Nigeria Times

By Li Qiang, Li Yanan, People’s Daily

The opening ceremony of the Kazakhstan Year of Tourism in China in 2024 was recently held in Beijing. China and Kazakhstan will hold a series of splendid activities throughout the year of tourism, which include art performances and tourism forums.

Kazakhstan boasts abundant tourism resources, such as the Shymbulak Ski Resort, Lake Kaindy, Charyn Canyon, the Korgalzhyn State Nature Reserve, and the National Park Burabay, attracting a large number of tourists every year.

The Kazakh government has set a goal to increase domestic tourist numbers to 11 million and foreign tourist numbers to 4 million by 2030. Besides, the number of people employed in the tourism industry is expected to reach 800,000 by that time.

Kazakh Minister of Tourism and Sports Yermek Marzhikpayev said that China is one of Kazakhstan’s priority tourism markets and partners, owing to the two countries’ geographical proximity and profound historical connections.

Kazakhstan plans to attract more Chinese tourists by leveraging its rich nomadic culture, centuries-old history, and unique natural landscapes, the minister added.

In recent years, China and Kazakhstan has witnessed continuously deepening tourism cooperation. In November 2017, China officially set up a tourism office in Astana, which was the first one of its kind established by China in a Central Asian country. The office has played an active role in promoting cultural and tourism exchanges between the two countries. In November 2023, mutual visa exemption between China and Kazakhstan was implemented, further stimulating the travel demand of tourists from both sides.

Since the beginning of this year, the number of Chinese tourists traveling to Kazakhstan has been on the rise, making the Central Asian country an emerging popular outbound travel destination.

According to statistics from Chinese online travel agency Ctrip, the number of tourism bookings to Kazakhstan by Chinese tourists this year has increased by 229 percent year on year, and 262 percent compared to 2019.

Data from another Chinese online travel platform Fliggy showed that since March, the number of flight bookings to Kazakhstan has increased more than threefold from a year ago. Almaty, Astana and Aktau are especially favored by Chinese tourists.

“Currently, Chinese tourists can take direct flights to Kazakhstan from Beijing, Xi’an, Hangzhou, and Urumqi, or enter the country through land ports in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.  Natural scenery and local culture are major attractions,” said Xu Jia, general manager of a travel agency in Sichuan province.

Xinjiang is adjacent to Kazakhstan. Therefore, some Chinese tourists would have a tour in the autonomous region first and then go to Kazakhstan via places like Khorgos.

It is reported that the Khorgos international highway bus station has four international passenger routes to Kazakhstan, and with the arrival of the peak tourist season, there has been a significant increase in the number of tourists traveling between China and Kazakhstan.

The China-Kazakhstan Khorgos International Border Cooperation Center located in the Khorgos Area of the China (Xinjiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone is always bustling with activities. The cooperation center spans the border between China and Kazakhstan, covering a total area of 5.6 square kilometers.

Citizens of China and Kazakhstan, as well as third countries, can enter or leave the cooperation center visa-free for up to 30 days, which facilitates face-to-face business negotiations, trades, tourism and shopping.

The passage connecting China and Kazakhstan in the cooperation center has become a popular photo spot for tourists.

It is reported after the cooperation center resumed full operation in 2023, the number of tourists has shown an exponential growth. It handled a total of 4.18 million inbound and outbound tourists throughout the year, a year-on-year increase of 4.27 times.

This year, the cooperation center has once again experienced a peak in cross-border tourism and shopping, with tens of thousands of tourists entering and leaving the cooperation center every day.

Marzhikpayev said that the Kazakhstan Year of Tourism in China is a milestone event that helps strengthen the friendly relations between the two countries.

“We believe that the dialogue between the two sides will inject new vitality into the partnership in the tourism sector, open up new prospects, and lay the foundation for fruitful long-term cooperation,” the minister noted.

Kairat Batyrbayev, executive director of the Eurasian International Studies Association in Kazakhstan, said that China’s outbound tourism is booming and it is expected that more Chinese tourists will choose to travel to Kazakhstan in 2024.

This will help drive the development of Kazakhstan’s tourism industry and promote the upgrading of supporting infrastructure such as roads, hotels, and restaurants, Batyrbayev noted, adding that Chinese tourists gaining a deeper understanding of Kazakh culture, customs, and food will further deepen the cultural exchange between the two countries.

By Qu Song, Zhang Xiaodong, People’s Daily

“Friendship and mutual trust are particularly important in a world that is undergoing changes unseen in a century, which further highlights the significance of the movie The Composer,” said Sabit Kurmanbekov, an art director of the movie and a screenwriter from Kazakhstan, during a recent interview with People’s Daily.

“The Composer” is the first movie jointly produced by China and Kazakhstan. Kurmanbekov said he is proud to be a part of it, adding that cultural cooperation between the two countries under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) enjoys bright prospects.

The movie was an outcome of the inter-government co-production shooting agreement signed by China and Kazakhstan in 2016. It tells the story of how late Chinese composer Xian Xinghai was saved and helped by a Kazakh peer during World War II when he got stranded in Almaty, Kazakhstan while trying to return to China from the Soviet Union.

Kurmanbekov was initially invited by the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan to be an art director of the movie. During the production, filmmakers from the two countries soon made friends with each other. Under the proposal of Chinese director Sherzat Yahuf, Kurmanbekov was promoted to assistant director.

Recalling this experience, Kurmanbekov said he was impressed by the advanced technologies and strict procedure control of China’s filmmaking industry, and he was delighted to see that his Chinese counterparts had embraced his revision to the script.

“I was lucky to have such an experience in my career,” Kurmanbekov told People’s Daily.

Kurmanbekov, who lives in Almaty, is quite familiar with the name Xian Xinghai. However, it was when he worked with his Chinese peers to refine the details of the story that he truly delved into the fate of this great Chinese musician.

“I often couldn’t help but wonder if I could overcome all the challenges and keep making music in a remote and cold foreign land just like Xian did. His love and loyalty to his home country are also what touch me,” Kurmanbekov noted.

He said the movie portrays a story about friendship and mutual trust. Friendship is beyond national borders and identities. It saves people in times of danger and gives them wings to soar.

“In the movie, we can always see the beauty of friendship and mutual trust, and these good qualities are exactly needed by the world today,” Kurmanbekov said.

He called the movie a very successful co-production and an exemplary model of international people-to-people and cultural exchanges. He believes that people-to-people and cultural exchanges between nations are as important as political and economic cooperation.

He said Kazakhstan and China enjoy a long history of friendship, with a shared goal of promoting peace and friendship worldwide in the 21st century.

“Art is a language spoken to people’s hearts and serves as a vessel of ideas that will be appreciated and interpreted by future generations, thus having incomparable influence. It plays an important role in enhancing mutual trust, showing mutual respect, and promoting peace,” Kurmanbekov remarked.

In 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev in Beijing. The two heads of state jointly met with the main cast members of the movie at the Great Hall of the People and watched the trailers. Kurmanbekov said the meeting still excites him today.

He said the BRI proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping is a great cause that revitalizes the ancient Silk Road on the Eurasian continent, promotes the development of partner countries, lifts millions of people out of poverty, and embraces peace and development.

People in Central Asia particularly value the opportunities brought about by connectivity projects under the BRI, which helps connect the five landlocked countries in the region to the rest of the world, Kurmanbekov added.

Kurmanbekov filmed another movie in the years following the completion of “The Composer,” which tells a story of mutual assistance happening along the China-Kazakhstan border. Currently, the Kazakh screenwriter is studying the discourse on peace in Chinese philosophy and hopes to make a film that tells the shared historical stories of Eurasian countries.

“I’ve already developed a mature concept and really hope to cast a Chinese actor as the male lead,” Kurmanbekov said.

He said he hopes to keep contributing to friendship and mutual trust between the people of Kazakhstan and China through his artworks.

By Yan Huan, Ma Fei, People’s Daily

Interactions between civilizations provide the most solid foundation for the development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and people-to-people exchanges provide the strongest driving force for the organization.

Since the establishment of the SCO, its member states have deepened mutual learning among civilizations, deepened good-neighborliness and friendship, and strengthened people-to-people connectivity, practicing the Shanghai Spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diversity of civilizations and pursuit of common development, and jointly building an SCO community of cultural exchanges.

The Chinese side has been actively exploring new channels for cultural cooperation to enhance the international communication capacity of the SCO, such as establishing a media cooperation mechanism, hosting the SCO Media Summit, and holding the Media and Think Tank Forum for SCO Countries.

It supports expanding channels for non-governmental exchanges among SCO member states to bring their people, youth in particular, closer to each other. China has launched relevant activities related to the SCO University, hosted SCO Youth Campuses and invited youth leaders of other SCO member states to visit China.

Diverse yet concrete initiatives are being implemented. SCO deputy secretary-general Nurlan Yermekbayev noted that the Shanghai Spirit charts the course for different countries and civilizations to get along with each other.

At the 23rd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO, China proposed that in the coming three years, China will provide SCO member states with 1,000 International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarships, offer 3,000 “Chinese Bridge” summer camp opportunities, and invite 100 young scientists to China for scientific research exchanges.

In recent years, the Chinese side has been actively promoting the SCO to launch more down-to-earth projects of people-to-people exchange in various fields, aiming to build a bridge of mutual understanding and friendship among the peoples of SCO member states.

With a people-centered approach, SCO health cooperation has been continuously improved. China has actively promoted resource integration and expanded pragmatic cooperation among institutions. The China-proposed Lifeline Express International Sight Saving Mission and the establishment of a traditional medicine alliance have opened up new prospects for health and medical cooperation within the SCO.

After China announced to carry out 2,000 free cataract operations for SCO member states at the 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO in 2022, there has been a surge of patients seeking treatment in Uzbek hospitals, in hope of restoring their vision.

China has provided support for the restoration of historical sites and archaeological cooperation in SCO countries, launching joint archaeological surveys at the ancient city of Rahat in Kazakhstan, a Buddhist temple on the west side of the Krasnaya Rechka site in Kyrgyzstan and Itchan Kala, the walled inner town of the city of Khiva in Uzbekistan.

Following a joint application by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It marked the first transnational World Heritage application, building powerful momentums for SCO member states to jointly protect cultural heritage.

Technology is key to solving global issues, while open sci-tech cooperation remains a desired approach. In recent years, SCO member states have increasingly deepened their non-governmental exchanges in science and technology. Through joint R&D, people-to-people exchanges, technology transfers, and various other activities, they have built powerful drivers for sci-tech progress, economic growth, livelihood improvement, and common development.

In Pakistan, the country’s first smart distribution centers jointly built by China and Pakistan has increased package sorting efficiency of local e-commerce companies by four times, with the rate of package misclassification dropping from 1 percent to less than 0.03 percent.

The first Luban Workshop, a Chinese-supported vocational training facility, in Central Asia has been launched in Tajikistan. Catering to the country’s need for economic development and industrial upgrading, it offers courses on urban heating application and engineering measurement technologies, thus building a talent pipeline for Tajikistan’s future development.

The observation area of China’s FY-2 meteorological satellites covers SCO countries including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. Through weather forecasting, disaster prevention and mitigation as well as other services, the satellites have effectively enhanced the capabilities of these countries in monitoring weathers, climate and ecological environment. In the past days, the SCO has always been glittering with a brilliant light of people-to-people exchange. Looking ahead, the organization will keep setting examples of regional and international cooperation on promoting harmonious coexistence among different civilizations and renewing the everlasting friendship of people from all countries, through its efforts to advance people-to-people exchange

By Zhang Xinzhu

On June 10, 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at the 18th Meeting of the Council of Heads of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong province, during which he announced that the Chinese government supports building a demonstration area in Qingdao for China-SCO local economic and trade cooperation.

Six years on, the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area (SCODA) has grown into a center for international logistics, modern trade, two-way investment cooperation, and commercial, tourism and cultural exchanges, while boosting the development of the China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade.

The demonstration area has become a gathering area for enterprises from SCO member states to share development opportunities in the Chinese market, and is forging ahead to build itself into a new and promising platform for Belt and Road cooperation.

The SCODA is striving to establish itself as a hub for institutional innovation.

Since its establishment, the SCODA has placed institutional innovation front and center and has reaped early fruits by pioneering more than 80 institutions.

Besides, the demonstration area has set up a comprehensive economic and trade platform to offer one-stop services covering trade, customs clearance, logistics, and finance, resolving obstacles faced by enterprises in economic and trade investment.

These achievements have proved that steadily expanding institutional opening up can facilitate trade and investment, and enhance the level of trade cooperation.

The SCODA is striving to establish itself as a new hub for economic and trade cooperation.

Based on the SCO International Hub Port and a multimodal transportation service platform covering railway, sea, air and land ports, the SCODA is working to build a convenient connectivity pattern and a manufacturing center, logistics center and product distribution center facing Northeast Asia. The SCO International Hub Port has obtained the United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations (UN/LOCODE).

Moreover, the SCODA has launched 21 international train routes and set up an overseas assembly center for China-Europe (Qilu) freight trains in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Besides, it has also opened a sub-demonstration area in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. By further enhancing infrastructure connectivity, the SCODA can provide enterprises with more opportunities and contribute to economic growth.

The SCODA is striving to maintain safe and stable industrial and supply chains.

Industrial and supply chains are important parts of modern economy, which have a significant impact on the operation of the modern economic system.

To better ensure stable industrial and supply chains of SCO member states, the SCODA has hosted the SCO Industrial and Supply Chains Forum & the SCO International Investment and Trade Expo, and launched the China-SCO Industrial Park Alliance, promoting information sharing, logistics connectivity, and project collaboration.

In addition, the SCODA has set up an area for the application of the industrial internet and built 20 export-oriented industrial clusters, including the Haier COSMOPlat Industrial Internet Ecopark. By enhancing the resilience and security of industrial and supply chains, the SCODA aims to better safeguard the common interests of all SCO member states.

The SCODA is striving to nurture high-caliber professionals.

Close economic and trade cooperation relies heavily on talents. The China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade, which was established in 2022, serves as a practical platform to train professionals who can contribute to multilateral economic and trade cooperation among SCO member states.

So far, the institute has carried out 180 training sessions for more than 13,800 participants from SCO member states and Belt and Road partner countries, providing practical experience tailored to their actual needs. An increasing number of professionals with expertise in international economic and trade rules and national conditions of different countries have emerged, which will further deepen the exchanges and cooperation among SCO member states.

History tells us that openness and cooperation are a major driving force behind dynamic international economic and trade activities. Looking ahead, openness and cooperation will remain essential for continued human progress.

Moving forward, the SCODA will consolidate its role as an important link in international industrial, supply and trade chains, boosting economic and trade cooperation of SCO member states. It will continue to build a pilot area for institutional innovation in two-way investment and trade among SCO member states, a gathering area for entrepreneurship and business development, and a new and promising platform for Belt and Road cooperation, so as to create a new highland for opening up in the new era.

(Zhang Xinzhu is a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Qingdao Committee and secretary of the Party Working Committee of the China-SCO Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area)

By Qin Ruijie, People’s Daily

On the loess slope of Xiaohe village, Xiaohe township, Xiji county, Guyuan, northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Su Zhanshan, a cattle farmer, was rushing towards the village library under the blazing noon sun and a cloudless sky.

His herd’s sudden loss of appetite caused him great concern. When asked by a fellow villager about what he planned to do, he answered with just two words: “Finding books.”

He found a book on beef cattle breeding techniques at the village library, from which he identified that the main reason for his cattle’s sickness was a problem with the ratio of silage to salt in their feed, causing digestive issues.

“I always go to the library right away whenever there’s an issue with cattle farming,” said Su.

Su’s story is not unique in Xiji county, as Ningxia has made strides in improving rural public cultural services in recent years. In 2017, comprehensive cultural service centers were set up in every one of the 295 administrative villages in Xiji county. Besides, the county has built village libraries and set up cultural activity rooms, providing villagers with access to cultural activities and learning opportunities.

“We have worked to ensure that each village library has no less than 1,000 books, with over 60 percent related to agricultural technology to accommodate rural settings,” said Chen Lixia, head of the bureau of culture, tourism, radio and television in Xiji county.

By scanning a QR code on a book-borrowing machine at a library in Xiaohe township with his smartphone, 19-year-old Su Zhanhu instantly obtained an electronic version of a book on basic welding techniques. Fascinated by the savable and editable charts in the book, he ended up spending half a day at the library.

After graduating with a degree in automotive repair, Su started working at a local garage, but struggled to catch up. He was shocked to come across books on automotive repair at the library when he returned to the township for the Spring Festival.

“With just a scan, I can access the latest e-books, making it much easier to browse and save information,” he said.

“Digital systems and book circulation are essential for the development of modern rural libraries,” said Ma Youguo, head of the Xiji county library.

Ma said that the library has introduced a “borrow anywhere, return anywhere” system across all townships to improve book circulation, given the limited book collections and difficulties in keeping books up to date.

“This has not only increased the flow of books, but also allowed us to make targeted purchases based on borrowing trends, thus better meeting people’s needs,” noted Ma.

“These days, the reading rooms of the libraries are taking on more and more functions,” said Wang Zhijie, Party head of Xiaohe township, explaining that they are not just for reading anymore, but offering a place for people to study and hold cultural activities.

“In the past, villages only had a small room of about over 10 square meters, used solely for reading. Now, after renovating the bookshelves, and adding desktop computers, reading tables and chairs, these reading rooms become more spacious and user-friendly. We are seeing more people and a wider range of activities,” said Wang.

In recent years, Xiji county has transformed small-room libraries into spacious areas housing books, cultural supplies, and audio-visual equipment.

Bathing the warm sunlight through the window of the newly built library, Su Zhanshan said that the library-turned cultural activity room has become the villagers’ favorite spot. During the off-season, they would gather in the room to play Chinese chess and dance, and they have even formed a Qin opera troupe, added Su.

“When we all unite with such enthusiasm, it’s hard not to feel hopeful about the future,” said Su.

By Jia Fengfeng, People’s Daily

On June 11, amid the gentle morning light, the Z265 train from Xining, capital of northwest China’s Qinghai province to Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Xizang autonomous region, was running on the vast expanses of Hoh Xil (known as Kekexili), a world-famous “no-man’s land.”

“Look! Tibetan antelopes!”

Upon hearing this sudden shout, passengers all rushed to the window, pulled out their phones and started taking photos of the animals in the distance.

In the cab, driver Li Yuqi quickly motioned to his apprentice, who was controlling the train, telling him to keep quiet.

Train whistles would definitely frighten the Tibetan antelopes and disrupt their migration, Li explained. As a train driver who has been working along the Qinghai-Xizang Railway for more than 30 years, Li, turning 57 this year, has almost become a wildlife expert.

As the world’s highest and longest plateau railroad, the Qinghai-Xizang Railway crosses three national nature reserves – the Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve, the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve, and the Siling Lake National Nature Reserve, and various types of natural wetlands that stretch vast expanses. The primitive ecological environment along the railway is unique yet fragile.

Starting every May, Tibetan antelopes that inhabit the Sanjiangyuan region in Qinghai, Changtang in Xizang, and Altun Mountains, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, would migrate to the vicinity of Zhounai Lake, Taiyang Lake, and Hoh Xil Lake, located in the heartland of Hoh Xil, for propagation. After reproducing, they would return to their original habitats with their offspring. The migration route of Tibetan antelopes coincides with the Qinghai-Xizang Railway.

To protect the plateau ecosystem and biodiversity, a total of 1.54 billion yuan ($212.09 million) was invested in ecological conservation along the railway when its construction started. Besides, 33 dedicated passages were built to facilitate the migration of local wildlife.

“Minimizing the impact on the local ecological environment and the disturbance to wildlife has become a ‘golden rule’ of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway. Train conductors are strictly prohibited from sounding the horn when passing through the dedicated passages for wildlife migration, especially during the migration and calving seasons of Tibetan antelopes, ” said Li.

It is learned that all carriages of the passenger trains running on the Golmud-Lhasa section of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway are fully enclosed. These carriages are not only equipped with oxygen generation and supply systems, but also feature waste collection systems. Any garbage produced by passengers during the journey is collected and then transferred to cleaning and sewage trucks for disposal. Additionally, multiple wastewater treatment facilities have been installed along the route. These measures are part of the ongoing effort to minimize the railway’s impact on the local ecosystem.

According to statistics, the utilization rate of the dedicated passages along the Qinghai-Xizang Railway has shown a steady increase, rising from 56.6 percent in 2004 to a consistent 100 percent since 2011.

The Qinghai-Xizang Highway is also making positive strides in biodiversity conservation.

In a section of the National Highway 109 of the Qinghai-Xizang Highway, People’s Daily journalists encountered a herd of Tibetan antelopes ready to cross the road.

Directed by the staff of the Wudaoliang protection station of the Hoh Xil reserve administration, all approaching vehicles stopped at a distance, waiting patiently for the entire herd to cross the road and move far away before restarting their engines. The whole process was remarkably quiet.

“The Tibetan antelopes are currently at a peak of migration,” said Karma Yungphel, deputy head of the Wudaoliang protection station. “Besides our regular patrols, our main focus is ‘escorting’ the Tibetan antelopes during their migration and return.”

During the breeding and migration seasons of Tibetan antelopes, temporary traffic control, honking ban, and patrol-based rescue operations are implemented along the Qinghai-Xizang Highway to ensure safe migration.

The Hoh Xil National Nature Reserve is vast and mysterious. Along the Qinghai-Xizang Highway, there are five protection stations, each safeguarding the habitats of wild animals.

Every month, staff from these stations conduct at least one large-scale mountain patrol, lasting from a week to over ten days.

“Most of our colleagues are at the Zhuonai Lake and Taiyang Lake these days, protecting the Tibetan antelopes during their calving season,” said Tserwon Dorje, a staff member of the Sonam Dargye protection station. “The rest of us are handling daily patrols and helping antelopes cross the Qinghai-Xizang Highway.”

According to Tserwon Dorje, the five stations have a total of over 50 staff members, with an average age under 30. “Life here may be monotonous, but it’s beyond our words to describe how we feel when we see Tibetan antelopes, wild yaks, and Tibetan foxes,” he said.

Apart from these five official protection stations, some local herders have taken the initiative to form Tibetan antelope conservation associations. These volunteers would follow the migrating herds from a distance, ensuring their safe passage across the Qinghai-Xizang Highway.

Last year, a 5G base station near the Zhuonai Lake became operational. This has allowed the staff of the protection stations to launch both 5G-enabled remote monitoring and on-site patrols, thus realizing real-time surveillance of the Tibetan antelopes.

Thanks to these collective efforts, the number of Tibetan antelopes in Hoh Xil has seen a remarkable rise, growing to over 70,000 today from less than 20,000 in the 1990s.