Nigeria Times

By Bai Ziwe, Liu He, Liu Junguo

A significant Sino-American cultural exchange event commemorating the 82nd Anniversary of the Great Rescue of Doolittle Raid was hosted recently in Quzhou, east China’s Zhejiang province.

During the event, people committed to China-U.S. friendship watched a new exhibition at the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid, visited the site where the Doolittle Raiders were rescued and joined relevant discussions, in hope of renewing the story of friendship between the Chinese and Americans in the new era.

During the World War II, both China and the United States fought for peace and justice. In the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Air Force sent 16 B-25 bombers to execute a daring assault on Japan. Pilots led by Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle were forced to parachute over China on their way back due to low fuel. Local Chinese launched a massive rescue operation, helping the U.S. pilots escape to safety. However, over 250,000 Chinese civilians were killed by Japanese aggressors in retaliation.

The Theme Exhibition on Quzhou Rescue of the Doolittle Raiders hosted as a part of the event presented a panoramic view of this touching story of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.

At the Memorial Hall to the Doolittle Raid, Chinese and foreign visitors revisited the time when the two peoples fought shoulder-to-shoulder 82 years ago, through aircraft components, precious historical photographs, immersive and interactive projections, and lifelike sculptures of the Doolittle Raiders.

The friendship between the two peoples has transcended history and endured to this day. Across the Pacific Ocean, the Doolittle Raiders that are still alive, along with their descendants, established organizations such as the Doolittle Raiders Association and the Children of the Doolittle Raiders.

Some of them have visited China multiple times, retracing the footsteps of the Doolittle Raiders and expressing gratitude to the Chinese people who aided in the rescue effort.

Susann Ozuk, William Kantenberger, and his brother Jonathan Kantenberger, who participated in this visit this time to China, are representatives of this enduring bond.

Susann Ozuk’s father, Charles Ozuk, was the navigator of the No. 3 bomber in the Doolittle Raid. After parachuting, he was left hanging on a cliff for an entire night before being discovered by a Chinese villager named Liao Shiyuan, who took him to his home to recover.

This is Susann’s third visit to China, and she is grateful to China and its people. Every time she comes to China, it feels like coming home, she said, adding that the Chinese people have a special place in her heart. She expressed her gratitude to the Chinese people who risked their lives to rescue the Doolittle Raiders.

William Kantenberger and George Kantenberger are grandsons of Ross Wilder, who co-piloted the No. 5 bomber. After parachuting, Wilder was evacuated to Quzhou with the help of villagers including Mao Guangxiao. On April 16, the two brothers met with Mao Honggen, the son of Mao Guangxiao, at the parachute landing site of Wilder in Zhupaigang, Fangyuan Village, Jiangshan, Quzhou.

According to George Kantenberger, Wilder drank all the whiskey he had with him to keep warm after the forced landing. And this time, George brought a bottle of whiskey and toasted at the site to commemorate that bond of friendship.

On the morning of April 17, a car carried Susann Ozuk and a delegation towards the Liao’s old residence in Longtoudian village, Zhangcun township, Jiangshan.

Susann Ozuk said this old house holds the story of her father, and it will forever remain in her memory. In 2021, she donated funds to renovate the Liao’s old residence.

In front of a newly renovated rammed earth house, Susann Ozuk reunited with her old friend Liao Mingfa, the son of Liao Shiyuan. As soon as they saw each other, the two hugged, then pressed their foreheads together and held each other’s shoulders. Their eyes welled up with tears.

Through a translator, the nearly 90-year-old Liao Mingfa told Susann Ozuk that he was too excited to sleep the night before, knowing he would see her again.

“I am your family in Chicago, and I have missed you, too,” Susann Ozuk responded.

The warm and hospitable Liao Mingfa family served steaming egg noodle to Susann Ozuk and the other members of the Children of the Doolittle Raiders. They all sat around a table, eating and conversing.

“After my father rescued Charles Ozuk, he applied herbal medicine to Charles Ozuk’s wounds every day, and my mother cooked egg noodle to help him regain his strength,” Liao Mingfa shared the story behind the egg noodle.

“Resources were scarce back then, but for the rescued pilots, we were willing to provide our best food,” he added.

At a donation ceremony held on April 18, Liao Mingfa presented a key to the old residence to Susann Ozuk, saying, “My home is your home, and you are always welcomed here.”

From the students of Muscatine High School joining exchange activities in Beijing, Hebei and Shanghai, to some 20 students from Lincoln High School and Steilacoom High School of the U.S. state of Washington visiting Beijing, Shiyan, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and to the  representatives of U.S. business, strategic and academic communities paying a visit to China this spring, there have been various exchanges and visits taking place between the Chinese and American people, helping implement the San Francisco Vision reached by the two countries’ heads of state, bringing the two peoples closer together, building more bridges of understanding, and penning new stories for the future between the two nations.

By Guo Ziyun, Bai Yuanqi, People’s Daily

The number of foreign travelers to China increased threefold in the first quarter of this year compared with that in 2023. China issued 466,000 visas and documents to foreigners during this period, up 118.8 percent year on year. A total of nearly 1.99 million foreigners entered China visa-free, an increase of 266.1 percent.

China has continuously introduced a series of measures to optimize its visa system, including reducing the amount of information required on visa application forms, gradually reducing visa fees, simplifying the approval process for studying in China, exempting certain applicants from providing fingerprints, waiving the need for visa appointments, and implementing visa-free policies for citizens of certain countries.

These measures have provided greater convenience for foreigners traveling, working, studying, and living in China, and have been widely welcomed by the international community. The positive effects of these policies are becoming increasingly evident.

According to the Chinese National Immigration Administration, China resumed the 15-day visa-free policy for Singapore and Brunei passport holders for business, tourism, visiting relatives, and transit purposes on July 26, 2023.

On Dec. 1, 2023, China implemented an unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. Three months later, it adopted a visa-free policy for Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg. On March 1, 2024, a mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Thailand officially took effect.

As of now, a total of 989,000 foreign nationals from these 15 countries have entered China visa-free, accounting for over 60 percent of the total number of visitors from these countries, and the number is still rising.

“I plan to take my family to China for a vacation this summer, and I really want to visit Sanya and Zhangjiajie. I saw the breathtaking scenery of Zhangjiajie in a video before, and it was truly spectacular,” said Laszlo, a resident of Budapest, Hungary, who was at a local travel agency seeking information about traveling to China.

He had been wanting to travel to China before, but his enthusiasm grew even stronger after the visa-free policy was implemented, Laszlo told People’s Daily.

Andrea, a staff member at the travel agency, said that there has been an increasing number of customers inquiring about traveling to China recently, as China has become a popular destination for international tourists.

Vincent Oomen, head of a Belgian travel agency , has been busy organizing tour groups to China recently.

“As soon as we learned that Belgium has obtained visa-free access to China, we immediately started planning travel itineraries and schedules to China,” he said.

On March 31, Oomen’s travel agency organized a group of 14 tourists to visit Beijing, Guizhou, and Guangxi, allowing them to experience the local customs and traditions up close and appreciate the charm of Chinese traditional culture and urban landscapes.

“We are still planning multiple tour groups to China, as many Belgians are eager to visit and explore the country,” he added.

The implementation of the visa-free agreement between China and Thailand has also spurred the willingness of tourists from the two countries to travel.

According to data from Ctrip, China’s leading online travel agency, on the day the agreement took effect, the number of Thai tourists traveling to China increased threefold compared to the same period last year, which also marked a surge of 160 percent compared to 2019.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin noted that many Thai people are choosing to travel to China, resulting in fully booked flights and further promoting exchanges between the two countries.

Visa-free policies launched by China have been widely welcomed by foreign business people who are eager to expand into the Chinese market. Veronique Emmenegger, the founder of a Swiss medical beauty institution, told People’s Daily, “China is an important market for us, and the visa-free policy has made my travels much easier.”

Bernard Dewit, chairman of Belgium-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said that China has implemented five measures to facilitate foreign travelers, and is actively addressing issues such as mobile payment for foreigners in China.

The country is committed to providing a safer, more comfortable, and convenient travel environment for foreign friends, which will further promote Chinese-foreign personnel exchanges, Dewit added.

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto recently said that the trial implementation of the visa-free policy by China is good news for Hungarian tourists and business people traveling to China. In the spirit of reciprocity, the Hungarian government issues long-term visas to Chinese executives who come to Hungary for investment and cooperation.

Szijjarto stressed that these measures will further enhance economic, tourism, and cultural exchanges between Hungary and China.

It is reported that starting from April, there are up to 13 flights per week between Budapest and four Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Ningbo.

These visa-free policies have not only encouraged more foreigners to come to China, but also allowed people from various countries to have a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of China.

“For me, the most unforgettable part of my trip was the friendliness and hospitality of the Chinese people,” said Stefano Mirabella from Italy, who recently traveled to China.

“Before actually visiting China, I had heard some stereotypes about the country. However, during my travels across different parts of China, everyone greeted me with smiles and was willing to engage in conversations. Whenever I faced difficulties, the locals were always there to help me, without expecting anything in return. I am looking forward to visiting China again,” Mirabella said.

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping on April 26 met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Expounding on the lessons from the 45 years of development in China-U.S. relations, Xi said building a community with a shared future for mankind is the basic starting point for China to view the China-U.S. relationship, and stressed the importance to follow through on the San Francisco vision. His remarks charted the course for China and the United States to maintain a stable, healthy and sustainable relationship.

Whether China and the United States will be partners or rivals is the fundamental question that must be answered first in handling their relationship. It is the “first button of a shirt” that determines whether the China-U.S. relationship can develop stably.

If the United States consistently regards China as its primary rival, the relationship between the two countries will only be plagued by constant troubles and a multitude of issues.

China always believes that planet Earth is big enough to accommodate the common development and respective prosperity of China and the United States.

Over the past 45 years, the relationship between the two countries has gone through wind and rain, and the two sides can draw a few important lessons. China and the United States should be partners rather than rivals; help each other succeed rather than hurt each other; seek common ground and reserve differences rather than engage in vicious competition; and honor words with actions rather than say one thing but do another.

Xi said he proposed mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation as the three overarching principles for the relationship, which are both lessons learned from the past and a guide for the future.

China views and develops China-U.S. relations from the global vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, which is responsible for the people, for the world and for the future.

The world today is undergoing transformation not seen in a century. How to respond to it is a question of the times and of the world. China’s answer is to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Xi stressed that countries live in an interdependent world and rise and fall together. With their interests deeply intertwined, all countries need to build maximum consensus for win-win and all-win outcomes.

In the face of a complex international situation, the international community expects both China and the United States to strengthen dialogue, manage differences, and promote cooperation.

As two major countries, China and the United States should undertake responsibilities for world peace, create opportunities for the development of all countries, provide the world with public goods, and play a positive role in promoting global unity.

Jointly developing a right perception, jointly managing disagreements effectively, jointly advancing mutually beneficial cooperation, jointly shouldering responsibilities as major countries, and jointly promoting people-to-people exchanges should serve as the underpinning for the mansion of China-U.S relations.

Recently, teams from both China and the United States have been working to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in San Francisco. There has been an increase in dialogues, cooperation, and positive interactions in various fields, indicating a stabilizing trend in China-U.S. relations. Blinken’s visit to China is part of the efforts of the two sides to deliver on the common understandings reached by the two presidents in San Francisco, maintain dialogue, manage differences, promote cooperation and enhance coordination in international affairs.

The two sides reached a five-point consensus based on a comprehensive exchange of views. They agreed to continue to work hard to stabilize and develop China-U.S. relations in accordance with the guidance of the two heads of state, maintain high-level exchanges and contacts at all levels, continue to carry out exchanges between the two militaries, further promote China-U.S. cooperation on drug control, climate change and artificial intelligence, take measures to expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, and maintain consultations on international and regional hotspot issues.

The San Francisco vision is a task entrusted by the two heads of state, which should be fully implemented without compromise.

The two sides should value peace, prioritize stability, and uphold credibility, which is a principle that the two countries must adhere to this year in developing their relations.

China is willing to cooperate, but cooperation should be a two-way street. China is not afraid of competition, but competition should be about progressing together instead of playing a zero-sum game. China is committed to non-alliance, and the United States should not create small blocs. While each side can have its friends and partners, it should not target, oppose or harm the other.

Currently the China-U.S. relations have been generally stabilized from further deterioration, but negative factors are still growing and accumulating.

The United States keeps making mistakes with its words and actions on the Taiwan question, breaking political commitments it has made. Its endless measures to suppress China’s economy, trade, and technology are infringing on the rights of the Chinese people to develop. The United States is obsessed with forming exclusive blocs and manipulate bloc politics, undermining China’s strategic security interests. If the United States stubbornly pushes the strategy to contain China’s development, China will resolutely oppose it and respond with firm countermeasures.

Only when the “first button” is fastened correctly, can China-U.S. relations truly stabilize, improve and move forward. The United States should develop a right perception of China, work with China in the same direction, put a floor of no conflict and no confrontation, and refrain from setting the relationship back, provoking incident or crossing the line. It should honor its commitments with action and turn the San Francisco vision into reality.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

By Shen Jingran, People’s Daily

Chongqing municipality in southwest China, a city located on hills, is the largest city in China by both total area and population. With complex landforms and plenty of bridges and tunnels built on and in the hills, the city is confronted with tricky challenges in urban management such as frequent natural disasters, various risks in urban operation and difficulties in risk prevention.

In recent years, Chongqing has worked in a systematic manner to build itself into a safe city, constantly improving its level of modernization in urban safety governance.

Chongqing always becomes rainy when spring ends. In the gardens in the phase-IV section of the Donglindao residential complex in the city’s Bishan district, flowers and plants were wet by raindrops, but the paths remained dry.

Shen Xiaofeng, who lives in the residential complex, told People’s Daily that in the past, these paths would be slippery and logged on rainy days, and thanks to a sponge city construction program, it’s difficult to see standing water in the residential complex today.

The designer of the sponge city construction program Wu Yizhou said that during the renovation, sponge facilities were designed as a part of the garden view.

According to Wu, gardens and permeable pavements are distributed throughout the residential complex. On rainy days, the rainwater does not directly flow into the drainage system from the sidewalks. Instead, it first enters the gardens or permeable pavement areas for retention and infiltration, and excess rainwater flows into the municipal drainage network or storage tanks.

Therefore, the rainwater is stored, infiltrated and purified naturally, which not only effectively utilizes water resources, but also alleviates the urban heat island effect, Wu said.

Zou Xiaochun, an official with the housing and urban-rural development department of Chongqing, noted that in recent years, Chongqing has built 34 typical drainage zones and 122 typical source reduction projects in various districts and counties based on local conditions, which form a sponge city system that suits different landforms including mountainous areas, deep canyons, hills, and flat terrains.

On Aug. 29, 2021, a rock collapse occurred in Guanmiao community, Guanmian township, Kaizhou district of Chongqing. Thanks to an early warning system, 93 people from 37 households were evacuated in advance, and no casualties were reported.

At 10:00 am on Aug. 30, 2022, signs of a landslide were detected in Heping village, Wenquan township, Kaizhou district. A prompt assessment was quickly released through an intelligent early warning information platform, and an alert plan was automatically generated by 10:30 am. The local government immediately designated the danger zone, launched emergency control measures and evacuated residents. At 12:30 pm, a landslide occurred.

Both of the two natural disasters occurred without causing any casualties, which is attributed to the effective intelligent early warning management mechanism adopted by Kaizhou government.

“In 2021, by comprehensively reviewing the risk points, affected populations, and designated early warning personnel in disaster-prone areas, we fully upgraded our intelligent early warning information release platform,” said Xi Shui, deputy director of the emergency management bureau of Kaizhou district.

“Once a disaster threshold is reached, the platform automatically matches corresponding instructions and recipient groups. It then immediately and simultaneously pushes out precise warning notifications through district-wide broadcasts, TV, large screens, and online applications, ensuring widespread and synchronized dissemination of alerts, Xi explained.

It is reported that in 2023, Kaizhou district released over 15,000 warning messages of various types to more than 1.3 million recipients. Additionally, 18 important warning messages were broadcasted through an “emergency loudspeaker,” reaching a total of 66,000 people.

Located at the confluence of the Jialing, Fujiang, and Qujiang Rivers, Chongqing’s Hechuan district has a large water surface area and high annual water flow, resulting in frequent natural disasters like floods and geological hazards.

To precisely locate the areas that might be inundated during floods and the safest evacuation paths, the flood and drought disaster prevention and control center of Hechuan district created a digital 3D flood simulation model based on Hechuan district’s topography and terrain maps after spending a year conducting field research and consulting hydrological data. The model includes flood risk maps from three sub-district offices in the main urban area and nine key places along the rivers, as well as a flood operation map for the main urban area.

“This model can dynamically simulate the inundation areas as water levels rise from 0 to 200 meters, with an accuracy within 1 meter. It can precisely calculate the number of people needing evacuation and designated shelters at different water levels, specifying the responsible personnel, community contacts and other key information,” said Wu Zuhua, a staff member of the Luoyangxi community committee in Heyangcheng sub-district.

Nowadays in Chongqing, water and power systems, bridges, tunnels, rail transit, and utility networks have all been integrated into a digital city operations and governance center, which functions as an intelligent brain of the city, enabling intelligent perception of operational risks. It assists decision-making for city management authorities through digitized means, continuously driving the modernization of governance systems and capabilities.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay state visits to France, Serbia and Hungary from May 5 to 10. This will be the first visit to Europe by China’s head of state in nearly five years.

Against the backdrop of intensifying global turbulence, the China-EU relationship holds strategic significance and global influence. It bears upon the pillars of world peace, stability, and prosperity.

Xi’s upcoming visits to the three European countries will inject strong impetus into the development of the relations between China and the three countries and the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership, and bring more stability and positive energy to the fast-changing world.

France is the first major Western country to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level with the People’s Republic of China. China-France relations have long been at the forefront of China’s relations with Western countries. The unique history of bilateral relations have shaped the “China-France spirit” featuring independence, mutual understanding, foresight, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Macron, China-France relations have maintained a sound development momentum, with fruitful strategic communication, practical cooperation, deeper people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and sound communication and coordination in international and regional affairs.

Faced with a complex and volatile international situation, China and France both insist on independence and win-win cooperation, both oppose the division of the world and bloc confrontation, and both practice multilateralism and uphold the UN Charter and international law.

The international community expects China and France to form a common position and speak with same voice on major issues bearing on world peace and stability, as well as the future of mankind.

Xi’s visit marks the second visit by a China’s head of state to France in five years. It coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries and is of great significance to building on the past achievements and charting the course for the future.

Further consolidating political mutual trust and strengthening solidarity and cooperation will bring China-France comprehensive strategic partnership to a new level, inject new impetus into the sound and steady development of China-EU relations, and make new contributions to world peace, stability, and progress.

Serbia is China’s first comprehensive strategic partner in Central and Eastern Europe. The two countries have nurtured an iron-clad friendship, serving as a model for friendly relations between China and European countries.

In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Vučić, China-Serbia relations have enjoyed robust growth. The two countries have firmly supported each other on issues of core interests and major concerns, enjoyed solid political mutual trust, achieved fruitful outcomes in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and maintained close coordination in multilateral arena. The robust and powerful China-Serbia cooperation is in the fundamental and long-term interests of both countries and peoples.

This visit will be Xi’s second visit to Serbia in eight years. During the visit, the two heads of state will have an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest. The two sides will hold discussions on elevating the positioning of bilateral ties and charting the course for future development.

The upgrading of China-Serbia relations will not only bring greater benefits to the two peoples but also strengthen the power to uphold international fairness and justice, making greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Hungary. Hungary is an important country in Central and Eastern Europe and China’s important partner in Belt and Road cooperation and China-Central and Eastern European countries cooperation.

In recent years, in the face of a complex and volatile international situation, Hungary has remained committed to being a force of peace and stability in Europe, resisting interference and pressure, and steadfastly deepening cooperation with China.

China and Hungary are comprehensive strategic partners who are committed to their respective development in line with their national conditions. The two countries have achieved fruitful results in mutually beneficial cooperation across various fields, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. The in-depth cooperation between the two countries demonstrates that China is an opportunity rather than a challenge, a partner rather than a rival for Europe.

The joint invitation extended by Hungarian President Sulyok and Prime Minister Orbán to President Xi to visit Hungary fully demonstrates Hungary’s high regard and earnest expectations for this visit. This milestone visit will elevate bilateral relations to a new level and open a new chapter for China-Hungary friendly cooperation, which is conducive to maintaining regional and global peace, stability, and prosperity.

China and the EU should be characterized rightly as partners, and cooperation should be the defining feature of their relationship. As two major forces advancing multipolarity, two major markets in support of globalization, and two major civilizations championing diversity, China and the EU share extensive common interests, with cooperation and consensus far surpassing competition and disagreements.

China always views its relations with the EU from a strategic, long-term perspective, and takes the EU as a high priority in its external relations. Xi’s state visits to the three European countries will undoubtedly further strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the EU. This will provide more stability to a turbulent world and inject more impetus into global development.

By Liu Shiyao, Gu Yekai, People’s Daily

At 8:59 p.m. (Beijing Time) on April 25, China’s Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. About 10 minutes after the launch, the Shenzhou-18 spaceship separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit, marking success of China’s first manned mission in 2024.

The Shenzhou-18 crew members are Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, with Ye as the mission commander. The Shenzhou-18 mission is the third manned mission during the application and development stage of China’s space station and the 32nd flight mission of China’s manned space program.

The Shenzhou-18 crew will rotate with the Shenzhou-17 crew in orbit and stay in the space station for about six months, during which they will carry out space science and application experiments, extravehicular activities (EVAs), and cargo transportation, space debris shelters installation, extravehicular payloads and equipment installation and recovery, and popular science education and public welfare activities, to further improve the operational efficiency of the space station.

During the crew’s stay in orbit, they will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship. The Shenzhou-18 crew are scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region in late October this year.

China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) spokesperson Lin Xiqiang said the Shenzhou-18 crew will manage and care for the space station and its payloads during their stay in orbit, and conduct maintenance, repairs, and status inspections to ensure the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of the space station.

The crew will utilize the scientific experiment cabinets and extravehicular payloads to carry out more than 90 experiments in the fields of basic physics in microgravity, space material science, space life science, space medicine and space technology.

For instance, they will implement China’s first in-orbit aquatic ecological research project. Using zebrafish and goldfish algae to establish a self-cycling aquatic ecosystem in orbit, the project aims to make to a breakthrough in the cultivation of vertebrates in space.

The crew will also make the world’s first in-orbit stem cell study on the plant’s stem tips to explore plant evolutionary adaptation to gravity and provide theoretical support for space cropping.

So far, China has carried out more than 130 scientific research and application projects in its orbiting space station, and more than 300 scientific experiment samples have been brought back from space by manned missions in five batches.

The Shenzhou-18 astronauts will carry out two to three EVAs and implement six cargo outbound deliveries via the station’s cargo airlock module. During the EVAs, based on the existing space debris protection mechanism at the station, the astronauts will install debris protection reinforcements for extravehicular piping, cables, and critical equipment. They will also carry out extravehicular inspections, as appropriate, to further ensure the safety of the space station.

According to Lin, some of the solar panel cables on the space station were damaged by space debris impacts, leading to a partial loss of power supply capacity. The problem was solved by the Shenzhou-17 crew during two spacewalks, which marked China’s first extravehicular maintenance and proved that manned spacecraft can better deal with unexpected issues in orbit.

In 2023, China initiated the lunar landing mission of its manned lunar exploration program, aiming to realize a manned lunar landing by 2030. All component systems are under research and development as planned.

The project development of major flight products, such as the Long March-10 carrier rocket, the manned spacecraft Mengzhou, the lunar lander Lanyue and the lunar landing suit, has been completed, and their prototype production and tests are being carried out.

The development of mechanical and thermal test products for manned spacecraft and landers has been basically completed; rocket engines of various types are underground tests; and the Wenchang manned lunar exploration launch site is under construction. The proposals for manned lunar rovers and lunar surface payloads solicited from the public are under selection.

By Yin Xiaoyu, People’s Daily

The spring sowing season has arrived, but in the sprawling wheat fields in Lujia township, Kunshan, east China’s Jiangsu province, there wasn’t a farmer in sight across the vast expanse. What could be seen was only a drone hovering above the fields.

“This is an unmanned farm. It spans 3,840 mu (256 hectares) and primarily grows rice and wheat,” said engineer Geng Bojian, who’s engaged in the R&D and regular maintenance of the farm.

This intelligent farm, which features minimal management and unmanned operations, was established last year through the utilization of big data, artificial intelligence, self-organizing communication networks, and a suite of intelligent equipment such as multi-rotor drones, driverless tractors, unmanned harvesters, and smart irrigation gates, according to Geng, who’s also a member of the Yangtze River Delta Academy of Smart Agriculture under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS).

In recent years, Kunshan has been working to promote the digitalization of agriculture, focusing on smart agricultural machinery and intelligent farming, and striving to build relevant intelligent scenarios.

In 2021, Suzhou and the CAAS signed an agreement to jointly establish the East China Agri-Tech Center, and the unmanned farm was exactly one of the projects launched by the center.

In the unmanned farm, there is a white building – the intelligent command center, also known as the “smart brain” of the farm.

At the center, a young staff member was staring at a big screen displaying live video footage of the wheat fields, with relevant data constantly updating on either side.

The young staff member was performing routine field patrol with a drone.

This “smart brain” comprises modules for crop monitoring, agricultural machinery management, resource management, drone control, agricultural operations, intelligent irrigation, equipment alerts, and analysis and decision-making.

“In the past, a field patrol needed several people riding electric bikes to each plot, with each person inspecting hundreds of mu of land. It would take at least an hour and a half to complete the patrol,” Geng said.

“Now, a drone can cover the entire area in half an hour while simultaneously collecting crop growth data,” he added.

Geng said that in every plot there is a soil condition monitor, which is used to record soil temperature, moisture, and real-time water level.

“The unmanned farm employs an intelligent irrigation system. Once the monitors detect low soil moisture, the system will be activated,” Geng told People’s Daily.

Besides, a small weather monitoring station is set up in the fields, capable of real-time collection of meteorological data such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, and rainfall. In addition, there are also devices like insect monitoring traps and spore catchers.

Shen Junjie is an employee of Jiangsu Provincial Agricultural Reclamation and Development Corporation. He works with three colleagues to manage the agricultural operations of this unmanned farm. Their daily work involves collecting field data with monitoring devices and drones. Based on the data they collect, the intelligent command center would analyze crop growth and provide scientific guidance on farming practices

“Through a mobile app, we receive notifications from the command center and can remotely assign tasks to unmanned agricultural machines,” Shen told People’s Daily.

The unmanned agricultural machines Shen mentioned were parked in a storage facility, all large in size, including cultivators, transplanters, crop sprayers, and harvesters – each equipped with the BeiDou satellite navigation system. All the operators needed to do was to set the routes and tasks, and remotely start the machines.

“These machines weren’t unmanned when they were manufactured. It was our technical team that modified them, and now each one possesses unique skills,” Geng said.

Today, unmanned equipment are employed in the entire rice and wheat production cycle, including plowing, sowing, managing, and harvesting. The cultivators can complete fertilizing, tilling, and sowing operations all at once. The harvesters can monitor harvest quality in real time while reaping, and upload data to relevant platforms. They can even chop and spread the rice straw back into the field or pass it to a baler for organic processing. The harvested rice and wheat is transported by unmanned vehicles to the farm’s drying center for automatic drying and storage.

“In another couple of months, it will be the time to harvest the winter wheat. All the agricultural machines will be in full swing, ” Geng said.

By Wang Haonan, People’s Daily

The 2024 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) will be held in Beijing from April 25 to 29. Themed “Innovation: Building a Better World,” this year’s edition will comprise five major sections, including forums and meetings, technology trading, unveiling of achievements, and competitions in cutting-edge fields.

Up to 120 events are planned this year. Over 100 countries and regions, as well as 150 foreign government departments and international organizations will join the forum.

Founded in 2007, with its enduring focus on innovation and development, the forum is an important exchange platform for China to embrace the global innovation network with an open attitude.

It is reported that a total of 60 parallel forums will be held during the 2024 ZGC Forum. According to Chen Jiachang, vice minister of science and technology, Nobel laureate Barry Marshall will deliver a keynote speech on innovation- and curiosity-driven research at the Global Health and Development Forum; Fields Medal winner Shing-Tung Yau will deliver a report on women and scientific development at the Forum on Women in Sci-Tech Innovation; Turing Award winners Joseph Sifakis and Andrew Chi-Chih Yao will share the latest development and future trends in artificial intelligence models at a parallel forum on artificial intelligence.

Internationalization is a major feature of the ZGC Forum. Seventeen parallel forums this year are expected to be hosted and organized by 19 international organizations and foreign government departments.

According to Yu Yingjie, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Beijing Municipal Committee, the UNESCO will host the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development Forum; the World Intellectual Property Organization will host the Global Science and Technology Clusters Innovation Forum and another parallel forum. Foreign guests from more than 100 countries and regions are expected to participate in these events.

Frontier exploration, achievement sharing, and open collaboration are the prominent features of this year’s ZGC Forum. Chen said that focusing on carbon peaking and neutrality, health, clean energy, and other technological fields that directly impact people’s lives, the ZGC Forum will establish a trading and sharing platform of scientific and technological achievements for multiple countries and regions through events such as the ZGC International Technology Trade Fair and the Zhongguancun International Advanced Technology Competition.

The ZGC International Technology Trade Fair this year will comprise 30 activities, including six technology trade conference for key countries, four debuts of national-level technology commercialization, and eight launches of high-end, sophisticated and cutting-edge products.

It will bring together more than 6,000 innovation projects from over 40 countries and regions such as the UK, France, Germany and Japan, and release a list of 100 new technologies and new products, as well as a list of 100 international technology transaction projects, continuously building itself into a grand international technology trading event.

The Zhongguancun International Advanced Technology Competition for the first time sets four overseas competition areas, with international projects accounting for over 40 percent of the total, Yu said.

According to him, the eight domestic and overseas competition areas of the 2024 Zhongguancun International Advanced Technology Competition have amassed over 3,100 entries from 75 countries and regions, covering areas such as quantum information, photon computing and metaverse.

“The global finals of the competition will be hosted during the 2024 ZGC forum, which will offer comprehensive services for participating enterprises such as investment and financing, commercialization and matchmaking,” Yu said.

A series of major scientific and technological achievements will be unveiled at the opening ceremony, parallel forums and relevant sections of the 2024 ZGC Forum.

A special release event is scheduled to be held on April 29, where a batch of major original achievements, heavyweight innovative policies, and the latest research reports will be released globally, building the ZGC Forum into a “trendsetter” for cutting-edge technologies and future industries.

By Li Jie, People’s Daily

China recently pledged a new round of large-scale equipment upgrades and trade-in of consumer goods in an action plan released by the State Council.

The action plan specifies tasks in four sectors, namely equipment renewal, consumer goods trade-in, used goods recycling, and standard leveling-up.

Equipment upgrades enjoy enormous market potential. According to the statistics released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China, the amount of investment in equipment across crucial sectors, including the industrial and agriculture sectors, reached approximately 4.9 trillion yuan ($676.52 billion) in 2023. With the further advancement of high-quality development in China, the demand for equipment upgrades will get stronger, creating an enormous market worth more than 5 trillion yuan annually.

Take the industrial sector as an example. The total industrial added value in China, a major industrial country, hit 39.9 trillion yuan last year, accounting for 31.7 percent of its GDP.

“The ongoing development of new industrialization will lead to an increased demand for advanced equipment in the industrial sector, making the sector a key area for large-scale equipment upgrades,” said Yu Xiaohui, head of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology.

Some industrial enterprises in China are still using outdated and inefficient equipment that have served beyond their designed lifespan. As industries quicken their upgrade processes, such equipment needs to be replaced and upgraded.

In recent years, China’s new energy industry has experienced rapid development, with a large number of wind power and photovoltaic devices being employed. Some of these devices would be removed once they surpass their expected lifespan.

According to estimates, by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), the total capacity of outdated wind farms that have served over 20 years in China will exceed 1.2 million kilowatts. Starting from 2030, photovoltaic modules will also enter a period of intensive scrapping. The capacity of waste PV modules to be recycled is expected to hit 17.8 million kilowatts in 2030.

Currently, the Chinese economy is showing signs of steady recovery and improvement, even in the face of insufficient effective demand and weak social expectations.

An official with the NDRC said that promoting large-scale equipment upgrades can not only boost consumption and investment but also increase advanced production capacity, improve productivity, promote energy conservation and carbon reduction, and reduce safety hazards. It benefits both enterprises and the people.

In Wuhan, central China’s Hubei province, China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) has built the largest service base for tunnel boring machines (TBM) in central China, with an annual production capacity of 60 units. Old models and outdated machines that have been retired or do not meet technological specifications and energy consumption standards can be upgraded there.

Recently, CRCC decided to expand the TBM service base so as to enlarge its capacity. “Before the end of the first quarter, our schedule has been fully occupied,” said Zhang Kunfeng, general manager of Wuhan heavy equipment company of China Railway 11th Bureau Group Corporation.

Equipment upgrades create business opportunities. “For enterprises, equipment upgrades can be achieved through either purchasing new machines or retrofitting existing ones,” said Zhang.

The cost of retrofitting is usually much lower than purchasing new equipment, he added. According to him, the cost of retrofitting a TBM is only 20 to 25 percent of what it would cost to buy a new one.

The action plan specifies also multiple tasks, including promoting remanufacturing and cascading use, refining energy consumption, emissions and technology standards, and improving technical standards of products.

“This will drive industrial enterprises to phase out outdated and inefficient equipment, encourage the extensive adoption of high-tech, high-efficiency, and high-reliability equipment, and enhance their capability in research and development, design and manufacturing, inspection and testing, thus promoting the high-end development of the manufacturing industry,” said Yu.

Green and low-carbon transformation remains an important task. Sun Ying, deputy director of the energy research institute of the China Academy of Macroeconomic Research, believes that accelerating equipment upgrades and promoting the continuous increase of advanced capacity and efficient products can drive energy conservation and carbon reduction from the source, which can help expand domestic demand and improve energy utilization efficiency in consumer products.

The action plan said China aims to increase its investment in equipment for industry, agriculture, construction, transportation, education, culture, tourism and medical care by at least 25 percent by 2027, compared with 2023.

According to the plan, energy efficiency of major energy-consuming equipment in key industries will essentially achieve energy conservation standards; the proportion of production capacity meeting Grade A level environmental performance will rise significantly; industrial enterprises above the designated size will see the digitalization rate of R&D tools exceeding 90 percent and the computer numerical control rate for key production procedures surpassing 75 percent.