Nigeria Times

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Mohe, China’s northernmost city in Heilongjiang province, experiences March temperatures still plunge below minus 20 degrees Celsius. Historically defined by its extreme location and bitter cold, these very conditions once posed significant development challenges for the city. 

Today, however, Mohe’s frigid climate is becoming a powerful economic driver. It attracts tourists seeking the unique “northernmost China” experience and fostering a booming vehicle testing industry specifically designed for cold regions.

The ice-and-snow economy is injecting strong momentum into China’s high-quality development while reshaping the global winter sports industry and opening a window of opportunity for the world.

While the global ice-and-snow industry has been uneven, the rapid rise of the Chinese market is lifting confidence across the sector. 

In 2025, the total size of China’s ice-and-snow economy surpassed 1 trillion yuan ($144.92 billion) for the first time, nearly quadrupling in size over the past decade. 

During the 2025-2026 winter season, ice-and-snow leisure tourism trips are expected to reach 360 million, generating revenue of 450 billion yuan. 

China has become the world’s most promising market for winter consumption and one of the few regions maintaining rapid growth.

China is continuously expanding the boundaries of its ice-and-snow economy, charting a sustainable path for the global industry. 

In Huanren Manchu autonomous county, northeast China’s Liaoning province, local efforts to develop icewine production have turned the region’s speficalty into a sought-after “purple gold.” 

In Liupanshui, southwest China’s Guizhou province, high-altitude skiing has been combined with rural cultural tourism to fashion the area into a distinctive “southern ice-and-snow destination.”

Meanwhile, Chengdu of Sichuan province in southwest China has rolled out a ski-and-hot-springs experience, drawing visitors from across the country.

These homegrown innovations demonstrate to the world the vast potential of deeply integrating winter industries with technological development and cultural tourism.

As noted by U.S. independent journal Eurasia Review, the “cold economy” is no longer a seasonal curiosity; it is a permanent and growing component of China’s economy, providing a blueprint for how leisure consumption can drive high-tech manufacturing and regional growth in the 21st century.

The rise of China’s trillion-yuan ice-and-snow economy is also creating shared opportunities for global businesses. 

German multinational Bosch has opened its largest Asia-Pacific automotive winter test center in Yakeshi, north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region, taking advantage of the area’s extreme climate for vehicle testing. 

TechnoAlpin, Italy’s manufacturer of snowmaking systems, plans to build its fourth-largest equipment center in China, leveraging the domestic market to serve surrounding regions. 

Doppelmayr Group, an Austrian manufacturer of ropeways and people movers for ski areas, has participated in the construction and operation of nine aerial ropeways at the National Alpine Skiing Center in Beijing’s Yanqing District.

From equipment manufacturing to tourism services, China’s dynamic winter market is becoming a preferred destination for global industry players seeking long-term growth.

China’s booming ice-and-snow economy vividly reflect how the country, in this new era, is contributing to the world through its own high-quality development. At a time when the global economy urgently needs new growth drivers, China is extending a sincere invitation for win-win cooperation, fueled by the vast potential of its super-sized market and the vitality of innovation-driven growth.

Looking ahead, China will continue to creat new opportunities for global development, working with all countries to build a better shared future.

By Zhu Jiaqi, PeopleDaily

Lipu, in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, operates at the heart of a global hanger manufacturing hub. Automated production lines hum in local factories, where environmentally coated hangers undergo precision polishing before shipping worldwide.

As China’s designated “Hanger Capital,” Lipu has established this sector as its core industry. The city has built a complete industrial chain that includes eight supporting industries and more than 3,000 product varieties. Today, Lipu is home to over 300 companies producing more than 4 billion hangers annually, with more than 80 percent of its wooden hangers exported to over 100 countries and regions.

Polishing parts, assembling components, labeling and packaging — at a production workshop of Guangxi Guilin Huahai Home Furnishing Co., Ltd. (Huahai), a batch of birchwood hangers moved smoothly down a fully automated production line. Soon they were packed and ready for shipment to Europe.

“To ensure we can deliver orders on time, smart manufacturing is the key,” said Cai Gaoxu, general manager of Huahai.

In 2022, the company purchased its first intelligent production line. Over the next three years, it added five more. Today, 95 percent of Huahai’s production is automated, and the company has been recognized as a smart factory by regional authorities.

“In the earliest days, hangers were made entirely by hand, and the hooks were bent from bicycle spokes,” recalled Qin Yuangao, chairman of Yuxiang Home Furnishing Products Co., Ltd., Lipu’s first hanger enterprise. He has witnessed firsthand the evolution of production technology in the local industry.

Today, more than 90 percent of Lipu’s export orders come from large-volume buyers, and many local companies maintain stable overseas client bases.

Automation has not only expanded production capacity but also improved product quality. At Butler Courtesy (Guilin) Inc., four large box-shaped machines roared as they operated. On the machine screens, processing parameters were set with precision down to 0.5 millimeters. Workers fed wood pieces into the machines, and in less than three minutes, 12 hanger halves were polished into shape. After assembly, they became six finished premium hangers.

“This is our ‘one-touch molding’ production line,” said Jiang Muxun, general manager of the company. “It achieves higher precision than traditional manual polishing, ensures more reliable quality and significantly reduces rework. We hold patents for the technology.”

Smart technology is also applied beyond the factory floor.

“We use digital software for market analysis, product application scenario design, material simulation and visual recognition,” Qin said. “These technologies reduce the cost of trial and error in the early stages. This year, we will launch a digital transformation program to connect data across all processes and use artificial intelligence to enhance design, production and management.”

Just how many forms can a hanger take? At an exhibition hall in Lipu, nine major categories of hangers are showcased, including wooden, bamboo, fabric-covered, plastic-coated, aluminum alloy, flocked, rubber-plastic, wood-plastic and metal-wood designs. There are also personalized styles such as rhinestone-studded hangers and specially shaped models. Local companies each have their own specialties. Behind this variety lies constant innovation.

Environmental responsibility shapes material science. “We transitioned from oil-based to water-based coatings over a decade ago to meet global standards,” Cai emphasizes. Collaborating with Guilin University of Technology, Maos Hangers developed renewable injection-molded hangers, complementing their 2025 iron-wood design launch.

Some companies focus on high-end, customized products, while others concentrate on mass-market items.

“European and American customers prefer wooden hangers, but they take up more space and are relatively costly,” Qin explained. “So we made wooden hangers thinner, allowing more people to use high-quality wooden hangers.”

So far, hanger companies in Lipu hold 30 valid invention patents and 57 utility model and design patents.

“The hanger industry is about much more than hangers,” said Li Qingsong, vice mayor of Lipu. “In recent years, global trade conditions have been complex and constantly changing, yet our export figures have remained stable. The key is that the entire industry, from upstream to downstream, has worked together, strengthening companies’ international competitiveness.”

Pooling resources has enabled the industry to maximize limited inputs and unlock internal vitality. Today, Lipu’s hanger sector has horizontally driven the development of related industries such as hardware, electroplating, coatings, and packaging. Vertically, it has stimulated upstream and downstream sectors including forestry cultivation, trade, logistics, and scientific research. This complete industrial cluster has laid a solid foundation for the growth of the hanger industry.

By Luo Wei

Last December, at its 20th session, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage under UNESCO decided to move China’s “Hezhen Yimakan storytelling” from the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

It was another item from China to be moved to the Representative List after the traditional Li textile techniques of spinning, dyeing, weaving and embroidering, the traditional design and practices for building Chinese wooden arch bridges, and the Qiang New Year festival, which joined the list in 2024.

Intangible cultural heritage is living heritage, and its protection is an ongoing, dynamic process. 

Under the framework of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, intangible cultural items that are endangered and in need of immediate protection should be included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

If an item is removed from the list and added to the Representative List, it signals that the item has been effectively preserved, revitalized and strengthened, with its viability significantly enhanced.

The addition of the four Chinese items to the Representative List not only reflects the effectiveness of China’s systematic safeguarding efforts, but also offers useful reference for other countries. It is, at the same time, a recognition by the international community of China’s achievements and its fulfillment of convention obligations.

Take the Qiang New Year festival as an example. The Qiang-inhabited areas, primarily located in Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture in southwest China’s Sichuan province, were severely damaged in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. This once put the continuity of the festival at risk.

In response, a national-level Qiang cultural and ecological protection zone was established in October of that year to provide comprehensive protection for Qiang-inhabited areas as a whole. This timely intervention enabled the Qiang New Year festival to be preserved without interruption, even in the aftermath of the major natural disaster.

Moreover, the festival has evolved significantly. A rotating system has been introduced, with host celebrations held in Wenchuan, Lixian, Maoxian and Beichuan counties, replacing the earlier village-based observances. What was once celebrated within individual communities has now become a regional event, attracting participation not only from the Qiang people but also from Han, Tibetan, Hui and other ethnic groups.

China has adopted a multi-pronged approach to safeguarding its intangible cultural heritage, including legislative protection, rescue-oriented safeguarding, productive conservation, holistic preservation and digital preservation. These efforts are aimed at strengthening the capacity for heritage transmission, protecting spaces where heritage is practiced, and continuously enhancing the viability of intangible cultural heritage.

Traditional Li textile techniques, once endangered by industrialization, were revived through government funding, policy support, and multi-stakeholder collaboration involving skill training, cooperative production, and sustainable market development.

The addition of these items in the Representative List reflects not only outcomes, but also the accumulation of valuable experience. Strong support from the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government for the preservation and development of fine traditional Chinese culture has provided a solid foundation for high-quality intangible cultural heritage protection. 

In recent years, China has established a protection system for intangible cultural heritage that is tailored to its national conditions and provides essential institutional safeguards. With the government playing a leading role to clarify responsibilities, it encourages public participation to uphold people’s cultural rights. The system is guided by long-term planning rooted in a science-based approach to development, adheres to the principle of “protection first” as its fundamental direction, and prioritizes emergency safeguarding to address the most pressing tasks.

Rooted in the daily lives and cultural practices of diverse countries and ethnic groups, intangible cultural heritage embodies how people think, what they do, and the aspirations they hold. 

Through its engagement in the global effort to safeguard intangible cultural heritage, China is presenting captivating stories of its heritage, sharing its experience, and contributing its vision.

In doing so, it conveys a distinctive Chinese cultural ideal — one that celebrates one’s own heritage, appreciates that of others, and seeks harmony in diversity, envisioning a world of shared beauty.

(Luo Wei is director of the center for cultural development strategy studies at the Chinese National Academy of Arts.)

By Jiang Hongbing, People’s Daily

In June 2023, Fudan University launched its campus-based cloud intelligent computing platform. 

Building on this initiative, Professor Qi Yuan and colleagues proposed to Shanghai’s municipal leadership that China develop large-scale scientific AI models, drawing inspiration from leading global projects. 

Their proposal received approval within a week. By September of that year, the Shanghai Academy of AI for Science (SAIS) was officially established.

More than two years later, the institute has become a benchmark for “new research infrastructure,” with a steady stream of breakthroughs.

On March 1, 2026, SAIS unveiled super scientific research partner Dasheng, an intelligent agent capable of autonomously breaking down research tasks and advancing projects based on natural language instructions.

Dasheng is highly versatile. It supports research across life sciences, earth sciences, humanities and other fields. Powered by strong foundational model tools, it can even generate multiple parallel “instances” to handle complex and time-intensive tasks simultaneously.

Dasheng is developed under the NovaInspire platform jointly built by SAIS, Fudan University, and Shanghai-based AI company INF. The platform made its debut at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference 2025, where it introduced the concepts of “scientist-centered design” and “accelerating scientific discovery.” 

Through continuous iteration, the platform has integrated over 400 scientific models and tools, accumulated 22 petabytes of high-value data, and incorporated more than 500 million academic papers and patents, generating a growing number of innovations.

At SAIS, several domain-specific scientific models — named after figures from Chinese mythology — are designed to address key scientific challenges in high-value industrial applications.

In materials science, the Suiren model has built a candidate library of 12,000 molecules to train generative models, accelerating the discovery of new electrolyte formulations for lithium batteries.

In drug design, the Nvwa RNA model, combined with a proprietary siRNA database, has overcome key bottlenecks in siRNA drug development. Its goal is to evolve into a “living” scientific AI infrastructure, one that can be repeatedly used and continuously improved by scientists and industry experts.

In earth sciences, alongside the FuXi weather model, SAIS has also developed PI@Climate, a large language model trained on data spanning more than ten primary disciplines. As China’s self-developed climate science model, it is already providing intelligent support for climate research, international climate negotiations, and policy-making.

According to Wu Libo, assistant president of Fudan University and chair of SAIS, the institute’s exploration is helping universities systematically validate a new paradigm for future scientific research. SAIS has already established in-depth collaboration with 43 teams at Fudan University, supporting the creation of 18 interdisciplinary centers for scientific intelligence. 

“We aim to break down the boundaries between disciplines, engineering, platforms, and talent development,” Wu said.

SAIS fosters innovation through initiatives like its “research bar,” where young researchers can receive a free drink in exchange for sharing their ideas and innovations — an initiative that reflects a vibrant and youth-driven culture.

The institute’s multidisciplinary team averages 33 years in age, About 31 percent recruited from overseas universities and leading AI labs, while 40 percent bring extensive engineering experience from top tech companies. “Our greatest strength lies in these young talents,” Wu noted.

What attracts such a dynamic group of innovators?

Sun Xiuyu, an AI scientist in earth sciences, pointed out that under an organized research framework, SAIS provides participating teams with high-quality computing resources and considerable research autonomy, enabling young researchers to turn ideas into reality through continuous experimentation.

Wang Wenli, a materials science researcher, values the institute’s collaborative environment, where scientists, AI experts, and engineers interact face-to-face on a regular basis. “What we create here naturally integrates the genetic strengths of multiple disciplines,” she said.

Jiang Ruoxi, an AI scientist at SAIS, added, “What initially attracted me was the close integration with industry, but the speed of progress has exceed all expectations.”

“Our goal is to build a world-class scientific intelligence institution by 2030,” said Qi Yuan, president of SAIS, expressing strong confidence in the institute’s future.

By Bao Han, People’s Daily

Recently, a trend dubbed “Chinamaxxing” has been gaining traction on overseas social media. How this phenomenon is interpreted reflects differing attitudes toward cross-cultural exchange.

A growing number of overseas netizens describe themselves as being in a “Chinamaxxing” phase — embracing Chinese ways of living. One original video tagged “becoming Chinese” has garnered over a million views, as practices like brewing wellness tea and practicing traditional Chinese health exercise Baduanjin(traditional Chinese health exercises) become symbols of a “cool” lifestyle among young people abroad.

And the trend is now moving offline. At markets in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, mamianqun, which literally translates into “horse-face skirts,” a traditional Chinese costume, has become top sellers. In Italy, Spring Festival items such as couplets, paper-cuttings and zodiac-themed cultural products are enjoying brisk sales. 

More people now believe that the best way to experience Chinamaxxing is to visit China in person. Data shows that during the Spring Festival holiday this year, inbound tourist visits to China doubled year on year.

Some media outlets have interpreted the Chinamaxxing trend not as cultural “role-playing,” but as a form of “subconscious identification.” Chinese culture is fully capable of inspiring such resonance. 

By blending history with modernity, and tradition with fashion, China offers a uniquely rich cultural experience.

In today’s China, one can enjoy the convenience of “doing it all with one smartphone.” At the same time, traditional ways of living endure — imbued with a sense of mindfulness, where everyday moments are approached with care and intention. Modern infrastructure like high-speed rail and 5G connects the country, while lesser-known “hidden gem” cities invite leisurely exploration. Cutting-edge technological innovation thrives alongside the unhurried craftsmanship of intangible cultural heritage.

As international visitors engage with and experience Chinese culture, what begins as a “cool” encounter often evolves into deeper reflection on ways of life, revealing the true essence and appeal of cross-cultural exchange.

The rise of the Chinamaxxing trend offers a fresh lens through which to understand China. There was a time when misconceptions and biases about the country circulated widely in some Western societies, shaping a distorted image of China. Today, however, China’s continued development, expanding opening up and technological advances have paved the way for this Chinamaxxing phenomenon. 

As more people engage with China firsthand, their understanding of the country deepens — moving beyond traditional cultural symbols to shape a more nuanced view of the country. This shift, subtle yet profound, is reshaping global perceptions of China. 

As some international observers noted: “What people see on TikTok is not a static, traditional China, but a modern and confident one.” It offers, in their words, “a powerful correction to the image many grew up with.”

That said, overcoming entrenched biases takes time. While more young people abroad are embracing habits like drinking warm lemon honey water, some in Western societies react with unease even anxiety. 

They frame the Chinamaxxing trend as a form of “cultural shock,” claiming that young people are “betraying” their own societies on aesthetic, moral, or even political grounds. Casting normal cultural exchange as “cultural infiltration” or “ideological invasion”, or forcing it into a geopolitical narrative, says more about their own mindset than about the trend itself. Such thinking is increasingly out of step with the interconnected world, where exchanges among civilizations are constant.

As The Guardian, UK aptly observed, if embracing elements of other cultures, from Chinese aesthetics to French country kitchens, qualifies as “betrayal,” then such “traitors” are everywhere.

Cultural exchange and mutual learning among civilizations is not a zero-sum game. The global spread of Chinese culture does not rely on imposition or indoctrination, but on sharing rooted in equality, respect and voluntary participation. 

As more people around the world are naturally drawn to Chinese culture, rather than reacting with unnecessary anxiety, it may be wiser — as one commentator suggested — to pause, relax, and enjoy a cup of tea.

By Fang Yuan, People’s Daily

Within the Harbin Science and Technology Innovation City in Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang province, stands a cluster of white buildings, covering an area roughly the size of 50 football fields. 

The complex houses one of China’s key national science and technology infrastructure projects in the aerospace sector: the Space Environment Simulation and Research Infrastructure (SESRI), often referred to as the “ground-based space station,” it was jointly developed by Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) and the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The project took nearly two decades of research and engineering before achieving national acceptance in 2024. 

SESRI has the unique capability to replicate nine major types of extreme space conditions — including vacuum, radiation, weak magnetic fields and plasma — bringing the harsh cosmic environment down to Earth to provide indispensable ground verification for a range of major space missions.

“While most ground-based simulation facilities in the world focus on a single factor, but the real environment of outer space usually involves the coupling of multiple factors,” said Li Liyi, director of the SESRI at HIT. “The purpose of building the ‘ground-based space station’ is to simulate the real conditions of space as closely as possible.”

Rather than being a simple collection of separate laboratories, the facility can reproduce complex interactions — such as the coupling of radiation and ultra-low temperatures, or interactions among different radiation sources — within the same physical space, creating a more realistic simulation of the space environment.

The facility supports a wide spectrum of scientific research. It can simulate space dust impacts at speeds of up to 70 kilometers per second to help design protective shielding for spacecraft. Inside a massive vacuum chamber, engineers can overcome atmospheric pressure differences approaching 10 tons per square meter while maintaining millimeter-level positioning accuracy for key equipment. The system can also recreate charged lunar dust environments to test the durability of spacesuit materials.

The research team overcame 15 key technological challenges during development. The facility has already supported the development of more than 2,000 aerospace components and helped validate and certify over 10 major space mission models.

Since becoming operational, the “ground-based space station” has attracted scientists from China and abroad thanks to its powerful simulation capabilities and has become an important platform for cutting-edge research.

“In the past, we could only conduct experiments with devices measuring a few dozen centimeters. Here, the equipment is dozens of times larger, enabling us to investigate far more complex physical processes,” said Lu Quanming, a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China.

In March 2025, Lu’s team worked with researchers at HIT to achieve the first laboratory-based simulation and confirmation of magnetic reconnection processes in the Earth’s magnetopause configuration.

Activity at SESRI has also surged alongside China’s rapidly growing commercial space sector. “In 2023, commercial spaceflight experiments accounted for only 36 percent of all missions conducted here. By the second half of 2025, that share had risen to 67 percent,” Li said. The facility now provides ground testing and verification for electronic systems used in most satellites across several Chinese satellite constellations, helping accelerate the deployment of China’s low-Earth-orbit constellation networks.

SESRI is open not only to domestic users but also to international partners. Through initiatives such as the Global Open Program released via the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization, the facility has established partnerships with eight countries and 15 research institutions, promoting joint research, data sharing and talent training. Scientific cooperation in multiple key fields is helping build bridges for cross-border collaboration through technological exchange.

Since its acceptance, the facility has supported major strategic missions and frontier scientific exploration across fields such as human spaceflight, commercial spaceflight, deep-space exploration, health care, agricultural breeding, new materials and new energy. It has served more than 200 user organizations — including the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation — and over 400 research teams, delivering more than 60,000 hours of testing services.

“Looking ahead, the development of the ‘ground-based space station’ will move toward greater precision, broader applications and deeper research,” Li said.

Technologically, SESRI will continue advancing higher-precision environmental simulation capabilities to meet the needs of sectors such as aerospace, semiconductor chips and advanced materials. In terms of services, it will extend support to emerging and future industries including deep-space exploration, quantum technology and new energy. In international cooperation, it will provide unique testing conditions for global research teams, particularly in areas such as radiation-resistant materials for deep-space missions and spacecraft reliability verification.

“We will use this facility to accelerate the implementation of the Global Open Program,” Li said. “By bringing together leading universities, research institutions and top scientists worldwide, we aim to jointly launch major international scientific programs and conduct frontier exploration.”

More than a major scientific facility for China, the “ground-based space station” is also a frontier outpost for humanity’s exploration of the universe. Looking ahead, it will continue to provide essential ground support for future missions, including crewed lunar landings, Mars sample returns and exploration of the outer solar system.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Since the start of this year, diverse cultural exchange activities have been bringing people worldwide closer, fostering mutual understanding and shared values. They are sending a warm current of trust and friendship across the world, showcasing the vitality of the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI).

From film festivals to singing competitions, cultural exchanges between China and Africa have flourished this year, designated as the China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges. Around the world, more people are embracing Chinese New Year traditions and making the Chinese festival a truly global celebration. Wellness tea and traditional Baduanjin exercise are going viral overseas, while the cultural phenomenon of “becoming Chinese” is capturing hearts and minds. 

On March 15, 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the GCI at the Communist Party (CPC) of China in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting. The initiative advocates the respect for the diversity of civilizations, the common values of humanity, the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilizations and robust international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation.

Rooted in the rich heritage of Chinese civilization, the initiative advocates seeking common ground while respecting differences and promoting harmonious coexistence, principles that resonate with the multicultural diversity and concepts of coexistence found in many countries. 

Over the past three years, the GCI has fostered global consensus in cultural and civilizational spheres. It has been translated into vibrant exchanges and cooperation, gathering momentum to bridge misunderstandings, enhance mutual understanding among peoples, and inject positive energy into the joint effort to address global challenges.

How civilizations are viewed has a profound bearing on human progress as well as world peace and security. Today’s world is facing multiple challenges and crises, and one of the important reasons for current conflicts and disputes is a few countries’ advocacy of notions such as the “clash of civilizations” and “civilizational superiority,” which equate cultural differences with confrontation and further widens the development gap and governance imbalances.

At this new crossroads in human history, it is increasingly urgent to transcend estrangement through civilizational exchange and overcome conflicts through mutual learning among civilizations.

The GCI emphasizes that civilizations are diverse, advocating harmony in diversity and mutual appreciation for common progress; that civilizations are interconnected, promoting shared commitment and advancing along the path of common development; that civilizations are evolving, encouraging people to understand where they come from and chart a course for the future; and that civilizations are inclusive, advocating dialogue, cooperation, mutual understanding, and affinity.

The values and approaches embedded in the initiative point the way forward for strengthening civilizational exchanges and for advancing human civilization.

Focusing on the reality of diverse world civilizations and addressing the urgent need to move beyond civilizational confrontation, the GCI has received broad recognition from the international community. It has been incorporated into multiple United Nations resolutions as well as various bilateral and multilateral documents. 

The 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly designated June 10 as the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations, incorporating civilizational dialogue into global institutional arrangements. 

In June 2025, a world-wide event marking the first International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations was held. The following month, the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting convened in Beijing and issued the Beijing Declaration along with a list of action plans, providing a clear roadmap for turning the idea of civilizational dialogue into institutionalized practice.

China has helped build a range of international platforms at different levels, including the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, the Liangzhu Forum, the World Conference of Classics and the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting. 

It has signed cooperation agreements in fields such as culture, cultural heritage and tourism with more than 100 countries, while deepening cooperation in areas such as joint archaeological research, world heritage protection and the mutual translation of classic works. 

Through these efforts, China and its partners are working together to safeguard the cultural treasures of humanity and promote global dialogue among civilizations through concrete actions.

Humanity’s exploration of modernization involves civilizational inheritance, innovation and mutual learning. As a new form of human advancement, Chinese modernization draws inspiration from other civilizations while contributing its own experiences to the global community, enriching the diversity of world civilizations and offering insights for addressing global challenges. 

China has hosted forums like the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting and the High-level Dialogue on Global Development, and taken the lead in establishing the Global South Think Tanks Alliance. It is also working with its African partners to jointly advance 10 partnership action plans and build platforms for sharing governance experience between China and Africa.

Exchanges on governance and development practices have become an important part of implementing the GCI, offering valuable lessons for countries pursuing their own paths to modernization.

Resolving humanity’s conflicts and challenges requires sincerity and the power of shared values. China is ready to work with all parties to put the GCI into action. Through this effort, the light of civilization can guide development and renewal; its strength can enrich humanity’s pursuit of modernization; and its wisdom can advance the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. China hopes to contribute even more to building a better world.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

International attention on China’s “two sessions” — the annual meetings of the country’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress, and top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference — has brought the concept of “understanding of governance performance” into frequent global discourse.

As China enters the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), the Communist Party of China (CPC) has emphasized establishing and practicing a correct understanding of governance performance. 

This focus highlights China’s consistent approach: unwavering stability in policy continuity and people-centered commitment, and steady progress through concrete actions and sustained efforts — building small wins into major victories and opening up new horizons for development.

A look at this year’s government work report and the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan reveals a strong problem-oriented approach and a pragmatic spirit. Balancing needs with feasibility, the plan proposes keeping GDP growth within a reasonable range, with annual targets to be determined according to circumstances. 

It sets five binding indicators related to green and low-carbon development. It also calls for closely integrating efforts to improve people’s well-being with measures to boost consumption, and for combining investment in physical assets and human capital. The CPC’s emphasis on earnest and practical work reflects a conscious commitment to continuing China’s development miracle.

Every achievement made during the previous 14th Five-Year Plan period is the result of hard work and perseverance. Despite a complex global environment, China’s GDP achieved four consecutive leaps, growing at an average annual rate of 5.4 percent, while contributing around 30 percent to global economic growth. 

How did China maintain such forward momentum under pressure? The answer lies in the CPC’s commitment to reality-based policymaking guided by objective development laws — systematically implementing tasks and transforming plans into tangible outcomes. 

China’s experience shows that with steady and sustained efforts, new breakthroughs can be achieved even in the face of challenges, and the certainty of domestic development can help offset uncertainties in the external environment.

The understanding of governance performance is closely intertwined with the philosophy of development. One shapes and is shaped by the other. The overarching requirements — serving the public good, benefiting the people, making reasonable decisions and delivering concrete results — uncover an action logic centered on the people and aimed at high-quality development. 

They demonstrate a policy patience balancing near-term needs with long-term goals. They also embody a governance wisdom that coordinates visible achievements with long-term gains, harmonizes local interests with the bigger picture, and balances development imperatives with improvements in people’s well-being.

Emphasizing the establishment and practice of a correct understanding of governance performance at the outset of the 15th Five-Year Plan period demonstrates a people-centered, truth-seeking and pragmatic approach to development. It also shows the determination to translate blueprints into reality through sustained efforts. 

As Pakistan’s Minute Mirror observed, in an era marked by geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, China’s stability provides a solid foundation for sustained development and sends a message of stability and forward-looking optimism.

The governing principles embedded in a correct understanding of governance performance — seeking truth from facts, putting the people first and planning for the long term — have strengthened international confidence in China’s role.

Take climate governance as an example. Last year, China announced its nationally determined contribution targets for 2035 under the Paris Agreement. The outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan also clearly states that China will actively and prudently advance efforts to reach peak carbon emissions, setting out a clear roadmap. Such pragmatic and concrete policy design injects positive energy into global climate governance.

China’s opening up provides another example. The new visions adopted in the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period have further enriched China’s high-level opening up. China will continue to advance voluntary and unilateral opening up, stabilize the scale of foreign trade while optimizing its structure, expand two-way investment cooperation, and promote high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. 

Through concrete actions that advance international openness and cooperation, China will inject stronger momentum into building an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

By Ding Yiting, People’s Daily

Transformers, seemingly unremarkable devices, have recently become highly sought-after products worldwide. 

According to China’s General Administration of Customs, China’s transformer exports exceeded 64.6 billion yuan ($9.29 billion) in 2025, up nearly 36 percent year on year. The average export price per unit reached about 205,000 yuan, roughly 1/3 higher than the previous year. 

Many transformer manufacturers already have full order books, with some orders for data-center applications scheduled to run through 2027.

What drives this strong global demand for Chinese transformers? The most immediate factor is surging international need. 

Developed economies such as Europe and the United States are upgrading aging power grids. Meanwhile, emerging markets face rising electricity consumption and increasing shares of clean energy, accelerating investment in grid infrastructure. Concurrently, the rapid expansion of overseas computing infrastructure, including data centers, further fuels demand. These converging trends propel the growth of China’s transformer exports.

With numerous companies worldwide competing in this expanding market, why has China emerged as the world’s top transformer producer? Three key words hold the answer. Together, they explain not only why Chinese transformers are selling well, but also the deeper logic behind the global competitiveness of Chinese manufacturing sector.

First, “speed” — made possible by a highly integrated industrial chain.

The competitiveness of a product depends not only on the product itself but also on the industrial ecosystem behind it. China has established the world’s most comprehensive transformer manufacturing system, encompassing everything from raw materials like copper and aluminum to critical components such as transformer cores and on-load tap changers. This system accounts for roughly 60% of global production capacity. 

Close coordination between upstream and downstream industries, together with a highly controllable supply chain, allows Chinese companies to respond rapidly to changes in demand. Their delivery times are often far shorter than those of European and American manufacturers, whose lead times typically range from 18 months to two years.

The advantages of a complete industrial system extend beyond transformers. In robotics, for example, China has steadily developed a comprehensive supporting ecosystem, from high-precision reducers and high-performance servo systems to intelligent controllers. In the Yangtze River Delta, some robots now use 100 percent domestic core components, reducing costs by about 40 percent. In 2025, China’s exports of industrial robots exceeded imports for the first time.

Industrial competition cannot rely on isolated efforts. By leveraging its industrial scale and well-established supporting industries, China has built secure and efficient industrial and supply chains, enabling its enterprises to thrive in the global market and securing the strong foundation of Chinese manufacturing.

Second, “adaptability” — the ability to accurately identify and respond to market demand.

Innovation is reflected not only in technological upgrades but also in products that dynamically adapt to market needs. To satisfy environmental standards in European and American markets, Chinese companies have developed vegetable-oil transformers. For data center applications, they have designed solid-state transformers that occupy less space while offering higher efficiency. By focusing on market requirements and addressing specific customer needs through specialized and customized production, China’s transformer industry has grown rapidly.

Some foreign businesspeople remark that Chinese entrepreneurs have an exceptionally sharp eye for market opportunities: wherever demand appears, Chinese suppliers are often among the first to respond. 

In the small appliance sector, multifunctional heaters, capable of warming a room on all sides while heating tea on top, have become popular in Japan and South Korea. In heavy machinery, cranes equipped with desert tires and special fire-extinguishing systems have gained popularity in Middle Eastern markets. These examples illustrate a simple principle: following the market and responding to demand can open wider global opportunities for Chinese manufacturers.

Third, “reliability” — supported by the vast and diverse application scenarios of Chinese market.

Application scenarios are valuable and often scarce resources for innovation. China’s domestic projects, from power grid upgrades to the construction of computing infrastructure, have provided transformer companies with real-world testing grounds to overcome technological challenges. Over the past five years, the State Grid Corporation of China has completed and put into operation multiple ultra-high-voltage (UHV) transmission projects, helping the country secure technological leadership in UHV transmission and intelligent transformers.

Diverse domestic scenarios, ranging from urban governance to logistics networks, are spurring the rapid development of low-altitude economy. Challenging environments such as high-altitude regions, deserts and Gobi areas, and low-wind-speed zones have pushed wind power companies to develop customized technological solutions. 

China’s enormous market size and rich application scenarios allow products to be tested extensively at home before entering international markets, ensuring both reliability and practicality.

Amid the uncertainties of a rapid changing external environment, it is precisely these strengths —  solid industrial foundations, strong innovation momentum and scenario-based advantages — that give Chinese companies the confidence to compete on the global stage. 

They also highlight an important lesson: regardless of shifting market trends, companies that strengthen their capabilities, sharpen their competitiveness and continuously drive industrial upgrading will be well positioned to succeed in the long run.