Nigeria Times

By Li Rui, People’s Daily

“It’s coming!” Liu Fuhai shouted, lying prone on a rock, one of his eyes pressed against his camera. Beads of sweat could be seen on his forehead.

Roaring water in the Yellow River plunged from the cliff, making gigantic splashes that eventually turned into thick mists.Liu, holding his breath, clicked the shutter quickly to capture the grandeur of the Hukou Waterfall, the largest waterfall on the Yellow River.

Liu, in his seventies, lives in Jinan, capital of east China’s Shandong province. He is a member of the China Photographers Association.

The man has a deep affection with the Yellow River, known as the “mother river” of China. During the past 38 years, he has taken tens of thousands of photos of the river, from its source to its estuary in Dongying, Shandong province. To the Hukou Waterfall alone, he has made more than 40 visits, with each round trip covering nearly 2,000 kilometers.

His affection with the Yellow River originated when he was an adolescent. “Back then, everybody enjoyed playing on the dam,” Liu said, devastated by the rolling water in the Yellow River.

In the 1980s, Liu worked in a vehicle manufacturing plant in Jinan. In 1987, he and his colleagues traveled afar to the Hukou Waterfall to take photos of it as promotional materials for his company.

“It was midsummer. When we was approaching the waterfall along the bank, a steady thrum flew into our ears,” Liu recalled.

“The sound gradually became clear. As we stepped closer, a blurred vision of a waterfall appeared in front of us. The sound was like a train roaring past us. It was so exciting that we all jumped.”

Standing in front of the waterfall, Liu saw nothing but the tremendous momentum of the Yellow River, which brought back his boyhood memories.

“This is probably the might of the mother river,” he said, his eyes wet.

On his way back, Liu decided to become a Yellow River photographer, so that he could present the beauty of the river to more people.

Capturing the true essence of the Yellow River is no simple task. Determined to do justice to its beauty, Liu dedicated himself to honing his photography skills. He delved into numerous photo albums showcasing the river, and studied the techniques of composition, exposure, focus, and filters from seasoned professionals. With time and practice, he forged his own unique path towards capturing the river’s magnificence.

As a Yellow River photographer, he sometimes has to confront danger. Once, while searching for the perfect location to capture his shots, he walked onto the mud flat barefooted, and found himself stuck in the mire. Despite his efforts to free himself, he only sank deeper into the quagmire.

“Half of my body was swallowed by the mud, yet my instinct was to raise my camera high to protect the precious photos, ” Liu said.

Thankfully, his fellow photographers came to his rescue and pulled him from the mud, but his soles were infected due to cuts by sharp rock, leading to a lingering ailment.

Liu told People’s Daily that capturing novel images can be challenging in commonly accessible locations. He holds that a photographer must find unique perspectives in places that are not easy to reach in order to create exceptional photographs.

In 2019, Liu released a photo album featuring the Yellow River. Each photograph captured a distinct aspect of the river, narrating its own compelling story.

“I wanted to use powerful visual impacts to demonstrate the dynamism of the Yellow River and the development of the regions along its course,” Liu said.

With his camera, Liu not only presents how folk customs vary along the banks of the Yellow River, but also records the rapid social and economic development.

“Look, some places were once hindered by poor transportation,” Liu said, flipping through his photos. “Through tourism, local people got rich, and tourists gradually began to appear in my photos. Today, tourists are everywhere. This is a real and tangible change.”

In the summer of 2024, a photo exhibition themed “civilization dialogue between the Yellow River and the Nile” was hosted during the China-Africa People’s Forum. To attend the exhibition, Liu was busy shooting photos of the Yellow River at different locations.

“I want to keep recording the beauty and telling the stories of the Yellow River with my photos,” Liu said.

By Yue Linwei, Zhu Yueying, People’s Daily

In front of the Shanghai plant of Japanese consumer goods giant Kao Corp in Maqiao township, Minhang district, east China’sShanghai, lies the “Huawang” Road (Huawang is the Chinese translation of Kao). When the plant was just established in the 1990s, this road was merely a gravel path. Today, it has evolved into a modern four-lane highway.

“The road’stransformation reflects Kao’sflourishing development in China over the past 30 years and the shared prosperity between Kao and the Chinese market,” said Gu Ren, general manager of Kao Commercial Shanghai Co., Ltd., during an interview with People’s Daily.

On Gu’s desk, there are two photographs. One, taken in 1996 when Kao’s Shanghai plant was newly built, shows the factory surrounded by villages and farmland. The other is a recent imagedepicting a modern industrial park featuring residential areas, lush greenery, and beautiful surroundings.

“The huge Chinese consumer market is full of vitality. We never waver in our commitment to deeply engaging with the Chinese market,” Toru Nishiguchi, senior managing executive officer of Kao, told People’s Daily.

He said that China’s continuous optimizationof its industrial structure in recent yearshas created broad opportunities for foreign enterprises.

Kao first entered the Chinese market in 1993, initially focusing on the sales of facial cleansers and shampoos. Over the years, Kao’s brands have gained significant recognition among Chinese consumers. “Today, Kao (China) Holding Co. Ltd. has grown into a comprehensive group encompassing household products, cosmetics, and industrial chemicals,” Nishiguchi explained.

“China has been expanding high-level opening up,” said Nishiguchi, who has extensive work experience in China. “The Chinese market remains resilient and dynamic. Thanks to China’s booming daily consumer goods market, Kao’s Chinese businesses have grown rapidly.”

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, cosmetics retail sales in China reached 414.2 billion yuan ($56.52 billion) in 2023, more than ten times the sales recorded in 2006.

It was in 2006 that Kao (China) began its cosmetics operations in the Chinese market. From 2006 to 2023, the company’s cosmetics sales in China also surged by more than ten times, according to an executive of the company. “We have been growing and thriving togetherwith the Chinese market,” Nishiguchi remarked.

During the interview, Nishiguchi highlighted a new product launched by Kaoin February 2024, which was developed primarily by the Chinese R&D team. The entire process of the product – from research and testing to production and sales – was carried out in China, said Nishiguchi.

“When developing the product, we have taken into account the personalized needs of Chinese consumers,” Nishiguchisaid. He believes the product’s success in the Chinese market is due to its alignment with Chinese consumers’ pursuit of a better life and validates Kao’s localized business strategy in China.

“As China’s economy continues to develop, Chinese consumers need more personalized, diversified, and high-quality products. These emerging trends in the Chinese consumer market present new opportunities for Kao to expand its presence in the country,” he remarked.

“From a global perspective, Kao’s business outside Japan accounts for about 45 percent of its total sales,” Nishiguchi noted. “China has always been our most important overseas market, contributing to Kao’s development in the entire Asian market,” said Nishiguchi.

Just a 15-minute drive from Kao’s Shanghai plant is China’sMaqiao Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Experimental Zone, a hub for integrating AI into urban development. The zone has attracted a number of high-tech companies specializing in cutting-edge robotics over the past five years. The industrial robots adopted by Kao’s Shanghai plant in August 2024 was developed by companies within this zone.

Gu said that Kao (China) is steadily promoting the automated, digital and unmanned transformation of its production lines, which is also supported by China’s intelligent manufacturing.

In recent years, Kao (China) has invested tens of millions of yuan in the intelligent transformation of its production lines on an annual basis, continually increasing the localization rate of its technical equipment.

China is taking solid steps to accelerate the development of new quality productivity forces as part of its efforts to promote high-quality development. Nishiguchi sees this as a catalyst for fostering innovation and boosting production efficiency. “While pursuing its own development, the Chinese market has been creating new business models and opportunities. Kao will remain focused on its core strengths, developing new technologies and products to drive our development in China,” he said.

By Song Zhaojun, People’s Daily

An elderly man, sometimes holding farming tools, walks along the ridges of the fields; at other times, he herds sheep slowly under peach trees in bloom; and occasionally, he stands amidst the vast desert and mountains, embodying the image of a general while narrating the history of the ancient Silk Road in northwest China…

“He really knows how to command the presence and energy,””Thank you for promoting my hometown,””I’ve watched this video at least 10 times” – as Zhang Yifang scrolls through the comments on his phone, he reads each one carefully.

Zhang, 68, hails from Qingsi village in Datong township, Yongdeng county, Lanzhou, northwest China’s Gansu province.

As a child, Zhang was nicknamed “Sanxiwa,” which literally translates into triple joy child. These days, he’s more commonly known as “Sanxi Grandpa,” meaning triple joygrandpa, which is also his ID on short video platforms.

Over the past four years, with support from the local cultural and tourism department, Zhang and his son Zhang Jianzong have filmed and produced over 100 short videos.

From rural fields and farmhouses to the vast deserts, grasslands, and the striking Danxia landform, he has filmed in many places with distinct northwest China characteristics, sharing the cultural stories and unique features of Gansu province. “Sanxi Grandpa” now has nearly 1.3 million followers on short video platforms.

During the 2024 Spring Festival, Zhang Yifang joined a local troupe of folk art show which features celebration of Chinese Spring Festival in multiple forms such as dragon dance, stilt walking, yangge dance, lion dance and other folk performances.

He released nearly 10 videos, with one of them receiving over 5.87 million likes and more than 1.01 million comments.

The folk art show performance has a long history, with participants sometimes exceeding 300, parading through streets, alleys, and fields.

From childhood to adulthood, Zhang Yifang has participated in the folk art show performances nearly every year. This deep-rooted passion for local performances has made him a natural in the world of short videos.

In the summer of 2021, Zhang Yifang’s children and grandchildren returned to Qingsi village. Under the clear sky and gentle wind, he was always seen lying in a chair, fanning himself with a straw hat, or playing with his grandchildren in the golden wheat fields.

Zhang Jianzong, who works in the film and television industry, captured these moments on camera and edited them into short videos. Once posted, the videos quickly garnered over 50,000 likes and nearly 4,000 shares.

Surprised by the positive response, the father and son decided to make rural life the central theme of their short videos and continue filming.

“When I was young, our village only had one black-and-white television, and we would all crowd around to watch movies together,” Zhang Yifang recalled. The scenes of martial arts heroes and knights always fascinated him. “It would be amazing to be a knight one day!”

Now, that dream has come to life in his short videos.

From an ordinary farmer to a knight or a general, as Zhang Yifang’s roles change, so do his backgrounds, such as a rural courtyard, the Danxia landform of Yongdeng, waterwheel parks, deserts, and grasslands.

Taking advantage of the popular trends in short video content, Zhang Yifang changes outfits every few seconds, enriching the scenes and roles to promote his hometown.

From the poplar forests in Jiuquan to the endless grasslands of Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture, Zhang Yifang has traveled to over 10 cities and prefectures in Gansu, filming videos wherever he goes.

He and his son have also launched two popular video series: “Sanxi Grandpa’s Martial Arts Journey” and “Sanxi Grandpa’s Food Selection.”

The first series showcases local cultural and tourism resources by portraying different historical figures, while the second focuses on traditional Gansu cuisine – how to make Yongdeng rose cakes, why the roast meat in Jiayuguan smells so good, and how to dry Dingxi wide noodles, among others. Dozens of Gansu’s regional dishes have been featured in the videos.

According to Zhang Jianzong, these two video series have already amassed over 460 million views. Many other short video creators have joined in, each offering their own perspectives on telling the stories of the northwest.

As his popularity grew, Zhang Yifang wanted to inspire his fellow villagers to create content alongside him. Encouraged by the father and son, many villagers began to appear in the videos.

“By participating in the filming, we not only get to experience performing, but also have the chance to show the world rural life. The affection from viewers is also a recognition of our village’s development,” said Zhang Yifang’s neighbor Lu Zizhen.

As rural vitalization is promoted comprehensively, Qingsi village now boasts wider roads, better internet connectivity, and more complete service facilities – features that frequently appear in the videos.

Thanks to land transfers, villagers now enjoy a steady income and ample free time, which has created a demand for more recreational activities. Currently, more than 30 villagers regularly participate in the filming of Zhang Yifang’s videos.

In 2024, Yongdeng county launched 20 high-quality tourist routes and organized over 200 cultural and artistic events, including theme exhibitions, social education programs, and reading activities, which supported nearly 30 short video creators to promote their hometown.

“We want to encourage the public to promote their hometowns in ways that resonate with them, further unlocking the cultural and tourism value,” said Li Tingming, director of the Yongdeng county bureau of culture, sports, radio, television, and tourism.

By Yang Wenming, People’s Daily

The period from October to May of the following year is the perfect time for bird watching in Yingjiang county, Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture, southwest China’s Yunnan province, as the rainfall decreases and the dry season approaches.

At this time, Xu Xiaolong, a villager from Shiti village in Taiping township of Yingjiang county, would get his homestay ready to accommodate the influx of tourists, which is almost fully booked every day during this peak season.

With a forest coverage rate of over 90 percent, Shiti village is home to over 450 bird species, accounting for more than 1/3 of those found across China.

It boasts a large number of bird species under national-level protection such as the grey peacock-pheasant, collared falconet, and bay-headed bee-eater. Additionally, three species of hornbills, including the malabar pied hornbill, wreathed hornbill, and great hornbill, have stable breeding grounds in Shiti village, making it known as the “hornbill valley of China.”

Leveraging the abundant bird resources, Yingjiang county has vigorously developed the bird-watching industry. By coordinating bird-watching activities with ecological conservation efforts, a new path for development has been paved.

In the past, Shiti village was home to over 300 residents. However, as the village was rarely visited by tourists due to its poor transportation, these residents lacked the expertise in tourism services.

In 2015, the government of Yingjiang county initiated a campaign to promote bird-watching activities, and local bird-watching enthusiasts also established a bird-watching association of Yingjiang county, which not only bolstered bird conservation efforts but also facilitated the development and utilization of bird-watching resources in the area.

Additionally, significant improvements were made to local infrastructure, and financial incentives were provided to villagers who transformed their residential properties into homestays.

In a couple of years, the “hornbill valley of China” began to gain reputation. Currently, there are over 30 bird-watching spots in Shiti village, with more than 50 bird guides who can proficiently identify over 100 bird species. The village provides a number of services for bird enthusiasts from accommodation to tour guide, and to transportation.

The per capita disposable income in Shiti village surged from less than 2,000 yuan ($273) in 2015 to 12,800 yuan ($1748) in 2023, thanks to the booming bird-watching industry. This not only lifted residents out of poverty but also effectively protected the local mountains and forests, fostering harmonious coexistence between bird-watchers and birds.

Today, protecting birds, forests and the ecology has been incorporated into village regulations and become a consensus among villagers. Even children in the village are aware of the importance of protecting birds.

Developing a bird-watching industry presents significant challenges, with the creation of bird-watching sites being one of the toughest.

A successful bird-watching spot requires attracting birds to the area and keeping them there. Building ponds, introducing food sources, and ensuring the right environment can help establish a thriving bird habitat. From a distance, shelters or hides allow visitors to observe and photograph birds without disturbing them.

As Xu explained, “Photographers often travel long distances. If they spend three to five days waiting without capturing anything worthwhile, it’s hard to maintain a steady stream of visitors.”

Creating a bird-watching site may seem easy, but Xu has faced his share of obstacles. Choosing the right location, studying migration routes, ensuring adequate water sources, and providing food for the birds are all delicate balances to strike.

If the site is too close to people, the birds may avoid it; if it’s too far from where people live, and it might deter visitors. Underfeeding won’t keep the birds around, but overfeeding increases costs and risks altering the birds’ natural behavior.

Since 2017, the bird-watching association of Yingjiang county has conducted 10 training sessions in Taiping township, teaching local residents to identify common species in the area, and providing practical guidance on bird-watching services. Xu found these sessions invaluable, saying, “I’ve learned so much.”

In Shiti Village, bird watching spots are divided into two types. One includes sites where bird watchers can feed the birds, and the other is for watching hornbills where feeding is not allowed.

Why is artificial feeding necessary?

“During the dry season when food is scarce, timely and appropriate feeding supplements the food for birds,” said Jin Yinde, an official with the Yunnan Tongbiguan provincial-level nature reserve. However, unlike “bird cages,” birds in these spots come and go freely without restrictions, and sufficient food and water sources help the survival of bird species.

Yingjiang county guides villagers to develop in a differentiated manner and has built 55 spots for watching great hornbills, collared falconets, and grey peacock-pheasants.

Birdwatchers are flooding into the village as the number of bird-watching spots expands. The rich bird resources and sound ecological environment are also attracting more and more tourists to the village. This poses challenges to Shiti village – how should it balance protection and development, regulate bird-watching activities and avoid disorderly competition?

“Core zones of protected areas must stay closed,” Jin told People’s Daily. Located near the Tongbiguan provincial-level nature reserve, Shiti village must coordinate bird-watching activities with ecological protection when building bird-watching spots, strictly adhere to ecological red lines, plan bird-watching spots reasonably, set appropriate distances between the spots, and strictly control the density of bird-watching spot distribution.

Shiti village has established a specialized cooperative invested by households involved. Under unified management, it distributes profits to its investors.

The village has also invited the bird-watching association of Yingjiang county to provide training sessions, guiding villagers to strengthen the management of bird-watching spots, strictly control the daily number of tourists based on environmental carrying capacity, and feed the birds in moderation and at appropriate times, so as to minimize disturbances to the environment.

In Yingjiang today, ecological conservation projects such as artificial nests for birds, hornbill conservation, and transnational cooperation on bird protection are continuously advancing. The activities of bird watching and bird protection have formed a virtuous cycle. More and more wild and rare bird species are choosing to settle down in Yingjiang.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

“China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We must jointly create a better future for the world,” said Chinese President Xi Jinping in his 2025 New Year message.

His remarks demonstrate to the world China’s sincere hope to strengthen friendship and cooperation with other countries, its broad vision to rise above estrangement and conflict, and its great passion for caring for the future of humanity.

Friendly cooperation has always been the defining feature of China’s external exchanges. Drawing inspiration from its profound traditional culture, China has always valued making friends widely and deeply, followed the communication approaches of acting in good faith and being friendly to others, and strived for the ideals of pursuing the common good for all and promoting harmony among all nations.

These cultural values reflect the Chinese people’s respect for diversity and inclusiveness, and their commitment to working together with other countries for the common good.

Chinese diplomacy also emphasizes friendship and cooperation. In October 2024, Xi met with foreign guests attending the China International Friendship Conference and conference marking the 70th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries in Beijing. He recalled that a foreign friend of his once told him that friendship is a big deal, and a world of friendship is a world of peace.

Xi’s remarks show that the streams of friendship and the vitality of cooperation can converge into a powerful force that promotesworld peace and development, contributing to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

In promoting friendship and cooperation with other countries, China always values mutual respect and treats others as equals.

China always believes that all countries, big or small, strong or weak, rich or poor, are equal members of the international community. Itsupports all countries in independently choosing development paths suited to their respective national conditions, and is ready to share development opportunities brought by Chinese modernization.

Today, China has established diplomatic relations with 183 countries and has become a major trading partner of over 150 countries and regions, creating a closer global network of partnerships.

In promoting friendship and cooperation with other countries, China always values win-win cooperation and mutual benefit.

China believes that win-win cooperation is the sure way to success in launching major initiatives that benefit all. This is also a vital experience learned from China’s foreign exchange practices.

On Dec. 31, 2024, the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Further Upgrade Protocolentered into force. On Jan. 1, 2025, the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement took effect. As China continues to expand high-level opening up, it has provided new opportunities for global development with new achievements of Chinese modernization.

In promoting friendship and cooperation with other countries, China always values openness, inclusiveness, and mutual learning among different civilizations.

As an old Chinese saying goes, “All living things should flourish without harming each other; all ways of life should thrive without hindering each other.”

China has announced the initiative of inviting 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programsin a five-year span, contributing to the development of China-U.S. relations and world peace. It has also invited 1,000 members of African political parties to China to deepen exchanges of experience in party and state governance.

China has established the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens, creating a new platform for civilizational exchange and mutual learning between China, Greece, and other nations around the world. Moreover, China has developed over 3,000 international friendship city relationships with more than 140 countries across five continents, building a global network of friendships and partnerships.

With tangible actions, China has built bridges for people-to-people exchanges and encouragedpeople of all countries to promote mutual learning among different civilizations and foster people-to-people connectivity,injecting stronger momentum into human progress and world peace.

Sincerity is the foundation for friendship and long-term dedication is the basis of international cooperation. As changes unseen in a century accelerate across the world and the international situation becomes increasingly turbulent, the world needs to strengthen friendship and cooperation more than ever before.

China remains committed to promoting friendship and cooperation, and stands ready to work with all countries to converge the powerful force that promotesworld peace and development and builds a community with a shared future for mankind.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

As the new year began, a train loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables set off from China’s Yunnan province to the capital of Laos, Vientiane; in many Chinese supermarkets, Lao bananas imported by cold-chain trains via the China-Laos Railway are sold, enriching consumers’ choices.

The China-Laos Railway is becoming a “golden corridor” promoting the common development of China and its neighboring countries, ushering in bright prospects for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his 2025 New Year message that China will work with all countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

China is not only an advocate for but also a contributor to building a community with a shared future for mankind. It has contributed its strength to peaceful development and promoted global governance reform with firm conviction and solid actions, demonstrating its courage and responsibility to advance human progress and world harmony.

Facing the changes of the times and the questions raised by history, the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind unequivocally champions global solidarity, open-mindedness and win-win cooperation.

It replaces conflicts and confrontation with peaceful development,absolute security with common security, and zero-sum game with mutual benefits and win-win results, prevents cultural clashes through cultural exchanges, and champions green development to protect the planet we call home, pushing state-to-state relations from the pursuit of peaceful coexistence to that of a future shared by all.

On the road to the wellbeing of all mankind, no country or nation should be left behind. China always seeks others’ success as well as its own with a global vision. It follows a path of peaceful, open, cooperative and win-win development, providing new opportunities for global development with new accomplishments in Chinese modernization.

Xi once said, “We Chinese not only aspire for good living for ourselves, but also hope people in other parts of the world lead a decent life.” And China is proving this with concrete actions.

The China-Europe freight trains have made over 100,000 trips. The Chinese-built Chancay port in Peru has witnessed the emergence of a new land-sea corridor between Asia and Latin America in the new era. A total of 155 countries have joined Belt and Road Cooperation, paving the “road of happiness” wider.

China has hosted the China International Import Expo for seven consecutive years, continuously opening its market to countries around the world. It announced eight actions for global development to march toward modernization with other developing countries.

“Together, we can make 2025 a new beginning. Not as a world divided. But as nations united,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his message for the New Year.

China unswervingly follows the path of peaceful development and calls for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

It has unveiled eight measures in support of Global South cooperation, encouraging Global South countries to be the staunch force for peace, the core driving force for open development, the construction team of global governance, and the advocates for exchange among civilizations. China has made a strong voice for the development and vitalization of the Global South, and injected positive energy into improving the global governance system.

In the face of frequent geopolitical conflicts, China is actively working to restore peace in hotspots, upholding an objective and impartial stance, and actively advocating for peace and dialogue.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind has evolved from a proposal to a consensus, from a vision to a practice, becoming a significant force driving positive and profound changes in the world today.

Over the past year, China has agreed with Serbia to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, elevated the overall characterization of China-Africa relations to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, and elevated China-Brazil ties to a community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet.

So far, communities with a shared future of varying forms have been built between China and dozens of countries and regions.

Multilateral cooperation such as a global community of health for all, a community with a shared future in cyberspace and a global community of shared development has been advancing. The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind has been incorporated into UN resolutions and multilateral documents for multiple times, increasingly becoming the most important public good with major global significance, and moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.

A just cause should be pursued for the common good. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is a noble goal that requires generations of efforts. Looking at the past and future at this critical moment in history, we believe our efforts to create a better world will not cease.

China will continue to work with all parties in solidarity and cooperation, to write a new chapter in building a community with a shared future for mankind, and together, to create a better future for the world.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

In his 2025 New Year message, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated that China will work with all countries to enhance mutual learning among different cultures. This demonstrates China’s wisdom and vision to promote harmonious coexistence among different civilizations, as well as the country’s sense of responsibility in advancing the progress of human civilizations.

The world is in a new period of turbulence and transformation, and global challenges keep emerging. Toachieve peaceful coexistence and harmony among different civilizations remains crucial for addressing common challenges facing humanity.

In the face of rising unilateralism, protectionism and populism, as well as the increasing disputes derived from the differences in cultures and civilizations, China remains committed to promotingexchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, which is a wise choice inspired by the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization.

The prosperity of civilization and human progress will not be possible without enhancing common ground, openness and inclusiveness as well as exchange and mutual learning among civilizations and agreeing to reserve differences. More dialogue means less confrontation, and more inclusiveness means less estrangement.

Xi has made solid efforts to strengthen exchanges and enhance understanding among different civilizations, ensuring that civilizations, diverse in many ways, complement each other and shine brightly together, just like the multicolored pools of China’s Jiuzhaigou and Peru’s Salt Terraces of Maras.

When replying tothe letter from his American friend, Xi pointed out, “For China-U.S. relations to advance, it hinges more on the two peoples.”In a congratulatory letter to the inaugural World Conference of Classics, he emphasized the need to seek wisdom from different civilizations. When drawing blueprints for BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and other cooperation mechanisms, he elaborated on people-to-people and cultural exchangesand dialogue on many occasions.

While injecting momentum into exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations, Xi has also provided wisdom and solutions to questions like how countries should get along with each other and how they should make joint efforts to address global challenges.

Civilizations are like water, moistening everything silently. “As an old Chinese saying goes, ‘Passengers in the same boat should help each other.’ Today, as I see it, dwellers of the same planet should help each other,” said Xi. He also encouraged the international community to resolve differences through dialogue and rise above conflicts through cooperation, and build a beautiful world of harmonious coexistence together.

These important proposals reflect the essence of fine traditional Chinese culture and serve as a source of inspiration for humanity to tackle the challenges of the times.

In June 2024, the 78th session of the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution proposed by China to establish the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations. This vividly exemplifies China’s solutions and contributions to eliminating prejudices and misunderstanding and enhancing mutual understanding and trust among different civilizations.

Joining hands to advance modernization

To achieve modernization is an important topic in the development of civilizations. Modernization is not “an exclusive patent” of a small handful of countries, nor is it a single answer question. It cannot be realized by a cookie cutter approach or simple “copy and paste.”

Along the path to modernization, China has been working together with other countries to step up the exchange of experience in state governance and national development.

In November 2024, Xi shared with other countries China’s successful story in poverty alleviation when attending the 19th G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

To tackle poverty, China has made targeted policies tailored to each village, each household and each person; helped localities generate growth by fostering industries with distinctive features and upgrading infrastructure, all in light of their own conditions; and promoted common prosperity by pairing up well-off regions with less developed ones. Such experience has drawn great attention worldwide.

From poverty reduction to the fight against corruption, from promoting common prosperity to enhancing ecological conservation, the successful experience of Chinese modernization has become a public good driving the progress of human civilizations.

At the opening ceremony of the 2024 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, China unveiled ten partnership actions for modernization to deepen China-Africa cooperation, of which the Partnership Action for Mutual Learning among Civilizations is in the first place. Under this action, China is ready to work with Africa to build a platform for governance experience sharing.

Many African leaders believe that China stands ready to share its experience with other countries based oncommon values and mutual respect. They said that Africa and China can accelerate the process of industrialization and modernization by learning from each other and drawing on each other’s strengths.

China has always been committed to strengthening exchanges and mutual learning with all countries. Its experience is increasingly viewed by the international community, especially countries of the Global South, as an opportunity and hope for achieving development and progress.

The world is a colorful place and civilizations are diverse. At the crossroads of human civilizations, China stands ready to enhance mutual learning among different cultures together with other countries, to see that different civilizations enrich each other and add to the beauty of the world.

China will also join hands with other countries to bring down cultural barriers on the ground, reject prejudices that stand in the way of human interactions, and eliminate cultural bias that prevents people from engaging with one another, so as to ensure that different civilizations coexist in harmony.

By Qiao Dong, People’s Daily

Qinghai Lake, the largest inland saltwater lake in China, has been expanding in size continuously for the past 20 years. The latest satellite remote sensing found that the lake’s w r surface had reached 4650.08 square kilometers, a year-on-year increase of 28.1 square kilometers.

The recovery of the lake surface area is attributed to the local ecological restoration efforts and ongoing management and protection of the water ecosystem in recent years.

“Over the past 20 years, the warming and increased humidity on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau has led to higher average temperature and rising rainfall in the Qinghai Lake basin,” said Sun Jianqing, an official with the Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve Administration.

“More importantly, we have been beefing up ecological restoration and comprehensive sand and water management of the Qinghai Lake basin. The water quality in the main area of Qinghai Lake has consistently remained good over an extended period,” Sun added.

According to Shi Derong, an engineer at the grassland station in Haiyan county of Haibei Tibetan autonomous prefecture, northwest China’s Qinghai province, Qinghai Lake’swater level had experienced a reduction due to grassland degradation, land desertification, and river flow interruption.

To combat desertification, Qinghai adopted a sand control approach that focusedprimarily on preventing sand expansion while boosting afforestation. The province has restructured its tree species and successfully tested a range of practical technologies appropriate for high-cold sandy areas. Over 500,000 mu (33,333 hectares) of desertified land to the northeast of Qinghai Lake has been treated, with the overall coverage rate of grassland vegetation reaching 60 percent.

The continuous flow of streams into Qinghai Lake also provides a constant source of energy for the lake’s expansion.

The Buha River, originating from the Qilian Mountains, is the largest tributary of Qinghai Lake and accounts for over 50 percent of the lake’s water inflow.

Currently, China has approved a plan to establish a national park at Qinghai Lake. As part of the park’s development,the headwater regions of inflowing rivers, ecologically fragile areas such as glaciers and permafrost, habitats of rare species, as well as the lake area, will all be incorporated into core protection zones.

Over the past few years, the size of the Buha River basin has been on a steady increase, with the water quality consistently rated as excellent. How did local authorities manage to enhance the water quality while increasing the water volume?

A management system composed of the Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve Administration, its branch offices and protection stations has been established in Qinghai Lake. Additionally, six protection stations have been put in place. carrying out special operations and daily patrols and monitoring to protect the water ecology.

Increasing biodiversity

Recently, an outdoor video monitoring platform run by the Protection and Utilization Administration of Qinghai Lake Scenic Area captured a real-time footage – hundreds of overwintering swans walking back and forth in groupsnear a bird islet.

It is learned that during the establishment of the national park, three comprehensive observation stations have been set up at the Chinese national level and under the administration of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Besides, a research platform has been established with the concreted efforts of several parties. Over 300 ecological monitoring stations for water, soil, air, and wildlife have alsobeen set up to supervise 24 major bird habitats, 13 Przewalski’s gazelle activity areas, and 28 key ecological protection areas.

Today, Qinghai Lake has seen its ecological environment improved and biodiversity rapidly restored. The naked carp population has recorded a nearly 46-fold growth.A total of 281 bird species have been identified in the region, with an impressive 606,000waterfowl making it their permanent home. Additionally, the number of the Przewalski’s gazelle in the Qinghai Lake basin has risen from fewer than 300 in the early stages of conservation to over 3,400.

“Our ecological conservation efforts are manifested in ‘three improvements and three reductions’ – we have increased the areas of wetland, the coverage of high-density vegetation, and the overall ecological function, while reducing the areas of sandy, bare, and saline-alkali land within the protected zone. At the same time, within our protected zone, the functional land under protection remains unchanged,” said Sun.

Booming ecological tourism

In Ha’ergai township of Gangcha county on the northern shore of Qinghai Lake, mushroom-shaped hotel buildings are favored by many tourists. There is also a rescue station for Przewalski’s gazelleand a science museum close by.

In recent years, the Qinghai Lake scenic area has upgradedits tourism infrastructure, including transportation, service facilities, and parking lots, while also providing a wider range of ecological tourism productsto enrich visitors’travel experiences.

Local residents are benefiting from the improved ecological environment. Sources say that the Protection and Utilization Administration of Qinghai Lake Scenic Area has adopted a collaborative approach to develop ecological tourism within the 12 approved scenic spots, featuring the participation of companies, cooperatives, and the public. This innovative model has contributed to local job creation, benefiting more than 20,000 residents in the eight neighboring townships.

“Over 60,000 people are living within the proposed boundaries of the national park at Qinghai Lake. We are planning to provide people in local communities with sharesin cooperatives, which will encourage their participation and allow them to benefit from the park’s development. In this way, we canpursue a well-coordinated approach in ecological protection and high-quality development,” said Ma Tiancheng, deputy head of the Protection and Utilization Administration of Qinghai Lake Scenic Area.