Nigeria Times

By Wang Weijian, People’s Daily

A demonstration eco-friendly crab farm by the Taihu Lake in Wujiang district, Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu province has completed a perfect transition – abandoning traditional practices using net enclosure, which featured high pollution and low economic return, and embracing high-quality and high-efficiency ecological aquaculture.

From a distance, the crab farm, which is located in Pujiangyuan, Qidu township of Wujiang district, appears like a picturesque rural park, but up close, it reveals itself as a hive of agricultural activity.

In the ponds, crab farmers are always seen clearing out aquatic weeds, while on the banks, technicians use mobile phones to pilot drones that disperse feed pellets over the water.

This eco-friendly crab farm was established in 2019, after net enclosure aquaculture facilities were banned in the Taihu Lake.

Zhang Jianliang, 53, has been engaged in crab farming for over 20 years. When he was younger, he once used net enclosure facilities on the Taihu Lake.

A few years ago, he contracted 100 mu (6.67 hectares) of crab ponds in the eco-friendly crab farm. “It’s completely different from the past. It’s tech-ish,” he told People’s Daily.

“This is an Internet-of-things (IoT) automatic control system for aquaculture,” said Zhang, pointing to a silver-white metal box on the shore.

He said the biggest concern in crab farming is low dissolved oxygen levels in the water, which could only be judged based on farmers’ experience in the past.

He opened the metal box, and real-time parameters were all displayed on an electronic screen, including dissolved oxygen, pH, and water temperature.

For instance, the dissolved oxygen level, after being obtained by underwater sensors, will be automatically analyzed by the system. If it falls below a preset “red line,” the system will automatically activate an oxygenation device to avoid oxygen depletion in the water.

The crab farm is all about technology. On the water surface, unmanned feeding boats cruise automatically. Under the water, IoT flow generators work to simulate a real lake environment to help crabs grow better.

According to Cao Jianzhong, an executive of the crab farm, the farm has invited experts from agricultural universities and enterprises to launch on-site training.

“With the use of technology, oxygenation and feeding have become more targeted. It saves labor, giving us more confidence,” said Zhang.

In the past, net enclosure aquaculture in the Taihu Lake was completely at the mercy of the weather, and sometimes the farmers would shoulder losses, according to Zhang.

Today, in the eco-friendly crab farm, standardized farming keeps risks under control. It’s easy for a farmer to earn 200,000 yuan ($27,678) to 300,000 yuan a year.

The crab farm covers a total planned area of 27,255 mu, with a 4,225 mu core area, generating an annual output value of around 400 million yuan.

For an aquaculture park of this scale, located along the shoreline of the environmentally sensitive Taihu Lake, how is environmental safety ensured?

On the eastern side of the farm, there are several water pools, which are covered by reeds and occasionally disturbed by waterfowl taking wing.

“Fine sand, zeolite, and limestone are paved at the bottom of these pools,” said Xi Bin, a management staff member of the farm, adding that it is an ecological treatment system consisting of ecological trenches, ecological ponds, vertical-flow wetlands, and surface-flow wetlands.

Designed by the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the system employs a compound artificial wetland tail water treatment technique to absorb and purify the aquaculture effluent.

“The treated water flows through an intricate network of pipes back into the individual crab ponds. None of it is discharged into the Taihu Lake,” said Xi.

At 2 pm, technician Xu Junyu of the crab farm received a request for drone support from aquaculture farmer Zhou Shengliang via an smart platform. Xu soon made his way to Zhou’s crab pond.

Deftly assembling the drone, Xu loaded a bag of feed pellets into the drone’s hopper. With everything prepared, Xu issued commands from his phone, and the drone, equipped with both BeiDou and GPS navigation systems, took to the air over the crab pond.

“I’ve pre-programmed the speed, heading, and feeding density into the digital system for timed, quantified, and targeted feeding,” said Xu. For a 30 mu crab pond, manual feeding would take at least half a day, but the drone could complete the task in just minutes.

To provide comprehensive services for aquaculture farmers, the crab farm has employed IoT, cloud computing, big data and other technologies to give aquaculture production a “smart brain.”

The “smart brain”, or the smart management platform, is located at an inspection and quarantine center on the eastern side of the crab farm. It has a huge electronic screen and integrates functions such as an overview of the entire farm, intelligent aquaculture management, quality control, and daily operations management. It is learned that crab ponds in the farm are installed with various sensors providing data to support scientific and targeted aquaculture.

The eco-friendly crab farm provides comprehensive supporting services. In a logistics and distribution center, there are various types of automated equipment. Crabs are fed into an automatic binding machine and bound in around 5 seconds; a conveyor line automatically sorts the crabs by weight.

Through an internet-enabled production and marketing model, the crab farm has guided and enabled aquaculture farmers and rural entrepreneurs to increase their incomes.

By Yang Mingfang, Li Yanan, People’s Daily

Kuqa city in Aksu prefecture, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, was known as Kucha in ancient times. It was home to the Anxi Protectorate, or the Protectorate to Pacify the West, in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), as well as an important transportation hub along the ancient Silk Road.

As one of the historical and cultural cities that boast the longest history and richest historical and cultural relics in Xinjiang, Kuqa is hailed as an “open-air museum.”

In recent years, the city has leveraged its local features and adopted innovative approaches to promote the protection and utilization of its historical resources, managing to preserve its historical charm while effectively utilizing its resources.

With a history of over 2,000 years, Kuqa is home to numerous historical, artistic, and scientific treasures, including ancient dwellings and old buildings. The local government has been committed to the restoration of culturally significant old houses.

In 2023, Kuqa launched a campaign to “save the old houses,” in which Tsinghua Heritage Institute for Digitization (THID), a Beijing-based institute focusing on conservation, interpretation, presentation, digitization and communication of cultural heritage, conducted a comprehensive survey of all ancient dwellings in the old towns of the city.

The campaign invited renowned Chinese experts in cultural heritage conservation to train local traditional craftsmen, so as to improve their skills, pass down traditional techniques and provide support to the restoration and preservation of ancient dwellings.

He Yan, a cultural heritage conservation expert and THID director, told People’s Daily that the campaign has been joined by more than 150 local traditional craftsmen since its launch.

“This campaign follows the principle of minimal intervention, using original craftsmanship and materials for restoration. It also adopts targeted repair methods based on the value, cultural environment, and historical significance of each old house,” He explained.

Gen-Zer Yusupjan Asen returned to his hometown after graduating from university last year. Upon learning about the campaign, he immediately signed up for it as he had learned woodworking from his father since childhood.

“As witnesses to history and carriers of culture, ancient dwellings bear the historical memory of ethnic integration. It was my first formal experience in old house restoration, and I realized that it is quite challenging to repair houses, especially ancient dwellings. We needed to ensure safety while preserving the traditional patterns, designs, and styles,” said Yusupjan Asen.

In Sakesake neighborhood, Kuqiairike community of Kuqa, there is a Kucha Alley, which exudes the folk charm of ethnic minorities at every turn, such as the umbrellas made of Etles silk hung above residential houses and the vibrantly patterned doors of these houses, drawing in visitors from near and far.

Kuqa boasts five historical and cultural blocks, and since 2023, the city has ramped up efforts to upgrade them. Taking a “renovation without demolition” approach, the city revitalized these historical areas by improving basic infrastructure like water and power supply, while also cultivating hubs for cultural tourism and shopping.

Mairan Nur runs a grocery shop in the Kucha Alley. “The environment here has really improved. There are more tourists nowadays. Coffee shops and bubble tea shops have opened up, and many locals have set up stalls or businesses right outside their houses,” Mairan Nur told People’s Daily.

Kuqa sanam, an ethnic music and dance widespread among the Uygur people in Kuqa, has been listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage item. It is a demanding dance with stringent requirements. In the 1990s, as the older generation of dancers passed away, the inheritance of this art form encountered challenges.

Local authorities redoubled their efforts to protect intangible cultural heritage, emphasizing the importance to identify, study, preserve, and inherit these traditions. This rekindled enthusiasm and passion for learning and performing the dance among the youth. In 2012, Nasir Nusur, a folk dancer from Kuqa, was recognized as a national-level inheritor of Kuqa sanam. To date, he has trained over 500 apprentices, breathing new life into this precious dance art.

This is just one example among many. In recent years, Kuqa has made tremendous efforts to preserve its intangible cultural heritage. The region now boasts 146 intangible cultural heritage items, including two at the national level, and there are over 500 inheritors of them. Local authorities have boosted the enthusiasm of these inheritors through dedicated funding, performances, and subsidies. Additionally, a master-apprentice model is attracting more and more young people to join the ranks of cultural preservation.

By Zhong Caiwen, People’s Daily

China’s production capacity is deeply rooted in the country’s vast market.

China is a developing country with a population of over 1.4 billion. The fundamental purpose of its production is to meet the ever-growing expectation of the people for a better life.

Since the reform and opening up, China has transitioned from a planned economy to a socialist market economy, which has boosted production in different sectors and enhanced its supply capabilities.

As China’s economy continues to grow steadily and with the incremental upgrading of Chinese industries, the potential of China’s domestic demand has been consistently expanding and unleashed, which will enhance production capacity in a cycle of mutual reinforcement.

China boasts a large and steadily expanding middle-income group, with per capita GDP surpassing $12,000, creating a huge consumer market.

In 2023, China’s total retail sales of consumer goods exceeded 47 trillion yuan ($6.5 trillion), with final consumption expenditure contributing 82.5 percent to economic growth. Consumption has become the main engine driving economic growth and the primary driver of China’s expansion of production capacity.

Over the past few years, China has been the world’s largest consumer of automobiles, home appliances, clothing, and jewelries, among others. This wouldn’t have been possible without massive domestic production capacity, as relying solely on imports wouldn’t have been enough.

Technological innovation and enhanced production efficiency are the driving forces of China’s production capacity.

Innovation serves as the engine of productivity. China adopts the innovation-driven development strategy and keeps expanding investment in scientific and technological innovation. It ranks second in the world in terms of total R&D investment. A total of 679 Chinese companies were listed among the world’s top 2,500 R&D investors last year.

Technological innovation has enhanced China’s production efficiency and forged more comparative advantages. In recent years, China’s traditional top three products, or the “old three” — mobile phones, computers and home appliances, and three major tech-intensive green products, or the “new three” — new energy vehicles (NEVs), lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic products, have gained widespread popularity in the global market. This success is attributed to the continuous technological innovation and efficiency improvements in the extensive and specialized industries in China, along with the unwavering commitment to excellence by Chinese entrepreneurs.

It is particularly important to see that China is the only country in the world that possesses all the industrial categories in the United Nations industrial classification. By harnessing the well-established industrial ecosystem and leveraging market dynamics, China can quickly transform technological innovation achievements into high-quality production capacity.

A Bloomberg article said that the global energy transition is largely attributed to China’s provision of low-cost and clean products.

China is embracing the new round of sci-tech revolution and industrial transformation worldwide and has no intention of criticizing or suppressing other countries that are leading in areas such as artificial intelligence, commercial aerospace, and low-orbit satellites. Instead, China is genuinely committed to learning from others with an aim to promote scientific and technological development through mutual learning and exchanges.

Similarly, developed countries should embrace China’s technological advancements in areas like new energy with fairness and openness, keeping in mind the benefits of all humanity.

A large portion of China’s production capacity is attributed to multinationals.

Foreign-invested enterprises have played a significant role in the growth of China’s manufacturing. As China becomes more integrated into the global economy, many foreign enterprises have chosen China as their primary production base, producing goods for sale on a global scale. Among them are many American companies.

For instance, the remarkable success of Apple as the second most profitable and highest-valued company in the world can be largely credited to the dedicated Chinese workers and efficient Chinese enterprises along its supply chain. Apple has announced to expand its R&D labs in China to better support its production line.

Tesla produced over 1.84 million new energy vehicles last year, with half of them being manufactured in its Shanghai Gigafactory. Tesla’s exports from China account for nearly 30 percent of Chinese exports of the NEVs.

Multinationals often follow a typical approach: making decisions at headquarters, manufacturing products in China, distributing them in global markets including China, and repatriating the profits generated to their home countries. Such business model can lead to win-win outcomes for all stakeholders.

By launching more important projects in China in the coming future, particularly in industries such as chemistry and the NEVs, multinationals are set to see more improvements in their competitiveness and production capacity.

The growth of China’s production capacity is credited to the combined efforts of an efficient market and a proactive government.

Throughout the history of industrial development in developed countries, successful industrial upgrading relied on both market dynamics and government strategies to guide and support industries.

For instance, the rapid economic growth of countries like Japan, Germany, and South Korea after World War II was largely a result of government assistance for key industries. Industrial policies have been a longstanding practice in the United States, with the CHIPS and Science Act alone providing over $52 billion in subsidies.

Since the reform and opening up, China has drawn lessons from developed countries and used strong domestic demand to drive economic growth. By directing the allocation of resources through industrial planning, China has been actively developing a modern industrial system.

Since the accession to the World Trade Organization, China has consistently complied with the subsidy-related rules and developed its production capacity within a market economy environment.

China’s industrial policies never violate market principles. China does not seek to exclude competition with other countries or unreasonably favor its own industries. Instead, China aims to continuously improve marketization levels and adopt tailored industrial policies that suit local conditions. This approach allows for orderly competition among industries, ultimately achieving an equilibrium between supply and demand.

By Li Xinping, People’s Daily

A tunnel boring machine (TBM), also referred to as full-section tunnel boring machine, is a machine used to excavate tunnels. It combines multiple technologies such as machinery, electronics, information technology, and artificial intelligence, being acclaimed as the “king of construction machinery.”

More than two decades ago, China did not have its own TBM. Today, Chinese-produced TBMs account for nearly 70 percent of the global market.

How did the Chinese TBMs make this giant leap? People’s Daily reporters delved into the TBM manufacturing companies to uncover the secrets.

In early 2000, when China Railway Group Limited (Hereafter referred to as China Railway) decided to develop its own TBM, some thought it was an unrealistic idea.

Wang Dujuan, chief engineer of China Railway Hi-Tech Industry Corporation Limited (CRHIC), a subsidiary of China Railway, said that a TBM has over 20,000 components, and its control system alone has more than 2,000 control points. “Many colleagues at that time had never even seen a TBM before,” she recalled.

Thanks to substantial efforts and investments, China’s first domestically developed earth pressure balance TBM with independent intellectual property rights made its debut in 2008, known as the “China Railway No. 1 TBM.”

On February 6, 2009, the China Railway No. 1 TBM started working for a metro project in north China’s Tianjin municipality. Four months later, a tunnel of the Tianjin Metro Line 3 was holed through, with ground settlement carefully controlled within 3 millimeters and passing all expert inspections.

Since then, the Chinese TBM industry has gained momentum, with a number of competitive manufacturers emerging and growing, such as China Railway Engineering Equipment Group Co., Ltd. (CREG), China Railway Construction Heavy Industry Corporation Limited (CRCHI), and CCCC Tianhe Mechanical Equipment Manufacturing affiliated with China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC).

Today, China boasts the world’s largest TBM fleet, with approximately 5,000 units. Over 90 percent of China’s metro tunnels were constructed using TBM technology.

A TBM stands several stories high and is as heavy as hundreds of elephants. It consists of tens of thousands of components. To enhance the resilience of the industrial and supply chains, every link of the industry must collaborate effectively.

“China’s TBM industry follows a development path where the manufacturing of complete TBMs drives the manufacturing of components,” said Zhang Zhiguo, general manager of CREG.

Ten years ago, bearings and gearboxes needed to be imported due to weaknesses in the supply chain, and today, these weaknesses are gradually being resolved, Zhang told People’s Daily.

Crafting main bearings proved to be one of the most challenging tasks due to the extreme and harsh operating conditions they face as the “heart” of a TBM, including ultra-heavy loads, large eccentric loads, and frequently varying loads. Besides, they need to meet critical standards such as high reliability and long service life. The material selection, design, manufacturing, and testing of them also presented immense difficulties. That’s why they are considered the pinnacle of the industrial chain of large-scale, high-end, precision bearings.

To finalize the design for main bearings, the Chinese research and development team experimented with hundreds of materials and processes, conducted thousands of theoretical verifications and design optimizations, and analyzed tens of thousands of inspection and test data sets.

In collaboration with leading specialty steel companies in China, CRCHI conducted in-depth research on material elemental matching and methods for controlling impurities and carbides, ultimately overcoming the bottleneck in the materials used for main bearings.

On October 12, 2023, a TBM main bearing with a diameter of 8.61 meters rolled off the production line at a CRCHI facility in Changsha, central China’s Hunan province. It was the world’s largest main bearing for TBM, boasting the heaviest weight and highest bearing capacity.

“It marked that China has become a global leader in the development and manufacturing of ultra-large diameter main bearings. Chinese-produced TBM main bearings now cover the full range from small to ultra-large diameters,” said Liu Feixiang, chief scientist of CRCHI.

Additionally, Chinese enterprises are consistently moving towards intelligent and automated TBM operations, exploring autonomous excavation and remote control capabilities.

For instance, China’s independently developed TBM “Linghang” is equipped with a system to monitor the status of key components in real-time, including the wear and temperature of cutting tools and slurry circulation pipes. It also provides damage predictions, effectively improving the construction efficiency.

The “Linghang” TBM also provides functions of intelligent excavation, intelligent assembly, advanced geological forecasting, and tail-end seal safety warnings. Therefore, it can automatically adjust parameters and excavate in ordinary geological conditions and can be controlled remotely from the ground surface under special circumstances.

Chinese TBM manufacturers are continuously expanding into overseas markets.

In 2012, China exported its first domestically produced TBM after China Railway won the bid for a metro construction project in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During the construction, the “China Railway No. 50” TBM erected an average of eight rings per day, achieving over ten rings per day for sever consecutive days, setting a new record for metro TBM tunneling in Malaysia.

In 2015, China’s “Zhang Heng” and “Zhan Tianyou” TBMs won contracts for metro projects in Singapore. In 2016, a rectangular pipe jack TBM was awarded another contract, pioneering the entry of China’s specialized TBMs into overseas markets.

In 2019, the “China Railway No. 699” TBM won a bid for a railway project in northern Italy, marking the first application of China’s advanced tunneling equipment in a country of European Union. In the same year, two domestically produced TBMs were contracted for a Paris metro construction project in France.

“All these demonstrate the recognition for the comprehensive strength of China’s TBM brands by the international high-end market,” said Zhang.

By Shang Kaiyuan, People’s Daily

According to China’s General Administration of Customs, France is China’s largest agricultural product import market and the second-largest agricultural product trading partner in the European Union.

By mid-2023, over 200 types of French agricultural and food products were allowed to be exported to China. Besides, nearly 7,000 French agricultural and food product production companies have registered in China.

When French President Emmanuel Macron visited China in April 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping conveyed to President Macron China’s readiness to advance high-standard opening-up and share new opportunities in China’s new development with countries around the world, and to work with France to build a “French farm to Chinese dining table” whole-chain rapid coordination mechanism.

Over the past year, the “French farm to Chinese dining table” mechanism has become a new highlight of agricultural cooperation between China and France. More and more French agricultural products are entering the Chinese market, providing Chinese consumers with high-quality and diversified choices, creating more opportunities to French companies, and bringing greater benefits to French farmers.

France is well-suited for the development of animal husbandry thanks to its climate. Statistics released by France’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies showed that the country’s live cattle herd exceeds 17 million heads.

LACTINOV dairy group in France began direct export business in 2012, with the Chinese market as one of its main targets.

“More than a decade ago, I went to an international food exhibition in Shanghai to seek business opportunities,” Alexandre Zeitlin, LACTINOV’s export director, told People’s Daily. “From the very beginning, we identified China as one of our most valuable target markets.”

It is reported that as Chinese consumers’ demand for high-quality dairy products grew rapidly, sales in the Chinese market accounted for 1/3 of the group’s exports at its peak.

During Xi’s meeting with then French President Francois Hollande in Beijing in April 2013, the two heads of state exchanged views on enhancing China-France exchanges and cooperation in a comprehensive manner, deciding to forge new areas of cooperation in modern agriculture, farm produce processing, and food processing.

In the next year, a Chinese delegation visited multiple French meat product companies, including Sacor, based in Aveyron, France, the first French company to export French-style dry-cured sausages to China. Soon, Sacor obtained approval to export its products to China, and its products officially entered the Chinese market in 2016.

“For a small family business like us, it’s a milestone in our development to become one of the first companies to export to the Chinese market,” said Nicolas Tournois, general manager of Sacor.

Over the years, he has devoted himself to understanding the Chinese market, actively participating in professional exhibitions, and continuously developing new clients.

“Our exports to China are currently in a stable upward trajectory,” he said.

Today, the Bastides sausages of Sacor sold on Chinese e-commerce platforms are highly popular among Chinese consumers. Annual exports of the Bastides sausages to China have grown from 10 tons in 2019 to the current 60 tons, and they have frequently appeared at the China International Import Expo in recent years.

Tournois hopes that with the “French farm to Chinese dining table” whole-chain rapid coordination mechanism, more distinctive French agricultural products can enter the Chinese market.

Bordeaux is an important wine-producing region in France and even globally. In a winery in Bordeaux owned by Les Grands Chais de France (GCF Group), a renowned French wine producer,  red wine bottles come with QR codes that show various information, including the centuries-old history of the winery, the characteristics of the production area, the colors, aroma, and flavor of the wine, as well as recommended drinking temperature and food pairing suggestions.

“Chinese consumers have a much keener interest in wine culture than 10 years ago, so we intentionally designed the bottles this way,” said Adrien de Vincenti, sales director of JIXIFU Caves & Domaines of GCF Group.

Adrien has been working and living in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong province for over a decade and has a good understanding of the demands in China’s red wine market.

In today’s Chinese market, wines from various regions of France can be found, covering many categories. “E-commerce platforms and social networks in China have made wine more mainstream, and wine appreciation courses have also accelerated the entry of wine culture into the lives of ordinary Chinese,” he said.

During Macron’s visit to China in April 2023, China and France issued a joint statement, in which the French side expressed its support for China’s forthcoming application to join the International Organization of Vine and Wine, as well as its support for China hosting the International Conference on Grape and Wine Industries.

Adrien told People’s Daily that in recent years, wine producing regions in several Chinese provinces and municipalities such as Shandong, Ningxia, and Xinjiang have become increasingly mature, and the development of China’s domestic wine industry will promote the prosperity of the entire wine market.

By Zhong Caiwen, People’s Daily

Since the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, the continuous development of productivity and economic globalization has led to the accelerated flow of production factors worldwide.

As a result, the distribution of manufacturing capacity in different countries and regions has been constantly changing, forming a dynamic global pattern of production capacity.

This is an objective phenomenon determined by economic laws under market economy, which requires a science-based and rational understanding.

The global production landscape is a result of economic globalization. Under open market economy, an international division of labor has been formed due to the comparative advantages of countries. Through international trade, they share the benefits brought about by this division of labor and specialization. This is the inherent logic behind economic globalization and free trade.

For example, according to a report by the Semiconductor Industry Association of the United States, semiconductor companies headquartered in the United States reported total sales of $275 billion in 2022, accounting for 48 percent of the global market. In the $180.5 billion semiconductor market in China, American companies held a share of 53.4 percent.

Another example is Japanese carmaker Toyota. The company sold nearly 10.31 million vehicles worldwide in the 2023 fiscal year, and nearly 8.78 million were sold outside Japan.

This situation, where production capacity exceeds domestic market demand in a country, is not “overcapacity” as claimed. Instead, it is a natural phenomenon of international division of labor and specialization based on comparative advantages during the process of economic globalization. It is one of the manifestations of market mechanisms.

The global production landscape is a result of the law of value. In market competition, capacity with higher production efficiency can obtain higher profits by offering lower prices, thereby eliminating capacity with lower efficiency. In this process, the coexistence of efficient and inefficient capacity is not indicative of overcapacity, but rather a necessary stage for the law of value to take effect.

For instance, with technological advancements and the growing popularity of green development concepts, new energy vehicles are gradually replacing traditional fuel-powered cars.

According to the International Energy Agency’s “Global Electric Vehicle (EV) Outlook 2024” report, global EV sales reached nearly 14 million units in 2023, accounting for 18 percent of the total. It is projected that by 2030, 1/3 of cars running on Chinese roads will be electric, while the proportion in the United States and the European Union is expected to approach 1/5.

Given the global trend of new energy vehicle development, the supply-demand gap in the global new energy vehicle industry is widening, indicating that efficient capacity is not in surplus but rather insufficient.

Therefore, it is the market that should determine, in the global context, which industries have overcapacity and identify surplus capacity. Excluding competition under the pretext of “overcapacity” goes against the fundamental principles and rules of a market economy and fails to meet the requirements of the law of value. It will inevitably lead to monopolies, inefficiency, and stagnation, which are detrimental to the long-term development of any country.

The global production landscape is a result of economic laws and technological innovation. Regions with active innovation and rapid technological progress tend to have a greater variety of production capacities and faster capacity upgrades. Competition, mergers, and acquisitions among capacities with different technological levels and routes are inevitable in this process.

The rise of China’s new energy vehicle industry can be attributed to the overall innovation in energy drive systems such as batteries and motors, which is driven by green and low-carbon development.

This innovation has led to the concentration of high-quality global new energy capacities in China. Last year, over half of the Tesla vehicles delivered worldwide were produced by the company’s Shanghai Gigafactory. International companies such as Bosch, Magna, and BASF have also expanded their research and development investments in the Chinese market.

The overall innovation and rise of China’s new energy vehicle industry not only meet the demands of the Chinese market, but also bridge the global supply-demand gap in the industry and contribute to green development.

Hildegard Muller, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry, believes that the development of the Chinese EV industry and the vitality of the Chinese market are beneficial to the global automotive industry.

As the world’s largest manufacturing country and the largest exporter of goods, China is witnessing the rise of numerous emerging industries and enterprises, as well as a constant push for innovation and competition driven by technological advancements. This showcases the country’s economic vitality and creativity, rather than excessive investment and overcapacity.

The global realignment of production capacity driven by market forces will continue to progress despite setbacks. In recent years, some countries have pursued “decoupling” and implemented measures such as “small yard, high fence,” “friend-shoring,” and “capacity backup” for political purposes. These actions have resulted in excessive duplication of production and global overcapacity. Such anti-globalization actions that exclude competition and violate the principles of market economy, have raised global production costs, reduced economic efficiency, and harmed the welfare of global consumers and the interests of related industries.

Faced with the continued growth and development of China’s manufacturing industry, the correct and positive approach should be to engage in open and fair competition with Chinese companies, while also seeking opportunities for cooperation and mutual progress, rather than hiding behind the high walls of trade protectionism and nationalism, and firing off cold accusations of “overcapacity.”

Openness brings progress, while seclusion leads to backwardness. This is an important lesson that China has learned from its history over the past two centuries, and it will continue to be tested in the new century.

By Yu Sinan, Wang Jingyuan, Zhu Tiantian, People’s Daily

At 5:27 p.m. (Beijing Time), May 3, China’s Chang’e-6 spacecraft blasted off at the Wenchang Space Launch Site on the coast of China’s southern island province of Hainan.

As an important mission of the fourth phase of China’s lunar exploration program, Chang’e-6 will collect and return samples from the moon’s mysterious far side — the first endeavor of its kind in the history of human lunar exploration.

According to Wang Qiong, deputy chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission, the mission needs to see new technological breakthroughs in such areas as lunar retrograde orbit design and control, rapid intelligent sampling, and takeoff from the far side of the moon. It will conduct an automated sample return from the moon’s far side, along with scientific exploration of the landing area and international collaboration.

Wang said the scientific goals of the Chang’e-6 mission include on-site investigation and analysis of the landing area on the far side of the moon, and the analysis and study of the samples retrieved from the far side.

The entire flight of the mission is expected to last about 53 days, during which the spacecraft will experience 11 flight stages, including launch and orbit insertion, lunar transfer, among others.

The fourth phase of China’s lunar exploration program consists of the Chang’e-4, Chang’e-6, Chang’e-7 and Chang’e-8 missions. In January 2019, the Chang’e-4 probe touched down at the target landing area on the far side of the moon, becoming the first spacecraft soft-landing on the moon’s uncharted side that is never visible from Earth.

The Chang’e-6 mission marks another step forward in China’s lunar exploration program. It has garnered widespread attention for its goal to retrieve samples on the far side of the moon.

Studying lunar samples from different regions and ages can help humans learn more about the moon. However, all 10 lunar sample return missions conducted by humans by far have taken place on the near side of the moon.

The South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon was chosen as the target landing and sampling site for the Chang’e-6 mission. The basin is one of the largest impact craters known in the solar system, one of the three major lunar terranes, and the largest, oldest and deepest basin recognized on the moon. It might be home to aged lunar rocks, making it highly valuable for scientific research.

After the Chang’e-6 spacecraft retrieves lunar samples from the far side of the moon, scientists are expected to carry out systematic and long-term laboratory research on the samples, including analysis of the structure, physical properties and composition of lunar soil, which will enhance humanity’s understanding of the formation and evolution of the moon.

The rugged terrain of the moon’s far side poses great challenges for its landing. Wang noted that scientists can obtain basic information about the landing site through satellite remote sensing images, but detailed conditions still remain unknown. For instance, the landing could be affected by certain rocks on the lunar surface. Therefore, technological means is necessary to adjust the spacecraft’s landing trajectory to ensure it reaches the desired landing area during the descent. Once the lunar mission is completed, the Chang’e-6 will embark on its journey back home.

Practical international collaboration is one of the distinctive features of the Chang’e-6 mission. It is reported that in April 2019, China announced a cooperation plan for the Chang’e-6 mission, and decided to carry four payloads developed through international cooperation with the spacecraft, including the European Space Agency’s lunar surface ion analyzer, France’s radon detection instrument, Italy’s laser corner reflector, and a CubeSat from Pakistan.

On May 3, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) convened a workshop focusing on the international payloads carried by Chang’e-6 in Haikou, south China’s Hainan province. Around 50 guests from 12 countries and international organizations were invited to attend the workshop, discussed cooperation and witnessed the launch of the spacecraft.

Hu Hao, chief designer of the Chang’e-6 mission, noted that China places great importance on international cooperation in developing its lunar exploration program, and is committed to keeping the door open for collaboration with the international community.

It is reported that China is currently speeding up the development of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). Recently, three new partners have joined the ILRS program, namely Nicaragua, the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization and the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences.

By Huan Yuping, People’s Daily

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visits to France, Serbia, and Hungary mark a major diplomatic move by China towards the European Union (EU).

China and the EU are two major forces advancing multipolarity, two major markets in support of globalization, and two major civilizations championing diversity. The development of China-EU relations is crucial to the direction of the world development.

China and the EU do not have clashing fundamental interests between them, or geopolitical and strategic conflicts. Their common interests far outweigh their differences. In the context of China-EU relations, the two sides should be characterized rightly as partners. Cooperation should be the defining feature of the relationship, autonomy its key value, and win-win its future.

China always regards the EU as a strategic force in the international landscape, and takes the development of China-EU relations as a priority in its diplomacy.

In the spring of 2014, Xi visited the EU Headquarters, where he proposed to jointly forge four major China-EU partnerships for peace, growth, reform and civilization. This vision remains unchanged and holds even greater practical significance under current circumstances.

As the world today is becoming increasingly uncertain and unstable, it is crucial for both China and the EU to maintain close communication and focus on mutually beneficial cooperation, whether in driving their respective development or addressing global challenges.

Facts have repeatedly proved that as long as China and the EU work together to set the right direction and tone for China-EU relations, they can achieve development that meets the interests of both sides and the expectations of the people.

Currently, China is one of the most important trading partners of the EU, and vice versa. Despite the adverse effects of the global trade downturn, the total trade volume between China and the EU reached a remarkable $783 billion in 2023, with bilateral investment exceeding $250 billion.

China is ready to be Europe’s key partners for business cooperation, priority partners for cooperation in science and technology, and trustworthy partners for cooperation in industrial and supply chains. The two sides have the potential to achieve mutual success and shared prosperity.

China has been continuously expanding high-level opening-up and fostering a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized. Multinationals in European countries such as BMW, Volkswagen, Stellantis, and BASF, and SMEs such as SEB, a producer of small domestic equipment, are strengthening cooperation with their Chinese counterparts to seize new opportunities.

Cooperation between China and the EU is steadily moving forward in emerging sectors such as digital economy, green development and environmental protection, new energy, and artificial intelligence.

According to the Business Confidence Survey 2023 released by the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC), more than 90 percent of the surveyed European companies plan to make China their investment destination. The 2023 Annual Report by the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU (CCCEU) shows that more than 80 percent of surveyed Chinese companies plan to enhance their business in Europe. Both China and the EU should do more to increase the breadth and depth of cooperation and tighten the bond of shared interests.

China’s development and progress present opportunities for the EU, and a healthy and stable China-EU relationship will help the EU address its challenges. More and more Europeans are recognizing that China is an important partner for the EU to address energy and inflation challenges and enhance competitiveness.

“Both the EU and China are firm practitioners of world multipolarity, economic globalization, and multilateral governance. Cooperation between the two sides serves their common interests and directly affects global stability and prosperity,” said Yves Leterme, former prime minister of Belgium, highlighting the global significance of EU-China cooperation.

In recent years, China and the EU have worked together to achieve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iranian nuclear issue and the Paris Agreement on climate change, playing an important role in bridging the security and governance deficits faced by the world.

China is the world’s largest developing country and Europe is home to more developed countries than any other continent. They are important to the world economy.

Both China and the EU should remain vigilant in the face of a fragmented world economy and the rising tide of protectionism, and continue to pursue openness, uphold fair competition and free trade, avoid overstretching the concept of security, and resist anti-globalization.

China welcomes the active participation of the EU and other European countries in joint pursuit of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiatives, and is ready to align with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, so as to leverage the respective strengths to help developing countries accelerate their development.

In the face of the changing and volatile international situation, China and Europe need to build more “bridges.” Both sides should work together to practice multilateralism, advocate openness and development, and facilitate dialogue between civilizations. They should jointly build an equal and orderly multipolar world and promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, making greater contributions to world peace, stability, and prosperity.

By Liu Xiaoyu, People’s Daily

At the mouth of the Minjiang River in southeast China’s Fujian province, the water flows calmly without ripples. Nestled by the Luoxing Pagoda along the river bank, the Fujian Navy Yard, also known as Foochow Arsenal, stands as a precious industrial and cultural heritage site founded 158 years ago and a witness to China-France exchanges that have spanned over 100 years.

On May 5, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Paris for a state visit to France. On the same day, a signed article by President Xi titled “Carrying Forward the Spirit that Guided the Establishment of China-France Diplomatic Relations, Working Together for Global Peace and Development” was published in French media Le Figaro. Xi said, “Over 150 years ago, French nationals helped China found its Fujian Navy Yard and the Fujian Naval Academy.”

Transformed from a former shipbuilding warehouse of the Foochow Arsenal, the Museum of Foochow Arsenal 1866, has now become a “treasure trove” preserving the memories of the shipyard.

On the right side of an exhibition hall on the first floor of the museum stands a French machine that is almost 160 years old, discolored to a deep black over the passage of time.

“It’s a slotting machine, also known as a vertical shaper, which is used for cutting machine beds. Therefore, it is considered the ‘mother machine’ of modern industry,” said Chen Yue, president of the Mawei shipyard culture research association.

The memory of the slotting machine’s return to the Foochow Arsenal from Sanming city of Fujian province five years ago is still fresh in Chen’s mind.

“Marked with French inscriptions ‘J.DUCOMMUN &CIE’ and ‘MULHOUSE 1867,’ the slotting machine was likely one of the first French machines imported by the Foochow Arsenal, a testament to the century-long history of China-France exchanges,” Chen told People’s Daily.

Chen has been dedicated to modern naval history for decades, with a particular emphasis on the Foochow Arsenal’s history.

“In 1866, driven by the dream of national rejuvenation, the Chinese people established the Foochow Arsenal in Mawei, Fuzhou. They built shipyards, constructed warships, manufactured aircraft, established schools, attracted talent, and developed the navy. The Foochow Arsenal has become a frontier for China’s exploration of national rejuvenation in modern times,” Chen explained.

The Foochow Arsenal, carrying the mission to bring about a change in modern China, accomplished several groundbreaking milestones in the Chinese history.

It established China’s first naval academy, nurtured the country’s first modernized naval fleet, and created the first large-scale shipbuilding industrial base of modern China.

It constructed China’s first domestically built armored steel warship and manufactured the country’s first shipboard steam engine and first biplane trainer for naval aviation.

Besides, the Foochow Arsenal also cultivated a large number of modern talents in fields such as science and technology, military affairs, diplomacy, education, and social sciences, including figures like Yan Fu, Zhan Tianyou, Gao Lu, Wei Han, Luo Fenglu, Chen Jitong, Deng Shichang, and Sa Zhenbing. They made prominent contributions to China’s modernization efforts.

René Viénet, a French scholar of modern Chinese history, called the Foochow Arsenal an “oil field” of French historical memory. Viénet, in his eighties, has been dedicated to studying the history of China-France exchanges, particularly the history of the Foochow Arsenal.

“Many ‘firsts’ in the history of China-France exchanges were born here: the first sophisticated modern school in China, the first Chinese school where classes were taught in French, and the completion of the first Chinese translation of the French novel The Lady of the Camellias,” Viénet said.

“The first superintendent of the Foochow Arsenal Prosper Marie Giquel was also French. He assisted Zuo Zongtang in establishing the Foochow Arsenal in Mawei, introducing modern machinery and engineering personnel from France. The old slotting machine was an example” Viénet noted.

“Xi’s forward thinking ensured the protection of this invaluable historical and cultural heritage for us,” said Xie Zuomin, former general manager of Fujian Shipbuilding Industry Group Company Limited.

In April 1997, then deputy secretary of the CPC Fujian Provincial Committee Xi Jinping inspected the Mawei Shipyard, which originated from the Foochow Arsenal.

At that time, plans were underway to construct a riverside avenue that would pass through the Mawei Shipyard. The construction would affect production and more importantly, may cause damage to the century-old remains. Upon learning about this, Xi suggested using an elevated bridge to minimize the impact on the shipyard.

In 2016, the Mawei Shipyard was relocated to Culu Island of Fuzhou, embarking on a path of high-quality development. At the same time, its original site has been fully protected and transformed into a cultural area.

Stepping into the cultural area, historical imprints of China-France exchanges come into view. The steam engine workshop, which was built in 1867 and designed by French engineers, adopts the truss structure of modern industrial workshops and is the birthplace of China’s first practical steam engine. Upstairs, the painting and design institute specializing in ship drawing and design showcases a typical French decorative style. Dozens of modern ship designers have emerged from there.

The enduring bond between the Chinese and French people, originating from the Foochow Arsenal, has withstood the passage of time and remains strong today.

In 2014, Laurent Fabius, then French foreign minister, and Marie-France Marchand-Baylet, president of the Groupe Depeche Foundation, visited the Museum of Foochow Arsenal 1866 and the steam engine workshop. Fabius presented a statue of Giquel to the Fuzhou municipal government in recognition of Giquel’s contributions to France-China exchanges. The Museum of Foochow Arsenal 1866 collected and exhibited the statue.

At the end of 2023, China’s first folding progressive multidimensional experience play “The Glory Belongs to Foochow Arsenal” was officially performed in a former maintenance workshop of the Foochow Arsenal. Viénet visited China once again to watch the play. This time, he brought to China two pieces of good news: the complete compilation of Giquel’s diary and the translation of Giquel’s memoir in cooperation with a Chinese scholar.

“We are preparing to establish a ‘Friends of Giquel’ non-governmental association, aiming to connect with the descendants of French nationals who worked for the arsenal and Chinese students who studied in France, to carry on the century-long history of China-France exchanges and promote cooperation in the new era,” said Wei Hui, the great-grandson of Wei Han, one of the first Chinese students of the Fujian Naval Academy to study in France. His proposal has been supported by many departments.

Today, construction is in full swing on the eastern side of the Foochow Arsenal cultural area. A wide underpass has been put into use, reconnecting the arsenal that was once divided by an elevated bridge into two parts.

“With a focus on heritage preservation and cultural exhibitions of shipbuilding relics, the Foochow Arsenal cultural area will continue to develop a cluster of modern industrial museums, telling the story of exchanges between China and other countries to the whole world,” said Liu Jiangyuan, director of the management committee of Fujian shipyard culture.