早在 1976 年《美国医学会杂志》的一篇题为“Aluminum \"pop tops\". A hazard to child health”指出的那样，在三年多一点的时间里，至少有七名儿童“因吞食或吸入铝制饮料罐的拉环而出现并发症而接受治疗”。偶发误吞或吸入仍可能引发食道或肠道梗阻在当时十分棘手。
\n\n
为什么一个拉环造成危险这么大麻烦呢？
\n
首先，误食拉环难诊断。一个特别严重的问题是，铝通常无法在 X 光下显示出来，由于铝质密度只有约 2.7 g/cm³，X 光平片识别困难（低显影），常导致影像漏诊或延误。因此，那时候除非患者或其家属能明确告诉医生近期吞入了拉环，否则即便病史吻合，医生也常常难以在影像中定位拉环。
早在 1976 年《美国医学会杂志》的一篇题为“Aluminum \"pop tops\". A hazard to child health”指出的那样，在三年多一点的时间里，至少有七名儿童“因吞食或吸入铝制饮料罐的拉环而出现并发症而接受治疗”。偶发误吞或吸入仍可能引发食道或肠道梗阻在当时十分棘手。
\n\n
为什么一个拉环造成危险这么大麻烦呢？
\n
首先，误食拉环难诊断。一个特别严重的问题是，铝通常无法在 X 光下显示出来，由于铝质密度只有约 2.7 g/cm³，X 光平片识别困难（低显影），常导致影像漏诊或延误。因此，那时候除非患者或其家属能明确告诉医生近期吞入了拉环，否则即便病史吻合，医生也常常难以在影像中定位拉环。
A Tianjin GiantDC Technology Co worker inspects equipment.
\n
The GiantDC office building in Tianjin.
\n
Despite making the extraordinary decision to pivot from being a heavy industry player to a digital industry heavyweight in 2017, Tianjin GiantDC Technology Co, located in Tianjin's Beichen district, has been able to carry over parallels from these two seemingly diametrically opposed businesses.
\n
Taking the leap from making steel to storing data was not as crazy as it sounds in the context of China's large-scale push to move away from polluting heavy industries and the promotion of the digital economy, as demonstrated by the national dual carbon goals and Digital China strategy.
\n
"Saving energy was the key to survival for steel companies. Today, the concept of energy management has become a key part of our way of thinking," said Meng Qingli, director of energy development at GiantDC. "After transforming into a data center, this awareness has become an even more valuable asset."
\n
In January 2017, coal and steel capacity reduction plans were rolled out across China.
\n
Tianjin stepped up its efforts to implement the reform, cutting steelmaking capacity by 1.8 million metric tons that year.
\n
GiantDC, known back then as Tianjin Tianzhong Jiangtian Heavy Industry Co, also responded, shutting down its furnaces and completely transferring its business to a new industry.
\n
"Data centers are an emerging industry," said Meng. "In the early stages, the focus was more on technological breakthroughs rather than energy conservation and emission reduction.
\n
"But now, placing emphasis on energy efficiency has become one of our core competitive advantages, and it has gradually helped raise awareness of energy conservation across the industry."
\n
For data centers, cooling equipment is one of the largest sources of energy consumption.
\n
GiantDC has adopted advanced indirect evaporative cooling technology.
\n
Now widely used in the data center industry as an energy-efficient cooling method, this technology was still a cutting-edge innovation eight years ago, Meng said, adding that it can significantly reduce energy consumption while ensuring effective temperature control.
\n
"We make use of cool outdoor air, which is first filtered and further cooled, then passed through a heat exchange device to transfer heat with the return air from indoors, thereby cooling the equipment," he said. This process is like adding a "heat exchange core" between walls — lowering the temperature while keeping the indoor air clean and stable.
\n
Green park
\n
Beyond the cooling system, many features across the industrial park where GiantDC is located reflect a green, low-carbon philosophy.
\n
South-facing walls and all non-equipment roof areas are covered with photovoltaic panels to supply clean electricity. Less than two kilometers away, a fishery-solar hybrid project is underway, where fish, shrimp, and crabs are cultivated in the water with solar panels installed above to provide shade, creating a symbiotic system of ecology and energy.
\n
The park also employs smart design, with cooling water pipes kept as straight as possible to reduce energy loss during circulation, power supply lines replanned to minimize transmission losses, and a lighting system optimized to avoid wasted electricity.
\n
According to Meng, these energy-saving measures have brought the park's overall power usage effectiveness index down to below 1.22. PUE is a key metric for evaluating a data center's energy efficiency — the lower the number, the higher the efficiency. Most domestic data centers have PUE values of around 1.5.
\n
"Green energy-saving principles run through the entire process," Meng said. "From the very start of planning and construction, this awareness has been deeply embedded at every stage. The results we see today are not the work of a single piece of equipment, but the success of systematic innovation."
\n
Long-term planning
\n
In recent years, green and lowcarbon transformation, along with the development of digital infrastructure, have become key drivers of China's industrial upgrading.
\n
The 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) for the Development of Strategic Emerging Industries, issued by the State Council in 2016, proposed building green data centers for the first time.
\n
The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) later emphasized accelerating the construction of a green, low-carbon digital infrastructure system and promoting the deep integration of the digital economy with green development.
\n
Globally, there is a broad consensus on pursuing green, low-carbon and digital growth in parallel. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals call for promoting sustainable industrialization and upgrading infrastructure, identifying the green transition as a critical path for sustainable growth worldwide.
\n
Tricky transition
\n
"Transitioning from a steelmaker to a data center operator, we found many similarities between the two industries — both are high-energy-consuming sectors with huge demands for electricity," Meng said. "Our park has a self-built 220-kilovolt substation with dual incoming lines from two 500-kV provincial loop stations, making our power reliability and stability the best in the Beijing-Tianjin area."
\n
GiantDC has also laid a dedicated internet line from the park to Beijing's data center clusters, ensuring two-way network latency of less than 2 milliseconds — about one-15th of the blink of an eye. This meets the highest deployment standards for cloud computing nodes and supports cutting-edge applications such as autonomous driving.
\n
"GiantDC's successful transformation is a typical example of Beichen district's efforts to optimize its industrial structure and promote green, low-carbon development," said Ding Qinglan, head of Beichen district's bureau of industry and information technology. "Going forward, we will develop more targeted policies based on the specific needs of different industries to help enterprises achieve high-quality, green growth."
\n
In recent years, Beichen district has continued to promote enterprise transformation and upgrading, encouraging companies to explore innovative paths in carbon reduction, pollution control and environmental greening.
\n
As of the end of last year, the district had 20 enterprises included in the Green Manufacturing Unit pool, and 31 projects had received special funds for high-quality manufacturing development, with a focus on building competitive industrial clusters in intelligent equipment manufacturing and biomedicine.
\n
"We hope GiantDC's transformation will not only be a typical case of traditional manufacturing upgrading, but also a replicable path," said Ding. "At the intersection of the digital economy and green development, Beichen will continue to create new runways for more enterprises to take off."
\n
AI evolution
\n
In an era of rapid technological progress, artificial intelligence has created new opportunities for energy-saving innovation.
\n
On a display screen in the park, core operational indicators such as PUE, power load and changes in temperature and humidity scroll in real time. Data that was once hidden in the equipment is now captured and visualized by an intelligent monitoring system.
\n
This is the iSentry Intelligent Monitoring and Operations Management Platform, developed in-house by GiantDC. It continuously monitors the operational status of the data center, with a special focus on analyzing and dynamically adjusting the energy consumption of cooling systems to help achieve more efficient energy-saving goals.
\n
"Cooling equipment has an optimal power-saving state under different seasons and loads. We let the AI system find that optimal point," said Meng.
\n
Using this system, the data center can conduct continuous automated energy scheduling, enabling equipment to operate in a more energy-efficient manner.
\n
While improving operational efficiency, GiantDC is also exploring socially valuable ways of reusing energy. Together with Tianjin University, it has launched a "waste heat recovery for heating" project, aiming to use low-grade waste heat generated by servers to provide winter heating.
\n
"This heat may not be very high in temperature, but it is stable and controllable. If it can be recovered and supplied to nearby communities, it could replace some of the coal or gas heating," said Meng. "This would not only reduce emissions but also ease the energy burden of urban heating.
\n
"We hope this will not just be a single project but a pilot for a new pathway," he said. "Although there are challenges, as long as the policies and conditions are in place, we are ready to move forward — turning some of the heat from our servers into warmth for thousands of households."
\n
yandongjie@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
A Tianjin GiantDC Technology Co worker inspects equipment.
\n
The GiantDC office building in Tianjin.
\n
Despite making the extraordinary decision to pivot from being a heavy industry player to a digital industry heavyweight in 2017, Tianjin GiantDC Technology Co, located in Tianjin's Beichen district, has been able to carry over parallels from these two seemingly diametrically opposed businesses.
\n
Taking the leap from making steel to storing data was not as crazy as it sounds in the context of China's large-scale push to move away from polluting heavy industries and the promotion of the digital economy, as demonstrated by the national dual carbon goals and Digital China strategy.
\n
"Saving energy was the key to survival for steel companies. Today, the concept of energy management has become a key part of our way of thinking," said Meng Qingli, director of energy development at GiantDC. "After transforming into a data center, this awareness has become an even more valuable asset."
\n
In January 2017, coal and steel capacity reduction plans were rolled out across China.
\n
Tianjin stepped up its efforts to implement the reform, cutting steelmaking capacity by 1.8 million metric tons that year.
\n
GiantDC, known back then as Tianjin Tianzhong Jiangtian Heavy Industry Co, also responded, shutting down its furnaces and completely transferring its business to a new industry.
\n
"Data centers are an emerging industry," said Meng. "In the early stages, the focus was more on technological breakthroughs rather than energy conservation and emission reduction.
\n
"But now, placing emphasis on energy efficiency has become one of our core competitive advantages, and it has gradually helped raise awareness of energy conservation across the industry."
\n
For data centers, cooling equipment is one of the largest sources of energy consumption.
\n
GiantDC has adopted advanced indirect evaporative cooling technology.
\n
Now widely used in the data center industry as an energy-efficient cooling method, this technology was still a cutting-edge innovation eight years ago, Meng said, adding that it can significantly reduce energy consumption while ensuring effective temperature control.
\n
"We make use of cool outdoor air, which is first filtered and further cooled, then passed through a heat exchange device to transfer heat with the return air from indoors, thereby cooling the equipment," he said. This process is like adding a "heat exchange core" between walls — lowering the temperature while keeping the indoor air clean and stable.
\n
Green park
\n
Beyond the cooling system, many features across the industrial park where GiantDC is located reflect a green, low-carbon philosophy.
\n
South-facing walls and all non-equipment roof areas are covered with photovoltaic panels to supply clean electricity. Less than two kilometers away, a fishery-solar hybrid project is underway, where fish, shrimp, and crabs are cultivated in the water with solar panels installed above to provide shade, creating a symbiotic system of ecology and energy.
\n
The park also employs smart design, with cooling water pipes kept as straight as possible to reduce energy loss during circulation, power supply lines replanned to minimize transmission losses, and a lighting system optimized to avoid wasted electricity.
\n
According to Meng, these energy-saving measures have brought the park's overall power usage effectiveness index down to below 1.22. PUE is a key metric for evaluating a data center's energy efficiency — the lower the number, the higher the efficiency. Most domestic data centers have PUE values of around 1.5.
\n
"Green energy-saving principles run through the entire process," Meng said. "From the very start of planning and construction, this awareness has been deeply embedded at every stage. The results we see today are not the work of a single piece of equipment, but the success of systematic innovation."
\n
Long-term planning
\n
In recent years, green and lowcarbon transformation, along with the development of digital infrastructure, have become key drivers of China's industrial upgrading.
\n
The 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20) for the Development of Strategic Emerging Industries, issued by the State Council in 2016, proposed building green data centers for the first time.
\n
The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) later emphasized accelerating the construction of a green, low-carbon digital infrastructure system and promoting the deep integration of the digital economy with green development.
\n
Globally, there is a broad consensus on pursuing green, low-carbon and digital growth in parallel. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals call for promoting sustainable industrialization and upgrading infrastructure, identifying the green transition as a critical path for sustainable growth worldwide.
\n
Tricky transition
\n
"Transitioning from a steelmaker to a data center operator, we found many similarities between the two industries — both are high-energy-consuming sectors with huge demands for electricity," Meng said. "Our park has a self-built 220-kilovolt substation with dual incoming lines from two 500-kV provincial loop stations, making our power reliability and stability the best in the Beijing-Tianjin area."
\n
GiantDC has also laid a dedicated internet line from the park to Beijing's data center clusters, ensuring two-way network latency of less than 2 milliseconds — about one-15th of the blink of an eye. This meets the highest deployment standards for cloud computing nodes and supports cutting-edge applications such as autonomous driving.
\n
"GiantDC's successful transformation is a typical example of Beichen district's efforts to optimize its industrial structure and promote green, low-carbon development," said Ding Qinglan, head of Beichen district's bureau of industry and information technology. "Going forward, we will develop more targeted policies based on the specific needs of different industries to help enterprises achieve high-quality, green growth."
\n
In recent years, Beichen district has continued to promote enterprise transformation and upgrading, encouraging companies to explore innovative paths in carbon reduction, pollution control and environmental greening.
\n
As of the end of last year, the district had 20 enterprises included in the Green Manufacturing Unit pool, and 31 projects had received special funds for high-quality manufacturing development, with a focus on building competitive industrial clusters in intelligent equipment manufacturing and biomedicine.
\n
"We hope GiantDC's transformation will not only be a typical case of traditional manufacturing upgrading, but also a replicable path," said Ding. "At the intersection of the digital economy and green development, Beichen will continue to create new runways for more enterprises to take off."
\n
AI evolution
\n
In an era of rapid technological progress, artificial intelligence has created new opportunities for energy-saving innovation.
\n
On a display screen in the park, core operational indicators such as PUE, power load and changes in temperature and humidity scroll in real time. Data that was once hidden in the equipment is now captured and visualized by an intelligent monitoring system.
\n
This is the iSentry Intelligent Monitoring and Operations Management Platform, developed in-house by GiantDC. It continuously monitors the operational status of the data center, with a special focus on analyzing and dynamically adjusting the energy consumption of cooling systems to help achieve more efficient energy-saving goals.
\n
"Cooling equipment has an optimal power-saving state under different seasons and loads. We let the AI system find that optimal point," said Meng.
\n
Using this system, the data center can conduct continuous automated energy scheduling, enabling equipment to operate in a more energy-efficient manner.
\n
While improving operational efficiency, GiantDC is also exploring socially valuable ways of reusing energy. Together with Tianjin University, it has launched a "waste heat recovery for heating" project, aiming to use low-grade waste heat generated by servers to provide winter heating.
\n
"This heat may not be very high in temperature, but it is stable and controllable. If it can be recovered and supplied to nearby communities, it could replace some of the coal or gas heating," said Meng. "This would not only reduce emissions but also ease the energy burden of urban heating.
\n
"We hope this will not just be a single project but a pilot for a new pathway," he said. "Although there are challenges, as long as the policies and conditions are in place, we are ready to move forward — turning some of the heat from our servers into warmth for thousands of households."
A condolence tent is set up on Tuesday in the courtyard of Nasser Hospital for journalists killed in an attack by Israeli forces in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip.
\n
The international community should pressure Israel for a ceasefire proposal it has yet to respond to, a Qatari official said as he accused Tel Aviv of not wanting to reach an agreement but advance attacks in Gaza and allow famine to spread.
\n
Adviser to the Qatari Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Majed bin Mohammed Al-Ansari urged international parties to exert pressure on Israel to respond to the mediation proposal for a ceasefire, as it had already been about 10 days.
\n
At a news briefing on Tuesday, he said "the ball is now in the Israeli court, which does not want to reach an agreement".
\n
A Saudi Council of Ministers' meeting on Tuesday, chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, reiterated Saudi Arabia's call to the international community, especially all United Nations Security Council members, to urgently intervene to end the famine in Gaza and halt the genocide and crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces.
\n
The Arab appeals came amid major demonstrations held across Israel, demanding that the government sign a deal to bring the hostages home and end the conflict in Gaza.
\n
The President of the United Nations General Assembly Philemon Yang strongly condemned Israel's strikes on Gaza's Nasser Hospital, his spokeswoman Sharon Birch said on Tuesday.
\n
Elsewhere, over 200 former EU ambassadors, senior diplomatic staff and ambassadors from EU member states published an open letter, calling for urgent action over Israel's fighting in Gaza and unlawful actions in the West Bank, The Guardian reported.
\n
If the EU does not act collectively, they said, the member states must take steps individually or in smaller groups to support human rights and uphold international law.
\n
Military plans discussed
\n
Meanwhile, the Israeli security cabinet met in Jerusalem to approve the military's plans to take control of Gaza City, with local reports saying the forum did not discuss the ceasefire proposal.
\n
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said that high-level hostage-ceasefire deal mediators called him to ask if he had any knowledge of why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not yet responded to the latest proposal for a ceasefire agreement, the Times of Israel reported on Wednesday.
\n
"I spoke with mediators at the highest level in the negotiations, and they said 'we don't understand what happened, Hamas accepted the conditions that Netanyahu set,'" Lapid was quoted as saying by the report, which cited Army Radio.
\n
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday that President Donald Trump would chair a meeting on Gaza at the White House on Wednesday and added that Washington expected the conflict to be resolved by the end of the year.
\n
Witkoff also said on Tuesday that the US administration's official position is to oppose additional partial Gaza hostage deals. At least 20 hostages are believed to be alive. The Israeli authorities have confirmed the deaths of 28 others.
\n
Other parts of the world saw continued condemnation of Israeli hospital strikes that killed rescue workers and five more journalists in southern Gaza on Tuesday. Hamas rejected accusations that Israel's targets were militants.
\n
Israel had said it had killed six militants in the attack at Nasser Hospital. The Hamas media office said in a statement that one of the six Palestinians that Israel claimed as a militant was killed in al-Mawasi, some distance from the hospital, and another was killed elsewhere at a different time, Reuters reported.
\n
Dina Yulianti Sulaeman, director of the Indonesia Center for Middle East Studies, told China Daily that Israel's silence over Hamas accepting a ceasefire deal last week "demonstrates an imbalance in the negotiation process".
\n
"Arab mediators have put proposals on the table, and even the Israeli public is urging its government to take steps toward an agreement. However, the Israeli regime continues to stubbornly maintain its desire to carry out military operations and occupy Gaza," said Sulaeman.
\n
This is precisely where international pressure is crucial.
\n
"Regarding predictions about a resolution to the war, both Trump's claims and the US envoy's statements reflect America's domestic political calculations rather than the reality on the ground," Sulaeman said.
\n
jan@chinadailyapac.com
\n",
@@ -965,28 +943,6 @@
"hash": "d84a85a7b0379b5f28bb6a5067088158",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "014BUSINESS - Africa latest blue ocean for SMEs seeking global growth",
- "description": "
Employees work on clothing products bound for export at a garment company in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Aug 7.
\n\n
African countries among global export destinations posted the highest export purchasing managers' index for Chinese trading companies in July, making the overseas markets a new blue ocean for small and medium-sized enterprises seeking business expansion overseas, according to a newly released industrial index.
\n
International cross-border services provider XTransfer released the XTransfer PMI on Tuesday in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. The index is the first of its kind ever initiated by a private enterprise in China to focus on foreign trade trends.
\n
Among various export destinations, the export PMI for African countries reached the highest of 53.7, reflecting a stronger interest among companies in China's foreign trade sector toward the African markets.
\n
"Trade disputes between China and the United States have evolved into global trade disputes, yet China's SMEs in foreign trade have shown great resilience and innovation, actively exploring new markets outside the US and Europe," said Deng Guobiao, founder and CEO of XTransfer.
\n
"Emerging markets, such as those in Africa, have become new blue oceans — which refer to new or uncontested markets — for Chinese exporters, offering vast business opportunities due to demographic dividends and infrastructure needs," Deng said.
\n
A subindex concerning export orders and price for SMEs in ASEAN, Africa and Latin America demonstrated a strong performance, reflecting the continued efforts of Chinese SMEs to develop in emerging markets.
\n
In addition, the SMEs business-to-business merchandise export PMI in July indicated China's "new three" products of lithium batteries, solar cells and electric vehicles have shown outstanding performance in export categories in July.
\n
Southeast Asia has become a major export destination for the "new three" products, with significant growth in exports of EVs and batteries to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and other ASEAN countries, the index said.
\n
European policies promoting reduced carbon emissions and renewable energy have also driven demand for related products. Meanwhile, infrastructure demand in Latin America and Africa presents significant market potential for these categories, it said.
\n
XTransfer PMI stood at 52.4 in July, above the 50 threshold, reflecting continued positive export momentum and strong resilience among Chinese SMEs.
\n
According to XTransfer, the index is concluded based on analysis of various aspects of the export process, including procurement, sales, logistics, personnel and capital, aiming to assist SMEs in forecasting trends and optimizing their business strategies.
\n
The index was derived from a sample survey of over 2,500 foreign trade-related SMEs drawn from a pool of more than 700,000 on the XTransfer services platform, covering 148 cities across the country.
\n
The Shanghai-based company held its annual trade vision summit in Guangzhou on Tuesday, with more than 3,000 representatives from foreign trade enterprises, factories and trading companies across the country gathering to discuss global trade trends and new opportunities in emerging markets.
\n
As a leading international cross-border trade payment platform, XTransfer has also expanded its business in emerging markets, providing fast, secure and affordable cross-border payment services to Chinese trade-related enterprises.
\n
The company currently serves over 700,000 clients worldwide and is leading a mobile payment revolution in cross-border B2B trade, said Deng, adding that, "In the next five years, we aim for tenfold growth, at which point the mobile payment revolution will be largely complete."
\n
Working closely with local banks and financial institutions in Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, South Africa and other countries and regions, XTransfer has launched local currency accounts, supporting settlements in over 30 currencies.
\n
qiuquanlin@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
- "content": "
Employees work on clothing products bound for export at a garment company in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Aug 7.
\n\n
African countries among global export destinations posted the highest export purchasing managers' index for Chinese trading companies in July, making the overseas markets a new blue ocean for small and medium-sized enterprises seeking business expansion overseas, according to a newly released industrial index.
\n
International cross-border services provider XTransfer released the XTransfer PMI on Tuesday in Guangzhou, Guangdong province. The index is the first of its kind ever initiated by a private enterprise in China to focus on foreign trade trends.
\n
Among various export destinations, the export PMI for African countries reached the highest of 53.7, reflecting a stronger interest among companies in China's foreign trade sector toward the African markets.
\n
"Trade disputes between China and the United States have evolved into global trade disputes, yet China's SMEs in foreign trade have shown great resilience and innovation, actively exploring new markets outside the US and Europe," said Deng Guobiao, founder and CEO of XTransfer.
\n
"Emerging markets, such as those in Africa, have become new blue oceans — which refer to new or uncontested markets — for Chinese exporters, offering vast business opportunities due to demographic dividends and infrastructure needs," Deng said.
\n
A subindex concerning export orders and price for SMEs in ASEAN, Africa and Latin America demonstrated a strong performance, reflecting the continued efforts of Chinese SMEs to develop in emerging markets.
\n
In addition, the SMEs business-to-business merchandise export PMI in July indicated China's "new three" products of lithium batteries, solar cells and electric vehicles have shown outstanding performance in export categories in July.
\n
Southeast Asia has become a major export destination for the "new three" products, with significant growth in exports of EVs and batteries to Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and other ASEAN countries, the index said.
\n
European policies promoting reduced carbon emissions and renewable energy have also driven demand for related products. Meanwhile, infrastructure demand in Latin America and Africa presents significant market potential for these categories, it said.
\n
XTransfer PMI stood at 52.4 in July, above the 50 threshold, reflecting continued positive export momentum and strong resilience among Chinese SMEs.
\n
According to XTransfer, the index is concluded based on analysis of various aspects of the export process, including procurement, sales, logistics, personnel and capital, aiming to assist SMEs in forecasting trends and optimizing their business strategies.
\n
The index was derived from a sample survey of over 2,500 foreign trade-related SMEs drawn from a pool of more than 700,000 on the XTransfer services platform, covering 148 cities across the country.
\n
The Shanghai-based company held its annual trade vision summit in Guangzhou on Tuesday, with more than 3,000 representatives from foreign trade enterprises, factories and trading companies across the country gathering to discuss global trade trends and new opportunities in emerging markets.
\n
As a leading international cross-border trade payment platform, XTransfer has also expanded its business in emerging markets, providing fast, secure and affordable cross-border payment services to Chinese trade-related enterprises.
\n
The company currently serves over 700,000 clients worldwide and is leading a mobile payment revolution in cross-border B2B trade, said Deng, adding that, "In the next five years, we aim for tenfold growth, at which point the mobile payment revolution will be largely complete."
\n
Working closely with local banks and financial institutions in Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, South Africa and other countries and regions, XTransfer has launched local currency accounts, supporting settlements in over 30 currencies.
Villagers use a drone to transport watermelons in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, on Aug 14.
\n
As of June this year, more than 500,000 agricultural drones have been deployed worldwide, saving an estimated 330 million metric tons of water and reducing carbon emissions by 42.58 million tons, according to a recent industry white paper.
\n
The White Paper on the Agricultural Drone Industry (2024/2025), jointly issued by Farmers' Daily and DJI Agriculture, provides an overview of development trends, technological innovations and applications. It highlights how drones are reshaping agriculture and promoting a green transition.
\n
Ning Qiwen, publisher of Farmers' Daily, said the white paper serves as a valuable guide for government agencies, research institutions and farmers.
\n
"Agricultural drones are changing traditional production models with technology and becoming a new engine for ensuring food security," Ning said.
\n
In 2024, Chinese agricultural drones completed work that covered more than 173 million hectares, generating a market worth about 13 billion yuan ($1.8 billion) and employing nearly 500,000 people, the white paper said.
\n
More than 12,000 female operators have taken part in plant protection, while an increasing number of young people have returned to rural areas to start businesses in the industry.
\n
The use of drones has expanded beyond traditional crop spraying to include tasks such as transportation, sowing, fertilization and crop monitoring, it said.
\n
Technological breakthroughs in 2024 have also shown drones' value beyond crop spraying. In Zigui county, Hubei province, a DJI T100 drone transported 85 kilograms of oranges in two minutes, a task that would take an average person dozens longer to complete.
\n
In banana-growing areas in Yunnan province, a drone-based dispatch system cuts transportation losses from 30 percent to less than 5 percent. In Sichuan province, drones are being used to transport bamboo, reducing the need for strenuous manual labor in mountainous areas.
\n
Drones are also being deployed during the entire growing season. In cornfields in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, they are now used for everything from weeding to crop management, leading to a yield increase of more than 10 percent, according to the report.
\n
Meanwhile, drone-related policies have become more widespread and open. In China, new regulations have established a framework for drone operations.
\n
National support for the low-altitude economy has given the industry another boost. In 2025, China's No 1 Central Document — a policy paper released at the beginning of each year outlining key priorities — for the first time included low-altitude technology alongside artificial intelligence and big data, positioning agricultural drones as a strategic farming tool.
\n
Globally, other countries have also streamlined regulations, the white paper said. Brazil's civil aviation authority has simplified registration, while the European Union has adopted international standards for spraying systems. The United States' Federal Aviation Administration has included some DJI agricultural models on its exemption list, and Australia has issued guidelines for more relaxed drone use on private land.
\n
Li Weiguo, president of the China Agricultural Mechanization Association, stressed the importance of refining regulations to support broader drone use. Existing rules, such as the maximum flight altitude of 30 meters, could be made more flexible to better accommodate the scale and variety of agricultural drone applications, he said.
\n
zhaoyimeng@chinadaily.com.cn
\n",
@@ -1009,28 +965,6 @@
"hash": "b9594f344955d100ba0f2f38214abec3",
"highlights": []
},
- {
- "title": "010WORLD - Worries mount as US national debt surges",
- "description": "
The United States' national debt is increasing at a rapid pace and has shown no signs of slowing down, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of US dollar assets that were formerly considered rock solid.
\n
The amount the US owes its creditors has surpassed $37 trillion, according to a US Treasury Department report released on Aug 12. The record amount was reached sooner than projected.
\n
In January 2020, the US Congressional Budget Office estimated that gross federal debt would not surpass $37 trillion until after fiscal year 2030.
\n
But a combination of unprecedented federal borrowings during the COVID-19 pandemic and more recent spending measures pushed the nation to that threshold far sooner.
\n
Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, described the situation as a "stunning reminder of the terrible state of federal finances" in a statement released on the organization's website on Aug 12.
\n
MacGuineas said that $37 trillion in debt is "a mind-boggling figure that has little precedent".
\n
"The more economically meaningful figure — debt held by the public as a share of output — is also approaching record levels. Our current debt is 100 percent of the economy — higher than any time other than just after World War II — and is rising rapidly," she said.
\n
Michael Peterson, CEO of the New York-based Peter G. Peterson Foundation, was quoted on Aug 13 by US media network The Center Square as saying, "Our national debt is now greater than the economies of the entire eurozone and China, combined."
\n
Chinese experts have warned that the US public debt's increase to more than $37.2 trillion — a rise of over $200 billion in just weeks since crossing the $37 trillion mark — poses severe risks to the US economy and potential damage to the credibility of the US dollar.
\n
Luo Zhenxing, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of American Studies, emphasized that the escalating debt burden has resulted in surging interest payments.
\n
These payments now place a significant strain on US federal finances and risk displacing other essential government investments, Luo said.
\n
According to the US Government Accountability Office, the US government's spending on net interest in fiscal year 2024 exceeded expenditures on some of the largest categories of federal spending, such as Medicare and national defense.
\n
Undermining confidence
\n
"Rising debt limits the government's ability to deploy fiscal stimulus policies in future crises and undermines investor confidence," Luo said.
\n
He also expressed worries over the credibility of the US dollar, raising the risk of a fiscal crisis and a shaky economy. "If the US debt continues to rise without effective measures to address it, it could erode global confidence in the dollar," Luo said.
\n
"A loss of faith in the dollar could lead foreign holders to reduce their holdings in the US Treasury bonds, potentially causing a sharp depreciation of the dollar. Such a scenario could in turn trigger worldwide financial panic, stock market turmoil and commodity price spikes, destabilizing the global economy," he added.
\n
Song Guoyou, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, highlighted the US challenges in addressing its deficit, given its current fiscal revenue and expenditure dynamics.
\n
"With defense spending remaining high and mandatory expenditures steady, alongside a decrease in revenue due to recent tax cuts under the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act', the US deficit situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon," he said.
\n
The Congressional Budget Office projected in July that nearly $3.4 trillion more in deficit spending will be added over the next decade. It also estimated in May that if the current US fiscal policies remain unchanged, the nation's federal debt held by the public could soar from 100 percent of GDP in 2025 to 156 percent by 2055.
\n
Although the Donald Trump administration has attempted to reduce its fiscal deficit through interest rate cuts and tariff increases, experts cautioned that these measures may offer short-term relief but create more significant problems in the long run.
\n
Song noted that considering the complex and interconnected nature of the global economy, US policies designed to address the immediate debt may inadvertently create new challenges.
\n
"The US debt dilemma has become a major source of uncertainty and one of the deepest challenges in the modern world economy."
The United States' national debt is increasing at a rapid pace and has shown no signs of slowing down, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of US dollar assets that were formerly considered rock solid.
\n
The amount the US owes its creditors has surpassed $37 trillion, according to a US Treasury Department report released on Aug 12. The record amount was reached sooner than projected.
\n
In January 2020, the US Congressional Budget Office estimated that gross federal debt would not surpass $37 trillion until after fiscal year 2030.
\n
But a combination of unprecedented federal borrowings during the COVID-19 pandemic and more recent spending measures pushed the nation to that threshold far sooner.
\n
Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, described the situation as a "stunning reminder of the terrible state of federal finances" in a statement released on the organization's website on Aug 12.
\n
MacGuineas said that $37 trillion in debt is "a mind-boggling figure that has little precedent".
\n
"The more economically meaningful figure — debt held by the public as a share of output — is also approaching record levels. Our current debt is 100 percent of the economy — higher than any time other than just after World War II — and is rising rapidly," she said.
\n
Michael Peterson, CEO of the New York-based Peter G. Peterson Foundation, was quoted on Aug 13 by US media network The Center Square as saying, "Our national debt is now greater than the economies of the entire eurozone and China, combined."
\n
Chinese experts have warned that the US public debt's increase to more than $37.2 trillion — a rise of over $200 billion in just weeks since crossing the $37 trillion mark — poses severe risks to the US economy and potential damage to the credibility of the US dollar.
\n
Luo Zhenxing, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of American Studies, emphasized that the escalating debt burden has resulted in surging interest payments.
\n
These payments now place a significant strain on US federal finances and risk displacing other essential government investments, Luo said.
\n
According to the US Government Accountability Office, the US government's spending on net interest in fiscal year 2024 exceeded expenditures on some of the largest categories of federal spending, such as Medicare and national defense.
\n
Undermining confidence
\n
"Rising debt limits the government's ability to deploy fiscal stimulus policies in future crises and undermines investor confidence," Luo said.
\n
He also expressed worries over the credibility of the US dollar, raising the risk of a fiscal crisis and a shaky economy. "If the US debt continues to rise without effective measures to address it, it could erode global confidence in the dollar," Luo said.
\n
"A loss of faith in the dollar could lead foreign holders to reduce their holdings in the US Treasury bonds, potentially causing a sharp depreciation of the dollar. Such a scenario could in turn trigger worldwide financial panic, stock market turmoil and commodity price spikes, destabilizing the global economy," he added.
\n
Song Guoyou, deputy director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, highlighted the US challenges in addressing its deficit, given its current fiscal revenue and expenditure dynamics.
\n
"With defense spending remaining high and mandatory expenditures steady, alongside a decrease in revenue due to recent tax cuts under the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act', the US deficit situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon," he said.
\n
The Congressional Budget Office projected in July that nearly $3.4 trillion more in deficit spending will be added over the next decade. It also estimated in May that if the current US fiscal policies remain unchanged, the nation's federal debt held by the public could soar from 100 percent of GDP in 2025 to 156 percent by 2055.
\n
Although the Donald Trump administration has attempted to reduce its fiscal deficit through interest rate cuts and tariff increases, experts cautioned that these measures may offer short-term relief but create more significant problems in the long run.
\n
Song noted that considering the complex and interconnected nature of the global economy, US policies designed to address the immediate debt may inadvertently create new challenges.
\n
"The US debt dilemma has become a major source of uncertainty and one of the deepest challenges in the modern world economy."
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