Nigeria Times

By Li Kaixuan, People’s Daily

In the serene fields of Qionglai, southwest China’s Sichuan province, a young farmer’s meticulous record-keeping is doing more than tracking harvests, but meticulously documenting the carbon footprint of every grain. What began as a personal experiment in low-carbon farming has now turned into the production of certified “carbon-neutral rice,” offering a promising insight into the future of sustainable agriculture.

Huang Xin, a university-educated “new farmer” from Qionglai, recently observed with pride as boxes of “Ranyi rice” were prepared for delivery. Back in September, following a successful harvest, Huang organized a blind tasting at the fields, where a variety of rice samples were presented to a panel of local villagers and agricultural experts. The “Ranyi rice,” distinguished by its delicate texture and low carbon emissions, emerged as the unanimous favorite.

However, this rice represents more than just superior taste. This year, “Ranyi rice” underwent rigorous carbon footprint assessment and received certification as a carbon-neutral product from the Sichuan United Environmental Exchange, officially earning the distinction of “carbon-neutral rice.”

Why is it important for rice to be carbon-neutral?

For Huang, a local of Qionglai who returned to farming after completing his university studies, the project was about introducing innovation into traditional agriculture. As the green, low-carbon movement gained momentum, he saw an opportunity to produce rice in a sustainable manner, benefiting both the environment and China’s broader “dual carbon” goals.

Initially, Huang faced skepticism. When he presented his idea to Zhang Kaiguo, general manager of Sichuan-based Guotan Tech, Zhang expressed doubt. “Achieving carbon neutrality for an agricultural product is no simple task,” Zhang remarked.

The primary challenge, Zhang explained, lies in the complexity of carbon footprint accounting, which involves measuring the total greenhouse gas emissions and removals over a product’s entire life cycle. “In industrial operations, the calculation process is relatively straightforward, thanks to mature production data systems. However, agriculture is often non-standardized, relying heavily on personal experience. Accurate accounting requires detailed records of every farming activity and its associated emissions,” Zhang explained, acknowledging that such meticulous record-keeping is beyond the capabilities of many farmers.

Undeterred, Huang decided to persist. “I already kept records of agricultural inputs for economic purposes. Now I simply added a ‘low-carbon account,'” he explained, resolving to meet Zhang’s high standards.

The process was demanding: tracking began with the transportation of seeds and extended across more than 10 stages, including planting, field management, harvesting, and processing. In total, over 15 types of detailed data were required just for plot mapping alone. “Every detail had to be documented: fertilizer use per unit area, fuel consumption for machinery, and more,” Huang recalled. Each activity was meticulously logged with the oversight of relevant staff and third-party certifiers.

In spring this year, Huang cultivated 200 mu (approximately 13 hectares) of nationally certified premium rice, reviving the local “Ranyi rice” variety. As the seedlings matured, his “low-carbon ledger” became thicker.

Reducing emissions for sustainable rice cultivation

While record-keeping was vital, the question remained: how could carbon-neutral rice be effectively grown? The solution lay in reducing emissions.

“Chemical fertilizers and pesticides contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions,” Huang noted. To mitigate this, he adopted a hybrid approach, using bio-organic fertilizer alongside organic-inorganic compound fertilizers. “Bio-organic fertilizer can replace some chemical fertilizers, reducing both indirect emissions from production and transport, as well as methane emissions from rice paddies,” explained Huang.

In certain field corners, he placed paper bags containing trichogramma wasp eggs, a natural predator of the rice stem borer. “Using insects for pest control proved even more effective than expected,” he said.

By harvest time, carbon footprint assessments of the 200 mu of rice paddy revealed that the full life-cycle carbon emissions of “Ranyi rice” totaled 946.54 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilogram, nearly 50 percent lower than conventionally grown rice. Huang selected 20 tons of rice for carbon offsetting through the Sichuan United Environmental Exchange’s platform, securing its carbon-neutral certification. The journey of this single grain of rice to carbon neutrality has successfully reached its destination.

“With this certification, the rice now carries a green ‘ID card,'” Huang said. He designed special packaging for “Ranyi rice,” which includes a QR code that provides consumers with  full transparency regarding the product’s carbon footprint.

This year, the transition to carbon-neutral rice has brought tangible benefits to Huang’s farm: soil fertility has improved, and the quality of the produce has been enhanced. In Qionglai, several near-zero-carbon zones and carbon-neutral agricultural products are emerging, as the region embraces the green, low-carbon philosophy, injecting new vitality into its agricultural development.

By Luo Shanshan, People’s Daily

On Dec. 18, China launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP). As of Nov. 10, China had extended its unilateral visa-exemption arrangements for 48 countries. In an era of rising global protectionism, why is China choosing to further expand voluntary opening up?

Let’s start with the Hainan FTP.

Starting Dec. 18, 2025, Hainan has launched island-wide special customs operations, allowing freer entry of overseas goods, expanding zero-tariff coverage, and introducing more business-friendly measures. This initiative will significantly ease the entry and exit of people, goods, capital and data across Hainan, enhancing its position as a hub of global exchange.

What has expanded opening up brought?

The results are evident in Hainan’s development. Since the release of an overall plan for the development of the Hainan FTP in June 2020, Hainan has attracted102.5 billion yuan ($14.56 billion) in foreign investment, with an average annual growth rate of 14.6 percent. Additionally, trade in goods and services increased by average rates of 31.3 percent and 32.3 percent respectively, while the province’s economic openness reached 35 percent. With the formal launch of island-wide special customs operations, Hainan is well-positioned to seize new opportunities for growth and global integration.

Looking back at China’s reform and opening-up process, the use of opening up to drive reform and development has been a key factor behind the country’s continued progress and achievements.

By the end of 2024, the number of foreign-funded companies in China had grown to nearly 1.24 million, with almost 700,000 foreign trade companies engaging in import and export activities. Foreign trade and foreign investment have directly or indirectly created jobs for more than 200 million people. In November this year, China’s actual foreign direct investment jumped 26.1 percent year on year.

In today’s increasingly turbulent and complex international environment, where protectionist tendencies are on the rise, expanding opening up has become more challenging. This requires a dynamic balance between opening up and ensuring security. The key to achieving this balance lies in China’s approach to voluntary opening up.

Voluntary opening up is a defining feature of China’s high-level opening up in the new era. It is an approach driven by China’s own development needs while also fostering constructive interaction with the rest of the world. This method involves a measured, well-defined and multi-tiered approach, tailored to the specific needs of different industries and sectors. Central to voluntary opening up is the notion of initiating openness on China’s own terms, emphasizing cooperation and mutually beneficial outcomes.

Voluntary opening up is neither driven solely by reciprocity nor by external pressure. Rather, it is rooted in China’s modernization efforts and founded on principles of independence and self-reliance.

China has enacted a series of voluntary opening up policies, including the promotion of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, the expansion of pilot free trade zones, and the establishment of platforms such as the China International Import Expo. Furthermore, China has granted zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines to all least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations, while steadily expanding the list of countries eligible for unilateral visa-free entry.

These efforts not only support China’s domestic development, but also bring tangible benefits to the wider world.

The level of opening up is closely linked to the depth of reform and the stage of economic development, with each reinforcing the other in a virtuous cycle. Deeper reform and higher-quality development enhance a country’s capacity to open up further, while broader opening up drives continued reform and fosters better development outcomes.

Today, China is home to the world’s largest middle-income group, offering vast market potential and growth prospects. It has a complete industrial system with more than 200 mature industrial clusters, as well as a large pool of highly skilled workers and entrepreneurs. 

These advantages provide China with substantial capacity to engage proactively with international markets and shape a favorable external environment, thereby gaining a competitive edge in economic development and international competition.

Expanding voluntary opening up serves a dual purpose: domestically, it strengthens China’s capacity to harness opening up as a driver of reform and development; internationally, it enhances China’s role in promoting global cooperation and win-win outcomes. This strategic approach benefits both China and the broader international community.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

On Dec. 18, the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) officially launched island-wide special customs operations, marking another historic moment in China’s reform and opening up. 

At a time when the international landscape is marked by turbulence and transformation, and protectionism is severely disrupting the global economic and trade order, a China that continues to expand high-level opening up is injecting confidence into the world and creating new opportunities, fully demonstrating a sense of vision and responsibility befitting its role in the times.

The Hainan FTP will serve as a key gateway for China’s opening up in the new era. The development of the Hainan FTP is a major reform and opening up initiative personally planned and advanced by Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

From both domestic and international perspectives, it is a major strategic decision made by the Communist Party of China Central Committee to push forward the innovation and development of socialism with Chinese characteristics. 

Following the launch of special customs operations, Hainan will implement a liberalized and facilitative policy framework characterized by “freer access at the first line, regulated access at the second line, and free flow within the island” while steadily creating conditions for the full implementation of a system featuring zero tariffs, low tax rates, and simplified tax system. 

As relevant institutions are further refined and policy dividends continue to be released, the Hainan FTP will transform its openness momentum into drivers of high-quality development, guiding China’s high-level opening up in the new era to a higher stage and injecting fresh impetus into the advancement of economic globalization. 

The Malaysian National News Agency, or Bernama, noted that as the global trade landscape undergoes profound changes, China’s efforts to build this high-standard economic zone reflect both the confidence of a major global economy and its determination to play a leading role in global economic development.

With a higher level of opening up and higher standards of reform, the Hainan FTP is generating a “Hainan experience” that is replicable and scalable for China’s broader reform and opening up. 

Since the release of the master plan for the Hainan FTP in June 2020, institutional and mechanism innovation across the fields of Hainan’s opening up has continued to advance, with an initial policy and institutional system centered on trade and investment liberalization and facilitation taking shape. 

Hainan has rolled out the country’s first negative list for cross-border trade in services, set up and upgraded the “single window” for international trade and investment, implemented the two 15-percent income tax policies for enterprises and individuals, and expanded visa-free entry to citizens of 86 countries. These reforms in capital flows, personnel exchange, transport connectivity, and orderly data flows show the Hainan FTP’s strong alignment with international rules. They represent an important practice in China’s pursuit of institutional opening up. 

To date, Hainan has cultivated 21 batches of 173 integrated institutional innovation cases. 82 of them have received national-level recognition and 37 have been promoted nationwide.

As development accelerates, the FTP is enhancing regional coordination and creating new cooperation opportunities globally, particularly with neighboring countries.

On the one hand, a growing number of Chinese enterprises are leveraging the institutional advantages of the Hainan FTP to “go global,” promoting smoother linkages between domestic and international circulation. 

Data show that in the first half of 2025 alone, Hainan enterprises added 167 overseas investment filing projects, up 103 percent year on year. 

On the other hand, initiatives like Yangpu Port’s international transshipment pilot, optimized tropical agriculture layouts, and cross-border aircraft maintenance cooperation demonstrate how institutional opening drives regional supply chain development.

Observers note that the Hainan FTP provides multinational enterprises with a stable, transparent, and predictable business environment, boosting global competitiveness while facilitating market access. This reflects growing worldwide interest in Hainan’s opportunities.

Opening up is the only path to prosperity and development, and a defining feature of Chinese modernization. The launch of special customs operations in the Hainan FTP once again sends a clear message to the world: China’s resolve to expand high-level opening up will not waver; its commitment to sharing development opportunities with the rest of the world will not waver; and its determination to advance economic globalization will not waver.

By Wang Donghui, Luo Shanshan, People’s Daily

In the Yueyang area of the China (Hunan) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Hunan pilot FTZ) in central China’s Hunan province, cargo trucks are lined up to enter the comprehensive bonded zone. Driver Gan Baowang smoothly navigated his truck toward the checkpoint, passing through within moments.

To address challenges such as cumbersome declaration processes, prolonged waiting time, and inefficient procedures for goods and personnel entering and exiting the bonded zone, the Yueyang area of the Hunan FTZ has implemented a new, streamlined management model.

“When goods move into the comprehensive bonded zone, if issues such as discrepancies in vehicle information arise, the backend system immediately sends alerts to enterprises, while staff direct vehicles to designated inspection areas for rapid handling,” explained Chen Yu, director of the innovation and coordination department of the administrative committee of the Yueyang area. 

“As a result, the time spent at checkpoints has been reduced from 30 to 50 minutes to approximately 40 seconds,” said Chen.

This advancement in trade facilitation serves as a prime example of how the Hunan pilot FTZ is building itself into an inland hub for reform and opening up through institutional innovation. Since its inception five years ago, the FTZ has actively explored new paths in industrial development and opening up, yielding significant achievements.

Over the past five years, the Hunan pilot FTZ has seen the establishment of 54,700 new enterprises, attracted 575 major projects with a total investment of 767.37 billion yuan ($108.95 billion), and generated 109 institutional innovation outcomes, seven of which have been promoted nationwide.

The FTZ, comprising three areas, leverages their respective advantages and pursues differentiated development priorities, according to Hu Songqiang, an official with the Hunan provincial department of commerce.

Through domestic reform and international collaboration, the Hunan pilot FTZ has leveraged its strengths in fostering cooperation with Africa to advance China-Africa economic and trade relations.

Platforms such as the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo and the Pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation have yielded substantial progress in this regard.  At the Gaoqiao Grand Market in the Changsha area of the FTZ, a diverse range of African goods, including South African wine, are displayed. Additionally, the Chenzhou area has launched four air routes to Africa, while the cargo value transported via the Hunan-Guangdong-Africa rail-sea intermodal transport service has exceeded $500 million. Yueyang has also become home to the headquarters of the Pilot Zone for In-depth China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation, expanding investment in the primary processing of African agricultural products.

“As trade exchanges continue to strengthen, we are committed to providing better services for Hunan enterprises seeking to expand globally,” said Deng You, deputy director of the Yuhua administrative committee in the Changsha area of the Hunan pilot FTZ. He noted that the Changsha area has promoted the establishment of the China-Africa Technical Measures to Trade Research and Evaluation Base, which aids enterprises in penetrating new markets.

“The base provides professional training and personalized consulting, enabling enterprises to gain a comprehensive understanding of market access standards and policy procedures in target countries,” a representative of the base explained.

Since its establishment, the base has been guided by Changsha customs in conducting 430 evaluations of technical trade measures. Of these, 120 evaluation opinions have been adopted by the Research Center for International Inspection and Quarantine Standards and Technical Regulations under the General Administration of Customs of China, with six receiving formal responses from notified countries. These evaluations cover products with annual exports to Africa valued at over 2.9 billion yuan.

So far, 14 cities and prefectures in Hunan have established paired cooperation mechanisms with 28 African countries. According to Changsha customs, trade between Hunan and Africa grew at an average annual rate of 14.3 percent from 2021 to 2024, ranking first among central and western regions of China. In the first 11 months of this year, Hunan’s imports and exports with Africa reached 53.99 billion yuan.