Nigeria Times

By Dou Hanyang, People’s Daily

China’s umbrella sector is undergoing a significant transformation, shifting from producing basic, affordable rain protection to creating premium, customized products that blend innovative materials, smart manufacturing, and culturally-inspired designs. This evolution signifies the industry’s steady climb up the global value chain.

This shift is particularly evident in Yiwu, east China’s Zhejiang province, home to one of the world’s largest wholesale markets for small commodities. Local umbrella manufacturers are moving away from competing solely on low prices and instead focusing on brand building, innovation, and expanding their global reach.

Zhang Jiying, owner of a shop in the China Yiwu International Trade City, thas witnessed this transformation firsthand since starting her business over two decades ago. Initially, her stall was barely one meter wide, selling generic, unbranded umbrellas with minimal profit margins.

“Back then, competition was purely about price,” Zhang recalled. “If you priced an umbrella at 10 yuan ($1.47), someone else would undercut you at 9 yuan. Ultimately, no one truly profited.”

As consumer demand evolved, buyers began prioritizing not just function, but also factors like fabric quality, materials, color, and design. Zhang recognized that relying exclusively on Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) wholesale production was no longer viable. “It was time for a change,” she stated. “We needed to establish our own brand.”

In 2003, Zhang founded Zhejiang Xingbao Umbrella Co., Ltd. (RST Umbrella) and began developing proprietary products. By 2010, she had registered the “Real Star” trademark globally in more than 100 countries and regions. “Today, design, quality, and service are paramount,” she emphasized.

Her showroom reflects this new approach. One newly launched umbrella designed for Middle Eastern markets features a built-in misting fan system that sprays a cooling water vapor at the touch of a button. An initial shipment of 3,000 units quickly led to repeat orders.

Another product, an ultra-light carbon-fiber folding umbrella, weighs less than a typical smartphone and featuring a UV-blocking black-coated canopy.

The company now exports around 5 million umbrellas annually, while some high-end customized umbrellas sell for as much as 2,000 yuan ($294) in European markets.

Zhang’s journey mirrors the broader upgrade occurring across Yiwu’s umbrella industry. Today, more than half of umbrella merchants in China Yiwu International Trade City launch new products monthly. Traditional wholesale booths are increasingly being upgraded into branded experience stores and creative cultural display spaces. The outdated model of competing through low-quality, low-margi price wars is fading, replaced by a healthier environment focused on innovation and differentiation.

In Shangyu district of Shaoxing, north to Yiwu, another major hub for umbrella manufacturing, technological upgrading is reshaping production lines.

Inside the workshop of Zhejiang Youyi Fino Umbrella Industry Co., Ltd., automated production equipment runs at high speed as umbrella frames are molded, canopies sewn and final assembly completed in a seamless process.

“These automated systems were independently developed by our company, and each machine costs nearly 10 million yuan ($1.47 million) on average,” said company chairman Lyu Miaofen.

The heavy investment has paid off. Since introducing automation equipment in 2021, the company’s efficiency increased by more than 60 percent in the very first year. Today, the company reinvests around 20 percent of its profits annually into technological upgrading.

In 2025, its sales exceeded 400 million yuan ($5.88 billion) , while its product portfolio expanded beyond umbrellas into outdoor camping equipment.

In Shangyu district, many companies are pursuing similar paths of intelligent manufacturing and industrial upgrading. In 2025, the district’s umbrella industry surpassed 15 billion yuan ($2.21 billion) in total industrial output, up nearly 8 percent year on year.

Chinese umbrella manufacturers are also refining their strategies for international expansion. “China is opening up to the world, and the world is eager to learn more about China,” Zhang said. “An umbrella is not just a daily necessity; it can also serve as a medium for cultural exchange.”

In recent years, she has incorporated more Chinese cultural elements into her designs, drawing inspiration from Jiangnan (the region located in the coastal area south of the Yangtze River) aesthetics, Dunhuang art and other traditional motifs. The products have been well received overseas.

In September 2023, an initiative was launched in Yiwu to encourage local small commodity brands to expand overseas. Through overseas wholesale markets, overseas warehouses, showrooms, online platforms and international exhibitions, it aims to build a global branding system for Yiwu products.

In 2025, “Yiwu Selection,” a collection-store model showcasing Yiwu brands overseas, began opening stores across five continents, with locations already established in 12 countries.

The results materialized swiftly. Following a trip to South Korea as part of the initiative in 2025, Zhang hosted South Korean buyers at her company shortly after returning. They placed an order worth 1 million yuan($0.15 million) for sun-and-rain umbrellas. Shangyu-based manufacturers also reported strong results after participating in the China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair). 

“This year, we focused on stabilizing our traditional European and American markets while expanding into emerging markets,” a business representative from the district said. “We targeted Africa and South America in particular, adjusting products according to regional demand.”

In South America, long coastlines and strong demand for vacation products have created new growth opportunities for umbrella companies. This year alone, Shangyu-based Zhejiang Hengyang Umbrella Co., Ltd. achieved sales of 30 million yuan($4.42 million).

Iger Enjoy in Shaoxing launched a cost-effective outdoor umbrella series tailored to local demand in African markets, securing on-site orders worth 2 million yuan($0.29 million) at the Canton Fair while also attracting several potential clients.

Looking ahead, Chinese umbrella makers will continue strengthening research and development, infuse more cultural elements in their products, and optimize their global market strategies, thus helping more Chinese-designed umbrellas reach consumers around the world.

By Song Haoxin, People’s Daily

What if museum visitors could truly interact with cultural relics rather than merely observe them through glass displays? At the Sanxingdui Museum in southwest China’s Sichuan province, a specially designed interactive hall is revolutionizing cultural engagement.

Within this 1,300-square-meter space, nearly every exhibit invites touch, operation, or participation. Visitors immerse themselves in installations inspired by the ancient Shu civilization, blending education with entertainment.

By trying on replicas of headwear on bronze statues discovered in Sanxingdui Ruins, for example, visitors can not only take photos of themselves but also learn about the symbolic meanings behind different headpieces. 

Guests can don replicas of bronze statue headwear from the Sanxingdui Ruins, learning their symbolic meanings while capturing photos. Augmented reality allows dancing alongside virtual Sanxingdui figures for social media sharing. A creation zone even enables “time travel” to experience ancient bronze-casting and construction techniques.

These innovations transform traditional museum visits, offering deeper cultural understanding through hands-on interaction. “This hall emerged from extensive brainstorming,” explained Zhu Yarong, deputy director of the management committee of the Sanxingdui Ruins site. 

“We’re transitioning from passive relic viewing to interactive engagement, bridging the gap between audiences and history.”

Previously, museum experiences were largely one-directional with limited engagement. Visitors viewed relics through display cases, usually stopping mainly to take photographs, with relatively limited forms of engagement. By liberating artifacts from display cases into interactive settings, Sanxingdui is pioneering a shift from didactic presentation to open cultural dialogue.

Traditional exhibition spaces remain popular, while digital innovations attract growing interest. A VR project employs digital twin technology to recreate 1:1 scale excavation sites — complete with protective shelters and cabins — placing visitors at the archaeological forefront.

Another project, Heaven and Earth Echoes — Sanxingdui Panoramic Sound and Vision Digital Art Theater, features an interactive panoramic LED dome with a diameter of 20 meters and a resolution approaching 16K. The massive dome creates a deeply immersive atmosphere. By waving digital torches in their hands, visitors can trigger sacred birds to circle above them across the dome, experiencing the ancient Shu civilization through an interplay of sound and imagery.

“The digital technology made me feel as if I were racing across the Mamu River. That sense of traveling through time was incredible,” said Hao Yong, a tourist from southwest China’s Chongqing municipality who came specifically to experience a virtual reality program.

From passive observation to active participation, Sanxingdui Museum continues introducing new interactive experiences that transform cultural relics into living carriers of dialogue and engagement, helping keep the sparks of Chinese civilization alive for new generations.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

China’s recently released foreign trade data for the first four months of 2026 shows robust growth, with total goods imports and exports rising 14.9 percent year-on-year. This continues the steady, positive momentum observed in the first quarter.

The stronger-than-expected performance has drawn broad international attention. Overseas media have frequently described China’s trade as exhibiting “strong momentum,” “sustained export dynamism,” and “renewed economic resilience.” These figures offer the world a clearer view of the solid foundations supporting China’s steady economic progress and long-term development confidence. 

As a vital window into China’s economic vitality, foreign trade vividly demonstrates how the country’s development continues to benefit the world. Despite external headwinds and rising uncertainties, China’s foreign trade has delivered an impressive performance marked by expanding size, improving structure and numerous highlights.

In the first four months of the year, China’s total goods trade reached 16.23 trillion yuan ($2.39 trillion), including 4.38 trillion yuan in April alone, highlighting both strong growth momentum and steady development.

During this period, the advantages of China’s supersized domestic market continued to emerge, driving imports to maintain double-digit growth. At the same time, accelerated upgrading in the manufacturing sector provided solid support for export growth. 

The vitality of foreign trade business entities continued to increase. Private enterprises further consolidated their role as the backbone in stabilizing foreign trade, and foreign-invested companies showed steadily improving willingness to participate in the Chinese market.

A foreign media outlet noted that China’s foreign trade has made a strong start this year and laid a solid economic and trade foundation at the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

New growth drivers are continuing to gather strength, accelerating the shift in China’s foreign trade from expansion in size to improvement in quality.

In the first four months of the year, high-tech and high-value-added electromechanical products accounted for 63.5 percent of China’s total exports. Exports of electric vehicles, lithium batteries and wind turbine units all surged by more than 40 percent, while industrial robot exports rose by 30 percent. Chinese manufacturing is rapidly moving toward higher-end, greener and smarter development, steadily climbing up the global value chain.

At the same time, China’s imports of electromechanical products rose by 23.6 percent. Among them, imports of automatic data-processing equipment and components, as well as integrated circuits, increased by 55.9 percent and 43.5 percent respectively, indicating that global innovation resources are accelerating their concentration in China.

Supported by continuously improving market procurement trade pilot programs and cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones that now cover nearly the entire country, new forms of trade such as offshore trade and bonded maintenance services are flourishing and gaining momentum. 

New industries, technologies and business models are reshaping the landscape of China’s foreign trade growth while injecting strong momentum into the stable upgrading of global industrial and supply chains.

Amid a challenging global economic recovery, openness, cooperation, and mutual benefit remain crucial. China continues to pursue a diversified market strategy: deepening engagement with traditional markets while vigorously expanding into emerging ones, steadily broadening its circle of economic and trade partners. From January to April, trade with ASEAN and Latin America grew over 15%, while exchanges with the EU and South Korea remained stable and improving.

The benefits of China’s zero-tariff measures for 53 African countries with diplomatic ties are also becoming increasingly evident. Bilateral trade exceeded 800 billion yuan for the first time during the same period. Distinctive African products are enriching China’s consumer market, while high-quality Chinese products are supporting Africa’s development and modernization efforts.

As “exporting to China” and “shopping in China” become increasingly integrated, China continues to send a clear message to the world through its unwavering commitment to high-level opening up, a message of mutually beneficial cooperation and shared prosperity.

Building China into a strong trading nation, improving the quality and efficiency of foreign trade, and promoting balanced development of imports and exports are essential components of China’s high-quality development strategy, as well as an important manifestation of its responsibility in building an open world economy.

China has ranked first globally in total goods trade for nine consecutive years, while maintaining a stable share of the international market. 

It keeps refining foreign-related economic and trade institutional rules, expands pilot free trade zones step by step and presses ahead with institutional opening up. The country also earnestly delivers on free trade agreements and further strengthens regional economic and trade ties. 

Additionally, it takes part in global trade governance and facilitates the improvement of multilateral economic and trade regulations. Through all these tangible efforts, China has taken concrete actions to safeguard the multilateral trading system and contribute to the stable development of global trade.

The “quality” of China’s foreign trade reflects the “resilience” of the Chinese economy and underscores the steady start to the 15th Five-Year Plan period. A China committed to high-quality development will continue to serve as a reliable and dependable stabilizing force in a turbulent world, constantly creating opportunities, delivering hope and generating momentum for global development.

By Zhou Zhou, Yu Jinghao, People’s Daily

American manufacturer Cummins has cultivated a remarkable half-century partnership with China, evolving from initial technology transfers to establishing joint ventures and now leveraging China-based R&D centers to serve global markets.

Over decades of development, Cummins has evolved from a diesel engine manufacturer into a diversified power solutions provider covering engines, generator sets, hydrogen energy and other fields.

Nathan Stoner, vice president of Cummins and chairman of Cummins China, notes that Cummins’ development in China has been a story of learning and growing together with the Chinese market.

The company’s connection with China dates back to World War II, when China and the United States fought side by side against Japanese fascism. In 1941, when the United States provided wartime aid to China, the supplies included river patrol boats and military trucks equipped with Cummins engines.

Shortly before the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, a company based in Chongqing in southwest China reached out to Cummins to seek opportunities for cooperation. 

Irwin Miller, then general manager of Cummins Engine Company, replied with strong interest in collaboration. Miller’s 1975 visit as company chairman made Cummins among the earliest U.S. firms pursuing Chinese commercial opportunities.

China’s accelerating industrialization created urgent demand for high-power, reliable equipment, while economic reforms provided fertile ground for Cummins’ expansion.

In 1981, Cummins began engine production in Chongqing through a licensing arrangement. In 1986, Cummins signed a licensing cooperation agreement with China’s Second Automobile Works, renamed Dongfeng Motor Group in 1992. In 1996, the two sides established Dongfeng Cummins Engine Co., Ltd. in Xiangyang, central China’s Hubei province, with each side holding a 50 percent stake, demonstrating their shared commitment to equal and mutually beneficial cooperation.

As the partnership deepened, cooperation between Dongfeng and Cummins evolved from simply supplying engines to collaborating across the entire powertrain system. Yang Qing, chairman of Dongfeng Motor Group, said the cooperation between the two companies has been “a process of mutual achievement.”

“Cummins’ cutting-edge power technologies and reliable quality have perfectly complemented Dongfeng’s vehicle products, winning broad recognition among end users,” Yang said.

At Dongfeng Cummins’ heavy-duty engine factory in Xiangyang’s High-Tech Industry Development Zone, robotic arms maneuver engine blocks while AI-powered vision systems conduct millimeter-precision quality checks. This intelligent manufacturing hub features 28 automated workstations producing eight engine series simultaneously, achieving wastewater-free painting processes. Recognized as both national-level intelligent manufacturing and green factory, it rolls out a new “Legend” engine every few minutes.

When Cummins planned a new Chinese engine plant in 2021, Xiangyang officials promptly engaged. Investment teams worked overnight preparing materials to demonstrate the region’s industrial strengths. Cummins vice president Wang Kaijun recalled: “The sincerity and practical policies, professional team, mature supply chain, and government support were decisive.”

The project was ultimately located in Xiangyang. The agreement was signed in November 2021, with construction permits obtained the same month. On May 30, 2023, the new factory officially began operations, producing its first “Legend” engine right away.

To date, Dongfeng Cummins has produced over 4.2 million engines spanning 2.5L to 16L diesel and natural gas models while pioneering hydrogen fuel technologies. The jointly developed ISZ13 engine, featuring fully independent intellectual property rights, has become a benchmark in China’s premium engine market.

At the Cummins East Asia R&D Center in Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, Chinese engineers were coordinating remotely with technical teams in the United States, the United Kingdom and India, advancing a next-generation heavy-duty power platform set to enter real-world testing. 

One core control module of the platform was independently developed by the Wuhan team. Outside the meeting room, the nearly 500-member technical team consists entirely of local Chinese engineers, with an average age of under 40.

Shi Lei, general manager of the R&D center, said Wuhan’s mature automotive industrial chain and strong pool of educational and scientific talent were key reasons the center chose the city.

“Powered by AI technologies, the design and development cycle for traditional components such as bearings has been significantly shortened,” Shi said. “Our innovations no longer serve only the Chinese market — they directly support Cummins’ global product lineup. As Cummins’ largest technology center outside the United States, this has long become a source of innovation for the company worldwide.”

In 2025, overseas product development projects accounted for more than 20 percent of the center’s total R&D workload.

Since 2022, Cummins has invested nearly 7 billion yuan (about $1.03 billion) in China to build more advanced R&D and manufacturing facilities.

“Many people ask us why we continue increasing investment in China,” Stoner said. “The answer is straightforward: China boasts not only a huge market of more than 1.4 billion people, but also tens of millions of hardworking engineers, efficient government services, complete industrial chains, and deep respect for innovation. Here in China, ideas can be rapidly turned into real-world products and solutions.”

“The story of Cummins in China is also, in many ways, a reflection of the story between the United States and China,” he added. “When we cooperate as partners, we can absolutely achieve success and shared prosperity together.”

By Hou Linliang, People’s Daily

At Shandong University’s Advanced Institute for Confucian Studies, researchers of the Integration of Chinese Ancient Books project meticulously catalog ancient texts. Now in its ninth year, this ambitious initiative pursues a singular mission: repatriating China’s cultural treasures by digitally restoring historical documents scattered worldwide.

Launched in April 2017, the project has established partnerships with over 110 Chinese universities and research institutions. Teams have conducted surveys across more than 100 countries, visiting more than 2,000 collections and libraries. To date, they’ve created or updated nearly 199,000 catalogue entries and digitally recovered 1,073 rare texts previously missing from Chinese collections.

“These overseas-held artifacts require urgent preservation,” said Liu Xinming, the project’s chief expert. “Our AI-powered database digitally ‘repatriates’ them.” The system features intelligent analysis of more than 370,000 classical text images while providing researchers with standardized cataloging and verification tools.

This cultural restoration represents one facet of Shandong University’s broader commitment to transforming traditional heritage into living knowledge. At the Qianzhongzitang Site in Gaomi, archaeology unfolds through dual channels: ongoing excavations alongside student training. Since establishing its Gaomi field base in 2023, the university has made significant discoveries — including recent confirmation that hemp was cultivated as one of the “five grains” (millet, rice, wheat, beans, and hemp) during the 4,000-year-old Longshan Culture period.

Hands-on learning bridges academic rigor with public engagement. Students harvest wheat with replicas of ancient shell sickles, practice seed flotation techniques, and master tools like Luoyang spades under expert guidance. “Soil layers rarely reveal secrets immediately,” noted faculty member Wu Hao, who resides year-round at the nearby Jiaojia excavation site — a key location for studying early Chinese civilization. “You develop sensitivity through persistent scraping.” Wu now identifies burial structures by the shovel’s acoustic feedback — crisp rustling versus dull thuds– a skill honed through years of fieldwork.

These experiential programs complement innovative curricula featuring archaeological photography and AI-assisted document collation. Through alignment with national cultural initiatives, Shandong University cultivates the next generation of heritage specialists. “We’re creating platforms to empower youth in building China’s cultural future,” stated Li Zhongjun, Party secretary of Shandong University.

By Han Xin, People’s Daily

In February 2026, the autonomous container ship “Zhifei” docked with pinpoint precision at the automated terminal of Qingdao Port in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong province. Without pilot boats or tug assistance, the ship’s autonomous navigation system guided it seamlessly to berth.

Upon arrival, the terminal’s vacuum-assisted mooring system secured the vessel with more than 10 suction cups in just 30 seconds. Remote-operated quay cranes then coordinated with automated guided vehicles for efficient cargo handling.

The seamless coordination between the intelligent ship and the smart port offers a glimpse into the development of intelligent shipping.

By 2030, China is expected to elevate its intelligent shipping development to an internationally advanced level, according to a plan recently released outlining the general requirements, key tasks, and support measures for intelligent shipping development during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

“Intelligent shipping is a waterway transport system centered on autonomous vessels, supported by digital infrastructure, and coordinated operational control,” said an official from the Maritime Safety Administration under China’s Ministry of Transport (MOT). Years of development have brought a series of breakthroughs in China’s intelligent shipping.

A new generation of smart vessels is emerging. Domestically produced intelligent ships with autonomous navigation capabilities, including the “Zhifei” and the “Zhu Hai Yun” smart unmanned scientific research mother ship, have hit the water, with some already in regular commercial operation. Decision-support systems are now applied at scale on bulk cargo carriers, oil tankers, and container ships.

Infrastructure has become smarter. Currently, there are 60 automated ports in China, and the national electronic navigational charts coverage now exceeds 10,000 kilometers of waterways. Meanwhile, the application of blockchain technology in port electronic cargo release and maritime electronic bills of lading is continuously expanding.

The framework for smart shipping has been steadily strengthened. China has issued a five-year plan for green and smart ship technology standards, introduced interim rules for the technical requirements and inspection of autonomous ship navigation trials, and taken the lead in drafting key chapters of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships Code. The country has become a key player in setting global standards for intelligent shipping.

“A new generation of technologies, represented by artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, are shifting shipping from experience-based to data-driven operations. Within a decade, intelligent shipping will reshape global industry competitiveness,” said Zhang Baochen, vice chairman of the China Institute of Navigation.

Along the Yangtze River, greenery stretches extend for miles. Recently, the world’s largest and China’s first 10,000-tonne pure electric intelligent vessel, the Ningyuan Diankun, began trial voyages in Jiujiang, east China’s Jiangxi province.

The vessel is integrated with an intelligent platform and smart engine-room system, and is equipped with core autonomous navigation technologies for open waters. It features a full suite of smart functions, including all-weather visual perception and autonomous navigation. The vessel is powered by 10 containerized battery packs and is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 1,500 tonnes annually after being put into operation.

“Although China’s shipping industry leads the world in scale, it continues to face a range of structural and systemic challenges, including persistently high operating costs and mounting pressure for green transition. Technological innovation is urgently needed to turn these challenges into new growth momentum,” said an official from the China Maritime Safety Administration.

The official added that the plan seeks to empower the shipping industry chain through innovative technologies, guiding the sector from scale-driven expansion toward quality-oriented development.

With a focus on smart vessels, the plan calls for intensified research into key areas such as human-machine collaboration and multi-agent coordination. As complete smart ship technologies continue to advance, future vessels are expected to become increasingly intelligent, capable of operating across far more complex and expansive maritime environments.

The plan also calls for breakthroughs in smart port and waterway technologies, as well as integrated systems for autonomous navigation and remote-controlled ship operations. In practical terms, this points to a future where more vessels will be able to dock autonomously at ports.

“The implementation of the plan will promote the deep integration of intelligent technologies across all elements and processes of shipping. This will not only drive innovation, empowerment, and transformation within the shipping industry itself, but also spur upgrading across upstream and downstream industrial chains, cultivating new growth drivers for China’s smart economy,” said Geng Xiongfei, director of the Intelligent Shipping Technology Research Center at the China Waterborne Transport Research Institute of the MOT.

Scenario-driven development is central to advancing smart shipping. According to the plan, China aims to establish at least three smart shipping pilot zones, launch more than five pilot smart shipping routes, develop over 10 replicable application scenarios, and put more than 100 intelligent vessels into operation over the next two years.