Nigeria Times

By Li Xinping, People’s Daily

On Sept. 24, 1909, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, designed by Zhan Tianyou, known as the “father of China’s railroad,” was officially completed. It was the first trunk railway in China that was independently designed and constructed by Chinese.

In commemoration of the railroad engineer, a statue of him has been erected beside the Qinglongqiao Station of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway, which sits at the foot of the Great Wall in Yanqing, Beijing.

On Dec. 30, 2019, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou High-Speed Railway went into operation. Equipped with an autopilot system, it is the world’s first smart high-speed railway with a designed speed of 350 kilometers per hour..

From constituting China’s first iron road to becoming the world’s most advanced railway, and lifting the speed from 35 kilometers per hour to 350 kilometers per hour, the rail tracks linking Beijing and Zhangjiakou are a witness to not only China’s railway development, but also the giant leap of the country’s comprehensive strength in a century.

“Thanks to the autopilot system, Fuxing bullet trains boast a stopping accuracy within 10 centimeters from braking to a complete halt,” said Wang Haitao, head of the Beijing-Zhangjiakou train team of the Huairou North Locomotive Depot, China Railway Beijing Group.

The Beijing-Zhangjiakou High-Speed Railway is a hallmark of China’s advanced manufacturing. Leveraging the Beidou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) and geography information system, managers of the railway can monitor every bridge, track section, and roadbed along the entire line around the clock, enabling seamless operations, scheduling, maintenance, and emergency response. Whether it’s component wear, roadbed settlement, or signal failures, everything is under precise control.

A Fuxing bullet train is equipped with over 2,000 monitoring points, providing comprehensive self-monitoring for intelligent operations. Supported by the BDS, the train automatically calculates optimal driving strategies based on terrain and track conditions, adjusting speed smoothly for a seamless ride from start to finish.

The International Union of Railways praised the Beijing-Zhangjiakou High-Speed Railway, calling it an outstanding example of artificial intelligence implementation in the railway industry to date.

By Chang Qin, Liu Juanxi, People’s Daily

The Meng Xiang, or “Dream”, China’s first domestically designed and built deep-ocean drilling vessel, was officially commissioned in Guangzhou, south China’s Guangdong province on Nov. 17. It marked a significant step forward for China in deep-sea exploration, detection and mining.

Zhou Chang, head of the command of the drilling vessel from the China Geological Survey, the Ministry of Natural Resources, said that one of the key functions of the Meng Xiang vessel after its commissioning is to serve as a significant platform for global scientists to conduct deep-sea drilling research.

Feng Qizeng, head of the drilling system of the Meng Xiang, said that the vessel is capable of conducting drilling operations on the seabed at depths of several thousand meters, accessing rock core samples from the seabed, and enabling direct observation, analysis, testing, and scientific research.

Thanks to technological innovation and equipment integration, the vessel is able to drill as far as 11,000 meters beneath the sea, Feng added. The drilling system of the vessel leads the world.

The Meng Xiang vessel is like a mobile “national laboratory” at sea. On board, there are nine laboratories including basic geology, paleomagnetism, organic geochemistry, microbiology, marine science, natural gas hydrates, geophysics, drilling technology, with a total area exceeding 3,000 square meters. These labs are equipped with over 150 sets of various precision experimental instruments.

The Meng Xiang vessel is equipped with an “intelligent brain.” Its advanced comprehensive information system can aggregate and analyze data from over 20,000 monitoring points in real time, enabling intelligent monitoring, intelligent collaboration in experiments, intelligent health protection for personnel, and intelligent vessel-shore integration throughout the entire operation process.

“For offshore drilling and experiments, the stability of the vessel is crucial. The Meng Xiang vessel can operate normally with a degree six on the Douglas sea scale and survive under level-17 typhoons,” said Zhang Haibin, chief designer of the vessel.

The vessel has a gross tonnage of 33,000 tons, a total length of 179.8 meters, a beam of 32.8 meters, a displacement of 42,600 tons, a range of 15,000 nautical miles, and a crew capacity of 180 people. It can work at sea for 120 consecutive days without replenishment. With a draft of 9.2 meters, it can pass major sea areas and dock at major terminals around the world.

It is reported that the preliminary design of the vessel was completed in May 2020. Construction work started in November 2021, and comprehensive sea trials were finished in October 2024.

“It is the first ship of its kind, so there was no precedent to follow. The engineering volume is more than ten times that of existing marine vessels and tens of times that of scientific research vessels. The enormous pressure at the depths of 11,000 meters poses challenges to equipment, water, electricity, fluids, and materials,” Zhang said.

By leveraging the concept of “modular design,” several world-class technological challenges have been overcome, which has made this small-tonnage vessel multifunctional. The vessel is the first in the world that combines deep-sea scientific drilling, deep-sea oil and gas exploration, and natural gas hydrate exploration and trial mining.

After two rounds of sea trials, the Meng Xiang vesselhas proven its key performance indicators to exceed design expectations, achieving several major breakthroughs. It has established a fully independent Chinese technological system for the design and construction of ultra-deepwater drilling equipment.

For over half a century, thousands of drilling operations have been conducted in major oceans worldwide, leading to a series of scientific achievements. However, the dream of “penetrating the Mohorovicic discontinuity and entering the upper mantle” has yet to be realized.

“The Earth is like an egg with a shell: the ‘eggshell’ is the crust, the ‘egg white’ is the mantle, and the ‘egg yolk’ is the core, with the Mohorovicic discontinuity between the crust and mantle,” explained Zhu Rixiang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Penetrating the Mohorovicic discontinuity has significant implications for gaining a deeper understanding of the Earth’s interior material composition, structure, physical and chemical properties, evolutionary patterns, and can also play a crucial role in areas such as earthquake prediction and mineral resource exploration.

With the official commissioning of the Meng Xiang vessel, China will possess the capability to independently organize expeditions, similar to the United States, Japan, and Europe, thereby playing a more significant role in international scientific ocean drilling.

It is reported that China is initiating its own international ocean drilling program and will autonomously organize expeditions using the Meng Xiang vessel, in collaboration with the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) led by Europe and Japan in the future.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

On Nov. 15, Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a written speech at the APEC CEO Summit in Lima, Peru.

Focusing on the question of where the Asia-Pacific economy will be going, Xi profoundly summarized the successful experience of the Asia-Pacific development, proposed a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and expounded on the significance of China further deepening reform across the board to advance Chinese modernization. His remarks has drawn a new blueprint for the common development of Asia-Pacific.

Asia-Pacific economies are deeply woven into the fabric of economic globalization. They are now an interdependent community with common interests and a shared future.

Despite the unbridled unilateralism and protectionism, and the increasing fragmented world economy, the overall trend of economic globalization remains unchanged.

New technological revolution and industrial transformation are getting more profound, and the world is moving faster to embrace a digital, green and smart economy. All this is building up powerful energy for further expedition of economic globalization down the road.

The APEC should steer economic globalization in the right direction. It should see to it that economic globalization generates more positive outcomes and is taken to a new phase that is more dynamic, inclusive and sustainable.

To promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization to the benefit of various countries and communities, Xi said the APEC should take innovation as the driving force for stronger growth of the world economy, keep pace with the times and reform the system of global economic governance, and always take the people-centered approach and seek to settle imbalances in development. This offers important guidance for building consensus for Asia-Pacific development and creating a prosperous future.

Under new circumstances, innovation is the source of productivity. It is important to make full use of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to help developing countries with their capacity building in science and technology and promote global flow of knowledge and technologies.

It is important to follow the principles of “plan together, build together and benefit together” to ensure that the global economic governance system better reflects the new reality of the world economic map. The representation and voice of the Global South should be enhanced continuously, and all countries should be ensured of equal rights, equal opportunities and equal rules in conducting international economic cooperation.

True development means common development of all countries. The APEC should ensure people’s well-being while seeking economic growth, and foster a development environment that is inclusive and beneficial for all. It should help expedite the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promote balanced and full development of all countries.

Over the past decades, Asia-Pacific economies have maintained robust growth and created the remarkable Asia-Pacific miracle. The success of the Asia-Pacific is due to regional countries’ firm commitment to peace and stability in the region, to their continuous practices of true multilateralism and open regionalism, and to their deep faith in the trend toward economic globalization as well as mutual benefit and mutual success.

The Asia-Pacific should remain the locomotive of economic globalization in the future. While further burnishing the Asia-Pacific hallmark of openness and inclusiveness, it should make new brand-building efforts to foster a green and digital Asia-Pacific, and build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.

China’s development is inseparable from the Asia-Pacific, and it will in turn further benefit the region. China is an engine and propeller for regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific. It is the largest trading partner of the 13 APEC economies, contributes 64.2 percent of the region’s economic growth, 37.6 percent of the growth in goods trade and 44.6 percent of the growth in services trade.

According to the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held in July this year, China will complete over 300 important reform measures in the next five years. This will provide not only strong impetus for China’s economic and social development, but also more opportunities for global development.

China will deepen reform comprehensively, advance high-quality development, stay firmly on the path of green development and build new, open and higher-standard economic systems, to provide robust momentum for the world economy, lead the efforts to improve the performance of the world economy, be an important force for global green transition and share China’s development opportunities with the world.

This is not only China’s firm commitment to promoting Asia-Pacific cooperation and building an Asia-Pacificcommunity with a shared future, but also China’s forward-looking vision for the world, the future, and common development.

Asia-Pacific economies should keeping abreast of the trend of the times, enhance their solidarity and cooperation, stand up together to the global challenges, and form a mighty force for the common prosperity of the world and a brighter future for humanity.

By Qiu Chaoyi, He Linping, Gu Yekai, People’s Daily

The 15th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, also known as Airshow China, was held in Zhuhai, south China’s Guangdong province from Nov. 12 to 17. The event was joined by over 1,000 enterprises from 47 countries and regions.

From major national defense equipment to intelligent devices, and from green technologies to low-altitude economy, the 15th Airshow China showcased the technological innovations in China’s aviation, aerospace, and defense sectors, building a platform for domestic and international companies to exchange and collaborate.

Around 285.6 billion yuan (about$39.7 billion) worth of deals were signed at the exhibition, involving a record 1,195 aircraft.

At the exhibition, a large number of cutting-edge products made their debut, dazzling the audience.

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) brought nearly 200 technological achievements to the event, including the Chang’e-6 lunar probe and Long March 12 carrier rocket. Seventy-five percent of these achievements were unveiled for the first time.

In particular, a model of the world’s first geostationary microwave meteorological satellite caught audience’s attention. “After years of research and development, we have overcome a series of technical challenges. This satellite can achieve three-dimensional detection of clouds, rain, and atmospheric internal structures in real-time, all-weather, and high-frequency,” said Yang Zhihao, deputy director of the science and technology committee of the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, CASC.

The satellite is expected to be launched around 2026 and will play an active role in disaster prevention and reduction, Yang revealed.

Intelligent unmanned equipment of all types were a highlight at the exhibition. “The application of intelligent equipment and command control systems has equipped us with the wings of informatization, digitization, and unmanned operation,” said Cheng Ziheng, a spokesperson of China North Industries Group Corporation Limited.

Among the 67 exhibited products brought to the event by Aero Engine Corporation of China, nearly half were unveiled for the first time. Many green products of the corporation left a deep impression on the audience.

At the entrance of the exhibition hall, there were two domestically produced engines, the CJ2000 and CJ1000A. “They are used for wide-body and single-aisle aircraft respectively, featuring low emissions, low noise, and low fuel consumption,” said Yang Song, a spokesperson of Aero Engine Corporation of China.

Prior to the event, a special sea bass auction was held in Zhuhai. A drone flew to a remote sea farming platform, where it was loaded with 150 kilograms of sea bass, and returned to the auction site in just 10 minutes. Upon opening the box, the fish were still lively.

With the booming development of low-altitude economy, a low-altitude economy pavilion was set up at this year’s Airshow China. In addition to showcasing new products and applications, the event also hosted various forums, performances, signings, and other activities to provide a platform for exchange and cooperation in the development of the low-altitude economy.

As the number of low-altitude aircraft surges, how to manage them in a science-based and efficient manner has become a hot topic. Some companies provided solutions at the air show.

For example, Aviation Industry Corporation of China exhibited a series of low-altitude security equipment, which can be used to protect important facilities such as airports, warehouses, oil fields, and substations. Guangzhou Haige Communications Group launched a low-altitude flight management service platform, which can provide full-process services before, during, and after flights. China Electronics Technology Group Corporation showcased a low-altitude flight management service platform that supports real-time monitoring of more than 100,000 flight operations.

As one of the world’s top five air shows, the Airshow China serves not only as a showcase for new equipment, technologies, and applications from both domestic and international participants, but also as a major stage for aviation and aerospace companies to deepen cooperation and expand their market presence.

It is reported that the number of foreign exhibitors at this year’s Airshow China increased by 104 percent compared to that in the previous edition, with countries such as Russia, France, the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Italy taking part in group displays. Leading global aviation companies like Airbus and Embraer also came to the event to seek cooperation opportunities.

Today, China is Airbus’s largest single-country market. Airbus predicted that over the next 20 years, more than 20 percent of the total global demand for new passenger and cargo aircraft will come from the Chinese market.

During the air show, Airbus signed a series of cooperation agreements covering various areas such as innovative research and development and industrial collaboration.

George Xu, CEO of Airbus China, said that the company will continue to expand its presence in China, support the high-quality development of the Chinese aviation industry, and actively contribute to the global aviation sector.

This year, GE Aerospace joined the Airshow China as an independent brand for the first time. Its joint ventures have signed strategic cooperation agreements with several Chinese airlines, securing orders worth nearly $1.9 billion.

Xiang Weiming, vice president of GE Aerospace, expressed confidence in the prospects of the Chinese market. He said the company will continue to expand its aircraft engine maintenance network in China, increase investment in production and manufacturing, and support the development of China’s civil aviation industry.

By Han Xin, People’s Daily

Faster delivery- Leveraging air shipping and drone delivery, Chinese courier giant SF Express is now able to deliver crispy plums freshly picked from trees deep in the mountain to marketplaces in less than 24 hours.

Wider application- Chinese logistics company ZTO Express has largely employed autonomous driving vehicles, whose total mileage adds up to over 1 million kilometers.

Newer devices – The logistics arm of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has launched a new-generation delivery vehicle, which boasts a maximum load capacity of 1,000 kilograms and a maximum range of 160 kilometers, further improving its delivery efficiency.

The express delivery industry serves millions of households, and with the fastening application of smart logistics, drones, unmanned vehicles, and unmanned warehouses, China’s express delivery industry is rapidly moving towards the intelligent era.

At 10 am on Oct. 25, a batch of hairy crabs were caught and brought ashore on the banks of Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu province. Immediately, these crabs were loaded onto a drone and would reach a transfer station of SF Express in less than four minutes.

Since fishing activities started on the lake on Sept. 25, drones have transported over 300 batches of hairy crabs, with a total payload exceeding 2,700 kilograms.

This year, drone delivery has seen a significant expansion in its application. Chen Xiaohui, an executive of Phoenix Wings, a cargo drone company owned by SF Express, said that as of the end of September, Phoenix Wings had opened 523 routes, completed over a million flights, and successfully transported more than 5.2 million items.

Through the establishment of a low-altitude logistics network, the delivery time for goods has been notably reduced. For instance, in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the average delivery time within the same city is two hours, while inter-city deliveries take approximately three hours.

In April, ZTO Express launched an unmanned vehicle operation platform connecting over 100 branches in more than 40 cities. In May, the Beijing branch of China Post explored the use of unmanned vehicles for mail transfer in Shunyi district, which can run a round trip of approximately 30 kilometers and accommodate over 500 parcels. In June, courier company Yunda Express also introduced unmanned delivery vehicles, which have improved delivery efficiency by over 30 percent through their collaboration with couriers.

Unmanned technology also excels in the warehousing process. Intelligent weighing, digital “sizing,” six-sided scanning… In JD Logistics’ intelligent warehouses, shelves loaded with goods are always seen “roaming.” These shelves are 5G-enabled intelligent picking and handling robots equipped with mobility devices.

According to an executive of JD Logistics, this set of equipment can pick more than 600 orders per hour, increasing efficiency by three to five times compared to traditional manual methods. It has already been applied in more than 10 intelligent industrial parks.

An official with the State Post Bureau stated that after initial technological exploration, proof of concept, and resolution of technical challenges to enhance technological stability, unmanned express delivery has rapidly been commercialized in just 10 years, significantly boosting cost reduction, quality improvement, and efficiency enhancement.

In recent years, drones, unmanned vehicles, unmanned warehouses, and other facilities and equipment are being widely applied, with new technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence continuously integrating into various processes including collection, sorting, and transportation, effectively promoting the iteration of automation, informatization, and digital and intelligent upgrade.

Unmanned technology has taken root and thrived in the field of express delivery in China due to the burgeoning market demand and the fertile soil it provides for the implementation of unmanned technology.

“In recent years, the explosive growth of e-commerce express delivery in China, coupled with the increasing demand for timely delivery services, necessitates the construction of unmanned warehouses with super-large capacity and strong processing capabilities,” said an executive of JD Logistics.

Since 2014, the company has built more than 40 intelligent logistics parks in over 20 provinces, significantly reducing logistics costs and improving delivery efficiency, according to the executive.

Faced with the increasingly massive demand for efficient logistics, unmanned technology, with advantages such as speed, low cost, high efficiency, and flexibility, effectively supports the rapid growth of the industry in the last-mile delivery segment.

“It is expected that in the next three to five years, over 200,000 unmanned delivery vehicles will be put into use, further driving technological advancement and cost reduction,” said Yang Guang, general manager of the self-driving business center of Cainiao, the logistics arm of e-commerce giant Alibaba.

Meanwhile, the successive introduction of supportive policies and deepening technological innovation have also accelerated the rapid growth of unmanned express delivery.

According to statistics, as of Sept. 29 this year, the total revenue of the Chinese express delivery industry exceeded 1 trillion yuan($140 billion), achieving this milestone nearly one and a half months earlier than the previous year.

An official with the State Post Bureau highlighted the rapid advancements in unmanned technology, particularly in autonomous navigation, intelligent control, and obstacle avoidance. These developments, coupled with growing demand, proactive enterprise deployment, and increasing public acceptance, are unlocking significant market potential.

By Qu Pei, Shi Yuanhao, Chen Haiqi, People’s Daily

Panati photovoltaic power station is located in the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceara, housing 446,000 solar panels. Covering a total area of 840 hectares, the photovoltaic power station was invested and constructed by the Brazilian branch of China State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC). It was put into operation in June this year, providing clean energy to over 350,000 local householdsannually.

In recent years, the Brazilian government has actively promoted green energy transition, with clean energy cooperation becoming a hot area of collaboration between China and Brazil.

The first and second phases of the Belo Monte ultra-high-voltage transmission project, contracted by the State Grid Corporation of China, were completed and put into operation in 2017 and 2019 respectively. The project transmits the abundant hydroelectric resources from northern Brazil to the densely populated southeast region.

In December 2023, the State Grid Corporation of China won the franchise rights for another ultra-high-voltage direct current transmission project in Brazil, which will transport clean energy sources such as wind and solar power from the northeast of the country to the capital Brasilia and other areas.

Green power plants are rising one after another, and electric “highways” stretch across the vast lands of Brazil. Brazilian scholar Felipe Camargo Gaiotto noted that Brazil has rich experience in hydropower development, while China leads in areas like solar power, wind power, and electricity transmission. Collaboration between the two countries holds significant importance for advancing global sustainable development, he added.

As green energy is lighting up countless homes, green transportation is also flourishing. In cities like Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, an increasing number of electric buses and cars from Chinese brands are hitting the streets.

According to recent data from the ABVE, or Brazilian Electric Vehicle Association, over 120,000 light electric vehicles were sold in Brazil in the first nine months of this year, marking a 113 percent increase year on year. Among the top ten best-selling models, eight came from China.

Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD has a battery production facility in Manaus, the capital of Brazil’s Amazonas state. It is the first assembling base for lithium iron phosphate battery products in Brazil and the third factory of BYD in the country.

It officially began operations in 2020, with a designed annual capacity of producing battery modules for 1,000 electric buses.

With this factory, Brazil is able assemble and produce batteries locally, which helps promote the adoption and application of green technologies, accelerates the electrification of public transportation in Brazil, and drives the development of local new energy technologies, said an engineer at the factory.