disclaim liability" is by no means a "shield" for enterprises to evade responsibility. The Consumer Rights Protection Law stipulates that business operators shall draw consumers' attention to content of major interest to them in a conspicuous manner; the Product Quality Law requires that products that may endanger personal or property safety shall bear warning signs or warning instructions in Chinese. Some daily chemical products print enticing words and fruit patterns such as "white peach mousse" and "succulent grape" on the front, yet hide the "not edible" warning in small print on the back. Such an inconspicuous warning method does not exempt business operators from liability. Legal professionals state that if consumers are injured by accidental ingestion due to packaging confusion, they may claim compensation from either the seller or the producer. Relevant departments should also strengthen supervision and management, and conduct investigations into such easily confusable products on the market.

The "Safety Technical Specification for Detergent Products" has been issued and will take effect on May 1, 2027, and has been converted from the original recommended national standard into a mandatory standard. Currently, we are in the transition period before the implementation of the new national standard, a buffer stage reserved during standard switching, designed to allow enterprises and the market to adjust in an orderly manner. Enterprises should not cling to the lucky mentality of "sell as long as we can," ignoring something obvious or failing to notice it (视而不见, shi er bu jian - "look, but, not, see") regarding safety hazards that have already been exposed, but must proactively respond to consumers' safety needs and move closer to the new standard.

Do not treat "food-style" packaging of daily chemical products as a trend. Food and daily chemical products are inherently two categories that need to be clearly distinguished, and no packaging design may play "edge ball" games with safety. Holding the safety bottom line is both being responsible to consumers and the foundation for the long-term development of enterprises.

(Excerpted from the "People's Commentary" WeChat public account)

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Where Is Cultural and Creative ‘Evolution’ Headed? (Jintai Essay)

By: 廖 飞

Having worked in cultural and creative product development for so many years, it is not difficult to discern a clear "evolutionary theory" of museum cultural and creative products. From selling scaled-down "replicas" of collection items at counters, to printing cultural relic patterns or museum logos on everyday items, to using 3D technology to accurately restore artifacts and integrating traditional crafts such as cloisonné, gold gilding, and mortise-and-tenon joinery... today, "cultural tourism + technology" has become an industry trend, and museum cultural and creative development has entered a new stage.

It is worth observing this stage through the lens of cultural and creative refrigerator magnets.

The National Museum of China's phoenix crown series refrigerator magnets — the first batch of 3,000 wooden versions sold out within 48 hours of going on sale, the AR (augmented reality) metal version sold 2,300 units within 2 hours of launch, and cumulative sales have exceeded 3 million units; the nao'e gold hairpin refrigerator magnets, which can also be worn as headdresses or brooches, are sold in limited quantities and repeatedly sell out... Cultural and creative refrigerator magnets continue to be popular, confirming the strong vitality and broad influence of fine traditional Chinese culture in contemporary cultural consumption, and also reflecting new characteristics of the cultural and creative industry.

What is new?

It lies in technology and form. Sound, light, and electricity have become standard configurations, and technologies such as AR, VR (virtual reality), and AI (artificial intelligence) are widely applied. For example, the National Museum of China launched the "Xiao Xiao Le" AI sprite, inspired by its collection piece, the bronze owl-shaped zun vessel of Fu Hao, making the solemn bronze artifact fluffy and adorable, embedding a cultural tourism large model to enable intelligent voice dialogue, making education enjoyable and fun (寓教于乐, yu jiao yu le - "contain, teach, in, joy"). Digital technology embracing cultural IP (intellectual property) makes cultural and creative products full of charm and interest (妙趣横生, miao qu heng sheng - "wonderful, interest, horizontal, grow").

More importantly, it lies in the relationship between people and cultural and creative products and cultural relics. Wearable, interactive refrigerator magnets have gone viral on social media, and many people make special trips to the National Museum to explore the prototypes of the artifacts. This "exhibition-creation linkage" model makes cultural and creative products not just souvenirs, but another "entrance" to the museum, releasing stronger cultural appeal. This also offers inspiration: creative transformation and innovative development should take as their foothold the genuine touching of individual people — whether through the beauty of the artifacts or the stories behind them, inspiring longing in people's hearts.

Cultural and creative products loved by the public share common characteristics, but commonality is not homogenization. In recent years, a phenomenon has become increasingly prominent: after a certain product goes viral, within a few months, its "close relatives" appear on the shelves of cultural and creative products at major museums across the country. How can we avoid a lack of variety among products (千品一面, qian pin yi mian - "thousand, product, one, face") and promote the continuous "evolution" of cultural and creative products?

Let cultural and creative products tell stories. Behind every cultural relic lie craftsmanship, ritual systems, dynastic changes, and those artisans who were lost to history without leaving their names. Currently, a large number of cultural and creative products merely adopt the shapes of cultural relics without touching the stories within them. Shapes can be imitated, but stories cannot be copied. Good cultural and creative products must be able to tell stories. Telling the plots of stories vividly and in detail, and excavating one's own distinctive features — this is not only the way to compete in the market, but also the way to achieve high-quality development in the industry.

Let cultural relics become characters. In the future, museums can try to create new images derived from and re-created from collection pieces, endowing them with personalities, relationships, and experiences. Once the image is established, peripheral cultural and creative products can be developed. By then, what audiences purchase will no longer be replicas of a cultural relic, but a vivid, three-dimensional character. In this way, the interpretive space of cultural and creative products will be further expanded.

Let development be planned. It is understandable for cultural and creative development to pursue commercial value, but it must not merely focus on short-term monetization or fall into homogeneous competition. Whether expanding into the pet cultural and creative track, venturing into EDC (everyday carry) products, "doll clothing," or other fields, or involving lesser-known cultural relics and niche categories, only by adhering to long-termism and achieving differentiated, distinctive, and personalized development can one win long-term growth with unique quality.

To enhance the communication power and influence of Chinese civilization, the logic for our particular line of work is actually quite simple: bring the cultural relics housed in museums "to life." Where does the next step for museum cultural and creative products lie? The answer is also simple: excavate the rich mine of China's more than five thousand years of civilization.

(The author is the head of cultural and creative work at the National Museum of China)

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Page editors: Li Zheng, Zhang Fan, Yu Xuan

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Shared Ambitions Transcend Mountains and Seas — A Harmonious Voice Along the Silk Road

By: 本报记者 朱玥颖 闫伊乔 钟自炜

From November 3 to 4, the 2026 "Belt and Road" Media Cooperation Forum, jointly organized by People's Daily and the Fujian Provincial People's Government, was held in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, under the theme "Shared Ambitions Transcend Mountains and Seas — A Harmonious Voice Along the Silk Road." More than 200 foreign representatives from 100 countries and international and regional organizations, and 182 media outlets and institutions, attended the forum. Chinese and foreign representatives gathered together in one place (齐聚一堂, qi ju yi tang - "together, gather, one, hall"), discussing high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, deepening media cooperation, telling the Silk Road story well, and promoting people-to-people bonds — these became topics of common concern among the guests present.

President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the important role of the media in jointly building the Belt and Road. Ten years ago, in his congratulatory letter to the 2016 "Belt and Road" Media Cooperation Forum, President Xi Jinping emphasized that the "Belt and Road" Media Cooperation Forum provides a platform for dialogue, exchange, and practical cooperation among media from various countries. He expressed the hope that media from all countries would make good use of this platform, actively contribute to promoting the development of inter-state relations, communicating public opinion and sentiment, and deepening understanding and mutual trust, and play a positive role in Belt and Road construction.

Since its inception in 2014, the "Belt and Road" Media Cooperation Forum has been successfully held for 10 sessions, with nearly 2,000 representatives of foreign media and international and regional organizations from more than 100 countries and regions invited to attend, continuously promoting media exchange and cooperation among countries. This year's forum held a promotional launch for Fujian's high-standard construction of the "Core Area of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road" and released the "Fuzhou Initiative on 'Belt and Road' Media Cooperation."

Deepening media exchange and cooperation, promoting the alignment of development strategies

"In 2013, President Xi Jinping put forward the initiative of jointly building the Belt and Road. Over the past 13 years, through the joint efforts of all parties, the Belt and Road Initiative has moved from a Chinese initiative to international practice, from concept to action, from vision to reality, and from the 'broad brushstrokes' of overall planning to the 'fine brushwork' of meticulous implementation. It has become a widely welcomed international public good and the largest, most extensive, and most far-reaching international economic cooperation platform in the world." Xian Hui, Vice Chairperson of the CPPCC National Committee, said in her address that holding the 2026 "Belt and Road" Media Cooperation Forum at such an important historical juncture as the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan carries special significance. She expressed the hope that media friends from all countries would, through the forum, enhance friendship, deepen cooperation, and jointly tell the Silk Road story well.

At the opening ceremony, Zhao Long, Secretary of the Fujian Provincial Party Committee, used a set of data to demonstrate Fujian's solid achievements in deeply integrating into high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and advancing the construction of the Maritime Silk Road core area: in 2025, the province's total import and export volume with Belt and Road partner countries exceeded 1 trillion yuan; currently, 98 "Silk Road in the Sky" international and regional routes connect to major cities worldwide, and 160 "Silk Road Maritime" named routes reach 153 ports in 50 countries and regions. The "Spreading Fujian's Story to the World" international communication effort has covered more than 50 countries and regions, facilitating nearly 1,000 copyright export cooperation projects.

"Because we are sharing the same ambitions and ideals (志同道合, zhi tong dao he - "will, same, path, together"), the countries jointly building the Belt and Road have come together across mountains and seas, and media from all countries have also joined hands and achieved mutual success in this shared cause. It is precisely this partnership that has made the tree of Belt and Road media cooperation deeply rooted and flourishing and full of vitality (枝繁叶茂, zhi fan ye mao - "branch, luxuriant, leaf, lush")." Yu Shaoliang, President of People's Daily, said that we should make good use of existing cooperation mechanisms, continue to deepen partnership relations, advance the sharing of articles, co-creation of content, joint research on technology, and joint cultivation of talent, produce more high-quality content, and better reflect the positive achievements of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Pavel Negoitsa, President of Russia's Rossiyskaya Gazeta, said that over the past decade or more, the number of countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative has continued to grow, and the scale of investment has continued to expand, attracting widespread attention and expectations from the international community. The media should play an active and important role in contributing to deepening mutual understanding and enhancing friendship among the peoples of all countries.

Recording the achievements of connectivity, telling the stories of people's livelihoods along the Silk Road

Guests at the forum believed that high-quality Belt and Road cooperation requires improving the layout of the multidimensional connectivity network and coordinating the advancement of major landmark projects and "small yet beautiful" livelihood projects. From the "six corridors, six routes, multiple countries, and multiple ports" to the integration of land, sea, air, and cyberspace, every advance in connectivity is a rich mine of good stories.

Chen Jianwen, Editor-in-Chief of People's Daily, said that this year's forum conducted exchanges and discussions around the theme "Shared Ambitions Transcend Mountains and Seas — A Harmonious Voice Along the Silk Road," with the aim of building consensus and pooling strength for jointly promoting a new development of the Belt and Road with higher quality and at a higher level.

Dana Rysmukhamedova, Director General of the Kazakh Telegraph Agency, said that strengthening media exchange and cooperation helps countries keep abreast of each other's development and changes in a timely manner, enhances mutual understanding, and promotes the transformation of international exchanges into deeper and more pragmatic dialogue.

During the Silk Road story-sharing session, Egyptian tour guide Abbas shared his understanding of exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations in Arabic and fluent Chinese. Over the years, Abbas has been persevering and showing constancy (持之以恒, chi zhi yi heng - "hold, with, by, constant") in introducing Egyptian culture to Chinese tourists and Chinese culture to Egyptians, and his story has been featured in People's Daily on multiple occasions. Not long ago, Abbas also had the honor of providing on-site interpretation for the heads of state of China and Egypt and their spouses at the Grand Egyptian Museum.

"'The Belt and Road' is essentially a road of shared destiny built and enjoyed by all. Our responsibility is to keep the spirit of this road alive among the peoples of all countries and to build the Belt and Road into a road of happiness and a road of civilization." Abbas believes that the Belt and Road Initiative provides important opportunities for countries to deepen exchanges and cooperation, and that media workers, cultural workers, and laborers in all walks of life can all play an active role.

"We adhere to the principle of 'teaching a man to fish,' helping partner countries cultivate nearly 2,000 transportation technical personnel and young entrepreneurs." Miao Jianmin, Party Secretary and Chairman of China Merchants Group, introduced that China Merchants Group has invested in and built 72 ports in 27 countries and regions, and has established 84 overseas logistics nodes covering 46 countries, contributing to the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains.

Strengthening international communication cooperation, fostering a favorable public opinion environment

In today's world, the ways in which information is disseminated are constantly changing, and the connections among the peoples of all countries are becoming increasingly close. However, the acceleration of information dissemination does not necessarily bring about deeper mutual understanding. Guests at the forum believed that how to enhance understanding and eliminate misreading through objective, accurate, and in-depth reporting is a topic that needs to be addressed jointly.

Shi Dai, Party Secretary and Chairman of China Tourism Group Corporation Limited, said that as a central state-owned enterprise with tourism as its main business, China Tourism Group leverages its full-industry-chain advantages in "food, accommodation, transport, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment," actively integrates into high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and strives to become a promoter of mutual learning among civilizations, a participant in people-to-people bonds, and a practitioner of friendly cooperation.

Oleg Kopylov, Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, said that the SCO Secretariat has always attached importance to maintaining close ties with Chinese media and mainstream media of member states. The SCO Secretary-General gave an interview to People's Daily and People's Daily Online on the eve of the Bishkek Summit, and the related video and article attracted widespread attention.

From policy communication to the recording of achievements, from media exchanges to mutual learning among civilizations, media from all countries have broad space for cooperation in the process of jointly building the Belt and Road. Guests at the forum expressed the hope that, taking this forum as an opportunity, they would further deepen exchanges and cooperation among media, tell true, multidimensional, and comprehensive Silk Road stories, promote mutual understanding and affinity among the peoples of all countries, and pool more consensus and strength for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

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Here, exchanges and interactions warm hearts (Forging a Strong Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation, One Big Family)

By: 本报记者 易舒冉

In November, a chill hung over Urumqi, Xinjiang, while the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar in Tianshan District was full of lively, bustling energy.

Before setting out, Ms. Lin, a tourist from Shenzhen, Guangdong, did her homework repeatedly on her phone: specialty foods, cultural and creative souvenirs, intangible cultural heritage handicrafts — she marked each one into her memo one by one. "By traveling during the off-peak period, I can take my time strolling and browsing, and feel Xinjiang's cultural atmosphere and ethnic customs," Ms. Lin said.

"Bazaar" means "market." Today's Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar is no longer a single, simple market — it has become a window showcasing Xinjiang's culture and a warm bridge connecting the emotions of people of all ethnic groups.

Entering the Bazaar pedestrian street, a giant nan bread sculpture two stories high is highly eye-catching. Nan is a traditional specialty wheat food of Xinjiang. At the nan coffee shop, staff shape nan into a cup, pour in rich coffee, pull delicate milk foam, and then introduce to tourists that the nan cup is edible, attracting many people to take photos and check in.

After savoring the fragrance of nan, push open the door and step into the small shop "Jiangni Clay Artifacts." Handmade pottery pieces are neatly displayed one by one, with artisans hand-painting elements such as mountains, camels, poplar trees, and pomegranates onto cups and plates. The coarse clay texture is plain and substantial, and the glaze color is warm and delicate. After selecting a favorite piece of pottery, many tourists choose to have it mailed home. In the express delivery information recorded by 22-year-old shop assistant Arzugul, addresses were written from all corners of the country (天南地北, tian nan di bei - "sky, south, earth, north"), including Beijing, Guangzhou, and Changsha. "Our motherland's mountains and rivers are vast, and I also want to go to more places to see and experience them." Arzugul said.

Merchant Liu Yaohua runs a carpet shop at the Bazaar. There was once a young man named Abdukuhur in the shop who wanted to open his own store but had no start-up capital. Liu Yaohua lent him 20,000 yuan. A year later, Abdukuhur had his own storefront, repaid the loan, and settled down in Urumqi. "The patterns on the carpets are woven together stitch by stitch, thread by thread, just like the lives of us merchants of all ethnic groups — they too are woven together this way, and getting better and better." Liu Yaohua said.

"We always carry a sense of community for the Chinese nation through the entire process of the scenic area's service and operation, so that merchants of all ethnic groups draw closer and closer to one another through joint business and joint life, and so that tourists feel the charm of the Chinese nation's diversity in unity through their participation. Stories of mutual help and of being as close as one family happen every day in the scenic area." said Bai Yunjian, deputy secretary of the Party branch and director of the Bazaar Scenic Area Comprehensive Service Center.

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140th Canton Fair Concludes Successfully

(People's Daily, Guangzhou, November 4) (Reporters Li Gang, Hong Qiuting) On November 4, the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) concluded successfully and perfectly (圆满闭幕, yuan man bi mu - "round, full, close, curtain") in Guangzhou. This session of the Canton Fair coincided with the 70th anniversary of its founding. Held in three phases from October 15 to November 4, it attracted a cumulative total of 352,000 overseas buyers from 219 countries and regions, an increase of 12.2 percent over the previous session, setting a new record in attendance.

The total exhibition area of this session was 1.55 million square meters, with more than 75,000 booths and 32,000 enterprises participating, of which more than 11,000 were high-quality enterprises such as specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative "little giant" firms and single-product champions. The three phases focused successively on "advanced manufacturing," "quality home furnishing," and "better life."

The characteristics of moving toward innovation, intelligence, and green development were distinctly evident. Among nearly 4.88 million exhibited products, new products and green products accounted for 23.2 percent and 26 percent respectively, both setting historical records, and 64 percent of participating enterprises applied new technologies such as industrial internet and artificial intelligence. For the first time, 22 smart application scenarios and 16 featured artificial intelligence applications were launched, achieving booth-level navigation throughout the entire venue.

The trade ecosystem is accelerating its evolution. For the first time, the trade services exhibition area achieved full coverage of ten major categories of producer services, 36.5 percent of participating enterprises implemented a "product + service" model transformation, and nearly 20 percent of participating enterprises have already carried out outward investment, contributing more than 200,000 local jobs. For the first time, a buyers' alliance was established and membership services for overseas buyers were launched.

From the first session in 1957 with 9,600 square meters and more than 1,200 overseas buyers, to today's 1.55 million square meters and 352,000 overseas buyers, 140 sessions over 70 years have never been interrupted. The Canton Fair has established trade relations with 229 countries and regions worldwide, becoming China's largest, longest-running, most comprehensively stocked, best-attended, and most successful international trade event in terms of transactions. It is hailed as "China's No. 1 Exhibition" and the "barometer" and "weather vane" of China's foreign trade.

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Photo Report

On November 3, the "Four Entries" zero-distance project for public cultural services in Weinan City, Shaanxi Province — the "Rural Through-Train, Culture Rush to the Big Fair" benefit performance — came to Xuzhuang Town, Dali County, where intangible cultural heritage displays, yangge folk dances, opera, and other programs performed one after another in succession (轮番上演, lun fan shang yan - "wheel, turn, perform, appear"), bringing quality cultural resources to the doorstep of the masses. The photo shows the performance scene, with audience members applauding and cheering.

Photo by Cui Zhengbo (Image China)

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2026 China Radio and Television Excellent Works Creation Conference Opens

(People's Daily, Beijing, November 4) (Reporters Ren Shanshan, Liu Yang) The 2026 China Radio and Television Excellent Works Creation Conference opened on November 4 at the Beijing Conference Center. The conference is co-hosted by the National Radio and Television Administration and the Beijing Municipal People's Government, organized by the Beijing Municipal Radio and Television Bureau, under the theme "Creating Classics of the Era, Striving for New Heights in Literature and Art."

The opening ceremony and main forum, themed "Stimulating Innovation Vitality, Striving for New Heights in Literature and Art," aims to anchor the goals of high-quality development in radio, television, and online audiovisual media during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, deeply implement the project for content innovation and dissemination in radio, television, and audiovisual media, pool industry wisdom, stimulate innovation vitality, promote the emergence of more works with profound thought, exquisite artistry, and fine production, and contribute the strength of radio, television, and audiovisual media to advancing the building of a culturally strong country.

At the main forum site, ceremonies were also held for the release of the results of the 2025–2026 "Audiovisual China, Global Screening" selection, the release of "Co-creating Beautiful Drama China, Sharing a Good Drama Life," and the launch of "Poetry Shared Across the Horizon" and "Beijing Splendor Audiovisual Campus Tour." The 2025–2026 "Audiovisual China, Global Screening" selection recognized 30 outstanding works, 26 shortlisted works, 10 outstanding promotion organizations, and 10 outstanding promotion activities.

This conference features a "1+9+6+N" framework, including 1 opening ceremony and main forum, 9 parallel forums, 6 literary and artistic salons, and N supporting activities, attracting participation from over 1,000 industry organizations and more than 10,000 industry representatives.

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The "Three Ones" Behind the Bountiful Harvest

By: 本报记者 郁静娴

The fluctuations of sea surface temperature over the vast ocean affect the safety of hundreds of millions of mu of grain fields. Recently, the National Climate Center reported that a super El Niño event has formed and will continue to develop. Since the beginning of the year, key global shipping routes have been blocked, with risks transmitting to sectors such as energy and food.

Turning our gaze to the land of China. The latest agricultural situation dispatch from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs shows that, as of November 4, over 90 percent of the autumn grain harvest has been completed nationwide, and a bumper grain harvest for the whole year is a foregone conclusion.

When granaries are full, the world is at peace. General Secretary Xi Jinping has the safety of grain in mind, stressing that "no matter how modernized our country becomes, we must still mainly rely on ourselves for grain; with 1.4 billion people to feed, we cannot depend on anyone else, and we must do a good job of grain production."

This year marks the opening year of the "15th Five-Year Plan," and securing a bumper grain harvest for the whole year is of great significance. Opening the harvest answer sheet written across the fields, and looking through a disaster prevention and reduction network, a production supply chain, and a set of technical plans for stable production and increased yields, one can understand the deep foundation behind the "Chinese rice bowl."

A disaster prevention and reduction network —

More production in years without disasters, less reduction in production in years with disasters, providing a safety net for the harvest

In Sizhuang Village, Wanjin Town, Shaoling District, Luohe City, Henan Province, grain grower Yang Gai's more than 3 mu of corn welcomed a bumper harvest this year. "There was a lot of rain this year; thanks to this newly built canal, the harvest was saved." Behind him, a 1-kilometer-long canal wound southward, tightly embracing the fertile fields.

In recent years, the trend of the rain belt moving northward and expanding westward has become obvious. Affected by Typhoon "Baijuhua," from August 10 to 13, Luohe City experienced its strongest precipitation event in recent years.

Corn submerged in water for a long time can easily lead to root hypoxia and premature senescence. The canal in front of Yang Gai's farmland opened up the drainage bottlenecks of 13 villages along the Wanjin section of National Highway 107, effectively avoiding large-scale waterlogging.

"In June, we organized machinery to clear silt and repair slopes. When the heavy rain came, after the incoming water along the route converged, it was drained within two days," said Liu Chunsheng, Party branch secretary of Sizhuang Village. According to reports, this year Luohe City, through the dredging and remediation of 1,060 kilometers of canals, formed a field drainage pattern of "fields have ditches, ditches connect to canals, and canals enter rivers."

How much production capacity can be stabilized under adverse conditions tests every link of China's agricultural disaster prevention and reduction system.

Farmland is precisely the key node in this disaster prevention and reduction network. Looking at the more than 1 billion mu of high-standard farmland, over 70 percent is located in major grain-producing provinces (regions), over 80 percent is in flat areas with slopes below 6 degrees, and nearly 90 percent is in areas with annual precipitation above 400 millimeters. This balanced distribution based on topographical advantages helps maximize grain production capacity. At the same time, as the climate pattern has undergone profound changes in recent years, multiple major production areas have accelerated the dredging of field-level "capillaries," further improving drainage efficiency.

This network also plays an important role in the prevention and control of pests and diseases.

This year, rice planthoppers were more severe in the middle and late rice areas of Jiangnan and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River than in previous years. In Hunan, in late July, the area affected by rice planthoppers across the province reached 48,000 mu, 11 times that of the same period last year. Chang Jianwen, head of the Changqun Agricultural Machinery Cooperative in Qingshuzui Town, Nan County, recalled the scene from a few months ago, feeling fearful or terrified from a past experience (心有余悸, xin you yu ji - "heart, still, have, leftover, fear"): "There were hundreds of insects on a single rice clump; when my hand touched them, the adults rose in a buzzing cloud."

Nan County quickly activated its emergency response, deploying 500 sets of plant protection drones for unified prevention operations, with agricultural technicians going to the fields at least twice a week, strictly implementing the weekly pest and disease situation report and the 24-hour rapid reporting system for sudden pest outbreaks. "The relevant departments arranged for drones to spray pesticides; a mu of field takes just a few minutes, ensuring the pesticide solution is precisely applied to the base of the rice plants, and the pest infestation was quickly brought under control," Chang Jianwen said. After two rounds of unified prevention on his family's more than 4,000 mu of fields, the insects were visibly reduced. Through preventing wherever prevention was needed, Nan County effectively curbed the pest population density in the fields.

Multi-level agricultural technology extension extends the coverage of the disaster prevention and reduction network. At present, China has built the world's largest agricultural technology extension system. In response to localized waterlogging disasters and the frequent outbreak of rice planthoppers in some southern rice areas, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs promptly issued risk warnings and technical guidance opinions, dispatched multiple working groups and science and technology teams, guided key provinces in making good use of central government funds for major pest and disease prevention and control, vigorously carried out unified prevention and control and joint prevention and joint control, and achieved "seizing grain from the mouths of insects."

A production supply chain —

From growing grain to selling grain, a combined policy package provides full-process support

A narrow strait has blocked international energy transport and also affected the supply of key agricultural input raw materials.

As the autumn grain harvest proceeds on a large scale, agricultural machinery fuel use has simultaneously entered its peak period. In Wangjin Village, Yiyang Subdistrict, Feicheng City, Shandong Province, taking advantage of a break during grain unloading, machinery operator Wang Zhaoyong drove to a fuel supply station for agricultural machinery about two kilometers away to refuel his operating machinery. "Filling up this tank saves me fifty or sixty yuan compared to the market price," he said, holding up his special fuel card for agricultural machinery.

Only when fuel prices are stable can agricultural machinery keep running. Since the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has held close consultations with PetroChina and Sinopec, striving to take measures to increase exclusive discounts on fuel for agricultural machinery.

"Before the harvest began, we conducted a comprehensive survey of the city's agricultural machinery inventory, operating areas, and autumn harvest fuel demand, and locked in supply guarantee stations and fuel sources in advance," said Yi Yonglin, head of the Agricultural Machinery Production Section of the Feicheng Agricultural Machinery Development Service Center. During the period of guaranteed agricultural fuel supply, designated Sinopec stations across the city offered a discount of 0.3 yuan per liter of diesel to users of agricultural machinery cards with designated number segments; PetroChina township supply guarantee stations offered a 3 percent fuel discount to card-holding machinery operators, comprehensively reducing agricultural machinery operating costs.

Chemical fertilizer is the "food" of grain. In the production workshop of Shandong Nongda Fertilizer Technology Co., Ltd., the production line is running at full speed. As the city's leading enterprise for fertilizer supply guarantee, the Feicheng base has an annual production capacity of 1.8 million tons, focusing on ensuring the fertilizer needs of local staple crops such as wheat and corn.

At the Yinong agricultural materials sales store, various compound fertilizers, water-soluble fertilizers, and base fertilizers are fully stocked and complete in variety. "Compound fertilizer prices have risen somewhat. Following the guidance of agricultural technicians, we applied soil testing and formula fertilization, using fertilizer according to need. Calculated over the season, the average fertilizer input per mu increased by about 20 yuan, which is generally within an acceptable range," said Ji Rongxiang, a major grain grower in Feicheng City.

"China's chemical fertilizer industry system is relatively complete, and major fertilizer products have strong supply capacity," said Hu Bingchuan, a researcher at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Since the beginning of this year, China has fully leveraged its production capacity and institutional advantages, strengthened coordination among fertilizer reserves, import procurement, and supply during the production season, effectively smoothing out the impact of international market fluctuations.

To protect the interests of grain-growing farmers, China's agricultural support and protection policy system has been continuously improved.

In early August this year, Jiangxi and Hunan launched the implementation plan for the 2026 minimum purchase price for early indica rice. In Yingqian Town, Shangyou County, Jiangxi, major grain grower Zhou Dongping planted more than 2,000 mu of early rice this year, with a yield of 472 kilograms of dry grain per mu. "When the new grain was concentrated on the market, the grain dealers who came to buy at the door generally offered low prices. After the national minimum purchase price policy was activated, the rice that met the standards was sold to state grain depots at the support price, with an average net income of more than 400 yuan per mu," Zhou Dongping said. Yingqian Town has actively developed agricultural socialized services, with entrusted managed fields across the town increasing yield by an average of 4.5 kilograms per mu and reducing average production costs by 28 yuan per mu.

With the stable harvest of early rice, Zhou Dongping's late rice this year is of the Xiangheyou Xisimiao variety, with an order signed with a grain and oil processing enterprise. Liu Guangwen, a member of the Party Leadership Group of the Shangyou County Agriculture and Rural Bureau and director of the Agricultural Technology Extension Center, introduced that this year the county's middle and late rice planting scale is basically the same as that of early rice, with the purchase price expected to be around 1.3 yuan per jin. In addition to state grain depots purchasing qualified rice without restriction, multiple market entities have also actively entered the market to carry out market-based purchases, and grain farmers' income is expected to be better than that of early rice.

A set of technical plans for stable production and increased yields —

Technology continues to be upgraded, pushing the level of food security to a higher level

The outline of the "15th Five-Year Plan" sets the comprehensive grain production capacity of about 1.45 trillion jin as a binding indicator. Autumn grain accounts for about three-quarters of the annual grain output; in terms of planting scale and yield increase potential, the bulk lies in corn.

Under the integration of multiple factors, various regions have year by year polished the key indicator of per-unit yield. In 2025, the contribution rate of per-unit yield improvement to the national grain output increase has exceeded 90 percent. Judging from this year's autumn harvest, good news has come in succession from many places.

A yield of 1,799.1 kilograms per mu! In the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang, a 100-mu corn high-yield demonstration field once again set a new national corn high-yield record.

"We selected dense-planting, lodging-resistant varieties and precisely regulated irrigation and fertilization according to seedling condition and soil moisture. The Ili River Valley has abundant light and heat and a large temperature difference between day and night, fully releasing the high-yield potential of corn," said Li Shaokun, a researcher at the Institute of Crop Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

In the 100-mu "Xia Shuang Zao" model summer corn high-yield demonstration field in Bazhou City, Hebei Province, a new breakthrough was achieved in summer corn yield per mu at the northern edge of the Huang-Huai-Hai summer corn area. Wang Ruihua, head of the Langfang Comprehensive Experimental Station of the Hebei Province Corn Industry Technology System, introduced that after the summer harvest, early sowing was rushed to gain more heat resources; the demonstration field maintained an average of about 6,500 seedlings per mu, with precise control of vigorous growth and prevention of lodging at the 6-8 leaf expansion stage; drip irrigation with integrated water and fertilizer was applied in multiple applications, and in the later stage, one-spray-multiple-promotion was used to extend the grain-filling period and increase grain weight.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the dense-planting high-yield precise regulation technology was cumulatively promoted on 240 million mu nationwide, covering 18 provinces, with an average yield increase of 226 jin per mu, driving farmers' income up by nearly 30 billion yuan. This year, China launched for the first time 20 prefecture-level cities for whole-region promotion of large-area per-unit yield improvement, and the number of whole-region promotion counties increased from 702 to 1,000, promoting more balanced yield increases over a larger area.

Agricultural AI (artificial intelligence) large models have been "newly launched," supporting new quality productive forces in agriculture to accelerate.

On the farms of Heilongjiang Beidahuang Agricultural Reclamation Group Co., Ltd., this year 600,000 growers and 48 million mu of large fields have achieved full-cycle digital support through the Beidahuang Agricultural Service APP. This APP, by introducing the Shennong large model and the Tiangong Kaiwu cold-region large model, has achieved the integration and innovation of industry-university-research AI capabilities. In terms of operating mechanism, the platform relies on an integrated "space-air-ground-human-machine" sensing system, aggregating real-time monitoring data from satellite remote sensing, drone field patrols, and field IoT sensors, superimposed with years of planting history data from the reclamation area and long-term observation data of cold-region soils, combined with the Shennong large model's tens of millions of agricultural knowledge graph entries and multimodal agricultural knowledge base, and relies on the "Smart Soil Holographic Map" to establish digital archives for land parcels.

Wang Yaojun, professor at the College of Information and Electrical Engineering of China Agricultural University and head of the Shennong large model R&D team, introduced that since its first release in 2023, the "Shennong large model" has continued to iterate, now covering 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities), serving one million farming households, and being applied on more than 5 million mu of farmland.

The contribution rate of China's agricultural scientific and technological progress has reached 64.8 percent. The continuous application of new technologies keeps raising the ceiling of modern agricultural development, pushing the level of food security to a higher level.

At present, autumn and winter planting is proceeding in an orderly manner across various regions. Looking through the turbulent international agricultural product supply chain, one can see the "three ones" behind China's autumn harvest scene; this stability is truly precious. The stability of the Chinese rice bowl is injecting a steady stream of certainty into solving the problem of feeding more than 1.4 billion people and promoting global food security.

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World Top University Presidents Forum Held

(People's Daily, Hong Kong, November 4) (Reporter Feng Xuezhi) The World Top University Presidents Forum, initiated by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and Fudan University, was held in Hong Kong on November 4. With the theme "Reshaping Higher Education: Innovation Leading the Future," participating representatives delivered keynote speeches on "Universities and the Next Century" and "From Dialogue to Action: A Blueprint for the Future of Higher Education," and conducted thematic dialogues and roundtable discussions focused on three major topics: "Universities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence," "Universities and Society," and "Universities and Civilization."

Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and President of the UNESCO General Conference Konder Taha delivered video remarks. Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng attended by invitation and delivered a keynote speech titled "The Era's Transformation of Universities and Their Future Mission." Huai Jinpeng put forward three proposals: jointly build an institutionalized high-level dialogue platform leading the development of global higher education; jointly promote openness and mutual trust among universities worldwide and advance exchanges and cooperation; and jointly create cooperative projects addressing global challenges.

During the forum, supporting events were also held, including the International Young Scholars Forum of the Life Sciences Open Alliance and the Artificial Intelligence Open Alliance Forum, and the release of the "Ten Topics of Concern to Presidents of the World's Top Universities," a list of ten major questions in the life sciences field, and a list of five major artificial intelligence technology rankings in the AI field.

Presidents from 49 renowned universities at home and abroad attended the forum.

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2027 Open Recruitment of Military Civilian Personnel Fully Launched

(People's Daily, Beijing, November 4) (Reporter Li Longyi) In order to broadly recruit outstanding social talent to serve military construction, the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission recently deployed and launched the 2027 open recruitment of civilian personnel for the armed forces.

Candidates may log onto the Military Talent Network for online registration between 8:00 on November 5, 2026 and 18:00 on November 10, 2026. The unified written examination for the entire military is planned to be held simultaneously on December 13, 2026 in all municipalities directly under the central government, provincial capitals, capitals of autonomous regions, and other selected cities nationwide. According to the planned schedule, approval and hiring procedures will commence in May 2027. This open recruitment, focusing on achieving the centenary goal of military construction on schedule and promoting the high-quality development of the civilian personnel contingent, strictly upholds political standards, firmly establishes a merit-based orientation, adheres to fairness and impartiality, and improves institutional mechanisms, continuously enhancing the effectiveness of recruitment. The competent department for civilian personnel under the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission will, together with relevant departments, jointly maintain good examination order and create a transparent, fair, standardized, and orderly examination environment.

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Page editors: Zhang Yanchun, Song Yu, Wang Bo

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How Does Watershed Management Pay Off in People’s Prosperous Lives? (Beautiful China · New Look of the Great Rivers)

By: 本报记者 郑洋洋

As the Beginning of Winter approaches, the wind on the Loess Plateau already carries a chill. In Fengnanyuan Village, Shizhuang Township, Huozhou City, Linfen, Shanxi, villager Shi Xinping has just finished work in the vegetable greenhouse and is hurrying home to shell corn. "This year is shaping up to be a great harvest year!"

This good harvest year comes from the systematic watershed-wide management of the Fen River, the second-largest tributary of the Yellow River.

Shoring Up Weaknesses

Making Advance Warnings, Improving Engineering Measures

In earlier years, the villagers' homes in Fengnanyuan Village were mostly built in the 1970s, with brick-and-earth structures predominating.

In the autumn of 2021, Huozhou City experienced its strongest autumn flood season since meteorological records began, with rainfall nearly five times higher than the same period in normal years, and the Fen River formed its largest flood peak since 1993. At that time, 29 rooms in 19 households across the village collapsed, 65 rooms in 42 households were damaged, and the main road into the village was cut off.

The four cave dwellings of villager Shi Hongbing's family all collapsed after one heavy rainfall. "Thanks to the township cadres, we were able to evacuate safely." In the first winter after the disaster, Shi Hongbing moved into a prefabricated house rebuilt on the original site — "sturdy and warm."

However, a new problem lay ahead. Before the next heavy rainfall arrives, how can better advance prevention be achieved?

A meteorological observation station standing northwest of the village, enclosed by a white fence, provides the answer.

Xi Guangming, head of the Huozhou City Rural Revitalization Service Center, explained that the city built meteorological stations in areas that suffered severe disaster that year and in areas prone to mountain torrent disasters, to improve early warning capabilities. At present, the city has 52 precipitation monitoring devices in total, monitoring weather changes in real time during the flood season, linked with the emergency command center. "The village has also set up a communication group, where weather conditions and other information are promptly reported during important farming periods and the flood season, providing advance warnings," said Shi Xinping.

Related engineering measures are also being continuously improved. Cao Deping, secretary of the village Party branch, introduced that over the past two years, the village has renovated 4.2 kilometers of flood drainage channels for proper water diversion; planted 300,000 greening seedlings to stabilize soil, protect slopes, and conserve water and soil... Now, whenever flood conditions arise, advance warnings can be issued and residents safely evacuated.

Enhancing Capacity

From the Unblocking of One Channel to the Systematic Management of One River

The 4.2-kilometer flood drainage channel solved the problem of "where the water goes" in Fengnanyuan Village. But the safety of this watershed cannot rest on Fengnanyuan Village alone.

Turning to the urban area of Huozhou City, the main stem of the Fen River runs through the city. In the urban section of the Fen River in Huozhou, the water surface is wide, waterbirds frolic on the river, and many citizens exercise on the greenway beside the dam. Liu Yang, director of the River Chief System Implementation Center of the Huozhou City Water Resources Bureau, pointed at the greenway and said: "This used to be all mudflats; people simply couldn't walk down here." When the water level was at its highest in 2021, the water here nearly overflowed the embankment.

At that time, the weaknesses were not limited to one place. Many embankments along the Fen River in Huozhou City had missing sections or aging sections, some riverbank revetments along the main channel were discontinuous, flood discharge cross-sections were insufficient, and there was a lack of a continuous flood discharge corridor throughout. Many river channels had fallen into disrepair over the years, with large amounts of masonry on both banks damaged; when heavy rainfall occurred, the embankments were prone to danger.

"In 2023, Shanxi launched the 'A Stream of Clear Water Flows into the Yellow River' ecological protection project, whose key task is to carry out systematic watershed-wide management of the main stem and major tributaries of the Fen River, coordinating pollution control, water regulation, dredging, wetland enhancement, and green bank construction as an integrated effort. Nine projects in Huozhou City were included, and after their implementation, the watershed management capacity has been greatly enhanced," said Liu Yang.

"The change lies in that pneumatic shield dam in the middle of the water surface," Liu Yang said, pointing at the water.

Seen from the bank, water merely flows over a low platform, and one cannot tell what lies hidden beneath the surface. Yan Huijun, head of the technical team of the Fen River Huozhou City Section Comprehensive Management Project Department, revealed the "trick": in the dry season, the pneumatic shield dam is inflated to raise the shield plates and store water; in the flood season, the air is released, and the shield plates lie completely flat to discharge floodwater, structurally solving the problems of the previous rubber dams, which were exposed to aging, vulnerable to impact, and prone to cracking from frost heave in northern winters. With the pneumatic shield dam, the river's flood discharge capacity has been improved, and the surrounding ecological environment has also been restored.

After the management, the flood control standard of the urban section of the Fen River in Huozhou has been greatly raised, and ecological management projects in the Fen River watershed have been advanced successively. The urban section now holds water along its entire length, with water-friendly platforms, riverside walkways, cultural gardens, and other facilities spreading along both banks. "In the past, the banks of the Fen River were overgrown with weeds (荒草丛生, huang cao cong sheng - "wild, grass, grow, thick"); now the river water is clear and bright, and even egrets have returned," said Liu Yanfeng, head of the Water Pollution Prevention Section of the Linfen City Ecological Environment Bureau Huozhou Branch.

Increasing Benefits

Villages on the Loess Plateau Take on a New Look

With the foundation in place, how can the results of watershed management translate into prosperous daily lives?

In Huozhou City's "A Stream of Clear Water Flows into the Yellow River" ecological protection project, the first project was the Huozhou City rural domestic sewage treatment project, which built a total of 7 rural sewage treatment stations.

The newly built pipelines were connected to the urban sewage collection network, and Fengnanyuan Village's sewage pipeline is precisely the terminal of this network reaching out to the Loess Plateau. This pipeline does only one thing: it prevents domestic sewage from the plateau from being discharged directly into gullies and rivers. Only with this accomplished does the village have the conditions to bring dining, homestays, and study-tour visitors up to the plateau, turning the managed ecological foundation into an interface where industry can take root.

Today, 8 vegetable greenhouses have been successfully trial-planted, a steamed bun processing workshop has gone into production, and the village restaurant, relying on its own selenium-rich wheat flour and greenhouse fruits and vegetables, has launched specialty products such as selenium-rich wheat buns and fruit-and-vegetable lattes...

The villagers' feelings are even more direct. "In the past, the village had little greenery; now it's like a park," said Shi Hongbing.

Stepping into today's Fengnanyuan Village, a 5G base station stands quietly, roads are wide and smooth, and streetlights line the village roads. Many households have photovoltaic energy storage equipment installed. The village has held the "Celebrate the New Year in Fengnanyuan" event for several consecutive years, receiving over 100,000 visitors in total. The mighty drum performances, Puju opera, and steamed bun making experiences are thriving, and the villages on the Loess Plateau have taken on a new look.

From the flood drainage channel of Fengnanyuan Village to the systematic management of the Fen River's Huozhou City section, along both banks of the Fen River, there are new sights everywhere and hope everywhere.

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From Manufacturing Base to Hub of Intelligent Manufacturing

By: 本报记者 王永战 人民网记者 郭 莹

Just how difficult is it to build aircraft in the main urban district of a megacity?

Technology, land, and talent are all absolutely essential, while policy, services, and supporting facilities need to be thorough and well-rounded. Chengdu Qingyang Economic Development Zone in Sichuan (hereinafter referred to as "Qingyang EDDZ") has accomplished this challenge. It is an important domestic base for the aviation complete-aircraft industry, covering a total area of only 4.7 square kilometers, yet gathering more than 300 key aviation supporting enterprises and establishing a full-process closed loop from R&D and production to flight-test verification. In 2025, the aviation industry revenue of Qingyang EDDZ exceeded 90 billion yuan, accounting for approximately one-third of the total value of Sichuan Province's aviation industry.

Qingyang EDDZ possesses two major R&D and manufacturing institutions — AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Co., Ltd. and AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute. The "dual-core" linkage and the integration of R&D and production are the hard-core foundation of strength for the aviation industry to concentrate advantages and build momentum. However, the aviation industry has very high requirements for technological interfacing, process coordination, and safety management. To push the aviation industry toward a higher level of capability, it is necessary to solve the difficulties of cramped urban space and the lack of land for industrial expansion.

Through means such as reversely adjusting commercial and residential land into industrial land, Qingyang EDDZ has provided better physical space for the development of R&D headquarters and intelligent manufacturing bases.

The continuous optimization of the industrial layout is driving the region to leap from a manufacturing base to a source of intelligent manufacturing. The National Technology Innovation Center for High-End Aviation Equipment, located in Qingyang EDDZ, is the only national technology innovation center in China's aviation field. It has formed a cluster for tackling key problems consisting of 32 laboratories and joint bases. Based on the R&D needs of high-end aviation equipment, it breaks down barriers between technology supply and demand, acting as a link or intermediary (穿针引线, chuan zhen yin xian - "pierce, needle, draw, thread") between basic research and production R&D. "We do not sit and wait for enterprises to come to us; rather, we must proactively 'go out' and accelerate the transformation of laboratory samples into production-line products, and then into marketable commodities." Cheng Zhong, head of the center, said that in 2025, it facilitated a total of 8 scientific research collaborations and completed the signing of 3 technology transformation projects.

The 611·Qingyang Aircraft Design Innovation Collaboration Center is an aviation industry innovation consortium and functional platform jointly built by Qingyang District and AVIC Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute. Here, more than 40 enterprises on the aircraft manufacturing chain work in the same building as the chain-leader enterprises and top-tier scientific research institutes, with an R&D-manufacturing matching rate exceeding 90%.

At present, Qingyang EDDZ has established a total of more than 90 innovation platforms of various types, forming an innovation highland with "national-level + professional + distinctive" three-tier linkage and deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application. The precise focus of "chain leaders driving chain affiliates" and the high-density comprehensive supporting capacity are giving rise to a batch of industry-first aircraft models.

Since 2024, Qingyang EDDZ has implemented a three-tier linked service system of management committee — property management — enterprises, setting up grid workers in various industrial parks to serve enterprises within their areas. From minor matters such as greening and pruning to major matters such as property rights processing and tax agency services, everything falls within the scope of services. The grid workers not only rely on their "iron feet" to provide proactive front-line services, but also rely on the park-wide integrated management system to efficiently handle various demands from enterprises. Taking the Qingyang Industrial Headquarters Base as an example, the vast majority of enterprise demands within the base can be responded to online, essentially achieving zero-running-around for enterprises in handling their affairs.

To ensure that "policies find enterprises, opportunities find enterprises, and services find enterprises," the Qingyang EDDZ management committee has also connected municipal and district-level enterprise smart service platforms such as "Park Connect," precisely profiling enterprises, matching resources, relieving difficulties and solving problems, and safeguarding enterprise development.

Enterprises have prospects, and talent has a future. Su Jiatao, from Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, came to Qingyang EDDZ after graduation and grew from an ordinary employee into a technical backbone in three years. "Here, there are opportunities for career development, subsidies for living, and places for leisure," Su Jiatao said.

Today, Qingyang District is making every effort to weave a comfortable "one network for life." On the basis of solving the problem of whether living support facilities exist, it is focusing on solving the problem of whether they are good — expanding public childcare resources, optimizing the mechanism for linking school segments, and building an education network running through all school stages; upgrading the medical service system and building a public service network that covers the full life cycle and all age groups with universal benefits and balance; promoting greenery throughout the entire area, connecting greenways, and improving parks, weaving an ecological network where city and park blend and blue and green interweave...

Data show that over the past five years, Qingyang EDDZ has cumulatively introduced 508 high-level talents, directed the supply of more than 3,000 aviation professional technical personnel, and has 32,000 aviation industry-related practitioners, with the region's total employed population exceeding 120,000. "During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, we will accelerate the development of advanced manufacturing led by aviation with diversified coordination, strive toward a hundred-billion-yuan-level aerospace industry cluster, and write a new answer sheet for high-quality development," said a relevant official of the Qingyang District Committee of the CPC Chengdu Municipal Committee.

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Cross-Border Connectivity Empowers Openness: Bank of Communications Debuts at the 9th China International Import Expo

From November 5 to November 10, the ninth China International Import Expo was held in Shanghai. As the only centrally administered financial institution headquartered in Shanghai, Bank of Communications, in its capacity as a premium partner of this year's CIIE, once again appeared on the expo stage.

In the "International Automotive Culture Experience Zone" of the Automobile and Smart Mobility Exhibition Area (Hall 7.2), the 300-square-meter Bank of Communications booth was striking and eye-catching (亮眼夺目, liang yan duo mu - "bright, eye, snatch, eye"), with the booth scale reaching a new high across all previous editions. With the theme "Cross-Border Connectivity · Helping Enterprises Set Sail," the booth was divided into five major sections: a departure tax refund and licensed merchandise display area, a meeting and reception area, a themed activities area, a cross-border financial business achievements display area, and an interactive check-in area, integrating strategic promotion, business consultation, themed releases, achievements display, and inclusive technology experiences into one, vividly interpreting Bank of Communications' responsibility and practice in deepening efforts to stabilize foreign trade and foreign investment and supporting institutional opening up.

Tax refund services provide convenience; meetings and exchanges build consensus

In the departure tax refund and licensed merchandise display area, Bank of Communications focused on optimizing the business environment for inbound consumption, joining hands with the "Shanghai Gift" brand to create foreign-related consumption service scenarios with distinctive urban characteristics. The area featured intelligent tax refund terminals supporting 15 languages. Eligible overseas travelers needed only four simple touchscreen steps to enjoy the convenient "buy now, refund now" service, with refund funds credited in real time, eliminating queuing at ports, continuously optimizing the consumption experience of foreigners coming to China, and activating the vitality of inbound consumption.

The adjacent meeting and reception area served as a communication platform for dialogue and negotiation between Chinese and foreign merchants and the collision of business opportunities. This area centrally showcased the "Bank of Communications Global Integrated Service Plan" released with great fanfare at this year's CIIE, as well as the achievements in building the cross-border RMB global service network. Government and business representatives from around the world could engage in in-depth exchanges here on topics such as cross-border trade exchanges, two-way investment and financing layouts, and coordination of global industrial and supply chains, pooling strength for opening up and jointly exploring the broad blue ocean of industry-finance cooperation against the backdrop of institutional opening up.

Themed activities take turns on stage; financial wisdom connects the globe

The themed activities area was the core vehicle through which the Bank of Communications booth connected global merchants and conveyed financial wisdom. During the exhibition period, a series of themed activities combining professionalism and practical effectiveness were staged in succession in this area.

From November 6 to 9, the themed days of Bank of Communications' overseas branches were held one after another. The Hong Kong branch (subsidiary) introduced investment attraction policies in Hong Kong and promoted corporate and retail financial services; the Sydney branch, with the theme "Connecting China and Australia, Jointly Forging the Future," interpreted market opportunities in Australia and shared cross-border financial solutions; the Ho Chi Minh City branch provided in-depth analysis of Vietnam's investment environment, sharing paths for Chinese enterprises to establish a presence and investment and financing facilitation policies; the Brazil subsidiary shared its experience in localized financial services, paving the way and building bridges for future development (铺路搭桥, pu lu da qiao - "pave, road, build, bridge") for enterprises to explore the Latin American market.

Bank of Communications' Wuxi branch, Qingdao branch, Zhejiang provincial branch, Ningbo branch, and Seoul branch, together with the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce, the Shanghai New Shanghai Merchants Association, the Shanghai International Chamber of Commerce, the Brazil Center, and other parties, also held multiple special matching events for industry-finance supply and demand in this area.

In addition, Bank of Communications, together with the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), released and demonstrated the CIIE co-branded digital RMB hard wallet, showcased the achievements of China-Malaysia cross-border digital RMB payment business, and discussed innovation in cross-border payments.

The cross-border finance picture unfolds; digital intelligence escorts enterprises going global

The cross-border financial business achievements display area unfolded a picture of financial services around the four chapters of "Global Layout," "Cross-Border Benchmarks," "Shipping, Trade, Exchange Stability," and "Palm-Sized Ecosystem," presenting in panoramic form the long series of practical achievements (累累实践, lei lei shi jian - "accumulated, accumulated, practice") of Bank of Communications in serving the overall development picture.

At present, Bank of Communications has formed an overseas operating network covering five continents and major international financial centers. At the booth, a series of benchmark innovative cases were all on display: underwriting panda bonds for a global large pulp and paper producer, helping to land the first onshore panda bond issued by a Brazilian and Americas enterprise issuer; relying on Sinosure export buyer credit to support the Côte d'Ivoire dry port project, using financial strength to support key infrastructure projects in China-Africa cooperation; the Sydney branch, relying on its comprehensive financial capabilities, issuing RMB offshore bonds in the free trade zone, creating a new efficient and low-cost cross-border financing channel; landing the first batch of national "Digital RMB Da · Li Pay," opening up the closed loop of digital RMB cross-border financing; serving cross-border e-commerce enterprises with annual sales exceeding 100 million yuan through the "E-commerce Connect" group-based model, helping enterprises efficiently pool funds; and joining hands with Jinjiang International Group to innovate the "FT+NRA" grouped acquisition syndicated loan, irrigating the real economy with the "living water" of diversified finance.

For the broad community of foreign trade entities, the one-stop comprehensive services of "BOCOM Shipping and Trade Connect" cover professional exchange rate risk hedging, corporate mobile/internet banking forward foreign exchange settlement and sale transactions, palm-sized "one-stop" exchange rate hedging, "Foreign Trade Quick Loan" pure credit derivative credit lines, and other digital intelligence tools, building a solid protective barrier for enterprises against exchange rate fluctuations.

Bank of Communications Mobile Banking 11.0 and the credit card "Buy It Now" (Mai Dan Ba) 11.0 were iteratively upgraded, focusing on inclusive livelihood scenarios and relying on conversational interaction to bring quality financial services into the daily lives of ordinary people.

It is worth mentioning that the Bank of Communications booth was not only full of highlights but also contained many surprises for visitors to play with and check in at. In the interactive check-in area, activities such as collecting stamps in the "CIIE Passport," gacha machines for exclusive commemorative badges, AI-customized refrigerator magnets, and tasting robot-made specialty coffee for one cent with a digital RMB hard wallet allowed visitors to intuitively experience the innovative vitality of digital finance, with more hidden easter eggs waiting for visitors to unlock on site.

Standing at a new starting point, Bank of Communications will rely on its advantages of being headquartered in Shanghai and its global integrated operations to continuously iterate its globally integrated financial services. It will build distinctive cross-border services, escort domestic enterprises in going global to expand markets, support foreign-funded enterprises in taking root in China's fertile soil, serve high-level opening up to the outside world with the financial strength of a major state-owned bank, smooth the dual circulation of the domestic and international economies, and be a reliable financial partner for China-foreign economic and trade cooperation.

Data source: Bank of Communications Shanghai Branch

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Page editors: Chen Juan, Yang Xiaoyu, Dong Wenxin

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Warm Congratulations on the Opening of the 9th China International Import Expo

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Multiple indicators hit record highs, CIIE promises fruitful results

By: 本报记者 田 泓

On November 5, the ninth China International Import Expo opened at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai).

Entering its ninth year, the CIIE retains its appeal, with multiple indicators such as scale, quality, and participation reaching historic highs. 162 countries, regions, and international organizations participated, 4,142 overseas enterprises exhibited, the overall area exceeded 440,000 square meters for the first time, and the number of Fortune Global 500 companies and industry-leading enterprises surpassed 300 for the first time. Answering the "CIIE appointment" together, the international community has cast a "vote of confidence" in China.

Keeping pace with the times (与时俱进, yu shi ju jin - "with, time, follow, progress"), the CIIE grows ever more vibrant through its ninth edition, continuously expanding openness, improving services, and innovating scenarios, building a stage for the world to share in China's opportunities.

National Exhibition Expands in Scale and Quality

Providing New Display Space for "New Faces"

This year's CIIE National Exhibition has expanded in scale and improved in quality, with 65 countries and 4 international organizations participating. Among them, Moldova, Romania, Seychelles, Gabon, Somalia, and the United Nations Development Programme are "new faces" participating for the first time.

This year's CIIE has for the first time launched exclusive "benefit packages" for guest countries of honor and annual "Export to China" theme countries, creating a new model of "in-pavilion display + out-of-pavilion city linkage," extending the display from the exhibition halls into Shanghai's urban space. During the CIIE, a series of matchmaking events will be held, organizing purchasers to select goods from "Export to China" theme countries including the United Kingdom, Spain, Kazakhstan, Kenya, and Thailand.

Robert Mitrofan, chief representative of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China, said that this year is the first time Romania has systematically appeared at the CIIE in the form of a national pavilion, "not just one more booth, but the first time a national-level image has entered China's open door." The Romanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has established a Shanghai representative office, undertaking three functions: market access consulting, assisting county-level business associations in connecting with the Yangtze River Delta, and serving as a "trust portal" for small and medium-sized enterprises. At present, more than 60 Romanian enterprises and institutions are paying attention to CIIE-related activities — wine entering supermarkets, mineral water entering hotels, new energy entering industrial parks, auto parts entering supply chains — with the goal moving from "short-term exhibiting" to "long-term operations."

Continuing to expand unilateral opening, the zero-tariff measure fully implemented for African countries having diplomatic relations with China has taken concentrated effect at the ninth CIIE. The Asia-Africa products zone has been comprehensively upgraded in quality, and the free booth area provided to least developed countries has grown by 17 percent, encouraging more Global South countries to make good use of the CIIE platform.

Sounding the strong note of win-win cooperation and enriching the supply of international public goods. The ninth CIIE will release the World Openness Report and the latest World Openness Index for the sixth consecutive year, providing research reference for global openness, and has set up a special chapter on "China Opportunities 2.0," showcasing the new opportunities brought by China's high-level opening during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The Export to China Capacity Development Report is released for the first time, focusing on sharing the Chinese market, helping more countries, especially Global South countries, improve their export capacity to China, and converting Chinese market opportunities into development gains.

Enterprise Exhibition Upgrades in Professionalism

Innovation Is Increasingly Flowing in Both Directions

The ninth CIIE Enterprise Exhibition continues the "6+1" structure, maintaining six major exhibition areas — technical equipment, consumer goods, agricultural and food products, automobiles and smart mobility, medical devices and healthcare, and trade in services — plus an innovation incubation zone, with professionalism comprehensively upgraded, distinctive features more pronounced, and brand effects stronger. New quality productive forces are gathering momentum, with black technology and hard technology appearing on the same stage. Leading enterprises across the full chain of computing hardware and semiconductors, world-renowned semiconductor chip companies, industrial electrical enterprises, and elevator companies are exhibiting collectively.

The medical devices and healthcare exhibition area brings together 12 Fortune Global 500 pharmaceutical companies, with 16 of the world's top 20 pharmaceutical companies participating, and the world's top three medical imaging companies and top three radiotherapy equipment companies exhibiting, with exhibition scale reaching a new high for all previous editions.

Bayer, an "ever-present participant," is bringing nearly 30 first-time exhibits this time. Across previous CIIE editions, Bayer has witnessed multiple innovative achievements "from exhibit to commodity": several drugs have gradually expanded from a single initial indication to multiple indications, and imaging diagnostic high-pressure injection systems have gradually moved from imported products to localized production.

Bill Anderson, chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer AG, said that when it first participated, the CIIE was seen more as a window for bringing global innovation into China; today, the CIIE has become an important stage in Bayer's global innovation network. Bayer has established six R&D and innovation centers in China, connecting innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry partners to jointly solve problems and benefit patients. In addition, innovation is increasingly flowing in both directions — bringing global experience to China and also bringing Chinese innovation to the world.

A Canadian leather and shoe care brand with a century of history, fine tea sets beloved by British consumers, Thai healing fragrances originating from the jasmine scent of a grandmother's clay pot... This year's CIIE has for the first time set up a global national brands display area in the consumer goods and agricultural and food products exhibition areas, helping fine goods from around the world enter every household or all families (千家万户, qian jia wan hu - "thousand, families, ten thousand, households") in China. The Hongqiao International Economic Forum has simultaneously opened two sub-forums, "High-Level Opening Improves People's Livelihood and Well-Being — World Delicacies on China's Dining Table" and "Consumption Renewal: New Scenarios, New Supply, and New Growth," where theory and practice corroborate each other, exploring the pathways for global quality goods to connect with China's vast market.

The trade in services exhibition area is the CIIE's only "non-physical goods" exhibition area. This year it has established four major zones — financial innovation, professional services, exhibitions and cultural tourism, and logistics ecosystem — and newly created a themed display route of "One-Stop Global Services Gathering at the CIIE."

The innovation incubation zone presents innovative practices, bringing together overseas incubators, innovation departments of multinational giants, and hard-tech startups to build an open, diversified, and sustainable innovation incubation ecosystem. BMW China R&D Center, Boston Scientific, and BD Medical, together with Wanjiang Innovation Center and others, have settled in the zone, showcasing the efforts of traditional industry giants to lay out new tracks.

Michelin is participating in the CIIE for the sixth time under the theme "Toward the New, Advancing Together," presenting not only Michelin's sustainable innovation achievements but also the Chinese industry partners behind that innovation. Ye Fei, head of Michelin's China business, said: "In the 37 years since entering China, Michelin's connection with Chinese industry has grown ever deeper. From serving consumers' daily mobility to supporting customers' professional transport and operations; from introducing global innovation to continuously enhancing local R&D, manufacturing, and service capabilities, Michelin actively responds to the new demands raised by the Chinese market and continuously explores new answers."

"The CIIE is long since not merely a commodity trading platform, but an important vehicle for achieving the deep integration of commodities, technology, and industry." Tang Yunyi, deputy director and researcher of the Institute of Applied Economics at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out that the key to developing new quality productive forces lies in promoting the deep integration of technological innovation and industrial innovation.

Institutional Innovation Becomes the Norm

Accelerating the Landing of CIIE Outcomes in New Scenarios

On October 26, Vettifab, an Italian jewelry enterprise and "ever-present participant," opened a CIIE pre-exhibition at the bonded warehouse of the Shanghai Bund Finance Center. "In the past, exhibits for the CIIE had to be locked and sealed in storage, making it impossible to connect with customers in advance. This year, after exhibits enter the bonded warehouse at the Bund Finance Center, they can be pre-exhibited under bonded status and business matchmaking can be conducted in advance, extending the trade dividend of the CIIE's six-day exhibition period forward by nearly half a month," said Chen Haiyan, head of the enterprise. After the CIIE opens, this batch of goods will enter the main venue, the "Four-Leaf Clover," for display via the "CIIE Express Lane."

The "CIIE Express Lane" is a green channel built by Shanghai Customs between the city's central business districts and the CIIE main venue. Approved by the General Administration of Customs last year, it was first piloted at the bonded warehouse in the Huangpu District business district. This year, the pilot has moved toward normalization, and all eligible bonded warehouses in Shanghai can now connect directly to the CIIE venue for bonded display and trading.

On November 2, the Shanghai Hongqiao Greenland CIIE OPC Community opened at the Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub, just across the road from the "Four-Leaf Clover." Zhang Yuliang, chairman and president of Greenland Group, said the community will promote the deep integration of "CIIE + AI (artificial intelligence)," introducing professional teams around overseas brands' needs in market analysis, commodity content production, brand promotion, and channel operations, helping CIIE exhibits better adapt to the consumption characteristics and channel ecosystem of the Chinese market.

"The CIIE is the concentrated venue for global new products to make their world debuts, and Shanghai should be the place where global new products make their debuts," said Lu Shan, vice mayor of Shanghai. When the first CIIE was held in 2018, Shanghai proposed in the same year to build itself into a place for global new product debuts. Through the country's first inspection facilitation measures for debut imported consumer goods, the customs clearance time for imported goods has been reduced from a minimum of seven days to release on the same day at the fastest, promoting the rapid landing of more than 30,000 debut new products. Focusing on institutional innovation, financial support, and supporting facilities, Shanghai has cumulatively attracted more than 1,700 high-caliber first stores at the global, Asian, and national levels to settle in. Eight years on, Shanghai's debut economy has achieved an iteration from 1.0 to 4.0, and absorbing the spillover effects of the CIIE has evolved from promoting the landing of exhibits to the joint growth of the city and the expo.

During this year's CIIE, Shanghai will simultaneously create a series of "New Trends in CIIE Debuts" activities, creating debut new product scenarios at "second venues" such as the Lu—link Global Premium Consumer Products Display Base in Lujiazui and the Zhangyuan Global Debut and First-Show Platform.

With openness gathering strength and innovation empowering progress, the ninth CIIE promises fruitful results.

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CIIE Releases China's Long-Term Certainty of Development (Editor's Observation)

By: 西 岸

The reason the CIIE has been able to remain fresh after a long period of time (历久弥新, li jiu mi xin - "endure long time, still new") is, in part, "long-termism."

So-called long-termism means persisting in doing the right thing amid uncertainty. The CIIE has consistently released to the world China's long-term certainty of stable cooperation and development, and this certainty comes from the joint efforts and two-way commitment of the host country, exhibitors, and stakeholders.

First, it is China's firm commitment to sharing opportunities with the world.

Over the years, the CIIE has always arrived as scheduled (如约而至, ru yue er zhi - "according to appointment, arrive"), sounding the main theme of cooperation and openness. The eight editions of the CIIE have achieved remarkable results (成果斐然, cheng guo fei ran - "result, outstanding"), cumulatively attracting more than 180 countries, regions, and international organizations to exhibit, with 27,000 company-instances of overseas exhibitors participating in the enterprise exhibition, and releasing more than 3,400 representative first-release new products, new technologies, and new services, making it a platform for promoting high-level opening up and an international public good shared globally. "China's market is so big; everyone is welcome to come and take a look" is not just a slogan, but a promise worth a thousand pieces of gold (一诺千金, yi nuo qian jin - "one promise, thousand gold") carried out with persevering with constancy (持之以恒, chi zhi yi heng - "hold on, with persistence").

Second, it is foreign enterprises' enduring confidence in deepening their roots in China.

A total of 169 enterprises and 30 overseas exhibition-organizing institutions have participated in nine consecutive editions. The confidence of these "full-attendance" participants comes not only from their past successes in the Chinese market, but also from their expectations of China's long-term positive trajectory. Many "full-attendance" participants have been deeply rooted in China for decades, and the "China dividend" that attracts them to continue expanding their investment layout has long since shifted from cost advantages to innovation momentum. The CIIE is a window for foreign enterprises to observe the Chinese market and a platform for connecting with local industries, and integrated co-creation has become a keyword for many foreign enterprises' development in China.

For Global South countries and small and medium-sized enterprises, the CIIE demonstrates the infinite possibilities of China's large market. From a small booth of a few square meters, to renting a booth of several dozen square meters, to opening physical stores, many inspiring CIIE stories—such as Peruvian alpaca products and Syrian traditional soap—have led more exhibitors to resolve to move from "short-term exhibiting" to "long-term operation."

Third, the CIIE is keeping pace with the times (与时俱进, yu shi ju jin - "with time, together, advance") and getting better with each edition.

Across eight editions, the CIIE has closely followed industrial development, technological frontiers, and people's livelihood needs, with exhibition areas becoming increasingly professional, the exhibition experience increasingly smooth, transaction matching increasingly efficient, and platform functions increasingly powerful.

The ninth CIIE has introduced new measures: the three major brands of "Export to China," "Shop in China," and "Invest in China" are brought together in synergy; for the first time, a handbook of facilitation measures for the ninth CIIE has been compiled, covering areas of high concern to enterprises such as trade, investment, customs, and taxation; a batch of pilot measures, including a curated cross-border e-commerce platform and reduced freight for oversized cargo, are being piloted at the exhibition; and the "six major professional empowerment services" have been upgraded from booth support to full-process value empowerment, comprehensively improving the participation experience for exhibitors and visitors. The CIIE itself has become a "stress-testing ground" for opening-up policies.

Fourth, the CIIE's spillover effects are extending and deepening.

From first exhibitions and first launches to the debut economy, from CIIE-exclusive facilitation measures to the implementation of normalized policies, what the CIIE brings is not only new products and new technologies, but also the integration of supply chains, the extension of industrial chains, and the optimization of rules and institutions. Sustained efforts to run the CIIE well have been written into the national top-level design, and the platform's functions have received institutional safeguards. The CIIE has risen from an "annual exhibition" to a normalized institutional arrangement and long-term policy tool of China's national opening-up strategy.

"The China International Import Expo must not only be held every year, but must also be run to a high standard, with tangible results, and get better with each edition." This is China's firm resolve and long-term strategy for adhering to high-level opening up.

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Page editors: Lü Zhongzheng, Wu Kai, Han Wenrong

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Answering the Call of the CIIE, Sharing China's Opportunities

By: 本报记者 罗珊珊 田 泓

President Xi Jinping emphasized, "It is hoped that the China International Import Expo will accelerate its function as a window for advancing the new development pattern, providing the world with new opportunities through China's new development; fully leverage its role as a platform for promoting high-level opening up, turning China's big market into a big market shared by the world; better provide global public goods and services shared by all, help promote the building of an open world economy, and let win-win cooperation benefit the world."

In November in Shanghai, the "four-leaf clover" blooms once again.

From November 5 to 10, the ninth China International Import Expo opened at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). A total of 162 countries, regions, and international organizations participated, 4,142 overseas enterprises exhibited, and the overall exhibition area exceeded 440,000 square meters for the first time, with multiple figures setting new records for the event.

The CIIE is a window for understanding China.

At the negotiation tables in the exhibition halls, "world-class goods" have found their channel into China, and "exporting to China" has achieved new results; on the streets and lanes outside the exhibition halls, "China travel" and "China shopping" remain vibrant, and "shopping in China" is gradually becoming a new trend; in the investment lists on the signing stage, multinational companies have turned exhibition booths into factories and R&D centers, and "investing in China" has been translated into concrete action.

"Exporting to China," "shopping in China," and "investing in China" all point to the same word: opening up. The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan clearly proposes to "continue to host major exhibitions such as the CIIE, the Canton Fair, and the China International Fair for Trade in Services." Through each successive CIIE that is better run than the last, China has translated its commitment to expanding high-level opening up into visible, tangible order growth and benefits for people's livelihoods, and China's big market has become a big market shared by the world.

"Exporting to China" —

From "selling to the world" to "buying from the world"

In the past, the world was familiar with a China that "sold to the world"; through the CIIE, the world is now reacquainting itself with a China that "buys from the world."

China's proactive expansion of imports is not a makeshift or expedient measure, but rather reflects a long-term consideration oriented toward the world, toward the future, and toward promoting common development.

"The CIIE gives us the opportunity to showcase innovative products and solutions that meet the needs of Chinese consumers, and thereby open up new business opportunities," said Gao Qi, chief executive officer of Louis Dreyfus Company.

Over the past eight CIIEs, Louis Dreyfus has signed trade intention agreements with numerous partners in China, covering multiple business segments including grains and oilseeds, cotton, plant-based ingredients, and consumer retail. This year, Louis Dreyfus brings a rich array of food and beverage products, including the high-end edible oil brand "Golden Commander" series products, the third-party juice brand "Florida Fresh," high-quality green coffee beans from major producing regions worldwide, as well as spray-dried coffee, freeze-dried coffee, and concentrated coffee liquid, to meet the increasingly diversified consumer demand in the Chinese market.

From exhibits to commodities, the CIIE has opened a window for global enterprises to share in the opportunities of China's big market.

Before the ninth CIIE even opened, Novartis had already signed up early to exhibit at the tenth CIIE. "Novartis is one of the beneficiaries of the CIIE's spillover effect. Since exhibiting at the first CIIE in 2018, Novartis has had more than 60 new drugs and indications approved in China. Many innovative treatment plans that made their debut at the CIIE have already completed the leap from exhibit to commodity," said Li Yao, president and managing director of Novartis China. He noted that at this year's CIIE, Novartis will exhibit its innovative investigational drug in the immunology field for the first time in China.

On November 4, 2025, one day before the opening of the eighth CIIE, the Ministry of Commerce successfully held the launch ceremony for the "Sharing the Big Market · Exporting to China" series of activities at the Shanghai World Hall. Over the past year, the Ministry of Commerce has adhered to the coordinated efforts of "policies + activities + platforms," cumulatively carrying out nearly 100 "Exporting to China" activities, providing more channels for quality products from various countries to enter the Chinese market.

Over the past year, the preparatory work for the CIIE and the "Exporting to China" brand activities have been deeply linked and moving forward in the same direction.

The United Kingdom, Spain, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Thailand, and others were invited to serve as the annual theme countries for "Exporting to China," linked with the CIIE's global promotion efforts to facilitate precise matchmaking between high-quality overseas exporting enterprises and domestic procurement entities.

British bone china, Canadian luggage, Thai fragrances... This year's CIIE has for the first time created a Global National Brands Exhibition Zone, focusing on guest countries of honor and the annual theme countries of "Exporting to China," selecting approximately 100 brands with long histories and excellent quality for a concentrated showcase.

The Asia-Africa Products Zone has been upgraded to help African countries with diplomatic ties with China seize the zero-tariff opportunity, and efforts continue to run important procurement selection fairs, the procurement corridor, and the cross-border e-commerce premium platform, so that small and medium-sized economies around the world can find opportunities at the CIIE.

"Shopping in China" —

From "China travel" to "China shopping"

What is traded is goods and services; what is exchanged is culture and ideas. The CIIE effect is expanding from the trade and investment sphere into culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and other fields in multiple dimensions, gathering high-quality global consumer resources, drawing more exhibitors to step out of the exhibition halls and travel and shop in China, achieving "shopping globally while in China."

To convert CIIE traffic into consumer "retention," this year's "Three CIIE Gatherings" have been comprehensively upgraded:

The Fine Products Gathering has for the first time introduced the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshops" and "Great National Crafts CIIE Fine Products" exhibition zones. The "Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshops" zone centrally presents the practical achievements of intangible cultural heritage workshops nationwide, such as Qiang embroidery, batik, brocade weaving, rattan weaving, and lacquer art, with interactive segments including traditional craft performances and skill experiences on site. The "Great National Crafts CIIE Fine Products" zone brings together 62 works by national-level masters and new-generation inheritors, showcasing the contemporary vitality of traditional Chinese crafts.

The Food Gathering has added a new Global Cuisine Tasting Zone, where head chefs from Italy, Turkey, the United States, South Korea, Brazil, and other countries will take turns demonstrating their exquisite culinary skills, complete with dedicated check-in spots and photo-interactive installations.

The Culture and Arts Gathering, located at the Central Round Plaza of the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), is a comprehensive exchange platform integrating cultural performances, brand launches, cultural and tourism promotions, and other functions. This year, for the first time, it is linked with cultural and artistic events such as China Fashion Week and the Global Good Coffee Awards.

The consumer arena will also extend from the "four-leaf clover" to the entire city of Shanghai. "We will amplify the comprehensive effect of the CIIE through open exchange and the linkage between the exhibition and the city," said Lu Shan, vice mayor of Shanghai. In terms of the linkage among culture, commerce, tourism, sports, and exhibitions, the city will hold the "Shopping in China · 2026 Premium Consumption Month and Shanghai CIIE Welcome Consumer Carnival," launch the "CIIE First-Release New Trends," and hold a series of activities such as the CIIE ticket-stub linkage.

As an exhibitor organizer at the CIIE, Greenland Group has also made two-way interaction between the exhibition and the city a focus this year. On the one hand, it has created a "Global National Brands Premium Pavilion" in the consumer goods exhibition zone, organizing nearly 100 overseas brands from 30 countries and regions to exhibit. On the other hand, at the Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub, just across the road from the "four-leaf clover," it has built a "Shanghai Customization" experience zone of approximately 500 square meters, featuring six areas: a customization corridor, footwear and apparel, jewelry, beauty products, gifts, and Chinese and foreign fine goods, introducing distinctive brands such as Wang Shuntai and Pechoin, and providing immersive experiences such as on-site tailoring and customization consultations.

"Investing in China" —

From exhibitor to investor

If "exporting to China" is about the attractiveness of the market, then "investing in China" is more about the certainty of the market. The transformation from exhibitor to investor means that the intended cooperation signed on the exhibition stage ultimately lands in the foundations of factory workshops and R&D centers.

At this year's CIIE, the number of Fortune Global 500 companies and industry-leading enterprises exceeded 300 for the first time, and nearly 200 enterprises and institutions have attended all nine editions.

The investment lists of multinational companies grow longer year by year.

GE HealthCare's continuously increasing investment in China vividly illustrates the CIIE's spillover effect: in May 2024, an additional investment of 380 million yuan was made in the Shanghai diagnostic drugs base; in December 2025, the "MRI Eastern Hemisphere Headquarters R&D Innovation Center" located within the Tianjin base was put into operation, which is its only system-level MRI R&D center outside the United States; in April 2026, at the Beijing imaging equipment intelligent manufacturing base, the first end-to-end, intelligent CT detector "lights-out" demonstration production line was launched...

"China has the world's most complete industrial system, bringing industrial chain advantages to China's high-end medical equipment manufacturing," said Song Weiqun, global executive vice president of GE HealthCare. Thanks to this, GE HealthCare continues to deepen its presence in China, building a highly resilient local supply chain with the capability to domestically manufacture the full product line and a series of key components.

The combined advantages of "manufacturing + innovation" have given China's opportunities new connotations, shifting from "produced in China" to "created in China," and "China Opportunity 2.0" means all-round innovation empowerment and high-yield investment opportunities.

"China is not only a global manufacturing center, but also has a sound innovation ecosystem and conditions, making it one of the important sources of global medical technology innovation," Song Weiqun said. He noted that GE HealthCare, relying on its four R&D innovation centers in China and more than 1,800 local engineers, has successfully brought 200 locally innovated products to market, with products sold to more than 100 countries and regions worldwide.

More and more exhibitors are shifting from "six days of exhibiting" to "taking root in China and increasing investment": some have transformed from traders into investors, building an industrial model of "produced in China, supplied to the world"; others have upgraded from serving the Chinese market to becoming global regional R&D centers, allowing Chinese innovation to feed back to the world. Taking Shanghai, the host city of the CIIE, as an example, from January to August this year, Shanghai's actual utilized foreign investment reached 11.59 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 6.9 percent; as of August this year, the cumulative number of regional headquarters of multinational companies and foreign-funded R&D centers reached 1,120 and 675, respectively.

"Exporting to China" is a door China has proactively opened; "shopping in China" is a choice made jointly by Chinese and foreign consumers; "investing in China" is a vote of confidence cast by global capital. Setting out from the CIIE, China will work with all countries to continue building an open world economy, strengthen connectivity and alignment with one another, and make the global market bigger and bigger.

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Providing Valuable Stability for the World Economy

By: 欧阳洁

On the banks of the Huangpu River, we gather for an appointment of openness. On November 5, the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) opened its doors. As the world's first national-level exhibition themed on imports, the CIIE has grown from a grand gathering into a window for China's construction of the new development pattern, a platform for advancing high-level opening up, and an international public good shared globally. A major highlight of this year's CIIE is its deep linkage with "Export to China," "Shop in China," and "Invest in China," using high-level opening up to the outside world to boost high-quality development and continuously amplify the CIIE effect.

President Xi Jinping emphasized that "at present, the momentum of world economic recovery is insufficient, and countries need to work together through hardships and seek common development. China will always be an important opportunity for world development, will firmly advance high-level opening up, and will continue to promote economic globalization toward a more open, inclusive, universally beneficial, balanced, and win-win direction." In the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, amid volatile changes in the global economy, China's economy has pressed forward under pressure, demonstrating strong resilience and vitality, and continuing to inject new momentum into world development and prosperity with the certainty of its own development. The CIIE, which keeps getting better with each session, has arrived as scheduled, underscoring China's firm determination to voluntarily open its market to the world.

Looking back on the journey traversed, one can more truly understand the far-reaching significance of hosting the CIIE. Since 2018, an increasing number of high-quality global products have made their world premieres, first shows, and first launches at the CIIE, entering the Chinese market better and faster through the expo to meet Chinese consumers' needs for a better life. Over the eight CIIE sessions already held, more than 3,400 new products, new technologies, and new services have been showcased cumulatively. Many products have shifted from exhibiting to year-round sales through cross-border e-commerce, and more exhibitors, encouraged by the market feedback brought by new product launches, have strengthened their confidence in investing in China. "Exhibits become products, exhibitors become investors" — the CIIE's linkage and mutual reinforcement with "Export to China," "Shop in China," and "Invest in China" clearly outlines the vivid picture of China's continued expansion of high-level opening up to the outside world and conveys China's sincere desire to share more market opportunities, investment opportunities, and growth opportunities with all countries.

An increasingly open China brings more new opportunities and new momentum to the world. In today's world, where unilateralism and protectionism move against the current, China has always insisted on expanding high-level opening up and continuously providing new opportunities for the world with China's new development. The CIIE is a vivid example of China's proactive expansion of two-way opening up. Since May 1 this year, China has fully implemented zero tariffs on 100% of tariff lines for products from 53 African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, becoming the world's first major economy to achieve full-coverage zero tariffs on all African countries with which it has diplomatic ties. This year's CIIE has upgraded the Asia-Africa product zone, which will help bring a large number of African specialty products such as coffee and sesame into thousands of Chinese households. This year's Hongqiao International Economic Forum will also release for the first time the "Export to China Capability Development Report," which sorts out the opportunities and potential of the Chinese market from the perspective of trading partners, better aligning "what each country excels at" with "what China needs," and converting Chinese market opportunities into tangible development dividends.

"Export to China" — China is a stable export destination; "Shop in China" — China is a consumer market of enormous scale and enormous potential; "Invest in China" — China possesses a complete industrial system and an efficient collaborative innovation ecosystem. The linkage of "Export to China," "Shop in China," and "Invest in China" jointly sends a firm signal to the world: China is willing, with the certainty of its super-large market, to share opportunities and create a future together with all countries, providing valuable stability for the world economy.

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Page editors: Liu Zhiqiang, Qiu Chaoyi, Han Xin

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Small Winter Essentials: Practical and Stylish (Across China)

Xinle City, Shijiazhuang, Hebei

Electric blankets and electric heating shawls become smarter

At the production site of an electrical appliance enterprise in Xinle City, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, machines roar and workers bustle along the production lines. Heating wires, controllers, fabrics, and other components are assembled and processed, and electric heating products of various forms — electric blankets, electric heating shawls, foot warmers, and neck-heating pads — come fresh off the line.

"This batch is an order from an Australian client," said Chen Lili, foreign trade manager of the enterprise, picking up a microcomputer thermostatic electric blanket. "This kind of lightweight, attractive, and portable heating product is very popular with overseas consumers."

Last year, this enterprise's output value exceeded 100 million yuan, with products sold to countries and regions including Chile, Italy, and Australia. "In recent years, orders from Europe have continued to grow. We have optimized fabric materials, upgraded temperature control systems, and improved the fit and cut according to local customers' usage habits, so that the products can suit diverse scenarios such as home, office, and outdoor use," Chen Lili said. In just last winter alone, the enterprise sold more than 1 million electric blankets and related products overseas.

Niu Jianlong, president of the Xinle Electric Heating Industry Association, recalled that because the products were once considered "not upscale enough," enterprises often failed to secure prime booths when participating in various exhibitions. Combined with competition from similar products, transformation became urgent. Xinle City consolidated the electric blanket industry, established an industry association, and invited staff from national-level authoritative quality inspection and research institutions to serve as technical advisers, building a platform of "enterprise linkage with expert support."

With a change in approach, the products were also completely renewed, and products featuring functions such as microcomputer thermostatic control and digital control were successively brought to market. In addition to traditional electric blankets, local enterprises have also developed wearable electric heating shawls, portable foot-warming blankets, neck-heating pads, and other heating products.

Relying on the advantages of Shijiazhuang's equipment manufacturing and other industries, Xinle City has also taken the opportunity to extend and supplement the industrial chain, and a complete industrial chain covering material injection molding, heating wire production, finished product packaging, and logistics transport has gradually taken shape. Today, Xinle City has 91 blanket production enterprises and 14 parts production enterprises, with product sales accounting for 40 percent of total national sales, and the whole industry's annual output value reaching 2 billion yuan.

Chao'an District, Chaozhou, Guangdong

Thermos cup categories grow increasingly diverse

As the weather turns cooler, many people keep a thermos cup at hand. Many of these thermos cups are produced in Caitang Town, Chao'an District, Chaozhou City, Guangdong.

In the product showroom of a local stainless steel products enterprise, a perfume-bottle-style stainless steel thermos cup has a slender body and a very small mouth. The ruby-red base color paired with a gilded waistband turns the cup into a fashion item.

"Conventional thermos cups usually have a mouth diameter of between 40 and 70 millimeters, while the inner diameter of this thermos cup is only 26 millimeters," said Xie Wenting, chairman of the enterprise. Drinking from a small mouth makes spills less likely and also helps avoid scalding, and the 195-milliliter capacity is also suitable for carrying around.

In the exhibition hall of another hardware products company, a large-capacity vacuum cup in macaron colors attracted many visiting merchants to stop and take a look. Its innovation lies hidden in the interlayer of the cup wall. "We have applied mature metal deep-processing technology to thermos cup products, suppressing heat radiation through copper plating on the inner liner, combining it with a suitable getter to lock in the vacuum, controlling production cleanliness throughout the entire process, and reducing gas release, so as to achieve long-lasting heat retention and durability," said Xie Chubin, general manager of this company.

"Supporting industrial coordination is our key advantage," said a relevant person in charge of the Chao'an District Stainless Steel Industry Association. Upstream and downstream supporting industries in the local area coordinate in close proximity, the materials for vacuum cup inner liners are continuously upgraded, and new processes such as tail-free vacuum technology and laser welding are constantly being applied, significantly improving both the heat retention performance and durability of thermos cups.

"In addition to thermos cups, the categories of household utensils derived from heat-retention needs are also constantly expanding," said Xie Mianrui, Party secretary of Caitang Town. From thermos kettles and thermos lunch boxes to thermal cooking jars, the categories are growing increasingly diverse, with each having its own functional focus — whether long-lasting cold retention, airtight soup sealing, or tea-water separation — serving the drinking and dining needs of different groups of people.

Chao'an District has gathered 1,270 hardware and stainless steel products production enterprises, of which 81 are above designated size. In 2025, the output value of enterprises above designated size reached 7.421 billion yuan, the whole industry employs more than 100,000 people, and products are sold to more than 50 countries and regions.

Yiwu City, Jinhua, Zhejiang

Hot water bottles put on "jackets" and become trendy toys

In Yiwu City, Jinhua, Zhejiang, cute cartoon hot water bottles and fashion-forward plush hot water bottles... Just as trendy toy enthusiasts buy different "doll clothes" for their figures, hot water bottles are also attracting the attention of global buyers with their replaceable, stylish "jackets."

In the shop of Tong Hangying, a business operator at the Yiwu International Trade City, there are hot water bottles shaped like "little lanterns," as well as handbag-style hot water bottles with pearl handles... A wide variety of beautiful things (琳琅满目, lin lang man mu - "bright, dazzling, full") are on display. Every year in the first half of the year, the enterprise Tong Hangying works for begins stocking up for overseas clients. Starting in September, hot water bottles are shipped out in succession, with clients mainly from Europe, South America, the Middle East, and other regions.

Yiwu market operators are also expanding functions and innovating designs according to market demand to suit different usage scenarios. For example, there are hot water bottles that can be carried by hand, with plush handles designed on the outer insulating cover, making them look more like a bag and convenient for going out; hot water bottles designed in a long strip shape are more suitable for warming the bed at night; and there are palm-sized hot water bottles that are convenient to carry around...

Song Junjing, head of another local hot water bottle factory, has been engaged in hot water bottle production and sales for many years. "The consumer base for hot water bottles is getting younger and younger, so in product design we need to be both practical and fashionable," Song Junjing said. A cartoon plush hot water bottle in her store, with bright colors and a hook for easy carrying, is very popular with young consumers, and supply cannot keep up with demand.

After November arrives and temperatures drop, orders from online and offline channels, both domestic and overseas, surge all at once. "Right now, our factory is busy every day rushing to fulfill orders for clients. We will also develop more new products based on current fashion trends," Song Junjing said.

As the weather turns cooler, at the Yiwu International Trade City, many business operators specializing in hot water bottles and other heating products have already stocked up. According to statistics from the Yiwu e-commerce platform "Yiwugo," sales of hot water bottles on the Yiwu market in October increased threefold compared with September.

(Compiled from reports by Zhao Yuanjun and Ma Jing of Shijiazhuang Daily, Lin Zongkai of Chaozhou Daily, and Fang Jing of Jinhua Daily)

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Turning "a casual remark" into "a concrete deed" (Listening from Across the World)

By: 杨笑雨

In Putuo District, Shanghai, a climbing wall with safety hazards was transformed into an all-age interactive puzzle wall following residents' suggestions; in Jiangjin District, Chongqing, after parents reported dim streetlights near a school campus, 19 lamps were replaced within 3 days... These "small annoyances" scattered in urban corners may seem like trivial and insignificant matters (鸡毛蒜皮, ji mao suan pi - "chicken feathers, garlic skins"), yet they reflect the same governance challenge: how to turn the public's "muttering" into a golden key for solving problems.

It is not enough to handle just one matter well; one must also handle a whole category of matters well. In Tanghe County, Nanyang, Henan, starting from a suggestion about a damaged manhole cover, authorities conducted a blanket inspection of manholes across the county, rectified over a hundred problematic covers, and sorted high-frequency suggestions into a "problem list" that was converted into a departmental "task list"; in Jincheng City, Shanxi, data barriers between different departments were broken down, and scattered demands were automatically clustered. One demand leads to a batch of rectifications, one practical matter leverages a category of governance, moving from discussing a matter based on facts alone (就事论事, jiu shi lun shi - "take the matter, discuss the matter") to learning from one instance to infer others (举一反三, ju yi fan san - "lift one, reflect three"), from resolving an extremely urgent matter (燃眉之急, ran mei zhi ji - "burn eyebrows, urgent crisis") to planning long-term strategies, which also helps urban governance achieve a systematic upgrade expanding from specific points to a whole area (由点及面, you dian ji mian - "from point, reach surface").

Everyone is a participant in urban governance. When the public is willing to speak up more on public affairs, and relevant departments turn the public's "casual remark" into "a concrete deed," the foundation for joint construction and co-governance of the city becomes even more solid.

One person's idea is a spark; a group's wisdom is a flame. From "handling one category of matters well" to "gathering a group of people together," what is built is not only a "bridge of hearts" for communication, but also a concentric circle of joint construction, co-governance, and shared benefits. It is hoped that localities will have more of the human touch of opening doors to seek advice, making the foundation of the city's high-quality development warmer.

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"Sun-Drying Autumn": Showcasing the City's Cultural Warmth (Echoes from Around the World)

By: 何 若

Red leaves roll like waves, golden leaves spread like brocade, and green pines add touches of emerald. When the wind blows, layers of autumn color sway on the branches, and even the light and shadow take on a certain charm. On social media, young people compete to "show off autumn." In Beijing, some check in at Lao She's former residence, the "Persimmon Courtyard," to see orange-red round persimmons against gray tiles and sparse shadows falling on blue bricks; others crowd into courtyard homes and rooftops in the hutongs, ordering a cup of autumn-limited "fallen-leaf coffee" and watching the shadows of rattan chairs slowly lengthen...

From the joy of "showing off autumn," one can also see the shift in public demand. With economic and social development, people's expectations for cities are no longer limited to bustling prosperity, but also include blue skies and white clouds, green grass and blooming flowers.

Such needs are being steadily met. In many cities, pocket parks in spring, waterfront spaces in summer, fitness trails in autumn, and ordinary streets and lanes in winter—scenery is everywhere, and flowers greet the eye at every turn.

Public spaces are becoming more beautiful, and the humanistic warmth of cities is also steadily rising. In recent years, every autumn, in order to let the beautiful autumn scenery accompany citizens for a longer time, relevant departments have issued special notices to implement "delayed leaf sweeping." In addition, details such as delaying the pruning of green branches and treating wild grass kindly are also increasing. Respecting the laws of nature, giving play to ecological value, and enriching urban landscapes are all adding a unique humanistic charm to cities.

(Excerpted and adapted from Beijing Daily)

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News Express

Yangtze River Delta Jointly Releases 42 High-Speed Rail Tourism Routes

(People's Daily, Suzhou, November 4) (Correspondent Zhao Yan) Recently, the 2026 "Express Tour · Golden Partners" Yangtze River Delta High-Speed Rail Tourism Small Cities Joint Promotion Project was launched in Zhangjiagang City, Suzhou, Jiangsu, with 42 cross-regional golden partner routes and 12 intra-provincial Jiangsu routes unveiled on site, covering themes such as wellness, culture, intangible cultural heritage, and parent-child travel.

Since Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Anhui initiated the selection of high-speed rail tourism small cities in 2021, a hundred distinctive counties, cities, and districts have stood out from the crowd (脱颖而出, tuo ying chu er - "escape, bud, emerge"). This year, Jiangsu took the lead in coordinating with Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Anhui to create 2–4 day micro-vacation products. Through solicitation, expert planning, and public selection, 42 routes were chosen, promoting cross-regional pairing of small cities and complementary resource sharing.

Shanghai Pudong Appoints First Batch of Foreign "City Recommendation Officers"

(People's Daily, Shanghai, November 4) (Correspondent Xu Sufei) Recently, Shanghai Pudong New Area invited foreign nationals working, living, and moving about in Pudong to check in at Pudong's trending landmarks and share the beauty of life in Pudong, telling Pudong stories of "a foreign land is no different from home" and "where the heart finds peace, there is home" through social media at home and abroad, and appointed 7 foreign nationals as the first batch of Pudong "City Recommendation Officers."

Heilongjiang to Implement New Regulations on Place Name Management

(Heilongjiang Daily, Harbin, November 4) (Reporters Yang Huixuan, Liu Rui) Recently, the re-drafted "Heilongjiang Province Place Name Management Regulations" were officially released to the public and will take effect on December 1 this year. The Regulations focus on improving the systems and mechanisms for place name management, refining the procedures for naming and renaming, properly managing and utilizing place name signs and place name information, better serving industrial development through place names, and protecting and inheriting place name culture.

Yunnan Has Cultivated 324 "Dian-Brand" Characteristic Labor Service Brands

(Yunnan Daily, Kunming, November 4) (Reporters Li Haiqiu, Wang Yiwen) The list of 20 provincial-level labor service brands newly recognized and cultivated by Yunnan in 2026 was recently announced. To date, Yunnan has cultivated 324 "Dian-brand" characteristic labor service brands, including 7 nationally renowned labor service brands and 89 provincial-level labor service brands, driving employment for approximately 8.6 million people.

Guizhou Advances Management of Karst Cave Resources

(Guizhou Daily, Guiyang, November 4) (Reporter Gan Jiangdong) Guizhou is one of the regions in China with the most extensive distribution and most typical development of karst landforms. To accurately ascertain karst cave resources, 88 counties (cities, districts) in Guizhou are continuously advancing a general survey of karst cave resources. The Department of Natural Resources of Guizhou Province has divided the resources into three categories — pristine ecology, development and utilization, and existing ecological problems — and the lists are now basically finalized, entering normalized management with dynamic updates.

Xinjiang Pilots Elderly-Friendly and Accessibility Reform of Drug Instructions

(Xinjiang Daily, Urumqi, November 4) (Reporter Ren Chunxiang) Xinjiang recently launched a pilot program for elderly-friendly and accessibility reform of drug instructions, encouraging marketing authorization holders of drugs to participate in the pilot by providing voice broadcast services and Braille information for drug instructions and labels, so as to better safeguard the safe use of drugs by the elderly and people with visual impairments.

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Foreign Tourists Experience 'County Getaway' Travel

Recently, the rice paddies of the Longji Terraces in Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County, Guilin City, Guangxi, entered the concentrated harvest season. This is an important annual agricultural activity and cultural-tourism experience project for the local area.

This year, many foreign tourists communicated with local homestays in advance to come for sightseeing and to experience various agricultural activities.

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Brightest Venus of the Year to Appear in November

By: 新华社记者 周润健

From early to mid-November, the Taurid meteor shower will enter its active period. Due to differences in the position of the radiant point, this meteor shower is divided into the Southern Taurids and the Northern Taurids. Song Yuanyuan, a member of the Chinese Astronomical Society and an astronomy popularization expert at the Tianjin Science and Technology Museum, introduced that around 3:00 a.m. on November 6, the Southern Taurids will reach their peak; around 2:00 a.m. on November 13, the Northern Taurids will reach their peak. Neither peak period of the two meteor showers will be affected by moonlight, making them very suitable for observation.

This year's Leonid meteor shower will reach its peak at 8:00 a.m. on November 18. Song Yuanyuan introduced that the Leonid meteor shower is suitable for observation after midnight. On the 18th, the moon phase will be a waxing gibbous, which will set after midnight, so the overall observation conditions are quite good.

The planets are also full of highlights. On November 16, Mars and Jupiter will appear extremely close in apparent distance; on November 21, Mercury will experience its last greatest western elongation of the year, which is also the last opportunity this year to observe Mercury in the early morning. On November 26, Uranus will be at opposition, providing an excellent window for observing Uranus; on November 30, Venus, appearing as the morning star, will reach its brightest moment of the year. Song Yuanyuan reminded that under clear weather conditions, within 2 hours before sunrise, the public can look for this bright as a gemstone (灿若宝石, can ruo bao shi - "bright like, as if, gem, jewel") bright star in the low eastern sky.

(According to Xinhua News Agency dispatch)

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Small Fitness Sites Make Exercise More Convenient

By: 新华社记者 何磊静 王君宝

Morning light spills over streets and lanes; beneath elevated bridges, along riverbanks, and in corner plots of old factory districts, activity gradually picks up. At the South Island Sports Park on Jiangxinzhou in Nanjing, Jiangsu, the sound of tennis balls being struck constantly rises and falls in succession (此起彼伏, ci qi bi fu - "this, rise; that, fall"); at the Xiangjiang Park basketball court in Harbin, Heilongjiang, young people run and leap... Urban corners once overlooked are transforming into sports parks at the doorstep of homes. These "small but beautiful" fitness sites are dedicated to filling the gaps of large venues that are distant and poorly accessible, promoting the taking firm root and becoming established (落地生根, luo di sheng gen - "land, fall; grow, root") of the "15-minute fitness circle."

Experts point out that "small but beautiful" fitness facilities rely on existing space to achieve "low-cost, quick-implementation" micro-renovations. They may not occupy large areas, but their functional layouts are refined, their service radii are precisely targeted, and they accommodate a wide range of people. Many localities also achieve all-age friendliness, giving the elderly spaces for health and wellness, young people courts for ball sports, and children play areas.

At the same time, small-scale fitness venues have also become a bond promoting neighborly interaction. At the gateball court in the Ancient Yellow River Park in Suqian, Jiangsu, Wu Wenguang, a resident over sixty, reports for duty almost every day. Sports connect strangers in the neighborhood; exchanges and interactions on the playing field shape a new community culture.

(Xinhua News Agency dispatch)

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Cultural Envoys Arrive in Rural Villages

By: 青海日报记者 魏 爽

On the Tianjun grassland in the Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai, the meadow shimmers with pale gold. Inside a herder's tent, cultural envoy Li Shanyuan sits cross-legged, turning his camera screen toward the herders gathered around him: "Look, the moment the Pallas's cat's ears stand up, the shutter has to keep up, and close the aperture down one more stop." Over the past year, he has carried his camera into the tents and ranger stations of 10 townships, translating obscure parameters into language herders know well, and building a photography exchange group. Nearly 300 herders and ecological rangers have gone from "photography novices" to "grassland photographers" capable of capturing the beauty of their homeland, and have extended such light-and-shadow classrooms from the herder tents to more distant plateau villages.

Since 2025, a team selected and dispatched under the coordination of the Publicity Department of the Qinghai Provincial Party Committee has walked into Qinghai's villages—intangible cultural heritage experts, literary and artistic directors, music teachers... More than a hundred professional talents have "moved" their offices into the fields and villages, using their skills to "plant" culture in the land of the river sources, and also to "plant" new social mores. The cultural envoys have been teaching and guiding people step by step (手把手, shou ba shou - "hand, grasp, hand") in mentoring apprentices and passing on skills, and batch after batch of librarians, music teachers, and folk art backbone personnel have grown up, with a local cultural force that "cannot be taken away" steadily growing stronger.

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How to Avoid Pitfalls When Shopping in Livestream Rooms

By: 河南日报记者 荆 锐 孔学姣

The "Double 11" e-commerce promotional campaign has already commenced (拉开帷幕, la kai wei mu - "pull open, curtain"). During shopping, how can consumers avoid such problems as scripted marketing in livestream rooms and fraudulent order inflation?

Relevant case-handling personnel noted that livestream e-commerce, while improving transaction efficiency and enriching consumer choices, has also bred such problems as "scripted" and "performative" false advertising. Case-handling judge Kuang Luyu offered advice: "When consumers receive goods purchased online and collect evidence, the photos and videos they take should include the complete appearance of the items, quantity or weighing information, and timestamps, and they should properly retain such evidentiary materials as screenshots of product pages, recordings of livestream sessions, order vouchers, chat records, and logistics information."

To rein in livestream chaos, regulation has continued to intensify. Since February this year, the "Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Livestream E-Commerce" have been formally implemented, clarifying that market supervision and administration departments and cyberspace administration departments should, in accordance with their duties, strengthen supervision and administration of livestream e-commerce activities, and establish and improve such working mechanisms as clue transfer, information sharing, and joint consultation and assessment, bringing the four categories of entities — e-commerce platform operators, livestream room operators, livestream marketing personnel, and livestream marketing personnel service institutions — into the responsibility framework.

For consumers, the practical approach may lie in this: do not wait until rights and interests are damaged to think of the law, but rather, at every click to purchase, prepare evidence for the rights protection that may come later.

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Token Goes Mainstream in Consumer Spending (Fresh Developments Around Us)

By: 新华社记者 王 浡 李晓婷 张 璇

This year's "Double 11" (Singles' Day) shopping festival, Token (word element) was listed as an independent product category on multiple e-commerce platforms, turning invisible, intangible computing power services into orderable commodities.

Paying for Token is, in essence, paying for the computing power consumed behind it. In the past, this consumption was only settled on the backend of large model vendors by call volume; users did not know the unit price and had no way to compare prices (无从比价, wu cong bi jia - "no way, compare price"). Now, putting Token on the shelves, the most direct change is that the threshold for purchase has been lowered.

Who is buying Token? One e-commerce platform provided a user profile: mainly individuals and small and medium-sized enterprises with clear AI (artificial intelligence) usage needs, such as household users, learning-oriented and research-oriented users, and one-person companies. A relevant person in charge of this e-commerce platform introduced that these users were already stably using large models; in the past, they paid by consumption scattered across various vendor platforms, and now they can compare prices in one stop like browsing a store and "stock up" on Token as needed.

For ordinary consumers, there are mainly two ways to purchase Token: first, buying pay-as-you-go recharge vouchers, similar to phone credit, buying more after use; second, subscribing to fixed quotas on a monthly or annual basis. But there are also inconveniences, mainly with fixed quotas — buying too much leaves unused, buying too little is insufficient.

Putting Token on the shelves is only the first step. Multiple industry insiders stated that to truly become a mass consumer product, token services still need to address challenges in metering and accounting, pricing mechanisms, security control, and compliance governance.

Wang Jiandong (王建冬), deputy director of the Big Data Development Department of the National Information Center (国家信息中心), suggested quickly unifying the metering caliber for tokens, establishing conversion standards, while also standardizing billing disclosure and introducing third-party verification. Some consumers expect e-commerce platforms to strengthen after-sales service for Token, such as providing clear methods for handling unused quotas and resolving consumption disputes, so that consumers can buy with confidence and use with clarity.

(Xinhua News Agency dispatch)

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Page editors: Chen Juan, Yang Xiaoyu, Dong Wenxin

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Tides Rise at Qiantang, Echoes Resound Worldwide: Hangzhou Propels Cultural "New Trio" Toward the Global Stage

In Cologne, Germany, the online game Where Winds Meet (Yan Yun Shi Liu Sheng) won the "Best Mobile Game" award at Gamescom 2026; in Cannes, France, two AI-produced vertical-screen dramas from Hangzhou were selected for screening in a related section of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival; in New York, the United States, the 2026 global tour concert of Black Myth: Wukong brought music imbued with distinctive Eastern charm into Carnegie Hall. A batch of cultural works born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, are crossing linguistic and geographical boundaries to open a new dialogue with the world.

The "three new cultural exports" — online literature, online dramas, and online games — are becoming a new calling card for Hangzhou's cultural industry going global. In 2025, above-scale enterprises in Hangzhou's "three new cultural exports" achieved operating revenue of 201.1 billion yuan, accounting for more than 80 percent of the provincial total. At present, the "three new cultural exports" originating from Hangzhou have reached more than 1 billion overseas users. Heading toward the sea, why is Hangzhou at the forefront? The answer lies in a thousand-year cultural lineage, and is also written in the city's more than two decades of industrial innovation practice.

Nurturing a fertile industrial soil

From "breakthrough at a single point" to "going global across the entire chain"

In August 2024, the first domestically produced AAA game, Black Myth: Wukong, was launched and quickly climbed the bestseller charts in multiple overseas countries and regions. With its refined production quality and distinctive Chinese cultural characteristics, it demonstrated the strength of China's game industry to players worldwide and successively won multiple international game awards. The success of Black Myth: Wukong is inseparable from the long-term cultivation of a fertile industrial soil.

As early as more than 20 years ago, Hangzhou had already begun to lay out cultural industries such as animation, games, and digital content. From enterprise cultivation and park clustering, to content innovation, technology empowerment, and global distribution, a continuously extending cultural industry chain has gradually taken shape. The accumulated technology, talent, capital, and creative resources have become an important support for the rapid development of today's "three new cultural exports." At present, a group of internationally competitive cultural enterprises, including NetEase, Huace Film & TV, and Game Science, have gathered here. Characteristic platforms such as the China Internet Literature Writers Village, the Art and Creativity Town, and the China (Liangzhu) Digital Culture Community are flourishing. Among them, the China Internet Literature Writers Village has gathered 403 online literature writers, and through chains of literary creation, copyright operation, and film and television adaptation, original stories are reaching broader markets one after another.

The growth of an industry depends both on market vitality and on policy guidance. The Hangzhou Action Plan for Promoting the Going Global of Online Literature, Online Dramas, and Online Games proposes implementing "five major actions" — supporting quality creation, upgrading industrial capacity, cultivating overseas platforms, optimizing the industrial ecosystem, and guaranteeing factor mechanisms — and strives to build a new highland for high-quality development of the "three new cultural exports" and a leader in going global. Relying on high-capacity industrial clusters such as the Zhijiang Cultural Industry Belt and the Liangzhu Cultural Grand Corridor, Hangzhou boasts three national cultural export bases, providing an accelerator for online literature, online dramas, and online games to set sail overseas.

Years of accumulation are gradually being transformed into tangible results in going global. In the 2026 "Thousand Sails Going Global" key activities (projects) list, 12 projects from Hangzhou were selected, ranking first in the country in number. Thirty-two enterprises from Zhejiang were selected as national key cultural export enterprises for 2025–2026, of which 17 are "three new cultural exports" enterprises, most of them concentrated in Hangzhou. At present, the "three new cultural exports" originating from Hangzhou have reached more than 1 billion overseas users. From cultural products entering overseas markets to Chinese stories integrating into global cultural consumption, Hangzhou is participating in international competition in terms of content, technology, platforms, and the industrial ecosystem.

AI empowering innovation

From "one-way understanding" to "interactive participation"

In 2025, the Hangzhou-produced TV drama The Legend of the Hidden Sea (Cang Hai Zhuan) became a phenomenal cultural export work. Eighteen intangible cultural heritage skills, including Kunqu opera, shadow puppetry, and mortise-and-tenon joinery, were woven into the storyline, with fine traditional Chinese culture becoming a force driving the narrative and shaping the characters. With its solid storytelling and distinctive cultural identity, The Legend of the Hidden Sea achieved outstanding ratings and was broadcast in more than 190 countries and regions.

The gaming sector is equally outstanding. As the only game project nationwide selected for this year's "Thousand Sails Going Global" key activities (projects) list, Where Winds Meet has surpassed 100 million registered users worldwide, with non-Chinese-speaking users accounting for more than 90 percent of overseas players. Some players have come to understand China's ancient twelve double-hour system, martial arts culture, and the history of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms through the game, and some have even stepped from the virtual world into the real China, embarking on cultural exploration journeys.

To build the "nation's first city of the digital economy," Hangzhou is deeply integrating artificial intelligence with the content creation, overseas distribution, and other links of the "three new cultural exports," breaking through the language limitations, experiential barriers, and efficiency bottlenecks of traditional going-global efforts. The localized AI translation system independently developed by Hangzhou Rongliang Interactive Entertainment combines artificial intelligence with manual verification, increasing translation efficiency by 50 percent and reducing costs by 30 percent. The online game Justice Online (Ni Shui Han) has launched an AI face-creation system based on its self-developed large model, allowing overseas players to create and interact with online drama characters they like, moving Eastern aesthetics from "appreciation" to "experience." Through AI multilingual intelligent translation, Judian Network has achieved full-process automation of subtitle extraction, translation, and dubbing, compressing the preparation time for a single drama to go overseas from several days to just a few minutes. In May this year, two fully AI-produced vertical-screen dramas made by Hangzhou enterprises were selected for the Fantastic Pavilion section of the 79th Cannes International Film Festival, becoming the only two works by Chinese teams in that section, showcasing Hangzhou's exploratory achievements in the field of AI film and television production.

VR/AR (virtual reality/augmented reality) immersive scenes, big-data-driven market adaptation, and blockchain-supported copyright protection together constitute the technology matrix for Hangzhou's "three new cultural exports" going global. Hangzhou is promoting the deep integration of a thousand-year cultural lineage with digital technology, opening new space for innovative cultural expression.

Activating the IP matrix

From "single-product export" to "value symbiosis"

On September 19, "A Breath of Spring Breeze" — the Sword Coming (Jian Lai) animated Chinese music concert — premiered at the Shanghai Grand Theatre. Symphony and Chinese folk music interwove, accompanied by dance, lighting, and character voice acting, bringing the righteous jianghu world of Sword Coming to the stage. Next, the concert will not only tour the whole country but also set sail overseas, letting the world hear the voice of Hangzhou.

A story of online literature is gradually extending into animation, film and television, performing arts, cultural creativity, and cultural tourism. In Jiande, a film-and-television cultural tourism integration project centered on Sword Coming is being accelerated, with plans to build a "Sword Coming Town" and explore transforming film shooting locations into sustainably operated cultural tourism spaces. In Gongshu, an immersive VR large-space project for Sword Coming is planned to be established along the Grand Canal, creating themed touring and interactive experience scenes. From the market success of a single work, to the coordinated development of multiple artistic forms, to the continuous operation of offline cultural tourism scenes, the cultural and commercial value of original content is being fully released.

Similar explorations are not only one kind (不一而足, bu yi er zu - "not, one, and, sufficient"). In June this year, during the 22nd China International Cartoon and Animation Festival, Shang Yuan Huan, which had received 1 billion reads across the internet, released an AI comic-drama work. With the help of AIGC (AI-generated content) technology, the Shangyuan Lantern Festival and Song-dynasty aesthetics in the text were transformed into intuitive audiovisual scenes. Shang Yuan Huan has successively achieved physical publication, overseas translation and introduction, and micro-drama adaptation, and has also linked up with Jingshan cultural tourism to explore scene integration. The micro-drama of the same name has been translated into more than 20 languages, spread across more than 30 mainstream overseas platforms, with cumulative views exceeding 50 million.

Stories setting out from Hangzhou, one after another, are reaching the world in different ways. The popularity of a single work can let the world see Hangzhou; the formation of a mature industrial ecosystem can enable more Hangzhou stories to continue reaching the world.

The Qiantang River tide surges on without cease. Drawing nourishment from a thousand-year cultural lineage and blazing new paths amid the digital wave, Hangzhou is promoting the high-quality development and high-level going global of the "three new cultural exports" with a more open posture. From the international dissemination of cultural products, to the exchange and sharing of cultural experiences, to the coordinated development of the cultural industry, this famous historical and cultural city is constantly exploring innovative expressions of Chinese stories, letting the cultural tide from the banks of the Qiantang River echo and resound across a broader world.

Data source: Publicity Department of the CPC Hangzhou Municipal Committee

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The Scientific Connotation and Strategic Significance of Ecological Protection and High-Quality Development in the Yellow River Basin (People's Forum)

By: 邵冬冬

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Party leading the people in the governance of the Yellow River. Over the past 80 years, under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the people's governance of the Yellow River has achieved achievements that have attracted worldwide attention, fundamentally changing the historical situation of two breaches every three years, creating the miracle of peace and tranquility year after year (岁岁安澜, sui sui an lan - "year, year, peace, calm"), and fully demonstrating the significant advantages of the socialist system. Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping made important instructions on further improving the protection and governance of the Yellow River, emphasizing: "On the new journey, we must take the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for the New Era as our guide, firmly grasp the strategic requirement of focusing on protection and emphasizing governance, adhere to the water governance approach of prioritizing water conservation, achieving spatial balance, conducting systematic governance, and exerting efforts from both the government and the market, continuously improve the pattern of major protection and major coordination, solidly promote ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, build a solid national ecological security barrier, ensure the long-term stability and security of the Yellow River, inherit and promote Yellow River culture, strive to make this mother river increasingly beautiful, and benefit the Chinese nation forever and future generations." General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions provide scientific guidance for continuously promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin on the new journey.

Since the beginning of the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping, focusing on the national strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, has successively presided over three symposiums and delivered important speeches. On September 18, 2019, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a symposium on ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin in Zhengzhou, Henan, and pointed out: "Ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, like the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta, is a major national strategy." On October 22, 2021, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a symposium on deeply promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin in Jinan, Shandong, and emphasized: "Provinces and regions along the Yellow River must implement the strategic deployment for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, and unswervingly follow the modernization path of prioritizing ecology and pursuing green development." On September 12, 2024, General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over a symposium on comprehensively promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin in Lanzhou, Gansu, and emphasized: "Firmly grasp the strategic requirement of focusing on protection and emphasizing governance, take further comprehensive deepening of reform as the driving force, adhere to ecological priority and green development, adhere to acting in accordance with water availability and prioritizing water conservation, adhere to overall planning and coordination (统筹谋划, tong chou mou hua - "general, combine, plan, scheme") and coordinated promotion in light of local conditions and classified policies, promote the whole basin's ecological protection to reach a new level, green transformation to make new progress, high-quality development to achieve new results, and people's lives to see new improvements, and create a new situation for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin." General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin provide fundamental guidance for Yellow River governance in the new era.

Deeply understand the strategic significance of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin

Ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin is a major strategic decision made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core from the height of the sustainable development of the Chinese nation and Chinese civilization. The conceptual innovation and practical exploration of this major national strategy vividly interpret that Chinese modernization is the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, provide the world with Chinese experience in the governance of major rivers, and contribute Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to promoting global sustainable development. On the new journey, to thoroughly study and implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on further improving the protection and governance of the Yellow River, we must deeply understand and grasp the rich connotation and contemporary value of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin.

Grasp the historical positioning from the height of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Protecting the Yellow River is a major undertaking of lasting importance related to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." The Yellow River is the mother river of the Chinese nation. The Yellow River basin is an important ecological barrier and an important economic zone in China, occupying a very important position in China's economic and social development and ecological security. Since ancient times, "when the Yellow River is peaceful, the world is at peace," and Yellow River governance has always been related to the survival and development of the Chinese nation. Over the past 80 years, the Party has led the people in large-scale Yellow River governance practices, gradually changing the long-standing situation of frequent floods, and the ecological environment has improved significantly. Especially since entering the new era, Yellow River governance has placed more emphasis on ecological protection and systematic governance, promoting the formation of a new pattern in which economic and social development and ecological environmental protection promote each other. The national strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin is a major strategic deployment made by the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core from the height of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Understand the requirements of the times from the dimension of ecological civilization of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "We must plan development from the height of harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature, take the carrying capacity of resources and the environment as the premise and foundation, consciously confine economic activities and human behavior within the limits that natural resources and the ecological environment can bear, and promote development to achieve effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth in the green transformation." The Yellow River has always been "physically weak and prone to illness," with a poor ecological foundation, extremely scarce water resources, severe soil erosion, and weak carrying capacity of resources and the environment. Maintaining ecological security in the Yellow River basin is of extreme importance. Economic activities must be confined within the range that resources and the environment can bear, the relationship between protection and development must be correctly handled, and the modernization path of prioritizing ecology and pursuing green development must be unswervingly followed. The "Outline of the Plan for Ecological Protection and High-quality Development in the Yellow River Basin" issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council in 2021 clearly states: "By 2035, major strategic achievements will be made in ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, the ecological environment of the Yellow River basin will be comprehensively improved, the ecosystem will be healthy and stable, the level of water resource conservation and intensive utilization will lead the country, a modern economic system will be basically established, Yellow River culture will achieve great development and prosperity, and the people's living standards will be significantly improved."

Understand the international significance from the perspective of promoting the construction of global ecological civilization. Water is the source of life, the key to production, and the foundation of ecology. Major rivers have nurtured the world's major civilizations. At present, the impact of global climate change is intensifying, the situation of global water security remains severe, and the task of river governance is even more arduous. How to simultaneously achieve flood control safety, ecological protection, and economic and social development under the constraint of limited water resources has become a major issue that urgently needs to be solved in the construction of global ecological civilization. As an important benchmark for the governance of major rivers, ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin highlights the overall, holistic, and coordinated nature of Yellow River governance, focuses on preventing the harm of water, eliminating the drawbacks of water, vigorously promoting the benefits of water, and demonstrating the goodness of water, providing experience and reference for the governance of key river basins, opening up a new situation in the governance of major rivers, and providing Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for the construction of global ecological civilization. This is an important measure to implement the Global Development Initiative and one of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals, "ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all," and has won high recognition from the international community.

Accurately grasp the basic principles of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin

Ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin is a complex systematic project. It is necessary not only to build a solid ecological security barrier and ensure the long-term stability and security of the Yellow River, but also to break through the constraints of water resources and promote the green transformation of the development model, and moreover to run the improvement of people's livelihoods and the enhancement of people's well-being throughout the entire process. On the new journey, to solidly promote ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, we must accurately grasp a series of basic principles.

Adhering to the Party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for Yellow River governance. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "Practice has proven that only under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and by giving play to the advantages of the socialist system can we truly realize the historic transformation of Yellow River governance from passive to active and fundamentally change the painful situation of two breaches every three years." In 1946, the Yellow River Water Conservancy Commission of the Hebei-Shandong-Henan region led by the Communist Party of China was established, opening a new chapter in the history of the people's governance of the Yellow River. Over the past 80 years, under the strong leadership of the Party, four large-scale levee construction campaigns have been carried out, and water conservancy hubs such as Longyangxia, Liujiaxia, and Xiaolangdi have been built, achieving a major breakthrough from passive governance to active regulation of the Yellow River's water and sediment. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping has made many on-the-spot inspections of the ecological protection and development of the Yellow River basin, made important requirements on many occasions for the ecological protection and construction of key regions such as the Sanjiangyuan area, the Qilian Mountains, and the Qinling Mountains, personally planned, personally deployed, and personally promoted the national strategy of ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, and pointed out the direction for Yellow River protection and governance and the transformation and development of provinces and regions in the basin. Under the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we adhere to the working mechanism of central coordination, provincial responsibility for overall implementation, and city and county implementation, continuously improve the river basin management system and cross-regional management coordination mechanisms, and provide institutional and mechanism guarantees for joint efforts in governing the Yellow River.

Adhering to putting the people first is the fundamental stance of Yellow River governance. On October 21, 2021, when General Secretary Xi Jinping visited and expressed sympathy for cadres and the masses at Yangmiao Community, Dongji Town, Kenli District, Dongying City, Shandong Province, he pointed out: "What is the Communist Party for? It is to serve the people and to seek rejuvenation for the Chinese nation. Therefore, we must constantly examine what things need to be done well and what things must be done well at an accelerated pace, and governing the Yellow River well is one of the major matters." Yellow River governance is related to the well-being of hundreds of millions of people in the basin. Yellow River floods have posed serious threats to the safety of life and property of the people along the coast, and problems such as water resource shortages and fragile ecological environments have also constrained the economic and social development of the basin and affected the production and life of the people. To govern the Yellow River, we must adhere to the fundamental stance of putting the people first, ensure the long-term stability and security of the Yellow River, solve problems of concern to the people in the basin such as flood control safety, drinking water safety, and ecological security, promote the comprehensive green transformation and high-quality development of the regions along the Yellow River, and make the Yellow River a river of happiness that benefits the people.

Adhering to systematic governance is the scientific method of Yellow River governance. Based on the historical experience and objective laws of Yellow River governance, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that the outstanding problems still existing in the Yellow River basin can be summarized as "the symptoms are in the Yellow River, but the root causes are in the basin," and, based on the integrity of the entire basin and the ecosystem, pointed out that "we should jointly do a good job in major protection and coordinately promote major governance," requiring "adhering to overall planning and coordination and coordinated promotion in light of local conditions and classified policies," reflecting the strategic thinking of planning the overall situation with a systematic concept. The Yellow River basin ecosystem is an organic whole. Adhering to systematic governance in Yellow River governance is mainly reflected in two dimensions. From the geographical spatial dimension, the Yellow River spans nine provinces and regions from west to east. Systematically promoting water source conservation in the upper reaches, soil and water conservation in the middle reaches, and wetland protection and ecological governance in the lower reaches of the Yellow River, improving the stability of the water ecosystem in the basin, and promoting coordinated and linked development of the upper, middle, and lower reaches require that each link has its own focus while being interrelated. It is necessary to break down administrative division barriers, coordinate the ecological environment protection and governance of the upper and lower reaches, main streams and tributaries, and left and right banks, promote coordination and linkage among different administrative regions, and form a governance pattern of the entire basin as one chessboard. From the ecosystem dimension, the Yellow River basin ecosystem covers multiple types of ecological subsystems, and the subsystems are interdependent and mutually influential. It is necessary to implement the systematic thought that mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands, and deserts are a community of life, and coordinate the promotion of integrated protection and systematic governance. In Yellow River governance, the geographical spatial dimension and the ecosystem dimension are both interrelated and organically unified. The overall coordination of the geographical spatial dimension provides regional coordination guarantees for ecosystem governance, and the integrated protection and systematic governance of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands, and deserts in the ecosystem dimension provides a scientific basis for the overall coordination of the geographical spatial dimension. The two together weave the warp and weft of Yellow River governance.

Adhering to green development is the distinctive background of Yellow River governance. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must firmly follow the path of green and low-carbon development and promote quality changes, efficiency changes, and driving force changes in the economic development of the basin." The Yellow River basin is rich in resources and energy and has a solid industrial foundation, but some regions have long relied on extensive and resource-based development models, the pace of transformation and upgrading of traditional industries has lagged behind, and endogenous driving forces are insufficient. To promote high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, it is necessary to accelerate the green transformation of the development model, optimize the industrial structure, vigorously develop the green and low-carbon economy, and accelerate clean energy substitution in key industries. Improve scientific and technological innovation capabilities, promote the upgrading of traditional industries and the development of emerging industries, improve the level of coordination between the industrial chain and the innovation chain, and achieve a positive interaction between ecological protection and economic development.

Adhering to cultural inheritance is the spiritual root of Yellow River governance. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "The Yellow River basin is an important birthplace of the Chinese nation and Chinese civilization. We must protect and promote Yellow River culture and inherit the historical context and national roots." From the legends of Emperors Yan and Huang in ancient times, to classic works such as the Book of Songs, the Laozi, and the Records of the Grand Historian; from the Long March spirit, Yan'an spirit, and War of Resistance spirit during the period of the new democratic revolution, to the Jiao Yulu spirit and Red Flag Canal spirit during the period of socialist revolution and construction, the Yellow River has nurtured the splendid Chinese civilization and has also been deeply forged into the spiritual pedigree of the Chinese Communists, demonstrating the Chinese nation's character of unremitting self-improvement (自强不息, zi qiang bu xi - "self, strong, not, cease") and unwavering and indomitable (坚忍不拔, jian ren bu ba - "firm, endure, not, pull") spirit. Protecting and promoting Yellow River culture is not only the inheritance of the historical context and national roots, but also a topic of the times that requires unremitting efforts and continuous struggle. On the new journey, it is necessary to deeply explore the contemporary value contained in Yellow River culture, tell the "Yellow River story" well, further strengthen cultural confidence, and gather strong spiritual strength for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Practical paths for comprehensively promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin

Promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin is not something achieved in a single day (非一日之功, fei yi ri zhi gong - "not, one, day, of, achievement"). We must deeply study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, especially General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, implement the major decisions and deployments of the Party Central Committee, adhere to overall planning and coordination and coordinated promotion in light of local conditions and classified policies, and continuously create a new situation for ecological protection and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin.

Strengthen systematic governance and build a solid ecological security barrier. Coordinate the promotion of integrated protection and systematic governance of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands, and deserts, and deepen cross-regional joint prevention and joint governance. Go all out to fight the "U-shaped bend" battle of the Yellow River and build a solid ecological barrier for wind prevention and sand fixation.Continuously consolidate the achievements of soil and water loss control and the achievements of the restoration of the ecological environment of rivers and lakes, continuously improve the ecological flow guarantee plan, strengthen the enclosure protection of the source region of the Yellow River and the protection and governance of important lakes, and enhance the stability of the basin's ecosystem. Establish and improve the horizontal ecological protection compensation mechanism in the Yellow River basin, and improve the mechanism for realizing the value of ecological products.

Improve the disaster prevention and mitigation system and ensure the safety and stability of the Yellow River. Focus on improving the flood and drought disaster defense system, and accelerate the construction of the monitoring and forecasting system for rainfall, water conditions, and sediment conditions and the flood and drought disaster defense work system. Go all out to promote the construction of major water conservancy projects such as the Guxian Water Control Project, and strengthen the construction of standardized levees and river channel regulation in the lower reaches. Optimize the water and sediment regulation and dispatch mechanism, strengthen the joint and unified dispatch of the reservoir group of the main stream and tributaries, and continuously enhance the overall synergy of the water and sediment regulation system. Promote the deep coupling, linkage, and coordination of the "three Yellow Rivers" of the prototype Yellow River, the model Yellow River, and the digital twin Yellow River, and comprehensively enhance the digital and intelligent level of flood and drought disaster defense.

Implement the priority of water conservation and promote the conservation and intensive utilization of water resources. Strictly implement the rigid constraint system for water resources, fully implement the principle of "determining cities by water, determining land by water, determining people by water, and determining production by water," and steadily optimize and adjust the "Eight-Seven" water distribution plan of the Yellow River. Adhere to the priority of water conservation, improve the level of water resource conservation and intensive utilization, promote in an integrated manner agricultural water conservation and efficiency increase, industrial water conservation and emission reduction, and urban water conservation and loss reduction, accelerate the construction of a water-conserving society, and promote the formation of water-conserving production and lifestyle. Cultivate and regulate the water rights trading market and optimize the allocation of water resources. Deepen the preliminary work of the Heishanxia Water Control Project and the Western Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, and enhance the basin's capacity for the coordinated allocation and dispatch of water resources.

Practice the concept of green development and promote high-quality development in the basin. Promote the green transformation of the development model and build a modern industrial system with distinctive advantages. Encourage provinces and regions along the Yellow River to develop forest and grass industries, ecological industries, the circular economy, and strategic emerging industries in light of local conditions, according to their resource endowments and industrial foundations, using water where water is suitable, using mountains where mountains are suitable, growing grain where grain is suitable, developing agriculture where agriculture is suitable, developing industry where industry is suitable, and developing commerce where commerce is suitable. With green technology innovation as the link, develop new quality productive forces, promote the deep integration of industrial digitalization and intelligence with greening, and promote high-quality development in the Yellow River basin.

Adhere to benefiting the people and enhance the well-being of the people in the basin. Continuously improve the quality of the ecological environment in the basin, enhance the capacity to supply ecological products, promote the comprehensive green transformation of economic and social development in the regions along the Yellow River, cultivate and strengthen strategic emerging industries, and develop new quality productive forces in light of local conditions. Promote the green transformation of urban and rural construction and development, continuously improve the urban and rural living environment, and build livable, workable, and beautiful villages. Strengthen the systematic protection of Yellow River cultural heritage, deeply explore the contemporary value of Yellow River culture, promote the integrated development of culture and tourism, better meet the spiritual and cultural needs of the people, let the people share the fruits of ecological protection and high-quality development, continuously enhance the sense of gain, happiness, and security, strive to make this mother river increasingly beautiful, and benefit the Chinese nation forever and future generations.

(The author is a professor at the School of Environment, Beijing Normal University)

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Building an Independent Knowledge System for Chinese Historiography (Accelerating the Building of an Independent Knowledge System for Philosophy and Social Sciences with Chinese Characteristics)

By: 张海鹏

General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: "Historical research is the foundation of all social sciences." Building an independent knowledge system for Chinese historiography must be grounded in China's historical realities, take root in the land of China, be guided by Marxism, integrate China's academic resources, summarize China's practical experience, respond to the needs of the times in China, while also absorbing and drawing on the outstanding achievements of human civilization, so as to form a historical studies academic paradigm and theoretical system with Chinese characteristics, Chinese style, and Chinese bearing.

Adhere to the Guidance of Marxism and Consolidate the Theoretical Foundation

Historical materialism, as a scientific worldview and methodology, provides theoretical guidance for us to understand history, grasp laws, and build an academic system. The Marxist theory of social formations is the foundation for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese historiography. To acknowledge historical materialism is to accept the theory of social formations; the two are highly consistent. Human society develops from primitive society, slave society, and feudal society to capitalist society; capitalism is bound to perish and socialism is bound to triumph — this is the basic direction that historical research must follow.

Historical studies research should adhere to the guidance of historical materialism, deepen the understanding of the laws governing major historical issues, and lay a solid foundation for the disciplinary system. In the study of modern Chinese history, Comrade Mao Zedong's "two processes" thesis, namely "the process by which imperialism, in combination with Chinese feudalism, turned China into a semi-colonial and colonial country, and the process by which the Chinese people resisted imperialism and its running dogs," precisely grasped the social nature and laws of historical development of modern China, and is the key to interpreting modern Chinese history.

Contemporary Chinese Marxists have the greatest authority to speak on the innovative development of the Marxist theory of social formations. It is necessary to build on the Marxist theory of social formations to study the changes in the forms of socialist society, explore the differences between Chinese modernization and the modernization of other countries in the world, and blaze a path of modernization with Chinese characteristics. Combining China's history and practice, deepen research on the path of socialist development, clarify the morphological characteristics of socialism at different stages, and promote the development of the socialist form to a higher stage. To advance the further development of the Marxist theory of social formations, it is necessary to strengthen research on the subject and object of historical understanding and research on the subjectivity of Chinese historiography, and to combine the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and with the excellent traditional Chinese culture, so as to provide solid theoretical support for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese historiography.

Base on China's Realities and Highlight Chinese Characteristics

General Secretary Xi Jinping has pointed out: "Only by taking China's realities as the starting point of research, putting forward theoretical viewpoints with subjectivity and originality, and building a disciplinary system, academic system, and discourse system with their own characteristics, can China's philosophy and social sciences form their own features and advantages." The independent knowledge system for Chinese historiography originates from practice and serves practice; it is an academic summary and theoretical distillation of the laws of China's social development, the thread of historical development, and the genes of cultural inheritance.

To accelerate the building of an independent knowledge system for Chinese historiography, the first step is to clarify the thread of Chinese historical development. Chinese civilization has a long history of development; the early origins of Chinese characters can be traced back 7,000 years, rice cultivation in the Yangtze River basin can be traced back 8,000 years, and early states and urban systems had already emerged 5,000 years ago. The early development of Chinese civilization and its continuous transmission and development have formed many important characteristics. For example, China has had a materialist tradition of "not speaking of strange forces, disorder, or spirits" since ancient times; Qin Shi Huang unified China, standardizing carriage tracks and writing scripts, forming a situation of great unity in Chinese history; the various ethnic groups living on the land of China in successive dynasties interacted, exchanged, and integrated with one another, forming a stable community of the Chinese nation; and so on. From this, one can summarize the historical paths and academic concepts that distinguish Chinese civilization from other civilizations.

Since the founding of the Communist Party of China, China's path of historical development has formed many new characteristics. For example, carrying out the new-democratic revolution in a semi-colonial and semi-feudal country, taking the revolutionary path of encircling the cities from the countryside and seizing state power with armed force, and winning victory in the new-democratic revolution; after the founding of New China, in terms of the political system, implementing the people's democratic dictatorship, establishing the system of people's congresses, the system of multiparty cooperation and political consultation led by the Communist Party of China, and the system of regional ethnic autonomy, and in the economic sphere, formulating and implementing five-year plans (programs) for national economic and social development, realizing the building of socialism in a large country with a backward economy and an extremely low proportion of modern industry, laying the foundation for forming the enormous advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics; since reform and opening up, we have adhered to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, developed the socialist market economy, upheld and implemented the "two unswervinglys," promoted the complementary advantages and common development of all forms of ownership, and explored a path of Chinese modernization with distinct Chinese characteristics and vastly different from the West; and so on. All of these provide many basic theoretical issues of the discipline that need to be focused on in historical studies research.

To build an independent knowledge system for Chinese historiography based on realities, attention should be paid to excavating the academic resources in the excellent traditional Chinese culture and promoting the combination of the excellent traditional Chinese culture with modern academic research. China's several thousand years of civilized history have accumulated rich historical wisdom and academic traditions, providing profound cultural nourishment for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese historiography. Only by integrating the unique laws of the development of Chinese civilization into it, enabling the independent knowledge system for Chinese historiography to be both rooted in history and oriented toward the future, and truly realizing the vivid expression of Chinese viewpoints, can the value and power of Chinese historical studies research be demonstrated.

Strengthen the Construction of the Discourse System of the Chinese Historiography Discipline and Enhance International Discourse Power

The construction and improvement of the discourse system of the Chinese historiography discipline is an important symbol of academic independence. Only by building a disciplinary discourse system that integrates China and the rest of the world can strong support be provided for building an independent knowledge system for Chinese historiography.

Concepts and theories are the foundation of the disciplinary discourse system. The concepts and theories that Chinese historical studies workers adhere to when studying history — for example, scientific concepts such as the Marxist theory of social formations, the origin of Chinese civilization, and the social nature of modern China as a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society; the series of concepts and judgments put forward by Comrade Mao Zedong, such as "On Practice," "On Contradiction," "contradictions among the people," and "the three worlds"; the series of concepts and judgments put forward by Comrade Deng Xiaoping, such as "socialist market economy" and "reform and opening up"; and the series of new ideas, new viewpoints, and new judgments put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping, such as "socialism with Chinese characteristics entering the new era," "Chinese modernization," and "whole-process people's democracy" — are all the starting points of disciplinary research. It is necessary to make detailed academic arguments around these concepts and theories, transform them into academic discourse, and provide strong support for building and developing the discourse system of the Chinese historiography discipline.

Building the discourse system of the Chinese historiography discipline is a key link in enhancing the international influence of the independent knowledge system for Chinese historiography. To build the discourse system of the Chinese historiography discipline, it is necessary both to refine iconic concepts based on China's historical realities and to be adept at explaining Chinese history and the Chinese path in ways that are easy for the international community to understand, breaking the monopoly of Western academic discourse. In academic research, it is necessary to put forward core concepts and theoretical frameworks with local explanatory power based on China's historical process, not simply apply the Western evaluation system, but summarize the laws of development from China's own historical logic, so that the discourse system of the Chinese historiography discipline has both a deep historical foundation and the capacity for international dialogue.

The international dissemination of the independent knowledge system directly bears on the country's cultural soft power and academic influence. The strength and enhancement of China's comprehensive national power is the material guarantee for Chinese historical studies research to gain international discourse power. To form an academic discourse influence commensurate with China's comprehensive national power, it is necessary to adhere to putting ourselves first, being open and inclusive, and enhancing academic subjectivity in the exchange and mutual learning among civilizations. While actively absorbing the outstanding achievements of human civilization and broadening academic horizons, we must also resolutely resist the tendency toward academic dependency and refuse to be a "porter" of Western theories. Taking the independent knowledge system for Chinese historiography as the foundation, participate in international academic dialogue, explain the uniqueness and universality of China's historical development, elucidate the important contributions of Chinese civilization to human civilization, and let the world better understand a true, multi-dimensional, and comprehensive China.

(The author is an emeritus member of the Academic Division of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)

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Grasping the Internal Logic of Upholding the Party's Overall Leadership over Economic Work (Selected Arguments)

Upholding the Party's overall leadership over economic work is an inevitable requirement of high-quality development. Economic work concerns the material foundation of the regime's survival and the people's livelihood, which determines that the Party's overall leadership over economic work is the essential requirement and inherent mission of a proletarian party. The Party's overall leadership over economic work is precisely an important manifestation of the superstructure serving the economic base and driving the social formation to advance toward a higher stage.

The fundamental reason why China's economy has been able to maintain long-term strategic planning capacity, achieve the combination of an effective market and a well-functioning government, consolidate the institutional advantage of concentrating resources to accomplish major undertakings, and continuously advance reform lies precisely in the Party's overall leadership over economic work. The Party's overall leadership can, from the strategic height of the overall interests of all the people and the long-term development of the country, coordinate and balance the roles of government and market, coordinate balanced regional development, coordinate both domestic and international imperatives, transform the Party's political and organizational advantages into economic governance effectiveness, run through all fields and links of economic development, and shape the unique operational mechanism and developmental logic of China's economy.

The Party's overall leadership over economic work is an institutional arrangement that runs through the entire process of economic development. From the formulation of strategic planning to the implementation of industrial policy, from macroeconomic regulation and control to the advancement of major reforms, the Party's overall leadership over economic work is not external to any particular stage of economic operation, but is endogenous to the entire process of China's economic development. This is both the institutional code by which China has created the miracle of rapid economic development and the logical starting point for constructing an independent knowledge system of Chinese economics.

— Excerpted from issue No. 10, 2026, of Frontline (《前线》) magazine, authors: Yu Miaojie and Kong Xiao, original title: "The Party's Overall Leadership over Economic Work Is the Logical Starting Point for Constructing an Independent Knowledge System of Chinese Economics"

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“The CIIE has opened a crucial door for us” (CIIE Stories)

By: 本报记者 章凯风

When I met Afghan businessman Hamid Rauf, he was busy at his carpet sales store in downtown Kabul. Selecting goods, checking inventory, recording orders... Hamid was making preparations for his upcoming trip to Shanghai to attend the 9th China International Import Expo.

Setting down his work, Hamid eagerly pulled up a video from his phone's photo album: he and his companion were pushing a handcart piled full of carpets as they walked along a Shanghai street, with heavy, continuous traffic (车水马龙, che shui ma long - "vehicle, water, horse, dragon") behind them, and his face was full of smiles. "I remember it very clearly — it was the evening of November 9, 2018," Hamid said. "That was my first time participating in the CIIE. I didn't expect Chinese consumers to be so enthusiastic. We received quite a few orders, so I was especially happy."

The Afghan company Hamid works for, Qadir Rauf Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Rauf Company"), has been a "full-attendance participant" at the CIIE, bringing high-quality Afghan handmade carpets to the Chinese market every year. As an important traditional industry and major export product of Afghanistan, Afghan handmade carpets have benefited from China's zero-tariff treatment covering 100% of tariff lines for Afghan products. Driven by platforms such as the CIIE, their sales in the Chinese market have grown rapidly. Since participating in the first CIIE, Rauf Company's turnover has increased by nearly 70%, with the Chinese market performing particularly well — the company's export volume to China has grown from 30% to 75% of its total goods exports.

At present, Afghanistan's unemployment rate remains remaining at a high level without dropping (居高不下, ju gao bu xia - "reside, high, not, descend"), making the employment opportunities brought by the handmade carpet weaving industry especially precious. Visiting a family workshop that cooperates with Rauf Company, the reporter met weaver Nuriya. She is a local, 23 years old. "I am very happy that Chinese friends like Afghan handmade carpets. This job opportunity has given me the ability to support my family together with my parents," she said.

Hamid said that since participating in the CIIE, the company's number of employees has grown from fewer than 100 to around 350 today. China's big market has not only brought new development opportunities for Afghan enterprises like Rauf Company, but has also brought hope for improving the lives of local people.

Nowadays, with the help of e-commerce platforms, Hamid's customer base has gradually expanded beyond the initial first-tier cities. "I have recently been in contact with customers from China's Tibet, and they also really like Afghan handmade carpets. The CIIE has opened a vitally important door for us," Hamid said. Good things come in pairs (好事成双, hao shi cheng shuang - "good, thing, become, double") — during his time in China, he got married (喜结连理, xi jie lian li - "joyfully, tie, continuous, branches") to a Chinese woman who works as a designer, and they settled down in Kunming, making him a "Chinese son-in-law."

Through the platform built by the CIIE, Hamid has also made acquaintances with customers from countries such as Russia, France, and the United Arab Emirates, which has given him the opportunity to export handmade carpets to more countries. He said happily: "Participating in the CIIE has opened up China's big market for us, raised the visibility of our products, and helped us build broader cooperative relationships."

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Uphold Multilateral Co-Governance to Safeguard Peace and Tranquility in Outer Space

By: 王国语

Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced on October 23 at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Global Governance Forum (Xiong'an) the release of the "China's Position on Strengthening Outer Space Governance." This is a major measure by China to actively implement the four global initiatives and promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind in the field of outer space. The document clearly declares that outer space governance aims to achieve universal security and common security, promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind in outer space, and enable the vast expanse of space to benefit the people of all countries.

Outer space governance is a complex and systematic project, with governance concepts, implementation paths, and regulatory content jointly constituting the core pillars of the outer space governance system. Promoting the international community to build consensus on outer space governance concepts is the logical starting point and important prerequisite for resolving differences among parties on governance paths and rule arrangements. At the level of outer space governance concepts, China advocates adhering to equal emphasis on outer space development and security, and on outer space stability and sustainability, providing clear guidance for the coordinated advancement of the regulation of civilian space activities and outer space security governance under the United Nations framework. At the level of outer space security governance practice, China clearly upholds the principles of proceeding in accordance with rules and in an orderly manner, being comprehensive and integrated, balancing interests, and exercising self-restraint, building consensus through dialogue and cooperation, forming a comprehensive plan for outer space security governance, and safeguarding peace and stability in outer space.

Outer space governance must achieve the "three adherences." First, adhere to maintaining outer space stability as the core orientation and consolidate the foundation of outer space security. Today, space may not be peaceful. Individual countries openly declaring the deployment of weapons in outer space will inevitably bring serious negative impacts on global strategic stability and pose a grave threat to peace and security in outer space. Preventing an arms race in outer space, resisting the trend toward the weaponization of outer space, and preventing conflicts, misunderstandings, and miscalculations in outer space will remain the primary and urgent tasks of outer space security governance. Only with outer space stability can the sustainable development of outer space have an indispensable security bottom line. When the international community assesses whether an outer space arms control initiative is reasonable, measures whether the process of outer space security governance is effective, and judges whether a governance plan is feasible, it should take whether it is conducive to maintaining outer space stability as the fundamental yardstick.

Second, adhere to advancing governance practice in accordance with rules and in an orderly manner, and consolidate the foundation of the rule of law in outer space governance. The core of the "proceeding in accordance with rules and in an orderly manner" advocated by China lies in promoting all countries to strengthen the interpretation, application, and implementation of existing international law rules. Outer space security governance should take into account both the dimensions of legal interpretation and rule creation, clarify the boundaries between lawful and unlawful conduct of various security activities in outer space, and adjust and improve around emerging issues. In this regard, China has always been a promoter and practitioner. China, Russia, and other countries have continuously promoted flexible negotiations at the Geneva Conference on Disarmament on reaching an arms control treaty to prevent the weaponization of outer space, winning broad support from international public opinion and becoming an important aspect of strategic coordination among many countries in the field of international security.

Third, adhere to taking all factors into account (统筹兼顾, tong chu jian gu - "overall, plan, take into account, balance"), balanced inclusiveness, and prudence and restraint, and improve the comprehensive framework for outer space security governance. "Comprehensive and integrated" demonstrates the holistic thinking of outer space governance. Outer space security risks are diverse and intertwined, including not only the impacts of space debris and anti-satellite tests, but also new risks such as the weaponization and battlefieldization of outer space, on-orbit close-in reconnaissance, electromagnetic interference and soft kill, the militarization of giant low-orbit constellations, and commercial space being dragged into armed conflicts or the internal affairs of other countries. Implementing the principle of comprehensiveness and integration requires taking all factors into account in maintaining outer space stability and achieving long-term sustainable development and other multiple goals, ensuring that arms control negotiations always anchor on the core purpose of common security and do not deviate from the correct direction of the peaceful use of outer space.

"Balanced interests" is an inevitable requirement for achieving good governance of outer space. Outer space governance must never become a tool for individual countries to maintain technological advantages and restrict the legitimate security and development rights of other countries. It must take into account the reasonable concerns of countries at different stages of development and with different space capabilities, and seek a dynamic balance between the strategic security demands of space powers and the rights of developing countries to the peaceful use of outer space, between security management and control needs and the goals of outer space ecological protection, and between immediate crisis management and long-term order building.

"Self-restraint" is an important guarantee for maintaining outer space stability. Outer space systems are highly interconnected and very fragile. If any party rashly advances the expansion of outer space arms, adopts provocative on-orbit operations, or unilaterally fabricates exclusionary rules, it can easily trigger chain reactions and impact the overall stability of outer space. All countries should remain prudent and rational, abandon the obsession with seeking absolute outer space advantage, and in particular should strictly control the deployment of outer space weapons such as space-based missile defense systems, resolve security dilemmas and accumulate strategic mutual trust through proactive restraint, create a constructive atmosphere for outer space arms control negotiations, and promote outer space security governance to move away from the old path of confrontation and game-playing toward a new journey of joint consultation, joint contribution, and coordinated governance.

Outer space is the common domain of humanity, and space exploration is the common cause of humanity. Exploring the vast universe and peacefully using outer space are the common ideals and aspirations of all mankind. No matter how the external environment changes, China has always advocated basing itself on common security, focusing on long-term governance, adhering to the global governance concept of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits, and providing Chinese ideas and contributing Chinese solutions to solving the current difficulties in outer space governance. We have reason to believe that "China's Position on Strengthening Outer Space Governance" will open a new chapter for China's active participation in global outer space governance. China will also continue to work with the international community to jointly safeguard a good environment of lasting peace, openness, order, and sustainable development in outer space, and enable the fruits of outer space civilization to benefit the people of all countries.

(The author is Dean of the Academy of Air and Space Policy and Law and Professor at the School of Law, Beijing Institute of Technology.)

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Answering the Call of Openness, Deepening Global Cooperation

By: 本报记者

The 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE) opened in Shanghai on November 5. This year's CIIE attracted 4,142 overseas enterprises to participate, with the overall exhibition area exceeding 440,000 square meters for the first time, setting new highs across multiple metrics. International figures interviewed by our reporter believe that the CIIE continues to promote supply-demand matching and resource integration, and has become an important platform for countries to share China's opportunities and deepen global cooperation, conveying China's firm determination to walk hand in hand with the world and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual, benefit; together, win"). It is believed that this year's CIIE will surely yield fruitful results, and an open China will add new momentum to world economic development.

"Helping high-quality global supply enter the Chinese market"

More than 90 overseas exhibition groups made appearances, with the exhibition area growing nearly 8 percent year on year; nearly 200 enterprises and institutions have attended all nine editions of the CIIE, while more than 2,000 "new face" enterprises are participating for the first time; more than 480 representative exhibits making their global debut, Asia debut, or China debut set a new record for the highest number in any year... Over the past nine years, the CIIE has gotten better and better with each edition, constantly innovating, and an increasing number of enterprises and institutions have used the CIIE platform to take root in China, increase investment, and go global.

Song Ying'ai, head of IKEA's China business, said that IKEA has participated in the CIIE for nine consecutive years, using this platform to continuously understand the Chinese consumer market and explore new opportunities together with partners. "China's super-large market scale, the diversity of consumer demand, and the vitality in fields such as digitalization and retail innovation all show us the space for long-term development. At this year's CIIE, we are bringing products and solutions that meet the needs of Chinese households, and in the future we will continue to follow and participate in the CIIE, growing together with the Chinese market."

"The CIIE is not only a window for us to showcase high-quality agricultural products, but also an important platform for expanding international agricultural trade cooperation and the Asia-Pacific market," said Ariane Guedes, director of international affairs at the investment promotion department of Mato Grosso, an important agricultural and livestock region in Brazil. Since first participating in 2023, the state has used the CIIE to continuously expand its cooperation fields with China, extending from traditional bulk agricultural products to more diversified products and broader industrial investment. "We hope to bring more specialty products to Chinese consumers and, using the CIIE as a fulcrum, help high-quality global supply enter the Chinese market."

Paul Hudson, chief executive officer of French biopharmaceutical company Sanofi, said that China has become one of the world's most important sources of biomedical innovation. At this year's CIIE, Sanofi will bring an upgraded strategy deeply integrated into China's pharmaceutical ecosystem, and looks forward to reaping more fruitful results.

"For Bosch, the CIIE is an important window for observing changes in Chinese market demand and conducting industry technology exchanges," said Xu Daquan, president of Bosch China. Leveraging the CIIE's platform effect and broad attention, Bosch's technology solutions have been able to achieve localized adaptation more quickly. He hopes to use this year's CIIE's efficient two-way communication channels to further connect global R&D resources with China's local low-carbon and digitalization development needs.

"An important platform for promoting innovation integration and expanding growth space"

China is both a "super seller" and a "super buyer." In the first three quarters of this year, China's imports reached 16.74 trillion yuan, up 22.3 percent year on year, the fastest growth rate since 2021. At this year's CIIE, for the first time, exclusive "benefit packages" were launched for guest countries of honor and annual theme countries for "Exporting to China," with the United Kingdom, Spain, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Thailand, and others serving as annual theme countries for "Exporting to China." A global national brand exhibition zone was also created for the first time, linked with the CIIE for global promotion, focusing on the needs of Chinese consumers and helping more high-quality overseas enterprises discover new opportunities in China's high-quality development.

"Since the CIIE has been held for nine editions, it has become an important vehicle for promoting the quality upgrading, volume expansion, and industrial linkage of Thailand-China economic and trade relations. This year's CIIE lists Thailand as an annual theme country for 'Exporting to China,' which is expected to further unleash the cooperation potential between the two sides in fields such as agriculture and food, health, and green industries, and push bilateral economic and trade relations to a higher level," said Li Renliang, associate professor at Thailand's National Institute of Development Administration. Over the first eight editions of the CIIE, nearly 500 Thai enterprises participated cumulatively, continuously promoting the transformation of large numbers of exhibits into regular trade goods. He looks forward to the 9th CIIE providing opportunities for more Thai small and medium-sized enterprises to expand into the Chinese market.

Frank Hammes, global chief executive officer of Swiss air purification information technology company IQAir, said that the CIIE has become an important launch platform connecting Chinese demand with global innovation. "The CIIE's powerful 'spillover effect' not only accelerates our transformation from 'exhibitor' to 'co-creator,' but also makes the real needs of the Chinese market the source driving global innovation."

At this year's CIIE, Siemens is focusing on digital-intelligent and low-carbon technology innovation led by industrial artificial intelligence, joining hands with more than 40 enterprises to collectively showcase cases of digital-intelligent and low-carbon transformation and industrial AI applications. "The CIIE is not only a window gathering global innovation, but also an important platform for promoting innovation integration and expanding growth space," said Xiao Song, chairman of Siemens Ltd., China. Siemens will continue to use the CIIE platform to join hands with ecosystem partners, open up innovation, and explore new space for the intelligent, green, and integrated development of industry.

Huang Yingxue, president of Dow China, said that as a window for China's opening up to the outside world, the CIIE has built an efficient platform for global enterprises to share Chinese market opportunities and deepen industrial chain cooperation, and has also conveyed a positive signal of win-win cooperation to the world. "Over the years, we have released more than a hundred innovative products and technologies through the CIIE and established extensive and in-depth cooperative relationships with customers across the entire industrial chain. China not only has the advantage of a super-large market, but also demonstrates strong development momentum in fields such as advanced manufacturing, technological innovation, and green low-carbon transformation. Dow has full confidence in the development potential and prospects of the Chinese market."

"The 15th Five-Year Plan brings broad opportunities for deepening long-term cooperative relationships"

This year marks the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, and the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly calls for "continuing to run the CIIE well." At this year's CIIE, the China Pavilion, themed "Opening Up New Prospects, Creating a Win-Win New Future," closely follows the new blueprint of the 15th Five-Year Plan, presenting a future-oriented perspective, global vision, and open mind. People from many countries believe that the CIIE lets the world see China's efforts to actively participate in global economic governance and firmly uphold the multilateral trading system, further strengthening the confidence of enterprises from various countries in deeply cultivating the Chinese market over the long term.

"The 15th Five-Year Plan brings broad opportunities for deepening long-term cooperative relationships," said Richard Allen, chief executive officer of New Zealand's Fonterra Group. The CIIE is an important platform for enterprises to gain in-depth understanding of trends in the Chinese market. Fonterra has long been deeply engaged in the Chinese market and looks forward to seizing the opportunities brought by the 15th Five-Year Plan in fields such as nutrition and health and sustainable development, helping to drive high-quality development in the Chinese market.

Yin Zheng, global executive vice president of Schneider Electric, said that as the technological revolution, energy transition, and industrial upgrading continue to advance, the global industrial landscape is undergoing accelerated adjustment. Open cooperation and win-win partnership are the hallmarks of the CIIE as a world-class exchange platform. "As a 'full-attendance participant' in all nine editions of the CIIE, Schneider Electric looks forward to deepening cooperation with more partners, sharing the opportunities of the times, and jointly creating a bright future of mutually beneficial outcomes."

"The CIIE is not only a window for showcasing products and technologies, but has also become a platform for connecting consumers and deepening cooperation," said Xu Min, president of P&G China and member of P&G's Global Management Committee. "During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, as China continues to expand opening up and continuously optimizes the business environment, the potential of the super-large market will be continuously unleashed, and foreign-funded enterprises in China will surely have broader development space, with their confidence in long-term cultivation of China further strengthened."

(People's Daily reporters Li Xinyi, Gao Shi, Han Shuo, Li Anqi, Bai Ziwei, Yang Yi)

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Experiencing the Effectiveness of Grassroots Governance, Sharing Practical Development Experience

By: 本报记者 庞革平

A seminar for Latin American parliamentarians, themed "Strengthening Exchanges and Cooperation Between Legislative Bodies, Jointly Promoting the Building of a China-Latin America Community with a Shared Future," recently opened. Thirty-four parliamentary representatives from Latin American countries and regional parliamentary organizations engaged in in-depth exchanges and visited Guangxi to learn about local governance practices and development achievements.

The parliamentary representatives visited the Guangxi People's Hall, the Pannon District People's Congress Representative Liaison Station in Nanning, and other sites, gaining an in-depth understanding of the practice of whole-process people's democracy and the system of people's congresses in Guangxi. They also inspected Dingdian Village in Long'an County, Nanning, and the Qinzhou Automated Container Terminal at Beibu Gulf Port, experiencing Guangxi's achievements in rural revitalization, ecological protection, and other areas of development.

Salvadoran Legislative Assembly parliamentarian Villatoro said that Guangxi's rich and colorful ethnic history and culture left a deep impression. Zapata, a member of the Economic, Tax System and Regulatory Commission of Ecuador's National Assembly, said: "The development path with Chinese characteristics provides successful experience for countries exploring the road to prosperity."

At the pitaya (dragon fruit) planting base of Guangxi Jinfu Agriculture Co., Ltd., the parliamentary representatives saw contiguous orchards achieving intelligent and large-scale development. Mexican Senate Asia-Pacific Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Pólevinsky said she looks forward to bringing Guangxi's mature planting technology back to her country to help farmers increase output and income.

Entering grassroots people's congress representative liaison stations, listening to grassroots representatives tell stories of performing their duties, and learning about Guangxi's achievements in building ethnic unity and progress and in integrated development of agriculture, culture, and tourism, the parliamentary representatives felt the warmth and effectiveness of China's grassroots governance. Central American Parliament parliamentarian Vargas said that Guangxi has achieved positive results in livelihood fields such as employment security, fully reflecting China's people-centered philosophy, and that people's congress representatives have built a channel of communication between enterprises and the public — this experience of maintaining close ties with the masses is worth learning from.

Colombian Second Deputy Speaker of the Chamber of Representatives Velasco expressed the hope that Colombia and China will deepen trade and investment exchanges. Bendezú, general coordinator of the "Good Government" party in Peru's Senate and a parliamentarian of the Andean Parliament, is optimistic about the prospects for Peru-China port cooperation and hopes to promote linkage between Chancay Port and Beibu Gulf Port. Uruguayan Deputy Barreiro said that Uruguay and China can engage in learning from each other (互学互鉴, hu xue hu jian - "each learn, each imitate") in areas such as ecological and environmental protection, culture and sports, and industrial development.

Castillo, vice chair of the Health and Social Security Commission of Nicaragua's National Assembly, looks forward to the continued expansion of Nicaragua-China trade. Cuban National Assembly of People's Power representative Cruz praised China's governance approach of coordinating central and local levels and balancing economic development with livelihood security, saying, "We thank the Chinese side for openly sharing the fruits of its development practice."

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Hu Jihua: The Ancient Art of Fragrant Peanut Oil

Hu Ji Hua — only peanut oil.

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Page editors: Zou Zhipeng, Zhang Huizhong, Chu Jun

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China Exim Bank: Supporting Import and Export Trade Development, Serving Opening-Up in the New Era

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UnionPay China: Payment Connectivity Drives Openness and Progress

From November 5 to 10, the ninth China International Import Expo was held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). As an important national financial infrastructure and a globally deployed international card organization, UnionPay China practices the concept of "payment serving the people," using payment as a fulcrum to deeply serve this trade event of "buying globally, selling globally." From the discount of a single "ticket stub" inside the venue, to the smoothness of a single scan in the city, to a cross-border financial transaction spanning mountains and seas, UnionPay China transforms the "opening" of the Expo into the "heat" of consumption and the "convenience" of people's livelihoods.

One credential enjoys discounts, covering both inside and outside the venue

During this year's CIIE, UnionPay China launched the "CIIE Ticket Stub · Benefiting Shanghai" UnionPay zone, where discounts on venue consumption can be enjoyed with the CIIE credential.

From November 5 to 10, for credentialed exhibitors, purchasers, visiting attendees, and staff of the CIIE, a scan-and-reduce promotion was launched at designated merchants for cultural and creative products, dining, and other categories within the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), as well as at designated merchants of the "CIIE Food Gathering" event: using the UnionPay QuickPass APP for payment can enjoy a 20 percent discount, with a maximum reduction of 50 yuan per transaction; binding UnionPay cards of Bank of China, Bank of Communications, and Shanghai Pudong Development Bank for payment can also stack discounts such as 10 yuan off for purchases over 30 yuan, 20 yuan off for purchases over 60 yuan, and 30 yuan off for purchases over 150 yuan. Exhibitors and attendees can scan the QR code at the venue or in the exhibition manual to enter the "CIIE Ticket Stub · Benefiting Shanghai" event homepage, select the "UnionPay China" or "UnionPay" entry, and view the discount information.

This set of discounts also applies to overseas exhibitors and attendees. In addition to the UnionPay QuickPass APP, overseas credentialed personnel can enjoy the same discounts using the "Nihao China" APP. The "Nihao China" APP is a one-stop payment service APP created by UnionPay China for overseas visitors to China; overseas users can use the payment code for payment after binding a UnionPay card issued overseas. Currently, registered users of the "Nihao China" APP cover 180 countries and regions, and it features functions including QR code scanning for metro travel in 43 key cities in China and bus travel in 1,760 cities at or above the county level, conversion of 160 currencies, and departure tax refund, as well as supporting travel functions such as eSIM data card purchase, exchange rate conversion, map navigation, and city guides.

The "ticket stub" effect does not stop at the exhibition hall but will also be released across the entire city. During this year's CIIE, UnionPay China undertook special consumption promotion activities of the Shanghai municipal and district governments, covering scenarios such as home appliance replacement, retail, dining, and cultural tourism, open to both exhibitors and attendees and all citizens; simultaneously, the UnionPay China CIIE consumption season was launched, linking outlet malls, department stores, supermarkets, gas stations, and online e-commerce platforms, offering benefits such as 100 yuan off for consumption over 1,500 yuan at outlet malls and 50 yuan off for consumption over 500 yuan at department stores. One voucher drives multiple consumption activities, one ticket activates all scenarios — the heat inside the exhibition hall is spreading along metro lines and commercial streets to the entire city.

Carrying out the "Splendid Action" to optimize payment services

Payment is the starting point of consumption activities and the foundation of service experience. In order to optimize payment services on a regular and long-term basis and better meet the diverse payment needs of overseas visitors to China, UnionPay China organized and carried out the "Splendid Action." As of September 2026, in joint construction and joint investment with banks, it has cumulatively built 14 comprehensive airport service centers, 105 high-speed rail station manual ticket windows supporting bank card acceptance, and key merchants in 47 airport business districts and 105 high-speed rail business districts supporting card, code, and Pay acceptance. In the departure tax refund link, it has built and promoted an open platform for departure tax refund services, serving 58 cities, with the refund amount growing more than fivefold year-on-year. From "inbound consumption" to "departure tax refund," a full-process service closed loop has been formed.

The acceptance environment addresses the "merchant-side" problem. On the "user side," regarding the payment needs of overseas tourists, how can seamless cross-border payment be achieved while respecting the payment habits of overseas tourists? UnionPay China offers two parallel paths.

One is "foreign cards used domestically," meaning UnionPay cards issued overseas can be used directly at POS terminals and ATM machines in China. Currently, UnionPay card issuance overseas covers 85 countries and regions, and within the year, transactions of foreign UnionPay cards used domestically grew 48 percent year-on-year, with active merchants accepting bank card payments in foreign-related scenarios exceeding 1.41 million.

The other is "foreign wallets used domestically," meaning that relying on the global QR code network, UnionPay China introduces overseas e-wallets into consumption scenarios in China. Overseas users only need to bind a UnionPay card issued locally in a partner wallet to scan domestic collection codes to complete payment, without any additional operations. As of September 2026, a total of 33.87 million merchants have been verified to accept UnionPay foreign wallets, and within the year, transactions of foreign wallets used domestically grew 48 percent year-on-year, with market acceptance significantly improved.

From the card side to the code side, smoothing cross-border payment

The CIIE is a window for "buying globally, selling globally"; what UnionPay China is building is a payment network that "connects globally."

The foundation of this network lies on the card side. Currently, UnionPay cards have been issued in 85 countries and regions overseas, with cumulative issuance of dual-brand cards approaching 50 million, covering more than 10 country markets including South Korea, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates, and Serbia; together with 60 institutions in more than 20 overseas markets, it has launched the "Splendid China Card" benefits, covering more than 10 million cards. More and more visitors to China can enjoy convenient payment services in China with a single UnionPay card issued locally.

The extension of this network lies on the code side. Through one-point connection with overseas networks, UnionPay China realizes cross-scannability between brand users and merchants of both sides, and has implemented multiple benchmark cross-border QR code interconnection projects in Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and other regions; it has cumulatively launched more than 200 UnionPay standard wallets in 37 countries and regions overseas. The cross-border QR code interconnection project has been officially launched in Indonesia, South Korea, Nepal, and other places; the PIX interconnection project has been piloted in Brazil and other places.

The depth of this network lies in corporate business and remittance. Two years ago, during the seventh CIIE, UnionPay China launched a digital payment solution based on international e-invoice standards; currently, the solution has been piloted and implemented in key regions such as Shanghai and Xinjiang. For companies going global and cross-border e-commerce, UnionPay China has launched virtual business cards, which have been issued and implemented in Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and other places, supporting settlement in major global currencies. The cross-border remittance service "Global Quick Remittance" launched by UnionPay China links domestic and overseas banks and mainstream remittance institutions, building a remittance network covering more than 80 countries and regions.

From the flow of goods to the flow of funds, from "bringing in" to "going global," payment is an invisible yet smooth network.

A single "ticket stub" in the venue circulates consumption heat both inside and outside the venue; smooth payment in the city allows overseas visitors and local residents to enjoy payment convenience; the payment network connecting the globe allows goods and funds to flow across mountains and seas. From the venue to the city, from China to the world, UnionPay China promotes the "advance" of opening up through the "smoothness" of payment, injecting new momentum into high-level opening up to the outside world.

Data source: UnionPay China

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More “Robe-less Judges” Step into the Courtroom (Rule of Law Frontline)

By: 本报记者 魏哲哲

Can the perceptions of the general public be reflected in judicial adjudication? The answer is yes.

Recently, the Supreme People's Court released typical cases involving people's assessors participating in trials. In the adjudication of a series of highly watched cases, people's assessors from the grassroots frontline participated. They brought the public perspective and ordinary common sense into the solemn courtroom, allowing value judgments based on accepted social norms and ethics (公序良俗, gong xu liang su - "public, order, good, custom") and morality to better calibrate the professional scales of justice, strongly supporting the courts in rendering judicial rulings that embody social consensus.

The people's assessor system is an effective form of realization for promoting judicial democracy, advancing judicial openness, safeguarding judicial fairness, and enhancing judicial credibility. People's assessors are hailed as "judges without robes." How do they participate in case adjudication? To what extent can they play a role? Our reporter conducted interviews.

Playing the role of a "scale of the people's hearts," enhancing the social acceptance of judicial rulings

The "first PUA case" — the trial of the Mu Mou abuse case — once drew widespread social attention. After Mu Mou and Chen Mou (a pseudonym) established a romantic relationship, they lived together. Because he was troubled by Chen Mou's past experiences, Mu Mou became resentful and verbally abused Chen Mou with high frequency, over long durations, and continuously. This caused enormous psychological pressure on Chen Mou, who at one point engaged in self-harm such as cutting her wrists. After an argument, Chen Mou took her own life by ingesting medication and later died despite treatment.

Regarding Chen Mou's ordeal, the general public expressed a consistent sentiment of grief and sympathy. But how it should be legally determined remained a point of controversy and divergence in practice.

How can the expectations of the masses be better integrated into judicial adjudication? According to the People's Assessors Law, for cases that are factually complex, widely followed by the masses, or otherwise have significant social impact, a collegiate panel composed of people's assessors and judges shall conduct the trial. Accordingly, the Haidian District People's Court of Beijing lawfully formed a three-member collegiate panel consisting of one people's assessor and two judges to hear the case.

Li Wenyun was the people's assessor who participated in the adjudication of this case. "I am a grassroots village cadre and have long been engaged in women's work, so I understand grassroots frontline social conditions and public sentiment." Facing the disputed focus of "whether a long-term stable premarital cohabitation relationship should be recognized as a family member relationship under the crime of abuse," Li Wenyun expressed her views from the perspective of the masses and life experience.

"During case review, I focused on the location, frequency, duration, and economic exchanges of the two people's cohabitation," Li Wenyun explained. At trial, she posed targeted questions to understand the couple's daily interaction patterns, Mu Mou's motives and consequences, and so on, assisting the collegiate panel in restoring the truth of the facts.

Grassroots experience helps justice be both forceful and warm. "As social circumstances and the ideas and concepts of the general public have changed, the phenomenon of premarital cohabitation between men and women has become increasingly common, and Mu Mou and Chen Mou formed a family member relationship under the crime of abuse; Mu Mou's prolonged verbal abuse and insults inflicted mental torment and suffering on Chen Mou, ultimately leading to the tragedy, constituting abusive conduct." During the case deliberation phase, Li Wenyun, drawing on her grassroots work experience, explained from the perspective of the masses the definition of "family members" under the crime of abuse, "mental abuse," and other key issues, providing strong support in reason and sentiment for including mental abuse within the determination of abusive conduct.

Li Wenyun's opinion was adopted by the collegiate panel. After trial, the Haidian District People's Court sentenced Mu Mou to three years and two months in prison for the crime of abuse. After the verdict was announced, it received understanding and recognition from all sectors of society.

Public opinion support makes judicial adjudication more aligned with social development, and social recognition is also higher. From judicial practice, cases in which people's assessors participate in adjudication have higher social acceptance of rulings and higher rates of parties accepting judgments and ceasing litigation.

"People's assessors come from all walks of life and are familiar with social conditions and public sentiment. The simple perceptions formed on the basis of common sense, common feelings, and common reasoning can precisely complement each other's strengths (优势互补, you shi hu bu - "advantage, strength, mutually, complement") with judges' professional judgment, helping to promote greater fairness and impartiality in rulings," said Sun Zhenping, director of the Political Department of the Supreme People's Court. At the same time, people's assessors are skilled at explaining the truth of a matter or right and wrong (是非曲直, shi fei qu zhi - "right, wrong, crooked, straight") in language that ordinary people can understand, making the masses more accepting of and convinced by the outcome of rulings, achieving no "temperature gap" and no "color gap" between judges' impartial administration of justice and the masses' fair evaluation, so that judicial fairness can be realized, genuinely felt, and well received.

Sun Zhenping explained that the people's courts promote greater participation by people's assessors in cases involving group interests, public interests, cases widely followed by the masses, or otherwise having significant social impact, including cases involving public safety, national welfare and people's livelihood, and accepted social norms and ethics. In recent years, people's assessors have participated in the adjudication of a series of major cases of significant social impact, including the Chongqing siblings' fall-from-height case, the Yu Huaying child trafficking case, and the case of a pregnant woman falling from a cliff overseas, effectively enhancing judicial credibility.

Contributing professional wisdom, making dispute resolution fairer and more efficient

With social development, new types of complex and difficult disputes in areas such as environmental resources, intellectual property, and foreign-related and internet-related matters continue to emerge. In more professional cases, absorbing people's assessors with professional knowledge to participate in adjudication can improve the accuracy of fact-finding and make dispute resolution more efficient and appropriate.

The smooth resolution of a noise pollution liability dispute case benefited from the professional wisdom of people's assessors.

Ms. Zhang, a resident of Quzhou City, Zhejiang, lived on the second floor of a residential complex, adjacent to an aquatic products shop on the first floor. In November of last year, the aquatic products shop began operations, and the equipment installed in the shop ran continuously 24 hours a day, persistently generating low-frequency vibration noise that was transmitted upward through the building's floor slabs, causing Ms. Zhang to suffer from sleep disorders.

Because the case was factually complex and the parties had significant disputes, the court lawfully formed a seven-member collegiate panel composed of four people's assessors and three judges to hear the case.

Conducting multiple on-site inspections of the shop's conditions, going to Ms. Zhang's home to experience the duration of the noise and the harm of the intrusion... The four people's assessors believed that the noise impact exceeded the tolerance limit of an ordinary person and indeed caused mental harm to the plaintiff. However, the shop operator argued that the noise was below the national emission standards.

Does meeting the standard mean no liability?

"Proceeding from the masses' simple perception and genuine feeling of the right to peaceful habitation, we believe that meeting noise emission standards does not mean there is no need to bear responsibility," said people's assessor Li Xuqun. Peace by one's bedside is a real matter of people's livelihood, and law-abiding conduct cannot stop at "meeting the numbers on paper."

If the equipment were ordered removed by judgment, the loss to the operator would be enormous. Under the existing circumstances, how could rectification be better carried out? People's assessor Wu Miao, who has years of work background in the decoration and fit-out industry, gave a professional judgment based on her professional expertise regarding the generation mechanism of low-frequency vibration noise and the path for rectification: "The shop operator need not cease operations or remove the equipment; by replacing components and installing vibration-dampening elements, noise pollution control can be achieved."

Protecting both the "flavor of everyday life" and the "light of justice." Wu Miao's professional judgment became an important consideration for the collegiate panel. In accordance with the Ecological Environment Code, the Qujiang District People's Court ruled that the shop operator must complete vibration-dampening and noise-reduction rectification within a specified period and compensate the plaintiff for medical expenses of 121.4 yuan and 3,000 yuan in damages for mental distress. Both parties accepted the judgment and ceased litigation.

The participation of people's assessors with professional knowledge in adjudication also helps improve the quality and efficiency of trials.

In a criminal case with attached civil public interest litigation, university teacher Ning Liping participated as a people's assessor with professional knowledge in judicial appraisal of ecological environmental damage. "During case review, I pointed out flaws in the appraisal opinion, enabling the collegiate panel to clarify the focus of the trial and the matters requiring correction before the hearing, avoiding repeated hearings and litigation delays that could have resulted from the flaws in the appraisal opinion," Ning Liping said.

Building bridges and bonds, promoting and improving social governance

People's assessors are an important force in participating in and innovating social governance. "The people's courts focus on giving play to the role of people's assessors as liaison officers, mediators, and publicity officers, promoting judicial practice and social governance to resonate in sync with each other (同频共振, tong pin gong zhen - "same, frequency, together, resonate")," Sun Zhenping said.

Campus safety is a matter of great concern to all sectors of society. The adjudication of a campus safety dispute case corrected the one-sided view that "if a student has an accident, the school must bear responsibility," leading social norms.

While going downstairs after school, elementary school student Xu Mou accidentally fell and struck a wall, causing a tooth to break. The teacher in charge discovered this and immediately contacted the student's parents and accompanied them to seek medical treatment. Thereafter, Xu Mou's guardian filed a lawsuit on the grounds of inadequate school supervision, demanding that the school compensate for medical expenses, nutritional fees, and other costs totaling 80,000 yuan.

"Through visits and investigations, we learned that at the time of the incident, the school took emergency measures at the first opportunity," people's assessor Hua Bin explained. In terms of routine prevention, the school regularly carried out safety warning education, with safety notices posted on multiple staircases, walls, and floors, and the facilities and premises themselves had no defects.

With a solid factual foundation, Hua Bin integrated knowledge of the field of juvenile education and practical experience in campus management into the case adjudication. "Whether in advance prevention or after-the-fact remedy, the school had fulfilled its educational and management duties." When expressing their opinion, the people's assessors stated that schools are the places where minors are most concentrated, but a school cannot be deemed necessarily liable merely because an accident occurred on campus.

This opinion was ultimately adopted by the collegiate panel, providing a strong basis for accurately determining the facts and clearly allocating responsibility. The Xinwu District People's Court of Wuxi City, Jiangsu, ruled to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Xu Mou's guardian.

After the case was concluded, people's assessors Hua Bin and Liu Linlin brought their experience of participating in the trial back to their families, workplaces, and communities, turning it into teaching material on the rule of law, strengthening legal publicity, and promoting the joint protection of campus safety.

In recent years, the people's courts have also focused on guiding people's assessors to summarize their experience in participating in trials, to discover and grasp the universal problems behind cases, to actively offer suggestions and proposals, and to promote the improvement of policies, regulations, and institutional rules in relevant fields, contributing to good laws and good governance.

In one case, after receiving consumer complaints, the Chongqing Consumers' Rights Protection Commission learned that a company had established a standard-form clause of "exemption from liability for delayed vehicle delivery" in automobile sales contracts, and filed public interest litigation.

"The people's assessors, drawing on their experience in different industries such as finance, accounting, and retail, proposed that the disputed clause was manifestly unfair in reason and sentiment," introduced Bao Ying, the presiding judge of the First Intermediate People's Court of Chongqing. The collegiate panel ultimately determined that the disputed clause was invalid.

It did not stop at adjudication of the individual case. After the judgment was rendered, the people's assessors actively offered suggestions and proposals, promoting the court to issue judicial recommendations to the relevant administrative authorities, jointly with the local market supervision and administration department and others carrying out rectification of standard-form clauses in the automobile sales industry, further strengthening supervision over standard-form clauses in automobile sales contracts, promoting the regulation of business operators' conduct, and helping to create a more trustworthy market environment.

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How Are People's Assessors Selected?

By: 本报记者 张 璁

The people's assessor system is an important embodiment of whole-process people's democracy in the field of the rule of law, and a vivid practice of the people's participation in comprehensive law-based governance. According to the People's Assessors Law, people's assessors are subject to a "separation of selection and use," with judicial administrative organs taking the lead in selection. How are people's assessors selected? How can "random selection" be effectively realized and high-quality selection achieved? A reporter conducted interviews on these questions.

Q: Why must people's assessors be subject to "separation of selection and use"?

A: In 2015, the Party Central Committee deployed the implementation of the people's assessor system reform, realizing the "separation of selection and use" of people's assessors. In 2018, the People's Assessors Law elevated this reform achievement into a legal institution, clearly stipulating that people's assessors are selected under the leadership of judicial administrative organs, changing the previous situation in which the people's courts themselves selected and used people's assessors. "Separation of selection and use" on the one hand safeguards the independence of the identity of people's assessors, enabling them to participate in adjudication more objectively and impartially; on the other hand, it forms a certain check on the courts' exercise of adjudicative power, overcoming the problem of "professional assessors" arising from "convenience and ease of use," and enhancing the credibility of the system at its source.

Q: What conditions must be met to become a people's assessor?

A: According to the People's Assessors Law, any member of the people who supports the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, has reached the age of 28, abides by laws and discipline, has good conduct, is being fair, impartial, and upright (公道正派, gong dao zheng pai - "fair, impartial, upright, correct"), possesses the physical conditions for normal performance of duties and a cultural level of senior high school or above, all have the opportunity to become people's assessors and lawfully participate in the adjudication activities of the people's courts.

Q: How is it realized that people's assessors are mainly produced through "random selection"?

A: From the institutional level, according to the People's Assessors Law, more than four-fifths of people's assessors are produced through "random selection." Judicial administrative organs must first randomly select, from the list of permanent residents in their jurisdiction, personnel numbering five times or more the number proposed for appointment as candidates, and then randomly select from the candidate list to determine the final appointees. The "Measures for the Selection of People's Assessors" further refines the provisions on the "two randoms." From the practical operational level, the selection of people's assessors has broad coverage and a large base, and the actual number of candidates drawn far exceeds the statutory multiple, making it necessary to rely on information-based means for realization. All localities make full use of information platforms such as the national people's assessor selection management system, interfacing with the public security population database to realize random selection; at the same time, by inviting notarization organs and multi-party witnessing and other means, they effectively ensure that "random selection" is open and transparent.

Q: How is high-quality selection of people's assessors achieved?

A: People's assessors are "judges" who do not wear judicial robes, and high-quality selection of people's assessors is of vital importance. All localities actively leverage the advantages of judicial offices in taking root at the grassroots and being close to the people, actively mobilizing and motivating the broad participation of the masses. County (district) judicial bureaus firmly uphold the "entry gate," meticulously conducting qualification review, and adopting means such as on-site visits, soliciting opinions, and face-to-face assessment to comprehensively grasp the candidates' political quality, trial participation capability, and public evaluation, ensuring selection quality. At the same time, they make full and good use of the quota of one-fifth of people's assessors produced through "individual application and organizational recommendation," enriching the talent strength in professional fields and effectively responding to the trial needs of new-type professional cases.

Up to now, people's assessors selected by judicial administrative organs have reached more than 340,000, an increase of three times compared with before the people's assessor system reform, and a large number of enthusiastic, high-quality members of the public who understand public opinion have entered the people's assessor ranks.

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Procuratorial Public Interest Litigation Upgrades to "Fine-Tuned Regulation" (Jintai Commentary)

By: 金 歆

The clearer legislation delineates the scope of cases, pre-litigation procedures, investigative authority, and oversight mechanisms, the more procuratorial public interest litigation can unleash its governance potential.

Urging coordinated governance across river basins, promoting the renovation of urban tactile paving to be unobstructed and smooth (畅通无碍, chang tong wu ai - "smooth, without, obstacle"), and safeguarding the people's "safety on the tip of the tongue" through judicial means... In recent years, public interest litigation, especially procuratorial public interest litigation, has played a vital role in protecting the public interest.

From November 2 to 6, the 25th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th NPC was held, and the draft Procuratorial Public Interest Litigation Law was submitted for its third review — from the pilot program in 2015 to full implementation, from provisions scattered across separate laws to this dedicated legislation, the practical exploration of procuratorial public interest litigation has increasingly gained systematic and complete rule-of-law safeguards.

Since its inception, the procuratorial public interest litigation system has targeted the pain point of "absence of rights-protection subjects and weak administrative supervision" when public interests are damaged. Over more than a decade, it has gradually expanded from ecological environment and resource protection, food and drug safety, and other fields to multiple areas including the protection of heroes and martyrs, personal information protection, and work safety, with the cumulative number of cases handled nationwide exceeding one million: the Wanfeng Lake basin public interest litigation case broke the fragmentation dilemma of cross-provincial governance; public interest litigation on personal information protection in multiple localities checked platform data hegemony — procuratorial public interest litigation has resolved through legal means a large number of public interest problems that "no one manages and that are poorly managed," becoming a uniquely distinctive component of the national governance system.

But at the same time, problems such as blurred boundaries of case areas, insufficient norms for pre-litigation procedures, and mechanisms for power oversight in need of improvement have gradually emerged. For example, specialized laws such as the Civil Procedure Law, the Administrative Procedure Law, the Ecological Environment Code, and the Personal Information Protection Law have made authorizing provisions for procuratorial public interest litigation in various fields, but most are too principled; whether in terms of operability, completeness, or level of legal effect, they can no longer match practical needs. Enacting a dedicated, systematic procuratorial public interest litigation law, elevating mature experience into stable institutions, has become an inevitable requirement of judicial practice.

It is precisely for this reason that this dedicated legislation on procuratorial public interest litigation particularly focuses on promoting the upgrading of relevant institutions from "rough provisions" to "refined regulation." The main content of the draft targets precisely the links that most need precise regulation. For example, optimizing pre-litigation procedures and adding exceptional circumstances for public announcements not only upholds that "achieving the purpose of protecting public interests before litigation is the optimal judicial state," resolving the vast majority of public interest harms in their infancy, but also adheres through detailed rules to the principle that "pre-litigation procedures have time limits, have order, and have boundaries." Enriching the oversight provisions on procuratorial public interest litigation work further reflects an institutional self-awareness: practicing the rule-of-law principle that "supervisors must themselves be supervised," preventing power overstepping and functional generalization at the source, and ensuring that the procuratorial power of public interest litigation always operates on the track of the rule of law.

Systematic articulation with other laws reflects systematic governance wisdom. Among these, the most notable is the articulation with the Ecological Environment Code. The Code resolves the substantive rules of "what to protect and who protects it," while the Procuratorial Public Interest Litigation Law must answer procedural rule questions of "how to sue, to what extent to sue, and how the right of action is constrained." Using judicial oversight to force regulatory authorities back into place, using damages to correct market failures, and promoting systematic governance of ecological damage, a rule-of-law closed loop of "substantive law defines obligations, administration strengthens supervision, judiciary clarifies remedies, and oversight promotes implementation" is constructed. This institutional design with clear rights and responsibilities and coordinated linkage provides a replicable paradigm for protection in other fields.

The rule of law is the most solid bulwark of the public interest. The advantage of procuratorial public interest litigation lies precisely in adhering to the positioning of "supervisory litigation and collaborative litigation" rather than "substituting for administrative organs in fulfilling governance responsibilities." The clearer legislation delineates the scope of cases, pre-litigation procedures, investigative authority, and oversight mechanisms, the more procuratorial public interest litigation can unleash its governance potential. Using dedicated legislation to consolidate foundations, give play to strengths, shore up weaknesses, and strengthen areas of deficiency will surely drive procuratorial public interest litigation to safeguard national interests and social public interests well, and continuously demonstrate the institutional advantages of China's governance.

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Should Oversized E-Bikes Be Held Liable as Motor Vehicles in Accidents? (Case-Based Legal Analysis)

By: 本报记者 亓玉昆

In August 2024, Zhao, driving an electric bicycle, was traveling from east to west. During the process of changing lanes to the left, the electric bicycle collided with a motorcycle driven by Ding from behind, causing damage to both vehicles and injuries to both Zhao and Ding. After the accident, the traffic management department commissioned a professional institution to conduct a judicial appraisal of Zhao's vehicle, and the electric bicycle was legally determined to be a motor vehicle (motorcycle). Subsequently, the traffic management department issued an accident determination: Zhao, holding a C1 driver's license (driving a vehicle category not covered by the license), driving an unregistered motorcycle and illegally changing lanes, was the primary cause of the accident. Thereafter, Ding filed a lawsuit against Zhao in the Beijing Third Intermediate People's Court, claiming medical expenses, disability compensation, living expenses for dependents, and other costs.

The court held that Zhao's illegal lane change was the primary cause. The video and on-site photos submitted by Zhao at the time of the incident were insufficient to overturn the traffic management department's determination, and therefore Zhao must bear primary liability for compensation for the reasonable losses incurred by Ding as a result of the injuries from this accident.

The judge stated that vehicle classification is determined based on the current effective national standards at the time of the accident. Taking the "Safety Technical Specifications for Electric Bicycles" (GB 17761—2024), which took effect on September 1, 2025, as an example, under the latest national standard, when an electric bicycle is driven using its electric drive function, the maximum speed shall not exceed the maximum design speed (25 kilometers per hour); the complete mass of an assembled electric bicycle using lead-acid batteries shall be less than or equal to 63 kg, while the complete mass of assembled electric bicycles of other types shall be less than or equal to 55 kg, among other requirements. As long as parameters such as the complete vehicle mass and speed exceed the upper limits, there is a relatively high probability that the vehicle will be determined to be a motor vehicle in a traffic accident.

Over-standard electric bicycles cannot be insured under compulsory traffic accident liability insurance. Once an accident occurs, the portion within the compulsory insurance limit that should have been paid by the insurance company must be borne entirely by the driver. At the same time, motor vehicle drivers bear a higher duty of care than non-motor vehicle drivers. Acts such as illegal lane changes or failure to use designated lanes by over-standard electric bicycles may be determined to constitute primary fault for the accident. In addition, if one drives an electric motorcycle but affixes an electric bicycle license plate, the driver may also be subject to administrative penalties for that traffic violation.

"Once an over-standard vehicle is determined to be a motor vehicle in a traffic accident, the driver may face multiple legal liabilities, including driving a vehicle category not covered by the license, operating an unlicensed and uninsured vehicle, and civil compensation." The judge reminded consumers that when purchasing a vehicle, they must carefully verify the parameters on the vehicle certificate of conformity and must not readily believe merchants' verbal promises such as "license plate can be obtained" or "no inspection." If the vehicle has clearly exceeded the standard, such as by adding batteries or modifying it for increased speed, it must be eliminated and replaced, and one must not continue driving it on the road relying on luck or chance (心存侥幸, xin cun yao xing - "heart, harbor, feel, fluke").

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Let every child be securely "caught"

By: 本报记者 张天培

"Uncle Mei, look, this is my new school!"

During this year's National Day holiday, a video of more than ten seconds popped up on the phone of Mei Yi, captain of the Public Order Management Brigade of the Public Security Bureau of Pengxi County, Sichuan: in the frame, a sun-tanned boy stood at the school gate, with rows of osmanthus trees behind him, flashing a "peace sign" at the camera.

The sender of the video was Zhang Li (a pseudonym) — a teenager who had once been lawfully dealt with by the public security authorities. Three months earlier, when college entrance examination results were released, he received his university admission notice and called Mei Yi at the first opportunity to share the good news: "I got in!"

A little more than a year ago, Zhang Li was a different person: skipping classes, getting into fights, frequenting entertainment venues with older youths from the streets, and ultimately being investigated and punished for involvement in a case. Under the old procedure, the case would have been closed and that would have been the end of it. But this time, his name was written onto the end-stage "seedling protection" list of the "Shuxiang Shouwei" (Book Township Guardian) minor protection workstation.

A rule-of-law homeroom teacher visited his home every month for heart-to-heart talks, a psychological counselor provided regular guidance, and community grid workers made home visits happening every few days or at irregular intervals (隔三岔五, ge san cha wu - "interval, three, fork, five"). Last autumn, he returned to the classroom; this June, he walked into the examination hall.

"Punishment is not the end point; only when the child is brought back onto the right track can the case be considered fully closed." This is the conclusion Mei Yi reached after reviewing and analyzing police alerts involving minors.

Pengxi County is a major county for labor export, with a high proportion of left-behind children and children of single-parent families. Schools manage academics, families cannot reach them, and society has no one to take them in — in the past, when such children broke the law, they were simply taken to the police station. But educational criticism and lawful punishment could not truly change the children's behavior and cognition, and could even provoke rebellious psychology in them.

What exactly should be done? The local authorities had been searching for a way to crack this problem.

In March of last year, the "Shuxiang Shouwei" minor protection workstation was established at Pu'an Police Station of the Pengxi County Public Security Bureau, spearheaded by Mei Yi, a "National Outstanding People's Police" awardee.

"Pengxi has long enjoyed the reputation of 'Hometown of Calligraphy,' and naming the workstation with the two characters 'Shuxiang' (Book Township) carries both the implication of a city filled with the fragrance of books and the original aspiration of using rule-of-law education to guard the growth of children," Mei Yi explained.

The workstation undertakes responsibilities including archive management for key minors, resolution of school-related conflicts, correction of bad behavior, and popularization of safety knowledge, establishing a systematic working mechanism and protection system.Among these, relying on the "one school, three police" model, the "Shuxiang volunteer police," and community grids, human perception combined with the "e-code school protection + intelligent monitoring model" provides front-end early warning, enabling risks to be detected and identified early; police alerts involving minors trigger simultaneous intervention by schools, public security, education, women's federations, civil affairs, and local jurisdictions, while incidents and cases involving minors activate an upgraded response; afterward, children receive rule-of-law education, psychological counseling to resolve inner conflicts, and care, management, and assistance.

After the workstation was established, it promoted 12 local departments, including public security, education, health, and women's federations, to join hands in forming the "Guardian Alliance," with 120 grid workers becoming "seedling protection observers" and more than 1,600 enthusiastic residents countywide joining the "Shuxiang volunteer police."

Today, "Shuxiang Shouwei" has been upgraded from a workstation inside Pu'an Police Station into a minor protection network covering the entire county, and many schools in Pengxi County have formed a coordinated system of "deputy principal for rule of law + rule-of-law homeroom teacher + resident school police officer + psychological counselor + class safety officer."

At the "Shuxiang Shouwei" workstation at Pengxi Middle School, the deputy principal for rule of law holds a special rule-of-law lecture every quarter, rule-of-law homeroom teachers conduct individualized guidance in classes every month, full-time resident auxiliary police officers patrol and inspect for hidden dangers; psychological counselors conduct screening and intervention; and class safety officers serve as "outposts." Outside the school gate, joint meetings of the four parties of "police, school, family, and community" are held regularly, with public security organs responsible for rule-of-law education and emergency response, schools bearing the primary responsibility (主体责任), families upholding guardianship duties, and local Party and government bodies, social organizations, and the "Shuxiang volunteer police" providing volunteer services.

From one school to an entire city, this governance path is being continuously replicated, and the "one school, three police" model has taken firm root and developed successfully (落地生根, luo di sheng gen - "land, fall, earth, grow, root") in 289 primary and secondary schools across Suining City.

"Protection of minors cannot rely on a single department alone," Mei Yi said. What needs to be done is not to leave after closing a case, but to put the effort into what lies beyond the case files, so that every child is firmly "caught" — like dandelion seeds, wherever they land, they can take root and sprout.

Since the workstation was established, police alerts involving schools in Pengxi have decreased by 41 percent year-on-year. A total of 112 special guardianship activities have been carried out, including psychological counseling, rule-of-law lectures, and escort services for the high school and vocational entrance examinations; 78 key students have been visited and cared for; 26 troubled teenagers have been helped to return to campus; 215 school-related conflicts and disputes have been resolved; and three "zero occurrences" have been achieved in campus bullying, cases within schools, and school-related safety incidents.

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Page editors: Zhang Tianpei

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Rule of Law Responds to Private Enterprises' Concerns (Upholding and Improving the People's Congress System)

By: 本报记者 施 钰

In Xibin Town, Jinjiang City, Quanzhou, Fujian Province, inside the intelligent production workshop of Fujian Enji New Materials Technology Co., Ltd., sheets of carbon fiber material treated with graphene modification technology are processed into carbon plate shoe soles.

"Last year, carbon plate shoe sole output was 960,000 pairs; in the first nine months of this year, output has already reached 2.2 million pairs." Sun Xiao, the company's operations director, introduced that the company was jointly established by Quanzhou Xingda Shoe and Clothing Materials Co., Ltd., Fujian Jinjiang General Green Fiber Industry Investment Co., Ltd., and Fujian Strait Graphene Industry Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd. The company's rapid development benefits from the effective linkage of technology, market, and capital.

On May 26, the 22nd session of the Standing Committee of the 14th Fujian Provincial People's Congress reviewed and approved the "Regulations of Quanzhou Municipality on Inheriting, Carrying Forward, Innovating, and Developing the 'Jinjiang Experience'" (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations"). The Regulations officially took effect on August 20 this year, comprising 7 chapters and 56 articles, with provisions centered on serving the real economy, optimizing the business environment, and promoting innovative enterprise development.

"The 'entrepreneur + scientist + investor' collaborative innovation model promoted in the Regulations describes exactly our situation!" Sun Xiao felt a particular sense of familiarity with this.

During his work in Fujian, Comrade Xi Jinping went to Jinjiang for research seven times in six years, summarizing and proposing the "Jinjiang Experience" with "six always adherences" and "correctly handling five major relationships" as its main content. In March this year, "innovating and developing the 'Jinjiang Experience'" was written into the national "15th Five-Year Plan" outline.

Under the guidance of the "Jinjiang Experience," Quanzhou's private economy contributes approximately 70 percent of the city's tax revenue, 80 percent of regional GDP, 90 percent of technological innovation achievements, 90 percent of urban employment, and 90 percent of the number of enterprises.

"For more than 20 years, Quanzhou has continuously practiced the 'Jinjiang Experience' and explored the formation of a series of effective policy measures and concrete practices." Zhang Yixiang, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the Quanzhou Municipal People's Congress, said that this legislation both elevates mature reform practice achievements into regulatory institutions, realizing a leap from policy-driven to rule-of-law-led development, and responds to the practical needs of enterprise development, allowing the rule of law to define boundaries for reform and provide safeguards.

From Practical Experience to Regulatory Institutions

"The Regulations mention carrying out businesses such as loan renewal without principal repayment and revolving loans for eligible private economic organizations — this provision is well written!" Wu Wensheng, chairman of Jinjiang Anhai Liancheng Machinery Co., Ltd., said that at the end of last year, the company's 10 million yuan working capital loan applied for from Quanzhou Bank was about to mature, but sales continued to grow and funds were urgently needed to purchase raw materials. "Thanks to loan renewal without principal repayment, we completed the loan renewal smoothly without repaying the principal, and the entire process was handled seamlessly."

"As the old saying goes, a fast boat depends on its sail; for an enterprise to develop, financing must keep up." Wu Wensheng introduced that the company mainly produces construction machinery parts. "Over the past decade or so, the company's annual output value has grown from 10 to 20 million yuan to more than 200 million yuan. At critical moments of capital turnover, financing services have always been there to relieve the enterprise's difficulties."

Previously, if an enterprise's working capital loan matured, it had to first repay the principal and then reapply to the bank. "If we had to repay 10 million yuan at the end of the month, we would have to start raising funds from the beginning of the month. The money coming into the account could not be touched for the entire month, and we might even have to seek bridge loans with higher financing costs." Wu Wensheng frankly stated.

Responding to enterprise needs, in 2013, Quanzhou Bank boldly attempted to launch the loan renewal without principal repayment business, and continuously iterated and upgraded it, launching a supporting revolving loan product to solve the pain points of difficult and costly loan renewal for private small and micro enterprises. "Enterprises can borrow and repay at will within the corresponding loan limit and loan cycle, and use funds multiple times, further reducing costs for enterprises." Jiang Wenpeng, chairman of Quanzhou Bank Co., Ltd., said that from 2013 to the present, the bank has handled a cumulative total of 61,600 loan renewals without principal repayment, with a total loan balance of 18.1 billion yuan, saving enterprises a total of 1.059 billion yuan in financing costs.

"The Regulations have a distinct promotional-law nature, transforming policy language into legal language and effectively guiding various departments to formulate and issue supporting policies." Xu Xi, dean of the Institute for High-Quality Development of Local Regions at Huaqiao University, pointed out that the Regulations make specific provisions on the allocation of resource factors, integrated enterprise development, industrial technological innovation, integrated industry-city development, and government service guarantees, fully incorporating the "six always adherences" and "correctly handling five major relationships," and also elevating Quanzhou's distinctive practices such as "not called, not coming; called, coming immediately; saying what you do, doing what you say; and providing thoughtful service" and the government acting as a good "guide, pusher of the cart, and waiter" into statutory duties.

"The Regulations fix the relevant content of the 'Jinjiang Experience' in regulatory form, giving enterprises a 'reassurance pill' and injecting strong confidence into our focusing entirely on one task (心无旁骛, xin wu pang wu - "heart, no, side, distracted") and acting in a steady and practical manner (脚踏实地, jiao ta shi di - "foot, step, solid, ground") in deepening our main business." Zheng Zhong, senior director of public relations at Anta Group, said.

Exploring Solutions to Practical Development Bottlenecks

On Hubin Street, Shishi City, Quanzhou, a 10-story building covering approximately 2.5 mu of land has been topped out and is undergoing interior decoration. The building is being invested in and constructed by Shishi Yangfeng Trading Co., Ltd., and in the future, it will be developed into a hotel.

"This area was originally industrial land on the urban fringe. With urban development, the fringe became the central urban area, no longer suitable for building factories, and the plot had been vacant for a long time." Cai Shaoyu, deputy director of the Shishi Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources, said.

In 2023, a turning point arrived with the issuance of the "Implementation Opinions of Shishi City on Revitalizing and Renovating Low-Efficiency Industrial (Warehousing) Land," which stipulated that industrial and warehousing land of the allocated or transferred type that had been included in the Shishi City urban low-efficiency land database could apply to change the land use to commercial services uses such as commerce, commercial finance, entertainment, catering, and hotels. In 2025, Shishi Yangfeng Trading Co., Ltd. paid an additional amount of more than 8 million yuan to change the industrial land to commercial land and develop the hotel business.

"The 'industrial-to-commercial conversion' policy has received enthusiastic responses among enterprises, and many people have come to inquire." Cai Shaoyu said that the "industrial-to-commercial conversion" policy also encourages mixed use of land with a single land-use nature, but there is currently a lack of a positive list for mixed-use land, and it remains unclear which commercial formats can be mixed with industrial layouts, resulting in policy implementation that is not yet smooth.

"Reform projects involve relatively large amounts of funds and require clear policy basis, and whole-process management must be lawful and compliant." The Regulations solved Cai Shaoyu's problem — Article 12 clarifies the innovative optimization of industrial land supply methods, promoting the reasonable conversion of different industrial land-use types, and exploring the increase of mixed industrial land supply. At present, the Quanzhou municipal natural resources department is exploring the formulation of specific policies related to mixed industrial land supply based on the content of the Regulations, so that the work has rules to follow.

The Regulations solve problems and also boost morale. "Reform requires breakthroughs. Previously, people worried about being held accountable, but now the Regulations clarify the incentive mechanism for taking responsibility and acting, and the mechanism for tolerating and correcting errors, giving us more confidence to boldly explore and innovate." Cai Shaoyu said.

"Deepening the reform of the business environment requires cadres to actively explore and boldly take responsibility, and also requires rule-of-law safeguards so that cadres can put down their burdens and be freed from worries about future problems or consequences (后顾之忧, hou gu zhi you - "after, look back, concern, worry") in reform and innovation." Yu Jing, deputy director of the Quanzhou Municipal Development and Reform Commission, said.

Achieving Effective Linkage Between Local Legislation and Higher-Level Laws

Since last year, the "Private Economy Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China" and the "Fujian Province Private Economy Promotion Regulations" have been successively implemented. Under the escort of the rule of law, the development environment for Fujian's private economy has continued to improve, and the private economy has continued to develop and grow.

The relevant content in the "Fujian Province Private Economy Promotion Regulations" concerning independent evaluation and recognition of high-level talents by private enterprises is also reflected in the Regulations.

"This gives us great autonomy, allowing us to conduct talent evaluation based on employees' abilities and actual contributions. It is an effective policy measure for attracting talent." He Guoping, general manager of Fujian SBS Zipper Technology Co., Ltd., said that the company can apply for six independently recognized talent quotas each at both the Jinjiang and Quanzhou levels every year. "The talent attraction and benefit policies are implemented in place with full support, and we are also more confident about future development."

"A considerable portion of the Regulations responds to the requirements of higher-level laws and, combined with Quanzhou's actual conditions, achieves effective linkage between local legislation and higher-level laws." Xu Xi said that during the drafting process of the Regulations, the expert advisory team systematically sorted through more than 300 higher-level laws, policies, and documents to ensure the scientific and standardized nature of the legislation. At the same time, the legislative working group conducted full-coverage research across all counties (cities, districts) of Quanzhou, going deep into more than 120 enterprises, holding more than 50 symposiums, and sorting and summarizing more than 1,870 opinions and suggestions, enabling the legal provisions to precisely match the pain points of enterprise development with targeted and practical applicability.

"There are problems in the market such as counterfeit products, trademark infringement, and commercial leakage. We hope to establish a rapid collaborative intellectual property protection mechanism, open up administrative and judicial linkage channels, and reduce the cost of rights protection for enterprises." Chen Fapei, party committee secretary and administrative director of Hengan Group, said that Article 49 of the Regulations establishes a special provision requiring the establishment of a public intellectual property service system and a rapid collaborative protection mechanism, promoting the linkage between administrative protection and judicial protection, and realizing the source prevention and rapid resolution of intellectual property disputes. "We will rely on the rapid collaborative intellectual property protection mechanism to severely crack down on counterfeiting and infringement and safeguard the brand value of enterprises."

"Quanzhou, as the birthplace of the 'Jinjiang Experience,' solves difficulties and problems in practice through legislation, and transforms mature experiences accumulated over a long period — such as adhering to the real economy, valuing brand building, encouraging innovation and creation, and smoothing government-enterprise interaction — into stable institutional arrangements. This is of great significance for boosting confidence and promoting the development of Quanzhou's private economy." Xu Hua, director of the Standing Committee of the Quanzhou Municipal People's Congress, said.

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Voices of Deputies

Green development is an integral part of high-quality development. How can we coordinate high-quality development with high-level protection and unswervingly follow the path of ecological priority and green development? A reporter interviewed four deputies to the National People's Congress.

—Editor

Xu Qingmin, deputy to the National People's Congress and deputy director of the Qinghai Provincial Ecological Environment Monitoring Center:

Promote the Co-construction and Sharing of Monitoring Data

Ecological environment monitoring is the foundational work of ecological environment protection. In recent years, China's ecological environment monitoring network has been continuously improved, but compared with the higher requirements of ecological priority and green development, there are still some shortcomings: First, inter-departmental coordination is insufficient. Departments of ecological environment, natural resources, water resources, meteorology, forestry and grassland each deploy their own monitoring networks, with inconsistent standards and scattered data, resulting in a "data island" phenomenon. Second, support capacity is insufficient. At the grassroots level, especially in the western region, monitoring station operation and maintenance funds are tight, equipment updates lag behind, professional talent is lacking, and the level of digital and intelligent transformation needs to be improved.

First, it is recommended to strengthen top-level design and promote the co-construction and sharing of monitoring data. At the national level, improve the cross-departmental ecological environment monitoring data sharing mechanism, build a unified national ecological environment monitoring data platform, unify technical standards and quality control specifications, connect multi-source data such as satellite remote sensing, ground stations, and drones, promote integrated monitoring and evaluation of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, and achieve "one-time monitoring, multi-party shared use."

Second, it is recommended to increase investment and consolidate the foundation of the monitoring system. Incorporate ecological environment monitoring capacity building into relevant national plans, increase transfer payments to the western region and grassroots areas, with priority support for the construction and operation and maintenance of monitoring stations and the upgrading of instruments and equipment; promote the application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and the Internet of Things, and build a modern digital and intelligent monitoring network system covering the entire territory, coordinating land and sea, and integrating space and ground, providing a solid "data foundation" for continuing to fight the battle against pollution and safeguarding lucid waters and lush mountains.

(Compiled by Zhang Cong, reporter of this newspaper)

Yuan Silang, deputy to the National People's Congress, secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of China First Metallurgical Group Co., Ltd.:

Drive Low-Carbon Transformation of the Industrial Chain with Technological Innovation

The construction industry has a long industrial chain and wide reach, linking traditional high-energy-consuming industries such as steel and building materials. It is necessary to focus on green construction technology innovation to drive the green transformation and coordinated carbon reduction of upstream and downstream industries.

Strengthen whole-cycle construction technology innovation and drive the green and low-carbon transformation of the industrial chain. Integrate the concept of green construction throughout the entire life cycle of project planning, design, construction, and operation and maintenance, support leading enterprises in the industry to tackle core green construction technologies, accelerate the application of scientific and technological achievements, promote prefabricated buildings, low-carbon new building materials, green and energy-saving construction, and digital intelligent construction, expand the engineering application of low-carbon building materials and green processes, and guide upstream steel and building materials industries to optimize product supply through construction market demand.

Make good use of the construction industry's rich engineering application scenarios and increase the supply of green high-end equipment. Closely following the coordinated development of intelligent construction and construction industrialization, focus on key areas such as complete sets of prefabricated production equipment, intelligent construction equipment, construction robots, and low-carbon and efficient construction equipment to intensify research efforts and build independent and controllable green high-end equipment. Promote the green transformation of equipment manufacturing production lines and energy efficiency improvement, and promote clean production processes.

Improve top-level institutional supply and strengthen policy support for green and low-carbon transformation. Improve national evaluation indicators and technical specifications for green construction technologies and low-carbon building materials, and make good use of green finance and preferential tax policies. Establish a national-level new material engineering verification and demonstration mechanism, and smooth the channels for verification and demonstration, engineering pilot projects, and market promotion of scientific and technological achievements such as new green low-carbon building materials and refractory materials.

(Compiled by Fan Haotian, reporter of this newspaper)

Wang Zhaoming, deputy to the National People's Congress and founder of M-Grass Ecology and Environment (Group) Co., Ltd.:

Accelerate the Coordinated Transformation and Development of Digitalization and Greening

China has a vast territory, with obvious differences in resource endowments across the east, west, south, north, and center. It is necessary to accelerate the movement of digital technologies such as AI (artificial intelligence) and AGI (artificial general intelligence) out of laboratories and into the front line of ecological governance, and accelerate the transformation of resource endowment advantages into momentum for high-quality development.

For example, in large-scale ecological construction projects such as the "Three-North" Shelterbelt Program, grassland ecological restoration, and comprehensive mine treatment, strengthen the promotion and application of digital technology in the field of grassland ecological restoration. Fully relying on long-term accumulated local ecological monitoring data, actively research and develop special intelligent models for the grass industry, and through plot image collection, quickly assess and determine suitable grass species and restoration paths, and automatically generate ecological restoration implementation plans. Promote the penetration of digital technology throughout the entire chain of land background diagnosis, selection of native grass species, customization of restoration plans, and later-stage management and monitoring, and build a closed-loop digital ecological governance system. Change the traditional model of ecological governance that relies excessively on empirical judgment, support scientific decision-making with data, and continuously improve the precision of ecological restoration and governance efficiency.

Digital empowerment of ecological governance is an important accelerator for promoting the transformation of ecological governance from extensive to precise, from short-term remediation to long-term management, and from single benefits to win-win outcomes for multiple parties. It is necessary to accelerate the coordinated transformation and development of digitalization and greening, and continuously deepen the application of these technologies.

(Compiled by Zhang Cheng, reporter of this newspaper)

She Caigao, deputy to the National People's Congress and deputy director of the Environment and Resources Protection and Urban-Rural Construction Committee of the Nanjing Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee:

Promote Green Travel Becoming a Conscious Choice of the Whole People

Urban rail transit is an important lever for building a country with strong transportation, implementing the "dual carbon" goals, and constructing a green and low-carbon urban transportation system. Promoting the green transformation of rail transit requires not only relying on technological innovation to tap carbon reduction potential, but also strengthening systematic thinking and promoting model innovation, and integrating the concept of green and low-carbon throughout the entire chain of energy supply, intelligent operation, and public travel.

Do addition on the energy supply side, optimize the energy structure, and actively integrate into the new power system. Relying on spatial resources such as rail transit vehicle base rooftops and idle sites, deploy distributed photovoltaics in light of local conditions, and continuously increase the proportion of clean energy self-sufficiency. Do subtraction on the energy consumption side, relying on digital empowerment to finely reduce operational energy consumption. Accelerate the construction of a line-network-level intelligent management and control platform for energy and carbon emissions, achieving integrated monitoring and intelligent dispatch of water, electricity, gas, and cooling and heating loads.

At the same time, do multiplication on the travel side, innovate incentive mechanisms, and cultivate a nationwide trend of low-carbon travel. Explore the construction of carbon inclusive and carbon points platforms, converting the public's low-carbon behavior of choosing rail transit travel into quantifiable and incentivizable carbon emission reduction results. For example, Nanjing has taken the lead in piloting through a travel APP, using one green trip to drive the improvement of family low-carbon awareness.

Green rail connects on one end to the modernization of urban ecological governance, and on the other end to people's livelihood and well-being. It is expected that the government, business entities, and the public will work together in coordination and move in the same direction, improve supporting policies and incentive mechanisms, and promote green travel becoming a conscious choice of the whole people.

(Compiled by Bai Guangdi, reporter of this newspaper)

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Turning the masses' 'golden ideas' into laws and regulations

By: 本报记者 刘新吾

"The 'golden ideas' of the masses can truly become the 'provisions' of the law!" Recently, during a law popularization activity held at Zhongxinwan Community, Shijingpo Subdistrict, Shapingba District, Chongqing, community resident Wang Fulan said excitedly, holding a copy of the Social Assistance Law of the People's Republic of China.

As a "tentacle" of the Shapingba grassroots legislative contact point of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, Zhongxinwan Community has in recent years participated in soliciting opinions on drafts of multiple laws and regulations.

Let's rewind to August last year, when an opinion-soliciting activity on the draft Social Assistance Law was held at the Yishiyuan (Discussion Garden) of Zhongxinwan Community.

"Everyone, tell us, what suggestions do you have for this law?" Legislative information officer Huang Xueli had just taken her seat and opened her notebook when she began chatting with her neighbors.

At first, the residents were somewhat reserved, but when they read the draft provision stipulating that "the social assistance administrative department or the township people's government or subdistrict office, when making a decision to reduce or terminate social assistance, shall notify the social assistance recipient in writing," everyone opened up.

"Reducing or terminating social assistance is a major matter concerning the vital interests of assistance recipients." "In addition to issuing a written decision, it should also be clearly stipulated that 'reasons shall be stated,' to better protect citizens' right to lawfully obtain material assistance and assistance services." ... The residents spoke one after another, exchanging ideas while looking at the legal draft in their hands.

Huang Xueli carefully organized the suggestions and reported them upward through the Shapingba grassroots legislative contact point. In the end, the relevant suggestions were incorporated into the legal provisions. When community residents saw that the enacted law had absorbed public opinion, they shared their joy with one another.

On ordinary days, the Yishiyuan of Zhongxinwan Community is lush with green trees (绿树成荫, lv shu cheng yin - "green, tree, become, shady"), and nearby residents are accustomed to drinking tea and playing chess there, with a few friends chatting about everything under the sun. Thus, the Shapingba grassroots legislative contact point designated the Yishiyuan as a legislative information collection station. Huang Xueli walked through the streets and alleys, often going to the Yishiyuan to communicate with residents and collect valuable suggestions.

In recent years, the Shapingba grassroots legislative contact point has deeply cultivated the fertile soil of public opinion, coordinating with departments to integrate the Bayu Practice Stations, Party and mass service centers, workers' service centers, and Hongyan citizens' mediation stations, among others, to build more than 220 legislative information collection stations at the doorsteps of the masses; it has developed the "Shaci Minyi Hall" mini-program, and fully opened "grassroots legislation" columns across "newspapers, websites, microblogs, and mobile terminals," achieving "24-hour non-stop" legislative consultation.

In addition to giving play to the "direct train" role of the "national-level" grassroots legislative contact point, the standing committees of people's congresses in multiple districts and counties of Chongqing have also deepened the building of Bayu Practice Stations for whole-process people's democracy, integrating functions such as grassroots legislative contact points and subdistrict deliberative representative meetings, smoothing channels for expressing public opinion, and making legislation better reflect democracy.

Panlong Town, Rongchang District, is located at the junction of Sichuan and Chongqing. The locality has actively explored and innovated, carrying out legislative cooperation with neighboring areas and promoting coordinated legislation between Sichuan and Chongqing.

In the first half of this year, the People's Congress Office of Panlong Town organized a centralized opinion-collection meeting on legislative opinions for the Chongqing Municipality Youth Entrepreneurship Promotion Regulations (Draft). At the information collection point in the Huafang Xiaoyuan (Flower House Courtyard) of Dajian Community, persons in charge of economic development sectors of neighboring townships, enterprise representatives, returned-home entrepreneurial youth, some members of the public, and Sichuan-Chongqing legislative information collectors gathered together.

"I suggest making a classified statement of 'innovation-driven entrepreneurship' and 'employment-oriented entrepreneurship,' and clarifying in the legislative explanation the defining criteria and policy emphases of the two types of entrepreneurship," said Zhu Wanming, an information collector from Panlong Town.

"The draft lists only a few major industry categories for 'strategic emerging industries' and 'future industries,' without distinctive industries, such as automobile manufacturing. I suggest supplementing it by combining with Chongqing's construction of a 'smart manufacturing hub' and 'smart city,' with a focus on guiding youth to start businesses in local advantageous emerging industries such as intelligent connected vehicles, biomedicine, and green and low-carbon industries," said a returned-home entrepreneurial youth from Jieshi Town, Longchang City, Sichuan Province.

The relevant departments and people's congress deputies of Sichuan and Chongqing studied the draft carefully and expressed their views freely, and 2 suggestions they put forward were adopted by the higher-level people's congress.

Dadukou District relies on the "Sister Sha" grassroots legislative contact point, focusing on collecting legislative public opinion on the protection of minors; Xinkailu Community, Nanbin Subdistrict, Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, has launched a "135" working model to solicit opinions from various groups in a targeted manner; Tanghe Town, Jiangjin District, adopts a "1+8+N" linkage mechanism, assembling a 500-person think tank to let enterprise demands reach the legislative stage directly... People's congresses in many places in Chongqing, in light of local conditions, innovate channels for expressing public opinion, making legislation listen to the voices of the people more extensively.

"Relying on grassroots legislative contact points, one piece of public opinion after another is heard and recorded under the banyan trees in communities and in old residential neighborhoods," said a relevant person in charge of the Standing Committee of the Chongqing Municipal People's Congress. People's congresses at all levels in Chongqing practice whole-process people's democracy, continuously optimizing the methods and approaches of democratic legislation, striving to let the legislative opinions of the masses reach the legislative organs "in their original flavor," and ensuring that every law and regulation is full of public opinion and embodies the will of the people.

(Shao Rong participated in the writing)

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Page editors: Zhang Cong

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China is a key strategic market for L'Oréal Group

L'Oréal is a globally renowned beauty group, with more than 15,000 employees in China.

Of the products sold in China, 64% are produced locally.

Thanks to the localized industrial chain established in China, covering research and development, production, supply, and sales,

L'Oréal will continue to be deeply established in the Chinese market (扎根中国, zha gen zhong guo - "root, in, China"), contributing to the job market and economic development.

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Why "Only This Green" Endures (Face to Face)

Interlocutor: Jing Xiaoyong (Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of China Oriental Performing Arts Group)

Wang Jin (People's Daily reporter)

From the first performance in 2021 to the 1,000th performance in 2026, from a dance drama to a film, cultural and creative products, a concert, and brand collaborations... The dance poetry drama Only This Green has toured nearly 90 cities at home and abroad, with over 200 categories of cultural and creative products generating offline sales of nearly 16 million yuan, the film of the same name grossing over 50 million yuan at the box office, and symphony concerts, arts education, and brand collaborations across more than 10 industries successively coming to fruition.

Why has a touch of "green-blue" that stepped out of A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains become a long-term IP (intellectual property) in the performance market? How is this "green-blue," which keeps breaking through the boundaries of the stage, opening up new spaces for performance consumption?

A highly distilled cultural aesthetic is the key to drawing people "into the painting"

Reporter: Over the past five years, Only This Green has traveled not only a touring route but also a path of exploration in which fine traditional Chinese culture continuously radiates new vitality in the new era. What is the key to this production's sustained ability to win over audiences?

Jing Xiaoyong: The biggest reason is that this production responds to the demands of the times for stage art works. Chinese people today yearn to tell their own stories more proactively and more calmly. The dancing "green-blue" embodies the simple, sincere emotion between the Chinese people and fine traditional Chinese culture, touching people's deep-seated cultural confidence and national identity.

In July this year, Only This Green was performed in Taipei, and two extra performances were added on the spot, expanding from five to seven shows. Every show sold out the moment tickets went on sale, and during performances there was not an empty seat in the house (座无虚席, zuo wu xu xi - "sit, not, empty, seat"). At the curtain call, the applause lasted more than ten minutes without stopping. This shows how powerful the cultural resonance is between compatriots on both sides of the strait, and how powerful the cohesion of Chinese culture is!

Reporter: In today's age of "visual saturation," why can Only This Green draw people "into the painting"?

Jing Xiaoyong: "Only this" one scroll, "only this" color, "only this" China... "Only This Green" represents a highly distilled cultural aesthetic. Our culture is inclusive and restrained, where a calm exterior with profound inner meaning (静水深流, jing shui shen liu - "quiet, water, deep, flow") interweaves with the grand and magnificent (波澜壮阔, bo lan zhuang kuo - "wave, surge, magnificent, vast"). A quality of stillness has made Only This Green unique; a Chinese-style romance imbued with Chinese sentiment and Eastern implication is the key to drawing people "into the painting."

Creation must tap the richest veins and the most essential things of culture. Without a solid cultural foundation, no matter how "beautiful" a work is, it will not become a good production. In transforming cultural material into dance language, Only This Green has completed its creative transformation imperceptibly (潜移默化, qian yi mo hua - "subtle, move, silent, transform"). Seal carving, silk weaving, brush making, ink sooting... every detail carries a weighty cultural content. At the same time, this production is co-produced by the Palace Museum, China Oriental Performing Arts Group, and People's Daily Online, which not only finds new ways to disseminate and inherit traditional culture but also accumulates good experience for cultural relics institutions, art troupes, and authoritative media to join hands in artistic creation.

There is no final version, only a better version

Reporter: In 2022, the "green-blue waist" on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala quickly went viral. From "watching a trending topic once" to "entering a theater once," and then to sustained discussion, how can traffic be precipitated into long-term audiences?

Jing Xiaoyong: Only This Green has consecutively ranked first in box office among dance dramas in the national performance market for 2022, 2023, 2024, and other years. To retain long-term audiences, the real hard truth is "keep the production performing" — the cost of performing must be controlled as much as possible, while the quality of performing must be guaranteed as much as possible. Now, all cast and crew for the Only This Green tour can be kept to around 60 people. Only by matching quality works with refined operations can a more enduring market appeal be generated.

Reporter: The dance drama attracts audiences, the film expands viewership, cultural and creative products carry consumption, brand collaborations enter everyday scenarios... Multi-channel dissemination has extended the artistic value, and fans affectionately call it the "green-blue universe." In terms of production operation and promotion, what is the most groundbreaking exploration, and what experience is replicable?

Jing Xiaoyong: In operations, we follow a corporate operation model, boldly introducing market capital, partnering with cultural tourism performance and theater chain platforms, precisely positioning, scientifically planning, and adopting a make-to-order model. In IP value development, the biggest breakthrough is achieving the organic integration of art and life. The social benefits generated by all of this combined are far greater than the box office benefits.

At the very beginning of project initiation and creation, we explored turning the intrinsic culture and aesthetics into IP, extending artistic value to serve audiences. For example, many audience members gave feedback that the dance drama's music was stunning, which deserved our attention and response, so we amplified this artistic element on its own and held a symphony concert. Driven by this same philosophy, we transformed the group's street-facing storefronts into a "green-blue space," incorporating the theme of A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains into it, allowing fine traditional Chinese culture to genuinely enter daily life.

Only This Green has focused on grasping six links: topic selection, problem-solving, creation, promotion, operation, and dissemination. This approach is replicable. Of course, each cultural IP has different intentions, so its adaptability differs, and the "adapted scenarios" will be vastly different (天差地别, tian cha di bie - "heaven, difference, earth, distinction"); each case must be analyzed on its own merits. It can be foreseen that cross-industry collaboration will become increasingly common in the future.

Reporter: You have repeatedly mentioned the philosophy of "serving the audience." How do audience feedback influence the refinement of the production, the development of derivative products, and even the adjustment of IP strategy?

Jing Xiaoyong: We have always been audience-oriented, not artist-oriented. Only This Green has no final version, only a better version. For example, when the production premiered in 2019, A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains was not used. After watching the performance, Wang Xudong, Director of the Palace Museum, suggested that "A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains should make an appearance." We noticed that this was precisely what audiences were calling for as well — everyone wanted to see the masterpiece's elegance. Can audiences feel the same whether the performers take their curtain call in front of a blank board or against the backdrop of A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains? Soon, with the strong support of the Palace Museum, the "dance painting" and the real A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains appeared "in the same frame."

Another example: the children's version of Only This Green we launched also responds to demand. It is not a traditional dance training class, but rather leads children to transform into "green-blue youths" and "little artisans," communicating through dance training. After the training, these children jointly perform the dance drama, and in perceiving beauty, they also create beauty.

Chinese works and Chinese creation are gaining more resonance

Reporter: In September this year, Only This Green performed in the United States for the third time, once again conveying Eastern beauty to the world. Over the past five years, the production has performed in 10 countries and regions. How do overseas audiences respond to Chinese aesthetics and the "green-blue"? Which resonances exceeded expectations, and which elements face a "cultural discount"?

Jing Xiaoyong: At our performances abroad, the cheers and applause at the curtain call are no different from those at home. They appreciate Chinese beauty and like our artistic form. However, from my observation, many overseas audience members shed tears when interpreting from the personal angle of Wang Ximeng pouring his heart and soul into the painting, while they find it difficult to fully understand connotations such as the unity of heaven and humanity and feelings for family and country. Of course, this is perfectly normal.

In international dissemination, the music has gained broader resonance. We have already begun preparing to take the music of Only This Green abroad, collaborating with foreign symphony orchestras and inviting them to perform it. This kind of cultural exchange is more profound: letting Chinese works and Chinese creation "go global," rather than merely having Chinese people "go abroad" to perform their own works.

Reporter: China Oriental Performing Arts Group's predecessors are the Central Song and Dance Ensemble, the Oriental Song and Dance Ensemble, and the China Light Music Troupe. From the very founding of the group, it has played the unique role of a "cultural envoy." What valuable experience has this tradition left for the troupe? How can Chinese stage art better find cross-cultural aesthetic connection points?

Jing Xiaoyong: Upholding the Chinese cultural stance, promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, and deepening exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations are the artistic mission and artistic responsibility of a major state-owned troupe. Reviewing the decades of development experience of China Oriental Performing Arts Group, "cultural confidence" is the first keyword, because cultural confidence is an important prerequisite for artistic creation, and cultural confidence determines the fundamental stance and basic direction of artistic creation. "China" is the most distinctive marker of China Oriental Performing Arts Group, which determines that telling China's story well is our bounden mission.

Today, "Eastern aesthetics" is sweeping the globe, and Chinese culture is steadily moving toward the world. This is an opportunity, and it also places higher demands on us. Finding cross-cultural aesthetic connection points requires not only familiarity with our own national culture but also refined research into the culture and art of various countries. Looking ahead, we will continue to strive to build Chinese IP, enabling the world to better understand Chinese stories, Chinese spirit, and Chinese values, while also giving world classics a Chinese interpretation, a Chinese rendition, and a Chinese expression.

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Dig Deep One Well, Write Well One Drop of Water (People)

By: 昃文江

The period drama Southbound and Northbound (Nan Lai Bei Wang) won the Outstanding Television Drama Award at the 35th "Flying Apsaras Award." Screenwriter Gao Mantang said: "I hope that in the future, when young people want to understand the history of the growth of New China, they can watch a few of my TV dramas and gain a more vivid understanding of this history."

Skilled at sketching period stories with a realist brush, always casting a warm gaze upon ordinary Chinese people across the vast land of China, Gao Mantang's works are substantial and solid, with texture and lasting resonance. From Chuang Guandong (Venturing to the Northeast), The Age of Steel, and The Wenzhou Family to The Old Farmer, The Old Chinese Doctor, and The Old Tavern, and then to Nine Phoenixes in the Family and its companion piece Seven Sons in the Family, the everyday bustle of daily life in these dramas carries family affection, the passage of years, culture, and memory, and individual destinies often beat with the same pulse as the changes of the times.

"History exists not only in major events and grand narratives, but also hidden in the daily lives of ordinary people." In Gao Mantang's view, the various vicissitudes of life (悲欢离合, bei huan li he - "sadness, joy, separation, reunion") of a family, the rise and fall of a character's fate, and a seemingly insignificant life choice can all reflect the changes of the era. The key lies in making history "perceptible," making it the texture of characters' living, breathing lives.

He has always adhered to his "three don'ts": don't write about people you don't know, don't write about lives you don't know, don't write about life experiences you don't know. When creating Chuang Guandong, he traveled along the migration routes of that era, seeking out elderly people who had experienced that history firsthand, and learning about the local customs and conditions along the way. For him, creation cannot merely build stories on imagination, nor can it be satisfied with simply stitching together historical materials. Only by stepping into life, getting close to real people, and understanding their survival circumstances, emotional demands, and life choices, can history on paper gain warmth, and can characters emerge from the depths of the era to stand before today's audiences.

When creating the TV drama Southbound and Northbound, Gao Mantang turned his attention to the daily work of railway police. A train is a window for observing society; the encounters and partings of passengers, the intersections of different lives, and the changes brought by the development of the times all enter the story through this "window." The work of railway police is not always breathtaking, and daily life on the train is full of trivialities and ordinariness, but familiar scenes can still be written as "breathtaking" and "meaningful," as long as one digs out the rich space for observing society and understanding human relationships.

The truth of life must ultimately be realized in characters, and the truth of characters is often hidden in details. He often says, "A hundred plot points are not as good as one vivid, true detail." Details are not embellishments to a story, but the concentrated presentation of a character's personality, inner activities, and real-life circumstances. A creator must not only see what a character does, but also understand why he does it; must not only write the character's external behavior, but also perceive the emotions and helplessness behind the behavior. Only by placing characters back into their specific living environments can one avoid conceptualization and stereotyping, allowing them to have both their own logic of character and the complexity and truth of ordinary people.

"There must be a camera set up in my mind." He often reminds himself that where a character stands, how emotions are expressed through actions, and how scenes are directed all need to be considered during writing. A story with vitality is not woven in the study. The ideas on paper, when they reach the filming location, must be tested by factors such as scenes, direction, and performance, and may even need to be readjusted. Creation is therefore not finished when the script is delivered, but is a complete process from observing life, to conceiving the script, to on-site practice and repeated polishing.

Today, the film and television market is constantly changing, with topics and hot spots emerging one after another. Gao Mantang says: "Creators must have their own judgment." Chasing hot topics and applying popular formulas may gain attention in the short term, but they cannot replace long-term accumulation of life experience. Formal innovation is certainly important, but true originality, in the final analysis, must still answer what the work writes about, why it is written, and whether it can write the truths of life that no one else has discovered. The days of ordinary people may seem plain, but they contain the richest knowledge of human affairs and also hold the code for understanding the era.

"Dig one well deep, write one drop of water well." Starting from a single person, an old object, or an ordinary day, Gao Mantang is always searching for the human heart in the depths of life, searching for the real marks that the changes of the times leave on ordinary people. Writing the era into ordinary days is not only his creative method, but also an artistic commitment to realism.

(The author is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the School of Journalism and Media Studies, Shandong Normal University)

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Salvaging "a Grain of Millet" from the Vast Sea of Guangji

By: 干 超

China's maritime foreign trade has continued for more than 2,000 years without interruption. Along this long maritime route, Guangzhou has been almost the only trading port that has endured continuously and prospered without decline, while Guangdong is the vast hinterland behind it and also an important gateway for China facing the world. Relying on millennium-old ports such as Guangzhou, this region has accumulated rich commercial experience, management systems, and wisdom of Sino-foreign exchanges, and it also reflects the underlying character of Chinese civilization: inclusiveness, openness, peace, and mutual benefit.

The documentary Guangji Canghai uses four episodes, focusing respectively on history, goods, people, and the present. The four characters "Guangji Canghai" carry a grand and imposing bearing, but what we must do is strive to salvage from within them a tiny, insignificant speck in a vast whole (沧海一粟, cang hai yi su - "vast ocean, one grain of millet"), stepping beyond the past single economic perspective, focusing on the specific and minute people in trade exchanges and the vivid and colorful mutual learning among civilizations, drawing from past open practices the beneficial experience of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, and providing reference significance for responding to the current global changes unseen in a century and writing a new chapter of high-level opening up to the outside world in the present era.

Trade is not merely a simple exchange of interests; it is also an encounter, a listening, and an understanding between civilizations. The "Empress of China" was the first story we heard during the preparation and filming process. At that time, the United States had just ended its War of Independence and urgently needed to open up an independent overseas market. On February 22, 1784, a wooden merchant ship named the "Empress of China" weighed anchor and departed from New York Harbor in the United States. After half a year of braving hardships and traveling continuously (风雨兼程, feng yu jian cheng - "wind, rain, simultaneously, journey"), it arrived at Huangpu Port in Guangzhou in August of the same year, opening the first direct trade in the history of Sino-American relations. Four months later, the cotton, furs, and American ginseng loaded aboard the "Empress of China" were all sold, and the ship then returned carrying tea, porcelain, silk, and various types of Oriental artworks. This voyage ultimately brought investors a profit rate of about 25%. The ship's supercargo, Samuel Shaw, later wrote: "During our stay in Canton, our character as citizens of an independent nation was acknowledged by all."

Trade is not only about macroeconomic strategies; it is also rooted in the micro-level choices of individuals, one by one. The film tells the story of Huang Dong, a young man from Guangzhou in the Qing Dynasty, who not only helped his British employer identify Eastern plants and trees, but also, after his employer died of illness, traveled alone to London carrying his manuscripts and paintings to return them to his family. In that distant foreign land, he explained the principles of Chinese acupuncture to British physicians, interpreted porcelain reign marks for a duchess, and wrote the Chinese common name "tiger ear" for the botanical collage works of a British naturalist artist... In the long river of history, it is precisely countless ordinary individuals like Huang Dong who crossed the barriers of language, summoned the courage to sail afar, and, through their tiny acts, transmitted new knowledge of civilizations and accumulated the enduring power of people-to-people bonds.

Trade is not only about the circulation of bulk goods such as porcelain and tea; it also gives rise to the absorbing and integrating of diverse elements (兼收并蓄, jian shou bing xu - "simultaneously receive, and, together absorb") and adaptive innovation in commercial thinking. Through the story of the Chinese painter Lin Gua, one can see his commercial wisdom in rapidly studying the academic techniques of the British painter George Chinnery, blending Chinese and Western painting languages, directly facing market competition, and, while ensuring the quality of his works, shortening delivery cycles and setting more accessible prices, thereby winning a large number of orders. Export paintings also gradually moved beyond the logic of individual creation and transactions, becoming the cultural industry most familiar to foreigners in Guangzhou at that time and one of considerable scale.

The feeling of filming the documentary Guangji Canghai is entirely different (截然不同, jie ran bu tong - "completely, different, not, same") from that of filming China Before China previously. China Before China involves tracing the origins of Chinese civilization over tens of thousands of years, and the original source materials available to rely on are relatively limited, whereas the relevant materials for Guangji Canghai are very abundant. These pieces of evidence originally serving real commercial activities inadvertently left behind for later generations a vast historical treasure trove. In this production, we boldly used animation to recreate certain historical scenes. More than 80 percent of the images are based on direct evidence from historical sources. The key frames of these animations were all hand-drawn by painters based on historical materials and combined with expert textual research.

By the Tang Dynasty, navigation technology had become increasingly mature, and the maritime distance between China and Japan was not particularly far, yet Jianzhen failed five times in his attempts to cross the sea, enduring countless hardships, and only succeeded on his sixth eastward voyage after losing his eyesight. The Japanese envoys to the Tang Dynasty who traveled to Chang'an at that time likewise risked their lives; to break through the perilous sea routes and ensure successful passage, they would often dispatch three ships at once, confronting the vast ocean with solitary courage, seeking only that a single leaf-like vessel might reach the Central Land.

"At night, divine lamps mark the way; by day, immortal beasts lead the way" — this is an inscription from the "Stele of the Divine Way of Yang Fujun of the Tang Dynasty." At night, one relied on the lights of coastal lighthouses to discern direction; by day, dolphins often swam ahead of the bow like immortal beasts. Yang Liangyao, an envoy of the Tang Dynasty, once carried out the mission of the Tang court, setting sail from Guangzhou on a long voyage to the Abbasid Caliphate (whose core region was in the area of present-day Iraq). This poetic account of his transoceanic voyage stirred my imagination and emotion. The production team searched far and wide for this stele inscription, and after a long search, we finally found it in Jingyang County, Shaanxi, just as filming was about to conclude, and used it in the first episode of the main series.

Guangji Canghai speaks of money and also of emotion, of service and also of innovation, of adventure and also of foresight. It is vast enough to connect the four seas through exchanges and mutual learning; yet it is also delicate enough that, within a tiny, insignificant speck in a vast whole, it carries but a single spray of a life's wave...

(The author is the chief director of the documentary Guangji Canghai)

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Why Does "One Who Has Been Through It" Strike a Chord of "Unresolved Regret"? (Quick Take)

By: 赵偲汝

"I've been where you are—a thousand years ago, I carried the same heart as yours..." In the recently viral AI (artificial intelligence) song "过来人" (One Who Has Been Through It), Liu Bang, Xiang Yu, Du Fu, Su Shi, and other figures familiar to netizens open up and rap, using their own hardships and predicaments to sing out the many unresolved resentments or regrets (意难平, yi nan ping - "intention, difficult, calm") of ordinary people.

Today, AI keeps lowering the threshold for creation, and it also keeps raising the threshold for "being seen." "过来人" became widely known or broke into the mainstream (出圈, chu quan - "exit, circle") from among a sea of AI works, and it has its own unique merits. In "those who have been through it," the ancients each speak of their own concerns—it does not force-feed inspirational chicken soup, nor does it promise that persistence will surely bring success;rather, it expresses a norm of life, offering warmth and companionship to those in difficulty. It places its focus on the common life predicaments shared by ordinary people. The line "I am not here to teach you; I am here to walk this journey with you. You are not alone—there is a lamp I have left ahead of you" breaks down the barrier between past and present, letting people see that even the sages of antiquity had to face difficulties, setbacks, and failures. It lets viewers see not only a journey across time, but also empathy across time. It shows that a profound appreciation and delicate expression of the ways of the world and the human heart is what distinguishes humans from AI, and it is also where the measure of a "living person's feel" lies.

Excellent literary and artistic works must be able to converse with the public. Empathy is the key to moving audiences of different ages. However, empathy does not mean arbitrary deconstruction, and the revitalization of classics does not mean bottomless, unscrupulous adaptation. To satisfy viewers' "unresolved regrets," some second-creation combinations fragment and reassemble classic character images, simplifying the weighty spiritual core of famous works and diminishing the intellectual heft of the originals—such content may foster a one-sided understanding of the classics. For creators, imagination may take flight, but reverence must not be lacking.

Traditional culture is, of course, not only hidden in ancient texts and museums; it can reasonably grow and thrive with the help of new media. "My nose inexplicably stings a bit, yet a smile still hangs on my lips," "Just leaving the comfort zone others see, heading toward an unprecedented (前所未有, qian suo wei you - "before, what, not, have") challenge," "I've watched it several times, and the tears have barely stopped," "This is the true meaning of AI's existence"... The barrage comments that keep flooding the screen for "those who have been through it" show that what the public needs from literature and art is not only rousing encouragement, but also gentle understanding.Sincere empathy will always be the precious essence of literature and art.

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Let Chinese-style aesthetics take root in everyday life

By: 黄颖湘

When creating The Fragrance of Orchids, I kept thinking: how can traditional aesthetics be reborn in contemporary television dramas? Chinese-style aesthetics should not stop at the visual reproduction of traditional elements; one must also understand their spiritual connotations and transform them into today's narrative language and emotional expression.

Traditional Chinese aesthetics values the blending of scenery and emotion (情景交融, qing jing jiao rong - "emotion, scene, blend") and the interplay between the real and the unreal (虚实相生, xu shi xiang sheng - "void, reality, mutually generate"), and also embodies the concept of the unity of humanity and nature. To construct the visual space of The Fragrance of Orchids, the main creative team went deep into Nanjing and Suzhou in Jiangsu to study traditional gardens, focusing not only on forms and scenery, but also on the cultural concepts behind the spaces and their narrative possibilities.

Take the railings in the Lin family garden as an example: they are both architectural components and a medium connecting people with nature. Inside the railings is the reality the characters cannot avoid; outside the railings is a broader world. Traditional forms only have real meaning when connected to concrete life. In the Lin residence, the mottled walls of the servants' rooms, the rising steam in the tea room, together with the exquisiteness of the courtyard and the elegance of the main hall, constitute the living texture of the mansion, and also allow the identities and circumstances of the characters to emerge naturally.

Gardens, objects, clothing, and light and shadow are only external forms; what truly endows the work with aesthetic character is their connection to the characters' fates, life experiences, and spiritual worlds.

Traditional Chinese aesthetics excels at expressing emotions through scenery (借景寄情, jie jing ji qing - "borrow, scene, convey, emotion"), and the Book of Songs often used plants, birds, and beasts to express human feelings. I also hope that the poetry of The Fragrance of Orchids can grow out of real life, allowing scenery and characters to reflect each other. For example, the plum tree in the drama carries such expression: the plum tree in the wind and snow is linked to the characters' choices when facing the pressures of reality. Though its branches may be damaged, life still grows upward. It is not merely a simple footnote to the characters' emotions, but also reflects the life force in people that refuses to be extinguished in adversity.

This kind of understated expression is also reflected in character portrayal. We do not simply divide characters into good and evil, strong and weak, joy and anger, sorrow and happiness; rather, we hope to present the complexity of human nature woven from fate, environment, and character. I still remember that when filming the scene of Xu Lanxiang's farewell to her adoptive parents, I quietly shed tears in front of the monitor. After Lu Ji'er's family was cruelly sold off, Xu Lanxiang was about to return to the Lin residence being surrounded by hidden dangers (危机四伏, wei ji si fu - "danger, four, sides, surround"). Her adoptive parents were full of worry, yet feared that their concern would bring trouble to their daughter, so they could only watch her leave from afar. Xu Lanxiang, walking at the end of the maidservants' procession, suddenly stopped, turned around, and gave them a bright smile, vigorously waving the sachet in her hand—inside was hidden a peace charm bearing the character "live." Her parents understood that their daughter was telling them: I will be fine, and you must be fine too.

This scene reminded me of my own farewells with my parents when I was studying abroad. Every time we parted at the airport, I would also wave vigorously and try to smile as brightly as possible, hoping they would worry a little less. Later, when filming Lanxiang's scene, I seemed to see my younger self again. Such resonance in creation reminds me: one must first move oneself, then move the actors, and finally move the audience.

"The fragrance of orchids" does not belong to just one character: it is the women with their respective fates—Xu Lanxiang/Shen Jialan, Zhao Xingtang, Du Cuique—and also the men who each go their own way—Lin Jinqi, Han Liang, Lu Xie, Yuan Shaohui. They experience gains and losses, seeking possibilities of life in different ways, and the complexity of fate lies precisely in the fact that people cannot always obtaining what one desires (如愿以偿, ru yuan yi chang - "as, wish, by, repay"). "To live, to live better" is not merely a thematic expression, but also the inner driving force running through the characters' fates.

As I grow older and the road I have traveled grows longer, I increasingly feel that the beauty of life lies not in how perfect it is, but in how we accept its imperfection. Xu Lanxiang once said that she lives for her parents, her daughter, and also for herself—for the scenery of the four seasons, for each meal, for the opera and the bustle of everyday life.The Fragrance of Orchids makes us believe all the more that the vitality of human life does not necessarily come from spectacular feats, but can also come from cherishing each meal, loving the people around us, and the heart that still yearns for beauty after weathering storms.

Looking back over the entire drama, the fates of the characters ultimately point to a simple conviction: love given returns as love; blessings sent out bring blessings back. Kindness may not guarantee a life free of storms, but it can give people the strength to move forward even in hardship. The contemporary value of traditional aesthetics lies precisely here: it not only lets us see the beauty of form, but also allows us to perceive human feelings and understand life through it.

(The author is the director of the television drama The Fragrance of Orchids)

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Page editors: Zhao Cairu

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