Nigeria Times

By Zhang Bolan, Wang Xiaobo, People’s Daily

Nestled beneath the campus of Ohio State University in the United States lies a unique repository: an underground “ice core bank.” Within its chambers, thousands of gleaming silver tubes are neatly arranged on steel racks. This vault safeguards the world’s most extensive collection of ice-core archives — irreplaceable records chronicling Earth’s climate fluctuations across an extraordinary 700,000-year timespan.

The visionary behind this initiative is Lonnie Thompson, a member of the American Academy of Sciences and distinguished professor of the School of Earth Sciences at Ohio State University. 

Prof. Thompson presents a polite and scholarly figure, often seen with silver-rimmed glasses. However, when discussing glaciers, his demeanor transforms, revealing profound passion and encyclopedic knowledge, as if recounting tales of cherished companions.

Demonstrating remarkable foresight over four decades ago, Prof. Thompson diverged from the prevailing focus on polar regions. He recognized the critical scientific importance of glaciers in mid- and low-latitude areas. This insight propelled him to lead 50 challenging expeditions to remote highlands across nearly 20 countries.

Through the collection and analysis of ice-core samples, he pioneered the reconstruction of global paleoclimate patterns. These foundational contributions earned him recognition as the founder of mid- and low-latitude alpine paleoclimatology.

Prof. Thompson holds the distinction of being the first American glaciologist to conduct scientific research on the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau and the first paleoclimatologist to drill ice cores from Himalayan glaciers. Since 1984, he has visited the plateau 29 times for field research and is known among Chinese colleagues as both a “trailblazer” and a “collaborator” in China’s glacier scientific expeditions.

In 1987, Prof. Thompson worked with Chinese and Russian scientists, including Prof. Yao Tandong, one of the pioneers in China’s glaciological research, to complete the drilling of the first deep ice core at the Dunde ice cap in the Qilian Mountains in the northwest China. In 1989, the research findings were published in Science, one of the world’s leading academic journals, drawing widespread attention from the international science communities.

In 1992, a multinational research team including Chinese and American scientists reached the Guliya ice cap in the west Kunlun Mountains in northwest China and successfully drilled an ice core that set a milestone: at 308.6 meters long, it was then the longest ever retrieved from mid- to low-latitude regions, and it remains the one containing the most extended continuous climate record to date. Spanning over 700,000 years, the core has enabled detailed reconstruction of climatic and environmental changes across multiple timescales since the last interglacial period.

In 1997, on Mount Shishapangma, the 14th-highest mountain in the world in China’s Xizang autonomous region, a joint China-U.S. expedition drilled three Dasuopu ice cores with a combined length of 480 meters and a total weight of 5 tons, setting a world record for the highest-altitude ice-core drilling site, at 7,200 meters above sea level.

Through his long-standing collaboration with Chinese scientists such as Prof. Yao, Prof. Thompson became firmly convinced of one fundamental truth: even amidst extreme climatic conditions, scientists from the United States and China share common goals. Science transcends borders. Ultimately, he believes, the global community must unite to confront the shared challenge of climate change.

Since the late 1980s, Prof. Thompson has dedicated portions of his research funding to support Chinese scientists, inviting them for academic exchanges at the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center in the United States. 

Over the following decades, he has co-authored papers with Chinese researchers in internationally renowned journals such as Nature, substantially elevating the global academic profile of Chinese scientists in this field.

Built upon decades of persistent research and accelerated in recent years by major national science and technology programs such as the Second Scientific Expedition and Research to the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and “Pan-Third Pole Environment Change Study for Green Silk Road Development” project by the Chinese Academy of Sciences — Chinese scientists have risen to the international forefront of glacier research on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.

Prof. Thompson has personally witnessed China’s transformative development and observed the government’s increasing investment in cultivating young scientific talents and modernizing research infrastructure. He notes that China’s ice-core laboratories have grown increasingly sophisticated, with new research campuses established in both Beijing and Lhasa, Xizang autonomous region.

Today, the Qinghai–Xizang Plateau has emerged as a new arena for international ice-core research, alongside the Arctic and Antarctic.

Prof. Thompson remains committed to advancing China-U.S. scientific cooperation in glaciology and to helping China’s glacier research integrate more deeply into the international scientific community. 

To advance international support for the China-led Third Pole Environment (TPE) program, Prof. Thompson utilized his academic influence to establish a TPE satellite office at The Ohio State University. He has consistently taken part in TPE Workshops, where he urged Earth scientists focusing on the Third Pole research to share their expertise and collaboratively tackle climate change challenges. 

Furthermore, he has facilitated visits and coordinated coverage by international media outlets, including The New York Times, to relevant research institutes in China, enabling the world to gain a better understanding of China’s glaciological research and effort to combat climate change threats. 

By Shi Yu, People’s Daily

At 8 a.m., Huang Chunyi, a resident of Lianqian neighborhood in Siming district, Xiamen, southeast China’s Fujian province, headed out for work, taking along three bags of household waste to a collection point in her residential complex. 

“One bag is kitchen waste, one is general waste, and the third holds recyclables like cardboard, plastic bottles, and plastic packaging from a courier box,” she said.

In Xiamen, all recyclable waste collected from homes is transported daily to a specialized sorting center for low-value recyclables. Inside the facility, an intelligent sorting system operates alongside high-speed conveyor belts. This system identifies difficult-to-process materials and directs them into specific storage bins.

There, a wide range of paper and plastic products is sorted into 16 refined categories before being recycled into regenerated materials. 

“Plastics account for over 60% of the low-value recyclables we process. Without timely collection and treatment, they can pollute the environment and eventually degrade into emerging contaminants such as microplastics measuring less than five millimeters,” said Xie Yibin, operations director at the sorting center.

“Plastic that is properly recycled can become a reusable resource, but plastic discarded at will may eventually turn into emerging pollutants such as microplastics,” Huang noted. Having learned a great deal from public education campaigns on waste sorting, she has become particularly attentive to environmental protection.

Emerging pollutants, now widely discussed both in China and abroad, mainly include persistent organic pollutants regulated by international conventions, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, antibiotics, and microplastics. 

According to Luo Zhuanxi, professor of environmental science and engineering at Huaqiao University in Fujian province, emerging pollutants refer to toxic and hazardous chemical substances characterized by biological toxicity, environmental persistence, and bioaccumulation, posing significant risks to ecosystems and human health.

“I never realized emerging pollutants were so close to our daily lives,” said Zhang Ruixing, engineering director of an electronics design and manufacturing company. 

Following the release of a 2023 edition of a list of key controlled emerging pollutants, the company, under the guidance of environmental authorities, immediately reviewed all its raw materials. 

“After electronic components are soldered onto circuit boards, cleaning solvents are used to remove organic residues from the solder. The solvent we previously used contained dichloromethane, an emerging pollutant listed in the catalog and a volatile organic compound. For environmental safety, we decided to replace the material as soon as possible,” Zhang explained.

In fact, traces of emerging pollutants can be found in many aspects of everyday life. “Paints and leather products may contain persistent organic pollutants; some personal care products and industrial waste may contain endocrine disruptors; and antibiotics are widely used in the medical sector,” Luo explained.

In recent years, Xiamen has strengthened coordinated governance of emerging pollutants and explored environmental risk control covering their entire life cycle.

“Pollution prevention at source represents an eco-friendly strategy for addressing emerging pollutants, though its implementation remains challenging,” explained Feng Weiguo, an official with the soil environment and solid waste management division of the Xiamen municipal bureau of ecology and environment. 

Leakage of such pollutants can occur throughout their entire lifecycle, from production and use to final disposal, which heightens the demands on both monitoring and regulatory oversight. Therefore, effective management calls for coordinated efforts to enhance whole-life-cycle control, spanning from industrial processes to end-of-pipe treatment.

“Our company produces about 5 million units of various products each month, so any change in processes or materials must undergo rigorous verification,” Zhang said. The company conducted third-party component testing and laboratory performance verification, then compared factors such as composition, cost, and cleaning effectiveness before selecting suitable materials for small-batch trial production. “It took six months, and we are now using a wholly new material.”

“Focusing on key industries, we have introduced sector-specific technical standards and established chemical substance inventory systems to encourage enterprises to upgrade their technologies, enhance their environmental image and brand value, and improve market competitiveness,” Feng noted. 

In addition, Xiamen has issued relevant regulations and technical guidelines requiring early scientific assessment at the project-approval stage, clarifying risk-prevention and control measures for toxic and hazardous chemicals and guiding enterprises to improve full-process environmental risk management mechanisms.

What can individuals do in daily life to help manage emerging pollutants? 

“Consumers can reduce their exposure to emerging pollutants — for example, by cutting down on plastic products, prioritizing biodegradable alternatives, and properly sorting waste to improve recycling,” Luo said. He also advised consumers to check ingredient labels, opt for environmentally friendly goods, and use and dispose of antibiotics responsibly.

By Wang Weijian, People’s Daily

Silk stands as one of China’s foundational innovations and a defining symbol of Chinese civilization. Today, this ancient textile is undergoing a quiet revolution — transitioning from museum artifacts and luxury goods into contemporary fashion and daily essentials.

At 7 p.m. in Suzhou’s Gusu District, 1990s-born tailor Shi Yi arranges new inventory at Dashi Tailor Shop. Their winter qipaos (Cheongsam), featuring innovative down insulation within traditional silhouettes, blend elegance with practicality, resulting in constant orders.

Since 2023, the Suzhou Silk Museum has digitized textile patterns, transforming static artifacts into dynamic cultural assets. Leveraging this resource, Shi Yi reinterpreted classic motifs — cloud patterns, intertwining vines, and floral-bird designs — for modern aesthetics. This approach birthed sophisticated products: Song brocade handbags merging heritage with functionality; silk cushions elevating living spaces; notebook covers offering tactile cultural experiences. Through such innovations, ancient craftsmanship finds new relevance.

Technology has meanwhile granted silk unprecedented resilience. At Jiangsu Huajia Silk Co., Ltd. in Shengze, Wang Yongyu, deputy general manager of Jiangsu Huajia Silk Co., Ltd (Huajia), demonstrates stain-resistant fabric by pouring red wine onto silk and effortlessly wiping it clean. “We’ve armored silk with nanoscale protection,” Wang explains, solving a centuries-old maintenance challenge.

To address silk’s wrinkling and shape retention issues, Huajia’s R&D team perfected a silk-spandex fusion. This innovation preserves silk’s natural luster, comfort, and breathability while adding elasticity and wrinkle resistance. With 5% annual revenue invested in R&D and over 180 patents secured, Huajia now exports globally.

Innovation extends to production methods. Nearby at Wujiang Dingsheng Silk Company, electronic jacquard looms — enhanced with AI-powered monitoring systems — produce intricate Song brocade. Once painstakingly woven at just 5cm daily, this luxurious textile now flows continuously with machine precision. Chairman Wu Jianhua’s innovations have increased productivity hundreds-fold, democratizing what was historically elite craftsmanship.

Beyond fabric, silk now embodies a lifestyle philosophy. In Qidu township’s 33-hectare “Landscape Mulberry Fields” eco-park, the ancient mulberry-fish pond ecosystem thrives alongside modern silkworm rearing facilities and craft workshops. Partnering with Soochow University and industry leaders, the park serves as an innovation hub.

Founder Liu Ying, whose silk enterprise previously exported to 30+ countries, explains: “After decades perfecting textiles, we now promote a ‘silk lifestyle’ — reconnecting people with sericulture heritage and nature.” Urban professionals like Xu Shasha frequent the park: “Here, city bustle fades. Time slows, and hearts find calm.” In 2025, tens of thousands visited, boosting local homestays and agricultural sales.

Innovation extends to production methods. Nearby at Wujiang Dingsheng Silk Company, electronic jacquard looms — enhanced with AI-powered monitoring systems — produce intricate Song brocade. Once painstakingly woven at just 5cm daily, this luxurious textile now flows continuously with machine precision. Chairman Wu Jianhua’s innovations have increased productivity hundreds-fold, democratizing what was historically elite craftsmanship.

Beyond fabric, silk now embodies a lifestyle philosophy. In Qidu township’s 33-hectare “Landscape Mulberry Fields” eco-park, the ancient mulberry-fish pond ecosystem thrives alongside modern silkworm rearing facilities and craft workshops. Partnering with Soochow University and industry leaders, the park serves as an innovation hub.

The park’s founder, Liu Ying, 63, previously built a silk enterprise whose products were exported to more than 30 countries, with annual output value exceeding 100 million yuan ($14.4 million). “For decades, we focused on weaving every inch of silk well and making every garment well,” Liu said. “Now, we want to convey a ‘silk lifestyle’ rooted in sericulture culture and a return to nature.”

Xu Shasha, an urban office worker, is a regular visitor to the park. On holidays, she brings her family to relax: sipping fragrant mulberry tea, tasting sweet mulberries, enjoying silk-themed creative dishes at a restaurant in the paddy field, and taking part in intangible cultural heritage workshops such as silk weaving. 

“Here, the bustle of the city fades away. Time seems to slow, and the heart finds its calm,” Xu told People’s Daily. In 2025, the park drew tens of thousands of visitors, boosting nearby homestays and driving sales of local agricultural products.

In Suzhou, the ancient wisdom of sericulture is no longer just a museum relic–it has become a living economy, vibrant, thriving, breathing new life to everyday life.

By Han Xin, People’s Daily

Speed, scale and connectivity are defining features of China’s modern logistics system, offering a clear view into the nation’s economic vitality..

A case in point is the “cherry express.” Riding this dedicated route, a cargo aircraft carrying over 100 tons of fresh cherries can fly from Chile to Ezhou Huahu International Airport in central China’s Hubei province in just 25 hours. From there, an integrated rail-road-air transport network swiftly delivers the fruit to destinations across the country. 

Such efficiency has become increasingly visible to consumers. Earlier this year, many netizens remarked that even the delivery of Spring Festival goods now comes with “China speed.”

This is one snapshot of China’s rapidly evolving logistics sector. Behind that speed is the world’s largest express delivery network, serving the country’s vast population. In 2025, China handled nearly 200 billion parcels, up 13.6 percent year on year, ranking first globally for 12 consecutive years. 

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021–2025), postal coverage in rural and border areas expanded significantly. The number of service outlets increased by nearly 1.5 times compared with five years ago, and all natural villages in border areas now have access to postal services.

Though small in size, parcels connect online and offline markets, link production with consumption, and serve as a barometer of economic vitality. Exploring how China built the world’s largest logistics network offers deeper insight into a dynamic and thriving China.

Historically, this achievement demonstrates how China’s reform have transformed its economy. The first private express delivery companies emerged in 1993 and developed steadily. A major turning point came in 2009, when revisions to the postal law clarified the legal status of private courier firms.

Major companies accelerated network expansion, seizing the momentum and scaling up rapidly. As a result, China now handles about 10 billion express parcels a month — roughly what used to be its annual total.

Over more than three decades, China’s express delivery sector has repeatedly reached new milestones. Growing alongside the country’s reform, the expanding delivery network has become a vivid example of a vibrant China in motion.

From a real-world standpoint, this global lead highlights the advantages of China’s super-large market.

Placing orders on a smartphone and receiving parcels at the doorstep has become routine for Chinese consumers. Behind this convenience lies a strong synergy between e-commerce and express delivery. Today, more than 80 percent of China’s parcel volume originates from e-commerce transactions. In 2025, the value of physical goods sold online and delivered via express services exceeded 14 trillion yuan ($2.01 trillion).

Growing together, e-commerce and express delivery have effectively unlocked consumption potential. Initiatives like “e-commerce expansion to western regions” have helped break through the “last mile” of consumption, steadily enlarging areas offering free shipping. The advantages of China’s vast market continue to emerge. Take Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in the northwest, for example: since the introduction of free-shipping services, the average daily volume of inbound parcels has risen by nearly 1 million, strongly supporting rapid growth in online retail sales of physical goods.

Looking to the future, this world’s largest logistics network is increasingly driven by new quality productive forces.

Handling over 10 billion parcels each month — equivalent to processing about 6,000 parcels per second — requires robust technological support to keep such enormous volumes moving smoothly. That support comes from advanced technologies.

In smart warehouses, handling robots glide along tracks while vertical robots move tirelessly between floors. On sorting lines, AI-powered vision systems identify and route parcels with speed and precision. At the last mile, unmanned delivery vehicles work seamlessly alongside couriers to improve efficiency. Across collection, sorting, transportation and delivery, next-generation information technologies are taking effect, making the delivery network denser, smarter and more efficient.

The rapid growth of the express delivery network also mirrors China’s broader infrastructure upgrade. Across the country, the world’s largest and most advanced high-speed rail network links north and south; the world’s largest expressway network serves hundreds of millions of people; and the world’s largest 5G network blankets vast urban and rural areas alike. Tangible and intangible networks interweave, infusing a mobile China with renewed vitality.

The road ahead is long, but the stride is steady and confident. As technological innovation and industrial innovation deepen their integration, and as the development of a unified national market advances further, the world’s largest express delivery network will become smarter and more accessible, contributing to a more connected future.

By Bai Guangdi, Zheng Yangyang, Wang Yongzhan, People’s Daily

By the end of December 2025, China had built 20.092 million electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities, forming the world’s largest EV charging network. This infrastructure supports over 43 million new energy vehicles nationwide.

In early 2026, China announced a three-year action plan (2025-2027) to upgrade its EV charging infrastructure. The plan targets establishing 28 million charging facilities by 2027, providing more than 300 million kilowatts of public charging capacity and to serve over 80 million electric vehicles.

China is accelerating the expansion of public charging infrastructure nationwide. Key initiatives include deploying. ultra-fast and fast chargers at highway service areas, installing fast chargers in townships, ensuring charging access in central villages, and introducing professional operators in urban communities. These measures are steadily improving charging conditions and rapidly enhancing overall service capacity.

“Heavy trucks require significant charging capacity, but many highway service areas lacked sufficient power,” explained Wang, a truck driver from Henan province. During a recent stop at Taihu service area on Suzhou Ring Expressway, he experienced remarkable efficiency: “Using the dual-gun charging system, I added 63 kWh in just 15 minutes – that’s incredibly fast!”

Chu Zhili, manager of the Taihu service area charging facilities, noted: “We’ve installed four dedicated charging stations for heavy-duty EVs. The dual-gun system delivers up to 480 kilowatts — nearly four times conventional charging speeds.”

Operational since September 2025, the Taihu station is Jiangsu province’s first demonstration site combining megawatt-level flexible ultra-fast charging with intelligent operations. The AI-driven system monitors safety hazards and equipment status in real-time, integrates multiple data streams, and supports maintenance decisions to ensure charging and travel safety.

At noon in Dongguo village, north China’s Shanxi province, resident Wang Baoqin charged her new energy vehicle at a local station paying just 0.68 yuan (about $0.1) per kWh. “Village charging is incredibly convenient,” she noted. “This is actually the most economical time to charge.”

In July 2024, Changzi county was included in China’s first batch of pilot counties aimed at strengthening county-level charging and battery-swapping infrastructure. 

“We carried out a county-wide survey and selected charging sites based on 12 indicators, such as population density, tourism resources, traffic flow, and agricultural production layouts,” said Liu Jing, director of the county’s energy bureau. 

Through government-enterprise cooperation, charging facilities have been installed in 68 villages. The county’s charging infrastructure plan is based on a projected average annual growth of 25 percent in local new energy vehicle ownership over the next three to five years. Construction is underway across 96 villages and along key rural roads.

“Upon completion, over 65 percent of the county will have charging access, with townships offering fast charging and major villages providing basic facilities,” Liu added.

In the eastern section of the Linjiangyuan residential community in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan province, resident Yang Jing pulled into the underground garage. After scanning a QR code and plugging in, the charging indicator lit up, and she simply headed off.

In Chengdu, Sichuan province, resident Yang Jing now charges effortlessly in her residential garage. Previously, residents of Linjiangyuan community faced significant challenges: public parking spaces prohibited private charger installation, forcing them to make 20-minute trips to nearby parks for charging.

After persistent resident appeals, community officials discovered a provincial initiative encouraging professional operators to manage residential charging. Through competitive bidding, two companies were selected to install approximately 40 charging piles per community section, strategically planned according to EV density and local power capacity. This solution has effectively resolved the community’s longstanding charging difficulties.

By Liu Xinwu, People’s Daily

In winter, Hanfeng Lake National Wetland Park in Kaizhou district, southwest China’s Chongqing municipality, presents a scene of serene beauty. Sunlight dances on the shimmering lake, while the distant mountains are draped in a soft haze, together composing a landscape that unfolds like a classic Chinese ink painting.

“What used to be a barren shoal has now become a treasure trove. Who would have imagined it could generate income through ‘carbon credits’?” said local resident Chen Guanjun.

The “carbon credits” Chen referred to was China’s first transaction for a carbon sink generated by reservoir and water ecosystems. . 

On June 16, 2025, 8,784 tons of carbon sink assets from Hanfeng Lake National Wetland Park were purchased by China Three Gorges New Energy Huainan Photovoltaic Power Generation Co., Ltd. for 703,000 yuan ($101,083).

The deal marked a significant step forward in China’s efforts to explore mechanisms for realizing the value of water ecological products through hydraulic engineering projects.

Why was it possible for water ecosystems at Hanfeng Lake to be monetized? The answer lies in nearly two decades of sustained ecological restoration.

Hanfeng Lake is an inland artificial lake formed as part of the Three Gorges Project, the world’s largest water conservancy project. Covering a water area of 15 square kilometers, it created a fluctuation zone of nearly 42.78 square kilometers. A water-level variation of more than 20 meters led to alternating wet and dry conditions, which once resulted in soil erosion, vegetation degradation, and a decline in biodiversity.

“In 2008, Kaizhou district built a water-level regulation dam at the Wuyangba area downstream of the district’s urban area, reducing the lake’s water-level fluctuation from more than 20 meters to less than 5 meters,” said Li Peifu, deputy head of the district’s water resources bureau, pointing toward the regulation dam in the distance. “This laid the groundwork and created the necessary conditions for subsequent ecological restoration.”

Kaizhou District has invested a total of 2.49 billion yuan in follow-up funds related to the Three Gorges Project, adopting a zoned approach under a “three-pronged governance” model that integrates engineering treatment areas, ecological restoration areas, and conservation areas. 

In engineering treatment areas, projects such as water-level regulation dams and concrete slope protection were constructed to stabilize shorelines and reduce soil erosion. In ecological restoration areas, wetlands were rebuilt to enhance biodiversity. In conservation areas, native ecosystems were preserved and disturbance minimized.

After nearly 20 years of sustained efforts, the area has been transformed into an ecological haven. Winter water levels create submerged “forests,” while summer brings lotus-filled ponds and habitats for over 20,000 migratory birds annually, including endangered Chinese mergansers. 

Lucid waters and lush mountains now yield tangible value. “Dense wetland vegetation acts as a significant ‘carbon reservoir’ due to its sequestration capabilities,” Li noted. Since 2022, Kaizhou district has explored the trading of carbon sinks generated by reservoir and water ecosystems. 

On the one hand, satellite remote sensing monitoring has been combined with ground sampling surveys to calculate the carbon sink assets of the fluctuation zone within Hanfeng Lake National Wetland Park, as well as designated land areas involved in ecological treatment projects around the wetland. 

On the other hand, through a mechanism integrating vegetation-based carbon sequestration, soil carbon enhancement, hydrological emission reduction, and biological synergy, the district has planted evergreen broadleaf trees and other aquatic plants, regularly released aquatic animals, and developed a digital management platform. These measures have enabled carbon sequestration while systematically enhancing the carbon sink capacity of the fluctuation zone’s ecosystem.

Based on scientific calculations conducted by the Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, carbon sequestration in just 8.32 square kilometers of restored areas reached 8,784 tons between 2023 and 2024 — equivalent to the carbon absorption capacity of 26.68 hectares of forest. 

After asset valuation by a professional assessment institution, the 8,784 tons of carbon sink assets were listed for sale and ultimately purchased by China Three Gorges New Energy Huainan Photovoltaic Power Co., Ltd.

Why was the company willing to buy the carbon sinks?

“By purchasing water ecosystem carbon sink products and obtaining carbon credit certificates, we can ease the pressure of carbon emission controls during future capacity expansion,” said Wei Liangru, the company’s general manager. “They can also be used for carbon asset reserves and value-added management, helping build momentum for long-term development.”

Through a carbon sink transaction, the aquatic ecosystem of Hanfeng Lake has been transformed into a “carbon credit,” bringing tangible ecological benefits to Kaizhou district. The revenue generated from this transaction will be specifically allocated to the maintenance of Hanfeng Lake’s ecological restoration projects and the continuous monitoring of its carbon sequestration capacity.

“This is not a simple transaction, but a process that converted the benefits of water ecological restoration into quantifiable carbon assets,” said Liu Zimin, a professor at the College of Economics and Management at Southwest University in Chongqing. 

The deal, he noted, marked the establishment of a full value-conversion chain in the Yangtze River basin, which links ecological restoration, carbon sink accounting, market transactions, and the reinvestment of funds. 

It offered a replicable model for realizing the value of water ecosystems in reservoirs nationwide and opened up a new pathway for ecological restoration and carbon sink capacity enhancement in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, Liu added.

By Yao Xueqing

Life aboard vessels navigating China’s Yangtze River has entered a new era of convenience: passengers can now order takeout even while ships are underway.

“It’s just as easy as ordering food on shore—burgers, desserts, drinks, whatever you crave,” said Lu Jingyu, owner of the cargo vessel Xinmao 8868, as he enjoyed a meal delivered by drone. 

On January 16, while sailing from Tongling in Anhui province to Nanjing in Jiangsu province, and  his order arrived promptly, exceeding his expectations.

The Yangtze River, China’s longest river, sustains a vast floating workforce. Approximately 1 million licensed mariners operate along its water, with over 2,000 vessels transiting the Nanjing section daily. Many crew members live and work on board for long periods, making resupply a persistent challenge.

Lu explained that due to complex waterways and currents, cargo vessels on the Yangtze cannot dock freely under current regulations. Stops are permitted only at ports, service areas, or designated anchorages. Even when docking is possible, shore access remains cumbersome, compounding daily difficulties for crews.

In Nanjing, one of China’s first pilot zones for civilian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), transport authorities have built a low-altitude service system that offers full-area coordination and end-to-end support. 

In 2024, Changjiang Hui, a tech firm providing overwater e-commerce services based in Jiangsu province, launched an overwater delivery platform, using drones to service anchored vessels. Following a 2025 service upgrade, the platform now delivers to ships underway.

Lu has become a frequent user of the platform. At 11:30 a.m. that day, he opened the platform’s mini-program on WeChat to order food for the crew. 

“After pre-registering my details — name, phone number, vessel name, and nine-digit ship ID — I simply select our sailing direction and service provider,” he noted. His 77-yuan ($11.07) order included 11 items from three restaurants.

Upon order receipt, the drone operator’s staff forwarded details to a food delivery app. A courier delivered the meals to the operator’s storage area within 30 minutes. Operator Zhang Kai then prepared the order while tracking Xinmao 8868’s real-time position. When the ship entered a three-kilometer radius of the base at 2 p.m., Zhang attached the package to a drone and contacted Lu.

Through an intercom system, Zhang informed Lu that a drone was approaching the red buoy No. 142 and confirmed that it was already in sight. 

“The drone is lowering now. Please don’t stand under the drone and stay safe. Wait until it moves away before picking up the package,” Zhang said. Shortly afterward, the food was successfully delivered. The whole process was finished in just two minutes.

How do drones locate moving ships and deliver accurately? “Our proprietary edge computing module is key,” stated Zhai Haifeng, general manager of Changjiang Hui. The system combines the ordering phone’s GPS data with AI-powered analytics and visual recognition to predict the vessel’s location. The drone then syncs its speed and course to hover above the ship, autonomously locking onto the landing zone.

As Zhang monitored his screen, the drone stabilized and lowered the package via cable. Upon touchdown, the cable automatically detached and retracted. “High-speed propellers make manual retrieval hazardous,” Zhai emphasized. “Our weight-sensing system triggers immediate disengagement after delivery.”

Behind this convenience lies coordinated support from transport authorities. At the drone base servicing Lu, a 5G station and miniature weather station flank the hangar. Maritime safety regulations are prominently displayed in the office.

At present, four such bases have been established along the Nanjing section of the Yangtze River, with two more under construction. Each base has a different focus depending on its location — some specialize in fresh fruits and vegetables, others in prepared meals, and still others in staples such as rice, flour, and cooking oil. On average, the four bases together handle about 200 orders per day, with delivery times ranging from one to two hours from order placement to receipt.

“Now it’s so much easier to grab a bite while sailing,” Lu said. “Some crew members even order flowers to brighten up their day. Life on the water keeps getting more colorful!”