President Xi Jinping has congratulated the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization on the 80th anniversary of its founding, and expressed China's commitment to supporting the international body in playing an important role in the food and agricultural sector in the world.
\nIn a congratulatory message sent to the FAO on Thursday, Xi highlighted the significant role the FAO has played in ensuring global food security, promoting rural development and food system transformation, and improving the living standards of people worldwide.
\nNoting that the Chinese government attaches great importance to food security, Xi said that the nation is committed to addressing the food needs of its over 1.4 billion population by itself, and has also provided assistance to countries in need within its capacity, thereby contributing its strength toward global food security.
\nXi expressed the country's commitment to continuing its support for the FAO in playing an important role in the international food and agricultural sector. He said that China is willing to work with the international community to implement the Global Development Initiative, advance the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, ultimately contributing more to the well-being of people across the globe.
\nThe FAO was established on Oct 16, 1945. China is one of its founding members.
\n", - "content": "President Xi Jinping has congratulated the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization on the 80th anniversary of its founding, and expressed China's commitment to supporting the international body in playing an important role in the food and agricultural sector in the world.
\nIn a congratulatory message sent to the FAO on Thursday, Xi highlighted the significant role the FAO has played in ensuring global food security, promoting rural development and food system transformation, and improving the living standards of people worldwide.
\nNoting that the Chinese government attaches great importance to food security, Xi said that the nation is committed to addressing the food needs of its over 1.4 billion population by itself, and has also provided assistance to countries in need within its capacity, thereby contributing its strength toward global food security.
\nXi expressed the country's commitment to continuing its support for the FAO in playing an important role in the international food and agricultural sector. He said that China is willing to work with the international community to implement the Global Development Initiative, advance the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, ultimately contributing more to the well-being of people across the globe.
\nThe FAO was established on Oct 16, 1945. China is one of its founding members.
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_001_68f15ee7ed50ccabe151b42b.htm#001FRONT", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "918568d48f15a8b97da965c49208511e", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "001FRONT - High performer", "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/001/20251017_001_04_74.png\")
China's domestically developed AG600 large amphibious aircraft conducts a water drop demonstration on Tuesday during its debut at the 7th China Helicopter Exposition in Tianjin. The expo, which runs from Tuesday through Sunday, will have on display helicopters, electric vertical take-off-and-landing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, along with technologies, products and services related to the low-altitude economy.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/001/20251017_001_06_85.png\")
A woman shops for home decorations at a market ahead of Diwali, the annual Hindu festival of lights, in Ahmedabad, India, on Wednesday. During the festival, people decorate their homes, light earthen lamps, burst firecrackers, distribute sweets among friends and relatives and offer prayers.
\n", - "content": "A woman shops for home decorations at a market ahead of Diwali, the annual Hindu festival of lights, in Ahmedabad, India, on Wednesday. During the festival, people decorate their homes, light earthen lamps, burst firecrackers, distribute sweets among friends and relatives and offer prayers.
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_001_68f15ef9ed50ccabe151b42f.htm#001FRONT", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "d80092bb2e6040236766134e0abdfc5c", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "004CHINA - Civil service exam draws fierce race", "description": "Online registration for the 2026 national civil service exam began on Wednesday, continuing to attract significant public interest and intense competition for certain posts.
\nThe country plans to recruit 38,100 civil servants for central government agencies and their subordinate institutions in 2026, according to a notice issued on Tuesday by the State Administration of Civil Service.
\nNotably, the age limit for applicants has been raised this year.
\nIn general, candidates should be between 18 and 38 years old. For those who will obtain a master's or doctoral degree in 2026, the upper age limit has been extended to 43.
\nThe adjustment is in line with China's progressive approach to delaying the legal retirement age. Previously, the age requirement was 35 for most candidates and 40 for those with postgraduate degrees.
\nRecruitment continues to prioritize supporting new graduate employment, with about 26,000 positions reserved for fresh graduates.
\nTo strengthen civil service capacity at the grassroots level, more than 28,000 positions are designated for institutions at or below the county level.
\nAccording to Huatu Education, a training institution for civil service exams, a total of 189,955 applicants had registered as of 5 pm on Wednesday.
\nData from Huatu shows that popular positions are distributed across various regions, including Beijing and the provinces of Shandong and Guangdong.
\nOne notable example is a police officer position with a grassroots unit of the Jinan Railway Public Security Bureau in Shandong. With only one vacancy, it has already attracted 649 applicants, highlighting the fierce competition.
\nSeveral positions in Beijing are also highly sought after. Roles in agencies such as the National Healthcare Security Administration and the Beijing Municipal Taxation Service of the State Taxation Administration are among the most popular.
\nA position at the Zhejiang Bureau of the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration currently has the highest competition ratio, at 162 to 1. It is followed by a role in the education and employment department of the China Disabled Persons' Federation in Beijing, with a ratio of 130 to 1.
\nThe notice from the State Administration of Civil Service said that political criteria are emphasized throughout the entire recruitment process, and those who fail to meet political standards will be disqualified. The written exam will continue to include a section on political theory, focusing on candidates' ability to analyze and solve problems using the Party's innovative theories.
\nProfessional competency tests have been added for positions requiring specialized knowledge. Fourteen departments will organize specialized written exams, while 56 departments will conduct professional competency tests during the interview phase.
\nNo official exam preparation materials have been published for this recruitment cycle, and no training courses have been organized or authorized. Authorities will strengthen oversight of civil service exam training institutions, regulate commercial promotional activities, and crack down on cheating and other irregularities to protect candidates' rights and ensure a fair examination environment.
\nThe National Civil Service Administration stressed that integrity is a core socialist value, fundamental to personal conduct and professional development, and essential for anyone aspiring to become a civil servant. It reminded candidates to act in good faith throughout the exam process.
\nChen Zhekai, a 24-year-old postgraduate student at the Communication University of China, said he decided to take the exam out of a genuine desire to serve the public and contribute to society. He feels his skills and temperament may not fit well with the competitive pressures and work culture in private companies.
\nChen plans to apply for positions in Zhangzhou, his hometown, or near Xiamen, both in Fujian province.
\n"Being close to home aligns with my life goals — family, lower stress and modest career ambitions. Having a clear goal helps me stay calm and determined," he said.
\nzoushuo@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", @@ -12391,28 +12347,6 @@ "hash": "b64c9c03d97641f5135893d0388c1e4a", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "004CHINA - Z-20T helicopter dazzles in Tianjin, showcasing broad combat versatility", - "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/004/20251017_004_03_60.png\")
The Z-20T helicopter releases flares during its flight demonstration at the 7th China Helicopter Exposition in Tianjin on Thursday.
\nA senior designer has outlined the capabilities of the Z-20T, the latest variant of China's Z-20 utility helicopter, highlighting its ability to carry out both troop deployment and airstrike missions.
\nZhu Minfeng, deputy chief designer at the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute, said in addition to rapid deployment and cargo transportation, the Z-20T can use its own munitions to hit enemy targets or provide fire support to ground troops.
\n"The helicopter can operate on plains and plateaus, and can use a wide range of munitions such as anti-tank missiles, air-to-air missiles and rockets," he said at the 7th China Helicopter Exposition that opened in the port city of Tianjin on Thursday.
\n"As China's first domestically developed medium-lift utility helicopter, the Z-20 features big potential for modification, which means it can be easily refitted into various configurations. In fact, we made a plan from the beginning of the Z-20 project to build a family of variants for different tasks," Zhu said.
\nCompared with the baseline model, the Z-20T has two stub wings that can be equipped with modular weapons pylons, electronic warfare pods or external fuel tanks. It also has an opticalelectronic target detection device capable of scanning for and guiding munitions toward targets.
\nWang Yanan, editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said the Z-20T will strengthen the combat capability of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force's air assault forces.
\n"It will be very flexible in operations — it can transport and deploy soldiers, provide escort to transport helicopters, and attack ground enemies and their helicopters.
\n"With the big load of munitions, the Z-20T can conduct troop transportation and penetration operations on the battlefield and doesn't necessarily need the escort of dedicated attack helicopters," he said.
\nThe Z-20T was first spotted by Chinese weapons enthusiasts in January 2021 when a prototype was photographed during a test flight.
\nThe aircraft was declassified at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in November 2024.
\nSeveral Z-20Ts from the PLA Ground Force took part in a grand parade last month in Beijing, marking their first flight performance in public.
\nAt the ongoing helicopter expo in Tianjin, a Z-20T sent by the PLA Ground Force has been participating in demonstrations.
\nNearly 400 enterprises from more than 30 countries and regions are taking part in the industry expo, the only helicopter show in the world that features flight performances. Fifty-two aircraft, including 38 helicopters, are on display at the four-day expo.
\nzhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "content": "The Z-20T helicopter releases flares during its flight demonstration at the 7th China Helicopter Exposition in Tianjin on Thursday.
\nA senior designer has outlined the capabilities of the Z-20T, the latest variant of China's Z-20 utility helicopter, highlighting its ability to carry out both troop deployment and airstrike missions.
\nZhu Minfeng, deputy chief designer at the China Helicopter Research and Development Institute, said in addition to rapid deployment and cargo transportation, the Z-20T can use its own munitions to hit enemy targets or provide fire support to ground troops.
\n"The helicopter can operate on plains and plateaus, and can use a wide range of munitions such as anti-tank missiles, air-to-air missiles and rockets," he said at the 7th China Helicopter Exposition that opened in the port city of Tianjin on Thursday.
\n"As China's first domestically developed medium-lift utility helicopter, the Z-20 features big potential for modification, which means it can be easily refitted into various configurations. In fact, we made a plan from the beginning of the Z-20 project to build a family of variants for different tasks," Zhu said.
\nCompared with the baseline model, the Z-20T has two stub wings that can be equipped with modular weapons pylons, electronic warfare pods or external fuel tanks. It also has an opticalelectronic target detection device capable of scanning for and guiding munitions toward targets.
\nWang Yanan, editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said the Z-20T will strengthen the combat capability of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force's air assault forces.
\n"It will be very flexible in operations — it can transport and deploy soldiers, provide escort to transport helicopters, and attack ground enemies and their helicopters.
\n"With the big load of munitions, the Z-20T can conduct troop transportation and penetration operations on the battlefield and doesn't necessarily need the escort of dedicated attack helicopters," he said.
\nThe Z-20T was first spotted by Chinese weapons enthusiasts in January 2021 when a prototype was photographed during a test flight.
\nThe aircraft was declassified at the 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in November 2024.
\nSeveral Z-20Ts from the PLA Ground Force took part in a grand parade last month in Beijing, marking their first flight performance in public.
\nAt the ongoing helicopter expo in Tianjin, a Z-20T sent by the PLA Ground Force has been participating in demonstrations.
\nNearly 400 enterprises from more than 30 countries and regions are taking part in the industry expo, the only helicopter show in the world that features flight performances. Fifty-two aircraft, including 38 helicopters, are on display at the four-day expo.
\nzhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_004_68f15f20ed50ccabe151b43b.htm#004CHINA", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "2ad3dc6c176c4fe00145d3de93b67ce4", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "004CHINA - Mission marks 600th launch for Long March fleet", "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/004/20251017_004_05_24.png\")
The Long March 8A carrier rocket is launched in Wenchang, Hainan province, on Thursday.
\nChina used a Long March 8A carrier rocket on Thursday morning to place a group of internet satellites into orbit, marking the 600th launch of the Long March rocket family.
\nThe rocket blasted off at 9:33 am from the Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Center, a coastal spaceport in Wenchang, Hainan province. After a brief flight, it successfully deployed the 12th group of low-orbit satellites for China's State-owned space-based internet network, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.
\nThis was China's 63rd rocket launch this year and the fourth flight of the Long March 8A, which made its maiden mission in February from the Wenchang Space Launch Center, another facility in the city.
\nDesigned and built by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, a CASC subsidiary in Beijing, the Long March 8A stands 50.5 meters tall, has a liftoff weight of 371 metric tons and produces about 480 tons of thrust at launch. The model can carry payloads of up to 7 tons to a sun-synchronous orbit about 700 kilometers above Earth.
\nThe Long March 8A is the 19th operational model in the Long March family, which serves as the backbone of China's space program.
\nOf the 600 Long March launches, 352 were conducted by models developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology and 248 by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, another CASC subsidiary. The overall success rate of the Long March fleet is about 97 percent.
\nChina's first carrier rocket — the Long March 1, a modified ballistic missile — was launched in April 1970, sending the country's first satellite, Dongfanghong 1, into orbit. The mission made China the fifth nation capable of developing and launching its own rockets into space.
\nIt took 37 years for the Long March family to complete its first 100 launches. The second 100 were achieved in seven and a half years. The third 100 launches took just over four years, the fourth 100 took two years and nine months, and the fifth 100 missions were completed in two years. The most recent 100 launches were accomplished in one year and 10 months.
\nAccording to a CASC rocket planner, who asked to be identified only as Zhang, the 600 Long March missions account for nearly 86 percent of all Chinese space launches and have successfully sent about 1,400 spacecraft into orbit.
\nSo far, a total of 24 Long March models have flown, 19 of which remain in active service. Among them, the Long March 2D and Long March 3B are the most frequently used, each having completed more than 100 flights.
\n"The Long March family has laid a solid foundation for China's major space programs, from the space station to interplanetary exploration," Zhang said.
\nzhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", @@ -12435,28 +12369,6 @@ "hash": "0a13671b9c790664f5cfa63b571592a0", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "005CHINA - Soy sauce brews new innovations", - "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/005/20251017_005_01_39.png\")
Workers of Hejiang Xianshi Brewing Food in Hejiang county, Sichuan province, tend soy sauce in jars at the company's open-air fermentation field on the bank of the Chishui River.
\nVisitors to the workshop of Xianshi Soy Sauce in Hejiang county, Sichuan province, are often surprised to find that this century-old brand now offers innovative products such as soy sauce-flavored ice cream, coffee and beer.
\nLin Wei, a visitor from Beijing who tried the ice cream out of curiosity, said it tastes similar to regular ice cream but is less sweet and carries a subtle salty flavor of soy sauce.
\n"For someone like me who doesn't like overly sweet desserts, this is definitely a pleasant surprise," Lin said.
\nPei Jingrong, a staff member at the Hejiang Xianshi Brewing Food, said the innovation in products is part of her company's efforts to introduce the traditional soy sauce brewing craft to the public — especially the younger generations.
\nSince 1893, the company has been brewing soy sauce at its original location on the bank of the Chishui River, running between Sichuan and Guizhou provinces. It is home to one of China's longest continuously used and best-preserved soy sauce brewing workshops and open-air fermentation fields.
\nAs a living fossil of traditional Chinese soy sauce brewing, "Xianshi Traditional Soy Sauce Brewing Technique" was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2014.
\nPei emphasized that unlike those produced in modern factories, the fully handcrafted Xianshi Soy Sauce uses only four ingredients — soybeans, wheat flour, salt and water — with no chemical additives at all.
\n"Our workshop uses a natural fermentation method. It involves 13 processes that take more than three years to complete, resulting in the Xianshi Soy Sauce's rich flavor and aroma," Pei said.
\nShe added that the fully handcrafted processes and lengthy brewing cycle significantly increase production costs, resulting in high selling prices.
\n"While regular soy sauce typically sells for under 20 yuan ($2.8) per kilogram, our handcrafted soy sauce is priced from 120 to 600 yuan per kilogram," she said.
\nHou Yunjing, deputy general manager of the Hejiang Xianshi Brewing Food, said the unique natural environment and microbial ecosystem along the Chishui River's banks provide ideal conditions for brewing premium-quality soy sauce.
\n"There is an old saying that goes, 'The Chishui River flows through the ages. Liquor is brewed in the upper reaches while soy sauce is brewed in the lower reaches,'" Hou said.
\nNestled in a river bend, the company's open-air fermentation field houses over 6,000 jars on a 45-degree slope, which maximizes daytime sun exposure for the fermenting paste. At night, the river water that has evaporated into the air condenses into dew and falls into the jars, supplementing the moisture required for microbial fermentation.
\nTo better preserve the traditional brewing technique, the workshop has been hosting various kinds of cultural and tourism activities in recent years, during which visitors cannot only observe the entire production process but also gain hands-on experience.
\nHou said a more ambitious project — a new production base with an investment of 2 billion yuan — is currently under construction. Upon full operation, it is expected to achieve an annual output of over 200,000 metric tons of soy sauce, with an estimated output value of approximately 3 billion yuan, he added.
\nChen Siwei, the only national-level inheritor of the Xianshi Traditional Soy Sauce Brewing Technique, said despite the adoption of industrial equipment, the core production processes in the new facility will remain consistent with the traditional brewing technique, ensuring that the taste remains identical to that produced using the traditional method.
\nThe most significant upgrade is the use of advanced equipment to replace manual labor in koji-making, a step that is labor-intensive and has extremely strict requirements for temperature, humidity, and timing control, said the 62-year-old.
\n"At this old base, which annually produces 1,000 tons of soy sauce, the koji-making process alone requires more than 10 workers. The new facility, however, only needs two or three workers for this process," he said.
\nChen said the company has employed over 30 university graduates, who will participate in the operation of the new base. All these graduates are required to spend more than a month to learn the entire process of the Xianshi Soy Sauce brewing technique.
\n"Traditional techniques must be preserved, but innovation is equally important," the inheritor said. "The entry of well-educated university students will inject new vitality into the inheritance and innovative development of Xianshi Soy Sauce."
\nContact the writers at pengchao@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "content": "Workers of Hejiang Xianshi Brewing Food in Hejiang county, Sichuan province, tend soy sauce in jars at the company's open-air fermentation field on the bank of the Chishui River.
\nVisitors to the workshop of Xianshi Soy Sauce in Hejiang county, Sichuan province, are often surprised to find that this century-old brand now offers innovative products such as soy sauce-flavored ice cream, coffee and beer.
\nLin Wei, a visitor from Beijing who tried the ice cream out of curiosity, said it tastes similar to regular ice cream but is less sweet and carries a subtle salty flavor of soy sauce.
\n"For someone like me who doesn't like overly sweet desserts, this is definitely a pleasant surprise," Lin said.
\nPei Jingrong, a staff member at the Hejiang Xianshi Brewing Food, said the innovation in products is part of her company's efforts to introduce the traditional soy sauce brewing craft to the public — especially the younger generations.
\nSince 1893, the company has been brewing soy sauce at its original location on the bank of the Chishui River, running between Sichuan and Guizhou provinces. It is home to one of China's longest continuously used and best-preserved soy sauce brewing workshops and open-air fermentation fields.
\nAs a living fossil of traditional Chinese soy sauce brewing, "Xianshi Traditional Soy Sauce Brewing Technique" was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2014.
\nPei emphasized that unlike those produced in modern factories, the fully handcrafted Xianshi Soy Sauce uses only four ingredients — soybeans, wheat flour, salt and water — with no chemical additives at all.
\n"Our workshop uses a natural fermentation method. It involves 13 processes that take more than three years to complete, resulting in the Xianshi Soy Sauce's rich flavor and aroma," Pei said.
\nShe added that the fully handcrafted processes and lengthy brewing cycle significantly increase production costs, resulting in high selling prices.
\n"While regular soy sauce typically sells for under 20 yuan ($2.8) per kilogram, our handcrafted soy sauce is priced from 120 to 600 yuan per kilogram," she said.
\nHou Yunjing, deputy general manager of the Hejiang Xianshi Brewing Food, said the unique natural environment and microbial ecosystem along the Chishui River's banks provide ideal conditions for brewing premium-quality soy sauce.
\n"There is an old saying that goes, 'The Chishui River flows through the ages. Liquor is brewed in the upper reaches while soy sauce is brewed in the lower reaches,'" Hou said.
\nNestled in a river bend, the company's open-air fermentation field houses over 6,000 jars on a 45-degree slope, which maximizes daytime sun exposure for the fermenting paste. At night, the river water that has evaporated into the air condenses into dew and falls into the jars, supplementing the moisture required for microbial fermentation.
\nTo better preserve the traditional brewing technique, the workshop has been hosting various kinds of cultural and tourism activities in recent years, during which visitors cannot only observe the entire production process but also gain hands-on experience.
\nHou said a more ambitious project — a new production base with an investment of 2 billion yuan — is currently under construction. Upon full operation, it is expected to achieve an annual output of over 200,000 metric tons of soy sauce, with an estimated output value of approximately 3 billion yuan, he added.
\nChen Siwei, the only national-level inheritor of the Xianshi Traditional Soy Sauce Brewing Technique, said despite the adoption of industrial equipment, the core production processes in the new facility will remain consistent with the traditional brewing technique, ensuring that the taste remains identical to that produced using the traditional method.
\nThe most significant upgrade is the use of advanced equipment to replace manual labor in koji-making, a step that is labor-intensive and has extremely strict requirements for temperature, humidity, and timing control, said the 62-year-old.
\n"At this old base, which annually produces 1,000 tons of soy sauce, the koji-making process alone requires more than 10 workers. The new facility, however, only needs two or three workers for this process," he said.
\nChen said the company has employed over 30 university graduates, who will participate in the operation of the new base. All these graduates are required to spend more than a month to learn the entire process of the Xianshi Soy Sauce brewing technique.
\n"Traditional techniques must be preserved, but innovation is equally important," the inheritor said. "The entry of well-educated university students will inject new vitality into the inheritance and innovative development of Xianshi Soy Sauce."
\nContact the writers at pengchao@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_005_68f15f31ed50ccabe151b43f.htm#005CHINA", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "952c0521169b2463695ee9a68caa847c", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "005CHINA - Weifang's kites soar across the world's skies", "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/005/20251017_005_03_22.png\")
People fly kites during the 42nd International Kite Festival in Anqiu, Weifang, Shandong province, on April 19.
\nJINAN — A golden dragon twists through the blue sky, a rainbow phoenix spreads its vibrant wings, and a string of tiny swallow kites flutter in the breeze.
\nOn the vast lawn of a kite park in Weifang, East China's Shandong province, known as the "World Capital of Kites", the air is alive with color and motion.
\nMore than 2,400 years ago, the world's first kite took off from here. As the cradle of kite making, Weifang is renowned for its long-standing kite culture and exquisite craftsmanship.
\nLocal records show that the city has been making kites for over two millennia. After Cai Lun invented papermaking in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), paper kites began to appear among the people.
\nIn modern times, Weifang has gained fame both at home and abroad for its distinctive kites, noted for their sound structure, bright colors, stable flight, and strong folk flavor.
\nIn 2006, Weifang kite making was inscribed on China's first list of national intangible cultural heritage.
\n"Making a kite requires 36 procedures, divided into four major techniques — framework making, mounting, painting and flying — each interdependent and closely linked," said Yang Hongwei, a national-level inheritor of the craft.
\nBorn into a kite-making family, Yang apprenticed under her grandfather in 1982 and has honed the skill for over 40 years, creating everything from giant kites 300 meters long to micro kites with a diameter of just two centimeters.
\n"Making kites may look easy, but it entails repeating each step day after day, and learning new things in the process," Yang said.
\nIn recent years, she has devoted herself to passing on the craft, offering kite making classes in schools, and training over 20,000 primary and middle school students.
\nAttention to detail is a hallmark of Weifang's kite masters.
\nWang Yongxun, a city-level inheritor and vice-chairman of the Chinese Kite Association, said he selects bamboo aged between 2 and 3 years for the kite frame, on account of its strength and flexibility.
\nWhile kites were once mounted with rice paper or silk, which are difficult to preserve, he has developed a custom-blended fabric that is lightweight, economical and colorfast. He has visited more than 40 countries and regions to showcase Weifang's kite making skills to the world.
\nToday, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern science and technology, Weifang continues to create innovative kite designs.
\nIn a local kite factory in Wangjiazhuangzi village, Weifang city, dozens of workers are busy filling orders for dragon, eagle, butterfly and swallow kites bound for countries including the United States, France and Saudi Arabia.
\nThe village is home to more than 200 kite enterprises, generating over 300 million yuan ($42.16 million) in annual sales. More than half of its 4,700 residents work in the industry, making it the largest kite processing and export base in the city.
\nAcross Weifang, over 600 kite companies employ approximately 80,000 people, with annual sales exceeding 2 billion yuan and products sold to more than 50 countries and regions.
\nEach spring, kite enthusiasts from around the world flock to Weifang.
\nIn April, the 42nd International Kite Festival in Anqiu, Weifang, attracted 257 kite teams from 51 countries and regions, including Italy, Portugal, Brazil, Russia and Belgium.
\nMore than 2,000 colorful kites drew tens of thousands of visitors from home and abroad to enjoy the spectacle.
\nWith its deep cultural roots and spirit of innovation, the festival has been held for over 40 years, making it one of China's longest-running international events since the start of the reform and opening-up era.
\n"China and the Republic of Korea have a long history of friendship. Coming to Weifang this time, I'm pleasantly surprised to see how fast China has developed. In words like 'flying dreams', I can feel China's openness to the world," said a visitor from South Korea.
\nWeifang's "kite wings" have already swept across the skylines of every continent. Since last year, delegations have visited countries including France, Germany, Italy, Hungary and Slovakia to promote kite culture through flying events, exhibitions and other activities, creating new opportunities for international cooperation.
\n"Kites are an art that crosses cultures, borders and languages. Through the unique charm of kites, people from different countries communicate and share, reflecting the integration of art and culture worldwide," said Hans Peter Boehme, vice-president of the International Kite Federation.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/006/20251017_006_01_19.png\")
Elderly residents chat at a care center in Guqian village in Yiyuan, Shandong province, on Sept 30, 2022.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/006/20251017_006_01_37.png\")
Seniors collect a free lunch at a canteen in Wangjiaquan village in Yiyuan on Wednesday.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/006/20251017_006_01_32.png\")
Medical workers offer free health checkups to villagers in Yiyuan in July.
\nAt a small community canteen in the village of Houjiaguanzhuang, tucked away in the mountainous county of Yiyuan in Shandong province, a group of elderly residents gather for their lunchtime meal.
\nOn the menu is braised cabbage with pork and vermicelli, stir-fried shredded potato, millet porridge and steamed buns, all served by red-vested volunteers for the bargain price of just 1 yuan (14 cents).
\nMany older adults in China live alone and may face difficulty with preparing meals, daily care and health services.
\nThe canteen is one of some 230 "Yiyuanhong" livelihood complexes that have been set up in many remote villages and towns in Yiyuan county to serve its elderly residents.
\nYiyuan's large aging population and rugged mountain geography make it a prime example of the challenges facing the nation.
\nOf the county's 515,000 residents, 26 percent are 60 or above, higher than the national average. In rural areas, 85,000 elderly residents make up 33.7 percent of the rural population.
\nLaunched in 2021, the Yiyuanhong model for elderly care seeks to address the needs of its aging population through a grassroots network of care centers and targeted services.
\nEnjoying her lunch, 87-year-old Hou Xianhua said having meals prepared for her daily has relieved a burden for her.
\n"Everything's cooked soft and lightly seasoned, they know our teeth aren't as strong as they used to be," Hou said.
\n"When I was young, working hard in the fields, I never imagined I'd see days like this," she added.
\nThe canteen serves 70 to 80 seniors from the village daily.
\nZhuang Benzhen, Houjiaguanzhuang Party secretary, said an integrated funding model has made the Yiyuanhong model possible.
\n"The county, the town and the village each contribute to subsidize the meals, keeping the costs to the elderly very low," he said.
\nFor Houjiaguanzhuang, its portion of the funding comes from its 33 hectares of apple orchards.
\nMany of the elderly villagers, unable to work their farmland, have transferred their land-use rights to a cooperative run by the village Party that now manages the land.
\n"At the orchard, we've planted new tree varieties that have higher yields," said Zhuang, adding that the profits from the orchard cover most of the care center's operating costs.
\nHoujiaguanzhuang is one of 446 villages in Yiyuan, a rugged county with over 99 percent hilly terrain. Its main industry is agriculture, specializing in apples, peaches and cherries.
\nThe Yiyuanhong model focuses on "farming for farmers and caring for the elderly", Zhuang said, noting that the county has turned the dual challenges of elderly care and farmland abandonment into an opportunity.
\nYiyuan's 230 livelihood complexes and 168 food assistance stations are helping to improve both the county's senior care and sustainable land use.
\nSolutions in action
\nParty secretary of Yiyuan county, Zhang Tao, said pressing questions from the people are what drove the creation of the Yiyuanhong project.
\n"What happens when elderly villagers eat the same meal all day, or even for two or three days?
\n"How can aging farmers tend their orchards when they can no longer work the land?
\n"Who will help them shop or see a doctor when they live alone?"
\nTo address the urgent concerns of these seniors, officials conducted door-to-door surveys across every village, eight times, before launching the project.
\nSpreadsheets at the county civil affairs bureau frequently highlighted questions related to advanced age and isolated elders.
\nThese groups faced hardships such as irregular meals, untreated illnesses and farmland they could no longer maintain.
\nAfter three months of surveys, county officials concluded the four core needs of meals, medical care, bathing and shopping.
\nTo meet these needs, the county began repurposing abandoned properties.
\nVacant halls, collectively owned buildings and unused homesteads were transformed into livelihood complexes.
\nIn Longziyu village, a complex was developed around the village Party office and the old cultural halls with a canteen, bathing room, clinic, hairdresser and leisure center.
\nThe village has a population of 649, with 191 aged 60 and above.
\n"I used to wait until my hair was too long before going to town for a haircut," said Dong Jiyun, 66, touching her freshly trimmed hair. "Now I can get a cut anytime — right at my doorstep."
\nOnce a week, doctors from the county traditional Chinese medicine hospital visit Longziyu to provide free acupuncture and blood pressure checks for the villagers.
\nEfficient operation
\nIn Yihetou village's canteen stock room, sacks of rice and flour are neatly arranged alongside fresh vegetables such as winter melon, cabbage and potatoes. Each item is labeled with the recipient's name, product details, quantity and sorting date.
\nThis supply comes from the county's centralized procurement center located in the urban area of Yiyuan.
\nCanteen staff place delivery orders via their smartphones to order the food they need.
\nBehind this operation lies a sophisticated logistics network that works through the night. At 1 am, the procurement center is brightly lit as workers inspect and sort fresh meat, while newly arrived vegetables from local farms are tagged and packed into crates.
\nBy 7 am, these ingredients are loaded onto trucks destined for the central kitchen, also in the urban area, for preliminary processing. At the central kitchen, steamed buns, prewashed and precut vegetables are prepared to be sent out to the canteens.
\nOperated by Shandong Luzhong Food Supply Chain Co, a county government-supported enterprise, the system ensures that the final stage of cooking is simple.
\n"We provide food such as washed vegetables to village canteens, which only need to do the final cooking. This significantly reduces labor while maintaining food quality," said Li Xuebin, deputy general manager of Luzhong.
\nThe food supply model connects local farms, processing facilities and elderly care centers, he said.
\n"We've created over 300 local jobs through this supply chain," said Li. "The standardized meal production has expanded beyond senior care, and now also serves local schools and government offices while contributing to the regional economy through public sales of surplus products."
\nSustainable development
\nBy using a tiered meal subsidy program, county, town and village-level authorities can cover at least 80 percent of meal costs.
\nThe subsidy program represents more than just welfare; it's part of a carefully engineered ecosystem where each village's unique economic activities directly support its aging population.
\nThe sustainability of this approach lies in Yiyuan's "one village, one industry" strategy.
\n"We've moved beyond simple subsidies to create systems where each community develops its own economic engine to support elderly services," said Zheng Jian, deputy Party secretary of Yiyuan.
\nThis philosophy has produced remarkable adaptations across the county's varied terrain, he added.
\nIn the mountainous Shuimetouhenan village, where poor soil once thwarted traditional farming, this challenge has been turned into an opportunity.
\n"Using poverty alleviation funds and loans, in 2016 we invested millions to become early adopters of photovoltaic energy," said Cui Xueliang, Party secretary of Shuimetouhenan.
\nBy organizing some barren land, Cui introduced three enterprises to build production facilities in the village. These enterprises produce several agricultural goods, including dried vegetables and fruit-based products.
\nToday, solar panels on hillsides and rooftops generate some 520,000 yuan in income annually for the village, creating a stable funding source for elderly care services.
\nIn Dongan village, fragmented small plots have been consolidated into a thriving 13 hectares of modern grape vineyards.
\n"Previously, our elders struggled to farm these scattered plots with low yields," said Geng Wei, the village Party secretary.
\n"Now the vineyards not only solve their farming difficulties but contribute 120,000 yuan yearly to our collective funds," he said.
\nPerhaps most remarkably, Yiyuan county's elderly aren't just beneficiaries but active participants in this transformation. In Yihenan village, when initial resistance threatened a kiwi fruit plantation, elderly residents like Zhang Xiangmei and Liu Wenmei became its strongest advocates.
\n"These projects ultimately support our care and we should back him (the village Party secretary)," they persuaded their children and neighbors.
\nTheir endorsement helped Xu Hongliang, the village Party secretary, convince residents to pool land-use rights, leading to a successful 13-hectare plantation that promises further expansion.
\nZhang Xiangmei and Liu Wenmei share a 25-square-meter living room at the village's livelihood complex. Every day, they eat at the village's canteen and chat with their fellow villagers.
\n"Living together with other seniors they know, the elderly can help each other and have a small chat every day, which keeps them in a good mood," said Xu.
\nA total of 1,308 industry projects have been implemented county-wide, and all 446 villages have achieved annual incomes exceeding 100,000 yuan, with half of the villages surpassing 200,000 yuan. The economic foundation ensures the steady operation of elderly care services.
\nBehind this model stands the village Party secretaries.
\n"Village Party secretaries are the 'CEOs' of rural vitalization, who master both governance and entrepreneurship," said county Party secretary Zhang.
\n"We must train them to be dedicated, capable and responsible leaders," he said.
\nThis year, the county has trained 1,220 rural "CEOs", including both village Party secretaries and farming experts who have consolidated 400 hectares of farmland, and launched 45 agricultural projects, generating 3 million yuan in total collective income.
\nZhang attributes their success to "people-centered governance and the integration of human rights protection into every policy".
\n"It's not just about building the facilities or handing out money. The mechanism has to take root and thrive," he said.
\nzhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "content": "Elderly residents chat at a care center in Guqian village in Yiyuan, Shandong province, on Sept 30, 2022.
\nSeniors collect a free lunch at a canteen in Wangjiaquan village in Yiyuan on Wednesday.
\nMedical workers offer free health checkups to villagers in Yiyuan in July.
\nAt a small community canteen in the village of Houjiaguanzhuang, tucked away in the mountainous county of Yiyuan in Shandong province, a group of elderly residents gather for their lunchtime meal.
\nOn the menu is braised cabbage with pork and vermicelli, stir-fried shredded potato, millet porridge and steamed buns, all served by red-vested volunteers for the bargain price of just 1 yuan (14 cents).
\nMany older adults in China live alone and may face difficulty with preparing meals, daily care and health services.
\nThe canteen is one of some 230 "Yiyuanhong" livelihood complexes that have been set up in many remote villages and towns in Yiyuan county to serve its elderly residents.
\nYiyuan's large aging population and rugged mountain geography make it a prime example of the challenges facing the nation.
\nOf the county's 515,000 residents, 26 percent are 60 or above, higher than the national average. In rural areas, 85,000 elderly residents make up 33.7 percent of the rural population.
\nLaunched in 2021, the Yiyuanhong model for elderly care seeks to address the needs of its aging population through a grassroots network of care centers and targeted services.
\nEnjoying her lunch, 87-year-old Hou Xianhua said having meals prepared for her daily has relieved a burden for her.
\n"Everything's cooked soft and lightly seasoned, they know our teeth aren't as strong as they used to be," Hou said.
\n"When I was young, working hard in the fields, I never imagined I'd see days like this," she added.
\nThe canteen serves 70 to 80 seniors from the village daily.
\nZhuang Benzhen, Houjiaguanzhuang Party secretary, said an integrated funding model has made the Yiyuanhong model possible.
\n"The county, the town and the village each contribute to subsidize the meals, keeping the costs to the elderly very low," he said.
\nFor Houjiaguanzhuang, its portion of the funding comes from its 33 hectares of apple orchards.
\nMany of the elderly villagers, unable to work their farmland, have transferred their land-use rights to a cooperative run by the village Party that now manages the land.
\n"At the orchard, we've planted new tree varieties that have higher yields," said Zhuang, adding that the profits from the orchard cover most of the care center's operating costs.
\nHoujiaguanzhuang is one of 446 villages in Yiyuan, a rugged county with over 99 percent hilly terrain. Its main industry is agriculture, specializing in apples, peaches and cherries.
\nThe Yiyuanhong model focuses on "farming for farmers and caring for the elderly", Zhuang said, noting that the county has turned the dual challenges of elderly care and farmland abandonment into an opportunity.
\nYiyuan's 230 livelihood complexes and 168 food assistance stations are helping to improve both the county's senior care and sustainable land use.
\nSolutions in action
\nParty secretary of Yiyuan county, Zhang Tao, said pressing questions from the people are what drove the creation of the Yiyuanhong project.
\n"What happens when elderly villagers eat the same meal all day, or even for two or three days?
\n"How can aging farmers tend their orchards when they can no longer work the land?
\n"Who will help them shop or see a doctor when they live alone?"
\nTo address the urgent concerns of these seniors, officials conducted door-to-door surveys across every village, eight times, before launching the project.
\nSpreadsheets at the county civil affairs bureau frequently highlighted questions related to advanced age and isolated elders.
\nThese groups faced hardships such as irregular meals, untreated illnesses and farmland they could no longer maintain.
\nAfter three months of surveys, county officials concluded the four core needs of meals, medical care, bathing and shopping.
\nTo meet these needs, the county began repurposing abandoned properties.
\nVacant halls, collectively owned buildings and unused homesteads were transformed into livelihood complexes.
\nIn Longziyu village, a complex was developed around the village Party office and the old cultural halls with a canteen, bathing room, clinic, hairdresser and leisure center.
\nThe village has a population of 649, with 191 aged 60 and above.
\n"I used to wait until my hair was too long before going to town for a haircut," said Dong Jiyun, 66, touching her freshly trimmed hair. "Now I can get a cut anytime — right at my doorstep."
\nOnce a week, doctors from the county traditional Chinese medicine hospital visit Longziyu to provide free acupuncture and blood pressure checks for the villagers.
\nEfficient operation
\nIn Yihetou village's canteen stock room, sacks of rice and flour are neatly arranged alongside fresh vegetables such as winter melon, cabbage and potatoes. Each item is labeled with the recipient's name, product details, quantity and sorting date.
\nThis supply comes from the county's centralized procurement center located in the urban area of Yiyuan.
\nCanteen staff place delivery orders via their smartphones to order the food they need.
\nBehind this operation lies a sophisticated logistics network that works through the night. At 1 am, the procurement center is brightly lit as workers inspect and sort fresh meat, while newly arrived vegetables from local farms are tagged and packed into crates.
\nBy 7 am, these ingredients are loaded onto trucks destined for the central kitchen, also in the urban area, for preliminary processing. At the central kitchen, steamed buns, prewashed and precut vegetables are prepared to be sent out to the canteens.
\nOperated by Shandong Luzhong Food Supply Chain Co, a county government-supported enterprise, the system ensures that the final stage of cooking is simple.
\n"We provide food such as washed vegetables to village canteens, which only need to do the final cooking. This significantly reduces labor while maintaining food quality," said Li Xuebin, deputy general manager of Luzhong.
\nThe food supply model connects local farms, processing facilities and elderly care centers, he said.
\n"We've created over 300 local jobs through this supply chain," said Li. "The standardized meal production has expanded beyond senior care, and now also serves local schools and government offices while contributing to the regional economy through public sales of surplus products."
\nSustainable development
\nBy using a tiered meal subsidy program, county, town and village-level authorities can cover at least 80 percent of meal costs.
\nThe subsidy program represents more than just welfare; it's part of a carefully engineered ecosystem where each village's unique economic activities directly support its aging population.
\nThe sustainability of this approach lies in Yiyuan's "one village, one industry" strategy.
\n"We've moved beyond simple subsidies to create systems where each community develops its own economic engine to support elderly services," said Zheng Jian, deputy Party secretary of Yiyuan.
\nThis philosophy has produced remarkable adaptations across the county's varied terrain, he added.
\nIn the mountainous Shuimetouhenan village, where poor soil once thwarted traditional farming, this challenge has been turned into an opportunity.
\n"Using poverty alleviation funds and loans, in 2016 we invested millions to become early adopters of photovoltaic energy," said Cui Xueliang, Party secretary of Shuimetouhenan.
\nBy organizing some barren land, Cui introduced three enterprises to build production facilities in the village. These enterprises produce several agricultural goods, including dried vegetables and fruit-based products.
\nToday, solar panels on hillsides and rooftops generate some 520,000 yuan in income annually for the village, creating a stable funding source for elderly care services.
\nIn Dongan village, fragmented small plots have been consolidated into a thriving 13 hectares of modern grape vineyards.
\n"Previously, our elders struggled to farm these scattered plots with low yields," said Geng Wei, the village Party secretary.
\n"Now the vineyards not only solve their farming difficulties but contribute 120,000 yuan yearly to our collective funds," he said.
\nPerhaps most remarkably, Yiyuan county's elderly aren't just beneficiaries but active participants in this transformation. In Yihenan village, when initial resistance threatened a kiwi fruit plantation, elderly residents like Zhang Xiangmei and Liu Wenmei became its strongest advocates.
\n"These projects ultimately support our care and we should back him (the village Party secretary)," they persuaded their children and neighbors.
\nTheir endorsement helped Xu Hongliang, the village Party secretary, convince residents to pool land-use rights, leading to a successful 13-hectare plantation that promises further expansion.
\nZhang Xiangmei and Liu Wenmei share a 25-square-meter living room at the village's livelihood complex. Every day, they eat at the village's canteen and chat with their fellow villagers.
\n"Living together with other seniors they know, the elderly can help each other and have a small chat every day, which keeps them in a good mood," said Xu.
\nA total of 1,308 industry projects have been implemented county-wide, and all 446 villages have achieved annual incomes exceeding 100,000 yuan, with half of the villages surpassing 200,000 yuan. The economic foundation ensures the steady operation of elderly care services.
\nBehind this model stands the village Party secretaries.
\n"Village Party secretaries are the 'CEOs' of rural vitalization, who master both governance and entrepreneurship," said county Party secretary Zhang.
\n"We must train them to be dedicated, capable and responsible leaders," he said.
\nThis year, the county has trained 1,220 rural "CEOs", including both village Party secretaries and farming experts who have consolidated 400 hectares of farmland, and launched 45 agricultural projects, generating 3 million yuan in total collective income.
\nZhang attributes their success to "people-centered governance and the integration of human rights protection into every policy".
\n"It's not just about building the facilities or handing out money. The mechanism has to take root and thrive," he said.
\nzhaoruixue@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_006_68f15f42ed50ccabe151b443.htm#006CHINA", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "b78979f8fa3d372e7f819692e786127d", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "008COMMENT - UK ill-advised imposing unwarranted US-pleasing sanctions on Chinese entities", "description": "In an ill-judged and unwarranted move that promises to have far-reaching implications on relations between China and the United Kingdom, the British government on Wednesday announced sanctions against 11 Chinese companies for allegedly supporting the Russian energy sector and supplying equipment critical to Russia's defense sector.
\nLondon claimed the sanctions will exert more pressure on the Kremlin over the conflict in Ukraine. These measures are nothing more than an attempt to meddle in normal business exchanges between Chinese and Russian companies. The unilateral actions taken by the British government targeting Chinese companies have no basis in international law, and undermine the legitimate rights and interests of these Chinese enterprises. China firmly opposes these sanctions and has lodged stern representations with the UK, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London said.
\nChina has consistently maintained an objective and impartial stance on the Ukraine crisis, actively promoted peace talks, and strictly regulated the export of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations. Any insinuation otherwise is a blatant attempt at blame-shifting and smearing.
\nDenigrating the normal exchanges and cooperation between Chinese and Russian enterprises, the UK has targeted Chinese enterprises, primarily those in technology and energy sectors, with multiple rounds of sanctions. These actions have strained bilateral ties, reduced economic cooperation, and had a chilling effect on future China-UK investments and collaborations.
\nIt is imperative that the UK correct its misguided actions and revoke these unwarranted sanctions. China will not stand idly by while its interests are harmed and will respond firmly to any provocation. The rationale behind the UK's sanctions seems to be rooted in aligning itself with the United States at a time when the US has intensified its strategy to contain China in trade and technology globally.
\nApart from cracking down on Chinese enterprises, some politicians in London have also tried to depict China as a major national security threat to the UK, alleging it has "highly capable and ... large scale espionage operations" that threaten the economic prosperity of the UK and the integrity of its democratic institutions. Even though prosecutors recently dropped charges against two men who had been accused of spying for China because of a lack of evidence, the anti-China sentiment in the UK does not appear to have subsided, as demonstrated by the latest sanctions against Chinese companies.
\nThe UK's decision is a huge step backward. The sanctions not only threaten the economic interests of Chinese enterprises, but also risk derailing the positive trajectory of China-UK relations. What the UK has done is a betrayal of its previously stated position that it hopes to strengthen dialogue with China and foster exchanges and cooperation.
\nThe fallout from these sanctions could therefore be significant. The long-term impact could see the UK losing out on vital economic opportunities and partnerships that are crucial for its growth and development. By adopting a confrontational stance at the behest of the US, the UK risks alienating a key partner and diminishing its own influence in international affairs.
\nDespite differences in culture, values and social systems, China and the UK share broad common interests. It is China's consistent stance that both sides should view each other's development rationally and objectively, strengthen strategic communication, and enhance political trust to ensure that China-UK relations remain stable, practical and long-lasting. Moreover, given the two countries have vast potential for cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, clean energy, financial services and healthcare, this cooperation should be continuously expanded, not recklessly curtailed.
\nThe current situation presents a pivotal moment for China-UK relations. The choices made today will shape the future trajectory of their partnership. The UK should show vision and wisdom, forsaking short-term political maneuvers in favor of long-term stability and prosperity. For the sake of bilateral relations and its own interests, the UK should correct its actions and lift the sanctions against the relevant Chinese entities.
\n", @@ -12523,28 +12413,6 @@ "hash": "a4e0ebd92ecc123fc6895b4854e7c7e3", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "008COMMENT - Picture news", - "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/008/20251017_008_03_18777.png\")
\n\nEditor's note: China's high-quality development is crucial not only for its modernization but also for the stability and growth of the global economy. Wang Yiming, vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, spoke to the Economic Daily to review the achievements of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) and analyze the direction of future development. Below are excerpts from the interview. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.
\nThe smooth progress of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) can be attributed to five essential principles. The first is coordinating the relationship between the market and the government. It is essential to leverage an effective market, create a fairer and more dynamic environment and achieve the optimal allocation of resources and maximum efficiency.
\nThe second is coordinating supply and demand. Achieving this requires coordinated efforts on both the supply and demand sides, with a focus on expanding domestic demand while optimizing supply.
\nAs a superlarge economy, China must focus on expanding domestic demand as a strategic objective, particularly addressing the shortfall in consumption.
\nAdditionally, China must stabilize the fundamentals of foreign trade and foreign investment, increase both exports and imports, and build a new development pattern in which domestic and international circulation reinforce each other.
\nThe third is coordinating the fostering of new growth drivers with the upgrading of older ones. Economic development requires a smooth transition from old to new growth drivers. This involves seizing opportunities presented by the technological revolution and industrial transformation, cultivating emerging and future industries and developing new drivers of growth.
\nIt is also essential to upgrade traditional industries through digital empowerment, process improvement and management innovation. Innovation in science and technology should be the cornerstone of fostering new growth drivers. Given the regional disparities in resource endowments and industrial development, the cultivation of new quality productive forces must be tailored to local conditions.
\nThe fourth is coordinating the relationship between supporting incremental growth and optimizing existing resources. Incremental growth creates opportunities for optimizing China's vast existing resources. Integrating these two aspects will allow China to better tap into its development potential.
\nThe fifth is coordinating improvement in quality with increase in quantity. On the one hand, by combining the demand of its massive market with a comprehensive industrial system, China can cultivate more world-class enterprises and expand production. On the other hand, by enhancing innovation, increasing investment in new technologies and promoting digital and green transformation in traditional industries, product and service quality can be improved to enhance market competitiveness, thereby expanding market share and creating conditions for quantitative growth.
\nThe 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period will be a time to confront both strategic opportunities and risks. Global industry and supply chains are being reconstructed, with countries shifting focus from cost-efficiency to stability, which increases the risk of fragmentation. For China, it is critical to maintain its strategic resolve and sharpen its focus to gain the strategic initiative in international competition.
\nDomestically, the contribution of labor to economic growth will weaken, while factors such as aging of the population will lead to a decline in the savings rate. Total factor productivity will play a more prominent role in growth. Industrialization is entering a new phase, with the expansion of heavy industries nearing its end. Traditional industries will peak, even as the digital transformation of industries accelerates. The focus of urbanization will shift from rapid expansion to improving quality and efficiency, while green development will enter a critical stage.
\n", @@ -12567,28 +12435,6 @@ "hash": "7f650be5fdf0576407097ffa58d6aa7f", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "010WORLD - A global hub for business events", - "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/010/20251017_010_01_47924.png\")
An actor of Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian entertainment group, performs during the Hangzhou X Show in East China's Zhejiang province, on Aug 10.
\nChina's fast-growing meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, or MICE, industry is drawing renewed attention worldwide, from entertainment companies to luxury cruise lines, as the country cements its reputation as a premier destination for international business events.
\nThe Chinese mainland hosted 3,844 economic and trade exhibitions last year, maintaining steady growth from the previous year, according to industry figures. These show a steady recovery of China's business events sector after the pandemic, backed by strong policy support and a surge in international engagement. The industry research firm Grand View Research of San Francisco said China's MICE market generated about $81 billion last year and is likely to grow nearly 10 percent a year to be worth about $140 billion by 2030.
\nThe growth is attracting international entertainment and hospitality brands eager to tap into China's expanding events industry. Among them is Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian entertainment company known for its artistry and spectacular performances.
\n"We absolutely intend to come back and do shows in China," Duncan Fisher, chief show operations officer at Cirque du Soleil, said during the Imex America 2025 trade show, held in Las Vegas from Oct 7 to 9. "We're working with a couple of partners right now. We don't have anything confirmed at this moment, but I would imagine that within two to three years, we will be back doing shows in China."
\nFisher, who oversees global operations for Cirque du Soleil's 23 running shows, said the company's recent return to Hong Kong was a promising start.
\n"It went very, very well. It was the first time that we've been in Hong Kong for eight years. A lot of people came over from Shenzhen as well, more than we ever saw before. It was fantastic to be back."
\nIndustry insiders say Cirque du Soleil's plans align with broader trends in China's event sector, in which large-scale entertainment, cultural and business events are becoming key parts of urban tourism and international exchange.
\nAt Imex, Chinese exhibitors and overseas buyers also expressed optimism about deeper collaboration. Alexis Puma, a representative of Century Cruises, a luxury river cruise company operating on the Yangtze River, said the firm is expanding its MICE operations internationally.
\n"A lot of buyers want to cooperate with us to bring their clients to China," Puma said, adding that the company is dedicating two ships to global itineraries designed to promote inbound travel. "We're just starting out our operation to bring many people to China."
\nChinese MICE companies are also extending their international collaboration. Violet Wang from East Star Event Management of Shanghai, said her company recently partnered with Via Licensing Alliance, a global intellectual property organization in San Francisco, to co-organize events in China.
\n"This deal was made during Imex 2024," Wang said. "We're glad to partner with Via Licensing Alliance for the first time, participating deeply in the event as both planner and organizer."
\nThe partnership built on earlier successes such as the Via Business Summit held in Shanghai in March, which featured cultural and incentive tours combining heritage and modernity, from the city's historic Yu Garden to the futuristic Shanghai Tower, and even a Formula 1 racing experience.
\n"Incentive travel is a way for companies to reward customer and employee loyalty," said Linda Wang, country director in China of Asia Concierge, which organizes tailor-made travel. "Our clients are often Fortune Global 500 corporations, foundations and associations. As event planners, we help them design meaningful programs and activities in China."
\nIndustry experts say China's appeal lies not only in its infrastructure but also in its ability to integrate culture, innovation and experience into event design. With its unique cultural appeal, advanced infrastructure and expanding international connectivity, China has become one of the world's most dynamic MICE markets.
\nHowever, "geopolitics are always going to happen", said Victoria Selano of the agency EvX in Toronto. "But what we're trying to do is build partnerships and build a wealth of connections and cooperation with China."
\nJoel Walton, senior director of strategic initiatives for Business Events Canada in Vancouver, echoed that sentiment, saying that while the agency's marketing still targets North America and Europe for business events, leisure travel promotions increasingly focus on the Asia-Pacific region, "where China remains an important destination".
\nrenali@chinadailyusa.com
\nAn actor of Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian entertainment group, performs during the Hangzhou X Show in East China's Zhejiang province, on Aug 10.
\nChina's fast-growing meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions, or MICE, industry is drawing renewed attention worldwide, from entertainment companies to luxury cruise lines, as the country cements its reputation as a premier destination for international business events.
\nThe Chinese mainland hosted 3,844 economic and trade exhibitions last year, maintaining steady growth from the previous year, according to industry figures. These show a steady recovery of China's business events sector after the pandemic, backed by strong policy support and a surge in international engagement. The industry research firm Grand View Research of San Francisco said China's MICE market generated about $81 billion last year and is likely to grow nearly 10 percent a year to be worth about $140 billion by 2030.
\nThe growth is attracting international entertainment and hospitality brands eager to tap into China's expanding events industry. Among them is Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian entertainment company known for its artistry and spectacular performances.
\n"We absolutely intend to come back and do shows in China," Duncan Fisher, chief show operations officer at Cirque du Soleil, said during the Imex America 2025 trade show, held in Las Vegas from Oct 7 to 9. "We're working with a couple of partners right now. We don't have anything confirmed at this moment, but I would imagine that within two to three years, we will be back doing shows in China."
\nFisher, who oversees global operations for Cirque du Soleil's 23 running shows, said the company's recent return to Hong Kong was a promising start.
\n"It went very, very well. It was the first time that we've been in Hong Kong for eight years. A lot of people came over from Shenzhen as well, more than we ever saw before. It was fantastic to be back."
\nIndustry insiders say Cirque du Soleil's plans align with broader trends in China's event sector, in which large-scale entertainment, cultural and business events are becoming key parts of urban tourism and international exchange.
\nAt Imex, Chinese exhibitors and overseas buyers also expressed optimism about deeper collaboration. Alexis Puma, a representative of Century Cruises, a luxury river cruise company operating on the Yangtze River, said the firm is expanding its MICE operations internationally.
\n"A lot of buyers want to cooperate with us to bring their clients to China," Puma said, adding that the company is dedicating two ships to global itineraries designed to promote inbound travel. "We're just starting out our operation to bring many people to China."
\nChinese MICE companies are also extending their international collaboration. Violet Wang from East Star Event Management of Shanghai, said her company recently partnered with Via Licensing Alliance, a global intellectual property organization in San Francisco, to co-organize events in China.
\n"This deal was made during Imex 2024," Wang said. "We're glad to partner with Via Licensing Alliance for the first time, participating deeply in the event as both planner and organizer."
\nThe partnership built on earlier successes such as the Via Business Summit held in Shanghai in March, which featured cultural and incentive tours combining heritage and modernity, from the city's historic Yu Garden to the futuristic Shanghai Tower, and even a Formula 1 racing experience.
\n"Incentive travel is a way for companies to reward customer and employee loyalty," said Linda Wang, country director in China of Asia Concierge, which organizes tailor-made travel. "Our clients are often Fortune Global 500 corporations, foundations and associations. As event planners, we help them design meaningful programs and activities in China."
\nIndustry experts say China's appeal lies not only in its infrastructure but also in its ability to integrate culture, innovation and experience into event design. With its unique cultural appeal, advanced infrastructure and expanding international connectivity, China has become one of the world's most dynamic MICE markets.
\nHowever, "geopolitics are always going to happen", said Victoria Selano of the agency EvX in Toronto. "But what we're trying to do is build partnerships and build a wealth of connections and cooperation with China."
\nJoel Walton, senior director of strategic initiatives for Business Events Canada in Vancouver, echoed that sentiment, saying that while the agency's marketing still targets North America and Europe for business events, leisure travel promotions increasingly focus on the Asia-Pacific region, "where China remains an important destination".
\nrenali@chinadailyusa.com
\nProgress in solving one of Europe's most high-profile unsolved cases remains as far off as ever after Italy's highest court decided that a Ukrainian national suspected of involvement in explosions that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the North Sea in 2022 should not be extradited to Germany.
\nThis came days after the Polish authorities expressed reservations about the deportation of another suspect who has been in their custody since last month.
\nThe Nord Stream project, which enables Russian gas to bypass eastern European transit routes and leave Germany, was initiated in 2005 by the then-chancellor of Germany, Gerhard Schroder, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. It was controversial from the outset for various reasons, but it took on a whole new aspect with the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
\nExplosions on the pipeline that same year, close to the Danish territory of Bornholm island, rendered the pipes unusable and led to an international hunt for suspects.
\nGerman investigations have identified a Ukrainian cell of five men and one woman as the perpetrators of the blasts.
\nSerhii Kuznietsov, a 49-year-old man, was arrested while on holiday in Italy this summer.
\nHis deportation to Germany to face charges of causing an explosion and committing anti-constitutional sabotage had been approved by a lower appeals court before the latest legal challenge halted that process. Instead, the Supreme Court of Cassation in Rome sent back the case involving to a new panel for review.
\nKuznietsov, who was arrested in Italy in August on a German warrant, has denied participating in the cell that allegedly placed explosives on the underwater pipelines.
\nAt the time of his arrest, German prosecutors said Kuznietsov had used forged identity documents to charter a yacht, which departed from the German city of Rostock to carry out the attacks.
\nThe suspect's defense team argued at the Supreme Court of Cassation in Rome that his rights had been violated during the legal process after his arrest.
\nThe team had argued that even had he been involved, his military service would give him "functional immunity" under international law.
\n"In light of today's outcome, I will assess in the next few days whether the conditions exist to request my client's release, as the legal basis for his detention has now been removed," Nicola Canestrini, a lawyer.
\nUnder investigation
\nThe attacks remain the subject of separate but connected investigations in several countries, and are hugely politically sensitive.
\nPoland has held a second suspect, a 46-year-old Ukrainian, since he was detained on an international arrest warrant last month. Prosecutors in Germany are keen for him to be handed over, but his pre-trial detention in Poland has just been extended.
\nPoland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has made his feelings over the case clear, saying "The problem with (Nord Stream 2) is not that it was blown up. The problem is that it was built."
\nPoland faces a dilemma over the issue, though, as Germany is a vital partner for Tusk's center-left government, which is keen to present a more dignified and diplomatic image after years of right-wing rule. Still, the majority sentiment in Poland, as expressed so bluntly by Tusk, is that Nord Stream is contrary to the country's interests and that its hindrance benefits Poland.
\nDuring a visit by Lithuania's Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene last week, Tusk doubled down, saying "it is certainly not in Poland's interest, nor in the interest of decency and justice, to prosecute this citizen or extradite him to another country".
\nHowever, Poland's actions are also having an impact at the European level, with Peter Szijjarto, foreign minister of the right-wing government in Hungary, calling Tusk's position "shocking" and adding, "One thing is clear: we don't want a Europe where prime ministers defend terrorists."
\nAgencies contributed to this story.
\njulian@mail.chinadailyuk.com
\n", @@ -12611,28 +12457,6 @@ "hash": "5f1cf8420c436825ca8dbd3a49871afd", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "010WORLD - Reporter who told the world of Japan's war horrors", - "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/010/20251017_010_05_37924.png\")
Xin Xin
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/010/20251017_010_05_41924.png\")
\nThe greatest power of journalism is its power to tell the truth, something that has never been clearer to me than when I attended a history lecture in Sydney recently. There I encountered a man named Harold John Timperley.
\nOn a projector screen a series of faded black-and-white photographs appeared one after another. In them stood Timperley, whose expression was calm, yet whose eyes seemed to carry a weight beyond words.
\nIt was this Australian journalist who, during the 1930s as a foreign correspondent in China, documented the atrocities committed by the invading Japanese army in the city of Nanjing. Through his writing he brought into Western view a historical truth stained in blood.
\nIn late 1937, as Nanjing fell and violence spread, Timperley chose not to flee. Remaining in his post as a correspondent, he gathered firsthand testimony — accounts from letters and reports — and recorded the massacres, looting and rapes carried out by Japanese soldiers in and around the city.
\nIn his writing, Nanjing was turned from simply an exotic geographical name into a stage of human tragedy, one on which countless lives were extinguished.
\nIn 1938 Timperley took his accounts to London. He compiled his observations and evidence into a book, published in London as What War Means: The Japanese Terror in China, and later published in the United States. For the first time the horrors of Nanjing were revealed in full to the world.
\nOn Dec 13, 1937, one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II took place in Nanjing, then Chinese capital, left more than 300,000 civilians and unarmed soldiers dead.
\nThe book was like a stone thrown into a still lake, stirring waves across Western society. Countless Western readers were made aware of the suffering of the Chinese people, and their perception of China was transformed by the words of an Australian correspondent who refused to look away.
\n"Timperley likely did more than any other individual to shape public opinion of China in Britain, America and Australia during World War II," the Chinese Heritage Association of Australia has said.
\nAs I leafed through Timperley's materials, I imagined those turbulent years. China and Australia, two nations separated by oceans, were bound by a shared commitment to justice.
\nOn the Eastern Front, the Chinese people fought doggedly against Japanese militarism, making immense sacrifices. In the Pacific, Australia defended its homeland with equal determination. This bond across distance was not only a strategic alliance but also a shared moral conviction.
\nMore than 80 years on, Timperley feels far from remote. He remains vivid: a man with warmth and conviction, as though he had just put down his pen, still carrying the smoke and ink of the battlefield he recorded.
\nTimperley's story was never an isolated legend. In the struggle against fascist aggression, countless ordinary Chinese and Australians stood shoulder to shoulder.
\nIn Australia, the working class found their own ways to support China. In 1938 dockworkers in the port city of Wollongong, outraged by the atrocities in Nanjing, collectively refused to load crude iron onto ships bound for Japan. They risked their livelihoods but chose firmly to stand on the side of justice.
\nIn Hainan island, China, a memorial still stands in honor of Australian prisoners of war and servicemen. From 1942 many Australian soldiers were transferred by the Japanese to prisoner-of-war camps there, and endured immense suffering and death.
\nAfter the war, China and Australia each erected "sister memorial plaques" — one in Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory, the other in the city of Dongfang, Hainan province — to commemorate the prisoners of war.
\nIn my mind's eye, I can still see Timperley bent over his desk, writing — calm, yet with a quiet anger that could not be ignored. In those moments, ink was his weapon and paper his battlefield, casting a faint light into history's darkest night.
\nTimperley wrote down the truth, allowing the world to witness the suffering of the Chinese people in their war of resistance. More than 80 years later, his words continue to remind us: Truth is not only the property of history — it belongs to the present as well.
\nContact the writer at xinxin@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "content": "Xin Xin
\n\nThe greatest power of journalism is its power to tell the truth, something that has never been clearer to me than when I attended a history lecture in Sydney recently. There I encountered a man named Harold John Timperley.
\nOn a projector screen a series of faded black-and-white photographs appeared one after another. In them stood Timperley, whose expression was calm, yet whose eyes seemed to carry a weight beyond words.
\nIt was this Australian journalist who, during the 1930s as a foreign correspondent in China, documented the atrocities committed by the invading Japanese army in the city of Nanjing. Through his writing he brought into Western view a historical truth stained in blood.
\nIn late 1937, as Nanjing fell and violence spread, Timperley chose not to flee. Remaining in his post as a correspondent, he gathered firsthand testimony — accounts from letters and reports — and recorded the massacres, looting and rapes carried out by Japanese soldiers in and around the city.
\nIn his writing, Nanjing was turned from simply an exotic geographical name into a stage of human tragedy, one on which countless lives were extinguished.
\nIn 1938 Timperley took his accounts to London. He compiled his observations and evidence into a book, published in London as What War Means: The Japanese Terror in China, and later published in the United States. For the first time the horrors of Nanjing were revealed in full to the world.
\nOn Dec 13, 1937, one of the most barbaric episodes of World War II took place in Nanjing, then Chinese capital, left more than 300,000 civilians and unarmed soldiers dead.
\nThe book was like a stone thrown into a still lake, stirring waves across Western society. Countless Western readers were made aware of the suffering of the Chinese people, and their perception of China was transformed by the words of an Australian correspondent who refused to look away.
\n"Timperley likely did more than any other individual to shape public opinion of China in Britain, America and Australia during World War II," the Chinese Heritage Association of Australia has said.
\nAs I leafed through Timperley's materials, I imagined those turbulent years. China and Australia, two nations separated by oceans, were bound by a shared commitment to justice.
\nOn the Eastern Front, the Chinese people fought doggedly against Japanese militarism, making immense sacrifices. In the Pacific, Australia defended its homeland with equal determination. This bond across distance was not only a strategic alliance but also a shared moral conviction.
\nMore than 80 years on, Timperley feels far from remote. He remains vivid: a man with warmth and conviction, as though he had just put down his pen, still carrying the smoke and ink of the battlefield he recorded.
\nTimperley's story was never an isolated legend. In the struggle against fascist aggression, countless ordinary Chinese and Australians stood shoulder to shoulder.
\nIn Australia, the working class found their own ways to support China. In 1938 dockworkers in the port city of Wollongong, outraged by the atrocities in Nanjing, collectively refused to load crude iron onto ships bound for Japan. They risked their livelihoods but chose firmly to stand on the side of justice.
\nIn Hainan island, China, a memorial still stands in honor of Australian prisoners of war and servicemen. From 1942 many Australian soldiers were transferred by the Japanese to prisoner-of-war camps there, and endured immense suffering and death.
\nAfter the war, China and Australia each erected "sister memorial plaques" — one in Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory, the other in the city of Dongfang, Hainan province — to commemorate the prisoners of war.
\nIn my mind's eye, I can still see Timperley bent over his desk, writing — calm, yet with a quiet anger that could not be ignored. In those moments, ink was his weapon and paper his battlefield, casting a faint light into history's darkest night.
\nTimperley wrote down the truth, allowing the world to witness the suffering of the Chinese people in their war of resistance. More than 80 years later, his words continue to remind us: Truth is not only the property of history — it belongs to the present as well.
\nContact the writer at xinxin@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_010_68f15f87ed50ccabe151b453.htm#010WORLD", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "5cd7f7ad04be026a881f7f20ca231c12", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "011WORLD - Reporters walk out", "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/011/20251017_011_02_39867.png\")
Members of the Pentagon press corps walk out of the Pentagon in Washington after turning in their press credentials, on Wednesday. Dozens of reporters turned in access badges and exited the Pentagon rather than agree to government-imposed restrictions on their work.
\n", @@ -12655,28 +12479,6 @@ "hash": "ac64f37cd303a525cdf0eea90ed766f1", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "011WORLD - Trump says Modi pledges to stop buying Russian oil", - "description": "WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump says India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Moscow's energy revenues.
\nTrump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the US to discourage the country's crude buying as he seeks to pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.
\n"So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia," Trump told reporters during a White House event.
\nThe Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about whether Modi had made such a commitment to Trump.
\nIndia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that the government's consistent priority was to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers in a volatile energy environment.
\n"Ensuring stable energy prices and supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy," Randhir Jaiswal, a ministry spokesman, said.
\n"This includes broad basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions."
\nIndia's Trade Secretary Rajesh Agarwal said on Wednesday that India was willing to increase its purchases of US oil and natural gas if prices were competitive.
\nRussia is India's top oil supplier. Moscow exported 1.62 million barrels a day to India last month, about one third of the country's oil imports.
\nSome Indian refiners are preparing to cut Russian oil imports, three sources told Reuters on Thursday.
\nThe Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Moscow was able to supply high-quality oil at lower prices to countries that Trump is trying to persuade to stop buying Russian oil.
\nThe principles of free trade would be violated if such countries were deprived of the right to buy what they wanted, Peskov said.
\n", - "content": "WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump says India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to stop buying oil from Russia as Washington intensifies efforts to cut off Moscow's energy revenues.
\nTrump has recently targeted India for its Russian oil purchases, imposing tariffs on Indian exports to the US to discourage the country's crude buying as he seeks to pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.
\n"So I was not happy that India was buying oil, and he (Modi) assured me today that they will not be buying oil from Russia," Trump told reporters during a White House event.
\nThe Indian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to emailed questions about whether Modi had made such a commitment to Trump.
\nIndia's foreign ministry said on Thursday that the government's consistent priority was to safeguard the interests of Indian consumers in a volatile energy environment.
\n"Ensuring stable energy prices and supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy," Randhir Jaiswal, a ministry spokesman, said.
\n"This includes broad basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions."
\nIndia's Trade Secretary Rajesh Agarwal said on Wednesday that India was willing to increase its purchases of US oil and natural gas if prices were competitive.
\nRussia is India's top oil supplier. Moscow exported 1.62 million barrels a day to India last month, about one third of the country's oil imports.
\nSome Indian refiners are preparing to cut Russian oil imports, three sources told Reuters on Thursday.
\nThe Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Moscow was able to supply high-quality oil at lower prices to countries that Trump is trying to persuade to stop buying Russian oil.
\nThe principles of free trade would be violated if such countries were deprived of the right to buy what they wanted, Peskov said.
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_011_68f15f98ed50ccabe151b457.htm#011WORLD", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "c2dee35a09afae4a2df23ba2ffeb75a6", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "011WORLD - Detained Gaza man reunites with family", "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/011/20251017_011_06_28867.png\")
Shadi Abu Sido sits with his wife Hanaa Bahlul and their children at their home in the Gaza Strip after he was released from Israeli detention on Tuesday.
\nKHAN YOUNIS — Shadi Abu Sido says that when he was in Israeli detention his world was shattered when guards told him his wife and two children had been killed.
\n"I became hysterical," the Gaza Palestinian photojournalist said.
\nHowever, after he was released on Monday, part of the US-mediated ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel that halted two years of conflict, he discovered that his loved ones were alive.
\nHis wife, Hanaa Bahlul, raced down the hallway of his family's house in Khan Younis and leaped into his arms. He spun her in the air as they clung to each other. Abu Sido kissed his children's cheeks again and again, murmuring "My love" as he held the daughter and son he thought he would never see again.
\n"I heard her voice, I heard the voice of my children," he said. "I was astonished. It cannot be explained; they were alive. I saw my wife and children alive. Imagine amid death, life."
\nAbu Sido said he was detained at Al-Shifa Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip on March 18 last year.
\nHe was among 1,700 Palestinians whom Israeli forces detained during the devastating fighting in Gaza and who were released on Monday, along with 250 prisoners convicted or suspected of involvement in deadly attacks, in exchange for 20 Israeli hostages held by Hamas since its cross-border assault in October 2023.
\nBahlul said a lawyer from Addameer, a Palestinian human rights group, had told her that Abu Sido was being held under Israel's Unlawful Combatants Law, a form of administrative detention. Omer Shatz, an Israeli international law expert at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, said the law allows Israel to limit access to lawyers, incarcerate people without charge or trial, and arbitrarily detain many Palestinians in Gaza.
\nAccording to Addameer, 2,673 Gazans are being held under this law. The Israeli military said in a statement sent to Reuters that its detention policy was "in full alignment with Israeli law and the Geneva Conventions" on legal standards for humanitarian treatment in wartime. Israel's Justice Ministry did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
\nAbu Sido said he was severely beaten, handcuffed, blindfolded and forced to kneel for long periods while in detention. His wrists looked raw during his meeting with Reuters, which he said had been caused by the shackles.
\nHe was first held at Sde Teiman military detention camp in Israel, then transferred to Ofer military camp, which is in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and later to Ketziot prison in Israel, his wife said.
\nAbu Sido was arrested only for being "a journalist for a Palestinian institution", Bahlul said.
\nAn Israeli military official said last month that about 100 criminal investigations related to the Gaza conflict have been conducted. Two cases have led to indictments, and one soldier was sentenced to 17 months in prison.
\n", @@ -12699,28 +12501,6 @@ "hash": "9afdb85d177d7a588086b41cdd5826a7", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "012WORLD - Too many eggs in one basket: Colombia and Brazil get trade lesson", - "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/012/20251017_012_02_47708.png\")
A vendor shows off carnations and roses at a fair in Bogota, Colombia, on Oct 1. Colombia's flower exports topped $2 billion last year, with about $1.56 billion worth shipped to the US.
\nTariffs imposed by the United States are reshaping trade in Latin America, hitting traditional exports to the US and prompting countries such as Brazil and Colombia to diversify toward China and the European Union.
\nThe value of Colombian exports to the US fell 13.7 percent in August, the sharpest drop this year, Colombia's National Administrative Department of Statistics said on Oct 6. That fall coincided with the 10 percent US tariff on Colombian imports that took effect on Aug 7.
\nJose Manuel Restrepo, former finance minister of Colombia, said the recent slump highlights the fragility of Colombia's export recovery and its heavy reliance on the US.
\n"A 13.7 percent fall is significant and confirms that Colombia's export recovery remains fragile," Restrepo said.
\n"The contraction reflects both price effects — especially in oil and coal, which still make up nearly half of total exports — and volume adjustments in nontraditional sectors such as textiles, chemicals and the agro-industry."
\nIf the trend continues for the rest of the year it may signal weaker external demand and tighter conditions for foreign exchange inflows, he said.
\nThe tariff imposed on Aug 7 hit manufactured goods hardest, particularly apparel, processed foods, plastics and metals — industries that compete on price rather than scale, he said.
\n"Small- and medium-sized enterprises are indeed more vulnerable because they have less capacity to absorb cost shocks or relocate production. They face higher logistical and compliance costs, and many depend on single-buyer relationships in the US market."
\nLarge exporters in mining and energy are less directly affected, he said, but still suffer from exchange-rate volatility and weaker trade sentiment.
\nThe current situation, Restrepo said, exposes "the structural concentration risk of Colombia's export model".
\nAbout 25 to 30 percent of Colombia's exports go to the US, and more than 70 percent of nontraditional exports are US-bound, he said.
\n"This dependency magnifies vulnerability to both tariff shifts and changing consumer preferences.
\n"The broader issue is that Colombia's export diversification index has barely improved in the last decade. This tariff shock could be a wake-up call to accelerate integration with Latin American value chains and expand into Asia-Pacific."
\nColombia is seeking to deepen ties with other trading partners, he said, but progress is limited.
\n"With the European Union, we are leveraging the trade agreement to grow agro-industrial and green-tech exports. With China, we are deepening ties in energy transition and minerals.
\n"Regional initiatives such as the Pacific Alliance, Mercosur dialogue and digital economy projects offer opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises. However, to be credible, Colombia needs a coherent export promotion strategy that integrates innovation, logistics and trade finance — not just new treaties."
\nThe 10 percent tariff was "not purely economic", but "part of a broader protectionist and electoral recalibration in the US, aimed at appealing to domestic manufacturing constituencies", Restrepo said. Colombia is "collateral damage in that agenda", he said.
\nThe tariffs serve as a reminder for Colombia "to strengthen its negotiating capacity and industrial diplomacy, ensuring that environmental or labor-related clauses are not weaponized as trade barriers".
\nConsecutive decline
\nBrazil's exports were worth $30.5 billion last month, 7.2 percent more than a year earlier, and the value of shipments to the US fell 20.3 percent, the second month in a row of decline, Brazil's Foreign Trade Secretariat said on Oct 6.
\nThe country's exports to the US have fallen sharply since Washington imposed new tariffs earlier this year, exposing the country's vulnerability in higher-value-added industries, said Jorge Arbache, former chief economist in Brazil's Ministry of Planning.
\n"The United States is an important trading partner for Brazil — not so much in terms of value, but rather because of the nature of the trade composition," Arbache said.
\n"Brazilian exports to the US include a significant share of machinery, equipment, aircraft and other high value-added goods, which is quite different from the country's average export pattern to other destinations. Thus, the main concern lies in this aspect."
\nHowever, the tariffs could trigger a damaging relocation of factories from Brazil to the US, he said.
\nHe described the tariff policy as unpredictable, saying its continuation depends largely on political calculations in Washington.
\n" (Change) is always possible, given the rather unstructured way in which the current administration seems to make decisions."
\ngaoyang@chinadailyusa.com
\nA vendor shows off carnations and roses at a fair in Bogota, Colombia, on Oct 1. Colombia's flower exports topped $2 billion last year, with about $1.56 billion worth shipped to the US.
\nTariffs imposed by the United States are reshaping trade in Latin America, hitting traditional exports to the US and prompting countries such as Brazil and Colombia to diversify toward China and the European Union.
\nThe value of Colombian exports to the US fell 13.7 percent in August, the sharpest drop this year, Colombia's National Administrative Department of Statistics said on Oct 6. That fall coincided with the 10 percent US tariff on Colombian imports that took effect on Aug 7.
\nJose Manuel Restrepo, former finance minister of Colombia, said the recent slump highlights the fragility of Colombia's export recovery and its heavy reliance on the US.
\n"A 13.7 percent fall is significant and confirms that Colombia's export recovery remains fragile," Restrepo said.
\n"The contraction reflects both price effects — especially in oil and coal, which still make up nearly half of total exports — and volume adjustments in nontraditional sectors such as textiles, chemicals and the agro-industry."
\nIf the trend continues for the rest of the year it may signal weaker external demand and tighter conditions for foreign exchange inflows, he said.
\nThe tariff imposed on Aug 7 hit manufactured goods hardest, particularly apparel, processed foods, plastics and metals — industries that compete on price rather than scale, he said.
\n"Small- and medium-sized enterprises are indeed more vulnerable because they have less capacity to absorb cost shocks or relocate production. They face higher logistical and compliance costs, and many depend on single-buyer relationships in the US market."
\nLarge exporters in mining and energy are less directly affected, he said, but still suffer from exchange-rate volatility and weaker trade sentiment.
\nThe current situation, Restrepo said, exposes "the structural concentration risk of Colombia's export model".
\nAbout 25 to 30 percent of Colombia's exports go to the US, and more than 70 percent of nontraditional exports are US-bound, he said.
\n"This dependency magnifies vulnerability to both tariff shifts and changing consumer preferences.
\n"The broader issue is that Colombia's export diversification index has barely improved in the last decade. This tariff shock could be a wake-up call to accelerate integration with Latin American value chains and expand into Asia-Pacific."
\nColombia is seeking to deepen ties with other trading partners, he said, but progress is limited.
\n"With the European Union, we are leveraging the trade agreement to grow agro-industrial and green-tech exports. With China, we are deepening ties in energy transition and minerals.
\n"Regional initiatives such as the Pacific Alliance, Mercosur dialogue and digital economy projects offer opportunities for small- and medium-sized enterprises. However, to be credible, Colombia needs a coherent export promotion strategy that integrates innovation, logistics and trade finance — not just new treaties."
\nThe 10 percent tariff was "not purely economic", but "part of a broader protectionist and electoral recalibration in the US, aimed at appealing to domestic manufacturing constituencies", Restrepo said. Colombia is "collateral damage in that agenda", he said.
\nThe tariffs serve as a reminder for Colombia "to strengthen its negotiating capacity and industrial diplomacy, ensuring that environmental or labor-related clauses are not weaponized as trade barriers".
\nConsecutive decline
\nBrazil's exports were worth $30.5 billion last month, 7.2 percent more than a year earlier, and the value of shipments to the US fell 20.3 percent, the second month in a row of decline, Brazil's Foreign Trade Secretariat said on Oct 6.
\nThe country's exports to the US have fallen sharply since Washington imposed new tariffs earlier this year, exposing the country's vulnerability in higher-value-added industries, said Jorge Arbache, former chief economist in Brazil's Ministry of Planning.
\n"The United States is an important trading partner for Brazil — not so much in terms of value, but rather because of the nature of the trade composition," Arbache said.
\n"Brazilian exports to the US include a significant share of machinery, equipment, aircraft and other high value-added goods, which is quite different from the country's average export pattern to other destinations. Thus, the main concern lies in this aspect."
\nHowever, the tariffs could trigger a damaging relocation of factories from Brazil to the US, he said.
\nHe described the tariff policy as unpredictable, saying its continuation depends largely on political calculations in Washington.
\n" (Change) is always possible, given the rather unstructured way in which the current administration seems to make decisions."
\ngaoyang@chinadailyusa.com
\nKENYA
\nFormer prime minister Raila Odinga dies at 80
\nKenya's former prime minister Raila Odinga died on Wednesday from a heart attack at a hospital in India, the presidency confirmed. "It is with deep sorrow that I inform the nation of the passing on of the Right Honorable Raila Amolo Odinga, our former prime minister, Kenya's foremost statesman, and one of Africa's greatest sons," President William Ruto said. "He championed reforms that gave birth to the rights and freedoms we hold dear. His voice spoke for the oppressed, his conviction inspired generations, and his vision shaped the course of our history."
\nASIA
\nAfghanistan, Pakistan urged to end hostilities
\nThe United Nations on Thursday urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to bring "a lasting end to hostilities" to protect civilians, after days of fighting killed dozens of people in both countries and injured hundreds more. Cross-border violence has escalated since Oct 10, with each country saying they were retaliating to armed provocations from the other. On Wednesday, the two sides agreed to a ceasefire. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan welcomed the truce, saying it "calls on all parties to bring a lasting end to hostilities to protect civilians and prevent further loss of life".
\nFRANCE
\nPM Lecornu survives no-confidence votes
\nFrench Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes in parliament on Thursday, winning crucial backing from the Socialist Party thanks to his pledge to suspend President Emmanuel Macron's contested pension reform. The two motions presented by the hard-left France Unbowed and the far-right National Rally secured just 271 and 144 votes, respectively, well short of the 289 votes needed to bring down Lecornu's days-old government. Lecornu's offer to mothball the pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election helped sway the Socialists, giving the government a lifeline in the fragmented National Assembly.
\n", @@ -12743,28 +12523,6 @@ "hash": "7337d3e15384b7bac75b05db235e8290", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "013BUSINESS - Tax shift seen as boost to consumption", - "description": "As China prepares its next five-year economic blueprint, economists widely expect the world's second-largest economy to start relocating the point of collection of its largest single source of tax revenue from where products and services are made now to where they are bought and consumed.
\nThe potential shift in value-added tax collection during its upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30) could transform how local governments think about growth, shifting their focus from building massive factories to fostering vibrant consumer markets, and accelerate Beijing's transition to a consumption-led economy, they said.
\nThey made the remarks in the lead-up to the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, to be held from Monday to Thursday, when the country's policymakers will gather to map out social and economic development over the next half decade.
\n"The current VAT system rewards production locations, not consumption hubs," Qiao Baoyun, professor of the China Academy of Public Finance and Policy at the Beijing-based Central University of Finance and Economics, told China Daily in an exclusive interview.
\nIn this context, Qiao said local governments, in pursuit of tax revenue, have a strong incentive to encourage businesses to set up factories and engage in production in their jurisdiction.
\nLast year, China's VAT revenue came in at 6.67 trillion yuan ($935.6 billion), accounting for over 38 percent of the country's total tax collection, said the Ministry of Finance.
\nLocal governments, eager for economic growth and tax revenue, aggressively court the same favored industries with favorable policies. The result, which is evident in photovoltaic manufacturing over the past years, is a dangerous cycle of redundant construction, vicious internal competition, and ultimately, some oversupply situations.
\nThe existing system, with a heavy reliance on taxes levied on industrial production, has been a cornerstone of China's rapid, investment-led growth model over the past decades. However, as the economy seeks more sustainable, consumption-driven expansion, this model has begun to lose its luster.
\nRebalancing China's economy away from investment and exports and toward household consumption has been the stated priority of China's leadership ever since the 2024 Central Economic Work Conference.
\n"If the collection of VAT were anchored to consumption, the mindset of decision-making for local governments would change dramatically," said Luo Zhiheng, chief economist and president of the Research Institute at Yuekai Securities.
\nThe consumption-based model would create what Luo described as a "self-correcting mechanism "for resource allocation. Regions would compete to attract consumers and boost local spending power rather than offering incentives to manufacturers, Luo added.
\nWang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International, said that by creating all these fiscal incentives that reward consumption-friendly policies, the central government aims to stimulate a virtuous cycle where improved commercial environments boost consumer confidence, driving further spending and economic activity.
\nChina's planned restructuring of its VAT system will follow a carefully calibrated implementation timeline, with initial trials likely focused on sectors with more ideal conditions, analysts said.
\n"In the past, collection of VAT at checkout counters posed challenges due to limited administrative capacity. However, the situation has evolved now. With enhanced data tracking and big data processing capabilities, what was once infeasible is now increasingly achievable," Qiao said, adding that the potential VAT reform could begin with sectors with sound digital tracking systems, and concentrated distribution channels, such as refined oil.
\nIn September, Vice-Minister of Finance Liao Min said at a news conference that China has established a comprehensive implementation plan for deepening its fiscal and taxation reforms and will adopt a measured, step-by-step approach to their rollout, proceeding as conditions permit for each individual policy measure.
\nThis year's Government Work Report prioritized shifting the point of charging certain consumption tax from manufacturers to wholesalers and retailers at a faster pace. Meanwhile, local administrations will gradually be allowed to retain more of the consumption tax, which is currently collected by the central government.
\nContact the writers at wangkeju@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "content": "As China prepares its next five-year economic blueprint, economists widely expect the world's second-largest economy to start relocating the point of collection of its largest single source of tax revenue from where products and services are made now to where they are bought and consumed.
\nThe potential shift in value-added tax collection during its upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30) could transform how local governments think about growth, shifting their focus from building massive factories to fostering vibrant consumer markets, and accelerate Beijing's transition to a consumption-led economy, they said.
\nThey made the remarks in the lead-up to the fourth plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee, to be held from Monday to Thursday, when the country's policymakers will gather to map out social and economic development over the next half decade.
\n"The current VAT system rewards production locations, not consumption hubs," Qiao Baoyun, professor of the China Academy of Public Finance and Policy at the Beijing-based Central University of Finance and Economics, told China Daily in an exclusive interview.
\nIn this context, Qiao said local governments, in pursuit of tax revenue, have a strong incentive to encourage businesses to set up factories and engage in production in their jurisdiction.
\nLast year, China's VAT revenue came in at 6.67 trillion yuan ($935.6 billion), accounting for over 38 percent of the country's total tax collection, said the Ministry of Finance.
\nLocal governments, eager for economic growth and tax revenue, aggressively court the same favored industries with favorable policies. The result, which is evident in photovoltaic manufacturing over the past years, is a dangerous cycle of redundant construction, vicious internal competition, and ultimately, some oversupply situations.
\nThe existing system, with a heavy reliance on taxes levied on industrial production, has been a cornerstone of China's rapid, investment-led growth model over the past decades. However, as the economy seeks more sustainable, consumption-driven expansion, this model has begun to lose its luster.
\nRebalancing China's economy away from investment and exports and toward household consumption has been the stated priority of China's leadership ever since the 2024 Central Economic Work Conference.
\n"If the collection of VAT were anchored to consumption, the mindset of decision-making for local governments would change dramatically," said Luo Zhiheng, chief economist and president of the Research Institute at Yuekai Securities.
\nThe consumption-based model would create what Luo described as a "self-correcting mechanism "for resource allocation. Regions would compete to attract consumers and boost local spending power rather than offering incentives to manufacturers, Luo added.
\nWang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International, said that by creating all these fiscal incentives that reward consumption-friendly policies, the central government aims to stimulate a virtuous cycle where improved commercial environments boost consumer confidence, driving further spending and economic activity.
\nChina's planned restructuring of its VAT system will follow a carefully calibrated implementation timeline, with initial trials likely focused on sectors with more ideal conditions, analysts said.
\n"In the past, collection of VAT at checkout counters posed challenges due to limited administrative capacity. However, the situation has evolved now. With enhanced data tracking and big data processing capabilities, what was once infeasible is now increasingly achievable," Qiao said, adding that the potential VAT reform could begin with sectors with sound digital tracking systems, and concentrated distribution channels, such as refined oil.
\nIn September, Vice-Minister of Finance Liao Min said at a news conference that China has established a comprehensive implementation plan for deepening its fiscal and taxation reforms and will adopt a measured, step-by-step approach to their rollout, proceeding as conditions permit for each individual policy measure.
\nThis year's Government Work Report prioritized shifting the point of charging certain consumption tax from manufacturers to wholesalers and retailers at a faster pace. Meanwhile, local administrations will gradually be allowed to retain more of the consumption tax, which is currently collected by the central government.
\nContact the writers at wangkeju@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_013_68f15fbbed50ccabe151b45f.htm#013BUSINESS", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "4264f17e168449457392f5d016f63c4a", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "013BUSINESS - Spending on sports-based activities up", "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/013/20251017_013_03_41888.png\")
Adidas Global CEO Bjorn Gulden interacts with a student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
\nAs students at Shanghai Jiao Tong University laced up their sneakers for an afternoon run with Adidas Global CEO Bjorn Gulden, the veteran sports executive spoke about something much larger than athletics — how sports can impact lives and businesses.
\n"I'm observing encouraging trends in China's fitness landscape. For example, more people are embracing running and outdoor activities, and whether for major sporting events or sports festivals, tickets are often sold out almost immediately," Gulden said.
\nThe view is backed by the performance of sports-related consumption during the just concluded eight-day holiday.
\nData from the General Administration of Sport of China show that the country's sports service consumption rose 28 percent year-on-year during the holiday, with subsectors such as event ticketing, sports training, fitness and leisure each recording growth of over 30 percent year-on-year.
\n"In recent years, many major consumption trends in China have revolved around sports-related spending," said Wang Yuxiong, a professor at the Central University of Finance and Economics.
\nWang added that several policy initiatives are expected to further boost market confidence and sustain the rapid growth of sports-related consumption.
\nFor Gulden, who has visited China frequently over the past three decades, the country embodies the vitality of both an open and promising market.
\n"Every time I come to China, I feel the energy," Gulden said. "The country's economy is still growing, and its focus on health and fitness is very positive for our industry."
\nFresh from attending this year's International Business Leaders' Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai (IBLAC), Gulden said China is actively solidifying open discussions by promoting dialogues between global companies and local authorities.
\n"It (the IBLAC) is one of the greatest platforms to learn from each other. And I actually wish we had the same with other countries and other authorities, because this is the way to actually avoid misunderstandings and also to solve problems," he said.
\nAt the IBLAC meeting, Gulden proposed that the sports industry can serve as both a "shock absorber" and a "propulsion engine" for cities facing rapid development, not only bridging cultures and strengthening cohesion, but also stimulating consumption and innovation.
\nThat message resonates with the country's evolving sports blueprint.
\nAccording to a recent guideline issued by the State Council, or China's Cabinet, on unlocking the potential of sports consumption, the nation aims to cultivate a group of globally influential sports enterprises and events, with the total scale of the sports industry exceeding 7 trillion yuan ($981 billion) by 2030.
\nThe move is part of China's broader efforts to boost overall consumption. This year's Government Work Report called for special actions to stimulate consumption and emphasized the need to unlock the potential of cultural, tourism and sports-related spending. This was followed by a policy document jointly issued by nine ministries last month, identifying sports consumption as a key component in expanding overall service consumption.
\n"Boosting domestic demand is not only an effective way to withstand external shocks and sustain China's economic recovery, but also a strategic move to advance high-quality development and foster a new development paradigm," said Wang Yiming, vice-chairman of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges.
\n"China is expected to be among the most influential markets for the sports industry in the next 10 years," Gulden said.
\nThe senior executive also noted the recovery momentum of Adidas' China business, which has seen multiple quarters of double-digit growth. "The Chinese market is extremely important to us. It currently contributes about 15 percent of our global performance, representing a highly significant role."
\nGulden attributed the growth momentum to the booming and increasingly diverse consumer needs. The company is "doing everything possible" to stay closely connected with consumers through the convergence of three key dimensions: sports performance, fashion and comfort, he said.
\nLooking ahead, Adidas is gearing up for one of the world's most-watched sporting events — the FIFA World Cup — next year. The brand will roll out an expansive collection of national team and club jerseys, designed not only for the pitch but for the streets.
\n"Football fashion is breaking out of its traditional box," Gulden noted. "It's no longer just for male fans. More women are embracing jerseys and football-inspired footwear as part of their everyday style."
\nlijiaying@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", @@ -12787,28 +12545,6 @@ "hash": "0e3ae3b912d23aadf32e028dfe427e9c", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "013BUSINESS - China grants market access to 15 food categories from 10 BRI countries", - "description": "China's General Administration of Customs on Wednesday granted market access to 15 categories of food products from 10 countries, including South Africa and Belarus, paving the way for more food products from Belt and Road countries to reach Chinese dining tables at a faster pace.
\nThe move was announced at a conference on the import and export food safety cooperation mechanism for Belt and Road countries held in Shanghai.
\nIn recent years, food trade has become a new highlight in China's trade with Belt and Road partner countries.
\nIn the first three quarters of this year, China's food trade with these countries reached 915.24 billion yuan ($128.92 billion), up 2.5 percent year-on-year.
\nSince the establishment of the Import & Export Food Safety Cooperation Mechanism for the Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2023, notable progress has been achieved, said Sun Meijun, head of the GAC, at the conference.
\n"Thanks to the green channels for fresh and perishable goods, Thai durians can now reach Chinese markets within just 13 hours, while Chinese cold-water salmon can arrive in the Indonesian market in only 39 hours," Sun added.
\n", - "content": "China's General Administration of Customs on Wednesday granted market access to 15 categories of food products from 10 countries, including South Africa and Belarus, paving the way for more food products from Belt and Road countries to reach Chinese dining tables at a faster pace.
\nThe move was announced at a conference on the import and export food safety cooperation mechanism for Belt and Road countries held in Shanghai.
\nIn recent years, food trade has become a new highlight in China's trade with Belt and Road partner countries.
\nIn the first three quarters of this year, China's food trade with these countries reached 915.24 billion yuan ($128.92 billion), up 2.5 percent year-on-year.
\nSince the establishment of the Import & Export Food Safety Cooperation Mechanism for the Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2023, notable progress has been achieved, said Sun Meijun, head of the GAC, at the conference.
\n"Thanks to the green channels for fresh and perishable goods, Thai durians can now reach Chinese markets within just 13 hours, while Chinese cold-water salmon can arrive in the Indonesian market in only 39 hours," Sun added.
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_013_68f15fcced50ccabe151b463.htm#013BUSINESS", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "0014a8414f43b797fbf255be9b9f7e5b", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "014BUSINESS - Banks, insurers better services for tech players", "description": "Under the guidance of financial regulators, Chinese banks and insurance companies are tailoring services to the needs of technology enterprises, offering targeted solutions such as "loans plus direct equity investment", intellectual property pledge financing, and patent insurance. Commercial banks are accelerating their expansion into tech finance to better serve emerging industries and new business tracks.
\nBanks now attach far greater importance to tech finance than they did five years ago. Beyond financial indicators, they focus more on a company's growth potential and provide more integrated, diversified services, from traditional loans to financing packages combining equity and debt, said Wang Hua, vice-president of the Hefei branch of China CITIC Bank. Wang added that banks now better understand industrial ecosystems and are more willing to fund small-scale innovators and early-stage startups.
\nIn recent years, large State-owned commercial banks, national joint-stock banks and leading city commercial banks have significantly increased lending to key national strategic projects, security-related projects, large-scale equipment upgrades, consumption upgrades and the development of new quality productive forces.
\nThe Beijing municipal branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has designed a financing product for enterprises undertaking major national science and technology projects. It features a multidimensional evaluation system that relies less on financial data or collateral, using government subsidies tied to the project as a key basis for assessment. The bank offers medium- to long-term unsecured loans that match the research and development cycle, with amounts no less than the subsidy value.
\nMicroCyto, a Beijing-based biotechnology firm focusing on synthetic biology, is one of the beneficiaries. As the lead unit of a national key R&D program for disruptive innovation, the company faced long R&D cycles and sustained upfront investment without immediate revenue, making it difficult to provide traditional collateral. ICBC Beijing Municipal Branch said the approval of a national-level R&D project serves as a form of credit endorsement for such enterprises.
\nTo further advance tech finance, the Beijing municipal branch of the People's Bank of China, together with municipal government agencies, has established a platform connecting capital, technology, talent and industry. The platform identifies companies seeking breakthroughs in "bottleneck" technologies, highlights key entrepreneurial talent projects, links them with funding resources and coordinates multiple financial institutions to jointly serve each enterprise.
\nPrime Gene Therapeutics, a clinical-stage innovative drug developer specializing in immune-inflammatory diseases, benefited from the platform with China CITIC Bank's learning of the company's funding needs through it. While CITIC Securities advanced Prime-Gene's IPO process, China CITIC Bank provided a 30 million yuan ($4.2 million) follow-up loan combining debt and investment. Insurance funds under the CITIC Group offered performance guarantees to ensure financial continuity between R&D and listing preparation.
\nIn 2022, the Ministry of Science and Technology launched the Innovation Credit Score System, a policy tool that uses structured indicators, data and algorithms to evaluate enterprises' innovation capability, performance and future growth potential — helping financial institutions better identify tech-driven firms.
\nThe ministry, working with financial regulators, has implemented a relending facility and a special guarantee plan to support technological innovation based on this system. By the end of last year, more than 70,000 qualified technology enterprises had been recommended to 21 national banks and the National Financing Guarantee Fund. Over 7,000 companies signed financing contracts with banks, totaling over 88 billion yuan, Vice-Minister of Science and Technology Qiu Yong said at a news conference on May 22.
\nThe National Financial Regulatory Administration has also teamed up with the National Intellectual Property Administration and the National Copyright Administration to pilot IP finance ecosystems, addressing challenges in IP registration, valuation and disposal.
\nThe NFRA issued a notice in March on further expanding the pilot program for equity investment by financial asset investment companies (AICs), broadening the scope of equity investment by AICs to the provinces where the 18 pilot cities are located. The policy supports eligible commercial banks in initiating the establishment of AICs.
\nOn July 3, China Merchants Bank announced it had received regulatory approval to prepare for the establishment of CMB Financial Asset Investment Co, with registered capital of 15 billion yuan. CMB became the third national joint-stock commercial bank approved to set up such a company, following Industrial Bank and China CITIC Bank.
\n"By leveraging financial asset investment companies, commercial banks can strengthen diversified cooperation with tech firms and further expand their business potential," said Liu Chen, a researcher at the BOC Research Institute, the in-house think tank of Bank of China. "AICs provide key platforms for banks to deepen loan-investment and debt-equity linkages. They can design customized financial products to meet corporate financing needs and work with government-guided funds and private equity firms to achieve complementary strengths in project sourcing and investment management."
\njiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", @@ -12831,28 +12567,6 @@ "hash": "470d8aa193c157c97b6ee75216f80064", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "014BUSINESS - Expert: China must journey from easy to hard money", - "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/014/20251017_014_03_18878.png\")
Displays show major stock indexes at HKEX's Exchange Square in Hong Kong.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/014/20251017_014_03_44878.png\")
Li Xiaojia
\nAs the half-century of global prosperity built on China-US complementarity is reaching its natural limits, the era of "easy but low-margin money" is drawing to a close.
\nChina now must learn to earn "hard money" — by rebuilding balance within, advancing technological strength, climbing up the global value chain and carving out new markets worldwide, according to Li Xiaojia, former CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEX).
\nLi said in an exclusive interview with China Daily that he sees this transition, though painful, as both inevitable and timely, aligning with the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan's (2026-30) focus on rebalancing growth and reinforcing self-sufficiency. He emphasized that this is not merely a response to external pressures but a necessary evolution for the Chinese economy.
\n"For the next five to 10 years, we are shifting gears on an uphill road," Li said. "It's risky. But once the gears catch, the engine roars forward — and you accelerate faster than ever."
\nFor decades, globalization rested on a delicate choreography: China, powered by its demographic dividend and cost advantages, became the "world's factory"; the United States, anchored by technological innovation and financial prowess, remained the engine of global consumption.
\nAccording to Li, both China and the US benefited from globalization during the past 30 years. But the lion's share of wealth was captured by US financial and corporate elites, siphoned offshore through complex tax and regulatory structures, leaving behind a hollowed-out industrial base, overleveraged lower and middle class and a deeply divided society.
\nIn China, years of low-margin manufacturing face a structural reckoning: a nation that produces almost everything for the world, but earns only a fraction of the value it creates at the far end of the value chain.
\n"It looked like an easy game — the world's capital came, factories thrived, exports soared," Li noted.
\nHowever, that model has run its course. Now comes the time for a harder, but truer, kind of growth — one built on intellectual property, core technologies and integrated solutions.
\nFor Li, this is what China's pursuit of new quality productive forces truly means: a shift from the world's factory floor to its design table.
\nLi sets his sights on untapped markets under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, where China has a whole package of development solutions and knowhow in next-generation tech to export, from infrastructures and renewables to quantum science.
\nThe new frontiers are taking shape.
\nDespite exports to the US falling for six straight months, growth in China's global exports hit a six-month high of 8.3 percent in September, beating economists' estimates and markedly better than the 4.4 percent year-on-year increase in August, Customs data showed on Monday.
\n"It's hard work," he noted. "But it blazes a new trail in claiming the bigger share of a self-determined future."
\nAt home, the quest for hard money is about slicing the pie more fairly — reshaping the mechanisms of distribution and governance to ensure that the gains of growth are more evenly shared.
\nHaving spearheaded multiple listing reforms during his 11-year tenure at HKEX, Li founded Micro Connect in 2021. The financing platform packages revenues from China's grassroots economy into tradable instruments and channels funds to millions of small businesses that contribute to 90 percent of nationwide economic activity.
\nThis June, Li's newly launched investment firm — Micro Connect International Finance — filed for a Hong Kong listing under Chapter 21, a framework designed for investment companies to raise funds from institutional investors.
\nLi said the Hong Kong debut is "expected soon" and hopes it will pave the way for more such ventures to follow, further integrating smaller enterprises into the financial ecosystem.
\nAs dynamics between the world's two largest economies lose rhythm, Hong Kong's strategic relevance is more evident than ever. "The special administrative region stands as the one and only place where two systems, two ideologies and two capital worlds can still meet," he said.
\nThe city's unique standing lies in being China's only common-law market, a system money inherently trusts. "Common law works by exclusion — a blacklist of what's forbidden. Civil law works by permission — a white list of what's allowed. For global capital that depends on speed, clarity, flexibility and rule of law, common law is the natural home. That's why all major financial hubs — New York, London, Singapore and Hong Kong — share the same legal DNA," Li explained.
\nWhile Hong Kong's irreplaceability remains unchanged, what will change is the order of voices. "For the past 30 years, global capital led the tune and Chinese capital followed. The next three decades will be the reverse," Li stressed. "Capital has its own gravity — where there is profit to be made, overseas capital always finds its way back — often stronger than before."
\nAs the bigger story unfolds, Li sees the quiet awakening of a structural bull run in the Hong Kong market, volatile but fundamentally upward amid the turbulence of a changing world.
\nContact the writers at sophialuo@chinadailyhk.com
\n", - "content": "Displays show major stock indexes at HKEX's Exchange Square in Hong Kong.
\nLi Xiaojia
\nAs the half-century of global prosperity built on China-US complementarity is reaching its natural limits, the era of "easy but low-margin money" is drawing to a close.
\nChina now must learn to earn "hard money" — by rebuilding balance within, advancing technological strength, climbing up the global value chain and carving out new markets worldwide, according to Li Xiaojia, former CEO of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd (HKEX).
\nLi said in an exclusive interview with China Daily that he sees this transition, though painful, as both inevitable and timely, aligning with the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan's (2026-30) focus on rebalancing growth and reinforcing self-sufficiency. He emphasized that this is not merely a response to external pressures but a necessary evolution for the Chinese economy.
\n"For the next five to 10 years, we are shifting gears on an uphill road," Li said. "It's risky. But once the gears catch, the engine roars forward — and you accelerate faster than ever."
\nFor decades, globalization rested on a delicate choreography: China, powered by its demographic dividend and cost advantages, became the "world's factory"; the United States, anchored by technological innovation and financial prowess, remained the engine of global consumption.
\nAccording to Li, both China and the US benefited from globalization during the past 30 years. But the lion's share of wealth was captured by US financial and corporate elites, siphoned offshore through complex tax and regulatory structures, leaving behind a hollowed-out industrial base, overleveraged lower and middle class and a deeply divided society.
\nIn China, years of low-margin manufacturing face a structural reckoning: a nation that produces almost everything for the world, but earns only a fraction of the value it creates at the far end of the value chain.
\n"It looked like an easy game — the world's capital came, factories thrived, exports soared," Li noted.
\nHowever, that model has run its course. Now comes the time for a harder, but truer, kind of growth — one built on intellectual property, core technologies and integrated solutions.
\nFor Li, this is what China's pursuit of new quality productive forces truly means: a shift from the world's factory floor to its design table.
\nLi sets his sights on untapped markets under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, where China has a whole package of development solutions and knowhow in next-generation tech to export, from infrastructures and renewables to quantum science.
\nThe new frontiers are taking shape.
\nDespite exports to the US falling for six straight months, growth in China's global exports hit a six-month high of 8.3 percent in September, beating economists' estimates and markedly better than the 4.4 percent year-on-year increase in August, Customs data showed on Monday.
\n"It's hard work," he noted. "But it blazes a new trail in claiming the bigger share of a self-determined future."
\nAt home, the quest for hard money is about slicing the pie more fairly — reshaping the mechanisms of distribution and governance to ensure that the gains of growth are more evenly shared.
\nHaving spearheaded multiple listing reforms during his 11-year tenure at HKEX, Li founded Micro Connect in 2021. The financing platform packages revenues from China's grassroots economy into tradable instruments and channels funds to millions of small businesses that contribute to 90 percent of nationwide economic activity.
\nThis June, Li's newly launched investment firm — Micro Connect International Finance — filed for a Hong Kong listing under Chapter 21, a framework designed for investment companies to raise funds from institutional investors.
\nLi said the Hong Kong debut is "expected soon" and hopes it will pave the way for more such ventures to follow, further integrating smaller enterprises into the financial ecosystem.
\nAs dynamics between the world's two largest economies lose rhythm, Hong Kong's strategic relevance is more evident than ever. "The special administrative region stands as the one and only place where two systems, two ideologies and two capital worlds can still meet," he said.
\nThe city's unique standing lies in being China's only common-law market, a system money inherently trusts. "Common law works by exclusion — a blacklist of what's forbidden. Civil law works by permission — a white list of what's allowed. For global capital that depends on speed, clarity, flexibility and rule of law, common law is the natural home. That's why all major financial hubs — New York, London, Singapore and Hong Kong — share the same legal DNA," Li explained.
\nWhile Hong Kong's irreplaceability remains unchanged, what will change is the order of voices. "For the past 30 years, global capital led the tune and Chinese capital followed. The next three decades will be the reverse," Li stressed. "Capital has its own gravity — where there is profit to be made, overseas capital always finds its way back — often stronger than before."
\nAs the bigger story unfolds, Li sees the quiet awakening of a structural bull run in the Hong Kong market, volatile but fundamentally upward amid the turbulence of a changing world.
\nContact the writers at sophialuo@chinadailyhk.com
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_014_68f15fdeed50ccabe151b467.htm#014BUSINESS", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "ebdb8ce221b7307111c8eec32bede201", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "015BUSINESS - Innovation, supply chains fuel NEV growth", "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/015/20251017_015_01_13830.png\")
An assembly line at a factory of Changan Automobile in Chongqing on April 1.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/015/20251017_015_01_30830.png\")
BYD's booth at the 29th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, on June 6.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/015/20251017_015_01_41830.png\")
\nBEIJING — At a new energy vehicle super factory in Beijing's suburban Miyun district, metal sheets are precision-pressed into body panels with microscopic accuracy, while robotic arms assemble components amid a flurry of welding sparks.
\nThis highly intelligent facility, operated by Beijing Automotive Industry Corp, reflects the advanced state of China's NEV industry, which continues to set global benchmarks in terms of both scale and innovation.
\nThe China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said the country's NEV production volume surged 37.3 percent year-on-year to over 9.625 million units in the first eight months, while sales reached 9.62 million units, a 36.7 percent increase, highlighting robust manufacturing capacity and strong market demand.
\nChina produced more than 12.88 million NEVs and sold 12.86 million of them in 2024, and has led the world in NEV production and sales for the past 10 consecutive years.
\nInnovation clout
\nThe NEV sector's impressive performance is underpinned by relentless technological innovation and a complete industrial chain in China.
\nA flurry of technological breakthroughs have emerged across the industry this year, spanning power batteries, intelligent driving systems, ultra-fast charging and ecosystem integration, underlining the sector's dynamism.
\nEarlier this year, CATL — a global leader in battery production — announced that its all-solid-state battery research and development had entered the pre-mass production stage, featuring an energy density more than 30 percent higher than traditional liquid lithium batteries and a lifecycle exceeding 2,000 charges.
\nMeanwhile, BYD, another Chinese NEV pioneer, recently unveiled its super E-platform, providing a charging speed that enables a 400-kilometer driving range with just a five-minute charge.
\nFurthermore, Chinese automakers are leveraging artificial intelligence to transform vehicles from traditional mechanical products into "smart mobile terminals", with learning, decision-making and interactive capabilities.
\nAt the 2025 Shanghai International Auto Show in April, multiple automakers showcased their intelligent driving advances. Huawei presented its latest intelligent driving system Qiankun ADS 4.0, which reportedly cuts end-to-end latency by half and improves traffic efficiency by 20 percent, while Xpeng Motors unveiled its Turing AI autonomous driving chip.
\nXin Guobin, deputy minister of industry and information technology, said that during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), the country has continuously formulated industrial development plans at the national level. Enterprises within the NEV sector have stepped up investment, tackled a series of major technological challenges, and achieved substantial improvements in product quality and performance.
\nXin cited examples such as the average range of Chinese-made electric passenger vehicles elevating to nearly 500 km, the unit cost of power batteries dropping by 30 percent and their lifespan increasing by 40 percent, as well as charging speed improving more than threefold.
\nSupply chain advantage
\nA robust, deeply integrated and open supply chain — from raw material processing and battery manufacturing to vehicle assembly and software development — continues to underpin the sector's momentum.
\nIndustry giants like CATL and BYD are complemented by a dense network of suppliers, many of whom are clustered in industrial hubs across the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta, facilitating efficient collaboration and rapid iteration.
\nThe Yangtze River Delta, for instance, has built a "four-hour industrial ecosystem", where any NEV plant can obtain all required parts within a four-hour drive.
\nWithin this collaborative cluster, Shanghai offers the industry a technological "brain" comprised of chips and software. Changzhou in Jiangsu province, some 200 km west of Shanghai, supplies the "heart" in the form of power batteries, while Zhejiang province's Ningbo — 200 km to the south — contributes the "body" of vehicles via advanced integrated die-casting machines.
\nChangzhou has established an NEV industrial chain covering more than 10 sectors, including powertrains, braking systems, steering systems, electrical instrumentation, lighting, vehicle bodies and interior trim. Over 3,000 related manufacturing enterprises have gathered in this city, generating an annual output value of 300 billion yuan ($42.2 billion).
\nEcosystem crosses borders
\nThe openness of China's industrial ecosystem has attracted leading international automakers.
\nAt the 2025 World New Energy Vehicle Congress recently held in Haikou, Hainan province, Sean Green, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, showcased the automaker's partnerships with China's domestic leaders in batteries, driver-assist systems and AI foundation models.
\nGreen highlighted joint projects with battery giant CATL to co-design large cylindrical cells, a partnership with Chinese self-driving startup Momenta to develop driver-assist software, and a collaboration to integrate Alibaba's AI foundation model and Huawei's intelligent-vehicle stack into BMW cars.
\n"This goes beyond conventional partnerships," said Green, adding that "such projects form a symbiotic ecosystem that benefits both sides".He also expressed the view that "technology openness is the valuable experience we took from China's success".
\nToyota, meanwhile, signed an agreement with the Shanghai municipal government in April to invest 14.6 billion yuan in establishing an NEV company to produce Lexus-branded electric vehicles and Toyota power batteries.
\nBuilding on its domestic strength, China's NEV sector is going global and forging partnerships with automotive supply chains worldwide to achieve shared growth.
\nIn Thailand, BYD's new Rayong plant features advanced flexible production, boosting local industrial capabilities. In Malaysia, Geely's investment is helping revive local automaker Proton and transform Tanjong Malim into an ASEAN car manufacturing hub by jointly developing an automotive high-tech valley.
\nThrough such efforts, Chinese NEV manufacturers are exporting an entire industrial ecosystem to their partners, fostering local automotive development and enabling collaborative growth worldwide.
\n", @@ -12875,28 +12589,6 @@ "hash": "b692f10e8b2374b5c3b3fd8fddc6e745", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "016CULTURE - Walking inside a moving symphony", - "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/016/20251017_016_01_74645.png\")
The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor John Storgards will perform composer Huang Ruo's new musical work, City of Floating Sounds, on Monday.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/016/20251017_016_01_65645.png\")
Zhengyangmen, Liulichang and the NCPA are part of the five routes of the production, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in the city with music.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/016/20251017_016_01_44645.png\")
Zhengyangmen, Liulichang and the NCPA are part of the five routes of the production, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in the city with music.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/016/20251017_016_01_58645.png\")
Zhengyangmen, Liulichang and the NCPA are part of the five routes of the production, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in the city with music.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/016/20251017_016_01_51645.png\")
Composer Huang Ruo.
\nAs autumn casts its golden glow over Beijing, the city is poised to host a musical experience unlike any other at the National Centre for the Performing Arts.
\nCity of Floating Sounds, an immersive new work by composer Huang Ruo, will take audiences on a journey where the boundaries between performer and listener fade away, and the city itself becomes the stage and the symphony.
\nThis innovative performance, which is part of the ongoing 28th Beijing Music Festival, organized by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, will be performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor John Storgards on Monday.
\n"I've always been fascinated by how a city tells its story, how it reveals hidden corners, unnoticed details, and the pulse of daily life," Huang said during an interview with China Daily from his studio in New York on Oct 10. "When I travel to a new place, I enjoy wandering without a map, discovering those quiet spots that aren't famous but are full of meaning. City of Floating Sounds is my attempt to create a work that invites people to experience a city this way — through interaction, exploration, and discovery."
\nFor Huang, who is known for fusing Eastern and Western traditions into a distinctive artistic voice, the project represents years of conceptual exploration into how music can reframe human experience in the urban environment.
\nThe idea first took root in 2017 at the Manchester International Festival, where Huang began experimenting with the concept of interactive, site-specific soundscapes. Inspired by his passion for travel and his desire to bridge the gap between locals and visitors, he envisioned a work that would allow audiences to "live" within the music — engaging directly with the city and its people.
\nThat early concept evolved into City of Floating Sounds, which premiered in June 2024 at Factory International, Manchester's new cultural venue. Now, for its Beijing debut, Huang expands the experience into a citywide event, where audiences literally become part of the music itself, weaving their footsteps and presence into its texture.
\nThe production consists of two segments. The outdoor segment unfolds across five distinct routes near the NCPA, guiding participants through some of Beijing's most iconic landmarks. From the historic Zhengyangmen on Beijing's Central Axis to the vibrant commercial area of Qianmen, the cultural streets of Liulichang, and the winding hutong alleys, each route offers a unique sonic experience.
\nParticipants will use their mobile devices to access a designated mini-app that plays the music. Each person will be randomly assigned a different musical track, becoming a piece of the larger "puzzle "that completes the symphony.
\nAs the participants walk through the city, they will converge at the NCPA, which is the second segment of the production. They will experience the musical climax together in the concert hall.
\n"The sounds will be heard, blending into the crowd and amplifying as the participants move," Huang says. "As the crowd walks together, the different musical parts naturally layer upon each other. The denser the crowd, the richer the sound. The city streets transform into a slowly unfurling musical score.
\n"It's like mixing ingredients in a cocktail," Huang says. "The audience's movements and participation shape the sound. The walk from the outdoors into the concert hall enriches the entire experience."
\nCity of Floating Sounds, a commissioned piece, was also inspired by the rise of smartphones, which, while designed to connect people, have often become isolating tools, according to the composer.
\n"Phones were originally created to connect people, but now they act as barriers. Despite being physically close to others, whether on the subway, at home or in public spaces, many people seem to be emotionally distant, lost in their own digital worlds," he says. "I wanted to use technology, in this case smartphones, as a tool not to isolate, but to connect people through shared experiences."
\n"When a music festival takes events outside traditional concert halls and encourages people to explore the city, it transforms the experience into something much more dynamic and immersive," says Zou Shuang, artistic director of the Beijing Music Festival, which was founded in 1998 by conductor Yu Long and is one of the largest music events in the capital. "When music is embedded into the fabric of a city, it opens up dialogues between different communities and cultural spaces. It invites diverse audiences to share the same space, and experience something collectively, fostering a sense of unity or commonality."
\nBorn in 1976 in the island province of Hainan, Huang's artistic vision is deeply rooted in his upbringing. He grew up in a household immersed in music — his father, a composer, was his first teacher, introducing him to piano and composition at an early age. In his childhood village, art was a communal affair. The most vibrant place was the open-air threshing ground, where villagers dried rice by day and gathered by night for makeshift performances. People would bring their own stools and food, watching local theater troupes perform under the stars.
\n"At that time, theater was public; it belonged to everyone," Huang recalls. This communal spirit became the foundation of his artistic philosophy — music should not be reserved for an exclusive few but should be a way for people to connect and share experiences.
\nHuang's academic journey later took him from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to the Oberlin Conservatory and the Juilliard School in the United States, where he studied both Chinese and Western traditions. He now teaches composition at the Mannes School of Music in New York.
\nYet, even after years abroad, his artistic identity remains deeply intertwined with Chinese culture and philosophy. "Leaving my hometown helped me realize how to integrate the essence of the East into my new works," he says.
\nCity of Floating Sounds is also a reflection of Huang's deep connection to Eastern philosophy, balancing concepts such as presence and absence, sound and silence, large and small. The music flows like a breeze through the city, without a clear beginning or end, dissolving the traditional structure of a concert.
\n"This work reflects the flow of life itself, constantly in motion, constantly evolving," Huang says. "There's no fixed stage, no boundary between audience and performer. The entire city is part of the performance, and the audience becomes part of the symphony."
\nContact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "content": "The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor John Storgards will perform composer Huang Ruo's new musical work, City of Floating Sounds, on Monday.
\nZhengyangmen, Liulichang and the NCPA are part of the five routes of the production, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in the city with music.
\nZhengyangmen, Liulichang and the NCPA are part of the five routes of the production, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in the city with music.
\nZhengyangmen, Liulichang and the NCPA are part of the five routes of the production, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in the city with music.
\nComposer Huang Ruo.
\nAs autumn casts its golden glow over Beijing, the city is poised to host a musical experience unlike any other at the National Centre for the Performing Arts.
\nCity of Floating Sounds, an immersive new work by composer Huang Ruo, will take audiences on a journey where the boundaries between performer and listener fade away, and the city itself becomes the stage and the symphony.
\nThis innovative performance, which is part of the ongoing 28th Beijing Music Festival, organized by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, will be performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of conductor John Storgards on Monday.
\n"I've always been fascinated by how a city tells its story, how it reveals hidden corners, unnoticed details, and the pulse of daily life," Huang said during an interview with China Daily from his studio in New York on Oct 10. "When I travel to a new place, I enjoy wandering without a map, discovering those quiet spots that aren't famous but are full of meaning. City of Floating Sounds is my attempt to create a work that invites people to experience a city this way — through interaction, exploration, and discovery."
\nFor Huang, who is known for fusing Eastern and Western traditions into a distinctive artistic voice, the project represents years of conceptual exploration into how music can reframe human experience in the urban environment.
\nThe idea first took root in 2017 at the Manchester International Festival, where Huang began experimenting with the concept of interactive, site-specific soundscapes. Inspired by his passion for travel and his desire to bridge the gap between locals and visitors, he envisioned a work that would allow audiences to "live" within the music — engaging directly with the city and its people.
\nThat early concept evolved into City of Floating Sounds, which premiered in June 2024 at Factory International, Manchester's new cultural venue. Now, for its Beijing debut, Huang expands the experience into a citywide event, where audiences literally become part of the music itself, weaving their footsteps and presence into its texture.
\nThe production consists of two segments. The outdoor segment unfolds across five distinct routes near the NCPA, guiding participants through some of Beijing's most iconic landmarks. From the historic Zhengyangmen on Beijing's Central Axis to the vibrant commercial area of Qianmen, the cultural streets of Liulichang, and the winding hutong alleys, each route offers a unique sonic experience.
\nParticipants will use their mobile devices to access a designated mini-app that plays the music. Each person will be randomly assigned a different musical track, becoming a piece of the larger "puzzle "that completes the symphony.
\nAs the participants walk through the city, they will converge at the NCPA, which is the second segment of the production. They will experience the musical climax together in the concert hall.
\n"The sounds will be heard, blending into the crowd and amplifying as the participants move," Huang says. "As the crowd walks together, the different musical parts naturally layer upon each other. The denser the crowd, the richer the sound. The city streets transform into a slowly unfurling musical score.
\n"It's like mixing ingredients in a cocktail," Huang says. "The audience's movements and participation shape the sound. The walk from the outdoors into the concert hall enriches the entire experience."
\nCity of Floating Sounds, a commissioned piece, was also inspired by the rise of smartphones, which, while designed to connect people, have often become isolating tools, according to the composer.
\n"Phones were originally created to connect people, but now they act as barriers. Despite being physically close to others, whether on the subway, at home or in public spaces, many people seem to be emotionally distant, lost in their own digital worlds," he says. "I wanted to use technology, in this case smartphones, as a tool not to isolate, but to connect people through shared experiences."
\n"When a music festival takes events outside traditional concert halls and encourages people to explore the city, it transforms the experience into something much more dynamic and immersive," says Zou Shuang, artistic director of the Beijing Music Festival, which was founded in 1998 by conductor Yu Long and is one of the largest music events in the capital. "When music is embedded into the fabric of a city, it opens up dialogues between different communities and cultural spaces. It invites diverse audiences to share the same space, and experience something collectively, fostering a sense of unity or commonality."
\nBorn in 1976 in the island province of Hainan, Huang's artistic vision is deeply rooted in his upbringing. He grew up in a household immersed in music — his father, a composer, was his first teacher, introducing him to piano and composition at an early age. In his childhood village, art was a communal affair. The most vibrant place was the open-air threshing ground, where villagers dried rice by day and gathered by night for makeshift performances. People would bring their own stools and food, watching local theater troupes perform under the stars.
\n"At that time, theater was public; it belonged to everyone," Huang recalls. This communal spirit became the foundation of his artistic philosophy — music should not be reserved for an exclusive few but should be a way for people to connect and share experiences.
\nHuang's academic journey later took him from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to the Oberlin Conservatory and the Juilliard School in the United States, where he studied both Chinese and Western traditions. He now teaches composition at the Mannes School of Music in New York.
\nYet, even after years abroad, his artistic identity remains deeply intertwined with Chinese culture and philosophy. "Leaving my hometown helped me realize how to integrate the essence of the East into my new works," he says.
\nCity of Floating Sounds is also a reflection of Huang's deep connection to Eastern philosophy, balancing concepts such as presence and absence, sound and silence, large and small. The music flows like a breeze through the city, without a clear beginning or end, dissolving the traditional structure of a concert.
\n"This work reflects the flow of life itself, constantly in motion, constantly evolving," Huang says. "There's no fixed stage, no boundary between audience and performer. The entire city is part of the performance, and the audience becomes part of the symphony."
\nContact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_016_68f15fefed50ccabe151b46b.htm#016CULTURE", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "a4497c6d77d8776c6ac94652884704d9", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "018LIFE - From general to global deity", "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/018/20251017_018_01_45838.png\")
A staff member introduces an XR immersive film based on the stories of Guan Yu at a digital hall near the Guandi Temple in Haizhou, Yuncheng, Shanxi province, on Sept 23.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/018/20251017_018_01_38838.png\")
The opening ceremony of the 36th Guangong Cultural Tourism Festival in Haizhou on Sept 23.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/018/20251017_018_01_29838.png\")
Visitors explore the digital hall at the event.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/018/20251017_018_01_54838.png\")
Actors portraying Guan Yu perform during the 36th Guangong Cultural Tourism Festival in Yuncheng on Sept 23.
\nThe winter of 219 was meant to close a life, not begin a legend. A general lost his last battle, was captured, and executed. Yet, in defeat, he began a different journey — one that would transform him into something far larger than life, a figure worshipped and reimagined for 1,800 years to the present day.
\nThat figure is Guan Yu (160-220), born in what is now Yuncheng, Shanxi province. A loyal commander and sworn brother to Liu Bei, the founding emperor of the Shu Dynasty (221-263), one of the Three Kingdoms (220-280), he was widely celebrated for his valor and integrity by all three kingdoms long before his fall.
\nBut death opened another story: in time, Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist traditions each embraced him, elevating his name from Guan Yu to Guangong (Lord Guan), then finally to Guansheng Dijun (Imperial Lord Guan), or Guandi. The 36th Guangong Cultural Tourism Festival opened in September at his ancestral temple in Haizhou town in Yuncheng — first built in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and still the spiritual center of his global devotion.
\n"Guangong culture has been passed down and developed for over 1,800 years," says Chu Xianghao, Yuncheng's Party secretary, at the opening ceremony. "It has become an integral part of the Chinese national spirit, serving as a spiritual bond that enhances the emotional, cultural and national identity of Chinese people worldwide."
\nThe reach of Guangong is staggering. "Incomplete records show at least 168 countries and regions host over 30,000 Guandi temples or Guangong associations," says Fu Wenyuan, director of the Haizhou Guandi Temple Cultural Relics Protection Institute.
\nIn Yuncheng alone, some 200 Guandi temples are protected cultural relics. The densest concentration is in Fujian province, where some villages have four or five, according to Fu.
\nWherever the Chinese diaspora settled, beliefs about Guan Yu followed — temples and altars dot New York, San Francisco, Kobe, Yokohama, Singapore and Bangkok. Today, Guan Yu is still widely worshipped by the Chinese across class and professions; he is worshipped in martial temples and small shrines, which are also found in countless homes, businesses and grassroots organizations. In Hong Kong, a shrine to Guan Yu often stands in police stations, a quiet emblem of protection and duty.
\nConnecting people
\nFor many in Taiwan, the bond is particularly intimate. Chang Ya-chung, general principal of Sun Yat-sen School in Taiwan, traces his roots to Yuncheng. "My father often told stories of my hometown Yuncheng, also Guangong's homeland," he says.
\nChang estimates Guangong is known in every household across the island and enshrined in thousands of temples, revered by nearly 10 million people. For Chang, promoting Guangong culture goes far beyond nostalgia; it is an affirmation of a shared cultural identity. "Guangong culture is a quintessential part of our traditional Chinese heritage," he says. "Its core spirit runs deep in the veins of every Chinese descendant."
\nThat sense of connection was palpable at the festival. Among the attendees from Taiwan was Yu Tung-jen, director of the Holy Emperor Guan Public Welfare Association, who returned after 12 years with a statue originally brought from the Chinese mainland. "We hope to come back every year," he says, "to promote Guangong's spirit together".
\nIn Taiwan, Guangong's birthday sparks island-wide pilgrimages. One bicycle event, named after his horse chitu, or Red Hare, circles the island in 12 days. Now, Yu and his group plan a longer pilgrimage: 3,600 kilometers from Taiwan to Haizhou, a 36-day cycling journey to help Taiwan people "reconnect with cultural roots".
\n"There has always been interaction across the Strait," Yu says. "I am confident that such events will serve to deepen it."
\nBeyond the Strait, the belief travels farther still. Last year, a ceremonial flame of Guangong belief from Shanxi moved through Henan, Hubei and Fujian provinces, onward to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and across Southeast Asia.
\nSoon Boon Hua, who leads the Guan Gong Cultural Association of Malaysia, sees such acts as mapping a living cultural geography.
\n"The festival strengthens friendly ties between Malaysian and Chinese cities," Soon says. In April, his association led 60 Malaysian entrepreneurs to Yuncheng, building trade and tourism links through a shared culture of Guangong belief.
\nA dynamic symbol
\nWang Shi, honorary chairman of the Chinese Culture Promotion Society, says scholars often focus on the "large traditions" — Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism — while overlooking the "grassroots traditions" of local worship.
\nHow did a third-century general become a deity for so many people? Wang asks. The answer lies in a distinctly Chinese alchemy of history and folk belief, he adds.
\n"Promoting traditional culture must not come at the expense of folk belief," he says. Guan Yu's elevation, he explains, follows an ancient principle: those who serve the people deserve veneration. "Gods like Guangong were created by people, to protect, guide and educate themselves. Only a god can carry so many human hopes."
\nThat symbolic breadth lets Guangong bridge social worlds. Wang Juan, a professor of Chinese literature at Peking University, sees him as a vessel of timeless virtues: benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, and courage.
\n"Benevolence is love; righteousness means trust; wisdom is culture; courage is facing hardship without flinching," she says. "These values speak as strongly today as they did then."
\nAs to how an ancient hero stays relevant, Wang Shi proposes an inheritance "keeping pace with the times" — recasting "loyalty" as dedication to one's work, "righteousness" as integrity in daily life. He proposes creating a Guangong cultural IP to draw the young.
\nIn Haizhou, these ideas are already in motion. The temple now doubles as a location for the popular video game Black Myth: Wukong and a lab for digital storytelling.
\nNear the Haizhou Guandi Temple, a digital hall offers a more visceral encounter. Here, in the shadow of ancient temple roofs, past and future meet: the scent of incense blending with the glow of headsets, a culture learning not only how to be remembered but also how to keep living.
\nDuring the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays, visitors flock to XR (extended reality) films like Guan Yu Subdues Demons, in which viewers virtually soar over Haizhou on wooden kites, fly through Zhongtiao mountains (one of the birthplaces of Taoism), and battle demons alongside the general.
\n"Fighting alongside Guangong felt completely real," says Liu Zihan, a tourist from Xi'an, Shaanxi province.
\nGuo Lifeng, whose company produced the experience, sees the work as just the start. "We're taking Guangong beyond Shanxi to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and also to Southeast Asia. We're using technology and youth language to help this tradition travel."
\nZhang Zhuozhou of the Shanxi Yuncheng Guangong Culture Research Association is building a "Guangong culture large-scale model", a digital ecosystem pooling data from over 30,000 temples, millions of texts, and thousands of architectural motifs to create an open digital archive for research, education and cultural preservation. Now, Zhang and the team have already collected data on more than 1,000 temples.
\n"By harnessing global contributions, we hope to build an open, collaborative and shared brand. Our goal is to transform Guangong culture from a regional symbol into a global one," Zhang says.
\nContact the writers at houchenchen@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", @@ -12919,28 +12611,6 @@ "hash": "f9a48087158510c2056cc02b14eb6ee6", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "019SPORTS - SHIFTING THE GOALPOSTS", - "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/019/20251017_019_01_46797.png\")
Model Queens Football Academy team players prepare for a youth tournament final match against Kwara Ladies FC in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, on Aug 29. In central Nigeria's Muslim-majority Kwara State, where religious traditions shape daily life, a group of girls is challenging cultural norms by playing soccer.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/019/20251017_019_01_24797.png\")
Model Queens players arrive at Kwara State Stadium on Aug 29 to play a tournament final.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/019/20251017_019_01_34797.png\")
Maryam Muhammed, 17, a member at the Model Queens Football Academy, washes her uniform.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/019/20251017_019_01_11797.png\")
Model Queens Football Academy players practice ahead of a youth tournament final against Kwara Ladies FC in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, on Aug 29.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/019/20251017_019_01_16797.png\")
Children watch a soccer match at a local pitch in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, on Sept 26.
\nIn north central Nigeria's Muslim-majority Kwara State, where religious traditions shape daily life, a group of girls is challenging cultural norms by playing soccer.
\nThey've embraced the game's team spirit, competitive thrill, plus the highs and lows of winning and losing, all while trying to ignore the disapproval of those who consider it unsuitable for women who choose to dress modestly.
\nAs Maryam Muhammed laces up her boots and heads to soccer training at a local school in Ilorin, she feels the sweltering heat — made worse by her hijab and leggings — as well as the scorn from some in the local community.
\nMuhammed, 17, regularly hears taunts as she walks to her training sessions with the Model Queens Football Academy.
\n"They tell me I won't achieve anything. But I believe I will achieve something big," she said.
\nDespite the discomfort, it is important to her to cover up when she plays rather than wear shorts and a T-shirt.
\n"Sometimes it feels like I want to open the hijab, but I must not expose my hair," she said. "I have to put it on as a good Muslim."
\nHijabs, which cover the head and neck, were barred by soccer's world governing body FIFA on safety grounds in 2007, a move which led to the Iranian women's team being banned from a qualifying match for the 2012 Olympics. The ban was relaxed in 2012, and the hijab fully permitted in 2014.
\nNouhaila Benzina of Morocco became the first player to wear a hijab at a senior women's World Cup in 2023.
\nFamily concerns
\nMuhammed's mother, Kehinde Muhammed, has faced criticism for allowing her daughter to play. "So many people discouraged me," she said. "But I respect my children's decisions. I support her and keep praying for her."
\nShe sews hijabs to match team jerseys. "I counsel her that this is the normal way you're supposed to be dressed as a Muslim," she said.
\nModel Queens coach Muyhideen Abdulwahab is trying to change perceptions. "We go out to meet parents, to tell them there are laws in place for modest dressing," he said. "Despite that, some still say no."
\nTeam member Bashirat Omotosho, 19, is passionate about the sport, but cannot always attend training because she has to help her mother sell fried dough snacks at a roadside stall, a key income source for the family.
\nSometimes the team jogs past the stall as part of its training, which is frustrating for her.
\n"Training is often in the morning, but I have to be here," she said, handing snacks to customers. "I can't leave my mom — this is how I earn money."
\nHer mother, Titilayo Omotosho, was initially hostile to the teenager's sporting ambition.
\n"Why would a lady choose football?" she asked.
\nBut, after her husband gave his blessing, the mother relented. "Seeing other Muslim girls succeed, like Asisat, encouraged us to let her play," she said, referring to Nigeria star Asisat Oshoala, the record six-time African Women's Footballer of the Year.
\nOshoala, who does not wear a hijab on the pitch, comes from Lagos, in southwest Nigeria, where Islam is less conservative.
\nGaining popularity
\nDespite growing interest, female participation in soccer remains low in Ilorin, said Ambali Abdulrazak, a local football administrator.
\nThe Nigeria Women's Football League (NWFL) is among Africa's strongest, led by southern clubs from cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt, where infrastructure and societal support are robust.
\nIn contrast, northern and central regions face cultural and religious barriers, though grassroots efforts are expanding.
\nNationwide, the sport's popularity is rising, driven by the success of the national women's team, the Super Falcons, as well as increased sponsorships and grassroots programs.
\nNWFL viewership has grown by 40 percent since 2020, with match attendance up 35 percent in 2024, according to Nigerian media company iTelemedia, which tracks audience trends across local leagues.
\nAs the sun dipped, Muhammed and her teammates jogged across a sandy pitch at the local school during one of their training sessions, their voices rising above the call to prayer being issued by a nearby mosque.
\nOn Aug 29, Muhammed captained the Model Queens in a youth tournament final. They lost. At the whistle, she high-fived teammates and cheered as they received their runners-up medals. Later, alone in her room, she broke down in tears over the defeat.
\nBut the support of her family, and her faith, have kept her going. "I really love this sport. I have passion for it," she said. "Since my parents support me, there is nothing stopping me. Football is my dream."
\n", - "content": "Model Queens Football Academy team players prepare for a youth tournament final match against Kwara Ladies FC in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, on Aug 29. In central Nigeria's Muslim-majority Kwara State, where religious traditions shape daily life, a group of girls is challenging cultural norms by playing soccer.
\nModel Queens players arrive at Kwara State Stadium on Aug 29 to play a tournament final.
\nMaryam Muhammed, 17, a member at the Model Queens Football Academy, washes her uniform.
\nModel Queens Football Academy players practice ahead of a youth tournament final against Kwara Ladies FC in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, on Aug 29.
\nChildren watch a soccer match at a local pitch in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, on Sept 26.
\nIn north central Nigeria's Muslim-majority Kwara State, where religious traditions shape daily life, a group of girls is challenging cultural norms by playing soccer.
\nThey've embraced the game's team spirit, competitive thrill, plus the highs and lows of winning and losing, all while trying to ignore the disapproval of those who consider it unsuitable for women who choose to dress modestly.
\nAs Maryam Muhammed laces up her boots and heads to soccer training at a local school in Ilorin, she feels the sweltering heat — made worse by her hijab and leggings — as well as the scorn from some in the local community.
\nMuhammed, 17, regularly hears taunts as she walks to her training sessions with the Model Queens Football Academy.
\n"They tell me I won't achieve anything. But I believe I will achieve something big," she said.
\nDespite the discomfort, it is important to her to cover up when she plays rather than wear shorts and a T-shirt.
\n"Sometimes it feels like I want to open the hijab, but I must not expose my hair," she said. "I have to put it on as a good Muslim."
\nHijabs, which cover the head and neck, were barred by soccer's world governing body FIFA on safety grounds in 2007, a move which led to the Iranian women's team being banned from a qualifying match for the 2012 Olympics. The ban was relaxed in 2012, and the hijab fully permitted in 2014.
\nNouhaila Benzina of Morocco became the first player to wear a hijab at a senior women's World Cup in 2023.
\nFamily concerns
\nMuhammed's mother, Kehinde Muhammed, has faced criticism for allowing her daughter to play. "So many people discouraged me," she said. "But I respect my children's decisions. I support her and keep praying for her."
\nShe sews hijabs to match team jerseys. "I counsel her that this is the normal way you're supposed to be dressed as a Muslim," she said.
\nModel Queens coach Muyhideen Abdulwahab is trying to change perceptions. "We go out to meet parents, to tell them there are laws in place for modest dressing," he said. "Despite that, some still say no."
\nTeam member Bashirat Omotosho, 19, is passionate about the sport, but cannot always attend training because she has to help her mother sell fried dough snacks at a roadside stall, a key income source for the family.
\nSometimes the team jogs past the stall as part of its training, which is frustrating for her.
\n"Training is often in the morning, but I have to be here," she said, handing snacks to customers. "I can't leave my mom — this is how I earn money."
\nHer mother, Titilayo Omotosho, was initially hostile to the teenager's sporting ambition.
\n"Why would a lady choose football?" she asked.
\nBut, after her husband gave his blessing, the mother relented. "Seeing other Muslim girls succeed, like Asisat, encouraged us to let her play," she said, referring to Nigeria star Asisat Oshoala, the record six-time African Women's Footballer of the Year.
\nOshoala, who does not wear a hijab on the pitch, comes from Lagos, in southwest Nigeria, where Islam is less conservative.
\nGaining popularity
\nDespite growing interest, female participation in soccer remains low in Ilorin, said Ambali Abdulrazak, a local football administrator.
\nThe Nigeria Women's Football League (NWFL) is among Africa's strongest, led by southern clubs from cities like Lagos and Port Harcourt, where infrastructure and societal support are robust.
\nIn contrast, northern and central regions face cultural and religious barriers, though grassroots efforts are expanding.
\nNationwide, the sport's popularity is rising, driven by the success of the national women's team, the Super Falcons, as well as increased sponsorships and grassroots programs.
\nNWFL viewership has grown by 40 percent since 2020, with match attendance up 35 percent in 2024, according to Nigerian media company iTelemedia, which tracks audience trends across local leagues.
\nAs the sun dipped, Muhammed and her teammates jogged across a sandy pitch at the local school during one of their training sessions, their voices rising above the call to prayer being issued by a nearby mosque.
\nOn Aug 29, Muhammed captained the Model Queens in a youth tournament final. They lost. At the whistle, she high-fived teammates and cheered as they received their runners-up medals. Later, alone in her room, she broke down in tears over the defeat.
\nBut the support of her family, and her faith, have kept her going. "I really love this sport. I have passion for it," she said. "Since my parents support me, there is nothing stopping me. Football is my dream."
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/17/content_019_68f16009ed50ccabe151b471.htm#019SPORTS", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Fri, 17 Oct 2025 00:21:09 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "ce0b42ac8146b35a1e12d1f87c5562d3", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "020SPORTS - Beijing Obstacle worlds a key step toward LA28", "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/020/20251017_020_02_52793.png\")
Featuring a Ninja Warrior-style course, the Obstacle World Championships kick off in Beijing on Oct 21.
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-17/020/20251017_020_02_63793.png\")
Featuring a Ninja Warrior-style course, the Obstacle World Championships kick off in Beijing on Oct 21.
\nGENEVA — Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) president Rob Stull said he is looking forward to the UIPM Obstacle World Championships in Beijing, calling them an important opportunity for the sport's growth as it moves toward the Olympic stage.
\nThe championships will take place from Oct 21-25. China is set to host four consecutive editions of the event from 2025 to 2028.
\n"I think China's a great place to kick this off. Why China? Because of the population base. You're able to reach so many people," Stull told Xinhua on Tuesday. "Municipalities realize that this is a good investment. It's a good train to get on. That's a great opportunity."
\nThe obstacle course was officially added to modern pentathlon at the 72nd UIPM Congress in Monaco on Nov 12, 2022, replacing horse riding as one of the five disciplines.
\nThe 141st International Olympic Committee Session later approved the inclusion of modern pentathlon in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, making Paris 2024 the last Olympics to feature horse riding.
\nThe head-to-head, Ninja Warrior-style obstacle race will make its Olympic debut at LA28 in a 90-minute format alongside fencing, swimming, laser shooting and running.
\n"We need to modernize one of the oldest sports on the Olympic program, one that was created by the founder Pierre de Coubertin. We need an event that will attract the youth. It cannot be long, it has to be accessible and be able to reach everyone," Stull said.
\nAccording to the UIPM website, it is "the only recognized governing body of obstacle sport in the Olympic movement".
\n"Obstacle racing doesn't have an IOC-recognized federation," Stull said. "We're in the process of integrating with the obstacle community, which is very loosely organized. We want to bring them into the family and give them a place to be tied with a recognized Olympic federation."
\n"You get a lot of benefits by being part of an Olympic family, and our benefits will extend to that community," he added. "The events will be better organized. We have full-time staff who are dedicated to this. It's a win-win situation for everybody. The big winners are the athletes, the families and the participants who want to enjoy the sport."
\nOne of the oldest events in Olympic history, modern pentathlon will be held at the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area during the LA28 Games.
\n"Our venue in Los Angeles is with the cool kids. We share the venue with skateboarding, 3x3 basketball and BMX. I call them the 'cool kids' because they are the urban sports," Stull said.
\nTo help make the sport more appealing to younger audiences, UIPM has partnered with obstacle race brands Spartan Race and Tough Viking.
\n"In Beijing, you're going to see 100m, 400m and 3,000m races. The 3,000m race is a Spartan event, while Spartan Race also adopted 100m from us. Their general philosophy on sports is very similar to ours," Stull said.
\nThe slogan for the 2025 Obstacle World Championships is: "Conquer the Great Wall". Stull said he hopes to visit the landmark if given the chance.
\n"There are two types of people. Some are trying to set the world record and win the big prize money. And you have other people, like me, who just want to finish," he said.
\n"I would probably walk the course, and maybe I would have a drink along the way. My goal would be just to finish."
\n", @@ -12963,28 +12633,6 @@ "hash": "e176861e7c8605c8cc4d779be0e4694a", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "001FRONT - Fujian plays key role in boosting cross-Strait ties", - "description": "Two years ago, Taiwan bartender Danny Hsu brought his 12 years of mixology experience from Taichung, a city in China's Taiwan region, and opened Stirred Bar in the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, a historical architectural complex in downtown Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province.
\nHsu enjoys experimentally incorporating fresh fruits, tea, coffee and even unexpected ingredients like vinegar and chili into his cocktails, conveying unique tastes and his understanding of life.
\nHis latest creation is a cocktail symbolizing the fusion of cultures across the Taiwan Strait, blending full-bodied Kaoliang liquor, a specialty from Taiwan, with the gentle aroma of Fuzhou's jasmine tea.
\n"The fiery spirit meets the sweet jasmine flowers, just like the ongoing cross-Strait integration," he said.
\nOct 25 marks the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's retrocession. Since its return to the motherland in 1945, cross-Strait relations have experienced twists and turns, but integrated development has always been the main historical trend.
\nFujian and Taiwan are connected by a single body of water, and share the same ancestry, culture and customs, with about 80 percent of Taiwan's population tracing its ancestry back to Fujian. Such closeness gives the coastal province an irreplaceable role in promoting peaceful cross-Strait development and reunification.
\nSince the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has made three field trips to Fujian, consistently emphasizing cross-Strait integrated development.
\nDuring his latest tour to the province last year, Xi reiterated the call for Fujian to make greater progress in exploring the new path for cross-Strait integrated development.
\nStatistics showed that Fujian has become a top choice for a growing number of Taiwan businesspeople and young entrepreneurs, thanks to innovative integration policies.
\nFrom January to August, Fujian saw 1,653 new enterprises funded by Taiwan investment, with $660 million in utilized capital from Taiwan, the highest among all mainland provinces, according to data from the provincial Taiwan affairs authority.
\nIn the first eight months of this year, passenger traffic between Fujian and Taiwan surged 36.4 percent to 1.73 million trips, compared with the same period last year, while cross-Strait events saw 28,000 Taiwan participants, a 40 percent increase, data showed.
\nChen Lishuang, a deputy researcher at the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Modern Taiwan Studies, said the province has achieved notable results in economic cooperation and social integration with Taiwan through pilot policies.
\nWhile working in Fujian for about 17 years, from 1985 to 2002, Xi attached great importance to Taiwan-related work, tirelessly promoting cooperation and cultivating affection between people on both sides of the Strait, Chen said.
\nIn 1997, a 102-day tour of Taiwan by a statue of the sea goddess Mazu saw millions pay their respects to the deity across the island, becoming the longest and most influential cross-Strait exchange at the time.
\nIn 2001, limited direct transportation, trade and postal services began between Fujian's coast and the islands of Jinmen and Matsu, administered by Taiwan, and this was warmly received. An exchange agreement signed later that year by representatives from the two sides included the one-China principle for the first time, causing a stir.
\n"Xi made many statements regarding work related to Taiwan from the historical perspective of achieving the peaceful reunification of the motherland, along with a series of forward-looking and strategic explorations and practices while working in Fujian," Chen said.
\nThe innovative concepts and practical advancements in Taiwan-related work proposed by Xi during his tenure in Fujian constitute an important source of his later significant discourse on Taiwan affairs, she said.
\nIn his speech on the 40th anniversary of the issuance of the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, in January 2019, Xi emphasized the need to deepen integrated development between the two sides to lay a foundation for peaceful reunification.
\n"Just as loved ones wish each other well, we Chinese should help each other. We treat our compatriots in Taiwan as equals, and will continue paving the way for them to share first the mainland's development opportunities," Xi said.
\nHe called for enhanced connectivity in trade, infrastructure, energy and industry standards, suggesting initial projects such as supplying water, electricity and gas, and constructing sea-crossing bridges from Fujian to Jinmen and Matsu.
\nIn 2023, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet, announced plans to make Fujian a "demonstration zone" for the integrated development across the Strait, offering policies like infrastructure connectivity and incentives for Taiwan residents to create their careers.
\n"Fujian's supportive policies for Taiwan compatriots have given me a real sense of belonging," said Lin Chun-ying, who operates a tea company in suburban Fuzhou and exports high-mountain oolong tea to countries including the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.
\n"My father often told me when I was a child that we are Chinese, because he was born on the mainland before my grandfather took him to Taiwan," Lin said. "My father said his mission was to bring us back to our motherland."
\nBack in the 1990s, Lin and her father arrived in the provincial capital to clear a barren mountain to plant tea.
\n"Growing up, making and learning about tea in Fuzhou, I fell in love with Fuzhou's mountains," Lin said. She has now taken over management of the company from her father.
\nWu Yongping, director at the Institute for Taiwan Studies at Tsinghua University, said that Taiwan lacks the economic hinterland for further development, given its limited population and small local market, but the mainland could offer it a much broader space for growth.
\nAfter the launch of reform and opening-up, Taiwan businesses that entered the mainland have contributed to the economy and have been beneficiaries as well, Wu said, adding that economic ties are a fundamental link of cross-Strait relations, so it's important to keep the link strong.
\nFujian's "demonstration zone "aims to ease the settlement of Taiwan compatriots on the mainland by leading efforts to overcome constraints on specific matters like obtaining phone cards, bank cards and residence permits, he said.
\nAs a veteran Taiwan businesswoman developing on the mainland for decades, Lin has also become a facilitator for cross-Strait youth exchanges, sharing her experiences on employment and entrepreneurship in Fuzhou with young people from Taiwan.
\nShe met her husband, who is from Harbin, Heilongjiang province, in Shanghai in 2018. They now have two children and live in Fuzhou.
\nContact the writers at zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn
\nTwo years ago, Taiwan bartender Danny Hsu brought his 12 years of mixology experience from Taichung, a city in China's Taiwan region, and opened Stirred Bar in the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, a historical architectural complex in downtown Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province.
\nHsu enjoys experimentally incorporating fresh fruits, tea, coffee and even unexpected ingredients like vinegar and chili into his cocktails, conveying unique tastes and his understanding of life.
\nHis latest creation is a cocktail symbolizing the fusion of cultures across the Taiwan Strait, blending full-bodied Kaoliang liquor, a specialty from Taiwan, with the gentle aroma of Fuzhou's jasmine tea.
\n"The fiery spirit meets the sweet jasmine flowers, just like the ongoing cross-Strait integration," he said.
\nOct 25 marks the 80th anniversary of Taiwan's retrocession. Since its return to the motherland in 1945, cross-Strait relations have experienced twists and turns, but integrated development has always been the main historical trend.
\nFujian and Taiwan are connected by a single body of water, and share the same ancestry, culture and customs, with about 80 percent of Taiwan's population tracing its ancestry back to Fujian. Such closeness gives the coastal province an irreplaceable role in promoting peaceful cross-Strait development and reunification.
\nSince the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has made three field trips to Fujian, consistently emphasizing cross-Strait integrated development.
\nDuring his latest tour to the province last year, Xi reiterated the call for Fujian to make greater progress in exploring the new path for cross-Strait integrated development.
\nStatistics showed that Fujian has become a top choice for a growing number of Taiwan businesspeople and young entrepreneurs, thanks to innovative integration policies.
\nFrom January to August, Fujian saw 1,653 new enterprises funded by Taiwan investment, with $660 million in utilized capital from Taiwan, the highest among all mainland provinces, according to data from the provincial Taiwan affairs authority.
\nIn the first eight months of this year, passenger traffic between Fujian and Taiwan surged 36.4 percent to 1.73 million trips, compared with the same period last year, while cross-Strait events saw 28,000 Taiwan participants, a 40 percent increase, data showed.
\nChen Lishuang, a deputy researcher at the Fujian Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Modern Taiwan Studies, said the province has achieved notable results in economic cooperation and social integration with Taiwan through pilot policies.
\nWhile working in Fujian for about 17 years, from 1985 to 2002, Xi attached great importance to Taiwan-related work, tirelessly promoting cooperation and cultivating affection between people on both sides of the Strait, Chen said.
\nIn 1997, a 102-day tour of Taiwan by a statue of the sea goddess Mazu saw millions pay their respects to the deity across the island, becoming the longest and most influential cross-Strait exchange at the time.
\nIn 2001, limited direct transportation, trade and postal services began between Fujian's coast and the islands of Jinmen and Matsu, administered by Taiwan, and this was warmly received. An exchange agreement signed later that year by representatives from the two sides included the one-China principle for the first time, causing a stir.
\n"Xi made many statements regarding work related to Taiwan from the historical perspective of achieving the peaceful reunification of the motherland, along with a series of forward-looking and strategic explorations and practices while working in Fujian," Chen said.
\nThe innovative concepts and practical advancements in Taiwan-related work proposed by Xi during his tenure in Fujian constitute an important source of his later significant discourse on Taiwan affairs, she said.
\nIn his speech on the 40th anniversary of the issuance of the Message to Compatriots in Taiwan by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, in January 2019, Xi emphasized the need to deepen integrated development between the two sides to lay a foundation for peaceful reunification.
\n"Just as loved ones wish each other well, we Chinese should help each other. We treat our compatriots in Taiwan as equals, and will continue paving the way for them to share first the mainland's development opportunities," Xi said.
\nHe called for enhanced connectivity in trade, infrastructure, energy and industry standards, suggesting initial projects such as supplying water, electricity and gas, and constructing sea-crossing bridges from Fujian to Jinmen and Matsu.
\nIn 2023, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet, announced plans to make Fujian a "demonstration zone" for the integrated development across the Strait, offering policies like infrastructure connectivity and incentives for Taiwan residents to create their careers.
\n"Fujian's supportive policies for Taiwan compatriots have given me a real sense of belonging," said Lin Chun-ying, who operates a tea company in suburban Fuzhou and exports high-mountain oolong tea to countries including the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.
\n"My father often told me when I was a child that we are Chinese, because he was born on the mainland before my grandfather took him to Taiwan," Lin said. "My father said his mission was to bring us back to our motherland."
\nBack in the 1990s, Lin and her father arrived in the provincial capital to clear a barren mountain to plant tea.
\n"Growing up, making and learning about tea in Fuzhou, I fell in love with Fuzhou's mountains," Lin said. She has now taken over management of the company from her father.
\nWu Yongping, director at the Institute for Taiwan Studies at Tsinghua University, said that Taiwan lacks the economic hinterland for further development, given its limited population and small local market, but the mainland could offer it a much broader space for growth.
\nAfter the launch of reform and opening-up, Taiwan businesses that entered the mainland have contributed to the economy and have been beneficiaries as well, Wu said, adding that economic ties are a fundamental link of cross-Strait relations, so it's important to keep the link strong.
\nFujian's "demonstration zone "aims to ease the settlement of Taiwan compatriots on the mainland by leading efforts to overcome constraints on specific matters like obtaining phone cards, bank cards and residence permits, he said.
\nAs a veteran Taiwan businesswoman developing on the mainland for decades, Lin has also become a facilitator for cross-Strait youth exchanges, sharing her experiences on employment and entrepreneurship in Fuzhou with young people from Taiwan.
\nShe met her husband, who is from Harbin, Heilongjiang province, in Shanghai in 2018. They now have two children and live in Fuzhou.
\nContact the writers at zhangyi1@chinadaily.com.cn
\nPresident Xi Jinping has congratulated Patrick Herminie on his election as president of Seychelles, pledging to work with the president-elect to promote bilateral ties.
\nIn a congratulatory message sent to Herminie on Wednesday, Xi highlighted the traditional friendship between China and Seychelles. Both countries have supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns and achieved fruitful results in their cooperation in areas such as infrastructure and green development, he said.
\nNoting that next year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Seychelles, Xi said that he attaches great importance to the development of the two countries' relations.
\nXi expressed his willingness to work with Herminie to take the implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation as an opportunity to elevate the strategic partnership between the two countries to new heights and better benefit the two peoples.
\nHerminie, 62, who served as the speaker of the National Assembly of Seychelles from 2007 to 2016, was officially elected as the president of Seychelles on Sunday, Xinhua News Agency reported.
\nAs candidate of the largest opposition party in Seychelles, the United Seychelles, Herminie won the presidential election by garnering 52.7 percent of the valid votes, while incumbent President Wavel Ramkalawan of the Seychellois Democratic Alliance received 47.3 percent in the runoff, according to official results released on Sunday by the country's electoral commission.
\ncaodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", @@ -13007,28 +12655,6 @@ "hash": "c8a311fc0cc04798dcea0c725f719e1f", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "001FRONT - YANGTZE RIVER DELTA AT FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION DRIVE", - "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-16/001/20251016_002_01_82653.png\")
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-16/001/20251016_002_01_102653.png\")
Yangtze River Delta statistics
\n'Embodied intelligence" is undoubtedly the buzz phrase in the tech world this year, according to many industry experts.
\nIn late September, the annual China International Industry Fair in Shanghai witnessed the giant steps made in this emerging technology, which integrates artificial intelligence into physical entities such as robots to enable them to perceive, learn and dynamically interact with their environment.
\nThe fair — which attracted 3,000 companies from 28 countries and regions — debuted more than 1,000 new technologies and products. It also saw the establishment of an industrial consortium to facilitate the development of embodied intelligence in the Yangtze River Delta region.
\nThe first group of companies and institutes joining the consortium includes Shanghai-based robotics company Fourier Intelligence, Standard Robots (Wuxi), new mica composite materials manufacturer Zhejiang Glory, and Wuxi-based Jiangnan University.
\nCheng Peng, Party secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, said that Shanghai has played a key role in leading the development of high-end industries such as embodied intelligence after the city positioned itself as an innovation hub. By leveraging resources from all over the world, Shanghai can help build the Yangtze River Delta region into a comprehensive demonstration and pioneering zone for embodied intelligence, he added.
\nOther areas of the region also have their respective strengths.
\nMa Xuan, chief researcher of the China Academy of Urban Planning& Design's Shanghai branch, said Jiangsu has taken the lead in issuing jointly compiled academic papers, which can be largely attributed to the many well-established universities in the province. In addition, Anhui province has sped up the industrial application of innovations achieved in the lab, she said.
\nLu Xiongwen, dean of the School of Management at Fudan University, said disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence are reshaping business logic.
\nIndustrial upgrading, which was resource reliant, is now more dependent on coordinated development within an ecosystem.
\nAs seen in numerous cases, coordination among companies, research institutes, and governments in the Yangtze River Delta region provides a replicable model for other parts of China. This in turn provides more momentum for China's high-quality economic development, he said.
\nLeading by example
\nThe Yangtze River Delta region — comprising Shanghai, and Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces — has seen its leading position in China's technological innovation become increasingly evident, according to a report released by the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development in late September.
\nThe region accounted for over 30 percent of China's research and development expenditure, industry experts, high-value patents, and high-tech exports. Nearly half of the country's international technology income is generated in the region, the report said.
\nLiu Dongmei, the academy's Party secretary, said coordinating technological innovation is never the job of one government department. Various industries should be included and resources efficiently directed across different administrative regions, she said.
\nOne example in the Yangtze River Delta region is the production of Tesla electric vehicles. While Shanghai provides the chips for the smart-driving technology, Jiangsu supplies the batteries, Zhejiang does the body casting, and Anhui is responsible for the final vehicle assembly.
\nThe region is home to industrial clusters of three emerging technologies — integrated circuits, biomedicine and AI. Nearly 60 percent of China's IC industrial output, one-third of the AI industrial output, and one-third of biomedicine are all generated in the region.
\nThe emphasis on technological innovation, which has been a common approach among local governments, has paid off.
\nThe region's GDP topped 33 trillion yuan ($4.64 trillion) in 2024, surpassing that of Japan. Taking up just 4 percent of China's total area, the region contributed nearly 25 percent of the country's GDP.
\nOther regions have also noticed the power of coordinated technological innovation. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region saw its combined R&D expenditure reach 445.8 billion yuan last year, according to the CASTED report. The area's R&D expenditure intensity, or the ratio of R&D expenditure to GDP, approached 4.3 percent — 1.6 times the national average.
\nSimilar examples can be found in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
\nGuangdong province's R&D expenditure hit 510 billion yuan in 2024, according to National Bureau of Statistics data, topping the 500-billion-yuan threshold for the first time and securing its position as the largest R&D spender among all provincial-level regions for the ninth consecutive year.
\nThe Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, located in the western part of Shenzhen, Guangdong, is only 30 minutes drive from central Hong Kong. It has served as the first stop for many Hong Kong startups aiming to expand their footprint in the Chinese mainland.
\nSince the hub's establishment in 2014, a total of 1,450 startups have been nurtured there, with 1,028 of them originating in Hong Kong, Macao and other places.
\nThe progress in the Yangtze River Delta region is reliant on the shared targets of the local governments, which are translated into coordinated development plans and co-working mechanisms.
\nThe coordinated development of the Yangtze River Delta region was elevated to a national strategy in 2018, but its inauguration in November 2019 as demonstration zone for the region's green and integrated development was a major step toward it coming up with concrete measures.
\nBy the end of 2024, over 112 coordinated institutional innovations had been nurtured in the zone. Among those, 38 have been promoted nationwide, in areas covering ecological conservation, land management, cross-regional flow of production factors, and integrated tax collection and administration.
\nIn July 2022, a collaborative plan to seek technological breakthroughs in the Yangtze River Delta region was released, encouraging new systems for innovation and allowing multiple entities to invest in technologically advanced projects.
\nSo far, the plan has supported 87 projects, including fundamental research projects.
\nUp to 1.7 billion yuan of investment has been directed to projects under the plan, of which 340 million yuan came from the fiscal budgets of local governments.
\nDigital driver
\nLooking forward, Dong Xuebing, deputy director of the Research Center for Regional Coordinated Development at Zhejiang University, said the digital economy will serve as a major growth engine.
\nA pilot program for digital rights confirmation should be quickly built in the region, he suggested. Through the protection of digital intellectual properties, confirmation of rights, anti-monopoly regulations, and industrial policies the region's digital economy can seek sustained growth.
\nLiu Zhibiao, executive director of the Yangtze Industrial Economic Think Tank, a part of Nanjing University, said companies should be encouraged to build industrial models that suit the integrated development of the region.
\nMergers and acquisitions, for instance, should be better supported to achieve this goal. In this way, policy differences can be minimized and international industrial clusters built in the region, which are also outcomes conducive to achieving the country's major strategies, he said.
\nThe Yangtze River Delta region and the Pearl River Delta region are the two major growth engines for China, shouldering great responsibility for the country's sustained development, said Zheng Yongnian, dean of the School of Public Policy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.
\nWhile China is undergoing the transition from old to new economic drivers — with technological innovation playing an increasingly important role — the country needs to strengthen fundamental research, nurture more transformation of technologies and provide stronger financial support, he said.
\nTherefore, deeper institutional reform should be conducted and barriers further broken. More autonomy should be given to regions so that they can advance technological innovation in more flexible and efficient ways, said Zheng.
\nshijing@chinadaily.com.cn
\n\nYangtze River Delta statistics
\n'Embodied intelligence" is undoubtedly the buzz phrase in the tech world this year, according to many industry experts.
\nIn late September, the annual China International Industry Fair in Shanghai witnessed the giant steps made in this emerging technology, which integrates artificial intelligence into physical entities such as robots to enable them to perceive, learn and dynamically interact with their environment.
\nThe fair — which attracted 3,000 companies from 28 countries and regions — debuted more than 1,000 new technologies and products. It also saw the establishment of an industrial consortium to facilitate the development of embodied intelligence in the Yangtze River Delta region.
\nThe first group of companies and institutes joining the consortium includes Shanghai-based robotics company Fourier Intelligence, Standard Robots (Wuxi), new mica composite materials manufacturer Zhejiang Glory, and Wuxi-based Jiangnan University.
\nCheng Peng, Party secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, said that Shanghai has played a key role in leading the development of high-end industries such as embodied intelligence after the city positioned itself as an innovation hub. By leveraging resources from all over the world, Shanghai can help build the Yangtze River Delta region into a comprehensive demonstration and pioneering zone for embodied intelligence, he added.
\nOther areas of the region also have their respective strengths.
\nMa Xuan, chief researcher of the China Academy of Urban Planning& Design's Shanghai branch, said Jiangsu has taken the lead in issuing jointly compiled academic papers, which can be largely attributed to the many well-established universities in the province. In addition, Anhui province has sped up the industrial application of innovations achieved in the lab, she said.
\nLu Xiongwen, dean of the School of Management at Fudan University, said disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence are reshaping business logic.
\nIndustrial upgrading, which was resource reliant, is now more dependent on coordinated development within an ecosystem.
\nAs seen in numerous cases, coordination among companies, research institutes, and governments in the Yangtze River Delta region provides a replicable model for other parts of China. This in turn provides more momentum for China's high-quality economic development, he said.
\nLeading by example
\nThe Yangtze River Delta region — comprising Shanghai, and Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui provinces — has seen its leading position in China's technological innovation become increasingly evident, according to a report released by the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development in late September.
\nThe region accounted for over 30 percent of China's research and development expenditure, industry experts, high-value patents, and high-tech exports. Nearly half of the country's international technology income is generated in the region, the report said.
\nLiu Dongmei, the academy's Party secretary, said coordinating technological innovation is never the job of one government department. Various industries should be included and resources efficiently directed across different administrative regions, she said.
\nOne example in the Yangtze River Delta region is the production of Tesla electric vehicles. While Shanghai provides the chips for the smart-driving technology, Jiangsu supplies the batteries, Zhejiang does the body casting, and Anhui is responsible for the final vehicle assembly.
\nThe region is home to industrial clusters of three emerging technologies — integrated circuits, biomedicine and AI. Nearly 60 percent of China's IC industrial output, one-third of the AI industrial output, and one-third of biomedicine are all generated in the region.
\nThe emphasis on technological innovation, which has been a common approach among local governments, has paid off.
\nThe region's GDP topped 33 trillion yuan ($4.64 trillion) in 2024, surpassing that of Japan. Taking up just 4 percent of China's total area, the region contributed nearly 25 percent of the country's GDP.
\nOther regions have also noticed the power of coordinated technological innovation. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region saw its combined R&D expenditure reach 445.8 billion yuan last year, according to the CASTED report. The area's R&D expenditure intensity, or the ratio of R&D expenditure to GDP, approached 4.3 percent — 1.6 times the national average.
\nSimilar examples can be found in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
\nGuangdong province's R&D expenditure hit 510 billion yuan in 2024, according to National Bureau of Statistics data, topping the 500-billion-yuan threshold for the first time and securing its position as the largest R&D spender among all provincial-level regions for the ninth consecutive year.
\nThe Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, located in the western part of Shenzhen, Guangdong, is only 30 minutes drive from central Hong Kong. It has served as the first stop for many Hong Kong startups aiming to expand their footprint in the Chinese mainland.
\nSince the hub's establishment in 2014, a total of 1,450 startups have been nurtured there, with 1,028 of them originating in Hong Kong, Macao and other places.
\nThe progress in the Yangtze River Delta region is reliant on the shared targets of the local governments, which are translated into coordinated development plans and co-working mechanisms.
\nThe coordinated development of the Yangtze River Delta region was elevated to a national strategy in 2018, but its inauguration in November 2019 as demonstration zone for the region's green and integrated development was a major step toward it coming up with concrete measures.
\nBy the end of 2024, over 112 coordinated institutional innovations had been nurtured in the zone. Among those, 38 have been promoted nationwide, in areas covering ecological conservation, land management, cross-regional flow of production factors, and integrated tax collection and administration.
\nIn July 2022, a collaborative plan to seek technological breakthroughs in the Yangtze River Delta region was released, encouraging new systems for innovation and allowing multiple entities to invest in technologically advanced projects.
\nSo far, the plan has supported 87 projects, including fundamental research projects.
\nUp to 1.7 billion yuan of investment has been directed to projects under the plan, of which 340 million yuan came from the fiscal budgets of local governments.
\nDigital driver
\nLooking forward, Dong Xuebing, deputy director of the Research Center for Regional Coordinated Development at Zhejiang University, said the digital economy will serve as a major growth engine.
\nA pilot program for digital rights confirmation should be quickly built in the region, he suggested. Through the protection of digital intellectual properties, confirmation of rights, anti-monopoly regulations, and industrial policies the region's digital economy can seek sustained growth.
\nLiu Zhibiao, executive director of the Yangtze Industrial Economic Think Tank, a part of Nanjing University, said companies should be encouraged to build industrial models that suit the integrated development of the region.
\nMergers and acquisitions, for instance, should be better supported to achieve this goal. In this way, policy differences can be minimized and international industrial clusters built in the region, which are also outcomes conducive to achieving the country's major strategies, he said.
\nThe Yangtze River Delta region and the Pearl River Delta region are the two major growth engines for China, shouldering great responsibility for the country's sustained development, said Zheng Yongnian, dean of the School of Public Policy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.
\nWhile China is undergoing the transition from old to new economic drivers — with technological innovation playing an increasingly important role — the country needs to strengthen fundamental research, nurture more transformation of technologies and provide stronger financial support, he said.
\nTherefore, deeper institutional reform should be conducted and barriers further broken. More autonomy should be given to regions so that they can advance technological innovation in more flexible and efficient ways, said Zheng.
\nshijing@chinadaily.com.cn
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-16/001/20251016_001_07_73381.png\")
Palestinians walk past a bulldozer clearing building rubble in Gaza City on Tuesday, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas following a peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Israel has been urged to reopen the Rafah border crossing for delivery of aid, as Hamas continues the process of handing over bodies of remaining hostages to Israel. See story, page 11
\n![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-16/004/20251016_004_02_20439.png\")
A resident braves the snow in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Wednesday, as a cold front brings rain, snow and temperature drops by 5 to 8 C to the region.
\n", - "content": "A resident braves the snow in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on Wednesday, as a cold front brings rain, snow and temperature drops by 5 to 8 C to the region.
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/16/content_004_68f008d6ed50ccabe151b316.htm#004CHINA", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:21:04 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "7c805f05d376f8630a4b970f12a84105", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "004CHINA - China to advance fusion energy", "description": "China will continue to promote the high-quality development of the nuclear industry and deepen its opening-up, innovation and cooperation efforts to advance fusion energy development, senior official said.
\nThe nation will work with the IAEA, the ITER Organization and other countries to continuously advance the sustainable development of global energy innovation; to contribute Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions and Chinese strength to building a clean, beautiful and sustainable world; and to enable fusion energy to better benefit humanity, according to Shan Zhongde, director of the China Atomic Energy Authority, while delivering a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 30th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference and Second Ministerial Meeting of the IAEA World Fusion Energy Group 2025 on Tuesday.
\nJointly organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the China Atomic Energy Authority and the Sichuan provincial government, the events held in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, have attracted a wide range of attendees, including officials, project leaders, scientists and engineers.
\nShan stated that as an important development direction for clean energy in the future, fusion energy boasts numerous outstanding advantages.
\nChina attaches great importance to the development of fusion energy. The country has built a number of large-scale scientific facilities, and is actively advancing in-depth cooperation among industry players, researchers and the international nuclear energy community, he said.
\nLaunched by the IAEA in October 2023 as an international endeavor, the World Fusion Energy Group is tasked with strengthening international consensus, facilitating investment and funding, and accelerating the technology demonstration and commercial application of fusion energy.
\nThe Second Ministerial Meeting of the IAEA World Fusion Energy Group 2025 had about 150 participants from 27 countries and six international organizations who discussed policies, progress and prospects in the development of fusion energy science, technology and industry.
\nThe 30th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference is scheduled for five days and includes sessions such as key reports, thematic meetings and technology exhibitions.
\nThe event has attracted nearly 2,000 experts, scholars and industry representatives from 61 countries and international organizations around the world.
\nAs a major result of the two events, the IAEA announced on Tuesday that it has designated the Southwest Institute of Physics of China National Nuclear Corp in Chengdu as its first "Collaborating Center for Fusion Energy Research and Training".
\nzhaolei@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", @@ -13095,28 +12699,6 @@ "hash": "da6f5f4d249a25557dffe87716c2f204", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "004CHINA - IP Court vows to safeguard seed industry", - "description": "The Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People's Court has pledged to strengthen judicial protection in China's seed industry to help advance the country's goal of becoming a leading agricultural power.
\nThe announcement was made by the IP Court on Monday, ahead of World Food Day, which is observed annually on Oct 16.
\nAs part of its efforts to revitalize the seed sector, the court said it has improved the handling of cases involving infringements of new plant variety rights, noting that stronger intellectual property protection helps foster a sound legal environment for the industry.
\nThe court has also standardized trial procedures, increased the amount of punitive damages for violators and released a number of influential rulings. He Zhonglin, deputy chief judge of the IP Court, said these efforts aim to "make a greater judicial contribution to achieving technological self-reliance in the seed field and build a strong agricultural power".
\nIn one example, the court in April ruled that a company had violated another company's intellectual property rights by producing and selling seven hybrid corn varieties. The infringing party was ordered to pay more than 50 million yuan ($7 million) in punitive damages — the highest compensation ever awarded in China for a plant variety infringement case, according to the court.
\n"In lawsuits where we have applied punitive damages, those involving new plant variety rights have been the most common, accounting for more than 30 percent of the total," said Luo Xia, the presiding judge in the corn case.
\nThe court said it has also made extensive use of evidence preservation, genetic testing, technical investigations and expert consultations to address the complex scientific issues involved in seed-related disputes, helping to improve the quality and efficiency of trials.
\nZhu Li, another deputy chief judge at the court, said a guidebook is being drafted to provide clearer procedures for handling disputes over infringements of new plant variety rights.
\n"Once adopted, it will help clarify technical issues and ensure that such cases are adjudicated more efficiently," he said.
\nChina established the national-level IP Court in Beijing on Jan 1,2019, in an effort to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights.
\nThe court, a division of the Supreme People's Court, hears appeals in patent and other technically complex cases nationwide.
\nThe establishment of the IP Court allows litigants dissatisfied with rulings by intermediate courts or specialized IP tribunals to appeal directly to the top court, bypassing provincial-level courts.
\ncaoyin@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "content": "The Intellectual Property Court of the Supreme People's Court has pledged to strengthen judicial protection in China's seed industry to help advance the country's goal of becoming a leading agricultural power.
\nThe announcement was made by the IP Court on Monday, ahead of World Food Day, which is observed annually on Oct 16.
\nAs part of its efforts to revitalize the seed sector, the court said it has improved the handling of cases involving infringements of new plant variety rights, noting that stronger intellectual property protection helps foster a sound legal environment for the industry.
\nThe court has also standardized trial procedures, increased the amount of punitive damages for violators and released a number of influential rulings. He Zhonglin, deputy chief judge of the IP Court, said these efforts aim to "make a greater judicial contribution to achieving technological self-reliance in the seed field and build a strong agricultural power".
\nIn one example, the court in April ruled that a company had violated another company's intellectual property rights by producing and selling seven hybrid corn varieties. The infringing party was ordered to pay more than 50 million yuan ($7 million) in punitive damages — the highest compensation ever awarded in China for a plant variety infringement case, according to the court.
\n"In lawsuits where we have applied punitive damages, those involving new plant variety rights have been the most common, accounting for more than 30 percent of the total," said Luo Xia, the presiding judge in the corn case.
\nThe court said it has also made extensive use of evidence preservation, genetic testing, technical investigations and expert consultations to address the complex scientific issues involved in seed-related disputes, helping to improve the quality and efficiency of trials.
\nZhu Li, another deputy chief judge at the court, said a guidebook is being drafted to provide clearer procedures for handling disputes over infringements of new plant variety rights.
\n"Once adopted, it will help clarify technical issues and ensure that such cases are adjudicated more efficiently," he said.
\nChina established the national-level IP Court in Beijing on Jan 1,2019, in an effort to strengthen the protection of intellectual property rights.
\nThe court, a division of the Supreme People's Court, hears appeals in patent and other technically complex cases nationwide.
\nThe establishment of the IP Court allows litigants dissatisfied with rulings by intermediate courts or specialized IP tribunals to appeal directly to the top court, bypassing provincial-level courts.
\ncaoyin@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", - "category": "", - "link": "https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/html5/2025-10/16/content_004_68f008e7ed50ccabe151b31a.htm#004CHINA", - "creator": "", - "pubDate": "Thu, 16 Oct 2025 00:21:04 +0000", - "enclosure": "", - "enclosureType": "", - "image": "", - "id": "", - "language": "", - "folder": "双语", - "feed": "ChinaDaily", - "read": false, - "favorite": false, - "created": false, - "tags": [], - "hash": "16cc20373b12fa44a7f174b6122d2f87", - "highlights": [] - }, { "title": "005CHINA - Drones make cleaning of high-rises safer, quicker", "description": "![](\"https://mobile.chinadaily.com.cn/cn/resfile/2025-10-16/005/20251016_005_02_15384.png\")
A drone is operated to clean the reflection glass curtain wall of a high-rise building in Wuhan, Hubei province.
\nThe "spidermen" who risk their life cleaning skyscrapers while suspended in the air now face a more efficient, cost-effective, and steady replacement.
\nRecently in Wuhan, Hubei province, a drone equipped with cleaning equipment hovered steadily in the air near a high-rise building, automatically washing away the dust on the glass curtain wall.
\nMeanwhile, the drone operator controlling the device from below attracted the attention of many passersby. This "aerial cleaner" has completed three high-altitude cleaning services. Compared to traditional workers, the drone increases cleaning efficiency by 20 times while cleaning a maximum of 10,000 square meters of area a day, with the cost dropping by 10 to 20 percent, according to the developer, Aero Technology, a startup in Wuhan.
\n"Annual accident rate of aerial work is roughly 0.2 percent. Operations must cease in winds of level 4 or higher, making it highly weather-dependent. However, drone ground operations pose minimal safety risks, can withstand level-7 winds, and are capable of working even on rainy days," said Hu Biao, CEO of the company.
\nGuided by the Beidou Navigation Satellite System and laser radar, the drone operates on the most ideal route. It realizes precise control of the nozzle's angle and pressure, adapting to various building exteriors such as flat, curved, and vertical surfaces, to be able to cover 99 percent of the cleaning areas, Hu added.
\nAfter cleaning is completed, the drone uses its camera to capture images of the cleaned surface and transmits them back to ground personnel for verification. If the standard is not met, the cleaning process is repeated. Subsequently, a cleaning report and a "health record" of the building — whether there are hollows or cracks on the exterior facade — can be generated and delivered to the client. After the drone returns to the ground, specialized equipment is used to collect and treat the wastewater.
\nA drone can complete in 40 minutes what would take a human half a day to accomplish. The total price is 2 to 5 yuan (28-70 cents) per sq m, according to Hu.
\nSince its launch on Aug 15, the drone has been used to clean glass curtain walls, exterior walls, and billboards of high-rise buildings. The whole process requires one to two pilots, an observer and a safety supervisor.
\nIts application can also extend to the new energy sector such as photovoltaic panels and wind turbine blades, infrastructure construction such as bridges, industrial inspection, heritage building preservation, and exploration in high-risk environments, according to the company.
\nHu used to work at an engineering machinery company for 17 years and dealt with clients in cleaning and logistics. He noticed that traditional "spidermen" need to erect scaffolding and install equipment beforehand, and must suspend gondolas from the high-rise facade during manual cleaning. "This working method is not only inefficient but also prone to causing worker fatigue, posing significant safety risks and hazards," he said.
\nHe said the replacement of "spidermen" by drones for high-altitude operations is an "inevitable trend driven by technological advancement and industrial upgrading", to "use technology to safeguard humans".
\nIf any of the "spidermen" are willing to transition to new roles, the company is prepared to offer opportunities by helping them obtain drone pilot certifications and participate in specialized training, he added.
\nThe company offers 10-15 days of theoretical training, and 1-3 months of practical training for new drone pilots. They must achieve proficiency in flight techniques, understand drone flight principles, and possess knowledge of maintenance and repairs, along with familiarity with drone safety regulations. They should also acquire the ability to process and analyze data collected by drones.
\nThe current monthly salary for drone pilots at the company ranges between 7,000 and 12,000 yuan. "The rise of the drone cleaning industry does not simply eliminate traditional jobs but creates new, safer, and more technically demanding roles, such as drone pilots, observers, safety supervisors, and equipment maintenance technicians. Adapting to these market changes requires joint efforts from both society and individuals," he said.
\nDing Jiahao, a drone pilot at the company, said operating a cleaning drone is more difficult than an ordinary drone, because it involves a complex engineering operation requiring the coordination of multiple systems.
\n"It requires knowledge of cleaning techniques such as water pressure and cleaning agents, familiarity with building structures, and operating in urban environments densely packed with high-rises, which places extremely high demands on precise positioning, obstacle avoidance, and stability," he said.
\nContact the writers at chenmeiling@chinadaily.com.cn
\n", @@ -13139,28 +12721,6 @@ "hash": "0b2f701726d3022b5243fc0b1d829dbb", "highlights": [] }, - { - "title": "008COMMENT - EU should take a rational and pragmatic view of rare earth export control measures", - "description": "The European Union is reportedly attempting to rally the G7 countries to jointly respond to China's recent rare earth export control measures. This is both misguided and shortsighted.
\nEuropean Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic took aim at China after an EU trade ministers' meeting in Denmark on Tuesday, saying the EU "cannot stand by". But rather than rashly rushing toward confrontation, the EU should calmly reflect on both China's intentions and the global context in which the measures were introduced.
\nThe EU should recognize that China's policy is not targeted at any specific country or region. Those who comply with China's regulations and meet the relevant requirements have no cause for concern. As long as their exports are for legitimate and peaceful purposes, their applications will be approved in accordance with the law.
\nAs the Ministry of Commerce of China has made clear, China's export control measures covering medium and heavy rare earths are legitimate actions taken in full accordance with Chinese laws and international norms. The measures are aimed at refining China's export control system, not restricting normal trade. Licenses will be granted for eligible applications, and compliant exports for civil use will continue as usual. Before announcing the move, China notified relevant countries and regions through established bilateral dialogue mechanisms, reflecting its commitment to acting transparently.
\nChina's export controls are not export bans. Rather, they are prudent and moderate and designed to ensure that rare earths — materials that have critical applications in high-tech and military industries — are used responsibly. As the Commerce Ministry spokesperson has explained, in a world of mounting geopolitical uncertainty and frequent regional conflicts, such measures are necessary to fulfill China's international obligations to nonproliferation and world peace. The impact of the moves on global industry and supply chains has been thoroughly assessed and will remain limited.
\nUnfortunately, instead of taking an objective view of China's move, some policymakers in Brussels appear to have fallen into the trap set by Washington. In recent months, the United States has been deliberately escalating trade and technology tensions citing "national security" as the justification for imposing unilateral controls on Chinese products ranging from semiconductors to shipbuilding equipment. It is the US not China that has weaponized trade and abused export control mechanisms to suppress fair competition. By emulating the US stance, the EU risks repeating the US' folly.
\nAs Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has emphasized during recent high-level exchanges with the bloc, China and the EU are opportunities for each other. They should be partners not rivals. Cooperation between the two sides has yielded tremendous mutual benefits over the years — from clean energy and digital innovation to green transformation and advanced manufacturing. Confrontation with China and alignment with the US' policy of coercion will only undermine these achievements and shared progress.
\nIf the EU and other developed economies wish to secure stable access to the key materials and China's market, they should engage with China constructively, rather than treating normal regulatory measures as threats. The visits to China by Diplomatic Adviser to the French President Emmanuel Bonne, Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard and Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand this week, starting from Wednesday, serve as valuable opportunities to engage in trust-building, provided the discussions are based on mutual respect, equality and noninterference in domestic affairs.
\nIt is also worth noting that the EU countries, like many other US allies, including those within the G7, such as Canada, have themselves been victims of the US administration's trade bullying. From the Inflation Reduction Act to unilateral tariffs and extraterritorial sanctions, the US has repeatedly used economic coercion to advance its own interests at the expense of its partners. The EU should learn from these experiences and avoid dancing to the US' tune on China-related issues. Upholding its independent judgment and pursuing pragmatic engagement are the way for the EU to preserve its own industrial competitiveness and long-term strategic interests.
\nChina remains committed to openness, cooperation and the shared prosperity of the global economy. It will continue to refine its export control system in line with international practices, while granting licenses for legitimate trade and strengthening dialogue with all partners. As a responsible major country and the world's second-largest economy, China has neither the intention nor the need to disrupt global supply chains.
\nAt a time when the world economy is struggling to recover, what is needed is not bloc politics or politicized "joint responses", but confidence, coordination and mutual respect. The EU and G7 countries, including the US, should work with China to safeguard the stability of the global industry and supply chains, rather than acting to undermine them.
\nViewing China's policies with greater objectivity and pragmatism would not only serve Europe's own interests but also contribute to global stability and sustainable growth.
\n", - "content": "The European Union is reportedly attempting to rally the G7 countries to jointly respond to China's recent rare earth export control measures. This is both misguided and shortsighted.
\nEuropean Commissioner for Trade Maros Sefcovic took aim at China after an EU trade ministers' meeting in Denmark on Tuesday, saying the EU "cannot stand by". But rather than rashly rushing toward confrontation, the EU should calmly reflect on both China's intentions and the global context in which the measures were introduced.
\nThe EU should recognize that China's policy is not targeted at any specific country or region. Those who comply with China's regulations and meet the relevant requirements have no cause for concern. As long as their exports are for legitimate and peaceful purposes, their applications will be approved in accordance with the law.
\nAs the Ministry of Commerce of China has made clear, China's export control measures covering medium and heavy rare earths are legitimate actions taken in full accordance with Chinese laws and international norms. The measures are aimed at refining China's export control system, not restricting normal trade. Licenses will be granted for eligible applications, and compliant exports for civil use will continue as usual. Before announcing the move, China notified relevant countries and regions through established bilateral dialogue mechanisms, reflecting its commitment to acting transparently.
\nChina's export controls are not export bans. Rather, they are prudent and moderate and designed to ensure that rare earths — materials that have critical applications in high-tech and military industries — are used responsibly. As the Commerce Ministry spokesperson has explained, in a world of mounting geopolitical uncertainty and frequent regional conflicts, such measures are necessary to fulfill China's international obligations to nonproliferation and world peace. The impact of the moves on global industry and supply chains has been thoroughly assessed and will remain limited.
\nUnfortunately, instead of taking an objective view of China's move, some policymakers in Brussels appear to have fallen into the trap set by Washington. In recent months, the United States has been deliberately escalating trade and technology tensions citing "national security" as the justification for imposing unilateral controls on Chinese products ranging from semiconductors to shipbuilding equipment. It is the US not China that has weaponized trade and abused export control mechanisms to suppress fair competition. By emulating the US stance, the EU risks repeating the US' folly.
\nAs Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has emphasized during recent high-level exchanges with the bloc, China and the EU are opportunities for each other. They should be partners not rivals. Cooperation between the two sides has yielded tremendous mutual benefits over the years — from clean energy and digital innovation to green transformation and advanced manufacturing. Confrontation with China and alignment with the US' policy of coercion will only undermine these achievements and shared progress.
\nIf the EU and other developed economies wish to secure stable access to the key materials and China's market, they should engage with China constructively, rather than treating normal regulatory measures as threats. The visits to China by Diplomatic Adviser to the French President Emmanuel Bonne, Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard and Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand this week, starting from Wednesday, serve as valuable opportunities to engage in trust-building, provided the discussions are based on mutual respect, equality and noninterference in domestic affairs.
\nIt is also worth noting that the EU countries, like many other US allies, including those within the G7, such as Canada, have themselves been victims of the US administration's trade bullying. From the Inflation Reduction Act to unilateral tariffs and extraterritorial sanctions, the US has repeatedly used economic coercion to advance its own interests at the expense of its partners. The EU should learn from these experiences and avoid dancing to the US' tune on China-related issues. Upholding its independent judgment and pursuing pragmatic engagement are the way for the EU to preserve its own industrial competitiveness and long-term strategic interests.
\nChina remains committed to openness, cooperation and the shared prosperity of the global economy. It will continue to refine its export control system in line with international practices, while granting licenses for legitimate trade and strengthening dialogue with all partners. As a responsible major country and the world's second-largest economy, China has neither the intention nor the need to disrupt global supply chains.
\nAt a time when the world economy is struggling to recover, what is needed is not bloc politics or politicized "joint responses", but confidence, coordination and mutual respect. The EU and G7 countries, including the US, should work with China to safeguard the stability of the global industry and supply chains, rather than acting to undermine them.
\nViewing China's policies with greater objectivity and pragmatism would not only serve Europe's own interests but also contribute to global stability and sustainable growth.
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