People's Daily - November 8, 2026

Deploying the Election Work of Delegates to the 21st National Congress of the Party

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 7) The Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party decided that the 21st National Congress of the Party will be held in Beijing in the second half of 2027. Recently, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued the "Notice on the Election Work of Delegates to the 21st National Congress of the Party," making comprehensive arrangements for the election of delegates to the 21st National Congress. The Organization Department of the Central Committee recently held a meeting to make specific arrangements for this work.

The 21st National Congress of the Party is a very important congress that our Party will convene at a critical period of basically realizing socialist modernization and on the new journey toward the Second Centenary Goal, and it is a major event in the political life of the Party and the state. Doing a good job in the election of delegates to the 21st National Congress is an important foundation for convening the congress successfully. The Party Central Committee attaches great importance to the election work of delegates to the 21st National Congress. General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over meetings of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee and the Political Bureau of the Central Committee to study this matter specifically, determining the overall requirements and goals and tasks for doing this work well, and requiring Party organizations at all levels to earnestly shoulder political responsibility, conscientiously perform their duties, and carefully organize implementation to ensure the successful completion of the delegate election work.

The Party Central Committee has determined that the total number of delegates to the 21st National Congress is 2,360, to be elected by 38 electoral units across the country. To do a good job in the election of delegates to the 21st National Congress, it is necessary to fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, take the Party Constitution as the foundation, uphold and strengthen the Party's overall leadership, especially the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, adhere to putting political standards first, strictly enforce standards and conditions, strictly follow election procedures, and strictly observe election discipline, ensuring that the delegates elected to the 21st National Congress are of excellent quality, reasonable composition, broad distribution, and supported by Party members.

The Party Central Committee has made it clear that delegates to the 21st National Congress should be outstanding members among Communist Party members, model observers of the Party Constitution, strictly demanding of themselves in accordance with Party member standards, and possessing the advanced nature of Communist Party members. It is necessary to strictly guard the political pass for candidates, do solid and in-depth political quality assessment, strengthen the identification of Party spirit, focus on examining candidates' political stance, political attitude, political awareness, and political judgment, political understanding, and political execution, deeply comprehend the decisive significance of the Two Establishments (两个确立), enhance the Four Consciousnesses (四个意识), strengthen the Four Confidences (四个自信), and achieve the Two Upholds (两个维护), and exercise a one-vote veto over those who are politically unqualified. Strictly guard the integrity pass and work style pass for candidates, implement all regulations on integrity checks, strictly screen and verify, pay attention to understanding moral character, work style and image, and resolutely prevent "nomination with illness" and "election with illness." It is necessary to reasonably grasp the composition of delegates, ensure the proportion of delegates from the front line of production and work, pay attention to recommending advanced model figures among Party members who are workers, peasants, and professional and technical personnel as delegate candidates; female Party members and Party members from ethnic minorities should account for a certain proportion. There should be delegates from various fields such as the economy, science and technology, national defense, political and legal affairs, education, publicity, culture, health, sports, social management, and new employment groups.

The Party Central Committee requires that the election of delegates to the 21st National Congress be conducted through the method of proceeding from the bottom up, combining top and bottom, repeated deliberation, and selection level by level. It is necessary to carry out in-depth publicity and education, extensively mobilize grassroots Party organizations and Party members to actively participate in the recommendation and nomination of delegate candidates, and select the best level by level based on the opinions of the majority of Party organizations and Party members. It is necessary to strictly organize assessment, implement differential assessment and assessment announcements, and fully listen to the opinions of grassroots Party organizations, Party congress delegates, Party members, and the masses. It is necessary to conscientiously do a good job in conference elections, with delegates elected through competitive election, and the proportion of competitive election should be more than 15%.

The Party Central Committee emphasizes that Party organizations at all levels should effectively strengthen leadership, make thorough arrangements and deployments, and with a high sense of political responsibility and a rigorous and meticulous work style, solidly do a good job in the election of delegates to the 21st National Congress. It is necessary to strictly observe political discipline, organizational discipline, and election discipline, adhere to the strict tone, strict measures, and strict atmosphere, use the cases of vote buying, bribery, and election sabotage in Hengyang, Hunan, Nanchong, Sichuan, Liaoning and other places to carry out warning education, draw lessons from them, and take them as a warning (引以为戒, yin yi wei jie - "draw, in, as, warning"). Strengthen whole-process supervision of the delegate election work, adopt a "zero tolerance" attitude toward violations of discipline, regulations, and law, and resolutely investigate and deal with them once discovered, ensuring a clean and upright atmosphere. It is necessary to implement the requirements of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party with perseverance, so that the process of electing delegates becomes a process of thoroughly studying and implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, a process of vivid practice of Party spirit, Party conduct, Party discipline, Party history education, and intra-Party political life, a process of promoting the establishment and practice of a correct view of political achievements and encouraging entrepreneurship and dedication, further enhancing the Party's creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness, mobilizing the majority of Party members and cadres to unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, stay true to the Party's original aspiration and founding mission, unite as one, strive with determination, and jointly struggle for the basic realization of socialist modernization, continuously creating a new situation in comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.

The election work of delegates to the 21st National Congress begins now and will end before the end of June next year.

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Agriculture, Rural Areas, and Farmers Development Reaches New Heights (Vitality China Research Tour)

By: 本报记者

The modernization of agriculture and rural areas bears on the overall situation and quality of Chinese modernization.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Accelerate the pace of agricultural and rural modernization, make the foundation of agriculture more solid, rural areas more prosperous, and farmers' lives more thriving, and march steadily toward the goal of building a strong agricultural country."

The period of the 15th Five-Year Plan is a critical period for basically realizing agricultural and rural modernization. In the first year of this period, reporters traveled through the major agricultural provinces of Heilongjiang, Henan, and Hubei, visiting fields, production workshops, and village courtyards, and feeling the vigorous vitality of rural areas across the vast farmland.

From the black soil of the Longjiang region to the granary of the Central Plains, and then to the fertile fields of Jingchu, with goals firmly set and full drive, the development of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers continues to reach new heights.

The foundation of agriculture is becoming more solid

Food security is an important foundation of national security. Ensuring the stable supply of grain and other important agricultural products is the top priority of agricultural production.

Building a solid foundation for food security cannot be separated from the continued deepening of farmland protection.

Black soil is "the giant panda of farmland." In Hailun City, Suihua, Heilongjiang, the Hailun Agricultural Ecology Experimental Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been rooted in the core black soil area for more than 40 years, deeply engaged in long-term observation, research, and demonstration of black soil farmland ecosystem.

In order to make the black soil that has become "thinner, leaner, and harder" regain its oily luster, national policies have continued to exert force, and generations of researchers have carried on the struggle here.

Sui Yueyu, the relevant person in charge of the Hailun Agricultural Ecology Experimental Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced that in 2021, the "Longjiang Model" of black soil protection pioneered by the Hailun Station was incorporated into the national black soil protection project implementation plan. The combined model of deep straw return, combined organic fertilizer application, and corn-soybean rotation has allowed tens of millions of mu of black soil to regain vitality.

To cultivate good farmland, good seeds are the key. Li Yanhua, head of the Cold Region Soybean Breeding Discipline Group of the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been deeply engaged in soybean breeding on cold-region black soil for more than 30 years. The series of soybean varieties cultivated by Li Yanhua's team have been promoted cumulatively over more than 120 million mu in the Northeast region, driving farmers' income increases of over 10 billion yuan.

Building a solid foundation for food security cannot be separated from the research, development, and promotion of advanced agricultural machinery.

In Luoyang, Henan, at the intelligent production workshop for large wheel tractors of YTO Group Corporation, numbers on electronic screens jump and update, and one large tractor after another completes assembly and rolls off the production line.

Guo Zhenjie, deputy general manager of the Large Tractor Company of YTO Group Corporation, introduced that this intelligent production line has an annual production capacity of over 45,000 units and applies new processes such as robotic spraying, fixed torque, and online inspection.

In 2019, under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, more than 10 units including YTO Group Corporation jointly invested to establish the first national-level manufacturing innovation center in China's agricultural machinery field. The first domestic 5G + hydrogen fuel electric tractor, pure electric self-propelled transplanter, hydrogen energy plant protection machine... a batch of technological achievements are accelerating out of the laboratory.

Led by chain-leading enterprises such as YTO Group Corporation, more and more major innovative products have been successively launched — the Dongfanghong high-horsepower intelligent tractor and high-performance combine harvester have been iteratively upgraded, and agricultural machinery and equipment for specialty cash crops and hilly and mountainous areas have achieved new breakthroughs...

Building a solid foundation for food security cannot be separated from the protection provided by the concept of a big food approach.

In Sanshan Village, Dushan Town, Echeng District, Ezhou, Hubei, fresh and plump Wuchang fish are the "fish of prosperity" that drive villagers' income increases.

The secret of the "freshness" of Wuchang fish lies in a lake of clear water. Sanshan Village once suffered greatly from ecological damage. Pig pens, chicken coops, and dry latrines were clustered along the lakeshore, floating restaurants were built indiscriminately, and sewage and garbage were discharged directly into the lake. The living space of Wuchang fish was squeezed, and their quality was greatly compromised.

To obtain food from rivers, lakes, and seas, it is necessary to fundamentally protect the ecological environment. Since 2016, Echeng District has carried out a special rectification campaign of "clearing four disorders" in rivers and lakes in the Sanshan Lake basin, rectifying sewage sources along the shore.

Changes followed — sewage pipe networks were laid into the village, the return of reclaimed land to the lake was comprehensively promoted, ecological water replenishment pipelines extended along the lake, and aquaculture tail water was purified and then returned to the lake. The nets that once fragmented the lake surface have disappeared, replaced by well-regulated ecological fish ponds.

A lake of clear water raises a good fish. "With excellent water quality, the price of the Wuchang fish raised here has doubled compared to before." Wu Guosheng, head of the Sanshan Lake Planting and Breeding Farmers' Professional Cooperative, said. In 2025, the output value of the entire Wuchang fish industry chain in Ezhou exceeded 20 billion yuan, driving income increases for 15,000 farmer households.

Rural areas are becoming more prosperous

Building livable, workable, and beautiful villages is an inherent requirement of a strong agricultural country. The greater prosperity of rural areas is reflected both in the foundation of ecological livability and in the quality of thriving industries.

Improving the living environment, the picture of beautiful and harmonious villages is slowly unfolding.

Niutou Mountain in Yuzhou City, Xuchang, Henan, is layered with green and gold. Dajian Village in Mojie Township, located at the northern foot of the mountain, has neat houses and clean roads.

It is hard to imagine that this place used to be a different scene. "Because of coal resources, the whole village once 'lived off the mountain by eating the mountain,' leaving behind a heavy ecological debt." Chen Haichang, secretary of the Party committee of Dajian Village, said.

Dajian Village was determined to break the deadlock: returning farmland to forest, greening barren mountains, and restoring mine ecology. After years of governance, the village completed the return of more than 1,600 mu of farmland to forest, greened more than 3,500 mu of barren mountains, and increased the forest coverage rate to over 90%. The scarred mountain body has been clothed in green again.

Dajian Village has changed its approach to "living off the mountain by eating the mountain." Chen Haichang said that the village has built a standardized sweet potato planting base, driving the planting of 13,000 mu of sweet potatoes in the surrounding area; introduced enterprises to build modern processing production lines, and last year the sales of sweet potato series products exceeded 6.6 million yuan.

Relying on mountain and forest resources, Dajian Village has built a camping base, revitalized idle courtyards, and developed farmhouse restaurants and characteristic homestays, making rural development even more outstanding.

Developing smart agriculture, high-quality fruits fly out of the layers of mountains.

In the smart agriculture demonstration park of Yandengbao Village, Guojiaba Town, Zigui County, Yichang, Hubei, data such as temperature, humidity, and soil moisture on the digital big screen jumps in real time. On villagers' phone screens, information such as soil testing and formula fertilization and fertilization recommendations is immediately obvious or easy to understand (一目了然, yimu liangran - "one, eye, clearly, understand").

In the orchard, one drone after another loaded with navel oranges takes off into the air, and small field trains shuttle along tracks between steep slopes, steadily carrying the navel oranges transported by drones down the mountain.

Guo Xingcheng, an orange farmer in Wangjialing Village, Guojiaba Town, learned drone crop protection technology, obtained a pilot's license, and with the support of the purchase subsidy policy, formed a socialized service team to provide agricultural services for orange farmers.

A drone takes only a few minutes to fly from the mountaintop to the highway collection point, and can transport 50,000 to 60,000 jin of navel oranges per day, saving orange farmers more than 200 million yuan in comprehensive costs each year. Zigui County now has more than 220 drone socialized service teams.

Today, the navel orange planting area in Zigui County has reached 400,000 mu, with an annual output of over 1 million tons, and the comprehensive output value of the entire industry chain exceeds 25 billion yuan.

Promoting the integration of agriculture and tourism, the sea of rice fields and pastoral landscapes attract a continuous stream of visitors.

The Ten-Thousand-Mu Rice Park in Fujin City, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, recently welcomed the harvest season, and the rice field library, characteristic homestays, and study and experience area are all very popular. "On the premise of not changing the use of farmland and holding the bottom line of food security, we empower farmland with technology and attract visitors to the countryside through innovative business formats." The relevant person in charge of the park introduced.

In the study and experience area, a sense of technology hits you in the face. In the 500-square-meter Zhidao Rice Technology Experience Hall, agricultural science popularization, aerospace displays, virtual reality experiences, and more are all available. In the fresh rice processing workshop, visitors can experience rice processing and intuitively feel the journey of a grain of rice coming into being. In the outdoor farming experience field, visitors can also transplant rice seedlings and get close to the soil...

The integration of agriculture and tourism multiplies benefits. The park's related operations and services radiate to about 10 surrounding villages, driving comprehensive growth in surrounding agricultural product sales, farmhouse catering, and rural employment.

Farmers' lives are becoming more thriving

The starting point and ultimate goal of comprehensive rural revitalization is to make the lives of hundreds of millions of farmers better. In agricultural and rural work, no matter how much is said, increasing farmers' income is the key.

Party and masses join hands, villages work together, and the road to common prosperity is getting wider and wider.

Yanhe Village, Wushan Town, Gucheng County, Xiangyang, Hubei, has green mountains like dark eyebrows, tea gardens spread along the slopes, and homestays are well-arranged and aesthetically pleasing (错落有致, cuoluo youzhi - "scattered, falling, have, order").

"Last year, the number of tourists we received exceeded 800,000, tourism comprehensive income exceeded 100 million yuan, and the per capita annual net income of villagers reached 40,000 yuan." Min Hongyan, secretary of the Party committee of Yanhe Village, introduced.

Yanhe Village was once a poor mountain village, with relatively low per capita annual income for villagers. Min Hongyan led Party members and cadres to reclaim barren mountains and plant tea, and with the joint efforts of the Party and the masses, the bald mountains were transformed into a green "bank," developing organic tea gardens and economic forests.

With green mountains and clear water, the reputation of the tea mountains has grown louder and louder. Yanhe Village took advantage of the situation to develop rural tourism, successfully creating a national 4A-level tourist attraction in 2022, attracting more young people to return to their hometowns to start businesses.

One village's prosperity brings common prosperity. Yanhe Village has driven the seven surrounding villages to jointly plan tea tourism routes and jointly develop homestay clusters and study bases. In 2025, the net collective economic income of each of the seven surrounding villages exceeded 250,000 yuan.

Enterprises gather strength, linking and driving farmers, and the wallets of fellow villagers are getting fuller and fuller.

In the production workshop of Caiqiao Rice Industry Co., Ltd. in Tonghe County, Harbin, Heilongjiang, the fully automatic rice processing production line is running at full capacity.

Through the "enterprise + cooperative + farmer" cooperation mechanism, Caiqiao Rice Industry purchases and stores rice nearby, implementing a guaranteed floor price with premium acquisition for paddy rice, ensuring farmers' planting income. The enterprise also provides jobs for local farmers, realizing the dual income increase of "growing grain + working."

Yang Zhiwei, a villager of Xiangyang Village, Xiangshun Town, Tonghe County, joined the production workshop of the Tonghe Caiqiao base in May 2023 as an operator, and his family also signed an order acquisition contract with the enterprise. "Farming and working don't conflict, and I can earn more than 100,000 yuan a year." Yang Zhiwei said.

The sweetness of this "dual income increase" is getting stronger and stronger. In 2025, the Tonghe Caiqiao base implemented 14,560 mu of order planting, driving more than 100 people to find nearby employment, and helping local farmers increase their per-household income by more than 1,500 yuan.

Improving services, benefiting and facilitating the people, the lives of the masses are getting better and better.

In Longquan Village, Qiliying Town, Xinxiang County, Henan, rows of houses are neat and uniform, elderly people stroll leisurely in the square, and children chase and play, presenting a scene of peace and harmony.

Many years ago, the village was a different sight — old houses and muddy roads.

In 2013, after Longquan Village completed its planning and construction, the village focused on building a "five-minute living circle," so that villagers could handle high-frequency livelihood services without leaving the village. In the elderly activity center, a book reading room, a calligraphy and painting room, and an arts rehearsal room are all available. The village invested in building an education center integrating kindergarten, primary school, junior high school, and senior high school, and a canteen for the elderly was also put into use this year.

The change in the village's appearance stems from the change in the collective economy. Longquan Village revitalized collective assets, stimulated the vitality of collective enterprises such as papermaking and heating, and villagers bought shares and received regular dividends. In 2025, the village collective income reached 12.6 million yuan. "Working in the village, with security for the elderly, I feel very at ease." Villager Liang Bin said.

Adhering to the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, and promoting comprehensive rural revitalization with more effective measures, the beautiful picture of strong agriculture, beautiful rural areas, and prosperous farmers will surely become increasingly clear.

(People's Daily reporters Han Chunyao, Zhang Anyu, Fang Yuan, Liu Mengdan, Zhu Peixian, Zhao Shuaijie, Fan Haotian, Wu Jun)

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Solving People's Urgent Concerns with Better Services (Frontline Report on Implementing the Spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session)

By: 本报记者 张腾扬

Walking into the government service center of Qiu County, Handan City, Hebei Province, a window bearing the sign "If Things Can't Be Done, Come to Me" (事办不成找我) catches the eye.

The window's name demonstrates a commitment to taking responsibility: for the people's reasonable and lawful demands, no shirking, no detours, and follow-through to the end.

The "Decision" of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China proposes to "guide Party members and cadres to strengthen their sense of purpose and sense of being public servants, firmly stand on the people's side, enhance their feelings for the masses, and prevent acting in a detached and superior manner (高高在上, gao gao shang zai - "high, high, above, at") and becoming divorced from the masses" and to "seriously resolve the urgent, difficult, anxious, and expectant problems."

Focusing on the people's urgent, difficult, anxious, and expectant problems and centering on the "If Things Can't Be Done, Come to Me" window, the Qiu County Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervisory Commission has continuously improved the bottom-line supervision and handling mechanism, covering the county level and townships and subdistricts, and coordinating various departments to integrate functions such as accepting appeals, facilitating services for the people, and maintaining public security and order.

In providing services, they take the initiative to move forward. On November 1, the aroma of food wafted through the "Sesame Duck Shop" in Xinmatou Town, where members of the town's comprehensive administrative law enforcement team came to the shop to offer reminders: ingredients should be arranged in an orderly manner, attention should be paid to electrical safety...

Some time ago, shop owner Yuan Bin learned a craft and wanted to open a business, but got stuck at the licensing and renovation stage: he was unfamiliar with the policies and procedures, and was also afraid that the shop's renovation might be non-compliant and require rework. He consulted the "If Things Can't Be Done, Come to Me" window in Xinmatou Town. The staff asked about the type of business, listed the required documents; if he couldn't file online, that was fine—the staff taught him step by step; the window accepted the case and dispatched it, and the responsible department promptly conducted a pre-inspection.

The next day, when they entered the shop for inspection, the law enforcement officers pointed out problems such as unclear separation of raw and cooked food areas, mixed use of sink functions, and inadequate fly and dust prevention facilities.

Yuan Bin's heart tightened: "Do I need to tear everything down and redo it?" "No need to tear down. Adjust the layout, install the facilities, and put up the labels, and you can save the expense," came the reply.

Subsequently, the shop quickly made improvements, passed the re-inspection within a few days, and obtained the license. "Regulation has its rules, and the service is considerate," Yuan Bin remarked.

Now, through institutionalized arrangements, with proactive intervention and pre-service, Party members and cadres have transformed their work style, driving improvements in the quality and efficiency of serving the masses.

Cross-departmental coordination is carried through to the end. For the "long-standing hard problems" that span industries and departments, the county Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervisory Commission coordinates overall supervision.

Jiaxin Supermarket in Wanquanhui Shopping Mall in Qiu County is located on the basement level, where the network signal is weak and customers often experience lag when scanning QR codes to pay. The merchant tried to handle it on their own, and the township helped coordinate, but the telecom operator remained unresponsive for a long time.

Not long ago, with a "might as well try" attitude, merchant Guo Xiaojia walked into the "If Things Can't Be Done, Come to Me" window. Subsequently, the county Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervisory Commission activated the county-level supervision and handling mechanism, coordinating the tower company and the telecom operator to handle the matter on site, repairing the lines and replacing the antennas, so that merchants and customers no longer need to worry about unstable signals.

"If Things Can't Be Done, Come to Me" features tiered handling with force: for ordinary convenience matters, township windows handle them on site; for demands that span fields and are difficult to coordinate, the county takes overall charge. Institutional procedures are being optimized: matters that can be done the same day are done the same day; matters requiring coordination among multiple departments are concluded within 3 days; complex problems with a long history receive a response within 7 days. To date, Qiu County's "If Things Can't Be Done, Come to Me" has cumulatively concluded more than 3,200 livelihood-related and enterprise-related appeals, with a completion rate of 99.8%.

"Behind the numbers are hard constraints," said Shi Linlin, head of the Party Conduct and Government Ethics Supervision Office of the county Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervisory Commission. The Qiu County Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervisory Commission runs supervision and discipline enforcement through the entire chain of handling matters—appeal collection, tiered triage, assignment and handling, follow-up evaluation, supervision and accountability... closed-loop supervision across the entire chain, with every matter having a resolution.

"Studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, we will continue to improve the mechanism for getting things done, ensuring that matters concerning the people are managed by someone, managed effectively, and managed through to the end," said Hu Shimin, member of the Standing Committee of the Qiu County Party Committee and secretary of the county Commission for Discipline Inspection.

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Photo Report

Recently, the multi-energy complementary (i.e., new energy market-based grid integration) project located in Fukang City, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang — the Luneng Fukang 100,000-kilowatt molten salt tower-type concentrated solar power generation and energy storage project — was connected to the grid and put into operation. After commissioning, the concentrated solar power portion will generate approximately 120 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, saving about 40,000 tons of standard coal each year.

Photo by He Long (Xinhua News Agency)

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Coal Sea Turns Green, "Wind and Solar" Forge Ahead

By: 本报记者 冯春梅 张 枨

At the beginning of winter, at the Heidaigou open-pit coal mine of CHN Energy Zhunneng Group, located in Jungar Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, the production site is in full swing with great enthusiasm (热火朝天, re huo chao tian - "hot, fire, reach, sky"), with giant unmanned mining trucks shuttling precisely and operating in an orderly manner.

On the large screen of the centralized control center, in the real-time images transmitted back from the site, vehicle parameters, driving routes, and other information are immediately obvious at a glance (一目了然, yi mu le ran - "one, eye, understand, clear"). "We have completed the intelligent transformation of 79 300-ton-class mining trucks and 116 engineering coordination equipment units, enabling 24-hour continuous operation. The integrated construction of the digital mine has made production safer and more efficient," said mine director Niu Jingfu (钮景付).

In June 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during an inspection tour of Inner Mongolia: "Promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional energy industries, vigorously developing green energy, and strengthening and expanding the national important energy base are the top priorities for Inner Mongolia's development."

Keeping the instructions firmly in mind, Ordos City, based on energy security and industrial transformation, is promoting the integrated development of traditional and new energy, opening up new energy tracks, and exploring new pathways for green and low-carbon transformation of resource-based cities.

"Warming a thousand cities, lighting ten thousand households' lamps" — Ordos produces nearly 900 million tons of coal annually, supplying thermal coal to 28 provinces; its thermal power installed capacity is 38.34 million kilowatts, with annual power generation exceeding 180 billion kilowatt-hours, accounting for more than 30% of the autonomous region's thermal power generation. "At present, Ordos has built 164 intelligent coal mines, accounting for about 90% of the production capacity of the city's mines in operation," said Yun Xiaoping (云小平), director of the Ordos Municipal Energy Bureau.

Extending the coal chemical industry chain, transforming and upgrading the traditional energy industry.

Entering the chemical branch company of Zhongtian Hechuang Energy Co., Ltd., located in Uxin Banner, coal is converted through processes such as gasification, purification, methanol synthesis, and methanol-to-olefins into polyolefin — an important raw material for the petrochemical industry.

"Polyolefin can be used to produce plastics and other chemical products; food packaging, home appliance casings, toys, and other daily items all depend on it," introduced Mao Huanxin (毛焕新), manager of the company's project management department. The project is equipped with two methanol-to-olefins units, with multiple core pieces of equipment localized in China, making it a globally leading-scale coal-to-olefins demonstration project.

"Black gold" is not just fuel, but also raw material for high-end chemical products. Ordos has built a modern coal chemical production capacity of 24.51 million tons, ranking among the forefront of the country. It is one of the country's 4 modern coal chemical industry demonstration zones and one of 5 coal-to-oil and coal-to-gas strategic bases, with product categories covering multiple industrial chains including coal-to-oil/gas, coal-to-alcohol/ether, and coal-to-olefins.

"Relying on the mature coal chemical industry chain, the city has introduced new material projects such as battery cathode and anode materials, electrolytes, high-carbon alcohols and aldehydes, and carbon fiber, continuously increasing the added value of the industrial chain and supporting low-carbon transformation," said Gao Huaijing (高怀京), director of the Ordos Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

Activating new momentum from wind and solar, expanding capacity and improving quality of green energy.

At the central-northern new energy base in the Kubuqi Desert's "desert, Gobi, and barren land" area, photovoltaic panels spread out in continuous arrays, wind turbines spin in the breeze, continuously outputting green electricity.

"The project plans to build 8 million kilowatts of photovoltaic, 4 million kilowatts of wind power, supported by 4 million kilowatts of supporting thermal power and 5 million kilowatt-hours of new-type energy storage," said Yun Xiaoping. After full operation, it can deliver approximately 36 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to the North China power grid, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, with new energy accounting for 60%, saving 6.4 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 16 million tons annually.

What was once sandy wasteland has become an energy "cornucopia." According to reports, Ordos has currently received approval for nearly 110 million kilowatts of "desert, Gobi, and barren land" new energy bases and market-oriented new energy projects, and has built and connected nearly 28 million kilowatts of new energy installed capacity to the grid.

Green electricity consumption continues to raise the "green content" of the energy industry. In the first nine months of this year, Ordos completed green electricity trading of 8.62 billion kilowatt-hours, issued 8.6 million green certificates, and built 9 market-oriented projects with a scale of 3.22 million kilowatts.

Building the "wind, solar, hydrogen, storage, and vehicles" sector, improving the new energy equipment manufacturing chain.

Entering the LONGi Green Energy production workshop located in the Mengsu Economic Development Zone in Ejin Horo Banner, relying on green electricity from the park, silver-bright crystal ingots go through processes such as squaring, slicing, and cleaning to produce thin silicon wafers, which become the core raw material for photovoltaic modules.

"We are accelerating the construction of new energy supporting projects, having already built a 408,200-kilowatt wind-solar-storage integrated project, with the park's green electricity usage rate approaching 70%," introduced Zhao Wei (赵炜), director of the management committee of the Mengsu Economic Development Zone.

The park gathers equipment manufacturing enterprises for photovoltaics, energy storage, hydrogen fuel cells, and new energy heavy trucks. Wind and solar produce green electricity, green electricity manufactures equipment, and equipment empowers new energy — a closely linked and interconnected (环环相扣, huan huan xiang kou - "ring, ring, interlock, buckle") industrial ecosystem that is a vivid microcosm of Ordos's "wind, solar, hydrogen, storage, and vehicles" industrial cluster.

"Ordos has introduced more than 100 'wind, solar, hydrogen, storage, and vehicles' industrial chain enterprises including LONGi, Envision, CRRC, and CATL, and has built or is building 15 gigawatts of wind power equipment, 85 gigawatts of photovoltaic cells and modules, more than 20,000 units of hydrogen energy equipment, 67 gigawatt-hours of energy storage equipment, and 350,000 new energy vehicles," said He Wanzhi (何万智), director of the Ordos Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau.

"Thoroughly implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, we will continue to strengthen the energy advantage industry, accelerate the building of a modern energy powerhouse with multi-energy integration, leading scale, technological demonstration, and strong support, and contribute to building a national important energy and strategic resource base," said Li Li (李理), secretary of the Ordos Municipal Party Committee.

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Injecting Youthful Strength into Global Development and Progress (Today's Commentary)

By: 崔 琦

"The future of bilateral relations lies in the youth." Recently, President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from 110 young students in Australia, encouraging them to be inheritors of China-Australia friendship and cooperation, so that China-Australia friendship is passed down from generation to generation, endless and continuous (生生不息, sheng sheng bu xi - "birth, birth, not, end").

Intercourse between nations and coexistence of civilizations lie in the affinity between peoples and the connection between hearts. Practice has proven that one more handshake means one less estrangement. The bond between hearts is precisely the deepest and most enduring foundation for mutual understanding, mutual trust, win-win cooperation between countries.

The youth, full of youthful vigor (朝气蓬勃, zhao qi peng bo - "morning, energy, surging, vigorous"), are the future of the cause of friendship. On the 55th anniversary of China-U.S. "Ping-Pong Diplomacy," the two countries continue to write a story of youthful bonds; the China-Africa Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition sparks flashes of inspiration... Countless cross-border encounters sow seeds of mutual understanding and affinity in people's hearts. As generations of youth carry forward friendship, the bond of mutual learning among civilizations will become more fresh with time (历久弥新, li jiu mi xin - "pass, long time, increasingly, new").

Today, the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation, and a series of global challenges call on the youth of all countries to step forward with responsibility. In colliding wisdom through mutual learning, and jointly seeking solutions through exchange and cooperation, the youth's vibrant imagination and resolute capacity for action will surely inject youthful strength into global development and progress, continuously writing a new chapter of the era of working together for the common good of the world (同球共济, tong qiu gong ji - "same, ball, together, cross rivers") and harmonious coexistence.

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Cumulative Renovation Completed in 16,000 Old Urban Residential Communities

(People's Daily, Beijing, November 7) (Reporter Li Xinping) The reporter learned from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development: In the first three quarters, a total of 16,000 old urban residential communities nationwide completed renovation, and 13,000 communities were under renovation, benefiting 5.02 million households. In the renovation of old urban residential communities across various regions, a total of more than 7,200 kilometers of aging pipelines for water, electricity, gas, heat, and other utilities were upgraded, more than 2,800 communities underwent aging-friendly and barrier-free renovations, 86,000 parking spaces were added, 9.54 million square meters of building energy-efficiency renovation were implemented, and more than 10,000 charging piles for electric vehicles and electric bicycles were installed.

This year, 30.9 billion yuan of ultra-long-term special treasury bond funds were arranged to support the replacement of 197,000 old elevators in residential buildings across various regions. Since 2024, ultra-long-term special treasury bond funds have cumulatively supported the replacement of 364,000 elevators across various regions, benefiting 14.57 million households. As of now, 192,000 elevators have been replaced and completed.

In the first three quarters, complete community construction and renovation were implemented in 976 communities nationwide, with 2,336 community public service facilities and 1,867 convenience commercial service facilities added, and 3.983 million square meters of community public activity spaces and public green spaces added or upgraded, benefiting 3.632 million households.

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Over 8 Million Person-Times Receive Subsidized Training

(People's Daily, Beijing, November 7) (Reporter Qiu Chaoyi) The reporter learned from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security that since the beginning of this year, China has carried out large-scale vocational skills training by industry and field, with subsidized training exceeding 8 million person-times in the first three quarters.

According to the introduction, the human resources and social security departments have fully implemented the "Skills Illuminate the Future" training action, comprehensively promoted training models such as industry-education-evaluation, order-based, and project-based approaches, and coordinated with relevant departments to carry out large-scale vocational skills training by industry and field. As of the end of September, various localities had cultivated and built 379 industry-education-evaluation skills ecological chains, involving 3,190 enterprises and driving training of 280,000 person-times.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security will thoroughly implement the "15th Five-Year Plan" for Implementing the Employment Priority Strategy, fully implement the "Opinions on Adapting to the Development of Artificial Intelligence Technology and Helping Build an Employment-Friendly Development Model," guide all localities to generally carry out technical and skills training in the field of artificial intelligence, fully tap the employment potential of producer services and consumer services, and intensify efforts to promote employment for key groups.

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Seventh World Media Summit held in Beijing

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 7) The Seventh World Media Summit opened in Beijing on November 7. Li Shulei, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. Yin Li, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the CPC, attended and delivered remarks.

Participating guests held that, under the guidance of the spirit of President Xi Jinping's congratulatory letter to the Fourth World Media Summit, the summit's influence has continued to grow over the past five years, and media cooperation among countries has continued to deepen. At present, global artificial intelligence technological innovation has entered an unprecedented (前所未有, qian suo wei you - "before, have, not, exist") period of vitality, bringing both opportunities and challenges to media development. How to adapt to the profound transformation of the public opinion ecosystem and promote the transitional development of global media, and how to leverage the unique advantages of media and promote the continuous improvement of global artificial intelligence governance, require deep reflection and a joint response from all parties.

Participating guests expressed that the more rapidly technology develops, the more necessary it is to uphold the humanistic spirit and long-termism. Media of all countries should deepen practical cooperation, continuously enrich the supply of quality content, accelerate the empowerment of digital and intelligent technologies, work together to promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, help improve artificial intelligence governance, and contribute wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

The Seventh World Media Summit is being held in Beijing from November 5 to 9, co-hosted by Xinhua News Agency and the People's Government of Beijing Municipality. Under the theme "Media's Mission and Cooperative Action in the Age of Intelligent Transformation," the summit is attended by nearly 500 representatives from close to 330 mainstream media outlets, think tanks, government departments, and United Nations and other international organizations from 112 countries and regions around the world.

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Open Chain Links the Globe, Smart Manufacturing Opens a New Journey (CIIE Observations)

By: 本报记者 齐志明 陆凡冰 卢 涛

In the technical equipment exhibition area, robotic arms trace smooth arcs in mid-air, industrial AI agents autonomously write control codes, and the zero-carbon park model flashes real-time energy consumption curves. At this year's CIIE, more than 480 representative exhibits made their global debut, Asian premiere, or China debut, setting a new record; for the first time, more than 300 Fortune Global 500 companies and industry leaders participated, with nearly 200 enterprises and institutions attending all nine editions.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "Adhere to the direction of intelligent, green, and integrated development, continue to strengthen and expand advanced manufacturing, enhance the independent and controllable level of industrial chains, and accelerate the construction of a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone."

The CIIE, as an open cooperation platform, is connecting global high-end equipment, industrial software, precision components, and intelligent manufacturing solutions with China's real industrial scenarios. Relying on the grand stage of the CIIE, promoting innovation through openness, new quality productive forces continue to be activated.

New technologies converge: one exhibition hall marks the "new coordinates" of global advanced manufacturing

The "newness" of advanced manufacturing lies in the development direction of industries seeking quality through innovation.

In the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan, China is accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone. In the first three quarters, the added value of the equipment manufacturing industry grew by 10.2% year-on-year, and that of high-tech manufacturing grew by 14.3%, outpacing the added value of all industries above designated size by 4.9 and 9.0 percentage points respectively, with equipment manufacturing contributing nearly 90% of export growth.

In August this year, Emerson's new factory was completed and put into operation in Shanghai. In Emerson's industrial AI exhibition area, its unbounded automation (无界自动化, wujie zidonghua - "no, boundary, automatic, machine") connects a data pathway between on-site operations, the cloud, and enterprise operation platforms. A new generation of intelligent valve positioners makes raw data actionable, and a full-scenario safety valve digital solution achieves second-level early warning.

ABB has put "AI + Power" in the "C position." The microgrid intelligent agent, through multi-agent collaboration of artificial intelligence, achieves "source-grid-load-storage" regulation for zero-carbon parks and failure prediction for power systems. Kang Liang, General Manager of ABB (China) Co., Ltd., introduced that this solution has been implemented at the company's Xiamen Industrial Center, with local green power consumption rate approaching 90%, annual carbon reduction of 13,400 tons, and energy cost optimization of 23%.

Siemens brought multiple exhibits making their China debut, including a synchronous condenser that provides inertia support, voltage regulation, and dynamic reactive power compensation, fastening a "safety belt" for the new power system. "China is accelerating the construction of a new energy system and advancing the construction of a new power system, which creates broad space for energy technology innovation and industrial cooperation," said Yao Zhenguo, Senior Vice President of Siemens Energy Global.

The medical devices and healthcare products exhibition area is one of the areas with the highest innovation density at this CIIE. Twelve Fortune Global 500 pharmaceutical companies appeared on the same stage, and 16 of the world's top 20 pharmaceutical companies participated. Medtronic brought 7 debut products and innovative solutions, with surgical robots, AI imaging, and brain-computer interfaces spread along the booth, covering fields such as pan-vascular interventional diagnosis and treatment and closed-loop neuromodulation. "Empowering medical technology development with artificial intelligence brings more possibilities for improving patient health," said Geoff Martha, Chairman and CEO of Medtronic, with great expectation.

New demand drives: one encounter presses the "fast-forward button" for industrial upgrading

The "vitality" of advanced manufacturing lies in the surging demand of the super-large market.

One day before the opening of this CIIE, Sinopec signed procurement agreements worth $41.3 billion with 37 partners from 18 countries and regions, with green low-carbon, artificial intelligence, high-end equipment, and digital supply chains among the items; on the opening day, the Shanghai trading delegation's "first order" landed in Qingpu, with purchaser Kingfa Technology signing a $120 million low-temperature propane order with South Korea's E1 Company... In Chinese enterprises' procurement lists, the weight of high-end equipment and new technologies is increasing.

This is a clear "map" of industrial upgrading demand, pressing the "fast-forward button" for industrial upgrading.

Melaleuca participated for the first time in 2019. Since then, investment in a new Shanghai factory broke ground, supporting scaled supply with 21 automated production lines. "This is not just the iteration and volume expansion of a single product, but a strategic upgrade," said Xu Wei, President of Melaleuca (China) Daily Necessities Co., Ltd. In the past, the company sold global products to China; now it defines products by Chinese demand and serves the global market. Products manufactured by the company in China now supply 8 countries and regions in the Asia-Pacific, and this year it has added supply to the European market.

From "imported exhibits" to "intelligent manufacturing in China," Danone has followed the same path. Danone's "Neocate Junior UPA water" product, making its global debut at this CIIE, was developed specifically for Chinese consumers and produced in China. Bruno Chevot, President of Danone Asia-Pacific, introduced that in September this year, specialized medical nutrition products produced at the company's Wuxi factory began exporting to Poland.

"The CIIE is an important witness to the common growth of Herbalife and the Chinese market," said Cai Menghong, President of Herbalife China. Here, the company not only realized the transformation from "exhibits to products," but also completed the upgrade from "exhibitor to investor." This year, the company's personalized nutrition formula product completed its Asian debut, and the China version of its health management digital platform made its global premiere. Just last year, the company upgraded its China Product Innovation Center in Shanghai to a Global Product Innovation Center.

Demand flows from the exhibition booth into R&D blueprints, thereby driving the upgrading of the industrial chain. Over the first eight CIIE editions, more than 3,400 new products, new technologies, and new services were cumulatively displayed; the CIIE's intended transaction volume on an annual basis increased from $57.83 billion at the first edition to $83.49 billion at the eighth. On one side is continuously expanding market demand, on the other is a continuously consolidated industrial foundation — supply and demand connect at the "four-leaf clover."

New ecosystem synergy: one network jointly cultivates the "birthplace" of new quality productive forces

The "strength" of advanced manufacturing lies in an open and collaborative industrial ecosystem.

At this CIIE, the "Zhangjiang Incubation and Innovation Exhibition Group" appeared as a group for the first time, with more than 30 hard-tech enterprises taking the stage. Yiyu Technology has placed its R&D center in Zhangjiang, with products sold to more than 50 countries and regions. This year, the company also completed the China debut of its "world's smallest" patch-type fully closed-loop insulin delivery system. This is a portrayal of China's scientific and technological innovation growing through openness.

"On the opening day of last year's CIIE, within less than 10 minutes of arriving at the exhibition hall, we met a co-exhibiting enterprise, and after about 15 minutes of exchange, we reached a strategic cooperation consensus," said a relevant person in charge of Honeywell Technology. This efficient connection and collision is the unique value of the CIIE. Having attended the CIIE nine times, Honeywell's booth has expanded from about 50 square meters to 500 square meters. Over the first eight CIIE editions, the company cumulatively signed more than 170 strategic cooperation memorandums of understanding, many of which have extended from the booth to real scenarios such as factories and buildings.

The two-way flow of innovation is equally visible in the field of materials science. A new type of impact modifier exhibited by Dow is precisely the result of cooperation with a Chinese technology enterprise. This year, Dow showcased more than 100 cutting-edge technologies and solutions, with 14 achievements making their debut, and signed strategic cooperation documents with 21 customers and partners. "The CIIE is not only an important bridge connecting global innovation with Chinese opportunities, but also a key platform for the company to deepen local cooperation and promote the implementation of innovation achievements," said Huang Yingxue, President of Dow China.

Leveraging the CIIE, Sirio Pharma has made artificial intelligence the "foundation" of R&D, linking multi-dimensional information on raw materials, processes, costs, and compliance to shorten the cycle from demand confirmation to formula delivery. On the manufacturing side, it takes intelligent manufacturing as the starting point to improve efficiency across the entire value chain; on the application side, it has launched a precision nutrition platform, having completed algorithm filing and generative AI service registration. "On the open platform built by the CIIE, we continuously exchange technology and build ecosystems with global partners," said Zhao Youyou, Chief Scientist of Sirio Pharma.

The CIIE weaves a network, jointly cultivating the "birthplace" of new quality productive forces. Gathering the strength of cooperation through openness and converging the momentum of development through innovation, the development momentum of China's advanced manufacturing industry is stronger.

(People's Daily reporter Tian Hong contributed to this report)

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Protecting Taxpayer Rights and Interests Throughout the Entire Process

By: 本报记者 王 观

The "Tax Collection and Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (Draft Revision)" passed its initial review at the 25th session of the 14th NPC Standing Committee. This revision embeds the protection of taxpayers' lawful rights and interests throughout the entire chain of institutional design, focuses on key areas of social concern such as tax-related information protection, correction of filing errors, tax late payment surcharges, and protection of the right to administrative reconsideration, and introduces a series of institutional upgrade measures to promote tax governance that places greater emphasis on protecting taxpayers' lawful rights and interests.

A protective barrier: strict confidentiality of tax-related information

"In practice, the scope of use and confidentiality boundaries of tax-related information have always been a core concern for taxpayers, and the risk of improper use and unauthorized disclosure of information is a common worry for business entities," said a person in charge of a relevant department of the State Taxation Administration. Against the backdrop of deepening digitalization of tax collection and administration, the scope of tax-related information collection is broader, business system linkages are more extensive, and inter-departmental coordination requirements are higher, all of which impose higher demands on the protection of tax-related information. Therefore, elevating the protection of tax-related information from an internal management requirement to a legal provision is both an inevitable requirement of institutional improvement and a practical need to respond to social concerns.

The draft revision clearly stipulates that tax authorities and tax personnel shall maintain strict confidentiality of tax-related information and shall not use it for purposes other than tax collection and administration. This institutional design clearly delineates the boundaries for the use of tax-related information, giving taxpayers a "reassurance" regarding the protection of information security. The effective alignment between tax institutional arrangements and the legal system for personal information protection is conducive to preventing, at the source, the risk of misuse of tax-related information and reducing taxpayers' concerns about information leakage and improper use.

Positive guidance: unblocking channels for voluntary correction of filing errors

Tax filing is a high-frequency tax-related matter that taxpayers encounter in their daily operations, involving complex data calculations, policy application, and business judgment. In practice, taxpayers can easily make filing errors due to inadequate understanding of policies, adjustments to business data, and other circumstances.

In the past, the rules governing correction of filings were of a relatively low hierarchical level, and implementation standards varied across regions, leaving taxpayers' channels for voluntary correction less than smooth. Many taxpayers, without any subjective intent, merely made mistakes in their filings, yet still faced the risk of penalties, which invisibly raised the cost of tax handling and increased the burden of compliance.

This revision adds a correction-of-filing system at the legal level, stipulating that after taxpayers and withholding agents have completed tax filing or submitted withholding tax report forms, if they discover errors in the filing that require correction, they may correct the filing in accordance with the time limits and methods prescribed by the tax administrative department under the State Council.

Liu Jianwen, a professor at Peking University Law School, stated that this provision establishes voluntary correction as a statutory right of taxpayers, fully embodying the regulatory concept of inclusive and prudent supervision (包容审慎, bao rong shen shen - "encompass, tolerate; cautious, prudent"): on the one hand, it encourages taxpayers to file truthfully and correct errors proactively; on the other hand, it effectively alleviates the compliance pressure arising from unintentional mistakes, making tax regulation more practical and tax services more considerate, and promoting the formation of a positive guidance mechanism for voluntary compliance and honest tax payment.

Clarifying the nature of late payment surcharges and setting an upper limit for their imposition

This revision changes the original term "late payment surcharge" to "tax late payment surcharge," making a necessary distinction in name from the "late payment surcharge" under the Administrative Compulsion Law. Shi Zhengwen, a professor at China University of Political Science and Law, explained that although the late payment surcharge under the current Tax Collection and Administration Law and the late payment surcharge under the Administrative Compulsion Law share the same name, they differ significantly in legal nature, imposition procedures, and administrative remedies. The tax late payment surcharge has both compensatory and punitive attributes, whereas the late payment surcharge under the Administrative Compulsion Law reflects only a punitive attribute.

Shi Zhengwen noted that this revision also explicitly sets an upper limit for the tax late payment surcharge, stipulating that the tax late payment surcharge shall not exceed twice the amount of the tax principal, and adds circumstances under which the imposition of the tax late payment surcharge is exempted. In terms of institutional design, it both preserves the supervisory and deterrent functions of the tax late payment surcharge to safeguard national tax rights and interests, and prevents the tax late payment surcharge from imposing an unlimited burden on taxpayers, balancing national tax interests with taxpayers' reasonable capacity to bear costs, making tax enforcement more consistent with legal principles and common sense, more fair and just, and effectively reducing the institutional transaction costs of business entities.

Abolishing the precondition of settling taxes before administrative reconsideration to guarantee equal rights to remedies

The current Tax Collection and Administration Law stipulates that taxpayers who are dissatisfied with a tax dispute must first pay the tax or provide security before they may file for administrative reconsideration. Although this institutional design has played a role in ensuring the timely collection of tax revenue into the state treasury, it has objectively raised the threshold for rights remedies. Some taxpayers, unable to pay the tax in advance or provide security due to financial pressure, are forced to abandon the right to administrative reconsideration, making it difficult to fully realize procedural justice.

This revision abolishes the precondition of settling taxes before administrative reconsideration, stipulating that when taxpayers, withholding agents, and tax guarantors have a dispute with the tax authority over taxation, they may directly apply for administrative reconsideration, and payment of tax or provision of security is no longer a precondition for applying for administrative reconsideration. This amendment removes the bottleneck in taxpayers' rights remedies, guarantees taxpayers' statutory right to equal access to administrative remedies, and represents a major advancement in the rule of law in tax procedures. At the same time, it also compels tax authorities to continuously improve the standardization and precision of law enforcement, reducing tax disputes at the source.

Zhang Wei, dean of the School of Taxation at Jilin University of Finance and Economics, stated that this revision precisely responds to the pain points and bottlenecks of long-standing concern to taxpayers. For the vast number of business entities and individuals who pay taxes in accordance with the law, stronger protection of rights and interests, lighter tax handling burdens, and smoother channels for remedies constitute an important institutional arrangement for advancing the modernization of the tax governance system and governance capacity and for building a market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment.

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Combine Harvesters: R&D Follows the User (Innovation Around Us · China’s Farm Machinery You Wouldn’t Expect)

What the R&D Staff Say

When rice lodges flat against the ground, lift it back up before harvesting

By Chu Jiajia

The harvest season is drawing to a close. In the past, when farmers' paddy fields encountered severe weather and large-scale lodging, it was a great worry. Because the harvester could only cut close to the ground, there was a lot of waste, and the harvested grain was still covered in mud.

To solve this pain point, our team dug in at the fields, and after repeated setbacks, we managed to make the "clumsy" machine "clever and nimble."

To harvest lodged rice easily, you need to set a pair of "dexterous hands" on the harvester to "lift up" the rice plants one by one.

But the header is so heavy — making it do fine work is not easy at all (谈何容易, tan he rong yi - "talk, how, easy"). We mulled it over repeatedly, looking for solutions. Lifting the rice depends mainly on spring tines as thick as "chopsticks." How much force to use, how to adjust the angle, how to set the spacing — every parameter had to be tested over and over in the field.

After much effort, we tuned the lifting parameters to the optimal state, but that was only the first step. The just-lifted rice plants have unstable roots and must be immediately cut and fed in, so every subsequent step of the process had to be modified one by one. So the team turned to tackling the header drum structure, optimizing the conveying path, so that the straightened rice plants could be cut smoothly and "fed" into the machine without clogging, jamming, or losing ears.

And so, clearing one hurdle after another, we finally developed the "Lodging King" harvester model, which can lift and harvest even crops that are completely flat on the ground.

Over the years, my deepest feeling is that agricultural machinery R&D must follow the user — wherever the user's pain points are, that is where our research direction points.

In the southern rice-growing regions, the paddy fields have deep soft mud, and wheeled harvesters sink the moment they go in, so we developed tracked chassis in a targeted way, allowing the machine to walk steadily even in mud; cross-regional operators wanted one machine that could harvest multiple crops, so the team developed the multifunctional model 4LZ-8.0EP self-propelled tracked grain combine harvester — right after harvesting rice, you can switch the header and turn around to harvest corn, soybeans, and more...

Along the way, there have been many technical breakthroughs of all sizes. We firmly believe that the examination hall for agricultural machinery R&D is not in the laboratory, but between the field ridges, and we will continue to intensify R&D and innovation, bringing more practical and advanced technology to the farmers' doorsteps.

(The author is an R&D staff member at Jiangsu World Agricultural Machinery Co., Ltd.; compiled by People's Daily reporter Wang Weijian)

What the User Says

The harvester has become a "jack-of-all-trades," so I get more work too

By Shi Chonglei

Having done cross-regional operations for nearly 20 years, I count as an "old hand" among machinery operators. Every time the crops ripen, I travel all over the country (天南海北, tian nan hai bei - "sky, south, sea, north").

In the early years, the harvester I had was single-function, only able to harvest rice and wheat. The work I could take on was also limited — just in a few fixed provinces. If I encountered work where the crop variety didn't match, I wouldn't dare take it no matter how much profit there was.

Now that I've switched to a new combine harvester, one machine can basically handle the main crops of both north and south, and I dare to take on, and can take on, most jobs. At the end of April, I harvest wheat in Yunnan; in May, I switch to a dedicated header and go to Jiangxi to harvest rapeseed; then I keep heading north, like a migratory bird, chasing the crops. With more work, my income naturally goes up too.

Over the years, as harvesters have gone through the process of replacing old with new (更新换代, geng xin huan dai - "renew, new, change, generation"), I've genuinely felt the changes. Harvesting efficiency gets higher every year, scattering and waste in the field have decreased, and the impurity rate of the grain has dropped by a large margin. Farmers know their stuff too — they only recognize good, useful new machines. Even regular customers, when they call, usually ask first what machine you're using. If you show up in an old, outdated machine, people won't even give you the work. As long as the machine is good, talking business goes smoothly.

Now many harvesters are fitted with autonomous driving, but adding it costs an extra several tens of thousands of yuan. Paying out of our own pockets is a real burden, and I hope the cost can come down further in the future. And as for this autonomous driving, it really is impressive on large, regular-shaped fields, but when it comes to small plots or irregularly shaped land, it doesn't work as well. I hope this technology can take another step forward too.

(The author is a machinery operator in Donghai County, Lianyungang City, Jiangsu Province; compiled by People's Daily reporter Wang Weijian)

Layout design: Cai Huawei

This issue coordinated by: Jiang Xuejie

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China's space station to welcome first foreign astronaut

(People's Daily, Beijing, November 7) (Reporter Liu Shiyao) The reporter learned from the China Manned Space Agency on the 7th that the Shenzhou-24 crewed flight mission will include one Pakistani astronaut participating as a payload specialist, who, after completing a short-term in-orbit flight, will return aboard the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft. This is the first joint flight by astronauts of China and a foreign country in the history of China's manned space program, and the Chinese space station will welcome its first foreign astronaut visitor.

In February 2025, China and Pakistan signed the "Cooperation Agreement on the Selection, Training of Pakistani Astronauts and Their Participation in Chinese Space Station Flight Missions" in Islamabad, officially launching the selection of Pakistani astronauts. After three stages of rigorous screening and evaluation — preliminary selection, secondary selection, and final selection — two Pakistani reserve astronauts were selected. After completing all training in China and passing assessments, one of them will carry out the crewed flight mission, and one will serve as the backup astronaut for the mission.

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Coal Sea Turns Green, "Wind and Solar" Forge Ahead

By: 本报记者 冯春梅 张 枨

At the beginning of winter, at the Heidaigou open-pit coal mine of CHN Energy Zhunneng Group, located in Jungar Banner, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, the production site is in full swing with great enthusiasm (热火朝天, re huo chao tian - "hot, fire, reach, sky"), with giant unmanned mining trucks shuttling precisely and operating in an orderly manner.

On the large screen of the centralized control center, in the real-time images transmitted back from the site, vehicle parameters, driving routes, and other information are immediately obvious at a glance (一目了然, yi mu le ran - "one, eye, understand, clear"). "We have completed the intelligent transformation of 79 300-ton-class mining trucks and 116 engineering coordination equipment units, enabling 24-hour continuous operation. The integrated construction of the digital mine has made production safer and more efficient," said mine director Niu Jingfu (钮景付).

In June 2023, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during an inspection tour of Inner Mongolia: "Promoting the transformation and upgrading of traditional energy industries, vigorously developing green energy, and strengthening and expanding the national important energy base are the top priorities for Inner Mongolia's development."

Keeping the instructions firmly in mind, Ordos City, based on energy security and industrial transformation, is promoting the integrated development of traditional and new energy, opening up new energy tracks, and exploring new pathways for green and low-carbon transformation of resource-based cities.

"Warming a thousand cities, lighting ten thousand households' lamps" — Ordos produces nearly 900 million tons of coal annually, supplying thermal coal to 28 provinces; its thermal power installed capacity is 38.34 million kilowatts, with annual power generation exceeding 180 billion kilowatt-hours, accounting for more than 30% of the autonomous region's thermal power generation. "At present, Ordos has built 164 intelligent coal mines, accounting for about 90% of the production capacity of the city's mines in operation," said Yun Xiaoping (云小平), director of the Ordos Municipal Energy Bureau.

Extending the coal chemical industry chain, transforming and upgrading the traditional energy industry.

Entering the chemical branch company of Zhongtian Hechuang Energy Co., Ltd., located in Uxin Banner, coal is converted through processes such as gasification, purification, methanol synthesis, and methanol-to-olefins into polyolefin — an important raw material for the petrochemical industry.

"Polyolefin can be used to produce plastics and other chemical products; food packaging, home appliance casings, toys, and other daily items all depend on it," introduced Mao Huanxin (毛焕新), manager of the company's project management department. The project is equipped with two methanol-to-olefins units, with multiple core pieces of equipment localized in China, making it a globally leading-scale coal-to-olefins demonstration project.

"Black gold" is not just fuel, but also raw material for high-end chemical products. Ordos has built a modern coal chemical production capacity of 24.51 million tons, ranking among the forefront of the country. It is one of the country's 4 modern coal chemical industry demonstration zones and one of 5 coal-to-oil and coal-to-gas strategic bases, with product categories covering multiple industrial chains including coal-to-oil/gas, coal-to-alcohol/ether, and coal-to-olefins.

"Relying on the mature coal chemical industry chain, the city has introduced new material projects such as battery cathode and anode materials, electrolytes, high-carbon alcohols and aldehydes, and carbon fiber, continuously increasing the added value of the industrial chain and supporting low-carbon transformation," said Gao Huaijing (高怀京), director of the Ordos Municipal Development and Reform Commission.

Activating new momentum from wind and solar, expanding capacity and improving quality of green energy.

At the central-northern new energy base in the Kubuqi Desert's "desert, Gobi, and barren land" area, photovoltaic panels spread out in continuous arrays, wind turbines spin in the breeze, continuously outputting green electricity.

"The project plans to build 8 million kilowatts of photovoltaic, 4 million kilowatts of wind power, supported by 4 million kilowatts of supporting thermal power and 5 million kilowatt-hours of new-type energy storage," said Yun Xiaoping. After full operation, it can deliver approximately 36 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually to the North China power grid, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, with new energy accounting for 60%, saving 6.4 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 16 million tons annually.

What was once sandy wasteland has become an energy "cornucopia." According to reports, Ordos has currently received approval for nearly 110 million kilowatts of "desert, Gobi, and barren land" new energy bases and market-oriented new energy projects, and has built and connected nearly 28 million kilowatts of new energy installed capacity to the grid.

Green electricity consumption continues to raise the "green content" of the energy industry. In the first nine months of this year, Ordos completed green electricity trading of 8.62 billion kilowatt-hours, issued 8.6 million green certificates, and built 9 market-oriented projects with a scale of 3.22 million kilowatts.

Building the "wind, solar, hydrogen, storage, and vehicles" sector, improving the new energy equipment manufacturing chain.

Entering the LONGi Green Energy production workshop located in the Mengsu Economic Development Zone in Ejin Horo Banner, relying on green electricity from the park, silver-bright crystal ingots go through processes such as squaring, slicing, and cleaning to produce thin silicon wafers, which become the core raw material for photovoltaic modules.

"We are accelerating the construction of new energy supporting projects, having already built a 408,200-kilowatt wind-solar-storage integrated project, with the park's green electricity usage rate approaching 70%," introduced Zhao Wei (赵炜), director of the management committee of the Mengsu Economic Development Zone.

The park gathers equipment manufacturing enterprises for photovoltaics, energy storage, hydrogen fuel cells, and new energy heavy trucks. Wind and solar produce green electricity, green electricity manufactures equipment, and equipment empowers new energy — a closely linked and interconnected (环环相扣, huan huan xiang kou - "ring, ring, interlock, buckle") industrial ecosystem that is a vivid microcosm of Ordos's "wind, solar, hydrogen, storage, and vehicles" industrial cluster.

"Ordos has introduced more than 100 'wind, solar, hydrogen, storage, and vehicles' industrial chain enterprises including LONGi, Envision, CRRC, and CATL, and has built or is building 15 gigawatts of wind power equipment, 85 gigawatts of photovoltaic cells and modules, more than 20,000 units of hydrogen energy equipment, 67 gigawatt-hours of energy storage equipment, and 350,000 new energy vehicles," said He Wanzhi (何万智), director of the Ordos Municipal Industry and Information Technology Bureau.

"Thoroughly implementing the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions, we will continue to strengthen the energy advantage industry, accelerate the building of a modern energy powerhouse with multi-energy integration, leading scale, technological demonstration, and strong support, and contribute to building a national important energy and strategic resource base," said Li Li (李理), secretary of the Ordos Municipal Party Committee.

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Openness and Connectivity · Symbiotic Opportunities

By: 本报记者 窦瀚洋

Guided by the State Council Information Office, the "2026 World Mayors' Dialogue · Ningbo" event was recently held in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. With the theme "Openness and Connectivity · Symbiotic Opportunities," the event attracted more than 260 participants, including mayors and mayoral representatives from 20 cities across 15 countries, as well as representatives of international organizations and enterprises. The participating guests engaged in in-depth exchanges and interactions on topics such as opening up and cooperation, economic and trade ties, and mutual learning among civilizations, further exploring normalized dialogue, institutionalized exchange, and long-term cooperation between Chinese and foreign cities.

Economic and Trade Ties: Port Cities Connecting and Integrating with Each Other

On the shore of the East China Sea, the Ningbo Zhoushan Port presents a scene of bustling activity. This great eastern port is composed of 20 port areas, has 309 container shipping routes reaching more than 200 countries and regions, and completed a cargo throughput of 1.432 billion tons in 2025, ranking first in the world for 17 consecutive years. Chinese and foreign guests came here to experience Ningbo's resilient development and the pulse of China's economic development.

At the Meishan Port Area of Ningbo Zhoushan Port, international cargo vessels come and go without cease, automated remote-controlled quay cranes rise and fall in operation, gantry cranes operate in an orderly fashion, and intelligent container trucks shuttle among them, forming the world's largest cluster of automated operation equipment. The port's green transformation and smart upgrade drew repeated praise from the foreign guests.

Mehezabin Aisha Karamataly, Deputy Mayor of Port Louis, Mauritius, visited Ningbo for the first time and recorded the visit on her mobile phone while touring. She told reporters that Ningbo's level of development and urban vitality had left a deep impression on her. Port Louis is the largest city and main port of Mauritius, and the two ports can complement each other's strengths (优势互补, youshi hubu - "advantage, complement; strength, supplement") and learn from each other, jointly promoting the development of world trade.

Rao Harivelo Alexa, Special Representative of the Mayor of Toamasina, Madagascar, and municipal councilor, had a similar feeling. The busy operations and efficient functioning of Ningbo Zhoushan Port moved her deeply: "This is one of the most developed, most modern, and most efficient ports in the world, and there are also very many innovations in port management."

Hu Linjie, Assistant Manager of the Operations Department of Ningbo Meidong Container Terminal Co., Ltd., shared with the guests insights into the terminal's automation and green transformation. He said he hopes that the green practices of Ningbo Zhoushan Port can provide the world's ports with a transformation plan that can be referenced and replicated.

In this regard, Lee Fu Hao, councilor of the Klang Royal City Municipal Council in Malaysia, expressed considerable agreement: "Malaysia's Port Klang is currently carrying out related expansion and smart and digital transformation. This is a very good reference for us, and we hope to further learn from Ningbo's experience."

In a scenario dialogue session themed "Resilience and Development: Port Cities Connecting and Integrating with Each Other," Alexa said that ports connect the world together, and Madagascar is willing to connect with China and with Ningbo Zhoushan Port to jointly address the challenges facing the world economy.

How can coordination and linkage between ports be promoted? Zhou Qiangwu, former Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of the New Development Bank of the BRICS countries, said: "Relatively small ports in developing countries can cooperate with ports in the same region or neighboring regions, unify green standards, jointly procure green equipment, share operation and maintenance technologies, and jointly build green corridors. Port coordination can also attract more ocean-going shipping to call, improving the utilization rate of port facilities."

Opening Up and Cooperation: Technological Innovation Transforming Cities

Manufacturing is the foundation of Ningbo's standing as a city and the basis of its strength as a city. As an important national advanced manufacturing base, Ningbo, relying on its solid manufacturing foundation, is promoting the renewal and upgrading of traditional industries. It currently has 119 national-level manufacturing single-item champion enterprises and 511 specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative "little giant" enterprises.

Chinese and foreign guests visited Ningbo Joyson Intelligent Manufacturing Co., Ltd. The embodied intelligent robots greeting guests at the entrance were a striking sight; going deep into the factory workshops, on the embodied intelligent robot production lines, all processes were doing things in an orderly fashion (有条不紊, you tiao bu wen - "have,条,not,order"), full of a sense of technology.

Joachin Mois, Vice President of the Rouen Metropolis and Mayor of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, France, was invited to participate in an experience, and the robot "copied" his movements in real time. This interactive experience with the embodied intelligent robot was broadening his horizons (大开眼界, da kai yan jie - "big,open,eye,boundary"), and he praised the "Ningbo-made" robots for their strong learning ability.

Hossam Kawiash, Assistant Minister of the Egyptian Ministry of Environment and Local Development, paid more attention to future cooperation opportunities: "Egypt has very many projects that can cooperate with Ningbo, and Egyptian start-ups very much hope to cooperate with Chinese enterprises."

How can cities promote technology-driven industrial development through innovation, and how can more people benefit from technological change? In a scenario dialogue session themed "Smart Governance and Symbiosis: Technological Innovation Reforming Cities," Chinese and foreign guests shared views, exchanged ideas, and explored points of convergence for win-win cooperation. Ye Zhili, Vice Mayor of Ningbo, said that innovation should be treated with a prudent and inclusive attitude, giving new technologies, new products, and new solutions sufficient space for trial and error: "Real application scenarios are the most precious and most attractive cooperation gift that Ningbo can offer."

In response, Kawiash said: "We urgently need to carry out more cooperation." He expressed hope for establishing a smooth communication and exchange mechanism to ensure future cooperation in the industrial, scientific, and technological fields.

As the discussion deepened, city representatives reached consensus on topics such as continuously advancing industrial collaboration and building an open, shared, and innovation community that complements each other's strengths: taking the new round of industrial revolution and scientific and technological revolution as an opportunity, the world's cities are willing, with an attitude of openness and cooperation, to promote the broad integration of scientific and technological innovation achievements into production and life scenarios.

Mutual Learning Among Civilizations: Being Inclusive and All-Embracing, Discussing Opportunities Together

At the main event venue on November 3, an immersive "Thousand-Enterprise Cultural Voyage" exhibition ship unfolded before the eyes of the audience. A dialogue among civilizations began from this point.

A set of graphic seals was arranged in neat rows, including both local Ningbo imprints such as those of the Hemudu culture and characteristic symbols of cities from various countries, such as Rouen in France, Auckland in New Zealand, and Sihanoukville in Cambodia. Hussein Habib, Chairman of the Laamu Atoll Council of the Maldives, picked up a seal and stamped two vermilion imprints on a bookmark, symbolizing the Maldives and Ningbo respectively. "This is truly a special souvenir," he exclaimed.

Cities are both subjects of economic and trade exchange and platforms for people-to-people exchange. Every city is a business card of civilization, a window of exchange, and a bond between people's hearts.

That evening, the "Ningbo Night" event for exchange and mutual learning among civilizations was held at the Tianyi Pavilion · Yuehu Scenic Area. As the oldest extant private library in China and one of the three oldest family libraries extant in the world, the Tianyi Pavilion is both a living fossil of Chinese library culture and an important window for exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and foreign civilizations.

The most watched event was the "Book Collection" ceremony, in which mayors and city representatives from multiple cities carefully selected local classics as gifts of city friendship to present to Ningbo, and Ningbo reciprocated with the "Tianyi Pavilion Quartet." Chinese and foreign guests jointly witnessed the Chinese and foreign classics being collected into the Tianyi Pavilion.

On the evening of the 4th, the "Tidal Sounds" exchange and mutual learning among civilizations event moved to the Ningbo Old Bund. Chinese and foreign guests strolled along the confluence of the three rivers, enjoying Ningbo's urban nightscape and feeling the charm of the city's blend of Chinese and Western cultures. Romulus Agbéjéku, Special Representative of the Mayor of Cotonou, Benin, and Chairman of the Economic Affairs Committee, was lingering and forgetting to return (流连忘返, liu lian wang fan - "linger,forget,return"). "Ningbo has beautiful scenery and is very modern, with a strong sense of technology," he said. "Besides photographs, I also want to bring Ningbo's construction experience back to Benin. That is an even more precious treasure."

Mois was visiting Ningbo for the second time, and he had his own understanding of this transnational event: "Culture is the cornerstone of exchange and development. Holding an interactive cultural exhibition concurrently with an international forum is itself vivid cultural diplomacy, which both raises a city's visibility and narrows the distance between the hearts of people in different cities," he said.

Chinese and foreign guests all said that the current world situation is complex and volatile, and that peace is the foundation of economic and trade exchanges and people-to-people connectivity. This dialogue is like a peace roundtable facing the world. City representatives from various countries gathered together in Ningbo to jointly safeguard the hope of peaceful development and to let the world see Ningbo's international elegance.

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Uphold Multilateralism and Advance an Inclusive and Beneficial Economic Globalization

From November 5 to 6, the 9th Hongqiao International Economic Forum was held in Shanghai under the theme of "Stable Cooperation — Jointly Building an Open World Economy." The forum organized 23 sub-forums and 7 closed-door meetings around four sections: "Open Cooperation," "Open Innovation," "Open Development," and "Open Sharing." Participants conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as safeguarding open cooperation and improving global economic governance, contributing wisdom and strength to promoting the building of an open world economy and advancing inclusive and beneficial economic globalization.

Shared Development: Let the Opportunities of China's Huge Market Benefit More Countries

At the forum, the Chinese-language editions of the World Openness Report 2026, the World Trade Report 2026, and the Exporting to China Capability Development Report were released, opening a window for all parties to observe China and understand China.

Liao Fan, Director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted that the current state of world openness presents a complex pattern of "overall significant tightening, intensifying internal divergence, and profound evolution of driving forces." In 2025, the World Openness Index stood at 0.7453, down 1 percent year-on-year, the largest decline since 2016. Among them, the openness index of advanced economies declined, while that of emerging and developing economies rose. From 1990 to 2025, China's openness index increased by 28.18 percent, one of the largest increases globally, with the overall level of openness continuing to remain at a historical high.

This year marks the opening year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan. Open practices such as high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and the continued hosting of the China International Import Expo vividly demonstrate the positive strength China contributes to mutually trusting and accessible global open cooperation.

The report points out that the Chinese market is the anchor of resilience for the world economy. China has the world's largest middle-income group, and its consumer and import markets both rank among the top two in the world. China encourages open-door innovation, and artificial intelligence large models continue to benefit the world, helping all countries, especially developing countries, benefit from technological innovation; the vast fertile ground for innovation attracts enterprises from various countries to establish R&D centers and regional headquarters in China, deeply integrating into China's innovation chain and industrial chain.

Hamid Rashid, former head of the UN Global Economic Monitoring Center and former lead author of the World Economic Situation and Prospects report, cited artificial intelligence as an example, pointing out that the high cost of using closed-source large models limits developing countries' participation in global competition. The open-source model promoted by China helps narrow the artificial intelligence divide and helps developing countries seize development opportunities.

As another important public good China provides to promote global trade cooperation, the Exporting to China Capability Development Report, released for the first time at the forum, explores from the two dimensions of Chinese market demand and global supply capacity the pathways for aligning various countries' advantages with Chinese market demand, promoting the transformation of China's super-large market opportunities into outcomes of shared development.

"I hope this report can help all parties deepen their understanding of the Chinese market, connect with the Chinese market more smoothly, and promote more diversified and more resilient export growth." Luce María de la Mora, Director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, who participated in writing the Exporting to China Capability Development Report, said that over the past 25 years, China has become an increasingly important export market for economies of different sizes, creating significant business opportunities for enterprises around the world.

"The release of this report is occurring at a very opportune moment (恰逢其时, qia feng qi shi - "just, happen, its, time")." Edith Kaki Ngu, Minister at the Kenyan Embassy in China, said that our discussions on exports to China have shifted from focusing on potential to export performance, market access, and other aspects. China's full implementation of zero-tariff measures for all 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, including Kenya, has brought new opportunities for Kenya to expand exports to China.

Strengthening Cooperation: Inject More Certainty into the World Economy

At present, the risk of fragmentation in global trade is rising, industrial competition is intensifying, and factors such as geopolitical conflicts and policy uncertainty continue to disrupt global industrial and supply chains. At multiple sub-forums, participants called for upholding multilateralism, promoting cooperation through openness, and injecting more certainty into the world economy.

At the sub-forum "25th Anniversary of China's Accession to the WTO: Openness, Integration and Development," Maika Oshikawa, Director of the Accessions Division and Representative of the Director-General at the World Trade Organization, said that although the world today faces uncertainties brought by geopolitical tensions, decoupling and severing supply chains, and unilateralism, global trade remains an important engine for world economic development and job creation. China is an active participant in and firm defender of the multilateral trading system. "The WTO looks forward to working hand in hand with China and all WTO members to build a stronger, more effective, and more inclusive multilateral trading system, and to continue creating opportunities for global growth, development, and shared prosperity," Oshikawa said.

Ross O'Brien, former Director of Economic and Business Policy at the Greater London Authority, believes that China's insistence on expanding openness is in line with the main trends of world economic development. Policy adjustments by individual economies are insufficient to reverse global trends, and regional and cross-regional trade agreements provide supplementary pathways for cooperation.

Martin Jacques, a well-known British scholar, said that the competitiveness of China's manufacturing industry comes from industrial capacity, infrastructure, complete supply chains, and future-oriented industrial policies, and China's international investment and green technology cooperation have created new conditions for the industrialization of other countries. All parties should avoid tariff barriers and decoupling and severing supply chains, and support the development of the Global South.

"It is crucial to safeguard and improve the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, and to further enhance the representation and voice of developing countries in global governance." Chen Wenling, Senior Researcher at the Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies, said at the sub-forum "Global Economic Rebalancing: Trade Connectivity, Industrial Synergy and Inclusive Development" that institutional opening-up and regional cooperation should also be continuously advanced to strengthen the resilience of industrial chains.

Wang Xiaoqiu, Chairman of SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, said that fair competition and open cooperation have always been the main theme of the development of the automotive industry. The automotive industry is currently at a critical stage of accelerated transformation toward electrification and intelligence, and it should adhere to open cooperation, eliminate trade barriers, promote the joint establishment and mutual recognition of standards through dialogue and consultation, and deepen cooperation between Chinese and foreign enterprises in areas such as technology R&D and supply chain construction.

Green Innovation: Add New Momentum to Global Sustainable Development

Building an open world economy cannot be separated from the two-way empowerment of scientific and technological innovation and green transformation. How to activate growth momentum through scientific and technological innovation and promote sustainable development through green transformation became hot topics of discussion at this forum. Humanoid robots, hydrogen energy, and other frontier fields attracted attention from all parties.

At the sub-forum "Innovation and Development Cooperation of the Humanoid Robot and Embodied Intelligence Industry," Craig Allen, President of the US-China Business Council, said: "China has become an important center for scientific and technological innovation, and the speed and scale of innovation are impressive." Embodied intelligence is moving out of laboratories and into real-world scenarios, and the importance of system reliability, human oversight, and safe operation is becoming increasingly prominent. The US and China should maintain regular dialogue on artificial intelligence safety risks, carry out practical cooperation in areas of common interest, promote the safe and responsible development of advanced technologies, and let innovation bring tangible benefits to enterprises and society.

At the sub-forum "High-Quality Development of Hydrogen Energy to Promote Global Energy Transition," participating guests believed that the current global green and low-carbon energy transformation continues to deepen, the hydrogen energy industry is accelerating its march from pilot demonstrations toward scale and marketization, and it is increasingly becoming an important engine for helping achieve the goals of peaking carbon emissions and achieving carbon neutrality.

Erwin Ramírez, Minister of Development, Industry and Trade of Nicaragua, said that the climate crisis profoundly affects the development prospects of all countries. Developed countries should take the lead in reducing emissions, provide financial and technical support to developing countries, guarantee that developing countries enjoy the right to development while protecting the environment, and jointly protect the planet home in a fair manner.

"China's policy foundation for developing hydrogen energy is solid, its industrial application pathways are diverse, and it is building a systematic framework for the development of the entire hydrogen energy industry chain." In the view of Li Kelai, Vice Chair of the Energy Working Group of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, Europe and China can deepen cooperation around directions such as collaboration on integrated projects, mutual recognition of standards and certification, and jointly cultivating markets, so that hydrogen energy cooperation serves the carbon reduction goals of both sides.

He Yangyi, Deputy Consul General of the Consulate General of the Netherlands in Shanghai, said that building a globally integrated hydrogen energy market cannot be separated from supporting infrastructure, trading mechanisms, and multilateral international collaboration. He expressed the hope of relying on China's technological innovation and industrial scale to explore cooperation opportunities in core equipment fields, promote synergy between government and market forces, and jointly promote the development of the hydrogen energy economy.

(People's Daily, Shanghai, November 6 — reporters Li Qiang, Yue Linwei, Han Shuo, Li Xinyi, Tian Hong)

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He Lifeng Holds Video Call with U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Greer

(People's Daily, Beijing, November 7) On the evening of November 6, Beijing time, He Lifeng, Chinese lead person for China-U.S. economic and trade affairs and Vice Premier of the State Council, held a video call with the U.S. lead person, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent, and U.S. Trade Representative Greer. The two sides, centering on implementing the important consensus and outcomes of economic and trade consultations reached at the Beijing and Washington summit meetings between the Chinese and U.S. heads of state, conducted frank and sincere communication (坦诚交流, tancheng jiaoliu - "frank, sincere, exchange") on important economic and trade issues of mutual concern in a candid, in-depth, and constructive manner. The Chinese side expressed serious concerns over recent U.S. economic and trade restrictive measures against China. The two sides agreed that, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, they will continue to give full play to the role of the China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism, continuously strengthen cooperation, properly manage differences, promote the sustained, stable, and sound development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations, and help build a "China-U.S. constructive strategic and stable relationship based on respect, fairness, and reciprocity."

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Zheng Jianbang Attends Opening Ceremony of Seminar for African Parliamentarians

(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 7) NPC Standing Committee Vice Chairperson Zheng Jianbang attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the seminar for African parliamentarians in Beijing on November 7. He stated that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Africa. The NPC of China is willing to work together with the parliaments of African countries and the Pan-African Parliament to deepen exchanging and learning from one another (交流互鉴, jiaoliu hujian - "exchange, mutually learn from each other") between legislative bodies, advance the "Ten Partnership Actions" between China and Africa, and provide legal and policy support for China-Africa practical cooperation.

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14th China-EU Forum Focuses on Dialogue and AI Cooperation

(People's Daily, Brussels, November 7) (Reporter Niu Ruifei) The 14th China-EU Forum was recently held in Brussels, the capital of Belgium. Participants from the political, business, and academic communities of China and Europe held that, in the face of the complex and ever-changing international situation, China and Europe should strengthen dialogue and communication, properly manage differences, deepen practical cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, and artificial intelligence, and jointly inject more stability and certainty into the world.

Cai Run, head of the Mission of the People's Republic of China to the European Union, said that at present, China-EU relations are at a critical stage of development. The two sides should adhere to the positioning of a partnership, adhere to resolving economic and trade differences and frictions through dialogue and consultation, adhere to respecting each other's core interests and major concerns, and promote the China-EU relationship to move steadily and steadily toward a long-term future (行稳致远, xing wen zhi yuan - "walk, steady, reach, far"). China is willing to expand exchanges and cooperation with the European side in the field of artificial intelligence and jointly promote the building of a fair and reasonable global AI governance system.

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2026 China-Africa Economic and Trade and Cultural Forum Held in Zhejiang

(People's Daily, Jinhua, November 7) (Reporter Liu Junguo) The 2026 China-Africa Economic and Trade and Cultural Forum was held on November 7 in Yiwu, Jinhua, Zhejiang Province. The forum was hosted by the People's Government of Zhejiang Province. More than 400 guests from 39 countries and regions gathered around the theme of "economic and trade prosperity (经贸繁荣, jing mao fan rong - "economy, trade, prosperous, flourishing"), mutual learning between cultures (文化互鉴, wen hua hu jian - "culture, mutually, learn from each other"), win-win cooperation between partners (伙伴共赢, hu ban gong ying - "partner, together, win"), and people-to-people connectivity (民心相通, min xin xiang tong - "people's, heart, mutually, connect")" to discuss new opportunities for high-quality development in China-Africa cooperation.

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‘Hope to Draw Inspiration from China’s Infrastructure Experience’

By: 人民网记者 邓 圩

Libby Schaaf, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council of the United States (hereinafter referred to as the "Bay Area Council"), is leading the Bay Area Council and California business partners to participate in the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE). Before departure, she said in an interview with reporters that this trip is her first visit to China since taking office in May this year, and is also an important journey for her to promote the Bay Area's international economic and trade ties.

Since the Bay Area Council began its operations in China in 2010, it has gradually established an exchange network connecting California with Chinese governments, enterprises, and research institutions, and currently has offices in Shanghai and Beijing. The Bay Area Council frequently organizes economic and trade delegations to China, and has set up a California pavilion at the CIIE for many consecutive years, building a platform for California enterprises to showcase their products and services and connect with the Chinese market. On the 5th, the "2026 California-Shanghai Cooperation Exchange" co-hosted by the Shanghai Federation of Industry and Commerce (General Chamber of Commerce) and the Bay Area Council was held. More than 50 entrepreneur representatives from California and Shanghai attended, covering industries such as clean energy, modern agriculture, food and beverages, biomedicine, education and media, and intelligent manufacturing. Schaaf believes that no matter how U.S.-China relations develop, ties between the two countries' localities, enterprises, and people should be continuously maintained. "The relationship between enterprises and enterprises, and the relationship between ports and ports, are both very important to both sides," Schaaf said.

In addition to attending the CIIE, she also has a series of visit activities on this trip to promote exchanges and cooperation between the Bay Area and Chinese localities. In 2019, Schaaf, then Mayor of Oakland, visited China with a Bay Area Council delegation. During her visit to Guangdong and Hong Kong, the similarities in geographical environment and economic structure between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the San Francisco Bay Area left a deep impression on her. "Both bay areas have important ports, highly urbanized coastal regions, and vibrant science and technology innovation industries, while also facing common challenges such as transportation, land use, energy transition, and climate change," Schaaf said. She noted that these similarities provide a foundation for cooperation between the two sides, and "ports and green shipping can be the entry point for cooperation between the two bay areas."

In recent years, the Bay Area Council has continuously promoted international economic and trade and green shipping exchanges centered on the Port of Oakland. In December 2025, the Bay Area Council participated in convening a U.S.-China port and business exchange event, promoting exchanges among representatives of enterprises and local institutions from both sides on topics such as green shipping, logistics, clean energy, and industrial cooperation. "I very much like this kind of cooperation, because it is not only beneficial to the economies of both sides, but also beneficial to addressing global climate change," Schaaf said.

Schaaf emphasized that different countries and regions do not need to adopt exactly the same development approaches, but can seek solutions to common problems from each other's practices. She said: "This is not a zero-sum game (零和游戏, ling he you xi - "zero, and, game, play"). We must recognize that when everyone develops better together, ultimately all will benefit."

As a former city administrator, Schaaf pays particular attention to China's development in areas such as infrastructure construction, housing supply, and public transportation. "China has rich experience in efficiently building high-speed railways, housing, and other areas," Schaaf said. "We hope to draw inspiration from China's infrastructure experience."

Looking out the window from the Bay Area Council's office, the Bay Bridge spans the water, connecting San Francisco and Oakland. "The San Francisco Bay Area is also a 'bridge,' with one end connected to the U.S. mainland and the other facing the Pacific Ocean and the entire world," Schaaf said. She expressed her hope that the Bay Area Council, like the Bay Bridge, will become a "bridge" connecting the United States and China, and that she will continue to participate in the construction of this "bridge."

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Carrying Forward the "Kuliang Bond" and Pooling Strength for China and the U.S. to Move Toward Each Other (Harmony)

The "Kuliang story tells us that friendship between nations begins with the relationship between their peoples," "young people play an important role in eliminating estrangement and enhancing mutual understanding," "we hope to become a bridge for international youth exchange and let the Kuliang story be known to more people"... Recently, the 2026 Kuliang Forum was held in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, where friendly personages from all walks of life in China and the United States gathered at the birthplace of the Kuliang story, revisiting a bond of people-to-people friendship that spans the ocean, speaking freely about their shared expectations for China-U.S. people-to-people and cultural exchanges and cooperation, and rallying the strength of public sentiment to turn the vision of a constructive and stable strategic relationship between China and the United States into action.

The Kuliang story is a tale of China-U.S. friendship personally advanced by President Xi Jinping, carrying the sincere feelings of the Chinese and American peoples that span a century. In 1992, Comrade Xi Jinping, then Secretary of the Fuzhou Municipal Party Committee, read the article "Ah, Kuliang!" in People's Daily, learned of Professor Gardner's longing for Kuliang and his regret at never having returned to his old haunt, and personally facilitated Mrs. Gardner's visit to Kuliang, helping her fulfill her husband's wish to return to his homeland in his dreams. In 2023 and 2024, President Xi Jinping sent congratulatory letters to the "Kuliang Bond" series of events on two occasions, urging the Chinese and American peoples to carry forward and build upon the Kuliang story and the Kuliang bond. Under President Xi Jinping's personal attention and personal promotion, the Kuliang story continues to radiate new vitality. From the affectionate reminiscences of "Friends of Kuliang" to the cross-ocean dissemination of the documentary "Letters from Kuliang," the "Kuliang bond" has become a vivid portrayal of the friendship between the Chinese and American peoples spanning the ocean and being passed down from generation to generation.

The stories of old friends remain fresh after a long time (历久弥新, li jiu mi xin - "last, long, endure, new"), and the chapters of new friends continue to emerge one after another, helping to open a new future for China-U.S. people-to-people friendship. On the eve of the forum's opening, Chinese and American friends visited Kuliang together, passing on friendship while revisiting old memories and enhancing mutual understanding through face-to-face exchanges. Pan Weilian, an American professor at Xiamen University, climbed Kuliang again after more than 30 years, remarking with emotion that "once you truly set foot on this land and get to know the people here, estrangement and prejudice will dissipate, and people can become friends or even family"; Da Ru, an American self-media blogger visiting Kuliang for the first time, used his camera to record the ecological beauty of the sea of clouds and misty mountains, frankly admitting that many truths "cannot be clearly explained through the internet and books alone; one must experience them firsthand." The warm current of the Chinese and American peoples moving toward each other continues to gather a combined force that breaks down barriers and clears away noise, providing a silent, subtle influence that benefits others (润物无声, run wu wu sheng - "moisten, things, without, sound") in support of the China-U.S. relationship maintaining the correct course despite the storms it has weathered.

Young people are witnesses to and beneficiaries of the China-U.S. relationship, and they are also where its future and hope lie. Since the beginning of this year, from the U.S. One Voice Children's Choir's visit to China singing "We Are Together" for Chinese friends, to waves of young students building bridges of friendship through "pickleball diplomacy," more and more American youth have set foot on Chinese soil, jointly writing more "Kuliang stories" for the new era. They have immersed themselves in "China Travel," felt the appeal of "China Cool," and unboxed "China Shopping," bringing vivid and authentic impressions of China back across the ocean, becoming a continuous and fresh source of nourishment (源头活水, yuan tou huo shui - "source, head, living, water") for the development of China-U.S. relations. On the basis of completing the "50,000 in 5 years" initiative goal two and a half years ahead of schedule, President Xi Jinping further announced that in the next five years, China will invite 100,000 American young people to China for exchange and study. From 50,000 to 100,000, the ever-expanding exchange of Chinese and American youth will accumulate more youthful strength for China-U.S. friendship and let the torch of China-U.S. friendship be passed down from generation to generation.

This year is a "major year" for China-U.S. relations. Under the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, the China-U.S. relationship has maintained overall stability, and the desire of the two peoples to know each other and grow closer has become increasingly strong. Recent authoritative opinion polls show that American public sentiment toward China continues to warm, and voices supporting engagement and cooperation with China are growing. It is hoped that the U.S. side will heed the call of the people, respond to the expectations of the two publics for stronger exchanges, provide convenience for deepening people-to-people and cultural exchanges, translate the important consensus of the "handshake at the top" between China and the United States into concrete actions of "joining hands across the ocean," and turn the warm current of public sentiment in both countries into a mighty force driving the development of China-U.S. relations.

China and the United States will respectively host the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and the G20 Leaders' Summit, creating new opportunities for the two countries to further deepen exchanges and cooperation. As the two sides weave bonds through cooperation and carefully nurture the tree of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples, the beautiful friendship between the two peoples will surely, like the thousand-year-old Chinese cedar trees of Kuliang, have deep roots and lush foliage and remain evergreen through all four seasons.

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Central Publicity Group for Studying and Implementing the Spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee Carries Out Publicity Activities in Shandong, Shaanxi, and Qinghai

(People's Daily, Jinan, November 7) (Reporter Li Rui) The Central Publicity Group for studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee carried out publicity activities in Shandong Province from November 6 to 7. Huang Jianfa, member of the Central Publicity Group and Executive Deputy Head of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a publicity report.

At the report meeting, Huang Jianfa, centering on studying and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and the "Decision" adopted at the plenary session, and combining this with the study and implementation of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building, introduced the basic situation of the plenary session, the drafting process and main features of the "Decision," focused on elaborating the great achievements of full and rigorous self-governance of the Party in the new era and the new progress and new results achieved in the cause of the Party and the state since the Fourth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, gave a key interpretation of the overall requirements, strategic tasks, and major measures for persistently and continuously (持之以恒, chi zhi yi heng - "hold, continue, with, constant") advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, and used examples and data to provide a comprehensive interpretation and profound explanation of the spirit of the plenary session.

Huang Jianfa stated that the "Decision" runs through the essence, essential requirements, and practical requirements of Xi Jinping's thought on Party building from beginning to end. To implement the spirit of the plenary session, it is necessary to take Xi Jinping's thought on Party building as the fundamental guide, and through solid work, continuously open up new prospects for governing and managing the Party, and for revitalizing and strengthening the Party, in the new era.

On the evening of the 6th and the morning of the 7th, Huang Jianfa went to Shandong University and Shunjing Community on Daminghu Street, Lixia District, Jinan City, where he conducted face-to-face, interactive publicity sessions with teachers and students on campus, community residents, and representatives of grassroots Party members.

(People's Daily, Xi'an, November 7) (Reporter Gao Bing) A report meeting of the Central Publicity Group for studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee was held in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, on November 7. Han Wenxiu, member of the Central Publicity Group, Executive Deputy Director of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission Office, and Director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group Office, delivered a publicity report.

At the report meeting, Han Wenxiu, closely focusing on General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the plenary session and the "Decision" adopted at the plenary session, gave a systematic presentation and in-depth explanation of the spirit of the plenary session, covering such aspects as deeply understanding the great significance of the plenary session, deeply studying and comprehending the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the plenary session, and comprehensively and accurately understanding the overall requirements, strategic tasks, and major measures for persistently and continuously advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party.

In his publicity remarks, Han Wenxiu stated that it is necessary to deeply understand the strategic considerations of the Party Central Committee in persistently and continuously advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, and consciously unify thoughts and actions with the decisions and arrangements made at the plenary session. The study and implementation of the spirit of the plenary session should be treated as a major political task, focusing on the major arrangements, important tasks, and key work of the "Decision," implementing them in light of actual conditions, persistently and continuously advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, and continuously opening up new prospects for governing and managing the Party, and for revitalizing and strengthening the Party, in the new era.

On the afternoon of the 7th, Han Wenxiu went to Liyukou Village, Shijing Street, Huyi District, Xi'an City, to conduct research and carry out publicity activities, engaging in interactive exchanges with local grassroots Party members, cadres, and the masses on such content as deepening Party building to promote comprehensive rural revitalization.

(People's Daily, Xining, November 7) (Reporter Qiao Dong) The Central Publicity Group for studying and implementing the spirit of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee carried out publicity activities in Qinghai from November 6 to 7. Wu Hansheng, member of the Central Publicity Group and Minister of the Central Social Work Department, delivered a publicity report.

At the report meeting, Wu Hansheng, closely adhering to the publicity theme and centering on studying and implementing General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee and the "Decision" adopted at the plenary session, gave a comprehensive presentation and in-depth explanation of the spirit of the plenary session, covering such aspects as deeply understanding and grasping the great significance of the plenary session, and comprehensively and accurately understanding the overall requirements, strategic tasks, and major measures for persistently and continuously advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party.

In his publicity remarks, Wu Hansheng stated that this plenary session was a very important meeting held at a critical juncture in basically realizing socialist modernization. We must deeply understand the strategic considerations of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core in persistently and continuously advancing full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, more deeply comprehend 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), consciously unify thoughts and actions with the decisions and arrangements made at the plenary session, and make new and greater contributions to building a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through solid work, tangible results, and practical effectiveness.

From the afternoon of the 6th to the afternoon of the 7th, Wu Hansheng respectively visited Dongda Village in Haiyan County, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province; the Qinghai Atomic City Memorial Hall; the former site of State Factory 221; and Banyan Village in Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, where he conducted face-to-face exchanges and interactions with grassroots Party members, cadres, and the masses.

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Protect the People's Safety, Bring Benefit to the People

By: 本报记者 韩 鑫

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Emergency management is an important component of the national governance system and governance capacity. It bears the important responsibility of preventing and defusing major safety risks, promptly responding to and handling various disasters and accidents, and shoulders the important mission of protecting the lives and property of the people and maintaining social stability."

Emergency management work is connected to the lights of ten thousand households and the safety of the people. On November 5, the commendation conference for advanced models of the national emergency management system and loyal fire guards of China was held in Beijing.

Facing the vast sea of flames, they stepped forward bravely; resisting geological disasters, they marched out courageously; breaking through accident-stricken mine shafts, they accepted the mission at a critical moment... The loyal guards of the Party and the people, in one difficult battle after another, fulfilled their solemn oath of "loyalty to the Party, strict discipline, braving extreme danger and hardship (赴汤蹈火, fu tang dao huo - "go into hot water, tread into fire"), and wholehearted service to the people."

Fearless in the face of danger  Charging at the front

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out, "Emergency management is characterized by high load, high pressure, and high risk, and emergency rescue teams make many sacrifices and endure great losses."

Wherever there are disasters and dangers, there are figures who are fearless in the face of danger and charging at the front.

On May 20 this year, Yangjiang City in Guangdong Province was hit by torrential rainstorms. Power supply to Shangshuang Village was interrupted, and communication base stations could not operate normally, turning the village into an "isolated island." All personnel of the Yangjiang Municipal Emergency Management Bureau entered wartime operation mode, and communication support teams, drones, power generation equipment, and other resources quickly arrived at the scene. After a night of emergency rescue and disaster relief, the road into the village was reopened the next day.

On January 7, 2025, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Dingri County, Shigatse City, Tibet, and the disaster touched people's hearts. Would there be aftershocks? How soon could residents return home? Facing these questions, Meng Lingyuan, director of the Earthquake Prediction Department of the China Earthquake Networks Center, led her team in assessing post-earthquake trends. Working in three shifts around the clock, Meng Lingyuan and her team kept a close watch on earthquake sequence information, working tirelessly day and night (夜以继日, ye yi ji ri - "night, as, continue, day") and devoting themselves fully to the task. A colleague fighting alongside her marveled: "She's like an 'iron woman.'"

"As long as rescue operations haven't stopped, tracking of the earthquake sequence cannot end!" During this hard-fought battle of nearly three months, Meng Lingyuan did not let any key anomaly slip by, providing important support for frontline rescue decision-making.

Excellent work style  Superb professional competence

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must strengthen the combat capability of emergency rescue teams, promptly shore up weaknesses and reinforce areas of deficiency, and improve rescue capabilities for various disasters and accidents."

Tempering skills amid danger and hardship, and honing work style through practice, these loyal guards have become a force that the Party and the people can trust, demonstrating the outstanding spirit and bearing of emergency responders in the new era.

Studying diligently and rigorously, cultivating superb professional competence.

Miao Zhongjun, squad leader of the communications squad of the Emergency Communications and Vehicle Service Squadron of the Greater Khingan Range Detachment of the Inner Mongolia Fire Rescue Mobile Corps, has over more than 20 years linked together over a hundred mountain-top base stations deep in the dense forests of the Greater Khingan Range, building an invisible emergency communications network that safeguards the tranquility of a green homeland spanning 106,700 square kilometers. In recent years, Miao Zhongjun has also independently explored digital ultra-short-wave self-organizing network technology, developing a multi-tiered forest-area communications support model of "narrowband as the baseline guarantee, broadband for enhanced efficiency, and satellite as supplement," providing protection for emergency rescue operations across the vast forested areas.

Reform and tackling tough problems, resolving difficulties and bottlenecks.

"We have promoted the integrated reform of supervision and law enforcement, consolidated internal functions, and better coordinated development and safety." Zeng Zhaojiao, Party secretary and director of the Yangjiang Municipal Emergency Management Bureau, introduced that Yangjiang City has achieved a "double decline" in accidents and "zero casualties" from extreme disasters for three consecutive years.

Strict law enforcement, firmly guarding the safety defense line.

In northern Anhui, 24 coal mines and 25 non-coal mines are scattered across the area, making safety governance extremely difficult. "No matter who comes to plead for leniency, we cannot loosen our stance—this is our iron rule." Cheng Peng, deputy director of the Second Supervision and Law Enforcement Division of the Anhui Bureau of the National Mine Safety Administration, introduced: "Regarding major accident hazards, we strictly implement the traceability and accountability system, and have delivered a record of no major or extraordinarily serious accidents for 23 consecutive years."

People first  Life first

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "To do disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief work well, we must uphold the Party's overall leadership and adhere to putting the people first and life first."

Facing urgent, difficult, dangerous, and heavy tasks, why are they charging forward without hesitation (一往无前, yi wang wu qian - "one, go, no, front")? Because in the hearts of these loyal guards, the word "people" is placed at the highest position, and wherever the people need them is the position they guard day and night.

On May 21, 2021, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Yangbi Yi Autonomous County, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Meng Lingyuan arrived at the earthquake site at the first opportunity, assessing damaged houses, popularizing knowledge on earthquake prevention and avoidance, and comforting the emotions of affected residents... "Our presence brings strength to the people," Meng Lingyuan said.

On August 26 this year, Jilong County, Shigatse City, Tibet, was hit by a mudslide disaster. Yang Qiqiao, deputy station chief of the Kalure East Road Special Service Station of the Shigatse Municipal Fire Rescue Detachment, volunteered for the mission and rushed to the core disaster area. This "flame blue" team advanced toward the danger zone through the night, and after a 12-hour trek on foot, immediately threw themselves into search and rescue operations.

This guardianship exists not only at critical moments of crisis, but also in everyday life.

In Qinhong Subdistrict, Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province, an area of only 1.96 square kilometers is home to nearly 100,000 permanent residents. The Dingjiayuan shantytown, first built in 1960, has long been a "long-standing headache" for the subdistrict's safety supervision.

Adhering to the work creed that "there is no small matter in the safety of the people," Wu Kai, deputy director of the Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement and Work Safety Supervision and Management Office of the Qinhong Subdistrict Office, led his team in standing guard at the grassroots frontline. They established integrated emergency management and fire safety work substations, organized safety patrol teams, and through concrete and solid work such as equipping fire extinguishers, protected the lives and property of the people.

The power of role models inspires progress. One shining name after another will motivate more "emergency responders" fighting on the frontlines to shoulder the glorious responsibility of protecting the people's safety and working for the people's well-being, and to make even greater contributions to the Party and the people on the new journey of struggle.

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2026 Annual Meeting of China Newspaper Supplements Research Association Held in Jiujiang, Jiangxi

(People's Daily, Jiujiang, November 7) (Reporters Yao Xueqing, Zhou Huan) To deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's cultural thought, and to earnestly carry out the Party Central Committee's deployment requirements on deepening the systematic reform of mainstream media, the 2026 Annual Meeting of the China Newspaper Supplements Research Association, themed "Putting Effort into Running Supplements Well," was held on November 7 in Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province.

Participants stated that it is necessary to deeply grasp the political, journalistic, and literary attributes of supplements, and to form an industry consensus of "upholding the fundamentals of culture, creating innovation in communication, and promoting the beauty of supplements." Efforts must be made to keep the correct orientation, using cultural writing to consolidate mainstream consensus; to take root among the people, nurturing humanistic warmth with genuine feeling; to deepen content, refining outstanding works through intellectual and cultural lineage; and to pursue systematic reform, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground to strengthen the supplement front.

More than 180 supplement workers from over 100 media outlets across the country attended the meeting. During the meeting, a seminar on the operation of the "China Supplement" WeChat public account and the 2026 China Newspaper Supplements Research Association Annual Contribution Award ceremony were also held, and the compilation of the "2026 China Newspaper Supplements Development Report" was launched.

Focusing on "running supplements that are vivid and full of spirit" (气韵生动, qi yun sheng dong - "air, charm, be, lively"), mainstream media conducted in-depth exchanges at the meeting, further forming consensus: first, a re-understanding of the function of supplements — at a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping the content ecosystem, supplements are an important aid to maintaining the vitality of newspapers and an important front for enhancing the influence of Party newspapers; second, a re-understanding of the quality of supplements — supplements adhere to combining literary, artistic, and journalistic qualities, pursuing closeness to the grassroots, literary refinement, and sharp edge, presenting the myriad scenes of Chinese modernization through personal and life-oriented narratives; third, a re-understanding of the transformation of supplements — adapting to media reform, establishing the concept of "supplement plus," activating Party newspaper supplement IP, relying on new media platforms to expand communication boundaries, and building an audible, visible, and participatory "grand supplement."

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14th Fan Jingyi Journalism Education Award Presented

(People's Daily, Beijing, November 7) (Reporter Wu Dan) On November 7, the award ceremony for the 14th Fan Jingyi Journalism Education Award was held at Tsinghua University.

Wang Qingtong, professor at Ningxia University, and Zheng Xingdong, professor at Renmin University of China, received the Outstanding Teacher Award in Journalism Education; Gao Yan, senior editor at China Media Group, received the Outstanding Friend Award in Journalism Education; eight individuals including Zhao Yunqiao of Fudan University, Wang Haoxu of Tsinghua University, and Ke Xinyu of Nanjing University received the Outstanding Student Award in Journalism; six individuals including Chen Huan of Jinan University and Shen Xin of Huazhong University of Science and Technology received the Outstanding Student Nomination Award in Journalism.

This year's event focused on the transformation of the journalism industry and the mission of journalism education in the age of digital intelligence. Experts and scholars in attendance engaged in in-depth exchanges on topics such as how to advance artificial intelligence literacy, interdisciplinary integration, and practical ability training against the backdrop of rapid technological development, how to uphold journalistic truthfulness, professional ethics, and the people's standpoint, and how to promote journalism education that upholds fundamental principles and breaks new ground.

Liu Binjie, former director of the General Administration of Press and Publication, along with leaders from People's Daily, Tsinghua University, the All-China Journalists Association, the China International Communications Group, and other relevant units, attended the award ceremony. That afternoon, the School of Journalism and Communication at Tsinghua University, the School of Journalism and Communication at Renmin University of China, and other units jointly hosted the Forum of Deans of Chinese and Foreign Schools of Journalism and Communication.

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Photo Report

On November 6, the Air Force Bayi Aerobatic Team organized six J-10 display aircraft to fly over the Huangyaguan section of the Great Wall in Tianjin, conducting low-altitude valley flight training. The photo shows the display aircraft trailing colored smoke over the Great Wall, paying tribute to the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Air Force.

Photo by Lei Sheng, People's Daily reporter

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Media Interview and Exchange Event for Media from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Overseas Chinese Held in Beijing

(People's Daily, Beijing, November 7) (Reporter Zhang Yifu) On the occasion of the 27th Chinese Journalists' Day, the All-China Journalists Association held a "Celebrating the Festival Together, Moving Forward Together Hand in Hand" media interview and exchange event for media from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese-language media in Beijing from November 6 to 7. More than 40 representatives from central media, Beijing media, media from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, and overseas Chinese-language media participated in the event, celebrating the festival together and discussing their shared responsibilities.

During the event, media representatives visited the Xiangshan Revolution Memorial and other sites to learn about the preservation of revolutionary culture and the protection and utilization of revolutionary resources; they participated in the Fragrant Hills Red Leaf Festival and the Changping "Rural Culture Carnival" activities, exploring local achievements in the integrated development of culture and tourism and rural revitalization. The All-China Journalists Association also held a symposium on building a high-quality "Journalists' Home" for media from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese-language media in the new era, soliciting opinions and suggestions on strengthening contact and services.

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National Promotion Meeting on Law Society Grassroots Service Stations and Legal Expert Consultation Work Held

(People's Daily, Yichun, November 7) (Reporter Jin Xin) On November 6, the National Promotion Meeting on Law Society Grassroots Service Stations and Legal Expert Consultation Work was held in Yichun, Jiangxi. Responsible comrades from the China Law Society and the Standing Committee of the Jiangxi Provincial People's Congress attended the meeting. Responsible comrades from relevant departments of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, representatives from multiple regions, and representatives of legal experts delivered exchange speeches.

The meeting pointed out that since the 2025 meeting on law society grassroots service stations and legal expert consultation work, law societies in various regions have vigorously advanced the work of law society grassroots service stations and legal expert consultation, basically achieving full coverage of presence in county-level comprehensive governance centers, comprehensively participating in the prevention and resolution of disputes and conflicts, and, in light of local realities, actively exploring and boldly innovating, accumulating useful experience and producing a number of brands and working mechanisms with distinctive features, effective operation, and notable results, making positive contributions to grassroots governance, social stability, and the building of public safety.

At present, law societies nationwide have jointly established more than 55,000 grassroots service stations, and law society grassroots service stations have entered 2,844 county-level comprehensive governance centers, with an entry rate of 99.8%. The China Legal Consultation Center has developed an information database for legal expert consultation work, which has so far included more than 28,000 experts and recorded more than 10,000 stations. Relying on grassroots service stations at all levels, legal experts have cumulatively participated in the resolution of more than 6,600 disputes and conflicts and provided legal consultation services to more than 240,000 person-times.

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Agriculture, Rural Areas, and Farmers Development Reaches New Heights (Vitality China Research Tour)

By: 本报记者

The modernization of agriculture and rural areas bears on the overall situation and quality of Chinese modernization.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Accelerate the pace of agricultural and rural modernization, make the foundation of agriculture more solid, rural areas more prosperous, and farmers' lives more thriving, and march steadily toward the goal of building a strong agricultural country."

The period of the 15th Five-Year Plan is a critical period for basically realizing agricultural and rural modernization. In the first year of this period, reporters traveled through the major agricultural provinces of Heilongjiang, Henan, and Hubei, visiting fields, production workshops, and village courtyards, and feeling the vigorous vitality of rural areas across the vast farmland.

From the black soil of the Longjiang region to the granary of the Central Plains, and then to the fertile fields of Jingchu, with goals firmly set and full drive, the development of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers continues to reach new heights.

The foundation of agriculture is becoming more solid

Food security is an important foundation of national security. Ensuring the stable supply of grain and other important agricultural products is the top priority of agricultural production.

Building a solid foundation for food security cannot be separated from the continued deepening of farmland protection.

Black soil is "the giant panda of farmland." In Hailun City, Suihua, Heilongjiang, the Hailun Agricultural Ecology Experimental Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has been rooted in the core black soil area for more than 40 years, deeply engaged in long-term observation, research, and demonstration of black soil farmland ecosystem.

In order to make the black soil that has become "thinner, leaner, and harder" regain its oily luster, national policies have continued to exert force, and generations of researchers have carried on the struggle here.

Sui Yueyu, the relevant person in charge of the Hailun Agricultural Ecology Experimental Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, introduced that in 2021, the "Longjiang Model" of black soil protection pioneered by the Hailun Station was incorporated into the national black soil protection project implementation plan. The combined model of deep straw return, combined organic fertilizer application, and corn-soybean rotation has allowed tens of millions of mu of black soil to regain vitality.

To cultivate good farmland, good seeds are the key. Li Yanhua, head of the Cold Region Soybean Breeding Discipline Group of the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been deeply engaged in soybean breeding on cold-region black soil for more than 30 years. The series of soybean varieties cultivated by Li Yanhua's team have been promoted cumulatively over more than 120 million mu in the Northeast region, driving farmers' income increases of over 10 billion yuan.

Building a solid foundation for food security cannot be separated from the research, development, and promotion of advanced agricultural machinery.

In Luoyang, Henan, at the intelligent production workshop for large wheel tractors of YTO Group Corporation, numbers on electronic screens jump and update, and one large tractor after another completes assembly and rolls off the production line.

Guo Zhenjie, deputy general manager of the Large Tractor Company of YTO Group Corporation, introduced that this intelligent production line has an annual production capacity of over 45,000 units and applies new processes such as robotic spraying, fixed torque, and online inspection.

In 2019, under the guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, more than 10 units including YTO Group Corporation jointly invested to establish the first national-level manufacturing innovation center in China's agricultural machinery field. The first domestic 5G + hydrogen fuel electric tractor, pure electric self-propelled transplanter, hydrogen energy plant protection machine... a batch of technological achievements are accelerating out of the laboratory.

Led by chain-leading enterprises such as YTO Group Corporation, more and more major innovative products have been successively launched — the Dongfanghong high-horsepower intelligent tractor and high-performance combine harvester have been iteratively upgraded, and agricultural machinery and equipment for specialty cash crops and hilly and mountainous areas have achieved new breakthroughs...

Building a solid foundation for food security cannot be separated from the protection provided by the concept of a big food approach.

In Sanshan Village, Dushan Town, Echeng District, Ezhou, Hubei, fresh and plump Wuchang fish are the "fish of prosperity" that drive villagers' income increases.

The secret of the "freshness" of Wuchang fish lies in a lake of clear water. Sanshan Village once suffered greatly from ecological damage. Pig pens, chicken coops, and dry latrines were clustered along the lakeshore, floating restaurants were built indiscriminately, and sewage and garbage were discharged directly into the lake. The living space of Wuchang fish was squeezed, and their quality was greatly compromised.

To obtain food from rivers, lakes, and seas, it is necessary to fundamentally protect the ecological environment. Since 2016, Echeng District has carried out a special rectification campaign of "clearing four disorders" in rivers and lakes in the Sanshan Lake basin, rectifying sewage sources along the shore.

Changes followed — sewage pipe networks were laid into the village, the return of reclaimed land to the lake was comprehensively promoted, ecological water replenishment pipelines extended along the lake, and aquaculture tail water was purified and then returned to the lake. The nets that once fragmented the lake surface have disappeared, replaced by well-regulated ecological fish ponds.

A lake of clear water raises a good fish. "With excellent water quality, the price of the Wuchang fish raised here has doubled compared to before." Wu Guosheng, head of the Sanshan Lake Planting and Breeding Farmers' Professional Cooperative, said. In 2025, the output value of the entire Wuchang fish industry chain in Ezhou exceeded 20 billion yuan, driving income increases for 15,000 farmer households.

Rural areas are becoming more prosperous

Building livable, workable, and beautiful villages is an inherent requirement of a strong agricultural country. The greater prosperity of rural areas is reflected both in the foundation of ecological livability and in the quality of thriving industries.

Improving the living environment, the picture of beautiful and harmonious villages is slowly unfolding.

Niutou Mountain in Yuzhou City, Xuchang, Henan, is layered with green and gold. Dajian Village in Mojie Township, located at the northern foot of the mountain, has neat houses and clean roads.

It is hard to imagine that this place used to be a different scene. "Because of coal resources, the whole village once 'lived off the mountain by eating the mountain,' leaving behind a heavy ecological debt." Chen Haichang, secretary of the Party committee of Dajian Village, said.

Dajian Village was determined to break the deadlock: returning farmland to forest, greening barren mountains, and restoring mine ecology. After years of governance, the village completed the return of more than 1,600 mu of farmland to forest, greened more than 3,500 mu of barren mountains, and increased the forest coverage rate to over 90%. The scarred mountain body has been clothed in green again.

Dajian Village has changed its approach to "living off the mountain by eating the mountain." Chen Haichang said that the village has built a standardized sweet potato planting base, driving the planting of 13,000 mu of sweet potatoes in the surrounding area; introduced enterprises to build modern processing production lines, and last year the sales of sweet potato series products exceeded 6.6 million yuan.

Relying on mountain and forest resources, Dajian Village has built a camping base, revitalized idle courtyards, and developed farmhouse restaurants and characteristic homestays, making rural development even more outstanding.

Developing smart agriculture, high-quality fruits fly out of the layers of mountains.

In the smart agriculture demonstration park of Yandengbao Village, Guojiaba Town, Zigui County, Yichang, Hubei, data such as temperature, humidity, and soil moisture on the digital big screen jumps in real time. On villagers' phone screens, information such as soil testing and formula fertilization and fertilization recommendations is immediately obvious or easy to understand (一目了然, yimu liangran - "one, eye, clearly, understand").

In the orchard, one drone after another loaded with navel oranges takes off into the air, and small field trains shuttle along tracks between steep slopes, steadily carrying the navel oranges transported by drones down the mountain.

Guo Xingcheng, an orange farmer in Wangjialing Village, Guojiaba Town, learned drone crop protection technology, obtained a pilot's license, and with the support of the purchase subsidy policy, formed a socialized service team to provide agricultural services for orange farmers.

A drone takes only a few minutes to fly from the mountaintop to the highway collection point, and can transport 50,000 to 60,000 jin of navel oranges per day, saving orange farmers more than 200 million yuan in comprehensive costs each year. Zigui County now has more than 220 drone socialized service teams.

Today, the navel orange planting area in Zigui County has reached 400,000 mu, with an annual output of over 1 million tons, and the comprehensive output value of the entire industry chain exceeds 25 billion yuan.

Promoting the integration of agriculture and tourism, the sea of rice fields and pastoral landscapes attract a continuous stream of visitors.

The Ten-Thousand-Mu Rice Park in Fujin City, Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, recently welcomed the harvest season, and the rice field library, characteristic homestays, and study and experience area are all very popular. "On the premise of not changing the use of farmland and holding the bottom line of food security, we empower farmland with technology and attract visitors to the countryside through innovative business formats." The relevant person in charge of the park introduced.

In the study and experience area, a sense of technology hits you in the face. In the 500-square-meter Zhidao Rice Technology Experience Hall, agricultural science popularization, aerospace displays, virtual reality experiences, and more are all available. In the fresh rice processing workshop, visitors can experience rice processing and intuitively feel the journey of a grain of rice coming into being. In the outdoor farming experience field, visitors can also transplant rice seedlings and get close to the soil...

The integration of agriculture and tourism multiplies benefits. The park's related operations and services radiate to about 10 surrounding villages, driving comprehensive growth in surrounding agricultural product sales, farmhouse catering, and rural employment.

Farmers' lives are becoming more thriving

The starting point and ultimate goal of comprehensive rural revitalization is to make the lives of hundreds of millions of farmers better. In agricultural and rural work, no matter how much is said, increasing farmers' income is the key.

Party and masses join hands, villages work together, and the road to common prosperity is getting wider and wider.

Yanhe Village, Wushan Town, Gucheng County, Xiangyang, Hubei, has green mountains like dark eyebrows, tea gardens spread along the slopes, and homestays are well-arranged and aesthetically pleasing (错落有致, cuoluo youzhi - "scattered, falling, have, order").

"Last year, the number of tourists we received exceeded 800,000, tourism comprehensive income exceeded 100 million yuan, and the per capita annual net income of villagers reached 40,000 yuan." Min Hongyan, secretary of the Party committee of Yanhe Village, introduced.

Yanhe Village was once a poor mountain village, with relatively low per capita annual income for villagers. Min Hongyan led Party members and cadres to reclaim barren mountains and plant tea, and with the joint efforts of the Party and the masses, the bald mountains were transformed into a green "bank," developing organic tea gardens and economic forests.

With green mountains and clear water, the reputation of the tea mountains has grown louder and louder. Yanhe Village took advantage of the situation to develop rural tourism, successfully creating a national 4A-level tourist attraction in 2022, attracting more young people to return to their hometowns to start businesses.

One village's prosperity brings common prosperity. Yanhe Village has driven the seven surrounding villages to jointly plan tea tourism routes and jointly develop homestay clusters and study bases. In 2025, the net collective economic income of each of the seven surrounding villages exceeded 250,000 yuan.

Enterprises gather strength, linking and driving farmers, and the wallets of fellow villagers are getting fuller and fuller.

In the production workshop of Caiqiao Rice Industry Co., Ltd. in Tonghe County, Harbin, Heilongjiang, the fully automatic rice processing production line is running at full capacity.

Through the "enterprise + cooperative + farmer" cooperation mechanism, Caiqiao Rice Industry purchases and stores rice nearby, implementing a guaranteed floor price with premium acquisition for paddy rice, ensuring farmers' planting income. The enterprise also provides jobs for local farmers, realizing the dual income increase of "growing grain + working."

Yang Zhiwei, a villager of Xiangyang Village, Xiangshun Town, Tonghe County, joined the production workshop of the Tonghe Caiqiao base in May 2023 as an operator, and his family also signed an order acquisition contract with the enterprise. "Farming and working don't conflict, and I can earn more than 100,000 yuan a year." Yang Zhiwei said.

The sweetness of this "dual income increase" is getting stronger and stronger. In 2025, the Tonghe Caiqiao base implemented 14,560 mu of order planting, driving more than 100 people to find nearby employment, and helping local farmers increase their per-household income by more than 1,500 yuan.

Improving services, benefiting and facilitating the people, the lives of the masses are getting better and better.

In Longquan Village, Qiliying Town, Xinxiang County, Henan, rows of houses are neat and uniform, elderly people stroll leisurely in the square, and children chase and play, presenting a scene of peace and harmony.

Many years ago, the village was a different sight — old houses and muddy roads.

In 2013, after Longquan Village completed its planning and construction, the village focused on building a "five-minute living circle," so that villagers could handle high-frequency livelihood services without leaving the village. In the elderly activity center, a book reading room, a calligraphy and painting room, and an arts rehearsal room are all available. The village invested in building an education center integrating kindergarten, primary school, junior high school, and senior high school, and a canteen for the elderly was also put into use this year.

The change in the village's appearance stems from the change in the collective economy. Longquan Village revitalized collective assets, stimulated the vitality of collective enterprises such as papermaking and heating, and villagers bought shares and received regular dividends. In 2025, the village collective income reached 12.6 million yuan. "Working in the village, with security for the elderly, I feel very at ease." Villager Liang Bin said.

Adhering to the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, and promoting comprehensive rural revitalization with more effective measures, the beautiful picture of strong agriculture, beautiful rural areas, and prosperous farmers will surely become increasingly clear.

(People's Daily reporters Han Chunyao, Zhang Anyu, Fang Yuan, Liu Mengdan, Zhu Peixian, Zhao Shuaijie, Fan Haotian, Wu Jun)

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

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Promoting innovation through openness, advancing development through cooperation

As the CIIE enters its ninth year, amid scenes of first-release and debut exhibits reaching the market one after another, new quality productive forces are growing vigorously. The super-large market connects domestic and international dual circulation, sharing opportunities with the world. The innovation ecosystem resonates in sync, and China's way of participating in economic globalization has achieved a systematic leap. An increasingly open and continuously innovating China, while creating more and more "market dividends," is also creating more and more "innovation dividends."

—Editor

Digital Services Align with New Transformation Demands

People's Daily reporters Lu Fanbing, Qi Zhiming

At the Honeywell technology booth in the Technology and Equipment Exhibition Area of the 9th CIIE, many visitors paused to take a look. The Forge intelligent connected platform on display can smoothly connect equipment and control systems, converting operational data into real-time, executable operational recommendations.

"For example, in the building sector, the Forge intelligent connected platform can enable buildings to 'think,' making operations smarter." Yu Feng, President of Honeywell Technology China, introduced that this July, the platform was officially launched in China.

"Now, the company is increasingly providing cross-business, systematic solutions around the actual needs of Chinese customers." Yu Feng said that at this CIIE, the company, together with more than 200 local partners, suppliers, and industry institutions, is showcasing the results of ecosystem co-creation, jointly exploring the application of technology in real-world scenarios.

The transformation of Chinese enterprises has led to increasingly refined demands for digital services, and the CIIE has built a platform that promotes the continuous integration of digital services into the front lines of production.

At Xinlei Compressor Co., Ltd., each of the 9 processes opens a separate work order, and the originally continuous production is managed separately. If there is even a slight difference in process progress, the connection is easily affected. How can this problem be solved?

As a manufacturing enterprise, Xinlei's digital transformation started with sorting out material data. Last year, the company carried out operations such as data standardization and launched a new system, reducing the original 160,000 material data records to 80,000.

From data governance to warehouse management and production system upgrades, digital services have extended step by step with the needs of the enterprise. In January this year, Xinlei completed the digital upgrade of warehouse management. After the transformation, the enterprise can activate more than 20 million yuan in cash flow each year.

Green Cooperation Becomes More Diverse and Deeper

People's Daily Online reporter Shen Jiaping

Walking into the Automobile and Smart Mobility Exhibition Area, from the recycling and regeneration of carbon fiber materials, to the safety iteration of power batteries, to the continuous innovation of tire formulations, the CIIE is becoming a super channel for the precise alignment of global green products with China's vast application scenarios. More and more Chinese and foreign enterprises are joining hands here, using innovative supply to promote two-way adaptation between supply and demand.

Dongfeng Nissan's new energy model, the new N7, is equipped with the Yundun battery and uses low-emission environmentally friendly materials in the cabin. At present, the first batch of new N7 pure electric models has been shipped to the Southeast Asian market in September this year. "Green products developed in China are going global, meeting the demand of overseas users for high-quality intelligent electric vehicles." Wang Qian, Deputy General Manager of Dongfeng Nissan Automobile Sales Co., Ltd., said.

Green cooperation is becoming more diverse and deeper. An aircraft tray table at the HRC Hengrui Carbon Fiber Group booth is very special. "At this CIIE, we launched the 'from mobility back to mobility' carbon fiber recycling concept and a series of recycled products." Chen Wenjin, the group's Marketing Director, introduced that this technology retains more than 95% of the original physical properties, and carbon emissions are only 4.7% of new materials. At present, the enterprise has cooperated with Airbus Chengdu Aircraft Full Lifecycle Service Center to dismantle and recycle retired aircraft into a new use cycle, making green materials truly affordable and widely usable.

At the Michelin booth, the "75% renewable and recycled material tire," making its Asian debut, is equally eye-catching. This tire applies a series of innovative materials including recycled carbon black, bio-based oils, and resins. "The proportion of renewable and recycled materials has increased from 46% in 2021 to 75% this year, which bears witness to the continuous development and progress of green materials." Ye Fei, President and CEO of Michelin (China) Investment Co., Ltd., said that cooperation with Chinese partners has gradually extended from product supply and procurement to technology R&D, scenario validation, and industrialization exploration, continuously opening up new development space.

Artificial Intelligence Drives Industrial Renewal

People's Daily reporter Qu Xinming, People's Daily Online reporter Du Yanfei

Walking into the CIIE venues, intelligent products are a major highlight. The AI (artificial intelligence) interactive installation at the DSV booth enhances supply chain visibility and operational efficiency through digital displays and intelligent interaction technology; from flagship phones and smart glasses to intelligent connected vehicles and robots, Qualcomm this year, under the theme "Making Intelligent Computing Ubiquitous," is showcasing a series of cutting-edge innovative achievements...

At this CIIE, AI and digital technology are the focus of the ABB booth, with multiple intelligent new products released simultaneously — "Wa Xiaote," the exclusive advisor for electrical products and system solutions, provides intelligent interaction and professional support for electrical products and system solutions in the form of a digital human agent; an IoT circuit breaker integrates protection, metering, monitoring, communication, and control functions in one. A series of solutions are entering the Chinese market through the CIIE.

Siemens is showcasing its latest applications for data centers, humanoid robots, and other fields, promoting the deep integration of digital and intelligent technologies into industrial scenarios. "The CIIE is not only a window that brings together global innovation, but also an important platform for promoting the synergy and integration of innovation." Xiao Song, a relevant person in charge at Siemens, said that Siemens will use innovation as an engine and scenarios as a guide, pooling ecosystem strength to accelerate the transformation of cutting-edge technology into industrial value.

The "smart brain" helps improve production efficiency and also brings more convenience to consumers' lives.

At the Johnson & Johnson booth, a laparoscopic surgical robot with 5 "arms" is making its "global debut." This surgical robot can assist the lead surgeon in autonomously and stably managing the surgical field of view, providing support for ensuring smooth and safe surgery.

The L'Oréal main booth has set up multiple thematic exhibition areas, focusing on showcasing innovative achievements in AI-empowered skincare, haircare, and other fields. "China is one of the most active markets for the application of artificial intelligence technology, and it is also an important source of global innovation. We hope to cooperate with more Chinese technology partners through the CIIE platform." Bo Wanshang, a relevant person in charge at L'Oréal, said.

Quality Goods Safeguard a Better Life

People's Daily reporters Qi Zhiming, Lu Fanbing

Walking through the "four-leaf clover" venue, a dazzling array of things (琳琅满目, lin lang man mu - "bright, beautiful; filled with") of specialty foods and new consumer products appear one after another. The open bridge built by the CIIE precisely aligns the diverse and finely segmented new consumer demands at home with the high-quality supply of the global industrial chain, allowing quality goods to better safeguard the people's better life.

In the Agricultural and Food Products Exhibition Area, as a "full-attendance" participant of the CIIE, Ausnutria is bringing 5 globally first-launched new products. Relying on the "1+6+N" global R&D system, the enterprise connects overseas milk sources, scientific research, and the domestic market, providing differentiated nutritional supply for different families.

Not far away, the Milkground booth is very lively, with visitors experiencing new cheese consumption scenarios immersively. Here there are cheese sticks for children, new high-protein functional cheese products, and new products in the pet nutrition track are equally eye-catching. While introducing high-quality global original cheese into China, the enterprise has also signed with Thailand's CP Group to promote domestic cheese going overseas to Southeast Asia.

At the Fengshi Technology booth in the Medical Devices and Healthcare Products Exhibition Area, the marine phospholipid targeted delivery technology platform is unveiled. Yin Huanhuan, Assistant Director of R&D at Fengshi Technology, said that the enterprise has launched "morning pack, evening pill" time-segmented nutrition new products, transforming marine technology into customized health products.

The personalized demands of the market are driving bulk trade to evolve in a more refined direction. COFCO Corporation's signing amount at this CIIE exceeded 10 billion US dollars, and its procurement list includes not only bulk products such as wheat and vegetable oil, but also specialty consumer goods such as wine. Its procurement network connects with countries jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative, while innovating cooperation models, moving from simply introducing goods to joint development and brand co-creation, transforming global origin resources into diversified supply that adapts to the upgrading of domestic consumption.

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CIIE's "Innovation Quotient" Becomes Development's "Gold Content"

By: 本报记者 刘温馨 王东辉

The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is an excellent window for observing the pulse of the development of new quality productive forces.

"We have signed film production line procurement agreements with German companies for six consecutive years, and the latest generation of biaxially oriented film production lines we introduced has already been applied in environmentally friendly packaging fields such as single materials, biopolymers, and recycled materials." Li Xiaoyu (黎晓煜), member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Sinomach, stated that focusing on industrial upgrading, the procurement list under signed agreements is continuously moving toward the "new."

Over the past nine years, relying on the CIIE platform, Sinomach has cumulatively signed more than 150 agreements with partners. The high-end mechanical equipment introduced, including film production lines, vortex spinning machines, and industrial mother machines, has provided strong support for the intelligent transformation of key links.

China's vast market is becoming a market shared by the world. From its first appearance at the inaugural CIIE to the current expansion of its booth area to 200 square meters and the continuous enrichment of its product matrix, Oishi has used the CIIE to showcase its new brand image and release innovative products. Li Peiming (李培明), Executive Vice President of Oishi (China) Co., Ltd., stated that the company will continue to rely on the CIIE to combine consumer demand and technological achievements in the Chinese market with high-quality global resources.

Dow has established a thermal management materials science laboratory in Shanghai, focusing on new demands such as artificial intelligence to further accelerate innovation; Tesla's cooperation with Chinese suppliers has developed in depth from component supply to joint product development, with the localization rate of components at the Shanghai Gigafactory reaching 98%... Over the past nine years, from "buying equipment" to jointly cultivating an ecosystem, a series of new products, new technologies, and new services have closely connected high-quality global supply with China's super-large market, continuously pushing domestic industries toward the high end of the value chain.

Chinese enterprises use the CIIE platform to actively communicate, engage in dialogue, and connect resources, promoting Chinese manufacturing and Chinese services to the world, injecting new momentum into their own development and opening up new space.

"We have deepened cooperation with global research institutions, biopharmaceutical companies, and medical and health institutions, promoting China's original life science technologies to enter international high-end research and biopharmaceutical industry scenarios." Shao Songjie (邵松杰), General Manager of Haier Biomedical's China market, said that Haier Biomedical's overseas cooperation and product applications now cover regions including Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. In the third quarter of this year, overseas business grew 21.82% year-on-year, demonstrating that Chinese technology and products are deeply integrating into the global biopharmaceutical industry.

Entering the Bank of China exhibition area, nearly 30 science and technology innovation entities collectively presented innovative practices of mutual integration and promotion between artificial intelligence and financial technology, practices of cross-border e-commerce serving the real economy, coordination of the full industry chain of new business formats, and the full-process achievements of "E-commerce Chain Global" cross-border cooperation.

Zheng Wenbin (郑文斌), Senior Manager of the Inclusive Finance Business Department of the Bank of China Shanghai Branch, introduced that the Bank of China has co-hosted the Trade and Investment Matchmaking Conference for nine consecutive years. Relying on the "BOC E-Enterprise Win" comprehensive service platform, the previous eight sessions have cumulatively recruited more than 36,000 domestic and foreign enterprises and facilitated more than 5,600 cooperation intentions.

The new quality productive forces ubiquitous at the CIIE are continuously enhancing the "gold content" of high-quality development, achieving two-way empowerment between Chinese and foreign markets and mutually beneficial outcomes (互利共赢, hu li gong ying - "mutual benefit, win together").

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Openness Gathers the Power of Innovation

By: 刘温馨

Walking through the "four-leaf clover" — the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai) — one encounters 6G terminal prototypes, cochlear implants capable of 360-degree sound detection, and medical systems that achieve angiographic imaging through artificial intelligence, among a host of new products making their debut that leave visitors with too many things to see at once (目不暇接, mu bu xia jie - "eye, not, able to, receive"). The CIIE unveils new offerings year after year, painting a vivid picture of new quality productive forces accelerating their growth, and from it we can feel the pulse of China's economy as it moves toward innovation and excellence.

Strolling through the exhibition halls, new achievements competing for attention reflect a wave of innovation. From medical devices to intelligent equipment to green technologies, this year's CIIE has seen more than 480 exhibits making their global debut, Asian debut, or China debut, with the pavilions serving as both "arenas" and "incubators" for new technologies, new products, and new services. Innovation is not a solo performance but a chorus. The CIIE "invites in" the world's most cutting-edge technologies, allowing the world to see China's vast market and vibrant innovative energy. By leveraging the exhibition to strengthen and extend supply chains, and by honing real skills through cooperation, new quality productive forces will take root and grow stronger through such "clashes" and "exchanges."

Exploring industries, the speed at which exhibits become products continues to accelerate. Abbott's leadless pacemaker made its debut at the fifth CIIE and has now been approved for market launch in China; nearly 40 exhibits from Medtronic have moved to the clinical frontline, with its layout extending from product introduction and local production all the way to local R&D; Roche has invested 2.04 billion yuan to build a new biopharmaceutical production base in Shanghai... What foreign enterprises value is not only China's market but also China's innovation ecosystem. The spillover effect of the CIIE continues to amplify, driving the accelerated agglomeration of factors such as technology, capital, and talent. The ever-expanding "circle of friends" both "brings in" and "integrates in," promoting innovation through openness and development through cooperation, injecting new vitality into Made in China while creating new opportunities for global industrial development.

Looking at people's livelihoods, the fruits of scientific and technological innovation benefit millions of households. The value of technology lies in benefiting the people. The transformation of exhibits into products and exhibitors into investors at the CIIE brings not only an expansion of the consumer market but also the extension of industrial chains, the enhancement of service capabilities, and the improvement of people's well-being. More precise diagnostic and therapeutic equipment makes early screening and early treatment of major diseases more accessible; age-friendly smart products help the elderly cross the "digital divide"; green and low-carbon technologies make blue skies and clear waters even more vibrant... When new quality productive forces are deeply embedded in the daily necessities of the people, the "high quality" of economic development gains a tangible and perceptible "touch of everyday life."

The door opens wider and wider, the bridge is built more and more solidly, and new quality productive forces surge ever forward. By pooling the power of innovation through openness and strengthening the foundation of people's livelihoods through innovation, converting more opportunities from openness into tangible development outcomes, the momentum of China's high-quality development will become even more robust.

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Page editors: Zhu Jun, Wang Hao, Deng Jianyang

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A Partner Deeply Embedded in China's Industrial Chain

By: 本报记者 温素威

The ninth China International Import Expo opened on November 5. As a "full-attendance" participant in the CIIE, Samsung has honored its commitment for nine consecutive years. At this year's expo, Samsung has designed its booth in the shape of a chip, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in Samsung's new product matrix and innovation strength.

"At this year's CIIE, we have brought more underlying technologies, core components, and high-end medical equipment, hoping to give Chinese consumers and industry chain partners a more direct view of Samsung's technology reserves, as well as our determination to deepen our long-term presence in China," said Zhang Daijun, Vice President of Samsung China. "In the past, we mainly introduced globally cutting-edge products to China; now, we hope to embed research and development, manufacturing, and innovation links into China, growing together with the Chinese market."

Accelerating innovation across the entire chain, iterating on underlying technologies

The industry's first LPDDR (Low Power Double Data Rate) memory featuring in-memory computing technology, the new-generation UFS 5.0 (Universal Flash Storage standard chip), and Samsung's first smartphone equipped with a privacy screen... At the Samsung booth, multiple products equipped with new key components made their collective debut. "The upgraded experience in daily photography, video storage, and app launching is underpinned by the continuous iteration and optimization of underlying technologies," a booth staff member introduced.

At this year's CIIE, Samsung showcased a matrix of cutting-edge technologies including semiconductors and artificial intelligence, covering areas such as smart terminals, fully presenting innovation achievements across the entire chain.

Focusing on the technology frontier, the company launched the industry's first LPDDR memory featuring in-memory computing technology. By breaking through traditional models, it can complete data computations in place, reducing losses caused by back-and-forth data transmission, significantly improving the processing speed of artificial intelligence.

Optimizing user experience, the company developed the new-generation UFS 5.0, supporting up to 1TB (terabyte) of large-capacity storage, adaptable to terminals such as mobile devices and wearable devices. Compared with the previous generation, sequential read and write speeds have been greatly improved, and energy efficiency has increased by 40%, delivering a low-latency, fast-response AI experience for devices.

Targeting diverse scenarios, the company created new smartphones. The "Xin Xi Tian Xia" Samsung W27 foldable flagship phone integrates generative AI services; as Samsung's first smartphone equipped with a privacy screen, the Galaxy S26 Ultra can selectively obscure specific applications and notification pop-ups as needed.

Integrating into daily life, better serving consumers

At the Samsung booth, the new ISOCELL HPC 200-megapixel image sensor attracted the attention of many digital enthusiasts. "When shooting portraits, individual strands of hair can be clearly distinguished; when shooting landscapes, the colors are natural and transparent, and the light and shadow layering looks much more comfortable," said a visitor.

This image sensor has high color expression, preserving the natural tones and details of images. It also supports 4K video recording, achieving smoother slow-motion shooting and a richer video experience while maintaining high image quality.

Samsung's Harman brand set up an independent display area for the first time, bringing audio solutions covering all scenarios including portable, home, and automotive use, allowing visitors to experience the many possibilities of audio technology integrated into daily life.

In the medical equipment display area, Samsung's flagship ultrasound diagnostic device, the R20, was demonstrating AI-assisted measurement functions. According to the introduction, as one of the products making their China debut, the R20 is equipped with AI automation tools and an ergonomic design, capable of delivering images with excellent clarity and contrast in various clinical scenarios. This device has already achieved localized mass production in Suzhou. As Samsung's first overseas self-built production line for high-end medical devices went into operation in Suzhou, locally manufactured high-end ultrasound equipment is gradually entering medical institutions at all levels across the country.

Deepening roots in the Chinese market, accelerating transformation and upgrading

Compared with previous editions, the focus of Samsung's booth is shifting from terminal products toward underlying technologies and comprehensive innovation capabilities. The industrial layout outside the exhibition hall corroborates the exhibits on display.

In 2026, Samsung achieved three "firsts" in China: establishing a biomedical R&D center in Beijing, setting up a high-end medical device production line in Suzhou, Jiangsu, and opening its first overseas advanced production technology research institute in Suzhou. According to the introduction, the company's cumulative investment in China is approximately US$59 billion, with investment in cutting-edge industries accounting for 90%, and it has 15 production enterprises and 14 R&D centers... Zhang Daijun stated that China not only has the advantage of a super-large market, but its industrial supporting systems and innovation ecosystem are also increasingly complete, providing good prospects for multinational enterprises to deepen their presence in high-end industries.

Samsung's transformation is not an isolated case. Ministry of Commerce data shows that from January to September 2026, actual foreign investment used in high-tech industries reached 228.53 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 33.8%, accounting for 41.6% of the national total of actual foreign investment used, up 11.9 percentage points from the same period last year. Among these, the growth rate of investment attraction in areas such as technology achievement transformation services, R&D and design services, and the manufacturing of electronic and communication equipment was notably rapid. Multinational enterprises continue to be optimistic about the Chinese market, and are no longer limited to selling products to China, but are instead promoting the layout of R&D, manufacturing, and supply chain links in China, enhancing competitiveness through coordinated progress with the Chinese industry chain.

Across nine editions of the CIIE, Samsung has continuously launched new products suited to the Chinese market, serving as a companion that is deeply embedded in the Chinese industry chain and feeds back to the world through localized innovation. With the CIIE as a fulcrum, China's door of opening-up is opening ever wider, which will provide broader development space for multinational enterprises such as Samsung.

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Policy-based finance empowers advanced manufacturing, boosting high-quality development of foreign trade

By: 陈怀宇

The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan proposes "building a modern industrial system with advanced manufacturing as the backbone" and "accelerating the building of a trading power." As a policy-oriented financial institution supporting foreign economic and trade investment development and international economic cooperation, the Export-Import Bank of China (hereinafter referred to as the "Exim Bank") has always used financial ties to link Chinese manufacturing with the international market, laying a solid industrial foundation for the high-quality development of foreign trade.

Fully leverage the advantages of policy-oriented finance in supporting advanced manufacturing

At present, a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating breakthroughs, with frontier technologies represented by artificial intelligence undergoing continuous iteration. Advanced manufacturing is an important front for developing new quality productive forces. As a policy-oriented financial institution, the Exim Bank fully leverages its advantages and role in serving advanced manufacturing, guiding more financial resources toward key areas and critical links of industrial development.

From the perspective of the development cycle, advanced manufacturing involves long R&D periods, large capital investment, and long return chains; from technological breakthroughs to products entering the international market in bulk often takes several years or even longer. Policy-oriented finance possesses advantages in medium- and long-term funds, enabling it to effectively match the pace of industry and ensure that technological breakthroughs are not halted due to funding gaps.

From the perspective of the industrial chain, competition in advanced manufacturing is ultimately a contest of the overall strength of the industrial chain and supply chain. Basic links such as key materials and core components have high technical thresholds and are difficult to break through individually, yet they are the "foundation" of the entire industrial chain. These links involve a wide scope and yield results slowly, requiring sustainable funding supply. Policy-oriented finance has the advantages of cross-cycle support and full-chain coverage, enabling it to make precise efforts toward the upstream of the industry, support the rebuilding of the industrial foundation and the reinforcement and extension of the chain, and promote the continuous upgrading of the industrial chain.

From the perspective of the opening-up pattern, whether advanced manufacturing enterprises are introducing key equipment and technology to enhance manufacturing capacity, or exporting high-end equipment and green production capacity to expand overseas markets, they cannot do without the support of cross-border financial services. Policy-oriented finance connects both domestic and international markets and both types of resources, and can provide full-cycle, full-process financial guarantees for manufacturing enterprises to "bring in" and "go global," promoting the rise of Chinese manufacturing toward the mid-to-high end of the global value chain.

Actively fulfill the mission and responsibility of policy-oriented finance in supporting advanced manufacturing

In recent years, the Exim Bank has closely followed the requirements for developing new quality productive forces and continuously increased financial supply to advanced manufacturing. As of the end of September 2026, the balance of advanced manufacturing loans stood at 660 billion yuan. In the first three quarters of this year, more than 250 billion yuan in advanced manufacturing loans was disbursed, a year-on-year increase of 15.5%.

Support the leap toward intelligent upgrading. Actively make strategic arrangements in the field of technology finance, adhere to investing early, investing small, investing long-term, and investing in hard technology, with a focus on supporting enterprises in intelligent equipment such as artificial intelligence, embodied robots, and 3D printing. Focus on new tracks such as intelligent medical devices and biomanufacturing, providing enterprises with full-cycle financial services covering "R&D—pilot testing—mass production—export," promoting frontier fields from the laboratory to the production line, and from the domestic market to the international stage. Centering on new infrastructure such as the industrial internet and 5G+ intelligent manufacturing, provide financing support for advanced manufacturing enterprises in building digital workshops and smart factories, promoting the leap of production methods from "automation" to "intelligence."

Support the upgrade toward high-end development. Keep a close eye on the direction of industrial capacity upgrading, support enterprises in fields such as marine engineering machinery and major technical equipment in carrying out high-end transformation, and promote domestic complete sets of equipment to enter the markets of countries jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative and the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) market. Tilt credit resources toward basic links such as key new materials and core components, supporting the performance improvement of complete machines through high-end breakthroughs in basic components.

Support the transformation toward green development. Closely follow the global energy transition trend, with a focus on supporting green manufacturing industries such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaics, and energy storage in expanding production, improving efficiency, and overseas layout, providing funding guarantees for domestic enterprises' green production capacity to go global. Centering on the upstream-downstream synergy of the green industry chain, support overseas customers in purchasing Chinese green equipment, promoting the transformation of "green production capacity" into "green trade." Support traditional high-energy-consuming industries such as steel and chemicals in implementing green and low-carbon technological transformation, upgrading clean production processes, and achieving the green iteration of existing industries.

Strive to create a new situation of supporting the building of a trading power with advanced manufacturing

The Exim Bank will firmly grasp the correct direction of policy-oriented financial operations and development, coordinate support for industrial upgrading and trade expansion, help advanced manufacturing strengthen its strengths, expand markets, and build a good reputation, and make new and greater contributions to comprehensively advancing Chinese modernization.

First, promote opening-up and cooperation. Adhere to the main business of foreign trade, promote the going global of new technologies and solutions such as the "Mazu" meteorological intelligent early warning solution, drive Chinese technology and standards to the world, and support enterprises in strengthening global resource integration and market layout. Pay attention to enterprise operation and management models, proactively connect with specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative "little giant" enterprises, and cultivate future "going global" customer groups. Relying on open platforms such as the China International Import Expo, connect the entire chain of "display—matchmaking—signing—performance" for advanced manufacturing, and stimulate the potential of economic and trade cooperation.

Second, support R&D and innovation. Follow the development trend of intelligent, green, and integrated manufacturing, give play to the role of patient capital, continue to increase support for basic research, original innovation, and the transformation of achievements, and help emerging industries grow and future industries be cultivated. Pay attention to national and local industrial cluster development plans, and actively support the construction of leading-level smart factories and high-standard digital parks centering on major projects and new infrastructure. Using new policy-oriented financial instruments and special loan disbursements as the starting point, channel more financial resources toward enterprises that truly solve "bottleneck" problems and have financial needs.

Third, optimize management and services. Strengthen financial product innovation, expand application scenarios, and enhance adaptability to the complex financing needs of advanced manufacturing enterprises. Improve the service mechanism of head office-branch linkage, front-mid-back office integration, and domestic-overseas coordination, strengthen technology empowerment, and enhance business development, customer service, and operation management levels. Improve the risk early warning system, strengthen full-process credit management, enhance the forward-looking, proactive, and targeted nature of risk prevention and control, and achieve the multi-dimensional unity of policy implementation, industrial quality improvement, and the firm holding of the risk bottom line.

(The author is Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of China)

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Traditional Craft Meets an Open Grand Gathering (CIIE Stories)

By: 本报记者 刘文欣

Miao embroidery, silverware, bamboo weaving, porcelain carving, lacquer polishing... At the CIIE site, a corner with Chinese style and ethnic charm attracted many visitors to stop and linger. This is the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop" established for the first time this year at the "CIIE Premium Products Gathering."

When time-honored intangible cultural heritage meets the modern and fashionable CIIE, what stunning sparks will be struck?

A wooden embroidery frame holds half a roll of green cloth, with lively mandarin ducks and fish flicking their tails appearing vividly on the fabric. Long Hanbiao, 20 years old, plies his needle with swift, sure stitches. As an inheritor of Shibadong Miao embroidery, he has been learning through constant exposure (耳濡目染, er ru mu ran - "ear, moisten; eye, soak") to it since childhood: "Miao embroidery features bright colors, rich patterns, and auspicious meanings; it is an important vehicle carrying the history of the Miao people."

On display at this CIIE are not only traditional Miao embroidery garments, but also innovative products that incorporate Miao embroidery elements while being redesigned for everyday use. Song Boyan, a student at Shanghai International Studies University, was attracted by a pair of bright yellow earrings and tried them on at the booth: "I think they are very distinctive. I used to think intangible cultural heritage products might be very traditional, but this time I discovered that intangible cultural heritage also has a lot of innovation."

Long Hanbiao explained that in recent years, Shibadong Miao embroidery has effectively driven local villagers' employment and income growth, and offline exhibitions are an important channel for obtaining orders. "Many shops and factories, seeing our exhibits, place orders and even establish long-term cooperation. The CIIE is also a window for showcasing intangible cultural heritage. I hope Miao embroidery will not only spread within Shibadong Village and western Hunan, but also reach the whole world."

A simple black handbag sits quietly among exquisitely small and delicate (小巧玲珑, xiao qiao ling long - "small, delicate; exquisite, dainty") silverware, appearing simple and unadorned (质朴无华, zhi pu wu hua - "plain, simple; without, ornament") against the cold white metallic luster. On closer inspection, between the bag's handle and body are embedded two antique-style, artificially aged silver galsang flowers, giving the leather bag an elegant temperament of returning to one's original, simple nature (返璞归真, fan pu gui zhen - "return, simplicity; go back, truth").

This leather bag, with its ethnic style yet simple and fashionable design, is the work of Duan Songwen, inheritor of the Guoluo silver ornament forging technique in Qinghai. "Guoluo silver ornament forging in Qinghai is a traditional handicraft of the local Tibetan people. Previously, I participated in the Shanghai University Guoluo training class and began to think about how to promote innovation in traditional handicrafts by combining them with modern design," Duan Songwen said. The "Galsang Flower" Tibetan silver forged leather goods series is one such attempt. Galsang flowers symbolize happiness and beauty in Tibetan culture, and the addition of Tibetan silver forging adds a steady, composed quality to the leather goods.

Duan Songwen has participated in many exhibitions. At the Liangzhu cultural and creative market held recently, he achieved sales of 20,000 yuan. "Participating in exhibitions is a great opportunity; many exhibition customers have become repeat customers," Duan Songwen said.

The CIIE brings together exhibitors and buyers from all over the world, which is a very valuable opportunity for intangible cultural heritage inheritors such as Long Hanbiao and Duan Songwen. At the exhibition, they gain orders and exchange skills, and moreover demonstrate the vitality of China's intangible cultural heritage in preserving craftsmanship and passing it on, prospering rural areas, and empowering daily life.

The CIIE trades in goods and services, and exchanges culture and ideas. The establishment of the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Workshop" is a microcosm of the CIIE's cultural exchange ecosystem.

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Linking Global Resources, Continuing to Deepen Dairy Industry Commitment

By: 本报记者 李安琪

Walking onto the Yili Group booth at the China International Import Expo (CIIE), a "cruise ship" named the "Decryption" sits at the center of the booth, drawing many visitors aboard to interact. At this year's CIIE, Yili has set up multiple immersive interactive segments, turning the concept of "using global resources to make you a good glass of milk" into a tangible, participatory on-site experience.

At this year's CIIE, Yili showcased global innovative products including Jindian Pure Milk from New Zealand, Jinlingguan Zhenhu Jingyun Infant Formula, and Munen Instant Whole Milk Powder, attracting visitors to stop and taste. A good glass of milk originating from a specific, favorable environment (始于一方好水土, shi yu yi fang hao shui tu - "start, at, one, side, good, water, soil"). At present, while deepening its work in milk source belts such as Hulunbuir in Inner Mongolia and the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, Yili has further expanded into scarce grass-fed milk source production areas such as glacier pastures in New Zealand and ecological pastures in Europe, planting good grass, raising good cows, and controlling the source of quality.

At the Yili Qilechuan Ecological Smart Pasture in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, the busy scenes of traditional pasture life are barely visible — milking, feeding, and manure removal are completed respectively by unmanned milking robots, feeding robots, and the like. Temperature, humidity, and lighting in the cow barns are automatically regulated by the system. The smart collars worn by each dairy cow function like a "health record," collecting data on feed intake, rest, exercise, milk production, and more; once any indicator becomes abnormal, the system issues an automatic alert. Far away on the South Island of New Zealand, glacial meltwater converges into streams, irrigating vast expanses of natural pasture. Yili Westland Dairy here screens partner pastures, allowing cows to grow according to natural rhythms, ensuring the pure quality of the milk source.

Silage corn, alfalfa, oat grass... nutritionists scientifically formulate "customized meal plans" for the dairy cows, precisely proportioning feed ingredients according to changes in different lactation stages to ensure stable and balanced feed intake. At the same time, the forage comes from the pasture's own supporting feed base. The base can continuously monitor soil, precipitation, and forage nutritional indicators, ensuring stable forage quality.

Behind a good glass of milk traveling thousands of miles to reach the consumer's table is Yili's relentless pursuit of technological innovation.

The self-built factory in New Zealand is one of Yili Group's largest integrated production bases globally. Fresh milk departs from the pasture and, after constant-temperature cold-chain transport at 4 degrees Celsius, reaches the factory directly within one hour; the milk source relies on a one-step powder-forming process to firmly lock in freshness. At the Yili Modern Smart Health Valley in Hohhot, Yili brings together world-class production equipment and innovative processes, adopting innovative membrane filtration technology to maximize the retention of the natural nutrition and fresh taste of pure milk.

Behind the continuously expanding product lineup is a well-established global R&D system. At present, Yili has deployed 15 innovation centers globally, covering Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas, and continues to deepen its work in breast milk research, precision nutrition, deep processing, and functional formulas.

At this year's CIIE, both "old friends" and "new friends" have come. New Zealand-origin imported pure milk has appeared multiple times; the product is made using low-temperature membrane filtration nutrition retention technology and has high native milk protein content and native milk calcium content. The Jindian Fresh Organic Pure Milk, launched not long ago, holds organic certification and ecological origin assessment; the product introduces market-validated fresh pasteurization technology into organic milk production, achieving an organic combination of high quality and fresh taste.

"Consumer demand for dairy products has shifted from basic nutritional supplementation to functional segmentation and experience upgrading," said Pan Gang, Chairman and President of Yili Group. The dairy industry must always remain "consumer-centered," fully tap the functional nutritional components of milk, and achieve precise delivery through technological innovation. Yili will continue to use the CIIE as an important platform for linking global resources and deepening industrial collaboration, making the industrial and supply chains more stable and more resilient, and continuously providing consumers with higher-quality products and services.

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“Let Products Stand Up to Consumer Scrutiny”

By: 本报记者 贾丰丰 李 强

Entering the Shaanxi Pavilion at the 9th China International Import Expo, the Xifeng Liquor booth comes into view (映入眼帘, ying ru yan lian - "reflect, enter, eye, appear"). Through product displays, immersive tasting sessions, and other activities, the booth systematically showcases Xifeng Liquor's intangible cultural heritage brewing techniques, its full-category product system, and its diversified strategic cooperation models. As an "old friend" of the CIIE, Xifeng Liquor continues to showcase the cultural depth and brand image of Chinese baijiu to the world through this open window. At this year's CIIE, Xifeng Liquor's "Family and Country" series products made their debut, with displays featuring the inheritance of ancient brewing techniques, presenting Xifeng Liquor's striving for perfection (精益求精, jing yi qiu jing - "refine, seek, refine") in craftsmanship, and also demonstrating the cultural confidence of Chinese baijiu brands in upholding craftsmanship while embracing the world.

The jiu hai (wine sea), a storage vessel woven from chaste tree branches and lined with hemp paper, is the key to Xifeng Liquor's distinctive flavor. In recent years, this intangible cultural heritage technique has been combined with a full-process traceability system and a digitalized smart factory, forming a quality control system where tradition and modernity merge. While adhering to ancient techniques such as jiu hai storage, the company has built a smart factory covering the entire process from starter-making, brewing, to storage, achieving full-chain quality control and traceability from raw grain to finished product.

To solidify its quality foundation, the company has established a red Dianzi sorghum base of over 500,000 mu in Shaanxi, insisting on using ancient methods such as "medium-high temperature starter-making and fermentation in yellow-earth mud cellars" to produce base liquor, achieving full-chain quality control from field to table. At the same time, Xifeng Liquor proactively aligns with international standards, giving Chinese brewing a globally universal quality language. "We empower with modern technology while firmly guarding our traditional roots, so that our products can withstand consumer scrutiny," said Zhang Zheng, Party Secretary and Chairman of Xifeng Group Company.

The CIIE is not only a trade platform but also a window for mutual learning between civilizations (文明互鉴, wen ming hu jian - "civilization, mutually, learn from each other"). Many foreign visitors, after tasting Xifeng Liquor at the booth, were deeply impressed by its mellow and elegant aroma and its smooth, refreshing taste, expressing a desire to learn more about the culture behind it. In recent years, the company has adopted a "baijiu + cultural tourism" model, creating an industry-integration project that combines intangible cultural heritage displays with craft experiences, and actively promoting its products globally.

Adhering to the integration of traditional brewing and modern technology, the company vigorously advances the construction of "digital +" and "smart +" smart factory projects, exploring refined, high-quality brewing processes for baijiu. By cultivating specialized sorghum varieties and promoting water-saving technologies, the company ensures raw material quality and drives up farmers' incomes. On its internationalization path, Xifeng Liquor relies on the "Silk Road Fine Wine" series of activities and overseas tasting events to continuously improve its channel layout and advance its products toward becoming international famous brands.

"The CIIE is a bridge for sharing opportunities and promoting openness," Zhang Zheng said. The company will persist in meeting the needs of consumers around the world with higher-quality products and better services, helping Chinese brands go global. Looking to the future, Xifeng Liquor will continue to leverage international platforms such as the CIIE to deepen cultural exchange and market expansion, innovate through inheritance, cooperate through openness, and continuously enhance brand influence and international competitiveness, so that more consumers can get to know Xifeng and understand Chinese baijiu, writing a new chapter on the road of sharing opportunities and jointly creating the future.

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Page editors: Lü Zhongzheng, Wu Kai, Han Wenrong

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Why Young People Are Falling for "Visiting the Ancients" (Youth Observation · Decoding Youth Cultural Trends)

By: 本报记者 刘博通

Placing a jug of wine before the tombs of the ancients, leaving a handwritten letter at the former residences of past sages... In recent years, a wave of enthusiasm for visiting historical sites and tracing the footsteps of the past has quietly risen among young people. The youth who once chased after the "top influencers" of entertainment are increasingly turning their gaze toward the depths of history. They rush to ancient ruins and relics, seek out memorial halls, and explore ancient buildings and villages, seeking spiritual solace within the thousand-year cultural lineage and feeling the power of culture amidst the dust of history.

Why have contemporary young people fallen in love with "visiting the past"? What exactly do they "visit"? What do they gain from it? Our reporter approached these young people to see how they engage in dialogue with history in more vivid and personalized ways.

Chasing the "stars" of a thousand years ago, checking in at the "spots" of the long river of history

"Above ground are farmlands; underground is history." Starting out at 7 a.m. from the Luolong District of Luoyang, Henan, Xiao Jiu, born after 2000, visited the tomb of Ban Chao and the mausoleum of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and as night fell, arrived at the Yongchang Mausoleum and Yongxi Mausoleum of the Northern Song Dynasty in Gongyi City.

Traveling between fields and ancient sites, Xiao Jiu, from Dalian, Liaoning, used an 11-hour "special-forces style" tour of historical sites to experience the long history from the Eastern Han to the Northern Song Dynasty. Many walls and steles have disappeared with the passage of time, merging with nature and blending into the farmland, but the weight of history left Xiao Jiu in awe.

"From these remains, one can clearly see the lineage of cultural inheritance and evolution, and the veins of ethnic integration and development," Xiao Jiu said.

Chasing the "stars" of a thousand years ago, checking in at the "spots" of the long river of history. Nowadays, there are more and more young people like Xiao Jiu. During every holiday, not only are tickets to popular historical sites extremely hard to obtain (一票难求, yi piao nan qiu - "one, ticket, difficult, seek"), but the ancient sites and relics scattered across the countryside that were previously seldom visited or sought after (鲜有人问津, xian you ren wen jin - "fresh, have, people, ask, enter") are also welcoming a "check-in army." On the Xiaohongshu platform, the topic "My Ancient Site Tour" has accumulated over 79 million views and over 500,000 interactions and discussions.

In the process of pursuing this "ancient trend," the way young people view history and inherit culture is also undergoing a transformation.

Different from traditional tourism and sightseeing, these young people's "visits to the past" have their own unique forms of expression: unlike the solemnity of traditional tomb-sweeping, young people use ibuprofen to pay tribute to Cao Cao, to "relieve" his migraine; before the tomb of Huo Qubing, they place snacks like spicy strips and candies; at the stele of the long mausoleum of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei, they hang a banner reading "Ambassador of Ethnic Integration" to "commend" his actions in vigorously promoting ethnic integration...

In the eyes of these young people, "visiting the past" is not merely a superficial visit for the sake of checking a place off a list (到此一游, dao ci yi you - "arrive, here, one, travel"), but rather an equal "dialogue": responding to the circumstances of the ancients with their own thoughts, communicating across time and space from a level perspective, turning history from the "past tense" into the "present continuous tense."

A more micro perspective and richer emotions also mean stronger interest and deeper research.

Da Qi, born in the 1990s, is a history enthusiast of the late Han and Three Kingdoms period. During this year's National Day holiday, he set out from Beijing, visited the Cao Cao Mausoleum Site Museum in Anyang, Henan, and then traveled south to Xuchang, lingering at memorial halls and historical sites scattered across the countryside. Before setting out, he consulted the biographies and anecdotes of historical figures, even studied academic papers, and planned his visiting order meticulously, with a level of detail comparable to field research.

Carefully studying ancient texts, hand-drawing "ancient site tour" maps, verifying historical details, creating secondary content... In this trend of "visiting the past," there are many young people like Da Qi. On social platforms, posts seeking "ancient site tour partners" are common. Online "ancient site tour" communities spontaneously compile research notes and share insights from field visits, with niche cultural protection sites and off-the-beaten-path routes constantly being discovered. In these communities, everyone discusses the anecdotes of historical figures, shares tips on making their own offerings, and even organizes offline tomb-sweeping activities.

"How to determine the visiting order, how to choose transportation, which spots are worth a closer look — you can find answers to all of these," Da Qi said. Netizens will ask questions or add suggestions in the comment sections of posts and in communities, thereby driving more and more people to embark on the path of "visiting the past."

"'Visiting the past' is born out of interest and has become a popular form of spiritual and cultural life for today's young people," said Zhang Yiwu, a professor in the Chinese Department at Peking University. "Young people explore historical sites and touch history from a personalized perspective, breaking the stereotype of historical culture being 'old, niche, and obscure.' It is gradually evolving into diverse forms of cultural practice, allowing the thousand-year cultural lineage to integrate into contemporary life."

The Chinese civilization is profound and enduring, satisfying young people's deep thirst for spiritual culture

"If you could give Zhuge Liang one gift, what would you give him?"

In the classroom of Xiao Huang, a history teacher born in the 1990s, the students' answers were full of imagination: some wanted to give him a high-speed rail ticket so he would no longer be trapped by the "difficulty of the Shu roads"; some wanted to give him a handful of sand from the Dujiangyan irrigation system, as a tribute to his efforts to protect the weir back then. These answers delighted Xiao Huang, and she genuinely felt the resonance between young people and history.

Xiao Huang works in Chengdu, Sichuan, and studied archaeology. She is also an "ancient site tour" enthusiast. Xiao Huang admitted: "When I feel lonely, I don't want to pour out my negative energy to others, so I 'talk' with historical figures. The ancients had a lot of wisdom. Through the spiritual connection across time and space during 'visits to the past,' the answers I find benefit me greatly."

Xiao Huang's favorite ancient figure is Su Shi: "Reading his works, you can feel a living person — with fragility and helplessness, yet all of it candidly left in his writings." Near the family cemetery of Su Xun in Meishan, Sichuan, she saw a sign reading "Ten years, life and death, both vast and boundless," with rural life and a timeless masterpiece placed side by side. Later, when she went to Huanggang, Hubei, she found that Dinghui Temple and Chengtian Temple were also inseparable from modern life. "These locations from ancient poems have merged into present-day life, making me feel that the continuation of traditional culture is real and tangible."

Why has the "ancient site tour craze" emerged? Zhang Yiwu believes that first, it meets the emotional needs of young people. Modern society moves at a fast pace, and academic pressure, life's worries, and work setbacks all urgently require an outlet to relieve anxiety and settle the soul. The Chinese civilization, which has accumulated over thousands of years, is profound and enduring. The deeds and characters of the ancients are spiritual resources that have already been fixed, and this certainty can provide young people with lasting and reliable emotional support.

Zhuge Liang's perseverance, Li Bai's free-spiritedness, Huo Qubing's youthful heroism... The power generated by the deeds of these historical figures satisfies the deep spiritual thirst within young people.

The deeper reason lies in the enhancement of the nation's cultural confidence. "Today's youth genuinely recognize the value of the Chinese cultural lineage and have developed a spiritual need to actively trace its origins," Zhang Yiwu said. "Cultural confidence has taken root and sprouted in the hearts of young people. The frequent breakout of numerous Chinese-style film and television works and the active promotion by local cultural and tourism departments have stimulated the interest of the youth. Young people are no longer satisfied with passively accepting knowledge from textbooks; they are actively stepping out of the classroom, getting close to historical sites, interpreting the ancients, and spreading culture."

Inside the Pujing Temple in Xiangfen County, Shanxi, the wooden architecture is magnificent yet elegant, drawing repeated exclamations of admiration from Xiao Zhao, an "ancient site tour" blogger currently studying for a master's degree in Shanghai. In recent years, Xiao Zhao has been promoting ancient architecture and sharing "ancient site tour" routes on social media, with Shanxi being a frequent destination. Experiencing the continuation of the cultural lineage, broadening horizons and experience, and also making like-minded friends — this is exactly what many "ancient site tour" enthusiasts yearn for.

Ye Zi, 24, is currently pursuing a master's degree at Xiamen University and did her undergraduate studies in Chongqing. In recent years, Ye Zi has traveled through the Three Gorges Reservoir area, gone to Shanxi to see ancient architecture, and visited ancient capitals such as Beijing and Nanjing. Along the way, Ye Zi talked with new friends about the beauty of ancient architecture, shared their travel experiences, grew familiar with each other through walking and conversation, and made plans to travel together in the future. "I can enjoy beautiful scenery and also make friends I get along with." This unexpected delight fills Ye Zi with anticipation for the next departure.

Passionate yet rational, moving toward a broader world with a widened perspective

At the foot of Yueyang Tower and before the Pavilion of Prince Teng, recording their experiences of reciting classic masterpieces haltingly in order to climb for free; ancient thousand-year-old buildings, successfully "revived" with the help of modern technology... In recent years, the "hardcore" behaviors of young people "visiting the past" have frequently gone viral.

Wang Jiang, deputy dean of the Institute of Borderland Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, believes that "playing with memes" and "creating stunts" can be a way for young people to get close to history and express their thoughts. Young people use familiar language to dialogue with history and establish emotional connections with the ancients. Relaxed and interesting expressions can serve as an entry point for further understanding of history, and can be seen as a vivid exploration of traditional culture moving toward popularization.

For many young people, "visiting the past" is not just about one person's arrival; sharing and passing on is also an important part of the journey. Ye Zi records videos of her "self-talk" reflections for future memories; Xiao Jiu and Xiao Zhao continuously update their travel records of "visiting the past" on social media; Xiao Huang's sharing in the classroom is also influencing more students — some students send her photos after visiting museums, "some details I hadn't noticed before, it's particularly interesting."

Regarding the practice of young people enhancing society's historical awareness through innovative expression and science popularization, Zhang Yiwu believes that young people familiar with the logic of new media communication can transform what they see and think into accessible, vivid content, achieving mass dissemination. This is not a simple reproduction of content, but a personalized expression after the youth's own thinking, incorporating their own historical insights, making the dissemination of history warmer and more vital.

But accompanying this craze are phenomena worthy of vigilance. Online, some extreme historical content, spread through algorithmic recommendations and short videos, has entered the information horizon of ordinary people on a large scale.

Some people attribute perfect plots to their favorite dynasties, using filters to replace historical facts and simplifying complex history into "satisfying fiction"; others turn historical discussions into a "tearing down and propping up" style of factional warfare — recruiting allies, controlling comments, reporting, and besieging, a process that has become quite skillful.Xiao Huang has also seen similar situations online. "Some people take historical figures to extremes, or interpret history in very radical ways. I think that's not good."

"This kind of false historical rhetoric relies on algorithm-targeted recommendations, wrapped in the guise of the sensational and eye-catching, and is highly deceptive," Wang Jiang said.The historical cognitive framework of young people is still being constructed, and their ability to discern information is still insufficient. They can easily be led astray by fragmented and false information, giving rise to one-sided and erroneous historical views; over time, this can also sever the cultural memory passed down from generation to generation, weakening the public's cultural identity and sense of belonging.

Zhang Yiwu suggested that to address these problems, it is necessary to strengthen platform governance and reinforce historical general education for young people; guide young people to establish a rational view of history, treating history with an objective, reverent, and dialectical attitude. "Let 'visiting the past' return to its essence of tracing the cultural lineage and inheriting culture, let true and profound history occupy the mainstream position online, and truly achieve the goal of educating people through history and cultivating people through culture."

From reading ten thousand books to traveling ten thousand miles, from finding oneself to spreading culture, young people connect with history in their own way. "This is a confirmation of one's 'roots,' and also a search for a cultural belonging for oneself in a fluid era." Looking back on her journey of "visiting the past," Xiao Huang was filled with emotion.

"Visiting the past" is not just about historical stories, but also about cultural roots; it seeks not only ancient relics, but also a spiritual home. Let passion maintain its warmth without losing rationality, move toward a broader world with a widened perspective, and the torch of civilization that has stretched for thousands of years will ultimately continuously grow and flourish without end (生生不息, sheng sheng bu xi - "birth, birth, not, cease") through the exploration and guardianship of generations of youth.

(All interviewees in this article are pseudonyms; Wang Xinyi, Chen Ziyu, and He Zhonghuan contributed to the reporting and writing)

Reporter's Notes

Seeing the composure of "viewing the world on an equal footing" in each arrival

During the interview process, one could clearly feel that for "ancient site tour" enthusiasts, "visiting the past" has never been just about looking at old sites or taking photos — they are heading toward concrete, tangible historical coordinates: those moments that once touched them through words, architecture, and stories. And when more and more young people are willing to travel to a city for an ancient site, or walk an entire route for a past story, history is no longer in the past tense, but is activated through each arrival.

The youth craze for "visiting the past" reflects an increasingly firm cultural confidence, displays a composed posture of "viewing the world on an equal footing," and also highlights the vast scope and profound depth (博大精深, bo da jing shen - "broad, big, exquisite, deep") of Chinese culture. Young people actively step out of books to seek out historical sites, touching the imprints of civilization brick by brick, deepening their identity and finding themselves in dialogues between ancient and modern. In the process of seeking, feeling, and sharing, more and more people come to understand the depth of civilization, cultivate a broad vision, and gain spiritual enrichment and growth.

The broad masses of young people are not only recipients of history and culture, but also inheritors and guardians. We look forward to more young people being diligent in critical thinking and adept at innovation, telling the story of Chinese civilization in moving words, and injecting abundant youthful vitality into the promotion of China's excellent traditional culture.

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Finding a Sense of Control Over Life by "Drinking Plain Water" (Youth Perspective)

By: 吴 月

Before work, buying a drink at the coffee shop downstairs from the office is a habit I share with many colleagues. Recently, however, some friends have quietly changed their choice: after standing in front of the coffee and fruit tea for a moment, they ultimately picked up their water cup and went to the water room to fill it with plain boiled water. We looked at each other and smiled at each other (相视莞尔, xiang shi wan er - "mutually, look; smile, twinkle") — the trendy phrase "drinking plain water" has blown its way to our side after all.

Looking closely, there are quite a few similar lifestyle changes among people of my age: some have goji berries steeping in their insulated cups; some have put on smartwatches and are paying attention to changes in sleep quality; some follow videos to practice Baduanjin and "pat the eight deficiency points"... Each small thing reflects many young people's pursuit of physical and mental health, their longing for a balance between work and life, and their efforts to build inner order.

Taking care of one's health has always been the daily admonition of elders, but for young people, going from "knowing" to "doing" is hardly easy. When work is busy, one rushes about, and sometimes even with the water cup right at hand there is no time to drink; when racing to meet a project deadline, one often stays up late into the night the day before and still has to get up early the next day; when stress mounts, one wants to eat high-calorie foods... Over time, the body sounds the alarm. As Academician Zhang Boli said, some young people consider themselves young and strong and think they need not pay attention, unaware that long-term unhealthy lifestyles are "overdrawing" their health. Now, looking at the ever-lengthening list of minor problems on their physical examination reports, many young people are coming to realize that no matter how busy work is, they must still settle their body and mind. Drinking more water, staying up less, and exercising more are precisely attempts to regain a healthy routine of life.

This emphasis on health does not mean "lying flat" or giving up striving; rather, it reflects young people's hope to better grasp the rhythm of life and have a bit more sense of ease. Faced with the pressures of study and work, one often needs first to put one's mindset in order — with passion within, yet remaining calm and unhurried (从容不迫, cong rong bu po - "calm, unhurried; not, pressuring") on the outside. When the tasks at hand are a huge number of complex issues (千头万绪, qian tou wan xu - "thousand, heads; ten thousand, threads"), one might as well take a sip of water and sort them out one by one; when the outside world changes quickly, one might as well maintain a sense of order in life through a regular routine. Sometimes, going a little slower can actually make one go more smoothly and farther.

In fact, the subtle changes in young people's lives are not merely about pursuing a healthier body or a more comfortable pace of life; there is also a deeper psychological need — using these small things within one's power or ability (力所能及, li suo neng ji - "strength, what, can, reach") to regain a sense of control over one's inner world. Many young people proactively adjust themselves under pressure, neither toughing it out nor engaging in internal friction, but instead building an "emotional buffer zone" through outings, fitness, consumption, and the like. Similarly, swapping sugary drinks for plain water, taking a few laps outside during the lunch break, and moving bedtime earlier at night — these behaviors share the common traits of being low-cost and operable. Compared with the long-cycle feedback of the workplace and academia, these small yet certain things can often bring a sense of fulfillment more quickly, helping young people enhance their sense of self-efficacy through action and gradually accumulate more confidence to cope with uncertainty.

At the same time, it must also be recognized that "drinking plain water" cannot "resolve a hundred worries." Safeguarding young people's physical and mental health requires not only individuals to "seek within" but also the support of society. On campus, some universities issue "fit as a fiddle" certificates, igniting students' enthusiasm for exercise through positive incentives; in the workplace, many organizations organize mid-work exercises and cultural and sports activities to foster a relaxed atmosphere. Going a step further, reducing "invisible overtime" and guaranteeing rest and leave — only a friendly employment environment can bring a balance between work and life; helping young people resolve practical difficulties in innovation and entrepreneurship, housing security, and social integration can ease the pressure of growing up, give more certainty to the future, and provide more support for a striving youth.

At the graduation ceremony of Guangzhou Medical University, Academician Zhong Nanshan once offered these words to the students: stay healthy, enjoy work, enjoy life, and make more contributions to society and family. These few short words also imply the importance of physical and mental health: it concerns not only oneself, but also family happiness and long-term contributions to society. One might as well start with the small things around us and accumulate solid strength for growth.

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Little Yellow Blossoms Grow into "Golden Nuggets" (Youth Diary)

By: 陈永红

In the early morning, a thin mist hangs over the banks of the Yellow River, and rows upon rows of cucumber greenhouses gleam with a silvery-white light. Inside the greenhouses, tender yellow cucumber blossoms are tipped with dewdrops, refracting crystalline light in the morning sun.

Gazing at these little yellow blossoms that carry the villagers' year's harvest, my thoughts always drift back to August 2015 — that month, together with 595 households of fellow villagers, I bid farewell to our deep-mountain homeland in Min County, Gansu, and we relocated as a whole community to Beiwan Township, Jingyuan County.

From the deep mountains of Min County to an unfamiliar Yellow River irrigation district, the villagers, who had grown medicinal herbs for generations, had to put down roots on this new land.

In 2016, we seized the opportunity of the county's vegetable industry support project, persuaded four households of villagers to consolidate idle land, pooled together 20 mu of contiguous plots, and built six standardized vegetable greenhouses, officially embarking on the path of exploring facility agriculture. We had thought that once the greenhouses were built, things would be settled, but the lack of water and electricity became a "roadblock." In winter, the diesel engine would not start; four people had to take turns cranking it for half an hour before it would fire up, and when water was scarce during the day, we pumped at night.

After half a year, the six demonstration greenhouses for chili peppers brought in an income of 30,000 yuan. The money was not much, but the villagers came to believe that greenhouses could make money. Yet getting everyone to follow suit was the greater difficulty. When we were building greenhouses on a large scale in 2017, land transfer hit a snag again, with more than ten households of villagers jointly resisting. For over half a month, I went to the villagers' homes every day, making small talk and calculating the detailed accounts. On the last occasion, I said: "If you have the ability, you can get by without growing in greenhouses, but we cannot block everyone else's path to a livelihood!" The villagers finally nodded. That year, we transferred 196 mu of land, built 77 solar greenhouses, and took the first step toward industrial scale.

As the greenhouses multiplied, market access became a new problem. With more than 500 solar greenhouses all put into production, the village's daily cucumber output exceeded 300,000 jin; if they could not be sold, everything would be in vain. I led village cadres on trips to agricultural trade markets in Lanzhou, Xining in Qinghai, and other places, knocking on doors one by one. In the end, we integrated village-level resources, built a production-and-marketing platform, created the "Flower Village New Village" brand, introduced financial support, and laid out e-commerce channels, establishing a sales system of "direct supply from the base, integrated production and marketing." In 2024, the annual sales revenue of the Xinping Agricultural Trade Market exceeded 260 million yuan, and the small cucumber became a genuine and well-deserved (名副其实, ming fu qi shi - "name, matches, actual, reality") "golden nugget"; in 2025, the "Xinping Mountain Villa" agritainment business opened for operation, integrating specialty dining, pastoral sightseeing, and farming experience, injecting new vitality into the village collective economy.

From a per capita income of less than 2,000 yuan in 2015 to a per capita income of more than 20,000 yuan this year, these impressive figures were achieved through the uniting people to work toward a common goal (凝心聚力, ning xin ju li - "condense, heart; gather, strength") and hard work of all the villagers, and they are also a vivid microcosm of the comprehensive rural revitalization policy taking root and empowering the grassroots.

Some people ask me whether these 11 years have been hard. To be honest, yes, they have been. The nights spent guarding the greenhouses on New Year's Eve were hard, the times running around the markets were hard, and the times going door to door doing persuasion work and being given cold looks were even harder. But whenever I see the village roads widened, the greenhouses stretching in continuous stretches, and the villagers' lives growing more prosperous, none of that hardship counts for anything.

I will continue to hold fast to this land, empower the countryside with the strength of youth, continue to expand the distinctive industries, improve the living environment, and raise the level of governance, working together with the villagers to create a better life.

(The author is the Party General Branch Secretary of Xinping Village, Beiwan Township, Jingyuan County, Baiyin City, Gansu Province; compiled from an interview by People's Daily reporter Song Chaojun)

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Page editors: Liu Botong

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Solidly Advance the Rule-of-Law Development of Cultural Heritage

By: 朱 兵

The "15th Five-Year Plan for the Protection and Inheritance of Cultural Heritage" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan") has a prominent feature: it takes the building of the rule of law as the core support for enhancing the capacity for cultural heritage governance, systematically constructing a full-chain rule-of-law system encompassing the improvement of legislation, departmental performance of duties, safety law enforcement, inspection and accountability, legal popularization and co-governance, and international treaty compliance. It clearly sets forth rigid requirements such as improving the mechanism for coordinated performance of duties among departments, severely cracking down on cultural relic crimes, and comprehensively rectifying safety hazards, thereby laying a solid rule-of-law foundation for building a major pattern of cultural heritage protection in the new era.

Strengthen top-level design of legislation and build a complete system of cultural heritage laws and regulations that connects the upper and lower levels. The Plan clearly sets forth three major legislative tasks for national cultural heritage legislation during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period: first, promoting the enactment of a Cultural Heritage Protection Law, which is the most symbolic legislative task in the Plan. For a long time, there have been many contradictions and conflicts in the regulation and management of various types of cultural heritage such as cultural relics and intangible cultural heritage, making it difficult to meet the requirements of systematic protection under the "major protection pattern." As a foundational and comprehensive law in the field of cultural heritage, the Cultural Heritage Protection Law will uniformly define the concept, classification, and protection principles of cultural heritage, coordinate various cultural heritage resources, and uniformly stipulate various foundational systems. Second, deploying the revision of existing laws and regulations. The Plan deploys the implementation of the already-revised Cultural Relics Protection Law, while clearly proposing to promote the revision of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Law, and to promote the revision of the Regulations for the Implementation of the Cultural Relics Protection Law, the Museum Regulations, and the Regulations on the Protection of Famous Historical and Cultural Cities, Towns, and Villages. Third, filling the gaps in individual regulations and refining supporting institutional rules. With regard to the protection object of historical and cultural blocks, the Plan clearly proposes to "strengthen legal safeguards"; with regard to red resources, traditional villages, and ancient book protection, it is necessary to accelerate the improvement of institutional development during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, fill the institutional gaps for these several types of distinctive heritage, and shift them from policy-driven to law-based governance.

Improve the responsibility system of the central and local governments and implement in accordance with the law the requirements for all departments to perform their duties and fulfill their responsibilities. The Plan clearly stipulates "strengthening the working pattern of cultural heritage protection featuring unified leadership of Party committees, overall coordination of propaganda departments, and performance of duties and responsibilities by relevant departments." In accordance with this requirement, it is necessary to further refine the statutory duties of all levels and departments, clarify the boundaries of powers and responsibilities, and form a rule-of-law working system of joint efforts by various parties to manage a situation (齐抓共管, qi zhua gong guan - "together, grasp, together, manage") and coordinated co-governance. Party committees and governments at all levels earnestly perform their leadership responsibilities, comprehensively lead the protection of cultural heritage in their localities and regions, and incorporate cultural heritage protection into the overall economic and social development and key work for coordinated advancement; propaganda departments play the role of taking the lead in overall planning and coordination, coordinating protection and inheritance, publicity and promotion, value interpretation, and public opinion guidance; competent cultural heritage departments perform their industry supervisory duties, handling daily protection and management, project approval, supervision and inspection, and industry law enforcement; natural resources departments strictly implement territorial spatial control requirements; public security departments continue to crack down on cultural relic crimes and investigate cases involving cultural relics; judicial administrative, procuratorial, and court departments strengthen legal supervision, public interest litigation, and judicial safeguards.

Build a firm bottom line for safety law enforcement, severely crack down on cultural relic crimes, and comprehensively rectify safety hazards. The Plan specifically makes law enforcement arrangements for "maintaining the safety of cultural heritage," requiring the establishment of a national cultural heritage safety monitoring, early warning, command, and disposal system to enhance the emergency management capacity for cultural heritage. It is necessary to continue to maintain a high-pressure posture in cultural relic law enforcement, strictly investigate and punish, strike hard, and maintain routine deterrence. Improve the mechanisms for multi-department joint law enforcement, lead transfer, joint inspection, and rapid disposal, and rely on remote sensing monitoring, intelligent early warning, and routine inspection to build a three-dimensional supervision system, so as to achieve early detection of illegal signs and early rectification of safety hazards. Prevent phenomena such as emphasizing use over protection, emphasizing tourism over culture, and excessive commercial development, regulate in accordance with the law the activities of revitalization and utilization, resolutely rectify problems such as destructive restoration, unauthorized renovation, and out-of-scope operations, and safeguard the physical safety of cultural heritage through strict law enforcement.

Improve the inspection and accountability mechanism and strengthen the coordinated advancement of administrative supervision and judicial cooperation. The Plan clearly proposes "establishing a cultural heritage protection inspection system," incorporating cultural heritage into cadre education and training, government performance assessment, and economic responsibility audits of leading cadres, and layer by layer consolidating territorial responsibility, departmental supervisory responsibility, and project primary responsibility. Routinely carry out special inspections, daily supervision, and interviews and accountability, and seriously pursue accountability and investigate responsibility for those who perform duties poorly, fail to supervise, or rectify inadequately, causing damage or loss of cultural heritage. In accordance with the requirements of the Plan, continue to deepen the effective connection between administrative law enforcement and the judiciary, carry out procuratorial public interest litigation for cultural heritage protection in accordance with the law, and for situations of administrative inaction, inadequate supervision, and infringement of public interests, urge lawful performance of duties through procuratorial suggestions and the filing of public interest litigation, so as to ensure that responsibilities are pursued where they exist, violations are investigated, and losses are compensated, thereby building a comprehensive rule-of-law supervision system.

Deepen legal publicity and guidance and foster a rule-of-law atmosphere of nationwide co-governance. In accordance with the Plan's requirement to "strengthen the interpretation of laws, regulations, and policies, enhance publicity and guidance, and raise the awareness of protection across society," continue to promote the normalization and popularization of legal publicity and education on cultural heritage protection. Carry out routine legal training for Party and government cadres and industry management personnel to enhance their capacity for law-based decision-making, law-based management and protection, and law-based performance of duties; strengthen legal warning education for construction units and cultural tourism business entities, clarifying statutory responsibilities and prohibited red lines. Extensively carry out nationwide actions for cultural heritage protection, promote heritage protection into schools, textbooks, communities, and villages, give play to the supervisory role of social organizations, volunteers, and the media, keep channels open for public reporting, and continuously foster a sound legal environment in which everyone knows, everyone guards, and protection is carried out in accordance with the law.

Strictly abide by international treaty compliance standards and coordinate the building of domestic legal institutions and foreign-related legal institutions. The Plan clearly proposes "fulfilling international conventions in the field of cultural heritage." As a state party to multiple international conventions on cultural heritage, China should abide by international norms, adhere to the organic connection between domestic law and international conventions, proactively fulfill statutory international obligations such as heritage protection, inheritance and display, monitoring and management, and preventing illegal outflow, actively advance the application and reserve of various lists such as World Heritage, Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the Memory of the World Programme, and agricultural cultural heritage, and improve the application mechanism; implement a special action for the protection and enhancement of World Cultural Heritage, complete international treaty compliance reports on schedule, and continuously improve the level of refined protection of World Heritage; actively participate in the formulation of international protection rules and technical standards, actively export China's protection concepts and governance experience, and demonstrate the responsibility of a major country through high-level foreign-related rule-of-law work.

(The author is the former director of the Cultural Affairs Office of the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the National People's Congress)

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Promoting the Integration of Intangible Cultural Heritage into the New Framework of Comprehensive Protection

By: 杨利慧

The "15th Five-Year Plan for the Protection and Inheritance of Cultural Heritage" is the first five-year plan in the field of cultural heritage protection ever compiled in China, and it is a new milestone in the history of cultural heritage protection. The Plan clearly puts forward the overall goal of "building a major pattern of cultural heritage protection," deploys key tasks such as "promoting holistic and coordinated protection," and incorporates tangible and intangible cultural heritage into the same management framework. This means that China's systematic protection of cultural heritage has officially entered a new stage of major protection characterized by holistic and integrated protection.

Cultural heritage is historical wealth created, selected, cherished, and passed down by human groups. In terms of form, cultural heritage can be divided into two major categories: tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The two are two sides of the same coin (一体两面, yi ti liang mian - "one, body; two, sides") and blending together harmoniously (水乳交融, shui ru jiao rong - "water, milk; mix, blend"), and cannot be separated completely — tangible cultural heritage provides intangible heritage with physical carriers and spaces for inheritance, while intangible heritage endows tangible cultural heritage with cultural connotations and vibrant vitality. However, for a long time, tangible, visible cultural heritage has generally received more attention, while intangible, invisible intangible heritage has often been neglected. To remedy this limitation, 31 years after the adoption of the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which focused on the protection of tangible cultural heritage, UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003, enriching the international cultural heritage protection system with a global legal instrument for the safeguarding of intangible heritage.

In recent years, carrying out holistic and coordinated protection of cultural heritage has gradually become a new concept in the field of heritage protection both at home and abroad. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the work of cultural heritage protection. General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized the need to "uphold a heart that reveres history and cherishes culture, adhere to the principles of protection first, rational utilization, and minimal intervention, and promote the systematic protection and unified supervision of cultural heritage," providing fundamental guidance for the establishment of the concept of major cultural heritage protection. At the international level, related explorations have also continued to deepen: the 2023 UNESCO "Naples Conference on Cultural Heritage in the 21st Century" emphasized the importance of the holistic protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

The Plan responds to the aforementioned cutting-edge protection concepts, deploying at the national level the building of a major pattern of cultural heritage protection and promoting in a holistic manner the coordinated protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, demonstrating a new, more inclusive concept of major cultural heritage. The concept of major cultural heritage advocates breaking the limitation of overemphasizing a single heritage category and treating different categories of heritage as an interrelated, inseparable whole. In the Plan, intangible heritage is regarded as an organic component of heritage of equal importance to and interdependent with tangible cultural heritage, and is fully integrated into the protection framework: in addition to separately listing the sub-field special task of "solidly carrying out the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage," the concept of integrating intangible heritage with other categories of heritage in a unified layout runs through the entire document. It can be foreseen that the implementation of the Plan will enable intangible heritage to take deeper root in the overall daily life to which it is intrinsically connected, expand new development space for the cause of intangible heritage protection, significantly enhance the effectiveness of China's systematic cultural heritage protection, and provide Chinese solutions worthy of reference for global cultural heritage protection.

The Plan deploys a series of innovative actions around building the major protection pattern. For example, Box 1 prominently proposes the implementation of the "Cultural Ecological Protection Zone Construction Expansion and Upgrading Project." The construction of cultural ecological protection zones is a major pioneering initiative in the field of China's intangible heritage protection, aiming to take the intangible heritage within the protected area as the core while also protecting the cultural and natural environment that nurtures and fosters intangible heritage. The expansion and upgrading project builds on this foundation, further extending the objects of protection to all categories of cultural heritage within the area, and supporting their integrated protection as a whole inseparable from intangible heritage, thereby making the construction of cultural ecological protection zones a key measure for implementing the major protection pattern. In addition, the Plan incorporates deployments for the protection and inheritance of intangible heritage into key tasks such as "improving the level of protection of immovable cultural relics," "strengthening the protection of movable cultural relics and museum management," and "strengthening education, science and technology, and talent support for cultural heritage protection," demonstrating that intangible heritage carries weight that cannot be ignored in the major protection pattern.

Furthermore, the Plan brings different categories of heritage into a unified supervision system, achieving a major breakthrough in the institutional mechanisms of China's cultural heritage governance. For a long time, intangible heritage and tangible cultural heritage have been managed separately by departments such as culture and tourism, and cultural relics, sometimes also involving housing and urban-rural development, forestry, agriculture and rural affairs, and other fields, resulting in frequent fragmentation in cultural heritage governance. This predicament is also a common challenge faced by countries around the world in cultural heritage protection. The Plan directly confronts this key issue, building a unified supervision institutional mechanism and providing safeguards for breaking through the problem of fragmented departmental divisions and achieving cross-departmental coordinated governance.

Cultural heritage carries the profound historical memory and deep cultural genes of the Chinese nation. Building a major protection pattern and promoting the coordinated protection of tangible and intangible cultural heritage is not only an accurate grasp of the laws of cultural heritage survival but also an important innovation in the ways of its inheritance and development. This will more effectively sustain the vitality of cultural heritage, including intangible heritage, and provide inexhaustible nourishment for continuing the Chinese historical lineage and building a culturally strong socialist country.

(The author is a professor at Beijing Normal University)

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Ancient "Mini Hotpots" and "Solo Dining" (New on Display)

By: 游 恺

In the "Crucible of Nations" exhibition hall of the Shanxi Museum, there is a bronze sauce-warming stove (ranlu) 13 centimeters high and 24 centimeters long overall. It was unearthed in 1983 from a tomb of the late Western Han dynasty in Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province. The body of the stove is openwork-carved with the Four Spirits — the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise — hence its name, the "Four Spirits Sauce-Warming Stove." This exquisite cooking utensil is a vivid testament to how people more than 2,000 years ago warmed sauces before their mats and dined from separate portions.

The Four Spirits Sauce-Warming Stove consists of three parts: a catch tray, the stove body, and an ear cup. The catch tray is slightly oval in shape, with a flared mouth, shallow belly, and flat bottom; it serves as the base of the whole set, catching the ashes that fall from the stove body. The stove body sits atop the catch tray. Its base is rectangular, and its upper portion is openwork-carved with the Four Spirits, embodying the Han-dynasty spatial concept of "spirits in the four directions." On one side of the stove body is a leaf-shaped handle for easy lifting. The four legs below are shaped like dwarfs bending forward with their hands behind their backs, supporting the stove body — both stable and ingenious. At the bottom of the stove's interior are cast two rows of long slotted grates, used to let in air, let out ashes, and help the charcoal fire burn. Four short posts are set on the rim of the stove mouth, steadily supporting an oval ear cup.

The name "sauce-warming stove" (ranlu) derives from inscriptions on the vessels themselves as recorded in the literature. In the Collection of Qin and Han Bronze Inscriptions and the Tao Zhai Collection of Bronze Inscriptions, transmitted vessels bearing the inscriptions "ranlu" (sauce-warming stove) and "ranbei" (sauce-warming cup) can be found respectively. Some scholars once speculated that it was used for dyeing cloth or warming wine. However, the National Museum of China holds a sauce-warming vessel of the same Western Han period, cast with the inscription "Qinghe Food Officer" (Qinghe shiguan). The "food officer" was an official in charge of food and drink, making clear that its use should be as a food vessel. So what exactly does "ran" mean? According to Gao You's Commentary on the Lüshi Chunqiu from the Han dynasty, it is explained as fermented bean paste, meaning "to dip in sauce." The ear cup atop the Four Spirits Sauce-Warming Stove is precisely the vessel for holding this kind of condiment. In addition to documentary records, excavated materials also provide supporting evidence: lacquer ear cups unearthed from Tomb No. 1 at Mawangdui in Changsha bear inscriptions such as "My lord, enjoy the wine" and "My lord, enjoy the food." The inventory list of grave goods buried in the same tomb also records "small cups" and "two of them hold sauce and salt." The "small cups" here refer to the ear cups buried with the tomb occupant, showing that ear cups could serve not only as wine vessels but also for holding various seasonings.

Why, then, did the dipping sauce in the ear cup need to be heated over a stove? This has to do with the Han-dynasty method of preparing meat by the "ru" (moist-cooking) technique. The Book of Rites, chapter "Inner Pattern," records: "When one wishes to moist-cook meat, one first loosens it and then fries it in a meat sauce." That is, when moist-cooking meat, one first boils the meat until it is edible, then places it in seasonings and cooks it, enhancing its flavor. In the sauce-warming vessel, the sauce cup holds the seasonings. The stove body has only limited space for charcoal — the charcoal is just enough to heat and keep warm, not enough to cook meat thoroughly — so the ingredients for sauce-dipping were generally pre-boiled in the kitchen before being brought to the table. Through the continuous heating of the sauce-warming stove, the meat was "blended with the juice" in the warm dipping sauce, gaining flavor and aroma. The sauce-warming stove's property of "no smoke, no flame" also allowed it to be placed in a wider variety of indoor settings without disturbing the meal.

The use of the sauce-warming stove also matched the Han-dynasty practice of separate dining. Han-dynasty banquets observed the custom of "one table and one stove per person." The sauce-warming stove is small in size, designed precisely for one person's meal. The sauce cup of the Four Spirits Sauce-Warming Stove has a capacity of about 350 milliliters, and the dimensions of the stove are all made to a single-person portion, making it easy for one person to move. The construction of the sauce-warming stove also reflects practicality in every detail: the handle is designed in three segments, with lengths proportional to the stove body, the purpose being to extend the handle structure for better heat insulation. The end of the handle is cooler and easy to grip. The grate holes at the bottom of the stove serve as air inlets, the openwork Four Spirits as air outlets, and the stove cavity is designed as a hollow chamber running through the entire stove body — together these create a circulation of heat.

In the north, winter brings extremely cold weather (天寒地冻, tian han di dong - "sky, cold; earth, frozen"), and fresh vegetables are scarce. Han-dynasty people mostly relied on stores laid in from late autumn and early winter to get through the long winter, and their diet emphasized warmth. In the cold season, people dined from separate portions, warming sauce in sauce-warming stoves at the table, dipping boiled meat slices into the piping-hot sauce to "moisten and dip" before eating, accompanied by sauce, salt, fermented beans, and meat paste — warming the body and adding flavor alike, enjoying their own "little hot pot."

Small as the sauce-warming stove is, it is precisely the finishing touch on the winter dining table. With the Four Spirits guarding the fire and a cup of warm sauce, it links the ritual of winter dining with the warmth of everyday life. A stove of charcoal fire, a cup of warm sauce — across more than 2,000 years of time, they let us glimpse the cozy warmth of people's winter dining tables back then.

(Author's affiliation: Shanxi Museum)

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Through a Great River, Let the World Understand China (Exploring the Past to Understand the Present)

By: 汤 恒

Yellow River culture is an important component of Chinese civilization and the root and soul of the Chinese nation. Through this great river, the world can better understand China.

The Yellow River flows through nine provinces and autonomous regions of China and is the fifth longest river in the world. Geological research indicates that the Yellow River formed approximately 1.6 million years ago. In a broad sense, Yellow River culture is the sum total of the material and spiritual wealth created by the people of all ethnic groups in the Yellow River basin in their long practice of understanding, utilizing, and transforming nature; in a narrow sense, it refers specifically to the ideological concepts, behavioral norms, value ideals, and customs accumulated by the people of this land. On the one hand, it is necessary to promote the systematic protection of Yellow River cultural heritage; on the other hand, it is necessary to deeply explore the contemporary value contained in Yellow River culture and tell the "Yellow River story" well.

Archaeological sites such as Xihoudu, Dingcun, Peiligang, Yangshao, Majiayao, and Erlitou preserve the civilizational imprints of the ancestors of the Yellow River. Regional cultures such as Hehuang, Hetao, Sanjin, Guanzhong, Heluo, and Qilu are distributed across the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Yellow River, differing in appearance yet sharing common roots, jointly constituting the grand panorama of Yellow River culture. As an integrated concept, Yellow River culture is closely and intimately intermingled (水乳交融, shui ru jiao rong - "water, milk, blend, mix") with the lives of the people living in the Yellow River basin, reflecting from one aspect people's common language, common psychology, and common emotions. Its connotations are extremely rich, including at least Yellow River agrarian culture, Yellow River ideological culture, and the two-river culture formed by the convergence of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River.

The Yellow River gave birth to a profound agrarian culture. As early as ten thousand years ago, primitive agriculture developed in the Yellow River basin on the basis of a gathering economy. Millet remains dating back 8,000 years attest to the long agrarian history of this region. The ancestors created production tools such as the lei, si, and plow, reclaimed land, cultivated mulberry and raised silkworms, domesticated the six livestock animals, and accumulated systematic agrarian experience. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, iron agricultural tools became widespread, animal-drawn farming was promoted, water conservancy projects were constructed, and the land tax system was continuously improved, achieving a substantial increase in agricultural productivity in the Yellow River basin. In their long-term coexistence and interaction with nature, the ancients created the twenty-four solar terms, formed a cosmology of following the laws of nature, an ethics of revering heaven and honoring ancestors, and nurtured value concepts of pragmatism and action and placing the family and state above all, laying a solid material and spiritual foundation for Yellow River culture.

Yellow River culture carries the ideological core of uniting the Chinese community, with Confucianism as an important marker. Confucius inherited the rites of the Zhou dynasty, proposed "to restrain oneself and restore the rites, and all under heaven will return to benevolence," and constructed the Confucian ideological system of cultivating oneself, regulating the family, governing the state, and bringing peace to all under heaven, which became an important ideological resource for later state governance. "Rites" established the norms of social order, and "benevolence" advocated the spirit of universal love of extending to others what one desires for oneself. Through the evolution of the ages, Confucian doctrine deeply permeated state governance and civil society. The ethics, sense of concern, and ideal personality it advocated have long shaped the spiritual character of the Chinese nation and become the spiritual driving force for maintaining national unity and solidarity.

The two-river culture formed by the convergence of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, incorporating various aspects and elements (兼收并蓄, jian shou bing xu - "simultaneously, receive, and, absorb") and acting as a mainstay and a stabilizing force (砥柱中流, di zhu zhong liu - "foundation, pillar, middle, stream"), basically outlines the main features of Chinese culture. After the Eastern Jin, Sui, and Tang dynasties, influenced by warfare and environmental changes, the economic and cultural center of gravity gradually shifted toward the Yangtze River basin. Along with large-scale population migration, Yellow River culture spread southward and deeply integrated with Yangtze River culture. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the political center moved northward, further expanding the radiation range of the two-river culture. In modern times, when confronted with the impact of Western civilization, the two-river culture displayed distinctive spiritual traits: on the one hand, it upheld the character of inclusiveness and, in the process of learning from and exploring the outside world, adhered to combining Marxism with China's specific realities and with China's excellent traditional culture, blazing the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics; on the other hand, it upheld the value pursuit of a world shared by all and great unity, preserved its cultural roots amid hardship and struggle, upheld fundamental principles and broke new ground, and propelled Chinese culture toward new prosperity.

The nine-bend Yellow River, with its undaunted by many setbacks or hardships (百折不挠, bai zhe bu nao - "hundred, bend, not, yield") majestic momentum, shaped the national character of the Chinese nation of constantly striving for self-improvement (自强不息, zi qiang bu xi - "self, strengthen, not, rest"). Yellow River culture is unified in diversity and diverse in unity, bringing together ideology, morality, history, science and technology, literature and art, intangible heritage, and folk traditions, and possessing the genes of interaction, exchange, and integration. At present, China is increasingly moving toward the center of the world stage, and all sectors of the world urgently hope to understand the origins and pursuits of the Chinese nation through Yellow River culture, with the demand for understanding Yellow River culture continuously rising. Adhering to the equality and diversity of civilizations and building a communication model of mutual subjectivity, the value of Yellow River culture in international communication is becoming prominent.

The continuity of civilization endows Yellow River culture with value for communication in concentric circles. Among the four great ancient civilizations, only Chinese civilization has continued endlessly without interruption (绵延不绝, mian yan bu jue - "stretch, extend, not, continuous") upon the foundation of Yellow River culture, never having been interrupted — this is the most precious advantage of Yellow River culture in international communication. Looking back at history, the Yellow River basin, relying on its developed agrarian civilization and broad territorial kingship, radiated culture outward. After the Grand Canal was completed, the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, and the Han River were linked to form the inner ring of Chinese cultural dissemination. During the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties, Confucian culture radiated outward, shaping the Confucian cultural sphere of Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. This logic of concentric-circle communication from the inside outward and from oneself to others not only conforms to the laws of cultural diffusion but is also rooted in traditional ethical thought, providing a historical reference for the exchange and mutual learning among different civilizations in today's world.

After the founding of New China, the Yellow River was brought under control through scientific governance, and the story of Yellow River water management became an important communication resource. Entering the new era, the construction of the Sanjiangyuan National Park, watershed soil and water conservation, and estuary ecological restoration have been continuously advanced, the Yellow River Protection Law has been promulgated and implemented, the construction of the Yellow River National Cultural Park has been steadily advanced, and heritage protection, museum construction, and cultural tourism corridor development have been advanced simultaneously, transforming the rich historical and cultural spaces into modern spaces and providing vivid scenes for telling China's story well.

The development of digital technology has further connected the physical space and cyberspace, building a brand-new digital platform for the international communication of Yellow River culture. Multi-party collaborative cooperation can fully release the historical, scientific and technological, and aesthetic value of Yellow River culture. In a cross-cultural context, relying on continuously developing technological forces, continuously integrating and innovating, and enhancing international communication capacity, through one great river, let the world understand China.

(The author is a professor at Northwest Normal University)

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The Past and Present of the Northern Song Imperial Mausoleums

By: 刘海旺 孙 凯

Recently, the National Gallery of Australia returned two pieces of lost cultural relics to our country, drawing public attention once again to the protection of and related work on the Northern Song imperial mausoleums in Gongyi, Henan.

The Northern Song imperial mausoleums are located in present-day Gongyi City, Henan Province. Construction began in the first year of the Qiande reign of Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty (963 AD) and ended in the second year of the Jingkang reign of Emperor Qinzong (1127 AD) with the fall of the Northern Song. Of the nine Northern Song emperors, Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong were captured by the Jin forces and died in captivity in the northern deserts; the other seven emperors were all buried here. Together with the Yong'an Mausoleum of Zhao Hongyin, father of Zhao Kuangyin, who was posthumously honored as Emperor Xuanzu, these are collectively known as the "seven emperors, eight mausoleums." The eight mausoleums in order are: the Yong'an Mausoleum of Emperor Xuanzu, the Yongchang Mausoleum of Emperor Taizu, the Yongxi Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong, the Yongding Mausoleum of Emperor Zhenzong, the Yongzhao Mausoleum of Emperor Renzong, the Yonghou Mausoleum of Emperor Yingzong, the Yongyu Mausoleum of Emperor Shenzong, and the Yongtai Mausoleum of Emperor Zhezong. Except for the Yong'an Mausoleum, which is a joint burial of emperor and empress, the other emperors and empresses all followed the system of "joint burial within the same cemetery," with empresses having separate mausoleum compounds attached to the northwest corner of the imperial mausoleum. Each mausoleum also contains accompanying burials of large-scale imperial clan tomb clusters, and a dedicated Yong'an County was established to serve the mausoleums, with a royal Buddhist temple built to seek blessings for the ancestors.

The site selection of the Northern Song imperial mausoleums was deeply influenced by the fengshui and geomancy concepts of the time, resulting in a layout that is higher in the south and lower in the north — a reversal of the ancient architectural tradition of gradually increasing elevation — making it a unique case in the history of China's ancient mausoleum systems.

The eight imperial mausoleum precincts (zhaoyu) share a unified organizational structure and essentially identical ground plans, all facing south, each consisting of the upper palace (the emperor's mausoleum), the empress's mausoleum, the lower palace (clustered buildings for daily service, sacrifice, and tomb guardianship), and accompanying burial tombs. The upper palace in the southern part is the most important section of the mausoleum precinct, serving as the site for grand ceremonial worship, with the burial mound platform at its core. The burial mound platform is square in plan, built of rammed earth in three stepped tiers, its surface painted vermilion, with a sacrificial hall in front and surrounded by a sacred wall. At the four corners of the sacred wall are corner towers; gates are opened at the center of each of the four sides, with gate towers flanking the gates and a pair of stone lions standing outside each gate. Flanking the spirit path outside the southern sacred gate, stone figure groups are arranged in symmetrical pairs, symbolizing an honor guard. Further south are the breast platforms, and at the southern entrance of the mausoleum precinct stands a pair of magpie platforms. The magpie platforms, breast platforms, gate towers, and corner towers are all built of rammed earth faced with blue bricks. The empress's mausoleums are all attached to the northwest of the upper palace of the imperial mausoleum, their layout entirely modeled on the imperial upper palace but on a reduced scale. The lower palace is located at the northernmost part of the mausoleum precinct or between the imperial mausoleum and the empress's mausoleum.

Each imperial mausoleum's upper palace contains a total of 60 stone carvings. Apart from one pair of gate lions at each of the east, west, and north sacred gates, and one pair of palace attendants inside the southern sacred gate and before the burial mound platform, the rest are concentrated on both sides of the spirit path north of the breast platforms and south of the southern sacred gate. The stone figures face each other from east and west in symmetrical pairs, arranged from south to north as follows: ornamental columns, elephants, elephant tamers, auspicious bird stone screens, luduan (mythical beasts), horses with horse handlers, tigers, sheep, foreign envoys, military officials, civil officials, southern gate lions, mounting stones, and gate-guard warriors. The number of stone figures at the empress's mausoleums is reduced, with 30 pieces per mausoleum.

The stone figures along the spirit paths of the Northern Song imperial mausoleums (see image, courtesy of the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology) are physical carriers for the study of the Song Dynasty's ritual system and carving art, and are of extremely high value. The style of the spirit path stone carvings can be broadly divided into three periods: early, middle, and late. The early period includes the Yong'an Mausoleum of Emperor Xuanzu, the Yongchang Mausoleum of Emperor Taizu, the Yongxi Mausoleum of Emperor Taizong, and the Yongding Mausoleum of Emperor Zhenzong, as well as the empresses' mausoleums attached to these four imperial mausoleums, with an overall more robust and sturdy appearance. The middle period includes the Yongzhao Mausoleum of Emperor Renzong and the Yonghou Mausoleum of Emperor Yingzong, with the stone statue forms shifting from the sturdy and majestic of the early period toward a tall and graceful elegance. The late period includes the Yongyu Mausoleum of Emperor Shenzong and the Yongtai Mausoleum of Emperor Zhezong, as well as the empresses' mausoleums attached to the Yongzhao, Yonghou, Yongyu, and Yongtai mausoleums; the stone statue forms of this period are generally slender, forming a sharp contrast with the sturdy and rounded forms of the early period. Overall, Song mausoleum stone carvings, while inheriting the stone carving techniques of Han and Tang dynasty mausoleums, also introduced innovations, developing an artistic style emphasizing realism and writing a unique chapter in the history of ancient Chinese sculpture art. The stone sculpture art of the Northern Song period is brilliantly displayed in the large-scale stone relief murals on both banks of the Zhou Bridge river channel at the Northern Song Eastern Capital Bianjing in Kaifeng, discovered in recent years.

In 1982, the Northern Song imperial mausoleums were announced by the State Council as the second batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In the 1990s, the large-scale archaeological survey report The Northern Song Imperial Mausoleums was published. The upper palace of the Yongzhao Mausoleum underwent restoration and reconstruction from 1995 to 1997. Archaeological research and conservation work on the Northern Song imperial mausoleums has continued to advance steadily.

Entering the new era, the protection and utilization of the Song mausoleums has been strengthened. Each mausoleum precinct maintains round-the-clock human patrol protection and technical surveillance monitoring. In 2022, the Song mausoleums were included in the list of projects approved for the establishment of national archaeological site parks. Apart from a few mausoleums that retain the original scene of "guardians in the wheat fields," the Yongchang Mausoleum, the Yonghou Mausoleum, and others have, on the basis of further archaeological investigation, carried out new conservation and environmental improvement work, with new concepts and methods emerging in exhibition and utilization, respectively establishing different types of site parks such as urban-type and wilderness-type parks.

The archaeological survey and exploration research results of the Song mausoleums were rated among the top ten new archaeological discoveries in Henan Province for 2025. Using new digital technologies, researchers have conducted large-scale digital image information collection of the Song mausoleum stone figures, and a data and information resource database for the protection and utilization of the Song mausoleums is currently under construction.

(Author affiliation: Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology)

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Page editors: Wang Jin

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