Nigeria Times

By Zhang Penghui, Bai Yang, Zhao Yipu, People’s Daily

Kazakhstan is the place where China first proposed the initiative of jointly building the Belt and Road. In recent years, under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of both China and Kazakhstan, the two countries have achieved remarkable results in their cooperation.

They have successfully implemented multiple Belt and Road cooperation projects, deepened and intensitied economic and trade cooperation, effectively promoting the common development of both countries and continuously benefiting the two peoples.

At the border between China and Kazakhstan, refrigerator trucks were passing through the Khorgos highway port. Thanks to a “green channel” for quick customs clearance of agricultural products, it now takes only an hour for cargos to complete customs clearance from being loaded onto trucks.

Today, many young consumers in Kazakhstan have Chinese e-commerce apps installed on their smartphones. They told People’s Daily that shopping with these apps is both convenient and affordable.

China and Kazakhstan are bound together by mountains and rivers. Having highly complementary economies, they are natural partners.

China is Kazakhstan’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade covering various sectors including energy and agricultural products. In 1992, the trade volume between the two countries stood at $368 million. As of 2023, the number reached $41.02 billion, surpassing the target of reaching $40 billion by 2030 set by the leaders of both countries.

With the increasingly closer trade relations between China and Kazakhstan, more and more Kazakh products are entering the Chinese market.

Last year, a “national pavilion” of Kazakhstan was launched on a Chinese e-commerce platform, allowing Chinese consumers to buy Kazakh specialties such as nuts, camel milk powder, and safflower seed oil with just taps on their phones.

Kazakhstan has participated in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) for six consecutive years, signing commercial agreements worth approximately $300 million. Kazakh companies are actively signing up to participate in this year’s CIIE, with their exhibition space expected to expand fivefold.

Kazakhstan’s Vice-Minister of Trade and integration Kairat Torebayev said Kazakhstan is willing to expand agricultural exports to China. He also pledged to enhance investment facilitation and continuously improve business environment to welcome more Chinese companies to invest in Kazakhstan.

On Feb. 28 this year, a China-Europe Railway Express train loaded with daily necessities, mechanical equipment, and new energy vehicles departed from Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi province. This train marked the official launch of the Kazakhstan Xi’an Terminal jointly built by China and Kazakhstan, a key outcome of the first China-Central Asia Summit.

Leveraging China-Europe Railway Express, the Kazakhstan Xi’an Terminal will facilitate rapid distribution of goods between China and Kazakhstan in Xi’an, and build itself into a trade and logistics hub for Kazakhstan in China.

According to an official with the Xi’an Chanba International Port, this terminal opens up a new artery for trade. It allows Kazakh goods to travel south to China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and then into Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, the official explained.

Kazakhstan is an important country for the China-Europe Railway Express. In 2023, over 13,000 China-Europe Railway Express trains transited through Kazakhstan, making a significant contribution to maintaining the stability of global industrial and supply chains.

In recent years, China and Kazakhstan have made great strides in developing transit transportation and international multimodal transportation, successfully building a comprehensive, multidimensional connectivity network that boasts seven pairs of year-round border crossings, five cross-border oil and gas pipelines, two cross-border railway trunk lines, and an international border cooperation center.

The two countries have also completed several landmark projects, including the China-Kazakhstan section of the Western Europe-Western China Highway, a joint logistics base in Lianyungang, and the dry port located in the Khorgos-East Gate special economic zone. These initiatives have significantly facilitated land-sea cross-border transportation between the two countries.

Energy remains a crucial area of practical cooperation between China and Kazakhstan. The two countries continue to deepen their partnership in oil and natural gas while actively expanding into new energy sectors like wind and solar power.

Chinese automakers such as JAC Motors and Yutong have entered the Kazakh market, boosting the development of the local new energy vehicle industry. Major projects built by Chinese companies, including the Zhanatas wind farm, the Turgusun hydropower plant, and the Akmola wind farm, are playing a vital role in Kazakhstan’s green development efforts.

“The successful collaboration between Kazakhstan and China in green energy have brought valuable technology and experience to Kazakhstan,” said Kazakh economist Almas Chukin.

Highlighting the expanding scope of cooperation between China and Kazakhstan, Chinese Ambassador to Kazakhstan Zhang Xiao said that the two countries have seen rapidly growing cooperation in emerging fields such as healthcare, cross-border e-commerce, digital economy, automobile manufacturing, and modern agriculture in recent years.

Within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, China and Kazakhstan will actively support the development of new business models like cross-border e-commerce and digital economy, accelerate the implementation of strategic cooperation projects and promote comprehensive development in areas including energy and mineral resources, metallurgy and chemical industry, infrastructure, logistics and transportation, equipment manufacturing, and agriculture and food production, so as to continuously inject new vitality into the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

By Luo Shanshan, People’s Daily

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement took effect for all its 15 members on June 2 last year, which marked the start of a new stage for the trade bloc with the world’s largest population and trade volume as well as the greatest development potential.

Over the past year, the RCEP has greatly facilitated the free flow of production factors within the region, including raw materials, products, technology, talent, capital, information, and data. It has gradually fostered a more prosperous integrated market for the region and promoted cooperation in more areas, on higher levels and in greater depth.

According to statistics, intra-regional trade in the RCEP region reached $5.6 trillion last year, slightly higher than that of 2021 when the agreement was not in effect. Regional industrial and supply chain cooperation has become increasingly close. In 2023, the RCEP region attracted $234.1 billion in greenfield investments, a surge of 29.8 percent year-on-year and more than double the number from 2021.

For businesses, the most direct benefit of RCEP lies in tariff reductions. Over 90 percent of goods traded within the region will eventually be tariff-free.

Recently, a cargo ship carrying 6,000 tons of imported benzene docked at a pier in Huizhou Port, south China’s Guangdong province. After on-site inspection and sampling by customs officers from Huizhou Customs, this batch of imported benzene was quickly unloaded into a tank area and transported through pipelines to a facility of CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corporation) and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited for further processing.

It was the eighth batch of benzene imported by CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited this year with preferential tariff treatment under the RCEP.

Zhou Xin, the company’s customs declaration manager, said, “The tariff for benzene imported from Vietnam has been reduced from 2 percent to 0, saving us nearly 7 million yuan ($962,953) in costs. This allows us to expand our imports, thus better meeting the demand of the domestic market for raw benzene.”

Tariff reduction has brought tangible benefits to businesses. In 2023, Chinese companies saved 2.36 billion yuan in taxes on 90.52 billion yuan of imports under the RCEP.

“Since the implementation of the RCEP, our overseas customers have saved nearly 2.53 million yuan in tariff costs, thanks to the RCEP Certificates of Origin issued by the customs. This is of great significance for maintaining our overseas customers,” said Zong Qiaoling, customs manager of a home tech company.

According to Zong, the company has applied for 80 RCEP Certificates of Origin from January to May this year, with a total cargo value of over 34 million yuan.

Certified exporter system is one of the highlights of the RCEP. Companies that have obtained certified exporter status can issue origin declarations themselves, which carry the same effect as Certificates of Origin issued by customs authorities.

Changfa Agriculutral Equipment in east China’s Jiangsu province obtained certified exporter status this year. Hu Xiangbao, vice general manager of the company’s overseas marketing, said, “Now we can issue origin declarations at any time, making trade more flexible and efficient. This status also helps us improve our image and strengthen relationships with our foreign trade partners.”

Since the RCEP agreement came into force, member countries have further relaxed market access in areas such as goods, services, and investment, promoting the gradual harmonization of rules of origin, customs procedures, inspection and quarantine, and technical standards. This has accelerated the free flow of economic factors within the region, leading to closer cooperation in industrial and supply chains.

The implementation of the RCEP has led to closer trade and investment ties between China and other member countries.

Steady progress has been made in trade in goods. China’s total imports and exports with the other 14 RCEP members reached 12.6 trillion yuan in 2023, representing a 5.3 percent increase from 2021.

Investment cooperation has also been on the rise. China’s non-financial direct investment inflows into other RCEP member countries increased 26 percent year on year to hit $18.06 billion in 2023, outperforming China’s global average growth rate in investment by 14 percentage points.

To promote the high-quality implementation of the RCEP, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) has held dozens of economic and trade activities, such as the High-level Forum for RCEP Economic and Trade Cooperation. Additionally, hundreds of online and offline training sessions have been conducted, benefiting hundreds of thousands of enterprises. The CCPIT has also published practical manuals to provide assistance to enterprises in effectively utilizing the RCEP.

An official with the Ministry of Commerce said that China will fully leverage its role as the co-chair of the RCEP this year to lead the high-quality implementation of the trade pact and boost the agreement’s regional impact.

At the same time, the country will continue to provide support and services to help enterprises effectively utilize and benefit from the preferential measures under the RCEP and other free trade agreements, the official added.

By Yu Yichun, Cui Qi, People’s Daily

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

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

In 2019, shortly after China announced the establishment of the SCODA, Russian merchant Svetlana set up a trading company there.

As the Qingdao SCODA Pearl International Expo Center started official operation in 2022, she began to manage the center’s Russian pavilion.

“The attractiveness of China’s policies and the inclusiveness of the Chinese market provide a favorable environment for us to explore opportunities and develop together with the SCODA,” said Svetlana.

Over the past five years, the SCODA’s total foreign trade volume with SCO countries has reached 21.34 billion yuan ($2.94 billion), with an average annual growth of 70 percent.

The SCODA has been actively expanding industrial cooperation with SCO countries and Belt and Road partner countries, primarily focusing on key areas such as industrial internet and high-end equipment manufacturing. It has attracted over 130 projects with a total investment of over 270 billion yuan.

For instance, China’s home appliance giant Haier Group has developed COSMOPlat, its first industrial internet platform, and established the Haier COSMOPlat Industrial Internet Ecopark within the SCODA. Besides, the Shanghai Electric Wind Power Equipment Industrial Park and the Aerospace Industrial Park have been inaugurated in the demonstration area.

So far, the SCODA has hosted more than 400 international events, including the Second Belt and Road Energy Ministerial Conference, and the first China + Central Asia industry and investment cooperation forum.

Zhang Ming, secretary-general of the SCO, noted that the SCODA has been committed to opening up, effectively promoting cooperation among SCO countries.

In November 2022, a comprehensive platform that offers one-stop services for local economic and trade cooperation between China and other SCO countries went online.

According to Chi Yongxin, an official with the SCODA Administrative Committee, this platform was pioneered by the SCODA, which is among the four specialized services offered by the China International Trade Single Window. It has gathered around 14,000 enterprises, handling over 11,000 customs declaration forms with a total value exceeding 100 billion yuan.

In July 2018, the multimodal transport center of the SCODA was officially put into operation, establishing an integrated logistics system that covers sea, land, air and land ports, and railway transportation.

The center has facilitated trade between China and other SCO countries. For example, more agricultural products and cotton yarn from Central Asian countries can be exported more rapidly to China, and more Chinese household appliances, daily necessities, and automobiles can be quickly delivered to Central Asia.

On April 28 this year, the first batch of new energy vehicles (NEVs) manufactured in the SCODA left the automobile trading center of the SCO International Hub Port for the multimodal transport center. Later on, they were shipped to Tajikistan aboard China-Europe freight trains. On June 20, a China-Europe freight train loaded with tea, car parts and other products departed from the center and headed to Kazakhstan.

Zang Yuanqi, an official with the SCODA Administrative Committee, said that the SCODA has opened 32 freight train routes to 54 cities of 23 SCO countries and Belt and Road partner countries. So far, China-Europe freight trains have made more than 3,200 trips along these routes.

Besides, the SCODA has forged partnerships with 20 international port cities and jointly initiated and established the China-SCO Industrial Parks Alliance with 40 industrial parks worldwide.

In recent years, the people-to-people and cultural exchanges are booming in the SCODA, benefiting people of SCO countries.

On January 13, 2022, the China-SCO Institute of Economy and Trade was inaugurated in Qingdao. As of May this year, the institute has hosted 207 training programs, such as foreign aid, business and language training, attracting over 15,000 participants from SCO countries and Belt and Road partner countries, said Zhang Xiaoyan, deputy head of the institute.

By Ji Fang, Wang Liang, Tao Xiang’an, People’s Daily

As the Paris Olympics approaches, Yiwu city, known as the “world’s supermarket” in east China’s Zhejiang province, has received a large number of orders related to the Games.

The Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu city is surrounded by a strong Olympic vibe, with a wide range of sporting goods and Olympic merchandise available for purchase.

Yiwu Customs records show that the export value of sporting equipment and goods in Yiwu reached 4.1 billion yuan ($563.7 million) in the first five months of this year, a year-on-year increase of 44.4 percent. The export value of sporting goods to France grew significantly.

The city has seized on business opportunities brought by major international sports events, from the FIFA World Cup to the UEFA European Championship, and the Olympics. It has earned a solid reputation, opened up a vast market, and showcased the vitality of China’s development.

Stepping into the Yiwu International Trade Market, silicone wristbands with the Paris Olympics logo were displayed in front of a shop. “This wristband is produced by the factory with official authorization,” said a merchant named Lin Daolai.

Last October, his company won the bid and received an order to produce 1 million Olympic wristbands. After several months of production, the first batch of wristbands has arrived in Paris, and the second batch has already been shipped. “These 1 million Olympic wristbands have increased our annual sales by 30 percent,” said Lin.

Since last year, major merchants in the Yiwu International Trade Market have received a large number of Olympics-related orders. Wang Qiang, president of the Yiwu Sports and Fitness Supplies Industry Association, said that the association quickly prepared for the Paris Olympics by gathering companies and merchants to discuss marketing strategies and improve the supply chain system.

“In the first quarter, the overall sales of the industry increased by 30 to 35 percent compared to the same period last year. Yiwu is capable of providing abundant supplies for the Paris Olympics, as orders continue to pour in,” said Wang.

The booming sports economy has injected new impetus into Yiwu’s development. In addition to the Paris Olympics, merchants also see opportunities in the UEFA European Championship and the Copa America this summer.

Wen Congjian, a local jersey supplier, began preparations early for the two events. “This year, our turnover has increased by around 30 percent thanks to these sports events,” Wen said.

After supplying multiple major international sports events, Yiwu has gained the favor of international buyers. The Yiwu International Trade Market, with its 75,000 business booths and over 2.1 million types of products in 26 categories, is now exporting to more than 230 countries and regions worldwide.

The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup sparked a sales frenzy among merchants in Yiwu. “We sold nearly 2 million jerseys in 2022, doubling our revenue from the previous year,” said Wen.

The production and sales of merchandise like vuvuzela horns and keychains also saw significant growth. To ensure smooth delivery, Yiwu opened a dedicated shipping route for FIFA, allowing products to reach Qatar’s Hamad Port in just over 20 days. Products made in Yiwu were estimated to account for about 70 percent of merchandise sales during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Through the experience gained from multiple sports events, many merchants in Yiwu are now adept at keeping up with the trends and responding to market demands.

Merchant Hui Ping’s shop specializes in sports event merchandise. Recently, there have been many customers coming to her shop to buy products, and a glow stick used for cheering has been particularly popular. The glow stick is designed to provide continuous illumination for up to 10 hours, ensuring that it fully meets the spectators’ needs for watching the game.

To stay ahead in the market, merchants in Yiwu are placing greater emphasis on product innovation, offering novel designs and exceptional quality. The booming development of manufacturing in China has provided strong support for Yiwu and consolidated the city’s position in the global supply chain.

Nowadays, Yiwu is undergoing a rapid market transformation, aiming to enhance the technological content and added value of its products through innovation. With the rise of cross-border e-commerce, local businesses are shifting their focus from a production-centric approach to actively seeking market opportunities, leading to a gradual transition to on-demand production and improved efficiency.

These innovations represent the transformation and upgrading of Yiwu’s manufacturing and trade model in the new era.

“In recent years, the number of shops selling sporting goods in the Yiwu International Trade Market has been steadily increasing, and the share of Yiwu sporting goods is continuously growing in the global market,” said Wang. “We are confident that through continuous innovation, we will sell more high-quality products to the world.”

By Luo Shanshan, People’s Daily

Thanks to the vogue for horse-face skirts, neo-Chinese styles and other Chinese fashion trends around the world, jacquard fabrics and products independently developed by a Zhejiang-based fabric company are seeing booming sales in overseas markets.

In the first five months of this year, the company exported over 40 million yuan ($5.5 million) of such fabrics and products, successfully opening up markets in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and other regions.

Apart from traditional Chinese attire, Chinese calligraphy, painting, porcelain, and other products are also hitting the European market via China-Europe Railway Express. Chinese beauty brands are gaining a large number of followers on overseas social media platforms as well.

The combination of traditional culture and Chinese manufacturing is driving a “going global” trend of Chinese consumer goods, highlighting China’s foreign trade and conveying the sector’s new momentum of high-quality development to the world.

What drives this trend is the relentless effort of Chinese companies to upgrade their manufacturing processes.

In Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu province, a silk fabric company has established a technology-driven development model, following the trends of technological innovation, industrial upgrading, and consumer demand.

The company’s independently developed automated silk farming system for young silkworms enables automated and intelligent production. The company has built an efficient and stable system that covers the entire industrial chain, from a single mulberry leaf or cocoon to a silk thread and ultimately the final product, providing a solid foundation for producing high-quality silk fabrics.

Whether it is silk, porcelain, or attire, Chinese-style consumer goods have distinct cultural characteristics and are imbued with rich cultural connotations.

Many companies are exploring the multidimensional expression of traditional Chinese culture through inheritance and innovation. For instance, they collaborate with museums and historical blocks to develop co-branded products, and combine traditional culture with contemporary popular art and daily necessities.

At the recent China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair, visitors were treated to an impressive display of cultural creativity. The diverse and beautifully crafted exhibits showcased fresh ways of expressing culture, giving traditional elements a modern twist and bringing new vitality to them.

How can a traditional oil-paper umbrella quickly find its way into the homes of overseas consumers? With support and guidance from Hangzhou Customs, a tech firm in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province has started cross-border e-commerce retail business. Currently, the company ships nearly 100 orders of oil-paper umbrellas to its overseas clients on a daily basis.

Cross-border e-commerce bridges manufacturing and consumption, opening a new window for foreign consumers to explore Chinese culture and purchase Chinese goods. It also provides a fresh channel for “China chic” products to go global.

According to Hangzhou Customs, from January to May, Zhejiang province exported 61.99 billion yuan worth of cultural products, up 12.2 percent year-on-year. This showcases Chinese companies’ proactive efforts to adapt and expand their trade methods.

It is believed that as more Chinese companies delve deeper into the essence of traditional culture to launch high-quality products and strengthen their brands abroad, Chinese-style products will receive more orders in overseas markets, thus showcasing the new charm of Chinese manufacturing on the world stage.

By Ren Zhongping, People’s Daily

In its modernization drive, China has made new and constant achievements in reform and development through opening up.

In May 2024, Tesla broke ground on another mega factory in the Lingang new area of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. The process from business negotiation to contract signing took just one month. Such a rapid speed would not have been possible without the support of a continuously improved business environment.

China has implemented multiple measures to improve its business environment and all these efforts highlight the pioneering spirit of China’s pilot free trade zones. For instance, China has introduced the first negative list for foreign investment and pioneered the reform of the commercial registration system. It has also seen the establishment of the first wholly foreign-owned public fund company and the first wholly foreign-owned automobile manufacturing enterprise.

China is speeding up the development of its 22 pilot free trade zones, and the Hainan Free Trade Port has already set sail.

China firmly believes that opening up brings progress while isolation results in backwardness. It remains firmly committed to advancing high-standard opening up to promote reform, development and innovation, and works to build an open world economy.

China has advanced a broader agenda of opening up across more areas and in greater depth, from implementing pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list for foreign investment to expanding the globally-oriented network of high-standard free trade areas. China is opening its door wider and wider to the outside world, which further drives its own development.

China’s economic growth over the past 40 years has been achieved with a commitment to opening-up, In the same vein, high-quality development of China’s economy in the future can only be guaranteed with greater openness.

In just six days, the sixth China International Import Expo (CIIE) saw a total of $78.41 billion worth of tentative deals reached for one-year purchases of goods and services, setting a record high. Utilizing this platform, Ethiopia exported over 20,000 metric tons of coffee beans to China last year. Since the first CIIE was held six years ago, more than 80 new fruit varieties, such as Brazilian melons, Pakistani cherries, and Malaysian jackfruits, have been granted access to the Chinese market.

This year, British biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca invested $475 million in the construction of a new small molecule factory in Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu Province. Valeo, a world-leading auto parts supplier headquartered in France, has begun construction of the production and R&D base for its comfort and driving assistance system in Shanghai’s Jiading district.

Foreign companies continue to invest in China, not only attracted by its vast market, but also by the new quality productive forces here that are primarily driven by innovation and marked by a substantial increase in total factor productivity. This is creating new appeal within the global industrial landscape.

As the second largest economy in the world, China has become a leading engine of global development, contributing around 30 percent to global growth in recent years.

Leveraging the advantages of its vast market, China has provided a broader platform for global trade and investment growth. With its complete industrial and supply chains, China has been able to offer high-quality products to the world, supporting the global transition towards green and low-carbon development. China’s unwavering opening up is injecting strong momentum into the world economy.

On May 25 this year, freight train X8157 fully loaded with diverse goods departed from Xi’an, the capital city of northwest China’s Shaanxi province. It arrived in Malaszewicze, Poland after over ten days. The journey marked a significant milestone as the total number of China-Europe freight train trips has surpassed 90,000. Reaching 25 European countries and 11 Asian countries, the China-Europe freight train service has become the “golden corridor” of trade between Asia and Europe.

What matters more than the numbers is the sense of gain of people in various countries. For instance, the entry of Kenyan fresh avocados into the Chinese market has benefited thousands of Kenyan growers; an Afghan carpet sold in China can increase the income for four or five Afghan families; Chinese Juncao Technology has been extended to over 100 countries and regions worldwide, creating hundreds of thousands of green jobs for local people.

British historian Peter Frankopan said in his book The Silk Roads: A New History of the World that the Silk Road has shaped the past world, even the present world, and will continue to shape the future world. The Belt and Road cooperation was proposed by China, but its benefits and opportunities are for the world to share, representing humanity’s joint pursuit of development for all.

Moving forward, China will always maintain a global vision and stand firm on the right side of history and on the side of human civilization and progress. It will join hands with other countries to build an even better world.

Expanding converging interests and sharing opportunities through opening-up and cooperation, China will remain a strong advocate of openness at the global level, and will continue to act as a stable engine of global growth and a big market with enormous opportunities. The country will undoubtedly provide more opportunities for global development.

By Li Xinping, People’s Daily

Today, China’s Fuxing bullet train has become the world’s fastest commercially operated train with the most diverse operating scenarios. By the end of 2023, Fuxing bullet trains had operated 2.34 billion kilometers safely and transported a total of 2.2 billion passengers.

From the initiation of the train’s development in 2013 to its impressive debut in 2017, the Fuxing bullet train epitomizes China’s innovative prowess.

In 2004, faced with the country’s surging demand for a railway speed-up, China began to track high-speed rail technologies from around the world and successively introduced technologies from Japan, France, Canada, and Germany.

Three years later, the Hexie high-speed train officially went into service, and subsequently, a series of products were developed and put into mass production.

With the remarkable performance of the Hexie series, why was there a need to develop the Fuxing bullet trains?

The total mileage of high-speed railways in China is unparallel in the world, and no county has such a complex operating environment.

“Some imported train models inevitably face challenges in adapting to the local conditions and require further innovation,” said Ye Yangsheng, chief engineer of China Railway.

Every upgrade or modification on foreign technology platforms inevitably involves software updates, and sometimes even requires the assistance of foreign experts, Ye explained.

Although China mastered the technologies of the Hexie series, and many of the technologies were developed and improved through independent innovation, due to the use of foreign technology platforms and adoption of foreign standards, further development was constrained, said former chief engineer of China Railway Corporation He Huawu. Therefore, it was imperative to develop high-speed trains with Chinese standards.

“A high-speed train traveling at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour includes over 40,000 parts, covering various technical fields such as mechanics, metallurgy, materials, power electronics, chemical engineering, and information control,” said Wang Jun, chief scientist of China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC).

Besides, with China’s super large railway network, complex geographical and climatic conditions, and long-distance and continuous high-speed operation, the independent development of high-speed trains faced unprecedented challenges, Wang added.

To reduce noise, more than 3,000 tests were conducted on different materials and structures for sound insulation. As a result, the Fuxing bullet train is able to run at a speed of 350 kilometers per hour with a minimum noise level of 65 decibels in the train compartments.

To reduce vehicle resistance and energy consumption, over 40 different solutions were analyzed through simulation and wind tunnel tests. As a result, aerodynamic resistance was reduced by 14 percent, and energy consumption per passenger per 100 kilometers was cut by 20 percent.

To achieve optimal harmonic control for the entire vehicle, the research and development team went through numerous cycles of design, analysis, testing, and optimization. This process ultimately led to the development of an innovative control module that has reached world-class standards.

During the independent innovation of the Fuxing high-speed train, the research and development team has made breakthroughs in core control technologies such as traction, braking, and networking, as well as key technologies in wheel, axle, and gearbox design and manufacturing.

Among the 254 important standards adopted by the train, 84 percent are Chinese. The overall design of the train, as well as key technologies such as the train body and bogie, were independently developed, and the software was entirely self-developed, possessing complete independent intellectual property rights.

After undergoing over 10,000 simulations, ground tests, and line trials, the Chinese-standard high-speed train Fuxing obtained its model certificate and manufacturing license in 2017. In June of that year, the Fuxing bullet train made its debut.

Three months later, the train started commercial operation with a speed of 350 kilometers per hour on the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway, and in December 2019, it also achieved a speed of 350 kilometers per hour on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou high-speed railway, operating in autonomous driving mode.

In June 2021, the Fuxing train, powered by internal combustion and electric power, extended its services to Lhasa, Xizang autonomous region, marking that the train has reached 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China.

From research and development, manufacturing to operational services, more than 100 core enterprises and over 2,100 associated enterprises are involved in designing and producing components for the high-speed trains.

The Fuxing bullet train has stimulated the growth of the entire rail transportation industry. Statistics show that the scale of China’s rail transportation equipment industry reached approximately 480 billion yuan ($66.05 billion) in 2022, and is expected to hit 600 billion yuan by 2025.

The Fuxing high-speed train has also ventured beyond the borders, becoming a golden signboard of China internationally.

In December 2021, the China-Laos Railway commenced operations, marking the first time for the Fuxing bullet train to go outside of China. In October 2023, a high-speed train with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour, developed based on the Fuxing platform, was put into service on Indonesia’s Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway. It was the first time for an overseas project to fully use Chinese railway systems, technology and industrial components.

By the end of 2023, China had led the development and revision of 65 international standards under the International Organization for Standardization, International Electrotechnical Commission, and International Union of Railways (UIC).

Additionally, it had participated in 249 international standard development and revision projects. All 11 system-level UIC international standards in the field of high-speed rail were formulated by China.

By Yan Yu, People’s Daily

Currently, countries around the world are facing global challenges such as climate change, food security, and energy security. To overcome common development challenges, humanity needs international cooperation, openness, and sharing more than ever before.

At the same time, the world has entered an era of “big science,” where scientific research and technological innovation have become more complex, systematic, and collaborative. No country can be an independent innovation center or enjoy the benefits of innovation alone. International cooperation has become an inevitable choice to promote technological innovation.

China has always been a participant in and a beneficiary of open cooperation in scientific and technological development. In recent years, China has proposed an international science and technology cooperation initiative, led several large international cooperation projects, and implemented the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan. China’s influence as an important global innovation hub continues to grow.

China has been continuously expanding its “circle of friends” in the global innovation network. As of October 2023, China has established scientific and technological cooperation relationships with 161 countries and regions and signed 117 intergovernmental cooperation agreements on scientific and technological cooperation.

It has engaged in practical cooperation with various countries in areas such as climate change, clean energy, and health, building a multi-level, comprehensive, and wide-ranging new pattern of open cooperation in scientific and technological development.

China has deeply integrated into the global technology governance system. As of October 2023, the country had joined over 200 international organizations and multilateral mechanisms, and participated in nearly 60 large international cooperation programs and projects. Its contribution and influence in these organizations have significantly increased.

Additionally, China has taken the initiative to set global technology innovation agendas, leading the Green Powered Future Mission (GPFM) and launching an international technology innovation and cooperation program on carbon neutrality.

China is continuously expanding its opening up in science and technology, creating a favorable environment for open innovation. In recent years, China has set up a globally oriented scientific research fund, stepped up the opening-up of the national science and technology programs, and encouraged and supported foreign scientists in addressing global challenges.

It has strengthened exchanges and interactions with governments, scientific communities, and industries of various countries, promoting the smooth flow of innovative factors of talents, technology, capital, and data. It also supports joint research and development among scientists from different countries, so that they can work together on research programs that contribute to global sustainable development.

Openness brings opportunities, and cooperation drives development. Reviewing China’s scientific and technological progress in the new era, one can see new breakthroughs in basic and cutting-edge research, new leaps in strategic high-tech fields, and new achievements in innovation-driven high-quality development, such as translating human somatic cells back into pluripotent stem cells using the chemical cellular reprogramming technique, the superdeep boreholes drilled by China’s most advanced land-based drilling rig Crust 1, and the expedition of China’s deep-sea manned submersible Fendouzhe (Striver) into the depths of the ocean, the commercial operation of China’s self-developed large passenger aircraft, and China’s new energy vehicles (NEVs) providing new momentum for the global auto industry. These successes paint a vivid picture of how China has enhanced its innovation capabilities through open cooperation.

China shares its wisdom and achievements in open cooperation. From the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) exploring the mysteries of the universe, to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project striving to bring unlimited clean energy to humanity, and to the Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions (ONCE) plan aimed at providing intelligent solutions for global ocean carbon sinks, Chinese scientists are actively involved in major international scientific programs and projects. They work hand in hand with scientists around the world, contributing Chinese wisdom to major global scientific challenges.

Today, China’s space station has extended invitations to space explorers worldwide, the Chang’e-6 probe has carried four international payloads to the moon, and the FAST is open for international cooperation.

Regardless of the complexity of the international environment, China consistently maintains an open-minded approach, keeps its doors open, and remains committed to ensuring that science and technology better benefit all of humanity.

International science and technology cooperation is a major trend. China’s technological advancement is becoming increasingly interdependent with the rest of the world, and global technological progress is also increasingly reliant on China.

By Li Xinping, People’s Daily

Chinese state-owned and publicly traded rolling stock manufacturer China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) on June 28 launched seven new energy locomotives, which come in three power configurations – hybrid powered by both diesel and electricity, power battery only and hydrogen fuel cell.

The series of locomotives feature low emission, low noise and high efficiency. They offer an effective solution to the high fuel consumption, high emission and high noise issues faced by old-fashioned diesel-powered locomotives.

Besides, CRRC released the world’s first report on the carbon footprint of pure electric locomotives, which was reviewed by authoritative international organizations and awarded the ISO 14067 carbon footprint verification.

The report accurately calculates the trajectories of carbon dioxide emissions of new energy locomotives throughout their entire lifecycle – from raw iron ore to being recycled after 30 years of service, using a combination of real-world scenarios and modeling techniques, said Wang Feifei, deputy head of the green and low-carbon development group of the CRRC development transformation office.

The report measures carbon emissions in the manufacturing of every screw, nut, as well as major components such as the bodies, wheelsets, and bogies, the acquisition of raw materials, and general assembly.

According to the information obtained, the calculation involved over 97,000 data points, all derived from real-world scenarios, providing an accurate reflection of the products’ manufacturing process. For emission factors that were difficult to directly obtain, background data from internationally authoritative databases were used.

The final verification showed that the carbon footprint of a 1,000 kW hybrid locomotive powered by both diesel and electricity is 7.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilometer, and that of a 1,000 kW pure electric locomotive is 7.92 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilometer.

An analysis of carbon emissions at various stages of locomotive production reveals that the operational phase has the most significant impact on a product’s carbon footprint during the entire lifecycle.

Over a 30-year operational period, a pure electric locomotive with a 1,000-ton capacity, running on green electricity at 40 percent of standard operational speed, can reduce its carbon footprint by 94.2 percent compared to traditional locomotives, cutting carbon emissions by 4,076 tons. For a hybrid locomotive using both diesel and electricity under the same conditions, the reductions would be 61.7 percent and 2,735 tons, respectively.

It is learned that key components of the new energy locomotive series adopt lightweight designs. The traction motor’s weight has been reduced by 22.5 percent, and that of the bogie by 6.7 percent. Steel structures in the driver’s cab have been reduced by 40 percent, and those of the underframe by 70 percent. This has effectively lowered carbon emissions in raw material acquisition, as well as component production and transportation.

“Moreover, we maximized the use of green electricity in the manufacturing process, with green power accounting for over 20 percent of our electricity consumption. This enabled us to achieve about a 52 percent reduction in carbon footprint during manufacturing and maintenance phases compared to the models being replaced,” Wang said.

“In the future, as manufacturing companies further expand their photovoltaic power generation, this percentage will continue to increase,” Wang added.

In addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the new energy locomotive series also excel in reducing pollutant emissions.

According to statistics, the diesel-power battery hybrid locomotive can achieve a 45 percent reduction in nitrogen oxides, a 73 percent reduction in hydrocarbons, and an 83 percent reduction in carbon monoxide emissions.

With a 45 percent reduction in pollutants, each locomotive can reduce harmful substance emissions by 4 tons and carbon emissions by 374 tons annually.

Adopting an optimal hybrid power control technology, the hybrid locomotive can ensure that the diesel engine always operates at its most economical speed. When pulling a 3,000-ton load on a straight track with a full tank of fuel, this locomotive can travel over 1,100 kilometers – 1.7 times the range of traditional diesel-powered locomotives – with a fuel efficiency improvement of over 45 percent.

The pure electric locomotive launched this time is compatible with various types of charging stations, with charging power exceeding 870 kW. The shortest charging time is less than 40 minutes, and the locomotive can operate in a wide temperature range from -40°C to +40°C.

For the hydrogen fuel cell locomotive, refueling takes only 10 to 15 minutes, which effectively ensures operational capability and range. Its energy utilization efficiency is over 80 percent higher compared to traditional diesel-powered locomotives.

“This series of new energy locomotives will generate huge and diverse demands for new energy products, and drive the development of upstream industries such as basic materials and key components,” said Tian Jun, chief engineer of the National Railway Administration and director of the administration’s equipment supervision and management department.