Nigeria Times

By Wang Guan, Yan Bingjie

At the bustling Qianmen Gate in Beijing, a major attraction for foreign tourists renowned for its rich cultural heritage,a foreign exchange goods duty-free shop of Sinopharm China National Service Cooperation (Sinopharm CNSC) will soon be transformed into a downtown duty-free shop.

Downtown duty-free shops refer to those approved by China’s State Council to operate within Chinese urban areas and sell duty-free goods to travelers set to leave the country. According to a staff member with the shop of Sinopharm CNSC, this transformation will provide departing tourists with a wider range of shopping options.

Duty-free shops are more appealing than franchisesbecause they sell products at lower prices. Downtown duty-free shops, in particular, offer consumers imported goods that are exempt from customs duties, import value-added tax (VAT) and consumption tax, as well as goods of Chinese brandsthat are eligible for VAT refunds or exemptions, all at significantly discounted prices. Unlike airport duty-free shops, they are more conveniently located and offer flexible shopping hours.

According to the interim measures for the administration of duty-free shops in cities issued by Chinese authorities, a duty-free store will be opened in each of China’s eight cities, namely Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xi’an, Changsha and Fuzhou, starting Oct. 1 this year.

Another 13 foreign exchange goods duty-free shops shall be transformed into downtown duty-free shops within 3 months from the commencement of the new rules, and shall begin to operate only after passing the customs inspection.

The rules also stipulated that duty-free shops in cities are for travelers who will be departing the country by air or international cruise within 60 days. These travelers can purchase at these stores without a shopping limit, but they must comply with Chinese customs regulations that the quantity of items carried by travelers entering and exiting the country shall be for personal use and of a reasonable quantity.

“Downtown duty-free shops will bring new development opportunities for tourism and retail industries. They offer a more convenient shopping experience and are attractive to tourists, thereby driving the development of related industrial chains and creating new growth drivers,” said Ye Yindan, a researcher with the Bank of China’s research institute.

As more countries are included in China’s visa-free transit policy, “China travel” is becoming increasingly popular, leading to a growing consumption enthusiasm of overseas tourists.

Apart fromdowntown duty-free shops, the departure tax refund policy is also an important tax incentive measure introduced by China to facilitate overseas tourists in response to international trends.

Departure tax refund refers to the partial refund of indirect taxes to a foreign tourist who has purchased goods in the destination country. In recent years, the Chinese tax authorities have continuously improved departure tax refund services to further enhance the convenience for overseas tourists. So far, more than 20 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under China’s central government, and cities under separate state planning in China, have introduced departure tax refund policies.

Moreover, Beijing, Shanghai, Sichuan, and other regions provide the instant departure tax refund service, which allows overseas travelers to get an instant tax refund from the merchants after shopping.

After shopping at stores that provide the service, eligible overseas travelers can be rebated with the equivalent amount of RMB at the specific tax refund point. The service can fully meet the practical needs of overseas travelers and effectively improves their consumption experience.

Since the beginning of this year, the departure tax refund business in Beijing has maintained a high growth trend. As of now, the number of overseas travelers applying for tax refund has increased by 2.1 times from a year ago, and the sales of tax refundable goods by 1.5 times year on year.

At a service counter at the SKP Beijing department store, a South Korean tourist and his friends were having their tax refunded. According to Ma Tao, tax manager of the department store, hundreds of shops in the mall can handle departure tax refund business, which covers a variety of daily necessities such as clothing, shoes, bags, cosmetics, and watches.

In addition to fashionable items, specialty products by time-honored Chinese brands are also favored by many foreign tourists.

“Thanks to the development of China’s tourism industry and our increasing overseas influence, we are dealing with more departure tax refund businesses than before, with the majority of tax refundable goods being traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and medicinal herbs,” said Zhang Rui, deputy manager with a drug store of Tong Ren Tang, a TCM manufacturer established in the 17th century, in Dashilan commercial area, Beijing.

An official with Shanghai Municipal Tax Service of China’s State Taxation Administration noted that they will continue improving the distribution of stores providing departure tax refund service and focus on inbound consumption scenarios, so as to make tax refund more accessible and promote the high-quality development of tax-free and refundable economy.

By Fang Min, People’s Daily

Trucks loaded with scrapped vehicles pulled into a dismantling workshop of Henan Recycling Technology Co., Ltd. in Luoyang,, central China’s Henan province. Inside the workshop, scrapped vehicles would be completely repurposed.

In the bustling workshop, machines operated at full capacity, accompanied by the rhythmic clanking of tools. Components such as doors, wheels, batteries, and engines were meticulously disassembled, sorted, and sent to different destinations: steel materials were crushed and delivered to steel mills for reuse; old tires were recycled by downstream companies to produce rubber granules; and engines in good condition were sent to factories for refurbishment in accordance with national standards.

“This year, favorable policies have encouraged many vehicle owners to scrap their old cars and purchase new ones. Once the required documents are prepared, they can claim subsidies,” said Zheng Yinghui, deputy general manager of the Henan-based company.

The “favorable policies” Zheng referred to are China’s recent initiatives to promote vehicle trade-ins. These policies include subsidies for consumers who replace their old vehicles with new ones through official scrapping and renewal programs.

Such measures have sparked enthusiasm for upgrading vehicles and have significantly increased the workload for dismantling enterprises like this one in Henan. According to Wang Gongxian, deputy manager of the scrapped vehicle division ofHenan Recycling Technology Co., Ltd., more than 10,000 scrapped vehicles had been acquired by the company as of early November, a nearly 70 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

At a deregistration inspection area for scrapped vehicles, Zhang Yaoshen drove his old car onto a weighbridge, where the vehicle’s residual value was calculated based on its weight. For most old vehicles, owners receive around 2,000 yuan ($276.48) per ton.

“My car has been running for over a decade, and the fuel consumption has become increasingly high. I’ve been wanting to switch to a new energy vehicle (NEV). The current trade-in subsidies are a great deal, saving me about 20,000 yuan,” Zhang said.

In about half an hour, the deregistration procedures were completed, and his old car joined others heading for the dismantling workshop.

Many car owners, like Zhang, are taking advantage of the policies to replace outdated fuel vehicles with newer, more efficient options. Whether it’s an old fuel vehicle with declining performance or an early-generation new energy vehicle with limited range, these policies are driving a wave of vehicle upgrades across the country.

The vehicle trade-ins are injecting new energy into automobile consumption. By Nov. 18, over 4 million subsidy applications for vehicle scrappage and replacement had been submitted nationwide. In the first ten months of this year, China’s automobile production and sales both surpassed 24 million units, maintaining growth on an already high base.

Encouraged by subsidies, many people have opted for low-carbon, environmentally friendly alternatives. From January to October this year, the production and sales of NEVs in China grew by 33 percent and 33.9 percent year on year, respectively, with nearly 40 percent of new car sales being NEVs. This reflects a growing embrace of green consumption across the country.

The trade-in program has also opened new opportunities for the recycling industry. From January to October, 5.846 million scrapped vehicles were recycled nationwide, a year-on-year increase of 55.9 percent. In October alone, the number of recycled vehicles reached 879,000, up 113.4 percent from a year ago.

Recycling enterprises across China are accelerating technological innovation and enhancing production efficiency. For example, companies are adopting tiered utilization methods for used power batteries to maximize their lifecycle. In response to the increasing scrappage of city buses, diesel trucks, and agricultural machinery, businesses are expanding their operations to improve the speed and efficiency of recycling and reuse.

“Next, we will enhance the speed and efficiency of vehicle dismantling, expand the circular economy, and achieve green, low-carbon development,” said Zheng.

At the same time, relevant authorities are working to regulate the market and improve services. To make the process more convenient and reassuring for car owners, the government regularly publishes information about licensed vehicle recycling and dismantling companies. Efforts are also being made to improve the recycling network, optimize enterprise layout, and promote door-to-door vehicle collection services.

With the ongoing impact of trade-in policies, China’s new car sales market and the automotive after-sales market are poised for even greater growth.

By Liu Shiyao, People’s Daily

A couple of months ago, China launched two new satellites for the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan province.

The two satellites, the 59th and 60th in the family of BeiDou, were the second group of medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellites launched since BDS-3 was formally commissioned to provide satellite navigation services worldwide. They were also the final two satellites for BDS-3.

The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) is a project built and operated by China. After many years in development, it has become animportant new element of China’s infrastructure,providing high-accuracy, round-the-clock positioning, navigation and timing services to global users in all weathers.

China began to develop its own navigation satellite system in 1994. At the end of 2000, BDS-1 entered service and began providing positioning services in China; in 2012, BDS-2 was completed to provide passive positioning services to the Asia-Pacific region; in 2020, BDS-3was officially commissioned to provide satellite navigation services around the globe.

One of the keys that enabled BDS-3 to expand from regional to global coverage is that it has realized measurement and communicationbetween satellites through inter-satellite links, or ISL.

The ISL, a bold and innovative approach, refers to a communication line between satellites – a wireless link capable of both data transmission and distance measurement between spacecraft. Based on Chinese domestic ground stations, this technology enables the “out of sight” BeiDou satellites on the far side of the Earth toestablish connections with other BeiDou satellites,thereby ensuring seamless communication across the entire constellation.

With the collaboration of over 400 organizations and the efforts of more than 300,000 researchers,BDS represents China’s steady improvements and upgrades in satellite navigation.

In March 2015, China launched the first BDS-3experimental satellite that involved 70 percent newly developed technologies, maintaining sound operations ever since.

Traditionally, the proportion of new technologies used in satellites does not exceed 30 percent. How was this satellite able to push this boundary to 70 percent?Lin Baojun, researcher with the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief designer of BDS-3, gives the answer.

“It usually takes about 10 years to develop a key technology, while a satellite often operates for more than 10 years. This means that by the time a satellite completes its mission, it’s using technologies that arealready 20 years old. That’s why it is crucial to adopt an innovative and forward-lookingapproach in satellite development,” said Lin.

Lin streamlined the satellite’s structure by merging more than 10 subsystems, such as structural components and thermal control, into four major functional chains: electronics, control, structure, and payload. This simplification improved the reliability of the whole system. After repeated selection and testing, Lin and his team adopted mature components and manufacturing processes to ensure the implementation of new technologies, making the satellite technologically advanced.

Sources say that BDS has made breakthroughs in a host of key technologies, achieving the independent development of multiple key components. All the core components of BDS-3 satellites are independently developed and produced by China.

Zheng Xiaodong, a senior engineer with the 54th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, has been dedicated to developing BDS’ ground system for over 20 years. His team has independently developed the short message communication system unique to BDS-3.

Distinguished from other satellite navigation systems which are limited to passive positioning and can only determine the position of users, BDS-3 can not only know “where I am” but also share “what I’m doing.”When other communication methods break down in case of emergencies like sudden earthquakes or maritime distress, the shortmessage communication services can be indispensable for sending distress signals and saving lives.

To bring satellite messaging to every household, Zheng’s team innovatively came up with the idea of equipping mobile phones with the BDS-3 short message communication function.

“This requires the product to achieve high-power transmission and high-sensitivity reception within an extremely compact design,” Zheng explained.

The team has overcome key technological challenges, such as high-sensitivity rapid acquisition and integrated RF-baseband design, and developed the world’s first low-cost, low-power chip for shortmessage communication at the consumers’ terminal.

Today, the BDS-3 shortmessage communication services have beenemployed in over 2,500 reservoirs across the country for hydrological monitoring. More than 10 million shared bikes equipped with Chinese independently-produced BDS high-precision positioning chips have been deployed, and mobile phones equipped with shortmessage communication services have been released.

BDS is now deeply integrated into a variety of industries, becoming an important engine for China’seconomic and social development.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

On December 4, Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

The announcement was made during the 19th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Asuncion, Paraguay. At the session, vivid displays of cultural elements related to the Spring Festival, such as couplets, dragon dance, and Chinese knots, accompanied by melodies full of Spring Festival flavor, brought the festival’s rich traditions to life.

The successful inscription highlights the growing global appeal of traditional Chinese culture and the values embedded inChinese civilization.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out, New Year’s Eve and the Spring Festival are traditional festivals of the Chinese nation and days for families to reunite and ring in the Lunar New Year.He underscored the importance of this traditional festival in Chinese culture.

The Spring Festival represents the unique cultural and emotional DNA of the Chinese people. It is the most influential among all traditional Chinese festivals due to its profound cultural significance, rich customs, and widespread participation.

The festival plays an important role in maintaining and strengthening the emotional bonds between individuals, families, and the nation, while also promotingcore values at the heart of Chinese civilization, such as peace, concord, and harmony. Itstands as a powerful reminder of humanity’s shared values, including family harmony, social inclusiveness, and the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature, contributing greatly to the continuity ofChinese civilization.

The world’s cultural and natural heritage is an important outcome of the development of human civilization and natural evolution, and an important vehicle for the exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.

The Spring Festival embodies peace, amity and harmony which are values cherished by the Chinese nation and civilization, making it a festival that is meaningful for China and can be enjoyed by the world.

In 2023, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism initiated the campaign to apply for UNESCO’s recognition of the Spring Festival. In August of the same year, Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, became the only Chinese application for UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024.

The application includes a wide array of Spring Festival traditions across the country, such as pasting Spring Festival couplets, displayingNew Year paintings, eating steamed bun with colorful patterns, and visiting temple fairs.

The recognition by UNESCOunderscores China’s commitment to strengthening the protection, preservation, and utilization of cultural and natural heritage. It has positive significance for the building of Chinese modernization that features material and cultural-ethical advancement, and adds new luster to world civilizations.

Nancy Ovelarde Gorostiaga,Paraguay’s permanent representative to UNESCO and chair of the meeting, congratulated China on the successful inscription. “China is the example that many countries should follow in order to try to safeguard their heritage, culture and traditions,” she said.

The successful inscriptionalso represents a practical step in China’s commitment to implementing the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) and promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. It willsubstantially foster harmonious coexistence among civilizations and increase understanding and friendship among peoples.

Starting from 2024, the Spring Festival has been officially listed as a UN floating holiday in its calendar of conferences and meetings; it is a public holiday in almost 20 countries and celebrated in various ways by about one-fifth of humanity.

Besides, Happy Spring Festival activities and other cultural events hosted by China to celebrate the festival have reached nearly 200 countries and regions.UN Secretary-General has extended Spring Festival greetings on many occasions, and leaders of many countries have joined Spring Festival celebrations.

Thistraditional Chinese festival has become a widely accepted, recognized, and appreciated symbol of Chinese culture. People across the world share the joy and festive vibe while experiencing the vibrancy and inclusiveness of Chinese culture during Spring Festival celebrations.

UNESCO’s recognitionwill help more people worldwide learn about the festival and the values it embodies, building a bridge for exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations.

Cultural heritage is aglobal treasure that belongs to all of humanity. China will take the successful inclusion of the Spring Festival on the UNESCO list as a new starting point to better protect and carry forward the cultural values and essence inherent in the Spring Festival. In this way, the Chinese civilization, together with the rich and colorful civilizations created by the peoples of other countries, will provide humanity with the rightcultural guidance andstrong motivation.

By Ren Ping, People’s Daily

After the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened its third plenary session a few months ago, global observers are focusing on two landmark moves made by China as it opens its doors wider.

Zero-tariff treatment – Starting from Dec. 1, China gives all the least developed countries (LDCs) having diplomatic relations with China zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines, becoming the first major developing country and major economy to implement such a measure.

Negative list – On Nov. 1, the new edition of China’s national negative list for foreign investment took effect, which slashed the items from 31 to 29 andremoved all market access restrictions for foreign investorsin the country’s manufacturing sector.

So far, China’s negative list for foreign investment has experienced eight rounds of reduction, demonstrating the country’s steady expansion of opening up. This exactly proves why the “next China” is still China, according to analysts.

In 2013, the negative list approach was first adopted in China’s inaugural pilot free trade zone (FTZ) in Shanghai, containing 190 items.

The following year saw the first reduction, which brought the number of restrictions down to 139, expanding areas of opening up while easing access requirements.

In 2015, China expanded the pilot FTZ practice to three other coastal provincial-level regions: south China’s Guangdong province, north China’s Tianjin municipality, and southeast China’s Fujian province. This year, the list witnessed further shrinkage to 122 items and was applied to all FTZs. This second round of reduction removed all restrictions in the general manufacturing sector, including agricultural product processing and alcoholic beverages.

Starting from 2016, China’s negative list for foreign investment was implemented nationwide. At the same time, China piloted the negative list for market accessin four provinces and municipalities to introduce the market access negative list into its domestic economic governance.

The third reduction came in 2017, as China slashed the items on the national negative list for foreign investment to 63. Besides, the country applied the list to all its FTZs while also trimming the items on the FTZ negative list to 95. This round of reduction furthered opened sectors such as rail transportation equipment manufacturing and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

In 2018, the number of items on the national negative list was cut down to only 48, while that on the FTZ negative list was reduced to 45. In addition, the system of a negative list for market access was fully implemented nationwide in China.

The fifth and sixth reductions took place in 2019 and 2020, with the number of restrictions on the national negative list lowered to 40 and 33 respectively, and the FTZ negative list to 37 and 30 respectively, creating a more open, accessible and fair investment environment.

In 2021, there were only 31 and 27 restriction items on the national and FTZ negative lists respectively. This seventh round of reduction made all Chinese manufacturing sectors open to foreign investors in the pilot FTZs.

On Nov. 1, 2024, the new edition of the national negative list came into effect, which scrapped the two remaining manufacturing-related items on the previous list,marking the eighth reduction.

The eight rounds of reduction, addressing practical concerns and looking toward long-term development, demonstrate China’s intensified efforts and growing confidence in expanding opening-up.

The manufacturing sector was the earliest sector in China to open up to foreign investors, and is also the most competitive and closely coordinated one in terms of global industrial division of labor. The removal of all market access restrictions for foreign investors in the manufacturing sector exemplifies how China is promoting reform and development through opening up.

At the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would reduce as soon as possible limits on foreign investment in automobiles, ships and aircraft, automobiles in particular.

Subsequently, China has gradually lifted foreign investment limits in automobiles, starting with specialized vehicles and new energy vehicles(NEVs) in 2018, followed by commercial vehicles in 2020, and passenger vehicles in 2022. After a four-year transition period, China’s auto industry has achieved full opening-up to foreign investment.

China’s production and sales of NEVs accounted for over 60 percent of the world’s total in 2023, ranking first in the world for nine consecutive years. The rapid development of China’s NEV industry is attributed to the country’s strong commitment to reform and innovation, which allows it to effectively respond to the ever-changing dynamics of open competition.

Boasting the most complete industrial system globally, China has been the world’s top manufacturing country for 14 consecutive years, and has developed over 200 mature industrial clusters and 26 of the world’s top 100 science and technology innovation clusters.

China’s confidence in removing foreign investment restrictions in the manufacturing sector stems from the fact that the country has turned from a follower to a leader in an increasing number of scientific and technological areas.

Additionally, China has been advancing its manufacturing sector by focusing on high-end, intelligent, and green development,and is committed to promoting international cooperation, which has increased its capability to open up and driven its transition from a manufacturer of quantity to a manufacturer of quality.

In today’s world, win-win cooperation is the sure way to success in launching major initiatives that benefit all.

Benin is one of the LDCsdesignated by the United Nations. In September 2023, China officially granted quarantine access for Beninese pineapples. In November that year, Benin’sfresh pineapples made their debut at the sixth China International Import Expo. These “sugar bread of Africa”achieved the fastest entry into China in just two months, with an intended purchase deal reaching $60 million.

China is pursuing high-standard opening up, and unilaterally opening its doors wider to the LDCs,which is one of the eight actions for global development outlined by the country during the 19th G20 Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

During the summit, China also announced that from now to 2030, its imports from other developing countries are likely to top $8 trillion, which shows its commitment to sharing its development opportunities with the world.

The decision to give all the LDCs having diplomatic relations with China zero-tariff treatment demonstrates the country’s open-mindedness, broad vision, and sense of responsibility.

Reform and opening up is a historic process in which China and the world achieve development and progress together. China has always been committed to win-win cooperation, continuously creating new opportunities for global development through its modernization achievements.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

On December 3, local time, the first meeting of the Group of Friends for International Cooperation on Capacity-building of Artificial Intelligence (hereinafter referred to as “the Group of Friends”) was co-chaired by China and Zambia at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, marking the official establishment of the Group of Friends.

Representatives from over 80 countries and officials from UN agencies including the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology attended the meeting. They expected the Group of Friends to inject new impetus into the international cooperation on AI capacity building, improvement of AI governance, and closing the digital divide.

The meeting represents another significant step taken by Chinatopromote the inclusive and universally beneficial development of AI, demonstrating the country’s vision and sense of responsibility as a major playerin AI technologies.

In recent years, AI technologies have been breaking new ground, withmushrooming new applications, providing tremendous opportunities for economic and social development of all countries.

That said, AI technologies are also accompanied by risks and challenges. Developing countries are yet to benefit from AI advancements, and the AI divide and the digital divide are making development even more uneven among countries. There is a pressing need for the international community to enhance global AI governance and step up AI cooperation.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forth the Global AI Governance Initiative, contributing China’s wisdom and proposal on global AI governance.

China advocates for international cooperation and practical actions to help developing countries enhance their AI capabilities, in a bid to ensure equal rights, equal opportunities, and equal rules for all countriesin global AI development and governance, and make sure that no country is left behind.

In his speech at the Session II of the 19th G20 Summit, Xi further stressed the need to step up international governance and cooperation on AI, to make sure that AI is for good and for all, not a game of the rich countries and the wealthy.

China has been a proactive advocate and a doer in advancing the inclusive and universally beneficial development of AI.

This year, the 78th UN General Assembly adopted a resolution spearheaded by China on enhancing international cooperation for AI capacity building. Besides, China hosted the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-level Meetingon Global AIGovernance in Shanghai, and co-organized the inaugural Workshop on AI Capacity Building with the UN.

China is committed to putting AI capacity building at the forefront of the global macro policy framework for AI governance. It has taken tangible measures to support developing countries in enhancing their AI capabilities, ensuring that they truly benefit from AI development.

In September, during the UN General Assembly high-level week, China and Zambia co-hosted the High-level Meeting on International Cooperation on Capacity-Building of Artificial Intelligence.

At the meeting, China announced the AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All. The action plan presents five visions and goals, including promoting AI and digital infrastructure connectivity, empowering industries through the AI plus application, enhancing AI literacy and strengthening personnel training, improving AI data security and diversity, and ensuring AI safety, reliability, and controllability.

The plan also outlines ten actions in response to the common expectations of the Global South, such as developing AI infrastructure, carrying out cooperation on the R&D of AI models and the empowering application of AI, jointly promoting the fair and inclusive use of global data, and jointly addressing AI risks related to safety and security.

China’s proposal to establish the Group of Friends will be a key component in advancing the action plan.

Prudence Kaoma, acting permanent secretary in Zambia’s Ministry of Finance and National Development, said that the international community should bridge the intelligence gap and support the UN in playing a key role in global AI governance. Kaoma also expected all countries to support the Group of Friends and strengthen global collaboration and cooperation.

The Group of Friends will leverage the UN, the most universal, representative, and authoritative intergovernmental organization in today’s world, to serve as a bridge for building international consensus, and actively promote exchanges and cooperation in AI capacity building.

China welcomes all countries to join and participate in the activitiesheld within the Group of Friends. It will work together with all parties to implement the relevant UN General Assembly resolution and the action plan, so as to close the intelligence gap, ensure that the world shares in the benefits of AI development,and jointly createa smarter and better future for all.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

China has given all the least developed countries (LDCs) with which it has diplomatic relations zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines, starting from Dec. 1.

It marks China’s significant move to expand unilateral openingup and share development opportunities with the world, representing the country’s firm determination to promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

China is the world’sfirst major developing country and the first major economy to grant zero-tariff treatment to LDCs, which demonstrates its commitment to advancing high-level openingup and providing new opportunities for the world through its high-quality economic development.

Reform and opening up is a historic process in which China and the world achieve development and progress together. China is committed to a fundamental state policy of openingup and pursues a win-win opening-upstrategy. China’s development is both domestic and external-oriented. While developing itself, China also shares its development outcomes with other countries and peoples.

At present, despite the rise of unilateralism and protectionism, economic globalization remains a mighty historical trend, and its development momentum has never changed. China is pursuing high-standard opening up to advance deep-level reform and high-quality development, proactively working in line with the general trend of economic globalization.

It was stated at the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that China will remain committed to the basic state policy of opening to the outside world and continue to promote reform through opening up. Leveraging the strengths of China’s enormous market, the country will enhance its capacity for opening up while expanding international cooperation and develop new institutions for a higher-standard open economy.

China has taken a range of measures to advance a broader agenda of opening up across more areas and in greater depth, such as steadily expanding institutional opening up, deepening the reform of the management systems for foreign trade, foreign investment and outbound investment, optimizing the layout for regional opening up, and improving mechanisms for high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative.

The zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent tariff lines to all the LDCs that have diplomatic relations with China is the country’s concrete action to implement the guiding principles from the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC. It reflects China’s proactive measures to further advance opening up and expand unilateral opening upto LDCs, as well as its efforts to steadily expand market access.China demonstrates with tangible actions that its resolve to pursue high-level opening up remains unwavering and that its doors to the world will only open wider.

Pursuing high-standard opening up and unilaterally opening its doors wider to the LDCs is one of the eight actions outlined by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 19th G20 Summit to support global development. Xinoted that from now to 2030, China’s imports from other developing countries are likely to top $8 trillion. This fully demonstrates China’s commitment to sharing its opportunities and building a just world of common development.

Global prosperity and stability cannot be achieved in a world where the rich become richer and the poor poorer. True development means common development of all countries.

China pursues economic globalization that is people-centered and delivers more balanced development and more equal opportunities, so that different countries, classes and communities can all benefit from development.

The zero-tariff treatment will help LDCs expand their exports to China and better share the opportunities in the Chinese market, thereby contributing to industrial development, employment growth, and poverty reduction.

With a population of over 1.4 billion and a middle-income group that exceeds 400 million, the vastly huge Chinese marketis the most promising in the world.

In recent years, China has actively leveraged the “green lanes” for African agricultural exports to China to facilitate the entry of more eligible LDCs’agricultural products into the Chinese market. It has helped relevant countries enhance trade capacity building by conducting skills training and providing assistance to cross-border e-commerce businesses.

Besides, international exhibitions hosted by China such as the China International Import Expo (CIIE) and the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) have widened the access of high-quality and distinctive products from LDCs to both the Chinese and global markets.

China’s actions have created new opportunities to other developing countries, enabling broader participation in a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization. This reflects China’s commitment to openness, global vision, and sense of responsibility.

Munteha Jemal Seid, plenipotentiary minister of the Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in China, stated that the zero-tariff treatment demonstrates China’s determination and sincerity in advancing high-level opening up and promoting South-South cooperation.

Looking ahead, China will take even more proactive measures for further opening up, introduce more unilateral opening-up policies, and expand its globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas.

Together with its partners, China will commit itself to openness to meet development challenges, foster synergy for cooperation, build the momentum of innovation, and deliver benefits to all. It will promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and write more stories of win-win cooperation.