Nigeria Times

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!”

By Liao Ruiling

Recent reports on China’s 2025 economic performance reveal significant milestones. As China’s total economic output surpassed the 140-trillion-yuan ($20.18 trillion) mark, many Chinese cities also achieved fresh breakthroughs in economic scale.

Data released by local authorities shows that 29 Chinese cities recorded a GDP exceeding 1 trillion yuan in 2025. These cities include Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Ningbo, Qingdao, Dalian, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Changsha, Zhengzhou, Hefei, Fuzhou, Jinan, Xi’an, Suzhou, Wuxi, Nantong, Changzhou, Foshan, Dongguan, Quanzhou, Yantai, Tangshan, and Wenzhou. 

Notably, Dalian in Liaoning province and Wenzhou in Zhejiang province became new members of the “trillion-yuan GDP club.”

What development drivers lie behind these cities?

From a regional perspective, roughly 1/3 of the cities with GDP exceeding 1 trillion yuan are concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta region; four are located in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; three are in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region; and two belong to the Chengdu–Chongqing economic circle. The growing importance of coordinated regional development is increasingly evident.

“The 2025 ‘trillion-yuan GDP club’ includes municipalities, provincial capitals, cities under separate state planning, and prefecture-level cities. The landscape is no longer dominated by provincial capitals alone, reflecting the diversified development of China’s urban economy,” said Pan Helin, a member of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s Expert Committee for Information and Communication Economy. 

China’s “trillion-yuan GDP club” is no longer the exclusive domain of traditional first-tier or central cities. Instead, growth is being driven by city clusters, expanding in a ripple effect from cores to wider regions. This pattern of coordinated regional development underscores the robust vitality and immense potential of China’s urban economy.

Analyzing a city’s economic progress requires examining both quantitative expansion and qualitative enhancement. In 2025, Beijing’s GDP exceeded 5 trillion yuan for the first time, making it the second Chinese city after Shanghai to surpass this threshold.

As a mega-city, Beijing has in recent years adhered to a “reduction-oriented development” approach — cutting back where needed while upgrading its economic structure. Over the past five years, the city has relocated or upgraded more than 594 general manufacturing enterprises, demolished 120 million square meters of illegal buildings, and reclaimed 117 square kilometers of land.

This strategic downsizing has not hindered growth. Moving away from traditional expansion models, Beijing’s current economic growth is increasingly driven by emerging technologies and high value-added industries. The information services sector, the financial sector, and industry together contributed more than 80% to the city’s economic growth. 

Integration between technological innovation and industrial innovation is also accelerating: R&D spending among large and medium-sized key enterprises rose by 7.1% in 2025, with both industrial enterprises and technology service firms increasing their R&D investment by more than 10%.

Optimizing structure, driving growth through innovation, strengthening industries, and attracting talent–similar development experience can also be observed in Nanshan district of Shenzhen, Guangdong province. In 2025, Nanshan’s GDP surpassed 1 trillion yuan, making it the first county-level administrative region in China to reach the trillion-yuan level.

A review of Nanshan’s economic performance highlights innovation as its defining feature. Data show that the district holds more than 860 invention patents per 10,000 people, about 22.9 times the national average. Well-known companies such as Tencent, Huawei, and DJI all got their start here. 

Commenting on the district’s industrial development, Guo Wanda, executive vice president of the Shenzhen-based China Development Institute, said the city’s competitiveness lies in the integration of manufacturing and services, the integration of technological and industrial innovation, and the coordinated development of talent, capital, innovation, and industrial chains. Such integration has already expanded across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, helping drive coordinated regional development.

Dalian, a newcomer in the 2025 “trillion-yuan GDP club” and seen as a traditional “old industrial base,” once faced challenges from limited growth drivers.

Dalian became the first city in northeast China to hit the 1-trillion-yuan mark by strengthening its industrial base. In 2025, value added in the city’s secondary industry grew by 7.7%, while output from industrial enterprises above designated size rose 11.7% year on year, driven largely by the equipment manufacturing sector.

“Building on its solid industrial base, Dalian has strengthened high-tech manufacturing and expanded opening up by leveraging on its port advantages. As a result, the city has not only expanded its economic scale but also made progress in industrial upgrading, improving the business environment, and developing itself into an open gateway hub,” Pan said.

A closer look at China’s “trillion-yuan GDP club” cities reveals their industrial strengths: Quanzhou in textile and apparel, Nantong in construction and shipbuilding, Fuzhou in electronics and information technology, and Hefei in sci-tech innovation. 

As Pan pointed out, by concentrating on these competitive sectors, these cities are driving high-quality growth. They increase R&D investment, optimize the business environment, and facilitate the efficient flow and aggregation of resources — strategies that collectively enhance both the scale and quality of their economic development.

By Han Xin, Dou Hanyang, People’s Daily

As winter sets in, a wave of innovative heating solutions from China is reaching consumers worldwide.

Chinese dual-mode space heaters, capable of delivering warmth in winter and cool air in summer, are seeing repeat orders from Central Asian nations.

Multi-functional radiant heaters, designed to warm drinks on the top while emitting heat from all sides, are attracting bulk orders from Japan and South Korea.

Heating carpets, featuring intelligent temperature control and automatic shut-off at high temperatures, are gaining popularity across European markets.

These seemingly simple household items, transformed by Chinese ingenuity, are finding new global appeal.

Official data show that from January to November 2025, China exported 106.15 million units of electric space heaters, including electric heaters and heating mats, up 6.18 % year on year.

Cixi and Yiwu in east China’s Zhejiang province offer a revealing snapshot of why Chinese small heating appliances are gaining traction overseas.

Cixi in Ningbo, renowned as China’s “small home appliance capital,” is buzzing with activity. Inside the workshops of Zhejiang Jiuyou Electric Appliance Co., Ltd. (Jiuyou), assembly lines for fan heaters operate at full capacity, with workers swiftly assembling and inspecting each unit. Outside the factory gates, trucks stand ready for dispatch.

Cen Yipin, general manager of the company, said the company’s output reached 300,000 units in 2025, an increase of nearly 30 % from the previous year.

Yiwu is the world’s hub for small commodities production and trade. Just after the New Year, in the small-appliance section of the District 2 at the Yiwu International Trade Market, foreign buyers from Central Asia, Europe and beyond could be seen wheeling suitcases and flipping through sample catalogs as they moved briskly from shop to shop making inquiries.

“Recently, we receive over a dozen client visits each day, many from returning customers, with repeat reorders coming in especially quickly,” said Zhang Changjun, head of Yiwu Chichao Trading Co., Ltd. He noted that the heater market typically operates on “small-batch, rapid-return” models. One long-term client from Kazakhstan, for example, placed three repeat orders last year and has just placed another order worth 28,000 yuan.

According to alibaba.com, one of the world’s largest wholesale marketplaces run by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, cumulative electric blanket transaction volume rose 224% month-on-month by the end of November 2025. 

Customs statistics further detail the growth: From January to November 2025, Cixi exported heating appliances worth 3.32 billion yuan, including 1.28 billion yuan to the EU (an 8.4% year-on-year increase). Yiwu exported 290 million yuan worth of electric heaters, a 32% year-on-year increase, with products reaching Europe, the US, the Middle East, Latin America, and beyond.

Market feedback points to the key strengths of Chinese manufacturers. A foreign buyer in Yiwu noted that Chinese merchants have “a keen sense for opportunity” — quickly moving in wherever market demand emerges. 

A German distributor of Jiuyou described Chinese manufacturers as “fast on their feet,” noting that they act efficiently and can promptly shift to products with strong market potential.

At the Yiwu International Trade Market, vendor Cao Kun showed one of his top-selling products — a dual-mode space heater. “Our market research revealed that today’s customers seek more than just warmth; they want ambiance too,” Cao explained. Designed mainly for household markets in Europe and the Middle East, this unit not only provides both heating and cooling but also simulates the visual effect of a fireplace. It sold over 10,000 units shortly after its launch.

“Demand varies widely by region,” Cao explained. “Consumers in the Middle East, Europe and North America prefer products with strong decorative appeal; Russia and Central Asia favor space-saving wall-mounted models; Southeast Asia is more interested in portable, chargeable small appliances. We make whatever customers want.”

This ability to adapt quickly is a key source of resilience in China’s foreign trade. “With rising global economic uncertainty, Yiwu merchants are turning cold waves into opportunities through fast, precise and innovative strategies, allowing ‘Chinese warmth’ to continue flowing to the world,” said Luo Hongying, president of the Yiwu Small Home Appliance Industry Association.

In Cixi, the development cycle for a new heater model is remarkably short. “From design and manufacturing to rollout, it takes less than two months,” said Xu Songlie, head of Cixi Fuyun Electric Appliance Co., Ltd.

Behind this rapid responsiveness and agile execution lies robust manufacturing capability. Cixi accounts for nearly one-third of China’s total heater exports and has formed a relatively complete industrial cluster. Producing heaters here allows for efficient local sourcing — whether it’s switches or heating elements, everything can be quickly procured from nearby suppliers.

“The strong sales of heating appliances reflect the advantages of China’s complete industrial system,” said Xu Dongsheng, vice president of the China Household Electrical Appliances Association. After years of market competition, the home-appliance sector has built a mature and efficient supply-chain system. Clustered industrial chains meet companies’ one-stop needs, giving Chinese manufacturers greater competitiveness as they expand globally.

Despite success, competition is intensifying. Export-oriented firms are proactively adjusting strategies: some increase R&D investment to target mid- and high-end markets; others refine processes to cut costs; and others explore new overseas markets.”

“Stick close to demand and adapt to trends — and even a cold snap can become an opportunity,” Zhang said.

By Cao Shiyun, People’s Daily

In recent years, Chinese micro-dramas have achieved remarkable success in overseas markets, especially across Southeast Asia, largely driven by streaming platforms. 

Over 300 overseas apps now offer Chinese micro-dramas through various distribution channels. In 2025, global downloads are projected to reach 1.21 billion, with overseas revenue expected to total $2.38 billion, reflecting strong and sustained growth.

On TikTok, the Chinese micro-drama The Story of Suzhou, which centers on the preservation of traditional culture, has gained widespread popularity. Audiences from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and other countries have been sharing their responses in multiple languages, praising its visually poetic scenes and calling for the addition of subtitles in their native languages so they can watch it with family.

As the industry accelerates its global expansion, Southeast Asia has emerged as a key market. These micro-dramas are typically shot in vertical format, featuring fast-paced storytelling and distinct themes. Each episode is under 3 minutes long, with series totaling between 50 and 90 episodes, covering diverse genres such as urban romance, family ethics, fantasy, and suspense.

The strong narrative conflicts and uplifting emotional expression have captivated many Southeast Asian viewers, fostering sustained engagement. Additionally, the portrayal of China’s natural landscapes, traditional attire, and modern urban scenery has sparked growing interest in the country among audiences in the region, directly contributing to a sharp increase in downloads of Chinese micro-drama apps overseas.

As content genres grow increasingly diverse, distribution channels are also becoming more varied. Since 2025, Telkom Indonesia, the largest telecom operator in Indonesia, has collaborated with the Chinese micro-drama platform FlexTV to introduce exclusive viewing packages, allowing Indonesian users to access Chinese micro-dramas more conveniently and affordably. 

Meanwhile, DramaBox, a platform operated by Dianzhong Tech — a company focused on producing and distributing licensed mobile digital content–has partnered with local telecom providers across Southeast Asia to roll out integrated “data + content” bundleds, further lowering barriers to access.

Luo Chuanyu, deputy director of the China-ASEAN Research Institute at Guangxi University, observed that micro-dramas transcend linguistic and cultural divides through engaging narratives and authentic depictions of everyday life. Furthermore, by extensively featuring contemporary Chinese urban lifestyles and technological advances, they offer Southeast Asian audiences a more vibrant and relatable portrait of modern China, thereby fostering increased two-way cultural exchange and inspiring localized innovation.

“I often watch Chinese micro-dramas to unwind and have downloaded several dedicated apps,” shared Farrell, an Indonesian university student. He is particularly drawn to series depicting Chinese youth lifestyles, noting, “Seeing peers’ experiences in China feels relatable. Southeast Asia and China share many similarities, so I often recognize aspects of my own life in these stories.”

“The plot designs in Chinese micro-dramas align closely with the aspirations of Southeast Asian audiences for fairness, hope, and a better life, making emotional resonance almost effortless,” noted Drajat Tri Katono, a sociologist at Universitas Sebelas Maret in Indonesia. He pointed out that content which remains grounded in reality and meets widespread psychological expectations often bridges cultural differences and gains broad acceptance.

Cultural affinity is a key factor in the genre’s regional success. Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao pointed out that the region’s large ethnic Chinese population serves as an important bridge. In areas such as family ethics, views on marriage and relationships, and workplace values, Southeast Asian societies share many commonalities with China. 

Earlier classics like Justice Pao, The Legend of the Condor Heroes and Journey to the West had already built a sizable fan base among overseas Chinese communities, laying a deep foundation of cultural affinity for today’s micro-dramas.

Southeast Asia’s distinctive consumption landscape offers fertile ground for the overseas expansion of Chinese micro-dramas. The region features a young population with a high share of youth, adaptable spending habits, and a strong openness to new forms of cultural and entertainment content — all contributing to substantial market growth potential.

Moreover, a large and expanding internet user base, growing internet penetration, and substantial time spent online have collectively fostered the adoption of digital payment methods among local users, creating favorable conditions for the dissemination and commercialization of micro-dramas. Data indicate that in 2025, paying micro-drama users in Southeast Asia increased by 28 percent year on year, solidifying the region as a core market with both commercial viability and a solid audience foundation.

At present, many Chinese micro-drama companies are extending their industrial chains overseas by setting up production centers in countries such as Thailand and the Philippines, exploring new models that feature localized creation and distribution. 

Jiuzhou Wenhua a company in Jiaxing, east China’s Zhejiang province has partnered closely with Southeast Asian production teams to establish content creation hubs and launch a dedicated micro-drama platform tailored to regional audiences. To date, the company has produced more than 600 micro-dramas for overseas markets, about 20 percent of which were originally created by overseas teams, reaching a total overseas audience of over 10 million.

Copyright licensing and format adaptation have also become key pathways for localization efforts. Indonesian digital media operator IDN Times has acquired the rights to Chinese micro-dramas while establishing a local production division, adopting their narrative pacing and creative techniques to produce content tailored to regional audiences.

“Micro-dramas align well with the viewing preferences of young people today and act as an effective cultural bridge connecting young people across nations,” noted Garin Nugroho, a prominent Indonesian director. He emphasized that the potential of this format should not be underestimated.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Recent international discourse has highlighted China’s transformative achievements in the power sector, with foreign media suggesting the nation is poised to become the world’s first major “electrostate.”

As electricity becomes central to the global clean energy transition, experts suggest future economic value may increasingly be measured in wattage.

China’s science-based energy planning has not only strengthened domestic development but also accelerated worldwide decarbonization efforts.

“Electrostate,” a new term gaining traction in global energy and climate policy discussions, refers to the proportion of electricity within a country’s total energy structure.

Latest figures show that by the end of 2025, China’s cumulative grid-connected wind and solar capacity surpassed 1.8 billion kilowatts for the first time, equivalent to the total installed capacity of about 82 Three Gorges projects.

On the consumption side, China’s total electricity use in 2025 exceeded 10 trillion kilowatt-hours, setting a new world record for annual power consumption.

This achievement stands in contrast to challenges faced elsewhere. Some developed economies grapple with persistent issues like power shortages, fragmented grids, and soaring electricity prices. In contrast, China’s electricity consumption nearly doubled over a decade, from about 5.5 trillion kilowatt-hours in 2015 to more than 10 trillion kilowatt-hours in 2025, and is now more than twice that of the United States, exceeding the combined total of the European Union, Russia, India, and Japan. 

China’s recognition as the world’s first “electrostate” is well-deserved. This recognition stems from science-based planning and the steady progress in high-quality development within the energy sector. 

Achievements include constructing 46 ultra-high-voltage transmission projects enabling long-distance power transfer (west-to-east and north-to-south), accelerating a unified national electricity market, and aligning initiatives like “East Data, West Computing” with optimized energy distribution. China’s planning-driven governance has vividly demonstrated both remarkable efficiency and tangible achievements in green development.

China’s emergence as the world’s first “electrostate” offers a model for the global green energy transition. 

The International Energy Agency noted that the age of electricity has arrived. Electricity is the primary option for replacing fossil fuels in end-use consumption and the main pathway for harnessing new energy sources. 

In China, more than one-third of the electricity consumed is generated from renewable sources. By 2025, China’s combined installed capacity of wind and solar power had surpassed that of thermal power for the first time. More than 95 percent of China’s coal-fired power units have achieved ultra-low emissions, and over half are capable of deep peak regulation, forming the world’s largest clean coal power supply system. 

On the demand side, sectors like transportation, industry, and construction are actively advancing electrification, steadily substituting coal, oil, and gas with electricity. Looking ahead, China’s electrification rate is projected to rise steadily, reaching around 35 percent by 2030.

As the world’s largest developing nation and second-largest economy, China continues to pursue its energy transition with unwavering commitment, injecting robust momentum into global green development. 

International observers note that Chinese enterprises are helping pave the way toward a world powered by electricity rather than internal combustion engines — truly “a 21st-century vision of progress.”

The empowering role of Chinese technology, Chinese manufacturing capacity, and Chinese solutions in the global energy transition is becoming increasingly evident. 

China supplies about 70 percent of the world’s wind power equipment and 80 percent of photovoltaic panels. Exports of wind turbines, solar components, and new energy vehicles reach more than 200 countries and regions. 

For instance, in sub-Saharan Africa, Chinese off-grid solar systems account for more than half of new electricity connections. In Pakistan, Chinese-made solar panels have become a popular investment choice. In Laos, construction of the China-Laos 500-kilovolt power interconnection project is accelerating and, once completed, will transmit about 3 billion kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually. 

From taking the lead in formulating the world’s first international standard for photovoltaic direct current technologies, to facilitating agreements covering projects with a total installed capacity of 12 million kilowatts at the Energy Ministers Meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization last year, China has actively promoted technology sharing, joint standard-setting, and cooperative rule-making. 

Through a “shared supply” model, China contributes to solving global energy challenges and offers accessible, affordable transition pathways for developing nations worldwide. China’s emergence as the world’s first “electrostate” epitomizes the country’s high-quality development and mirrors a new global energy landscape, one powered by electricity and built on a green foundation, now rapidly taking shape.